it he will let the most sottish people think themselves wise nay incourage them to imagine we blaspheme if we tell them they talk foolishly in Scripture phrase N. C. Why do you call them sottish it is a harsh word C. Why may not that be allowed to me which was to Melancthon in times past who feared not to say that this is the sottish or ungraceful discourse which is opposed by the Apostle to speech seasoned with Salt c Col. 4.6 See him upon the place For by Salt he understands a judgment rightly and dextrously applying the Word of God As in our Saviours words Mark 9. ult he thinks by Salt is meant the Word of God d Verbum Dei rectè intellectum adhibito judicio seu discrimine c. rightly understood by using judgment and discerning lest it be transformed into profane imaginations c. and the native signification of the words be changed But Phil. stands not upon judgment and discretion the Word of God applied by imagination will do as well His Salt is all of another sort which in truth is but sottish fansie Let the world be still abused with the pretence of Visions and Revelations what cares he He had rather indeed they would let these words alone e Pag. 47. But if they have a list to use them he is ready to offer his service for their defence Though the world be cheated by them never so much he will stand by them and maintain it that they mean honestly For what is there that he cannot make good by his it may be 's and such like tools It is possible saith he that W. B. might mean not elevating but humbling Visions of God Say you so Sir Deal sincerely I beseech you Did you read the place What say you Do not hum and haw but speak like a man and say whether did you look or no into that Book which you undertook to justifie to see what kind of Visions he spoke of If not with what Conscience durst you become his Advocate and take upon you to maintain you knew not what Is this your way of writing Books It gives men occasion to think you scribled this to get a little mony which you hoped W. B's Friends would present you withal not caring whether it were true or false If you did then I ask you where were your eyes that you could not see the instance whereby he explains himself and that is of St. Peter's beholding Christ transfigured and saying It is good to be here Was this an humbling Vision with which he was so transported Or doth he speak only of Gods giving counsel and comfort to his people as you would have us think when he expressly calls them Times of Raptures and Revelations All this is within the compass of five or six lines in W. B's Book which makes me think it could not have escaped him if he had lookt into it And therefore I am of the opinion that according to his wonted boldness he wrote at all adventure knowing very well the humour of those he had to please who would magnifie and cry up any thing for an Answer though never so silly nay never so false And though the impudent cheat be now discovered it is possible to speak in his Style that he hopes to escape well enough For they can pardon such sins one to another and shall still be reputed Saints though they lie and deceive and dissemble the Truth If he had had so much honesty as he makes a show of he would have lookt upon this as a fit place to caution every one against such bold pretences to Visions and Revelations which he knows are very dangerous and not therefore to be winked at because they are zealous people who talk of them No body seemed to have a greater zeal than Tho. Muncer He was for reforming even the Reformation He held Luther himself to be too cold and said his Sermons savoured not enough of the Spirit And by pretending to more frequent and familiar conversation with God and that he had Divine Revelations and that God declared by Visions his Will to the Saints he got the reputation of a man extraordinarily inspired and you know what was the end of it He had a command from the Heavenly Father that was his phrase to root up and destroy all the Princes and Magistrates of the Earth because that Christ said the Kings of Nations to abolish also the Execution of justice because we read resist not evil and to forbid all Oaths to determine Controversies because he said Swear not at all c. He had the company also of one Phifer who used to talk as much of his Dreams as the other of his Visions especially of one wherein he saw an infinite number of Rats and Mice which he destroyed This he expounded to be a commandment from the Heavenly Father to destroy all the Nobility who he said like so many Vermine did eat up the poor people And what by their professed detestation of sin their great compassion to the common sort their soothing and stroking their followers by appropriating to them all the savourable Titles the good words and the gracious promises in Scripture and casting the contrary alway on the heads of those that opposed them they strangely prevailed The common acclamâ—tâ—ons of the people whereby they followed these deceivers were such as these Verily these are the Men of God These are the true and sincere Prophets of the Lord. And if any such Prophet or Man of God suffered most justly by order of the Law for Felony Rebellion or Murder the multitude were so strangely inchanted that they lamented the taking away of Gods dear Servants and were affected as if Sr. Stephen or some such blessed man had been again Martyr'd All this and a great deal more if he did not know he might easily have inform'd himself even out of the little Papers printed in the beginning of our Warrs If he did know it he thought