Quest. 1. Whether if Christ, and not onely our Repentance, and belief in God, be taken for a sacrifice and price given to God for mans Redemption, it will follow that most of the world are damned by Gods will without any Remedy, to which they covld have recourse for salvation?

Answ. First, It is strange that men should be left Remediless, if Christ, and not onely their Repentance be the Remedy? Surely if Christ had given sinners nothing, yet he hath taken no­thing from them.

Secondly, We all confess the uni­versal necessity of Repentance? But this is partly coordinate (as the end) and partly subordinate (as an effect) and therefore not contrary to the necessity of a Redeemer? Repentance is our con­version, and our begun Recovery from sin: And will it follow that the Physici­an [Page 83] is unnecessary because health and re­covery are necessary? Yea, and sufficient in their kind?

Thirdly, How doth it follow that the Remedy was not Universal, when Redemption by Christ was universal? Christ so far died for all men, as by his death he procured them any Grace. But he procured Grace (though not e­qual Grace) for all: You confess an universal Grace, and yet an inequallity of benefits: we say, that Grace was procured by Christ: Do we narrow it at all, by saying, Christ procured it?

Fourthly, I perceive some mens mis-explication of these things was your snare and scandal. First, We distinguish between Christs procure­ment of our pardon and salvation by his sacrifice and merit with God, and Christ as the object of mans faith, or as Believed in by man. We do not make the latter so universally necessary as the former. For we hold that Infants are saved, that believe not. But we hold that no one is saved for whom Christ did not satisfie Gods Justice and merit salvation. Secondly, And [Page 84] that this much causlessly offend you not, we say, That this satisfaction and merit consisteth not in an identity or gradual proportion of Christs pains or sufferings to all mankinds, but in an Aptitude of his Sacrifice and Righ­teousness to attain the ends of God the sovoraign of the world, (the demonstration of his truth, holiness and right cous­ness, together with triumphant love and mercy) better than the remediless damnation of all the sinning world would have done. Read but Master Trumans Great Propitiation, which sheweth you the true ends of the sa­crifice of Christ, and this unjust of­fence will vanish. Thirdly, And we maintain (as is said) that the merit and Propitiation wrought by Christ, is not to make our Repentance needless; But to procure it, and to make it effe­ctual to its ends. He giveth us Repen­tance and Remission of sins. You con­fess that we may and must make a New Covenant with God upon our Re­pentance: In that Covenant God pro­miseth us Grace, as we consent to be his servants and children. Now if Christ did procure (and as Gods Ge­neral [Page 85] Administrator) Give us that pro­mise of pardon and salvation to the tru­ly Penitent, doth not this more oblige us to Repentance, and not less? And the merit of Repentance (if you will so call it with the Ancients) is quite of another order, rank and nature than the merit of Christ. Its one thing for the Innocent son of God to merit Re­pentance, and pardon to all that will Repent; And another thing by Re­penting (through his grace) to per­form the Condition of the further Grace of pardon or salvation. Fourth­ly, And yet further to heal your un­just offence, we do not hold that Christ maketh God more merciful than he was, or that his Redemption is the first cause of our recovery and salvation, causing God to be willing, who was unwilling before: But that Gods love and mercy and his own good will is the first cause, which gave us Christ for a Redeemer as a second cause, an effect of his love, and the Head of all the means of our Recovery; and the true meriting cause of that Grace and sal­vation which God will give us. Nor so meriting as to change God, but so [Page 86] meriting as to remove the Impedi­ments of his grace as to the Com­munication, and as to become the sittest Instrument of the Fathers love and mercy, by whom to Govern the laps­ed world, and to communicate grace and life to sinners. Fifthly, And yet fullier to satisfie your objection, we hold that. All mankind is brought by Christ under a Covenant of Grace, which is not vain, nor repealed by God; but as their abuse of the Grace of the Covenant may cast them out. For as a Covenant of Entire Nature or In­nocency was made with all mankind in Innocent Adam; so a Covenant of Grace was made with all mankind in Lapsed Adam, Gen. 3. 15. in the pro­mised seed: and renewed again with all mankind in Noah. No man can prove either a limitation of this Cove­nant to some, (till the rest by violating it become the Serpents seed, at least) nor yet that ever God did abrogate it, as it was made to all the world. Sixth­ly, And we further acquaint you, that it was not the existent humanity of Christ, that procured Grace and Life to the world, for those (about) 4000 [Page 87] years before his Incarnation. The meer Decree and Promise did serve for mans salvation all that time, without the Existence of his Humanity. Se­venthly, Therefore when you grant a necessity of Believing in God, as merciful, you must needs include Christ in his Divine subsistence, for you must needs grant that the eternal [...] or wisdome of God, must be the fountain and determiner of all those means by which his Love and mercy would communicate recovering grace and life to man. You will not divide God as the object of our faith, and leave out the wisdome that must ma­nage all. Eighthly, And yet further to remove your scandal, we maintain that the Jews themselves were not bound to believe many that are now Articles of our Faith (that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, descended to hades, and rose again the third day) And that his very death and resurrection, were not believed by his own Apostles till he was risen. Nor understood they the Article of the Ho­ly Ghost. So that before a more gene­ral [Page 88] belief in the Messiah did serve the Jews themselves; That all this is so we are satisfied by this evidence. First, By the silence of the Old Testament in the Matter, giving us no proof that ordinary (much less all) believers, had such a particular knowledge of the of­fice of Christ: And what is not reveal­ed is not to be believed. Secondly, From Heb. 11. Where faith is descri­bed (as in its latitude) to be the evi­dence of things not seen, and the sub­stance of things hoped for, and a be­lieving that God is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and a looking for a better coun­try and for a City that hath founda­tions whose builder and maker is God and a believing the word and faithful­ness of God, &c. And the Holy Ghost when he purposely describeth the faith which the ancients had been saved by, would never have left out the chief or any essential part. The same I say of Rom. 4. and 2 Cor. 4. 18. and 5. 1, 6, 7. Jam. 2 &c. Third­ly, The Text expresly telleth us. First, Of Christs Death and Resurrection, and consequently the offering himself [Page 89] a sacrifice for sin, and ransom for the world, and dying for us, that the Apostles themselves were ignorant of it till after his Resurrection, Mat. 16. 21, 22. When Christ told them that he must be killed and raised again the third day, Peter took him, and began to re­buke him, saying, Be it far from thee Lord, This shall not be unto thee, Luke 9. 44, 45. The son of man shall be de­livered into the hands of men: But they understood not this saying and it was hid from them that they perceived it not. Again, Luke 18. 31, 32, 33, 34. All things written in the Prophets concerning the son of man shall be accomplished, for he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and be mocked, and spitefully intreated and s [...]it on, and they shall scourge him and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken: So Mark 9. 32. Luke 24. 21, 25, 26. We trusted this had been he that should have Redeem­ed Israel-O fools and slow of heart to be­lieve all that the Prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these [Page 90] things and to enter into his Glory: And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself. Here you see that they knew not that he must die for our sins,, rise again and ascend to Glory: And that it is no proof that all that were justified before understood these things, because that Moses and the Prophets had foretold them; For the Apostles themselves understood it not in Moses and the Prophets. Secondly, They under­stood not aright the doctrine of his Intercession, and that he must go to the Father and then be their high Priest, and that they must come to God by him, and ask in his name. For it is said, John 16. 5, 6, 7. Now I go my way to him that sent me, and none of you ask­eth me whither goest thou? but because I have said these things to you, sorrow hath filled your hearts—but it is expedient for you that I go away. v. 24. Hither­to ye have asked nothing in my name, v. 26. At that day ye shall ask in my name. As for them that say that the Apostles knew that they were to come to God onely by a Mediator (as all the faith­full [Page 91] did of old) but yet they knew not that they must come to him by Christ, and in his name. First, There was no Mediator existent but God before the Incarnation, though there was to be a Mediator after. Seconnly, This im­plyeth that the Apostles knew not Je­sus to be the Christ, and that they went to God by some other Mediator, which are both false. Thirdly, And if by me­diation be meant the satisfactory price of his Sacrifice, they knew not that he was to die and to be a Sacrifice for Sin. Fourthly, And it is plain that they un­derstood not rightly the nature of his spiritual Kingdome and Reign; But had got an opinion of an Earthly Kingdom for the Jews deliverance and exalta­tion: that Christ abideth for ever, Joh. 12. 34. in opposition to his heavenly abode was then a common opinion, Luke 24. We hoped this had been he that should have redeemed Israel: one would have sat on his right hand and another on his left: and they strove who should be greatest, Act. 1. Lord wilt thou at this thime restore the Kingdome to Israel? Jeh. 16. When the Advocate was to be sent he was to [Page 92] teach them all things, and to testifie of Christ, and to convince the world of the sin of their unbelief, and of the righteousness and truth of Christ, and of his Judgment or Kingdome and pow­er, as consisting (quoad exercitium) in the debellation or dejection of the Kingdome of Satan, and destroying the works of the Devil. By all which (and much more) it appeareth that the Apostles, (though then in a state of Justification,) had a very general and defective knowledge of the Office of Christ; and that though his Pro­phetical Office was ordinarily believed (Joh. 4. The Samaritane woman could say, when the Messiah cometh, he will tell us all things) and a temporal Kingdom expected, yet his spiritual Kingdom, and especially his Priestly office, by his sacrifice, death, resurrection, heavenly intercession (for all the old Types and Sacrifices) was little under­stood by the Disciples. Yea, he some­times sorbad them and others to tell men that he was the Christ, because the great evidences of his Resurrection, As­cension and Spirit, by which it was to be evinced, were yet to come. And [Page 93] we believe not that all that were saved before, had more knowledge than the Apostles, so that though all the faithful Jews believed in the promised seed, e­ven the Messiah, as one that was to be sent to be their Deliverer and Savi­our, yet it was by a saith that was very general, and far from that di­stinctness, which after the Resurrection of Christ was required, of all to whom the Gospel was promuglate, which I have said the more of to you, lest you think that we hold what we do not, and so take occasion to erre by suppo­sing us to err, Clemens Alexandrinus, Justin Martyr, Arnobius, Lactantius. and other old Christians do go yet fur­ther, then yet I have conceded to you.

