Opposition to Errors of William Sherlock, Chapter 3 · Section 2 (3 of 3)

Opposition to Errors of William Sherlock · Chapter 3 · Section 2 (3 of 3)

p. 221One blow more he must give the Doctor for a parting blow, and then he will give us leave to take a little breath. The Doctor it seems had said; That in Christ we design the same End that God doth, which is, the Advancement of his Glory. And is he a Christian that denyes it? Ought not all that wear the Livery of a Redeemer, to pursue the great End p. 222of Advancing Gods glory? If the Doctor had affirmed twice Two to make Four, our Author is bound in Conscience to deny it; but is there never a Paraphrase that may dress them up in some ugly hew? O yes, one of his id est's will do the feat: That is, (sayes he) by trusting to the Expiation and Righteousness of Christ for salvation, without doing any thing our selves, we take care that God shall not be robbed of the Glory of his Free-grace, by a Competition of any Merits, and Deserts of our own. That little policy there is in these words, lyes in that short Parenthesis, which with more cunning than honesty he has wedg'd into his own gloss, [Without doing any thing our selves.] But where, when, in what Book, Chapter, Section, Page, or Paragraph, has the Doctor encouraged any to look for salvation by Christ, without doing anything our selves? Cannot we design the Glory of God, trusting to the Expiation and Righteousness of Christ, but all Obedience must presently be excluded? And yet his Parenthesis is capable of a double sence: 1. As excluding Obedience simply and absolutely, and so they are none of the Doctors words, but a crafty Insinuation of our Authors, to mislead us into this Opinion, that the Doctor has quite cashiered Obedience from having any place in our Salvation; a thing so abhorred by all his Principles, so contrary to all his Writings, that nothing could have been either more unjustly forged against, or basely fixed upon him: 2. They may be construed as excluding Obedience in some respects, for some Ends and Purposes; and thus though the Doctor has not said it in that place, yet I suppose he will say it, and maintain it when he has done: That Believers may, and ought to expect p. 223Salvation from the Expiation, and Righteousness of Christ, without doing any thing themselves, for those special and particular ends for which Christ Suffered. We do nothing (in Comparison of our Duty and those Obligations that are laid upon us) yet whatsoever we do, 'tis not to satisfie Gods Iustice, to appease his Anger, to Iustifie our selves, to Purchase and Merit eternal Life: And hereby God has taken Care that he be not Robb…dof the Glory of his Free-grace, nor Christ of the Glory of his Sufferings, by a Competition of any Merits, and Deserts of our own: And let all the Sons of Men take Care also at their utmost Peril how they do it.

Some men, I see, are wonderfully pleased with their own unsavoury Eructations, though they offend their Neighbours with their Onyons and Garlick; and accordingly our Author is so highly taken with his own Crudities, and undigested Notions, that he is resolved to give us them over again in a Scheme of Religion; (for this is all the Mode, since Systematical Divinity grew out of Fashion, and that some do begin to affect the Title of Schematical Divines:) In which admirable Product of his Wit and Phancy, he brings nothing New, his Rayling faculty like an old Skrub-broom, being worn to the Stumps, and offers as little Proof as Novelty, and therefore gratis Negatum might serve for an answer to gratis Dictum; yet that he may not Complain that we Overlook his Excellencies, I shall Sprinkle a few soft Drops upon him as he goes along.

1. In the entrance of his Scheme, he stumbles at the same Block he once broke his Shins at; supposing these men to assert: That God appointed and p. 224ordained sin for the glory of his Vindictive Iustice, and Pardoning Grace. A Charge so Idle, Vain, and False, that nothing can attone, but his pleading invincible Ignorance: God did not appoint and ordain sin, that he might glorifie his Mercy and Justice thereby, but upon Supposition that sin had been Introduced, he Over-rules it, he appoints it to another End, orders it to another Purpose, than in its own Nature it could ever have reacht. And this the Doctor calls Putting a New end to sin, p. 106. And was God ever denied the Liberty, before t'other day, to bring Good out of Evil?

2. He lays it down as their Doctrine: It pleased God that man should sin, but when he hath sinned He is displeased with it. This seems to be a piece of Wit, designed to make the Devil Merry; but all the Humour of it lies in the Ambiguity of one poor word. It pleased God to permit sin, and yet when man had sinned he was justly displeased with it. Gods permission had no Influence upon mans Transgression. But how would he have Insulted over that man that should openly Preach and Write: That against the Holy Child Iesus, whom God anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, and the People of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever Gods Hand, and Gods Counsel determined before to be done, and yet when it was done according to the Determination of his own Hand and Counsel, he was extreamly displeased with it? And yet I could tell him of one that has so said, who Scorns his most scornful Censure: It may please God that a thing may be done, and take no pleasure in the thing done, nor in the Instruments that did it. It pleased him to suffer his own People to be afflicted by the Heathen, p. 225and yet he was sore displeased with the Heathen that helped forward the Affliction, Zech. 1. 15. It pleased the Father to bruise his Son, and yet he was displeased with the Instruments that bruised him: God can do the same thing Righteously, which Men and Devils do unrighteously. Judas delivered up Christ out of Covetousness, the Iews out of Envie, Pilate out of Fear, or to pick a Thank from Caesar, but God Delivered him for our Offences.

3. He charges them with this Doctrine: That nothing can withstand the Decrees of God. We have scarce another Instance wherein he has Candidly represented their Judgment, and was not able to throw some Dirt upon it.

4. He proceeds to play the Lucian, and Scoff at Gods Justice; It's impossible (says he) for God to forgive the least sin without a compleat and perfect Satisfaction: Let him but grant that God cannot forgive the greatest sin without compleat and perfect Satisfaction, and they will undertake to prove from thence, that none is so small but needs a Satisfaction.

5. He proceeds: This falls hard upon those miserable Wretches, whose ill fortune it was to be left out of the Roll of Election, without any fault of theirs: To be left out of the Ro…l of Election by Fortune, is a piece of prophane Nonsence, which at once discovers the depth of his Intellectuals, and the height of his Boldness. What more Desultory, than that which Heathens call Fortune? What more stable and fixed, than that which the Word of God calls Election? The Old Church of England would have Taught him to have Spoken otherwise of that Tremendous Mysterie. Art. 17… ▪ Election p. 226to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the Foundation of the World was laid, He hath constantly Decreed by his Counsel secret to us, to deliver from Curse and Damnation, those whom He hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation, &c. Now though he believes little of all this, yet he might remember he had Subscribed the whole, and considered also tis the Doctrine of that Church whereof he is a Member, and therefore might have Covered their Nakedness, and at least Perfum'd them with a few good Cheap words against their Burial: It were tedious to pursue the particulars, I only say: If this Scheme of Religion as it stands here upon Record, be the Subject of his Scorn and Reproach, I hope we may read it backwards, and then 'twill be his own Creed; some few Slanders indeed which were inserted as a Haut▪goust, to giuegive it the better Grace, we may Omit, but for the rest no doubt he will own it to be the Standard of his Belief.