good to dissemble it for fear of offending some choice ones as they call themselves though in the mean time the Kings Crown may be in danger if the fansie of Visions and Revelations get into mens heads Then on a suddain they may think the still waters are to be turned into blood and that the very moment is come before they were aware of it that the quiet people are to be put into a commotion For W. B. f Tenth Sermon of Preventing Mercy 1667. p. 488. in another place tells you that God prevents mens thoughts in the Revelation of the Truths of the Times What greater blessing than for a man to be well acquainted with the Truth of the Times in opposition to Antichrist Now says John in the first of Revel I heard a voyce behind me before I was aware God prevented me acquainting me with these Truths of the Revelations You know very well unless you have forgot our last Discourse what he means by
longer This shews him to be one of the right strain that can do these things which they condemn and immediately betake themselves to their Prayers and say I hate my self for it c p. 22. and then they are well and ready to do the same again A thoroughly honest man would have laboured to undo what he saw he had done amiss as he might if he had pleased with one stroke of his pen. But there is no such demonstration of his fierce and fiery spirit as this that he resolved to confute the second part of my Book before he saw it at least before he would consider it N. C. Why do you say so C. Because it did not come to his hand as he tells you d it was May 3. and he began April 21. pag. 81. till he had written several sheets and printed some as I have reason to think and yet they bear the Title of an Answer to the two Friendly Debates At least he clapt on this Title as soon as the second part appeared and before he had duly weighed all things in it for I know those that saw some of his sheets printed with that Title presently after May the 3d. when he first received my Book Was not this bravely done and like a man in his sober wits Are not these like to prove excellent men to guide your Consciences who resolve before hand if we reason with them not to be convinced but to adhere to their party right or wrong I could not but fancy him when I observed this in such a posture as Mr. Burroughs thought he saw Mr. Edwards fretting and chasing in his study saying to himself I will answer him I that I will I will reply I that I will Like one Piso St. Hierome speaks of who though he knew not what to say yet he knew not how to hold his peace If he could have had a little patience till he had read but the Epistle of my Book seriously he might have met with such advise as would have cooled him better then his Prayers viz. To know before he judged and not to believe all flying Tales But an Answer it seems was to be thrust out in all hast no matter how it was composed or of what lyes it was made up He could not stay to think much about it nor indeed was there any great need being to please those mean Spirits who like a work best as a great man observes when it resembles those Sacrifices out of which the heart is taken and where of all the Head nothing is left but the tongue only N. C. And why I beseech you should not he answer you Are you such a Goliah of Gath that no man can deal with you C. I took a measure of my self before ever I took pen in hand and know very well how much inferiour I am to my neighbours But the more to set off the greatness of his own courage and noble Atchivements he paints me like that uncircumcised Philistine and then fancies himself to be a chosen one pickt out by God e As God would have it I proved to be the man p. 192. like another David to enter into a single combate with me This he was not contented to tell us once f p. 1. but as his manner is he repeats it again in his fulsome preface g p. 28. Having no fear but this that after he had killed Goliah he should rise again and renewing the fight should bring some other Giant into the field with him and be two to one which all know is unequal And therefore distrusting my generosity of which he had some opinion when he concluded his Book h p. 192. I think you a more generous Enemy than to set any body beside your self upon me who have encountred you without the help of a second c. he betakes himself to Conjurations to keep me from taking that advantage I may well conjure you saith he that if I must be replyed to you alone would do it for it is not equal that you should have a second and I have none It was enough for such a stripling as David to encounter one Giant at a time and you are taken by some for another Goliah What ailed thee O thou flowr of Chivalry to faint on this fashion How came thy stout heart to quail at last Thou that canst pour out Scripture upon thy Enemies as thick as Hail-shot that canst charge and discharge as fast as a man can spit that canst dispatch Dragons as easily as Goliah's Why shouldst thou fear a thousand Giants though as big as Steeples any more than so many Crows N. C. Pray cease your fooling C. I assure you he must pass at least for one of the Seven Champions for no body he tells you is thought to be my march unless a St. George who kill'd the Dragon i Pag. 292. Behold the man then Horse and Arms and all See how he flourishes and swaggers and resolves to pull me down from the third Heavens whither he fears the breath of the people and my own vanity may in fancy have transported me k Ib. 292. But the mischief of it is this Doughty Knight had no sooner bestrid his Beast and marched a few