The Confessional, or a Full and Free Inquiry Into the Right, Utility, Editication, and Success of Establishing Systematical Confessions of Faith and D (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1767. Excerpt: ... CHAP. V. A View of the embarajfcd and fluctuating Casuistry of thofe Divines, who do not approve of or differ from, Bishop Burnet's Method of justifying Subscription to the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England. Bishop Burnet was never a favourite with that part of the clergy who style themselves orthodox. He was apt to speak his mind freely concerning such men and such things in the church, as he thought wanted reformation. His Pastoral Care, wherein he censured the manners, as well as the spirit and qualifications of his contemporary churchmen with little reserve, and laid down rules which very sew were inclined to follow, created a fort of offence which was never to be forgiven. And such was their resentment, that they disdained to be obliged to him, even for his friendly endeavours to save their credit, by pointing out the only method of subscribing the articles, which would not expose a large majority of them to the reproach of prevarication. Accordingly, some short time aster his Lordship's Expoftion was made public, the Lower House of Convocation sell upon it with the utmost fury, as a performance full of scandal to the church, and danger to religion. But, being happily restrained from proceeding to extremities in their corporate capacity, the charge was delivered over to a single hand, who, as they had good reason to believe, would make the most of it with the public, and who, in the name of his brethren, pursued the Exposition with sufficient spleen, in a book intituled, A Prefatory Discourse to an Examination of a late Book, intituled, An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, by Gilbert Bifiop ofSarum, 1702 a. This writer's design being to stiew, that the thirty-nine Articles were framed to prevent diversities of opi...