*3~¥- 
 
 
 C 
 
 
 h 
 
 •rH 
 
 a 
 
 ■"» ..' r-' 
 
 4 § 
 
 Z J: CO! Z: 
 
 i 
 
 .fi » 
 
 cti 
 
 
 PQ 
 
 o 
 
 
 H 
 
 S> 
 
 E 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 n 
 
 
 h 
 
 «" fe* f 
 
 O ^ 23 
 
 W$tff 
 
 
ft* 
 
 >. \ 
 
^Vt^ ^$ - •" ^ 
 
 

 
 % 
 
 I p 
 
AN 
 
 EPISTOLARY DISCUSSION 
 
 ^ 
 
 UPON 
 
 wt^ fi a^i^fijv^^ns&JuJxj 
 
 RELIGION, 
 
 A 
 
 Price 2 St 6&, 
 
AN 
 
 EPISTOLARY DISCUSSION 
 
 upon ^TfcZ&Zt^Zo 
 
 RELIGION, 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 G. W. 
 
 A PRO T E STANTOF THE 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 AND 
 
 M. J. B. B. 
 
 A FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC. 
 
 Omnia probate, quod bomim eft , tenete. 
 Prove all things , hold fajl that which is good. 
 i Ep. to the ThelT. v. 21. 
 
 'ilonDoti^ 1798* 
 
 Sold by T. Cadel and W. Da vies, in the Strand % 
 J. Boosey, Old Broad-Streetj Edm. Lloyd, 
 Great Mary-le-bone-Streetj and J". Cook, 
 
 Long-Acre. 
 
9 
 
Advertifement of the Editor. 
 
 HP H 1 S is not one of thofe controverfies, 
 wherein the fame perfon objects and an- 
 fwers, careful not to ftart questions he cannot 
 refolve, to his advantage. MefT. G. W. and 
 M. J. B. B. both equally free from prejudices, 
 ,of fentiments equally liberal, and well known 
 by refpective productions that entitle them to 
 public efteem, come here, as it were, by 
 chance, to a difcuflion, of all others, the moft 
 important; and enter into it, with an unfeign- 
 ed difpofition of fighting their battle, to the 
 ■utmofl of their power. Nothing refpe£ting the 
 matter in debate, that can be objected, is omitted ; 
 and nothing objected, not to be given up, re- 
 mains unaniwered. There is the fame fairnefs, on 
 both fides, without either fophi fir y, or evafion. 
 Thofe fharp and farcaftic reflections, which 
 by a difappointed adverfary, are commonly 
 recurred to, for want of a reply, are not to 
 be found in tliefe Letters. It is true, that 
 Mr, G. W. availing himfelf of the privilege 
 he firft claimed, of his free fpeech on the 
 fuperftitions of the Church of his Antagonift, 
 As is 
 
[>v ] 
 
 is, fometlmes, rather hard upon them ; but 
 '{till, it is done in a manner deprecating per- 
 fonal offence. If Mr. M. J. B B. is not 
 always even with Mr. G. W. in idiomaticai 
 cxpreflions, an allowance is to be made in 
 favour of his being a foreigner, who writes in 
 a language, he was, till lately, a ftranger to. 
 
 It is unneceffary to obferve that thefe Letters 
 were not intended for the prefs ; as any one, who 
 fhall perufe them, will eafily perceive. We 
 are indebted, for their publication, to the friends 
 of the Contenders. They wifely thought, 
 that a difcuflion, on a fubjeft fo highly im- 
 portant, made throughout with fo much im- 
 partiality and candour, could not but be ac- 
 ceptable- to Chriftians of all denominations. 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Occajion of the difcujjion I 
 
 Expqfition of the Roman Catholic's 
 
 faith ....... II 
 
 Church , 20, 94, 106', no, 154, 162 
 Statues and images ... . . . 21, 59, 
 
 .Invocation of Saints ...... 22, 59 
 
 Service in an unknown tongue . , 23, 63 
 
 Eucharift ....♦■ 28 
 
 Communion under one 'kind only . . 29, 64 
 Penance ( facr anient ) ..... 31, 75 
 Tradition 33, 97, 117 
 
 Purgatory ......... c a 33, 78 
 
 Indulgences ■. < i ; * . . . 36, 83, 98 
 
 Celibacy of Priefls . 39, 84 
 
 Monaftic vozvs' 48, 86 
 
 Explanation of do this in remem- 
 brance of me 68 
 
 Mafs ...... 70 
 
 Luther* s fentiment on the real pre fence 
 
 of Chrifl in the Eucharifl 71 
 
 Confejion 
 
[ vi] 
 
 ConfeJJion 73 
 
 Relics of Saints 96, 113 
 
 Reading Scripture *97> ll 5 
 
 Pope : 98, 118 
 
 Fafiing ...... 99, 125 
 
 Theology .....:.... 102, 130 
 
 Legends 102 134 
 
 Holy zvater . : » 103, 137 
 
 Kites and Ceremonies ..... 104, 139 
 
 Singing 104 
 
 Uncharitablenefs of the Roman 
 
 Catholics 105, 141 
 
 Antichrif, if the Pope .... 105, 147 
 Submffion to higher pozvers. . . . . • 119 
 Fcftivals of Saints , , . , , . 161 167 
 Cruelty of the Roman Catholics . . , . 164 
 Toleration ............ 184 
 
EPISTOLARY DISCUSSION 
 
 UPON 
 RELIGION. 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM G. W. TOM. j. B. B. 
 
 March 15, 1797. 
 Sir, 
 
 OUR anfwer to Mrs. E. the other 
 day, when fhe requefted to know if 
 you did not think ihe could be faved 
 as well by the Protectant religion as 
 by yours, that all you knew on the fubjecl, 
 was, there was only one way to Heaven ; 
 ^Mrs. E. was in that zvay, you zvere 
 not, if you were, fie was not, mall apo- 
 logize for the liberty I take, when 
 I am entreating you to be fo good 
 as other wife to explain yourfelf on a 
 
 fubjecl 
 
I Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 fubjecl of To much importance ; for 
 } T ou need not to be to!d, Sir, that this 
 anfwer which might be expected from 
 your politenefs, was not a fatisfaclory 
 one to the queftion that was put to 
 yQU. It was a long time the topic of 
 our converfation, after your departure ; 
 and upon Mrs. E. obferving that du- 
 ring the three years me had had the 
 honour of knowing you, fhe had never 
 heard you blame any one for their re- 
 ligious opinions, and that you were 
 (pardon me, Sir, her expreilion,) the 
 molt charitable Papift fhe had ever 
 known, it was agreed I fhould pro- 
 pofe to you, to examine the fubjecl 
 in writing, confcious that verbal dif- 
 cufhons on religion, rarely produce 
 any good, moftly indeed finifhing by 
 contention and enmity. 
 
 If then, Sir, the propofition is not 
 unpleafant to you, thefe are the condi- 
 tions, on which I will willingly enter 
 with you, into a controverly fo in- 
 ■(ting; First 
 
Epijlolary difcujjion on Rt 
 
 r wu. 
 
 First, that you fliall not be offended 
 at the liberty with which i may cen- 
 fare what I do not approve in the 
 doclrine of your Church. 
 
 Secondly, that it (hall never be ma 'e 
 the fubje6l of our difcourfe, when we 
 meet, either at Mrs. E^s or eKe where. 
 
 Thirdly, that you give me for rea- 
 fons, neither probabilities, nor pious opini- 
 ons, but authorities. 
 
 Lastly, Sir, that you carefully diftin- 
 guifh dogmas, from difcipline ; for lam 
 of your opinion, that we ought not 
 to confound the abufe with the infti- 
 tufiori, nor, as you fay, 6i cut down 
 the tree for a few dead leaves." 
 
 On thefe conditions, Sir, I am ready- 
 to commence a correfpondence with 
 you, which in procuring me the ad- 
 vantage of a nearer acquaintance, can- 
 
 Bz not 
 
I Epiftolary difcujjion en Religion. 
 
 not fail enhancing the efteem with 
 which 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 G. W. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM M. J. B. B. TO G. W. 
 
 March 17, 1797, 
 
 I have received the honour of 
 yours, and hafien toanfwer it: I will, 
 with all my heart, enter with you into 
 the difcuffion you propofe. I am not 
 at all deterred from it by your condi- 
 tions ;becaufe, to give the reafon of 
 my belief, when required, is to me a 
 duty I fhall be always ready to fulfil. 
 
 It is very true, Sir, as obierved by 
 Mrs. E. that I blame no one on account 
 of his religious tenets. 1 think that 
 he whom we judge to be in errour, is 
 
 mil*- 
 
Epi/hlary difcujjion on Religion. * 
 
 miferable enough, without our taking 
 upon us, againii God's prohibition, to 
 punifh him for it y out of an indifcreet 
 zeal,' in no way excufable ; but, pray. 
 Sir, do not mi fun der (land me: to have 
 a regard for erring people, is by no 
 means to approve their errour ; iuch 
 a charity would be a crime, a fhameful 
 defertion of truth ; and, though I love 
 all men, be their religious opinions 
 what they may, becaufe Jefus Chrift 
 will have me fee in every one the 
 neighbour I am commanded to love, 
 I fhould be mifunderftood, if it was 
 from thence argued, as my fentiment, 
 that I agree any way may lead to 
 Heaven : no, Sir, I believe there 
 is one only, and that a very narrow 
 one, that leads to it ; and undoubtedly 
 ib do you ; but what you may believe 
 and I do not, is, that to be in that 
 way, it is enough to believe in Chrift 
 and receive, as infpired from God, the 
 old and new teltament, in whatever 
 manner they be nnderftood, as if truth 
 B3 was 
 
6 .Epiftolary difcujfion on Religion. 
 
 was not effentially one and indivifible ; 
 and two people of a contrary opinion 
 on the fame fubjecl might be both 
 right : furely, Sir, if one is fo, the 
 other is neceffarily wrong. Hence the 
 necemty for us attentively to examine 
 ; before we take a part, in a matter 
 fo highly important, on which de- 
 pends our everiafting welfare. 
 
 In-order to proceed methodically 
 in our difcuffion, without unneceflfary 
 preamble, I will ingenuouily lay be- 
 fore you the faith of the Roman Ca- 
 tholic, free from every thing not ef- 
 fentially belonging to it, leaving you to 
 judge if It be that faith, eftablifhed by 
 Jefns Chrifl, without which, it is im- 
 fjojjible to pleafe God. Heb. xi, 6. I 
 fhall afterwards anfwer your objecti- 
 ons, if you think fit to make any, as I 
 doubt not but you will ; and, if I am fo 
 happy as to convince you that the 
 Roman Catholic is in the way we 
 ought to follow, to go to Heaven, I 
 
 fhall 
 
Epiftolary difcttjfion on Religion. 7 
 
 fhall be too much repaid for my trou- 
 ble, and fincerely will pray to God, 
 to complete in you, and any one of 
 thofe who may be concerned in our 
 difcufiion, what, through my interven- 
 tion, he fhall have been pleafed to 
 begin. 
 
 I fhall fend you, as foon as pomble, 
 an expofition of the Roman Catholic's 
 faith, requeuing, before-hand, you 
 will excufe my bad Englifh, and over- 
 look the language in favour of my ear- 
 neft defire to prove that 
 
 I am with refpecl, Sir, 
 
 M. J. B e 
 
 LETTER 
 
8 Epl/io/ary dicujjion on Religion. 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM M. J' B. B. TO G. W. 
 
 March 28, 1797. 
 Sir, 
 
 A few preliminary obfervations 
 ought to precede the expedition I have 
 to lay before you. It is certain, that 
 the truths and maxims we receive as in- 
 fpired from God, were not delivered to 
 men in writing ; that the firii written 
 Gofpel, namely that of St. Matthew, 
 was not penned, until 9, or 10 years 
 after Chrift's afcenfion ; that the time 
 when thole of St. Mark and St. Luke, 
 the di'feiples of the apoftles, from whom 
 they had their information, were pub- 
 Iifhed in writing, is quite uncertain; 
 that St. John's Gofpel was not formed 
 into a book, until near 100 years after 
 Chrift's coming into the world ; that 
 little, as it is, what we have of the 
 a 61s of the Apoftles, dates from the 
 year of (Thrift, 63, and their e piffles 
 were all written at epochs more or lei's 
 
 re- 
 
Epifioiary difcuffion on Religion, g 
 
 remote from the infancy of the Chriftian 
 religion. It is likewife certain that 
 feveral apocryphal gofpels, with divers 
 other writings, falfly attributed to the 
 Apoftles, were in the mean time pub- 
 lifhed. 
 
 Hence it follows that the work of 
 God would have been imperfect and 
 deficient, if before thefe truths and 
 maxims were written, there had not 
 been certain and unqueflionable means 
 to know them, as alfo to diftinguifh, 
 when written, between the books which 
 were faid to contain them, thofe which 
 did it really, from thofe which did not; 
 thofe which were infpired by the Holy 
 Ghofr, from thofe which were not", 
 thofe which were written by the apoflo- 
 lical men they were attributed to, from 
 thofe which were attributed to them, 
 and were not written by them.* 
 
 But fuch infallible means were, by 
 God himfelf, enfured to us, in the tef- 
 
 * The word of God defcended by tradition, from 
 the apoftles, thro ugh a continual fucceffion of the 
 
 timonv 
 
io Epiflolary difcuffion on Religion. 
 
 timony of the Catholic Church, which 
 made St. Auguftinfay : I jhotUd not be- 
 lieve the Gofpel, were I not moved thereunto 
 by the authority of the Catholic church, torn, 
 viii, c. v, p. cliv. ed. Ben. All that 
 the teftimony of the Catholic Church 
 declares to us to be revealed from God, 
 we mult believe to be lb, and only 
 believe to be fo, what is, as fuch, af- 
 certained by her teftimony. Where- 
 fore, fince, in matter of faith, there 
 is nothing truly certain, but what the 
 Church of Chrift believes and teaches 
 as fuch, and the books we receive as 
 infpired from God, are only the ex- 
 preflion of it, confecrated by her teftimony 
 and authority, this ought to be, and will 
 be the firft article, with which we fhall 
 begin our expofition of the Roman Ca- 
 tholic's faith. 
 
 faithful, for upwards of 360 years, until the pre- 
 lent canon of the fcripture was e/tabli{hed by the 
 r.hurch, in the council of Laodicea. 
 
 EXPOSITION 
 
Epiftdary dif tiffiin on Religion. i* 
 EXPOSITION 
 
 OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC^ 
 FAITH 
 
 The Roman Catholic believes, that 
 the Church, out of which there is no 
 falvatipn, is the Catholic and Apollo- 
 lie Church, the hea, d of which, the 
 Pope, fueceflbr of S. Peter, by a vifible 
 and uninterrupted fucceffion of about 
 250 bifhops, acknowledged as fuch, by 
 the Chriftian world, has. generally 
 (peaking, always refided in Rome from 
 her eftabliihment, for which reafon, 
 me is called the Catholic, Apoflolic and 
 Roman Church. , • 
 
 That the Church is infallible; ie, 
 that, if any part or parts of her happen 
 to fall. into errour, Jefus Chrift will not 
 permit that the others fall into it, at 
 the fame time ; fo that, when duly in- 
 terrogated on the controverted point, 
 their anfwer, God making good his 
 word recorded in Matt xxviii, 20, flialJ 
 always declare the truth, fuch as it was 
 
 taught 
 
i£ Epi/lolary difcuffion on Religion. 
 
 taught by Jefus Chrift and preached by 
 his apoitles and their lawful fuccefTors. 
 
 That there are feven facraments of 
 the new law, understanding by a fa- 
 crament, a fenfible fign of invijibk grace* 
 Viz. Baptism, Eucharist, Confir- 
 mation, Penance, Holy orders, 
 Extreme unction and, Matrimony ; 
 the exiftence of which ftands proved 
 by what follows. 
 
 Baptism : Unlefs a man be born again 
 of zvater and the Holy Ghofl, he cannot enter 
 into the kingdom of God. John, i i i , 13. 
 
 Eucharist: Unlefs you eat theflefh of 
 the Jon of man, and drink his blood, you 
 fli all not have life in you. John, vi, 54. 
 
 Confirmation: They laid their hands 
 upon them, and they received the Holy- 
 Ghoft. Acts, viii, 17. 
 
 Penance* Whofe fins you fliall forgive , 
 they are forgiven them , and whofe you fall 
 retain, they are retained. John, xx, 23. 
 
 Holy orders 
 
Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion. 13 
 
 Holy orders: I admoniffi thee, that thou 
 
 fir up the grace of God which is in thee, by 
 
 the impofition of my hands. 2 Tim. i, 6. 
 
 Extreme unction: Let them ( the 
 prieits^r^v over him, ( any fick perfon ) 
 annointing him with oil in the name of the 
 Lord, and if he he in fins, they JJiall be 
 forgiven him. James v, 14. 
 
 Matrimony: it is not fo explicitly 
 recorded in the fcripture as a facra- 
 ment, but the Church, by declaring 
 that it was always received by ail the 
 Catholic world, as a facrament of the 
 new law, has removed all doubt about 
 its exiftence, as fuch. 
 
 The Roman Catholic, confidently 
 w r ith the Apodles* creed, and thofe 
 of St. Athanafius and Nicea the con- 
 tents of which he profelTediy receives, 
 believes that there is one Cod only, 
 in three perfons, who alone is adora- 
 ble, and whom alone he adores, 
 
 C That 
 
14 Epiftolary difcnffion on Religion. 
 
 That- we are all redeemed by Jefus 
 Chritt who is the only mediator of 
 our redemption. 
 
 Moreover, that Jefus Chritt is, in a 
 fpiritual manner, really and fubttantially 
 prefent in the Eucharift, confcious that 
 he can do more than we can conceive, 
 and feeing that he could not make ufe 
 of clearer and plainer words than he 
 did, to make us believe it, faying that 
 the body he gives to his difciples, is 
 the fame body that Jhall be delivered to 
 death ; that the blood he gives them, is the 
 fame blood that fhall be filed on the crofs 
 for them. Luke xxii, 19. 1 Cor. xi, 24. 
 and as fuch, as prefent in that infcru- 
 table my fiery, he prays to, and adores him. 
 
 That Jefus Chrift, by commanding 
 his A pottles, at his laft fupper, to do 
 what he had jutt done, ordered them, 
 and in their perfons, their fuccefTors, 
 bifhops and prietts, to offer in that fpi- 
 ritual manner, the facrifice he was to 
 
 offer 
 
Epijhlary difcuffion on Religion. 15 
 
 offer upon the crofs, for the redemp- 
 tion of the world, in which facrifice, 
 that pure offering which the prophet 
 Malachi foretold, i, 11, fhould be 
 offered in every place among the Gen- 
 tiles, we prefent to God the price of 
 our redemption, and feed our fouls 
 upon the victim offered, the whole of 
 which is under the fpecies of bread, as 
 well as under the fpecies of wine, un- 
 der every particle of either, as well as 
 under the whole of each ; for that 
 Jesus Chrifl. being rifen from the dead, 
 not to die again, his foul and body 
 cannot be feparated ; fo that he who 
 receives it under one kind only, or a 
 particle of one kind, (as it was the 
 cuftom of the primitive Church, to 
 give it to children, to the fick and to 
 the faithful, in times of perfecution) 
 receives as much as he who receives 
 it under the whole of both fpecies. 
 
 That the- fufferings and death .of 
 Jefus Chriil are more than fuffieiently 
 fatisfaclory for our fias. That 
 
i6 Epift alary difcuffion an Religion. 
 
 That the holy fcriptures written by men 
 infpired from God, contain not the 
 words of men, but the word of God, 
 which can fave our fouls. Jam. i, 21. 
 and as fuch, muft be read and medi- 
 tated upon, by every one of the faith- 
 ful, but with a due fubmiihon to the 
 Catholic Church, to which it belongs 
 to point out to us its true fenfe, with 
 the fame certainty with which fhe 
 declared it to be revealed by the Holy 
 Ghoft, when nrfl collected into books. 
 
 That every thing that Jefus Chrift 
 
 did and faid, not being written, John 
 xxi, 25, traditions taught, preached 
 and delivered, as the word of Chrill, 
 and received and believed as fuch, by 
 all the faithful, generally fpeaking, in 
 all ages and without interruption, muft. 
 be, according to the doctrine of St. 
 Paul, 2 ThefT. ii, 14, affented to, with 
 equal faith, as the written ones. 
 
 That there is a third place he calls 
 
 Purgatory 
 
Epijlolary difcujfwn on Religion. 17 
 
 Purgatory; where departed fouls, not 
 free from every kind of debts due to the 
 juftice of God, or guilty of fins unre- 
 pented of, but not deserving eternal 
 punifhment, are purged and purified 
 before their admittance into Heaven ;. 
 and that fuch fuffering fouls may be 
 releafed by the holy facririce, the. 
 prayers, alms deeds and other pious 
 works of their fellow members here 
 on earth. 
 
 That there is a Purgatory, is plain- 
 ly intimated by our Lord, Matt. xii r 
 32, when he fays, he that Jhall /peak 
 againjt the Holy Ghoft, it Jhall not be for- 
 given him, neither in this world, nor in the 
 world to come; by which words, Chrift 
 fuppofes that, though thefe (hall not, 
 yet fome fins mall be forgiven in the 
 world to come ; which, fince it can- 
 not be in Heaven, where no fin can 
 enter, nor in Hell, where there is no 
 remimon, muft be necefTarily, in fome 
 middle Hate : thefame is argued from 
 C3 thefe 
 
18 Efiftolary difcujfion on Religion. 
 
 thefe words of S. Paul, i Cor, iii, 15, 
 He himjelf Jliall be faved, yet fo as by fire: 
 alfo from the practice of the Jews, 
 2 Mac. xii, 43. 
 
 Laffly, that there is a power in 
 the Church of granting indulgences, by 
 which nothing more is meant, than a 
 releafing, to fuch as are truly penitent, 
 the debt of temporal punifhment which 
 ( witnefs King David, 2 Sam. xii, 10.) 
 may remain due on account of thofe 
 fins, which, as to the guilt and eter- 
 nal punifhment, have been already re- 
 mitted by repentance and confefhon. 
 Convinced of this truth, the Church 
 of God, befides the hearty repentance 
 and confefhon infifted upon, for the 
 difcharge of the guilt of fin, always 
 required from the beginning, fevere 
 penances for the difcharge of the tem- 
 poral punifhment. We have an in- 
 ilance of St. Paul granting an indul- 
 gence to the inceftuous Corinthian, 
 when he faid, 2 Cor. ii, 10 To whom 
 
Epiftolary dlfcuffion on Re/igwn. 19 
 
 ye forgive any thing, I forgive a IJ 0, for 
 if I forgave any things to whom I forgave it, 
 for your fakes forgave I it in the perfon 
 of Chritl. 
 
 Such is, Sir, the faith of the Roman 
 Catholic; if I have omitted any ar- 
 ticle of it, or not explained to your 
 fat is faction thofe I have laid down, I 
 will readily repair theomiflion, when 
 known, and enter, upon all, into any 
 detail you may wifh for; 
 
 I am with fmcere refpeft, Sir, 
 
 M. J. B. B. 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM G. W. TO M. J. B. B. 
 
 April 20th, 1797, 
 Sir, 
 
 IF the belief of the Roman 
 Catholic is fuch as you reprefent, I 
 have been much deceived, for my ideas 
 upon it, are very different; and, to 
 
 fpeak 
 
20 Epijiolary difcuffion on Religion 
 
 fpeak my true fentiments, I think yoti 
 fhew me only one part of the picture : 
 Let it be as it may, my obfervations 
 and objections (hall point out to you, 
 where I think it flattered and unlike, 
 without objecting to what I approve. 
 
 I am of your opinion, that the ar- 
 ticle of the Church and her authority, 
 ought to be the preliminary and bafis 
 of our difcumon, as it refolves many 
 queftions which, for want of authori- 
 ty, would remain infoluble. Your 
 notions on this head, have my perfect 
 approbation : they (hew me the Church 
 fuch, as I eonfefs, I have never view- 
 ed it before- I am not offended then 
 at her infallibility, and fee evidently 
 the neceffity for all Chriftians to fub- 
 mit to her decifions. The misfortune 
 is, that many people, more zealous 
 than wife, very often give as her de- 
 cifions, what are not fo, and thus hurt 
 the caufe of religion, while attempt- 
 ing to ferve it ; I mall probably have 
 
 occafion 
 
Epijlolary difcujjfion on Religion, 21 
 occalion to return to this article. 
 
