"The Church, saith the Doctor, hath no legislative authority. We agree to this likewise*." When I considered this passage, I was rather inclined to suspect, that however Dr. Clarke might be mistaken in some other respects, he was rather more modest and discerning than he is here represented; therefore. I turned to the place quoted in the Author's margin, and found the following to be his real words: "The Church, in matters of doctrine, has no legislative power." Matters of doctrine, which are the discriminating terms of the proposition, are taken out of it; and when this experiment is made, it comes up to the Author's intention. We all grant, in common with Dr. Clarke, that the legislative power of the Church cannot extend to matters of doctrine: for the power that can make a law can unmake it; and then it would follow, that the Church might dispense with any doctrine of the Scripture. Therefore the legislative power of the Church can reach only to forms, and circumstantials, and matters of discipline: but doctrines rest wholly upon the power of God, and the authority of divine revelation.

Though Dr. Clarke was not loose enough in his principles, some other Reformers are to be met with, who have happily adopted a set of principles which approach rather nearer to the plan of the Confessional than such as occur in the writings of Luther, Calvin, Melancthon, or any other learned person of that age: and I shall now exhibit a few of them (adding an occasional note or two) from a work which came out several years ago as a public paper, under the title of the Independent Whig, or a Defence of primitive Christianity. If the reader can consult that work,

* Conf. p. 179.

without having a surfeit from the first pages, he may increase the following extracts to as great a length as he pleases.

1. No man ought to pay any submission to that doctrine and discipline which he does not like. Vol. II. P. 45*

2. No such person in nature by the appointment of the Scripture, as a Priest, or Ambassador of Jesus Christ. Vol. II. p. 152.

3. Jesus Christ is sole King in his own Kingdom; sole Lawgiver, to and Judge of his own subjects in matters of conscience, and which relate to their eternal salvation. Ibid. 123.

4. There was virtue in the world before there was orthodoxy in it; which hard, equivocal, priestly word has done more mischief to mankind than all the tyrants that ever plagued the earth. V. I. p. 40.

5. Christian Priests have agreed in opposing the

*This asserts, in other language, no more than is proposed (p. 16 of the Confess.) as the principle which ought to have taken place at the Reformation; namely, that all teachers should be left at liberty to disown whatever, after proper examination, they judge inconsistent with the Scriptures; i. e. every doctrine they do not like, or cannot believe: for what example have we of any single person denying a doctrine of the Scripture, without pretending to proper examination? And the propriety of his examination must be admitted in every case upon his own report; otherwise this proposal can have no meaning, and will be over-ruled at the first step. The natural consequence of it must be obvious to every considerate person. The Arian will disown the Trinity-after proper examination: the Socinian will disown the Redemption-after proper examination: the Quaker will disown the two Sacraments and the Resurrection-after proper examination, &c. Thus we shall find all Christianity disowned by parts after proper examination; and, if this scheme were to be adopted, must be contented with a Church whose whole religion is disowned upon principle. And to what good end? Why, Popery would then visibly decline, and the true ends of the Reformation be fully answered. See ibid.

eternal principles of morality, or natural religion. The religion of these holy hirelings consisted--in certain abstruse points not worth knowing. V. I. p. 43.

6. God was King of the Jews, in virtue of a contract at Horeb: and without a stipulation on their own part, they would have been under no obligation to keep the law of Moses. V. II. p. 153.

7. Bigotry, chains, and cruelty are always, and in all places, the certain issue of uniformity; which is itself of an infamous race; being begot by the craft of the Priests upon the ignorance of the Laity. V. III, p. 223.

8. Tyranny can never subsist without uniformity, nor LIBERTY without SCHISM. Ibid.

9. All articles of faith are a foolish attempt to make the Holy Ghost talk intelligibly. Ibid. p. 30.

10. I heartily thank God that we have Dissenters; and I hope we shall never be without them*. V. III. p. 223.

11. The Priests are enemies to atheism and irreligion, only to disguise and carry on their own designs of wealth and power. V. II. P. 100.

12. The absurdities and ravings of those reverend old gentlemen, whom we call the Fathers-It is hard. to say whether the uncharitableness, roguery, or stupidity of these old saints appears uppermost †. Vol. I. p. 44. Nine in ten of the decrees of Fathers and Councils are so foolish, so incredibly extravagant,

I hope there are many serious Dissenters, who will not return the compliment; and heartily thank God that they had such an apologist.

† Our Author is very little behind in the flowers of his rhetoric upon the same subject. "Mr. Le Clerc, a much greater admirer of Grotius than he was of a whole cart-load of Fathers." Occas. Rem. part ii. p. 64. note.

that it would have been below the dignity of an executioner to have burnt them.

13. Dr. Benjamin Hoadley, the best Bishop, the best Protestant, and the best man that ever adorned the mitre,-who suffered under the rage of a wicked and despairing faction*. Vol. III. p. 226.

If any reader should think me unjust in bringing these Authors together, I must beg of him to suspend his judgment till he has perused the next chapter. In the mean time, let it be observed, that they both agree in offering incense at the shrine of Bishop Hoadley; both plead for such liberty as rises to absolute independence; both set up the Scripture to confute Creeds and Confessions; and, in their capacity of painters, they both use their utmost art and skill in represent

* Such a commendation, from the pen of such a writer, is the severest satire I ever yet met with upon Dr. Benjamin Hoadley. This man plainly saw the issue of Dr. Hoadley's arguments; though some others, of a much better meaning, scarcely knew what to make of them. I remember well an observation, which I heard many years ago, from a worthy gentleman, who had been a reading man, and was in the prime of his life at the date of what was called the Bangorian Controversy. He said he had followed Dr. Hoadley very attentively in his argument, and found him so specious in the management of it, that he became, for a time, a convert to his doctrine. If · his principles were right, it followed, by necessary consequence, that men could not be called to account in the Church for any of their words or actions; Christ being the sole judge in his own kingdom, and having appointed under him no judge upon earth for any such purpose. When his lordship was pressed with the absurdity of this notion, as contrary to fact, reason, and Scripture,--No, replied he, I meant only that Christ hath appointed no judge upon earth able to see into mens conscience. This (said my friend) never had or could be made a question of: and as I was fully convinced by his own words that he had meant otherwise, and was now driven to a gross evasion, I gave him up, and never looked into one of his books afterwards.

ing the Church of England as a monster in every limb; with this difference, indeed, that the outlines drawn by the Independent Whig are somewhat harder, his colouring stronger, and his finishing not so exact. The publishers of that scandalous paper struck at all the foundations of Christianity itself, under the denominations of High-Church and Priestcraft; thinking themselves more likely to succeed by making the Church odious, than by attempting to confute any of her doctrines in a serious manner. Thus too the Confessionalist, a great advocate for the Scripture, dares not trust to that for his success: but hopes to accomplish his purpose by aspersing all the leading characters, from the beginning of the Reformation, who have shewn a friendly aspect toward our doctrine and constitution: all of which is as much out of the way, and will in the issue procure him no more credit, than if he had found fault with the time shewn by a watch; and instead of comparing it with the time of the heavens, had spent all his labour, wit, and learning, in persuading people that the case is made of base metal. How he hath conducted himself in the execution of this part of his plan, will appear in what follows.