Reason against Raillery OR A Full Answer TO Dr. TILLOTSON's PREFACE Against J. S. With a farther EXAMINATION Of His Grounds of Religion The gravest Book that ever was written may be made ridiculous by applying the Sayings of it to a foolish purpose Dr. Tillot Serm. p. 121. Anno Dom. MDCLXXII Advertisement IT being the general Temper of Mankind to call any thing by an odious Name which themselves dislike and particularly the Humour of the Times to call every thing Popery which comes cross to their Interest I cannot expect my present Adversary whose Zeal as will appear by the perusal of this Treatise carries him much farther than his Reason should be exempt from a Failing so Epidemical and withal so Necessary for his Purpose For nothing more easily solves all Arguments or more readily Answers any Book with the Vulgar than this short Method Inure them to a hideous apprehension of Popery then call any Production by that Name and all farther Confute is needless With the Vulgar I say for I shall presume that whoever reads this Treatise will judge it Incredible Dr. T. should hereafter attempt to write to such as are truly Learned till he thinks fit to settle and pursue some Conclusive Method of Discoursing which I am sure he will not because his Cause will not bear it I am to expect then from the Disingenuity of my Opposers that this Piece will be branded for Popery thence the publishing it made an Insolence and to lay on more load strain'd to an Immodest Abuse of the late Merciful Indulgence I am forc'd therefore to stop the Reader at the very Entrance and to declare to him before-hand that in perusing this Treatise he shall find that the Points at present maintained by me are onely these That Christian Faith and the Tenet of a Deity are Absolutely Certain If this be Popery all the Sober and Well-meaning Protestants Presbyterians and almost all England nay all True Christians are Papists for not one of them who uses or discourses of the word FAITH but râ—tains in his natural thoughts unless bad Speculation have corrupted Nature this hearty conceit of it that 't is absolutely Impossible to be all a Ly for any thing any man living knows and abhor the contrary Tenet that is they are all on my side If then Dr. T. does not in discoursing here the Grounds of Faith sustain this contrary Tenet and so violate the Nature of Faith I have at present no quarrel with him but he a very grievous one with me for wronging him and I must acknowledge I owe him Satisfaction as publick as the Injury If he does all Protestants Presbyterians c. have the same Quarrel with him I have and so ought to joyn with me against him and he will owe Satisfaction to them all as well as to Catholicks for corrupting the Nature of Faith which we all acknowledge necessary to Salvation into Opinion and so quite enervating its force and influence towards bringing Souls to Heaven as will be shewn hereafter I could alledge to justifie my Writing at present the earnest and daring provocations of Dr. T. and his Friend publickly in their late Books also that this Treatise was near Printed ere His Majesties Gracious Declaration was Published But I shall make use of no other Justification but the nature of my Cause which is the Common Concern of all good Christians and can never be unseasonable to defend or be offensive to any who is heartily a Friend to Christianity to see it defended And if any Clamours be rais'd against me for so doing 't is abundantly satisfactory to me that the World before-hand understands how worthy the Cause is for the maintaining of which I suffer this reproach TO The Knowing Candid WITS of This Nation Especially Those who are an Ornament To the UNIVERSITIES And other Learned SOCIETIES GENTLEMEN I Know not to whom all Attempts to advance Truth in any kind can more properly belong than to You to whom Knowledge gives Ability to discern the profest study of Truth Candour and Sincerity to own what You discern and both together a perfect Qualification to be Iudges in Affairs of this Nature The Enemies to Learning are Ignorance and Passion and I take you to be as much above the later as the World will witness you are free from all suspicion of the former I have great reason to believe I am not mistaken in the judgment I make of You and that few Nations can produce an equal number of Men so Acute to discover the Truth so Wise to judge of it and speaking generally so Unbyass'd to acknowledge it This consideration gives me a high esteem for your Authority and that Esteem the Confidence to make choice of You for my Umpires The wise Iustice of this Nation has provided that all differences betwixt contending Parties be try'd by their Peers and though your dissenting from me in some particular Points might possibly cause Iealousie in one who was not well assured of his own Cause or your Integrity yet the Interests of Learning are common to us both and of the Right or Injury done to That you are the Best and peradventure Onely Iudges and for that Point I confidently appeal to You. Having made my Address give me leave in the next place to declare my Case I had observed with much grief the Swarms of new Sects not to mention the declining of many good Wits towards Atheism which pester our Country and looking into the Causes of such sad Effects it needed no great reach to discover that the Fancies of men being both by Nature and Circumstances fram'd to great variety it could not be expected but they should take their several Plies and sway mens Thoughts and Actions accordingly unless some Principle Evident in a manner to all should oblige the Judgment of the Wiser at least to adhere unanimously to the same Profession of Faith and satisfie by Motives within their own ken and even forestall by the way of Nature the irregular deviations to which weaker Fancies must of necessity be subject Nor could I nor indeed can any man think but that as GOD the Author of every perfect Gift settled Faith most firmly at first in the hearts of the Primitive Believers by Evident Miracles so he intended and ordered as far as was on His part that it should continue all along the same or that his Church should persevere in Unity of Faith and consequently that he settled such a Rule to convey the knowledge of it to us as was of a nature able to establish it and satisfie according to their several capacities both the Wise and the Unwise Whence necessarily follows that all division about Faith is to be refunded into the faulty unwariness of men who deflect from that Rule not into want of fore-sight in the All-wise Founder of the Church in leaving us such a Rule of Faith as should set us all on wrangling instead of keeping us at Unity These considerations
my Discourse and picks out here and there something from its fellows perverts and makes it fit to be laugh'd at and then laughs exquisitely at it As if any degree of wit will not serve to abuse and find fault and a little wit furnish a man for Satyr as he has since taught the World himself Serm. p. 123. 'T is common with him to deny the Conclusion and alledge some pretty plausible thing against It and never take notice of the Premises or attempt the Proof on which 't is built a method against which Euclid himself has said nothing strong enough to be secure Neer three parts of his Book impose wrong Tenets on me changing constantly my Sence and sometimes my Words And whereas in things subject to Reason no Scholar is bound to defend more than himself maintains He often puts me to defend the Reasonings of other men As for Omissions and dextrous waving the Principal Difficulty they are endless And these and some other Prevarications of the like strain are the Ingredients of that highly-applauded Book The rest of its commendations are a delicate Style a fair Print and good Paper whereof as the two last are of credit with the Vulgar so I wonder to see the number of those who are carried away with the first Yet it suits well with a prudential pitch and such who are not much used to the strength of Reason especially being accompanied with the advantage of being truly victorious over counterfeit Tenets for in truth what he sets up most artificially he pulls down most irrecoverably I was griev'd to see my well-meaning and the pains I had taken for the benefit of my Country so crosly checkt and the more to perceive by the loud applause given to such a Piece that the peevishness whether of humour or faction was either more numerous or more active than the sincerity of those who meant well I thought fit to give a stop to this wild carreer of Passion and Partiality and not being then in circumstances to make a full answer principally for want of health which was then so bad that I thought I should soon have ended this Dispute with my Life I cursorily noted some few of its defects in a little Treatise which as Dr. Stillingfleet had advis'd me I call'd a Letter of Thanks In that I laid open in some signal passages of universal concern that he quite mistook the question and so insincerely mis-represented in a manner the Whole that his much-applauded Endeavours were indeed no better than a well-worded Prevarication and in