good and evil should be so inseparably together For what he saith of a good and an evil God is as true of a good and an evil act and in a sense as cogent as that he speaks in for it implyes a contradiction that one and the same should be a good and an evil act too to wit that the aâ—t of hating God should be no less a good Aâ—t as being from God then it is an evil one as having an obliquity which is from mâ—n I say such a mâ—xâ—ure of good and evil in one and the same numerical act must needs be absolutely impossible and conâ—radictory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And is not that an unchristian Fabrick which hath no better a Buttress whereon to lean But I must hasten to other Fathers before and after Athanasius DIONYSIUS the AREOPAGITE how much soever he lived before the great Athâ—nâ—sius I thought the fitter in this place to follow after the more conducible I thought it for the finding out his right meaning of which at first I began to doubt because I found him so much mistaken by so learned a person as Mr. BARLOW to whom Mr. Hickman is beholding pag. 56. It s true he useth such expressions as I lately shew'd and explained in Aâ—hanasius and Master Barlow saith in what pages though Mr. Hickman doth not But he useth the very same of God himself in some places whom yet I hope Mr. Hickman will not thence conclude a meer privation or a Non-entity God saith Dionysius is deprived of essence Nay He is neither a substance nor a spirit nor any thing of the things that are or exist shall an Atheist now say that Dionysius was of his mind and urge the letter of these words to bear him out No Mr. Hickman will tell him the words are spoken in a sublime and figurative way and must be explained by the context to yield the Authors true meaning The very same shall I say in the other case That when the Father saith of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he must be so understood as Aquinas understood Austin denying the act of sin to be anything opposing that act being an accident to res simpliciter which is substantia And accordingly Corderius does render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by substantia not by essentia much less by entitas What gave occasion to Dionysius to speak of evil in that stile holy Maximus tells us in his Scholion upon the place For Dionysius having said that that which is not doth desire that which is good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again a few leaves before that there is a will in that which is not Maximus tells us that the words being spoken against the Manichaeans he must largely explicate what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and why the thing that is evil is called that which is not of which as I have spoken in the praecedent paragraph so I shall speak once for all in the 5. § of this Chapter Number 9. But if the Question is to be carried by words and phrases even so the very truth will be found to rest on my side For the Antienâ—s saith holy Maximus did express the same thing by the word matter and extreme turpitude which is expressed also by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which is not and thence forwards when he speaks of things that are not meaning evils he explains himself presently by things material In a word Dionysius does give the reason why that which is evil is said not to be even because it is more remote from God then that which is not in being For that I conceive must be the sense of the Greek what ever was thought by the Translator who seems not to hit the Fathers meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which how many several wayes it makes against Mr. Hickman the indifferent Reader is left to judge So clear to me is the meaning of that figurative Writer that he saith of the sinner not onely of the sin that he is not in being so far forth as he is a sinner and desires nothing that is Had Mr. Hickman prepar'd himself for the Reading of the book if at least he ever read so much as a page or line of it by reading the general observations prefixed to it by Corderius in particular that of his making God to be the position and privation of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I think he could not have swallow'd so great an errour That something is positive as well as privative in sin Dionâ—sius or whoever is the Author of that book which is thought unduly to wear his name hath sufficiently inferr'd by his answer given to this Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which he answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 580. and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 584. But I have dwelt so long upon these two Fathers that I must study to be brief in those that follow and that by satisfying my self with one or two instances out of each The force of which I shall not shew as I have hitherto done but modestly leave to my Readers judgment I shall onely propose to consideration whether those qualities or actions are not worthily called sins of which the word sin is wont to be praedicated in recto And whether that which is granted to be a true proposition by all the world can possibly lose of its Truth by the attempts of so gross a Fallacie as à dicto simplicitèr ad Dictum secundum Quid. CLEMENS ALEX. strom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 edit Commel pag. 219. edit Paris p. 511. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here to sin is by such an action to pollute the Title of man and is said to be placed or to consist in the action or operation not substance or essence and this is the ground why it is not the work of God So afterwards sin not brought to repentance is defined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. p. 281. And though elsewhere he calls sin a variation from right reason yet there is added a positive entity of each 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I am ready to break my promise almost as soon as I have made it CYRILLVS HIEROS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 edit morell p. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HIERONYM in Malach. c. 3. p. 284. A. Nequaquam levia putemus esse peccata perjurium calumniari viduam opprimere alienigenam quae male sicio veneficiis adulterio comparantur BASIL in Hex Homil. 2. p. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRYSOST in 1. ep ad Cor. c. 6. Hom. 16. p. 167. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ATHENAGORAS in Legat. pro Christianis p. 35. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ANSELMVS super 2. ad Hebr. Peccatum est vel facere vetita vel non facere jussa IUSTIN MART. Q. Resp. ad Orth. p. 419. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
