The charge of partaking in ether mens finș is certainly very fevere: it deals about a heavy reflection upon all the miniftry; and how far his majefly himself may be concerned, I know Every reader, I believe, will be apt to conceive that the charge is pointed there, as well as upon others, when your lordflip fays, That Defender of the faith is not an empty

not.

title: the defence of the church of England is • —the foundation of the revolution, and of his majesty's fucceffion to the throne,' p. 158.

But what is all this grounded upon? Becaule a find is not permitted to affemble, where 'tis very likely to fly into heats and 'parties, and after much contention, nothing 'to be done. And then the enemies without,

will finile, and tell the world, that when it came to the trial, the convocation itself 'could not agree, about this matter; and from thence draw an untoward confequence

against the very doctrine itself [of the trinity.'] Authority of Christian Princes, p. 330.

I would willingly, my lord, cast a veil over this unaccountable behaviour of councils, where pride and ill-nature commonly domineer;' that I may ftill keep to that great man's words. Appeal. Pref. p. 24. When one fees the arts that have been used to con

dema..

demn or to acquit a perfon, the intrigues, the corruption, the malice and oppreffion, which appears in the very first affemblies of the clergy under Conftantine; and by what tricks their points were carried, then, and have been too often fince, I am borne down by the weight of his grace's judgment, and cannot but acquit his majesty and all others of all imputation of fin, in not permitting, in our present circumftances, the convocation to fit and act.

Pardon me, my lord, for the trouble I have put your lordfhip to on this occafion. But when the humour of addreffing, begun at Oxford encouraged and promoted by the London clergy, and 'tis faid (I do not pretend to fay for what end) that 'tis to be carried on in many vifitations over England this fummer, -when this humour of addreffing thanks for a book, which contains the very effence of perfecution, is promoted, I cannot but openly protest against fuch proceedings. It feems to me an artful method of fome to catch the unwary, that under pretence of declaring against herefy, they may declare for persecution. Your lordship, no doubt, is not accountable for any actions of other men. I therefore propofe it to the confideration of all those who are fo zealous for these thanks,

that

that if this public approbation of your lordfhip's book be thus teftified, whether it be not in all thofe that are concerned, as that great prelate fo often quoted, expresses it, to arraign the government for not suffering the CONVOCATION to meet, and to tell the world, that both the honour of religion, and the good of the church, are concerned in it, and cannot be preferved without it. Authority of Chriftian Princes, p. 5. Is not this to make as invidious a fuggestion against our fovereign lord king GEORGE, and against all in authority under him, as 'tis poffible to make ? Is this fuggeftion fit and right at this time,. when a fpirit of faction is raifed and promoted over the nation on other accounts; and when difcontents have clouded in a great meafure mens understandings ?

But if thanks muft be voted, as I perceive the university of Cambridge likewise hath just now done, yet let the doctrine of perfecution be excepted; let the heathen's advice, which must have prevented christianity's coming into the world, and muft hinder the reformation of public errors in all countries, be excepted; let the charge upon the government be excepted; and let the errors of the book, whatever they be (for which I am fure your lordship would not accept any one's thanks) be excepted, that

thofe

thofe who vote their thanks may not be chargeable with them, and then I think the fincereft thanks are due to your lordship; nor would any man more readily concur in giving them, than,

April 28th,

1721.

My LORD,

Your Lordship's

Moft obedient Servant.

POST SCRIPT.

TH

HO' in the preceding letter, a fufficient anfwer is given to what your lordship had faid concerning punishment for blasphemy, yet I have judged it not improper to suggest a few things upon that topic more particularly.

Blafphemy is an irreligious, presumptuous, contemptuous reviling of God. When there fore your lordship says, p. 159. If he [Christ] be God, and you deny him, 'tis blafphemy, your lordship confounds an irreligious, preSumptuous, contemptuous reviling of God, with a mistaken notion or conception of God which has no contempt, no reproach, no reviling of God defigned or intended in it.

There

There is not a more mischievous abuse of words, than to apply a term, which always in its proper fense stands for a designed prefumptuous reviling, to cafes where no defigned reviling is intended. To execute therefore laws, made against real blafphemy; and under the cover of that word to draw in, as guilty, those who by confequences and conftruction only, can be deemed blafphemers, is to ensnare and to entrap men; 'tis to punish persons for crimes which they never thought of, and from their hearts abhor; and therefore with equal juftice, they might be treated as felons, or murderers, as they can be blafphemers.

Let blafphemy, my lord, that which is really fuch, be punished as feverely as your lordship wifhes; but let not men be deemed f phemers by confequences. I know not where this evil can stop, if once this practice fhould take place; every Calvinist is charged with blafphemy by his adverfaries, for making God the author of fin; and he in his turn charges them with the fame crime, for maintaining freedom of will. 'Tis juft the fame betwixt proteftants and papists: each of them dealing about the word blafphemy, upon the other, by a horrible abuse of the word, for a confequence, which is utterly denied, and detefted, by those that are charged with it.

When