dazzle the imaginations of the deluded people, who are pleased with this pomp; and diverted from any inquiries about the truth of our worship, or the foundation of our claims. We dress a clergy up in a very solemn manner, and in peculiar habits, on purpose to cover their ignorance or want of virtue by an exterior garb, that our persons may be reverenced where no deference is due to our parts, learning or integrity. 14. Lastly, what can be said to justify all the hellish plots, treacheries, treasons, and cruelties of the Church of Rome ? All this is for the good of the Church. We only practise these where our arts fail, and men begin to despise us and our trade. If heaven do not favour us, we press hell into our service and are able to consecrate the greatest villanies and the most barbarous cruelties. Then the estates and riches of murdered heretics fall to the share of the priests; and by this craft we have our wealth. From the whole, doth it not appear that Popery is merely a human invention a worldly engine, to greaten and enrich an army of tyrannical, haughty, luxurious, idle, knavish, ill-mannered clergymen? That it is a craft to get the wealth of the world into the hands of the priests. That it is a kingdom wholly of this world,-supported by worldly laws, worldly maxims and policies, worldly rewards and terrors. That all the strength of Popery lies in these two points: THE BLINDNESS OF THE LAITY; THE GAINS OF THE CLERGY. By all their peculiar doctrines are the priests gainers; they gain dominion over conscience, reverence to their persons, or wealth into their purses, by making the laity slaves, fools, and beggars. From the whole account, it appears further, "that Popery is a religion worse than Deism, as it is contradictory of all the principle of reason, and utterly inconsistent with all our ideas of the perfection of God. Yea, that it is worse than Atheism itself, which can only deprive us of all religious motives to be virtuous; whereas, Popery inspires us with the strongest motives to be vicious: it fills us with that hatred to mankind but those of our own persuasion; it tears up every moral principle, and under a solemn pretence of supernatural charity, destroys all humanity." But as surely as there is a God and a Providence, as surely as the gospel is true, so surely those craftsmen will not always be gainers by their craft; their trade will fail them. It is a dark Providence, that the priests' reign has endured so long; it is a scene which shows the need and proveth the certainty of a future judgment. From the whole, it appears how great is our deliverance from these spiritual tyrants. What a blessing was the discovery of the Powder Plot! What a blessing King William was! What a blessing, King George and the present Royal Family. But I expect you are ready to ask the reason I so soon quit the scene at Ephesus, and the story of the Pagan High Church mob there, which is so much to my purpose ? This story is so well represented, embellished, and applied in print, that there is scarce room for improvement; however, as few of you have, perhaps, seen that discourse, I shall in the lively terms of that Author, and in an easy and natural method, give you such a view of this curious piece of history as will convince you that all High Church priests, whether at Rome or elsewhere, are spiritual craftsmen, traders for the wealth and honours of this world! To enter, then, upon our curious subject, you see at verse 21 what vast and noble designs possessed the breast of St. Paul: he aims at spreading light all over Europe, and delivering souls from captivity to the devil and cheating priests in all countries. From Ephesus he is hastened away by a GREAT STIR raised against the new gospel-way of worshipping one God. (v. 23.) If God enjoin and direct men to enter so clear and good a way to heaven, yet many will reject it, only because it is a new way. But surely it is better to go in a new way to heaven, than to keep in the old way to hell. Antiquity, custom, forefathers, and universality have been ancient pleas to keep men in darkness and error. Let us further open the contents of this story in some inquiries. As, first, who raised this commotion? It was the CRAFTSMEN, with one Demetrius at the head of them. Men who manufactured and traded in religious fopperies; sacred TOYMEN, who dealt in images, beads, wafers, Agnus Dei's, holy water, and holy garments, &c. These, in Romish Churches, answer the shrines for DIANA in the Pagan Church at Ephesus. (v. 24.) Diana was a she-deity, originally the moon, called by the Pagan priests, the Queen