God from the Beginning never Designed to Glorifie either his Iustice, or Mercy, and because there would have been Occasion abundantly Administred both to Punish and Pardon too, though man had never sinned, therefore he never concern'd himself how things would go. And indeed it had been to no purpose, for God to Decree any thing, since if he had, all his Decrees, and Appointments had been easi…y withstood: And therefore man sinned whether God would or no, and full sore against his Will; for if he could have prevented it, we may be sure he would; but when man had sinned God was not much displeased p. 227with it, for you must know that his Justice is so Facile, and Easie an Attribute (and if it be one at all, it's but a Secondary one) that he can easily forgive the greatest sin without Satisfaction made to it. This is very good News [if it be true] to all the World, especially seeing there's no such thing as the Roll of Election, and by Consequence no preterition neither, but all men stand upon even Ground, and every one upon his own Legs, which they may the better do because they have many ways left (if need were) to pacifie Gods anger, in case he should happen to be a little displeased with sin, viz. By their own Temporal sufferings, Repentance, and Obedience, which though they answer not Gods Law, yet being sincere, its well enough: By this it appears that God is not Essentially Just and Righteous, seeing He can Pardon the greatest sin, and serve his own Glory, without any regard to the Death of Christ, or Inflicting upon sinners Eternal Sufferings. But now this is but one part of the Glory of God, that He can pardon sin without Propitiation made by Christ, the other is that he can reward the sinner too, without the Righteousness of Christ: And therefore there's more ado than needs about a pretended Difficulty how to Reconcile Gods Iustice and Mercy. For neither is Iustice so severe as to require Satisfaction, and the Merit of our own Obedience is so Considerable, that we need not much be beholden to Mercy. And to speak in a word, the Demerit of sin is short of Infinite, and therefore the Creature may Expiate its own sins by enduring Finite, that is Temporary Torments; whereas then men Talk that to Unite p. 228these two Extreams, and reconcile such Contradictions was a work of Infinite Wisdome, as well as Goodness; they Talk Idly; for (as I said before) whatever there was of Goodness in it, there could be no great Wisdom; and therefore it's vainly said, that to Effect it God should send his Son into the World to satisfie all Righteousness in his Life, and to make a full satisfaction for sin by his Death; for neither could his Blood be of Infinite value (though for Fashion sake, we call it the Blood of the Son of God) nor Expiate an Infinite guilt, or make satisfaction to Gods Justice (if so be he had stood upon't:) And therefore to Instruct you aright in these Matters, sin had no such Infinite guilt in't as Christians speak of, nor did Gods Justice exact such Satisfaction: For he is more Glorified by Conniving at, and Indulging of sin at cheap Rates, (for the Naturalness of Gods Iustice to him is a Position to be abhorred) without any Security given, or Compensation made to it; that is, he is so Merciful that whereas sin may possibly have some Grains of Evil in it, yet in God there are not only Drams, but Ounces of such Mercy which he will freely dispense, without regarding what becomes of his other Attributes; which you will confess to be a glorious kind of Mercy, and such, as Impenitent sinners cannot wish for a better. And since as I have often said, and must Inculcate it again, the Justice and Vengeance of God (if they should prove more than Names) yet require no Consideration to be had of them, but that their Claims may be easily waved or slighted, or slubber'd over by general Mercy without reference to Christ, p. 229his Death or Sufferings, and God can Pardon as many and as great sins as He pleases, without fear of being reputed a Remiss Governor: Hereupon a most glorious and comfortable Scene of Affairs appears to sinners, for now God can embrace sinners as a kind Father, and account them Righteous without any Adoption through Christ; nay, as we told you above, though Christ had never appeared in the World. And this is enough in all Reason to make sinners Transported with Joy: But yet I have better News than this; For as God never required that his Iustice should be satisfied, so he is not so Punctual and Strict that his Laws should be Obeyed: For if we be but Innocent once by Pardon, what's matter for a Righteousness by keeping the Law (or any other way) to make us accepted with God, for the former will deliver us from Hell, and that's all that we need care for? But indeed you cannot well conceive what 'tis to be Pardoned, but must presently be flusht up with a Conceit of Eternal reward. There is one thing I would acquaint you with, but 'tis a great Secret: If Christ has Satisfied at all, its for sins of Omission, as well as Commission; that is, though we never Repent, Believe, Turn from sin to God, yet if there be any thing at all in't, I'me enclin'd to this, that the very Neglect of the Terms of the Covenant, shall not hurt us; but we may be Reputed by God to have done all, and never regarded to keep any: And now God, and sinners may very well agree together (for though Communion be an ill favoured word, yet I allow they may Converse) For what should hinder them? Original sin they have none, and for Actual sin, p. 230there's no such Demerit in it as should necessarily enforce Gods Justice to Insist upon a Reparation of its Honour, and therefore let none trouble themselves with those Mormo's, some have made of Iustice to affright Children; nor on the other hand make such a doe to be cloathed with the white and spotless Robes of Christs Righteousness; for though I cannot deny God to be Holy, yet his Iustice sleeps like a Sword of State in a Velvet Scabbard. Let all therefore set their hearts at rest; do but repent as well as you can, and you shall be Saved with a notwithstanding Gods Iustice, and notwithstanding you have no Interest in the Satisfaction of Christ.

These may reasonably be supposed some of our Authors Fundamental Doctrines, seeing he so vehemently Persecutes their Contraries, which for Distinction-sake, may well be called, The Religion of his own Itching Noddle.

