body of the Sorbonne, because it formerly petitioned for the burning the Pucelle d'Orleans; because it declared Henry III. to have loft his right to the throne, and because it excommunicated and profcribed the illuftrious Henry IV. We fhould not certainly think of profecuting the other public bodies of the nation, who committed the like exceffes in thofe times of error and madness; it would not only be very unjust, but as ridiculous as if we were to oblige all the inhabitants of Marseilles to undergo a course of phyfic, because they had the plague in 1720.

Should we at prefent go and fack Rome, as the troops of Charles the Fifth did, because pope Sixtus the Fifth, in the year 1585, granted a nine years indulgence to all Frenchmen who would take up arms against their fovereign ? No, furely it is enough, if we prevent the court of Rome from ever being guilty of such exceffes for the future.

The rage infpired by a spirit of controverfy, and the abuse made of the Chriftian religion from want of properly understanding it, has occafioned as much bloodshed, and produced as many calamities in Germany, England, and

even

even in Holland, as in France; and yet, at prefent, the difference in religion occafions no difturbances in those countries: but the Jew, the Catholic, the Lutheran, the Calvinist, the Anabaptift, the Socinian, the Moravian, and a multitude of other fects, live in brotherly harmony together, and contribute equally to the good of society.

In Holland, they no longer fear that the difputations of a Gomar concerning predeftination, should bring the head of a grand penfionary to the block: nor in London, that the quarrels between the Prefbyterians and the Epifcopals about a form of prayer and a surplice, fhould again fpill the blood of their kings upon

* Francis Gomar was a proteftant divine; he maintained, in contradiction to Arminius his colleague, that God has, from all eternity, predestinated the greatest part of mankind to burn in everlafting flames this infernal doctrine was fupported in the manner most suitable to it, by perfecution. The grand penfionary Barneveldt, who was of the party which opposed Gomar, was beheaded on the 13th of May, 1619, at the age of seventy-two, for having (faith his fentence) ufed his uttermoft endeavours to vex the church of God.

a feaf

a fcaffold t. Ireland, now populous and rich, will not any more behold its catholic inhabitants

† A pompous writer, in his apology for the revocation of the edict of Nantes, fpeaking of England, has these words: "These were the natural "fruits of a falfe religion; there remained only "one to be brought to perfection, which these “islanders, justly the contempt of all nations, have "cherished, and adopted to themselves." Certairly this author has been a little unfortunate in chufing his time for representing the English as a people defpicable and despised by all the world: for furely, when a nation gives the moft fignal proofs of its bravery and generofity, and when its victorious. enfigns wave in the four parts of the world, no great credit is to be given to the writer who fhall reprefent it as contemptible and contemned. But we must observe, that it is in a chapter in favour of perfecution, that we meet with this extraordinary paffage; and none but fuch who preach up perfecution can write thus. This deteftable book, which feems the work of a madman, was composed by a perfon who has no ecclefiaftical cure; for what real paftor would write in fuch a manner? The author has even carried his enthu fiaftic fury to fuch a length, as to justify the maffacree of St. Bartholomew. It might be supposed that a production full of fuch shocking paradoxes,

would

facrificing, as an acceptable offering, the lives of their proteftant brethren, by burying them alive, hanging up mothers upon gibbets, and tying their daughters round their neck to fee them expire together; ripping up women with child, taking the half-formed infants from the womb, and throwing them to fwine or dogs to be devoured; putting a dagger into the hands of their manacled prifoners, and forcing them to plunge it into the breafts of their fathers, their mothers, their wives, or children, thereby hoping to make them guilty of parricide, and damn their fouls while they deftroyed their bodies: all which we find related by Rapin, who served as an officer in the English service in Ireland, and who lived very near the time of those transactions, and confirmed by most of the English hiftorians. No! fuch cruelties, as they were never to be paralleled, fo they doubtless will never be imitated. Philofophy, the fifter of Religion, has herself snatched the poignard from the hands of Superftition, fo long bathed in blood; and the human understanding,

would be in the hands of almoft every one, were it only on account of its fingularity, and yet it seems to be hardly known.

re

recovered from its delirium, ftands amazed at the fhocking brutalities into which it has been hurried by enthusiasm.

We ourselves know, that in France there is a rich and populous province, where the protef tant religion prevails much more than that of the church of Rome. The univerfity of Alface confists almost entirely of Lutherans, and they are likewise in poffeffion of moft of the civil pofts in that province; and yet the public peace has never once been difturbed by any quarrels about religion, fince that province has belonged to our kings. And what is the reafon? Because no one is perfecuted there on account of their religion. Seek not to lay a restraint upon the mind, and you may always be fure that the mind will be yours.

I do not mean by this to infinuate, that those who are of a different faith to the prince under whofe government they live, fhould have an equal share in the places of profits and honour, with thofe who are of the established religion of the state. In England, the Roman catholics, who are in general looked upon to be friends to the Pretender, are excluded from all civil employs, and are even double taxed; but then,