WHether according to your hope in the very en­trance into your Epistle professed, you have re­turned an Answer unto all things materiall in my Book, tho I might well, without further trouble, referre the triall of it unto any that will take the paines to compare this of yours and that toge­ther; yet I shall, I hope, as occasion shall offer it self, in the fur­ther pursuit of this Debate, make it appeare to be farre other­wise; and that you have wittingly and willingly overslipped ma­ny things as materiall as any that you have been pleased to take notice of. Mean while, to give you a tast of some few of them; you may among others be put in minde of, your palpable See Answer page 34, 35. glosing and dissembling, in a professed desire to have the names of Legalists and the like, layd down; when in that very Discourse you so oft use them your selfe: your See Ans. p. 27 30, 31. 40. insolent censures and uncharitable aspersions of those whom you are pleased so to style; one while charging them with grosse ignorance, as Treatise p. 40 85. unable for want of that spirituall discerning, and Treat. p. 28. more glorious light, revealed to your self and those of your way, to distinguish those things that Antichrist hath jumbled together; another while with no lesse grosse perfi­diousnesse, and notorious wickednesse, Trea. p. 37. 85. in devising wayes and courses, to keep open the wounds of their spirituall patients, for the lengthning of their cure; besids other reproachfull speeches [Page 2] uttered of them, as that Treat. p 82. they exalt men, to cry down Christ: your Treat p. 77. See Answ. p, 41 paralleling the way acknowledged to have been used by the Pro­phets, with the Popes giving out his Pardons: your declining to render an account where you finde in Gods word that Treat. p. 85. Scripture assurance (as you tearm it, pronouncing withall, Ibid. see Ans. p 32. 33. all other assuran­ces, tho such as are shewed to be found in Scripture, to be rotten conclusions from Gods Word) to wit, Treat p. 84. that Christ Jesus hath per­fectly beleeved for us, and perfectly repented for us: the See Ans. p. 27 28. other base terms heaped upon those wayes of Assurance, that by the Apostles have been delivered: and lastly, (to let passe the rest for the present, that you stoop not so low as to look after) your encouraging Chri­stians Treat. p. 173 174. see Answ. p. 17. 18. not to be troubled for any sin; nor to imagine that God is displeased with them, or that any afflictions do befall them for their sinnes, or that they shall ever be called to any account for them.

But these, it seems you account matters of no moment, nor do I much marvell that such things as these should be so slighted by one who tho he reproach, revile, calumniate, and wrong any in any kinde whatsoever, traduce the truth, broach errours, belch out blasphemies, yet professeth not to expect or fear any after-reckon­ing with God for it; and either jeers, or at least and best, pities them Treat. p. 171. as sely souls that so do. Howbeit, Sir, we cannot yet so perswade our selves; nor do you deal so kindly with us, in letting these things slip, and not endeavouring to rectify our judgements herein, out of Gods word (which we desire to make, as we con­ceive it to be, both in these things and in all other, Esay 8.20. 2 Tim. 3.16, 17 [...]. Chry­sost. in 2 Cor. Orat. 13. [...]. Basil. asc [...]t defin. 72. our Rule of direction, as well for opinion as for practice) that so we might not with those sely creatures you speak of, hold and carry our selves so strait-laced in these things, but being better enformed of our liberty, as you, it seems, are, may know our selves to be in this regard much more loos-girt then as yet we are aware of. And thus much shall at present suffice concerning your Hope of having donne that which indeed you never meant to do.

After this your hope professed, you fall to snatch and snarl at my margine; which tho you tell me you will not meddle with Epistle.; (nor is it any great matter whether you do or no; tho you may peradventure finde some things there, that you list not to deal with) yet in the very next words, breaking your word so lately given, as repenting you of what you had sayd, you fall foul upon it, charging it both in this Answer and in other my books, to be [Page 3] filled with such things and Autors as are of little valew to Christ crucified; and to be such as argue me to be Comicall and Poeticall in mine old age.

Concerning which there needs here no large Apology, nor long Answer. In brief, many things are usefull, which are yet of no great valew to Christ crucified, and such indeed are all humane Arts and Sciences; which notwithstanding are and may be made many of them [...]. Aristot. Met. l. 2. c. 2. Ancillantur Theologiae hu­maniores disci­plinae. Lips. ma­nud [...]ct ad Sto­ic. Dist. 3. Handmayds unto Divinity; and are of speciall use for the finding out of truth, and Verè hoc mi­hi dicturus vi­deor; nisi ac­curatius homi­nes incipiant philosophari, futurum, ut nullus sectarum & errorum fu­turus sit finis; quōdoquidem ignoratione ac cidât, ut neque accipere legiti­mè, neqe red­dero rationes disputatores imperiti valeant. Schaegh. adv. Antitrin. praef. discovery of errours opposite therunto; nor is it marvell therefore that the Sectaries of our times do so much decry them. The Apostle, tho he professe 1 Cor. 2.2. [...] that he determi­ned to know (that is, Docere, Cameron in Myrothec. ad Marc. 13.32. Profiteri. Illyric. Beza. Praedicare, Cal­vin. to teach, preach, regard, or take notice of) nothing in comparison at Corinth but Christ Crucified; yet in the very same Epistle, wherein he so professeth, 1 Cor. 15.33. he cites a saying of Ex Menandri Thaide. Schol. Graec. & Hieronym. ad Magn. qos pleriqesequntut. At Clemens [...] strom. l. 1. Menander a Comick, as is most generally agreed: and tho concerning himself be elsewhere professes, that Phil. 3 8. he esteemed all things, besides, as [...], scoria, faex. Dioscorid. l. 5. c. 85. unde [...] Plut. in Themist. dr [...]sse or [...], stercus. Glossar. [...]. Hesych. [...]. Etymol. At Suidae, [...], mensae decidu [...]. Charisio, qisqiliae. Prisciano, frumenti purgamen a, aceres, paleae. Synesio, capitis furfures, sordes. dung, (for the word may bear ei­ther) in regard of Christ, the eminent knowledge of him, and his interest in him; yet did, he not so abandon his former reading in Poets, as wholly to refuse or reject all use of them; but is obser­ved to have Ex Arato, Act. 17.28. ex Epimenide Tit. 1. 12. alleadged some passages out of them; and that in likelihood also in his elder age. For mine own part, Poetry I ne­ver professed, nor was ever heard or seen on any Scene: whether your self have, or no, I know not; nor is it ought to me, nor do I list to enquire. Howbeit in their writings I acknowledge, that, I have been somtime somewhat versed: and some of those things that I then red in them, are not yet utterly lost with me: nor am I ashamed, as occasion is offered, to make use of them, no more then that blessed Apostel was: tho they be the least part of that which you might have met with in my margin, either here or elswhere. Euripideum Socrat. hist. l. 3. c. 16. utriusqe esse potuit. Vide Clem. strom. l. 6. & Gell. l. 23 c. 17.

But Sir, what is all this to any point in qestion between you and me at present? what is the filling of my margin with things and Autors of lesse valew then Christ crucified (which yet for want of better and more pertinent matter, helps to fill and make up the main body of your Epistle, and comes in again to eech out the Conclus. p. 17. close of your book) unto the businesse in debate; either the clearing of your selfe from your arrogant censures, and groundlesse aspersions of Gods faithfull servants, and your blasphemous jeeres fastened through their sides, on Gods Prophets? which winde and turn you, which way you will, you will never be able to elude; and which, had you any dram of ingenuity left in you, you well might and would in the eyes of men at least be ashamed of; (tho in Gods sight See Gods eye on his Isr. Pref. p. 2. the principles layd by you and those of your strain, do openly professe and proclaim, that you neither are, not ought to be ashamed of ought) and which being altogether unable to wipe off, you therefore slily slip by, and return no Answer at all to? Or what is my being Comicall and Poëticall in mine old age? which you have once again a fling at, making it [...]. Prora & puppis. ut Graecorum proverbium est. Cicer. ad. Tiron. epist. 24. prow and poop (as they use to say) Caput & cavda. head and tail of your discourse; (tho I know no reason why any Divine may not exercise his Poëtry, if he have a vain that way, which my self never had; and that in his old age too, as Gregor. Naz. Pavlin. Nolan. Theo­dor. Beza, alii innumeri. many worthy and religious persons have done) but what is this, I say, unto the cleering or strengthing of ought excepted against in your book, or to the removing or weakning of any objection made against it? It was long since observed to be an [...]. A­ristot. rhetor. l. 3. c. 14. ill sign, and such as might well give just suspition of a bad cause, when men fly out from the matter in present debate, and either In adversae partis advo­catos invehun­tur, & ubi defecerint a­lia, conviciis implent vacua cavsarum; si contingit, veris, si [...] minus fictis. fall foul upon the person of him, with whom they are to debate it, or make [...] Aeschin. ad Ctesiph. excursions into by-matters, snatching and catching at every thing that comes in their way, as desirous to be dealing rather with any thing then that, wherein they find themselves wringed. Which whither herein you do or no, I am well content that others judge.

As for what you subjoyn, concerning your former raptures, which you professe now to be shamed of; and of your present strains of a more glorious Spirit: for the former, what they have been, I wot not, nor am I curious to make inqiry. If they were such as you may justly be ashamed of, you have good cause to re­pent of them; as Psal. 25.7. David did in his later dayes of his younger slips [Page 5] and excesses; if you think David at least a fit precedent for you to follow; which the insolency of those of your way doth dis­daine: And for the latter, to wit, your straines of a more glorious spirit, not unlike your vaunting els-where of Treatise, p. 28. a more glorious light, it will peradventure with some no injudicious Readers be deemed, not to want some smach of vain-glory; especially laid together with the glittering Title of your former Treatise, and that height of scorn and contempt, which therein you expresse, of Treat. p. 40. the divinity and the Divines (a tearm that ye here seem to jeer at tho formerly used by you) both of these dayes and former times.

Your conclusion is, That you hope you shall be no more in pas­sion with me, then with my brother of the Assembly, M. LEY.

Truly, Sir, this latter hope seems wholy frustrate as well as the former; for you have already here expressed passion enough, if not pride and Magisteriality also mixt with it. Or what was it but passion, that carried you into this digression? and what is it, but pride and Magisteriality, to censure for that, which you con­vince not to be evill, and to reprove without proofe? And surely, Sir, if your Answer to me, be of the same stamp with that of yours to Mr Ley, I shall look for little in it, but a few froathy sqibs, slightings of matters objected, and vain boastings of your self. For of such is your Answer to him in a manner wholy made up; fruits of passion rather, then of judgement and reason.

But, you write, you say, to edifie, not to conqer, nor to teach others, but that we may be all taught of God.

Sir, you write riddels; whom intend you by your writing to edifie, if not others? or how to edifie them, if not by teaching? it is true indeed, that unlesse men be Esai. 54.13. Ioh. 6.45. taught of God, all hu­mane 1 Cor. 3.6, 7. teaching will do litle good: but neither can man edify any without him; and the case therefore being alike in either, where the difference in this regard should ly between edifying and teaching, my shallow brain is not able to conceive.

As for writing to conqer: he that writes barely to conqer, with­out respect had to truth, is at best but Superbae stultitiae perse­verantia. Senc. de ben l. 4. c. 38. a pertinacious, or vain-glorious fool; it is [...]. Philonid. A veritate vinci­res p [...]cherri­ma. Qi vinci­tur à veritate, triumphat. Moses Amyrald. defens. doct. Calv. c. 3. a conqest fair and honourable enough, to be overcome by truth. Yet to Iud. 3. contend and that earnestly for the truth, that it may not be overborn by such as oppose it; and to further its conquest, by beating down errors, that are raised up [Page 6] against it, is a just and commendable endevour: and so to strive to conqer, is no evil, but [...]. Henod. [...]per. a good and laudable strife. In which kinde I professe freely, that I do in this my writing Tu pertina­ciam esse hanc praedicas: Ego pervicaciam a [...]o, & à me uti volo. N [...]m per [...]icacem di­ci me esse & vincere, perfa­cile patior; pertinacem nil moror. Haec fortes seqitur; illam indocti possident. Ac­cius apud Noni­um. endevour to conqer, to wit, by holding out and maintaining the truth op­posed; and thereby to establish and edify others with my self in the same, through Gods blessing upon my labours; whereunto whi­ther your writings conduce or no, in the ensuing discussion of this Reply, shall by Gods assistance be more fully made to appear. Which, having thus dispatch your Epistle, I shall in the next place addresse my self unto.

Your Reply begins with mine Epistle, out of which and the fore­part of mine Answer, you have these ships.

1. Whereas I say, that I was advertised of a Treatise of yours, wherein I was among other late Writers, produced, (traduced, I might say) as giving testimony to some tenents of the Antinomi­an party.

You fasten on the word traduced; which as of others there cited, so of my selfe, I may wel say. And whereas Reply p. 1. you referre the Reader to our books, I do therein very willingly joyn issu with you. Let my book speak for me, how I condescend to them, or approve of their tenents.

But my words you gave, my meaning you could not come at, nor dive into; nor were you to discover to the world, mine intents, nor to judge of my reserves and secret senses; but of words and writings: that which Reply p. 1. 2. more then once or twise you insist on, to salv your double and deceitfull dealing.

But Sir, first, we leave such reservs to those of your own way, whereby to help out their hideous and blasphemous assertions of which more See Gods eye, &c. Preface, p. 26.30. els-where.

2. I deem you not so shallow brained, but that you might, had you listed, have easily conceived my meaning, not lying deep in my heart or brest (as you pretend) but See Ans p. 4.5 as expressed before in my book, so laid there before you, in that clause inserted, [as was before said] pointing and directing you as with the finger, to that place, where my meaning was fully explained: which clause in your qotation of it was advisedly left out, because you listed not to make use of it.

But Sir, suppose you had not had that help, to disclose mine intent to you, and that my words should be taken as they stand, [Page 7] without reference to ought before intimated. Yet the charge of traducing me, as by those words taken in the strictest sense that may be, acknowledging litle difference between us and the Anti­nomians, stands firm still against you: since that you cannot with all your witty and wily Sophistry (wherein you are rise enough, I confesse; tho Logick you disclaim) conclude that, which you would father and fasten upon me, from ought you cite out of me: which by divers instances in mine Answ p. 5. Apology I evidently shew; whereunto you return here no Answer at all; and remain therefore convict of abuse and wrong herein offred me. But what forehead that man hath, that hath the face to alledge me out of that book, as acknowledging litle difference between them and us, I shall leave to any person whatsoever frend or so to determine, that hath but cursorily read over the Preface to that book, out of which my words are cited.

But Sir, you professe herein to have done me a great kindnesse, and to have shewed me much love: for herein Reply p. 2. you accounted me better then I desire to be, and took me to be more a frend to the truth, then you now see I am: and abusing 2 Cor. 12.13. the Apostles words, desire to have that injury forgiven you.

Sir, These are your wonted scofs and jeers: wherein yet you might have been pleased to spare the Apostle, and not dally with his words.

But what a frend I am to those [...]. Basil. ubi sup. Counterfaits of truth, that in­steed of Gods sacred truth are obtruded upon people, and in­stilled into too many, to the preverting of their faith, and the poysoning of their souls; my book it self, whence you snipped of that shred might sufficiently have enformed you: Whereby, as you needed not to have been thus mistaken in me, so may you easily suppose, that I esteem it a very sorry courtesie to be deemed warping towards those, whose Tenents out of their own books, mouths, and writings, I there shew to be so hideous and blas­phemous.

As for your Reply p. 2. exception taken to the stiling of some Antino­mians, as if I had now newly done it, and not before in my book; and the wrong you therein pretend done them, I shall without further ado, referre the Reader to Answ. p. 3 [...]. mine Answer.

Secondly, Where I say, Preface to Answer. you were a man utterly unknown to me before save by one or two short Pamphlets.

You pitch Reply p. 1. upon the tearm Pamphlet; and interpret it as a slighting of your works, which it seems, you have an higher conceit of, then that they should be so styled.

Yet Sir, you know, that it is a term commonly given to small things of a sheet or two; such as those of yours were, that had then come to mine hand. Nor truly Sir, to deal freely and in­genuously with you, did I meet with any such solide matter in any of them (for many they were not) that should necessarily exempt them from being so termed. Howbeit, to make you some part at least of amends, if it stick so much in your stomack, I am very well content (as Quod Alpha dixeram te pe­nulatorum, si fort. bilem m [...]vit hic tibi ver [...]us, Di [...]as liceb. 1 Beta me togatorum. Mart. l. 5. ep. 27. he sometime in somewhat the like case) that you call, if you please, mine Answer and this Rejoynder, being neither of them overlong, two short Pamphlets, so you may be even with me herein; and this qarrell I hope at an end.

Yea, but Reply ibid. You could call my Treatises by a worse name then Treatises.

And so do Sir, if you please, they will be never the worse; for the worst terms you can give them, no more then the faithfull servants of God, whom you and your brother Eaton have in your books so bespattred, are any whit the worse for all those opprobrious reproaches that you have endevoured to overwhelm them with.

Reply ibid.Yea, but one of them you knew long since, that of Lots, wherein I defend cards and dice playing; which it had been happy for others as well as your self, in your times of vanity, had I therein following Augustines example, printed a Retractation of it: for you believe I have strengthned the hands of many to sinne.

1. For writing of Retractations after Augustines example; it is that I somewhere promise, if opportunity serve, and God be plea­sed to lend life and strength, to review what I have abroad, and amend such mistakes in my writings, as upon further consi­deration may be discovered in them. But for retracting of that which you instance in, I must crave pardon of you, if I professe that I may not; because I cannot so do without be­traying of the truth against mine own knowledge: Which I con­tinue still the more firmly strongly assured of, because it hath upon due tryall Videatur Antidiatriba, qa Amesio, & Voetio respon­detur. held out opposition free, against other manner of Champions, then I yet take Mr S. for. Howbeit if by dint of [Page 9] Argument to shew your Goliah-like might, you shall deygn to deal with it, I hope I shall not greatly need to fear your en­counter.

2. For your belief, That I have thereby strengthened the hands of many to sinne: I know, and am well assured, that there is no­thing in that book, that may encourage any thereunto. But if your self, in the dayes of your vanity, (which it may justly be feared, are not yet over; to much of it still appeares in you both here and els-where) or any other, Aranei ex eisdem flori­bus, unde apes mel conficiunt, ven [...]num col­ligunt. Const. Emper. praefat. ad clav. Talm. Spider-like, besides your self, have sucked poyson out of the sayings of truth (I am bold so to stile them having not been hitherto convict of errour; and disprove you if you can, what I say) therein delivered; the fault is not in my book, but in your own, and their own Homines malè sumentes salubrem cibū in venenum vertunt. Aug. de temp. 45. cor­rupt affection, that converts that into venome that is wholsome and harmlesse of it selfe. Nor is it probable, that the freeing of a Lot used, either in those games or any other, from that superstitious conceit, that some had laboured to fasten on it, should spur any on to an excessive use, either of those disports or any other. They that were so conscientious as to forbear them only for that scrupel, there is no likelihood, but would be as strict and precise in the moderate usage of them, if they thought good to make use of them, when they were freed from that groundlesse scrupel. And well may it be deemed therefore, that your own idle vain and loose disposition, was it that caried you on to excesse, if you were in game overmuch, rather then my book (which not only gives no allowance for it, but Treat. of Lots, chap. 9. expressely condemns it) or ought you found or read in it.

3. I know none who by their teachings and writings doe more strengthen mens hands in sinne, then those that infuse such principles as these into them; That God see: no sinne in them, live they never so ill; nor likes them any whit the lesse when they do sinne; nor is an all displeased with them, or will ever call them to account for ought they doe, and the like.

4. As was before said, What is either my frequency of qotations, or my use of Poets, or this now concerning my book of cards and dice, either unto mine Answer of your Treatise, or your Reply to mine Answer? Of what force or strength is it, either unto the impairing of the one, or the improving of the other? And yet is this also as well as the former, both Aleph and Tau with you; [Page 10] it beginneth your discourse; and it helps to conclude, as if it were one of the principals of your Reply. Howbeit Sir, if to cry qittance with me for laying open some of the unsound and rotten stuffe conteined in your Treatise of Free-grace, you will take the paines to discover such dangerous matter, as you pretend to be delivered in my Treatise of Lots; and that the rather that others may thereby be warned to shun those rocks, that your selfe you say have formerly struck on, howsoever you got off again; do with me as I have done with you, I shall be very well content with it: Lay open as much as you please of the unsound matter you find in it; but withall shew it to be such, and when you have so done, I will give you mine honest word, that I will either re­fute you or else do as you here advise me, retract.

Secondly, for the unsound stuffe in your book, that I have un­dertaken to lay open: I yeeld to you, Rep [...]y p. 2. § 2. that it is neither your sayin it is sound; nor mine that it is unsound, [...]. Ar [...]stot. de in­interpet. c. 10. that must decide the matter: Let the tryall be by Gods book, the only sure touch­stone of all saving truth.

Yet Sir, let me mind you withall, that the foulnesse and un­soundnesse of some stuffe in your book is such, that being laid open to view, by your silence you seem either ashamed, or un­willing at least to own it; and suffer it therefore to be charged upon you without Answer, as was intimated and instanced in before.

The last thing you nibble at in my Preface, is of Reply p. 1. § 3. some that think they have found a shorter cut to heaven, then (say you) some former Divines: where you tell me, that you know not what I mean by a shorter cut; and that Papists finde a way by works; some Protestants by Jesus Christ and works others by Jesus Christ alone, and make works the prayse of that Free-grace in Jesus Christ.

Where Sir, 1. You relate not my words to the full; I say not, a shorter cut then former Divines, but a shorter cut and more compendious passage then Gods Ministers out of his word have formerly chalked out unto them.

2. Because you pretend ignorance (tho I doubt not but you understand well enough, what the shorter cut and easier passage spoken of imports) I shall plainly and directly point to it, not your self so much, being already well acqainted with it, as the Reader, who, it may be, hath not formerly heard of it: It is the [Page 11] way that your self, and other of the Antinomian party propound, to wit, that there is nothing reqired to be done by any, for the ob­taining of a sh [...]re, in the redemption and salvation procured and purchased by Christ, or for the application of Christs merits unto any; and they may therefore be saved by Christ, without faith or repentance or new obedience; tho they continue in infidelity, impenitency, and the worst sins that are.

To this purpose take these assertions from some of those Wri [...]ers, whose works, I presume are no strangers with you. Christs Coun­sell to the An­gel of Laodicea, p. 27. The end, saith one of them, for which Christ came, was to dy for the ungodly, to purchase redemption for their sins, and to reconcile them unto God; and all this he did freely, upon no condition, fully and perfectly, leaving nothing undone or to be done by way of application: for in the performing thereof he fully and perfectly applyed it; for he took upon him our nature; and by vertue of this our humane nature in the person of Christ, we are made truly the Sons of God, heirs and coheirs with him. And again, Ibid. p. 35. Salvation is not tyed to belief; nor is faith a condition without which a man can not be saved: All men, women and children, that is, the whole Church of God, are all saved only and totally by the merits of Christ; whose merits are applyed unto us sufficiently and effectually too, by hi [...] own assumption of our nature, by which we are incorporate into him. Ibid. p. 40. And they are false teachers that make redemption conditionall, and make it depend upon du­ties: Ibid. p 41. Nothing at all being required in any respect of him for whom Christ dyed, (they are deceivers that teach otherwise) neither faith, nor repentance, nor self-deniall, nor hearing, nor use of ordinances, nor observation of Sabbath, nor doing as we would be done to, and the rest: Ibid. 42. they are fals teachers that make these duties, and teach that we must exercise our selves in these things, or we shall have no part in Christ. And another of them: Power of Love, p. 30. This work of our redemption and reconciliation with God was perfected, when Christ dyed; and nothing shall be able to separate you from his love then purchased; neither infidelity, nor impenitency, nor unthankfulnesse, nor sin, nor any thing whatsoever can make void this purchase; no, tho with the Iews you should deny the Lord, that bought you. And for want of this knowledge many of us have walked very uncomfor­tably, spending our time in fasting, and weeping and mourning, in praying, reading and hearing; and in performance of other duties, and all to get Christ; while we consider not what the Scripture set­teth [Page 12] forth unto us, to wit, salvation purchased and perfected for ever, to sinners, to the ungodly, to all the world; a work perfected, depen­ding on no condition, no performance at all.

Now I would gladly understand from Mr S. whither the course that these propound, be not a shorter cut and an easier passage, then Gods Ministers out of Gods Word, or Gods Prophets, and Christs Apostels, yea, God and Christ himselfe in the Word, have formerly chalked out unto us; and how these things agree with those words of our Saviour, Mark. 16 16 Whosover doth not believe shall be damned: And, Luk. 13.3, 5. unlesse you repent you shall perish; And, Math. 11.20, 24. It shall be worse in the day of jugdement with Chorazin, Beth­saida and Capernaum, then with Tyre and Sidon, Sodom and Go­morrah, because thy repented not at his preaching: And, Math. 10.33. He that denys me before men, I will deny him before my Father in heaven; and those passages of the Apostle, Phil. 3.12. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; And, Rom. 8.13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dy; And, 1 Cor. 9.27. I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest having preached to others, my self prove a [...] rejectaneus, ut 2 Cor. 13.5, 6. cast-away. And Heb. 12.14. Follow holi­nesse, without which no man shall ever see God: and that of Peter, who telleth us, that those that 2 Pet. 2.1. bring in damnable heresies, deny­ing the Lord that bought them, bring swift damnation upon them­selves.

Let any man lay these two ways together; and then tell, whither of the two is the shorter cut and the easier passage; For they are not sure both the same.

Now Sir, if you shall disclaime and refuse to own these and the like, as pretending, that you are not to make good what every one prints or preaches. Yet 1. hereby may appear what new cuts are abroad: which there was just cause and good ground therfore to give warning of. And 2. that your self are not far from compliance with them herein; it is too palpable, too apparent. For 1. that main part of your Treatise, contrived dialog-wise, wherein in a jeering and scoffing way, you traduce, as they also do, the faithful Ministers of Christ, and their manner of propounding and pressing such things as these men make wholy needlesse and unnecessary unto the at­taining of life eternall, runneth all along just in the same tone with them; as may appear by those parcels in mine S [...]e A [...]s. p. 9. 10. 14. 17. Answer there­unto, thence represented. 2. In that your Treatise you tell us in expresse terms, that Treat. p. 126. in the Gospel, God agrees to save man; [Page 13] And that all the conditions are on Christs part, no conditions on our parts; And that Ibid. p. 191. Salvation is not made any puzzling way in the Gospel (a puzzling way, then belike before time it was) it is plainly, easily, and simply reveiled: Iesus Christ was crucified for sinners, this is salvation, we need go no further; all that is to be done is to believe that there is such a work; and that Christ died for thee amongst all other sinners he dyed for. Ibid. p. 193. This is short work: (And it is short work indeed) and this is the only Gospel work and way. You see Sir, what a short cut your selfe here make; for here is Repentance, and new Obedience, and Mortification, and the study, pursuit and practise of Holinesse and the like, all cut off at one blow, as be­ing neither Gospel work, nor way. And it may justly be que­stioned, whether this be Matth. 7.13. the streight gate and narrow way, that Christ pointed his to.

Yea, but Faith may some say, is at least reqired by you, for the application of Christ, and the attaining of interest in him.

How it is reqired by you, your self inform us; Treat. p. 189. Christ you say, is ours without Faith; but we can not know him to be ours but by believing: and you reject this under the Title of the Reformed opinion and more generall, Ibid. p. 198. That none are justified or partakers of salvation, but by faith. And if no conditions at all be reqired for obtaining salvation by Christ as was formerly affirmed by you, then neither Faith also: Yea, to this you come fully home, where you say, that Ibid. p. 15 [...]. 153. The Covenant now under the Gospel is such a kind of Covenant, as was established with Noah, Gen. 9.11. clear against the strain of the old, wherein man was to have his life upon condi­tion. And in this your Reply, you deny Reply p. 14. § 8. the receiving of Christ to be acknowledged by you as a condition. And indeed, if the pro­mise of salvation by Christ, be as absolute and free from all con­dition as that Covenant made with Noah; then may a man be saved by Christ, tho he never know or look after Christ; as he is sure never to perish by an oecumenicall deluge, tho he neither know nor believe, nor do ever heare of such a Covenant concer­ning it. Whereunto also, Answ. p. 8. 9. 24. 25. where it came to be scanned (whence you might have informed your self, what this shorter cut meant) as a thing materiall, you have returned nothing at all.

But thus the Reader may be pleased to take notice of that shorter cut and more compendious way, and easier passage to heaven, that your self have cut out as well as those other of your way, [Page 14] not without onely, but contrary to all warrant of Gods Word.

3. For what you add; of the Popish way by works, whereby men are said to merit heaven, we abhorre and detest it, as much as you do. Of some protestants by Iesus Christ and works. Sir, when you set Iesus Christ and works, as cheek by joull the one with the other; you wrong those whom you would by such an expression aspers. They teach Christ Iesus to be the only pur­chaser and procurer of our Iustification and salvation; and his bloud to be the only price, that was laid down and paid for the purchase thereof. But they hold withall, that faith and repentance, and self-deniall, and new obedience are necessarily required in the Gospel, as conditions to be performed by all those, that will have part and interest in Christ or look for salvation by Christ; and that none shall without these ever attain to that salvation so deerly purchased by Christ. And for this; Sir, we have the Scriptures pregnant and plentifull; as your self can not be ignorant; and as in the Answer to your book hath sufficiently Answ. p. 11. 15. been shewed: which how you seek either to shift off, or to slubber over, shall appeer, when we come to that part of your Reply.

Lastly, for taxing me Reply p. 2. § 3. with frowardnesse and qarrelsomnesse; which yet you impute partly to mine age, and partly to the re­mainders of my disease, rather then my judgment, and the infir­mity of my body, not the strengh of my Spirit: but withall de­mand of me, why I chose not a better time to try truth in, when I were not so much in the body.

1. Sir, froward or qarrelsome I have not shewd my selfe in this businesse. The beginner of the qarell here was your self, who as an insolent Golias first entred the feild, with a flag of defiance, Treat. p. 40. to the Divinity both of this age and former times, reproaching in base and scurrilous manner Gods faithful Ministers, men ma­ny of them much better then your self; and endeavouring by your unchristian charges and vile calumnies to bring shame and contempt upon them and their Ministery; and were pleased to single me out and draw me forth among others, (whom, tho comming all within verge of your magisteriall censure, you call in for seconds) as complying in part with you and the party you fight for; acknowledging litle difference at least between us and them; nor doth it argue any frowardnesse or qarelsomnesse in one so [Page 15] engaged, to endevour [...]. Menander O­lynth. & Chae­remon Thers. Svid. Principi­um non est â m , qi me vin­dico. Et A­chaus, apud Athen. l. 13. [...], &c. N [...]n haec ego ultro di [...]o, sed me vindicans. to vindicate himself and those with him­self, whom he finds to be so abused.

2. For my yeers, Sir, scof not at old age: you may live if God pleas, to come to it your self; and for the remainders of my sicknesse, which I am not yet freed from, nor am like to be in hast: Eccles 3. 1, 2, &c. Vide Iu [...]. & Coch. sicknesse and health are passages of Gods providence, above mans power to dispose of: nor was it therefore in mine hand to make choyse of my time for this tryall of truth; but was ne­cessitated to take it, as the wrong offred by your self occasioned it, and as God had pleased to dispose. Besides, that the triall of truth in this cause was not now to be first new taken up by me, but had formerly been laboured in (as by Gods Eye on his Israel. my other work may in part appear) in time of better health: and you may see if you please thereby to understand, that my judgement then was the same, that now still it is. Nor is sicknesse I suppose, wont to make men much in the body, as you seem here to imply but lesse rather. Howbeit, Sir, I seem to understand your jeer and to conceive what spirit and body you intend; such spirit and bo­dy as may be justly suspected, notwithstanding all your vaun­tings of such a glorious spirit and light, that you have litle yet of the one, but too much still of the other; otherwise being 2 Cor. 4.16. & 12.10. much in bodily weaknesse, is not wont to be deemed any means of im­peaching the work of grace in the soul.

And thus farre shall suffice to all that you have replyed, either to my Preface, or to the former part of mine Answer; all in effect as good as nought.

Passe we now to consider of your Reply to the latter part, con­cerning divers Passages in your Treatise.

Here at the very entrance into this Part of your Reply, you manifest your self to be of that qarelsome disposition, that you pleased even now to fasten on me. For to pick out matter for a new qarell to begin with, you Reply p [...]. § 1. relate my words thus, That our Antinomian free-grace is not the same with the Prophets in the Old Testament and the Apostles in the New.

And then you fall, as one in a chafing heat to chide, and de­mand, Why do you tell us of Antinomian, of Prophets and Apo­stles free grace? It is not the free grace of any of these.—I could as easily say, Mr Gatakers free-grace and the Legalists free-grace, as [Page 16] he the Antinomians free-grace; but such words and repoaches make neither you nor I speak better truth.

