And here give me Leave, My Lord, to say somewhat concerning the late celebrated Performance of myLord Nottingham, relating to one principal Branch of that important Argument; fomewhat that was not fo fit to be faid in my Reply to his Lordftip, but is fit to be faid to your Grace, as the Head of the English Clergy; whofe folemn and repeated Thanks, and thofe alone have rendred my Lord Nottingham's Anfwer fo confiderable. My Lord of Nottingham, as your Grace knows, has therein undertaken to difcufs à very momentous Question, relating intirely to the Faith of the three first Centuries and an Half, without having fo much as occafionally confulted the far greatest Part of the Teftimonies produc'd in my Letters from the Writers of thofe Centuries; and without pretending to have himself read, by Way of Preparation, any one of the Writers of thofe Centuries, excepting the Books of the New Testament: Nor does his Lordship profess to have read, even them with any other Help, but that of certain modern Atbanafian Expofitors only; and yet is this imperfect and unlearned Performance, so give me Leave to call it, cried up to the Skies: The University of Oxford, the Univerfity of Cambridge, and the London Clergy; three of the most learned Bodies of this Kingdom, to fay nothing of the other Addreffers, feem to vie one with another in their Congratulations for it, and Celebration of it. The Cafe is juft the fame, may it pleafe your Grace, as if fome honeft and zealous Prefbyterian Nobleman, belonging to the Kirk of Scotland, that had frequently read the New Tefta ment, ment, with Beza's and Mr. Baxter's Annotations; and had read Mr. Clarkfon against Epifcopacy, and two or three more modern Writers of that Side, fhould pretend, without having even occafionally confulted much the greatest Part of the ancient Teftimonies for Epifcopacy; or indeed, himself, read any one of the ancient Writers themselves, to determine that Controverfy, and to demonftrate that Epifcopacy was not the Government of the Church, during the four first Centuries. What Opinion would your Grace, and the other real Masters of Chriftian Antiquity, have of the Value of fuch a Performance? But fuppofe you should farther hear, that the University of Glafcow, the University of Aberdeen, &c. and the Clergy of Edinburgh, to fay nothing of the Claffical Confiftories in the Country, were bufy also in returning this honest and zealous Nobleman folemn Thanks, for that imperfect and unlearned Treatife; and perhaps, celebrate it as unanswerable. What Opinion would your Grace, and the really Learned have of fuch a Procedure? The Application is easy. I do not mean this for Derogation to my Lord Nottingham; his Answer is no ill one, for an English Temporal Peer; and fhews that his Lordship has been very much, and very religiously converfant in his Bible, and in feveral good Commentators of the Church of England; and has a serious Regard to what his Education and Studies have recommended to his Belief, and Practice as genuine Christianity; which are Qualifications so very uncommon, and fo very valuable, efpecially S 3 pecially at this Time, in an English Temporal Peer, that his Lordship juftly deferves very great Commendations on thefe Accounts. But how honourable fo ever it be for an English Peer among the Laity, to be able to write fuch an Answer, I venture to say it is not at all honourable for those learned Bodies of the Clergy, to have fo folemnly celebrated that Anfwer, as if it were a really learnéd and confiderable Performance, and likely to contribute to the Determination of the Controverfy itself. They must themselves be very weak, and very much unacquainted withChriftian Antiquity that think fo. Nor indeed have I heard that any one truly learned Mafter of Chriftian Antiquity, has ever said fo. What is then the Meaning of all thefe learned Thanks, and this learned Noise from the Clergy about my Lord Nottingham's Anfwer? I believe the thinking Part of Mankind obferve, that to the Answer itself there is a Postscript, wherein my Lord Nottingham, an eminent Peer of Great Britain, has openly declared for Church Power, and for Perfecution; and that Hinc ille Laudes! Hinc Gratia. But thofe laft Words, Church Power and Perfecution, brings me naturally to the prefent Bill for Subfcriptions, and for an Inquifition to support them. Yet certainly, my Lord, this unhappy Nation has of late had Oaths enow, Tefts enow, Subfcriptions enow impofed upon them: Certainly this unhappy Nation has, and that in great Measure by fuch Means, fufficiently funk the real and confciencious Regard to Almighty God; to his true true Religion, and to all common Honesty, Justice, Truth, and Integrity; unless the Nation be refolv'd utterly to exclude those few, very few honest Men, and fincere Chriftians; I mean those who are fuch by through Examination and Conviction; who ftill remain, from the common Privileges of Men and of Chriftians, on that very Account; and of fet Purpose determine to felect thofe, and those only, for Indulgence and Preferment, who with or without Conviction, according to Mr. Hobbs's Notion, will always be as near as poffible, to the legal and establish'd Religion, whatfoever it be. Nor indeed, My Lord, if the Publick proceeds much farther in this Way, will there be almost any openly honest Men, and fincere Chriftians that dare to appear publickly in these Kingdoms. However, My Lord, if the Church and State do refolve to quench those fmall Remnants of Learning, Juftice, and Integrity, which still remain among us, by the Introduction of an Holy Office into thefe Kingdoms, with your Grace at the Head of it; it would certainly be convenient, for its future Reputation, that the feveral Sorts of Blafphemy referred to in the prefent Bill, may be diftinguish'd by feveral Sorts of Penalties; and that Blafphemy against Almighty God himself; or against his Only Begotten Son; or againit · his Holy Spirit, fhould be punished fomewhat more feverely than Blafphemy against Athanafius: Which yet I perceive is not taken Care of in this Bill; which Emendation I would therefore humbly offer to your Grace's Confideration. I conclude with two plain S 4 Obferva Obfervations; the one made by an honeft Italian, who in the Sincerity of his Soul turned Proteftant, and came into England in Expectation of finding true Religion and Piety to flourish here; it was under the Miniftry of the Earl of Oxford, when upon his great Disappointment, he said to me with great Grief, No Religion in Italy: No Religion in England: All Politicks, Politicks. The Author of the other fhall be nameless, but he is one that for fome Time has carefully obferv'd the Circumftances of Ecclefiaftical Affairs, and of the principal Ecclefiaftical Perfons in these Nations; and begs of your Grace, and of all others concern'd, feriously to reflect upon it, before it be too late. Happy, faid this Perfon, is that Man who is not made a worfe Chriftian by being made a Bishop; and thrice happy that Man who is not made a much worfe Chriftian, by being made an Archbishop. I might here add fomewhat concerning certain Discoveries of my own, of very great Confequence, as to the facred Scriptures, and particularly the facred Chronology that lie now by me, no -Ways unworthy of your Grace's, or of the Learned's Confideration, and Patronage: The Substance of fome Part whereof I had, indeed, thought long ago to have communicated to your Grace, before it were printed; but fince you seem to me now to have engaged yourself for modern Church Power, instead of Primitive Chriftian Difcipline, and for Perfecution inftead of Examination in the most sacred Matters: I have no more to say, but shall forely : |