piece of complaisance to a lay chancellor." He is something in the
right; and therefore it is a pity there are any; and I hope the Church
will provide against it. But if the sentence be just, it is not the
person, but the contempt. And, if the author attacketh a man on the
highway, and taketh but twopence, he shall be sent to the gallows, more
terrible to him than the devil, for his contempt of the law, &c.
Therefore he need not complain of being sent to hell.
Page xliv. Mr. Leslie may carry things too far, as it is natural,
because the other extreme is so great. But what he says of the king's
losses, since the Church lands were given away, is too great a truth,
&c.
Page lxxvi. "To which I have nothing to plead, except the zeal I have
for the Church of England." You will see some pages further, what he
meaneth by the Church; but it is not fair not to begin with telling us
what is contained in the idea of a Church, &c.
Page lxxxiii. "They will not be angry with me for thinking better of the
Church than they do, &c." No, but they will differ from you; because the
worse the Queen is pleased, you think her better. I believe the Church
will not concern themselves much about your opinion of them, &c.
Page lxxxiv. "But the Popish, Eastern, Presbyterian and Jacobite clergy,
&c." This is like a general pardon, with such exceptions as make it
useless, if we compute it, &c.
Page lxxxvii. "Misapplying of the word church, &c." This is cavilling.
No doubt his project is for exempting the people: But that is not what
in common speech we usually mean by the Church. Besides, who doth not
know that distinction?
_Ibid_. "Constantly apply the same ideas to them." This is, in old
English, meaning the same thing.
Page lxxxix. "Demonstrates I could have no design but the promoting of
truth, &c." Yes, several designs, as money, spleen, atheism, &c. What?
will any man think truth was his design, and not money and malice? Doth
he expect the House will go into a committee for a bill to bring things
to his scheme, to confound everything, &c.
Some deny Tindal to be the author, and produce stories of his dulness
and stupidity. But what is there in all this book, that the dullest man
in England might not write, if he were angry and bold enough, and had no
regard to truth?
REMARKS UPON THE BOOK, &c.
Page 4. "Whether Lewis XIV. has such a power over Philip V?" He speaketh
here of the unlimited, uncontrollable authority of fathers. A very
foolish question; and his discourse hitherto, of government, weak and
trivial, and liable to objections.
_Ibid_. "Whom he is to consider not as his own, but the Almighty's
workmanship." A very likely consideration for the Ideas of the state of
nature. A very wrong deduction of paternal government; but that is
nothing to the dispute, &c.
Page 12. "And as such might justly be punished by every one in the state
of nature." False; he doth not seem to understand the state of nature,
although he hath borrowed it from Hobbes, &c.
Page 14. "Merely speculative points, and other indifferent things, &c."
And why are speculative opinions so insignificant? Do not men proceed in
their practice according to their speculations? So, if the author were a
chancellor and one of his speculations were, that the poorer the clergy
the better; would not that be of great use, if a cause came before him
of tithes or Church lands?
_Ibid_. "Which can only be known by examining whether men had any power
in the state of nature over their own, or others' actions in these
matters." No, that is a wrong method, unless where religion hath not
been revealed; in natural religion.
_Ibid_. "Nothing at first sight can be more obvious, than that in all
religious matters, none could make over the right of judging for
himself, since that would cause his religion to be absolutely at the
disposal of another." At his rate of arguing (I think I do not
misrepresent him, and I believe he will not deny the consequence) a man
may profess Heathenism, Mahometism, &c. and gain as many proselytes as
he can; and they may have their assemblies, and the magistrate ought to
protect them, provided they do not disturb the state: And they may enjoy
all secular preferments, be lords chancellors, judges, &c. But there are
some opinions in several religions, which, although they do not directly
make men rebel, yet lead to it. Instance some. Nay we might have temples
for idols, &c. A thousand such absurdities follow from his general
notions, and ill-digested schemes. And we see in the Old Testament, that
kings were reckoned good or ill, as they suffered or hindered
image-worship and idolatry, &c. which was limiting conscience.
Page 15. "Men may form what clubs, companies, or meetings they think
fit, &c, which the magistrate, as long as the public sustains no damage,
cannot hinder, &c." This is false; although the public sustain no
damage, they will forbid clubs, where they think danger may happen.
