any preparation or disposition thereunto but solely in the bosome of the God of heaven who according to the counsel of his own will from all eternity differenceth one person from another Iacob from Esau decreeing and destinating both unto glory as the end and likewise unto saving grace as the means conducing to that end For if besides the act of God thus specifying or distinguishing man should have any stroke as that through his own strength or acting at all Ephes 2.9 Hab. 1.16 1 Cor. 4.7 as to his own being decreed to salvation then a man had whereof to boast then might he sacrifice to his own net and burn incense to his own drag then man had made himself to differ and he had that which he never had received And if those former Scriptures by me alledged seem not to you of full weight Luk. 6.38 take these following to the bargain which doutbtless will make it good measure pressed down shaken together and running over First as to the exclusion of all creature-interests besides the alone will of God which is his decree of election Mat. 11.25 Luke 12.31 Secondly as to the confirming of this grant ad numerum numeratum as to a set definite and known number The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 he knows whom he hath chosen Ioh. 13.18 he knows his sheep Ioh. 10.27 yea he knows them by name Ioh. 10.3 their names are written in heaven Luk. 10.20 yea in the spirits book Rev. 13.8 even in the book of life Phil. 4.3 Rev. 21.12 So that having discharged this Argument likewise from the burden you cast upon it by your crude exceptions I am now at liberty to come to the relief of My fourth Argument which is this If faith and works be the fruits and effects of election then they are no waies causes of it for which God should elect But they are fruits and effects Acts 13.48 as many as were ordained to life believed Eph. 2.4 7 8 9 16. To which you answer First See here what ado the man makes with works and causes as the position never mentioneth Answ Sir that I inserted works into any of my Arguments I have given the reason thereof in my defence of my second Argument to wit for the avoiding of vain Tautologies I must refer the Reader and as to causes to my first Argument and though it be true that totidem verbis causes are not exprest in the position yet by an unavoydable consequence they are implied and therefore if the man had holden fast the forme of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 1 Tim. 6.3 and consented to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness much of this contest would have been spared The holy Scriptures and this mans learned writings were not calculated for the same meridian they will not easily suite for one hemisphere where find you in all the holy writings such a style as this especially as to matter of election God saw some men embracing the means and those he elected I have not found the like in Scripture whatsoever this man hath done in his rarer observations but sure I believe he laid it purposely as a gin to catch woodcocks no Sir when you set forth any doctrinal truth by way of a position you ought to keep as close to a Scripture-phrase as possibly the subject matter will bear Secondly you answer by way of a demand what ground he hath to say that faith and works be the fruits and effects of election except it be this that because election goeth before and faith and works follow after and by that way of reasoning he may as well say that Abels death was the effect of Cains birth and that may be accounted the cause of it but yet Cains being born had not effected it if he had not afterwards rose up against him and slew him and so he came to his death it being effected by that means so likewise notwithstanding the Decree of election was before man had any being yet faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.17 as a means appointed by God for the effecting of it that so men might fall under the decree of salvation that is appointed by God to be the portion of believers from before the foundation of the world Answ I shall return upon you in our Saviours language Luk. 19.22 Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant But even now did you consent Promises did flow from the decree of election and yet though we had not reum confitentem we are not so barren and empty of solid grounds for what we say or do affirm Ephes 1.3 that all those spiritual blessings in heavenly places thâ—â— a believer from first to last is made partaker of they all flow unto us and are conferred on us as fruits and effects of election Rom. 11.7 election hath obtained it that Christ was given of the Father that he was incarnate crucified dead raised from death to life that he ascended up on high and that now he sits on Gods right hand and acteth now daily as an intercessor all these flow from election Gal. 4.4 1 Pet. 1.20 Luk. 24.26 Phil. 2.6 c. That any are effectually called according to purpose t is the effect of election Rom. 8.28 and ver 23.24 c. Justification is from election 8.30 c. Sanctification from election Rom. 6.22 Your fruit unto holiness Ephes 1.4 Chosen that we should be holy All which Graces and priviledges as they are fruits and effects of election so are they all of them in their several