And our very learned Dr. Twisse doth argue that God could have saved the world without a Redeemer if he had pleased, because he saved the faith­ful under the old Testament without any existent Mediator (except God himself) or any existent sacrifice or me­rit or intercssion of him, and because he saveth Infants without faith. But for the first I take it to be at best too great temerity or audacity to dispute [Page 94] whether God could have done things better or otherwise, which he has done so well: (of which I have said more in my Premonition before my Treatise, called the unreasonableness of Infidelity. (Though I know that Wallaeus, and ma­ny other learned Protestants say the same.) And as for Infants they are not saved without the Sacrifice, and grace of the Redeemer, though they know him not; nor are they in the Cove­nant without the faith of their Parents or Owners, which is as their own. And if the Spirit of the Prorphets be called the Spirt of Chrict, 1 Pet. 1. 11. And the reproach of Moses was the reproach of Christ Heb. 11. 26. We may much more conclude of the ordinary Believ­ers before his coming, that Christs In­terest and his Spirits operations and help, extended much further than mens un­derstanding of him, his undertaking and his future work. No doubt but the eternal [...] that had undertaken mans Redemption, and thereupon was our Lord Redeemer, gave even to So­crates, Plato, Cicero, Seneca, Antonine, Epistotus, Plutarch, &c. What light and mercy they had, though they [Page 95] understood not well from whom or upon what grounds they had them.

Ninethly, And also we hold that the Jews were not the whole of Gods Kingdome or Church of Redeemed ones in the world (as I have fully pro­ved elsewhere,) But that as the Gove­nant was made with all mankind, so amongst them God-had other Servants besides the Jews; Though it was they that had the extraordinary benediction of being his peculiar sacred People. Tenthly, And we hold that as the Jews had by Promises, Prophesies and Types, more means to know God and the Messiah to come than other Nati­ons, so they were answerably oblig­ed to more knowledge and faith than o­ther Nations were, that had not, nor could have, their means.

If then all the world be under the first Covenant of Grace, and if you confess this to proceed from the wis­dome and goodness of God, and that men are bound so to believe, and if Christ since his Incarnation hath dimi­nished none of the mercies of God to the world, but rather greatly increas­ed them; and so where the Gospel is [Page 96] not preached, nor cannot be had, they that refuse it not, are in no worse case than they were before, how can you say that they are Remediless, if Christ be the ransome and remedy?

We know that all men partake of a great deal of mercy from God, af­ter the notorious demerit of their sin. We know that this mercy telleth them aloud, that God dealeth not with them according to the first Law of Innocency; They see he pardoneth them, they feel that he pardoneth them in part; that is, that he useth them not as they deserve. We know that all this mercy obligeth them to hope, that he will yet be further merciful; and to repentance, obedience, thankfulness and love. We know that the Heathen are no left as the Divels, without reme­dy, but all the Nations are under Di­vine obligations, to use certain means, which have a tendency to their reco­very: And we know that God biddeth no man to use his means in vain.

Fourthly, Let us therefore first de­bate this Case, with any unbeliever that hath your objections, Whether you have any fault to find with the [Page 97] Christian Doctrine of the way of mans salvation, for the first 4000 years, be­fore the Incarnation of our Lord? If you have, First, Is it with the Author? Secondly, Or with the terms and con­ditions of life? First, The Author then was none but God. The eternal [...], wisdome and word, did interpose to pre­vent the execution of strict Justice, by resolving to glorifie Love and Mercy. Do you deny the being of Gods eter­nal wisdome or word? Do you deny him to be God himself? Or a Divine subsist­ence? & dream that it is but some Acci­dent in God? No? your fair description of God, p. 210. dischargeth you from the imputation of so gross an error.

You will say that the Divine power and goodness interposed as well as the Divine [...] wisdome and word. True: Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt in divisa: but so that each hath an eminency in his own work, though not as separa­ted or a solitary principle or cause. The Father and Divine Vital Active Power, was eminently glorified in the Creati­on; The Son and Divine wisdome is eminently glorified in the making of the Remedying Medicine; And the [Page 98] Divine Love and Spirit is eminently glorified in the operation of it, to the Health and Salvation of the Soul. The son, and the wisdome or word doth not finish all the work himself, but with the Father and Divine power, sendeth the holy Spirit, and communicateth to man the Love of God. And all together will be glorified in our glorification.

Secondly, And if it be the terms of life that do offend you. First, It is ei­ther the terms of satisfying the Justice of God. Secondly, Or the terms of conveying the benefits to man.

First, For the first, there is nothing in it, to give offence. For we dream not of any extrinsecal agent or action (much less that which was not exist­ent till 4000 years after) having any proper casuality to change Gods mind or will; The sum of the Christian Doctrine about the Interposition and Redemption by the Son, for man upon his fall, is but this; As if God should say I will not destroy or damn sinful man remedilesly, according to the strict termes of the Law of Innocency which he hath broken; but will give him a remedying Covenant of Grace; because I will in [Page 99] the fulness of Time, provide better for the glorifying of my Truth and Holiness, wisdome and goodness, justice and mer­cy, than the remediless destruction of mankind would do; even by the Incarna­tion, doctrine, sacrifice, merits, &c. of the eternal word.] So that this grand work of God is the cause of his subordi­nate works: but not the cause of any real (but only relative or denomina­tive) mutation in himself. This all sound Christians are agreed in; And can this offend you?

Secondly, And for the termes of com­munication of Grace to man, it is either First, The New Covenant as a Gift of pardon and life, Secondly, Or the conditions which it requireth of man.

First, The former you neither do find fault with nor can do (That God should give the world a Recovering and pardoning Law.) Secondly, The second is all that is here liable to your exception. And what do you think a­miss in that? First, Not that Repen­tance is one of the Conditions of fur­ther Grace; for that you plead for. Secondly, Not that Fides in Deum mi­sericordem, Faith in Gods revealed me [...] ­cy [Page 96] [...] [Page 97] [...] [Page 98] [...] [Page 99] [...] [Page 100] as pardoning sin, is required of man for that also you plead for.

But you would have his goodness and mercy to be a sufficient satisfaction to his Justice? Answ. First, I hope you will not exclude his wisdome, because you abhorre Atheism as folly. Second­ly, And I hope you will distinguish between, the prime satisfying Cause, and the satisfying means; These plainly differ. The prime satisfying Cause is Gods wisdome contriving and determin­ing of the fittest way to communicate his love and spirit. But the prime satis­fying means is Jesus Christ, who was to do that which was fittest to attain the foresaid ends.

But that which you will accept a­gainst is, that the Belief in Christs fu­ture incarnation was made then necessa­ry to salvation. Answ. First, See that you feign not the Christian Doctrine to say more of this than indeed it doth, which I have opened to you be­fore. I told you how narrow the Apo­stles own faith was before Christs Re­surrection. We know that [...] the be­lieving Jews, knew not so much as they, nor so much as the Prophets, and [Page 101] more illuminated men: And we know that the rest of the world had not so full a revelation as the Jews. But we know that all that had the notice of his pro­mise, were to believe the truth there­of: And those that had not the word of promise made known to them, had the possession of many such mercies as that promise gave, and as intimated much of the same grace which the promise did: Thefore none could be bound to lessthan to believe, that God of his mercy would pardon sin and save penitent Believers, by such a means of securing the honour of his holiness, truth and ju­stice, as his infinite wisdome should pro­vide. This much you cannot deny. And that the promise of the Victorious seed (though it seem too obscure to bind men to so distinct a faith, as ours is) was by Tradition told to Adams posterity, and that they had a General belief of such an expiation for some time, seemeth intimated in the early and almost universal use of sacrificing, of which I shall speak more anon. Hi­therto then I have vindicated the Chri­stian Doctrine of mans salvation for the first 4000 years.

[Page 102] Secondly, And is there any thing since which should make it more of­fensive to you? First, As to the Person of Christ I have said enough in my Treatise (the Reason of Christian Re­ligion.) Verily I think it far harder to confute those that feign all the world to be animated by God as the universal Soul, and to conceive how God, who is most intimate to all things, in whom we live, and move and are, should not be as neerly united to all things, as Chri­stians believe him to be to the humane nature of Christ (though undoubted­ly it is not so) than that he should have that neer union with his humane nature.

Secondly, And as to Christs work, I have so largely shewed you the ne­cessity, the reasonableness and the har­monical congruities that I will not re­peat them. In a word, The New Te­stament is the Doctrine of the eternal [...] wisdome or word of God Incar­nate to communicate the Divine Spirit, and love to man, to be a sacrifice for sin, the Conqueror of Satan, Death and Sin, the Head over All things to the Church, the Author of Redemption, the grand [Page 103] Administrator of the new Covenant, the Reconciler and Restorer of man to God, the Teacher, Ruler and High Preist of the Church, in order to this our Restorati­on and Salvation.

