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A40441 A dialogue by way of question and answer concerning the deity all the responses being taken verbatim out of the Scriptures. Freke, William, 1662-1744.; Freke, William, 1662-1744. A brief but clear confutation of the doctrine of the trinity. 1693 (1693) Wing F2163; ESTC R30389 26,997 16

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of the Holy Ghost and the Homoousiotes Great and noble Thoughts indeed if true But I here challenge any man upon the face of the Earth to shew so much as one Text with sence to favour them and might not we be asham'd then of such Castles in the Air. IX Nor is the Tradition of this Doctrine when examined less considerable than its Scripture proof What Are not all our Prayers even at this day to the Father except a few and trifling innovations And can there be a greater Tradition in Nature for it than that is against it They Christen this Doctrine Athanasian indeed and surely a happy Doctrine to as happy a Patron What was his first entrance into the Ministry but a wicked Mock-Baptism And while that for which another would have punished him as confident and impious Alexander forsooth admires and advances him Nay read but his treatment of the excellent Emperour Constantius not so much an Arrian as one who sought the Apostolique Liberty and you will quickly see what a blessed Saint he was I may say Mr. Johnson in his Book call'd Julian's Arts p. 55. has set out Athanasius and his Followers beyond all the bloody Anabaptists Jesuits and Villains that ever professed Christianity had they not been more cowardly in acting than thinking His Passage is too fine of it self about it to need the least stroke of an Unitarian Addition Nor may I add is the common Doxology of a less precious stamp than its Patron Sparks himself on the Liturgy tells you that before the Trinitarians alter'd it it run Glory be to the Father through the Son and by the Holy Ghost and then surely hopefully improved since To be short who can read Histories and not see that Popes that Councils yea that the whole World was Unitarian at one time and till a corrupter Church that has since forged and mangled as well all Histories as Traditions as the Apostle prophesied was given up to believe a Lie X. And what these things consider'd then can any Mortal be so unreasonable as to vindicate an Imposition of the Trinity or an innovation of new Articles of Faith upon us for it And thus also what tho this Doctrine were a most Divine Truth yet in the terms explain'd is it not apparently humane What Is there either Trinity in Unity Homoousios Eternal Generation Procession of the Holy Ghost or Athanasian Creed to be found in Holy Writ And are not men very confident then that dare change the words and yet not fear the spoiling of incomprehensible Mysteries under them and in Scripture-terms pray who will disagree with them Nay or what can the Trinitarians mean when they explain this Doctrine the most nicely of any and yet at the same time cry out 't is incomprehensible What Are not these shrewd men that would force all Mankind to conceive things even by themselves confessed inconceivable Nay and what says Christ in this case Wo be to him that gives Offence it were better that a mil●●one were hung about his neck c. But are our Trinitarians of that mind No they are glad of an incomprehensible stumbling-block and hug and enforce it more eagerly tho' confessed unintelligible than the plainest Doctrins whatever To be short History tells us that the Jews have often met if possible to reconcile themselves to Christianity and what think you has hindred Nothing but this and a few other enforced unscriptural Mysteries that were it not for prejudice none but an Idiot could go down with And think you then that these men shall not one day pay for these their Offences In plain terms I 'd loose a Million were I worth it but to hear one inconvenience named in the ancient and Apostolick Liberty and Freedom But no forsooth that 's not the case with our Trinitarians a bastard Constancy and Obstinacy shall make them maintain a Creed with Damnation at middle and both ends be it only to set us on Sins and Confusions inextricable and to fright every body from the Church of Christ that would approach it Says Constantine Christians fall short of Heathen Philosophers for they tho' disagreeing in multitudes of Opinions yet still and nevertheless esteem one another for their Learning And in truth our different Opinions of God should rather convince us of our Ignorance and teach us how to adore his unsearchable Goodness then set us to quarrelling with one another So St. Hillary Bp. of Poictiers in France writing of the times about the Council of Nice says Annuas menstruas de deo fides decernimus decretis paenitemus paenitentes defendimus defendentes anthematizamur aut in nostris aliena aut in alienis nostra damnamus mordentes invicem jam absumpti sumus But what says a Modern Author upon it Nevertheless the more advised Christians were more moderate still reputing honest men honest men tho' weak and not able to discern the subtilties of the times But what is this like the Temper of our present Mystery Men Nay and this on the supposition that this Doctrine of the Trinity may be a probable Doctrine and not absolutely false But good God! how little grounds of any probability is there to be found in this Mystery And then pray what can be alledged for its unreasonableness XI And thus first is it likely that God should so far innovate with the Jews on their first Commandment as the Trinity implies and yet not give it an express Repeal and Construction Or is it probable that the Scriptures should be so silent of the Worship and Dignity of the Son and Holy Ghost if Persons really coequal with the Father as not once to mention it Or is it probable that so great a truth should be left for Alexander and Athanasius only to declare it and that near 300 years after Christ and his Apostles Or is it probable that the Apostolique Church that wanted this new-fangled Faith was therefore less perfect than our present Churches Or if it were is it probable that they would have omitted it Or is it probable that as the Athanasian Creed implies we should be saved only by Parroting over a few and unintelligible Articles of Faith Or is it more probable that the Church should be less pure or Orthodox in a Primitive Simplicity without them Nay is it probable that ever that can be a plainly revealed Divine Mystery which the Trinitarians for this 1300 years have neither known what 't is they mean nor agreed either in Expressions or Sence about it and so that their Foundation is after all so tottering that not a little Heretick as they call them appears but what is able to put them to suppression and to use Force instead of Argument XII But good God! this charging of the Trinitarians with Unreasonableness and Improbabilities is trifling tho most just when compared with their real Guilt To be short as I have said Trinitarianism is Politheism and Idolatry if there be any such a thing in