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The Rev Dr.HENRY GODOLPHIN Dean of St. Paul's, London, and Provoft of Eton College;

The Revd. Dr. WILLIAM STANLEY Dean of St. Afaph, the Revd Dr. JoHN YOUNGER Dean of Sarum, and the Revd Dr. FRANCIS HARE Dean of Worcester ; the Refidentiarys of St. Paul's, London.

GENTLEMEN,

M

Y Defign in this public Addrefs is to return You my humblest Thanks for fo remarkable an Inftance of Your Favor, as I want Words to exprefs; Your conferring upon me, in the moft generous and obliging Manner, one of the principal Parochial Benefices in the Kingdom; in which as I have Opportunity of doing a large Share of our Great Mafter's Work, and thereby earning Everlasting Wages

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Wages (which is the most valuable Confideration) fo I reap the Advantage of a plentiful Income, which affords me even a Temporal Reward for the Labors of my prefent Station.

I am truly fenfible of this Your undeferved Kindness to me; and shall endevor, by God's Affiftance, in fome Meafure to answer Your pious Intentions therein, by a fincere Discharge of my Duty to the best of my Power.

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May that God, who gives Men Ability, and inclines their Hearts to promote his Glory, amply recompence all Your good Deeds; particularly that for which I fhall ever ftand deeply indebted to You. May he fhower down upon You the Bleffings of this Life, and crown You at length with endless Glory.

I am,
REVEREND SIRS,

Your moft Obliged, moft Grateful,
and most Obedient Servant,

Cripplegate, London,

08.23. 1717.

Tho. Bennet.

THE

PREFAC E.

W

HEN the Reverend Dr. Clarke published his Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity; as I could not but perceive and lament the natural Tendency of fuch a Book (especially confidering what Credit the Author had gained by his former. excellent Writings, and confequently how powerfully the Authority of his Name would recommend even the most dangerous Notions) fo I could not but obferve the Course of that Controversy, which arose upon that unhappy Occafion.

Every body knows, that many Writers, of different Spirits and Abilitys, attaqued the Doctor in different Manners, as their Inclinations or Judg ments led them. But notwithstanding this Variety of Oppofition, I heartily wish I could not far, that what to me feemed in fuch a Cafe the most defirable, or rather abfolutely neceffary, was totally neglected. For tho' much commendable Zeal was spent against the Book in general, and diverfe Parcels

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of

of it were particularly question'd and taken to pieces: yet none of the Doctor's Adverfarys attempted a Confutation of his whole Scheme, and a thorough Examination of every Branch of his Doctrin.

Wherefore, fince I could not hear, that any one Perfon intended to prevent me, by ingaging in fo feafonable an Undertaking; and fince the Controverly about the Holy Trinity, which has lately been revived, is of greater Confequence, than those other Matters which lay before me : I judged it reaSonable to poftpone what I should otherwise have proceeded in, and determin'd to write a full Reply to that celebrated Treatife of my Learned Friend.

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Accordingly, as my Affairs would permit me, I got thro' the Work, and brought up with me every Chapter of it in January 17, when I left: Colchester, and fixed my felf in London. And I fhould immediatly have published it, had not my Removal involved me in fo much new Business, that I found it impoffible for many Months, not only to profecute my Studys, but even to review what I had actually written. And tho' at length 1 made Shift to draw up a short Argument against the Nonjurors Separation (which the most preffing Neceffity extorted from me) and then hoped to have work'd off this Book without farther Delay: jet fresh Interruptions arofe, from which I could not disentangle my felf till about May last, when I resumed my Papers; and then they should have feen the Light, had not the Controversy about the Bishop of Bangor's Sermon preached before the King, which ingroffed the Thoughts of all People, obliged me to Juspend

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