Mouth against Socinians, I may modeftly fay they are equally good and legal in a Papift's Mouth against Proteftants.

G. But, My Lord, do we diftinguish the Commandements?

L. Sr, to answer this, I have a second Question ready for you. Is not this Precept, thou shalt not kill, one of the ten Commandements?

G. What then?

L. Why then Sr, all thofe are guilty of a Breach of this Commandement, who kill their Enemies in · War. For the Commandement is general and abfolute: and there is no Diftinction, or Limitation tack'd to it.

G. But, My Lord, all the World understands ir of Killing by private Authority.

L. Then all the World muft condemn the malitious Nonsense you have talk'd, and own, that the plaineft Commandement may be diftinguish'd, and made to speak Metaphyficks, as you call it.

But I have a third Question to ask. Is not Saturday, or the 7th Day of the Week meant by the Sabbath-day in holy Writ?

G. Yes, My Lord. For God himself fays Deut. s. . 13. 14. Six Days shallt thou labour, and do all thy Work, but the feventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. And therefore Saturday is call'd in Latin, dies Sabati, as it is ftill the Day of Worship amongst the Jews.

L. Well, and is not this Precept, thou shallt keep holy the Sabbath-day, among the Commandements of the Decalogue? Is it not clear and precife as to the very Day of the Week ?

G. Who doubts it?

L. And why then do you keep the Sunday instead DE Saturday holy?

G. My Lord, the particular Day, which we call Saturday, was only commanded with Relation to the Jews, but not to Chriftians, who have therefore chan ged the Saturday into the Sunday.

L. What! Still another Diftinction even of the very plainest Precept, and that without the leaft Foundation in the Word of God! Did you not just now tell me, that fuch Diftinctions are meer human Inven“ tions to excufe our Breach of the Commands of God? That we are to keep far from the forbidden Thing, not try how near we can come to it by Diftinctions? That finally we ought to make a Hedge about the Law, or in the Apoftles Words to abstain from all Appearance of Evil? Thus you preach'd to me just now with a great Deal of zeal. But pray Sr, what becomes now of all this fine Cant? For either the Commandements may be diftin guish'd, or not. If not, how can you defend yourfelf either against Anabaptifts Denying the Lawful nefs of shedding Blood according to the fifth Commandement, or against the Jews infifting upon the exprefs Commandement of keeping the Sabbath, that is, the Saturday, Holy? But if they may, is not all you have faid against our diftinguishing the Com mandements meer Pedantick Cavelling, and Nonfenfe?

Suppose a Jew should retort upon you, what you just now laid to me, viz. Which then are in the fafeft Way, we who follow the direct Rule of God's Commandes ments as they are plainly laid down to us in holy Scripture, without Turning to the Right Hand or to the Left, or you who diftinguish the plainest Precepts, and make them speak Metaphyfiks? Suppofe, I fay, a Jew should retort this Canting Stuff upon you, you must either turn Few, or make him an Anfwer, which will be a Cap to fit your own Block. Unless you have this pretty Salve to come off with, viz. that a Popish Diftinction

of the Commandements is meant only to elude them, and introduce all Superstition, but that Proteftants may diftinguish them without any fuch Felonious Intention: And then we shall have a fupernumerary Metaphyfical Diftinction, which the Schoolmen yet never thought of.

