Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	imputation_n	justification_n	righteousness_n	3,015	5	7.9076	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79465	Anti-Socinianism, or, A brief explication of some places of holy Scripture, for the confutation of certain gross errours, and Socinian heresies, lately published by William Pynchion, Gent. in a dialogue of his, called, The meritorious price of our redemption, concerning 1. Christ's suffering the wrath of God due to the elect. 2. God's imputation of sin to Christ. 3. The nature of the true mediatorial obedience of Christ. 4. The justification of a sinner. Also a brief description of the lives, and a true relation of the death, of the authors, promoters, propagators, and chief disseminators of this Socinian heresie, how it sprung up, by what means it spread, and when and by whom it was first brought into England, that so we be not deceived by it. / By N. Chewney, M.A. and minister of God's Word.	Chewney, Nicholas, 1609 or 10-1685.	1656 (1656)	Wing C3804; Thomason E888_1; ESTC R207357	149,812	257

silly shift is to no purpose Would the Dialogue bu undresse his brames take off and lay a side these and such like phanatick toyes that gingle about his understanding God might receive more glory the Church more peace himself more comfort others more benefit by or from the study and practise of those Truths which lend directly and necessarily to edification and salvation For fear this will not be we will leave wishing and woulding and return to the prosecution of the matter we have in hand We are justified by the perfect and compleat righteousness of Christ by which the Law is fulfilled the justice of God satisfied and we delivered from that wrath which we had deserved * Communis omnium nostrorum sententia neque quòd ad rem attinet quisquam è nostris aliter scripsit aut sensit all which we will wind up upon this one bottome and comprehend in this one argument By that righteousness we are justified by which the Law is fully satisfied By the righteousness of Christ the Law is fully satisfied Therefore by the righteousness of Christ are we justified For the proof of the Proposition three things are to be granted First that whosoever is justified is made just by some righteousness For to think that a man should be justified without any Justice is as absurd as to imagine a man to be clothed without rayment Secondly that all true righteousness is a conformity to the Law of God which is the perfect Rule of righteousness insomuch that what is not conformable to that Law is called and that justly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin Thirdly that there can be no justification without the Law be fulfilled * Christus induens nostram carnem nostro nomine perfectè praestitit legem either by our selves or some other for us For our Saviour Christ protested when he came to justifie and redeem us that he came not to break but to fulfill the Law * Tum demum redderetur inanis si illi non satisficeret vel per nos vel nostro nominae per alium atqui id per Christum est satisfactum qui non venit solvere sed implere Tossa pag. 26. and that not one jot or title of the Law should passe away without its due and true accomplishment These things thus premised being taken for granted the proposition is firm and undeniable The assumption is that by the righteousness of Christ the Law is fully satisfied For the cleering whereof we are to understand that to the full satisfying of the Law since the fall of Adam two things are necessarily required the one hath respect to the penalty to the suffering vvhereof sin hath made us lyable the other to the precept it self to the performing and compleating whereof the Law it self doth oblige us The former to free us from Hell and damnation the other to intitle us to Heaven and eternall salvation according to the Sanction of the Law if thou doest not that which is commanded thou art thereby accursed but if thou do then thou shall be saved In respect of the former the Law cannot be satisfied in the behalf of him who hath once transgressed it but by eternal punishment or that at least which is equivalent thereunto in respect of the latter it is not satisfied but by a total perfect and perpetual obedience Now our Saviour Christ hath fully satisfied the Law for all them that truly believe in him in both respects For he hath super-abundantly satisfied the penalty of the Law for us by his sufferings and death he hath likewise perfectly fulfilled the Law for us by performing all r ghteousness ●hat it even to the uttermost either did or could require So that by them both we are freely and fully justified being freed from Hell that place of torment by the one and entitled to Heaven that place of happiness by the other God in Christ esteeming and accounting a sinner as just d Deus in Christo peccatorem estimat acsi ipse omnia singula peregisset perpessus esset quae Christus utraque illâ obedientiâ suâ peregit perpessus est Bradshaw de Justific as if he had performed and endured all and every thing which Christ himself both by his active and passive obedience performed and endured The form of a sinners justification is the imputation of the righteousness of Christ because by imputing it the Lord doth justifie which was also expressed in the definition And this doth necessarily follow upon that which hath bin already said of the matter For it cannot be imagined that we should be justified by that righteousness of Christ which is out of us and in him otherwise then by imputation For as we were made sinners by Adams personal disobedience e Rom. 5.19 So are we made righteous by the obedience of Christ But how could we either be made sinners by Adams