stations and relations causes of salvation and every antecedent grace is a cause of its consequent grace and the salvation of the elect which is their consummate Glorification is the common effect both of the first cause as of all the intermediate and secondary causes At last you bid defiance to this Argument by having a fling at that Classical text of Scripture Acts 13.48 retorting it upon me thus To his Greek that he writeth in the margin of his paper from Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained c. I do desire him to look once more into his Greek Testament and then let him as he will be willing to answer it before the Judge of the world the Lord Iesus at his appearing when he shall come in his glory and let him speak according to his conscience upon that account whether he cannot read the same words in the Greek from which the word ordained is translated to be the same with that in 1 Cor. 16.15 from which the word addicted is translated and also I shall appeal to the consciences of reasonable people whether it be not a suitable and an agreeable kinde of reading it being directly contrary to what the Jews did v. 45. they spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming and so
who by the inward working of his spirit he hath made Godly For himself i. e. to do him service and live to his glory See Exod. 33.16 Or else this may be understood and that the scope of the place bears necessarily That the Lord hath set apart for some place 〈◊〉 of eminency office and trust him that is Godly as David was foâ— to be more Instrumental for the glory of God and good of his people What you write that there is no more ground or cause tâ— call the words of this position Pelagianism or an old heresy thaâ— there is to call the words of David so is but meer vapour and smoke because the words of David beare no proposition nor do not in the least degree carry any correspondence with the position To what you write for if him that is Godly or believers oâ— those that imbrace the means of salvation be not those that God hath elected in Christ to eternal life then shew me by plain Scripture-proof if you can who they be and what be their names that we may know them I answer roundly thus Answ That such as are thus qualified i. e. that are Godly that are believers and that in sincerity and truth such carry the evidence in themselves their faith and Godliness are arguments symptomes signes to them that they are elected And that as Eph. 1.4 he is said there to elect some that they should be holy so God hath elected such numerical persons that he will withâ—l in his good time make them godly make them believers make them to imbrace the means of salvation by working all their works in them Esa 26.12 Yet God hath not elected any whom he foresaw that by the power of his own free will and liberty of choosing and refusing would be Godly or would believe or would imbrace the means no the object of election was of men in their blood Ezek. 6.16 enemies Rom. 5.10 ungodly Rom. 4.5 sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 And this indeed is the main that I so zealously contend for to beat down all worth or excellency in the creature and to ascribe the sole glory unto God in making him the Alpha and Omega the first and the last in the whole transaction of mans salvation and which my Adversary implicitely denies though in express terms he is ashamed to profess it with a full mouth 1 Sam. 15.14 what meane else the bleatings of these words in my ears page 13. I should sin against Christ if I should say that believing in him were no cause at all and page 39. as it is the good pleasure of God to let the sons of men enjoy a sufficiency of means c. so he gives them liberty in the right use thereof in the day of Grace to choose or refuse and it cannot be otherwise so a choice must needs be at liberty and if there were not a liberty given of God in these things c. Mary hath chosen the better part c. But of these in their several places What further you write Shew me by plain Scripture if you can who they be and what be their names that we may know them is a question more suitable to be proposed by a boy of four years old for if he had been older a rod had been fitter for him then an answer And yet let me tell you Rev. 2.17 Rev. 5.1 Kev 20.12 that those which are elected when once they come to be believers they have a new name given which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it and the book wherein their names are written is as yet a sealed book But when the book shall be opened which is the book of life then it shall be legible even in such great Characters that he that runs may read who they be and what be their names In the mean time the secret things belong to the Lord our God Deut. 29.29 but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do them You further say and if these Scriptures to wit Psal 37. from vers 9. to vers 21. Prov. 3.33 34 35 and Mar. 16.16 together with many other of the sayings of the holy Spirit in the Scripture that have the like sound be not for substance a true coppy of Gods decree of Election and Reprobation from the foundation of the world then shew us a true Copy of it if you can Answ Alas Alas what will not ignorance