short by instancing in several particulars I made good that charge of divers faults which I have here laid against his Book And being then in the heat of my first Resentments and not judging it due to him who had provok'd me without occasion to conceal or diminish the faults of his Writing I could not restrain the inclination of my Genius which leads me to shew little respect to Those who shew none for Truth but call'd his faults by their own course though true names But I had soon occasion to be sorry my nature was not fram'd to more wariness For letting my Book alone an Argument ad hominem was us'd of a temper much stronger than those which are forg'd in the Schools I know not by what suggestions but I know without other demerit more than I have here express'd an Order was procur'd by his best Friends to seiz upon my person and my Friends were inform'd by some Great Men that if I were apprehended it was not possible to save my life To inforce this Project besides divers extravagant Calumnies Information was given to Magistrates making me Guilty of doing more Good than it was almost possible any one single man should commit I cannot accuse Dr. T. of having a particular hand in this unhandsome malice onely I can with truth aver that the laying open in my Letter of Thanks his Faults as a Writer was as appears by the circumstance the immediate occasion of it and that about that time I was told by an honest Protestant who convers'd with all three that he judg'd in his conscience D. W. was civiler than to take such ungentile ways and Dr. St. soberer or warier but that I should have a care of Dr. T. for it was easie to discern by his words that if it lay in his power to ruine me he would do it To the belief of which Information his known Genius and Humour contributes too much which is poor man to be a great Papist-hater so that had Rome but one Neck I know no man living more fit to be the Executioner and strike a speeding blow Against this Storm I had no shelter but a lurking hole into which I retir'd the second time and plac'd stricter Centinels of Care upon my Security In this Confinement I began to write a very particular Answer to Dr. T's Book intending when the conjuncture was more seasonable and my ability sufficient to publish it But no favourable Crisis of this Morbus Animi appear'd Time had not its usual influence upon Spirits implacably exulcerated and the motion continued very violent though the first Impulse were long past When my Person appeared not my Friends were found out and a Family with which 't was suspected I conversed design'd for ruine So exemplary virtuous and in all respects worthy that should I speak what I know I might perhaps be thought to flatter Against these while the rest of the Nation sat quiet in the undisturbed comfort of the general Mercy the severity of the Law was prosecuted and urged almost to the extremity before they could find out the reason of the partiality us'd to them for they were very far from giving particular offence At last upon strict inquiry they found that all this Anger sprung from my being seen at their House though that was both a very little space and long before and that the same was intended against all who should entertain me The apprehension of the like inconvenience drove me from the circumstances in which I was and which were all my Livelihood nor could I easily find admittance any where I understood this to signifie I was to be aw'd at least by the apprehension of my Friends danger if I were more careless of my self from printing the Answer I had promised was preparing and was expected However I proceeded in it though I must confess I found the Task sufficiently troublesome For there being few passages in which my sence was not voluntarily perverted and not one in which the nature of the thing in debate was rightly stated and solidly prosecuted my business still was by frequent repetition of my own words to set the discourse right again which had been so industriously disordered An employment which how wearisom and distasteful it is those know who have been condemn'd to the like drudgery My Papers were grown pretty bulky when divers of my most Iudicious Friends solicitous of my Safety dealt
the Grounds of it even while he goes about to defend it These were my words then and I am sorry he would needs dare and provoke me to make them good In which if I have justified my self too particularly let him blame himself All this while I seriously declare that I am far from thinking that Dr. T. himself is not assur'd that there is a GOD and farther yet from imagining that already holding one he should hold it possible afterwards GOD should cease to be which ridiculous folly constant to his prevaricating humour he puts upon me p. 8. What I affirm is That his ill Principles do equivalently confess it possible there neither is nor ever was a GOD and this I have abundantly shown out of his own words Yet I doubt not but himself through GOD's Goodness has by Practical Self-evidence in the same manner the Vulgar who are no Speculaters or Scholars also have it absolute Certainty of the Existence of a Deity in despight of his weak Speculations nay that in this very Sermon he hath one or two Proofs which have in them the force of a Demonstration though his not understanding and so ill-managing of them and then calling them Probabilities has endeavour'd all that may be to render them good for nothing I end with some of his own words Pref. p. 37. That if Dr. T. did in truth believe that the Existence of a Deity or a Creation are as he says Serm. p. 20 so evident that they can hardly be made plainer than they are of themselves he should by all means have let them alone for they were in a very good condition to shift for themselvs but his blind and Sceptical way of proving them is enough to cast a mist about the clearest Truths in the world And I must take the liberty to admonish him that it lies not in the power of all the Enemies of Christianity in the world to do it half that Mischief as one Christian Divine may who by his earnestness manifests a desire to do the best he can by the vogue he bears seems able to do the best that may be done yet produces not any one proof which he vouches to be absolutely conclusive of the Truth either of Christianity or a Deity but rather by his carriage denies there are any such while he talks of Likelihood Probability more Credible Opinion Moral Certainty and such-like whose very names ought not to be heard or endur'd in a discourse aiming to settle the Grounds of Faith or the Tenet of a Deity Let him consider that he must take his measure of the Certainty of Grounds from the Object or Thing not from our freedom from doubt and such-like for these may be light and silly whereas the Grounds of Faith being â—aid by GOD must necessarily be wise and solid and so when look'd into Absolutely-Conclusive of the thing Let us then who hold a GOD leaving Creatures to their weaknesses vindicate our Maker from the scandalous Imputation of governing Mankind tyrannically by commanding us to assent thâ—t a thing is which at the same time we see may not be so obliging us to hold contrary to the Light of Nature and the very First Principles which Himself had ingrafted in us that what is is at the same time possible not to be and to profess a point True nay dy to attest its Truth which may perhaps be shown False to morrow nay which our selves see may be now False He tells us here in common p. 90 and he tels us truly that which way soever we turn our selvs we are incountred with Clear Evidences and sensible Demonstrations of a Deity Why does he then coming to make out that point say the nature of the thing will not bear clear Demonstration and that onely Mathematical matters are capable of it Why pursues he not such Proofs as these and makes them out and stands by them and reduces them to First Principles and so obliges Humane Nature to assent to them under evident forfeiture of their Sincerity and even Manhood Is he afraid clear Evidences and sensible Demonstrations will not necessarily conclude Why does he put Suppositions that the thing were and then argue thus blindly that since supposing it were it would give no more light of it self than it does therefore it is Is there any necessity for such a ridiculous perplexing and inconclusive method when we may vouch we have Clear Evidences and Demonstrations Lastly Why does he distrust the Objects strength and explain our Assurance of a Deity and Faith by Moral Certainty or such as will satisfie prudent men in humane Affairs Probabilities amassed together not doubting and other such-like feeble diminutive expressions Are not Clear Evidences and Sensible Demonstrations that is Demonstrations à posteriori in point of Certainty incomparably beyond such quivering Grounds and such dwindling Adhesions I wish Dr. T. would take these things into his better thoughts and at least by amending his Expressions and Reasons hereafter make some tolerable satisfaction for this intolerable Injury done to Faith and GOD's Church DISCOURSE VI. That Dr. T. makes all the Grounds of Christian Faith Possible