our common Christianity itself. Moreover this Bishop of London did not only Patronize that horrible Curfe upon the Eufebians or Christians, the Athanafian Creed, but long fupported an annual Lecture, I mean that founded by the Lady Moyer, against the Eufebians or Chriftians, under the falfe Name of Arians: And this even fince the Publication of my Pamphlet concerning Athanafian Forgeries, and its Appendix, or Appeal to xxx Primitive Councils against the Athanafian Herefy; which I venture to fay it openly, have rendred all Vindications of it, in the Way of Learning, abfolutely impoffible. One Thing farther I have to obferve in the Conduct of this Bishop, during the many Years he was the grand Recommender to Ecclefiaftical Preferments at Court; viz. That he took vaft Care to keep out fuch as were fufpected not to be Athanafians, till at length Dr. Rundle, was recommended by the Lord Chancellor Talbot, whom I well knew to be no Athanfian, but once a zealous Promoter of Primitive Christianity upon the Foot of the Apoftolical Conftitutions, till the ufual Corrupter of Clergymen, the Profpect of Preferment, diverted him another Way: I say the Bishop's over-grown Zeal against his Promotion, and the over earnest Sollicitations for the easy Recovery of Tithes to the Clergy from the Quakers, at length overfet him at Court, and procured his Exclufion from any fuch high Pretenfions. And this, which is to me very remarkable, in the celebrated Aftronomical Year 1736; as I have observed in the second Edition of my Effay on the Revelation, Page 320, 324. For which Stoppage to his Career, of bringing on a Codex Perfecution, which I was at that Time aware of, he ought fincerely to have thanked divine Providence; left at the great Day he fhould have been found, not among the Orthodox Promoters of Truth, but the Heretical Perfecutors of the Chriftian Religion. And now I am upon the Character of our Archbishops and Bishops, particularly the late Bishop of London, who was once efteemed the Heir apparent of the Archbishoprick of Canterbury, till the unhappy Circumftances already mentioned befel him. It may not be improper to fet down a large Letter of mine to Archbishop Wake, who in the Year 1721, united with the then Lord Nottingham, to bring in fuch a new Teft upon those called Arians, as the Bishop of London himfelf, as it was fuppofed, wrote against, under the Title of Remarks on Part on a Bill lately brought into the Houfe of Lords. This Paper I have by me; and it has been already mentioned Page 163 priùs. And tho' it was not written in the least out of Favour to the Arians, yet did it, I fuppofe, help to get the Bill rejected. However my Letter to the Archbishop is fo full and diftinct as to need no farther Introduction; and is I think one of the moft material of all the Letters that I publish on this Occafion: It runs thus verbatim. Crofs May it pleafe your GRACE. Tx Cross Street, Hatton Garden, O call to Mind, that in the Summer of the Year 1710, I came from Cambridge, in Company with Dr. Laughton of Clareball, who was then Tutor to a Relation of your Grace's. [Martin Folkes, Efq; now Prefident of the Royal Society:] And with feveral of his Pupils, Members of the fame College, to wait on your Grace, who at that Time was Bishop of Lincoln, at Bugden; and to defire your Permiffion for printing your Tranflation of the fmaller Epifiles of Ignatius's; (which had been before published, in your Grace's very useful English Edition of the Apoftolical Fathers ;) together with my own Tranflation of the larger Epiftles, in my Primitive Chriftianity Reviv'd; which I was at that Time about to publish. Your Grace will alfo call to Mind, that upon my coming to Bugden you was pleased to receive me with great Humanity and Kindness; tho' you well knew what Doctrines I had then openly embrac'd, and was going to make publick: Infomuch that you was pleafed, not only to grant my Request for my Use of your Tranflation of Ignatius's Epiftles, as I did accordingly; but to do me the Favour of taking me into your Study, and of difcourfing freely with me there about the ancient Doctrines of Christianity; and particularly of fhewing me your own MSS. Collections out of the Primitive Fathers, made much after the fame Manner that I had made mine; but mainly relating to that Controverfy against the PaS pifts, pifts, wherein your Grace had been formerly engaged with fo great Reputation. You was also pleased then to invite me to come over to Bugden another Time, to ftay two or three Days with you, that you might more fully difcourfe with me about thofe Doctrines. Sometime after this, as your Grace will remenber, I put into your Hands my intire Differtation on the Epiftles of Ignatius, before it was printed, for your Perufal, Correction, and Opinion: Which Differtation you was pleased, after fome Time, to return, without giving me either your Correction or Opinion. I also waited on your Grace, when you came to Cambridge, about the Month of September the fame Year, to difcourfe with you farther concerning thofe Matters; I well remember the Time, because it was when the Convocation was about to fit; and when your Grace thought it very fit that my Papers fhould be laid before that Convocation before they were printed, for their Examination: Which Motion I, with great. Readiness agreed to. You was alfo pleafed to add this truly honest, truly memorable, and truly Chriftian Promife or Declaration, which I am fure I never fhall, and I heartily with your Grace never may forget, viz. "That altho' what I then afferted. "concerning the Trinity, was contrary to what you had believed, even as fundamental all your "Life; yet did you affure me, that in case you "should be one of those chosen by the Convocation " for the Examination of that Matter, you would "do it with the fame Impartiality, as if you had never been of the contrary Opinion at all." 66 Which appear'd alfo to be, for feveral Years afterwards, your real, tho' not perhaps fufficiently refolute Sentiments, by your conftant Conduct in your Diocese; as well as at London, during that Convocation wherein I was fo deeply concern'd; and during that later Convocation alfo, wherein Dr. Clarke was afterward concern'd. Seeing then your Grace well knows all this to be true, and feeing all the Nation do now know that of late Years, fince you have been removed from Bugden to Lambeth, your Sentiments and Conduct have [after fome Time] been diametrically oppofite to your former Sentiments and Conduct, to that prodigious Degree indeed, that what your Grace formerly promised to examine with the utmoft Impartiality, as poffibly no other than the genuine Doctrines of Chriftianity; you now declare, in open Parliament, you would have punished, even before, and without fuch Examination, with the atmoft Sevety, as no better than profane Blafphemy; I, who among many others, am deeply concern'd in the Confequences of fuch an amazing Change in your Grace; and with Regard to whom, with all due Respect be it spoken, your Grace is not clear of your Obligation, by a particular Promife, to promote that Method of impartial Examination, do hereby, in a folemn Manner, in my own Name, and in the Name of many other fincere Lovers of Truth and true Chriftianity, humbly defire, and openly infift on fuch a publick, fuch an impartial Examination; or, at leaft, on as plain and publick an Account of your Grace's Reasons against it. |