yet he is not like to apologize for it till thou canst convince him that the neglect of Formalities and curious exactness of any kind in Discourses between Friends is blame worthy Nor yet will he plead excuse for the plainness of his Style till he hath reason to believe that the Vulgar whose benefit is here principally intended are capable of understanding higher Language I shall detain thee no longer than till I have told thee that he saith may this trifle be instrumental to beget in but any one a more free ingenuous and amicable Temper he shall not think he hath cause to repent his permitting it to be exposed to publick Censure The Contents The First Part Page 1. I. THE entrance into the Discourse Ibid. ii The hateful Character given by some to certain Friends of Theophilus and Philalethes 7 iii. An Argument of their being greatly abused in that Character 12 iv That Character due to the Broachers of Hobbian Doctrine 13 v. But that Doctrine by none better confuted than by these men 14 vi That Preaching some of their Adversaries Doctrines might render them too well deserving that Character in the Iudgment of over-critical Persons ibid. vii Another Argument that they are abused 18 viii Theophilus undertaketh impartially to Represent them 20 ix Of their Practises 22 x. Of their Conformity to the Ecclesiastical Laws 23 xi The unreasonableness of Censuring Men upon the account of their Conformity 24 xii Of their Conversation 37 xiii Of their Preaching 40 xiv Of their Preaching the Reasonableness of the Christian Precepts 42 xv Of the Use of Reason in Matters of Religion ibid. xvi 1 Cor. 2. 14. considered 43 xvii One advantage that is gotten by demonstrating the Reasonableness of Christian Duties 49 xviii The consideration of the goodness of the Doctrine of the Gospel necessary to accompany that of Miracles to prove its Divine Authority ibid. xix Of the Testimony of the Spirit to the Truth of Scripture 54 xx Theophilus his Opinion concerning the inward Testimony of the Spirit 56 xxi The believing of Divine Things a Divine Faith whatever the Motives thereunto are 58 xxii Of Moral Certainty 61 xxiii Of the Scripture bearing Testimony to it self 64 xxiv A second Advantage gotten by demonstrating the Reasonableness of the Precepts of the Gospel 66 xxv In what sence the Precepts of the Gospel are highly reasonable 69 xxvi A Description of Reason 70 xxvii The first Proposition shewing in what sence the Precepts of the Gospel are reasonable with a brief Demonstration that they are so 71 xxviii The Design of the Christian Religion 72 xxix The Second Proposition ibid. xxx A more particular demonstration of the Reasonableness of the Gospel Precepts 75 xxxi Almost all the Duties injoyned in the Gospel commended by Heathens 80 xxxii Those vindicated from making the Gospel but a little better than a meer Natural Religion that assert that Reason alone is able to prompt to us most of the Duties therein injoyned 86 xxxiii Wherein the Gospel excelleth all other Religions 88 xxxiv To say that what the Gospel requireth is most suteable to Reason is highly to commend it c. 91 xxxv Of their Preaching the Reasonableness of the Points of meer belief 93 xxxvi All the Points of meer belief to be consistent with Reason sometimes proved by them 94 xxxvii That they do not endeavour to level all such Points with mens Capacities 95 xxxviii That they acknowledge incomprehensible Mysteries in the Christian Religion ibid. xxxix That they prove the Consistency of such Points with Reason as they are delivered in the Scripture only 97 xl That they assert many Speculative Points to be also suteable to the Dictates of Reason ibid. xli An Argument drawn from Notions of the Heathens to prove the most weighty Points of Faith suteable to the Dictates of Reason 98 xlii Of their Style in Preaching 104 xliii Of their making Doctrines intelligible 105 xliv A sort of men that are Obscurers of the Gospel ibid. xlv Another sort of such 106 xlvi Of the Perspicuity of Scripture 108 xlvii Their Opinion of powerful Preaching 112 xlviii Of Carnal and Spiritual Reason 113 xlix A farther account of their Preaching 114 l. Of their being accused of Preaching up only a Moral Righteousness 117 li. In what sence they do not so and in what sence they do ibid. 118 lii No difference betwixt Evangelical Righteousness and that which is the best sence Moral 119 liii To work in us such a Moral Righteousness the Design of the Gospel 120 liv A Righteousness in no sence Moral a Contradiction 124 lv Of Imputative Righteousness and in what sence they believe and Preach it 126 lvi Their notion of Christ's imputed Righteousnesse ibid. lvii A false notion of it 128 lviii The first Mistake in that Notion 129 lix The second Mistake ibid. lx A false definition of Faith they Confute in their Preaching 130 lxi Christ's imputed Righteousnesse no Scripture Phrase 133 lxii Some Verses in the fourth to the Romans considered ibid. lxiii St. James 2. 23. considered 135 lxiv. Philippians 3. 9. considered 137 lxv As high a favour to be dealt with as if we were perfectly Righteous as to be so esteemed 139 lxvi The dangerous consequence of the Antinomian Doctrine about Imputed Righteousness 141 lxvii The Antinomians Opinion of Sin 143 lxviii Theophilus his Charity for some Antinomians 146 lxix A Defective Definition of Faith that those Divines Preach against and the ill consequence of it 148 lxx A full Definition of Faith ill applyed to the business of Iustifying 154 lxxi A full and plain Definition of Faith used by those Preachers 157 lxxii Of that Doctrine of those Preachers that Faith justifyeth as it implyeth Obedience 159 lxxiii An Argument to prove that Faith justifieth as it receiveth Christ quà Lord as well as quà Saviour 160 lxxiv. The Act of receiving Christ quà Lord to go before that of receiving him quà Priest 161 lxxv How Faith is distinguished from Repentance and other vertues in the business of Iustification 162 lxxvi Why Iustification is mostly ascribed to Faith 164 lxxvii Two Acceptations of the Word Faith ibid. lxxviii The vertue of Faith variously expressed in Scripture ibid. lxxix How Faith justifieth 165 lxxx The Covenant of Grace conditional 167 lxxxi Hebrews 8. 10. considered 168 lxxxii Men not without all power to cooperate with with God's Grace in their Conversion 174 lxxxiii A middle way to be taken in giving account of Mens Conversion 175 lxxxiv Faith the Condition of the New Covenant ibid. lxxxv Of their being accused for the foregoing Doctrine as holding Iustification by Works and Enemies to God's Grace 176 lxxxvi A Digression concerning censuring men upon the account of their Opinions ibid. lxxxvii A vindication of the foregoing account of Faith justifying from being opposite to free Grace 180 lxxxviii A vindication of that Doctrine from asserting Iustification by Works in St. Paul's sence 186 lxxxix By Works when opposed
none better confuted then by these men VI. That preaching some of their adversaries doctrines might render them too well deserving that character in the judgment of over-critical persons VII Another Argument that they are abused VIII Theophilus undertaketh impartially to represent them IX Of their Practices X. Of their Conformity to the Ecclesiastical Laws XI The unreasonableness of censuring men upon the account of their Conformity XII Of their Conversation XIII Of their Preaching XIV Of their preaching the Reasonableness of the Christian precepts XV. Of the use of Reason in matters of Religion XVI 1 Cor. 2. 14. considered XVII One advantage that is gotten by demonstrating the Reasonableness of Christian duties XVIII The consideration of the goodness of the doctrine of the Gospel necessary to accompany that of Miracles to prove its divine authority XIX Of the testimony of the Spirit to the truth of Scripture XX. Theophilus his opinion concerning the inward testimony of the Spirit XXI The believing of divine things a divine Faith whatever the motives thereunto are XXII Of moral certainty See the Learned Dr. Stilling fleets excellent Answer to the Lo. Archbp of Canterbury's Adversary p. 206. XXIII Of the Scriptures bearing testimony to it self XXIV A second Advantage gotten by demonstrating the reasonableness of the precepts of the Gospel XXV In what sence the precepts of the Gospel are highly reasonable XXVI A description of Reason XXVII The first Proposition shewing in what sence the precepts of the Gospel are reasonable with a brief demonstration that they are so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. p 22. XXVIII The designe of the Christian Religion XXIX The second Proposition XXX A more particular demonstration of the Reasonableness of the Gospel-precepts XXXI Almost all the duties enjoyned in the Gospel commended by Heathens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. p. 26. XXXII Those vindicated from making the Gospel but little better than a mere natural Religion that assert that Reason alone is able to prompt to us most of the duties therein enjoyned XXXIII Wherein the Gospel excelieth all other Religions XXXIV To say that what the Gospel requireth is most sutable to Reason is highly to commend it c. XXXV Of their preaching