Effence, Nature, or Subftance with the Fa ther and the Son, and that he is a distinct Perfon from them both; fo that we are to believe and worship an Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, as is revealed in Scripture, though it is a Mystery and above our Còmprehenfion. I will conclude in the Words of our most excellent and orthodox Church; faying, It is meet and right, and our bounden. Duty, that we should at all Times, and in all Places, give Thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Almighty, everlafting God. Who art one God, one Lord; not one only Perfon, but three Perfons in one Subftance. For that which we believe of the Glory of the Father, the fame we believe of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, without any Difference of Inequality. Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name, evermore praifing thee, and faying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hofts; Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Amen.

Ita ego credo, laudo & colo fanctam Trinita tem in Unitate divine Naturæ.

THOMAS TROUGHEAR Vectenfis.

SIR,

T

HE laft time I had the Honour to wait upon you, we accidentally fell into a Discourse about the Athanafian Creed, as it is commonly called. The Doctrines of which, as profeffed in the Church of England, you declared, you believed, and expreffed a great Concern, that it, and fome of its Doc trines, particularly the Equality of the Son with the Father, as delivered in it, should be fo much of late objected against. I spoke a great deal then in Defence of both the Creed in general, and that particular Doctrine contained in it; but I could not fay fo much, as the Importance of the Subject required: And therefore I have given you, Sir, the Trouble of this Letter, and herein represent to you, though very imperfectly, what may be said in Vindication of both, which, I hope, will contribute a little, both towards the Establishment of the Truth, and the Confirmation, of your own Faith.

And,

And, Sir, in Respect of the Creed, though the great Learning and Judgment of Dr. Waterland will not permit me to affert, that it was, as we now have it, drawn up by Athanafius himself; yet give me leave to observe, that it is in its prefent Form very antient. Gregory Nazianzen, who died about twenty Years after Athanafius, mentions in his Oration in praise of Athanafius, Orat. 21. a Confeffion of Faith, which Athanafius presented to the Emperor, and calls it a royal Gift, received with great Veneration, both in the Eaft and Weft. If this Creed is not that very Gift, it is allowed to be composed from it, or made agreeable to it. Bishop Sparrow fays of it, that it hath been received with great Veneration, as a Treasure of an inestimable Price, both by the Greek and Latin Churches. I look upon it, Sir, as one of the best Guards we have of the Catholick Faith, as always profeffed in the Catholick Church : And therefore if I fhewed any Warmth in my Defence of it, I hope, it is excufable, not only on account of the great Opinion I entertain of it my self, but also of the great Authority and Credit, it hath ever had among all the Orthodox Chriftians, fince it was first published to the World: For you will, allow me, Sir, to

fay,

1

fay, that the Measures of our Zeal are, or ought to be, proportioned to the Worth and Excellence of the Objects of it, and are to be regulated by our Opinions or Judgments of their Importance. They are not my Sentiments only, but of fome very good and learned Men, that they who ftrike at it, strike at the Establishment, not fo much of the Church of England, as of the Church of Chrift amongst us, and would have nothing of Chriftianity at all in the Nation, but every one left to do that which is right in his own Eyes only. I know what great Respect and Deference is due, and ought to be paid to all the Perfons then prefent; but efpecially to you, Sir, who on account of your great natural and acquired Endowments, your good Senfe and Learning, and particular Favours to me, have more than a double Title to all imaginable Refpect from me; and if I was deficient in paying it, fure I am, I did not intend to be fo. I must own, I am one of thofe Clergymen, who have fubfcribed to the Truths contained in it more than once, as all Graduates in the Univerfities, and all Clergymen upon their Institutions into their Benefices muft do; and give me leave to add, as all diffenting Minifters must also do, notwithstanding they and their Peo

C

ple

ple talk fo much about Creeds and Creed makers, as I myself know fome of them to do. And I verily think, that if I am really perfuaded, I have fubfcribed to any Untruths, I ought to make a publick Recantation, and throw up my Living in Testimony of my Sincerity. I have learnt from Job 13.7. that we are not to speak wickedly for God, nor to talk deceitfully for him. And therefore I cannot but highly blame fuch Minifters, of what Denomination foever they be, as do go or have gone from Houfe to House, as I have been inform'd, and you, Sir, feem'd to acknowledge, fome have done, and fecretly propagate Notions contrary to this Creed, or labour to leffen its Authority and Influence, seeing they must have subscribed to it, as well as myself. Give me leave, good Sir, to affure you, that there is no Propofition in it, but what may be proved, either from express Words in Holy Scripture, or by neceffary Inferences from them. It was drawn up, if not by Athanafius himself, very early according to his and the Antenicene Fathers' Confeffion of Faith, in Opposition to the Opinions and vain Sophistry of fuch Hereticks, as denied fome Articles of the Christian Faith, and yet would subscribe to the Creeds or Confeffions then in Ufe, by