regions of ignorance, horror, and despair, which dawn commenced in the fixteenth century, but fo great a work (as the fun) requires its proper time to arrive at its zenith, or meridian plenitude, which unfathomable, inebriating and ineffable bleffing now is perfected in this our enlightened age and northern hemifphere, as you know, and will give ample teftimony, which will be a convincing example to all future ge

nerations.

Item, The old chriftian world being thought in the beginning to be a fabric impeccable, our firft progenitors, or great patriarchs, wink at the fpirit. This they knew proper, as the enormous fabric of the chriftian world was built upon the fpirit, which was deep-rooted in our hearts; but to our great and immortal fplendour, darkness has taken her flight, the day-ftar is feated in the midft of our hearts, the little remains of fpiritual anguish, fhame and remorfe left standing in the times of our proteftant forefathers and unweeded, are now, by our decree, done away, or rather fanctioned, ratified, and confirmed, by this broad feal of our authority, being and proceeding from the centre of unity, or grand link of refinement, which uncloisters the heretofore proteftant church of the pretended fpiritual clouts or rags, that fhe, through fhame, pride, or remorfe, fuffered to remain; but now, in our enlightened age, is cleansed, and, like polifhed fteel, fprings and with heartfelt joy cling to the adamant, with embraces of enchanting, focial love, clafp, hug, welcome, and, with energetic zeal, engender refinement

of

of the most exquifite and foft delights, repofed in the lap of amorous inclination.

Item, It is, therefore, decreed, from the date of these presents, and it is decreed and enacted accordingly, that from henceforward, that as it was thought proteftantifm and materialism were two opinions, we have fet forth, explained and proved this fuppofition to be erroneous, and that it iffued from, and through ignorance of our liege pigs, or malice of our adverfaries, we now repeat and establish firm and fubftantially, abfolutely and bona fide, that Materialifm is Proteftantifm refined, polifhed and made perfect; and from this date it is fo decreed. Given under our broad feal, 1785.

Mofes. I obferve, in fome parts of your decree, you confider the heart as the most noble part of man.

Club. Most truly the heart principally governs; it is the feat of the will; it accepts or repels, without fubjection, the will; commands, directs, defires, purposes, makes its refolves, places its affections, and in diftrefs, forrow, pleasure, or any part whatsoever is the part affected, in this feat or repofitory (the heart) the old fpiritual errors governed and inflicted man; and it is an old obfervation, that the ftings of confcience wounds the heart, or wounds the foul, putting them upon an equality without diftinction. It was, we allow, in the days of error, the proper part to feat the foul, the quality or property of which, confcience being there placed, fixed, and crowned King, enthroned, wielding the royal fceptre, iffuing his

edifts,

1

edicts, attended with menaces, which ftung and griped the poor deluded captive with remorfe when not complied with. Your fcriptures abound with threatenings against the obftinate, flinty and ftony heart; also due praise is given to the loving and dutiful. I have found David a man after my own heart, feeking the Lord; and another scripture, Son, give me your heart; fo that we find in all matters, commendable and difcommendable, the heart is agent, to whom all things were intrufted and enjoined, and from whom due obedience was expected. All the aforefaid we are apprized of, and was found neceffary while they were under the rule and subject to a fuperior or fpiritual jurifdiction. But now the fpirit is exploded and taken away, away, it is found neceffary to remove the feat of empire, in imitation of Conftantine the Great, who confidered it proper not to erect christianity on the fpot of heathenifm. So we, in like fort, have removed the feat of empire from the heart, and confirmed it on the brain.

Mofes. The foul animates and gives life to man; will, memory, and understanding are the qualities or faculties of the foul; it acts on the brain, its feat, where it difplays its understanding and memory; its will is lodged in the heart, which is more immediately the feat of freeagency, where all matters and concerns are referred to, and are there ratified and refolved upon or rejected. The will, according to fcripture, and our own feelings, is the fuperior and chief agent, from whom a fcrutiny will be exacted; the brain is bufy investigating and paint

ing a thousand images; but the foul is accountable for nothing more to her God than what the heart or will confents to or rejects.

Club. You then fuppofe the foul animates, rules and governs the body; but difplays her faculties more familiarly in the brain and heart, but the heart more powerfully.

Mofes. This is my belief.

Club. We cannot believe what comes not under our cognizance; for feeing is believing, but feeling is the naked truth. A fpiritual fubfance we neither fee or feel, therefore has no weight in our new philofophy of this our enlightened age and northern hemifphere, its firm being fubftantially proved by the fenfes.

Mofes. Your philosophy, being abfurd and ridiculous to a degree of phrenzy, gains no credit with me, neither can I take it into my conception, that reasonable creatures by choice can degrade themselves below the vileft brute. It is not in the power of man, pretend what he will, either through luft, prefumption, or defpair, to unfoul himself.

Club. We are men of honour and philofophers. Can you be so base born as to fuppofe that perfons of our rank can depreciate and rob ourselves, if we conceived a fpiritual fubftance. You have more fagacity not to understand that you are a pig, and, if a fit opportunity offered, wallow yourself among the herd. We know one another, although we do not wish to be known.

Mofes. Sir, you put yourfelf foremost in your prefumption. I feldom wager, but on this oc

cafion I will venture one hundred ducats you do not ftand the teft of your philofophy.

Ignatius. accept your challenge and flake the fum.

Mofes. There it is; the wager is fealed.
Ignatius. Propose your teft.

Mofes. One of your new philofophers of this your enlightened age and northern hemisphere, is to be buried or laid in a vault under St: Sepulchre near-by, this night. What I wager is, that you will not fuffer yourself to be fastened to the corpfe, clofe linked, and pass this night alone without light, but remain totally fecluded from every living creature, in pitch darkness, the whole night, and there remain quiet until our return with the key, (which I fhall keep) to take you out in the morning; on this condition the wager is your's.

Ignatius. I expected a difficult task from a man of your years and knowledge, and a Jew Rabbi. The tafk you purpofe is what the religious are trained to from the time of their entering the novitiate, in order to remove fears and terrors that might prevent that due attention they owe their fick neighbour, when priested, in watching and adminiftring the facraments, and other comforts. I therefore, in honour, fpeak candidly, and offer to relinquith and return your money, or put fome teft more difficult and honourable.

Mofes. I never retract, but yield to your dif cretion, either to bind or reject the proffered wager.

Ignatius.