principal Duties of it such as fear love trust affiance of and in God are wholly omitted nor will they be reduced unto either of the heads which all Religion is here distributed unto For Gratitude unto God hath respect formally and directly to the benefits we our selves are made partakers of But these Duties are eternally necessary on the consideration of the nature of God himself antecedent unto the consideration of his communicating of himself unto us by his benefits Prayer proceeds from them and it is an odd Method to reduce the Cause under the head of its effect And Prayer it self is made at length not to be so much a Moral Vertue as somewhat instrumental to the vertues of Morality Secondly I cannot think we have here a compleat Representation of Christian Religion nor an induction of all its particulars because we have neither Supposition nor Assertion of Sin or a Redeemer or of any Duty with respect unto them Gratitude and Prayer I confess are two heads whereunto sundry Duties of Natural Religion without respect unto these things may be reduced But since the fall of Adam there was never any Religion in the world accepted with God that was not built and founded on the supposition of them and whose principal Duties towards God did not respect them To prescribe now unto us a Religion as it respects God without those Duties which arise from the consideration of sin and a Redeemer is to perswade us to throw away our Bibles Sin and the condition of all men on the account thereof their Duty in that condition what God requires of them with reference thereunto the way that God hath found out proposed and requires of us to make use of that we may be delivered from that condition with the duties necessary to that end do even constitute and make up that Religion which the Scripture teacheth us and which as it summarily expresseth it self consists in Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ neither of which nor scarce any thing that belongs unto them appears in this Scheme so that Thirdly The most important duties of Christian Religion are here not only omitted but excluded Where shall we find any place here to introduce Repentance and as belonging thereunto Conviction of Sin Humiliation Godly Sorrow Conversion it self to God For my part I will never be of that Religion where these duties towards God have no place Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ with all that is necessary to it preparatory for it included in it and consequentiall on it are in like manner cast out of the verge of Religious duties here schematized An endeavour to fly from the wrath to come to receive Jesus Christ to accept of the attonement to seek after the forgiveness of sins by him that we may cant a little and to give up our souls in universal Obedience to all his commands belong also to the duties of that Religion towards God which the Scripture prescribeth unto us but here they appear not in the least intimation of them No more do the duties which though generally included in the Law of loving God above all yet are prescribed and determined in the Gospel alone Such are self-denyal readiness to take up the Cross and the like Besides all the duties wherein our Christian conflict against our Spiritual Adversaries doth consist and in especial the whole of our duty towards God in the mortification of sin can be of no consideration there where no supposition of sin is made or allowed But there would be no end if all exceptions of this nature that readily offer themselves might here have admittance If this be the Religion of our Adversaries in these things if this be a perfect Scheme of its Duties towards God and induction of all its particulars let our Author insult over and reproach them whilst he pleaseth who blame it as insufficient without Grace and Godliness I would not be in the condition of them who trust their eternal concernments to meer Observance of it as knowing that there is no name under Heaven given unto men whereby they may be saved but only the name of Jesus Christ. It will be in vain pretended that it is not a description of Christian Religion but of Religion as Religion in general that is here attempted For besides that it is Christian Religion and that as used and practised by Christians which is alone under consideration and an Introduction of Religion here under any other notion would be grievously inconsistent and incoherent with the whole Discourse It is acknowledged by our Author in the progress of his Disputation as was before observed when he gives a Reason why Moral Vertue is stiled Grace which is peculiar and appropriate to Christian Religion alone Besides to talk now of a Religion in the World which either hath been or may be since the fall of Adam without respect unto sin is to build Castles in the air All the Religion that God now requires prescribes accepts that is or can be is the Religion of Sinners or of those who are such and of them as such though also under other qualifications On many accounts therefore this scheme of Religion or Religious Duties towards God is exceedingly insufficient and imperfect To lay it therefore as a Foundation whereon to stand and revile them who plead for a superaddition unto it of Grace and Godliness is an undertaking from whence no great success is to be expected I can easily supply another Scheme of Religion in the room of this which though it have not any such contexture of method nor is set out with such gaudy words as those which our Author hath at his disposal yet I am confident in the confession of all Christians shall give a better account than what is here offered unto us both of the Religion we profess and of the Duties that God requires therein and this taken out of one Epistle of St. Paul namely that to the Romans And I shall do it as things come to mind in the haste wherein I am writing He then gives us his Scheme to this purpose As First That all Men sinned in Adam came short of the Glory of God and rendred themselves liable to death and the whole curse of the Law Then that they do all as left to themselves accumulate their Original Sin and Transgression with a world of actual sins and provocations of God That against Men in this condition God testifies his wrath and displeasure both in his works and by his word Hence it necessarily follows that the first Duty of Man towards God is to be sensible of this condition of the guilt of sin with a fear of the wrath and judgement due to them Then he informs us that neither the Jews by the Law nor the Gentiles by the light of Nature could disentangle themselves from this state or do that which is pleasing unto God so as they might obtain forgiveness of Sin and acceptation with him
