are joking."-7. "No, Sir, I really think fo Nay, Sir, of the two I prefer the Popish.”—B. "How fo, Sir?"-7. "Why, Sir, the Presbyterians have no church, no apoftolical ordination."-B. "And do you think that abfolutely effential, Sir?"-7. "Why, Sir, as it was an apoftolical inftitution, I think it is dangerous to be without it. And, Sir, the Prefbyterians have no public worfhip: they have no form of prayer in which they know they are to join.They go to hear a man pray, and are to judge whether they will join with him."—B." But, Sir, their doctrine is the fame with that of the Church of England. Their confeffion of faith, and the thirty-nine articles, contain the fame points, even the doctrine of predestination.". 7. "Why, yes, Sir; predeftination was a part of the clamour of the times, fo it is mentioned in our articles, but with as little pofitiveness as could be."-B. "Is it neceffary, Sir, to believe all the thirty-nine articles?". "Why, Sir, that is a queftion which has been much agitated. Some have thought it neceffary that they fhould all be believed; others have confidered them to be only articles of peace, that is to fay, you are not to preach against them."B. "It appears to me, Sir, that predeftination, or what is equivalent to it, cannot be avoided, if we hold an univerfal prefcience in the Deity." -7."Why,

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7. "Why, Sir, does not God every day fee things going on without preventing them."B. "True, Sir; but if a thing be certainly forefeen, it must be fixed, and cannot happen otherwife; and if we apply this confideration to the human mind, there is no free will, nor do I fee how prayer can be of any avail." Dr. Johnfon mentioned Dr. Clarke, and Bishop Bramhall on Liberty and Neceffity, and bid Mr. B. read South's Sermons on Prayer, but avoided the queftion which has excruciated philofophers and divines, beyond any other. "I did not (says Mr. B.) press it further, when I perceived that he was displeased, and fhrunk from any abridgement of an attribute ufually afcribed to the Divinity, however irreconcilable in its full extent with the grand fyftem of moral government. His fuppofed orthodoxy here cramped the vigorous powers of his understanding. He was confined by a chain which early imagination and long habit made him think maffy and ftrong, but which, had he ventured to try, he could at once have fnapt afunder. Mr. B. pro ceeded: "What do you think, Sir, of Purgatory, as believed by the Roman Catholics ?"7. Why, Sir, it is a very harmlefs doctrine. They are of opinion that the generality of mankind are neither fo obftinately wicked as to deferve everlasting punishment, nor fo good as to merit

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merit being admitted into the fociety of bleffed fpirits; and therefore that God is graciously pleased to allow of a middle state, where they may be purified by certain degrees of fuffering. You fee, Sir, there is nothing unreasonable in this."-B. "But then, Sir, their maffes for the dead?"-7. "Why, Sir, if it be once established that there are fouls in purgatory, it is as proper to pray for them, as for our brethren of mankind who are yet in this life."-B. "The idolatry of the Mafs ?"-7. "Sir, there is no idolatry in the Mafs. They believe God to be there, and they adore him."-B. "The worfhip of Saints?"-7. "Sir, they do not worfhip Saints; they invoke them; they only afk their prayers. I am talking all this time of the doctrines of the Church of Rome. I grant you that in practice, Purgatory is made a lucrative impofition, and that the people do become idolatrous as they recommend themfelves to the tutelary protection of particular faints. I think their giving the facrament only in one kind is criminal, because it is contrary to the exprefs inftitution of Chrift, and I wonder how the Council of Trent admitted it."-B. "Confeffion?"-7. "Why, I don't know but that is a good thing. The Scripture fays, Confefs your faults one to another;' and the priests confefs as well as the laity. Then it must be confidered,

confidered, that their absolution is only upon repentance, and often upon penance alfo. You think your fins may be forgiven without penance, upon repentance alone." I thus ventured to mention all the common objections against the Roman Catholic Church, that I might hear fo great a man upon them. What he faid is here accurately recorded. But it is not improbable that if one had taken the other fide, he might have reasoned differently."

It must however be mentioned, that he had a refpect for "the old religion," as the mild Melancthon called that of the Roman Catholic Church, even while he was exerting himself for its reformation in fome particulars. Sir William Scott tells, that he heard Johnfon fay, "A man who is converted from Proteftantifm to Popery, may be fincere. he parts with nothing he is only fuperadding to what he already had. But a convert from Popery to Protestantism, gives up fo much of what he has held as facred as any thing that he retains; there is fo much laceration of mind in fuch a converfion, that it can hardly be fincere and lafting." The truth of this reflection may be confirmed by many and eminent inftances, fome of which will occur to moft readers.

Again, talking of the Roman Catholic religion, and how little difference there was in effential

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fenfial matters between ours and it, Johnfon faid, "True, Sir: all denominations of Chriftians have really little difference in point of doctrine, though they may differ widely in external forms. There is a prodigious difference between the external form of one of our Prefbyterian churches in Scotland, and a church in Italy; yet the doctrine taught is effentially the fame."

The petition to Parliament for removing the fubfcription to the Thirty-nine Articles was mentioned. Johnfon obferved, "It was foon thrown out. Sir, they talk of not making boys at the University fubfcribe to what they do not understand but they ought to confider, that our Universities were founded to bring up members for the Church of England, and we must not supply our enemies with arms from our arfenal. No, Sir, the meaning of fubfcribing is, not that they fully underftand all the articles, but that they will adhere to the Church of England. Now take it in this way, and fuppofe that they fhould only fubfcribe their adherence to the Church of England, there would be still the fame difficulty; for ftill the young men would be fubfcribing to what they do not underftand. For if you fhould afk them, what do you mean by the Church of England? Do you know in what it differs from the Prefbyte