ich only concerns the political part wherein they were as
wise as others, and might give rules. Instance in some, &c.

Page 98. "How differently from this do the great pretenders to primitive
practice act, &c." This is a remarkable passage. Doth he condemn or
allow this mysterious way? It seems the first--and therefore these words
are a little turned, but infallibly stood in the first draught as a
great argument for Popery.

Page 100. "They dress them up in a _sanbenito_." So, now we are to
answer for the inquisition. One thing is, that he makes the fathers
guilty of asserting most of the corruptions about the power of priests.

Page 104. "Some priests assume to themselves an arbitrary power of
excluding men from the Lord's Supper." His scheme; that any body may
administer the sacraments, women or children, &c.

Page 108. "One no more than another can be reckoned a priest." See his
scheme. Here he disgraces what the law enacts, about the manner of
consecrating, &c.

Page 118. "Churches serve to worse purposes than bear-gardens." This
from Hudibras.

Page 119. "In the time of that wise heathen Ammianus Marcellinus."[18]
Here he runs down all Christianity in general.

[Footnote 18: Ammianus Marcellinus (died _c_. 390) wrote a history of
Rome in thirty-one books, of which Gibbon thought rather highly. The
history may be taken as a continuation of Tacitus and Suetonius. [T.
S.]]

Page 120. "I shall, in the following part of my discourse, shew that
this doctrine is so far from serving the ends of religion, that, 1. It
prevents the spreading of the gospel, &c." This independent power in the
church is like the worms; being the cause of all diseases.

Page 124. "How easily could the Roman emperors have destroyed the
Church?" Just as if he had said; how easily could Herod kill Christ
whilst a child, &c.

Page 125. "The people were set against bishops by reason of their
tyranny." Wrong. For the bishops were no tyrants: Their power was
swallowed up by the Popes, and the people desired they should have more.
It were the regulars that tyrannized and formed priestcraft. He is
ignorant.

Page 139. "He is not bound by the laws of Christ to leave his friends in
order to be baptized, &c." This directly against the Gospel.--One would
think him an emissary, by his preaching schism.

Page 142. "Then will the communion of saints be practicable, to which
the principles of all parties, the occasional conformists only excepted,