would not always be great; but ftill there would be a Difference. I faid thinking Men, for, as to the unthinking Herd, whatever was the Creed of their Father, or Tutor, that will be theirs, from their Infancy, to their Lives End; and accordingly, whatever Country you go into, let the Religion be what it will, the unthinking Part thereof are always the reputed Orthodox. An Uniformity of Profeffion may indeed be both practicable and useful; and feems in fome degree to be neceffary, not only for the Prefervation of Peace, but also for the general Good and Welfare of Society: a 4 ciety: Since I do not conceive how any Society or Commonwealth can fubfift, unless some Form of Religion or other be established therein; as well with regard to Points of Doctrine as Discipline; which however ought to be as plain, few, and fundamental, as poffible. And as no established Form of Religion can fubfift, unless that Form be publicly made known, and the Teachers thereof are laid under fome Obligation, either by Subfcription or otherwise, of complying with that Form, and of not preaching, or publicly teaching, any Doctrine contrary thereto; fo, I own, I do not fee any Manner of Impropriety in the Legislative Power of any Society infifting upon fuch a kind of Subscription, Subscription, as is only required to be made for Peace-fake, and the Prefervation of the outward Forms of Society: Since a Man under thefe Circumftances may, for prudential Reasons, honeftly subscribe and fubmit to the Ufe of one eftablished Form, though he, in his own private Opinion, may think another to be better; provided that he is not obliged to fubfcribe any thing finful; or fo diametrically oppofite to Truth, as that he cannot poffibly put any other Conftruction upon it. The firft Subscription, that I know of, was fet on foot at the Council of Nice, when the famous Contest about the Trinity was de termined termined in Favour of the confubstantial Doctrine, by a Majority of near Twenty to One: To which the Emperor required all the Bishops then present to fubfcribe. But then he allowed every one to put their own Senfe upon the Word Confubftantial, and not the Senfe that was intended by the Compilers of the Creed: And accordingly, Eufebius Bishop of Cæfarea, though he at first refufed fubfcribing, yet when he was allowed to interpret the Word Confubftantial, as meaning only, that the Son was not of the fame Subftance with the Creatures that were made by him; he then fubfcribed it, and fo, in a little Time after, did Arius. Peace Peace was what the Emperor wanted, and therefore he was content with Peace: But from the Time that Power was put into the Hands of the Church of Rome, implicit Faith and Obedience to her infallible Determinations being what fhe required; unless Subscriptions were then to be understood as made according to the Senfe of the Compilers of the Articles, the Recufants were anathematised, and Fire and Faggot was the Word. But as I apprehend that the Church of Ireland doth not fet up for Infallibility, I do not think that she requireth any other Kind of Subscription than fuch as is necef fary |