Confession of His Faith, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
The Occasion and Scope of this Writing.
IT is now about five years since I published a Book Entituled, Aphorisms of Justification, &c. which I let pass in hast, before I had well digested or perfected, being not likely to have much longer time on earth: I chose rather so to publish it, then to suppress it, that at least I might provoke others when I am dead to make a further discovery of the truth. It was the first that I published, and I was then a stranger to the dispositions of Divines, and simply thought that none would be offended with one that held the same Christian Doctrine▪ for attempting a clearer explication of it, though he differed from them in lesser things; yea, though he failed in his attempt, as long as he abhorred dividing from the Church: … thought I might have boldly said to Christian Ministers, as Justin Martyr did to Heathens, Apolog. 1. Fin These things we offer to your consideration: If they seem agreeable to Reason and Verity, honor them, but if they seem toys, as toys contemn them, but do not hostilely persecute them. But I am now a little better acquainted with the world, and the best part of the world then before I was. The Reasons of my publishing that book (at first drawn forth by the occasion of one Question, about the sence of Mat. 25.) were these: 1. A hope of clearer discovery of some common Truths, by dispelling some confusions, and some cloudy novel groundless distinctions; That so when truth was more clearly seen, it might be more deeply received, affectionatly entertained, firmly retained, and successfully improved. 2. A strong conceit that I should take out of the hands of many adversaries (Papists, Pelagians and Libertines) some great advantages which formerly some have given them against us, and should clear in some measure, the way of a more effectual confutation of their Errors. Especially, I confess, mine eye was upon the Libertines, commonly called Antinomians, through the whole, being wakened to a compassion of many ignorant well meaning Christians, who were then following their delusions in a full career. 3. A hope also▪ I had that many Christians who had seemed to differ more then indeed they did, in these points, might be brought to an Agreement by the Evidence of truth; at least that meer verbal differences might not seem Real and Doctrinal.
But I quickly found that some thought too well, and some too ill of what I had written. Lest therefore I should prove a further offence to my Brethren, and a wrong to the Church; I desired those that thought it worth their labor to vouchsafe me their Animadversions, which I have spent much of these three last years in considering, that I might Correct whatsoever was discovered to be Erroneous, and give them an account of my Reasons of the rest. I have not only since suppressed that Book which did offend them, but also laid by those Papers of Universal Redemption which I had written, lest I should be further offensive. But I find all this gives no satisfaction. Some further course therefore I am obliged to take: For if the offence had been only taken and not given, yet Christian Charity binds me to do my best to remove it: But when I do freely confess that some part of the offence was given by me, by some indigested and obscure passages, and some over-sights in that book, I am much more bound to satisfie the offended, as far as is in my power to do.
To this end I have two sorts of men to address my speech to. 1. Those Divines that go the way of the Libertines (commonly called Antinomians) in whole or in part: For these I perceive are most deeply offended with me. 2. Some Orthodox sober Divines, who are offended with me for some lesser differences, wherein I seem to them to affect singularity, and too easily to depart from the Common judgement of the Reformed Churches.