at least mixt with impudence 2 Tim. 3.6 endeavour to obtrude upon a simple people by creeping into houses and leading captive silly people laden with sin But tell me Sir though it may be possible for you to delude your dull-sighted proselytes with such fopperies as these is it with you imaginable that men of parts and gifts will swallow down such gudgeons such Camels revise the Scriptures that you there cited and see whether any part of any one of them breath the least aire as to matter of Election or Reprobation whether any of them carries any import either in express words or by way of consequence to these eternal decrees And that it may appear that I charge you not unadvisedly let us take a view of the Scriptures apart 1 For that Psal 37.9 to vers 21. The scope of that Psalm is to direct the Godly how to deport themselves especially in reference to the wicked when flourishing in prosperity and to this end 1 He sets down what their duty is 2. He presseth that duty by several Arguments Their first duty is that they beware of angâ—â— and envy whereto they might be tempted upon that occasion oâ— the wickeds prosperity ver 1.7.8 2 That on the contrary they fortifie themselves with faith and hope in God ver 3 5 6. The arguments he useth for confirmation are drawn 1 From the end and issue of both their conditions how both the Godly and wicked shall succeed viz. it shall fall out well for the Godly but ill for the wicked ver 9 10 11. A 2. Is drawn from the cause of this issue and event viz. the efficatious providence of God from the 12 ver to the 21 ver which is illustrated by the effects as 1. The confusion of the wicked in their evil counsel ver 12 13 14 15. 2 By blessing of the little which the righteous man hath beyond all the riches of many wicked ones 3 by a protection and deliverance of the Godly man from those evils wherein the wicked are overwhelmed vers 20 23 24. now what is all this to Election or Reprobation For the place of Prov. 3.33 c. Solomon in all the former part of that chapter exhorteth to an endeavour after divers Graces as the contents thereof do imply The argument whereby he presseth it is from the diverse end and issue of those who are adorned with and those who want those graces which are exprest in these three last verses by you cited But what is this likewise
things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned No Sir it is the peculiar work of the Spirit to regenerate and convert Lydia's heart was opened Acts 16. Mat. 13.3 Rom. 1.16 before she so diligently attended to Pauls words The word of God that brought forth fruit did not make the ground good but it was so before by the special working of that Spirit The word which is the power of God to salvation doth not make believers but God first makes them so by sanctifying of their natures and giving them to believe Phil. 1.29 The word of God in Regeneration hath no greater force or power then the word of the Prophets and Apostles had in raising of the dead which had no other operation then to be tanquam signum as a sign of the thing done or as a moral instrument for there is no lesser power requirable in the recovery of a poor soul from a spiritual death to a spiritual life then there is from a natural death to a natural life And therefore as it is Gods peculiar to raise from death to life natural so it is his alone prerogative to raise from a spiritual death to a spiritual life The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Ioh. 5.25 Yea the same power is exerted in the work of Regeneration or the new creation as was at first in the work of the old creation 1 Cor. 4.6 no less then an hand of omnipotency in them both and therefore not communicable to any creature From all of which I shall hence infer that if it be Gods peculiar work to regenerate and not the word in the hearing of it and that Regeneration is principally necessary to give us ingress into heaven Joh. 3.3 Mat. 5.8 God may then as well regenerate infants by his secret power unsearchable to us though they neither hear nor understand as he doth those that are of riper years by so weak an instrument as the word and Gospel is which hath no such inherent power in and of it self Secondly this your assertion labours of another sickness viz. a false supposition that nothing but actual sins expose men to the danger of being cast into the lake of fire whereas the truth is That original sin or that hereditary pravity we brought with us into the world deriving it from our parents Psal 51.5 who conceived us in sin hath so much of filthiness and uncleanness in it that God may justly cast a new-born infant into the lake of fire for it unless it be washed clean by the blood of Jesus who is the alone way the truth the life Joh. 14.6 and through whose alone merits we have an access into the Holy of Holies into which place are admitted onely these whose names are written in the Lambs book of life Rev. 21.27 Luke 10.20 Rev. 20.15 whose names are written in heaven registred there in the eternal immutable decree of Gods election unto life all the rest whose names are not there recorded infants as well as others are cast into the lake of fire which is the second death But enough of this at present I shall be sure to