men.

And yet they prayed extempore, and yet they preached, and yet they expounded the Scriptures to the great confusion of the holy trade of priestcraft. The established church was now thought to be in danger. And how it could be thought so, was something strange, seeing those praying and preaching dissenters proved all their doctrines from the articles and homilies given by Moses and the Prophets, even as our modern methodists prove their doctrine from the articles and homilies of the church of England; and the church of England has been thought in no small danger from these same methodists upon grounds equally substantial. Believe me, my beloved, the learned, the zealous Doctor Sacheverel, was not the first, nor the last, who was grieved for the church. But he is dead and gone, therefore I return to the clergy at Jerusalem; and ye cannot but remember how active they were in procuring the destruction of Jesus Christ, and, when he was risen from the dead and ascended into glory, they abated nothing of their zeal for their established church. For no sooner were they aware of the power of the apostles' doctrine (by the apostles I mean those who took upon them to pray, read, and expound the Scriptures in private houses, as you may see in the subsequent parts of the history) as these six young men who were expelled the University are said to have done. Seeing, I say, their extraordinary fervour in preaching, they cried out against them as persons drunk with new wine, by which we may understand enthusiasm, Acts ii. 13. Well, my beloved, this is the very cry of the clergy against all such as preach Jesus and the resurrection, and from their mouths the vulgar catch the sound; so with many, a methodist and an enthusiast, a dissenter and a fanatic, are thought to be synonimous terms. From hence we may learn that a slander may as well be thrown out in a sermon as in a farce, and will issue with as good a grace from a pulpit as from a theatre. But no more of this, because our time draws towards the other end.

It is very remarkable how zealous those gentlemen of the gown, who aim no higher than a good fat benefice, have always shewed themselves when the doctrine of Christ in its simplicity hath been preached; for why? Truly, because it lays the axe to the root of the tree of priestcraft, and throws down the importance of the parson into the dirt.---If the clergy were all to observe the rules given by Christ to his disciples in his sermon upon the mount, where would be all their titles, their riches and grandeur, their coaches, their livery-men, and their plate? But ye know that these rules are different from this craft, whereby the parsons get their wealth, as heaven is different from hell. But as priestcraft is lucrative, it will be sure to find supporters, whilst the houses have got one HEAD left upon them.

In Acts v. we find that Peter and the rest of his praying, reading, and Scripture-expounding brethren, were brought before

the Vice-Chancellor and the Heads of Houses for an hearing, and after an hearing of several hours they took counsel to slay them, v. 33. But there was one Dr. Gamaliel, the head of a certain house, who, sided with them, and probably proved their doctrine from the articles of the Jewish church as by law estab-lished. I trow this same Doctor Gamaliel was tinctured with the doctrine they preached, as the principal of Edmund-Hall, who defended the faith of the six young men who were expelled the University of Oxford for praying, &c. may be supposed secretly to have believed in the articles which he once subscribed, though he dare not now to avow his faith openly.

There is one thing in the account that is something remarkable, namely, the wise motion of Dr. Gamaliel over-ruled the bloody designs of the priests; but it was not so at the other University, for although the principal of Edmund-Hall defended and proved the methodistical doctrine from the articles of the church, and spoke highly of the piety and exemplariness of the lives of the young men, his motion was over-ruled, and the six young men were expelled. As before observed, what is one methodist among a host of divines?

Another thing we may take notice of, namely, those ancient doctors had a law by which they could put people to death for praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures; but our Universities have no such law, or it is no way doubtful but that the same zeal which will, under a protestant government, expel the students of the University for praying, &c. would, for the same reasons, burn offenders at the stake, were they favoured with a popish King. So that if the Heads of Houses were less bloody in their designs than their ancestors, it is not to be imputed to want of good will, but to the protestant restraints which they are under.

Remarkable was the procedure of the Jews against Stephen, related Acts vi. 9. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, 'which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, &c. disputing 'with Stephen,' &c. This same Stephen was a low churchman, a whig, and a puritan, and therefore was sure to be opposed in that blinded age. But who were they, my beloved, that here are said to have risen against Stephen?---Not bargemen, linkboys, lamplighters, and Irish chairmen; but gentlemen of the synagogue. Certain of the synagogue, i. e. devout men of the established church; their Lauds, their Calamys, and their Sacheverels. But to what synagogue did they belong, think you? Why, they belonged to the synagogue of the libertines. Was ever one egg more like another than ancient things are to modern? If the gentlemen of the synagogue of the libertines would have been quiet, Stephen might have gone on preaching and praying without opposition; but then it would have spoiled the priests' trade of getting wealth.

This leads me to enquire wherefore they rose up against him.. Was he a drunkard, a murderer, or seditious person? or did he speak reproachfully of the miracles of Christ and of Moses? No, none of all these were alledged against him. But the grand cause of their umbrage was, The word of God increased, and then numbers of his disciples increased,' whereby the people forsook their old libertine pastors, insomuch that the parish synagogues, in many places, were almost wholly forsaken. Exactly alike again: Stephen you must know, was a great ringleader of that sect that turned the world up-side down; he was full of faith and power, performing many notable miracles, to the grief of the gentlemen belonging to the libertines; therefore they thought it best to dispatch him out of the way, for the safety of the church.

It would be endless, my beloved, to point out all the instances in which the Jewish and the ----- clergy agree; I shall therefore leave them to another occasion, and shall pass on to another very famous church in that part of the world, and after that I shall come near home, within our own ken. And,

III. This famous church was that of Diana at Ephesus: and I wot in this church there was many a good living in the gift of the University; and I trow, that the Heads of Houses were very careful that none should enjoy one of them unless he was well known to be a true son of the church, that is to say, a promoter of the sale of the shrines of Diana, and a worshipper of the image that fell down from Jupiter.

