TRUTH will never hurt you; it is a most innocent and lovely thing; it may rob you of fome Emoluments and Poffeffions of a worldly Nature; but be affur'd it will give you SOMETHING more fubftantial in their ftead. Be ingenuous then, and tell Diffenters in whom GOD hath lodged this POWER to which they owe Subjection, and by revolting from which they are guilty of a dangerous and damnable Sin. If you write again, but will not explain yourfelf diftinctly on this Point, you yield the Cause to us before the World. You make it evident that you write neither for our, nor your own Conviction; but that you have fomething else in view befides finding out TRUTH. That fomething, perhaps, you may find; but it will continue with you but for a Moment; whereas, if you find and do the WILL OF GOD, it will give you a Poffeffion that will endure FOR EVER.

TH

fay, "

SECT II.

Of the SACRAMENTAL TEST.

AHAT the Law called The TEST, is not, as you fuggeft, the innocent Occafion only, but the plain, the notorious, the culpable Caufe of thofe Proftitutions of the Holy SACRAMENT, which, you you fee with CONCERN;" what room can there be for any rational Doubt? For does not the very Defign and Intent of that Law, at leaft as 'tis now apply'd, prostitute and pervert the Sacrament to an Ufe not only different from, but directly repuguant to, THAT for which it was inftituted and defign'd by JESUS CHRIST? The Chriftian Law injoins it as a Mean, and with Intent, to unite and coalefce Chriftians. The Teft-Law injoins it as a Mean, and with Intent, to difcriminate and divide them. For the Minifters of JESUS CHRIST then to

be

be Advocates for a Law which prostitutes and perverts an boly SACRAMENT of his Religion; yea, a Law which makes THEMSELVES the very Inftruments and Tools of this fhameful Proftitution; is fuch a Violation of their Character, fuch a Proftitution of their facred Office, fuch a Betraying the folemn Truft committed to them by GoD, for which they must give Account to the Chief Paftor at his coming, as cannot but greatly fhock an attentive Beholder; and as fhould give, methinks, extremely painful Apprehenfions to themselves.

"Thefe Prostitutions, you affure us, you do fee "with CONCERN; but yet cannot be for the RE"PEAL, becaufe you think it inconfiftent with the "Prefervation of the CHURCH." What Church alas! muft that be which cannot be preferved but by an acknowledg'd Proftitution and Perverfion of an boly Sacrament! Sure, not the Church of CHRIST. Let not Chriftians do Evil, that Good may come; fuch carnal and corrupt Policy ever defeats itself; and its Condemnation is just t.

You correct me for faying,-That by the Force of this Law Multitudes of needy Perfons are compell'd to come to the Lord's Table, and cry,"GOD forbid! that the Temptations even of Poverty and Want fhould be efteem'd to have the "Nature of Force and Compulfion, -for in that "Cafe they would have no Guilt at all upon their "Confciences." So then, you can bring off, I find, the young Adulterer from any Guilt with his lewd Woman, Prov. vii. 21. because with the Flattery of her Lips fhe FORCED him. I thought I had written to a Batchelor of Divinity; to a Gentleman no Stranger to Scripture Language, and who knew what is meant when the King commands his Servants to COMPEL the Guest to come in, Luke xiv. 23. For the like ufe of the Word compel, you may please to

* II Def. P.

8.

† Rom. iii. 8.

con

confult Galat. ii. 14. vi. 12. See alfo Luke xiv. 18, 20. in the Original.

That the Priest has no Power to refufe the Lord's Supper to the vileft Perfon that demands it as a Qualification for a Poft, you care not to admit, and afk," Is there any Law which forbids the Cu"rate to repel him from the Lord's Table *?" Yes, by equitable Conftruction of the Law called the Teft, moft certainly there is: For the fame Law which requires, under severe Penalties, all Perfons in Pofts to receive the Lord's Supper according to the Ufage of the Church of England, does, by indifputable Confequence, require fome one to give it. If it must be received by them, it must furely be given to them. To fuppofe the Legiflature to have oblig'd them, under heavy Pains, to partake of the holy Sacrament; but to have oblig'd none, upon their Demand, to adminifter it to them, is to fuppose it acting a moft abfurd and unjustifiable Part; which is not to be imagin'd. Who then is the Perfon to whom, according to Law, a Man that wants the facramental Qualification is to apply for that Service? Undoubtedly his Parish Priest, who is appointed and paid by Law for the Performance of the feveral Offices which the State requires of him, of which this is plainly one. Whatever Power therefore the Rubric gave the Curate to repel open EVIL-LIVERS from the Table of the LORD before the Teft-Act took place, in Cafes of Qualification, it is now unqueftionably fuperfeded, and the Rubrick virtually repeald. For when a new Law injoins what is repugnant to an old, that old Law is to be confider'd as fo far fet afide. And as for the "Damages to which the "Prieft is liable to be condemn'd for the refufing the "Sacrament," thefe the Law, 'tis prefum'd, will give according to the Lofs, which the Perfon can make appear he hath fuftain'd by that Refufal,

