Eighthly And we do confess our selves that the Apostles had not the infallible Spirit given them for every use or thing that they had to do but for those matters about which they had special need of it and use for it to fulfill their office The Spirit was not so necessary for them to discern those things by which the common sense and understanding of a man was sufficient to discern They could tast sweet from bitter feel heat from cold discern light from darkness without an Infallible extraordinary Spirit And so being eye and ear witnesses of what Christ did and said of his words his miracles his resurrection his ascension they might infallibly know them by ordinary means And so a good Christian may doubt whether they had the Spirit infallibly to transcribe and cite every passage in the old Testament visible to all or to relate the things which they saw done with their eyes or to report the history of several actions which were then done as what was the place and power of Herod Archelaus Pilate Falix Festut c. and such other parts of common History Ninethly And we all confess that the words are but as the Body of the Scripture and the sense as the Soul And that the words are for the sense And there is more of the Spirits assistance in the sense and soul of the Scripture than in the words and body And that there is in the phrase and method somewhat of blameless humane imperfection And that as David was not stronger then Goliah nor his weapons more excellent in themselves but God would overcome strength by the means of the more weak so an Aristotle may be more accurate in method and a Demosthenes Varro or Ciâ—cro in words and phrase than an Apostle And they may be left to the imperfections of their several gifts diversified by nature or education in their stile And God may hide that from the wise and prudent which he revealeth to babes And by the foollishness of Preaching may save believers and confound the wisdom of the world and by things that are not bring to nought things that are that no flesh may glory in his sight Nor do we say that no man may seek or attain more Logick Philosophy or Grammar than he findeth in the Scriptures Tenthly As Protestants receive not so many Books as Canonical as the Papists do so some Protestants have not received so many as the rest And so many possibly erre in thinking that some part of the Scripture is not the word of God and consequently may think it of more uncertain credit Eleventhly Some have thought that Matthew being at first written in Hebrew or Syriack and after translated into Greek that the Translator being unknown the credit of the Translation must be the less certain because they know not whether the translator was one that had a promise of Infallibility though doubtless they erre who so conclude Twelfthly Some think that as certainly there are a great number of various Readings which all prove that some of the Copies erre so it is uncertain to us whether all those which we have may not in some words or particles differ from others which we have not and from the autographs seeing each scribe had not a promise of Infallibility Thirteenthly If some particular Books of Scripture were not extant or never known to some men yet the rest may teach those same men all the Christian Religion to their Salvation Therefore if they may be Christians and saved without knowing of that particular Book they may possibly be so without knowing that it is Canonical or of Divine and certain truth Fourteenthly Yea more no doubt but it is possible to be saved and to be good Christians without being certain what is contained in any one Book of the Bible totally for he that cannot Read may possibly not hear the whole Book from another at least so as to understand and remember it And yet he may hear the same Doctrines out of another Book Yea more it is past doubt that a man may in some cases or circumstances be a true Christian who knoweth not that there is any Scripture which is Gods Infallible word For first so all the believers of the old world were saved before Moses wrote the Law And the Christian Churches were gathered and thousands converted to Christ many years before a word of the New Testament was written Secondly And all the thousands and millions of Christians who cannot read do know that there is such a Book which hath such words in it but on the credit of other men Thirdly And we know not but the Papists who are too great undervaluers of the Scriptures and lock it up from the Laity and over magnifie Tradition may keep thousands among them without the knowledge that there is a Book which is Gods word And yet may teach them the Christian Religion by other means after to be mentioned And it seemeth by the Epist. Jesuit Masaeus Histor Judic and other writings that in Japan Congo China and other Countries of the East they did teach them onely by Creeds Catechismes and preachings And I remember no knowledge that they gave to most of them of the Scriptures And yet the most cruel torments and martyrdoms never before heard of which the Christians in Japan endured of which see Varentus history doth put all sober readers past doubt that there were many excellent Christians And if other means may make men Christians who are never told of the holy Scriptures than those same means with the Scriptures may make them Christians who are made believe that all Scripture passages are not the infallible dictates of Gods Spirit I have given you instances enough to prove that many may be Christians and have a certain faith who are not certain of all things in the Scriptures And therefore though all these persons are herein defective or erroneous yet that Christianity may be otherwise known and proved Yea though the case of the Scriptures were as these mistaking persons think And I told you how many waies besides Scripture the summe and necessary substance of the Christianity is delivered down from the Apostles to the world Reas of Christ Rel. pag. 336 337. First in the very successive Being of Christians and Churches who are the Professors of this Doctrine Secondly In a succession of Pastors whose office was to preach it Thirdly In a succession of Baptism which is that solemnizing the Christian Covenant in which the sum of the Gospel is contained Fourthly In the three breviates or symboles of the Christian Religion the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue which all the Christian Churches still used Yea every one that was baptized at age and the Parent for the Infant did openly make profession of the Christian faith and of Religion in all the essential particulars Fifthly In the Churches use of Catechising those who were to be baptized that they might first know that Religion which they were to