meet you again more about this when you lay out your strength against original sinne Another thing which you give out in the nature of a reason why infants cannot be damned is viz. for that their not having of faith will never be charged upon them as sin Sir suppose I grant so much and so likewise what you produce out of Rom. 4.15 as a confirmation or rather as a reason of your reason for where no law is there is no transgression both may be very true as set disjunctively but as you have woven them both into one sentence they may not be true nor applicable to your purpose for herein you vary your terms that which you write takes notice of sin the text speaks of transgression wherein I conceive sin and transgression are not terms convertible for though every transgression of the law be a sin yet every sin is not a transgression of the law as in the case now before us for original sin though it be a sin properly and really yet it is not a transgression of the law as personally acted in and by the infants but as imputatively and as a defect of original righteousness So what you further say by way of illustration that there can be no law to infants as such and sin is not imputed where there is no law I grant you as to infants now in existence which law might require the exerting or putting out of any act or duty which their minority is uncapable to receive or to perform But I must withall tell you that as Adam as a publick person as a root and stock received Grace righteousness and holiness for him and his even for those in his loins so he received a law to him and his even the Covenant of works do this and live which law was incumbent not onely on Adam himself but likewise on all those that were in his loins So that infants now are born under a law and their want of original righteousness and that for the defect thereof their being conceived and born in sin and uncleanness shall be a deserving cause of their just condemnation What you bring forth in evidence to what you here aim at viz. Rom. 5.13 sin is not imputed where there is no law is so far from answering your desire that it cuts the throat of your assertion For the clearing whereof its expedient to search into the mind of the Spirit by the scope of the place The Apostle in this Chapter is prosecuting that grand point of Justification by faith in Christ and ver 11. laies down this that we have received attonement by him whence he makes this corollary ver 12. that as by the first Adam sin and death entred into the world so by Iesus Christ righteousness and life are restored to us But ver 13. he meets with an objection that sin is not imputed where there is no law where he argues after this manner If all have sinned in the loins of Adam then those likewise have sinned who lived before the law was given by Moses but before the law was given there could be no sin because where there is no law there is no transgression as Chap. 4.15 and therefore all have not sinned in Adam Now here the Apostle denies the assumption or minor proposition affirming the contrary that sin was before the law given by Moses constantly affirming that howsoever it was not imputed i. e. reckoned or accounted or reputed to be sin yet indeed and in truth sin was then in the world and this being of sin in the world before the law ver 14. he proves by the effect viz. death was then in the world and that all had sinned because that
relate to their being in the corrupt lump for that is but one in the singular number but that spoken of here is in the plural more than one viz. trespasses and sins A good Critick I assure you but to this I answer First that though the Scripture when it speaks of original sin may speak of it in the singular number yet oftentimes it is described by words of the plural number So Psal 51.5 the original carries it Behold I was shapen in iniquities and in sins did my mother conceive me and Joh. 9.34 thou wast altogether born in sins and Col. 2.13 you being dead in your sins And so here Secondly you must know that every particular person is the subject of that sin and in every member and part of that particular person is that sin inherent there is an infective that hath spread over both body and soul and even all the faculties of them both having contracted that defilement by an hereditary propagation and why may not the Holy Ghost for the exaggerating of the greatness of our natural corruption make use of words in the plural number in setting forth of this sin as usually it doth without the censure of a Thomas Tazwel Thirdly I do willingly acknowledge that ver 1. Actual sins committed by men when full grown are here spoken of and meant but not exclusively to original sin that is understood as well as actual and both of these will necessarily require a word of the plural number Actual sins as the streams running in all their veins and their whole conversation in the time of their pilgrimage here but original sin as the fomes and fountain whence those actuall sins had their first conception birth and nursery being deep rooted and fast rivited in the head and heart Fourthly you might easily perceive what I chiefly insisted on in the quoting of that Scripture having set it down in words at length and not in figures