Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

2, 3:

for whoever reasons, lays afide all Authority, and endeavours to force your Affent by Argument alone. St. PAUL likewise went frequently into the Synagogues of the Jews, and reafon'd with them; which was not only Ads 17. putting the Jews upon Free-Thinking on matters of Religion, but taking (according to the prefent Notions of Chriftians) a very extraordinary step to put them upon FreeThinking. For fhould WILLIAM PENN the Quaker, or other religious Perfon differing from the Establish'd Church, come to St. Paul's during the time of Divine Service to reason with the Court of Aldermen, Preacher, and Singing-Men; or Mr. WHISTON into the Lower House of Convocation, to reafon with them; it is certain, that pursuant to the false Notions which now universally prevail, the one would be treated as a Madman and Fanatick, and the other as a Disturber of the Proceedings of the Holy Synod, which af fumes a right to determine without Reasoning with the Perfon whofe Opinions they

condemn.

OUR Saviour particularly commands us to fearch the Scriptures, that is, to endea- Joh.5.39. vour to find out their true meaning. And for fear we should furrender our Judgments to our Fathers, and Mothers, or Church-Rulers, or Preachers, he bids us take heed what we hear, and whom we hear, Mar. 4.24. and to beware of their Doctrine. And why, Mat. 16.

Luk.8.18.

fays 12.

14. 26.

Luke 12. fays he, even of your felves judg je not what 56,57. is right? If a Man come to me, and hate not Mat. 19. his Father and Mother, he cannot be my Difciple. And he commanded his own Difciples Mat. 21.1. not to be call'd Rabbi nor Masters; by which & 8. 10. laft words our learned Commentator, the

29.

Reverend Dr. WHITBY, underftands, That we should call no Man Guide, or Mafter upon earth, no Fathers, no Church, no Council. And indeed whoever confiders, that all the Priefts upon earth were Enemys to our Bleffed Saviour and his Gofpel, and that he giving the privilege of Infallibility to no body befides his holy Apoftles, could not be fecure that any Priests would ever be otherwise; I fay, he who confiders this, can never think it poffible for CHRIST to give fo partial a Command, as to contain a Reserve in behalf of any Set of Priefts, in prejudice of the general Rules of Free-Thinking, on which the Gospel was to be built, and which he fo particularly laid down and inculcated.

6thly. THE Conduct of the Priests, who are the chief Pretenders to be Guides to others in matters of Religion, makes FreeThinking on the Nature and Attributes of the Eternal Being or God, on the Authority of Scriptures, and on the Senfe of Scriptures, unavoidable. And to prove this, I will give you an Induction of feveral Particulars of their Conduct.

Vol. I. p. 189.

if. IT

ft. IT is well known that the Priests throughout the Universe are endlesly divided in Opinion about all these matters; and their Variety of Opinion is fo great, as not poffibly to be collected together: nay, even thofe kinds of Priefts, with which we are more nearly concern'd, differ fo much one among another on fome of these heads, that it would be an impoffible task to give you all their Differences. I will therefore out of this vaft and spacious Field select such under each of these heads, as is moft proper to affect us Englishmen.

(1.) AS to the Nature of the Eternal Being or God, the antient and modern Pagan Priefts had and have as many different Ideas of the Deity, as Wit, or Intereft, or Folly can invent; and even the Chriftian Priests have been always, and ftill are, divided in their Notions of a Deity. Almoft all the antient Priefts and Fathers (who were most of them Priefts) of the Chriftian Church conceiv'd God to be material; and feveral antient Chriftian Priests of Egypt were fo grofs, as to conceive him to be in the fhape of Man, and from thence were call'd Anthropomorphites. Moft of the modern Priefts contend that God is immaterial, but they differ in their Notion of Immateriality; fome by Immaterial Being underftanding

*

ftanding extended Subftance without Solidity; and others by Immaterial Being understanding unextended Being.

IF any regard is to be had to the malicious Books and Sayings of Priests one against another, feveral of them make the material Universe to be the Eternal Being or God, wherein confifts the Effence of Atheism.

THE Reverend | Mr. WILLIAM CARROL has wrote feveral Books to prove the Reverend Dr. CLARK and the Reverend Mr. SAMUEL BOLD Atheists in that fense.

THE Reverend ** Mr. TURNER charges the Reverend Dr. CuDWORTH with Atheism for his Intellectual System of the Univerfe: And a Great Prelate muft suppose Atheism very far fpread among the Priefts, when he said, †† It was a great Providence of God that fo many of the Clergy swore to the Government (under King WILLIAM and

* Dr. More in his Div. Dial. and Enchirid. Metaph. Glanvil in Sadd. Triumph. Turner of the Divine Extenfion, in an Appendix to his Difc. of the Meffiah; and Dr. Clark in his Four Letters about the Immateriality of the Soul.

+ The Body of Priests.

Remarks on Clark's Sermons, 4to. Defence of Re marks, 4to. Differtation against Locke, 8vo. **Difc. of the Meffiah, Epift. Ded. p. 17, 18.

Notes on the Paftoral Letter, p. 51.

Queen

Queen MARY) lest the Church should be defroy'd And it was the fame Providence of God that fo many of the Clergy refus'd the Oath, left People should think that there was no fuch thing as Religion, and incline to

Atheism.

AS the Chriftian Priests differ about the Nature or Effence of God, fo they are infinitely more divided in their Notions about his Attributes.

THE whole difference between the Arminians and Calvinifts is founded on different Notions of the Attributes of God; and this Difpute is kept up in moft Christian Churches on the face of the earth. It is carry'd on in the Romish Church under the names of Janfenifts and Jefuits, Thomifts and Molinifts, &c. It has been for near a Century laft paft debated among the Divines of our Church, and is at this day between the Reverend Dr. WHITBY and his Adverfarys. Indeed the Differences among the Priests in every Church about the Attri butes of God, are as numerous as the Priests who treat of the Divine Attributes; not one agreeing with another in his Notions of them all. I will therefore close this matter with one Inftance of a moft remarkable Difference.

« AnteriorContinuar »