disobedience or justified by the obedience of Christ either active or passive unlesse they were communicated to us And how could that be but by imputation Downame f De Justific lib. 1. cap. 3. makes it cleer by another action not unlike unto it As when Rebeccah clothed her Son Jacob in the raiment of Esau her elder Son the matter of this action was that which did cloth him that is Esau's garment the form of that action was the applying of it unto him and the putting of it upon him So the Lord justifieth us by putting upon us the precious raiment of our elder brother Christ his righteousness in which we obtain the blessing Thus doth St. Ambrose g De Jacob vita beata also use this action for illustration of the form of our justification with divers others It is not unknown how stifly Socinus and his followers oppose this namely that imputation is the formal cause of a sinners justification and how directly they conclude against it that no imputation whatsoever Object 1 can be the form of justification and they give this for a reason because it is no righteousness whereas a form of justification must of necessity be a righteousness Righteousness imputed say they and our Dialogue is not much behind them is a righteousness but the imputation of righteousness cannot be righteousness To which we answer 1. It is true Answ righteousness must be to make one righteous but that is the matter imputation of it or it imputed is the form the introduction of this which is imputation hath the place of a form And 2. this introduction giveth denomination it is the constitution of a man righteous by applying to him that which he hath not in or of himself that is the righteousness of another Again say they if the righteousness of Christ be Object 2 the matter as we have declared and imputation thereof the form as we do affirm then one righteousness must be the form of another because the form must needs be a righteousness if the matter and

as to say a m●n ●s fre●d from the one and yet not discharged o● the other Some of the Socinian tribe do plead hard to have remission of sins the formal cause of a sinners justification but non benè convenit it fadges ill in their hands For dissolution of sins guilt by Chr●sts bloud before imputation is an uncouth dissolution it is a dissolution before application that which putteth the effect before the cause * Causalitate imputatio praecedit remissionem necessario prae-requiritur Polan in Daniel pa. 324. But hear their arguments and our answers compare them together and then judge indifferently First say they Remission of sins giveth denomination of justification therefore it must be the form Grant this say we though the illustration be not by whiteness and whitening whereby they make whiteness the form which among unbiassed men is the effect the form being whitning or application yet they must prove that it giveth denomination which they do thus and that worthily to If a sinner say they may therefore and thereby be justified because he hath his sins remitted unto h●m then remission of sins giveth denomination of being justified to that person whose sins are remitted This is a meer begg●ng of the question which is to be proved and we deny a sinner therefore justified till it shall be better proved which will not be while this man is Major I see by the manner of their working For say they it is a vindication or an exemption from punishment We joyn issue here say it is so indeed but after another manner then they take it it is so in effect that is that followeth something necessarily preceding which is just making or being just or else we run our selves upon a rock it will be justification of a wicked person which God himself telleth us is ah Abomination to him Secondly remission of sins say they is the formal cause of a sinners justification because it is that alteration and change which is wrought in the person justified by that act of God To which we answer 1. By denying the consequence every change or alteration in the person cnanged or altered is not the form if that act of God were the form then peace of conscience should be so for it is an alteration which supposeth pardon grounded upon imputation of righteousness whence justification and then pardon c. 2. By affirming that justification it self is so in that change which made and yet it is not the form of it self yea it is an effect of the form Thirdly their th●rd reason is vvound up thus That which makes a justified person compleatly righteous before God is the formal cause of justification But remission of sins maketh a justified person compleatly righteous before God because say they he is as cleer from sin and the guilt thereof as if he had fulfilled the whole Law and never transgressed any part or particle of the same We reply 1. That making is an ambiguous term and cannot vvithout more light then they afford us be fully discerned or discovered For every cause maketh the Efficient the Material the Formal c. 2. Remission of sins maketh not a person formally righteous and therefore vve deny the reason For though he be free from the guilt of sin yea so righteous as here they speak of yet the cause is the righteousness of Christ imputed by whose obedience he is constituted just Again they argue for the proof of this thus That righteousness which needs not fear the presence of a most strict judge is a compleat and perfect righteousness But remission of sins is such And now they think themselves cock sure for this say they will hold weight and measure But let them take our answer with them for all their hast which will we suppose take them off their confidence and it is this That which these socinians are to prove they often shift their hands of