church, a place in every
pulpit, and a vote in every synod; even from the Sanhedrim of the
_Jews_, to our friends at the _Bull and Mouth_, &c. from the greatest to
the least.

It will, I confess, come very much within the compass of this part of my
discourse, to give an account, _or at least make an essay toward it_, of
the share _the Devil_ has had in the spreading religion in the world;
and especially of dividing and subdividing opinions in religion;
perhaps, to eke it out and make it reach the farther; and also to shew
how far he is or has made himself a missionary of the famous clan _de
propaganda fide_; it is true, we find him heartily employ'd in almost
every corner of the world _ad propagandum errorem_: But that may require
a history by it self.

As to his propagating religion, 'tis a little hard indeed, at first
sight, to charge _the Devil_ with propagating religion, that is to say,
if we take it literally, and in the gross; but if you take it as the
_Scots_ insisted to take the oath of fidelity, _viz._ with an
_explanation_, it is plain _Satan_ has very often had a share in the
method, if not in the design of propagating the _christian faith_: For
example.

I think I do no injury at all to the Devil, to say that he had a great
hand in the old _holy war_, as it was ignorantly and enthusiastically
call'd; stirring up the christian princes and powers of _Europe_ to run
a madding after the _Turks_ and _Saracens_, and make war with those
innocent people above a thousand miles off, only because they entred
into God's heritage when he had forsaken it; graz'd upon his ground when
he had fairly turn'd it into a common, and laid it open for the next
comer; spending their nation's treasure, and embarking their kings and
people, (I say) in a war above a thousand miles off, filling their heads
with that religious madness, call'd, in those days, _holy zeal_ to
recover the _terra sancta_, the sepulchers of Christ and the Saints, and
as they call'd it falsly, the _holy city_, tho' true religion says it
was the accursed city, and not worth spending one drop of blood for.

This religious _Bubble_ was certainly of _Satan_, who, as he craftily
drew them in, so like a true _Devil_ he left them in the lurch when they
came there, fac'd about to the _Saracens_, animated the immortal
_Saladin_ against them, and manag'd so dexterously that he left the
bones of about thirteen or fourteen hundred thousand Christians there as
a troph