Book who confutes this Exposition of the word z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as not apposite to the place it properly signifying saith he a proof which renders a thing evident or demonstrates it from certain and necessary reasons Such were the Supernatural gifts of the Holy-ghost But the making men of our belief and perswading them to receive what we say is no certain and necessary proof that we speak nothing but the Truth No man can affirm that who considers any thing and therefore the Apostle speaks of such a sensible demonstration or proof as I mentioned without which they could not know certainly that there was a Divine Spirit in the Apostles So the word is plainly expounded Act. 2.22 Jesus of Nazareth a man approved * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denuâ—â—â—â—ated to you to be of among you by Miracles Wonders and Signs which God did by him c. From whence I gother that the thing whereby he approved himself to them or demonstrated he was of God was the very same whereby the Apostles demonstrated his Religion viz. Miracles Wonders and Signs all the gifts of the Holy Ghost N. C. But do not the Dutch Annotators expound it otherwise C. They seem to understand by Spirit the secret operation of the Spirit in mens hearts though by Power the same that I do In which they follow Erasmus in his Paraphrase and Theophylact hath something to the same effect though he presently betake himself to the Interpretation of St. Chrysostom before named But how an inclination to believe a thing or a perswasion wrought in me of it should be a Demonstration i. e. a proof that the thing is true which I am perswaded of or inclined unto is as I told you past my understanding And therefore having such good company I shall believe notwithstanding all his barking that they were the extraordinary visible effects of the Spirit either in our Saviour or his Apostles or others who believed which were the Demonstration by the means of which the Holy Ghost convinced the understandings and bowed the wills of unbelievers to become Christians N. C. I thought Grotius only had beâ—â— on your side and Philagathus tells us he perceives if Grotius be for you as 〈◊〉 it were God himself you are ready to say who shall be against you a Pag. 10. As if yâ—â— were bound to swear whatsoever Grotius b Ib. saith C. I remember his words and they are another notable Demonstration of the Hypocritical modesty that is the shameless boldness of this man who will venture to say any thing merely out of his own head which he thinks may disgrace me and indeavour without any proof to make the world believe that I pin my Faith on Grotius his sleeve and make him in stead of a God This he repeats I cannot tell how often as he shall hear anon with a witness and I will repeat it too only out of that great forge where the rest of his Book was wrought his own imagination For I protest sincerely it is more than I know if that be his Interpretation which I gave you nor did I in all my life to my best remembrance consult with him about it Though I must tell you if I had I should in Mr. Baxter's judgment have consulted one of the five most judicious Commentators that ever wrote on the Scriptures c Beza Grotius Pilcator Musculus Deodat Five of the most judicious Commentators I think that ever wrote on the sacred Scriptures Second Postscript afâ—er his Disput about Right to the Sacraments p. 539. But as judicious as he is in his opinion I would have you know that I would never have followed him without more reason than his bare affirmation The naked truth is that the very propriety of the words and the drift of the Apostles discourse carried me without any help to this Exposition Spirit every body knows who hath studied signifies commonly extraordinary gifts If he will not be at the pains to examine it I will quore him an Autority for it which he often vaunts of and that is Master Baxter who tells you that he who will observe carefully the language of the Holy Ghost shall find this word Spirit or Holy Ghost is most usually in the New Testament taken for the extraordinary gifts of that Age d Vnreasonableness of Infidelity p. 12. As for the word Power you heard what Musculus said But beside I have noted in my small Observation that when our Saviour was sent into the World he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with Power Acts 10.38 and that he told his Apostles as the Father sent him so he would send them Joh. 20.21 From whence I concluded that they were to be anointed also with the Holy Ghost or the Spirit and with Power as he had been And so they were for as at his Baptism the Spirit of God descended on him like a Dove Mat. 3.16 so on the day of Pentecost which was the day of their Baptism Acts 1.5 they were all filled with the Holy Ghost prophesying and speaking with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and presently working a great Miracle upon the Creeple and with great power giving witness of his Resurrection e See Act. 2. v. 4.17.25 Act 3. v 2 c. Act. 4. v. 33. This I thought was the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power whereby our Lord was approved and demonstrated in his life time to be the Son of God and by which afterward they proved his Resurrection from the dead and so the Truth of his Religion Spirit I take to comprehend the gift of Tongues Prophesie Interpretation of Tongues and all the rest except doing Miracles which in Scripture is called by the name of Power Thus I observe they are distinguished Gal. 3.5 He that ministreth the Spirit and worketh Miracles among you doth he it by the works of the Law c. where all gifts besides Miracles are called the Spirit And the Author to the Hebrews saith that God did bear witness to the Apostles Preaching both with Signs Wonders and divers Miracles and also with Gifts or Distributions of the Holy-Ghost according to his own will These and such like considerations were sufficient to perswade me to incline to that sense of the words which I gave you But when I attended to the scope of the Apostles discourse I had no doubt left in me nothing so well agreeing with it whatsoever this man prates as that Interpretation For the Spirit and Power is that which proved the Truth of the Apostles Preaching better than any Syllogisms or artificial Orations could do which he therefore calls a Demonstration in opposition to those ways of perswasion which deserved not that name Now what should that be which was the Reason and Cause of Belief Since it is certain the Spirit did not inwardly perswade men to believe without any reason Could some meâ—â— belief of the Doctrine prove that
d p. 162. of his Book and speaking of other partculars he leaves out this and then basely slanders me for putting experiences or those that treasure up and communicate them among the workers of iniquity When I only said that the power of godliness did not consist in such things as these But there is 50â— much folly which he powres out on this subject that it would make too great a part of a Book to lay them open Would you think any man should be so senseless as when I smile at a man that brings his own experience to prove the truth of Christianity to tell me â—f the experience the World hath had of the Gospel being propagated far and near Is this to omit what might be otherwise replyed any of your particular experiences Do you feel that the Jews are a miserable People at this day which is another thing he mentions If we must write Books at this rate it will be endless for a man must be forced to write the same things over and over again to convince such opposers And therefore fare him well let him enjoy all his idle conceits about Holy-days and tell us of their unwillingness to keep such days as we do not keep our selves e St. Swethen St Georg c. p. 151. that this Saint is better than that and say as he doth profanely that they are disposed to keep a Fast rather than a Festival in remembrance of St. Bartholomew f They are his own words p. 153. one of the Holy Apostles to whom some part of the World was beholden for preaching the Gospel Let him prefer his Major Gen. if he will before him and make this an Argument against observing our Holy-days because they are no better observed g p. 155. I resolve not to trouble my self with such matters nor all the rest of his impertinencies on this subject N. C. I am glad of it with all my heart I hope we are almost at an end C. And I am as glad that he hath bestowed his six week time almost in abusing me and perverting the sense of my Book if it have kept him from worse imployment N. C I know not what you aim at C. The same that a Gentleman of a neighbouring Nation did who was used by another Phil. h Philarchus who writ againt Balzac just as I have been by this and his comfort I take to my self This little misch of which is done me may be of some use 〈◊〉 the Common-wealth and while malice amuses it self about matters of this concernment it may not find leisure to intermeddle in affairs of higher moment They that imploy their time in perverting the sense of Books and falsifying mens Works are of such a disposition that it is possible as this man speaks they might have been busied in forging of Wills or cliping of Money And he that comes only to desire a Licence or Priviledg for a Book i As he did to Seignior Ld. Chaac of France in a letter to whom these passages are might haue sued for a Pardon or a Reprieve It is much better that injustice should sport it self in the spoiling of a poor Dialogue than that it should trouble the publick tranquillity and that it should transpose words and alter periods than