the Opinion of the _Bishop_ of _Lichfield_! However, the _Bishop_ of St. _David's_ ought to be of the same Mind; he should assert, that the _Ministry_ of the _Spirit_ was all apostolical Craft and antient Error; and that the present Generation of Priests, being wiser, more learned, and more sincere than the Primitive and Apostolical ones, do adhere to the _Ministry of the Letter_. Because the _Bishop_ has not gone thus far by much, he leaves more room, than he should, for the Revival of the _Ministry of the Spirit_; that is, of the spiritual and allegorical Interpretation of the Scriptures. "The _Bishop_ often reproves me for my primitive Interpretation of _this_ and _that_ Text of Scripture, and then palms his own forc'd Sense on us, for natural and genuine, contrary to the Judgment of all Antiquity. "He is so _grave_, serious, and sedate at some simple Doctrines and Arguments, that his _Readers_ must of necessity laugh, if not scoff at him. Was I _ludicrously_ to handle the said Doctrines, my _Readers_ would hardly smile. Such a wide Difference is there between the _Levity_ of a Buffoon (as he is pleased to call me) and the _Gravity_ of an Ass, to the exposing of Religion to the Ridicule and Contempt of Mankind. "Lastly, He entirely mistakes the Design of my _Discourses_; he knows not what I aim and drive at. There's one Paradox runs through his whole Book, _viz._ That the litteral Story of our Saviour's Miracles must of necessity be true, or I should have no Foundation to build Allegories upon; which is a gross Mistake of other Writers against me, as well as of himself. Who knows not that the profest Parables of _Jesus_ have nothing of _Letter_ in them, yet are a good Foundation for Allegory? And let me tell him here again, that whatever was true, more or less, in the litteral Story of _Jesus_'s Miracles, there is absolute Necessity, for the Honour and Credit of them, to have Recourse to the Mystery; or litterally they are, and shall be farther proved such----Stories, as I dare not at present call them." Thus have I given a brief Account of the _Bishop_'s mighty and pompous Performance; like to which he has promis'd us another Volume, that I shall long for the publication of, next _Winter_. This my brief Account is but introductory to future and larger Defences of my _Discourses_ on Miracles; which, by the Help of God, and Permission of the Civil Authority, shall be likewise publish'd.