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faying, "It is too true, the Jeft and Scorn " of the Nation, the most defpicable " Convention in the World, &r." and mournfully add, pudet kæc opprobria mobis, &c. What nobis? All the Diffenters, Republicans, Arians, Socinians, and Infidels of every Hue, throughout the Kingdom. Let them not tell us, this is Gaishpbin's Remark, and not theirs. They have adopted it, and add, with no less Truth they say, "That the Prefbyterians and Qua"kers have their Synods, where they fettle " Matters relating to their own Discipline," without any of that Infamy on their Character, or Disadvantages in their Debates, which are infeparable from Convocations.And why is this? They tell us, because they are voluntary Societies. Here's the Mask off at setting out, and the whole Scheme laid open. Let us have no Government in the Church, but be at Liberty to agree upon a Religion of our own, and change it as often as we think fit. Let no Religion or Church be incorporated into the Civil Constitution, and then there can be no Sacramental Teft.-Hinc omne principium, buc refer exitum. Turks and Infidels, Manksmen and Highlanders, may fill all Places in Church and State. Quakers may be Lord Chancellors, and Jews Chief BaBonzees and Talapoins may adminifter

rons.

nister Sacraments, and Hottentots teach us the Religion of Nature.

Is it not pleasant, after this Overture, to hear them talking of their Reserve and Modesty * in setting forward the good Defign, and the prudent Conduct they have used towards opening a more free Conversation about Religion, and more candid Examination than has been usual ?

I must beg leave to acquaint these Gentlemen, their Book is not complete for want of a Gloffary, which is much more to be defired, than their Prefaces, Notes, Hints, N. B.'s, and other frippary Introductions, with which they have loaded their beloved Composition. For want of this, they are defired to explain, in their next Edition, what they mean by free Conversation, &c. t. We are apt to believe, that blafpheming Chrift in monthly Papers and weekly Sermons, as well as nightly Clubs, is being pretty free on the Occafion, and feems to admit only of one Improvement, (viz.) that every B-p should injoin the Practice before Admiffion into Orders, and every Placeman swear he has no Belief, (except in the gloriMemory) before he takes his Place at the Board. I can see nothing else wanting to complete their Wishes on that Head, nor how any greater Candor can be in the

* P. 10, 11. + Vide their Postscript in the Beginning of the Book.

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Church, Church, than to allow her Sons to give up every Article of Faith held by the Church, to speak and write against them, and the more they speak and write against God and his holy Word, more and more to load them with Church Preferments. I infist therefore, that we have a Demand on them to explain their hard Words, and know what it is they would be at, when they use fuch doubtful Phrases, and also to say, whether any Church has the truly Christian Mark on her, like ours, (viz.) to love her Enemies, and prefer them before her genuine Sons.

Come we now to the well-penned Address, dated January, Ann. 1746, to begin the new Year of glorious Reformation, and be a joyful Æra, celebrated thro' Ages hence, in States unborn, and Accents yet unknown.

The first five Pages of their Introduction are wholly taken up with their own Praises, with Candour, refined Breeding, Calmness, Temper, Respect, and every Thing that can charm and delight; together with bespeaking the fame Qualities from those who may differ in Opinion, as far as it may lie in their Power, (for it seems they don't expect to be equalled ;) and afterwards they open their Design by some general Remarks, much elder than the Church, and may serve to fupport the Character they assume of wife Men, Men, e. g. "Nothing human can be per"fect, Defects may be supplied, Experience " is a choice Thing, Things may be well " instituted, and ill regulated, in plain "Words, Laws may be good, and not en" forced. Change of Circumstances, (which " in every State will necessarily happen with "the Revolution of Time)" - I suspect here a Misnomer, it ought to be Revolution of Government, which will make their Argument clear. It is well known, Arianism and Socinianism came in with the Revolution of 88, and the only Misfortune attending that happy Event, was the Introduction of all the Deism that has prevailed since, and was only an Improvement on Socinian Principles, and, to use their own Words, "points

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out the Neceffity of altering some Things," i. e. of throwing out of our Liturgy all Creeds and Rubricks which may give Offence to the tender Confciences of a Blount, Coward, Collins, or Toland, with the whole Body of Unitarians, and prevent the Conversion of any Morocco Ambassador, who may hereafter refide among us; it being well known, the above-named Gentlemen had well-nigh made a Convert of his Excellency Hadgi Mehmet Beg, who only boggled at the Trinity *, if you chuse to believe them.

* Vide Unitarian's Address to his Excellency.

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But,

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But, to leave farther remarking on this Chapter at present, let us come to their first great Point, the present Translation of the Bible, and their modest Proposals for mending it. However incongruous in Fact," they say, "it is, yet we ought to reflect "that we deal with no Book as we do with

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our Bible *; that our Taste is refined, " that consequently other Books are adorned " in their Translations with Elegance and "Grandeur. But our facred Books are not " allowed this reasonable Favour, though

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they so loudly demand it, and the Times " make it necessary." Was ever, in one Page, such confpicuous Folly? Ornament and Elegance! and the enticing Words of Man's Wifdom must be substituted for the Gospel Simplicity, or else Men of Tafte will never be prevailed on to read; the Humour of the Times must be complied with, or People will be apt to grow peevish. Nay, as often as our Taste and the Times change, our Tranflation must change too, and become fashionable. Seriously, these Gentlemen have a peculiar Caft of Head, or else Men of their Sense could never be so afflicted, as they own themselves to be, for Want only of a little Finery of Bible; and they seem to be nearly allied to Longolius the Ciceronian, who is brought in by Eraf

*P. 12.

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