by nature children of wrath So that this your first reason will stand you in little stead as to acquit you from this third absurdity Neither will your second perform any greater exploits than his fellow that went before him for where you beat the ayr with your walking and conversation ver 2 3. I must tell you I insist not on it neither am I such an innocent as to make that applicable to infants No Sir it is the close of the 3. ver which I mainly intend and which the Holy Ghost applies singly to the hereditary and original depravation of our sinful nature lineally descending from our primogenitor Adam Gen. 5.3 who howsoever he was created in the image of God yet he begat children in his own likeness after his own image i. e. deprived of the image of God and sinful like himself and by nature children of wrath To which words you would fain say somewhat and so you do but to little purpose and that which you do say is this But now the question is how they were by nature children of wrath say some because nature led them to the doing of these things and to the living in such a filthy conversation But I have better thoughts of nature and yet I desire to think no better of it than the Scripture speaketh of it and my judgement of it is this that nature is so far from leading men into sin that the teaching of it are against sins which I prove by these reasons being grounded upon Scripture Answ Here Sir you propose a question and make your own skul the anvil whereon to forge and fashion an answer which I utterly disclaim as none of ours because of its shortness and insufficiency And whereas you say you have better thoughts of Nature Sir you need not tell me so I know you have seeing by you and those of your party the bond-woman is advanced equal to the free-woman the servant set up in honour to the disgrace and contumely of the mistress Nature I mean being placed by you in the chair of state instead of Grace Joh. 7.51 But doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doth I will therefore bring your reasons to the touchstone whereby you endeavour to confirm this assertion viz. that nature is so far from leading men into sin that the teachings of it are against sin and your first reason is this Because the Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law of God Rom. 2.14 Answ But I hope you will then limit this law of God to the law of the second table and therein likewise to the external acts of civil righteousness and that not as acted from any internal principle of a desire of glorifying of God therein and then what is all this doing worth Besides I believe you have not the front to affirme that the Gentiles did by nature worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity or that they did abstain from falling down before or worshipping the creature more then the Creator Rom. 1.25 or that they observed a seventh day Sabbath Nature I am sure never directed them to such principles Search all the records of the chiefest of the heathens even those that have aspired to the highest pitch of all humane and natural knowledge yet in those their loftiest speculations concerning the nature of divine things they were miserably blind Aristotle a man of the deepest reach that Antiquity ever bred among so many books that he wrote and are in part yet extant hath not left us any one discourse by which it might appear that he bestowed any paines in searching after the knowledge of God except here and there in some poor pitiful disputes and if it may be said thus of the most eminent of the heathens what then may be concluded of the whole croud and rout of them but as what the Apostle ver 12. having a consideration of them as in their pure naturals before their conversion by the Gospel that they were at that time without Christ Eph. 2.12 being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world that they sate in darkness and in the shadow of death Mat. 4.15 and indeed how could it be otherwise Acts 14.16 Ps 147.19.20 when God favoured them not nor had any purpose to bestow grace upon them for in times past he suffered all the Gentiles to walk in their own waies the word and ordinances of his worship they had not for he sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with every nation Ro. 10.14 neither have they known his judgements A preacher they have not and how should they believe in him of whom they have not heard 1 Cor. 2. and how shall they hear without a preacher Natural ability to know the mystery of the kingdome of God Mat. 13.11 they have not for the natural man