Thirdly, But if it be the Time of his coming that doth offend you, I have answered that, and further adde. First, What is there in foolish man that should encourage him to dream, that he better knoweth the fittest season for Gods works, than God himself. Se­condly, Man was not all the while be­fore, without the Benefits of this de­designed and undertaken Redemption: He was still under a Covenant of Grace. Thirdly, Consider well that God did not intend to give mankind that had so heinously sinned (by prefer­ferring the Devils word before his,) a present and a perfect pardon, but onely to give a new Law and Covenant which should be a conditional gift of pardon, to be obteined in full per­fection, in time, and by degrees, we had made our selves voluntarily the Slaves of Satan: And God would not deliver us all at once. We had forfeit­ed the heavenly assistance of the holy [Page 104] spirit, and God would not give it us all at once. Mans time of healing the wounds of his own sin is the time of this life: and the perfect cure will not be done till our entrance into the per­fect world. And as it is with Indivi­dual men, so it is with the world of all mankind. Grace mitateth nature and doth all by degrees, darker Revelations were meeter for the Infancy of the world, and clearer at noon day, and ri­per knowledge fitter for its maturity. And when Satan by Divine permission had plai'd his part, and seemed to tri­umph over the sinful world, it was time for Christ to come, by Power, Wisdom and Goodness meanly cloath­ed to cast down his Temples and Al­tars, to subsidue his Kingdoms, and to triumph over the Triumpher.

Fourthly, But if it be the present conditions of the new Covenant since Christs Resurrection, that offendeth you, viz, that the world is required to believe in him, I have answered that, and now adde. First, Remember what I said before, that no mans condi­tion is made worse by Christ, than it was before his incarnation. They that [Page 105] neither have nor could have the Cove­nant of Grace in the last edition, are under it as they were before in the first edition, further than as their after sins have deprived them of any of its benefits. Therefore the coming of Christ hath not narrowed the Church, nor repealed or diminished any grace that before was given, but added much more. Secondly, When there was more Grace to be given, it was needful that the Condition should be suited to it. Would you rather be with­out the Graces and benefits, than be obliged to Believe: would you be cured by one that you would not be­lieve, nor take for your Physician? would you be taught by one that you will not believe or take for your Tea­cher? would you be ruled by one that you will not believe is your Ruler? IInd I have proved to you, that God bideth no man believe either without a meet object, or meet evidence of the credibility, yea the certain verity of that which he is commanded to be­lieve. And the belief required of us, is but a means to our love of God and our belief of the everlasting glory, [Page 106] and consequently is needful to our fur­ther duty, to our perfection and our felicity. Do you not think your self, that the greatest demonstrations of the Divine Love, are fittest to breed Love in us to God? And is not this wonderful work of mans Redemption a wonderful demonstration of Gods Love; If you say that it is incredible because wonderful and incomprehensible, I answer you, It is the more credible because so wonderful. I cannot believe that any thing is a work of God, es­pecially one of his great transcendent works which mortal man can compre­hend. The work of the Father and of Omnipotency in Creation is wonderfully; will you therefore say that there is no world? The work of the Holy Ghost in Regeneration is wonderful, &c. espe­cially in our perfection in Glory. And will you say therefore that there is no Sanctification or Glorification? so the work of the Son and Divine wisdome and word incarnate is wonderful; And it is the fitter to be thought a work of God.

And would you not say your self [Page 107] that if God should send an Angel from Heaven, to tell you his will, and tell you what is good and evil, and to tell you the certainty of the life to come and the Joyes thereof, would it not be a singular help to your Belief of all these things revealed, if he did but give you sufficient proof that he is sent of God? What perversness is it then to quarrel with Gods greatest mercy as incredible, meerly because it is wonderful and great, and there­fore fit for God to give. Thefore ob­serve here the error of those men, that overlook the Benefit, and taking all Duty for a Burden dispute against the necessity of the Duty: whereas all our Duty is our Benefit, like the duty of feasting, rejoycing, receiving money or honour when given us? And the true state of our Question should be, Whe­ther all they that by the Gospel have the offer of a Saviour and Salvation, and all those treasures of mercy which are brought to mankind by Christ above what they had before his incarnation, are bound to believe that procurement and offer, and to accept so great a gift? When the same men that question this, can be [Page 108] willing to accept of wealth and ho­nours, without disputing whether they may not live without them, and will say, Quis insimentis inops oblatum res­puit aurum? And he that can make a sorry shift with a Candle, will not dis­pute whether it be his duty to open his Windows & let in the light of the Sun; It is Riches of Mercy which all they dispute against, who think they speak against the necessity of some difficult duty.

Thirdly, And remember again that your self confess an Inequality of Gods Benefits, and that he is not bound to give them to all alike, though there were no inequality of demerit in the Receivers, If then he give more to the Church by Christ Incarnate, then he did before his Incarnation, or more than he giveth to the world that never hear the Gospel, their Eye should not be evil because he is good; much less ours who receive the benefit.

Fourthly, And I am glad that all that you require of God for All the world, is but that their Salvation or Damnation may be brought to their own free choice, and not their perditi­on [Page 109] be a thing unavoidable by Gods meer will, without their culpable mis­choosing. And all this we maintain as well as you: And you can never prove that the Christian Religion doth deny it. Nay tell me if you can what mercy your doctrine giveth to all the world, which ours giveth them not? Do you say that they are not under the meer Law of Innocency made with A­dam, but under the Law of grace, which after was given him? so do we. But you say, that this Law of Grace is the Law of Nature? Let not names abuse us: It is not the Law of Innocent Nature: But it is so fitted to mans Lapsed State, and doth also so fitly ex­press the Gracious Nature of God, and also hath such evidences in Gods mer­ciful providence and dealing with the sinful world, that in all these respects, if you call it the Law of Lapsed and reprieved nature under its reparation, we will not contend about the name.

But you say that all men may be sa­ved, if they reject not their salvation: so say we, that all should be judged ac­cording to that means and Law that is given them, their Consciences accu­sing [Page 110] or excusing them in the day when Christ shall judge the world, as the Gospel telleth us. And none perish now for the meer sin of Adam, nor meerly for want of the Innocency re­quired by the first Law; but for the re­fusing and abusing some mercy pur­chased by Christ, which had an apt tendency to their Repentance and Recovery.

But you lay the main stress on this, that All men may be saved by true saith in God and true Repentance without be­lieving in a Crucified Christ. And we say that no man in the world shall perish that hath true faith in God and true Re­pentance; For all such do Love God as God, and do devote themselves to his glory, to obedience and Love: and do hate sin as sin; and so are holy. And God cannot cast that Soul into Hell that loveth him and beareth his Image. Holiness hath so much of God and Heaven in it, that this would be to cast Heaven and Gods Image into Hell, and to jumble Heaven and Hell together. Do we not then grant you as much as you can reasonably desire. Tell us but what Heathens or Maho­metans [Page 111] are Holy, truly penitent for all sin, and devoted to God in obedience and love, and we will grant you that they shall all be saved.

But you were ware that we would tell you that this Repentance and holi­ness is not a thing, which sinful man is so easily brought to: And therefore the Question must be, whether really these Heathens do truly Repent and Love God as God or not?

Answ. First, Here you may perceive that though before you did but require that salvation be brought down to the Sinners choice, yet now that will not serve the turn: Yea, though Faith in God, and true repentance were the terms that you were satisfied should be imposed on all, yet now you are loth to stand to that, unless we grant that all these men have the power so to be­leive and repent. Well if by power you mean a Natural faculty we grant that they have the power of Intellection and Uolition. And if it be the object that is in question, we grant that the object of that Faith and Repentance which you mention your self is certain and existent; And if it be the evidence of [Page 112] the object that is in question, we grant that the Being, Power, Wisdome, Good­ness, Holiness, Truth, Justice and Mer­cy of God, are revealed to manking, by an evidence sufficient in its kin, if their souls be but rightly disposed to receive it: And that sin to be repented of, is discernable in themselves is doubtless. Amyraldus largely labour­eth to prove, that as God bindeth no man to natural impossibilities, that is, to any Act without, First, A faculty that can do it. Secondly, An Object. Thirdly, Evidence of that Object (As not to see. First, without an eye, Se­condly, That which is not in being, Thirdly, Or that which is a thousand miles off, or in the dark, without Light) so that all Heathens have first the natural faculty, Secondly, An object which would save them if truly belie­ved in and Loved; that is, God: Third­ly, A Revelation of this object: And that the [...] is such an ob­ject as would procure their felicity if duly apprehended. See also Mr. Tru­mans Treatise of Natural and Moral Impotency.

[Page 113] But indeed when all is done, the wit of man that is offended with God, as if he gave not all men a power to be sa­ved, will not be satisfied if that be granted, unless also he actually save them. Should we grant you all the rest, if some yet are damned, when God could have saved them, it will not sa­tisfie them that will be above God, and will judge their Judge.

But because you seem satisfied with less, suppose all the question come to this, Whether or no those that never had the Gospei, do ever come without it to true faith in God, and true repentance and so to be saved?

Answ. First, And when we have granted you what you first desired, that none perish but those that are willfully impenitent and believe not truly in God, why must the controversie be carri­ed to mens hearts, and acts. I can read Gods Law, but I cannot know or read the hearts of millions whom I never saw. Must I be obliged to know the thoughts of every man in China, Tar­tary, Japan, or the Antipodes? Second­ly, What number is it that you put the question of, and whose Repentance you [Page 143] assert? Is it All or but some? If All, he must be mad that believeth it, that All men are true penitent Belivers in God. If but some, First, Would not your wit quarrel still with God for damning all the rest? Secondly, And must it be the greater part or the lesser? or would you know on what number or where to find satisfaction? And what have we to do to judge anothers Ser­vants: To their own Master they stand or fall.