Gentleness in the Answer I shall grant you the first as far as in such hast and brevity I am able And the second as far as the nature of the cause will bear But if you account all Christians deceived fools you must not expect to be called wise nor that I should flatter you and tell you that Apostasie is a state of safety For I that believe Heb. 6. and 10. must think that this were not Gentleness but Cruelty and worse than to kill you for fear of displeasing you Prop. 1. If it could not by us be proved that every word of the Scriptures is true nor the Pen men infallible or indefectible in every particle yet might we have a certainty of the Christian Religion The reason is Because every particle in the Scripture is not an essential part of the Christian Religion no nor any Integral part if you take the Christian Religion strictly for the Doctrine of necessary Belief Desire and Practice And that part which is indeed the essence yea or Integrity of Christianity may be certainly proved and believed without our being able to prove the certainty or truth of all the rest which is in the Scriptures The Holy Scriptures contain all our Religion and somewhat more that is the Accidents and appurtenances of it As the body of a man besides the parts Essential and Integral hath its Accidents such as are the Hair and the Colour and some Humours which are for Beauty and other uses though not Parts So far are the Papists from being in the right who think that the Christian Religion is not all but part contained in the Scriptures that there is more than all that is necessary to salvation even the appurtenances which have an aptitude to the adorning and promoting of the rest To know who was the Father of every person mentioned in the Bibles Genealogies to know what age each person was of whose age is there mentioned to know the name of every person and every Town to know how far each City was from another whose distances are there expressed with a multitude of such like Historical Genealogical Chronological Topographical Physical incidental passages is but an appurtenance and not strictly a part Essential or Integral of the Christian Faith of Holiness or Religion Yet remember that we maintain as certain that they are all Lyars who accuse God of Lying And that whatever some ignorantly talk to the contrary God cannot lie See the excellent Amesius his Disputation of this Question An falsum subesse potest fidei divinae after his Medulla Theologiae which book with his Cases of Conscience and Alstedius his Encyclopaediae may after the Scriptures and Concordance make a good Divine and be a better Library than the Fathers of the fourth Council Carth. were acquainted with He that thinketh God can lie destroyeth the Objectum Formale fidei divinae and therefore can have no Faith If God could lie in one thing we should never be sure that he revealeth the truth unless by sense it self and after-experience All Faith goeth upon such a Syllogism as this Whatsoever God saith is true But this God saith Ergo it is true So that whosoever believeth every word in the Scripture to be Gods word must believe it all to be true or he can believe none of it at all But yet it is possible for a man to believe one part of the Bible to be Gods Word and not another part which needeth no proof Because that many of the ancient Churches for a certain time doubted of yea received not the Epistle of James Peter 2d the Heb. Apocal. c. and yet were truly of the Christian Religion First We deny not but that there are many false and wicked sayings historically recited in the Scripture as the saying of Cain Pharaoh Gehezi the false Prophets the Devil of Job to Christ c. but the Scripture is nevertheless true For it is true that all these untruths were spoken Secondly The Disciples of Christ were not absolutely and in all things infallible as all Christians do Confess They were not as perfect in Knowledge as now they are in Heaven Either Paul or Barnab as was mistaken about the fitness of Mark to go with them Thirdly There was a greater assistance of the Spirit promised them when two or three of them were assembled in Christs name than when they proceeded singly Mat. 18. 18. But there can be nothing above perfect infallibiâ—ity and impeccability to them all Fourthly We confess that Christs Disciples were not indefectible or sinless As their understandings so their wills and lives had still some imperfections Marke Paul and Silas did not all perfectly do their duties in the case they differed about Peter did amiss in avoiding the Gentile Christians when Paul blamed him openly Gal. 2. And Barnabas and others did not do well in being drawn away to the same â—issâ—â—â—lation When Paul saith of Timothy I have no man like minded â—nd of others They all seek their own He took not all Christians that had the Spirit to be perfect If any man had not the Spirit of Christ he was none of his Rom. 8. 9. And the very wrangling deâ—â—â—â—â—ng Galathians had received the spirit Gal. 3. 1 2 3. And so had the wrangling Corinthians Christ in them 2 Cor 8. 5. Fifthly We confess that he who is either infallible or defectible lyable to error or sia is of himself capable of being deceived and of deceiving others If he were Infallible in respect of the Knowledg of all the Truth yet while he can sin of himself considered he can be heedless careless rash partial and for by respects speak too little or too much It is the Devils last method to undo by overdoing and so to destroy the authority of the Apostles by over magnifying them therefore we will not use his methods nor deny any of this Sixthly Moreover we confess that it is possible for a good Christian to doubt whether those that were but Evangelists as Marke and Luke had the same promise of the Spirits infallible assistance with the Apostles seeing we find not that promise so expresly any where made to them And thereupon he may possibly think that some errors may consist with their measure of the Spirit as it did with many Christians who had the same Spirit Seventhly And we do not believe that the extraordinary operations of the Spirit were alwaies equally in the Apostles themselves we suppose the Prophets could not alwaies Prophesie nor those that spake with tongues use that gift at their own pleasure nor yet those that did miracles healed the sick or raised the dead But that the Spirit wrought as in various sorts and measures in several persons 1 Cor. 12. so also at various times and in various measures in the same person Whereupon it is possible for a good Christian to doubt whether every word in Scripture was written then when the writer had the gift of infallibility and indefectibility