sweated to prove them Atheists And Mr. Hickman is such a gentle inoffensive Creature that though he calls them the ugly brats of the wildest sectaries which G. C. hath midwiv'd into the world p. 14. he hath injur'd no man provoked no man He professeth in the same breath He utters not the words of passion but sobriety p. 14. And thus the tame Creature hath meekly proved That All his sins are positive entities what ever he saith of other mens For sobriety is a vertue whose positive entity he allows And notwithstanding the sad character which is fixt upon railing in holy Writ Mr Hickman tells us 't is his sobriety whereby his Readers are left to guesse what scurrility he had used in a fit of passion whose very words of sobriety are so outragious As for his virulence towards my self I pass it over for this reason That he may know my severity is but the executing of Iustice not for his bitterness to me but to God himself whom he hath charged as the cause of all the villanies in the world which do fall under the Genus of Quality or Action Whereas the worst he hath said of me is even infinitely better And though I must paradigmatize him for his blaspheming the God of heaven yet I must do it so clearly in that behalf as not to return him railing for railing Sect. 64. From his volley of bitter words discharg'd at once against me he proceeds to calumniate Mr. BARLOW the Reverend Provost of Queens Colledge p. 16. whom he forgeth at least to have used this Argument If sin hath a positive or reall being and is not caused by God it is God himself that is to say If sin is not nothing it must be God or Gods creature But when and where did Mr. Barlow thus argue not in private betwixt him and Mr. Hickman for I was told by Mr. Barlow what makes me know it to be impossible Not publickly and in print For I cannot find it in his exercitaâ—ions It is therefore a very enormous thing to steal abundance from Mr. Barlow without the citing of any page where the matters really are to be found And yet to cite him thus by Name for that which never fell from him by word or writing Hence the Reader may judge of this mans Religion His commendation of Mr. Barlow iâ— such it can be whilst he bestows it I very readily grant him to my advantage For Mr. Barlow hath a better opinion of me then I have of my self And I can yield him a greater deference then he can think is due to him Nor will he assert his own Judgement without a submission to other men's Doctor IACKSON and Doctor FIELD to name no more who are more his Seniors then he is mine Sure I am that my Leaâ—ned Friend can never be pleased with a Commendation which is ushâ—â—'d into the world with so foul a calumny § 65. And as little can Doctor REYNOLDS take any pleasure in the mockery which Master Hickman doth mix with his vindication I did but make it a Question whether he were not in judgement an Episcopal Divine how much soever accounted a Presbyterian the reason of which Question I shall alledge in due time and yet I am said by Master Hickman to have branded Doctor Reynolds with the suspicion of being an Hypocrite and that he could not be in earnest of that Party whom he hath owned in praying in preaching in covenanting p. 17 18. to which I answer by these degrees 1. In all my writings there are not found any such words Had there been Mr. Hickman would not have feared a citation 2. Time was when Doctor REYNOLDS did own the King and the Bishops both in his Praying and Preaching too as may appear by two of his printed sermons for obedience and conformity to those that were Rulers at that time both Ecclesiastical and Civil So that in judgement he is now what he was twenty years ago unless he hath turned with the times and with those that turn'd them But of this he is accused by Mr. Hickman who makes him one of the Covenanters whether truly or falsly I cannot tell If truly he disgraceth that learned man If falsly he wrongs and defiles himself 'T were very strange that Doctor Reynolds who had taken the oathes of allegeâ—nce and supremacy subscribed the thirty nine Articles sworn obedience unto his Ordinary lived conformably in the Church and preached for it from Press and Pulpit should swear to extirpate those very things which he had sworn to assert It is much more likely that Mr. Hickman ow'd him a spight and could not hold from giving it vent though he had nothing to excuse him for such Impertinence He might have written against the positivity of six without reviling Dr. Reynolds as a person that had sworn so lewd a Covenant A thing the less credible because he hath declared to diverse Friends whom I can name if need require That the order of Bishops in his judgement was of Dâ—vine Institution And if the Question shall yet be asked I dare adventure a Discretion he will readily say yes But Mr. Hickman it seems is careless whom he calumniates in his passion And therefore Doctor Reynolds may the more easily forgive him § 66. To his blind and bitter zeal against the Licencing of a Book which is Intitl'd An Historical Narration c. p. 18.19 I am able to return him this gentle Remedy The Learned and Reverend Doctor Martin did avow and justifie in the House of Lords his licensing that worthy and useful Book And Master Maynard much urging that 't was Arminian on which he insisted before the Lords The Doctor told them he thought it strange that That shoulâ— be call'd an Arminian Book wherein there was not one person either named or concern'd who had not been dead before Arminius was alive Whereupon his Accuser was as much disappointed as Mr. Hickman must needs be when he reads the storie of that affair But his self-contradiction is most prodigious Because in one and the same page and at few lines distance he saith the book was unlicensed which yet he confesseth to have been licensed by Mr. Martin Bp. Lauds Chaplain And what credit can be due to his following proofâ—ess affirmations who calls learned Champneys by the name of Cerberus Or what shall we think of his tongue and conscience who calls Tilenus an Aethiopian a scribler impudent and a poor fellow p. 21. If he treats his superiours and betters thus I wonder how his equalls can endure to come within his Breath yet in the very next page he commends himself for Candor and moderation and his cordial affections to Episcopal Divines for never vilifying the parts and paynes of any Prâ—latist because such And then to shew us his skill in books he saith he had rather be the Author of Calvins one book of instiâ—utions then of all that ever were made by Grotius p. 23.
he is proved by his concession to be a rebell His being a Traytor to the two Huses which he had set up above the King by setting Richard above them when they disowned him And by owning Cromwels Iunto for a full and free Parliament He is evinced out of his mouth to have been perjured over and over His charge against the Lords and commons and his setting aside the King more then the houses ever did His most Notable contradiction about the houses ruling without the King His New Miscarriage against Grotius and the Episcopal Divines He is proved to be a Jesuite by as good Logick as he useth The Jesuites Doctrine of Probability Popery common to Thomas Goodwin with some noted Presbyterians Mr. Baxters Puritanism as well in Life as Doctrin His additional falsehood The Originall of Puritanism among profâ—ssors of Christianity Our English Puritans characterized by Salmasius one of the learnedst of the beyound Sea Protestants Mr. Baxter declared by Gods Anointed to be a factious and schismaticall person His double injurie to Mr. Dance His unparallel'd bitterness against Episcopacy and our Church 7. wayes rebuked The Conclusion giveth the reason of the whole procedure which Mr. Baxter CHAP. I. § THat the Christian Reader may discern with his greatest eaâ—e and convenience in every