People ftare: For every odd Sight strikes the Imagination, and difpofes the Beholder either to Laughter or Reverence. Nor have I Time to honour, with a proper Encomium, that ingenious and ecclefiaftical Device, of explaining the fublime Mystery of the Trinity by a Pair of Compaffes, though it is above all Explication, and even of Conception, unless through Faith; and of representing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, by a Triangle in a Circle over the Communion-Table. Was there ever fuch a pretty Piece of pious Cunning! By the faid Triangle is typified and held forth to us, that the faid Triangle confifts of Three Angles; which is exceeding plain and edifying: And by the Circle is fignified, that the faid Circle is but One Circle, which is prodigious good again! But, that a Triangle is a Circle, and a Circle is a Triangle, Dr. Waterland faith not. I MUST, for the fame Reafon, pass over unobferved, the praifing of God with Organs, which our Homilies very uncivilly call fuperftiti Cuts in the Common-Prayer Books, tending to prepare People for Idolatry; and Pictures in Churches, for the fame devout Purpose. G. THE THE CONTENTS D Of the First VOLUME. EDICATION to the Lower House of lxxxiii I 7 12 18 V. The Unfitness of the Clergy to teach others, 23 VI. Of Creeds and Confeffions of Faith, VII. Of uninterrupted Succeffion, 56 XI. The advantageous Situation of the Clergy, Strangely inconfiftent with their common Cry of Danger, 63 XII. The Enmity of the High Clergy to the Reformation, and their Arts to defeat the End of it, 968 XIII. The Church proved a Creature of the Civil Power by Acts of Parliament, and the Oaths of the Clergy, 75 XIV. The Clergy proved to be Creatures of the Civil Power, by the Canons, and their own public Acts, 82 XV. The Abfurdity and Impoffibility of Church Power, as independent on the State, 87 XVI. The Inconfiftency of the Principles and Practices of the High Church; with some Advice to the Clergy, 93 XVII. Reafons why the High-Church are the most wicked of all Men, XVIII. A general Idea of Prieftcraft, 100 107 XIX. Ecclefiaftical Authority, as claimed by the High Clergy, an Enemy to Religion, 113 Queries concerning Authority in Matters of Faith, 118 A Letter to a Clergyman, fhewing the Impoffibility of affenting to what we do not understand, 122 XX. Of Chaplains, 129 XXI. |