Vindication of the Faithful Rebuke to a False Report, Title page – Letter

Vindication of the Faithful Rebuke to a False Report · Title page – Letter

A VINDICATION OF THE Faithful Rebuke TO A False Report AGAINST The RUDE CAVILS of The Pretended Defence.

Titus 1. 13

Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the Faith.

Tum si quis est, qui Dictum in se inclementius, Existimavit esse, sie existimet; Responsum, non Dictum esse, quia laesit priùs.

Terent. Eunuch. Prolog.

foreign

foreign.

Arist. Rhet. 3.

LONDON: Printed for Iohn Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey, 1698.

p. 3To the Author of the Defence to the Late Report.

SIR,

'TIS somewhat a hard Case, that having just cause to complain, I must complain to your Self of your Self, and make your own Conscience Chancellor in your Cause, placing you upon the Bench, who in Justice ought to stand, and Plead at the Bar.

But my Appeal will lie from your Self in the height and heat of Passion, to your Self, when the ferment is a little dasht with due Reflection: From your Self as Laccar'd all over with the foreign, to your Self, when you shall think fit to reassume your innate Ingenuity; of which benign Moments I can not wholly Dispair, because you must needs have some good Nature yet to spare, having spent so little of it in your Defence: Now when I have done this, I have nothing more to do, but to repose my Self in the Comfort of my own Innocency, committing the Concerns of that Truth which I espouse and vindicate, to Him, who has the greatest Interest in it.

§. 1. And first I must seriously and sadly Complain that having given us. Rep. p. 5. The Substance of the Gospel of Christ, the Ground and Foundation of our Faith; for which you received a faithful Rebuke, that yet when you pretended a Defence of your Report, you should not p. 4bestow one Word in Defence of your own Gospel: Who will ever believe your Report in Matters of Fact, when you believe not your own Gospel in Matters of Faith? And I assure you Sir! They who knew your excellent skill at Fencing, and Defencing, did expect you should have been the Defender of your own Faith; and wondered you should no better fortifie your own Frontiers, when you invaded anothers Territories: But such was the Method of your Great Friend, religiously pursued two Years ago.

(1.) You cannot but remember, that the Rebuke Charged you, that out of the Substance of your Gospel, you had quite expunged, Regeneration, Conversion, Repentance, Holiness, Sanctification, a new Heart, new Obedience, and good Works: And would not the Gospel look Meagre, Lean, and Consumptive, had our Lord Jesus Christ left them out of his Gospel, as you have out of Yours? And are these great Matters grown so inconsiderable with you now a Days, that they must first be left out of your Religion, and then left to shift for themselves as they can; to sink, or swim, without your least Care to Defend them?

(2.) It was charg'd upon that Scheme of yours, that it gave great and just Cause of Suspicion to those who were of no Jealous Inclinations, that you had utterly discarded Faith, from any concern in the Iustification of a Sinner, made it unnecessary to our Union with Christ, that so we might have an Interest in his Righteousness, and only gave it a place in our escaping Wrath to come, and having Everlasting Life.

Whoever pretends to give us the Substance of the Gospel, is obliged to give us all the Essentials that Constitute it, and if you Cashier Faith from any Part or Lot in Justification, which Christ, and his Gospel make so necessary to it, your Draught is defective in an Essential Part, and then I may leave it you, to Judge whether it can be any Religion at all.

p. 5I have ever thought this Point to contain the Venime, and Poison of all Antinomianism: That a Sinner may be justified without Faith in Jesus Christ, for if this be so: foreign: Tell us where we may safely fix! How far we must go back for the precise Moment of Justification; some send us as far as the Decree of Election: Others are Content to bring it down as low as Christs making actual Satisfaction. And some will abate us three Days, and date it from Christs Resurrection, and others will reduce it, yet lower, to the Minute of our Conception and Formation in the Womb; but take the rise where, and fix the Moment when you please, if you conceive of Justification one Moment before our Union with Christ by Faith, you may as well make it bear Date from any of the other Epocha's which the Teeming Imaginations of Antinomian Brains have invented.

I know not therefore how to believe you in what you say. Defence, p. 85. That the Reporter about seventeen Years ago wrote against Antinomianism: For most certain it is, that either the Reporter is not the same Man that wrote that Book; or is not the same Man he was when he wrote the Book: Either you was not the Author, or you are Metamorphosed into a Reporter: Heu, quantum mutatus ab illo Hectore! What a lamentable Commutation of Persons is here made, from a Hyperaspistes of Truth, into a Hector for the Antinomian Errors: So easie is the Conversion of a Hector into a Ranter! I will therefore charitably undeceive you, and plainly Convince you, that you was not, whatever you Fancy; no, you was not the Author of that honest Book: Display, Epist. The first Work of a Minister of the Gospel, is to Preach up Repentance towards God, and then Faith in our Lord Iesus Christ: Your Gospel Minister was then to Preach up Repentance, but now he must Preach it down; then he must Preach it first, but now he must Preach it neither p. 6first nor last. Then it was in the Ministers Commission, now its left out of the Gospel: Again! Every Elect Soul while under the Power of Unbelief, and other Lusts is Unpardoned, and in a State of Condemnation; whence notwithstanding your Election, if you would receive actual Pardon, you must go to God through Christ for it: Nay you must receive Christ in your Heart by Faith; and that you may, we must beseech you as in Christs stead, that you come unto Christ, but come unto Christ, you cannot without Faith and Repentance.

Now Sir! I appeal to your own Conscience; do you, can you believe that you wrote the Display, when you read your own Report? That you were the Author of these two inconsistent Pieces? Is it possible you should know your own Face, when you see it in such different Glasses? I hope, I may use your own Words, and say, O Blessed Change! Repentance is necessary to Pardon, Faith to Justification in the one; but no News to be heard of either of them for those Ends in the other: So that you fall under the Censure of Origen, Ubi bene, Nemo melius: Ubi male, Nemo pejus.

(3.) You cannot but remember Sir! That in your Substance of the Gospel you affirmed, that it was our State, and Condition by Nature to be under the Curse of the Law, and destitute of a Righteousness to intitle us to Eternal Life: And that therefore Christ put himself into our State and Condition. Now hence it was argued against you, and your Scheme: That if it was our State and Condition to be destitute of a Righteousness: And that Christ put himself into our State and Condition; then Christ must be destitute of a Righteousness also: And then how Christ should give us a Title to Eternal Life by his Righteousness, when he had none, I could not then, nor can I yet understand: And yet you Reply to this with a Profound and Prudent Silence.

p. 7(4.) It was further Objected against your Systeme of the Gospel: That therein you asserted, That we were Sin; and hereupon it was modestly asked: How are we Sin? That we are Sinners is acknowledged; that we are sinful is bewailed, that we are under the Curse, and Condemnation of the Law for Sin, is Confessed; but why must it be thus Phrased? We are Sin? We are not Sin, in the same Sense that Christ was made Sin; that is, a Sacrifice for Sin, nor was Christ Sin in the same Acceptation that we are, for then he must be sinful; a Sinner, nay the greatest Sinner that ever was in the World. We do freely, thankfully, and with astonishment believe, that he was made Sin for us; that he bore the Curse of the violated Law due to our Sins: And that this is so expresly the Language of the Scripture, that he who denies the former, must disbelieve the latter. And here Sir, I have another Demonstration, that you was not, could not be the Author of Free-Grace displayed, whatever you Dream, for that Orthodox piece: p. 38. Vehement concludes that there was no Spot in Christ. But of this you may hear further in due Time, and proper Place.

And now Sir, I renew, and prosecute my Appeal to your own Conscience, to your own Ingenuity, and whatever there is yet left in you of Humanity and Learning; whether you was not obliged in your Defence, to have Defended the Substance of your Gospel, which you gave us as the Ground and Foundation of our Faith, and by Consequence of all our Hopes of Eternal Life; for he that is wrong in the Foundation can never be right in the Superstructure; or would you be as unnatural as the Ostrich which leaveth her Eggs in the Earth, and forgetteth that the Foot may crush them, or that the wild Beast may break them, she is hardned against her Young Ones, as though they were not hers, Job 39. 14, 15.

p. 8§. 2. I must further, and grievously Complain of you even to your Self; that whereas it was then, as it is now again, fairly proposed to you; whether doth this Phrase of Christs taking on him the Person of Sinners signifie more, or less than his taking on him our Sins, and Suffering in our Place and Stead; or does it signifie neither more nor less, but is just Adequate with it, and Commensurate to it: This was a Modest Question, and would have reduced that disputable Phrase to a determinate Sense, to a certain Meaning: And then we might have made a Judgment, whether it might with safety be entertained, or otherwise fairly, and civilly dismissed. And there was Reason expresly assigned, why the Question was so earnestly Pressed: For if that Phrase signifies less, then it narrows the great Ends of Christs Sufferings, and will only serve the turn of a Socinian: If it signifies more, then it leads us into the Dregs of Antinomianism; but if it signifies neither more nor less than Christs Suffering in our Place and Stead, when he offered himself a Sacrifice to God, we imbrace and subscribe it with our whole Heart, and Soul.