Christ had commanded them and made part of his Laws To teach them all truth which was Evangelical or part of their Ministerial Office To enable them to be most certain and full in their Testimony of what they had heard from Christ and seen him do which was part of the Gospel In a word to to perform all their proper Office I do not at the present suppose you to take these Texts for the word of God For I must suppose you to be an Infidel But I onely offer them as part of the certain historical evidence concurring with all the forementioned history and evidence of the fact to prove what it was which the Apostles miracles were used to confirm This same Gospel they preached every where when they wrought these miracles And if they confirmed not the Gospel or Christian Religion they confirmed nothing So that it being certain that this Spirit and Miracles were real and certain that they were the Testimony of God and certain that it was the Truth of Christs person actions doctrine sufferings resurrection ascension and Covenant and Commandments which they attested and all that is properly the Gospel or Christian Religion what hindereth our certainty of all this If it were a doubt whether the Spirit attested more it is never the more doubtful whether he attested this much The Apostles constantly preached this Gospel They Baptized persons into the New Covenant They opened the Articles of the Faith to them and caused them to profess that Faith They engaged them into the promise and directed them in the practice of a godly righteous and sober life And they confirmed all this by miracles And is not all this then made sure Yea before they wrote any of the Scriptures And now to the Objection He that speaketh falsly in one thing is to be believed certainly or as infallible in nothing I again answer it is a blind Objection God onely is absolutely infallible All men are fallible in some things We are not to believe that the Apostles could erre in nothing at all Peter knew not what he said when he talkt of dwelling on the Mount They could erre and they could sin And he that sinneth erreth They were not absolutely perfect But it is in certain particulars even in the Declaration of the Gospel that God would not suffer them to erre or to deceive Those words which the Holy Ghost did by inspiration dictate to them it is certain that all those words the same Holy Ghost attested That is To all the word of God And thus much being past doubt what if we were now at a loss about some Appurtenances of the Gospel whether they were any of the Spirits dictates or any part of the word of God or any proper part of that which the Apostles were Commissioned for and Spiritually Enabled to teach What if in some points which they could know by common sense infallibly as well as other men any one should think that they were left meerly to that certainty of sense What if one be uncertain which are the Parts and which but the Appurtetenances of the Gospel in some things which salvation is not laid on Or were uncertain whether the Spirit did determine the Speakers tongue or pen about every such Appurtenance What 's this to the invalidating of any of the rest If indeed when they speak by the Spirits Revelation they spake falsly at any one time we could never be sure that they spake true But when we are sure that all is true which they speak by the Spirit and sure that they spake the Gospel or delivered the Christian Religion by the Spirit and are onely not sure whether every word in Genealogy or by circumstances were spoken by the Spirit nothing will follow hence but that every word of God is true and every word of the Apostles which was a word of God And it is perversness to argue They may erre when they speak their own words as men Therefore they may erre when they speak Gods words by the Spirit First The Testimony of the Internal sanctifying Spirit is infallible And so much as this Spirit attesteth to me is true And I am sure that this Spirit attesteth the truth of the Gospel in me for the substance of the Gospel is imprinted on my heart and by the impression I know the seal But what if I find on me no part of Gods Image which was made by the name of Jorams Father or Son what if I feel no Testimony of the Spirit in me which tells the age of such or such a man there named Nor can prove by the Spirit in me how far Bethany was from Jerusalem What if the mention of Pauls Cloak and Parchments did not sanctifie me Must I be uncertain of that which did Secondly What if I read a promise in the Scripture that God will never fail me nor forsake me but will preserve me in safety to his Kingdome If I were uncertain whether this promise extended to every hair of my head so that none of them should perish or to the preservation of my Colour and such like accidents Will it follow that I cannot be sure that I my self my soul my person shall not be forsaken What if I have a promise that all things shall work together for my good And I am uncertain whether sins or my own follies or rashness or the creeping of every worm in the world or the shaking of every leaf be numbered with those All things Must I be uncertain therefore whether any thing shall work for my good or whether sufferings for Christ shall do it Thirdly What if I be uncertain whether the vegetative faculties or soul in man be material or immateterial Must I be as uncertain whether man have an immaterial or incorporeal soul and whether the intellectual powers be such or not Fourthly What if I be in doubt when the Law doth summon a man to any place or command him any office whether it meant that he shall not change his cloaths or leave them off nor cut his hair or nails but bring all with him Doth it follow that I must be as uncertain whether the person himself must come or not Fifthly What if I be disputing whether a Tree be wood and I cannot tell whether the leaves their ribs or stalkes be truly wood or not must I therefore be uncertain of all the rest Sixthly What if we dispute whether all the Kings officers are to be obeyed and it be a doubt to me whether a Prelate or an Apparator be the Kings Officers can I therefore be assured of no others Seventhly When a witness sweareth to any writing that it is true or to any interrogatories If I be uncertain whether it be the true spelling or Syntax of the words or the propriety of every phrase or every circumstance of the matter which he attesteth must I therefore be uncertain whether he attest any thing at al This one consideration may shew the unreasonableness of
