scriptures? What a pity it is that the Bible is not locked up in the Vatican! But letting that pass, we find that learning to expound the scriptures is no part of the employment of the students:-SIX young men being expelled the University for reading and expounding the scriptures.

What added to their guilt was, that they carried their religion to a private house. But what can private people have to do with religion ?-Ought not they to do as their forefathers did, namely, give up their consciences and understandings to the guidance of their venerable priests? Is it not enough that gentlemen in black know, and understand religion, but every private person must be dabbling in it, contrary to the sense of this University? I wot, my beloved, that the clergy cannot thrive as they do, if every private house must become a worshiping temple; but it is thought there is little reason to fear this, seeing our text informs us, that the doctors of the University are determined to do what they can to prevent it; for Six young men were expelled the University for being religious in a private house.

VII. Another part of their crime was, that they held Methodistical tenets. This same methodist, my beloved, is a cramp word, gathered out of old books, by men of reverence and learning, and applied to such who pray, read, expound the scriptures, and sing hymns in private houses, a people never to be tolerated by the clergy. You'll observe that this same hard word, which the nation has long rung with, first of all was given to the sons of Esculapius, as a name of honour, and about thirty years ago, was by learned men raised up, as the witch of Ender (who seems to have been a clergy woman too) raised the ghost of old Samuel:

Those same sons of Esculapius were physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries, in their day; but then they were quite immethodical, like the greater part of old women in black prunella and white cambrick. For instance, they had not the me thop of wearing large wigs, gold headed canes,

and of wheeling about the streets in their chariots. And with respect to their physic and surgery, they were guided chiefly by the dictates of nature, without the abstruse methods of art. At last there arose a great man, and his name was Galen, a mighty man for dissecting of apes; for it ought to be observed, that in his days, in Pagan lands, there were very few criminals who deserved death, and fewer still who were given to the surgeons.— Well, what shall he do, think you? Why my beloved, being blessed with better stars at his nativity than his predecessors, he took their confused and immethodical practices, and reduced them into method, i. e. form and order. Well, this great man being principal of the College of Physicians, he taught his pupils to observe orderly rules, otherwise METHOD, from whence his disciples were in honour called Methodists. much for learning; now for doctrine.

So

Then, my beloved, the case stands thus:Amongst the clergy there always have been a great number who did not love praying, singing of hymns, reading and expounding the scriptures; the like may be said of the students. What they aimed at, was a good living, without much work'; and as one in a certain place says, 'Those men care not if the devil take the flock, provided they have but the fleece.'-On the other hand, there have been some who loved to pray, to sing hymns, to read and expound the scriptures; who, if they were not permitted to do it in public houses, or churches, would do it in private houses, to the no small disgrace of the other gentlemen. Well, my beloved, these are they who have been called Methodists, fanatics, and enthusiasts. Now a word or two about their tenets, and then I dismiss this head; for really their tenets, being destructive of priestcraft, must by no means be encouraged.

First, and foremost, they think that a man ought to attest no article of faith, but what he believes to be true,

2. They think that a man ought not to profess to my Lord Bishop, that he believes all the thirtynine articles of the established church to be the true faith of the gospel, when he secretly believes in his heart that they are false and methodistical.

3. They think that a man should not profess to his Lordship, that he is moved by the Holy Ghost to desire the office of a deacon, when he is, in fact moved with the hopes of a benefice, and considers it in his heart as a delusion and enthusiasm, for any man to pretend to be moved by the Holy Ghost in these days.

4. They think that after a man has subscribed to the thirty-nine articles, and solemnly swore that he believes them, that he should not go and preach doctrines directly opposite to the said articles.

5. They think that no man ought to be permitted to enter the pulpit, whose life and conversation is DISSOLUTE.

These, with a great many tenets besides, equally ridiculous. to maintain, and therefore though tolerated by the King and Parliament, the Heads of Houses will never endure them in the University. VII. The of -defended their doctrine by the thirty-nine articles of the established church..

