body, doth, together with them, make one person, called Christ, without confounding the substances of the divinity, or humanity; for the divinity remains, without the least change, what it was, and so doth the humanity, or reeasonable soul and body. This is the only offer at sense, that is to be found in this whole creed; but so far from explicating, that it farther perplexes the difficulty of the (pretended) incarnation; as will appear by these two considerations:

1. In the personal union of a soul with a body, the union is between two finite things; but, in the (pretended) personal union of God to man, and man to God, the union is between finite and infinite; which, on the principles of the Trinitarians, is impossible. For we must either suppose, that finite and infinite are commensurate, that is, equal; which every one knows is false; or that the finite is united but to some part of the infinite, and is disjoined from the rest; which all Trinitarians deny and abhor.

You will say, if they admit neither of these, how do they shew the possibility of the incarnation, or union of God and man? They tell you, God indeed is infinite, and every reasonable soul and body, even that of Christ, is finite; yet the whole God and whole man are united; hecause, as the whole eternity of God doth co-exist to a moment of time, so the whole immensity of God is in every mathematical point of space. The very truth is, they cannot otherwise defend the incarnation, of personal nnion of an infinite God to a finite man; but, withal, it must be owned, that then the doctrines of the Trinity and incarnation do infer, imply, and suppose all the contradictions, that Mr. Johnson has objected to the doctrine of transubstantiation, in that little golden tract so deservedly esteemed by all. His whole book and all his demonstrations are founded on these two suppositions: That a longer time doth not all of it co-exist to a shorter; nor is a greater extension constipated or contained in a less; much less in a mathematical point. Therefore all his book, and all that he hath so well said and argued, in the preface, concerning the authority and judicature of reason in matters of religion, equally and effectually destroys the doctrines of the Trinity and transubstantiation. If the reader would have an excellent book, let him procure that. But oh! were the press as free for the Unitarians, as it is for other Protestants, how easily would they make it appear, that the follies and contradictions, so justly charged on the transubstantiation, are neither, for number, consequence, nor clearness, any way comparable to those implied in the Athanasian creed! And that the Trinity hath the same, and no other foundation with the transubstantiation! So that we must of necessity admit both, or neither. If the Church is to interpret Scripture for us, we must admit both; but, if reason, we can admit neither; and this, I think, the Trinitarians will not deny.

But, secondly, in the pretended incarnation or union of God with man, the union cannot be personal, as it is between the soul and body; i cannot, I mean, be such an union, as to make but one person The union of the soul and body may be properly personal, that is, may constitute or make one person, because it is not the union of two persons, but only of one person, the soul, to a thing otherwise without life, reason, memory, or free-will. The body is but, as it were, the garment of

the soul, and is wholly acted by it, and depending on it. But, in the (pretended) union of God with a man, there are two distinct and very different lives, memories, reasons, and free-wills; which utterly destroys a personal union; for that supposes but one life, one reason, one me. mory, one free will. For, if these things, which constitute a person, are found more than once, there is no longer one person, but two, and consequently no personal union, in the sense of which we are speaking.

This is the Catholick faith; which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved,'

By believing, Athanasius doth not mean bare believing, but he includeth therein profession; for he saith a little before: The right faith is, that we believe and confess, &c. So that a man cannot be saved, unless he believes and professes, as this creed directs him.

First, For believing. What if a man cannot believe it? Are we obliged, under the penalty of the loss of salvation, to believe it, whether we can, or no? Doth God require of any man an impossible condition, in order to salvation?

Secondly, As to professing, under pain of damnation. What if it be against a man's conscience to profess it? The scripture saith, 'Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin;' if therefore a man profess against his con science, he sins; and if, notwithstanding this, a man must either profess, or be damned, then God requires some men to sin in order to their salvation. But this we are sure is false, and therefore that the menace in the article is vain.

And now I appeal to all men, that have any freedom of judgment remaining: Whether this creed is fit to be retained in any Christian, much less protestant and reformed church? Since it subverts the foundations, not only of Christianity, but of all religion, that is to say, reason and revelation: there being no principle in reason and in scripture more evident, than that 'God is one;' or, that there is one Almighty, only wise and good person, or father of all. If we cannot be sure of this, then religion and Christianity are-built upon fancy only, and have no solid foundation.

This creed may be professed by the Roman political church, because it gives countenance to their absurd transubstantiation, and cunning traditions added to scripture; as those doctrines do to the gaining of veneration, and consequently dominion and riches to their clergy. But, in a reformed church, where the scripture is held to be a compleat rule of faith and manners, and also to be clear and plain in all things necessary to salvation, even to the meanest understanding, that reads it or hears it with sobriety and attention; such a confession of faith is, I think, intolerable, as being utterly inconsistent with those principles, and reducing us back to the Roman bondage.

Besides, nothing has been or is more scandalous to Jews and Mahometans, than this creed, the chief article of whose religion is, that there is one only God.' The evidence of which principle is such in nature as well as scripture, that it has propagated Mahometism among greater numbers, than at this day own Christianity; for the sake of

that one truth, so many nations have swallowed all the errors and follies of the Alchoran, or that of Mahomet; as, on the other hand, Christianity has been rejected and detested among them, on the account of the Christians three persons, who are severally and each of them God.'

