THE LIFE or MILTON. 437 fame traa he obje&s to the " authority of Tertallian, becaufe he " went about to prove animparity between God the Fathers and God " the Son." And in the Paradife Loft we (hall find nothing upon this head, that is not perfealy agreeable to Scripture. The learned Dr. Trap, who was as likely to cry out upon herefy as any mans affects that the poem is orthodox in every part of it ; or otherwife he would not have been at the pains of tranflating it. Neque alienum videtur a ftudiis viri theologi poema magna exparte theolo- gicum ; omni ex parte (rideant, par me licet, atque ringantur athei et infideles) orthodoxum. Milton was indeed a diffenter from the Church of England, in which he had been educated, and was by his parents deigned for holy orders, as we related before ; but he was led away by early prejudices againft the doarine and difcipline of the Church ; and in his younger years was a favorer of the Fmk- terians ; in his middle age he was bell pleafed with the Independents and Anabaptifts, as allowing greater liberty of confcience than others, and coming neareft in his opinion to the primitive praaice ; and in the latter part of his life he was not a profeffed member of any particular fed of Chriftian s, he frequented no public worfhip, nor ufed any religious rite in his family. Whether fo many different forms of worship as he had teen, had made him indifferent to all forms ; or whether he thought that all Chriftians had in tome things corrupted the purity and fimplicity of the Gofpel ; or whether he difliked their endlefs and uncharitable difputes, and that love of dominion and inclination to perfecution, which he faid was a piece of Popery infeparable from all Churches ; or whether he believed that a man might be a good Chriftian without joining in any communion ; or whether he did not look upon him- felf as infpired, as wrapt up in God, Jand above all forms and cere- monies, it is not eafy to determine : to his own wafter he flandeth os falleth : but if he was of any denomination, he was a fort of a Quie. till, and was full of the interior of religion tho' he fo little regarded the exterior : and it is certain was to the tail an enthufiaft rather than an infidel. As entbufiafm made Norris a poet, fo poetry might make Milton an enthufiaft. V
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