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This done, the earth regained her stability, and all nature ap peared serene.

Not knowing into what place of the world I was got, I judged it safest to abide where I was and wait for the wished-for morn, the welcome harbinger of day already appearing in the east.--When fair Aurora had spread her broidered skirts over all the oriental world, and darted her pleasant smiles towards the West, I found in her light, that I was got to the middle of the common on the south side of the town. Now knowing right well the place on which I stood, I began with the light of the day to search for the burning forest I had seen over night; but could see nothing but what was usual on the common. I gladly would once more have viewed that pleasant but solitary avenue, through which I passed the night before; but no avenue was to be seen! I sought it, but could not find it. This made me conclude, that both the forest and avenue were only visionary.

I dreaded going home, expecting to find my wife and children buried in the ruins made by the earthquakes; but to my joyful surprise, I gladly found them all in perfect health, and my wife told me, that though she slept none in the night, by reason of my absence, yet she had heard no uncommon noise, nor felt the least shock of an earthquake: making further inquiry among my neighbours, they answered in like manner: nor indeed was there to be seen about all the town the least appearance of a past earthquake: all which tended to astonish me more and more.

I knew not what to think of the vision.---Certainly, thought I, it cannot be a dream! But I feared lest my brain was distempered, and in the midst of its distraction painted out such apparitions to me. However, two things I resolved on; 1st. utterly to cast off all Arian and Socinian errors, and embrace the orthodox faith, which I had despised the day before! but I judged it prudent candidly to examine the Doctor's books by the scriptures of truth, before I committed them to the flames.---2d. I resolved to keep all these things which I had seen and heard, a profound secret. The regard I had for the Doctor's memory had great influence upon me.

That very day I began to take a scriptural view of the works of my unhappy tutor; and in the conclusion, found them very worthy of the fire, which accordingly in due time they fed.

Still I was resolved to hide the vision in my heart, till one night in my sleep I dreamt, that the Doctor appeared to me in all the ghastly deformities of a damned spirit, charged me with ingratitude to that God who had in so uncommon a manner delivered me from the dangerous heresies I had imbibed from my tutor; and want of love to my fellow-creatures, in that having got the knowledge of the truth myself I did not study to reclaim others from error.---He said, I had no true regard either for his person or memory, or I would publish unto mankind what might,

in part, prevent the increase of his torments.

And withal told me, if I would not resolve to publish what I had heard and seen, that he would haunt me every night in my sleep, to my unspeakable mortification.

Self-preservation hath in it a persuasive eloquence; rather than be troubled every night with the ghost of my unhappy tutor, I have prevailed with myself to obey him; though for my pains I expect to be called a madman by one, a fanatic by another, an enthusiast by a third, and perhaps by a fourth a malicious person. But I rest myself content, that the notable day will shew, who is the wisest disciple of reason, or the maddest enthusiast; who useth and who abuseth right reason; whether they that despise my vision, or their humble servant, whose name henceforth is ANTISOCINUS.

PRIESTCRAFT DEFENDED.

PREFACE

TO THE CANDID READER.

You must know, my friend, that I am a gentleman in the country, and by craft a SHAVER, of very considerable scope; notwithstanding, I have turned preacher of late, and seem to be pretty successful at my preachment, as the sale of this sermon will testify. I have been a great man for the news, as we SHAVERS commonly are, and, among other papers, I usually took in the St. James's Chronicle; a paper that is filled in all the four corners but if you ask, with what? on my word, I must refer you to people of greater penetration. Well, I paid and I read to no purpose for a long while; till at last I chanced to 'spy, An Extract of a Letter from Oxford,' and I wot it pleased me mightily.

It told us how, that Six young men were expelled the University, for holding Methodistical tenets, and for praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures in a private house. Well, thought I, that may work for the good of the church: but then I did not so much approve of the principal crime of those called Methodists, being said to be reading and expounding the Scriptures, &c. Thought I, that is going somewhat too far. Could they find nothing worse against them? Could not they have proved them

drunkards? or, made it evident that they were given to wenching?---(things very common in some places.) Or could they not have convicted the young fellows of having reviled the miracles of Christ and of Moses, that their expulsion might appear the more eligible?

Not long after this, I happened to see another account from Oxford, wrote by the Rev. Dr. Oxoniensis; and that account made me resolve upon something. For he tells us, that one of the six was formerly a publican; another had been a blacksmith; a third, a barber; and a fourth had been a teacher in a school, under Wy.

Well, you must know, my grandfather was a publican; my uncle, a blacksmith; I myself am a shaver, which is, by interpretation, a barber; and my eldest son, a promising lad, is designed for a schoolmaster. Therefore, seeing the honours of our family cast down into the puddle, by the arrogance of Oxonian priests, I began to grow surly upon it, but did not yet think of preaching. What brought me to that, was, finding, from the learned Dr. Oxoniensis, that those young men had preached without orders---then, thought I, I will even have a trial at it myself. Well, you must know, we have a good sort of a fellow to our parson; a gentleman, who loves his bottle and his friend, if it was for a night together; and there is never a youth in all the parish who will sing a merrier catch, nor tell a prettier story than himself: for he is what ye may call, a merry PARSON. With him I am pretty familiar, and I thought I would even borrow his Sunday's style, and his orthodox plan; knowing him to be a true churchman; and I would try what I could do at preaching. But I had certainly been disappointed in an audience, if an happy imagination had not befriended me; but no sooner had I bestirred my imagination, than I was wafted from Clarley-common to the great hall at Od, before the V-e C- ―r, and the Heads of Houses; to whom, after I had mounted the rostrum with the usual formality, I preached the following sermon, the whole world being supposed hearers.

