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not openly and plainly speak against it. Whereas, fhould the prefent Scheme fucceed (not that any Man in his Senfes can imagine it will) then with Afaph muft the Faithful lament—" That "the Boar out of the Wood, and the wild "Beaft of the Field, have devoured our Vine,. "that her Hedges are broken down, so that "all that go by the Way do pluck her, Pf. lxxx. Nor can I in the least doubt, but that the Church of England, like that of the apoftate Unitarian Jews, would become an Hiffing, a Proverb of Reproach, an Astonishment, a Desolation upon the Face of the Earth.

"There are two Ways" fays a pious and learned Author, "" of understanding the Scrip"tures; one as a Critic and a Scholar, the “other as a little Child and a Sinner. The

firft," fays he, "is Man's Way, the other

is God's Way." To this I may add, that when Men are self-taught, they make the Scriptures fpeak the Language of Men: Hence have arifen the Errors and Herefies which have barraffed and wafted the vifible Church in all Ages, and which have ever boafted of Scripture for their Warrant and Authority; but when Men are taught of GOD, John vi. 45.. then

they

they will permit the Scriptures to speak the Language of Heaven, and humbly submit to it, not as the Word of Man, (as St. Paul says, 1 Theff. ii. 13.) but as it is in Truth the Word of God. On this Plan our Reformers evidently proceeded when they compiled the Liturgy and Articles; they wrote therefore like Men taught of God: And I do firmly believe, that there is not a fingle Point of Faith laid down in any Part of either, in which they did not mean a direct Allufion to the Scrip

tures.

To prove this, fhall be my Bufinefs in the following Pages; in which I fhall fhew, that our doctrinal Articles are a perfect Unifon with the Bible, the Confequence will then be pparent, that they who mean to deftroy the one, would, if they dared, attempt the Deftruction of the other.

Having proved my Point in refpect to the Articles, I shall take it for granted as to the Liturgy, the Doctrine in both being the fame.

I have particularly mentioned the doctrinal Articles, because I am particularly convinced that they are the grand Stumbling-fone in the Way of the Petitioners; as to the others, which treat of indifferent Matters, I mean, that do

not

not immediately concern the Character of the Deity and the Salvation of Man, the Legiflature bath already made every Conceffion which our Diffenting Brethren can poffibly `require, and hath given ample Security for Liberty of Confcience, as touching fuch indifferent Matters, in that truly Chriftian and Proteftant Act of Parliament, ufually called the Toleration Act. But that Law was not meant to raze Foundations, or to throw the Reins upon the Neck of Infidelity, that it might be let loofe amongst the People, and fcatter its Arrows, Firebrands, and Death without Controul. This is plainly the Purpose of the Petitioners, let every Man teach and act as he pleafes, and the Bufinefs is done.

In one

Church we shall hear that there is no Trinity in Unity-in another, that CHRIST was a mere Man-in a third, that there is no fuch Perfon as the holy Ghoft-in a fourth, that Man is his own Saviour.-In short, every Blafphemy, every Herefy that ever was levelled at the great Truths of the Bible, will be published without Fear or Shame: The Confufion of Babel will be outdone, if possible, till the End must be, the Confufion and Destruction of the very Church itself.

Sinful and wicked as we are, I should yet hope we are not on the Eve of fo fatal a Catastrophe, fatal to all that is, or ought to be, dearest to us, as Chriftians and Proteftants.

-May GOD avert it for his Mercy's Sake,. nor suffer the Arch-enemy to triumph and say "There, there, fo I would have it!"

Knightsbridge, Jan. 20, 1772.

A

A

SCRIPTURAL COMMENT

UPON THE

ARTICLES

OF THE

CHURCH of ENGLAND.

ARTICLE I.

Df Faith in the Holy Trinity.

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HERE is but one living and true God, everlasting, without Body, Parts, or * Paffions; of infinite Power, Wifdom, and Goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all Things both visible and invifible; and in Unity of this Godhead there be three Perfons, of one Substance, Power, and Eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft.

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1 Mark xii. 32. There is one God, and there is none other but He. Jer. x. 10. The Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King.

2 John iv. 24. God is a Spirit.

31 Tim. i. 17. The King eternal, immortal, invifible. * Mal. iii. 6. I am Jehovah, I change not. James i. 17. The Father of Lights, with whom is no Variablenefs, neither Shadow of Turning.

s Matt. xix. 26. With God all Things are poffible.

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Pf. cxlvii. 4. His Understanding is infinite.

Pf. lii. 1. The Goodness of God endureth continually.
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