Review of the Antidote Against Baxters Cure of Church Divisions, Letter

Review of the Antidote Against Baxters Cure of Church Divisions · Letter

A REVIEW and CONCLUSION OF THE ANTIDOTE Agianſt Mr. BAXTER'S Palliated Cure OF CHURCH-DIVISIONS.

WHEREIN Mr. Baxter's late Repentance is examined, All his Immodeſt Calumnies confuted, AND The Grounds of Separation further cleared.

By EDWARD BAGSHAW.

Ephraim is joyned to Idols: let him alone. Hoſ. 4.17.

If I build again the things which I deſtroyed, I make my ſelf a tranſgreſſor. Gal. 2.18.

London Printed in the Year 1671.

An Advertiſement to the Chriſtian Reader.

TO prevent all thoſe Miſtakes, and Miſunderſtandings which Mr. Baxter, in his late Anſwer, was guilty of: theſe are to certify that I did deſire ſeveral Brethren (10, or 11. in number) to read diligently the following Treatiſe, and to examine the Quotations, as I have cited them out of Mr. Baxters printed Books, which they did, and have unanimouſly atteſted under their Hands, that I have been very careful, to repeat, not only his very words, but alſo (according to their beſt udnerſtanding) his true Meaning. This, I thought good to give thee notice of, Chriſtian Reader, that thou maiſt be confident as I dare not, ſo I have not wronged Mr. Baxter, by any Wreſted, Falſe, or Miſtaken Quotation.

Edw. Bagſhaw. 8th M. 16th. 1671.

p. 1To Mr. Richard Baxter.

Mr. Baxter,

NOtwithſtanding your angry intimation, that you intended not to anſwer me, yet it was eaſie to fore-ſee (and accordingly I told you) that you would not keep your word; for I knew your Pride would put you upon writing, and your guilt would neceſſitate you to do it, juſt in as unbecoming a manner as you have done; for an ill cauſe muſt be maintained by Calumny. It ſhall not therefore be any part of my concernment to return your unhandſom Language, but I am content to let you enjoy the priviledge of Railing alone: and if there be any of ſo eaſie a belief, as to take your word, and can imagin I would be ſo fooliſh as well as wicked, as in a matter of five or ſix ſheets of Paper, to publiſh fourſcore untruths, I will not envy you ſuch kind of partial Favourers, nor trouble my ſelf to rectifie their erronious apprehenſions: only I ſhall deſire all that will be at a little pains to conſider things, to judge ſeriouſly betwixt us, and to determine impartially, whether that proud contempt and folly, which almoſt in every line of your laſt book accompanieth your expreſſions, doth not abundantly diſcover that your heart was never yet truly humbled, and conſequently that Repentance you take occaſion to mention meerly Hypocrytical and Pretended.

Without entring therefore into other By-matters, which are nothing to the Purpoſe of our main Controverſie, I muſt p. 2bring you back to the Queſtion as it was firſt deſignedly handled between us; and that is briefly this, [Whether Conformity at this day upon Conſcientious grounds can be defended by any; or at leaſt, with any kind of honeſty contended for by your ſelf.] This, Sir, is the thing I have enquired about, and I muſt keep you cloſe to the ſtating of it; for as you Stand or Fall in the right handling of this, ſo will all your Reaſonings appear, either Solid and Convincing, or elſe degenerate into a railing and needleſs impertinence.

Sir, Whoever goeth about to inſtruct the World (but eſpecially the Churches of Chriſt) in ſuch a Critical day as this, had need be very careful to give all poſſible ſatisfaction in two things: Firſt, that he writeth ſomething that is worth our knowing, and doth not abuſe the patience and leiſure of his Readers: Secondly, That he doth himſelf ſhew ſo much Stability and Stedineſs of judgement, as that he may not diſcredit his own work, by having that replyed upon him, Thou that teacheſt another, teacheſt thou not thy ſelf? In both theſe particulars I have already prov'd that you are groſly Defective; For you plead altogether for an Ʋnclean thing; and that is, for Conformity after a Covenanted for Reformation; and likewiſe (which is more abſurd) this you doe after you have your ſelf writ ſo much (and to ſpeak truth, ſo well) againſt all ſuch kind of Communion.

