13 THE NEW-YEAR's MISCELLANY. CONTAINING, I. The Religion of a Soldier, || VIII. A Riddle. by the late Major General tament of Doctors Commons. IX. Epigram. X. The Death-Watch. A Poem in Two Canto's. LONDON: Printed for A. FREEMAN, in Fleet-Street, and fold at Price One Shilling.] 1747. THE RELIGION OF A SOLDIER. To the whole ARMY, both Officers and Soldiers, from the Generals, down to the Private Centinels. I GENTLEMEN, Tis for your Sake, and in your Vindication, as well as my own, I have at this time drawn my Pen; for 'tis a general (though falfe) Imputation upon our Profeffion, That we are Men of no Religion, but a leud, debauch'd, and rakebelly Sort of People; and, without regard for the Honour and Interest of our Country, fight only for Bread. I must confefs this wou'd be fevere, if true, and expofe us to much Cantempt; but, being otherwife, 'tis of no Weight or Confideration. I am not a little proud of having chofen you for my Patrons, as bad as you are thought to be; for I am fure if there be any true Honour left in the World, 'tis to be found in the Armies now on Foot, and more in our own than anywhere elfe, Thanks to our heroick General, who has bravely fought at the Head of us, and rous'd us from inglorious Eafe and Luxury, and once again taught us to draw our Swords, and handle our Arms, to which we were almoft become Strangers. How can we reflect upon the many and well known, A glorious glorious and renown'd Achievements of our Ancestors, and not blush, that we have done nothing at all worthy of them or ourselves? What an everlasting Fame have they established in Hiftory? How beautiful and how lovely are their Names? And how dear and valuable is their very Memory to this prefent Age? The fam'd Battles fought and won from our Neighbours by our ancient Heroes, have not only fwell'd but embellish'd our Story. But thus much to your and mine, and indeed to the whole Nation's, nay, and all Europe's foy too! I will, and dare fay, and without the leaft Pretence to Prophecy or Inspiration; This gallant Prince, whom we have the Honour and Happiness to call our own, is the Man cut out and deftin'd by God and Nature to reduce the haughty Monarch of France, that Leviathan! that Behemoth! that has made fuch a Noife in the World for many Years past, and to restore Peace to the longing World. But now to my Text; I have undertaken a bold, nice, and hazardous Matter,----Religion! the People's darling! the Priest's Diana! away with prophane Hands they cry, come not near us, 'tis our Sanctum Sanctorum; peep not into, much less fet your Foot bere. 'Tis our Magazine, our Warehouse: This is our Trade, our Traffick, for hence arife our Profits and Honours, and thus we eafily gull and wheedle the poor unthinking, unwary Fools, of which this World is chiefly made up; fo we make a gainful Business on't, we keep the Folks in Ignorance and in Darkness, 'tis our Interest, and we will do it as long as we can, but your penetrating Eyes that look into, and fearch fo narrowly after our holy Cheats, and pretended Sanctity, that you almoft fpoil our Trade, which we had ingrofs'd and monopoliz'd, till you difcover'd and proclaim'd aloud our Impoftures to the dull and infipid Croud, who fwal-· low all we tell them, for want of Senfe to diftinguifb: 'Tis you have ruin'd our Gain, we must e'en fout up and give over, and become Priestrupts, or broken Priests, which ! which you pleafe, in fight of all our Conduct and Cunning. Gentlemen, You may fee plainly 'tis the Priests in general I aim at, I have endeavoured to lafh them lightly, for they deferve it: This feems to be a Reforming Age, I hope it will reform them too! I have often reflected (and with Grief of Mind) upon the Affairs of the World, to fee how tame and eafy Princes and great Men are to fuffer this fort of Vermin among them; fure fome Death-like Lethargy has feized upon and stupified them, that has binder'd them, from banishing these useless Fellows out of their Territories for what they have done, and may yet do. 'Tis thofe Sons of Peace (as they though fally call themselves) that thus continually disturb and destroy the Repofe and Quiet of Mankind. I must confefs I ought not to be fo very angry with, or fierce against them; for they often help us to many a good Stroke of Work; Religion (at least the Name and Pretence) has frequently employ'd our Swords, which might elfe have rufted in their Scabbards; fo that, to do them Justice, they are not fo much our Enemies as fome think; for they fet the Folks together by the Ears, and we must knock them on the Head, to make them quiet again. I remember I heard a Piece of Wit (which fome think fo rare among us) from a private Centinel, who, being at his Poft, was thus ac. cofted by a Prieft, Brother, fays he to the Soldier, I wish you Peace: Damn ye for a Rogue, fays he to the Priest, I wish you no Purgatory, and then we fhall be both Beggars. Oh, that's a fine profitable Trade! I can't but with fome Rage exclaim against the harden'd Impudence of thefe Savoy Priests, that dare obtrude upon the World, their own dull, infipid, leaden No-. tions, for pure and ftaunch Divinity; all is Divinity forfooth! that comes from them, though there be not a Word in it, but they glofs it over, and fet a grave and A 2 religious |