To clear this I shall produce four instances; most of which I shall take out of that old antiquated book called the scriptures. A book which sets forth the true spirit of the University doctors to the very life.

The first of these instances we have in the book of Daniel, chap. iii. wherein some transactions of the doctors of the established church at Babylon are recorded: concerning which I would make the following notes.

I. That the religion, by law established, was the. religion of the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar, at the request of the clergy, made, and set up in the plains of Dura. A place, my beloved, which, if we may give credit to travellers, very much resembles the plains of Oxford.

II. The clergy, who you know have always been very fond of a golden God, would by no means suffer an act of toleration to be passed in favour of metho dists and dissenters; but, on the contrary, got an Act of Parliament on their own side, enjoining the strictest uniformity in religion, and threatening death to all dissenters. It seems this Prince was too easy; and like some of our former Princes in England, was so much afraid of the clergy, that he was obliged to conform, and so espoused an act of uniformity which the clergy hoped would bring good grist to their mill,

verse 6.

III. This law established. the clergy were very impatient to have the subjects of this great King brought to the test! which they thought best to do by appointing a public feast, on which it is required that every man and mother's son should fall down before, and worship this golden god set up by the King, as the tool of the parsons.

IV. That there were four degrees of learned men, whom I suppose, dwelt in the University at Babylon, First, there were Magicians with them, the same as Doctors of Divinity are with us in our Universities : Secondly, there were Astrologers, or men of learned sciences, much the same with our Masters of Arts: Thirdly,there wereSorcerers, who, I suppose were either Fellows of the College, or Bachelors of Arts, appointC

ed to be tithe-gatherers: And, fourthly, there were Chaldeans or Students of their Divinity, and other fine arts-And,

V. That all those gentry were very vigilant in discovering and informing against dissenters, verse 8. "Wherefore at that time certain Caldeans came near and accused the Jews'. That is to say, certain young Students, being spurred on to it by their tutors, who cared not to appear in such a dirty affair themselves and so forth, by which they appear to have been rather more honourable than the reverend tutor of E -d Hall.

VI. Strict as the law was, there were some who took upon them to pray to God, like those six young gentlemen who were expelled the University for praying. But what were they, think you? why truly, they were dissenters and methodists, for they would not conform to the Babylonish prayer-book, and other forms of worship by law established, therefore were dissenters; and they were methodists, if praying to God, and refusing to pin his faith on the sleeve of the parson's gown denominates a man a methodist. But what followed, trow ye? why, as soon as they were found out to be non-conformists, the clergy accused them of rebellion and had the King been as fond of burning dissenters, as their Reverences were, these men had in a trice been executed, without having another chance for their lives. But he was not quite so fiery, but gave them another trial, and strove to bring them over to the church by gentleness, intermixed with severity: The gentleness was his, and the severity belonged to their Reverences. But the methodist continued obstinate, and at last overcome the parsons. If you'll read the chapter through, you'll see the upshot of it, and how the doctors of the University were confounded, and the dissenters re-admitted to the King's favour; for God did work for them.

I pass on to the days of Darius, a prince who had a praying nobleman for his first minister of state, and, for ought I know to the contrary, he might be first lord of the treasury, as well as chancellor of the em

pire. His name was Daniel and by birth a Jew. Well, my beloved, being so very great, he was grievously envied by the inferior place-men, though they kept it secret, and spoke him fair to his face; and he was very much abused by those who were out of place. If we may judge of ancient things from what appears in ages more modern we may suppose that the times took a turn something like the following:

One man cries out against his being a favourite, and too intimate with the Queen or Queen's Mother, as their kinsmen do upon similar occasions: Another complains of his being a foreigner, and a captive, so highly dignified, whilst the natives were neglected: Perhaps their newspapers might be stuffed with clamours against the exotic favourite; and the incensed mob might be taught to cry out, Liberty and Babylon for ever-but no Jew-no favourite-no captive. Well, my beloved, all the inns and outs might have fretted themselves to death, without being able to do any thing against this prime minister, this same Daniel the King's favourite, if they had not applied to the principal clergy, the Heads of Houses. But I trow, the reverend doctors, the magicians, the masters of the art of astrology, &c. &c, no sooner embarked in the popular cause, but they were more than a match for the favourite, who had fallen by means of their reverences, if the Almighty had as little to do with him as he has to do with the greatest part of the clergy.