Amongſt other things that I charged upon you this was one, I ſaid, It became not you to blame the War, and the evil effects of it, with ſo much bitterneſs: ſince you were as Active an Inſtrument in promoting of it, as any one whatſoever. This, Sir, notwithſtanding your peremptory denyal, I muſt again confirm; For you do in your Holy Common-wealth at large juſtifie and defend that War, you ſay, you did encourage many thouſands to it, and, that you thought when you engaged in it, you never did God that outward ſervice as then: Put all which together, and they ſerve to diſcover an Activity which very few did equal, ſcarce any could exceed: and it will be a very vain excuſe to ſay or think you did but little, becauſe perhaps ſome others might do more; for the meaſure of every ones Activity in a common cauſe, muſt be taken from that place which they fill up, which in your Capacity as a Preacher (eſpecially if you ſent in Souldiers by Thouſands) you did as notably diſcharge as any of the Generals or Parliament Men, who would have ſignified but little, had they not had ſuch Chaplains to work upon Conſcience: I therefore wronged you not by aſſerting what you formerly did, but you much wrong the Truth and Goodneſs of your own cauſe, (if indeed you think you ever had it) by ſeeking p. 3ſo meanly to finde out a Subter-fuge how you might diſguiſe and hide it.

I am not ignorant that you now tell me you Repent, (and you ought to thank me that I have been… means to bring you to it) but as if you had long agoe foreſeen whether your Temptations were likely to hurry you, you have very ſeaſonably foreſtalled and Antidoted, whatever ill uſe may be made of your preſent Profeſſion of Repentance: Your words, becauſe they are very memorable, I have taken pains verbatim to tranſcribe, as I find them in your Holy Common-wealth page 486, 487. I cannot ſee, ſay you, that I was miſtaken in the main cauſe, nor dare I repent of it, nor forbear the ſame, if it were to do again in the ſame ſtate of things: I ſhould do all I could to prevent ſuch a War; but if it could not be prevented, I muſt take the ſame ſide as then I did, and my judgement telleth me that if I ſhould do otherwiſe, I ſhould be guilty of Treaſon and Diſloyaltie againſt the Sovereign power of the Land, and of perfidiouſneſs to the Common wealth, &c. And you conclude yet more remarkably, It were too great folly by following Accidents that were then unknown, for me to judge of the former Cauſe. That which is Calamitous in the event, is not always ſinful in the Enterprize: Should the change of times make me forget that ſtate, that we were formerly in, and change my judgement, by loſing the ſence of what then conduced to its Infortion, this folly and forgetfulneſs would be the way to a ſinful, and not to an obedient Repentance. Thus (as I have already told you) like Caiaphas, being High-Prieſt for that Year, you Propheſied.

Sir, It is poſſible (for what may not a little Time, and change of ſucceſs produce in ſo variable an underſtanding) that you may once more Repent of your late Repentance; For you have given in ſuch Evidence againſt your ſelf, and laid down ſuch convincing Arguments to make us belive your judgement is not yet altered (although your Paſſion and Interest is) that I muſt entreat every ſerious Reader, to judge, who hath dealt moſt candidly, You, or I, and from whom the greateſt ingenuity is to be expected. For my own part, I deſire to ſpeak it without any bitterneſs, upon the moſt exact and impartial reflexion I can make, I cannot ſee but your Repentance, and Mr. Lee's Recantation may hereafter be bound up together in the ſame Volume, and both be held of equal Credit and Authority.

For, Sir, to be ſerius, do you think it can be looked upon as any tolerable degree of ſatisfaction, either to thoſe whom you formerly p. 4deceived by Preaching them into a Conſcientious Diſobedience, or to thoſe who were then ruined and oppreſſed by it, to tell them now twenty years after, ſo ſlightly, that you are ſorry, and that you repent you had no more Impartially, page 52.and diligently conſulted with the beſt Lawyers, that were agaimſt the Parliaments cauſe, for you knew no Contraverſie in Devinity about it, but in Politicks and Law. What, Sir? did you help on to Engage a Nation in Blood, to enter into a Covenant, Proclaim Faſts, make Solemn Apeals to God, and yet think nothing of Divinity in ſuch a Cauſe? Oh poor deluded People of England! How have thy Preachers, thy Baxters, thy ſeeming Boanerges, cauſed thee to erre, and ſwallowed up the way of thy Paths? and after they have led thee into Deep Waters, left thee miſerably plunged and floating there to ſave themſelves in their own Cockboats? Sir, do you think you ſhall ever Preach with more Evidence, Warmth, and Zeal any thing in your life, than you have already done the Neceſſity, Juſtice, and Lawfulneſs of this War; and, that you may know I do not ſpeak at random, particularly when at Gloceſter, you preached upon, Curſe ye Meroz; and now you ſay you Repent, do you expect ever to be believed again? Did not you then think it viſible on which ſide Christ and Religion ſtood? and did not you profeſs to ſee it in the year Fifty nine (but the year before the King came in) and are you now become Blind? O Rare Convert! What ſtrange changes will love of eaſe and fear of ſuffering, produce in a Corrupt and Carnal underſtanding?