Secondly, And methinks you should easily grant at least, First, That Re­pentance and Holiness is far easier to them that have the Gospel, than to them that never heard it. Secondly, And that they are far more common. And so that far more Christians are holy and saved than of others. For, First, Tell me; If God should send an Angel from Heaven as aforesaid, with mira­culous evidence of his mission, to call men to repentance and belief in God, and Glory, would it not be easier for those men to repent, than for others? Nay would not you the easilier believe in Christ your self if you had but such an Angel to confirm you? why then [Page 115] should not the word of Christ, who by his Miracles, Resurrection and the donation of such a Spirit to his Ser­vants, proved his mission from the Father, be a help to our Faith and Repentance. Especially when his word hath a self evidencing Light also in the Image and superscription of God upon it. Secondly, You will not deny but that the difference of common lower means, doth make Repentance much easier or harder to one than another. Take one man that is born in Brasile or Soldania or among any other savage People; or that is bred up in a Tavern, Ale-house or Whore-house, or Gam­ing house, among those that make a scorn of godliness; and take ano­ther that is bred up to Learning, La­bour and Godliness, among them that by doctrine and example do ho­nour and command a godly, righte­ous, sober life. And hath not one of these abundance more hinderances to his Repentance than the other. Thirdly, And will not sense and expe­rience make you certain that the Christian part of the world, hath [Page 116] more such helps than all the rest. Is there not more Reason, Learning, So­briety, Doctrine, all sorts of Teach­ing there than among the rest. Were it but that Christianity hath furnished the World with more helps to repen­tance and Holiness, the case were clear. Fourthly, And a little acquain­tance with the World, and the Hi­story of it, may fully satisfie you, that de facto, there are actually far more knowing, penitent, holy Persons among Christians than among any o­thers. When therefore the fact it self is undeniable, and we see that more Souls are healed by Christ in the Church, than in the World without, what need we any greater evidence.

And if there were no more in it than this, that the actual knowledge or belief of Christ incarnate, doth make so great an addition to the helps and hopes of Sinners, and maketh conversion from sin to God, and salva­tion so much more easie and common (as Aquinas Cont. Gent. argueth should not this be received with the greatest thankfulness, rather than with unreverent arrogant Contra­diction.

[Page 117] But I proceed to overthrow your Fundamental Error [That repentance alone with the mercy of God is a suffici­ent satisfaction for our sins to divine Ju­stice.]

First, If it be but proved that de facto God hath required and provi­ded another Sacrifice for satisfaction, then you cannot call Repentance alone sufficient. But this is proved fully.

Secondly, If the great work of our Redemption by Christ, have all those blessed ends, tendencies and effects and bring all those benefits to man­kind, which in the treat forementio­ned I proved; If it was so actual a demonstration of Gods wisdom and love, of his holiness and truth, his Justice and Mercy as is there mani­fested and proved; If it have brought men such helps to Repentance and Holiness as are forementioned, how perverse will it be then to say that our Repentance was sufficient with­out, the Sacrifice and Merit and In­tercession and Administration which did procure and behow it: How ab­surd is it to say that the Cure of our Disease is sufficient for us, without [Page 118] the Physician, the Medicine, the A­pothecary, the Application, which we see by certain experience are the things that work this Cure. And which you your self cannot deny but that they effect this Cure (of Repen­tance or Holiness) far more easily and commonly than it is ever wrought with­out them? (Nay it is certain that the Grace of Christ, is absolutely necessa­ry to Repentance and holiness in any one in the world, (whatsoever be thought of the necessity of the knowledge of Christ incarnate.)

II. Quest. Whether the Notitiae Com­munes be not many more than this learned and noble writer doth enumerate, viz. First, That there is one onely God at least supreme (whom he very well de­scribeth by his attributes.) Secondly, That this God is to be worshipped, and prayed to, (Religion being ultima hominis differentia pag. 214). Thirdly, That the due conformity of our faculties (that is their holiness and rectitude) is the chief part of Gods worship; especially Gratitude, Fourthly, That all vices and crimes must be expiated by repen­tance. Fifthly, That after this life there [Page 119] is another life of rewards and punish­ment.

Answ. All these are excellent con­cessions, as being not onely Truths, but such Notitiae Communes without which a man is scarce a man, but un­man'd. Except that the fourth doth erroneously assert the foredisproved sufficient satisfactoriness in our Re­pentance. And that this is not a Noti­tia Communis, I further thus mani­fest.

First, By all humane Laws and Ju­stice. No King will make such a Law as this [Let all the subjects be Traytors, Murderers, Oppressors, Perjured, never so long, and Repent at any time before they die, and all shall be forgiven] meer Repentance will not save such persons from the Gallows. Secondly, And as to more private Justice, no man gi­veth his children and servants such a Law [Disobey me, burn my house, seek my death, and do all the mischief you can, and repent at last, and you shall be forgiven] Therefore meer Repentance is not sufficient satisfacti­on, according to the Notitiae Commu­nes of mankind. Thirdly, The reason [Page 120] of the thing doth prove it; Because it is not sufficient to secure the ends of Government, Should such a Law alone be made, (that men shall be forgiven all the villanies of their lives, if they will but repent at last.) First, It would encourage the most in the world to live in all manner of wickedness: If the hearts of men are fully set in them to do evil, because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed but delayed; How much more, if they were sure it should never be executed? Secondly, The Laws and Lawgiver would be contemned, and lose their Ruling power. Thirdly, The common good would be prostituted, and cast a­way utterly, and no man should live in safety and peace, because of the do­minion of wickedness.

Object. Doth not Christianity then introduce these evils, which giveth par­don to all the penitent?

Answ. No: First, because that only Christianity doth acquaint us of a fur­ther satisfaction to justice than mans re­pentance, by which all these ends of Government, may be obtained better than by our perdition. Secondly, Be­cause [Page 121] it giveth us no assurance of life and time of Repentance, but calleth us to be alwaies penitent and ready. Thirdly, Because it telleth us of the blindness of the mind, the power of sin, and hardness of the heart, by which Repentance becometh so great and hard a work, that without Gods grace it will not be done; And his grace is to be diligently sought in the use of means; and is so little at our com­mand, as that the resisting of the holy Ghost, may cause us to be forsaken of God, and given over to our own hearts lusts, to walk in our own Counsells, Psal. 81. 11, 12. Fourthly, Because God doth not totally and perfectly pardon all sin, when he doth pardon the ever­lasting punishment (though some in their ignorance will say so and revile those that will not be as ignorant.) He par­doneth not temporal chastisements and death: he remitteth not the sad penal­ties of a temporary and partial desertion by his spirit; horrours of Conscience and fears of Hell. He remitteth not the temporal punishment by Magi­strates, but commandeth Justice to be done even on the penitent, even to the [Page 118] [...] [Page 119] [...] [Page 120] [...] [Page 121] [...] [Page 122] loss of life it self. Fifthly, And his mercy is so great, that through Christ he will forgive the eternal punishment, and will judge men as he findeth them, and not as they have been, before conversion: So that without Christ you cannot imagine how God should neither send one to Hell or misery that loveth him, and hath his Image; nor yet expose his Government, Laws, and the common good to so much mischief, as the Proclamation of a pardon to all villanies that are but re­pented of at last (alone) would cause.

Object. But if the King must not save a Traitor or Murderer because Christ died and satisfied for him, why should you say that God doth so.

Answ. First, Because Christs Sacri­fice and merits, were not to satisfie the King, but God. Secondly, Be­cause that God who is satisfied by them, hath told us how far and with what exceptions he is satisfied: Not so far as to excuse men from the Laws of men, or temporal Justice, chastisement or death; but to save them from everlasting misery, and procure them everlasting happiness, and to [Page 123] sanctifie their unremitted castigatory penalties, to the furtherance of these ends.

And that there are more Notitiae Communes about Religion than the five forenamed is easily manifested. It is as common a truth that all men are sinful and depraved even from the first (however it came to pass) that they are indisposed to the certain duties and ends, which their nature was formed for. That God is the universal Gover­nour of man, by moral means; That he is just and true, that God only can make known to us, what is pleasing to himself and what reward or punishment he will retribute, That mans darkness is so great, that he learneth all this from nature alone, with great imperfection, doubtfulness and dissatisfaction: That therefore a further supernatural Revelati­on, which is sure would be a great confirmation and satisfaction to mans minds. And therefore almost all the world do hearken after Oracles, Prophecies, Visions or some such further Revelation, as Cons­cious of the unsatisfactoriness of their na­tural light. That all Gods Revelations are certainly true. That whatever Reve­lation [Page 124] hath First, On the doctrine of it, no contradiction to natural truth, but the clear Impress of divine Power, Wisdom and Goodness as its self evi­dence. Secondly, And maketh the same impress by divine co-operation on mans Souls in sanctifying them. Third­ly, And was attested by a multitude of evident uncontrolled Miracles, (Resur­rection, raising the dead; giving to mul­titudes a Spirit of Miracles, &c.) this Revelation hath Gods Seal and Witness, and can be from none but God. These and many more which I have recit­ed in my Treat. are naturally known Verities: As you very well confess all the ten Commandements to be (go­ing a little further than I see my self, while you make one day in seven as separated to Gods worship to be such, of which ellewhere I have de­livered my mind, how far it is a na­tural or supernatural notice.)

III Quest. Whether the Notitiae Com­munes are the only certainties in Reli­gion?