Now good Sir! Was not this a Reasonable Motion? Would you have us subscribe Phrases we understand not? And is it not equal, that you who so confidently Propose, nay so vigorously Impose them upon us should first explain them? And would not this have put an End to the Debates and Disputes upon this Subject? For if you will once secure us, that by Christs taking on him the Person of Sinners; you intend thus much, and no more than that Christ in his Sufferings offered himself up to God as a Sacrifice to Gods Justice, to satisfie for our Sins, tho we are not so overfond of the Phrase, yet being secured in the Orthodox Meaning, we could and would have complied. But if indeed you intend to perpetuate Controversies: Or if you find it your Interest to Eternize Quarrels: Or if you feared that the hopeful p. 9Trade of scribling Reports would hereby be totally Ruined, I'll never blame you, that you would not afford a few gentle words to determine an Easie Question: So Cheaply and Honourably you might have worn the Title of an Industrious Pacificator, whereas you must now carry the Brand of an Industrious Vitilitigator.

I have Great and Weighty Reasons why I have been, and am still, so Importunate with you to Fix the Meaning of these Phrases: A Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners. And the other, Christ's suffering in the Person of Sinners. And because I will gratifie you in what I am able, I will here freely impart them to you.

1. One Reason is, because this August Phrase of A Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners, has been so miserably Debauch'd, that it must bring good Vouchers and Compurgators, that it's now become Chaste and Sober, and of a more Reformed Conversation, than it was about Fifty Years ago, when it dwelt in Dr. C's Family; for at that time it carry'd this Sense, p. 70. 71. Here is a direct change of Persons, Christ takes our Person, and Condition, and stands in our stead; we take Christ's Person, and Condition, and stand in His stead; so that if you reckon well, you must always reckon your selves in anothers Person, and that other in your Person.

Now, Sir, I appeal to you, whether we might not reasonably Expect from you the Explication, before you could Exact of us a Subscription to these Terms, especially seeing we have now greater Reason than before, from your Tergiversation, which has increased our Jealousie, that there's A Snake in the Grass.

2. A Second Reason is, That there are other Phrases of known Integrity, of approved Honesty, which have been scanned upon more fingers than the Man of p. 10Gath could number, and sifted as narrowly as ever Peter was; and having been throughly examined, have been at last received into the Publick Confession of the Faith of all the Reformed Churches. What need then can there be to Use, how much less Reason to Impose these dubious ones on the Faith, and Consciences of Christians?

I am mightily taken with the thoughts of that Judicious, Wise, and Learned Person Dr. Owen, and therefore will not grudge to Transcribe them at large, Ans. to Biddle's Preface, p. 18. If any shall make use of any Words, Terms, Phrases, and Expressions, in and about Religious Things; requiring the embracing and receiving of these words by others, without examining either the Truth of what by those Words or Phrases they intend to signifie or express: Or the Propriety of those Expressions themselves, as to their Accomodation for the signification of those things. I plead not for them. It is not in the power of Man to make any word, or expression not found foreign in the Scripture to be Canonical, and for its own sake, to be imbraced:—And this we further grant, that if any one shall scruple the receiving or owning any such Expressions, so as to make them the way of Professing that which is signified by them, and yet do receive the Thing or Doctrine, which is by them delivered, For my part, I shall have no contest with him: For instance; The word foreign was made use of, by the first Nicene Council, to express the Unity of Essence, and Being, that is in the Father, and the Son; the better to obviate Arius and his Followers, with their foreign : and the like forms of speech, no where found in Scripture; and invented on set purpose to destroy the True, and Eternal Deity of the Son of God: If now any Man should scruple the receiving this Word, but withal, should profess that he believes Jesus Christ to be God equal with the Father; one with him from the beginning; and doth not explain himself by other Terms not found in p. 11the Scripture, viz. That He was made a God, and is one as to Will, not Essence, and the like; He is like to undergo neither Trouble nor Opposition from me. Thus far that great Man. And surely we come under the equitable Construction, and Benefit of this Paragraph:

1. The Phrases questionable are not Canonical, nor found in Scriptnre.

2. We question the Propriety of these Phrases to express the things they are pretended to signifie.

3. Some of them express more than any Scripture Phrase doth express.

4. Whatever Truth can be really contained in them, we readily receive.

5. These Phrases are not to be compared, nor nam'd in the same Year with the expression of foreign which has a place in the Nicene Creed, whereas these never shew'd their Face in any Creed whatever.

6. These Phrases stand justly suspected of Hiterodoxy, and carrying an Antinomian sense, and therefore we are not obliged, nay, Be it known to all Men by these Presents, we will not be Compelled to subscribe to them, without better security.

3. Reason: You ought never more to insist upon these Phrases, because after all your windings, and turnings, all the rounds you have run, all the circles you have made, you are forced to come to me, and the Truth at last: And your Commutation of Persons between Christ and sinners; His taking upon him the Person of sinners, amounts to no more, in good earnest, than that Christ died, suffered satisfied in our place, and stead. Will you be persuaded to peruse your own Words, p. 80. It was Objected by the Rebuke, that if you look into all the Confessions at Home, and Abroad, you should not there find any of these Phrases, &c. To this you answer: What though I cannot? Why then, say I, you should have let them alone, and not trouble and divide us more, who are but too much divided already with these Arbitrary p. 12Expressions; which if they signisie, and so far as they do signifie any thing of Truth, are already owned by us, in owning those Confessions. O but, say you, Is it not enough that the Controverted Phrases are included in the acknowledgment of Christ's making a proper satisfaction to God's Iustice for us? Why truly, Sir, it's enough for us, but not enough for you! For we contend for the Necessary Truth; but your Zeal is for the Unnecessary Phrase: And though I cannot agree with you, that these Phrases are included in that Truth, yet if they be, and so far as they be, we must necessarily own them, because we own the Truth, which you say contains them. But how, I pray, are these Phrases contained in the Grand Truth? A Man may Meditate upon that Truth, and beat it out to its utmost length, and yet these Phrases may never come in his way, nor his thoughts fall upon any one of them: And when our B. Saviour, when the Apostles Preach'd this Truth, when the Churches in all Ages bore their Testimony to it, yet not one of these ever hit upon any of these Phrases: But still you go on! They are all virtually included in the sundry Confessions, which have openly Received the Phrase of Christ's suffering in our stead. But why then do you Revile and Rail at us, more than the Compilers of those Confessions? For we own the Confessions as well as they, and if those Phrases be really, though but virtually contained in them, we by owning the Confessions, do own virtually whatsoever is contained in them.

Whereas, therefore, you tell us, p. 4. Def. that A desire to Accommodate, so far as possible, upon the bottom of Truth, lyeth so much upon your heart; I earnestly beg of you, never to intermeddle more with Accommodation of matters. Really, Sir, 'tis not your Talent; your special Gift is to embarras, confound, and perplex whatever you meddle with: And assure your self, He that is born in a storm, will never live easily in a calm: If the Fire was p. 13the Element of which you were made, and in which you have been bred, you'll never endure to dwell out of the Flames: Every Creature we see, dies, when removed out of its proper Element: To remove you out of the Quarters of Division, and Contention, into the milder Regions of Peace and Union will be your immediate Dissolution; what is the peaceable soul's Temper, is your Distemper; what is his Food, will be your Poison; and what is his Life, will be your present Death.

§. 3. I will not complain of you that you call me Brother, and sometimes for Variety sake, your Reverend Brother. But yet I will complain, that whilest you Complement with Ioab, Art thou in health my Brother? You discover the Byonet in your other hand, and aim at the fifth Rib to shed my Bowels out to the ground.

And what more Mortal Blow could you aim at my soul▪ with all that palpable Hypocrisie, than to Represent me an Unitarian, a Socinian, thereby to blast what of Reputation God has given me, and which I value chiefly on the Account of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that I may yet be further serviceable to the Interest of my Blessed Redeemer; and yet there's nothing you more studiously drive at, nothing you more industriously prosecute, than to take, and make occasions to misrepresent me to the thoughts of all sober and sound Christians.

Had I left out of my Creed Christ's perfect satisfaction given to Divine Justice, as you have left Regeneration and Repentance out of yours: Or had omitted the Necessity of Christ's Righteousness imputed by the Father, and received by faith in order to our Iustification before God; as you have Faith as necessary to Iustification in the Sight of God, you had had some just colour for your vile Aspersions: But when I have openly avowed my firm Adherence to the Confession of the Church of England: To that of the Assembly of Westminster and the Savoy; and p. 14only scruple some Phrases not generally known, nor well understood, and yet am willing to Admit that its possible there may be something sound in them, to which I am ready to subscribe, but shall never yield that these Dubious, and Disputable Phrases, shall be impoposed as the Test, and Standard of Orthodoxry, or the Terms of Union in these Matters. I can see no just Reason to call my soundness in the Faith into question: And yet notwithstanding, by Wyre-drawing some Expressions, forcing others above their true Level, distorting them against their evident intention, and fastening on them Remote Consequences which the words will not bear, by these unworthy Arts, you have endeavoured to perswade your easie and willing Reader. That I have given the Protestant Religion in the Article of Christ's satisfaction a sensible wound; and if you can once wheedle this kind of Readers, that your Antinomianism is the true Protestant Religion, you have spoke to the purpose: Know you, therefore, I have given no wound to the Gospel of Christ, to yours perhaps I have: Nor shall you thus mangle and mutilate the Christian, that is, the Protestant Religion in the grand Doctrines of Regeneration, Conversion, Faith, and Repentance, but I shall endeavour to pull off your Palliating Plaisters, which I cannot hinder you from Nickmaning, a Wounding of the Protestant Religion.

