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ing the fcriptures, and of finging of hymns. The fame crimes with which the Oxford methodists were charged, and for which they were expelled the University.

Thus, beloved, I have with much pleasure gone fo far through with my first proposed plan, and from what I have advanced we may raise the following remarks;

1. That the spirit of our Doctors has been the fame in all ages, a noble fpirit of oppofition to methodistical tenets, The magicians, the aftrologers, the forcerers, and the chaldeans, the fcribes, the pharifees, the lawyers, the fadduces, and the doctors, and the fhrinemakers, and the inquifitors, and the roman bishops, and the vice chancellors, and the Heads of Houses, are all of the fame religion; namely, to oppofe praying, reading, and expounding of the fcriptures.

2. That the state of religion in our land is likely to be foon upon a very respectable footing, feeing no more than fix, out of the vaft number of ftudents at Oxford, took upon them to pray to God, to read, and to expound the fcriptures; fo that it is hoped, the many parishes in England will be likely to have parfons who will let their parishioners have their own way, and go quietly to hell without disturbing of them. Whereas was not care taken to fupprefs praying people in the university, we fhould have the nation fwarming with them, much to the detriment of prieftcraft.

3. It is obfervable that we have found out more fully what four of those fix gentlemen

were,

were, ere they set foot in the univerfity; one was a publican, another a fmith, a third a barber, and a fourth a teacher under W―y, as it is written by the Rev. Dr. Oxonienfis, Gazetteer, No 12199, April 8, 1768; and I wot, my beloved, though my kindred are profeffors of fuch arts, they are to be held as dangerous, therefore must not be tolerated by the clergy.

First, and foremost, The clergy have fuffered much difcontent from the blacksmith; and, whilst the bitterness of the lofs of the abbey lands belcheth from our stomachs, we prunella gentlemen will never forgive the blacksmiths. Quere, For why? Anfw. Because he was a blacksmith's fon, lord Thomas Cromwell by name, who stripped the church, that is to fay, the clergy, of those warm, those fat abbey lands. No more

blacksmiths, I pray you now- we'll have none of them. Therefore Mr. V- Cr did well in expelling the man, because he had been a blacksmith.

2. Another of them had been a publican, i. e. a tax-gatherer; and, I fuppofe, Mr. V-C thought the difference. betwixt tax-gathering and tythe-gathering being fo very trifling, that after a young man had fufficiently learned at home to gather taxes, it was quite needlefs for him to come to the University to learn to gather tythes. I wot, my beloved, that the old grudge betwixt the pharifees and the publicans has not yet fubfided. For, as the learned Oxonienfis obferves, the VC-r expelled

a man

a man the university for having been a publican.

3. And, in the next place, another had been a barber; that is to fay, a haver. His reverence doctor Nowel, public orator of the university, hath given it as his charitable opinion, that this fame barber can make a very good wig, from whence he lovingly concludes, that the faid barber need not to ftarve, and from whence I conclude, that he would have made a very useful member of the university. A good wig, fays Dr. Nowel, i. e. a decent, artificial covering, for a bald pate; wherefore it appears to have been very bad policy to expel fo useful a man, at a time when the Heads of Houses are fo bald and weather-beaten themselves; and, to our great grief, we must own, that we much fear the Doctor's learned answer to Pietas Oxonienfis had better have been sent for from the prefs, ere it had been printed, as a certain impotent answer to the Shaver is faid to have been; then would it not have given an opportunity to that delinquent, puritanic fon of our Alma Mater, to triumph over the united efforts of the Heads of Houses, as he hath done in Goliah Slain, to the great grief of all true high churchmen.

4. A fourth was a teacher in a school, under W -y. But who or what this fame Wy is, whether an hill, an old abbey, an holy college, or an oak tree, the accurate Oxonienfis does not fay. But this schoolmafter who taught under it, be it what it will, was justly expelled. For why? Because he departed

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departed fo very far from the rule established
among ftudents.
The common rule ob-
ferved by the hopeful young gentlemen of
the gown is, before they have fo much as
learned the first leffon of themselves, they
conclude that they are able to teach others;
witness so many dull parfons. But this
man, though he had been accuftomed to
teach others, meanly debafed himfelf fo far
as to receive inftructions from others; but
fuch a mean opinion of one's felf being no
way likely to add weight to the importance
of the parfon, must not be tolerated. I fhall
not now fay any more; intending ere long
to write a commentary on the 'gofpel of Ox-
ford, as it hath been lately published by one
and another, pro, and con.

HYMN

In Praise of the

UNIVERSITY.

1.

MY thanks, and the nation's, to the Doctors be given,

Thofe Guardians of Virtue, thofe Porters of Heaven,

For their timely wife care in fuppreffing the growth Of praying, expounding, and hymn-finging youth.

II.

Should praying be fuffer'd by our learned Sages (What has not been known in Ox-d for ages) Instead of gay parfons, with caffsock and band, There would be none but Puritans all o'er the land.

III.

Expounding the Scriptures! this ftill is more wicked,

Therefore from college be they inftant kicked; For fcripture and prieftcraft as diftant do dwell, As fome PARSONS from Virtue, or HEAVEN from HELL.

IV.

We'll fwear to the rubrick, by this is our living; (Some hundreds a twelvemonth is fure worth the having)

But we'll caft off our oaths as foon as they're fwallow'd,

For Perjury in gownfmen hath long fince been hallow'd.

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