Our Author had promised …s a Discovery of what Additions some men had made to the Gospel; and he has now saved his Recognizance, and shew'd himself Master of his word, at as wild a Rate as ever was Indited from Bedlam. There is but one thing more calls for his Abilities, and that is to Render the Practice of it as ridiculous as he has done the Principles, and then perhaps we may obtain a short Cessation from this hot Service. Now the Practice hereof (he says) consists in accepting of Christ, and coming to Him, and applying his Merits, and Satisfaction and Righteousness to our selves for Pardon, and Iustification, and in those Duties which are consequent upon such an Union and closure with Christ. And is it possible that these things should p. 231hear ill with them who would pass for Christians? Or must we Renounce the Scriptures to Gratisie a few Raving Men, who are fallen out with all the World and their own Understandings? Accepting of Christ must be Reviled; and yet to this are we directed, that we may become the Sons of God, John 1. 12. As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God. Coming to Christ, must be loaded with Scorn; and yet our Saviour has expresly encouraged All that labour, and are heavy laden, to come to him that he may give them rest, Mat. 11. 28. If these Phrases be not rightly understood, let us be Instructed in the Spirit of Meekness; but by no means let the very Expressions of Scripture, be the Theam for every conceited Buffoon to exercise his Railing Faculties upon. The first thing that offers it self, is a gross Self-contradiction: For whereas he had Confessed, that The Practice of these mens Religion consists in accepting of Christ, &c. And in those Duties which are consequent upon such an Union, and closure with Christ; yet in the very next words, before he had finisht his Period, or made a Pause, he represents it thus. Christ having satisfied for our sins, it's a plain and necessary Consequence that we have nothing to do, but to get an Interest in the Satisfaction and Righteousness of Christ, that they may be Imputed to us; for he is very Ignorant of Christ, that hopes any thing else will avail him to Salvation. Nothing to do? Yes: We have those consequential Duties to do, which follow upon our Union and closing with Christ. Nothing to do? Why, we have enough to do for Time and Eternity; enough to fill up every corner of our Hearts, every p. 232Moment of our Time, with Service, and Obedience to Him who hath Reconciled us to God, by the Blood of his Cross: If Malice were not sometimes blind, there would be no Living by it in the World. Now (says he) that we may thus come to Christ, its absolutely necessary that we be sensible of our Lost and Undone condition. And dares he prescribe it as a safer way to keep up an Insensibility of it? A sensless regard to our Sin, and Misery thereupon, is no very hopeful way to put a sinner upon a serious enquiry after the proper Remedy: I wish we were sure of our Authors Thoughts herein, and whether he does indeed own that All men are by Nature in such a Lost and Undone condition. The Church of Englands Thoughts are Evident, Art. 9. [Of Original, or Birth-sin:] Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians vainly talk) but it is the corruption of the Nature of every Man, whereby Man is very fa… gone from Original Righteousness, and is enclined to Evil.—So that in every Person born into the World, it deserveth Gods Wrath and Damnation. Surely here's something that deserves our most serious Thoughts: That which deserves Damnation at Gods Hands, deserves consideration at ours. He that can carry about with him daily a depraved Nature, enclined to evil, running counter to Gods Will, and not lament it with a bitter Lamentation, has taken some of our Authors Hypnoticks; and how to bewail it without being sensible of it, is a Mysterie perhaps as deep as any of those we owe to his Discovery. And is not this to Reproach Christ himself? Mat. 9. 12, 13. They that be whole have no need of the Physitian, but they that are sick: p. 233Ay (says he) these are Metaphors, and I will Rail them out of Credit and Countenance immediately. Well, you shall not fall out with Christ for a Metaphor, if I can help it: Read the Next words; I come not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance: And they must be sensible sinners that will regard the Call of Christ, or think they need Repentance. Another Quarrel he has against the Practice of their Religion, is: That they hold it absolutely necessary, that we be sensible how Impossible it is for us to Attone the Wrath of God, to have any righteousness of our own, that can bear the severe Scrutiny of his Iustice. Be it so, if there be no Remedy; It seems then if we could work up our Imagination into a Presumption, that Gods Anger against sin is very small, and our Righteousness very great, so great as to endure the severe Scrutiny of Gods Iustice, we might purchase this Gentlemans favour: But the Gospel has taught us otherwise, Rom. 3. 10. That there is none righteous, no not one: That by the deeds of the Law, shall no flesh be justified in Gods sight, ver. 20. But he lays about him, and Reproaches the Spirit of Bondage, the Spirit of Adoption, and at last falls a Reviling Christs own Words. We shall (says he in his fleering way) never Value, and Prize Christ, and go to him for Salvation, till we are Convinc'd of the necessity of him, and driven to him by the Threatnings of the Law; and the Promise of Ease and Rest is made only to the weary and heavy Laden, and those only shall be satisfied, who Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness. Really, this Doctor Owen, and his Fellows, are dangerous Persons, I wonder not now that some think it not p. 234fit they should live a day; That ever they should be so bold to read, or quote Matth. 5. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness, for they shall be filled; or that other place, Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; or to mention, Galat. 3. 24. Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ: But did they make the Scriptures? or coin, and invent these words of their own heads? or has our Author a License to expose the Expressions of the Holy Spirit, as well as the Doctors? Surely, an awfull regard to the Authority of Jesus Christ speaking in them, might have commanded some Reverence to them, and controlled this unbridled liberty of prostituting Sacred Matters. But thus much, and too much of what they make of Conviction. And now (says he) being thus stung with Sin, it is time for us to look up to Christ, as the Israelites did on the Brazen Serpent that we may be healed: But is this Gentleman indeed a Minister, a Teacher of others, the Rector of St. George Buttolphs-lane, and knows not that he reproaches Christ himself? Ioh. 3. 15. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have Eternal Life: And does not Christ himself authorize the Parallel? That as none were healed in the Wilderness, but those onelyonly who sensible of pain, looked up to the Brazen Serpent, as Gods own Institution, to which a Promise of healing was annexed; so neither can we receive any benefit by Christ, till under a deep sense of our sin and misery, we accept of, and close with a Redeemer, whom the Father has held forth to be a p. 235Propitiation, through Faith in his Blood, for the Remission of sins. But this is not all: Now we must begin to see his fulness, and perfection, and suitableness to the wants and necessities of our Souls, that he is our Attonement, our Wisdom, our Righteousness, and all that we can desire or need. Well; and if they do conceive Christ to have both fulness and suitableness of all Grace and Mercy in him, I hope it's neither Felony nor Treason neither: We have an Assurance, Heb. 4. 15. That Christ is such a Priest as is touched with a feeling of our Infirmities, and was in all points tempted like unto us, yet without sin; (there's great suitableness,) and we are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy, and find Grace to help in time of need, (and there's fulness): And surely our Author does sometimes pray to Christ, (at least he is enjoyn'd by the Litany to say,) O God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy upon us miserable Sinners: Now if he can indeed discover no suitableness, no fulness of Grace in Christ, to answer the needs and wants of those miserable Sinners, he had better save his Breath to cool his Pottage.

It is further charged upon them, That when the sense of their sins and unworthiness makes them afraid to come to Christ, they have recourse to their Acquaintance with Christs Person, to answer their Doubts, and quiet their Consciences. Which charge (though it has a Tincture and dash of our Authors good Nature in it) they can easily bear, and do confess, that when the sense of their sins, and Unworworthiness, at any time discourages them from Comeing to God for the Pardon of sins, they do relieve themselves from the Gospel, which has spoken great p. 236things of the Ability, and Readiness of a Mediator, to save humble and repenting Sinners, that are willing to receive him as God has offer'd him in the Covenant of Grace; They do there find that Christ came into the World, to save the chiefest of Sinners, such as had been Blasphemers, Persecutors, and Injurious, and yet have obtained Mercy, that Christ in them might shew forth all long-suffering, for a Pattern to them that should afterwards believe on him to Everlasting Life, 1 Tim. 1. 15, 16, 17. And do further believe, that to deny this, is at once to renounce the whole Gospel; and if it be not a Fruit of down-right Infidelity and Atheisme, yet most apparently leads thither.

Our Author having destroy'd the Living, begins to prey upon the Dead; and has therefore raked Mr. Shepheard out of his Grave, to shew us that he has some skill in Necromancy: We read of one that had his dwelling amongst the Tombs, possest with an unclean Spirit, but so outragious that none could tame him, no Chains would hold him, so fierce that none durst pass by the way: And as I remember, Q. Curtius, tells us of the Hyaena, That her great delight is to dig up Carcases, and insult over them; And what was the Character of a great Prince, that he never spared Man in his Anger, nor Woman in his Lust; may be accommodated to him whose Ambition would Triumph over the quick and the dead. I know well▪ that a few of our Authors Squibs and Crackers will pass for a Confutation of the clearest Truth, with them who are of the same distempered Spleen with himself; but with those holy and pious Souls, to whose Conversion, Consolation and Establishment in the Gospel, God has blessed the Labours of p. 237that worthy Person, their Repute is not to be shaken by the feeble Attempts of grinning Malice and Envy, whose onelyonly Reason for their hatred of things excellent, is because they are Excellent.

