oughtest, instead of
awakening Christian Divisions, to have done all in thy Power to Unite all
its Followers in one Bond of Peace and charitable Union; if thou must
needs, I say, at such a Time, employ thy Rhetoric against the Errors of
that Church, sure thou mightst have pitched upon some one founded in
Truth, and not have mentioned as Fact a Thing so easily red-argued. At
other Times Zeal for the Cause of Truth may, tho' preposterously enough,
prompt a Man to blacken his Adversary with imaginary Crimes, in order, by
a kind of pious Fraud, to prepossess the People against the Errors in his
Doctrine and Practice.

But on such an Occasion as this, and from so distinguished a Hand, we had
Reason to expect, Friend, that every Fact advanced should have been
literally and manifestly true. I remember an Instance known all over
_Europe_, that might have set thee right, if thou wert really ignorant of
the Nature of _Romish_ Absolution. That is, that, notwithstanding the
great Powers of that despotic King, _Lewis_ the XIVth, all his Authority
could not prevail over any one Priest in his Dominions to give him
Absolution, or administer to him the Sacrament whilst he lived in a state
of Uncleanness with Madam _Maintenon_. He was so far from resenting their
supporting an Authority, he thought them legally possessed of, that for
the faithful Discharge of their Duty, he loaded his Confessors with
Bishopricks; and at last at their Instances privately married his
Mistress; and then, and not till then, received Absolution. I, for my
part, Friend, think the Absolution pronounced by thy Church, and that by
the Church of _Rome_, or by any human Creature alive, to be vain and
useless, and the Product of spiritual Pride and Vanity. But the Spirit of
Truth, that is within me, would not permit me to pass over so gross a
Misrepresentation of Fact, without a proper Reprehension.

This, with a very gentle Touch upon the want of a due Execution of the
Laws, (for which thou dost not forget to ask Pardon) finishes the
Bead-toll of National Sins, that are to draw down the immediate Vengeance
of the most High. Thou then proceedest to hint that a due Execution of the
Laws already in Being, and the particular Care of Masters of Families, may
bring about a Reformation, and avert those Judgments thou supposest to be
threatened by the two very terrible Shocks of an Earthquake. Strange
Chimaera, to think that Wickedness, grown to such a height as to merit t