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phrased; but that will always appear in the instance. In the 66th page I have made a comment upon John viii. 58, and confuted an objection brought against it by an author who styles himself " a Lover of the Gospel." The passage which I have treated of was pointed out to me; it remained on my mind, and by mistake I have ascribed it to Mr. Lindsey. This is but of small importance. I mention it only that I may apologize to him for it.

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SCRIPTURAL CONFUTATION, &c.

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INTRODUCTΙΟΝ.

HE conduct of Mr. Lindsey, in resigning the vicarage of Catterick on certain scruples, excited my curiosity to know what his particular objections to the subscription of the articles of the church of England were. His refignation was foon followed by a book under the captivating title of "The Apology of Theophilus Lindsey, A. M. on resigning the vicarage of Catterick, Yorkshire." With this book, which was gre edilybought up, I also furnished myself. What I expected to have found in it, is of no consequence to the public; but I did indeed find a much "larger circuit taken" than the title promised, and that " the design was not barely to offer a vindication of the motives and conduct of a private person," but to affail every fundamental doctrine of the church, from the ministry of which he had retired; to degrade the God of our salvation; to snatch from us the object of our religion; and to evince, that Jesus Chrift is not one, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, God. Upon what foundation he has raised the flimsy superstructure of his own doctrine, or rather with what engines he has endeavoured to fubvert the fixed fabrick of our religion, and force it from the basis of revelation, I shall proceed to shew; and without infinuating

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nuating pretensions to divine assistance, from the grant of which it might be inferred, that my cause had the particular favour of heaven, I hope to evince the divinity of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and, in opposition to all the human authority convened by Mr. Lindsey, to shew that God himself has borne teftimony to it; and if, from his revelation, it be clearly fet forth that Jesus Chrift is both God and man, I hope and believe the position will be acceded to, however unable reason may be to comprehend it, or how numerous soever the voices may be which have lifted themselves up against it.

Before I enter upon the fubject proposed, I think it necessary to remove some prejudices which favour Mr. Lindsey's cause, prejudices so natural to the mind of man, that he has been aware of their use, and, with fuperfluous diligence, bestowed near half his book to instill them. The influence of these upon my readers I must, however, try to avert before I can hope for an impartial hearing, for I have resigned no vicarage; I have pushed from me no worldly advantages; I have given no proofs that a little, with a settled confcience, is preferable, in my eyes, to great riches retained by acquiefcence in that which I do not believe; all of which he has done, and for which let me freely pay him the tribute of my praise; let me declare that I honour the fincerity which such a conduct demostrates; but let me never say that, from the rectitude of his heart, I can deduce the rectitude of his opinions. Such proofs of my fincerity, it is true, I have it not in my power to produce; but even Mr. Lindsey has borne such testimony to the troubles of an unquiet spirit, that no man will conceive that I should feek to incur them by a voluntary engagement in the cause of falsehood, or look upon the falvation of my immortal foul as a matter of

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so little importance to me, that I should maintain a doctrine, connected as this is with the felicity of a future state, if I were not clearly convinced of its truth.

Unless then I am to confider it written with a view to prejudice the Reader, the aim of the long chapter of fufferers for the maintenance of Mr. Lindsey's doctrine is altogether inexplicable to me, because I am unable to deduce the truth of a system from any other fource than that of reason or fair argument. Submiffion to mifery, in preference to the conceffion of an opinion, does indeed prove the fincerity of the fufferer, but by no means the opinion for which he has fuffered; it may prove the weakness of his understanding, but by no means the strength of his cause. In India the diftortions of the Bramin are the teftimony of the divinity of his Ixora; in the holy office, the fubmiffion of the Jew to the extremest tortures, is the teftimony that our Saviour had not even divine assistance; and now in England we find a number of unhappy wretches fuffering under equally unjust and cruel inflictions, to prove a negation of our Saviour's divinity; and this list of miferable creatures is held out to the public by a gentleman who has voluntarily added himself to the number. I have already said that I considered such a conduct as a proof of fincerity, but I cannot submit to allow it the name of martyrdom, or in the least degree a proof of the justice or truth of the opinion for the maintenance of which it is sustained; doctrines the most contradictory would else be true. Papal supremacy and regal fupremacy have almost mingled their blazing teftimonies, and were they both truly to be maintained? What horrible proofs have been given to the world that flour and water are flesh and blood; and will any man declare that the contrary doctrine has derived validity from equal, nay greater, streams of blood poured

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