can now become a fundamental Article of the Chriftian Faith?

VIII. How the Eternal Generation of the Son of God, which was fo utterly unknown at the Council of Nice, came to be in latter times advanc'd into a fundamental Doctrine of Chriftia nity?

IX. How it comes to pass that the known He refy of Cerinthus, in denying the Sufferings of the Divine Nature of our Saviour, is now fo current and Orthodox Doctrine in our Days?

X. Where is the Holy Ghoft directly called God or Lord, in the Scripture or most Primitive Writers. I defire but one plain Instance?

XI. What one Chriftian till, fome time after the Council of Nice, ever ventur'd to Invocate ther Holy Ghost? A Single Inftance is here alone defired alfo.

XII. How it comes about that we efteem: thofe and only thofe Doctrines Orthodox in thefei Matters, which are approv'd and establish'd by the Church of Rome? and this at a time when Antichriftianifm was rifing apace in her.

XIII. How it comes to pafs in particular,that 2 Creed made under Antichriftianifm, and not? received till it was at the height, is still the Stani; dard of Orthodoxy in any of the Reformed Churches?

XIV. How the firft Four general Councils come to be fo facred and infallible; when all the fucceeding ones are of fo little Authority with

us?

XV. Why Athanafius must be efteem'd almost infallible, while thofe much greater and more learned Men, Origen, Eufebius, and Apolli narius are rejected as Heretical, without Exami-: nation?

XVI. Why fo many of the ancient Books are loft? and in particular why almost all the Arian and Apollinarian Writings are utterly perifhed?

XVII. Why do we cry out against the Socinians, for fetting up buman Reasonings again plain Teftimonies, when fo much of our Modern Belief is wholly built on human Reafonings against as plain Teftimonies allo?::

XVIII. Why do we cry out against the Papifts, for taking away the Cup, and for Prayers in a ftrange Tougue, notwithstanding the Inftitution and Command in Scripture, while we affert Joh.XIV. that the Father is not Greater then the Son, and that the Son was not ignorant of the Day of Judgment, 36. Mar. notwithstanding our Lord's own exprefs DeclaXIII. 32. rations to the contrary?

28. Mat. XXIV.

-XIX. How the implicit Faith in General Councils, nay in Athanafius, and in the Church of Rome as to these Matters, is confiftent with the owning the Proteftant Rule of Faith, the Holy Scriptures; with the Duty of all to fearch thofe Scriptures; and with our Belief that the Church of Rome is Antichriftian?

XX. Why the Difputants for the common Notions, never ftate and prove the meaning of the Words they use and Reafon from? fuch as Θεός υιός μονογενής αΐδΘ' αιώνιΘ ψυχή κτίζειν κτίσμα ποιεῖν· ποίημα γεννάν γυνητός χυητός. &c. nor thew that the modern Signification of them is the fame in this Controverfy that it was in the firft Ages of the Gospel? efpecially when the whole Controverfy turns upon the right ftating the fame?

XXI. Why the Athanafians fo often charge the Arians with falfifying the Scripture, and Ancient Authors, without the leaft Proof? while tis notorious that they have themselves been fo wicked, in this Matter.

But

But to return to the Series of my Hiftory. After I had made my entire Extract out of the acknowledg'd Books of the New Teftament, and of the two firft Centuries, I, upon fome Occafion, met with an excellent Book concerning thefe matters, which is own'd to be near Seventy Year older than the Council of Nice, and rather earlier than the Council of Antioch, and which is entituled Novatian's Treatife of the Trinity: tho' the word Trinity be not in it; nor does it on any fufficient Evidence appear to be Novatian's. Upon the perufal of this noble Work, written by a learned Catholick, from the known Rule of Faith and from the Scriptures, against fome Hereticks of those times, and which is the only large and judicious Book of fo great Antiquity upon that Subject now Extant in the Church; I was exceedingly pleas'd to find there, almost in every Thing the very fame Account of the Original Doctrines of the Gospel, as to these Matters, which I had before learn'd and collected from the more ancient Teftimonies: and fo I was fecure, that, for the main at least, I had not mistaken the most Primitive Opinions thereto relating. But, the Confirmation I received from the Book afcrib'd to Novatian, was nothing in Comparison of what I received foon after from the Apoftolical Conftitutions. For about the beginning of July this Year, my Learned-Friend (to whofe honeft, impartial, and laborious Affi- Mr Richard ftance and Sagacity, I am too deeply indebted, allin. to be ever able to make a fuitable Return;) coming one Day to see me, brought along with him a Paper, wherein he had tranfcrib'd feveral Paffages, favourable to the Arian Opinions, from the fame Conftitutions: (a Work which to that: Day, as far as I can remember, I had never feen. in all my life) and defired me to look a little into

that

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that Book, the best Edition whereof he had gotten, and offer'd to lend me. I well remember that my firft Answer to him was, that I did not care to meddle with fpurious or grofly interpolated Writings; fuch as I perceiv'd thofe Conftitutions were generally efteem'd to be by the Learned; but had much rather confine m felf to Authors really genuine and uncorrupt. Yet upon his fhewing me withal a fmall Prayer for Collect tranfcrib'd thence alfo; which I could not but readily own to be moft pious, primitive, and affectionate in its Compofition; I was perfuaded to borrow and perufe that Work. And indeed I do not know that I was ever fo perfectly furpriz'd and mightily pleas'd in all my Life: To find fo compleat and large a Book, fo plainly facred, and belonging to the Companions of the Apoftles, if not to the Apoftles themselves; fo full of the Simplicity, Piety, Honefty, Strictnefs, and Difcipline of the moft Primitive Ages; and yet fo little known, and of fo little Efteem among us, was very amazing. Tho' indeed this Difregard, as I foon perceiv'd, was principally on Account of that old plain Chriftianity or Arianism contain'd in it, without the leaft Colour for any of thofe Novel Notions or Expreffions which Philofophy began to introduce in the very Second Century; and which advanc'd to a mighty Syftem in the Fourth, under the Conduct of Athanafius. And I could hardly tell how to forgive my felf as a Clergyman, (fo I then us'd to exprefs my felf,) when I confider'd how long I had been in Holy Orders, without fo much as once feeing or perufing fo ineftimable a Work. For I foon found that, as it does moft plainly put an end to almoft all the Difputes that are now among Chriftians, fo that, at the lowest Suppofition poffible, its

Au

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 felf 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 Difcoveries 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 publifh'd of these great Doctrines of our Religion, in the very Words of the Sacred and moft Primitive Writers themselves, and free from the

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