I think there cannot a more proper defence of wronged Innocency be found out, than to repeat the foul-mouth'd language of Detraction: Hear therefore what our Author sayes. The Reason of all this is very plain from our Acquaintance with Christ, for he is our Physician, and therefore we must not think of healing our selves, but must goe to him with all our diseases and sores about us, that he Alone may have the Honour of healing us. Mock on: He is a Fountain set open for sin and for uncleanness, and therefore we must goe to him with all our Filthiness, to be cleansed and washed; for if we be first clean, there's no need of a Fountain. He is all Fulness, and therefore it is not fit that we should carry any thing to him, as if he needed any thing from us: He is our Righteousness, and therefore if we have any, we must leave all behind us when we goe to him, &c. So that all we have to doe in this great work, is to goe to Christ weary, and sick, and filthy, and naked, stript of every thing but our sins and impurities, to receive Ease, and Health, and Fulness, and Beauty from him. Were we worthy to know how much of this our Author does deny, he should soon understand how much of it we own; but to serve us up a Medley, an Oleo of Truth and Errour, reproached Truth, and falsely imputed Errour, this I must needs say, (if he were the best Friend I have) is Intolerable; and yet in this Mist of Aequivocations he hobbles on; Will he deny Christ to be a Physician, a Fountain, that he hath in him a Fulness, that he is Righteousness to p. 238Believers; that it is the Duty and Interest of the weary, heavy laden Sinner to make Addresses to him? Socinus, Volkelius, will allow it lawfull to pray to Christ, though they indeed deny it to be a Duty so to doe. If our Author can heal himself, and need not Christ to be his Physician; if he can cleanse himself, and need not that Fountain which God has set open for Sin and for Uncleanness; if he be full, and needs not be beholden to Christ for a supply; and has a righteousness of his own, which will cover his Nakedness, he has then a happy turn on't; onelyonly let him not be angry with those poorer sort of Creatures that are willing to take Christs Counsel, Rev. 3. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fire, that thou mayst be rich, and white Rayment that thou mayst be cloathed, and that the shame of thy Nakedness do not appear: But I cannot sufficiently admire the Contradiction of his Conclusion:—And thus we must apply Christ to our Souls, and then what a blessed Change and Metamorphosis is there presently made in us; for though we continue as we were, we have all in Christ. A change made in us, and yet to continue as we were; A change and no change, to be as we were, and yet not what we were, is somewhat surprizing: They were just now charged that they went filthy to Christ, that they might be cleansed; nak…d to Christ, that they might be cloathed; empty to Christ, that they might be filled; sick to Christ, that they might be healed; and yet after all, here's a Metamorphosis, a change made in them, and still they continue as they were; which has outdone, I dare say, all Ovid, who never durst, (and yet Poets and Painters dare doe almost any thing,) feign poor Daphne to be changed into a Lawrel, and p. 239yet to continue fair Daphne still. As to my own thoughts, I have been taught from the Scriptures, to own Christ as my Physician, but I never had such a Crotchet in my head, That a blind man should have his Eyes open'd, and yet his Eyes continue as they were; that the dead should be raised, the Lepers cleansed, the deaf made to hear, and yet all be in statu quo; as they were. Nature is much delighted with Variety, and therefore that he may not alwayes scrape upon one string, our Author will find or take Occasion to fall upon one Mr. Watson; who it seems illustrating Christs entering into Covenant with a Soul, by the Manner of making a MarriageCovenant amongst men, has introduced Christ and a Believer thus mutually engaging each to other: Christ saith to a Believer, With my Body, yea with my Blood I endow thee; and a Believer saith to Christ, With my Soul I thee worship. That Christ does really endow Believers with his Body and Blood, and all the Benefits procured by his Sacrifice, is out of doubt to all that are not Infidels. Iohn 6. 51. The Bread that I will give, is my flesh, that I will give for the life of the World. V. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his Blood, ye have no life in you. V. 54. Whose eateth my flesh, and drinketh my Blood, hath Eternal Life. That Believers do enter into a mutual Covenant with Christ, to give up themselves in Spirits, Souls and Bodies, to love, serve, honour their Redeemer, is also evident, from Eph. 5. 24. Christ is the head of the Church, and the Saviour of the Body, and therefore the Church is subject to Christ: Now what a a pitifull flam does he return to this? As if (says he) Christ and a Believer were marryed by the Liturgy: p. 240The form of the Marriage-Covenant in the Liturgy is not so absurd as he would render it, but that it may with decency express the Process of Christ and a Believers joyning in Covenant: But I fear, if we should sift the business a little more narrowly, we shall find our Author as far to seek in the Liturgy, as he is cross to the Articles of the Church of England; for Mr. Watson brings in the Spouse saying to Christ, With my Soul I thee worship; but the Liturgy teaches the Man to use those words to his Spouse, With my Body I thee worship: So that I see no great Danger that ever Christ and a Believer should be marryed by the Liturgy.

Again he cites Mr. Watson: A Soul in Christ is actually united to him, and one with him, and being so, no sentence can fall on him, but the same must light upon Christ himself: That true Believers are one with Christ, is very clear from the Gospel; and it would be much our Concern to clear up this one point, that we are true Believers; for the other is clear; 1 Cor. 12. 12. As the Body is one, and hath many members, even so is Christ; and therefore, there's no condemnation to them that a…e in Christ Iesus, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit, Rom. 8. 1. A silly Jerk he has at this too. And who would desire to be more secure than Christ is? Why none that I know of. And so a short Horse is soon curried. What Mr. Watson had said before, in the Apostles words, that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ; that he illustrates by this similitude: As a Woman in Marriage, though she owe never so many Debts, yet the Arrest doth not light upon her, but upon her Husband: And it has been owned as a Maxim in the Law, Uxo…i lis non p. 241intenditur: But let that be as it will; If the Main Fort hold out, we can spare him the Out-works; let it be acknowledged a Truth, that There is no C ondemnation to them that are in Christ, and let the Metaphor scape as well as it can: O blessed Priviledge! (says he) who would be afraid of running into debt with God, when he hath such a kind Husband to discharge all? Any one surely that has an ingenuous spirit, as they all have who stand in that Relation to Christ: Jesus Christ does not onelyonly take the Soul into a Conjugal Relation, but qualifies it that it may fill up the Dutyes of that Relation, with Love, desire to please, f…ar to offend, readiness to obey, with a spirit of thankefulness and fruitfulness, with a Heart studying, What shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits? Who would be afraid? O vile, and abominable heart that could form such a Conclusion of Sin, out of the premises of abounding Grace; Who would be afraid? Nay, who would not tremble at the heart, to think least it should be drawn into sin, to the wounding of him afresh, that was wounded for me on the Cross: How shall I doe this wickedness, and sin against my Redeemer? Shall he be crucifyed by me, that was crucified for me? There's no such Argument in all the world against sin, as the Consideration of what I owe to him who loved me, and gave himself for me. I deny not but the Doctrine of Grace may be turned into lasciviousness, by them that never came under the Authority and soul-subduing Power of it; but when a self-condemned, self-abhorred Sinner, comes to see what Christ has done and suffered for him, what he is to him, what he has wrought in him, the Result whereof is Justification before a holy God, and Sanctification of Soul, such a one will retort upon p. 242the Tempter his own Temptation, with the greatest Abhorrency; Shall I continue in sin that Gr…ce may abound? God forbid! Rom. 6. 1, 2.

