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who fhall decide which is right, if there be no prescript? The more extenfive diocefan churches may difagree, and when the church of Carlisle fhall make inroads into the neighbouring churches of Durham and Chefter, who fhall reftrain the arm that declares itself raised for the propagation of truth? Inteftine wars and universal confufion may at length leave the decifion in the hands of victory, and vanquished truth shall then fubfcribe to articles dictated by its erroneous conqueSuch would be the procefs: and let not thofe who now complain of the neceffity of fubfcribing the articles of the church of England, flatter themselves that matters would be rendered more agreeable even to themselves, if they should be indulged in their defires, Perhaps, when every species of disturbance and puritanical abfurdity had raged through the nation, and robbed them of their tranquillity, they would then begin to acknowledge the happiness they enjoyed when protected by that barrier which they had themselves broken down, and become the first to replace it; the want would teach the value of that which they now overlook, because they poffefs it. But the fubfcription of articles of faith is no fuch mighty grievance as fome would intimate; it may be a feverity to a few who are not admitted into the pulpit, because they cannot accede to them: but furely it is a great happiness to the body of the people that they are under the guardianfhip of an establishment that protects them from the neceffity of liftening to the whimfical interpretation of weak teachers. It is therefore neceffary, fo long as there is no compulfion on the laity to learn and give their faith to the doctrines of the clergy, that the conclufions which are to be drawn from holy writ fhould be prescribed to those who are appointed to teach: if they cannot subscribe, let them let it alone, a church with which they cannot concur, is even better without them.

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them. Is it for the admiffion of a few individuals that a door is to be opened, by which every species of abuse may enter ?

I honour and concur with Mr. Lindsey's patriot wish, that England fhould ever set the example of improvement; but it is very weakly urged, that religion should keep pace with fcience in improvement, and that a fubfcription to articles must always impede its progress; for nothing can be more abfurd than the idea of a progresfive religion, which, being founded upon the declared, not the imagined will of God, muft, if it attempt to proceed, relinquish that revelation which is its bafis, and so cease to be a religion founded upon God's word. God has revealed himfelf, and all that he has spoken, and confequently all that is demanded of us to accede to, is declared in one book, from which nothing is to be retrenched, and to which nothing can be added. All that it contains was as perfpicuous to those who first perused it, after the rejection of the Papal yoke, as it can be to us now, or as it can be to our posterity in the fiftieth generation. If we look for any thing new, it is not in the fcriptures that it is to be found; and if we add, it is not religion that has improved, for truth will never defert her own foundations, nor follow our fantastic imaginations. The progrefs of every science has been to the difcovery of fomething new, derived from new combinations of principles within our comprehenfion, and confequently capable of being compared for the sake of additional knowledge. Is fuch a progress to be defired in religon? What novelty do we feek for, or what advantage do we propofe from the introduction of novelty into religion? Such an idea feems to intimate

As if religion were intended

For nothing else but to be mended. HUDIBRAS,

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MY

Y name appearing prefixed to this edition will put it out of doubt that I am in truth, as I formerly stated myself, a Layman, and I conceive that my book has rendered it unnecessary for me to say that I am altogether unread in theological difputations; of these two circumftances, however, I am now about to make my advantage, for I ftill defire to have the end kept in view, and to convert eyen myself into fome fort of argument in behalf of it.

On the publication of Mr. Lindsey's Apology, as I have already said, I was drawn by curiosity to look into it; but finding it to contain a doctrine which I had not in the least suspected, (as I really had never known any thing of the gentleman before) I placed the Bible by my fide, happy in finding the best, the only evidence in this cafe offered to the examination of every man, With perfect freedom from prejudice, nay, I am almost afhamed to confess it, with the first serious confideration of fo important a point that I had ever entered into †, I fat down to read Mr. Lindsey's book, and, for the truth of every pofition contained in it, appealed to the word of God himself, that I might thence learn how truly it was advanced; when, to my utter aftonishment, I foon found that this was the only book upon the fubject, which the diligent Apologift had not critically read, and that in every particular it directly oppofed itself to him, and to his frequent quotations. It grew into a

matter

* This chapter is for the most part a parody of Mr. Lindsey's concluding chapter, and title is the fame with his.

+ I would not have it understood that I had never read the Bible before, but that I never read it to this point, or in a like inquifitive manner as now,

matter of wonder with me, what could influence a man to surrender his worldly competence in defence of a contradiction to the only witness that bears any teftimony concerning the fact which he contradicts, As I had received an education among men not unlettered, I was not altogether unacquainted with the laws of argument, and foon perceived his errour to proceed from his hav ing drawn from a wrong source, from his having laid afide the Bible, and faid, "my reafon does not acquiefce in a Trinity of Perfons in the one God, and my reafon is competent; this is a matter fubmitted to my faculties, and I am fkilled to affirm or deny concerning a comprehenfible God." As I found difficulties in lifting up my own faculties to God, I conceived Mr, Lindley's no better able to foar to fuch unfurmountable heights; and having found that my Maker bad fpoken, looked upon his word as the fountain from which all argument concerning him fhould flow, and accordingly I have ftated my own idea of the manner of purfuing this enquiry in my firft chapter. Under this perfuafion I noted my Bible, and to what purpofe my reader is empowered to judge from my third and fourth chapters: but, as I went along, the degrees or different fpecies of teftimony afforded to the divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, offered themselves to my obfervation; and this alfo I have in my fecond chapter fubmitted to public cenfure. Such was the process of an enquiry entered into by a man who fet about it for his own information only; but the fubftance of which, as it has afforded perfect conviction to himfelf, he has at length decided to be due to mankind; at length decided, I fay, becaufe that many fcruples delayed my determination. Firft it occurred to me that, being a Layman, it was, properly speaking, no bufinefs of mine; that an eftablished clergy was appointed for the defence of religion; that at the head of this Clergy there was a refpectable and venerable body of learned

learned Bishops, who were daily acquiring more weight by the acceffion of a numerous Nobility to their bench; by which acceffion, if the body fhould lofe (as in all hu man probability they will) on the fide of learning, they were fure of obtaining confequence on the fide of fashion, and therefore that it was not to be supposed that the conduct of one country clergyman could long continue of any national importance. But when, on the other hand, I confidered how ready the world was to impute partiality to any body of men who should write on a subject in which their private interest was so deeply concerned, and that their own filence fhewed they were themselves aware of this, I thought that a Layman writing upon the subject, a man totally unconnected with their profeffion, would probably be more attended to. Another objection which occurred to me, was my entire ignorance of controverfial theology, and particularly my having never looked into any controverfy upon the Trinity, except what I have seen in Mr. Lindsey's book; but being by Mr. Lindfey's book convinced that the Bible was the only guide to be depended upon, I then thought that the reading that with attention would be a fufficient preparative for writing; that my very ignorance in controversy would turn to account, and that it might be confidered as a corroborating proof of the truth of what I fhould write, that the Bible alone had been found sufficient to convince one young man; and accordingly, thro' the whole course of my enquiry, the Bible alone have I confulted, and this (notwithstanding that I have acknowledged myself educated in these doctrines) without a fingle prejudice, either my own, or borrowed from any other. Perhaps I have been too nicely scrupulous in this refpect; for, through the fear of imbibing one prejudice on fo important a question, I have worked only on my own ideas derived from fcripture, fhunned the fuperior fuggeftions of wiser men, and diligently withheld myself from an acquaintance with any thing

that

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