as well as in the church. To his government they yielded themselves implicitly, and almost adored the ground upon which he trod. With caresses and favours they loaded him, till they had raised him to the very height of self-sufficiency and importance; from which they themselves at last assisted to cast him down; and the contempt then poured upon him, pretty nearly equalled their former caresses. After him they had another, of an almost contrary disposition. He had but a very mean opinion of his own abilities, either for preaching or governing. He had such constant acquaintance with the power of his own corruptions, that he was commonly low and depressed in spirit. He never assumed any superiority over even the meanest member, firmly believing himself to be the vilest and most unworthy sinner of the whole community; he stood in need of all encouragement possible, in order to hearten him for his work. Yet the same people who had destroyed the former with unseasonable kindness, suffered the latter to drag on heavily all his days, that from them he seldom or never heard of his word having been made useful. And I suppose must have sunk under his discouragements, if strangers who afterwards came into the church had not been more free with him in discovering some degree of affectionate regard. Different spirits will require different usage, in order to preserve their usefulness: what was death to the former of those ministers, would have been life and vigour to the latter; and what so exceedingly weakened the hands of the latter, would in all probability have been the preservation of the former. But we forgot parson Junius, cousin.

Dis. Sir, Junius would have his own humour; and accordingly, when the time came that Camillus made his visit, any person attentive to Junius's behaviour, might easily find that his friend's room would to him have been more agreeable than his company; notwithstanding for decency's sake, he forced himself to carry it to him with some degree of seeming civility: I say seeming, for even Christian people have not as yet learned to be exactly on all occasions what they seem. But Camillus is a sagacious man, soon perceived Junius's coldness through all his formal civility and seeming deference. He began to question with himself from whence this coldness might have proceeded? In what he might have given offence? But never dreams that jealousy is at the bottom. Is he not offended with my doctrine? said he to himself. What can be the meaning of this distant carriage of his? What have I done or said that might give him umbrage? So Camillus reasoned, but hit not upon the real cause. And as Camillus is somewhat fond of his own sentiments, though a man inferior to few who are accounted good and religious, he could not help being in doubt about the orthodoxy of his friend. By these means, happily invented by me, this well-designed

visit, instead of answering the valuable ends of promoting religious friendship, rather tended by my intervention, to alienate their affections from each other.

Junius would still have his own humour, and from that day forward discovered a shyness to those, who seemed most delighted with Camillus; and when occasion offered, he did not spare bestowing on them, what is called a dry rub.

This was not all, for Junius could not leave his prejudice benind him when he went to the pulpit, where he adapted his discourses accordingly. On the other hand, his people could easily see he was not in his usual spirit; and they concluded, that they had given him no just cause of offence.

Meanwhile both parties mutually watched each other's words and deportment. If Junius happened to speak any thing harsh either from the pulpit or in common conversation, it was said to proceed from a bad spirit. On the other hand, if any of them happened to object to any thing spoken by him, he immediately concluded, either that his people were prejudiced against him, or did not love sound doctrine; for he had not a doubt of the soundness and truth of his own doctrine. And so they went on, till in the issue there was a final separation. Behold, gentlemen, how great a fire a little spark of my nature kindleth. Every well-wisher to the Belzebubian government must acknowledge, that the devil Discordans merits great applause.

FAST. I speak for the rest, my son, and own that your usefulness is of great extent. I persuade myself, your royal grandfather will well reward you, by giving you eternal duration among the people of the nether regions, for certainly your achievements merit the greatest esteem. Why, my son, you make the Nazarenes weak as other men.

Dis. After all, I assure you, at certain times I have hard work of it. I mean when Mr. Submission, my avowed enemy, and me happened to meet. This Submission is one of Immanuel's own children, a very great peace maker, therefore his business is directly opposite to mine; and although I hate him, I must say, he is one of the meekest persons upon earth. Never is he known to quarrel with any person, except myself. And I confess that in every scuffle with him hitherto, I have had the worst of it; but I thank my stars, it is very seldom I meet with him. When we do meet, meek as he is, I am quite nonplussed, and am obliged either to flee, which I abhor, or to fall before him, which is yet a greater mortification to a spirit so noble as I am. INFID. So then, cousin, I perceive you are as ill put to it when you meet with Submission, as I am. when I encounter his elder brother Fides. Fides is a warrior with whom I have maintained a very long, though not doubtful war; not doubtful, because I am worsted as sure as ever I enter the lists with him. With great facility I can overturn the power of every other

heavenly chieftain; but this fellow, this same Fides, is Immanuel's champion, and has performed the most unparalleled achievements; such achievements as never were performed by any hero besides himself. He hath subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousnesses, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness hath made people strong, causing even from fainting to wax valiant in fight, turning to flight the armies of the aliens. He hath given to women their dead children again, sustained others under the most cruel tortures, in such a manner, that they would not accept of deliverance; gave a good report of the promised land, to those ancient worthies who walked about in sheep skins and goat skins, destitute, afflicted, and tormented, of whom, notwithstanding they lodged in dens and caves of the earth, the world itself was undeserving.

These are a specimen of his achievements; but great and heroic as he is, he finds that I also am of noble deeds; a spirit not easily rendered inactive, and more difficult still entirely to, subdue. Although he has the promise of the most complete victory - in the end, I put him to exert his utmost; for when to appearance I am dead as a pebble, and Fides has the sole pre-eminence in the soul of man, I play reynard with him, feign myself dead in order to escape the vengeance of his arm.

