ANIMADVERSIONS On a Late PAMPHLET, INTITULED, The New Arian Reprov'd.
SInce there is a Pamphlet intituled the
New Arian Reprov'd
just Publish'd, before my Four Volumes come out, I shall make a few tho' very short
Animadversions
thereon. Accordingly, omitting several injudicious and unfair Passages, I Observe. (1) That if I, as an Heretick, have written too insolently, my Antagonists as Orthodox, should do better; and thereby shew how Athanasianism disposes Men to Christian Meekness and Humility more than Arianism. Which yet I dare say neither this Author, nor Mr.
Mattair,
and least of all Dr.
Edwards
of
Oxford
have done.
p.
7.
(2) That my plainness and boldness in reproving the dangerous Errors remaining in our Church is interpreted an high
Affront:
Whereas I take it to be the greatest Kindness I can do her. I hope this Author does not suppose he affronts his Auditors every time he plainly and boldly rebukes them.
p.
8,
&c.
(3) I shall willingly allow this Author several whole Years to collect the Tenth part of the Testimonies for Orthodoxy in the Two first Centuries, that I did in a few Months, for Arianism▪ Nor am I at all unwilling to join Issue with him in the very same proportion for the Third Century also; provided he will not produce those Testimonies that solely depend on
Athanasius,
or a few of his followers, without, nay against all the other and better Evidence about them. (4) What is here said about Dr.
Grabes Essay,
p
13,
&c.
and my
New Theory
I shall not repeat, but only desire the impartial Readers careful perusal of my
Remarks
on that
Essay
; and my
Second Edition
of that
Theory,
before such Reflections have any Weight with him. And I must declare how reproachful soever this Author esteems it in me, yet that I ever resolve to own and correct all my mistakes assoon as ever they appear to be such, in all my Writings; and by that means do hope to render those Writings at last much more Correct and Undenyable; while the opposite vain Affectation in controversy Writers of justifying every Expression and Conjecture, even after plain Evidence is produc'd to the contrary, hinders their own Improvement, and makes them still propagate Error among Mankind. (5) Sure those Learned Men who mainly recommend the three first Centuries, as the Standard of antient Christianity,
p
17.18.
cannot properly include the Council of
Nice
belonging to the fourth.
p.
18,
&c
(6) We have here a mighty Stir about this Council of
Nice,
and how much 'tis to be prefer'd to other Councils. As if there was no Passion, nor Heat, nor worldly Concern, nor Court Management at that Council at all; but the whole was peaceably debated, and all guided by the good Spirit of God. Which if this Author can believe he may do as he pleases; while I am sure the Histories thereof, how partial soever on its side, give us very different Accounts. And whatever that Council determin'd, we are to believe no more of it than what is proved by the Sacred and Primitive Writers; and what is proved by them we are to believe without regard to its Determination. So that 'tis not of great Weight what this or any other such warm Councils determin'd, to those I mean who with me desire to follow the proper Authority of Christ by his Holy Apostles in sacred matters. Our Author here seems to believe all the partial
Athanasian
Accounts on the side of
Athanasius,
as firmly as if the whole Christian World had own'd the Truth of them. Whereas one that stands so stifly for the Authority of Councils and Synods ought certainly to have some regard to the contrary Opinion of at least 3 successive Councils in that Case (7) After all that is here produc'd there appears little or no debating at the Council of
Nice
at all,
p.
26,
&c.
more than what
Eusebius
oblig'd them to; and which might well be all at one time. So that their Creed, as far as I see, might be sign'd the same day they met, as
Monfaucon
observes: tho' I do not doubt but there was private Intrigues, and subtile Management before-hand; as there is, I believe, still in all such Assemblies to this day▪ If this Author can shew that the
was here fully debated, and proved to have all the way been deliver'd down from the Apostles, he will say something; otherwise all the political Management and Arts previous to the final Determination will be of no consequence in this Case. And I desire to know if the Council of
Nice
did so unanimously, and upon such undenyable Authority establish this, as the undoubted perpetual Faith of Christians: How a more numerous Council, that of
Jerusalem
; to say nothing of those of
Tyre
and
Constantinople,
could in ten years time quite lose the Notion, and settle the Church upon a Foundation without it: as if they never knew of any such antient Tradition or Doctrine among Christians at all? This is certainly a Question to be well weighed by those that depend so intirely on the Council of
Nice.