remove the bounds of lands or perplex mens estates To say the truth it is the most innocent imployment that Vice can have and I might be thought to have served my Country if I had done no more than find such idle people some work who might have proved dangerous Citizens if they had not chosen to be ridiculous Censurers N. C. I hope you do not apply all this to him C. I must at least let him know thus much That I am perfectly well content if the heat of his brains exhale this way and his intemperate rage find no other vent If he know not what to do with his zeal let him continue to spend it on me rather than suffer it to be more dangerously imployed If this scope and liberty which he gives to his folly will go no further he may proceed as he hath begun And let him call in what assistance he please to pelt me and powre whole showers of stones upon me it is like I may be able as that Gentleman said in his case I may be able to build my self a Monument with those stones which Wrath and Malice hurl at me without doing me any harm N. C. You will have good luck then for you may expect other kind of stones than you think of if all be true that he saith Hail-stones or Thunder-bolts for he tells you he hath but anticipated others that would have come against you in a whirlwind and all in Thunder-claps whereas he speakes in a still and gentle voice which might have broken all your bones k Preface 31. C. Pish They will prove but the noise of Pot-guns I warrant you And I look upon this but as a Vapour and a piece of that Vanity I told you he is guilty of which hath contrived I cannot tell how many punishments for me It is but a small matter that in the beginning of his Preface he supposes I deserve to be cut off l pag. 3â— he can tell you the manner of it Either by a Leprosy like Gehazi or by a worse means being in as much danger as most men he knows to dy like Herod of the lowsy disease m They are his words pag. 80. And why so think you N. C. Your pride and insolence is so great as he tells you as appeares particularly by telling us of W. B. lowsy similitudes which he cannot divine how it should come into your mind unless your head be already full of lice C. Is not his pride and insolence greater than that he layes to my charge who presumes you see there can be no good Reason for a thing if he do not know it Let him know now once for all that I did not throw any word carelesly into my Paper as he doth but wrote deliberately and gave such Epithetes to things as I judged upon consideration most proper if he like me the worse for this I care not I like my self the better N. C. Could you have any reason for so Vile an Epithete C. Suppose I had learned it out of your Books and only returned your own words back again to you where had the fault been I am sure I find some of your Spirit in times past called the Orders in the Common-prayer Book carnal beggarly lowsy and Antichristian n Dr. Bancrost's Sermon at Pauls Cross p. 20. N. C. But you should not have imitated such beggarly language C. Nor W. B. used such beggarly similitudes For the true Reason o I told you I had a good one continuation p. 116 I assure you of that Epithete was this that he compares an unconverted person to a Beggar who drops lice as the other doth sins where ever he
that are contented notwithstanding his Book should pass for an Answer and will commend it till the Nakedness of it be discovered Others also are easily cheated with a Multitude of Words and will rather distrust themselves than a godly Minister as they esteem him who is so confident and hath the Scripture continually at his Tongues end This makes a Show of Religion and of Wisdom too and though it be nothing to the purpose there seems to be much of God in it As there are confident Ninnies sometimes in the Garb of Wise men and Sententious Absurdities that carry the appearance of Aphorisms So there is a blustering Language which looks like Rhetorick ridiculous Conceits which make a show of Wit and ignorant Bablers in Holy Phrase who seem like great Divines It was a Trick of the Separatists from the beginning to paint the Margin of their Books with the Chapter and Verse of many Scriptures which were the Ornaments also of their Preaching and familiar Discourse This very much astonished the simple and credulous who perswaded themselves that the Cause of those men stood upon the ground of Gods Word which they had so ready at their fingers end But if a serious man come to examine them he shall find they alledg Scriptures against us to prove that which we do not deny or if they be brought to confirm the matter in Controversie they are unconscionably or ignorantly wrested against or beside the meaning of the Holy Ghost t They are the words of the grave and modest Consutation of the Separatists c. paâ—l 1644. in the Pref. This I thought good among many other things to reprove in this ignorant Boaster though the instances of it are so many that I could not without tiring the Readers note them all Many other things I have also passed by untouched for this only Reason that there are such heaps of Absurdities as it would make a Volumn of too great a Bulk to gather them all together There is nothing I protest which I could not as easily have confuted as those Follies which I have mentioned nor did I wave any thing because of its Difficulty but since some things must be let alone for fear of being tedious I took those into consideration which came readiest to my mind and which I thought the most material leaving the Reader to conceive by the handling of them what I could have said of the rest if I had thought it worth my pains I speak in the singular number because my name is not Triumvirate much less Legion as some vainly surmise v See his Pref. p. 1. and 17. There is nothing in the two former Books or in this either but what is the fruit of my own Diligence without the least help from any body else No Collections were made to set me up nor have I received so much as one Observation from any person since I began I had no Adviser neither no man to instigate me to the Vndertaking or to speak in his Dialect to be my Intelligence or Assistant Form to move me and carry me about x Ib. p. 39. All these Suggestions are out of some of their own idle and empty Brains for the whole was purely from and by my self alone And it is no such wonderful Work neither in my Judgment now that it is performed If it be it is more than I know and I have the very same Opinion of my self that I had before it was conceived What that is you will find in this Book and therefore I shall not here repeat it Though I must tell you were I blown up as he suspects by the Breath of other mens Praises it would be more pardonable than to swell with my own and vaunt at such a rate as he doth Who as he absurdly fancies me dealing with Religion as Abraham was about to do with Isaac so he conceives himself like the Angel which hindred the Execution and cries out Pardon me if I rise up to staythy Hand wonder not if I adventure all to keep Religion from being made one whole Burnt-Offering by you y Preface p. 25. The Earnestness of which Request he might well have spared for it would have been granted without so much as asking It is no wonder at all to see Ignorance daring and adventurous It is the Mother z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. ib. we have learnt of insolent Brags and bold Rashness Which brood as one hath well ezpressed it many years ago breaking the Shell with too much Hast cackles afore it be full hatched a Bishop of Rochesters Epistle of the Ministers of Scotland before his Sermon Sept. 21 1606. of this you have a Proof in this great Vndertaker whose raw and indigested Thoughts made him resemble the Destruction of Religion which he was speaking of to a whole Burnt-Offering to God and talk of staying my Hand after it had given the Stroke Many such incongruous Conceptions you will meet with in the following Book which if it do not bring him down from his lofty Perch and humble him in his own Thoughts will lay him low I believe in the esteem of equal Readers who will see he is so far from being like an Angel that he hath done nothing like an ordinary man As for the time which was spent in composing this or the former Pieces I am not yet so vain as to tell the World how little it was He shall only know thus much for his satisfaction that there is no Truth in what he hath been told of Collections made for them several years The second Part wherein he saith there is much Reading being not so much as thought of till I heard what a stir they kept about the First and had notice of so many unjust Exceptions against it And now I see this man was one of those that defamed it though with no more Conscience and Truth than he uses when he tells the World that it was the earnest Wish and Longing of the Debater as well as of his Friends that his Book might see the Light b Pref. p. 37. This is a Fiction of his own or he had no more Cause to say so than he had to pronounce who was the Author of these Books that is none at all but a Rumour of that publick Liar which hath brought so many other Tales to his Ears For he had not the same Argument as he falsly pretends c If you ask how I prove the the two Debares to be writ by you I answer by the same argument wherewith you prove W. B. c. p. 29. to prove that person whom he strikes at to be the Author of them which I have to prove those Ten Sermons cited so often in the first Debate to be the work of W. B. Those two letters being set before them and we being told in words at length that they were composed by Mr. Wil. Bridge in a Catalogue of Books printed by Tho.
