and that I may more eafily purfue my purpose, "which is not to affail you with invectives and "foul language, but only to reprove you, and to "convince you by weight of reason. If nevertheless I fhould fometimes bear rather too hard upon you, the kind and candid Reader, I think, will fee that the fubject required it, and that it "proceeds not from the unruliness of my temper, but from the great heinoufnefs of the thing on "account of which I fhall reprove you. Slander

and detraction thrown out against you; as they "would be very useless to me and the cause I am "about to plead, fo they are quite contrary to my "design and purpofe. For I have refolved, as I "differ most widely from you in the fubject of de

bate, fo to be as unlike you in the management "of it as poffible. For you have not only loaded "with reproaches GREGORY PAUL, but likewise "moft bitterly inveighed and raved, almoft like a "drunken man, against all the Racovians. This is "not, believe me, PALEOLOGUS, becoming either

26

your gravity or learning, or the nature of the cafe, "or the profeffion of the Chriftian name. Nor is "there any thing which will fo effectually prevent, "I will not fay your adversaries, but even any other

men, not quite fenfelefs, from embracing your "doctrine, though it fhould be true, than the very "unfuitable manner with which you treat your

" opponents

opponents and defend yourself against them; * than which nothing can be more foreign to your

defign, if the propagation of what you contend "for, as the Truth of God, is dear to you. But of "this you yourfelf fhould judge." The fourth part of his Anfwer to the fame Writer he opens in this manner. After having obferved that one, who had perceived how many errors he had clearly detected in his Book, would fcarcely fuppofe any remained to be expofed, and yet that fo many ftill remained, that he could only felect out the most grofs and remarkable for the animadverfion of his pen, he adds, addreffing himself to PALEOLOGUS: "But I beg you not to refent my conduct, or fup"pose I am led into it by an high opinion of myself. "For it is far from my intention to do you any

injury; and I am fully convinced that I am a meer common man, and therefore not only liable to err, but to err frequently and egregi

ously. But when I have confidered that many "afcribe to you fo great an acquaintance with fa"cred Science, as readily to efpoufe what you "fhall advance concerning the ordinances of our

Religion, and that amongst the things afferted by you many appear to me not only falfe, but very *hurtful, of which you have not only scattered the feeds, but alfo fet not a few plants, in the Book

F 2

Socin. Opera, tem, ii. p. 1-4.

gainst

againft which I have taken up my pen; when I "confider this, with no defign to injure you but to "affift others, I thought the weight of your autho

rity was to be leffened; and I am myself dis"pofed to be in return publicly reproved by you, "if I fhall be found in an error. For though "there be no danger that any fhould be biaffed by

my authority, fince I have none; and there feems "fcarcely any reason why you should in this refpect "tread in my steps: yet if, whilft I openly reprove 66 you, I have rafhly uttered any thing worthy of "cenfure, it is juft I should bear the punishment "of my rafhness *."

To thefe paffages it may be proper to fubjoin one or two more, as fpecimens of the ftrain and manner of his Controverfial Pieces.

One finishes his Book DE SERVATORE, and is by way of reply to the conclufion of COVETUS's Remarks on the Efficacy and Operation of CHRIST'S Death. Having quoted that conclufion, he fays, "There is nothing in this conclufion which requires "an answer from me; unless that I thank you, be"caufe whilft you confider me as embracing fenti"ments with respect to the undertaking of CHRIST, contrary to the Truth and repugnant to the facred

*SOCIN. Opera, tom. ii. p. 92. col. 1, 2,

"Scrip

Scriptures and greatly wandering into bye paths,' you have endeavoured to bring me again into the " right road, as you apprehend it, by reafon and "the testimony of Scripture. And truly for this "your uncommon humanity and kind expreffions " of concern for me, I do now and ever will own "myself justly indebted to you. Many, whose senti"ments correfpond with yours, have treated me in "a very different manner, and have wholly avoided "me, as if I were an infectious perfon. If ever "therefore an opportunity fhould offer of repay❝ing the favour, I will not give occafion for you, ❝or any one, defervedly to accufe me of ingrati"tude, although I may appear to have fufficiently

repaid your kindness. I have declined no la"bour in fully answering your Book, to rescue from

a perilous ftate one who is involved in very great " and hurtful mistakes, and who being fet over "others, to fhew them the way of Salvation, does "not himself entertain juft conceptions concern

ing it. But this was done under fuch a bad ftate "of health and amidst fo many other avocations, "that when I had got half way through my answer, "I was obliged to lay it entirely afide for eight "months. And I could devote only a part of the "day to it for the reft of the time: especially as I

66

was under the neceffity of dictating from my copy to the fcribe all that was already written;

my hand not being legible to him or any other "perfon. You will not wonder then, if what I "promised to do was finished much later than you expected: nor fhould you impute it to my negligence, or any other lefs excufable cause.

66

"If my labour prove not useless to you, I fhall "think I have performed my promise foon enough. "This the probity and candour of your mind en

courages me to hope: if you were deftitute of "these difpofitions, not the strongest reasons, nor "cleareft teftimonies of facred Scripture I could "throw together to unfold the Truth, would avail

any thing. You yourself, I hope, will allow there "is no reason why I fhould defire any thing more "from you on this fubject: you may perceive that "every thing that favours the opinion on which "our difputation turns, has been noted by me, and for a long time moft carefully examined and "weighed.

"If yet you should either attempt a refutation "of my answer, or because you may doubt of fome

things advanced by me, fhould write me again, "I will reply as foon as the matter may appear to "require it. But there will undoubtedly be an end "to our writing each other on this fubject, if you

prefer above all things the Truth and Glory of

"GOD,