Page 16. "The magistrate is as much obliged to protect them in the way
they choose of worshipping Him, as in any other indifferent
matter."--Page 17. "The magistrate to treat all his subjects alike, how
much soever they differ from him or one another in these matters." This
shews, that although they be Turks, Jews, or Heathens, it is so. But we
are sure Christianity is the only true religion, &c. and therefore it
should be the magistrate's chief care to propagate it; and that God
should be worshipped in that that those who are the teachers think most
proper, &c.
Page 18. "So that persecution is the most comprehensive of all crimes,
&c." But he hath not told us what is concluded in the idea of
persecution. State it right.
_Ibid_. "But here it may be demanded, If a man's conscience make him do
such acts, &c." This doth not answer the above objection: For, if the
public be not disturbed with atheistical principles preached, nor
immoralities, all is well. So that still, men may be Jews, Turks, &c.
Page 22. "The same reason which obliges them to make statutes of
mortmain, and other laws, against the people's giving estates to the
clergy, will equally hold for their taking them away when given." A
great security for property! Will this hold to any other society in the
state, as merchants, &c. or only to ecclesiastics? A pretty project:
Forming general schemes requires a deeper head than this man's.
_Ibid_. "But the good of the society being the only reason of the
magistrate's having any power over men's properties, I cannot see why he
should deprive his subjects of any part thereof, for the maintenance of
such opinions as have no tendency that way, &c." Here is a paragraph
(_vide_ also _infra_) which has a great deal in it. The meaning is, that
no man ought to pay tithes, who doth not believe what the minister
preacheth. But how came they by this property? When they purchased the
land, they paid only for so much; and the tithes were exempted. It is an
older title than any man's estate is, and if it were taken away
to-morrow, it could not without a new law belong to the owners of the
other nine parts, any more than impropriations do.
_Ibid_. "For the maintenance of such opinions, as no ways contribute to
the public good," By such opinions as the public receive no advantage
by, he must mean Christianity.
Page 23. "Who by reason of such articles are divided into different
sects." A pretty cause of sects! &c.
Page 24. "So the same reason as often as it occurs, will oblige him to
leave that Church." This is an excuse for his turning Papist.
_Ibid_. "Unless you suppose churches like traps, easy to admit one; but
when once he is in, there he must always stick, either for the pleasure
or profit of the trap-setters." Remark his wit.
Page 29. "Nothing can be more absurd than maintaining there must be two
independent powers in the same society." This is abominably absurd; shew
it.
Page 33. "The whole hierarchy as built on it, must necessarily fall to
the ground, and great will be the fall of this spiritual Babylon." I
will do him justice, and take notice, when he is witty, &c.
Page 36. "For if there may be two such [independent powers] in every
society on earth, why may there not be more than one in heaven?" A
delicate consequence.
Page 37. "Without having the less, he could not have the greater, in
which that is contained." Sophistical; instance wherein.
Page 42. "Some since, subtler than the Jews, have managed commutations
more to their own advantage, by enriching themselves, and beggaring, if
Fame be not a liar, many an honest dissenter." It is fair to produce
witnesses, is she a liar or not? The report is almost impossible.
Commutations were contrived for roguish registers and proctors, and lay
chancellors, but not for the clergy.
Page 43. "Kings and people, who (as the Indians do the Devil) adored the
Pope out of fear." I am in doubt, whether I shall allow that for wit or
no, &c. Look you, in these cases, preface it thus: If one may use an old
saying.
Page 44. "One reason why the clergy make what they call schism, to be so
heinous a sin." There it is now; because he hath changed churches, he
ridiculeth schism; as Milton wrote for divorces, because he had an ill
wife. For ten pages on, we must give the true answer, that makes all
these arguments of no use.
Page 60. "It possibly will be said, I have all this while been doing
these gentlemen a great deal of wrong." To do him justice, he sets forth
the objections of his adversaries with great strength, and much to their
advantage. No doubt those are the very objections we would offer.
Page 68. "Their executioner." He is fond of this word in many places,
yet there is nothing in it further than it is the name for the hangman,
&c.
Page 69. "Since they exclude both from having anything in the ordering
of Church matters." Another part of his scheme: For by this the people
ought to execute ecclesiastical offices without distinction, for he
brings the other opinion as an absurd one.
