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and full of gross Abfurdities, and Contradictions. And then, as a natural Confequence from this Doctrine, 1 (fecondly) concluded that thofe Divine Perfons differed only ἐν τρόπῳ ὑπάρξεως, in the manner of their Exiftence. And yet what that can fignifie in the Son, according to this Doctrine, it will not, I think, be very easy intelligibly to declare.

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That the Difference can be only Modal, even Dr. South bath fully demonftrated: And that this was the Opinion generally received from the fourthCentury, may be feen in the clofe of my first Part to Dr. Waterland. And yet the Right Reverend Bishop Bull (a) pofitively affirms, That this is rank Sabellianifm in thefe Words, A Perfon can't be conceived without Effence, unless you make a Perfon in Divine Matters to be nothing else but a mere Mode of Existence, which is manifeft Sabellianifm.' And the judicious Dr. Cudworth, (b) tells us, That the Orthodox • Anti-Arian Fathers did all of them zealously condemn Sabellianifm, the Doctrine whereof is no 0•ther but this, That there is but one Hypoftafis, or fingle individual Effence of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft; and confequently that they were indeed but three Names, or Notions, or Modes, of one • and the felf fame thing. Whence fuch Abfurdities as thefe would follow, That the Father's begetting the Son was nothing but a Name, Notion, or Mode of one Deity begetting another; or elfe the fame Deity under one Notion begetting it felf under another Notion. And when again the Son, or Word is faid to be incarnate, and to have fuffered Death for us upon the Cross, that it was nothing • but.

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(4) Addo ego, Perfonam fine Effentiâ concipi ncn poffe, nifi ftatueris Perfonam in Divinis nihil aliud effe quam merum por apes. quod plane Sabellianum, 1. 4. P. 439. (b) Cud. Syftem, ch. 4. p. 605.

but a mere logical Notion, or Mode of the Deity under one particular Notion or Mode only.

That the Doctrine of the Sabellians was exactly the fame with that of those who ftile themselves the Orthodox, afferting that the Father, and the Son, are numerically one and the fame God, is evident from the Words of Athanafius (a) and Epiphanius; both (b) teftifying, That to say the Father and the Son were μονούσιοι οι ταυούσιοι, of one and the fame Subftance was Sabellianifm. And furely, of Confequence to contend that this is the Doctrine of the Church of England, is to dishonour our Church, and in Effect to charge her with that Herefy, which was exploded with Scorn by the whole Church of Christ, from the third to this prefent Century.

In a Word, all other Notions of the Word Perfon, befides the plain and obvious one, fignifying a real and intelligent Agent, have been already fo excellently baffled and learnedly confuted that I own I am not able to refift the fhining Evidence of Truth: Nor am I afbamed to confefs my former Miftakes and Errors in these Matters after fuch strong and irresistible Conviction, feeing, Humanum eft errare, all Men are liable to Error. And as upon this Principle, I cannot but think it the most grofs Hypocrify, after fuch Conviction, to perfift in a Miftake; fo without Queftion, it is the greatest Abufe of Humility and free Thinking, to attribute fuch open and ingenuous Acknowledgements to a wavering Judgment, or levity of Mind.

Neither

(α) Ουτε γδ υἱο πάτερα φρονοῦμεν ὡς δι Σαβέλλιον μονούσιον. Expof. Fidei p. 241.

(6) Καὶ ου λέγομεν ταυτούσιον, ἵνα μὴ ἡ λέξις τάς τισι λεγομένη Σαβελλίῳ ἀπεικασθῇ. Anomeorum Herelis, 76. N. 7.

*See Dr. Clarke, Mr. Fackson, and others.

