LET T E R S 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 I 
 
 Rev. Dr. K I P P I S, 
 
 OCCASIONED BY HIS 
 
 TREATISE, 
 
 ENTITULED, 
 
 A VindicationoftheProteftantDiJfenting 
 Mimjlers^ 
 
 WITH REGARD TO 
 
 Their kte Application to Parliament. 
 
 By JOS I AH TUCKER, D. D. 
 DEAN ofGLOCESTER. 
 
 GLOCESTER: 
 PRINTED BY R. RAIKES3 
 
 AND SOLD BY 
 
 S. BLAITON, IN PATER-NOSTER-ROW, LONDON. 
 M.DCC.LXXIII. 

 
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 LETTERS 
 
 TO THE 
 
 Reverend Dr. K I P P I S. 
 
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 LETTER I. 
 
 ConcerniJig the "Extent of the Clahn cf the 
 Church ^England to regulate the external 
 Behaviour of her own Members ; and alfo 
 to influence their internal Judgments in 
 Controver/ies of Faith, 
 
 Reverend Sir^ 
 
 [ERE I difpofed tcK^e too much 
 elated by the fign al Compliment,with 
 which I am honoured at Page 1 3 of 
 the 2d Edition of your Vindicationof 
 the Diffentino; Minifters, vou have 
 yourfelf thrown in a previous Check to any extra- 
 vagant Emotions of Self-Conceit, which might 
 have been excited by fuch a Temptation : For at 
 A 2 Page 

 
 [ 4 ] 
 Page 6, you lay, '• The moll able and celebrated 
 " (Arminian) Writers (in Defence of Arminian 
 " Subfcriptions) muft ever bow to a Toplady and 
 " a Bowman ; two Gentlemen who have lately 
 " written in Defence of the Calviniftical Senfe of 
 *' the Articles." And you add, " It feems to be 
 " an Infatuation that- hath feized Numbers of 
 " the Clergy, who-are undoiil^tedly Arminians, 
 ••' in being zealous for a Subfcription to Articles, 
 " wJiich CANNOT be reconciled with their own 
 '' Sentiments." 
 
 However, as your Compliment was perfonat, 
 your Cenfure only general, extorted, as it pro- 
 bably appeared to you, by the Force of Truth -, 
 I beg your kind Acceptance of my.bVflfTKaliks 
 for the former : And' I will endeavour to profit, 
 as much as I can, by a right Ufe of the latter. 
 To which End give me Leave to requeft your 
 generous Afiidance in" the Profecution of the fol- 
 lowing Inquiry, I'iz. In what, or in which Part 
 of my Apology doth this ftrange Infatuation ap- 
 pear .'' I myfelf, you will eafily believe, am not 
 confcious of it. And tho' I make no Pretenfions 
 to Infallibility, tho' I have my maculas nonpaucas^ 
 quas aut incuria fudity aut humana ■parum cavit 
 Natura •, yet I would willingly fupport the ge- 
 neral Chara6ler of a confident Writer, and a con- 
 fident Proteftant,— x^L Friend to Eftablilhments, 
 and equally a Friend to Tolerations. This hath 
 
 ever
 
 r 5 ] 
 
 ever been my Aim thro' Life-, and wherever 
 I have failed, it was thro' Ignorance, and not by 
 
 Defign. 
 
 You, Sir, appear to me in the Light of a very 
 able Advocate for your Caufe ; and what is much 
 better, but which, alas! can be faid oi very few 
 controverfial Writers, in the Light of an 
 HONEST Man. You are, on the whole, a can- 
 did and impartial Searcher after Truth : And I 
 folemnly promife to follow you in the fame Pur- 
 fuit, as far as my Abilities will permit, let what 
 will be the Confequence. 
 
 Therefore to the Matter of our prefent In- 
 quiry.-— The Point, from which I fet out in my 
 late Apology, and which, I hope, I have invari- 
 ably purfued from the Beginning to the End, is 
 the unalienable Right of private Judgement, and 
 the Liberty of following the Didlates of Con- 
 fcience in every Cafe whatever, if really confiftent 
 with good Morals, and the jufl Rights of other 
 Men. I am fully perfuaded, that Dr Kippis did 
 not intend to brand this laudable Principle with 
 any Mark of his Difapprobation : And there- 
 fore fo far I am fafe. If then the Individual has 
 fuch an unalienable Right to the Exercife of his 
 private Judgement ;— has he not a Right to 
 arrange his own Thoughts in proper Order, 
 to form and conned his Principles, and to fum 
 
 them
 
 [ 6 ] 
 
 them up together by rejedling fome Ideas, and 
 by joining others ? Doubtlefs he has this Right. 
 For this is only faying in other Words, that he 
 has a Right to the Exercife of his private Judg- 
 ment. Now, Sir, I afk, What is this Arrange- 
 ment of Thoughts, this Selection of Ideas, Con- 
 nexion of Principles, and fumming them up to- 
 gether •, — but in very Deed, the Formation of a 
 Syftem, the Compofing of a Creed, and the Efta- 
 blifhing of Articles of Faith, or Rules of Con- 
 du6t for his own private Ufe ? — I do not wifh to 
 impofe either on my own Underftanding, or on 
 that of other Men. Read therefore, and confider. 
 Whether any Idea hath flipt into this Argument, 
 which ought not to have been admitted : And if 
 there be any latent Fallacy, let us detefl it before 
 we proceed any farther.— I, for my Part, moft 
 folemnly declare, that if there be any Deception, 
 it is paft my Skill to difcover it. — Be it therefore 
 granted ('till the contrary is proved) that every 
 Individual hath this Right to form his own Syf- 
 tem, his own Creed, and his own peculiar Prin- 
 ciples ; ufing the beft Helps he can procure for 
 this Purpofe : — And then what will follow .'' Will 
 you not allow, that other Individuals might 
 join themfelves to him, or he to them, if they 
 and he thought proper .? I cannot, 1 muft not 
 fuppofe, that you would wifh to deny either him, 
 or them this reafonable Liberty, and natural 
 Right. And therefore, as we have now got a 
 
 Number
 
 [ 7 ] 
 
 Number of Perfons together, profefling the fame 
 Sentiments, and united in the fame Purfuits, 
 (it matters not how many, or how few, and whe- 
 ther their Views terminate in this Life, or extend 
 to another ?— But as the AfTociation is now 
 formed) the only Queftion remaining to be dif- 
 culfed is, How is this Society to a6t ? "With 
 what Powers ought it to be invefted ? And, if it 
 has any certain End or Objedl in View, What 
 Means ought to be allowed for the Attainment 
 of fuch End ? The lliort Anfwer to thefe Quef- 
 tions leems to be this : That the Society have the 
 fame Rights, the fame Powers and Privileges in 
 their collective Charadter, which each of them 
 has in his private Capacity as an Individual. 
 Now I cannot fee, but that every private Man 
 ftiould be left at Liberty to chufe his own Com- 
 pany, if they, for their Parts, are willing to af- 
 fociate with him : And vice verfa^ if either he, 
 or they fhould grow difgufted with this AfTocia- 
 tion, I cannot fee, but that he has a Right to 
 leave them, or they to difcard him. Therefore 
 the Powers of Admiflion, and of Rejeftion or 
 Exclufion, fo unalienable in the Cafe of an In- 
 dividual, and fo effential to the very Exiftence 
 of every independent Society, being thus fecured 
 to both i — It ought to be confidered in the next 
 Place, Whether, after the Society have agreed 
 upon fome certain End as the joint Obje^i of their 
 Wifhes and Purfuits, they have not a Right alfo 
 
 to
 
 [ 8 ] 
 to agree on the proper Means towards obtaining 
 this End ;-— provided that fnch Means be juft 
 and honcft. The Individual hath undoubtedly 
 a Right to chufe his own Means for the attaining 
 of his own Ends, under the Limitations of Juf- 
 tice and good Morals above referved. And if 
 He has it, why have not a Colleflion of Indivi- 
 duals the fame Right ? Or can you aflign a Rea- 
 fon, why they fliould be debarred this Right in 
 their colleftive, which each of them enjoys in his 
 feparate Capacity ?-— I think you cannot; nay, I 
 am pcrfuaded, thai you are fo fteady, and fo con- 
 iiflent a Friend to Liberty of Confcience, as not 
 to attempt it. Therefore it muft follow, that all 
 independent Societies whatever (and confequently 
 the Church of England among the reft) have an 
 inherent Power, and an unalienable Right to ap- 
 point certain lawful Means for the attaining of 
 certain good Ends : That is, they have a Power 
 of adjufting their own external Condudt and Be- 
 haviour, and of regulating the Ceremonials of it, 
 according to the beft of their Skills and Judg- 
 ments. 
 
 But here alas ! I am afraid, fome of your 
 diflenting Brethren (whom I muft not call Bigots, 
 becaufe they are Philofophers) will be apt to ftart, 
 as if an Apparition was rifing out of the Earth ! 
 " "What ! muft we allow, that the Church hath 
 •' the Power, which fhe claims in her 20th Ar- 
 
 « tide ?
 
 t 9 1 
 
 « dele ? A Power to decree Rites and Ceremo- 
 " nies ? A Power which we have fo often branded 
 >' with the odious Name of Popery ? And a 
 ** Power, in fhort, which we modern Diffenters 
 " have declared to be the unfurmountable Obfta- 
 " cle againft any Pojftbility of a Reconciliation 
 " with the national EftabJifhment ? We cannot, 
 " we muft not grant it." And indeed, Sir, your 
 own Words, Page 43, are very ftrong and em- 
 phatic to the fame Purpofe. " The Man, who 
 *' did not ground his Separation from the Efta- 
 ** blifhment, chiefly upon thefe Confiderations, 
 " would fcarce be thought worihy the Name of 
 « a Diffenter." 
 
 Yet, Sir, notwithftanding this exprefs De- 
 claration, you mufl: grant, that the Church hath 
 this very Power, if you will be confiftent with 
 yourfelf, or with the natural and neceflary Courfe 
 of Things : For it is a Power, which you and all 
 Mankind, Churchmen and Diffenters, Clergy- 
 men and Laymen, continually exercife, in one 
 Refpedt or other, both as Individuals, and as 
 Members of particular Societies. It is in Fad 
 a Power infeparable from Human Nature : For 
 as Human Nature is compounded of Bodies, as 
 well as Souls, it therefore neceffarily follows. 
 That Human Bodies will require Human Forms 
 and Ceremonies, of one Kind or other, as long 
 as we fhall fubfift in this material World. 
 
 B However
 
 [ 10 ] 
 
 However, as this 20th Article is become 
 luch a Stumbling-Block, and a Rock of Offence 
 to many, efpccially oflaie, let us examine it more 
 attentively : Let us enquire, What is there in it 
 fo exceedingly obnoxious •, and efpecially let us 
 fearcli out for that very unfound Part, which is the 
 mod infeded with Popery, in order to expel the 
 Poifon, if we can. 
 
 Now this 20th Article, like almofl all the 
 reft, is net drawn up with that Accuracy and Pre- 
 cifion, which are txpefted in modern CompoQ- 
 tions. Our firft Reformers had too many Things 
 on their Hands at once, and had their Thoughts 
 too much engaged in m.ore important Purfuits, to 
 be at Leifure to attend to Niceties of this Kind : 
 So th;it if you find them right in the Main, that 
 is all wliich you muft cxpecSl from them. In fa6t 
 this very Article is compounded of two different 
 Parts, which ought to have been kept feparate, 
 becaufe they come under diftind Confiderations, 
 and becaufe the one doth not neceffarily infer, or 
 fuppofe the other. 
 
 The I ft is, That the Church affumes a Power 
 to reo;ulate the external" Behaviour of her Mem- 
 bers, alias to ordain Rites and Ceremonies : And 
 the 2d. That flie fuppofes herfelf poffeffed of a 
 Right to influence the Judgment of her Mem- 
 bers in dubious Difputes j or, in other Words, 
 ftie lays a Claim to Authority in Controverfies of 
 Faith. In-
 
 [ " ] 
 
 In regard to the firft of thefe Pofitions, it is 
 the fame in Effedt with the Contents of the 34th 
 Article, viz. of the Traditions [Cuftoms or Ce- 
 remonies] of the Church ; and therefore thefe 
 two Articles ought to have been incorporated 
 into one ; which would then have run in the fol- 
 lowins: Manner : 
 
 '& 
 
 " The Church hath Power to decree Rites and 
 " Ceremonies ; and yet it is not lawful for her to 
 " ordain any Thing that is contrary to God's Word 
 *' written. Moreover, it is not neceflary, that 
 " Traditions and Ceremonies be in all Places one, 
 " and utterly alike. For at all Times they have 
 *« been divers, and may be changed according to the 
 " Diverfity of Countries, Times, and Men's Man- 
 " ners •, fo that nothing be ordained againft God's 
 " Word. 
 
 " Whosoever through his private Judgment 
 " willingly and purpofedly doth openly break the 
 " Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church (which 
 *' be not repugnant to the Word of God, and be 
 " ordained and approved by common Authority) 
 " ought to be rebuked openly, that other may 
 " fear to do the like, as he that offendeth againft 
 " the common Order of the Church, and hurteth 
 " the Authority of the Magiftrate, and woundeth 
 " the Confcience of the weak Brethren. 
 
 " Every particular or national Church hath 
 B 2 «* Au-
 
 " Authority to ordain, and abolifh Cercmonfcff 
 *' or Rites of the Church, ordained only by 
 " Man's Authority, fo that all Things be done 
 *' to edifying." 
 
 Here, Sir, I hope you will allow, that we 
 may find out a great deal which is not Popery ; 
 (tho* there be fome Parts, which, according to 
 the Temper, Ufagc, and Principles of thofe 
 Times, had too near an Affinity to Intolerance^ 
 which is indeed the worft Part of Popery.) 
 
 For ift, thefe Articles exprefsly declare, that 
 it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any 
 Thing (any Rite or Ceremony) that is contrary 
 to God'3 Word iioritten. Where it is evident, 
 that tlie Phrafe, God's Word written was intro- 
 duced, in order to guard againft the Popilh 
 Claims of unwritten Traditions. Secondly, it 
 is allowed. That Rites and Ceremonies need not 
 be the fame, or alike in all Places ; — nay, that 
 every particular national Church is inverted with 
 Power and Authority to change or abolifh the 
 fame, as Need fhall require •, which is another 
 Blow at Papal univerfal Monarchy, and at the 
 pretended Uniformity of the Church of Rome, 
 And thirdly, that the Power of LegiQation here 
 allowed to be inherent in each particular Church, 
 ought to be limited in the Exercife thereof, by 
 the Confideration, that the Rites or Ceremonies 
 
 to
 
 [ >3 1 
 
 to be ordained, or appointed, are for the Ufe of 
 Edifying. Surely, Sir, this is not Popery j or if 
 it be, I fear we fhall come to that Pafs at laft, as 
 to find out Popery in every Thing -, — than which 
 Difcovery the Proteftants could not do a greater 
 Service to the Church of Rome. 
 
 Leaving therefore thefe Pofitions to maintain 
 their own Ground againft Popery, — let us now 
 come to the grand Principle of all, viz. That the 
 Church hath, or ought to have, a Power of ordaining 
 or appointing Rites and Ceremonies in certain Cafes^ 
 and under certain Limitations. And will you, Sir, 
 ferioufly affirm. That the Church ought not to be 
 cntrufted with any fuch Power, even under any 
 Modifications whatfoever ? Will you pofitively 
 affirm. That Churchmen, neither in their col- 
 ledive Capacity, nor by their Reprefentatives, 
 ought to be permitted to regulate and govern 
 their own religious Afiemblies ? Surely, Sir, you 
 cannot fay it. 
 
 But I beg Pardon : The Words Church and 
 Churchmen may be fo offenfive to the Ears of 
 fome Readers (though not to you) as to raife 
 ftrange Ideas in their Minds about the Abule 
 and Mifapplication of Ecclcfiaflical Power : And 
 then the Images of Malfacres and Inquifitions, 
 Racks and Tortures, ftart up like fo many 
 ghaftly Speftrcs before their Eyes. I will there- 
 fore
 
 [ H ] 
 
 fore fupprefs thofe obnoxious Terms, and change 
 the Scene : Nay, I will go farther, and take up 
 the Matter on the mod extenfive Plan. 
 
 First therefore, I do maintain, that it is ef- 
 fential to all Societies whatever to regulate the Be- 
 haviour of their own Members infuch Things as re- 
 late to the Ends of their own Infiitutions. This is 
 my general Aflertion : And I do not recolledt 
 one fingle Inflance to the contrary. But if you. 
 Sir, do, I entreat it as a Favour to communicate 
 to me that extraordinary Cafe, together with the 
 peculiar Circumftances attending it, and the 
 Confequences flowing from it. — Indeed I allow, 
 that few Societies, if any, have thought it ne- 
 ceflary to lodge a Specific Claim to this general 
 Right, in any Office of public Records. And 
 for that very Reafon, perhaps, it would have been 
 full as well, if the Church of England ]\2id.\\k.t- 
 wife omitted her Claim ; as I fliall fliew more at 
 large in another Place. — I will grant, I fay, that 
 the identical Words, This Society claims a 
 Right to regulate the Behaviour of its 
 OWN Members in such Things as relate to 
 THE Ends of its own Institution, may not 
 be found in legible Chara6lers, either on the 
 "Walls of the Club-Room, or in the Books of the 
 Society, or in any public Records. But the Fadt 
 which I maintain is this. That the Power itfelf is 
 univerfally underftood to exift j and that it is im- 
 plied
 
 [ 15 3 
 
 plied in the very Nature or Idea of Society itfelf : 
 Nay, that every Society, or every Club, through- 
 out the Univerfe, where Order and Regularity 
 are preferved, mufl aflually make Ufe of it, 
 when the Exigencies of the Cafe fhall require. 
 
 My fecond Pofition is. That the more intereji- 
 ing ajid important the Ends of any Society are 
 fuppofed to be, fo much the more Care and Cau- 
 tion ought to be obferved^ that the Power in 
 ^ejiicn be not abufed or perverted from its 
 original Dejlgn. This Point I need not labour 
 to prove •, for herein I take for granted, we can- 
 not widely differ. 
 
 Wherefore, thirdly, by Way of additional 
 Security to the Rights and Liberties of Mankind, 
 I lay it down as an invariable Maxim, That thefe 
 Members ijoho difapprove of the Regulations 
 which are approved of or aequiefeed in by the 
 Majority, fliould have full Leave to depart peace- 
 ably from this Society, and to join themfelves to 
 feme other, or to ereEi a new one, more agreeable 
 ta their own Confciences. And here again, I am 
 fure of obtaining your full Confent and Appro- 
 bation. 
 
 Therefore, to apply thefe Maxims to the 
 Cafe of religious Societies in general, and confe- 
 quently to the Church of England in particular, 
 
 as one of the Number ^ 
 
 ift.
 
 [ i6 ] 
 ift. Let it be obfervcd, that the firft obvlouf 
 Circumftance in aChriftian Society, is the Da v on 
 •which the Society efteems itfelf more particularly 
 obliged to aflemble together for the Purpofes of 
 focial Worfhip. This Day is moft probably of 
 Human Appointment; for it would be exceedingly 
 difBcult to prove, either that our Lord himfelf 
 made the Change from Saturday to Sunday^ or 
 that the Apoftles ever met together, after his 
 Crucifixion, to confult upon, or to eftablifh this 
 important Alteration, as an Ordinance for ever. 
 And as to Texts of Scripture relating to this 
 Point, where are they to be met with ? Name 
 the Place, the Verfe, or Chapter, which contains 
 fuch an exprefs Injun5!ion^ if you can. — The ut- 
 moft you can do, is to proceed by Way of Sup- 
 pofition, or Implication : For as to any po/ttive 
 Repeal of the Jcwilh, or an Inftitution of a 
 Chriftian Sabbath, in dire5f^erms, the Scriptures 
 are filent about them : And yet what fhall we fay ? 
 Or how fliall we ad ? — Is this Inftitution to be 
 therefore fet afide, becaufe it is deficient in a ftridt 
 fcriptural Proof? I hope not. Nay I do moft 
 fincerely wilh, that the Sabbath was better ob- 
 ferved than it is, both by Churchmen and DifTen- 
 ters : In which I perfuade myfelf, I have your 
 hearty Concurrence. 
 
 2dly. After the Day, comes the Hour of the 
 Day, as a fecond InlMce : For who can doubt> 
 
 but
 
 t >7 ] 
 
 but that this is entirely of Human Appoint- 
 ment ? Who can fuppofe, but that every inde- 
 pendent Society, ray every particular Congre- 
 gation will, or at leaft eught^ to judge for them- 
 felves in this particular, and to confult their 
 own Convenience ? 
 
 3dly. The Piace for holding the AlTembly, 
 i. e. the Room or Building, is a third Example 
 of the fame Kind. 
 
 4thly. The Mode of celebrating Divine Wor- 
 Jhip in that Place is a fourth : In Reference to 
 which, it is natural for every independent Society 
 to prefer and eflablifh that Form, that Order^ 
 or that Rotation of Forms and Orders, which 
 they think the bell, and iittefl: for fuch a folemn 
 Purpofe. And furely they would be very blame- 
 able, if they a6led otherwife. 
 
 ^thly, T*[fe Habit or Drefs of the Clergyman, 
 or officiating Officer, is another Example of the 
 Power and Influence of Human Inftitutions. 
 And a moil important one it is, when confidered 
 in every View. Here therefore I obferve with 
 Pleafure, that the DifTenting Minilters in gene- 
 ral are a Pattern to many among us : And that 
 tho* they objedl: to our written Law, they are a 
 Law unto themfelves. For they do not drefs, as 
 if they were alhamed of their holy Function -, 
 C which
 
 [ i8 ] 
 which fome of our giddy, foolifh, and fantaftical 
 young Men are too apt to do. And as to their 
 public Habiliments, the Cloak and Band, the' 
 thele are not the fame altogether with ours j yet 
 they were evidently intended to difcriminate the 
 Performer, when officiating in his public Cha- 
 rader, from the fame Man, afting only in his 
 private Capacity. Now as thefe, and fuch 
 like Things, can have no Pretenfions whatever to 
 a Divine Original, they are evidently human Rites 
 and Ceremonies, and they muft be confidered as 
 the mere Inventions of Men. 
 
 Upon the whole, therefore, view the Matter 
 in what Light you pleafe ; and the IfTue of the 
 Argument will be much the fame. Chrift, you 
 fay, is the fole Legiflator in his Church : Grant- 
 ed : But Chrift himfelf expefts, that we fliould 
 life ourRcafon and our Judgments in underftand- 
 ing his Laws, and in applying his general In- 
 ftrudions to particular Times and Circumftances. 
 In fhort, we never confult his Honour to better 
 Purpofe, we never fliew ourfelves to be his faith- 
 ful Followers, and loyal Subjeds more effedtually, 
 than when we aft agreeably to the Natures which 
 he has given us, and to thofe feveral Relations in 
 which he has placed us. 
 
 But ftill I find, you are difpofed to reply, 
 
 ;ed 
 to 
 
 ■' That tho' the modern DilTenters are obliged
 
 [ '9 ] 
 
 « to life zfew human Inftitutions, as Helps or 
 " Inflruments in their prefent Situation, yet 
 " they ufe the feweft poflible ; and as to what 
 •* they are obliged to ufe, they lay no Strefs 
 *« upon them, much lefs do they make them the 
 •' Terms of Chriilian Communion ; which they 
 " think we of the Church of England are guilty 
 «« of doing." 
 
 Now, as to the Paucity of the Number of Hu- 
 man Inventions introduced into the Affairs of 
 Religion, that is a diftindl Confideration, which 
 may be treated of by itfelf. But in regard to 
 the general Doftrine and Pofition, I do aver, that 
 in whatever Senfe the Church of England makes 
 Rights and Ceremonies the Terms of Chriftian 
 Communion, every diffenting Congregation 
 makes them the Terms of Communion in the 
 fame Senfe. 
 
 To convince any Man of this, let us con- 
 ceive the following Experiment to be made : Let 
 a Number of Men be fuppofed to be met toge- 
 ther, who being warmed with Zeal againft mak- 
 ' ing Rites and Ceremonies the Terms of Chriftian 
 Communion, are refolved to bear their Tefti- 
 mony againft this Encroachment on Chriftian 
 Liberty, and to oppofe it, wherever they can. Un- 
 luckily they happen to be fome of your own Flock, 
 who having been animated by your Difcourfes on 
 
 C 2 thl5
 
 [ 20 ] 
 
 this Topic, are encouraged to apply to you, astoai 
 Perlbn the bcft difpofed to afiift them in this good 
 Work : And therefore propofe to begin the Re- 
 formation in your own Church. They firft in- 
 fill, that the D^y for the more folemn Perfor- 
 mance of public Worihip ought to be changed 
 now and t^ien for fomc other Day ; becaufe there 
 is no certain Proof of the Divine InlVitution of 
 what we call the Lord's Day^ to be drawn 
 from Scripture. — Then the Hour of the Day 
 muft be altered likewife; — then the Place of 
 Meeting,— then the Mode of Worfliip,-— and 
 and laftly the Habit or Drefs of the Paftor and 
 Teacher himfelf muft undergo what Metamor- 
 phofes they think beft :— -And to crown thefe Ex- 
 travagancies, they infift, that they have a Right 
 to interrupt the Service, and difturb the Congre- 
 gation, 'till their Requeft for the Reftoration of 
 this Chriftian Liberty is granted to them. 
 
 In fuch a Situation, what would you do ?— 
 Grant them their Requeft, I am fatisfied you 
 would not : Indeed it is morally impoffible that 
 you fliould i and therefore, if you could not per- 
 fuade them to defift (and fuch Sort of Men are 
 not eafily perfuaded) you and the fober Part of 
 your Congregation have but one Expedient left -y 
 and that is to expel them^ and to call upon the 
 Civil Magiftrate for Protedion againft their Vio- 
 lence. Nor furely are you to be blamed for hav-
 
 [ ^^I ] 
 
 ing had Recourfe to this lafl Expedient, when 
 others failed. But then, be pleafed to obferve. 
 That the chief Error of thefe Men confifted in 
 their fetting out on a wrong Principle, viz. ^hat 
 no human Inventions ought to he ■permitted to take 
 Place in Matters of Religion \ which erroneous 
 Principle ought therefore to have been redlified 
 the firft of all. 
 