Still Mr. Watson prosecutes the Priviledges of the Saints.—This is their glorious Priviledge, Christs beauty and loveliness shall be put upon them. Ay, (says our Author snearing,) How vile and impure soever they are: The old Crambe again: They shall have Christs beauty put upon them, and yet continue ugly still; they shall have Christs whiteness on them, and yet be as sooty and swarthy as before; but this is none of Mr. Watsons sence, but our Authors Non-sence, who durst tell the World as the Purport of these mens Expressions, That upon receiving Christ, there's a blessed Change made, and yet we continue as we were. But Mr. W. proceeds in the Priviledges of those that are engraffed into Christ, and made members of his Body. Nothing that ever was a member of Christ can be lost to Eternity. Can he lose a Member of his Body? then his Body is not perfect. No, fear not ye Saints, neither Sin nor Satan can dissolve your Union with Christ. Our Author is now turning Catechist, and asks this wise Question: But what if Sin should make them no Saints, would not that endanger the dissolving the Union? Yes indeed, it would endanger it, as much as a Man is in danger of dying, when his Head is chopt off; but I hope we may ask one Question for another: What if Christ will preserve them so effectually, that they shall not sin to that height, as to become no Saints? why then the Union is not dissolved; and so there's a Pot-lid for our Authors Pot. But Mr. Watson Reasons further, (our Author says sweetly, but I say it's no great matter for that, if he does it but strongly,) p. 243If any branch be pluckt away from Christ, it's either because Christ is not able to keep it, or because he is willing to lose it. And our Author Queries again, Why not because it will not stay? And I will tell him why, Because he has given it a will, and desire above all things in the world to stay with Christ. All Mr. Watsons unhappiness is, that he had a good Cause, but not the Luck to hit upon our Authors convincing Argument; who p. 184. assures us, That this New Life, wherein our Conformity to the Resurrection of Christ consists, is an immortal Principle of Life, which can no more die, then Christ can die again, now he is risen from the dead. And to shut up all, Mr. Shepheards Sincere Convert is brought upon the Stage, p. 77. though I could not meet with it till p. 113. Weaknesses do not debarre us from God's Mercy: The Husband is bound to bear with the Wife as the weaker vessel, and can we think, that God will exempt himself from his own Rule, and not bear with his weak Spouse? It would have been something difficult to have made sport with such Innocent Expressions, but he had an id est left in his Budget, that never fails him: Weakness (says he) that is, no strength, no grace, no nor so much as a sense of Poverty: How false this is, Mr. Shepheard will satisfie any one that will but consult the next Question, p. 116. Upon what Conditions may Christ be had? and he answers: Give away thy self to him, give away thy Sins to him, give away thy Honour, Pleasure, Profit, Life to him, give away thy Rags, thy own Righteousness: You will say, you will have Christ with all your heart; but will you have him upon these Tearms, upon these four Conditions? And p. 244now the total summe, the result of all that these men mean by Accepting of Christ, our Author gives us, with his wonted Candour. It is to be content to be saved by Christ, without being either humble, or holy, or fair, or beautifull, any otherwise than as he is pleased to make us so by his Satisfaction for our Sins, and the Imputation of his Righteousness to us. Nay, that's a Rapper; let him but look up to what he quoted from Mr. Shepheard: Christ hath t…ken upon him to purge his Spouse, and make her fit for himself; and that she can never be, without being holy, humble, beautifull, by inherent Grace. Shall I but entreat the Readers patience a very little, to lay his finger upon these words: The result of all that they mean by coming to Christ, is to be content to be saved by him, without being holy, humble, or beautifull, &c. and I will promise him, for his Patience and Pains, he shall within a Page or two hear our Author most effectually confute his own Slander, and raise a Mighty Blister upon his own forgetfull Clapper.

And now our Author comes to consider what Duties are consequent upon such an Union and closure with Christ. As first, A mighty love of the Soul, for her Saviour, Head and Husband; and Another is, Obedience to our spiritual Husband. And now Reader, where didst thou lay thy finger? Are these the Men that are content to be saved by Christ, without being holy, humble, &c? Are these they that were charged, p. 56. with trusting to the Expiation of Christ for Salvation, without doing any thing themselves? Or are they the same men that were reproached, p. 62. as saying, They had Nothing to …oe, but to get an Interest in the Satisfaction and p. 245Righteousness of Christ; and yet now are so hot for loving of Christ, that their great Crime is, that they over-love him, and are sick of love for him, and are all for Obedience to Christ too, resigning up themselves to his Will, to be govern'd by his Laws, and in all things to glorifie him in New Obedience? Yes, but then it's very hard to find a proper place for Obedience in this New Religion: Well, but if we can find a proper place for it in the Old Religion, it's no great matter what place it has in the New: And indeed I would not have it Controverted, what place in Religion they will allow to Obedience, who are of no Religion, who are open Scoffers at Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, and all Religion. Ay, but it's very hard to deduce it from an Acquaintance with Christ's Person: Very Hard! what a word was that? why it's simply impossible to deduce any Religion at all from an Acquaintance with his Person; for all the acquaintance we have with him, is by an acquaintance with his Gospel, from whence we understand him to be God and Man; from thence we learn him to be King, Priest and Prophet; thence we learn what he has done and suffer'd for us; and what he is now doing for us at the Right hand of the Father. But why should it be so very hard to find a proper place for Obedience in these mens Religion? Why? Reason will tell you, that if there be any room at all for it, it must be either before our closing with Christ, or after it: Now indeed he argues close and home, and pursues his business as snug as you can desire. 1. Then this (Obedience) is not necessary at all to our coming to Christ, and closing with him: Not necessary? that's very strange! Coming to Christ, is with them a Main part of Obedience, p. 246and to Obey without Obedience, is not so easie as he imagines. He that answers that Call of Christ [Come unto me] therein obeyes him: and believing in Christ, has been reputed a considerabe part of Gospel-Duty, 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his Commandement, that we should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ: That there are several Duties which flow from Faith, the Scripture, Church of England, and all men living doe acknwowledge, but that this Believing is also a Duty, they must equally acknowledge. So that here's one proper place, or at least a Corner of a place, where he may wedge in Obedience, if he pleases. 2. (Sayes he) When the Marriage is consummated, there's less need of it than before: Nay, there his Non-sence is too open; He supposes them to own consequential Duties, such as follow the Marriage-covenant, and yet now he would perswade us, that there's less need of them, than before the Marriage-Covenant. If he can invent a way how consequential Duties should goe before the Marriage Covenant, by my consent he shall have the sole honour of the Discovery: In my poor Judgment, (and I am perswaded most men are of my Judgement) consequential Duties doe follow, or to humour him, following Duties ought to be consequential. There was once a Learned and Friendly Debate betwixt a Mayor and his Brethren, what the Question was, I am not very certain, but one wiser than the rest, had reduced the Matter to this Head: That if they could but make it out, that Edward the third reigned before Edward the first, they should carry the Cause: And if our Author can find any place, proper or improper, for consequential Duties, before that thing to which they are consequential, p. 247he shall be Registred amongst the great Benefactors to our understandings. But yet in spight of Fate, he will not allow any place for Consequential Duties after Marriage, for then we have less need of them than before. A fine Argument if well Improved, to satisfie men in the Lawfulness of committing Adultery: But why not? 1. Then we are adorned with the Beauty of Christ: Ergo, we need no Inherent beauty. Then we are Iustified: Ergo, we need not be Sanctified. 2. Then we are Holy with Christs Holiness: Ergo, we need not be Holy. 3. Then we are delivered from the Guilt of sin by his Expiation: Ergo, we need not be delivered from the filth of sin. 4. Christ must look to see the Debt discharged [to God] which he hath taken upon him: Ergo, we owe no Debt of Gratitude to the Father for his Son, to the Son for his Love. 5. We are then righteous with his Righteousness, which gives us an actual right to Glory: Ergo, we need no Inherent righteousness to make us meet for Glory, and to partake of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. All I shall say is this, If men may Argue at this Rate, they are the most formidable Disputants; we may cast our Caps at them; and it's as safe to handle the Torpedo, as to touch them with a long Pole. But such Merriment he is pleased to Divert his we aried Reader withal, and sometimes for Variety it may be Grateful, but really too much Nonsence in a Discourse is very odious.

