“

"minds or fpirits," and that he was fully "ef"tablished in the belief of the Deity of the bleed

Three, though he knew not the manner of explica“tion," must, to my apprehenfion, be considered as protesting against the doctrine of a Trinity of Perfons, chiefly because it was an established one; because it was the doctrine of the Church.

;

I have dwelt the longer on this cafe as it is uncommon as it is the cafe of a great and good man, whom (to borrow Dr. Johnson's words) 166 every Chriftian Church would rejoice to have adopted."

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Dr. WATT's laft Sentiments on the Trinity. p. 62. Solemn Addrefs. p. 101, &c. See JOHNSON's Life of Dr. WATTS with notes, &c. CUDWORTH'S Intell. Syft. Ch. 4, p. 304. A. Ross's View of all Religions. Sect. 7.

P. 260. (00) to judge for ourselves.] It abundantly appears by a confiderable number of extracts made by Bp. Jewel from many fathers and doctors of the Church of Rome, that antiently in that communion the Holy Scriptures were not barely indulged, but recommended to every hand. By what means the Romanists have fince qualified the sense of these paffages, or reconciled the fame with principles of a later date, I have no occafion to inquire. But in one of them there is a fingularity which, I believe, will pay any man for his trouble in the reading. It is to be found in Theodoret; and is tranflated by the Cc 2 great

great prelate as follows. "Ye may commonly fee, "that our doctrine is known, not only of them "that are the doctors of the Church, and the maf"ters of the people, but also even of the tailors, "and fmiths, and weavers, and of all artificers: yea, and farther alfo of women; and that not

66

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only of them that be learned, but also of labour

ing women, and fempsters, and fervants, and hand"maids. Neither only the citizens, but also the "country-folks do very well understand the fame. "Ye may find, yea, even the very ditchers, and "delvers, and cow-herds, and gardiners difputing of "the HOLY-TRINITY, and of the CREATION OF ALL THINGS."

The fame paffage is referred to by Dr. POTTER in his Anfwer to Charity Miftaken. p. 205.

JEWEL'S Defence, &c. part. 5. p. 507.

Page 262. (pp) mistaken in that judgment.] An eminent and learned writer of the laft century, whom I have quoted before, observes, (and the obfervation has been alfo cited,) that "herefy is not "an error of the understanding, but of the will;" and to this doctrine, properly ftated, we can readily fubfcribe. But in the excefs of his moderation, this Right Rev. author fometimes queftions, in effect at leaft, the authority, not only of all ecclefiaftical traditions, and councils, but of the Scripture itfelf; giving us fentiments wholly incongruous with every idea of faith, fyftem, or establish

ment.

ment. Witnefs thofe contained in the following extract, which, to my imagination, nothing but the zeal of adherency to a favourite principle could have drawn from the pen of so able a writer, and fo profeffed a cafuift.

"Since, fays he, holy Scripture is the repofitory "of divine truths, and the great rule of faith, to "which all fects of Chriftians do appeal for pro"bation of their feveral opinions, and fince all “ agree in the articles of the Creed as things clearly "and plainly fet down, and as containing all that which is of fimple and prime neceffity; and fince

.co

on the other fide there are in Scripture many "other mysteries, and matters of question upon "which there is a vail; fince there are fo many << copies with infinite varieties of reading; since a "various interpunction, a parenthefis, a letter, an "accent may much alter the fenfe; fince fome "places have divers literal fenfes, many have fpi"ritual, myftical, and allegorical meanings; fince "there are fo many tropes, metonymies, ironies,

hyperboles, proprieties and improprieties of lan

guage, whofe understanding depends upon fuch "circumstances that it, is almoft impoffible to know "its proper interpretation, now that the know

lege of fuch circumstances and particular stories is "irrecoverably loft; fince there are some mysteries "which, at the best advantage of expreffion, are not "eafy to be apprehended, and whofe explication,

by reason of our imperfections, muft needs be "dark, fometimes weak, fometimes unintelligible; "and lastly, fince thofe ordinary means of ex

'

pounding Scripture, as fearching the originals, "conference of places, parity of reason, and ana"logy of faith, are all dubious, uncertain, and very fallible, he that is the wifeft and by confequence the likelieft to expound trueft in all pro' bability of reason, will be very far from confi "dence, becaufe every one of these and many "more are like so many degrees of improbability "and incertainty, all depreffing our certainty of "finding out truth in fuch mysteries, and amidst "fo many difficulties. And therefore a wife man "that confiders this, would not willingly be pre"scribed to by others; and therefore if he also be "a juft man, he will not impofe upon others; for "it is best every man fhould be left in that liberty "from which no man can justly take him, unless "he could fecure him from error. So that here "alfo there is a neceffity to conferve the liberty of "prophefying, and interpreting Scripture; a ne

ceffity derived from the confideration of the dif❝ficulty of Scripture in queftions controverted, "and the uncertainty of any internal medium of “interpretation."

Now if this be the cafe, we are but mocked, when we are told the Scriptures are the "repofitory of divine truths;" or that any articles of faith

can

can be clearly and plainly fet down" in any Creed whatsoever. Under the above circumftances, in what formulary, or fyftem, fball we look for " all "that which is of fimple and prime neceffity ?" Is it not ftrange too, that there fhould be many other myfteries in Scripture diftin&t from those divine truths of which it is the repofitory; and ftranger ftill, that matters of question fhould be put under a vail? Upon all matters of faith there is indeed a vail; I mean, upon all myfterious matters, which cannot poffibly be "apprehended at the beft advantage of expreffion." The explication of thefe is abfolutely impracticable; and every attempt for that purpose, "by reason of our imperfections, "must needs be dark, fometimes weak, fometimes "unintelligible." Perhaps he will bid as fair as any man to be an expounder of myfteries who fhall difentangle the feveral claufes of this paragraph. I know not whether any thing can be found furpaffing this, either in the ftyle, or in the fpirit of prefent moderation.*

The truth of the matter is, that very sensible and very good men, are apt to run into inconfiftencies upon this fubject. "It is very meet, fays Dr. Potter

in his anfwer to Char. Miftaken, that the igno"rant people should obey their overseers in the Lord,

*See a curious vindication of this author, (Bp. TALYOR,) in Wood's Ath. Oxoni. p. 402. Vol. 2. CC 4

"and