Sir, I am truly ſorry I am forced to ſpeak thus plainly, but Zeal for the Glory of God which you have obſcured; Love to that Cauſe of Chriſt, and Non-conformity, which you have deſerted; and earneſtneſs of affection to the Souls of my C…untrey men, whom you have abuſed; hath filled me with a juſt indignation: And pray do not think it ſufficient to tell me as you do, that you Retract your Book; For ſuch childiſh Levity doth not at all alter Matters of Fact, but leaveth things ſtill as they formerly were, and diſcovereth you only to be deeplier plunged in the guilt of Unſetledneſs and inſtability.

And certainly, Sir, had you ever had patience, and allowed your ſelf Time to read over what you have formerly writ, you would havd found out ſome better Argument to employ your la…r in, than to perſwade the World to Conformity now, with thoſe very Men, Way, and Things which (not a year before their eſtabliſhment among us) you have thrown ſo much dirt upon, that the very remembrance of them is ſtill loathſome to us. p. 5Have you forgot, Sir, that when the Biſhops were down, and their calamity might have moved your pity, you then trampled upon them, and in gr… ſcorn upbraidingly told them,Five Diſp. Church governments prin. An. 1659. Dedicated to Richard Cromwel Protector. pref. p. 17. We ſee that moſt of the ungodly in the land, are the forwardeſt for your ways, you may have almoſt a… the Blaſphemers, and ignorant haters of godlineſs in the Countrey … vote for you, and if they durſt again to fight for you at any time; and again, I know that the common ſenſe of moſt that are ſerious in Practical Chriſtiainity is againſt your formal ways of worſhip, and the Sp…rit of Prophaneſs complieth with you, and doteth on you in all places that ever I was acquainted with; with much more railing Language to the ſame p…rpoſe. And when you do purpoſely argue upon this ſubject [Whether it be neceſſary or profitable for the right order or peace of the Churches, page 31.to restore the extruded Epiſcopacy] you do with much ſtrength and vehemency handle the Negative, and among ſever…l other Arguments, you urge this for one:page 36. That Government which graifieth the Devil and wicked men is not to be reſtored under any pretence of the Order or Peace of the Church; But ſuch was the Engliſh Epiſcopacy; therefore, &c. And in Explication of the Minor, you enlarge very Emphatically, Who knoweth not, ſay you, for it cannot be denyed, that the generality of the Rable of ignorant Perſons, Worldlings, Drunkards, Haters of Godlineſs are very zealous for Epiſcopacy; Whilſt multitudes of truly Conſcientious people have been againſt it; And who knoweth not that they fetch both their chief Motives from Experience? The ungodly found that Biſhops let them keep their ſins and troubled them not with this preciſenſs; but rather drove away the Preciſe Preachers and People, whom they abhorred; and thoſe that diſliked Epiſcopacy, did it principally on the ſame Experience, obſerving they befriended the wicked, at leaſt by preſerving them from the due Rod of Diſcipline.