Good Sir, Ne saevi mag­ [...]e Sacerd [...]s. have patience awhile, I pray you be, not so hot and eager in your first encounter; doe not begin with so much passion, especially having so lately promised, that you would not be in passion; unlesse your meaning were, for you are many times very ambiguous) when you said you hoped you should be no more in passion with me then with Mr Ley, that you intended to be in passion as much with me as you had been with him. But Sir, to come to a calm and serious reckoning with you: what is the cause and the ground of all this windy bluster? where doth Mr G. say, Our Antinomians free-grace, or the Prophets and the Apostles free-grace? I say only, as in the Frontispice of my Book, so in the discourse it self, Answ p. 6. That free-grace which we find here described and is by our Antinomians usually asserted, is such as differeth much from that which either the Prophets held forth in the Old Testament, or Christ and his Apostles preached in the New. And yet had I said, The Prophets and Apostles free-grace; I might well e­nough have justified it; for why might not one as well say, Ephes. 2.20. [...]od est ab [...]p­sis positum & praedicatum. [...]un. ad. Bellar. cont. 3. l. 3. c. 23. the Prophets and Apostels free-grace, as the Prophets and Apostels foundation, and [...] Cor. 4.3. the Apostles Gospel? not theirs as Authors and owners of it; and yet theirs as taught and promulgated by them. But Sir, it seems you liked rather to be picking somewhat out of my work to find your self work, which you found not in it; or to be pidling with that which had it been there found, had been of no moment, then to be dealing with those things that are in­deed materiall, but you either shun or slight. And let any indiffe­rent Reader now passe sentence; or let Mr S. himself, being by this time I hope, out of the fit he was in when he writ this, and in a calmer and cooler temper whither all this wind and dust were not raised to litle purpose, and without any just occasion given, unlesse the matter propounded, and undertaken to be proved and made good against him, finding it somewhat too soundly set on, and perceiving he could not so easily shift it of, might cast him into this frivolous and groundlesse distemper.

And indeed, Sir, this may well the rather be deemed so to be, because you appear plainly so puzzled in that which ensues; that you shuffell much, and mash your self like a fish in a net that [...] not get out, in answering to what is objected in the one part, [Page 17] and again you slily slip away as an eele out of the fishermans fingers, taking no notice at all of what you are charged with in the other.

For first to prove, that according to these mens grounds free-grace was not preached by Gods Prophets in times past, Answ. 7. I reason thus from his own words there related.

Where Gods love is to be had in way of purchase by duty and do­ing; and the whole efficacy is put as it were on the duty and obedi­ence performed, there is no free grace, much lesse as these men de­scribe it.

But so it was, saith Mr S. in all the Ministery of the Prophets.

No free grace therefore was preached by them.

Now to this he Answers nothing but this, that Reply p. 4. § 2. those termes inserted, as if, and in the way, and as it were, do cleer him from such positive and exclusive assertions of free-grace, as I would make him speak.

Which had need of some Oedipus to unfold unto us, and to tell us what he would have, or to which Proposition of mine ar­gument, what he here saith, is to be applyed. Sure the man was somewhat distracted or disturbed when he writ this: One would have thought, that these qalifying terms should rather have im­ported no such absolute denyall, then no such absolute assertion of free-grace.

But Sir, this plaster, make it up which way you wil, and ap­ply it where you please, wil not serve to cover, much lesse to cure the foul sore of your assertions, or any whit to amend the matter. For look in what manner the Prophets propoun­ded and preached it; in the same manner, and no other, could the people apprehend it; and if the Prophets then so propounded and preached it, as if it were to be had in way of parchase by duty and doing, then was it not either propounded or preached, as if it were free-grace, nor were the people then taught that it was to be had otherwise then by way of purchase; for in that way, say you, did all the ministery, that then was runne; and if free-grace were neither preached to them, nor beleived by them, then neither were they saved by free-grace; ( 1 Cor. 15.1, 2. for it is that, that is preached to people, whereby they are saved, and not some other secret reserve) which yet Act. 15.11. the Apostel sayth that they were.

But Sir, to draw up all this debate to an issue; If the Pro­phets in their preachings propounded Gods love and favour so as if it were to be had by way of purchase, when as yet they knew, that it was to be had by free-grace, and not by purchase, and so intended, whatsoever they said; then they deluded Gods people, and taught them one thing, when they knew and intended an other. Or if they taught in expresse termes, that it was Psa. 55.1. not to be had by way of purchase; as your self know they did, and Treat. p. 24. 30. presse their words to that purpose; (tho abu­sing them grosly, as others of your strain do, to make peo­ple beleive, that we do not preach such freegrace as they did) then Sir, you did wickedly and wretchedly, against your own knowledg, wrong and calumniate Gods Prophets as wel as other his Ministers, in affirming, that they propounded Gods love so unto his people, as if it were to be had by way of purchase. Now, Sir, out of these briars, wherein you have unadvisedly ensnared your self, how with all your wit (for they give you out to be a very witty man) you wil be able to unwind your selfe, I see not.

Mean while by what hath been said, may appear, how vain and idle Reply p. 4. [...] 2. your expostulations here are, and your complaints, of be­ing unjustly delt with; as if your words had been strained be­yond their extent; when as nothing is drawn from them, but what they willingly yeild, and by just and necessary con­sequence afford: nor are they racked any one jot beyond your intent; which is to prove that the Legalists (as you stile them) of these times, do not preach free-geace, Treat. p 163. because they preach as the Prophets did; both which also, by what af­ter ensueth, shall yet more fully be made to appear.

Nor do I marvell therfore that this unhappy Logick should so shrewdly stick in your stomack. Reply ibid. I may see you say, what this Logick hath brought me to, Reply ibid. to deceive my self, as wel as my neighbor.

Sir I neither desire to be deceived; (that [...] Plato apud Epictet. l. 1. c. 28. & l. 2. c. 22. & Marc. comment. l. 7. §. 63. [...]; Epict. l. 4. c. 1. Qis est, qi velit decipi? da religiosum, non vult fallere; da impium, sacril [...]gum, fallere vult, falli non vult; nolunt fallere boni: falli autem nec boni volunt, nec mali. Aug. de verb. Ap 30. Idem enchir. c. 17. falli nolunt etiam qi fallere amant: no man they say, would) Ocu­lum simplicem duo faciunt, cognitio veri, & dilectio boni; sive prudentia & benevolentia, ut animi oculus & pius sit qi fallere nolit; & cautus sit, qi falli neqeat. Bern. de praec. & disp. nor to deceive any: What should I gain by so doing? [Page 19] My desire and indeavour rather, is to undeceave those that have been deceived, deluded and led aside into errour by you and and such as your selfe, nor have you yet made it to appeare, how I have here deceived either my self, or any other; or delt any way unjustly with you. They rather may justly be suspected, to mind and intend deceit, who reject and labour to have that removed, whereby deceit may be discovered.

But Sir, have you, who are reputed and reported by those of your party for a great Scholar, now qite cast of all Scholarship? or together with your Poeticall raptures, as you term them, (which for my part I was never acqainted with) have you laid aside also your rules of Logick? If you have, it is to litle purpose to debate or discusse ought with you, that will not be tyed to rules of reason; for that priviledge once obtained, you may without chek or controull, affirm what you list, and prate what you please; Or would you prescribe your adversary not to proceed Logically with you? you may as well bid him enter the lists with you, but lay his weapons first aside: or invite him to flourish, [...] 1 Cor. 9.27. [...]. Loc [...]an de sect and beat the ayre round about you; but upon condition that he strike you not. Or do you imagine, as many now adays maintaine, that in matter of divinity there is no use of Logick? for that is it, you seen to intimate in your Epistle Dedicatory, where you complain of a Miscelanie of Logick and Divinity: as if these two were things inconsistent the one with the other: and to make use of Logick in matter of Divinity were to [...]. Synes. E­pist. 57. sow together things unsutable. Concerning which absurd fancy, I might turn you over to a Di­vine of great note, that hath written a N c. Vedeli Rationale The­ol [...]gicum lib 3. comp [...]ehensū. large and learned Treatise, both to shew and prove, the manifold and singular use of it Divinity. But that it may be, you would then tell me as An end of one controversy. Sumw. p. 8. you doe Mr Ley, that it is no good payment, to turn you over to an o­ther, for what I stand bound to pay my self: tho therein the After-reckon. Af­ter-reckon it seemes, hath given you so full satisfaction, that you are well content to let your action fall.

Howbeit Sir, a litle to satisfie, if not your self, yet some others, that may peradventure be in danger of taking in this ridiculous conceit from you.

1. I would demand of you, or of any of them that so hold, how any point of Divinity, that is not in expresse terms laid down in Gods Word, can but by the help of Logick be thence deduced; [Page 20] and yet how many points are there of undoubted truth, that have no other necessary ground, such deduction excepted?

2. Did not our Saviour himself make use of Logick, when from Moses by way of Syllogism, M [...] th. 22.31, 32. Luk. 20.37, 38. against the Saduces he con­firmed the doctrine of the Resurrection? when Math. 1 [...].4, 6. from the Story of the Creation, and Gods institution of Marriage, he disco­vered the unwarrantablenesse of groundlesse Divorces? when from the words of the Psalmist, Matth. 22.43, 45. he asserted his own Dei­ty; and from a passage of the Prophet Hoshea, Math 12.7. the Lawful­nesse of that which his Disciples did on the Sabbath? Yea, do not the Apostles freqently by Logicall Arguments prove points of Divinity, and confirm matters of faith; as Paul Rom. 3.2 [...], 28. justification, not by works, but by faith, Rom. 6.2, 12. the necessity of sanctification and newnesse of life, in persons by faith justified; 1 C [...]r. 6.15, 19. the foulnesse of fornication; 1 Cor. 8.7, 1 [...]. & 10.16, 21. the haynousnesse of feasting with Idolaters in Idoll-Temples, 1 Cor. 15.12, 23. the resurrection from the dead and the like: or how think we, disputed he at Athens with Act. 1 [...].18. the Stoicks, the men Stoici [...]o­gicam sive Ra­tionalem Phi­losophiū cum primis excole­bant: qam E­picurei, licet repudiarent, tamen cum ambigua dis­cernendi, salsa coargu [...]ndi, necessitas in­cumberet, alio nomine, Ca­nonicae scil. in­troducere co­gebantur. Laert in Zenon. & Chrysip. Senec. Epist. 89. of most repute for Logicall skill in those times? doth not his Sermon it self shew it? I might well, Sir, say to you, as Augustine to Cresconius, Si Paulus dial [...]cticus erat, & ideò conferre cum Stoicis, qi Dialectici maximi erant, non timebat; cave ne Dialecticam cuiqam pro crimine objeceris, qa usos Apostolos confiteris. Aug. ad Crescon l. 1. c. 12.13. Sed & Christum ipsum. Ibid. c. 17. If Paul at Athens disputed with those chief Logitians the Stoiks, beware how you object the use of Logick as a fault to any; which that the Apostles, yea, and Christ himself used, can not bee denyed. But I shall spare to spend more worde in pursuit of this point, untill Mr. S. further herein explain himself, and let us know what he will own in it, and how farre forth he will give those that deal with him leave to make use of their Logick. Sure, if reason be the eye of the soul, and Logick [...]. the art or way, or methode [...]. Plato Alcib. 1. of using reason aright; they that would debar men of the use of Logick, would have them either put out or seal up their eyes, that being blind or blinded, they may lead them as 2 King. 6.19. the Prophet did the Syrian Troopers smitten with blindnesse upon his prayer, or transfer and cary them as the Falkner doth the Hank hood-winkt, whether themselves please.

But Sir, I shall intreat you to give me leave, or shall be so bold as to take leave, whither you list to give it or no, to be a litle further troublesome unto you with my Logick in something, wherein forbearing to relate mine Argument, you slubber over the matter after your wonted manner of answering, as if so you said somewhat, it were not materiall whither or no it were to the purpose. I charge you with making Gods Prophets del [...]ders of Gods people; which tho it be apparent enough, by what already hath been Answ. p. 7 8. said, yet I doe by this Argument further make good.

Those that professe to Preach free-grace, and yet propound it with such conditions and qalifications, that tho free-grace may be in the notion of it, yet it is not in the truth of it; they delude the people to whom they so preach.

But the Prophets of God, say you, tho they professe to preach free-grace, yet they propounded it with such conditions and qalifica­tions, that tho free-grace might be in the notion of it yet it was not in the truth of it.

The Prophets therefore according to your assertions, deluded the people to whom they preached.

Of the Proposition of this Argument, no man I suppose, will make doubt.

And for the Assumption you must be enforced to own it, wind and wriggell you which way you will.

For first, concerning the former part of it, that Treat p. 24 [...] 30. the Prophets professed to preach free-grace, you grant and produce as others also of yours doe Esay 55.1. a passage of Esay, to that purpose. And secondly, for the latter part, to wit, that it was by them tempered with such conditions and qalifications, as did eat out the very heart of free-grace, that tho it were in the notion of it, yet it was not in the truth, I thus prove to be yours.

If the conditions and qalifications used by the Legalists (as you stile them) of these times, in preaching of the Gospel, being no o­ther then such as the Prophets of God formerly used, are such as the free grace may be there in the notion, yet it is not in the truth of it; then was it by the Prophets so tempered, that tho free-grace might be there in the notion of it, yet it was not in the truth of it.

But the conditions and qalifications, say you, used by our legall [Page 22] teachers in preaching the Gospel, being no other then such as the Prophets of God formerly used, are such as tho free-grace may be there in the notion, yet it is not in the truth of it.

Therefore according to your assertions, the Prophets so tempe­red it that tho fr [...]e grace might be there in the notion, yet not in the truth of it.

The Proposition cannot be by any colour denyed; for whatsoe­ver destroys the nature and truth of free-grace, must needs be of the same force, wheresover it is found.

And for the Assumption, neither do you, nor can you deny any part of it to be your own: For all that herein you charge the Legalists with, both now again and before, is Treat Oc­ [...]s [...]rd p [...] preaching the Gospel with such conditions and qalifications as the Prophets did; and of such preaching you say in expresse termes, Treat. p 16 [...]. that tho it may have a notion of free grace, yet it hath not the truth of it.

Now Sir, let others judge, whither or no, I have justly char­ged you, with making Gods Prophets deluders of his people; Yea, with casting an impious and blasphemous aspersion upon God himself, in making him Occas. Word, p. 4. like a Master, that to seem liberall bad his servants fill his wine out freely, but had before ordered them to burne it so; that it should be too hot for them to drink. But your eagernesse against the Legalists, makes you, with others of your strain, to oft too forget your selves, and to as­pers Prophets, and Apostels, yea and God himself, togither with them.

For all that you reply here in defence of your selfe, is no direct answer unto any part of the Argument: but (as if indeed you had never been acqainted with rules of Logick, or had who­ly forgotten them, or were resolved utterly to relinquish them) you addresse your self to the conclusion, which alone you re­late, and tell us with-all, that

Repl [...] p. 4. 5. § 3. The Prophets were no deluders of Gods people, bcause Gods people were then in their pupillage; and the way of teaching, which they then used, by pressing repentance, reformation, humiliation with commination and the law, &c. was the methode and the straine, that the Spirit then taught them; but if they should so have held out Christ now, when the Ministration of the Spirit exceeds in glory, they should have sinned.

Which, howsoever part, of it be true, and part of it most false; [Page 23] for neither did Christ, nor his Apostels sin in preaching and pressing these things; as shall hereafter be shewed they did; nor doth the preaching and pressing them any whit derogate from the glorious Ministration of the Gospel: Yet no part of it is at all to the purpose; nor helps any whit to clear you of that as­persion cast upon them, and upon the Spirit of God that then taught and directed them. For how doth this take off the crime you stand charged with, of aspersing Gods Prophets, and God him­self, as by them deluding his people, in pretending to preach and propound free-grace to them, whereas there was no truth, but a meer notion or fiction rather of it, (for what other thing is a notion without truth?) in that they taught? How doth it in any wise take it off I say? or not rather further confirm it, by telling us that they did no other but what the Spirit of God taught and directed them to do; and so devolving that base and unbeseeming carriage, wherewith, under the person of Legalists, you had aspersed Gods Prophets, from them unto God himself and his Spirit? For what is this but to say, that God directed his Prophets so to propound free grace to his people, that tho it might carry some semblance thereof with it, yet it should have no truth thereof in it: nor are they therefore to be taxed, as deluders of Gods people; (tho the Legalists delude them, when they do the like) because God taught them so to do. Thus you see, Sir, how in labouring to shift of your shamefull abuse of Gods Ministers and their manner of teaching, you do but plung your self into further impiety, and set your mouth blasphemously against heaven it self.

Yea, consider, how you adde blasphemy to blasphemy; a new one concerning Christ and his Apostles, to your former concer­ning God and his Prophets; For if the Prophets, say you, have held out Christ in the New Testament as they did before, pressing repentance, reformation, humiliation, and with commination and the Law, they had sinned against the glory of that Ministration. Now Sir, to make a little further use of my Logick; Mensura hy­pothetica est propositio ali­qa categorica, ad qam semper revoc. ri debet. Bert. Logic. l. 2. c. 7. An hypothe­ticall Proposition, they say, may be turned into an universall Ca­tegoricall; for example, this Conditionall, If a man can see, he is alive; is all one with this, Every thing that seeth, liveth; this Proposition, If a man do evill, he sinneth; imports as much as this, Every one that doth evill, sinneth: When you say then, that the Prophets, if they had preached in the New Testament as [Page 24] they did in the Old, pressing repentance, reformation, humiliation, with commination and the Law, &c. they had sinned: It is just as much as if you had said, Those that preach under the New Te­stament, as the Prophets did under the Old, pressing repentance, &c. do sin [...]n so doing. Now Sir, take we your Proposition, and sub­suming what of the Apostles preaching will be made good, see what these premises will produce.

Those that preach under the New Testament, as the Prophets did under the Old, pressing repentance, reformation, humiliation, and with commination and the Law, &c. do sin in so doing.

But the Apostels did under the New Testament preach, as the Prophets did under the Old, pressing repentance, reformation, hu­miliation, and with commination, and the law, &c.

The Apostels therefore sinned in so doing.

Nay, rise we a litle higher, Sir, and subsume what may with good warrant, yea, with cleer evidence of truth be avowed; that Christ himself so taught; and consider seriously in what extream impiety you here further involv your self. Nor will it help you at all, what you add of such veils over Christ, and so much Law over Christ. For these, Sir, not the Types, are the veils you speak of: nor do degrees of more and lesse alter the truth and nature of the thing it self; nor are you able to shew, that Christ preached and pressed these things any whit more sparingly then did the Prophets. But thus, Sir, the extremity of your malevolent affe­ction to the Legalists doth so transport you, that Qod de Cyro Xenoph. paed. l. 1. [...]. Democrit. [...]racundia in temeritatem prona est: & pericula, dum in­ferre vult, non cavet. Scen. de i [...]a. l. 1. c. 12. while over-eagerly you desire and unadvisedly strive to wrong them, you either forget or regard not how you wrong your self.

Meanwhile, Sir, I suppose I have by your own grounds and grants made it good, that the free-grace which the Legalists teach, is the same with the free-grace that the Prophets preached: and that the free-grace which you and other Antinomians now teach, is not by your own confession such free-grace as the Pro­phets preached; unlesse you will acknowledge that which you hold out for free grace, to be nothing else (as of that, which with [Page 25] the Prophets we preach, you say) but a meer counterfeit of it.

Proceed we now to examine, whither according to these your grounds Christ and his Apostles preached Gospel and free-grace or no: and whither our manner of preaching free-grace and the Gospel be not the very same with Christ and his Apostles preaching.

And here, Sir, your assertions excepted against, whereof I made bold to mind you before; of Treat p. 125. 126. no Covenant at all made with man in the Gospel; Ibid. p. 193. nor any condition at all reqired on mans part but all on Gods own part; as in that with Noah, Gen. 9.11. as also, of your contradicting of your self els-where, where you say that Ibid. p. 163. the Gospel is made up among other things, of conditio­nall promises; and of the Ibid. p. 193. short work, and only Gospel work and way, you tell us of here; and your Ibid. p. 17. 19. 21. See Answ. p. 9. girding at those that tell men of repentance, and sorrow for sin, and self denyall; or presse these upon any as things reqired of all those that expect a share in the salvation purchased by Christ, &c.

All these I say, with silence you let slip, as if they concerned you not to make good. Only your girding at those that bid men repent and be humbled, as legall teachers; you make some offer to justify in a Magisteriall manner thus demanding.

Reply p. 5. § 1. If you presse repentance and humiliation legally, why wonder you at such words as legall Teachers? will ye do ill, and not be told of your faults? And so you proceed in a supercilious way of checking and scholing us, satis pro imperio.

But Sir, 1. We might justly have expected other terms from one that had before profest so great Occas. Word. p. 1. a desire to have the name of L [...]galist laid down.

2. I might return you your own Arguments: when you, or those you maintain, See Gods eye on his Israel p. 17.18. c. 2. affirm, that the morall Law is of no use at all to a believer, no rule for him to walk, nor to examine his life by; and that Christians are free from the mandatory power of it: yea, when in Pulpits they cry out, Away with the Law; in most hor­rid and hideous manner blaspheming it, and in it God himself the Author of it, by giving out and affirming, that Ibid p. 18. the Law cutteth off our legs and then bids us walk; (which impious asser­tions I could never yet hear, that the Author of it ever recanted, tho they give out that he professeth himself altred in his judge­ment, [Page 26] which if it so be, he may do well to make it more publike for the undeceiving of those that were formerly misled by him) when I say, those at least whom you abet, if not your self, do in this manner oppose and oppugn all use of the Law among Christians, and speak so opprobriously and despitefully of it, Why wonder you, if the name of Antinomians be given them?

3. You are to hasty with us, you tell us we do ill; but you shew us not wherein; you charge us with ill doing, but you make it not to appear wherein it is that we have so done. If we presse faith, repentance and humiliation, we are sure we doe no other, then Christ and his Apostles before us did.

Yea, but Reply ibid. you presse them legally.

1. And so saith your brother Eaton, Honey- [...]omb. c. 5 p 84. Ans. p. 10. that Christ him­self did.

2. But Sir, you might have done well to enform us, what it is to presse these things legally: Is it because we presse them, as things necessary unto the attaining of life eternall, and as re­qired of all those that expect any share in the salvation procured and purchased, by Christ? What else do all those speeches of Christ and his Apostles before related, and the like amount unto? Ioh. 8.24. Ʋnlesse you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins; Luk. 13.3, 5. unlesse you repent, you shall perish? Math. 18.3. unlesse you be converted, and become as litle children, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of hea­ven: Rom. 8.13. If ye live after the flesh you shall dy: Ephes. 5.5. you know, that no Whore-mongers, nor unclean person, or covetous man, who is an Ido­later, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God and of Christ, with many others of the like straine.

But Reply p. 5. § 1. you blame not you say, any that bid men repent; or be sorry for sins, & be humbled, &c. if they preach them as Christ & the Apo­stles did, as graces flowing from him, and out of his fulnesse, and not as springings of their own, and waters from their fountain; as if these le­gall Teachers with Moses, would make men believe that they could with such rods smite upon mens hearts as upon rocks, and bring waters out of them, be they never so hard and stony.

But Sir, in all this your rhetoricall flourish (for that it seems you have not lost or left with your Logick) you doe but Omissis super qibus pugna est, de scam­mate & loco certaminis e­gred ens in peregrinis & alienis dispu­tationibus im­moratis. Hier. ad Pammarh. run out of the lists, and leaving your adversary [...] Non po est ad­versarium vin­cere, qi in di­micando non hostem, sed umbram petit. Lactant. l. 3. c. 28. skirmish with your own shadow.

For 1. That they preach these things, as Christ and his Apostles [Page 27] did, hath formerly been shewed; and shall hereafter again be further made manifest, when we have occasion to consider of, and compare together the particulars of either.

2. It cannot be proved, nor doth it any way appear, that ei­ther Christ or his Apostles in the pressing of these things (no more then the Prophets before them) did alwayes in their sermons and preachings, make mention withall of Christ as the person from whose fulnesse the grace did flow, whereby they were or might be enabled to do that which was then required.

3. That we preach these things to people as springings ei­ther of their own, or our own, and waters from our own foun­tain, or theirs, to whom wee preach them (for you so speak as it is not easy to tell, whither you mean; but whither of the two it be, that you entend) it is a calumnie, and Turpe est hominem in­geniosum (aut ingenuum eti­am) id dicere, qod si neges, probare non possit. Lact. Ibid. such a charge, as you are no way able to make good: but would fain fasten somewhat, whereon to ground matter of reproof, on those, whom you have engaged your self to traduce, that you might have some colour to bear out your satyricall jeering and girding at them in that your dramaticall discourse.

4. You grant, Sir, that we presse these things, as the Pro­phets did. But Sir, should either you or any other, say, that the Prophets of God did so preach them, as you here imply that we do, he should therein do them most notorious wrong, as charging them with a deniall, or not ackowledgment, at least, of that grace of God, wherby those whom they preached these things unto, should be enabled unto the doing of them; nor can there be any difference assigned between the spring and fountain, from whence any such grace then issued, and that from whence the like now flows. In plain terms, look from whence or from whom any now receive power to beleive, repent, be humbled and the like; from thence, and from him so many as in those times beleeved, repented, were humbled, received the like power then; and the Prophets teaching herein was according to the truth of God, and of the thing it self in those times, as well as Christs and his Apostels in their times was.

5. You abuse us notoriously, when you bear men in hand that we would have them to believe, that we can by such rods as these so smite upon their rocky hearts, as to make water run out [Page 28] of them. No, Sir, you speak untruly; we professe no such matter: yet we believe, that by such preaching God is able to break and mollifie the most flinty heart that is; and we find by good proof, that by such preaching and pressing of repentance and reformation as you scof at, God hath to admiration wrought in this kind; and See Act. 2.23, 38, 41. & 3.19. with 4.4. given thereby such successe to his own or­dinance, as may justly give you cause to be ashamed and abased, as well as abashed, for your jeering of it, and girding at it in that manner as you do.

6. How bold soever you think you may be with us, you might have done well to forbear your unmannerly dealing with Gods Prophets, with whom too oft you are overbold: Could it not suffice you to spend your purulent matter on us, but you must needs spit some of it in Moses his face? where find you that Exod. 17.6. Moses believed that he could with his rod make the Rock give water? It was neither Moses nor the rod, that made the Rock run with water; but God, who stood by to the deed, upon his smiting of the Rock. Nor did Moses believe that he could himself effect such a work by any power that himself had; nor did ei­ther he, or any other of Gods Prophets presume that by any power of their own, they or their preachings, were able to work on the hearts of those whom they spak to: See Deut. 29.4. & 30.6. Esai. 1. [...]5. & 57.18. & 63.11, 17, 18. Ier. 5.23 & 31.18. Zech. 12.10. unlesse God pleaseth to second them, and to accompany that his ordinance by them with the powerfull work of his holy Spirit.

But say you, Reply p. 6. § 1. we agree with you, that repentance and sor­row for sin, and humiliation, and self-deniall are all to be preach­ed; and shall contend with you, who preacheth them most and clearest.

And Sir, for this I may very wel refer my self unto those that have been frequent auditors of your Antinomian tea­chers, how rise and serious, or how sparing rather and super­ficiall, they are in this subject, if ever at least they light on it. It is to to well known, to be concealed or dissembled, what their dealings are in this kind; by the concurrent reports of persons judicious and well affected; who having either occasion­ally, or living in those places where they have lectured, oft heard divers of them, too constanly and consonantly affirme, that they could seldom or never hear them handling this theam; unlesse it were by telling them, as you do in this Treatise, that it [Page 29] is enough for them Treat. p. 84. to beleive, that Christ hath repented for them, and confessed See Gods eye, &c. p. 25. their sinns for them. No Sir, their teaching runnes in an other strain, and bends mainly an other way, to encite to joviality, and being fro-like, and making merry. To which purpose they have not stuck some of them to tell their hearers, that Jesus Christ when he was here upon earth, lived all his life long as if he had been set upon the merry pin: and why should not believers live in like manner? especially knowing that he now rules the roast in heaven: Yea, Sir, how you have in your Treatise preached and pressed repentance, may appear by the se­verall passages formerly delt with, and further yet to be di­scussed.

2. If you be so frequent in preaching of these things; why, do you check others, for doing as you say your selves do? Yea, why do your hearers shun our Teachers, and are offended with them, because they presse these points which their nice palats are nothing pleased with.

Reply ibid. But then, say you, because John said, repent; and Christ said repent; and Peter said, repent; are we to examine the mystery no further? know we not that the whole Scripture in its fulnesse and integrity reveils the whole truth? and must we not look out, and com­pare Scripture with Scripture, spirituall things with spirituall; and so finding out truth from the degrees to the glory and fulnesse of it, preach it in the same glory and fulnesse of it, as we finde it?

Sir, if they preach repentance and presse it as necessary unto salva­tion, I hope we may be so bold as to preach the same after them in like manner; and in girding at us for so doing, you gird not at us alone but them.

Nor are we ignorant, that the [...]. Ba­sil. de fide. whole Doctrine of Faith, is to be received, that is contained in holy Writ; and that Manifesto­rum lumine illustrantur obscura. Aug. Ep st. 48. Ob­scuriores locu­tiones de ma­nifestoridus il­lustrand. Idem doct. Chr. l. 2. c. 9. Collation of Scripture with Scripture, may afford much light unto places more obscure. But Sir, neither are these passages of any obscurity; be­ing of the clearest almost of any, either in the Old Testament or New: Nor can any parcell of Scripture contradict or take away the truth of another; nor are any therefore to be taxed for the delivery of any truth that in Scripture they find recorded, or for urging & pressing any duty that they find there urged and pressed, and so frequently by such as you here instance in your self. This is all therefore nothing but a pile of meere impertinences; as [Page 30] would plainly appear, would you but be entreated to rub up and resume your old Logick and trusse up your loose stuffe into some Syllogisticall frame, that it might appear what you here oppose.

Of the like condition is all that to litle purpose, that ensueth, where you tell us; that

Reply ibid. We hear Christ preaching Ioh. 7.39. before the Spirit was given, Repent; and we find when the Spirit was given, Christ is said Act. 5.31. to give re­pentance to Israel, and forgivenesse of sins; and shall we not now preach Jesus Christ, and repentance in Jesus, the fountaine of re­pentance, the author of repentance; and repentance thus and re­pentance in the glory of it self more.

1. Christ then preached repentance; and repentance as of ne­cessity unto salvation; and where find we, that ever he re­voked this precept, or the doctrine concerning the necessity of it?

2. But this was before the Spirit was given; what Spirit Sir, is it you mean? was not that Spirit, which was given to those that beleived and repented upon Math. 21.32. Johns preaching, and Ioh. 4.41, 42.59. Christs, before his passion, and before that Compare Ioh. 7 39. with Act. 1.5. & 2 3, 4. [...]. Schol. Graec.) & 19. more ample effusion of it, and the extraordinary gifts of it, spoken of by the Evan­gelist, in the place you seem to point at; the very same with that Spirit, that was given afterward for the working of faith and repentace in those, who in times ensuing Ioh. 17.20. Act. 2.38.41. & 4.1. & 8.12. upon the Apostles preaching repented and beleived? Or had they power to repent and so did without that gift of the Spirit, which the other af­terward had not? So that these things in the one, should be (to give you your own words) as springs of their own, and waters flowing from their own fountain, in the other as graces flowing from Christ and his spirit.

3. But after the Spirit was given, Christ is said to give repen­tance and forgivenesse of sins. And by whom, Sir, I beseech you, were these things given before? The Apostle tells us, that Hebr. 13.8. [...]. Schol. Graec. Jesus Christ is yesterday, to day, and the same for ever. And whatsoever saving grace is now given from Christ by the Spirit, was alwayes and in all times given unto all, that ever were saved by Christ; nor is there herein any difference be­tween those times and these. If you think otherwise, you may do well to speak your mind plainly, for you talk very perplexedly; to make men believe, that we preach not re­pentance, [Page 31] as a grace of God by his Spirit, wrought in our hearts in and for Christ; which is most untrue; for we say and teach, that it is not only so now, but was ever so in all ages: whereas you by your ambiguous expressions seem to intimate the contrary.

4. But Sir, what is here to repeal the former precept of repen­tance? or to give any just, much lesse necessary cause, to alter our preaching and pressing of repentance, and the necessity of it, in the same manner I might well say, as the Prophets, but much more as Christ himself, before the Spirit was in that manner and measure given as after it was; when as the source and Originall of it was ever the same, and the necessity of it, as well now as then yea, in all ages no lesse alike?

5. All therefore that hereafter followeth, concerning Reply Ibid. the preaching faith in the glory of it, and faith in the revelation of it, and faith from Christ, and faith in Christ; because the Apostle saith Act. 16.31., Believe in the Lord Iesus and thou shall be saved; and Hebr. 12.2. Iesus Christ is the Author and finisher of our faith, &c.

All these, I say, are but flanting flourishes brought in on the by, partly [...], Plut. de vit. Epic. to put by what you should speak to, and partly to make heedlesse people believe that there is some new doctrine of faith by our new-light-men lately discovered, other and more excellent, then ever was taught, either by the Prophets of God in former times or by Christ himself in his preaching here upon earth; or by any the ordinary Ministers and Teachers of the Gospel, either in those times or in former ages.

