Vindication of the Faithful Rebuke to a False Report, Letter 9
LETTER IX. MISCELLANIES.
SIR, There are a few Parcels scatter'd up and down our Author's Discourse, which either I could not conveniently reduce to any Head, or possibly thought 'em not worthy my notice or yours, which upon second Thoughts I have comprised in this Letter.
§. 1. The Report, p. 8. has charg'd Mr. W. that he denied a Change of Persons between Christ and the Elect; and that this Denial is so express, that he leaves no room for a Distinction, Limitation, or Restriction, or for owning it in any sense. To this the Rebuke answer'd, p. 38. That Mr. W. has left room enough for all the Distinctions that are proper to the matter in hand. That Mr. W. denied nothing but what Dr. Crisp had affirm'd of this Change, that there is no Contradiction between affirming a Change, and denying a Change, unless they be both ad Idem. That he did not deny a Change simply and absolutely, but only in a certain respect, and restrictively. That these things are obvious, and plain to an ordinary Understanding. Nor is there a more a futilous or foolish fallacy than to conclude a dicto secundum quid, ad dictum simpliciter: Now this Argument the Bishop of Worcester in his late Letter has abundantly cleared. How can any Persons in common Ingenuity understand this otherwise, than that he denied such a Change of Persons as Dr. C. affirmed? Why then should such a sense be charg'd upon him, which he disowns at the same time? There must be something farther in th… matter, than appears to an indifferent and Impartial Reader. And so there is something farther, something that lies deeper; something that presses harder than appears to every one.
But still the Defence insists upon't, p. 31. and to illustrate his Mind, speaks thus: He must own that the Apostle Peter was a good Man in some respect, because he doth not say, St. Paul was evil in every respect: I considered seriously with my self, what Temptation the Man could be under to drag these two blessed Apostles by the Head and Shoulders, into our pitiful Squabbles; or where the Wit, the Policy, the Reason should lie to introduce them into our sorry concerns: I knew not what real harm they had done him, but that I find the one, 1 Tim. 5. 15. pretty severe upon the foreign Busie-Bodies; and the other as sharp, 1 Pet. 4. 15. upon the foreign, Busie-bodies in other Mens Matters; and that might justifie a Peek, and involve them both in guilt, which shall never be forgiven. But then why should a Man be Impertinent, that he might be Profane? For the Argument is Nugatory, and very Childish: St. Peter was a good Man in some respect, because he doth not say, St. Paul was evil in every respect. Nor can I find that St. Peter ever charged St. Paul to be evil in any respect. I find indeed that St. Peter says, 2 Ep. 3. 16. That in his Brother Paul's Epistles there are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned, and unstable, wrest, &c.
And I know the Papists when they would decry the Perspicuity of the Scriptures in things necessary to Salvation, do argue at our Author's rate; A dicto secundum quid, ad dictum simpliciter: Some things in those Epistles are foreign, therefore all are so. The unlearned, and unstable wrest them; therefore the humble that depend on the Spirit of God, must needs wrest 'em too. Now look what Answer the Protestants gives the Papists, I give to this Gentleman. Mr. W. denied a Change of Persons in Dr. Crisp's Sense, but it follows not that he denied it in every sense.
§. 2. In the Report, p. 5. we have a distinction between Punitive and Remunerative Iustice; and this Distinction he creaks with up and down. Now its a Rule among all Logicians, That Membra dividentia, non sunt coincidentia: The Members of a Division, must never be Coincident: But our Reporter is so hardy to run his Head against this Canon; and divides Justice into Punitive and Remunerative; or into Vindicative and Rewarding; whereas God does as truly Reward in punishing; and all Vindicative Iustice is Remunerative: Now for this we have the most express Scriptures that can be desired. Compare these two, Heb. 2. 2. Every Transgression received a just Recompence of Reward, foreign, Heb. 11. 27. He had an Fye to the Recompence of Reward, foreign: Now when the Recompence given to the greatest Trangressions; and that given by Grace to Faith, are by the same Apostle termed a Recompence of Reward: It's apparent to an ordinary Eye, the Terms in our Author's Division must be coincident, and therefore absurd, and improper. Nor can there be a solid Reason given for the Distinction of Justice into Vindicative and Remunerative, when Vindicative Justice is Remunerative; save that they make a kind of a Rhyme, and that at any time with our Author shall compensate the want of Reason.