and would have us take for granted which we cannot do without prejudice to the truth They are here to prove that remission of sins is a compleat righteousness but that which they endeavour to prove it by as the ingenuous Reader may plainly perceive beggeth the question namely that it is righteousness For every thing that will abide the presence of God is not by and by righteousness much lesse compleat righteousness as they would have us believe upon their bare word As for example to the contrary in love there is no fear for perfect love casteth out fear b 1 Joh. 4.17 18. yet it is not righteousness not that righteousness by which we are justified Lastly say they remission of sins reacheth home and is given to men by God for their justification Therefore it is the formal cause thereof This they tell us is evident because by the formal cause they mean nothing else but pass●ve justification To which we return this answer 1. That many things may be and are given by God for justification in some way or other which are not the formal cause thereof for instance the Word of God and Faith are given by God for justification yet will any man therefore in his right wits conclude that they are the formal cause of a sinners justification 2. We do absolutely deny remission of sins to be given for justification we assert the contrary justification given for pardon and remission as being the effect and consequent thereof So the Apostle c Rom. 5.16 where mention is made of remission a gift as also of the gift of righteousness Whence we see ordine quidque suo first justification and then remission made good in the 18. and 19. vers of the same Chapter Moreover to put all out of doubt if remission of sins be justification passive as they said but now that is the effect of Gods justifying it cannot possibly be the formal cause thereof also For one and the same cannot be both the cause and the effect before and after it self the whole and yet but a part how ever they seem to jumble them together I have bin somewhat longer about this then at first I intended there being not wanting and that even among us that take upon them to maintain that remission of sins is the formal cause of a sinners justification before God that seeing how poorly it is defended by those that are champions for it the honest and well minded Reader may not be gulled by any Socinian 〈◊〉 bettor whatsoever The Dialogue is very much concern'd herein he doth not lag behind the rest setting remission of sins in its wrong place and then ascribing too much unto it For he makes it even our justification it self which cannot be for they are distinct in themselves and in order of time and manner of conferring to be distinguished by us which being well and wisely considered will plainly appear to be neither the whole nor a part as he nor the cause as others would have it of our justification but

he brings home and applyes unto our Souls the righteousness of Christ for our justification both as he is the Spirit of regeneration working in us the grace of faith by which we receive Christ for our justification in foro Caelesti before God and also as he is the Spirit of adoption confirming this faith in us together with the assurance of our justification by which we are freed and acquitted in foro conscientiae within our selves that is by the testimony of an upright sincere and rectified conscience The instrumental causes of justification are either external or internal external such is the Word of God the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ and is therefore called o Rom. 1.16 the very power of God to salvation in which respect Ministers are said to justifie because as Daniel tells us p Dan. 12.3 they convert many to righteousness being instruments though poor and weak in themselves q Media perfecta ad quae ordinantur that God is pleased to make use of for this purpose and by whom those that are ordained unto life are brought to believe r 1 Cor. 3.5 For by the preaching of the Gospel seconded and made powerful by the operation of the Holy Ghost the sentence of justification and remission of sins and so consequently of eternal life and salvation is pronounced and concluded in the conscience of the faithfull such the Sacraments also ſ Tit. 3.5 not by works of righteousness which we have done saith St. Paul but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost For first in them the benefit of the Messias is presented before us and by those outward signs discerned by us in which respect the Sacrament is called Verbum visibile a word which is visible Secondly such is the Sacramental Union between the sign and the thing signified which is Christ together with all the train and quire of his graces as also all his merits offered to us Thirdly this transcendent benefit of the Messias is not only offer'd in the Lawfull and commendable use of the Sacraments but is also given to and conferr'd upon every faithfull partaker thereof In this sense the Sacrament of Baptisme is said to be the seal of that righteousness which is by faith as the Apostle calleth circumcision t Rom. 4.11 The internal cause of justification is not hope though hope maketh not ashamed not charity though it be faiths almoner and shall be rewarded of God u Prov. 19.17 not fear though it restrain us from sin not repentance though it be the gift of God by which we wipe out the old score of our sins past and resolve to glorifie God for the time to come but faith and faith only by which we overcome the World and that not in respect of its existency as Socinus would fain have it and doth earnestly plead for it w Imputatur nobis fides à Deo pro Justitia c. in Dialog de Iustif but in respect of apprehension and