* II Def. p. 3

which

which in many Cafes may be great; more than the Prieft is worth.

"The Oath of Abjuration you esteem quite a Parallel to the Sacramental Teft; and urge, that if one fhould be repealed because it lays Men under violent Temptations to proftitute their Confciences; fo alfo ought the other *." No; the Cafes, if duly weigh'd, will be found to differ widely. An OATH of Fidelity to the Government that employs us in Pofts of Influence and Power, is a Security or Pledge evidently founded in the Reason of Things; it has been the Practice immemorial of all civiliz'd Nations; its Neceffity, or great Expedience, manifeftly arifes from the Nature of Civil Government; it is therefore reasonably prefum'd to be the Will and Inftitution of GOD the Author of Civil Government; and was inftituted for Purposes of a political or civil kind. Here is no Prostitution then, no Perversion of this facred RITE, when the Oath is tender'd to a Man at his Entrance upon a Poft of Truft; and if a needy Jacobite takes it, to the Pollution of his Confcience, himself only can be blam'd: The Law that ordered it is clear. But, can any of this be faid concerning the SACRAMENTAL Test? Hath THIS been an Inftrument for the Support of Civil Government in the greateft, moft flourishing and wifeft Empires of the Earth? Hath GOD, the Author of Civil Government, given the leaft Intimation of his intending it fuch a Guard? Had CHRIST the Inftitutor of this Rite the leaft Intention or Defign that it fhould be thus used and applied; be made an Engine and Tool of State; an Inftrument to dif criminate betwixt Chriftian and Christian; to lift fome to Pofts of Power in the Kingdoms of this World; and to lay upon others (Men equally virtuous) Brands of Odium and Difgrace? Had he not unquestionably a quite CONTRARY Defign? You

know, Sir, that he had. Does he look then with Pleafure down, think you, upon the Kingdom and Church, where he fees his Name and his Inftitutions thus openly violated, perverted, profaned; his Priests liking to bave it fo; approving, efpoufing, defending the ABUSE? own, I cannot think it; and fhould any Man exprefs a fear that this is not the leaft of thofe national SINS which expofe us to Divine Difpleasure; that it is a public Violation of that RIGHTEOUSNESS and PIETY which alone can exalt a People; a Blemish, a Difeafe which preys upon the Body Politic; and, if it does not threaten its Diffolution, yet greatly impairs its Strength: I confefs I could not prove his Fears fuperftitious or weak. For if the Church of CORINTH was feverely chaften'd for not making a due Diftinction betwixt the Sacrament and their common Meals, and not eating it AS the LORD's Supper; I fee not but the Church of ENGLAND may have fomething alfo to fear, for thofe Perverfions and Proftitutions which, you own, you fee with CONCERN; for its ufing this Sacrament not only not according to, but directly against its primitive Inftitution; to a Purpose and for an End which quite oppofes and fubverts one principal Defign for which our Divine Mafter ap pointed this SACRED RITE. SO ELI faw with ConSo cern the Corruptions of his Sons, and their PROSTITUTIONS of holy Things; but because he took not effectual and proper Measures to prevent them You have feen alfo how awful and fevere a Stroke they drew down upon his Houfe, 1 Sam. ii. 12.

High Offices and Court Employments, I have acknowledg'd, might be apt to corrupt Diffenters; as every one knows them to have this Influence upon the human Mind; though as a Briton therefore and a Chriftian I wish earnestly the REPEAL, yet as a Diffenter I profefs no Solicitude about it. But I "ought not then, you fay, fo ftrenuously to plead "for their being admitted to fuch Employments,

D