O R, British Gazetteer. Being the freshest Advices Foreign and Domestick. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1724. The Confutation of some Popish Errors continu'd. SUCH is the High Opi- nion that the Romanists have of themselves, that they affirm theirs to be the only true Church ; and in maintaining this Claim, they are not more dogmatical than uncha- ritable, denying Heaven to all that die out of their Communion ; this therefore is a Very im- portant Point, namely, Whether tl; e Church of Rome be the only true Church or no ; and in order to determine the same, and to shew how little Right Papists have to this glorious Claim ; glorious to them, if they can maintain it beyond the Grave, tho' very dismal to all others, it is thought necessary to enquire what a true Church is, or what are the essential Properties of a true Church. Nor need we seek far for its Description, since we have the following Definition of it, in the 19th of the 39 Articles of the Christian Religion, which faith, " The visible Church of Christ is a Congrega- tion of faithful Men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly adm - nistred according to Christ's Ordinance, in all those Things that of Necessity are requisite to the same." Or in other Words thus, A true Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful Persons solemnly joined together in the Order and Fellowship of the Gospel, who shew their Faith in Christ by their Desire of, and Endeavour after Obedience to all the Ordi- nances of the Gospel, and who walk together accor- dingly in the same. This I humbly conceive is a Gospel Definition of a true Church, according to Mat. xxviii. 20. Teach, ing them to observe all Things whatsoever I have com- manded you and lo I am - with you always, even to the End of the World Amen. Eph. r. 19,20, 21. Ye are no more Strangers and Foreigners, but Fellow- Citizens with the Saints, and of the Houshold of Cod. But who are those highly privileged Persons ? the following Words answer this Query by asserting they are built in the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner Stone : And in 1 Pet. 11. 5. speaking of true Believers, saith, Ye also as lively Stones are built up a spiritual House an holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable t0 God by Jesus Christ, who is the glorious Head of the Church, from whom all the Body by Joynts and Fands having Nourishment ministred and knit toge ther, encreaseth with all the Encrease of God ; it groweth in all the Graces of the Spirit, and en- creaseth in the Fruits of Righteousness, which are to the Praise of the Grace of God ; and such is their Conversation in the World. that they endeavour to be harmless and without Rebuke, imitating the holy humble Jesus. ( Ptice T& ree- Half; PflpceJ But the Church of Rome is the Very Reverse to such a Church ; indeed if Superstition and Idolatry be that pure Gospel Worship that God requires; if to be cruel bloody Persecutors demonstrate Persons to be the Sheep of Christ; and if Arrogance and Pride be Conformity to the meek and lowly Jesus, then, and not else, the Church of Rome is the only true Church. That the Church of Rome is idolatrous in their Worship, their daily Practices plainly discover, for the anti- scriptural Ceremonies which compose the same, and support their Devotions, are almost innu- merable witness a Multitude of unwritten Tradi. tions which they pretend to be as authentick as the Gospel, if not more so, and to these they require art implicite Faith of all that adhere to them, and to make them go down the easier, they please carnal Minds by gaudy Shews, and pompous Ceremonies, whereby they draw their Followers from the Sim- plicity of the Gospel, from that pure spiritual Gospel- Worship which God requires of his People. If this be a Mark of the true Church, then indeed Rome hath a peculiar Claim to that Appellation, for they eminently dishinguish themselves thereby, and those who refuse to follow that false, tho' glaring Light, soon become the Objects of their Fury, and the Subjects of their Persecution, wherein their blind Zeal hath push'd them forward to stigmatize them- selves in the most bloody Characters that ever saw the Sun, for they have committed on this Account the most cruel Tragedies thac were ever acted under it ; for the Time hath been long come with them, that to massacre those who differ from them in Re- ligion hath been accounted doing God Service; wit- ness the prodigious Quantities of innocent Blood that hath been shed by them in Bohemia, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Ireland, not without some Gleanings of their bloody Harvest here in England, of which we had instances in the Marian Persecu- tion, and since many have been their Attempts to perpetrate the like Thus have their bloody Cruelties