The end of religious controversy

Front matter

Class . BX 11 SI Book, JA, 5? ,

THE END

OF

Part I

Letter I. — Mr. Brown's Apology to Dr. Milner — Account of the Friendly Society of New Cottage 11

Essay I. — On the Existence of God and Natural Religion, by the Rev. Samuel Carey, LL.D 14

Essay II, — On the Truth of the Christian Religion, by Do 18

Letter II. — Dr. Milner's Conditions for entering on the Correspondence — Freedom of Speech — Sincerity and Candor — A Conclusive Method.... 23

Let. III. — Agreement to the Conditions on the part of the Society 25

Let. IV. — Dispositions for success in Religious Inquiries — Renunciation of prejudices, passions, and vicious inclinations — Fervent prayer 25

Let. V.— Rule or Method of finding out the True Religion — Christ has left a Rule — This Rule must be sure and unerring — It must be adapted to the capacity and situations of the bulk of mankind 27

Let. VI. — First fallacious Rule ; Private inspiration — This has led number, less Christians into errors, impiety, and vice, in ancient and in modern times — Account of Modern fanatics, Anabaptists, Quakers, Moravians, Swedenborgians, Methodists, &c 29

Let. VII. — Objections of certain Members of the Society answered 38

Let. VIII. — Second fallacious Rule ; the Scripture, according to each person's particular interpretation of it — Christ did not intend that mankind, in gen. eral, should learn his Religion from a book — No Legislator ever made Laws without providing Judges and Magistrates to explain and enforce them — Dissensions, divisions, immorality, and infidelity, which have arisen from the private interpretation of Scripture — Illusions of Protestants in this matter — Their inconsistency in making Articles, Catechisms, &c. — Acknowledgment of learned Protestants on this head 41

Let. IX. — The subject continued — Protestants have no evidence of the Inspiration of Scripture : nor of its authenticity : nor of the fidelity of their copies : nor of its sense — Causes of the obscurity of Scripture : instances of this — The Protestant Rule affords no ground for Faith — Doubts in which those who follow it live and also die 52

Let. X. — The True Rule, namely, the Whole Word of God, unwritten as well as written, subject to the interpretation of the Church — In this and in every other country, the written law is grounded upon the unwritten law — Christ taught the Apostles by word of mouth, and sent them to preach it by word of mouth — This method was followed by thern and their disciples and successors — Testimonies of this from the Fathers of the five first centuries 61

Let. XI. — The subject continued — Protestants forced to have recourse to the Catholic Rule, in different instances — Their vain attempts to adopt in it other instances — Quibbling evasions of the Articles, Canons, Oaths, and Laws respecting uniformity — Acknowledged necessity of deceiving the people — Bishop Hoadley the patron of this hypocrisy — The Catholic Rule confessed by Bishop Marsh to be the Original Rule — Proofs that it has never been abrogated — Advantages of this Rule to the Church at large, and to its individual members 70

Let. XII. — Objections answered — Texts of Scripture — Other objections — Illusory declamation of Bishop Porteus — The advice of Tobias, when he sent his son into a strange country, recommended to the Society of New Cottage 84

CONTENTS.

Part II

Let. XIII. — Congratulation with the Society of New Cottage on their acknowledgment of the right Rule of Faith — Proof that the Catholic Church alone is possessed of this Rule — Characters or Marks of the True Church 94

Let. XIV. — Unity, the First Mark of the True Church — This proved from reason : from Scripture : and from the Holy Fathers 98

Let. XV. — Want of Unity among Protestants in general — This acknowledged by their eminent writers — Striking instances of it in the Established Church — Vain attempts to reconcile diversity of belief with uniform Articles 99

Let. XVI. — Unity of the Catholic Church — in Doctrine : in Liturgy : in Government, and Constitution 106

Let. XVII. — Objections against the exclusive claims of Catholics — Extract of a letter from the Rev. , Prebendary of Bishop Watson's doctrine on this head 109

Let. XVIII. — Objections answered — Bishop Watson, by attempting to prove too much, proves noihing — Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and the Fathers on this head — Exclusive claim of the Catholic Church a proof of her truth 110