kind how the whole Case stands betwixt my Adversary and me and may be thereby enabled without the trouble of diveâ—ting to many pages of severall Books unless as his patience and leisure serves him to pasâ— an exact and a speedy Judgement upon the matchless Adventures of this fresh Combatant the unsuffâ—ciency of his Performanceâ— when he pretends to Answer and his grosse Tergiversaâ—ions when he declines it How commonly he aimâ—s beside the mark and affâ—ctedly mistakes the Thing in Question How he is fain to tickle himself on purpose to get into a laughâ—er and how constantly his laughing doth prove to be in the wrong Place How well he justifies me and my whole proceeding whilst he solemnly contradicts and condemns himself How he happens to glory and triumph most when his overthrows fortune to be the greatest How he calumniâ—tes the Faâ—hers in their Iustification as some in the world have been kill'd in their own Dâ—fence How without all Cause but what his Principles and his Displeasuâ— have shap'd out to him his poyson'd Arrows have been sho at my sâ—lf and oâ—hers which yet have lighted on his own head and on the heads of his Predecessors whom he hath vilified in zeâ—l and exceedingly disgraced in meer good will confessing that to be Blasphemy which the mâ—st eminent Presbyâ—erians have taught expresly and in Print nâ—t onely by consâ—quence and in privaâ—e I say that the Reader may be qualified to take up all at one gâ—asp at the least expence that is possible of time or mâ—neâ— I shall prepare him with an Account of what hath past fâ—om the beginning and I shall do it with as much Brevity as I shall find will consiâ—t with Truâ—h and Clearness Nothing shall hinder me in my Dispatch but the Removal of a most Desperate and Groundless slander with which our Actor made his entrance into the Theatre that it might lye as a block in his Readers way And to preserve the most heedless from stumbling at it I think it my duty to give them warning § 2. I had indeavoured in my Notes which I was forc'd to make Publick to prevent the danger by demonstrating the deadliness of certain Doctrines which the most eminent Presbyterians had preached to us from the Press to wit That All things come to pass by God's appointment and Decree That men do sin by God's Impulse That God commandeth to do evil and compelleth obedience to such Commands That he makes men Transgressors That Adultery or Murder is the work of God the Author c. These and multitudes of the like which I produced ouâ— of their wâ—itings in my Defence of the Divine Philanthropie were not the issuâ—s of my Invention or onely horrible Consequences unduely deduced out of their Doctrines as M. Hickman hath dared to affirm in despight of God and his own conscience and in a flat contradiction to all men's eyes but the words of M. Calvin and of a man greater than he Hulderiâ—us Zuinglius whose example in Helvetia M. Calvin imitated in France And how their Followers go before them in asserting God to be the Author of all the wickedness in the woâ—ld as I have plentifully shew'd in my Autocatachrisis so shall I shew in a greater measure if M. Hickman shall adventure to make it needfull Even the worst of those expâ—essions are very publickly conâ—essed by D. Twisse and M. Barlee aâ—d divers others of their way to have been written by those Great ones on whom I charg'd them And I speak it to the praise of their ingenuâ—y who rather chose to excuse at least à tanto what was so gâ—ossly derogâ—tory to the glory of God then to deny what is â—o visible to all mens eyes But the Rhapsodist adventurâ—s beyond all possible expectation and dares to tell us in effect That when we reade the pâ—inted works either of Zuinglius or Calvin of Borrhaeus or D. Twisse There is not any such thing as we clearly see lying before us That what we reade is not written And that the things which I tâ—anscribed from some of the Authors whom he admires were the meer chimaera's of my Brain though near an hundred years printed before I came into the world Had I father'd mine own fancies upon one or more of his Predecessors as M. Hickman hath had the confidence to tell the Lecturers of Brackly I should not have thought my self fit to live And by so much the more it becomes my Duty as well as Interâ—st to clear the innocence of my dealing in this particular although I know not how to do it without the ruine of my Accuser in point of fame The shortest way to this end will be by Noteing the very lines as well as the words and the pâ—ges and the Editions of the Books from whence the Reader may take a specimen whereby to judge of the whole Heap Numen ipsum AVTHOR est ejus quod nobis est INIVSTIA Cum Deus Angelum Transgressoâ—em facit hominem Ipse tamen Transgressor non constituitur ut qui contra legem non veniat ib. lin 4â— Quod Deus operatur per hominem Homini viâ—io vertitur non etiam Deo unum atque Idem Facinus pâ—ta Adulterium aut Homicidium in quantum Dei AVTHORIS MOTORIS ac Impulsoris OPVS est crimen non est Movâ—t Deus Latronem ad occidendum innoceâ—tem etiam ac imparatum ad mortem â—mpellit Deus ut occideret ib. l. 35. pâ—rmitto Latronem coactum esse ad peâ—candum ib. l. 18. Impulsore Deo trucidavit Latâ—o ib. l. 21. movet impellit usque dum ille occisus est ib.
the confession of the Adveâ—sary that what is privative of one thing is also positive of another 5. From the necessity of its being complexum quid confessed also by M. Hickman 6. From the meaning of Bonum Metaphysicum as comprehending res aliquid and as signifying no more then ens in ordine ad appelitum whereas it is onely the moral good which is oppos'd to the thing in Question 7. From the positive entity of a Lye which is therefore verum as much as bonum Metaphysicum and yet hath no more of reall goodness then of reall truth in it 8. From the positive being of Satans pride and of Petronius his Inventions together with those of the Presbyterians 9. From the difference or distinction betwixt a negative and positive Atheism 10. From sins being divided into actuall and habiâ—uall 11. From the positive filthiness of flesh and spirit of which a man is deprived when God by his grace is plea'sd to cleanse him 12. From the Importance of the word privative which may be predicated of sinners as well as of sins 13. To harden our own hearts to consent unto Temptations and to destroy our selves by such consent are granted by all to be positive things 14. Sin is spoken of as such throughout the Scriptures 15. It is confessed by M. Hickman and by the men of his way that sin is a compound which doth consist of a materiall and formall part whereof the one being granted to be a posiâ—ive entity both together cannot be less 16. Betwixt the act of haâ—ing God and the sin of hating God which is the act of haâ—ing God there cannot he the least difference because itself cannot be different from itself for that would imply the very grossâ—st of Contradictions ☜ But the Aâ—t of hating God is confessed by Master Hickman to be a positive entity And so he yields the whole Cause in spight of all his endeavours to make resistance § 8. But yet he endeavours a Resistance as far as a Tiâ—le-page can doe it which doth not really belong to any book in all the world much â—ess to thaâ— which he unhappily call'd his For it pâ—etends