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the same sentiments of the Ante-Nicene faith, which Bishop Bull had. It is therefore now much out of time, and very disingenuous, to lay any great weight upon the judgment of Petavius or Huetius, however valuable and learned, since this matter has been much more accurately inquired into, than it had been at that time. Huetius has lived to see Bishop Bull's works, (as we may reasonably presume,) and cannot be ignorant how highly they have been valued abroad: yet we do not find that he has ever complained of any injury done him by the Bishop, or that he ever thought fit to vindicate himself, or his great oracle Petavius; to whose judgment (as he himself laments) he had once dearly paid too great a deference c.

It may suffice, for the present, to have left these few general hints; by means of which an intelligent reader, without farther assistance from me, may readily discover the fallacy of your reasonings, and answer the most plausible objections you have to urge against the received doctrine of the blessed Trinity. If any thing more particular be necessary hereafter, I shall (with God's assistance) endeavour to do justice to the cause which I have taken in hand; and, as opportunity serves, shall proceed in detecting sophistry, laying open disguises, exposing misreports, misquotations, misconstructions, or any other engines of deceit, as long as there appears to me any probable danger from thence arising to honest well-meaning men, less acquainted with this momentous controversy. In the interim, I am with all due respect,

SIR,

Your most humble Servant.

e Vid. Huetii Comment. de Rebus ad illum pertinent, p. 70.

THE CASE

OF

ARIAN SUBSCRIPTION

CONSIDERED:

AND THE

SEVERAL PLEAS AND EXCUSES FOR IT PARTICULARLY EXAMINED AND CONFUTED.

THE CASE

OF

ARIAN SUBSCRIPTION

CONSIDERED:

AND THE

SEVERAL PLEAS AND EXCUSES FOR IT PARTICULARLY EXAMINED AND CONFUTED.

СНАР. І.

The occasion and design of these papers. REMARKS have been lately published against a clause contained in a bill which had been brought into the House of Lords, for the more effectual suppressing of blasphemy and profaneness. It has been observed, among other things, that the clause, being intended as a test against Arianism, would be of little use or significancy as to the end designed by it; because those who are now understood to be Arians, are ready to subscribe any test of that kind, containing nothing more than is already contained in the XXXIX Articles. The Remarker takes notice, that those gentlemen make no scruple of subscribing to our Church's forms: it is their avowed principle that they may lawfully do it in their own sense, agreeably to what they call Scripture. This he proves from their declared sentiments, not only in common conversation, but in print; and from their constant practice of late years, since the year 1712.

If this be matter of fact, (as I am afraid it is,) it may be

high time to inquire, somewhat more particularly than hath been yet done, into the case of subscription. If instead of excusing a fraudulent subscription on the foot of human infirmity, (which yet is much too soft a name for it,) endeavours be used to defend it upon principle, and to support it by rules of art, it concerns every honest man to look about him. For what is there so vile or shameful, but may be set off with false colours, and have a plausible turn given it, by the help of quirks and subtilties? Many, without doubt, have been guilty of prevaricating with state-oaths; but nobody has been yet found sanguine enough to undertake the defence of it in print. Only Church-subscriptions, though of much the same sacred nature with the other, may be securely played with: and the plainest breach of sincerity and trust, in this case, shall find its advocates and defenders. It must indeed be owned, that the pretences for it have not been particularly confuted or examined. The reason is, because they looked more like a wanton exercise of wit and fancy, (though it is dangerous playing with sacred things,) than any serious design to convince the world of the justice of it. Besides that the foundations of moral honesty were thought so deeply rooted in the hearts of men, that every attempt against them must soon fall, and die of itself. However, because the pretences for what I call a fraudulent subscription had been recommended by a person of some character in the learned world; and might possibly gain ground among such as take things implicitly, upon the credit of any great name; I had once prepared a formal Answer to what had been advanced on that head: and I designed to publish it by way of introduction to my Defence. But, before my papers were quite wrought off, there appeared a second edition of Scripture Doctrine, &c. upon perusal whereof, I observed that the most offensive passage of the Introduction, relating to subscription, was left out and besides that, all those strange and unaccountable interpretations of the Athanasian Creed, &c. (which had appeared in the first edition,) were also pru

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