A Treatise of Justifying Righteousness, Letter · Section 13
§. XIII. Pag. 20. In my 42. Direct. for the Cure of Church-divisions, telling the Weak whom they must follow, I concluded, 1. That the necessary Articles of Faith must be made our own, and not taken meerly on the authority of any; and we must in all such things of absolute necessity keep company with the Ʋniversal Church. 2. That in Matters of Peace and Concord the greater part must be our Guide. 3. That in Matters of humane Obedience, our Governours must be our Guides. And, 4. In Matters of high and difficult Speculation, the judgment of one Man of extraordinary Ʋnderstanding and Clearness, is to be preferred before the Rulers and the major Vote. I instanced in Law, Philosophy, Physick, Languages, &c. and in the Controversies of the Object of Predestination, the nature of the Will's Liberty, Divine Concourse, the determining way of Grace, of the definition of Justification, Faith, &c.] Here I was intreated before God and my Conscience, to search my self, with what Design or Intent I wrote this, and to tell you, Who that One is, that we may know whom to prefer, and to whom, in the Doctrine of Justification, &c.
Answ. How greatly do you dishonour your self, (and then you will impute it to me) by insisting on such palpably abusive Passages? Had you not been better, have silently past it by? 1. Doth not the World know, that Heathens and Christians, Papists and Protestants, are Agreed on this general Rule? 2. And will you make any believe that Definition of Justification is none of these Works of Art, which depend on humane Skill? How then came you to be so much better at it than I? I find not that you ascribe it to any special Revelation which you have. And if you should ascribe it to Piety, and say, Hoc non est Artis, sed Pietatis opus: I would go to many a good Woman before you. Nor do you plead general Councils, nor the Authority of the Church. 3. And what sober Scholar will you make believe, that by laying down this common Rule, I signifie some One singular Person, as an Individuum determinatum; whom therefore I must acquaint you with? These things are below a Grave Divine.
Pag. 21. Where you called me to seriousness or diligence in my search, and I told you by what, and how many Writings, I have manifested my almost thirty years Diligence in this Controversie, and that I am now grown past more serious and diligent Studies; that I might shew you what a trifling way it is, for a Man to wrangle with him that hath written so many things, to tell the World what his studies of this Point have been, and never to touch them, but to call him a-new to serious diligence: You now expostulate with me, whether you accused me for want of diligence? I talk not of Accusing, but I tell you, that I have done my best; and that it were a poor kind of dealing with your self, if you had written against many, as you have done against me twenty five years ago, and very often, if instead of taking any notice of your Labours, I should call you now to diligent Studies.
As for your Lesson, pag. 22. that tumbling over many Books without meditation, may breed but Crudities, &c. It is very true, and the calamity of too many of the literate Tribe, who think that they have deserved Credit and Reverence, when they say the words which others, whom they would be joyned with, have said before them: Want of good Digestion is a common Disease of many that never complain of it, nor feel any present trouble by it.
Pag. 22, 23. You insinuate that about Retractation, which I before detected: I told you when, and where, I Suspended or Retracted the Book, and for what Reasons, and you presently feign a Retractation of the Doctrine, and of about sixty Books of Retractions.
It's well that pag. 23. you had the justice not to justifie your [Nec dubito quin imputatam Christi justitiam incluserit]; But to confess your Injustice, was too much: It is not your own Retractation that you are for, it seems.