God which is the blasphemy he chargeth upon the Calvinists or else hold it to be God which would be to bestow an Apotheosis on sin Because whatever positive thing is not from God is God This my friend without any leave obtained or asked from me puts in print under my name with no ill intent I hope but yet some what against the rule of friendship But having entituled me to the old innocent Metaphysicall maxime that omne ens est vel primum vel a primo how doth Mr. Pierce paratragaediate How doth he tumble in his ugly Tropes rowl himselfe in his rayling eloquence You would think he were some Tertullus hired by an angry Parishioner to accuse me before the Committee for ejection of Ignorance and scandall I cannot without perfect affront to my Conscience and the rules of Christianity returne him blasphemer for blasphemer For though I think the forementioned blasphemy doth naturally and lineally descend from that opinion which he first vented in his Philanthropy and now seeks to maintain yet I think it no way consistent with the ingenuity of a Scholar or of a man to charge an adversary with that blasphemy which he every where disclaimes because in my opinion such a blasphemy flowes from his principles I know that the Lutherans are no better than infidells if they deny the resurrection and ascension of Christ and am pretty confident that their opinion concerning the ubiquity of the humane nature cannot consist either with the one or with the other shall I therefore say in print that the Brethren of that perswasion deny those two fundamentall Articles nay rather let my right hand forget its skill than write any thing of that nature concerning them And yet this is the case of the Calvinists they hold an absolute decree of reprobation hence it followes sayes Mr. Pierce that God is the Author of sin and that mans destruction is not of himself They deny any such consequences can be inferr'd and write books upon books to shew the grounds and reasons of their denyall sufficient one would think to stop the mouths of any calumniator though as wide as a sepulchre Withall declaring that they refuse not to be cursed with the bitterest Anathema's if they shall be found to father the least obliquity upon the most holy Law-giver And yet Mr. Pierce finds a forehead to say they make God the Author of Sin And is angry with those that will not be as hugely uncharitable as himself This he will pretend to do in great affection to the most vulgar and lesse intelligent readers whose deliverance liberty from the worst kind of thraldome he doth especially aime at in what he publisheth as he tels us Pag. 5. That the vulgar may not be in danger to stumble at what was written in Latine by men some of whose names they scarce ever heard of whose Books they to be sure would never have bought Mr. P. hath in great affection to their souls translated some of the worst sayings of transmarine Divines into English You are indeed obliged to do good to all but especially to those vulgar ones of your own perswasion and party who are so exceedingly prejudiced against Mr. Calvin and others from whom you pretend to derive your frightfull expressions that they l ' not be in any danger of being misled by them Therefore it would have been your wisest course to have drawn a Catalogue out of the writings of Bishop Abbot Dr. John Dr. Francis White Dr. Field Dr. Sanderson Dr. Featley Bishop Prideaux who were their friends in point of Ceremonie whose Books are most of them in English and commonly to be had and the Authors of them acknowledged to be men of great desert and piety and so may be the more apt to do mischief by instilling these killing Doctrines into the minds of men But what if the maintainers of the absolute decree did deserve so severe a condemnation how come I to be concerned in it why because he cannot conceive how that argument of mine If sin is a positive entity either God is the Author of it or it is God should flow from any other fountaine than my conceit of Gods predetermination before his prescience of all events without exception â—nd yet he knows that Iesuits twenty ten do use this ArgumeÌ„t who yet are the ablest acutest and most malicious opposers of the absolute decree as stated by Calvin others of our reformed writers I have already secured him that I study no retaliation onely I will make bold to deal with him as Alexander did with his Bucephalus take him a little by the bridle and turne him to the Sun that other men may see how he layes about him though himself will not First he joynes me with that commune dei hominumque odium Mr. Hobbs when he hath called me Hobbist what can he say more except he should call me Devill But did I give him any reason to joyn me with that prodigious writer or doth not Mr. Pierce rather do this on the same account as Ithacius who having no other virtue but his hatred to the Priscillianists became so wise in the end that he set down all that differed from him for Priscillianists Sulpit. Sev. lib. 2. p. 413. Both Mr. Hobbs and Mr. Pierce say that if God be the Author of the Action then he is also the Author of the obliquity of the Action and that there is no difference betwixt the sinfull act and the sin of the act and this he knowes I deny And would the Reader think that I am an Hobbist for dissenting from Hobbes and Mr. P. an Anti Hobbist for agreeing with him That Authour is known to be one who exceedingly scornes the parts of all that differ from him who contradicts the old received Philosophy who bitterly inveighs against Presbyterians And