to be False Of Infallibility Demonstration and Moral Certainty § 1. THus much to justifie my first Charge that Dr. T. made that Fundamental Tenet of a Deity and consequently all Religion Possible to be False My second Charge is that he particularly makes all Christian Faith possible to be false and 't is found Faith Vindicated p. 171. where I put down his own words which concern that purpose though he who presuming on the Partiality of his Friends takes the Liberty to say any thing which even Eye-sight may Confute assures his Reader pag. 5. that I durst not Cite them I laid my Charge in this Tenor 'T is necessarily consequent from the foregoing Paragraphs that if I have Discours't right in this small Treatise of mine and have proved that Faith and consequently its Grounds must be Impossible to be False then Mr. T.'s Confession p. 118. to which Mr. St.'s Doctrine is Consonant that It is possible to be otherwise that is to be False that any Book is so Antient as it pretends to be or that it was Written by him whose Name it bears or that this is the sence of such and such Passages in it is a clear Conviction that neither is the Book-Rule he maintains the True Rule of Faith § 3. Nor have he and his Friends True Faith § 4. And consequently there being no other Rule owned taking away Private Spirit but Tradition that Tradition is the only-True Rule of Faith § 6. and so the main of Sure-Footing stands yet firm And lastly 't is evinc't that his own Book which opposes it opposes the only-True because the only Impossible-to-be-False Ground of Faith that is he is convinc't in that Supposition to go about to undermine all Christian Faith Whence the Title of his Probable-natur'd Book Rule of Faith is manifested to be an improper Nickname
and the Book it self to merit no Reply You see here Gentlemen how great stress I lay upon Dr. T.'s confession that the Ground of his Faith and consequently his Faith it self is possible to be False And really if he clears himself of it I must acknowledg I suffer a very great Defeat because I so much Build upon it If he does not he is utterly overthrown as to all intents and purposes either of being a good Writer or a solid Christian Divine and he will owe the World satisfaction for the Injury done to Faith and the Souls of those whom his Doctrine has perverted by turning their Faith which ought to be an Assent whose Grounds and consequently it self are Impossible to be an Error or False into Opinion whose Grounds and by consequence it self are possible to be such and lastly unless he Avoids or Râ—â—ants this Error objected all he has Written 〈◊〉 â—â—nvinc't without any more ado to be againâ—â—â—ith and its true Grounds and so it will be quite overthrown in the Esteem of all those who have the Nature of Faith writ in their hearts and that 't is Impossible an Act of right Faith that is an Asseâ—â— built on those Grounds God has left in the Church for Mankind to embrace Faith and commanded them to believe upon those Grounds whether Scripture's Letter or the Churches Voice should be an Error or the Profession of it a Lye which all sober Protestants Presbyterians nay almost all Sects except some few witty men inclining much by reading such Authours to Scepticism that is inclining to be nothing at all perhaps some Socinians reject abhominate and hate with all their hearts The Charge is laid and the Case is put now let us come to the Trial Which ere we do I desire those Readers who have Dr. T.'s Preface by them to read his 9 th page or else his whole page 118. in his Rule of Faith lest either of us may injure him by a wrong Apprehension I discourse thus § 2. First 't is Evident that he who makes the Ground and Rule of Faith possible to be False makes Faith it self such likewise since nothing is or can be stronger than the Grounds it stands on Next the Rule of Faith to Dr. T. is the Scripture's Letter and consequently that what he conceives the Sense of the Scripture is God's Sense or Faith Lastly that in the place now Cited and Related by him he speaks of the Authority of the Book of Scripture and of its Sence as he acknowledges here page 15. These things thus premised I put him this Dilâ—mma Either he holds what he conceives to to be the Sence of Scripture that is his Faith True or he does not If he holds it not to be True then 't is unavoidable he must hold it at least possible to be False if not actually such But if he says he holds it to be True then since after he had spoke of the security he had or had not of the Book and Sense of Scripture he immediately subjoyns these very words It is possible all this â—ay be otherwise He as evidently says that what he conceives the Book of Scripture and Sence of such or such passages in it that is his Faith is possible to be False as 't is that what 's OTHERWISE THAN TRVE is False I do not know how Dr. T. could possibly speak more plainly what I charge him with than he has done in those words unless he should use the word False which too Candid and Rude expression would expose him openly to the dislike of all Sober mâ—n and therefore he disguiz'd it in its more moderate Equivalent otherwise I say Equivalent And if it be not I would gladly know of him what the word otherwise relates to Human Language forbids that any thing can be said to be otherwise unless it be otherwise than something I ask then otherwise than what does he mean when being in the Circumstance of Discoursing what security he had of the Antiquity Writers and Sence of Scripture he told us It is possible to may be otherwise Is it not as evident as words can express he must mean It is possible the Book of Scripture is not so antiâ—nt as the Apostles time It is possible it was not Writ by the Apostles and Evangelists It is possible this is not the Sence of it in such passages as concern Faith for to these and these only our Discourse and the Nature and Title of his Book determin'd it which amounts to this that none has absolute Certainty of either Letter or Sence of Scripture nor consequently of his Faith in case it be solely grounded upon that as he professes See Reader how all Truths even the most Sacred ones go to wrack when men fram'd only for fine Talk undertake to prove and how parallel his defence of the Ground of all Christian Faith is to that he gave us lately of the Existence of a Deity He so prov'd a God that he granted it possible there might be none and now he so proves Scripture to be a Rule that he grants it possible it may be no Rule since common Sence tells us that can never be an Intellectual Rule which followed may lead into Errour By which we see Dr. T. needed here the Blessing as he calls it of that Identical Proposition A Rule 's a Rule else he would not write a Book to prove Scripture a Rule and then ever and anon in equivalent Language tell us 't is none I wish he would now and then reflect upon such Evident Truths and not out of an openly-declar'd Feud against those First Principles fall thus perpetually into manifest Contradictions § 3. But how does Dr. T. clear himself of this Charge of mine or how comes he off from his own words First he again puts down those very words which say over and over what I charge upon him and then asks very confidently where he says any such thing which is just as wise a craft as Children use when they hoodwink themselves and then tell the By-standers they shall not see them Next he tells us that All he sayes is that we are not Infallible in judging of the Antiquity of a Book or the sence of it meaning that we cannot demonstrate these things so as to to shew the contrary necessarily involves a contradiction but yet c. Is this all he sayes What then is become of those famous words It is possible all this may be otherwise which were onely objected But let us examine what he does acknowledge Whether he be Infallibly certain or no it matters not but it should be shewn why if Scripture be the sole Ground of Faith some at least in the World who are to Govern and Instruct the Church should not be thus certain of both in case we be bound to assent and as we questionless are dy to attest the Points of our Faith to be absolutely-certain Truths Again if Dr. T. be not Infallibly certain