(8) I have fully, in more places than one,
p
31,
&c
declar'd how far I am an Arian. Nor can any one doubt from all I have said that in my uncertain philosophick Conjectures, I incline more to the Followers of
Arius
himself than of
Athanasius
: but in my certain Faith I keep strictly to the original Doctrine and Expressions alone; with an utter Abhorrence of all Novel and rash
Arian,
as well as
Athanasian
Additions and Language in such matters; as I think 'tis the plain Duty of every Christian to do. I take
Eunomius
to have been a much more Learned, Judicious, Wise, and Good Man, than
Arius
: and so I may well speak with great Respect of the one, while I have no great Esteem for the other; altho' Custom may call
Eunomius
a most compleat Arian, in a general Acceptation, as distinguish'd from other Parties then contending in the Church. And the Apologetick of this
Eunomius,
which I am going to publish
certainly shew what a great Man he was. I have read nothing of the Orthodox in this Century, for Piety, Judgment, and close Adherence to the antient Faith and Language of Christians to be compar'd to it.
p.
36,
&c.
(9) To prove that the
Athanasians
did not own that
Solomon Prov.
8.22. said that God
Created
our Saviour, while they forbad that Expression under the Penalty of Heresy, this Author says that is not the meaning of the Hebrew Word in this place. If this be Logick I own I have none. For my Argument depended not on the real Sense of the Hebrew, but on the confessed Language and Sense of the Greek, which the Church us'd; and I think none call'd in question till after the Council of
Nice.
So that all that is here said is intirely remote from the point. For the Antient Testimonies they are soon to be laid before the Reader, and he is himself to judge whether they are only some
unguarded Expressions,
or whether they do not contain the direct and plain
Doctrine of the two first Centuries of Christianity.
I believe our Author will find it hard, to set them in a
clear irresistible Light,
on the side of Orthodoxy, as he here speaks. (10) As to the Constitutions,
p.
39,
&c.
with their Interpolations, and Doxologies, I refer this Author to my Essay upon them, which is now to be Publish'd; and am not afraid still to assert, notwithstanding all this Authors Exclamations, that they are
the most Sacred of the Canonical Books of the New Testament.
p.
43,
&c.
(11) To prove that my Lord of
Worcester
is Angry with me for transposing some Parts of the former Thirteen Chapters of St.
Matthew,
he alledges that his Lordship differs from me about the Day of Christs Death, and some Circumstances belonging to his Passion in the Twenty Sixth and Twenty Seventh Chapters. If our Reflecter goes on in this way of reasoning he will soon become Unanswerable.
p.
49, 50
I believe Monsieur
Toinards
is an excellent Harmony, by what small sight I have had of it; but sure I may venture to differ from him, or omit his large Book in a small Catalogue, without any great Imputation of Ignorance; especially while there were so few Copies of it in
England
when I wrote that Catalogue.
p.
50, 51
As to the Eighty Fifth Canon I did certainly discover its being Apostolical long before I found the rest to be so: Let this Author say what he pleases. And as to Dr.
Grabes
proper denyal of any thing I have related of him, I can hardly find it:
p.
52, 53
For as to the general Charge of Misrepresentation, so common in all such Cases, he rather intimates he will make it good hereafter, than has yet done it. So that all our Authors Flourishes here are upon very little Foundation.
p.
54,
&c.
Nor does he seem to differ much from me at last about the meaning of the Scripture Phrases usually interpreted of a proper Eternity; notwithstanding his shew of still confuting and reproaching me thereupon. And for the Citations from
Ignatius,
p.
56
sure the Quotations in those Fathers he means are of
later Writers,
or
Writers
much
later
than
Ignatius
; and in no other Sense did I use those Words; For I did not then, nor do yet remember of what particular Antiquity the Citations he refers to were suppos'd to be. (12) The
Preface
to the Arabick Doctrine is that which I alone Publish'd, and mainly depended on,
p.
