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Facultys are fo dull, that we are constantly puzzled even with those Objects which are most familiar to us, and which we have the beft Opportunitys of being intimately acquainted with. How then fhou'd the wifeft Man in the World throughly comprehend the Nature of the felfexiftent and infinitly perfect God?

Thus, Dear Sir, have I given you my Thoughts upon this nice and important Subject; and I am willing to hope, that they may work that good Effect, for which, I can truly fay, they are moft fincerely intended.

Whether there be any Solidity in my Reasonings, and whether my Notions be true, as you muft judge for your felf, fo the World muft judge between us both. God grant, that when we are at any time bufy'd in forming our Judgments, we may duly confider and remember, that we fhall anfwer for our Opinions as well as our Practices (because Opinion is the Foundation of Practice) at his Tribunal, about whofe Divinity you and I have been amicably contending; and who will pass a final Sentence upon us, according to, not the Strength of our Heads, but the Integrity of our Hearts.

Here I fhou'd have released your Patience, had thefe Papers been communicated to you in a privat manner. But fince I am obliged to addrefs them to you from the Prefs, I ought not to forget, that very few Readers have Abilitys equal to those which God has bleffed you with; or will bestow such a measure of Attention, as you naturally afford even to Matters of far lefs concern. And therefore, tho' you wou'd easily apply what has been already faid, to the feveral Parts of your own Scheme; and

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wou'd

wou'd inftantly difcern what my Sentiments are touching every Point of it: yet I can't but esteem it neceffary, for the fake of moft other Readers, to fubjoin a fhort Examination of your Doctrin, and therein to fignify what I think concerning each diftinct Branch,referring backwards to thofe Places, in which I have more largely handled such Particulars, as we may happen to clafh with each other about. By this means, what I have digefted into a regular Difcourfe in a Syftematical way, will be immediatly transform'd into a Perfonal Contoverfy with your felf; and the meaneft Reader will be able to find, without any Trouble or lofs of Time, a diftinct Reply to whatsoever you have advanced in oppofition (as I verily think) to what the Holy Scriptures do teach concerning the Everbleffed Trinity in Unity.

A N

A N

ΕΧΑΜΙΝΑΤΙΟΝ

O F

Dr. CLARKE's

Scripture Doctrine

OF THE

TRINITY.

Of the Doctor's Preface.

YOUR P

OUR Preface, as 'tis very fhort, fo 'tis certainly very inoffenfive, and what no honeft Man can object against.

Of his Introduction.

Your Introduction is of confiderable length. Touching the Contents of it I need only lay, 1. That no Man does more heartily own the Holy Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith, than my felf.

Q 2

2. That

2. That I have fully expreffed my Mind as to the Point of Subfcription to our Church's Articles, in my Effay on them. 3. As to our Complyance with other legal Forms, I fhall wave all Discourse concerning it, for a Reason which I shall give, when I come to your Third Part.

Of his First Part.

Your Book is divided into Three Parts. You say (a), that in the First Part of it (that it might appear what was, not the Sound of fingle Texts, which may be eafily mistaken, but the whole Tenour of Scripture) you have collected all the Texts that relate to the Doctrine of the Everbleffed Trinity (which you are not fenfible has been done before) and fet them before the Reader in one View, with such References and critical Obfervations, as may ('tis hoped) be of confiderable Ufe towards the Understanding of their true Meaning. I fhall therefore take no further notice of this First Part, than as I fhall find my felf obliged in the Examination of your Second, which refers backwards to, and depends upon, your Firft; and wherein, you (b) fay, is collected into methodical Propofitions the Sum of that Doctrine, which (upon the carefullest Confideration of the whole Matter) appears to you to be fully contained in the Texts cited in the First Part. So that by examining your Second Part, I fhall of confequence examine your First also, as much as the Nature of my Design requires; which is to rectify your Notions relating to the Holy Trinity, and to fhew what the Holy Scriptures do really teach concerning it.

(a) Introdu&t. p. 17.

(b) Ibid.

of

Of his Second Part.

Your Second Part confifts of Fifty five Propofitions, each of which I fhall confider diftinctly. Only I must advertise you of one thing.

You (c) fay, You have illuftrated each Propofition (you fhould have faid, the greatest Number of them) with many Testimonies out of the antient Writers, both before and after the Council of Nice; efpecially out of Athanafius and Bafil; of which are feveral not taken notice of either by Petavius or the Learned Bishop Bull. Concerning all which, you defire it may be obferved, that they are not alledg'd as Proofs, of any of the Propofitions (for Proofs are to be taken from the Scripture alone) but as Illuftrations only; and to fhew how eafy and natural that Notion must be allowed to be, which fo many Writers could not forbear expreffing fo clearly and diftinctly, even frequently, when at the fame time they were about to affirm, and endeavouring to prove, fomething not very confiftent with it. Now, whether you have truly reprefented those Writers, whose Testimonys you have alleged, 'tis perfectly needlefs for me to inquire. For why fhould we argue about, or appeal to, the Teftimonys of those Perfons, whofe Words you do not allege as Proofs, for the Establishment of any Propofition, and whofe Judgment you are refolved beforehand not to abide by?

Wherefore, whether you have juft Grounds to affert, that (d) the greatest part of the Writers before and at the time of the Council of Nice, were really of that

(c) Introdu&. p. 17.

(d) Introdu&t. p. 18.

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Opinion

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