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THE

OR, A

DEFENCE

O F

Primitive Christianity,

And of Our

Ecclefiaftical Establishment,

AGAINST

The Exorbitant CLAIMS and

ENCROACHMENTS of Fanatical
and Difaffected CLERGYMEN.

The SEVENTH EDITION.
With ADDITIONS and AMENDMENTS.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

Printed for J. PEELE, and Sold by J. OSBORN
at the Golden Ball in Pater-nofter Row.
M.DCC.XLIII.

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©10-26. 31

5.13

English Sanders 10-21-31 24664

THE

INDEPENDENT WHIG.

NUMBER XXXIII.

Wednesday, August 31. 1720.

The Ignorance of the High Church
Vulgar, and its Caufes.

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HAVE always thought the best conftituted Church in the World to be that, which forms and produces the most religious and most

rational Members. Churches are Places where Men are, or fhould be, taught the Love of 'God, and of Virtue; and when People have been long used to perform divine Discipline, VOL. II.

A 2

and,

and, as they imagine, receive Inftruction in Moral and Evangelical Duties, in these ftately Fabrics, they generally conceive a deep Reverence and Devotion for the Buildings themfelves, and for every thing that is said in them, as well as a great Opinion of the Wisdom and Sanctity of the Teachers, who prefide there, and dictate ex Cathedra: They esteem them as Perfons fent by God himself, to deliver a Meffage from his own Mouth; for which also they have often the Word of the Preacher-- No fmall Reafon to the Many for the believing of it!

So that here is an unaccountable Prepoffeffion in favour of every Doctrine, or every Dream, which corrupt Priests fhall think fit to deliver. And indeed, the High-Church Clergy have never failed to make their Advantage of this fuperftitious Awe and Credulity of their Hearers; and to fanctify every Falfhood, and every Whimfy and Impiety uttered by them, with a mifapplied or perverted Text of Scripture; and fo prostituted and profaned the high and holy Name of God, to patronize their Impoftures. I fhall give fome Inftances.

WHEN they have had a mind to flatter a cruel or a foolish Prince, in order to make him ferve their Purposes, and do their Drudgery: they have inftantly intituled him God's Vice

gerent,

gerent, tho' he acted at the fame aime by the Inftigation of his Luft, or of Satan. And, because David and Saul, being appointed by God himself, by Word of Mouth, were called the Lords Anointed, therefore every Tyrant, who was not appointed by God himself, but feized a Crown by Violence or Surprize, became alfo the Lord's Anointed. And because Adam was the Father of his own Son, therefore he was the King of his own Son; and therefore all fuch Kings, who had not Adam for their Father, were nevertheless, in Right of Adam, Kings and Fathers of their Sæbjects, who yet were not their Children, but for all that owed them the Duty of Children, whilst they were plundering and ruining them; and all the Rapine and Murders which they were prompted to commit, by their Anger or their Avarice, were called the Ordinance of God, and were to be fubmitted to with Chriftian Stupidity, on Pain. of Damnation; that is, it was made Damnation to refift Actions and Cruelties which deserved Damnation. And as you were to fubmit to Law, and Justice, on Pain of Damnation, fo ought you to fubmit to the overturning of all Law, and all Justice, on Pain of Damnation alfo. And, because, when we have any Matter of Complaint, we are bid to acquaint the A 3Church

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