I will not complain of your Rude and Barbarous Treating me, through the whole Course of your Defence, I impute it to your inflamed passions, fomented by your fiery Temper, which yet might have been a little moderated by a Civil Education, if not subdued by your Profession: You stile Mr. W's. my Instructor, my Guide, my Teacher, and at last my Master. I wish you had informed me what Office I bear under him, that of Foot Boy or Valet de Chambre, or what other Post you will graciously assign me, that I may legally p. 15demand Livery or Sallary: You say I have been Tool'd by him: The Elegancy of the Term I complain not of, because Witticisms and Elegancies are great Rarities with you. But the Malice of it, I will obviate: I declare therefore freely, I account it no dishonour to be his or your Servant for Christs sake, though I dare not give up my Understanding, nor resign my Faith to him or you: I have Learned to surrender my Reason to Revelation; my Will to the Authority of God speaking in his Word: My whole Interest to his Honour and Glory; but yet I call none my Lord and Master but Christ; nor any my Father, in matters of meer Religion, but him that is in Heaven.

§. 4. In your Preface, you have favoured us with an Elegant Panegyrick and a Bitter Satyr: The former you bestowed upon your own dear self; the latter upon your Contemned Brethren; I will not dare to complain of your Panegyrick; Enjoy, without my Envy, the pleasing Caresses of your own heart, and hugg your self in the Delicious Contemplations of your own Excellencies: But I may have leave to Complain of that Bloody Satyr you have penn'd against all your Brethren, Presbyterian and Independant, excepting and foreprizing always out of it your own beloved, and admired self: A Word or two I will venture upon each.

(1.) Your Elegant Panegyrick upon your own Dear self. I cannot forbear telling thee (Reader) that I desire to bless and praise the Lord for the insight he has given me into the Mysteries of the Gospel; since these Controversies have been stated: And I do now plainly see how the very Truths, we were, through an unjustifiable supineness, in danger of losing, will hereby be more clearly discovered, and effectually secured. Dixi.

Now Sir! In my poor Judgment, your own Tongue is most unfit of any to be the Trumpet of your own Praise: and you had better have hired some Mercenary Pen, of which I perceive you have good choice, to p. 16have Recommended your great Natural Parts, your Acquired Abilities, and above all, your Inspired Accomplishments to the Notice of the Age, than have pressed your own Goose-quill to the Drudgery. I offer you my Service Gratis, which if you accept, I'll try to give the Vulgar the Analysis of this your self-exaltation.

First, Let them observe how full you was of your Visionary Raptures: You could not forbear, but out it must come before all the Company: This is the Tympany you have so long gone with; but though this vent may give you a little ease, do not mistake it for a Cure.

Secondly, The next is the Imminent Danger of losing the great Truths of the Gospel, (that is, your own) if by a Miracle, this Defender had not been raised up to clear, and secure them: For an unjustifiable supineness had crept over the Hearts of all Learned Men and Ministers, and all had been Lost, without hope of Recovery, had not this Great Man appeared to Rescue them either out of the Iaws of Oblivion, or the Paws of Heretical Opposition.

Thirdly, In this Critical Juncture, this Great Soul was enlightned, and inspired, in these Mysteries of the Gospel: For when he wrote his Display, he knew nothing of them more or less, 'twas since the Controversie was stated that he received these Glorious Discoveries: A Priviledge to be Envied that he could gain that Illumination in one moment, which other poor Mortals hardly Compass, and in a lower measure, with obstinate study, and earnest prayer: But this Gentleman lay down over night, slept in the dark, and in the morning rose up clearly Illuminated with these Ravishing Mysteries.

Fourthly, Do not inquire which those Mysteries were, he has been Enlightned in; they are these great Ones, That Regeneration, Conversion, and Repentance, are but p. 17the Accidentals of his Gospel; they may Adesse, vel abesse absque subjecti interitu: Let Ministers leave them out of their Sermons, as he has done out of his Gospel, they'll never be missed. That there is no such Thing as Iustifying Faith, that Repentance is not necessary to Pardon of Sin, that Christ was made sinful, &c. These are the Manifestations he has received of Gospel Truth!

5. That therefore he desires to Bless the Lord for these great Discoveries. But why then does he not do it? Who hinders him? True indeed, he has not done it, does not do it, never intends to do it, yet he desires to do it; for generous Spirits Love not to be too much in Debt, nor is there any need for't, when they have one that has paid all for 'em, past, present and to come, without the Condition of Repentance.

6. And now Sir, having directed the Vulgar, I will offer one Word to your Self. We earnestly beg, that you would let our Gospel alone, you may do what you please with your own; the Gospel of Christ has been sufficiently Cleared, irrefragably Proved, Vindicated by such Instruments as Christ hath raised up since the Reformation, beyond the Policy of Socinians, or Antinomians to Undermine it, or their Power to shake it; but your Excellency lies not in Clearing but Clouding, not in Defending but Betraying the Doctrines of the Gospel.

(2.) Your bitter Satyr against all your Brethren. Discourses from the Pulpit, even when about the most Evangelical Parts of Christianity, have been of late Years rather to move the Affections, than inlighten the Iudgment, and are but a slender Fence unto Truth, and an Observance how they who are sound in the Faith, through a Zeal for Populacy have neglected that close Study which is necessary to a through Understanding the Important Doctrines p. 18under Debate, has imboldned the Adversary to oppugn them.

Sir, let me speak freely to you: In this bitter and bloody Satyr, you have taken upon you the Person of one, who Glories to be the Accuser of the Brethren.

1. You Accuse them, or rather Calumniate them, without excepting a Man, that they have adjusted their Preaching rather to move the Affections, than to enlighten the Iudgment. The common Fallacy, a Vein of which runs through your whole Book, that subordinata sunt opposita: Their common Method is to enlighten the Iudgment, and then to move the Affections: They pretend not to loud Vociferations, to make a hideous out-cry against they know not what, nor why: They work not upon the foreign, nor stir up blind and bruitish Passions and Affections; no Sir! they lay down some great Doctrine of Christs Gospel, this they explain, then labour to prove, and to improve it, by ingaging their Auditors first to receive the Truth, then to reduce it to Practice, which however you scorn it, is the end of all Gospel Preaching.

2. You Accuse them, that through a Zeal for Populacy, they have neglected that close Study which is necessary to the Understanding the Important Truths under Debate: The plain English of which is, that they are a Crew of Hypocrites, the vilest of Hypocrites under the Sun; for what can they be else, who not moved with the Glory of their Redeemer in the Conversion and Edification of Souls, nor at all influenced with the great Ends of their Office, only hunt for Popular Applause; that when they come reeking hot out of their Pulpits, they may be fanned and refreshed with the cooling Breezes of Mens Praises; and if they may but receive, the Euge! Belle! and the grande foreign, that's all they Regard. Now if this Accusation be true, they must be the worst of Men; if false (as I p. 19am Confident it is) you Sir, must be one of the vilest Calumniators. And if the Tenth Part of what you Accuse them of, be true, its Pity but all the Dissenters were once again Silenced, and I have some Reasons inclining me to think that this was the Design of the Satyrist, in all the Disturbances he has given the World.

I am well assured, the Reverend Brethren can justifie themselves in the sight of God, and before their own Consciences, always allowing too much Matter for Repentance, on the account of their sinful Infirmities. That they have received Grace to be faithful from him, who put them into the Ministry by the Door, not by the Windows: That they feed the Flock committed to their Charge and Care under the Eye of the great Shepherd, expecting from him their Reward at his appearing: They dare not feed the Flock of Christ, with the Chippings of the Schools; nor with the dry Husks of Heathenish Morality: They Preach a Crucified Christ, and God, in and through him Reconciled, and they press instantly upon their Hearers that they would be Reconciled to God: And this is what Holy Souls expect from them, that their Hearts may be thoroughly searched; the State of their Souls Examin'd, and Cleared; their Evidences for another World made out with good Satisfaction to an awakened, and well enlightned Conscience: To be taught how they may walk worthy of God to all pleasing, and how they may keep Consciences void of Offence towards God, and all Men. And to say Truth, they do not Love to hear of such sublime Stuff, that is too high for this World, and too low for the next: Nor to see their Teachers Vaulting or Dancing upon the high Rope ('twas the Expression of a Grave Learned Divine) lest after all their Capering Tricks, they should break their own Necks, and perhaps the Peoples.

p. 20Reverend Sir, let me solicite, and prevail for a few Favours, which though not for mine, yet your own Credits sake you ought to grant. That you would admit a few Corrections in your Eloquent Harangues. And first for Observance lets read Observation, for with us Englishmen, Observance is that Respect and Deference that we give to another for some greater Excellency, than we are conscious to our selves of. But as it stands here 'tis broad Non-sense, and Observation had been the proper Word for any but him who affects swelling Bom-bast. Secondly, For Populacy, give us leave to read Popularity; so, besides that it will be Sense, it will be more Picquant, and severe upon your insulted Brethren, and therefore more suited to your own malicious Intendment against them. And to tell you true, we are afraid, lest in a while you should introduce these Terms into Divinity, and that we shall be Condemned for Renouncing the Gospel, because we cannot admit these non-sensical Terms too. Thirdly, We Pray, that for since the Controversie was stated, to make it Sense and Truth, we may read started; for indeed the Controversie has been started by you some while ago, but to this Hour it was never stated: Nor can we persuade you to state it, but like AndabatarianFencers we are cutting and slashing Blindfold: And could we but once at length persuade you to state the Question fairly, and honestly, the Question would decide, and determine it self: One Inconvenience perhaps you foresee, that if the Controversie were well stated, and judiciously answered, it would put a Period to your useful and gainful Trade and Imployment.