 Upon the whole. Sir, the Confequence is un- 
 avoidable, and the Church of England is juftified 
 in her Condu<5t, at leaft in this Refpe6t. For the 
 Church of England hath undoubtedly a Right in 
 common with all other Societies, and all other 
 Churches, to regulate the Behaviour of her own 
 Members, in fuch Things as relate to the Ends 
 of her own Inftkution : And if you will flill per- 
 fift in your Charge and Accufation againll us, you 
 muft at leaft be obliged to withdraw your prefent 
 Bill, and bring in another with capital Alterations 
 and Amendments. 
 
 Wherefore my 2d Pofition (Page 15) was, 
 " That the more interefting and important the 
 *' Ends of any Society are fuppofed to be, fomuch 
 " the more Care and Caution ought to be obferv- 
 " ed, that the Power of ordaining Rites andCere- 
 *' monies be not perverted and abufed." And I 
 fubjoin this Maxim to the former with great Wil- 
 lingnels. For tho' the Power in Queftion muft
 
 [ 22 ] 
 
 be allowed to be necelTary in a certain Degree, 
 and under proper Reftriclions ; yet I do moll 
 ingenuoLifly acknowledge, that it is a Power very 
 liable to Abufe, and that unlefs it be vigilantly 
 guarded, it tends to Corruption almoft infenfi- 
 bly. The Church of England thinks and hopes, 
 that fhe has added thofe Guards and Cautions 
 which are neceflary in this Refped: •, firft by 
 making a Provifion, that no Ceremonies fhould 
 be ordained or allowed contrary to God's written 
 Word •, and fecondly, that thofe which are al- 
 lowed, Ihould tend to the Ufe of Edifying. And 
 furely, if any Church has been fo happy, as to 
 keep the golden Mean between too many, and 
 too few, between loading the Service of God 
 •with external Rites and Ceremonies on the one 
 Extreme, and flripping it fo bare on the other, 
 as not to leave Room enough for bodily Obei- 
 fance, as well as for mental Contemplation, 
 the Church of England may modeftly put in her 
 Claim in this refpect. But, alas ! fhe finds her- 
 felf attacked on both Sides for this very Inftance 
 of Moderation. The Church of Rome accufes 
 -her with having reformed fo far, as not to leave 
 Ceremonials enough for the publicWorfhip of Al- 
 mighty God j whereas the difTenting Church up- 
 braids her with having ftill retained a great deal too 
 many. By the by, a moderate, impartial Man, 
 who is indifferent to aJl three, would be tempted 
 from this very Circumflance to conclude, That 
 
 as
 
 [ 23 ] 
 
 as flie doth not go into an Excefs on either Side, 
 ihe has a fairer Chance than either of them, to be 
 in the right. 
 
 But let that pafs ; our prefent Difpute is not 
 with the Papifts, but with our Brethren, the Pro- 
 teftant DifTenters, who bring very heavy Accu- 
 fations againft us for being Popilhly affedted : 
 And yet, after all their loud Complaints, I think, 
 this heavy Charge, as far as Rites and Ceremo- 
 nies are concerned, terminates only in two Par- 
 ticulars, viz. The Sign of the Crofs after the Ad- 
 minijtration of public Baptifm ; and the Adt of 
 Kneeling during the Reception of the holy Sa- 
 crament :— At leaft no mention is made (to the 
 beft of my Remembrance) in a very * celebrated, 
 and very able Performance of any other fuper- 
 Jiitious Rites and Ceremonies, but thefe two. 
 
 Now, 
 
 * See Dr. Fumeauxh Anfwer to Mr. Juflice Black/lone. 
 The Doftor in a Note accufes the Church of England with 
 making the Sign of the Crofs effential to the Celebration of 
 Baptifm. This, at leaft, muft be an inaccurate Way of 
 fpeaking : A Fault which Dr. Fumeaux is as free from as moft 
 Men living. But indeed both the Inaccuracy itfelf, and the 
 Doftrine contained, 'viz. that the Ufe of the Crofs is popijh 
 2.nd/uperJlitiouSy fhould have paffed unnoticed by me (as the 
 Doftor knows) had not his Treatife received fuch a fignal 
 Mark of Approbation from the DifTenting Minifters of the 
 three Denominations. (See Dr. Kippis, P. 40, 2d Edition) 
 Therefore it is this which makes xhejiale Queftion about the 
 Power of decreeing Rites and Ceremonies, (a Power which 
 
 every
 
 [ 24 ] 
 
 Now, Sir, be plealed to take Notice, that I 
 fay, The Sign of the Crofs after the Adminiftra- 
 tion oi public Baptifm : For this is truly and li- 
 terally the Cafe, and not as the Objedion is com- 
 monly made. The Sign of the Crofs in or at Bap- 
 tifm. For there is no Sign ufed at all in or at 
 private Baptifm ; and as to public Baptifm, it is 
 not ufed in or during the A^ of baptizing^ but 
 after the A61 is complete and ended. Therefore 
 it is impoffible that the Church of England Ihould 
 make the Sign of the Crofs to be neceffary either 
 to the Sacrament of Baptifm, or to the Celebration 
 of that Sacrament. — Not to the Sacrament itfelf, 
 becaufe the facramental Part is finilhed, before 
 the Crofs is ufed ; and not to the Celebration of 
 the Sacrament, becaufe the Sacrament is fre- 
 quently adminiftered without any figning with 
 the Crofs at all. However, ufed, I confefs, it is 
 during the Performance of Divine Service at that 
 Ordinance ; and therefore, as we are called upon 
 to defend the Ufe, it is incumbent on us to give a 
 fatisfadlory Reafon for the Inftitution, if we can. 
 Now this I humbly apprehend, v/ill be no diifi- 
 
 cvery Society, and every Church, muft unavoidably exercife) 
 become again of feme Importance. It is this which gives 
 Dignity to a Subjedl, which otherwife appears to be a 'very 
 tnjjgnificant one. For after all, and difpute as long as you 
 will, every Society upon Earth muft be allowed the Power of 
 decreeing or appointing as many Rites and Ceremonies, 
 as are proper for the Ends of its Inititution ; And none, tl;at 
 1 know of, contend for improptr ones. 
 
 cult
 
 [ 25 ] 
 
 cult Matter to do, if we lerioufly attend to the 
 Circumftances and Situation either of the Pri- 
 mitive Chriftians, who introduced the Prac- 
 tice, — or of the Reformers who retained it, — or 
 of ourfelves who continue it. 
 
 The Primitive Chriftians were ridiculed and 
 infulted by the Gentiles for worfliipping a cruci- 
 fied Malefa6lor, and for expecting Salvation 
 from fuch a Source. The orthodox Chriftians 
 did not attempt to conceal this Circumftance of 
 their Saviour's Crucifixion [as the Jefuits in 
 China have been accufed of doing] but on the 
 contrary, they gloried in it : And therefore to 
 Ihew more evidently to their Perfecutors, that 
 they were not afliamed of the Crofs of Chrifl:, 
 they ufed it at Baptifm, and at fome other fo- 
 lemn Occafions. In Fa6t, the Gentiles had re- 
 quired them to do Sacrifice to their Gods by the 
 Ceremony of taking a little Frankincenfe between 
 Finger and Thumb, and throwing it into the 
 Fire : This they refufcd to do, (tho' immediate 
 Death was often the Confequence of fuch Re- 
 fufal •,) becaufe fuch an Adion was underftood 
 by both Parties to imply a Renunciation of 
 Chriftianity : Therefore they ufed the Sign of 
 the Crofs by Way of a Counter-Ceremony^ 
 or as a contrary Token. And none were 
 fuppofed to be either afraid, or aftiam.ed to ufe 
 this Badge of their Chriftian Profeffion, but thofe 
 who were either open Apoftates, or were begin- 
 D ning
 
 [ ^6 ] 
 
 ning to apoftatize. Now, Sir, I cannot fay, what 
 our refined, modern, philolbphic, polite, en- 
 lightened, free-thinking Chriftians may judge of 
 this Matter ; but to me, who am a plain Man, and 
 an old-fafliioned Chriftian, the Motives of the 
 primitive Chrillians, for the Ufe of this Cere- 
 mony, do not appear to be very bad ones. 
 
 Again, when our firft Reformers fliook. off 
 the Chains of Popery, they were accufed by 
 their Adverfaries, as intending to throw off all 
 Regard to the Cliriftian Religion at the fame 
 Time. They denied the Charge ; and therefore 
 to prove openly to the World, by a fenftble Evi- 
 dence, that they ftill retained the Faith of Chrift 
 crucified^ and that they were not afhamed to con- 
 fefs him before Men, they ordained. That who- 
 foever would begin the public Profeffion of the 
 Chriftian Religion, fhould begin it with the Siga 
 of the Crofs. But be pleafed toobferve, that in 
 doing this, they took efpecial Care to guard againfl: 
 any fuperftitious Notions of the fuppofed intrin- 
 fic Virtue, Charm, or Power of this Ceremony; 
 for they did not permit it to be ufed in private, 
 where fuperftitious Pra6tices might have crept in ; 
 but they ordained, that the Ceremony (liould be 
 ufed in the Prefence of the Congregation, to 
 whom it was intended to be a public Evidence, 
 that the Perfon,, who had been then baptized, 
 
 was.
 
 [ 2-7 1 
 was not aHiamed to confefs the Faith of Chrift- 
 crucified ; and that he would (by God's Grace) 
 manfully fight under Chrift's Banner againft Sin, 
 the World, and the Devil, and continue Chrift's 
 faithful Soldier and Servant unto his Life's End. 
 [See the Baptifm of thofe of riper Tears.] Now 
 here again, whether our Reformers were juftified 
 in retaining the Sign of the Crols on fuch Mo- 
 tives, and with fuch Views, is a Queftion which 
 muft be left to the impartial World to determine. 
 
 Wherefore 3dly, let us come to our own 
 Times ; and by bringing the Obje6tion home to 
 ourfelves, let us attend to the full Force of it. 
 ^' You continue the Pradlice of figning with the 
 " Crofs, introduced by the Primitive Chriftians, 
 " and retained by the Reformers ; tho' you have 
 *' not the fame Plea to offer in your Juftification, 
 '* which they had." Granted. " Therefore the 
 "*' Continuance of it muft be at leaft in you an In- 
 •*' ftance of Popery., and Superjlition.''^ Denied. 
 We continue it as a Ceremony good in its original, 
 venerable for its Antiquity, innocent in itfelf, and 
 religious in its Application. We afcribe no Vir- 
 tue whatever to it ; and though we ourfelves have 
 no Objeflions againft retaining it, yet we are very 
 ready to part with it, provided it ftiall appear, 
 that the Abolition will be attended with more 
 Good than Evil. We are fo fituated as to have, 
 
 or
 
 [ 28 ] 
 
 or to think that we have, weak Brethren on either 
 Side of us. You on the one Hand demand the 
 Abolition of it in very ftrong Terms, and vc 
 wifli to gratify you, though you do not give us 
 the leafl Encouragement to hope, that this will 
 bring you nearer to a Reconciliation. On the 
 other Hand, Numbers of our own People are 
 as car; .eft for retaining, as you can be for abolifh- 
 ing it. They fay, that they confider it as a very 
 edifying Ceremony, and peculiarly proper to ex- 
 prefs their Faith and Hope in a crucified Saviour; 
 and that as this Do6lrine begins now to grow out 
 of Fafhion in the polite, new-enlightened World, 
 they think they have a ftronger Motive than 
 ufual for fhewing openly that they are not afhamed 
 of the Crofs of Chrift. Nay more, they fufpeft 
 that all this Profufion of Zeal againft an harmlefs 
 indifferent Aftion, which in itfelf is nothing at 
 all, muft have fome latent Meaning, which is not 
 yet ripe for a Difcovery. And they fay they are 
 confirmed in this Sufpicion, when they confider 
 the Tendency of many of thofe Writings, which 
 have appeared, and the Drift of thofe Argu- 
 ments, which have been urged for the abolifh- 
 ing Clerical Subfcriptions. They are convinced 
 in their Confciences, by putting Things toge- 
 ther, that the real Scheme in Agitation is to re- 
 duce the Gofpel of Chrift into a Syftem of mere 
 natural Religion, or a Code of Morals ; and 
 therefore, as they conceive higher Ideas of Chriji
 
 [ ^9 ] 
 
 'jefus^ than they do of Soerates^ or of Confucius^ 
 or even of the higheft Angel or Arch-Angel, tha^ 
 ever was, or can be created ; they think they 
 have a Right to declare this their Faith before 
 Men, and to publifli to the World, that they 
 will not deny the Lord that bought them, either 
 by Word or Deed, 
 
 Perhaps, Sir, you will fay, that all this is 
 mere Prejudice, Miftake, and Mifapprehenfion, 
 Bigotry, Superftition, or what you pleafe. It 
 may be fo : But then, be pleafed to confider, 
 that thefe Men ought to enjoy a Liberty of Con- 
 fcience (even fuppofing that their Confciences 
 are erroneous) as well as others : And that they 
 ought not to be dtfpoffeffed of that Church, of 
 which they are adually in Pofleflion : — Provided 
 they leave to others the Right of feparating 
 from them, if they are fo minded. 
 
 Therefore the whole Matter comes back 
 again to that Point, from whence we let 
 out at Page 1 5 of this Treatife, njiz. " That 
 " thofe Members (the Minority) who difapprove 
 " of the Regulations, which are approved of, or 
 ?' acquiefced in, by the Majority, ought to have 
 "/«// Leave to depart 'peaceably from this reli- 
 " gious Society, and either to join themfelves 
 ." to fome other, or to ereft a new one, accord- 
 ." ing to the Dictates of their own Confciences." 
 
 Now,
 
 [ 30 ] 
 Now, liere, Sir, I mod freely own, that oar 
 Reformers were much to blame. And there- 
 fore, what was truly Topijli in this Difpute about 
 Rites and Ceremonies, and what ought to have 
 been the fole Objeft of the Animadverfion both 
 of Dr. Fur;teaux, and of yourfelf, was, — not the 
 Power in Queftion, — but the Monopoly of that 
 Power, — a pretended exclufive Right in one 
 Churcli, or in one Society, to the Exercife of a 
 Tower which equally belonged to all Societies 
 whatfoever, and indeed to all Mankind. This, 
 it mufl be confefled, was rank Po'pery. But, 
 alas ! who could throw the firft Stone at the 
 Papifts on that Account? Not the Church of 
 England I confefs: And 1 am glad to find at Page 
 23 of your Vindication, that you are fo inge- 
 nuous as to make a like Confeffion in regard to 
 thofe antient Diflenters, called the Puritans. 
 Let us therefore not diffemble the Matter ; but 
 frankly acknowledge that there were Faults on 
 both Sides, becaufe it is very certain, that both 
 5ides were equally in Fault. And it is a mean, 
 and a diJJiojieJt Manoeuvre to load the one with 
 Cenfures, and the other with Praifes. If the pi- 
 tiful Pretence, that the Principles of Liberty 
 lijere not then fufficiently underjlood, v/ere to be al- 
 lowed to excufe one Side, it mufl: equally excufe 
 both : But if no Allowance of this Sort is to be 
 made for the one, why then fhould it be alledged 
 with fo much Pomp for the other ? And yet. — 
 
 But
 
 . E 31 ] 
 
 But I do not wifh to exaggerate ; and therefore 
 
 I forbear. The Truth is, both Parties reduced^ 
 themfelves to that unhappy Dilemma, that they 
 mufl perfecute in their own Defence ; for they 
 carried on a Kind of internecine War, in which 
 no Quarter was to be given -, fo that whether a 
 Laud^ or a Prynne was uppermoft, the Confe- 
 xjuence in Regard to Perfecution was juft the 
 fame. And, ftrange as it is to tell, the Fa6t was 
 really fo, that there was not a Man of all the 
 numerous Sefls of Proteftants, at their firll Se- 
 paration from the Church of Rome^ who fo far 
 entered into the Spirit of the Reformation, or 
 was fo far confiftent with his own Principles, as 
 to allow to others that Liberty which he claimed 
 to himfelf : Not a Man who reafoned after the 
 following Manner, " If I take the Liberty of fe- 
 " parating from the Church of RcmCy becaufe I 
 " judge her to be erroneous in regard to Faith, 
 *' or fuperftitious in refpedl to Pradlice, I ought 
 " to allow toothers the fame Right of feparating 
 " from me, or from my Church, on a like Per- 
 *' fuafion." On the contrary, whilfl every Se6t 
 was exclaiming againft Perfecution, when under- 
 mofl, every Sedt was meditating to perfecute in 
 its Turn -, and to wield the Sword of the Lord^ 
 und of Gideon, as foon as ever they fhould acquire 
 
 Strength to do it» 
 
 You
 
 [ 32 I 
 You, Sir, fuppofe that the Englifli Independents 
 (page 23) were the firft Perfons who found out 
 the Right of Liberty of Confcience. I am not 
 difpofed to detrad from my Countrymen the 
 Honour of this Difcovery : But I fear the Fa6l is 
 far otherwife. I believe the Dutch were the firfl 
 People who forbore to perfecute, by difcovering 
 that thofe who could agree about buying and fel* 
 !ing, need not cut one another's Throats about 
 Points in Religion. Indeed the Apologies of 
 Epifcopius at the Synod of Dort^ and the Writ- 
 ings of Groiius^ might have given a Sanation to 
 this mercantile Proceeding -, and might have en- 
 abled thofe who felt the Benefit of a Freedom of 
 Trade, to give good Reafons likewife for 
 Liberty of Confcience. But the Principle 
 itfelf did not originate from Divines and Philo- 
 jbphers, but from Tradefmen and Mechanics -, 
 and mortifying as the Confideration is, I fear it 
 mufl be acknowledged, that the Idea of being a 
 confijient Protejlant never entered into the Head 
 of any Man for upwards of feventy Years after 
 the Reformation. Happy fhould I have been, 
 if the Times would have permitted me to declare, 
 that the Cafe at prefent is entirely altered.-— Happy 
 could I have faid that every Proteftant Society is 
 now convinced ofthejuftice of extending that Li- 
 berty, and thofe Rights to others, not only mfome, 
 but in all Refpe6ls, which they claim themfelves. 
 But alas ! the State of the Epifcopal Church in 
 
 America.
 
 [ 33 ] 
 
 j^merica^ and the late Rejeftion of your very jufl 
 and reafonable Requeft to enjoy z-fixt and legal 
 Toleration^ inftead of a temporary and precarious 
 Connivance^ here in England, but too plainly 
 prove, that both the Mother Country, and the 
 * Colonies have that great Protcftant Principle 
 and Gofpel Leflbn yet to learn, of doing as they 
 <v0Hld be done by^ 
 
 I hope, Sir, you will forgive me, that I do 
 not now proceed to confider the Cafe of kneeling 
 at the Holy Sacrament. But really I am afraid 
 I have been too tedious already, and I am grown 
 quite tired of the Difpute, tho' I have at leafl: as 
 much to fay on this Subjedb as on the other. 
 The Truth is, in my humble Opinion, this Con- 
 troverfy about Rites and Ceremonies, as It fub- 
 
 * While I was writing this, I was informed, that an At- 
 tempt will be made by fome Perfons (who feel the Weight of 
 this Reproach) to remove fome Part of the Load, by intro- 
 ducing a Bill for an Epifcopate in Canada ; but if the Terms 
 of the Bill are according as they have been reprefented to me, 
 i much queftion, whether the Author really meant, or wiihed, 
 it Ihould pafs. — At the moft, the propofed Remedy amounts 
 only to this, that the Church of England mzy, fome Time hence, 
 find a little Relief in her own Cafe, provided Ihe will agree 
 to the being made the Inflrum.ent of perfecuting the Church of 
 Rcjne. But furely Perfecution is Popery, and the worft of 
 Popery, come from what Quarter it may: And I will add, 
 with the late excellent Lord Chancellor Hardnvick, fpeaking 
 of fome of the fanguinary Laws of Ireland, again ft the 
 Papilis, God forbid, that we Ihould think of extirpating 
 Popery by Popilh Methods ! 
 
 E fifts
 
 [ 34 ] 
 
 fifls at prefent between the Church of England 
 and the DifiTenters, is as idle and as triffling an 
 Affair as ever engaged the Pens of learned Men. 
 Rites and Ceremonies there mujl be of fome Sort or 
 other : Granted. — They ought to be few in Number, 
 ivell chofen, and very proper : Granted alfo. — Thofe 
 who do not approve of the prefent Set, ought to be 
 at Liberty to chufe others for themfehes : Granted 
 again. And thus end all the learned Controver- 
 fies about Rites and Ceremonies. 
 
 We are therefore now come to confider your 
 fccond grand Objedion againft the Church of 
 England, — The Church hath Authority in 
 Controversies of Faith ! 
 
 You did not enter into any Difpute, whether 
 thefe Words were an Interpolation or not ; and 
 you did wifely : For the very Context requires, 
 that either thefe, or others of a like Import, fhould 
 be placed at the Beginning of this Article ; and 
 therefore there is an internal Proof, as well as 
 external ones, that the PafTage itfelf is genuine. 
 Now when thofe Parts of this 20th Article, which 
 relate to Rites and Ceremonies, are feparated 
 from the prefent Subje6l (as I obferved before 
 they ought to have been) the Remainder will 
 run thus : 
 
 " The Church hath Authority in Controver- 
 •* fies of Faith : And yet it is not lawful for the 
 
 « Church
 
 I 35 ] 
 «< Church (o to expound one Place of Scripture 
 " that it be repugnant to another : Wherefore 
 ** altho' the Church be a Witnefs and a Keeper 
 ** of Holy Writ j yet, befides the fame, ought it 
 *' not to enforce any Thing to be believed for 
 •' Neceflity of Salvation." 
 
 Taking therefore the Words as they fland, 
 you pronounce Sentence of Condemnation againfl; 
 them in the following Strain. " The Pretenfions 
 *' to fuch a Power, and the aftual Exercife of it, 
 '* can never be maintained, but upon Principles 
 *' fubverfive of eenuine Proteftantifm : Until 
 " therefore thefe Principles be renounced, the 
 *« Minifters of the Eftablifhment will often ap- 
 *' pear weak and incofi/ijlent Adverfaries of the 
 " Church of Rome."* Page 5, 2d Edit. 
 
 Here, Sir, are ,w<3;?y Principles: And I hope 
 you do not require us to renounce them all pro- 
 mifcuoufly. For Example, you do not wilh, 
 that we fhould renounce the Principle, that it is 
 not lawful for the Church fo to expound one Place 
 of Scripture, that it may be repugnant to another. 
 For this at lealt is good Proteftantifm ; whatever 
 becomes of the reft: Again, you do not con- 
 demn the Principle, that the Church ought not to 
 enforce any Thing to be believed for Necejfity of Sal- 
 vation, which is befide \i. e. not to be found in] 
 the Scripture, Surely, I fay, you, as a zealous 
 
 Proteftant,
 
 [ 36 ] 
 
 Protcftant, can have no Objc6lion againft our 
 retaining this Claufe, in direct Oppofition to the 
 Popifli Claims of oral Traditions. Nor, thirdly,, 
 can yoLi, I humbly hope, be much offended at 
 the Exprefilon, I hat the Church is a Witnefs^ and. 
 a Keeper of Holy Writ. For it is evident to com- 
 mon Senfe, that the Reformers did not mean to 
 aficrt, that the Church of England., or any other 
 particular Church, exclufive of other Churches,, 
 was a "Witnefs or a Keeper of the Word of God : 
 But they evidently meant by the ExprefTion, the 
 Church diffufive or the Church univerfal \ to 
 whom [or to which] in general (and not to the 
 Church of Ro'tne in particular) the Promife was 
 made by Chrift, that the Gates of Hell Ihould 
 not prevail againft it. Therefore the Confe- 
 quence is inevitable, mx. Either the Church 
 Univerfal muft be a Witnefs and a Keeper of the 
 grand Charter of Chriftian Salvation ; or if there 
 be none to keep the Scriptures, and none to bear 
 W^itnefs to the Truth of them, the Gates of 
 Hell muft neceffarily prevail. 
 
 Well then, weak zxiA inconfifient as we the 
 Minifters of the Eftabliftiment are pronounced 
 to be, it muft be granted, that we hold Ibme 
 Dodlrines not very favourable to the Growth of 
 Popery, even by fubfcribing to this obnoxious 
 twentieth Article. 
 
 « But
 
 [ 37 ] 
 " But you maintain in this twentieth Article 
 *' the Dodtrine of Authority •, which is a Popifh 
 
 " Do(5lrine !" Let us, good Sir, not difpute 
 
 about Words : We do acknowledge that the 
 Church ought to be invefted with (bme Kind of 
 Authority. But with what Kind? Is it that Kind 
 which the Papifts Claim ? Or is it that which the 
 Proteftants allow, at leaft in Pradtice, and which 
 perhaps is neceflaryto the well being of Mankind? 
 The Papifts claim a blind Submiffion to the Decrees 
 of the Church in all Cafes whatfoever. — The 
 Church of England claims a Deference to her 
 Judgment in difputable Points only (in Contro- 
 verfies of Faith) but in no other Matters ; and 
 not even in thefe, if it Ihall appear that flie 
 either expounds one Place of Scripture in Repug- 
 nance to another •, or if llie fhould require any 
 Thing to be believed as of Neceffity to Salvation, 
 which is not to be found in the faid Scriptures. 
 Now, Sir, I beg Leave to conftitute yourfclf the 
 Judge in thefe Matters, whether thefe two Au- 
 thorities (the fame in Word) are the fame in 
 Senfe ? And if they be not, what then becomes 
 of this vehement Charge of Popery ?-— There are 
 but two Things, which either you, or the AfTo- 
 ciation at the Feathers^ can poflibly reply to this 
 Refutation. The ift is, that we are guilty of a 
 grofs Prevarication in not fetting forth the Doc- 
 trine of our Church in its true and genuine Light: 
 For her Claims refpefting Authority, are much 
 
 greater 
 
 . 301312
 
 [ 38 ] 
 greater and more extenfive than we now repre- 
 fent them : And the 2d, that granting even that 
 we do not foften the Features, or hide the De- 
 formity of this Popilh Monfter, yet the Claim is 
 horrid and hideous at the befl •, becaufe no human 
 Authority, under any Modification, or in any 
 Degree whatever, ought to be admitted in Bif- 
 putes about Religion. 
 
