also Fundamental truths of the Christian Religion as I do heartily believe let all Men know that I quarrel not with him about things wherein I discent from the Church of England but do contend for the truth continued even in these very Articles of theirs from which he hath so deeply revolted that he clasheth with every one of them as may farther be shewn when he shall take heart to reply But to wind up this unpleasant Scrible I shall have done when I have farther shewed how he joyneth with Papist and Quaker against these wholsome and Fundamental Articles Mr. Fowler 's Doctrine compared with Campian the Jesuite upon that question whether Faith onely Justifieth saith Campian 1. Campian We Papists say that as Grace is put into us in Justification so also our Righteousness is inlarged through Good Works and is inherent in us therefore it is not true that God doth Justifie by Faith ONELY Fowler Pag. 221. Justifying Faith is such a belief of the truth of the Gospel as includeth a sincere resolution of obedience unto all its Precepts and that it justifieth AS it doth SO In short is it possible that Faith in Christs Blood for the forgiveness of Sin should be the onely act which justifieth a Sinner 2. Campian So that Faith is urged but not Faith ONELY again by Faith is meant all Christianity and the whole Religion of Christians Fowler Pag. 222. For surely the Faith which intaileth the Sinner to so high a Priviledge as that of justification must needs be such as complyeth with all the purposes of Christ's coming into the World especially with his grand purpose as Lord and that it is no less necessary that it should justifie as it doth this 3. Campian Though Works void of Christ are nothing yet through Grace they serve to Justification Fowler Pag. 225. 226. Of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness this is the true Explication It consisteth in dealing with sincerely Righteous Persons as if they were perfectly so for the sake and upon the account of Christ's Righteousness The grand intent of the Gospel being to make us partakers of an inward real Righteousness and it being a Secondary one that we should be accepted and rewarded as if we were compleatly Righteous 4. Campian Speaking of Faith Hope and Charity he confesseth that Faith in Nature is before them but it doth not Justifie before they come Fowler Pag. 223. What pretence can there be for thinking that Faith is the condition or Instrument of Justification as it complyeth with onely the Precept of relying on Christ's Merits for the obtaining of it especially when it is no less manifest then the Sun at Noon Day that obedience to the other Precepts or Works of Love must go before obedience to this 5. Campian I deny that Faith ONELY doth Justifie for you have not in all the Word of God that Faith ONELY doth Justifie Fowler Pag. 225. And for my part I must confess that I would not willingly be he that should undertake to Encounter one of the Champions of that foul Cause with the Admission of this Principle That Faith Justifieth onely as it apprehendeth resteth or relyeth on Pag. 224. the Merits and Righteousness of Jesus Christ I must certainly have great luck or my Adversary but little Cunning if I were not forced to repent me of such an engagement 6. Campian Abraham being a Just Man was made more Just by a living Faith Fowler Pag. 283. He onely is a true Child of Abraham who in the Purity of the Heart obeyeth those substantial Laws that are imposed by God upon him 7. Campian I say that Charity and good Work are not excluded in the causes of ruo Justification Fowler Pag. 215. For we have shewn not onely that Reformation from the practice and purification of Heart from the liking of Sin are as plainly as can be asserted in the Gospel to be absolutely necessary to give Men a right to the Promises of it but also that its great Salvation doth even consist in it Mr. Fowler 's Doctrine compared with William Pen the Quaker 1. Pen's Sandy Foundation Pag. 19. Life and Salvation is to them that follow Christ the Light in all his Righteousness which every man comes onely to experience as he walks in a holy Subjection to that measure of Light and Grace wherewith the fulness hath inlightned him Fowler Pag. 8. That is those which are of an indispensible and Eternal Obligation which were first written in mens hearts and Originally Dictates of Humane Nature 2. Pen Pag. 32. I really confess that Jesus Christ fullfilled the Fathers Will and offered up a most satisfactory Sacrifice but not to pay God or help him to save Men. Fowler Pag. 85. Christ was set forth to be a Propitiatory Sacrifice for Sin I will not say that his Father who is perfectly sui Puris might be put by this means into a Capacity of forgiving it 3. Pen Pag. 16. God's Remission is grounded on Man's Repentance no tthat it 's impossible for God to pardon without a Plenary Satisfaction Fowler Pag. 84. There are many that do not question but that God could have