In time he finds out my deceit, for I watch the opportunity when he is in the very height of a paroxysm, and can scarcely breathe. He is exceedingly troubled with fits, which will sometimes hold him for a long time together, and in which you would take him to be wholly dead; then I take the advantage, and rise upon him with all my powers, and beat and bruise him till life begins to return, which is not always of a sudden; but when he feels the weight of my arm, and the smart of the wounds which I inflict on him, his spirit returns to renewed vigour, he unlocks the magazines of grace, and brings forth such implements of war as I am not able to stand against; so that before he is well out of his fit he is as strong as ever. At other times he is a long while before he is freed from the effects of his fits; weakness, indisposition, and languor hang upon him for many months, at which time he receives no mercy at the hand of Infidelis.

This fellow is of the most amazing constitution, for whereas on one hand, idleness never fails to throw him into a lethargy, so on the other, hard labour, severe conflicts, and cruel buffetings, never fail to make him strong and vigorous; and what is very remarkable in itself, but very unlucky for me, is, that the more he is beaten and bruised the stronger he grows, and these fits in which you would take him to be just dying, it is said, only tend to make him the more robust and lively; which is the reason that although I frequently put him to great pain, I am always discomfited in the issue

However, gentle friends, you must allow, when circumstances are considered, my valour will at least equal, if not prove superior to that of Fides. He fights under a certain assurance of victory, and knows of a truth, that in the end he shall be more than conqueror? I as well know that I shall be discomfited, which would dishearten any besides myself; yet notwithstanding the discouragement, I give him many a vigorous turn for it ere I desist, and foully trip up his heels oftener than thrice. Even when I have him down, sprawling and gasping for life, I am conscious he will afterwards renew his strength and give me a most severe drubbing; and that his victorious hand shall in the end put a period to the days of great Infidelis. Yet this noble principal of royal malice prompts me on, and I will not yield an hair's breadth whilst life endures. Oh the fearful combats I could relate, which I have had with this heavenly champion, this same Fides.

FAST. We shall be glad to hear of them, my brother, at another time; but at present, if agreeable, I should like you to resume the story, part of which we have already had, respecting the progress of your kingdom.*

INFID. You have already heard how agreeable to his holiness my instructions were, as also of the laws by which the whole system of religion was inverted, and how the pious priest had invested himself with the perfections of deity. I knew that the introduction of this new Christianity might be attended with some difficulty, therefore advised his holiness, the father of the world, to deify some others as well as himself; but at the same time, lest his supremacy should be in any wise infringed, to take care that none should be deified till after their death, and that only with an inferior rank of godship. He took my advice, canonized a vast number under the title of saints, and ordained masses to be said to them out of his own newly composed Bible: for the old Bible in use amongst primitive Christians, having its laws so contrary to those of the pope, was by his authority made null and void; and Rome, once the mistress of the world, became the mother of harlots; once more the seat of paganism. But for distinction's sake, we call the latter Christian pagans; because they exercise all their villainy under the specious shew of Christianity.

In order to support the Christian-pantheon worship, slaughterhouses were built, and called holy inquisitions; where every one who was known to deny the supremacy and infallibility of his holiness the pope, or so much as harbour a suspicion concerning the papal faith, was treated with as little mercy as if he had been in hell. By these means, people were kept in the most dreadful awe; so that if any man happened to be intelligent enough to see through the cheat, he was obliged to keep his mind to him

* Page 90.

self; well knowing that one word spoken against the lucrative faith of the priests, would have ensured his certain death by means the most barbarous and cruel. By tais amazing subtilty of priesteraft, with the utmost security, they carried on their vil lainy under the mask of sanctity for many centuries, and all Europe trembled at the indignation of the priesthood. For by means of my brother's medals, and titles of ecclesiastical dignity, together with my blinding influence, the various orders of reverend fathers clave as fast to his holiness as scales to one another on the impenetrable back of leviathan.

Yet terrible as the priesthood were, they could not totally prevent the light of the gospel shining less or more, in some parts of Christendom, especially in Britain; where Wickliffe and his disciples gave their reverences no small uneasiness; for which they poured vengeance upon his bones forty years after his de mise. This same scripture light kindled in England by Wickliffe's ministry, spread itself to the continent, where first John Huss and Jerome of Prague, galled the sides of popish prelates; for which the very pious council of Constance, first recommended them to the care of the devil by excommunication, and then in the name of the God of mercy, condemned them to be burned to death for believing the Bible. It is amazing to think, with what dexterity they have lugged in the name of the Almighty, to sanctify their murders on all occasions.

About a century after this, a very strict enquiry after truth began, by the instrumentality of John Calvin and Martin Luther, two avowed enemies to popish wickedness. This revival of religion was very alarming to the priests of Rome, and very injurious to my government. His infallible Holiness, instigated by the devil Crudelis, voted their immediate destruction by fire and faggot, by poison, assassination, or any way; for there is nothing dreaded by this same vicar of Christ, so much as the spreading of gospel knowledge.

These measures however I withstood, having from past experience found, that coercive measures are by no means the most likely to reduce professors of religion to the obedience of infidelity; and I thought it better to send the devil Discordans to visit them, with instructions to make them quarrel about the forms of religion: this I took to be the most likely method to invalidate the testimony of both, and to baffle and confound their followers. This was done, and they jarred exceedingly about circumstantials; but do what we would, they spake of the doctrines which are absolutely necessary to salvation, with perfect uniformity, which greatly frustrated our dark designs; and this fire of reformation, so lately fanned, by degrees spread itself on the Continent, and in Great Britain where it arose in the days of Wickliffe.

The pope and me being loth to give up the government, we