PROTESTANTS. 
Brownists, Paedobaptists, Quakers, Metho- 
dists, Universalists, Sabbaterians, Mora- 
viaDS, Sandemaniaus, and Swedenborgians. 
Concerning these, and other Christian sects, 
the reader will find very impartial ac- 
counts, drawn np in a popular and perspi- 
cuous manner, and accompanied with many 
pious and sensible reflections on the nature 
and extent of Christian candour, in the 
Rev. J. Evans’s “ Sketch of the Denomi- 
nations ot the Christian World, eleventh 
edition. But for more elaborate accounts 
of the Christian sects, the reader is referred 
to Dr. Rees’s Cyclopedia; the theological, 
as, indeed, every other, department of which 
is conducted in a manner every way worthy 
the literature of a country where the ge- 
nuine principles of religious liberty are 
clearly understood, and extensively en- 
couraged. The sects and parties into 
which the Protestant religion is divided, 
have furnished the Roman Catholics, on 
some occasions, with matter of triumph; 
asserting that the Protestant faith is 
deficient in the first mark or characte- 
ristic of a true church, viz. that of unity; 
and unbelievers have not neglected to 
avail themselves of this circumstance to 
vilify the Christian religion altogether ; as 
affording no sufficient data for religions 
truth, but engendering only strife, animo- 
sity, division, and bloodshed : and, it must 
be confessed, that when the enemies of the 
Protestant faith behold the rancour, the 
bigotry, and the malice of many sectaries, 
and particularly of those sects which are 
the most numerous and popular, they have 
but too much giound tor their triumphs. 
When the spirit of Chillingworth shall have 
influenced the hearts, and directed the 
lives of all Protestants, their professions 
will be as consistent as their leading princi- 
ples are rational and scriptural. That au- 
thor addressing himself to a Romish writer, 
speaks of the religion of Protestants in the 
following terms. “Know then. Sir, that 
when I say the religion of Protestants is in 
prudence to be preferred before yours ; as, 
on the one side, I do not understand by 
your religion the doctrine of Bellarmine or 
Baronins, or any other private man amongst 
yon, nor the doctrine of the Sorbonne, or 
pf the Jesuits, or of the Dominicans, or of 
any other particular company among you ; 
but that wherein youbll agree, the doctrine 
of the Council of Trent ; so accordingly, 
on the other side, by the religion of Pro- 
testants I do not understand the doctrine of 
Luther, or Calvin, or Melancthon ; nor the 
confession of Augsberg or Geneva ; nor the 
catechism of Heidelberg, nor the articles of 
the church of England — no, nor the har- 
mony of Protestant confessions ; but that 
wherein they all agree, and which they all 
subscribe with a greater harmony, as a per- 
fect rule of faith and action, that is, the 
BIBLE ! The Bible, I say, the Bible only, is 
the religion of Protestants. Whatsoever 
else they believe besides it, and the plain, 
irrefragable, indubitable consequences of 
it, well may they hold it as a matter of opi- 
nion ; but as a matter of faith and religion, 
neither can they with coherence to their 
own grounds, believe it themselves, nor re- 
quire belief of it of others,' without most 
high and most schismatical presumption. I, 
for my part, after a long (and I verily be- 
lieve and hope) impartial search of the true 
way to eternal happiness, do profess plainly, 
that I cannot find any rest for the sole of 
my foot, but upon this rock only. I see 
plainly, and with my own eyes, that there 
are popes against popes, and councils 
against councils ; some fathers against other 
fathers, and some fathers against them- 
selves ; a consent of fathers of one age 
against consent of fathers of another age ; 
traditive interpretations of scriptine are 
pretended, but there are few or none to be 
found : no tradition but that of scripture 
can derive itself from the fountain; but may 
be plainly proved either to have been 
brought in, in^such an age after Christ, or 
that in such an age it was not in. In a word 
there is no sufficient certainty but that of 
scripture only for any considering man to 
build upon. This, therefore, and this only, 
I have reason to believe. This I will profess ; 
according to this I will live ; and for this) 
if there be occasion, I will not only willing- 
ly, but even gladly lose my life ; though I 
should be sorry tliat Christians should take 
it from me. Propose me any thing out of 
the book, and require whether I believe it 
or no, and seem it never so incomprehen- 
sible to human reason, I will subscribe it 
with hand and heart, as knowing no demon- 
stration can be stronger than this : God hath 
said so, therefore it is true. In other things 
I will take no man’s liberty of judging from 
him, neither shall any man take mine from 
me. I will think no man the worse roan, nor 
the worse Christian ; I will love no man the 
less for differing in opinion from me. And 
what measure I mete to others, I expect 
from them again. I am fully assured that 
God does not, and therefore men ought not, 
to require any more of any man than this : to 
