so that tho' there be but One Supream God the Father yet he has constituted the Son and Holy Ghost two Deputies under him calling the Son an Angel in this deputation in the Old Testament And on this Foundation stand those Expressions Let us make Man c. And thus through the Son it is that we are said to have Access by one Spirit to the Father and thus it is that the Holy Ghost and Sâ—tan the Eâ—â—l God are in us like two contrary prompting and ruling powers Thus it is that the Son as Governour under the Father of these two lesser Gods administers the Gifts of the One and restrains the temptations of the other whilst they are in a perpetual War in us that is all Mankind at once one helping us the other tempting us one comforting us and the other accusing us one having seven the Number of Perfection attributed to him as likewise has the other And thus you are to understand the Texts of a universal good Angel and a universal evil one and tho' some have thought both Satan and the Holy Ghost rather Names of Orders of Spirits than God-Angels citing for it yet 't is plain by the whole course of Scripture that those places more rationally ought to be understood that those Gods have Principalities and Angels c. which are sometimes employ'd by them in Offices under them If you desire to see this Matter more amply argued you must read Mr. Bidell's Twelve Arguments of the Holy Ghost who when he had made the Holy Ghost so considerable as he did I wonder how he could continue a Socinian longer for the Scriptures so plainly set the Son above the Holy Ghost and tell us That all Power is given to the Son both in Heaven and Earth which he cannot possibly otherwise manage that I admire he did not turn Arrian through-out But to return this Order of God's Administration through the Son and by the Holy Ghost appears more plainly when we consider their gradative Stiles in Scripture and the Apostles Creed thus the Father only is called God in our Creed as only being so the Son called Lord as he only really is so under him 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. and the Holy Ghost or Spirit only stiled Holy in opposition to the Evil One. And thus the Divine Benefits we receive as from the Father are called Love and Operation from the Son Grace and Administration but from the Holy Ghost and lesser Power only Gift and Fellowship 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. 2 Cor. 13. 14. and hence it was that all Communication between the Father and Holy Ghost being through the Son Prophecies ceas'd while the Son was Incarnate Next unto these as I have said succeed Principalities Powers and Dominions Now these by their very Names shew themselves to be as lesser Deputies that is as Governours of Provinces and Kingdoms under the Gods of the World the Holy Ghost and Satan and for these and their Offices you may see Dan. 10. 12 13 20 21 12. 1. Acts 16. 9. Lastly As for Angels I need say nothing of them seeing their Names declare their Offices and the Scriptures abound with Examples of their performing them thus an Angel came to the Virgin Mary to Cornelius and several others so that of this enough And if any thing remain it must be to explain the reasonableness of there Hierarchy REFLECTIONS I say therefore when we think to reason of Spirits we must freely allow our selves an open and generous source of Thought for as the Air and much more they are too fine for the gross Casements of our Eyes so if we design duly to examine their Nature we must be able to walk without Sence a little and not think to grope grosly after them as if we would feel them First then I lay it down as a Rule That Spirits are Immortal and have no need of any nourishment nor do nor need we doubt this when we consider even how the Sun has subsisted how his unwearied Rays impair him not and how so many Thousand Years has not exhausted his Source of glowing Fuel 2 ly To this I must add that I cannot but believe that like unto Clouds in the Air they gradually subsist in each other by the proportional Purity of each others Substances nor need this be strange to us for this is evident that God at least exists in all of them and rules them as easily as they by his permission can us and if so what hinders but that he may have Deputy-Gods to do the like under him Nor can it well be otherwise than that they should rule one another thus through their gradual Purity and Inexistency for when we consider that Devils are entirely wicked and are not to be ruled otherwise than through a real force there remains no doubt but that as they are in subjection to one another so it is through such a real force as this that neither Art nor Conspiracy can destroy But yet after all this methinks I hear hear you object that this is difficult to conceive that any Creature should be of so extensive a