Let. XIX. — Second Mark of the True Church, Sanctity — Sanctity of doctrine wanting to the different Protestant Communions — to Luther's system : to Calvin's : to that of the Established Church : to those of Dissenters and Methodists — Doctrine of the Catholic Church holy. Postscript. — Variations and impiety of the Rev. John Wesley's doctrine 115

Let. XX. — Means of Sanctity — The Seven Sacraments possessed by Catholics — Protestants possess none of them, except Baptism — The whole Liturgy of the Established Church borrowed from the Catholic Missal and Ritual — Sacrifice the most acceptable worship of God — The most perfect Sacrifice offered in the Catholic Church — Protestants destitute of Sacrifice — Other means of Sanctity in the Catholic communion 125

Let. XXI. — Fruits of Sanctity — All the saints were Catholics — Comparison of eminent Protestants with contemporary Catholics — Immorality caused by changing the ancient Religion 132

Let. XXII. — Objections answered — False accounts of the Church before the Reformation, so called — Ditto of John Fox's Martyrs — The vices of a few Popes no impeachment of the Church's Sanctity — Scriptural practices and exercises common among Catholics, but despised by Protestants 135

Let. XXIII. — Divine Attestation of Sanctity in the Catholic Church — Miracles the Criterion of Truth — Christ appeals to them, and promises a continuation of them — The Holy Fathers and Church. writers attest their continuation, and appeal to them in proof of the True Church — Evidence of the Truth of many Miracles — Irreligious skepticism of Dr. Conyers Middleton : this undermines the Credit of the Gospel — Continuation of Miracles down to the present time : living witnesses of it 138

Let. XXIV. — Objections answered — False and unauthenticated miracles no disproof of true and authenticated ones — Strictness of the examination of reported miracles at Rome — Not necessary to know God's design in working each miracle — Examination of the arguments of celebrated Protestants against Catholic miracles — Objections of Gibbon and the late Bishop of Salisbury, (Dr. John Douglass,) against St. Bernard's miracles, refuted — St. Xavier's miracles proved from the authors quoted against them — Dr. Middleton's confident assertion clearly refuted — Bishop Douglas's Conclusive Evidence from Acosta, against St. Xavier's miracles, clearly refuted, by the testimony of the said Acosta — Testimony of Ribadeneira concern, ing St, Ignatius's miracles, truly stated — True account of the miracle of

CONTENTS.

Saragossa — Impostures at the tomb of Abbe" Paris — Refutation of the Rev Peter Robert's pamphlet, concerning the miraculous cure of Winefrid White 150

Let. XXV. — The True Church Catholic — Always Catholic in name, by the testimony of the Fathers — Still distinguished by that name in spite of all opposition 157

Let. XXVI. — Qualities of Catholicity — The Church Catholic as to its members : as to its extent: as to its duration — The original Church 'of this country 160

Let. XXVII. — Objections of the Rev. Joshua Clark answered — Existence of an invisible Church disproved — Vain attempt to trace the existence of Protestantism through the discordant heresies of former ages — Vain Prog, nostication of the failure of the True Church — Late attempts to undermine it 166

Let. XXVIII. — The True Church, Apostolical : so described by the ancient Fathers— APOSTOLICAL TREE of the Catholic Church explained, by a brief account of the Popes and of distinguished Pastors, also of Nations converted by her, and of heretics and schismatics cut off from the True Church 169

Let. XXIX. — Apostolical succession of Ministry in the Catholic Church — - Among Protestant Societies the Church of England alone claims such sue cession— Doctrine and conduct of Luther, and of different Dissenters on this point — Uncertainty of the Orders of the Established Church, from the doctrine of its founders : from the history of the times : from the defective, ness of the form — Apostolic Mission evidently wanting to all Protestants — ■ They cannot show an ordinary mission : they cannot work miracles to prove an extraordinary one 181

Let. XXX. — Objections of the Rev. Josuah Clark answered — Apostolical ministry not interrupted by the personal vices of certain Popes — Fable of Pope Joan refuted — Comparison between the Protestant and the Catholic Missions for the conversion of Infidels — Vain prediction of conversions and of reformation by the Bible Societies — Increase of crimes commensurate with that of the Societies. Postscript. — Recapitulation of things proved in the foregoing Letters..... 189

Part III

Let. XXXI. — Introduction. — Effects produced by the foregoing Letters on the minds of Mr. Brown and others of his Society — This in part counteracted by the Bishop of London's (Dr. Porteus') Charges against the Catholic Religion 199