I doubt not, but you will freely own your self the Aggressor in this Paper-War; nay, that you Glory in't. It had been more desireable that you had let Matters to have sunk into Silence, and not have blown p. 21Sheba's Trumpet, to a fresh Alarm: But when you drew the Sword against the Presbyterians, no doubt you threw away the Scabbard. Though it had been adviseable, when you buckled on your Armour in this vapouring Gallantry, to have considered how you might as honourably put it off. In the mean Time, I thank you for the Honour you have done us, in giving us the Initial Letters of your Name; could not some Friend of yours have contrived them into an Ingenious Cyphar, which would have adorned your Chariot, when you are to ride in Triumph over the Heads of the Conquered Presbyterians: Such a Cyphar would have given you a great Figure.

I have read, that these two Letters S. L. which you have now stampt upon your Book were once Printed with a Red Hot Iron upon the Cheeks of a famous Patriot, who was a Confessor, and hugely Ambitious to be a Martyr for his Countrey: His Enemies did Interpret S. L. to stand for slanderous Libel, and one of the Wits of that Time would needs give us the Etymology of the Word Libel; that is, A lie with a …ell hung about the Neck to Ring the scandalous Story up and down to his Friends in the Country, and really it would as decently have set upon your Front, as his Cheeks.

I wonder not at your Desultory Humour, that Ebbs and Flows like the Euripus in frequent Vicissitudes, and is constant in nothing but Inconstancy: Sometime you are so smooth, as if you would cut my Throat with a Feather: And by and by, so cruelly severe; as if you would saw off my Head, with an old rusty Hand-saw: It is some Comfort to be rail'd at in handsome Language; but its the worst of Deaths to be Assassinated with dull insipid Reflections, destitute of Wit and Truth. So that when we can meet with nothing, but ill chosen Words, dark Phrase, illturn'd p. 22Periods, and the Language all over Leprous, and Scabbed; the best Defence I can Recommend to the Reader against your Defence, is a good Pair of sharp-long-Nails.

Sir, I have appealed to you, but because I understand I must expect no Redress of Greivances; I do hereby Appeal from you, to the Impartial Reader: At present I take my Leave of you, and Rest as you see,

Your Servant, &c.

p. 23A Vindication of the Faithful Rebuke, from the Rude Cavils of the Pretended Defence of the late Report.

THE Author of the Defence has so strongly immur'd himself, and intrench'd his Cause in Dung, that we have more occasion for the Scavenger than the Schollar, for the Shovel than the Pen to remove it.

§. I. And the first Nuisance I must remove, is an Invidious Misrepresentation of his Rebuker, as if he charged the Congregational, in the bulk, without a Salvo to the Reputation of any one of them, Def. p. 82. Now to give some colour to this Calumny, he has recourse to his wonted Artifice, a piece of pure impure Forgery: from Reb. p. 56. The true Reason of their (the Congregational Brethren) severe Displeasure against the third Paper is, that it has so clearly and fully born its Testimony against the Antinomians: A single Observation will remove this Dirt; that those Words (the Congregational Brethren) are his own Gloss, no part of my Text: His own Suppositious Antecedent, obtruded upon my Relative; and I would leave it to his Conscience to determine of the Honesty of this dealing, had I not had too frequent experience of its partiality.

I have ever embraced the Orthodox and Godly of both Denominations with equal Affections; nor could I ever yet see cause from their Principles or Practices to p. 24Abate those Affections: Tho the same Notions in the hands and management of those of a due Temper, are clear another thing when they're got into the power of those of a fiery Spirit and bigotted Zeal: But yet more particularly.

1. I return this: There needed no Exception, where there was no general Impeachment; nor was there occasion for a Salve where there was no Wound given to any but the Reporter and his few Antinomian Partizans.

2. And yet whether it were from my own good Nature, or a foresight of this Objection, I had timously and sufficiently obviated this Cavil, Rebuke pag. 23. It's an unquestionable Truth that some of them had vented such strange Doctrines, that it gave Umbrage to them (the United Brethren) that there might be found among them, one or two, or so, that had dipt very deep in the Crispian Heterodoxies.

3. Nor ought he to take himself to be of that Consideration and Bulk, (bulky enough tho he be) as if the whole Body of the Congregational, was stowed in his Prominent Belly: For although his Discourse generally runs in the Style of We, we, yet 'tis no other Language than what Emperors, and Reporters, Princes, and Defences do use, when yet they design no more than a single Person.

4. He will hardly allow the same liberty to interpret his own words in his Preface; where he scandalously exposes the Discourses from the Pulpit of late Years, to have been Adjusted to move the Affections, rather than to inform the Iudgment: And yet this he has done without any salvo either to Presbyterian or Congregational Learned or Unlearned, Ordained or Un-ordained, Linnen-drapers, Barbers, or Taylors.

5. I will add, that I know many of the Congregational Brethren, who are sound in the Faith, holy in their Conversation, eminently useful Ministers of Christ in the great Work of the Gospel, and wholly remote p. 25from all Antinomian Tincture: But he shall pardon me if I say that others have more grievously corrupted themselves, their Doctrine, their Hearers with these Speculations: A brief Specimen whereof was given, Reb. p. 25. A much larger by the Answer to the Report, p. 22, 23. and a much larger yet remains ready to be given in due time.

This filth, it's true, affects not the Cause in the least, but was thrown to cast an Odium upon the Person of the Rebuker, which being removed, the Reader may now breath in a freer and fresher Air; I dismiss it therefore with this short Note: That the Defence in this Paragraph has proved himself a Person hugely versed in the Oriental Tongues; for the second Language spoken in Paradice, by the grand Enemy of Mankind, was the Lying and Slandering Tongue; and the elegant Figure with which our Author has imbellisht his whole Discourse, is Purus, putus, Satanismus.

§. II. There is one gross Mistake more in the Defence, p. 85. (If it be proper to talk of one more, when the whole is but one grand continued complicated Mistake) when he would perswade us, that the Reporter about seventeen Years ago, wrote a Book against Antinomianism; meaning, no doubt, that well meaning Piece, The Glory of Free Grace display'd; I will now once for all rectifie his Error, and evince that the Display and the Report, could not possibly be Indited from one Head, nor conceived in one Heart, nor written by one Hand and Pen.

Display, p. 30. assures us, That God's punishing Sin, is founded in and upon his Rectoral Iustice, the Excellency of his Laws, but the Report grounds it upon his Essential Iustice.

Again, Display p. 75. asserts, That Faith and Union (with Christ) is in order of Nature antecedent to an actual Imputation of Christ's Righteousness, and consequently before our Iustification in the sight of God: But the Report tells p. 26us quite another Story; for tho Believing is allowed some place in escaping Wrath to come, and having Everlasting Life, yet he assigns it no Service, no Interest, no Concern at all in the Iustification of a Sinner. But further, Display Epist. informs us, That our coming to Christ, is our believing on him; but come unto Christ we cannot without Faith and Repentance: But then the Report leaves out Repentance wholly, Name and Thing from his Substance of the Gospel; either as necessary to pardon of Sin or Salvation: And yet further, p. 66. Prop. 1. On the Account of Christ's Sufferings in Humane Nature, all Mankind in some sense, is so far Redeemed from the Misery, in which antecedently unto the Promise of Christ's Death they did lie; that they are now in a much happier Condition than the fallen Angels; not only on the Account of their receiving at least a temporary Reprieve from everlasting Flames, but also because their Salvation is become possible; and yet now poor D. W. shall be persecuted for an Arminian, a Socinian, a Baxterian for one Moiety of this Doctrine. Once more p. 68. They who receive least, receive one Talent, and have given them sufficient for the enabling them to do more towards the saving of their Souls, than they actually do; and if those Men do actually improve the Common Helps vouchsafed them, they may (for ought any Man can prove to the contrary) receive such further Assistances, as may have a special influence in enabling them to turn sincerely to God, through Iesus Christ. This was Arminius all over, Facienti quod in se est, Deus non denegat gratiam! So that the Reporter, if he be the Man, was in those Days a downright Baxterian, and an upright Williamite, if common Grace could have kept him so.

What strange Revolutions may seventeen Years produce! In half that time, a Man's Interest may change, and that may warp him; his Dependences may change, and that may pervert him: New Friends and Alliances may beget new Counsels, and above all, this blessed p. 27Change may be the Result of an implacable Enmity against some one Man; which may oblige him to alter his Principles in mere spight, and to face about to the other Extream. However that be, it shall be no Concern of mine to compromise the Quarrel, whether the Report and the Display came from the same Mint; and if so, the Report has wretchedly Clipt what the Display had Coyn'd, and the Display is now splayed.

