DISCOURSE III. 617 . 'and yet now it has arisen into further evidence, and has obtained almost universal assent, so this doctrine of Christ's pre-existent soul, though it might have lain dormant several ages, yet since that excellent man Dr. Henry More has published it near threescore years ago in his " Great Mystery of Godliness," it has been embraced, as Bishop Fowler asserts, " by many of our greatest divines, as valuable men as our church can boast of ; though most of them trave been too sparing in owning it, for fear, 1 suppose, of having their orthodoxy called in question." 'file most modernauthors and writings which have professed this doctrinepublicly, are these that follow.* I. Doctor Henry More, of as the Mystery of Godliness:" 2. Dr. Edward Fowler, Bishop of Gloucester, in his " Dis- course of the Descent of the Min Christ Jesus from Heaven," and his " Reflections on the Examiner of this Discourse," (Dr,. William Sherlock, Dean of St. Paul's.) 3. " A Defence of the Bishop's Discourse, by a Presbyter of the Church of Eng- land." 4. " A Second Defence, by the Publisher of the First." 5. " Mr. Robert Fleming in his First and Third Volumes of " Christology. r 6. A very great man cited, but nameless, by Bishop Fowler in his Reflections, &c. page 111.-7. Mr. Joseph Hussey, in his Treatise of " the Glory-man." 8. Dr. Francis Gastrell, Bishop of Chester, in his " Remarks.on Dr. Clarke's Scripture-doctrine of the Trinity," page 47. 9. Mr. Nelson's learned friend, Dr. Knight, in Answer to Dr. Clarke, pages 65, 103. 10. Dr. Thomas"Bennet; in his " Discourse of the Tri- nity in Unity." 11. The learned Dr. Thomas Burnet of the Charter- house, in his book, " De statumortuorum & resurgen- tium," published after his death. 12. " The Doctrine of the Trinity intelligibly explained, by Dr. Thomas Burnet, rector of Westkington in Wiltshire, and prebendary of Salisbury." 13. Dr. Knight's " Primitive Christihnity Vindicated," in answer to Mr. Winston's bold assertions. In three of these books I confess this opinion is but just mentioned, as the certain and probable opinion of the author, but in the rest it is strenuously asserted and maintained, and in some of them with great degrees of assurance : And I think every one of them do profess and 'maintain the real and proper deity of Christ in that or other parts of their works, so that there is noArian among them all. After authors of such learning and reputation in the world, as some of these which are named, I have ventured to pro- pose this doctrine once more to the public. It is attended with a variety of arguments drawn from the holy scripture for the support of it, and I have stated much stronger objec- tions than 1 have ever met with in opposition to it from any * Note, This was written at least twenty or thirty years ago, many more persons may be now found who bare acknowledged it.
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