Power And yet why so Does not the Sun do the same thing in the Sensible and Vegetable World And shall we think as general a power in a Spirit that as easily pierce the thickest Bodies as he does the Air impossible nay or so much as difficult in the rational World But what We know not how it is done no more we know not how God and our own Spirit exist within us To conclude I shall only add that this being once granted there remains no difficulty to imagine how all our Spiritual Actions are perform'd and how we are tempted thus only the Supream God and his Son possibly may see our Thoughts the lesser Gods the Holy Ghost and Satan may only have power of Imagery and prompting us while Potentates and Angels may only have power to rule and converse us But of this enough and I shall now proceed to handle those particular Texts that you and others have cited against us Particular TEXTS John 1. 1. Page 216 you tell us In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God And what Sir can be more agreeable to an Hypothesis than this to ours May I tell you more agreeable than the Trinitarian for here is no mention of a Union of these two but that in the beginning of all Things there was a God which we beheld as the Word on the Earth that Existed with the Supream God that as his Instrument made all things and that coming to his own to redeem them they knew him not And here Sir your Charges against the Socinians not only vanish to Air but turn against you when us'd by the Arrians Now that you may not take our Idea of the Son to be groundless I shall give it you thus from Scripture itsself He is the
and every little Creature and is not there a difference between a Mediator appointed by God and one set up meerly by the whimsie of Man If these are not good Reasons for our giving to Christ Honour as a Mediatour I know not what are I am sure they are better than to make God stoop to such a petty Honour as to be absurdly Mediator to himself But you have a further Argument pag. 205 from 2 Phil. 9. 10 11. That at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow and that every tongue shall confess But what that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father And who shall deny you this Honour Not I no I will grant it you in confusion to your own Hypothesis for 't is such a Lord and not a God that I would have you think him to be Now that we might the better understand what Honour is due to the Son the Scripture hath expresly called it and appointed it to be Mediation but yet not so as that we should pray to him for our Mediation no more than we are to pray to him for any thing else Nor ought any other Worship to be paid him unless personally present and then as the only Son of God and Lord of the World he requires it and such Worship is what is given him Heb. 1. 6. where the following verses 7 8 9. plainly shew it not to be intended of the Supream Worship but as is mentioned Rev. 5. 9 10 11 12 13. because God for his excellency and worthiness has appointed him that Honour Lastly To account 2 Cor. 13. 14. for a a Supream Adoration were to make Gen. 48. 16. so too and as for the Worship of the Holy Ghost as you your self can as good as confess pag. 194 there is no mention made of it in the whole Scriptures so that you may see on what a rotten Foundation your Faith stands and indeed were not the Truth I write for now near as clear as the Sun at Noon I should not be so zealous for it Mediatory Kingdom I proceed now to write of Christ's Mediatory Kingdom and here I cannot but observe how the Trinitarian Hypothesis distorts the whole frame of Truth makes God a Mediator to himself and a Coequal take as an Honour an underling Office whereas Christ in the Arrian Idea as the great Son of God is fit to be our Mediator between God and his Handiwork and may be deservedly honour'd with the Title that he alone can prevail with God for mercy for us And here I cannot but let you see Sir with what false colours you would magnifie this Office to make it rational for a Coequal to accept of it thus pag. 159 you make it nothing That God exalted him to it And so pag. 163 That he was forc'd first to suffer for it and then receive it as a Gift whereas indeed if he were a Coequal it were both servile and degrading to him even to accept it tho' on any Terms and tho' with a Reward So pag. 173. I cannot but admire to see how you glorious out this Kingdom how you would fain seem to make it command the Father when alas Sir you know your self all the Power of this Kingdom is but an humble Intercession p. 179. Indeed your Argument p. 176 and 243. That no One but a God can administer it is somewhat forcible against the Socinians but can be of no force for you against the Arrians But why do I use more words That all Power in Heaven and Earth were given him after his death Mat. 28. 