been known and felt through most Part of the Christian World, and that in such a Degree, that Papal Rome hath far exceeded Rome Pagan. Now if in the Nature of Things Christ's Sheep can degenerate into such destru- ctive Wolves and bloody Persecutors, then this is another Mark of a rrue Church which belongs to none on Earth so much as to the Roman one for they have distinguish'd themselves herein in the most evident and heart affecting Manner that is possible to conceive of. O kind Providence which protects us from their Cruelty ! Auspicious Season for us, when his present Majesty was plac'd on the Throne of these Kingdoms! may the divine Hand that brought him to, and plac'd him on it, long preserve and prosper him there, for the Security of the Protestant Inte- rest among us; and may there never be wanting a Protestant Prince of his illustrious Family to sit on the British Throne, and to weild the British Scepter, so long as the Land itself continues. who may for ever prevent the Return of Popery unto us whose Usurpations and Cruelties would soon be as great as ever if they had but Opportunity to impose and exe- cute them Therefore therefore as the Revd Mr. Burkitt adviseth in his exposition on the 12th Chapter of the Revelations, Never let Protestants expect any other or any better " usage at the Hands of Romanists, with whom " this is a certain Principle, that Hereticks in a Na- " tion are to be extirpated Root and Branch, where " it may safely be done; that is, when they are not '' too numerous, and the Loss of one of our Lives may not cost two of their own. If any say that Papists are under the strict Restraint of our Laws, I wish them that they may never be tempted ouc of their Humanity by Advantages of Power; and as Almighty God has once more deliver'd the Neck of this Nation from the pinching of the Anti- christian yoke, may our Sins never provoke him more to deliver us into the Hands of those Men, whose tender Mercies are cruel, Amen" And to this it's hop'd that every true Protestant will say Amen too. Again, if those who are ambitious, proud, and lordly, who claim Dominion over the Faith of God's People, are the Followers and Imitators of God's People, then the Papists have another Mark of the true Church : Bat alas herein they are the Reverse to Christ, who is the Head and Saviour of the Church, that if, his mystical Body ; and that they are not that Church, evidently appears thus, every Grace that is in Christ being radically, and according to their Measure, in every true Believer, from whose Fulness they all receive, and Grace for Grace, i. e. every Grace for Kind that is in Christ, is in every true Believer, even as the Infant hath every Member and Limb that its Father hath, altho' in a far less Pro- portion : Hence the Apostle saith, As he is, even so are we, in this World. Therefore there must be a wonderful Alteration in the Romish Church, before it can have a Right to claim, as it now vainly and proudly doth, the Title of the true Church of Christ. What those Miracles are, whereby they endeavour to prove, or rather blind, their Errors, and what Credence is to be given to such Miracles is next to be discover'd by Croydon. Oct 17, 1724. MITHRIDATES. - The Continuation of the trayl of Edward Fitz- Harris, esq; for High- Treason. In the other Case of Mr. Plowden, and many more, ; Phil. & Mar. the Information set forth, That they were summon'd to Parliament, and de- parted without Leave, notwithstanding the King and Queen's Prohibition to the contrary s Most of them, indeed, submitted to a Fine, but Mr. Plow- den pleaded to it, and says, He continu'd in the Parliament from the Beginning to the End ; and brings a Traverse, Absquc hoc, that he the said Ed- mond Plowden, the said Day and Year, during the said Parliament, without License of the said King and Queen, did contemptuously depart in Con- tempt of the said King and Queen, and their Com-. mandment and Inhibition, and to the great Detri- merit of the Commonwealth and State of the King- dom, & c. This, your Lordship knows was a Very ill TraVerse, and yet this Case continu'd all tha Time of the Queen ; for it appearing upon the Face of the Information, that it was a Case which con. cern'd the Commons, the Court wou'd not give Judg- ment for or against them. In the Information against my Lord Hollis, Sir John Elliot, and others, for an Assault, and Words spoken in Parliament, upon a Demurrer, the Court did give Judgment generally, That this Court had Jurisdiction : But we know very well that Judgment was reVers'd in the 19th of this King, by Writ of Error; but should your Lordship give Judgment against this Plea, and the Prisoner should be obsti- nate, and not plead over ; and thereupon your Lord, ship should give Judgment of Death upon him, and he should be executed, tho' a Writ of