to banish all considerable doubting And now I conclude First Whatever is True is objectively certain and Infallibly true so far as that no man in Believing it true is therein deceived or mistaken All Truth is Certain Infallible Truth in it self Secondly Few Truths in the world are so Evident as that a blinded prejudiced indisposed person may not be ignorant of them or erre about them Thirdly All Truths in the Scripture have not equal evidence that they are the word of God though all that is known to be the word of God if equally so known have equal evidence in the formal reason of saith that they are true Fourthly All known Truth is infallibly known that is He that knoweth it is not deceived nor can possibly be deceived by taking it to be true so that as Infallibility signifieth not being deceived all true knowledge is subjectively infallible and certain that is its true Fifthly No man can know that Infallibly which is not objectively certain that which is not True cannot be known to be true The strongest and most confident belief of a falshood is a false belief and more than fallible or uncertain Sixthly All Gods word being equally true and infallible the belief of it is also equally true and infallible But being not All equally intelligible evident to be his word and necessary the understanding and belief of every part is not equally easie strong past doubting or necessary Seventhly There is a superficial belief of Divine Revelations even the Gospel which a natural man may have by extrinsick means And there is a more clear apprehension which a Commoner sort of Grace may produce But that Belief which is so clear and powerful as truly to sanctifie and save the soul must be the effect of the special operation of the Holy Ghost who yet hath a course of appointed means in which we must receive it Eighthly The reason of this necessity of the Spirits operation of faith and then by saith is not because the Gospel wanteth due Ascertaining Evidence or an aptitude to convince and sanctifie a soul For it s highly Rational though mysterious and Good But because by corruption and pravity the mind of man is so undisposed to know believe and love truths of such a nature as that there is need of a special Internal higher Operator to set home the work as the hand of a man setteth the seal upon the wax and to do that by it which the bare word alone with the excellentest preacher cannot do Ninethly Yet is no wicked Infidel excuseable that saith If I cannot believe it I will not believe it Because First It is his pravity which is his disability Secondly He is more able for a common superficial belief than for a special effectual belief Thirdly And if he did by the help of that common belief do what he might and God appointeth him in the use of means to obtain a special Faith through grace he should find that God hath commanded no man to labour and seek after grace in vain and if any man have not that grace and power which is of necessity to his faith and salvation it is long of himself who useth not his commoner power and grace as he might use them And so much to prevent misunderstanding Now my Reasons why I take every History Chronology Genealogy in Scripture as certainly true and every other word which is spoken by a true Prophet and Apostle as by the Spirit and not disowned by the Scripture it self but especially such as you accuse in the Gospel are these First A Priore Because it seemeth to me that the writing of the whole Books of the New Testament by them was done in the discharge of the Commission given them by Christ And he promised his Apostles his Spirit for the performance of all their Commissioned office work This writing is part of the preaching which Christ sent them for And no doubt but the Spirit did cause them to write all the substantial part And therefore we have reason to think that the smallest parts are from the same Author and that he assisted them in the least as well as in the greatest Yea the very accidents may have a perfection in their place though less perfect in themselves Though all the Evangelists use not the same Method or Order nor repeat Christs sayings in the same terms yet in respect to the whole frame it may be best that there should be that diversity of words and order to preserve and declare the same sense and things And even their plain and less accurate stile and method may be best as fittest to its use and end Secondly A Posteriore There is no Caviller that yet hath proved any falshood or contradiction in any passages of the Scripture Though the clearing of some of them require more than vulgar knowledge Thirdly Saving the controversies about the few questioned Books and some few sentences and words the Church which received the Scriptures as Gods word did receive the whole as his word and as certainly true in every part Fourthly Because that Spirit of Miracles in the Apostles and that Spirit of Holiness in us which attesteth the Christian Religion doth receive it and attest it as found in the sacred Scripture though not as there alone And it putteth no exception against any part of the sacred record Therefore while it particularly attesteth the chief parts it inferreth an attestation to the smallest for that word or line which is not strictly a part but an accident of the Christian Religion is yet a part of the Bible which containeth it Fifthly And though all the reasons which I have given prove that the Truth of the Christian Religion may be certainly proved though we could not prove every by expression in the Scripture to be true and though we deny not but the Pen-men manifested their humane imperfections in stile and method yet if each passage were not True it would be so great a temptation to the weak and make it so difficult to know in some points what is true in comparison of what it would be if all be true that we have no reason to imagine this difficulty to our selves while its unproved And having said this I am here in order to answer your objections which yet you should not have expected from me whilst so great a number of books are already written which have done it And why should you bid me write that again which is written already unless you had confuted what is written If you understand Latine you may find a multitude of such seeming contradictions reconciled in Sharpius Magrius Althamer Cumeranus but most fully in abundance of Commentators If you understood not Latine you may read enough in Dr. Hammond and many other Annotaters and Commentaries Mr. Cradock's Harmony c. And you may have enough that understand Latine to translate you the solutions as out of Spanhemii Dub Evangel Grotius Jansenius Chemnitius and such others And
