The Doubting Conscience Resolved, Title page – Letter
THE Doubting Conſcience Reſolved.
In Anſwer to a (pretended) perplexing QƲESTION, &c.
Wherein is evidently proved, That the holy Scriptures (not the Pope) is the Foundation whereupon the Church is built.
OR, That a CHRISTIAN may be infallibly certain of his Faith and Religion by the holy Scriptures.
By WILLIAM TVVISSE D.D. Prolocutor of the Aſſembly of DIVINES.
Written at the deſire of Samuel Hartlib, Eſquire, for the ſatisfaction of his Friends beyond the Seas; and now divulged in print for more publick Edification.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Mathews at the Sign of the Cock in St Pauls Church-yard. 1652.
SIR,
I Have read this learned and ſatisfactory Anſwer to the Perplexing Queſtion and Doubtfull Caſe of Conſcience, in the life time of D. Twiſse, and if you ſhall pleaſe to give it your Imprimatur, I think it may be advantageous in this juncture of time. I reſt,
Yours, Ja. Cranford. May 3. 1652.
Imprimatur,
Edm. Calamy
THE APPROBATION OF That Reverend Father of the Church, Joſeph Hall, Biſhop. of NORWICH.
In a Letter to his worthily reſpected friend, Mr. W. S.
Worthy Sir,
I Return you many thanks for the favour you have done me, in affording me the view of this ſolid and ſeaſonable piece of Dr. Twiſse, in full anſwer to this pretended Queſtioniſt; who under the colour of a Perplexing Caſe of Conſcience from a Preacher of the Goſpell, ſends forth a fooliſh kind of challenge to all Proteſtant Divines. Had you not named the Author of the ſatisfactory Anſwer, and ſeconded it by anothers atteſtation, I could both have known and avouched him. There is a face of a ſtyle, by which we Scholars know one another, no leſs than our perſons by a viſible countenance; whoſoever hath read the witty & accute exercitations of this Author upon the writings of Doctor Jackson, will eaſily finde him in this Tractate both for form and matter. This ſculking and diſguiſed Chalenger could not have met with a meeter Combatant; a man ſo eminent in School-Divinity, that the Jeſuits have felt, and (for ought I ſee) ſhrunk under his ſtrength, in their Scientia Media, and whom the States of the Netherlands out of the fame of his worth, would fain have tempted away with large profers to a Publick Profeſſorſhip in one of their Univerſities. I onelyonly wiſh he had met with a more able Adverſary: For certainly, as I intimated to you in my laſt, this Beagle, whoſoever he be, whether out of miſpriſion or craft, hunts counter, and runs all the while upon a wrong ground; vainly ſuppoſing, that differences in points not fundamentall, make a diverſity of Religions; and weakly conceiving, that becauſe there are many falſe claims to Truth in the world, God hath not left us means enough in his revealed Will to diſtinguiſh Truth from Error; as if, becauſe there are ſtore of counterfeit coyns abroad, it could not be ſafe for a man to receive, or poſſible to diſcern currant money: whereas, if his wit would have ſerved him, he might have conſidered, that all, both Agenda and Credenda neceſſary to ſalvation (which only can difference Religion) are clearly laid down in the ſacred Oracles of Scripture, with which if any refractory ſoul will unjuſtly quarrell, he may by thoſe helps which God hath left to his Church, be either convinced, or ſhamed; in the mean while it is no reaſon that his abſurd obſtinacy ſhould caſt any blemiſh upon the clear face of truth, or be any prejudice to others, who are bleſſed with better apprehenſions, whoſe not-foreſtalled ſouls, out of that judgment of diſcretion, which God hath endowed all wiſe Chriſtians withall, upon due ſearch may by thoſe good means which God hath held forth to us, give himſelf ſo ful ſatisfaction in all important Truths, as wherein he may ſecurely reſt, with a reſolute defiance of all oppoſitions.
Had this Queſtioniſt but conſulted with learned Biſhop Davenant's irrefragable Diſcourſe, De judice ac norma fidei, he had forborn the blurring of his Paper, and ſpared the labor of this his perplexed and ſhuffling propoſall of his pretend. edly-perplexing Queſtion, which in very truth is no other than a ſtale and often exploded Cavill, newly furbuſhed over with a falſe colour of a tenderly-conſcientious irreſolution. The man will finde himſelf here over-anſwer'd, and receive too much honour from ſuch an Antagoniſt, in that it may be ſaid of him, Aeneae magni dextrâ cadis. Now ſince you are pleaſed to deſire my Opinion of the whole work: to ſpeak freely, One or two paſſages, I confeſs, to meet with in this learned and weighty Diſcourſe, (as concerning the name and number of the Apocalypticall Beaſt, 666.) which doe not altogether carry my aſſent. That Myſterie muſt and will lye ſtill cloſe, after all the ſcanning of the ſharpeſt Wits and Judgements. But for all the Doctrinall points, I cannot but applaud them as worthy of the Authour, and ſatisfactory to the Reader, and convictive of the Adverſary. Farewell, from your much devoted
Higham, April 29. 1652. J.H.B.N.