Sir we muſt needs ſay we ſtand amazed, …ow it is poſſible, you ſhould ſo ſoon and ſo much forget all that you have ſaid, and break through the bonds of ſuch convincing Arguments; For our parts, we, that want your eaſineſs and flexibility, are frighted at them, and dare not for our lives meddle with any thing, in the worſhip of God, which ſuch a man as you hath already told us tends to gratifie the Devil and wicked men. And though we have many other weighty Arguments, yet in this matter we are ſatisfied with your Authority, and are content to take your word; and it as you ſay the Governm n… and No Diſcipline of the Biſhops hath ſuch a dan…grous i…fi…c, we muſt by withdrawing our Communion, declare both againſt it & them; and I am confident they p. 6will themſelves acquit us from any crime herein: For we dare appeal to any moderate man of the Epiſcopal perſwaſion, if they be indeed ſuch kind of perſons as you have repreſented them, whether they ought not immediately to be foſaken and forborn as to any Acts of Church Communion: We think we need not ſpend many words in ſo clear a caſe, for you have already decided it for us; with much Triumphing and ſcorn you thus inſulted, formerly over the Biſhops, and laid the foundation of all that which we now Conſcientioſly practice;page 327, 328. I tell you, ſaid you, that which I ſuppoſe you know, That as free a toleration of Praelacy in England as there is of Presbytery were the likelyeſt way to bring you into perpetual contempt, For we cannot but know, that beſides a few civil engaged Gentlemen, Miniſters, and others, your main body would conſiſt of thoſe, that for their notorious impiety, ſcandal or ignorance, are thought unmeet for Church Communion by others, and that when you came to exerciſe diſcipline on them, they would hate you and flee from you, as much as ever they did from Puritans; and if you did indulge them, and not reform them or caſt them out, your Church would be the con…mpt of the ſober part of the World; and your own ſober members would quickly relinquiſh it for ſhame; For the Church of England (if you would needs be ſo called) would be taken for the ſink of all the other Churches in England: We need ſay no more, for whatever may be pleaded to the contrary by others (with whom at preſent we are not diſputing) yet as to your ſelf (with whom our contraverſie is) I think no ſober perſon, but will ſay we are ſufficiently furniſhed with Arguments to anſwer the uttermoſt you can alledge. For to fall in with that which you call ſink of all the other Churches, to joyn with thoſe in Worſhip, who are, as you ſay, the contempt of the ſober part of the World, and whom all their ſober Members are to relinquiſh for ſhame, this muſt needs be an unjuſtifiable as well as an unbecoming practice. And therefore do not diſturb us any more, but let us alone, if you can, to follow that Light in this matter which you your ſelf once had, and give us leave to tell you, that to the beſt of our underſtanding, your preſent Light is nothing elſe but the confuſion of Darkneſs.

You may perhaps Object (though we wonder you ſhould do it) that were the matter wholly left to our own liberty, you could not adviſe ſuch Communion as a thing of choice, but that which you call Authority (or Magiſtracy) interpoſing in the caſe, we are no longer left free to our own diſpoſe, but muſt be obedient in things p. 7Indifferent for Conſcience ſake; we will not reply how much that Romans 13. (upon which you lay the ſtreſs of your Argument) hath been abuſed already by wreſting it to other caſes, but yet we hope (whatever others do) you will not forget that very Text hath been urged by your ſelf (no longer ſince then the year 1659.) to juſtifie your ſiding with the Parliament againſt the King, VVhen, Holy Com. wealth p. 477.ſay you, the Parliament commanded us to obey, and not reſiſt them; I knew not how to reſiſt and diſobey them, without the violation of that command of God, Romans 13. Let every ſoul be ſubject unto the Higher Power, &c. and without incurring the danger of that Condemnation there threatned to Reſiſters; and I think none doubteth but that command obligeth us to obey the Senate as well as the Emperor. Sir, You may eaſily ſee what I could, if I pleaſed, and were malicous, infer from hence, but I ſpare you, and without preſſing that, I ſhall only ſay that you have already in another place diſcharged us, from any Conſcientious ſubjection to Mens Commands in the Things of God upon the account of that Text. For you ſay well and truly,Firſt Diſp. p. 457. that If Men who have no Authority over us ſhall pretend Authority from God, and go about to exerciſe it by Ceremonious Impoſitions, we have the more reaſon to ſcruple obeying them even in things indifferent; leſt we be guilty of eſtabliſhing their uſurpation and pretended office in the Church, and ſo draw on more evils than we foreſee or can remove; All the difference then between you and us (if indeed there be any) lieth in the point of Authority, Which we ſay plainly, that none upon Earth (no not an Angel from Heaven) hath over us in the Things of God, that whole power being incommunicably given to our Lord Christ, who keepeth it in his own hands, manageth it with his own Laws, directeth and influenceth it by his own Spirit, and hath not by any Commiſſion that we know of inveſted the Rulers of this VVorld with it; ſo that though you lightly quit, yet we ſee cauſe ſtill to keep our ground; For we dare not yeild, no not for a Moment, nor ſtir in a Circumſtance from aſſerting that Libertie, which we are commanded to Maintain, leſt we forfeit our Lords Right, Partake in other mens ſins, and loſing our hold, never be able to recover it again, when we ſhall gave occaſion to oppoſe p. 8ſome new and yet unheard of Impoſition.