§. 3. Report, p. 4. There is a Passage which I am assured will give you Diversion, and perhaps force a Smile from your Gravity. Had a Change of Persons been but a foreign, a Bar or Hedge, about the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction, the Explosion would have amazed them; but the Commutation of Persons being so essentiall to a proper Satisfaction, they dread what the Pursuances are like to be. You see here, Sir, a Comparison formed between the Essentials of Satisfaction, and the Accidentals; or to keep nearer to his Allusion between the main Castle where this Doctrine of satisfaction is fortified, and the Out-works that are rais'd at some distance round about it: Now, Sir, observe, how they stand affected to both these: If the Hedge, the Out-work had been broken down, it would have amazed them; but if the Main Fort had been storm'd, then they would dread the pursuances: As if Amazement were not the highest degree imaginable of Fear and Dread: And that they should have a higher concern for some slighty Redoubts they had built about it, when the main Doctrine is safe, than if the Doctrine it self were overthrown, or blown up into the Air: The highest degree of Christ's trouble of Soul in his Agony, is call'd Amazement, Mark 14. 33. And that degree of Fear which is almost inconsistent with Faith, is called a Fear with Amazement, 1 Pet. 3. 6. Whose Daughters ye are, while ye do well, and are not afraid with any Amazement, foreign.
I never knew a Man give up himself to an Affected Pedantry, but he was guilty of Nonsence: A famous Instance you have here, in his new-coin'd Term pursuances; we that are old-fashion'd People, should not have scrupled to have said Consequences; and they are but such things as easily follow and flow from a Proposition; but these pursuances are clear of another Nature; active, vigorous things that pursue and follow after another to overtake him: Just such another piece of affected stuff we had in Observances for Observations; and one of the same Humour, Explosion, which to English Ears signifies the shooting of a great Gun.
§. 4. Prepare your self now, Sir, for a glorious Scene: Our Author has summoned a Congregation of his Junior Brethren, Def. p. 9. who either by disuse have forgotten, or by reason of a too early, and constant Application to practical Preaching, never throughly understood the necessary Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction: This practical Preaching is a great Grievance which ought to be Redressed: Truly, Sir, it will do you good at heart to see our great Gamaliel in the Chair; and all the small Fry sitting at his Feet in Imis Subselliis, with huge Devotion waiting for the Oracular Reveries that drop from his Lips; just as they painted blind Homer vomiting up his Rhapsodies, and the Minor Poets licking up his Recrements and …gastions: Thus shall you see him pouring out whole Floods of Learning, while the Inferiour Clergy lap up his Notions with wondrous greediness.
(1.) And first he instructs his Pupils from Grotius, That those words Christ suffered for our Sins, cannot be understood of a final, but of a Meritorious Cause. That's a thousand pities! Now thought I, what implacable spight has he conceiv'd against poor Grotius, that he should seldom or never give him a true word; but I had tried him too often to trust him any more; and therefore hastily catching up Grotius, the first Sentence I cast my Eye upon was this, De satisf. p. 4. Nam foreign, non minus significare solent, Causam impulsivam quam causam finalem; These two Prepositions do usually signifie no less the Impulsive, than the Final Cause. So then, no less the Impulsive than the Final, must be construed by a Learned Divine, not the Final, but the Impulsive Cause: Well! Tho I knew Grotius's Judgment well enough in this matter, yet I would needs look farther for fuller satisfaction; and p. 33. I read thus. Finis Rei de qua Agitur, secundum Dei & Christi intentionem, duplex est, justitiae nimirum Divinae De…onstratio; & peccatorum Remissio quod-ad nos: Hoc est i…punitas nostra. The end of this Affair, where… we now treat, (Christ's suffering for our Sins) according to the I…ndment both of God and Christ, is twofold: To wit, the Demonstration of Divine Iustice, and the Remission of our Sins, that is our indemnity from punishment. And having discoursed at large of the former end, the Demonstration of Iustice, he comes, p. 36. to treat of the other. Finis alter, ut Diximus est impunitas nostra, which the Apostle emphatically expresses, Rom. 5. 9. Much more being justified by his Blood, we shall be sav'd from Wrath through him.