18. If a God coequal before were Nonsence and as a Creature-God your self says he cannot exercise it so that Prophecies should cease as they did while he was Incarnate John 7. 39 16. 7. 13 14 15. were absurd otherwise indeed you might as justly frame a Mediatory Kingdom to interpret that great Text of the Holy Ghost John 16. 13 14 15 as build such a groundless one as this for Christ Of the Three Persons together Having premised thus much in general of the Son and indeed on whom almost depends the whole hinge of the Controversie I shall now proceed to shew you how the whole Three Persons are treated when they are named together in Scripture that you may see even there our Hypothesis prevails also Know then that in such places the Father is represented as our God distinct and solely the Son our Lord distinct and wholly and the Holy Ghost only as our aiding Spirit or Comforter Eph. 4. 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. So in the Revelations likewise St. John makes the Son and Holy Ghost but as Attendants on the Throne of the Father Rev. 5. 7. 8 9 c. whilst he only sits on the Throne and the greatest Honour even of the Son is that he has redeem'd us and so is become worthy to open the Book But yet as I have formerly shewn you as the Father impowers the Holy Ghost through the Son in all Acts of Grace so are their Records One 1 John 5. 7. And yet not but that this Record receives a stile agreeable to the Excellency of the Person giving it where 't is distinguish'd thus in the Father 't is call'd Operation the Son Administration and in the Holy Ghost Gifts 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. And the manner of Gift in the Father is called Love in the Son Grace and the Holy Ghost Fellowship 2 Cor. 13. 14. Rom. 15. 16. So likewise as all Three being engaged in our Salvation they are put in as Articles to our Apostles Creed but yet with subordinate Titles as God Lord and Holy to shew their distinction and inferiority so that your Argument you see Sir that their being there makes them Coequal and God is very weak pag. 197. for by the same Reason you might make every body or the Catholick Church God likewise Hence likewise the ancient Doxology before it was alter'd was Glory be to the Father through the Son and by the Holy Ghost see Sparks on the Liturgy which shew'd plainly their Subordination Indeed since upon the prevailing of the Doctrine of the Trinity it has been alter'd But with what Scripture-Authority Now I hope you see plainly But I shall not dissent from you that the Socinians absurdly baptize in the Name of the Holy Ghost if there were none and they do worse than those Disciples who never heard of him for they acknowledg'd him when they did which these even now do not But what are not they our Brethren And are we not bound to have a Charity for their Errour And who shall condemn them in it that they are wilfully blind However to return This makes not but that we are baptiz'd in their Names as our Spiritual Governours Mat. 28. 19. for so even the Scripture plainly express themselves 1 Cor. 12. 13 27 10. 2. where we are told That we are baptiz'd by one Spirit into one body which is Christ that is into the Church by
his Minister whereof he is the Head to the Worship Honour and Glory of God And what Sir will you interpret against Scripture And this consider'd where stands any room for your Calumnies page 27 210 211 212 213 214. Is not the whole Foundation of your Argument rotten Does Baptism shew Worship And if not how can it be an open and barefac'd Idolatry What may not there be a Ceremony in it to shew us who under God are our Spiritual Governour as well as by Water to imitate the cleansing of Regeneration If so why may not my Construction of it agreeable to Scripture-Interpretation be as good as yours I protest before God did not my Hypothesis not only want Absurdity but suit most rationally yea most naturally to Truth and the Scriptures I would sooner dye than adhere to it Lastly Sir to put your Union in your Hypothesis beyond all doubt the Scriptures have plainly shewn us that these Three Persons have various and distinct Intellectual Powers John 16. 13 14 15 16. Mark 13. 32. John 12. 49. And indeed we might rationally have collected as much from their being given and sent did not our Mysteries quite shut our Eyes against Reason The FATHER Nor do the Scriptures cited of the Son and Three Persons only agree to strengthen our Hypothesis and destroy yours but even those that relate to the Father and Holy Ghost likewise I shall give you short Specimens of both beginning with the first first and then proceeding to the other and after that I shall conclude my Scripture-proofs in this and proceed Know then that the Scriptures plainly tell us that the Father is the One only true God only Good only wise greater than the Son only sitting on the Throne the Son and Holy Ghost being as his Attendants and his Name is I am in opposition to α and ω the First and the Last One signifying a pure and infinite Being the other the first and great Creature Rev. 3. 