For the Place (or rather no Place) of Obedience thus far: An enquiry in the Reasons of it, seems also necessary. And for that, he says, It's concluded on all hands, that this (Obedience) is but a Consequential Duty, that which ought to follow the p. 248Espousals. But the Reason of it is not Evident: The Reason of the thing not Evident? Why, the thing it self is not evident: Would he have an evident Reason of Nothing? A Foundation for a Castle in the Air? Can he find no place for Obedience, and yet would he have a Reason for it? But for all this Ranting, his Conscience tells him that they do allow a place for it, and can produce a Reason for it too, and perhaps a more proper place, and stronger Reason than our Author is able to show.

[1.] Some tell us (says he) it's due upon the account of Gratitude, and thankfulness to our Saviour. And methinks, a great deal of Obedience will rest upon that Basis: Has he come into this World (whither none that loved his ease would come?) Has he taken our Nature upon him, and (as if that were a light Matter) our sins? Has he endured the Displeasure of men, and (as if that were little) did it please God himself to put him to Grief? Did he Die for sinners? Does he Intercede for them? Has he revealed the whole Counsel of God to them concerning their Salvation? Has he given them the Holiest Laws, and the best Encouragement to Obey them? Did he Promise, and has he sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in their Hearts? Is it he through whom their Duties are accepted, and shall not these Obey? Here's enough, and yet there's much more to Engage all the Love, Service, Obedience, of Redeemed ones for ever: And so the thing is (at least) a hairs breadth longer than 'tis broad. But here our Author is at a Loss; he cannot so well understand this: But whose fault is that? Must the Truth suffer because he cannot see it? The truth is, he has Puzzled, and Perp…exed himself p. 249with an Idle scruple in his Head, and Vulcan must come with the great Hammer to deliver his Brain of a Minerva; though I know no Obligation lies upon me to cut the Rope, as often as he will Snickle himself: Yet hower, let's here the Difficulty:—Unless our Obedience be due to Christ, in thankfulness to him for saving us without Obedience. This is a Knot becoming the Sword of Alexder: Christ never engaged to save us without Obedience, and therefore he might have spared his pains to enquire how it should be due upon that Account: We therefore owe him all our Obedience, because 'tis through him that such Imperfect Obedience may find acceptance with God: Which is nothing more difficult than this; We live to him, because he Died for us, and rose again.

Yet there is a more fomidable Objection in the reare, against the grounding Obedience upon the bottom of Gratitude. This is (says he) Hardly reconcileable with that Essential Condition of accepting Christ, wherein those Spiritual espousals consists. Well, though it be hardly, yet if it be reconcileable at all, we shall not create him the Trouble of being a Conciliator. There are rational Divines enough in the World, for whose Heads this Province may be reserved. Two things we must here find out if we can: 1. What is the Essential condition of our accepting Christ. 2. How Obedience due upon the account of Gratitude, comes to be so hardly reconcilable to that Essential condition. (…) What is the Essential condition of our … Christ. For here lies the Intrigue, and h… … so disguised Matters, and Inck't himself (like …) in Confusion, that it will be hard to …. p. 250Now for that he quotes plain I. O. Com. pag. 63. viz. That the Soul consents to take Christ on his own Terms: This is the Essential condition, that has Created all the Pother: The Souls consenting to take Christ, is the Essential condition of taking. But now (2.) How is Obedience upon the account of Gratitude, irreconcileable to its consent to take Christ on his own Terms? Davus has made a diffity, but where's an Oedipus to resolve it. Christs Terms are, that the Soul shall give it self in Love and Obidence for ever: He requires that the Soul should be wholly and entirely his, and not for another; and this is so far from being Irreconcileable to (what he calls ridiculously) the Essential condition of accepting Christ, that it's directly Included in it. And this he might have been Taught from the Doctor, had he not been too Proud to Learn. Ibid. This accepting Christ by the will, as the Souls only Husband, Lord and Saviour, is called receiving Christ, John 1. 12. and is not intended for that Solemn Act only, whereby at first entrance we close with him, but also for that constant frame of abiding with him, and owning him as such. So that it would have been an Impossible task to part them, but very easie to reconcile them. Obedience is so far from being excluded by the Souls accepting Christ upon his Terms, that its simply impossible to accept him upon his own Terms; but we must Cordially, and with an Evangelical Universality obey him all our days. It's something late (I confess) yet let us hear what he further quotes from the Doctor: The Soul consents to take Christ on his own Terms, to save save him in his own way, and saith, Lord I would have had Thee, and Salvation, in p. 251my way, that it might have been partly of my Endeavours, and as it were by the Works of the Law; but I am now willing to receive Thee, and to be saved in thy Way, merely by Grace. We have already seen that what he has Quoted and Summon'd in these words for, was marvellously Impertinent to the pretended purpose; But that which will not make á Shaft, will make a Bolt. Never did our Author meet that thing, but he could make some use on't: As they that study the Philosophers Stone, though they miss of the main Design, yet stumble upon some pretty Experiments by the way, that makes them flatter themselves they have not quite lost their Oyl and Labour. Thus, however our Author may be Frustrated in his primary Project, which was Confuting the Truth, yet probably he may find or make some advantage to slur the Doctor: You may see him here like the great Hanibal, making his way over the Alps with Fire and Vinegar. If there be Matter for a Slander above Ground he will have it, and if not, Acheronta movebit. That is (says he) without doing any thing, without obeying thee: If to receive Christ upon his own Terms, as a King, and abiding with him in that relation, giving up it self to Christ as a King to obey him, be doing nothing, I cannot help it; but let our Author do but thus much, and he shall receive a Testimony from God that he has done all. 'Tis true, the Doctor excludes all his own Obedience for those ends, to which a proud Ignorant Iew might have abused them, viz. To exclude the FreeGrace of God, and the reconciliation made by Christ: And this we ought to be Jealous of, lest we ascribe any more Interest and concern to our own p. 252Duties, than the Gofpel allows: The Question then shall never be stated by me thus: Whether we must Obey or no? Keep the Commandments of Christ or no? And that upon Peril of Eternal Damnation? But whether out of this Obedience of ours, may be gathered that righteousness in which we may safely venture to appear before the Iudge of all the Earth in the great day; as that which we resolve to stand and abide by, venturing our all upon it? This is that the Doctor thinks the Apostle reproved, Rom. 9. 31, 32. Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness, hath not attained to the Law of righteousness, because they sought it not by Faith, but as it were by the Works of the Law. Where the Apostle Intimates, that though we do not directly seek a righteousness by the Works of the Law, yet to do it Obliquely and Indirectly, is destructive; and that the Doctor intends no more, no other than this, is evident from the words our Author calls in; And though I would have walkt according to my own mind, yet now I give up my self to be wholly guided by thy Spirit. This Netled our Authors Conscience, and he takes Sanctuary in the most wretched Subterfuge that ever betrayed it's Confider; What a pretty Complement does the Soul make to Christ? We are now sheer gone from the Truth of the Principle, to the Truth of the Heart in receiving it. If it proves a Complement in the Mouth of an Hypocrite, yet in Thesi its a Truth; That whoever receives Christ upon his own Terms, does (renouncing his own will and way) give up himself wholly to be ruled by the Spirit, speaking in the Scriptures. At this wi…d rate I have often heard a silly Quaker answer this Proposition: Iesus Christ that p. 253Died at Jerusalem, is the Saviour of the World: Ay (says he) but doest thou witness that from the Light within?