longer This shews him to be one of the right strain that can do these things which they condemn and immediately betake themselves to their Prayers and say I hate my self for it c p. 22. and then they are well and ready to do the same again A thoroughly honest man would have laboured to undo what he saw he had done amiss as he might if he had pleased with one stroke of his pen. But there is no such demonstration of his fierce and fiery spirit as this that he resolved to confute the second part of my Book before he saw it at least before he would consider it N. C. Why do you say so C. Because it did not come to his hand as he tells you d it was May 3. and he began April 21. pag. 81. till he had written several sheets and printed some as I have reason to think and yet they bear the Title of an Answer to the two Friendly Debates At least he clapt on this Title as soon as the second part appeared and before he had duly weighed all things in it for I know those that saw some of his sheets printed with that Title presently after May the 3d. when he first received my Book Was not this bravely done and like a man in his sober wits Are not these like to prove excellent men to guide your Consciences who resolve before hand if we reason with them not to be convinced but to adhere to their party right or wrong I could not but fancy him when I observed this in such a posture as Mr. Burroughs thought he saw Mr. Edwards fretting and chasing in his study saying to himself I will answer him I that I will I will reply I that I will Like one Piso St. Hierome speaks of who though he knew not what to say yet he knew not how to hold his peace If he could have had a little patience till he had read but the Epistle of my Book seriously he might have met with such advise as would have cooled him better then his Prayers viz. To know before he judged and not to believe all flying Tales But an Answer it seems was to be thrust out in all hast no matter how it was composed or of what lyes it was made up He could not stay to think much about it nor indeed was there any great need being to please those mean Spirits who like a work best as a great man observes when it resembles those Sacrifices out of which the heart is taken and where of all the Head nothing is left but the tongue only N. C. And why I beseech you should not he answer you Are you such a Goliah of Gath that no man can deal with you C. I took a measure of my self before ever I took pen in hand and know very well how much inferiour I am to my neighbours But the more to set off the greatness of his own courage and noble Atchivements he paints me like that uncircumcised Philistine and then fancies himself to be a chosen one pickt out by God e As God would have it I proved to be the man p. 192. like another David to enter into a single combate with me This he was not contented to tell us once f p. 1. but as his manner is he repeats it again in his fulsome preface g p. 28. Having no fear but this that after he had killed Goliah he should rise again and renewing the fight should bring some other Giant into the field with him and be two to one which all know is unequal And therefore distrusting my generosity of which he had some opinion when he concluded his Book h p. 192. I think you a more generous Enemy than to set any body beside your self upon me who have encountred you without the help of a second c. he betakes himself to Conjurations to keep me from taking that advantage I may well conjure you saith he that if I must be replyed to you alone would do it for it is not equal that you should have a second and I have none It was enough for such a stripling as David to encounter one Giant at a time and you are taken by some for another Goliah What ailed thee O thou flowr of Chivalry to faint on this fashion How came thy stout heart to quail at last Thou that canst pour out Scripture upon thy Enemies as thick as Hail-shot that canst charge and discharge as fast as a man can spit that canst dispatch Dragons as easily as Goliah's Why shouldst thou fear a thousand Giants though as big as Steeples any more than so many Crows N. C. Pray cease your fooling C. I assure you he must pass at least for one of the Seven Champions for no body he tells you is thought to be my march unless a St. George who kill'd the Dragon i Pag. 292. Behold the man then Horse and Arms and all See how he flourishes and swaggers and resolves to pull me down from the third Heavens whither he fears the breath of the people and my own vanity may in fancy have transported me k Ib. 292. But the mischief of it is this Doughty Knight had no sooner bestrid his Beast and marched a few paces but by some Inchantment or other he lost his wits and was turned into a new Don Quixote For if you look into the very next page l 293. As he told Hezekiah that he would deliver him 2000. Horses if he were able to set Riders up a them so it hath been said if any man would be the Rider 〈◊〉 mean the Answerer of your Book he or rather his Book should come mounted into the World upon the Back of aâ— Authentick License c I hope then I shall not miscarâ—y c. you will find that he fancies my Book to be an Horse himself riding on the back of it and which is most wonderful at the same time fighting with it and it was none of his fault I assure you that he was not also mounted upon the back of an authentick License But nothing daunted for want of that up he gets on the Back of the Book and giving it line upon line as he speaks and lash upon lash away he flies with his head full of Chimaera's and impossible Imaginations For he had but just fetcht his breath and spoken a few words before the poor Book was turned into a strong City or Fortress and he walked round about it as his own description of his adventures tell us told the Towers thereof markt well its Bulwarks considered its Palaces m Pag. 294. and setting down before it either besieged or storm'd it he knew not whether and in his fancy pulled down all the strong holds thereof and brought into Captivity every Notion in it that did exalt it self against Truth and Godliness And yet he had not travail'd farr before it was turn'd into a mighty man again and he thought
faith in those that met with them who were first to be perswaded by other means to belive them to be Divine Revelations And therefore it is most reasonable to comprehend under that word the New Revelations or the Infallible Spirit of Prophesying in the Apostles interpreting the holy Prophets in any Language whatsoever which accompanied with Miracles and all the other gifts was a Demonstration beyond all other of the truth of their Doctrine If we look further into him we shall better understand him for in the third Book against Celsus b Pag. 152. Edit Cantabr he repeats the same again and more plainly than before The Preaching saith he at the first founding of Christian Religion was with a c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power of perswading and bowing mens hearts but not such an one as was among those that professed the wisdom of Plato or any other men who had no more than Humâ—ne Nature But d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the demonstration by the Apostles of Jesus being given from God was credible by the Spirit and Power by which means their word or rather Gods ran speedily and swiftly And again in the beginning of the Sixth Book e Alledging the same words It is not sufficient that the thing is true and worthy of credit which is spoken unless there be a certain power given from God to him that speaks c. which consisted not in meer words sure but in deeds the Spirit of God working in the hearers hearts by the means of those miraculous gifts You may find this place cited twice more in his Philocalia f Cap. 1. Cap. 4. where he expounds it to be a Caelestial or rather Supercaelestial power whereby their Preaching was demonstrated to be true All this makes it plain that he understood the word Demonstration in a proper sense for an evident proof of Christian Religion and that it was nothing else but the Supercaelestial gifts wherewith they were endowed And by this you may see I had some ground for my confidence having observed these things long before I wrote my Book But if you proceed further to Sâ— Chrysostom he contracts the sense and determines the words wholly to Miracles Tell me saith he who is there that seeing the dead rise the Devils driven out would not receive the faith but because there are cheating Wonders as those of Juglers St. Paul removes this suspicion for he doth not simply say Power but first the Spirit then Power signifying that the things which were done were spiritual * Beza follows this Exposition making Spirit and Power one thing expressed by two words so Estius also among the Papists Oecumenius writes to the same purpose and Theodoret plainly makes them both one The Wonder-working of the Spirit g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 witnessed to the Preaching and the Apostle most appositely joyned with the weakness of their suffering condition the Power of the Spirit And so St. Hierom He would not dispute with them least they should think he came to teach them some new Philosophy but he shewed them Wonderful Works and Miracles To whom you may add St. Ambrose Since foolish things saith he dressed up with words though weak in virtue appear as if they were wise God would not have his Preaching commended by the Testimony of words but of Power that the foolishness of the Word as it was judged might demonstrate it self by the deeds of