whether these Characters doe better fit me or my adversary let others judge Secondly in his title-page he makes me an example of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which if he could be supposed to meane that I were one that upon consideration of my many unworthynesses condemne my self I must thank him for his commendation and pray unro Christ for grace that I may abound in so noble an effect and part of repentance but questionlesse with him I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Apostles sense Tit. 2.11 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theophylast and this is in effect to call to all people to break of familiar converse with me and to make me worse then an Heretick for he was not thought self condemned till after the first and second Admonition and that by a Bishop saith Dr. Hammond but he for a supposed oversight in Metaphysicks thinks meet to print me such to all the World though I be to this day Ignorant whether there be a Bishop in rerum naturâ of a different opinion from me Pref. that he might slurre mee he defiles his own conscience all over
and that I ought to be thank full for the diligent and impartial hand which for some short time doth seem to hurt me But seeing he himself had the same Phagedaenous and eating sores which he tels us were cured by good company and good bookes what necessity was there that mine should be touch'd with either the launce or caustick If he had not delighted in such a composition whose every line is gall and wormwood why did he not before he thus blur'd me with his blackest ink First enquire whether ever I did write any such thing to Mr. B. or no For if Mr. B. be such a lyar as he represents him why would he beleeve me the Author of so monstrous an Argument upon the bare Authority of his report 2. How did he know whether I related this Argument as from my self and not onely as the Argument of others Or 3. why did he not by some private letter endeavour to purge the peccant humour before he made the passionate adventure of calling it obstinate Let 's try whether wee can ghess what might move Mr. P. who saies in his Letter to Doctor Bernard that in all his dealing with Mr. B. he was not so much as heated so to flame against me First it was not sure the Argument it self for that being used by Fathers by Schoolmen of all Sects by Protestant Writers of all perswasions particularly by the most judicious Mr. Tho. Barlow with whom for Metaphysical Learning Mr. P. will in modesty confess himself not worthy to be named in the same day could not deserve so severe a censure Seeing he tells us that he resolves to doe nothing untill the most sober unbiassed persons shall think it publickly usefull I shall make this request to him that hee would procure any one sober person to give it under his hand that it was publickly usefull to call all those foolish and impious who have used this Argument or if such Epithetes belong not unto others why to me Others have de industriâ printed the Argument whereas I never thought that any thing which I wrote should have come to the Press nay what I did write was written in such haste that I might well say with Jerome Qui non ignoscit ingenio ignoscat tempori But I believe the sober men of his own perswasion will be so far from approving his language that they will rather let him taste of Memnons discipline who hearing a mercenary Souldier with many bold and impure reports exclaim against King Alexander lent him a blow with his Launce saying That he had hired him to fight against Alexander and not to raile Secondly though not the Argument in self yet my party and my Masters with whom he doth so frequently upbraid me might justly move his choler Indeed I find Mr. P. guiltie of partiality to so desperate a degree that he makes Arminianism enough to a mans commendation but Anti-arminianism a blasting of all graces and an alloy to all endowments as if it might be said of his Opinion as Augustine speakes of Discretion Tolle hanc virtus vitium erit Once I finde him acknowledging that Piety and Learning might be found among the Absolute Predestinarians but being now faln from his first love he thinks meet to brand Dr. Reynolds with the suspicion of being an Hypocrite as if because he were a man of great parts and worth he could not be in earnest of that party whom he hath owned in Praying in Preaching in Covenanting Nay those against whom he writes are the wicked and so by him not onely thought but also called in the Adv. to Mr. Bax But as for those that are for the respective Decrees and are no friends to Presbytery they are eo nomine religious excellent renowned immortal what not I will instance in two or three upon whom he bestows the greatest commendations sure not without some regret and recalcitration of his conscience First he blesseth the Author of an unlicensed Pamphlet called An Historical relation of the Judgement of some most worthy Bishops holy Martyrs and others concerning Gods election Divi. Phil. p. 93. ch 3. with the honourable appellation of a most learned Divine and Confessour and seems to bewaile it that the book is in so few mens hands but I shall let the Reader see that if this book had had its desert it must have been in fewer mens hands than it is The forementioned scurrilous Pamphlet was reprinted Anno 1631 and licensed by Mr. Martin Bishop Laud's Chaplain when Sir Humphrey Lind and Mr. Prynne complained to Archbishop Abbot of this execrable Imposture the book was called in Bishop Laud professing to his Grace that he had given