 In refpecl to the firft Accufation, we have two 
 Sorts of Evidences to produce : The firft is, the 
 exprefs Words of this very Article before quoted ; 
 to which therefore we folemnly refer. 
 
 And the 2d,— fuppofing even, that a Doubt 
 fhould arife about the Senfe of any particular 
 Paffage in this Article, we further appeal to the 
 co-temporary Writings of the Compilers of thefe 
 Articles, by Way of Comment and Illuftration. 
 And by what Writings do you fuppofe we defire 
 to be tried?— Not by the private Opinions of the 
 Reformers (tho' they likewife are in our Favour 
 as many as have efcaped the Ravages of Time) 
 but, a fortiori, by the public A6ls and Monu- 
 ments of the Church ; even by the Evidences of 
 the Homilies themfelves -, for the very firft of them 
 begins v/ith a " fruitful Exhortation to the Read- 
 " ing and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures i" 
 in which Homily our Reformers permit, nay 
 CONJURE all the Members of the Church of 
 
 England,
 
 [ 39 ] 
 
 England^ over and over, to ready and judge for 
 themfelves. In the firft Part of the Homily our 
 Reformers give this pathetic Exhortation •, — 
 " Let us reverently hear and read Holy Scrip- 
 " ture, which is the Food of the Soul : Let us 
 " diligently fearch for the Well of Life, in the 
 *' Books of the Old and New Teflament, and 
 " not run to the {linking Puddles of Men's Tra- 
 " ditions (devifed by Men's Imaginations) for 
 " our Juftification and Salvation. For in Holy 
 " Scripture is fully contained what we ought to 
 *' do, and what to efchew, what to belie ve, what to 
 " love, and what to look for at God's Hand at 
 " length. In thefe Books weJJiallfind the Father from 
 * ' whoMy the Son to whom^ and the Holy Ghoji in whom^ 
 " all Things have their Beings and keeping up ; and 
 " thefe three Perfons to be but one God, and one 
 " Subflance. In thefe Books we may learn to 
 " know ourfelves, how vile and miferable we 
 " be, and alfo to know God, how good he is of 
 " himfelf, and how he maketh * us, and all 
 " Creatures Partakers of his Goodnefs. We may 
 
 * Is this the Doftrine of Calvinifm ? And do our Re- 
 formers really here mean abfolute unconditional Election 
 and Reprobation, by faying, that God maketh t// and all 
 Creatures Partakers of his Goodnefs ? but if they did not mean 
 this, what elfe could they mean, but univerfal Redemption 
 and univerfal Grace ; that is, the putting us into 2,fal'vable 
 State, and then leaving it to our own Conduft, whether we 
 Ihall be aaually faved or not ? See the Words of the Church 
 Catechifm to the fame EfFedl. 
 
 « learn
 
 [ 40 ] 
 « learn alio in thefe Books to know God's Will 
 " and Pleafure, as much as (for this prefent 
 ** Time) is convenient for us to know : And (as 
 " the great Clerk and godly Preacher St. John 
 " Chryfoftom faith) whatfoever is required to the 
 " Salvation of Man, is fully contained in the 
 *' Scripture of God." 
 
 Again, in the 2d Part of the Homily, the 
 Author, after having cenfured the two frivolous 
 Pretences which Men frequently offer to excufe 
 themfelvcs from reading the Scriptures, vix. the 
 Danger of falling into Error through perfonal 
 Ignorance \ and 2dly, the like Danger thro' the 
 intrinfic Difficulty and Hardnefs of the Book itfelf, 
 tells his Readers in regard to the firfl, " If you 
 ** be afraid to fall into Error by reading of 
 '* Holy Scripture, I fhall fhew you how you may 
 " read without Danger of Error. Read it 
 " humbly, with a meek and lowly Heart, to the 
 " Intent you may glorify God, and not yourfelf 
 " with the Knowledge of it ; and read it not with- 
 " out daily praying to God, that he would diredl 
 " your Reading to good Effe6b; and take upon 
 " you to expound it no farther than you can plainly 
 " underjiand it. Humility will only fearch to 
 '* know the ^ruth ; it will fearch, and bring to- 
 " gether one Place with another, and where it 
 *' cannot find out the Meaning, it will pray ; it 
 ** will afk of other Sy that know, and will not rafhly 
 
 « and
 
 [ 41 ] 
 " and prefiimptuoufly define any Thing which it 
 " knoweth not. This I have faid, as touching 
 ** the Fear to read, through Ignorance of the 
 « Perfon. 
 
 " And as concerning the Hardnefs of Scripture 
 " (which was the 2d Excufe) he that is fo weak 
 ** that he is not able to brook ftrong meat, yet he 
 " may fuck the fweet and tender Milk, and defer 
 " the reft until he wax ftronger, and come to 
 " more Knowledge. For God receiveth the 
 " learned and unlearned, and cajieth away none, 
 " but is * INDIFFERENT TO ALL : And whofo- 
 " ever giveth his Mind to holy Scriptures, with 
 " diligent Study, and burning Defire, it cannot 
 " be (with St. Chryfojlom) that he fhould be left 
 " without Help : For either God Almighty will 
 " fend him fome godly Do5ior to teach him, — or 
 " elfe, if we lack a learned Man to inftrud and 
 " teach us, yet God himfelf from above will give 
 " Light unto our Minds, and . teach us thofe 
 " Things which are necejfary for us, and wherein 
 " we be ignorant." 
 
 * Here again, can a Calvinifl: poffibly fubfcribe to this 
 Dodlrine, That God cajieth none a'-wmy, but is indifferent unto 
 all, without fome fecret Diflindtion, and mental Reiervation ? 
 He cannot. Let thofe Points therefore be duly remembered, 
 when we come to treat more particularly of the Doftrines 
 of the Church regarding the quinquarticular Controverfy 
 in the zd Letter* 
 
 F Now,
 
 [ 42 ] 
 Now, Sir, how do you underftand this long 
 Qiiotation ? Doth it abridge the Right of private 
 Judgment ? Doth it command us to obey with- 
 out Examination, and to fubmit implicitly to- 
 the Decifions of the Church ? On the contrary, 
 doth it not plainly fay, that every Man ought 
 Jirjl to read and judge for himfelf ; — and theriy 
 but not before, if he find any Difficulty which 
 he cannot folve, either on Account of his own 
 Ignorance, or the Hardnefs of the Place •,— then. 
 it is his Duty to have Recourfe to others, who- 
 know better than himlelf, to fome godly Dodor, 
 or learned Man for further Inftruilion. And if 
 this is to be branded with the Name of Popery, 
 I declare myfelf to have been a Papift all my Life. 
 If this is to be confidered as an arrogant Infringe- 
 ment of the Ufe of Reafon, or the Exercife of 
 private Judgment, I know not, I confefs, what 
 the Ufe of the one, and the Exercife of the 
 other, really means. 
 
 But you have one Poft more ftill to retire tOy 
 which you feem to think to be fo impregnable, 
 that you can affail us at Pleafure from it, without 
 expofing yourfelf to any Danger. The Poft I 
 mean is, *' That Strong Hold, that Human 
 Authority in every Degree, and under every 
 Modification ought to be totally difclaimed in 
 " Bifputes or Controverfies about Religion." 
 
 Here
 
 [ 43 ] 
 
 Here, Sir, you bed can explain, liow it 
 came to pals, that in this very Treatife againft 
 Human Authority, you have availed yourfelf fo 
 frequently of the Authority of Great Men, when 
 favourable to your Caufe. For at Page 4^ of 
 your fecond Edition, I read thefe Words, " Mr. 
 " Locke's admirable Letters on Toleration. — 
 " The foitd and manly Reafonings of Dr. Calamy. 
 " It is an undoubted Fadt, that Mr. LOCKEy 
 " approved of his Argument. Bilhop Hoadley 
 " appears to be enlightened by his Method of 
 " Reafoning." Now, Sir, as you have men- 
 tioned the Names of thefe three great and re- 
 fpeflable Men ; give me Leave to alk, with whac 
 View, to v/hat End, or Purpofe did you mention 
 them ? Undoubtedly to do Honour to your 
 Caufe. And you did right. But then you ought 
 not to have objeded to a like Condufb in us ? 
 You ought not to have made ufe of Human 
 Authority at all, when it makes for you ; if you 
 will not allow of the fame Liberty of ufing it, 
 when it happens to make againft you. 
 
 However, this I urge only by the by, as an 
 Argumentum ad Hominem •, and merely to Ihew 
 what a Breach you yourfelf have made in your 
 own Strong-hold : For I do not reft the Merits 
 of my Caufe on fuch a Foundation. Therefore 
 I pafs on now to a general Propofition, which is 
 this, — That under the Reftridions and Limita- 
 tions
 
 [ 44 ] 
 before mentioned, viz. That Human (or If you 
 pleafe Church) Authority ought never to be 
 appealed to, but in difputablc Points, doubtful 
 Cafes, or Controverfies of Faith ; and that it 
 fhould not be admitted even then, if it pretended 
 to expound one Place of Scripture in Oppofition 
 to another -, or if it required any Thing to be be- 
 lieved as of NecefTity to Salvation, which is not 
 to be found in the holy Scriptures : I fay, the 
 Ufc of the Authority, thus confined and reftrain- 
 ed, is not only vindicable in the Church of 
 England^ but muft beadmiflible into every Church 
 upon Earth. This, Sir, is my general AfTertion, 
 and if I am wrong, the following Method, will, 
 I hope, be allowed by you, by Dr. Furneaux, and 
 by every Gentleman (of the Arminian Perfuafion) 
 who voted him Thanks Jpril i6, 1771, to be a 
 very impartial and a very expeditious Manner of 
 detecting my Miltake. Put the Cafe [A Cafe 
 which I dare believe has often been the Fa£l^ 
 Thac you (in common with your Brethren, the 
 other Diflenting Clergy) had been frequently 
 exhorting the People committed to your Care, 
 to fludy the Holy Scriptures, and ferioufly to 
 meditate upon them : and for their greater En- 
 couragement in this good Work, you had given 
 them to underftand, that you would aflift them in 
 the beft Manner you were able -, cautioning them 
 at the fame Time not to rely too much on your 
 Judgment : For that you had no Power to inter- 
 pret
 
 [ 45 ] 
 pret one Part of Scripture in Contradi6lion to 
 another •, neither had you any Right to require 
 them to believe any Thing as necejfary to Salva- 
 tion^ which is not contained in the Word of God. 
 
 In Confequence of thefe pious Exhortations 
 and good Directions, one of your own Flock ap- 
 plies to you for the Affiflance you had promifed. 
 This Difficulty arifes, not from the awful Myf- 
 tery of the Trinity, or the Incarnation, nor yet 
 from the important Doftrine of Chrift's Atone- 
 ment, his propitiatory Sacrifice, and Redemption: 
 For as to all thefe Points, I know "whzt fame Mo- 
 derns would fay to a doubting Confcience on fuch 
 Occafions :— But this Man's peculiar Difficulty 
 arifes from St. Paul's Defcription of the Carnal 
 Man^ fold under Sin^ in his 7th Chapter to the 
 Romans ; a Difficulty, which I have been called 
 upon to folve more than once ; and which, I be- 
 lieve, moft Minifters of the Gofpel of any Stand- 
 ing or Experience, have had Occafion to explain. 
 The Queriil therefore wifhes to know. Whether 
 Si. Paul fpoke thefe Words of himfelf, and in 
 his own Perfon, as they feem at firfl Reading to 
 imply ; — or under the borrowed Charafter of a 
 very wicked unregenerate Man ? For having read 
 the Comments of feveral of the old Puritans on 
 this PafTage, he finds that they all, with the Af- 
 fembly of the Wejiminjier Divines at the Head of 
 them, agree in maintaining, that St. Paul was 
 
 defcribing
 
 [ 46 ] 
 defcribing his own State of Mind, and the De- 
 pravity of his own perfonal Charader, at the very 
 Time he was inditing this Epiftle.— Whereas he 
 (the Querift) hath heard feveral Difcourfes from 
 you, which affert quite the contrary, — exprefling 
 your Surprize and Indignation, that any one 
 ihould maintain, that St. Paul could be a be- 
 loved Child of God, and yet fuch an abominable 
 Slave to Sin, and Servant of the Devil at the 
 fame Time. Nay, I will fuppofe, that you have 
 frequently declared in your Sermons, that what- 
 ever Tenet tends to weaken the Obligations to 
 Repentance and a Reformation of Life, and 
 either diredtly, or in its Confequences, lulls the 
 Sinner into a falfe Hope, and a fatal Security, 
 is an unfound Doftrine, and ought to be rejedled 
 as unfcriptural by every found Believer. There- 
 fore after having read this 7th Chapter over and 
 over, and being diftrafted by thefe con trad i(5tory 
 Expofitions, and not able of himfelf to determine 
 which is the true one ;---he applies at laft to his 
 approvedVz.^or for a Solution of tlie Difficulty by 
 a perfonal Conference. Now, Sir, if you fhould 
 not be able to remove his Doubts, and fatisfy his 
 Scruples, what would you propofe to do ^. You 
 would not, I hope, advife him to remain in a 
 State of Scepticilm, and abfolute Sufpenfe, in a 
 Point of fo much Importance to all the Duties of 
 common Life, and daily Pra6lice. Much lefs 
 would you give your Confent, that he fhould 
 
 live
 
 r 47 ] _ 
 
 live and ad: as if the Expofition of the antient 
 Puritans was the Meaning of the Apoftle -, as if 
 the Hah't of Regeneration, and the Habit of Sift 
 were both compatible. You have therefore but 
 one Courfe to take, which is this : To tell him, 
 that in all dubious Cafes, where Religion and 
 Morality are concerned, * he ought to rely on 
 the Judgment of his approved Teacher, if he 
 can form none of his own : That you do not de- 
 fire him to refign up his Confcience to your Di- 
 redion j but that if he is unable to direft it him- 
 felf, it ought to be direfled in a Cafe of fuch 
 Importance as the prefent, by fome one or other ; 
 and that in his Situation, while he remains a Part 
 
 * Perhaps a cavilling Objeflor might attempt to retort 
 the Argument by faying, that if this be true, it is a two- 
 edged Sword, which cuts both Ways : For if an Arminian 
 Expofitor hath a Right to expeft an Acquiefcence to his 
 Judgment in dubious Cafes, and where the Mind is balancing, 
 a Caivinift, for the fame Reafon, and in the fame Circum- 
 ftance, may expeft a like Submiflion. Be it fo ; for the 
 Abufe of a Thing is no Argument at all againfl: the Ufe of 
 it. With the Tongue bad Men curfe one another; and yet 
 the fame Inftrument ought to be ufed to blefs God even the 
 Father. But indeed the 20th Article hath put in a Guard 
 againft fuch a Mifapplication, as far as human Prudence can 
 forefee and direft. The Guard I mean is, that no human 
 Authority (hould be admiffible, in any Cafe, where it attempts 
 to expound one Place of Scripture in Oppofition to another, 
 or where it requires any Thing to be believed as of Neceflity 
 to Salvation, which is not proveable from Scripture. In fhort. 
 Guides and Inftruftors have often mifled, and will miHead 
 again : But no Man from hence infers, that Guides and In- 
 riruftors ought never to be trufled, or are not at any Time 
 neceflary. 
 
 of
 
 [ 48 ] 
 of your Charge, you have the beft Claim to his 
 Deference and Regard. Now, Sir, what is this 
 but putting in your Claim to Authority in dubious 
 and difputable Points, i. e. in Controverfies of 
 Faith ? Or if you do not chufe to ufe the Word 
 Authority^ againft which you have exprefied fuch 
 an unconquerable Abhorrence, what other Name 
 will you give it ? For as to the Thing itfelf, it is 
 as clear as the Noon-day Sun. Your Querift's 
 Mind was balancing between oppofite Opinions : 
 He could not determine for himlelf either Way. 
 What was it therefore which did determine him 
 at laft ? Authority alone : For the Weight of your 
 Authority (be it more or lefs) turned the Scale ; 
 nor can any one juftly blame your Conduft in 
 this Refpedl : On the contrary it ought to be 
 much commended, becaufe you did the beft, in- 
 deed the only Thing which the Nature of the 
 Cafe would reafonably admit. Nay, I will go 
 farther, and affert in general, that in all Cales 
 whatever, where the Individual is in a doubting 
 State, and thinks, that much may be /aid on both 
 Sides, it is natural, I had almoft faid it is necef- 
 fary, for him to fuffer himfelf to be guided by 
 thofe of whom he has the beft Opinion ; that is, 
 by Authority. It is indeed on this fmgle Prin- 
 ciple that moft of the Affairs of human Life 
 are carried on. For this Reafon we confuk 
 Lawyers, we advife with Phyficians, we afl<: the 
 Opinion of thoie of whofe Judgment and Ve- 
 racity
 
 [ 49 ] 
 
 racity we entertain a high Veneration ; and we, 
 many Times, truft our mofl: important Concerns 
 to the Diredion of others, fometimes even of 
 Strangers, merely becaufe of their good Cha- 
 racter. In fhort, in fuch Cafes, where we think 
 our own Skill and Knowledge to be incapable of 
 directing us, what elfe can we do ? And what 
 better Courfe would you advife us to take ?— 
 We may be deceived it is true ; Lawyers, Phy- 
 ficians, and others, as well as Priefts, or DifTent- 
 ing Minifters, may prove mere Impoftors and 
 falfe Guides. But what then ? It is furely better 
 in many Cafes, where we cannot judge for our- 
 felves, to have fome Guide, even with the 
 Chance of being fometimes led aftray, than to 
 have no Guide at all. 
 
 This Argument, Sir, being familiar, ftrong, 
 and clear, — therefore appears to me to be deci- 
 five i but if it Ihould not have the fame EfFed on 
 you, I will endeavour to exhibit a Kind of 7iega' 
 tive Evidence of the fame Thing •, an Evidence, 
 wherein both you and I are equally concerned, 
 and which may caufe you to fee the Affair in a 
 new, and a very ftriking Point of View, by il- 
 luftraiing in what Inftances mere Authority 
 ought NOT to take Place.— I had afferted, that ill 
 dubious Cafes it is natural, if not neceffary, for 
 the Perfon in Sufpenfe to afk Advice, and to rely 
 at laft on fome Authority or other. And, gene- 
 G rally
 
 [ 50 ] 
 rally fpeaking, the Authority the moft proper 
 to rely upon, whether in Church or State, is that 
 of our Superiors. But what if a Cafe Ihould 
 happen, wherein our own Judgments evidently 
 tlafh with the Judgments of thofe above us ?— 
 Wherein we have not the leall Doubt of the 
 Truth or Falfliood of the Proportion, — the Rec- 
 titude or Obliquity of the A6lion ? In fuch a 
 Cafe as this, it is eafy to determine, that mere 
 Authority ought to be fuperfeded ; becaufe Au- 
 thority, as fuch, can have no Place againfl Con- 
 vi5iion. Now this is the very Cafe both with 
 you and me in regard to your late Petition of- 
 fered to Parliament, and rejefled in the Upper 
 Houfe by a large Majority both of Peers and 
 Bifliops. The Peers are undoubtedly your Su- 
 periors, as well as mine : And their Lordfhips 
 the Bifliops are my immediate Superintendents. 
 But tho' I would do every Thing, that fhould 
 imply Deference, Submifllon, and Refpe6l in all 
 flain Cafes, and even in all dubious ones ; yet in 
 fuch a Cafe as this I muft beg to be excufed : 
 And. where I am fully convinced, that 1 have 
 Truth, yea mojl important Truths on my Side, 
 my Motto, 1 hope, fhall ever be, Magis amica 
 Veritas. Mr. Mauduit^ yourfelf, and the Au- 
 thor of that maflerly Performance, An Enquiry 
 into the P? incipks of 'Toleration^ have fhewn, with 
 a Strength of Argument not to be withftpod, 
 that the Reje(flion of this Petition was incon- 
 
 fiflent
 
 t 51 ] 
 •fillent with the Rules of Humanity and Juilice, 
 with the Principles of the Chriftian Religion in 
 general, and of confiltent Proteftantifm in par- 
 ticular : And I likewife in my Turn am fully 
 perfuaded, I fhall be able to prove, that it was 
 equally repugnant to found Policy, and to the 
 peculiar Intereft of the Church of England-, — 
 and at the prefent Juncture, moft unhafphj ill- 
 timed. 
 
 However, as their Lordfhips the Bifhops are 
 Men of like Paffions with ourfelves, one Cir- 
 cumftance ought to be mentioned in Extenuation 
 of human Frailty. Too many eminent Writers 
 among the Diflenters have of late given the Cler- 
 gy in general unnecejfary Provocation. Had 
 their Lordlhips interfered in the Years 1 7 19 and 
 1720 [See your Vindication pages 31—37] 
 when the DiiTenting Minifters were engaged in 
 warm Difputes among themfelves fimilar to the 
 prefent among us, and on the very fame Sub- 
 jeds i — had the Bifhops, I fay, interfered in thofe 
 Contentions, not 2.s Peace-makers,hui zs Fo^nentors 
 of the Quarrel, I appeal to yourfelf, what you 
 would have thought of fuch a Condufl. Why 
 then have you made yourfelves Parties and Prin- 
 cipals in our domeftic Difputes ? And is this 
 doing as you would be done by ?— You yourfelf 
 allow that your Caufe is totally diftinft from that 
 of the Petitioners j and moft undoubtedly it is. 
 
 For
 
 t 52 ] 
 For whether our Articles had been Calviniftical, 
 
 or Arminian ; whether Trinitarian, Arian, or 
 Socinian j or whether indeed we had no Articles 
 at all, and you chofe to have Articles and Creeds 
 of your own making •, (till you had an equal 
 Right to feparate from us, if your Confciences did 
 not permit you to join in religious WorfJiip with us^ 
 and to demand the Benefit of a legal Toleration, 
 Be pleafed therefore to take Notice, that what I 
 have undertaken to anfwer, is only the former 
 Part of your Vindication, where you certainly 
 ftept out of your Way : For as to the latter Part, 
 where you are defending your own Caufe, and 
 not the Caufe of the Petitioners, and wherever 
 you do not deviate from your Subjed:, it is excel- 
 lent, it is unanfwerable. 
 
 Therefore, in regard to this latter Part, give 
 me Leave to return you public Thanks for your 
 Information concerning the Opinion which the. 
 Dilfenting Clergy had long entertained of the 
 Toleration A(ft, before their late Application to 
 Parliament-, and more particularly for the Ac- 
 count you have given [Pages 14—16] " That 
 " it was not only the Wilh, but the Defign of 
 *' MANY DilTenting Minifters to embrace thefirft 
 *' favourable Opportunity of attempting to get 
 *' a Deliverance from the Burthen of Subfcrip- 
 " tion." Would you believe it. Sir ! Incredible 
 as it may feem, a moft abfurd and ridiculous 
 
 Story
 
 [ 53 1 
 Story has been propagated, that the DifTenters 
 had never dreamt of applying to Parliament, had 
 not the Dean of Glocejier roufed them from their 
 lethargic Infenfibility, by wijhing them Succefs in 
 Cafe they Jhould apply.— ^ot that I think my 
 Condudt needed any Apology, had I really done 
 what is imputed to me ; for I hope, I fhall never 
 be afhamed of appearing as a Friend to, and an 
 Advocate for, reafonable and confident Liberty. 
 And furely the DifTenting Miniflers who openly 
 declare, that they are not Members of the efta- 
 blifhed Church, and who thereby deprive them" 
 [elves of its Emoluments and Preferments, are 
 upon a very different Footing from other Men ; 
 from thofe efpecially, who having folemnly en- 
 gaged in its Defence, and accepted its Rewards ; 
 yet are indefatigable in plotting its Ruin and De- 
 ftruftion. Surely, I fay, if there is fuch a Thing 
 as a Diftindion between Right and Wrong, there 
 ought to be a Difference in the Treatment to be 
 obferved towards thefe two. Sorts of Men, the 
 DifTenting, and the Petitioning Clergy. But in- 
 deed, had the above obnoxious half Line been 
 expunged out of my Apology, the Cafe would 
 not have been much mended : For there is not a 
 fingle Paragraph to be found in the whole Per- 
 formance, but either diredly, or by plain Impli- 
 cation, fpeaks aloud for Liberty of Confcience, 
 and the Rights of private Judgment. In fhort, 
 I neither can, nor I truft ever will, attempt to 
 
 defend
 
 [ 54 ] 
 defend the Proteftant Church of England on any 
 other than on Protcjlant Ground. And I fhould 
 be glad to fee what Sort of Work thofe Cham- 
 pions would make of it, who fancy they can main- 
 tain her Caufe, or fupport her Credit, on the 
 Principles of Intolerance and Perfecution, 
 
 But to return :— On a Review of the whole 
 Matter, I cannot avoid giving my Opinion, that 
 your Charge of IVeaknefs and Inconftftency againft 
 the Minifters of the Eftablifhment, is not well 
 grounded ; and I am almoft perfuaded, that were 
 you to reconfider che Cafe, together with all the 
 Circumftances attending it, you would be more 
 difpofed to retraft, than to perfift in your Accu- 
 fation. In the Infancy of the Reformation in 
 Germany (for that was the Country in which the 
 Scene of all thefe Things were originally laid ; 
 and E?2giand at that Time was little more than 
 an Echo repeating the Sound of the Continent) 
 I fay, in the Infancy of the Reformation, whilft 
 the Reformers were employed in pulling down, 
 and before they had Time to build up ; one of 
 the moft popular and plaufible Obje<5tions of the 
 Papifts againft their Proceedings was this : " That 
 " the Principles and Pra6tices of thefe pretended 
 " Reformers were inconfiftent with the very Ex- 
 '* iftence of the vifible Church of Chrift ; that 
 *' the vifible Church muft be inverted with a 
 " Power to prefcribe an external Mode of Wor- 
 
 " fliip
 
 C 55 ] 
 
 " fhip to all its Members, i. e. to ordain Rites 
 *' and Ceremonies ; againfl the Exercife of which 
 " Power the Proteflants had raifed the moft tra- 
 " gical Exclamations : Moreover, that the vifible 
 *' Church mull have an Authority fufficient to di- 
 " redt the Confciences, and regulate the Faith of 
 *' the Chriftian World ; againfl: which Authority 
 " Luther and his AfTociates were in open Re- 
 *' bellion. And therefore, were fuch wicked 
 *' Doftrines and facrilegious Attempts as thefe to 
 •' lucceed, the Confequence would be, that the 
 " vifible Church of Chrift: mufl: be annihilated ; 
 *' fo that there would be no Witnefs and Keeper 
 " of God's Word remaining upon Earth ; and 
 " the Gates of Hell would neceffarily prevail 
 " againfl: Iier." 
 
