Further, which is more material, upon the admission of Christianity, great quantities of land were acquired by the clergy, so that the great council of the nation was often entirely of churchmen, and ever a considerable part. But, our present constitution is an artificial thing, not fairly to be traced, in my opinion, beyond Henry I. Since which time it hath in every age admitted several alterations; and differeth now as much, even from what it was then, as almost any two species of government described by Aristotle. And, it would be much more reasonable to affirm, that the government of Rome continued the same under Justinian, as it was in the time of Scipio, because the senate and consuls still remained, although the power of both had been several hundred years transferred to the emperors. REMARKS ON THE PREFACE.[12] [Footnote 12: References to Tindal's book, and remarks upon it, which the author left thus indigested, being hints for himself to use in answering the said book.] Page iv, v. "If men of opposite sentiments can subscribe the same articles, they are as much at liberty as if there were none." May not a man subscribe the whole articles, because he differs from another in the explication of one? How many oaths are prescribed, that men may differ in the explication of some part of them? Instance, &c. Page vi. "Idea of Government." A canting pedantic way, learned from Locke; and how prettily he sheweth it. Instance-- Page vii, "25 Hen. VIII. c. 19 is a bar to any such divine right [of a legislative power in the clergy.]" Absurd to argue against the clergy's divine right, because of the statute of Henry VIII. How doth that destroy divine right? The sottish way of arguing; from what the parliament can do; from their power, &c. Page viii. "If the parliament did not think they had a plenitude of power in this matter, they would not have damned all the canons of 1640." What doth he mean? A grave divine could not answer all his playhouse and Alsatia[13] cant, &c. He hath read Hudibras, and many plays. [Footnote 13: Or Whitefriars, then a place of asylum, and frequented by sharpers, of whose gibberish there are several specimens in Shadwell's comedy, "The Squire of Alsatia." [T. S.]] _Ibid_. "If the parliament can annul ecclesiastical laws, they must be able to make them." Distinguish, and shew the silliness, &c. _Ibid_. All that he saith against the discipline, he might say the same against the doctrine, nay, against the belief of a God, _viz_. That the legislature might forbid it. The Church formeth and contriveth canons; and the civil power, which is compulsive, confirms them. Page ix. "There were no laws enacted but by the great council of the kingdom." And that was very often, chiefly, only bishops. _Ibid_. "Laws settled by parliament to punish the clergy." What laws were those?