the faculty of application as that which is alone though it never be found alone without the company and attendance of other graces a convenient instrument fitted for the laying hold upon the righteousness of Christ And yet for all this faith is not to be considered in the Act of justification either dispositively or habitually or formally or meritoriously or in the kind and nature of a work but in part organically in regard of its Act and in part correlatively in regard of its object Whence the Apostle wisely disposing his words as being directed by the Spirit of Wisdome it self which cannot miscarry saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 x Rom. 5.1 we are justified through faith and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith but never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for faith Hitherto the Dialogue and we walk together passilus aequis as it were hand in hand neither of us stepping aside with Socinus in the place fore-quoted and some other of his followers y Non innocentiam aut justiam Christi credentibus imputat Deus sed fidem illorum imputat illis pro justitia Smalcius in disputat contr Fran. to take up this ball which they have cast in our way that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith it self or the very Act of believing doth properly justifie yet if he be acquainted with Socinian John as I believe he is a●mighty stickler in this case he may soon be drawn away and easily perverted to comply with him and his party even in this matter also But now partes locus est ubi se via findit in ambas we come to the pinch indeed in which we shall discover where and upon what terms we are constrained to part company The matter or meritorious cause of our justification is the next thing that is to be considered by us which is neither the habit of charity or the exercise thereof but only the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Mediator And here here it is that we must part and not so fairly as may be expected For though the distance be small at the Center yet 't is many times found to be wide enough by that time it come to the circumference So the difference at first may seem small that is between us but being duly considered is so great that we can by no means give our consent of compliance For the Dialogue using that faculty here which in many other places he shews his dexterity in namely disputandi de non concessis chargeth us with that which we never held and which is more never mean to do if it please God to keep us in our right mind that so he may take occasion without occasion to quarrel w●th us thinking thereby to shew his valour in the eyes of his great admirers fighting though it be but with his own shadow and yet now and then giving a slanting blow even at the Justice of God himself Who ever heard any of us whom God hath established in his truth and made and constituted faithfull dispensers of the same so much as whisper among our selves much lesse publish it abroad that the active righteousness of Christ alone * Justitia Jesu Christi per quam justificamur coram Deo est perfectissimato tius Legis Divinae obedientia Polani Syntag. that is that obedience which he performed to the Law doth justifie a sinner before God We never said it we never thought it and therefore all the pains he hath herein taken to confute us or rather to blast us and the truth in us under the pretence of confutation might very well have bin spared and the time better spent but some will be doing though it be to no purpose and how can we keep company with those that charge us with such assertions which we utterly disclaim and cast such aspersions on us which we did never deserve Again God cannot do this God cannot in Justice do that

especially the 9th Chapter setteth forth most cleerly So then though the Socinians cannot find this word Satisfaction in their Bibles yet they may find that which is equivalent to it and is put for it as when the hurt or damage done to any one either by sin or other trespasse is truly and fully recompenced this is satisfaction h See Grotius de Satisfact Christi cap. 7.8 9 10. That this was performed by Christ and the Justice of God hereby appeased which we had provoked by our transgressions is manifest by those Testimonies formerly recited and by such expressions as are in Scripture frequently used Yet lest any should go away unsatisfied in this point of satisfaction as it is impossible to satisfie all God in his just judgment having sent abroad a Spirit of delusion there being multitudes that will sooner comply with an upstart and erroneous opinion upon the appearance of one single and single sole argument then embrace and cleave to a truth though confirmed by many strong and sinewy demonstrations evident and apparent probations out of the holy Scriptures even as one stroke will carry a man farther with the tide then five against it And therefore I have the lesse hope to prevail with many yet to satisfy the ingenuous and leave the rest without excuse I shall propose these ensuing arguments to the serious consideration of the unbiassed Reader The first of which we take from the meritorious cause of Christ his death Christ suffered and dyed for our sins whence we argue thus He that taking upon him our nature hath therein undergone all the sufferings which were due to the offenders and such as were guilty whose persons he represents So that his chastisements have ceased in the pacification of the Imponent his Sacrifice bin the expiation of all the offences his stripes have brought health and deliverance to the delinquent He hath truly and fully made satisfaction for them But Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-Man ha●h