Error do re- Verse the Judgment, it cannot restore him his Life. My Lord, There is an old Case 20 Rich. 1. a Per- son presented a Petition to the Commons, in which there were some Expressions held to be treasonable for which he was indicted out of Parliament and ' convicted; ( and afterwards he was pardon'd but be- cause the Commons would not rest under that Prece- dent, which they took to be an Invasion of their pri- Vilege, ( tho he was a Person without Doors who pre- par'd the Petition, and no Hurt done him but in the Prosecution) that Judgment was voided. And now, my Lord, we do not only offer these Reasons both as to Matter and Form, but here is the Life of a Person, the Right of the Commons to im- peach, and the Judicature of the Lords to determine that Impeachment before you; how far you will lay your Hands upon this Case, thus circumstantiated we must submit to you, but I hope you will proceed no farther on the Indictment. Sir Fr. Winnington, of Counsel also with the Pri- soner, repeated many of the Arguments used by Mr Williams; and as to the Plea being so general that the Court could not judge of it, he answer'd, That Fitz Harris had averr'd, by his Plea, that he was im- peach'd for the same Treason for which he was in- dicted, and this Averment made the Matter as clear to the Courc as if the Impeachment had mention'd the particular Treason : That Averments, consistent with the Record, were good, and of Necessity to clear the Fact to the Court; and where one pleads a Recovery, in a former Action, in Bar to an Action of Debt, & c. it is not enough for him to see out the Record, but he must aver also that the Causes of Action are the same, and that ' tis the same Person mention'd in one Record as in the other, so that the most special and particular Pleas are of no Use with. out Averments: That their is a Case, 26: Ass. Pl. 15. mention'd also in Stamf Pi Cor 105 where a Man was indicted for the Murder of J. S. and pleads a Record of Acquittal for the Murder of J. N averr- ing that J. S in this Indictment, is the same Per- son with J. N. in the other Indictment, and that this was adjudg'd a good Plea, and the Party acquitted, tho' the Averment there seem'd contradictory to the Record: Now Mr. Attorney might have pleaded Nultiel Record, and then we must have produc'd it; but he has demurr'd, and thereby confess'd there is such a Record, and confess'd the Averment to be true, that he was impeach'd for the same crime, and that he was the same Person. That it seem'd against natural Justice, that when the Commons, in the Name of themselves and of all the Commons of England, had lodg'd an Impeach, ment against any Man, that any Commoner should afterwards try or judge that Man for that Fact, every Commoner being a Party to the Accusation, and so does not stand indifferent; they might be Witnesses but not Judges. He observ'd, that it was the Course of Parlia- ments to carry up general Impeachments, and after- wards particular Articles, as in the Case of my Lord Clarendon, and the five popish Lords. And it was observable, that Indictments were found against the popish Lords before there were any Impeachments against them, and yet there was never any Attempt to try them upon the Indictmenct, tho' there had been several Intervals of Parliaments since those Im- peachments; That their Case, therefore, was stronger than that of the Lords; for there the first Suit was by the King, but in this Case the first Suit was by the Commons; and they were told that the Opinions of the Judges had been deliver'd in Council, concerning these Lords, that Impeachments being lodg'd in Par- liament, no other Prosecution could be against them till the Prosecution of the Commons was deter, min'd, , He said, it was the Opinion of the Court, in the Case of the Lord Shaftsbury, tho' it was agreed by all that the Commitment was too general, being only for a Contempt, whereas the Crime ought particular- ly to appear in the Warrant; yet it being in a case of Commitment by Parliament, ( at least, during the Continuance of Parliament) they ought not to meddle with it, nor could they enquire into the Formality of the Warrant. To be continu'd this day Fortnight- Letters Letters from Newcastle upon Tyne or Oct. 23. say, that on Wednesday last, about eight a Clock in the Evening, a Fire broke out in a Merchant's House near the great Church in that Town; whilst Endeavours were using to extinguish it, a great Quantity of Gun. powder, which was in the House unknown to the Crowd, took fire and tore the House to Pieces, driving the Stones and Timber amongst the Multitude, to that thirteen People died upon the Spot, and about fifty were sorely burnt and wounded, many of which are since dead. During the burning of the Fire, the Mayor and Member of Parliament, Mr. Carr, was very active in encouraging