Defense of a Treatise Touching the Suffering and Victory of Christ, Preface
A Praeface to the Christian Readers touching our 2. Queſtions and their Defenſe following.
IT is a iuſt thing with God (deare brethren) to puniſh in his diſſolute people ſinne with ſinne: and where one iniquitie is not repented, to binde others therevnto. Which thing ſurely we may to well ſee is com to paſſe and befallen vsus in England deſeruedly at this day. Who after ſo long, plentifull, and comfortable enioying of the Gospell (the most precious bleſſing of God in this life) are now allmoſt generally com to this, that we hauehave loſt the louelove thereof. What remayneth then for vsus, when we ſet ſo light by this Heauenly grace forgetting our firſt louelove which once wee ſeemed to beare towards it, and wherein now wee ought to hauehave abounded, but that God ſhould puniſh this our hainous and generall ſinne with others, and among others ſend vsus deluſions euen ſtrong deluſions to broch & beleeue lyes, ſeeing we ſhew ſo ſmall affection and ſo little pleaſure in his truth. The Lord in iuſtice then (no doubt) doth puniſh vsus with ſuch deluſions of error as are now ſo rife in our land at this time, more then in times past when as the Gospell hath ben ſoundlyer preached and better beloued among vsus, then now it ſeemeth to bee. Now ſo much the more dangerous this miſchief is, as alſo it must needes proue yet ſtill, becauſe it is offered vntounto vsus forſooth by the frendes of the Goſpell, and fathers of the Church as they deſire to be called, yet being indeed ſole Commanders in Religion, very Lords ouer mens cōſciences, compulſiuely ouerruling their brethren and Gods deare flocke; contrary to the“Mat and 2 2 Cor. 1. Cor. 1. Pet. expreſſe Scripture, and all well ordred Ancient and preſent tymes. How needfull then is it that the Lords faithfull Remembrancers forget not themſelues in theſe deceiptfull dayes, nor that great charge which the great Pastour of the Flock hath layd vponupon them, but to bee watchfull and diligent and for no respect of perſons to ſuffer any part of the gracious truth of God to bee diſgraced by men: chiefly that part and point (if we can diſcerne what it is) which by the corruption thereof raiſeth and maintayneth moſt of our other vaine corrupt and contentious quaestions which now ſwarme among vsus, yet which eaſily would bee cut cleane downe if the word of God alone might beare ſway, as we ſee it to be brought to paſſe this day by the bleſſing of God in other Reformed Churches of forraine Countryes. For my part, being occaſioned at this time more ſpecially to ſpeak of 2. of theſe foreſaid corrupt doctrines, J am not vnwilling (though vnequally yoked) to defend the truth in them. It hath pleaſeth Mr Bilſon the now L. Biſhop of Wincheſter to begin among vsus a new matter of faith neuer heard of before in England (but only in the dayes of Popery) touching the All ſufficiency of the meere Bodily Sufferings of Chriſt, and to maintaine an other which was neere worne out, of his going downe to Hell in Soule. In both which becauſe my conſcience aſſured mee that hee was much mistaken, and laboured that others ſhould mistake alſo, I thought it not beſides my duty (the Lord offering me opportunity) to maintaine the truth, and that in all plainenes and evidence of the Scripture as God inabled me with. This now a while ſince being publiſhed (wherein my truſt is I caryed my ſelfe no otherwiſe then J ought) the Author and maintayner of the contrary hath ſo of late intertayned it, as ſeemeth to mee and to many others wonderfull. Wonderfull, not for ſtrength of reaſons nor for exquiſit matter ſuch as neuer before was delivered, though his learning J acknowledge and will not but reverence his gifts: but wonderfull his anſwer is and altogeather extraordinary, conſidering that ſuch incomparable bitternes, diſdaine, skoffing, reproch, and furious rage doth ſo abundantly com from him therein againſt my poore ſelfe, being yet by the mercy of God a true Chriſtian, a Miniſter of the Goſpel, and one (I praiſe the Lorde) which euer hauehave bin carefull to bee free from the ſcandalls of the World. Though heerein J boaſt not, but rather (with the Apoſtle) will boaſt of mine infirmities. Verily this now J hauehave learned by his writing better then euer I conceaued before; namely what great oddes he maketh and deſireth to be made betweene himſelfe a Lord Biſhop, and an other being but a Preacher of Gods most holy word. Well: this is the Rhetorike and the ornaments of his Concluſion againſt my treatiſe. But all this is beſides his Matter, which nevertheles may hauehave peradventure ſom weight in it. It may peradventure. Wherefore J ſee a double neceſſity vrging me to reply therevnto. Firſt to the end that his exceptions and reaſons, (that is to ſay, his wholl matter) may appeare yet better to be ſo weake and vnſufficient as indeed they are. See: that thoſe vncivill reproches (I will not ſay vnchristian revilings) being the bewty and forme of his booke, may appeare to be but the froth of a distempered ſtomacke, the colour of reaſon and iust cauſe which he casteth on it, being taken away. As touching the matter therefore thus I purpoſe to deale. I will begin with his later writing, which he calleth a Concluſion, becauſe he mainly directeth it against mee, taking in by the way alſo all ſuch places & points in the former Treatiſe as do rightly concerne our matter in hand. Finally, as touching his reproches and cruell words I intend wholy to paſſe ouer them, ſeeing for them neither is he any whit the better, nor my ſelfe the worſe.