 Your doclrine of facraments offers 
 nothing but confolation to men ; and 
 in cafe it were not true, I could with 
 it was. I mall hereafter have oppor- 
 tunity to make fome objections on the 
 fubjecl, which I fmcerely defire you 
 will anfwer in a fatisfaclory manner. 
 
 The Roman Catholic, you fay, a- 
 doras one God in three perfons, and 
 adores him only: what then do you do 
 before your ftatues and images, fur- 
 rounded with flambeaux and orna- 
 ments, if you do not adore them? I 
 do not know in what adoration eon* 
 fifts, or I mould fuppofe, when I fee 
 a man proftrated before an image, that 
 he is paying adoration to it. What 
 do you do on Good Friday, on your 
 knees before a crofs you cover with 
 kiifes? Surely you will not fay you do 
 not pay it adoration ; for I have my^el^ 
 
 heard 
 
3M| Epifiolary difcufjion on Religion. 
 
 heard Roman Catholics fay, that on 
 that day, they adore the crofs. 
 
 You Jikewife fay the Roman Ca*- 
 tholic believes that we are all faved 
 by the paflion and death of Jefus Chrift, 
 that he is our only mediator. Of what 
 fignilication then are your invoca- 
 tions to faints ? What fign'rfy thofe 
 prayers you addrefs to the Virgin in 
 all your books of devotion; where you 
 call her, your life , your hope, where you 
 pray her to bellow on you purity of life? 
 Why does the fervice of your Church 
 confift more in prayers to faints, than 
 to God ? I am told, that when in 
 your religion, the feaft of a faint hap- 
 pens on a Sunday, you perform the 
 office of the faint, in preference to that 
 of God! Can any thing be more ab- 
 furd? Is it not placing the Servant 
 before the Matter ? 
 
 Attracted by your finging, I have 
 fometimes entered your chapels, on a 
 
 Sun.day 
 
Epiftolary difcujjion on Religion: i<\ 
 
 Sunday afternoon, and as I underfland 
 a little Latin, I have once had patience, 
 (which otherwife I fhould not) to liften 
 to long anthems addreffed to faints, 
 at the end of which I thought we 
 fhould never arrive ; I was near a man 
 who, without comprehending them, ap- 
 peared to me to follow them in his book 
 very exaclly ; he had the goodnefs to 
 hold it open between us, refering me 
 with his finger to each in turn, with- 
 out pafiing by a fingle one ; and yet 
 you fay, you acknowledge only one me- 
 diator, Jefus Chrift /In truth, Sir, you 
 will not eafily make me believe this, 
 
 Thefe observations naturally bring 
 me to another I cannot avoid making; 
 you know without doubt, that I in- 
 tend fpeaking of the language in which 
 you recite your fervice: it appears to 
 me indeed very ridiculous to pretend 
 to honour God, by repeating words 
 we do not underftand: of fuch it may 
 be properly faid, they honour him only 
 
 with 
 
24 Epljlolary difcujjiw on Relgion* 
 
 with their lips. I do not know, Sir, 
 whether you underftand Syriac ; but 
 fuppbfing you do not ; what would 
 you fay, were you obliged to recite 
 in that language, during an hour and 
 more, words, you are informed, com- 
 pofe a fine prayer? If the merit of 
 prayer was in proportion to the repug- 
 nance one has to overcome, in faying 
 it, mine, I allure you, would be very 
 great-, for nothing is more painful to 
 me, than to be obliged to read what 
 I cannot comprehend : I would wifh 
 to know how you explain, on this fub- 
 je6t, i Cor. xiv, not to fee in it your 
 own condemnation. 
 
 I once had the curiofity to go to 
 your Mafs, when I had been told you 
 preached in Latin ; I was agreeably 
 undeceived in this point, for I heard 
 in Englifh, a very goodfermon, which 
 appeared to me as folid, as well deli- 
 vered ; but I was more than ever con- 
 vinced of the ridiculous abufe I had 
 
 before 
 
Epiftolary dlJcvJJiGn on Religion.. 25 
 
 before been offended at. I was never 
 more furprifed than to fee miniiters 
 (whoml imagine alfo to be priefts) read- 
 ing, or rather finging to their hear- 
 ers their duty and obligations in a 
 tongue unknozvn to them : ferioufly, Sir, 
 fuch things mud be feen, to gain belief. 
 
 Upon my obferving it once to a 
 Gentleman of your perfuanon, he told 
 me, the afiiitants had a tranllation 
 of the Latin in their books': very 
 well, replied I; but thofe who know 
 not how to read, or who have not a 
 book (though I do not fee why what 
 can be read fo, could not as well be 
 lung ) what edification can they re- 
 ceive from the Latin you chant to 
 them? Not the lead, furely : O but 
 returned he, the fermon that is made 
 afterwards, explains this to them: 
 fuppofing it to be fo, cried L ; though 
 the fermon I heard after, was neither 
 an the gofpel nor on the epiftle of the 
 . day ) at leaft you cannot deny th: t 
 D all 
 
26 Eplfiolary difcujjion on Religion* 
 
 this reading and chanting, in an un- 
 known tongue, is thrown away, with- 
 out procuring any glory to the Deity, 
 or edification to the ignorant who, 
 were they condemned to tell their dry 
 beads during that time, could do it 
 better at home undifhirbed by your 
 chanting. Sir, replied he quickly, 
 the Church is wife and has her rea- 
 fons for maintaining the cuftom you 
 blame. I fhould have been glad to know 
 vyhcre fuch an attribute is warranted 
 to your ecclefiaftic legiflators, not be- 
 lieving that, becaufe Jefus Chrift faid 
 to his difciples (and I grant it, to their 
 fucceffors ) he would be with them to 
 the end of the world, they may, by 
 any means, from thence infer that 
 their future deeds flia.ll always be wife 
 and good , the words of Jefus Chriit, 
 as before explained by you, fignify- 
 ing only, that he will not permit er- 
 ■rour to take place of the truths he 
 had, revealed to his Church ; but; as my 
 gentleman feemed rather difpleafed 
 
 with 
 
Epijlolary dijaiffion on Religion. 27 
 
 with my queftions and arguments, I 
 thought proper to ftop, adding only 
 with a fmile, that fiicfa a reaibning 
 was unanfwerable. 
 
 As to what they fay, that it is bet- 
 ter to have the liturgy every where 
 in Latin, for that it is a dead invari- 
 able tongue, and any Catholic tra- 
 velling, is fure to find, wherever he 
 goes, the mafs laid in the fame idiom, 
 is a very poor reafon indeed, import- 
 ing in total, that it is better a tra- 
 velling man be every where ignorant 
 of what every where he hears, than 
 to underdand it at home, with millions 
 who never travel. When Latin was 
 generally more known, in the Weft, 
 than any other tongue, and was fpoken 
 in common difcourfe, fit it was that 
 the mafs and other offices of the 
 Church were faid in Latin : now that 
 it is no more fo, no longer ought they 
 to be faid in that language. 
 
 D2 What 
 
2 8 Epyt clary difcujnpn on Religion. 
 
 What you have faid'on the Eucha- 
 rift, is certainly very incomprchenlible ; 
 however, as we acknowledge ourfelves 
 in the facrament, the energy and vir- 
 tue of the body and blood of Jefus 
 Ghriil, which is not eafier to compre- 
 hend, nor lefs myfterious, I am not 
 much againfi the ienfe you apply to 
 the text in St. Luke ; and indeed, to 
 fay the truth, I mould have little dif- 
 ficulty to reconcile myfelf to this arti- 
 cle of your belief, which I fee founded 
 on authority, and very different from 
 the idea I have hitherto entertained. 
 I will not conceal it from you ; I be- 
 lieved ( and fo do many others ) that 
 you were, on this occafion, guilty of 
 idolatry ; but as foon as your adora- 
 tion is directed to Jefus Chriji only, whom 
 faith unveils to you under fpecies void 
 of reality, the cafe is altered, and though 
 the denying a reality of fub fiance- to the 
 fpecies after the confecration, be never 
 fo contradictory to onrfenfes; yet, as 
 they may deceive us, when the linger of 
 
 God 
 
Epiflolary difcujjion on Religion. 29 
 
 God intervenes, the authority on which 
 you think they now do it, being once 
 unqueftionable, there remains nothing 
 to object to, we mull of courfe be filent 
 and adore. In fael, were we to believe 
 only what we can comprehend, the 
 mvitery of incarnation, wherein Al- 
 mighty God in one of the three perfons 
 compofing his eiTence, confented to 
 die, to the end, we might as well 
 fay, of appealing himfelf, is no lefs, 
 is much more incomprehenfible than 
 this. 
 
 But what I cannot fay, I approve, 
 though unable to refute, is the com- 
 munion under one kind only, which 
 ever has been the practice of the 
 Church in the time you mention, 
 taking the facrament under both fpe- 
 cies, feems to me required by the in- 
 ititution itfelf, in which both were 
 made ufe of; and I could wiiTi at leaft 
 that exceptions mould only take place 
 in the cafes you have related. 
 
 D3 I have 
 
3$ Epr/lo/ary difcujjion en 'Religion. 
 
 I have often heard, on thefe words 
 of Jefus Chrifr, do this in remembrance 
 of we, objections againfY the real pre • 
 fence, to which I fhould be glad to 
 fee your anfwer ; certain it is that 
 one feems contradictory to the other ; 
 and if I do not make any myfelf, it 
 is beeaufe the texts you cite, as proofs 
 of your fentiment, appear to me to 
 fay more, than thofe who argue from 
 the above againft it, would have them 
 iignify. 
 
 You fee, Sir, I am even with you 
 in frankriefs ; and thefe conceffions of 
 mine, ought to be a pledge to you of 
 of my fincerity, when I am of an opi- 
 nion different to yours. 
 
 ■ However ; clear the text maybe, you 
 quote to. prove the exiftence of the 
 facrament of penance, (of which by 
 the bye, I could wifh con fef lion was 
 not made a neceflary part) yet it leaves 
 matter for objections, I think bard to 
 
 refolve. 
 
Epijhlary dijcujjion on Religion: 31 
 
 refolve. Your doclrine on this fub- 
 jeel is perfectly known to me: you 
 fay that the prieft remits fins to thofe, 
 who fmcerely repenting, and forming 
 a determined resolution to amend and 
 carefully to fhnn in future the occa- 
 fion of committing them, make of 
 them an entire confefTion to him: 
 very well ; but it feems to me that 
 the remiflion can never be other than 
 conditional ; the prieft is fuppofed to 
 fay: I remit your fins, if you are in 
 the above faid difpofition ; but as no 
 one can anfwer affirmatively he is in 
 fuch a difpofition, it follows that the 
 facrament gives no affurance to the 
 penitent that his fins are remitted ; 
 and all the benefit he gets by receiv- 
 ing it ( which however is not a con- 
 temptible one ) is confined to the good 
 refoliUion he adopts by the advice of 
 his confeflbr, and to the means point- 
 ed out to him, of amending and living 
 a better life in future. All that- -be 
 can fay to himfelf, is, that he hopes 
 
 God 
 
32 Epiftolary difcuffion on Relgwn. 
 
 God has forgiven him the fins he has 
 confeflfed, which every contrite peni- 
 tent may as well fay without confefli- 
 on ; at leaf! the one has no more af-» 
 furance of it than the other. I have 
 been always ftruck with thefe objec- 
 tions, when refle£Hng upon that fa- 
 crament, the exiftence of which can 
 fcarcely be denied. 
 
 What you fay about the fcriptnre, 
 appears to me the more reafonable, as 
 we have in this country a ftriking in*. 
 fiance of the ill confequences reflat- 
 ing from the liberty every one claims, 
 of interpreting it after his own private 
 judgment: we reckon in England, 
 more than 30 tranflations of the Bible, 
 all of them more or lefs different from 
 one another, in points of importance- 
 Surely no authority, but that which 
 could infallibly afcertain its authenti- 
 citv, ought to be allowed to deter- 
 mine and point out its true [en^e. 
 
 I like wife 
 
Epijhlary difcuffton on Religion, 53; 
 
 I likewife agree with you, as to the 
 authority you give to the unwritten 
 tradition; fuoh as you define it, it 
 commands our faith; but w T hen I fee 
 people difputing to the utmoft of their 
 ftrength, to maintain as faith, points 
 grounded only upon the opinion of 
 this or that holy father, an opinion 
 which other circumftances might have 
 led him to give up or retracl, witnefs 
 St. Auguftine who, out of an excefs 
 of zeal, often went beyond the right 
 bounds of truth, I fmcerely pity them, 
 and heartily lament the injury which, 
 through a pious fiubbornefs, they offer 
 to religion they intend to ferve. 
 
 "Whatever be the authorities you 
 ground yourdoclrine of purgatory upon, 
 I doubt whether they really come to 
 the purpofe, or, as they fay, ad rem; 
 I have read fomewhere, that the holy 
 fathers are far from being unanimous 
 on the import of the texts you quote, 
 fome pretending that' the words of 
 
 St. 
 
34 Epiftolary difcuffion on Religion. 
 
 St. Matthew are to be underftood, as 
 the impofjibility there is for a rich man 
 to enter the kingdom of God, which 
 fignifies only a very great difficulty ; fo 
 that, when it is faid that the fin againil 
 the Holy Ghoft (hall not be forgiven, 
 neither in this world, neither in the world 
 to come, we mull underrtand that fuch 
 a fin is hardly to be forgiven: Befides, 
 the fin mentioned in that text, is a fin to 
 be forgiven, which is not upon purga- 
 tory, the doclrine of your Church 
 that teaches fouls are detained in it, 
 for a temporal punifhment, due to fins 
 forgiven* ' 
 
 It is the fame with the words of St. 
 Paul, He him f elf Jhall be faved, yet fo 
 as by fire, fome holy fathers expound- 
 ing them of the wicked in hell, who 
 are faid to be faved by fire, in as much 
 as they always fubfift and continue in 
 flames, and are not deftroyed by them. 
 
 As to the books of Macabecs which 
 
 we 
 
Epifiolary difcv.JJion on Religion. 35 
 
 we account apocryphal, they are not 
 in this place, of authority to be fub- 
 mittedto; therefore, confidering the 
 above different interpretations, your 
 doctrine of purgatory cannot be alcer- 
 tained, but by the authority of the 
 Church, by which I would rather abide, 
 if you can (hew me it ftands proved, 
 as it ought to be, by her belief. 
 
 You will perhaps find me hard to 
 pleafe | but I began by informing you 
 probabilities would not fatisfy me: if I 
 am not mi flake n, your doclrine of 
 purgatory, is much indebted for its 
 credit, to the zeal which, for fome 
 ages paft, priefls havefhewn, in hour- 
 ly faying maffes for which they were 
 well paid, for the delivery of fouls 
 they fuppofed there detained. 
 
 I am not ignorant of what is report- 
 ed of St. Auguftine, that he faid mafs 
 for the repofe of the foul of his mother; 
 on which I will not tell you it feems 
 
 not 
 
36 Epiftolary difaiflion on Religion. 
 
 not a little furprifing, that prior to 
 the time of St. Augufline, no other 
 inftanee of the fame is produced ; but 
 I could afk you, to fhew me how far 
 this a 61 of St, Auguftine is a proof 
 of purgatory, whether he offered the 
 facrifice of the mafs with a known 
 intention that manifefts his faith in 
 that refpe6l ; for it may be that his 
 aclion was no more a proof of his be- 
 lief in purgatory, than the fervice of 
 the dead performed by our Church 
 which denies it. 
 
 Indulgences, underftood as you ex- 
 plain them by the inftanceyou quote, 
 are, Sir, very different from thofe 
 I heard granted by the Popes. I 
 am willing to own that the Church 
 has really the right you here attribute 
 to her: if fhe cannot be denied the 
 power we fee her exercifing of im- 
 pofing penances of many years, fhe 
 mufl have, by the fame reafon, that 
 of moderating them, when the fear 
 
 of 
 
Epiftolary difciijjion on Religion 37 
 
 of throwing: him into defpair by too 
 much rigour, (as was the cale witn 
 the inceituous Corinthian) induces her 
 to do fo; but it is not only with thole 
 canonical pains your church pretends 
 to difpenie, it is particularly (or I am 
 m i (1 n formed ) with tho fe o f p u rga to r y 
 which your Popes, for any purpofe of 
 theirs, remit by days, months and years, 
 though ignorant whether one mail have 
 more to fuffer than the good thief ! Ihave 
 even read in a book of yours, thatfhe. 
 has the power of remitting all the tern * 
 poral farfs faction due to God, after the 
 fins are remitted as to the eternal one. 
 Surely, Sir, this 'is a ftrange privilege, 
 and I would be glad to know whence 
 your Church has it. Granting that 
 the fcripture accords a power to the 
 Church, of remitting fins, I fee no 
 where that God has likewife given her 
 that of difpenfmg with the fatisfacliori 
 due to his juftice by the firmer, whole 
 fin's he has been fo good to forgive is to 
 the eternal ' punifhment they -defer ved. 
 E I'he 
 
38 Eptjlolary dijcuffion on Religion. 
 
 The cafe of the prophet David cited 
 as a proof of the fatisfaction due after 
 firi is forgiven as to the guilt, appears 
 to me a very curious indance of it, 
 as it feems to authorize the conclu- 
 iion that God has alfo given to the 
 Church the power of difpenfing with 
 the fufferings, the penitent King had 
 to bear, after he had heard from Na- 
 than that his fin was forgiven ; for, to 
 be fure, other wife the comparifon will 
 not only be, as they fay every com- 
 parifon is, lame, but quite /eglefs : and 
 why, if it be fo, mould the not have alfo 
 the power of difpenfing with death 
 which is another punifhment of fin 
 forgiven P but credulity could not here 
 be impofed upon : facts would fpeak, 
 while in the other cafe, it fuffices to 
 give them as certain, without being 
 obliged to prove them to be fo. 
 
 As a complement on the above in- 
 vention, I have been alfo told that 
 the frock of your indulgences was com- 
 Es pofed 
 
■EpiJiolary difcujfion on Religion. 35 
 
 compofed not on(y of the merits of 
 Chriit, but of fuperabundant merits in 
 certain faints, as if God could not re- 
 ward by his divers heavenly manfions, 
 all they may have, and there was a 
 remainder to be difpofed of; but this 
 is an abfurdity I never believed. 
 
 There is a law in your Church I 
 can by no means pafs over in (ilence, 
 it feems to me fo contrary to the very 
 text of fcripture ; I mean the prohi- 
 bition made to your clergymen of 
 marrying, if they think it necefTary 
 to the falvation of their fouls ; for I 
 could wifh with St. Paul, that he 
 who Is in the miniflry of the altar, had 
 never reafons to enter into a ftate, the 
 duties gi which oblige him to divide 
 himfelf; but I wifh it, as he does, on 
 condition thai he be not deprived of 
 the liberty God allows him, if he can- 
 not contain ; and, as rt.-Paul fays he 
 has no precept, I have been always 
 greatly furprized to fee your Church 
 
 making 
 
,4° ^pljlolary difcnjjlon on Religion. 
 
 making .one to a clafs of men te 
 would exclude the' fanchiary, where 
 H-'iven may call, them, were they -to 
 reiufe to fubmit to it. The marks of 
 vocation to priefthood, are without 
 dzmbt recorded in Ft Paul's EpiflJ.es to 
 Timothy and Titus ; but pray in what 
 part of them have you ever read that in 
 order to be a .prieil, a man ihould re- 
 nounce being a man.? The apoftle has 
 not. here a command of .the Lord; and 
 you, teaching another Golpel, you ..iffue- 
 out one/narder to qbferve than any he 
 has! 
 
 But, .you fay, you are not obliged 
 to make yourfelf a prieft: who . .to.lfl 
 you fo ? If God to whom alone it be- 
 longs to call us, as he did Aaron, calls 
 me to the altar, am I not obliged to 
 obey ? Has he any where authorized 
 you to oppofe his will, by conditions 
 you have no right to preferibe? your 
 power of making difciplinary laws 
 muft ftop where you would add to the 
 yoke of Chrift ; and you are forbidden 
 
 in 
 
Epiftolary difcufficn on Religiw. 43 
 
 in particular, to make any that may- 
 be the ruin of fouls which otherwife 
 might be faved. 
 
 The loofenefs of your clergy in 
 France, of which no one is ignorant, 
 mould long fi nee have convinced your 
 ecclePiaftic legislators, of the improprie- 
 ty of forbidding priefts to marry. 
 Without fpeaking of the Capital, where 
 many bifhops and abbots were famous 
 for their intrigues, I have been told 
 that ine incontinence of your lower 
 clergy in the provinces, was little lefs 
 fcandalous, and created greater ob- 
 ftacles to the lancliflcation of fouls, 
 than examples to the contrary could 
 overcome. - 
 
 Wanting fcripture authority to for* 
 bid priefts to marry, you ' pretend to 
 filence your contradictors, by faying 
 the Church is wife. Firjft.of all, I know 
 not what you mean, when you fay the 
 Church is wife. Surely you do not 
 E3 mean 
 
42 Ep'yhiary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 mean, as I before obferved, that your 
 ecclefiallic lawgivers can ma^e none 
 but wife laws ? I expreffed it io you T 
 I am not offended at the infallibility 
 of the Church, inch as you explain 
 it : it has a determinate object which 
 is, that in matters of faith and morality, 
 {he fhall never eonfecrate crrour for 
 revealed truth, by her decifions ; but, 
 where is it written that her laws of 
 difcipline, the goodnefs of which is 
 dot warranted by God, fhall always 
 be impreffed with the (lamp of wifdorri? 
 No where that I know : but the cun- 
 ning is invifible to thofe only who 
 will not fee it : your legiflators, to per- 
 fuade you tha: their laws are all wife, 
 and as fuch, to be revered, have con- 
 trived the affertion ; and credulous 
 fimplicity flruck with what is awful 
 in it, has, for want of diftinguifhing be- 
 tween them and the infallible Church, 
 been induced to believe that, by blindly 
 fubmitting to their bigotted inventions 
 they obeyed Chrift himfeif. It is a pity 
 
 they 
 
Epijlolary difcuffion on Religion. - 43 
 
 they have not alio been able a!v ■- 
 to perfuacle the world of their omni- 
 potence ; that they had the power of 
 difpofmg of crowns, on the line ar- 
 gument that he who has a dominion 
 over the npb.leit things, namely human 
 fcu/s, muft have it over lefs noble, 
 earthly kingdoms \ or on this other, 
 that they are allured all they will 
 loofe, ihali be loofed, and that all 
 they will bind, fhall be bound ; and 
 as the word all excepts nothing, they 
 could of courfe loofe the ties that bind 
 fubjecls to their fovereign, a man to 1 
 a man, and vice verfa bind them ; the 
 plea was certainly full' as good, and 
 the confequence in every" refpe& as 
 well drawn. It is, Sir, by fuch equi- 
 vocations of words, people are impofecr 
 upon, and truth has in time been fo 
 difguifed in your Church, as to make 
 half of Europe defert her. ' 
 
 Another argument of theirs, in ftip- c 
 gort of this their 'invention, no lefs/ 
 
 if 
 
44 Epiftolary difcujjion on Religion. . 
 
 if not more-curious, is the following: 
 the miniiicrs of the altar, under the 
 old law, were, they fay, obliged to 
 part with their wives, during the ex- 
 er-cife of their functions ; well; there- 
 fore it is a crime for priefts under the 
 ne • 01 :.e, to be married ! Happy rea- 
 soning ! the former were alio circum- 
 cifed : if the old covenant is not done 
 away, fo are the latter to be ! rifum 
 teneatis amid. 
 
 But they moreover fay, upon the, 
 fentiment, I know not which holy 
 father, who waspleafed pioufly to ad- 
 vance it, as his opinion ( though in 
 many other cafes they do not think 
 the opinion of more than one to be a 
 fuffictent authority to argue from it 
 as a law) that the apoftles who were 
 married, were obliged to part with, 
 their wives. 
 
