Popery condemned by scripture and the fathers - End Time Deception

SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 515
ness ; for it is immediately subjoined, " which
**
is the second death *."
" We think," says he, " that an act of in«
" temperance on the King's Birth day is not so
*'
is
damnable a crime as murder.''
If drunkenness ought to be tolerated at all,
certainly when a Papist rejoices in the prosperity
of the house of Hanover. That is neither
such an outrage upon the feelings of nature,
nor so repugnant to the spirit of religion, as
dancing, in joyous acclamation, around roasting
heretics. But though drunkenness may not be
attended always with the same aggravations as
murder, it is no less incorsistent with the prohibitions
of God ; and it equally subjects to a
corresponding sentence of condemnation.
it
When
a drunkard appears at the tribunal of God, does
the R. think his excuse for degrading himself
below the dignity of man, and trampling on the
practice of piety and virtue, will be accepted as
valid, because he was guilty on the King's birthday
" We think," says he farther, " that an
*'
amusing jest is not inductive of perdition,
*'
though atrocious calumny most certainly is."
As far as I know, Protestant divines have
never classed wit among the breaches of the decalogue
; though they have frequently declared
that it may be prostituted to the most sinful
purposes.
* Rev. xxi. 8.