What added to their guilt was, that they carried their religion to a private boufe. But what can private people have to do with religion? Ought not they to do as their forefathers did, namely, give up their consciences and understandings to the guidance of their venerable priest? Is it not enough that gen. tlemen in black know, and understand religion, but every private perfon must be dabbling in it, contrary to the sense of this Univerfity? I wot, my beloved, that the clergy cannot thrive as they do, if every private house must become a worshipping temple; but it is thought there is little reafon to fear this, feeing our text informs us, that the doctors of the university are determined to do what they can to prevent it; for Six young men were expelled the Univerfity for being religious in a private house.

VII. Another part of their crime was, that they held Methodistical tenets. This fame methodist, my beloved, is a cramp word, gathered out of old books, by men of reverence and learning, and applied to fuch who pray, read, expound the fcripture, and fing hymns in private houses, a people never to be tolerated by the clergy. You'll observe, that this fame hard word, which the nation has long rung with, firft of all was given to the fons of Efculapius, as a name of honour, and about thirty years ago, was by learned men raised up, as the witch of Endor (who seems to have been a clergywoman too) raised the ghost of old Samuel.

Thofe

Those fame fons of Efculapius were phyficians, furgeons, and apothecaries in their day; but then they were quite immethodical, like the greater part of the old women in black prunella and white cambrick. For instance, they had not the method of wearing large wigs, gold headed canes, and of wheeling about the streets in their chariots. And with refpect to their phyfic and furgery, they were guided chiefly by the dictates of nature, without the abftrufe methods of art. At last there arofe a great man, and his name was Galen, a mighty man for diffecting of apes; for it ought to be obferved, that in his days, in Pagan lands, there were very few criminals who deserved death, and fewer still who were given to the furgeons. Well, what fhould he do, think you? why, my beloved, being bleft with better stars at his nativity than his predeceffors, he took their confused and immethodical practices, and reduced them into method, i. e. form and order. Well, this great man being principal of the College of Physicians, he taught his pupils to obferve orderly rules, otherwife method, from whence his difciples were in honour called Methodists. So much for learning: now for doctrine.

Then, my beloved, the cafe ftands thus: Amongst the clergy there always have been a great number who did not love praying, finging of hymns, reading and expounding the fcriptures; the like may be faid of the ftudents. What they aimed at was a good living without much work; and as one in a B

certain

certain place fays, Thofe men care not if the Devil take the flock, provided they can have but the fleece. On the other hand, there have been fome who loved to pray, to fing hymns, to read and expound the scriptures, who, if they were not permitted to do it in public houfes, or churches, would do it in private houses, to the no fmall difgrace of the other gentlemen. Well, my beloved, these are they who have been called Methodists, fananaticks and enthufiafts. Now a word or two about their tenets, and then I difmifs this head; for really their tenets, being destructive of priestcraft, must by no means-be encouraged.

1. First, and foremost, they think that a man ought to atteft no articles of faith, but what he believes to be true.

2. They think that a man ought not to profefs to my lord-bishop, that he believes all the thirty-nine articles of the established church to be the true faith of the gospel, when he fecretly believes in his heart that they are falfe and methodistical.

3. They think that a man fhould not profess to his lordfhip, that he is moved by the Holy Ghost to defire the office of a deacon, when he is in fact moved with the hopes of a benefice, and confiders it in his heart as delufion and enthusiasm, for any man to pretend to be moved by the Holy Ghost in thefe days.

4. They think that after a man has subfcribed the thirty-nine articles, and folemnly fwore that he believes them, that he should

not

not go and preach doctrines directly oppofite to the faid articles.

5. They think that no man ought to be permitted to enter the pulpit, whofe life and converfation is diffolute.

These, with a great many tenets befides, equally ridiculous to maintain, and therefore, though tolerated by the king and parliament, the Heads of Houfes will never endure them in the University.

of the

VIII. The defended their doctrines by the thirty-nine articles of the eftablished church.

I wot, I fear me much that this doctor is himself tinctured with methodistical tenets; for no body, now-a-days, besides methodists, &c. confiders the thirty-nine articles of the established church as any teft of doctrine: as for the clergy, it is well known that they are mostly diffenters from the doctrine of the articles and prayer book. Ah! beloved, if the truth was known, it would be found that this fame Doctor Dixon prays to God, and reads his bible; or how else should he take part with those young men whom the Heads of Houfes expelled the University for praying, reading, and expounding the scriptures? Befides, he would not have spoken fo highly of their piety and the exemplarinefs of their lives, as the text tells us he did, seeing the fenfe of the University was, that their praying, reading, &c. was vicious.

I fear me, my beloved, that if the Heads of Houses do not keep a good look out after this fame doctor, it will be difficult for them to keep the

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University clear from fuch as pray, and read, and expound the fcripture; but his motion was over-ruled. What is one methodist amongst a host of divines;

IX. Dr., one of the Heads of Houfes prefent, obferved, that as thefe Six gentlemen were expelled for having too much religion, it would be very proper to enquire into the conduct of fome who had too little. From this From this part of our text it appears, that the feveral crimes alledged against them, amounted in the aggregate to a being righteous over-much; which the learned Dr. Trap, of crabbed memory. has very piously fhewn to be an evil, almoft unpardonable. According to the Rev. Doctor Nowel's learned anfwer to that prophane fon of our Alma Mater, called Pietas Oxonienfis, it is evidently much more safe, and less impious, to ridicule the miracles of Mofes, and of Chrift, than to pray in private houses without book. The eloquent Orator of the University gives a full account of the cafe of Mr. Wng, a friend of his Oratorfhip's, who was charged upon oath with the above faid contempt of the fcriptures, and ridicule of the miracles of Mofes and Chrift. The proofs were fo point blank against the said Rev. Mr. W-ng, that his reverence could not deny the charge. Well then, what was the iffue? Was he expelled? No, my beloved, he was not expelled. Quere, Why was he not expelled? Anf. His reverence pleaded his being drunk when he uttered those contemptful words against the miracles of Mofes and of Chrift, i. e. The

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