Confidence Questioned, Title page – To the reader
Confidence queſtioned: OR, A Brief Examination Of ſome Doctrines delivered By M. THOMAS WILLES of Bottolphs Billingſ-Gate, In a Sermon preached by him At Margrets New-Fiſh-Street, the 7th of Decemb. 1657.
ALSO, Some QUESTIONS touching his pretended Call and Authority to preach the GOSPEL.
By Jeremiah Ives.
Prov. 18.17.
He that is firſt in his own cauſe, ſeemeth juſt; but his neighbour comes and ſearcheth him.
Rev. 2.2.
And haſt tried them, which ſay they are Apoſtles, and are not; and haſt found them lyers.
Act. 17.11.
Theſe were more noble then thoſe of Theſſalonica, in that they received the word with all readineſs of minde; and ſearched the Scriptures dayly, whether thoſe things were ſo.
LONDON: Printed for Daniel White, and are to be ſold at the ſeven Stars in Paul's Church-yard; or are to be had at the Author's Houſe in Red-Croſs-Street. 1685.
To the Impartial Reader.
Reader,
IT is matter of great admiration, to ſee men ſacrificing their Reaſons and Judgements upon the Altar of blinde Zeal and Devotion: it is alſo matter of lamentation, to ſee men, who would be judged Chriſtians, ſuck in Opinions, as wild Aſſes do the Wind, without Trial and Examination; and ſo become impatient of contradiction: and all this while, forget that bleſſed Rule, of trying the Spirits, whether they be of God or no.
I ſhall therefore ſoberly propoſe ſome Queſtions for Conſcience ſake; which I deſire may be weighed and conſidered: ſome of which Queſtions, are thoſe that I had intended to have propounded to Mr. Willes in publick, had I not been prevented by a tumultuous Auditory: ſome, pulling and haling me; others threatning to throw me over the Gallery. If this look like a Spirit of Chriſtianity, I confeſs my ſelf to be very ignorant of a Chriſtian Spirit: ſure this Spirit is more like the Spirit of the Primitive Perſecutors, then the Primitive Profeſſors of Chriſt; and yet theſe are the Men that cry up a Reformation, according to the Primitive Inſtitution. If the Light of theſe enſuing Queſtions, ſhall give Light to the Conſcience of any, or their Anſwers give Light to my own Conſcience, I ſhall bleſs the Father of Lights, who hath not ſuffered me to labour in vain. That ſome ſuch good, may be the product hereof, is the deſire of him, who is thine in the ſervice of Chriſt,
Jer. Ives.
Confidence queſtioned.
Mr. Willes,
IT hath always been the practice of Deceivers to ſow their Tares among the pure Wheat, and to blend their Errors with choice Truths: I ſhall not ſay, you did any ſuch thing, by deſign; but that you did it, the Light of theſe enſuing Queſtions will manifeſt: and if you would have me be ſo charitable as to think you did not project ſuch a thing, I pray then do not refuſe to come to the Light that your deeds may be made manifeſt: and remember, That Truth ſeeks no corners: and if therefore you are confident of the truth of what you have delivered, fear not the face of oppoſition.
It is enough for Turks and Jews, Papiſts and Hereticks, to aſſert that, which they fear publickly to diſpute; becauſe they are conſcious of the brittleneſs of ſuch Aſſertions, and therefore are loft to hazard them in the Fire of Diſputation. Let thoſe then fear the Touch-ſtone, whoſe Coyn is counterfeit, and not Men that are Goſpel-Preachers, leſt Men have occaſion to call them counterfeit-Silver.
I pray you therefore ſo far to honour that which you have publickly aſſerted, (if it be Truth) as to anſwer theſe Queſtions that relate to thoſe things which you then delivered.