 *tD" 
 
 The Reformers, as foon as ever a fit Oppor- 
 tunity prefented, took due Care to explain them- 
 felves on thefe Heads. They firfl: defined what 
 they conceived a vifible Church of Chrifl: to be : — 
 A Tranflation of which Definition, about 30 
 Years afterwards, was almojl literally given in the 
 1 9th Article of our Church, viz. * " The vili- 
 
 " ble 
 
 * Item decent (Proteftantes) quod una fan£>a Ecclefia 
 perpetiio manfura fit. Eft aut Ecclefia Chrifti Congregatio 
 Membrorum Chrifti, hoc eft Sanftorum qui vere credunt et 
 obediunt Chrifto ; etfi in hac Vita huic Congregationi multi 
 mali et Hypocritse admixti funt, ufque ad noviftimum Ju- 
 dicium
 
 t 56 ] 
 
 " ble Church of Chrifl" is a Congregation of 
 " faithful Men, in the which the pure Word of 
 " God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly 
 « adminiftred, according to Chrift's Ordinance, 
 «* in all thofe Things that of NecefTity are re- 
 «« quifite to the fame.'* And after they had de- 
 fcribed what a vifible Church was, they proceeded 
 to affert, that fuch a Church, wherever it exift- 
 ed, was, in common with other vifible Churches, 
 a "Witnefs and a Keeper of Holy Writ: — And 
 confequently, if it perfevered in this Faith, that 
 it muft be vifible to the End of the World. In 
 the mean Time, and during the Term of its Ex- 
 iftence, it had a Right to appoint a Mode of 
 Worfliip, and to regulate the external Behaviour 
 of its own Members in all necejfary Matters ;— 
 Nay farther, it had a Right to influence the 
 
 dicium, Habet autem Ecclefia proprie didla, figna fua^ 
 fcilicet puram et fanam Evangelii Doftrinam, et redlum 
 ufum Sacramentorum. Et ad veram Unitatem Ecclefias 
 fatis eft con/entire de Doilrind Enjangelii, et Adminijlratione Sa- 
 cramentorum. Nee necejfe eft ubique Jimiles ejfe Traditiones hu- 
 tnanaSy feu Ritus ab Homimbus inftitutos. [N. B. The Be- 
 ginning of our 34th Article is a literal Tranflation of this 
 laft Claufe, 'viz. It is not necefTary that Traditions and 
 Ceremonies be in all Places one, and utterly alike.] See 
 the Augjburg Confefllon prefented to the Emperor 1530, 
 Article 7. And the fame Confeflion enlarged, from which 
 the above Quotation is taken, prefented to the Emperor at 
 Worms 1540.— Alfo, Melancthoi's Apology for both Con- 
 fefTions ;---Item. his Saxonic Confefllon 1551 ;— and the 
 three firft of his Anfwers to the Bavarian Queftions 1559 ; 
 with innumerable other Places in his Works. 
 
 Judg-
 
 [ 57 ] 
 
 Judgments of private Chriftians in their Doubts 
 and Difficulties refpefting difputable, or contro- 
 vertible Points of Faith. Thefe were the gene- 
 ral Aflertions of the Proteftants, in order to ob- 
 viate the Calumnies, and to wipe off the Re- 
 proaches of their Adverfaries. But be pleafed. 
 Sir, to obferve, that thefe AlTertions were ex- 
 ceedingly limited, if compared with the Popifh 
 Claims. And it is further obfervable, that the 
 Proteftants ftiil added other Re0xi<^ijoiis by Way 
 of Caution againft Abufe. For they added, that 
 no Rite or Ceremony, no Mode or Form of 
 Worfhip whatever was to be retained, or appoint- 
 ed, if contrary to the written Word of God -, — 
 by which Claufe the EngliJJi Reformers more ef- 
 pecially meant to abolifh the Celebration of the 
 Mafs, and the idolatrous Elevation of the Hoft : 
 Nay, as to thofe Modes of Worfhip, thofe Rites 
 and Ceremonies which are not exprefsly contrary 
 to God's written Word ; yet, if they did not 
 tend to Chriftian Edification; fuch likewife were 
 to have no Place in a Proteftant EftablijQiment:--- 
 * By which fingle Claufe thoufands of Proceffions, 
 Gefticulations, and other fuperftitious Fooleries 
 of the Church of Rome were to be cut off, and 
 
 * If the Englijh Reader hath a Mind to fee a Catalogue of 
 the groflell of thefe fuperftitious Prafticcs, he may find it re- 
 corded in the 3d Part of the Homily on Good Works : The 
 Learned Reader may confult Era/mus, Luther, and Melanc- 
 thon on the fame Subjects. 
 
 H abo-
 
 [ 58 ] 
 aboliflicd for ever. And laftly, when thef 
 afcribed to the Church an Authority in difputable 
 Points, or in Controverfies of Faith, they took 
 Care to fubjoin, that this Authority fhould not 
 extend to the expounding one Paflage of Scrip- 
 ture in Contradiftion to another •, nor to the re- 
 quiring the Belief of any Article, as neceflary to 
 Salvation, which is not to be found in the written 
 "Word of God : By which Means they totally ex- 
 cluded the Decifions of the Schoolmen, the 
 Papal Decretals, and the Do6brines of the Ca- 
 nonills relative to the Power of the Pope, and 
 many other fuch like Matters, 
 
 Now here again I muft be free to declare, 
 that if this be Popery, I do not underftand what 
 Proteftantilm is. I fee as evidently as the 
 Noon-day Sun, that the Proteftants were under 
 an abibkite NecelTity of acknowledging the Ex- 
 iftence of a vifible Church, the Witnefs and 
 Keeper of God's holy Word; and that this 
 Church muft be inverted with fuch Powers as 
 were neceflary for its own Prefervation. I fee, 
 I fay, that the Germanic Proteftants were under 
 a Neceflity, in their Situation, of doing this ; 
 otherwife their Adverfaries in Difputation would 
 have obtained a lure Victory, and an eafy Tri- 
 umph •, and they themfelves would have afforded 
 a fpecious Pretence both to the Pope, and to the 
 Emperor, to have armed all Chriftendom againft 
 them. But if you, Sir, are pleafed to think 
 
 other-
 
 [ 59 '\ 
 
 ©therwife ; if you chufe to fay, that the Chriftian 
 Church differs from all other Societies, in being 
 deftitute of thofe Pow-ers which are neceffary for 
 its Exiftence and Prefervation, I will not deny 
 your Right of private Judgment. But I would 
 not advife you to attack a fubtile Jefuit, or a 
 flirewd Popilh Difputant, with fuch Kind of 
 Weapons •, left he fhould prove, that, in order 
 to be conjijient, you muft either return into the 
 Bofom of Mother-Ghurch, or confefs that there 
 is no Church of Chrift now extant. The antient 
 Proteftants faw this dreadful Dilemma •, and 
 very judicioufly avoided it by obferving the 
 happy Medium between both Extremes. 
 
 However, if the ConcefTion can be of any 
 Service to you, one Thing I will allow, viz. That 
 the Englijh Proteftants, who, in the Reign of 
 Edward the 6th had the Government on their 
 Side, were not under fuch an ahfolute NecefTity 
 of making thofe exprefs Declarations in Favour 
 of a vifible Church, and its neceftary Powers, 
 as the Germanic Proteftants were. For the 
 Reformation in Germany was, at firft, begun by 
 the lower Ranks of People ; whofe Principles 
 and Proceedings were therefore the more liable 
 to be fufpedted, and required an Explanation : — 
 Nay, even at the laft, when Eleflors, Princes, 
 and Imperial Cities joined them, it behoved 
 them to be as much upon their Guard as ever ;--- 
 
 con-
 
 [ 6o ] 
 confidering that ^ma they had fuch a Man as the 
 Emperor Charles V. to deal with-, a Man, 
 from whofe vail Power, and perfonal Bravery, 
 from whofe Wiles and Cunning, and pretended 
 Zeal for Religion, they had every Thing to fear, 
 if they had given him the leaft Advantage. Nay 
 more, if the Engli/h Proteftants had lefs Need 
 than the German^ I will advance one Step farther, 
 and grant alfo that the prefent Church of England 
 hath ftill lefs Occafion than our Forefathers, to 
 make the above Declaration concerning Church- 
 Power, and Church- Authority. And therefore, as 
 we have now a vifible Church, regularly eflablifhed 
 (may it always fo continue) I will grant, that in 
 the prefent happy State of Things, this 20th 
 Article, in common with feveral others, is be- 
 come in a Manner, or for the moft Part, fuper- 
 fluoiis. Suppofe therefore, that at the next Re- 
 view, whenever that Ihall happen, this 20th 
 Article was totally abolilhed :-"Notfor the Rea- 
 fons you affign:— -Not by V^ ^y oi dif claiming or 
 renouncing fuch Powers, but becaufe there is no 
 iirgent NecelTity for claiming them :-— Not be- 
 caufe the Miniflers of the Eftablifhment mio-ht 
 appear to the World lefs weak, or more confifient 
 thereby \ but becaufe thefe Minifters, in Pity to 
 the Frailty of their weak dilTenting Brethren, 
 would condefcend to remove an harmlefs Thing 
 out of their Way, at which they have very fre- 
 quently, tho' iinnecejjarily taken Offence :— Sup- 
 pofe
 
 [ 6i ] 
 pofe therefore, I fay, that this 20th Article was 
 totally abolifhed : — And then what would be 
 the Confequence ? Jull nothing at all. For 
 Things would go on in the very fame Courfe they 
 do now : Not one Ceremony would be retrenched 
 merely on that Account : Nor would the Defe- 
 rence to be paid to the Judgments of the efta- 
 blifhed Clergy in dubious and difputable Matters, 
 by their refpedlive Congregations, be at all the 
 lefs. In fhort, the Necefllty of preferring De- 
 cency and Order both in your Church, and in 
 ours, mull be acknowledged, call the Exercife 
 of that Power by what Name you pleafe : And 
 the Ufe of Guides and Interpreters, of Teachers 
 and Paftors (z. e. the Ufe of Authority, properly 
 underjlood) cannot be difpenfed with, or difcon- 
 tinued, whilfl there remains a Church upon 
 Earth. About what then have wc been fo long 
 difputing ? About Words -, about different 
 Sounds J when perhaps there was little, or no 
 Difference in what we meant, when properly ex- 
 plained. 
 
 But as you fecmed fo defirous of difcovering 
 the Seeds of Popery lurking in the original Con- 
 flitution of our Church, I will not altogether 
 difappoint you in that Refpe6t. Popery un- 
 doubtedly there was, tho' what you objeded to 
 as fuch, was really and truly Antipapal. The 
 Popery confifted in that very abfurd and per- 
 nicious
 
 [ 62 ] 
 
 nicious Maxim, univerfally embraced by every 
 Proteftant Stare at firft, viz. That all the Mem- 
 bers of the fame State, ought, on that very Ac- 
 county to become the Members of the fame 
 Church. They faw very plainly, that there could 
 be no fuch Thing as a legal Toleration granted 
 to any Subjefts whatever, to live in an open Vio- 
 lation of the Laws of their Country. And 
 this is very true in a civil Senfe, where civil Obe- 
 dience, where Matters of Right and Property, 
 and the Protedion of Life and Liberty are the 
 only Objects of co-ercive Law. But they un- 
 happily carried the Principle too far, by extend- 
 ing it to the Duties of Religion, and Matters of 
 Confcience. They confidcred Non-Conformity 
 to the external Mode of public Worlliip, and 
 Non-Conformity to the civil Laws of a Country, 
 as one and the fame Thing : And therefore they 
 punifhed both Aftions on the fame Principle. 
 This it mull be confelTed was genuine Popery ; 
 becaufe it was turning over the Schifmatic, or the 
 Heretic to be punifhed by the civil Magiftrate. 
 Whereas, as the Author of the Inquiry into 
 the Principles of Toleration excellently obferves, 
 * " All who can give good Security to the Go- 
 " vernment under which they live, and to the 
 *' Community to which they belong, for the 
 *' Performance of the Duties of good Subjefts 
 
 Pages 21 and 22. 
 
 " and
 
 [ 63 ] 
 " and good Citizens, have an undoubted Claim 
 " to it, and cannot with any juft Reafon be de- 
 « prived of it. It is not Error, but Injury to 
 " the State, or to the Individuals which are under 
 " the. Care of it, which juftifies the Animadver- 
 " fions of the Magiftrate -, and all to whom this 
 " cannot be jullly imputed, are Objedls of his 
 " Protection." 
 
 Now, Sir, will you fay, that the antient Pu- 
 ritans reafoned after this fenfible, humane, and 
 judicious Manner ? You cannot fay it j for the 
 Fad is againft you •, and therefore in this Re- 
 fped it is certainly true, that both Churchmen, 
 and Diflenters were formerly Papifts alike. Let 
 us therefore not reproach one another for the 
 Mifconduft of our Forefathers ; yea rather, as 
 we have abundantly more Light than they had, 
 let us ftrive to fhew that we are really become 
 Children of Light, by reforming what was amifs 
 in both Parties. 
 
 It is indeed wonderful to obferve, how nearly 
 our Proteftant Anceftors approached to the 
 Truth, without aftually difcovering it. They 
 came within Sight of Toleration, and yet could 
 not fee it. It appears by thefe very Articles, the 
 20th and 34th lb often quoted, that they rea- 
 foned on the Principles of Toleration and Liberty 
 of Confciencejuftly enough, when they inferred 
 
 the
 
 [ 64 ] 
 
 the aforementioned Guards and Cautions for the 
 Limitation of Church Authority, and Church 
 Power. Nay, it further appears from the 34th 
 Article, that they faw clearly, that each national 
 Church had a Right to judge for itfelf, both as 
 to Points of Do6trine, and as to Modes of public 
 "Worfhip. And they do not drop the leaft Hint, 
 that it was juftifiable for the ftronger Nation to 
 compel the weaker to adopt itsDoftrines and Opi- 
 nions, or to conform to its Rites and Ceremonies. 
 So far therefore we may obferve, that they rea- 
 foned fairly and confiftently ; for they allowed 
 that each State, or Civil Society, a6ting as an In- 
 dividual, had a full Right to enjoy its own pri- 
 vate Judgment and Liberty of Confcience, againfl 
 the Pretenfions of other States, or other Indivi- 
 duals. How then came it to pafs, that they did 
 not adopt the fame Train of Reafoning with re- 
 gard to the DifTenters within the fame State, or 
 Nation .'' It is hard to account for this furprifing 
 Pha^nomenon, this grofs Inconfiftency in the hu- 
 man Mind. It could not be, that the Proteftants 
 then thought (what Ho i^ h prcttndcd to think in 
 later Times) that the Prince had a Right to com- 
 pel his Subjects to conform to his own Religion : 
 for if that had been the Cafe, why fo many Out- 
 cries againft the Perfecutions of the Roman Em- 
 perors of old, or of Hewy the 8th, and of Queen 
 Mdry in their own Times ? Nor yet could they 
 (the Reformers) ferioufly maintain, that the Care of 
 
 Ortho-
 
 C % ] 
 
 Orthodoxy, and of true Religion devolved to 
 the Magiftrate in fuch a rigorous Senfe, as to 
 give him a Right to ufe coercive Powers over 
 the Lives, Liberties, and Fortunes of his Sub- 
 je<5ls, in order to promote the Good of their 
 Souls :— For this is in Faft faying the fame 
 Thing, only with more Detours and Circumvo^ 
 lutions : — And yet fome lurking falfe Principle 
 of this Sort muft have given their Minds a mofl 
 unhappy Biafs, and have caufed them to have 
 deviated into that ftrange and contradidory 
 Condudt, which was fo univerfally purfued by 
 the firft Proteftants refpedling Perlecution. 
 
 The Magiftrate hath undoubtedly a Right to 
 encourage that Syftem of Religion, which he ef- 
 teems the moft orthodox, and the beft : Becaufe 
 every Individual has the fame Right. But the 
 Magiftrate can have no Right, either in his pub- 
 lic, or in his private Capacity, to perfecute the 
 Followers ofany other Syftem, provided they keep 
 the Peace of Society, and offend not againft good 
 Morals. In one Word, to reward is one Thing, 
 to puni/Ji is another •, Premiums may win^ but 
 Penalties ought not to compel ; and Matters of 
 Favour muft ever be acknowledged to be of a 
 different Nature from Matters of Right. This 
 Diftindlion is certainly the Line, which ought 
 always to be drawn in thefe Cafes. And I will 
 venture to add, that whofoever deviates from 
 it either to the right Hand or to the left, will 
 
 I find
 
 [ 66 i 
 find that he is running into endlefs Difficulties^ 
 and that, were he to purfue his Syftem through' 
 all its Confcquences, he would be led into, not 
 only grofs Abfurdities, but very horrid Crimes, 
 
 Now, Sir, from what hath been faid both in this 
 Place, and in feveral other Parts of this Epiftle, 
 you plainly fee, that I do not hold forth the^ 
 National Church, as a Model of all Perfedion ; 
 and yet I mod fincerely declare, that accordir>g 
 to the moll impartial Judgment which I can 
 form, I do not know a better^ nor any one f7 
 good. But penetrated, as I am with this Per- 
 fuafion, I am ftill as willing, that others Ihould 
 think differently, as 1 am defirous of thinking for 
 myfelf. And therefore with thefe Sentiments I 
 beg Leave to aflure you, that I have the Honour 
 to be, 
 
 Reverend and worthy Sir, 
 
 Tour affe^ionate Brother., 
 
 And mojl obedient humble Servant^ 
 
 Oocfier, Dec. .0, JOSIAH TUCKER. 
 
 A
 
 SECOND LETTER 
 
 T O 
 
 The Reverend Dr. K I P P I S, 
 
 Wlierem the ^lefiion is difcujfed, whether 
 the Englifli Reformers in the Reign of 
 Edward VI. intended to eflablijh the DoC'- 
 trines ofFredeftination, Redemption^ Graces 
 fujlif cation, and Perfeverance, in the Cal- 
 'vinijiical Seiife, as the DoBrines of the 
 Church of England. 
 
 Reverend Sir^ 
 
 5OUR Situation and mine are w"him- 
 fically odd in relation to the prefent 
 Difpute about Articles and Subfcrip- 
 tions. You declare againft admit- 
 ting any Authority at all in Matters 
 -of Faith or Opinion ; and yet you afcribe a great 
 deal (in my humble Judgment a great deal too 
 iiiuchj tfi the Author of the ConfelBonal : Nay, 
 
 you
 
 [ 68 ] 
 
 you go farther, and fcruple not to declare, that 
 the moil celebrated [Arminian] Writers muft 
 ever bow to a Tophdy, or a Bowman •,— the lateft 
 who have wrote on the Calviniftical Side of the 
 Qiieftion. Surely this was carrying your Defe- 
 rence to the Performance of thefe Gentlemen 
 rather too far ; feeing it was impoflible for you to 
 know what Reply the Arminians were able to 
 make, or what they had to fay in their own Vin- 
 dication. 
 
 I, on the conti-ary, prefume to fuppofe, That 
 where other Arguments are equal, the Weight 
 of Authority alone ought to turn the Scale -, and 
 this Maxim I venture to apply to all Cafes what- 
 foe ver in Church or State, and to all Arts, Sciences, 
 and Profeflions. Yet Sir, I will wave this Pri- 
 vilege at prefent : For tho' I write in Favour of 
 prefent PofTeflion, and have the Majority on my 
 Side, I afk for no Indulgence •, I defire no De- 
 ference to be paid me on that Account : For if I 
 cannot produce fuch Arguments, as will both in 
 Weight and Number, evidently turn the Scale 
 againft thefe tinanfwerabk Gentlemen, I Ihall 
 give up the Caufe for loft, and hope for no Al- 
 lowance from the mere Argument of Authority. 
 
 Therefore, in profecuting the Inquiry now 
 before us, I fhall beg Leave to propofe a Method, 
 which appears to me the moft unexceptionable, 
 
 and
 
 [ % ] 
 
 and the moll impartial that can be devifed ; 
 and which, I hope, even you will allow to 
 be a good and fair one ; tho' it doth not come 
 recommended by the Sanftion or Authority ei- 
 ther of a Dr. Blackburn, a Mr. Toplady, or a 
 Mr. Bowman. The Method is this : Firft to 
 ftate the Principles and Opinions of the Doftors 
 of the Church of Rome juft at, or before, the 
 breaking out of the Reformation : 2dly, to give 
 an Account of the Doftrines and Tenets of the 
 firft Reformers, by obferving how far they con- 
 curred with tlie Church of Ro?ne, and wherein 
 they differed ; alfo upon what Motives or 
 Realbns thefe Differences were grounded : And 
 then 3dly, I fhall particularly apply this Method 
 towards invefligating the Doftrines of the firft 
 Reformers of the Church of England relative to 
 the Calviniftical Controverfy. 
 
 The quinquarticular Controverfy, (fo callecl 
 from the five Points of Predeflination, Redemp- 
 tion, Grace, Juftification, and Perfeverance) being 
 infeparably linked together, is generally fuppofed 
 to have acquired that Name much about the 
 Tim.e of holding the Synod at DorL And in- 
 deed it is very probable, that the Appellation 
 could not be of a more antient Date ; becaufe 
 the Connexion throughout all thefe five Points 
 was not perceived at the Beginning of the Refor- 
 mation, much lefs in Times flill more remote-, as I 
 fliall haveOccafion to fhew more than once in the 
 
 Courfe
 
 [ 70 ] 
 
 Courfe of this Letter. However, it is very cer- 
 tain, that Si. Augujiin in his Zeal againft theP*?- 
 la^iaftSy and the Semi- Pelagians, laid down the 
 following Pofitions •, and got feveral of them to 
 be eftabliflied zs fundamental Dodnnes by Synods 
 and Councils. 
 
 " That Mam was the foederal Head and 
 " Reprefentative of the whole human Race: 
 *' Thaj by his Fall a total Depravity was fpread 
 " over human Nature :— That the mental Powers 
 " were fo debiliiated and corrupted by this Ca- 
 *' taftrophc, as to render the Will not only alto- 
 *' gether infufRcient to attain any Thing that is 
 ** good, but alfo exceedingly prone to Evil :--^ 
 " That Divine Grace alone muft give the Will 
 *' a Sufficiency of Power and Strength firft to 
 *' overcome this Propenfity to Evil, and then 
 *' to attain to Goodnefs of Heart and Holinefs 
 ■*- of Life : — But that God had decreed not to 
 " impart this fuiiicient and faving Grace to all 
 *' Men in general, but only to a feleft few, whom 
 *' he had predeftinated to Salvation :— That the 
 " reft of Mankind muft therefore inevitably 
 *' perifti :— -That Baptifm is the ordinary Means 
 " of conveying this fufficient and falutary Grace: 
 *' —Not that all who are baptized are to be 
 " reckoned to be of the Number of the Eleft, 
 " and predeftinated to Glory ^--but that never- 
 " thclefs Baptifm is the only appointed Mode of 
 
 " waftiing
 
 [ ?■ ] 
 
 *^ away original Sin -, — and that therefore all bap* 
 ** tiled Infants, who die before committing ac- 
 « tual Sin, are therefore faved i---but that all 
 *^ other Infants, dying without the Pale of the 
 *« Church, of Courfe muft be damned :— Con- 
 " fequently, a fortiori, there can be no Salva- 
 " tion for the Adults of the Gentile World j be- 
 " caufe they have both original, and aftual Sins 
 " to anfwer for •, and becaufe their very Virtues 
 " are not properly good Works, but a Kind of 
 " Shining Sins, being wrought without Faith in 
 " Chrift the Redeemer, and without the Ope- 
 " ration of the Holy Spirit the Sandtifier." 
 
 Such were the Doftrines of the great Sf. 
 Augujiin : Of which I lliall fay nothing more at 
 prefent, but that they feem to be a ftrange Mix- 
 ture of Truth and Falfliood; and that the Author 
 of them never could keep himfelf from running- 
 into Extremes •, one while, in his Warmth againft 
 the Manech^an Syflem, afcribing too little to the 
 general Corruption in human Nature, which all 
 Men, even the Heathen World, have both {ten 
 and lamented j— and at another Time, while 
 pleading againft Pelagius and his Followers, 
 afcribing fo much, as to deftroy the Liberty of 
 human Adions, and to introduce abfolute Fate 
 and Neceflity. 
 
