To this effect he speaks in the following words; "For
the Church of England I am fully persuaded, that the
constant, doctrine of it is so pure and orthodox, that
whosoever believes it, and lives according to it, shall be
saved; and that there is no error in it, which may neces-
sitate or warrant any man to disturb the peace, or re-
nounce the communion of it; this, in my opinion, is all
intended by subscription."* Here is no concealment,
duplicity, nor dissembling. He tells you plainly and
frankly, what he understands by subscribing; and what-
ever may have been his opinions in other respects,
there is no room for doubting his honesty and integrity
in this act.

He was first opposed to subscription from scruples of
conscience, when a very advantageous preferment in
the Church was offered to him; and the letter, which he
wrote to Dr. Sheldon, declining this offer, because he
could not assent to the articles in the sense, which he
believed them to convey, affords one of the noblest tes-
timonies of a powerful intellect, an excellent heart,
an independent spirit, a lofty integrity, and great sacri-
fices for the sake of conscience, which have ever appear-
ed. Speaking of subscription, he observes in this letter,
"I thank God I am now so resolved, that I shall never
do that while I am living and in health, which I would
not do if I were dying; and this I am sure I would not
do " At this time he believed, that the articles should
not be subscribed, unless they were believed in their
most obvious sense. A long correspondence ensued, in
which Sheldon, who was afterwards archbishop, argued,

* Preface to the Author of Charity Maintained, Sec. 40.

+ This Letter may be seen at full length in Kippis' edition of the Biog. Brit. Art. Chillingworth; and also in the Monthly Repository, vol. ix. p. 8.

On war er selten ohne ein.

seine Briefe, sobald sie geschrieben waren, in Bric In späteren Lebensjahren gebrauchte er eine Abdruck. auf diese Art erhaltenen Abdrücke sind noch jetzt vorhe

injured his memory by such ill founded and ungenerous insinuations as those above. No one can contemplate his remarks without admiring his frankness, his charitable temper, his humility, his zeal for truth; nor with-out feeling the utmost confidence in the purity of his intentions, the sincerity of his heart, and the piety of -his soul."

The views of Clayton seem to have been nearly the same as those of Chillingworth. He was, if possible, more open in the avowal of his opinion, as appears from his eloquent speech before the Irish House of Lords, in which the defended a bill proposing alterations in the Book of Common Prayer. He argued and proved, that it was not the intention of the original act of uniformity, by which subscription was required, to enforce a belief in particular doctrines, but simply to demand an "unfeigned assent and consent to the use of all things in

* See Chillingworth's Religion of Protestants a safe Way to Salvation. Chap. v. § 103.—chap. iv. § 16.—chap. vi, § 56.

Clarendon says of him, that "he was a man of excellent parts, and cheerful disposition; void of all kind of vice, and endued with many notable virtues; of a very public heart, and an indefatigable desire to do good."

Some excellent remarks on the character and principles of Chillingworth, and the persecutions he received from his enemies, as well as strictures on the ravings of Cheynell respecting his last illness, death, and burial, may be seen in Hoadly's Letter to Dr. Snape, prefixed to Pillonniere's Answer. Works, vol. ii, p. 617, et seqq.

1 take the liberty in this place to correct an error into which I have fallen in my third Letter. [Miscellany, Vol. i, p. 279.] The following sentiment is there referred to Locke, namely, "Let those, that in their words disclaim infallibility, disclaim it likewise in their actions." This belongs to Chillingworth, by whom it is thus expressed. "Require of christians only to believe Christ, and to call no man master but him only, Let those leave claiming infallibility, that have no title to it; and let them that in their words disclaim it, disclaim, it likewise in their actions." Religion of Protestants, &c. chap. iv. § 16.

vý ve Advдution war er selten ohne einer seine Briefe, sobald sie geschrieben waren, in Brief. In späteren Lebensjahren gebrauchte er eine Abdruck-S auf diese Art erhaltenen Abdrücke sind noch jetzt vorhan

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