to pafs upon me, makes me defirous of telling fo good a friend my whole thoughts of this matter ; and of fetting before you in a clear light the true ftate of it.

I have ever believ'd the best piece of fervice one cou'd do to our religion, was openly to exprefs our deteftation and feorn of all those mean artifices and pia fraudes, which it ftands fo little in need of, and which have laid it under so great a fcandal among its enemies.

Nothing has been so much a scarecrow to them, as that too peremptory and uncharitable affertion of an utter impoffibility of falvation to all but our felves invincible ignorance excepted, which indeed fome people define under fo great limitations, and with fuch exclufions, that it seems as if that word were rather invented as a falvo, or expedient, not to be thought too bold with the thunder-bolts of God (which are hurl'd about fo freely on almoft all mankind by the hands of ecclefiafticks) than as a real exception to almoft univerfal damnation. For befides the fmall number of the truly faithful in our Church, we muft again fubdivide; the Janfenift is damn'd by the Jefuit, the Jefuit by the Janfenist, the Scotift by the Thomift, and fo forth.

There may be Errors I grant, but I can't think 'em of fuch confequence as to deftroy utterly the Charity of mankind; the very greatest bond in which we are ingag'd by God to one another: Therefore I own to you, I was glad of any opportunity to express my diflike of fo fhocking a fentiment as those of the religion I profefs are commonly charg'd with; and I hop'd, a flight infinuation, introduc'd fo eafily by a cafual fimilitude only, cou'd never have given offence; but on the contrary must needs have done good; in a

na tion

nation and time, wherein we are the fmaller party, and confequently most misrepresented, and most in need of vindication.

For the fame reason, I took occafion to mention the fuperftition of fome ages after the fubverfion of the Roman Empire, which is too manifest a truth to be deny'd, and does in no fort reflect upon the prefent profeffors of our faith who are free from it. Our filence in thefe points may, with some reason, make our adverfaries think we allow and perfift in those biggotries; which yet in reality all good and fenfible men defpife, tho' they are perfuaded not to fpeak against 'em, I can't tell why, fince now 'tis no way the intereft even of the worst of our priefthood (as it might have been then) to have them fmother'd in filence: For as the oppofite fects are now prevailing, 'tis too late to hinder our church from being flander'd; 'tis our business now to vindicate our felves from being thought abettors of what they charge us with. This can't fo well be brought about with ferious faces; we must laugh with them at what deferves it, or be content to be laugh'd at, with such as deserve it.

As to particulars: you cannot but have obferv'd, that at first the whole objection against the Simile of wit and faith lay to the word They: when that was beyond contradiction removed (the very grammar serving to confute 'em) then the objection was against the fimile itself; or if that fimile will not be objected to (fenfe and common reason being indeed a little stubborn, and not apt to give way to every body) next the mention of Superstition must become a crime s as if religion and the were fifters, or that it were scan. dal upon the family of Chrift, to fay a word against the devil's baftard. Afterwards, more mifchief is difcover'd

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in

in a place that seem'd innocent at firft, the two lines about Schifmatics. An ordinary man wou'd imagine the author plainly declar'd against those schifmatics, for quitting the true faith out of a contempt of the understanding of fome few of its believers : but these believers are call'd dull, and because I say that thofe fchifmatics think fome believers dull, therefore these charitable interpreters of my meaning will have it, that I think all believers dull. I was lately telling Mr. ** thefe objections: who affured me I had faid nothing which a catholick need to difown, and I have caufe to know that gentleman's fault (if he has any) is not want of zeal: He put a notion into my head which I confefs I can't but acquiefce in; that when a fett of people are piqu'd at any truth which they think to their own difadvantage, their method of revenge on the truth-fpeaker is to attack his reputation a by-way, and not openly to object to the place they are really gall'd by: what thefe therefore (in his opinion) are in earnest angry at, is, that Erafmus, whom their tribe opprefs'd and perfecuted, fhould be vindicated after an age of obloquy by one of their own people, willing to utter an ho neft truth in behalf of the dead, whom no man fure will flatter and to whom few will do juftice. Others, you know were as angry that I mentioned Mr. Walth with honour; who as he never refus'd to any one of merit of any party the praise due to him, fo honeftly deferv'd it from all others, tho' of ever fo different interefts or fentiments. May I be ever guilty of this fort of liberty, and latitude of principle! which gives us the hardiness of speaking well of those whom envy oppreffes ev'n after death. As I wou'd always fpeak well of my living friends when they are absent, nay because they are abfent, fo would I much more

of

of the dead, in that eternal abfence; and the rather because I expect no thanks for it.

Thus, Sir, you fee I do in my conscience perfift in what I have written; yet in my friendship I will recant and alter whatever you please, in cafe of a fecond edition (which I think the book will not fo foon arrive at, for Tonfon's printer told me he drew off a thousand copies in this first impreffion, and I fancy a treatise of this nature, which not one gentleman in threescore even of a liberal education can underftand, can hardly exceed the vent of that number.) You fhall find me a true Trojan in my faith and friendhip, in both which I will perfevere to the end.

Your, &c.

* LETTER IV.

To my Lord Lanfdown.

Binfield, Jan. 10, 1712. THANK you for having given my poem of Windfor Foreft its greatest ornament, that of bearing your name in the front of it. "Tis one thing when a person of true merit permits us to have the honour of drawing him as like as we can; and another, when we make a fine thing at random, and perfuade the next vain creature we can find that 'tis his own likeness; which is the cafe every day of my fellow fcribblers. Yet my Lord, this honour has given me no more pride than your honours have given you; but it affords me a great deal of pleasure, which is

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much

much better than a great deal of pride; and it indeed would give me some pain if I was not sure of one advantage; that whereas others are offended if they have not more than justice done 'em, you would be difpleas'd if you had fo much: therefore I may fafely do you as much injury in my words, as you do your felf in your own thoughts. I am fo vain as to think I have fhewn you a favour, in fparing your modefty, and you cannot but make me some return for prejudicing the truth to gratify you: This I beg may be the free correction of these verses, which will have few beauties, but what may be made by your blots. I am in the circumftance of an ordinary painter drawing Sir Godfrey Kneller, who by a few touches of his own could make the piece very valuable. I might then hope, that many years hence the world might read, in conjunction with your name, that of,

Your Lordship's, &c.

LETTER V.

The Hon. J. C. to Mr. PoP E.

May 23, 1712. AM very glad for the fake of the widow, and for the credit of the deceas'd, that + Betterton's re

A Tranflation of fome part of Chaucer's Canter bury Tales, the Prologues, &c. printed in a Mifcel lany mith fome works of Mr. Pope, in 2 Vol. 12° by B. Lintot.