6. For (not to stand upon the version of the word used by the Apostle, which signifieth rather [...], Heb. 2.10. a Captain or Leader, then an [...], Heb. 5.9. Author or worker) who of us denies faith to be Eph. 2 8. & 6.23. Phil. 1.29 the gift of God; or that God out of his love to us in Christ freely works it in us, that thereby we may be enabled to Ioh. 1.12. receive Christ, and Eph. 3.17. Christ by it may dwell in us? yea, we say that it was so, and was taught so as well before Christs passion as since the same.

As litle to the purpose is what you subjoyn, of Reply ibid. one Scripture telling us, that 2 Cor. 7.10. godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation; and an other saith Zach. 12.10., They shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him &c. and then ask, Shall we not preach sorrow for sinne from Christ piercing and wounding and melting the heart?

1. Who forbids you, Sir so to preach? or who denies, that [Page 32] the sight of Christ crucified for our sins by the eye of faith, is a singular mean of melting mens hearts into godly sorrow; and that even after they are in the state of grace, yea, and assured to of the pardon of their sins thereby purchased and procured? contrary to what you teach, that Treat. p. 44. no trouble for sinne can arise in the soul, but from the obligement of the Law, and the satisfaction it de­mands: against which to what is Answ. p. 18. objected, you return no­thing.

2 We teach therefore herein, as much as Gods Word war­rants: But we teach also with good warrant from the same Word, that Gods ordinary way of bringing men over unto Christ, is by Act. 16.18. & 16.31, 32. openi g their eyes unto a sight of their sins, and apprehensi­on o [...] their lost and forlorn condition, unlesse they be saved by Christ; and by working their hearts unto a willingnesse to come out of their sinnes and go out of themselves, that they may by a true and lively faith, repair unto Christ, lay hold on him and re­ceive him, that they may be saved by him. Thus were those Act 2.23, [...]7, 41. that Peter preached to, brought in; thus was Paul Rom 7.10, 11 wrought on, as himself professeth. And Sir, because Christ calleth to come to him with promise of refreshment, such only as are Math 11.28. weary of, and burdened with the weight of their sins: nor do we find any invited unto the waters of life, (which yet are E [...]ai. 55.1. freely propoun­ded) but such as spiritually Ioh. 7.37, 3 [...]. Revel 2 [...]. [...]7. thirst after them: nor are any by the Prophet presumed so to thirst, but those only that are Esai. 55.2, 3, 6, 7. willing to hear and obey, and reform their lives, and return to God [...] We therefore dare not presume to tell men as you do and others of your way, that they may come to Christ and receive him, tho no such work at all be wrought on them but they continue still in their wonted sinfull courses; and this indeed is that that you scof us for, because we dare not be so presumptuous to say herein as you say.

3. Yea Sir, we say further, from that very place of Zachary which you here cite; that, as Zach. 12.10. [...] 13.1. there is no fountain opened for sin and uncleannesse unto any, untill this work be wrought on them; so that all those who now believing on Christ, do by the eye of faith behold Christ pierced by their sins, cannot but be much grieved and troubled for them; and that as well for those sins that after their conversion they commit, as for those which before it they commited: since that the one was a procuring cause of [Page 33] Christs sufferings as well as the other; nor is there lesse cause to be humbled and grieved for the one, then for the other.

4. Litle to the purpose therefore is it, for you to tell us; that Reply p. 6 ibid. Christ was s [...]nt Act. 5 31. to give repentance, and pardon of sins; for not Luk. 24.47. this without that, nor pardon of sin without (I hope) but up­on repentance; which none of us ever denyed; but tell us, Sir, plainly, if you dare speak it out; that men tho they repent not yet may believe in Christ, and be saved by Christ (that which is commonly asserted by those of your way; and is also covertly hinted by you, as elswhere is and will be shewed) otherwise you here [...] 1 Cor 9.27. ut qi a [...]tema ja­ctat Brac [...]ia p [...]oterd [...]ns, & verberat icti­bus aeras, Vng. Aen. l. 5. [...]. Eustath. ad II. [...]. beat but the ay [...]r about you, you smite not us, nor touch by way of reproof or rejection ought that is held or taught by us.

The like doom belongeth (to give it his due) to what follow­eth next with you, that

Math. 16.24. One Scripture biddeth, Reply, Ibid. He that will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his crosse: an other saith, Phil. 2.13. It is he that works in us, both to will and to do; and Phil. 4.13. I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthneth mee.

1. For what is all this also to the present purpose?

2. And yet Sir, you may do well to add the Apostles inference; Phil. 2.12, 13 It is God that works in you both to will and to do▪ of his good plea­sure: and therefore work you out your own salvation with fear and trembling: a lesson that those of your way lust not to hear of, to learn and take out, much lesse; yet a better, safer, and wholsomer inference then that of one of yours from the fore-mentioned place of Zachary: There is Zach. 13.1 a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sin and for uncleannesse. There­fore let believers sin as fast as they can, there is a fountaine open to wash them in: and what such wholsome exhortations tend to who seeth not? See Gods eye, &c. Pref. p. 18 C. 2.

But how these things make to the matter in hand, you will shew us, I hope in the close. For there you undertake to state Reply p. 7. the difference between you and us.

1. That we preach Christ and the Gospel and the graces of the Spirit in the parts as we find it: whereas you dare not speak the my­stery so in pieces: you see such preaching answers not the fulnesse of the mystery, the riches of the Gospel, the glory of the New Testa­ment, as belike yours doth.

But Sir, 1. Do we preach these things, as we find them in parts? where doe we thus find them but in the word? and if we preach them so as we find them there; we are sure, that we have warrant for such preaching good enough: and need not therefore fear ei­ther yours or any mans censure, for our so doing.

2. Is there any piece we find in the word, that we leave un­preached? if we wave none at all, tho we preach them in pieces, as we find them preached by Christ and his Apostles before us yet preach we the whole, for [...], Arist. metaphys. l. 4. c. 26. all the parts and pieces make up the whole, and your censure of us is most frivolous.

3. Consider Sir, what an insolent claim after your wonted manner you here made; as if you were the only men forsooth, that preach the fulnesse of the mystery, the riches of the Gospel, and the glory of the New Testament.

But Sir, I see we must bear with you; for you seem so highly conceited of, and strongly yea strangly transported with the con­ceit of your own way of preaching, that unlesse you be vaunting and bragging of it you burst.

4. Consider what aspersions you cast hereby upon the Apostles of Christ, yea, upon Christ himself, to wit, that they preached not the fulnesse of the mystery, nor the riches of the Gospel, nor the glory of the New Testament; (for they delivered these things in pieces, as by their Sermons and Epistles whence we take them, your self confessing it, as we find them, appears) but left that it seems to be done by you, and those of your side. Whither will not the insolency of mans hauty heart dare to ascend? and yet observe their hyprocrisy; they dare not forsooth, do as we do, preach these things in pieces as the Apostels did, humble minded men, that dare not be so presumptuous as we are, and yet under colour of this not daring to do as not we alone, but the Apostles also before us did, dare advance and extoll their own way of teaching above not our teaching alone, but theirs also, and the Holy Ghost it self that taught by them; [...], M rc. Imp. l. 12. § 27 no pride worse, or more abominable then that, which commeth shrowded under the weed and wimple of humility, and by seeming to stoop, strives to lift up it self.

2. Reply, Ibid. You find, you say, that in the fulnesse of the New Testament, Christ is sit up as a Prince, as a King, as a Lord, as a crown and glory to every grace and gift: nay, he is made not only righteous­nesse, [Page 35] but sanctification to, and so you preach him: Whereas to preach his riches without him, his graces by themselves, singel, and private; as repent and believe; and be humbled, and deny your selves, we make the gifts loose much of their glory, Christ of his prayse, and the Gospel of its fulnesse.

To all which vain glosing I Answer.

1. Which of us deny Christ any part of this his honour? or how preach we faith in Christ, repentance unto remission of sin by Christ; or self-deniall, as a duty reqired by Christ of all those, that look for salvation from Christ; how can we preach any of these thus, and not withall preach Christ? But Sir, still you pro­ceed, without fear or shame as if you had cast both away, to as­perse our Saviour himself and his blessed Apostles, in whom and with whom we find the duties by you here mentioned, in the self same manner pressed, as you here propound them; nor is there any ground or colour of reason for any to imagine, that whensoever they preached any of these duties unto any, or pressed them upon any, they did withall instruct them in the whole doctrine and mystery, concerning the power and principality of Christ. Read over our Saviours Math. 5. & 6. & 7. large Sermon in the Mount; his other long Math. 13. Sermon by the Sea-side; his discourse Math. 24. on Mount Olivet with his Disciples; his Math. 16.23.27. lessoning of them upon Peters carnall advice; Act 8.20.23. Peters spirituall exhortation and advice to the Sorcerer; James whole Epistle, and Johns and Judes; and as you finde their exhortations to be framed, so judge whither they come not with­in the compasse of this arrogant mans censure, who litle regards how he brands or upbraids Gods P [...]ophets, Christs Apostles, yea Christ himself, and their preaching and teaching, so long as to­gether with them he may ding some dirt on the faces of them and their doctrine, whom in the height and pride of his censo­rious spirit he looks upon, either See Ans. p. 30 as meer imposters or as pu­nies to himself in the mystery of Christ and the Gospel.

But 2. Sir, we have learned to distinguish between Christ him­self and the Graces of his Spirit, and those duties or actions, the per­formance whereof is reqired of all those, tho by grace from God received thereunto enabled, that desire or expect to be saved by Christ, and to give each his due and proper place; nor do we jumble these things together, as you and those of your strain are wont to do: whereof to give the Reader a tast, tho of no very [Page 36] good relish, I shall relate some passages that my self heard deli­vered by Heydon a [...]u­sie spread r of Mr Eatons books. one of them in a Sermon, which as I was afterward enformed, had been preached in divers places. The Scripture he undertook to handel, was 1 Joh. 3.7. Litle children, let no man deceive you, He that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as he is righteous: In opening whereof he told his Auditory, that there was a twofold righteousnesse, a righteousnesse inherent, and a righ­teousnesse imputed; an active and a passive righteousnesse: the former was the righteousnesse of the Law, the latter of the Gospel and that the latter, to wit, the imputed or passive righteousnesse was the righteousnesse that the Apostle here spake of; and in prosecution of his matter, he expounded all the places he qoted, wherein any duty was reqired, not as to be done by us but as done by Christ for us, & so to be believed of us. For example, Math. 7.21. Not every one that cals me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father in Heaven; that is, he that hath done it in Christ and believeth that Christ did it for him, and Math. 12.50 He that shall do the will of my Father in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother, that shall do it in Christ, and believe that he hath done it for him; and Eph. 4.24. put on the new man, which is after God created in righ­teousnesse and true holynesse, that is, Jesus Christ by believing his holynesse and righteousnesse imputed unto you: and 1 Cor. 15.58. abounding in the work of the Lord; that is, in believing in Christ, (for that is Ioh. 6.29. the work of God) and what he hath wrought for you. Beside many other Scriptures in like-manner vexed and racked, and being afterward charged with wronging his text, in ex­pounding it directly contrary to the expresse words of it; and to the coherence of it with the rest of the context; he boldly and peremptorily affirm'd that all that went before of 1 Ioh. 3.3. purifying himself, and Ibid. v. 6. not sinning, and that followed after, not of Ibid. v. 9. com­mitting sin, and Ibid. v. 10. doing righteousnesse, was all to be understood of imputation and justification, or of imputed and passive righ­teousnesse, as he was pleased still to style it. But thus he, to which I might add what an other of them writes; that H. Denne Confer p. 30. in some, p. 18. Faith is, as the learned know, (but what learned, I know not) a part of repentance: and Repentance and faith differ, as whole and part, and Ibid. p. 32. or 20. Faith is our new life. Nor Sir, do your self much swarve from this manner of teaching, when you tell your readers, as was before shewed, that Treat. p. 84. 85. Christ hath belei­ved [Page 37] and repented for them; and they must believe that their faith and repentance is perfect in Christ.

3. As for what you say, from the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30. that Christ is made not onely righteousnesse, but sanctification also to us (and do not we say and teach the same?) good Sir, keep you close to this; and be pleased to presse it upon your people; for if it be so, then undoubtedly Rom. 6 2, 16. 1 Cor. 6.10, 11. no unsanctified person hath any share yet in Christ; nor are any justified by him, who are not with all sancti­fied, and the one consequently may be a good evidence of the other, all which yet your positions impugn and oppose; as in due place shall appeare.

But proceed we to the residue of your reply.

In the next place therefore, Ans. p. 9.10. skipping over (belike you found the ground to hot under your feet) all the instances given of our Saviours assertions; which should you set your Amen to, you must needs passe sentence against your self on our side for deliverin [...] the like: and Ibid. p. 10. that blaspehmous inference which from your own grounds you stand justly charged with, and will ne­ver be able to wipe off; as also Ibid. p. 11. the Answer to your Ob­jection, of Christs mentioning faith onely in some places; which you endeavour not to take away; and being duly con­sidered, might in one line have blown away all the dust that you have raised in the last forgoing passages, wherewith to dim your readers eye-sight.

These things over-skipt, you proceed to answer that plea of ours, as unjustly taxed by you, and termed Legalists, Ibid. p. 11.14. for preaching faith and repentance and newnesse of life, in the very same manner and methode that John, Christ and his Apostles did; who by collation of places are evidently shewed from the first to the last, to have observed the self-same me­thod.

The Answer you return hereunto (not denying at all that they all therein conspired) is this, that Reply p. 7. § 1. you taxe us only, for that we preach it not as they aid according to the full revelation of it in the New Testament; but we preach it onely, as we find it in their Summaries, and in the breif narration of their doctrin: which we ought not to do.

But Sir, this is your old ^b Cuckows song; [...]. which ever anon to litle purpose you repeat; and helpes to fill up your pages, [Page 38] and take off your Reader, when you are at a losse and find your self destitute of any satisfactory Answer to matters ob­jected.

For 1. Is there ought in their Summaries, that is not sound doctrine and good Gospel?

2. Are not these things pressed by them, as duties to be ne­cessarily done and performed by all those that are saved by Christ?

3. Can you justly charge us with concealing any part of the Gospel, found in any book of holy writ?

4. Was this the meaning of John, or Christ, or Peter, or Paul, when they called upon people to repent, Repent: that is, Believe that Christ hath repented for you; and you have per­fectly repented in him? or when they exhorted men to believe, was this their meaning, Believe that Christ hath believd for you; and you believe perfectly by vertue of that his belief? For this with you, Sir, is the full revelation of the New Testament, which yet you must pardon us, if we believe it not on your word, because we find it not in Scripture.

Mean while Sir, you are to Magisteriall in telling us, that we should not do so, as we see such as these are before us do, and we must reqest you, Patere nos cum istis erra­re, ut Hieron. ad Aug. Siqi­dem, Tales ho­nestus error est seqi duces, ut Fab inst [...]t. l. 1. not to blame us if we deem their practise better warrant to bear us out herein, then your bare word to beat us out of it.

But, Reply p. 7. 8. you will herein condemn me you say, out of mine own mouth. For I say of the Apostels, that we have but Summa­ries of them, as in Act. 2.40. and 16.31. and we knowing this, preach onely by their first methods and Summaries, not looking to the revelation of the mystery, which the Apostle saith Rom. 16.25, 26. it now made manifest.

Sir, He that hath but half an eye may easily discry, what monsters you are secretly brooding, tho you dare not yet offer them to open view: But let us discusse your words a litle.

1. Where do I say of the Apostle, that we have but Summa­ries of them? no such matter, Sir; I say onely Answ. p. 13. we have not their whole sermons; but some breif summaries, and principall heads of them: wherein yet we find more preached, enjoyned and pressed, then you would have taught; to wit, repentance as [Page 39] well as faith: That which is sufficient to stop your mouth, and to cut of your Treat. p. 123. short cut, of making faith the onely Gospel work and way, because the other in some places is not mentioned: But I say not, that we have brief Summaries only of the Apostles do­ctrine. For we have whole Epistles, and in them very large and plentifull discourses and disputes; Yea, in those Summaries of their Sermons, and their other writings, together with those pieces of holy Writ, penned by other holy men, immediately directed, and infallibly guided by the Spirit, we have all things necessary to be known, believed or practised, for the attainment of salvation by Christ, fully delivered.

2. If we do ill in preaching after their first methods; good Sir, be pleased to shew us where or when they altred their methods; or where having at first preached, and pressed upon people, faith, re­tance, and newnesse of life, they afterward revoked and repealed any part thereof, as tho formerly needfull, yet no more necessary then, or where they imposed ought on any, that came not within com­passe of these; which if you be not able to do, you have litle rea­son to controll us for preaching after that method which they re­tained, and constantly held on to the last.

3. Whereas you say (and that it seems is the mischief, and the maine ground of the qarell, that we admit not Treat. p. 204. your more glori­ous new lights, as you term them) we look not to the revelation of the mystery, which the Apostle said is now made manifest: Sir, you put me in minde of Dr Alabasters dotage, of Apparatus mysticus in Revelationem Christi. a new way of expounding Scripture, which Solomon had foretold, should in these latter dayes come to light; and was accordingly now reveiled to him: For in like manner, it seems you would make us believe, that the Apostle in his times foretold of some mysteries, that should in these dayes be made known; and that the same are now re­veiled to your self, and your associates. But, good Sir, when the Apostle saith in the place you point us to, Rom. 16.25.26. The revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began; but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the Prophets made known to all Nations, for the obedience of faith: did he not speak of the times wherein he lived; and of that mystery of the Gospel, which tho concealed formerly from the Gentiles, yet had bin manifested by Gods Prophets from time to time to his people, and was Act. 3.24. & 26.22. & 28, 23. out of their writings, and according to the same, by himself, and other [Page 40] the Apostles and Ministers of Christ, in those dayes preached, re­veiled, and made known also to the Gentiles? Or, can you hope that any, unlesse fanaticall and fantasticall people (I will not say, like your self) can be perswaded (and yet, what are not such prone to believe?) that the Apostle, when he spake that, should so much as dream of Mr S. or I know what other Enthusiasts, and of some Mysteries, that in these times should be reveiled to him or any other; which the Apostle himself was either igno­rant of, or was loth to trust pen and paper with? But this, Sir, may well render you justly suspected, to be one of the Revelatio­nists, reported to be rise abroad. Howbeit, you must excuse us if we take you not, for any such extraordinary man, either Prophet or Apostel, untill you produce a better patent for it. And by your own grounds such an one you must be, if you will professe your self a dispenser of the Gospel; what else import those words of yours els-where, that Reasons for uni y, § 7. Both Presbyterians and Independents have need of Seekers, because none of them have the Ordinances by the first patern in the Word, as by Apostleship and Baptism of Spirit: But concerning this more anon, where you are harping on this string again.

As for Johns manner of preaching, Reply p. 8. his preaching, you say, ought to be no more an example to us then his baptism; and that we know the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater then he.

1. It is true, we know, Math. 11.11. our Saviour so saith; and in that res­pect wherein he so spake, we deny it not; tho we stand not now to discusse it; because it would reqire a large discourse.

2. But Sir, for the exampell of Johns preaching, and the duties he reqired of those that should be saved by the Messias, whom he preached, we may well make him our patern; for that the things reqired by him were such as were in all ages the same; and the rather are we emboldned so to do, because we finde the Apostle Paul in his preaching by his own report (as I have Answ. p. 14. shewed in mine Answer) treading precisely in his steps, and Act. 26.19, 20. paralleling him to an heir: howsoever such preaching (it seems) is now out of date, since the day of other more glorious mysteries reveiled un­to you and yours.

3. Nor know I any reason, why his baptism for the substance of it, should not be an example to us also in these times, being Mark. 1.4. the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins; that is, if I mistake not, [Page 41] baptism obsigning remission of sins upon condition of repentance.

But this expression you take exception to, and cannot endure to hear faith, repentance, and new obedience, termed conditions of life and salvation; and ask Reply p. 8. § 2. why I keep not the wholsome words of Scripture; and where the Scripture calleth these conditions of sal­vation.

Sir, I will not make stay to insist on the like demand from you, whether Christs believing for us, and repenting for us, be either Scripture phrases or contain in them Scripture doctrine; either such as is found expressed in Scripture, or such as may by necessary conseqence be thence deduced; It may peradventure be one of those mysteries that have since the Apostles writings been revealed unto your self and some others, who take upon them to mould us out a new notionall Divinity, not in words and terms only, but in matter of faith, other then from the Scriptures which with ma­ny are now grown into contempt, we had formerly receaved.

Nor will I stand to examine whether by such demand you in­tend to help out Paul Best, that blasphemous beast his impious assertions: (For Videantur Dionysius A­lex. apud Atha­nas. de ejus Sent. Gregor. Naz. de Theo­log. Orat. 5. Ambros. de fide c. 5. Aug. epist. 178. that was the main objection the Arian and o­thers of that way used, that the Names and Terms were not found in Scripture:) the rather to be suspected, because you are so eager a pleader Reasons for Vn ty, § 4. for opinions of all sorts.

Nor will I take exception to your misrelating of my words, that faith, repentance, and new obedience are conditions of life and sal­vation; for I no where so speak, but that Answ. p. 11.12. pardon of sin and salvation are propounded and preached upon condition of faith, repentance and newnesse of life, which are the conditions of the Gospel; and yet may they also be so termed, as conditions of peace, Luk. 14.31. upon agreement unto, and performance whereof, peace may be had, which other­wherewise cannot be obtained.

Only Sir, I shall endeavour by help of Logick out of Scrip­ture thus to [...]. Athan. de Syn. Nic. Idem fere Cy­r l. de Tr nit. dial. 1. justifie the use of that term.

That which is so propounded as that being performed life and sal­vation may undoubtedly be attained, and without which it cannot be had; may well be termed a condition.

But such are the things before mentioned.

They may therefore justly be termed conditions.

Yea, but this say you, is Reply ibid. to make a condition by consequence; and the interpreting of the Spirit thus in the letter, and by consequence [Page 42] hath much darkned the glory of the Gospel; and when as Iohn. 6.53. some of Christs Disciples took his words as I do, under a condition, Ibid. 63. Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man, &c? the words, saith he, that I speak are Spirit.

Sure the man is in a strange humour; he would have those that deal with him, to make themselves no better then meer bruits; for they must devest themselves, not of Logick only, but of Grammer too; both of common speech and common sense; they must not interpret the Spirit by conseqence: as much as to say in plainer terms, they must deduce nothing by conseqence from Scripture; especially when it shall crosse any Tenent of his, nor must they say, that such a speech imports a condition; tho they find it usherd in with a conditionall particle; and therefore, tho nisi or except, be such an one in our Saviours assertion, yet it must by no means there import a condition.

For as for what he subjoyns, that some of the Disciples should stumble at those words of our Saviour, because they took them as I do, under a condition: and that our Saviour therefore told them, that the words he spake were Spirit: And what then? that they were not to be taken rherefore under a condition? as if in Spiri­tuall things conditions could not be as well as in carnall; these things are so palpably absurd, that it is a wonder how they could possibly find entrance, I say not, into any Schollers skull, but in­to any illiterate fellows head piece, unlesse his brain-pan were not lightly crafied only, but clean crakt. For who is so voyd of common sense, as not easily to apprehend, that the ground of their startling at that passage, was not the taking of the words as conditionally conceived, which our Saviour no where waives; but the Carnaliter intellexerunt, qod spir tuali­ter int [...]lligen­dum erat. Aug. in Ioan. 27 & de doctr. Chist. l 3. taking of that carnally, which was to be understood spiritu­ally, was that wherein they were mistaken, and which our Savi­our meets with in that after-speech. But some things, they say, are so apparant of themselves, that tho it may well be deemed a fond labour to spend many words about proof of them, yet [...], Epict. l. 1. c. 5. it is not so easie by argument to confirm them against an obstinate opponent; not because they are not of unqestionable truth, but because they are of themselves so clear, being in the nature of principles, that it is hard finding out a medium to prove them by, that is not lesse clear then themselves; as that two and two make four; and that con­tradictories ever divide truth and falshood: And just such are those [Page 43] assertions that Mr S. here opposeth, that Collections may by conse­qence be framed from Scripture; that Conditions may be in spirituall things, as well as in carnall; that Conditionall particles imply a condition: that a Condition is where the whole nature of a condition is found.

But that this man herein striveth against the clear light of truth shining into his soul, or within him rather by that candle of na­turall reason that God hath set up in his soul; only to run counter to the Legalists, whom his soul so much abhorreth, may hereby appear, in that when this fit of opposition is a litle over, and this heat of passion somewhat alayed with him, and the man is come again now to himself, he freely of himself confesseth, that Treat. p. 163. the Gospel is formed up of exhortations, conditionall promises, &c. (unto which els-where objected, he returned not a word;) and what other promises but these, and such as these, the Gospel should be made up of, I suppose Mr S. himself is not able to shew, nor do I believe that he meant any other. Howbeit, it may be, that out of some nice subtilty, tho he grant conditionall, he will deny condition, as in an other subject he seems to have some such subtile reserve, where, tho he use the word divinity, yet he scoft the title of a Divine: as I am enformed that some other also now do; but they perchance meerly for some want of Scholership; but Mr S. a professed Scholer, I am sure, cannot be ignorant, that a Divine and Divinity, condition and conditionall are vocabula, yea and argumenta conjugata.

But however, Sir, lay aside, if it be so offensive to you, the term of condition: for to maintain strif about words, is but a vain expence of time. Do you but acknowledge, that upon be­lieving in Christ, repenting of sin, and leading a new life, life and salvation may undoubtedly be attained; and that without these it cannot be had; and we shall herein be soon agreed: or if you dare, deny it, and so give our Saviour Christ himself and his Apostles the lye; whom I have shewed in expresse terms by testi­monies unavoidable so to affirm.

But here you object;

1. That Reply p. 8. § 2. th [...]se that are Christs, do not repent and believe and obey, that they may be Christs; for God hath chosen us in him, and predestinated us unto the adoption of Children in Jesus Christ.

But, Sir, 1. All this proves not that these things are not [Page 44] conditions of the Gospel, or that any can have part in Christ with­out them.

Gra [...]is hoc qoque pr [...]sti­tum est; gratis, qod ad t [...] at­t [...]et; n [...]m qu [...]ad [...]ll [...] n [...]n gratis: salvus fact [...]s es pro nihilo; sed non de nihilo ta­men, Bern. Ser. in Psal. 90.2. The Apostle telleth us in expresse terms, that Gal. 2.16. he believed in Christ, that he might be justified by Christ, thereby implying that he was not actually justified, or had part in the justification procured and purchased by the death of Christ, untill he be­lieved. And albeit the ransome, whereby we are freely (in re­gard of our selves) justified, be wholly in Christ Iesus; yet is he said to be Rom 3.24.25. set forth for an atonement unto us through faith in his blood; nor were those Rom. 11.23, 24. branches of the w [...]ld Olive, which were taken to succeed in the roome of those who were bro­ken off, actually in Christ, but Epes 2.12. out of Christ, untill upon their believing they were engraffed into Christ.

3. As Epes. 1.5. God hath predestinated us unto the adoption of sonnes in Christ; (that is, to be adopted through Christ; as he is said to have blessed us with all spirituall blessings in him) so hath he elected, them whom hee was pleased so to single out in his counsel and purpose from eternity, Ibid. v. 3. Iam. 2.5. to be rich in faith, saith one Apostle, Ephes. 1.4. to be holy and unblameable before him in love, saith an other Apostle, and the same again; 2 Thes. 2.13. he hath from the begining chosen you unto salvation, by the sanctification of the Spirit and the beli [...]f of the truth; or by sanctification of the Spirit and true Faith; nor can any man therefore have life and salvation with­out these.

2. Reply ibid. Consider (say you) what straits you bring the Gospel into; first y [...]u make life appearing to be had in the covenant of grace, as at first in the covenant of works; do this & live, so believe, repent, obey and live; thus runs your doctrine; nor can you with all your distinctions make faith in this consideration lesse then a work, and so put salvation upon a condition of works again. Is this free-grace?

I passe by your first here without a second; we shall meet with the like again hereafter: as also, that to say believe and be saved; repent and be saved, is to put salvation upon a condition of works again. Q [...]d ille a­ [...]ud Co [...]i­cum A [...]lul. 1. Pactum non pactum est; p [...] ­ctum non pa­ctum, ubi vo­bis lub [...]t. A condition is a condition, when it pleaseth you and may seem to make for you: it is no condition, when you list to mislike it, because it will not serve your turn.

But 1. Sir, you should do well, or ill rather (if you dare be so bold) to tell our Saviour, he hath brought the Gospel into straits by saying, Mark. 16.16. whosoever doth not believe shall be damned, and Ioh. [...].24. un­lesse [Page 45] you believe in me, ye shall dy in your sinnes, and, Luk. 13.3.5. unlesse you repent you shall perish: and, Ioh. 6.53. unlesse ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, you have no life in you: and Math. 18.3. unlesse ye be con­verted, you shall not enter into the Kingdome of heaven: and, Math. 7.21. none shall enter into the Kingdome, but he that doth the will of my Father in heaven: according whereunto also the Apostle, Heb. 5.9. He is Author of salvation to all that obey him. Now suppose, Sir, we were not able to answer all your cavils, yet were we bound to stick close to these truths so expresly delivered and taught us by Christ, and not suffer our selves to be beaten off from them, by any exceptions, that any froward heart or wanton wit, should to puzzel us, make against them. Be pleased therefore, Sir, to set us a while aside, and if you lust to be contending with Christ, advise or request, (whither you please) him to consider a litle better of the businesse, what streights he hath brought the Gospel into, by these and other the like assertions; for we have no cause to doubt, but that he will own his own words; tho you may well have just cause to doubt, what thank you shall have from him, for qarelling with, and cavilling in this manner against them.

2. You say, that thus runns our doctrine; but we demand of you, whither Christs doctrine run so or no; whereunto you dare not return any direct answer, for you cannot deny it: onely you tell us of a further mystery, that is of late reveiled unto your self and I know not who: which is all nothing to the purpose; nor doth any thing, that out of Scripture you have alleadged, at all crosse or contradict that which you here call our doctrine, but is indeed Christs; as unlesse you have so brazed your brow, that you have rubd all shame off it, you cannot but acknowledge; but whither you do or no, others seeing it thus laid in precise termes before you, will thereby easily know what to deem of you, unlesse you so do.

3. But Reply ibid. we cannot, say you, with all our distinctions make faith in this consideration lesse then a work; and so put salvation upon a condition of works again.

1. The Apostle could distinguish, and doth distinguish, between faith and works: and we know therfore that in this businesse they may be distinguished, and are distinct; and tho we were not able to shew, how they are to be distinguished, yet would not that prove, that distinguished they could not be. But Sir, you are not able with all your Sophistry (for Logick you renounce) and fond flourishes, [Page 46] to take off that aspersion which you have cast upon the Apostle as if he therefore preached life to be had in the covenant of grace, [...] otherwise then as before in the covenant of works, because he presseth faith as n cessary to the attaining of salvation by Christ: whereas he thereby in expresse terms distinguisheth the two covenants, the one from the other; not by rejecting or excluding faith, but by taking it in, as opposed to works in that manner as in the former they were exacted; for these are his words: Rom. 10.5, 6, 9. Moses discribeth the righte­ousnesse which is of the Law, that the man which doeth these things, shall live by them. But the righteousnesse, which is of faith, speaketh on this wise; — If thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe with thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: and the words are so cleere, to evince his acknowledgment of that that you would fain fasten as an asper­sion upon us, that if the aspersion be just, it must of necessity light as well on him as on us; and Cernis nem­pe, cum q [...]bu [...] tua maledicta sustineamus; cernis cum qi­bus nobis sit causa commu­nis, qam nulla consideratione sobria pulsare calumniis & expugnare co­naris; cernis qam tibi per­nici sum sit tam horribile crimen objice­re talibus, & qam nobis gloriosum sit qodlibet cri­men audire cum talibus, Aug ad Iul. l. 1. c. 2. we are not unwilling with him to beare it.

2. Nor yet is this spoken, as if, according to your vain and peremptory sentence past upon us, we were unable to distinguish between the act of faith reqired in the latter covenant, and works exacted in the former. For we might stop your mouth with your own words in your next paragraph, where you tell us, that faith is the glorious Gospel work; and so point us to a distinction, that we might make some use of in this argument; but that we find you so flagging and fluttering too and fro, that we scarce know where to have you, or how to lay hold on you. The difference be­tween these hath by our writers been long since observed, whereof from their writings you might easily have been enformed, had you deigned to consult them: to wit, that in the Cove­nant of workes, works are considered, as in themselves performed by the parties to be justified and to live, without reference unto ought done or to be done for them by any other: whereas in the Covenan of grace, Faith is required and considered, not as a work barely done by us, but as an instrument, or mean, whereby Christ is apprehended, & received, in whom is found, & by whom that is done whereby Gods justice is satisfied, and life eternall meritoriously procured for us; that which carieth the power and efficacy of all home to Christ. Now Sir, what a vast difference there is between these two may appear, if you will be but pleased to [Page 47] consider, how farre these two propositions are asunder, Pay your debt of a thousand pounds, and be free; and, Rely on such a friends sa­tisfaction made for it, and be as free as if you had made full payment and satisfaction your self. He is either very dim-sigh­ted, or wilfully wincks, that sees not what distance there is be­tween these two agreements, and how they suit with the two Co­venants, that we to are distinguish: which Mr S. would here make to be a matter of so great difficulty that we must needs be non­plussed in it.

