now muft a Deift think, when he hears both the one and the other thirteen Times a Year, moft folemnly declaring in the Prefence of Almighty GoD, and as Inftructors of his People, that whoever will be faved, it is before all Things neceflary that he hold the ATHANASIAN Faith; and most preremptorily denouncing EVERLASTING DAMNATION upon thofe who do not believe it; that is, many of them denouncing DAMNATION upon themselves!-Is this your powerful and effectual Means of preferving "the Chriftian Faith?"-I fhould think it one of the most effectual to fubvert and destroy it. It has no doubt, been in fact a great ftumblingblock in the Way of Infidels and Fews, and harden'd them in their Oppofition to the Religion of CHRIST, when they fee it dooming to undoubted and everlasting Perdition all who do not heartily and fincerely believe (for that must be meant by faithfully) these deep and myfterious Points, which we acknowledge to be inexplicable, and far above the Powers of Reafon to comprehend. "But the Diffenting Ministers, you tell me, "who have complied with the Terms of the "Toleration, have folemnly fubfcribed the " VIIIth Article which approves the Atha nafian Creed *" Let Dr. Calamy answer †. "The diffenting Minifters about the City, in "a Body, gave in their Senfe of the Articles "when they fubfcribed them, and among the "reft of this VIIIth Article, in the Glofs upon Appendix, Page 78. + Life of Mr. Baxter, Page 236, upon which, the damnatory Claufes of this "Creed are exprefsly excluded the Subfcrip"tion. And there was fomething of the fame "Nature done in feveral Parts of the Country." Now the Fathers and Predeceffors of the prefent diffenting Ministers having made this public Proteft and Declaration at their Subfcription, and the Legislature having accepted, or at leaft not rejected it, under the Favour of this Proteft their Succeffors may be fuppofed now to fubfcribe with the fame Difapprobation of the damnatory Clause. If it were not to be thus taken, there is, I hope, not a Minister among us but would publickly disown and renounce his Subscription. I fhould now proceed, Sir, to the Examination of other Parts of your Letters, to fhew the great Infufficiency of your Arguments and Objections; and to obferve that, in many Instances, you have extremely mistaken and given quite wrong Representations of our religious Principles and Practice. But I relieve your Patience at prefent.- -If this Province be undertaken by no other Hand, you may in fome Time, by divine Permiffion, expect to hear farther from Sir, Your very humble Şervant, A DISSENTER. Diffenting Gentleman's SECOND LETTER To the REVEREND Mr. WHITE, In ANSWER to his THREE LETTER S. IN WHICH His VARIOUS MISREPRESENTATIONS of the DISSENTERS are corrected, His OBJECTIONS against them answer'd, And the GROUNDS of their DISSENT are further reprefented, and proved folid and just. To which is added a POST SCRIPT, CONTAINING REMARKS On Mr. WHITE's Defence of his Three Letters, &c. In vain do they worship me, teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men, Mark vii. 7. BELFAST: Printed by JAMES MAGEE, in Bridge-fireet, near the Four-corners. M,DCC,XLVII. |