Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

free, open, christian proceeding, had no other publick effect, than to draw upon him, an arbitrary and illegal expulfion (n) from the univerfity of Cambridge, and from his mathematick-profeffor-ship there, by the heads of houses, and that without conferring with him in relation to his notions, they urging, that it was (0) not ufual to argue with hereticks; an addrefs of the convocation to the queen against him, wherein they defire to be put into a method how to punith him; a reprefentation of him, by the faid convocation to the queen and the nation, as a perfon carrying on the cause of irreligion; the convocation's fecret cenfure (p) of divers of his pofitions, which cenfure has fince ftole out into print; and their open refufal (q) to examine his papers, and to hear him in his own defence, tho' he demanded it of them, as a matter of right; and lastly, a profecution commenc'd against him by Dr. PELLING, which upon the death of her late majefty dropp'd.

He lives for the most part in London, the place of the greatest resort of men of underftanding, birth, fortune, and learning in the univerfe. There he vifits perfons of both Sexes,

(n) Appendix to Hift. Pref. p. 160.

(0) Account of his Banishment, &c. p. 38-42. (p) Supplement to Hift. Pref. p. 63.

(q) Second Append. to Hift. Pref.

[ocr errors]

fexes, and of the highest rank, who are de lighted with his plainnefs, integrity, fenfe, and learning and to whom he difcourfes with the greatest freedom about many im portant points, and efpecially about Athanafianifm, which feems his moft peculiar concern. He frequents the moft publick coffeehoufes, where most are prone to show him refpect, and none dare fhow him any dif respect the clergy, either flying before him, or making a feeble oppofition to him. By all which he has made a multitude of converts to the belief; that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three different intelligent agents, and not three intelligent agents making but one intelligent agent, that the Father was before and is greater than the Son; that the Son is not the fame being with the Father; and that the Father is the One God, (as fay both the (r) fcripture and Nicene creed) or that there are no other Gods but him; all doctrines contrary to the prefent orthodoxy. And he has foften'd the zeal of many more, who used to call for fire from heaven, or the fword of the ma giftrate to defend their fentiments. He has at this time fo much credit, that he now fays and prints what he pleafes, without incurring U any

(r) Matt. 12. 32. 1 Tim 2. 5.

John 17. 3.

I Cor. 8. 4, 6

any hazard of perfecution from real or pretended zealots; who are forc'd to yield to the fuperior fplendor and power of his honefty, fenfe, and learning, and fear drawing upon themselves fomething of more fatal confequence, than the prefent converfions that he makes. And I am perfwaded, that if any country could but furnish twenty fuch men as he is; that they would, without pay, and with mere liberty to fpeak their fentiments, put to flight twenty thousand lifted to fupport error.

[ocr errors]

He is a perfon, who forms vaft projects and defigns for the defence of natural and reveal'd religion, and for reftoring what he calls primitive chriftianity amongst us: as appears by his Theory of the earth; his Chronology of the Old Teftament, and harmony of the four gofpels; his Effay on the Revelation of St. JOHN his Primitive christianity reviv'd; his Aftronomical principles of natural and reveal'd religion; his Effay to restore the true text of the Old Teftament; and his defign of a new interleav'd bible with large additions, and divers particulars to confirm and illuftrate the fame, that fo all boneft enquirers may be able to judge for themselves, about the truth of thofe fcriptures, and to understand the greatest part of them impartially, without the danger of impofition from common prejudices; from any later partial expofitions or mistakes whatsoever; to fay nothing, or not to enter into the detail of his leffer numerous projects, essays, defigns,

[ocr errors]

Jup

fuppofals, and theories in behalf of religion. Nor is he without great defigns for the improvement of philofophy, and for the welfare and trade of his country: as appears by his attempts to explain the philofophy of Sir IsaAC NEWTON, and by his other works in mathematicks and phyficks, but above all, by his attempts to difcover the longitude, for which he deferves the reward promis'd by parliament, tho' he should not fucceed. But the greatest good, that he promotes, feems, to me what he does not defign; and that is, by put ing men upon enquiries, to make them fee further than himself, and to reject his narrow opinions.

He is a very serious and grave perfon, but yet chearful, and no enemy to innocent mirth; and he is, even, capable of laughing (s) heartily at egregious nonfenfe, ftupidity, and folly in the most folemn perfons, when they speak about the most folemn things.

I will conclude this account of him, with obferving, that all the reform'd churches, and efpecially your church of Scotland (which is in a peculiar manner the object of theological spite among us) are highly oblig'd to him for a moft ingenious defence of the validity of their ministry in his Argument to prove that either

(s) See one of his printed Letters about Doxologies,

either all perfons folemnly, tho' irregularly fet apart for the miniftry are real clergymen, and all their minifterial acts are valid; or elfe there are now no real clergymen or chriftians in the world. Wherein your ministry, which is fo undefervedly contemptible in the eyes of our clergy, who do not make a juft comparifon between themselves and their neighbours, is, as it ought to be, fet upon as good a foot as any ministry whatfoever.

I have nothing further to add, but that I hope this letter, tho' long delay'd, will not be unacceptable to you, from,

Reverend SIR,

Your moft bumble Servant.

« ForrigeFortsæt »