a Iustification of the Faâ—hers and Schoolmen from their being self condâ—mned for denying the positivity of sin And yet it pâ—etends to be an Answer to so much of my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as doth relate to the foâ—esaid opinion Hâ—re are â—everall things which prove him willfull in his Impostures For well he knew I had not written against the Fathers or Schoolmen much less against them as self-condâ—mned much less yet for denying the positivity of sin I writ indeed against Himself and M. Hobbs but they aâ—e hardly so much as sons much less Fathers of the Church And though I writ against others also yet neither of thâ—m was a Schoolman much less a Father I writ against them as self-condemâ—ed because I proved out of their writings that they asserted the very Doctrines which themsâ—lves had confessed to be blasphâ—mouâ— So that unless our Iustificator is thicker of sense and understanding then all men else which his perusall of M. Moâ—â—ice forbids his Readers bâ—lieve his prevaricâ—â—ions must neâ—ds be wilfull § 9. After the promises of his portal I find his building is nothing else but a very long Ent y and three Back-doors As if the former were intended â—or the Amâ—sing of his Readers whilst the latter might serve for his own escape His Entry hath such an unseemly length that little less than a whole hour will serve hiâ— Readers to Travel through And if their patience will but serve them as far as the End of so long a passage in hope at last to meet with something whereby to disprove the positivity of sin they will be able to find nothing besides the mentioned Back doors at which the Fâ—â—â—hâ—r eâ—capes from the Thing in Question As if he were coâ—scious to himself of having rashly undertaken to prove a dangerous falshood to wit that sin hath no positive being he spends almost his whole book upon a mulâ—itude of subjects b sides the purpose rather hudling up a Volume from whatsoever he thought pretty and durst purloin from some English Authors then taking the â—ouâ—age to treat of that to which his Tiâ—le-page confesseth he stands obliged Observe good Reader the strangest Answerer of Books that in all thy life thou hast read or heard of § 10. His Volume consists of 175. pages 65. of these are spent in an Epistle and Preface to all that follows wherein there is not one syllable so much as offering to disprove the positivity of sin Then there begins a fresh reckoning up of pages And though he takes upon him again as in his Title-page he had done to prove that sin hath not a positive Being yet he immediately flies out for 48. pages together talking of Bishops and Presbyteries and other subjects of Evasion I will not say in a phrenetick but in a very idle manner before his misgiving heart serves him to make a shew of some proof of the Thing in Question And thus he hath made an easie shift to fill up two parts of three of his Tedious Rhapsodie with more then an hundred such fragments and ends of stuff as serve to prove nothing at all besides his fearfulness to discourse of the matter in hand and his gift of impertinence above the rest of mankind and also the lightness of his fingers to supply the heaviness of his invention For after 113 pages 65 being of that which he calls his Preface and 48 of that which he calls his Book I find him using these words Having removed the Rubbish we may now come at the Question Yet goes he not many steps farther in a pretended preparation to his design when straight he digresseth to curse M. Barlee to talk of the Calvinists and Arminians by the old assistance of M. Prin and to speak for Puritans by such an admirable Impertinence that he is fain at last to use these words The Reader will pardon me who can scarce pardon my self for this excursion yet no sooner doth he confess then he commits the same trespass even by making a new excursion to my dispute with Doctor Reynolds to a Fable of Aesop and to a gross falsification of the Learned and Reverend D. Hammond which in due time and place I shall demonstrate to be such in a high Degree At last indeed he speaks something lesâ— impertinent then before although impertinent also as shall be shewed Insomuch as his Readers may well admire how he could venture to call his Book by so extravagant a Title as did least of all relate to the subject matter of his Discourse unless he thought that his Readers would look no farther § 11. But having shew'd his long Entry I conceive it high time that I discover his Back-doors at which he maketh his foul escapes from the principall Duties Incumbent on him First when it
we befriend them in giving the people occasion to think that they onely are the men who would contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints p. 5. See how little he understands that easie Text in St. Iude. If Calvin's Doctrine in point of Decrees is the faith delivered to the Saints of which Saint Iude spake then it must not onely be truth but the whole divine Truth delivered to us as we are Christians And so farewell by this Logick to the four Evangelists who have nothing of the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints But welcome Iohn Calvin who hath it all For the whole Doctrine of the Gospel is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 2. And unless Mr. Hickman did take it too in that sense how does the affixing the assertions upon Calvin and his following Presbyterians p. 3. and 4. give any occasion to the people to think that they are the ONELY MEN It is no wonder if Bishop Hooper one of the first of our holy Martyrs who suffered from the Papists for our Religion as others have done from the Presbyterians did express these men by the name of Gospellers as having found out another Gospel then what had been written by the four Evangelists to use the words of Sir Edwin Sandys Our Gospellers said Bishop Hooper are better learned then the holy Ghost over every mischief that is done they say it is Gods will And what prodigious stuff it is which Mr. Hickman cals the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints I leave to be judged by the words and lines and pages which I hâ—ve shewed from Mr Calvin and other Writers Had an Angel from heaven taught such a Gospel Saint Paul had set him packing with an Anathema Maranatha § 12. Bishop Carleton saying some take it for a sign of such as are looking towards Popery c. p. 5. gives leave to others to take it otherwise When a thing has two handles one may take it by the right as well as another by the left As I and my Betters are wont to take it Our disclaiming the Doctrines of Presbyterians is the way to stop a Papist's mouth who hath nothing to accuse the Protestants of but what the Presbyterians have introduced and that in a perfect opposition to the true Protestant religion § 13. In the eighth page of his Epistle for the sixth and the seventh are fill'd with one large Transcript verbatim taken from Mr. Prin without acknowledging the Author from whence he took it he appears to be conscious of his scurrility by which he supposeth he hath departed from that meekness of spirit which is required in a Minister But he desires his Brethren to think it as lawfull as they may as if he were acting zeal of the land in his Address to Rabbi Buisy to put some vineger