FOURTH CONFERENCE. Meffrs. Mofes and Calvin to Rabbi Mofes, W greeting. E are ready with warm-felt defire, anxiety, and zeal, to clear and hold up, as in a glafs, as St. Paul has it, to your view and all concerned, which is the world at large, that we are embaffadors of the New Law, as you of the Old; that the expectation of the Gentiles, and you Jews, like a torrent, bearing impetuously waste and lay flat by the blast of our trumpet put to flight the mighty army of gainfayers who dare contradict, withstand, and with their livid hue, pale and ghaftly; Nice or pigmy likeness withers, dies away, and like chaff is whirled about with every blaft of wind that blows, ftarved for want of wholefome food, difappear as atoms; but us, the mighty army of the great king, preach the laws of health and glad tidings, unloofing the bands of restraints, laid on through prieftcraft, and other venomous doctrines, contrived by flight, cunning, and crafty intrigues of men, to enthral, fhackle and enflave poor, weak, feeble, pliant, fickly, and deluded minds, whofe folly tames them to the yoke of fafting days, holy days, days of abftinence, honouring creatures and difhonouring another, making diftinctions. The apoftle James forbids refpect to creatures; fo that creatures are one common mafs, and no diftinction; but the foolish foolish fuffer themfelves to be, as we term it, prieft-ridden, and fo both drop into the ditch, But we, according to our miniftry, like claps of thunder, vehemently bleat the last trumpet. Arife, ye dead, and come to judgment. Your Re. verence will give due merit; for as the hart pants after the fountains of living waters, fo does our zeal boil, hunger, and thirst after your converfion and fpiritual health. Dear brother, at 5 to-morrow, if convenient. At 10 o'clock in the morning Mofes will attend the citation of Meffrs. Luther and Calvin; but humbly craves they will permit his anfwering their intimidating interrogatories in the perfon of the Meffiah. They claim their authority and miffion from Him. Farewel. Enter Mofes, Luther and Calvin. Mof. The debate of this day, according to your impetuous zeal, renders it neceffary, Gentlemen, to prove your embaffy at the tribunal of your Meffiah, to which, no doubt, you will heartily concur, Luth. & Calv, We confider your condefcenfion, in remitting us for trial of our embaffy to the tribunal from whence our Meffiah iffued as the highest mark of your wifdom and esteem, We, with the Proteftant, Reformation, Catholic, Chriftian Church, beg to expedite and difcuss our right, claim, and inheritance, as heirs apparent to the Holy Mount Sion, Meffiab. Suppose me your Meffiah. Luth. & Calv. We are ready to answer your interrogatories. Melf. What is your religion? Luth. A chriftian protestant, of the tribe of Luther. Mel. Give an account why of this tribe? Luth. I was baptized and brought up in this tribe. Me. What was your ftation of life and age? Luth. Forty years a preacher, my age seventy and four." Mell. What were the chief points you inculcated? Luth. To avoid popery and obey the laws. Me. What charges lay you against popery Luth. Worfhipping images, having feven Sacraments in lieu of two, Mass, Tranfubftantiation, and many fuperftitions of various kinds. Mell. What images do popery worship? Luth. Your image and Crucifixion, your Nativity, and many other parts of your life; the Virgin Mary, your Mother, the Apoftles, and other difciples and martyrs. Meff. What other charges? Luth. Preferving the communion and kneeling, praying, and carrying it to the fick, and disturbing the peace, and going with it in proceffion. Mess. What other charges have you? Luth. Praying to them they call faints, that are dead, and worshipping their bones, which they call relics, depofiting their dead carcafes, wrapped in coftly filks, in rich fhrines, of gold and and filver, ornamented with jewels and preci. ous ftones, dreffing in an expenfive and vain manner churches, chapels, altars, bishops, priests, deacons, and in an extraordinary manher their pope, making him their idol, who we call Anti-Chrift, and his church the Whore of Babylon, mentioned by St. John. Me. Have you any farther charge? Luth. Forbidding the marriage of priests and those that have vowed not to marry; perfuading that virginity is the most perfect state. The priesthood pretending to forgive fins, teach, that those who die in a state of grace, without being very perfect, goes to a place of punishment for a time, which they call Purgatory, praying for those fouls, and many other fuperftitions; fo that for 1000 years before our great apostle, who restored your church to its priftine ftate, all chriftendom, men, women, and children, were, with all mankind, damned, and buried in eternal torments. Melf. And of what tribe are you? Calv. One spiritual, a virgin, of the number of 144,000, who join in the new canticle of Sion, that no other can fing or understand, who follows the lamb whitherfoever thou goest, known on earth by the title of the Calvinistical tribe for the time being. Me: What is your state and age? Calv. Fifty years an Elder of the Kirk, in age nearer feventy than fixty. Me. What are your tenets? Calv. Proteftantifm fpiritualized, a lamb, and preacher to the fold of New Sion, off fpring of Spiritual Jerufalem, who bringeth glad tidings of falvation, protesting against the tripple crown, built upon the ruins both of popery and Lutheranifm, our gates are not shut by day, and we have no night, you being our light. Me. By whom were you enfranchised?. Me. From what teacher are your tenets? Mel. He was firft difciple to Luther, 1500 years after the new covenant was fettled and established? Calv That is the date of our reformation. Me. What charges have you against my covenant, or Catholic Church? Celv. The fame that Luther has pronounced. Calv, In this we are of one communion ; but to each other implacable, as the children of Efau and Jacob, types of Lutherans and Calvinifts, or as Ifhmaelites and Ifraelites. Mef. What proofs have you of the spiritual adulteries of my spouse? Calv. Prophecies confirmed by facts, Mell. At what time did the adultery com- mence? Calv, By the unanimous voice of all Proteftantifm, 300 years from your birth, Mell. The Nicene and Athanafian creeds were fet forth after the year 300, which proteftants hold as fcripture? Calv. Calvinifts and many others excepted. 1 |