 The Semi-pelagians, if their Adverfaries had 
 done Juftice to their Notions, might have cor- 
 
 reded
 
 [ 72 ] 
 rcfted many of thefe dangerous Pofitions. Their 
 Principles led them to keep a middle Way be- 
 tween both Extremes ; and it is very probable, 
 that if great Pains had not been taken to fupprefs 
 their Writings, to cavil at, and mifreprefent them, 
 they would have handed down their Opinions 
 and their Syftem much after the following Man- 
 ner : 
 
 " That whether Adam was our Foederal 
 " Head, or not, is a Point not fufficiently re- 
 " vealed in Scripture : But that human Nature 
 " is not at prefent the fame Thing which it was, 
 " when it came originally out of the Hands of 
 " its gracious Creator, is a melancholy Truth, 
 *' which Reafon ftrongly fuggefts, and Scripture 
 *' plainly teftifies. That the Introduflion of 
 *' Evil into the World is alcribed in Scripture 
 " to the Fall of Man j but that the fame Scrip- 
 *' tures as plainly declare. That if by one Man's 
 " Difobedience many were made Sinners, by the 
 *' Obedience of one Man many were made righ- 
 " teous ; and that in Ihort, whatever Injuries 
 " Mankind received by the Fall, thefe were com- 
 " penfated by the Reftoration which they re- 
 *' ceived in Chrift Jefus ; confequently, that by 
 " Virtue of the inward reftoring Grace, and of 
 " the outward Atonement, all Mankind are 
 *' put into a Capacity of fleeing from the Wrath 
 *' to come •, and that no Man can now juftly fay, 
 
 " that
 
 [ 73 ] 
 
 " that he is loft, but thro' his own, proper, per- 
 " final Mifcondud." 
 
 The Semi Pelagians might alfo have obferved, 
 that with regard to God's general moral Govern- 
 ment, this mud extend over the higheft Orders 
 of Angels and Arch-Angels, as well as over the 
 inferior Parts of the moral and rational Creation : 
 That confequently the Government of Man is 
 only a Province within this great moral Em- 
 pire : And that the Government of Chrijiians is 
 ftill a more peculiar Diftridt within this Pro- 
 vince. — That as the Holy Scriptures have not 
 been explicit in declaring the Mode or Manner 
 of God's dealing with the Heathen World in a 
 future State, either as to Rewards, or Punilh- 
 ments •, it becomes us to be the more referved in 
 ' our Conjeftures : — And that all which we can 
 advance, with any Degree of Certainty, is this. 
 That the Judge of all the Earth will, at the laft, 
 do right ; nay, that he will fhew Mercy and Com- 
 paffion in all Cafes whatfoever, where his Rec- 
 titude and Wifdom, and the Honour and In- 
 tereft of his Government will permit Mercy and 
 CompafTion to be fhewn. That the Rewards 
 (whatever they fhall be) which he will beftow on 
 thofe Gentiles, who not having a [written] Law, 
 have yet been a Law unto themfelves, will be as 
 much the Relult of Chrift's Merits, as the Re- 
 wards of the mod orthodox Chriftian ; becaufe 
 K Chrift
 
 [ 74 ] 
 Clirift is in Fafl the Saviour of all Men, though 
 more cfpecially of thofe that believe. 
 
 And in refped to the Chriftian World, as this 
 Diftria is enclofed (if one may fo fpeak) within 
 the Limits of a particular Charter, neither the 
 Privileges, nor the Penalties belonging to it, can 
 be the fame with thofe that are common to the 
 reft of Mankind. For were this the Cafe, it 
 would be no Inclofure, no diftinft Society, or 
 Corporation at all. Therefore it is reafonable to 
 conclude, that th^ Felicity of the good, and 
 the Mifery of the wicked Chriftian, will be of 
 a diftind Species from that Happinefs, or Woe, 
 which fhall attend the virtuous, or vicious Lives 
 of thofe who live without the Pale of the Chrif- 
 tian Church. 
 
 But as to Merit of any Sort, neither the 
 Chriftian, nor Gentile can have the leaft Preten- 
 fions to it. For every Idea of Recompence, 
 whether covenanted, or uncovenanted, muft at 
 laft be refolved into the pure Munificence and 
 free Gift of Almighty God through Jefus Chrift 
 our Lord. — Indeed a Mafter on Earth may want 
 the Attendance and Afliftance of a good and 
 ufeful Servant -, and therefore fuch a Servant 
 hath a juft Right to plead the Merit of his good 
 Works in order to demand a Recompence. But 
 our heavenly Mafter doth not ftand in Need of 
 
 the
 
 [ 75 ] 
 the Help of any of his Creatures in any Refpeft 
 whatever. Confequently it muft follow in this 
 Senfe, That the moft perfeft Service of the 
 higheft Angel muft be judged to be * tmprofita- 
 h'le. Again, a Monarch here below cannot main- 
 tain himfelf on his Throne without the Loyalty 
 and Obedience of his faithful Subjedls. And 
 therefore fuch Subjeds have a juft Claim to 
 the Honours, Favours, and Privileges which 
 their Princes have to beftow. But the King of 
 Kings and Lord of Lords is under no fuch Ob- 
 ligation to his Subjefts : For were the whole 
 Creation to prove Rebels and X^^aitors j — his 
 Throne would not be fhaken, nor even his Power 
 diminiflied, by their Confpiracies or Rebellions. 
 And therefore in this Senfe again it muft like- 
 wife follow, that the Loyalty of the very beft of 
 his Subjefts is tmprofitable, if confidered as add- 
 ing Security to his Throne, or Strength to his 
 Kingdom. 
 
 Therefore from thefe Premifes it muft fol- 
 low, that the Worth, or Dignity, or Excellence 
 of good Works is to be derived from fome purer 
 Source, than that of real or intrinfic Merit. Faith 
 and good Works are undoubtedly profitable to 
 
 * The original Term ^whc^ cnyj^oi literally fignifies an 
 ^e/e/s Servant. 
 
 our-
 
 [ 76 ] 
 ourfelves, but not to God. We want them on 
 our own Account ; but he doth not on his. They 
 are a neceflary Qiialification on our Parts j be- 
 caufe we arc unfit for the Poft affigned us, and 
 for the high Calling purchafed for us by Chrift 
 Jeius, unlefs we have them. For a wicked Man 
 is every Way unqualijied, for the Enjoyment of 
 Heaven. 
 
 It is indeed a difficult Thing to illuftrate this 
 Matter in all its Branches, becaufe we have no- 
 thing fimilar to it in our Dealings one with ano- 
 ther, with which it may be compared. And yet 
 fuch a Cafe may be ftated, as will evidently prove 
 theNeceffity of good Works, previous to our Ac- 
 ceptance with God, without allowing them to be 
 the meritorious Caufe of our Acceptance. The 
 Holy Scriptures often ufe the Term Adoption : 
 And as this Idea was borrowed from civil Tranf- 
 adlions, frequent in thofe Times, the Meaning 
 may be fuppofed to be, that a rich Perfon ad- 
 mitted a poor one into his Houfhold or Family, 
 in order to make him his Son and Heir, as foon 
 as he fhould be qualified for that high Station. 
 Suppofe therefore, that fome great Perfonage, at 
 the earnefl IntercefTion of his bofom Friend, not 
 only pardoned two miferable Wretches, who had 
 grievoufly offended him, but alfo offered to 
 make them Co-heirs in his Family Eflate, as foon 
 as they Ihould attain to a Capacity of enjoying it. 
 
 To
 
 [ 77 ] 
 To this End they are both font to a Place of 
 Education •, and have proper, Inftrudlors, with 
 all pofTible AfTiftances provided for them. One 
 of the two makes no Progrefs •, but turns a deaf 
 Ear to all good Advice, fpurning at his Bene- 
 factor, and ridiculing the Benefits obtained for 
 him by his Advocate or Intercelfor. Whereas 
 the other is juft the reverfe, and makes fuch 
 grateful Advancements in the requifite Qualifi- 
 cations, as will enable him to take PofielTion of 
 the intended Inheritance with Propriety and Re- 
 putation. The former of thefe undoubtedly 
 hath great Demerit ; and therefore deferves the 
 more exemplary Punifhment, in Proportion to 
 the Blacknefs of his Ingratitude. But furely it 
 doth not follow from hence, that the good Be- 
 haviour of the latter is meritorious towards his 
 Benefadlor, and his IntercelTor, whofe Bounty and 
 Munificence cannot be eclipfed, or fuperfeded, or 
 even in any Degree diminifhed in Value by his 
 making a good Ufe of the Favours conferred 
 upon him i for their Gift is a Gift ftill * : And 
 it would be a moil prepofterous Way of reafon- 
 ing>to infer, that his Obligations towards them 
 decreafed in Proportion as he became lenlible of 
 the Favours and Blefnngs he received from them. 
 
 * See my Sermon, Salvation by Grace is the Gift of God, 
 lately printed. 
 
 Thus
 
 [ 78 ] 
 Thus it is in regard to earthly Things. But 
 the Cafe is ftill flronger in Refpeft to God : For 
 in him we live, move, and have our Being, both 
 in a fpiritual and a natural Senfe. His enabling, 
 and afTifting Grace are beyond the Power of 
 the mod generous of Mortals to beftow on their 
 Inferiors. And the Benefits of Redemption and 
 Atonement are as much fuperior to the Gifts of 
 earthly Benefactors as Creator is to Creature. 
 From all which therefore the Conclufion is irre- 
 fragably ftrong, that there can be no Merit 
 either in our Faith, or our good Works feparately, 
 or in both conjunflly; tho' they are the neceflary 
 Conditions of our Acceptance here, and the in- 
 difpenfable Preparatives for Heaven hereafter. 
 
 I do not fay. Sir, that the Semi-pelagians al- 
 ways reafoned after this Manner. But I do aver, 
 that they might have drawn out their Creed, or 
 their Syftem, very confidently to this Effedt : — 
 And that their fundamental Principles of the 
 NecefTity both of preventing [preceding] and 
 affifling Grace, and of the Co-operation of the 
 Will with both, would naturally lead them to 
 thefe Conclufions, had they been left at Liberty 
 to follow the Didlates of their own Confciences. 
 
 But, alas ! the Zealot St. Augufiin was too 
 intent on Vidory and Perfecution to relifli any 
 Opinions but his own. 'Tis true, both he and 
 
 Pro/per
 
 [ 19 ] 
 
 Profper gave better Words to the Semi-pelagians, 
 while they retained fome Hopes of making Con- 
 verts of them, than they did to the Pelagians ; 
 as * Cardinal Noris himfelf is forced to acknow- 
 ledge. But when thefe Hopes failed, after the 
 Death of St. Augujlin, we find, that the fofteft 
 Appellation which Proffer could befhow upon 
 them was, Calumniaiores, Lupos occult os^ Hypo- 
 critas. And Fade it is, that St. Augujlin and his 
 Followers, for the beft Part of two Centuries, 
 caufed Synod after Synod and Council after 
 Council to be held, in order to extirpate both 
 the Pelagian., and Semi-pelagian Herefy, Root and 
 Branch \ fo that nothing might remain to be be- 
 lieved in theChriftian Church, but his own novel 
 Dodrine of abfolute Decrees, and irrefiftible 
 Grace. And indeed hardly any Thing befides 
 
 * See Norijii Hijloria Pelag;ana, Lib. 2, Cap. 5. There 
 is fome fmall Variation between tlie Hijioria Felagiana of 
 Cardinal Noris, and that of the learned FoJJius : With which 
 DiiFerence it is not necefTary to trouble the Reader. Suffice 
 it to obferve two Things ; ift. They both agree, that the 
 Principles of abfolute, unconditional Predeftiuation, and of 
 the Irrefiftibility of Divine Grace were ellablifhed in a Vari- 
 ety of Synods and Councils (Vojfms reckons up fifteen in all ;) 
 and the contrary Doftrines were condemned, as impious and 
 heretical : sdly. That St. Augujhns, Pofitions were allowed 
 byhis warmeft Defenders at that very Time to be little better 
 than No'uslties, if compared with the Writings of the more 
 antient Fathers, eipecially of the Greek Church. For tbsy 
 were all of the Semi-pelagian Call. In Ihort, no Body be- 
 fore St. Augujiin ever dreamed, that ail unbaptized Infants, 
 and tlie whole Heathen world, were to be configned to Hell, 
 and the Devil. 
 
 did
 
 [ 80 ] 
 
 did remain : For we fcarce hear of any other 
 Doctrine being taught in the Weftern Church 
 for feveral Centuries. Nay, when Peter Lom- 
 bard in the 12th Century compofed, or rather 
 collefted, his Summa Senteniiarum, he grafted 
 St. Augujlinh Notions into his Body of Divinity, 
 forming them into Queilions for fcholaftic Dif- 
 putations, and then pronouncing definitive Sen- 
 tences on each Difpute, as the Magijler Senten- 
 tiarum, or Moderator of the Difpute between 
 Refpondent and Opponent. This Eftablilhment 
 of Opponent, Refpondent, and Moderator, with 
 a Set of Quefkions given out to Difpute upon, 
 v;as a very fingular Inftitution, to which we find 
 nothing fimilar either among the Difputes of the 
 wrarfgHng Tribes of Philofophers in Greece, or 
 in the Philofophical Works of Cicero, and of the 
 other great Men of Ronie. And as the Inftitu- 
 tion itfelf was fo very fingular, the Origin of it 
 is as little known. Nor can we tell from what 
 Period to date its Beginning. For certain it is, 
 that Peter Lombard (tho' vulgarly called the Fa- 
 ther of the Schoolmen) was no more the Author 
 of it than Arijlotle was the Author of all Logic, 
 or Sir Jfaac Newton of ail Mathematics. They 
 all three improved what they found, by advanc- 
 ing their refpe6tive Sciences nearer to Perfeftion ; 
 and perhaps they reduced into Method and good 
 Order, what v/as before more confufed, fcattered, 
 and indeterminate. But however that be, it is 
 
 a
 
 [ 8i ]• 
 a moft undoubted Fa6l, that this Book of Peter 
 Lombard was in fuch high Vogue, for feveral 
 Ages, as to eclipfe the Scriptures themfelves. 
 For Proof of which, fee MoJJieim\ Hiftory, 
 Vol. I. Englifh Edit. Page 598, and the Note 
 of Page 600 ; and therefore we can be at no Lofs 
 to know what Dodlrines prevailed in thole Times 
 in the Schools of Chriftian Divines. 
 
 Moreover, when Thotnas Aquinas the Do- 
 mntcan^ proceeded on the fame Plan, in a greater 
 W^ork, about a Century afterwards, he not only 
 kept clofe to his renowned Mailer, St. Augufiiriy 
 but even improved upon him : For he aflerted, 
 that there was 2.^" ■phyjical Predetermination of the 
 Will, by Way of proving, as it were, how in- 
 compatible the abfolute Decrees are with every 
 L juft 
 
 * This Expreffion, in French, Predetermination Phyjique, 
 is borrowed from Le Clerc's Bibliotheque choijie, Tom. 6, Vie 
 d'Erafme : And is juftified by the Confeflion of a moft zea- 
 lous Catholic, njiz. Boyvin in his Abridgment of Duns 
 Scotus's Works ; who allows [See de Gratia Chrijli, ^ejiio 
 ■primal '•^^^^ ^^ Thomijis make a Diftinftion between Jufi- 
 cient Grace, and effectual Grace ; by fuppofing that there 
 is a real Influx belonging to the one, which is want- 
 ing in the other. So that in fadl, this fufficient Grace, 
 for want of the real Influx, becomes fufficient, — —for 
 juft nothing at all ; having never been able to faije a fin- 
 gle Perfon from the Beginning of the World. Thofe who 
 have a Mind to examine more precifely whether the angelic 
 Doftor, as Aquinas is called by the Churth of Rome, was a 
 Culvinift, or not, as to the Predeftinarian Controverfy, and 
 
 what
 
 [ S2 ] 
 
 \nii klca of human Liberty. For tho' Thomas 
 Jcqii'nw.s mentions in his Writings the Words 
 Libertas,Voluntas, et librum Arbitrium, as often 
 as any one, and condemns the Dodrines of Fate 
 
 and 
 
 what he himfcll" fays, f about inftantaneous Juftification, 
 and the Influx of Grace, may confult his V/orks, viz. 
 Prima Pars, ^rJ}io yia, and particularly the 2d, 4th, and 
 i;th Articles of this Quellion. See alfo his Prifna Secunda^, 
 ^IjrJIio 11^, where particular Notice ought to be taken of 
 the concludinq; Paragraph of the 3d Article,, and the whole 
 of the 7th and loth Ardcles. 
 
 As to Duns Scctiis, the next great Leader of the School 
 Divines, and the Founder of the Seft of the Scotijisy I have 
 r.othad an Opportunity of confulting his Works. But I have 
 the Abridgment q'i Boyoin, his zealous and able Defender, 
 now before mc. A-nd from him I learn,, that Scotus was alfo 
 a Predellinarian as well as Aqianas. See his Tertia Pars 
 MetRphxfica:, de Spccibus Entis, Queji. 23. Ufrum Prfedefti- 
 natio fiat ex prreuifts Mcritis ? On which Queftion he ob- 
 fcrves, Quod D. Thomas ct Scctus ieiient, Deum e.x purn Mi/eri- 
 cordtdy fupppjtto originali Peccato, certos quo/dam preedejlinaffe, 
 al'fque ulla prtt-vijione Meritcrum :— Circa alios aut em fe habui£e 
 yiegati'vc, id ej}, ?icn prtvdfjiinnjje illos. And then he tells us 
 with great Joy, That his Mairer ScoUis had permitted his 
 Scholars to think differently from himfeJf, if they pleafcd, 
 in this Point, ^tia ta:men Scotus Uberion relivquit fuis [ScotiJ?is'^ 
 lit contrariinn tenectnt, Ji njcluerint, diiendo fcilicet, Pradejii- 
 Hdtioncm fieri ex pra:vifione Meritorum dicitorum ex gratia 
 Chrifi, lit habetur expreffe, in I dift. 41 qua;ft. un. § Juf- 
 torum in fin?, Idl'O in conclufione dicemus pra^vijionetn Meri- 
 torum Petri caufam fuiffe predejlinat.'oiiis ejus. And the good 
 Man finds himfelf fo hapny in this Toleration to break lofe 
 from Calvinifm, that he cannot help repeating it in another 
 
 Place 
 
 t In regard to the Scripture Doftrine of infiantaneous 
 Juitification, inftantaneous Converfion, and the abfolute 
 Afiurances of Salvation, fee tv/o of my Sermons lately pub- 
 lifhed, 'viz. different Methods of Converfion, and the Cafe 
 efthc penitent Thief on the Crofs.
 
 [ 83 ] 
 -and Necefrity,-~yet, if he fuppofes that the Will 
 is phyfically wrought upon, and predetermined, 
 it is evident to common Senfe, that he grants 
 only in Expreirion,vvhat he takes away in Reality. 
 For if any human Will is to be predetermined 
 phyfically either to Good or Evil, it can be itfelf 
 no better than a mere Machine. 
 
 And now, Sir, having defcendcd from the 
 Time of ^t. Augufiin^ who flourifhed in the latter 
 Part of the fourth Century, 'dll Thomas Aquinas 
 
 Place, -viz. Theologia Scoii, i^c, l£c. prima pars, ^ejlio 8i/«. 
 Dodor Suhtilis [i. e. Scotus] lihenan relniauit confrarium /en- 
 tire :—^uoniam ergo opinio depradejlinatioiie ex pra-vijti Merit cs^ 
 non tollit Libert alem, nee itlli facit Injur ia7n, immo potius excitat 
 ad Bene agendian., ideo a nobis \Franc;J'can:s, feu Scot if is'] 
 tenebitur. 
 
 Ill regard to Qaotations from fcarce Books, fuch as tkis 
 now before me, which (fcarce as it is in England) neverthe- 
 lefs has gone thro' 9 Editions at leall in Catholic Countries, 
 mine being the pth printed at Venice in 1734, I mull here 
 obferve once for all, that I have been doubly unfortunate, 
 refpedling thefc Things. For firfi, I have not the Conve- 
 nience of confulting public Libraries of any note or Con- 
 fequence ; and adiy, having depofited the CcUedlion of 
 Books and Trafts, which I had formerly made, relative to 
 thefe Points, in a Library then erei^ing,— I now find, that 
 the mofl Part of thefe Bocks were thrown afidc as ujelefs 
 Lumber, on fubfequent Revifais ; fo that they cannot be re- 
 covered, when wanted. This I thought neceflary to mention, 
 by Way of requelHng the learned Reader's Lidulgence and 
 Excufc, if he flhiould find fome Inaccuracies in Names and 
 Dates, and ihould difcover a few Errors in citing Q^'iiations 
 and Authorities. I have myfelf deteiled fome Iv/Intakes of 
 this Kind committed by me in my Apology, which I have 
 correded in my zd Edition. The learned Reader may p:T- 
 haps corrcd more. 
 
 who
 
 [ 84 ] 
 who wrote in the thirteenth, let us ftill come iowcr 
 down, viz. to the fourteenth Century •,— which 
 is nearly the Space of a //z^?///^;/^ Years.— Here we 
 find the celebrated Duns Scotus planning a new, 
 fubtile and laborious Work, in order to rival 
 the Fame, and, if poflible, to eclipfe the grow- 
 ing Greatnefs of the angelic Doftor Thomas A- 
 quhias. Here therefore, if any where, we may 
 expeft to find, the Predeftinarian Doflrine of St. 
 Augujlin contrad idled, and the Semi-Pelagian 
 fct up in its Stead But even Scotus, who was 
 certainly moved with a Defire of putting himfelf 
 at the Head of a new Sedl, by contradifting 
 'Thomas Aquinas in every Thing, found the Doc- 
 trines of the abfoluteDecrees fo ftrongly entrench- 
 ed behind a Rampart of Synods and Councils, and 
 of the Bulls of Popes, and of Imperial Confti- 
 tutions, that he dared not attack it. Therefore 
 all that he cculd venture to do, was to permit his 
 Scholars to queftion the Truth of the Doctrine, 
 when they fhould fee occafion : "Which Concef- 
 fion neverthelefs they did not aflually make Ufe 
 of 'till Ages afterwards ; that is, 'till the Times 
 fubfequent to the Reformation. 
 
 Hence therefore it evidently follows, that 
 the whole Weftern Church, before the Reforma- 
 tion, was Auguftinian (if I may be permitted to 
 ufe the Term) as to the Points of Predeftination, 
 Grace, Free-Will, and Perfeverance. And if 
 
 it
 
 [ 85 ] 
 
 It was Anguilinian, it could not avoid being Cal- 
 viniftical ; becaule in reality there is no Diffe- 
 rence. Indeed I will allow, that the Augnfiinians^ 
 and Dominicans^ and even xh^janfenijis of the pre- 
 fent Church oi Rome, pretend to find out a mighty 
 Diftance, and feveral important Diftin6lions, be- 
 tween the Tenets of St. Augujlin and thofe of 
 Calvin. But how do they fucceed ? And what 
 do they prove ? — They prove that the fame 
 identical Dodlrine may be exprelTed by various 
 Ways ; and that fmooth Words and foft Phrafes 
 will fatisfy thofe who prefer the Honour of that 
 particular Seft or Party, in which they are inlifted, 
 to the Truth of Things. But they never can 
 prove, that the Doftrine itfelf is really different, 
 becaufe it happens to be expreffed in harllier 
 ;Terms by fome, or in gentler Language by 
 others •, and therefore I will allow further, that 
 from the Time of St. Augujlin to the Dawn 
 of the Reformation, fome few Perfons, fuch as 
 Godfchal, Wicklif, and others, were cenfured for 
 expreffing this Dodtrine of abfolute uncondi- 
 tional Predeftination in Words which were too 
 Ihocking, becaufe too intelligible. But bating 
 the Offenfivenefs of the Expreffion, the Doftrine 
 itfelf is the very fame, when plainly and undif- 
 guifedly uttered by a Wkklif, a John HufSy or a 
 Jerom of Prague, as when refined and foftened 
 by the artful Pen of a St. Augujlin, of an angelic 
 Do6lor, a fubtile, a frofound, or a feraphic Dodor. 
 
 Nay,
 
 [ 86 ] 
 Nay, fo far was the Church of Rome, even at, 
 and fome Time after, the l^eformation, from re- 
 ceding from thefe Prin-^^les, that the Founder 
 of the Jefuits, Ignatius ] oyola, made it a Part 
 of his * Foundation-Statutes, to initiate his Dif- 
 ciples in the Docflrine and Divinity of Thomas 
 Aoiiinas. Now thefe Statutes were approved 
 of, and confirmed by feveral Popes ; and it is 
 a FatSt well known among the Learned, that 
 Bdlarm'me himfelf, Suarez^ and the firjl Flight 
 of Jefuits were all Predeftinarians. Therefore, 
 as the Jefuits both look upon themfelves, and are 
 eiteemedby others (Papifls, as well asProteftants) 
 to be the Pope's Gens d'Jrmes, or Body-Guard, 
 it is evident, to a Demonftration, that had the 
 Church of Rome been otherwife than Calvinifti- 
 cal at that Period, the Pope's Life-Guard Men 
 would have been fent to fome other Magazine, 
 than to that of Thomas Jquinas, for their Arms 
 and Accoutrements. Indeed in fucceeding Times 
 the Jefuits perceived their Error in thus joining 
 Popery and Calvinifm together ; and therefore 
 -fjquavivaj the next General of their Order, got 
 
 the 
 
 * Conftitutionun> cum declarationibus quartapars, caput 
 XIV, de libris qui pra;legendi fiint. imo Genenitim (ut 
 diiflum eft, cum de collegiis ageretur) illi prslegentur libri, 
 qui in quavis fzcuh<Lte /c/idicfi s ac feciirioris dodrina." habe- 
 bantur. — InTheologia legeturvetus et novum Teftamentum, 
 et dodtrina fcholaftica Di-oi Thom<e. 
 
 f Declaratio in cap. 1410. B. 5. Pislegetur etiam Ma- 
 gifter fentcnt^arum [Ccilicet Petius Lombardus] fed fi vide- 
 
 retur
 
 [ 8; ] 
 tlie Plan of their Education altered, in order to 
 render it, as he exprefsly declares, temporibus 
 accommodattor. 
 
