that Writer by Your Faithful Servant S. BOLD OBSERVATIONS ON THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON THE Reasonableness of Christianity c. Observations on the Preface IT cannot be denied but that a wrong Construction may be put upon a very good and useful Book And that what it discourses of may be represented quite contrary to what the Author designed and hath delivered in most intelligible apposite and plain Expressions Now if a Person who pretending to write against a Book he does not rightly understand or mis-represents doth propose any thing that is pertenent in opposition to that Book it is very rational to suppose his doing so is rather to be attributed to Chance than to the Exactness of his Iudgment and his certain Intention For it is hardly to be conceived that a Rational Person will deliberately and advisedly write any thing but what he conceives hath a clear Connection with what he directly and immediately proposeth to be the Subject of his Discourse And though at some distance he aims at the Book he talks of yet he mainly designs to confirm the Propositions he lays down as he conceives directly contrary to those delivered in that Book But if the Propositions on both sides are in Truth very well consistent though he doth not apprehend so he can hardly offer any Considerations to weaken the Force or expose the Truth of the Propositions advanced by the Author he professeth to oppose but those very Considerations will as certainly wound his own Propositions and reflect as unluckily on them as they can on the other which it will not be allowed to suppose a wise and prudent Writer could design Whilst he mistakes the Author he in Words opposeth let him confirm and establish his own Assertions ever so strongly he does not at all distress what that Author hath indeed Published One Man affirms that all the Doctrines which are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians or to Salvation are laid down in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles Another professeth to oppose this and therefore lays down and elaborately endeavours to prove this Proposition That the Epistles are part of the Rule of Saving Faith Now both these Propositions are very true and consistent and whatever Arguments can be produced to prove the latter comport very well with the Truth of the former and cannot at all invalidate but may very much confirm it But if he who undertakes to prove the latter do let fall Passages which reflect on the former Proposition those Passages have really the same ill Aspect with relation to his own Proposition they have to the other The whole amounts to no more than if one should declare that all that is absolutely necessary to be believed to make a Man a Christian or to Salvation is delivered in the Epistles And another out of a sort of Zeal for the Gospels and the Acts should professedly oppose that Proposition and publish a Book to prove that the Gospels and Acts are part of the Rule of Saving Faith But when the Question is this seeing the Doctrines absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians are laid down both in the Gospels and Acts and in the Epistles In what parts of the New Testament may it be best discerned which be the Doctrines that are absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians Then certain Reasons may be assigned why they may be better discerned by consulting the Gospels and Acts than the Epistles Peoples misrepresenting a good Book may be derived from various Originals as Wilfulness Inadvertence Weakness Prepossession c. I will not suspect that the Author of the Animadversions lately Printed at Oxford on the Reasonableness of Christianity as delivered in the Scriputers hath misrepresented that excellent Treatise through an Indulgence to any thing for which he may be justly blamed because he writes for the most part with so much Temper and hath made a Profession in the Close of his Preface so every way becoming a worthy and good Christian. But if I understand the true Meaning of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. as expressed in that Treatise it is mightily misrepresented in those Animadversions how innocent and harmless soever the Author may be in what he has done That I may do both these Authors all the Right I am able I will observe all along wherein they do agree and give as true impartial and distinct an Account of the Sense of the Reasonableness of Christianity as I can in those Points treated of especially in the First and Third Parts of these Animadversions and take some notice of what this Author hath offered against what he hath alledged out of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. And that I may proceed the more orderly I will begin my Observations where the Author of the Animadversions begins his viz. P. 1. of his Preface Where he declares his Agreement with the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. That the most Rational Means of silencing all Religious Controversies is to take the Scriptures for the only Rule of Faith This I apprehend is a true Account of the Judgment of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity concerning this Matter And I conceive he agrees with the Author of the Animadversions in the main of that Reason which he hath annexed to that Proposition Though to express what I apprehend a more clear and full Account of the Sense of the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. I will take the Liberty to word it in some Places otherwise than this Author hath done and to add one Passage or Clause he hath not inserted For there might be some probable