them when they began their Show. All Epicureans were declar'd incapable of being initiated into any of the Pagan Mysterys of Religion; and both Epicureans and Chriftians were religiously chas'd away, before ever the Priefts would pronounce any Oracles, or begin any of their Tricks. And when the Chriftians grew fo numerous that they were able to ftand their ground, and refus'd to retire at the Word of Command; the Priests declar'd there were fo many impious Perfons prefent, that the God would not vouchfafe to fpeak, and that they could do no Miracles because of their Infidelity, no more than the Pawawers in America could in the * prefence of the old Clothes of fome Chriftian Sailors. Not only the unbelieving Chriftians and Epicureans were excluded from FreeSeeing, but the Pagan Believers were allow'd to fee no further than their Faith qualify'd them to do with fafety. They were not fuffer'd to examine the Infides of Temples or Statues, nor the Evidence the Priefts gave of the Gods coming down from Heaven to eat upon Earth. No, about all these matters the People were to have a Faith, which Free-Seeing would have deftroy'd; and that would have render'd the Priefts as contemptible, as DANIEL did the Priests of BELL, or as the Chriftians did the Oracular Priests,

Wafer's Voyages, p. 29.

when

when the Craft of Oracles was laid open before the whole World.

THIS fort of Eye-fight Faith is kept up among fome Chriftians as well as Pagans. * There is a Perfuafion among the Greeks and Armenians, that every Eafter-Eve there is a miraculous Flame defcends from Heaven into the holy Sepulcher of our Bleffed Saviour (which the Latins expofe as a shameful Im pofture, perhaps out of Envy that others should be mafters of fo gainful a business.) And they further believe, That the Holy Ghost himself in the shape of a Dove flies about the top of the Cupola of the Church just over the holy Sepulcher. But the Reception of the holy Flame is trufted to two Priefts, one a Greek and the other an Armenian, who go into the holy Sepulcher, fhut the door, and fuffer no body to fee freely what they do, and then come out with Torches lighted by the holy Flame. And no doubt the Affair of the Dove is trufted either to a Priest, or fome body on whom they can fafely rely for the keeping of fo valuable a Secret. Nor is it to be thought but both Priefts and People are ready to call any Man Atheist or Impious, who fhould defire the liberty of going into the holy Sepulcher with the two Priests in order to fee freely, or should desire to

* Maundrel's Voyage from Aleppo to Jerufalem, p. 932 9.4, 95, 96.

make any experiment on the Dove, to try whether it was the Holy Ghost or no. For the Zeal of the Priests must be in proportion to the Gain they make by this Trick, and of the People in proportion to the Benefit they imagine they fhall receive from the holy Flame for they think, If they can but have the happiness to be bury'd in a Shroud fmutted with this Celeftial Fire, it will cer tainly fecure them from the Flames of Hell.

*

ANOTHER Miracle of the like nature with the preceding, is firmly believ'd by the Greeks, but especially by the Women. They carry annually in proceffion three Pictures, one of St. George, another of the Virgin Mary, and another of fome other Saint; which strike with Sticks, or belabour the Back and Shoulders of those who carry them, more or lefs, according to the Sins of their Bearers. This Trick Sir P. Ricaut himself faw, and he affures us, That the Belief of the Miracle has taken fo deep root in the Minds of the Ignorant, that it would be hard to undeceive them, without danger to the whole Fabrick of the Chriftian Religion: for this Belief being equally fix'd with the Doctrines of Faith, the Confutation of this one would bring the others into queftion. And no doubt therefore, but these People must be as zealous against Free-Seers,

* Ricaut's Prefent State of the Ottoman Empire, p. 148,

151.

if

if any fuch dared to defire the Inspection of the Pictures, as they are abfurd.

THE Roman Priests are not behind-hand with the old Heathen Priefts, or with the prefent Greek and Armenian in their Impofitions on the Peoples Eye-fight (relying firmly on a Maxim of one of their own Poets, That he only fees the things of Heaven, who fbuts his Eyes and believes) and are infinitely fuperiour to any Set of Priefts that ever exifted, in their Zeal against Free-Seers.

SHOULD any one defire to inspect the annual Miracle of the Liquefaction of St. JANUARIUS's Blood at Naples, or any of their numerous Sweating, Bleeding, Nodding, and Weeping Statues; or to examine ftrictly thofe Men upon whom the daily Trick of cafting out Devils is perform'd; or to see the famous Candle of Arras, which the Virgin MARY deliver'd to the Bishop of that place before a great Affembly of the People in the Church above 600 Years ago, and which has burnt ever fince without wafting; nothing fhort of Death would be the confequence of fuch a Demand: tho the Author of the Relation of the laft Miracle invites Proteftants

* Che le cofe del Ciel fol colui vede,

Chi ferra gli occhi, e crede.

Filli di Sciro del Conte Guibaldo de Bonarelli, p. 158. + Difcourfe of the Miracles of the Roman Courch, p. 65,

1

66.

B 4

to

to come to Arras to fee the truth of it, in order to their Conviction. Nay, fo numerous are the Impofitions on the Eye-fight, and fo ftirct a care is taken to prevent Men from using their Eyes, that there is not an inquifitive Perfon, or a Man who defires to fee freely, to be met with in a whole Country. The Popish Laity will not bear fo great an Approach to Infidelity as the Sufpicion of a Trick, and the Popish Priests have good reafon not to fuffer the beginning of any Examination. And I must needs fay, how much foever I contend for Free-Seeing, I cannot but commend the Confiftency of the Popish Policy, and prefer it to the Policy of certain half-witted Politicians, who draw People in with a pretence of fair Play, by telling them they fhall and ought to fee freely; whereas if they do not fee with the Eyes of their Guides, but defire to fee with their own, they then use them, not indeed fo ill as the Papifts, but as ill as they can; that is, as ill as that degree of Ignorance and Stupidity which prevails will allow them to do.

LASTLY, The Popish and Lutheran Priests are guilty of an Impofition on the Eye-fight beyond all the Inftances already mention'd. The first pretend, that the Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper do by their Confecration become the very Body and Blood of Chrift, and face Men down

in