§. 3. A third Thing to be removed, is what will administer a pleasing Diversion to the Reader, so it will discover much Malice or Ignorance in our Author.

In p. 72. The Defender of the Faith, for divers Reasons to himself best known, is pleas'd to revive the Memory of an Affair depending between the Reverend Mr. R. Baxter, and a certain Author, who above twenty Years ago appeared in Print with an odd Title, Antisozzo: This Author you must know, had confidently enough asserted, That never any Man in his Wits affirm'd, that the Righteousness of Christ was the formal Cause of our Iustification: And for ought I can yet see, he had sufficient ground for his Confidence; for all the Reformed Divines I have yet met withal, do with one consent maintain: That the Imputing of Christ's Righteousness is the formal Cause, but the Righteousness of Christ it self, is the Material Cause of our Justification; that is, it bears some good Analogy with, or proportion to the Material Cause: But Mr. B. treats this Assertion and the Asserter with some scorn, and tells him, That Dr. Davenant, who was far from being a Madman, assures us, That it's the Common Sense of all Divines, that the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us is the formal Cause of our Iustification: Now I appeal to all that have a small glimmering of Understanding, and an equal quantity of Impartiality to use it: Whether these two Propositions, Christ's Righteousness is not the formal Cause, and Christ's Righteousness Imputed is the formal Cause of our Iustification, do carry any the least face of Contradiction? p. 28The Righteousness of Christ is the Material Cause, the Imputing of the Righteousness is the Formal Cause. The Righteousness of Christ is the Matter or Thing to be Imputed, the Imputation of the Matter or Thing is the Form: The Righteousness of Christ is the result of Christ's Active and Passive Obedience, which he as a Priest offer'd up to God for us; but Imputation is an Act of God, by which he adjudges that Righteousness to a believing Sinner, and thereon accepts him as Righteous in his sight: And surely Men may easily distinguish between the Act of God, and the Undertaking of the Mediator: I can readily conceive a difference between a Robe laid up in the Wardrobe, and the putting on that Robe by the Hand that has Right to dispose on't: Christ's Righteousness is this Robe, but it's God's putting it on the believing Sinner that covers his Nakedness, Let me give the Reader one Quotation from Wollebius Compend. Christ. Theolog. lib. 1. cap. 30.

§. 11. Materia justificationis active sumptae, est tota Christi Satisfactio, qua & peccatis nostris, paenas debitas persolvit, & obedientiam Legi perfectam praestitit.

§. 13. Forma ejus, activè intellectae, est totius satisfactionis Christi imputatio; quae tota quoque nostra est, non secus ac si ipsi praestitissemus. So that Christs Righteousness is the Matter, the Imputation of that Righteousness is the Form of our Justification.

Thus much has been said to clear that Author from Mr. B's Indignation, but I will defeat our Authors Design, to commit me with that great Mans Memory; I will not contend with his Ashes, but draw the Curtains softly about him, and leave him to his own Everlasting Rest.

Yet give me leave to Animadvert upon our Authors Confidence, who calls this Assertion, That Christs Righteousness is not the formal Cause of our Iustification: An overbold, rash, and untrue Assertion: Whereas nothing could be more modest, wary, and p. 29true: But we see to what height of extravagancy, interest, vain-glory, and the concupiscence of Cavilling, with other Vanities, will transport a Reporter, or Defender.

I am Confident that these Truths, Christs Righteousness is the material Cause; the Imputation of that Righteousness the formal Cause of our Iustification are owned by this Author in his Heart; what Temptation therefore he could have to debauch his Pen to call it, or them an Untruth, I cannot Conjecture, unless he was resolved, through Thick, and Thin, over Shooes and Boots, through Truth, and Falshood, per fas aut nefas to Defame, and if he had had Wit enough to ridicule that Writer or the Rebuker.

§. 4. But now all Hands aloft! our Author has brought from the Neighbourhood of the Lay-stall at Puddle-Dock, to his Printers, all those Ordures, which will imploy all the City Scavengers. I hope the Reader has his Florentine Balsom, or whatever defensative may be more Potent, ready to secure him against the Stench.

Page 84 Def. He informs us, That there's not the least pretence for his Insinuating, that the Reporter is a Favourer of Dr. Crisps Notions. No? 'Tis well! an Insinuation is a small Matter, a pretence for it is less, but that there should not be the least pretence for such an Insinuation is next to nothing: But I think I have proved, that he is not only a Favourer, but a vehement Abetter of those Notions; and this I have not only insinuated, but demonstrated to himself in the Epistle, and that from his own Substance of his own Gospel, and for this I refer the Reader to the Rebuke, and the said Epistle; and to this he has not been able to Reply one Syllable, to avoid or evade the Charge manag'd in the Rebuke.

It has been Charg'd upon him and proved. That he left out Faith from having any Concern or Interest in p. 30Iustification, according to his Gospel; and that is more than a Pretence of his Syncretism with Dr. Crisp that he has excluded Repentance as unnecessary either to Pardon or Salvation, and that's a Notion beyond Dr. Crisp; he has made Christ a Sinner, and the greatest of Sinners, and that does savour of, and favour Dr. Crisp's Notions; he asserts a Commutation of Persons betwixt Christ and Sinners, and that is Dr. Crisps darling Notion.

'Tis an old and prudent Maxime, if your Enemy will fly, make him a Bridge of Gold: If our Author will be no Antinomian again, he shall have my free Leave, nay my Assistance; for I cannot approve their Politicks, who when an Adversary would retire in the Covert of the Night, cut of his Retreat, and force him to Fight in Desperation, which has many Times wrested a hopeful Victory out of the Hands of the almost Conqueror, for force a Coward to Fight, and he will kill the Devil. Provided always, that his coming over to Orthodoxy, be by way of ingenious Confession, by a plain Recantation, and not by little subterfuges and evasions.

But I must now look to my Self: Our Author will proceed by way of Recrimination; and who shall hinder him from taking his own Method? p. 85. The Rebuker is not free from the Suspicion, if not liable to the Charge of giving Countenance to Dr. Crisps Notions, and so stands bound to clear himself? Now did I never understand this before; that any Man is bound to clear himself of all the Suspicions that will come into Idle, and Addle-Heads; for Suspicio est in alieno pectore sita, &c. Suspicion is in anothers Heart, not in my Hand: And what is not in my Power to prevent, I ought not in Prudence to regard; for what if he will suspect that I stole the Crown from the Head of Iupiter in the Capitol, as the Crochet came into his Head, let it come out again: Iniqua suspicio neminem gravari debet, but thus these Men have dealt with Mr. p. 31Williams, and I did really expect the same Treatment: They imitate the Process of Nature, first they Flyblow the Peoples Heads with a Suspicion, that Fly-blow in a while becomes a Maggot of violent Presumption; which being fed with Mulberry-Leaves thrives into a Caterpillar of down-right Accusation, and but at last proves a sorry Butter-fly. But still (says he) I stand bound to clear my Self; whether I stand bound or no, as I can easily do it, so I will freely do it, and the Accuser himself has already sufficiently done it.

In the former Part of his Discourse, he either craftily Insinuates, or broadly Suggests, or plainly Asserts, that I am a Socinian, an Unitarian, and what not? And now he would raise a Suspicion, and thence form an Accusation that I am an Antinomian: These two whether Suspicions, Suggestions, or Accusations, though both notoriously False, yet do very honestly Confute one the other: If he Loads me with the latter, he Exonerates me of the former: If he insists on the former, he acquits me of the latter: For these two Heresies like a hot and a cold Poison are each others Antidote: Both singly Deletorious, but in Conjunction mutually Defensive: And my Witness is on high, and within, that I detest both really, I cannot say equally: But I must not presume to carry it so, he has several things to produce, which he hopes may at least Accumulatively amount to a Suspicion, and then let him alone to plump it up to a formal Accusation.

(1.) He tells us a fine formal Story, that when the Reporter did about seventeen Years ago write against Antinomianism, the Rebuker gave him sufficient encouragement to expect his Mid-wifing it into the World with an Epistle: Truly this is a Matter of huge concern to bring the present Age to Repentance for its Ingratitude, that it has taken so little notice of that precious Piece, to call for a second and third Impression, with Additions, Corrections, and Enlargements by the Author: p. 32'Tis an Ungrateful World we live in, that never understood a valued Merit; but I humbly conceive it had been more for his Credit to have let it sleep, than to tell the present Generation, he once writ a Book, which after seventeen Years he has seen good Virtually to retract; for he now openly avows, that the Reporter was the Displayer; and if he be not the Author, he is the Confuter.

But his Brother (meaning the Rebuker) promised him, that he would Midwife his Book into the World: Why really I cannot charge a frail Memory with such an idle Story for seventeen Years, but its the most improbable Tale that ever was told; for I never knew that this Gentleman had ever such hard Labour in Teeming of Pamphlets, that he should need a Man-midwife: 'tis certain he is always Big-belly'd, and more fear he should be Deliver'd in the open Streets, like Pope Ioan, than to need my Manual Operation; and his Printer can do it without my help, who never professed, or was guilty of the obstetrical Talent: The Countess of Holland was brought to Bed of an Almanack, as many Children as there are Days in the Year, and I doubt not this parturient Author can exclude as many, without my holding his Back, tho perhaps I shall need to hold my own Sides, that they split not with Laughter.