Page 72, "They claim a judicial power, and, by virtue of it the
government of the Church, and thereby (pardon the expression) become
traitors both to God and man." Who doth he desire to pardon him? or is
this meant of the English clergy? So it seemeth. Doth he desire them to
pardon him? They do it as Christians. Doth he desire the government to
do it? But then how can they make examples? He says, the clergy do so,
&c. so he means all.
Page 74. "I would gladly know what they mean by giving the Holy Ghost."
Explain what is really meant by giving the Holy Ghost, like a king
empowering an ambassador.[15]
[Footnote 15: See Hooker's "Eccl. Pol.," book v. § 77.]
Page 76. "The Popish clergy make very bold with the Three Persons of the
Trinity." Why then, don't mix them, but we see whom this glanceth on
most. As to the _Congé d'Élire_, and _Nolo episcopari_, not so absurd;
and, if omitted, why changed.
Page 78. "But not to digress"--Pray, doth he call scurrility upon the
clergy, a digression? The apology needless, &c.
_Ibid_. "A clergyman, it is said, is God's ambassador." But you know an
ambassador may have a secretary, &c.
_Ibid_. "Call their pulpit speeches, the word of God." That is a
mistake.
Page 79. "Such persons to represent Him." Are not they that own His
power, fitter to represent Him than others? Would the author be a fitter
person?
_Ibid_. "Puffed up with intolerable pride and insolence." Not at all;
for where is the pride to be employed by a prince, whom so few own, and
whose being is disputed by such as this author?
_Ibid_. "Perhaps from a poor servitor, &c. to be a prime minister in
God's kingdom." That is right. God taketh notice of the difference
between poor servitors, &c. Extremely foolish--shew it. The argument
lieth strongly against the apostles, poor fishermen; and St. Paul, a
tentmaker. So gross and idle!
Page 80. "The formality of laying hand over head on a man." A pun; but
an old one. I remember, when Swan[16] made that pun first, he was
severely checked for it.
[Footnote 16: Captain Swan was a celebrated low humorist and punster who
frequented Will's Coffee-house when it was the fashionable resort of men
of wit and pleasure. [T. S.]]
_Ibid_. "What more is required to give one a right, &c." Here shew, what
power is in the church, and what in the state to make priests.
Page 85. "To bring men into, and not turn them out of the ordinary way
of salvation." Yes; but as one rotten sheep doth mischief--and do you
think it reasonable, that such a one as this author, should converse
with Christians, and weak ones.
Page 86. See his fine account of spiritual punishment.
Page 87. "The clergy affirm, that if they had not the power to exclude
men from the Church, its unity could not be preserved." So to expel an
ill member from a college, would be to divide the college; as in
All-Souls, &c. Apply it to him.[17]
[Footnote 17: Tindal was a fellow of All Souls College. [T. S.]]
Page 88. "I cannot see but it is contrary to the rules of charity, to
exclude men from the Church, &c." All this turns upon the falsest
reasoning in the world. So, if a man be imprisoned for stealing a horse,
he is hindered from other duties: And, you might argue, that a man who
doth ill, ought to be more diligent in minding other duties, and not to
be debarred from them. It is for contumacy and rebellion against that
power in the church, which the law hath confirmed. So a man is outlawed
for a trifle, upon contumacy.
Page 92. "Obliging all by penal laws to receive the sacrament." This is
false.
Page 93. "The want of which means can only harden a man in his
impenitence." It is for his being hardened that he is excluded. Suppose
a son robbeth his father on the highway, and his father will not see him
till he restoreth the money and owneth his fault. It is hard to deny him
paying his duty in other things, &c. How absurd this!
Page 95. "And that only _they_ had a right to give it." Another part of
his scheme, that the people have a right to give the sacrament. See more
of it, pp. 135 and 137.
Page 96. "Made familiar to such practices by the heathen priests." Well;
and this shews the necessity of it for peace' sake. A silly objection of
this and other enemies to religion, to think to disgrace it by applying
heathenism, which only concerns the political part wherein they were as
wise as others, and might give rules. Instance in some, &c.
Page 98. "How differently from this do the great pretenders to primitive
practice act, &c." This is a remarkable passage. Doth he condemn or
allow this mysterious way? It seems the first--and therefore these words
are a little turned, but infallibly stood in the first draught as a
great argument for Popery.
