said, that ignorance would be no plea towards
justification, when we had opportunities of being better informed;
and, that, if the minds of people had not been open to conviction, the
Christian religion could not have been propagated in the world, and we
should now be in a state of Pagan darkness and barbarity: he endeavoured
to prove, by some texts of Scripture and many quotations from the
Fathers, that the Pope was the successor of St. Peter, and vicar of
Jesus Christ; that the church of Rome was the true, holy, catholic
church; and that the Protestant faith was an impious heresy and damnable
schism, by which many millions of souls would suffer everlasting
perdition. When he had finished his sermon, which I thought he
pronounced with more zeal than discretion, he addressed himself to
my uncle, desired to know his objections to what had been said. The
lieutenant, whose attention had been wholly engrossed by his own
affairs, took the pipe out of his mouth, and replied, "As for me,
friend, d'ye see, I have no objection to what you say; it may be either
truth or false, for what I know; I meddle with nobody's affairs but my
own; the gunner to his linstock, and the steersman to the helm, as the
saying is. I trust to no creed but the compass, and do unto every man
as I would be done by; so that I defy the Pope, the Devil, and the
Pretender; and hope to be saved as well as another." This association
of persons gave great offence to the friar, who protested, in a mighty
passion, that if Mr. Bowling had not been his countryman, he would have
caused him to be imprisoned for his insolence; I ventured to disapprove
of my uncle's rashness, and appeased the old gentleman, by assuring him
there was no offence intended by my kinsman, who, by this time sensible
of his error, shook the injured party by the hand, and asked pardon for
the freedom he had taken. Matters being amicably compromised, he invited
us to come and see him in the afternoon at the convent to which he
belonged, and took his leave for the present; when my uncle recommended
it strongly to me to persevere in the religion of my forefathers,
whatever advantages might propose to myself by a change, which could not
fail of disgracing myself, and dishonouring my family. I assured him no
consideration would induce me to forfeit his friendship and good opinion
on that score; at which assurance he discovered great satisfaction, and
put me in mind of dinner, which we immediately be