to his Chaplain such a ratling as would make him never meddle with Arminian books or opinions more nay at the Lords Barr he said that he did put him out of his Chaplains place for licensing that Pamphlet The first Author of this book was answered by Mr. Robert Crowly as may be seen in our University Library 4º O 5. This Crowly was a fugitive for Religion in Queen Maries dayes an eminent laborious Preacher in the time of Qu. Eliz. He not knowing the name of Mr. P's Confessour calls him Cerberus but Mr. John Veron the Queens Chaplain who was principally concern'd in the book found out his name to be Champneys and in a Tract of his dedicated to her Majesty and called a Defence of the Doctrine of Predestination speaks thus of him In this I comfort my self that his tongue is known to be no slander For the like did he most proudly attempt in your most gracious Brother good King Edward the sixth's dayes against all the godly Preachers of that time calling them marked Ministers of Antichrist and men void of the Spirit of God for none be they never so godly never so earnest and faithfull labourers in the Lords vineyard have the Spirit of God or doe know the efficacie of it but he onely as many godly persons be able to testifie to his face That he did therefore and for many other abominable errours which he then stoutly maintained bear at that time a Faggot at Paul's-cross Father Coverdale making then the Sermon there Belike fearing now the like punishment and that he should be compell'd to revoke his Pelagian-like opinion he durst not for all his proud boast set his own name to his railing and venemous bookes nor yet suffer them to be sold openly or publickly in the Book-sellers shops but cowardously suppressing both his own name and the name of his unwise and foolish Printer got the whole Impression into his own hands that so he might in huggermugger send them unto his private freinds abroad whom belike he suspected to be of his affinity and damnable opinion Howbeit this could not be wrought so privily but that within a while some of his bookes came into my hands whereby shortly after the Printer was known and brought to his Answer whom this stout champion of Pelagius hath
us and those of our Religion beyond the Sea an action as unpolitick as ungodly And because I know the Reader will not account me tedious whilest I use the words of so eloquent a Lord I shall recite more passages from him to the same purpose Pag. 9. We shall find of them to have both kindled blown the Common fire of both Nations to have both sent and maintained that book of which the Author hath no doubt long since wished with Nero utinam nefcissem literas and of which more then one Kingdome hath cause to wish that when he writ that he had rather burned a Library though of the value of Ptolomies We shall find them to have been the first and principall cause of the breach I will not say of but since the pacification at Barwick we shall finde them to have been the almost sole abettors of my Lord of Strafford whilst he was practising upon another kingdom that manner of Government which he intended to settle in this where he committed so many so mighty and so manifest enormities as the like have not been committed by any Governour in any Government since Verres left Sicilie And after they had called him over from being Deputy of Ireland to be in a manner Deputy of England all things here being governed by a Juntillo and that Juntillo governed by him to have assisted him in the giving of such counsels and the pursuing of such courses as it is a hard and measuring cast whether they were more unwise more unjust or more unfortunate and which had infallibly been our destruction if by the grace of God their share had not been as small in the subtletie of Serpents as in the innocence of Doves But in entitling the honest Puritanes to the manifold violences that have been attempted or practised in Church and State he borrows a piece of policy from the Jesuits who if they had prospered in blowing up the Parliament house had intended to give it about that that so horrid and hellish a fact was perpetrated by he knows whom Honest Bishop Carleton in his Examination of Mr. Montagues Appeal saith That albeit the Puritans disquieted the Church about their conceived Discipline yet they never moved any quarrel about the Doctrine of our Church and that till Montague there was no Puritan Doctrine known Mr. Wotton saith in his answer to the Popish Atti p. 33. Hee that makes difference between the Protestants and Puritans in matters of Faith doth it either ignorantly or maliciously Mr. T. Fuller 610. p. 99. We must not forget that Spalato I am confident I am not mistaken therein was the first who professing himself a Protestant used the word Puritan to signifie the defenders of matters doctrinal in the English Church Formerly the word was onely taken to denote such as dissented from the Hierarchy in Discipline and Church-government which now was extended to brand such as were Anti-arminians in their judgement So that by Puritanes in all probability must be meant non-conformists And if Mr. P. dare say that such men as Mr. Paul Baine Mr. Arthur Hildersham Mr. Dod and Mr. Cleaver the Decalogists Mr. Tho. Hooker Mr. John Ball Mr. Tho. Shepheard were void of the power of godlyness or that they had not more of it than had their persecutors he must either expect not to be believed or seek some other place than England to vent his passion in If by the Puritanes he meaneth the giddy Brownists I have not a word to say in