Page 95.  “And that only they had a right to give it.”  Another part of his scheme, that the people have a right to give the sacrament.  See more of it, pp. 135 and 137.

Page 96.  “Made familiar to such practices by the heathen priests.”  Well; and this shews the necessity of it for peace’ sake.  A silly objection of this and other enemies to religion, to think to disgrace it by applying heathenism, which only concerns the political part wherein they were as wise as others, and might give rules.  Instance in some, &c.

Page 98.  “How differently from this do the great pretenders to primitive practice act, &c.”  This is a remarkable passage.  Doth he condemn or allow this mysterious way?  It seems the first—­and therefore these words are a little turned, but infallibly stood in the first draught as a great argument for Popery.

Page 100.  “They dress them up in a sanbenito.”  So, now we are to answer for the inquisition.  One thing is, that he makes the fathers guilty of asserting most of the corruptions about the power of priests.

Page 104.  “Some priests assume to themselves an arbitrary power of excluding men from the Lord’s Supper.”  His scheme; that any body may administer the sacraments, women or children, &c.

Page 108.  “One no more than another can be reckoned a priest.”  See his scheme.  Here he disgraces what the law enacts, about the manner of consecrating, &c.

Page 118.  “Churches serve to worse purposes than bear-gardens.”  This from Hudibras.

Page 119.  “In the time of that wise heathen Ammianus Marcellinus."[18] Here he runs down all Christianity in general.

[Footnote 18:  Ammianus Marcellinus (died c. 390) wrote a history of Rome in thirty-one books, of which Gibbon thought rather highly.  The history may be taken as a continuation of Tacitus and Suetonius. [T.  S.]]

Page 120.  “I shall, in the following part of my discourse, shew that this doctrine is so far from serving the ends of religion, that, 1.  It prevents the spreading of the gospel, &c.”  This independent power in the church is like the worms; being the cause of all diseases.

Page 124.  “How easily could the Roman emperors have destroyed the Church?” Just as if he had said; how easily could Herod kill Christ whilst a child, &c.

Page 125.  “The people were set against bishops by reason of their tyranny.”  Wrong.  For the bishops were no tyrants:  Their power was swallowed up by the Popes, and the people desired they should have more.  It were the regulars that tyrannized and formed priestcraft.  He is ignorant.

Page 139.  “He is not bound by the laws of Christ to leave his friends in order to be baptized, &c.”  This directly against the Gospel.—­One would think him an emissary, by his preaching schism.

Page 142.  “Then will the communion of saints be practicable, to which the principles of all parties, the occasional conformists only excepted, stand in direct opposition, &c.”  So that all are wrong but they.  The Scripture is fully against schism.  Tindal promoteth it and placeth in it all the present and future happiness of man.