 But this, you fee, Sir, was a fubfequent 
 Thought; being a Meafure, into which the 
 Papills were forced by the vifible Advantage 
 which Luther^ Cahin^ Zanchitis, and other Pre- 
 deflinarians had over them, by turning their own 
 Weapons, that is, their own Saints, their own 
 Councils, their own Popes, and their own 
 Schoolmen againft themfelves. And therefore 
 I lay it down, as a mojl folemn 'Truth, notwith- 
 
 retur temporis decurfu alios autor fludentlbus utiliorfuturus, 
 ut fi aliqua fumma, vcl liber Theologis ScholalUcae confice- 
 rctur, qui his temporibus acccrnmodatior 'vicieretitr, gravi cmn 
 concilio, et rebus diligenter expenfis per viros, qui in uni- 
 verfa focietate aptiffimi exiftimentur, cumque praepofid ge- 
 neralis approbatione, pr^lcgi poterit. 
 
 Having the Inftitutes of the Jefuits now before me (a Book 
 heretofore remarkably difficult to obtain) it may not be amifs 
 to acquaint the learned Reader with a curious Anecdote re- 
 lating to this famous Society. It feems that there is a ftanding 
 Regulation in the Church of Rome, confirmed by feveral 
 Popes, That none of the Mendicant Orders fhall be per- 
 mitted to erefl Houfes or Colleges nearer to one anotlier 
 than the Diitance of one hundred and forty Canna;, 
 [the Meafure of a Canna I take to be the Length of a walk- 
 ing Cane] doubtlefs on the Principle of preventing the cc7n- 
 mon from being overjlccked nxith too many cattle grazing upon it. 
 But the Jefuits (who are likewife a Mendicant Order) got a 
 Bull in the Year 1560, from Pope Pius to difpenfe with the 
 Rule in regard to them. It is incredible how much Envy 
 and Ill-Will this Partiality in Favour of the Jefuits has ex- 
 cited in the other Orders. They have purlued them ever 
 fmce with everlafting Hatred, and were one principal Caufe 
 of their late Downfall. 
 
 ft and in":
 
 [ 88 J 
 ftanding the fenfelefs Cry of Popery and Arminia- 
 nilm ;-— a Cry, which was firft invented by 
 angry Men, bent on Revenge in turbulent 
 Times, and then retained by an Herd of igno- 
 rant Zealots, and is now revived by the Author 
 of the Confcffional (v/ith what View is not diffi- 
 cult to difcover ;)— I fay, I lay it down as a mojt 
 folemn 'Truths that at the Timejuft preceding the 
 Reformation, the Church of Rome^ in refpefb to 
 Prcdefcination, Grace, Free-Will, and Perfeve-^ 
 ranee, was truly Calvinijiical. 
 
 But in reciting thefe Points of Calvinifm, be 
 pleafed to tak Notice, that I do not include Juf-.]^ 
 tification in the Number. And the Reafon is, be- 
 caule the Schoolmen and the Do6lors of the 
 Romi/Ji Church in general held this one Article 
 in flat Contradiction to all their other Tenets. 
 For whereas they fhould have faid, according to 
 theCalviniflical Plan, that good Works could not 
 poiTibly precede Juftification, they maintained 
 not only the Pofllbility of their Exiftence, but 
 even infilled on the intrinfic Merit of them. 
 Thus for Example, the good Works of an Hea- 
 then, afling on heathen Principles,., had in them 
 a Merit of Congruity \ and the good Works of a 
 Chriftian, ailing on Chriflian Principles, a Merit 
 of Condigiiity. Which technical and fcholaftic 
 Terms have been thus well and familiarly ex- 
 plained. I'ac cmere pr<;edium, ^c. Suppofe 
 
 you
 
 r 89 ] 
 
 vou want to buy an Eftate, and you offer the 
 full Value for it in unfiamped Bullion, alias in 
 Merit of Con^ruity, a Merit which is of fuch a 
 real Worth as in Reafon and Equity (or as the 
 Moderns phrafe it, in the Fitnefs of Things) 
 ought to be confidered as equivalent to the Eftate 
 to be purchafed •, neverthelefs you cannot ac- 
 tually purchafe it, becaufe the prefent Propri- 
 etor hath not promifed that he is difpofed to part 
 with it. Suppofe again, that you and the Pro- 
 prietor have had a previous Convention on the 
 Subjeft, in which he folemnly engaged that he 
 would part with it on a proper Confideration : 
 Then you offer him the full Value in current 
 and lawful Coin, alias in Merit of Condignity ; — 
 and in Confequence thereof, as you have now 
 made him a legal Tender^ you have the Eftate 
 made over to you by a double Title, the one f:v 
 congruo^ and the other ex pa5fo, or in plain 
 Englifh^ the one according to Equity, and the 
 other by lawful Conveyance. 
 
 I know indeed, that fome of the Expreflions 
 of the Schoolmen on this Head are capable of a 
 more rational, and a lefs exceptionable Interpre- 
 tation : And that the later Writers in the RomiJIi 
 Church have taken inexprefiible Pains to explain 
 away the moft offenfive Parts of thefe arrogant 
 Pretenfions to human Merit. But neverthelefs 
 all the firft Proteftants to a Man underftood 
 
 M them
 
 [ 90 ] 
 
 them to have literally aflerted, as I have ex- 
 plained it, viz. that there is a true and proper 
 Merit in good Works •,— even fuch a Merit as is 
 an adequate Purchafe for the Favour and Happi- 
 nefs which God has to bellow in another World. 
 And truly Bellarmine himfelf, cautious as he was, 
 gave too much Countenance to this very Notion*. 
 For he fays, that the Ratio between human 
 Merit and eternal Life is in a juft and fair 
 Proportion. But that neverthelefs God would 
 not have been obliged to have made over 
 eternal Life for this Confideration, had he not 
 bound himfelf over by Covenant fo to do. Tho* 
 the Merit in itfelf be fully adequate to the Re- 
 ward : — ^.amvis par et equale Mercedi. 
 
 Here, Sir, you plainly fee, that mention is 
 made of a certain Price to be given for Heaven -, 
 
 * Non defunt qui cenfeant opera bona juftorum efle merito- 
 ria vitac eternae ex condigno ratione operis, etiamfi nulla extaret 
 di-v'ina conventio. Ita eiiim docet Cajetanus in i. 2. quef. 
 114. artic. 3tio. [c^ This C«/V//3kz</ was the very Man, 
 whom Pope Leo the loth made his Legate, and fent into 
 Germany to condemn Luther. "[ Alii contra exiftimant opera 
 ex gratia procedentia non efle meritoria ex condigno ratione 
 operis, fed tantum ratione pafti. Nobis media fententia 
 probabilior c^'i videtur, qua; docet opera bona juftorum me- 
 ritoria e/Te vits eterna; ex condigno pafti, et o^ptus Jimul : 
 Non quidem quod fine pafto vel acceptatione non habeat 
 opus bonum proportionem ad vitam eternam, fed quia non 
 tenetur Deus acceptare ad illam Mercedem opus bonura, 
 tjnamvis par et equale Mercedi, nifi conventio interveniat. 
 Bellarmini Contruverfia;, Tom. 4. Liber quintus de Juftifi- 
 catione, cap. 17. 
 
 and
 
 [ 9^ 1 
 and of that Price being at Par ; which furely is 
 a moft extravagant Pofition. But this is not 
 all •, for when we add (as add we muft on Popifh 
 Principle:^) the Dodrine of Supererogation to 
 this of Merit, we then make the Account to 
 fwell vaftly higher ; we then fet the Price, to be 
 paid for Heaven, above Par •, and confequently 
 we create a Surplus of Merit -, which Surplus, it 
 fcems, the Church has a Right to transfer for 
 the Ufe and Benefit of thofe who happen to be 
 deficient in this Kind of Payment, and cannot 
 rife to Par : And thus we are come at laft to the 
 very Point, which was the firft Motive for begin- 
 ning a Reformation in Germany in the Year iS^J* 
 I mean, this Transfer of Merit by the Sale of In- 
 dulgences. The fcandalous Manner in which 
 this Trafic was carried on by Pope Leo X. 
 and his Agents, fhocked the whole Chfiftian 
 World. All cried out fhame ! All wifhed that 
 fome Stop might be put to it ! But Luther alone 
 begun the Oppofition. And his Oppofition at 
 firft went no farther than to cenfure the indecent 
 and indifcreet Manner of retailing this * adulterated 
 Commodity, and cheating the People. By De- 
 
 * I call it an adulterated Commodity ; becaufe as the ju- 
 dicious and impartial Coiirayer very juftly obferves in the 
 Notes of his Trarj nation oi Shi dan, Indulfjences at the very 
 beft can only be Dilpeniations from, or Miti^,ations of, Cen- 
 fures in Ecclefiaftical Courts, and have nothing to do with 
 any other Caufes even in this Life, much lefs in a next. 
 
 grees
 
 [ 92 ] 
 
 grees, he went farther, and attacked the Prin- 
 ciple itfelf, on which this gainful Trade was built. 
 " If there was no fuch Thing as Merit, there 
 *' could be no Surplus of Mericj and if no Sur- 
 " plus, there could be no Transfer ; confe- 
 *' quently, if no Transfer, the Sale of Pardons 
 " and Indulgences, founded on this fuppofed 
 *' Transfer, muft of Courfe fall to the Ground.'* 
 All this was very plain and obvious ; and no Per- 
 Ibn alive could mifapprehend the Force of it. 
 But alas ! Martin Luther, as I faid before, was 
 an Augufiinian in Principle (nay, he was of the 
 Family of St, Atiguftin, being an Augujiin Monk) 
 and he had been bred up in the School Divinity 
 of "Thomas Aquinas. How then was he to prove, 
 that there was no fuch Thing as human Merit ? 
 Not, as it is attempted to be done at Pages 74 and 
 75 of this Treatife, by Ihewing, that a dependent 
 Creature, who enjoys every Thing by mere 
 Bounty, cannot properly merit from an indepen- 
 dent, all-fufficient Creator •, and that good Works 
 are required of us only for our own Sakes in this 
 World, and as Qualifications or Preparatives for 
 participating of thole Joys which are purchafed 
 for us in the next j but not at all as the original 
 meritorious Caufes of our Admittance. Nothing 
 of this Kind entered into his Head : But he cut 
 the Matter fliort, by having recourfe to the Prin- 
 ciples in which he had been educated, of abfolute 
 
 un-
 
 [ 93 ] 
 
 unconditional Eledion, and * irrefiftible Grace 5 
 which Sentiments he exprefled with his ufual 
 Franknefs and Intrepidity, and without any Re- 
 ierve. Colouring, or Difguife. And thefe Po- 
 fitions, it muft be owned, would have done his 
 Bufinefs moft efFedually, had they been true ; 
 Becaufe if there be no fuch Thing as a State of 
 Probation, and a Freedom of Choice, there can 
 be no fuch Idea as that of Merit in any Senfe j 
 and therefore all the Difpute about the Transfer 
 of a Surplus of Merit, by the Sale of Indul- 
 gences, would have been quite idle and fuper- 
 fluous. But the Misfortune was, that in finifli- 
 ing the Controverfy after this Manner, an End 
 mufl" likewife be put to the Morality, or Immo- 
 rality of all human Adions •, and therefore fuch 
 a Remedy was certainly worfe than the Difeafe. 
 
 * There is a Senfe, in which it may be allowed on the 
 Semi-pelagian, or Arminian Syftem, that Grace is irrefiftible : 
 But it is a Senfe that can do no Manner of Service to the 
 Caufe of Calvinifm. Grace for Inftance, efpecially preve- 
 nient, or preventing Grace, may be confidered as a previous 
 Gift or univerfal Endowment; like the common Gifts of 
 Health, Strength, or Beauty, Wit, or Underftanding. In 
 which Cafe, the Recipient muU neceifarily receive them ; for 
 he has not a Power to refufe. But after he has received them, 
 he may chufe whether he will apply them to any Good and 
 falutary Purpofes, or not : And on this Freedom of Choice 
 refts the proper Diftinftion between Good and Evil, Virtue 
 and Vice, Morality and Immorality. Grace therefore muft 
 be received ; but after it is received, it may be abufed : The 
 Talent may be hid in a Napkin, and the Spirit may be 
 quenched, or have a Defpitg done to it. 
 
 Many
 
 [ 94 ] 
 Many iober, fenlible, and thinking Perfons 
 were greatly fhocked at thefe Politions, and con- 
 tradled an Averfion to the Reformation on that 
 Account. For the Popifli Dodors, who had in 
 Reality maintained the fame Opinion v/kh Luther, 
 only in a more indireft and difguifed Manner, 
 raifed a moft terrible Outcry again him. At laft 
 Erafmus, who never had loved the Divinity of 
 the Schools, and would have been glad to have 
 feen a Reformation condudted on better Princi- 
 ples, undertook to confute this Fatalifi in Form. 
 And therefore publifhed his Diatribe about the 
 Year 1524, wherein he obferved. That Luther 
 feemed to be fond of driving out one Evil by in- 
 troducing another. Id genus Hyperbolis dele5latus 
 lidetur Lutherus, ut aliarum Hyperbolas^ veluti 
 malum nodum, quod did folenty malo cun^eo propeU 
 lerct. Therefore the Purport of this Treatife 
 was, to keep clear of both Extremes, by aflert- 
 ing the Neceflity both of Divine Grace, and of 
 Free-Will, conjointly in the Bufinefs of Salva- 
 tion : And by proving, from a vaft Variety of 
 Texts of Scripture, collefled both out of the Old 
 and New Teilamcnt, that neither of them could 
 be allowed to be fufficient alone, and indepen- 
 dent of the other. He readily granted, that 
 there had been an univerfal Fall •, but he infifted 
 likewife as ftrongly, that there was an iiniverfal 
 internal Reftoration of mental Powers, as well as 
 an outward Redemption, obtained by the Merits 
 
 of
 
 [ 95 ] 
 
 of Jefiis Chrift ; and that therefore the Confe- 
 quences of the former ought never to be confi- 
 dered, be reafoned upon, or argued from, with- 
 out confidering likewife the Benefits of the latter. 
 
 But the impetuous Luther, far from cooling 
 in his Notions, or growing more moderate in 
 his Sentiments by the Perufal of this Work, an- 
 fwered it the next Year, viz. 1525, in a mod 
 flaming Manner; and gave fuch a Title to his 
 Anfwer, asencreafed the Prejudices of many fe- 
 rious Perfons againft him. The Title was, De 
 Servo Arbitrio : And the Book was anfwerable 
 to the Title ; -for he infills over and over, that 
 Free-Will is a mere empty Sound, which never 
 had, nor could have had, any Exiftence : And 
 is very angry, that it could be fuppofed of him, 
 that he ever was of a contrary Opinion. Erafmus 
 had complimented him, for the good he had 
 done in rooting out the Notion of the Merit of 
 Pilgrimages, Proceffions, and fuch Kinds of 
 fuperftitious Trumpery : And then fuppofed, 
 that when he was fo zealous and adlive in this 
 good Work of Reformation, he mull have 
 thought, that Free-Will was of fame life in the 
 Condud of human Adions *. 
 
 Erafmus 
 
 * Non patior me infimulari ejus Hypocrifis, ut aliter fen- 
 tiam, et aliter fcribam, nee defenfionis calore (ut tu fcribis 
 dje me) hue fum, ut nunc pri mum negem totum liberum ar- 
 
 bitriu^.
 
 [ 96 ] 
 
 Erafmus replied to this Servum Arhitrium in 
 the Years 1526 and 1527, in a Treatife, which 
 he ailed Hyperafpijies ; in which he but too 
 plainly proves, that he could dip his Pen in Gall 
 as well as Lulher, when provoked (o to do. How- 
 ever this laft Piece put an End to the Altercation : 
 For I cannot find, that Luther ever attempted to 
 confute it. And what is ftill more, it is very 
 evident, that Luther\ bed Friends, and Melanc- 
 thcn in particular, began to forfake him on this 
 Occafion. Nay, it is even infinuated by the 
 Writers of thofe Times, that Luther himfelf re- 
 laxed much, as he grew older, from his former 
 Notions of rigid Fate and abfolute Predeflination. 
 But be that as it may, one Thing is certain, that 
 in the Year 1530, when the firfl Confeflion of 
 the Proteftants was to be prefented to the Em- 
 peror Charles V. he was not trufted with the 
 Care of drawing it up,— that Province having 
 been committed to Melancthon : And the Man- 
 ner in which Melancthon executed this important 
 Commiflion, plainly fhews, that he had greatly 
 profited (tho' he did not acknowledge it in di- 
 rect Terms) by this very Treatife of Erafmus on 
 
 bitrium, qui antea mnnihil illi tribuerim. Nee hoc fu 
 uTpium mihi in libellis meis oftcndes, fcio. Extant The- 
 mata, et Problemata, in quibus pcrpetuo aflerui ufque in 
 hanc horam liberum arbitrium ^'Ro. nihil, et rem (eo verbo 
 turn iitebar) de solo titulo. Lutheri opera Tom. tertius, 
 Jena,' Kdit. 1603. p. 217. 
 
 Free-Will.
 
 [ 97 ] 
 Free-Will. For had Erafmus himfelf been to 
 have compofed this ConfefTion, I do not fee how 
 he could have done it more agreeably to his own 
 Principles ; as far, I mean, as the prefent Points 
 are concerned. But as the Diatribe of Erafmus^ 
 and this ConfefTion of Augjhurg, are both before 
 the learned World, let the fair, candid, and im- 
 partial Reader judge for himfelf. 
 
 From Germany^ let us now turn our Eyes to 
 England^ where Erafmus had great Patrons, 
 many Friends, and a large perfonal Acquaintance: 
 To the principal of whom he made * Prefents of 
 
 N this 
 
 * Whether Erafmus made a prefent of this Treatife to 
 Cranmer, or not, is a Point which cannot eafily be deter- 
 mined at this Diflance of Time : But that Cranmer was ia 
 PofTeffion of this very Edition, printed at Jntaverp, before 
 he was promoted to the Archbifhopric, thi.t is before the 
 Year 1533 ; and that he had read it over very carefully is 
 evident from hence ; that Cfanmer\ own Book is now in the 
 Britijh Mufsum, and figned by himfelf, Thomas Cranmer, 
 and that he underfcored feveral principal Pafiages with red. 
 Ink, particularly that famous Obfervation of St. Peter, 
 quoted by Erafmus; " In which [fpeaking of the Writings 
 *' of St. Paul] are fome Things hard to be underftood, 
 ** which they, that are unlearned and unliable, wrcfl to 
 *• their own Deftruftion." Now, whether Cranmer ufed 
 this to exprefs his Approbation, orDifapprobation of thePre- 
 deftinarian Doftrines, or from fome other Motive the intelli- 
 gent Reader will eafily judge f . But further it appears from 
 
 Bilhop 
 
 f I have endeavoured to give fome Rules for interpreting 
 and underftanding thefe difficult PalTages of St. Paul in my 
 firft Sermon lately printed, viz. On the Potter and the 
 ClaT-.
 
 [ 98 ] 
 of this very Book as foon as it was printed. Tfie 
 Book was printed in the Year 1524, the very 
 Year in which Luther wrote his Commentary on 
 the Galatians. And Edward the 6th came to 
 the Throne in 1547. Now during this Interval 
 of 23 Years, we may reafonably conclude, that 
 the Englifli Reformers were not idle •, and that 
 the Dodrlnes of Predeftination, Grace, Free- 
 Will, and Redemption, were frequently the 
 SubjecSts of their mod ferious Thoughts, and 
 cooleft Attention. They had likewife one pecu- 
 liar Advantage over the Reformers on the Con- 
 tinent, of which, we ought to fuppofe, they 
 made a very proper Ufe •, viz. they were not en- 
 gaged in perlonal Altercations with the chief 
 Champions on either Side : They had therefore 
 Time to cool, and Leifure to weigh and ex- 
 amine the Pretenfions of each Party, and might 
 at lad felecft thofe Treatifes, which they efteemed 
 the mod judicious, for the Ufe of their infant 
 Church-Eftablifliment. 
 
 Bilhop Burnet'' s Kiftory, Book 3, Page 278. Fol. Edit. 
 1705, That when Cranmer had been about feven Years 
 Archbifhop, f/z. in the Year 1540, he and other Bifhops 
 and Divines, at the King's Command, put fortii the Erudi- 
 tion cf tie Chrif.ian Man : In which Treatife the Doftrines 
 of Grace and of Free- Will are explained in a Scnfe entirely 
 conformable to that of Lrafmns, and diametrically oppofite 
 to that of Luther. And Mdandthons Loci Communes, 'vtz. 
 thofe of a Date Ir.ter than the Aiigjhurgh Confeflion, proceed 
 o.tirely from the fame Plan. 
 
 Accord-
 
 [ 99 ] 
 
 Accordingly we find, that as foon as Ed- 
 'wardh Government was fettled, many im- 
 portant Things were done by them : For they 
 compofed and publifhed a Set of Homilies this 
 very Year : They alfo ordered an Engli/Ji Bible, 
 together with a Paraphrafe on the New Tefta- 
 ment, to be fet up in all Churches throughout 
 the Realm. And they gave a ftri6l Charge to the 
 Bifhops to fee thefe Things puncftually executed 
 in their refpedlive Diocefes. Now, whofe Writ- 
 ings do you think thofe were, which they ordered 
 to be {tx. up in all Churches for the Purpofes of 
 inftru6ting both Clergy, and Laity in the true 
 Senfe of Scripture, and in the juft Principles of 
 the Reformation ? Not Luther's Commentary on 
 the Galatians, though that had been publiihed 
 23 Years before \ nor yet Calvin's Inftitutes, 
 though that was likewife in being ; but the Para- 
 phrafe of that very Man, Erafmus^ who had con- 
 futed them both. *And can you wifh or defire 
 
 a 
 
 * This Circumftance has ever been an infuperable Argu- 
 ment againft thofe who impeach the Arminian, cr Semi- 
 pelaginn Clergy with holding Doftrines contrary to their 
 Subfcriptioiis : And the Method which our Adverfariestaks to 
 elude the Force of it (for they can never anfwer it) is this : 
 " If, fay they, you ground fo much on this Circumftance of or- 
 <* dering the Paraphrafe of Erafmus to be fet up in Churches, 
 ** as to fuppofe, that Crcmner, Ridley, &c. &c. intendec to 
 *•' eftablifa the Semi-pelagian Plan inllead of the Augurtinian, 
 "you mufcgo farther, and affert, for the very fame Reafon, 
 
 <* that
 
 [ 100 ] 
 a ftronger Proof that our Reformers were not 
 Calvinifts, as to the Calvinidical five-point Con- 
 troverfy, than this now before us ? Surely you 
 cannot :— Therefore to proceed : The Year fol- 
 lowing a new Liturgy was compofed ; and in the 
 Year following that, this Liturgy was confirmed 
 by Parliament. Moreov^er the Articles (then 
 Forty-one in Number) were fet forth in the Year 
 1551, and the Liturgy was revifed, correded, 
 and improved the fame Year. 
 
 Taking 
 
 *' that thcv intended to eflablifli tlie Arlan inftead of the Trini- 
 " tarian: For Erafmus was not untainted with Arianifm." 
 Now to this I reply, ift, It by no Means appears to a common 
 Reader of the Paraphrafe, that Erafmus was tainted with 
 Aiianifm. Thoufands, and tens of Thoufands might read 
 it, without entertaining any fuch Sufpicion, Nay Gardiner 
 himfelf, in his Examination before the Council (fee Burmt\ 
 Hiih Vol. 2. P. 25.) did not objeft to it on that Account. 
 2dly. Granting that Erafmus \y?is fufpedted of Arianifm by 
 fome of his keen-fighted Adverfaries, he certainly never 
 wrote profefledly on that Side of the Qneftion ; he never 
 ventured into a Paper-war with any Trinitarian on that Ac- 
 count ; and therefore this Cafe is by no Means parallel with 
 that of his writing profefledly againft the Lutherian en- 
 fla-'jed Will, and the CalviniiHcal Dof^rincs. 3dly. 
 Granting further, that it was generally known, that he 
 was fufpeded of Arianifm (which is by no Means true) 
 ftill it is to be obferved, that Cranmer, Ridley, Sec. Sec. 
 took Care to put in a Caution in this Cafe, which they 
 did not fo much as attempt to do in the other : For 
 they introduced the Athanafian Creed into the Liturgy, 
 by Way of filencing all Objedlions that could poflibly arife 
 on that Head. Now certain, I think, it is, that the Athana- 
 fian Creed never had a Place in any Liturgy but in the 
 Englijh ; nor can I account for the Introduftion of it into the 
 Eiiglijh on any other Principles, but thefe now mentioned.
 
 [ lOI ] 
 
 Taking therefore all thefe Things together, 
 viz. the Homilies, — the Paraphrafe of ErafmuSy 
 -—the Liturgy,— and the Articles of Religion, 
 let us draw up a Summary of the whole, as far 
 as the Points under Confideration are therein 
 concerned. 
 
