heart's core, even to think of them! I must therefore let fall the dreadful curtain, sprinkled with the innocent blood of millions of my poor unhappy fellow mortals, and drop a tear of pity, on the victims of political and ecclesiastical intolerance; whom I wish to relieve, but wish, alas! in vain.

I have raised the curtain which hides the deformity of monarchy and aristocracy, from the indiscriminate view of the wondering, cheated multitude, and let it fall again, after exhibiting but a glimpse of the miseries they produce ; but alas ! agreeably to our plan, we are necessitated to raise another curtain, and give another glimpse, and only a glimpse, of the horrors of hierarchy, which though less destructive to the body, yet is far more destructive to the soul than even absolute monarchy. In comparing the primitive and present power

of royal princes, in the antecedent pages, we have seen a great similarity ; but the very reverse we find is the case, when we com

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pare the present, with the primitive power of the ministers of the gospel. Let any candid person compare the character, conduct, and ministry of the apostles in general, and the prince of the apostles in particular, I mean St. Paul, with their successors, in Europe and America, and the contrast will be astonishing. Then they preached with power, in private and market houses, the everlasting gospel, while thousands were convicted ; but now their successors* read, with a cold dead mono. tony, the gospel, in magnificent pulpits, ornamented with crimson velvet, fringed with gold, while thousands of their hearers either go to sleep, or get disgusted. Whereas, the apostles, like their gracious Master, went about continually doing good, and preaching the gospel; but now, their suc

a

The above animadversions are by no means appli. cable to the true ministers of Christ, (but only the APES!) no set of men do I love and admire so much as them.

cessors are established in local stations, (like kings) over priest-ridden people, who support them in pomp and elegance, andarray them in sacerdotal silk and cambrick. Then the most learned and laborious of the apostles, St. Paul, laboured for his own support, sooner than take the people's money unnecessarily, (although they would have given him almost their very eyes) and yet preached and travelled more, and did more good in one year, than all the dignified clergy now do in twenty; although the latter receive from 20,000 to 2,000 dollars per annum, for reading a sermon once or twice every sabbath. But the contrast is so glaring, that if I was to give it at its full length, the most of our ministers would appear ten-fold more criminal and unprincipled, than the most artful swindler in the calender of our criminal courts, or the recesses of our common prison. Although king-craft is totally, and I hope eternally extirpated from the United

States, I am sorry to have it to say, that priest-craft is far from being so: I know a reverend divine, who does not even profess to believe in the spirituality of the religion of our blessed Redeemer; yet a congregation of priest-ridden people, pay this ungodly parson 1,500 dollars per annum, to teach them to be godly, or if you please, for reading in a superb church in this city, two sermons every Sunday.

I have said so much on this subject in my other works, particularly my“ Paradise Displayed,” and “ Beauties of Philanthropy," and have got such a host of enemies* for the same, that I will content

* The bitterness and hostility of priest-ridden peo. ple, to those who expose their stupidity and servility, and the knavery of their priests, reminds me of a number of little boys, who had strings in their mouths, in representation of bridles, and were driven by one of their playmates; when one lad more prudent than the rest, exclaimed against their play, as being too

- myself at present, in transcribing the words of a noble man by nature, who deserves a statue of gold, for boldly exposing the corruption of hierarchy, and the hypocrisy and duplicity of its votaries; which he has done to perfection, because he wrote from experience. He has only exposed the corruptions of the church of England, but alas ! too many of his animadversions, are peculiarly applicable to several churches in America ; the ininisters of whom too often use their boundless authority in opposition, and not in subordination to the gospel, who live upon the fleece, and the devil may take the flock for what they care ; finally, who are as to power popes, while called parsons. The gospel was pure and powerful, and its ministers zealous and holy men, till it was introduced into the circles of royalty, by

servile, the driver and the driven got irritated at the reasonable expostulation, and beat the prudent and judicious lad most unmercifully.