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ments are here beftow'd both in the church and the army, as a reward for long services; and we never fee youngfters made bishops or colonels immediately upon their laying afide the academical gown; and befides, most of the clergy are married. The stiff and aukward air contracted by them at the univerfity, and the little familiarity the men of this country have with the ladies, commonly oblige a bishop to confine himfelf to, and reft contented with his own. Clergymen fometimes take a glass at the tavern, cuftom giving them a fanction on this occafion; and if they fuddle themselves 'tis in a very ferious manner, and without giving the leaft scandal.

THAT mild being (not to be defin'd) who is neither of the clergy nor of the laity; in a word, the thing call'd Abbé in France, is a fpecies quite unknown in England. All the clergy here are very much upon the referve, and most of them pedants. When these are told, that in France, young fellows famous for their diffolutenefs, and rais'd to the highest dignities of the church by female intrigues, addrefs the fair publickly in an amorous way, amuse themfelves in writing tender love fongs, entertain their friends very fplendidly every night at their own houses, and after the banquet is ended, withdraw to invoke the affiftance of the Holy Ghoft,

and

and call themselves boldly the fucceffors of the apoftles, they blefs God for their being Proteftants. But these are shameless Hereticks, who deferve to be blown hence thro' the flames to old Nick, as Rabelais fays; and for this reafon I don't trouble myself about them.

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LETTER VI.

ΟΝ ΤΗ Ε

PRESBYTERIANS.

HE Church of England is confin'd

THE almost to the kingdom whence it

receiv'd its name, and to Ireland; for Prefbyterianifin is the establish'd religion in Scotland. This Prefbyterianifin is directly the fame with Calvinism, as it was eftablifh'd in France, and is now profefs'd at Geneva. As the priests of this fect receive but very inconfiderable ftipends from their churches, and confequently cannot emulate the fplendid luxury of bifhops, they exclaim very naturally against honour which they can never attain to. Figure to yourfelf the haughty Diogenes trampling under foot the pride of Plato. The Scotch Prefbyterians are not very unlike that proud, Tho' tatter'd reafoner. Dicgenes did not use Alexander half fo impertinently as thefe treated king Charles the fecond; for when they took up arms in his caufe, in oppofition to Oliver, who had deceiv'd them, they forc'd that poor monarch to undergo the hearing of three or four fermons every

day;

day; wou'd not fuffer him to play, re-. duc'd him to a state of penitence and mortification; fo that Charles foon grew fick of these pedants, and accordingly elop'd from them with as much joy as a youth

does from school.

A CHURCH of England minifter appears as another Cato, in prefence of a juvenile, sprightly French graduate, who bawls for a whole morning together in the divinity schools, and hums a fong in chorus with ladies in the evening: But this Cato is a very spark, when before a Scotch Prefbyterian. The latter affects a serious gait, puts on a four look, wears a vaftly broadbrimm'd hat, and a long cloak over a very fhort coat; preaches thro' the nofe, and gives the name of the whore of Babylon to all churches, where the ministers are so fortunate as to enjoy an annual revenue of five or fix_thousand pounds; and where the people are weak enough to fuffer this, ant to give them the titles of my lord, your lordship, or your eminence.

THESE gentlemen, who have alfo fome churches in England, introduc'd there the mode of grave and fevere exhortations. To them is owing the fanctification of Suday in the three kingdoms. People are there forbid to work or take any recreation on that day, in which the feverity is twice as great as that of the Romish church. No C 6

opera's,

fcience, in America, and wou'd not have it thought that he intended to deftroy it in Europe; for which reafon he adhered fo inviolably to king James, that a report prevail'd univerfally of his being a Jefuit. This calumny affected him very strongly, and he was obliged to justify himself in print. However, the unfortunate king James the fecond, in whom, as in moft princes of the Stuart family, grandeur and weaknefs were equally blended; and who, like them, as much overdid fome things as he was fhort in others, loft his kingdom in a manner that is hardly to be accounted for.

ALL the English fectarists accepted from William the third and his parliament, the toleration and indulgence which they had refus'd when offer'd by King James. 'Twas then the Quakers began to enjoy, by virtue of the laws, the several privileges they poffefs at this time. Pen having at laft feen Quakerifm firmly eftab'd in his native country, went back His own people and the him with tears of joy, a father who was retu dren. All the law obferv'd in hi

which no but him

years

filvania. receiv'd ad been his chil

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