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Neither are there wanting Examples of good and great Men amongst the Antients to bear me out in this Matter. St. Cyprian (a) frankly confeffes, in bis Epistle to Antonianus, that he was formerly in the rigid Opinion of Tertullian, that the Peace of the Church was never to be given to Adulterers, to Mur therers, and Idolaters; and having changed his Opinion, he apologizes for it by faying, • Mea apud te & Perfona & Caufa purganda eft, ne me aliquis exiftimet a propofito meo leviter deceffiffe ; & cum Evangelicum Vigorem primo & inter initia defenderim, poftmodum videar animum meum a Difciplina & Cenfura priore flexiffe. And this honeft procedure which he practifed himself, he also approved in others, faying, (b) Non quia femel erratum eft, ideo femper errandum effe, cum magis fapientibus & Deum timentibus congruat, patefacte veritati libenter & incunctanter obfequi, quam pertinaciter, atque obfti... natè reluctari; That a Man's having once erred, is not a Reason why he should continue to do fo, for that it becomes wife Men, and such as fear God, to yield freely and readily to Truth, whenever made known to them, rather than to perfift obftinately in rejecting it.

St. Auftin was not more renowned for any of his Works, than for his two Books of Retractations, in which he confeffeth all the Errors he had committed in all his other Writings.

And this my Retractation, or Change of my Opini on, after all my former Endeavours to affert and eftablish a contrary Doctrine, deferves the more to be confidered, because it proceeds (and indeed can proceed) from me for no other Reafon, but purely from the

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ftrong and irrefiftible Convictions, which are now up on me, that I was mistaken.

Nothing, I fay, but the love of Truth can be fuppofed to extort fuch a Retractation from me, who having already lived fo long beyond the common Period of Life, can have nothing else to do but to prepare for my great Change; and in order thereunto to make my Peace with God, and my own Confcience before I die. To this purpose I folemnly appeal to the Searcher of Hearts, and call God to Witness, whether I have haftily, or rafhly departed from the common Opinion; or rather, whether I have not deliberately and calmly weighed the Arguments on both Sides drawn from Scripture and Antiquity ?

As I have no Views for this World; fo it cannot be imagined, that the Motives drawn from Interest, Ambition, or fecular Glory, can have any Place with me. Or if I had, neither can it be imagined that I would choose to diffent from the receivd Opinion, the Maintainers whereof are they who grafp Honours. and Preferments, and think they have the best Title to thofe Advantages.

So that upon the whole, if I have erred in changing my Opinion, I defire it may be obferved, that my Error bath neither Prejudice, nor fecular Views to fupport it; and that my Mistake (if fuch it will be reputed) bath been all along attended with conftant Prayers to the Throne of Grace, and what bath alway appeared to me to be the strongest Reason, and most undeniable Evidence.

And even yet, if any will be fo kind, as in the Spirit of Meeknefs, to answer the Arguments I have produced to justify my Change, if it please God to give me the fame Degree of Health, and Soundness of Mind, which, by his Bleffing and Goodness, I now enjoy, I promife fincerely to confider them, and to act fuitably

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to the Strength of the Argument; but if any fuch An fwer is attempted with angry Invectives, and haughty Sophistry, aiming to be wife above what is Written, I muft fay, μένωμεν ὥσπερ ἐσμεν, i. e. I muft remain in my present Sentiments; having in this fhort Treatife feriously confidered all that I had faid in my Commentary to the contrary, and fully answered the moft confiderable Places I had then produced for Confirmation of the Doctrines I there too haftily endeavoured to establish.

*

I conclude with thofe Words of St. Austin: Errare poffum, bæreticus effe nolo, that is, I may err, but I will not be an Heretick: As yet I must be in St. Paul's Senfe, if I would act against the Dictates, and ftrong Convictions of my Confcience. He having exprefly faid, That a Heretick is one who is Toxaтáxpil, condemned in his own Conscience for what be doth affert. Now that the God of Truth would give to me, and all others, a right Understanding in all things, is the Prayer of,

Your Friend,

and

Titus, 3. 10, II.

Humble Servant,

Daniel Whitby.

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