However I will admit there might be some small truth in his Story; let us now hear how he will improve the Mole-hill into a Mountain: He proceeds thus; That when I heard some noise of Dr. Crisp's Name in it, I refused to do it: Well! It may be so; I might have some respect to a Gentleman that was an Antinomian, and so I have still to many, yet none at all to Antinomianism: I may be a Friend to the Person, and yet none to his Errors: Take therefore this Account. Dr. Crisp had been then long Dead, and left the World with this Fame, that he was a Godly Man: What Works he left behind him were not much taken notice of, and for my self I never p. 33read but a few Pages of one of them, which carry'd as I remember, no great evil in them. This Doctor left behind him two Sons whom I well knew, Persons of good Report and Repute for Religion, Men zealous for God, and of much usefulness in their Generations; and perhaps, I might judge it more adviseable, as I now do, to Confute Errors, if there be occasion for their Confutation in Thesi, as they stand abstracted from their Author, than for me to write a Prefatory Epistle against a Person long since dead, which must be a Grief to the living; these or some of these might be Considerations, why I did, if I did refuse that Drudgery, but I can truly say, I remember not one Syllable more or less, of this Impertinent Story.

But the Reader must acknowledge this to be one of the most fordid pieces of Baseness in the World, had any such Imparlance past between us, to betray private Conversation; who can plead to be treated as a Gentleman, that rudely reveals the most Innocent Passages of Friendly Correspondence, when he thinks he can do a Mischief? It may teach some of his Friends more prudence than to intrust him with any Important Secret, upon which he may perhaps come in as an Evidence after seventeen Years silence: Such Villany ought to be banisht all Conversation and Commerce: I do now bless my self, that I am not conscious to my self that I had ever any intercourse with such a one, the Reflexion on which might cause me to blush, or expose me to danger: He that has a Memory so Tenacious, may for ought I know, or he himself knows, be tempted to Trump up something to his Friends prejudice, perhaps his Ruine at the seventeen Years end: He that is now entertain'd as a Friend, may delate, impeach me some Years hence as an Enemy. And that which renders it more odious in him, is this; That he himself was near Destruction by Words spoken at his own Table, revealed by a false Friend▪ 'Twas this gave occasion of that p. 34Saving of a considerable Person, foreign. But from my Soul I bless my God, that gave me so signal a Deliverance from his Clutches, and Mischievous Hands, and do at once detest the Malice, and scorn the Impotency of it.

There is not a more subtil and devilish Art of Slandering, than when a Calumniator says little, but with a Nod, or Shake of his Head, with an Ill-favoured Grimace, he leaves you to suspect all imaginable evil under those Intimations. Ay! the good Man could tell dreadful horrid things; but out of his respect to his Brother he forbears, and will be silent: This is the old Trade of murdering Men and their good Names with an Innuendo; and this carries more of the Politicks of Hell in't, than if he called me a thousand Rogues and Rascals: He that accuses openly, leaves room for a just Defence; but he that Slanders by Insinuations, allows no place for Vindication: This is the Arrow that flies in Darkness, wounds where it is not seen: This is the way of Assassinating by white Powder, that kills without a Report; and in this case the Accuser can Retreat upon any Attack, and smoothly say, Alas, my Brother, I meant no harm. But what he means by a Letter of mine written to Φ. X. I know no more than the Man in the Moon; no more than if they had been ψ. Ω. or any other Letters of the Alphabet: This I know, I never held Correspondence with Friend, Fenwick, or Charnock, or any other of the Digamma's.

(2.) A second thing he has thought fit to pitch upon, to raise or confirm the Suspicion of my favouring Dr. Crisp's Notions is, that upon a second Impression of Dr. Crisp's Works, it (the Impression) was attested by me. To which I only softly return, That it is a loud and lewd Falshood; I never Attested the Book, the Doctrines of the Author, the Principles contained in it: The Matter of Fact is thus: Mr. S. C. the Doctor's Son desired me to give my Hand, that I thought he would p. 35not impose upon the World in those Ten Sermons, which from his Father's Original Manuscripts, he added to his Father's Works in that Impression, I did believe him, and do still to be a Man of Honesty and Conscience, and that he durst not cheat the Reader with counterfeit Sermons: This is what I attested, and I have that Confidence in the Gentleman, that he will aver as much.

But this is the way that our Author and his Accomplices have chosen in other cases to Reproach us: Some Brethren gave their Names thus far to Mr. W's Book of Gospel Truths: That in the main the Truths and Errors were rightly stated, in opposition to the Errors of the Doctor's Book: Immediately a Clamour is raised, as if they had subscribed to the whole of the Book it self; and yet after all the Out-cry, when the Antinomians have made the severest Scrutiny, they can find nothing but some dubious Expressions, some disputable Phrases, and some things perhaps darkly expressed, to quarrel with: Thus some Attested the Son's honesty, and it must be interpreted an Attestation to the Father's Hetorodoxy; but if any of us had transgressed in subscribing the Doctor's Book, they could not do Pennance, nor make satisfaction in a more reasonable way, than by attesting that of Mr. D. W's, which was so full, and clear a Confutation of it: And this I am very confident of, that whatever has been the pretence, the real cause of all the Enmity manifested against Gospel Truth, was chiefly, that it gave a mortal Wound to the Antinomian Opinions: And that's a Crime shall never be forgiven him, but prosecuted with Vatinian hatred by the Reporter, and all of the same Kidney.

(3.) A third colour for his suspicion of me to be savouring of Dr. Crisp's Notions, is that I put my Hand to a Paper prefixt to Mr. Flavell's excellent piece, call'd A Blow at the Root: To make short work, and give a Compendious Answer to this Charge, take it thus. p. 36That Paper was drawn up by a learned and able Hand; in whose Judgment I presumed I might acquiesce; and if that Reverend and Learned Person shall think fit to move out of his Retiredness, and appear concern'd in this Affair, he will easily justifie it: The Accessary is not to be Try'd and Condemn'd before the Principal; and it would seem Presumption in me to vindicate his own Draught, who is much more able to do it: I will therefore say no more but this. I judge that Paper capable of a fair Vindication, and may be justified by an Ingenious Interpretation; but yet, I confess, I am not well pleased with my self that I have put my Hand to that or any other Trimming Paper.

The Defence p. 85. enforces his Charge, That he cannot easily forget when, and where I was charged with giving my Attestation to Dr. Crisp's Book, and called upon to give satisfaction; but that I was so inflexible that no other could be obtained, than that the Charge was Rude and Ignorant, and so braved it out: I agree with him perfectly, that if there was ever any thing, the Remembrance whereof would do a shrewd Turn, he could never forget it▪ And I shall softly return this; That of all Men living, a Reporter has need of a good Memory; but here, his Memory or Conscience, or both, fail'd him: For tho it be true, I did say the Charge was Rude, yet 'twas this Reporter who added, that it was ignorant; and thus I must be accused by him of the Crime, if it was a Crime, of his own Expression; and of this I have the Evidence of many Brethren, whose Faithfulness in Witness-bearing is Incontestible, and not to be mention'd in the same Day with his; for the thing was not spoke in a corner, and it was at that time when this Reporter frequented Little St. Hellens, before he fell, and left his first Station.

§. 5. How I have Acquitted my self of the Charge of Antinomianism brought against me, the Reader has heard; whether there be any pretence for an Insinuation, p. 37that the Reporter is a favourer of Dr. Crisp's Notions, the Reader shall now judge.

The Difficulty of making a clear Judgment upon this Trimming Author's Opinion in this matter, lies chiefly in this; Whether we are to take our Measures of what he is from his visible Book, or his invisible Heart? What he is in his Heart and secret Inclinations, falls not under our Cognizance; what he appears to be in his legible and intelligible Writings, comes under our Notice: But still, whether we are to proceed by the strict inflexible Rule of Judgment, or Reason; or whether we are to allow some Latitude in our Thoughts according to Charity, may admit of a Debate.

And 1. my Charity inclines me to think him no Antinomian, from what a Friend of his and mine assur'd me the other Day, since I awarded my self the Pennance, and my Pen the Punishment of these Lines. Sir, (said he) the Reporter is no more an Antinomian than your self. It may be so (reply'd I) but for all that, he may be Antinomian enough, for he has endeavoured to prove me one: But if he be none, why does he write at this rate? If he Preaches one thing, and Prints another; if he be one Man in the Pulpit, and another from the Press; if he writes one thing and means another, how shall we possibly make a Judgment of his Faith? 'Tis not the sense of his Soul, but the sense of his Book, in which I am concern'd; if these two be at odds, they must either agree it, or fight it out as well as they can. Well! Well! (reply'd our Common Friend) I can assure you he's no Antinomian in his Judgment, tho he writes a little squinting that way, to gratifie some great Friends that are strongly byassed that way. Ay, but (said I) this is to pluck the Thorn out of one Foot, and thrust it into the other; for now you allow him sound in his Head, but then you render him rotten at Heart, and thus while you clear his Orthodoxy, you accuse him of Hypocrisie; and what Account p. 38can you give of his halting and doubling thus in a matter of the greatest Importance? But here our Discourse was interrupted.