pardoned Sin without any other satisfaction then the Repentance of the Sinner c. 4. Pen Pag. 27. Justification doth not go before but is subsequential to the Mortification of Lusts. Fowler Pag. 14 15. This Blessing of making Men Holy was so much the design of Christ's coming that he had his very Name from it Observe the Words He shall save his People from their Sins not from the punishment of them c. And that is the Primary sence of them which is most plainly expressed in them That he shall save his People from the punishment of Sin is a true sence too but it is Secondary and implyed onely as this latter is the never failing and necessary consequence of the former Salvation 5. Pen Pag. 25. Since therefore there can be no admittance had without performing that Righteous Will and doing those Holy and Perfect sayings Alas to what value will an imputative Righteousness amount c. Fowler Pag. 16. Christ shall bring in an inward substantial and everlasting Righteousness and by abrogating the outward Ceremonial and establishing ONELY this Righteousness he should inlarge the Jewish Church an accession of the Gentiles being by that means made unto it 6. Pen Pag. 24 25. Since God hath prescribed an inoffensive life as that which onely can give acceptance with him and on the contrary hath determined not to justifie the Wicked c. Will not the abomination appear greatest of all when God shall be found Condemning the just on purpose to justifie the wicked and that he is thereto compelled or else no Salvation which is the tendency of their Doctrine who imagine the Righteous and merciful God to condemn and punish his righteous Son that he being sanctified for our Sins we might be justified while unsatisfied by the imputation of his perfect Righteousness O why should
Delights of their Morral Principles with the Dictates of their Humane Nature and their gallant Generous Minds Thus making a very Stalking-horse of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Words of Truth and Holiness thereby to slay the silly one making the Lord of Life and Glory instead of a Saviour by his Blood the Instructer and School-Master onely of Humane Nature a Chaser away of evil Affections and an Extinguisher of Burning Lusts and that not so neither but by giving perfect Explications of Morral Precepts Pag. 17. and setting himself an Example before them to follow him Pag. 297. Your Sixteenth Chapter Containeth an answer to those that Object against the Power of the Christian Religion to make Men Holy Answ. And to speak truth what you at first render as the cause of the Unholiness of the Professors thereof Pag. 171 is to the Purpose had it been Christianly Managed by you as namely Mens Gross Unbelief of the truth of it for it Effectuallyâ—Worketh in them that Believe 1 Thes. 2. 13. but that you onely touch and away neither shewing what is the Object of Faith nor the cause of it's being so Effectual to that Purpose neither to you at all treat of the Power of Unbelief and how all Men by Nature are shut up therein Rom. 11. 32. But presently according to your Old and Natural Course you fall First upon a supposed Power in Men to imbrace the Gospel both by closing with the Promise and shuning the threatning Pag. 172. farther adding That mankind is Indued with a Principle of Freedom and that this Principle is as Essential as any other to the Humane Nature Pag. 173. By all which it is Manifest that however you make mention of Unbelief because the Gospel hath laid the same in your way yet our Old Doctrine of the Purity of the Humane Nature now broken out into a freedom of Will and that as an Essential of the Humane Nature is your great Principle of Faith and your following of that as it Dictateth to you Obedience to the first Principles of Morrals the Practice of Faith by which you think to be saved That this is so must unavoidably be gathered from the good opinion you have your self of coming to God by Christ viz. That in the Command thereof it is one of these Positive Precepts and a thing in it self absolutely considered indifferent and neither Good nor Evil. Now he that looketh upon coming to God by Christ with such an Eye as this cannot lay the stress of his Salvation upon the Faith or Belief thereof Indifferent Faith will serve for Indifferent things Yea a Man must look beyond that which he Believeth is but one with the Ceremonial Laws but not the same with Baptism or the Lord's Supper for with those you compare that of coming to God by Christ. Wherefore Faith with you must be turned into a Chearful and Generous Complying with the Dictate of the Humane Nature and Unbelief into that which Opposeth this or that makes the Heart backward and sluggish therein This is also gathered from what you aver of the Divine Morral Laws that they be of an Indispensible and Eternal Obligation Pag. 8 things that are good in themselves Pag. 9. Considered in an Abstracted Notion Pag. 10. Wherefore things that are good in