[J] I cannot help relating here a circumstance (I hope it is not foreign to the purpose) that happened to one of my acquaintance. He was travelling in a coach, in which were three other respectable passengers. Among other subjects, the conversation (as is often the case) turned on Catholics. One of the gentlemen, immediately commenced a philippic against the Catholics, and called them idolaters, superstitious, murderers, and many other _pretty_ names. My acquaintance allowed the gentleman, to pour out his abuse for some time _without interruption_, and appeared much amused by his bold assertions, and flaming descriptions of the poor _deluded_ papists. During the conversation, a person in liquor, rode up to the coach window, and began to annoy the passengers, by his yells and impertinent behaviour. My acquaintance immediately said to the gentleman, who was telling such pretty things about the Catholics, let us have this drunken man taken up, he has murdered two or three people. The gentleman replied, "Are you, Sir, _certain_ that he _has_ murdered two or three people? Can you _prove it_? Because it would be very _unjust_ to take the man up, unless you could _prove_ the crimes which you mention." "No," answered my acquaintance, "I am not certain. And let me ask you, if _you_ are _certain_, that all the charges, which you have just brought against the _Catholics_ are _true_? I am a Catholic, and must tell you they are _false_, and if _you_ would only follow the advice, which you have just given _me_ about this man, you would find the truth of what I say. If _you_ would not wish _me_ to accuse this man of a crime, which I am not certain he _has_ committed, I beg that _you_, for the future, will _never_ accuse the _Catholics_ of charges, which _you_ cannot _prove_ to be true, and which, if you would only take the trouble to examine, you would find to be _absolutely false_." The gentleman looked _much perplexed_, and was so ashamed of himself, that he never spoke another word until they parted. The other two gentlemen _enjoyed the joke wonderfully, and laughed most heartily_. [K] We read of the ancient prophets, whom God sent to reform the Jews that they began their prophecies by admonishing the people, that the Lord had spoken to them: "Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken." Isai, c. i. v. 2. Whereas God has permitted that the doctrine of the Reformation, should have been originally announced to the world, by a man of insupportable pride, who disclaimed the authority, and doctrine of all Churches then upon the earth; who made no difficulty of acknowledging, that it was from _the devil_, he learned _one_ of the principal articles of the Reformation, and who might therefore, have said to his followers, "Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the _devil_ hath spoken."