wise Men being founded after a Spiritual Manaer N. C. It will tire us to follow the stream any further and I see already which way it runs C. I may save my self the labour if this bold Undertaker will believe Master Calvin whom he much commends but cares not to imitate who as became a knowing and an honest man expressly acknowledges that Most restrain these words to Miracles h Demonstrationem spiritus pot quam plerique ad miracula restringunt Why do you shrug N. C. I see what is like to become of my good Friend Philagathus C. Never trouble your self He can prove if need be that Most signifies few or none Musculus indeed tells us that this word Power in the Evangelical History is in a manner Alway used for Miracles and under these two words he comprehends all that the Spirit wrought in and by the Apostles and their Preaching Which methinks is excellently expressed by Arias Montanus He proved what he saâ—â— by the manifest power of the Holy Ghost given by Christ to those that believed and by the efficacy of healings and other Divine Signs Nay his great Friend Peter Martyr whom he makes us believe he consulted is pleased to say little less than Mr. Calvin that there are very Many who restrain these words to Miracles and Prodigies which Paul wrought i Permulti sunt qui haec ad miracula contrahant prodigia quae Paulus edâ—bat c. What he thinks of their opinion you shall hear presently Let us first hear what Face hath to say to me The stream of Interpreters run anâ—ther way k Sober Answ p. 10. It is the sense wherein most Divines do construe it l Ib. You have the confidence to oppose the body of Interpreters m Pag. 11. and give us an uncouth and less acknowledged Interpretation n Pag. 122. an Interpretation that deserved not to be once mentioned in opposition to others o P. 197. and pag. 279. the General current of Interpreters Bravely said bold Bayard and like a blind B. that fears no colours Stand toâ—â— stoutly and rub thy fore-head hard for wâ—thin that skull of thine is more contain'd than in all the world beside A whole Body of Interpreters is lodged there which Mr. Calvin himself never saw There is a depth of Learning that no body knows running in the wide Chanel of thy Brain N.C. You had better have said the wide Crack in his brain C. We have done with that merriment And you may rather suspect 〈◊〉 crack in his Conscience For how durst an honest man presume to abuse the world on this fashion Who but a man of a debauched Conscience would repeat a thing so often and with such assurance of which he had no competent knowledg How will you excuse his Hypocrisie who commends his own Moderation and modesty in this and another Book and yet takes upon him publâ—ckly to contradict and controle another without any ground nay to disparage him all he could and charge him with vain confidence p Sir this vain confidence of yours doth justly provoke me c. p. 11. p. 279. bewail your peremptoriness c. and peremptoriness when he himself had no other support but wrote gross untruths out of his own imagination Methinks he should hide his head for shame and not appear in the open streets unless he be of the Sect of that Philosopher in Lucian * In his Sale of Philosophers who professed to teach men above all
things to be impudent and bold to bark at every thing without distinction to throw away all modesty and blot all blusâ—ing quite out of thâ— face For this is the Art said he to arrive at glory in a more compendious way than by Education Study and such like trifles If thou beest an Ideot a Mason â—r Bricklayer it is no hindrance why thou sâ—â—uâ—dst not be admired if thou hast boldness enough and canst rail with a good grace N. C. He is none of those I 'le pass my word for him though he be a little too forward C. A little too forward very gently spoken and like his great moderation when he acknowledges any fault in his Friends If he be capable of amendment I will make him less forward for I have not yet done with him N. C. You will be too tedious C. I cannot help it I must make a thing as plain as A B C to him or he will never see it I pray desire him to consider where his eyes or his honesty were when he told us that Peter Martyr and Marlorate both do find fault with them who restrain the meaning of thaâ— place to Miracles and speak as if they did miss the main scope and intent of the Holy Ghost in that Text q Pag. 9. Let him wash his eyes and look once more if he ever lookt at all into Peter Martyr and blush N. C. Why should you Question his consulting P. Martyr C. Because he is so far from passing any censure on those who are of this opinion that after he had told us Very many restrain these things to Miracles he adds immediately which perhaps is not beside the truth r Permulti sunt qui haec ad miracula contrahant c. quod so tassis non est a vero alienum This makes me think that your forward Phil. made a shew of greater learning than he was guilty of and that he went not so high as Peter Martyr where the stream is against him and a very great one too but contented himself with Marlorate alone as if he were some Sea into which the stream of Interpreters emptied it self He indeed thus reports the sense of P. Martyr Many restrain these to Miracles but the former sense agrees better with the purpose of Paul s Permulti haec ad miracula restringunt sed prior sensus instituto Pauli melius quadrat But he ought not to have trusted this Abridger of Books who as he tells us nothing out of St. Ambrose and Oecumenius which are two of the Authors he gathers out off and are of a contrary mind to him so he wrongs Peter Martyr who doth not say there is another sense that better agrees c. but only adds after the words last cited But I more willingly take in that energy whereby the Spirit spoke through his holy breast t Sed ego lubentius complector 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quâ Spiritus c. c. What think you is this a man fit to write Books and inform you in the truth who takes things on trust and at the second hand How many things may you justly conceive doth he obtrude on you in the Pulpit for certain truths which are notorious falsities who thus in Print belies Authors and runs away before he knows their sense Nay openly tells you that the Most say a thing when one of the best Expositors in the world in the confession of all men u They are his own words of Mr. Calvin pag. 121. if you will believe himself affirms that the Most say quite contrary N.C. You must consider that he wants Books as he tells you in the Preface C. Then he ought not to have been so peremptory as if he had read all Authors and what he bids me do x Bewail your peremptoriness c. speaking of this place pag. 279. is become his own duty who ought to do a severt Penance for his Presumption his vaiâ— Ostentation of Learning where he had none and his deceiving the poor people with mere wording and facing as was said before against a notorious truth N. C. I am sorry he did not repair to some Booksellers shop which I suppose are all furnisht with Calvin Mâ—sculus and Peter Martyr C. How should he write such a Book in six weeks time and less if he had been at that pains He hath a better Shop for his purpose in his own Brains where he can furnish himself with 〈◊〉 sort of Ware without any trouble 〈◊〉 all There are Comments and Historiâ—â— good store and a certain Worm of sucâ— an admirable property that it doth noâ— so much feed on them as feed them anâ—nourish them continually And the truth is I do not see what good those Authors you mention would have done him had he gone to consult them For either he is so giddy-headed or loves so much to pervert mens sense that he scarce ever conceives any thing aright but abuses others as well as me Marlorate himself cannot find fair dealing with him who speaks in milder terms than he as you have seen and being but a reporter of other mens sense ought not to have been alledged at all distinct from them But he had a mind to make a noise with as many learned Names and words as he could find having little else to credit himself withal For why I beseech you did he give us Erasmus his gloss on the place if you can believe him in Latine only when all the rest is English For my part I believe he could not construe his words nor understand the true meaning of them but put them in to vapour withal You may know if you please that they are not his gloss upon the place but only upon one word not at all to our business For they are not in his Paraphrase but in his Annotations where he is not expounding the words Spirit and Power but that which we render Demonstration which he would not have so translated but with the Vulgar Ostension or rather Ostentatien i.e. shewing and declaring y Paulus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 decâ—â—tâ—tur Spiritus Apostolicus so the Apostle calls it â—aith he For as much as the Apostolical Spirit is in the thing it self represented and â—eâ—tared What is this to his purpose I â—ake â—o doubt he himself could not tell but to make a vain shew of Learning down it went without any meaning N. C. Pray English it for us C. So I have and this is the meaning as far as I can judg that the Spirit of the Apostles was sufficiently shewn and made manifest by it self and there needed no other proof to declare it to be Divine Which makes so much to my purpose for how could it shew it self to mens satisfaction but by the Miraculous gifts that if he had understood it he would have thrown it away And let it stand aside if you will for another reason which he might have found in Beza an ordinary