Well, my beloved, the Heads of Houses and the disaffected statesmen met all together; and consulted which was the best way to overturn the state of this praying favourite. But the conduct of Daniel was so exemplary, that they knew they should be able to find nothing wrong in him, unless they could entrap him in matters of religion: Therefore having first persuaded the King, that the church was in danger, they urged the necessity of a law being made, prohibiting any man's praying to God. Well, Darius, the King was not such a novice in politics, but he knew the necessity of having the clergy on his side; and, therefore, though he could not see into

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that part of their mysterious divinity, made the decree according to the plan concerted by that learned body. But it is thought that he would have strained a point with them, if he had known that they were aiming at the life of his faithful favourite.

But how stiff these biblists are! For this Daniel went on praying to God, reading and expounding the scriptures in a private house, notwithstanding the King had under the direction of the clergy ordained otherwise; this was enough to have provoked the Heads of Houses to have expelled him the University, had he belonged to it, but he not belonging to it, they were obliged to be satisfied with putting him to death without expelling him.

Now, lest any should object to the clergy having the honour of devising this scheme, because there is no notice taken of them in the history, let it be observed, that it was never known that many great men or noblemen were ever given to interfere in religious, matters; statesmen in all ages, have been wise enough to take up with the religion which the priests have prescribed to them: Therefore what you give of honour to any body in this affair, let it, be given to the clergy. And I pass on to make a comparison betwixt that affair and this before us.

I. They could find no occasion of fault in Daniel; so it was with the six young men who were expelled the University, for their lives were said to be pious and exemplary.

II. They thought they might entrap him in some matters concerning the law of his God. So likewise these young men, though they were no whoremasters, no gamblers, no drunkards, no scripture revilers, &c. yet they could be entrapped in matters relating to pheir God.

III. This same Daniel, notwithstanding the penalty denounced in the edict against any who should take upon them to pray to God, perversely, rebelliously, and obstinately persisted in his usual apostolical, puritanical, non-con-formistical, and methodistical manner of praying to God in a private house. Soon no doubt but these six young men knew it was against

the Heads of Houses, &c. that any of the students under their care should pray to God in a private house, or even pray without book in a public house; for says our text, Six young men where expelled the University for praying, reading, and expounding the scriptures in a private house; yet they persisted in it.

Lastly, under this head. Daniel, president of the princes, kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God as aforeime. But how will you be able to find such puritannic conduct among our British noblemen ?— for I wot that a praying nobleman is pretty near as great a rarity as a white crow upon Malvern hills. If outward conduct is to determine inward sentiments, it may be concluded, that most of our people of fashion consider themselves either as immortal, or as on a level with the beasts, destitute of rational souls.

The second instance of clerical conduct which gives countenance to the late act of the Heads of Houses, I shall bring from the clergy of that famous University at Jerusalem, in the days of Christ and his Apostles. In the established church of Judea there were articles of faith and a canon law, which all the clergy professed to believe, regard, and defend. This confession of faith was first compiled by Moses, the founder of that church; and afterwards ratified and confirmed by Ezra and Nehemiah, their two principal reformers; even as the thirty-nine articles of the established church were ratified and confirmed by our English reformers. I know you'll be ready to think that the clergy deemed it an honour to tread in the steps of those pious reformers; but I trow, my beloved, ye are greatly mistaken; for the Heads of Houses of the University at Jerusalem; even did as many others have done since, make the commandment void to establish their own traditions. Perhaps you will he ready to startle, like the cows in July when bit by the envious flies, when you hear of an University at Jerusalem: But I assure you it was there that the doctors (i. e. teachers) of the law dwelt, and their law was their divinity. Now, where do the neighbouring dogs delight to resort so much as to the place