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I will have no God but this. A fpecies of the vulture; and these chiefly of the higher rank have joined the fool in the pfalm, crying vehemently, There is no God. Their theology confifts in reducing the foul, or intellectual part of man, and incorporating it into the material part. This was an old condemned herefy called Materialism, and with us, in the time of Chrift, Sadducees, who difbelieve all fpiritual fubftances. The fool, juft quoted, is ancestor to this race. These forlorn, defpicable earth worms attempt a new philofophy,. which is, to originate the properties of the foul from the brain. The ground of this philofophy is, that man's fuperiority to other animals depends folely on the greater quantity of brains which they poffefs proportionable to the rest of the animal creation; The abfurdiny of this maggot is put to flight by a brainlefs animal, the tortoife, deftitute of both brains and marrow; each bone is of one folid fubftance, the head remarkable fmall in proportion to other animals, which is all, to a fmall vacuum, in which is a web or membrane about the fize of a man's thumb, without brains, folid. Some of thefe animals will weigh from 5 to 6 or 700 weight. Their fuperior infinet is remarkable, particularly at the time they are to come upon land to lay, and depofit their eggs. The precaution they take to avoid being taken by the vigilance of their adverfary (the turtler and to preferve their offspring, is altonishing. They make choice of the night to come upon land, and that by the light of the moon, on a fandy beech adapted to their purpose; they generally

nerally go fome diftance from the water, to prevent an innundation from fpoiling their eggs, where they with their fins dig a hole betwixt two and threet feet deep, depofit their eggs, and cover over the hole with care, making others to deceive the fearcher, and form a different track, and many other deceptions, to preferve her offfpring from becoming a prey to the enemy, whilst they are on land; if any noife, or danger of being interrupted, they lie close with the greatest caution and filence, until they can get an opportunity of recovering their natural element, but if difcovered, to prevent being taken, raise up with their fins a cloud of fand, which often blinds their invader whilft they recover the water and efcape; they ufually return near the fame spot to deposit their next litter, but, if prevented by the turtler, who expects their prey, according to a ftated time, they will wait many hours watching a favourable opportunity to gain their point. I have often confidered with attention, and obferved the fuperior inftinct of this animal to the monkey tribe; the tortoise feems endowed with a proper portion of fagacity for the protection and fafety of herfelf and offspring, at the fame time free from apifh tricks. I now will fatisfy Luther and Calvin, that in the Jewish covenant the priest was placed betwixt God and his people, to offer facri fice, and make atonement for themselves and congregation; this was commanded by almighty God, and no wretch dare disobey this pofitive injunction. You will find Nathan, who was no prielt, offering David the fentence of life or death, in the cafe of Uriah.

Luth.

Luth. & Calv. We have not the leaft fcruple in whatever is contained in the Scriptures, being from our infancy trained to love, fear and refpect them; but the space from St. John's Revelations, until Luther and Calvin, which is about 1450 years, seems void of every fupport. This is the fundamental principle that is impreffed into our infant minds, fo we would wifh never to be inftructed or have any knowledge of what paft amongst the Papifts during that interval, as we confider the whole to be a fyftem contrived and carried on by the Devil and the Pope.

Boy. Is it then a truth; To be a protestant is to be without reafon?

Mof. I think we agreed upon fome general and effential principles.

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Luth. & Calu. The infallibility of the Catholic Religion, the fupremacy of the Pope, and the unity and uniformity of the whole Church.

Boy. These are fundamental principles, in which the Church is founded; and from these principles are the fabric built, from whence flows or iffues her facraments.

Luth. & Calv. Can you perfuade yourselves that man can forgive fins; we wish to have an explanation.

Boy. Man has no power inherent in himself, but the Catholick priesthood received this power and authority from Jefus Chrift.

Luth. No man that is a Chriftian denies the infallibility of the Catholick Church, which received her doctrine and miffion from Jefus Chrift, on whom the Holy Ghoft on the day of Pentecoft visibly communicated himself, confirmed and ful

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filled the promise of our Meffiah, and must teach her all truths, and remain with her for ever. This teftimony all Proteftants confirm in retaining and acknowledging the three creeds to be of divine authority, and are to be held in the fame veneration as the other Scriptures. Had the Proteftants rejected the creeds, they muft un. doubtedly have given up their chriftianity, for the creeds are framed in few words, to be a key to the whole, that the meanest capacity, as I fuppofe all Chriftians fay them, or at least the Apoflles, morning and evening, might examine their faith by her twelve articles; if they fail in one, the whole are forfeited, as the Apoftle St. James declares, Whofoever fhall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all. And it is proved by our Lord's words in St. Matthew, when the Jews accufed him of working miracles by the power of Satan, that they were guilty of the fin against the Holy Ghoft, which fhould never be forgiven either in this or the next life; fo that whatever Chriftian denies one article of the creed, is guilty of this heinous fin. To evade and keep free from this fin, all Proteftants are taught, that the Catholicks, when they forgive fins, do not make use of this infallibility infused by the Holy Ghost, but by the power of Satan, or from themfelves; and that the Gentiles becoming Chriftians, mixed their heathenish and idolatrous fuperftition artfully with the Chriftian religion, in its infancy; which innovation, the Proteftants being but as yesterday, cannot come to the knowledge of, or know what they really confift in, as they are authorifed and comprised in

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the Scriptures, guarded and protected by the promife of Almighty God, and her Creeds, as Peter's keys, held up for us to obey, or incur the fin against the Holy Ghoft, and excommunica

tion.

Boy. You will do well to confider, and pay obedience to him that you think have a right to exact this duty from you; by doing this you will act with honesty, and remove your fcruples; you will take this with you, that if the Scriptures and Creeds are true, the Church muft; being taught, ruled, guarded, and directed by her God. You are not difputing with man, but with your God.

Mof. I am an Ifraelite, and a Rabbi, and will avow, not for myfelf alone, but that the whole body of Jews will, prove only Jefus to be the Meffiah, throw ourselves at the feet of his Holinels, and crave admittance into the Catholick Church. To adore the Head, and the Heart, and hate, deteft and vilify the body, can proceed from no other than the most deteftable of all wretches, the Devil.

Calu. There is no gain faying thefe Scriptureproofs, neither can we refift the impenetrable rock, which God has erected. O Peter! Fifty or more years have I, with body erect, eyes fixt, and arms ftretched forth, withflood your mild admonitions, perfuading my return, with the prodigal, into our Lord's bofom; but I cafe hardened, rough, and proud, planted my tabernacle on the formy waves, toffed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, ever learning, ftill a child; toothfefs

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fcholar,

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