Concerning which Sermon, I would have it observed:

1. That I pretend not to justify any parts of the conduct of the Methodists, besides praying to God, reading, expounding the Scriptures, and singing of hymns, &c.

2. That I censure none of the clergy, but such as are against praying, reading, and expounding the Scriptures, and singing hymns.

3. That whoever this coat is found to fit, I would have the gentleman put it on, and wear it as his own; assuring himself that it was made for him, and that, though a SHAVER, I am his TAILOR.

4. That perhaps, in gratitude for my great pains, and the new hints given in this sermon, which may cast a light upon ecclesiastical history, the V-e C-r, and Heads of Houses, may

present me to some good benefice. And they may depend upon it that I shall shave the parishioners as handsomely as any of them.

Thus, reader, I have told you all about it; and have only to add, that after I had, at leisure hours, wrote my sermon fairly out, I carried it to a bookseller, expecting that he would be as fond of it as I was myself; which, I believe, is a case very common with us AUTHORS: but he drew up his shoulders, looked sour upon it, and said, he feared it was too coarse for this polite age. I assured him that the style was quite clerical, being borrowed from the parish-priest, and what he might hear in many pulpits, if he would only travel for it; but he, being of the saving order, and not over fit for travelling in deep roads, agreed to take my word, rather than be at the expence and trouble of seeking farther proof; so it was sent to the press, to furnish you, my friend, with half an hour's entertainment, and please

Your humble Servant,

THE SHAVER.

THE SHAVER; A SERMON, &c.

HAVING the honour of addressing so learned a body, with bands so white, gowns so black, and caps so orthodox, I take the liberty of striking a little from the common road of preaching; and, as this is a singular occasion, I shall make free with a singular text.

You know, my beloved, it is the way of most preachers to choose some passage of Scripture for their text, which, having distinctly read twice over, you hear no more of the Bible till the sermon is finished; but are entertained with such a lecture as you may find in a newspaper, price threepence.---But I have the honour of departing a little from this general rule, and shall be the first who takes his text from a newspaper, and illustrates his doctrine by Scripture history; and having broken the ice, as we used to say, I expect to have many ingenious followers. Yor will find our text in the St. James's Chronicle for Thursday March 17, 1763, No. 1099, printed by Henry Baldwin, at th Printing Office, White Friars, Fleet-street: wherein, if you wil pull your newspapers out of your pockets, you may read with me the following paragraph:

"Extract of a Letter from Oxford.

'On Friday last, six Students, belonging to Edmund Hall, were expelled the University, after an hearing of several hours be

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'fore Mr. Vice-Chancellor, and some of the Heads of Houses, for holding Methodistical Tenets, and taking upon them to 'pray, read, and expound the Scriptures, and singing hymns in a private house. The --- of the defended their 'doctrines from the thirty-nine Articles of the established 'church, and spoke in the highest terms of the piety and 'exemplariness of their lives; but his motion was over-ruled, and sentence pronounced against them. Dr.

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-----, one of

the Heads of Houses present, observed, that, as these six 'gentlemen were expelled for having too much religion, it 'would be very proper to inquire into the conduct of some 'who had too little; and Mr. was heard to tell their chief accuser, that the University was much obliged to him for 'his good work.'

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Our text is indeed somewhat long; but then, my beloved, we have the more matter to work upon and you know this is a day in which invention is not very brisk, especially among the gentlemen clergy. But,

We proceed to prosecute our subject after the old orthodox plan; namely,

I. To go over our text, by way of explication.

II. Deduce a notable point of doctrine from it; viz. That this act of the V-e C------r, and the Heads of Houses, is defensible from the conduct of the clergy, in all ages and in all countries. III. Conclude with a special application.

I. Explain our text. In doing which, I must divide it int very small parcels, even as the skilful surgeon does the flesh of a hanged malefactor, when he dissects an organ. And in the first place,

Extract of a Letter from Oxford.

This Oxford, my beloved, is a city in the West of England, notable for a great University, i. e. a place for learning; and it would do you good to see the numbers of hopeful young gentlemen, who come from all parts of England, in pursuit of learning; insomuch, that all the colleges are frequently crowded. But you will say, What do they learn? To which I answer in the negative, as being much easier than the affirmative; for it appears from our text, that there are some things which they do not learn.

(1.) Praying ---I mean, they do not, in common, learn to pray to God. It seems this is no part of the approved exercises of the students in that University; for, says our text, Six young gentlemen were expelled the University for praying. From whence we may draw this inference; namely, That if the Vice-Chancellor, and the Heads of Houses, expelled these six offenders for praying to God, it is natural to suppose, that they are not guilty of that crime themselves; otherwise, they would fall under that reproof, Rom. ii. 1.

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