Winchelsea and Nottingham, Daniel Fruch, earl of THE ANSWER OF THE Earl of Nottingham то Mr. Whifton's Letter to Him, Concerning the Eternity of the Son of God, AND Of the Holy Ghost. Deut. XXIX. 29. The fecret Things belong unto the Lord our God, but thofe Things which are reveal'd, belong to us, and to our Children for ever. 1 Tim. VI. v. 20, 21. Keep that which is committed to thy Trust, avoiding prophane and vain Babblings, and Oppofitions of Science falfly fo call'd; which fome profeffing, have erred concerning the Truth. The EIGHTH EDITION. LONDON: Printed for EDWARD VALENTINE, at the Queen's- Price One Shilling. your When I receiv'd your Letter concerning the Eternity of the Son of God, and of the Holy Spirit, dated July 10. 1719. together with Letter of Thanks to the Bishop of London, dated Jan. 17. 1718. annext to it: Tho' I thought I was not, at my Tears, to learn my Catechifm; yet my Curiofity led me to read them, knowing your Reputation for Learning And I own my great Surprize, to find Jo many Teftimonies, and fome Texts, cited by you against the Doctrine of the Trinity, by which you bad been drawn from that Opinion and Faith, which you once profefs'd; and which now, with the Boldness and Authority of an Apoftle, (like St. Paul himself in another Cafe) Behold, I fay unto you, is "a fatal Gal. v. 2. "Miftake: So I refolv'd to look into your Quotations, Letter to and confider your Texts; and I own alfo, that I was of London the Bishop much more furpriz'd, to find your Quotations liable to fuch Objections, as you will fee in the enfuing Letter, which I writ foon after yours came to my Hand, with Expectation of feeing you, when you came into this Country, as you us'd to do every Tear; and to prepare my felf, as well as I was able, for your Affaults, and not to enter into an open Paper-War, knowing my own Ignorance and Weakness; and that I had not fufficiently A 2 prov'd p. 18 1 prov'd the Armour, which was necessary for an Encounter with fo great a Champion, as had defy'd the Armies of the Living God. But fince you have been in Rutland, both laft Tear and this, and not af forded me your Company here, as formerly you were wont; and that your Letter to me is referr'd to, in a late Tract by your felf, as a full Evidence of the Truth of your Doctrine; and that many may take your peremptory Affertions upon Trust, from fo eminent a Man as your felf; and fince I have had Leifure to examine your Quotations, and do find that you have perverted the Scriptures, and abus'd your Authors by an nntrue and unfair Reprefentation of the Paffages you cite out of them; I have now ventur'd to fend to the Prefs my Animadverfions, and what has occurred to me upon this Subject; that I might not, by my Silence, be thought your Profelyte And because it is not enough Rom.x.10. to believe with the Heart, but with the Mouth Confeffion is made unto Salvation; and not confeffing the Lord Jefus before Men, is next to the denying him. P. 38. I do not doubt, but your Zeal will prompt you to a Reply; and therefore allow me to tell you the Method; in which it will be moft fair in its felf, and fatiffactory to me and others, who fhall read it. 1. To fate your own Doctrine, and to fhew that it is confiftent with common Senfe, and with the other Doctrines of our Holy Religion; which, I hope, we agree in; fome of which I have mention'à in my Letter: For, like the Men of Capua, who would not defroy their Magiftrates, though they extremely diflik'd them, because they could not find better to put into their Places; you should not, in an Age, when many ridicule all reveal'd Religion, reproach that, which is eftablish'd among us, as being against "the Light "of Nature and common Senfe till you have 2 freed freed your own Scheme from that Objection, and evidently fhewn that it is rational and true. 2. To juftify the Conftruction, which you bave put upon the Texts, cited by you out of the Scriptures. 3. Not to load me with a Multitude of new Quotations. For that is to lead me into a Labyrinth, where a Man fo little vers'd in the Fathers, as I am, will want a Clue of Thread to bring him out of it; and you cannot expect that I fhould believe they are true, or that I will take the Pains to examine them; for I may jufly conclude them to be falfe, till you have prov'd thofe in your Letter, which I have look'd into, to be truly and fairly flated. And fince "Thofe are the Original Principal Texts and Teftimonies, P. 24, & "which concern this important Subject" 'tis in 37. vain to heap up others, which are lefs Authoritative and Cogent. Now whether your Quotations be true and fair, is a Matter of Fact, which can fcarce bear a Difpute, or may be eafily decided: And tho' if they were true and fair, which I am fure they are not, it would not follow, that I ought to yield to them, becaufe there may be others, and you your felf have mention'd feveral, which are plainer, clearer, and stronger Affertions of the Divinity of the Son of God and Holy Ghoft, than Thofe which you have produced against it Yet, if these be not true and fair, it will follow, that you ought to renounce that Opinion and Doctrine, into which you have been fo mifled. But, notwithstanding this Advantage which I have, I dare join Iffue with you upon this Point of the Truth and Fairnefs of your Quotations. Laftly, As you have a Right to examine my Quotations, and the Conftructions of the Texts cited by me, (as I have done yours ;) fo I fhall be well pleas'd to fee your Obfervations; being very fure that I have not wilfully A 3 |