Authority is fufficient for that Purpose; and that all the Writings of thefe laft Fourteen Hundred Years must needs be comparatively of very fmall Value or Confideration. Upon this, with the faithful Affiftance of my Learned Friend above-mentioned, I immediately fet my self to the through-Examination of the Nature and Authority of the fame Conftitutions, both from the internal Marks and Characters therein contain'd; and from the external Evidence, Quotations, and Teftimonies of the following Writers. What was the Refult of my Enquiries, and what the Authority of those Constitutions prov'd to be upon that Examination, my Essay upon them, which is to be the Third Volume in this Collection, will fhew at large; and I have already intimated in particular in one of my Letters to the Lord Bishop of Worcester, to be fet down hereafter; whither therefore I muft refer the Reader for Satisfaction. But about the Time of my fetting my felf to examine this Matter of the Apoftolical Conftitutions, it was that I ventured to apply my felf, to the Moft Reverend the Two Archbishops of this Church, to both whom I had the Honour to be known; and in Two Copies of the fame Letter to give them an Account what Discoveries I had already made in Points of the greatest Confequence; and to beg their Advice in what Manner and Method thofe Discoveries might with the greateft Quiet, Peace, and Advantage, be communicated to the World, and efpecially to the Learned; that fo upon their Examination and Corrections, an Authentick Account might be publish'd of thefe great Doctrines of our Religion, in the very Words of the Sacred and most Primitive Writers themfelves, and free from the

Per

Perverfions of the Writers of Controverfy. A true Copy of which Letter does here follow:

Camb. July 17. 1708.

May it please your GRACE.

Having been lately examining with all the

Care, Application, & Impartiality I could, theOriginal Doctrines of Christianity, concerning the ever-bleffed Trinity, and the Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour, both in the New Teftament and in the moft Primitive Antiquity; And having in that Enquiry obferv'd, as 'tis very easy to do, that the Opinions of the two, and almoft three fir ft Centuries were very different from thofe ofthe Fourth & following ones; I think it my duty to propose the Confideration & Examination of these matters to the Chriftian World; but more especially to the Proteftant Churches; because they have never yet been examin'd in any publick Manner, either at or fince the Reformation: and because the common Doctrines appear all along to have been fetled and establish'd by the See of Rome, and thence to have been propagated to the reft of the Chriftian World. It feems to me plain, that the Scripture, the Apoftolical Fathers, and, in the main, the fecond Century do agree in the explication of thefe facred Doctrines. Nay even the Body of the Chriftion Church appears to have been of the fame Opinions fo low as the Council of Antioch itself, in the latter part of the third Century, abating only one or two particular Perfons, (contradicting themselves) and fuch Parts of the Church as were under the Influence of the Bifhops of Rome; who, ever since the Days of Pope. Victor, have taken upon them to be the Arbitra

tore

tors of these and other Controverfies among
Christians. I hope your Grace will believe that
I am honest and fincere in my Intentions; and that
if I were not fully convinc'd of the great Impor-
tance of what I have to propofe, I would not
trouble your Grace, or the World, in this Mat-
ter. I am fure I have no Difficulty upon me
in believing Myfteries, whenever I find them re-
veal'd by God. Nor have I the least Design to
detract from the great Dignity of, or from the
Divine Worship due to the Son of God, and the
Bleffed Spirit; on whofe Redemption and Sancti-
fication all my own Hopes of Salvation are en-
tirely grounded. But I cannot easily believe
that the Doctrine of the Fourth and following
Centuries, I mean that which at length prevail'd
in them, can be purer than that of the Two
first;
that Vigilius Tapfenfis, Athanafius, or Coun-
cils themselves can make Articles of Faith; or that
their late Authorities can excufe me, or any ho-
neft Christian from examining and embracing
that Original Faith, which was once deliver'd to the
Saints, and receiv'd in the firft Ages of the Go-
fpel.

As to the most proper Method of Proposing these Matters to the Publick, I fhall have the greatest Deference for your Grace's Judgment and Directions, and thofe of my Lord Archbishop of York; who, as the Principal Guides of this Church, have a juft Right to be confulted in Matters of this Nature and Moment. For my own Part, I not only believe, but know, that, for the main, what I affirm to have been the Ancient Doctrine, is fo; having examin'd all the certainly Genuine and mot Ancient Books and Fragments hitherto publifh'd. I have allo a pretty compleat Collection of the Teftimonies by me, and a fhort Chronological Account by what

(b)

Steps

1

Steps the Primitive Faith was gradually either alter'd or improv'd, till it came to the Model of the Creed of Vigilius Tapfenfis, the Standard of Modern Orthodoxy in thefe Matters. So that I think my self in fome measure prepar'd to give an Authentick Account of the Faith of the Two

First Centuries. Nor do I find any plain Teftimonies to be alledg'd on the other Side. But then, because in fome Particulars I may easily have made Miftakes, or Omiffions; because, as a peaceable Member of this Church, I ought to confult its Unity and Quiet as much as poffible ; and because, if it may be, I would have this Matter calmly and fairly debated and fettled by the Learned, before it comes into the Hands of the Ignorant: Upon all these Accounts, I humbly propofe it to your Grace's Confideration, What Way I fhould take in the particular Management of this Matter? My own Thoughts are, That it might be convenient to have fome Copies tranfcrib'd, or rather a few printed, for the Ufe of the Learned. But, if any other Method fhall be propos'd, which may better attain the fame Ends, I fhall very readily comply with it. I am aware that several Political or Prudential Confiderations may be alledg'd against either the doing this at all, or at least the doing it now: But then, if the Sacred Truths of God must be always fupprefs'd, and dangerous Corruptions never enquir'd into, till the Politicians of this World" fhould fay it were a proper Time to examine and correct them, I doubt it would be long enough e're fuch Examination and Correction could be expected in any Cafe. I think my felf plainly oblig'd in point of Duty, to communicate my Collections to the Publick Confideration: And therefore, from this Refolution in general, no worldly Motives whatever,

by

,

by the Bleffing of God, fhall diffuade me. But, as to the particular Propofitions themselves when they are fent, your Grace will please to look upon them as a fomewhat hafty Account, I do not fay of mine own Opinions, for they are of fmall Confideration, but of the Opinions of the Two first Centuries of the Church of Chrift, ready for all well-grounded Alterations Corrections and Improvements, if my own farther En→ quiries, or the Suggestions of the Learned, fhall make any of them neceffary hereafter. I moft humbly crave your Grace's Pardon, for the great Freedom and Boldness of this Addrefs, with the Continuance of that Candid and Favourable Opinion of me, my Intentions and Labours, which hitherto your Grace has been pleas'd to afford to,

[I have fent the fame Letter to the Archbishop of York.]

་

Your Obliged & moft
Obedient Servant,

WILL. WHISTON.

Soon after the Receipt of this Letter, both the Archbishops were fo fair and kind, as to return me their feveral Anfwers. True Copies whereof do here follow.

I

SIR,

Lambeth, July 24. 1708. Received your Letter; but cannot judge of your Work therein mention'd without Perufing it: And I had rather at first see it in Writing, than in Print. Perhaps your Second Thoughts may be different from your firft, after you have drawn them out, and laid them before others, and they have given you their Opinions upon them. Among them, it feems to me

(b2)

very