the Reasonableness of the points of meer belief XXXVI All the points of mere belief to be consistent with Reason somtimes proved by them XXXVII That they do not endeavour to level all such points with mens capacities XXXviii That they acknowledge incomprehensible Mysteries in the Christian Religion XXXIX That they prove the consistency of such points with reason as they are delivered in Scripture onely XL. That they assert many speculative points to be also suitable to the dictates of Reason XLI An Argument drawn from notions of the Heathens to prove the most weighty Points of Faith suitable to the dictates of Reason XLII Of their Style in Preaching XLIII Of their making Doctrines intelligible XLIV A sort of men that are obscurers of the Gospel XLV Another sort of such XLVI Of the perspicuity of Scripture XLVII Their opinion of powerful Preaching XLVIII Of carnal and spiritual Reason XLIX A farther account of their Preaching L. Of their being accused of preaching up onely a Moral righteousness LI. In what sence they do not so and in what sence they do LII No difference betwixt Evangelical righteousness and that which is in the best sence Moral LIII To work in us such a Moral righteousness the designe of the Gospel LIV. A righteousness in no sence Moral a contradiction LV. Of imputative righteousness and in what sence they believe and preach it LVI Their notion of Christs imputed righteousness LVII A false notion of it LVIII The first Mistake in that notion LIX The second Mistake LX. A false definition of faith they confute in their Preaching Preface to The mystery of Godliness p. 27. LXI Christs imputed righteousness no Scripturephrase LXII Some verses in the fourth to the Romans considered LXIII S. James 2. 23. considered LXIV Philippians 3. 9. considered LXV As high a favour to be dealt with as if we were perfectly righteous as to be so esteemed Dr. Cudworth in his Serm preached at Lincolns Inne LXVI The dangerous consequence of the Antinomian doctrine about imputed righteousness Rom. 4. 5. LXVII The Antinomians opion of sin LXVIII Theophilus his charity for some Antinomians LXIX A defective definition of Faith that those Divines preach against and the ill consequence of it LXX A full definition of Faith ill applied to the business of justifying LXXI A full and plain definition of Faith used by those Preachers LXXII Of that Doctrine of those Preachers that Faith justifieth as it implieth obedience LXXIII An argument to prove that Faith justifieth as it receivs Christ quâ Lord as well as quâ Saviour LXXIV The act of receiving Christ quâ Lord to go before that of receiving him quâ Priest LXXV How faith is distinguisht from repentance and other vertues in the business of Iustification LXXVI Why justification is mostly ascribed to faith LXXVII Two acceptations of the word Faith LXXviii The vertue of faith variously expressed in Scripture LXXIX How faith justifieth LXXX The Covenant of grace conditional LXXXI Heb. 8. 10. considered LXXXII Men not without all power to co-operate with Gods grace in their conversion LXXXiii A middle way to be taken in giving account of mens conversion LXXXiv Faith the condition of the new Covenant LXXXV Of their being accused for the foregoing doctrine as holding justification by works and enemies to Gods grace LXXXvi A digression concerning censuring men upon the account of their opinions LXXXvii A Vindication of the foregoing account of faiths justifying from being opposite to free grace Lxxxviii A vindication of that Doctrine from asserting justification by works in S. Paul's sence Lxxxix By works when opposed to Grace or Faith new obedience never meant XC No crime to hold justification by works in S. James his sence XCI S. Paul's language not to be preferred before S. James his I. A more distinct account of their Opinions II. Of their judgment in Doctrinals III. In what sence the Church of England imposeth subscription to the 39 Articles IV. The Lord Primate of Ireland his testimony V. What Doctrines they most endeavor to confute VI. Philalethes his representation of Gods nature VII Consequences of Opinions not to be charged on all those that hold them VIII That they set themselvs against the Doctrines of Gods absolute decreeing mens sin and misery IX That those two are not to be separated X. That those doctrines make their defenders assert two wills in in God and the one contrary to the others by which means other sad consequences also follow XI Of opposing Gods secret to his reveled will XII That we must resolve to believe nothing at all if we may believe nothing against which we cannot answer all Objections XIII That the forementioned doctrine evidently contradicts our natural notions XIV Which is the safest course in
a willingness to obey into justifying Faith which they are convinc'd they must do or they shall make mad work on 't that is that they may make S. Iames not to contradict S. Paul they say that justifying Faith must be a working obediential Faith yet as it justifieth must be considered as distinct from obedience But because it is replied that to rely upon Christs merits is an act of obedience or a work they answer that though it be yet it doth not justifie as it is a work and therefore with the other men they will not have it called a condition of Justification but the instrument Philal. But don't you think that this elaborate acuteness might be well spared by understanding works when they are undervalued comparatively to grace and faith as quite distinct things from sincere obedience to the Gospel of Christ Theoph. I am verily perswaded it may and that the way in which those that are called the Moral Preachers go as to this point will be made as clear as our hearts can wish by so understanding them Philal. I desire you to give me as full an account as briefly you can how they deliver this doctrine of Faith in reference to Justification Theoph. Justifying Faith because they would express themselvs as plainly as may be in a matter of most weighty importance they describe much after this manner That It is so full a perswasion that Christ Iesus is the Saviour of Mankinde and that his Gospel is true as causeth a hearty and sincere willingness to yeild obedience to all his precepts or to take that course which he hath prescribed in order to Salvation Philal. This is plain enough And I should think not capable of being misunderstood Theoph. Though I cannot say that I speak the words of any of them yet sure I am that those I have heard them use in defining justifying faith are as easily intelligible as these are and have the same sence Philal. I have heard you heretofore say that when you were a youth you was taught this definition viz. Iustifying faith is a grace of the holy Spirit whereby a man being convinced of his sin and miserable estate in regard of it and an all-sufficiencie in Christ to save from both receives him as he is tendered in the Gospel or according to his three Offices of Prophet Priest and King What fault can be found with the wording of this Theoph. None at all not is a better definition of Faith desirable I was taught this when other kinde of definitions of that grace were all the Mode by a most judicious as well as pious Divine I cannot forbear to call him so though he is of all men most nearly related to me to him I shall ever acknowledge my self obliged for first rightly instructing me in this point and antidoting me against the forementioned false notions concerning it with divers others that were highly by very many cryed up in those as well as in these wilde days Philal. You are not less beholden to that Reverend and worthy person upon those accounts than you are for your very being But I pray do the Preachers you have undertaken to represent not onely say that Justifying faith includes obedience but also that it justifieth as it doth so Theoph. Yes Philalethes that they do For they do not think that the Scriptures make any difference between the two forementioned acts of faith as to the influence it hath upon Justification and that not without cause S. Paul tells us Gal. 5. 6. that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing he means especially as to Justification as appears by vers 4 but faith that worketh by love which takes in the whole of obedience and there he stops The Apostle troubleth not himself to give any caution to the Galatians that they should not understand him as if his meaning was any more than this That justifying faith worketh by love or as if he had said That faith justifieth as it worketh by love Philal. There comes into my minde an Argument that seems to me demonstrative that there is to be made no distinction between those acts of faith in justifying namely the Scriptures assure us that our Saviours death was intended not onely to deliver us from wrath but from sin too and it is plain that this later was its immediate end deliverance from wrath being a consequent of deliverance from sin And therefore faith in Christs bloud must needs justifie as it designs obtaining this as well as that Theoph. Your Argument will rather prove more than that for which you bring it viz. That if those acts of faith be at all to be distinguished in the business of Justification the greater stress is to be laid on that which complieth with the principal end of our Saviours death And so if we must be making comparisons Faith justifieth as it receives Christ quâ Lord rather than quâ Priest or Saviour But however I am not for any comparisons they being perfectly needless and nothing gotten by them Philal. That act of receiving Christ as Lord is to go before that of receiving him as Priest for we may not rely upon him for salvation till we are willing to yeeld obedience to him Theoph. 