136 liftME AND HER CHUlUfJ. 



rest. Christianity, we all know, aims immediately at the heart ; that is/ 

 sets itself to regulate and reform the inward man in the first instance : 

 as its morality points chiefly to internal purity, being all refined, yet 

 solid : so its ritual leads directly to internal devotion, being alike simple 

 and expressive. It pronounces the highest beatitude to ' the pure in 

 heart, and promises the divine acceptance to those only who worship 

 God in spirit and in truth.' It prescribes no pompous ceremonies ; it 

 prohibits all ostentations; in short, it calls off the attention of its 

 disciples from whatever is merely mechanical or formal in religion, to 

 whatever is vital and substantial. Now Popery does just the reverse : 

 it introduces an endless train of senseless, yet showy observances, the 

 parade of which wholly engrosses the popular imagination, and leaves 

 neither leisure nor disposition for minding any thing more rational or 

 moral. So many sacraments, fasts, and festivals, however superfluous 

 and burdensome ; such indefatigable saying, and hearing of prayers, 

 thoiKjli in an unknoim tongue ; such continual crossing and counting of 

 beads, though perfectly childish ; such eternal grimaces and bowings to 

 images, though rank idolatry : all this, and much more of the same 

 kind, mixed up with infinite solemnity, so intoxicates the unguarded 

 populace, that they fancy themselves wonderfully devout and holy for 

 being out of measure superstitious ! Their designing or deluded priests 

 fail not, in the mean time, to forward the flattering idea by many of 

 their writings and discourses, as well as by the utmost insinuation of 

 private address, till they have inflamed the vulgar mind into the most 

 passionate admiration of a plausible exterior, totally distinct from true 

 religion, and in effect exclusive of it. 



" To prevent their followers from discovering the truth in an hour of 

 sober reflection, they take care to keep them in profound ignorance, and 

 to inculcate upon them a fundamental maxim, that such ignorance is the 

 mother of devotion. To make all sure, they hide from them the Scrip- 

 tures, which were given for the purpose of making men good and wise 

 to salvation ; those Scriptures, which all are concerned to know, those 

 very Scriptures which Christ himself commands all to search. Christ's 

 pretended vicar, as it has been frequently remarked, forbids all to search, 

 excepting the clergy ; so that, if any layman, desirous of being ascer- 

 tained concerning his Maker's will, presumes to look into his Maker's 

 word, without permission from the bishop or inquisitor, or without the 

 advice of the minister or confessor, or even, after this, without a licence 

 in form, he cannot receive absolution for his sins, and for this grievous 

 sin among the rest, unless he first surrender up his Bible to the ordinary. 

 Having thus shut out the broad daylight of Heaven, and set up, in lieu 

 of it, the miserable taper of human authority, the baneful magician of 

 Rome hath the fairest opportunity of working his spells, and calling up 

 what spectres of superstition he pleases, in order to awe and impose on 

 the wandering multitude. I think I see him, with all his implements of 

 deceit about him— pretended relics, real images, fictitious saints, false 

 legends, and forged traditions, — playing innumerable tricks with the 

 souls of men, and bewitching them into all manner of idolatrous and 

 vicious practices ; exactly agreeable to that strong description of him 

 alrcadv referred to, where the apostle Paul, speaking in the anticipated 

 style of prophecy, hath these remarkable words : — ' Whose coming is 