14. Further the Scriptures shew us it is not agreeable with a due reverence that we should confound the Titles of the Father with others thus Christ gives us a particular charge to remember not only that there is but One God but that we have but one Father and one Master Mat. 23. 8 9. and St. Paul 1 Cor. 8. 4 5 6. tells us That in truth there is but One God and One Lord to wit the Father and his Son Christ Jesus according to Phil. 2. 11. So they say the Father is the Supream Lord of all and greater than the Son and really his God too and that he is the Fountain of Grace and only invisible whereas the Son and Holy Ghost have been often seen so he is only reveal'd by the Son But what need I repeat more of these proofs The Scriptures are full of them and were not Men blinded as they are with the Epicicles of their Two Natures in Christ and Mediatory Offices c. whereby they beg the thing in dispute and anticipate all Proofs they would see the Sun is not clearer than the Proofs I have given them hereafter I believe Men will admire at our blindness as much as we do at the Papists now but I see the Hand of God is upon us we are cursed to it and only Prayers can remove it Of the Holy Ghost I come now to speak of the Holy Ghost to shew you how much in every Point your Hypothesis straggles and how you dissent from Scripture in every step you have made in your Mystery while the Arrian answers it may I say to the most exact Truth and keeps a due mean between your coequal Gods and the Socinians no less absurd meer Man and power of God. Know then the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth called so in opposition to Satan the lying Spirit is a great God or Principally and Christ's Universal Deputy and as so the Giver of all good Gifts Yet so as he is subject to the Son and receives his Authority from him and thence I believe it peremptory to blaspheme his Evidence for to lie to him is to lie to God that is through him though he be but in reality an Angel Rev. 2. 1. 2. 11. compar'd to Acts 22 34. Luke 3. 21 22. where he made the like Visions and indeed Blasphemy against him otherwise were absurd it should rather be against the Father and Son especially the Father as Fons Deitatis and whom the Jews reverenc'd when they knew not the Holy Ghost Further as God made the Son his Instrument in the Angelical Creation so he sub-deputed the Holy Ghost in the Formation of Man and of the Earth and upon this account the Spirit is called Eminenter the Spirit of God that is the greatest next to God the Father and the Lord Christ and the most extraordinary Gift of God in his assistance But yet he is absolutely Christ's Deputy and sent by the Son from the Father that till Christ went he could not come and yet 't is he that under Christ bestows all variety of Spiritual Gists that dwells in us that spake by the Prophets that helps our Prayers and indeed that assists our ordinary Discourse by his Grace or holy anointing But to shut up all he is in no place of the whole Scripture either direâ—tly called God or order'd to be worship'd which last thing you are so modest as to grant page 194 195 so that upon the whole matter to Idea him in coequality to the Father as you see were so plain a violence to the Scripture he not having so much Honour allow'd him as even the Son has that I declare I admire it And by this time I hope Sir you see plainly that your reasoning about the Holy Ghost page 179 193 are meer shuffles and that your Texts 1 Cor. 2. 10. quoted by you page 53. That the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God has no other sence than that the Holy Ghost co-operating with our Spirit reveals us the greatest knowledge we attain and that is what agrees with the Context and the Text you cite in the next Page but if it does with your Hypothesis I am mistaken As for your other Reasons page 54 55. and 64 65. brought to prove the self-consciousness of the Father and Holy Ghost they are as groundless as the rest of your Mystery and therefore I shall only shew you I take notice of them indeed if the Holy Ghost knew all things thus of himself what need the Son shew them him REFLECTION Sir I hope by this time I have given you as ample satisfaction in your Scripture-proof as you can desire you cannot but be so ingenious as to grant that you have had all the advantages that a Succession of Commentators can give you whereas I you see for all that can heap you up the
