Learning came to flourish in the World, fave only fuch as having given up themselves to a Sect, have thought they could do great Service to their Sect by fuch Things as they had found in that Book. This was furely the Cafe of Turrian the Jefuit, who wrote warmly for this Opinion, becaufe he found Things in thefe Conftitutions which he thought might do great Service to the Roman Church. But the great Champions of that Church, the Two Cardinals, Baronius and Bellarmin, having better confider'd this Matter, have given them up, as more likely to difgrace their Caufe than to ferve it. For Baronius, you may find his Opinion of them in his Annals, A.D. 102. N. IV. You have Bellarmin's Opinion of them, p. 53, &c. of the Paris Octavo Edition of his Book, De Scriptor. Eccl. There have been fome alfo of the Proteftant Side, who, tho' not altogether of Pfeudo-Clements's Opinion in other Things, yet finding fome Touches of Arianism in this Book,have been thereby tempted to judge it to be the Work of Clemens Romanus. One of these I shall name to you, i. e. Chriftopher Sandius, in his Nucleus, Hist. p. 66, &c. And if you please you may fee the moft Learned Dr. Bull, now Bishop of St. David's, Opinion of him for it: It is in his Defenfio fidei Nicena, p. 50. of Dr. Grabe's folio Edition. He fays of Sandius, Credas hominem, post fidei & bonæ Confcientiæ naufragium, pudorem quoque omnem perdidiffe: Quippe confentiunt Reformati Theologi omnes, neque reclamant bodie ex Pontificiis Critici Doctiores, clamat vero res ipfa. Conftitutiones illas Clementis non effe. Now I fee you are under the fame Temptation that drew Sandius into this Opinion. For it could be certainly nothing elfe but that you think you have this Book on your Side for thofe Opinions, thar fhould make you rave at the rate that you do, in

1

making it Popery and Priest-craft in us to lay fide the undoubtedly genuine Work of Clements Romanus, I mean the Apostolical Constitution, and Original Jewish and Gentile Liturgies contain'd in the Seventh and Eighth Books of it: In Comparison of which all the Books of Divinity now extant, except the Sacred Ones, are inconfiderable. I tell you' my Opinion that this is raving. I am heartily forry to fee; and fhould rejoice and blefs God for it, if I could do any thing for the Cure of it. Pray forbear publishing any Thing till I have feen you, as I hope I may fhortly at London, if you pleafe. But if you go on at this Rate, I must leave you to God; and content my felf to do what I can to prevent your doing farther Mifchief by the Spreading of your Opinions..

I am,

After this follow'd a long Appendix concerning our Saviour's laft Paffover and Death, which was in Debate between us: Which Death of Chrift I had plac'd on the 15th, and his Lordfhip on the 14th of the Jewish Month Nifan. This placing it on the 15th his Lordship look'd upon as the moft pernicious Miftake in my whole Harmony of the Gofpels; and by convincing me of which, he was to make me fenfible how unfit I was to write about the prefent Matters. But this Appendix, and the reft of that Nature in his Lordship's Papers, is fo remote from the Affairs now before us; and I am fo well pre

par'd

par'd to fet that Matter in a clearer Light than ever upon a fuitable Occafion elsewhere; that I fhall wholly omit it here. Only I muft affure the Reader that my Lord's grand Foundation, That the Conftitutions do bring in St. John in particular as giving us the Relation of the Trial and Condemnation of our Saviour, is utterly groundlefs, without any juft Occafion' from the fame Conftitutions: As he will eafily fee upon Examination. And I must obferve to him that thofe. few feeming smaller Differences in the Accounts, as to the Circumftances of our Lord's Paffion, here mention'd by the Bishop, are fo far from Signs of Spurioufnefs in thefe Conftitutions, as his Lordfhip fuppofes, that it is a great Mark of their Original Derivation from the Apostles themselves: There being still the like fmall Varieties in the undoubted Accounts of the Four Gofpels compar'd together; and no later Authors ever giving us the like, but all along following one or other of the Original Accounts taken from the fame Gofpels; as is evident in all the later Writers. However, thefe Letters of my Lord Bishop of Worcester were esteem'd fo convictive to the Reverend Dr, Bray, by whom they all were copied and tranfmitted to me, and Thewn to feveral others; and gave fo great Affurance of an entire Victory over me, that my Cafe was, I understand, much pitied among feveral of my Friends at London; till I fent my Anfwers open the fame way: Which were frequently fhew'd in London alfo. This that follows in particular was read, I perceive, by the Lord Archbishop of York, and this or another by Dr. Hickes. And it foon put an End to their Triumphs. It was in thefe Words?

