He excepts against Bellarmine's Orthodoxy (because forfooth he was a Papift) like that profound Dotard who reproved a Young Student for reading Clavius upon Euclid, telling him that he ought to read none but Proteftant Mathematicks; furely the Romish Writers are as Orthodox about the Article of the Trinty, as any Proteftant Writers what foever? P. 256.

When I look back upon that shrewd Remark of his, with which he begins the faid Anfwer, viz. That Logick is a very troublefome Thing when Men want Sense, p. 93.1.7. I must confefs that he here speaks like a Man who understands himself, and that having fo often fhewn, how troublesome a Thing Logick is to him, by his being fo angry with it, he now gives a very Satisfactory Reason why it is fo; and therefore in Requital of it, I cannot but tell him, That if Logick without Sense be fo troublesome, Confidence without either Logick, or Senfe, or Truth, or Shame, or so much as Confcience of what one fays or denies, is intolerable. P. 274.

And fo I take my Leave of the DEAN's Three diftinct, Infinite Minds, Spirits, or Subftances, That is to fay, of his Three Gods; and having done this, methinks I fee him go whimpering away with his Finger in his Eye, and that Complaint of Micah in his Mouth, Judg. xviii. 24. Te have taken away my Gods which I made, and what have I more. Though I must confess I cannot tell, why he should be fo fond of them, fince I dare undertake, that he will never be able to bring the Christian World either to believe in, or to worship a Trinity of Gods. Nor

do

do I fee what Ufe they are likely to be of, even to himself, unless peradventure to Swear By. P. 281.

The Refult of this Paper War gave the Victory to Dr. South, and decided after a most extraordinary manner in his Favour: For Mr. Bingham Fellow of Univerfity College in Oxford, having fome time after taken upon him to fall in with Dr. Sherlock's Notions, and afferted in a Sermon before the University; "That there were Three infinite "diftin&t Minds and Subftances in the Trinity; and "alfo that the Three Perfons in the Trinity are "Three diftin Minds or Spirits, and Three Indivi"dual Subftances: was Cenfured by a Solemn Decree there in Convocation; wherein, they fudge, Declare, and Determine, the aforefaid Words lately deliver'd in the faid Sermon, to be FALSE, IMPIOUS, and HERETICAL, difagreeing with, and contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England, Publickly re ceived.

But this Decree rather irritated the Parties than compofed the Differences; whereupon the KING interpofed his Royal Authority, by Directions to the Archbishops, and Bishops, that no Preacher whatfoever in his Sermon or Lecture, fhould prefume to deliver any other Doctrine concerning the Bleffed Trinity, than what was contain ed in the Holy Scriptures, and was agreeable to the Three Creeds, and the 39 Articles of Religion, which put an End to the Controversie, tho' not till after both the Difputants, (with Dr. Burnet Master of the Charter-Houfe, who about the fame Time Pub

lished

lished his Archeologia, whereby he impugned and weaken'd as much as in him lay the Divine Truths of the Old Testament) had receiv'd a Reprimand from a Witty Ballad, called, The Battle Royal; to the Tune of a Soldier and a Sailor.

A

DEAN and PREBENDARY
Had once a new Vagary

And were at doubtful strife, Sir,
Who led the better Life, Sir,

And was the better Man,
And was the better Man.

The DEAN he said that truly,
Since Bluff was fo unruly,
He'd prove it to his Face, Sir,
That he had the moft Grace, Sir,

And fo the Fight began, &c.

When PREB reply'd like Thunder,
And roar'd out 'twas no.Wonder,
Since Gods the DEAN had Three, Sir,
And more by Two than he, Sir,

For he had got but One, &r.

Now whilst thefe Two were raging,
And in Difputes engaging,

The MASTER of the CHARTER,
Said both had caught a Tartar,

For GODS, Sir, there were none,

That all the Books of Mofes,
Were nothing but Supposes,

That he deferv'd Rebuke, Sir,
Who wrote the Pentateuch, Sir,

'Twas nothing but a Sham, &c.

That as for Father ADAM,
With Mrs. Eve his Madam,
And what the Serpent fpoke Sir,
"Twas nothing but a Joke, Sir,

And well-invented Flam, &e.

Thus in this Battle-Royal,

As none would take Denial,

The Dame for which they ftrove, Sir,
Could neither of them 'Love, Sir,

Since all had giv'n Offence, &c.

She therefore flyly waiting,
Left all Three Fools a Prating,
And being in a Fright, Sir,
Religion took her Flight, Sir,

And ne'er was heard of fince,

And ne'er was heard of fince.

Whether this Ballad is worded with that De. cency that the Subject of the Difpute, or the very Eminent and Learned Perfons concern'd in it, required, it is not in my Sphere to decide; but the Reception it met with in being Translated into feveral Languages, particularly Latin, by a Curious Hand, at the University of Cambridge, and the Prefents made to the Author by the Nobility and Gentry, made it evident, that their Sentiments

were

were against having the Mysteries of our Holy Religion difcufs'd and canvas'd after fo ludicrous a manner. Not but that Dr. South's Zeal for the Caufe of God, and the Defence of the blessed Trinity, may attone for thofe loose and unguarded expreffions that fell from his Pen, and it is of great ufe to his Juftification to fay that it had been a Crime in him to have been Lukewarm and Indo lent, when the Prefumption of Man fhould dare to pufh him forward upon Explanations of those Sacred Arcana (which God who alone is Omnifci ent had referv'd to himself) contrary to the Di&tates of the Holy Spirit, and the receiv'd Opinion of the Councils and Fathers.

Nor can I account for the manifest Partiality of fome Great Men in Favour of Dr. Sherlock, efpecially of Dr. Stilling fleet then Bifhop of Worcester, a Perfon every way Qualified for the High Dignity he was invested with, and of a moft excelling Judgment in all Points of Human and Divine Litera ture; who tho' in his Preface to his Vindication of the Trinity, quotes this Sentence against the manner of the Treatment the Two Antagonists gave each other, (viz.) Oderit Rixas & Jurgia præfertimque inter Eruditos, ac Turpe effe dicebat viros indubitate doctos canina rabie famam viciffim fuam rodere ac lacerare fcriptis trucibus, tanquam viliffimos de Plebe Cerdones in Angiportis fefe Luto ac ftercore confpurcantes. Nic. Rigalt. Vit. P. Puteani. p. 48. i. e. He ever "hated Broils and opprobrious Language, especially 'among the Learned, and faid it was a very odious and unfeemly thing, for Men who were undoubt