Page images
PDF
EPUB

veftries, begging the fignatures of every peafant and mendicant, who comes to hear the gofpel: "Wrong no man; he that loves his "neighbour fulfils the law," &c. and thofe pious fouls" pained and trembling for the ark "of God," running with the fagot to kindle the flames of fedition, and to opprefs their neighbours. Remark, in feventeen hundred and eighty, a lord with his hair cropped, a bible in his hand, turned elder and high-prieft at the age of twenty-three, and fainting for the ARK OF ISRAEL!

In the fore-ground of this extraordinary picture, remark a MISSIONARY, who has reformed the very reformation; separated from all the Proteftant churches, and in trimming the veffel of religion, which he has brought into a new dock, has fuffered as much for the fake of confcience, as Lodowic Muggleton or James Nailer could register in their martyrology. Remark that fame gentleman inflaming the rabble, dividing his Majefty's fubjects, propagating black flander, and throwing the gauntlet to people who never provoked him. Is not fanaticifm, the mother of cruelty, and the daughter of folly, the firft character in this religious mafquerade? Is it not the firft fpring that gives motion to thefe extraordinary figures, fo correfponfive to Hogarth's En

"

raged

raged Musician? And in fencing with folly, have not the graveft authors handled the foils of ridicule? To the modern Footés and Molieres, or to the young ftudent in rhetoric, who employs irony in enlarging on his theme, fhould I for ever leave the "pained fouls and

trembling hearts," of the Scotch Jonathan and the English Samuel, with their squadrons of Ifraelites fighting" for the ark of the Lord," if what they ftyle in England the Gordonian Affociations, had not voted their thanks to Mr. Wefley, for what they call his excellent letter. Such a performance is worthy the approbation of fuch cenfors; and in their holy fhrines the facred relic fhould be repofited. In examining a performance which contains in a fmall compafs, all the horrors invented by blind and mifguided zeal, fet forth in the most bitter language, I fhall confine myself to the ftrict line of an apologift, who clears himself and his principles from the fouleft afperfions. To the public and their impartial reason, the appeal fhall be made. To the fentiments implanted in the human breaft, and to the conduct of man, not to the rubbish of the schools, Mr. Wefley fhould have made application, when he undertook to folve the interefting problem, Whether the Roman Catholics fhould be tolerated, or perfecuted? But inspired writers partake of the spirit of the feèrs, and copy

as

as much as poffible after the prophets the prophet Ezechiel breathed on a pile of bones, and lo! a formidable army ftarting from the earth and ranging itself in battle-array. Mr. Wesley blows the duft of an old book, and lo! fquadrons of religious warriors engaged in a crufade for the extirpation of the infidels.

The loyalty, the conduct, the virtues common to all, the natural attachment of man to his intereft and country, the peaceable behaviour of the Roman Catholics, have no weight in the fcale of candour and juftice. An old council, held four hundred years ago, is ransacked and misconstrued; a Roman Catholic is unworthy of being tolerated amongst the Turks, because Mr. Wesley puts on his fpectacles to read old Latin.

I have the honour to remain,

Gentlemen,

Your humble and obedient fervant,

MARY'S-LANE, DUBLIN,

FEBRUARY 28, 1780.

ARTHUR O'LEARY.

(ADDRESSED AS THE FORMER.)

GENTLEMEN,

FANATICISM is a kind of religious folly. We laughed at it in a former letter. Whoever has a mind to indulge his humour at our expence, is heartily welcome. You now expect a serious answer to a serious charge. I fend you fuch as occurs.

"The council of Conftance has openly "avowed violation of faith with heretics. But "it has never been openly disclaimed. There"fore," concludes Mr. Wefley, "the Roman "Catholics fhould not be tolerated amongst the "Turks or Pagans."

A council fo often quoted in anniversary fermons, parliamentary debates, and flying pamphlets,

« PreviousContinue »