as my _Accusers_, or I know, what would become of me. Mr. _Atkinson_, a little Writer against me, says,[341] "That I call the pretended Divines of the Church my Prosecutors, when they were not my Prosecutors. And _again_, That there was no need of my Supposition, that the _Clergy_ would have more Wit than to prosecute me again for this _Discourse_; for he did not know that they had been concern'd in any Prosecution of me." And again he says, "If the Civil Magistrate thinks it his Duty to chastise me for my Sin and Folly, I am to blame my self, and not the _Clergy_, till I can prove the Zeal of our Christian Government to be excited by the malign Influence of the _Clergy_." Mr. _Atkinson_ is thus far certainly in the right on't, that, strictly speaking, the _Clergy_ are not my Prosecutors, but the King, who, in all probability, knows no more of my Books than the Man in the Moon. But whether Mr. _Atkinson_ could be so ignorant, as not to know the _Clergy_ were the grand Instigators to Prosecution, let others judge. If he really was such a poor _Ignoramus_, I have no more to say: Otherwise, his Expressions above, will be look'd upon as the vilest Piece of Hypocrisy and Prevarication that can be, purposely utter'd to take off the _Odium_ of the Prosecution from the _Clergy_, and to cast it upon the Civil Government; which, whether Mr. _Atkinson_ believes it or not, had never, but for the Solicitations of the _Bishops_, given me any Trouble. Mr. _Atkinson_ above, acts the Part of the Popish Clergy of _France_, upon the Revocation of the Edict of _Nantes_. After that the King, upon the urgent Importunities of the Clergy, had resolv'd to revoke that Edict; the Clergy were for excusing themselves to the Protestants, and laying the Blame only on the King, saying, _The King was bent and resolv'd on't, and they could not help it_; which was such Jesuitical Prevarication in the Popish Clergy, that the Protestants could not forbear _roguing_ them for it. Mr. _Atkinson_ knows how to apply this Story; which I had not told, but for the Use of the Bishop of _L._ who, upon a certain Occasion could say, that it was not He, but the _Government_ that prosecuted Mr. _Woolston_. If Mr. _Atkinson_ was really so ignorant as he seems to be, I suppose he is now of another Mind, upon reading the _Bishop_ of St. _David's_ Dedication; and convinced that the Prosecution against me was began and carried on at the _malign influence_, as he calls it, of the Clergy.