 I do not know how- they under (land 
 thefe w r ords of the apoftle of the Gen-. 
 
 tiles 
 
Epifi -olary JifcuJJlan m .Religim, ^5 
 
 tiles, 1 Cor. ix, Have we not power \to 
 lead about a fijler ( and not -tofay a wife) 
 a woman > .as zvell as other apoflles and the 
 br ether en of the Lord, md Cephas-,., but 
 unlefs thefe women fillers were the 
 apofUes' wives, the wives of that time 
 were indeed very -different from ours ; 
 for I am pretty fure that thofe of < our 
 days, though never fo pious and de- 
 vout, could not brook feeing their 
 hufbands lead fo about, with them,. any 
 other women, even, m a Jimilar .errand. 
 The patrons of this afTertion fhould 
 befides remember that the fame apoitle 
 forbids fuch .a .parting, or permits -it 
 only for a time, and with the confent 
 of both parties: this being no more 
 'than a counfel, ; very poilible it is that 
 the conforts of fome of the apoftles 
 would have been fatis'ied with doing 
 well, without aiming at doing better ; 
 but the ridiculous contrivance muft be 
 maintained at any rate. 
 
 And why -wotuM it be a crime for 
 
 prieits 
 
/ 4 6 Epifiokry ' difcujjion on 'Religion. 
 
 i priefts to marry ? Js it becaufe ma- 
 trimony is an union that would tarnifh 
 the purity they mud carry to the altar? 
 But matrimony is honourable : matri- 
 mony in your "Church, is even one of 
 the facraments of the new law, one of 
 thofe myfterious fources from whence, 
 fay your divines, that falutary water 
 
 . fprings, which quickens our fouls. 
 Without matrimony the world emerg- 
 ing out of nothing, was going again 
 
 . into nothing; it fupports, it perpetu- 
 ates its exigence, it is the foul of cre- 
 ation, the work of which it crowns, 
 and celibacy is its death. 
 
 They talk of inconveniences refulting 
 from the marriage of priefts : but in 
 truth, is it from the matrimony of 
 priefts that the inconveniences talked 
 of, arife ? Believe me, Sir, they have 
 . a very different caufe ; when thofe 
 honours, diftinclions and riches with 
 which you flatter and engage the am- 
 bition of your clergy, whom the hope 
 
 of 
 
Epijlolary difcufjion on Religion* . 47 '; 
 
 being in the church, what they cannot 
 be in the world, rich and honoured, per- 
 fuades that the abnegation you pre- 
 fcribe them, is not above their ltrength, 
 or mould it be, that they will be fur- 
 nifhed with means to reco.oipenfe 
 themfelves in private, for the facrifice 
 they make in public ; when I fay, 
 honours and riches fhall be no longer 
 an obj eel of expectation, a determin- 
 ing motive in becoming a prieft ; when, 
 let them be what they may, married 
 or fingle, men having, like Timothy 
 ftudied the holy fcriptures from their 
 infancy, fhall be called to the altar by 
 the votes' and defires of the faithful, 
 with no other hopes, than thofe given 
 by Jefus Chrift to his apoitles, be cer- 
 tain that no inconveniences will refult 
 from the marriage of priefts ; why do 
 I fay inconveniences ? Far, very far from 
 it: a modeft and difcreet wife, chil- 
 dren fubjeel with all chaftity, depen- 
 dants fubmiffive and refpeclful will be 
 as many examples the minifter of 
 
 Chrift 
 
43- Epftolary dtfcuffion on Religion. 
 
 Chrift fets up to mo by the precepts, 
 which render to all virtue amiable, and 
 preach it wit-h a pleafing and irrefut- 
 able voice. 
 
 It is but too true that fuch minifters 
 as I have defcribe:!, will be unlike our 
 prefent doclors and preachers, ( for 
 the abufe I here complain of, is not fo 
 peculiarly applicable to your Church,' 
 as not to difgrace ours alio) they will 
 not aim at puzzling -their hearers with 
 unintelligible and unheard of words; 
 they will not myftically expatiate on 
 indifferent fubjecls, fcareely mention- 
 ing 1 thole chiefly intended to promote 
 the glory- of God, by improving our 
 morals \ no: but they w?ir be matters 
 of the ' fcience by which faints are 
 made ; they will know and teach that 
 of St.- Paul, Chrift crucified: 
 
 You expect, without doubt, Sir, 
 that ; the abufe of your monaftic vows 
 will- not pafs uncenfured ; but, pray, 
 
 mark 
 
Epijlolary difcujjlon oft Religion. 49 
 
 jnark that I fay the abufe, for I fhou!!l 
 not be underfto'od, if you took it, ate my 
 condemning all vows; no, Sir, I arri 
 on the contrary perfuaded that vows 
 might be an honour to religion and 
 the glory of the Church; they might 
 perpetuate under our eyes the prac- 
 tice of evangelical counfels, and pre- 
 fent to our edification patterns of vir- 
 tue, which, by making us afhamed not 
 to fulfil the precept, would at lead 
 infpire us with the defsre of doing it. 
 By the abujc of monadic vows, I un- 
 derstand thofe vows you obtain by 
 allurements, from innocent creatures 
 who do not know themfelves, of dying, 
 to fpeak fo, before they are born ; 
 of refilling, all their lifelong, incli- 
 nations enforced by deprivation, and 
 renouncing for ever enjoymen s ima- 
 gination magnifies and endears, and 
 but too often represents as fupreme 
 happinefs; I underftand thofe vows 
 infpired by disappointment,, provoked 
 indignation, real or fancied difplea- 
 F fares 4 
 
50 Epiftolary difcujjion on Religion* 
 
 hires ; I underftand thofe vows which 
 are made to fecure to one felf in a 
 convent, without pain, a fubfiflence 
 defpaired of, in the world ; in fine, I 
 underfland thofe vows which family 
 difpofitions and fettlements force upon 
 an unfortunate child, ill ufed by na- 
 ture and difliked, to increafe the por- 
 tion of a fifler, endowed with its gifts, 
 and adored. 
 
 Vows fo inconfiderate and infpired 
 by fuch motives, render but too cre- 
 dible what is reported of the difcord 
 and divifions that are faid to exift in 
 convents, of their parties and factions, 
 antipathies and pretenfions affumed 
 from family and difference of name, 
 the riches or high fhations of relations. 
 I do not then wonder at what they 
 fay, that they are there as vain as 
 in the world, proud, fenfual and felf- 
 ifh. It is a natural and neceffary con- 
 fequence of the motives they have 
 been actuated by, in choofing a Hate 
 
 of 
 
Epijlolary difcnjfion on Religion. 51 
 
 of life. Are your convents of men 
 otherwife compofed and more edify- 
 ing ? You know it better than I do. 
 
 Shall I tell yon now, Sir, the vows 
 I not only approve, but would en- 
 courage ? They are annual ones ; to 
 fay more, I am forry there is not 
 in every Chriftian country, afylums 
 where, fecured and aiTifted by fucjl 
 vows, prefer ved innocence could pro- 
 vide precautions againft the fnares of 
 the world, and loft innocence be re- 
 paire '. We are not tempted to break 
 through engagements that end with 
 the year, and the liberty we know 
 we fhall have at that period, deftitute 
 of the charms prohibition gives it, is 
 not an advantage we think preferable 
 to the delights with which God re- 
 munerates the facriiice even in this 
 world. I fhould hare only one ap- 
 prehenfion, which is, that few of thofe 
 virtuous reclufes would, after tailing 
 how fweet is the Lord, enter again 
 F2 into 
 
52 Fjti/!o 7 <vy difcujfiin on Religion. 
 
 into fociety, to edify us with their 
 acquired virtues, in a Hate they are 
 be. re aii called to. 
 
 I have been told that moll of your 
 hofpitals in France were under the di- 
 rection of a congregation of women 
 v.l.o engage themselves by annual 
 vows to attend the fick, to whom 
 they were like tender and indulgent 
 mothers ; that they were mean while 
 of all religious women the mod fervent 
 as w r ell as the mod ferviceable ; and 
 that, however painful and loathfome 
 their employ, it was very uncommon 
 to fee any of them return to the world. 
 How I admire and refpecl thefe good 
 and virtuous handmaids ot the Lord ! 
 What a difference between thefe nurfes 
 charity gives to the fick, and thofe 
 our money procures them ! 
 
 I could wifli it was to fuch congrega- 
 tions the education of our daughters 
 was likewife committed. Governefles 
 
 in 
 
Epijiolary difcujjion on Religion. 53 
 
 in the habit of vanquifhing themfelves, 
 fpeaking of the yoke of Chrifl which 
 they mould know from experience, 
 might do it with a moving concern, 
 and in a manner i^o impreffive as to 
 make- it loved. They would continu- 
 ally place under the eyes 'of their 
 pupils the example by the precept, 
 and by their unqualified fubmiflion to 
 voluntary engagements, teach them 
 effectually that obedience impofed 
 upon them by both divine and human 
 laws, in a ftate wherein it is made 
 indifpenfable. 
 
 I muff tell you, Sir, in this refpecl 
 all my mind and defires* Were not 
 at the fame time, religious duties as 
 well attended to, thefe precious affo- 
 ciations would be frill deficient. Work 
 in them mould prepare for prayer, 
 and prayer for work; but, as you 
 may well imagine, I would not have 
 prayer laid in a tongue when the lips 
 could fpeak nothing to the heart; it. 
 ihould not confift ( which I always 
 F3 thought 
 
;4 Epiftolary dijciiffion on Relig 
 
 ion, 
 
 thought fuperlatively abfurd) in the dai- 
 ly recitation of an endlefs breviary where 
 unfortunate creatures have not even 
 the fmall confoiation to find in a known 
 language what they are obliged, tinder 
 pain of fin, to fay in an unknown one- 
 no: their religious code would be the 
 expreflion of their heart, their cove- 
 nant with their God ; and in this their 
 book, fitted to their fituation, they 
 might daily be impreffed with a fenfe 
 of their happinefs and obligations. 
 
 Although I do not like your legends, 
 moft of them being a collection of 
 pious llories and contrived miracles 
 more calculated to amufe children than 
 to improve others, I fhould not be 
 againft perufing for edification, the 
 life of fuch as have been diltinguifhed 
 by their virtues in the fame career. 
 
 Pleafed with ideas, never perhaps 
 to be realifed, to the misfortune of 
 many, pray, fuffer me, Sir, to in- 
 
 indulge 
 
Epiftolary difcujjion on Religion. $5 
 
 indulge a little longer my inno- 
 cent fancies. In order to be admitted 
 into thofe congregations, the perfons 
 mould pay with industry for their 
 maintenance, becaufe neither portions 
 nor penfions mould be received, as, by 
 the privileges they give, the intend- 
 ed purpofe would be fr Lift rated. Their 
 vows being at an end, they mould < 
 have the liberty to quit the. congregation 
 or to renew them ; but, except in 
 in certain premi fed cafes, thv congre- 
 gation could not difrnifs any one, and 
 mould be obliged to find them every 
 pomble comfort, both in health and 
 ficknefs. 
 
 Chriflian perfection being the mo- 
 tive of fuch adbciations, there would 
 be no fear felfifhnefs and private in- 
 tereft could difquiet them. Each mem- 
 ber once furnifhed with the only things 
 wanted, food and raiment, the remain- 
 der of the common flock, if any, 
 fliould be a fund with which charity 
 
 would 
 
5 6 Epijlolary difciiflion on Religion. 
 would not fail helping the indigent. 
 
 With as much facility, congregations 
 of men might be formed, equally edi- 
 fying and ierviceable. I was, for ex- 
 ample, ever of opinion, that the in- 
 ftru61ion of youth in our colleges 
 mould be entruiled to focieties of men 
 who would lb devote themfelves to 
 it by annual vows : no comparifon 
 can ever be made between inltruclors 
 afforded by religion, and thofe inter- 
 eft or any other human confideration 
 may procure. Befides the many al- 
 lurements inherent to teaching, < v not- 
 withftanding the pain it gives ) the 
 opportunity of being inftrucled by in- 
 inftru&ing, exemption from earthly 
 cares, the guiltlefs pleafures of an 
 ever-pleafing and innocent fociety are 
 well known motives, which would in- 
 fallibly fill thofe peaceful retreats with 
 faints and learned men who might be 
 an honour to religion and an orna- 
 ment to the world. 
 
 I mould 
 
Epi/lolary difaiffion on Religion. t^ 
 
 I fhould no lefs approve aflbciati- 
 ons formed by repentance, where pe- 
 nitent finners could enter again into 
 themfelves, expiate, with tears of pen- 
 ance, the dkTolutenefs of a life fpent 
 in criminal pleafures : but iXxll on con- 
 dition that manual labour fhould fup- 
 ply the wants of nature. 
 
 Such are, Sir, the vows I approve; 
 but furely thofe your Church recom- 
 mends and patronifes, make few peo- 
 ple happy, many miferable, and in 
 every refpecl: do incomparably more 
 evil than good. 
 
 This is, Sir, a very long letter, and 
 yet I could ftill prolong it, there be- 
 ing many more abufes in your reli- 
 gion I have been filent upon ; but I 
 am afraid to trefpafs on your time. 
 Your anfwer to my objections will 
 be the rule I mall be governed by as 
 to what remains to be faid. 
 
 I have 
 
Epifiolary difcujjlon on Religion. 58 
 
 I have approved, difapproved, cen- 
 fared: now you will be pleafed to 
 fay, whether I am right or wrong ; 
 but I have fpoken my true fentiments, 
 and let, your judgement be what it 
 may, I fhall not be the lefs, 
 
 Sir, your's &e, 
 
 G. W. 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM M. J. B. B. TO G. W. 
 
 May 27, 1797. 
 Sir, 
 
 IN order to be as concife as 
 pomble, I will omit ftating here your 
 objections ; they will be fufficiently 
 recalled to your mind, by my anfwers. 
 
 The Roman Catholic adores neither 
 ftatues nor images: the candles and 
 ornaments with which he is feen to 
 
 furround 
 
Epijhlary difcujjion en Religion. 59 
 
 furround them, are but marks of the 
 regard he has for thofe they reprefent; 
 neither does he adore the crofs on Good 
 Friday, but Jefus (Thrift only who 
 was nailed on one. If in that cafe 
 he makes ufe of the word adore, it is 
 to point out that he who died on the 
 crofs, and whom he adores is adorable ; 
 as, when fpeaking of the reverence 
 he pays lo ftatues and images, he ufes 
 the word honour y to indicate that thofe 
 they reprefent, are deferving honour. 
 
 The Roman Catholic acknowledges 
 Chrift only for the mediator of his re- 
 demption, and hopes only in him. If 
 he invokes the bleffed virgin, faints 
 and angels, it is not to afk of them 
 graces that can fave our fouls , but only 
 their interceffion by him who alone 
 can give them, being taught by his 
 Church it is good and profitable to invoke 
 them,* for that they may help him 
 
 * Council of Trent. 
 
 in 
 
6o Epiji'olary difcujjion en Religion. 
 
 in obtaining thofe he Ctznds in need 
 of. The words he directs to the bleffed 
 virgin, when he calls her his life ', his 
 hope, have no other meaning in his 
 mouth, than the fame in that of a 
 man who defiring a favour from a 
 great perfonage, would fay to him 
 he fliould imagine capable through his 
 credit, of obtaining it for him; you are 
 my fife, that is in other words, the 
 favour I wiili for, in which my hap- 
 pinefs is wrapt up, depends on you, 
 on the pains I beg you will take 
 in order to obtain it for me ; you are my 
 hope, that is to fay, if I do not fucceed 
 through your afnftance, I have no 
 other hope to fucceed in it. 
 
 Every body underftands the mean- 
 ing of thofe words which, far from 
 being an injury to the beftower of the 
 favour, recommend io much more 
 the petitioner to him, as they exprefs 
 his humility, and the profound refpecV 
 he has for him whom he dares not to 
 approach but through the mediation 
 
 of 
 
Epiftolary difcufion on Religion. 6i 
 
 of his friends: fo did the good Centu- 
 rion of the gofpel, who confcious of 
 his unworthinefs, durft not himfelf ap- 
 ply to Jefus, and fent to him the El- 
 ders amongft the Jews, as more ac- 
 ceptable to him, defiring him to come 
 and heal his fervant , which they begged of 
 him earnejlly, faying to him, he is one that 
 deferveth thou fliouldeft do this for him* 
 Luke vii, 8. 
 
 In the very fame manner and fenfe, 
 the Roman Catholic requefts a pure life 
 from; the blefled virgin, entreating her 
 to procure it, by afking for him graces 
 that can make it fo. 
 
 How Saints and Angels know the 
 prayers and neceffities of fuch as 
 make addrefs to them, is no part 
 of his faith, nor much his concern it 
 mould be determined: he fees in St. 
 Luke, xv, 7, that they rejoice over 
 one finner that does penance; they are 
 then, he juftly concludes, acquainted 
 G with 
 
62 Epiftolary difaiffion m Religion. 
 
 with what pafles here upon earth : 
 that is all he wants to know. 
 
 It would be perhaps to be wifliedf, 
 that, out of charity for the weak and 
 ignorant, fome other exprefhons, the 
 meaning of which could by nobody 
 be miltaken, were fubftituted to thofe 
 you have here objected to ; but fuch 
 is their import and fignification, fo 
 they are underftood by the Roman 
 Catholic. 
 
 There is nothing, however good, 
 that is not in time abufed : the ob- 
 servation you make, that the fervice 
 of Saints occupies more room in our 
 prayer-books than it ought to do, 
 is perhaps but too well grounded, I 
 am likewife of your opinion that, not- 
 withftanding the final intention of the 
 Roman Catholic, who, on any feftival 
 of Saints, always makes God the ulti- 
 mate cbjecl of all his petitions, it (hould 
 feem better, the feftival of a faint 
 
 happening 
 
Epifcolary difcuffion on Religion. 63 
 
 happening on Sunday, to omit the 
 fervice of the Saint, or make only a 
 commemoration of him. 
 
 Though the commemor^itions of 
 faints which the good Roman Catholic 
 offered to your reading in his book, 
 were never fo numerous, you cer- 
 tainly did not fee in any of them, that 
 he called upon Saints as Mediators of 
 his falvation, which you mould prove, 
 to ground your prefent objections a- 
 gainft the dbclrine of his Church : yet 
 I will grant it to you : the public di- 
 vine fervice mould rather be lefs pro- 
 longed than it is commonly with com- 
 memorations of Saints, unknown to 
 moil; of the congregation. 
 
 As to the tongue in which we per- 
 form our Church offices, though there 
 are feveral good reafons for it, never- 
 thelefs, considering the inconveniences 
 you have fo fever e/y noticed, one can- 
 not but wifh, it was otherwife ordered ; 
 
 G2 I 
 
6 4 Fptjlolary dijaiffion on Religion* 
 
 I mould think it the more deniable, 
 a: the innovations, a tranflation could 
 poflibly introduce, might be prevent- 
 ed, by ordering the text to be printed 
 by the tranflation, and none to be ad- 
 mitted but with the approbation of the 
 Church wherein they are to be ufed. 
 Such a precaution once taken, trans- 
 lations might as well be read to, and 
 fung by the afliftants, as they are read 
 m their books by people who do not 
 iinderftand Latin, and to the edifica- 
 
 lion foo ofthcfe who Know nor nov/ 
 to read. 
 
 You think the facrament fliould be 
 adminiftered under both kinds, and the 
 reafon you give for it, is, that its in- 
 ftitution was made under the fpecies 
 olivine, as well as under that of bread. 
 
 It is true that this facrament was 
 inftituted under one and the other 
 emblem, as it were to fay to our 
 fcnfes, that Jcfus Chrilt is made our 
 
 food 
 
 
Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion. 6g 
 
 food in it, which does not confift only 
 of eating, but alfo of drinking ; but, 
 as it is a fpiritual food, the whole of 
 which we believe to be under one, as 
 well as under the other, nothing re- 
 maining of bread and wine but ap- 
 pearances, after the confecration, the 
 authority that fubmits our fenfes to 
 his words in obfequioiifnefs of faith , for- 
 bids condemning the practice you dif- 
 approve as contrary to its inftitution. 
 The effenceof that facrament depend- 
 ing no more on the taking both fpe- 
 cies, than on the quantity of either 
 thofe of your perfuafion think proper 
 to take, when they believe that he 
 who takes but little of each, receives 
 the fame as he who takes much, the 
 w r ifh for receiving both kinds, not- 
 withstanding what faith teaches, is but 
 human, and only that of our fenfes, 
 which we are not here allowed to 
 confult. 
 
 It is well known that it was the 
 G3 practice 
 
66 Epiftolary dijctijjion on Religion. 
 
 practice of the Church for the firft 400 
 years after Chrift, to communicate un- 
 der one kind only, or elfe under both, 
 as every one thought good ; and the 
 firft precept of receiving under both 
 kinds was given to the faithful by 
 Pope Leo I. in the year 443, and 
 confirmed by Pope Gelafius in 490, 
 not for the correcting of any abufe 
 crept into the church, but for the 
 difcovering of the Manichees, who 
 being of opinion that Chrift had no 
 true blood, and wine was the gall of 
 the devil, ufed to lurk amongft the 
 Chriftians, and receiving under the 
 fpecies of bread only as others did, 
 remained undiftinguifhed. The caufe 
 of this injunction being afterwards re- 
 moved, by the ceafing of that feci of 
 heri ticks, the faithful had as before, 
 the liberty of taking the facrament 
 under one or both kinds ; and confci- 
 ous they received as much under the 
 fpecies of bread only, as under the fpe- 
 cies of bread and wine, they were 
 
 ever 
 
Epiflolary difcuffion on Religion. 67 
 
 ever fince univerfally fatisfied to take 
 it fo, until a new doctrine ftarting 
 on this fubjeft, made it neceflary for 
 the Church to promulgate an explicit 
 declaration of her faith. 
 
 Be fi des , t he word s o f C hri ft h i m fe I f , 
 -give fufficiently to underftand that he 
 who takes the facrament under one 
 kind only, receives as much as he who 
 takes it under both; If any man, fays he, 
 tats of this bread, he fliall live forever'. 
 again, he that eats me, even he Jhall live 
 by me: he that eats of this bread, fliall 
 live forever, John vi, 52, 58-, 59. Had 
 the taking both kinds been neceflary 
 to the end of the inftitution, furely 
 Jefus Chrift would have fpoken in a 
 different manner. The fame doctrine 
 is to be found, Luke xxiv, 30, A6ls 
 ii, &c. there being as many texts in the 
 fcripture for thus receiving under one 
 kind, as under both. 
 
 I cannot on this sccafion* omit 
 
 taking 
 
68 Epiftolary difcujfion on Religion. 
 
 taking notice of the words you make 
 ufe of in your Church, when fpeaking 
 of the facrament of the altar, you 
 call it the Lord's /upper: I think, Sir, the 
 appellation wrong, as there is no quef- 
 tion here of the fupper our Lord eat 
 with his difciples, the day before he 
 was put to death, but of the facra- 
 ment he inftituted after that fupper, 
 and of which he did not himfelf par- 
 take, fee Luke xix. 20 Cor. xi, 25. 
 it would be befides not a little ridicu- 
 lous to fay, that the Lord eat his 
 own body, in what manner foever it 
 be underftood. 
 
 It is not very difficult, Sir, to an- 
 fwer the objeclion made by thofe who 
 from thefe words of St. Luke xxii 19, 
 Do this in remembrance ,or commemoration 
 of me, would have it, that the Eucha- 
 jifl is nothing more than a mere re- 
 membrance of the fufferings and death 
 of Jefus Chrift : in effe6l what is the 
 import of the text where we read 
 
 thefe 
 
Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion. 69 
 
 thefe words ? How does it run ? When 
 he had taken bread, he gave thanks and 
 broke it, and gave it to them, faying, this 
 is my body, do this in commemoration of me. 
 What this ? Take bread, give thapks 
 and break it : by your blefling it will 
 be changed into my body which is, 
 or fhall be given for you : take like- 
 wife wine, and give thanks, faying, 
 this cup is the new tefiament in my blood, 
 and it fhall be changed into my blood 
 which fhall be JJied for you : you fhall 
 J? this in commemoration of me ; that is, 
 by the virtue of your blefling which I 
 will make efficacious, fo you fhall 
 change, in a fpiritual manner , bread and 
 wine into my body and blood \ fo you 
 fhall take both, thinking of me who 
 am to offer up both, a facrifice for 
 you on the crofs ; for it muft be ob- 
 served, that Jefus Chrift does not fay 
 to his difciples to remember, or to 
 make a commemoration of him ; but to 
 do what he had juft done in comme- 
 moration of him, which is quite dif- 
 ferent. This 
 
70 Epiftolary dlfcujjlon on Religion. 
 
 This objection has been infilled upon, 
 by faying, that there is no occafion 
 for making a commemoration of what 
 is prefent. No, certainly ; if the man- 
 ner of being prefent, is the fame in 
 one and the other cafe ; but if it is 
 different, nothing oppofes it ; now the 
 manner, for Chrift, of being prefent 
 in the Eucharift is totally different from 
 that he was in, when facrificed for 
 us; therefore there is not any con- 
 tradiction in making a commemoration 
 of one by the other. 
 