themselves must needs be better then those that are in themselves but Indifferent neither can a Possitive Precept make that which of it self is neither Good nor Evil better then that which in it's own Nature remaineth the Essentials of Goodness I Conclude then by Comparing you with your self by bringing your Book to your Book that you understand neither Faith nor unbelief any farther then by obeying or disobeying the Humane Nature and it 's Dictates in Chief and that of coming to God by Christ as one of the things that is indifferent in it self But a little to touch upon your Principle of Freedom which in Pag. 9. you call an understanding and liberty of Will Answ. First That there is no such thing in Man by Nature as Liberty of Will or a Principle of Freedom in the saving things of the Kingdom of Christ is Apparent by several Scriptures Indeed there is in Men as Men a willingness to be saved their own way even by following as you their own Natural Principles as is seen by the Quakers as well as your self but that there is a freedom of will in Men as Men to be saved by the way wich God hath Prescribed is neither asserted in the Scriptures of God neither standeth with the Nature of the Principles of the Gospel The Apostle saith The Natural Man receiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God And the Reason is not because not Principally because he layeth aside a Liberty of Will but because they are foolishness to him 1 Cor. 2. Because in his Judgement they are things of no Moment but things as you have imagined of them that in themselves are but indifferent And that this Judgement that is passed by the Natural Man concerning the things of the Spirit of God of which that of coming to God by Christ is the chief is that which he cannot but do as a Man is Evident from that which followeth neither CAN he know them because they are Spiritually Discerned Neither CAN he know them as a Man because they are Spiritually Discerned Now if he cannot know them from what Principle should he will them For Judgement or Knowledge must be before the Will can act I say again a Man must know them to be things in chief that are Absolutely and Indispensibly Necessary and those in which resteth the greatest Glory or else his Will will not Comply with them nor Center and Terminate in them as such but still count themselves as you though somewhat Convinced that he ought to adhere unto them things that in themselves are onely indifferent and absolutely Considered neither Good nor Evil. A farther inlargement upon this Subject will be time enough if you shall Contradict Another Reason or cause which you call an immediate one of the unsuccessfulness of the Gospel is Mens unaccountable mistaking the Design of it not to say worse as to conceive no better of it then as a Science and a matter of Speculation c. Pag. 173. Answ. If this be true you have shewed us the Reason why your self have so base and unworthy thoughts thereof For although coming to God by Christ be the very chief first the substance and most Essential part of obedience thereto yet you have reckoned this but like one of the Ceremonies of the Law or as Baptism with Water and the Lord's Supper Pag. 7 8 9. Falling more Directly upon the Body of the Morral Law as written in the Heart of Men and inclining more to the teaching or Dictates of Humane Nature which were neither of them both ever any Essential part of the Gospel then upon that which indeed is the Gospel of Christ. And here I may
to acquire that inward Righteousness and Holiness which the Christian Religion Aimeth at but the Particulars of these say you I shall not enumerate because as will appear from what will be said anon it is not needful to have a just table of them Answ. Deep Divinity First They are such as without the Knowledge and Belief of them it is not possible we should acquire your true Holiness and yet for all that it is not needful that we be told what they are or that we should have a just Table of them Secondly But if they be things necessary things without the Knowledge of which it is impossible we should be truly Holy then is it needful that we understand what they are Yea then is it needful that they be written and presented one by one unto us that our Knowledge of them being distinct and full we may the better be able to obtain or acquire your Glorious so pretended Holiness But I know your Primary Fundamentals they are your first Principles of Morrals not Faith in the Righteousness of Christ for that is comprehended in your possitive and in themselves indifferent things Your Morrals are the things in themselves absolutely necessary of an indispensible and Eternal Obligation Pag. 8 9. But Secondly you tell us of Points of Faith that are Secondarily Fundamental the disbelief of which cannot consist with true Holiness in those to whom the Gospel is sufficiently made known Answ. The Secondary Fundamentals also are all kept close and hid and not