PREFACE. 209 Another thing I am constrained to take notice of is, that my unknown friend the appellant had written with a greater degree of open fairness and evidence, it, he had attacked my propositions in the method in which I have placed them, wherein they give mutual lightand force to each other : But he has chosen rather to singleout for his first attacks some special paragraphs out of distant places of my book, whereby he seems to insinuate.to the reader the weakness of my whole argument ; and he spends above sixty pages upon these, tiffat last he himself confesses, that lie" thinks it high time to enter upon the arguments I haveused," page 62. And even then he " intreats patience once more" Or three pages, here he enters upon a regular form of objections, page es. But however it be, I have this advantage by it, that as other circumstances permit me not to engage in any regular or continued controversy, so I am the better justified to all the world in taking notice.of what this authorbath objected, in several unconnected dissertations. I have not muchreason to complain of misrepresentations of my sense by theappellant, m the matters of argument. One of the most remarkable instances of this, kind is, when he supposes me to believe a :. greater dis- tinction between the sacred three in the godhead itself" than my words amount to, as page 10, and other places. For though I confess the scriptu- ral representation of personal dirtinctions in some places is pretty strong, yet 1 have no where asserted three literal and proper distinct personalities to be internal and essential to the godhead itself. Ingeneral I must own he has written with a degree of impartiality and fairness in this respect beyond what is usual in such controversies; and if ever he has mistaken my sense, I per- suade myself that it was not done with design, because, except the places mentioned, there is a general appearance of justice and candour running through his arguments. Yet I cannot but take notice' of one passage, wherein he has not done the Rev. Dr. Waterland thesame' justice, in a cita- tion. pages 12. and 153, where he twice represents him as declaring, that " the Doctrine of the Trinity is thoroughly understood butby few in com- parison," whereas that learned author liad only asserted, that " the contro- versy of the Trinity is thoroughly understood but by few in comparison," which makes a great difference in the sense : for multitudes of the vulgar rank of mankind- may understand the doctrine of the Trinity, sufficient for their own salvation,- while the learned controversies thatrelate to it are much unknown by them. I own the light I have received from this author in the different turn be bath given to some few of those scriptures which I had brought as proofs of my doctrine, which I must acknowledg carries such a degree of probability, as to weaken the force of my arguments derived from thence ; such are John iii. 13. Zech. xi. 12, 13. and-perhaps, one or two more; for I would not willingly pervert one text of scripturefrom its native and sacred sense, to support any article of my faith. 1 take this opportunity here also, together withmy thanks to this author, to acknowledge the goodness of some other friends, who by their obliging letters have made other occasional exceptions to any uncautious sentences which I had used in some part Of my treatise; which being written chiefly for private christmns, had not all that strict accuracy in ii that controvery required. But these expressions 1 shall endeavour to correct in the next edition, which mybooksellers tell me will bequickly wanted. With regard to the business of charity, which Í mentioned before, as well as the matters of argument for the defence of the deity of our blessed Saviour, I have other dissertations lying by me. which glee some general solutions to the chiefscriptural difñculties'in this controversy, and make it ap- pear that the common doctrine of theTrinity stands firm upon the greatest part of those scriptural proofs by which 1 have endeavoured to support it. And I hope it shall else be sufficiently proved, that the zealous contenders for this VOL. VI. -Q
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