killing, than being killed, not that I value life so much, but that I may not die unprepared.’  Mr. Marvel did not remain an unconcerned member of the state, when he saw encroachments made upon it both by the civil, and ecclesiastical powers.  He saw that some of the bishops had formed an idea of protestantism very different from the true one, and were making such advances towards popery, as would soon issue in a reconciliation.  Amongst these ecclesiastics, none was so forward as Dr. Samuel Parker, who published at London 1672 in 8vo. bishop Bramhal’s Vindication of himself, and the Episcopal Clergy, from the Presbyterian charge of Popery, as it is managed by Mr. Baxter in his Treatise on the Grotian Religion.  Dr. Parker likewise preached up the doctrine of Non-resistance, which slavish principle is admirably calculated to prepare the people for receiving any yoke.  Marvel, whose talent consisted in drollery, more than in serious reasoning, took his own method of exposing those opinions.  He wrote a piece called The Rehearsal Transposed, in which he very successfully ridiculed Dr. Parker.  This ludicrous essay met with several answers, some serious, and others humorous; we shall not here enumerate all the Rejoinders, Replies, and Animad-versions upon it.  Wood himself confesses, who was an avowed enemy to Marvel, ’that Dr. Parker judged it more prudent rather to lay down the cudgels, than to enter the lists again, with an untowardly combatant, so hugely well versed, and experienced, in the then newly refined art of sporting, and jeering buffoonery.’  And bishop Burnet tells us in the History of his own Time, ’That Dr. Parker, after he had for some years entertained the nation with several virulent books, was attacked by the liveliest droll of the age, who wrote in a burlesque stile, but with so peculiar, and entertaining a conduct, that from the King down to the tradesman, his book was read with great pleasure.  This not only humbled Parker, but the whole party, for the author of The Rehearsal Transposed, had all the men of wit on his side.’  Dr. Swift likewise in his Apology for the Tale of a Tub, speaking of the usual fate of common answerers to books, and how short-lived their labours are, observes, ’That there is indeed an exception, when any great genius thinks it worth his while to expose a foolish piece; so we still read Marvel’s answer to Parker with pleasure, though the book it answers be sunk long ago.’

The next controversy in which we find Mr. Marvel engaged, was with an antagonist of the pious Dr. Croft, bishop of Hereford, who wrote a discourse entitled The Naked Truth, or A True State of the Primitive Church:  By an humble Moderator.  Dr. Turner, fellow of St. John’s College, wrote Animadversions upon this book; Mr. Marvel’s answer to these Animadversions, was entitled Mr. Smirk, or The Divine in Mode; being certain Annotations upon the Animadversions on The Naked Truth, together with a Short Historical Essay concerning General Councils, Creeds, and Impositions in Matters of Religion, printed 1676.