otherwise to be understood but by implication however the disbelief of these is not of so sad a consequence as is that of the former because say you They are not in their own Nature Holiness Pag. 235. Yea he insinuateth that the disbelief of them may stand with true Holiness in those to whom the Gospel is not sufficiently made known Of these Secondary Fundamentals therefore whatever is their number this is one even coming to God by Christ for as in Page 7 and 9. he calleth it a Possitive Precept a thing that in it self is neither good nor evil so here he speaks of such as are not in their own Nature Holy not such as that Holiness is not in some degree or other attainable without the belief of them That one of these Secondary Fundamentals is intended by Mr. Fowler that of coming to God by Christ I farther gather because â—e saith that in the number of these are all such Doctrines as are with indisputable clearness revealed to us that is by the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament Pag. 235. For therein is this Revealed to be a Fundamental but he saith not a Primary one because that in it self it is but indifferent and not in it's own Nature good Now the belief of these saith he though it is not in it self any more then in higher or lower degrees profitable Confusion Darkness Confusion yet it is absolutely necessary from an External cause That is with such abundant clearness as that nothing can cause men to refuse to admit them but that which argueth them to be stark naught Answ. 1. Then hence it seems that the reason why you admit these Secondary sort of Fundamentals is not from any Internal Power but an External Declaration onely 2. Nay and you do but ADMIT them neither and that too for some External cause not because of the worthiness of the Nature of the points themselves 3. And were it not but that you are loath to be counted stark naught in the eyes of Men so far as I can descern you would not at all make profession of them with pretence as unto God For say you We must take notice here that all such Points viz. these Fundamentals are not of equal necessity to be received by all Christians because that in regard of the Diversity of their Capacities Education and other means and advantages some of them may be most plainly perceived by some to be delivered in the Scriptures which cannot be so by others with the like ease Answ. From these words I take notice of four things 1. That by this Universal all Christians is Comprehended the Heathen and Pagan People that give heed to and mind to follow that light that Originally and Naturally stirreth them to Morral Duties These be they that want the Education and Vantages of other and are not in such a Capacity as they to whom these things are delivered by the Scriptures 2. That this People notwithstanding they want a Scripture Revelation of these Secondary Fundamentals yet have the more necessary the first sort of Fundamentals For the secondary sort say you are not in their own Nature such as that Holiness is not in some degree or other attainable without the belief of them 3. That therefore these Secondary sort of Fundamentals are onely necessary to be believed by them that have the indisputable the Scripture Revelation of them and that in truth the others may be saved without them 4. But yet even those that are made capable by education and other advantages to obtain the belief of them ought notwithstanding not to have the same respect for them as for those of the first sort of Fundamentals because they are not in their own Nature such But will this man know that Christ is not onely a Fundamental but the very foundation of all other Fundamental truths revealed both in the Old Testament and the New and that his pure Humane Nature with the Dictates of it with his feigned Adamitish Holiness is no Fundamental at all I mean no Fundamental of Faith no Gospel Fundamental 1 Co. 3. 14. Eph. 2. 19 20. Yea will he know that from Heaven there is none other Name given then the Name of Jesus Christ whereby we must be saved none other Name given under the whole Heavens Act. 4. 12. Oh the Witchcrafts by which some Mens Spirits are Intoxicated and the strength of delusion by which some are infatuate and turned aside from the simplicity that is in Jesus Christ But I proceed Your great Question or rather Urim and Thummim by which you would have all men make Judgement of their saveable or damnable state Pag. 236. is according to your description of things most Devilish and Destructive For to obey God and Christ in all things with you is to do it from Principles purely Humane in the Faith of this that Christ hath designed to possess us again with that Holiness we had lost Again to obey God and Christ with you is so to obey all their Laws as respecting the first Principles of Morrals and our obedience to them far more indispensible then that of coming to God by Christ. Farther he that obeys them in all things with your directions must not look upon Faith in the Blood of Christ and Justification by his Righteousness as the main and first but the second part of our duty other Commands or Precepts more naturally Holy and Good first being imbraced and lived in the practise of