their excuse but this that the Prelaticall oppression was such as might have made wiser people than they madde Had they not a colourable pretext to call some of our Prelates Antichristian whose Courts vexed sundry laborious Preachers because they could not bow at the name of Jesus when as sundry idle sots whom they might frequently observe to stagger in the streets were never questioned But the most probable ground of his fury is yet behind my being noted by Mr. Barlee in the Margin to be a man of his own Colledge for doe but observe the phrases and periods of the man upon this occasion For ought I know he may be also in possession of mine own Fellowship and mine own Chamber and mine own meat and drink and those yearly revenues which are mine own too and for the which I may the rather expect to have some satisfaction because it seems the Visitors made him one of my Receivers and Usufructuaries for my legitimate heir or successor they could not make him And I have reason to be glad that he is thought such a pious and learned man because if he is pious he will the sooner pay me my Arrears and if he is learned he will not object against my known and indisputable right pag. 155. and Div. Phil. p. 147. I suffered the loss of what I thought to be the pleasantest possession on earth for being secretly suggested to be the Author of some bookes which to this very day I could never hear named and though I earnestly desired that I might hear my self accused and know distinctly my accusation and be heard speak for my self yet Dr. Reynolds could not obtaine that for me Thus he hath thrown his fierie darts at me at farre the greater part of Heads and Fellows of Colledges in Oxon at the Visitors and at the two Houses of Parliament But I know not how I am so little sollicitous concerning the quenching of these Darts that I find my self carried away with a very pleasing diversion concerning two different kinds of sober distraction or melancholy the one wherein the brain is generally and equally ill affected to all objects the other where the distemper is confined to some one object or other the brain being otherwise very sound and sober upon all other objects and occasions So Laurentius tells us of a Noble man that otherwise had his senses very perfect and would discourse of any subâ—ect very rationally but was perswaded that he was glass And Huartus tels us of a Noble mans foot-boy in Italy that thought himself a Monarch And Josephus Acostae tells us a sadder story of a Doctor of Divinity who would affirm that he should be a King and a Pope too the Apostolical See being translated to those parts of America which together with some other frantick distempers made him condemned to the fire for an Heretick Farre be it from me to wish or presage any such kind of punishment to Mr. P. for his impudence against the supream Authority of the Nation but I am under some temptation to think that Mr. P. how discreet and sober soever in other matters is fallen into some Hypocondriacall conceits much of that nature for what else could make him after that he hath been known for some years to be an Husband and peaceably to have enjoyed the Rectory of Brington to talk of an indisputable right to a Fellowship chamber meat and drink yearly revenues in Magdalene Colledge Nay he prints as if he had
left in the bryars and lest himselfe should be fain to shew a reason of his Doctrine doth keep himself out of the way still and dares not once shew his face If he be able to maintain his Doctrine against my Book let him come forth and play the man I am ready at all times to yeeld to the truth and unto the sincere teachers thereof And doth this Gentleman deserve to be saluted a Confessor A second Aethiopian whom he seekes to make white is the English Tilenus he 's stiled the excellent and this is said of him If he be alive to undertake his own cause against Mr. Baxter the world will find 't will be but impar congressus Yea he seems to complain that he hath not the happiness to know him in the least degree But what is there in this scribler that may deserve such Elogies First he casts the highest scorn upon the Tryers making them to ask such questions of those that come before them as in all probabilitie it never came into their thoughts to ask which is such a piece of Impudence as no one hath ventured to imitate him in but that Ishmael of Coleman-street whose hand being against all men hath provoked all men even the common Pamphleter to lift up a hand against himself Secondly This poor fellow makes himself an adversary out of his own fancy and driving him before him from one end of the Book to the other shootes all his arrows at this man of ugly clouts of his own framing as if it were that venerable Synod of Dort And does he not deserve to be call'd excellent and to bee preferred to Mr. Baxter But as to my party and Masters I have some satisfactory things to return in way of Answer First I have the thousand witnesses to attestate that the desires of my soul are to receive a Disciple in the name of a Disciple a Prophet in the name of a Prophet not as concurring with me in any opinion concerning the Mint and Cummin of Church Discipline My cordiall affections to those Episcopal Divines whose endeavours are to promote that in which all confess the power of Godlyness to consist are as well known as I my selfe am And I challenge all the world to produce that eare that ever heard me speak the least syllable that might tend to inodiate the person or to vilifie the parts and pains of any one Prelatist