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N. B. Our late Addreffes to the Crown, nay, our Prayers and Sermons ftill call our prefent Conftitution in Church and State, an Happy Conftitution. I cannot join in the Epithet Happy: Since I verily think it a moft unhappy one, as having not the least distinct Regard to the Laws of God, to the Bible, or to Christianity in any of our Courts, Civil or Temporal, nay, not in our Ecclefiaftical or Spiritual Courts neither. To fay nothing more of the Periniffion of a Bishop to be Nonrefident for fix Years together, and yet to be prefer'd afterward to three other Bishopricks Succeffively: Of the like Permiffion of Bishops, as well as Priefts and Deacons, to marry twice, nay thrice, nay four times, and still to give them leave to officiate as Bishops, Priests, and Deacons ftill; contrary to the known Laws of the Gospel, not only recorded in the Apoftolical Conftitution and Canons, but in the ordinary Books of the New Teftament. See my . Chriftian Discipline, page 31-38, and my Friendly Addrefs to the Baptifts, to be hereafter inferted page 61.

But before I proceed farther, give me leave to try to fhame those called Chriftians, to act with more Regard to the Bible and the Laws of Christianity than they do at Prefent, by producing a moft remarkable Relation, taken out of Prince Cantemir's History of the Ottomans, page 103, 104, 105, which will clearly fhew, how vaftly greater Regard the Turks pay to their Coran, than we do to our

Bible. The Hiftory is this. When Sultan Mahomet II. took Conftantinople A. D. 1453. it was Part of it taken by Force; and in that Part the Chriftian Religion was fupprefs'd. But the other Part was delivered up by Compofition; and an Agreement was made that the Chriftian Religion should be preferved, as well as the Churches and Clergy thereto belonging. This Toleration was enjoyed till the Reign of Sultan Selim I. who had a mind to Force all the Chriftians to turn Mebometans, as the only Way to their Salvation. Accordingly when the Mufty was once with him, he asked him, whether was most meritorious, to fight for the Propogation of the true Religion, and the Salvation of Souls, or for temporal Dominion? the Mufty was throughly apprized of the full Intention of the Grand Senior; but faid, that to fight for the true Religion and Salvation of Souls (one of which was of more worth than the whole World) was by far the most meritorious. So that when a Decree of the Grand Seniors was brought him to fign, for abolishing the Chriftian Religion in Conftantinople, and obliging all the Chriftians there to turn Mufslemen, he rafhly figned it; and thereby, according to their Law, it was become facred and irrevocable. When the Grand Vifier found how this matter ftood, he was forely grieved; and went and reproached the Mufty for what he had done; fhewing him how exprefly this Decree contradicted the Coran, which directly allowed Toleration to all that would pay annual Tribute: The Mufty hereupon confeffed his Miftake, and fware that he would un

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do what he had done. Accordingly the Grand Vifier and Mufty fent to the Chriftian Patriarch and Clergy to demand a legal Trial before the Mufty: Which it seems could not be denyed them. At which Time they folemnly pleaded the exprefs Law of the Coran, and the Publick League which had been made with them. When this Law of the Coran was pleaded from the Text itself, and the Agreement of the Commentators in its Interpretation the Mufty declared, that fo it was: And that this Law was to ftand inviolable; and therefore the Decree must be reverfed. Nor durft the Grand Senior oppofe. However the Teftar Dar, or Treafurer, who, as his Office required, pleaded for the Sultan, faid farther, that the Chriftians, befides the Authority of the Coran, alleg'd an Agreement or League alfo; which he infifted they fhould produce. In this Cafe the Chriftians pleaded, that fuch a League was certainly made; but the Record of it was burnt in a Fire, that had fome Time fince happened at Conftantinople. Which they proved by producing three very old Janifaries; who folemnly attefted the Truth of it, which they well remembered. So the Chriftians carried there Cause intirely; and the Toleration which they still enjoy at Conftantinople must be owing to their Success in this important Tryal, with the Sultan's own Submiffion to their facred Coran, and ftrict Regard to their League. Nor was he able to do more against the Chriftians at this Time, than to order the Demolition of the generality of the Chriftians fine Churches there, built of Stone; and to oblige them to be content with

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more humble ones built of Wood. Which Decree was not contrary either to the Coran or League. This was executed accordingly. I wifh, heartily wish that the moft Chriftian, and Catholick King; with our own Defender of the Faith, may fhew as great a Regard to the Bible as the Sultan did to the Coran.

In the Year 1710, Octob. 30. I was banished the University of Cambridge: With which Severity, when Mrs. Roberts of Glaifton, afterward reproached Dr. Richardfon, Rector of that Town, and Master of Peter-houfe in Cambridge, one of thofe that banished me, he replied, "Of what "they did at Cambridge they were not bound to give an Account to any body." Accordingly no one, that I know of, has ever written in Contradiction to my Accounts, or in Vindication of that Banishment to this Day.

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In this Year 1710, but before that Banishment, I published Prælectiones Phyfico Mathematica, Cantabrigia, in Scholis publicis habita. Quibus Philofophia Illuftriffimi Newtoni Mathematica explicatius Traditur; et facilius demonftratur. Cometographia etiam Halleiana Commentariolo illuftratur. In ufum Juventutis Academica. Typis Academicis 8vo.. pretium 4 s. 6 d.

N. B. These Lectures were alfo put into Englif afterward at London, and publifhed there, under my own Review, but corrected by Mr. Cunn.

In page 53, 54, of the Latin Edition, there was a Miftake made in the Rule for finding the

Motion of Elaftick Bodies after their Collifion: Which was rectified in the English by Mr. Cunn.

N. B. I had been feveral Years, before my Banishment, a Member of that moft valuable Society, called The Society for Promoting Chriftian Knowledge; one of those greatly encouraged, if not first formed by my old Friend Dr. Bray, already mentioned. Now it happened, that from the Year 1708, I had gone into deeper Enquiries and Designs; no lefs than the Discovery and Reftoration of truly Primitive Christianity, as our Saviour and his Apo fles left it, without all Regard to modern Ages:" While this Society thought themselves only capable of fupporting Things as they then ftood in the Church of England, by Law established: I therefore foon found my frequenting that Society any longer, would rather occafion Contests and Difputes, than promote Chriftianity; would hinder rather than further even thofe really good Defigns, as I fhould efteem them, of the Society. Hereupon I thought it beft to withdraw my Attendance. And, on December 18, 1710, I wrote a Letter to their Secretary, to be communicated to the Society; fuch an one as Mr. Nelson, one of the best of all our Members, as I have been told, greatly approved of. It was inferted into the Books of that So-. ciety; and thence I prefent it to the Reader; having not myself found a Copy of it among my own Papers. It was in thefe Words.; directed to Mr. Secretary Newman, who had long been my great Friend..

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