all the Paffions in Subjection about her, and with all the Luftre that Prudence and Learning, good Senfe and good Breeding can beftow, to make her amiable; in a word, Hero's, who can never be tax'd with making Religion their Craft, and Godliness their Gain, which is one of the weak and malicious Objections at present against believing the Priests;

For they defend

Altars, on which their Lives depend.

Tho' I believe thefe Objectors wou'd not have greatly car'd to have defended the Altar upon the fame Terms the Priests did in the Primitive Times of Perfecution. These, thefe, I fay, are the Examples that must make Men blush at their mistaken Notions of Honour, and fall in Love with Chriftian Vertue; and whenever we have them in fo great Perfection, we must not spare to fhew them to the World, if we defign to bring Primitive

Primitive Religion into Repute and Fa

fhion.

There is a Happiness of Constitution, which I make bold in Tertullian's Phrafe to call naturally Chriftian; and which, as I remember, you us'd to call, The Grace of our Mother's Bowels; and excepting,' those who were fanctify'd from the Womb, few of the Sons of Men seem more fweetly compos'd and turn'd by Nature for Christianity, and to enjoy a greater Measure of Complexional Vertue than your felf. The good Seed of moral Chriftianity, and the Fear of God, was early caft into the good Ground, and has brought forth an hundred-fold. You fet out for the Kingdom of Heaven in the Morning of Life, and long before the Meridian of it, was fo far advanc'd in the Way of Truth, fo firmly fix'd upon the two Vincentian Pillars, Scripture and Primitive Antiquity, that I find you difputing with the Doctors at an Age, when our Gentry find fomething elfe to do with their Thoughts, than to lay b 2

them

*

them out upon Religion. And for a Proof of this, let any one but read your excellent Letter to an English Prieft of the Roman Communion at Rome, and he will fee a Combat in fome refpect not much unlike that between Goliab and David; an experienc'd Prieft vanquish'd and argu'd down by one who was but a Youth, and ruddy, and of a fair Countenance. And tho' neither the Hardness of your Arguments, nor the Softness of your Tongue, could break his Bones, and bring him over in Triumph to the Church of England, yet have they prevail'd effectually on others; and a very late Convert of yours from Popery, is an Instance that Arguments are like Wedges, which go not well, but when they are driven by a gentle Hand. And fuch is the Felicity of your Temper, that you draw no Blood in Controversy, and where you cannot convince, you ne ver gaul.

* In a Eook entituled, Several Letters, which pass'd between Dr. George Hickes, and a Popish Prieft.

.

Having thus early fecur'd your Principles upon the Catholick Foundation your next Care was to live, as well as believe, as the Primitive Catholicks did; to set your Affection on things above, and not on things on the Earth; to make God your Hope, your Joy, your Life, your All; to love him with your whole Heart, and your Neighbour as your felf, and by continual Application to the Throne of Grace, and Converfe with the ancient Martyrs and Confeffors, you have work'd your felf up into that holy and habitual Flame, as few burn with in fo clear and constant a Paffion, either for God or Man. The Devotions you have blefs'd the World with, beft speak the Abundance of your Heart; for who can pray with that Heavenly Warmth and Perfection, but one who is always at Prayer? Nor can you conceal your Alms, notwithstanding all your Pains, not to let thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.

Our Misery is moftly of our own making; a Captive in Turkey is not in truth fo pityable an Object, as the Slave to his own Appetites; and he who, fuppofe, has five extravagant Lufts to pay Portions to continually, tho' five times richer than another, yet comparatively is more than five times poorer, and has fifty times more trouble than that other, who will have no Luft to provide for. Nay, one imperious Paffion, like a fingle Thorn in the Flefb, is enough to make a Man uneafy, in fpite of all the Enjoyments upon Earth. Here then you began the War betimes, and turn'd all your Philofophy and Religion against thefe Bofom-Enemies, before, they had gotten any Strong Holds in Nature; and what a perfect Conqueft you have gain'd over Self, is wond'rous vifible from that perpetual Chearfulness and Serenity, which shines about you under every Condition of Life. You have no Fortunes now to make, nor any you fear to lose ; no Ambition or Malice to gratify, nor