The Scripture Gospel Defended, Preface
The Preface long ago written.
Reader,
IT was the Army and Sectarian Antinomians (more fitly called Libertines) who firſt called me in the year 1645. and 1646. to ſtudy better than I had done the Doctrine of the Covenants and Laws of God, of Redemption and Juſtification: I fetcht my firſt reſolving thoughts from no Book but the Bible, ſpecially Mat. 5, and 6, and 25. Grotius de Satiſfactione next gave me more light. While I was conſidering many mens friendly Animadverſions on my Ap…oriſms, and anſwering ſome (that more differed from each other than from me) it increaſed light, eſpecially the Animadverſions of Mr. George Lawſon. My Writings againſt the Antinomians had ſucceſs beyond my expec…ations, though ſome good men of the Party called Independent, having more heat than light, deceived by the notions of ſome that had ſpoken injudiciouſly before them, caſt out ſuſpicions and contradictions in a jealouſie that I encroached on the honour of Free Grace: I mean ſuch men as prefaced the Book called The Marrow of Modern Divinity, which on pretence of Moderation is Antinomian or Libertine, and very injudicious and unſound: And others Books (ſuch as Paul Hobſons, Mr. Saltmarſhes, Bunyan on the Covenants, &c.) which ignorantly ſubverted the Goſpel of Chriſt, came out on the ſame buſineſs, and revealed mens miſtakes on pretence of revealing the Myſtery of Free Grace.
John Goodwin was then, and before, publiſhing his Judgment of Juſtification, and Mr. Walker, and Mr. Roborough wrote againſt him, with great diſparity of light and ſtrength. But becauſe J.G. turned to the Arminians, prejudice cryed down his Doctrine of Juſtification, (and it was not all to be approved.) Mr. Gataker publiſhed many things to the like purpoſe, and among the reſt, the Narrative of Mr. Wottons Caſe, referred to many London Divines, and decided by them; Of my ſuſpenſion of my Aphoriſms, and of my Conteſts with Mr. Craudon, Mr. Eyres, Mr. Warner, and afterwards with Dr. Tully, I need not here make particular mention. The moſt that I converſt with ſeemed of my Judgment: The reſt (beſide the Animadverters on my Aphoriſms) who freelieſt ſpake of me beh…d my back, would none of them ſpeak to me. Vavaſor Powel, and Mr. Ed. Bagſhaw, were two of the chief. Many worthy men publiſhed the ſame Doctrine which I aſſ…rted; eſpecially Mr. Gibbons of Blackfryars (in his Sermon in the Morning Lectures at St. Gi…s) Mr. Benjamin Woodbridge, Mr. Hotchk… ▪ Mr. Thomas Warren, Mr. Graile, and Mr. Je…op, laboured to prove that Dr. Twiſſe meant the ſame, who ſeems to ſpeak for Eternal Immanent Juſtification: And Mr. Truman, and Lud. Le Blankes Theſes at laſt came out (after the The…es Salmurienſes, and the Breme Divines, Lud. Crocius Conrad. Bergius, and the Berlin, Johan. Bergius) as clear as any.
But the practice of ſome (who wanted the humility and …ili…ence which were neceſſary to learn the Truths which they knew not) was juſt the ſame with that of the Prelates in Councils for a thouſand years, even to put it to the Vote of m…n of their own mind, or to lean on the names of ſome of their Predeceſſors who were men of note, and eſpecially to cry down thoſe that heard them not.
