no better foundation, than the injunctions of the Pope, or at least of the Popish Church.

I have mentioned one use of their Holy water, in a Festival at Rome, called the Benediction of borfes, which feems to perplex him. He dares not deny the fact, yet labors to render it fufpected, and declares; "that though he had "fpent the greatest part of his life abroad, he "had never seen or heard of any fuch thing[n]. But whatever he thinks, or would feem rather to think of it, I know the thing to be true from the evidence of my own eyes: yet as I had no defire, that the reader fhould take my bare word for that, or any other fact in the Letter, I took care to add fuch teftimonies of it, as every one will allow to be authentic. But if he really be a stranger to fo extraordinary a practice, he must be an improper advocate of a caufe, of which he owns himself to be ignorant. The learned Mabillon, as I have obferved, intimates his furprize at this, as well as many other parts of their worship, which he had never feen, till he travelled into Italy; but, instead of defending, chufes either to drop them in filence, or to give them up as fuperftitious: which might have been the cafe alfo of our Catholic, if he had been better informed of the facts, which he has undertaken to vindicate. But if thefe men of learning, and teachers of Religion, know fo little of what is done at Rome, how eafy muft it be, to impose upon the poor Catholics in Eng[n] Pref. p. 7.

3

land,

land, and keep them in the dark, as to the more exceptionable parts of their worship, which are openly avowed and practised abroad, to the fcandal of all the candid, and moderate even of their own communion.

But though our Catholic feems so much a fhamed at prefent of this Benediction of Horfes, in their Church, I can give him fuch light into the origin of it, as will make him proud of it probably for the future; from a story, that I have obferved in St. Jerom; which fhews it to be grounded on a miracle, and derived from a Saint: I mean St. Hilarion; the founder of the Monaftic orders in Syria and Palæftine [o].

The ftory is this: "a Citizen of Gaza, a "Chriftian, who kept a Stable of running "horses for the Circenfian games, was always "beaten by his Antagonist, an Idolater; the "mafter of a rival ftable. For the Idolater, "by the help of certain charms, and diabolical

imprecations, conftantly, damped the spirits "of the Chriftian's horfes, and added courage "to his own. The Chriftian therefore in defpair, applied himself to St. Hilarion, and implored his affiftance: but the Saint was "unwilling to enter into an affair fo frivolous

[] Necdum enim tunc Monafleria erant in Palaftina, nec quifquam Monachum ante Sanctum Hilarionem in Syria noverat. Ille fundator & eruditor hujus converfationis & ftudii in hac provincia fuit. Hieron. Op. t. iv. par. ii. P. 78. Ed. Ben.

B 2

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"and profane; till the Chriftian urging it as a "neceffary defense against these adverfaries of "God, whofe infults were, levelled not fo "much at him, as at the Church of Chrift;

..

and his entreaties being feconded by the "Monks, who were prefent; the Saint ordered "his earthen jugg, out of which he used to drink, to be filled with water and delivered "to the man who prefently Sprinkled his Stable, "bis Horfes, his Charioteers, his Chariot, and "the very boundaries of the course with it. Upon

this, the whole City was in wondrous expec "tation: the Idolaters derided what the Chri"ftian was doing; while the Chriftians took

courage, and affured themselves of victory; "till the fignal being given for the race, the "Chriftian's horfes feemed to fly whilst the "Idolater's were labouring behind, and left

r

quite out of fight; fo that the Pagans them"felves were forced to cry out, that their God "Marnas was conquered at last by Chrift [p]." Thus this memorable Function, borrowed originally from the Pagan Sprinklers of the Circenfian games, appears to be as ancient almost in the Church as Monkery itself, and one of the firft inventions, for which Popery ftands indebted to that religious inftitution.

As to the Lamps and Candles, which are conftantly burning before the Altars of their Saints, he tells us once more; "that though the De

[p] Ibid. p. 8o.

vil had procured them to be fet up in his "Temples, yet they were appointed originally

by God for the fervice of his Tabernacle; "and were not therefore borrowed from the

Heathenish, but the Mofaic worship [q]." To which I need not repeat, what I have already faid on the foregoing articles. I had deduced the origin of thefe lamps from Egypt, upon the authority of Clemens Alexandrinus: but he declares, that Clemens fays no fuch thing: yet does not think fit to tell us, what it is that he has faid, nor how near it approaches to the interpretation, which I have given of it. Clemens exprefsly ascribes the invention of lamps to the Ægyptians, in which he is followed by Eufebius, and fince lamps were used in all the Pagan Temples from the earliest times, of which we have any notice, I take it for a neceffary confequence, that the Agytians were the firft, who made ufe of them likewife in their Temples. But let that be as it will, this at least is certain, that the use of them in Chriftian Churches was condemned' by many of the primitive Bishops and Prefbyters, as fuperftitious and Heathenifh. But all thefe our Catholic makes no fcruple to brand with the title of Heretics [r]; tho' many of them, perhaps, might more truly be called, the Proteftants of the primitive Church; particularly Vigilantius; who, by all that I have been able to observe about him, incurred the Charge of Herefy for no other crime, than that of writing against "Monk

[q] Pref. p. 8.

[r] Ib. p. 13. B 3

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ery;

ery; the Celibacy of the Clergy; praying for "the dead; worshiping the reliques of Mar

tyrs; and lighting up candles to them, after "the manner of the Pagans [s]." But St. Jerom has given the most rational definition of Herefy, where he fays; " that those who interpret Scripture to any fense, repugnant to that "of the Holy Spirit, though they should never "withdraw themfelves from the Church, yet

may be justly called Heretics [t]." By which Criterion, the Romish Church will be found much more Heretical, than any of those, who, either in ancient or modern times, have feparated themselves from it's communion on the account of it's doctrines.

My next inftance of their Paganism is, the number of their Donaria or Votive offerings, hanging around the Altars of their Saints: where our Author, having nothing to alledge from Scripture, nor any example from antiquity, but what is purely Heathenifh, is forced to change his tone, and to declare;" that things inno"cent in themselves cannot be rendered unlaw"ful, for having been abused by the Heathens;

and that it cannot be difagreeable to the true. "God, that thofe, who believe themselves to "have received favors from him by the pray"ers of his Saints, fhould make a publick ac

[] Hieron. Oper. t. iv. par. ii. p. 275, 282. Edit. Benedict. it. Cave's Hift. Liter. par. i.

[] Hieron. ibid. par. 1. p. 302.

"know