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fpoke in this manner to any of the Prophets, or that any of the books of these are in verfe, which stile even Philofophers, according to him, fcorn to ufe: not confider-ing the numerous examples to the contrary in the Old Teftament, wherof feveral confiderable books, befides intire fongs and fragments in fome of the reft, are undeniably in verfe; without dwelling upon EMPEDOCLES, and a great many other poetical Philofophers. RICOLDUS likewise denies that MAHOMET cou'd be a Prophet for all the world, of which he gives this judicious reafon (to produce no more of his choice obfervations) that he wrote onely in 18 Arabic; forgetting or not knowing, that the New Teftament was written onely in Greec I repeat on this occafion what I faid in the Preface to NAZARENUS, that I take care in general, not to overburthen my reader with citations of any fort; contenting my felf to prove or illuftrate my allegations, by no more authorities than are neceffary: tho I often abound with others, which I judge needless, or referve against answerers. This the event has fufficiently prov'd, and notwithstanding my second discharge, I have ftill no fcanty provifion, with refpect to all the fubjects I have handi'd. Doctor MANGEY may go on to call them gleanings, and others by their thread-bare phrafe of borrow'd learning, I readily confefs the charge: for I have glean'd and borrow'd them in three Univertities wherof I have been actually a member, and in two others, where I have fojourn'd a confiderable time for this very purpose, after the manner of the antient Philofophers; not to infift on those I have curforily vifited, nor all the pains I have taken out of them. I publish not these things out of vain glory, as every one may fee; but in my own neceffary vindication against the unfair or malicious fuggeftions of half-witted or halflearn'd Priestlings, who judge of others by themselves, the very worst rule that any can follow. Tis to the moderate, ferious, and learned Divines, that I make my appeal; and not to fuch, who, tho they wou'd feem to know every thing, do in reality know very little. And

verunt, dicit Deum rythmicè locutum; quod et fapientes, et philofophi homines. dedignantur. Confutatio Legis Saracenicae, cap. 4. 18 Dicit [MAHOMETES] fe prophetam effe univerfalem; fed tamen Alcoranum Arabicis literis a Deo datum effe, neque ulkn aliam linguam fe fcire praeter Arabicaın. Ibid. cap. 6.

how

how fhou'd they? when they feldom or never ftudy any thing, but fpend the small time that is left 'em from hunting after benefices, and paying a fervil court to fuch as can difpofe of them, in reading or talking politics, in vifiting or caballing, in learning the arts of drefs or the language of the theatre, and in fupplying the want of all theological accomplishments with atheological zeal. Nevertheless, their pretence of defending the CHURCH, when no body attacks it, is commonly but an artificial paffion (if I may fpeak fo) politically counterfeited to impose on the vulgar, to gratify turbulent Statefmen and Clergymen, or to serve for a cover to their own envious and detracting humor.

IV. Mr. WOTTON, tis true, no more than fome others I may chance to mention, is not directly concern'd in the answers that were made to NAZARENUS; but the 19 piece he formerly wrote against me not re-. quiring any reply in my own opinion, or in that of better judges, the few paffages I have inftanc'd out of it now, are onely intended as pertinent examples of what I was showing where I quoted them: namely, that fome perfons will not allow any man to be commended on any fcore, who disagrees with them in certain particulars; that whom they oppofe in any one thing, they think themselves oblig'd to oppofe in all other things; and that there is nothing, however improbable or falfe, they will not say without fhame or remorse, in order to leffen or blacken their adverfary. Thus they are at pains to make themfelves ridiculous, and to open a large field of triumph to their Antagonists. In taking notice of what Dr. BRETT (a perfon of diftinguish'd parts and great fedatenefs) has offer'd against NAZARENUS, in the preface to his treatife of Tradition neceffary to explain and interpret the holy Scriptures, my intention was, befides my own apology, to defend the first and beft Proteftants, against certain half-profeft or whole-difguis'd Papists, who are for restoring Priesthood, Sacrifice, and Altars, justly thrown out of the Church at the Reformation; together with the fuperlative notions of Spiritual Minifters, Oil, Chrism, a mixture of Water in the Sacramental cup,

19 A Letter to EUSEBIA in answer to the LETTERS TO. SERENA, printed for Mr. GOODWIN at the Queen's head, over against St. DUNSTAN's Church in Fleetfireet.