most necessary clear and certain must be held accordly with a more clear assured confidence than those that are unnecessary dark And that uncertainties must be reduced to certainties and not certainties to uncertainties And that all arguing should be a notiore and not a minus not is And as I said before as the Trunks of the Tree the Veins the Arteries the Nerves are few and visible and easily and surely known when the thousands of little branches are hardly visible or numerable so is it with the schemes of truths He therefore that will begin at these numerous small branches will dote rather than know or learn As in the former instances First When I see with my eyes the effects of Power Wisdome and Goodness in all the visible works of God I am sure that it is perfect Power Wisdome and Goodness which is the cause of this I am certain that nothing can give that which formaliter or eminenter it hath not to give nor can the effect exceed the totall cause I am certain that he from whom all Creatures Power Wisdome and Goodness doth proceed must needs himself be more Great and Wise and Good than all the world of Creatures set together which he hath made To this fundamental certainty therefore I must hold if I will not dote whatever little Objections or pratlings may be used against it Secondly Eternity is a thing incomprehensible which quite swalloweth up my understanding and many little things be said against it But I am certain that nothing can make nothing And if ever there had been nothing there never would have been any thing And to this certainty I will hold Thirdly A holy life hath a great many of cavilling Objections raised against it by corrupted nature And shall I there begin to make my trial of it No I am first sure that a Rational free Agent and Subject of God is bound to obey him and that the Greatest Good should be Greatliest loved and that we are totally our Creators own and should be totally devoted to him I am sure I cannot love the infinite Good too much nor be too Good nor do too much Good to others in the world nor make too sure of my own felicity nor too much seek my ultimate end And shall not this assurance hold me fast against all the snarlings and pratlings of the doating drunken world So here I have in the Treatise opened those grounds on which we may be certain of the necessity of this holiness of the life to come and of the truth of the Christian Faith and hopes And because God in mercy hath not put off the world with the skeleton of a bare Creed but also given them the compleat body of sacred Scriptures to be a full perpetual Record of this truth shall I turn his mercy to a snare and sin and question all even the Articles of the Faith because in the Scriptures there are some things accidental to Religion and some things hard to be understood which the ignorant and unskilfull wrest to their destruction This is but to be Devils to our selves and foolish enemies of our own peace and comfort As Cicero speaks against them that pleaded for the souls mortality as if it were a desireable thing You have nothing else that suiteth the Nature and Interest of a man and agreeth with the Nature and Interest of God to set against the Christian Religion in Competition If you would have no Religion you would have no Hopes no Safety no Business or Comfort but Beaâ—â—ial in this world and you would be no Men. If you would have nothing but Nature and the Holiness which Nature clearly calleth for you would have Health in an unhealed Body and Health without the Physician and his Means The Mediator is the way to the Father and if you would Love God and be happy in his Love and have the Pardon of your Sins you have little reason to reject him that cometh to Procure Reveal and Communicate that Love and Pardon which must win your hearts to the Love of God And if you would not die in desperation but have the hopes and foresight of a better life you have little Reason to quarrel with a Messenger from Heaven which bringeth Life and Immortality to light As bad as Christians are if personal quarrels and malignity blind you not and if you will not take the enemies and persecutors of Christianity for Christians meerly because they assume the name you may easily see that serious Christians who live according to their profession are persons of another kind of excellency than all the unbelieving world I know that from some self-conceited ignorant well meaning persons I must look to be reviled and called a betrayer of Christianity because I plead not for it in their way and give you any other answer to your objections than That when God giveth you the spirit you shall know that the Scripture hath no contradictions and that Christianity is the true Religion Till then you cannot know it nor must I give you Reasons for it But I do my work and let who will wrangle and revile How far the sayings of some are true or false that the Scripture is the onely means of faith or saving knowledge of God that it is Principium indemonstrabile as first principles of knowledg are in nature that as others say It hath evidence of credibility but not evidence of certainty as if evidence of Divine credibility or or faith were not evidence of certainty that faith hath not evidence but evidence evacuateth faith or the merits of it with such like a man of understanding may gather from what is said And I must not be so tedious as particularly here to resolve them having done it in Preface to the Second part of the Saints Rest Edit 2. c. long ago And though I have written nothing here which some men cannot make an ill use of and some men will not turn to matter of cavil and reproach I will not therefore leave it out whilst I expect that the Cood which Truth is fitted to is greater than the evil which by accident and abuse will follow it And because you seem Confident and think me bound to answer you and consequently all others not knowing how many hundreds may trouble me in the like kind I send you this in print that other mens mistakes and infidelity also may have the same remedies But I shall conceal your name and dwelling lest the shame of your sin should hinder your patient application of the remedy save onely by telling you that it is long ago since I read a noble Learned Lord who in a Latine Book De Veritate Contra Veritatem said much against the certainty of faith But it was all but learned froth and vanity I Rest A Servant of Christ and desirer of your faith and salvation R. Baxter Dec. 28. 16â—1 THE SECOND PART OF THIS APPENDIX BEING Some ANIMADVERSIONS On the foresaid Treatise