whole course of Scripture against you that have not so much as one Arrian Author to assist me I have already inform'd you what turn'd me to be an Arrian and now I shall add that when I had once resolv'd nothing should be dearer to me than Truth and bethought me the Corruption even of Primitive Tradition and saw a necessity of sticking wholly to the Scripture the Sun was not clearer to me than the Doctrine which you call Heretical and Arrianism And give me leave to tell you tho' you have Popularity and the Temporal Sword on your side yet blaspheme it more if you dare if there be such a thing as blasphemy against the Holy Ghost as we have Christ's word there is to your peril be it Sir I tell you 't is to blaspheme the known Evidences of his Truth and if these be such I dare venture my Truths with the Sword of the Spirit against all your carnal Weapons Remember Sir there is a Sin unto Death we may not so much as pray for 1 John 5. 16. and all our pretences and good Works will be of none effect while we blaspheme the most great and sincere Truths of God beware Sir of this great and fiery Tryal I mean perversly to blaspheme God's Truths especially when so considerable as this this is that that will make the Tree good and the Fruit good and the Tree evil or its Fruit evil indeed can you expect to be call'd or receiv'd as a Son when you openly and malitiously proclaim'd your self a Rebel to the only and great means of Government of the Holy Ghost TRADITION HAving now done with the two first Heads of my Discourse the proof of the Trinity by Reason and Scripture I proceed to the last viz. Tradition wherein would Men but be content to believe as they pray I should be satisfied for that they do almost wholly to the Father and therein may I say they give all their pretences to Tradition the greatest Lye even the Cause is capable of bearing but alas the World is made too giddy by this Mystery to bear such or any other Reasoning I know Sir you are very confident that she is of your side as you say page 31. but your Proofs and Suggestions for it are as few and inconsiderable as even I can wish for pag. 40. Thus you would fain wheedle us that Men were Arrians and not Arrians And what Sir was it out of Charity that they forbore to call the Trinitarians Hereticks If it was 't was a sign they were the better Christians for it not that their Cause was the worse So you asperse the Great Council of Arminium of 550 Bishops of so seeming or wou'd-be an Imputation pag. 43 that I am asham'd to see 't What Sir do you think they would have called the greatest Council that ever was if they had design'd a tricking Or are you resolv'd to trust more to the Council of Nice because not so many Methinks Sir you should think it enough at least that your Tradition was disputable then that you had such Numbers against you and not repose in forging Rome for blemishing Councils You tell us Mr. Bull has answer'd this matter throughly page 24. But I tell you Sir I have perus'd him and he has not and were it worth my while I would shew it you too besides Sir would you expect a fair and strict Combat after so many Years while Rome has held the stakes What wont you make us no allowances in your Thoughts Not that we beg it neither But is it generous first to fetter a Man and then challenge him What shall I say Is this the way to defend your Catholick Faith That Faith which you say requires both Forehead and Forgery to deny it page 44 when you should say to maintain it REFLECTION Give me leave to advise you a little Sir if you are resolv'd to follow Tradition Be not partial in it Why should you act by halves you would be a good Papist were you sincere and follow'd it throughout Or if as a Protestant you hate this course why do you not pursue it more home and to the root Tradition was only of use till the Scriptures were deliver'd and indeed 't is well if 't was contain'd pure till then as we may most justly censure by St. John's Advice to the Churches in the Revelations But to continue Tradition further what is it but like the Jews to make the Law of God of none effect by our Traditions You must excuse me therefore if I think Tradition to be too much a Nose of Wax to be alledg'd against Scripture especially such express apparent and self-evident Texts as Heb. 1. and John 16 I shall therefore leave you to jangle out your quoted Inconsistencies page 107 108 113 114 119 120 121. And tell you withal such Variances are no Miracle in a Traditionary Mystery In short Sir if ever you design for Truth you must learn a new bravery to be able to dare to be singular think you that Men that geld suppress and sorge Books are in the right or they that persecute all that oppose them Surely I hope you think better that these are the Engines of weaker Error and yet this is even the present Case and who dares even at this day and in sull Protestancy to write or speak freely He is sure of being suppressed at best Damnatory Sentence