And the wretched Defence they make for this their Apostacy (say the Deists) maketh the matter worse. For notwithstanding King James is, as they will have it, Conquer'd; and his Throne, which was declared vacant, is legally filled by one who by Act of Parliament is declared our Rightful King; yet after all this Dr. S—— will reserve a Right to King James, though through Success and Settlement he will allow a Right also to King William. And this Notion the Clergy generally adhere to, because thereby they kill two or three Birds with one stone. 1st. They preserve to themselves their ancient Right of giving Titles to Sovereignty. For though both King and Parliament have disclaimed and damned the Conquest, yet the Clergy still insist upon it. 2ly. They make fair Weather with King James, by keeping his Title alive, and by still asserting his Right, open him a Door to recover his Possession again. For what honest Christian can oppose a Rightful King in regaining the Possession of his Throne, which is kept from him by a Successful Usurper? and 3ly. They think they have obliged King William sufficiently by the formality of an Oath, and owning him in his Possession. Put all this together and 'twill prove, that
When all the Argument is out,
'Tis Interest still resolves the doubt.
Thus (cry they) you plainly see, that your Church is nothing but a Party, to which whosoever joineth, himself shall find his Account thereby, notwithstanding any Error, Heresy, Immorality or Disloyalty to the present Government whatsoever; whilst any other who is conformable to the Rubricks and Canons, whose Learning and Morals are an Honour to his Gown, and who is truly dutiful to his Majesty, shall be excluded from all those benefits his Profession would entitle him to. Thus the bold Asserters of King James's Right enjoy some of the best Preferments, and particularly Dr. S—— sits D—— of St. P—— whilst honest Mr. Johnson is starving upon Charity.
The Church of England is a meer Party, (say they again) and has a Watch-word whereby they know one another, which they can vary upon occasion. Non-Resistance was the Word in King Charles's days. For though at that time you did conform to every tittle and ceremony, injoin'd by Rubrick and Canon, yet if you failed in the Point of Non-Resistance, you were a Phanatick and Republican, a Rebel, and what not? Now if this Doctrine be contain'd in the Book of Homilies, as the Jacobites say, 'tis a Sacred Record of the Unjustice of some of those who concurred in the late Revolution. The Shiboleth of the Church now is King William's de facto Title; And no Conformity to Homilies and Rubricks will make you owned by the present Church, if you should acknowledge the King to be otherwise said than a meer de facto. Now (say they) although we grant that Men will submit to the Government, upon their own particular Principles, and therefore 'tis reasonable that the King should admit the Obedience of his Subjects upon what Grounds they please, yet we know no Reason why the Church should set up the de facto, as the only Principle of Obedience: And when the King had better Titles to his Crown, as the Consent of the People in Parliament, and his Matrimonial Title with the Queen, yet he must be made to pay the greatest price for the weakest and worst of all Titles; and give Dr. S—— Sixteen Hundred Pounds a Year, for a Defactoship only.
You see, Sir, that the Deists want not Occasions for their Prejudices, how far soever they are from having Reason o' their side. And pray resolve me, why must this false Title be set up as 'twere by the King's Consent, to worm out the only true one? Why must none be preferr'd to Church-Dignities, but such who come in upon this Title only? And those who own the King's Right upon the Consent of the People, be still labouring under the Church's highest displeasure? and poor Johnson, a Man against whom no Immorality was ever objected, that is an Object even of the Deists Compassion, be left to starve for the Cause? Nay, they have gone so far upon the Strength of Dr. S—— Convocation-Title, in Opposition to that of Parliament, that since the good Queen is dead, and the Consent of the People, according to them, null and void; they have left the King a bare Possession, without any Title at all.
4. I am acquainted with a Gentleman, who for some Years has not gone to Church, having taken offence at those Practices I was now writing upon. This Man, you must know, had an extraordinary Veneration for the profound Learning (so he thinks much reading and common-placing to be) of a certain Eminent Divine, who had a fat Bishoprick bestow'd on him by King William and Queen Mary. But he to requite their Kindness, when a Bill was brought before the Lords, declaring the King and Queen's rightful and lawful Title to the Crown, not only opposed and voted against it in the House; but when it had passed, he entred his Protestation against it in the Journal. Nay (said this Gentleman) if King William be only King de facto, then the Bishop is de facto only. Truly Sir, you may believe me, that I was amaz'd at this Relation; for (as I then said) though most Men look no further, than only to get Mony de facto, and do not with much strictness inquire quo jure; yet 'twas strange that any Man should protest that he had no right to that Estate, which he openly continued in Possession of. But I was soon answer'd by this his former Admirer, that if that Bishop had strengthened his own Title to the Bishoprick from King J. I might cease my wonder.
I am indeed sorry to hear Stories of this Nature, especially when they assure me of the Truth of 'em, and when I see the ill Consequences of them. For though nothing be more certain than that the Baseness and Falshood of Man can never disprove the Truth of God; yet when Men are highly Scandaliz'd, and greatly deceived by those for whom they had Esteem, and by whose Authority they in great measure governed themselves, they will stretch their Conclusion beyond their Premisses, and disown Religion in their Principle, because 'tis disregarded by some great Men in their Practice.