of Heaven. These shrines were little capsulas or cases, in the form of a temple, with the image of this goddess in them. Whenever God raises up a number of excellent preachers, or holy livers, superstitious and sensual priests will raise up a GREAT STIR against them. CRAFTSMEN who get money by the folly and ignorance of the people, will oppose God and Christ, and raise war against heaven, rather than part with their gain. The goodly trade of image making must be supported, whatever become of religion and the souls of men. Let us enquire, secondly,—what method doth this craftsman, this high Church Zealot, take to oppose the new way which Christ and St. Paul were setting up? He assembles all the master-workmen, and tribe of journeymen, (v. 24, 25.) and gathers a mob, suppose of hireling priests, curates, friars, monks, and makes to them an elegant harangue. Thus begins his sermon -"Sirs! ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Very true; were it not for the craft of cheating the people, and fobbing of poor souls with shews and gestures, bowings, crossings, and holy sprinklings; the trade of worldly priests would be at an end. Religion and real holiness are matters they deal very little in. If once people throw away relics, Pope's pardons, holy water, masses, and crosses, the priests are ruined. Touch but the wealth of these holy men, reform their spiritual courts, and suffer them to get no more money by the sins of the people, and they will raise terrible outcries, as if all religion was at stake. Nothing so galls worldly Churchmen, or so kindles their zeal, as fears of losing their wealth. They will storm like thunder, ride and write like furies, to prevent reformation. Luther and Calvin threw them into such a fright, they have scarce recovered themselves to this day. This leads us to enquire, thirdly, who was the man that durst touch this craft of theirs, and endeavour to bring the people to their senses? It was one PAUL, a Protestant minister, who protested against all Church corruptions: a Dissenting minister, who dissented from the religion established at Ephesus; and who had disturbed almost one half of the world by his preaching. (v. 26.) ONE MAN, with Truth and Christ on his side, is able to defeat a whole army, a whole hierarchy of craftsmen, if he be allowed a fair hearing. One Paul, one Luther, one Calvin, is an over-match for all the hireling priests in the world. One poor monk, in whom the light of gospel truth began to shine, shakes the whole papal kingdom, and confounds Pope, cardinals, bishops, and priests, without any other aid, but the truth and goodness of his cause. But let us enquire, fourthly, what was the great heresy that Paul preached? Why, that they be no gods, which are made with hands, (v. 26.) Wicked doctrine indeed! the very heresy of Protestants; that POPISH IDOLS are no gods; that crossings, bowings to the altar, and to the east, holy garments and holy days, are a parcel of human inventions. What barbarous murders did the Papists commit a few years ago,* at Thorn, in Poland, because the Protestants burnt two or three of their WOODEN GODS! Was St. Paul to rise from the dead, and preach, and live as he did, the Papists would burn him alive as a heretic, a man not fit to live. Now, fifthly, what is like to be the consequence of such heretical preaching as Paul's was? Why, this our craft is in danger to be set at nought. (v. 27.) Very true; when people's eyes are opened, they will give no more money for pardons, masses, commutations of penance, priestly absolutions, &c. And then priestcraft signifies nothing. There are a set of men, who turn their churches into toy-shops, show-rooms, and musicmeetings; and when they are laughed at, cry, "they are in danger." It is no wonder, indeed, that Churches made up of human inventions, governed by secular Canons, supported by worldly interest and temporal power, should be in danger; but the true Church of Christ, being founded on the rock of eternal truth, can never be in danger. All the powers of Rome and hell can never prevail against her. Whenever God's truth breaks forth, and honest men have liberty to preach it, the devil's and the Pope's kingdom will be in terrible danger; then, everything else in divine worship will be set at nought, which hath no support in God's word. God sent the gospel of his Son into the world, not to enrich the clergy, but to convert souls; and to reform the world, which is the visible design of that godlike institution. But, sixthly, what was likely to be the further consequence of Paul's preaching the sincere and uncorrupted gospel? The temple of the great goddess DIANA would be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all the world worshipped. (v. 27.) When Churchmen's sinful gains are in danger, they cry, the Church is in danger! And again, being their only godliness, the chief idol they Now about a hundred and fifty years ago.