VII. I question whether High-Church would be willing to have the reverend Author of the _Tale of a Tub_, one of the greatest _Droles_ that ever appear'd upon the Stage of the World, punish'd for that or any other of his _drolling_ Works: For tho religious Matters, and all the various Forms of Christianity have therein a considerable Share of _Ridicule_; yet in regard of his _Drollery_ upon the _Whigs_, _Dissenters_, and the _War_ with _France_ (things of as _serious_ and weighty Consideration, and as much affecting the Peace of Society, as _Justification_ by _Faith only_, _Predestination_, _Transubstantiation_, or _Constansubstantiation_, or _Questions_ about _religious Ceremonies_, or any such interested Matters) the _Convocation_ in their famous _Representation_ of the _Profaneness_ and _Blasphemy_ of the Nation, took no notice of his _drolling_ on Christianity: And his Usefulness in _Drollery_ and _Ridicule_ was deem'd sufficient by the _Pious_ Queen _Anne_, and her _pious Ministry_, to intitle him to a Church Preferment of several hundred Pounds _per Ann._ [87] which she bestow'd upon him, notwithstanding a _fanatick High-Churchman_, who weakly thought _Seriousness_ in Religion of more use to High-Church than _Drollery_, and attempted to hinder his Promotion, by representing to her Majesty, "What a Scandal it would be both to Church and State to bestow Preferment upon a Clergyman, who was hardly suspected of being a Christian." Besides, High-Church receives daily most signal Services from his drolling Capacity, which has of late exerted itself on the Jacobite Stage of _Mist_'s and _Fogg_'s Journal, and in other little Papers publish'd in _Ireland_; in which he endeavours to expose the present Administration of publick Affairs to contempt, to inflame the _Irish_ Nation against the _English_, and to make them throw off all Subjection to the _English_ Government, to satirize Bishop _Burnet_ and other _Whig_ Bishops; and, in fine, to pave the way for a new or Popish Revolution, as far as choosing the most proper Topicks of Invective, and treating of them in the way of _Drollery_, can do.