'T is most true we have not any ground at all so to do we must be willing to be to our power universally obedient before we take that confidence Philal. Before you go farther I pray tell me what distinction you would make betwixt Faith and Repentance and the other graces also if its nature be extended so far as to imply obedience Theoph. The Scriptures are seldom so curious when they speak of Faith or Repentance or the love or fear or knowledge of God c. as to understand them in so restrained a sence as to abstract them from other vertues but sometimes they express all by one We finde in multitudes of places some one of the principal vertues put to express the whole of practical Religion as each of those last mentioned of which I need not give you instances And whereas Faith and Repentance are sometimes distinguished it is onely because believing the Gospel implieth more than bare Repentance in its strict notion Irenaeus therefore gives this honest description of faith in Christ Credere ei est facere ejus voluntatem To believe in Christ is to do his will Moreover we shall finde that Justification and Remission of sins for the Scripture makes no difference betwixt those two is sometimes ascribed to other vertues as well as to Faith but then they are understood either in so general a sence as to include Faith or as supposing it For instance Acts 3. 19. 't is attributed to conversion and repentance Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out To forgiveness of trespasses Matth. 6. 14. If you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you To shewing mercy Mat. 5. 7. Blessed are
God with all their heart and with all their soul and before shewed that it was their duty to love the Lord their God with all their heart and soul which you know containeth the substance of what is enjoyned in the new Covenant and was no part of that which was required by the Law that is called in a strict sence the Iewish Mosaical which as the Apostle saith was added because of transgression till the seed should come to whom the promises were made not as any new condition whereby they were to attain to the promises but that they should till they were fulfilled be restrained and kept under a strict outward discipline backt on by temporal rewards and punishments I say having over and above his own Law exhorted them to the observance of those duties wherein the substance of those commanded in the Gospel consisteth and which may be found sprinkled up and down in the other Prophets as well as his writings and doubtless were more compleatly delivered to them by tradition from their fathers he thus saith in the 11 verse and the three following For this commandment which I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it far off it is not in heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst do it By the word in their heart at least we are certainly to understand the forementioned spiritual and essentially good precepts for so is it interpreted by S. Paul Rom. 10. 6 7 8. Philal. I am hugely pleased with the Paraphrase you have given and must needs say that of these two considering the context it seemeth the most natural Theoph. But however their interpretation of this place that endeavour to prove from it the nonconditionality of the new Covenant is by no means to be endured it being of so very ill consequence and also so flatly contradicting the apparent sence of multitudes of Scriptures as it doth whereby we are assured that God expects that the working of his and our own spirits should go together and be conjunct causes co-operating one and the self-same effect Philal. If men have no power as those people say to co-operate at all with the grace of God in the mortification of their lusts or the renovation of their natures S. Iames did very strangely forget himself when he said Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded Theoph. The truth is the Scripture seems one while to give all to God in the work of Regeneration and Conversion and another while to make it wholly mens own act And as in that place to the Hebrews it may seem at first sight that all is to be done by God so doth God in other places express himself as if man were to do all in this work as Cast away from you all your iniquities Make you a new heart and a new spirit turn your selves and live ye Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well And you know that I could tire you with sayings to the same purpose Philal. Therefore we must interpret such places so as to reconcile them to each other Theoph. And to this end we must go in a middle way and avoid the extremes on both hands or we shall never do so I mean that where God speaks as if he did all in this great work we are to judge that he supposeth mens endeavours and where he speaks as if men were to do all that he supposeth the concurrence and assistance of his own grace But as I said that nothing is more evident than that the new Covenant is conditional so secondly there is nothing more plainly or frequently expressed than that Faith is the condition of it and therefore I shall not need to insist upon it Philal. You said that those Preachers are accused by many Hot men for this doctrine as persons Popishly affected and holding Justification by works and therefore enemies to the freeness of Gods grace Theoph. I foresaw that in this part of our discourse you would put me upon vindicating them from this high charge and therefore when I had occasion given me to do it I chose as you may remember to defer it longer because this is the properest place for it Philal. But suppose the consequences of this doctrine were so very foul as those men think they are would it not be notwithstanding very uncharitably done of them to censure the Preachers of it so highly upon that account Theoph. Yes verily Philalethes this would not excuse them at all from unchristian uncharitableness for they ought to hope seeing they profess to magnifie free grace no less than themselvs and concern themselvs to confute the Papists as much as any not to say more that they do not understand the evil consequences of their Doctrine and that if they did they would most willingly and freely renounce it Philal. If those Preachers should retaliate as I hope they are better Christians than to do so they might call these their censurers worse than Papists I mean Libertines and Ranters for they are as strongly perswaded that their notions about justifying Faith and some other lead to Looseness and Libertinism as these are that theirs lead to Popery Theoph. But they dare not I hope so much as suspect that those of them that seem to make any conscience of their ways are at all aware of the Poison that is in some of their Opinions but judge that their meaning is much better than their Faith Philal. I for my part can truly say that I think not at all hardly of them for the sake of their false Tenets so long as I do not observe that they practise upon them but I am sometimes very shrewdly tempted to fear upon the account of the Reviling and Censuring not a few of them are guilty of that they are no better than meer pretenders to Religion as great a profession as they make of it For S. Iames hath taught me that He that seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue that mans Religion is vain Theoph. But perhaps they may mean as honestly in the one as in the other and 't is possible that their angry expressions may not be the effects of malice but of a certain kinde of zeal Philal. Well Theophilus I will endeavour after more of your charitable temper If you judge too well of those people it is a safe and good extreme Charity I confess hopeth all things and believeth all things even there where are too great temptations to the contrary
