Your Grace, in the Charitable Addrefs to the Roman Catholicks of Ireland, is pleas'd to leave us at our Liberty, either of retaining our Principles, or the feveral Things we profess and practice, if upon a full Examination of them we find them to be right, or in rejecting them in Cafe they shall manifeftly appear to be wrong: It is therefore my Lord, I venture to let your Grace know, that (after perufing faid Addrefs with all the Care and Attention I am Mafter of, and in which, in my humble Opinion, as much is faid as can be offer'd upon that Subject) not one of our Principles manifeftly appears to me to be wrong, but rather upon a full Examination find the feveral Things we profess and practice to be right, and which I moft firmly believe, not out of Obstinacy, Prejudice or Prepoffeffion, but out of a thorough Conviction of Confcience; and am therefore with God's Grace, fully determin'd to retain to my la Breath, being convinc'd that nothing is mood ous or abominable to God than double Dealing in the great and weighty Affair of Religion: And to the End it may appear that we are prepared to give Satisfaction to every one, who asketh us a ReaJon of the Hope that is in us, which, as your Grace reminds us, is given us in Charge by St. Peter, 1. Pet. 3. 15. I therefore, tho' not fo able for this Undertaking as fome others of my Brethren, prefume to give Satisfaction to what your Grace asks in the faid Addrefs.

And here I declare, My Lord, that if any unguarded or uncivil Expreffion fhall drop from my Pen, which may give juft Caufe of Offence to your Grace, or may feem to break in upon the Refpect and Efteem due to your Grace's

Perfon

Perfon and great Merit; I do from this Moment retract it, and defire it may be look'd upon, Quafi non dictum, as being far from my Heart and Intention.

Your Grace's firft Paragraph being only a pathetick Exhortation to read with Attention and Patience the Charitable Addrefs, I fhall proceed to the fecond; where your Grace is pleased to fay: "If you refufe or neglect to enquire in"to the Ground and Reafon of the Religion "which you have embrac'd, and the feveral "Parts and Branches of it, Do not think that "it will excuse you before God at the last Day, "that your Parents or Friends brought you up "in this Religion, which was profefs'd by your

Fore-fathers; or that your Spiritual Guides "have thus taught you: For a Jew, a Turkand "a Heathen, may in the fame Manner excuse "themfelves to all Intents and Purposes as well "as you. God has given you rational Souls; "and if you make ufe of your own Under"ftanding, according to the best of your feve"ral Capacities to preferve your felves, as well as you can, from thofe Evils and Calamities, "which otherwife might, for want of Care, be"fal you in this World Is there not much "more Reason, that you fhou'd do the fame "where your precious Souls are at Stake? "Look into your own Bibles (if you fufpect "the Truth of ours) and there you will find St. "Peter himself giving you a Charge, that you "fhould always be prepared to give Satisfaction "to every one who asketh you a Reafon of the "Hope that is in you, . Pet. 3. 15. In like "Manner St. Paul directs you to prove [or try "all Things, and to hold fast that which is Good.

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"1. Thef. v. 21. And St. Joe, in as plain "Words as may be, fays unto you and to all"Chriftians: Beloved, believe not every Spirit, "but try the Spirits, whether they are of God: For "that many falfe Prophets are gone out into the "World. I. John. 4. 1. Many there are, and al

ways have been, who under the Pretence of "teaching the true Religion, have broached moft pernicious and dangerous Errors: Thefe are "the falfe Prophets of which St. John here fpeaks Nor is it poffible for any Man to dif ❝tinguish them from true Prophets or Teachers,

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except he trys, examins, and fearches into "their Doctrine, that he may thereby find whe"ther they are guided by the Spirit of God, or "whether they are under a Spirit of Delusion."

My Lord, I hope your Grace will not infer from thefe Texts of Scripture, that it may be lawful for any private Man, whether learned or unlearned, to try, examin, or fearch into the Faith once delivered unto the Saints, or (which is the fame Thing) into Articles of Faith defin'd and determin'd by the Church, fo as to be allowed to prefer his own private Judgment to. that of the Church If fo, I muft beg leave to differ in Opinion with your Grace: For St. Paul fays exprefsly: Tho' we, or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Goffel unto you, than that which we have Preached unto you, Let him be accurfed. Gal. 1. 8. Thus your own Englith Verfion, of which I fhall always make use to avoid Misunderstanding. 'Tis true Chrift our Saviour doth often recommend to the Jews to fearch the Scriptures and try whether his Doarine and Works were agreeable to the Prophefies foretold of the Meffias, and St. Luke,

Acts

Acts 17. 11. fays, the Bereans were more no-. ble than those of Theffalonica, who received the Word with all Readiness, fearching the Scriptures daily whether thofe things were fo. But then, this was both as to the Jews and Bereans before they were Baptized, or made Profeffion. of the Faith of Chrift: But it is no where faid in Scripture, that the Faithful fhould fearch the Scriptures, fo as that it might be lawful for them to recede from the Faith, if upon their own Examination or Judgment of it, they did not find it agreeable to their Reafon. On the contrary, we find, that when the Jews, who had received the Faith of Chrift, did upon their own private Interpretation of the Law of Mofes, endeavour to oblige the Gentiles converted to Chriftianity to be Circumcifed, and that the Apostles and Priefts or Elders affembled in Council, did decree and determin the contrary, with a Vifum eft Spiritui Sancto & nobis. Ir feemed good to the Holy Ghoft and to us. Acts 15. 28. They were fo far from allowing either Jews or Gentiles to examin their Decree, that they delivered the fame to them to keep, that is to be executed or obferved, as it' is exprefsly recorded by St. Luke, Acts 16. 4. In conformity to this Rule of the Holy Ghoft, and of the Apoftles, and Elders; their fucceffors the Bishops and Doctors of the Church in Council affembled, have in all Ages, fram'd their Decrees, when any Difpute arofe concerning Matters of Faith; and obliged the Faithful, (not to examin their Decrees but) to receive and keep them on Pain of Anathema or Curfe. Thus the Bishops and Doctors affenbled in the Council of Nice in the Year 325. decreed,

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that Jefus Chrift was Confubftantial with the Father, and pronounced Anathema against Arius, and all thofe who did not believe the fame. Thus the firft Council of Conftantinople pronounced against Macedonius and his Adherents, who did not believe the Divinity of the Holy Ghost. The Council of Ephefus against Neftorius for not believing the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God, and for afferting that there were two Perfons in Chrift. The Council of Calcedon against Eutyches for maintaining that there was but one Nature in Chrift: And thus all fucceeding general Councils have decreed and determin'd all Difputes arifing about Matters of Faith, being perfwaded they had the Affiftance of the Holy Ghoft, to guide them into all Truth, upon the repeated Promifes of Chrift our Saviour to that Purpofe; fo that they might after the Model of the Apoftles and Elders in Council affembled in Jerufalem, fay with Regard to their. Decrees concerning Matters of Faith. Vifum eft Spiritui Sanéto & nobis. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to

But fuppofe, My Lord, I fhould allow (as indeed I cannot) that it may be lawful for all Mankind to fearch the Scripture fo as to make themselves. Judges of the Senfe thereof; how few are there. in the World, capable of trying, examining, or. fearching into Myfteries of Faith in comparifon of thofe that are not, any other way than by. fubmitting their Judgment to that of the Cathol lick Church; It being evident that there are an Hundred Ignorant People in the Chriftian World for one that is learned, and, that before the Art cf Printing was invented, which is not above.

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