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 inftance, they had not the method of wearing large wigs, gold headed canes, and of wheeling about the streets in their chariots. And with respect to their phyfic and furgery, they were guided chiefly by the dictates of nature, without the abftrufe methods of art. At laft there arose a great man, and his name was Galen, a mighty man for diffecting of apes; for it ought to be observed, that in his days, in Pagan lands, there were very few criminals who deferved death, and fewer ftill who were given to the furgeons. Well, what fhould he do, think you? why, my beloved, being bleft with better ftars at his nativity than his predeceffors, he took their confufed 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 tudents. What they aimed at was a good living without much work; and as one in a

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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 fcriptures, who, if they were not permitted to do it in public houfes, or churches, would do it in private houfes, 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 prieftcraft, muft 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 should not profefs to his lordship, that he is moved by the Holy Ghost to desire 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 enthufiafm, for any man to pretend to be moved by the Holy Ghost in these days.

4. They think that after a man has fubfcribed 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.

Thefe, 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 Univerfity.

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, befides methodists, &c. confiders the thirty-nine articles of the éstablished 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 elfe fhould he take part with thofe young men whom the Heads of Houses expelled the University for praying, reading, and expounding the fcriptures? Befides, he would not have fpoken fo highly of their piety and the exemplarinefs of their lives, as the text tells us he did, feeing the fense of the Univerfity was, that their praying, reading, &c. was vicious.

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

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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;

of our

IX. Dr., one of the Heads of Houfes prefent, obferved, that as these 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 part 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, almost unpardonable. According to the Rev. Doctor Nowel's learned answer to that prophane fon of our Alma Mater, called Pietas Oxonienfis, it is evidently much more fafe, and lefs 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 Oratorship'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. Wng, 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 CANDIDATE

.

CANDIDTE 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 Wng, 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 fober.

But the Sweet-fpirited V-e Cr, received Mr. W- -ng's pennance favourably; and good reason why, for he was never charged by any body with the heinous crime of praying to God off book in private houses; or that would have ruffled the V-e Cr's fpirit 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-boufe, and yet continue a member of the university. Nor can this be denied, unlefs 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 propofals" to enquire into the conduct of B 3

those