 The doing by the Apoftles, of that 
 which they were ordered by Jefus 
 Chrifl to do, is faying what goes by 
 the name of mafs ; on which, it is to 
 be noticed, that the manner of faying 
 it, though not different as to its ef- 
 fential parts, is now very much fo, 
 as to thofe that are not : we fee in 
 the hiftory of the primitive Church 
 that it confided only, at that time, 
 in faying the LorcPs prayer^ the confecra- 
 
 rion 
 
Epiftolary dlfcuffion on Religion, 71 
 
 tion of the /pedes of bread and wine, the 
 receiving of 'the facrament , and thank/giving; 
 fo that what more is now a day to 
 be found in it, was afterwards added ; 
 as for inftance, the names of certain 
 martyrs that were firfl mentioned in 
 the celebration of the divine myiteries, 
 and afterwards taken into the book 
 of the mafs. 
 
 It may not perhaps be amifs to re- 
 late here the words and reafoning of 
 Luther on the real prefence of Chrift 
 in the Eucharift. They deferve fo 
 much more attention, as he cannot 
 be fufpected of favouring what they 
 call the fiiperfiitions of the Church of 
 Rome. 
 
 ' ■*;' What ( fays Luther, torn. vii. 
 ed- Wittemb. p. 391 ) u but the devil, 
 " has granted fuch a licence of wreft- 
 " ing the v/ords of the holy fcrip- 
 *' ture ? Who ever read in the fcrip- 
 €i tures that my body ( he fpeaks to the 
 
 Calvinifis 
 
fi Epifiolan dlfcujjion on Religion, 
 
 vinifts) "is the fame as the ftgn of my 
 44 body? Or that ft\ is the fame as il 
 44 fignifi.es ? Wliat language ever fpoke 
 44 fo ? It is only then the devil that im- 
 44 pofeth upon us, by thofe fanatical 
 
 44 men not one of the fathers, though 
 
 44 fo numerous, ever fpoke as the Sa- 
 44 cramentarians : not one of them ever 
 " faid, it is only bread and wine , (Luther 
 held what is called impanation) " or 
 4 fl the body and blood of Chrift is not there 
 44 prefent : furely it is not credible, nor 
 " poffible, fince they often fpeak and 
 44 repeat their fentiments, that they 
 44 mould never, (if they thought fo,) 
 44 not fo much as once fay, or let flip 
 44 thefe words : it is bread only, or the 
 44 body of Chrifl is not there efpecially, it 
 41 being of great importance that men 
 44 mould not be deceived. Certainly, 
 44 in fo many fathers, and in fo many 
 " writings the negative might, at leafl, 
 •* be found in one of them, had they 
 41 thought the body and blood of Chrih\ 
 " were not really prefent) but they 
 
 are 
 
Epiftolary difcujjlon on Religion. 73 
 
 *f are all of them unanimous." So far 
 Luther. 
 
 It is not a little furprifing that, while 
 hefoweli aflerts \herealprefenceofQ\\r\ft. 
 in the Eucharift, Luther does, at the 
 fame time, fo groffly miftake the man 
 -rier, in contradiction with the very words 
 he quotes to prove it; for, to fay that 
 this fignifies, under or with this bread ', is 
 my body, is no lefs to w reft the words of 
 the fcripture, than to fay, this is the 
 Jign of my body- If J<efus Chrift is to he 
 believed on his word ( whieh it is a 
 blafphemy to deny ) we mult believe 
 ( and here lies the myftery ) that by 
 his all - powerful) bleiring, he has, when 
 fpeaking, now changed into his body 
 and blood, what our fenfes apprehend 
 
 to be ftill bread and wine. 
 
 Were not eonfeiTion an indifpenfible 
 part of the facramenfc of penance, as 
 at is proved to be,, by the words them- 
 selves of its inftitution. ( fmce in order 
 H to 
 
74 Epijiolary difcujjion on Religion* 
 
 to remit or retain fins, the minifter 
 of this facrament mnft know them, 
 and cannot know them, but by the 
 confefTion of the fmner) I am fo far 
 from wi thing the fame with you, that, 
 for the reafon which moved a modern 
 philofoher*, fpeaking of the exiftencc 
 of God, to fay that, was not God exifting, 
 he JJioald be invented, I fhould think 
 the want of it, a deficiency in the di- 
 vine Code- The great and many be- 
 nefits derived from confefTion, place it 
 amongft the mo ft precious favours be- 
 ftowed upon us by our heavenly bene- 
 factor : it reftores the miferable finner 
 to that peace he was denied, compofes 
 the difordered mind, and endears again 
 life to him, whom the fight of his 
 crimes was driving into defpair: the 
 dejected feels his low fpirits raifed by 
 it : in it, the unfortunate who groans 
 under fecret misfortunes, receives al- 
 ways comfort, and often temporal re- 
 
 * Voltaire. 
 
 lief 
 
■Epijolary difcuJJioH on Religion* 75 
 
 lief: it is the refuge of the flighted 
 wife, and the diftreiTed mother ; there it 
 is that the former learns how to bear with 
 patience the fcorn and ill ufage of her 
 crofs unjuft hufband ; the latter to 
 comply with the will of God who is 
 pleafed to take from her a beloved fon : 
 There detracted parents for the lofs 
 of a dear child, gone aftray, eafe their 
 buriting hearts, while they freely pour 
 out their reftrained affliction: the un- 
 happy creature devoted to infamy by 
 the vile artful feducer who robbed her 
 of her innocence, finds (till there, when 
 abandoned by all, and call away, a fym- 
 pathizing friend, a kind and companion- 
 ate father ; the weak and unexperien- 
 ced youth, a necefTary director, and old 
 age its wanted fupport, 1 
 
 Your objection againfi: our doctrine 
 on this facrament, (which is not un- 
 like that you yourfelf profefs in your 
 book of. common prayer, vifitation of 
 the fick ) has been oftentimes made, 
 Hi It 
 
7 6 Epi/tolary difcuffion on Religion. 
 
 It is indeed fpecious, but it will fe~ 
 duce thofe only who do not rightly 
 confider of the matter: the abfolution 
 given by the confeflbr to the penitent, 
 is always abjohie, though it operate 
 but conditionally. What you fay with 
 refpeet to the facrament of penance, 
 might as well be faid of that of baptifm ; 
 it wafhes away the original fin in peo- 
 ple grown up into the age of reafon, 
 who believe as the Eunuch of^ Queen 
 Candace did; but, though its effecl. 
 be abfolnte, yet it is only conditionally 
 that the fin is effaced; it is only on 
 condition that the receiver has the faith 
 required, the want of which fhould op- 
 pofe the receiving of it. Acls viii, 37. 
 
 But, you add, as no penitent can 
 fay he is in thedifpofition you require, 
 he who receives it, is no more certain 
 his fin is remitted, than he who docs 
 not: no more certain met aphyfic ally \ 
 granted: no more certain morally, that 
 is, has not incomparably better rea- 
 fon s 
 
Epijlolary difcitjfion on F dig' on. 77 
 
 Tons to hope it is fo : I deny it, An 
 affurance, fuch as to give to the peni- 
 tent a perfect fecurity, is not allowed 
 even to the juft; St. Paul fearful of 
 being a reprobate, when preaching 
 to others, who, though he is not 
 confeious to himfelf of any thing? 
 1 Cor. iv r , 4, dares not fay he is julti- 
 fied, is an undeniable proof of it. After 
 doing, with God's amitance, all that is 
 in our power ; after ufing every means 
 of fan edification the facraments afford 
 us, we are frill ignorant whether we are 
 defervings love or hatred. What a pe- 
 nitent firmer, who wifhes to be abfolv^d, 
 has to do, is to excite himfelf to the 
 fentiments, that enfure the effeclofab- 
 folution, earneftly petitioning to God 
 for them ; but to know to a certainty 
 he has them, is another grace bellowed 
 on-few, to be expecled by none, the 
 lefs lb, as fuch an afTurance mould 
 feem incompatible with the doclrine 
 of St. Paul who tells us, we mufl work 
 £>ur falvation with fear and trembling. 
 Phil, ii, 12, G3 I grant 
 
78 Epijlolary "difcuffion on Religion. 
 
 I grant it you, Sir, ithat the holy 
 fathers are not unanimous on the fig- 
 nification of the. texts called upon, to 
 prove the exigence of Purgatory ; I 
 know very well that St Chrifoftom 
 and others, againft St. Auguftine and 
 St. Gregory, underftand the text of 
 St Mat. xii. 32, it Jliall not be forgiven 
 him, neither in this world, nor in the 
 world to come, as the impojftbility there 
 is, for a rich man, to enter into Heaven, 
 i. e- cf a great difficulty ; and the words of 
 St. Paul, 1 Cor. iti, 15, he himfelf Jliall 
 be faved, yet fo as by fire, were in the 
 council of Florence interpreted by the 
 Greek bifhops, after the manner you 
 fay"; but I know alfo the reply of thofe 
 of the Latin Church, who juftly op- 
 pcfed the interpretation, as not agree- 
 able to the flyle of thefcripture, where 
 to be faved, both in the Latin and 
 Greek Ghurch, is underftood to ex- 
 prefs the falvation and happrriefs of 
 fouls in Hea-vcn. 
 
 'A? 
 
Ep'']hlary difcujion on Religion. 79 
 
 As to the books of Macabees , they 
 ought not to lofe any thing of their 
 authority, for being rejected, as apo- 
 cryph al, by your Church, after having 
 been received as canonical for above 1 300 
 years, by all the Chriftian world ; wit- 
 nefs the third council of Carthage, held 
 in the year of our Lord 397, where they 
 are accounted canonical books of the 
 fcripture and, as fuch, regiftered in the 
 canon : alfo agr£e ably to the doclrine they 
 contain, the conftant belief and practice 
 of the Catholic Church, by which yau 
 fay, you zvould rather abide , than by the 
 texts I have quo t e-d* \ 
 
 Now that it is the belief of the Ca- 
 tholic Church, there is a Purgatory, 
 where departed fouls are to make a 
 fatisfaclion to the juftice of God, by a 
 temporal punifhment, after the forgiv- 
 ing of their fins as to the eternal one 
 they deferved, is made imqueftionable 
 by the faid council of Florence, when 
 theGreek bifhops who difagreed wiMi 
 
 -* thofe 
 
So Epijhlary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 of the Latin Church, on the interpre- 
 tation of the texts fpoken of, did how- 
 ever declare, they admitted as well as 
 the latter, a third place, where fouls 
 guilty of Iefler fins fuffered for a time, 
 till cleanfed from fuch fins; allowing 
 moreover, that the fouls there detain- 
 ed from the vifion of God, might be 
 affifled by the prayers of the faithful.* 
 
 That the a£l of St. Auguftine, offer- 
 ing the holy facrifice for the repofe of 
 the foul of his mother, was not, at that 
 time, a thing unheard of, is proved by 
 uncontBouiable teftimonies. 
 
 We make, fays Tertulian, anniver- 
 fary oblations for the dead. Lib. de co- 
 rona Militis. Cap. 3. 
 
 St. Epiphanius fays, beet. 8, p. 912, 
 
 * Council of Florence begun in 143S- fee 
 Labb. torn 3, pag. 20 : again, png. 49, fefs. 
 3$; alfo the Dc6n of the council, frag. 515. 
 
 fpeakiag 
 
Epiftolary difcujfon on Religion. 81 
 
 fpeaking of the practice of praying for 
 the dead, that the CJiurch has this tra- 
 dition from Chrift, 
 
 The Apoftles, fays St. Chrifoftom, 
 
 horn. 3, epift. ad Philip, did not in 
 
 vain command thefe things, that, in the 
 
 venerable and dreadful myfieries, the dead 
 
 Jkould be remembered. 
 
 We pray for all that die among us, 
 fays St. Cyril of Jerufalem, Carech. 5, 
 pag. 241, thinking it to be the greateji 
 help that can be for their fouls, toJiave the 
 holy and dreadful facrifice of the altar offered 
 tn fupplication for them. 
 
 That the action of St. Auguftine was 
 alfo a proof of his belief in Purgatory, 
 and he offered, as it is reported he did, 
 the holy facrifice with the intention 
 we fuppofe he had, is likewife put be- 
 yond all doubt, by what we read in a 
 fermon of his, the 172, fe6t. 2 ; by, 
 the prayers of the holy Church fays he*, 
 
 and 
 
82 Epijiolary difcujfion on Religion, 
 
 and 'the tvholefome [acrifice and alms, it is 
 not to be doubted but the dead are qffijled. 
 
 Many more quotations as much to 
 the purpofe, might eafily be made from 
 the holy fathers ; but, no doubt, you 
 think it yourfelf, unneceffary- 
 
 In fa£t, reafon itfelf convinces any 
 thinking man of the reafonablenefs of 
 this tenet of ours, I mean, the exig- 
 ence of a Purgatory; for unlefs it is 
 faid that every fin deferves an eternal 
 puniihment (which, as there is no -man that 
 Jinueth not, 1 Kings, viii, 46, is an in- 
 injury to the goodnefs of our heavenly 
 Father,) or leffer fins unrepented of, 
 do not prevent from entering heaven, 
 (which contradicls the fcripture, where 
 we read that God will render to every 
 man according to his deeds, Rom. ii, 6; 
 and nothing defiled Jhall enter into Heaven. 
 Rev. xxi, 27 ) there mud necclTarily 
 be a third place, where fouls depart- 
 ing this life with leffer fins unrepented 
 
 of 
 
Epjflolary Jijcujfwn on "Religion. 83 
 
 of, are to fatisfy to God's juftice, be-* 
 lore their admittance into his kingdom. 
 
 How long is the puniihment qfve- 
 nial offences to la ft after this life? God 
 only knows; but ifthofe, for whom 
 our prayers are directed, are fo mifer- 
 able that they cannot be helped by 
 them, or elfe fo happy that they can- 
 not want them, they fhall not be loft; 
 we are aiTured that our peace fhall re- 
 turn to us, Matt, x, 13. 
 
 Abufes crept into the manner oi 
 granting indulgences, are not to be 
 imputed to the faith of the Roman 
 Catholic, neither are to be fo, the er- 
 roneous notions ignorance may enter- 
 tain about them, both which his 
 Church reproves and condemns. Your 
 obfervations upon the cafe of King 
 David I have quoted, do not at all 
 invalidate the confequence hence fol- 
 lowing, David was guilty of fins de- 
 fer vmg an eternal pun-imment: upon 
 
 ■ . the 
 
84 Epiftolary difcuffion on Religion, 
 
 the repentance with which his very- 
 heart was broken, lie is told by the 
 prophet Nathan, that the Lord has put 
 away his fin, intimating to him, at 
 the fame time, all the temporal pu- 
 nifhments that awaited him, for de- 
 fpifing his commandments, and doing 
 evil in his fight ; therefore there is a 
 temporal fatisfa6tion to be made to 
 divine juitice, after fins have been for- 
 given as to the eternal punifhment 
 they defer ved, This is, to the pur- 
 pofe, all the confequence I draw from 
 David's cafe, a confequence, thejuft- 
 nefs of which is certainly obvious. 
 
 As I have only our faith to vindicate 
 to you, and what you have been told 
 about 2, [uper abundance ot merits in Saints, 
 was never a part of it, I, by no means, 
 require of you, to view it otherwife 
 than you do. 
 
 Your obfe^v-atipns upon the impro- 
 priety of the celibacy Pri.efts are bound 
 
 to 
 
E pi Jl clary difcujjlon on Religion. 85 
 
 in our Church may be too well 
 grounded. The promoters of the dif- 
 cipiinary law that prefcribes it, had 
 undoubtedly a commendable intention: 
 they wifhed them to be angels-like, 
 who angelical functions cxerciie ; but 
 confidering its inconveniences, they 
 had better perhaps been ruled by St. 
 Paul's doctrine, fatisfied with giving 
 it as a counfel, not as a command. 
 
 However it may be, you know very 
 well, Sir, this to be in our Church, 
 no more than a point of diieipline, 
 which might be. altered, as any other 
 of the -fame kind, fuch as the taking the 
 Sacrament under one /pedes ■ only and $p 
 liturgy in Latin, which., without doubt, 
 you were yourfelf aware of, when, in 
 your iirhMetter, you told me carefully 
 to diftinguifh between dogmas and dif- 
 cipline. Were this known to be as 
 great an obftacie to the return of our 
 mi fled brethren, to the Church, as I 
 am well informed it is- for many,' I 
 I am 
 
86 Epifiolary difaiffion on Religion* 
 
 am perfuaded, that faithful imitators 
 of St. Paul, thofe it depends upon, to 
 remove it, would inftantly undertake 
 the defired change. 
 
 Would to God your reflections upon 
 monaftical vows were entirely void of 
 truth, and the afperfion convents lie 
 under, had been always unmerited! 
 A fort of life pointed out by St. Paul, 
 as the belt, would not have been fo 
 often reviled and laughed at, by a ma- 
 lignant world. No doubt, Sir, but 
 vows infpired by fuch motives as you 
 mention, can hardly be productive of 
 effects different from thofe you have 
 too well defcribed. Senfible of the 
 iuftice of your obfervations, I mould 
 not be lefs partial than you, to annual 
 ones, with the only difference that, I 
 do not fee any inconvenience arifing 
 from biennial and triennial, in perfons 
 proved to be faithful to the firft, for 
 a ieries of years. It feems to me that 
 
 the liberty of prolonging their duration, 
 
 might 
 
Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion. 87 
 
 might be allowed in proportion as there 
 would be lefs reafon for fearing one 
 was tempted to repent it. I fhouid 
 think fuch an allowance a kind of re- 
 ward to tried virtue, apt to procure 
 more and more the glory of God, and 
 a greater edification to the fifterhood, 
 
 What you have been told with refpect 
 to the virtuous women, whom the di- 
 rection of many oj our ho'fpitals was en- 
 trufted to, is moft certainly true. I 
 have been myfelf an eye-witnefs of 
 the kind care with which the lick were 
 by them fettered. It was fueh, that 
 people furnifhed at their own home, 
 with every other comfort of life, were 
 in ficknefs begging, fometimes at any 
 rate, admittance into their houfes, for 
 the advantage of being nurfed by them. 
 
 I am likewife perfectly of your opi- 
 nion, that both affociations of men 
 and women, moved by a defire of 
 working out their" own falvation, and 
 I2 effectually 
 
88 Eplflolary dlfcujjipn on Religion. 
 
 effectually ferving their fellow crea- 
 tures, would be. by all means, fitter 
 to inftrucl vouth in morality and fci- 
 ences, than the beft qualified indivi- 
 duals who undertake it, through inter- 
 elf, or any other motive befides that, 
 of religion: neither, mould I Jefs ap- 
 prove of afylums afforded on the fame 
 plan and conditions, to repentant fin- 
 ners. To how many unfortunate be- 
 ings who die in defpair, or final im- 
 penitence, would they not be the faving 
 plank in a wreck, a port of refuge ! 
 I am pleated to think, Sir, that fur;! 
 praife-worthy defires that cannot ori- 
 ginate but from a pure love of God 
 and a true charity for our neighbour,, 
 will at la ft enter into the heart ofi 
 thofe who have it in their power to 
 fee them executed. 
 
 It is perhaps, Sir, becaufe I am 
 delighted with the imagination ; but 
 I think a reconciliation between us far 
 from being impofiible; were we only 
 
 to 
 
Epiflolary difcuffion on 'Religion, 89 
 
 to underftand one another, I could 
 anfwer for it. You own you had been 
 impofed upon, with refpecl to our re- 
 ligious tenets : that they had been mif- 
 reprefented to you ; and pray, how 
 many among our numerous prejudiced' 
 adverfaries, might, better informed, 
 own the fame ! Ah would to God it 
 was given me to contribute to unde- 
 ceive them I Were I to fee the happy 
 day, when acknowledging their er- 
 rour, they fhouid return to the bofom 
 of their afflicted Mother, ever ready 
 to receive them, fatisfled I would fay 
 as the juft Simeon, Now O Lord dif- 
 mifs thy few ant. Luke ii y 29. Now I 
 willingly depart this life. 
 
 This is, believe me, dear Sir, my 
 hourly prayer, to our common Father 
 and God, which I am confident he will 
 hear in his mercy. The many virtues 
 of humanity and charity you daily 
 practife, .and for which your name is 
 every where commended, would not 
 I3. be 
 
 V 
 
9$ Epijlolary dijcujjion on Religion-. 
 
 be.fufiic-iently. rewarded by all the tem- 
 poral Wettings providence is plcafed 
 to be flow upon you ; they entitle you. 
 to a better one, and I cherifh the 
 hope they give me, that the long 
 wifhed for moment is not far diftant, 
 when we mall have only one temple 
 and one altar, as we have only one. 
 facrifce and one viftim. 
 
 Be not afraid, Sir, I complain of 
 your letter being too long ; momen- 
 tuous as its fubjecl is, I mould not 
 have found it fo, though you had 
 added your reflections and observati- 
 ons on the other points of our religion 
 you likewife think to be fuperftitioufly 
 adulterated. No, Sir, I fhall always be 
 ready to give you on thofe points, as 
 on the others, any explanation you r 
 may require of me, having nothing 
 more at heart, than to convince you 
 of the fincerity with which 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 M. J. B. B. 
 
 LETTER 
 
Epijiolary difcujjion on Religion, 91 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM 'G. W. TO M. J. B. B. 
 
 June 13///, 1797. 
 Sir, 
 
 YOUR conceffions are fo little 
 hurtful to the caufe you defend, that 
 you have almoft made Roman Catho- 
 lics of Mrs. E. and me. Depend upon 
 thiis, Sir; it is by being willing to 
 juftify, at any rate, unjuftifiable a- 
 bufes, that the apologias of your re- 
 ligion do prejudice againft, and keep 
 people from. it. Inftead of ingenuous- 
 ly conferTing there is no inftitution, 
 however good, into which abu'fes do 
 not creep in time, and the beft and 
 holieft are not free from them, they 
 obftinately pretend to vindicate the 
 ino'ft inexcufable, having always fome 
 plea or other, for maintaining and 
 perpetuating their exigence. One 
 while, they will tell you, what you 
 condemn, has for ages fuMfte.d as it 
 
 is ; 
 
g2 Epiflolary difcujjion on Relig 
 
 ion. 
 
 is, without confidering that, what occa~ 
 fioneci its introduction, po.ffibly may 
 no longer exill: at another time, that 
 the Church has declared the practice 
 you complain of, to be contrary neither 
 to fail h nor morality, not reflecting that, 
 though not unlawful, it may not be- 
 always expedient: but if, what is 
 become an abufe, happens to have 
 been apologized for, by any of thofe 
 men whofe opinions are revered, at- 
 tempts for its reformation, border 
 upon profanenefs. 
 
 THis is not the only obftacle they 
 raife againft the end they, feem to 
 have in view ; the four and fatiric 
 zeal they are actuated hy r in all their 
 apologies, produces an .effect- equally 
 contrary to their avowed purpofe. 
 They hardly -"write a page, a line, 
 but they reprefent our reformers as 
 objects of contempt and ridicule, Ja- 
 vifhly beftowing upon them every vice 
 and defect that can make a man truly 
 
 odious. 
 
Epijldco'i JijciitfiGn en Religion. 93, 
 
 odious. Were you ta, believe them* 
 they were g^oi^l and ignorant hypo- 
 crites, who are perpetually contra- 
 dicting themfelves. It is by fuch a 
 Itrain of reafpning, thay expert to gain 
 people to 1 heir party whom thofe pre- 
 tended -ignorant • knew nevertheless, 
 how to, draw from them: : as if the means 
 of bringing an adversary to one's fen- 
 timent, was to teli him he is a ft lipid, 
 void of understanding, it being a truth 
 not to be denied, that the' reformed 
 is attacked in the reformer, fmce if 
 the one is without judgment, the other 
 is not conliderate who followed him. 
 Thofe mighty reafoners mull indeed 
 know- very little of the human heart, ; 
 who fancy 1 tney-'may-, by fuch fprings 
 and" \V-iles-; duecVit to their mind. 
 
