furniture. was a hale ruddy complexion'd old man, who had never been afflicted with fickness, because he had always been infenfible to paffions, and a perfect ftranger to intemperance. I never in my life faw a more noble or a more engaging afpect than his. He was drefs'd like thofe of his perfuafion, in a plain coat, without plaits in the fides, or buttons on the pockets and fleeves; and had on a beaver, the brims of which were horizontal, like thofe of our clergy. He did not uncover himself when I appear'd, and advanc'd towards me without once ftooping his body; but there appear'd more politeness in the open, humane air of his countenance, than in the custom of drawing one leg behind the other, and taking that from the head, which is made to cover it. Friend, fays he to me, I perceive thou art a ftranger, but if I can do any thing for thee, only tell me. Sir, fays I to him, bending forwards, and advancing as is ufual with us, one leg towards him, I flatter myself that my juft curiofity will not give you the least offence, and that you'll do me the honour to inform me of the particulars of your religion. The people of thy country, replied the Quaker, are too full of their bows and compliments, but I never yet met with one of them who had fo much curiofity as thyfelf. Come

The Quaker who own'd it

in,

in, and let us first dine together. I ftill continued to make fome very unfeasonable ceremonies, it not being eafy to difengage one's felf at once from habits we have been long us'd to; and after taking part of a frugal meal, which began and ended with a prayer to God, I began to question my courteous hoft. I open'd with that which good Catholicks have more than once made to Huguenots. My dear fir, fays I, were '! you ever baptiz'd? I never was, replied the Quaker, nor any of my brethren. Zouns, fays I to him, you are not Chriftians then. Friend, replies the old man in a foft tone of voice, fwear not; we are Christians, and endeavour to be good Chriftians, but wel are not of opinion, that the fprinkling water on a child's head makes him a Chriftian. Heavens! fays I, fhock'd at his impiety, you have then forgot that Chrift was baptiz'd by St. John. Friend, replies the mild Quaker once again, fwear not. Christ indeed was baptiz'd by John, but he himself never baptiz'd any one. are the difciples of Chrift, not of John. I pitied very much the fincerity of my worthy Quaker, and was abfolutely for forcing him to get himself chriftened. Were that all, replied he very gravely, we would fubmit chearfully to baptifm, purely in compliance with thy weakness, for we do not condemn any person who uses it; but

B 2

We

then

then we think, that thofe who profefs a religion of fo holy, fo fpiritual a nature as that of Christ, ought to abftain to the utmoft of their power from the Jewish ceremonies. O unaccountable! fays I, what! baptifm a Jewish ceremony? Yes, my friend, fays he, fo truly Jewish, that a great many Jews ufe the baptifm of John to this day. Look into ancient authors, and thou wilt find that John only reviv'd this practice; and that it had been us❜d by the Hebrews, long before his time, in like manner as the Mahometans imitated the Ifmaelites in their pilgrimages to Mecca. Jefus indeed fubmitted to the baptism of John, as he had fuffered himself to be circumcis'd; but circumcifion and the washing with water ought to be abolish'd by the baptifm of Christ, that baptifm of the fpirit, that ablution of the foul, which is the falvation of mankind, thus the forerunner faid, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me, is mightier than I, whofe fhoes I am not worthy to bear: he fhall baptize you with the Holy Ghoft and with fire*. Likewife Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, writes as follows to the Corinthians; Chrift fent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel +; and indeed Paul never baptiz'd but two

*St. Matth. iii. 11. + 1 Cor. i. 17.

perfons

perfons with water, and that very much against his inclinations. He circumcis'd his difciple Timothy, and the other difciples likewife circumcis'd all who were willing to fubmit to that carnal ordinance. But art thou circumcis'd, added he? I have not the honour to be fo, fays I. Well, friend, continues the Quaker, thou art a Christian without being circumcis'd, and I am one without being baptiz'd. Thus did this pious man make a wrong, but very fpecious application, of four or five texts of fcriptue which feem'd to favour the tenets of his fect; but at the fame time forgot very fincerely an hundred texts which made directly against them. I had more fenfe than to conteft with him, fince there is no poffibility of convincing an enthusiast. A man fhou'd never pretend to inform a lover of his miftrefs's faults, no more than one who is at law, of the badnefs of his caufe; nor attempt to win over a fanatic by strength of reafoning. Accordingly I way'd the fubject.

WELL, fays I to him, what fort of a communion have you? We have none like that thou hinteft at among us, replied he. How! no communion, fays I? Only that fpiritual one, replied he, of hearts. He then began again to throw out his texts of fcripture; and preach'd a most eloquent fermon against that ordinance. He haB 3 rangued

ranged in a tone as tho' he had been infpir'd, to prove that the facraments were merely of human invention, and that the word facrament was not once mention'd in the gospel. Excufe, fays he, my ignorance, for I have not employ'd an hundredth part of the arguments which might be brought, to prove the truth of our religion, but thefe thou thyfelf mayeft peruse in the Expofition of our Faith written by Robert Barclay. 'Tis one of the best pieces that ever was penn'd by man; and as our adverfaries confefs it to be of dangerous tendency, the arguments in it muft neceffarily be very convincing. I promis'd to perufe this piece, and my Quaker imagin'd he had already made a convert of me. afterwards gave me an account in few words, of fome fingularities which make this fect the contempt of others. Confefs, fays he, that it was very difficult for thee to refrain from laughter, when I answer'd all thy civilities without uncovering my head, and at the fame time faid Thee and Thou to thee. However, thou appeareft to me too well read, not to know that in Chrift's time no nation was fo ridiculous as to put the plural number for the fingular. Auguftus Cæfar himself was fpoke to in fuch phrases as thefe, I love thee, I beseech thee, I thank thee; but he did not allow any perfon to call him Domine, Sir. 'Twas not

He