 In regard to Predejiination ; — from the Year 
 1547, to the Year 1551, a total Silence was ob- 
 ferved concerning that capital Article :— A Si- 
 lence the more remarkable, as the Augtijtan 
 ConfefTion, drawn up by MelanElhon thirty Years 
 before, had obferved the fame Silence. And 
 
 As to the Defign of the Reformers to inculcate the Ne- 
 ceflity of Good Works as well as Faith, as the Conditions 
 of Salvation, they not only recommended the Paraphrafe of 
 Erafmus for that Purpofe, but they alfo caufed a fymbolical 
 Reprefentation of the fame Dodlrine to be exhibited always 
 before the Eyes of the People. It was cuftomary in the pre- 
 ceding Times to place the confecrated Wafer in a Pyxis or 
 Box on the Altar ; from whence it was taken out on certain 
 Occafions, (wx. at the Elevation of the Hoft) to be the Ob- 
 jeft of the Adoration of the Congregation. But when the 
 Reformers removed thefe Superftitions, they ordered the 
 Creed and the Ten Commands, the one reprefcnting Faith 
 and the other Works, to be placed in their Stead. — Undoubt- 
 edly other Portions of Scripture might have been more proper 
 than thefe, if confidered as relative merely to the Celebra- 
 tion of the Eucharift ; but none fo proper for the Purpofes 
 they intended, <i//z. to inculcate the NecelTity of Good 
 Works, as well as Faith, and to take off all Imputation of 
 Solifidianifm. — Not to mention, that the fecond Command- 
 ment, which forbad the Worlhip of any Creature whatever, 
 was another Inducement. This Inftance of the Creed and the 
 Ten Commandments being fet up over the Altar is, I think, 
 jpeculiar to our Englijh Churches. 
 
 yet
 
 [ 102 ] 
 
 yet it is an Article in itfelf, which a true Cal- 
 vinift would have infilled on, prior to any other; 
 becaufe it is indeed in his Senfe the Mafter-Key 
 to all the reft. Nay, when at laft our Reformers, 
 out of mere Complaifance to thofe otherwife 
 truly great and valuable Men, Bucer and Peier 
 Martyr, condefcended to give this Doftrine of 
 Predeftination a Place among the Articles, how 
 was it inferred ? And doth it appear to have 
 been done with an hearty good Will ? See the 
 Words themfelves •, and judge whether they are 
 drawn up, as Luther, or Calvin, or Zanchius 
 would have done, had they the framing of this 
 Article. But above all, after it was inferted, fee, 
 I pray you, what doth the whole amount to Prr- 
 A little, a very little ConcefTion was made 
 merely to pleafe thefe learned Men. --And yet no 
 fooner was it made, but withdrawn again by a 
 fubfequent Claufe in the fame Article, left our 
 Engli/Ji Reformers fhould have carried their Com- 
 plaifance too far. Now this fubfequent con- 
 cluding Claufe of the 17th Article deferves a 
 more efpecial Regard, as it plainly refers to a 
 Paragraph in the Saxonic Confeffion, publifbed 
 the fame Tear, by the above-mentioned Melanc- 
 thon, who kept up a continual Correfpondence 
 with Cranmer, and who was to have prefented 
 this very Confeffion to the Council oi Trent. 
 
 " And becaufe (faith he) we propofe to ad- 
 
 " minifter
 
 [ 103 ] 
 " minifter Confolation to the Confciences of the 
 " Penitent, we forbear any Queftions about 
 " Predeftination or Eledion. Wc lead all our 
 " Readers to the Word of God, and defire them 
 " to learn his Will from his own Word. ---And 
 *' not to fearch after other Speculations. 
 
 " Most certainly as the Preaching of Repen- 
 " tance relates to all Men, and implies an Accu- 
 " fation againfl all, fo the Promife is univerfal ; 
 " and the Offer of Forgivenefs is made to all, 
 »* according to thofe general Declarations of 
 " Holy Writ ; Come unto me, all ye that travel, 
 *' and are heavy laden, and I will give you Reft. 
 *' Whofoever believeth in him fhall not perilh, 
 " but have everlafting Life : — The fame Lord 
 " over all, is rich unto all that call upon him :-— 
 " God hath concluded all in Unbelief, that he 
 " might have Mercy upon all. 
 
 " In thefe univerfal Promifes, let each Perfon 
 " believe, that he himfelf is included, and not 
 " give Way to Defpair : Let every one ftrive to 
 *' obey the Word of God, and follow the Sug- 
 *' geftions of his Holy Spirit, praying earneftly 
 " for Afliftance, according to that Saying of the 
 " Evangelift St. Luke : How much more will he 
 " give the Holy Spirit to them that afk him." 
 [§. Be Remijfwne Peccatorum^ ei de Jujlificatione.'] 
 
 As
 
 [ 104 ] 
 
 As to the other Points of this Controverfy, 
 they are plainly thefe : 
 
 1. That the Fall of Man, and the Introduc- 
 tion of Evil, was univerfal •, an Infedion fo ge- 
 neral that none efcaped it. 
 
 2. That by this Fall the human or mental 
 Powers were fo weakened and corrupted, that 
 Man of himfelf, or by his mere natural re- 
 mainins; Powers, cannot turn himfelf unto God, 
 and do good Works fit for eternal Life. 
 
 3. That Chrifl: gave himfelf a Ranfom to 
 fave all Mankind, one as well as another -, and 
 therefore, that he has procured for them the pro- 
 per Means of Grace in this Life, as well as the 
 Hopes of Glory in the next. 
 
 4. That in Confequence of this general 
 Atonement, Mankind are reftored to a Suffi- 
 ciency of Strength by Means of the preventing 
 [prevenient] Grace of God : For he is indifferent 
 to all (faith the Homily) and cafieth none away. 
 So that every Man is enabled to begin, and may, 
 and fhall receive larger Portions of Grace, and 
 greater AfTiftance, in Proportion to his proper 
 Ufe of thefe preceding Bleflings. 
 
 But 5. That thefe Bleflings are not of fuch a 
 nature, as never to be loft or forfeited ; becaufe 
 
 theire
 
 [ 105 ] 
 there is a Danger of falling away : And when 
 we make a wrong Ufe of the Grace and Favour 
 of God, he is then provoked to withdraw them 
 from us, and to leave us to perifh in the Sin and 
 Mifery of our own procuring. 
 
 These, I fay, are the Points evidently dedu- 
 cible from the Premifes above mentioned ; and 
 if thefe are Calviniftical, I have yet to learn what 
 is Calvinifm. 
 
 But here, as at Page 88, no mention is made 
 as yet, of Jujlification ; and I dare fay, you 
 would be willing to know the Rcafon. The 
 Reafon, alas ! is this : The firfl: Proteftants in 
 general, and more particularly the Reformers of 
 the Church of England^ were fo entangled in the 
 fcholaftic Notions of Merits and Demerit, and 
 of the Proportions of Rewards and Punifh- 
 ments to each, that they did not know how to 
 extricate themfelves out of this Labyrinth. If, 
 fay they, evil Works have a Demerit, and there- 
 fore deferve to be puniihed, we muil allow, that 
 good Works have a proper Merit, and confe- 
 quently ought to be rewarded. Hence therefore 
 they were prodigioufly at a Lofs, how to fleer a 
 (Iraight Courfe, or what Anivver to return to the 
 Objections of their Adverfaries ; * and at laft, it 
 O muft 
 
 For a Confutation of the Notion of Merit of any Kind 
 
 wheth*
 
 E ^06 ] 
 
 muft be confefled, that they fucceedcd but very 
 lamely. 
 
 For Example: i. In regard to the Works 
 of an Heathen, afting on Heathen Principles, 
 which is the meriium de congruo of the Schools 
 [See Article 13] They afTerted, that there could 
 be no Merit in fuch Works as thefe •, becaufe they 
 were not done as God had willed and commanded 
 them to be done •,— God having willed and com- 
 manded all Mankind every where to repent, and 
 to believe the Gofpel : And therefore the Works 
 of the Heathen World, not proceeding from a 
 right Principle, Faith in Chriil the Redeemer,, 
 i. e. not being done, as God hath willed and 
 commanded them to be done, had in them, in- 
 ftead of Merit, the Nature of Sin. Where be 
 pleafed to obfervc, that they did not call the 
 W^orks of a viituous Heathen ftnftd Works, or 
 wicked Deeds, Vices, or Immoralities, but only 
 that they had the Nature of Sin \ hoping to hide 
 their own Ignorance of the Matter by this fofc 
 and gentle Expreflion. [What they fhould have 
 faid, if indeed they had f aid any Thing at all, was 
 this,— That the Works of the uncovenanted Hea- 
 then World, either as to Rewards or Punifhments, 
 
 whether de coiigtuo, or de condigno, fee the former Part of 
 this Letter, Pages 74 — 78. See alfo my Sermon on tke Uri- 
 profiuble Servant, lately printed. 
 
 are
 
 [ lo; ] 
 are Works, fiii generis :— In relation to which it 
 doth not become the Members of the Chriftian 
 Church to judge, or determine any Thing about 
 them J— any farther than to aflert in general, that 
 the Judge of all the Earth is a Judge, who a6ls 
 upon thofe Principles, where Mercy and 
 Truth muft meet together, and where Righte- 
 oufnefs and Peace willkifs each other-, and there- 
 fore at laft, he will certainly do right. Indeed, 
 had our Reformers faid, that the Works of 
 thofe Perfons, who, living among ourfelves, 
 nevcrthelefs obftinately reje^ the Gofpel, when 
 fairly and fully propofed to them, and who 
 do Works feemingly good, by Way of Bravado, 
 and in Oppofition to the Gofpel Motives ; — had 
 they faid, that thefe Works have the Nature of 
 Sin, I fhould, I confefs, have been of their 
 Opinion : And I hope and believe, notwithftand- 
 ing what has been iriconfiderately faid by very in- 
 competent Judges, that there is not a Chriftian 
 Teacher in the Kingdom, either in the Eftablilh- 
 ment, or out of it, but would have maintained 
 the fame Doftrine : — So much therefore as to the 
 Merit urn de congruo.'] 
 
 2dly. In refned to the Meriium de condigno, 
 or the Works of a Chriftian afting according to 
 Chriftian Principles. Plere again the Reformers 
 were unhappily as much involved, as in the 
 former Cafe j not being able tc difentangle them- 
 
 fslves
 
 [ io8 ] 
 felves, any otherwlfe than by declaring, that the 
 Works of a Chriftian have no Merit in them, 
 hecaufe they are imperfeU Works : The neceflary 
 Confequence of which is, that the Works of an 
 Angel, if perfed:, mud be truly meritorious ; 
 and moreover, that were we Mortals to do our 
 Duty, or all that is commanded of us to do, 
 our own Works would then become meritorious 
 likewife. " Let us, (faith the Homily in the 
 fecond Part of the Sermon of the Mifery of Man) 
 *' Let us know our own Works, of what Im- 
 " PERFECTION they be, and then we Ihall not 
 " ftand foolifhly and arrogantly in our own Con- 
 *' ceits, NOR CHALLENGE any Fart of Juftifica- 
 *' tion by our Merits, or Works. For truly 
 *' there be Imperfe^ions in our beft Works. 
 " We do not love God fo much as we are bound 
 " to do, &c. &c. We give, forgive, believe, 
 " live, and hope imperfeSily^ &c." Again in the 
 fecond Part of the Homily on Salvation, our Re- 
 formers fay, " So that the true Underflanding 
 " of this Doctrine, we be juflified freely by 
 " Faith without Works, --or that we be jufti- 
 " fied by Faith in Chrift only, is not, that this our 
 " own A(5t to believe in Chrift, or this our Faith 
 " in Chrift, which is within us, doth juftify us, 
 " and DESERVE our Juftification unto us, (for that 
 " were to count ourfelves to be jufiified by fome 
 " Ad, or Virtue that is within ourfelves) but the 
 *' true Underftanding and Meaning thereof is, 
 
 " Thftt
 
 [ J09 ] 
 That altho* we hear God's Word and believe 
 it ; altho' we have Faith, Hope, and Charity, 
 Repentance, Dread, and Fear of God within 
 us, and do never fo many Works thereunto ; 
 yet we muft renounce the Merit of all our 
 faid Virtues, of Faith, Hope, Charity, and all 
 other Virtues and good Deeds, which we ei- 
 ther have done^ fhall do, or can do', as Things 
 that be far too weak, and infufficient, and im- 
 perfect, to DESERVE Remifiion of our Sins, 
 and Juftification : And therefore we muft truft 
 only in God's Mercy, and that Sacrifice which 
 our High Prieft and Saviour, Chrift Jefus, 
 the Son of God, once offered for \is upon the 
 Crofs, to obtain thereby God's Grace, and Re- 
 milTion, as well of our original Siin in Baptifm, 
 as of all adlual Sin committed by us after our 
 Baptifm, if we truly REPENir, and un- 
 
 FEIGNEDLY TURN TO HIM AGAliN.— So that 
 
 as great and godly a Virtue as th(j lively Faith 
 is, yet it putteth us from itfelf, a-nd remitteth 
 or appointeth us unto Chrift, for to have only 
 by him Remiflion of our Sins or Juftification. 
 So that our Faith in Chrift faith vinto us thus. 
 It is not I that taketh away your Sins, but it 
 is Chrift only, and to him only I lend you for 
 that Purpofe, for faking therein all your good 
 Virtues, Words, thoughts, and Works, and 
 only -putting your 'truft in Chrift ^^^ 
 
 And
 
 [ no ] 
 
 And, now, Sir, having proceeded thus far in 
 
 our Inquiries about this important Subjed: of 
 
 Juflification, let us here make a Paufe, in order to 
 
 colleft what has been faid, into onePointof View. 
 
 I. Therefore it appears, that our Engli/h 
 Reformers confidered the Homily on Salvation, 
 from whence I have made my laft Extrad, as ex- 
 planatory of their whole Meaning on this Subjed. 
 For they not only exprefs themfelves to this Pur- 
 pofe, as you have fecn above, but they even 
 refer to this Plom'ly in their i ith Article, of the 
 Salvation of Man. Wherefore that we " are 
 " juftified by Faith only, is a moft wholfome Doc- 
 " trine, and very full of Comfort, as more 
 *' largely is cxpreffed in the Homily on Juftifica- 
 *' tion." I will therefore take for granted, that 
 if I can trace the Meaning of this Homily, I {hall 
 be at no Lofs in comprehending their Do6trine 
 of Juflification. 
 
 Wherefore 2dly, I obferve, that our 
 firft Reforniers muft have underflood the 
 Terms Juflification and Salvation as equi- 
 valent Terms in this Controverfy. For whereas 
 they refer to the Homily on Juflification in their 
 nth Article, there is in Fad no fuch Homily 
 precifely with that Title. The Homily they 
 meant, is that on Salvation ; and therefore it is 
 obvious to the meanefl Capacity, that they made 
 no fuch idle Diflindions between the Conditions 
 
 of
 
 [Ill 1 
 
 of Juftification, and thofe of Salvation, as a Cal- 
 vinift muft necefiarily make. They thought, that 
 that which juftified, did alfo fave, and that that 
 which faved, did alfo jiiftify. 
 
 3dly. They fuppofed, not only the Poflibility 
 of the Exiftence of Good Works prior to our 
 Juftification (which a Calvinift can never do, 
 confiftently with his genuine Principles) but alfo 
 they required the a5lual Pre-exijience of them, as 
 neceffary Conditions, tho* they excluded them as 
 meritorious Caufes : [See the Quotation -, and I 
 beg it may be read with Attention.] 
 
 4thly. When they come to make a Renun- 
 ciation of Merit, they equally renounce the fup- 
 pofed Merit of pre-exiftent Faith, with that of 
 pre-exiftent Works. Nay they call Faith itfelf 
 a Virtue, and a good Work ; both which it cer- 
 tainly is; and the Oppofition which they intended 
 was not between Faith and Works (which is the 
 Calviniftical Syftem) but between Chrift and 
 Works ; that is they aflerted, that there was no 
 human Merit of any Kind, either of Congruity, 
 or Condignity, to obtain Juftification from the 
 Hands of God ; but that Chrift alone was the 
 meritorious Caufe. 
 
 Wherefore 5thly. WKen they admit Faith 
 again, as the Inftrument of Juftification (after 
 having excluded it before under the Notion of a 
 
 meri-
 
 f 112 ] 
 
 meritorious Caufe) they admit it as a Kind of 
 Proteft againft Merit.—" So that our Faith in 
 « Chrift laith unto us thus, It is not I that taketh 
 " away your Sins, but it is Chrift only, and to 
 " him only I fend you for that Purpofe •, for- 
 " faking therein (that is, renouncing the pre- 
 " tended Merit of) all your good Virtues, 
 " Words, Thoughts, and Works, and putting 
 " only your Truft in Chrift.'* 
 
 Here, Sir, you now fee their whole Meaning 
 at one View. They plainly meant to fay (tho' 
 they exprefled themfelves very incautiouQy, and 
 very confufedly) that we are justified by 
 Christ only ; and that Repentance towards 
 God, and Faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 are the neceffary Conditions of our Acceptance, 
 but not the meritorious Caufes of our Salvation. 
 Whofoever therefore, whether Churchman or 
 Diflenter, Clergyman or Layman, holds this 
 Dodlrinc, maintains the genuine Doflrine of the 
 Church of England : Genuine, I fay, as to her 
 real Meaning, and proper Intention. For in re- 
 gard to the mere Expreflions and Phrafcs of our 
 firft Reformers, I do not defend them. They 
 are certainly inaccurate, and ought to be 
 amended. They are not fo well guarded againft 
 Perverfion and Abufe, as every true Friend to 
 our Church-Eftablifliment would wifti they were : 
 In ftiort our Reformers ufed the Phrafe, Jujiifica- 
 
 Hon
 
 [ "3 ] 
 
 tton hy Faith only^ in a Senfe fomewhat different 
 from tiiat of St. Paul^ from whom they borrowed 
 it, tho' they imagined, that they had ufed it 
 €xa6lly in the fame Senfe : And therefore for 
 thefe Reafons, but not in order to make any real 
 Alteration in the Dodrine itfelf, I will readily 
 allow that the Phrafes and Modes of Expreffion 
 cj-ight to undergo a Revifal and Corredlion. 
 
 And now. Sir, what can you fay to thefe 
 Things ? Is it fVill your Opinion, that I am the 
 fame infatuated Perfon, for fubfcribing the Ar- 
 ticles and Homilies in an Arminian Senfe, you 
 had before pronounced me to be ? Or do you at 
 iaft begin to think, that your Ccnfure was rather 
 harfh and unmeritted ?— -I cannot, I dare not be- 
 lieve, but that you have greatly changed your 
 Sentiments in thefe Refpedts. I cannot fuppofe, 
 but that you are willing to acknowledge, I have 
 taken that very Method for invefligating the 
 Truth, which the Author of the ConfefTional 
 ought to have taken, had he the fame good End 
 in View ; viz. by tracing the Argument dov/n- 
 wards from the Fountain Head, and by placing 
 the Reader in the very Times, Circumfcances, 
 and Situation of the Reformers themfelves, when 
 they ere6ted the Eflablifhment of the national 
 Church. Moreover I think and hope, you will do 
 me the further Juftice to acknowledge, that I have 
 fhunned no Difficulties, nor gloffed over any 
 P real
 
 [ 114 ] 
 real Objedlions -, but that throughout the Courfe 
 of this Debate, I have afted with an Uprightnefs 
 and Impartiality, and with a Candour, Modera- 
 tion and Sincerity, which the warmeft Friends 
 and the greateft Admirers of that Gentleman, 
 cannot difcover in his Writings. If after this you 
 give him the Preference for the Brilliancy of his 
 Wit, and the Elegance of his Stile, for his keen 
 Satire and pungent Inveftives, you have my free 
 and full Confent for fo doing. Indeed I do not 
 pretend to be his Rival in thefe Qualifications, 
 nor can I apprehend, that the Gofpel of Chrifl 
 particularly requires that fuch Weapons, as 
 he hath made ufe oj, be employed in its 
 Defence. He hath, it is true, profefiedly fet 
 himfelf up as the Champion of the Caufe of 
 genuine and unadulterated Chriftianity. And 
 it feems, you have been pleafed to confider him 
 in the fame honourable Point of View •, yet I 
 do not recoUedc (and if I am wrong, you will 
 fet me right ;---! fay, I do not recoiled) that 
 St. Paul ever recommended to 'Timothy and 
 TV/aj, whom he appointed to be the Defender 
 of the Faith both againft Jewifh and Gentile Ad- 
 verfaries, to treat their Opponents in the fame 
 overbearing, infulting, and fupercilious Manner 
 in which this Author hath never failed to treat 
 all thofe v/ho have dared to differ from his 
 Opinion : And therefore if this be the Specimen 
 which is to be given us of the new and glorious 
 
 Light
 
 [ 1^5 ] 
 Light of Gofpel Reformation, when freed from 
 Human Impofitions, I cannot but declare, that 
 I greatly prefer the old one, with all its Dimnefs, 
 and all its Imperfedlions. 
 
 However, there is one Objeftion more, which 
 is really and truly of great Importance (though 
 neither you nor he ever made it) and which 
 therefore dcferves to be folidly anfwered, and 
 effe6tually cleared up. 
 
 The Objeftion is this: If the literal, exatSt 
 and precile Meaning of certain Phrafes in the 
 Homilies and Articles of the Church of England^ 
 is only to be learnt by having Recourfe to thofe 
 Scholaftic Notions, and antiquated Difputes at 
 and preceding the Reformation, which gave Rife 
 to thefe Phrafes j— what is a common Congre- 
 gation, what is the Laity in general, or indeed 
 what is the far greater Part of I'rift Clergy them- 
 felves to do in luch a Cafe ? Are they to be fcnt 
 to ftudy Peter Lombard^ or 'Thomas Aquinas^ and 
 all the old mufty Authors of that Clafs ?— Cr 
 even are they to pore over the voluminous 
 Works of Erafmtis and Melan5lhon^ in order to 
 know the Dodlrines of their own Church, v/itli 
 Accuracy and Precifion ? And have you no bet- 
 tef, no Ihorter, nor fafer Method than this to 
 recommend for general Practice, and conftant 
 Ufe? Yes, Sir, we havcj a Method, wtiich 
 
 will
 
 [ "6 ] 
 will anfwer every good Purpofe that can be de- 
 
 fircd ; and, 'till a Revilal and Corredion of the 
 
 Articles and Homilies can be made, a Method, 
 
 which might ferve as an excellent Succedaneum, 
 
 to fupply their Places. 
 
 Suppose therefore, that both Homilies and 
 Articles were quite removed ^ — removed, I mean, 
 'till they had undergone an exaft and critical Cor- 
 re<5lion : And that no other Teft or Subfcription 
 were required in the mean Time, than the ufual 
 ■*AfrcntandConfentto the Liturgy of theChurch 
 
 * Or rather, as many Perfons objeft to the prefent Form 
 of Aflent and Confent, &c. fuppofe another Form of Sub- 
 fcription were propofed, fomewhat to the following EfFeft. 
 
 " I A. B. now to be ordained [Prieft or Deacon] or, now 
 " to be inlHtuted [inftalled, &c.] or, now to be licenfed a 
 " Curate [orLsrdurer] do folemnly and fincerely declare it 
 *' to be my firm Belief, that the Liturgy of the Church of 
 " Engluiiii, as fet forth in a Book, er.tituled The Book of 
 ** Common Prayer, [together with, liere mention the Par- 
 •' culars] is a rational, devout, and edifying Service, con- 
 " taining the Fundamentals cf Chriltian Salvation and a- 
 •' greeable to the Word of God : Which Service I there- 
 " fore bind myfelf to ufc in all my public Miniftrations, ac- 
 ♦' cording to the Rubrics, Calendars, Rules and Orders fet 
 " forth in the faici Book. And I do further declare, that I 
 " will never teach or preach any Doftrine contrary thereto 
 " while I fhall aft as a Pallor, or profefs myfelf a Member 
 •' of the faid Church." This Form, or fomething to the 
 like EfTeft, it is humbly apprehended, would be a good 
 Succedaneum to the prefcr.t Articles and Homilies, 'till they 
 are properly amended, agreeably to the genuine Senfe, Mean- 
 ing, and Intention of tlie original Compilers. In the mean 
 Time, it is prefumed, that fuch a Subfcription is not inca- 
 pable of anfwering all the necejjary Purpofes of Unity oi Doc- 
 trine and Uniformity of Worjhip in a national eltabliihed 
 Church. 
 
 of
 
 [ "7 ] 
 
 of England. The Liturgy was compiled without 
 paying improper Regards to the Subtleties of the 
 Schoolmen : The Liturgy doth not enter into 
 the Labyrinths of Theological Controverfies ; 
 and yet the Liturgy muft be allowed to be the 
 Church of England Man's principal Standard of 
 Orthodoxy next to his Bible ; and to be his fole 
 human Guide in his public Devotions. 
 
 This being the Cafe, I propofe to draw up 
 the quinquarticular Controverfy in oppofite Co- 
 lumns, the one Side to reprefent Calvinifm, and 
 the other Arminianifm -, and then fhall add fuch 
 Extracts from the feveral Offices of our Common 
 Prayer as are relative to each Head, without in- 
 termixing any Reflexions of my own, in order 
 that you and every intelligent Reader may judge 
 for yourfelves, in regard to the real Merits of the 
 prefent Difpute. And in doing this, as I have 
 ever made it my Rule to prefer Things to IVords^ 
 Ideas to Sounds y and Senfe to Language., I will 
 not enter into the Minutiae of the Differences, 
 or into the Diflin6lions between the Supra-lapfa- 
 vian, or Sub-lapfarian Syftemj between Janfe- 
 iiifm and Calvinifm, nor yet between thofe of 
 Arminianifm and Molinifm ; nor fhall I con- 
 fider the Inconfiftencies and Contradidlions, 
 which may be found in the Writings of St. Au^ 
 gujlin and others on thefe Heads :— But taking 
 for granted, that they all realoned confidently 
 
 and
 
 [ ii8 ] 
 and argued fairly, and that they were willing 
 to Hand by the Confequences of their own Opi- 
 nions, 1 humbly apprehend, that their refpedtive 
 Notions might be reprefented after the following 
 Manner, with fufficient Juftice and Exadlnefs. 
 
 I. PREDESTINATION. 
 
 Cahinifm, alias the Te- 
 nets of St. Auguftin, 
 and of the Schoolmen^ 
 alias Janfenifm. 
 
 God hath from all 
 Eternity predeftinated 
 a certain Number of 
 Men out of the fallen 
 Mafs as Monuments of 
 his free and undeferved 
 Mercy; and hath dif- 
 played his Glory and 
 deferved Juftice by re- 
 probating or rejefting 
 the reft, whereby they 
 irretrievably fall into 
 eternal Damnation-, and 
 this Decree of God is 
 ahfolute., i. e. not made 
 in Confequence of the 
 forefeen Obedience of 
 the Eledl, or Difobe- 
 dience of the Repro- 
 bate, but is merely the 
 Refult of his fovereign 
 Will and Pleafure. 
 
 Arminianifm., alias the 
 Tenets of the Greek 
 Fathers^ alias Semi- 
 pelagianifm.y alias Mo- 
 
 linifm. 
 