discover'd to me that I could not bestow my pains better on any subject than in making known what was the Right Rule of Faith and evidencing to men Capable of Evidence out of the Nature of the Thing in hand that It had indeed the qualities proper to a Rule of Faith that is Virtue or Power to acquaint us that live now without the least danger of Errour what Christ and his Apostles taught at first To this end I shew'd first in Sure-footing that the Letter of Scripture had not this Virtue and by consequence could not be the Rule intended and left us by Christ. Many Arguments I us'd from p. 1. to p. 41. though these two short Discourses are sufficient to evince the point to any who is not before-hand resolv'd he will not be convinc'd First that that can never be a Rule or Way to Faith which many follow to their power yet are misled and this in most Fundamental Points as we experience in the Socinians and others For I see not how it can consist with Charity or even with Humanity to think that none amongst the Socinians or other erring Sects endeavour to find out the true sence of Scripture as far as they are able nor how it can be made out that all without exception either wilfully or negligently pervert it and yet unless it be shewn rational to believe this it can never be rational to believe that the Letter of Scripture as useful and as excellent as it is in other respects is the Rule of Faith for if They be not all wanting to themselves and their Rule 't is unavoidable that their Rule is wanting to them Next They who affirm the Letter is the Rule must either say that the bare Letter as it lies antecedently to and abstracting from all Interpretation whatsoever is the Rule and this cannot be with any sence maintained for so God must be held to have Hands Feet Passions c. Or else that the Letter alone is not sufficient to give as Assurance of Gods sence in Dogmatical Points of high concern as the Trinity Incarnation c. without the Assistance of some Interpretation and to say this is to say as expresly as can be said that the Letter of Scripture alone is not the Rule of Faith since it gives not the Certain Sence of Christ without that Interpretation adjoyned Nay more since 't is the nature of Interpretation to give the Sence of words and the nature of the Rule of Faith to give us the Sence of Christ this Interpretation manifestly is the Rule of Faith and the Revelation to us who live now of what is Christs Doctrine I know it is sometimes said that the Letter may be interpreted by it self a clear place affording light to one more obscure but taking the Letter as Antecedent to all Interpretation as in this case it ought I can see no reason for this Pretence For let us take two such places e. g. It repented God that he had made man and God is not as man that he should repent abstract from all interpretation and let him tell me that can of the two places taken alone which is the clear and which is the obscure one Atheists will be apt to take such pretences to reject the Scripture and impiously accuse it of Contradiction but how that method can assist a sincere man who hopes by the meer Letter to find his Faith and hinder the Obscure place from darkning the Clear place as much as the Clear one enlightens the Obscure one I understand not In fine It exposes a man to the Scandal and Temptation of thinking there is no Truth in Scripture but Absolute assurance of Truth it gives no man Besides the former of the Reasons Lately given returns again For the Socinians compare place to place as well as others other Sects do so too and yet all err and some in most fundamental Points Wherefore it must be either presum'd they all err wilfully or the Way cannot be presumed a Right Way Farther it may be ask'd when one pitches upon a determinate sence of any place beyond what the Letter inforces by what light he guides himself in that determination and then shewn that that Light whatever it is and not the Letter is indeed the Formal Revealer or Rule of Faith Much more might be said on this occasion but my business now is to state my Case not to plead it The Letter Rule secluded I advanc'd to prove that Tradition or that Body call'd the Church which Christ by himself and his Apostles constituted taken as delivering her thoughts by a constant Tenor of living Voice and Practise visible to the whole World is the absolutely-certain way of conveying down the Doctrine taught at first from Age to Age nay Year to Year and so to our time which is in other Terms to say that Pastors and Fathers and the conversant Faithful by discoursing preaching teaching and catechising and living and practising could from the very first and so all along better and more certainly make their thoughts or Christs Doctrine be understood by those whom they instruct than a Book which lies before them and cannot accommodate it self to the arising Difficulties of the Reader I am not here to repeat my Reasons they are contain'd in my Book which I called Sure footing in Christianity And because I observ'd our improving Age had in this last half Century exceedingly ripen'd and advanc'd in manly Reason straining towards Perfect Satisfaction and unwillingly resting on any thing in which appear'd a possibility to be otherwise or to express the same in other words bent their thoughts and hopeful endeavours to perfect Science I endeavoured in that Treatise rigorously to pursue the way of Science both in disproving the Letter-Rule and proving the Living Rule of Faith beginning with some plain Attributes belonging to the natures of Rule and Faith and building my whole discourse upon them with care not to swerve from them in the least And being conscious to my self that I had as I proposed to do closely held to the natures of the Things in hand I had good reason to hold my first five Discourses demonstrative which is all I needed have done as appears p. 57 and 58. the rest that follow'd being added ex abundanti and exprest by me An endeavour to demonstrate as by the Titles of the Sixth and Eighth Discourse is manifest though I do not perceive by the opposition of my Answerers why I should not have better thoughts of them than at first I pretended This is the matter of Fact concerning that Book as far as it related to me and a true account why I writ on that Subject and in that manner What thoughts I had of its usefulness and hopes it might prove serviceable towards composing the differences in Religion of which the World has so long complained though from the long and deep meditation I must necessarily have made upon those Principles I may reasonably be judg'd to
two Doctors wondred at my silence which they interpreted weakness and despair of an Unmaintainable Cause and that I might not pretend want of means for my disability some of their Friends offered to get any thing printed which should concern either of them But I was not stirred till a Gentleman of Quality and Worth who for his friendship as I conceive to Dr. T. believ'd his Book truly unanswerable offer'd a Friend of mine to prevail with him to get Licence for me to print an Answer if I would or could make any So fair an invitation mov'd me to accept of it and I sollicited with as much earnestness as I could the performance But the Gentleman it seems mistook the Doctors Humour as much as his Book for his Credit prevail'd not All seem'd bush'd and quiet when Dr. St. publishes a private Paper writ two years and an half before with a Reply swell'd into a large Book intitled A Discourse concerning the Idolatry c. In the Preface to which and elsewhere he insults over my silence which he calls leaving my poor Demonstrations alone to defend themselves and with keen Ironies upbraids my pretence to Principles and Demonstration which in his language is but Canting Of all things in the world I should not have expected such an Objection from a Scholar For certainly whoever writes on a serious subject so as to confess he has not concluded what he maintains is an impudent Trifler and how to Conclude without Principles and Demonstration is a thing not known to any Logick which has hitherto appear'd in the World Dr. St. would deserve wonderfully of Learning and the World if he would please to teach us this admirable new Logick of Concluding without demonstrating and demonstrating without Principles for in the dull way of Learning hitherto in use 't is so far from shameful in a Scholar to own he has demonstrated what he pretends should be assented to that 't is unpardonably shameful to pretend another mans assent to that which he does not pretend and judge to have demonstrated I had not time to settle the thoughts which these and the like passages stirr'd up when I met with the Preface to Dr. T 's Sermons directed particularly to me and meant as far as I can guess for an Answer to two or three Books I must confess the bitter smartness I found there and the piquant upbraiding me with deserting the defence of Sure-footing though all men that car'd to consider any thing saw I had already writ two Books in defence of it stirred me sufficiently but I know not whether all this provoking Raillery would have prevail'd with me to Answer particularly if I had not thought they would not have urged me so pressingly if their Friends had not indeed desired I should write and that certainly I should not offend sober Men of what Perswasion soever by doing onely what themselves so prest Warier People have indeed suggested to me that the desires of Adversaries are suspicious and the more because of the Time they had both chosen since they could not but fore-see mine and others Answers would in likelihood come out about the time when the Parliament was designed to sit which might be look'd upon as a proper season to inflame the minds of such as were apt to believe them and stir up a new Persecution by making those Answers which themselves had so provokingly and peremptorily prest for an argument of the Insolency of Papists and the growth of Popery At least I see there can be no greater security for one in my circumstances than to mean uprightly and I hope every