Let. XXXII. — Observations on the charges in question — Impossibility of the • True Church being guilty of them — Just conditions to be required by a Catholic Divine in discussing them — Calumny and misrepresentation necessary weapons for the assailants of the True Church — Instances of gross calumny published by eminent Protestant writers, now living — Effects of these calumnies — No Catholic ever shaken in his faith by them — They occasion the conversion of many Protestants — They render their authors dreadfully guilty before God 200

Let. XXXIII. — Charge of Idolatry — Protestantism not originally founded on this — Invocation of the prayers of Angels and Saints grossly misrepresented by Protestants : truly stated from the Council of Trent and Catholic Doctors — Vindication of the practice — Evasive attack of the Bishop of Durham : retorted upon his Lordship — The practice recommended by Luther : vindicated by distinguished Protestant Bishops — Not imposed upon the faithful: highly consoling and beneficial < 270

CONTENTS.

Let. XXXIV. — Religious Memorials— Doctrine and practice of Catholics, most of all, misrepresented on this head — Old Protestant versions of Scripture corrupted to favor such misrepresentation — Unbounded calumnies in the Homilies and other Protestant publications — True doctrine of the Catholic Chureh defined by the Council of Trent, and taught in her books of instruction — Errors of Bishop Porteus, in fact and in reasoning — • Inconsistency of his own practice — No obligation on Catholics of possessing pious images, pictures, or relics 214

Let. XXXV— Objections refuted — That the Saints cannot hear us — Extravagant addresses to Saints — Want of candor in explaining them — These no evidence of the Faith of the Church — Falsehoods of the Bishop of London, concerning the ancient doctrine and practice , , 219

Let. XXXVI. — Transubstantiation— Important remark of Bishop Bossuet concerning it — Catholics not worshippers of bread and wine — Acknowledgment of some eminent Protestants — Disingenuity of others, in concealing the main question, and bringing forward another of secondary importance — The Lutherans and the most respectable Prelates of the Establishment agree with Catholics on the main point „ 222

Let. XXXVII.— The Real Presence — Variations of the Established Church on this point — Inconsistency of her present doctrine concerning it — Proofs of the Real Presence from Christ's promise of the Sacrament ; from his institution of it — The same proved from the ancient Fathers — Absurd position of Bishop Porteus, as to the origin of the tenet — The reality strongly maintained by Luther — Acknowledged by the most learned English Bishops and Divines — Its superior excellence and sublimity,...., 225

Let. XXXVIII. — Objections answered— Texts of Scripture examined — Testimony of the senses weighed — Alleged contradictions disproved 233

Let. XXXIX. — -Communion under one or both kinds a matter of discipline — Protestants forced to recur to Tradition and Church discipline — -The blessed Eucharist a Sacrifice as well as a Sacrament — As a Sacrifice, both kinds necessary : as a Sacrament, whole and entire under either kind — Protestants receive no Sacrament at all — The apostles sometimes administered the communion under one kind — The text, 1 Cor. xi. 27, corrupted in the English Protestant Bible — Testimonies of the Fathers for communion in one kind — Occasion of the ordinances of St. Leo and Pope Gelasius — Discipline of the Church at different times In this matter — Luther allowed of communion in one kind ; also the French Calvinlsts ; also the Church of England 236

Let. XL. — Excellence of Sacrifice — Appointed by God — Practised by all people, except Protestants — Sacrifice of the New Law, promised of old to the Christian Church — Instituted by Christ — The Holy Fathers bear testimony to it, and performed it — St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews misinterpreted by the Bishops of London, Lincoln, &c. — Deception of talking of the Popish Mass — Inconsistency of the Established Church in ordaining Priests without having a Sacrifice — Irreligious invectives of Dr. Hey against the Holy Mass, without his understanding it ! 241

Let. XLI. — Absolution from sin — Horrid misrepresentation of Catholic doctrine — Real doctrine of the Church, defined by the Council of Trent — This pure and holy — Violent distortion of Christ's words concerning the forgiveness of sins, by Bishop Porteus — Opposite doctrine of Chillingworth : and of Luther and the Lutherans : and of the Established Liturgy — Inconsistency of Bishop Porteus — Refutation of his arguments about confession : and of his assertions concerning the ancient doctrine — Impossibility of imposing this practice on mankind if not divine — Testimony of Chillingworth as to the comfort and benefit of a good confession ,„ 247