Grounds to hope for a happy Conclusion of all Disputes in Religion if all Parties would joyn issue in this that no Christian ought to be required to believe any thing but what is injoyned by the clear and express Declarations of Scripture nor any thing so injoyned till it be made appear to him that it is so injoyned and that no Christian may reject or with-hold his assent from any Article which appears to him to be plainly delivered in the Holy Scriptures The Clause I shall add is this That nothing ought to be required to be believed as absolutely necessary to make Men Christians but what is injoyned by the clear and express Declaration of Scripture to be believed for that purpose And I add this Clause for this Reason amongst others because whoever imposeth on People certain Doctrines though the Doctrines are really Christ's Doctrines as absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians which Christ and his Apostles have not declared to be absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians doth as really advance a Foreign Authority and set it up equally with Christ's as he doth who imposeth any thing as a necessary part of the Christian Religion which Christ and his Apostles never made a part of it For notwithstanding the
Jews or Gentiles can be obliged to believe are laid down in the New Testament They are not limited to one particular part of those Sacred Writings And all Christians must endeavour to know as many of them as they can and then believe them But there is not a precise Number of Doctrines set down in any one Part of Scripture as absolutely necessary to be believed by any Christian or beyond which a Christian is not to endeavour to extend his Belief In p. 47. This Author by way of Reply to what he hath quoted out of the First Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. p. 14. where that Author declares the Reason why he did not go through the Epistles to collect the Fundamental Articles of Faith c. propounds certain Questions whereof the principal is this But how are these Fundamental Points to be found in the Gospels and Acts better than in the Epistles Answ. Though I think a very solid strong rational and invincible Answer is given to this and the other Questions in those very Lines this Author hath quoted out of the First Vindic. from which he hath taken occasion to propose these Questions yet because the same Author hath expressed himself more largely concerning this Matter in his Second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. I shall refer the Reader to p. 141 142. of that Book where I think he may find as compleat Satisfaction to these Queries as can reasonably be desired But since this Author doth here as well as in several other places speak of Truths revealed or delivered or taught in the New Testament Which he saith have no respect to Man's Salvation and which are things indifferent I shall take leave to ask a few Questions For what End were those Truths taught in the New Testament which have no respect to Man's Salvation Which be those Truths Christ hath taught which have no respect to those Peoples Salvation who do believe them purely because they know he-hath taught them Is it indifferent whether Christians believe or do not believe any thing which they know Jesus Christ hath taught Are they to govern themselves in their Submission to and believing of what Christ hath taught by the Apprehensions they or other Men shall be pleased to cherish of the Respect or no Respect his Doctrines have to Man's Salvation Will not such a Notion if it take place make shrewd Work when dexterously managed both with the Truths which are taught and the Rules of Practice which are laid down in the New Testament As for those Truths which have a nearer or more remote Connexion with what is absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to make Men Christians the Reader may advance himself much both in Knowledge and Piety by an attentive serious perusing what the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. hath writ concerning the same in his Second Vindic. of the Reasonab c. p. 74 75. The Terms of Salvation saith this Author are as plainly and clearly set down in the Epistles as in the Gospels p. 47. Answ. Those Doctrines which are absolutely necessary to be believed to Salvation may be as plainly and clearly set down in the Epistles as in the Gospels and yet not be as clearly distinguished in the former as in the latter from other Doctrines which are not absolutely necessary to be explicitely believed to Salvation This Author hath I think in his 50th Page overturned all that he hath writ against the Reasonableness of Christianity c. in this First part of his Book especially if he will allow that the Persons he speaks of before he comes to the middle of that Page were Christians before they explicitely believed every particular Truth they were taught during their Lives For if they were the Question will not be how many Articles they did believe in all But what those Articles were the Belief of which made them Christians If they were not Christians till they did explicitely believe the very last Articles which were taught them during their Lives their Belief of those Articles joyn'd to those they had learned before whatever they were made them Christians And if they did not every one happen to learn and believe the very same Article in the last place or one that made each Man's Faith exactly the same the explicite Belief of one Article made one Man a Christian and the explicite Belief of another Article made another Man a Christian which is utterly impossible For no Man can be