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way to perpetuate Schisms unto the Worlds end: That, putting things unneceffary into the Service of the Church, was the firft Beginning of all Superftition; and when Scruples of Conscience began to be made or pretended, then Schifms began to break in: Laftly, that Prayer, Confeffion, Thanksgiving, Reading of Scriptures, Expofition of Scripture, and Administration of Sacraments in the plaineft and fimpleft manner; are matter fufficient to compofe a publick Form of Service, though nothing of private opinion be interpofed therein: Pag. 216, 217.

And the judicious Dr Bradford (in one of his printed Letters) declares in the following Words: I always did, and always fhall heartily wish, and, if it were in my Power, I should endeavour that all the Liturgies of the Church were reduced to as great a Simplicity and Plainnefs as might be.

And the ingenious Author of the History of Montanifm, in his Premonition to the Confiderations on Mr W's Hiftorical Preface, makes no Scruple to approve the fame Declaration. pag. 18. In the mean time it cannot but behove all ferious Perfons, who are folicitous that their Prayers may not be mere words, but that their Hearts and Understandings may go along with their Mouths; to take all modern Forms and vulgar Expreffions, and every Human Compofition, in fuch Sense only, as, after fincere and diligent study of the Scriptures, fhall appear moft agreeable to the Analogy of That Only Rule of Faith, and to the Defign of the Gofpel-Oeconomy.

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9.

Jefus Chrift our Lord; to whom

ral Thankf- with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all

giving.

Honour and Glory world without end. [And the fame in other places.]

How This is to be understood, fee above in This Chapter, No 1 & 3.

Coll. on

10.

Through him who liveth and

ift Sunday reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, in Advent. now and ever. [And the fame, in other places.]

This must be understood, not fo as to destroy the Monarchy of the Universe, or the Supremacy of the Perfon of the Father; but that the Son and Holy Spirit do in all things exercise the Power, and accomplish the Will of the Father, in the Administration both of the Government of the World in general, and in particular of the Church of God: As hath been before at large explained.

Coll. on 3d Sunday in Advent.

II.

who livest and † reigneft with the Father

One

[And the like

Father and the Holy Ghost, ever
God, world without end.

expreffions in other places.]

The Sense of these Words, confiftent with the Doctrine of Scripture and with the ExprefHions of the Liturgy cited in the foregoing chapter, must be; Who, by and together with the Holy Spirit of God, fa ruleft the Church according to the Will of the Father, that the Unity and Supremacy of God, who by his Son and Spirit thus governs all things, may ever remain inviolate.

8.

See above in this Chapter, N° 10.

*See above in this Chapter, No 3, 5, and

12.

through the merits of Chrift Jefus Coll, on our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth Whitfund. with Thee, in the Unity of the fame Spi- fome orit,* One God, world without end. thers.

The Meaning of these words is expreffed more clearly and diftinctly in one of the Collects in the Communion-Service, as follows; Through Jefus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, in the Unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory be unto Thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. + See above in this chapter, N° 10.

* See above in this chapter, N° 3, 5 and 8.

and in

1 3r

Coll. on

13.

to acknowledge the † Glory of the

Trin. Sun- * eternal Trinity, and to ‡ worship the Unity,

day.

who liveth and reignest One God, world without end.

I

See above in this chapter, N° 1 & 8.
*See above in this chapter, N° 5 & 6.
See above in this chapter, N° 3 & 8.
See above in this chapter, Nos & 8.

Nicene Creed.

14.

begot

† Very God, of very God; ten, not made, being of one Substance with the Father.

See above in this chapter, N° 4 & 6 & 7. * Deriving his Being from the Father in a fingular, ineffable, and incomprehenfible manner; fo that no man can prefume to fay of Him, as they do of the Creature, that he was (x ὄντων γενόμενον) made out of Nothing, or (1 ποτε TE, in Lỗ) that there was a Time when he was not.

The wordioso, which we tranflate of One Subftance with the Father, is a Word not found in Scripture; of great Ambiguity; and much harder to explain intelligibly, than any of the Ex

4

pref

preffions which we meet with in Holy Writ. For if it be understood to fignify (as the Schoolmen generally understand it) one Individual Subftance, This will be properly [not μía ¿oía, but μία υπόςασις ; not ὁμούσι, but μονούσι οι ὁμοῦ πόsalo,] One Subfiftence or One Perfon only: Which can fcarce intelligibly be diftinguished from the Notion of Sabellius and Marcellus, or That for which Paul of Samofat was condemned at the Synod of Antioch. But if, on the other fide, it be understood to fignify one Substance, not individually, but fpecifically; (which is the more proper and natural Signification of the word, do; and in which Senfe it was understood by Many, both at and after the time of the Council of Nice;) This will be manifeft Polytheism, or Plurality of Gods, by introducing more than One Self-exiftent Subftance. Again, if the word be understood otherwife, as fignifying [not, one Subftance, but] one Effence; in That fenfe allo, ftrictly and metaphyfically taken, 'tis plain it cannot be True: For a Person who is not Self-exiftent, cannot, without a manifeft Contradiction, be faid, ftrictly and properly, and in the metaphyfical fenfe of the Phrafe, to be of the fame Effence with a Perfon who is Self-exiftent, and of whofe Effence That Self-existence muft of neceffity be a principal Character. It remains therefore, that the word μości, [of the fame Subftance or Effence with the Father, be interpreted according to the plainer and lefs metaphyfical Expreffions and Notions of Scripture; that the Son is The Image of the Invisible God; that he is the Brightness of His Glory, and the exprefs Image of His Perfon; that he is His Son, and his only-begotten Son, having been with Him from the Beginning, and having bad

Hh

Glory

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