cies they built magnificent Temples, endowed them with Priefts, Lands, O ficers and Revenues; and worshiped them with Oblations, Prayers and Thank> ; this Difpofition gave Rife to the worshiping of Heroes, Legislators and Founders of new Sects and Opinions; for the People perceiving uncommon Wisdom, Eloquence, Refolution and Succefs to attend all their Words and: Actions, believed them to be infpired and affifted by fome fuperiour Power, and fo intirely abandoned themselves to their Conduct whilft living, and adored them when Dead.

It is this makes a melancholy Man miftake the impetuous Tranfport, where-by he is fervently and zealously carried in Matters of Religion, for divine Infpiration, and the Power of God in him; for feeling a Storm of Devotion coming upon him, his Heart full of godly Affection, his Head in his own Opinion pregnant with clear and fenfible Representations, his Mouth flowing with powerful Eloquence, and not being able to obferve from what Conduct of Reafon, or other Caufes in Nature this fudden Change proceeds, immediately concludes it to be the Power of God, working fupernaturally in him; he thinks every fudden Help or Evafion, every lucky Hint to avoid Dangers or compass Deliverances, to proceed immediately from God; every imagined Dilcovery of an Error held by others, to be a fupernatural Revelation; every fine and curious Thought that fteals into his Mind, a Pledge of the divine Favour, and a fingular Illumination; every ftaring and rampant Fancy, every unbridled bold and confident Obftruction of his own uncouth and fupine Invention to be a special Truth, and the Power and Prefence of God in his Soul: Heesteems his Pride and Tumour of Mind, his ftiff, inflexible and unyielding Temper, his fteady and obftinate Refolution to admit no Demonftrations a gainft his Opinions, and to fuffer Torture or Martyrdom, to be the fpecial Support and divine Affiftance of God, and his ardent Zeal, and implacable Defire of Revenge towards all who oppofe him, to be the more than ordinary Influence and Impulfe of the holy Ghoft, for the Expiration of Herefy; whereas the Enthusiast is only intoxicated with Vapours afcending from the lower Regions of his Body, as the Pythian Prophetefs of old, in her prophetic Trances, was by the Power of certain Fxhalations breathing from fubterranean Caverns; for all thefe Appearances are eafily refolvable into the Power of Melancholy, which is but a fort of natural Inebriation, the fame Effects being produced often by Wine; and it is obfervable that fuch high-flown and bloated Expreffions, Rapfodies of flight and lofty Words, and rolling and ftreaming Tautoligies, which fall from Enthufiafts, generally happen to Perfons before they are ftark Mad.

The particular Difpofition of the Blood, which produces this Temper of the Mind, feems to be the Predominance of aduft Melancholy, well impregnated with Gall; the firft gives prefumptious Confidence, and the latter Info lence and Impatience of Contradiction; which if it prevails fo much in fpecuative Questions, which regard no Man's Profit or Power, and that both fides gree, are to be determined by the Rules of Reafon (infomuch, that People of his Complexion can converfe with none but of their own Opinions,) what Havock must it make in Matters of Religion? Upon which Subject almost all Mankind feem to have agreed by univerfal Confent to talk unintelligibly, and

by

upon

by that Means have endeavoured to deftroy or take away the only Criterion between Truth and Falfhood, Religion and Superftition; every fide pretends to Visions, Revelations, Miracles and Mysteries, expect to be believed their own Authority, and purfue all who dare oppose them, with Vengeance and Destruction, as perverfe Unbelievers, Heretics, Deifts and Atheists; which charitable and polite Language is promifcuously given by and to all Parties and Factions in Religion.