Theoph. When we can put a favourable construction upon our brothers faults and not offer over-great violence to our own Reason we ought to do it and to look upon them as proceeding rather from infirmity than from a principle of immorality But yet Philalethes I would not have you take me to be more charitable than I am for though I will not conclude those censorious people to be all hypocrites yet I dare confidently pronounce them at best but of the lowest fourm in Christs School as great attainments as they may be thought to be arrived at by men of greater honesty than understanding Philal. But we have forgotten our business all this while Theoph. You do well to minde me of it You expect Philalethes that I should vindicate those friends of ours and all that are of their minde in the point in hand from opposing free grace and holding the Popish doctrine of Justification by works They are so far from being guilty in these particulars that I am amazed at their ignorance that say they are upon such slight grounds or rather upon none at all Nor do I think that an easier task can be imposed on any man that hath but a competent understanding of our Saviours Gospel than to clear the foregoing account of Faiths justifying from those hateful sequels For whereas 't is pretended that that doctrine is an enemy to free grace I may ask those that pretend so how Justification is free seeing it is necessary to believe in their sence in order to it they must at least acknowledge that if not so much as that lazie faith of theirs were requisite it would be so much the freer Philal. But the Antinomians will tell you that they make no faith at all nor any thing else necessary or requisite to their Justification and that their faith consists in believing that they are already justified and that they were so before they were born too nay as was said that their Justification is as old as God himself for he could be but from eternity Theoph. I confess these blades are swinging assertors of the freeness of their Justification and therefore the Question I now asked is nothing to them but I am sure it signifieth something to the second sort I told you of and that are gotten about one little remove from formal Antinomians But I say moreover that such a Faith as that we have described is absolutely necessary in it self to make us capable of that priviledge and meet objects of Gods grace Will they say that the Kings pardoning a notorious Traytor is ever the less free because that as far as he could judge of his heart he looked on him as a person that was resolved to become for the future a Loyal subject Me-thinks they should not and that for this reason because such a purpose is but necessary to qualifie him for a pardon it being an act of greater fondness and folly than of grace and goodness to forgive an offender that obstinately persists in his disobedience Or suppose his Majestie should confer upon one of them an honourable Office in his Court would he say he bought it or that it was not freely bestowed upon him because his Majestie required that before his investiture and admission into it he should learn good Breeding and how to behave himself in such a Place Surely he would not and that for the already-mentioned reason this he could not but know was no more than necessary to be enjoyned him for otherwise he could not be at all fit for the Office and the King would greatly disparage his wisdom in making such a choice And as little cause have any to imagine that to assert that God will pardon and receive into special favour none but such as so believe as to be heartily willing to obey his Sons Gospel is to derogate from the freeness of his grace Besides that glory and blessedness which consisteth in the enjoyment of God in the other world which is the consequent of Justification cannot be enjoyed by a wicked man the joys of heaven are of so spiritual a nature that carnal souls are as uncapable of them as are beasts of the intellectual delights of men They are onely the pure in heart that can as well as that shall see God Heathens will teach us this doctrine if we are to learn it Much less then in the third place is this doctrine of a working Faiths being the condition of our Justification at all a lessening of the freeness of Gods grace when as those that preach it do withal assert that this faith is Gods own gift a grace of his blessed Spirit They say indeed and that most truly that we are to use the means appointed us by him for the obtaining of it but they tell their hearers also that it must come from God if they ever have it Could we work this faith in our selvs and stood in no need of the divine assistance considering what hath been said it would make our Justification to be never the less free much less reason then is there that those should be charged with making it otherwise that preach that doctrine of Faiths being the condition of Justification when they declare that the power whereby we perform that condition comes from God Philal. I am sure that I have no power to invent any one Reply by way of objection Theoph. Well then we 'll to their next Cavil namely that to hold this doctrine is to maintain Justification by works which is indeed the same in their sence with the former but it is fit it should be distinctly spoken to because S. Paul in his Epistles especially to the Romans and Galatians doth so often deny works to have an influence into Justification and is found opposing them one while to Grace and another while to Faith as to this matter I cannot stand to cite the particular places but the consideration of these following things will enable any man to reconcile them with this Doctrine at the first sight of them 1. By the works of the Law whereby the Apostle saith that men cannot be justified we are frequently to understand those of the Jewish Law their External Rites and Observances And so they are to be understood in most if not all the places in the Epistle to the Galatians And by the understanding of that one thing that Epistle may with ease be defended from patronizing the Antinomian doctrine The chief designe of which as is most apparent being to vindicate the liberty of the Christian Religion from the Judaical Yoke which being by the Judaizing Galatian Converts imposed upon the Christian Gentiles as absolutely and indispensably necessary was like to prove a mighty obstacle to the progress of the Gospel among them 2. In some other places by works are meant absolutely perfect and altogether faultless ones And we are told that as the Law of Moses cannot nor ever could justifie by reason of its own weakness
to Grace or Faith New Obedience never meant 188 xc No Crime to hold Iustification by Works in St. James his sence ibid. xci St. Pauls Language not to be preferred before St. James his 189 The Second Part. 190 i. A more distinct Account of their Opinions ibid. ii Of their Iudgment in Doctrinals 191 iii. In what sence the Church of England imposeth Subscription to the 39 Articles ibid. iv The Lord Primate of Ireland his Testimony ibid. v. What Doctrines they most endeavour to Confute 192 vi Philalethes his Representation of Gods Nature 193 vii Consequences of Opinions not to be charged on all those that hold them 198 viii That they set themselves against the Doctrine of Gods absolute decreeing Mens Sin and Misery 199 ix That those two are not to be separated 200 x. That those Doctrines make their Defenders assert two Wills in God and the one contrary to the other by which means other sad Consequences also follow 202 xi Of opposing Gods Secret to his Revealed Will 206 xii That we must resolve to believe nothing at all if we may believe nothing against which we cannot answer all Objections 210 xiii That the forementioned Doctrine evidently contradicts our natural Notions 213 xiv Which is the safest course in reconciling seemingly contradictory Scriptures 216 xv Theophilus can believe no sence of Scripture that doth evidently contradict self-evident Notions 217 xvi Of that Opinion That whatsoever God doth is therefore good and just because He doth it 218 xvii What is the Motive inducing the good men of that Perswasion to go that way 223 xviii Those Divines middle way between the Calvinists and Remonstrants 228 xix This way proposed by Catharinus at the Council of Trent 231 xx How it comes to pass that this way for some Ages had fewest Friends 232 xxi This Way a great ease to Theophilus his Mind 233 xxii Philalethes no less beholden to it which causeth Theophilus to ask him some Questions 236 xxiii Of Free Will 239 xxiv Of the State of the Heathens 249 xxv That God hath wayes though they may be perfectly unknown to us to clear the Iustice and Goodness of his Dealings with all Mankind 254 xxvi Whether what must be acknowledged to defend that middle Way tends to encourage security c. 256 xxvii That the Doctrine discoursed against doth a world of mischief 257 xxviii The Test by which Theophilus examines Controverted Points 260 xxix Of the great obscurity of St. Paul's Style in many places and the causes of it 261 xxx A Paraphrase upon several Verses of the ninth to the Romans 263 xxxi How God is said to harden sinners 275 xxxii Philalethes offereth another Interpretation of the 19 th and 20 th Verses 284 xxxiii That the most Ancient Fathers were Enemies to absolute Reprobation with its Concomitants 288 xxxiv That the old Gnosticks were great Friends to it 291 xxxv Mr. Joseph Mede's Iudgment concerning this Point 293 xxxvi The Church of England no favourer of it 294 xxxvii The Moderation of those Divines in other Matters of Controversie which Theophilus hath not time to insist upon very remarkable 295 xxxviii None more disliked by them than the Monopolizers of Truth to a Party 296 xxxix Infallibility in the best of Men or Churches denyed by them 297 xl Of the Infallibility of the Church and those Protestants that seem to be sticklers for it 298 xli Of Acquiescing in the four first Occumenical Councils 300 xlii What Respect due to Councils 302 xliii The