2. Therefore not daring to depend upon our Friends Opinion, I sought Relief from the Defence it self, hoping I might rely on his own Judgment of his own self, and as I find, I will nakedly Report to the Reader, without taking his Office out of his Hands.

The Author of the Rebuke did think, and now is confirm'd in his Thoughts; that the United Brethren, after they had given such incontestible Demonstrations of their soundness in the Faith against all Arminian and Socinian Errors, might reasonably expect that those other Brethren should give some good account of their stedsastness in the Faith in opposition to the Antinomian Heterodoxies: Nor did they want cogent Reasons for their Expectations; that if they gave satisfaction upon slender and sleighty Surmises, the others ought to give the like, where the Proofs were Notorious and Flagrant.

Now the Defence could not but take some notice of this Passage, and thinks it not amiss to shew what fell under Consideration, when this Point was to be debated: Now Reader mark well what he says.

[1.] It was thought conducive (says he, p. 66.) to the great end, to avoid as much as possible, a running into the Discussion, and Determination of Differences of lesser moment; and therefore to keep to those Matters, which did more nearly concern the Essentials in Matters of Faith. Now to set the Reader right herein, he must Note,

1. That tho the United Brethren valued Peace as high as any, they know they might buy Gold too dear, and therefore durst not purchase Peace with the loss of Truth▪ The great end therefore which they had in their Eye and upon their Heart, was that they might secure their Union, upon good security that Antinomian p. 39Errors were not secretly lodged in the Hearts of some Brethren, or if there harboured, it might by a sound Test be discovered: And therefore a Test was drawn up to obviate all possible Evasions. See Rebuke P. 25.

2. Whereas this Defender tells us of Differences of a lesser moment: This will bring our Author's Faith to the Ordeal, and we shall now see what are the Differences of lesser moment, in his Opinion; and to speak plainly, they were such Trifles as these, Whether Faith be necessary to Iustification? Repentance to pardon? These were our Author's Punctilio's, his Matters of lesser moment. And thus we have gain'd this one Point, That a Iustifying Faith and Repentance in order in Pardon, are none of the Essentials of the Gospel of Christ, as they were but Accidentals in the Gospel of the Reporter.

3. To trim up this matter handsomly, and find out a due Temper as the Phrase and Practice was in the Conventicle of Trent; both Parties are deluded, under a colour of pleasing both; and thus things stand in the first Paper: Altho Regeneration, Repentance towards God, and Faith in our Lord Iesus Christ, and a holy Conversation are by God's express Word manifestly necessary to the Salvation of a Sinner, &c. These things then are necessary to Salvation; but not so to Pardon, Iustification, Acceptance with God; for in that respect they are Matters of lesser moment, which must not be discussed, much less determined, but avoided as much as possible, because that was conducive to their great ends: Now I would modestly ask, Whether the Ends of both these sorts of Brethren were the same? For it's most evident, that the end of one was to conceal, the end of the other to discover latent Antinomianism? And secondly I would ask, If the Care and Caution was so great, not to come to a Discussion of these lesser Matters, why was the Zeal so hot to come to a Determination of far more inconsiderable? They could discuss and determine upon a Phrase, Commutation p. 40of Persons between Christ and Sinners; but could not, or would not determine by any Means, that Faith and Repentance were absolutely necessary to the Iustification of a Sinner.

4. The Author would give us a Reason, why they would not run, no nor came, nor crept to the Determination of these Things of lesser Moment, because they were agitated among the Godly (rthodox themselves: This Gentleman has a knack above all Mankind, he can Canonize, and Anathematize, whom he pleases. They shall be Godly or Ungodly, Orthodox or Heterodox, Learned or Unlearned, just as they approve, or disapprove themselves to his Humour; but here I do enter my Dissent: That however Godly they might be, Orthodox they could not be, that admitted not Faith, and Repentance as necessary to Pardon: But from hence we might infer from his Premises, that a Man may be Orthodox, and yet deny Faith necessary to Justification; and Orthodox too, though he maintained it necessary; but we see through these Cobwebs, and this was a Contrivance to secure the Orthodoxy of that Reverend Brother who Asserted, that Pardon is rather the Condition of Faith; and much more, having a causal influence thereunto, than Faith and Repentance are of Pardon.

5. Although the Defender has made these Things of lesser Moment, the Word of God has determin'd it that they are Matters of the greatest Moment and Weight, even Fundamental Articles of Faith; Heb. 6. 1. Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, let us go on to Perfection, not laying again the Foundation of Repentance from Dead Works, and of Faith towards God: I assure you, I tremble to think what we are coming to, nay what we are running to, nay what we are already come to; that Repentance from dead Works, which was once a Doctrinal Foundation, must be crouded, and jostled among the Things of lesser Moment, p. 41adiaphorous Things, we may be Orthodox, and assert it, Orthodox and deny it; and thus they have degraded it to a Ceremony, and so by their Principles to be exploded.

But because the Order of these Things is hugely considerable, if we may have leave to believe the Scripture; Though of lesser Moment if we durst believe the Defence. I will briefly inquire with Reverence, into the Mind of God in this Matter of Repentance.

1. If we observe in what Order our Blessed Redeemer has commanded his Apostles, and in them all his Ministers of the Gospel to the End of the World, to proceed in their dealing with Sinners in Order to their Conversion, and turning to God: And this is punctually laid down, Acts 26. 18. The Gentiles unto whom I now send Thee (Paul) to open their Eyes, to turn them from darkness, to light; and from the Power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of Sins: Where we cannot but observe. That the first step that Effectual Grace takes in Concurrence with the Ministers is to Open their Eyes; that they may see their Sin and Misery; The next step he takes, to turn 'em from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God; in which Repentance is included, nay, this Turning is Gospel Repentance: And all this Work is expresly in Order to the Receiving of Forgiveness of Sin.

2. And as this was the express Order, in which Christ commanded his Apostles to Preach the Gospel, so it was the same in which he himself Preacht it, Mark 1. 16. Iesus came into Galilee, Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, the Time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at Hand, Repent ye, and Believe the Gospel: Thus was the Gospel Preacht, in and from the beginning, thus Sinners Repented and Believed in Order to Pardon.

3. And in the same Order is Christ represented dispensing p. 42Repentance and Pardon from the Throne, Acts 5. 30, 31. Him has God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance to Israel, and Remission of Sins.

4, The same Method the Apostle Peter pursued in his excellent Sermon, Acts 3. Where when he had first, ver. 14. urged it upon their Consciences. That they had denied the Holy One, and the Iust, and desired a Murderer, yet he invites them, ver. 19. Repent ye therefore, and be Converted, that your Sins may be blotted out, &c.

5. And though the Old Testament, will not sway much with an Antinomian, yet methinks they might allow that Evangelical Chapter of the Evangelical Prophet to be good Gospel, Isa. 55. 7. Let the Wicked forsake his Way, and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have Mercy on him; and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon.

6. And its a little considerable, though not much, that our Author did once prescribe this very Method to his Gospel Minister, Display, Pref. The first Work of a Gospel Minister is to Preach up Repentance toward God, and then Faith in our Lord Iesus Christ.

Upon the whole Matter then, It evidently appears, that the first Paper, did not at all Answer the great End of the United Ministers, viz. To remove their Jealousies, which upon good Grounds they had justly conceived of some that were inclinable, and more than inclinable to Antinomianism; and therefore might demand Satisfaction of their Faith in these Points, in the Name, and on the behalf, of their Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

[2.] Our Authors adds, That there being a Controversie among the Reformed themselves about the Order between Faith and Repentance, and which hath the Priority, and Antecedence, and whether Repentance was a necessary praerequisite to Pardon. The Composers of the first Paper p. 43waved the Determination thereof: To which I return, This is not to Answer but to Praevaricate. For:

1. Who were those Reformed ones that Controverted, Whether Repentance be a necessary Praerequisite to Pardon? None but the Reformed Antinomians; and the great End of the Articles sent by the United Ministers, was to discover whether there were such Latent among them, or rather because that was sufficiently discovered, to Discover who they were.

2. Had this Gentleman dealt honestly, and plainly, he should have said there are some Antinomians among us, of whom we are tender; some of these never joyn'd in the Union, and others are gone off, now for their Sakes, we would a little dawb with our untemper'd Mortar and Plaister over this Point of the Antecedence of Repentance to Pardon; to this it would readily have been Replyed: Sir, we know it well! their Writings, their Preachings sufficiently inform us; but these we will either Reclaim, or Discover.

3. And if he had that Art to find out a Temper to palliate Matters which were really of great, though by him made of lesser, of no Moment; why could he not have given us a Cast of his Office in Matters were really of little Moment? But here lay the Partiality; on the one side they screw up Articles above Ela: On the other they sink 'em below Gammut. They insist stifly, inflexibly upon a worthless Phrase, in the Doctrine of Satisfaction, as if all Religion depended on it, must Live, or Die with it: When it was of no Moment at all to the Explaining or Confirming that Doctrine, which had been fully and faithfully provided for in the several Confessions of the Churches; but for the Doctrines of Faith and Repentance in Order to the Pardon of a Sinner, these they wave, and leave them undetermin'd.