Answ. No: Can you possibly deny all certainty of Discourse and Conclu­sions, Ex vero nil nisi verum sequitur. [Page 125] will you condemn the Judge as con­demning a Malefactor upon uncer­tainty, when he thus argueth. All wilful Murderers must be put to death, This is certain in the Law. This man is a wilful Murderer. (proved certain­ly by confession, evidence and wit­ness) Therefore this man must be put to death: so I argue (what ever doctrine is attested by a multitude of certain un­controuled Miracles, and by the divine Impress on it self, and the divine I­mage wrought by it on all; that truly re­ceive it, is attested by God himself, and is certainly true. But the Doctrine of Christianity was so attested: Ergo it is attested by God himself and true.

The major is a Notitia Communis, or naturally known truth. The minor was known by sense it self to the first Witnesses; (and that was as natural a notice as any man is capable of, and as sure (whatever the Papists say against it for transubstantiation:) no­thing can be sure, if all sound Mens senses with their just objects and con­ditions, are not sure in their Percep­tions) And how sure the distant Believ­ers are I have largely opened in the [Page 126] Treatise: Therefore the Conclusion must be sure.

Object. But (say the misinformed unbelievers) that which all mankind believeth or knoweth hath its evidence in nature it self, but beliefs of pretend­ed Revelations, Oracles and Visions are as various as Countries almost, and therefore uncertain.

Answ. First, To the last part first I an­swer, in your converse with men, you will think him unnatural, unsociable, mad, that will either believe all things or believe nothing. There is cre­dible truth, and there is incredible fal­shood: And will you beleive that ei­ther God saith all that every Lyar Fa­thereth on him, or else that he never revealeth his will to mankind any otherwise than by his common works. When God hath made a Revelation of his Will to the World, the Devils usual way of hindring the beleif of it is by imitation, and by putting such names and colours on falshood (by false Prophets) as God doth on the truth: Shall we therefore conclude that either all or none is the word of God. Or that God saith not true [Page 127] unless the Devil say true also. Secondly, And will you mark the gross error of such Reasoners about the Notitiae Communes. First, It is certain that no actual Knowledge (conceptive or intellectual Verity) is born in man, Infants know not these Common. No­tions at all. As the Eye is not born with the actual Species of all things afterward seen, but only with a seeing, power and disposition; so these are called common Notions, because mans intellect is so able and disposed to know them, as that they will be known easily upon the first due evidence or notification of the Object, and there­fore almost all men know them. Secondly, It is certain that this know­ing faculty in man (as this noble Lord saith) requireth its proper conditi­ons for its true apprehension of the Object. Now some mens understand­ings have the help of these conditi­ons far more than others have (he nameth to you the conditions him­self.) Thirdly, It is certain that the understanding performs not all its ap­prehensions at once or at first, but by degrees and in time as the Objects are [Page 128] duly presented. As an Infant seeth not the first day all that ever he must see; nor a Schollar learneth not the first day all that he must learn. Fourthly, It is certain that the lat­ter apprehensions are as sure, if not more clear then the first: As he that lived twenty years at home, and af­terward travelleth to London, doth as certainly then see London as before he did his Fathers house; so a Schol­lar doth afterward as certainly under­stand Horace, Virgil or Homer, as at first he understood his Primmer. Fifthly, It is certain that as particular notices are multiplied quod actus in time by use and information, so the knowing disposition of the faculty is increased: And the notice of a thou­sand truths doth so advance the un­derstanding, and befreind other truths not yet received, that such a man can know more afterward in a day, than an ignorant man can learn in a year. Sixthly, By all which it is a most evident thing, that to make common Notions to be the only certain­ties, is a weakness below a rational man: And it is to make the intellect [Page 129] of an Infant to be the standard or measure of all certain intellectual ve­rities, and to make the Schollar even before he goeth to School as wise (as to certainties) as his Master and to make a new born Child to have seen as many Objects as Drake, or de Noort, or Sandys, or Ludovics Ro­manus in all his travels. In a word the Notitiae Communes being the very lowest degree of knowledge are thus equalled with the wis­dom of the greatest Philosopher or Divine or Judge: Was this learned Lord when he wrote this Book sure of nothing, but these common Notions i [...] Religion. Seventhly, To which I might add that even in mens natural capacities, there is a wonderful dif­ference: As Ideots know little, so Dullards not much: And must the wisest go no higher than these. Eighthly, And will Lawyers, Statesmen, Physicians, Philosophers, make this consent of all mankind, the test of all their certainties? If not, why should we do so in our search after the greatest Verities, which are most worthy of all the stu­dy of our Lives.

[Page 130] Nothing visible is so analogous to mans soul as fire. The nature of which is to be ever of an active illuminative and calefactive faculty; but doth ex­etcise it in such various degrees as the fuel doth occasion. There is fire in a flint or steel, yea in all things: But is it the best way to know what fire is and can do, by judging of it onely as it is in a stone? No: but take your steel and strike the flint, and adde the combustible fuel, and that which is in a stone can set a City on fire? And nil agit quod agere non potest, whatever act is produced, proveth an antece­dent power. So if you would judge what mans soul is, and can do, and what truth is in the Intellect, it is not in fools but in the wise that you must discern it.

And by this those may see their er­rour, who are tempted to think that mans soul is but highly sensitive and imaginative, or not made for heavenly and holy employments, because so ma­ny ignorant and wicked people are otherwise disposed: whereas the Power and so the Nature of mans soul is certainly gathered from what the [Page 131] wisest do attain: Because nothing can act beyond its Power: And if the attainments and acts of some mens souls do prove such a Power in them, all souls of men are of the same species, and therefore the rest might attain it if they had the same objects, eviden­ces, excitations and improvements. I think all this is plain truth.

Ninethly, And if by believing you will heartily give up your souls to Christ and his Spirit, you will find that there is yet a more excellent addi­tion of knowledg and certainty to be obtained than by all other means could be procured: At least, as to the In­tension and clearness of the Act, if not as to the extension of it to more ob­jects.

IV. Quest. Whether the aforesaid Common notices do make up all the Reli­gion of the Catholick Church? And whether the Catholick Church be all the world believing these common truths.

Answ. The question is either de no­mine ecclesiae, or de re. As to the name, the word is not used in Gods word for any but the Society of Believers as se­parated from the unbelieving and un­godly [Page 132] world. As for men themselves, every one may use this and other words in what sence he please. But how aptly you may judge.

Quoad rem, I have told you be­fore, how far all the world are capa­ble of salvation, if that be the questi­on. And I adde, The Kingdome of God is a word of a larger sense, but the Church of God properly so called is Narrower, being Caetus evocatus. The Kingdom of God signifieth, First, All that de jure are obliged to subjecti­on and obedience; And so all man­kind on earth are of his Kingdome, even Rebels. Secondly, Or it signifi­eth all that consent to subjection and o­bedience and profess it: And these are First, Such as profess subjection to God under some lame, defective, false conception; (as one that allow­eth them to worship Idols under him, or to live in wickedness, or one that Governeth not the world by a Law, or will not make a Retribution here­after, or as one that will pardon and save men, onely for their superstition or without a Saviour) And thus all­most all Heathens and Infidels are of [Page 133] Gods Consenting Kingdome, Secun­dum quid, Eatenus, so far as this com­eth to, and no more: Secondly, Or such as profess subjection, and love to God as truly described; And as re­conciled to man and saving them by Christ our Mediator: And these are quoad actum First, But oral or un­sound, not Cordial Professors; And such are Hypocritical Christians, who are simpliciter of the visible Church. Secondly, Or sincere Consenters, who are simpliciter of the essential mystical Church of the Regenerate. Now when we thus open the Case as to the Thing, there remaineth, besides the controversie de nomine, no more than how far Heathens are under a Cove­nant of Grace, and how far they are capable of salvation, of which I have said enough before.

V. Quest. Whether all Revelation for Religion must be but Notitiarum Com­munium Symbolum, A Creed contain­ing these common notices or truths. (as is asserted p. 221.)

Answ. I have said enough against this before. First; What need God send a Prophet or an Angel to tell the [Page 134] world that which they all knew cer­tainly before? Secondly, Full exist­ence assureth us (as I have proved in the Treat.) that mankind hath need of more. Thirdly, More tendeth to per­fect mans understanding, and conse­quently his will and life: This is un­deniable. And mans perfection is his felicity and end: And therefore more than those common notices is needful to his end. Fourthly, Else as is said, you will reduce all the world to the measure of that part which is the low­est, the unwisest and the worst. You would not in wealth or health be equal­led with the basest poorest or the sickest: nor yet in wit and knowledg of other matters with the most foolish: And why then in the knowledg, love and practice of Holiness?

VI. Quest. Whether (as some o­thers say) all supernatural Revelations be to be tryed by the common notions known by nature.

