who shall decide which is right, if there be no prescript? The more extensive diocesan churches may difagree, and when the church of Carlisle shall make inroads into the neighbouring churches of Durham and Chester, who shall restrain the arm that declares itself raised for the propagation of truth? Intestine wars and universal confufion may at length leave the decifion in the hands of victory, and vanquished truth shall then subscribe to articles dictated by its erroneous conquerour. Such would be the process: and let not those who now complain of the neceffity of subscribing 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 absurdity 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 possess it. But the subscription of articles of faith is no such mighty grievance as some would intimate; it may be a severity to a few who are not admitted into the pulpit, because they cannot accede to them: but surely it is a great happiness to the body of the people that they are under the guardianship of an establishment that protects them from the necessity of liftening to the whimfical interpretation of weak teachers. It is therefore necessary, so long as there is no compulsion 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 should 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 Ee2 them. 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 should ever set the example of improvement; but it is very weakly urged, that religion should keep pace with science in improvement, and that a subscription to articles must always impede its progress; for nothing can be more absurd than the idea of a progreffive religion, which, being founded upon the declared, not the imagined will of God, must, 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 himself, and all that he has spoken, and consequently 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 pofterity in the fiftieth generation. If we look for any thing new, it is not in the scriptures 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 progress of every science has been to the discovery of something new, derived from new combinations of principles within our comprehenfion, and consequently capable of being compared for the sake of additional knowledge. Is such a progress to be defired in religon? What novelty do we seek for, or what advantage do we propose 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, CHAP

M

CHAP. V*.

ΤΩΝ ΠΕΡΙ' ΕΑΥΤΟΥ.

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 circumstances, however, I am now about to make my advantage, for I still defire to have the end kept in view, and to convert even myself into some 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 case 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 position 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 subject, which the diligent Apologist had not critically read, and that in every particular it directly opposed itself to him, and to his frequent quotations. It grew into a 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 having drawn from a wrong fource, from his having laid afide the Bible, and faid, "my reason does not acquiefce in a Trinity of Persons in the one God, and my reason is competent; this is a matter fubmitted to my faculties, and I am skilled to affirm or deny concerning a comprehensible God." As I found difficulties in lifting up my own faculties to God, I conceived Mr, Lindsey's no better able to foar to such unfurmountable heights; and having found that my Maker had fpoken, looked upon his word as the fountain from which all argument concerning him should flow, and accordingly I have ftated my own idea of the manner of purfuing this enquiry in my first 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 Christ, offered themselves to my obfervation; and this also 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 substance of which, as it has afforded perfect conviction to himself, he has at length decided to be due to mankind; at length decided, I fay, because that many fcruples delayed my determination. First it occurred to me that, being a Layınan, it was, properly speaking, no business of mine; that an established clergy was appointed for the defence of religion; that at the head of this Clergy there was a respectable 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 accession, if the body should lose (as in all hu man probability they will) on the fide of learning, they were fure of obtaining confequence on the side 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 shewed 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 controversy upon the Trinity, except what I have seen in Mr. Lindsey's book; but being by Mr. Lindsey'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 sufficient 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 should 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 consulted, and this (notwithstanding that I have acknowledged myself educated in these doctrines) with out a fingle prejudice, either my own, or borrowed from any other. Perhaps I have been too nicely scrupulous in this respect; for, through the fear of imbibing one prejudice on so important a question, I have worked only on my own ideas derived from scripture, shunned the superior suggestions of wiser men, and diligently withheld myself from an acquaintance with any thing that

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