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CANDIDATE for holy orders WAS DRUNK when be ridiculed revealed religion; and yet he got into orders; and yet he continues a member of the University. There is a vulgar proverb indeed, which fays, "What a man "thinks when he is fober, he speaks out when "he is drunk." Whether this is applicable to parfon W-ng, I pretend not to fay; but this we are certain of, Had the Six Methodists ventured to pray to God when they were drunk, they had been expelled for it when they were sober.

But the fweet-fpirited V-e C-r, received Mr. W— -ng's pennance favourably; and good reason why, for he was never charged by any body with the heinous crime of pray. ing to God off book in private houses; or that would have ruffled the V-e Cr's spirit to the ejection of parfon W-1l-ng.

In the fame affair, related by the Rev. Dr. Nowel, it is plain that private religious affemblies, alias conventicles, are in much lefs esteem at Oxford than tap-houses and taverns; for the fix methodists were expelled for praying in a conventicle, but the Rev. Mr. Wng could get drunk in a tap-house, and yet continue a member of the univerfity. Nor can this be denied, unless the public orator fhould eat his words; otherwife fhew from good and authentic records that members of that learned body do occafionally get drunk within their own peculiar diftricts. But

Let us pafs on to the abfurdity of this doctor's proposals to enquire into the conduct of thofe

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thofe who had too little religion:" As if that could be deemed a crime! Would this doctor have the colleges to ftand empty, think you? But we learn that this motion was over-ruled, the V-e Cr and Heads of Houfes did not think proper to come into it; from which after ages will have a very refpectable idea of the prefent piety of that learned body.

Thus, my beloved, I have gone through the first part of my plan, and shall proceed, to the fecond.

II. Namely, to raise a notable point of doctrine from it; which is this, viz. That the conduct of the Heads of the Houses, in expelling the fix young men for praying, reading, and expounding the icriptures, is defenfible, from the conduct of the clergy of all ages and countries, whatsoever fnarling perfons may fay.

To clear this I fhall produce four inftances; moft of which I fhall take out of that old antiquated book called the fcripture. A book which fets forth the true fpirit of the Univerfity doctors to the very life. The

Ift. Of thefe inftances we have in the book of Daniel, chap. iii. wherein fome tranfactions of the Doctors of the established church at Babylon are recorded; concerning which I would make the following notes.

I. That the religion, by law established, was the religion of the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar, at the request of the clergy, made and fet up in the plains of Dura. A place, my beloved, which, if we may give credit to travellers, very much resembles the plains of Oxford.

II. The

II. The clergy, who you know have always been wonderfully fond of a golden god, would by no means fuffer an act of toleration, to be paffed in favour of methodifts and diffenters: but, on the contrary, got an act of parliament on their own fide, enjoining the ftricteft uniformity in religion, and threatening death to all diffenters: It seems this prince was too eafy; and like fome of our former princes in England, was fo much afraid of the clergy, that he was obliged to conform, and fo efpoufed an act of uniformity which the clergy hoped would bring good grift to their mill, verse 6.

III. This law eftablished, the clergy were very impatient to have the fubjects of this great king brought to the teft; which they thought beft to do by appointing a public feaft, on which it was required that every man and mother's fon fhould fall down before, and worship this golden god fet up by the king, as the tool of the parfons.

IV. That there were four degrees of learned men, whom I fuppofe, dwelt in the university at Babylon: first there were ma gicians, with them, the fame as doctors of divinity are with us in our univerfities: fecondly, there were aftrologers, or men of learned fciences, much the fame with our masters of arts: thirdly, there were forcerers, who, I fuppofe, were either fellows of the college, or bachelors of arts, appointed to be tythe-gatherers: and, fourthly, there were chaldeans or ftudent of their divinity, and other fine arts: and,

V. That all thofe gentry were very vigilant in discovering and informing against diffenters, verfe 8. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and accufed the Jews. That is to fay, certain young ftudents, being fpurred on to it by their tutors who cared not to appear in fuch a dirty affair themselves, and fo forth; by which they appear to have been rather more honourable, than the reverend tutor of Ed Hall.

VI, Strict as the law was, there were fome who took upon them to pray to God, like thofe fix young gentlemen who were expelled the university for praying. But what were they think you; why truly, they were dif fenters and methodists, for they would not conform to the Babylonish prayer book, and other forms of worship by law established, therefore were diffenters; and they were methodifts, if praying to God, and refusing to pin his faith on the fleeve of the parfons gown, denominates a man a methodist. But what followed, trow ye? why as foon as they were found out to be nonconformists, the clergy accused them of rebellion; and had the king been as fond of burning diffenters, as their reverences were, these men had in a trice been executed, without having another chance for their lives. But he was not quite so fiery, but gave them another trial, and ftrove to bring them over to the church by gentleness, intermixed with feverity. The gentleness was his, and the severity belonged to their reverences. But the methodists continued obftinate, and at last overcame the

parfons,

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parfons. If you'll read the chapter through, you'll fee the upshot of it, and how the doctors of the university were confounded, and the diffenters re-admitted to the king's favour; for God did work for them.

I pafs on to the days of Darius; a prince who had a praying nobleman for his first minister of ftate, and, for ought I know to the contrary, he might be firft lord of the treafury, as well as chancellor of the empire. His name was Daniel, and by birth a Jew. Well, my beloved, being fo very great, he was grievously envied by the inferior placemen, though they kept it fecret, and spoke him fair to his face; and he was very much abused by those who were out of place. If we may judge of ancient things from what appears in ages more modern, we may fuppofe that the times took a turn fomething like the following:

One man cries out against his being a favourite, and too intimate with the queen or queen's mother, as their kinsmen do upon fimilar occafions; another complains of his being a foreigner, and a captive, so highly dignified, whilft the natives were neglected: perhaps their news-papers might be stuffed with clamours against the exotic favourite; and the incensed mob might be taught to cry out, liberty and Babylon for ever-but no Jew-no favourite-no captive. Well, my beloved, all the inns and outs might have fretted themselves to death, without being able to do any thing against this prime minifter, this fame Daniel, the king's favourite,

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