Church of Englands sence of General Councils 304 xliv The Determinations of our own Church not to be opposed in Matters disputable 305 xlv An Argument that Christ intended us no Infallible Iudge of Controversies 306 xlvi Private Christians promised Infallibility in the same sense that the Church Representative hath the promise of it 307 xlvii Of Disputacity 308 xlviii Of Friendly Disputes ibid. xlix The way to Peace ibid. l. The mischief of contending for an Infallible Iudge 309 li. Forcing others to be of our mind Tyrannical ibid. lii To condemn men for dissenting from us unwarrantable 310 liii Of those Divines Candor towards dissenters from them 313 liv Of Mr. Chillingworth's Book 315 lv Of their Opinion concerning Fundamentals and that they are not forward to give a Catalogue of them 316 lvi The use of the foregoing Principles 317 lvii That those Divines procure to themselves Enemies of divers sorts by their endeavours to propagate those Principles 319 The Third Part. 322 i. Their Iudgment in Matters of Discipline ibid. ii That they prefer Episcopacy to all other Forms of Church Government 323 iii. How much essential to Episcopacy ibid. iv That they unchurch not those Churches that will not admit it though they think it desirable that all would 324 v. Their Opinion of the Power of the Civil Magistrate in Sacred Affairs 325 vi That the Civil Magistrate hath a Power both Legislative and Iudiciary in Ecclesiastical Affairs ibid. vii Their Opinion of the Authority of the Church 327 viii That they believe Magistrates are to be obeyed when they command things inconvenient if lawful 329 ix That they judge it unlawful for the People to take Arms against their Prince c. on any pretence 331 x. That they are for shewing favour to Dissenters out of Conscience 332 xi Whom they conceive are not to be dealt with as men of tender Consciences 333 xii Theophilus presumes that they would be glad if some things that most offend were removed c. 334 xiii Philalethes his Opinion upon the whole Account 336 xiv Why the Bigots of the several Parties are mostly their Enemies 337 xv That it is pity there should be any distinction of Name between Them and the Moderate Men of some Parties 339 xvi What Name they onely desire to be known by 340 xvii That their Temper and Free Principles are of no late standing c. 341 xviii Why the Pharisees could not endure our Saviour ibid. xix When the Temper and Spirit that hath been described began to decay in the Christian World 343 xx The Pope beholden to the Decay thereof for his Power 344 xxi That it is much revived in the Protestant Churches though the Generality are still greatly defective in it 345 xxii If the Invisible Antichrist were once fallen the Visible one would quickly follow ibid. xxiii The Conclusion 346 Theophilus a Lover of God Philalethes a Lover of Truth ERRATA Page 27. line 13 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 165. l. 13. r. Make. p. 289. l. 24. r. 100. A FREE DISCOURSE BETWEEN Two Intimate Friends c. Philalethes MY dearest Theophilus the observation I have for some time made of the great change in your countenance from that spriteful and chearful air I was wont with pleasure there to behold to a melancholy pensiveness and deep dejection hath made me not a little solicitous concerning the cause nor can I but entertain a great suspicion that it is no ordinary
Believers and threatnings of the most dismal punishment to those that shall persist in impenitence and unbelief c. Philal. You need say no more than you have done to make the Christian a most incomparable Religion but did you not say too much under the former Head in affirming that therein is contained our whole duty so as that we need do no more than read the Gospel to come to the knowledge of it For there are very many Moral cases wherein men are forced to use their Reason to the utmost and also to call in the assistance of other mens for the understanding of their duty in them Theoph. Surely Philalethes you could not think me so extremely weak as to mean by what I said that the Scriptures descend minutely to determine all possible cases in particular for this cannot be done in Books they being infinite and varying with mens innumerable circumstances But this was my meaning that the particular duties men are constantly obliged to are all plainly there reveled and in the most express terms And I adde that there are also general Rules laid down whereby all emergent cases may be determined and such as ordinarily occur at least for the most part with the greatest ease But to go on To say that there is nothing required but what is most sutable to our Rational faculties tends as much to magnifie Gods goodness to us and to commend the Gospel as any thing that can be said And should it consist much of perfectly new Precepts which the world could never before so much as once have dreamt of or of any thing like to them and the reasonableness of which could not be at all or not without great difficulty apprehended it would be exceedingly less easie to believe it to be a Religion sent from God than now it is This also makes it a Religion as easie to be practised by Mankinde as can be for all the Duties wherein consisteth the substance of it must have continued to oblige us whether they were therein expressed or no. From what hath been said it is most manifest that while we continue to be men they cannot cease to be our duty and therefore whatsoever other precepts the Gospel might have consisted of they would have been an addition to our Burthen And we may be hereby convinced that Gods designe in giving us the Gospel is purely our own good seeing the impositions wherein as I said consists the substance of it are but just so many as obedience to which is absolutely necessary in themselvs considered much more then to the qualifying of us for the full enjoyment of himself in blessedness and the rest are enjoyned onely as helps to enable us to obey them Philal. But do those Preachers content themselvs to shew that the duties of the Gospel are very reasonable I have been informed that they rise higher in this attempt and that sometimes they undertake to demonstrate that the points of meer belief and even the most mysterious too are so and endeavour to level them with mens shallow Capacities Theoph. This Philalethes is partly true and partly as false It is in a sense true that they have proved sometimes that all the points of meer belief are reasonable that is consistent with Reason so that we can have no temptation to dis-believe any upon the account of their contrariety to the innate and natural notions of our mindes They some of them at least endeavour to convince their Auditors that our Saviour hath not imposed upon our Faculties in requiring our assent to Contradictions that he puts not his disciples as his pretended Vicegerent doth his proselytes upon offering violence to their understandings in any thing as a matter of Faith proposed by him Philal. This is no more in my opinion than is necessary for men to know For though our best Reason could never have proved to us divers Gospel-truths had they not been reveled yet they being reveled there is nothing surely in them that rightly understood sounds so harshly but that our Reason may admit of it and close with it But do they not as I said I have heard go about to bring down all such points to mens capacities Theoph. That be you assured is a notorious Calumny for they onely say that the Doctrines of the Gospel are all such as we may be able to make sence of and that there is nothing in them that is opposite to our Reason But they most freely acknowledge that there are such Mysteries as are so sublime as much to exceed our apprehensions and that can by no means be comprehended by the most rational persons And this acknowledgement they have well proved is no disparagement to our Saviours Religion but rather procures to it the greater veneration there being no wise man but will willingly confess that there are even in Nature innumerable things which he knows to be but yet is not able to imagine how they are and that his very Senses do assure him of many such things as no faculty of his can give him a satisfactory account of Philal. I have often thought it to be very fit that there should be some such Points in our Religion as are not comprehensible and adaequate objects of our Understandings that so as we are to take occasion from the consideration of those Doctrines that God hath made facile and adapted to our understandings to admire his gracious condescention so from the consideration of those which we finde surpass our reach we may no less adore his wisdom But Theophilus do those Divines ever undertake to demonstrate the consistency of some Mysterious points with our Reason as they are by the School-men and other over subtile Gentlemen made out Theoph. No I hope you think them wiser men than to adventure upon a Task so desperate They consider those Points as they are delivered in the Scriptures and not as dressed up with the Metaphysical Subtilties of Wanton Wits who have been so far from doing service to those Doctrines that they have rendered them much more doubtful to many inquisitive persons and such as are not easily imposed upon by confident Sayings and great Names Philal. But now it comes to my minde I am confident I have been told by some of their good Friends that they assert more concerning the reasonableness of the Speculative Doctrines of Christianity than that they are onely not inconsistent with Reason but moreover that they are very suitable to its dictates Theoph. I thank you for helping my Memory in this as well as in many other particulars your information is very true as to many of the weightiest Points and there is no wise man but will assert the same For it is well known that the Heathens had a notion of them Life and immortality are said to be brought to light by the Gospel i. e. to give Mankinde full satisfaction in that Article of Faith is the sole prerogative of
