mention one only. He tells Dr. Tully, in the most ferious and folemn manner imaginable, that if there could but be found any one Propofition, that He had maintain'd in all his Harmony, repugnant to the Doctrine of the Catholick and Primitive Church, He would immediately give up the Caufe, fit down contentedly under the reproach of a Novelift, openly retract his Error or Heresy, make a folemn Recantation in the Face of the Chriftian World, and bind himself to perpetual filence ever after. He knew very well what He faid; being able to show, by an Hiftorical Deduction that his Doctrine had been the conftant Doctrine of the Church of Chrift, down to the Days of Calvin, in the Sixteenth Century.

3. Befides this, He demonftrated, very clearly, that the most antient and valuable Confeffions of the Reformed Churches Abroad were intirely in his Sentiments. He examin'd. them with great Care and Exactness, and anfwer'd the contrary Pretences largely and folidly.

4. To compleat All, He vindicated his DoEtrine farther, from the concurring Sentiments of our own most early, and moft judicious Reformers: As alfo from the Articles, Catechism, Liturgy, and Homilies of the Church of England: And this with great accuracy

Bull. Apolog. Contr. Tull. p. 7.
Bull. Apol. Contr: Tuil. p. 5o. 510

and

and ftrength of Reason, without the mean Arts of Equivocation or Sophistry.

5. I may add, fifthly, that his manner of Writing was the most convincing, and most ingaging imaginable: Acute, ftrong, and nervous; learned throughout; and fincere to a fcrupulous Exactness, without artificial Colours or ftudied Difguifes, which He utterly abbor'd. The good and great Man breaths in every Line: A Reader, after a few Pages, may be tempted almost to throw off his Guard, and to refign Himfelf implicitely into fo fafe Hands. A Man thus qualified and accomplifh'd, having true Judgment to take the right Side of a Question; and Learning, Ability, and Integrity to fet it off to the greatest Advantage, could not fail of Success; especially confidering that the most judicious and learned of our Clergy, and Those beft affected to the Church of England (fuch as Dr. Hammond, &c.) had been in the fame Sentiments before; and Bishop Bull's bittereft Adverfaries were mostly Syftematical Men (properly fo called) and fuch as had been bred up (during the great Rebellion) in the Predeftinarian and Antinomian Tenets, as Mr. * Nelfon obferves. There was another Circumftance which Mr. Nelson alfo takes † notice of, namely, his writing in Latin: Which Showed his thorough Judgment of Men and

Things. He would not write to the Vulgar and Unlearned (which is beginning at the wrong end, and doing nothing) but to the Learned and Judicious; knowing it to be the fureft and the shortest way; and that, if the Point be gain'd with Them, the rest come in of Courfe; if not, all is to no purpose. This became a Man, who had a Caufe that He could trust to; and confided only in the strength of his Reasons. By fuch laudable and ingenuous Methods, that excellent Man prevailed over his Adverfaries; Truth over Error, Antiquity over Novelty, the Church of Chrift over Calvin and bis Difciples. If any Man elfe has fuch a Caufe to defend as Bishop Bull had, and is able to manage it in fuch a Method, by showing that it ftands upon the fame immoveable Foundations of Scripture and Antiquity, confirm'd by the concurring Sense of the judicious part of Mankind; then He need not doubt but it will prevail and prosper, in any Proteftant Country, as univerfally as the other did. But if several of those Circumftances, or the moft confiderable of them, be wanting; or if Circumftances be contrary, then it is as vain to expect the like Success, as it is to expect Miracles. It must not be forgot, that the fame good and great Prelate, afterwards, by the fame fair and honourable Methods, the fame ftrength of Reason and profound Learning, gain'd as compleat a Victory over the Arians, in regard to the Question

Question about the Faith of the Ante-Nicene Fathers: And his Determination, in that particular, was, and ftill is, among Men of the greatest Learning and Judgment, as univerfally fubmitted to as the other. His admirable Treatife (by which He being dead yet fpeaketh) remains unanfwer'd to this Day; and will abide Victorious to the End. But enough of this.

I am obliged to fay fomething in Defence of my general Title. (A Vindication of Chrift's Divinity) because, I find, Mr. Potter, fince deceas'd, was rebuked by an* Anonymous Hand for fuch a Title. The pretence is, that our Adverfaries do not difown Christ's Divinity, as the Title infinuates. But to what purpose is it for Them to contend about a Name, when they give up the Thing? It looks too like Mockery (though They are far from intending it) and cannot but remind us of, Hail King of the Jews. No body ever speaks of the Divinity of Mofes, or of Magiftrates, or of Angels, though called Gods in Scripture. If Chrift be God, in the relative Senfe only, why should we speak of His Divinity, more than of the Other? The Chriftian Church has all along ufed the word Divinity, in the ftrict and proper Senfe: If we must change the Idea, let us change the Name too; and talk no more of Christ's Divinity, but of his Mediatorship enly, or at most, Kingship. This will be the * Apology for Dr. Chaske Pref. way

way to prevent Equivocation, keep up propriety of Language, and fout out falfe Ideas. I know no Divinity, but fuch as I have defended: The other, falfly fo called, is really none. So much for the Title.

: In the Work it felf, I have endeavor'd to unravel Sophiftry, detect Fallacies, and take off Difguifes, in order to fet the Controverfy upon a clear Foot; allowing only for the Mysteriousness of the Subject. The Gentlemen of the New way have hitherto kept pretty much in generals, and avoided coming to the pinch of the Question. If they pleafe to speak to the Point, and put the Caufe upon a fhort Iffue, as may easily be done, that is all that is defir'd. I doubt not but all Attempts of that kind will end (as they have ever done) in the clearing up of the Truth, the Disappointment of its Oppofers, the Joy of good Men, and the Honour of our Bleed Lord; whofe Divinity has been the Rock of Offence to the Difputers of this World, now for 1600 Tears; always attack'd by fome or other, in every Age, and always Triumphant. To Him, with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, Three Persons of the fame divine Power, Subftance, and Perfections, be all Honour and Glory, in all Churches of the Saints, now and for evermore.

THE