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contained in the genuine Writings of Athanafius: [It fhould rather have been faid, according to the Tenour of Scripture.] Cudworth's Syltem, pag

620.

And the ingenious Author of the Paraphrafe on the Book of Common-Prayer: Nothing (faith he, in the place before-cited,) is more evident, than that those who added the Defcent into Hell to thofe Creeds which have Chrifts Burial in them, meant fuch a Defcent as is with the justeft reason now exploded: And yet both Churchmen and Diffenters do receive and fubfcribe this [the Apoftles] Creed. But in what Senfe? Not as 'twas intended certainly; but in a Senfe that the Words will bear notwithstanding. If they can vindicate this practice with respect to the Apostles Creed, they may much more easily do the fame with respect to

that Creed which is attributed to St Athanafius. Bennet's Paraphr. p. 292.

Nevertheless, after all that can be faid either by way of Apology for, or Explication of, this Creed; it cannot be denied to be a matter worthy of the most serious confideration of the Go-. vernors of the Church, whether it would not be more advantagious to the True Interest of Chriftian Religion (the Thing of the greatest importance in the World,) to retain only those more indifputable Forms and Profeffions of Faith, which were received unanimously in the Primitive Church, and which (without affording Matter for Controversy) confeffedly contain all that is explicitly neceffary, to the Baptifm, Abfolution, and Salvation of a Christian. This, I fay, is a Matter of fuch a Nature, as (with all due Submiffion) feems well to deferve the most serious

and

and deliberate confideration of the Governours of the Church: And That, for the following reafons.

ift, Because This Creed under the Name of Athanafius, is confeffed by all men not to be the genuine Work of Him whofe Name it bears, but the Compofition of an uncertain obfcure Author, written (not certainly known whether) in greek or latin, in one of the darkest and most ignorant Ages of the Church; having never appeared, (as the learned Dr Cave informs us in his Hiftoria Literaria, pag. 146,) till about the year 800, (above 300 years after the death of Athanafius,) nor been received in the Church till fo very late as about the year 1000. Which is too great a Diminution of that Authority, which publick Profeffions of Faith ought to have in the Church.

2ly, Because it is fo worded, as that many of the common People cannot but be too apt to understand it in a Senfe favouring either Sabellianifm or Tritheifm; viz. either that the Three Perfons are merely different Denominations of the fame Individual, or that they are Three abfolutely co-ordinate Beings; Neither of which, is confiftent with the Doctrine of Scripture, seeing the One takes away the very Being of the Son and Holy Spirit, and the Other introduces manifeftly a Plurality of Gods.

3ly, Because there are in it many Phrafes, which, being much harder to understand and explain, than any expreffions in the Scripture it felf; may feem to give Unbelievers a needless Advantage of objecting against Religion; and among Believers themselves, (efpecially as the Wo:ds found in English,) cannot but to the

Vulgar have too much the appearance of Contradictions, and afford too much occafion to the Romanifts to urge the Belief of real Contradi&tions; and fometimes (efpecially the damnatory Claufes) have given Offence to the pioufeft and moft learned Men, infomuch as to have been the principal Reafon particularly of Mr Chillingworth's refufing to fubfcribe the 39 Articles, who was one of the brightest Ornaments and ableft Defenders the Proteftant Caufe ever had. Now That which to Some of the beft and ableft men that ever lived in the Chriftian Church, hath appeared wholly unjustifiable; to very Many, fuSpicious; and to All, unneceffary; (For That which was not at all in the Chriftian Church for the first 800 years, tis evident cannot be neceffary Now; and That which Now is neceffary neither to the Baptism of Infants nor Adult perfons, nor to the Abfolution of the Sick and Penitent, tis plain cannot be abfolutely neceffary at all;) muft needs be acknowledged to deferve the moft ferious confideration of thofe in Power, whether it had not better be quite omitted.