However I perceive the Popish Distinction of Latria and Dulia will by nó Means go down with you. But pray Sr, what do you call the Honour you pay to Saints and Angels, when you keep Holy-Days in Me mory of them? For I am apt to think, this Diftingtion, as Popish as it is, will be here full as ferviceable to you against the Diffenters, as it is to us against the Church of England. For, give it what Name you please, if keeping Holy-days be any Part of Chriftian Devotion, all the World befides yourselves will call it a Religious Honour: Because when we honour Perfons meerly for Supernatural Gifts bestow'd upon them by God, then the Honour we pay them is in the common Language of Mankind call'd Religious. And, if the English Word, Worship, be extendable, as it certainly is, to all Sorts of Religious Honour, then it follows, that befides the fupreme Religious Worship call'd Latria, which is due to God alone, there is likewife an Inferiour Religions Worship call'd Dulia, paid to God's Saints and Angels even by your Church. Which plainly shews, how wretchedly you are out in Saying that Larria and Dulia fignify both the fame Thing: And the Confequence of all is, that you are no lefs out in your main Affertion, viz. That all Sort of Religious Worship is forbid to be given to any but to God alone. Unless you will acknowledge, that your own Church is as guilty of Acting contrary to that Pretended Prohibition, as Papifts themselves. Nay 'tis impoffible for you to anfwer the Diffenters but with the Help of that very Popish Diftinction, or some

thing equivalent to it, which you have taken fo much Pains to ridicule.

As to your Saying, that St Austin makes all to be Devils, who require or accept of any Religious Honour, I am only forry you put me again in Mind of your Sins paft: I mean your Controverfial Sin of Falfifying; which in a Dispute about Religion may be counted a mongst the Deadly ones; and ought therefore to be repented of and retracted, rather than aggravated by an infulting Repetition.

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But the finest Stroke is yet to come, viz. your Saying, that by the Distinction of Supreme and Inferiour Worship, which we call Latria and Dulia, the Worship of the Devil may be Justify'd. What Sr! are you in good Earneft, when you talk fuch extravagant Stuff! May the Devil be worshipped with an Inferiour or Relative Honour as well as the Friends and Servants of God! This I prefume is a Piece of Divi nity, in which you have not yet many Followers. However, as you have already have already one Holyday for all the Saints in general, and another for St Michael and all the Angels; who knows, but that by your Intereft and zeal the Reformation of the Church of England may be fo well improved in Time, that a Day may likewife be fet apart for Lucifer and his Angels? For fince the one may be justify'd by the other, why should not the Devil have his Due? I am fure the Religious Honour you pay to Saints and Angels in keeping their Holydays is juftify'd by the Practice of both Churches; and if that will justify our Giving the fame Religious Honour to the Devil, I fee no Reason why according to this new System of Proteftant Divinity he should not have a Holyday allow'd him.

The Papifts indeed will be highly Scandaliz'd and cry out Shame against it; because they make a large Difference between the faithful Friends and Servants II. Part.

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of God and his incorrigible mortal Enemy the Devil. They discover in the former the beautiful Supernatural Gifts of Grace and Glory, which entitle them to an inferiour Religious Honour for the Sake of him who has beftow'd thofe Gifts upon them, and to whom that Honour is ultimately referr'd: But they see Nothing in the Devil, which can justify their honouring him in the fame Manner.

'Tis true, the Devil was fo true to himself (as you have carefully remark'd to do him Juftice) as not to pretend to be the Supreme God and Sovereign Difpofer of all Things. But do's it follow from thence, that he may be put upon the Level with God's moft faithful Servants, and be honour'd by us as they are ? For Shame Sr, fee your Error, and be Senfible to what Extravagances the Prejudice of Education will hurry a Man, that gives himself blindly up to it.

§. 34.

Some Touches of the Gentleman's Skill in Drollery, and Slander.

G.

Y Lord, befides the Cafes already men

Mtion'd by me, there are fome unworthy

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ones put in the Rubrick of the Maß; as if a Dog » or a Moufe should eat the Sacrament --- if a Prieft » should vomit it up again, in which Cafe he is to » lick it up Reverently, unless it be nauseous (that was well put in) and then it is to be difpofed of fo and fo. And again if a Fly should drop into the Cup, how the fly is to be dealt with. --- And one » Reafon given for taking the Cup from the Laity » was, that the Laity (at that Time I fuppofe) wore long Beards, and leaft the Blood of Chrift should drop upon them or ftick to their Whiskers. Al