he doth not say that they might have it out of their own strength without special grace but this exhortation implicitly teacheth First what duty is incumbent on us for our part to performe and yet it doth not acknowledge strength enough in us to performe the duty Secondly it shews us what is best for us viz. to choose life rather then death Thirdly such places are as tutors to us to informe us of our natural infirmity when therein we find that we are no waies able to do as we are commanded Luk. 17.10 but that when we have done our best we are unprofitable servants Fourthly this will be as a spur to put us on to prayer to seek that at Gods hands which we cannot compass by our own strength Da Domine quod jubes et jube quod vis Give us Lord power to do what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt Fifthly such exhortations the Spirit of God ordinarily makes use of in converting of sinners there accompanying the inward energetical working and power of the Spirit of God with the outward ministery of the word it was the power of Christ Joh. 11.43 Ro. 1.20 and not the bare words of Lazarus come forth that raised him Sixtly yea such exhortations are useful to make the wicked inexcusable Seventhly t is to this end that when the wicked are punished the justice of God might be vindicated Isa 5.4 What could have been done more Those two other places Heb. 11.24.25 and Luk. 10.42 where you set out the word choosing in capital letters as though they would have beheaded al the arguments brought against your freewil yet speak little to the purpose as to a liberty of choosing that which is good in a person unregenerate for that they must speak or else it were as good that they held their peace as to your cause now in hand For as for that of Moses First I look upon him not as then an unregenerate person but as one of the people and houshold of God Secondly neither are you ever able to prove that this was his first choice as to the waies of God but that he was better principled before this Thirdly the choice which he is here said to make was but a meer civil choice viz when Pharaohs daughter had adopted him for her child when he came to years and well understood his pedegree whence his descent was he then disclaimed this adoptive honour and was not further willing to dissemble his nation and to act for the Egyptians against his own brethren according to the flesh but chose rather to profess himself an Hebrew of the Hebrews Heb. 11. though he suffered affliction with them T is true it s said he had an eye to the recompence of the reward but then surely that must be in his heart before ever he could make any such choice and then what will this place be to the purpose as to persons unregenerate And for that choice of Maries likewise the most you can make of it is but an external spiritual good to choose rather to hear a sermon than to provide a dinner to prefer to hear Christ preaching than how she might give him curious entertainment and this its possible for one to do and yet to go to hell after the sermon is ended Mar. 6.20 Act. 12.21 Herod made choice to hear Iohn Baptist and the text saith that he heard him gladly and yet what became of Herod it is an easy matter to judge without any breach of charity And thus you shake hands at parting with freewill and return to your in and out discourse after this manner And thus when men and women come to repent and be changed from dead works and embrace the means of salvation and believe in Jesus Christ they then come to be such a sort or kind of people that it was in the purpose and decree of God which was from before the foundation of the world to elect justifie in the end eternally to save and the decree of God which was from before time cometh to be actually put in execution upon them in order to their being made vessels of honour when they come to embrace the means as aforesaid and will be fully accomplished when it shall be said unto them Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world Answ Surely Sir a man had need to have a great deal of patience and much time to spare that can be content to follow you up and down with your so many wrenches and turnings and windings that at first sight one can scarce discover what the subject is you have in hand for here you hunt counter and tell us what sort or kind of people those are whom God did decree to elect justifie and save from before the foundation of the world which hath been often answered to and proved that they were such persons whom God had a love unto and from that love did elect them out of the corrupt lump and likewise did decree to give them faith and repentance to sanctifie their natures and justifie their persons and at the last eternally to save them Yea even those individual persons were so decreed as aforesaid and no other Rev. 21.27 13.8 20.15 whose names were found written in the Lambs book of life and that whosoever were not found written in that book that they should have their portion in the lake which is the second death God did not decree to elect and justifie and save individuum vagums or qualifications to be found no man knows where nor when for so it might be that for all that election by you imagined yet no man might be saved if no man would believe or repent and indeed no man could if God did not give them to believe and give them repentance to salvation And having done with this extravagancy you have one fling more at the business you should look at and this it is And this is that which God hath done not in order to any confinement of himself to any subordinate power in us but in order to the doing of that which he purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began for our good and it hath been the good will and pleasure of God to be so far accountable unto us of these things for our comfort and consolation in Jesus Christ that if any shall say unto us who be the vessels of mercy which God hath afore prepared unto glory that we can say Rom. 9.24 even us whom he hath called not of the Iews onely but also of the Gentiles Yea it hath been the good will and pleasure of our God so to make known the mystery of his will unto us in the Scripture that he or they whosoever they be that do with delight embrace the mean of salvation and retain the words of Christ Heb. 2.1 See the margin and not let them slip or
