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TO THE

Reverend the CLERGY,

And in particular to the Right Reverend

GILBERT Lord Bishop of Sarum,

Our vigilant and laborious Diocesan.

My LORD,

B

EFORE I prefume to offer and commend to the clergy, and in particular to your lordship's confideration and protection, the annexed papers, I beg leave to obferve a few things, in order to obviate what may be urged against me upon the account of this work, viz. firft, my inability in general for fuch a performance; and in particular my not being read in the original languages. To the first part, viz. my inability in general, I anfwer, that I have done my beft. And as there are degrees of ufefulness, if this mean performance becomes useful in the leaft degree (which I hope it will) towards the bringing home the banish'd truths of christianity; this, I think, will be a fufficient apology for me, and a fufficient answer to the objection.

To the latter part of the objection, viz. my not being read in the original languages; I answer, first, what I have done in this affair, was not originally intended for publick view, much lefs to engage in a controverfy with the learned world, a work which I am unqualified for, and therefore would not meddle with all that I intended, being only to lay before my neighbours, who are otherwife minded, the grounds and reafons of my diffent from them, and to answer their objections, in order to prevent their uncharitable and thereby unchriftian cenfures and reproaches; and (if it might be) to bring them over to what appears to me to be the truth. But when these papers had been viewed by fome friends, it was judged they might be of more publick ufe; and fo requested that they might be printed. Wherefore, in submiflion both to the judgment and request of thofe friends, I have given way

to their being offered to more publick confideration. But, fecondly, I answer, what I have attempted in this work, is to vindicate and reftore the first great article of primitive christian faith, viz. that there is but one fupreme God; and that the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and he only, exclufive of all other beings, fubfiftances, perfon, and perfons whatsoever, is this one fupreme God. This is a controverfy which may be reduced into a very narrow compafs, viz. the answering directly yes, or no, to this plain question: Is the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, really and truly the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift? Here, if the answer be in the negative, then the express teftimony of Chrift and his Apoftles is denyed: if in the affirmative, then what I am pleading for is yielded up, viz. the fupremacy of the Father. This, and this only, is what I have principally defigned to make good; and therefore whatever elfe I may have happened to touch upon, is only occafionally, and as it has a relation to this important Point. And this being a thing fo level to the human understanding, and in which the fcriptures are fo full and plain, the criticifing upon an original word, would not make for or against me in the prefent cafe; and confequently there was no great need of being read in the original languages in order to this performance. But farther,

It may, fecondly, be objected, that I am not of the clergy, but only a laymember of the chriftian church; to which I answer, first, that it is the duty of every christian, as well the laity, as the clergy, to examine the rule, the grounds, and reasons of their faith; and if they diffent from others, to publish the grounds and reafons of that diffent, in order to be reftored to the truth themselves, if they be in error; or if they be in the right, to restore those to the truth who are in the wrong. This, I fay, is not only the right, but the duty of every private chriftian, as far as it properly, and decently, comes within the compafs of his power; because every private chriftian owes so much to himself, to the truth, and to that christian fociety to which he stands related. And this being all that I have done, I think my being only a lay-member of the chriftian church, is no juft exception to this performance. But,

Secondly, I anfwer, that the practice of the church of Rome, in obliging her lay-members to fubmit themselves blindly to the judgment of the church, without examining the rule, the grounds, and reasons of that faith, has been justly esteem'd a gross corruption by the reformed churches; and that they have dealt very hardly by the laity in this, as well as in other refpects. But, alas, if the laity of the reformed churches, are alike obliged to fubmit their judgments to the judgment of the church, and to believe and receive things, as the church believes and receives the fame, without having the liberty to examine the rule, the grounds, and reafons of their faith, and if the cafe require it, to diffent, and to publish the grounds of that diffent, then the reformed churches, in this refpect, are relapfed and gone back to that anti-chriftianism, which they once were brought out of. And likewife the laity of the reformed churches, are in a much worse cafe than the laity of the church of Rome. For tho' their chriftian liberty is alike invaded, and tho' the yoke is the fame, which is put upon the neck of either; yet the church of Rome, has taken care to make

it fit eafy upon her members, whilst the reformed churches have left this yoke to gall the necks of their people, even unto bitterness. For,

First, the church of Rome, has taught her people to believe, that infallibility is lodged in and with their church; and confequently all who are fatisfied of the truth of this point, can comfortably fubmit their judgments to the judgment of the church, without examining the rule or grounds of their faith, because the church is infallible, and therefore cannot err. Whereas on the other fide, the reformed churches have made no fuch provifion, but oh the contrary have declared that churches may err, and have erred; and if so, what a galling yoak muft it be upon our neck, to be obliged to fubmit (not blindly but with our eyes open), our judgments to the judgment of a fallibls church, in those things wherein it plainly appears to us, that the church has departed from the truth? Again, Secondly, the church of Rome has forbid her lay-members the use of the fcriptures, and in fo doing has rendered their fubmiffion to the judgment of the church more eafy, by taking that from them, which if they had the use of, would unavoidably lead them into temptation. That is, they would, by a free ufe of the fcriptures, be tempted to diffent in their judgments from the judgment of the church. Whereas on the other fide, the reformed churches have made no fuch provifion to keep their people out of the way of temptation; but on the contrary have put the fcriptures into the vulgar tongue, and into the hands of their people, and charged it upon them as their duty to hear, read, and meditate upon them. Now

way.