But the mischiefs of this creed do not stay here. It is levelled not only against the true faith, but is also destructive of that love and charity, which is the spirit and life of Christianity; and, without which, faith is but a lifeless body. For, as if it would effectually inspire all its believers, with a spirit of judging, damning, and uncharitableness; it pronounces the sentence of eternal damnation, in the beginning, middle, and conclusion, upon all that do not both believe and profess this faith, and keep it whole and undefiled; that is, upon the whole Greek church, and other churches in the East; and upon at least five parts of six of all that profess Christianity in the world, whose understandings cannot possibly reach to the sense and coherence, which some pretend to find in this creed.

Thus the Christian religion is destroyed, in both the essential parts of it, faith and love. Hence have proceeded many and endless controversies, bitter animosities, cruel persecutions, wars among Christians; and, at length, the more fierce and violent, the more deceitful and sophistical part, have attained their tyrannical domination over their opposers; and have introduced and settled, a Christianity shall I call it, or, a superstition, or a polity, quite contrary to the doctrine and practice of our Blessed Lord, and of his apostles.

THE PARLEMENT OF BYRDES.

Imprynted at London, in Paules Churche Yarde, at the Sygne of the Lambe, by Abraham Uele. In Black Letter, Quarto, containing fourteen Pages.

THIS is the parlyament of Byrdes,

For hye and lowe, and them amyddes,

To ordayne a meane, how it is best
To kepe amonge them pease and rest;
For much noyse is on euery syde
Agaynst the hauke so full of pryde:
Therfore they shall in bylles brynge

Theyr complayntes to the egle, theyr kynge,
And, by the Kynge in parlyament,
Shall be sette in lefull judgement.

The Grype. The great grype was the fyrst that spake, And sayd: Owne is owne, who can it take?

For thyne and myne make much debate,

With great and small, in euery estate.

The Cuckowe. I synge, sayde the cuckowe, euer one songe:

That the weake taketh euer the wronge;

For he, that hathe wyth vs moost myght,

Taketh his wyll, as reason is, ryght.

The Fawcon. Then aunswered the fawcon to that saw: That pleaseth a prynce is iust and lawe;

And he that can no songe but one,

Whan he hathe songe, his wytte is gone.

The Commyns. Than all the byrdes, that coude speake, Sayde: the hauke doth vs great wreake;

Of them so many diuers there be,

That no foule, ne byrde, may fro them flye,

The Hauke. The hauke aunswered the prating pye:
Where is many wordes, the trouthe goeth by;

And better it were to seace of language sone,
Than speake, and repent whan thou hast done.

The Sterlynge. Then sayde the sterlynge verement:
Who sayth soth shalbe shent;

No man may now speake of trouthe,

But his head be broke; and that is routhe.

The Hauke. The hauke swore, by his head of gray, All sothes be not for to say;

It is better some be left by reason,

Than trouthe to be spoken out of season.

The Popyn Iaye. Then spake the popyn iaye of Paradise: Who sayth lytell, he is wyse:

For lytell money is soone spende,

And fewe wordes are soone amende.

The Hauke. The hauke bad, for dreade of payne,

Speake not to muche of thy souerayne;

For, who that will forge tales newe,

Whan he weneth leest, this tale may he rewc.

The Commyns. Then desyred great and small

To mewe the hauke for good and all:

A place alone we would he had,

For his counsell to vs was neuer glad.

The Hauke. The hauke aunswered: Ye fayle, ye fayle all witte,

It is no tyme to mewe haukes yet;

Commyns of haukes can but lytell skyll,

"They shall not rule them as they wyll.

The Nyghtyngale. Anone than synge the nyghtyngale,

With notes many, great and smale:

That byrde, that can well speake and synge,

Shall be cheryshed with Quene and Kyng.

The Hauke. The hauke aunswered, with great furye:
The songe is nought, that is not mery;
And who so no better synge can,

Maketh lytell chere to any man.

The Douue. Than rombled the douue for her lot:
Folke may be mery, and synge not;

And who so hath no good voyce,
Must make mery with lytell noyse.

The Hauke. Whant his reason was forth shewed,
Lerne, quoth the hauke, or ye be lewed;

For the byrde, that can not speake, ne synge,

Shall to the kechyne to serue the Kynge.

The Fesaunt. Than crowed the fesaunt in the wood:

Domme med, he sayde, getteth lytell good;

Wodde, nor water, nor other foode;

It fleteth from hym, as doeth the flodde.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde: Whan all is sought, Great crowers were neuer ought;

For, I swere by my foly,

He is not moste wyse, that is moste ioly.

The Moore Cocke. Than crowed agayne the moore cocke:

The hauke bringeth much thing out of nocke;

The osyll whysteleth, and byrdes blacke;

He must haue a do, that a do doth make.

The Hauke. I must, sayde the hauke, by all my belles, Say for my selfe, for none will elles:

He is not greatly to repreue,

That speaketh with his soueraynes leue.

The Byttur. Than blusshed the byttur in the fenne,

The cote, the dobchicke, and the water henne:

The hauke that doeth vs all this dere,

We woulde he were soused in the myre.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde: Wysshers want wyll,

Whether they speake loude, or styll;

Whan all this done was sayde and lafte,

Euery man must lyue by his crafte.

The Malarde. Than creked the malarde and the gose: They may best flye that are lose;

He is well that is at large,

That nedeth not the Kynges great charge.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde: though they fle lose,

They must obeye, they may not chose;

Who hath a maister, or a make,

He is tyed by the stake.

The Heronne. Than creked the heronne and the crane:

Great trouble make wittes lame;

He is well aduysed, that can bere hym lowe,

And suffer euery wynde to ouerblowe.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde: Who can blowe to please? Longe neckes done great ease;