a Christian without that which is absolutely necessary to make a Man a Christian. Could I meet with a Passage in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. which I could justly think to have a Tendency to impair the Divine Authority of the Epistles or lessen Peoples Esteem for them I hope I should as heartily dislike it and be as ready to caution People against it as another Person notwithstanding I make so great account of the Book it self And though I have writ so many Pages in order to the clearing some Mistakes as I conceive in this First part part of the Animadversions on the Reasonableness of Christianity c. yet I fully concur with the worthy Author of them in what I apprehend was his principal Design There are many very excellent and useful things in this part of his Book He writes very well and like a very good Man and had not his misapprehending the Reasonableness of Christianity c. led him out of his way and somewhat bewildred him his Discourse according to my Judgment would have been without a Blemish unless his using sometimes a greater Latitude in his Expressions than is rigidly justifiable may be reckoned one notwithstanding it is but a keeping Pace with the most Applauded and Learned Writers Our enjoying the Epistles as well as the Gospels and Acts is a Mercy for which we can never be sufficiently thankful May we all set a just Value on them read them attentively study them diligently and make that Improvement we ought of our being favoured with so inestimable a Blessing then we shall reap singular Benefit from them and one End aimed at in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. will be greatly advanced Observations on the Reason of Christ's coming into the World THE Title this Author hath given to the Second Part of his Animadversions is Of the Reason of Christ's coming into the World I will pass over this Part very briefly because this Author seems to find fault with some Passages in the Reasonableness of Christianity c. on purpose to take Occasion to discourse of Christ's Satisfaction whereas the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath laid down very good Reasons I think why he did not think it proper for him to insist on that point in his Book I do not find that the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath declared it was his Design to discourse of the Reason of Christ's coming into the World
to Salvation 5. The Author of the Reasonableness c. did search the Scriptures to find what are the Articles the Belief of which God hath made absolutely necessary to Salvation and he hath given a full Account of what he found there concerning this Matter 6. It is an eminent Demonstration of the Condescention and Goodness of God towards Man that whereas he might have made the explicite Belief of incomprehensible Articles absolutely necessary to Salvation he hath not made the explicite Belief of any but that plain and intelligible Proposition the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath set down as absolutely necessary to Salvation This Discovery of the Divine Condescention and Goodness ought to be taken Notice of by those who have a Sense of it and the Reflection the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath made on this Occasion is so pertinent and so pious I do a little wonder that Pious and Good Men can prevail with themselves to make invidious Animadversions upon it But Secondly Why all this Concern for the Illiterate and Men of weak Capacities as though it would be so very prejudicial to them to be obliged to believe what they cannot comprehend p. 96. Answ. If God is pleased to shew his Concern for the illiterate and Men of weak Capacities it is very fit that Writers and Good Men should take Notice of it And though we are obliged to believe explicitely whatsoever we shall attain to know God hath revealed be matters discoursed of ever so much above our Comprehension yet it may be very prejudicial to the illiterate Men and some Offence against Jesus Christ to require of them the Belief of Articles they cannot comprehend as absolutely necessary to their Salvation when Jesus Christ doth not require the explicite Belief of any such Articles as absolutely necessary to that Purpose and more particularly because it is a Subjecting their Faith to some other Authority than his who is their only Lord. For the Misteries of Religion which are incomprehensible are equally so to all p. 96. Very true But some learned Men can say a great many things whether they understand what they say or not concerning the Mysteries of Religion which illiterate Men cannot comprehend And their Authority may as well oblige them to believe their incomprehensible Speeches as absolutely necessary to Salvation as Mysteries which Jesus Christ hath not made absolutely necessary to that purpose But lastly since our Author is of Opinion that it would be very advantageous to Mankind in general to have only such a Religion as is very easy to be understood by all sorts of Men we ought to consider how very intelligible his Rule of Faith is if compared with that of our Church and how agreeable his one Article is to the Comprehension of Vulgar Capacities p. 98. Answ. To this the Author of the Reasonableness c. hath given a very full Reply I think in these Words He should have remembred that I speak not of all the Doctrines of Christianity nor all that is published to the World in it but of those Truths only which are absolutely required to be believed to make any one a Christian c. First Vindication of the Reasonableness c. p. 30. Here I expected some Discovery that our Church had taught somewhat