that divers Doctrines of the Gospel such as he there enumerates viz. God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit c. are so high and admirable that we cannot dive to the bottom of them or fully comprehend them nor could have so much as once thought of them had they not been from Heaven made known but that being reveled they are still to Reason unintelligible and cannot be sufficiently understood thereby he hath asserted no such thing Now of these as well as of the former those Preachers have no less than any discovered the great weakness and vanity and when they have occasion make it plainly appear that those whose notions of divers Articles of Faith are so expressed as that no man that makes good use of his Reason can tell what to make of them deserve nothing less than the Titles of Spiritual Preachers and profound Divines as they are by many accounted and that they in stead of being so bewray very great ignorance of the Gospel Philal. And without question they do no small mischief but render our Religion which you have shewn is so highly reasonable greatly suspected by many of the warier sort of people Theoph. I remember that Erasmus complaineth of the times of the Nicene Council that it was then a matter of great Wit and Cunning to be a Christian. And a matter it was most worthy to be complained of for evident it is that our Saviour never made it so He hath made Christianity so much at least as is necessary to carry men to heaven so plain that an honest heart is a sufficient prerequisite to the understanding of it Philal. 'T is not to be doubted but that he hath delivered all those points that are absolutely necessary to be rightly understood in the plainest and most intelligible manner and so condescended to the weakest capacities that they cannot but apprehend his meaning in them if it be not their own fault Theoph. I count that onely those Doctrines that contain the terms of Mans Salvation are of absolute necessity to be by all rightly understood and that all such are delivered with that perspicuity and clearness that nothing but mens shutting their eyes against the light can keep them from discerning their true meaning Philal. S. Austin hath a good saying to this purpose in his Book of Christian Doctrine viz. That all those things that contain faith and manners of life are found among those Doctrines that are plainly laid down in Scripture Theoph. This is so true that Celsus is brought in by Origen in his Sixth Book finding great fault with the Scriptures upon the account of their plainness and great simplicity To whom he returneth this answer That Iesus and his Apostles made use of such a Style as was best suited to the vulgar sort and that Plato and other of their Philosophers were greatly to blame for expressing themselves in so lofty a manner as they did for that by this means none could make use of them but Learned men And I remember that in his seventh Book he tells Celsus that Plato and the other wise Greeks were like to Physicians that took care of persons of the better rank but neglected ordinary Plebeians and the meaner sort whereas the Prophets and Disciples of Iesus did no less carefully apply themselvs to the good of simple than of wise people Philal. Surely Christ will never condemn men at the last day for not believing those things they could not by any means understand to be reveled and it is matter of admiration to me that any should judge the Gospel to be obscure in matters necessary when the Apostle accounted it so sad a Judgement not to understand it for saith he If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost Theoph. And in the words following he saith that those that understand it not have their eyes blinded by the God of this world Isaiah prophesying of the Gospel and expressing it by the Metaphor of a way saith that it is so plain that wayfaring men though fools shall not erre therein 'T is true indeed it is so deep a Sea as S. Hierome saith that the Elephant may swim there there is that and much of that too that putteth the strongest Brains and most searching Wits hard to it but as the same Father addes 't is so shallow a brook also that is as to all things necessary to salvation that the Lamb may wade in it So that all those Philalethes that affect to make such Truths as subtil and mysterious as they can do what lyeth in them to cross and make ineffectual the designe that our Saviour and his Apostles had in the delivery of them and these and all other Preachers that like them do condemn such doings do no less advance it And I will adde that those that affect to make any points as obscure as they can whether they are necessary or not are too injurious to the Christian Religion And by what hath been said I am likewise put in minde to tell you that these persons look upon no Preaching as truly powerful but that which worketh upon the affections by first conquering the judgement and convinceth men of their duty by solid Reasons and Arguments and excites them thereunto by perswasive Motives they esteeming that which affects people so as they can give no account why it should to be so far from powerful that it doth not deserve to be called Preaching Now upon these accounts as well as those forementioned do many inconsiderate people despise them as men of dry Reason and void of Gods Spirit as if to be a spiritual Preacher were to be an irrational one and none were capable of divine illuminations but such as have bid adieu to the guidance of their intellectuals Which is as much as to say that we must cease to be Men and be metamorphos'd into Brutes before we can hope to become Christians Philal. What confused and gross thoughts have such people in the matters of Religion as not to be able to distinguish between that which is truly carnal which they talk so much against and spiritual Reason and not to understand that the former is that onely which is governed by fleshly and corrupt affections and the later that which is submitted to and directed by our Saviours Gospel and designeth nothing so much as promoting the ends of it Theoph. There are a few things more Philalethes I would advertise you of concerning the Preaching of these our Friends namely that they are very careful so to handle the Doctrine of Justifying Faith as not onely to make obedience to follow it but likewise to include a hearty willingness to submit to all Christs precepts in the nature of it And to shew the falsity and defectiveness of some descriptions of Faith that have had too general an entertainment and still have This they look upon themselvs as greatly obliged to do as being well aware of what dangerous
As charitable as you are towards them I fear that they if not those also that are too neer of kin to them had they heard your past discourse would pronounce you an Heretick Theoph. And what if they should I should pitie them as weak but not condemn them as wicked for so doing The excellent Melancthon was called a worse name by Luther and the worst hurt I wish them is that I could upon as good grounds return that answer to them that he did to him which was to this effect Though Luther calls me Devil yet I will call Luther a most pious servant of Iesus Christ. Besides we need not now-a-days look upon our selvs as having any great injury done to us by being called Hereticks that name being grown as you know who speaks a meer Theological Scare-crow and moreover there is no man but is so reputed if not so called by some or other But yet mistake me not so as if I thought that to be really a Heretick and in a Scripture-sence were a trivial and light matter for I am far from so thinking being well aware that the Apostle reckons Heresies with Adulteries Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcrafts Hatred Seditions and other fruits of the flesh which will undoubtedly exclude men out of Gods kingdom Philal. You intimated that there is more than one definition of Justifying Faith which those they call the Moral Preachers concern themselvs to bring their Hearers out of conceit with Theoph. There is another that they judge as defective as that we have given our sence of is false which is this That it is a recumbence or resting on Christ for salvation There are those which I cannot but think are very good men that will by no means endure that any more should be admitted into