But though to strict Reasons, such Arguments for Deism appear ridiculous; yet from the Promotion of these de facto Men, I am told, hath arisen great disadvantage to the King, and those Subjects, whose Principles and Practices have been always faithful to his Majesties Interest: Since hereby it is, that it hath always been in the power of the open and professed Enemies of the King to oppress his most dutiful Subjects. For these de facto-men, and the Jacobites, were but lately the same sort of People, both of the same Principle and Temper. And though the Jacobites do now rail at them, for their base Complyances (as they term it) with the P. of O's Revolution; yet the de factos are unwilling, for old Acquaintance sake, to pass by their Railing, and underhand to shew 'em any kindness: And this they submit to, as being Self-conscious, that the Jacobites have a Right to reproach them; so that they are willing to appease the anger of their old Friends by their best Services. Now the Jacobites having always an innate Hatred to the Whigs, (as they now stile all those who think themselves obliged to own the King for their rightful Sovereign) and being willing to keep up their old Master's Right to the Crown, (to which the Whigs are irreconcileable Enemies) easily prevail upon these de factos to oppress those other sort of Men, which is an Office they are as willing to undertake, as the Jacobites can be to put it upon 'em. Thus it cometh to pass, that according as an open professed Enemy to the Government shall dictate, a Church-man shall strenuously exert that Power the King has given him, to discourage and oppress his Dutiful and Loyal Subjects. I will only (said a certain Person) make a Supposition, to shew you how this may be; suppose the King should bestow a Bishoprick upon a de facto Doctor, and this Doctor should there find his old Acquaintance Dr. H. and being a Stranger in his Diocese, should be willing to instruct himself in the Characters of Men from the good D., would it not fall out so, that the Clergy of that Diocese must be used well or ill, as the most open and notorious Enemy the Government hath, shall design? And was it not possible that the E. of N. might oblige his old Friends in the same manner? Thus, though King James be at last excluded, his Subjects reign in his stead. And whether an Oath of Abjuration laid upon the Jacobites Proxy-men, will put an end to this Corruption, Time must tell us.
5. But to return to the Reasons, (or Prejudices I may rather call 'em) which occasion Deism; It hath been observed to me, that where the Notion of a Church hath been carried on with the highest Tide, there even natural Religion is at the lowest Ebb; as in Italy of old, and lately in France, where gross Immoralities and Atheism are at the greatest height. And though in our Reformation we discarded some Idolatrous and Superstitious Doctrines and Practices, which were grown scandalous among the People, yet still Christ was made to serve that turn, which his Holy Vicar can no longer do, viz. Support an Holy Order of Men in as haughty Insolences, in as proud, ambitious and malicious Designs, as those which King Henry (though a Son of the Church) and his Times could not bear. Now in answer to this, I bid these Deists only read the Bible, and see if the Spirit of that Book be not as good as their Thoughts can reach to; or let 'em read the Character of the Christian Religion, given by Sir Matthew Hale in the first of his Three Letters concerning Religion, where he saith, It teacheth and tutors the Soul to a high Reverence and Veneration of Almighty God, a sincere and upright Walking, as in the Presence of the invisible all-seeing God. It makes a Man truly love to Honour, to Obey him, and therefore careful to know what his Will is: It renders the Heart highly thankful to him, both as his Creator, Redeemer and Benefactor: It makes a Man entirely to depend upon, to seek to him for Guidance and Direction, and Protection, to submit to his Will with all Patience, and Resignation of Soul: It gives the Law not only to his Words and Actions, but to his very Thoughts and Purposes: It bringeth Man to such a Deportment both of External and Internal Sobriety, as may be decent in the Presence of God and his holy Angels: It crusheth and casts down all Pride and Haughtiness, both in a Man's Heart and Carriage, and gives him an humble frame of Soul and Life, both in the sight of God and Men: It regulates and governs the Passions of the Mind, and brings them into due moderation and frame: It gives a Man a right estimate of this present World; and sets the Heart and Hopes above it, so that he never loves it more than it deserves. It makes the Wealth and Glory of this World, high Places and great Preferments, but of a low and little value to him, so that he is neither covetous nor ambitious, nor over-sollicitous concerning the advantages of it: It brings a Man to that frame, that Righteousness, Justice, Honesty and Fidelity, is as 'twere part of his Nature; he can sooner dye than commit or purpose that which is unjust, dishonest or unworthy a good Man: It makes him value the love of God and Peace of Conscience above all the Wealth and Honours in the World, and be very vigilant to keep it inviolably: Though he be under a due Apprehension of the Love of God, yet it keeps him humble and watchful, and free from all Presumption; so that he dares not under a vain Confidence of the Indulgence of God, commit or purpose the least injury to man: He performs all his Duties to God in Sincerity, Integrity and Constancy; and while he lives on Earth, his Conversation, his Hopes, his Treasure, and the Flower of his Expectation is in Heaven; and he entirely endeavours to walk suitably to such a Hope. In Sum, it restores the Image of God unto the Soul in Righteousness and true Holiness.