This Diana was, in her day, a lady remarkable for hunting of stags, and ever since, her clergy have been as remarkable for the hunting of (not stags, but) a good benefice. Now, my beloved, this same huntress was the personage worshipped by most people of Asia, and she had many, very many clergy, who adored her for the sake of gain; for by this craft we have our wealth, say they. A language not yet practically laid aside.

There was a famous University for the training up of young gentlemen in the holy craft of making shrines for the goddess; and a lucrative craft they found it, my beloved, for they had it in their power to sell a brazen shrine for a golden price; a thing which others besides them practise.

This University was at Ephesus, a very populous city, where water was cheap, but fire very dear; and here were many colleges and halls for training up of young men in the craft of getting wealth. Every hall had a head, and over all the Heads of Houses was a Vice-Chancellor, the Rev. Dr. Demetrius by name. for praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures, they meddled not with them, but were, in the highest degree, intent upon getting wealth.

As

Well, they carried on this craft for many years, till at last there came some itinerant preachers to town, who made it their

business to pray to God, to read and expound the Scriptures, and sing hymns in private houses, contrary to the sense of the University of Ephesus. This was no small mortification to the clergy, who very well knew, that if real religion, or praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures were tolerated, that it would put an end to their lucrative priestcraft, and their reverences would fall into disgrace. But to prevent such a catastrophe, the Rev. Dr. Demetrius, Vice-Chancellor, assembled the Heads of Houses to consult what was best to be done, and it was resolved, nemine contradicente, to cry out the church was in danger, that under pretence of saving the church, they might save their own profits. Well, they cried out, that the church was in danger, that the church was in danger, till they had sufficiently inflamed the rabble, who have always proved the pillars of the church, when instigated by the PRIESTS; then they laid hold on the itinerants, and had them before the Heads of Houses, who gave them such treatment as praying people may expect to meet with from the clergy of the. It happened, however, as in a late case, that there was one man of integrity and honour amongst them, much like the Head of EdmundHall; only with this difference---the one was an attorney, and the other is a gentleman in holy orders. Well, this attorney, it seems, being town-clerk of Ephesus, thought that the clergy carried their authority a little beyond the rules of moderation and decency---a thing by no means uncommon for some gentlemen of the cap and gown. This town-clerk took up the cause of the itinerants; and in a spirited, sensible manner, defended their conduct and tenets; not from the thirty-nine articles, but from the articles of natural religion and morality, and spake very highly of their piety and good behaviour. I cannot but remark, that in this affair the town-clerk was more successful than the gentleman who pleaded the cause of the six methodists at Oxford: the former over-ruled the purposes of Diana's clergy, but the University clergy over-ruled the motion of the latter, according to our text; for, though he defended their doctrine from the thirty-nine articles of the established church, and spoke very highly of the piety and exemplariness of their lives, These six young men were expelled the University for praying, reading and expounding the Scriptures, and for singing hymns in a private house. For why? Why truly, my beloved, because praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures, is not the craft by which we get our wealth. For proof of this proposition, I refer you to stubborn facts, namely, that you shall seldom see a divine, who makes a point of praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures, and of singing hymns, either in private or public houses, who keeps his equipage, and possesseth your fat livings. I wot, my beloved, that one drone eats more honey than four

laborious bees for proof of this, I refer you to the Rev. Dr. Pliny, an author of approved merit, and a great divine.

But I pass on to the fourth established church, the clergy of which, in all respects, possessed the spirit of University divines, or Heads of Houses; and I trow, it is a church of great pretensions, the clergy of which are as infallible as the most holy mother pope Joan, that lady who was Christ's vicar, Peter's successor, and carried the keys of heaven, hell, and purgatory, in her pocket, when she was in her prime and her moon shone at full. I guess, by this time, you know that I mean the good old one, catholic, Roman, infallible, pontifical, universal, mother church, in the bosom of which our forefathers of the sursingle slept so snug, wrapt about with abbey lands, as with warm blankets. And if I may speak the sentiments of my sable brethren of the University, and we wish for the sake of those lands, that we were all safe rolling in her warm bosom once more. But I will not keep you in suspense about it.

IV. Church, the conduct of whose clergy was so near a-kin to the conduct of the clergy of *****. In the days of Betsey, the vestal Queen, the clergy suffered great discontent. For why? Because praying, reading, and scripture-expounding people were suffered to live, and were even tolerated in the University, which was a kind of counterbalance to the emolument their reverences had enjoyed in the days of Mary, of scarlet memory; for as soon as this orthodox lady had ascended the throne, matters took a very agreeable turn, and the right reverend bishops, Bonnor and Gardiner, began to work for the good of the church. Like truebred doctors, they searched every corner of the land for matter to work upon; and who should they pitch upon, trow ye, but those ministers and others who prayed to God, read and expounded the scriptures, and sung hymns? For those clergymen were much like unto others; they discouraged praying to any besides saints, canonized in their own church; and as for the scriptures, they found it for their interest that the sense of them should be concealed. And, no doubt, other people of the same practices have reasons equally ponderous to assign for their conduct.

Who was Cranmer, my beloved? Why truly, though he was primate of all England, he took upon him to pray, read, and expound the Scriptures, and as one such, according to the laws of the Trent council, he was expelled the convocation, and burnt to death, as an enemy to the clergy. Latimer and Ridley, and Hooper and Taylor, and Bradford and Hunter, and Philpot, &c. &c. were all of them guilty of those heinous offences of praying, of reading, of expounding the Scriptures, and of singing of hymns. The same crimes with which the Oxford methodists were charged, for which they were expelled the University.