its definition Now these men I acknowledge make inherent holiness otherwise necessary than as that which must needs follow by way of gratitude upon a sense of their being in a justified state for they make it a necessary qualification to Salvation though not to Iustification But herein they also fall into the Antinomian Errour that they or at least their doctrine supposeth a man capable of Gods favour so far as to have his sins pardoned before he is purged from them I mean freed from their reigning power Philal. These differ from the other men as I suppose in this also That they do not make Justification to be from Eternity as they do Theoph. You say well they do not approve of that mad Phancie but make Justification to follow upon Believing but then that Believing they judge necessary to Justification they make such a scanty thing as I now said and will not hear of making receiving Christ as Lord or being willing to obey his precepts a prerequisite to the obtaining of that priviledge And so their doctrine is too plainly liable to the ill consequences of the other mens Philal. Do they not onely say that good works are not necessary to Justification Theoph. No that I am sure they do not for as I told you they will not admit so much as a willingness to perform them into the definition of Justifying faith And besides they assert that good works are not always necessary to Salvation it self neither as when a person is converted at the point of death Wherein they say truly if any are which can be known to none but God onely But then observe moreover that these persons will not have their Faith a condition of Justification but an instrument Philal. But why are they so shie of that phrase and so fond of this Theoph. Their pretence is that to make any condition of Justification is to derogate from the freeness of Gods grace therein But to that we shall have occasion to speak anon Philal. Our Salvation as well as Justification is ascribed to Gods grace but sure they will grant that that hath conditions Theoph. Conditions must take from the freeness of the one as well as of the other but therefore they being aware of it will not call what is necessary to Salvation proper conditions but rather qualifications men having they say no hand in them but are the meer effects of the Holy Ghost Philal. Will they not grant then that the Covenant of Grace is conditional if it be not it is sure enough no Covenant for I understand not what a Covenant means and how it is distinguishable from a meer or absolute promise if it be not conditional Theoph. No more can any mortal Therefore they talk strangely in the clouds as to this matter so that I confess I can by no means understand them I wish they understand themselvs For because there are so many promises in the Gospel that run as conditionally as words can express them they are shie of saying with the Antinomians that the Covenant of Grace is not conditional but then they tell us that all the priviledges therein contained shall be absolutely bestowed on those that they are promised to and so in my weak judgement they plainly deny all conditionality therein notwithstanding And they think themselvs warranted thus to express themselvs by Ieremiah 31. 33. and the quotation of that place Hebrews 8. 10. But to these places we will speak anon Philal. Well I perceive these also are obscurers of plain and I had almost said too spoilers of good Divinity as well as the other men for the consequences of their Doctrine will I fear be found to have too untoward an influence upon the practice of too many that understand them though they do not shew themselvs quite so soon as those that follow from the former Doctrine Theoph. I wish they could as easily discern Consequences as I see you do for my charity leads me to believe that very many of them have so much unkindness for them as that they would then for their sakes bid adieu to the beloved premisses But Philalethes there are other more moderate and wise persons and many of them men of excellent worth who being sensible how greatly Protestants have exposed themselvs to the Papists lash by that doctrine make receiving of Christ as both Lord and Saviour to be justifying Faith Which I acknowledge to be a very true and full definition But yet they say that though this alone is the Faith that justifieth yet as it justifieth it receives Christ as Saviour onely or consists in relying on his merits Philal. But is not this marveilous subtile Theoph. Truly it seems so to me and I believe at least to all vulgar capacities Philal. But why will they not admit that receiving Christ quâ Lord as well as qua Saviour justifieth Theoph. Because they say Justification is often denied to works and onely ascribed to faith But they apprehend not a difference between these two otherwise than by making faith relying on Christs merits and works yeelding obedience to his precepts But therefore that they may reconcile Justification by Faith alone with taking obedience or
I would advance Gods grace as highly as ever I am able and so I perswade my self would the Divines we have been speaking of so as not to destroy his other perfections nor do I nor I believe they desire to attribute any more to man in the business of his salvation than needs must and not suppose him a perfect Brute But to say the truth I and those I am acquainted with of those Divines do magnifie in all respects the grace of God as much as any of the other Way and in one respect incomparably more Philal. What is the way you take so to do Theoph. A middle one betwixt the Calvinists and Remonstrants which in short is this That there is such a thing as distinguishing grace whereby some persons are absolutely elected by vertue whereof they shall be having potent and infallible means prepared for them irresistibly saved But that others that are not in the number of those singular and special favourites are not at all in a desperate condition but have sufficient means appointed for them to qualifie them for greater or less degrees of happiness and have sufficient grace offered to them some way or other and some time or other and are in a capacity of salvation either greater or less through the merits of Jesus Christ and that none of them are damned but those that wilfully refuse to co-operate with that grace of God and will not act in some moral sutableness to that power they have received And as for those that have been in an extraordinary manner wrought upon and finde themselvs very powerfully excited and carried to that which is good such at least have reason so long as they are also careful to walk in all ways of holiness to believe themselvs in the number of the Absolutely elected Now as a learned Divine saith the Arminian need not repine at this way nor yet the Calvinist for whatsoever good Arminianism pretends to concerning all men is exhibited to the part not absolutely elected and to the other part the goodness of God is greater than is allotted by Arminius And whatsoever good is pretended in Calvinism to that part that is absolutely elected the same goodness is here exhibited and besides that direful vizard pulled off that Ignorance and Melancholy had put upon divine providence and the lovely face of the Gospel Philal. I am glad to understand that you and they have made choice of this way which is not new to me no more than another Middle way which I cannot be satisfied with but for some time I have been greatly inclined to prefer this before any other as having by much the fewest and least difficulties Theoph. I did not think you a stranger to it and believed you could not but like well of it nor can I conceive why either any Calvinist or Remonstrant should mislike it But that we see in all professions there are those that will hardly be brought to allow that there may be any farther improvements made than those which their great Masters had attained to Though both Calvin and Arminius were excellently-learned and pious persons yet methinks their respective greatest Admirers should acknowledge each of them short of infallibility and therefore not presume them in any thing attained to a Nè plus ultra Every Age sure enough improveth in knowledge having the help still of those foregoing and as this is seen in other Sciences so especially is it discernible in that of Divinity as all but ignorant and extremely prejudiced persons must needs acknowledge Philal. But this way is not so new as some have imagined it for I have read it in the History of the Council of Trent as that which Catharinus a Moderate and Learned man proposed there for the accommodation of the difference between the Dominicans and Franciscans about this point Theoph. The same person as I am informed by one that hath read it hath also written a very ingenious Piece upon that subject wherein he layeth down and defendeth very handsomely this very way Philal. But indeed if I did not think that this way were as much elder than that Gentleman as were our Saviour and his Apostles I should not have at all given credit to it Theoph. No nor I hope any else if they did not think so Id verum quod antiquissimum being in Divinity an indisputable Maxime And I verily believe that this way is much more befriended by the great Standard of Truth the Scriptures than any other But how it should if true have for some Ages the fewest if any Friends is no wonder For Truth is too frequently if not always lost in a Scuffle and forced to give place to extremes by eager contests And indeed this is too moderate and yeelding a way to have so much as entered into the thoughts of the Hot men of either party who like nothing so well as to keep themselvs at the greatest distance from each other And there is great cause to suspect that in most other Controversies that have been managed with that fierceness that this hath been the several contesting parties have over-done and out-shot the mark and that Truth will one day be found to have been on neither side but to have layn unobserved between the Combatants though nearer to some than others Philal. 