into his ink and so to continue in his departure from Châ—istian meekness supposing he cannot fall totally much less finally from Grace or else in meekness of spirit to call me Bolsec and Fevardentius and what he pleaâ—eth But here I arrest him with one mild Question whilst he is furious Was my saying that their speeches could be no less then Blasphemous who said that God was the Author and cause of sin A making their Graves amongst Blasphemers or a proving by their pages lines and words where they had made their own Graves Perhaps they thought their speeches innocent And thence I censuâ—'d thâ—ir speeches not the thoughts they had of them Suppose the Author of a Dispensatory shaâ—l put a Receipt into his Book which I know hath poyson'd somâ— and is as likely to poyson others will my giving a timely warning to beware of that medicine be censured as the making that Author 's Grave among murderers It will it seems by Mr. Hickman but who can help it I plainly proved to Doctor Reynolds That for all I said of Blasphemous Doctrines I had not onely Doctor Whitakers but Mr. Câ—lvins good leave And so Mr. Hickman unawares hath rail'd it out against both But if Bolsec is reformed I hope he will do the less hurt And that he is so in earnest Bathyllus tells us § 14. He falls again to confession p. 9. that 't is hard for him not to exceede his bounds whereupon he prayes his Brethren to give him a call unto repentance And compares them to the old Puritanes as to the exercise of their patience But who were the old Puritanes were they such as took upon them to ordain Ministers at Brackley or such as took joyfully their neighbours goods if so he said ill That the world was not worthy of such inhabitants The Apostle applying the words to them who suffer'd the spoiling of their own § 15. The malignity which he concludes with against Episcopal Government which yet he holds to be better than none at all and none at all hath been the Government which they have hitherto set up doth onely serve to put us in mind in how many respects they have been perjur'd as well in swearing as forswearing their Scotish Covenant They may be said to be Reformers of Episcopal Government and if they please of Regal too as the Heretick Marcus was said by many women and few men The Reformer of all that had gone before him But what kind of Ministers he ordained and after what an enormous manner and how he Reformed the womens Purses to fill his own would be tedious to tell upon this occasion They that will may consult Epiphanius Haeres 34. And especially Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 9. My observation is chiefly this That he was reckon'd a great Reformer An Appendix for Master Hickman touching his Preface to the READER § 16. Having gon over the main of Mr. Hickmans Dedicatory Epistle I now proceed to his Praeface his tedious Praeface to the Reader On which I shall make the shortest strictures that I am able untill I meet with such things as do call for length And because Doctor Heylin hath unanswerably spoken to the Historical part both in his Certamen Epistolare wherein he Refutes it ex professo and in his Quinquarticular History wherein he vertually Refutes it though not by name I shall not therefore say more to that than is omitted by Doctor Heylin or at least omitted for ought I am able to remember § 17. He tells his Reader in the beginning 1. how much he had been taken with I know not what rich vein of Rhetorick which he saith he saw running through all my writings which he had seen 2. That he hath not mentioned my name without those prefaces of Respect which are due to a Scholar 3. That notwithstanding his being debased to the Dunghil of Doltisme he is not so much as tempted to detract from my Credit and Reputation c. p. 1. If this hath any Truth in it then there is no truth at all in the far greatest part of his whole performance For Mr. Baxter
indeed object against him his Dissent from the Doctrine of the Church of England so to their shame if they had any he freed himself from that charge Master Pâ—m's Report to the House of Commons is no proof at all that he was censur'd by the Parliament And the Order of that House in the behalf of the Articles was not hurtfull to him who oppos'd them not but understood them better and declar'd as much for them as the Commoners could doe § 44. To Mr. Hickmans rare Question p. 28. How comes it to pass that those who now follow Arminius did heretofore follow Mr. Calvin I thank him for the occasion to make this Answer That the older men grâ—w they grow the wiser and more impartial To what end do men study both men and books but to discover the mistakes of their giddy youth Is it not fit that the aged Bishop of Winchester should understand things better then young Mr. Andrews But he was a Bishop and one who lived at such a Time when it was safe to leave Calvin as King Iames his Great Master had also done And therefore to satisfie Mr. Hickman Let the Question be put of Dr. Sanderson whose change of judgement was never publish'd untill the last and worst times whilst yet the Followers of Calvin had power to persecute their opponents why did he follow the way of Calvin in point of Doctrine I mean his sublapsarian way before he considered and compar'd it with other wayes and at last forsook it after such consideration The very Question suggests the Answer which in all reason is to be made And may suffice for a general answer to the farr greatest part of Mr. Hickman's long Preface Observe Good Reader the most Ingenuous Confession of that so eminently learned and holy man Giving himself to the study of practicall Divinity he saith he took up most other things upon trust And this he did so much the rather because Calvin at that time was not so wholesomely suspected as blessed be God he since hath been But to express it in the words of the Judicious Doctor Sanderson The honour of Calvin's name gave Reputation to his very errours And if so great a Scholar as he did take up opinions upon trust and was carried down the stream of the common errours his weaker brethren could not choose but be swept away with so strong a Torrent § 45. But they were farr from being such whose Questions in the Act Mr. Hickman reciteth from Mr. Prin as he hath done the greatest part of his tedious Preface For Doctor Iackson might well acknowledge all lost in Adam when he supposed a Recovery of all in Christ. And here it is observable that Mr. Hickman hath not stoln fairly For Mr. Prin expressed very honestly what his jugling Transcriber thought it his Interest to conceal It was the very first of the Doctors three Questions An Peccatum originale contineat in se aliquid positivi And this was held in the affirmative The other Act-questions were Doctor Frewin's the now-Right Honourable and Right Reverend Father in God the Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield whom I am never able to name without a preface of honour and veneration Who if he did once Calvinizare as Bishop Andrews and King Iames before the times of their conversion let it suffice that his latter judgement is much preferrable to his former It is no more to the disparagement of Doctor Goad and Master Hales and Daniel â—ilenus the Synodist at Dort and Doctor Potter and Doctor Godwin and Melanchthon