NUM B. LIX.

To the OLD WHIG.

SIR,

WHEN men undertake to write of re

ligious matters, it is not altogether improper to consult their reason as they go along; and for want of this neceffary precaution, we have seen fome great men deviate into very erroneous by-paths, and fall into very extravagant and filly opinions. I choose to inftance at prefent in an admired writer of the church of England, I mean the late bishop Beveridge. I fuppofe I may name him without offence, because tho' his ftation and dignity were very eminent, yet it will not be faid that any man's writings are privileged from examination, or that the weakness and inconclusiveness of the reasoning contained in them may not be laid open, in order to prevent others from being mifled by them.

THIS learned man, in his treatise, intitled, Private Thoughts upon Religion, has one article [article 3.] upon the trinity: Wherein (whether from an affectation of quaintness in expreffion, a fondness for myftery, or from whatever other caufe) he

has

has, to my thinking, elevated his thoughts and pen to a great fublimity of nonfenfe. I fhall give you his first paragraph entire.

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THIS, I confefs, is a myftery which "I cannot poffibly conceive, yet it is a "truth which I can eafily believe; yea, "therefore it is fo true, that I can easily "believe it, because it is fo high, that I "cannot poffibly conceive it; for it is im

poffible any thing fhould be true of the "infinite Creator, which can be fully expreffed to the capacities of a finite crea"ture: and, for this reafon I ever did, and "ever fhall, look upon those apprehenfions "of GOD to be the trueft, whereby we "apprehend him to be the most incompre"henfible ; and that to be the most true "of GOD, which feems the most impoffible "" unto us.'

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IF this paragraph had been wrote by fome presbyterian parfon, by fome igno rant mechanick, or fome quaking brother or fifter, one might have ventured to have called it jargon, romance, and what not: and even the Weekly Mifcellany would, I believe, have joyn'd in fuch a cry; but as it is the work of a divine of the church of England, let us examine it with decency and fobriety.

there be

THE plain fenfe of this paragraph, (if any fenfe in it) when stripped of thofe pretty antithefes and contrafts in the expreffion which abound in it, is wound

up

up in the last words, viz. That those things are moft true of GOD which feem moft impoffible unto us: Than which, there never was any pofition uttered more contrary to fenfe and reafon. For from hence it would follow, both that there is a trinity of perfons in the godhead, and that there is not: for that is one of the most impoffible things (if there are any degrees of impoffibility) that I can think of. It is poffible there may be a trinity of persons in the godhead; which therefore, according to the bishop's rule, ought not to be believed. But the propofition which feems most impoffible, and therefore most true, is, I fay, that there is a trinity, and that there is not. These other propofitions likewife, that God Almighty is juft, and yet he is not juft; that he is eternal, and not eternal; that he is merciful, and yet not merciful; powerful and yet weak ; benevolent and cruel; perfect and imperfect: these all seem most impossible unto us, and therefore, the bishop fays, are most true of GOD.

MOREOVER, the good bishop did not confider, that this fame principle [that those things are most true of God which feem moft impoffible unto us] does no more conclude in behalf of his favourite doctrine of three perfons, than of any other number. For were I to affirm that there are four, or fourteen, or a hundred perfons in the divine nature, I do not fee how bishop BeveVOL II.

F

ridge

has, to my thinking, elevated his thoughts and pen to a great fublimity of nonfenfe. I shall give you his first paragraph entire.

66

66

THIS, I confefs, is a myftery which "I cannot poffibly conceive, yet it is a truth which I can eafily believe; yea, "therefore it is fo true, that I can easily "believe it, because it is fo high, that I "cannot poffibly conceive it; for it is im

poffible any thing fhould be true of the "infinite Creator, which can be fully ex

preffed to the capacities of a finite crea“ture: and, for this reafon I ever did, and "ever fhall, look upon those apprehenfions "of GOD to be the trueft, whereby we

66

apprehend him to be the most incompre henfible; and that to be the most true "of GOD, which feems the most impoffible

IF this paragraph had been wrote by fome presbyterian parfon, by fome igno rant mechanick, or fome quaking brother of fifter, one might have ventured to have called it jargon, romance, and what not: and even the Weekly Mifcellany would, I believe, have joyn'd in such a cry; but as it is the work of a divine of the church of England, let us examine it with decency and fobriety.

THE plain fenfe of this paragraph, (if there be any fenfe in it) when ftripped of thofe pretty antithefes and contrafts in the expreffion which abound in it, is wound

up

up in the laft words, viz. That those things are moft true of GOD which feem most impoffible unto us: Than which, there never was any pofition uttered more contrary to fenfe and reafon. For from hence it would follow, both that there is a trinity of perfons in the godhead, and that there is not: for that is one of the most impoffible things (if there are any degrees of impoffibility) that I can think of. It is poffible there may be a trinity of perfons in the godhead; which therefore, according to the bishop's rule, ought not to be believed. But the propofition which feems most impoffible, and therefore most true, is, I fay, that there is a trinity, and that there is not. These other propofitions likewife, that God Almighty is juft, and yet he is not juft; that he is eternal, and not eternal; that he is merciful, and yet not merciful; powerful and yet weak ; benevolent and cruel; perfect and imperfect: these all feem most impossible unto us, and therefore, the bishop fays, are moft true of GOD.

MOREOVER, the good bishop did not confider, that this fame principle [that those things are most true of God which feem moft impoffible unto us] does no more conclude in behalf of his favourite doctrine of three perfons, than of any other number. For were I to affirm that there are four, or fourteen, or a hundred perfons in the divine nature, I do not fee how bishop BeveVOL II.

F

ridge