followed by an illustrious train of literati, skilled in every branch of knowledge Divine and human, and who diffufed a taste for truth and improvement all around.

The bleffed Reformation happily emancipated many kingdoms and countries from the fhackles of ignorance, fuperftition and tyranny; it even darted its reviving light and falutary influence, in an inferior degree, through Popish provinces, and has been of eminent fervice, in many refpects, to all Christendom. The native spirit and fyftem of Popery remain the fame.-But the Roman Pontifs, grown wifer by long experience, from a retrospect to former mifcarriages and loffes, over-awed by the power and proximity of neighbouring ftates, who defpife their ghoftly pretenfions and excommunications, or confcious of the fuperior knowledge, fpirit, and freedom, which now reign among their own votaries, fince fo much light and liberty have broke in upon and charmed the rest of mankind,

-For these reasons, the modern Popes are now reftrained within more moderate bounds, and dare not in these enlightened times, concert or avow fuch ambitious and defpotic projects, as in periods of ancient fuperftition and barbarifm involved and fubjected a flavish and deluded world: And it is on good ground that we entertain the pleafing perfuafion, that Papal power and fuperftition fhall one day be totally deftroyed; that men fhall behold a general as they have already seen a partial Reformation; and that genuine Christianity shall have an universal spread, and establish its empire among

all nations.

F I INI S.

Foot NOTES omitted.

For page 9th line 12th.. "Pluribus persuasio in"erat, antiquis facerdotibus libris contineri, eo ipfo tempore "fore, ut valefceret oriens, profectique Judeâ rerum po"tirentur. Tacit. lib. 21, fect. 13."

Suetonius fays, " Percrebuerat oriente toto vetus et "conftans opinio, effe in fatis, ut Judeâ profecti rerum poti

<< rentur.

For p. 19th. "Soliti effent Chriftiani convenire, 86 carmenque Chrifto quafi Deo dicere. Plin. Epift."