There remaineth but one Argument more in this whole Diſpute, and that is taken from Idolatry; Which we ſay all Deviſed Worſhip is a Species of; and even this, though you do with much ſeeming earneſtneſs declaim againſt it, yet it is apparent, you had ſome Glimmerings of Light about; For after you had urged many Arguments to prove the unreaſonableneſs and ſinftlneſs of Preſcribing Forms of Prayer, Preaching, &c. you conclude in theſe Words, If none of theſe,Five Diſp. page 378. or other Reaſons will allay the Imperious Diſtemper of the Proud, but they muſt by an Uſurped Legiſlation be making indifferent things become neceſſary to others, and Domineer over Mens Conſciences and the Churches of God, we muſt leave them to him, that being the Lord and Lawgiver of the Church, is jealous of his Prerogative, and abhorteth Idols, and w…ll not give his Glory to another: Which expreſſion of Abhorring Idols, why you ſhould uſe, had you nor taken every Humane Impoſition to be a kind of Idol we cannot Imagine: And therefore pray give us leave to ſumme up all together, and to ſay freely this, that had we but little to ſay upon this Argument in anſwer to others, yet we have enough for ever to ſilence you; and withal we profeſs, that though we do not therefore follow that which we take to be the Truth in this Que…i…n, becauſe you once aſſerted it before us; yet we w…ll not therefore peeviſhly diſdain and reject it, bec…uſe you have unworthily rec…ded from it; but rather we thankfully …wn the goodneſs of God, and admire the great force of …th, that you ſhould heretofore be ſtirred up to write …o m…ch (and of which you have not (…hat we know of) yet Repented) by which you ſtand your ſelf Self cond …ed, and that Cauſe which y…u ſo eage…ly opp…ſe, …lly and …pleatly juſtified.

I might here …d, for I w… … Wordy faculty, and …y pu…poſe being mee…ly to … …ou, this is already ſo fully …ne, that I re…d not … upon this Subject; But your bo…d, and little le… … …theiſtical arguing againſt the Divine and ſelf evide…cing …uthority of the Holy Scripture, r…quireth I …ould …p… …thing to it: The Poſition which you lay d…n is …ect…y contrary to the Doctrine of all our Ancient Proteſtant Divines, and particularly p. 9to that of the Firſt Reformers, and beſides is the very Foundation of the Roman (that is of the Antichriſtian Church; For you ſay plainly (as Andradius, Stapleton, Bellarmine, and others,pag. 188 the worſt Defenders of the Trent Council do) that the S…lf evidencidg Light of Scripture is not ſufficient, without humane Help and Teſtimony to make us know every Canonicall Book from the Apocryphal, …. And you inſtance Particularly in Solomon's Proverbs, Gab. p. 61.unto which our Saviour himſelf and his Apoſtles have witneſſed as to a Divine Writing: And beſides in defence of this, you urge an Argument, of a more impious ſenſe and ſound, than ever I read in any but your ſelf; And I think that Bellarmine was modeſt, and but a Trifler to you;…ab. p. 63. &c. Mahomet, ſay you, and his followers (more numerous than the Chriſtians) pretend that Mahomets name was in Goſpel of John, as the Paraclete or Comforter, promiſed by Chriſt, and that the Chriſtians have blotted it out, and altered the Writings of the Goſpel: and how ſhall we diſprove them but by Hiſtorical evidence: To which I ſhall only reply in ſhort, that if matters between them and us muſt be brought to this iſſue, Actum eſt, We have nothing ſubſtantial to plead, and it is not God's but Man's Word that muſt be taken, we having no certain nor infallible foreign left us, to diſcern and know the voice of Scripture by; I might urge what Whitaker, Chamier, and others have replyed, but I ſhall content my ſelf with what I find briefly, yet fully ſtated, by that Judicious and Weightie Writer Mr. Hilderſham, whoſe name in other caſes (particularly that of Conformity where you think he maketh for you) you pretend great Reverence to. Indeed the Testimony of the Church, ſaith he, doth first encline us to think that the Scripture is the Word of God, and maketh us willing to hear and read it; but after we by hearing and reading it attain to further certainty and aſſurance: John 4. Lect. 76.John 4For God himſelf ſpeaketh to us in the Scripture, Luke 1.79. Hebrews 1.1. and that ſo clearly and evidently, that the Faithful are undoubtedly aſſured that it is he that ſpeaketh. that it is indeed his Word; and they can ſay, as Cant. 2.8. It is the voice of my beloved. This is promiſed to the Faithful, Iſa. 52.6. They ſhall know in that day, that I am he that ſpeaketh, behold it is I; and p. 10John 7.17. If any man will do his Will, he ſhall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I ſpeak of my ſelf; And indeed if we could not now be undoubtedly certain, that is indeed Gods Word, the Caſe of the Church were worſe now, than it was when God ſpake to his people in Viſions and Dreams; For they were without any external Teſtimony from Men, fully aſſured then, that it was the Lord himſelf indeed that ſpake unto them; Nay it is Certain that we may be more ſure that God ſpeaks to us in his Word, then they could be of his ſpeaking unto them in Viſions, 2 Peter 1.19. We have alſo a more ſure Word of Propheſie.

