if they had not applied to the principal clergy, the Heads of Houfes. But I trow, the reverend doctors the magicians, the maf ters of the art of aftrology, &c. &c. no fooner embarked in the popular cause, but they were more than a match for the favourite, who had fallen by means of their reverences, if the Almighty had had as little to do with him as he has to do with the greatest part of the clergy.

Well, my beloved, the Heads of Houses and the difaffected statesmen met altogether, and confulted which was the best way to overturn the state of this praying favourite. But the conduct of Daniel was fo exemplary, that they knew they should be able to find nothing wrong in him unless they could entrap him in matters of religion. Therefore having first perfuaded the king, that the church was in danger, they urged the neceffity of a law being made, prohibiting any man's praying unto God. Well, Darius the king was not fuch a novice in politics, but he knew the neceffity of having the clergy on his fide, and therefore, though he could not fee into that part of their myfterious divinity, made the decree according to the plan concerted by that learned body.

But it is thought that he would have ftrained a point with them, if he had known that they were aiming at the life of his faithful favourite.

But how stiff these biblifts are! for this Daniel went on praying to God, reading and expounding the scriptures in a private boufe,

notwith

notwithstanding the king had under the direction of the clergy ordained otherwise; this was enough to have provoked the Heads of Houfes to have expelled him the University had he belonged to it, but he not belonging to it, they were obliged to be fatisfied with putting him to death without expelling him.

Now left any should object to the clergy having the honour of devifing this scheme, because there is no notice taken of them in the history, let it be observed, that it was never known that many great men or noblemen were ever given to interfere in religious matters, ftatefmen in all ages have been wife enough to take up with the religion which the priests have prefcribed to them: therefore what you give of honour to any body in this affair, let it be given to the clergy. And I pass on to make a comparison betwixt that affair and this before us.

I. They could find no occafion of fault in Daniel; fo it was with the fix young men who were expelled the University, for their lives were faid to be pious and exemplary.

II. They thought they might entrap him in fome matters concerning the law of his God. So likewife thefe young men, though they were no whoremafters, no gamblers, no drunkards, no fcripture revilers, &c. yet they could be trapped in matters relating to their God.

III. This fame Daniel, notwithstanding the penalty denounced in the edict against any who fhould take upon them to pray to God, perverfely, rebelliously, and obftinately per

fifted

fifted in his ufual apoftolical, puritanical, nonconformistical, and methodistical manner of praying to God in a private house. So no doubt but these fix young men knew that it was against the will of the Heads of Houses, &c. that any of the ftudents under their care should pray to God in a private house, or even pray without book in a public houfe; for fays our text, Six young men were expelled the University for praying, reading, and expounding the fcriptures in a private boufe; yet they perfifted in it

Laftly, under this head. Daniel, prefident of the princes, kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God as aforetime. But how will you be able to find fuch puritanic conduct among our British noblemen? for I wot that a praying nobleman is pretty near as great a rarity as a white crow upon Malvern hills. If outward conduct is to determine inward fentiments, it may be concluded, that most of our people of fashion confider themselves either as immortal, or as on a level with the beafts deftitute of rational fouls. The

II. Inftance of clerical conduct which gives countenance to the late act of the Heads of Houses, I fhall bring from the clergy of that famous univerfity at Jerufalem, in the days of Chrift and his apoftles. In the established church of Judea there were articles of faith and a canon law, which all the clergy profeffed to believe, regard, and defend. This confeffion of faith

was

Perhaps you

was first compiled by Mofes, the founder of that church, and afterwards ratified and confirmed by Ezrah and Nehemiah, their two principal reformers; even as the thirtynine articles of the established church were ratified and confirmed by our English reformers. I know you'll be ready to think that the clergy deemed it an honour to tread in the steps of thofe pious reformers; but I trow, my beloved, ye are greatly mistaken; for the Heads of Houfes of the university at Jerufalem even did as many others have done fince, make the commandment void to establish their own traditions. will be ready to ftartle like the cows in July, when bit by the envious flies, when ye hear of a univerfity at Jerufalem; but I affure you, it was there that the doctors (i. e. teachers) of the law dwelt, and their law was their divinity. Now, where do the neighbouring dogs delight to refort fo much as to a place where the carcafe is? or where fhall we fee fuch fwarms of reverend doctors as at the university? Those pharifees, those lawyers, those scribes, and those doctors were all gownfmen; but whether they wore the very fame uniforms with the gentlemen of Oxford univerfity, my author does not fay. Yet this much may be gathered from the hiftory, that if that wandering Jew, who they fay has lived ever fince the times I am fpeaking of, fhould chance in his travels to call at Oxford, he would think upon his longevity, from the manners of the men that it was old Jerufalem rifen again from its

ruins

ruins, and that the ancient fcribes and pha rifees, &c. were all rifen from the dead. But we will drop this, and come to the matter in hand, which is, to give a just account of thofe clergy, that you may fee that the Heads of Houfes have not departed a jot from the rules of their clerical ancestors.

The Jerufalem clergy finding that their living depended upon fubfcribing the arti cles given by Mofes, and the homilies compiled by the prophets, they could, for the fake of a venerable reputation, and a fattifh living, or, as ye would fay, for the good of the church, very readily fubfcribe and atteft them upon oath, notwithstanding many of them, called fadduces, did not believe any thing about them. Now, not to take notice of the vulgar opinion, namely, that there are a great many fadduces in our universities, I cannot but obferve the weakness of those who blame such of the clergy who swear to articles they do not believe, feeing that was practiced by the clergy of the first established church that was in the world.

About fomething more than 1700 years fince, there arose some diffenters, who made a great stir among the people, and brought great uneafinefs upon the clergy. I do not mean that thofe were diffenters from the articles of faith which was of old given to the faints; but they were diffenters from the clergy, and did not fpare to detect their errors, both in principles and practice: a practice which our modern methodists are faid to be guilty of, to the great concern of the Heads of Houses.

Those