As for repentance and new obedience; there is, as much diffe­rence between them and faith, in regard of its peculiar office, in this latter Covenant; so much more between them and works in the former.

1. Between them and faith, in the point of justification, or the discharge of a sinner from the guilt of his sinnes; for that, how­soever they are both reqired as conditions to be necessarily perfor­med by all those that expect life, or pardon of sin, and salvation by Christ; yet neither of them comes in, as having any hand in the businesse of our justification, or discharge of us from the guilt of our sin; because that neither do they cast ought in toward the discharge of our debt, nor have they any peculiar act in the appli­cation of, or speciall relation unto, that whereby our debt is dis­charged. Whereas our faith, tho it afford not the least mite of it self toward the making up of that price, wherewith our debt is to be discharged, yet it is that whereby we Ioh. 1.12. receive Jesus Christ and in him and with him the price by him paid for us, and where­by we trust to him, and rely upon him, for the discharge of our debt by the merit of his sufferings: in regard whereof it is called, as Act. 20.21. & 26.18. faith on Christ, so more specially, Rom. 3.25. on his blood.

2. Between repentance and new obedience in the latter Covenant, and works in the former: for works in the former are required as fully and exactly answering Gods justice, and the utmost rigour of the Law: whereas in the latter, they are reqired, tho as necessary duties, and such as without which none can expect salvation by Christ; yet not, as any way answering Gods jstice, but as finding gracious acceptance with God, notwithstanding their manifold defects, through his mercy in Iesus Christ.

Thus Sir, you see, that such sely novices as we are esteemed by [Page 48] you, yet are able to distinguish those things, which you presume impossible to be distinguished, by such shallow wits at least as you conceive or conceit ours to be.

Now what hath been said, being duly weighed, will meet with all, that is, by you here further objected.

For 4. to your first demand, [...] ibid. is this free grace? I shall crave leave, to return you a counter-demand: Suppose a King be con­tent at the suit either of the parties themselves, or some friend of theirs, to grant his gratious pardon to a company of notorious re­bels that had risen against him, set up some base desperate rogue in his roome, done him all the despight and mischeif they were able to do; and being apprehended, arraigned and condem­ned to such death as by their wicked demerits they had most justly deserved, upon condition that they aknowledge their offence, and their sorrow for it, with purpose and promise of li­ving loyally for time to come; whether you would deem this to be free grace, or no? Or, because I may well doubt, that you would little regard what you say, to put off ought for the present; I shall not stick to referre it to any indifferent Reader whatsoever to determine, whether he were not a most ungrati­ous wretch, that having his pardon on such termes granted and signed him, should in regard of those conditions, deny it to be of free grace: and whether they do not blaspheme Gods free-grace, that deny it to be free grace, if it be propounded on terms of belief, repentance and amendement of life; Sir, whatsoever you say of us, take heed how you tell Christ, that he doth not freely save you, if hee will not save you unlesse you be­lieve.

And for your next Qere Reply ibid., concerning faith granted to be a gift of God, whether this bee more free grace respectively to what we do, then the Covenant of works had; since that all the works wrought in us then were freely of God, and of free gift to, as Arminius you say, well observes, and we wrought only from a free-gift given.

To passe by many differences, that might be observed be­tween the one Covenant and the other; not to stand to discusse what Arminius saith, who I suppose, would deliver his minde there cleerly then you here relate him. It is not denyed, but [Page 49] that whatsoever Adam wrought, or was reqired to be wrought by him, did proceed, and was to proceed from such power and abili­ty, as God together with his reasonable soul at first freely con­ferred on him; but yet this proves not that there was no other difference between the one Covenant and the other; or that life promised is no more of free-grace in the one then in the other; since that such exact working as might fully answer the justice of God was to life reqired in the one; whereas that which comes farre short of it, is in and for Christ unto life accepted in the other.

And not frivolous only, but scandalous also is that which you further subjoyn.

Reply ibid. Either place salvation upon a free botome, or else you make the New Covenant but an old covenant in new terms; instead of Do this and live; Believe this and live; repent and live; obey and live: and all this, is for want of reveiling the mystery more fully.

This I say, is frivolous, because as hath been shewed, salva­tions free botome is no way impeached by such conditions as these reqired; scandalous, because therein the Apostles doctrine is not covertly, but directly challenged as overthrowing and razing the very foundation of free-grace. For what is, Act. 16.32. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved; but Believe and live? or what is, Act. 3.19. Re­pent, that your sinnes may be done away, but Repent and live? or what is, Heb. 5.9. He is the Author of salvation to all that obey him; but obey and live? And I demand then what this amounts unto, and whither it be any better then blasphemy to say, that the A­postles by such their doctrine, did not place salvation upon a free-botome; but brought in the old Covenant again in new termes. Sir dare you say in your new reveiled mystery, Believe not, and yet live; Repent not, and yet live; Obey not, and yet live? or believe, repent and obey; and yet be damned? understanding such belief, repentance, and obedience, as the Apostels speak of. If you dare, speak it out that we may understand from you, what your mysteries are, and together with us give the holy Ghost the lye.

But in your wonted manner you proceed; and Reply p. 8. § 3. to that, say you, that where we find faith only preached, and so salvation made [Page 50] short work, it is because we have but the Summa [...]ies; I agree with you that we have but the doctrine of the Apostles as Johns; of whom it is said, he spake many other things in his exhortation to the people; It is true, we have much of what they said, and we want much.

You misrelate mee, Sir, as once before in this very passage.

1. I say not, that in the Apostles preaching salvation is made such short work; but that Answ. p. 9.11. you so make it, in cutting of all those reqisites else-where mentioned, and which are necessary and insepa­rable attendants of true faith, that which also I expresse; but you deign not to take notice of.

2. I say not, that we have the doctrine of the Apostles, as Johns, &c. I say onely, that we Answ. p. 15. have but the Summaries, or prin­cipall heads of some of their Sermons. Nor do I therefore herein agree with you, who if Vnciâ con­cessâ, libram totam tollitis, Optat. l. 2. one give you but an inch, I see, will soon take an ell; much lesse, dare I to say as you do (which amounts to litle lesse then blasphemy against the Scriptures sufficiency) concer­ning their doctrine, (for that yours words manifestly imply) that much of it we have, and much we want. Of which manner of speaking let others judge, and from what spirit it doth proceed.

Reply p. 9. § [...]. Yet we have so much, say you, as may shew us, that according to the work of salvation in us, Faith is the work which gives most glory to God; Abraham believed and gave glory to God: they that believe give glory, and Faith of all the works of the spirit, is the glorious Gospel work, Christ calls it the work indeed; this is the work that ye believe. So as the onely reason, why we hear so much of faith in the Gospel, is not only and meerly as you in­sinuate, because we have but their Sermons in Summaries, nor be­cause of another reason of yours drawn from the qualifications of those they preached to, that had other gifts and not Faith: but be­cause faith is of all spirituall encreasings in us, the most glori­ously working towards Christ; faith goes out and faith depends; and faith brings down Christ, and faith opens the riches, and faith believes home, all strength, comfort, glory, peace, promises.

But Sir, what doeth all this glorious flourish here? or to what [Page 51] purpose is it here inserted? doeth it either prove that life and sal­vation is not propounded in the Gospel upon a condition of believing in Christ; or that repenting and amending are not to life eternall as necessarily reqired as it? If not, (for that is the subject we are a­bout) this is all but a needlesse De qâ vere u [...]u pa [...]p test i [...]lud Scaligeri, exe [...]c. 107. § 20. Decl [...] ­mati [...]nes (in disputando) am [...]itiosorum opera, [...]tioso­rum ci [...]i sunt. declamatory digression, whereby you endeavour cunningly to divert your reader, fr [...]m the matter that is in hand.

Yet let us see what it is you say.

1. That faith is a grace of great excellency, and most usefull, is by no man denied; or that thereby we give glory as did Rom. 4.20. Abra­ham to God: but that is not the reason, why Rom. 3.28. & 5.1. by faith we are said to be justified; for to omit that Iosh. 7.19. by confessing out sins we give glory to God & we bring glory to him both by our Math. 5.16. constant obedi­ence in life, and Ioh. 21.19. Phil. 1.20. Christian patience in death: this were to found life on the worth of the work; the excellency of the gift: and so other graces might as well lay claim to the same priviledg with it, as shall afterward appear: but because it is that whereby we Ioh. 1.12. re­ceive Christ, and [...] Chrysost. in Gal. 220. make him our Christ; (according to that that you at length come to in the close of this paragraph, tho els where a­gain you fall from it, & wherein we consent with you) that which is the peculiar office of faith, as was before said. So that here, Sir, you runn your selfe on that rock, whereon even now you told us that we miscaried, in placing the foundation of our justifica­tion and salvation on the eminency and excellency of something in us.

[...]. Albeit faith be a glorious grace, yet I dare not say, that it is the most glorious of any of the graces of the Spirit; for should I so say, I should contradict the Apostle, (which tho you make no bones of, yet dare not we do) who expresly tels us, that 1 Cor. 13.13. love, or charity is greater then either faith or hope; and altho faith be the most usefull and beneficiall grace to us, yet is it such a grace as ca­rieth us out of our selves, implying us to be [...]. Rom 5.6. impotent, insolvent, very banckrupts, unable to contribute any one farthing toward the payment of our debts. And albeit thereby we give glo­ry to God; yet by it are we bereaved and utterly Rom. 3.27. & 4.1, 2. 1 Cor. 1.29.31. stripped of all glorying in our selves. Nor is the terme of glory therefore (to speak exactly) the peculiar of this grace; which shall also cease, [Page 52] and become uselesse, together with Rom. 8.24. hope, her most proper fruit when glory shall come; when as yet 1 Co. 13.8, 13. love, tho the last of the three in the Apostles recitall, yet pronounced the greatest of the three, because the longest laster shall continue, and abide with us and in us for ever.

3. Christ, it is true, saith of Faith, Ioh 6.2 [...]. This is the work of God; that is, the work that God reqires of us, that we be­lieve on him whom he sent. But the same Christ tells us, that Io [...]. 15.12. this is his commandement, that we love one an other: and I [...]h. 13.34. the new commandement: and that which he makes [...]oh 13.35. his cognisance and the very [...]. Chrysost. in Ioan. orat. 72. & i [...] H b. 31. At Basil. apud Greg. Na [...]. [...]. Character of a Christian; love therefore is the work of God, as well as Faith: and 1 Ioh 3.23. John joyneth them both to­gether.

4. I give other reasons, why faith alone is sometime men­tioned, which you passe by; but that which you say I give, is untrue; to wit, that those they preached to, had others gifts, and not saith. For Answ. p 13. neither of Paul nor of Cornelius, do I say that they wanted faith either of them, before that Ananias resorted to the one, and Peter repaired to the other; nor do I omit that, which you close with concerning Answ p. 11. the peculiar of­fice of faith. Concerning which this may further be added, that that howsoever the sweete and comfortable effects of faith here mentioned may evince the beneficialnesse of that grace unto our selves, yet they argue not any excellency or eminency a­bove other graces simply considered, which in regard of their proper nature, and peculiar employments make us more benefici­all and usefull to others. Faith is as the houswife; Love as the Almoner: Faith brings all in, Love layeth all out: faith brings God and Christ home to us; love carieth us out, and Act. 20.24. & 21 13. Phil. 1.20, [...]1. & 2.17. 2 Cor. 12.15. ex­pends us in all pious offices, unto the glory of God; and good of man.

Now this adde I the rather, to take off your ensuing com­plaint of that, from which your self here are not wholly free; to wit, that

Reply ibid. Faith hath so much put upon it, as becomes a stumbling stone, and a rock of offence to many. Just fication, Imputation of Righteousnesse is put upon faith; Salvation upon Faith; as Christs [Page 53] bloud is put upon the wine; 1 Cor. 10 16. the Cup that we blesse, is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ? and Christs body upon the bread: Ib [...]d. the bread that we break, is it not the communi­on of the body of Christ? and yet neither the wine, nor the bread, is his bloud or his body, no more then faith is either justification or righteousnesse; but such a work as goes out most into him, and caryes the soule into him, who is righteousnesse and Justification to us. The word were no mystery, if it were not thus ordered, and things so mingled, that t e Spirit onely could discern and distinguish; the Papists stumble at works, be­cause they see not faith for works; and others stumble at faith, because they s e not Christ for faith.

What all this ayms at, is hard to say: It concerns no­thing, I am sure, that Mrs S. and I had in debate. But let us rove a litle, to beare him company, and go along out with him into his impertinent excursions and his intricate discourses.

1. Truly Sir, I dissent as much if not much more then your self, from any that put too much upon faith; as some of the Ancients have done, making it Chrys st in Rom. 4. a matter of more worth and excellency, then the keeping of all Gods commandements, from whom I have also therein Animadv. in [...]ud. [...]ucii Scrip. de Iustif. part 1. Sect 9 n. 7. elsewhere testified my dis­sent. But Sir, it is your selfe, rather then any of us, that trip at this stone, when you would have faith so much pressed in the doctrine of salvation, in regard of the glorious­nesse and eminency of the grace it self which to assert is not sound.

2. As for the putting of justification, and imputation, to righteousnesse, and salvation upon faith, as Christs bloud is put upon the Cup, and Christs body upon the bread: I mislike not much the resemblance; tho it bee nothing exact, nor conceive well what it drives at. But Sir, who of us ever affirmed faith to bee either justification, or imputation to righteousnesse, or salvation? wee affirm with the Apostle, that Rom. 5.1. wee are ju­stified by Faith; and Eph 2.8. wee are saved by Faith; and that R [...]m. 4.9. Faith is imputed to righteousnesse. And in all this wee say [Page 54] no more then the Apostle himselfe in expresse tearmes doth. Yea, even those of us who maintain Faith to bee taken in a proper Sense, and not by a Metonymicall Trope, as well in any one of those phrases as in another do not say any more then may well bee justified; nor do they differ at all in doctrine, so farre as I am able to conceive (and I love not to make differences, where I apprehend none) that say the one or the other; but contend onely about the Analysis of the Text, and the Grammaticall acception of one term in it: to make this clear, by some instances of the like kinde, when it is said, This Childe is fed not by the breast but by hand: if one shall hold that the hand is in such speech taken in a proper sense without trope or scheme for the hand of the dry Nurse wherewith the child is fed, it being the instrument whereby meat is conveyed into the mouth of it: and another shall maintain, that the hand is there taken not properly, but by a trope or a metonymie, for the meat wherewith the child is indeed fed; because the hand of it selfe hath no power to feed the child, but is said to feed it as it hath relation to the meat; would any understanding man from hence conclude that they were of divers minds concerning the thing it selfe, and not rather that they dissented in a qestion of Schoole-learning con­cerning the Analysing of an Axiom, and the Grammaticall in­terpretation of a word in it? Or, when it is said, The mouth feeds the body: if one should contend that the mouth were taken for the meat, that goeth into the mouth, another for the mouth it selfe whereat the meat goes in; what difference were there in matter of judgement here between the one and the other concerning the thing it selfe? Or to make use of an instance given by [...]ubbert. collat. cum Bert. § 57. an eager stickler in this Argument, who Ibid. § 58. reckons up for his party a larger bead-roll of Writers, then I suppose, he is able to produce: Suppose a Painter holding out a Pencill shall say, Si dicis Pen­cillum dealba­re parietem. This Pencill drew that Picture; if one shall affirm, that the word Pencill in such a sentence must not be taken properly for the Pencill it self, but for the Picture-drawer himselfe that made use of that [Page 55] pencill in the drawing of that picture, or for his hand that guided it in that work; or for the colours wherewith the picture was drawn; another, that the word pencill is to be taken properly, as well as the word picture, the one for that very instrument which the artist held in his hand, the other for the work he pointed to, when he so said. I suppose, it would not be deemed, that there were any difference at all between them, concerning the thing intended, notwithstanding the controversie between them a­bout the phrase or form of speech. In like manner concerning the word Faith in the fore mentioned forms ( Phrases sum aeqipollentes: Pa­raeus ad Rom. 4.3. Obs. 3. which in effect come all to one) when some shall say, that the word is taken properly, for that grace, or that act of grace whereby wee appre­hend Christ and his sufferings, Vide Calvin. & Lubbert. in­sra. the meritorious cause or subject matter (term it whether you please) of our justification, or that whatsoever it be in Christ, for which wee are justified: o­thers, that faith is by a Metonymie put for Christ, by whom, as our surety, having paid the full price for the discharge of our debt, and satisfied the justice of God for our sins, wee are deli­vered from death, and have life purchased for us. here is no difference of judgement in what on either side is averred for mat­ter of doctrine: a dissenting onely about the resolution of a term used in those axioms; and conseqently (for ought yet I see) thus far forth a meer [...]. wrangling about terms and words. And for my part, to declare my judgement herein, which I desire I may do freely without offence to either party; it being, as I conceive, not any matter of faith, but a point onely of School-learning. As Videatur Bar­thol. Kecker­man. System. Logic. l. 1. c. 2. p. 395. by divers learned men of no small note it is well-observed, that in those Propositions, wherein Mr. S. doth here instance, Matt. 26.26. This bread is my body; Ibid. 28, 29. This wine is my bloud: nei­ther bread nor body are taken tropically, but properly, in the one; neither wine nor bloud likewise in the other: by the bread is meant the bread that Christ then brake; by body, that body that hung the next day on the crosse: by wine that liqor of the grape that was then in the cup; by bloud, that very bloud of our Sa­viour that was shed upon the crosse. All the impropriety of the speech is in the predication, or in the copula, in the verb-substan­tive, that as a knot or a clasp coming between the two terms of either Proposition, fasteneth them the one to the other,; which is to be understood not properly, as if the one were really and es­sentially [Page 56] the other; that which even the Bellar. de Eu­char. l. 3. c. 16. & 19. Papists themselves are enforced to confesse, cannot so be; but figuratively or tropical­ly, as implying the one to be typically, symbolically, or represen­tatively the other. So here in the forementioned Propositions, the word faith is taken for faith, as the word Rom. 8.24. hope for hope in the like: all the impropriety of speech, if any be, is in regard of the manner, how wee are said to be justified by it, to live by it, to be saved by it, to have it imputed unto us for righteousnesse: all which indeed is to be understood not principally, immediately, meritoriously, in regard of any worth or dignity of it, or efficaci­ously, in regard of any power or efficacie in it self; but mediately, subserviently, organically, instrumentally, as it is a means to ap­prehend Christ, his satisfaction, and his sufferings, by the price and merit whereof we are justified, and saved, and consist as righteous in Gods sight, and as it hath a speciall respect and re­lation thereunto. Nor do the most of the testimonies in this con­troversie usually produced hold out Lubb. ipse. Ʋtroqe penicillo & albedine pa­ries dealbatur; sed non eodem modo: illo enim instrumentaliter, hac materialiter. Ita fide & justi­tia Christi homo justificatur: sed non eodem modo: illo enim instru­mentaliter, hac vero pene mate­rialiter. any more; nor doe they therefore deny faith to be taken properly in the Propositions be­fore proposed. This the rather I here insist on, because I ob­serve our late Antinomians to make a bad use of the other expo­sition of some of those Texts, to put by the necessity of faith un­to justification: for so one of them; H. Den Con­fer. pag. 18. Wee are justified by faith; that is, by the object of our faith the bloud of Christ: (and so Rom. 3.25. through faith in his bloud, should be through Christs bloud in his bloud) faith is taken for the object of faith, as hope for the ob­ject of hope, 1 Tim. 1.1. Christ our hope: To which purpose it grieves mee to finde in one of ours to confirm this tropicall exposition, that forced interpretation of somewhat the like phrase; Rom. 8.24. Spe servati su­mus, i. e. Christo in quem spera­mus: Pemble of Justif. Sect. 2. cap. 1. At rectius Chrysost. [...]. Schol. Graec. [...]. Spe futurorum, Calvin. Salutem illam (de qa v. 23.) nondum reipsa, sed spe obtineri, Martyr, & alii fere universi. Wee are saved by hope; that is, by Christ in whom wee hope. Howso­ever, as in the former sacramentall speeches, those of ours that take the words body and bloud properly, with an improper predi­cation; and those that take them improperly, with a proper enun­ciation, do not differ at all either from other in the doctrine of the Sacrament; and are as free and far off the one as the other, from those two monstrous opinions of Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation: as also in expounding those words of the [Page 57] Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.4. The rock was Christ; albeit some understand [...]. Chry­sost. in 1 Cor. 10. & reliqui Graeci. Ambr. de Sacr. l. 5. c. 1. Jun. parallel. l. 2. par. 36. & alii. the word Rock tropically, the word Christ properly, the Verb was essentially: others take the word rock properly, the word Christus, i. e. figura Christi. Rei nomen meta­phorice transfer­tur ad signum: Calv. Sicut i­mago Herculis Hercules nomi­natur. Christ tropically, the Verb was essentially: a third sort Keckerm. ubi sup. Petra erat Christus, in my­sterio: Primas. Nec secus in o­mnibus illis lo­cutionibus, Mat. 13.19, 20, 22, 23, 37, 38, 39. praedicata omnia proprie sumun­tur; verbum sub­stantivum sym­bolice. take both the words rock and Christ properly, the Verb was onely symbolically: yet do none of them differ in ought, either con­cerning the truth of the Story, or any doctrine of faith: in like manner those that here presse a trope in the word faith, and those that stand for the proper sense of it, (so far forth as they proceed no further) doe not at all differ in any point of faith concerning justification, would they be pleased aright to un­derstand one another. But Sir, there is none of us, either the one or the other that do (as you closely here would intimate) affirm faith to be either Justification or Imputation of righteousnesse; we distinguish these things warily one from another: and tho wee sever not those things that are not to be severed; yet wee di­stinguish those things that are to be distinguished, and are in their proper and genuine nature distinct: neither confounding justification with faith, nor faith (as some fantasticall spirits Tortuosas So­phistae hujus fi­guras non admit­to, qum dicit, Fi­dem esse Chri­stum. Inscite fi­dem qae est in­strumentum dun­taxat percipien­dae justitiae, di­co misceri cum Christo, qi materialis causa, tantiqe beneficii autor simul est & minister: Calvin. Instit. lib. 3. c. 11. Sect. 7. in Calvines time, by him then opposed) with Christ: which yet some treading in their steps, have endeavoured to doe in these dayes: But such fanaticall fancies wee abhorre, and your en­suing censures therefore reach not us. Wee are neither of those that cannot see faith for works, nor of those that cannot see Christ for faith: a strange prodigie, how men should not see Christ for faith, when they see Christ by faith: nor are these things in the Gospel so mingled, (as you would make men believe) but that wee can discern and distinguish them, without the help of that new spirit that undertakes now adayes to reveal such matters of doctrine as the Apostles are pretended to have preached, but not to have left upon record. But Sir, wee may truly say, that you and yours are they that either cannot, or will not see the wood for trees; the conditions on which salvation by Christ is propounded, tho in the Gospel they do every-where occurre, and offer themselves, will ye, nill ye, to your eyes.

In your next, you relate me as objecting against you, that Repl. pag. 9, 10. Sect. 1. Christ and his Apostels never preached free-grace, without [Page 58] condition and qualification on our parts, Rom. 8.1. Matth. 5.8. &c.

Where Sir, mee thinks you grow wearie of your work; for you draw up whole pages into little more then a line. But Sir, you dissemble mine Argument because you felt where it pinched you, and knew not which way to rid your hands of it. The argument runs thus.

Ans. p. 15. If the Gospell propound and promise pardon of sin and salvation without any condition at all required on our part; and all such con­ditions and qualifications of beliefe, repentance and new obedience destroy the freenesse of Grace, then neither Christ, nor John Baptist, nor the Apostles preached either Gospel or free-grace: for they thus preached, and propounded pardon of sin and salvation upon such terms from the first to the last; as I there at large shew by their ex­presse professions and speeches: and according to your grounds therefore they never preached free-grace.

Now out of this whole argument, you only pick one peice, letting passe all the rest, with the proofs thereof, that it may not appeare to what purpose it was propounded; nor attemp­ing once to take of the crime laid upon you, the stain whereof sticks as close to you and your tenents, as your flesh to your bones, and your skin to your flesh. Onely you annex two pla­ces, with an &c. the Matth. 5.8. one whereof I produce not for the proof of ought I affirm: but Answ p. 14. to shew what your brother Ea­ton saith of it, who makes it a parcell of Christs Legall preaching; the Rom. 8.1. other indeed I alledge, but Answ. p. 15. insisting principally, on the words of the twelfth and thirteenth verses of that Chapter; which you saw so inconsistent with your presumptuous novel­ties, that you listed not to take notice of them.

Yet let us hear, what you say unto that which you have pitched upon.

Repl. p. 10. Sect. 1. They preached faith and repentance and obedience; 1. in degrees of revelation; the Gospel came not all out at once in his glory. 2. not in parts, as wee have their doctrine, as you confesse they preached them: but all along in the New Testament there is more of their glory and fullnesse reveiled concerning them. So as the degrees of reveiling, the parts and summaries of their sermons, the fuller discovery in the whole New Testament, are those things you consi­der not: we onely consider; and so dare not preach the Gospel so in [Page 59] halfs, in parts and qarters as you do; and yet will not beleive you do; which is so much worse; you say you see, and therefore your sinne remaineth.

But Sir, what is all this, to take off the edge of mine Argument, which cuts to the qick with you, convincing you, by neces­sary conseqence, of blaspheming the doctrine of Christ and his Apo­stels as teaching such doctrine, as not onely doth not hold out Gospel, or free-grace, but doth utterly overthrow and take away the very truth and essence of either. For the conditions and qali­fications here mentioned, which you denie not to have been taught by them, are such, you say, as tho the Gospel so propounded and preached may have some notion of free grace in it, yet it hath no truth thereof at all: the guilt whereof therefore you stand justly still charged with, notwithstanding ought, that beside the point in qestion, you prate here to no purpose.

2. The two branches of your Answer, (for it seems you were in some perplexity, or disturbance at least, when you were pu­ting pen to paper) do apparently enterfere, cut and crosse the one the other. For if the Gospel came not all at once to them, but was reveiled to them by d [...]grees; which you affirm in the first branch; then how could they choose but preach it in parts? which yet you denie in the latter branch. Thus Sir, your forces, like Suoqe Marte cadant subiti per mutua vulnera fratres. Nafo Met. lib. 3. the men in the fable that sprung up of the snakes teeth of Cadmus his sowing, fall foul one on another, and destroy either other, without the help of any adverse partie: for how could they preach it otherwise then it was reveiled? and if by peices reveiled to them, then sure in peices preached by them.

3. Grant that some things were afterward reveiled to them, wherewith at first they were not made acquaint­ed. Yet

1. there was at the first so much reveiled to them, and preached by them, as was sufficient to convert and save souls: for to what end else was their preaching? Either therefore you must of necessity grant, that men may be converted and saved with­out notice of free grace, and Gospel; (of free grace, or Gospel, I say; for no Gospel without grace, nor grace that is not free) or, that the Apostels, if by their ministery, they did at first con­vert [Page 60] any, then the doctrine of free-grace was reveiled to them and preached by them at first: which how could they do, if at the same time they preached that that was directly contrary to free-grace, and did take away the truth of it? unlesse any man will be so void of reason and common sence, as to say that the Apostles preached contradictories in the very self same sermons.

2. There was nothing in matter of doctrine afterward reveiled unto them, or taught by them, that crossed or repealed ought, that had formerly been made known unto them, and by them made known to others. Divine revelations concerning matter of faith cannot possibly contradict one another, tho such as yours are may both cotradict some contained in Gods word, and some other also of your own. what they taught at first was the truth of God, as well as what they taught at last: nor did they ever revers ought of what was taught at first by them, but continu­ed teaching the same still to the last. you and those of your fa­ction may have your reserves, and your new-lights, controling and contradicting your former, as new fancies and falshoods [...]. 2 Pet. 1.16. cunningly contrived, are either suggested to you, or forged by you; but with them it was not so. It was Gods truth they taught at first, and it was Gods truth they taught [...] at last; and if in processe of time ought were further reveiled unto them, then at first, it could not, being truth, but of necessitie be consonant to what at first was reveiled to them; for [...]. Arist. truth and truth cannot jar.

4. For what you say of their Summaries, hath been fully an­swered before: nor is it meet to trouble and tire the reader with needlesse repetitions. But Sir, what you say, we consider not, we do consider and acknowledge as well as your self; nor do wee reject, or refuse, or forbare to preach ought that wee find reveiled in the word: and that therefore, which you here charg us with, is most false and a base calumnie, without ground or colour of truth. And here I challenge you to shew what point concerning free-grace, as it is revealed in the writings of the A­postles wee preach not, which unlesse you can do, you must justly undergo the censure of one, that care not how you bely your brethren against your own knowledge and conscience.

[Page 61]5. For your vain boasting of your only considering what you say we do not, and of your preaching the Gospel in the full glory of it: if you preach it no otherwise then it is discovered and reveiled all along in the New Testament; there is none of us that blame you for it; it is our endeavour so to do; nor do wee re­strain any from so doing, nor aspers them when they do it. But Sir, if you shall presum to peice out the preaching of the Gospel, with some additionals of your own under pretence of some mysteries in these times reveiled, which in the Apostles times were not; or shall crosse and contradict ought, as re­pugnant to, and destructive of free-grace, that was first or last taught by them, wee must of necessitie crave leave here to leave you; and not to abhorre onely and abominate, but to oppose and impugn such ungodly courses, that others may not be per­verted and poysoned therewith.

6. For our preaching of the Gospel in halfs, in parts and qar­ters: it is but a parcell of your scurrilous Rhetorik; which you are grown very rife in, since you layd down your Logick. And yet, Sir, still you consider not whom you strike at, while you play thus upon us and our preaching; for you told us (if you have not already forgot what you said) but even now, that the Apostles preached the Gospel in degrees of reve­lation; and that it was not all reveiled unto them at once: and if it were in halfs, and parts and qarters reveiled to them, then could they no otherwise preach it to others, then you are pleased to say that wee do; so by your own words you stand enforced to acknowledge that charging this (be it true, or false) as a fault upon us, you therein censure the Apostles toge­ther with us.

Mean while your reply is here made up, not by halvs and qarters, or by half-qarters, or qarter qarters, but by snips and shreds, letting passe the main pieces of mine Answer: for out of the next whole page and an half, you pick out onely this pitance of one passage, Rep. p. 10. Sect. 2. that Christs bloud is not to be filled out to rogues and dogs.

Wherein you deal, as in the former; neither relating my words as they lay before you; nor shewing on what occasion I speak what is there spoken.

Occasion. word p 9. If you have faulted in ought, you say it is with filling that wine out Too freely; which yet you suppose the Master of the feast hath bidden you, Cant. 5.

This Answ. p. 16. I wish you to be well advised in; and shew you that the place produced by you, speakes of wine reserved for friends; which if a servant should powre out to the dogs and hogs, or serve out to sturdy rogues and vagrants at the dore, that shall refuse to to com in, or to have any commerce or acquaintance with his Master, tho invited thereunto, he should from his Master have small thanks for his labour.

But neither doe you relate my words as they there lie, nor mention the occasion of them, nor take any notice of my pres­sing upon you the Too free filling out of the wine as unjustifi­able, and the abuse of the Text: nor your wicked, malicious, and uncharitable charging of us, as those that Treat. p. 82. to exalt men, cry down Christ, recharged upon you: but passe them all over; be­ing indeed not able either to justifie the one, or to make good the other.

Howbeit, let us hear what beside the matter you say.

1. Repl. ubi sup. Take heed you charge not Christ for being with Publi­cans and sinners: You may upon this ground say hee preached false doctrine, because hee said, He came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

But Sir, what is this to the Too free filling out of the wine spoken of in the Canticles? unlesse this be a good Argument; Christ was with Publicans and sinners: Ergo Master S. hath good warrant from that place of the Canticles to fill out the wine there spoken of too freely. Or, therefore the wine there spoken of, to which Christs friends alone are there invited, may by his servants be powred out to dogs and swine: and is there any colour of rea­son in such kind of reasoning? But I doe you wrong, you will say, in reqiring sound reason from him who professeth to have left his Logick. Howbeit Sir, give mee leave to tell you, that hee is an over-bold servant, who, because hee hears his Master say, Come and drink my wine freely, my friends; shall presume as in his Masters name, to say, Come and drink both friends and foes: and because he sees his Master free of it to the one, shall lavish it out therefore to the other.