Thus far that worthy Writer, who aſſerteth no more in ſubſtance, than what is the unanimous judgement of Calvin, Luther, and all our Ancient Proteſtant Divines; and I wonder while you tax another of Falſhood, you ſhould venture thus to reproach their Memory, as if they held with you; when not one of them, but ſome few bold Innovators of late (like your ſelf) did ever aſſert that Opinion; which overthroweth and razeth to ground the whole Proteſtant cauſe, as tending wholly to enthrone Tradition, and to advance the Authority of Men in the Things of God.

I know you bear your ſelf very high upon what you have already writ in defence (as you call it) of Scripure;page 16. And you do inſolently tell us. I know of no man living in this age that hath written ſo much (I ſay not ſo well) for the things in Queſtion, Scripture and Chriſtianity as I have done: To which Boaſt I reply. Firſt, ſome have written large Books, and pretended great earneſtneſs for many things, on purpoſe that they might attaque and ſet upon them afterwards with greater advantage; Thus Caeſar Vanins wrote a very learned Book againſt Atheiſm, though it was his own profeſſed and avoiwed Impiety, in defence of which afterwards he deſperatly died. Secondly, give me leeve to ask you, To what purpoſe is all this VVaſte? or who hath required this at your Hands? And why do p. 11you undertake a Needleſs, as well as an Impoſſible Task? That is to reconcile Religion to Natural Reaſon? to bring down the Things of God unto the underſtanding of Man; which is in effect to ſay you do not believe them to be Tremendous Myſteries. Thirdly, Me thinks you ſhould be frighted by the dreadful falls of thoſe pretendedly Rational men that went this way before you, from following after their bold and daring Example. Socinus, a man of no little Reaſon, proceeded ſo far as to deny the Divinity of Chriſt; And Grotius, who wrote as learnedly on the Truth of Chriſtian Religion as any, yet himſelf died of none, or if as you ſay he died a Papiſt, Preſ. to five Diſp.it was worſe than none: So that I may ſay of the…e Rational Arguing…, what the Apoſtle hath concerning meats, They have not profited thoſe that walked in them. Laſtly,Heb. 13.9.Heb 13:9 This I muſt teſtifie from my own Experience, and leave it as a warning to all, in whom the Itch of curious Enquiry is not yet healed, that had not I learn'd the Truth of Chriſtian Religion from better A…guments, and a more Certain way of Reaſoning than any your Bo…ks afford, I had ſtill been plunged in the depths of Atheiſm; and I look upon your whole Diſcourſe about the Nature, Being, and Decrees of God, the Immortality of the Soul, and The reward of the Life to come (which you pretend to found upon Natural Reaſon) to be ſo far from the Cogency of Demonſtration, and the Evidence of Rational Light, that ſuch kind of Diſcourſes ſerve much rather to Teach, then to preſerve from Unbelief, while they give Corrupt Reaſon leave to argue, and juſtifie it ſelf, againſt that which is accounted the weakneſs and ſimplicity of believing. I look upon it as ſound Doctrine, and ſo I held it long before I read it in Mr. Hilderſham, That this glory is due to Chriſt and to him alone to believe him upon his Word;John 4. lect. 32.John 4 even without the Teſtimony or Authority of any man, yea though we ſee no Reaſon for it, yea though it ſeem never ſo contrary to our own Reaſon: we muſt in this caſe be-like Pythagoras his Schollars, and ſo reſt in that foreign; when once we hear Thus ſaith the Lord, this muſt ſuffice us inſtead of all Reaſons, p. 12here we muſt reſt and ſatisfie our ſelves. This is called the Obedience of Faith, Rom. 16.26. Yea this is the firſt and chief Obedience that God requireth of us: The firſt work of his Grace in us is to ſubdue our Reaſon, 2 Cor. 10.5. Till we have attained to this ſimplicity, we ſhall never be wiſe unto Salvation; nor come to any comfortable Certaintie in the matters of Religion. The ſame worthy Author goeth on, this ſerves, ſaith he, to reprove the Diſputer of this World, of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaks 1 Cor. 1.20. Where is the Diſputer of this VVorld? ſuch as will receive no more in Religion then they can ſee Reaſon for, Scripture will not ſerve their turn, they muſt have Reaſon; But, ſaith he, it is a dangererous thing not to reſt in the Authority of the Scriptures, not to count it foreign; For there be many truths of God revealed in the Word, which are ſuch Miſteries, as it is not poſſible for Man by Reaſon and by Light of Nature to conceive; Nay, indeed the whole Doctrine of the Goſpel is ſo, 1 Cor. 2.7. 