because such 2. Though that little I have read of Mr. Calvins Institutions which is not above the fourth part makes me fully of Salmasius his mind who said in Epistola Verini he had rather be the Author of that Book then of all that ever were made by Grotius yet so unhappy is Mr. P. in ghessing at my Masters and the Books in which I converse that I can safely professe as a precise and measured truth when I sent that letter to Mr. B. I had read more in Doctor Tailor and Doctor Hammond then I had in all those Authors mentioned in his Title-page upon whom he pretends to make occasionall reflections And if Presbytery be a crime I must needs say that I have learn't it from Episcopall men 1. Is this Presbytery to say that a Presbyter and a Bishop differ in degree onely and not in order that I learne from the late right Reverend the Primate of Ireland from Doctor Holland Regius Professor who so determined in Publicis Comitiis in direct contradiction to Dr. Laud. 2. Is this Presbytery to hold that an ordination by Presbyters is valid That I learne from Bishop Andrews who ordained a Scotchman Bishop never made Priest but by Presbyters which he would not have done had ordination by Presbyters seemed unto him a nullity I learn it from Bishop Downam in his consecration Sermon Pag. 43. Who saith that the contrary opinion is proper to Papists from Doctor Forbs who in his Irenicum largly proves it Indeed among the Episcopall Divines I scarce know any contrary unto me in this except those who drew the scheme of their opinions after that Bishop Laud was Lord of the house And I think it no uncharitablenesse to say that some of later times in making their Judgements had very great respect unto the Stars that were culminant 3. Is this Presbytery to assert the sole power of Jurisdiction was not in the Bishops that they had no warrant to delegate their power unto a Lay Chancellour This I learn from the judicious Lord Verulam who saith that the first was a thing almost without example in good Government and therefore not unlikely to have crept in in the degenerate and corrupt times As to the 2. the deputation of their authority I see no perfect and sure ground for that neither being somewhat different from the examples rules of Government we see in all Laws in the World offices of confidence and skill cannot be put over nor exercised by deputies In his works printed 1657. p. 239. 240. 4. Is this Presbytery to aver that after a great abuse of the Episcopall power the civil Magistrate might take it away root and branch and commit the whole Government of the Church unto Presbyters at least for a season This I learn from the learned Grotius at whose name Mr. P. is wont to rise up in an extasie of Admiration de Imperio Sum. potest chap. 11. Nay if this be Presbytery to maintain the greater antiquity and primitivenesse of Presbytery then Espiscopacy for that I need not consult David Blondell the Lord George Digby a great stickler for our English prelacy so inform's mee in his letter to Sr. K. D. Pag. 119. The Presbytery of Scotland in point of Government hath a greater resemblance then either yours or ours to the first age of Christs Church 5. Is this Presbytery and Calvinisme to assert an absolute decree of election and reprobation and to manifest the greatest indignation against those who giue it out unto the World that those opinions either take away the liberty of the will or make God the Author of sinne this also I learn from Episcopall divines of the first magnitude Reader peruse their words and then tell me whether I mistake their meaning Dr. Abbot calls Bishop for aspersing the forementioned tenent as if it made God the Author of sin Elymas and his fellow Wright on the same score foul mouth'd dogge and a filthy swine who wallowing in the muck dirt of Popish Ignorance hath his eyes so daubed up therewith that he seeth not his own way Answer to the Preface All this in a book dedicated to King James who in requital of his paines bestowed on him the Bishoprick of Salisbury Yea the forementioned Writer in his Defence against Mr. Higgons saith That if Luther have any where in that lewd and impious manner calumniated the Church of Rome he will not deny but that Mr. Higgons should have cause to stile him a foule mouth'd dog When the Apostate Spalatensis objected this against the same Doctrine what
words Dr. Crakanthorpe thought meet to use against him Mr. Barlee hath already told Mr. Pierce I shall onely adde the Book was dedicated to King Charles and hath this title put to it Defensio Ecclesiae Anglicanae of which Church Mr. P. professeth himself a dutifull and obedient son and that Dr. Abbot saith of that Treatise that it was the most accurate peece of controversie that was written since the Reformation Next let us hear the most learned and peaceable Dr. Sanderson con 2. ad Clerum p. 29 30. Sundry of the Doctors of our Church teach truly and agreeably to Scriptures the effectual concurrence of Gods will and power with subordinate agents in every and therefore even in sinfull actions Gods free election of those whom he purposeth to save of his own grace without any motives in or from themselves the immutability of Gods love and grace towards the Saints Elect and their certaine perseverance therein to salvation the justification of sinners by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ apprehended and applied unto them by a lively faith without the works of the Law These are sound and true and if rightly understood comfortable and right profitable doctrines and yet