Page 100. "They dress them up in a _sanbenito_." So, now we are to
answer for the inquisition. One thing is, that he makes the fathers
guilty of asserting most of the corruptions about the power of priests.
Page 104. "Some priests assume to themselves an arbitrary power of
excluding men from the Lord's Supper." His scheme; that any body may
administer the sacraments, women or children, &c.
Page 108. "One no more than another can be reckoned a priest." See his
scheme. Here he disgraces what the law enacts, about the manner of
consecrating, &c.
Page 118. "Churches serve to worse purposes than bear-gardens." This
from Hudibras.
Page 119. "In the time of that wise heathen Ammianus Marcellinus."[18]
Here he runs down all Christianity in general.
[Footnote 18: Ammianus Marcellinus (died _c_. 390) wrote a history of
Rome in thirty-one books, of which Gibbon thought rather highly. The
history may be taken as a continuation of Tacitus and Suetonius. [T.
S.]]
Page 120. "I shall, in the following part of my discourse, shew that
this doctrine is so far from serving the ends of religion, that, 1. It
prevents the spreading of the gospel, &c." This independent power in the
church is like the worms; being the cause of all diseases.
Page 124. "How easily could the Roman emperors have destroyed the
Church?" Just as if he had said; how easily could Herod kill Christ
whilst a child, &c.
Page 125. "The people were set against bishops by reason of their
tyranny." Wrong. For the bishops were no tyrants: Their power was
swallowed up by the Popes, and the people desired they should have more.
It were the regulars that tyrannized and formed priestcraft. He is
ignorant.
Page 139. "He is not bound by the laws of Christ to leave his friends in
order to be baptized, &c." This directly against the Gospel.--One would
think him an emissary, by his preaching schism.
Page 142. "Then will the communion of saints be practicable, to which
the principles of all parties, the occasional conformists only excepted,
stand in direct opposition, &c." So that all are wrong but they. The
Scripture is fully against schism. Tindal promoteth it and placeth in it
all the present and future happiness of man.
Page 144. All he has hitherto said on this matter, with a very little
turn, were arguments for Popery: For, it is certain, that religion had
share in very few wars for many hundred years before the Reformation,
because they were all of a mind. It is the ambition of rebels, preaching
upon the discontents of sectaries, that they are not supreme, which hath
caused wars for religion. He is mistaken altogether. His little narrow
understanding and want of learning.
Page 145. "Though some say the high-fliers' lives might serve for a very
good rule, if men would act quite contrary to them," Is he one of those
some? Beside the new turn of wit, &c. all the clergy in England come
under his notion of high-fliers, as he states it.
Page 147. "None of them (Churchmen) could be brought to acknowledge it
lawful upon any account whatever, to exclude the Duke of York." This
account false in fact.
_Ibid_. "And the body-politic, whether ecclesiastical or civil, must be
dealt with after the same manner, as the body-natural." What, because it
is called a body, and is a simile, must it hold in all circumstances?
Page 148. "We find all wise legislators have had regard to the tempers,
inclinations, and prejudices, &c." This paragraph false.--It was
directly contrary in several, as Lycurgus, &c.
Page 152. "All the skill of the prelatists is not able to discover the
least distinction between bishop and presbyter." Yet, God knows, this
hath been done many a time.
Page 158. "The Epistle to the Philippians is directed to the bishops and
deacons, I mean in due order after the people, _viz_, to the saints with
their bishops and deacons." I hope he would argue from another place,
that the people precede the king, because of these words: "Ye shall be
destroyed both you and your king."
Page 167. "The Pope and other great Church dons." I suppose, he meaneth
bishops: But I wish, he would explain himself, and not be so very witty
in the midst of an argument; it is like two mediums; not fair in
disputing.
Page 168. "Clemens Romanus blames the people not for assuming a power,
but for making a wrong use of it, &c." His great error all along is,
that he doth not distinguish between a power, and a liberty of
exercising that power, &c. I would appeal to any man, whether the clergy
have not too little power, since a book like this, that unsettleth
foundations and would destroy all, goes unpunished, &c.