Prayers

Prayers and Oblations for the Dead,private Confeffion and authoritative Abfolution, gorgeous Buffets and other vain decorations, frequent Bowings and Croffings, Cuts and pictures in pray'r books, especially in the public Offices often reprefenting legendary fables. Nor cou'd I forget their invalidating Chriftian ordinances, adminifter'd by perfons not Epifcopally ordain'd; their unchurching thus, and confequently unchriftianing, the greater part of Proteftants to gratify Papifts. To these might be added, their rebelliously incroaching on the power of the Magiftrate, by their pretended Independency of the Church on the State and finally, their impiously setting themselves up inftead of GOD, by claiming whatever was dedicated to his fervice tho ever fo unwarrantably or idolatrously; as the restoration of the Churchlands (for example) in the times of Popery, which right was modeftly pleaded by fome of their predeceffors, who never wanted a pretext for accumulating,to feize on the indowments for fupport ing the Heathen Temples and fapplying the facrifices of Demons. Too little has been faid about these matters by fome learned perfons in high ftations, of whom better things were expected; and they ought not to take it amifs if they are fufpected of the fame defigns, till they act with more honefty and opennefs in this affair, or at leaft till they show a better countenance to those of their order that do so : for this Free and Proteftant state will nor fuffer it felf to be inflav'd, either by ambitious feducers or fuperftitious fophifters, under any pretence whatfoever. Our Governors are too clear fighted, to be cheated out of their fenfes, out of their power and intereff, by English any more than by Italian Popery. My account of the LITURGY, publish'd by fome of the new feparatifts, is moftly in the very words of the fame, and no where differing from its fenfe. Dr. BRETT, by a very fingular paradox, makes my referring people to the Law and to the Teftimony, to the New Teftament and to that alone for doctrine and difcipline, to be a plot for undermining and blowing up Christianity. So I remem ber father PAUL (in one of his Letters) tells us, that the Letter 25. POPE, complaining of Fra FULGENTIO, faid, that preaching of the Scriptures is a fufpicious thing; and that be, who keeps clofe to the Scriptures, will ruin the Catholic faith. In the very next Letter, the POPE's more exLetter 26. plicite words of him were, that indeed he made fome good Sermons,

Sermons, but bad ones withal; and that he infifted too much upon Scripture; which is a book, faid the pretended head of Chriftians, to which if any keeps clofe, he will quite ruin the Catholic Faith. And for certain he will, I mean the faith fo deem'd by the Church of Rome, and likewife all thofe fine things I have obferv'd in the late-coin'd English Liturgy; for which there is not any color of warrant in the New Teftament, whatever may be in the old Fathers. For this reafon of advancing any thing as a part of Christianity, or befides or against the authority of the books of the New Teftament, I have always declar'd (I go not about to deny it) a foverain contemt for most of the Fathers; as well as for other very material causes, regarding their Integrity, their knowlege, and certain other difqualifying qualifications. Not above three of the Greec Fathers of the four first centuries (if I may strictly allow fo many) knew any thing of the original Hebrew; and the Latin Fathers, no greater number excepted, understood as little either of that or the original Greec. Yet, in fpite of common fenfe, these must be the best interpreters of Scripture; as the Councils made up of fuch, must be the fittest men to make unalterable decifions and Canons, with dire anathemas against all Diffenters, tho mafters in Jerufalem and Athens. Those Fathers fucceded accordingly. For, by founds, allufions, fimiles, accommodations, and fuch other precarious methods (as fuppofing the point in queftion, or arguing from erroneous conceffions) without ever attending to the fcope of the place, or the true import of the words of Scripture, they made any thing out of every thing, and every thing out of any thing. So fanciful people fee what forms they please in the Clouds, and learn wife leffons out of the melodious found of bells. This may do tolerably well ftill, in a preachment to day laborers and old women; but will run fome risk of examination, and be apt to occafion a little mirth, if us'd in books of Controverfy, or in a Sermon before a learned auditory, except they be all in black cloaths. Tis mere illufion, errant fophiftry to fay (as we'll fhow in its due place) that the Fathers having liv'd nearer than we to the times of the Apostles, they are therfore better interpreters of Scripture. To what degree their authority reaches, is not agreed by their advocates. They are at least the best explainers of difcipline and worship, according

to

to the reverend and learned Dr. HARE; who 20 affirms that tho the Scripture be a perfect rule of faith, he must never have look'd into it, who's capable of thinking it a perfect rule of worship, I mean (fays he) as to external worhip and difcipline: but he that will take the writings of the primitive Church (adds the fame) as 21 A SUPPLEMENT TO THE SCRIPTURES in these points, cannot be at a loss to know what are the powers of ChurchGovernors, or what the obedience due to them. IGNATIUS alone may do well enough for this laft darling particular. Page 128. Dr. MANGEY, after thofe he admires, thinks the doctrine of the Church the best comment upon Scripture, even as to points of faith: and Dr. BRETT does every where make the primitive Fathers not onely the best interpreters both of Faith and Difcipline; but also neceffary guides, without whofe writings and traditions the New Teftament it felf wou'd be quite unintelligible. Notwithstanding these authorities, or those of much antienter and more fonorous names, I ftill retain the fame diflike and difregard for the Fathers; for which I fhall foon give reafon fufficient, fact abundant, in the Treatise of Tradition which I mention in the 209th page of MANGONEUTES. I dare be pritty confident, I am not the man Dr. HARE had principally in his eye, when, occafionally mentioning the antient writers of the Church, he fays that thofe contemn who never read them, and therPage 41. fore exprefs fo much contemt to excufe their ignorance. Yet I can with great truth affirm, that, having been deftin'd to the study of Theology (which I diligently profecuted, till I arriv'd at the state of standing faft in that Liberty, wherwith CHRIST has made us free) I have, for my own or other men's fins, read all the Fathers afcrib'd to the three first centuries with much application, fome of 'em more than once or twice; and that, befides the profest Historians, I have look'd not perfunctorily for as many other centuries into the reft, who deviated more and more from the fimplicity of the Gospel, tho some of 'em exceded the Learning of their predeceffors. This

Ubi fupra,

Gal. 5.1.

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20 CHURCH-AUTHORITY VINDICATED, in a visitation Sermon preach'd at Putney, May 5, 1719: page 29. prim. edit. 21 This puts me in mind of the CODICIL in the Tale of a Tub.

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