 Your manner, Sir, is totally the 
 reverfe,, ,fo much fo, rthat one could 
 wifk to be. of your opinion, even when 
 there is reafon to contradict; it. Not 
 to: be behind y u, in fineeriry and can- 
 do 
 
94 Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 dour, I freely confefs I am almoft af 
 a lofs how to reply to your anfwers: 
 they appear to me, in many refpeels, 
 fo fatisfa&ory as to leave but little 
 to wifh for. Therefore not to abufe 
 the complaifance you are frill pleaied 
 to have, I fhall here confine myfelf 
 to a few words on the points which, 
 not to lengthen my laft too much, I 
 omitted difcufllng. 
 
 I told } r ou, Sir, I fhould return to- 
 the article of the Church, becaufe i 
 fear her voice is often miftaken, and, 
 what are not fo given for her decrees. 
 That the Church, as you define her, 
 is infallible, I readily grant; if fhe 
 was not fo, after the manner you fay, 
 it would be impoffible to tell when, and 
 Jwvj we could be convinced of her 
 prefent infallibility; for as we could 
 never know, to a certainty, where 
 the infallibility,' not yet in being, fhould 
 begin, that is the precife number 
 of voices which fhould ccnftitute it, 
 
 th 
 
.Eplfiolary dlfaijjlon on Religion. 95 
 
 there would foreVer be irremoveable 
 doubts, To fay that the Church morally 
 u n i v e r f a 1 is pofTe ffe d of that infallibility , 
 -is to fay nothing more, to the purpofe, 
 fince it will (till be afked in what con- 
 fills that moral univerfality of the Church, 
 without which there would not be in- 
 fallibility, and with which, there would 
 . be ; for the moral univerfality of the 
 Church met at Rimini, falling into 
 .errour, is an undeniable proof that 
 any fach univerfality of the Church, is 
 not pofTefled of it. The only Church 
 then, as defcribed by you, is endowed 
 with the privilege of infallibility , and can 
 infallibly point out to us any revealed 
 truth: againft her only, the gates of 
 Hell (hall not prevail, or the word of 
 God is an inexplicable enigma. No doubt 
 but it was, becaufe the univerfal 
 Church w^as not duly reprefented at 
 Rimini, or fome of her reprefentatives 
 were there wanting, that, though the 
 council fell into errour, it is. by you 
 maintained that the Church did not ; 
 
 but 
 
<jG Epylohry d/faqfioji m lleligioH. 
 
 but fince the infallible Church is ne- 
 ceprrily.; as you defe ribe her, why 
 then, as iooli as a quefiion has been 
 pronounced upon, by the Pope, fpeak- 
 ing, as you lay, ex Catliecira^ or by a 
 private council or meeting of bifhops 
 and divines his Holincfs has approved, 
 call you thofe heretics, who refufe 
 adherence to any fuch decifions, as to 
 a point of faith f Surely your con- 
 duct therein contradicts your doc- 
 trine, or I mould be glad to know 
 the contrary. 
 
 While -fpeaking to you, Sir, about 
 the adoration I thought the Roman 
 Catholic paid to fiatucs and images, 
 I mould have added, to rotten bones 
 and old rags, as the honour he be- 
 llows on them, appears to me equally 
 idolatrous. In truth, when you fee 
 him proltrate before fad relics of a 
 dead carcafs returning to that nothing 
 it came from, paying a boundlefs 
 xefpeel: to fenieleis remains, of a body 
 
 worms 
 
 
Epiflolary difcujjion on Religion. 97 
 
 worms have devoured ; when you fee 
 the pearls and gold with which he 
 enriches the fhrines they are preferved 
 in, and confider the long and perilous 
 journeys he undertakes to vifit them, 
 you cannot but think he attributes 
 thereto a fupernatural virtue, and thus 
 pays to what fcarcely retains the name 
 of a creature, an homage he owes 
 only to the Creator. 
 
 I have been told that inyour Church 
 it was forbidden to read the holy fcrip- 
 ture! Surely, Sir, this mult be a calum- 
 ny, it being not probable, not credible, 
 that a child fhould be denied readme; 
 
 o 
 
 the lad: will of his Father; an heir 
 the knowledge of the eftare bequeathed 
 unto him. 1 cannot imagine what may 
 be the caufe of this reproach, and 
 would thank you for an information. 
 
 I do not deny, as before exprefTed, 
 
 that in certain cafes, traditions are 
 
 to be held, agreeably to St. Paul's 
 
 K command 
 
98 Eplftolary dijcujjlon on Bengun. 
 
 command ; but I cannot think it true 
 you prefer tradition before the fcrip- 
 ture, which I am the more furprifed 
 to hear, as traditions may be falfe, 
 like thofe the Pharifees were reproach- 
 ed with following, while fcripture can- 
 not ; but undoubtedly I have been 
 impofed upon, in this article, as I con- 
 fefs it has been the cafe in many others. 
 
 My objections againft indulgences are 
 
 not, I am forry to tell it you, Sir, 
 
 fatisfaclorily done away by your reply. 
 
 I do not find it at all proved, from 
 
 what you fay, that Jefns Chrift gave his 
 
 Church a power of difpenfing with 
 
 punifhments, the difpenfation of which 
 
 David 3 s contrition, than which none 
 
 has ever been greater, mould, if any 
 
 could ?y , have deferved. But not to 
 
 trefpafs on your time, I am willing to 
 
 drop here that article, the more fo, as 
 
 1 do not think it otherwife important. 
 
 What they fay with refpecl to the 
 
 authority 
 
Epiftolary difatjjion on Religion. 99 
 
 authority you afcribe to tlie Pope, that 
 you fubftitute him for Chrift, or at 
 lead, make him his equal, I thought 
 always malicioufly contrived and im- 
 probable: I could not be perfuaded 
 you believe he has the power of dif- 
 penfing with the law of Cod, and re- 
 ceive what he is pleafed to command 
 you, with the fame reverence and fub- 
 miflion, as if Chrift was fpeaking to 
 you, through his mouth. Yet, as your 
 Popes have affumed to themfelves 
 rights that might give credit to the 
 aflertion^ as that of depofing Sove- 
 reigns, and abfolviqg fubjecls from 
 their allegiance, poflibly enough the im- 
 putation is not wholly groundlefs, and 
 I mould be glad to know thereupon; 
 your doctrine. *, 
 
 Without reflecting on mortiiication, 
 we often fee recommended in the 
 fcriptures, I mud tell you, the Roman 
 Catholic does, in an eafy manner com- 
 ply with the injunction, by obferving 
 K2 the 
 
loo Epijlolary difcujfton on Religion. 
 
 the fail his Church appoints. She for- 
 bids your eating flefh on certain days, 
 but not feafting yourfelf, once in the 
 day, upon a variety of the choicefl 
 fjfh that can be procured. The niceil 
 diihcs, provided there be no fat in 
 them, are allowed, and compatible 
 with your fading, as well as the moil 
 exquifite wines. Fine mortification in- 
 deed ! Do you think, Sir. this to have 
 been the fail of St. Paul, when bring- 
 ing, through it, his body unto fub- 
 jeelion ? For my part I really do not: 
 my notions of fail are very different. 
 // is not what enters the body, that defiles 
 the foul, and the fcruples of fome 
 brethren of yours, with whom I lately 
 happened to dine on a fall day, who, 
 for the world, would not have touched 
 with their lips a mutton chop, though 
 never fo hard and dry, yet pioufly 
 fwallowed half a turbot, made me 
 heartily laugh within myfelf, but 
 were far, indeed very far from edifying 
 me. I eftecm fuch a failing to be 
 
 fomcw hat 
 
Epijlolary difatjjion on Religion. 101 
 
 ibmevvhat like pharifaical virtues, with 
 which God cannot be worfhiped. It 
 is on the quantity, much more than 
 the quality fading depends, and as it 
 cannot be acceptable to God, but when 
 it implies a true mortification, while 
 I would intimate it> as an obligation 
 incumbent upon every Chriftian, I 
 mould take care not to prefcribe the 
 mode of doing it, by laws fo eafily 
 evaded, and which make the evader 
 the more guilty, as, to lack of mor- 
 tification, he unites the crime of hy- 
 pocrify. Befides,'Sir, as already faid, 
 the law-makers in the Church have no 
 right to add to the yoke of Chrift : 
 they are ordered to teach to obferve all 
 things whatever he has commanded them^ 
 Mat. xxviii, 20, not what they pleafe; 
 and this their law on fafting, that in- 
 terdi£h eating meat, under pain of 
 damnation, a pain to be incurred only 
 by the breaking of his commandments, 
 is, forafmuch as it adds to it, an evi- 
 dent abufe of authority. They may, 
 K3 without 
 
102 Epifiolary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 without doubt, recommend fuch a 
 one ; bat to prefcribe it under pain of 
 damnation, is leaching, for doclrines, the 
 commandments of men, in contempt of the 
 divine law that forbids it. Mat. xv, 9. 
 
 Happening to perufe fome tracts of 
 yours on divinity, I very much won- 
 dered at finding there, in place of a 
 plain and accurate expofition of your 
 belief, and the authorities you ground 
 it upon, little more than fyftems, ob- 
 jections and endlefs anfwers, fit rather 
 to make proud fophifts, than humble 
 difpenfers ot the myfteries of Chrilh 
 Such inconfiftency, I muftconfefs, con- 
 firmed my prejudices againft your re- 
 ligion- Do you really think, Sir, this, 
 to be the way of teaching divinity? 
 Surely you know better. 
 
 No more do I approve, as already 
 obferved, what you give in your 
 Church for lives of Saints, which is 
 moftly a long and infipid flory of mi- 
 racles 
 
Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion. 103 
 
 racles that had never a being, but in 
 the over-heated brain of a confident 
 writer. I cannot however fay, I en- 
 tertain the fame opinion of all, there 
 being fome, which, though honoured 
 and adorned by the penman, might 
 excite the perufer to virtue, by exam- 
 ple ; but, as there are things true that 
 are not always like truths I would have 
 them free from thofe unlikely won- 
 ders, and offer none to his perufal but 
 fuch as are calculated to edify him, 
 
 I had almoft omitted mentioning 
 your Holy water. Seeing the eagernefs 
 and veneration with which it is re- 
 ceived in your chapels, by your peo- 
 ple who catch it with open arms and 
 mouth, had you not told me you have 
 only feven facraments, I mould have 
 reckoned it to be one, from the effica- 
 cy apparently afcribed to it. Certain 
 it is, it muft have a peculiar property. 
 
 You have lijcewife in your Churcli 
 
 numberlefs 
 
lOzj. Epiflolary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 numberlefs vain ceremonies, on which 
 it has been faid ( perhaps not without 
 reaibn ) that the performing of your 
 religious fervice is not unlike a the- 
 atrical reprefentation, and )our wor- 
 ship of God, a mere (hew. Much may 
 1 e imputed to calumny ; yet that there 
 is fomething true, is proved by the 
 flocking of your brethren, where fuch 
 are to be feen, while thofe of your 
 chapels, where there is no fuch thing, 
 are generally but little frequented. 
 
 Though particularly fond myfelf of 
 mufic, 1 approve in a Church, neither' 
 your noify thundering organs, nor 
 your as noify and bawling fingers : 
 both are equally troublefome to my 
 foul which they fhould, and could, if 
 better adapted to the purpofe, footh in- 
 to devotion. I had rather be at a filent 
 meeting of Quakers, where I might 
 undifturbed think of, and converfe 
 w r ith my Creator. 
 
 Whilft 
 
Epfiolary difcujjion on Religion* 105 
 
 Whilft Charity is the mark on which 
 we are to be proved ChrifVs difciples, 
 John xiii, 35, you are charged with 
 damning, without mercy, any perfon 
 who is not of your perfuafion, fo that, 
 let a man be of a conduct, ever fo irre- 
 proachable, he cannot be faved, if not 
 in communion with you, and, approv- 
 ing in all points what your Church 
 approves. Any fuch difpofition, that 
 reminds me of the good Samaritan who 
 practifed charity, which the fuppofed 
 orthodox Pried and Levite thought 
 not fit to do, is undoubtely thereverfe 
 of a Chriflian fpirit. 
 
 Though I do not my felf believe what 
 feveral of our Proteftant divines (whom 
 in other refpecls I value for their abi- 
 lities) have advanced and maintained, 
 that the Pope is the Antichrift, fpoken 
 of, in the revelations of St. John, I 
 mould be glad to know how you re- 
 fute this their affertion, the more fo, as 
 Mr. H — n you have perhaps heard, 
 
 and 
 
ico Epijiolary dijcujfion on Religion. 
 
 and I may happen to meet, is him- 
 felf of that opinion he pretends to be 
 demonftrated, to evidence. It would 
 be not a little pleafure indeed, to mew 
 him his millake, and Mrs. E. in par- 
 ticular, would heartly thank you for 
 the means of doing it; for (he is io 
 for become the advocate ofyourcaufe, 
 that flie wifhes you to be always right, 
 and would be forry any objection could 
 be made, you could not anfwer. 
 
 Not to omit any thing on a point 
 I efteem to be of the utmoft impor- 
 tance, that of the infallibility of the 
 Church, I will impart to you a few 
 more reflections upon it. I have al- 
 ready more than once exprefied it, 
 that I perfect y underlland, on your 
 expofi'ion, how the Church is infal- 
 lible ; but I want clearly to know 
 what you mean by the Church, having 
 been told it wasbifhops only; our ideas 
 could not agree, if thefc were yours. 
 1 will moreover enquire of you, how 
 
 I am 
 
Epljiolary difcujfion on Religion, ta) 
 
 lam to be certain I am not impofed 
 upon, when told, the Church not affem- 
 bled, or as you fay, difperfed, has decla- 
 red an article to be point of faith ; for, to 
 fay that the Pope has put the queftion 
 to her, (which, confidering the difficulty 
 of doing it, is belides hardly feafible) 
 and it refults, from the anfwers re- 
 turned to him, that it is fo, is by no 
 means, an unqueftionable proof of it, 
 fince it is not impoflible, but the Pope 
 might impofe upon you, he being not 
 excepted by the Royal Prophet, when 
 he fays, all men are liars. 
 
 There is an other thing I would 
 ftill be offended at ; this is, or at 
 leaft, I hear it to be fo, that you do 
 not judge it neceffary the bifhops de- 
 clare, on a queftion put to them, the 
 belief of their refpective Churches, and 
 in fuch a cafe, their file nee is fuffi- 
 cient ! If it is neceffary, in councils, 
 the queftion be put to, and pofilively 
 anfwered by every one of her repre- 
 
 fentatives 
 
10S Epi/iolary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 fentatives, how does it happen that, 
 
 with the fame reafons for doing the 
 
 fame, it is otherwife done? Why 
 
 mould it not be put by the Pope, to 
 
 every particular Church, and the an- 
 
 fwer in writing, made in the manner 
 
 we fee it praclifed in ancient councils, 
 
 where we read for in (lance, James, 
 
 biJJwp of — • interrogated has /aid: On this 
 
 point, fnch is the faith of the Church I re* 
 
 prefent, fo we believe and teach. Simon 
 
 bifliop of — interrogated has faid, &c. and 
 
 fo on. Certain it is, that unlefs you 
 
 have fure and unqueftionable means 
 
 for informing me of a decifion of the 
 
 univerfal Church difperfed, there will 
 
 always remain doubts incompatible 
 
 with an article of faith, that admits 
 
 of none. 
 
 Vainly you would fay, that the 
 Church neither approves, nor is fileut upon 
 errour ; for the doclrine of depofing 
 powers and difpenfing fubjeels from 
 their allegiance to their Sovereign, 
 
 pi 
 
Epijlolary aifcujjion on Religion. 109 
 
 in contradiction to the exprefs commandment 
 of God, an errour taught and profeffed 
 forages in your Church, is an unde- 
 niable proof of the contrary. 
 
 Whenever human reafon is to be 
 captivated under the yoke of faith, it 
 is an indiipenfible neceillty to con- 
 vince it, as much as it canpojfibly be done, 
 of the exiiTence of the law it muf'r. fur- 
 render to ; otherwife it is, as often laid, 
 the yoke of Priefts, not that of Chrift, 
 we are made to bear. I need not to 
 exprefs how much 
 
 I am, Sir, yours &c. 
 
 G. W. 
 
 LETTER 
 
no Epiftolary difcujfion on Religion. 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM M. J. B. B. TO G. W. 
 
 July 15, 1797. 
 Sir, 
 
 YOU cannot do me more 
 pleafure than to fpeak as you do, of 
 my anfwers to your objections and 
 observations. The hope I conceive from 
 it, makes the tafk I have ftiii to go 
 through, particularly engaging ; and 
 you may be fure I fhall exert all my 
 powers to do it, to your Satisfaction. 
 
 You afk me, Sir, why, in our 
 Church, they call one another Here- 
 tics, for not adhering as to a point of 
 faith, to a decifion of the Pope, Speak- 
 ing ex Cathedra, or that of a private 
 council or meeting of bifliops and di- 
 vines, which his Holinefs has ap- 
 proved. 
 
 It is, Sir, becaufe men are not 
 without paflions, and not a few of 
 
 them 
 
Epfiolary dijcuffion on Religion, in 
 
 them are by paflions made unjuft. 
 Until a point be declared of faith, by 
 the uncontroulabie authority from 
 which one cannot appeal, it is for- 
 bidden to call any man, Heretic, for not 
 adhering to it, as fuch ; for that, 
 whatever is againfl a man's confer- 
 ence, though erroneous, is according to 
 the doctrine of St. Paul, [infill in Him , 
 Rom. xiv. 23; and let the authority 
 or number of thofe who may condemn, 
 as unlawful, that which he is confeious is 
 not ; as foon as that authority is not 
 infallible, he cannot, when obliged 
 to acl, do it againft his confeience. 
 There is only one cafe wherein we 
 ought to be determined by fuch an 
 authority as is not infallible, and this 
 is, when we are uncertain what to 
 do, and there is a prefent neceffity of 
 acling. No doubt but, in fuch a cafe, 
 we mufr. fide with the number, and 
 for want of one infallible, be ruled 
 by the weightieft authority. 
 
 L2 This 
 
1 1 2 Epiftolary difcuffwn on 'Religion. 
 
 This doclrine of St. Pa.nl has been 
 explained, by the notions our Chureh 
 gives of Herefy, which fhe defines, as al- 
 ready faid, a voluntary and ob ft incite err oun 
 of the mind againji the true faith , and this 
 cannot be viewed as fuch, but when 
 declared to be fo, by infallible au- 
 thority. 
 
 Agreeably to that undeniable prin- 
 ciple, though St. Cyprian contend- 
 ing, ■ againft the Pope St. Stephen : 
 that thofe who had been baptized by 
 Heretics, fhouid, when admitted into 
 the Church, be baptized again, was 
 condemned by the faid Pope and fo- 
 vera! particular Councils, St. i^ug>iflirj 
 does not hefitate to fay, that, St. Cyprian 
 was not a Heretic, thaugh in erronr, be- 
 caufe the Catholic Church had not de- 
 cided the queftion. 
 
 It is to be obferved that St. PijuJ 
 who could fpeak as follows ; If any one 
 preach to you a gofpel bejides. that which 
 
Epljlolary difcufton on Religion. 1 1 3 
 
 you have received, let him be anathema ', 
 Gal. i. 9, fays, on the prefent mat- 
 ter, 1 Cor. viii, even more than want* 
 ed, to euablifh the Catholic doctrine, 
 inafmuch as he pronounces it to be 
 
 finfnl in a man to do what is there fpo- 
 ken of. againft his confcience viucibly 
 erroneous, while we fuppofe a cafe, 
 when it is invincibly lb; the reafon, for 
 St Paul, to fpeak as he does, is that 
 meat of which is there queftion, com- 
 mendeth 11s not to God; for neither, fays 
 he, if we eat, flail we abound, nor if 
 zve eat not, fliall we zvant. 1 Cor. viii, 8, 
 Had the cafe been different, fo would 
 have been his fpeech. 
 
 The Roman Catholic believes it 
 damnable to think there is any fuper- 
 natural virtue in Relics of Saints: if 
 he keeps with veneration, and care- 
 fully preferves them in fhrines, it is 
 becaufe he looks upon them, as remains 
 of bodies in which Jefus Chrift has, in 
 a fpceial manner, been glorified, and 
 L3 God 
 
114. Epiftolar*) difcujfton on Religion* 
 
 Qod himfelf has been pleafed to ho- 
 nour the Relics of his favourite Ser- 
 vants, by making them inftruments 
 of many miracles he has vifibly worked 
 by them, as is manifest upon unde- 
 niable records; but there is nothing 
 in the honour he pays to them, like that 
 he pays to God , it is no more a divine 
 honour than that fhewed by the Jews 
 to the ark, to the tables of the law, 
 to Mofes' rod ; than the regard a well 
 bred and thankful child has for any 
 thing a dear father left him, as a me- 
 morial of his paternal fondnefs ; a 
 faithful hufband for a ring worn by a 
 beloved confort, whole remembrance 
 he cherifhes. 
 
 Were it true, (which we by no 
 means deny,) that credulous frmplicity 
 had, without miftaking the caufe, at- 
 tributed to them fancied miracles, it 
 does not hence follow, that God has 
 not oftentimes made life of them.j as 
 inftruments, to work real ones: Au- 
 thentic 
 
Epijlolary dlf r vjion on Religion, it 5 
 
 thentie and ana evidenced fa£ts proved 
 beyond doubt the contrary, that the 
 corruptible remains of his Friends may, 
 when he pleafes, as well declare in 
 the new law, his power and glory, 
 as in the old, Moles's rod, Elias's 
 mantle and El.ifeus-s bones. 2 Kings 
 xij 14, again xiii, 21. 
 
 And why mould- we more doubt 
 what Hands proved to us, by unquef- 
 tionable teftimonies, if any were ever 
 fp, than the miraculous cures of dia- 
 eafes, wrought by the fhadow of St. 
 Peter, and by the napkins and hand- 
 kerchiefs that had but touched the bo- 
 dy of St. Paul, A£ts v. 15: again xix 
 12.. Let us not inconfiderately be- 
 lieve; let us try the fpirits, bat at 
 the fasne time, let us.not think God's arm 
 fhortened, nor, weakly imagine he may 
 he offended at the honour we pay to 
 the -inftrurnents oi his almighty pow T er. 
 
 Our Church stoes .nc-t r as you have 
 
n6 Epijhlary difiuffion on Reugtuu 
 
 been erroneoufly told, forbid her chil- 
 dren to read the fcripture, not even 
 in vulgar languages into which it has, 
 to that very purpofe, been, for ages, 
 tranflated; but taught by St. Peter, 
 There are certain things in St. Paul's epiftles, 
 hard to he underfiood, which the unlearned 
 and unjlable wreft^ as alfo the reft of the 
 fcriptures, to their own perdition ; 2 Pet. iii, 
 16; and by St. Paul, thai: great many 
 adulterate the word of God ; 2 Cor. ii, 17, 
 ihe has thought fit to take fome precau- 
 tions, which particular circumftances 
 required, again ft rafh interpretations, 
 prefumption and pride are too apt to 
 make, declaring nobody, fhould pre- 
 fume to interpret the fcripture, to one's 
 private judgment, as it belongs to her 
 exclufively, to point out its true fig- 
 nification. Council of Trent, fed. 4. 
 
 The many feels daily brought forth 1 
 in this country, by the unlimited liber- 
 ty every one claims, of interpreting 
 the fcripture, to his privatcjudgment, 
 * are 
 
Epif! alary ctifcuffion m Religion. 117 
 
 are a fenfrble proof of the neeeffity 
 there is to put a reftraint upon it. 
 
 As to what you have heard, that 
 traditions were, for the Roman Catho- 
 lic, rules of faith in preference to the 
 fcripture, you have not been rightly 
 informed ; the Roman Catholic owns 
 the fcripture, to be of the greateft 
 authority upon earth ; but as all things 
 to be believed, are not written, 2 Theff. 
 ii, 14, and thofe that are written, 
 had, before they were To, been trans- 
 mitted and delivered by tradition, (the 
 only way of coming then to the know- 
 ledge of what was of faith, and what 
 was not.) he receives and believes that 
 Vvhich tradition (hews him -received and 
 believed in all ages, every where, am! 
 by .all the Chrifiian world, as the word of 
 God, with the fame faith he receives 
 and believes the fcripture ; therefore 
 the Roman Catholic does not prefer 
 any tradition to the fcripture: no ; but 
 ii any article given, as of-faith, is not 
 
 fufficiently 
 
1 1 8 Epiftolary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 fufficiently explained in the fcripture, 
 he interrogates upon it, the fame tra- 
 dition that has authenticated the fcrip- 
 ture, perfuaded it can point out truth 
 to him, as infallibly in one cafe, as in 
 the other. 
 