Answ. First, It is supposed that all that pretend to Prophesie and Revela­tion are not to be believed: And there­fore that we must try the Spirits whether they be of God; and that all [Page 135] tryal of things unknown, must be made by some foreacknowledged principles, if it be a conclusion that must be known. Secondly, It must therefore next be understood, whether the Truth of the Gospel be to be known as a simple term, or a self evident proposition, or as a true conclusion. First, The first kind of knowledge onely apprehend­eth the words and sense; but not the Verity. It is the Truth of the Doctrine that we enquire of. Secondly, Ma­ny Divines assert the second way, and say it is Principium indemonstrabile; Like [est vel non est:] Doubtless this is not true as to the Natural Evidence of the proposition, principle or do­ctrine. But I think that in the very hearing or reading Gods spirit often so concurreth, as that the will it self shall be touched with an internal gust or savour of the goodness contained in the doctrine, and at the same time the understanding with an internal irradiation, which breedeth such a sudden apprehension of the Verity of it, as nature giveth men of natural principles. And I am perswaded that this increased by more experience, and [Page 136] Love and inward gusts, doth hold most Christians faster to Christ, than naked reasoning could do: And were it not for this unlearned ignorant per­sons, were still in danger of Apostasie, by every subtile Caviller that assault­eth them. And I believe that all true Christians have this kind of internal knowledge, from a suitableness of the Truth and Goodness of the Gospel to their now quickned, illuminated sanctified souls. Thirdly, But yet I believe that this is not All the know­ledge of the truth of the Gospel which we have: There is a common Belief of its truth by other means which most usually goeth before this Generative spiritual reception and belief; usually they that are converted to holiness by the Gospel are such as had some Belief of it before, and not such as took it to be false to that moment. And after Conversion, it is to be known as a certain demonstrable Conclusion; And so the faith of wise and settled Christians is most rational: And they are thus made capable to defend it against Temptations and adversaries, and to preach it rightly to unbelie­vers.

[Page 137] Thirdly, The premises from which this conclusion is proved [The Gospel is true] are both of them truths of in­fallible evidence, viz. [Whatsoever doctrine is attested by so many and such miracles extrinsecally, by the self-evi­dencing impress of Divine Power Wis­dome and goodness intrinsecally, and by the effecting the like Impression in holy Life, Light and Love on the souls of all sincere receivers, is certainly true, being attested by the spirit of God: But such is the doctrine of the Gospel: Ergo it is true as attested by the spirit of God. I said before the first is a natural Verity; The second proposition is partly of sense and partly of internal and partly external experience, as is largely ma­nifested.

Now as to the Question, First, No doubt but our Natural faculties must be used in trying supernatural Truth.

Secondly, No doubt he that dispu­teth with or preacheth to an unbelie­ver so as to prove what he delivereth to be true, must deal with him upon some common principles which both parties are agreed in; or else there is no room for proof or for dispute.

[Page 138] Thirdly, But some persons are so ignorant of those certain principles which infer the truth of Gospel reve­lation, that they have need first to be convinced of them: which must be done by inferring them from the first truths or some principles which they do confess. Fourthly, And as a man would convince others, by the same method and arguing he must convince himself, and try the truth which he is in doubt of.

Fifthly, But if any should mean. First, That nothing is true in the Gos­pel but these common principles of nature. Secondly, Or that nothing else can be proved true: Thirdly, Or that it would prove any pretended prophesie, vision or revelation true, so be it they do not contradict the com­mon truths; All these are palpable untruths.

VII. Quest. Whether these common Verities inferre not the truth of Chri­stianity.

Answ. This is sufficiently answered in the last. Perhaps the few Verities mentioned by the Author are not e­nough to prove Christianity by: But [Page 139] that it hath true evidence in sense and reason is manifested heretofore. And I believe that he that will by just argumentation follow on the Christi­an cause with an unbeliever, if he can hold him to the point from rambling, and suppose him capable of Historical evidence, may drive him to yield, or to deny common princi­ples, yea to deny that God is God, and that man is man, and consequently that there is any be­ing. But the evasion will be by de­nying notorious matter of fact, which therefore must be proved by its proper evidence.

IX. Quest. Whether they are necessa­ry conditions of the certain knowledge of a divine Revelation. First, That it be made immediately to my self. Secondly, And that I feel a divine afflatus in the Reception? as is said Page.

Answ. No: A Revelation made to others, may be certainly notified to me, else if an Angel from Heaven should appear to all men in the Town and Country save one, or if all save one saw a thousand miracles to con­firm a Revelation, yet that one [Page 140] could not be sure of it. But I have by abundance of arguments in a pe­culiar disputation in a Treatise cal­led the unreasonableness of unbelief, long ago fully proved the negative; And again in my Reas. of the Christian Relig. therefore I will not weary the Reader with repeti­ons.

X. Quest. Whether any concurrence of moral evidence, at least such as Gospel Revelation hath, do truly amount to na­tural or certain evidence? De Rev. & Verisim.

Answ. This Question too I have plainly decided in the Reas. of Christian Relig. I now add. First, The name of moral evidence is here taken by those that use it, for that which dependeth on the credit of a voluntary Agent as such: And the name of natural evidence, signifieth that which dependeth on the nature of the Object in it self considered. But I somewhat doubt whether all that use the distinction do commonly under­stand the difference, or what they say.

[Page 141] Secondly, Note that the All or ef­fect of a voluntary Agent, hath never­theless a natural Evidence when it is done or existent. If I voluntarily speak or write or go, my Action is na­turally evident to those that see and hear it, as present sensitive Witnesses of it. If I freely build a House, it is nevertheless naturally Evident when it is built: Al things existent in the universe were made by God as a free Agent, and yet are nevertheless natu­rally evident.

Thirdly, Every thing that is, when it is, (if corporeal) is naturally Evi­dent to those that have their faculties in those conditions that are necessary, and have the object in its necessary magnitude, cognation, detection, site, distance, medium and abode.

Fourthly, The judgement that is made upon sense it self faileth (as this noble Author hath well opened) when either the Object, the Evidence the Sense or the Intellect want their ne­cessary conditions or qualifications; else not.

Fifthly, The Fountain of all Free­dome and Morality is the Will of [Page 142] God: And yet the moral Evidence of truth which is in Gods word, when known to be his word, is as sure as a­ny natural Evidence of the thing: There being the surest natural evidence ab effect is at least that there is a God most perfect, that cannot lie.

Sixthly, The Essences of all things are but imperfectly evi­dent to us; The existences of corporeal things that are present and duly quali­fied, are fully evident. The exi­stence of things absent beyond the reach of sense, is evident only to the discursive intellect; not by the imme­diate natural evidence of the things themselves, but by a borrowed evi­dence from Causes or Signes; Dis­course improving the Fundamental common truths, for the knowing of the rest, by proving a certain con­nexion between them. The Praterition of things, and the Futurition, are both like the distant existence, unknown to sense, and the immediate appre­hension of the intellect; And there­fore must both be known also by col­lection as conclusions in discourse, or not at all.

[Page 143] Seventhly, Man was not born to know only things present in their exi­stence by sense, but also to know things absent, things as past, and things as future. And herein he chiesly differeth from a Bruit.

Eighthly, Though the understand­ing is most confident of things sensible & present, yet about things absent, past and future it oft doubteth more and is less satisfied in its own conclusions from natural principles, than from moral. Because sometimes the na­tural Principles themselves (though not the first, yet the second, or third) may be so obscure as to leave the mind unsatisfied. Secondly, And the connexion among many particu­lars may be obscure and doubtful. Thirdly, And in the long Series of collection or arguing, the understand­ing suspecteth its own fallibility: so that when Conclusions are far fetcht, though from natural Princi­ples, the mind may be still in doubt about them. And on the contrary when in the way of Revelation the grounds are clear, and the under­standing hath fewer Collections [Page 144] to make and a shorter journey to go, it may be far better satisfied of the truth.

Ninthly, Mans own necessity is the reason why God doth give us supernatural Revelation, and call us to know by the way of Believing. For, First, Most men are naturally dull. Secondly, Few have leisure by Learning to improve their intel­lects. Thirdly, And fewer have leisure & disposition to exercise them by long searches & argumentation upon every thing that they should know. Fourthly, And therefore where Revelation was not, few were wise or virtuous; And the Philosophers themselves were all to pieces among themselves, and their disagreements and doubtfulness tend­ed to the gulfe of utter Scepticisme. Now as nothing is more necessary than Religion (as you well profess) so Religion consisteth very little in the sensible apprehension of of present existences, but in the knowledge of things absent or insensible things past, and especially things to come, the Hap­piness to be attained, and the misery to be escaped. Now if all the Poor [Page 145] unlearned Men and Women in the World must have known all these things only by natural discourse, how little Religion would have been in the World, when the Philosophers knew so little themselves. And though your learning and understand­ing made the immortality of the Soul so clear to you and the rewards and punishments of another life, as that you number it with the common notices; yet were not the old Philosophers themselves, so com­monly agreed on it as they should have been; much less all the common People. And if you say that now almost all the world be­lieveth it, I answer it is Gods great mercy that it is so. But consider whether it be not more by the way of believing, than of naturall instinct or knowledge. For all the Christians, and all the Mahometans (who believe the words of Moses and Christ also) take it by the way of be­lieving. And so do most of the Heathens: The Japonians have their Amida and Zaca: The Chi­nenses, [Page 146] the Indians, the Siamenses the Peguans, &c. have all their Prophets: And the very Sa­vages of all the West-Indies (or America) have their Idols, Oracles or Wizards, whom they far more depend on than their natural discourse about things Invisible, Past or Future. So that really if Commonuess go with you for a proof that any point is of natural instinct and certainty as a Notitia Communis, this will be one of the chiefest of them, that [Religion consisting in the notice of, and due respect to things absent, invisible, past and future; is to be maintain­ed in the world by divine Revela­tion and Faith, and not by the immediate evidence of things, nor by meer discursive Collections from things so evident.] So that Mans weakness with the quality of the Objects maketh Revelation so ne­cessary, that without it, the vul­gar (who are the main body of the World) would have next to no Religion; And on the contrary how easie and pleasant, and satis­factory [Page 147] is it for all these poor People (yea to the most learned) to have these mysterious truths brought by Revelation to their hands. Now through Gods mer­cy, all our common People, Wo­men and Children, Servants and day-Labourers, may know more with ease, than ever Democritus, E­picurus, Antisthenes, Zeno, yea Socrates, Plato or Aristotle could reach by all their studies to the last: More I say of Religious necessa­ry knowledge.