not so learned him as to relieve themselves by false or fierce Recriminations The measure of the covering provided for all these excesses of unbridled passion is that alone which is now to be taken The Case expressed it seems is the only single instance in which zeal is just and warrantable How our Author came to be assured thereof I know not sure I am that it doth neither comprize in it nor hath any aspect on the ground occasion or nature of the zeal of Phinehas or of Nehemiah or of David or of Joshuah and least of all of our Saviour as we shall see He must needs be thought to be over-intent upon his present occasion when he forgot not one or two but indeed all instances of just and warrantable zeal that are given us in the only sacred repository of them For what concerns the example of our blessed Saviour particularly insisted on I wish he had ossended one way only in the report he makes of it For let any sober man judge in the first place whether those expressions he useth of the hot fit of zeal that He was in of the Height of impatience that he was provoked unto the seeming Fury and Transport of Passion that he acted withall do become that Reverence and Adoration of the Son of God which ought to possess the hearts and guide the Tongues and Writings of men that profess his Name But whatever other mens apprehensions may be as it is not improbable but that some will exercise severity in their Reflections on these Expressions for my part I shall entertain no other thoughts but that our Author being engaged in the Composition of an Invective Declamation and aiming at a Gradeur of Words yea to fill it up with Tragical expressions could not restrain his pen from some extravagant excess when the Lord Christ Himself came in his way to be spoken of However it will be said the Instance is pertinently alledged and the occasion of the Exercise of the zeal of our Blessed Saviour is duly represented It may be some will think so but the truth is there are scarce more lines than mistakes in the whole discourse to this purpose What Court it was of the Temple wherein the Action remembred was performed is not here particularly determined only 't is said to be the Outward Court wherein the Gentiles and Proselytes worshipped in opposition to that which was peculiar to the worship of the Jews Now of old from the first Erection of the Temple there were two Courts belonging unto it and no more the inward Court wherein were the Brazen Altar with all those Utensils of worship which the Priests made use of in their sacred Offices and the outward Court whither the people assembled as for other Devotions so to behold the Priests exercising their Function and to be in a readiness to bring in their own especial sacrifices upon which account they were admitted to the Altar it self Into this outward Court which was a dedicate part of the Temple all Gentiles who were Proselytes of Righteousness that is who being circumeised had taken upon them the Observation of the Law of Moses and thereby joyned themselves to the people of God were admitted as all the Jewish Writers agrree And these were all the Courts that were at first Sanctified and were in use when the words were spoken by the Prophet which are applyed to the Action of our Saviour namely My house shall be called a House of Prayer but ye have made it a Den of Thieves Afterwards in the dayes of the Herodians another Court was added by the immuring of the remainder of the Hill whereunto a promiscuous entrance was granted unto all people It was therefore the antient Outward Court whereinto the Jews thought that Paul had brought Trophimus the Ephesian whom they knew to be Uncircumcised I confess some Expositors think that it was this latter Area from whence the Lord Christ east out the Buyers and Sellers but their Conjecture seems to be altogether groundless for neither was that Court ever absolutely called the Temple nor was it esteemed Sacred but common or Prophane nor was it in being when the Prophet used the words mentioned concerning the Temple It was therefore the other antient outward Court common to the Jews and Proselytes of the Gentiles that is intended for as there the Salt and Wood were stored that were daily used in their Sacrifices so the Covetous Priests knowing that many who came up to offer were wont to buy the beasts they sacrificed at Hierusalem to prevent the charge and labour of bringing them from farr to further as they pretended their Accommodation they appropriated a Market to themselves in this Court and added a Trade in money relating it may be thereunto and other things for their Advantage Hence the Lord Christ twice drove them once at the Beginning and once at the End of his Ministry in the flesh not with a seeming Transport of Fury but with that evidence of the presence of God with Him and Majesty of God upon Him that it is usually reckoned amongst one of the Miracles that he wrought considering the state of all things at that time amongst the Jews And the reason why He did this and the occasion of the exercise of his Zeal is so express in the Scripture as I cannot but admire at the Invention of our Author who could find out another Reason and Occasion of it For it is said directly that he did it because of their wicked profanation of the house of God contrary to his express Institution and Command Of a regard to the Jews contempt of the Gentiles there is not one word not the least Intimation nor was there in this matter the least occasion of any such thing These things are not pleaded in the least to give countenance to Any in their proud supercillious Censures and Contempt of others wherein if any person living have out-done our Author or shall endeavour so to do he will not fail I think to carry away the prize in this unworthy Contest Nor is it to Apologize for them whom he charges with extravagances and excesses in this kind I have no more to say in their behalf but that as far as I know they are falsly accused and calumniated though I will not be accountable for the expessions of every weak and impertinent person Where men indeed sin openly in all manner of Transgressions against the Law and Gospel where a spirit of enmity to holiness and obedience unto God discovers and acts it self constantly on all occasions in a word where men wear Sin 's Livery some are not afraid to think them Sin 's Servants But as to that Elation of mind in self-conceit wherewith they are charged their contempt of other men upon the account of Party which he imputes unto them I must expect other proofs than the bare assertion of this Author before I shall joyn with him in the management of his Accusation And no