the People and giving Di. regions for the extinguishing of it, so that he was in great Danger when the Gunpowder took fire, several having fallen dead about him. He has since order'd all the Surgeons thereabouts carefully to attend the wounded poor People, and has given fifty Pounds as a Reward to the People that were diligent in putting out the Fire. Last Saturday Night dy'd the Lady Betty Masham, Daughter to the Right Hon. the Lord Masham, at his Lordship's House in Cork- street behind Burlington Gardens. Mr. Gouge, Secretary and Treasurer to the Lords Proprietors of North Carolina, as he was shooting of bears, one of them that he had wounded turn'd - Upon him, and tore him to pieces. Some Days ago the Mother of the Lord Bishop of Winchester's Lady, was found dead in her Bed, Mr. Anthony Ingram, a rich and noted Robe- maker in Pater noster. Row, dy'd last Saturday. The Revd. Mr. Peter Drinkwater is presented to the Vicaridge of Raunds in Northamptonshire in the the Diocese of Peterborough. . They write from Scotlond, that Orders were sent to Inverness, to make strict Search for Brigadier Mark- intosh, supposing he might endeavour to imbark there in order to make his Escape. We have an Account by a Ship from Jamaica, that Sprig the Pyrate having taken and plunder'd a Sloop in Sight of that Island, his Majesty's Ships Diamond and Spence sail'd immediately from Port Royal in chase of him, and were in great Hopes of good Suc- cess. They write from the Hot Wells at Scarborough in Yorkshire, that a certain Nobleman having, out of a Frolick, caused a Sack of Meal to be made into an Hasty- Pudding, and offering a Reward of two Gui- neas to the Persons as should eat the most of it, a cer- tain Number of Country Fellows enter'd the Lists; two whereof eat to that Excess, that the one died on the Spot; and the other in two Days after. We hear that his Majesty has been pleased to give Orders for prosecuting a Design laid for improving and cultivating into fine Gardens, the Lands lying between the Terrass at Windsor Castle, and the River Thames, formerly dug up by the poor Palatines: Friday 7- Night, Thomas Wyndham of Lincoln's Inn, Esq; kiss'd his Majesty's Hand for the Place of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland, Vacant by the Death of Richard Levinge, Esq; We are credibly inform'd, that the Rt. Hon. Ro- bert Walpole, Esq; lately gave 500 1. toward the New Building at King's College in Cambridge. The Gentlemen educated at Merchant Taylors School have revived their Feast, which will be holden upon Thursday the 3d of December next. By our last Advices from Rome we hear, that the Pretender's Spouse lies dangerously ill of the Small- Pox. On Sunday Night last between 9 and 10 a- Clock, an Irish Officer attack'd a Gentleman passing thro' King street Covent- Garden, with Sword in hand ; the latter drawing in his own Defence, wounded his Aggressor dangerously in the right Side, and so walk'd off unknown; whilst the other fell into the Hands of the Constable, as well as the Surgeon, upon the Complaints of several Persons whom he had insulted that Night. They Write from Dantzick, Oct. 14, That for se- Veral Days before such great Storms had happen'd in those Parts, that they expected to hear very bad News from Sea j and that they had already received Advice London. Tuesday, October 27.' Wednesday, Nov. 4. Thursday, Nov. 12. Wednesday, Nov 18. Tuesday, Nov. 27. After Term. Friday, December 1. Middlesex. Thursday, October 29. Friday, Nov. 6. Monday, Nov. itj. Fridav, Nov. 26 Thursday, Nov. 26. After Term. Monday, Nov. 30. The Days of Sittings in the Court of Common Pleas in this present Michaelmas Term. London. Tuesday, 0ct. 27. Monday, Nov. 9. Tuesday, Nov. 17. Monday, Nov. 27 After Term. Tuesday, Dec. I. Middlesex. Saturday, Oct 31. Tuesday, Nov. 10, Wednefday, Nov. 18. Tuesday, Nov. 24. After Term. Monday, Nov. 30 To Dr. John Ketch, at the Sign of the Three Legg'd Stool, near Hyde- Park Corner, Dear Doctor, Thieving Lane, Oct. 19. 1724. AFTER excusing myself to the Reverend Or- dinary, my good Friends the Keepers, and Mr. Jonathan Wild, I ought to make some Apology to you, for my withdrawing in so clandestine a Man- ner, and declining to put myself into your Hands. I have been told, you have affirm'd, you had a Right to me for a Patient ; but pray, Sir, what Right ? Not an hereditary one surely ; I dare appeal to the Ordinary, if I am not a better Christian than to violate That: I am sure you will not, nor dare not say ' twas an indefeasible one; for every Body wauld laugh at such an Assertion; nay, I am bold to af- firm, you had not so much at a legal one having neglected to take out in due time a Habeas Corpus, with a Writ annex'd, ad suspendend per Coll, and I appeal to you and all Mankind, whether I am blame- able for taking Advantage of