your rambling discourse and frivolous Queries for it is very visible and yet against the disswasion of some friends I have willingly gone thorow with it not so much in any hopes that I had for the recalling of a back-slider by a better information of him for t is too well experienced that men of your jump they will sooner precipitate themselves into a hundred new errors then to retract one an easie observation will clear this for a truth But indeed the greatest motives I had for the undertaking of this task were First the glory of the most high God that his precious truths might not be perverted by your lies but that his glory might shine all the world over as well in the execution of justice as manifestation of mercy and that in both he might be all in all and all his works of creation might be subservient to his good pleasure and most righteous will The next thing I had in mine eye was a tender love I bore to a number of poor simple souls whom you had dipt and plunged into your faith and were almost jurati in verba magistri receiving your crude dictates as so many Oracles and for their sakes did I likewise draw this burden on myself that by unkennelling you out of your Fox-holes I might uncase you and turn your inside out and so disfranchise you of all those strong holds and subterfuges wherein formerly you trusted 2 Tim. 3.6 and therewith deluded and led captive many silly women laden with sins for most of that sex were your over-credulous Auditors that so they beholding your nakedness they might be ashamed for leaning on and trusting to such bruised reeds as your rotten Positions were And now I have done one word of advise I have to give you which is this that neither you nor any of your comrads should be much sollicitous for any reply unto my writings for it is already by me resolved that whatsoever your further undertakings shall be in this kind or howsoever you shall be a provocation to me yet I will not Serram trahere not bandy words any more with you nor shew my self so effeminate as to strive for the last word for so there would be no end of making of books Eccles 12.12 and if this that I have written will not do it I conceive no less then an Omnipotent hand will ever be able to alter your judgement Besides I have wasted so much precious time on you already that now I must endeavour to redeem it and that so these controversal points being laid aside I may with more intention bend my studies Psal 9.10 2 Tim. 4.6 not onely for the discharge of my particular calling in dispensing of the Gospel of grace but also since I have almost attained the period of mans age and therefore in natural account the time of my departure being at hand it will be of more concernment to me to spend the remainder of my spare time in this my short pilgrimage in acts of practical devotion and to wave polemical contests that so setting before my eyes that great account that must be past before that great Tribunall I may consider before hand how I may do it with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 But if you or any else shall object against me that I have been too harsh in dealing so homely and roundly with you personating rather a ranting Quaker then a sober Divine all that I have to say for my self is this and yet I hope this is satisfactory enough to the wise and judicious that my plain dealing proceeded not from any enmity I bear to your person God he knoweth it for I shall be still ready to do you any office of love but meerly out of an indignation that I had against your writings which did so deeply intrench upon the Majesty of God and his glorious Attributes Yet in this life I acknowledge and therefore I rather pity then malice you there is not an equal discovery to all men in a like measure but to some more to some less the Talents are not distributed by God after a Geometrical proportion all are not teachers there must be some hearers for the Oeconomy of the Church of God But sure my hopes are that if you belong to God that in some of those whereabouts our contest hath been where you have been otherwise minded then my self Phil. 3.15 that God will reveal even those things unto you Col. 3.4 1 Cor. 15.54 Elias cum venerit solvet omnia When Christ who is our life shall appear in his glory and that this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality though now we may be of different judgements and jar and wrangle amongst our selves yet then if we appertain to Christ both you and I shall be made real friends and mutually agree in the harmonious consort of that heavenly quire in singing the songs of the Lamb saying Rev. 15.3 great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy waies thou king of Saints Now unto this King eternal 1 Tim. 1.17 immortal invisible and truly wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS