?

THE

NEGATIVE, &c.

May it pleafe your Lordship,

O pardon one, that is the loweft and meaneft of those who have the honour of be

ing named among the clergy of the church of England; while he endeavours a few obfervations on your lordfhip's late treatise entitled An Effay on SPIRIT. He ventures to call it your's, as the public, in general, are agreed to speak of it by that name; and as your lordship, if wrongfully charged, has never, yet, difavowed the imputation.

IF his motives to an attempt of this kind are inquired after, the first and most general, is, a fincere defire of inveftigating truth. That, if hitherto mistaken himself, he may, at last, throughly

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throughly correct his own errors; and, if haply in the right, be a means of exciting others to take the fame liberty with, and do the like juftice by, themselves.-Not but your lordship's high ftation in the church, and celebrated character for refin❜d learning and confummate judgement, awaken our attention, and command an accurate inspection of such pieces, as we have reafon to believe the produce of your masterly pen. But chiefly, does the honour of thofe great perfonages, the bleffed JESUS, as our SAVIOUR; and THE HOLY GHOST, as OUR SANCTIFIER; call us to deliberate on the reprefentations made by your lordship in those fublime and interefting points.-Allow the perfon, now addreffing your lordship, the liberty of faying, that he is truly jealous for the glory of BOTH and therefore the more, because, at prefent, he cannot but apprehend, that they are real fufferers by the doctrine of The Essay.

THESE, undoubtedly, are fubjects of that prodigious importance both to the christian church, and the body of the human fpecies, as to deferve the attention of thofe, who make the greateft figure amongst us for theological wisdom. But as the public has long waited in vain for fomething in their illuftration and defence, from writers of this fuperior class; it is hoped, the prefent attempt will incur no worfe cenfure with the ferious chriftian, than that of an honeft and laudable ambition, to serve in a cause truly great in itself; but, on the prefent occafion, too generally neglected. Since,

as

as is faid above, the author has nothing more at heart, than either the honour of convincing others, or the happiness of becoming a convert himself; as truth may be found on his, or the oppofite fide of the question.

THIS, likewife, he dares promise, in reference to your lordship, that nothing shall divert him from comporting with that humble deference, which you have certainly a right to challenge, through the course of these remarks. Not doubting but your lordship, in return, will condefcend to indulge him a proper freedom of inquiry, and opennefs of speech; as privileges neceffary for leading us to that fatisfaction, which, he is well affured, your lordship, and every fincere lover of truth, is chiefly defirous of acquiring, not only in the prefent, but every religious difquifition in general.

THE WHOLE of your lordship's Essay, if I am capable of judging aright, may be diftributed under these three general heads: namely,

FIRST, What is advanced with refpect to the nature of spirit in general; and therefore, more exprefly of GOD, the one infinite, felf-exiftent SPIRIT.

SECONDLY, What is fuggefted concerning the metaphyfical nature or fubftance of CHRIST. And

THIRDLY, What is deliver'd in reference to the perfon generally ftil'd THE HOLY GHOST,

or HOLY SPIRIT.-For, as these several heads take in the whole doctrine of the TRINITY; fo, will they, of course, I prefume, the intire fubftance of your lordship's Effay.

As to the first of these heads, it will no farther come under our prefent cognizance, than as it may be neceffary to transcribe from it, or refer to it, either to inform us in your lordship's fentiments, or illuftrate our own reasoning, on the other two heads.

I WOULD then beg leave to enter on that part of The Essay, which we have here made the second; and which, therefore, leads us to examine into the metaphyfical nature of CHRIST, the mediatorial perfon.And here our immediate concern will be, to acquaint ourselves perfectly with your lordship's fcheme. The queftion, however, in your state of it appears, at first fight, fo far involv'd, that we can hardly be fure, whether your lordship is of opinion, that the fuper-angelical SPIRIT, which you compliment OUR SAVIOUR with, was that fpirit, which, on his conception and birth, wholly animated the particular fyftem of matter, which served his as a body; or, whether, befides this fuper-angelical fpirit, he was not likewife in poffeffion of another fpirit; one, that we call human, in order to his haring both the constituent parts of a true and perfect man: and, confequently, whether both thefe intelligent fpirits and the body, which he affumed, were not united in fuch manner, as

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