Body will see by my long silence I have used all the caution I can not to give just cause of offence and will acknowledge that 't is none to write vvhen I am pressingly and publickly solicited and this with no other design than to contribute if I can to the long desired happiness of bringing Disputes and Disagreements in Religion to a period If this be Insolence or Crime I think there is no honest man in this Nation or World who is innocent Once more then I take my Pen in hand with this promise to Dr. T. and his Friend that if it be not stopt again by their indirect proceedings as I have reason to judge the Printing of this has been already by the diligent Searching for it they shall have no reason to complain of any Arrears of mine But what needs any Apologizing at present to prevent a sinister character of my Writing The Point in hand now is neither the defending any Tenet of Protestant or Presbyterian on Dr. T's side nor the impugning them on mine The main business controverted between him and me at present is whether Faith be Absolutely-Certain or rather as he calls it onely Morally such In which Point I doubt not but to have all unprejudic'd conscientious men of both those Parties now nam'd on my side and against Him There is creeping into tho World insensibly and Scepticism is now hatching it a Sect more dangerous than any that has hitherto dissented from the Church in particular points They go as yet under the name of Christians because they profess many perhaps most Points of Christianity but yet if we may trust their own Expressions so as thence to frame a Iudgment of them have notwithstanding no Faith at all or no hearty firm immoveable Assent to those Points or any of them as Certain Truths but onely a dwindling Apprehension or at most a good lusty Hope that by the grace of GOD they are True or at least may be True Now these men on the one side owning no Infallible or Absolutely-Certain Authority so to preserve the Nature of Faith inviolate or defend it from the weakness of their Speculation that is to protect it from Possibility of being an Errour on the other side relying either on some Authority hic nunc Fallible that is which they see may perhaps be actually deceiv'd in all it proposes or else on their own Speculation and Wit whether exercis'd in arguing from things or in interpreting Scriptures Letter and withal being men of some parts and so seeing it impossible to make out that either those Reasons are Conclusive or Demonstrative or that their Interpretation of Scriptures Letter is not possibly a Mistake hence they are forc'd to confess in equivalent Terms all Christian Faith may possibly be a Ly though they express it warily and craftily because they see the nature of Faith in the conceit of the Generality who use that word and the whole Genius of Christianity is opposite to their Sentiments in that point Nature therefore standing against them necessitates them contrary perhaps to their intention taking them in other circumstances to pursue indirect ways and so at unawares though certainly not without some mixture of carelesness and precipitant passion to undermine the solid Foundation of Faith The means by which they work this mischief is First to laugh at Principles
will with Infallible Certainty bring down the Letter of Magna Charta the Statute Book and some Acts of Parliament the self-same from year to year at least in matters of high Consequence and by means of the Sense writ Traditionally in some mens heaâ—ts correct the Letter if Printers or Copiers should mistake If Dr. T. asks how I prove it I would tell him that the Nature of the Thing must make it Notorious if altered be cause great multitudes are conversant in it and it being esteemed of a kind of Sacred Nature weigh every tittle of it warily especially those passages that immediately touch some weighty Point whence should some whose Interest 't is to alter it go about such an Action it cannot appear a Good to the Generality whose Concerns are highly violated by that alteration to conceal and permit the Letter to remain Uncorrected and if it could not appear a Good to the Generality to consent to alter it nor become a Motive to the rest to attempt a seen Impossiblity neither one nor the other could will to alter it much less both conspire to do it and should they attempt it their will must either have no Object and then 't is a Power to nothing that is no Power or else act without an appearing Good and in both cases the Will would be no Will. This short hint will let the Reader see the Grounds I go upon 't is not now a proper place to pursue such Arguments close or press them home I wish I might see some return of the like nature from our two undemonstrating Adversaries who think it their best play to laugh at Principles and Demonstration because they know in their Consciences they are perfect Strangers to both § 8. Well but though Dr. T. denies any Infallible Certainty of the Ground of all Christian Faith let 's see at least what other Certainty he affords us And at the first sight any honest man might safely swear it must be if any a Fallible Certainty that is a very fair piece of Nonsense for 't is evident to all Mankind the Abhorrers of First Principles always excepted that if any Certainty be Infallible and there be any other besides this it must needs be a Fallible one since there can be no middle between Contradictaries So that Dr. T. is put to this hard choice either to bring such a Certainty for the Ground of all Christianity which is no Certainty or else such an one as is perfect Nonsense if it be named by its proper Name Lâ—t's see what choice he makes We are not sayes he Infallibly Certain that any Book c. But yet observe now the Opposit kind of Certainty delivered here pag. 9. We have a firm Assurance concerning these matters so as not to make the least doubt of them I marry this is a rare Certainty indeed We have not Infallible Certainty sayes Dr. T. of either Letter or Sense of Scripture but onely such an one as keeps us from making the least doubt of them Now since a very easie reflexion teaches us that we have no doubt of many things being True nay more have strong Hopes they are True and yet for all that hold them notwithstanding possible to be false 't is a strange Argument to prove he avows not the possible Falshood of Faith to alledge that he declared himself he had onely such an Assurance as not at all to doubt it For not to doubt a thing signifies no more but not to incline to think it False which a man may do and yet not at all hope 't is True seeing he who suspends indifferently from both sides and inclines to neither does not at all doubt a Thing or fear 't is False having no imaginable reason to ground the least degree of any such Fear more than he has to ground any Hope of its Truth Again those Speculators who attend not to Principles are oftentimes in a perplex'd case and through the Goodness of Nature hold a thing absolutely True while they attend to such motives as connaturally breed that perswasion which thing notwithstanding coming to make it out as Scholars and unable to perform it hereupon consider'd as Speculators they must hold possible to be False for any thing they know and this I conceive is Dr. T's condition Regarding the nature of Faith and the common Conceit of Christianity he cannot but see he must if he will be a Christian profess Faith impossible to be False and doublesly he will avow it such as long as he speaks Nature and avoids reflecting on his Speculative Thoughts but coming once to consider the points of Faith as standing under such proofs as his Unskilful Art affords him and conscious to himself as he needs must who sleights first Principles and all Methods to Knowledge that he hath never an Argument that is absolutely or truly Conclusive he is forc'd again taking in these unlucky circumstances to avow Faiths Ground and consequently its self to be Possible to be otherwise or False being willing to lay the blame on the Grounds of Faith and to say they cannot bear Absolutely-Conclusive Proofs rather than on the defectiveness of his own Skill and to represent them as unworthy to have the name of stable Grounds rather than he will lose a tittle of the Fame of being an able Divine Yet I will not say but the Christian in Dr. T. might overcome the Speculator at least ballance him in an equal suspence or beget in him a pretty good conceit of Faith's Impossibility to be False but then when he once reflects that this cannot be maintain'd without admitting Infallibility which is the word the abhominable Papists use nor made out without using First Principles or Identical Propositions which that malignant Man I. S. pretends to build on immediately the byass prevails and the Idea of Popery once stirred up which haunts his and his Friends fancy day and night in a thousand hideous shapes â— he runs in a fright so far from Impossibility of Falshood in Faith that he comes to a very easie Possibility of its being all a plain Imposture or Ly for any thing he absolutely knows since Grounds prevailing onely to make him not doubâ— of it can raise it no higher Moreover if this be a good Argument I declar'd my self so assur'd as not to make the least doubt of a thing therefore I could not avow it possible to be False it must be allow'd Argumentative to say I am so assured as not in the least to doubt of it therefore 't is not possible to be False Dull Universities that had not the wit to light all this while on Dr. T's Principles and way of arguing They ascertain all things at the first dash without more adoe I have a firm Assurance so as not to doubt of the Grounds of Christian Faith the Letter and Sense of Scripture therefore by this new Logick they are concluded Certain and Impossible to be False In opposition to which if you