man is so easily brought to And therefore the Question must be whether really these Heathens do truly Repent and Love God as God or not Answ First Here you may perceive that though before you did but require that salvation be brought down to the Sinners choice yet now that will not serve the turn Yea though Faith in God and true repentance were the terms that you were satisfied should be imposed on all yet now you are loth to stand to that unless we grant that all these men have the power so to beleive and repent Well if by power you mean a Natural faculty we grant that they have the power of Intellection and Uolition And if it be the object that is in question we grant that the object of that Faith and Repentance which you mention your self is certain and existent And if it be the evidence of the object that is in question we grant that the Being Power Wisdome Goodness Holiness Truth Justice and Mercy of God are revealed to manking by an evidence sufficient in its kin if their souls be but rightly disposed to receive it And that sin to be repented of is discernable in themselves is doubtless Amyraldus largely laboureth to prove that as God bindeth no man to natural impossibilities that is to any Act without First A faculty that can do it Secondly An Object Thirdly Evidence of that Object As not to see First without an eye Secondly That which is not in being Thirdly Or that which is a thousand miles off or in the dark without Light so that all Heathens have first the natural faculty Secondly An object which would save them if truly believed in and Loved that is God Thirdly A Revelation of this object And that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such an object as would procure their felicity if duly apprehended See also Mr. Trumans Treatise of Natural and Moral Impotency But indeed when all is done the wit of man that is offended with God as if he gave not all men a power to be saved will not be satisfied if that be granted unless also he actually save them Should we grant you all the rest if some yet are damned when God could have saved them it will not satisfie them that will be above God and will judge their Judge But because you seem satisfied with less suppose all the question come to this Whether or no those that never had the Gospei do ever come without it to true faith in God and true repentance and so to be saved Answ First And when we have granted you what you first desired that none perish but those that are willfully impenitent and believe not truly in God why must the controversie be carried to mens hearts and acts I can read Gods Law but I cannot know or read the hearts of millions whom I never saw Must I be obliged to know the thoughts of every man in China Tartary Japan or the Antipodes Secondly What number is it that you put the question of and whose Repentance you assert Is it All or but some If All he must be mad that believeth it that All men are true penitent Belivers in God If but some First Would not your wit quarrel still with God for damning all the rest Secondly And must it be the greater part or the lesser or would you know on what number or where to find satisfaction And what have we to do to judge anothers Servants To their own Master they stand or fall Secondly And methinks you should easily grant at least First That Repentance and Holiness is far easier to them that have the Gospel than to them that never heard it Secondly And that they are far more common And so that far more Christians are holy and saved than of others For First Tell me If God should send an Angel from Heaven as aforesaid with miraculous evidence of his mission to call men to repentance and belief in God and Glory would it not be easier for those men to repent than for others Nay would not you the easilier believe in Christ your self if you had but such an Angel to confirm you why then should not the word of Christ who by his Miracles Resurrection and the donation of such a Spirit to his Servants proved his mission from the Father be a help to our Faith and Repentance Especially when his word hath a self evidencing Light also in the Image and superscription of God upon it Secondly You will not deny but that the difference of common lower means doth make Repentance much easier or harder to one than another Take one man that is born in Brasile or Soldania or among any other savage People or that is bred up in a Tavern Ale-house or Whore-house or Gaming house among those that make a scorn of godliness and take another that is bred up to Learning Labour and Godliness among them that by doctrine and example do honour and command a godly righteous sober life And hath not one of these abundance more hinderances to his Repentance than the other Thirdly And will not sense and experience make you certain that the Christian part of the world hath more such helps than all the rest Is there not more Reason Learning Sobriety Doctrine all sorts of Teaching there than among the rest Were it but that Christianity hath furnished the World with more helps to repentance and Holiness the case were clear Fourthly And a little acquaintance with the World and the History of it may fully satisfie you that de facto there are actually far more knowing penitent holy Persons among Christians than among any others When therefore the fact it self is undeniable and we see that more Souls are healed by Christ in the Church than in the World without what need we any greater evidence And if there were no more in it than this that the actual knowledge or belief of Christ incarnate doth make so great an addition to the helps and hopes of Sinners and maketh conversion from sin to God and salvation so much more easie and common as Aquinas Cont. Gent. argueth should not this be received with the greatest thankfulness rather than with unreverent arrogant Contradiction But I proceed to overthrow your Fundamental Error That repentance alone with the mercy of God is a sufficient satisfaction for our sins to divine Justice First If it be but proved that de facto God hath required and provided another Sacrifice for satisfaction then you cannot call Repentance alone sufficient But this is proved fully Secondly If the great work of our Redemption by Christ have all those blessed ends tendencies and effects and bring all those benefits to mankind which in the treat forementioned I proved If it was so actual a demonstration of Gods wisdom and love of his holiness and truth his Justice and Mercy as is there manifested and proved If it have brought men such helps to Repentance and Holiness as are forementioned how perverse will it