But before I leave this Subject there is another part of your Discourse that deserves to be consider'd and that is your Damnatory Sentence wherein I wish I could spare you but your love for your Mystery has so inspir'd you with such a furious and unchristian Zeal that 't would be an Offence to the World should I leave it unanswer'd under so great a Name Thus P. 22 you say this Faith is necessary to Salvation and p. 23. That no Jew Turk or Pagan can be sav'd without it And that whether he has us'd reasonable diligence or not Or whether it has been perplext with never so great Controversies The same you add page 271 only you add this merciful Apology That Men may understand it if they will. And further that I may give your Argument the greatest force you add page 25. That to say Men can be sav'd by good Works alone without Faith is Popery And page 26. That if Salvation were so common Christianity were but a better Sect of Philosophy and there would be too great a scope for Infidelity page 23. ANSWER Alas Sir I pity you had you regarded Natural Religion more and your Mystery less you would not have abounded with such an Envy and Monopoly of Salvation What must we have no Faith but be sav'd by Works because we have not just this Mystery And what is it nothing to Christianity that we have several degrees of Glory as an Encouragement set in our prospect and search above the Heathen Or what Sir is your Eye evil because God is good Would you have God
a Devil create Men meerly for Damnation Or would you have him damn them to support your Hypothesis See how your Mystery has misled you Sir that Men should be sav'd only by parrotting over a few unintelligible words I might have expected this from some ignorant Sectarist but I never thought a a skilful Doctor should make God so hard a Task-master as to require Men to believe so penally what 't is plain not One in a Million understands Alas Sir you mistake the Redemption of Christ 't was to purchase us a new Covenant and not only teach us a new Faith On Adam's Fall we chang'd our State our Tryal by a single Precept for the Law of Nature but had not the Seed of the Woman begun even then to have broke the Serpent's Head at least through a Covenant to be fulfill'd Can you blaspheme God so as to say he would let him be fruitful Will not a Prophet be able to vindicate his Justice that has declar'd long since every Man and he alone should bear his own iniquity I say then Christ has purchased us a new Covenant and since he is come there is some reason for us to honour him with the necessity of our Faith through him to lead us to Salvation and to obey his excellent Precepts to conduct us through the Second Covenant the Law of Nature to Perfection But where could be the necessity 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 I see Sir your Virtues have no Extreams you have Faith but allow no Credulity if you did you could never swallow these things you confirm the old Sentence Credo quia impossibile est But alas Sir do you think to make your Doctrine prevail by these means by a dead anathematizing implicite Faith fitter for Paganism than Christianity No your uncharitableness cannot but blemish you even among your own Friends indeed the Predestinarian does not exceed this and may be Men seeing thus how one Errour leads you into another so black will be brought by it to see the Truth they consider'd not before Besides Sir had you consulted Scripture in this the Apostle tells you plainly that Christ died for the Sins of the whole World 1 John 2. 1 2. And if not think you God's Mercy would have detain'd him till the latter Ages of the World besides Sir are we not charg'd not to judge them that are without and are we not told that where there is no Law there is no Sin John 9. 41. James 4. 17. and that they that have not been able to receive a Law or Revelation are to be tried by Natural Religion and their Conscience as a Law within themselves Rom. cap. 1. 2. Acts 24. 13. And indeed which is the Law improv'd by Christ himself and which is written in our Heart according to the Apostle to the Hebrews Alas Sir had you judg'd of the wilfully ignorant and perverse you had left some colour for your Censure to be true and yet even then were I in your case I should be very unwilling to fling the first Stone especially since Christ has told us as we judge we shall be judg'd I had rather let Men be guilty and God condemn them then condemn my self by judging them Faith Necessary But methinks I hear you object to me What Faith is necessary then if this be not I say the Faith of Enoch Abraham and Moses that God is a Rewarder of the just in tender Consciences is enough and that without Idolizing Works as you reflect page 25. I add also that a particular Faith of Mercy through Christ is necessary where offer'd with Conviction