which I doubted of when I firft wrote it, pag. 44. I mean the anointing the Sick with Oil, which I have very lately satisfied myself to be certainly a Christian Duty at this Day; as has already appeared: And the Use of Incenfe at the Eucharift; which I have found not to be fo.

In the Year 1740, was published at Utrecht, by that Prodigy of a young Man, Mr. Philip Baratier, A Chronological Enquiry about the most ancient Bifhops of Rome, from Peter to Victor; with four other Differtations about the Apoftolical Conftitutions, and Ignatius's Epiftles, &c. Of which I gave an Account in my three Tracts, p. 43-89. Out of which I got far more Light, as I there profess, in several Points relating to the original State of Christianity, than from all the other Writings that have been published, fince I first published my own Works thereto relating, p. 45. where alfo I have ordered this Addition to be made in any future Edition of thofe Tracts: That" till Mr. Baratier "wrote upon these Constitutions, and Ignatius's "larger Epiftles, like a real Scholar, and one "well verfed in Chriftian Antiquity, thefe pre"cious Remains of the Apoftolical Age were hard

66

ly looked into with the least Degree of Judg

"ment and Impartiality by any of the Learned; "even fince I published them, and wrote fo fully "and largely in their Vindication. The learned "Mr. le Clerk wrote against the Conftitutions fo "poorly, in the Preface to his Edition of Cotelerius, that I had not Patience to confute him. " And

B b 4

"And for the learned Dr. Whitby, he was fo fe. "cure of their being fpurious at Random, that he "feemed to think them unworthy of any Scholar's "Confideration. He only faying, as I have

heard, as to my believing them genuine, that "this was for a Madman to do, or rather for one "worse than a Madman. Non fani esse hominis, "non fanus juret Oreftes. To fuch a Degree of "Contempt have the original Laws of Chrift there"in contained been reduced among the most learn"ed modern Chriftians!

In the next Year 1740, I published a Treatise, entituled, The Eternity of Hell Torments confidered: Or, a Collection of Texts of Scripture, and Teftimonies of the three first Centuries relating to them. With Notes and Obfervations, 8vo. Price 2 s.

div

In the following Year 1741, I published, An Appeal to xxx primitive Councils against the Athanafian Herefy. A fingle Sheet, as an Appento the Athanafian Forgeries already mentioned. 800. 8vo. Price 3 d. Which together prevent all poffible Pretences for the Vindication of Athanafianifm hereafter by learned Men.

N. B. Upon Occafion of thefe perfectly unanTwerable Papers, it may not be amifs to take Notice of a thin Quarto Book, printed in Germany; which contains a Collection of the Thefes of many young Men, who were Candidates for Degrees there, to confute my Doctrines; and without oppofing which Doctrines, I fuppofe they could not obtain thofe Degrees: "And to obferve what poor Replies

1

Replies they were fometimes able to make to my strongest Arguments, fo that when I read fome of them I could hardly forbear fmiling at them; nor can I suppose they were all unapprized of that their Strength. Whence we may eafily learn how very weak Arguments, joined to great Prejudices and great Interests in this World, can overbear the strongest Arguments.

N. B. To confirm this laft Reflection, give me leave to produce Mr. Godfrey Washington, of Peter-house, in Cambridge, as an Example, perfectly unparallell'd in this Way: This Mr. Washington was an exceeding good and religious Man, and one of the best Pastors of a Parish in Cambridge; a through Athanafian, but by no Means acquainted with Christian Antiquity; tho' he was my particular Friend, and took the principal Care of the Charity-Schools when I was banished; which Burden till that Time had chiefly been laid upon me. Mr. Washington was so terribly affrighted at the Information he had receiv'd, that I had produced a very great Number of primitive Teftimonies against the Athanafians: I faid he had receiv'd Information of this, for I never heard that he durft read any of them himself; that I was told he faid, "that if there were in Antiquity one Tefti66 mony in forty for the Doctrine of the Church, he "would continue an Athanafian ftill." A very moderate Proportion this, to be contented withall! And yet in fome of the principal Points hardly to be made out. The fame Mr. Washington being one of thofe Members of the University of Cambridge that

had

had 30l. a Year given them by the Bishop of Lon don's Project for preaching at Court, in Order to induce the Univerfity to favour the Court, chofe once to preach there against the Arians, from Mark xiii. 32. Of that Day and Hour knoweth no one, no not the Angels that are in Heaven, neither the Son but the Father; which with its Parallel, as read in the original Copies. Mat. xxiv. 36. Neither the Son, but the Father only, are the ftrongest Texts against the Athanafians, in the whole New Teftament: He esteeming his Caufe gain'd, if he could vindicate the hardest Text of all on the other Side. His Vindication confifted in this, that Christ was not bound to tell the whole Truth in this Matter; and tho' he did really know the Day and Hour of the future Judgment, yet he might deny that he knew it. He illuftrated the Point by this parallel Cafe: Suppofe faid he, you fhould go to the first Minister (Sir Robert Walpole) and ask him to tell you fome Secret of state Policy, do you think he would tell it you truly? By no Means: So that our zealous Athanafian, rather than give up his Opinion, would fuppofe our bleffed Saviour to be more fly and knavish than a prevaricating Minifter of State; while he could put the Enquirer off with a fhuffling Answer, without telling a direct Untruth: But our Saviour is fuppofed to tell a direct Untruth in the Cafe before us. This Account would be almost incredible, but that I was told it immediately, by one of the Auditors, who was almoft in an Agony at what he had heard; and did not know who was the Preacher, till by his Defcription of white Hair and other Circumftances, I eafily difcovered it

to

to be no other than my old Friend, Mr. Washington.
But to proceed;

In August this Year 1741, died my great and
good Friend Mr. Thomas Emlyn; who had been
a much earlier and a much greater Sufferer and Con-
feffor for old Christianity than Dr. Clarke, or my-
self, or any other Unitarian that I knew of. My
Thoughts of whofe Character I fhall defire my Rea-
ders to take, from Part of my Letter to his Son,
Sollom Emlyn, Efq; Barifter at Law, my very wor-
thy Chriftian Friend, (who has fo faithfully written
his Father's own Life, and his Father's Account of
Dr. Clarke, that I can myself atteft to much the
greatest Part of both their Contents) This Letter
was written immediately after I heard of his Death,
in the Words following.

I

Dear Sir,

Lyndon, August 15th, 1741.

did not receive your melancholy Letter, till the
fame Day that the publick News informed us of
the Death of your Father, tho' Son John had given
us Notice of it before. I fincerely condole with your-
self, Mrs. Emlyn, and his other Relations and Friends
upon the Lofs of one whom we all greatly and juftly
loved, on Account of his perfect Integrity, ftrong
Judgment, great Courage, and moft Chriftian Temper;
which were especially fhewn in making a good Con-
feffion of fome of the most important Truths of our
Holy Religion; and that not only of late, when that
Confeffion is (God be praised) not of fuch ill Repu-

tation,