ieces and call it Nehushtan. "See, my Christian brethren,"
said he, "how truly I spake when I called this slumbering watchman, this
dumb dog, a worshipper of idols of wood and stone. This is his oratory;
but instead of a godly laboratory which should turn carnal lead into
spiritual gold, what see we but provocatives to sinful thoughts. Here
are no sackcloth and ashes, camel's hair and leathern girdles; this
prophet's chamber has its silks and sattins, stuffed cushions and
curtains, screens and wrapping gowns. The walls are hung with paintings
of fair Jezebels, whom he calls Mary and Magdalen, though it is well
known, they were godly women, who never braided their hair or put on
gorgeous apparel. See you that bust? It represents Diana of the
Ephesians, the very Diana who endangered Paul's life; and did I not
rightly call this malignant priest Alexander the copper-smith? And here
are necromancing figures," (taking up the Doctor's mathematical
exercises,) "squares and triangles, and the sun, moon and stars, which
Job said he never worshipped.--And here is that unrighteous Babylonish
instrument, an organ, which proves he is either a Jew or a Papist, as
none but the favourers of abominable superstition make dumb devices
speak, when they might chaunt holy psalms and hymns with their own
voices. And here are similitudes of Nero and Domitian, bloody
persecutors, my brethren; which shews that he loved tyrants, and would
have made us fry a faggot, had not the light of my preaching broke in
upon his darkness, and made him like a rat with a bell, a scarecrow to
the unconverted. Touch not his books, dearly beloved, they will prove
the Devil's bird-lime, teaching you to despise my godly ministry; they
will teach you nothing but Pagan fables or Romish ceremonies. Can
Aristotle preach the Gospel? Do those church-histories tell us about
saving faith? I tell you nay; therefore burn them altogether, and break
the idols in pieces, and tear away the paintings, and demolish the
Jewish instruments that send forth sounds of levity when the player upon
them is disposed to provoke his hearers to wanton dances and vain mirth.
So let us purify the place with fire, that the slumbering watchman may
be awakened to a consideration of his offences and learn to repent," &c.
&c.

An harangue so well adapted to inflame the minds of a drunken mob,
produced a destruction as complete as Davies could desire, in whose mind
zeal had produced a similar intoxicat