such Neglect, in a Case where my All depended. You know that a Dog that has been hang'd on a Crabb tree, can ne- ver love Verjuice; and to tell you the Truth, I have seen some of my Friends under your Hands, make such wry Mouths, and awkward Wrigglings, as have put me out of Conceit with the Operation, and bred in me an Opinion, that ( however expert you may be in the Cito and Tuto) you have not at- tain'd to the Jucunde of your Art. Moreover, I have a mortal Aversion to Hemp, it being, as I am inform'd, an Herb of a suffocating Quality ; and to deal plain with you, I had rather take a Swing in ten Fathom of Blanket, and venture my Neck four Stories high, than be suspended in ten Foot of Cord, like a Meteor in the Air, to be gazed at by every Fool that thinks it worth his while to make an Holiday. I hate hanging in Suspense for an Hour together : To this I add, that I have naturally an Impediment in my Speech, and should it so hap- pen, ( as I know it has to many) that I should en- tirely lose that Faculty in the Operation I doubt whether it be in your Power, or that of the whole College, to recover it Next Day after my Retreat a general Court of the whole Society assembled, wherein I was unani- mously chosen their President: This will put it in my Power to make you some Amends for what you may have lost by me; and I doubt not, but e'er the Year comes round, I shall send you many a Patient; and if my ill Fate should oblige me to be cut for the Simples, I should put myself into your Hands, as soon as any Man's of your Profession. Give my Service to poor Jo. Blueskin : I am told he takes in great Dudgeon my withdrawing in sucH a Manner; complains of breach of Articles, by which ( as he says) we were oblig'd to hang together; I am from Petersburgh that 7 Ships bound from thence to Hamburgh, had been lost in the Sheets, 12 Miles from Petersburgh aforemention'd. The Days of Sittings in the Court of King's Bench in this present Michaelmas Term. LONDON: Printed and Sold by J. READ, in White- Fryers near Fleet- Street. Where Advertisements are taken in. ( 3 0 1 2 ) Yesterday being the Anniversary of his Royal Highnesses Birth Day, when he enter'd into the 43d Year of his Age, the same was observ'd with all due Solemnity ; there was a prodigious Appearance of Nobility, Set. at Leicester- House, and in the Even- ing a most magnificent Ball, and the Evening con- cluded with Bonefires, Illuminations, and all other decent Signs of Joy and Respect in several Parts of the City and Suburbs. Mr Read, WEdnesday next being the Anniversary of the late King WILLIAM's Birth- Day, ( our great Deliverer from Popery and Slavery) of Glorious and Immortal Memory, I hope the following Lines in Respect to it will not be disagreeable, From your humble Servant, Philo- Brit. Hail! to th' Auspicious Day from which do flow The dearest Benefits a Land can know, Thanks to the Conduct of the great. NASSAU: May his discerning Excellence resound, Whilst ecchoing Hills, and Rocks, and Vales rebound : When Native Foes with Roman Ones had join'd, These threatned Lands in Papal Chains to bind ; When all was acted as the Jesuits pleas'd, And legal Rights and Privileges seiz'd ; Then WILLIAM rose, Champion for Liberty, Broke the dire Snare, and set the Nation free : Then to confirm the new gain'd Happiness, Gave the Great LEGACY we now possess; Invaluable to each TRUE BRlTON's Breast, Who bless the Founder as they prize the Feast. Bankrupts since our last List. John Callcott, of Newgate- Market, London, Butcher. Henry Ullock, late of Stanmore Magna, in the County of Middlesex. John Brindley, of the City of Exon, Goldsmith. James Cutler, of Winchester, in the County of Southampton, Linnen- Draper. James Gray, late of Cirencester, in the County of Gloucester, Chapman. George Corrie, late of Saffron- Walden, but now of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, Chapman and Inn keeper. Christopher Bray, of Holme, in the County of Huntingdon, Merchant. r .'. SHIPS Enter'd Inwards at the Custom- House since our last. The Lady Elizabeth, and Thomas and Anne both from Amsterdam ; James from Norway, and Hope- well from Virginia. The Olive- Branch, and Harwich, both from Rot- terdam ; Prince Frederick from Hambro'; Friendship from Riga; Richard and Anne, Gray, and Lyon, all from Norway. The Royal Vineyard from Calais; Mary from Hambro'; Dunkirk- Sloop from Ostend ; and Three Brothers from Norway. Clear'd Out. The Ripley for Bourdeaux ; Young Lucas for Hol- land, and John for Virginia. The Anne for Oporto ; Gaboon for Africa ; Rich- mond for Holland; Elizabeth and Anne for Dublin; St. Peter, and Queen Anne, both for Norway ; John's Goodwill for Gottenbro'.; and Mary for Carolina. The Cato for the Srreights ; Anne, and Bacchus, both for France; Bridgeman for Holland ; and Pro- sperity for Ireland