justifie him For so all Instruments do help the principal cause And yet by a self contradiction this opinion makes Faith to be of no moral worth and so no vertue or grace yea I think it lays the blame of mans infidelity on God For the assertors of it have a device to make it a passive Instrument from whence follow these absurdities N. C. I will not trouble my brains about it but I see I may omit a Question which he asks you viz. Do you not think that good works are the Instrumental cause of our Justification as well as Faith C. I must tell you in brief that all the Questions he propounds to me in that place are such as he would never have askt if he had but attain'd a smattering knowledg in Mr. Baxter's writings whom he commends just as he discommends me without understanding him For he would have taught him That neither Faith nor any work of ours are causes of our Justification either Principal or Instrumental u Confess of Faith pag. 31. and other places Disput of Justific pag. 75. N. C. But there is one Question he asks wherein he prays you to speak out for it is suspected there is a Snake in your Grass C. A Maggot in his Brain N. C. And that is are not Faith and Obedience both one and the same thing C. He hath a resolution in Mr. Baxter Our first Faith is not the same with Obedience to Christ how should it yet it essentially contains are solution and Covenant to obey him x Confess of Faith p. 38 39. But there is no end of these impertinent Questions You will ask me next how I prove my self not to be a Papist N. C. No I 'le let the rest alone because I see what you will say and this indeed was not the main thing that you and I first intended to debate Yet there are some Questions about this matter in another place to which I would gladly have though it be but a brief Answer C. Where shall we find them N. C. There where he comes to your description of Faith pag. 63. C. I remember the place Where I find him in the same posture that the Bishop of Galloway did his Reprover vexing himself with his own anger tumbling and weltring in the puddle of his tumultuous thoughts whereof he cannot rid himself bragging most vainly but producing nothing that may be accounted worthy of an answer y Defence pag. 169. For I having told you that the Faith our Saviour speaks of in those words Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that you beleive on him whom he hath sent viz. justifying and saving Faith is an effectual perswasion that Jesus is sent of God He very gravely tells me that I deny Faith to consist in assent or perswasion which are the same thing and so contradict the men of my way Was there ever such a giddy-braind man as this set a cock-horse who posts away without his Errand and tells the world I deny Faith to be an assent or perswasion when I tell him it is Doth he no◠deserve to have his fingers rapt or to be soundly scourged that takes Pen in hand to confute a Book and never minds or else understands not what he writes against N. C. But you say Faith consists not in a bare perswasion c. C. True That saving Faith which I speak of doth not consist in a bare assent to the Truth of the Gospel but yet it is an assent though it be something more Assent is the General nature of Faith but there is a difference between Faith that is saving and Faith that is not saving which I there expressed by the word effectual And here again he blunders and keeps a pudder to make a plain ching obscure N. C. You will not say it was plain sure C. Yes but I will though nothing can be so plain and clear which th◠mans confused thoughts shall not trouble The difference I made between this Faith which our Saviour speaks of and a bare perswasion that he came from God was this that it is a perswasion of that Truth with its fruits and effects Which I expessed in these words becoming his Disciples sincere Profession of his Religion and living according to it For unless our minds being convinced of the Truth it have this effect upon our wills to make us consent to obey it and sincerely purpose to do according to our perswasion and unless also if we live we make good this purpose and both profess and perform obedience to the Gospel we do not the work of God which our Saviour speaks of nor have that faith which will bring us to everlasting life This he might have found affirm'd by Mr. Baxter in as round words as mine if he had spent that time in reading and meditating which he spends in scribling It 's all one saith he z Appendix to Disput of Right to the Sacraments p. 509. in my account to believe in Christ and to become a Christian c. To be a believer a Disput of Justif p. 77 78. and to be a Disciple of Christ in Scripture sense is all one and so to be a Disciple and to be a Christian and therefore Justifying faith comprehends all that is essential to our Discipleship or Christianity as its constitutive causes To which he adds this Proposition Those therefore who call any one act or two by the name of Justifying Faith and all the rest by the name of works and say that it is only the act of recumbency on Christ as Priest or on Christ as dying for us or only the act of apprehending or accepting his imputed righteousness by which we are justified c. do pervert the Doctrine of Faith and Justification ☞ and their Doctrine tendeth to corrupt the very nature of Christianity it self I could add a great deal more with as much ease as I can write but that I think this sufficient to be replyed to his long babble about the Nature o◠Faith and we must not suppose the world at leisure to read the same thing over perpetually If it do not satisfie him let him enjoy the vain conceit of his own skill nay let him crow over me and bear himself with the same pertness to use an expression I have somewhere met with that a Daw sits cawing an◠pecking upon a Sheeps back He will be but a Jack Daw for all that N. C. You grant then that there may be a perswalion where it is not effectual C. Who doubts of it But it is not saving Faith which was the thing 〈◊〉 were speaking of As he might have observed had he not kept such a cawing to himself that he could not hear us N. C. He makes account the Questions he asks you there are unanswerable C. He doth so And not to dissemble they seem to be no less subtil and profound than the admired Cryptick Question of Chrysippus if you ever heard
of it N. C. I know not what it means Lucian in â—u Sale of Philos C. I 'le tell you then if you will Answer me Do you know your own Father or Mother N. C. Yes sure C. Suppose then I should bring one veil'd into your company and should ask you whether you know him what would you say N. C. That I know him not C. But it is your Father and therefore if you know not who it is you know not your own Father N. C. It is a notable fetch C. Just thus your Champion assaults me Do you know Sir What Faith is Yes say I He finds the Question answered in my Book But he disguises muffles and puts it into a great many strange shapes as well as his wit will serve him and asks me again Is this it you call Faith To which he answers for me No and then concludes most smartly thus you see you know not what Faith is For this is it you called Faith A most profound Disputer I protest At the next Sale of Philosophers b He pretends to be one p. 246. when you hear them cryed about the Street I pray enquire after the price of him It is possible some may venture to give three farthings for him especially when they hear with what excellent qualities he is endued For be it known to all he hath the best skill of any man I know in 〈◊〉 king Galamaufry's and Hotchpotches 〈◊〉 larding of English with bits of Latiâ—â— and in making of slaps and sauces 〈◊〉 discourses He is furnisht with a whâ—â—â— shopful of shreds a Magazine of Taâ—â— and may set up an Office for Apologieâ— which he hath at his fingers end 〈◊〉 your fault what it will He can shuffle 〈◊〉 wrangle and scold all these in persection And besides he hath a boâ—â— face and can lye at no aim and 〈◊〉 you should chance to loose him yoâ— may know him from all the men in thâ— world by certain Marks he hath aboâ—â— him For where you find a man at aâ—â— turns putting you off with it may beâ—â— it is said for any thing I know all 〈◊〉 some and such like words which I before noted lay hold of him that 's the man Besides he hath either robbeâ— another or else you may know him by the Ordeal and Plowshares Pelion and Ossa the Pomps and the indelible Châ—â—racter N C. I cannot imagine what you mean C. They that have read a Book about the Rebuilding of London know well enough For there c P. 178. 