God Almighty appear perfonally to do it by Word of Mouth. Your Church is a Creature of the Conftitution, you are Creatures of the Law: And you must evidently belye Divine Right, if you pretend to derive from thence, what all the World fees you owe to fecular Bounty I will not fay to devout Frauds.

IF you could be but perfuaded to reconcile your Principles and Pretenfions to the Security and Happiness of Mankind, all Mankind would be reconciled to you and your Pretenfions. I do not remember to have ever heard the Clergy contemned, where they did not first deserve Contempt. When any of them depart from the Mecknefs of Minifters, nobody will pay them the Regard due to Minifters. Such who intermeddle in every thing, will be refpected in nothing. They who oppofe every public Good, every Action favourable to Liberty, and beneficent to the World, will be deemed Foes to Liberty, and to the World. Such who promote

Strife

Strife and Perfecution, will be reckoned Enemies to Peace and Charity; and those who are at the Head of all public Mischiefs, will themselves be thought a public Mischief. If they promote the known Principles, and endeavour to fupport the known and main Pillars, of Po pery, can they expect to be treated as Proteftants? If they promote Rebellion, and practise Perjury, can they either be accounted good Subjects or Christians ? And if they are Patrons of Tyranny, and the Promoters of Immorality, what Quarter can they expect to find in a free Country, or amongst Men of Virtue?

IF you ask me, Why all this from a Layman to his ghoftly Guides? The An fwer is ready The Work was neceffary; and, Gentlemen, thofe of your Order made it neceffary. The Interest of Truth and Liberty was concerned, and indeed at stake, by the conftant Attacks of those of your Robe upon them; which Attacks were fo far from being difavowed B 2

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by you, that the wicked Authors of them were not only treated as the chief Champions of the Church's Caufe; but all who opposed them have been fallen upon with the fternest Outrage, with the utmost Bitterness of Spirit; together with lying Calumnies, uncharitable Suggeftions, and base and brutish Language; their usual Weapons, offenfive and defenfive.

IT is worth while to mention the great Want of Sincerity in the Conduct of fuch Men on this Occafion. Whenever they think it feasonable, in Conversation, to uphold the mad Principles of Hickes, and of the other Proteftant Papifts and Nonjurors, (though, if ever there was fuch a thing as Blafphemy in the World, it is to be met with in their Writings, in the most daring Colours) they never fail to fhew themselves their Advocates. But when they think, that a Defence of these Reveries will do a Prejudice to the Cause, with those of your People, who have a Notion of Religion and the Reformation,

or

or among Men, who, they know, can expose these Reveries: Then, Gentlemen, they either fhamelefly deny, that these Writers maintain what they do maintain; or fay, that the Clergy are not answerable for the Whimfies of particular Doctors.

THESE difhoneft Shifts, these base Practices, compounded of Knavery and Lyes, are common amongst too many of your Order. Yes, Gentlemen, to the Difgrace of common Candour, and the Reproach of Religion, they are very common amongst the High Clergy, I myfelf have frequently found them; and I believe, that every one, who has had any Conversation with them, has as frequently found them.

Now, that these Principles (feveral of which I have already laid together in this Dedication) are afferted in the Books of your Non-fwearing and For-fwearing Brethren, I appeal to the Books themfelves: That they are impious, falfe, antichristian, and deftructive of human SoB 3

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ciety, of all focial Virtues, and all civil Happiness, I appeal to common Sense, and to the known State of those miferable Countries where they prevail: And, that they have been either adopted or approved by all the High Clergy, I ap peal to their many Quotations from them, and to their conftantly oppofing every Proceeding against them.

GENTLEMEN, it is of much Confequence to you, to clear yourfelves from the Imputation of maintaining or adhering To fuch ungodly, fuch mischievous Tenets, which, without confulting the revealed Will of God, appear deteftable to the common Light of Reafon: Tenets, which abrogate the Juftice and Mercy of God, and call his very Being in question, and Tenets, which would for ever banish all Peace and Security from amongst Men, and from the Face of the Earth. Confider, that you cannot take one Step in afferting or countenancing them, without direct Perjury. You have, upon Oath, renounced