ther. A great many Things may be offer'd in Difcourfe, for the Conviction of either of the differing Parties, which cannot be so easily writ in Letters. I my felf now think that I have as great Reafon to believe, that it will be a great Sin in you, to difturb the Peace and Unity of the Catholick Church, by endeavouring to impofe 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 thefe Matters together, we should not part at fo wide a Difference one from the other. I do fincerely profefs 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 fhould 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 Defigns, 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, (63)

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 designing; and confequently more fit to give my Opinion, when I fhall have the Happiness of seeing 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.

I am fincerely, with the most hearty

Efteem and Affection,

SIR,

Your Faithful Friend,

JO. EBOR,

Upon the Receipt of these Kind and Chrifti, an Letters from our most 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 tranfcribing of Ancient Greek and Latin Quotations: Of which more hereafter.

About this Time I received a long Letter from the most 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 Anfwer, fo far as it belongs thereto,

I

SIR,

Hartlebury, July 30. 1708. Have been very much grieved for your fake; 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 alfo hurtful in every Book that you have published of late Years. And now at last, to my great Grief, I hear you are running into Socinianifm ; & are about to publish 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 should 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 defign by them. I

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 say 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 felf 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 Gospel. 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, un der their feveral Heads, and, without any Hypothefis of my own, have exactly followed thofe 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 Apoítles; 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 themfelves, without the Colours and So

phiftications

4 phiftications of Writers of Controverfy. And I venture to fay that they are, in the main, plain and intelligible to honeft and impartial Minds; as will appear on their Publication; and yet not a little different from the Notions that pafs current among us, and have been deriv'd to us from the Antichriftian Church without Examination.

Your Lordship muft allow me to govern my own Sentiments and Practices by my own Judgment and Enquiries; and not expect that Modern Authority muft ferve inftead of Original Evidence with me, whatever it does with others in most Cafes. And if this be efteem'd Pride, and Vanity, and Obftinacy, and Heretical Pravity, I muft be contented with those Imputations; having an affured Hope that the juft Judge of all the Earth will one Day acquit me, whatever the Paffion or Prejudice of Man may now think of, or do to me. I fincerely enquire after,and honeftly embrace all the Truths of God, which I find either in Scripture, or the firft Writers. But when I fee Corruptions plainly come in; when I faw how they came in, and when they came in ; when I fee by what Authority they were establish'd; and by what forbiding, or dropping, or corrupting the ancient Records of our Religion they have been fo long continued, I cannot hold my Peace, left I my felf be condemned for my Silence and Hypocrify another Day. Your Lordfhip is fo great a Master of the moft Ancient Fathers, that I fhall wonder if my, Collection out of them fhould be thought of any dangerous Confequence by your Lordfhip. And I hope the Apoftolical Conftitutions, Novatian's Account of the Ancient Doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation, and the moft Primitive' Fathers in particular, are by Providence preferv'd on purpofe to retrieve to the Church the

truly