 You have not been better informed, 
 Sir, with refpect to the authority the 
 Roman Catholic afcribes to the Pope, 
 whom he neither fubftitutes for, nor 
 makes equal to Chrifr. It is true he 
 reveres him as the head of the Church, 
 which being a vifible body muff, un- 
 der Chrifr, have a vifible head; but 
 whatever refpecl he pays to his per- 
 fon, he does not believe him infallible 
 nor impeccable; neither does he be- 
 lieve he has authority to difpenfe with 
 the law of God, or to abfolve any one 
 from the obligation of keeping the leaf! 
 of his commandments. 
 
 The power fome Popes have aimed 
 at, of depofing Sovereigns and dis- 
 pell ling 
 
Epistolary difcujion on Religion* 1 1 9 
 
 periling fubjecls from their allegi- 
 ance is by no means a fufticicnt 
 proof that the Roman Catholic attri* 
 butes to them the authority you are 
 told he does. It is in the books ex- 
 pounding the articles of his faith, that 
 his belief is to be fought for, and not 
 in the deeds of the Popes he thinks 
 himfelf only bound to vindicate, when 
 agreeable to it. 
 
 I am glad of the opportunity you 
 afford me of expounding at large the 
 doctrine of the Roman Catholic on this 
 fubjecl, as it has been oftentimes mis- 
 reprefented, and a farther elucidation 
 will not be amifs. 
 
 The Roman Catholic is pofitive in 
 denying to the Popes, or any other 
 fpiritual power upon earth, the au- 
 thority of depofmg Sovereigns, and 
 difpenfing fubjecls from their allegi- 
 ance; that is a doctrine condemned 
 by his Church, and which me never 
 
 approved 
 
120 Epifiolary difcujfion on Religion. 
 
 approved. Fie that believes, He that re- 
 fifteth power, ( let it be what it will, 
 Chriitiaa or heathen, ) refifteth the ordi- 
 nance of God, and they who refift, bring 
 damnation to themf elves. 
 
 But as fuch a declaration, plain as 
 it is, might Hill appear to fome peo- 
 ple infufficient, I will here lay down 
 how he underftands the words of St. 
 Paul ; whom he takes to be the Sov- 
 ereign he thinks himfelf, according 
 to his doctrine, obliged to obey, un- 
 der pain of diibbeying God. I fhall 
 mean-while, explain the reafons his 
 belief is grounded upon. 
 
 Upon St. Paul telling us, every foul 
 mujl be fubjeel- to higher -powers, for there 
 is no pozver but from God, Rom. xiii, l 
 &c. it may be afked whether an 
 ufurper mould be confidered as a 
 power coming from God, and if the 
 precept intimated to us by St. PauFs 
 words, obliges us to obey fuch a power 
 as a lawful one. In 
 
Epiftolary difcuffion on Religion. 121 
 
 In order clearly to anfwer this ques- 
 tion, it is to be diftingu lined between. 
 Sovereignty and Sovereign. St. Paul does 
 not fay there is no Sovereign but from 
 God ; but, which is quite different, 
 there is no fovereignty or power ( not 
 confidering the perfon veiled with it) 
 but from God, it being his will that in 
 this world there he governors and govern- 
 ed: hence we read, Wifdom of Solomon 
 vi, 3, Power is given you (Kings ) of 
 the Lord, and fovereignty from the highefl, 
 who fhall try your works and fear ch out your 
 counfels. This necefTary diftinction once 
 made, the Sovereign to be obeyed, can- 
 not remain unknown. 
 
 But they fay, a gang of confpirat^rs 
 will dethrone my lawful Sovereign ; 
 and becaufe I am not able to qefift 
 them, I mull obey him thev (et up 
 in his ftead, under pain of difobeying 
 God? 
 
 No doubt but you mud: it is a na: ra: 
 M confequence 
 
122 Epiftolary dtfcujfion on Religion. 
 
 confequence of the undeniable princi- 
 ple juft laid down. The law im- 
 pofmg it upon you, is even notably 
 imprefled with divine wifdom, for that 
 it difpenfes with examining w r hethcr 
 a fovereign is a lawful one, or not, 
 which might oftentimes elude human 
 enquiry. 
 
 But, they purfue, when mull I 
 obey the ufurper? They yefterday 
 dethroned my Sovereign: muft I obey 
 him to-day ? 
 
 You muft obey him from the very 
 moment his law is promulged, and he 
 can with thefzvord he bears, jorce obedience 
 upon you. 
 
 But his power is not yet confirmed ? 
 it is not yet acknowledged by any 
 foreign authority ? 
 
 Such a confideration is of no avail, 
 when the commandment is urgent as 
 
 in 
 
Epijlolary difaijjion on Religion. 123 
 
 in the text. He may atlu force you 
 to obey ; atlu you mull obey. It is 
 to no purpole to fay that, becaufe his 
 power is not acknowledged by -any 
 foreign government, you are difpenfed 
 with obeying him, as it is no where 
 written, that your obedience is made 
 unlawful for want of fuch an acknow- 
 ledgement, nor that it is necefTary to 
 render it indifperifibie. 
 
 They infill faying: my lawful Sove- 
 reign is itiil fupported by a party: 
 they ftiil fight for his caufe: deter- 
 mined, as I am, not to forfake him, 
 am I not at liberty to quit every thing 
 I pofTefs, in expectation of being re- 
 flored to it, and go and help him in 
 the purfuit of his right, as far as it 
 lies m my power ? 
 
 No.: becaufe by fo doing, you make 
 void the precept of God, which admits 
 of ho alternative, as it is not faid, obey 
 ox go away. Support him, as long as 
 
 M2 you 
 
324 Epiftolary difcujfion on Religion. 
 
 you may do it without incurring the lofs of 
 t/wfe rights, which charity beginning 
 at home oraers you to preferve above all, 
 fuch as your own fubftance, the bread 
 of your wife and children ; fo God him* 
 felf will have you do ; but as foon as 
 the forfeit of thofe rights, is to enfue 
 from your perfeverance in his party, 
 the Same will have you obey the power 
 that may decree it. 
 
 Such is, Sir, upon the fubmifTion 
 due to higher powers, the doclrine of 
 the Roman Catholic = If any one of 
 his perfuafion, has ever in his deeds 
 deviated, or deviates from thefe prin- 
 ciples, (and, we are forry to fay, this 
 has but too often been the cafe with 
 many of our deluded brethren* } it 
 
 * There have been Roman Catholics in Eng- 
 land and Ireland, who entertained the ground- 
 lefs and criminal opinion, it was unlawful to 
 take the oath of allegiance to the reigning 
 family, as long as there mould be any offspring of 
 that of the Pretender, an errour which, while 
 
 ought 
 
Epi/lo'ary difcnjfion on Religion. 125 
 
 ought to be imputed to the believer 
 he difapproves and condemns, not to 
 the belief, which alone I have under* 
 taken to expound, and vindicate. 
 
 Mini Hers of the Gofpel who are 
 commanded to teach the people their 
 
 duty, that he who rejijleih power, re- 
 Jifteth the ordinance of God ; and the 
 Sovereign they are bound to obey, is 
 he whofe infcription the trihut e-money bears, 
 were you, unfaithful difpenfers of the 
 divine word, to countenance, any way, 
 rebellion againft him, how terrible 
 the account to be required at your 
 hands ! 
 
 You do not difcwn mortification to 
 be enjoined in the fcripture ; but you 
 cannot, you fay, approve of the man- 
 ner the Roman Catholic praclifes it, 
 
 evidently reproved by holy writ, apologizes 
 but too well for the reilraint, from which they 
 have, on that condition, been lately releafed. 
 
 ' M$ No 
 
126 Epijhlary difcujjion on Rdigl, 
 
 ton. 
 
 No doubt but you will alfo allow 
 meat to be more nourifhing than fifh, 
 and of courfe more apt than fifh, to 
 raife and keep up our paiTions : where- 
 fore if in order to fubdue, and bring 
 them down, the Roman Catholic, on 
 certain days , out of mortification ab- 
 ftains from eating meat, allowing to 
 himfelf, in place, fome fifh, it can- 
 not be faid he takes an unfit way 
 of djing it. But, cry you, can there 
 be any mortification in eating plenti- 
 fully -of nice fifh, and drinking exquifite 
 wine ? Undoubtedly not : for which 
 very reafon the Roman Catholic is fo 
 far from thinking the precept duly 
 complied with, by fuch a mortifica- 
 tion, that he exactly views it as you 
 yourfelf do, feeing therein nothing 
 but a change, if not of luxury, at 
 Jeaft, of entertainment; but from thence 
 to infer that no good can arife from 
 the fait his Church prefcribes, is, fu'f- 
 fer me to tell you, Sir, to draw, by 
 no means a juft confequence. 
 
 We 
 
Epijlolary difcuffion on Religion. 127 
 
 We are taught: by our Church, that 
 the fall fhe wiihes her children to ob- 
 ferve, confills in a mortifying abfti- 
 nence, and they would vainly, on 
 falling days, refrain from eating meat, 
 unlefs any other things contrary to 
 mortification, be at the fame time fcru- 
 puloufly avoided: from whence it fol- 
 lows (lie condemns herfelf what you 
 condemn, and fees nothing but the 
 name of mortification, where you fee 
 nothing of it. She fo far agrees with 
 you, in the idea you entertain of fall- 
 ing, which you will have to confifl 
 rather in the quantity of the things al- 
 lowed, than in their quality, that fhe 
 requires fuch a fall to be obferved by 
 thofe of her children who, on account 
 of age, condition, or Itate of life, can- 
 not entirely abllain from eating meat. 
 
 Befides, Sir, you feem to fuppofe, 
 (which furely you do not expec~l to be 
 granted,) that every Roman Catholic 
 is enabled by his circumftances to flip- 
 py 
 
128 Epijlolary difcujfion on Religion. 
 
 ply the want of meat with fifh, even 
 the niceft. I fay, you feem fo to flip* 
 pofe, becaufe you cannot but know 
 that fuch a fupplement is in the pow- 
 er of very few Roman Catholics, who 
 are only to be cited as examples of 
 the prefcribed mortification, when they 
 abflain from availing themfelves of it. 
 
 Certainly, Fir, when you quote 
 thefe words of Jefus Chrifl, What en- 
 ters into the mouth, does not defile a man 
 Mat. xv, 11, you do not understand 
 them, as I hear fome people do, who 
 would have them to be a condemna- 
 tion of our abftinence from meat, on 
 falling days. If is not a little furprifing 
 to fee thefe words fo wrongly applied. 
 In effecl, on what occafion did Jefus 
 Chrift direct them to the Pharifees ? 
 They were reproaching his difciples with 
 eating bread without wajliing their hands, 
 on which Chrift fa id : what enters into 
 the mouthy does not defile a man: there- 
 fore, they fay, it is againft the doclrine 
 
 of 
 
Epljlolary difcuJHon on Religion. 129 
 
 of Jefus Chrift to prefcribe abflinence 
 from meat. Fine conclufion indeed ! 
 Surely , in order thus to deceive one's 
 felf, one muft be refolved to do it, 
 at any rate. 
 
 No: What enters into the mouth, does 
 not defile a man as being bad of itfelf : 
 God has made nothing for men, they 
 may not ufe with thankfgiving ; but 
 he who faid, what enters into the mouth, 
 does not defile a man, has alio faid by his 
 Apoftles, mortify your body, and to mor- 
 tify one's body, is not to abftain only 
 from what is bad and finful, (which 
 can never be permitted, ) but at times, 
 from what is good, in compliance 
 with his will. 
 
 Granting that the Church has not 
 the right to make difeiplinary laws, 
 importing an addition to the yoke of 
 Chrift ; yet her pallors cannot be denied 
 that, which you acknowledge, in your 
 King, of preicribing fafts as he does ; 
 
 no 
 
*3° Epiftolary difaijjton on Religion. 
 
 no more can they be denied that of 
 making, for her government,, under 
 pain of ecclefiaftical cenfure, fuch 
 as they think fit for the better accom- 
 plishing of the precept, as it is a 
 neceflary confequence of their being 
 appointed her governors. Forgetful 
 of the bounds let to their powers, 
 were they to exceed them in points 
 wherein they are not promifed infal- 
 libility, fuch as that concerning fall, 
 which, as to the manner at leaft, was 
 never received in the .Church as a re- 
 vealed one, they ihall, one day ac- 
 count for it. 
 
 Your obfervation on the method 'of 
 teaching divinity in our fchools is but 
 toojuft. I oftentimes thought myfelf 
 that the ftudy of it might be incom- 
 parably better directed. In fact, when 
 we confider of the end therein de- 
 iigned, which is a perfect knowledge 
 of Chriflian dogntcs and morality, it is 
 obvious that the means adopted, do 
 
 but 
 
Epifl clary dijcv.jfion on Religion. 131 
 but inadequately anfwer the purpofc. 
 
 Shall I tell you, Sir, the method I 
 could vvifli, was followed:' in the firft 
 place, I would have dogmas and mo- 
 ratify clearly and concifely defined to 
 ftudents; and the former carefully dis- 
 tinguished from difcipline, for want of 
 which, one may be apt to confound 
 them, as I myfelf faw it done by 
 fome people who looked upon any thing 
 written, as a dogma. Dogmas mould 
 be brieflly eftablifhed on texts of the 
 fcripture precife and pofitive in the 
 cafe ; becaufe to found them on texts 
 that are not a direct, proof of them, 
 and may not improperly be otherwife 
 interpreted, is, in my opinion, to 
 make the truth one propofes to de- 
 monftrate, rather doubtful. 
 
 When, on undeniable authority I 
 know, from conviction, what I am to be- 
 lieve and teach, of what importance or 
 advantage may be to me endlefs difler- 
 
 tations 
 
332 Epijtolary difcujion on Religion. 
 
 tations upon points flill undecided, 
 wherein they attack, defend, object, 
 anfwer, and deliver on obfcurepaflages, 
 obfcurer commentaries, fo throwing 
 away, without any improvement, a 
 precious time never to be repaired ? 
 Of what avail can thofe tedious and 
 too famous refutations of herefies be 
 to me, when to know them to be pro- 
 fcribed by an irrevocable judgment, is 
 all I want to know ? In Head of ac- 
 quainting posterity with the offence 
 they have given (o the Church, we 
 mould wifh them buried, if pofllble, 
 in an eternal oblivion, with the names 
 of their proud and inconfiderate au- 
 thors. Was an article attacked be- 
 fore me, the truth of which can be 
 no longer queftioned ; my anfwer is 
 ready : God has fpoken by his Church : I 
 cite the oracle, the diipute is at an 
 end. Do they infill? St. Paul forbids 
 me to reply, 1 Cor. xi, 16 : I remain 
 filent ; and how eloquent is fuch a fi- 
 Jence! How many things [t fpeaks 
 
 to 
 
Epistolary dlfcuffion on Religion. 133 
 
 to the contradictor! No doubt but it 
 much better avenges the denied truth; 
 than thoie manifold reafons certain 
 modern doctors, defirous of making 
 fhew of learning in abounding proofs, 
 indifcreetly heap up, not feldom un- 
 doing by a weak one, what they were 
 fure other wife to eftablifh. 
 
 The bafis of my treatifes upon ;;zo- 
 rality (which would not be that de- 
 livered and taught by Jefus Chriit, if 
 not intelligible to the ignorant as well 
 as to the learned, and which I would 
 have freed from all infignifioant and 
 vain diftinelions with which it is com- 
 monly difgraced ) mould be a thorough 
 knowledge of the fcriptures. No on£ 
 incapable of accounting for, and ex- 
 pounding them fatisfaclorily, mould 
 be admitted into holy Orders; Reading 
 '" and ftudying the fcripture mould be 
 then the chief bufmefs I would have 
 a ftudent in divinity apply to. If, to 
 a compleat knowledge of the fcripture 
 N and 
 
J 34 Epijtolarj difcuffion on Religion. 
 
 andofthofe of the civil laws which a 
 teacher of morality ought not to be ig- 
 norant of, you add a folic! and enlight- 
 ened piety, believe me, you will have 
 Priefts according to God's own heart 
 able difpenfers of ChrifVs myfteries. 
 
 1 do not know, Sir, whether you 
 approve of this method of teaching and 
 itudying divinity, but fuch a one I 
 would recommend, confcious it is be- 
 yond companion, more conducive to 
 the end intended, than that you have 
 juftly cenlured. 
 
 What is delivered in our Church, as 
 lives of Saints, may, we do not deny 
 It, be magnified by the writer and 
 not always warrantableas truth, fo r 
 which reafon the Roman Catholic is 
 not obliged to believe any one miracle 
 befides what is in the fcripture, and 
 may, as to others, give them the cre- 
 dit he thinks in prudence they de- 
 ferve, confidering the honefty of the 
 
 xelater 
 
Epift alary cUfcujJion on Religion. 1 35 
 
 relater, the authority of the witnefTes, 
 and fuch other circumftances that ufe, 
 on like occafions, to gain his aflent. 
 The Church requires no more of him. 
 
 And now, Sir, if, upon the account 
 of hiftory, no one makes any doubt but 
 there was fuch a man as Casfar, or 
 Alexander, or Arius, or Mahomet &c. 
 and queftions not many particulars of 
 their lives and aclions ; why mould 
 they more doubt of the truth of miracles 
 related, as done in their time, by cre- 
 dible men, fuch as St. Auguftine, St. 
 Jerom &c. ? They have, at lealt, as 
 much claim to our belief, as hiftorical 
 faiHs no better grounded, which are 
 unqueflioned. 
 
 But, they fay, moft of your mira-L 
 cles are fo very ridiculous, that none- 
 but idiots can believe them* Though we . 
 do not pretend to m?ke any compari- > 
 fon between one and the other cafe ;. 
 was not the whole doctrine of Je.Vts 
 * N2 Chrift 
 
136 Epijlolary difcvffion on Reitgttn. 
 
 Chrift a fcandal to the Jews, and to 
 tie Gentiles, a folly? And nre there 
 not miracles and facls in the old Tefta- 
 ment one isight as well think ridicu- 
 lous? Fake but faith away, what be- 
 comes, for inftance, of Balaam fpo- 
 ken to, by his afs, of Sampfon and his 
 jaw-bones, Elias and his riery chariot, 
 EiiiTia's mantle, ax-head and dead 
 bones, Gideon's pitchers, lamps and 
 trumpets/* Were not our unbelievers 
 iilenced by the authority, could not 
 every one of thefe not doubted fa 61s, 
 be, with as much apparent reafon tam- 
 ed into ridicule and buffoonery ? - No 
 doubt but they could. Let us take care 
 not to pronounce rafhly on what is 
 above the reach of our weak capacity. 
 Let us remember thefe never to be 
 forgotten words, My thoughts are not 
 your thoughts, neither are your ways, my 
 ways, faith the Lord, Ifa. Iv, 8. perfua- 
 ded as we ought to be, that, if he is fool- 
 ifh, who inconfiderately believes every- 
 thing, he is not wile, who denies every 
 thing he cannot comprehend. Whilit 
 
Epifiolary d'fcujfwn on Religion. 137 
 
 Wbilft I lay before you, Sir, the 
 reafons which, with refpecl to things 
 wherein God^.s linger is . fuppofed to in- 
 tervene, make it an obligation for us 
 to mif'trull c*ur own judgment, I am 
 far from di approving the fentiment 
 you deliver on this occafion- Convinc- 
 ed, on the contrary, of your obfervauon 
 being juft, that there are things true, 
 which wear not always the appearance 
 of truth, I could with, with you, re- 
 moved from our lives of Sairats, thofe 
 wonderfully ftrange facls which afford 
 amufement rather than edification; and 
 the perufer was chiefly to find in them 
 patterns of virtue, he could imitate. 
 
 The Roman Catholic does not attri- 
 bute any fanclifying virtue to what is 
 called holy water ; nor does he expect 
 from it, any good,, any bleffing or be- 
 nefit, beyond its natural effects. He 
 refpects it, becaufe, by the prayers of 
 the miniiter of God,, it is dedicated to 
 a: religious, ufe^ as is a. church, a fa- 
 N& cerdotal: 
 
l%& Ebiftolary difcnffion on Religion* 
 
 cerdotal habit, the plate of the altar 
 which are otherwife looked on, than 
 common houfes, habits or plate: the 
 fprinkling of it upon the faith [ul is, as 
 it were, a fpeaking a6tion, by which 
 they are warned that, as bodies are 
 cleanfed from fpots by water, fo their 
 fouls mud be purified by divine grace 
 from the defilements of (in, to be fitted 
 to appear in the fancluary of God. 
 
 That many ignorant people arefcrn- 
 puhvfly and perhaps fuperflitioujly attached 
 to exteriour practices, of no moment 
 for falvation, and only meant to ex- 
 cite devotion they by no means fupply, 
 we freely confefs and lament, for the 
 fake of thofe, who, for want of being 
 better informed, are offended at it; 
 but you have agreed with me, Sir, 
 not to confound the inftitution with the 
 abufe, and, if I am not miitaken, I have 
 fufficiently proved that of the holy 
 zvater to be commendable, both in the 
 motive it was infpiredby, and the end 
 aipired to, • The 
 
EpiJ clary difcujfion on Religion. 139 
 
 The rites and ceremonies the Roman 
 Catholic Church thinks fit to prefcribe 
 in the performing of her divine my Se- 
 ries, have fV. mimed our adverfaries 
 with another charge. They would 
 have it believed that the Roman Catho- 
 lic makes his religion folely confift in 
 gaudy reprefenta'ions, and fhow, and 
 provided he may difplay in his temples 
 fundry ornaments enriched with gold, 
 . hlver and pearls, he farcies he has com. 
 pleatly fuInUed his duties to God, and 
 conveniently worshiped him ; but is 
 really this charge a merited one ? I 
 beg, Sir, you will yourfelf judge it. 
 
 The Roman Catholic is taught by 
 his Church ,that the firil of command- 
 ments, that of adoring God, is not 
 accomplished, but by thofe who adore 
 him in fpirit and in truth ; that no fa- 
 crifice without that of the heart is ac- 
 ceptable to him, and he abominates 
 thofe who worfhip . him with their 
 tips only. Can ever the Roman Ca- 
 tholic 
 
1 4° Epifiolary difcuffion on Religion- 
 
 tholic infer from fuch adoclrine, he has 
 complied with the obligations here im- 
 pofed upon him, by decking his altars, 
 adorning his temples, and punctually 
 obferving mere ceremonials ? Were I 
 to fuppofe you could believe it, I fhould 
 imagine, Sir, you might take it as 
 an offence. 
 
 It is trae that for fcveral reafons 
 not to be objected to, he thinks proper 
 to celebrate divine myfteries with all 
 tiie external majefty and pomp he 
 polllbiy can. 
 
 first. Beeaufe he is perfuaded fuch 
 ceremonies cannot be unacceptable to 
 God which- he himfelf miriuiely pre- 
 ferred in the old Covenant.. 
 
 secondly. Beeaufe, if the greatnefs of 
 an earthly Sovereign is never better 
 difplayed, than by the orderly magni-^ 
 ficer.ee he is furrounded with ; if no- 
 thing conciliates him more veneration. 
 
 and 
 
Epiftolary difcvjfion on Religion. 141 
 
 and refpecl ; the greatnefs of the King 
 of kings, of the Sovereign of fovereigns 
 cannot be proclaimed with too much 
 pomp and fplendour. 
 
 in fine. Becaufe fuch people as 
 have, as it were, but bodily eyes, (the 
 number of which is furely not fmall) 
 learn ftill more from what they fee, 
 than from what they may be told, the 
 profound and awful refpecl: with which 
 they are to approach their God,whofe 
 majefty is fo magnificently declared. 
 
 Hence thefamousCitizen of Geneva,* 
 a man not to be accufed of bigotry, 
 did fay with his ufual independence, 
 that gold and pearls vanity is arrayed 
 with, mould not be feen but in our 
 temples, there to proclaim the gran- 
 deur of Him we meet to adore. 
 