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This makes the yoak ftill more heavy, by laying fuch a temptation in our For when we read and confider fuch a text as this, Ezek. xxxiii. 11. As I live, faith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael. How hard and galling muft it be for a confidering chriftian, to be obliged to believe and affert, that God has from eternity predeftinated to damnation the greatest part of mankind; and that he created them for no other end, but to glorify and difplay his absolute power and fovereignty in their deftruction. I fay, how hard muft it be for à christian, when he reads and confiders the aforefaid text, to be obliged to believe and affert this, if the church, he is a member of, is fo unhappy as to believe and affert the fame; and how great a temptation must a perfon be under to believe and affert otherwise. From all which it appears, that if the laity of the reformed churches are not at liberty to examine the rule, the grounds, and reasons of their faith, and likewife at liberty to diffent from the judgment of the church, in those things wherein it plainly appears to them that the church has departed from the truth, and to publish the grounds and reafons of that diffent, then we (viz. proteftants) are in a much worse case, than the laity of the church of Rome; and we are put under a yoak, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. From the whole it appears, that in this performance I have not gone over the bounds of my chriftian calling; but have only been in the practice of my duty, and in the exercife of my

chriftian

chriftian liberty: a liberty in which I think every proteftant ought to stand fast, in oppofition to the encroachments of popifh anti-chriftianifm, which the proteftant churches may be in danger of relapfing into. And

Thus much I have thought proper to obferve, that fo I might prepare a way to propose to the clergy, and in particular to your lordship's confideration and protection, the following lines, by removing thofe objections, which otherwife might have been an impediment to it.

It is a thing too well known for the clergy, or your lordship in particular, to be ignorant of, that the first great article of primitive chriftian faith, has been the fubject of chriftian controverfy, almost ever fince christianity has had a being, and that it has been particularly difputed about in this age; many tongues and pens having been employed, both in preaching, writing, and conference, upon this fubject. I therefore having, out of my lefs ability or scarcity, caft my mite into this common treasury, into which others, out of their larger abilities or abundance, have caft in by handfuls, and now being to offer it to publick view, the occafion and end of which I have already observed, I do with due humility and deference beg leave to offer and prefent it to the confideration, and as far as it hath strength of argument, and truth on its fide, to the protection of the clergy, and in particular to your lordship. And,

As in the trial of all other caufes, the fuperiour strength of evidences, which confifts in their number, clearness, and credit, is that which in justice entitles either fide of the queftion to the verdict; fo I defire that juftice may take place in the prefent cafe. The evidence which I have produced, are arguments from fcripture to prove, that the Son of God, our Lord Jefus Christ, is a Being inferiour and fubordinate to his God and Father; and that the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, is only and alone the fupreme God. These evidences are in number eight; for clearness (not circumftantial, dark, and doubtful, but) fofitive, full, exprefs, and plain; and for credit, the infallible word of God. If a fuperiour, or at leaft an equal ftrength of evidence, cannot be produced on the other fide, then I think my fide of the question, is by the laws of common equity, entitled to the verdict. May every one, who fhall think fit to examine this matter, have grace to do it with fincerity and impartiality, as in juftice they ought to do, that fo they may well and truly try this caufe, and give their judgment according to the evidence; and fo help our God.

Perhaps it may be looked upon, by fome, as an inftance of intolerable prefumption and impudence in me, to offer and prefent this performance to the confideration and protection of fo learned and venerable a body. But furely this will be eafily apologized for, by every gracious mind. Because as it is the duty and bufinefs of the clergy to ufe their beft endeavours, towards the reftoring chriftianity to its original native purity and fimplicity; fo it is alike their duty to encourage and protect all proper endeavours, ufed by others, towards the attaining that end. And therefore, it must be a very unjuft reflection, when fuch encouragment and protection is called for from them, to charge it with intolerable prefumption and impudence. Truth fure

ly

ly has an undoubted right to the clergy's protection, and therefore most certainly the clergy of all other chriftians may be called upon, without either prefumption or impudence, to give it shelter.

May it pleafe God to pour out abundantly of his fpirit and grace, upon all that are, or fhall be confecrated to him, in the facred miniftry of his church, and particularly upon your lordship; that all of you may fill up the place and relation you are each one called to in the church of God. That you may become beautiful upon the mountains, bringing the glad tidings of peace and falvation; and may it please him to bring into being the happy day, when mercy and truth fhall meet together; when righteoufnefs and peace fhall kifs each other; when they fhall not hurt nor destroy in all God's holy mountain; when the mountain of the Lord's houfe fhall be lifted up above the top of all the hills; when the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the earth, as the waters cover the fea; when the Lord fhall rule and reign in Zion, and unto the ends of the earth; and when it shall be written, even upon the bells of the horses, holiness to the Lord. And may it please the good Lord God to haften it in his time. I conclude with begging the clergy's, and in particular your lordship's bleffing; and remain,

Your Lordship's dutiful,

And affectionate Servant,

THO. CHUBB

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