are otherwise disposed whereas the Power and so the Nature of mans soul is certainly gathered from what the wisest do attain Because nothing can act beyond its Power And if the attainments and acts of some mens souls do prove such a Power in them all souls of men are of the same species and therefore the rest might attain it if they had the same objects evidences excitations and improvements I think all this is plain truth Ninethly And if by believing you will heartily give up your souls to Christ and his Spirit you will find that there is yet a more excellent addition of knowledg and certainty to be obtained than by all other means could be procured At least as to the Intension and clearness of the Act if not as to the extension of it to more objects IV. Quest Whether the aforesaid Common notices do make up all the Religion of the Catholick Church And whether the Catholick Church be all the world believing these common truths Answ The question is either de nomine ecclesiae or de re As to the name the word is not used in Gods word for any but the Society of Believers as separated from the unbelieving and ungodly world As for men themselves every one may use this and other words in what sence he please But how aptly you may judge Quoad rem I have told you before how far all the world are capable of salvation if that be the question And I adde The Kingdome of God is a word of a larger sense but the Church of God properly so called is Narrower being Caetus evocatus The Kingdom of God signifieth First All that de jure are obliged to subjection and obedience And so all mankind on earth are of his Kingdome even Rebels Secondly Or it signifieth all that consent to subjection and obedience and profess it And these are First Such as profess subjection to God under some lame defective false conception as one that alloweth them to worship Idols under him or to live in wickedness or one that Governeth not the world by a Law or will not make a Retribution hereafter or as one that will pardon and save men onely for their superstition or without a Saviour And thus allmost all Heathens and Infidels are of Gods Consenting Kingdome Secundum quid Eatenus so far as this cometh to and no more Secondly Or such as profess subjection and love to God as truly described And as reconciled to man and saving them by Christ our Mediator And these are quoad actum First But oral or unsound not Cordial Professors And such are Hypocritical Christians who are simpliciter of the visible Church Secondly Or sincere Consenters who are simpliciter of the essential mystical Church of the Regenerate Now when we thus open the Case as to the Thing there remaineth besides the controversie de nomine no more than how far Heathens are under a Covenant of Grace and how far they are capable of salvation of which I have said enough before V. Quest Whether all Revelation for Religion must be but Notitiarum Communium Symbolum A Creed containing these common notices or truths as is asserted p. 221. Answ I have said enough against this before First What need God send a Prophet or an Angel to tell the world that which they all knew certainly before Secondly Full existence assureth us as I have proved in the Treat that mankind hath need of more Thirdly More tendeth to perfect mans understanding and consequently his will and life This is undeniable And mans perfection is his felicity and end And therefore more than those common notices is needful to his end Fourthly Else as is said you will reduce all the world to the measure of that part which is the lowest the unwisest and the worst You would not in wealth or health be equalled with the basest poorest or the sickest nor yet in wit and knowledg of other matters with the most foolish And why then in the knowledg love and practice of Holiness VI. Quest Whether as some others say all supernatural Revelations be to be tryed by the common notions known by nature Answ First It is supposed that all that pretend to Prophesie and Revelation are not to be believed And therefore that we must try the Spirits whether they be of God and that all tryal of things unknown must be made by some foreacknowledged principles if it be a conclusion that must be known Secondly It must therefore next be understood whether the Truth of the Gospel be to be known as a simple term or a self evident proposition or as a true conclusion First The first kind of knowledge onely apprehendeth the words and sense but not the Verity It is the Truth of the Doctrine that we enquire of Secondly Many Divines assert the second way and say it is Principium indemonstrabile Like est vel non est Doubtless this is not true as to the Natural Evidence of the proposition principle or doctrine But I think that in the very hearing or reading Gods spirit often so concurreth as that the will it self shall be touched with an internal gust or savour of the goodness contained in the doctrine and at the same time the understanding with an internal irradiation which breedeth such a sudden apprehension of the Verity of it as nature giveth men of natural principles And I am perswaded that this increased by more experience and Love and inward gusts doth hold most Christians faster to Christ than naked reasoning could do And were it not for this unlearned ignorant persons were still in danger of Apostasie by every subtile Caviller that assaulteth them And I believe that all true Christians have this kind of internal knowledge from a suitableness of the Truth and Goodness of the Gospel to their now quickned illuminated sanctified souls Thirdly But yet I believe that this is not All the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel which we have There is a common Belief of its truth by other means which most usually goeth before this Generative spiritual reception and belief usually they that are converted to holiness by the Gospel are such as had some Belief of it before and not such as took it to be false to that moment And after Conversion it is to be known as a certain demonstrable Conclusion And so the faith of wise and settled Christians is most rational And they are thus made capable to defend it against Temptations and adversaries and to preach it rightly to unbelievers Thirdly The premises from which this conclusion is proved The Gospel is true are both of them truths of infallible evidence viz. Whatsoever doctrine is attested by so many and such miracles extrinsecally by the self-evidencing impress of Divine Power Wisdome and goodness intrinsecally and by the effecting the like Impression in holy Life Light and Love on the souls of all sincere receivers is certainly true being attested by the spirit of God But such is the