Though at firft Sight it appears very abfurd, that all Mankind fhould be concerned in the Vifions and Revelations of two or three Men, when few of the fame Nation or Diftrict can know their Perfons, fewer their Sincerity, and whether they are infpired by God, are deceived themselves, or intend to deceive others; it must be more fo, to expect Nations diftant in Situation, Language and Customs, to leave their Affairs and Habitations to hunt after Prophets, Miracles, and Revelation-Mongers, or give Credit to the fabulous or uncertain Stories or Legends of People they know nothing of, when we can hardly believe any thing faid, to be done in the fame Town or Neighbourhood, and scarce in the fame House, or tell a Story of ever fo fimple Particulars, that we can know again when we hear it; it is yet more Ridiculous to oblige all the World to rake into the Rubbish of Antiquity, to learn all Languages, examine all Systems, and thereby discover all Impoftures, Forgeries, Interpolations, Errors and Miftakes, or else fubmit to the Guidance of others, who are neither honefter nor wifer than themselves, and befides have an Intereft to deceive them; yet the true Enthusiast fees none of thefe Difficulties, ftares at no Absurdities; very fure he is that he has received frequent Revelations, is thoroughly fatisfied of his own Infpiration and Miffion, and expects all Mankind, both now and hereafter to be fo too; he has given them fufficient Notice, by promulgating his Doctrine amongst a few that he can perfuade to hear him, and condemns all the reft as obftinate contumacious Heretics, and wilful Tranfgreffors against Demonstration and evident Light: Averfion, Pride and Fury in the Shape of Zeal, like a mighty Storm ruffles his Mind into beating Billows, and boifterous Fluctuations; at laft he is all in a Rage, and no Church-Buckets to quench his fiery Religion, Religion and the Glory of God drives him on: The holy Enthufiaftic longs to feast and riot upon human Sacrifices, turn Cities and Nations into Shambles, and destroy with Fire and Sword fuch who dare thwart his Frenzy, and all the while like another Nero, plays upon his Harp and fings Te Deum at the Conflagration.

The

The Judgment and Decree of the University of Oxford, paffed in their Convocation, July 21, 1683, against certain pernicious Books, and damnable Doctrines deftructive to the facred Perfons of Princes, their State and Government, and of all human Society.

[The following Piece was prefented to King Charles the Second, and afterwards burnt by the Hangman, by Order of Parliament.]

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LTHOUGH the barbarous Affaffination lately enterprised against the Perfon of his facred Majefty, and his Royal Brother, engage all our Thoughts to reflect with utmost Deteftation and Abhorrence on that execrable Villainy, hateful to God and Man; and pay our due Acknowledgments to the divine Providence, which by extraordinary Methods brought it to pafs, that the Breath of our Noftrils, the Anointed of the Lord, is not taken in the Pit which was prepared for him, and that under his Shadow we continue to live, and enjoy the Bleffings of his Government; yet notwithstanding we find it to be a neceffary Duty at this time, to fearch into, and lay open thofe impious Doctrines, which having of late been ftudioufly diffeminated, gave Rife and Growth to thefe nefarious Attempts; and pafs upon them our folemn public Cenfure and Decree of Condemnation.

Therefore, to the Honour of the holy and undivided Trinity, the Prefervation of Catholic Truth in the Church; and that the King's Majefty may be fecured both from the Attempts of open bloody Enemies, and Machinations of treacherous Heretics and Schifmatics: We the Vice-Chancellor, Doctors, Proctors, and Mafters Regent and not Regent, met in Convocation, in the accuftomed Manner, Time and Place, on Saturday the One and Twentieth Day of July, in the Year One Thoufand Six Hundred Eighty-three, concerning certain Propofitions contained in divers Books and Writings, published in the English and alfo the Latin Tongue, repugnant to the holy Scriptures, Decrees of Councils, Writings of the Fathers, the Faith and Profeffion of the Primitive Church; and alfo deftructive of the Kingly Government, the Safety of his Majefty's Perfon, the public Peace, the Laws of Nature, and Bonds of human Society, by our unanimous Affent and Confent, have decreed and determined in Manner and Form following.

The firft PROPOSITION,

All Civil Authority is derived originally from the People.

The Second.

There is a mutual Compact, Tacit or Exprefs, between a Prince and his Subjects; and that if he perform not his Duty, they are discharged from theirs.

The

The Third.

That if lawful Governors become Tyrants, or govern otherwife than by the Laws of God and Man they ought to do, they forfeit the Right they had unto their Government. Lex Rex. Buchanan, de Jure Regni. Vindicia contra Tyrannos. Bellarmine de Conciliis, de Pontifice. Milton, Goodwin, Baxter. H. C.

The Fourth.

