withdrawing himself entirely from the established worship of the church of England, now more than eight years ago. For, in reading the sacred writings, fresh conviction has continually poured in upon him, and still more confirmed him in his persuasion, that divine worship is to be paid, and prayer to be offered, to the One, living and true God, the Father, only; and not to Jesus Christ, or any other person. As few are disposed to read a long Latin epistle, however curious and elegant, and many not able, it has been judged proper to give a translation of the letter of John Fox, our pious and learned martyrologist, to Queen Elizabeth, in which he entreats her to save from the flames two unfortunate Dutch Anabaptists, condemned for heresy, who had fled hither from their own country for refuge. It is therefore now taken from the Appendix, and inserted in the course of the narrative. FAREWELL. THE CONTENTS. I. THE Introduction, with some strictures on the origin of the doctrine of the Trinity, and the opposition it met with in our own country more especially, from the era of the Reformation, with an account of those Christians who III. That there is but One God, the Father. 79 IV. The causes of the unhappy defection among Christians from the simplicity of religious worship prescribed in the ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF THE Principal Matters contained in this Volume. N. B. This mark * refers to the note in the page annexed to it. ALLIX (Dr.) obtrudes his own Trinitarian notions on the Anabaptists (Dutch) among other things denied the doctrine of the Trinity, and that Christ was God cruelly put to death by Queen Elizabeth Authority (Human) in the things of religion, the cause of the greatest and most lasting miseries and corruptions of the truth Author (The) account of the rise and progress of his scruples concerning the Trinity Page 84* 41 42 145 179 how he quieted his mind for a time 184, &c. what determined him at last to quit his ministrations in the Church of England, and withdraw himself entirely from its worship 189, &c. Baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of owns that the Jews never had been able to find Biddle (John) the Socinian, or Unitarian, an account of his excellent character Calamy (Dr.) his useful and valuable work 3 69* 154 84* Calvin (John) causes Servetus to be burnt alive for opposing the doctrine of the Trinity Capellus (Louis) his interpretation of the Chaldee phrase, the word of the Lord THE APOLOGY, &c. CHAPTER I. THE INTRODUCTION, WITH SOME STRICTURES ON THE ORIGIN OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY, AND THE OPPOSITION IT MET WITH TO THE TIME OF THE REFORMATION. IT would be doing an injury to the petitioners to parliament for redress in the matter of subscription, with whom the writer was from the first connected, to class them as holding the same opinions with him, if there should be any thing to blame in the freedom with which he hath delivered his sentiments on some favourite points. The rise of his scruples and difficulties was many years prior to that connexion, and would, he is persuaded, have brought him to take the step he has been constrained to for his own quiet, without it. Whilst at the same time he must ever think the design and conduct of that association, unsuccessful in its main point as it hath hitherto been, highly serviceable to true religion, and honourable to all concerned in it; and cannot but reflect with peculiar satisfaction, that he did not quit his ministry in the church established, till the most reasonable attempts for a farther B reformation were rejected; first, in the honourable the Commons House of Parliament refusing the petition of the clergy, and the two professions of law and physic, for relief in the matter of subscription to the Liturgy, and Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England; and next, in the abrupt negative put by the governors of the church upon the application made to them by the Rev. Mr. Wollaston and his associates,* for their assistance and direction in procuring this relief: viz. that in their opinion it was† neither prudent nor safe to do any thing in the matter by them submitted to their consideration; the very words (as communicated by a friend) of the A-p of * Three of Mr. Wollaston's associates have been since promoted to dignities in the Church: the Honourable James Yorke to the Bishopric of Ely, Dr. Porteus to Chester, Dr. Percy to the Deanery of Carlisle. As the influence of these gentlemen is increased by their high stations, it is not to be doubted but it will be exerted in accomplishing as far as they are able the desired reformation: and a better plan cannot be proposed than appeared soon after this present Work was laid before the public, and is in some respects an improvement upon it, printed without the name of the Author, but ascribed to an honourable member of their association, and entitled "Queries relating to the Book of Common Prayer, &c. with proposed Amendments; addressed to Those in Authority, and submitted to their Consideration." London. Printed for J. Wilkie, No. 71, St. Paul's Church-yard, 1774. +"It may therefore be dangerous to begin with making alterations and amendments in the church, lest those scaffoldings, which are erected for repairs, should be made use of to pull down the whole fabric,” |