[2.] Others make Obedience necessary upon the account of Christs Fulness: But this (he says) makes it no otherwise necessary, then as we are necessarily passive in it. However, if it be necessary upon any account, it's enough to make him blush that flatly Charges it upon them, to say it's not necessary: But to be passive in our Obedience, is all the Soul means, in giving up it self to be ruled by the Spirit of Christ. Then the Soul means Nonsence: For to give it self to be ruled by the Spirit, has something of Activity in it: Our help and asistance to give up our selves is from the Spirit, but the giving up is an an act of the Souls. 'Tis the Believer that obeys, and yet the ability to obey is from the Holy Ghost: It's the Creature that works, and yet its God that works in him, to will and to do of his own good Pleasure, Phil. 2. 13. It's the man that believes, and yet he believes according to the working of Gods mighty Power, Ephes. 1. 19, 20. What is it else that he prays to the Spirit for? O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, have Mercy upon us miserable sinners? But all this might have been Superseded, had our Author duly Recollected what he has Subscribed, and openly given his Assent and Consent to, in the 10th. Art. of the Church of England. We have no power to do Good works acceptable to God, without the Grace of God preventing us, that we may have a good Will and Working with us when we have that good Will. Allow but the Doctor the Benefit of the Clergie, and he p. 254will need no more to bring him off, though that very Article would prove our Authors Neck-verse. In the Work of Grace, the Spirit Acts according to the Nature of the Subject, which is here the Rational Creature; He gives not new Natural Powers, but a new Moral ability to Exercise them; he bestows not a new Will Physically, but enlarges it from its Fetters, discharges it from its Slavery, and powerfully (though Gently) enclines it to Gods Testimonies, not destroying its radical self-determining Power; and hence I conclude our Author is but sorrily Skilled in the true meaning of souls, when they Profess a subjection to Christ. The Soul meant honestly, she had no Mental reservation, none of these Quirks and Tricks, but plainly and sincerely Designed to give up her self in all Obedience to her Lord and Saviour; She in her Text intended very singly, but our Author has Commented upon it Knavishly: I said so indeed in haste, another would have said perhaps Foolishly; for what more Idle Chat could he have Learn't from the good Women his Neighbours at Billings-gate, than a willingness to obey against ones Will.

This is all our Author is willing to own of the Grounds of our Obedience, but I shall help his weak and frail Memory a little, though to his great Regret. Doctor O. Com. pag. 212. Obedience (says the Doctor) is necessary as a Means to the End. N. B. God hath appointed that Holiness shall be the Means, the Way to that Eternal Life, which as in it self, and Originally, is his Gift by Jesus Christ, so with regard to his Constitution of our Obedience, as the Means of attaining it, is a Reward, and God in bestowing of it a Rewarder; p. 255though it be neither the Cause, Matter, nor Condition of our Justification, yet it is the Way appointed of God for us to walk in for the obtaining of Salvation. And therefore he that hath hope of Eternal Life, Purifies himself as he is Pure, and none shall ever come to that End, who walketh not in that Way; for without Holiness it is impossible to see God. The bare Repitition of which words are as plain, and full a Rebuke to all our Authors Dirty, Nasty Reflections, as a reasonable Creature can desire. But these things we shall meet withall anon, and therefore here they shall lie ready in Banco, till our Authors Leisure shall call for them.

I had now eased my self and my Reader, of any further Vexation in this Section, had I not unhappily overseen one Passage in Mr. Watson, from which our Author thinks he has some Advantage. The words are these: Evangelical Truths, will not down with a Natural Heart, such a one had rather hear some quaint Point, of some Vertue or Vice stood upon, than any thing in Christ, &c. Which he thus Canvasses: Such sanctified Souls, and Ears, loath all Dull, Insipid, Moral Discourses, which are perpetually Inculcating their Duty on them, and Troubling them with a great many Rules and Directions for a good Life, which he is pleased to call the Quaint Points of Vertue and Vice. Good Sir, be not angry, have but a little Patience and all will be well to your Hearts Content. Mr. Watson does not Inveigh against your Poynant Invictives against the one, or your most Elaborate Encomiums of the other. Run down sin at the highest rate of Zeal and Fervency you can; render Prophaneness p. 256as Odious, and expose her for a Fulsomè s…urvy Baggage; if you please, Invent new Names for her, with that Reverend Divine, and tell her to her Teeth she is a Tatter-de-mallion, and a Rapscallion; And let Vertue, Duty, and a good Life, be Urged and Pressed upon the Conscience with the most Cogent Arguments, that Reason and Scripture will afford you. Mr. Watson will Live, and Sleep, and Love you: They are only these Quaint, Nice, Finical points of Vice and Vertue, which he and all Judicious Christians (who had rather have their Hearts and Lives better'd, than their Ears tickled) do Disgust. A Quaint point of Vice, at which your Jesuites are so Excellent, that they have acquainted the World with more Sublimated and Speculatives Rogueries, than perhaps else the Devil himself had ever thought of: Such we meet with in their Books of Casuistical Divinity; where men are Taught an Art of sinning, to be Villanous in Mood and Figure; and as some have reacht the perfection of Poysoning by Smells at a distance, so have these Infected the World with their Theories of Monstrous Debaucheries: They have started Game for unclean hearts to Hunt down, and set unsanctified Nature agog▪ for those Pollutions of which it had else lived in a blessed Ignorance. There are Quaint points of Vertue too, which will not down with any sanctified Souls and Ears, who desire to hear of their Redeemer, and their Obligations to him, upon the Account of what he has Purchased and Procured for them. When one that supp…ies the place of the Minister, but more fit to fill up the room of the Ideot, shall with a starched Gravity, Dress you up a Vertue A-la-mode, like a p. 257Morice-dancer with a comely Feather in her Cap, Ribands at her Ears, and Tuneable Bells at her Heels, and then come off with a Flourish; Oh what a goodly thing is this Madam Vertue! Let him that speaks, speak as becomes the Oracles of God; let him without affected Quaintness, with a serious Spirit, in the Words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, open the Excellency, demonstrate the Necessity of any Vertue, and Mr. Watson is very well contented. Having now made an Essay towards the Reconciling Mr. W. and our Author, I hope I may without Offence proceed. Before our Author takes his leave of his Reader, (which he does with much Civility) he lets him know what he has had for his Money. First, (he tells him) He has given him an entire Scheme of a New Religion, resulting from an acquaintance with Christs Person. But we crave leave to Demur to that. It's neither a Scheme, much less an entire Scheme of any Religion New or Old, only a Wispe, that he set up to himself to Scold at: Next he lifts up his Masque, that we may see the full Face of his Design, for hitherto he has been in Masquerade, and that he tells us was to Expose these Mens Principles to Scorn: But that we saw through his Vizor, and needed not his Gazet to give us an Advertisment, that his chiefest Talent lies in Misrepresenting mens Persons, their Expressions and Intentions, in casting Dirt upon the the sincerest Actions, and Invidiously traducing the greatest Truth of the Gospel. Thirdly, He tells us▪ That every considering Person cannot but discover how Inconsistent the Religion of Christs Person and of his Gospel are. But this Distinction was but the Superfoetation of his own Parturient Brain; we p. 258own one God, and one Mediator between God and man, one holy Spirit, one Faith, one Baptism, delivered to us in the Scriptures of Truth: And further than the Scriptures have a Tongue to Speak, we have no Ear to Hear. Whereas therefore a certain Vagrant Principle [concerning the difference betwixt the Religion of the Person, and Gospel of Christ] has been taken Begging at our Doors, and would have Father'd it self upon us: Now know all men whom it may Concern, that we have Executed the Law upon it, have Stript and Whipt it, and do hereby send it from Constable to Constable, till it shall come at the Parish of St. George ButtolphsLane, and the Rectory there, where the Brat was Born and Bred, and there 'tis most fitting it should be Maintained.