suffered and undergone all these things as hath bin sufficiently proved already by many texts of holy Scripture Therefore he hath made full and perfect satisfaction Secondly from the expiation of our sins and that reconciliation he hath wrought between God and us who were as the Prophet speaketh i Isa 59.2 separated the one from the other so that from hence we thus argue If Christ hath pacifyed the wrath of God towards us which was exceedingly incensed against us by reason of those sins and transgressions which were committed by us so that now though before we stood condemned there is no condemnation at all to us He must needs satisfy Divine Justice which otherwise could not be appeased towards us But the former is true as we have already proved Therefore the latter Thirdly and lastly from that redemption which we have by Christ Christ hath redeemed us by his death So that we thus conclude wheresoever there is true redemption k Heb. 9.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which a certain price is paid l Matt. 10.28 and Mar. 10.45 1 Tim. 2.6 so that they for whom the price is paid by reason and in consideration thereof be freed and discharged from deserved bonds or punishment there also is true satisfaction But such is our redemption by Christ the true prise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interveniente being laid down and accepted Therefore there is true and real satisfaction Besides he that was made sin for us m 2 Cor. 5.21 that we might be made the righteousness of God yea was made a curse for us n Gal. 3.13 thereby freeing us from the same hath truly fully satisfied for us But this was performed by Christ our Surety in our steed Therefore he hath fully satisfied the Justice of his Father for us Otherwise the Law was published to no purpose sentence denounced in vain against the violaters o Gen. 2.17 morte morieris thereof contrary to the immutability and unchangableness of God yea and sin would also remain unpunished contrary to his essential Justice Thus thou seest good Reader whether these blind guides would lead thee and to what a miserable estate they endeavour to bring thee robbing thee of the means and hopes of thy Salvation and leaving thee burdened with the heavy weight of thy sins which thou canst not bear and lyable to the full measure of Gods wrath which thou art not able to undergo If this be so we are of all men most miserable and farewell all happiness after this life Men may sing if they have any heart to it in this sad and desperate condition that old Epicurean ditty ede bibe lude c. Oh what madness doth possesse the souls of these men were they not as good deny the very death of Christ as deny the vertue power and efficacy of his death May they not as well say he dyed not as say he dyed thus thus to no purpose leaving us in our sins and the Justice of God altogether unsatisfied for us These men men said I Yea monsters rather sub specie veritatis veritatem vulnerant wound Truth in her own coat under pretence of defending the Mercy of God they deny his Justice But let these stand or fall to their own Master and seing that we have proved that Christ hath done and suffered these things for us let not the good and benefit thereof fall beside us Let us look at that with thankfull admiration which these heretical Blasphemers do load with scorn and derision Christ suffered for us not only nostra causa for our sake or nostro bono for our good but also nostra vice in our steed and nostro loco in our place He representing our persons in the similitude of sinfull flesh stood in our room taking those stripes upon him which would have dashed us to pieces by the vertue whereof we have our healing The curse of St. Paul will surely light upon such as preach to the people any other Doctrine nor can they expect a blessing that are reduced by it when as in these dayes they shall attempt it Thirdly concerning the nature of the Mediatorial obedience of Christ or the meritorious price of our redemption THE Dialogue having hitherto denied Christs suffering the wrath of God due to the Elect for their sins by way of satisfaction to Divine Justice as also the imputation of their sin unto Christ as their Surety though very immethodically and out of place preferring the effect before the cause lest he should fall into another foul absurdity in his reasoning that is to deny the subject of the question doth present us with a new thing of nothing in the steed thereof And because he hath prevailed with some and they perhaps such as vvill not give their heads for the vvashing it may be Masters in Israel to comply vvith him he expects the l●ke of all and therefore vvould have us follovv all that he proposes to us making no

Barques upon the sands and shallows of deceit yet deeply dissembled even where they least suspected them and thought themselves most free from them For indeed who would look for so foul errour and heresy to proceed from so great and fair pretenders to Truth Or who could imagine that they who seem to advance Christ and his Gospel and do so much outwardly glory therein should so much dishonour yea so horribly blaspheme both the one and the other as the Dialogue and these Socinians commonly do I shall lay down but one argument more to prove this opinion of theirs for which as for their Helena the Dialogue and the rest do so earnestly contend to be both horribly impious and notoriously blasphemous that so all good Christians may look on it and them too as Seamen do on Rockes and Shelves on purpose to avoid them and with an holy resolution set themselves against them which argument is briefly this That opinion which is built upon an heritical and blasphemous ground and is supported