[Page 53]2. You deale with Scripture, as the Matt. 4.6. Devill is commonly (how justly, I stand not to discusse) deemed to have done, when hee tempted our Saviour. As you clipt out the middle words from that passage of the Cant. 5.1. Canticles; which might soon have stopt your mouth: so you pare away the latter end of our Sa­viours speech here, which you knew would not stand for you; that Matth. 9.13. hee came to call sinners to repentance. And you may doe well to remember, that the same our Lord and Master, who was in companie sometime Matth. 9.11. with Publicans and sinners, yet Matth. 7.6. forbad his servants to give holy things to dogs, or to cast pearls unto swine. And I suppose therefore, that I have better warrant for what I say from this injunction of our Saviour, then you have, or can have, for your professed profusenesse, from that speech of his directed to his friends in the Canticles.

2. You ask, Repl. ibid. What were all of us in our unregenerate condition? sinners, or righteous persons? unholy, or holy? men of faith, or unbelief? or not rather dead in trespasses and sins, till qickned with Christ?

And Sir, what tends this Qestion to? Who denies, or makes doubt, but that Eph. 2.1, 5. we were all such, untill God qickned us with Christ? and yet how were any of us fitted to taste, or able to drink of that pretious spirituall liqour, before we were so qick­ned? But in stead hereof you might have been pleased to con­sider what you found objected Ans. p. 17. a little after, against your second Assertion, which you there waiv; it seems, unable to an­swer. Nos actum non agimus.

Your next work is to justifie some of the Assertions in your Treatise excepted against, as warping too much toward the way of those that Jude 4. turn Gods grace into wantonnesse; some whereof you take notice of, and seek to salve; others you leave to shift as they may for themselves.

The first is, that Treat. p. 102. The promises belong to sinners as sinners; not as repenting or humbled sinners.

The second, that Treat. p. 186. None ever received Christ, but in a sinfull condition.

In justification hereof, you give us a large reply, (tho not answering at all the objections Answ. p. 17. made against either, nor shewing how what you say is appliable to either) in these words.

Reply p. 11. To whom doe all promises belong first, but to Christ? and from whom to us, but from Christ? and what are the elect and chosen in him, before they are called and beleeve, but sinners as sin­ners? doe you look that men should be first whole for the Physitian, or righteous for pardon of sin, or justified for Christ, or rather sin­ners, unrighteous, ungodly? while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us: Hee died for the ungodly. Christ is the Physitian, the righteousnesse, the sanctification: and makes them beloved, that were not beloved; and to obtaine mercy, that had not obtained mer­cy; and saints that were sinners; and spirituall who were carnall: So as we looke at Christ and the promises coming to men in their sins. But those men were beloved of God in Christ, who suffered for sins before: so as they begin not now to be loved, but to be made to love: God begins not to be reconciled to them, but they begin to be recon­ciled to him, Rom. 5. the love of God being shed abroad in their hearts by the Spirit which is now given unto them. So as wee looking at persons as chosen in Christ; and at their sins, as born by Christ in his body on the tree, we see nothing in persons to hinder them from the Gospel and offers of grace there; be they never so sinfull to us, or themselves, they are not so to him who hath chosen them, nor to him in whom they are chosen. And this is the mystery, why Christ is offered to sinners, or rogues, or whatsoever you call them; Rom. 11.28. They are, as touching the election, beloved for the Fathers sake: I speak of such to whom Christ gives power to receive him, and believe on him, and become the sons of God: and Christ finds them out in their sins, and visits them who sit in the region and shadow of death; and them that are darknesse, he makes light in the Lord.

Sir, All this long discourse of yours concerning Gods election of men in Chrst; the estate they were in when Christ died for them; Gods reconciling them to him, & loving them before they loved him, &c. Doe not all prove, that the promises of the Gospel, to wit, of pardon of sin and salvation, doe belong to finners as sinners, and not as repentant and humbled sinners, Mat. 11.28. such alone as Christ in­vites, and promises to refresh: nor doe you frame hence any formall argument, whereunto a direct answer might be duely shaped and returned: but heap us up a pile of words, affording no premises, from which what you should prove, can be necessarily concluded.

For, (to passe by that your uncouth phrase, of all the promises be­longing [Page 55] first to Christ: not unlike that which you have else­where, that Treat. p. 125. God makes no covenant with man, but with Christ. tho wee deny not, but that 2 Cor. 1.19. Gods promises are all yea and A­men in Christ) Election and Predectination either of Christs, or of any other in or unto Christ, must be distinguished from the actuall exhibition of Christ, either by his incarnation, or by the application of him unto any. As 1 Pet. 1.20. Christ was pred [...]stinate to be made man, and to suffer, from eternitie; but was not actually exhibited, Gal. 4 4. untill that set time that God had before appointed: so God Eph. 1.4. elects men from eternity, hee Rom. 8.29, 30. calls and converts them in time; hee Eph. 1.5. predestinates them to be adopted, (it is the Apostles own language) but hee doth not actually adopt, untill hee give them power to John 1.12. receive Christ, in whom they are adopted: hee determineth to justifie them from all eternity; but hee doth not actually justifie them, untill he work faith in them, Rom. 5.1. where­by they are justified, and whereby they Gal. 2.16. beleeve that they may be justified, as the Apostle speaks of himself; thereby implying, that hee was not justified untill hee beleeved: Hee decrees to par­don and remit sins from eternity; (for Acts 15.18. from the beginning were all Gods works known to himselfe, and resolved upon with him­self) but doth not actually remit or release sin, untill hee give grace to repent; which in the Gospel phrase and method Luk. 24.47. Acts 3.19. & 8.22. goes constantly before pardon; and so doth in nature, tho not in time: Hee purposeth from all eternitie to sanctifie all his, who are there­fore said to be Eph. 1.4. elect thereunto; and yet were they not, nor could be actually sanctified before they were, nor were for a long time after they were, many of them, it may be the most. Nor will it avail to object, as some doe, that sanctification is a transient act, and causeth a reall change in the person of the party sanctified, which justification doth not; for justification doth the like; tho not in the person; yet in the state and condition of the party justified; and may in that regard be termed a transient act also. Howsoever for School-terms it be, sure it is, that justification and adoption are herein both alike: and since that the Apostle, in saying that we were Eph. 1.5. predestinate to be adopted, doth thereby imply, that the very act of adoption is no more from eternity, then the act of sanctification, or the act of salvation, unto which 2 Thes. 2.13. through sanctification, wee are said to be elect: the like may we concerning justification, from those words of his justly con­clude. [Page 56] Wee grant then, that from eternitie God purposed to bestow Christ on his elect: but wee say withall, (and that with good warrant from Gods word) that Christ is not actually ex­hibited unto any of them to be his, untill he work faith in them whereby they may receive him, that he may become theirs. The elect Ephesians were out of Christ, and Ephes. 2.12. without Christ, untill they beleeved; nor doth hee bestow faith on any, without re­pentance and humiliation, which are two unseparable compani­ons of it, and spring all three from the same principle of spirituall life. Nor doth all therefore that here you say, either confirm your assertion, that the promises of the Gospel belong to sinners as sin­ners, and not as penitent or humbled sinners; or to justifie your offers of grace, and gratious promises propounded in the Gospel, unto sinners, tho never so sinfull, either to your self, or in themselves, as belonging unto them: because Rom. 11.28. as touching election, they are be­loved for the Fathers sake; (another of your uncouth phrases, and Scriptures grossely mis-applied) unlesse you make your ten­der thereof to them, if they beleeve and repent; (nor doth Christ offer them otherwise) or dare presume to say, as of the Thessa­lonians the Apostle, that 1 Thes. 1.4. you know them to be elect, tho they be not converted, but lie wallowing still in their sins.

But for the point it selfe a little further: If the promises of the Gospel belong to sinners as sinners, not as penitent and humbled sinners, then to all sinners, whether penitent or impenitent; and as well to Luk 7.30. those Pharisees and Lawyers that contemned the coun­sell of God against themselves, and refused to repent and beleeve upon Johns preaching; as to Mat. 21.32. the Publicans and harlots, who did thereupon beleeve and repent: and as well to the Mat. 12.31. Mar 3.29, 30 Pharisees that blasphemed against the holy Ghost, as to Luk 7.37, 38 that woman, who­ever shee was (for that it was Luk. 8.2. Mary Magdalen is a ground­lesse, and tho commonly received, no probable opinion) who having been formerly of loose and lewd life, testified her repen­tance and inward humiliation by those offices performed about the feet of our Saviour. For if they b [...]long to sinners as sinners; then sinners as sinners may lay claim to them, as having right to, and interest in them: and being so absolute, especially as you have formerly avowed, free from all condition whatsoever, they shall undoubtedly, whether they repent or no, be made good to them: and so all sinners, even the whole world, according to your as­sertion [Page 57] (not differing from what out of another of your strain was before recited) shall be saved.

Again, If the promises of life and salvation be made to sinners simply and absolutely as such, without any respect to faith, repen­tance, humiliation, and the like (for wee will waiv the word of condition at present, because it is so unpleasing to you) what meaneth the mention of these things in the propounding of the promises? for I hope you will not return me that answer that a Doctor of some note sometime did, pressing an exception made in a Matt. 19.9. proposition of our Saviours, that they were etiosa verba; and being charged with the guilt of no small crime for so saying, to salve the matter, said, his meaning was, that they were but as some expletive particles in Greek [...], used in a kind of elegancy, onely to make up the sentence. But Sir, I hope, whatsoever you think, if you doe think at least as you write, you will not be so bold, as in expresse termes to avow, that the mention of faith, and re­pentance, and humiliation, and the like in the promises, is but idle and superfluous matter, inserted to make some shew of a condi­tionall promise, where nothing lesse then any such mattter is in­tended: and much lesse, that those menaces annexed usually to the promises, and denounced against all those that do not beleeve, repent, and be humbled, are such. Which yet unlesse they so be, it will necessarily follow, that promises doe not belong to any sin­ners, but such as are so qualified as was above-said: And indeed, to whom otherwise shall the comminations appertain? Cer­tainly, you cannot say, that both the promises and the menaces be­long to the same persons, and that the same persons have a like right to, and an interest in either; for that implies a contradi­ction: And if the menaces doe belong to all that doe not beleeve, repent, and be humbled; then what manner of sinners the pro­mises belong to, any man by just consequence may easily ap­prehend.

Nor Sir, is it therefore any Reply Conclus. p 17. sporting with a poor wounded conscience, (for there is no sporting matter in it) to tell any, in way of discovery of the evill and unsound courses of those who teach them, to reason thus; God will save sinners: But I am a sinner: Therefore God will save mee: which manner of reason­ing you seem to approve, and is agreeable to the principles and grounds that you here lay: To tell them, I say, that they may [Page 58] with as good ground reason thus, God will damn sinners: But I am a sinner: Therefore God will damn mee. No Sir, It was one warping to your way, that endeavoured to make a wound where none was; as Mountebanks doe sometimes in their own flesh, thereby to make way for their own counterfeit plasters, the efficacy whereof the party justly misdoubted; and seeing it further by such a parallell shewed to be vain and ridiculous, reposed her self quietly on her former grounds again, wherein he endeavoured to disturb her. Which if it were a fallacie, as you affirm it to be, nor was it propounded for any other; then that other, being of the very same form and stamp with it, must admit the same censure: and how can it be other then (if not a false, yet) an uncertain Conclusion at least, that is grounded up­on a fallacie? yea, how other then certainly false that hath no other ground but a fallacy? or what is the endeavouring to sa­tisfie people with fallacies in matters concerning their souls state and safety, other then to teach them to build their faith upon falshoods? This is not therefore as you say, Conclus. ibid. by the use of Logick to cast a mist on the promises of the Gospel to sinners: but by the help of Logick to dispell such mists as are by your party raised, to dasell mens eyes, that they may not discern what sinners they are that have part in those promises. And it is idle therefore to demand here again, clipping and paring our Saviours speeches, Ibid. Know yee not that Christ came to call sinners? (yea, but you know also what followeth, Matt. 9.13. to call sinners to repentance) to save sinners? but not, unlesse they repent: for Luk. 13.3, 5. unlesse they repent they shall perish, notwithstanding his coming to save; himselfe saith it.

But we shall not need stand longer to debate the matter with you; your selfe in the close are pleased to close with us, and after all your long excursion, and heaps of impertinent discourse, to conclude against your selfe. For when you say, Reply, ibid. You speak of such, to whom Christ gives power to receive him, and to beleeve on him: It is just as much as if you had said, Not of sinners as sinners, but such sinners as have power given them to receive Christ, and beleeve on him. And do, or can any but repentant and hum­bled sinners so doe? And yet your second Assertion excepted a­gainst, implies that they may. But thus Sir, as the common saying is, When you have given, as you suppose it, a great deale [Page 59] of good milk, much matter to little purpose; at length with your heel you kick down the pail, and spill all: Or rather, to shew us your skill at fast and loose, [...]. Ae­s [...]hyl. Gypsie-like, you knit us a number of knots; and then to ease us of the labour, with whom you deem them indissoluble, you loose them all again your selfe in a trice. And all therefore that hath been here said, is rather to satisfie o­thers, then to answer ought that you oppose, your selfe having in fine so concluded the matter, that no other answer needs then your own.

But passe wee on to your third Assertion, wherein you ei­ther deride, or pitie them as Treat. p. 171, 173. melancholick creatures, who sup­pose that God may be provoked to wrath by his childrens sins, and may chastise them for the same. In defence whereof you reply thus with a multitude of queries.

Rep. p. 11, 94. Can God be as the sonne of man? Is there any variablenesse or shadow of change with him? Can hee love, and not love? Doth hee hate persons, or sins? Is hee said to chastise as fathers, otherwise then in expressions after the manner of men; because of the infirmities of our flesh? must we conceive so of God, as of one another? Can he be provoked for sins done and abolished? Hath Christ taken away all the sin of his? Hath he born all upon his body, or no? Speak we of anger otherwise then by way of allusion and allegory, as a Father, &c. and is that, He is a Father, after the manner of men? Or, speaks he not in the old Testament according to the revelation of himself there, and in the new Testament of himselfe now, only because of our infirmitie, and his own manner of appearing? which is not yet so, but we may bear him in such expressions; and yet not so in such expressions, but we may see more of him and his love, and the glory of salvation in o­ther expressions: and not make up such a love as you commonly doe, of Benevolence and Complacence.

[...], prae­cipit Arist. Top. l. 6. c. 1. [...].The manner of those that would not have something dis­covered, is Gen. 31.34. Josh. 2.6. Acum in acere. Scal. de subt. ex. 216. to hide it in a heap of some heterogeneous matter. In like manner doe you Sir, your answer here to the point char­ged upon you, in a multitude of impertinent demands; and hook in such things here, (without any removall of it) that be­long to another place. It would be but lost labour, tho it might render you ridiculous, to take the subject matter of your severall demands, and by making mediums of them, shew how your As­sertions are proved by them. Letting that passe therefore, espe­cialy [Page 60] dealing with one that renounceth reasoning, I shall return distinct answers to each of them in order.

1. God may be, and is in some things as the son of man: for proof whereof I turn you over to Answer, p. 19. mine Answer, and the Ar­guments there used: which if you meant to reply to, you ought to refute. Nor is it a sound reasoning or good consequence, God in some things, to wit, such as argue some imperfection or faultinesse, is not like unto man, nor can do as man doth; he is not like man Tit. 1.2. to lye, or Num. 23.19. 1 Sam. 15.29. to repent, or 2 Tim 2.13. [...], Greg. Naz. ad Eunom. 4. Hae [...] posse, non potentia sed im­potentia est. An­selm. prosol. cap. 7. to deny himselfe, he cannot lie, or re­pent, or deny himself, as man sometime doth: Therefore he is in no­thing like to man, nor can he do in ought as man doth: Or, therefore hee is not like man in being provoked to wrath by his children, or in chastising them when they do amisse. Sir, your Logick, had you not left it, or laid it aside, would have taught you, that Syllogizari non est ex particula­ri. a particular will not inferre an universall; nor one particular an other.

2. Tho there be Jam. 1.17. no variablenesse or shadow of change with God in regard of his essence, and nature; or in regard of his affe­ction to good or evill, as if at some time he should dislike and dis­allow sin, and at other times like and allow it, yea, Ibid. v. 13. tempt and incline to it: that which the Apostle in those words principally aimed at; which is not commonly observed: Yet in regard of his disposition and dispensations toward the creature, hee carrieth himselfe in divers and various waies; hee loved, liked, approved of, and was well pleased with those Angels before they fell, while they continued in their originall estate, whom yet 2 Pet. 2.4. Jude 6. after their apostasie, hee hated, abhorred, disapproved, and so far forth was displeased with, as to adjudge unto eternall torments, and throw them headlong into hell.

3. Tho God cannot both love, and not love; (taking love in both members alike) or love and hate; for that implies a con­tradiction: yet may he Amat & iras­citur, dici potest: Amat & e [...]it, dici non potest, Aug. homil. 5. & 40. love and be angry too; yea, therefore be be angry, because hee loves. As a father may be very angry with that childe whom hee loves most deerly; yea, be the more angry with him, because he loves him so deerly.

4. God both Psal. 45.7. Zech. 8.17. hates sinne, and Pro. 6.16, 19. Psal. 5.5. & 11.5. Zech. 11.8. hates persons for sin: and hates sin in those also whose persons he loves.

5. God is truely and really said to chastise his, as parents doe children, by inflicting on them reall and penall things in way of correction for their sins, therein intending their amendment, and [Page 61] to make them examples unto others. And hee that intendeth to doe this, had need shut his eyes very close, that hee may not dis­cerne that bright Sun-shine of light, that through the whole word of God ever and anon breaks out, and in most conspicuous manner off [...]re [...]h it selfe to his eye-sight, able to pierce and strike through the very eye-lids of those that shall strive to wink strongest.

6. God m [...]y be provoked by those very sins, the guilt whereof is a [...]olished and done away in Christ; for Exod. 4.14. Moses his and 2 Sam. 11.27. Da­vids were; and yet was God provoked by them.

7. T [...]o Christ hath taken away all the sins of his, and by his sufferings made satifaction unto Gods justice for them, yet doth it not thence follow, that God therefore cannot either be angry with any of those, for whose sins Christ hath satisfied; or out of his paternall indignation and displeasure chastise them for their wilfull oversights and defaults. What hee hath done, we know he can and may doe; and that the one doth no way crosse the o­ther, nor inferr or enforce a forbearance of the other. Davids sins, in his adulterie, murther, and numbring the people, were satisfied for, and taken away by Christ, as well as Matt. 26.70, 75. Peters in the denyall of his Master, or the sins of any other Saint; and yet how sharply 2 Sam. 12.10, 11, 13, 14. & 24.10, 15. God chastised him for the same, hee felt, and by Psal. 32.3 4. & 38 1, 2, 3. & 51.8, 14. his own acknowledgements wee know. Nor can all your slie shifts serve to shield you from the guilt of palpable o [...]stinacie, in opposing so expresse and cleer Scripture; or to cover and conceale ei [...]her the nakednesse and sham [...]fulnesse of your cause, or the shamelesnesse of your faces in the maintenance of it, and of those things that doe of necessity thence ensue. It was not the end of Christs sufferings to free any of those for whom hee suffered, from God his and their Fathers usefull and needfull chastisements, which are professed to proceed Prov. 3.12. Heb 12.6. from his love, and to be Ps [...]l 9.12. Heb. 12.10, 11. for their good: much lesse was this the end of his satisfaction for their sins, that they might have the rains let out loose to them, and so to lie on their necks, that they might free­ly follow the swinge of their corrupt nature, or the remainders of it still abiding within them, (which you confesse to be so powerfull, Treat. p. 51, 59, 62. as to carry them oft into the same, and those great sins) without check or controll. But Sir, what this doctrine tends to, all men may soon see; and as well those that abhorre [Page 62] it, as those that are willing with open arms to entertain it. Nor have any cause to wonder, that all sorts of loose people doe by whole shoals flock to, and run after those that teach it. In many of whom, what dreadfull and dismall effects it hath had, tho I could give hideous instances, yet I forbear to relate, and proceed to the rest of your demands.

8. I apprehend not any allegory yea or allusion in the words, As a father, & [...]. Whether you understand thereby those words ci­ted by mee, in Answer, p. 19. mine Animadversion on your eighth Assertion, which you seeem here to be nibling at, Psa. 103.13. As a father pities his children; so the Lord pitieth them that fear him: or whether you have an eye to those of Solomon; Prov. 3.12. Whom the Lord loves, hee chastiseth; as the father doth the son whom hee delights in. The same with that of Moses, Deut. 8.5. As a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. And indeed, what allegory or allu­sion is there in either? What Scholer is there so simple, that is not able to distinguish between either an allusion or an allegory, and a direct, plain, and expresse similitude? But Mr. S. it seems, together with his Logick, that does him so many shrewd turns, hath cast off all his School-learning, that hee may the bet­ter comply with those Sectaries, who with open mouth cry it all down in these daies.

9. That anger is in proprietie of speech given unto God, tho both Stoicks and Epicures of old Nec bene pre­meritis capitur, nec tangitur ira, Lucr. l. 1. & 2. denied it, is by Ita eo sensu, quo Scripturae dant illam Deo, vere & proprie ei attribuitur. Zanc. de attri. lib. 4. c. 6. q. 1. Thes. 1. Deus peccatoribus tam electis qam re­probis irascitur. Ib. Thes. 2. some good Di­vines avowed. But not to stand upon that, but leave it to di­spute in the Schooles. Albeit that anger be not such in God, as it is in man, no more then love or hatred; which yet are not de­nied to be spoken properly of God: and indeed, if the one, (which I suppose no man ever doubted of) by necessary consequence then the other: Yet the effects of anger, as well as of love and hatred, may be, and are the same usually with God, that they are with men. As men out of love doe good to those whom they love; and out of anger and displeasure chastise those whom they are displeased with; and Gen. 27.41. 2 Sam. 13.22, 28. Qem qisqe odit, periisse expetit, Cic. Offic. l. 2. 1 Joh. 3.15. seek to destroy those whom they hate: so doth God likewise Psal. 11.7. do good to those whom hee loves; and Psal. 89.32. chastiseth those whom hee is displeased with; and Psal. 5.5, 6. & 11.5, 6. destroyes those whom hee hates. Which (tho you seem bold enough to say any thing to support your own principles, yet Ile hope) you dare not deny.

[Page 63]10. What you tell us in an intricate discourse, like a man in a wood, that hath lost himselfe, and knows not how to get out, of expressions diverse in the old Testament and in the New, is idle and frivolous, and not at all to the purpose. For,

1. Those expressions and actions of this kinde, recorded in the old Testament, were not meer fictions and fancies, as you would make them; as if God were not at all displeased with David for his adultery, nor was it indeed at all evill in his eye, (as of Abra­hams deniall of his wife your brother Eaton Hony-comb, c. 5. p. 79, 80. affirms) but that hee made some shew or semblance onely, as if hee were offended; when as yet hee liked well enough what David had done, or was not, at least in regard of it, the lesse pleased with him. But Sir, the Scripture expresly tels us, that 2 Sam. 11.27. the thing that David had done was evill in Gods eyes: and David himselfe found and felt to his smart, that Gods displeasure toward him was no imagina­ry matter, but the fruits and effects of it reall arguments of tru wrath.

2. The very same expressions are found in the new Testament: and it is extreme impudence for any man to denie it; the proofs of it are so pregnant. Which being Ans. p. 18, 19. in mine Answer, some of them represented unto you, you dissemble: and after your usuall manner, both here and else-where, having jumpt clean over the premisses, give a snap at the Conclusion; or fasten your fang on the Proposition in question, not regarding, or taking notice at all of the proof.

As for the distinction between Love of benevolence, and love of complacence, it is sufficient for you to jeer it: you do not so much as attempt to refute or remove it. But this is the usuall manner of your reply both here and else-where.

But wee passe on to your new demands, tending to the ju­stification of your fourth Assertion, and the removall of mine A­nimadversion on it.

Reply p. 12. Did David or Peter, say you, make up their peace with God by repentance? Is there any that makes peace but one Jesus Christ, who makes peace through the bloud of his crosse? Can repentance make peace? Is there any sacrifice for sin but that which was once offered, and is called by the Apostle Hebr. 9.28. & 10.12. one sacrifice for sin for ever?

I answer, 1. David and Peter did both of them make up again that breach that they had made between God and them [Page 64] by their sins, and did make their peace again with God by their repentance. If you will not believ mee herein, you may believ Psal. 32.5. Davia himself, if you so please: and you must give us leave to beleeve him whether you will or no.

2. Christ is the onely peace-maker, who Col. 1.20. by the bloud of his crosse hath made our peace, by Eph. 2.14, 15. abolishing the enmity that was be­tween God and us. And yet in that peace so purchased, without faith, repentance, and new obedience can no man have any part.

3. By renewed repentance, such 2 Sam. 24.17, 25. 1 Chro. 21.16, 17, 27. breaches may be made up, and peace repaired, in regard of Gods fatherly displeasure, that be­leevers have contracted by their sins.

4. There is Heb. 9.26, 28 no sacrifice for sin, whereby the condemning guilt of it is, or can be removed, or satisfaction is, or can be made un­to the justice of God for it, but that of Christ only: and yet is Psal. 51.17. a broken heart, and a contrite spirit such a sacrifice as finds ac­ceptance with God, as well in these times as in Davids dayes. And Sir, if you goe on to teach men, as you doe, otherwise; you disswade them from that which God himself is said to 2 Chron. 7.13, 14. ex­pect, and Psal. 34.18. & 51.17. accept of, and which hee himself doth professe to Isa. 57.15. & 66.2. re­spect, and Psa. 147.11. delight in.

But you adde a little further, to gratifie us herein, that Reply, ibid. Re­pentance, obedience, &c. may make way for the peace made already for sin, that is, in such working of spirit, the love of God in the face of Jesus Christ may shine upon the soul more freely and fully; and the more the spirit abounds in the fruits of it, the more joy and peace flows into the soul, and the more the soul looks Christ in the face; so as peace with God is not made, but more revealed by the Spirit in obedience and love, &c.

Sir, You heap up, after your wonted manner, many words, little or nothing at all to what is objected to you, or against you; but much wilde discourse beside the mark or the matter, to lead your Reader aside from attending the present dispute. The Question is, Whether God be not truly displeased with a belie­ver fallen into wilfull grosse sins, and whether hee were not so with David upon some of his sins, untill hee was humbled for them, and repented of them. And what is all this that you tell us of here, roving to and fro, as one that were treading a maze, unto the re­futing of ought that is objected against you, or the making good of ought asserted by you, whereunto exception is here taken.

In the next place you passe from your fourth Assertion ex­cepted against, to the seventh; skipping over, among other things, that of which it wil not be amisse to mind, if not your self, yet the Reader; to wit, that

Treat. p. 44. Nothing can trouble the quiet & peace of any soul, but the taking in of the law, and the accusings and condemnations of it. And that

Ibid. All trouble for sin ariseth from the obligement of the Law de­manding satisfaction of the soul for the breach of it.

Which doctrine, how wholesome it is, let others judge. I repeat not again what I have Ans. p. 18. there said to it.

Out of mine Animadversion on his seventh Assertion, hee culs out this a little to dally with, that I say,

Ans. p. 19. God loves us also for his own graces in us, and our exercises of the same.

And having picked out of it a principall particle, the word also, (which made the Proposition adverse to his, wherein hee denies, that Treat. p. 80. God loves us for ought in our selves: which yet by expresse testimony of Scripture I there shew to be agreeable to truth) that so hee may find somewhat to cavill with; hee thus replies,

Rep. p. 12, 95. I thought hee had loved us too in himself: and from that love given Christ for us; and yet loved us in Christ too. Can any thing without God be a cause of Gods love,? Doth God love us as we love one another, from complexions and features without? Or loves hee not rather thus? God is love, and therefore wee are made, and re­deemed, and sanctified: not because wee are sanctified, therefore hee loves us. Wee love him because he first loved us: hee loved us, be­cause he loved us; and not because we love him, not because of any spirituall complexion or feature in us, because of his image upon us: that is but an earnest of his love to us, that is onely given us, because hee loved us. He loves us from his will, not from without; for tho wee are like him, yet we are not himself: and he loves us as in Christ and himself.

Sir, tho you have left your Logick, yet you have not lost your Rhetorick: How plentifull can you be in the proving of that that no body denies you; and in dilating of your own de­nied Assertions; not once offering to answer the objections made against them?

For Sir, whatsoever you thought heretofore, or think still, [Page 66] I do not think it, but am sure of it, that you do nothing here but trifle, in setting up an imaginary opposition, [...], Plato leg. l. 8. [...]. Lucian. de Sect. a man of straw of your own making, and then exercising your self in shooting some shafts at it, as if you wanted other work.

But You had thought that God had loved us too in himselfe. And good Sir, keep you still in that thought. Who questioneth you for it? Who ever denied it? Or what is it to my Propositi­on, if you restore mee my stollen goods, if you return it again what you filcht out of it? And yet as you propound it, it is no whit inconsistent with that which to no purpose you give us your thoughts of. For tho my Proposition, as I delivered it, contradicted your Assertion; yet as your self have now framed it, it is not at all disproved by that which in these words you oppose against it. God may love us for his graces, and yet love us in himself. This shaft therefore, tho a sound one, doth not so much as strike at, much lesse fasten on, or pierce the mark that you set up to shoot at, the man that your self made to encoun­ter with.

Some other rotten reedy ones there are, that you make use of here, which though they hit it, yet they hurt it not; they hurt no body but your self.

For it is not true that you say, that God doth not love us be­cause wee are sanctified: nor doth hee love us because wee love him. And did you not professe to have given over your Logick, I might tell you, that these are no good consequences: God loves us be­fore wee love him: Therefore hee doth not Libenter Dei amor nostrum, quem praevenit, subseqitur. Bern. Ep. 107. love us when wee love him, even for the loving of him. And, God sanctified us because hee loved us; hee loves us not therefore when wee are holy, because wee are holy, and because wee are lovely, which before Amarus est non amandus. I­dem de Deo dilig. wee were not. For what hindreth, but that the same effect of love may become an object of that love, whereof it was at first an effect? 1 John 4.10. God loves us before wee love him, without respect to ought in us: and Ibid. v. 17. wee love him because hee so loved us: and God loves us again for our loving of him. And this our Saviour himself assures us of, as you were told Ans p. 19. before; and I am compelled again to mind you of, because like one of those, who have no very grace­full title given them in the Schools, you deny the close of the Ar­gument, and dispute against the Conclusion; letting the forepart, the promisses, wherein the proof of it consists, stand untoucht [Page 67] and unspoken to. For our blessed Saviour in expresse words tels us, not onely that Pro. 8.17. hee loves those that love him; but that Joh 16.27. the Father loves them, because they love him, and believ on him: as hee saith else-where of himself, that John 10.17. Therefore the Father loved him, because hee laid down his life for his sheep. Thus you see Sir, how either for want of Logick, or for some selfish hu­mour, you stick not again to give our Saviour the lie, tho you were formerly told of it; and your work here should have been, either the cleering your self if you could, or (which had been the better and more Christian course) the crying peccavi, and confessing your fault; rather then the troubling of your self and your Readers with a tedious discourse and needlesse dis­pute about a fained opposition of your own setting up, by mangling of my Proposition; and attracting a further guilt by a renewed opposition in more direct terms to our Saviours own expresse Assertion.

As silly a shift, and sorry a shaft is that that ensueth: that tho wee are like him, yet wee are not himself: And what then? Cannot God therefore love us for his image in us? Yea, but the reason annexed will (I hope) make all cock-sure: Hee loves us as in Christ, and himselfe. I may still ask, and what then? for this is also as little to the purpose as the rest.

It is true indeed that you say, God loves us not as wee love one another, from complexion and feature without: for 1 Sam. 16.7. God sees not as man sees, as hee sometime told Samuel: Man looks on the out­ward appearance; but God looks on the heart. And doth hee not love therefore for complexions and features within? Psal. 11.7. The Lord is righteous, and loves righteousnesse; and the Psal. 146.5. righteous for their righteousnesse. And hee Ps. 147.10, 11. delights, tho not in an horses strength, or in any mans legs, yet in those that fear him, and trust in his mer­cy. For what, think wee, but for that their fear of him, and confidence in him? and for what hee delights in them, for that sure hee loves them: for how can hee delight in that that hee loves not? But I fear, I may justly incurre blame and censure, for spending time, and wasting words, in labouring to prove that by argument, Siquidem vi­detur hoc esse, qod Plut. [...]. Quale enim est, die non esse contentum, nisi igniculus aliqis alluxerit? Aut qod potest in hac [...]laritate habere scintilla momentum, Sep. Ep. 92. which our Saviour himself hath so expresse­ly averred, as if his word were not of it selfe all-sufficient [Page 68] proof for it, and able to bear down all contrary cavils; and attract that guilt that I charge Mr. S. with, in endeavouring In rebus apre­tis argumentari, tam est stultum, quam in clarissi­mum Solem [...]umen inferre, Fa­bius lib. 1. cap. 13. Et Fabio prior Aristoteles, [...], Stob. cap. 4. by reason upon reason to confirm that, which, till these dayes, no man in his right wits and sober minde, ever made doubt of, much lesse denied. But you see what exigences mens prodi­gious conceits, and their obstinacie in them enforceth us unto.