217 332 335. they meet with all these just as we do here in this by which you may know that he hath such a set of words and phrases as will be sure to discover him And now I speak of Pomps you shall give me leave to shew you what a vain pretense this Ignorant man mâ—kes to Learning The ancient Christians he tells you d P. 179. of Sober Answer having found the great inconvenience of Stage Plays and increase of wickedness by them pâ—r a word on purpose into the Baptismal vow to deter people from going to them and that is the Pomps of this World For some Glossaries say that Stage-plays were formerly called Pomps if you will believe Bishop Usher whom saith he I have some where found quoted for this And so have I in the Book about the Rebuilding of London e P. 217. where the Author saith Positively Bishop Vsher hath observed that the Ancients inserted a passage against Ssage-plays in the Baptismal vow viz. That we should renounce the Pomps of the world now Pomps said he did of old signifie Stage-plays But where the Bishop hath observed it or said it he tells us not so that in effect he quotes his own Authority when he tells us here I have found him somewhere quoted and draws this conclusion out of his own imagination that though we allow Playâ— in a due measure yet the old Christrâ—ans did not but obliged those that were baptized to renounce them N. C. And what say you to it C. I have told you he speaks out a of his own idle head and there is not a word of Truth in what he says For Pomps never signified any such Plays as ours N. C. Will you not take Bishop Usker's word C. I will see it first and have it under his hand for I cannot trust this vain talker who doth not understand I plainly see what he reads To pretend to know all that Bishop Usher ever writ or said would be vanity in me but I will not believe it till I have better authority than his that he ever gave this sense of the word Pomp. Some Plays or rather Games and Publick Sights f We render Ludi by the word Plays but we should rather say Shows or Common Sights made for the peoples entertainment and consecrated to some Deity called Spectacula he or any body else might say were by a figure called Pomps but the Ancients distinguished them and to speak exactly we must say that the Pomps of the World were not those things which the Romans called Ludi and Spectacula which we should render Sports Sights or Games but that stately Procession which was made before one of them For Pomp you mustknow is in its first signification nothing else but the sending of something and the carrying it also from one place to another g Thence Mercury was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he carried down and transmitted souls to Hades more particularly the carrying something to be shown and exposed to publick view through the Streets But the word most properly belonged to that splendid and magnificent Procession as I may call it which went before the Races and Combates in the Roman Circus which were the most famous sports among them So Tertullian assures us h Circensium paulo pompatior suggestus quibus peopriè hoc nomen pompa praecedit c. who likewise informs us more particularly of what that Pomp consisted In the first place there was a long row of the Images of their Gods publikely exposed and carried in the Sâ—reet then of the Images of men of Noble Families at whose charges those Sports were made then followed a great number of Chariots and Waggons of divers sorts which have much troubled the brains of Criticks then the Seats or Thrones of their Gods then their Crowns and their Robes and Ornaments together with all the Sacrifices which were to be offered and all the Sacred implements belonging to them After which came their Colledges of Augurs their Priests and their Civil Officers This in short was the Pomp as every body knows who hath read his Book De Spectaculis chap. 7. Where he tells us that this was the principal part of the old Idolatry there being such a great number of their Gods too many for me now to mention carried in this great and solemn Procession at Rome Which was the reason I conceive that it was imitated in
of want I pray what shall become of living by faith on Gods Providence which he would have us think you commend as much as we when there is no visible means of subsistence What did our Saviour mean by taking up our Cross a Doctrine I put you in mind of at the very first but which he cunningly slips over Might not the old N. C. have used the same plea that he doth and have preached till their mouths as we say were sowed up Or Were they ignorant of their Christian Liberty And Have you received a New Light whereby you see a man is free from Laws when he is in straits and need not observe them to his own inconvenience unless he be compelled by force and violence Well I see what value such men as these set upon the Peace of the Church of God who care not how it is distracted so they may be but sure to be maintain'd They have lost the Spirit of the old Christians who chose to indure any thing rather than a breach should be made in the Body of Christ The words of Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria in his Letter to Novatian called there Novatus are very remarkable as I find them alledged by the Professors and Doctors of Aberdene q Duplies 1638. pag. 11. out of Euseb l. 6. Hist Eccles c. 45. to the Ministers that came to urge the Covenant upon their people You ought rather to have suffered any thing whatsoever for avoiding of cutting asunder the Church of God And Martyrdom for keeping the Church from Schism is no less glorious than that which is suffered for not committing Idolatry And in my opinion also it is greater for in suffering Martyrdom for not committing Idolatry a man suffereth for one even for his own Soul but here a man suffers Martyrdom for the whole Church Mr. Calamy also I remember prefixes this sentence out of St. Cyprian to a Sermon of his before the Lords * Decemb. 25. 1644. We prefer the Peace of the Church before Martyrdom It is worse to make a Schism in the Church than to sacrifice to an Idol And in his Dedicatory Epistle to them he cites this passage out of Ruffinus * L. 2. c. 9. that Nazianzen seeing there was like to be a great disturbance unless he yielded up his place to another broke out into this speech God forbid that for my cause any differences should arise among the Ministers of God If this tempest be raised for my cause take me and throw me into the Sea that so it may cease But there is an easier way to Martyrdom discovered now by the great Philagathus who teaches men to do as they list that is to break the Laws and keep separated Meetings where they think good and yet they shall be Martyrs and he is able to write their Martyrology N.C. Those must pass for careless words C. I think he doth not mind very much what he writes for if he did he would not have left such an odious Character of you as he hath done N.C. Of whom C. Of such as you who have no more love and gratitude to those who have served you than to suffer them to be in such straits as tempts them to sin against God What strange creatures doth he make you by this discourse Are your people grown so bad after you have extolled them so much that they will not relieve a poor helpless Minister unless he will break the Laws for their humour Will they do nothing for them in remembrance of their old services Are they so hard hearted that they have no pity on the poor no not those of the Sacred Profession and the honester and more conscientious they are shall they find the less favour O wicked Generation Those you account ungodly I am confident would be more charitable A number of our people would have pitied and relieved them I am sure if they had taken the same course that their Fore-fathers did I profess my self one of those that would have cheerfully succoured such good men who meekly suffered for Conscience sake This would have made a friendly agreement between us and rendred them men worthy to be beloved And when our Governours had seen them do all the Laws require as farr as they could and not crossing them when they could not obey them it might perhaps have inclined them to hearken to motions of accommodation which is not to be hoped for I am sure not to be desired by bold viâ—lation of the Laws and high contempt of our Governours But I must not let him pass on this fashion He hath made such a long declamation about their straits that I must ask you Did you know what it was heretofore to have a Wife and a great many young Children and nothing wherewithal to maintain them they are his own words r Pag. 5. which I use to let him see his boldness in mentioning such things Thâ—â— Sir let me tell you was the case of several Ministers who were worse used than any man is now For they were not barely turned out of their places and as his great Friend s Dr. Bate Elench Mâ—tuum 1. part p. 59. assures us spoil'd of their Houses Goods and Revenues under the name of Sequestration but shut up divers years in close Prisons and Dungeons in Ships also even in the heats of Summer and there without hearing of their cause or any accusation preferred against them macerated with nastiness fastings and watchings Who was there then allowed to contrive Oaths in their own words which this man desires And were they not debarr'd the benefit of teaching the Children of their Friends a very contemptible office in this Gentleman's account t P. 21. It would make your heart bleed to see them serve as poor Paedagogues and banisht also out of whole Counties and not meerly sent five mile from a place as I told you heretofore u Friendly Debate p. 219. but he would not be pleased to observe it N.C. Good Sir tell us not these sad stories over again we are sensible of what you say and sorry for it C. If you be I will forbear to give you such a list of suffering Ministers as you do not think of But why doth this man so audaciously affirm that their sufferings were not so great as really they were and make the world believe that now your Ministers suffer such things that it is to be lamented with tears of blood N. C. You bid the N. C. shew what hath befaln them that should deserve the name of hard usage pag. 27. of your Book x So he writes p. 231. C. It should be p. 217. And here now begins his lying and jugling of which you shall hear more afterward if you will be so patient For I said that deserves the name of Persecution and such Persecution as is grievous nay intolerable Consider I beseech you what you are to think of such a man as this Will you
