T

HIS Trouble is given your Lordship by a Perfon, wholly a Stranger to you, who has very little

either of Capacity, Incli

nation, or Leifure to engage in Controverfy; and who is firmly perfuaded, from the general Offence, which fome of your Lordship's late Writings have giyen, that this Caufe will be undertaken, and the Miftakes in thofe Writings fet in a clear Light, by Perfons much betA 2

tel

ter qualified: But who, notwithstanding all these Diffuafives, cannot prevail with himself to fit as an unconcern'd Spectator, whilft fuch Principles are advanc'd, as, in his Apprehenfion, do manifeftly tend to a Diffolution of the whole Frame and Conftitution of that Church, of which he has been many Years an unworthy Minifter.

1 fhall need no Apology for a Conduct toward your Lordship, which is warranted by your own Example. I have certainly the fame Right to offer my Exceptions to a Sermon of your Lordship's, which yourself thought fit to affume, when but a Presbyter, in cenfuring a Difcourfe of a late excellent and worthy Prelate, tho' recommended to the World, by the like high Authority, to that which now graces your Lordship's Title Page.

Your Lordship is fuch an Enemy to Infallibility in others, that undoubtedly you will lay no Claim to it yourfelf; nor prefume that an abfolute

Power

Power of interpreting the Laws of Chrift, is lodg'd in you, fo as to command the Affent of others, any farther than is confiftent with their own Reafon. For my own particular, I have impartially confulted that fcanty Portion of it, with which it has pleased God to enlighten me, in relation to the new and ftrange Doctrines propagated by your Lordship; and as far as I have any Faculty of judging, they appear to me entirely deftructive of all Order and Government, of all Unity, Peace and Communion in the Church, and contradictory to all thofe Scriptures which reprefent the Church as a regular and well-compacted Body or Society, and which recommend a Confederacy, Concord and Union among the Members.

I think I fee the Will of God, otherwife than it is reprefented by your Lordship; I think it my Duty, and your Lordship has taught me, that it is my Right to profefs and publifh what

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I think I fee: and, by reasoning upon your Lordship's Principles, I might fatisfy myself, that no Power upon Earth has Authority to reftrain me from expreffing my Thoughts with the most unbounded Freedom in a Matter of Religion and Confcience. Notwithftanding which, I fhall proceed, as with a due Regard to your Epifcopal Character, fo with fome to my own Safety, and not prefume too far, that none of the Engines of this World would be made Ufe of against me, nor the fecular Arm be call'd upon; fhould I happen to break in upon thofe Privileges and Immunities, within which your Lordship is fo conveniently entrench'd; or let fall any fuch unwarrantable and obnoxious Appellation, as my inward Conviction and private Belief might fuggeft to

me.

I have the Satisfaction of agreeing with your Lordship in your introductory Remark. I readily allow, that the Meaning annex'd to certain Words

of

ör Sounds, does undergo great Alterations by length of Time, and the fame Word come, by Degrees, to ftand for a Complication of Notions as diftant from the original Intention of it; nay, as contradictory to it, as Darkness is to Light. I am fo far from difputing this Point, that it was once in my Thoughts to have confirm'd your Lordship's Obfervation, by feveral other Inftances of Words, that have chang'd their Original Signification, in at least as remarkable a Degree, as any of thofe Terms alledg'd by your Lordship.

But not to waft the little time I can fpare, in fuch a needlefs Digreffion, let us fee how your Lordship makes good the Point.

The two firft Inftances by which your Lordship has chofe to exemplify your Obfervation, are thefe, Religion and the Worthip of God. Which Words I cannot deny to have been too often mifapplied (as indeed what one Word in the whole, Compafs of Speech

has