most unmercifully even to utter desolation § 3. In return to which kind of carriage though it deserves only contempt let us hear first how Dr. T. answers himself who Serm pag. 120.121 very zealously reprehends and preaches against this absurd Fault in himself in these words Let none sayes he think the worse of Religion or those Reasons which oblige us to profess 't is absolutely-True because some are so bold to despise and deride For 't is no disparagement to any person or thing to be laught at but to deserve to be so The most grave and serious matters in the whole world are liable to be abus'd Nothing is so excellent but a man may fasten upon it something or other belonging to it whereby to traduce it A sharp wit may find something in the wisest man whereby to expose him to the contempt of Injudicious people The gravest Book that ever was written may be made ridiculous by applying the sayings of it to a foolish purpose For a jâ—st may be obtruded upon any thing And therefore no man ought to have the less Reverence for the Principles of Religion or those Reasons which oblige us to hold and profess Faith absolutely-True because idle and prophane WITS nonplust Controvertists can BREAK IESTS upon them Nothing is so easie Dr. T. knows that by long and very useful Experience as to take PARTICVLAR PHRASES and EXPRESSIONS out of the best Book in the world and to abuse them by forcing an odd and ridiculous Sense upon them But no wise man will think a good Book FOOLISH for this Reason but the MAN that abuses it Nor will he esteem that to which every thing is liable to be a IVST Exception against any thing At this rate ase must despise ALL things But surely the better and shorter way is to condemn THOSE who would bring any thing that is worthy into Contempt Also in his foregoing Sermon pag. 86 87. he gives good Doctrine to the same purpose but never intended to follow it himself These things whether Faith be absolutely true or no are of Infinit consequence to us and therefore 't is not a matter to be slightly and superficially thought upon much less AS THE WAY OF ATHEISTICAL MEN IS to be PLAID and IESTED withal If any one shall turn Religion or a Discourse aiming to shew it absolutely Certain into Raillery and think to CONFVTE it by two or three BOLD IESTS this man doth not render IT but HIMSELF Ridiculous Again Though the Principles of Religion or the Proofs of Faith's absolute Certainty were never so clear and evident yet they may be made RIDICVLOVS by VAIN and FROTHY MEN as the gravest and wisest personage in the world may be abus'd by being put into a Fools Coat and the most Noble and excellent Poem may be debas'd and made vile by being turn'd into BVRLES QVE Thus Dr T. by Preaching what he never intended to Practice has most amply laid open his own Folly and hits himself still while he aims at the Atheist and no wonder for their Causes as far as I impugn him here are not very wide of one another since nothing approaches neerer to the denying all Religion than to hold it all Vncertain At least I would gladly know of him in what his way of Discourse here against my Reasons for the Absolute Certainty of Faith differs from that of Atheists against a Deity and all Religion The Points to be considered by both of them are of a solid and concerning Nature and both handle them drollishly and make Raillery supply the place of Reason Nor will it avail him to reply that my Proofs were not solid and so oughr to be confuted with mockery For he ought first shew by reason that they thus highly misdeserve and then employ his Talent of Irony upon them afterwards and not make meer Irony supply the place of Reason Besides himself acknowledges pag 87. that If the Principles of Religion were doubtful and Vncertain yet this concerns us so neerly that we ought to be serious in the Examination of them And certainly no judicious or good man will doubt but that it highly and neerly concerns all good Christians to know whether their Faith the Substance of all their Hope particularly the Existence of a Trinity and Incarnation the Points I mention'd be absolutely Certain or not I leave it to the choice of Dr. T's Friends whether they will rather approve his Doctrine in his Sermons or his unconsonant Practice in this Preface If the former they must condemn him out of his own mouth to be Foolish Ridiculous and an Imitator of Atheists and his way of writing Insignificant But if they like the Later then they must conclude his Sermons as equally blame-worthy for opposing so laudable a Practice Unfortunate man who very gravely takes Texts against Scoffers and makes Sermons upon them and then behaves himself all over so Scurrilously and Drollishly in his whole Preface to them as levels those very Sermons as directly against himself as could possibly be contriv'd or imagin'd Which is in effect by his carriage to tell the Atheist that that Scoffing and Drollish way of answering and managing Discourses about Religion which is so horrid sin in them because they are of the Vngodly and Wicked is notwithstanding none at all but a very great Virtue in the Saints and the Godly and in a particular manner Meritorious so it be practis'd against those Men of sin the most abhominable Papists § 4. Besides as Dr. T. well observed when he was in a more sober humour Every thing even the best is liable to be abus'd and made ridiculous by drollish Jests and consequently this Method be so exactly observss when he is to confute me will as he very well expresses it in his Pref. pag. 26 equally serve to prove or confute any thing To shew the all-powerful strength and virtue of it let us imagine that Euclid had been a Catholick Dr. T. might have preacht â— Sermon or two full of zeal against Witchcraft and have produc't some Fair Probabilities to perswade the people that Mathematicians were all meer Frier Bacons and absolute Conjurers because they use to draw Circles and uncouth Figures which look like Magick to second which Dr. St's Book concerning Images would mutatis mutandiâ— light very pat and home and then when he had done writ a Preface to those Sermons against the Prince of Conjurers or the Belzebub of those Incarnate Devils Euclid and confute him on this manner First he might pick out some Demonstrations of his in which were five or six words harder than ordinary at least too hard for the Vulgar though clear enough to the Learned men in that Art as Isosceles Parallelograms Parallelepipe Cylinder Diameter Eicosaedron and such like and when he had transcrib'd them into a Ridiculous Preface which he was sure no good Mathematicians would ever care to read but vulgar Souls would much admire and out of their hatred to these Popish
Conjurers cry up He might proceed to confute him on this manner I have here Reader presented thee with a discourse which if we may believe Euclid is mathematically demonstrable A rare sight indeed Certainly the sacred names of Principles and Demonstrations were never so prophan'd by any man before Might not any one write a Book of such Jargon and call it Demonstration If he intended this stuff for satisfaction of the people as it seem'd by his writing it in Greek the vulgar Tongue he did he might as well have writ it in the Coptick or Sclavonian Language Yet I cannot deny but this is very sutable to the Principles of the Roman Church For why should not their Science as well as their Service be in an unknown Tongue Certainly his Talent does not lie for Science Learned men are less apt to admire Nonsense than the common people Neither Harphius nor Rusbrochius Dr. Faustus Frier Bungy nor the profound Mother Juliana or Mother Shipton ever spoke any thing charm more sensless and obscure He hath a style peculiarly fitted for Mysticks Magick For even in this parcel of stuff there are five or six words such as Isosceles Patallelograms Parallâ—lepiped Diameter Cylinder Eicasoedron which if they were but well mingled and discreetly ordered would half set up a man in that way and â—nable him to write as Mystical Magical a Discouâ—se as any man or the Devil himself would wish Thus Reader thou seest how true 'tis that Dr. T's method of Talking is none since I dare undertake take that let him and his Fellow-Conspirators in malice against Catholicks but resolve to Preach and Write as earnestly that Mathematicians are Conjurers as they do that Catholicks are Idolaters which of the two is the far easier to prove and the Method he observes in this Preface of his would equally