--EDITOR. worship, it is very true, that their Church and religion are in danger enough, if the gospel be but honestly preached. But is it not a wicked craft, to bring down God and heaven, to espouse the cause of unrighteousness and deceit? Yet furious priests will press heaven and earth in defence of their forgeries and superstitions; nor part with a tittle, a shrine or ceremony to save a soul. There was certainly something divine in Paul and his doctrine, which put the whole tribe of Pagan priests into such a fright. The Temple of the Lady at Loretto, and all other Popish toyshops, would soon be despised, and the magnificence of the prelates humbled, if the gospel and truth had but fair play. Let us inquire, seventhly, what effect this craftsman's sermon had the auditory? They were full of wrath.—(v. 28.) upon The holy tribe were stark-mad, to hear that their trade and their idol were both in danger. Hot sermons have usually violent effects upon a blind and bigoted assembly, while wise and calm hearers see the absurdities and weakness of the discourse, and despise the passion, and perhaps the villany of the preacher. But when the blind lead the blind, the wilfully blind lead the unfortunately blind, the issue will be endless blind ness. WHAT is the cry? "Great is DIANA of the Ephesians!" In Jewish language, "the Temple, the Temple, the Temple!" In High Church language, "the Kirk, the Kirk, the Kirk !”—“ the Church, the Church, the Church." As the Author referred to observes, such is the power of delusion and false zeal, that let but a priest point at a windmill, and cry, the Church is falling, and his congregation will venture their brains to stop the sails. What a pity souls should be thus cheated! The whole city was in an uproar.—(v. 29.) What mischief is one fiery priest, one passionate sermon able to do! This is not the way of Christ and Christian preachers. When men contend for God and truth, they do it calmly, as knowing a good cause will support itself. But error, conscious of its own weakness, flies for support to rage, violence, and confusion. They rush into the theatre. How oft do noise and clamour run down sacred truth, which loves calmness and order. For two hours nothing is heard but "Great is DIANA of the Ephesians."-(v. 34). Paul and his Protestant dissenting brethren could not get in a word amongst them. Be a cause ever so good, rage and fury are ill methods to support it; the wrath of man never promoteth the righteousness of God. Wrath, clamour, bitterness, are of quite a differing nature from reasoning and gospel persuasion. These passions only serve the cause of the enemy who raiseth them. Eighthly, and lastly, how is this ecclesiastical mob dispersed, and this tumult appeased, which these Church toy makers had raised? It is done by the prudence and moderation of a sensible LAYMAN,* the * This is the secret of a complete reformation.-EDITOR. town clerk, or register of the games, who talks to better purpose than the whole convocation of priests.-(v. 35.) He telleth them this worship was established by law, and had a majority on its side.-(v. 35, 36.) And then, had it been a Moloch or a Maypole, it would have had the knavish priests on its side, and must have been worshipped. And if the priests say it, the people will fall down, though it be to a wooden cross, or a decayed stone on the highway, or a worm-eaten image, or a mouldy wafer. To humour the people he (the town clerk) owns it to be the image that fell down from Jupiter. So the Romish priests say the Chapel of the Virgin at Loretto, was carried by angels from the Holy Land into Italy. All the lumber of the Popish priests came from God; yet they are scared out of their wits, if men offer to take it from them, as if God could not defend his own gifts. He tells them that Paul had not robbed their temples, or blasphemed their goddess. (v. 37). For knavish tricks, and foul language only hurt the cause of God and truth. Urging the conscience with argument, and moving the heart by persuasion, are the weapons of Christ's workmen. He tells Demetrius and the priests, that "the Court of Common Pleas is open, if they have any charge against Paul.” (v. 38.) But the misfortune is, the cause of image worship and Church fopperies will not bear a fair trial. |