raised for the propagation of truth? Inteftine wars and universal confufion may at length leave the decifion in the hands of victory, and vanquifhed truth fhall then fubfcribe to articles dictated by its erroneous conqueror. Such would be the process: and let not those who now complain of the neceffity of fubfcribing to the articles of the church of England, flatter themfelves that matters would be rendered more agreeable even to themselves, if they fhould be indulged in their defires. Perhaps, when every species of difturbance and puritanical abfurdity had raged through the nation, and robbed them of their tranquillity, they would then begin to acknowledge the happiness they enjoyed when protected by that barrier which they had themfelves broken down, and become the first to replace it; the want would teach the value of that which they now overlook, because they poffefs it. But the fubfcription of articles of faith is no fuch mighty grievance as fome would intimate; it may be a feverity to a few who are not admitted into the pulpit, because they cannot accede to them: but furely it is a great happiness to the body of the people that they are under the guardianship of an establishment that protects them from the neceffity of liftening to the whimfical interpretation of weak teachers. It is therefore neceffary, fo long as there is no compulfion on the laity to learn and yield their faith to the doctrines of the clergy, that the conclufions which are to be drawn from holy writ fhould be prefcribed to those who are appointed to teach if they cannot fubfcribe, let them let it alone; a church with which they cannot concur, is even better without them. Is it for the admiffion of a few individuals that a door is to be opened, by which every fpecies of abuse may enter ? I honour and concur with Mr. Lindsey's patriot wish, that England should ever fet the example of improve ment; ment; but it is very weakly urged, that religion fhould keep pace with science in improvement, and that a fubscription to articles must always impede its progrefs; for nothing can be more abfurd than the idea of a progreffive religion, which, being founded upon the declared, not the imagined will of God, muft, if it attempt to proceed, relinquish that revelation which is its bafis, and fo ceafe to be a religion founded upon God's word. God has revealed himself, and all that he has fpoken, and confequently all that is demanded of us to accede to, is declared in one book, from which nothing is to be retrenched, and to which nothing can be added. All that it contains was as perfpicuous to those who first perused it, after the rejection of the Papal yoke, as it can be to us now, or as it can be to our pofterity in the fiftieth generation. If we look for any thing new, it is not in the fcriptures that it is to be found; and if we add, it is not religion that has improved, for truth will never defert her own foundations, nor follow our fantaftic reasonings or vain imaginations. The progrefs of every science has been to the discovery of fomething new, derived from new combinations of principles within our comprehenfion, and confequently capable of being compared for the fake of additional knowledge. Is fuch a progrefs to be defired in religion? What novelty do we feek for, or what advantage do we propofe from the introduction of novelty into religion? Such an idea feems to intimate As if religion were intended HUDIBRAS. MY ΤΩ͂Ν ΠΕΡΙ Ἑ ΑΥΤΟΥ Y name appearing prefixed to this edition will put it out of doubt that I am in truth, as I formerly stated myself, a Layman, and I conceive that my book has rendered it unneceflary for me to say that I am altogether unread in theological difputations; of thefe two circumftances, however, I am now about to make my advantage, for I ftill defire to have the end kept in view, and to convert even myself into fome fort of argument in behalf of it. On the publication of Mr. Lindsfey's Apology, as Į have already faid, I was drawn by curiofity to look into it; but finding it to contain a doctrine which I had not in the least fufpected, (as I really had never known any thing of the gentleman before) I placed the Bible by my fide, happy in finding the beft, the only evidence in this cafe offered to the examination of every man. With perfect freedom from prejudice, nay, I am almoft afhamed to confefs it, with the firft ferious confideration of fo important a point that I had ever entered into t, I fat down to read Mr. Lindsay's book, and, for the truth of every pofition contained in it, appealed to the word of God himself, that I might thence learn how truly it was advanced; when, to my utter astonishment, I foon found that this was the only book upon the fubject, which the diligent Apologist had not critically read, and that in every particular it directly opposed itself to him, and to his frequent quotations. It grew into a matter This chapter is for the most part a parody of Mr. Lindsey's concluding chapter, and the title is the fame with his. + I would not have it understood that I had never read the Bible before, but that I never read it to this point, or in a like inquifitive manner as now, matter of wonder with me, what could influence a man to furrender his wordly competence in defence of a contradiction to the only witnefs that bears any teftimony concerning the fact which he contradicts. As I had received an education among men not unlettered, I was not altogether unacquainted with the laws of argument, and foon perceived his errour to proceed from his having drawn from a wrong fource, from his having laid afide the Bible, and faid, "my reafon does not acquiefce in a Trinity of Perfons in the one God, and my reason is competent; this is a matter submitted to my faculties, and I am skilled to affirm or deny concerning a comprehenfible God." As I found difficulties in lifting up my own faculties to God, I conceived Mr. Lindfey's no better able to foar to fuch unfurmountable heights; and having found that my Maker had spoken, looked upon his word as the fountain from which all argument concerning him fhould flow; and accordingly I have stated my own idea of the fuing this enquiry in my first chapter. fuafion I noted my Bible, and to what purpose my reader is empowered to judge from my third and fourth chapters but, as I went along, the degrees or different fpecies of teftimony afforded to the divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, offered themselves to my obfervation; and this alfo I have in my fecond chapter fubmitted to public cenfure. Such was the process of an enquiry entered into by a man who fet about it for his own information only; but the fubftance of which, as it has afforded perfect conviction to himself, he has at length decided to be due to mankind; at length decided, I fay, because that many scruples delayed my determination. First, it occurred to me that, being a Layman, it was, properly speaking, no business of mine; that an established Clergy was appointed for the defence of religion; that at the head of this Clergy there was a refpectable and venerable body of pur manner of Under this per learned learned Bishops, who were daily acquiring more weight by the acceffion of a numerous Nobility to their bench; by which acceffion, if the body should lose (as in all human probability they will) on the fide of learning, they were fure of obtaining confequence on the fide of fashion, and therefore that it was not to be fuppofed that the conduct of one country clergyman could long continue of any national importance. But when, on the other hand, I confidered how ready the world was to impute partiality to any body of men who fhould write on a fubject in which their private intereft was fo deeply concerned, and that their own filence fhewed they were themselves aware of this, I thought that a Layman writing upon the subject, a man totally unconnected with their profeffion, would probably be more attended to. Another objection which occurred to me, was my entire ignorance of controverfial theology, and particularly my having never looked into any controverfy upon the Trinity, except what I have seen in Mr. Lindsey's book; but being by Mr. Lindfey's book convinced that the Bible was the only guide to be depended upon, I then thought that the reading that with attention would be a fufficient preparative for writing; that my very ignorance in controverfy would turn to account, and that it might be confidered as a corroborating proof of the truth of what I fhould write, that the Bible alone had been found fufficient to convince one young man; and accordingly, thro the whole course of my enquiry, the Bible alone have I confulted, and this (notwithstanding that I have aç-. knowledged myself educated in thefe doctrines) without a fingle prejudice, either my own, or borrowed from any other. Perhaps I have been too nicely fcrupulous in this refpect; for, through the fear of imbibing one prejudice on fo important a queftion, I have worked only on my own ideas derived from fcripture, fhunned the fuperior fuggeftions of wifer men, and diligently withheld myfelf from an acquaintance with any thing that |