Demetrius by name. As for praying, reading and expounding the fcriptures, they meddled not with them, but were, to the highest degree, intent upon getting wealth.

Well, they carried on this craft for many years, til at laft there came fome itinerant preachers to town, who made it their bufinefs to pray to God, to read and expound the fcriptures, and fing hymns in private houses, contrary to the fenfe of the university of Ephefus. This was no fmall mortification to the clergy, who very well knew that if real religion, or praying, reading and expounding the fcriptures were tolerated, that it would put an end to their lucrative priestcraft, and their reverences would fall into difgrace. But to prevent such a catastrophe the reverend Dr. Demetrius, Vice Chancellor, affembled the Heads of Houfes to confult what was best to be done, and it was refolved, nemine contradicente, to cry out, the church was in danger, that, under pretence of faving the church, they might fave their own profits. Well, they cried out, that the church was in danger, that the church was in danger, till they had fufficiently enflamed the rabble, who have always proved the pillars of the church, when inftigated by the PRIESTS: then they laid hold on the itinerants, and had them before the Heads of Houfes, who gave them fuch treatment as praying people may expect to meet with from the clergy of the It happened however, as in a late cafe, that there was one man of integrity and honour C 3

amongst

;

amongst them, much like the Head of Edmund-hall, only with this difference, the one was a Notary-public, and the other is a gentleman in holy orders. Well, this attorney, it feems, being town-clerk of Ephefus, thought that the clergy carried their authority a little beyond the rules of moderation and decency, a thing by no means uncommon for some gentlemen of the cap and gown. This townclerk took up the cause of the itinerants and, in a fpirited, fenfible manner, defended their conduct and tenets; not from the thirty-nine articles, but from the articles of natural religion and morality, and spake very highly of their piety and good behaviour. I cannot but remark, that in this affair the town-clerk was more fuccessful than the gentleman who pleaded the cause of the fix methodists at Oxford: the former overruled the purposes of Diana's clergy, but the University clergy overruled the motion of the latter, according to our text; for, though he defended their doctrine from the thirtynine articles of the established church, and fpoke very highly of the piety and the exemplarinefs of their lives, Thefe fix young men were expelled the university for praying, reading, and expounding the fcriptures, and for finging hymns in a private house. For why? Why, truly, my beloved, because praying, reading, and expounding the fcriptures, is not the craft by which we get our wealth. For proof of this propofition, I refer you to stubborn facts, namely, that you shall feldom fee a divine, who makes a point of praying,

reading,

reading, and expounding the fcriptures, and of finging hymns either in private or public houfes, who keeps his equipage, and poffeffeth your fat, fat livings. I wot, my beloved, that one drone eats more honey than four laborious bees; for proof of this, I refer you to the reverend Dr. Pliny, an author of approved merit and a great divine.

But I pafs on to the fourth established church, the clergy of which, in all respects, poffeffed the fpirit of University divines, or Heads of Houses; and I trow, it is a church of great pretenfions, the clergy of which are as infallible as the moft holy mother Pope Joan, that lady who was Chrift's vicar, Peter's fucceffor, and carried the keys of heaven, hell and purgatory, in her pocket, when she was in her prime, and her moon fhone at full. I guess, by this time, you know that I mean the good old, one, catholic, roman, infallible, pontifical, universal, mother church, in the bofom of which our forefathers of the furcingle lept so fnug, wrapt about with abbey lands, as with warm blankets. And if I may speak the sentiments of my fable brethren of the University, we wifh, for the fake of thofe lands, that we were all fafe rolling in her warm bofom once more. But I will not keep you in suspence about this.

IV. Church, the conduct of whofe clergy was fo near a kin to the conduct of the clergy of In the days of Betfey, the veftal queen, the clergy fuffered great difcontent. For why? Because praying, reading,

C 4

and

and fcripture expounding people were fuffered to live, and were even tolerated in the university, which was a kind of counterbalance to the emolument their reverences had enjoyed in the days of Mary, of scarlet memory; for as foon as this orthodox lady had afcended the throne, matters took a very agreeable turn, and the right reverend bishops, Bonner and Gardiner, began to work for the good of the church. Like true-bred Doctors, they fearched every corner of the land for matter to work upon; and who fhould they pitch upon, trow ye, but those ministers and others who prayed to God, read and expounded the fcriptures, and fung hymns? For those clergymen were much like unto others; they difcouraged praying to any befides faints cannonized in their own church; and as for the fcriptures, they found it for their intereft that the fense of them fhould be concealed. And no doubt other people of the fame practices have reafons equally ponderous to affign for their conduct.

Who was Crammer, my beloved? Why truly, though he was primate of England, he took upon him to pray, read, and expound the fcriptures, and as one fuch, according to the laws of Trent council, he was expelled the convocation, and burnt to death as an enemy to the clergy. Latimer, and Ridley, and Hooper, and Taylor, and Bradford, and Hunter, and Philpot, &c. &c, &c. were all of them guilty of those heinous offences of praying, of reading, of expound

ing

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 Univerfity.

Thus, beloved, I have with much pleasure gone fo far through with my firft 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 spirit of oppofition to methodistical tenets. The magicians, the aftrologers, the forcerers, and the chaldeans, the scribes, the pharifees, the lawyers, the fadduces, and the doctors, and the shrinemakers, and the inquifitors, and the roman bishops, and the vice chancellors, and the Heads of Houses, are all of the fame religion; namely, to oppose 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 thofe fix gentlemen

were,