[Footnote 81:  ‘White witches:’  who wrought good ends by infernal means.]

[Footnote 82:  ‘Loosed our triple hold:’  our breaking the alliance with Holland and Sweden, was owing to the Earl of Shaftesbury’s advice.]

[Footnote 83:  ‘The Man:’  Crassus.]

[Footnote 84:  ‘The head,’ &c.:  alluding to the lord mayor and the two sheriffs:  the former, Sir John Moor, being a Tory; the latter, Shute and Pilkington, Whigs.]

* * * * *

RELIGIO LAICI; OR, A LAYMAN’S FAITH.

AN EPISTLE.

THE PREFACE.

A Poem with so bold a title, and a name prefixed from which the handling of so serious a subject would not be expected, may reasonably oblige the author to say somewhat in defence, both of himself and of his undertaking.  In the first place, if it be objected to me, that, being a layman, I ought not to have concerned myself with speculations which belong to the profession of divinity; I could answer, that perhaps laymen, with equal advantages of parts and knowledge, are not the most incompetent judges of sacred things; but in the due sense of my own weakness and want of learning, I plead not this:  I pretend not to make myself a judge of faith in others, but only to make a confession of my own.  I lay no unhallowed hand upon the ark, but wait on it, with the reverence that becomes me, at a distance.  In the next place, I will ingenuously confess, that the helps I have used in this small treatise, were many of them taken from the works of our own reverend divines of the Church of England:  so that the weapons with which I combat irreligion, are already consecrated; though I suppose they may be taken down as lawfully as the sword of Goliah was by David, when they are to be employed for the common cause against the enemies of piety.  I intend not by this to entitle them to any of my errors, which yet I hope are only those of charity to mankind; and such as my own charity has caused me to commit, that of others may more easily excuse.  Being naturally inclined to scepticism in philosophy, I have no reason to impose my opinions in a subject which is above it; but whatever they are, I submit them with all reverence to my mother church, accounting them no farther mine, than as they are authorised, or at least uncondemned by her.  And, indeed, to secure myself on this side, I have used the necessary precaution of showing this paper, before it was published, to a judicious and learned friend, a man indefatigably zealous in the service of the church and state; and whose writings have highly deserved of both.  He was pleased to approve the body of the discourse, and I hope he is more my friend than to do it out of complaisance:  it is true he had too good a taste to like it all; and amongst some other faults recommended to my second view, what I have written perhaps too boldly on St Athanasius, which he advised