take him to be either so conscientious or so wise as he would perswade the world be is who boldly changes the words of a Book which he tells you is known in Court City Country and Vniversities y P. 292. Oâ—e would think he is past feeling 〈◊〉 these matters and cares not what he doth if he can but promote the Cause and make the Ignorant believe my Book is Answered N. C. He was willing he tells you to decline the word Persecution C. Was he so He should have declined also the falsifying of Books and the altering other mens words especially in such a case as that which we debated which he should first of all have sincerely represented and then said what he pleased But in stead of this he impudently chops and changes my words more than once all after as he thinks good You say these are his words p. 246. the N.C. do but fansie themselves to be great sufferers which he had said before also p. 231. And if you look further he will tell you that I manifestly affirm they have no cause to complain of any hard things which they suffer at this day p. 250. And in one or two places my words are dwindled into these You can tell them they do but fansie themselves to be under sufferings pag. 248 z And in the Preface pag 31. And yet my words were Since you fansie you are persecuted when you are not c p. 190. 237. So he is contented to report them in one place a P. 237. and no more that I can observe For though he declines the word as much as he can he plainly signifies that he believes the thing telling us upon this occasion of their being Martyrs and of a Martyrology he could write as I before noted But to pass by this fraudulent way of writing which he is often guilty of let you and I debate this business together if you please N. C. With all my heart for it akes when I think of what he saith of their sufferings C. But you must give me leave to note before we enter upon it that the nature of man is very apt to complain and none more than your selves Who I have always observed are a very delicate and nice sort of people that make a lamentable noise if all things go not after your mind nay put the finger in eye and cry Persecution upon very small causes And therefore we must not be too forward to believe all that this man tells us N. C. You make them like little Children that cry before they be hurt C. They partake very much of the quality of little ones in that particular who are so tender that they cannot indure so much as the scratch of a pin They must have all their desires granted and not be restrained in the least of their Liberty otherwise all the Nation shall ring with the doleful noise of Persecution Antichristian Persecution Immediately your people fansie they prophesie in Sackcloth and are in a Sackcloth condition and carried into the Wilderness even those who live in as good houses and wear as good Chamlets fine Cloth and Silks as any body else For which I can find no cause but the high esteem they have of themselves which makes them look upon all the favours which are done them as small and any the least cross as exceeding great What the precious Sons and Daughters of Sion to be thus used Is it not a sad thing that they should be persecuted to the very gates of Sion yea into the very gates of their Trade N. C. I shall not indure this language C. It is your own b W. B. Seas Truths p. 113. and others But if you will not hear it I will let it alone N. C. And all your Stories which you are going to tell C. There was a Book c Army Harmless pag. 2. indeed which told us of many persons who suffered in extremity and others like to do more for their Non-comportment with the Presbyterian way though they judged the same to be manifestly sinful and altogether repugnant to the Word Do you believe this complainer N. C. No no. They called any little thing suffering in extremity C. And why should we not think that Philag is of the same humour now since others N. C. I pray come to the business and tell me no more of these stories C. I 'le omit the most displeasing to you and only tell you as a proof of this complaining humour that there was a Party in the late Usurpers days who talkâ— as lowdly as Phil. can do of the Persecution of the Saints the crucified Cause of Jesus and said that the Rulers Priests and Souldiers had gotten Christ upon the Cross once more through the High Treason of the Judas's of the Times And what was the matter think you Nothing but this a few persons were secured and some were cut short as they tell you in their Liberties d Image of our Reforming Times Praef. p. 45. an 1654. Nay so grievous it was to some to be crossed and contradicted and brought a little lower in the world than they were that they would not only tumble the whole Nation upside down but go cross even to their own publick professions rather than not have their wills For this I remember was the plea of those who turn'd their Masters out of doors after they had called themselves a few days before and seemed to take a pleasure in styling themselves the Faithful Servants the Faithful Army of this Parliament that if it were not done it would be the undoing of some Families And how many think you were they for whom all that noise and bustle and confusion was made Some Officen of the Army tell you that in these words e Humble Representation to the Lieft. Gen. Nov. 1. 1659. pag. 7. We are not ignorant of the grea argument why this Parliament was interrupted What Must nine Families be undone at once No by no means Have a care of such precious Creatures and deal tenderly with them Those mine may be more worth than all the Nation beside at least have a better opinion of themselves and therefore What is there to be considered so much as their concerns N. C. I have heard enough of this enless it were better Now to the purpose C. This is much to the purpose For you see what a stir some men are apt to make if they be in danger to be less than they were before and how much they prefer the satisfaction of a few before the publique tranquillity Such men you may be sure will murmur and repine when they are brought down indeed as thinking they receive a great injury when they are not in place of power and dignity and are used hardly when they do not rule and govern us N. C. But this is nothing to those who have lost all C. But it shews that we must not presently believe mens condition so
As far as a man may gather from his Answer to my Book he would sooner turn a Turk than a Son of the Church of England for he hath expressed a great deal of wrath and spite against some of us but none at all against any of the Turks What an untoward Adversary have I to deal withal who if we will not be impertinent leave our business and go out of our way to dispute with a man concludes that we have nothing to say to him He loves so to ramble himself that he takes it much to heart if we will not bear him company As W. B. pottage you know led his prophane fancy to the story of the Girl that cryed Butter Butter too when her Mother taught her the Lords prayer and came to those words Give us our daily bread l I hope you do not mislike the word Bread in the Lords prayer and as thinking that expression too dry cry out as a Child did c. p. 265. N. C. Why should it be called prophane It is but a merry story C. In the Child it was not prophane who knew not what it said but in him it is impious to suppose it possible that I should mislike those holy words of our Lords and think them defective and dry unless I might pray with this Addition Give us our daily Bread and Butter too I did not think there had been a Divine among you who was so much a Child or else so little a Christian as to write such stuff as this Martin indeed was so bold as to desire the Lord he would put it into the Assemblys heart to divide the Directory not only into Chapters but into Verses into Verses too that so we might have a new Directory-Gospel But this you know was called an horrid Blasphemy N. C. Pray do not you tell stories too C. Mine is no old wives tale like his but to be seen in Print in a Book m A fresh Discovery of some new wandring blasing starrs c. 1646. Sect. 5. where you may find more such scoffing Prayers from the men of the New light whom Philag is resolved to defend N. C. I pray God deliver us from their darkness C. Shut your windows then against them And pray withal that God would send Philag more wit or more Modesty that he may not trouble the world with such wretched Prefaces and Books any more As for the advantage which you fancy the Papists may make of what I have said it is not to be considered in compare with that which they make of your Schism and your loud clamours for more liberty then the Laws allow We did sweare said Mr. Rutherford n Sermen 25. June 1645. at the Abbey p. 6. the extirâ—ation of Popery c. now we preach profess and print that liberty is to be given for the Consciences of men and how can this â—e denyed to Papists This design of Liberty which you have in your heads is that white Devil that noon day Devil if you will believe Mr. Edwards o Antapolog p 56. which coming under the merit of much suffering and well deserving clad in the white Garments of innocence and holiness is like to do the more hurt And it was the opinion I find of an old Dr. in Cambridg long before you or I was born that if ever Popery come into this land again to have any power it would be by the means of such Precisians as you N. C. Why do you call any body by that name C. Let Dr. Feately tell you an Author whom Philag quotes