Causes and probable Reasons are to be considered and examined about them and how all rational determinations are guided and influenced by unforeseen emergencies and occasions will not be over-forward to pronounce absolutely and peremptorily about the disposal of important affairs But as the same Author informs us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Young men suppose that they know all things and are vehement in their Asseverations from which frame proceed all those Dogmatical Assertions of what is Politick and Impolitick in Princes of what will establish or ruine Governments with the contempt of the Conceptions of others about things conducing to publick peace and tranquility which so frequently occur in our Author This makes him smile at as serious Consultations for the furtherance of the welfare and prosperity of this Nation as it may be in any age or juncture of time have been upon the Wheel Preface p. 48. These Considerations made it seem to me that in an ordinary course he hath time enough before him to improve the notions he hath here blessed the World with a discovery of if upon second thoughts he be equally enamoured of them unto what now he seems to be I could indeed have desired that he had given us a more clear account of that Religion which in his judgement he doth most approve His commendation of the Church of England sufficiently manifesteth his interest to lye therein and that in pursuit of his own principles he doth outwardly observe the Institutions and prescriptions of it But the Scheme he hath given us of Religion or Religious duties wherein there is mention neither of Sin nor a Redeemer without which no man can entertain any one true notion of Christian Religion would rather bespeak him a Philosopher than a Christian. It is not unlikely but that he will pretend he was treating of Religion as Religion in general without an Application of it to this or that in particular but to speak of Religion as it is among men in this world or ever was since the fall of Adam without a supposition of sin and the way of a relief from the Event of it mentioned is to talk of Chimaera's things that neither are ever were or will be On the other hand the profit and advantage of his Design falls clearly on the Papal Interest For whereas it is framed and contrived for the advantage security and unquestionableness of absolute Complyers with the present Possessors of Power it is evident that in the States of Europe the advantage lyes incomparably on that hand But these things are not our Concernment The design which he manageth in his Discourse the subject matter of it the manner how he treats those with whom he hath to do and deports himself therein are by himself exposed to the judgement of all and are here to be taken into some Examination Now because we have in his Preface a perfect Representation of the things last mentioned throughout the whole I shall in the first place take a general view and Prospect of it And here I must have regard to the Judgement of others I confess for my own part I do not find my self at all concerned in those Invectives tart and upbraiding Expressions those sharp and twinging Satyrs against his Adversaries which he avoweth or rather boasteth himself to have used If this unparalleld heap of Revilings Scoffings despightful Reproaches Sarcasms Scornful contemptuous Expressions false Criminations with frequent Intimations of Sanguinary affections towards them do please his Fancy and express his Morality to his own Satisfaction I shall never complain that he hath used his Liberty and do presume that he judgeth it not meet that it should be restrained It is far from my purpose to return him any Answer in the like manner to these things to do it opus est Mangone perito Qui Smithfieldenst polleat Eloquio Yet some Instances of Prodigious excesses in this Kind will in our Process be reflected on And it may be the Repetition of them may make an appearance unto some less considerate Readers of a little Harshness in some passages of this return But as nothing of that nature in the least is intended nothing that might provoke the Author in his own spirit were he capable of any hot impressions nothing to disadvantage him in his Reputation or esteem so what is spoken being duly weighed will be found to have nothing sharp or unpleasant in it but what is unavoidably infused into it from the discourse it self in its approach unto it to make a representation of it It is of more Concernment to consider with what frame and temper of Spirit he manageth his whole Cause and Debate and this is such as that a man who knows nothing of him but what he learns from this Discourse would suppose that he hath been some great Commander In Campis Gurgustidoniis Vbi Bombamachides Cluninstaridys archides Erat Imperator Summus Neptuni nepos Associate unto him who with his breath blew away and scattered all the Legions of his Enemies as the wind doth leaves in Autumn Such Confidence in himself and his own strength such contempt of all his Adversaries as persons Silly Ignorant Illiterate such boastings of his Atchievments with such a face and appearance of scorning all that shall rise up against him such expressions animi gladiatorii doth he march withall as no man sure will be willing to stand in his way unless he think himself to have lived at least quietly long enough Only some things there are which I cannot but admire in his undertaking and management of it as first that such a Man of Arms and Art as he is should harness himself with so much preparation and enter the Lists with so much pomp and glory to combat such pittiful poor baffled Ignoramus's as he hath chosen to contend withall especially conâ—idering that he knew he had them bound hand and foot and cast under his strokes at his pleasure Methinks it had more become him to have sought out some Giant in Reason and Learning that might have given him at least par animo periculum as Alexander said in his conflict with Porus a danger big enough to exercise his Courage though through mistake it should in the issue have proved but a Wind-mill Again I know not whence it is nor by what Rules of Errantry it may be warranted that being to conflict such pittiful trifles he should before he come near to touch them thunder out such terrible words and load them with so many reproaches and contemptuous Revilings as if he designed to scare them out of the Lists that there might be no tryal of his strength nor exercise of his skill But leaving him to his own choice and liberty in these matters I am yet perswaded that if he knew how little his Adversaries esteem themselves concerned in or worsted by his Revilings how small advantage he hath brought unto the cause managed by him with what severity of Censures that I say not Indignation