I wot, I fear me much that this doctor is himself tinctured with methodistical tenets; for nobody, now a days, besides methodists, considers the thirty-nine articles of the established church as any test of doctrine: As for the clergy, it is well known they are mostly dissenters from the doctrine of the articles and prayer-book. Ah! beloved if the truth was known, it would be found that this same doctor Dixon prays to God, and reads his Bible; or how else should he take part with those young men, whom the Heads of Houses expelled the University, for praying, reading, and expounding the scriptures? Besides he would not have spoken so highly of their piety and the exemplariness of their lives, as the text tells us he did, seeing the sense of the University was, that

their praying, reading, &c. was vicious. I fear me, my beloved, that if the Heads of Houses do not keep a good look out after this same doctor, it will be difficult for them to keep the University clear from such as pray, and read and expound the scriptures; but his motion was over-ruled. What is one Methodist among a host of Divines?

IX. Dr., one of the Heads of Houses present, observed, that as these Six gentlemen were expelled for having too much religion, it would be very proper to enquire into the conduct of some who had too little. From this part of our text, it appears, that the several crimes alledged against them, amounted in the aggregate to a being righteous over much; which the learned Dr. Trap, of crabbed memory, has very piously shewn to be an evil, almost unpardonable. According to the Rev. Dr. Nowel's learned answer to that profane son of our Alma Mater, called Pietas Oxoniensis, it is evidently much more safe, and less impious, to ridicule the miracles of Moses and of Christ, than to pray in private houses without book. The eloquent Orator of the University gives a full account of the case of Mr. W-ng, a friend of his Oratorship's, who was charged upon oath with the above said contempt of the scriptures, and ridicule of the miracles of Moses and Christ. The proofs were so point blank against the said Rev. Mr. Wng, that his Reverence could not deny the charge. Well then, what was the issue? Was he expelled? No, my beloved, he was not expelled. Query, Why was he noc expelled? Ans. His Reverence pleaded his being DRUNK When he uttered those contemptful words against the miracles of Moses and of Christ, i. e. The Candidate for holy orders was drunk when he ridiculed revealed religion; and yet he got into orders; and yet he continues a member of the University! There is a vulgar proverb indeed, which says. "What a man thinks when he is soder, he speaks out when he is drunk." Whether this is applicable to parson Wng, we pre

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tend not to say; but this we are certain of, Had the Six Methodists ventured to pray to God when they were drunk, they had been expelled for it when they were sober.

But the sweet spirited V-e Cr, received Mr. W- -ng's pennance favourably; and good reason why, for he was never charged by any body with the heinous crime of praying to God off book in private houses; or that would have ruffled the Ve Cr's spirit to the ejection of parson W-1-ng.

In the same affair, related by the Rev. Dr. Nowel, it is plain that private religious assemblies, alias conventicles, are in much less esteem at Oxford than tap-houses and taverns; for the Six Methodists were expelled for praying in a conventicle, but the Rev. Mr. Wng could get drunk in a tap-house; and yet continue a member of the University. Nor can this be denied, unless the public orator should eat his words; otherwise shew from good and authentic records that members of that learned body do occasionally get drunk within their own peculiar districts.

But let us pass on to the absurdity of this Doctor's proposals, "To enquire into the conduct of those who had too littie religion:" As if that should be deemed a crime! Would this doctor have the colleges to stand empty, think you? But we learn that this motion was over-ruled, the Ve Cr and Heads of Houses did not think proper to come into it; from which after-ages will have a very respectable idea of the present piety of that learned body.

Thus, my beloved; I have gone through the first part of my plan, and shall proceed to the second.

II. Namely, to rise a notable point of doctrine from it which is this, viz. That the conduct of the Heads of Houses in expelling the six voung men for praying, reading, and expounding the scriptures, is defensible, from the conduct of the clergy of all ages and countrics, whatsoever snarling persons may say.