very proper to confult the Learned Bishop Bull, who hath fhew'd himself a great Master in this Argument. For my felf, when I fee your Scheme, I fhall freely, and without Byafs, give you my poor Thoughts of it. May the God of Wisdom guide us all in all our Researches, and make us wife to Sobriety. I am, T SIR, Your Loving Brother, Dear Sir, Bishops-Thorp, Aug. 6. 1708. Had the Favour of your Letter above a Fortnight ago. I earneftly beg your Pardon for not fooner returning my Thanks to you for it; which I certainly had done, had not fomething or other continually happen'd when I defign'd it. I fay, Returning my Thanks to you, for the Civility you exprefs to me in that Letter; For, as for giving an Answer to it, I profefs I am not able. I must own, I do by no means approve of the Defign which you tell me in your Letter you are upon; (as thinking that, if you do purfue it, you will do a great deal more Hurt to the Chriftian Religion among us, than you will do Good;) and being of this Opinion, to be fure I can give you no Advice as to the Method in which you fhould make the World acquainted with it; which is that you defire in your Letter. If I was able to give you any Advice, it fhould be this; That you would lay afide this Project, at least fo long as till you have had Opportunity of talking freely about this Matter with your Friends at London; which you may have in the Parliament-time, if you will then be fo kind as to make a Journey thi ther. ther. A great many Things may be offer'd in Difcourfe, for the Conviction of either of the differing Parties, which cannot be fo easily writ in Letters. I my felf now think that I have as great Reason to believe, that it will be a great Sin in you, to disturb the Peace and Unity of the Catholick Church, by endeavouring to impose new Articles of Faith upon us about the Bleffed Trinity, different from, or contrary to the Definitions of the Council of Nice; as you have to believe that it is your Duty to expofe the Nicene Creed, as contrary to the Common Belief, for almoft Three Centuries, of the Primitive Church. But perhaps, if you and I were to talk of these Matters together, we should not part at fo wide a Difference one from the other. I do fincerely profess that I not only love you,but have a great Efteem of your extraordinary Abilities in all the Sorts of Learning of which you have treated in your Books. And indeed, I know no Author, whofe Works I read with more Pleasure, than I do yours: And I do likewife really believe you to be a fincere, honest, undefigning Man. But then, give me leave to add, (for I would defire that you should think me an honeft Man alfo,) that, if you have any Weakness, it is this; That you are too fond of new Notions, and oftentimes lay too great Strefs upon them; at least it appears fo to me. Forgive me this Freedom. I dare fay you will; because it is the pure Effect of Hearty Friendship and Good-Will to you. You feem in your Letter to intimate, that you have a Collection of your Authorities and Reafons, &c. in order to your Designs, already drawn up. If you have a Copy of them by you, which you can fpare, and would be fo kind as to fend it down to me, either by the Carrier, (b3) or or fome other fafe Hand, I fhould own it as a very great Favour; and will return it you again affoon as I have perus'd it. By this Means I fhall be the better able to form a Judgment of what you are now defigning; and confequently more fit to give my Opinion, when I fhall have the Happiness of feeing you. I heartily wish you all Health and Happiness: And I pray God moft earnestly to direct you in all your Undertakings, that they may be for his Glory, and the Good of his Church. 1 am fincerely, with the most hearty Efteem and Affection, Upon the Receipt of thefe Kind and Chriftian Letters from our moft Reverend Metropolitans, I refolved to comply with their Direction, tho' it was likely to occafion me fome farther Pains, and that of a Nature not very agreeable, I mean the repeated transcribing of Ancient Greek and Latin Quotations: Of which more hereafter. About this Time I received a long Letter from the moft Learned and Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Worcester; who had been misinform'd about me, as if I was running into Socinianifm. So much of it as concerns thefe Matters I fhall here transcribe, as alfo my Answer, so far as it belongs thereto. SIR, Hartlebury, July 30. 1708. Have been very much grieved for your fake; I Have been and much more on the Churches Account to fee that one with whom I had fo great a Friend Friendship, and of whom I expected fo much Good, as I reasonably might; (knowing the good Parts that God had blefs'd you with, and the honest Zeal you feem'd to have, to employ them for the Glory of God, and the Service of his Church,)fhould fuffer himself to be carried away as you have been by an extravagant Fancy, greedily fet upon hunting after Novelties, into Things not only untrue, but also hurtful in every Book that you have published of late Years. And now at laft, to my great Grief, I hear you are running into Socinianifm ; & are about to publifh a Book of that Sort. Which if it be true, will make it neceffary for me to break Friendship with you once for all. For after that, I cannot but look upon you as a Subverter of Souls, and an Enemy to the Church of Chrift. God forbid it fhould ever come to this! God knows I defire nothing else but your good, and to keep you from doing Hurt to the Church. I befeech God that these Notices I have given you may have the Effect that I design by them. I am, SIR, our fincerely Affectionate Friend and Servant in Christ, WILL. WORCESTER To which Letter I immediately reply'd in this Manner. My very Good LORD, Aug. 26. 1708. Received the laft Night your Lordship's kind and Christian Admonitions; and your Reafons against one Propofition in my Harmony. I (b4) have have fome Caufe to be furpriz'd at both. As to your Lordship's Admonitions I take them very kindly But muft beg leave to fay the main Foundation of them is not true, viz. That I am going over to Socinianifm: To which I have not the leaft Difpofition, nor ever had in my Life. I own my self not fatisfy'd with the Creed of Vigilius Tapfenfis, and fome other novel Notions, which were introduc'd long after the first Times of the Gofpel. But that I might go upon fure Grounds, as to my Determination in fuch Matters, I have made an Extract of almost all the Texts of Scripture, and moft Ancient Teftimonies relating to the Trinity and Incarnation, under their feveral Heads, and, without any Hypothefis of my own, have exactly followed those Ancient Teftimonies. And that the World may be no longer impos'd on by the Partiality and Unfairness of Writers of Controverfy, I defign to publish that original Collection in the Authors own Words, with a very few Notes or Obfervations as I go along. If the common Do&rines difagree with thofe Texts and Teftimonies, they ought certainly to be difcarded. If they agree, my Book will be an unanswerable Vindication of them. And it would make an honeft Man amaz'd to fee what Fears and Jealoufies are conceiv'd from fo fair and unexceptionable a Method as this. Good my Lord, let us act like Chriftians, concern'd for the Faith once delivered to the Saints by our Saviour and his Apoftles; and not like Men ready to maintain all the Corruptions which Pagan Philofophy and Antichriftian Tyranny have brought in and impos'd upon the Church fince the firft Ages. I plead for nothing but this; and beg that the Texts of Scripture and Teftimonies of Antiquity may be heard by themselves, without the Colours and Sophistications |