Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 4.djvu/425

Rh that he had attempted his daughter, and drawn his sword against his father in order to stab him? whereas, in the other case, this writer affirms over and over, that all attempts for introducing popery and slavery are already made, the whole business concerted, and that little less than a miracle can prevent our ruin.

Thirdly, I could heartily wish his lordship would not undertake to charge the opinions of one or two, and those probably nonjurors, upon the whole body of the nation, that differs from him. Mr. Lesley writ a proposal for a union with the Gallican church: somebody else has carried the necessity of priesthood in the point of baptism, farther than popery: a third has asserted the independency of the church on the state, and in many things arraigned the supremacy of the crown; then he speaks in a dubious insinuating way, as if some other popish tenets had been already advanced: and at last concludes in this affected strain of despondency; ''What will all these things end in? And on what design are they driven?Alas, it is too visible!'' it is as clear as the sun, that these authors are encouraged by the ministry, with a design to bring in popery; and in popery all these things will end.

I never was so uncharitable as to believe, that the whole party, of which his lordship professes himself a member, had a real formed design of establishing atheism among us. The reason why the whigs have taken the atheists or freethinkers into their body, is, because they wholly agree in their political scheme, and differ very little in church power and discipline. However, I could turn the argument against his lordship with very great. IV.