and maintained by wresting wronging and putting false and unsavoury glosses upon the Scriptures whereby the very sound actions of true Religion are not only shaken but even razed and overthrown must needs be most wicked and blasphemous And such is this opinion It is built upon this blasphemous ground that God saveth sinners by such a righteousness as is no where to be found in Scripture without wresting and wringing of the same contrary to the sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost therein such a righteousness which indeed is no righteousness at all but an idle and fictitious thing and so consequently that sinners are not justified at all but left in a sad forlorne and desperate condition It blasphemously maintaineth that our sins are not imputed unto Christ and that he did not in any measure suffer the wrath of God to free the Elect from the same which by reason of their sins they had deserved and so tacitely chargeth God with injustice towards him by inflicting so grievous punishments especially in his soul sufferings upon him without a cause leaving by this means poor souls yet in the state of damnation and lyable to eternal torments for whom Christ made full and perfect satisfaction It denies that Christ's righteousness is imputed to true believers affirming that it cannot be accounted theirs by God because Christ's righteousness is the righteousness of one far different from them and God cannot in justice justifie one by the righteousness of another So denying under this the spiritual Union of the faithful with Christ For if he be one with us and we with him as we confidently believe and teach then are our sins that is the guilt of our sins transferred unto him and so made his by this Communion and in him fully satisfied as also his righteousness and satisfaction is not only made over to us but is made ours and we thereby justified pardoned and reconciled to him whom we had offended for it is not the righteousness of a stranger as they perswade who maintain this destructive and damnable opinion nor of another so different from us but that he and vve are one Spiritual body by which Union and Communion with him which may not must not be destroyed all his benefits are made ours we have right and title to them and an interest in them If for all this that hath bin declared there be any to whom this poor endeavour shall come that shall yet give heed to this opinion and to these Spirits of errour which broach and set out such opinions so as to follow or be led by them being thus forewarned they cannot be excused For who hath bewitched them that they should believe lies These are accessary to their own destruction But good Reader be not thou deceived with vain words All is not gold that glistereth Many times we see that under the greenest Grasse doth lurke the soulest Serpent Great is the mistery of Hypocrisie The Bee that hath Hony in her mouth hath a sting in her taile Loe here is Christ Loe there is Christ but what says Christ himself Believe them not If we go all by the eare the empty Barrel hath a deeper sound then the full vessel If by the eye the sowre crab hath as smooth a Coate as the sweet Pippin The search therefore just examination and strict tryall is all in all But yet this exquisite search this sound and substantial tryall is not in every mans power neither is it for every mans trade Every man may pull at a rope but the Pilot only directs the course of the ship There be some that can grease a scabbed sheep in hand that cannot judge of a great rot to ensue The Butcher that hath skill to open an Ox is to seek in the curious anatomizing and desecting of a man So that though many think themselves able enough to judge and determine of these matters yet St. Pauls question may fit every one of our mouths Q●is ad haec idoneus who is indeed fit for these things We had need then even such as pretend most to knowledge to be ever suspitious of our own judgment and earnest with God in prayer for our further and future illumination and instruction that we be not seduced in these dregs of time these last and worst dayes to which we are reserved And now O England England where is the glory of thy Church become those precious ornaments of piety and purity wherewith shee was so richly adorned Oh! thou once beloved spouse how hast thou turned thy self from how hast thou turn'd thy back upon thine own dear Lord and Husband who chose thee and made thee glorious above all others round about thee to follow after and prostitute thy self unto thy fond thy fained lovers What distemper doth possesse thee that thou shouldst so willingly retum to thine own so eagerly pursue so greedily lick up the vomit of other Churches To the eternal praise and glory of God above and to the high commendation of thy little Daughter * The Church of New-England abroad be it spoken more sound in her vitalls more sincere in her profession of the ancient and honourable Truth then thy self shee hath cast out the bond-Woman and her Son the Author and his Dialogue as gendering to bondage worse then Egyptian whom thou hast received into thy bosome hugging herein with the many errours and heresies of the times thine own confusion Thou even thou art become a cage of unclean birds Zum and Ochim have taken up their habitation in thee which are the very fore-runners of thy destruction and desolation Be zealous therefore and repent for behold thy beloved yet standeth at the door and knocks Cast off and cast out the unfruitful works of darkness and give seasonable entertainment to the living Lord Consider Oh! consider in time the things that pertain unto thy peace before they be hidden from thine eyes which God of his mercy grant may never be and