they of the Church of Rome have the forehead I will not say to slander my Text alloweth more to blaspheme God and his Truth and the Ministers thereof for teaching them Bellarm. Gretser Maldonate and the Jesuites but none more than our own English Fugitives Bristow Stapleton Parsons Kellison and all the rabble of that crew freely spend their mouthes in barking against us as if we made God the author of sinne as if we would have men sin and be damned by a fatal necessitie sinne whether they will or no be damned whether they deserve it or no as if we opened a gap to all licentiousnesse and prophanesse let them believe it is no matter how they live heaven is their own cock sure as if we cried down Good Works and condemned Charity Slanders loud and false yet easily blown away with one single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these imputations upon us and our doctrine are unjust but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them that misreport us know that without repentance their damnation will be just Dr. Field B. 3. p. 117. The next Heresie which they say we are fallen into is the Heresie of Florinus who taught that God is the author and cause of sinne This saith Bellarm. Calvin Luth. Martyr have defended in their writings of this sinfull and wicked and lying report we are sure God is not the author but the devil pag. 140. Cal. Then is not worse than the Manichees in making God the author of those evils which the Manichees attribute to an evil beginning as Bellarm. is pleased to pronounce of him but is farther from that hellish conceit than Bellarm. is from hell it selfe if he repent not of these hellish slanders Dr. Ward prae de pecca orig p. 148. Prodiit non ita pridem clanculum liber quem author intitulavit amor dei erga genus humanum qui acriter contendit ex concessis sublap satis evidenter inferri omnium peccatorum hominum reproborum deum esse verum principalem authorem Audax assertum vel verius impudens calumnia I might mention more but I forbeare and doe earnestly desire those Episcopall Divines who close with us in the points of present contest that they would bethink themselves and consider what favour they must expect from these Arminian Ardelio's no more than what Polyphemus promised Ulysses to be last devoured If they cannot fall down and worship the Idols which these men have set up they must expect to be thrown into the fierie furnace nay they are tormented in it already in Augustines sense who calls the mouth of an angry adversary by that name for mark his word ch 2. p. 61. Whatever dishonours have been done unto the Protestant name by those of the Kirk or Consistory or their adherents here in England yet the dutifull sons of the Church of England have ever been free from any part of that guilt This doth expunge Bishop Hall Bishop Morton Bishop Brownerig whom we as they deserve call Fathers out of the number of the dutifull Sonnes of the Church of England Nay he sticketh not in the Preface to the Reader p. 6. to place them among the very unsound and unruly members of this Church Let me take the boldness to beseech them who are of any authority in that party as they love the truth than which nothing ought to be more precious as they tender the wellfare and safety of poor soules for whom Christ dyed that they would either plainly say that they have all this while been mistaken and through ignorance Preached and Printed Blasphemy or else brand this false accuser with the letter K which when the I aw I allude to was made was the first letter of the word Calumniator 3. I have spent more time in reading the Authors Pro Con about these points than ever I intend to doe being of opinion that the greatest Scholars will never be able fully to satisfie their own or other mens Reasons about them Nor should this seem any wonder to us who cannot be ignorant how many points there be in Natural Philosophy in which a man plungeth himself into inextricable difficulties whether he affirm or deny them With what confidence have I heard one young Sophister maintain that continuum fit ex indivisibilibus and another that continuum non fit ex indivisibilibus both thought themselves in the right but men of mature judgements standing by could easily see that neither the one nor the other could free his Assertion from the common Objections brought against it I thank God I have not the least temptation to doubt concerning the Trinity of the Persons nor the Hypostatical Union of the two Natures yet I never thought my self able to vindicate those mysteries from all the subtile Arguments and niceties of unbelieving sophisters The like I think concerning the Doctrine of Gods Decrees and the manner of the Spirits working Grace in the hearts of the Elect these are matters so very mysterious and my understanding so dark that I can scarce hope ever in this world to be freed from all scruples about them Would you therefore know why I hold Absolute Eternal Personal Election Efficacious determining Grace and the certain infallible perseverance of all Believers Truly because I finde these opinions most agreeable to Scripture to the communis sensus fidelium the instinct and impulse of the new creature in all ages and because I finde they doe most tend to the debasing of sinfull man and to the exaltation of Christ my Saviour and that free Grace of his by which I hope to be acquitted at the last day To this end I will relate two Historicall passages with which J have been much taken the one from Father Paul who hath filled the Christian world with his