And lately came out a Book of one Mr. Troughtons of the ſame temper with the reſt. He allarmeth the Nation, as if the Enemy were at the Gates. He is a man that hath been blind from his Infancy or early Childhood, and I ſuppoſe never read a Book, but hath had ſome one to read to him, and he undertaketh to tell the ſenſe of Proteſtant Writers, and Fathers, and the words and ſenſe of Mr. Hotchkis and me, and ſuch others, whom be fiercely aſſaulteth as his and the Churches Adverſaries: And the good man heapeth up untr…s in matter of fact in falſe reciting his Adverſaries words and ſenſe. Beſides his Libertine falſe Doctrine, (as that the Covenant or Promiſe of Juſtification hath no Conditions, no not Faith, and ſuch like,) and abuſeth the Authors whom he citeth. I thought once to have beſtowed two or three days work in anſwering him, but I deſiſted, partly becauſe he was one of thoſe that had written at the rate of ſome former Adverſaries, who had ſo formed their Aſſaults, that they had left me little to anſwer but a Mentiris, which is ſo unpleaſing a task, that they that moſt deſerve it cannot bear it. And it hath been my lot ſince 1662. in which the powerful Ringleader Morley began, to have ſo many ſuch Books written againſt me, and ſuch reports divulged of me, as if the Devil had been ſtudying to prove, Rom. 3.4. that every man is a Lyar, to be true in a ſenſe beyond the meaning, and to bring all Hiſtory at leaſt of Diſputers into diſcredit, and to make it become a valid conſequence [It is ſaid and written by a domineering, or an ambitious, or an erroneous, or angry Adverſary; Ergo it is falſe.] And alſo I was loth to ſay that againſt the man that his Book required: For I hear he is a very honeſt man, and not only blind, but a ſufferer for Nonconformity with the reſt; and when he was a Child, his Grand-father, Grand-mother, and other kindred in Coventry were my hearers and loving friends, and godly people: His Father and Mother my very near Neighbours, and weekly, and almoſt daily company, have asked my Counſel, what they ſhould do with a blind Boy that was much inclined to Learning, and I encouraged them to further him, not foreſeeing his ſnares. 3. And I perceive that judicious Readers have no need of an Antidote againſt ſo weak a Poiſon. He that gave me the Animadverſions anſwered in the end, told me, He had ſcarce patience to read him. And as to thoſe that are ſo weak as to need an anſwer to ſuch a Book, it's like they are too weak to underſtand one; or will think him in the right that hath the laſt word, and that may be he that liveth longeſt. The great fault of the good man is that which is too predominant in all Caſes in corrupted Nature, even an unhumbled underſtanding, which doth not ſufficiently ſuſpect it ſelf, much leſs is acquainted with its own Ignorance, but when it moſt miſtaketh, doth moſt confidently rage. Who would think that ſuch a man could be ignorant how unfit he was who never ſaw their Books, to undertake ſuch account as he giveth of Fathers, Proteſtant Writers, or us his choſen Adverſaries? When his Reader hath read to him ſome parcels of our Writings, how knoweth he what he omitteth▪ or what explications he never read? And how uncapable muſt his memory needs be of retaining and laying all together out of ſo many Volumes, and making a charge, and paſſing a Judgment thereupon, unleſs his memory be greater far than Biſhop Hall ſaith Dr. John Reynolds reading and memory was [next to a Miracle,] which his groſs falſifications ſhew that it is not.
And 4. I found ſo many ready to write on the ſame Subject for my ſenſe, that I the more thought it needleſs to my ſelf. Sir Charles Wolſley hath lately done it very judiciouſly. I have lately peruſed divers Manuſcripts that are ſuch prepared for the Preſs: One of Mr. William Mannings, another of Mr. Clerke Son to Mr. Samuel Clerke (and Dr. Twiſſe hath a Latine Diſputation to the ſame ſenſe,) and ſome more (all Nonconformiſts.)
But yet I ſtill hear ſome London Brethren uſe to caſt out their ſuſpicions, aſperſions and cenſures behind my back, and ſome in their Conferences when they meet: Whereupon I drew up this Paper of Explicatory Propoſitions and Controverſies, only to let them truly know my ſenſe, and long after gave it that honeſt Dr. Anneſley, at whoſe houſe ſometimes ſome meet of different Judgments in ſuch things, deſiring him but to get it read to them, and to procure me their Animadverſions on what they did any of them diſ…ike; inſtead of their unprofitable Obloquy when I cannot hear them; for this I ſhould take for a great brotherly kindneſs: But it is now near a twelve month that I have waited in hope of it, but cannot procure a word to this day; which maketh me think it needful to publiſh that which I intended but for their private view. Yet one that to me prof…ſſed diſſent, ſeemed to take it well that I intreated his Reaſons, and promiſed to give them me, but never did. Nor hath any one yet anſwered, 1. My Confeſſion; 2. My Diſputations of Juſtification; 3. My Apology (to many;) 4. My ſmall Tract of Saving Faith to Biſhop Barlow; 5. My Treatiſe of Juſtifying Righteouſneſs to Dr. Tully.
This week an honeſt judicious moderate Friend (that is more a Conſenter than a Diſſenter, as far as I can judge, ſent me the Notes which I anſwer in the latter end, as partly his own, and partly others; which (not as oppoſing them, but as tending to elucidate the whole Cauſe) I here adjoyn, though all or moſt here ſaid, is ſaid elſewhere before, which I mention, leſt you think that I took all for his own Opinion which he cited out of Dr. Owen, who himſelf reformed much of his former Judgment about Doctrine and Government before he died. The Lord heal his Church by Light, Love and Humility, which is torn by Ignorance, Uncharitableneſs and Pride. Amen.