Act of Parliament

which continues in

force to this day. And fo zealous were fome of the Clergy, at that time, to preserve their Benefices, that Bifhop Burnet fays, many of them fubfcribed their Affent and Confent to this whole Book, who were fo from having then ever read it, that they could never have seen it; though two thousand of them, he tells us, were fo confcientious as to relinquish their Benefices rather than fubfcribe. This must neceffarily have occafioned great disputes and altercations concerning the lawfulness or expediency of this Subfcription, especially as many Members of the Parliament which made this law, were much against it; for the Bill was carried but by a small Majority. And these Difputes have continued to our own time. Many of the Established Clergy have undertaken to vindicate their Conduct in Subfcribing to the Articles and all things contained in the Book of Common Prayer and Ordinals; but they do not All do this G 4

after

after the fame manner.

Some ftill openly

declare that they Subscribe to these things in the plain and obvious meaning of the words, as they were originally intended by the Compilers of them. But this Party is very small and inconfiderable, and looked upon with an evil eye by the reft, as no better than mere Calvinists, which hath been, ever fince the time of Arch Bishop Laud, a term of great reproach in the Church of England. And indeed whoever attends Modern Sermons will hear very few but what seem to be upon a different Syftem from the original meaning of the 39 Articles. Therefore most of the Clergy make no fcruple of declaring that they subscribe these Articles in fenfes, every one as he can best reconcile them to his own fentiments and way of thinking. Some fubfcribe them, as what they call, Articles of Peace, more than of Belief. Others fubfcribe them as containing many Truths, though there may be fome mistakes in them, which

they

they hereby oblige themselves not avowedly and openly, to contradict. Others subscribe them in any sense they can make of them by any grammatical figures and critical Rules. And others fubfcribe them as old obfolete Laws, which, by age, have loft their force, and are little now but a dead Letter. And This I think is the cafe of Modern Subscription to the 39 Articles; I mean amongst Those who reflect upon what they are then doing. For I would appeal to my Lords the Bishops, whether they believe One young Gentleman in many, who offer themselves to be ordained, have reflected at all upon these matters, or even given themselves the trouble to read over All that they then take upon them to fubscribe.

I CANNOT indeed here avoid taking notice of the Evafion that is made ufe of with regard to one of the Articles, viz. the 8th, which is in thefe words. Of the three Creeds. The three Creeds,

Nice Creed, Athanafius's Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed; for they may be proved by moft certain warrants of holy Scripture. Whoever reads the Athanafian Creed and compares it with the holy Scriptures must be furprized at this bold Affertion, that it may be proved by them which are quite filent on the the diftinguishing Doctrine of that Creed. This the best Writers on this fubject are sensible of, and therefore they put this glofs of the All that is required of us

matter.

as neceffary to Salvation is, that before all things we hold the Catholic Faith, which Catholic Faith is, defined in the third and fourth verfes to be a Belief in the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity. All that follows from hence to the 26th verfe is only brought as a proof and illuftration of it: and therefore requires

our Affent no more than a Sermon does

which is made to prove or Illuftrate

a Text.'

WHEATLY and others.

WHAT Shuffling, Contradiction, and Equivocation are here! Yet this is the best Apology that the warmeft Advocates for the Athanafian Creed are able to make for it. One of them believes it only to one verfe Another to another, though all profefs to believe it thoroughly, and enforce the Belief of the Whole on whomfoever will be faved, under no lefs a pepenalty than Eternal Damnation. What is more, Every one of these Advocates Subscribe and declare an unfeigned Affent and Confent to All and Every thing contained in it!

Nay,

INDEX EXPURGATORIUS.

THESE are Latin words. Index properly fignifies that which points or directs