himself and the late Primate that as soon as they saw they forsook their errours then it could be to Saint Paul that though as long as in comparison he was a child he spake as a child understood as a child and thought as a child yet when he grew to a perfect man he put away childish things And hence Mr. Hickman may take the reason why I parted with those opinions I first embraced which now he reproacheth me withall p. 29. though more to my honour then he imagin'd But he must know that by the first of the three last Questions An praedestinatio ad salutem sit propter praevisam fidem he seems to be ignorant of the difference betwixt the foresight of Faith and Faith foreseen as betwixt ex and propter a condition and a cause secundum praescientiam Fidei propter fidem praescitam And so he is like the vain Ianglers of whom Saint Paul speaks to Timothy that they desired to be Teachers understanding neither what they said nor whereof they affirmed § 46. Of Lambeth Articles that they were caused to be suppress'd by Queen Elizabeth See Doctor Heylin his Examen Historicum p. 164. That King Iames before he dyed was an Anti-Calvinist appears by the Conference at Hampton Court and by his great approbation of all that was preached by Bishop Andrews which was as opposite to Calvin as light to darkness and by his high esteem of Bâ—shop OVERALL who was wont to call the Calvinists The Zenonian Sect and by his singular favour to Bishop Montague whom he imployed in composing his Apparatus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whose Appeal he adorned with his Royal Patronage and Protection which yet he could not have done if he had not been that which they call Arminian That Bishop Montague was incouraged by the special Direction of King IAMES to Dedicate that Book to his Royal self is most apparent to every man who wilâ— but read his own words in his Dedication If any Reader can yet be ignorant of King Iames his deliverance from that captivity into which he had been lâ—dd by his first and worst Teachers let him peruse that Epistle with which the learned Tilenus Senior did dedicate his Book to that learned King even his Book of Animadversions upon the Synod of Dorts Canon There the Reader will be inform'd how Tilenus his Paraenesis had pleas'd that King who gave a proof of his special liking by his speciall command to have it Printed How a little after that the King invited him by a Letter to come over into England and here to try the effects of his Royall Favour How his Majestie took care that care might be taken by other men Not to blaspheme with the Puritanes in making God the Author of sin How he assented to Tilenus whilst he inveighed against the Error of irrespective decrees especially that of Reprobation A more impious errour then which he said a Synod of Divels was not able to invent Thence he styled it the Horrendum illud Calvini decretum and professed to see nothing throughout the whole Calvinian Scheme which did not either flow out of Zeno's porch or from the Tables of the Destinies or from the stinking Mephitis of the Manichees By all which it is apparent that Mr. Hickman is unexcusable as far as his 38. page where he grows less guilty
own shadow and what a shame it is for him to have railed so much at Arminian Doctrines to which when he hath done he is fain to yield § 52. To his slanderous insinuation concerning a Book of Doctor Heylin's which he affirms to have been burnt by the hand of the common Hangman as he saith he is informed p. 53. Doctor Heylin himself hath made his own Answer I onely here observe what shift is made by this zelot to revile an aged and Reverend Divine without the least fear of the execution which the Bears made upon the Boyes who made a mockery of Elisha his Reverend Baldness But what they did was less unexcusable For they were little young Boâ—es who wanted teaching But this great Boy is a Boy of years too and professeth with the Gnosticks to be a teacher of others a guide of the blind and an instructer of the foolish Rom. 2.19 20. Those children in years reproached the Prophet with what they saw and were sure of to wit his bald head But this child in manners and understanding makes use of a slander to shew his virulence And hath no more to excuse him then that he Heard it which is possibly as false as the Fact it self But be it so that he heard it what would become of such creatures as Mr. Hickman and Mr. Baxter if other men should put in print whatsoever they hear of their misdemeanours the best of it is he hath gotten no more by his printed hearsay then onely to make the world know how much his ears are too long Nor do I wish him his deserts for then I am sure they would be shorter § 53. To his concluding Question p. 54. I briefly answer three things 1. Dolus versatur in generalibus 2. There is the fallacie plurium interrogationum some are true and some false And by those that are true no advantage accrues to the Calvinian cause 3. Some learned men there will ever be of both the opposite persuasions And therefore the Doctrine of our Church is to be judged of by her Liturgie Homilies and thirty nine Articles In which as very many things are clearly for so there is nothing that I can meet with against the Doctrines which I assert § 54. Having done with his Preface I come to the Remnants of his Book Where setting out with his dislike of Mr. Barlee's sharp stile as if the priviledge of railing had been bequeathed to Mr. Hickman by the proprietarie in chief and presently falling on Mr. Goodwin in such a sharpness of style as he dislikes in Mr. Barlee his elder brother for which I see Mr. Goodwin hath long since made him an example he next arrives at a profession that he never had perused my Defence of the Divine Philanthropie nor ever would he pursue it except he could finde some hours which belong neither to night nor day p. 3 yet besides his Profession of having been conversant in my writings and the use he makes of my expressions as his own he frequently cites the words and pages even of that very Book and farther avows he hath read it over p. 101. Next he quarrels with Mr. B. for printing part of his private letter which if it had not been done by his own consent he might have told me of it in time either by word or by epistle or have conveâ—ghed it to me by them in whose common acquaintance he saith we meet He is a dull Malefactor who is not provided of some excuse and therefore such as Mr. Hickman may finde out many But how his wit will hold out to reconcile the contradiction betwixt â—he fourth page of his Book and the second of his Bookish Preface I am not qualified to guess at so great a distance § 55. At last he falls upon a point which had been very material had it not failed in one Circumstance I mean the truth For telling a story of the Lutherans which he had read in Bp. Hâ—ll he misapplyes it by saying This is the case of the Calvinists They hold an absolute decree of reprobation hence it follows sayes Mr. P. That God is the author of sin p. 5. No hence it follows say the Calvinists faithfully cited by Mr. P. as to their words and pages and very lines that God is the author and câ—use of sin It was not I who drew the consequence though I might rationally have done it as well as they But it was I who observed by whom it