added one abfurdity more; teaching that the bread and wine are converted into the body and blood of our Saviour, and yet remain bread and wine as at firft; which is termed by them confubftantiation. I am perfuaded, that at this time not a single man of them harbours fuch a thought.

Many perfons, impenetrable by a ferious argument, can discover falfehood when put in a ridiculous light. It requires, I am fenfible, a very delicate hand to attack a grave fubject with ridicule as a test of truth; and for that reafon, I forbear to offer any thing of my own. But I will fet before my readers fome extracts from a book of abfolute authority with Roman Catholics. Though tranfubftantiation be there handled in the moft ferious manner, with all the ceremonies and punctilios that naturally flow from it, yet in my judgement it is happily contrived to give it a moft ridiculous appearance. The book is the Roman Miffal, from which the following is a literal tranflation.

"Mafs may be deficient in the matter, in the "form, in the minifter, or in the action. First, "in the matter. If the bread be not of wheat, " or if there be fo great a mixture of other "grain that it cannot be called wheat bread, "or if any way corrupted, it does not make a "facrament. If it be made with rofe-water, or "any other diftilled water, it is doubtful whe"ther it make a facrament or not. Tho' cor"ruption have begun, or tho' it be leavened, it "makes a facrament, but the celebrator fins griev«ously.

"If the celebrator before confecration, obferve "that the hoft is corrupted, or is not of wheat, " he must take another hoft: if after confecra"tion, he muft ftill take another and fwallow

"it, after which he must alfo fwallow the first, or give it to another, or preferve it in fome 66 place with reverence. But if he had fwal"lowed the firft without obferving its defects, he "must nevertheless swallow also the perfect host; "because the precept about the perfection of the "facrament, is of greater weight than that of "taking it fafting. If the confecrated hoft difappear by an accident, as by wind, by a miracle, or by fome animal, another must be confe"crated.

"If the wine be quite four or putrid, or made "of unripe grapes, or be mixed with fo much "water as to spoil the wine, it is no facrament.

"If the wine have begun to four or to be corrupt"ed, or be quite new, or not mixed with water, "or mixed with rofe-water or other diftilled water, "it makes a facrament, but the celebrator fins grievously.

..

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"If the priest, before confecration, observe that "the materials are not proper, he must stop, if proper materials cannot be got; but after confecration, he must proceed, to avoid giving "fcandal. If proper materials can be procured by "waiting, he must wait for them, that the facri"fice may not remain imperfect.

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Second, in form. If any of the words of "confecration be omitted, or any of them be chang"ed into words of a different meaning, it is no facrament: if they be changed into words of the "fame meaning, it makes a facrament; but the "celebrator fins grievously.

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"Third, in the minifter. If he does not intend "to make a facrament, but to cheat; if there be any part of the wine, or any wafer that he has "not in his eye, and does not intend to confe"crate; if he have before him eleven wafers, and "intends to confecrate only ten, not determining

"what

"what ten he intends: in thefe cafes the con"fecration does not hold, because intention is "requifite. If he think there are ten only, and "intends to confecrate all before him, they are "all confecrated; therefore priests ought always "to have fuch intention. If the priest, thinking " he has but one wafer, fhall, after the confe"cration, find two sticking together, he must take "off all the remains of the confecrated matter; "for they all belong to the fame facrifice. If in "confecrating, the intention be not actual by wandering of mind, but virtual in approaching the "altar, it makes a facrament: tho' priests fhould "be careful to have intention both virtual and " actual.

"Befide intention, the priest may be deficient "in difpofition of mind. If he be fufpended, or "degraded, or excommunicated, or under mor"tal fin, he makes a facrament, but fins griev"oufly. He may be deficient alfo in difpofition " of body. If he have not fafted from midnight, if he have not tasted water or any other "drink or meat, even in the way of medicine, " he cannot celebrate nor communicate. If he "have taken meat or drink before midnight, even "tho' he have not flept nor digefted it, he does "not fin. But on account of the perturbation of "mind, which bars devotion, it is prudent to re"frain.

"If any remains of meat, fticking in the mouth, "be fwallowed with the hoft, they do not pre"vent communicating, provided they be fwallow"ed not as meat, but as fpittle. The fame is

to be faid, if in washing the mouth a drop of "water be fwallowed, provided it be against our « will.

"Fourth in the action. If any requifite be want"ing, it is no facrament; for example, if it be "celebrated

celebrated out of holy ground, or upon an al"tar not confecrated, or not covered with three napkins if there be no wax candles; if it be not celebrated between day-break and noon; "if the celebrator have not faid mattins with lauds ; "if he omit any of the facerdotal robes; if these "robes and the napkins be not bleffed by a bifhop; if there be no clerk prefent to ferve, or one who ought not to ferve, a woman for ex"ample; if there be no chalice, the cup of which "is gold, or filver, or pewter; if the vestment be

not of clean linen adorned with filk in the middle, and bleffed by a bifhop; if the priest ce"lebrate with his head covered; if there be no "miffal prefent, though he have it by heart.

"If a gnat or fpider fall into the cup after "confecration, the priest must swallow it with the "blood, if he can: otherwife, let him take it out, "wash it with wine, burn it and throw it with "the washings into holy ground. If poifon fall "into the cup, the blood must be poured on

tow or on a linen cloth, remain till it be dry, "then be burnt, and afhes be thrown upon holy ground. If the hoft be poifoned, it must be "kept in a tabernacle till it be corrupted.

"If the blood freeze in winter, put warm cloths "about the, cup; if that be not fufficient, put the cup in boiling water.

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"If any of Chrift's blood fall on the ground by negligence, it must be licked up with the "tongue, and the place fcraped: the fcrapings "must be burnt, and the afhes buried in holy "ground.

"If the priest vomit the eucharist and the fpe"cies appear entire, it must be licked up most "reverently. If a naufea prevent that to be done,

it must be kept till it be corrupted. If the "fpecies do not appear, let the vomit be burnt, and the afhes thrown upon holy ground."

As

As the foregoing article has beyond intention fwelled to an enormous fize, I fhall add but one other article, which fhall be extremely short; and that is the creed of Athanafius. It is a heap of unintelligible jargon; and yet we are appointed to believe every article of it under the pain of eternal damnation. As it enjoins belief of rank contradictions, it feems purpofely calculated to be a teft of flavifh fubmiffion to the tyrannical authority of a proud and arrogant prieft t.

CHA P. III.

Religious Worship.

IN the foregoing chapter are traced the gradu

al advances of the fenfe of Deity, from its imperfect ftate among favages to its maturity among enlightened nations; difplaying to us one great being, to whom all other beings owe their existence, who made the world, and who governs it by perfect laws. And our perception of Deity, arifing from that fenfe, is fortified by an intuitive per ception, that there neceffarily muft exift fome being who had no beginning. Confidering the Deity as the author of our exiftence we owe him gratitude; confidering him as governor of the worid, we owe him obedience: and upon thefe duties is founded the obligation we are under to worship him. Further, God made man for fociety, and implanted in his nature the moral fenfe to direct his conduct in that ftate. From thefe premises,

Bishop Burnet feems doubtful whether this creed was compofed by Athanafius. His doubts, in my Apprehenfion, are scarce fufficient to weigh against the unanimous opinion of the Chriftian church.