The Sovereignty of England is in the three Eftates, viz. Kings, Lords and Commons. The King has but a co-ordinate Power, and may be over-ruled by the other two. Lex Rex. Hunton, of a limited and mixed Monarchy. Baxter. H. C. Polit. Catechif.

The Fifth.

Birth-Right and Proximity of Blood give no Title to Rule or Government; and it is lawful to preclude the next Heir from his Right and Succeflion to the Crown. Lex Rex. Hunt's Poftfcript. Doleman's Hiftory of Succeffion. Julian the Apoftate. Mene Tekel.

The Sixth.

It is lawful for Subjects, without the Confent, and against the Command of the fupreme Magiftrate, to enter into Leagues, Covenants, and Affociations, for Defence of themselves and their Religion. Solemn League and Covenant. Late Affociation.

The Seventh.

Self-Prefervation is the fundamental Law of Nature, and fuperfedes the Obligation of all others, whenfoever they ftand in Competition with it. Hobbs de Cive Leviathan.

The Eighth.

The Doctrine of the Gospel concerning patient fuffering of Injuries, is not inconfiftent with violent refifting of the higher Powers, in cafe of Perfecution for Religion. Lex Rex. Julian Apoftat. Apolog. Relat.

The Ninth.

There lies no Obligation upon Chriftians to paffive Obedience, when the Prince commands any thing against the Laws of our Country; and the Primitive Chriftians chofe rather to die than refift, because Christianity was not fettled by the Laws of the Empire. Julian Apoftate.

The Tenth.

Poffeffion and Strength give a Right to govern; and Succefs in a Cause or Enterprize proclaims it to be lawful and juft: To purfue it, is to comply with the Will of God, because it is to follow the Conduct of his Providence. Hobbs. Owen's Sermon before the Regicides, Jan. 31, 1648. Baxter. Jenkins's Petition, 08. 1651.

The Eleventh.

In the State of Nature, there is no Difference between Good and Evil, Right and Wrong; the State of Nature is a State of War, in which every Man hath a Right to all Things.

The Twelfth.

The Foundation of Civil Authority is this natural Right, which is not given, but left to the fupreme Magiftrate upon Men's entering into Societies; and not only a foreign Invader, but a domeftic Rebel puts himself again into a State of Nature to be proceeded against, not as a Subject, but an Enemy, and confequently acquires by his Rebellion, the fame Right over the Life of his Prince, as the Prince for the moft heinous Crimes has over the Life of his own Subjects.

The Thirteenth.

Every Man after his entering into a Society, retains a Right of defending himfelf against Force, and cannot transfer that Right to the Commonwealth, when he consents to that Union whereby a Commonwealth is made; and in cafe a great many Men together have already refifted the Commonwealth, for which every one of them expecteth Death, they have Liberty then to join together to affift and defend one another. Their bearing of Arms fubfequent to the first Breach of their Duty, though it be to maintain what they have done, is no new unjust Act, and if it be only to defend their Perfons, is not unjust at all.

The Fourteenth.

An Oath fuperadds no Obligation to Fact, and a Fact obliges no farther than it is credited; and confequently if a Prince gives any Indication that he does not believe the Promifes of Fealty and Allegiance made by any of his Subjects, they are thereby freed from their Subjection; and notwithstanding their Pacts and Oaths, may lawfully rebel against, and destroy their Sovereign. Hobbs de Civ. Leviathan.

The Fifteenth.

If a People, that by Oath and Duty are obliged to a Sovereign, fhall finfully difpoffefs him, and, contrary to their Covenants, chufe and covenant with another, they may be obliged by their later Covenants, notwithstanding their former. Baxter, H. C.

The Sixteenth.

All Oaths are unlawful, and contrary to the Word of God. Quakers.

The Seventeenth.

An Oath obligeth not in the Senfe of the Impofer, but the Takers. Sheriffs Cafe.

The Eighteenth.

Dominion is founded in Grace.

The Nineteenth.

The Powers of this World are ufurpations upon the Prerogative of Jefus Chrift; and it is the Duty of God's People to deftroy them, in order to the fetting Christ upon his Throne. Fifth-Monarchy. Men.

The Twentieth.

The Prefbyterian Government is the Scepter of Chrift's Kingdom, to which Kings as well as others are bound to fubmit; and the King's Supremacy in VOL III.

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