Let. XLII. — Indulgences — False definition of them by the Bishop of Loi>

CONTENTS.

don — His further calumnies on the subject — Similar calumnies of other Pro. testant Divines — The genuine doctrine of Catholics — No permission to commit sin — No pardon of any future sin — No pardon of sin at all — No exemption from contrition or doing penance — No transfer of superfluous holiness — Retortion of the charge on the Protestant tenet of imputed jus. tice — A mere relaxation of temporal punishment — No encouragement of vice ; but rather of virtue — Indulgences authorized in all Protestant Societies — Proofs of this in the Church of England — Among the Anabaptists — Among the ancient and modern Calvinists — Scandalous Bulls, Dispensations, and Indulgences of Luther and his disciples 255

Let. XLIII. — Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead — Weak objection of Dr. Porteus against a middle state — Scriptural arguments for it — Dr. Porteus' Appeal to Antiquity defeated — Testimonies of Lutherans and English Prelates in favor of Prayers for the Dead — Eminent modern Protestants, who proclaim a Universal Purgatory — Consolations attending the Catholic belief and practice 261

Let. XLIV. — Extreme Unction — Clear proof of this Sacrament from Scripture — Impiety and inconsistency of the Bishop in slighting this — His Appeal to Antiquity refuted 268

Let. XLV. — Antichrist : Impious assertions of Protestants concerning him — Their absurd and contradictory systems — Retortion of the charge of Apostacy — Other charges against the Popedom refuted 270

Let. XLVI. — The Pope's Supremacy truly stated — His spiritual authority proved from Scripture — Exercised and acknowledged in the primitive ages — St. Gregory's contest with the Patriarch of Constantinople about the title of (Ecumenical — Concessions of eminent Protestants 277

Let. XLVII. — The language of the Liturgy and Reading the Scriptures — Language a matter of discipline — Reasons for the Latin Church retaining the Latin language — Wise economy of the Church as to reading the Holy Scriptures — Inconsistencies of the Bible Societies 286

Let. XLVIII. — Various misrepresentations — Canonical and Apochryphal books of Scripture — Pretended invention of five new Sacraments — Intention of Ministers of the Sacraments — Continence of the Clergy ; recommended by Parliament — Advantages of fasting — Deposition of Sovereigns by Popes far less frequent than by Protestant Reformers — The bishop's egregious falsehoods respecting the primitive Church 293

Let. XLIX. — Religious Persecution — The Catholic Church claims no right to inflict sanguinary punishments, but disclaims it — The right of temporal Princes and States in this matter — Meaning of Can. 3, Lateran iv. truly stated — Queen Mary persecuted as a Sovereign, not as a Catholic — James II. deposed for refusing to persecute — Retortion of the charge upon Protestants the most effectual way of silencing them upon it — Instances of persecution by Protestants in every Protestant country : in Germany : in Switzerland : at Geneva, and in France : in Holland : in Sweden : in Scotland, and in England — Violence and long continuance of it here — Eminent loyalty of Catholics — Two circumstances which distinguished the persecution exercised by Catholics from that exercised by Protestants 298

Let. L, — Conclusion — Recapitulation of points proved in these letters — The True Rule of Faith : the True Church of Christ — Falsity of the Charges alleged against her — An equal moral evidence for the Catholic as for the Christian Religion — The former, by the confession of its adversaries, the safer side — No security too great where Eternity is at stake ! 313

THE

END OF RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY.

Part I

"Let those treat you harshly, who are not acquainted with the difficulty of attaining to truth and avoiding error. Let those treat you harshly, who know not liow hard it is to get rid of old prejudices. Let those treat you harshly, who have not learned how very hard it is to purify the interior eye, and render it capable of contemplating the sun of the soul, truth. But as to ue ; we are far Irom this disposition towards persons who are separated from ns, not by errors of their own invention, but by being entangled in those of others."' We are so far from this disposition, that we pray to God, that, in refuting the false opinions of those whom you follow, not from malice, but imprudence, he would bestow upon us that spirit of peace, which feels no other sentiment than charity, no other interest than that of Jesus Christ, no other wish but for your salvation." — St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, A. D. 400, contra Ep. Fund. 1. c. ii.