1 Tim. 3.16. Yea, the more a man excelleth in Natural Reaſon and Underſtanding, the more unable ſhall he be to conceive them, Rom. 8.7. The VViſdom of the Fleſh is enmity to God: It is God alone that by the ſupernatural Light of his Spirit, revealeth thoſe things, Mat. 16.17. And God will reveal it to none but to thoſe …hat are Meek and Humble; to none that have ſuch …igh conceit of themſelves, and attribute ſo much to their own Reaſon, Pſalm 25.9. The Meek will he teach his way. I have at large repeated this paſſage of that truly judicious and excellent Writer, becauſe he ſpeaketh ſuitably both to Scripture, and to what every Perſon truly enlightened can witneſs to; But to ſhew how much you differ, both from him and others of our ſoundeſt Divines in this point, and to make a full diſcovery of your ſpirit and temper, I ſhall compare it with a quite contrary paſſ…ge, which ſome years ago I read, and much wondered at in your ſelf. … the …I know there is a ſort of overwiſe, and overdoing Divines, who will tell their followers p. 13in private, where there is none to contradict them, that the Method of this Treatiſe is perverſe, as appealing too much to Natural Light, and over-valuing Humane Reaſon: and that I ſhould have done no more but briefly tell men, that all that which God ſpeaks in his word is true, and that Propria Luce it is evident that the Scripture is the Word of God, and that to all Gods Elect he will give his Spirit, to cauſe them to diſcern it, and that thus much alone had been better than all theſe Diſputes and Reaſonings; But theſe Over-wiſe men who need no Reaſon for their Religion and judge accordingly of others, and think that thoſe men who reſt not in the Authority of Jeſus Chriſt, ſhould reſt in theirs, are many of them ſo well acquainted with me as not to expect that I ſhould trouble them in their way or Reaſon againſt them— as much as I am addicted to ſcribling, I can quietly diſmiſs this ſort of men without the Labour of opening their ignorance. Thus you, who are, if compared to them, but a Raſh and Inſolent Seribler, becauſe you have nothing to do, but are at leiſure to be a Voluminous Trifler, dare with your breath blow upon, and ſeek to blaſt the Credit of all theſe worthy weighty Writers (whom you call Over-wiſe, and Over-doing Divines) ſuch as Calvin, Preſton, Hilderſham, Perkins, &c. whom I quoated before, as if they were all but Bubbles for you to play with, and blow up and down at your pleaſure; but their Name, and Doctrine ſhall live and flouriſh, when yours ſhall wither, as not being able to endure the Fiery Tryal; So far therefore, as I can by Entreaties or Example prevail with any, I do earneſtly warn all perſons truly fearing God, that they be not deceived by Names, nor take any thing upon truſt from a commonly Received and Miſtaken Repu…ation: For if I underſtand any thing of the true nature of Religion, your writings do contain that ſecret Leaven, which will ſowre and infect the Mind of an unwary Reader, with ſuch Erronious Apprehenſions, and Miſ-conceits of the Truth, that nothing but a new and thorough Converſion will be able to recover them; For p. 14laying your Foundation in the Corrupt Will of Man, and building your Superſtructure in the Carnal Ʋnderſtanding, you leave no room for true Holineſs and Mortification; but the Root of ſin which lieth within, remaineth untouched, and Carnal Preſumption, or at the beſt Doubting (if not Deſpair) will be the utmoſt that ſuch Principles can poſſibly end in, or lead unto: I ſhall therefore here leave off, and for the preſent (if not for ever) end any farther Controverſie with you, as being one of whom I cannot ſay (what you do of me after all your virulence) that I am upright in the Main; page 26.For I hold you are altogether Rotten and Ʋnſound in the Main, and ſo much the more incurable, in that you have greatly ſinned, and turned Scorner, ſince your Admonition.