'T is not unlikely Theoph. This way I must tell you Philalethes hath for divers years been a mighty ease to my minde And I will communicate to you something concerning my self that I never before now had occasin to tell you The Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation did ever since I was of years of discretion lie very unevenly and ruggedly in my brains and seemed extremely harsh to me And though I for some time thought that I was bound to believe it yet could I not endure much to think or to hear others talk of it But after I betook my self to studie the Controversie I had so quick a sense of the natural consequences of it as did greatly distract me For I was fearful of letting go the Premise as much as the Conclusions scar'd me But while I thought or rather feared that the Doctrine was too too true I was frequently disquieted with blasphemous thoughts and most black apprehensions of the loveliest of Beings nor could I think of God many times without consternation Those thoughts I was ready to look upon as injections from his and Mankindes enemy Till at length after I had weighed things more impartially having read a Book or two that prepared me with some free Principles I found that I had wrong'd the Devil and that my affrighting thoughts were the too natural off-spring of that Principle And came to be convinced that till I let go this I was not like to be rid of them But then I was as much to seek where to fix and how to steer my self as to the doctrine of Election for very fearful I was to entertain any opinion that might at all
the Latin Tongue I think it great pitty that it should be kept lockt up in our own Language But to proceed as that Gentleman was not so these also we are speaking of are not at all forward to give a Catalogue of Fundamentals but instead thereof content themselves to tell their Hearers that it is sufficient for any mans Salvation that he assent to the truth of the Holy Scriptures that he carefully endeavour to understand their true meaning so far as concerns his own duty and to order his life accordingly And that he whose Conscience tells him upon an impartial inquiry into himself that he doth thus need not fear that he erreth damnably But into the number of the Doctrines they account Fundamentals they will by no means admit any that are not plainly revealed as hath been already intimated with the reason why And for the same reason they doubt not but that according to mens various Capacities means of knowledge and such like the same points of Faith may be to some fundamental and to others not I mean may be necessary to be known and explicitely believed by some but not so by others which was likewise before in effect said Philal. Well Theophilus you have imparted to me I thank you very excellent Principles Without doubt they would be greatly effectual to the cementing of our present differences and healing our lamentable wide Breaches if they were generally entertained by Christians and improved What a brave World should we have would we but all practise upon such Principles This would be the way to unite those in Affection that differ in Opinion Theoph. And this would be the way too to make far fewer differences in Opinion For then would not men be superstitiously fearful of impartially examining those Doctrines the truth of which they now think it a sin so much as to call in question And by this means taking all those they have been instructed in for granted there is little hope of ever undeceiving them These Principles being well digested will likewise mightily quiet mens minds and cure them of all tormenting fears of their being out of the true way to Blessedness while they are not conscious to themselves of living in the allowance of any known sin or neglect of any such duty that they seek Truth impartially and adopt not any Opinion in order to the gratifying of any corrupt affection Philal. They will certainly unshakle and disintangle mens minds and give them their due liberty they will enlarge and widen their Souls and make them in an excellent and most commendable sence men of Latitude Theoph. You make me smile at that conceit But yet Philalethes as excellent and very useful as they are and must needs appear to be to any one that will give himself leave to consider them those Friends of ours by their endeavours to propagate them have procured to themselves enemies of divers sorts Their thus doing vexeth to the heart all peremptory and magisterial Dictators of whatsoever Party they be This whets the Tongues of those against them whose great ambition it is to lead of those no less that take as great pleasure in being led and in following blind-fold either some particular men or certain Church Philal. Concerning these latter it may be said as Tacitus doth of some that they are Natiad Servitutem Born to be Slaves and think bondage a great blessing For otherwise how could they be so highly displeased with the charity of those that would set them free I presume Theophilus that it might be upon this account that so much Choler discovered it self in a Reverend Doctor whose years alone it might be thought should have taught him much more discretion and provoked the angry man not very long since to shoot from the Pulpit most dreadful Thunderbolts against these Divines in a Learned Auditory Theoph. There are those that suspect that 't was envy chiefly that put him upon taking so much vain pains to render them odious to Gentlemen too wise to do other than pity him for his labour he finding himself as great as he thinks his own deserts less regarded than some of those vile persons Moreover Philalethes thence it is that some who have more Zeal than Discretion and I wish I had not cause to say more Passion and Pride than either do inveigh against them as those that are so far from true Sons of the Church that they are her Enemies and undermine her and more dangerous people than the worst of Sects And thence it is that others too who are of the same temper though of a contrary Faction joyn with these in accusing them as men luke-warm in the Cause of God and unconcerned for the Orthodox Religion nay such as are so far from contending earnestly for the Faith once given to the Saints that they expose it and endanger the loss of it Philal. I think in my Conscience they take the only course to preserve it But it seems those men take it for granted in the mean time that those Opinions they are pleased to call theirs must needs be of no less account with God than with themselves and that those they think good to brand with the black mark of Fundamental Heresies cannot be otherwise and that there can be no effectual confuting of them but when the Persons that hold them are cursed with Bell Book and Candle and have the severest and most dismal of Sentences past upon them Part III Theoph. You may be sure of it But is it not time think you Philalethes to acquaint you with those Divines Judgment in Matters of Discipline Philal. Yes if you think so Theoph. Come on then This following be you assured is a true account thereof Namely That to all Forms of Ecclesiastical Government they greatly prefer that of Episcopacy because it is apparent that so much as is essential to that Government did universally take place in the Church presently after the Apostles times and therefore it is very probable that it was also in their dayes It being hardly conceivable that so great an alteration as that of Presbyterian or Congregational to Episcopal Government could in a little time have prevailed over all the World and have continued for so many Ages together if it had been otherwise Philal. How much do they or you conceive to be Essential to Episcopacy and therefore agreeable to the Primitive Pattern Theoph. Mr. Chillingworth shall answer you that Question If we abstract saith he from Episcopal Government all Accidentals and consider onely what is essential and necessary to it We shall find in it no more than this An appointment of one man of eminent Sanctity and Sufficiency to have the care of all the Churches within a certain Precinct or Diocess and furnishing him with Authority not Absolute or Arbitrary but regulated and bounded by Laws and moderated by joyning to him a convenient number of Assistants to the intent that all the