an Example that ye should do as I have done to you, John xiii. 4-15, does not imply that to be a Christian Sacrament, obligatory ftill under the Gofpel, as well as Baptism and the Lord's Supper: I know not whether the Convocation was then fitting, but never heard the Question was either then or afterward laid before them; tho' it was a Point much fitter for their Enquiry than thofe which of late they have been engaged in. One or two of these Deputies came to Dr. Smalridge, and to me. We both agreed, that it was not fo intended; no Intimation appearing that the Apoftles or Primitive Chriftians fo understood this Command; nor ever practifed accordingly: As was yet most frequent and undeniable in the Cafe of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. I also added, that in the Apoftolical Conftitutions or Canons, the only compleat Repository of the Laws of the Gospel, no fuch Appointment any where appears.

&

During the Meetings of the Court of Delegates about me, and on the very Day they folemnly met, and determined that I muft anfwer to this Accufation. of Herefy; when I was in the greatest Danger that ever I was in through my whole Life; I was fo little concern'd at what they were doing with me, that I then first published, and prefented to feveral of my Judges, instead of a Petition for Mercy, as at firft they fuppofed it to be, a fingle Sheet, wet from the Prefs, intituled, The Caufe of the Deluge demonftrated. It was afterward added to the later Editions of my New Theory. Page 186197. It was also

printed

printed in the first Edition of my Aftronomical Principles of Religion; of which presently.

And now, upon Occafion of this Profecution against myself, it may not be amifs to give fome Account of the Character and Profecution of Mr. Woolfton, Fellow of Sidney College in Cambridge, who for fome Time made a great Noife in the World, But obferve this Mr. Woolfton, has nothing to do with that great and learned and excellent Author of The Religion of Nature Delineated. Mr. Wollaston, tho' he were of the fame College, and almoft of the fame Name: Which Work I have heard the late Queen fay fhe had read over three Times; and I can fay that I have done the fame four Times myfelf, on Account of its uncommon Worth. However the other Perfon, or Mr. Woolfton, was of the Year above me, tho' not of the fame College: He was in his younger Days a Clergyman of very good Reputation, a Scholar, and well efteem'd as a Preacher, charitable to the Poor, and beloved by all good Men that knew him. Now it happened that after fome Time he moft unfortunately fell into Origen's Allegorical Works; and poring hard upon them, without communicating his Studies to any body, he became fo fanciful in that Matter, that he thought the Allegorical Way of Interpretation of the Scriptures of the Old Testament had been unjustly neglected by the Moderns; and that it might be useful for an additional Proof of the Truth of Chriftianity: Infomuch that he preached this Doctrine first in the College Chappel, to the great Surprize of his Audience; tho his Intentions being known to be good, Q 4

and

and his Perfon beloved, no Difcouragement was fhewed him there. After which he ventured to preach the fame Doctrine in fome Sermons before the whole Univerfity, at St. Mary's; (one of which I remember to have heard myself) and printed them, under the Title of The Old Apology Reviv'd. Upon this Publication by preaching and printing, his Notions appeared to be fo wild, that a Report went about that he was under a Disorder of Mind. Which when he heard, inftead of that Applause he Thought he had deferv'd by retrieving a long-forgotten Argument for the Truth of Chriftianity, he grew really diforder'd, and, as I have been inform'd, he was accordingly confined for about a Quarter of a Year; after which, tho' his Notions were esteem'd in Part the Effect of fome fuch Disorder, yet did he regain his Liberty. When he found himself pretty well, as he Thought, he fell a writing to great Men, and to his old Friends; and infifted on the Truth of his Notions, and pretended that the Reports of his Diforders arofe only from the Inability the learned were under to confute them. Nay at length he wrote feveral Pamphlets to prove, that the following the literal Sense of the Old Testament was no better than Antichriftianifm, tho' in the mean Time he fometimes infinuated, that Jefus Chrift's own Miracles were no othert han Allegorical Miracles, and not real Facts, and expofed thofe Miracles, taken in the literal Senfe, after fuch a Manner, and with fuch a Mixture of Wit and Scoffing, as if he in earnest intended to abuse and oppofe the Chriftian Religion. Which Defign however he utterly denyed; and

feemed

feemed to wonder that any fhould impute fuch a Thing to him; and about the fame Time he wrote another Pamphlet against fome of the Unbelievers, which was by no means a contemptible one. Things being in this State, and the Unbelievers thinking to make use of his Folly to lay a Blot upon Chriftianity, encouraged him to go on; bought his Pamphlets at an high Price, and fent them Abroad, as far as the West-Indies, to do Mischief there.

Now during the Time when the College and his Friends thought his Cafe to be pitiable, and owing in Part to a bodily Distemper, and upon that Account the College allowed him the Revenues of his Fellowship for his Support; he came of his own accord to the College, to fhew that he was not under any Disorder. Whereupon he was called to refidence according to the College Statutes, which allow to the Fellows, if in Health, but eighty Days abfence in the Year. But he abfolutely refused to refide, and fo loft his Fellowship: Tho' I did all Icould to fave it for him, by writing to the College on his behalf. But the Clamor ran fo high against him there, that no Interceffion could prevail for him.

After this the Government fell upon him, and ha 1 him indicted in Westminster-Hall, for Blafphemy and Profaneness. At which Time I went to Sir Philip York, the then Attorney-General, but now Lord Chancellor, and gave him an Account of poor Mr. Woolfton, and how he came into his Allegorical Notions: And told him, that their common Lawyers would not know what fuch an Allegorical Cause could mean; offering to come myself into the

Court,

Court, and explain it to them, in Cafe they proceeded: But ftill rather defiring they would not proceed any farther against him. He promised he would not proceed, unless the then Secretary of State, the Lord Townshend, fent him an Order fo to do. I then went to Dr. Clarke, to perfuade him to go with me to the Lord Townshend ; but he refufed; alledging that the Report would then go Abroad, that the King fupported Blafphemy. However, no farther Progrefs was made in Mr. Woolfton's Trial, till he had publifhed another Pamphlet, against our Saviour's Miracles, and that with fuch reproachful Words, that tho' I pitied his Cafe, and looked upon it as partly a Disorder of Mind, I did not think it became me to be farther concerned for him in any publick Manner, tho' he had dedicated a Pamphlet to me, and came himself to me. I told him that had not my Reputation, as a firm Believer of the Chriftian Religion, been very good, hehad done me great Harm by his Dedication. I farther told him, that what he now afferted feemed to me nearer to the Sin against the Holy Ghoft than what had ever been afferted by any fince the first Times of the Gofpel. I withall afked him, why he did not affert that our Saviour was no more than an Allegorical Perfon? fince then he might naturally work Allegorical Miracles? He replyed no: There was fuch a Perfon as Jefus Chrift. So I took my final Leave of him, and prayed God to forgive him. At length the Court proceeded against him to a Fine and Imprisonment. In fhort, he feemed to me to have fo confounded himself with his Allego