My very Good LORD,

Camb. Apr. 14. 1709.

Am very much obliged to your Lordship for the great Pains and Trouble you have been at upon my Account: And, when I have receiv'd all the Papers you intend me on my former Books, I fhall confider them all carefully; and either change my Opinions, or fhew good Reafons why I cannot do it. For Evidence, true Original Evidence, I ever fubmit to when I fee it. But Modern Opinions and Authorities, unfupported by others, I have not the leaft Regard to. Only, while the Original Constitution of the Apostles preferv'd by Epiphanius from his Eaftern uncorrupt Copy, and made the Reafon for their Rule about Eafter, (ever obferv'a by the fame Apostles, as your Lordship grants,) directly affirms that Chrift was crucify'd on the Fifteenth of Nifan, Hæref. LXX. §. 11. pag. 823. Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἢ χειρὸν ἐςαύρως, Your Lordfhip muft excufe me if I expect very strong Demonftrations e're I alter my Opinion in that Matter, and fay, he was crucify'd on the Fourteenth. However, Good My Lord, how does my differing from your Lordship's Opinion in a Point ever efteem'd fo difficult by the Learned; and in which I believe the moft, and moft Judicious of this Age are of my Mind, how, I fay, does this affect the Arian Controverfy; or prove me rafh, and proud, and obftinate in my Affertions on that Subject? If indeed the Original Texts and Teftimonies were as, doubtful in that, as they are in this Point, I fhould never be fo vain as to fpeak and act as I do. But on a full,' impartial, and honeft Enquiry into thofe Matters I am abundantly fatisfy'd that the Arian Do arines are thofe deliver'd by our Saviour, and (a)

his

his Apoftles, and all the Firft Chriftians; till Philofophy from the Ancient Hereticks, particularly from Tertullian, prevail'd at Rome, the Seat of Antichrift; and thence fpread like a Torrent over the Chriftian Church. Nay, were it not improper perhaps to make fo bold a Challenge, I do verily believe, that I might engage to burn my own Collection of the Texts of Scripture and Ancient Teftimonies, in cafe any one would bring me but the Tenth Part of fo many, fo ancient, and fo plain Texts and Teftimonies, for the contrary Doctrine now

current.

For Example: I have here à Lift by me of Twenty Ante-Nicene Fathers, who have own'd that God made, or created our Saviour; and that our Lord is his ποίημα, κτίσμα, δημιούργημα, Οι 2 Being really created by him; whereas I have met with none, till Pope Dionyfius, who was offended at that Language. I fpeak of direct Alfertions and Teftimonies, not of poor remote Inferences from them, or from Philofophy and Metaphyficks, which all the Herefies have ever fupported themfelves by. For another Inftance, Our Lord affures us that His Father is greater than He; That He did not know the Day of Judgment; And that no Being but his Father knew it: In this Cafe, I expect Texts as plain on the other Side; and not fome poor Inferences from other Texts not near fo plain, e're I at all alter my Opinion. And I wonder that your Lordship thinks to prove to me the Confubftantiality, Coequality, and Invocation of the Holy Ghoft, from the Form of Baptifm, from that of Doxology, from a fingle Form of Bleffing, and from an Inference utterly ungrounded, and unknown to the Church in the firft Ages; fince I allow that the Bleffed Spirit is to be worthipp'd in thofe Forms,

but