eek priests, who would
not fail to falsify it with the extremity of malice. No body of men
ever were more ignorant, or more corrupt; yet they differ so little
from the Romish church, that, I confess, nothing gives me a greater
abhorrence of the cruelty of your clergy, than the barbarous
persecution of them, whenever they have been their masters, for no
other reason than their not acknowledging the pope. The dissenting
in that one article, has got them the titles of heretics and
schismatics; and, what is worse, the same treatment. I found at
Philippopolis, a sect of Christians that call themselves Paulines.
They shew an old church, where, they say, St Paul preached; and he is
their favourite saint, after the same manner that St Peter is at
Rome; neither do they forget to give him the same preference over the
rest of the apostles.

BUT of all the religions I have seen, that of the Arnounts seems to
me the most particular; they are natives of Arnountlich, the ancient
Macedonia, and still retain the courage and hardiness, though they
have lost the name of Macedonians, being the best militia in the
Turkish empire, and the only check upon the janizaries. They are
foot soldiers; we had a guard of them, relieved in every considerable
town we passed; they are all cloathed and armed at their own expence,
dressed in clean white coarse cloth, carrying guns of a prodigious
length, which they run with upon their shoulders, as if they did not
feel the weight of them, the leader singing a sort of rude tune, not
unpleasant, and the rest making up the chorus. These people living
between Christians and Mahometans, and not being skilled in
controversy, declare, that they are utterly unable to judge which
religion is best; but, to be certain of not entirely rejecting the
truth, they very prudently follow both. They go to the mosques on
Fridays, and to the church on Sunday, saying, for their excuse, that
at the day of judgment they are sure of protection from the true
prophet; but which that is, they are not able to determine in this
world. I believe there is no other race of mankind, who have so
modest an opinion of their own capacity.

THESE are the remarks I have made, on the diversity of religions I
have seen. I don't ask your pardon for the liberty I have taken in
speaking of the Roman. I know you equally condemn the quakery (sic)
of all churches, as much as you revere the sacred truths, in which we
both agree.

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