so that how much hath God done hereby to confute such suspicions and accusations There are now in England learned and worthy men in Church preferments which doubtless do not so love them as to buy them with the loss of truth and that to keep up a Religion against their Consciences But if you did so accuse them sure the many hundred silenced Ministers now in England that live in poverty and many of them want Bread when they might have preferment as well as others do live out of the reach of this accusation I write not this at all as meddling with their Cause but as answering your Exception I have my self got no more for Preaching the Gospel these nine years than if I had been a Lay-man I mean I have Preached for nothing if the success on mens souls were not something and Gods acceptance so far as I did Preach And more than that I would offer any man my solemnest oath to satisfie him that I believe and profess the Christian Doctrine for its proper evidence and for the hopes of the blessedness promised thereby which if they prevailed not with me above all the riches preferments and pleasures of this world I would never have been a Preacher or a Christian nor would continue in my calling and profession one day much less on the self-denying terms as I now do But O my Lord thou hast been to me a faithful Saviour a happy Teacher a supporting Comforter in my greatest dangers distress and fears Thy service hath been sweet and good Thy word hath been a powerful Light a Quickening a changing an elevating a guiding a comforting word So far am I from Repenting that I am thy Disciple or thy Servant that now I am not far from my departure from this world I do vehemently protest that I beg no greater mercy of thee in this world than that I may Believe in thee more firmly and Hope in thy promises more confidently and by thine Intercession receive more of thy Holy Spirit by which I may have neerer access to God and that by thy blood and merits I may be justified and cleansed from the guilt of all my sins and that by thee I may be taught to know the Father and to Love him as his Love and Goodness hath manifested it self in Thee and in the gracious works of mans Redemption That thou wilt be the undertaker for my soul and body through my life and that at death I may commend my Spirit into thy hands in a strong well grounded Faith and Hope and come to the in the fervent desire of Divine and Heavenly Love And I ask for no greater felicity hereafter than to be with thee where thou art to behold thy Glory and to see the Glory of the blessed Deity and Live in the perfect Knowledge and Love and Praise of God Sixthly And I may add that it is not only Clergy men that are Christians Besides them the Learned'st men in the world have defended or stuck to the Christian Faith I need not name to you either men of your own rank such as the two Mirandula's the great Du Plessis Marnixius de Aldegâ—nde Anhaltinus a Prince though a Divine Bacon and many a worthy Noble man of these Kingdoms and of many other nor such Laymen as the Scaligers Salmasius Grotius Causobone Thuanus and multitudes more Were all these larvati vel palliati by assed by price or fleshly interest He that is not a Christian for Spiritual and Eternal Interest taking up his Cross and following a Crucified Christ on terms of self-denial even to the forsaking of all for him not excepting life it self and doth not by his Cross even Crucifie the flesh and the world which is the provision for its lusts is indeed no real Christian at all I had thought to have said somewhat to your pag. 220 221. In omni Religione immo conscientia sive ex Natura sive ex gratia media sufficientia dari unde Deo accepti esse possint ultro credimus But I have been long enough and the answer may be gathered from what is said before The Lord save this Land and the darker world from Infidelity and its fruits and give us moâ—â—â—f that spirit which is Christs Agent and witness in us effectually to plead and maintain his cause Amen Jan. 16. 1672. Caes Baronius Annal. ad An. 411. BUt because we are discoursing of such matters Reader I intreat thee to suffer me like the good householder in the Gospel who bringeth out of his Treasurie things new and old to adde some things new or later to these of elder date For what I shall briefly say will much delight thee For I will not report unproved things but what I know to be confirmed by the assertion of very many learned men Yea and by all Religious men out told the people in their Sermons And for my part I will bring forth the Author of whom I received it and that is Michael Mercatus Miniatensis PPronotory of the S. R. Church a man of most entire fidelity and of eminent knowledge and honesty of life He told me of his Grandfather of the same name with himself Michael Mercatus senior between whom and Marsilius Ficinus a man of a most noble wit there was an intimate friendship contracted and increased by Philosophical studies in which they both were followers of Plato It happened on a time that as they used they were gathering from Plato but not without doubting how much or what of man remained after death which Platonick documents where they failed were to be under-propt by the Sacraments of the Christian Faith for of that argument there is extant a learned Epistle of Marsilius to this Michael Mercatus of the Immortality of the Soul God And in their discourse when they had long disputed they thus concluded it and giving each other their right hands they Covenanted that which ever of them first died if he could do it he should certifie the other of the state of the other life And having thus covenanted and sworn to each other they departed And after a considerable space of time it fell out that Michael senior being early in the morning at his Philosophical studies unexpectedly he heard the noise of a horse swiftly running and stopping at his door and withall the voice of Marsilius crying out O Michael O Michael those things are true Michael marvelling at the voice of his friend rose up and opening the window he saw him whom he heard with his back toward him in white riding away on a white horse and called after him Marsilius Marsilius and looked after him but he vanished from his sight He being struck with admiration at the strangeness of the case took care to enquire what was become of Marsilius he lived in Florence where he died and found that he died that same hour in which he heard and saw him And what did he hereupon Though he had been a man of approved honesty and had lived a life harmless and profitable to all as it became a true Philosopher yet from that time bidding farewell to Philosophical Disciplines and becoming a forward Lover or follower of the true Christian Philosophy onely as more eminent than the rest he lived the rest of his time as dead to the world onely for or to the life to come being an example of a most absolute Christian who before had been famous among the Philosophers of his time in praise as second unto none So far Baronius The same is reported by abundance of other writers FINIS ERRATA PAge 1. l. penult for were read was p. 23. l. 2. r. Indic p. 30. l. 10. r. adapted p. 64. l. 7 8. r. same apparition p. 117. l. 15. r. Treat l. 27. r. bestow p. 123. l. 23. r. mens p. 149. l. 16. r. end p. 157. l. 20. for ls r. is