was drawn Even by them who have contended for their fanciful decrees I have made this so clear in al my papers and particularly in this Ch. 1. § 2. p. that I wonder with what forehead Mr. H. can say I finde a forehead tosay the Calvinists mâ—ke God the authorof sin Indeed when they hâ—ve said it in plainest termes they sometimes say they never said it and thence I condemned them for so much self-condemnation This the Reader may witnesse for me as by viewing other parts of my Autocaâ—risis so particularly the preface or Introduction p. 7.8 And Ch 3. p. 140.141 142. Now that I am railed at by such a mouth as Mr. Hickmans upon no other ground then my reproving him and others for their often rayling at God himself is a great addition to my contentments And whilst Mr. H. continues either to be what he hath been or to say what he hath said concerning God I hope I shall not be so unhappy as ever to have his good word Sect. 56. Had I met with such Blasphemies in any writings of Bp. Abbot or other men of our Church I should have taken that course which the Rhapsodist tells me had been the wisest p. 6 But haveing met with none such methinks the man should excuse me for my innocent desires to do no wrong Such English writers as I found guilty I very liberally named and as impartially condemned But our Divines at Dort as well as those that are named by Mr. H. were for an Index expurgatorius and so have justified me in my severity to the Doctrines which they condemned Mr. H. is therefore a very strange Person in advising me to passe by the guilt of some beyond the sea and to charge it on some at home who for any thing I know have ever been clear from that offence or if he meanes no more then this that some of our English Anti-Arminians have blasphemed as much as forein Calvinists have done let the Reader take notice that Master Hickman himself is their Accuser § 57. That argument of his if sin is a positive entity either God is the Author of it or it is God He now confesseth to be his own but onely adds that the Iesuits do use it as well as he p. 7. I have often noted the affinity betwixt the Iesuites Presbyterians But why Mr. H. should help my parallel I cannot guess Nor doe I think that that Argument was ever used by any Iesuit unless
becoming a partaker of their very worst sins whilst he hath railed on the contrary as well at the King as at the Bishopâ— and at all that is really Great or Sacred I think it my Happiness and my Glory not to have my Name slurr'd with his commendations FINIS The Typographical Errata the candid Reader will be pleased either to pardon or to Correct In Praef. p. 2. l. 5. in marg r. Borrhaeus p. 7. l. 22. for good r. God p. 14. l. ult r. needst Pag. 3. l. 18. r. Injustitia p. 4. l. 6. in marg after cap. r. 28. p. 5. l. 13. in marg after pag. r. 20 21. p. 7. l. 5. r. appetitum ib. l. 26. r. be p. 11. l. 1. in marg after promise r. of p. 13. l. ult in marg r. and. p. 22. l. 24. after so r. he ib. p. 9. after will r. not p. 26. l. 26. after conceive r. it ibid. l. ult in marg r. consequens p. 27. l. 35. after is r. so p. 37. l. 24. dele and. p 40. l. 22. r. forbidding ibid. l. 34 in marg r. vetat p. 44. l. ult in marg after 12 r. 4. p. 45 l. ult in marg after 3024. r. chap. 9. p. 47. l. 30. after hating r. God p. 49. l. 3. in marg after sol r. 2. p. 54. l. ult r. c. 6. p. 56. l. 1. in marg after of r. the. ibid. l. 2. in marg after l r. 3. ib. l 3. in marg r. c. 23. p. 57. l. 22 r. thing p. 76. l. 1. in marg r. p. 137. p. 77. l. 4. in marg r. verbis ib. l. ult in marg r. p. 671. p. 78. l. 34. in marg r. aliam ib. l. 3. r. of p. 8. l. 5. r. 2. dist p. 83. l. 30. after original r. sin p. 84. l. 1. after an r. evil p. 85. l. 19. r. unto p. 88. l. 4. in marg r. annum p. 90. l. 7. r. Catachresis p. 104. l. penult r. p. 150. p. 106. l. 18. r. is p. 137. l. 18. after of r. which p. 144. l. 21. r. sybilline p. 145. l. ult in marg r. stealths p. 146. col 2. l. 30. d. ad 10. lineas id genus reliqua p. 149. col 2 l. 31. r. q. 9. p. 153. l. 8. r. endeavour p. 159. l. 7. r. so p. 178. l. 4. r. such p. 203. l. 29. r. p. 32. Errata in the Postscript to Mr. Baxter Pag. 2. l. 4. in marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. l. 11. in marg r. Boutefeu p. 4. l. 29. r. Patizitha p. 5. l. 14. for and r. or p. 8. l. 4. for tor by ib. l. 8. for the r. thee p. 9. l. 21. in marg after that r. that p. 10. l. 15. r. Traitor p. 15. l. 30. after Demands r. iâ— Isa 11. â— 2 Sam. 15. 23 28. * 1 Cor. 5.5 * See his Ex. cellent long Preface before the second Edition of his fiâ—st Seâ—mons S. 24. * Ezek. 33.7 8. ch 34.3 10 * See the pages and lines cited from Zuinglius Calvin Barrhaeus and D. Twisse with the Editions of their Books in my first ch of this Tâ—eatise Sect. 2. p. 3.4 †Deus homines ad suas pravas Actiones incitat seducit jubet indurat trahit deceptiones immittit quae peccatâ—â— gravia sunt efficit Pet. Vermil Mart. Florent edit Tigur 1561. in Jud. c. 3. v. 9.10 11. fol. 56. pag. 1. lin 7. c. * Si Calvinus aut Martyr aut quisquam nostrûm affirmet Deum esse Authorem Causam peccati non repugno quin simus omnes horrendae Blasphemia scelerisque rei Whitak in Respons sua ad octavam Rationem Campiani edit Genev. 1610. in Tom. 1. operum suorum pag. 33. col lin 34. c. * Mr. Archerâ— Comfort for Believers p. 36 37. †Mr. Thom. Goodwin's Apologetical Narration subscribed by Phil. Nye Will. Bridge Jer. Burrows Sidrach Simpson Licensed by Charles Herle printed by R. Dawlman 1643. p. 22. * Mr Edwards his Antapologia edit 1646. pag. 160. †See him cited by Dr. Heylin in his Hist. Quinquart part 3. ch 16. p. 5. * Mr Edwards his Antapologia edit 1646. pag. 160. * A Brief Declaration of the Table of praedestinati on p. 15. ibid. p. 6. †Ibid. p. 6. See the words in his Book of the 2. Edition which Edition I use in all I cite from this Author p. 93. lin penult ult ‖ Joh. Calvini Tractatus Theologici c. edit Genev 1612. in Libertinos c. 4. p. 436. col 3 lin 50. ib· p. 437. col 1. lin 14. * Ex hoc Articulo Deum sc. omnia operari Tria admodum horrida consequi quorum primum hoc est nullum inter Deum et Diabolum discrimen fore ib. c. 13. p. 445. col 2. lin 63. ‖ Ipsum à se abnegari oportet in Diâ—bolum trâ—nsmutari ibid. cap. 14. pag. 447. col 2. lin 42. †Wisd. 2.11 * Reader Compare the non-seâ—â—e with the impiety of the expression and mark how little they understand what the word prâ—vidence doth import a p. 93 94. b p. 96. c p 93.94 d p. 96. 2 Sam. 13. e p. 77. f p. 96. g p. 93 94. h p. 96. ii p. 103. ii p. 103. kk p. 95. kk p. 95. Some praeparations for the less Intelligent of the People * Ioh. 5. †Rom. 2.6 * Vâ—rs 9. ** p. 7. l. 8 9. p. 79. lin 5 ** p. 7. l. 8 9. p. 79. lin 5 * Se e my whole fourth chapter and comparâ— it with my citations from D. Goâ—d and D. Hammond p. 103. * See c. 5. p. 92. to p. 104. * Ubi supra and also p. 82. ‖ Exod. 20 5. Rom. 1.30 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‖ Psal. 139 21. * Ut eorum implacabilis adversus Deum inimicitia innotescat c. De animi Medela c. 17. p. 283. a Act. 13.18 14.16 b 1 Pet. 3.20 2 Pet. 3.9 * See Master JENKINS his Petition to the Titular Parliament A. D. 1651 and compare it with the Assembly-men's Confession of Faith ch 3. Artic. 1. which saith that God did unchangeably o dâ—in whatsoever comes to pass From whence the Murder of the King was concluded Gods Ordinance by them that wrought it And Mr. Ienkins was heard to pray at Black fryers O Lord we know that all things come to pass by thine APPOINTMENT ‖ Jer 5 27. Rom. 9.22 The Introduction â—o an Accompâ— of whâ—â— hath passed from the beginning The first occasion of the Dispute †Maleficiumâ—s â—s the word * Chap. 3. p. 128. to pag. â—36 The Remâ—vilt of a most willful and ground less slander * Epist. Ded pag. 2. †Epist. Ded. pag. 4. a Zuingl in Serm. de Prov. edit Tigur August 20. 1530 c. 5. fol. 364. p. 1. lin 28 c. b Ib. cap. 6. fol. 365. p. 2. lin 35. c Ib. lin 40. e lb. fol. 366â— p 1. lin 11. Doct. Twisseâ—efends â—efends the worst of this vin