Tenthly, And this being so ne­cessary and so great a mercy to mankind, I wonder that you put it not among your common notices, that God being perfect in love and wisdom, and having made man purposely to be Religious, here, and happy hereafter, will certainly provide for his Religion and Happiness, so necessary and so excel­lent a means as Revelation is, God being the Father and Lover of light and of Souls, and the De­vil being the Prince and Friend of darkness; Consider whether [Page 148] you may not strongly infer from the very nature of God, and the nature and necessity of man, and the other communications of Gods mercies to the world, that he will certainly give them this great mercy also.

Eleventhly, It is certain that God hath ways of communicat­ing light to mans understanding immediately and not only by ex­trinsick sensible objects. The Father of Spirits who communicateth so much to the corporeal world, is not further from Souls, nor more out of love with them; But (if there be any difference) may ra­ther be thought to hold a neerer more immediate communion with them than with Bodies, and to be himself to the mind, what the Sun is to the Eye, and more.

Twelfthly, It is certain that God can give the standers by that have no Revelation immediately them­selves a fully satisfactory attestati­on or proof, of the truth of ano­ther mans Revelations. He that denyeth this, maketh God to be impotent.

[Page 149] Thirteenthly, It is certain that the Attestation which I described in the Reasons of Christian Religion was such (supposing that such were given, viz. In the Antecedent Te­stimony of fulfilled Prophesie, the Constitutive Testimony of Gods Spi­rit apparent in the effects on Christ; person and on his Gospel, And the Concomitant Testimony of all his Mi­racles and Resurrection and Ascen­sion. And the subsequent Testimo­ny of the Spirit, on the Apostles, their Miracles and doctrine, and on the souls of all serious Christians to the worlds end) These are things (set all together) First, Which none but God could do. Secondly, And which God would not do to de­ceive the world; Thirdly, Yea, which God would not permit to be done to deceive them in so high a matter; Because he is the Omnipo­tent, Omniscient, Gracious Gover­nour of the world; And if these Te­stimonies were not of God, it were impossible to know any Te­stimony to be of God; And see­ing w [...] [...] have no surer, it would [Page 150] be mans Duty to Believe and O­bey and be Ruled by a Lie. And if it be our Duty to Believe God to be so defective either in Power, Wisdome or Goodnesse, Holinesse, Truth, Justice or Mercy as to rule the World, and the best of the World in the greatest matters, by lying and deceit, as if he wanted better means: What Wit can de­vise any remedy against such de­ceit as shall be so attested as afore­said? Or if deceit can be per­ceived, how can it be mans Du­ty to Believe it, seeing mans In­tellect is naturally made for Truth, and abhorreth falshood? And how can it be Good to Obey Deceit and Lyes? And when the Devil is the Father of Lies, what blasphemy is it to charge them on God? By this it will be apparent, that the Question must be in the upshot, whe­ther there be a God or no God? and so whether there be any thing or nothing?

Fourteenthly, There is some Mo­ral Historical Evidence of the truth of things past, which is as certain, [Page 151] and much more satisfactory than the Natural Evidence of Conclusions, rais­ed by a long series of argumenta­tion: Yea, some which is truly a Natural Evidence though it depend on the credit of free Agents. The proof and reasons I have given in the Treat. First, The Will though free is Quaedam Natura, and hath its Natural propensity to known good, as the understanding also is, and hath its Natural propensity to Truth. And the understanding is not free, of it self, but acteth per modum Naturae. Secondly, There are some of the acts of the Will it self, which are so free as yet to be necessary. As to will Good sub ratione boni; to will our own Felicity, and nill our own misery; to will Life and Pleasure, with a simple complacency, though not alwaies by election: To will all that is fully discerned to have omni­modam rationem boni, and nill all that is discerned to have omnimo­dam rationem mali: Now it oft falls out that Historical Narratives shall proceed from some of these neces­sary [Page 152] acts. Salvation, Life and Good­ness and the necessary means of all, may be the Motives. Thirdly, There are other acts of the will which though they are not abso­lutely necessary, are yet so neer to necessary, that they alwaies go one way, except in some very rare ex­traordinary case. As for example, It is not of absolute necessity that a man feed or cloath himself, or that he murder not himself: But yet he will ordinarily do the first and forbear the latter, because he is necessarily a lover of himself, and life, and therefore will not cast himself away, nor destroy himself, without some conceived cause. Fourthly, There are no causes ex­tant in rerum Natura for the com­monness of some such actions: There­fore it is certain they will not be done, because there can be no ef­fect without its cause; And the turning of the will to a mans known corporeal destruction is an effect which hath no common cause. There­fore it is a point of more Natural Evidence and Certainty, than many [Page 153] Conclusions from Natural premises are, that all the people of Europe or England will not to morrow kill themselves, nor go naked, nor fa­mish or wound themselves, &c. And consequently that formerly all never did so, since it was notori­ously so much their interest to do otherwise. For, there was no cause to produce such an effect.

If it must be a Miracle rebus sic stantibus, which should make all the Europeans or the English to go naked to morrow, or to kill them­selves, than it is Natural to them to do the contrary, or not to do this (for a Miracle is the over­powering of Nature.) But the An­tecedent is evident, to reason, from experience. Ergo, &c. There may be Causes for one mans actions, which can never fall out to All, or to very many.

All the Physicians in England ne­ver did perswade all men against Physick, nor all the Lawyers a­gainst Law; nor all the Covetous men in England, the Labourers or Beggars, were never against re­cieving [Page 154] Meat, Drink and Money; Because there never was a cause of such effects: And as it must be a great, powerful, common Cause, that must do this: so al­so if the question be whether e­ver there were a Parliament in England? Whether ever they made Laws with the Kings? Whe­ther our statutes were made by such Kings and Parliaments as they are ascribed to, &c. There is such a concurrent consent of competent Witnesses, as could not be to it, were it false, because it would be an effect without a suf­ficient Cause. Yea, against the ten­dency or disposition of mans na­ture which would have caused the wills of some to contradict it, ex­cept a miracle had hindred them. For among so many there are cross interest notorious. Some Mens interest is against the thing, while other Mens are for it: And to make multitudes go a­gainst their apparent Interest, and Friends and Enemies of the event to agree, must be done by the [Page 155] power of truth, or by a miracle: suposing the case such as they could not be all deceived in.

Fifteenthly, But there is yet a fuller natural evidence of the truth of some reports; Even when besides the report, there remain some visible unimitable effects of the reported actions, which could be caused by nothing else. As if their Fathers told the Grand-Children of Noah of the deluge, they might see such effects of it as might assure them that it was true. If the Parents of the man born blind, Joh. 9. were told by him that his eyes were cured, when they saw it in the effects they must believe it: If uncontroulled Histo­ry tell our Children that London was burnt and new built, that Pauls Church was burnt, &c. that multitudes died of the Plague the year before, &c. When they see the City, the Church, the Graves, the change of Inhabitants, the proved Testaments of the deceas­ed, besides uncontradicted testi­mony here is a natural evidence to assure it.

[Page 156] Sixteenthly, Though some half witted Philosophers boast much of the certainty of their Physicks in com­parison of Morality, the truth is, the most of Physicks are meer un­tainties, and the wisest see it, and busily pull down others doctrines, but confess they are yet but search­ing and groping by extrinsick ef­fects and experiments to know what to set up in the stead: And so did others before them: And long may they so search before they find. Whereas there is a more sa­tisfying Evidence in much of Mo­rality, as being Natural to Man­kind, and such as will no sooner cease to be believed than man will cease to be man: whereon all the affairs of the world are turned, and converse, Societies, and all the pri­vate Comforts of Nature are main­tained: God hath made known to us what pleased him, according to his own wisdome and not at our direction or choice. And he hath chosen that for us which is most usefull: It is more usefull to us to know how to live well, and how [Page 157] to be happy, and how to please and glorifie God and do good to one another, than to know Gods skil or mysteries in his workes; to know what is in the center of the earth, or how the active Nature doth ope­rate on the passive, whether cold be a privation or positive, what is the cause of the continued motus pro­jectorum? Whether Light and Heat be bodies? or Substances? whe­ther they penetrate other bodies? &c. As it is more useful for me to know how to keep my Clock in order than how to make one; to know how to plow, sow, eat, drink to my health, than to know by what mysterious operations, the Corn or other things do grow, and my food is digested, &c. Therefore this Learn­ed Lord doth truly and wisely enu­merate his Notitiae Communes in Morality and Religion as certain­ties, the denial whereof doth un­man us. God hath left such in­stincts, powers, inclinations, and conscience in humane nature, as shall naturally (though with some degree of freedome in the exercise) [Page 158] be an insuperable witness in the world to himself, and to our common prin­ciples and duties.

