(2.) To read and expound the Scripture is another thing which seems to be there prohibited. Whether Rochester's Poems, Tristram Shandy, The Minor, and such books, are esteemed orthodox, and therefore tolerated, I pretend not to say; but one thing is clear from the text, That reading and expounding the Scriptures is against the Oxonian law for six young gentlemen were expelled the University for reading and expounding the Scriptures.

(3.) Singing of hymns is another thing which they do not learn; this is also clear from the words. By singing of hymns, I mean, praising of God for blessings received, according to Col. iii. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wis'dom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.' But singing of psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, cannot be connived at in the University by the Heads of Houses; for six young men were expelled the University for singing of hymns.

Note. This was an extract of a letter from Oxford; which shews that there be some people there who can write, notwithstanding all the reflections that have been cast upon them; and that, although reading is dangerous there, yet an Oxonian may write with impunity.

II. Last Friday.---The better day, the better deed. Friday, you know, is a fast-day; on which it was fittest to go about a work of this importance, when the judgment was not fettered with bodily grossness, but purged by an empty belly.

Last Friday.---It was not a thing that happened in the dark ages of Monkish ignorance, but what has happened in this enlightened age of CHRISTIANITY. It was not when the University was tied hand and foot by Popish prejudices, and the Heads of Houses were obliged to submit to their betters; but it was last Friday, the act and deed of Protestant Divines.

III. Six Students!---What a miracle was it, my beloved, that out of so many hundreds of students as are at Oxford, only six should be found guilty of praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures! This shews the faithfulness of their vigilant tutors, in guarding them against such pernicious practices. Now, from this, observe,

1. That there were but six students of all the University, who could be detected in those evils of praying, &c. much to the honour of that learned body.

2. That those six being expelled---now there are none left in all the colleges, who take upon them to pray, read, and expound the Scriptures; therefore, gentlemen may with safety send their sons to that fountain of learning without fearing that they will become religious; there being none left now to ensnare them.

IV. They all belonged to Edmund Hall.---It seems they loved

to be together; from whence it may be gathered, that they loved one another; a fault which the heathens accused the Christians of old with, but from which mankind it general are now pretty free. It appears as if this Edmund Hall was the only place at Oxford in which praying people were to be found. But it is hoped that the Governors at that Hall will be mulct for their carelessness in suffering the students to read the Bible and to enquire after religion, seeing it is contrary to the sense of this University.

V. Were expelled the University.---Deprived of the rights and privileges of the king's loving subjects; or, as the word signifies, they were drove out, forced away, and banished from the University. This religious act was performed by the Vice-Chancellor, after an hearing of several hours. I remember when bishop Hooper was sent for by queen Mary, the pious bishop of London and my Lord-Chancellor, the guides of her conscience, being determined to have him burnt, they thought to make a shew of justice by giving him an hearing, withal resolving not to swerve from their bloody design. So, in like manner, our venerable tutors were determined not to suffer praying persons to breathe the University air; yet being tied to form, they would give them an hearing.

An hearing of several hours.---Ah! my beloved, ye may see how remarkably the Scriptures are fulfilled in that learned body of divines, where it says, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; 'see ye indeed, but perceive not.'

VI. We come to the crime for which they were expelled the University; and I wot it was an heinous crime indeed. This would appear without illustrating it, from the character of the expellers; namely, Mr. Vice-Chancellor, and the Heads of Houses. But, as I love to remove every hillock out of the way for your better information, I shall explain it. What was their crime then, my beloved, think you? Was it drinking? No, no; it was not drinking; for they were very temperate. Was it for whoring then, the common practice of many students? No, it was not for whoring neither; for their lives are said to have been very exemplary. I wish, my beloved, it had been no worse. But what was it then? Was it swearing and fighting, and abusing their fellow students? No; for they shunned the other students, as a wise man will shun an attorney.---Thus much may be gathered from our text, which intimates, that they met together among themselves. But it was praying: that, my beloved, was one part of their crime.---Six young men were expelled the Uni versity for praying. For Mr. V--e C--------r, and the Heads of Houses, will suffer no praying people to continue in the University.

Reading and expounding the Scriptures was another part of the crime; but what, in the name of the Pope, can students

have to do with the Scriptures? What a pity it is that the Bible is not locked up in the Vatican! But letting that pass, we find that learning to expound the Scriptures, is no part of the employment of the students :---SIX young men being expelled the University for reading and expounding the Scriptures.

What added to their guilt was, that they carried their religion to a private house. But what can private people have to do with religion? Ought not they to do as their forefathers did; namely, give up their consciences and understandings to the guidance of their venerable priests? Is it not enough that gentlemen in black know and understand religion, but every private person must be dabbling in it, contrary to the sense of this University? I wot, my beloved, that the clergy cannot thrive as they do, if every private house must become a worshipping temple; but it is thought there is little reason to fear this, seeing our text informs us, that the doctors of the University are determined to do what they can to prevent it; for six young men were expelled the University, for being religious in a private house.

VII. Another part of their crime was, that they held Methodistical tenets. The name Methodist, my beloved, is a cramp word, gathered out of old books, by men of reverence and learning, and applied to such who pray, read, expound the Scriptures, and sing hymns in private houses---a people never to be tolerated by the clergy. You'll observe that this same hard word which the nation has long rung with, first of all was given to the sons of Esculapius, as a name of honour, and about thirty years ago was, by learned men, raised up, as the witch of Endor (who seems to have been a clergywoman too) raised the ghost of old Samuel.