[3.] Whereas he says, The Composers of the first Paper, waved the Determination of these Matters, which was p. 44no more than was done in the Composing of the seven Propositions, which were renounced to the End we might express our Abhorrence of Antinomian Errors: What will not this Gentleman attempt in the Twy-light, who imposes thus upon us at Noon-day? Let us make a Query or two upon it.

1. Was there no more required in the seven Propositions than was in the first Paper? For shame! The Fourth Proposition of the Seven was this: We Renounce this Doctrine, That any may expect Pardon, without Repentance: If God had promis'd Pardon without Repentance, we might have expected it; and if we may not expect it in Faith, I conclude, God never promis'd it: Upon what Grounds then do Men delude the Souls of others and their own, who encourage them to expect Pardon without Repentance: But was there any Word in the first Paper tending, sounding this Way?

2. Where or when were the seven Propositions Renounced, especially the Fourth? By the Orthodox United Brethren it was, by the others never; but he that can be false will be fallacious.

[4.] Whereas he adds, That Mr. W's insisting on the Assertion, of the Necessity of Repentance in Order to Pardon, about which the Orthodox have differing Sentiments, it was at last Agreed to Assert the Necessity of Repentance, and leave this Controversie undetermin'd.

But this is but his Coleworts boyled so often till they are Poyson: For we deny that the Orthodox have different Sentiments about this Matter, and affirm that they are Heterodox who deny the Necessity of Repentance in Order to Pardon: And herein he manifestly contradicts himself; for in the Paragraph before mention'd, he asserts that the seven Propositions were renounced to this End, that we might express our Abhorrence of Antinomian Errors, among which seven, this was the Fourth, That we may expect Pardon without Repentance; p. 45and yet now he asserts with equal Confidence, that this was left undetermined: These were some of his confused and disturbed Thoughts at that Time.

I will shut up this Head of Discourse with a Remark or two:

1. The first Thing I observe is, from a certain Author whom our Defender thinks, at least asserts to be his own Self: Append. to Display, p. 18. where he quotes the Reverend and Learned Dr▪ Owen in his Treatise of Justification. Who can be (says he) more express than the Doctor, for he Asserts. 1. The Necessity of Faith as Antecedent to our Actual Iustification in the sight of God. 2. That this Faith includes in its Nature the intire Principle of Evangelical Repentance, so that its utterly impossible that a Man should be a true Believer, and not at the same Time be truly Penitent.

2. My next Remark shall be from an Author, who I am most certain is his own Self, and that is the Defender: Who p. 86. tells us There may be very Material Difference about that Order of Things, and reference to one another though there be agreement as to the Things themselves: Now its probable this is the same Author, for I assure you 'tis in the same Book, who says, p. 66. The avoiding as much as possible a running into the Discussion, and Determination of Differences of lesser Moment; viz. The Controversie about the Order, between Faith and Repentance, which hath the Antecedence and Priority, and whether Repentance be a necessary praerequisite to Pardon: Now Though I with my Self, and so will the Intelligent Reader think; how comes it to pass, that the Priority of Faith and Repentance between themselves, and their Antecedence to Pardon, should be a Matter of lesser Moment in one Case, and yet make such a Material Difference in another? This puzzled me for a while till I found out the Mystery: That in the one he was purging himself, and his Antinomian Brethren, of their Errors, and then they were Matters of lesser Moment; p. 46but in the other Case he was loading with Reproach the Subscribers to Mr. Flavell's Blow at the Root.

The Truth is, some of the most Important Controversies that have given trouble to the Church of Christ, have been about the Order of Things: The Order of the Divine Eternal Decrees have ministred as much matter of Dispute, as the Decrees themselves; and the great Controversies about Faith and Repentance, have been in what Order they are to be placed in reference to Iustification; Thus when our Defender has occasion for it, they shall be material and momentous; and when he has no such occasion, they shall be trivial matters, and of lesser moment.

I have done with our Defender at present, because he has done with, and undone himself: He himself has Determin'd this Point, That Repentance is necessary to Pardon. Dr. Owen has Determin'd it too; and the Scriptures of Truth have Determined it long before them both, and yet now for the sake of his dear Antinomian Brethren, he has undetermined it again: So true is the Observation that some have made of this Gentleman, that he can shift his Sails as the Wind Veres, and Determine and Undetermine, and if need be Re-determine the Controversie over and over, to the end of the Chap ter,

§. 6. It is seriously and sadly to be lamented, that Disputations should not be managed among us, for their true and proper ends, to search after, and find out the truth, but in a cunning way either to disguise Errors, that they may look like Truths; or to misrepresent Truth, that it may look as deformed as Error. But thus it has fared with Trade, which from a fair and equal way of dealing, has degenerated into a Mystery of Stock-jobbing; and with the Trade of War too, which is changed from fair Combating in the open Field, to Marching, De-marching, Counter-marching, and a thousand Subtilties without fighting; such are all our Modern Disputes, perverted p. 47into a Course of Cavilling and Sophistry, to subserve the Interest of a Party; a notable Instance of which Artifice I shall now present to the Reader.

The Rebuke had said, That the Phrases of a Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners; and his taking on him the Person of Sinners, were wholly unknown to those Confessions of Faith, which were made the Test of soundness in the Faith, by the United Ministers. Nay, he went higher, That if you searched all the Confessions of the Reformed Churches, you should not meet with these Phrases, no not one of them.

To answer this Challenge, the Defender has compased Sea and Land, rummaged the whole Harmony and Body of Confessions, and after all his tedious Inquiry has found, or thinks he has, or would perswade us he has found at least one that will furnish him with Matter for a Triumph: 'Tis in the Confession of the Church, (Who would believe it?) the Church of Scotland, the National Church of Scotland! But thus he glories: We shall find the very Phrase of Christ's dying in our Person, inserted into the Confession of their Faith. Well! we long to hear the Words! He quotes them thus. It became the Messiah and Redeemer to be true God, and true Man, because he was to suffer the Punishment due for our Sins, and to appear in our Person before the Iudgment Seat of the Father, to suffer for our Transgression, and by Death to destroy him that had the Power of Death: Why then here's an end of this business, unless our Author be as deceitful a Translator, as he is a Reporter. No doubt the meer English Reader thinks he has now done his own Work, and my Business; and that he has produced one Confession which really asserts that Christ suffer'd in our Person; and I confess my self one of those Credulous Souls, that thought, and many others do still think, that either his Conscience or his Credit would have check'd him from imposing upon us by a False Translation. But I am now once more convinced, that Interest, and the Good Old p. 48Cause will over-rule both those sorry things, Credit and Conscience; for the Latine Article runs thus: That Christ did appear, Quasi in persona nostra; As it were in our Person: Did he then flatter himself, that none of his Readers could read or construe a word of familiar Latine? Or did he think it worth his while to sham the World for an Hour? Or is there such great Advantage gotten by a Lying Tongue that is but for a moment? A poor sorry moment, till his Neighbour comes and searches him out with his Falsifications: The Reverend Fathers of that Synod, who Penn'd that Article were wise, and well knowing that the Phrase of Christ's dying in our Person, was harsh, and might suffer evil Constructions, did mollifie and qualifie it with a quasi, that it might not grate the Ears, nor grieve the Conscience of any, nor choak the Faith of the Subscribers or Assenters; and I cannot but wonder, that even our Author should give it us true in Latine, and yet prevaricate in the English, unless he considered that not one in twenty that would be cheated by the Version, could undeceive themselves from the Original.

I only add, That if this Phrase sweetned with a quasi, or some such limiting Term will do him any Service, I can help him to one from the great and judicious Calvin, who upon 2 Cor. 5. 21. thus expresses himself: Christus quodammodo personam nostram suscepit.

But I will expose this Fraud no further at present, only will note, That tho he pretends to have found one, and but one, or to speak correctly, not one instance for this Phrase; yet he cannot pretend to have found one Example in any Confession, no not a Shread or Scrap of one for his other celebrated Phrase of a Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners.

But these things we shall meet withal again and again, when we come to the main of the Cause, let this suffice for a tast of our Author's Integrity, and to teach us p. 49what we must expect from him in the sequel of his Defence.

Reader! Perhaps thou hast seen how the Heron pursued by the Mounting-Hawk, slices upon her Enemy; or heard how the Hollanders routed the poor Iaponese, by charging their Artillery with Excrements, when all their Ammunition was spent. Or of that Creature in Germany that defends it self against the Hounds, with the Artillery of its Posteriours; The same Defence has our Author made; and whether his Close-Study, or his Closestool affords him better supply, I must leave rather to the Arbitrement of thy Nose, than of thy Understanding.

An Advertisement to the Reader.

HAving received many Letters from Persons of great Learning, relating to the Matters in Controversie between the Reporter and my self. I have composed my Answer to the Defence out of those respective Returns to the said Letters, which Method, I conceive, will contribute not a little to the Diversion and Delight, the Ease and Refreshment of the Ingenious Reader, who may now at his own Choice entertain himself and his Thoughts, with which of the Subjects he shall please.