but whatever you do or say God will never require Consent where he has not given Evidence enough and what is it to me if it can be had in a Cause if I cannot come at it To these may be also added by consent the Apostles Creed or any other so it be not enforc'd but for your nice and speculative Creeds they are unnecessary or else you accuse Christ and his Apostles of a cowardly lukewarmness for omitting them for all you insinuate page 29. that we would be at Creed-making too Sir but we beg your Pardon and have more Charity for if we explain our Hypothesis 't is only to confute yours Consider therefore Sir by your own Reasoning 't is Popery to judge of the Catholick Church by its multitude page 36. So remember 't is our heat magnifies our Zeal in this Hypothesis above others for any other explain'd as nicely would have as bad effects and give me leave to retort your Argument Tho' I am modest yet you have given me occasion to oppose you as Popular and tho' I am cautious yet Truth bids me not fear whether your Mystery prove true but warn you that under Protection of a Mystery you do not oppugn Truth v. page 44. To conclude in Charity I shall give you one Advice more and that is that you do not at every turn like the Papists Cap Hereticks and repeat Catalogues of Heresies as you are apt to do page 107. You are a Protestant Sir and you should rather lament that Church-Impositions so long took away an innocent liberty of Opinion from the World and by an immoderate Self-love of impos'd Opinions and Disciplines rent the Bond of Peace and Unity in sunder CONCLVSION I Hope Sir by this time you see that we Unitarians do understand what we write of for all what you charge us with p. 4. Nay and more I 'll add We do it without mazing Metaphysicks to help us indeed we have not your Breath of the Populace to encourage us into large and fair Volumes but I hope we have Truth far better to recommend us to the sincere I hope Sir too you see we do not arrogate infinite Knowledge as you asperse us page 5. but vindicate a Truth clear as the day Indeed 't is plain the First Commandment except to exclude Persons is Nonsence and who in this Case must bear the Reflection you or God surely we must acquit God and if we do our Faith must fling you into all the Absurdities and Contradictions of Transubstantion The Case is not whether in Idea there may not be Three self-conscious coequal Beings but whether an Interpreter of the First Commandment can justifie such a thing and that I am sure he cannot for all your struggles after Vindications without Absurdity and Nonsence But you 'll say here is some colour for the Trinity And what is there not then as much sor Transubstantiation This is plain our Bodies are not Two Years together the same and tho' differing thus Twenty times in our Lives we call it still the same Body May not we on this as justly salve Transubstantiation that the Spirit of Christ is able to dwell in infinite Bodies at once and will not this make as properly the same Body as my Body at Twenty is my Body at Thirty but you answer you have Scripture of your side and pray shew me half so strong a
Chapter for the Trinity as John the 6th is for Transubstantiation Alas Sir you see your Fallacies do but divert your Causes being expos'd for a time till a nice Refutation makes it look the blacker for its Sophistry And now you may see who 't is that brings down the plain Scriptures to be wrested by the absurd Reason of a Mystery page 141. And now Men and Angels may see who are those absurd and senceless Insidels that reject what they have evidence for v. page 6. In short I dare appeal to all the World tho' against me whether suppression of Books be not your best Argument You tell us page 148 That our Business is to prove Three Persons Three Gods And we do it by this That if God be more than One Person when not particularly reveal'd and contrary to his first Commandment his Commandment is of no effect But shall we grant that No we 'll turn the havock of the first Commandment justly in Contradictions upon you we need not ask with Nicodemus How can these things be page 150. but we 'll tell you with the same reason we may make three thousand Gods that you believe a Lye Thess 2. 