(2.) He proceeds in his Learned Lecture to instruct his Novices. That the Preposition foreign [For] when its said Christ suffered for us, signifies a Commutation or Change of Persons between Christ and us. But had our Dr. pleas'd to become a Learner, before he commenced a Teacher, he might have known better Things both from Grotius and the Bishop of Worcester. They would have informed him, that the Preposition foreign imports contrariety, as well as Substitution, and that therefore it does not from its own force necessarily import Substitution, but as 'tis in Conjunction with the Sufferings of Christ; but because I know he'll not believe what I say, I recommend to him the judicious Dr. Owen, Appendix to the Doctrine of the Trinity, p. 232. foreign in the Greek is also used in this Matter, and ever denotes either Equality, Contrariety or Substitution: The two former Senses can here have no Place. The latter alone hath: Thus its said, that Archelaus reigned foreign, in the room of Herod, his Father: And this Word is used also in expressing the Death of Christ for us; Mat. 20. 28. Mark 10. 45. And both these Notes of a succedaneous Substitution are join'd together, 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave foreign, a Counter-ransom for all. Now that his Disciples may neither be deceived by him, nor he deceive himself; he may be pleas'd to know that this and some other Prepositions, do not signifie a Substitution meerly, ex vi vocis, but as they are limited and restrain'd, by the Coherence and Context: But perhaps I know who laid a snare for him in this Matter.
§. 5. His Method for the Cure of a wounded Conscience may pass amongst his noblest Discoveries; p. 15. Defence, What more evident than that if the Lord Christ has not made Satisfaction to God's Iustice for us: There's nothing left for the relief of a convinced Sinner, or for healing a wounded Conscience: But there is Satisfaction made by Christ. But what is the convinced Sinner, the wounded Conscience nearer a Cure! If there be no justifying Faith to apply that Satisfaction to the Person? The most soveraign Plaister will not heal a wound, till it be applied: Nor the choisest Food satisfie the craving Appetite, unless it be taken down: Nor the richest Robes cover our Nakedness, unless they be put on. Christ with all his Merits and Righteousness, will not answer the demands of an awakened and inlightned Conscience, till Faith gives us an actual Interest in them, and Repentance shall qualifie us for them. The Soul sees its Misery and hears of Mercy, but as to any solid Comfort from them 'tis as far off as ever: St. Augustine describes this as the wretched state of the Platonists. Patriam viderunt, viam ignorarunt: They saw there was Happiness in the Enjoyment of the one God, but how to come to that Enjoyment they knew not; but must pine away in their Sin and Misery, and in this sad plight has our Casuist left his wounded Conscience: And why could he not have directed the convinced Sinner to the same Remedy the Apostle directed the Distressed Gaoler to? Acts 16. 31. What must I do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. This was Gods own Direction from Heaven; Math. 17. 5. This was St. Peters Method, Acts 2. 38. See also Isa. 55. 3.
§. 6. I am very unwilling to enter upon any thing that relates to my Self, and indeed the Indignities, Calumnies, he has bespawled me with, are so many, that they would require more Paper to wipe them off than I can now spare; one or two I will observe.
1. The M. S. had insulted magisterially over Mr. W. that he was guilty of a broad Contradiction. What a change, and no change! Yes, said the Rebuke, a change, and no change, make no Contradiction, when they are not directed ad Idem: This gave the Defender a happy hint, for his flippant Wit: p. 29. He had little Reason to speak of no Change, seeing he is the Man, so much given to Change: Now I will wave the witty quibble, and only note the Malice of it: He insinuates all along his Discourse, that I have chang'd my former Principles; am become a Socinian, an Unitarian, and what not? This Falshood has been industriously and dexterously spread abroad the Town; so that if all that know my Doctrine and Conversation, could not have confuted the Slander, my Reputation had been sunk, or for ever blown up: I know not how he could justifie his own stedfastness in Principle; should I retort the Impeachment, and Recriminate, and throw back some of that Dirt he has thrown at mine, in his own Face: For he that once Preacht that Faith and Repentance were necessary to Pardon, has now quite Cashier'd Faith from any concern in Justification; and Repentance from any Interest in Pardon or Salvation.
2. He has represented me, by his Alter Idem, to be Delirous, and by his Ferst Self, to be a Person of disturbed Thoughts, Ignorant, Unlearned, and all this with abundance more, from the same Principles of their new Christianity has been craftily whisper'd, and buzzed abroad, and sent in Letters to their Friends in the Countrey; that I was Crazed, Distracted, and that the next News they must hear of me, would be from Hogsden or Bedlam. But Blessed be my gracious God and Father, who has given me a sound Mind, in a sound Body; and who knows, but that the Lord has thus blessed me, and therefore blessed me for the Curses of Shimei. But when this Gentleman upbraids me with my great Age, he extorted a Smile from me; for the saddest effect of that will be but to spoil an Old Mans Preferment; which I would have taken Care of without his Officiousness.
But Sir! I will give you no farther trouble with my private and personal Injuries: But commit you and yours to the same faithful Hand, to whom I have committed my Good Name, and my All.
Sir, I am yours intirely, &c.