der the Name of the Church of England; as moft of those do alfo who make their Exit for their Crimes at Tyburn: But they are no more genuine Proteftants in the one Cafe, than Sons of the Church in the other.

Nor do they all pretend to claim this Name as coming into the particular Sentiments of those who made the Proteftation.

I thank you for helping me to a Way of Thinking fo much better upon this Head. In your Character of a Proteftant, I see a general Agreement among fuch, moft happily accounted for, and yet Allowance made for very great Varieties: For you tell us it confifts in a Belief of the Principles, upon which the feveral Reformed Churches reformed themselves? What those were, you have taken the fureft way to difcover, from the Principles express'd in the Protest it felf, the Practice of the Protefters, and the concurrent Declarations and Practice of the Body of Proteftants. Here then we are upon firm Ground again, and muft make your Chain of Principles the great Characteristics of a Proteiftant: The Sufficiency of Scripture, as the Rule of Religion, the Duty of examining all Doctrines and Practices in Religion by this Rule; the Right of every Man to judge for himself, an Obligation to profefs and practise agreeably to his Judgment, and allowing others the fame Liberty which we take our felves.

And now, Sir, upon a Review of your Effay, I am, as much as you, in Love with the old Name of Proteftant, which our Fathers glory'd in, as fignifying a Proteftation for Chriftianity, as it was in the Beginning. This Chriftianity, tho' it should be recover'd but yesterday, has its own genuine Antiquity; in Comparison of which, Corruptions, how ancient foever, are but the old Shoes, and mouldy Bread of Deceivers and Impoftors: As Galvin in his admirable Dedication of his Inftitutions to Francis I. of

France, expreffes himself: Quod diu incognita, fepultaque latuit, humana impietatis crimen eft; nunc cum Dei benignitate nobis redditur, faltem poftliminii jure Juam Antiquitatem recipere debebat.

And if you have drawn a Proteftant right, I fhall not fear but these Corollaries will hold from the Account you give of him.

That different Sentiments, about fome Paffages, in that only Rule which the Proteftant owns, make not a Plurality of Religions, as the Doctor contends. The Effence of the Proteftant Religion lies in receiving the Bible as the only Rule; and it has its Denomination from protesting against the Impofition of another Man's Senfe of this Rule. All that agree in this, are truly of one and the fame Religion.

That they who don't receive the Bible at all for their Rule, want the Fundamental of a Proteftant, and can only wear the Name in a very abusive Sense of the Word. And yet,

That when any fuch join in protesting against the Romish Corruption and Tyranny, they are in Truth as good Proteftants as thofe, who, while they fay the Bible is the only Rule, yet impofe other Standards and Rules, or their own Senfe of that Bible; and fo in Fact deftroy, or deny that which they affert in Words.

That for all People or Churches, who go under this general Name, they are, in truth, to be efteem'd more or lefs Proteftant, according as the Principles or Practices they avow in Religion, are more or lefs ftrictly conform'd to the common Rule; and as the Liberty and Charity they allow to others, are more or lefs extenfive. And whatever any Church has peculiar to her self, or not common to all Chriftians, can by no means give it a greater Right than her Neighbours, to the Character of a Proteftant. I am, with all Respect, &c.

Feb. 6. 1719

II. To

II. To the Author of the OCCASIONAL PAPER,

SIR,

Feb. 6. 171.

Congratulate you upon King George's happy Arrival, a fecond Time, in these his Dominions; and upon the joyful Reception he met with from all Sorts of People. This Salutation, I am perfwaded, will be highly agreeable to you; fince my Acquaintance with you enables me to fay, That there is not a. Man in England whofe Pleasure could rife higher upon fuch an Occafion than yours must do. Tis only by fuch a Prince, that Sentiments large and generous as yours, can be fupported: And, methinks, I fee you in Transports gazing upon the Man who is form'd and rais'd by Heaven, to promote that Civil and Chriftian Liberty, for which you are fo warm and continual an Advocate. Whilft the two other Parts of the Legislature (the Lords and Commons in Parliament) were waiting for His Majesty (their Head) to direct, animate and confirm their Proceedings; I cannot but fancy that I fee your Heart beating for Joy, to look upon the King as he paffes by, with the Thoughts of what may in a little Time be effected by his Wifdom and Conduct in the enfuing Parliament. Methinks I hear you tell thofe that ftand by you (with Eyes fix'd upon the King's Coach) There goes the Man, who, after Envy's 'Snakes have hifs'd their loudeft, must be acknowledged the greateft, and beft crown'd Head in the World. There goes the Man, who, in our pre'fent Circumftances, is the only fit Perfon to make these Nations eafie, united, and happy.