ON THE RULE OF FAITH ; OR, THE METHOD OF FINDING OUT THE TRUE RELIGION.

Letter I

FROM JAMES BROWN, ESQ., TO THE REV. JOHN MILNER., D.D.

F.S.A.

Introduction

New Cottage, near Cressage, Salop, Oct. 13, 1801.

I should need an ample apology for the liberty I am taking in thus addressing you, without having the honor of your acquaintance, and still more for the heavy task I am endeavoring to impose upon you, if I did not consider your public character, as a pastor of your religion, and as a writer in defence of it, and likewise your personal character for benevolence, which has been described to me by a gentleman of your communion, Mr. J. C — ne, who is well acquainted with us both. Having mentioned this, I need only add, that I write to you in the name of a society of serious and worthy Christians of different persuasions, to which society I myself belong, all of whom are as desirous as I am, to receive satisfaction from you on certain

LETTER I.

doubts, which your late work in answer to Dr. Sturges has suggested to us.*

However, in making this request of our society to you, it seems proper, reverend sir, that I should bring you acquainted with the nature of it, by way of convincing you that it is not unworthy of the attention which I am desirous you should pay to it. We consist then of above twenty persons, including the ladies, who, living at some distance from any considerable town, meet together once a week, generally at my habitation of New Cottage ; not so much for our amusement and refection, as for the improvement of our minds, by reading the best publications of the . day which I can procure from my London bookseller, and sometimes an original essay written by one of the company.

I have signified that many of us are of different religious persuasions : this will be seen more distinctly from the following account of our numbers. Among these, I must mention, in the first place, our learned and worthy rector, Dr. Carey. He is, of course, of the Church of England ; but like most others of his learned and dignified brethren, in these times, he is of that free, and, as it is called, liberal turn of mind, as to explain away the mysteries and a great many of its other articles, which, in my younger days, were considered essential to it. Mr. and Mrs. Topham are Methodists of the Predestinarian and Antinomian class, while Mr. and Mrs. Askew are mitigated Arminian Methodists, of Wesley's connection. Mr. and Mrs. Rankin are honest Quakers. Mr. Barker and his children term themselves Rational Dissenters, being of the old Presbyterian lineage, which is now almost universally gone into Socinianism. I, for my part, glory in being a stanch member of our happy establishment, which has kept the golden mean among the contending sects, and which, I am fully persuaded, approaches nearer to the purity of the apostolic church, than any other which has existed since the age of it. Mrs. Brown professes an equal attachment to the church ; yet, being of an inquisitive and ardent mind, she cannot refrain from frequenting the meetings, and even supporting the missions of those selfcreated apostles, who are undermining this church on every side, and who are nowhere more active than in our sequestered valley.

With these differences among us, on the most interesting of all subjects, we cannot help having frequent religious controversies : but reason and charity enable us to manage these

* Letters to a Prebendary, in answer to Reflections on Popery, by the Rev, Dr. Sturges, Prebendary and Chancellor of Winchester.

INTRODUCTION.

IS without any breach, either of good manners or good will to each other. Indeed, I believe that we are, one and all, possessed of an unfeigned respect and cordial love for Christians of every description, one only excepted. Must I name it on the present occasion ? Yes, I must, in order to fulfil my commission in a proper manner. It is then the church that you, reverend sir, belong to : which, if any credit is due to the eminent divines whose works we are in the habit of reading, and more particularly to the illustrious Bishop Porteus in his celebrated and standing work, called A BRIEF CONFUTATION OF THE ERRORS OF THE CHURCH OF ROME, extracted from Archbishop Seeker's FIVE SERMONS AGAINST POPERY,* is such a mass of absurdity, bigotry, superstition, idolatry, and immorality, that to say we respect and love those who obstinately adhere to it, as we do other Christians, would seem a compromise of reason, scripture, and virtuous feeling.

