by obliging him to give a deputation to the next and moft lawful friends of the intestate, for adminiftrating his goods. But this ftatute proved but a weak check to the avarice of the clergy. Means were fallen upon to elude it, by preferring fuch of the inteftate's relations, who were willing to offer the best terms: this corrupt practice was fuffered in the days of Hen. VIII. when the clergy lofing ground, the statute 21 Hen. VIII. was enacted, bearing, "That in cafe any perfon die inteftate, or the executors refuse to prove the testament, the Ordinary fhall grant adminiftration to the widow, or to the next of kin, or to both, taking furety for true adminif tration."

This ftatute, as it points out the particular perfons who are intitled to letters of administration, without leaving any choice to the Ordinary, was certainly intended to eut him out of all hope of making gain of the effects of perfons dying inteftate. But the church does not eafily quit its hold. Means were fallen upon to elude this law alfo. Though the poffeffion given by this ftatute was wrefted out of the hands of the Ordinary, yet his pretenfions fubfifted intire, of calling the administrator to account, and obliging him or her to diftribute the

effects

effects to pious ufes. This was an admirable engine in the hands of a churchman for fqueezing money. An administrator who gave any confiderable share to the Bishop, to be laid out by him, without doubt, in pious uses, would not find much difficulty in making his accompt. This rank abufe moved the judges folemnly to refolve, that the Ordinary, after administration granted by him, cannot compel the administrator to make diftribution. And at last, the right of the next of kin was fully established by ftatute 22 and 23 Car. II. cap. 10. This cuts out the Ordinary intirely.

*New abridge

ment of the law. p. 398.

of the Athana

fian creed.

If I thought the Athanafian creed was a part of the religion of Jefus, I should be induced to entertain a hard thought of Christianity. I fhould think it enjoined a flavish fubmiffion to the dictates of defigning men; and instead of a reasonable fervice, required us to renounce our underftandings, to apoftatize from humanity, and degenerate into brutes, by giving up our reafon, which alone diftinguithes us from them. Most unjust charge upon our holy religion! A religion, which enlarges our rational faculties, filling the mind with VOL. IV.

E

an

an aftonishing idea of an eternal duration, and thereby giving us a contempt of the mean, tranfient pleasures of this life, and which we and the brutes enjoy in common: A religion that requires only the highest degree of reverence towards the MOST HIGH, the most refined purity of heart and mind, and the most noble and diffufive charity towards all mankind: In short, that eftablishes righteoufnefs upon earth, and intire obedience to the will of God; that fo having put the oil into our lamp, according to the gofpel parable, it may not only meafure the course of time, but light us beyond it, to the coming of the bridegroom, and the morning of eternity.

But this will not do for the Doctors, they must have established Credenda for judgments of all fizes--they must have a formulary of dogmatic theology - an Athanafian jumble, to fupport the Holy Church; though their creed burlesques mathematical certainly, and renders their ecclefiaftical chriftianity inferior to the ancient pagan religion. A trinity is the ecclefiaftical God; but whether three distinct confcious beings of coordinate power, equal independency, and unorigination, and fo THREE proper deities; or, only three fymbols of natural powers-In this the Doctors are not agreed; but the majority

majority are for the THREE proper Deities: this herefy of three Gods we must subscribe to, or the priests will number us with the infidels, and do.us all the mischief they can.-Hence it comes to pass, that humanity, fweetness of temper, and moderation, are banished from fociety; religion, like a cloak, is made ufe of to authorise hatred, violence, and injuftice; and the christian religion, as the priefts have forged it, and fhew it off, that is, upon its present footing, as an establishment, is pernicious to mankind, and ought to go, that the people may be reftored again to Chrift's religion, and be led to attend to the command of God; which is to believe in the name of bis fon Jefus Chrift, and to love one another.

FAITH.

"Faith is the fubftance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not feen; (Heb. xi. 1.) that is, faith is fuch a firm perfuafion as gives, as it were, a substance or prefent existence to the good things which we hope for, and which are not yet in being, and as engages us to depend upon the truth of unfeen things, as really, as upon ocular demonstration.

"He endured, as feeing him who is invifible;" (ver. 27.) that is, Mofes as really believed the being and attributes of the invifible God, as if he had feen him with his eyes; and fully d. pended upon his conduct and affiftance.

The better thing provided for Chriftians.

"And these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promife, God having provided fome better thing for us, that they without us fhould not be made perfect;" (Heb. xi. 39, 40.) that is, -Though the upright under the law have a good character in Scripture, and of confequence were accepted of God upon the account of their faith in the divine power and goodness, yet they received not the promised reward of another life, immediately on their leaving this world: God provided this better thing for us Chriftians, that we should be made happy immediately, as foon as we leave this world, that fo they might not be made happy in heaven, till Christianity commenced, and Chriftians fhould be there received to happiness with them.

Note 1. It is plain from what the Apoftle fays before, that the thing promifed is the better and more enduring fubftance in heaven.