1. I do confess (being once half ensnared my self in the opinions of Justification before Faith, and that Justification by Faith, was but in foro Conscientiae, &c.) I have a strong apprehension of the danger of those Doctrines, and their concomitants: and that upon four grounds. 1. Either I am exceedingly mistaken, or else they do as directly and fully subvert the main scope of the Doctrine of Christ, as any Errors that I know of in England, that are maintained by any considerable number of men who have any great appearance of Piety and Sobriety. Were England well rid but of Libertinism, Socinianism and Popery, it were a happy Land: But the first party do more dangerously insinuate with the weaker sort of Godly people then either of the latter, by the advantage of the name of Free-grace, and by their pretences to a singular extolling of Christ, and by their declaiming against legal Preachers, and against the advancement of our own Works or Righteousness, and especially by leading men in so easie a way, which flesh and blood hath so little against, as being too consistent with mens Carnal Interest. 2. The evident tendency also of these licentious Doctrines to a licentious Life, and to the destruction of Godliness, I confess doth increase my detestation of them. He that seeth not in the face of them written, an opposition to Mortification and Watchfulness, and the life of Godliness, seeth not with my eyes. 3. The experience which we have seen of the real Issue, and sad effects of this licentious Doctrine, I confess hath further confirmed me against it. I am none of those that shut my eyes against the workings of Providence, nor yet against the discoveries of Causes in their Effects. Three black Clouds of Witnesses we have of this. 1. The unhappy miscarriages, and shameful lives of those Libertines that lived in England before these late years of trouble. Whereof both London, and the Grundletonians in York-shire, *I have heard from an ancient Godly man that knew Arthington and Coppinger, that they were possessed with the spirit of the Grundletonians. The same man affirmed that he went but once among them himself, and after prayer they breathed on him, as giving him the holy Ghost, and he was so strangely transported for three days, that he was not as the same man: and his family wondered what was the matter with him the had no confession of sin, but an elevated strain in Prayer, as if he had been in strange raptures: and after three days he was as before, and came no more at them.and Arthingtons Seduction, with the whole story of Hacket and Coppinger, can give too full Testimony. 2. The sad miscarriages of this Sect in New-England, whererof see Mr. Weld his Rise and ruine of Antinomianism in N. E. 3. Their late Actions in old England, since (uniting with the spirit of Anabaptistry, the far smaller evil) they have proceeded as far as Ranting, hath further shewed what spirit they are of, to those that will see the Sun at Noon-day: Nor have the Publique transactions or attempts of the more subtile among them, much honored their Principles in the eyes of the observing and judicious through the Land. 4. And (which I have oft mentioned, and will do while I can speak) the Miracles of God against them in New England were so real a Testimony from heaven, that I am resolved to take them for a Decision of that controversie, being conjunct with so full a Testimony of the word. Three Sects did all lately imbody together, Anabaptists, Separatists and Antinomians, and so made up one, (though some of the first sort disclaimed the last, and went the Pelagian way:) And what man dare obscure the witness that God hath given against them, unless he will be found a fighter against God? I profess, for my part, I am fully satisfied from plain Scripture against them, though I had seen no further witness; But yet should I shut mine eyes against such a Testimony as God hath given in New-England by those Monsters, and in Old-England, by multitudes of fouler Monsters, even Ranters, Quakers, Seekers and Blasphemers, I should sure be guilty of a hainous sin. God doth not ordinarily thus appear; but very rarely, and in great extremities, and against those that his soul doth deeply detest. And to wink at such wonders, what is it but to despise God in the dreadfullest of his works? They that can read the book of Providence, and expound it so well as some pretend, and yet overlook such Providences as these, shall be no Tutors of mine, in the Exposition of this blessed Book.
These Reasons having excited my Zeal against this Sect above many others, I have accordingly judged it my duty to bend my self against them in all my writings: Especially when I saw how greedily multitudes of poor souls did take the bait, and how exceedingly the Writings and Preachings of Saltmarsh and many of his fellows did take with them. Upon this I perceive the men that in any measure go that way, are enraged against me: How to appease them I know not. I would as willingly know the truth as some of them, if I could. Sure I am, I have as much Reason. My soul should be as precious to me; Christ should be as much valued: Grace should be as much magnified: Self should be as much denyed. I am as deeply beholden to Christ and Free-Grace as most poor sinners in the world: And should I vilifie or wrong them, for an Opinion, or I know not what I Every man that is drawn from Christ, is drawn by some contrary prevailing Interest: What interest should draw me to think meanly of my Saviour, or his Free-Grace? For Free-Remission alone without any condition, or an Eternal Justification; I do not perceive but that my very Carnal part would fain have it to be true. I have flesh as well as they; and if I am able to discern the pleadings or inclinations of that flesh, it runs their way in contradiction to the Spirit. And the Lord knows I have as little reason to extol my own Righteousness, or place my confidence in Works and Merits, as other men have. I must truly say, The Lord holdeth my sins much more before mine eyes then my Good-Works: The one are Mountains to me, the other I can scarce tell whether I may own in propriety, without many Cautions and Limitations. I have therefore no Carnal interests of my own that I can possibly discover, to lead me against the way of these men, or Engage me to contend against them. Yet am I not able to forbear. I confess I am an unreconcileable Enemy to their Doctrines, and so let them take me: I had as live tell them so, as hide it. The more I pray God to illuminate me in these things, the more am I animated against them. The more I search after the truth in my Studies, the more I dislike them. The more I read their own Books, the more do I see the Vanity of their Conceits: But above all, when I do but open the Bible, I can seldom meet with a leaf that is not against them. And what further means I should use, besides Prayer, Study, Reading their Books, and Reading the Scripture, I do not remember. If they blame my Will, I cannot find any Byas against them, from fleshly interest (as I said) but from spiritual. Nor am I able to Believe what men would have me, nor whatsoever I would my self. My will hath not the full command of my Belief. If they blame my understanding, I will blame it too, but I cannot clear it. Only I am resolved to wait on God in the use of his means, and by the help of his Grace, to search as diligently for the Truth as I can, and to Redeem my time thereto as much, and spare my f…esh as little, as will stand with my life, and a freedom from the sin of self-murder. And if yet I must differ, ther's no remedy.