Thus far, I am perfwaded, I have not yaried from your own Way of thinking; but I know not what

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you

you will fay of my next Congratulation, and that is upon the Proceffion in the Evening. If you do not think it a Subject too low for your Paper, I fhould be glad to fee your Thoughts on fuch Pieces of Pageantry: In the mean time I fhall take the Liberty to communicate mine. Some Wife Men in the City have thought that the very Pageants of the RebelGenerals might occafion a fresh Sedition. And, indeed, they are every whit as proper to be fet up for the Head of a Party, as the Men they reprefent. But are the ill-affected Mob fo mad as that comes to, that a piece of Paft-board, or a Broom-ftick would be fufficient to animate them againft King George? Really, Sir, they are far from being beholden to the wife Speech-makers that have given fuch a Representation of them; or elfe, from their great Stilnefs and Silence, 'tis plain, neither their Numbers, nor their Courage is fo great as those Speech-makers would have us to think. We have now the Satisfaction to find, that a Body of the Loyal Mob could go from one End of the City to another, without any Oppofition or Difturbance, when a little while ago they were forced to fight their Way, with King George's Name in their Mouths; and yet they never carried fo many, and fuch great Provocations to the Tories, as in this Proceffion.

We have alfo the Pleasure of obferving the Dif ference between a Whig and a Tory-Mob: The Tories are infamous for the vileft Abuses offer'd to Perfons in the Streets, battering of Windows, plundering of Houses, and committing a thousand Outrages: The Whig-Mob, tho' much more numerous, and now flush'd with the Safety and Succefs of the King in all his Undertakings, yet were not chargeable with any thing mischievous, or injurious to any one Perfon; no, not even to those who had formerly moft provok'd them.

By

By this Conduct their Numbers were continually increafing, and even those that did not joyn with them, yet went their way under ftrange Mechani cal Impreffions, that they could not help thinking and talking of what they had feen, till they fhow'd, that their Fancies and their Humours were plainly captivated.

After this I don't wonder to hear the Jacobites, and those that are Popishly affected, inveighing againft fuch Proceffions; fince by these they fee themselves and their Attempts expofed to the greatest Scorn before the Mob: I fay the Mob, whom they have made it their chief Attempt to gain over to their Party. But to find any that are hearty againft Popery, or Friends to the prefent Government, uneafie at these Shows, is a little to be wonder'd at.

To treat the Pope, and the feveral Orders of Popish Priefts, in fuch a manner, muft be acknowledged highly proper, when we confider how much their Religion is made up of Pageantry and Show: And how meer a Banter upon Mankind, and upon all that is Sacred, the Fopperies of the Romanifts really are. Had they not fhown themselves too much in earnest by shedding Rivers of innocent Blood to fupport their Follies; and by thefe, their Grandeur; one would never have gone about to confute Popery any other Way than by expofing it to Jeft and Scorn. But when one confiders how many Maffacrees, Burnings,Breakings upon the Wheel,&c. the Pope and his Priefts are chargeable with, it is but a very juft Representation of their Deserts to caft their Effigies into the Flames.

Ay, but this may provoke them to attempt fome further and greater Mischief. What then? Are we to show a Fear of them? No, let 'em do all the Mifchief they can or dare, Thanks be to God, we fee how little Succefs they are like to have in it. 'Tis certain, the Papifts are now upon their laft Legs in

England;

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