causes of decay and remedies for recovery The second Edition much enlarged with the Addition also of Twenty signs largely improved The World surveyed or a brief account of many remarkable passages wherein the Omnipotent Works of God are brought to our knowledge with a relation of that dreadful Famine that befel the memorable City of Ierusalem while Grass Hay Leaves and Barks of Trees Dogs Cats with the dung of Fowl and Beasts was their desirable Food worthy to be known and read of all men The Tridentine Gospel or Papal Creed made at Trent and promulgated at Rome by Pope Pius 4. exhibated and demonstrated to be new 〈◊〉 and Antichristian In a Sermon by W. Ramsay lately professor of Phylosophy Priest and Confessary and Misonary Preacher of the order of Franciscans in the Church of Rome now by God's mercy Minister of the Gospel in the Church of England A Letter from Dr Robert Wild to his friend Mr. I. I. upon occasion of his Majesties declaration of liberty of Conscience Together with his Poetical Licentia and a friendly debate between a Conformist and a Non-conformist A true and impartial Narrative of the eminent hand of God that befel a Quaker and his Family at the Town of Panton in Lincoln-shire who affirmed he was commanded of God to pronounce Mr. Ralph â—ames preacher of the Gospel a Leper With a relation of one Mary Brown that at the hearing of Christ's Humanity preached was taken speechless and with a strange manner of swelling or heaving in the face and breast Also an impartial account of some remarkable passages of one Charles Baily another Quaker who professed himself a Prophet with his Prophesie and Revelation Youths Tragedy a Poem drawn up by way of a Dialogue between Youth the Devil Wisdom Time Death the Soul c. Mr. Bunyans confession of his Faith and the reason of his practice or with who and who not I can hold Church fellowship or the Communion of Saints shewing by divers arguments that though I dare not Communicate with the open prophane yet I can with those visable Saints that differ about Water-Baptism wherein is also discoursed whether that be the entring Ordinance into fellowship or no. The life and death of Iames Arminius and Simon Spiscopius professors of Livinity in the University of Leyden in Holland both of them famous defenders of the Doctrine of God's universal Grace and sufferers for it FINIS Rom. 7. 24. Isa 1. 6. Tit. 1. 15. Ephes. 4. 1â— Isa. 59. 6 7 â— 9 10. Rom. 3. Tit. 〈◊〉 15. Eph. 4. 18 19. Thes. 5. Psal. 39. 5. Pro. 30 12 Isa. 64 6 Job 15. 14 1 Cor. 6. 1â— 1 Cor. 15 Rev. 8 9. Gal 5. â—5 Rom 8. 14 Gal. 4 Rom 8 Eph. 1. 4 4 â— Heb. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 16. Rom 6. 22 Rom. 6. 22 2 Rom. 19. 3. Phil. 37 8. Rom. 3. 21 22 23. Heb. 9. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Isa. 1. 6. Isa. 64. 6. Gal. 3. 21. Rom. 8. 3 Gal. 3. 13. Gal. 3. 2 3. Rom. 3 1 2 3. 1 Joh. 4. 5. Gal. 3. page 11 page 8 Eccle. 7 1 Cor. 15 Rom. 8. 29. Rom 5. 14 Gen. 3. Ephes. 4. 21 22. 2 Pet. 1. 3. Gen. 2. 15 16 17. Answ. 1 Joh. 2 8. Joh. 1. 16. Answ. Joh. 10. 1. Mat. 26. 39. Heb â— 22. Luke 24. 26. Acts 17. 3. Col. 1. 20. Ecclus. 4. 3â— Rom. 5. 1 Rom. 5. 6 7 8. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Ephes. 1. 12 13 Joh. 1. 12. Rev. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 5. Gen. 4. Hebr. 11 1 John 5. 11. 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Gal. 3. 13. Heb. 12. Isaiah 53. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Heb 9. 24. 25 26. Iohn 3. 18 2 Pet. 1. Iohn 1. 14. 1 Iohn 1. 2 3 Col 1. 15. Iohn 14. Mat. 5. Iohn 14. 2 Cor. 4 6. 1 Tim. 3. 16. Rom. 6. Exod. 12. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Iohn 1 29. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Isa. 53. Heb 7. 1 Cor. 14. 22. Iohn 12. 37. 38 39 40. Iohn 3. 14 15. Numb 21 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Rom. 10. Iohn 1. Ezek. 61. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 1 John 4. 10. Gal. 2. 20. Heb. 9. 7. Tim. 1. 15. Rom. 5. 6 7 8 9. Rom. 4. 3 4 5. Rom. 9. 18 Isa. 33 11. Rom. 2. Pag. 123. 124. Rom 8. 1 Cor. 2 13. Rom. 16 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. 2 Pet 1. 1. Iude 20. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. Jeâ—e 23. 6. Colos. 2. 15 16. Eph 4. 8 9. Page 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Page 16. Page 223. 1 Iohn 3. Rom. 14. Zech. 12 10. Eâ—ek 16 63 1. John 2 1 2 3. Luk. â— 17. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Rom. 10. 3. 2 Cor 3. Gal. 3 24. Rom 9. 30 31 32. Rom. 1. 20. Rom 7. Gal. 2 19. Gal. 3. 7 9. Luk. 2. 52. Mat. 3. 17. Dan. 9. 24. Gal. 4. 4 5. John 14. 1 2. John 8. 24. Exod. 19. Deut. 33. â— Mal. 4. 1. Rom. 16. Rom. 5. 4. Pag. 22. Pag. 284.