11. And you had as good make all Mankind One Man and destroy all Plurality and Numbers c. But for Peace-sake I shall forbear further Reflections page 109. Hence should you invent a thousand Metaphysick strains more this one plain Truth would ruine them all indeed did not Mystery the Authority of the Whore Rev. 17. and the great support of Popery bear up your Hypothesis her Epitaph might have been wrote I doubt not many hundred Years ago Mystery do I say Mystery and Persecution are the Devil's Twins and stand and fall both together Persecution without Mystery were too cruel and Mystery without Blood too much Nonsence to be born 't is these two are Popery and the worst of Popery Transubstantiation without these were an innocent Error And what are not Protestants asham'd to weild the Sword of Antichrist Yes surely But if they are why do they stille us and our Books is it not that they fear our Truths Are you not asham'd to rail at us for Blasphemers and Hereticks as you do if I am not mistaken we mean as sincerely and Interpret the Scripture as well as you for all your boasts pag. 141. and you shall sind God in the Great Day will shew which is the Heretick What have we not as much reason to complain of the blemishes of the first and great Commandment as you have and cannot the Controversie of Elisha and Baal remember you that 't is not Numbers but Minds that God seeks But you say This is a Mystery And pray who has authoris'd it for one You be-ly God in his Scriptures if you say that he has no 't is Man's own invention and that 't is that makes him idolize the uncharitable Imposition so much What shall God bid us publish what none understand Pray who can agree in this Mystery Or were the Copy of it lost who would be able exactly to hammer it out Is this clear like a heavenly Truth Are we not asham'd to cast this stumbling-block in Christianity that has so justly offended all Jews Turks and Pagans it ever came neer indeed does not Mahomet support his division by this very thing and does he not complain above an hundred times against the abuse of the Unity in his Alchoran What shall I say if we repent not this Error shall we not justly stand branded to all Posterity a Race of pretended Protestants but really a Philosophick Sect of Christian Atheists Besides what but the corruption of this Unity in the Godhead can have so long prosper'd the Mahometan above the Christian and the Papists above the Protestants I shall add no more at present but that were this Mystery the greatest Truth yet considering Mens weakness 't were both hateful and seditious to impose it on one another in pain of Salvation to subscribe it only as an Article of Peace in some cases might be tolerable but to force their Consciences to they know not what themselves is in plain terms Antichristian Uncharitable and Devilish And alass now we see wherein our Reformation is imperfect that it has not preserv'd our eternal liberty of Opinion in things not expresly reveal'd this is the Root of all Controversie and this must be cur'd if ever we hope for Peace indeed in a free Remonstrancy where all Impositions are cut off Heresies of course pine and die with their Authors for want of room to be regarded EXHORTATION And now Sir I shall more particularly address my stile to yourself And in the first place I beg you to pardon all my Reprehensions and if they are any where bitterer than they ought reckon it my frailty not my injustice and at least you ought to thank me for my good intention but if you approve what I have wrote return God the Glory for your information and I am satisfied I assure you Sir in myself I am griev'd to write against a good Man nor would I but that my love to God and Truth commands me nor do I write this that I think you want either Piety or Ability indeed you shine for both in your Church but I would advise you that you have mistook the Truth nor wonder at it for the greatest Fathers in the Church have done it before you You have ventur'd to be singular once in Conscience already and your Treatise of Death shews you sincere dare once a deeper Resignation and a more singular Truth if you fall not back you know not what Service God may have for you to do Remember Sir 't is Constancy to follow Truth in all changes of Notions and but obstinacy to remain stiff after conviction Besides 't will be as much your Glory as St. Austin's that you recant and if you are a Christian indeed you cannot hate your Friend or Glass for shewing you your wrinkles nor will your singularity be worse if you see them unless in Piety that others are as bad or worse than your self and dare not see it What tho' I am singular and contemptible my Truths if sincere are Divine and St. Paul as well as you had both Zeal and Popularity and yet was in an Error if you are in an Error pray God open your eyes and if I am I beg him to grant me to be rectified by your Instruction 't will be hard if a Miracle be necessary to instruct and reconcile us I cannot perswade myself that you will continue to pervert this grand Truth and by Reflections and Niceties endeavour further to obscure and cloud it what you have hitherto done I hope nay believe you have done ignorantly and because the Socinian Hypothesis was not sincere enough you oppos'd it but for the Arrian I almost dare promise myself more Charity from you if not Conviction At first I declin'd this Book as not thinking it proper to be wrote