great pomp and fplendor; and, above all places, in Rome, the principal feat of his worldly Empire. Now it is certain, that in the early times of the Gofpel, the Chriftians of Rome were celebrated for their zealous adherence to the faith of Chrift, as it was delivered to them by the Apoftles, pure from every mixture either of Jewish or Heathenish Superftition; till after a fucceffion of ages, as they began gradually to deviate from that Apoftolic fimplicity, they introduced at different times into the Church the particular ceremonies in queftion. Whence then can we think it probable, that they should borrow them? From the Jewish or the Pagan ritual? From a Temple, remote, defpifed, and demolished by the Romans themselves; or from Temples and Altars perpetually in their View, and fubfifting in their streets; in which their Ancestors and Fellow-Citizens had conftantly worshiped? The queftion can hardly admit any difpute: The humor of the people, as well as intereft of a corrupted Priesthood would invite them, to adopt fuch rites, as were native to the foil, and found upon the place; and which long experience had fhewn to be useful, to the acquifition both of wealth and power. Thus by the most candid conftruction of this Author's reasoning, we muft neceffarily call their ceremonies Jewish; or by pushing it to it's full length, fhall be obliged to call them, Devilish.

He

He obferves; that I begin my charge with the use of Incense, as the most notorious proof of their Paganism, and, like an artfull Rhetorician, place my strongest argument in the front [d]. Yet he knows, that I have affigned a different reason, for offering that the firft: because it is the first thing, that ftrikes the fenfes, and furprizes a stranger, upon his entrance into their Churches. But it fhall be my strongest proof, if he will have it fo, fince he has brought nothing, I am fure, to weaken the force of it, He tells us, that there was an Altar of Incenfe in the Temple of Jerufalem; and is furprized therefore, how I can call it Heathenish: Yet it is evident, from the nature of that inftitution, that it was never defigned to be perpetual; and that, during it's continuance, God would never have approved any other Altar, either in Jerufalem, or any where else. But let him answer directly to this plain question; was there ever a temple in the world not strictly Heathenish, in which there were feveral Altars, all fmoaking with incenfe, within one view, and at one and the Jame time? It is certain, that he muft anfwer in the Negative: Yet it is as certain, that there were many fuch Temples in Pagan Rome; and are as many still in Chriftian Rome: and fince there never was an example of it, but what was Paganifh, before the times of Popery, how

[d] Pref. p. 5.

is it poffible, that it could be derived to them from any other fource? or when we fee fo exact a resemblance in the copy; how can there be doubt about the original?

any

What he alledges therefore in favor of incense, is nothing to the purpofe; " that it was used " in the Jewish and is of great antiquity in the "Chriftian Church; and that it is mentioned "with honor in the fcriptures;" which frequently compare it to Prayer, and speak of it's fweet odors afcending up to God, &c. which figurative expreffions, he fays, "would never have "been borrowed by the facred Penmen from "Heathenifh fuperftition [e]": as if fuch allufions were lefs proper, or the thing itself lefs fweet, for it's being applied to the purposes of Idolatry; as it conftantly was, in the times even of the fame Penmen, and according to their own accounts, on the Altars of Baal, and the other Heathen Idols: and when Jeremiah rebukes the people of Judah for burning incenfe to the Queen of heaven [f], one can hardly help imagining, that he is prophetically pointing out the worfhip now paid to the Virgin; to whom they actually burn incenfe at this day under that very title [g]..

"[e] Pref. p. 6.

[f] Jerem. xliv. 17. [g] Vid. Offic. Beata Virg. Salve Regnia; Ave Regina cœlorum; Domina Angelorum, &c,.

But

But if it be a juft ground for retaining a practice in the Chriftian Church, because it was injoined to the Jews; what will our Catholic fay for thofe ufages, which were actually prohibited to the Jews, and never practised by any, but by the Heathens and the Papifts?-All the Ægyptian Priefts, as Herodotus informs us, bad their beads fhaved and kept continually bald [b]. Thus the Emperor, Commodus, that he might be admitted into that order, got himself fhaved, and carried the God Anubis in proceffion [i]. And it was on this account most probably, that the Jewish Priests were commanded, not to have their heads, nor to make any baldness upon them [k]. Yet this pagan rafure, or tonfure, as they chufe to call it, on the crown of the bead, has long been the diftinguishing mark of the Romish Priesthood. It was on the fame account, we may imagine, that the Jewish Priests were forbidden to make any cuttings in their flesh [1]; fince that likewife was the common practice of certain Priests and Devotees among the Heathens, in order to acquire the fame of a more exalted fanctity. Yet the fame difcipline, as I have [b] Herodot. 1. ii. 36.

Qui grege linigero circumdatus, & grege calvo. Juv. vi. 33. [i] Sacra Ifidis coluit, ut & caput raderet & Anubin portaret. Lamprid. in Commod. 9.

[k] Levitic. xxi. 5. Ezech. xliv. zo.

[Levitic. xix. 28.

fhewn in my Letter, is conftantly practifed at Rome, in fome of their folemn seasons and proceffions, in imitation of those Pagan Enthufiafts: as if they searched the Scriptures, to learn, not fo much what was injoined by the true religion, as what had been usefull at any time in a false one, to delude the multitude, and support an imposture.

Our Author makes the fame apology for Holy water, that he has just made for Incense; that, in the Mofaic law, we find the mention of a water fanctified for religious ufes; which cannot therefore be called Heathenifh; and that I might, with as good a grace have proved the Sacrament of Baptifm to be Heathenish, as their use of Holy water [m]. It is furprizing, to hear fuch a defense from any one, who calls himself a Chriftian. The Sacrament of Baptism was ordained by Christ, in the most folemn manner, and for the most folemn purpose, as the effential rite of our initiation into his Church; while there is not the least hint in any part of the Gospel, that any other water was either neceffary, or proper, or useful in any degree to the washing away of fin. But our Author's zeal feems to have carried him here beyond his prudence; and he forgets what ground he is treading, if he fancies, that he can defend, in this proteftant country, what he might affirm with applause in a popish; that the inftitutions of Chrift stand upon

[m] Pref. p. 7.

VOL. V.

B

no