 The Roman Catholic believes as 
 
 you do, Sir, charity to be the mark, 
 
 on which Jefus Chri.ft will acknow- 
 
 *J. J. RouiTeau. lodge 
 
142 Epijlolary dlfcujjlon on Religion. 
 
 ledge us for hi* difciples, and is far 
 from holding a different doclrine; 
 therefore there cannot be any differ- 
 ence of opinion between us but about 
 the nature of the charity that is to be 
 fo, the mark of the children of God ; 
 which it is incumbent to determine. 
 Its characters are fully explained by 
 St Paul, i Cor. xiii, 4, &c. and that 
 of them, upon which they ground the 
 reproach here laid to the charge of the 
 Roman Catholic, undoubtedly is, that 
 // does not think evil; but, pray, Sir, 
 does it from thence follow that one 
 rnuit, out of charity,, fee good, where 
 good is not? Approve what God dis- 
 approves ; and whilft he exprefsly tells 
 us that there is only one way to 
 Heaven, charitably grant that there 
 is more than one? For my part I da 
 not believe it; and yet this feems to 
 be the consequence of the reproach 
 laid at our door; for unlefs it. is laid, 
 again ft St. Paul's doelrine 2 Cor- i, 18, 
 that there is in God yes and no, and 
 
 faith. 
 
Epijlolary cUjcuffion on 'Religion. I-J3 
 
 faith is not neceffarily one, we cannot 
 fay, for example, that thofe two people 
 have the fame, one of which denies 
 Jefus Chriit to be God, which the o:her 
 aflerts. 
 
 Therefore the eiTential point here to 
 be afcertained is, whether the Roman 
 Catholic proves himfelf to be in that 
 only way, out of which there is no fal- 
 vation, and whether thofe who pre- 
 tend to be in it, as well as he, are 
 not excluded from it, by the doctrine 
 they profefs. 1 think I have mewed 
 you to evidence, that the Roman Ca- 
 tholic is infallibly put in that way by 
 the unerring guide he follows ; hence 
 the conclufion to be drawn with refpecl: 
 to thofe who do not walk in the fame. 
 The uncharitablenefs, if any, is to be 
 imputed to the Legiflator who made the 
 law, not to him who is to be ruled 
 by it. If the Roman Catholc is un- 
 charitable for denying what Jefus Chrift 
 forbids him to grant, fo is your Church 
 when faying, Art. xviii.of 'your Religion: 
 
 They 
 
I £4 Epifiolary difcujjion on Religion, 
 
 They are alfo to be accurfed that prefume to 
 fay, that every man fiall be faved by the 
 law or feci he profejes, jo that lie be dili- 
 gent to frame his life according to that law 
 and the light of nature : fo were St. Peter 
 and St. John ; lb was St. Paul, when 
 he faid, that if any preach a go f pel befides 
 that zvhich he has preached, let him be ana- 
 thema, Gal. i. 9: again, when he 
 reckons feels among thole fins of which 
 he pronounces, that they that do fuch 
 things, Jhall not inherit the kingdom of God 
 Gal. v, 20. 
 
 The very notion the Roman Catholic 
 Church gives of herefy, is an undenia- 
 ble proof of the groundlelfnefs of the 
 reproach laid to her charge, defining 
 it, as repeatedly obferved, to he a volun- 
 tary and obftinate errour of the mind againfi 
 the true faith, fo that, with us, before 
 a man may be accountable for the ma- 
 lice of that fin, he mult voluntarily and 
 obftinately reject a faith he knows to be 
 true, and adopt another he knows not 
 to be lb, , .. Now 
 
Epiflolary difcujjion on Religion. 145 
 
 Now, can it be faid it follows from 
 fuch principles ( furely thofe of the 
 Roman Catholic ) he condemns, as 
 yon have been told, to eternal perdi- 
 tion, any body that does not profefs 
 himfelfa member of the Roman Ca - 
 tholic Church ? Undoubtedly not- He 
 is taught by her to except all thofe 
 who are out of his communion, owing 
 to prejudices of birth or education, 
 prejudices they would, if better in- 
 formed, eagerly abjure : he is taught 
 to except all thofe who are out of the 
 pale of his Church, owing to their 
 being deprived of the means of know- 
 ing that truth, they would gladly em- 
 brace, if they knew it; and of thefe 
 the number is certainly much greater 
 than it is commonly imagined. It may 
 be truly faid of them, that they are 
 but materially heretics, being really 
 of the Church, in the defire and difpo- 
 fition of their hearts. I could never 
 be perfuaded, for example, that a lady 
 good andj, upright, as is Mrs. E. a 
 O gentleman 
 
 r 
 
146 Epiflolary difcujjion oh Religion. 
 
 gentleman of a found -judgment and 
 probity, as is her worthy friend, who 
 call not themfelves members of the 
 Roman Catholic Church, are not really 
 fo, in their inclination, and that any 
 worldly motive, prejudice or reafon 
 whatever might induce them to reject 
 the true faith, if they were convinced 
 as I am, thai it is only taught and pro- 
 fefled by the Roman Catholic Church. 
 
 No, Sir: thefe only are truly he- 
 retics who voluntarily and objlinately re- 
 ject truth they know, to adhere to 
 errour, or who not being deprived of 
 the means of knowing it, are unwil- 
 ling to make ufe of them, owing to a 
 carelelTnefs, of which, was it queftion 
 of the leaft of their earthly concerns, 
 they are fure not to be found guilty ; or 
 in fine, who fearing more the cenfure 
 of the w r orld, than the wrath of God, 
 diffemble it to their own mind as much 
 as they can, by endeavouring to per- 
 
 fuacle themfelves they are in a good 
 
 faith 
 
Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion* 147 
 
 faith, as if they could hope to deceive 
 God, as they may, to their perdition, in 
 punifhment of their wilful blindnefs, too 
 well fucceed in deceiving themfelves. 
 
 To fpeak my own fentiment, Sir, 
 as an individual, I do thouroughly 
 believe that fewer fouls perifh for the 
 fin of herefy, than for moil: other 
 crimes and offences. 
 
 And now judge yourfelf from that 
 open expofition of the Roman Catho- 
 lic's tenets, whether the reproach he 
 lies under, of being uncharitable is truly 
 a defer ved one. I dare prefume you 
 will do him more juftice, and freely 
 acknowledge that the charity they re- 
 proach him with wanting, would be a 
 crime God will not fuller unpunifhed. 
 
 Is, or, is not the Pope, the Antichrift 
 that is to come ? This, Sir, is a ques- 
 tion you put to me, and on which you 
 alk my fentiment. 
 
 O-2 Firft 
 
148 EpiJIotar^ difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 Firft of all, it muft be obferved that 
 the name of Antichrift is not fo much as 
 once to be found in the Revelations 
 of St. John, where the figns of his 
 coming are by fome people given as 
 obvious; that the ancient fathers of 
 the Church, fuch as St. Chrifoftoits, 
 St. Cyril of Jerufalem, Theodoret &c. 
 never bring any paffages out of the 
 Revelations, when they fpeak of the 
 Antichrift. ; and they all unanimoufly 
 agree in faying: ill: that the Anti- 
 chrift foretold by the prophet Daniel, 
 ch. vii, mult be one fingle man : 2dly : 
 that he (hall not come till about the 
 end of the world : 3d!} 7 " : that he fhall 
 reign but a very fhort time. 
 
 This being premifed, it may be ar- 
 gued, as follows 
 
 The Antichrift muft be a fingle man; 
 200 men are not then the Antichrift, 
 as they would have 200 Popes to be. 
 
 The 
 
Epiftolary difcujjion on Reltghn. 149 
 
 The Antichrifl: fhall not come till 
 about the end of the world ; he is not 
 then come for above thefe 1260 years, 
 as they pretend him to be. 
 
 The Antichrifl: fhall reign but a fhort 
 time; 200 men who reign one after 
 the other for thefe 1260 years and 
 more, are not then the Antichrifl:. 
 
 Suppofing that the Popes from the 
 epoch at which thofe gentlemen are 
 pleafed to transform them into Anti- 
 chrifls, have been fuch Antichrifls as 
 according to St. John, any one is who 
 teaches falfe doctrines ( which they 
 fhould prove all thefe Popes have 
 done ) yet certain it is they could not 
 be faid to be the true Antichrifl: who 
 according to the fame, 1 Kpift. ii, 18, 
 is to come, which they fhould fhew 
 for the confiftency of their fyllem. 
 
 We read alfo in the fcripture that 
 
 the Antichrifl: will make himfelf adored; 
 
 O2 pretending 
 
j^q Epijiolary dijcujfion on Religion. 
 
 pretending to be Chrift ; and does 
 any body dare fay that there was ever 
 a Pope who did fuch things? What 
 is called killing the flipper of the Pope, 
 which fome people would perhaps have 
 looked upon, as an acl of adoration, is in 
 reality but what elfewhere goes by the 
 name of etiquette de cour, a mere cere- 
 monial, which is no more an adora- 
 tion in Rome, than the killing of the 
 hand, in St. James's palace. 
 
 I am not ignorant of the contrivance 
 they recur to, to extricate themfelves 
 from thefe difficulties they cannot a- 
 void feeing: they tell us, that a 
 time and times , and the dividing of a time, 
 fpoken of by Daniel, ch. vii, v. 25, 
 or 42 months as related in the Reve- 
 lations, ch. xiii, v. 5, are 1260 days, 
 which in a prophetic ftyle, make as 
 many years ; and that juft fo long the 
 Po[ i(h ntichrift muft reign. 
 
 It is true we have two inftances in 
 
 the 
 
Eptftolary difcujjion on Religion. 151 
 
 the fcripture, and only two, in which 
 days are put for years, namely. Numb. 
 xiv, 34, and Ezek. iv, 5; and in both 
 places we are informed that days imiifu- 
 ally ftand for years ; but there is not 
 one, for ought I know, where years, 
 or months are to be refolved into days, 
 arfd thefe days into years; and unlefs 
 we had particular proofs of fuch a con- 
 verfion, and were admonifhed of it, 
 as in the above two places, days, 
 even in the writings of the prophets, 
 are to be taken for days, months for 
 months, years for years. 
 
 But, though that gratuitous and 
 wholly groundJefs afTertion, was to 
 them granted, yet would they not be 
 the better for it, as it will be ftill in- 
 cumbent upon them, for the accom- 
 plifhment of the prophecy, to appoint 
 a certain epoch, at which their Popes 
 Antichrifts began, wherein they have 
 until now mifcarried. One of them 
 haying made his computation from the 
 
 year 
 
152 Epiftolary difctijfion on Relifwn. 
 
 year 410, the antichriftian reign of 
 the Popes fhould have come to a pe- 
 riod in 1670, or thereabouts ; every 
 body knows whether any like thing 
 then took place. Another- who had 
 computed from the year 455 or 56, 
 waited, to no purpofe, for it, in 1715 or 
 16. A third who made his firft Pope 
 Antichriit in 475^ has likewife been 
 difappointed in his expectation in the 
 year 173^ . Shall the modern inter- 
 preters, fuch as Mr H — n, be more 
 fortunate? Time mult tell: O Lord, 
 what is man, delivered to the vanity 
 of his own thoughts !! 
 
 While we granted the above ground* 
 lefs, not to fay abfurd after tion, it is 
 well underltood that it would Hill re- 
 main to prove how a afrngle man may 
 be 200 men, or 200 men a jingle man*- 
 Until the abettors of fueh a ftrange' 
 and ridiculous opinion, on which you 
 deiired to know my fentiment, are able 
 to reconcile the many contradictions 
 
 ' they 
 
Epifiolary dijcujfion on Religion. 153 
 
 fhey fall into* to make it plaufible ; I 
 flatter myfelf you will be fatisfied with 
 this already too long confutation. 
 
 As to what is to be underftood by 
 the fcarlet whore, the fall of which is 
 foretold by St, John, none, to my 
 knowledge, but thofe gentlemen could 
 till now pofitively tell us. The father? 
 of the Church who w r ere not favoured 
 with the fame gifts, have generally 
 underftood by the fcarlet wAore, the 
 heathen Rome, and its heathen Empe- 
 rors, with their drefs of purple and 
 fcarlet. Such is alio the fentiment of 
 feverai learned Proteftant divines, of 
 Dr. Hammond in particular, who, in 
 his firft note on the Revelations, ch. 
 xvii, gives their interpretation in 
 thefe words. " What is faid of the 
 " fall of Babylon, cannot belong to 
 <c chriftian Rome"...* again in his para- 
 phrafe, pag. 927, " I will ihew thee 
 ts the vengeance that is ready to befal 
 M the imperial dignity of Rome, fitly 
 
 " ity led 
 
2 54 Epiftolary difcufjion on Religion* 
 
 %i ftyled the great whore for their 
 
 " worfhip of many heathen Gods. I 
 11 faw a woman, that great whore, the 
 %i imperial pozver of heathen Rome, featecl 
 " on an Emperor in a fear let robe, a great 
 *• blafphemer againft God &c. " 
 
 You have been mifmformed, Sir, 
 when told that by the Church, the 
 Roman Catholic .underftands, only her 
 biihops. The Church, as underilood 
 by him, is the whole of the faithful 
 under the direction of their lawful 
 paftors, which definition implies both; 
 with this difference that, according 
 to the order eftabli fried by Jefus Chriit, 
 the former are to be taught by the 
 latter. 
 
 Now, if you afk which are thefe 
 lawful paftors, if biihops only ; I will 
 anfwer you, that the elders you ftyle 
 Vicars and we call Cures, who by their 
 calling and million, have a flock to 
 feed, to whom it has been laid in the 
 
 is 
 
Epijolary difaijjion on Religion. 155 
 
 perfons of the feventy-two difciples 
 they reprelent, He who hears you, hears 
 me&c. Luke x, 16, and together with 
 the bifhops : - Look well to yourf elves and 
 to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghofl 
 has placed you over Jeers, to govern the 
 Church of God, A els xx, 28, are law- 
 ful pallors; as well as bilhops, whofe, 
 denomination they formerly partook, 
 (though of an inferiour rank in the ec-- 
 clefiaftic hierarchy ;) andofcourfe wit- 
 neffes with them of the faith delivered 
 to thofe they fucceed ; which is in- 
 stanced in what we fee obferved at the 
 Council of Jerusalem, Acts xv, where 
 the ape Hies and feniors met together to 
 confider of the matter referred to both. 
 
 As to the other queftion you put to 
 me, how one may know, with cer- 
 tainty, that the uni venal Church dif- 
 perfed has fpoken on a contradicted 
 point, adding that ; to fay the Pope 
 has interrogated her (which you think 
 
 hardly 
 
156 Epiflolary difcujfionon Religion* 
 
 hardly fcafible) and he has declared 
 that the anfwers returned to him prove 
 it to be To, is not a proof to be ne- 
 cefTariiy relied on, for that, the Pope 
 is not excepted by the Royal prophet, 
 when he fays, all men are liars ; this 
 mould be a fatisfaetorr anfwer, that 
 the de rift on of the Pope on a point he declares 
 he has duly fubmitted to the Church, be- 
 comes , zvhen not contradicled, her decifion\ 
 and is to be received as J'nch, by her chil- 
 dren; but the way of interrogating her, 
 you yourfelf hint, at, might, (while it 
 mews that to be far from difficult which 
 you think hardly feafble, ) eafily be made 
 to anfwer the purpofe, in fuch a manner 
 as to prevent any impofition you may- 
 fear, and entirely do away your fub- 
 fequent obfervation on the principle 
 generally admitted, which you main- 
 tain, from example, to be exceptionable. 
 
 The Catholic Church being divided 
 into mclropolitanfhips, metropolitan- 
 ftiips into fuffragari bilhoprics, let the 
 
 Pope 
 
Epljlolary difcujjton on Religion. 157 
 
 Pope, in order to interrogate her, fend 
 the question to eaeh metropolitan, who 
 will fend it to each of his fufFragan 
 bifliops : the queftion having been put 
 to, and anfwered by the vicars , or cures 
 in their refpe&ive diocefes, each fuf- 
 fragan biihop fhall fend the faith of 
 his particular Church, to the metropo- 
 litan, who, with that of his metropolis, 
 will fend it to the Pope: the Pope 
 after receiving the fame from all the 
 particular Churches, compounding the 
 univerfal Church, fees the refult, and 
 fends it printed, with the declaration 
 of each particular Church, to each me- 
 tropolitan, who gets it likewife printed 
 in as many copies as wanted, and fends 
 it to each fufFragan bifhop who does 
 the fame, and fends it, each in their 
 refpeclive diocefes to the vicars or 
 cures, the queftion has been put to, in- 
 order for them to acquaint their parti- 
 cular flock with what Chrlft has been 
 pleafed to. reveal to his Church 
 
 As 
 
158 Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion, 
 
 As every particular church could 
 thus fee her particular declaration on the 
 queftion put to her, and the refult of 
 all brought together, proved to be the 
 oracle of the Holy Ghoft, the impo- 
 fition you apprehend, would be 1m- 
 poffible, while you are certain, beyond 
 all doubt, the univerfal Church has 
 i'poken. 
 
 Surely, there is nothing fo practi- 
 cable and eafy as this way of inter- 
 regating the Church; and feeing that, 
 in matters of faith, the organs of her 
 belief and do61rine have, according to 
 your juit obfervation, nothing more to 
 do on a propofed point than to declare 
 what they believe and teach, without 
 commentaries or difcuflion ; it would be 
 to be wifhed that, when the Church 
 is to be interrogated, it was done ra- 
 ther in this manner, than to recur to 
 a general Council, which it is not al- 
 ways polTible to convene, and which is 
 always liable to numberlefs difficulties. 
 
 J (hall 
 
Epijiolary cHfcnJjion on Religion, 1/59 
 
 I (hall be fhort, with refpecl to your 
 laft enquiry- The filenceof a bifhop 
 on a queftion put to him by the head, 
 and in the name of the Church, about 
 the belief and doclrine of thofe he re- 
 prefents, concerning a controverted ar- 
 ticle of faith, can only be reckoned 
 fufficient\ when it leaves not any room 
 to doubt ; and for the weighty reaibns 
 you produce, one could wilh that, on 
 points fo highly important, an exprefs 
 anfwer was always required. 
 
 Perfuaded your objections and ob- 
 fervations Hand fo far fatisfadlorily an- 
 fwered, I fhall wait for a new oppor- 
 tunity of convincing you that 
 
 I am, with fmcere refpecl:, Sir, 
 
 M. J. B. B, 
 
 P2 LETTER 
 
160 Epi/tolary difcujfion on Religion. 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM G. W. TO M. J. B. B. 
 
 July 19///, 1797. 
 Sir, 
 
 YOUR laft increafes not a little 
 my obligations to you, and eutre nous, 
 I begin ferioufly to fear you will make 
 a convert of me. I fhall fay nothing 
 of Mrs. E. who inftead of corrobo- 
 rating my objections, fticks not to call 
 into doubt, the folidity of any one I 
 make, fince fhe hears and fees your 
 anfvvers. I had at iirft, but one an- 
 tagonift, now I have two, and fhould 
 willingly look upon the laft, as the 
 moft formidable. Yet, Sir, unlefs 
 you are plagued with my objections, 
 J have ftill fomething to fay ; neither 
 am I totally at an end of my obferva- 
 tions, your letter affording matter for 
 one, with which I fhall begin. 
 
 The Roman Catholic, you fay, is 
 not obliged to believe any one miracle 
 
 be fides 
 
Epiftolary difcujfion en Religion. 161 
 
 befides what is in the fcripture ; neither 
 is he then obliged to believe Saints, 
 thole declared to be fo, on fueh mira- 
 cles as recorded in your legends, the 
 only criterion however of your Saints, 
 without which, I am told, they could 
 not get admittance into your calender, 
 But, if he is not obliged to believe 
 them Saints, why then does your 
 Church fet up feflivals to them, you 
 oblige him to keep holy and obferve, 
 under pain of deadly fin? Why does 
 fhe anathematize whoever rejects their 
 invocations ? It feems to me very 
 ftrange indeed, I fhould be obliged to 
 invoke as a Saint, a being pombly in 
 Hell. 
 
 Had you not undeceived me, fuch 
 a contradiction, when you make in 
 fa 61 necejfary, what you fay to be only 
 good and profitable ', would have been a 
 powerful reafon with me, to believe 
 as true, the fcornful faying, I was 
 nurfed with ; he is ignorant as a Papift, 
 ?3 the 
 
j 62 Epijtolary difcujjton on Religion* 
 
 the confequenee here is fo obvioufly 
 ftriking. I hope you will not be offend- 
 ed at it, Sir; but this was ( upon what 
 ground I know not ) the opinion then, 
 if not now, generally entertained of 
 thofe ofyourperfualion. 
 
 Upon my meeting, two days ago, one 
 of your gentlemen with whom I happen- 
 ed toTpeak, among other things r of cer- 
 tain preferiptions of your Church, I da 
 not approve; could you have imagined 
 the invincible argument (in his opinion) 
 with which he thought to filence me? 
 Sir, faid he, let him who will not hear 
 the Church, be to thee as a heathen and a 
 public an. As I did not think proper to 
 enter with him, into any difcuffion* 
 ( though I could not but flare at his 
 well ehofen quotation ) I dropped the 
 IV ct, fatisfied with telling him, that 
 th fcripture was fo full of charity, 
 one could abufe it, unpuniflied. 
 
 Surely, Sir, you will confefs it' 
 this was a grofs mifapplieation of fcrip- 
 ture 
 
Eplftolary difcujjion on Religion. 163 
 
 ture, (and I fear it to be often the cafe 
 with many of your apologias, when 
 they quote it.) In effect, what rs the 
 import of thefe words in the text? 
 There is queftion of a fin a man might 
 be guily of, againfl another, which 
 fuppofes the violation of a divine pre- 
 cept ; Jefus Chrift, to fhew the order 
 of a fraternal correction, fays to the 
 offended ; Go and tell him (the offender) 
 his fault betwixt thee and him alone : if he- 
 fhall hear thee, thou haft gained thy brother; 
 but if he will not hear thee, then take with 
 thee one or tzvo more, that in the mouth of 
 Owo or three witnejfes, every word may be 
 eftabliflied ; but if he JJiall negleSl to hear 
 them, tell it unto the Church, that is, to. 
 the overfeers who are placed over thee 
 and him, to enforce the keeping of the 
 commandments of God, in the par- 
 ticular church, or congregation you 
 both belong to ; ( for, to be fure, one 
 would not have him go and tell it to 
 the univerfal Church) and if he fliall 
 
 ntgleU 
 
J 64 Epijlolary d'tfcujfion on Religion. 
 
 neglecl to hear the Church, let him be unU 
 thee as an heathen man and a publican ; and 
 fo ought to be all fcandaious and in- 
 corrigible finners, which the Church, 
 after St. Paul's example, 1 Cor. v, 
 mould charitably take away, from a- 
 mong the flock, by ecelefiaitical cenfure. 
 
 Such, methinks, Sir, is the fenfe 
 of the text in St. Mat. xviii, 15, and 
 not at all that the ecclefiaftic legifla- 
 tors muft be obeyed, in all and every 
 thing, they are pleafed to prefcribe. 
 
 There is a reproach, the Roman 
 Catholics lie under, I could wifh un- 
 merited: they are accufed of being 
 cruel, in conformity to, and compli- 
 ance with the do&rine of their Church. 
 However, I cannot fay it to be a con- 
 fequence of the principles you have fo 
 far explained ; but we have recorded 
 in our hiftory of England, fo many 
 inftances of their cruelty, that the im- 
 putation cannot be wholly groundless. 
 
 This 
 
Epistolary difcujfion en Re Upon. 165 
 
 This is another confideration that pre- 
 judiced me very much againft your 
 religion, it being impoflible for me to 
 believe, that a religion which can 
 juftify fuch exceffes as the Roman 
 Catholics have been guilty of, in per- 
 fecting the Proteftants, they made 
 martyrs by hundreds, could be that of 
 a God-man, who died for his enemies. 
 
 There is no occafion for obferving, 
 that I unfold my heart to you on every 
 point : I was always the more offended 
 at this one, as I judge intoleration to 
 be diametrically oppofite to the fpirit 
 of our amiable Matter, whom we fee 
 fo feverely rebuke his difciples, becaufe 
 of the defire they expreffed, of calling 
 for fire to come from Heaven, upon 
 a city that had refufed them admit- 
 tance. Luke ix, 54. 
 
 Any other objections or obfervations 
 I could add \ being fumciently anfwer- 
 ed by your preceding explanations ; I 
 
 think 
 
1 66 Epijtolary difcujfioti on Religion, 
 
 think thefe will be the laft I fhall 
 trouble you with ; and perfuaded your 
 anfwers to them, will afrefh entitle 
 you to my gratitude, I here anticipate 
 exprefling it, by alluring you be- 
 forehand, that it is equal to the eiteem 
 with which 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 G, W. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM M, J. B. B. TO G. W. 
 