contrary or exceedingly different touching this Matter from what is delivered in the Reasonableness c. concerning it But that Comparison is not pursued I shall therefore say no more but that our Church doth require the explicite Belief of all that Christ and his Apostles have made absolutely necessary to be believed to make Men Christians and presses to a serious dilligent care and endeavour to understand as much as may be of what Christ and his Apostles have taught without limiting People to a precise Number of Articles beyond which they must not dare to stir and if she had not done so I should not have that high Esteem for her I most justly have This Author bestows his 99th Page and most of the Two following Pages in shewing that this Proposition Iesus is the Messiah is not easy to be understood I will not undertake to declare what his Design is in this I suppose he doth not make a Question whether the Belief of that Proposition is absolutely necessary to make Men Christians and therefore that it must be understood For he contends That there are many more Propositions together with this equally necessary to be explicitely known and believed to make Men Christians So that he doth not exclude but acknowledge that the Belief of this Proposition is absolutely necessary Now this Proposition is like easy to be understood whether the due believing of it doth make a Man a Christian or the explicite believing of a great many more Propositions together with it be absolutely necessary to make a Man a Christian. For I suppose it will not be denied that it is as easy to understand this one Proposition standing alone as to understand this same Proposition when it is joined with a great many others which are also to be believed The making the explicite Belief of more Propositions distinct from this that Jesus is the Messiah absolutely necessary together with the explicite Belief of it to make Men Christians doth not make that Proposition more easy to be understood than it would be if the explicite Belief of those other Propositions were not made absolutely necessary to make Men Christians The Way this Author takes to shew that this Proposition is not easy to be understood is by supposing an inquisitive labouring illitera'e Man who knows many things which are delivered in the New Testament and who understands what it is for Books to be Divinely inspired but is ignorant what is meant by a Saviour asking several Questions concerning this Proposition and another much more Ignorant than him answering to every one of these Questions I neither like the Questions nor the Answers as they are set down in these Pages therefore I shall only observe 1. That whoever will reply directly to an impertinent Question must unavoidably give an impertinent Answer Wherefore when Questions are not rightly propounded he that puts them must be made sensible of his Mistakes and assisted to form them aright 2. That if a Person is Inquisitive concerning the Sense of this Proposition That Jesus is the Christ or only Saviour of Sinners and doth acknowledge the true God make him but throughly sensible of his own Sin and Guilt and he will then easily understand what is meant by a Saviour Then his Inquiries will be how he may be satisfied that the Person discoursed of is by God's Appointment the only Saviour of Sinners and on what Terms he may with good warrant expect Salvation from him To which Questions there are very proper clear and plain Answers to be given 3. Most of the Questions proposed in this Author's Pages when rightly formed must have such Answers made to them as Christ doth authorize us in the Scriptures to give to them But what Entertainment can you expect his Answers will have with them who are not truly convinced and therefore do not really believe he is the Messiah Convince your Querist though roughly of that viz. That Jesus is the Christ or Messiah so that he does truly receive him to be his Lord and King and then you will find him in a fair way and very well disposed to receive Satisfaction when you make him perceive that your Answers to his Questions are the very same which Christ himself has given to them or such as he doth warrant you to offer for Peoples Satisfaction in those Cases This Author concludes his Book with observing That those Parts of the Reasonablenes of Christianity c. which treat of the Necessity of Revelation the Conditions of Repentance Good Works c. seem to carry an Air of Piety along with them and to be writ with such Strength of Iudgment as may be supposed that the Author had thought more upon them than upon any other parts of that Treatise As I think those parts of the Reasonableness of Christianity c. here approved by this Author have a very pious Relish and are writ with a Strength Vivacity and Fineness very much above what is common so I fully concur with this Worthy Anthor in all or most of the Points he hath treated of in his Book which I have not made some Remark on in these Papers I will conclude with taking Notice that as we are very apt to Imagine a Person hath thought well on a Point when he treate it to our liking so we are very prone to fancy he is defective or in an Error when his Discourse upon a Subject is not such as we would have it to be Yet the Mistake may really be in our selves and may arise from our having not exactly enough considered the Matter when we impute Neglect or Remisness in Study to him whose Sentiments are opposite to ours In such a Case People are not to be concluded by the Opinions of those who are for the one side or the other but ought to descend into and impartially weigh the Merits of the Cause FINIS