The indignation of these exasperated men, hath found out of late a strange kind of vent. To be revenged on me for calling them Antinomians, they have resolved to call me Arminian, Socinian, Papist, and Jesuite; Yea, and as if they were in good sadness, to perswade the world that by Antinomians, I mean Anti-papists and that I am indeed a down-right Papist, and of the grosser sort too, and that I subtilly endeavour the propagation of Popery, and all my pretences to the contrary are but Jesuitical dissembling: And in particular, that there is no Papists, that speak more for Merits then I do. To this purpose it seemed good to Mr. Eyre of Salisbury to write in his Book against Mr. Benjamin Woodbridge, on which I have sent him my Admonition: In which he commendeth one Mr. Crandon that was writing against me, whose writing is now come forth in the light: Such a piece as I confess my eyes never saw before: The lively picture of the wiser sort of Libertines: Expressing much of that in Print, which the Ranters do in transient actions: so much palpable darkness, so many mistakes of my sence, so many errors, and so much presumption, is there congested; But above all, so many notorious falshoods in matter of fact, as I do profess I never saw in one volume to my knowledge, either of Jesuite, or any the vilest Heretick. I would be loath to bestow my time in numbering them, till my Arithmetick be better; Only Ile say, that I yet have not observed one leaf in all that great Volume that hath not many: How many hundred then may such a bulk contain? What an unsavory, uncleanly task would it be to Reply to such a man, if I had so little wit, and so many words and hours as such a work requires? And indeed it could not be better in matter of truth, when the whole Volume is animated with one falshood, as the soul of it; That is, that I am a Papist: This is the whole from first to last: If you have this, in the dress of a Billings-gate Dialect, you have all. Hence is the man carried, even where I speak that which he cannot reprehend, to enter into the secrets of my soul, and lay open my heart, for the expounding of my lines, and to tell them over and over that I do but subtilly aequivocate and dissemble; I say one thing, but I mean or think another, so that he hath written a Volume much in the confutation of my most secret thoughts; yea, of such as he feigneth, contrary to the full expression of my writings. I confess when I read the first leaf that I opened at, it seemed to me a sad, yet for the gravity of the Fiction, a ridiculous Object; to see the man come upon the Stage, and act his part so confidently and seriously, as if he did verily think I were a Papist indeed. That I am a Papist, or that I must be an Antinomian, are equally credible to me: And if there be no middle way between those two, I confess I am I know not where. I deny not but all Mr. Eyres commendations of this man may be true: But then if voluminous slanders, and grossest falshoods, considerately Printed and Published, may consist with Grace, and such eminency of Grace too in the leaders of the flocks, I would advise these Brethren hereafter to consider whether they should not be very compassionate to others, and how they do Judge of the qualification of their Church-members. To cast out or censure a member for swearing or lying once or twice, when the Pastor may slander and rail voluminously, is scarce equal dealing. Truly when I read this mans Book, it forced me to say, Oh what a depraved nature hath man! what a dark understanding! what a deceitful heart! what a sad case are our poor people in, when their guides are in such darkness and contention! what a patient God have we! and what reason therefore to be patient with one another?