Yet one thing, I confesse wee are here beholden to him for; but that I doubt, hee wisheth it had not dr [...]pt out of his pen. Hee saith, that Gods image upon us, is an earnest of his love to us; onely given us, because hee loved us. For if Gods image renewed in us, be an earnest of his love to us; then may it give us good assurance of his love. For to what end is [...]n earnest given, but to assure the party to whom it is given of that whereof it is an ear­nest? and [...]hen sanctification by his own ground and grant here, is a sound and sure evidence of just fi [...]ation; unlesse any man will undertake to give better assurance then Gods earnest. And yet with what base, broad, and opprobrious terms this assurance hath been vilified and reproached by him, shall in his due place appear. But thus the adversaries of Gods truth are sometime by a secret providence induced, ere they are aware, to give te­stimonie thereunto.

Concerning your eighth Ass [...]rtion, and the Animadversion on it, which you were pidling with a little before, you return us here nothing more then you there [...]ad, save a Magist [...]ri [...]ll and censorious reprehension of all others beside your self and those of your side, in these words:

Rep. p. 12, 13. Whereas you say, G d is as man, and as a Father: I hope you mean not as in him [...] lf, but as in his wayes of speaking and ap­pearing to us; and if so, we are agreed. But your taking things more in the letter then in the spirit, makes your divinity lesse divine, and your conceptions more like things of men, then of God. This makes the glory [...]f the G [...]sp [...]l so legall and carnall, when wee rise no higher then the ba [...]e l [...]tter of Scripture, not the inspiration by which it came: All Scripture being given by inspiration.

Where Sir, 1. You mangle my sayings after your wonted guise. I say onely, Ans. p. 19. In some things hee is as man: and what I say, I render reasons for, more then one; and instance in such things as you oppose: all which you take no notice of. A [Page 69] worthy manner of replying: such as the meanest, I say not, Scholar, but person whatsoever of common capacity, might well be ashamed of.

2. I shew that hee is so; not in wayes of speaking and appear­ing onely, as you speak, (as if in deed and truth hee were nothing lesse then what hee seemed to be, and in such speakings were pretended) but in reality and truth.

3. Cleer your self if you can, from guilt of blasphemie, for a­verring, that Exod. 34 6. God in way of speaking and appearance only pro­claimed himself to Moses, a God mercifull, and gracious, slow to wrath, and abundant in goodnesse and truth: and that Moses in way of speaking and appearance onely told the people, what so seriously hee advised them to D [...]ut. 8.5. consider, that as a man chasteneth his son, so God chastened them: And that the Psalmist spake in the like strain, when hee saith, Psa. 103.13. As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth those that fear him; for that is the instance I there bring, which you were nibling at here before.

4. Sir, we dare not allegorize the Scriptures, where the letter of it yeelds us a cleer and proper sense: much lesse expect such new inspirations as the Enthusiasts of our times, whom you seem o­ver-much to comply with, pretend, that they may obtrude on us their vain and profane fancies in stead of Gods sacred O­racles.

5. What you conclude with, that Scripture was given by inspiration, who denies? but what followeth thence, I beseech you? that therefore wee must rise higher then the letter of the Scripture, and expect some new revelation for the raising of some other spirituall sense of it then the letter will afford? This is a way to draw Qod de Rab­binis Judaicis, Constant. Em­perat. ad Dan. 10.1. De no­stris etiam qibus­dam, Sixt. A­mam. videndus Antibarb. Bibl. l. 1. err. 7. pag. 256. &c. quidlibet ex quolibet, and to make the Scripture Nasum cere­um, uti Pontifi­cii. a nose of wax, that men may wind and turn which way they list, as their quaint fancies and wanton wits are pleased to play with it: for Sir, was not 2 Tim. 3.16. every parcell of Scripture, whether Historicall or Doctrinall, given by inspiration, as well as any one of it? But this is not unlike that idle dotage of the Jewish Doctors, who tell us, that Menach. in Gen. 29. every Scripture hath seventy seve­rall faces or senses: and the Popish conceit of four severall sorts of interpretation of Scripture; which our Writers do justly op­pose.

Nor could I therefore, I confesse, without much grief of [Page 70] mind, yea and some kind of godly (I hope) indignation, read what I lately lighted on, among some Treatises of a Protestant Writer of no small note, lately published; a L. C. Exer­citatio ad locum Zoharis. large discourse, where­in this mysticall manner of expounding plain and historicall pas­sages of Scripture by I know not what analogicall and allegori­call senses, is not justified onely, but highly commended: and a great deale of pains taken in relating, translating, and unfolding, for a pattern thereof, a most absurd, ridiculous, and putid ex­plication, or profanation rather, of some Gen. 2.4, 5, 6 few verses in a passage of Moses concerning the creation, taken out of one of those Jewish brainsick, and fantasticall Writers. And truly, I could not but wonder not a little, that one of that learning and piety, that I presume him to be of, nor dare otherwise to deem, (and whom ever since I have been acquainted with his Writings, I have ever in either regard reverendly esteemed, and still shall) could induce his minde to undertake such a work, as to com­mend to students in Divinity that course and practice, wherein hee could not but know, how fouly divers of the Ancients had failed and faulted, and whereby some of them had taken occa­sion to broach and bring in many erroneous, both fond and im­pious conceits: or could endure to waste so much precious time and serious study, in beating out and laying open that in­tricate texture and prolix train of most uncouth and unsavoury fancies, wherewith that addle-headed Writer hath cloyed and clogged that Scripture; the very bare reading whereof were e­nough to turn any judicious mans stomack, and alone sufficient to make a religious spirit zealous and jealous of preserving Gods sacred oracles in their genuine purity and simplicity, to ab­horre and abomitate such irreverent and irreligious abuse of them, in writhing and wrigling them to and fro, as some Nihil qaeren­dum in verbis, nisi loqentium voluntas, cui demonstrandae in­vigilare debent omnes veridici e­narratores, Aug. de cons. Evang. lib. 2. cap. 46. Mysterium ex rebus qibusvis obviis & apertis effodere, eorum est qi via hominum pervulgata sapere fastidiunt, qae res saepe excidit in febriculosam putiditatem. Cun. de Rep. Hebr. lib. 3. cap. 5. pup­pet-like artifice, to make them expresse varietie of forms and shapes, as such did, this one while, and that another, things as much discrepant one from another, as all of them from the truth of the text: and [...], Marc. Imp. l. 7. Sect. 3. qae ner­vorum, sive verticillorum opera pro tractantis arbitrio attracta citaqe varias subinde figuras exprimebant. De his Arist. nom. de mund. c. 6. Xenoph. in Sympos. Petron. in Satyr. wringing that out of them, that they [Page 71] neither speak directly, nor by just consequence flows from them, nor can be proved ever to have Litera sua [...]i­ter excutienda & non more cap­tivorum acerbe torquenda, donec restituat, qod non accepit. Joan. Sarisb. Meta­log. l. 3. c. 1. been intended in them. This I thought good to give an item of by the way, the rather, because I perceive too much liberty in these licentious times ta­ken by divers, and the people much applauding them, who play and dally with Scripture, to fish and fetch out of it some abstruse mysteries, and strange crotchets, beyond ordinary apprehensi­on; dealing nothing so religiously with Gods word, as any sober-minded man would doe with any humane Autor of any profession, Interpretis professio est, non qo ipse disertus appareat, sed qo eum qi lecturus est, faciat intelli­gere, qomodo ipse intellexit, qi scri­psit. Hieron. ad Marcel. de Rhet. Commentatoris officium est, non qid ipse velit, sed qid sentiat ille quem interpreta­tur, exponere. I­dem de Jovin. Apolog. 1. whom hee were to open and expound. As for your abuse Sir, of this Scripture testimony concerning Scripture, were but your words brought into a Syllogisticall form, it would plainly appear how impertinently and ridiculously it is by you here produced. And for your censure past on our way of handling Scripture, I will say no more but this, that if wee should take that course of dealing with Scripture, that your self and some of yours do, our Divinitie would not onely be lesse divine, but much more fantasticall then (wee blesse God for it) as yet it is.

From these Assertions you passe to others excepted against, which are specially concerning Faith.

The first whereof is this, that

Treat. p. 94. Faith is truly and simply this, A being perswaded more or lesse of Christs love.

This being excepted against as containing no more then any man, the wickedest and most profane may have: and indeed, who almost hath not? Your Reply is only in a poor chiding way; that no whit salves the loosnesse and unsoundnesse of such a li­bertinish and licentious Assertion; thus:

Repl. p. 13. Sect. 6. I pray you mistake not. Can all beleeve from the Spirit? Can all be more or lesse spiritually perswaded? Doe I speak of any per­swasion of Christs love which is not spirituall? Deceive not your self nor your Reader, nor wrong your Author. Or do I speak of Faith abstracted from all Repentance, Obedience? &c. Why deal you thus?

1. Sir, all your pitifull complaint of wrong done you is idle and frivolous. I wrong you not, I misrelate you not: but give you your own words entirely as I find them in you. If any o­ther mistake you, and by mistaking of you be incouraged to sooth [Page 72] up themselves with a vain conceit of being possessed of true faith, when indeed there is no such matter; your self is to be bla­med, who by such speeches as these give ground to such a per­nicious error, by not speaking your mind more fully and plainly, (if you meant one thing and spake another;) and stand guilty of the bloud of the souls of such as shall, or may perish by such mistake.

2. If when you professe to deliver your minde truly and plainly, yet you mean otherwise then you speak, and speak other­wise then you mean, (as it was said of a couple, Pontificem nunqam qod di­ceret facere, Va­lentinum nun­qam qod faceret dicere, Guic­ciard. l. 1. the father and the son, of no very good note either) how shall we know when your speeches and your meanings concur?

3. Can all believ from the Spirit? No Sir, none can believ from the Spirit, but those alone that believ from Gods word. But many, that have no ground of belief from Gods word, but from such principles as without warrant from it, you and yours infuse into them, nor ever had ought of Gods spirit in them, may yet have such a perswasion as you here mention. And wee there­fore tax this for an unsound Assertion, and a rotten principle, the same term that you Treat. p. 85. brand some notes of Assurance with, which yet you cannot but confesse to be found in Gods word. And to mend the matter, you afterward tell us, that Treat. p. 92. none ought to qe­stion whether they believ or not: and so disswade those that have swallowed down this your poysonfull principle, from examining whether their faith be true and sound or no. And it is an absurd thing for you to ask, whether you speak of any perswasion of Christs love that is not spirituall, when not onely you say, perswa­sion in generall, making no mention of spirituall, but forbid any to try it, whether it be spirituall or no.

4. But, Can all be more or lesse spiritually perswaded?

1. Where is that spiritually in your text? If it were in your brest, as a secret reserv, (which is your Repl pag. 2. Sect. 1, 4. vain plea concerning some words of mine abused by you, where you were as by the finger pointed to my meaning, not concealed, but expressed) like a back-door, or a starting hole, for you to slip out at, when occa­sion should be, and your self closely pursued, and hard pressed with it: You doe but juggle with us, and delude your Reader, that you may make our doctrine herein not complying with yours, to bee deemed too strict, as devised on purpose to pinch [Page 75] men and Treat. p. 37. keep them in pain, to make the cure after the more admired.

2. You talk still in ambiguous terms to us. For what intend you by being spiritually perswaded? If from such grounds as Gods Spirit in the word suggests, and such operations as the Spi­rit is wont ever to work in the soul wheresoever it gives abi­lity to believ; you crosse your self, who are ever and anon gir­ding at us, (as Reply, p. 5. Sect. 1. your self deny not) and traducing us, for teach­ing men, with the Apostle, thence to draw ground for such per­swasion, and thereby to examine the truth of it. If you mean by an immediate voice of the Spirit speaking directly to the soul, as some of your party seem to maintain; then I see not how there can be more or lesse in it, notwithstanding whatsoever you talk else-where of Treat. p. 99. degrees: For what the Spirit speaks in such an immediate manner to the soul, cannot but fully satisfie and per­swade that soul to whom it so speaks. Nor will you ever be able to prove, that to every beleever the Spirit so speaks.

5. But, Do you speak of faith abstracted from all repentance, o­bedience, &c.?

1. If such perswasion as you mention may be without any of these, as there is no qestion but it may be; then a faith abstra­cted from these comes within compasse of your definition or de­scription of faith, term it whether you please.

2. You do speak of, approve, and justifie such a faith; yea, more then that, you affirm, all true faith to be such; when you maintain, that Treat. p. 186. every one that receivs Christ (which is done Joh. 1.12. by faith) receivs him in a sinfull condition; and consequently, in an impenitent condition. And that to be your meaning, you ac­knowledge, tho you return no answer to mine Argument a­gainst it.

3. If you intend no other faith, why do you so oft tax us, for pressing these things as required of all those that have interest in Christ.

4. What other faith is it that you intend, when you say, that Treat. p. 98. men ought not to stay the exercise of their faith, for repentance or humiliation, or any other grace? Of which more hereafter in your Modell.

6. Since you have dealt so ambiguously and covertly (by your own confession at the best) in this and other your Asser­tions, [Page 74] (which you are not able to justifie) being delivered in your own words, and well sorting, as they are delivered, with what you affirm else-where; you have no cause to ask me, why I deal thus: but wee may well ask you, why you deal so deceit­fully, and delude silly souls, in teaching them to rest on such rot­ten reeds as these, (which you are loth to own, tho they be your own) to the ruine of their souls.

Your next Assertion is, that

Treat. p. 97 No man can beleeve too suddenly.

To which I answer, That Ans. p. 20. men may beleeve too suddenly, as did Simon the Sorcerer: too soon and too suddenly they may presume, and he perswaded of Christs love; if that be faith, as you define it.

Reply p. 13.Now to this you reply,

1. Was Simon Magus blamed for beleeving too suddenly, or for mis-beleeving: because hee beleeved that the gifts of the holy Ghost might be bought with money?

1. Grant it, that hee was blamed for the latter; that mis­belief of his, and the evill act thence proceeding, discovering the unsoundnesse of his formerly pretended, and externally pro­fessed faith: yet what I say stands still firm, That a man may too suddenly believ as hee did. And if his belief were unbelief, and a mere groundlesse presumption, then that which I say is true: For sure it is, men may too suddenly mis-believ and presume.

2. If to believ be no more then as you say, To be perswaded more or lesse of Christs love; not Simon Magus alone, but many millions, nay, any other in his estate, may too soon and too suddenly believ: yea, if your former tenents be true, Simon Magus, tho Act. 8.23. abiding still in the gall of bitternesse, and in the bond of iniquity, had as good right unto, and interest in the promises of the Gospel, running absolutely and simply without any condition of faith and repentance, and belonging to sinners as sinners, not as humbled or repentant sinners, and therefore to him, unlesse you will deny him to be a sinner; as Philip or Peter, that preached Christ to him: and might conseqently believ as well as they, and be on good ground perswaded that Christ loved him; since the promises belong to none but such as Christ loves.

But you proceed in your chiding and expostulating lan­guage.

2. Repl. ibid. Can any believe too soon? If some mis-believe, or believe [Page 75] falsly, what is that to them that truly believe? Rom. 3. Shall the unbe­lief of some make the faith of God without effect? God forbid. Can Christ be too soon a Saviour to us? Can the fountain be too soon opened for sin? Can the riches of Christ be too soon brought home? Paul counts it an honour to be Rom. 16.5, [...] first in Christ: as to some that were in Christ before him, and to others that were the first-fruits of Achaia.

1. No man can truly believe too soon, no more then hee can truly repent too soon. But Sir, you compell us to sing over your own song again to you. Men may too soon be perswaded more or lesse that Christ loves them; because sooner then they have any good ground for any such perswasion, that which is the ve­ry essence of faith with you; and they that so beleeve before they repent, beleeve too soon; their impenitency shewing such belief of theirs to be no well-grounded faith, but a presumptuous fancie.

2. If there be mis-belief and false belief, as well as true be­lief; How dare you disswade men from trying their faith, whe­ther it be sound and sincere? Should one disswade or forbid men to weigh or try the gold they receive, when they know light and base coin to be rife abroad; yea, so rife, that there is far more store of the faulty commonly tendered in payment, then of good and weighty gold; what could it be deemed but a meer knavish device, of one either desirous to cheat and cozen people himself, or willing to have them cheated and cozened by others?

3. You mis-apply and abuse Scripture, as else-where, so here. Tho Rom. 3.3. the unbelief of some cannot make the faith of God of none ef­fect, but that his promises shall in their due time all undoubted­ly be made good to all his: yet what is that at all to our present debate? For may not therefore some perswade themselves, (and that from your grounds encouraged so to do) that Gods promi­ses belong to them, when indeed they do not?

4. Tho Christ cannot too soon be a Saviour, if hee please, unto any; yet may many, yea, too many do perswade themselves, that Christ is their Saviour, whom yet he never will save.

5. The fountain in some sort and manner may, in the ministe­riall dispensation of it, be too soon set open; if it be otherwise set open then it was by Peter in his preaching Acts 2.38. & 3.19. to the Jewes, [Page 76] and Act. 8.22. to Simon Magus afterward: and if, as it is by many of your strain in these times, who tell men that sinners of all sorts may be washed in it from the guilt of their sins, although they continue still in the practice of them; and your own principles prove and approve the same.

6. The riches of Christ cannot too soon be brought home to any soul. It is God; not you, or I, or any other that can doe that. But the riches of Christ, and the waters of the forementioned foun­tain, are (I suppose) of those Mat. 7.6. holy things, which wee are by our Saviour himself forbidden to throw to dogs, or to expose to swine. And wee may be over hastie therefore in our dispensation of them.

7. For the Scriptures wherewith you seal up this imperti­nent discourse, I should endeavour to shew how miserably and palpably you abuse them in your vain and ridiculous citing of them to no purpose, if I deemed any Reader to be so sottish or dim-sighted, that hee were not able to discern between an apple and an oyster.

But in stead thereof, I shall onely make bold to present him with a brief Modell of your Divinitie concerning these points.

1. Treat. p. 94. Faith (you told us) to speak truly and simply, (which indeed you, and those of your strain seldome do) is (no more then) to be perswaded more or lesse of Chricts love.

2. Ib. p 97, 98. Men cannot too hastily or too suddenly (thus) believ. (for unto this your definition your words must have reference, unlesse you will acknowledge, that your writings hang together like ropes of Arena sine cal­ce. Suet. Caio. cap. 53. sand, without lime to bind it: and by faith you mean one thing, and by belief another).

3. Ibid. p. 98. Men ought not to stay the exercise of their faith for re­pentance, or humiliation, or any other grace. (As much as to say, they ought not to forbear perswading themselves that Christ loves them, tho they do not repent, nor be humbled at all for their sins.)

4. Ibid. p. 92. None ought to qestion whether they believ or no: (and so need not, yea, ought not to examine their faith, whether it be sound and sincere, or no.)

5. Ibid. p. 57. In the Gospel all are immediately called to believe: (that is, according to the former tenents, to be perswaded that they are of the number of those that Christ loves, and will save, whe­ther they be yet humbled and repent, or no.)

[Page 77]6. Ibid. p. 93. Christ commands to believ: (whom, but those whom he calls? and hee calls all immediately without more ado;) for this is his commandement; and commandements of this nature must be obeyed, not disputed: (and men must not therefore stand di­sputing whether they beleeve aright or no: for to that purpose is this alledged.)

Now Sir, endeavour you to salve these Assertions with what qualifications and modifications you please, and out of your subtile wit you can devise; let any indifferent person judge, what en­couragement you have hereby given unto sely souls, to build hopes of attaining heaven and happines, on such a sandy foun­dation as mans corrupt and profane heart is of its self over prone to entertain and r [...]ly on; to wit, being perswaded more or lesse that they are of Christs beloved ones, and true belevers, tho they have no dram of repentance, or other grace in them.

But the most of all this (which indeed you might justly be a­shamed of, had you not made an utter riddance of all ingenuous disposition) together with what is against the same in mine Ans. p. 20, 21. An­swer objected, you let passe, only out of mine exception to the last, you snip off that one shred, wherein I say, that

Ibid. p. 20. Christ commands us to repent as well us to believe; yea, first to repent, and than to believe.

Whereunto, in your wonted fashion, to little purpose, you thus reply:

Repl. pag. 13. Sect. 7. Yea, but will you take the doctrine of the Gospel from a part, or summary of it, as you say, and not from the Gospel in its fulnesse, and glory, and revelation? will you gather doctrines of truth, as Ruth for a while did glea [...]ings, here one ear of corn, and there ano­ther; and not rather go to the full sheaf, [...]o truth in the harvest and Vintage? Will you pick up truth by pieces and parcels, in Repen­tance, and Obedience, and self-deny all? and not reveal these as Christ may be most glorified, and the Saints most sanctified, and these gifts most spiritualized and improved? Will yee preach do­ctrine as it lies in the letter; or in their Analogie and inference of truth? The Papists preach Christs very flesh and bloud to be in the wine, and why? because they look but half way to the demonstration of truth in the Spirit: they shut up Christ in one nation, and not in anoth [...] ▪ and so lose the truth by revealing it in that form of words which is too narrow for it, and too short of Ephes. the height, and depth and length of it.

But Sir, 1. You have here a great deal of your Rhetorick; which it seems, you have not yet renounced: but very little of your Logick; which, it seems, you have so shaken hands with, that you never intend to admit, or to be reconciled unto again. For here is nothing but idle flourishes, like some Fencer in di­sport, laying about him with his two-handed sword, to make passage for some sight, when hee hath no body to fight with: nothing but a mere sound of words, the same that wee had oft before, with one or two qeint similitudes, that may serve for a new garnish: all as much to the matter, as an answer of chalk to a question of cheese. Sir, put your discourse into some form of Argument, and you may from you self soon have an answer; you will soon see the loosnesse of it your self.

2. If you did but well weigh what you say, you might easily discern, that the edge of this your rapsodie, (for it is not worth the name of an Argument) leaving us, turns directly upon your self. For who be they that glean, picking here an ear, and there an ear, and refusing to resort to the whole sheaf, but your self? You tell us, Joh. 14.1. Christ commands to believe: there you pick up one ear. We tell you, Mark 1.15. he bids us repent and believe: we would have you take the rest of the sheaf along with you; and that you refuse. You tell us, that Acts 16.31. Paul bids the Jailer believe: there you pick up the same one ear again. And wee tell you, that the same Apostle saith, that Act. 20.21. hee preached to all (that hee preached to) Jew or Gentile, as well repentance, as faith; yea, Act. 26.20. faith, re­pentance, and new obedience: and would have you joyn them to­gether, binding them up in one sheaf, as hee did. And you not onely refuse so to doe, but jeer and deride us for so doing: and when wee complain of your so dealing with us, you demand of us, Repl. p. 5. Sect. 1. Why wee think much to be so dealt with, when wee do therein amisse. Now Sir, whether of the two pick up ear by ear, or whether go to the full sheaf, you or we, in that particular at least, that is now before us, let any man, not wholly void of com­mon sense, judge. Wee require to have the sheaf kept entire, and not broken asunder, Mat. 19.6. nor those things dis-joyned, that God and Christ hath conjoyned: You over-saucily and presumptu­ously sever them. And when wee finde fault with you for your so doing, you charge on us the fault that you your selves offend in.

[Page 79]3. If there be any truth in our doctrine concerning repentance, self-deny all, and obedience; and concerning the necessity of these unto salvation: confesse at length to your shame, unlesse you regard your own credit more then Gods truth, your hainous im­piety, in wilfull opposing these truths, against your own know­ledge; and with Achan, Josh. 7.19. Give God the glory, whose doctrine of truth in his Ministers preaching and pressing of it, in no o­ther manner then as Christ himself did, you have wickedly and wretchedly derided.

4. If these be but pieces and parcels of truth, what is faith any more?

5. Before you taxed us for Reply, p. 8. Sect. 2. interpreting Scripture in con­seqence; and now for not preaching it in Analogie and inference. Do you know what you would have? you are very wayward, it seems: nothing that wee do, or not do, can please you. How differ consequence and inference? Be pleased good Sir, to shew us, and arread us this riddle: for but Rep. p. 14. a little hereafter your self make them all one.

6. No sound inference or analogie doth or can destroy any truth: nor doth the analogie of one truth with another, inhibit the preaching of one truth as well as another.

7. For what you prate so much of spiritualizing the letter of the Text, wee justly suspect that lurking in it, that wee de­servedly detest and abhorre: the doctrine of repentance, and self-denyall, and obedience, is no allegoricall matter, that wee need fan­cie or fish for some mysticall senses of, by some I know not what new forged lights. But of this enough before.

8. For the Popish doctrine, either of Transubstantiation, or of Concomitancie; what have wee to doe with it? were it any part of Gods truth, wee had no cause to r [...]ject it. Wee deem of it, as wee doe of your Antinomian dotages, that they are both alike mere novelties, fruits of mens wicked and wanton wits, enamoured too much on their own vain speculations, and therewith endeavouring to delude and seduce others.

9. Popish errours and Scriptures you make much alike use of; alledging them to as little purpose the one as the other.

To the refidue that ensueth, Ans. p. 21, 30. in five entire leaves, in way of exception to his eighth, ninth, and tenth Assertions, the justifica­tion and establishment of our grounds of assurance assigned out of [Page 80] Gods word by us, and by him opposed; and the discussion and rejection of his new-found assurances, hee returneth indeed some few short slubbring answers; but so as that the main matter, the most of it, is let go, and left as wholly buried in oblivion.

1. Concerning his disswasive from any triall of faith, which with much eagernesse he had formerly insisted on; affirming, that Treat. p. 73. for a man to qestion his faith, were to qestion Christ himself, and to make our Saviour a Sorcerer: Hee is now somewhat allayed of his former heat; and out of his kindnesse hee is content in some sort to close with us, and to stoop so low from his Magi­steriality, as (tho contrary to his own tenents) to condescend in some things to us, that wee may not utterly disagree. His words are these.

1. Repl. p. 14. You say, We are to try our faith: I say so too; if you would not pick and chuse in my book, to make me some other thing then you find mee.

1. Do you say, Sir, that wee must try our faith? You do indeed now here so say: but doe you say so in your book? or do you not there flatly avow the clean contrary, and that, in as expresse terms as may be? else what is the English of those words there; Treat. p. 92. None ought to qestion whether they believe or no? and Ibid. p. 95. Wee ought no more to qestion our faith, then wee ought to qestion Christ? Unlesse I have forgotten mine English, as you have your Logick, these words are directly repugnant to what you now say. Nor do I in charging this upon you, make you a­ny other thing then I find you: the rather, finding you, as Ans. p. 22, 23. mine Answer shews, not barely propounding these things; but with much vehemencie pressing them, and deeply censuring what you seem how to acknowledge, as derogatory from the credit of the Gospel, and the honour of Christ: both which in truth you doe hereby not oppose and contradict onely, but much dis­honour and disgrace. Sure, you made full account, that no Re­joynder would ever have appeared to this your Reply; you would never else have thus written.

2. Repl. ibid. But my meaning is, that we must try our faith for assurance; as my other words imply: and you say so to.

Sir, I say, we must try our faith it self, whether it be sincere or no, as well as take triall of our assurance; which a man may want, tho he have true faith. Nor do my words imply any o­ther [Page 81] thing, or exclude either. But Sir, this puntilio we will not stand upon; (tho your words here be nothing cleer) a small matter shall not part us. The rather since that in both you freely professe to say the same; and are of late become so li­berall, where you seemed so extream tenacious and hidebound before. But where is the difference then between us? what is it, that sets us at a distan [...] and such a distance, that for saying no more then you now gran [...], we must needs be held guilty of ma­king our Saviour a Sorcerer? Speak on your mind Sir, plainly; you are much mistaken in us; we are willing enough to hear you.

3. You say; Repl. Ibid. We would have the best assurance from tryall: and there you leave us; and do not say [...] we say.

1. The q stion at present is not concerning the best assurance, or the worst; but whether any triall is to be taken at all. And here your words are peremtory and generall: that none ought to qestion their faith: and consequently, that no triall at all is to be taken. And here Sir, should I leave you, sticking fast in the mire of your owne former assertions, which it seems you are growne ashamed of, and are loth therefore now to own; and so entangled in the bryers of your own cross contra­dict [...]ons, that you know not how to wind your self out of them; and so rid mine hand of you, having forced from you a confessi­on of what you formerly denied; there could be nothing further exacted of me as concerning the present debate. For all that here followeth is nothing at all, either to the cleering of your self from the point charged on you, or the removall of mine ex­ception made thereunto. Yet resolved we are to hear what you say, tho you speak not to the point.

2. Where then do you find me say, that the best assurance is from triall? and here I might return you again your own coin, expostulate with you in your own words; Why do you make me some other thing then you find me? deceive not your self, nor your reader; nor wrong not your Author. Set not up a stake, as the young Ad palum ti­rones exerceban­tur, Vege. l. 1 c. 11. & l. 2. c. 23. Inde, Pali vul­nera, Juvenali Sat. 6. novices of the Roman trained bands had wont to do, wherewith to exercise your self. Howbeit, that you may see, we are not so quarrelsome as you deem us; if you will be pleas­ed to do, not us, but the Apostles of Christ the courtesie, as to acknowledg the assurance that they have pointed us to, and gi­ven us assurance of, to be true, sure, sound, certain; and not [Page 82] vilifie, debase, disgrace and traduce them, as Ans. p. 27, 32. narrow, puzzling, perplexing, distracting courses, broken ware, weak work, rotten stuffe, and the like, we will let fall this controversie, and leave contending and qestioning what assurance is the best, we will be content to take these, and teach them, such as they be, and as the writers of holy writ have ascertained them to be. And yet, give mee leave to be so bold, as to tel you so much of my mind by the way, that I shall ever conceive just cause to qestion that faith, that shunneth this touchstone, that refuseth to be tried by such signs and marks as the Apostles have propounded for that purpose.

Repl. Ibid. But is that (say you) the best spirituall assurance, that is from our spirit in part, or from God alone? from our reasoning, or his speaking? can a spouse argue better the love of her friend, from his tokens and bracelets, or from his owne word and letter and seal?

1. Sir, we contend not for prerogative, as was before said, that is a qestion of your owne; no assertion of ours.

2. The assurance gathered from the gratious work of gods spirit on our souls, and the effects of the same, is not an assurance ta­ken from our own spirit, but from Gods spirit. 1 Joh. 4.13. Hereby we know, that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit.

3. Our assurance rightly and truly raised by our reasoning from Gods gratious work in us, is a true and a divine testimony; as a Habent testi­monium in verbo Dei, suntqe non minus divina mandata, qae ex certa Scripturae sententia, bona consequentia de­ducuntur, qam qae totidem literis & syllabis in Scripturis expri­muntur. Chem­nit. exam. trid. part. 1. p. 19. conclusion necessarily deduced from Scripture, is a divine truth, as well as that that is expresly found in Scripture: yea, the Apostle tels us, that Rom. 8.16. the Spirit of God bears witnesse together with our spirit. Nor doth the one therefore simply weaken the work of the other.

4. A bracelet, or a frontlet barely sent or given, may argue some good will, but makes no engagement; there must be some letter, or Pignus est do­num verbo vesti­tum. Reg. Jur. word of promise added, that must effect that: And that these spirituall endowments want not. Wee have Gods word, [...]. Maca. hom. 39. his letter, his hand writing, his seal, both testifying to us, and giving us assurance that these things are his earnests; as your self before confest.

5. Yea, but Repl. Ibid. the Spirit is 1 Joh. 5.8. one of the three that beareth wit­nesse on earth: and, in whom after ye beleeved, you were sealed with the Spirit of promise.

That Rom. 8.16. The Spirit bears witnesse, and that together with our spirit, is acknowledged; and that the faithfull are said to be Ephes. 1.14. & 4.30. sealed by the Spirit, the Apostle is expresse for it: but the qe­stion is, what manner of sealing it is that is there meant: And it is such, I suppose, as rather crosses, then furthers what you would have. Which to make manifest, I shall in the first place crave leave, that I may without offence or prejudice a little re­ctifie the Translation, and render the text as the Originall yeelds it; the words run thus, Ephes. 1.13. In whom [...] Ita [...], credens, Marc. 16.16. [...] credentes, Luc. 8.12. [...] credere, Marc. 9.23. 2 Thess. 2.11. Sic [...] au­diens, Mat. 2.3. & 4.12. & 8.10. [...] audientes, Mat. 15.12. [...] audire, Mat. 13.42. & 13.15, 17. beleeving, or having be­leeved, or when you beleeved, you were sealed.

Now the sealing here mentioned I take to consist in the in­ward endowments of sanctifying grace, whereby the Spirit set Gods mark and seal on them at the time of their conversion and receiving of Christ.

My reasons are briefly:

1. The sealing here mentioned is generall, common to all beleevers; 2 Cor. 1.21, 22. us with you, and you with us, saith the Apostle of those at Corinth; and the self-same hee presumeth here of all the faith­full at Ephesus.