Those same sons of Esculapius were physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries in their day; but then they were quite immethodical, like the greater part of the old women in black prunella and white cambric. For instance, they had not the method of wearing large wigs, gold-headed canes, and of wheeling about the streets in their chariots. And with respect to their physic and surgery, they were guided chiefly by the dictates of nature, without the abstruse methods of art. At last, there arose a great man, and his name was Galen, a mighty man for dissecting of apes; for it ought to be observed, that in his days, in Pagan lands, there were very few criminals who deserved death, and fewer still who were given to the surgeons. Well, what should he do, think you? Why, my beloved, being blessed with better stars at his nativity than his predecessors, he took their confused and immethodical practices, and reduced them into method, i. e. form and order. Well, this great man being principal of the College of Physicians, he taught his pupils to observe orderly rules, otherwise method, from whence his disciples were in

honour called Methodists. So much for learning; now for doctrine.

Then, my beloved, the case stands thus: Amongst the clergy, there always have been a great number who did not love praying, singing of hymns, reading and expounding the Scriptures; the like may be said of the students. What they aimed at, was a good living without much work; and as one in a certain place says, Those men care not if the devil take the flock, provided they have but the fleece.---On the other hand, there have been some who loved to pray, to sing hymns, to read, and expound the Scriptures; who, if they were not permitted to do it in public houses or churches, would do it in private houses, to the no small disgrace of the other gentlemen. Well, my beloved, these are they who have been called Methodists, fanatics, and enthusiasts. Now a word or two about their tenets, and then I dismiss this head for really their tenets, being destructive of priestcraft, must by no means be encouraged.

First, and foremost, they think that a man ought to attest no article of faith, but what he believes to be true.

2. They think that a man ought not to profess to my Lord. Bishop, that he believes all the thirty-nine articles of the established church to be the true faith of the gospel, when he secretly believes in his heart that they are false and methodistical.

3. They think that a man should not profess to his lordship, that he is moved by the Holy Ghost to desire the office of a deacon, when he is, in fact, moved with the hopes of a benefice, and considers it in his heart as a delusion and enthusiasm, for any man to pretend to be moved by the Holy Ghost in these days.

4. They think that after a man has subscribed to the thirtynine articles, and solemnly swore that he believes them, that he should not go and preach doctrines directly opposite to the said articles.

5. They think that no man ought to be permitted to enter the pulpit, whose life and conversation is dissolute.

These, with a great many tenets besides, equally ridiculous to maintain, and therefore, though tolerated by the king and parlia ment, the Heads of Houses will never endure them in the University.

of the

VIII. The defended their doctrine by the thirty-nine articles of the established church.

I wot, I fear me much, that this doctor is himself tinctured with methodistical tenets; for nobody, now-a-day, besides Methodists, considers these thirty-nine articles of the established church as any test of doctrine: as for the clergy, it is well known that they are mostly dissenters from the doctrine of the articles and prayer-book. Ah! beloved, if the truth was known,

it would be found that this same doctor Dixon prays to Goa, and reads his Bible; or how else should he take part with those young men, whom the Heads of Houses expelled the University, for praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures? Besides, he would not have spoken so highly of their piety and the exemplariness of their lives, as the text tells us he did, seeing the sense of the University was, that their praying, reading, &c. was vicious. I fear me, my beloved, that if the Heads of Houses do not keep a good look out after this same doctor, it will be difficult for them to keep the University clear from such as pray, and read and expound the Scriptures; but his motion was over-ruled. What is one Methodist amongst a host of divines?

IX. Dr., one of the Heads of Houses present, observed, that as these six gentlemen were expelled for having too much religion, it would be very proper to enquire into the conduct of some who had too little. From this part of our text, it appears, that the several crimes alleged against them, amounted in the aggregate to a being righteous over-much; which the learned Dr. Trap, of crabbed memory, has very piously shewn to be an evil, almost unpardonable. According to the Rev. Dr. Nowel's learned answer to that profane son of our Alma Mater, called Pietas Oxoniensis, it is evidently much more safe, and less impious, to ridicule the miracles of Moses and of Christ, than to pray in private houses without book. The eloquent orator of the University gives a full account of the case of Mr. W-----ng, a friend of his oratorship's, who was charged upon oath with the above said contempt of the Scriptures, and ridicule of the miracles of Moses and Christ. The proofs were so point blank against the said Rev. Mr. W-----ng, that his Reverence could not deny the charge. Well then, what was the issue? Was he expelled? No, my beloved: he was not expelled. Q. Why was he not expelled? Ans. His Reverence pleaded his being drunk when he uttered those contemptful words against the miracles of Moses and of Christ; i. e. The CANDIDATE for holy orders WAS DRUNK when he ridiculed revealed religion; and yet he got into orders: and yet he continues a member of the University! There is : vulgar proverb, indeed, which says, What a man thinks when he is sober, he speaks out when he is drunk.' Whether this is applicable to parson W-----ng, we pretend not to say; but this we are certain of, had the six Methodists ventured to pray to God when they were drunk, they had been expelled for it when they were sober.

6

But the sweet-spirited V---e C-----r, received Mr. W-----ng's penance favourably; and good reason why, for he was never charged by any body with the heinous crime of praying to God off book in private houses; or that would have ruffled the V---e Cr's spirit to the ejection of parson W------ng.

In the same affair, related by the Rev. Dr. Nowel, it is plain