Seventeenthly, The Historical E­vidence of the Gospel of Christ is such as hath all the advantages be­fore described, in its kind. He liv­ed and preached and wrought his miracles frequently, before thousands, friends and foes: His miracles were never controlled as Moses did the Magicians, by greater, nor by any certain Truth which they contradicted: The eye witnesses themselves were unbelieving till forced by Cogent Evidence: They delivered his Doctrine, Miracles, Resurrection to the world, not one­ly by credible report, and to the ruine of their worldly pleasures and interests, with the loss of their lives, and all this meerly for the hopes of a reward in heaven, from God that well knew whether all were true or not; But also they did all in the power of the same Spirit which Christ did work by, doing such Miracles as Christ had done: And this not a few nor in a Cor­ner [Page 159] but in many Countries of the world, and that by many thousand Christians in one kind or other (tongues, healing, prophecie, or the like) as well as the Apostles. The certainty of which fact is at­tested by the very existence of all the Churches converted by it, with all their Baptismes, Professions and the rest of the Tradition before na­med. No Christian of all this mul­titude, by any terrours, death, time, was brought to the last to re­pent and say that he had deceived the world by a lie, Many Apostates falling off for fear of sufferings, but none with any such recantation: No adversary confuting the History, but commonly confessing most of it with more such evidence which I have o­pen'd in the Treat. and must not oft repeat lest I be tedious, And that which is still the Natural Evidence is, that [There is still existent, First, On the sacred Gospel, Secondly, On the souls and lives of all serious Christians by its impress the unimitable Image of the Divine Power, Wisdome and good­ness, Life, Light and Love, as the Di­vine [Page 160] attestation] Only as this noble Author requireth to all true Concepti­ons and Intellections, so do we to this, that there be but the necessary condi­tions in the mind of the receiver.

And whereas he saith that common­ly Miracles are reported a hundred years after; Here it was otherwise: The Jews were enraged by them for fear of the Romans! The Apostles and others wrought them openly; Mat­thew and John that wrote Christs Hi­story lived with him and saw what they wrote: so did Peter and James: Paul wrote what he saw and heard from heaven, Luke wrote the Acts of Paul which he saw, being his Compa­nion in travels. The thousands were converted, and Churches in many Countries planted, not by bare words, but by the Conviction of the Miracles of the Apostles themselves: so that e­very Church and Christian was a Hi­story of them. And all this they were moved to, with the hopes of heaven, where truth is known, to deny the world, and mortifie the flesh, and suffer whatever the Gospel would in­flict, to preserve their hopes and com­forts [Page 161] founded in this word of faith.

XI. Quest. Whether the common cu­stome of sacrificing throughout the world in all generations, were not their actual Confession that the sinner deserved death, and that Gods justice required punish­ment of satisfaction? and proceeded not from Divine Revelation in the beginning, when God had new made the Covenant of Grace? and so was delivered down by Tradition? For my part it cannot come into my understanding, why else men should think that God is pleased or appeased by the Creatures death? or how this should become so common throughout the world. And the two exceptions confirm this to be truth: First, Some Savages in America use no sacrifices: But they are such as know not God, or so Savage as to have lost all antient Tradition.

Secondly, All the Mahometans and Christians use no bloody sacrifice. But that is because, First, Christians believe that Sacrifices were but types of Christ and that he put an end to them by his perfect Sacrifice. 2dly, And Mahome­tans received it from Christ, being but Christians degenerate first into Arrians, [Page 162] and then into Mahometans, and still professing to take Christ for the word and son of God, and his word as true: onely hating the Christians for saying that he is very God. But of this in­stead of writing after so many, I on­ly refer you to their writings: And specially to Dr. Owens Latine Tractate on this subject.

XII. Whether Interest make the Judg­ment of Divines in the Cause of faith more suspicious or contemptible than other mens? I put this Question with respect to those words in the Preface. Sed ne­que auspicaciores ubi (que) posterioris istius seculi Scriptores dicendi sunt—Fit ita ut pro Regionum & fidei diversitate in id potissimum incumbant, ne illos domi male multet inopia, adeo (que) non tam quid in se verum, quam quid sibi ipsis utile exquirant.—Non est igitur a larvato aliquo vel stipendioso Scriptore, ut verum Consummatum opperiaris. Illorum appri­me interest, ne personam deponant, vel aliter quidem sentiant. Ingenuus & sui arbitrii, ista solummodo praestabit Au­thor.

Answ. First, It is not to be deny­ed, that there are multitudes of such [Page 163] Carnal Pastors in the Churches, that are Christians for the case, honour and wealth. Secondly, But that this should be so with all, I shall disprove, and prove that none on earth are so credi­ble in this case as Divines. First, Be­cause they have made it the business of their lives to search out the truth: and therefore (some of them) must be sup­posed to have the greatest advantages to know it. So that for Ability they have no sort of men that are Compe­titors. For diligence and helps are the improvers of understanding. And all men are found best at their own pro­fession; Lawyers in the Law, Physi­cians in Medicine, Philosophers in Philosophy, &c. And for your self, your next words are, [Nobis tamen ad alia omnia fere quam literarum studia (uti oportuit) exequenda, otium fuit: Partim armis in diversis regionibus, par­tim quinquennali Legatione, partim nego­tiis tum publicis tum privatis, vacavimus] And is not this your disadvantage? Who is a good Linguist, Lawyer, Phy­sician, &c. that hath had but little lei­sure for his studies?

Secondly, And as for Will and In­terest, [Page 164] it is notorious that thousands of the Ministry have so little set by world­ly Interest, as that it is upon the terms of greatest self-denyal to the flesh, that they take up and exercise their office; being moved onely by the great Inte­rest of their own and others souls: Their voluntary diligent labours, their holy lives, their contempt of the world, may convince any of this, that are not blinded by prejudice or malice. There are few Learned men in the Reformed Churches, but might far better use their studies and labours, if they took that for best which is most profitable, advancing or pleasing to the flesh.

Thirdly, You had a Brother of your own, so holy a man, as his sincerity was past exception; and so zealous in his Sacred Ministry, as shewed he did not dissemble; And I suppose had it been necessary, you would have so maintained him, that he should not have fled from truth for fear of pover­ty.

Fourthly, What can you think of all those that gave up their lives for the Christian saith and hopes? Did they go upon such carnal grounds as you men­tion.

[Page 165] Fifthly, The revolutions of States, and the diversity of Sentiments, and especially the Interests of the Car­nal part, do bring it to pass (by Gods over-ruling of all) that usually the most serious Christians and Pastors, are the sufferers of the age they live in: so that how much hath God done hereby to confute such suspicions and accusa­tions! There are now in England lear­ned and worthy men, in Church pre­ferments, which doubtless do not so love them as to buy them with the loss of truth, and that to keep up a Re­ligion against their Consciences. But if you did so accuse them, sure the ma­ny hundred silenced Ministers now in England that live in poverty, and ma­ny of them want Bread, when they might have preferment as well as o­thers, do live out of the reach of this accusation: I write not this at all as meddling with their Cause, but as an­swering your Exception. I have my self got no more for Preaching the Gos­pel these nine years, than if I had been a Lay-man; I mean I have Preached for nothing, if the success on mens souls were not something, and Gods [Page 166] acceptance (so far as I did Preach:) And more than that, I would offer any man my solemnest oath to satisfie him, that I believe and profess the Christian Doctrine for its proper evidence, and for the hopes of the blessedness pro­mised thereby; which if they prevail­ed not with me above all the riches, preferments and pleasures of this world, I would never have been a Preacher or a Christian, nor would continue in my calling and profession one day, much less on the self-denying terms as I now do.

But, O my Lord, thou hast been to me a faithful Saviour, a happy Teacher, a supporting Comforter, in my greatest dangers, distress and fears: Thy service hath been sweet and good! Thy word hath been a powerful Light, a Quicken­ing, a changing, an elevating, a guid­ing, a comforting word. So far am I from Repenting that I am thy Disciple or thy Servant, that (now I am not far from my departure from this world) I do vehemently protest, that I beg no greater mercy of thee in this world than that I may Believe in thee more firmly, and Hope in thy promises more confidently, and by [Page 167] thine Intercession receive more of thy Ho­ly Spirit, by which I may have neerer ac­cess to God, and that by thy blood and merits I may be justified and cleansed from the guilt of all my sins, and that by thee I may be taught to know the Fa­ther, and to Love him as his Love and Goodness hath manifested it self in Thee, and in the gracious works of mans Re­demption; That thou wilt be the underta­ker for my soul and body, through my life, and that at death I may commend my Spirit into thy hands, in a strong well grounded Faith and Hope and come to the in the fervent desire of Divine and Heavenly Love And I ask for no great­er felicity hereafter, than to be with thee where thou art, to behold thy Glory, and to see the Glory of the blessed Deity, and Live in the perfect Knowledge and Love and Praise of God.

Sixthly, And I may add, that it is not only Clergy men that are Chri­stians: Besides them the Learned'st men in the world have defended or stuck to the Christian Faith: I need not name to you either men of your own rank, such as the two Mirandula's, the great Du Plessis, Marnixius de Al­deg [...]nde, [Page 168] Anhaltinus, (a Prince though a Divine,) Bacon, and many a worthy Noble man of these Kingdoms, and of many other: nor such Laymen as the Scaligers, Salmasius, Grotius, Causo­bone, Thuanus, and multitudes more. Were all these larvati vel palliati by as­sed by price or fleshly interest? He that is not a Christian for Spiritual and E­ternal Interest, taking up his Cross and following a Crucified Christ, on terms of self-denial, even to the for­saking of all for him, not excepting life it self, and doth not by his Cross even Crucifie the flesh and the world, which is the provision for its lusts, is indeed no real Christian at all.

I had thought to have said some­what to your pag. 220, 221. [In om­ni Religione, immo & conscientia, sive ex Natura sive ex gratia, media suffici­entia dari unde Deo accepti esse possint, ultro credimus—] But I have been long enough, and the answer may be gathered from what is said before.

The Lord save this Land and the darker world from Infidelity and its fruits; and give us mo [...] [...]f that spi­rit [Page 169] which is Christs Agent and witness in us, effectually to plead and main­tain his cause,