very often Our refined reformers saith he p A Consecration Sermon March 23 1622. as they would be thought according to their name of Precisians pare the nailes of pretended Romish rites in our Church so near that they make her fingers bleed For 〈◊〉 of monuments of Idolatry all ornaments of the Church must be taken away For feâ—â— of praying for the dead they will allow 〈◊〉 prayer to be said for the living at the burial of the dead For fear of bread Worship they will not kneel at the Communion of Christs body and blood But how fairly you have contributed more than any body else to bring that which you fear upon us by disturbing the Government of Church and state and still continuing a lamentable separation from us there is none now among us of any understanding but easily discern For he is blind indeed that cannot see through the holes of a Sieve It is possible you may remember also who that Gentleman was that told the City of London when he was upon the Scaffold that it was part of his prayer to Almighty God that the tumultuous people of this Nation might not be like those Pharisees and their followers who pretending a fear of the Romans coming and taking away their place and Nation when there was no cause for it but they only made use of that suggestion to further their mischeivous design of murdering the innocent had at last the Romans brought upon them indeed and were utterly ruined by them Truly the factious and tumultuous people of this Nation saith my Author q Eaglanâ—â— Complaint An. 1648. have in all other things the most resembled the Pharisees that ever any people did God in his mercy grant that they do not also resemble them in this N.C. There is no fear of that I warrant you C. A great deal the more because you are not sensible of the danger For as if it were a small matter to make such a wide breach in our Church you seek to make it wider by advancing your selves above all other men disparaging us and our Ministers and loading them with reproaches as if they were not worthy to be named together with you Which forces us to say that of you which otherways should never have come out of our mouths though alas it could not have been hid you proclaim it so loudly your selves This very Advocate of yours hath given such a Character of you in his Book as may satisfy all wise and sober men what you are though we should hold our peace For he hath one faculty you must know wherein he surpasses most other writers and that is after he hath made a long discourse to prove a thing at last to overthrow it all Or to speake in his own phrase he is such a Cow as having given a great deal of Milk throws it all down with her foot For after all the evil he had said of me in conclusion as I showed you he acknowledges so much goodness in me as is inconsistent with his accusations And in like manner after all the praises he had bestowed on the N. C. for their piety sincerity modesty patience and such like things in the end he grants the worst things that I charged them with all and makes them as bad as bad can be Though you may be sure it was not his design only truth would out when he did not
his own like that which follows p. 8. You bring in the N. C. saying the King is a Tyrant But what will not he be bold to invent who dare tell you p. 10. that I knockt so hard not only upon the Act of Indemnity which I have show'd you is notoriously false but upon all overtures for peace and accommodation that he was not able to lye still when part of my business was to show the way to it and when it was fit for you to expect the favour you desire If we say not what pleases him it seems we had better hold our peace If he like not our propositions he will make no bones to say we offer nothing nay are against all peace and accomodation with them They must have their own way and be set at Liberty as he tells us before they will try to make us and you friends and then it is but upon condition neither if we will refer it to them and be bound to stand to their award g They are his own words p. 220. 221. Such another ugly lye is that which immediately comes after this that I reflect obliquely upon most eminent persons and insinuate that they never deserve to be loved or trusted more notwithstanding his Majesties confidence in them This he found in the same place where he met with all those Stratagems and Maximes he tells you of in the following pages as that I would put down Religious conference and bring men out of conceit with experiences and have spiritual preaching laught out of Countenance h P. 16 17. of the Preface and that I have used my wit to abuse earnestness in Prayer preaching of the love of Jesus Christ and using of Scripture language i Page 31. Ib. with a number of other such like things which are such gross lyes that they cannot be forced from my words by doing violence to them and putting them upon the Rack For I told you in plain termes what experiences the Apostle commands and when Religious conference is profitable to our selves and others and what it is to preach spiritually c. which I do not mean to repeat over again for his conviction In stead of that I will recommend to his consideration one Stratagem which he doth not think of though he is very expert in it and though it be a Stratagem of Satan who as Acontius might have inform'd him in a Book bearing that Title k Sâ—â—â—ns Straâ—agâ—â—es Book 2. p. 50.52 translated 1648. prompts men to cavil at one anothers words in their disputes whereby opposition is made not so much against what is affirmed as against what the opposer hath by a false Interpretation feigned to himself which kind of practice tends to nothing saith he but to provoke the Adversary and to make a mans self ridiculous by opening a Window to himself whereout to cast a thousand follies not a jot to the matter in hand Yet some men as he adds are exceedingly conceited of themselves if misinterpreting their Adversaries words they can infer some great absurdity there from Howbeit this custom ought to be left to vain Sophisters who as another excellent writer observes l Mouns Balzac can make use of true propositions to infer an erroneous conclusion and like petti-foggers still cite the Law to Authorise their injustice Such a Caviller is this Philagathus between whose Maximes Aphorisms c. and my propositions there is as wide a difference as we find oft-times between the Text and the Commentaries the meaning of the Author and the Criticismes of Grammarians So he will confess himself if he will but take the counsel of Acontius and forsaking the Devil with all his Works report what I say without addition diminution or alteration I can warrant only my own words which are sound and innocent as the other writer speaks in the like case not those of my Adversary which are full of malice and rancor For what I have written I am responsible and am ready to maintain it but all the Visions and fancies that come into other mens heads are not in my power nor am I accountable for them If Philag will say that I affirm one of W. B. Sermons is not so good as a Play m Preface p. 20. c. what remedy is there who can defend themselves from being abused by such squint-ey'd Readers I cannot make my words plainer than they are which were only these that the Sermon about the Cupboard of Plate and Gods departing from us c. hath more of fiction in it than many of the Playes n Friendâ—â— Debate 190. What ever other words I should go about to place in the room of them he may as well deprave as he hath done these and many other throughout his whole Book making them depose such things as were never in my thoughts But now we have to do with the Preface in which there are so many falsities of this Nature that if I could find the like in my Book I should think as Dr. Corn. Burges saith in another case o Antidote against AntiSobrius p. 31.1660 that it deserved the reward of the Hangman and I would either burn it my self or hire him to dâ— it for me It would tire you to hear them all and therefore I will only add that notorious one which you find in the first of those Stratagems of Satan which he hath invented to cast that blame on us which justly lyes upon themselves It is this that we have brought all the practical Divines such as Scudder Culverwell Rogers c. quite out of Request that now adays there is no enquiring after those kind of Books p Presace p. 12. N. C. He only tells you that a grave Book-seller told him not long since that the Rational Divines as some would have them called had brought all our practical Divines c. C. Take heed you do not falsify too He hath made this lye his own in these words which follow q Ib. page 13. Sure I am the writings which you have taught the World to set at naught have been as great Seminaries and nurseries of Religion as most in the World N. C. Is it not too true C. There cannot well be a more impudent falshood For it was the canting of some among your selves which first struck those Books out of your peoples hands and destroyed those great Nuâ—series which he speaks of They made them believe there was a greater Gospel-Light now broken forth than had been since the Apostles times that they brought them more glorious Discoveries of the love of God and held forth free grace more clearly and fully and that there was both a freer streaming of Christ's Blood to poor sinners laid open and a more plentiful powring out of the Spirit in these latter dayes than our Fore-Fathers had seen In short that there was more of Law and of Mount Sinai in those old Preachers and now more of Gospel and