The Reader cannot but Observe, that (how Hotly soever our Author is Engaged in the Pursuit of his Design, yet) he can always find leisure to have a Fling at the Acquaintance of Christs Person. If there were but two things in all the World to Rail at, one of them should be Acquaintance of Christs Person. Hence it is that he has not got a finer Nickname, for those he would Vilifie than, the Acquaintances of Christ. Thus, pag. 56. As these bold acquaintance and familiars of Christ use to speak, p. 68. As another great acquaintance of Christ speaks, which though it be perfect Nonsence, yet serves to express his Scolding Humour well enough: Now I confess I cannot Divine what should thus give Fire to his Choler, and enflame his Passion against acquaintance with Christ. It must be either the Name, or the thing it self, that I am satisfied in. (1.) Then, Is it that Term that disliks him? Alas poor Word! What harm had it ever done him? I could wish p. 259that to prevent Quarrels, and keep the Peace, he may have liberty to make some other word its Substitute and Surrogate. Let it be the Knowledge of Christ, the Understanding of Christ, or what ever other Synonima his Sylva will furnish him with; rather than to have such a continual Peal rung in our Ears with this Acquaintance. And yet he might have known, that the Word is no worse than what the Learned Translators of our English Bible saw, (or thought they saw) Reason to employ: It has now lain so long Mellowing in that Version, that it might be presumed to have lost the Austerity of its Nature, and to have been Sweetned to his Curious and Judicious Palate. In Iob 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him, and be at peace foreign: And the word signifies to Familiarize our selves to a Thing, or Person. And the same word is used to express Gods own Knowledge of, and Acquaintance with his Creatures, and all their ways, Psal. 139. 3. Thou art acquainted with all my ways, foreign. And its opposed to a strange, over…y Carriage; when we live at a distance from another, as if there was no good and clear Correspondence between us; and the truth is, it implies a thing called Communion, and therein lies its Guilt. But, 2. I suspect that it is acquaintance with Christs Person, that has provoked all this Rage: Acquaintance with any Thing, or Person, else might have scaped a Scouring; and yet under Correction. 1. The Scripture presses it as our Duty to Study, Understand, and get a through Knowledge of the Personof Christ, 2 Pet. 3. 18. But grow in Grace, and in the Knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ, to him be Glory, both now and for ever, Amen. And▪ 2. We p. 260find holy Men to have made it their business to get an acquaintance with Christs Person, which this Gentleman makes it his business to Reproach, 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you, save Iesus Christ, foreign, even him Crucified. The Person of Christ under that consideration, as Crucified; and the Reasons are as Cogent, as the thing is clear. For, 1. In the Knowledge of Christ (that very Christ whom the Father sent into the World) consists Eternal Life: This is Life Eternal to know thee, the only true God, and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent. 2. VVe are Commanded to love this Iesus, (another great fault our Author finds with these Men) but how to love him and not to be acquainted with him, may be reckoned amongst the Impossibilities, 1 Pet. 1. 7. At the appearing of Iesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love; in whom (though now ye see him not) yet believing ye rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable, and full of Glo…y. The Apostle commends their love to, and faith in an unseen Saviour; whence it's easie to conclude, that it was the Person of Christ they loved;) for the Scriptures they had seen, the Gospel, the Church they had seen, (an Office I confess they could not very well see) and yet they are praised for loving him that was not seen. 3. VVe are commanded to Worship this Jesus, to give Divine Honour to Him, Iohn 5. 23. That all should Honour the Son, even as they Honour the Father: And accordingly we read that the Disciples did Worship Him, Luke 24. 52. Nay, the Command is given to the Angelical Nature, Heb. 1. 6. Let all the Angels of God Worship Him: But it's a strange kind of Worship that we give Darklings. One of p. 261the smartest Rebukes Christ gave the Samaritans, was, that they Worshipped they knew not what, but We (says Christ) know what we Worship, foreign. VVe must not only know who He is, but what He is whom we worship. 4. It's our plain duty to acquaint our selves with God, that we may be at peace, Iob 22. 21. But Christ is true God, very God; witness the Athanasian, and Nicene Symbols. 5. VVe are in particular commanded to believe in Him, John 14. 1. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. And it concerns us to know, by what authority he Imposes his Commands upon us, what is his Varacity that we may depend upon his Promises, and what is his Power to carry us through the difficulties that ever attend conscientious Duties, to Eternal Life: I am the more for acquaintance with Christs Person, because it's so great a Venture to trust the unknown. This Prudence all men will be sure to exercise in Common affairs, much more where Souls and Eternal Life lie at stake; and such did the Apostle Practise, 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed. 6. The whole Design of the Scripture leads us to an acquaintance with the Father, Son, and blessed Spirit. Hence was the Apostle so Zealous, that the Colossians might come unto all Riches of the full assurance of Understanding, to the acknowledgment of the Mysterie of God, foreign Even of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge: VVhichWhich are those Provoking words that have so often Ruffled our Authors thoughts into Disorder 7. The whole of the Scripture is an unaccountable Riddle, without the Knowledge of Jesus Christ: VVe are told p. 262there, how God has been atoned by the Sacrifice of Oxen, Sheep; what a sweet smelling savour he has sented in the burned Flesh of the Holocaust; which without Consideration of the Person of Christ, and Reference to Him, is Irrational. To speak of the Death of Christ himself, as reconciling God and man, is also wholly Unintelligible, without due regard to Him as Mediator, what Office he bore, what Place he filled, in whose Stead he stood, what that Covenant was, that between the Father and his Son was agreed upon: For according to our common apprehension of Things, God should rather have Destroyed the World for Crucifying his Son, than have been Reconciled and Propitiated by his Death.

Now I know well our Author will Reply, that he (good Man) is no Enemy to acquaintance with Christs Person, provided always we do not VViredraw New Doctrines from it, and Extract greater and deeper Mysteries thence, than are to be found out in the Gospel. To which we Rejoyn: That it's not Christs Person that teaches us the Doctrine; but the Doctrine that Acquaints us with his Person. We study not the Person of Christ, to find out G…spel Mysteries, but to resolve them: Not to Discover the foreign of New Truths▪ but to Demonstrate to us the foreign of the Old. But if▪ after all that can be said, our Author will be Clamorous, we must be Content, and Satisfie our selves with this, that it's the Nature of the Creature; and some things we know are so untractable by their Constitution, that though you Bray them in a Morter amongst Wheat with a Pestle, yet their Crabbed, Froward, Awkward Tempers will not depart from them.