 God hath from all 
 Eternity dcreed to dif- 
 piay both the Glory of 
 his unmerited Mercy, 
 and his exa6t and irre- 
 prehenfible Juftice to 
 fallen Man thro' the 
 Terms of the Gofpel, 
 by making a Tender of 
 Pardon and Salvation 
 unto ALL; and by 
 calling and elefting 
 fome particular Nations 
 preferably to others, to 
 the Means of knowing 
 his Will -, which Pre- 
 ference to the Means of 
 Salvation is the fole 
 Meaning of the Term 
 Predeftination, v/hen 
 ufed in Scripture. 
 
 As
 
 [ "9 ] 
 
 Calvinifm, &c. Arminianifm^ &c. 
 
 As to the Cafe of In- 
 dividuals, living within 
 thofe Diftridls which 
 are enlightened by the 
 Gofpel, God having 
 forefeen from all Eter- 
 nity, who thofe Perfons 
 would be, who fhould 
 conform to his Offer of 
 Grace and Pardon, 
 hath predellinated them 
 to final Salvation ; but 
 fuch as heforefaw would 
 remain incorrigible and 
 difobedient, he repro- 
 bated, or rejefted. 
 
 Liturgy of the Church i?/' England. 
 
 Refponfe after the Creed. — And make thy chofen 
 [thine elefted] People joyful. 
 
 Baptifm of Adults. — Grant that the Perfons 
 now to be baptized, may receive the Fulnefs of 
 thy Grace, and ever remain in the Number of thy 
 faithful and ele5i Children. 
 
 Catechifm.—ln my Baptifm I was made a Mem- 
 ber of Chriil, the Child of God, and an Inheritor 
 of the Kingdom of Heaven [/. e, I was elected 
 to a State of Salvation.] 
 
 Catechifin again. — I thank my heavenly Father 
 that he hath called [eledled] me to this State of 
 Salvation. 
 
 Catechifm
 
 [ 120 ] 
 
 Catechifm again.- -I believe in God the Holy 
 Ghoft, who \\dx\i fan5fified me, and ^// the ele5i 
 People of God. 
 
 Burial .S-frw^.— Bcfeeching thee, that it may 
 pleafe thee of thy gracious Goodnefs fhortly to 
 accomplifh the Number of thine Ele^. 
 
 II. REDEMPTION. 
 
 Calvinifm, ^c. 
 
 God fent his Son to 
 purchafe and redeem 
 thofe only., whom he 
 had abfolutely decreed 
 to fave out of the cor- 
 rupted Mafs i but as to 
 fuch others, whom he 
 had before determined 
 to omit, or pafs by, and 
 confequently to dajnn., 
 Chrift did not aflually 
 zndiintentionally redeem 
 them -, nor was he fent 
 into the World for that 
 Purpofe: So that pro- 
 perly and literally 
 fpeaking, they have no 
 Saviour, or Redeemer. 
 
 Arminianifm., ^c. 
 
 Christ died as well 
 for thofe., whom God 
 had reprobated to Dam- 
 nation, having forefeen 
 their Difobedience, as 
 thofe whom he eledted 
 to Life in Confequence 
 of the Fore- knowledge 
 of their faving Faith. 
 For the Merit of the 
 Redemption was de- 
 figned to be an univerfal 
 Reftorative to all Man- 
 kind, and is as effica- 
 cious in itfelf to the Sal- 
 vation of the Reprobate, 
 as of the Eleft : Chrift 
 on his Part having fhed 
 as much Blood to fave 
 Judas., as to redeem 
 Peter. 
 
 Liturgy
 
 t 121 ] 
 
 Liturgy of the Church o/' England. 
 
 ^e Deum.—We therefore pray thee help thy 
 Servants, whom thou haft redeemed with thy 
 precious Blood. 
 
 Litany.— O God the Son Redeemer oi the World. 
 
 7/f»?.— Spare us, good Lord, fpare thy People^ 
 whom thou haft redeemed With thy precious Blood. 
 
 General Thankfgiving.—^ ^ blefs thee,— for 
 thine ineftimable Love in the Redemption of the 
 World by our Lord Jefus Chrift. 
 
 ColleEi for Good Friday. — We befeech thee gra- 
 cioufly to behold this thy Family.^ for which our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift was contented to fuffer Death 
 upon the Crofs. 
 
 Collect for the fecond Sunday after Eajier.—A\- 
 mighty God, who haft given thine only Son to 
 be unto «/,-— a Sacrifice for Sin. 
 
 Exhortation before the Cofnmtimon.— Above all 
 Things we muft give moft humble and hearty 
 Thanks to God the Father, the Son, and the 
 Holy Ghoft for the Redemption of the World. 
 
 Preface to the Communion on Rafter -Day. —Wo, 
 [Chrift] is the very Pafchal Lamb, which was 
 offered for «j, and hath taken away the Sin of the 
 World. 
 
 Prayer of Confecration.— Almighty God,— 
 who of thy tender Mercy, didft give thine only 
 Son Jefus Chrift to fuffer Death upon the 
 Crofs for our Redemption, who made there,—
 
 [ 122 ] 
 
 ^fulUfcrfe5i^ zv\d fuficient Sacrifice for the Sins- 
 of the WHOLE World. 
 
 ylt the Delivery of the Bread and Wine to each 
 Communicant.— -The Body of our l..ord Jefus 
 Chrifl, which was given for thee ; The Blood 
 which was fhed for thee. 
 
 'Thank/giving after receiving.--'^ t mofl heartily 
 
 ihank thee, that thou doft assure us, — that ijoe 
 
 are Heirs thro' Hope of thy everlafting Kingdom 
 
 by the Merits of tht mofl precious Death d.nd Paf- 
 
 fion of thy dear Son. 
 
 Catechifm.---God. the Son,— hath redeemed me, 
 and ALL Mankind. 
 
 III. GRACE, 
 
 Calvinifm^ Sec. 
 
 God doth, fooner or 
 later, effectually call by 
 the Influences of his 
 Spirit fuck as he had 
 abfolutely decreed to 
 fave^ and had fent his 
 Son CO purchafe and re- 
 deem 'i i, e. he infufes 
 into them fuch a Por- 
 tion or Meafure of Di- 
 vine Grace, as he fore- 
 fees muft inevitably ope- 
 rate to that Degree, 
 one Time or other, on 
 their 
 
 Arminianifm, &c. 
 
 As God hath decreed 
 to putallChriftians into 
 a probationary and a 
 falvable State, and then 
 to leave it to their own 
 Wills, reftored to Free- 
 dom by Grace, whether 
 they will be aolually 
 faved or not •, he there- 
 fore gives or reflores to 
 all Mankind, as foon 
 as they have need of it, 
 fuch a Sufficiency of 
 preventing [prevenient 
 
 OP
 
 [ 12? ] 
 
 Calvmfm^ &c. 
 
 Arminianifmy &c. 
 
 or antecedent] Grace, 
 as amounts to a moral 
 Power, Faculty, or Ca- 
 pacity of beginning the 
 Cbriftian Life ; and 
 then he encreafes or di- 
 miniJJies the internal 
 Operations of the Holy 
 Spirit, according as they 
 improve or abufc his 
 former Favours. 
 
 their Underflandings, 
 Wills, ^nd AfFeftions, 
 that there is not a Pojft- 
 bility left in them fi- 
 nally to withftand their 
 Converfion from Sin 
 to Holinefs, or tofruf- 
 trate the Decree of 
 Eleftion. 
 
 But as to thofe, 
 whom God did not de- 
 cree to fave^ and Chrift 
 did not redeem^ they are 
 excluded from having 
 fuch a Sufficiency of 
 Grace, as is able to fave 
 them, and they muil 
 therefore unavoidably 
 perifh for ever. 
 
 Liturgy of the Church of England. 
 
 Abfolution. — Wherefore let us befeech him to 
 grant us true Repentance, and his Holy Spirit. 
 
 Prayer for the Clergy^ ^c. — Send down upon 
 our Bifhops and Curates, and all Congregations 
 committed to their Charge, the healthful Spirit 
 of thy Grace. 
 
 Litany. — That it may pleafe thee to give to 
 all thy People Increafe of Grace. 
 
 Litany
 
 [ 124 ] 
 Litany again.— To have Mercy upon [to give 
 Grace unto] all Men. 
 
 Litany again.— To endue us with the Grace of 
 thy holy Spirit. 
 
 Collet for the Jirjl Sunday in Jdv en t.— Almighty 
 God give us Grace, that we may caft away the 
 Works of Darknefs. 
 
 Collet for the fourth Sunday in Advent. — That 
 thy bountiful Grace and Mercy may fpeedily 
 help and deliver us. 
 
 Collet for Chrijlmas Day. — Grant that we thy 
 Children by Adoption and Grace, may daily be 
 renewed by thy Holy Spirit. 
 
 Collet for the fecond Sunday in Lent. — Keep us.^ 
 inwardly in our Souls, that we may be defended 
 from all evil Thoughts. 
 
 Fifth Sunday after Eajler.— Grant unto us, that 
 by thy Holy Infpiration, we may think thofe 
 Things that be good. 
 
 Sunday after Jfcenjion.—Send thy Holy Spirit 
 to comfort us. 
 
 IVhitfunday. --Gr3,r\t us by the fame Spirit to 
 have a right Judgment in all Things. 
 
 Eleventh Sunday after Tr/«//y.— Grant unto us 
 fuch a Meafure of thy Grace. 
 
 Prayer after receiving the Sacrament.— -Humbly 
 befeeching thee, that all we, who are Partakers 
 of this Holy Communion, may be: fulfilled with 
 thy Grace. 
 
 Baptifm
 
 [ 125 ] 
 
 Baptifin of Adults. — Grant that the Perfons 
 now to be baptized may receive the Fulnefs of 
 thy Grace. 
 
 Catechifm.-—! pray nnto God to give me his 
 Grace., that I may continue in the fame [in this 
 State of Salvation] unto my Life's End. 
 
 Catechifm again. — God the Holy Ghoft fanc- 
 tifieth me [giveth Grace to me] and all the eleft 
 People of God [to all Chrillian People.] 
 
 Catechifm again.— \ defire my Lord God,— 
 to fend his Grace to me^ and to all People. 
 
 Confirmation Service. — Strengthen them [the 
 Perfons to be confirmed] we befeech thee, O 
 Lord, with the Holy Ghoji. 
 
 A£t of Confirmation.— Defend, O Lord, this 
 thy Servant with thy Heavenly Grace, that he 
 mzy— daily encreafe in thy Holy Spirit. 
 
 Commination Office. — If we will fubmit ourfelves 
 unto him,— and Ipe ordered by the Governance of 
 his Holy Spirit, 
 
 VL JUSTIFICATION. 
 
 Calvinifm, &c. 
 
 God doth freely juf- 
 tify thofe who enjoy the 
 Benefit of abfolute 
 Eledlion, Redemption, 
 and the effeftual calling 
 of faving Grace > that 
 is, 
 
 Arminianifm, Sec. 
 
 Those who ufe well 
 the Grace that is given 
 them, and conform to 
 the Terms of the Gofpel, 
 are admitted to Pardon 
 and Juftification 5 that 
 is.
 
 Calvinifm^ &c. 
 
 126 j 
 
 Arminianifniy &c. 
 
 IS, he imputes to Chrift 
 all their Sitis^ and im- 
 putes to them his R ighte- 
 ouinels and Fcrfetlion : 
 And this Intent of God 
 to juftify them, or this 
 cfctltial Calling, is at 
 fome certain Jun6lure, 
 Day, or Hour, notified 
 to them by the Infiifion 
 of the Gift and Habit 
 of Faith ; whereby they 
 lay hold, as with an In- 
 ftrument, on the Merits 
 of Chrift, transferring 
 their Sins to Chrift, and 
 receiving his Righte- 
 oulhefs in Return : For 
 the Sake of which 
 Righteoufnefs they are 
 finally treated by God, 
 as if they had been per- 
 fe6tly righteous in 
 themfelves, or had in 
 their own Perfons com- 
 completely fulfilled the 
 Divine Law. 
 
 is, were God to call 
 them to the Bar of 
 Judgment, and to try 
 them, he would pro- 
 nounce them not guilty : 
 Becaufe Chrift having 
 purchafed for them the 
 Law of Faith and Re- 
 pentance, as the La^v 
 or Terms by which 
 they are to be judged 
 and tried ; and they 
 havinor through the 
 Power of Divine Grace 
 (firft enabling them to 
 work, and then co-ope- 
 rating with their own 
 endeavours) fulfilled 
 this Law ; that is, be- 
 come true and Chrijlian 
 Penitents ; God there- 
 fore, for the Sake of the 
 alone Merits of Jefus 
 Chrift, adm.its of this 
 Qualification, remits 
 the Puniftiment due to 
 their Sins, and fuper- 
 adds the Rewards of 
 eternal Glory. 
 
 Liturgy of the Church (j/^ England. 
 
 Exhortation.— T\\t Scripture moveth us— -to 
 acknowledge and confefs our manifold Sins,-— 
 
 with
 
 [ 127 ] 
 
 with an humble, penitent, and obedient Heart,-- 
 to the End that we may obtain Forgiveneis [Juf- 
 tification] of the fame. 
 
 ConffJ/ion.- -Spsivc [forgive] thou them, O 
 God, which confefs their Faults : Reftore [re- 
 juflify] thou them that are penitent. 
 
 Jbfolution. ---He pardoneth and abfolveth [juf- 
 tifieth] all them that truly repent, and unfeign- 
 edly believe his holy Gofpel. 
 
 Collet for J/Ii-lVednefday.—A\m\g\\^ God, 
 who hateft nothing that thou haft made, and 
 doeft forgive the Sins of [juftify] them that are 
 penitent. 
 
 Exhortation before the Sacrament.— Th^ Benefit 
 [of receiving] is great, if with a true penitent 
 Heart and lively Faith we receive that Holy Sa- 
 crament ; for then we fpiritually eat the Flefh of 
 Chrift, and drink his Blood, then we dwell 
 in Chrift, and Chrift in us, we are one with 
 Chrift, and Chrift with us [that is, then we are 
 juftified.] — Judge therefore yourfelves. Brethren, 
 repent you truly of your former Sins, have a 
 lively and ftedfaft Faith in Chrift our Saviour, 
 amend your Lives, and be in perfefl Charity 
 with all Men ;---fo fhall ye be meet Partakers of 
 thefe Holy Myfteries [fo ftiall ye be juftified.] 
 
 Abfoltition in the Sacrament.— AXmi^hiy God 
 hath promifed Forgivenefs of Sins [ Juftification] 
 to all them that with hearty Repentance and true 
 Faith turn unto him. 
 
 Vifttation
 
 [ 128 ] 
 
 Vifitation of the S/V/^.— Give him unfeigned Re- 
 pentance for all the Errors of his Life paft, and 
 ftedfaft Faith in thy Son Jefus, that his Sins may 
 be done away, and his Pardon fealed in Heaven, 
 [/. e. that he may be juilifiedj before he go 
 hence. 
 
 V. PERSEVERANCE. 
 
 Calvinifm, &c. 
 
 The EleEled^ Re- 
 deemed, and Called, by 
 efFeftual Grace, and 
 Jtijlijied, cannot poffi- 
 bly in the Nature of 
 TKmos, finally fall away. 
 For though perhaps 
 they fhould chance to 
 be overtaken in a Fault 
 for a Time ; nay, tho' 
 they fhould be guilty 
 of the moft horrid and 
 fliocking Crimea, and 
 Blafphemies, fuch as 
 premeditated Murder 
 and Adultery, and the 
 Denial of that Chrift 
 who bought them, yet 
 they not only may, but 
 they mnji return again, 
 and become holy before 
 they die j becaufe the 
 Decree of Elrdion 
 flands 
 
 Arminianifm, Sec. 
 
 Seeing our Salva- 
 tion is in its own Na- 
 ture a contingent Thing, 
 and dependent, as to the 
 Event, on our own Con- 
 dud and Behaviour, 
 there cannot be, in or- 
 dinary Cafes, any abfo- 
 lute Certainty thereof: 
 And therefore though 
 a Man may at prefent 
 have a reafonable well- 
 grounded Aflurance, 
 that he is in a juftified 
 State, there is a Poffi- 
 bility of his falling away 
 at laft, and of being fi- 
 nally loft ; becaufe he has 
 no other Security (in 
 ordinary Cafes) that his 
 Juftification will con- 
 tinue valid, and remain 
 in Force, than either 
 by
 
 [ 129 ] 
 
 Cahimfm, &c. Arminianifm^ &c. 
 
 ftands^r^, and cannot 
 be cancelled. Hence, 
 once JLiftified, always 
 juftified ; once in Grace, 
 always in Grace ; once 
 regenerate, always re- 
 generate-, that is, al- 
 ways as to the Habit, 
 tho* not as to the A^. 
 
 by keeping up to the 
 Terms on which it was 
 firft granted, which is 
 the beft and fafeft Me- 
 thod ; or at leaft by be- 
 coming a true and fm- 
 cere Penitent after- 
 wards. Confequently 
 as often as a ivlan is a 
 deliberate Sinner, fo of- 
 ten is his Juftification 
 revoked, and his Name 
 ftruck out of the Book 
 of Life ; and as often 
 as he becomes a true 
 Chriftian Penitent, fo 
 often is his Jullification 
 renewed, and his Name 
 inferted again. 
 
 Liturgy of the Church is/' England. 
 
 Absolution. — Wherefore let us befeech him to 
 grant us— his holy Spirit, that the Reft of our 
 Life hereafter may be pure and holy -, fq that at 
 the laft we may come to his eternal Joy. 
 
 Refponfe. — Take not thy Holy Spirit from us. 
 
 Litany. — That it may pleafe thee to ftrengt hen 
 iuch 3.S do ftand,— to raife up them that fall, and 
 finally to beat down Satan under our Feet. 
 
 Collet for Innocents-Day. — O Almighty God, 
 
 hftrengthen us by thy Grace, that by the Con- 
 
 R flancy
 
 [ I30 ] 
 ftancy of our Faith, even unto Deaths we may 
 glorit-y thy holy Name. 
 
 Fifth Sunday after Epphany. — O Lord we be- 
 fcech thee, keep thy Church and Houfhold con- 
 tinually in thy true Religion, that they who da 
 lean only upon the Hope of thy heavenly Grace, 
 may evei more be defended by thy mighty Power. 
 
 Seventh Sunday after Trinity.— L.ord of all 
 Power and Might, graft in our Hearts the Love 
 of thy Name, encreafe in us true Religion, nou- 
 rifh us with ail Goodnefs, and of thy great 
 Mercy keep us in the fame. 
 
 Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. — Keep, we be- 
 feech, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual 
 Mercy •, and becaufe the Frailty of our Nature 
 without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy 
 Help. 
 
 Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.—'Lord we pray 
 thee, that thy Grace may always prevent [pre- 
 cede] and follow us, and make us continually 
 to be given to all good Works. 
 
 Baptifm of Adult s.---Grzm that the Perfons 
 now to be baptized [to be juflified, fee the Con- 
 text] may receive the Fulnefs of thy Grace, and 
 ever remain in the Number of thy faithful and 
 eled Children. 
 
 Exhortation after Baptifm of Mults.- -Ste'mg 
 now, dearly beloved, that thefe Perfons are re- 
 generate, and grafted into the Body of Chrifl's 
 Church [that is, are juftified] let us give Thanks 
 imto Almighty God for thefe Benefits, and with
 
 [ 131 ] 
 one Accord make our Prayers unto him, that 
 they may lead the Rejl of their Life according 
 to this Beginnhg. 
 
 CONCLUSION, 
 
 And thus, Sir, I have gone through every 
 Part of my intended Examination of the publick 
 Offices of the Church of England. It belongs 
 not to mc to decide with a magifterial Air, how I 
 havefucceeded. That Kind of Self-Confidence 
 and proud Boafting feems to be claimed by the 
 Author of the Confeffional, and his AUbciates^ piLjSl^'i^A. 
 as their peculiar Province \ and fince they are ^^ ff^j^ ^j^^^^ 
 defirous of engroffing it, may they enjoy it, un- x— ^. /^^ Qi ^ 
 envied, as their exclufive Privilege. One Thing, » ^/A" ^'/' J 
 
 however, I muft be allowed ;;?o/?/^/fOTw/)' to affirm,** /'^ C^^T i 
 
 becaufe no other Perfon, except myfelf, has any'*^^'^ ■ 
 Right to affirm it— That after the moil: fe -■*><>*»* 
 vere and impartial Scrutiny, which I have beenA*^ 
 able to make, I am fully convinced, in my own^^*^ 
 Mind, that I fubfcribe to the l^ericr of the Ho- /^ 
 milies. Articles, and Liturgy of the Church ^^/T 
 England in the v^ry identical Senfe in which . / ^ ^ 
 Cranmer and Ridley^ had they been now alive,'^^^*'*^ t^*^ii 
 would have wilhed that I ffiould have fublcribed*"*;*"^'' , 
 to them. It is true, I may be mlflaken in this*- Jt^^U^ 
 Perfualion •, for after all the Care and Caution \/^ 
 
 can ufe, I do not arrogate to mylelf abiclui
 
 [ 132 ] 
 
 Infallibility : But there is one Favour, in which 
 I think you may fafely indulge me, without 
 huffinpr the Catife of Truth, or Impartiality. 
 You ma/ fafely grant, that, if I am miftaken, few 
 Perfons have taken more Pains to be rightly in- 
 formed, than I have done, or have purfued a 
 betcer Method, if fo good ; and therefore, fup- 
 pofing at the lall that I have failed in the At- 
 tempt, I am willing to hope, that both in this 
 World, and the next, my Miftakes will be 
 cfleemed (I do not fay very meritorious, as fome 
 have done, but) very innocent, and very ex- 
 cufable. 
 
 Two Things more I have to add on this Head, 
 and I have done. The firft is. That if the 
 Exiles, driven out by the Perfecutions of Queen 
 Mary, on their Return home from thofe Calvinif- 
 tical Places Frankfort and Geneva, chofe to un- 
 derftand Cranmer's and Ridley's Words in a Senfe 
 different from what Cranmer and Ridley ever in- 
 tended, — that is no Charge againft me ; I am not 
 anfv/erable either for their Miftakes, or their Per- 
 verfions : Nor yet do I think it would tend at all 
 either to the Honour of God, or the Good of 
 Mankind, were I to prefent the Public with a 
 long Lift of all thofe Artifices and Chicaneries, 
 thofe idle Diftinctions and mental Refervations, 
 
 ^//? i ^ . /A,^^'*^^ ^he Calvinifts in general are forced to ufe 
 
 ^^^'^^ *"^'in order to glofs over their Subfcriptions to the 
 «v^ G^Jt^^tAuw original
 
 [ 133 ] 
 
 original Do6lrines of our Church. Thofe who 
 wifli to fee thefe Subterfuges, may find enough, 
 even to Satiety, in the Thefes of the Briti/h Di- 
 vines at the Synod of Dort, and in the Writings 
 of Prynn, Hickman^ Tates, Rous, Carleton, Ed- 
 wards, and many others. In fhort, the Cafe of 
 the prefent Arminian Clergy refpeding their 
 Predeceflbrs the Calvinifts in the Reigns of 
 Elizabeth and James I. is very fimilar to the Cafe 
 of all Chriftians, and more efpecially of all Pro- 
 teflants refpefting thofe who are called the Apof- 
 iolic Fathers. We acknowledge, that thefe Fa- 
 thers were co-temporary with fome of the Apof- 
 tles. But neverthelefs we are far from efleeming 
 them to be the beft Interpreters of the Apoftolic 
 "Writings •, nay more, we think, we can Ihew, 
 that in their Explanations, or Applications of 
 Texts of Scripture, they were feveral Times very 
 much miftaken. Jull fo ; if any Man fhall object 
 to me the Authority of the Lambeth Articles, 
 or of the BritiJJi Divines at the Synod of Dort -,~ 
 my Reply is this, That, according to the befi; 
 of my Judgment, the Compilers of thofe Arti- 
 cles, and the Britijh Divines at that Aflembly 
 either miftook, or perverted the genuine Senfeof 
 the Church of England .----And moreover I af- 
 firm, (and I appeal to their own Writings) that 
 they could not poflibly have reconciled their 
 ftrange Pofitions with thofe t xtrads which are 
 produced in this very Letter out of the Homilies 
 
 and
 
 [ 134 ]. 
 and Articles,— and efpecially out of our excellent 
 Liturgy ^---1 fay, they could not poflibly have 
 reconciled their Pofitions with thefe Extrafts any 
 otherwife than by having recourfe to fuch unna- 
 tural forced Diflinftions and mental Refervations, 
 as ill became the plain Profeflbrs of a plain Gofpel 
 to have made Ufe of. 
 
 The 2d Thing is, that I do not efteem my- 
 felf obliged to anfwer all the Objedtions, which 
 either a Deifl, or a Calvinift may think he has a 
 Right to make to the Armjnian Syftem as here 
 fet forth. A Deift may objed to the Arminian 
 Account of the Fall of Man, and the Introduc- 
 tion of Evil into the World ; and a Calvinift may 
 find Fault with the Notion of God's Prefcience 
 being reconciliable with Man's free Agency. 
 Now I do not pretend to remove all the Difficul- 
 ties which may belong to either of thefe Hypo- 
 thefes ; and I profefs myfelf to be of the Number 
 of thofe who are content to embrace that Syftem 
 which appears to have xhc feweji and the fmallejt 
 Difficulties attending it (and therefore is the hefi 
 upon the whole) notwithftanding it may contain 
 many Things, which my poor imperfed Judg- 
 ment cannot comprehend, much lefs explain. 
 In ffiort, my grand Point in this Epiftle was to 
 defend the Clerical Subfcription on the Arminian 
 Plan, and that only : And if I have done this 
 to the Satisfaction of the Candid and Impartial, 
 
 I
 
 [ ^Z5 ] 
 I have obtained my Ends in writing, and fhall 
 not think my Time and Labour to have been ill 
 beftowed. I have the Honour to be. Reverend 
 Sir, with true Efteem, 
 
 Tour affe^ionate Either t, 
 
 And moji obedient humble Servant, 
 
 GIocefter,^Dec. ,8, JqSIAH TUCKER. 
 
 FINIS.
 
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