2. It is said of them, that they are thereby sealed, as elsewhere; not that thereby redemption is sealed unto them; but that Ephes. 1.13. & 4.30. they are thereby sealed unto it: which implies some impression of a seal, or signature stamped on them. And herein some diffe­rence seems to be between the outward seals, to wit, the Rom. 4.11. Sa­craments, and the inward seal of the Spirit; that they seal the covenant to the soul, this seals the soul to the future benefits con­tained in the covenant, which in due time they shall be possessed of: the Sacraments seal to all that receive them indifferently, for the truth of the covenant (else were not wicked ones Jer. 34.18. covenant-breakers with God) effectually, for their good and benefit, unto those alone that believe and repent. The Spirit seals in the man­ner above mentioned, not the truth of the covenant alone, but the benefit of it, unto the party thereby sealed, as having interest in and unto all the good things therein contained; and being, by what hee hath already received, marked out for, and sealed up unto whatsoever thereof is yet behind.

3. That which is here called the seal of the Spirit, is else-where called the Rom. 3.23. first-fruits of the Spirit, as a parcell of that, which in the ful crop is hereafter expected, and of the same nature with it.

[Page 84]4. That other place plainly parallell to this, wherein by di­vers severall tropes, under severall distinct notions, this one and the self same thing is decyphered, to me seems to carry it along this way. 2 Cor. 1.21, 22. He it is, saith the Apostle, that assureth, or rather, [...]. ensu­reth us, in Christ, or [...]. into; or unto Christ; and hath anointed us; who hath also sealed us, and given or put, the earnest of his spirit on our hearts, Whence I thus reason: Look how God ensureth us, so he anointeth us; and how he anoints us, so he seals us; and how he seals us, so he gives us his earnest, or puts his ear­nest into us: But it is the gratious indowments of his sanctifying spirit, wherewith he anoints us; as all Interpreters hold, that ever I read: And it is the same therefore, whereby God sealeth and ensures us, as by his Ephes. 1.14. earnest to himself. And this being, as I take it, with other good [...]llyric. Cal [...]. Pisc. Ba [...]n, alii. Autors, the genuine sense of that scripture, (the contrary whereunto, I suppose, you will not be able easily to evince) it little helps you in ought▪ that you would conclude from it; but it much strengtheneth that which you so mightily oppose.

6. Repl. Ibid. Can any inference or consequence drawn from faith, or love, or repentance, or obedience in us, so assure us, as the breathing of Christ himself, sealing, assuring, perswading, convincing, satisfy­ing. Psal. I will hear, what God will say; for he wil speak peace to his servants. A Saint would rather hear that voice then all his own in­ferences and arguments; which tho they bring somsthing to perswade, yet they perswade not so answerably, till the voice speak 2 Pet. 1. from that excellent glory.

Sir, 1. Comparisons we use to say, are odious. We make no comparison between any assurances that God gives and af­fords unto his. Nor do we cry up one, as you do, to cry down another: like those of the prelaticall faction, that cried up prayer, to cry down preaching. And tho all you plead here therefore were granted you, it neither hits us, much lesse hurts us, or our cause; nor yet cleers you, from the hainous guilt contracted by you, and cleaving still fast to you, in traducing and vilifying Gods own sacred assurances, the generall and ordinary pledges and pawns of his speciall favour and love in Christ.

2. I might demand of you: Are not these graces you menti­on the very breathing of Christ himself into the soul? were [Page 85] the ministeriall abilities conferred on his Apostles Joh 20.22. such? and are not the sanctifying graces of the spirit such also? or doth not Christ by these seal, assure, perswade, convince, and satisfie? and I might here challeng you, or any other of your way, to de­nie this if they dare.

3. Where did the Psalmist professe his desire and endeavour to by inqiry to hear Psal. 85.80. what God would speak, but In verbo suo: Moller. In promissionibus: Calvin. in his word? or what speaking of peace are we to understand there, but a reall speaking; not a verball or vocall speech, either inward or out­ward, but a Pacem loqi, largiri, Moller. reall exhibition, such as Gods Deus, cum be­nedicit, facit qod dicit: Aquin. benediction is wont to be, of peace, that is, of Pacem, pro­sperum succes­sum: Calv. Ita passim. Isa. 48.18. Psal. 119.165. prosperitie, and prosperous successe, to the people? so that this place is little to your purpose.

4. It is not denied, but that Luk. 7.48, 50. Christs immediate voice to the poore penitent woman, could not but be matter of exceeding great comfort to her, and such as might well afford inexpressible refreshment to her drouping spirit, inconceivable tranq [...]llitie to her troubled mind, inconcussed settlement and assurance to her soul; but neither can such now be expected: nor is the secu­ritie drawn from the grounds of Gods word (as Matth. 5.18. infallible and unfailable as the pillars and ground-works of heaven and earth; yea Mark 13.31. more unfailable then the foundations of either) lesse power­full and efficacious in it self; and might be so also unto us, were it not for the weaknesse of our faith, and want of our firm appre­hension of them. Nor is it denied but that Gods spirit in a more immediate way, may at sometime insinuate it self into the soul, by sweet and sensible raptures and soul ravishing comforts, in times especially of tribulation and extremitie of distresse; there­by to encourage Gods servants to depend upon him, and with the more alacrity of spirit to go thorow with such bitter brunts as God hath pleased to call them to: and that God may in such manner, and oft doth, in such sort communicate himself to his servants, according to his good pleasure, and the divers man­ners of his dispensations to his: and that such irradiations and insinuations are for the present matter of singular comfort and contentment to the soul. But these are Heu, Domi­ne Deus, rara ho­ra, & brevis mora: Bern. in Cant. neither generall, nor perpetuall; many a soul (no doubt) hath gotten into heaven, that was never much acqainted with them. Nor doth any such ex­traordinary or more unusuall courses any whit infringe (much [Page 86] lesse take away and annull) the force and efficacie of assurances drawn from the word, wherein Gods voice is as well as in these; and which are commended to us in the word, and that for such as every one ought to try himself, and to be tryed by. Wee speak of such wayes as every true beleever is, or may be capable of; and such as, if the Spirit of God speaking in his word doe not de­lude and deceive us, may give us abundant of Rom. 15.4. comfort and as­surance 1 Joh. 1.3. with joy.

5. For the place you cite out of Peter to confirm your com­parison, let but any Reader consult 2 Pet. 1.18. the place, wherein the testimony of the word written and enrolled in the records of the Prophets is pronounced [...], 2 Pet. 1.19. more firm and certain, then the imme­diate voice heard in the Mount; and hee may soon discern, how you mis-apply and abuse Scriptures (a practice too common with you) to serve your own turn, as your self please.

6. For such grounds of assurance as wee plead for, wee have expresse Scripture, as you cannot denie: of such an immediate voice or enthusiasm as you seem to plead for, no Scripture pro­duced by you is yet proved to speak: Scriptures onely are to that purpose by you mis-applyed. That which I say of it at present shall be this onely, that that voice that shall inwardly speak peace to a soul, where those marks of faith, repentance, self-denyall, and obedience are not found, may undoubtedly be avowed to be no voice of Christ, nor testimony of his spirit, (for the Spirit of God cannot crosse it self) but either some vain and groundlesse sug­gestion of a mans own corrupt heart, or a meer delusion of the Prince of darknesse, transforming himself into the Prince of light, the Lord Jesus.

Mean while Sir, consider, I beseech you, seriously, and weigh well what you doe; you beat men off from those grounds and assurances which Gods word holds out to them; and in room thereof, you propound either some devices of your own, as that Christ hath repented and believed for them, which they cannot admit, because they find no footing for them in Gods word; or some extraordinary and immediate voices, or what else you please to term them; which, tho being true beleevers, and wel-grounded in the faith, yet it may be they never had, nor dare to expect. Now whether this be not a puzzling way indeed, let others decide.

From hence making a long jump, or an almond leap, and skipping over all that you find objected against that your most unreasonable motion of not taking any tryall of faith at all, and the branding of it as above: you light at length on a by-passage in the Animadversion on your tenth Assertion; forbearing to trouble your selfe further, as your wisest course was, with the exceptions taken to the main matter: which yet is the chief principle and groundwork of almost your whole book.

The passage together with the occasion of it is this: Mr. S. blames us Treat. p. 27, 29. for propounding the promises of the Gospel to men with conditions of repentance, sorrow for sin, &c. as so clogging them with conditions and q [...]lfications, that because they are things they cannot doe, in stead of drawing a soul to Christ, wee put it fur­ther off from him.

Now to return the reproof upon him, Ans. p. 24. I tell him, that hee may as well be said to doe the same, when hee propounds them so clogged with conditions of receiving, taking, and believing on; un­lesse hee dare say, that it is an easier matter to believe, then to repent.

Whereunto Mr. S. returns us this answer:

1. Repl. p. 14. Sect. 8. I preach not receiving as a condition, as you do repenting.

But Sir, your precise words are these: Treat. p. 30. The way of coming by a right, or purchasing an interest in this righteousnesse or salva­tion wrought by Christ, it is held forth without price or work, onely for taking, and receiving, and believing in.

Where, to omit that you say more then wee dare doe, in a­scribing a purchasing power unto faith; whether these words im­ply not as much, if not more then a bare condition amounts un­to, let any man that hath not utterly lost his wits, judge. Wee attribute nothing neer so much to repentance, as concerning faith these words import.

2. Repl. ibid. I preach Christ the Power, and Life, and Spirit, that both stands, and knocks, and yet opens the door to himself.

Sir, wee preach as much in this kind as you here mention, and as much as you doe, if you preach no more then Christ him­self doth in his word: Nor doth this or any other part of sound doctrine, concerning Gods work in the act of conversion, either take away, or contradict those other parcels of Scripture, where­in upon such conditions part in Christ is propounded. Nor is [Page 88] any man to be blamed for the pressing of the one, any more then to be taxed for preaching of the other. You might as well pick a quarrell to Peter for his Acts 2. & 3. two first Sermons, and with Paul for his whole discourse of justification by faith, in the third, fourth, and fifth chapters of his Epistle to the Romans, as to any of us in this regard.

3. Repl. Ibid. I preach not receiving as a gift, or condition given or begun for Christ: but Christ working all in the soul, and the soul working up to Christ by a power from himself.

Sir, you prate and vaunt very much of your preaching: But Sir, compare what you say you preach, and what wee present you with from your self in print; and see how well they sort toge­ther. For as for Christs working all in the soul, you have been answered more then once.

4. Repl. Ibid. If you would preach repentance and obedience as no [...] either preceding or previous dispositions, wee should agree better in the pul­pit, then wee do in the presse.

If wee preach otherwise then the word of God warrants us, reprove us out of it: Otherwise Sir, blame us not, tho we a­gree not with you, either in pulpit, or in presse.

In the next place, taking a new leap, you passe over all that was Ans. p. 25. excepted against your parallelling of the promises of salvation by Christ, with the covenant made with Noah: and to the result of your Assertions, and summe of your Divinitie thence extracted; to wit, that Ans. Ibid. The promises of the Gospel belong to all sinners without exception: and that all are therefore bound to be­leeve the said promises, being not conditionall, but absolute; even as absolute as the promise to Noah, of never drowning the world a­gain: Nor is any man to qestion his faith, or what ground he hath for such his beliefe. From whence it necessarily follows, that men may be saved, whether they believe or no, repent or no; as from that concerning the promise to Noah, and other your Assertions there related, is inevitably inferred. To the last branch, I say, of this, to wit, That men may be saved whether they repent or no, beleeve or not: silencing the whole residue, you thus reply;

1. Repl. p. 14. Sect. 9. Should I say to you, The summe of your Divinity is this, That faith, and repentance, and obedience are helps with Christ, and conditions with Christ to mans salvation; and that salvation is not [Page 89] free, but conditionall; the covenant of grace is as it were a covenant of works: Should I do well in this to upbraid you, and those of your way?

Sir, If you should upbraid us with ought that wee teach not, or doth not necessarily flow from ought that wee teach, you should wrong us, as in part here you doe: Concerning which, and your doctrine herein, enough already hath been said, for the cleering both of us and it.

But Sir, there is nothing here charged on you, but what ei­ther in expresse terms you deliver, or of necessity follows from what you affirm.

2. Reply p. 15: Say not then, that I think men may be saved that never re­pent nor beleeve.

Sir, what you think, I know not; and it may be you scarce know your self what you think or would have, you seem to be of so many mindes. But what you have written and taught, both you and wee know: and if you think otherwise, as you here say, why take you so much pains to possesse your Reader with such principles, as [...]. Greg. Naz. ad Eunom. S. [...]. Plut. ad Golot. being admitted, do necessarily infer as much as is here avowed? Yea, why do you not cleer your self hereof, by shewing that such things doe not follow from the grounds by you laid, and by removall of the Arguments, where­by the same is evidently evinced? Mean while, you must give us leave to say what wee see, and to relate what wee read.

And to meet with that your unjust and groundlesse charge, wherein you do so passionately expostulate with us, as if some apparent wrong had been offered you and the rest of your crew;

Repl. Ibid. Why do you set up and counterfeit opinions, and then engrave our names upon them?

Sir, 1. Shew what the opinions are that are by mee fathered on any of you, that have not been proved to have been taught by them whom I have therewith charged. But you are like [...]. Lucian. de Gymn. slippery eels the most of you: [...]. Athanas. de Arian. in Synod. Nicen. defens. one while you stoutly avow [Page 90] your erroneous conceits, where you misdoubt no opposition or discussion of them. Another while you cry out that you are of an other mind, and wrong is done you in them; not sticking to report that you have made the same manifest, by repair to those, and giving satisfaction to them, who were never once in that kind spoken with: And otherwhile pretending to be al­tered in judgement, and otherwise now minded then formerly they were; when as yet, where you find opportunitie, you are in effect still venting again your former opinions; some­time indeed more covertly, and sometime more openly, as you suppose you may do with most safety: whereof divers instan­ces might be given.

But Sir, 2. For your self, no opinion is here set up, with your name engraven on it, but what comes out of your own forge, what was minted by your self, and hath received its impression fron the mould of your own maximes. For to omit, what be­sides in mine Animadversions doth inevitably evince it, If the promise of life and salvation in the Gospell, be as absolute, and as free from any condition on mans part, as the promise made to Noah for never destroying the world by water again: then a man may as well attain life and salvation without faith and repentance by vertue of the one, as safety from destruction through such a generall deluge by the other. But the former you say: and the later necessari­ly thence followeth, unlesse Logik be lost.

Do not you tell me therefore, that Repl. Ibid. you could so peice up my book, if you would be unfaithfull, as to make me appear as great an heretick as any whom I thus fancy.

1. Talk not too much of your faithfullnesse, Sir; how unfaith­full you have been in relating my sayings hath more then once been manifestly made to appear.

2. But here is no unfaithfull dealing at all with you, here is nothing wrung from your assertions, but what lay couched in them, and flows freely and naturally, without force or torture from them. If otherwise, why make you it not to ap­pear?

3. If you can by like due course of Argument draw such rotten stuffe from ought of mine, I crave no favour from you; do your worst: and I shall tell you before-hand, [...]. M [...]th. apud Epiphan. Haer. 64. [...]. Mar. Imp. l. 6. Sect. 21. that if you charge [Page 91] me justly with ough in them, and convince me of it, I will thank you for it, and recall it. For Sir, I am not herein so ob­stinate, as you are Concl. p. 17. hereafter pleased uncharitably to affirm of me. If otherwise, I shall take leave, whether like you to give it or no, constantly to defend, while God shall be pleased to af­fordabilitie, what I deeme agreeable to truth.

4. But Sir, give me leave mean while to tell you, that it will be hard for you to perswade an intelligent and advised reader, that shall peruse your ragged Reply, that you would not have been forward enough, to have done in this kind what you could, had you met with matter fit for your purpose in my book; when hee shall observe how you take liberty both in Epist. the van and in Conclus. the reer here, to run out impertinently, into other by-matters con­cerning me, and some other of my works, that have no reference at all to the businesse in hand, but you supposed (tho vainly) might some way asperse me. And there is little reason to imagine, that you should make such excursions to seek and fetch in matter of that nature abroad, when you had so much of it so neer at hand, close under your nose, but you were loth (forsooth) to take notice of it, or to file your fingers with it. Howbeit, I doubt not, but that by such Logick as you make use of, you may draw heresies enough out of Christs Sermons, and Pauls Epistles; whose expresse doctrine how you have traduced in our teaching, hath abundantly been shewed

As for your stivolous flourishes, concerning Repl. Ibid. your teaching faith and repentance, not as gifts to procure us God, or his love, or Christ; but as gifts from Gods love, and fruits of the spirit, given to such as Christ hath suffered for, and are chosen in him: and in that full revelation, in which they are leaf tin the New Testament; not in that scantling of doctrine, as they are meerly and barely reveal­ed in the historie of the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles, and that be­cause you preach thus, you are all Antinomians, heretiks, men not worthy to live.

1. All this varnish hath been washt of again and again: and yet you will be still glasing over your rotten stuffe with it, to conceal the badnesse and basenesse of it from common view; which yet every qick-sighted soul, through all your colours cast o­ver it, will easily discern.

2. What the opinions are, for which you are justly termed [Page 92] Antinomians, and which your companions, if they continu yet in what then they professed, were sometime publikely charged with and stand still convict of, it is well known: some of them I relate els where Gods eye on his Israel, Pre­face p. 17, 18.: and too much of them is found in your book. Those Sir, either cleer your selves of, or make them appear to be consonant to Gods word; and do not abuse men by telling them idle tales, that you are so termed for preaching this and that, concealing your unsound wares; for which you are no o­therwise deemed, then as your hideous and uncouth dotages deserve.

As vain and frivolous is your next expostulation where you begin with a fawning compellation: Repl. Ibid. Brethren, must ye forbid us to preach, because wee follow not with you? because wee preach not the Law as you doe, nor faith as you do, nor repentance as you doe, therefore do we not preach them at all?

1. Sir, this your smooth compellation, may justly be suspected, to be but a Luk. 22.48. Judas his kisse. You cannot sure have so soon for­gotten, what mountebanks and qacksalvers you erst while compa­red them to; what cheating and cosening companions you made of them; (not therein unlike the Compassionate Samaritan, a bird, it seems, of the same feather with you) of kin to, or kind with, such unfaithfull and ill minded Chirurgians Treat. p. 37. as keep mens wounds open for sinister ends to lengthen their cures; and such as Ibid. p. 77. deal out Christs bloud, as the Pope doth his pardons. Were they but even now such abominable beasts? and are they now become your brethren? This was sure no brotherly course, if you accoun­ted them then your brethren. Or if you desire to admit them into brotherhood with you, such vile wretches as then you made them; either [...]. Matt. 18.15. convince them of what you then charged them with, that being convinced of it, they may repent and reform, and so be made fit for the societie of such upright and faithfull dealers as ye professe your selves to be, (for honest and faithfull Chirur­gians will refuse to own those that are notoriously known to be such cheaters as you charge them to be) or if you cannot convince them by making your charge against them good; confesse inge­nuously your base calumny, and ask forgivenesse in print, as in print you have wronged them, before God and the world, in the face of whom you have traduced them. In so doing you may give some liklyhood of your willingnesse to embrace them [Page 93] as brethren; and there will be some hope of acknowledgement and amendment of other oversights with you, that have been laid open before you, as well in this, as in other of your works. Till then wee shall justly deem, that you little mind or regard, what you acknowledge them here to be.

2. As to the matter of your expostulation, wee forbid you not to preach, because you follow not with as; or because you preach these things otherwise then wee doe. But Sir, it is you that scoffe and di­ride us; and by conseqence so much as in you lies, inhibit us, for teaching these-things as Christ and his Apostles taught them; and are justly therefore charged with impietie for jeering in us, the doctrine expressely delivered by them.

And for what you add, that Repl. Ibid. you preach them all, as you are perswaded the New Testament will warrant you; and as you make Christ to be the power of all, and fulnesse of all, and may exalt him whom God hath exalted.

1. you are so far from preaching them as necessarie duties re­quired on our part, as Christ in the New Testament, and the Spi­rit of Christ by the Apostles did (nor could they contradict them­selves by ought, that they preached further, either before or af­ter:) that you scoffe at us for so pressing them: yea, as hath abun­dantly been shewed, you preach and print, that without them men may have part in Christ, and without them consequently be saved by Christ

2. And for all your vain boasting & vaunting so much of what, or in what manner you preach, as if that would serve to wash off all your other filth; it may discover your vanitie, but it covers not, much lesse cures your impietie. It is no more then any sect, tho maintaining things never so v [...]le and abominable, is not wont to do. Sir, crake not to us thus of your preaching; but return answer directly to the crimes and erroneous assertions where­with you are charged; refute the exceptions taken to them, and remove the arguments brought against them, and then you have done somewhat. Till then you must justly look to lie under the guilt and imputation of either, as a partie, that being charged with some treason, or felonie, shall in steed of answering to his inditement, run out into discourses, of what good service he hath sometime done to the State, or what good offices to o­thers. But these things in your reply you have warily shunned; [Page 94] and may well therefore be deemed to have replied as good as just nothing, notwithstanding all the noise you have made to no pur­pose; as those at the bar are said Non est hoc respondere, qod est non tacere: Aug. ad Gaud. l. 3. c. 1. to stand mute, when they de­cline a legall triall, tho they talke at large never so much o­therwise

Lastly for your closing wish, that Repl. Ibid. we and all that here you, were almost, and altogether as you are, except in re­proaches.

If your meaning be, to have them all Antinomians, and so principled as the Antinomian tenents import; howsoever you may much desire it out of a selfish and sinister respect, to enlarge your faction by multitudes added to your partie; wherein the worst and wickedest that are, will easily concur with you: it were to wish the poysoning of millions of souls with pestiferous and pernicious opinions; tending directly to beat them off from all trouble or sorow for sin; or craving pardon of any sin at Gods hands; or fearing to commit any the most horrible and hideous sin, in regard of Gods either fight of it in them, or displeasure for it with them; or making any qestion of the truth of their faith, if they be but more or lesse perswaded that Christ loves them; or making the least doubt, but th [...]t God loves them and likes them as well, when they cheat, and cozen, and eqivocate, and lie, and swear, and forswear, as when they deal truly and justly. Nor Sir, are these forged calumnies, but well-grounded charges; such as have in part been made good here, and are further Preface to Gods ey [...] on his Israel. else-where, against those whom here you professe to take part with.

As for reproaches; your exception of it is idle: for either they must not be like you and yours, for such principles as these, and much lesse for such composure of mind, and practice of life as is sutable thereunto, if they will not minister matter of just re­proach: or if they would keep free from just reproach, they must waiv your principles, and such practices much more, as they either exact of them, or encourage them unto, and too many, to their worthily deserved reproach, have exhibited the fruits and effects of already.

Hitherto Sir, your Reply reacheth; such as wee have seen: many words besides the matter, little to the purpose: short e­nough, because it falleth short of reaching what it should have been returned unto: and yet [...], Philem. a­pud Stobaen. too long, because it detaineth and [Page 95] taketh up your Reader with much impertinent discourse: which I shall impute either to your known guilt, which you are un­willing to acknowledge; or to your fixed resolution of aban­doning all Logick, which you are unwilling to revoke.

Your Conclusion followeth, patched up of unsutable, and much of it likewise impertinent pieces, loosely put together.

1. You tell your Reader, that Conclus. p. 16. from pag. 29. to the last, (some 14 or 15 pages) my replies all amount not to any thing of substance, but of qarelsom [...] and humourous exceptions.

An easie way indeed of reply, as you term this: but whe­ther there be not there some store of such matter as concerned you to answer, and to cleer your self of, those that read it im­partially will as easily espy.

Had I said the like of your whole Reply, from the first to the last, and so left it; those that shall seriously survey and weigh this Rejoynder, will peradventure deem, that I had nei­ther spoken nor done much amisse. Tho those of your own party, it is not unlikely, would have been extolling your work, and have given out, that it was unanswerable. But Sir, your Re­ply here I have not so either put off, or posted over. I have tra­ced and pursued you, not from page to page onely; but from line to line, even through all your idle and extravagant ex­cursions. But I find you here no other then I observe you to be in your Replies upon, and Answers unto others, both annexed to this, and elsewhere. To make up somewhat that may rise a little higher then the common appellation of a Pamphlet, (a term that you much stomack) you entertain your Reader with some impertinent discourses of by-matters; tending mostly, un­der specious pretences of Love, Peace, and Ʋnity, to plead for a toleration of all abominable opinions, and libertie for every one in matter of religion, to professe, vent, and practice what he please, without check or controll by censure, either Ecclesiasti­call or Civill. What else means Reasons for &c. Sect. 4. severall spirits, consciences, opinions, judgements, without limitation or exception of any? But what you return Answer to, or reply upon, that you make very short work of: here a snatch, and there a snatch, Qod canis in Nilo, bibit, & fugit. Constat e­nim in regioni­bus illis canes ra­ptu crocodilorum exterritos currere & bibere. Macrob. Sat. l. 2. c. 2. De hoc Aelian. l. 1. c. 4. Plin. l. 8. c. 40. as the Egyptian dog, lapping in Nilus, and as Antonie in his flight, af­ter his discomfiture by Augustus. Let­ter to Mr. Ley, p. 3. After-reckon. p. 7. Seventeen sheets posted over [Page 96] in a sheet and an half: Repl p. 9. See Rejoynder. whole pages in a line and an half: Answ. to Mr. Edwards, and After-reckoner. two large books in little more then two pages: forty five pages here in seventeen: and yet by-matters sometime in the way plentifully enough prosecuted; and additionals prefixed, to detain and take up the Reader, that your failings in the matter that concerns you may the lesse be looked after; and your dealing haltingly and by halvs, or by snips and shreds rather, the lesse regarded. Yet in the Front of your writings you pretend and promise to do great matters; but in the works themselves there is so little perf [...]rmed of what is looked for, that the old saying may not unfitly be applied unto them, being verified in them, Plus habet rubium qam ni­grum. There is more in the Title then in the Text.

2. In stead of what you should have done, you tell me Conclus. Ibid. what I might have done, Indeed, I suppose, you would rather have had mee done any thing, then have medled with the ulcerous sores of your book. But Sir, you are not to cut mee out my work. And for the Argument you would here have put mee upon, such an one as those of your strain every-where condemn and cry out against, I have somewhat largely Meditation on Psal. 97.11. in Signs of sin­cerity. done elsewhere already; and that (I blesse God for it) with some good successe, as I understand from those, who having made use of it, pro­fesse to have received much comfort thereby.

3. Yet to quit mee of that labour, (in way of kindnesse no doubt) you tell mee, that Conclus. Ibid. I say of my self, (how becoming such a one, you leave) that I am an old Steed that neighs, and prances, but is past service; so as you must take this of mine age and infir­mitie, as a fuller answer, or supplement of what I have failed in against you.

True It is, Sir, in regard of mine age, being now upon seventy two complete, and infirmitie by a late sore sicknesse ac­crewing, having never been of much strength, and finding my naturall abilities, as well inward as outward, ( [...]. Aristot. Physiogn. cap. 4. [...]. Ibid. cap. 1. Animus, languente corpore, nec membris, nec sensibus uti potest: Cicer. de Divin. Animo qi aegrotat, videmus corpore hunc signum dare: Tum doloribus confectum corpus animo obsi­stere: Lucil. lib. 26. the one usually suffering with the other) memory especially, much impaired; I [Page 97] am willing rather to set others of younger yeers, fresher parts, and better endowments, on work, to prosecute the discovery and dis­comfiture of these monsters, which the Sectaries of these our times daily produce, and to undertake some further and larger survey of your Treatise, which, but upon occasion of being cal­led in by you to attest for you, I had not at all taken notice of; it may be, had never seen: and doe therefore in acknowledg­ing mine own inability to undertake such an over-burdensome employment, compare my self, not as hee in the Tragick Scene onely, but as one of the Greek Fathers, to an old Steed, who tho past yeers of such service as the field and fight reqires; yet by bestirring himself as well as he may, incites others to do that which himself is not able to do. And this is that which Mr. S. is so much pleased to play upon, and to make sport with, that hee began with it in his Introduction, and returns now again to it in his Conclusion; as being bare and barren of better matter, to make up his Reply with, and enforced therefore with renew­ed patches to piece it out.

But Sir, neither doe I suppose it any uncomely thing, for any Minister of the Gospel, much broken with age and sicknesse, to acknowledge himself either well neer, or wholly past some kind of service: Num. 8.24, 25. God himself was after some term of yeers content to discharge his Attendants in the Tabernacle and Temple of some more laborious employments. Nor do I plead either of these in way of excuse for, or (as you speak; which to me seems little better then non-sense) as a supplement to what I have failed in against you: which if in ought I have done, it is your part to shew, not barely to say; but to declare, why I took no further pains with you; but contented my self with such parcels of your broken wares, as I thought good to deal with at present. And truly Sir, unlesse you can better discharge and defend your self and your Assertions in the things objected and excepted against ei­ther, then in this your Reply hitherto you have done; there will be little need to wade further into your work: there is folly and unsoundnesse enough discovered in it already to make it worthily to be abhorred.

4. Howbeit, Concl. Ibid. two or three things, you say there are (in that rif-raf of so many pages, which you told us even now had not any matter of substance in them) more observable then the rest.

But you repented you, it seems, again of what you had said; or you had no great lust to deal much with any observable mat­ter. For instead of two or three, you present us (as I remember a great Bellarm. de sac. Euchar. l. 3. cap. 19. Cardinall sometime) with a first, without second or third: so that your first must be such a first, as the Lawyers speak of in some cases; such a first as Primus est qem nemo praece­dit, etiamsi nul­lus seqatur, Reg. Jur. none follows; and must therefore goe for both first and last: for it is all you produce.

Conclus. Ib. First therefore, you say, that I tax you for saying, The marks in the Epistles of John and James, (where Sir, you leave out Treat. p. 32. your &c.) are delivered rather as marks for others, then our selves to know us by. And this, say you, I affirm again; not excluding that other of our selves, but rather for others. To which purpose you instance 1. in James 2.24, 18, 21. where works, you say, are made a sign rather to others, then our selves. Which how I Answ. p. 29. shew to be not agreeable to the Apostles main scope, who directs his speech there to the partie, thereby to undeceive him in himself; you passe by, and return no answer unto. 2. In 1 John 3.14. concerning which passage, how absurd and sense­lesse it is so to say, how directly contrary, both to the Apostles scope in that Epistle, and to his expresse words in that very place, tho the bare reading of the Text be sufficient to make evident, yet I shall refer my Reader (to [...] Suid. in Pythag. avoid needlesse prolixitie, and unnecessary repetitions) to what I have said Ans. ubi. supr. in mine Answer; whereunto there is no one word here replied: And much lesse to that of Peter; which ought to come within compasse of your & caetera; but you have no mind at all to take notice of: and that the rather, because with it this your rather, wherewith you would evade, could have no colour, as here also it hath no truth.

And Sir, for what being enforced by evidence of truth, shi­ning forth so strongly and brightly in your face, that in spite of your teeth it strikes through your eye-lids, tho you close them as fast as you can possibly against it, you doe in a scanty and malignant manner elsewhere Treat. p. 81. acknowledge; (which also I conceal not, but Ans. p. 27, 28. give it expresly in your own words) after you have spent all your fleam and spittle upon it, to bespatter it, and throw so much dirt and filth on the face of it, to deface and disgrace it; it neither makes amends for your former abuse of it, nor doth it take off ought that is herein charged on you.

And for your pitifull complaint therefore of Concl. Ibid. my pulling your Treatise in pieces, to make my self work; and then binding it up a­gain after mine own fashion;

It is so poor, as might [...] Suid. vel Priamo mi­seranda: Mar. l. 12. move even a professed adversary to pity you; and shews indeed how inconsistent your Work is, one part of it with another.

But Sir, I want not work at home; that I should, with [...] Suid. Ze­nob. Plut. ad Colot. the Lydian, go to seek some abroad. much lesse wanted I any then, when my work rather wanted me, I being neither fit almost for any work at all, and wanting workmen for that work, which God had at that time disabled me unto. Nor had I any reason to undertake that task that then I did, had I not concei­ved a kind of necessitie in it.

Yet neither have I pulled your book in peeces; nor have I bound it up again after my fashion. Your book lies by me still intire; bound up in the same manner as it was brought mee at first: onely I have made bold to pick out of it, and lay open some nei­ther sound, nor savoury passages of it, and have dressed them in­deed as they deserved; but representing them no otherwise then as I found them in the book: the precise words whereof you have not hitherto shewed, that I have any where swarved from; nor suppose I, that I did amisse in so doing: for neither did I undertake to deal with the whole book, but to give some tast of what it contained: nor if any thing be sound in it, will that serve to excuse and justifie ought, that is rotten and un­sound.