Page 171. "By this or some such method the bishops obtained their power
over their fellow presbyters, and both over the people. The whole tenor
of the Gospel directly contrary to it." Then it is not an allowable
means: This carries it so far as to spoil his own system; it is a sin to
have bishops as we have them.
Page 172. "The preservation of peace and unity, and not any divine
right, was the reason of establishing a superiority of one of the
presbyters over the rest. Otherwise there would, as they say, have been
as many schismatics as Presbyters. No great compliment to the clergy of
those days." Why so? It is the natural effect of a worse independency,
which he keepeth such a clatter about; an independency of churches on
each other, which must naturally create schism.
Page 183. "How could the Christians have asserted the disinterestedness
of those who first preached the Gospel, particularly their having a
right to the tenth part." Yes, that would have passed easy enough; for
they could not imagine teachers could live on air; and their heathen
priests were much more unreasonable.
Page 184. "Men's suffering for such opinions is not sufficient to
support the weight of them." This is a glance against Christianity.
State the case of converting infidels; the converters are supposed few;
the bulk of the priests must be of the converted country. It is their
own people therefore they maintain. What project or end can a few
converters propose? they can leave no power to their families, &c. State
this, I say, at length, and give it a true turn. Princes give
corporations power to purchase lands.
Page 187. "That it became an easy prey to the barbarous nations."
Ignorance in Tindal. The empire long declined before Christianity was
introduced. This a wrong cause, if ever there was one.
Page 190, "It is the clergy's interest to have religion corrupted."
Quite the contrary; prove it. How is it the interest of the English
clergy to corrupt religion? The more justice and piety the people have,
the better it is for them; for that would prevent the penury of farmers,
and the oppression of exacting covetous landlords, &c. That which hath
corrupted religion, is the liberty unlimited of professing all opinions.
Do not lawyers render law intricate by their speculations, &c. And
physicians, &c.
Page 209. "The spirit and temper of the clergy, &c." What does this man
think the clergy are made of? Answer generally to what he says against
councils in the ten pages before. Suppose I should bring quotations in
their praise.
Page 211. "As the clergy, though few in comparison of the laity, were
the inventors of corruptions." His scheme is, that the fewer and poorer
the clergy the better, and the contrary among the laity. A noble
principle; and delicate consequences from it.
Page 207. "Men are not always condemned for the sake of opinions, but
opinions sometimes for the sake of men." And so, he hopes, that if his
opinions are condemned, people will think, it is a spite against him, as
having been always scandalous.
Page 210. "The meanest layman as good a judge as the greatest priest,
for the meanest man is as much interested in the truth of religion as
the greatest priest." As if one should say, the meanest sick man hath as
much interest in health as a physician, therefore is as good a judge of
physic as a physician, &c.
_Ibid_. "Had synods been composed of laymen, none of those corruptions
which tend to advance the interest of the clergy, &c." True, but the
part the laity had in reforming, was little more than plundering. He
should understand, that the nature of things is this, that the clergy
are made of men, and, without some encouragement, they will not have the
best, but the worst.
Page 215. "They who gave estates to, rather than they who took them
from, the clergy, were guilty of sacrilege." Then the people are the
Church, and the clergy not; another part of his scheme.
Page 219. "The clergy, as they subsisted by the alms of the people, &c."
This he would have still. Shew the folly of it. Not possible to shew any
civilized nation ever did it Who would be clergymen then? The absurdity
appears by putting the case, that none were to be statesmen, lawyers, or
physicians, but who were to subsist by alms.
Page 222. "These subtle clergymen work their designs, who lately cut out
such a tacking job for them, &c." He is mistaken--Everybody was for the
bill almost: though not for the tack. The Bishop of Sarum was for it, as
appears by his speech against it. But it seems, the tacking is owing to
metaphysical speculations. I wonder whether is most perplexed, this
author in his style, or the writings of our divines. In the judgment of
all people our divines have carried practical preaching and writing to
the greatest perfection it ever arrived to; which shews, that we may
affirm in general, our clergy is excellent, although this or that man be
faulty. As if an army be constantly victorious, regular, &c. we may say,
it is an excellent victorious army: But Tindal; to disparage it, would
say, such a serjeant ran away; such an ensign hid himself in a ditch;
nay, one colonel turned his back, therefore, it is a corrupt, cowardly
army, &c.