1. That Cranmer, and the other doctors, who introduced the reformation into England, were downright enthusiasts, and compassed their designs by being seconded by those, who were animated by a spirit of irreligion, and by a greedy desire of seizing the possessions of the monks.

This is Olivet's account of Bouhier; and I have heard some gentlemen who knew him say, that he was a very fine genius; but, they added, a popish bigot to the last degree, and therefore, Le Blanc chose him as the fittest person of his acquaintance, to write an epistle to, that abused the reformation, and the English divines. Great is the prejudice of education! When so bright a mind as Bouhier's cannot see the deformity of Popery, and the beauty of the reformation; but, on the contrary, with pleasure reads the despicable defamation in Le Blanc's letter.

N.B. The two Tusculans, so finely translated by Bouhier, are the third, de Ægritudine Lenienda: and the fifth, Virtutem ad Beate Vivendum seipsa esse Contentam. De la Vertu: Qu'elle suffit pour Vivre Heureux. See likewise M. Bouhier's curious and useful remarks on the three books, De Natura Deorum; the five Tusculans; Scipio's Dream; and on the Catilinaires, or three Orations against Catiline. These remarks are the third volume of Olivet's fine edition of Cicero.

It was the desire of a change established the reformation. The new doctors seduced the people, and the people having mistaken darkness for light, quitted the road of truth, to walk in the ways of

error.

2. As to morals, that this boasted reformation produced no change in that respect for the people are not purer than they were in former times, and the ecclesiastics are despised and hated for the badness of their lives. The bishops sacrifice every thing to their ambition; and the clergy of the second rank have no respect for their office. They spend the whole day in public places in smoking and drinking, and are remarkable for drunkenness, so dishonourable to ecclesiastics. Their talk is the most dissolute, and the vice that degrades these professors, sets a bad example to sober people, and makes them the jest of libertines.

3. The only remarkable change produced by the reformation was the marriage of priests; and, exclusive of this being against the decisions of the catholic church, it is contrary to sound policy and experience. The marriage of priests diminishes the respect we should have for them. The misconduct of a woman makes the clergyman fall into contempt. The lewdness of the daughter makes the priest, her father, the object of the most indecent jests; and

for the most part, the daughters of the clergy turn whores after the death of their father; who, while living, spent more of his income in maintaining himself and children in pleasure and luxury, than in works of charity. He lived profusely, and dies poor.

Nor is this all.

Beside, if the English clergy were the greatest and most excellent men, yet a great man in the eyes of the world, loses the respect which is due to him, in proportion as he has any thing in common with the rest of mankind. A Madam Newton, and a Madam Fontenelle, would injure the illustrious men whose name they bore. Those who by their disposition cannot fix that secret inclination, which induces us to love, on one person, are more humane and charitable than others. The unmarried ecclesiastics are more animated with that charitable spirit their function requires, as they have no worldly affections to divert it. People very rarely, as Lord Bacon says, employ themselves in watering plants, when they want water themselves. In short, the English divines are the worst of men, and there is hardly any religion in England. Thus does this French Abbé revile the English reformation and divines. He misrepresents the whole nation, and with a falsehood and outrage peculiar to popery and mass

priests, that is, to devils and the most execrable religion, screams against the pure religion of the gospel, and dishonestly blackens some of the finest characters that ever adorned human nature. So very virulent is this reverend French papist against the clergy of England, that he is even positive there is not a divine in the nation knows how to behave like a gentleman...

In answer to the first article of impeachment, I observe, that it is so far from being true, that Cranmer, and the other English divines, our reformers, were enthusiasts, and compassed their designs by the assistance of those who were animated by a spirit of irreligion, and by a greedy desire of seizing the possession of the monks, as this mass-priest asserts; that it is most certain, on the contrary, Cranmer, and the other reformers, were wise and upright Christians, who, from a good understanding of religion, opposed the false pretensions of the church of Rome. They saw that popery was contrary to the true genius of Christianity; its spirit insolent and cruel; and its worship not only a jumble of the most ridiculous fopperies and extravagancies, borrowed from heathen customs and superstitions; but the impurest that ever appeared in the world that the designs of popish Rome were contrary to all the principles of humanity; its doc

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trines abominable and sinful; and its offices cursed and diabolical; it was evident, I say, to the conception of these great men, I mean Cranmer, and the other English reformers, that the Romish church was treacherous and inhuman, blood-thirsty and antichristian; that her devotions were horrible and impious; her ministers false prophets and liars, covered and decked with the livery of Christ, but in every thing acting contrary to the salvation wrought by Jesus; and therefore these wise and excellent reformers renounced popery, and bravely declared for that religion, which promotes the good of all mankind, and inspires men to worship the Father only in spirit and in truth. They threw off the cloak and garments of antichrist: they gloriously separated from him, and joined together in purity and simplicity, to please the Lord Jehovah. There was no enthusiasm in the case, (as Le Blanc, the mass-priest, has the front to say) but, when the light of the gospel was obscured, and darkness had overspread the earth: when ignorance and superstition universally prevailed, and the immoralities of the Church of Rome were made to pass for Christianity in the world, then did these reformers call the people out of Rome, and preach to them the essential truths of the faith. They called them from an idolatrous religion, and all its train of direful effects; from that sin of the