serve to confute Euclid as it does me And the like force it would have against any Logical Metaphysical Natural Medicinal Rhetorical Poetical or even Grammatical Discourse Each have their Terms of Art proper to themselves which look odd and uncouth to the Vulgar and so are equally liable to be abus'd and rendred ridiculous to men whose practice is to read Sermons § 5. But can Dr. T. seriously think these words to be indeed so hard as he pretends The word Potential was familiar to us both when we were in our Accidence and talkt of the Potential Mood Also Actual and determin are very obvious I suppose then 't is their ending in those common Terminations ty tion and tiue which makes potentiality actuality actuation and determinative so insuperably hard As for Supervene and Subsume it may justly be wondred whether the difficulty lies in knowing what 's the signification of the Verbs Venio and Sumo or the Prepositions Super and Sub. But he means they are not trim and Elegant enough Alas good Gentleman I doubt there are some who complain of the Tenderness of their Ears when the true Reason is the Softness of their Heads But enough of this § 6. Let us now proceed to examine the true force of one of these Demonstrations which he most opposes with Drollery we shall see that it was both his concern to answer it and withal Impossible he should which joyn'd no wonder he endeavoured to evade thus it being the best shift he had All Logicians know that the Respondent by bringing a pertinent distinction evades granting the whole Proposition and is licâ—nc't to admit it but in part that is indeed to deny the former Proposition as it stood under an undistinguisht manner of expression Also that amongst Human Notions some are more potential that is more General than others and that those General Notions are divided or distinguisht into more particular ones by certain Inâ—eriour notions Adjectively exprest call'd Differences 'T is Evident likewise that since 't is Impossible there should be a House or a Man in Common only Individuals can exist that is only these have a Capacity or Power to Existence and consequently that Existence is related to them as their proper Act. All determining notions therefore that can belong to any nature or to that which has such a Nature in it or the Thing are presuppos'd to Existence and so it can admit no further Determination or any Differences and consequently the Predecate Existent can never be pertinently distinguisht wherefore it being Impossible to distinguish the Copula in case the Subject can be distinguisht as little as the other which I there prov'd it must follow that those Propositions which have in them such a Predicate must be admitted in their whole Latitude and simply as the words lie Seeing then Christians are bound to profess their Faith True as to those Points of a Trinity for example or Incarnation or that a Trinity or Incarnation Exist and the Predicate Existent can bear no Distinction dividing its simplest notion such as are morally hopefully in great Likelihood or such dwindling kind of Sceptical or half-Atheistical expressions it follows that it must be affirm'd and held that a Trinity or Incarnation absolutely is and consequently that 't is Impossible not to be whence follows that it being Blasphemy to say that God has made a rational Nature or a Nature to assent upon motives and then commanded it to be not-rational that is to assent beyond the Motive whieh is as to that degree of Assent which is beyond without a Motive we must conclude that however Created understandings fall short in penetrating them or Miscarry in discoursing them the Grounds of our holding thus as laid by God must be absolutely Conclusive or impossible not to conclude the thing is and not only morally Conclusive morally Certain great Likelihoods Fair Probabilitys freeing only from Actual doubt and such like Wherefore if Dr. T. would approve himself worthy to Write or Discourse concerning the Grounds of Faith he ought to profess and produce such since nothing else reaches the nature of Faith or can rationally ground the the Obligation impos'd by God himself of professing and holding that the Thing absolutely is But he was conscious to himself he had none such or absolutely Conclusive therefore he was forc't to play the Droll and mock at the close Reasons that would oblige him to it instead of answering them § 7. This is the Argument which our great Divine who is still most merry when he should be most serious likens to Astrology Palmistry and Chymistry and sayes that Arguments from these could not have been more ridiculous than to argue that what is True is Imprssible to be False from the Nature of Subject Predicate and Copula For sayes he be the Propositions True or False these are of the same Nature in both that is they are Subject Predicate and Copula Which learned Answer is built on two manifest Falsifications of that whole Discourse One that I am meerly proving or concluding there that what is True is Impossible to be False whereas my ultimate Intent in
of Irony or any thing in the least of an impertinent nature but a serious pursuâ—t of the Point by way of Reason from the beginning to the end It seems there being in it no show of Passion it was the Reason of it which gall'd and was so uneasie to him What need was there to fall into such down right Rudeness as to call a Proposition of mine for which I offer'd my Reasons most impudent as did Dr. T. Rule of Faith p. 173. and in forty other places to make the Droll supply the Divine Was it not enough to answer the Reasons and let the World judge If he can show any such rude Language in my Letter of Thanks I here blame my self for it though it be responsum non dictum The worst word I use is charging hâ—m with falsifying my words and sense and it seems to me but hard Law if he may take the liberty to commit such Faults frequently and I may not so much as name his Faults when 't is my Duty as his Answerer to discover them § 2. He would clear himself of some Faults objected to do which he summons together all his best Arts First he picks out generally what can best bear a show of Reply Next he counterfeits a wrong Objection and lastly conceals in what manner and for what Reasons it was prest against him and by this means he hopes to escape blame § 3. First he would justifie himself for saying I went about to explain words because my self said I would examine well what is meant by them which seems equivalent to explaining them but he conceals what kind of explications I deny'd my self to mean and what he unjustly imputed twice in one page p. 3. namely Definitions he conceals how he would needs make me intend to define and yet most disingenuously put down himself at the same time my very words in which I disclaim'd any pretence to define but onely to reflect on some Attributes Predicates or Properties of what was meant by those words that is some pertinent and true Sayings concerning Rule and Faith which though they in part explicate them which I never deny'd yet they are far from looking like those compleat Explications call'd Definitions or even like those less artificial ones call'd Descriptions or like those Explications industriously compil'd which was the word I us'd to adequate the intire notion of the word under consideration For example Faith being there taken for Believing I come to discover it imports some kind of knowledge and then argue from it as such § 8. Again I affirm § 12. that the notion of the word Faith bears that 't is a Perfection of the Soul or a Virtue and thence discourse from it as it imports a Virtue Also § 16. I affirm that Faith mainly conduces to Bliss or Salvation c. and thereupon frame such a Discourse as is apt to spring out of such a Consideration Now all these in part explicate the Thing that is disclose or say some Truth that belongs to its nature yet not one of those sayings looks like an Explication of the word FAITH for this speaks an Intireness and an Adequateness to the notion explicated which 't is evident not one of these particular Affirmations or Sayings have the least show of He conceals also what was aâ—ledg'd Letter of Thanks p. 6. for indeed 't was not creditable that candid Scholars should reflect on it viz. that the word Faith being Equivocal and sometimes signifying Conscience sometimes Fidelity or Honesty c. I was necessarily to explain my self in what sense I understood it there and to declare that I took it for Belief and accordingly said Faith is the same with Believing which no sooner done but my pleasant Confuter will needs have that expressing or clearing its distinct sense in one single word to be a Definition too and plays upon it p. 3. with such affected Raillery as would make any sober man unacquainted with the Arts he uses to escape the duty of replying justly wonder But I shall easily satisfie our Readers what 's the true reason of this Carriage He thought it not fit to give one word of a sober and solid Reply to any one of thoâ—e many Reasons in that first discourse of mine built all upon those Affirmations or Predications now spoken of though this be the