57
as I still do; and till its Authority be disprov'd, which I believe cannot be done, it certainly goes a great way to
put an End to the Dispute
about the Constitutions
for ever.
(13) This Author is to prove Mr.
Emlin
once a
Socinian,
even notwithstanding several Passages in his Writings intirely disagree thereto.
p.
57,
&c.
Now sure this Author might have suppos'd that I knew an Intimate Friends Opinions both former and later better than a meer Stranger could do: And that I would not notoriously falsify in such a plain case. And I still assure him I spake the direct Truth. And that he may learn to examin better before he
Writes
any more about Mr.
Emlin
's Opinions, I shall tell him what I know of them, both from his Writings, and from his own Month,
viz.
that when formerly he examin'd that matter, he found that our Saviour Pre-existed, and mos
probably made the World, as the Fathers Instrument: And so he was not a
Socinian.
Nay h
inclin'd most to the
Arians.
But observing how he was call'd a
Man,
and not knowing what powers even Human Nature, in a Pre-existing State, might be capable of deriving from God, when he pleas'd to inhabit in it, or intimately unite himself in it, he car'd not to enter deep into the Dispute between the Socinians and Arians; but asserted, what he was more fully satisfied in, that Christ was not the same Being with, or equal to the supreme God: and that the subordinate Worship requir'd to be paid him did not imply any such Things. That these were his real Thoughts,
Humble Enquiry p.
2.
his own Words in the Pages here cited do shew, which are these.
So that it should seem, that Nature which did pre-exist did not possess the supreme Will.—Tho' he be allow'd to be a Man, approved of God by Signs and mighty Wonders,
p.
21,
which God did by him, and by whom God made the World as the Instrument.
This is also more plain by his intire little Treatise in Vindication of the Bishop of
Gloucesters
Pre-existence of the Soul of Christ also. But how a Passage from Bishop
Williams,
who seems to have known no more than our Author, what Mr.
Emlins
Opinions were, is a proof that he was a Socinian, I by no means understand.
p.
59
So miserably do such Writers of Controversy argue when they pretend, without proper evidence, to affix odious Opinions and Imputations upon their Adversaries: for which this Author, among the rest, must give an Account another day, notwithstanding his strange way of Writing here, so little agreeing with Truth or with Christianity. Nor does he reason better, when from the Verdict of a Jury of Tradesmen, He concludes the same Mr.
Emlin
really guilty of
Blasphemy
; and accordingly treats him, as well as my self, as
Blasphemers.
p.
65 66:
Yet 'tis to me prodigiously strange that the
Subordination
of Christ to the Father should be exact Orthodoxy, while his
Inferiority
borders on no less a Crime than
Blasphemy.
I hope it will in a little time be hard to make Mankind believe any such extravagant Assertions, let them be deliver'd with never so great an Air of Magisterial Authority. Nor will this Authors Repetition of the Athanasian Reading of
Act.
20.28.
purchas'd by the Blood of God,
p
67.
have, I hope, any other effect on the honest and impartial than to make them look into Dr.
Mills
's various Readings, and at once to see and abhor such Heretical Forgeries and Interpolations in the very Books of the New Testament. The Quotation of which interpolated Text is the more strange here, since by his Silence, he seems to desert the other more certain and gross Orthodox Interpolation,
p.
26.
1
Joh.
v. 7. Of which he had made so great a noise in his former Reflections. This is all that I think necessary to say at present to this Author, because my four Volumes are ready to be publish'd; which will supersede, I hope, all occasions for such Pamphlets hereafter, and put Men upon deeper and more serious Enquiries. However, so far I venture to Animadvert on my once more kind and candid Friends Vindication, without the least ill will to him or any body living: Heartily Praying that he and all who are so deeply engag'd in supporting the Athanasian Heresy, may quickly
come to Repentance,
2
Tim.
11.25.
and the Acknowledgment of the Truth,
as it is in Christ Jesus.
W. Whiston
Novemb.
6. 1711.