 July 15, 1797. 
 
 IF my anfwers to your objee* 
 tions, increases, as you are pleafed to 
 fay, your obligations to me, your kind 
 and flattering reflections, add not a 
 little, to the many reafons I have, to 
 hope you fball not have known truth 
 in vain. Fear not, Sir, I repeat it to 
 
 vou 
 
Epijhlary difcujjion on Religion. iGy 
 
 you, to tire me with your objections ; 
 were you, on this confederation, to 
 omit a fmgle one, you might other- 
 wife think fit to make, I fhouid cer- 
 tainly complain of it. 
 
 Your conclufion, that from the Roman 
 Catholic not being obliged to believe 
 any miracles contained in our legends, 
 it follows, he is not obliged to believe 
 faints, thofe declared to be fo, upon 
 fuch miracles, is certainly right : no, 
 Sir, he is not obliged to believe them 
 faints., under pain of damnation ; nor 
 has his Church decreed it to be an obli- 
 gation, for her children, to keep fefti- 
 vals fe.t up to any faint, under fuch 
 pain. Regulations on this fubje£t, are 
 moftly, jn each particular church, of 
 the making of her particular governors, 
 who are not infallible; neither, as 
 before faid, is fo the Church herfelf, 
 on points not revealed. That thofe re- 
 gulations be not always free from 
 abufe, we are ready to grant, without 
 any prejudice to our faith. You 
 
168 Epijlolary difcuffion on Rehgton. 
 
 You do not know, Sir, as you fay, 
 what can be the reafon of the faying, 
 with which you hav r e been nurfed; 
 he is ignorant as a Papifl ; adding, that 
 it was the opinion generally entertained 
 then, if not now, of thofe of our perfua- 
 fion ; and you never knew the ground it 
 was founded upon. 
 
 I may perhaps, Sir, tell It you : the 
 the fir ft reafon for it, which occurs to me 
 is, that it was a proper way of bringing 
 contempt upon thofe, they through 
 derifion called Papifts ; and of giving 
 to underftand, that reading the Bible, 
 (which they pretended the Papifts were 
 forbidden to do,) had revealed to its 
 new perufers, truths, until now hid- 
 den from them, and without which, 
 one cannot but be ignorant. 
 
 Another reafon of the faying is that 
 in reality, the Roman Catholics, or 
 at lea ft, moll cfthem, were not per- 
 haps at that time, very learned, 
 
 which 
 
Epijiolary difcujfion on Religion. 169 
 
 which you will not find very furpri- 
 fing, when you are informed how they 
 were then inftru&ed. 
 
 The following are fome of the laws 
 that call a light upon the matter. 
 
 29 Eliz. ch. vi. All teachers, or 
 keepers of private fchools, being Pa- 
 pifts recufants, incurred the forfeiture 
 of 40s. -per diem, for the offence, as did 
 alfo the maintainers, or retainers of 
 peribns of this defcription. 
 
 Again. Every perfon of whatfoever 
 age or feci:, going abroad to receive a 
 foreign education forfeited his, or her 
 life eftate, both real and perfonal. 
 
 8 Jam. I. ch. iv. All recufant con- 
 victs were difabled to be executors, 
 adminiftrarors or guardians, not only to 
 Grangers, but even to their own children. 
 
 Again, The bringer from beyond 
 Q fea 
 
170 Epiftolary difcujfion on Religion, 
 
 fea, printer, feller or buyer of any 
 popifh books, incurred the forfeiture 
 of 405. for every fueh book. 
 
 3 Chad. I. ch. iii- All perfons con- 
 vicled of giving or receiving a popifh 
 education abroad, or offending money 
 for that purpofe beyond fea, were 
 made, not only to forfeit their life 
 eftates, both real and perfonal, but 
 were, moreover, difabled to bring any 
 aclion at law, or to prefent any ftiit 
 in equity ; and among many other difa* 
 bilities, they were rendered abfolutely 
 incapable of any legacies, or dead gifts. 
 
 1 1 and 12WM. III. Every fchoolmafter 
 of the Romifh perfuafion was adjudged 
 to perpetual imprifonment. 
 
 Again. All perfons educated in the 
 Popifh religion, not having taken the 
 oath of fupremacy and allegiance, 
 within fix months after their attaining 
 the age of 16 years, were made inca- 
 pable 
 
Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion, 171 
 
 pable to take, either by defcent or 
 purchafe, any lands, or profits out oi 
 lands ; and the next Proteftant of kin, 
 was entitled to receive the rent and 
 profit of them, daring the life of the 
 recufant, without being accountable 
 to any perfon whatever, for the fame ; 
 and an additional forfeiture of £.100 
 was impofed upon ail perfons giving 
 their children a Popilh education, &c. 
 
 And now, Sir, had the Roman Ca- 
 tholics been, at that time, really igno- 
 rant, fhould you, in earneft, be fur- 
 prifed at it? For my part, if I am 
 furprifed at any thing, it is not, that 
 they were ignorant, but that they 
 have not all, even to one, renounced 
 a religion that brought upon them 
 fueh reftraint and perfecutions. 
 
 I cannot forbear, on this occafion, 
 
 from imparting to you an idea that 
 
 prefents itfelf to my mind. I imagine 
 
 a man without prejudice either for, or 
 
 Q2 againft 
 
172 Epi/lolary difcuffion on Religion. 
 
 againft Chrift's religion : I will fuppole 
 him, on account of what he witneifes, 
 defirous of knowing a religion, by which 
 both perfecutors and perfecuted pre- 
 tend to be ruled, and he opens to 
 this effect, the book faid to contain 
 its doctrine: which, pray, after read- 
 ing, in it; The zvorld fliall hate and per- 
 fecute you : you fliall be odious to all, for 
 my name : they JJi all put you to death : which 
 1 fay, do you think he will take for 
 the true obferver of its maxims ? Will 
 it be, in your opinion, thofe who 
 •wantonly (trip the others of every thing 
 dear to them, or thofe who patiently 
 fuffer it ? Will it be thofe who are 
 willing to lofe even their own fouls, 
 rather than to forfake their religion, 
 or thofe who drag them into prifon ; 
 and rather than to fuffer any lofs, are 
 always ready to change or modify 
 theirs, to the will and caprice of their 
 overbearing Matters ? I prefume your 
 anfwer, Sir, it cannot be doubtful. 
 As for me, I am lb much ft ruck with 
 
 this 
 
Epiftolary dijcujfton on Religion. 173 
 
 this confideration, that, had I been 
 in his place, I could not but have 
 faid : it thofe are the true difciples, who 
 fhall be treated like their Matter, there 
 cannot be any fear of a miftake ; they* 
 are pointed out, by what they undergo. 
 
 Your quoter of the fcripture, whom 
 you call one of our gentlemen, (which 
 I cannot fay I am very proud of) de- 
 ferved your reply. The interpretation 
 you give of the text in St. Matthew, 
 feems to me perfectly right. 
 
 That the Roman Catholics, un- 
 mindful of the fpirit of the religion 
 they profefs, have exercifed many 
 cruelties againft the Proteftants, is by 
 no means to be denied; but that which 
 you will alfo acknowledge is, the 
 Proteftants have been guilty towards 
 them, of, at leaft, the fame barbarities. 
 Bear with me only a moment Sir, and 
 I will here lay before you, a fhortened 
 relation of the chief tranfactions that 
 Q3 then 
 
) 74 Epijhlayy difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 then took place, which, I am certain, 
 will put it to you be} ond all doubt. 
 
 At a time when all England was 
 Roman Catholic, Henry the eighth 
 requelts of the head of the Church, a 
 difpenfation not to be granted. It was 
 therefore refuted. You know, full 'as 
 well as I do, whatenfued, a fchifm not 
 to be excufed by the inexcujable abnfes 
 then juftly complained of, fince they 
 could be renounced, without renoun- 
 cing the faith, with which they are 
 not to be confounded. However it be ; 
 actuated by motives one cannot fay 
 infpired from above, Henry VIII. ab- 
 jures this faith, which was that of 
 his Anceitors, and had, for ages, 
 made England a feminary of Saints. 
 He gets himfelf declared Supreme 
 Head of the Church, he is about to 
 eitablifh ; and to deny this new title 
 of his, will foon be made high treafon. 
 
 24 Henry VIII, ch. xii. His (Henry's) 
 
 fpiritual 
 
Epijhlary difcnjjion on Religion. 175 
 
 fpiritual fupremacy is acknowledged 
 and confirmed, and all fpiritual fub- 
 ordination to the See of Rome is forever 
 abolifhed ; and every degree of eccle- 
 iiaftical or fpiritual fubmiffion to the 
 Pope, is made punifhable, under the 
 penalties of premunire. 
 
 28 Henry VIII. ch. x. It is made 
 high treafon to refufe the oath of fu- 
 premacy, when tendered. 
 
 1 Edw» VI. ch. xii. The denial of 
 the fpiritual fupremacy of the infant 
 King, is made a crime of high treafon, 
 punifhable with death. 
 
 2 and 3 Edw. VI. ch. i. An aft is 
 
 pafTed for a general change and uni- 
 formity of divine fervice and the ad- 
 miniftration of the facraments through- 
 out the realm ; and the non -conformity 
 thereto, is made punifhable with per- 
 petual imprifonment, 
 
 1 Elk, 
 
176 Epjl diary difcuffion on Religion. 
 
 1 Eliz. ch. iv. Every perfon neg- 
 lecting to frequent the Church, upon a 
 holy -day, is amerced in \id. for every 
 fuch offence, and made liable to all the 
 rigour of ecclefiaftical cenfure. 
 
 13 Eliz. ch. ii. All perfons giving, 
 or receiving abiblution, according to 
 
 the rites of the Church of Rome 
 
 and all juftiees of the peace not dis- 
 doling an offence of this kind, to them 
 declared, are fubjeel: to the penalties 
 and forfeitures ofpremunire, 
 
 23 Eliz. ch. i. All perfons with- 
 drawing others, or withdrawn them- 
 felves to the Romifh religion, with 
 the aiders, maintainers, or concealers of 
 any fuch perfons, are made guilty of 
 high treafon. 
 
 25 Eliz, ch. ii. The forfeiture of 
 200 marks, and one year's imprifon- 
 ment, are made the penalty of faying 
 mafs, and the like term of i.mprifon- 
 
 men 
 
Epiftolary difcujion on Religion. 177 
 
 ment, with the forfeiture of 100 marks, 
 is made the penalty for hearing it ; 
 and the neglect of attending divine 
 fervice, according to the eftablifhed 
 form of worfhip, is punifhable with the 
 forfeiture of £20 every month, and 
 of £200 every year. 
 
 Again. All Priefls are ordered to 
 depart out of the realm, and prohibited 
 to come, or return to it, under the 
 penalty of high treafon ; and it is made 
 felony to receive or relieve a perfon 
 of that defcription ; every perfon con- 
 tributing towards the fupport or main- 
 tenance of any fuch perfons beyond 
 feas, incurred the danger and penal- 
 ties of premunire. 
 
 Again. It is enacted,..- that every 
 perfon not. discovering a Prieit to a 
 Juftice of the peace, mall be arbitrarily 
 fined and impriibned, at the Queen's 
 pleafure. 
 
 29 Eliz. 
 
178 Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion* 
 
 29 Eliz. ch. vi. Every feoffment, 
 gift, grant, conveyance, alienation, 
 eftate, leafe, incumbrance and limi- 
 tation of life of, or out of lands, tene- 
 ments or hereditaments, made fince 
 the beginning of the Queen's reign, 
 or thereafter to be made by any recufant, 
 is declared void, as againft the Queen's 
 Majefty, for, or concerning the levy- 
 ing of pecuniary mulcts and forfeitures 
 of i\:ch recufants ; and the option is 
 alio fubraitted to her Majeily, of feizing 
 two thirds of fuch a recufant's lands, 
 in lieu of the monthly forfeiture of £20, 
 for not frequenting the Church. 
 
 3 Jam. I. ch. ii. and iv. A pro* 
 clamation is framed again!! perfons 
 not frequenting the Church ; and if 
 any perfon, againft whom fuch pro- 
 clamation is made, do not make 
 their appearance of record, at the next 
 ailizes or fe (lions, fuch perfons are 
 from henceforth convicted in law, of 
 the crime of which they are fo indicted, 
 
 and 
 
Epijlolar] difcujfton on Religion. 1 79 
 
 and become liable to the forfeiture of 
 ^20 by the month, or of two thirds of 
 their Lands, without any farther con- 
 viction- 
 
 Again. Every fuhje6t, either within 
 or without this realm, reconciling ano- 
 ther, or being reconciled himfelf to 
 the Church of Rome, is declared guilty 
 of high treafbn ; and all perfons having 
 in their houfes, fervice or pay, any 
 recufants, are made to pay £10 every 
 month, for which they mould fo re- 
 tain and maintain them. 
 
 3 Jam. L ch. iv. Every informer 
 of a mafs faid at any particular houfe, 
 or elfewhere, is entitled to one third 
 of the forfeiture of the perfon fo fay- 
 ing, or affifting at it. 
 
 Again. Every married woman con- 
 victed of Popifh recufancy, or not 
 conforming within the firft 12 months 
 of her marriage, forfeits two thirds of 
 
 her 
 
l8o Epiftolary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 her jointure and dower, and is more- 
 over di fabled to be executrix or ad- 
 miniftratrix of her hufband. 
 
 Again. Every Popifh recufant con- 
 vict is declared to be excommunicated, 
 and ordered to be treated as fuch. 
 All Popifh marriages and baptifms are 
 prohibited under the penalty of £100, 
 and burials, of £20, For each offence. 
 The lifs-eftates of pcrlbns forfeiting 
 the fame, for going beyond the leas, 
 are to be enjoyed by the next kin, 
 who is no recufant, until fuch forfeit- 
 ing perfon mall conform to the ella- 
 blilhed religion. 
 
 7 Jam. I. ch. vi. Every married 
 woman convicled of recufancy, for not 
 frequenting the Church, is condemned 
 to imprifonment till fhe conform, or 
 until her hufband choofe to keep her 
 at liberty, by paying £10 every 
 month, to the crown, or by forfeit- 
 ing two thirds of his lands. 
 
 30 Charl. IL 
 
Epiftolary difcujjion en Religion. 181 
 
 30 Charl. 2. flat. ii. A new tell is 
 framed and required of every perfon, 
 zg2Lmft..tranfubftantlation, the invocation of 
 Saints and the mafs % in order to exclude 
 all Popifli members from both houfes 
 of Parliament. 
 
 11 and 12 Wm. III. ch. vi. The 
 reward of £100 is given to every dis- 
 coverer of a Romifli Biihop and Prieit; 
 and every Bifhop, Priefr or School- 
 mailer of the Romifh perfuafion, ex- 
 ercifmg their refpeclive functions with- 
 in this realm, are adjudged to per- 
 petual imprifonment. 
 
 9 Geo. I. ch. xviii. The lands of 
 Papifts are, in 1728, xharged with the 
 fum of £100000, over and above the 
 double land-tax, which they had long 
 paid. 
 
 Such is, Sir, in a very abbreviate 
 
 manner the extreme rigour with which 
 
 the legiflature of this country has, 
 
 R through 
 
J 82 Epijlolary difcujjion on Religion* 
 
 through a long feries of years, punifhed 
 the crime of Popery. Was it, or was 
 it not deferved ? The repeal of moil 
 of thofe fevere laws, which your juftly 
 beloved King, and unprejudiced Par- 
 liament cancel one after the other, 
 anfwer fufficiently the queftion. 
 
 But, without otherwife reflecting 
 upon cruelties we both equally con- 
 demn and abhor, nor examining if the 
 Proteftants were guilty of the greateft, 
 or if it was the Roman Catholics, it 
 may (were the cafe to admit of any 
 apology) be allowed to afk, which of 
 them might have been more excufable,* 
 whether the Roman Catholic who, ra- 
 ther than to adhere to innovations fub- 
 verfive of his faith, repelled through 
 viol nee, the violence offered, to force 
 them upon him, was morefo, than the 
 Protellant who offered it. For my 
 part, Sir, I fhould think, that, If lam 
 not to give up, undefended, my eflate 
 to an ufurper, 1 might perhaps be 
 
 fomewhat 
 
Epljlolary dijatjfion on Religion. 183 
 
 fomewhat excufable for defending my 
 faith, the treafure I inherited from my 
 Ancestors, againft an invader who 
 would violently take it from me. 
 
 But, Sir, let the apology that one 
 could make in favour of the Roman 
 Catholic, be what it may, I am far from 
 exculpating him. The Proteflant was 
 wrong, in the violence he offered to 
 the Roman Catholic, to oblige him to 
 renounce his faith; and the Roman 
 Catholic was not right, when having 
 it in his power, he forced the Proteft- 
 ant to retain a faith he was willing to 
 renounce. The example of our divine 
 Mafter, who left even his Apoftles to 
 their own choice, when he faid to 
 them, will ye a If go away? John vi, 18, 
 taught them to behave in a different 
 manner. When will men be made 
 fenfible, that the only way of bringing 
 difciples to Jefus Chrift, is clofely to 
 follow his example, to begin to do, that 
 is, to pra&ife all virtues, and then to 
 teaci? AQ.s'1,1. R2 I am 
 
1 84 Epifiolary difcujjion on Religion . 
 
 I am myfelf, Sir, fo much of your 
 fentiment upon toleration, that the 
 contrary has my hearty abhorrence. 
 Were I a legislator, I would have no 
 body troubled for his religion. I take 
 it to be the greater! injuftice, to punifh 
 a man for not thinking as another 
 man does ; as if it was in our power to 
 to model our confciences as we pleafe, 
 and to change them as one does his 
 cloaths. A man cannot be accountable 
 to another man, but for the engage- 
 ments he can contracl with him; he 
 cannot oblige himfelf to have the fame 
 thoughts with another; therefore it is 
 a mo ft cruel tyranny, to punifh him 
 for not having them, to rob him of his 
 focial privileges, becaufe his thoughts 
 are not your thoughts, and he addreffes 
 his Creator in a way different from 
 yours. When properly qualified to 
 ferve our fellow -citizens, what more 
 do they want from us, but integrity? 
 I was always offended at the manner 
 
 the Proteitants 
 
Epiftolary difcujjion on Religion. 185 
 
 Proteflants were ufed in France, and 
 fome other countries : that people, 
 honeft in their dealings, charitable to 
 the poor, and fubmiflive to the laws, had 
 been kept in a fort of civil degradation 
 on no other account than that of their 
 religious tenets, was, in my eyes, an 
 injuftice that admits of no j unification, 
 and I could never approve. 
 
 Sovereigns, ftrike with the fvvord 
 of the law whoever tranfgrefles it, it 
 is your right and duty ; but take care 
 not to make our religious opinions a 
 government affair: we are to account 
 for them, to none but God. It is be- 
 caufe Sovereigns faid to men, on this\ 
 and no other altar, you JJiall offer tip your 
 facrifices, that the earth has lb many 
 times been trained with the blood of 
 its blinded inhabitants. Leave every 
 one of your fubj eels to worfhip the fu- 
 preme Being, after his own manner, 
 fatislied with offering to their imita- 
 tion, patterns of all the virtues religion 
 R$ prefcribea 
 
i86 Epijtolary difcujjion mi Religion. 
 
 prefcribes, and foon you will fee dying 
 away, that jealous , reftlefs fpirit of 
 profelytifm, which makes one part of 
 mankind perfecute the other in the 
 name of God, and changes brethren, 
 who, acting after his example , mould 
 give their life for one another, into 
 irreconcileable enemies that reckon for 
 a merit, the implacable hatred they 
 mutually entertain. 
 
 Now, Sir, I mould imagine I have 
 gone, to your fatisfaclion, through 
 the talk I was to execute; and unlefs 
 on a further confi deration, any new 
 objection occurs to you, nothing, that 
 I know, is at prefent incumbent upon 
 me, but to pray to Heaven for the 
 finifhing of the work I flatter myfelf, 
 is now begun. Were I to hear in my 
 own country, which I have the chear- 
 ing hope of being foon reftored to,* 
 
 * The decree of deportation made agaioft 
 M* J. B. B. and his fellow iufferers, was then 
 repealed, 
 
 that 
 
Epijlolarj difcujfion on Religion. 187 
 
 that my feeble endeavours had, through 
 divine efficacy, been able to remove 
 the unjuft prejudices you ib far har- 
 boured againft our holy religion, I 
 fhould forever doubly blefs his good- 
 nefs, for having, while he thought me 
 worthy to furfer for his fake, made 
 my exile a fit occafion of procuring 
 his glory. 
 
 I am, and fhall always be, w r ith 
 fmcere refpecl:, Sir, 
 
 M. J. B. B, 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FStOMG.^W, TO M. J. B. B. 
 
 27///, Angiiji 1797° 
 Sir, 
 
 I do not fee, even upon a mature 
 eonfiderationj any new objection I 
 could make. I frankly confefs your 
 
 anfwers 
 
188 Epiflolary difcuffion on Religion, 
 
 aafwers have generally exceeded my 
 expectations. I did not indeed think 
 your religion could be fo well vindi- 
 cated; and, to ufe .Agrippa's words; 
 almoft you perfuade me to be a Roman Catho- 
 lic. I with, fincerely wifh any peribn 
 prejudiced againfi your religion as I 
 was, and many are, might alfo be 
 undeceived as I am. Would to God 
 that your Church, fenfible of the ur- 
 gency of doing it, may, by an entire 
 reformation of the abufes I have noted, 
 pave the way to a reconciliation, never 
 fo poflible ! Dear Sir, had not thefe abu- 
 fes exifted, or their reformation ear- 
 neftly been defired and undertaken, 
 what evil would have been prevented ! 
 It is the fault, folely the fault of the 
 heads of your Church, if adoring the 
 fame God, being difciples of the fame 
 Matter, and confefling the fame Re- 
 deemer, we do not adore him in the 
 fame temple, and prefent our offerings 
 at the fame altar ; but fo long as, in- 
 ftead of imitating St. Paul, whocir- 
 
 cumci fed 
 
Epljlolary difcujjion on Reiigien. 189 
 
 cumcifed his difciple, notwithstanding 
 the decifion of the meeting of Jerufa- 
 lem, and was every where making 
 himielf all to all, to gain all to Chrift, 
 they will, as much as poffible, through 
 a ridiculous attachment to do divines and 
 pvecepts of men, deftroy, in place of 
 edifying, create divifions and devote 
 to perdition, fouls he has redeemed by 
 the fhedding of his divine blood, the 
 ■wall- of partition will, I fear, (land; 
 and their pretended zeal that caufes 
 them to crofs feas to get difciples, 
 mail not have any other reward but 
 that the Gofpel tells, is referved to 
 thofe they too well imitate. I fpeak 
 it with confidence, Sir, being inter- 
 nally convinced of what I fay; The 
 reformation of the abufes I have taken 
 notice of, would undoubtedly recon- 
 cile to your Church, thoufands of Pro- 
 teftants. The new feels daily fpring- 
 ing among us, out of each other, 
 announce the want we are in, of being 
 fixed, and never, perhaps, was a more 
 
 aufpicious 
 
190 Epiflolary difcujjion on Religion. 
 
 aufpicious moment to bring about a 
 reconciliation. 
 
 I am commiflioned by Mrs. E. to 
 tell you, that as foon as we have done 
 with our difeuflion, fhe has one herfelf 
 to enter upon, with you, and fhe 
 would take it kind from you, to call 
 on her, on Thurfday morning, between 
 the hours of 10 and 12, if poiiible. 
 
 I am very forry I was not at home 
 on Monday evening, w T hen you called; 
 it had been fo exceeding hot, all that, 
 day, that I was juft gone out. I went for 
 a walk to Kenhngton- gardens, with the 
 gentleman in black you have i^een at 
 Mrs. E's. I flatter myfelf I fhall lofe 
 nothing by it, and you will often give 
 me the opportunity of repeating by 
 word of mouth, the affurance o" the 
 fincere gratitude, efleem and refpe6i 
 with which I am, Sir, 
 
 G. W, 
 
 FINIS. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 Page 37 line 1, bim, read, the penitent 
 
 P.i 20, line 1, he that believes, read, be believes that 
 
 t$* Though, confidering the circumftances wherein 
 it is fpoken, the meaning of the word foul, p. 172 
 1. 14, is obvious, yet, left it mould happen to 
 be mifunderftood, the Editor thinks proper to 
 obferve, that it is ufed here, for life. 
 

BheSS