Theſe being my moſt ſerious thoughts of all your Works, I do willingly paſs by leſſer Matters, which yet afford me ſufficient ground of Exception, ſuch are—

Firſt, Your Abſurd, and Inſigniflcant way of ſpeaking, although I have already reproved you for it; as when you talk of a Raſh and Carolefly uttered Ʋntruth, page 29.which is Privatively voluntary (that is where the VVill omits its office) Where I am much to ſeek, what can be meant by Privatively voluntary, or how any action can be done where the VVill omits its office. Adde to this, your diſcourſe of a receiving Obediential Power in a Carnal VVill, which receiving Power you call a Paſſive Power: page 139.where the Comment and Explication is much harder than the Text. Laſtly, To urge no more your ſaying that by Corruption and …mpoſition barely ſeemeth to be meant ſuch Formaliter quoad Actum without including the degree of the Matter. page 134.Sir, Theſe, and the like expreſſions, though you and the Schools call them Diſtincteons, yet indeed are nothing elſe but Learned Non ſence; Which although they may not other wiſe have much hurt in them, yet they are p. 15thoſe Big ſwelling words of Vanity, which are the uſual Language of Falſe Teachers, and one of the Marks which is fore-told by which they may be known, 2 Pet. 2.

Secondly, I might except againſt your ſcornful trifling with things, that are moſt ſacred, and ſerious; as when you ſay,page 57. I am verily perſwaded if Chriſt came perſonally and viſibly to demand it, the King himſelf would yeild up his Crown to him; and I am as verily perſwaded the Turk or Pope would do ſo too; which yet at preſent I do not look upon as any great commendation to either of them: And beſides, had ever the Terror of that Day of the Lord fell upon you, and did you in ſpirit believe and apprehend how dreadful that Appearance would be, you would not have ſpake ſo like thoſe Mockers, who deride the Promiſe of his coming.

Thirdly, I might juſtly blame your ſcarce Tolerable Sophiſtry, and Fallacious way of arguing, fit only for Boyes and Children; as when you pretend to know no difference in point of Impoſition, between one that uſeth a Form of his own, page 119, 120.and he that is Impoſed upon to uſe always the Form of another: Whereas, in the one caſe, the hearer is at perfect libertie how far and how often he will joyn; In the other he is always tied up, and muſt either joyn in ſuch a Preſcript Form of Words or none at all: and this he knoweth before-hand, which maketh the difference vaſtly Diſproportionable.

Laſtly, Give me leave to wonder, ſince the Apoſtle maketh it ſo dangerous a ſign of a proud diſtempered mind to dote about Queſtions, 1 Tim. 6. how it comes to paſs that you ſo ſtrangely delight in asking of them, eſpecially in matters where Faith alone muſt give the laſt Solution; and therefore to all your twenty bold Quaeries about the Scripture, take this general Anſwer that when you have ſatisfied me you did not ſin greatly in raiſing ſuch Miſts and Doubts about them, and when you can give me ſecurity that you will not be aſking me twenty Questions more, I will endeavour your ſatisfaction.

p. 16I conclude therefore, with this Short but True Character of your ſelf and your late work, that you have writ neither with that Gravity, which became your Age; with that Sobriety, which became your Profeſſion; nor that Modeſty which became any tolerable Education; and ſince you ſo much forget your ſelf, I muſt tell you, that that Perſon, whom you ſo inſolently deſpiſe, is (to ſay no more) that your beſt, your Equal: but what he reckoneth he might Glory in, as ſome of his outward Advantages above you, he willingly waveth, as chuſing rather to glory in this, as God hath choſen him a Poor deſpiſed Publican (as one born out of due time) together with thoſe Women and Boyes whom you contemn, to cry Hoſanna to the Lords Chriſt, and to bear witneſs unto that very Truth, and at that very time of the Day, when you a Learned Scribe and Phariſee (under the Notion of Repenting) have moſt unworthily betrayed and deſerted it.

Farewel. Edward Baghaw. From my Priſon by Newgate, 9th m. 4th An. 1671.