4ly, Because the Preface to the Book of Common Prayer it felf declares, that the particular Forms of Divine Worship, and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein, being things in their own nature indifferent and alterable, and fo acknowledged; it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important confiderations, according to the various exigency of times and occafions and alterations, fuch Changes fhould be made therein, as to thofe that are in place of Authority mould from time to time feem either neceffary or expedient. Accordingly we find, that in the Reigns of feveral Princes of bleffed memory fince the Reformation, the Church upon just and weighty

con

confiderations Her thereunto moving, hath yielded to make fuch Alterations in fome particulars, as in their respective times were thought convenient.

Actio VI, Concilii. OG + συνόδι πεὶ δ πίν sews.

Sthly, Because, the Scripture itself, given by infpiration of God, being fufficient both for inftruEtion in True Doctrine, and for reproof and correEtion of what is falfe, 2 Tim. 3, 16; the Primitive and pureft Church was originally very cautious how they multiplyed Creeds; As appears from the manner in which almost all the Writers before the Council of Nice,fet down the Substance of the antient Baptifmal Creed; ftyling it the invariable Rule of Faith, from which no man might diminish any thing, nor add any thing to it : And after the Council of Nice, the general Council of Ephe Τέτων τοίνυν ἀναγνω fus, which is received πέντων, ὥρισεν ἡ ἁγία σύ at This day, forbad, vodo, iτiev is undevi under the Penalty of είναι προσφέρειν, ἤγαν συζan Anathema, any other veger, n owlideva, De Creed after That of eGray Hází. Nice, to be proposed ων πατέρων του ἐν τῇ Νέα by any one, or received at Nederlar oud aκαίων συνελθόντων σων in the Church: In which γίω πνεύματι. Τὲς ἢ πολύ prohibition they were προς τας ή σκυλιθέναι πίςιν followed by fome later Councils; And even ἑτέραν, ήγεν προκομίζει ἤ προσφέρειν τοῖς ἐθέλεσιν to This day, (as was before obferved,) no oἐπιςρέφειν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τ ther Creed, than the ἀληθείας ἤ ἐξ ἑλληνισμό ἤ Apostles Creed itself, daï й it aiséσews Η Ισδαϊσμό αιρέσεως hath been received ine διασδηπο]ῖν, τέτες, εἰ μιλὺ to the office of Baptifm εν ἐπίσκοποι ἤ κληρικοί, μλ either of Infants of A- λοτείας εί, τις ἐπισκόπος Gg

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dult perfons, or into ἐπισκοπῆς, καὶ τὰς κληρικὲς the Office at the Vifi- nange, eiɔ̃ λaïnoì Eev, tation of the Sick. αναθεματίζεις.

+ Bishop of Lincolns Speech in the House of Lords, March 17, 1709--10.

Laftlys Because when, upon a Defign which had been before concerted by the late moft Reverend Arch-Bifhop Sancroft, of reviewing, inlarging and correcting our Liturgy, (according to the Directions given in the Paffage now-cited out of the Preface to the Book of CommonPrayer ;) a Commiffion was iffued out under the Great Seal of England, in the year 1689, to a large number of Bishops and other eminent Divines, to meet together and to confider of these Matters; (A Set of Men, fays a most learned and excellent+Prelate now living, than which This Church was never, at any one Time, bleffed with either Wifer or Better, fince it was a Church; And a Defign, which I am perfwaded would have been for the Intereft and Peace of our Church and State, had it been accom→→ plished:) In This Commiffion nothing was more unanimously agreed upon, than that the Ufe of the Creed, commonly called The Creed of St Athanafius, fhould no longer be impofed. Nor was it Then a New propofal, but had been long before the opinion of as learned and religious men, as ever lived in the Church. As appears from the following Expreffions of Bp Taylor: Let nothing (fays he) be taught as fimply neceffary to be believed, but what is evidently and plainly fet down in the Holy Scriptures: For he that calls a propofition neceffary, which the Apostles did not declare to be fos or which they did not teach to all Chriftians learned and unlearned; is gone beyond his propor tions: For every thing is to be kept in that order,

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