And yet, even of this church we have formed a less revolting idea, in some particulars, than we did formerly. This has happened from our having just read over your controversial work against Dr. Sturges, called LETTERS TO A PRE- BENDARY, to which our attention was directed by the notice taken of it in the houses of Parliament, and particularly by the very unexpected compliment paid to it by that ornament to our church, Bishop Horsley. We admit then (at least I, for my part, admit) that you have refuted the most odious of the charges brought against your religion — namely, that it is necessarily, and upon principle, intolerant and sanguinary, requiring its members to persecute with fire and sword all persons of a different creed from their own, when this is in their power. You have also proved that Papists may be good subjects to a Protestant sovereign ; and you have shown, by an interesting historical detail, that the Roman Catholics of this kingdom have been conspicuous for their loyalty from the time of Elizabeth down to the present time. Still, most of the absurd and anti-scriptural doctrines and practices alluded to above, relating, to the worship of saints and images, to transubstantiation and the half communion, to purgatory, arid shutting up the Bible, with others of the same nature, you have not, to my recollection, so much as attempted to defend. In a word, I write to you, reverend sir, on the present occasion, in the name of our respectable society, to ask you whether you fairly give up these doctrines and practices of Popery, as untenable ; or other-

* The Norrisian Professor of Divinity in the university of Cambridge, Dr. Hey, speaking of this work, says : " The refutation of the Popish errors is now reduced into a small compass by Archbishop Seeker and Bishop Por. tew." —Lectures in Divinity, Vol. IV. p. 71.

ESSAY I.

wise, whether you will condescend to interchange a few letters with me on the subject of them, for the satisfaction of me and my friends, and with the sole view of mutually discovering and communicating religious truths. We remark that you say in your first letter to Dr. Sturges, " Should I have occasion to make another reply to you, I will try if it be not possible to put the whole question at issue between us into such a shape as shall remove the danger of irritation on both sides, and still enable us, if we are mutually so disposed, to agree together in the acknowledgment of the same religious truths." If you still think that this is possible, for God's sake, and your neighbor's sake, delay not to undertake it. The plan embraces every advantage we wish for, and excludes every evil we deprecate. You shall manage the discussion in your own way, and we will give you as little interruption as possible. Two of the essays above alluded to, with which our worthy rector lately furnished us, I will, with your permission, enclose, to convince you that genius and sacred literature are cultivated round the Wrekin, and on the banks of the Severn.

I remain, reverend sir, with great respect,

Your faithful and obedient servant,

James Brown.

ESSAY I.

ON THE EXISTENCE OF GOD, AND OF NATURAL RELIGION.

BY THE REV. SAMUEL CAREY, LL.D.

Foreseeing that my health will not permit me, for a considerable time, to meet my respected friends at New Cottage, I comply with the request, which several of them have made me, in sending them in writing, my ideas on the two noblest subjects which can occupy the mind of man : the existence of God, and the truth of Christianity. In doing this, I profess rjot to make new discoveries, but barely to state certain arguments, which I collected in my youth, from the learned Hugo Grotius, our own judicious Clarke, and other advocates of natural and revealed religion. I offer no apology for adopting the words of Scripture, in arguing with persons who are supposed not to admit its authority, when these express my meaning as fully a3 any others can do.

The first argument for the existence of God is thus expressed by the royal prophet : " Know ye that the Lord he is God : it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves." Ps. c. 3. In

ESSAY I.

IS fact, when I ask myself that question, which every reflecting man must sometimes ask himself : How came I into this state of existence ? Who has bestowed upon me the being which I enjoy ? I am forced to answer, It is not I that made myself; and each of my forefathers, if asked the same question, must have returned the same answer. In like manner, if I interrogate the several beings with which I am surrounded ; the earth, the air, the water, the stars, the moon, the sun, each of them, as an ancient father says, will answer me in its turn : It was not I that made you ; I, like you, am a creature of yesterday, as incapable of giving existence to you, as I am of giving it to myself In short, however often each of us repeats the questions : How came I hither ? Who has made me what I am ? we shall never find a rational answer to them, till we come to acknowledge that there is an eternal, necessary, self existent Being, the author of all contingent beings, which is no other than GOD. It is this necessity of being, this self existence, which constitutes the nature of God, and from which all his other perfections flow. Hence, when he deigned to reveal himself on the flaming mountain of Horeb, to the holy legislator of his chosen people, being asked by this prophet, what was his proper name ; he answered : "I AM THAT I AM." Exod. iii. 14. This is as much as to say : I alone exist of myself ; all others are created beings, which exist by my will.