substantialest part of my Book and the Foundation of the rest on whâ—ch I ground rhe Properties of a Rule of Faith importing its Absolute Certainty but neglecting all my Premisses and Proofs he falls to deny my Conclusion and talk something against it in his own way So that 't is evident these Jests were to divert the Reader from the Point and so serve instead of a Confute to that whole Discourse A rare Method signifying thus much if candidâ—y and plainâ—y laid open and brought to Termâ— of Reason Because I can pretend any thing and play upon it with Ironies prettily exprest therefore my kind unexamining friends being inur'd to believe all I say to be Gospel let my Adversary say what he will he shall never be held to discourse solidly I charge him then afresh with an affected Disingenuity design'd to palliate hâ—s â—eglect of answering and let him know that as 't is manifest out of my Book I built not there those seven Properties of the Rule of Faith â—he Reasons for which he no where refutes on the Exactness Intireness or Goodness of any falsely-pretended Definition or Explication but on the Truth of those Propositions or the Agreement of those Attributes or Properties to the respective natures of Rule and Faith as their Subjects Also he may please to reflect that these being involv'd in the signification of those words by discovering and then dilating upon each of those singly I declare by consequence what is meant by those words as far as concerns my present purpose without compiling Explications or framing Definitions which onely were the Things I deny'd Lastly I charge this Insincerity far more home upon him now than ever that whereas in my Letter of Thanks from p. 5. to p 9. I had at large refuted these ridiculous Exceptions of his he in this very place where he pretends to speak particularly to my Letter of Thanks never takes notice of any one word there alledg'd but conceals all that had been produc'd to answer those Exceptions and bears himself as if no such Answers had been given This I must confess falls much short of either nibbling or gnawing and I am forc'd to declare that this constant carriage of his discovering too openly a perfect disregard of Truth abates in me much of that respect which otherwise his good Endowments would naturally give me § 4. His second Remembrance of my Letter of Thanks for though he says here p. 32. he must not forget it yet he haâ— been perfectly unmindful of it hitherto is that I say My Testimonies were not intended against the Protestants whereas my Book was writ
against them and I declar'd the design of my Testimonies to be to second by Authority what I had before establish'd by Reason All this is well were there not I fear two mistakes in it One that I writ that Book against Protestants particularly whereas it equally oppugns all that hold Christ and his Apostles to have taught true Doctrine bâ—t deny the Churches Living Voice and Practice to be the means of conveying it down hitherto of what denomination soever they be His second Mistake is his not considering that the whole substance of a Book may be writ against such or such a sort of men and yet the whole way of managing it not be against or different from them but from some particular Divines who as I conceiv'd would better rellish my Reasons if they saw all the several Conclusions deduc'd from them seconded by Authority And this was the true Case But Dr. T. is not to understand this till he be willing to acknowledge the Distinction between the Church and the Schools which he is resolved he never will lest it spoil his writing Controversie § 5. But what I complain of is That he objects I do this because I am conscious of the weakness of those Testimonies By which words his partial Friends will easily conclude he had so weakened those Testimonies that I was not able to uphold them whereas Letter of Thanks from p. 106. to p. 122. I very particularly reply'd to all he had alledg'd against them in his Rule of Faith and gave an account of his performances in these words p. 120. This Sir is the upâ—hot of your Skill in Note-Book Learning The three first Testimonies from Scripture you answered not mistaking what they were brought for the fourth you omitted you have given pitiful Answers to eight from the Fathers as I there shewed and shuffled off nine more without Answer c. Which Charge as to every Branch of it I there make good particularly and he no where clears here or attempts to clear more than by barely saying that I am conscious of the weakness of my Testimonies I think 't is best for me to take the same Method and say Dr. T. is conscious of the weakness of all he has written and so in a â—rice confute all he has writ and with far better Reason than he can pretend to seeing any Feather will serve to sweep down such Cobweb stuff as his Fair Probabilities Now Gentlemen did Dr. T. let his Readers understand this Performance of mine and this Neglect of his it would not appear his Answers to these Testimones had been so strong that my self had any cause to be conscious of their weakness therefore contrary to his promise they were to be quite forgotten it was but fitting and needful Well there have been perhaps many others equally-excellent in the Art of Memory but certainly in that raâ—e and useful Art of Oblivion he bears away the Bell from all Writers extant By virtue of this and the Assistance of that Fallacy in Logick call'd non causa pro causâ he obtains all his imaginary Victories § 6. He comes next to clear himself of False Citations and to let the Reader see how little I am to be trusted he will instance in two or three and I heartily desire I may be no otherwise trusted than as it shall appear upon severe examination of what we both alledge that he is culpable and my self Innocent Now in culling out and managing his Instances we may be sure he favours himself as much as he can handsomely the two first of them being trifles in comparison of many others omitted ond neither of them charged by me as false Citations whatever he pretends meaning thereby adding diminishing or altering the words of the Author Also the very first of these is the easiest to bear a tolerable explication of any one objected in the Book In examining which I request our respective Friends to be severely impartial and attentive to what was imputed by me and what answer'd by him in doing which Eye-sight is to be their best Guide And If I have to any degree wrong'd him I shall not think it a jot prejudicial to my credit to declare that upon second thoughts I ought to mitigate or retract my words accordding to the just degree the Truth of the thing shall require § 7. I charg'd him with a notorious abuse of the Preface to Rushworths Dialogues in citing the Author of it to say what he makes others say and condemns them for saying it To go securely to work we are to put down first the words of the Prefacer which are these This Term Moral Certainty every one explicated not alike but some understood by it such a Certainty as makes the Cause always work the same Effect though it take not away the absolute possibility of working otherways others call'd that a Moral Certainty which c. A third Explication of that word is c. Of these three says the Prefacer who having related the opinions of others now begins to speak his own sense the first ought absolutely to be reckoned in the degree of true Certainty and the Authors consider'd as mistaken in undervaluing it Am not I sure I shall never repeat in the same order all the words I have spoken this last year Yet these men will say I am onely Morally Certain Now the Question is whether I did well or no in blaming Dr. T. for imposing on the Prefacer to say that what consists with possibility of working otherwise is true Certainty whereas that Author avows that to be true Certainty which others said took not away the possibility of working otherwise What I affirm is that he annexes noâ— those words though it take not away the possibility of working otherwise to True Certainty but onely adds them as explicating the Conceit of others And that those words when the Cause always works the same Effect contain the just notion of what he allows there for True Certainty Dr. T. thinks the Contrary and that he allows or approves that for True Certainty which did not take away the possibility of working otherwise To state the Case clearly that we may see on whose side the fault lies let us consider what was imputed by me what reply'd by him My Charge is two fold one blaming his Manner of putting it directly upon the Prefacer by leaving out the words Some understood c. and so far is Evident See the words of the Preface SOME UNDERSTOOD by Moral Certainty c. See Dr. T. Rule of Faith p. 132 Lastly Mr. Wh. doth MOST EXPRESSLY contradict this Principle of M. S's in these following passages In his Preface to Mr. Rushworth HE SAYS that such a Certainty as makes the Cause always work the same Effect though it take not away the absolute possibility of working otherwise ought absolutely to be reckoned in the degree of true Certainty and those Authors are mistaken who undervalue it Now though one who cites