whereby he owns Mr. Calvin in the worst of those things I cited from him and gives me reason to believe that he never read the Bookes of Grotius but takes up his anger upon trust as he hath done the materials which fill his volume § 67. He next resolves to spend some pages in another way of Impertinence and Tergiversation It seemes not caring what course he takes whereby to patch up a little volumn and yet to stave off his Readers from what he took upon him to prove to wit that sin hath no positive being His little project is briefly this first to say how much he hath read in Dr. Taylor and Dr. Hammond and secondly to adde upon that occasion so dexterous he is at the contriving of a transition that if Presbytery be a crime he must needs say he hath learnt it from Episcopal men p. 23. c. will you know his Reasons The first is this The Primate and Dr. Holland were of opinion that a Presbyter and a Bp. differ in degree only not in order But neither doth he attempt a proof that this could make him a Presbyterian Or that the Primate and the Dr. did ever think any such thing much less that they said it either in earnest or in â—est I am sure the L. Primate thought our Presbyters unexcusable for taking upon them the Bishops office to ordain But he had mercy for the French Protestants because he thought it necesâ—ity not choice which kept them from Episcopal order see the Letter of Peter du Moulin the son sent to a Scotchman of the Covenant who proves his Father to be clearly for the order of Bishops Chamier affirmes them to be of right elected Princes Their Church would have Bps. but are not suffâ—red The second reason is that Bp. Andrews ordained a Scotchman Bishop never made Priest but by Presbyters which he would not have done had ordination by Presbyters been unto him a Nullity p. 23.24 But 1. he brings not any proof that there was ever any such fact 2. From Fact to Right no good Argument can be drawn 3. Bp. Andrewâ— might be ignorant that the Scotchman had received any such mock-Ordination 4. Or he might think the man had invincible Necessity to help excuse him which yet I take to be most improbable much lesse that he could fancy the common Rule had place here Quod fieri non debet factum valet And therefore 5 my chiefest answer to it is this that the story proves nothing supposing truth to have been in it but what is against Mr. Hickmans interest for it only proves that such a man who had been sinfully dub'd into a Titular Priesthâ—od and was therefore no real Priest in the opinion of Bp. Andrews might yet per saltum be made a Bishop Because in his being made a Bp. he is ipso facto made a Priest And so t is granted as well of Timothy and Titus and the rest in their time that they were consecrated Bishops without the receiving of previous orders Others having first been Dâ—aconâ— were immediately assumed into the order of Bishops So Linus who was St. Pauls Deacon as Anacletus and Clemens who were St Peters succeeded both those Apostles in the Bishoprick of Rome Having thus satisfied Mr. H as to the case of his Scotchâ—an ordained per saltum by Bp. Andrews I shall tell him that there are Diverse who having been dub'd by Presbyterians for without an abusive way of speaking they durst not say they had been ordained were so sensible of the crimes of Schisme and sacrilege in the thing that they made their Recantations to several Bishops within my knowledge and solemnly renounced such Ordinations and after that have been ordained by the Bishops themselves I am unwilling to name the men that I may not occasion their persecution But Bishop Morton is out of their Reach and so I am free to make it known what he hath done in this kinde The reader may judge by this Tast whether Episcopal men could ever teach Mr. H. his Presbyterianisme 68. He produceth a passage from one of the first Printed Sermons of the learned and Reverend Dr. SANDERSON concerning Gods concurrence with subordinate Agents p. 29. which he hoped some shallow Readers would think conducing to his end of making the people to believe that God himself is the Cause of the wickedest actions in the world because the wickedest actions have not onely a reall but a positive being But besides that that passage of Gods concurrence to the sustentation of the Creature is nothing at all in it self to Mr. Hickmans purpose I have the leave and consent of that most learned and pious person to communicate as much of his Letters to me on this occasion as I conceive may tend to his vindication and with all to the advantage of peace and truth Doctor Sanderson's Letters c. 1. As to the passage in the fifth Sermon ad Populum p. 278 9. the Doctor saith That as he did as well at the time when that Sermon was preached as at all other times before and since utterly detest so the thing principally intended and purposely insisted upon in that whole passage was to root out of mens minds the seeds of that horrid Blasphemous opinion that God was the Author or efficient cause of sin 2. He saith That the occasion which led him to that discourse being the handling of that 1 Tim. iv 4. Every Creature of God is good the Iâ—ference thence was naturall and obvious That therefore whatsoever was evil couâ—d be no creature of God was none of his making nor could he in any tolerable sense be said to be the Author or cause thereof 3. He saith That if in the Explication or prosecution of that Inference he should perhaps have let fall some such improper incommodious or ambiguous phrase or expression as a caviller might wrest to a worse construction then was meant a thing not alwayes to be avoyded in popular discourses especially where the matter treaâ—ed of is of greaâ— nicety or of a mixt consideration between Metaphysical and Moral it had yet been the part of an ingenuous Reader to have made the main scope of the discourse the measure whereby to interpret such phrases and expressions rather then by a malign interpretation to extract such a sence out of the words as it is certain the Author unless he would contradict himself could not mean 4. He saith That upon as district a review of every period and clause in that whole passage as seemed requisite for his concernment in the present debate he hath not observed any phrase or expression which is not consonant to his main scope therein or whereof Master Hickman without injury and violence to his true meaning could serve himself in any of those three points wherein as far as he can judge having never seen Mr. Hickmans Book he conceiveth the difference betwixt Master Pierce and his adversaries to lye viz. 1. Gods