If any expect that I should particularly Reply to that Book, I must say of that and of divers others that have been lately published against me (Fisher, Keyes, Hagger:) my time is like to be but short on earth: I live in pain and languishing, and expectations of my change, and therefore I dare not wast so short, so precious time on such an imployment; Nor dare I give such an accountThis was written before I saw Mr. Caryls Epistle, which gave me a further call to say so much to Mr. Crandon, as I have since done. of those hours to God, which he hath given me for better and more useful works. If any object, that the ignorance of common people is such, that confidence, and railing, and slanders will take with them, as if they were valid Arguments, and therefore have need of as diligent confutation; I answer, it is not in my power to cure the ignorance of such people, nor the slanderous tongues or pens of such Writers; And if I must Write as long as slanderers will make me work, or ignorant men need it, then I shall have work enough to do, and my labours be at the command of every mans Vices. If any object, that I owe it to my own Reputation, I Ans. I Write not for my self, nor for so low an end; But for the good of others. And whereas some say, that I am bound to vindicate my Reputation, that I may not hinder other mens profiting by my labors. I Answ. 1. If God take away my Reputation, he will no more expect I should serve him by it, then he will expect I should serve him by health or wealth when he hath taken them away: Nor doth he expect that I should be so solicitous for its recovery as to neglect any greater work the while. 2. God hath permitted the Columniator to play his part so grosly, and to assert those things voluminously and confidenrly which contradict themselves, and which all that know me, know to be false, that I think such a tongue is not much capable of diminishing a mans Reputation, nor is it any way needful to Vindicate it from such.
Yet though I will not give a particular answer to any such Writings as these are, I shall against the whole substance and scope of the undertaking anon prove against Mr. Crandon, and Mr. Eyre, that the Papists give more to works then I do, and I shall give them the Confession of my faith, that they may truly know how much I give to them.
2. But first I must take notice of the other sort, who have been offended in the respects forementioned at my Doctrine, and whom I am more obliged to satisfie; and because the things they blame me for, are 1. Some mistakes in Doctrine. 2. Affectation of singularity. 3. Or at least too easie dissenting from the judgement of the Orthodox; For the first, I am left uncapable of satisfying them: For change my judgement I cannot, till evidence of truth do it: And if I should, it would not serve turn: For then I should offend all on the other side, who are for that Doctrine which I deliver: So that man-pleasing is a frivolous; yea, an impossible work. And to give them the Reasons of my judgement, will but offend them more; for I find men are impatient of contradiction, and of uttering that which is against their opinions But to go as far as I am able to satisfie both these offended parties, both the Hetrodox slanderers, and the Orthodox sober Godly Divines (I mean so many of them as are offended▪ for very many I know are not) I shall now in order perform these several things following. 1. I will make a true confession of my faith, by which you may Judge of Mr. Eyres, and Mr. Crandons charge of Popery, Socinianism, Arminianism, &c. 2. To the General Confession I will add a more particular account, how much I give to mans Works, and how much I deny to them. 3. Because Mr. Eyre, and Mr. Crandon affirm so boldly, that by Antinomians, I mean Antipapists, (that they might get the honorable Title of the Protestant Reformed Religion put upon their Opinions) I shall tell you what it is that I mean by Antinomianism. 4. Because they contend so much for justification before faith, and that Justification by faith is but in foro Conscientiae, or terminated in Conscience, I shall give my Reasons against both those Assertions. 5. I shall shew how modestly Mr. Eyre, and Mr. Crandon do aver that the Papists (yea none of the Papists) give no more to Works or Merits then I. 6. I shall prove that I am not so singular, as is supposed, and that I do give no more to Works, then the Reformed Churches and Divines ordinarily do; by a large recital of their own words. And in the performances of these six things lyes all the satisfaction that I yet understand my self able to give to those that are offended: Supposing what I have said in the Preface.