and thought from the other properties of the brain. But to you, Sir, the whole of this fubject is abfolutely terra incognita. I perceive no traces of your being much at home, as you pretend, in the Greek language, but here you are a perfect ftranger.

You are pleased to fupply unbelievers with objections to revelation on the views that I have given of it; but I can produce numbers who will tell you, that fuch christianity as yours, including the belief of three perfons in one God, is a thing abfolutely incapable of proof, and who have actually rejected it on account of this doctrine, which they confider as fo palpable an abfurdity, and contradiction, as not even miracles can make credible.

I am, &c.

LETTER

LETTER XVI.

Of Bishop Bull's Defence of damnatory Claufes.

REV. SIR,

IN

N this Letter I fhall exhibit a curious fpecimen of your peculiar mode of controverfial writing, and the advantage you take of the most trifling oversights in your opponents.

You gave the highest encomiums to the works of Bishop Bull, without any qualification or diftinction, and recommended them to your clergy, as an infallible guide in every thing relating to the fubject of our controverfy. On this I faid, "As you recommend the writings of Bishop Bull without exception, I prefume that

you approve of his defence of the damnatory "claufe in the Athanafian creed. Indeed you " mentioned it among his moft valuable works." When I wrote this, I did not, to be fure, look into the title page of the book, in order to copy the very words of it; but no perfon could have any doubt which of Bishop Bull's treatises I really meant, as what I faid fufficiently characterized it. And though he does not mention the Athanafian creed in particular, he defends every thing that is harfh and fevere in the treatment of

unitarians

unitarians by the orthodox in the primitive times, and particularly the anathema annexed to the Nicene creed.

On this fubject, however, you write as follows, p. 165. "Sir, did you write this in your fleep, or is it in a dream only that I feem to "read it. Bishop Bull's defence of the damnatory clause! From you, Sir, I have now my "firft information that Bishop Bull ever wrote upon the fubject." Then, enumerating the titles of his works, you add, p. 167. "In these "treatises there is no defence of the damnatory

clause, nor, that I recollect, any mention of the "Athanafian creed. There is no defence of the damnatory claufe in the Sermons and English "Tracts, published by Mr. Nelson, nor can I find fc any fuch tract mentioned by Mr. Nelfon among the Bishop's loft works; for many fmall pieces, " which it was known he had written, were never "found after his death. Where have I men

tioned, Sir, with fuch high approbation a work "which I declare I have never seen, and of " which, you will forgive me, if I still doubt the "existence?"

Notwithstanding this ridiculous parade, which hath helped to fwell out your book, you might just as well have faid, that I never wrote an Anfwer to your Charge, merely because I called my work Letters to Dr. Horley; and I will engage, that whatever doubt you might have had, if you had given an order to any bookfeller in London

in

in the very words that I ufed, he would have fent you the Judicium, &c. i. e. The Judgment of the Catholic Church in the three first Centuries, concerning the Neceffity of believing that our Lord Jefus Christ is the true God. Now, Sir, what is implied in the neceffity of believing, but the condemnation of those who do not believe? The whole truth, and the occafion of all this lamentable outcry is, that, not having the book before me at the time, I said the damnatory claufe in the Athanafian creed, instead of the anathema annexed to the Nicene creed, a thing of exactly the fame nature.

Befides, from your account, one would imagine that, as you declare yourself no lover of damnatory clauses, this good bishop, whose writings you so much recommend, was no more a friend to them than yourself, but that he might be the meekest and most candid of all chriftians. To give a fpecimen, therefore, of this moft excellent prelate's writings, I fhall produce a few paffages from the preface of this particular work, from which a judgment may be formed of the object and fpirit of the whole.

Giving a reafon for this publication, he fays, "There have appeared a few years ago in Eng"land, many writings of wicked men, who have "laboured with all their might to overturn the

capital article of our creed, on which the hinge "of chriftianity certainly turns, namely, con"cerning the Son of God, born of God the Fa"ther himfelf before all ages, very God of very

"God,

"God, by whom all things were made; who for * our falvation was incarnate, and made man;, «fome of them impudently defending the Arian, and fome the Samofatenian blafphemy*."

He then quotes with approbation, a paffage from Zanchius, in which he calls the writings of the unitarians idle ravings, inepta deliria; and afterwards fpeaking of Epifcopius, and others, who though orthodox themselves, pleaded for fome moderation towards these erring brethren, he calls it "an attempt to reconcile Chrift and Belial," and adds, "Thefe men, profeffing to hold and believe with "the catholics (in which I wish they were fincere) "in the truth of the article concerning the co-effen"tial Son of God, yet do not acknowledge the ne

66

ceffity of itt." Then, with respect to their maintaining that the chriftian Fathers had the fame moderation, he fays, "It is throwing the greatest "reproach upon the doctors, bishops, confeffors, and martyrs of the best ages; as if in defending the

* Prodiere in Anglia noftra, intra paucos abhinc annos. fcripta, non pauca hominum nefariorum, qui dogma fidei nottræ xupilc.Jo, in quo certe christianifmi cardo vertitur (de filio nempe dei ante omnia fecula, ex ipfo deo patre, nato, vero deo de vero deo, per quem omnia condita fuere, noftræ falutis caufa incarnato, homineque facto) labefactare arque evertere omni ope adnifi funt; eorum aliis Arianam, aliis vero Samofatenianam blafphemiam impudenter propugnat

tibus.

+ Hi homines, cum veritatem articuli de co-effentiali dei filio cum catholicis fe tenere atque credere profitcantur (utinam fincere) ejufdem tamen neceffitatem minime agnofcunt.

"greatest