As for Concl. p. 16, 17. the story of the Ladie, what you except against my speech to her, it is alredy answered elsewhere, where the proper place of it was, and where all this might have come in more sea­sonably, then it doth here. But in steed of it, Sir, you might have done well, not to say over the same things again; but to have asserted and confirmed by Scripture, that way of assurance, that Treat. p. 84, 85. you propound as the only Scripture way, and in regard whereof all other assurances (those that Peter, James and John hold out, not excepted) are affirmed to be but rotten stuffe; to wit, That we are to beleive, that Christ hath beleived for us; and we have be­leived in him; that he hath repented for us; and we have repented in him. For this, Sir, being one of your main shores, yea the onely main shore in effect, (your immediate enthusiasm excepted) [Page 100] erected and set up by you for the support of poor afflicted Spi­rits, when you have beaten them off from all other, ought not to have been deserted by you, where you found it opposed, much lesse dissembled, and shifted off, and shuffled, or shoveled away, as a thing not worthy of any notice, among the rubble and rubbish, wherin you say, there is nothing of any substance. And the truth is, I am therein of the same mind with you, if you think as you speak, as concerning this particular, that it is a meer shadow without substance; and such therfore as is no more able to afford any true stay, or sound satisfaction to a wavering soul, or a wea­ried spirit, then Aesopi fab. the shadow of the sheeps shoulder that the dog catched at in the water, or some delineation of the like on the wall, to releive and refresh an hungry body. Take heed, Sir, how whilst you dally and delight your self with such sublima­ted notions, distilled through the limbeck of your own qaint in­vention; you delude Gods people, and cause them, as Jonas spake, while they Jon. 2.8. follow lying vanities, to forsake their own mercy; and so attract a greater guilt, then you are aware of, or at least consider well of at present. But to what end spend I words, and wast wind unto one, who in plain termes professeth, that should he so sin, yea sin never to much, being a beleiver, (as I doubt not but he beleives himself to be, especially glorying and vaunting so much as he doth of the glorious light and spirit that he is now possessed of,) he never looks to be called to any acount for it, and scoffs at those as silly souls drowned in melancholie, that doe ever so imagine?

In the last place a little to ease your stomack, and empty your Jecur pro fel­le; cujus vesi­cula jecori ad­haeret: Job 16.13. Lam. 2.11. liver, you take ocasion at parting to spend, out of your gall, some of your bitter choler upon me; by demanding of me, Conclus. p. 17. now I am an old man, (for you are oft playing upon mine age) how if I were to account to you I would gather up my assurance; whether it would be of such a measure of faith, so much obedience, so much love to the brethern, so much zeal, prayer, repentance, and all of un­qestionable evidence: then you proceed to qestion me concerning my faillings, when I writ in defence of cards and dice, and of the com­mon prayer book: then whether my luxuriancy in qotations, be all out of pure zeal; no selfishnesse, no vaine glory; my love to the Antinomian brethern, without bitternesse; my preaching and obe­dience all out of love, and not seeking mine own, and making a gain [Page 101] of Godlinesse: all my fastings and repentance, from true meltings of heart, and sound humiliation, or because the state called for it, and constrained it: my praying and preaching not much of self, of in­vention, of art, of learning, of seeking praise from men.

To all which rabble, Sir, 1. I might in a word return this; that, for ought I yet know, neither have you any autoritie here­in thus to shrive me, nor I necessity to return answer unto these your interrogatories.

But yet, 2. That if I were to render account of mine assurance either unto you, or, any other, I shall assure you, that it should be none of that, that you propound and commend, as the one­ly Scripture assurance, tho in Scripture no where extant; to wit, my believing that Christ hath believed and repented for me; untill you can give me better assurance for it out of Gods word, then you hitherto have done.

3. For my grounds of assurance concerning my self, I shall need to professe no other, then what is common to all true Christians, and for which we have good warrant of assurance from Gods word; our faith in Christ, who hath made satisfacti­on to God for our sins, and purchased eternall happinesse for us: the sinceritie whereof is approved to us in our conscience, by by such holy graces as are in the word found to be inseparable at­tendants of it.

4 We use not to mete out our faith, as drapers doe cloth by the eln and the nail; or to weigh it our, as merchants some wares, by the pound and the stone; or as warie men do their gold, which they refuse to receive, be it never so good, if it come ne­ver so little short of its allowance; as if the sinceritie of faith, and its acceptance with God depended upon the scantling and the quantitie of it. we know, that [...], Mat. 6.38. & 8.26. & 14.31. & 16.8. small faith may be sound; and Mark 9.24. faith weak and mixed with much infidelitie, as good gold with much drosse, yet may be sincere. Nor is the weakest faith lesse efficacious unto justification then the strongest, no more then a plaister is more or lesse efficacious in regard of the strength or feeblenesse of the hand, wherewith it is applied unto the sore. The like may be said of other sanctifying graces, such as you here mention; they are Gods 2 Cor. 1.22. & 5.5. Eph. 1.14. earnests; and an earnest is available for security, not according to the valew or qantitie of the sum given in earnest, but according to the fidelitie of the party we [Page 102] deal with: your qestion therefore concerning so much faith, and so much of this and that, might very well have been here spared.

5. For my defaults and failings, I may say, of my self, as you of your self, End of one Controversie, p. 12. I have indeed many, which you and the world sees not. And I blesse God, as for Cui deputat ille qod dimisit, huic iste deputet qod non commi­sit, Aug. homil. 23. [...] De­mades. keeping me from many sins, that my corrupt nature might otherwise have carried me unto; so for keeping those that I may have failed in from the notice of such as your self. For to what end, Sir, do you here call me to this account concerning my failings, but to disgrace me, what you could in the eyes of the world, and to cast shame and reproach thereby upon me? and what think you, Sir, have you gained thereby with any modest, prudent and intelligent reader? as much, surely, as by your frequent vaunting and vain boastings of your self in your book; the note of an extrem insolent and ar­rogant spirit by the one, and of a no lesse spitefull and malevolent disposition by the other. So that the [...] Marc. Imp. l. 9. S [...]ct 4. [...] Chrysip. de ju­stit. [...] Dio o­rat. 74. [...] Clem. Paed. l 2. c. 10. [...] Simocat. Epist. 40. wrong will in fine redound, I doubt not, to your self; and your Malitia ipsa maximam partem veneni sui bibit: Attalus, Sen. E­pist 81. malignitie, as he some­time said, take in again, and drink up the greatest part of its own poyson.

For your self, I list not to mak enquiry into your life. To what end were it? or [...] Marc. ubi supr. [...] Idem l. 4. Sect. 26. [...] Idem lib. 12. Sect. 26. [...] Ibid. lib. 9. Sect. 38. what is it to me what you either are, or have been? altho there be, it seems, some reports abroad con­cerning you of some things that sound not well; which wether true or false, I take no notice of, as not at all concerning me: yet such as true or false, coming to your ear, I should in like­lyhood have heard of on both eares againe from you.

6. But Sir, I am glad, that one so spitefully minded, as you have manifested your self here to be, could take up no worse matter to cast in my dish, then you were able (for good-will, it appears, you wanted not) here to doe. For the truth is, you bark and snail indeed; and bite you would, but you cannot: you will Genuinum fregit in illis: Pers. Sat. 1. Ʋbi tamen Duza legit, Julis. break your fangs, Sir, ere you will be able to enter, where you have endeavoured to fasten them.

The failings you charge mee with are two onely, they are drawn into a short and narrow summe.

The former, which I was told of once before, that I writ in the behalfe of Cards and Dice. Sir, no otherwise in the behalf of them, then in the behalf of any other lawfull game lawfully used: nor more in behalf of a Lot used in them, then of the same used about any other light affair, either in sport, as for mating men at bowls, or for moving first at Chess; or out of it, as draw­ing cutts for the partition or assignement of some trifle: For that is all that my writing aimeth at, that it is not the use of a lot in them, that makes them, or any other wherein the same is used, unlawfull. Wherein Sir, [...]. Marc. Imperat. lib. 5. Sect. 22. & 28. l. 9. Sect. 11. & l. 10. Sect. 4. & l. 11. Sect. 13. if I have failed, do you shew me my failing; or else Reprehensores non audio; seqor magistros: Hie­ron. apolog. de Jovin. forbear to reprove mee for, or reproach me with that, which you cannot prove to be a fault.

The later is my writing in the behalf of the book of Common-Prayer. Sir, Where saw you that writing? or who told you of it? What writing is it? or how far forth in that writing have I written in behalfe of it. Sir, when you produce it, I shall know what to say to it. It is some Treatise or other, sure, that slipt from mee in my sleep: for, of any such Work of mine a­broad, is more then I am aware. But, it seems, you were dri­ven to some streits, when for want of other matter, you were fain to be faining somewhat to object to mee as a failing. So that here, Sir, you have engaged your self to a twofold task; first, to prove that I have written in defence of the book of Com­mon-prayer: and secondly, that I have failed if I had so done, in so doing: neither of which, I suppose, you will easily be a [...]le to make good.

7. But Sir, suppose I had failed in both these, or twice as many things more as these, as in many more then so, I know I have: neither were that sufficient to weaken my assurance, even gathered from those grounds that by the Apostles are given us, and which you purposely here oppose; nor to argue the insin­cerity and unsoundnesse of my faith. For the same Apostle who telleth us, that Jam. 3.2. Impingimus ait, non impingitis; nec in uno, sed in multis: nec mul­tos sed omnes im­pingere dixit: Aug. Ep. 29. Non dixit, offen­ditis, sed, offendi­mus, inqi [...]: & in maltis praemisit, omnes su [...]junxit, Beda. in many things wee sin, or slip all: doth withall inform us, that a true Christian, notwithstanding these many slips, may have the sincerity of his faith and profession justified even by his works, in the eyes both of God and man. And that I take to be the genuine sense of James in that place, and the right [Page 104] way of reconciling Paul and James in that argument, the one with the other. The case or cause in qestion that they deal with, is divers. In Paul the case is concerning sin in generall, whe­ther a man be a sinner or no: and if that be the qestion, Rom. 3.23, 24, 25. hee cannot be justified but by faith only, resting on the bloud of Christ, and pleading that in way of full satisfaction to God for his sin. In James the case is concerning a particular sin, to wit, hypo­crisie, or counterfeit faith, and counterfeit profession, whether a man be [...], 1 Cor. 9 27. 2 Cor. 13.5. cui opponitur [...], 1 Tim. 1.5. & 2 Tim. 1.5. a counterfeit Christian or no: and where that is the qesti­on, hee that is unjustly so charged, may Jam. 2.24. by his works be justi­fied in the eyes both of God and man. To which purpose makes that of a learned Autor, Fides justifi­cat hominem: o­pera justificant fidem: Zanc. Faith justifieth the man; works justifie his faith. Thus, to omit Rom. 4.1, 3. Heb. 11.17. Jam. 2.23. Gen. 22.12. Abrahams example, which both of them instance in; David, tho conscious of Psal. 19.12. & 40.12. & 51.5. & 149.2. many sins to him­selfe; yet Psa. 7.3, 4, 8. & 26.1. & 18.22, 23. for his sincerity dare appeal unto God, and offer himself to be tried for it by his works and his ways. And the like might be said of Job 9.2, 3.15, 21. & 19.25. with cha [...] 13.16. & 23.10, 12. & 27.5, 6. & 31. Job, and of other of the faithfull; were it sea­sonable here to expatiate into discourses of this kind. It would little therefore avail you, tho I should plead guilty in all where­with you here charge mee, to beat me off thereby from mine as­surance; unlesse you could prove these failings to be Deut. 32.5. such blots or bloches as are inconsistent with sincerity.

8. From these failings wherewith you thought you had mee on the hip, you passe on to such corruptions as might adhere to mee in my works and writings, in my preachings and fastings, and other like employments. And truly, Sir, I shall freely confesse unto you, since you will needs be my ghostly father, as they use to speak, that I find and feel to my hearts grief, many more cor­ruptions accompanying mee in all my performances, then any one beside my self is able to espy.

But Sir, if it should be demanded of you, for what cause or end you were pleased to make up this long Catalogue, and to pitch upon most of those particulars, I doubt your heart would tell you, that it was not to shrive mee alone; but to be girding at, and traducing of those, against whom with rancor you swell almost till you burst, and upon all occasions therefore are still venting your gall.

For to give a little touch at least upon each of them:

1. As concerning my luxuriancy in qotations: which you [Page 105] had once before a fling at; and which The end of one controver­sie, p. 7. you twit Mr. Ley with: your qestion is so frivolous, whether it be all out of pure zeal, that it is unworthy any answer: It is a most ridiculous [...]. Marc. Imp. l. 9. cap. 31. sem­blance of affected sagenesse and severity, to expect or reqire zeal (if you understand what zeal means) and pure zeal, in every qotation of an Autor, or passage of a discourse, tho in Divinity; and a meer frothie frump therefore to object as a fault, the ab­sence of ought there, where it is neither needfull, nor sutable.

2. For my bitternesse against the Antinomians, wherewith my love to the brethren you imply to be tainted. Good Sir, give me leave to mind you, or thie Reader at least, a little of your great and palpable partialitie. It is not so long since the Ministers by the call and command of autority met and siting at Westmin­ster were styled by Mr. S. Epist. Dedic. prefixed to A­nimadvers. on M. Fullers Ser­mon. An Assembly of most sacred and re­verend Divines, for the reformation of the Church, convened by the Parliamen [...]. But now since he is fallen of to the Antinomian partie, and is become an Architect of a new Sect, that wants as yet a peculiar distinguishing name, (for the most of those that are of that note and notice, as to have gained any speciall denomi­nation, he disclaims and In a discours prefixed before his Smoke. excepts against) and he perceives that the frame of government commended by them to the Parliament, is adverse to his idol of immunitie and impunitie for all sorts of se­ctaries; now that most sacred and reverend Assembly, are with Mr. S. like Frontispiece of An end of one Controversie. See After-rec­kon. p. 4. that confused Assemblie at Ephesus, Act. 19.32. raised by Demetrius and his fellow crafts men, for the support of their trade, where­of some said one thing, and some another, and the more part knew not for what they were come together. Thus is the Assemblie turned and transformed, as Master S. his weathercock turns to and fro. Now Sir, just in the same manner you deal with Master G. For while, it seemes, you conceived some hope of gain­ing him to your side, at least so far forth to win and work on him, as to render him somewhat favourable and inclinable there­unto, by faining him one, that acknowledged no great difference between us and you; while this I say, lasted, Master G. was one of those Treat. p. 210. men of learning and judgement, that do not cry out An­tinomianism on free grace or free justification, as others do. But since he hath begun to touch your free hold, and to deal a little more freely with your work; and that hope, it seems, is utter­ly qasht; now is Mr. G. become a Repl. pag. 2 [...] froward old man; and one [Page 106] that may justly come under censure for his bitternesse against the Antinomians his brethren. and yet all the bitternesse I stand charg­ed with, must be out of that book, concerning my cariage, wherein Mr. S. himself was pleased formerly to afford me this testimony, sufficient, I hope, if his certificate may serve, to dis­charge me of this guilt. Nor is it an argument of an embittered Spirit, to discover the vilenesse and perniciousnesse of such Opi­nions, as persons either of corrupt judgement, or bad conscience, or both, endevour to taint and poyson the souls of Gods peo­ple with.

3. What your next interrogatorie tendeth to, of seeking mine own things in preaching and obeying, and making again of godli­nesse, he that hath but half an eye, yet may easily discrie. This you would cast as an aspersion, not upon me alone, but upon our whole Ministerie, as Reas. for Ʋ ­nity, 13. Sec. 5. elsewhere, that receive and are su­stained by such maintainance as the Laws of the land have allot­ted us. And it must be returned back unto you as a base ca­lumnie, untill you are able to see into mens hearts.

4. Concerning our fastings and repentance; they are such themes indeed, as those of your way cannot endure to hear of: and it is not unlikely, but they could very well be content, to have all ex­hortations to, or injunctions of repentance, razed out of the New Testament; as well as See Gods eye, Pref. p. 18. that petition for remission of sins, out of the Lords prayer. For as for Fasts, it is well known what some of them have been convinced to have taught; to wit, that In Star-cham­ber, before the Committe of the House of Com­mons; by them reported to the House. There ought to be no Fasting days under the Gospel. Nor ought beleevers to afflict their souls; no, not in a day of humiliation. that, To fast in obedience to civil commands of men, is to be servants of men. And your aim, Sir, here is apparent enough, to aspers and traduce our monthly fasts by autoritie enjoyned. But the im­presse of autoritie commanding us to convene, is not of that na­ture, that it must needs either imprint such a stamp of impietie and profanenesse upon our hearts, or so damp all gratious affe­ctions and dispositions in our souls, that we should thereby be disabled to the performance of that duty with true meltings of heart and sound humiliation: no more then it was presumed or deemed so to do, in those solemn fasts, recorded in the word, that were 2 Chr. 20.3. Joel 2.15, 16. called and commanded by religious Kings, yea and some also John 3.7. scarce such. And I marveil why you let slip the observati­on [Page 107] of the Sabbath, by autoritie enjoyned: which those of your way begin also to disclaim, affirming, that Qomodo Di­ogenes, [...] Plut. de Tranq. Vel po­tius ut Theocr. Idyl. 14. [...]. every day, with them is a Sabbath.

5. For your last, of invention, and art, and learning, (under which head also, I hope, that heathenish piece of Logik comes, which your soul so much abhorres) used in preaching and pray­ing: any one, that is but lightly acqainted with the humours of the times, may easily discern the drift of it; to comply with those that cry down all necessity and use of any learning; and to help to bear up and bear out the rude rapsodies of those that from the loom-work, or the cutting-bord, or the washing ball, and the like, stepping up into the pulpit, and supposing it enough to make there a great noise, throw out boldly what comes next to hand with them, making prayers and sermons without head or foot.

9. But to passe from your not professed aims, tho to any eye apparent and transparent enough, through the choise of such matter, as you picked out, to instance in and insist on: and to come to that, which you pretend, and would seem, one­ly to drive at, that upon due consideration, Concl. Ibid. there would be found so much of self, and hypocrisie, and vanitie, and flesh, and corruption in all those our performances, that all would prove unprofitable.

1. It is not denied that even the best-performances of the very best of Gods servants are more or lesse tainted with sin, some with a slighter stain, some with a deeper dye. Paul himself, that Act. 9.15. choise vessell of grace, found within himself, the flesh and the spirit so intermingled, that Rom. 7.21, —23. nothing came with him from the one, but it still received some light tincture at least from the other: yea, that which was sometime spoken by the Prophet Esay, tho I suppose De sensu ge­nuino videantur Luther, Calvi­nus, & Mus­cul. in loc. & conferatur cum Mic. 7.4. the genuine meaning of the place to be o­ther; to wit, that Isa. 64.6. All our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth: yet may truly be affirmed of all even the good actions of the godly: and Orig. in Rom. 3. Hieron. in Isa. August. nom. soliloq. cap. 28. Greg. in Job. l. 21. c. 15. Hugo in Job. 9.30. Bern. de verb. Isa. 5. & alibi saepe. Perald. sum. tract. 6. Dionys. in Psal. 132. Ferus in Matth. 12. & alibi. Oecolamp. Buleng. Alii in loc. Luther. assert. art. 31. Perkins Reform. Cath. Abbots Defen. Chamier. Panstr. tom. 3. lib. 11. cap. 18. Cajet. in 2 Cor. 5. Pigh. de fide & justif. Morus Apol. pro Erasm. Alii. so not a few, as well Papists at Protestants, [Page 108] old as new Writers doe either expound it, or apply it. Nor is it denied, but that many, yea the best of Gods Saints, have had their failings, and some of them grievous ones; of other manner, then any of those by Mr. S. here mentioned.

2. It is apparent, that notwithstanding these, either defects, or defaults, yet the Holy Ghost hath pronounced them to be 1 King. 3.6. & 9.4. & 15.11, 14. 2 Chr. 15.17. upright-hearted and Luk. 1 16. righteous in Gods sight: and that they have hereupon assured themselves of Psal. 18.20, 24. being in favour with God; and been so far forth thereby emboldened, tho in submisse and hum­ble manner, to Job 23.10.12. plead the sinceritie and integritie of their heart and life unto God; and both Isa. 38.3. Psal. 86.2. & 119.94. to ask, and Nehem. 13.14, 22, 31. to expect favovr, and mercy, and goodnesse from him in that regard.

3. Your main drift herein (and that not concealed, but pro­fessedly held forth) is, in plain terms, impious. For it is (as hath already in part also been shewed) directly to contradict the Apo­stle John, and to make him a liar: for hee telleth us, that hereby wee may know and have assurance, that we are in the state of grace and life; 1 Joh. 1.7. if we walk in light, Chap. 3. 14. if we love the brethren; Ibid. Ver. 19, 21, 22. if we do those things that are wel-pleasing unto God. And on the other side, you tell us, that we cannot hereby know, or have any assurance of it: and what is this, but in expresse terms to contradict what he saith, and to give the holy Ghost speaking by him the lie? Or what other end can you pretend that you propounded to your self in this your prolix and curious sifting and shriving of Mr. G. but to make this assertion good? And yet, alas, Sir, what is he? a feeble wretch, [...] Heb. 5.2. beset one every side with manifold infirmi­ties; a sorry creature, made up of a multitude of imperfections; one of the meanest in his Lords house, of the most unserviceable in his Masters familie. Why should you pick him out as a pa­tern, or an instance, whereby to disprove the Apostle? For what if Mr. G. a man of so many failings, were not able to make out any good account of his assurances from such grounds as John there gives; or were found so faultie, that he could not passe the triall, and attain approbation, by such marks, as he there propounds: and that Mr. S. here had laid such load of ini­quitie and hypocrisie upon him, as must of necessitie force him off from his hold. Yet what is that to the truth of the Apostles doctrine, or the proving of it to be vain, and fruitlesse, and useless, and frivolous, and such as no other, tho sincere and upright, might [Page 109] gather ground of assurance from? To what purpose then is it, Sir, that you [...], Mat. 1.19. Catamidiare: Spart. in Pio. An Catomidiare, ut Salm. bring him thus here on the stage? either it is onely to traduce him: and that is meer malignitie; or else it is to crosse the doctrine it self delivered by the Apostle; and that is grosse impietie. Make your choise, Sir, your self, for whe­ther of the two, you reserved this to the last: and let it then go for an assay of the rest, if you so please.

10. That all we do, or can do, is unprofitable, either unto the discharge of the least and lightest of our sins, or to the meriting of ought more or lesse at Gods hands, you need not tell us: we are not to learn it from you; nor need we to light our candle at any of your new waxen tapers for the discoverie of this truth: we had it long since from Matth. 23.8. our common Master; that Luk. 17.10. when wee have done all that ever wee can do, we are unprofitable servants. But withall we have also from him, that even such Isa. 42.3. Mat. 12.20. smoking [...]. ut Isa. 43.4. Ellychni­um, Jun. weeks, as you jeer at, Treat. p. 171. that have more smoke then light, he will not qench: and that the very buds and blossomes of sanctifying grace are Rom. 8.23. the first fruits of the spirit; and that the being of them in us, and the diligent and constant exercise of them with us, are a good 1 Joh. 4.13. & 3.14, 19. evidence of the state of grace and life: and that true 2 Cor. 7.10. repentance, and Godly sorow for sin, are good assurances of the pardon of sin, and 2 Cor. 1.21, 22. & 5.5. sure earnests of eternall salvation: and that by these therefore, tho wee Job 22.2. & 35.7. Psal. 16.2. cannot be profitable unto God; yet wee may be profitable, as Tit. 3.8. unto others, so herein also to our selves.

11. But, Conclus. p. 17. for your part, you say, you cannot be so uncharitable, but to wish us a better assurance, then what I and my brethren can find in our own works and righteousnesse. For it is not what wee ap­prove, but what God approves, is accepted. Luk. 16.9. Gal 6.7, 8. 1 Tim. 6.18, 19.

1. Sir, I and my brethren are much beholden to you for your charitie. Which yet as appears by the fruits of it, is not very fer­vent towards us: and which in the very next clause, wherewith you consign all, you bewray some want of it; when you charge us, with maintaining the truth formerly taught by us, (which your self cannot but confesse to be found in Gods word, and in the Sermons and Sammaries of Christ and his Apostels) and opposing you and these your new-found and new forged lights, Concl. Ibid. out of a lothnesse to loose our reputation, by going out of an old track of di­vinitie. [Page 110] Tho that indeed would be the readiest way rather, to get reputation with the multitude in these humorous times; wherein mens appetites ar not more nice then their Jo [...] 34 3. ears, and nothing relisheth with them, but [...]. either new diet, or old diet newly dressed. But whether this be not against the rules of charitie, thus to sit upon the consciences of others, I shall appeal, not so much to your own conscience, (whose doctrine profes­sedly teacheth not to make conscience of ought in regard of Gods sight and displeasure) as to the conscience and judgement of any other that understand and acknowledge what charity and con­science import.

2. Nor unsutable to this your qick and sharp, tho short cen­sure, is the longer tail or train it drawes after it; the rather, it is not unlikely, drawn out thus in length, because it goes great with secret insinuations, such as are not unusuall with you (which any intelligent Reader therefore will yet easily discern) of the glorious excellencies of your illumination by vertue of your new-lights attained: Wherein you tell us, that Concl. Ibid. when our spirits shall once begin to be unclothed of forms of darknesse, (which wee must conceive your self to be devested of; howso­ever wee silly souls remain enwrapt up still in them) and self-righteousnesse; and do 2 Cor. 3 18. with open face behold the glory of the Lord, (as your self do; wee as yet do not) wee will cry out, Isa. 6.5. Wo is me, I am undone, for I have seen the Lord; which none of us belike, you and your brethren, to return you your own words, onely yet doe:) and, Luk. 5.8. Lord depart from me, for I am a sinfull creature: and, Matth. 11.7. What went you out to see? mine own unrigh­teousnesse? or rather, a reed shaken with the wind? (a not un­fit emblem, if your frequent shifting and flittings to and fro be well weighed, of your self): which long sage admonition, or premonition rather, wherein like a cunning wizzard, you [...] Lucian. fore­tell us what is already done by us, (for there is none of us but acknowledge as much already as you tell us wee will doe, when wee have attained to your light; and wee are like to be no great gainers therefore by your new light, if that be all wee should get by it.) Whether it discover not some height of spirit above Christian modesty, and rash censure of others beyond Christian charity, I leave it likewise unto the consideration of others.

[Page 111]3. For our assurance of our peace made with God, wee rest wholly on the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, whom by faith we pitch our selves upon, as the sole procurer and purcha­ser of it; and wee renounce our own righteousnesse, which yet wee acknowledge to have received from God through Christ, or ought else in us, as utterly unable to satisfie for the least of our sins, or to Psal. 130. & 143.2. appear at the bar of Gods exact justice. Howbeit, from such graces wherewith God in any measure hath been pleased to endow us, and the workings thereof, as well outward as inward, wee take encouragement (Gods own word affording us good warrant so to do) thereby further 1 Joh. 1.7. & 4.14. to assure our souls, that wee are of the number of those that are reconciled to God in Christ, and are thereby Eph. 4.30. sealed up unto life eternall. And whosoever shall charge us with presumption for so doing, shall withall be enforced to condemn, not onely multitudes of Gods faithfull servants, whose practice wee find u on record in Scripture as guilty of the same crime with us; but even the pen-men also of Scripture, as teachers of doctrine tending to presumption, who have taught us so to do. And yet dare we not be so presumptuous, as to offer to perswade either o­thers or our selves, that wee or they have interest in Christ, tho not repenting of our sins, but remaining wholly still in them; or that our faith or theirs may be [...] 1 Tim. 1.5. & 2 Tim. 15. sound and sincere, tho not ac­companied in some measure with other such spirituall qualifi­cations.

4. It is true, that 2 Cor. 10.18. not what wee approve, but what God approves is accepted. But Sir, wee know, that Psa. 119.108. Isa. 567. God doth approve and accept the weak and unworthy services and sacri­fices of his sincere-hearted servants: and that they are Pro. 15.8, 26. Phil. 4.18. Col. 3.20. 1 Thess. 4.1. Heb. 13.16. well-pleasing to him, notwithstanding those manifold defects and taints either attending them, or adhering to them; they being also, for the guilt of them, washed away in the bloud of our Sa­viour, who hath undertaken the discharge as well of Exod. 28.38. the ini­quities of our spirituall performances, as of Isa. 53.6, 7. our excesses other­wise: Which yet wee d [...]em that wee have just cause to be Rom. 7.18, 23, 24. humbled for; and that as well for the one, as for the other. So that neither do wee rest on the worth of ought that either is in us, or is done by us, which we know and acknowledge to have [Page 112] much more matter of humiliation mixt with it, then you can know by us, or can truly therefore tell us of: Nor yet doe wee in regard thereof deem our assurance the weaker: since that it is not the qantitie of it, but the sinceritie, not the worth of it, weighed in its own intrinfecall valew, but considered as God [...] earnest, and a seal of our portion in Christ, from whence this our assurance ariseth. And we shall desire you, if this do not satisfie you, either concerning us or other faithfull, to propound your captious cavils unto John the Evangelist, and demand of him, why he put us and other Christians on such a puzeling course of assurance, as by the finenes and subtility of your sublima­ted wits, you and those of your way have discovered that to be, that he hath delivered, and directed us and them unto

Lastly, Sir, for a farewell, I shall in friendly manner advise you, to be hereafter more sparing, then here you have been, in in­sulting over, and trampling on the the blindnesse and darknesse of others, least by your new pretended light you lay open your own folly, in the impotencie and insolencie of your spirit, unto the light and fight of others; men are not usually so blind in this seeing age, but that they can discry day-light at a little loop-hole.

Thus having ript up and uncovered your Reply from the first stich to the fag end, I may truly say of it, that I have, as I found it, so shewed it, to be such, as one of your Hyperaspistae, or Encomiastae rather pronounces of his book, whome he oppo­seth; to wit, I.P. his An­swer to Mr. Vi­cars in his E­pistle. a worke consisting, the most part of it, of inconclu­sive notions, having no more to underprop them, but your own Ipse dixi. And tho I will not be so bold with you, as he is with his Antagonist; whome he tels, that Ibid. he cannot imagine him to be yet out of his hornbook in divinitie, that expresseth so little Lo­gick in his writings: which blow so unadvisedly given to his Cli­ent, whom hee had undertaken not to defend onely, but to commend to, being one that cannot endure to hear of Logick in matter of divinitie, how he will by his Sophistrie teach him to ward, I know not, and must leave him therefore to crave him mercy. Yet I beleeve your Treatiset to be in some kind such as he saith, Ans. to Mr. V. p. 9. Sect. 3. to subtile to old men; (those of the Jer. 6.16. old way, that [Page 113] God by the Prophet advised his people to looke after,) whom he therefore pronounceth to have the old man still in them; (which we all, indeed with Rom. 7.17. the Apostle howsoever it be with these new illuminates, denie not to have more or lesse still in us) and to have been infected (which himself belike never was) with the old leven of outward dispensations, (one of the fairest terms that these mens black mouths, can afford Gods ordinances, and and the doctrines and dealings of Gods Prophets and Apostles with his people) and self conceit: (one of the truest and most conspi­cuous characters of those of his own way) as allso that Mr. S. spins too fine threds in Divinitie; (that which Mr. S. himself Treat. p. 37. chargeth the Legalists with as a fault in them) and that he is too sublime and spirituall (the term that all your Familisticall, fanta­sticall Novellists, as well as the old Qui se solos pneumaticos in­digetabant, or­thodos Psychi­cos. Nos agni­tio Paracleti, at­qe defensio, dis­junxit a Psy­chicis, Tert. ad Prax. c. 1. Et de Monogam. cap. 1. Nos spirituales merito dici facit agnitio spiritua­lium charisma­tum. Sed Psy­chicis non reci­pientibus spiri­tum, ea qae sum spiritus, non pla­cent. Mountanists affect) for those that take all in grosse (in those plain terms, in which Christ and his Apostles preached them) and have not yet attained the more ex­cellent way; (the new way now revealed, but till now concealed, and in the sacred writings of former times not to be found) wherein (if you will upon his own experience, and that is proof, I hope, sufficient, beleive him); and yet, according to his way, wee need not stick much at it with him.

Mr. S. Treatise (he saith) doth so lay down the doctrine of Free-grace in that manner and with that demonstration of spirit. (that he and his professeth) as no other writing yet extant in print doth the like. But I beleive withall, that the Doctrine of Free-grace in the way that it was taught both by Gods Prophets and Christs Apostels, is so far from being either cleered or advanced by this Treatise of his, that it is much obscured aspersed and scandalised thereby: as hath evidently been shewed both here and before.

Concerning which, Sir, to make an end at length with you, let the Reader, that will be pleased to take the pains, to com­pare mine Answer with this your Reply, and your Reply with this Rejoynder to it, when he shall perceive what a poor pittance you have returned ought unto, in regard of what you have whol­ly let slip, and how little you have spoken to the purpose, in that whereunto you have returned ought; judge, whether this were not rather undertaken by you, that you might seem to have done [Page 114] somewhat, then out of hope that any good fatisfaction should thereby be given unto any that would advisedly consider of either, unlesse those onely of your own partie. Unto whom I shall onely wish more wisedome then to suffer themselves, for­saking the light and conduct of Gods saving truth reveiled in his word, to be seduced misled by such false, tho flairing, lights as may bring them into, and leave them in, those miry qags, where­in finding no firm footing, nor being able to get out of, they may stick fast irrecoverably, to their eternall perdition.