paces but by some Inchantment or other he lost his wits and was turned into a new Don Quixote For if you look into the very next page l 293. As he told Hezekiah that he would deliver him 2000. Horses if he were able to set Riders up a them so it hath been said if any man would be the Rider 〈◊〉 mean the Answerer of your Book he or rather his Book should come mounted into the World upon the Back of aâ— Authentick License c I hope then I shall not miscarâ—y c. you will find that he fancies my Book to be an Horse himself riding on the back of it and which is most wonderful at the same time fighting with it and it was none of his fault I assure you that he was not also mounted upon the back of an authentick License But nothing daunted for want of that up he gets on the Back of the Book and giving it line upon line as he speaks and lash upon lash away he flies with his head full of Chimaera's and impossible Imaginations For he had but just fetcht his breath and spoken a few words before the poor Book was turned into a strong City or Fortress and he walked round about it as his own description of his adventures tell us told the Towers thereof markt well its Bulwarks considered its Palaces m Pag. 294. and setting down before it either besieged or storm'd it he knew not whether and in his fancy pulled down all the strong holds thereof and brought into Captivity every Notion in it that did exalt it self against Truth and Godliness And yet he had not travail'd farr before it was turn'd into a mighty man again and he thought
Book who confutes this Exposition of the word z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as not apposite to the place it properly signifying saith he a proof which renders a thing evident or demonstrates it from certain and necessary reasons Such were the Supernatural gifts of the Holy-ghost But the making men of our belief and perswading them to receive what we say is no certain and necessary proof that we speak nothing but the Truth No man can affirm that who considers any thing and therefore the Apostle speaks of such a sensible demonstration or proof as I mentioned without which they could not know certainly that there was a Divine Spirit in the Apostles So the word is plainly expounded Act. 2.22 Jesus of Nazareth a man approved * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denuâ—â—â—â—ated to you to be of among you by Miracles Wonders and Signs which God did by him c. From whence I gother that the thing whereby he approved himself to them or demonstrated he was of God was the very same whereby the Apostles demonstrated his Religion viz. Miracles Wonders and Signs all the gifts of the Holy Ghost N. C. But do not the Dutch Annotators expound it otherwise C. They seem to understand by Spirit the secret operation of the Spirit in mens hearts though by Power the same that I do In which they follow Erasmus in his Paraphrase and Theophylact hath something to the same effect though he presently betake himself to the Interpretation of St. Chrysostom before named But how an inclination to believe a thing or a perswasion wrought in me of it should be a Demonstration i. e. a proof that the thing is true which I am perswaded of or inclined unto is as I told you past my understanding And therefore having such good company I shall believe notwithstanding all his barking that they were the extraordinary visible effects of the Spirit either in our Saviour or his Apostles or others who believed which were the Demonstration by the means of which the Holy Ghost convinced the understandings and bowed the wills of unbelievers to become Christians N. C. I thought Grotius only had beâ—â— on your side and Philagathus tells us he perceives if Grotius be for you as 〈◊〉 it were God himself you are ready to say who shall be against you a Pag. 10. As if yâ—â— were bound to swear whatsoever Grotius b Ib. saith C. I remember his words and they are another notable Demonstration of the Hypocritical modesty that is the shameless boldness of this man who will venture to say any thing merely out of his own head which he thinks may disgrace me and indeavour without any proof to make the world believe that I pin my Faith on Grotius his sleeve and make him in stead of a God This he repeats I cannot tell how often as he shall hear anon with a witness and I will repeat it too only out of that great forge where the rest of his Book was wrought his own imagination For I protest sincerely it is more than I know if that be his Interpretation which I gave you nor did I in all my life to my best remembrance consult with him about it Though I must tell you if I had I should in Mr. Baxter's judgment have consulted one of the five most judicious Commentators that ever wrote on the Scriptures c Beza Grotius Pilcator Musculus Deodat Five of the most judicious Commentators I think that ever wrote on the sacred Scriptures Second Postscript afâ—er his Disput about Right to the Sacraments p. 539. But as judicious as he is in his opinion I would have you know that I would never have followed him without more reason than his bare affirmation The naked truth is that the very propriety of the words and the drift of the Apostles discourse carried me without any help to this Exposition Spirit every body knows who hath studied signifies commonly extraordinary gifts If he will not be at the pains to examine it I will quore him an Autority for it which he often vaunts of and that is Master Baxter who tells you that he who will observe carefully the language of the Holy Ghost shall find this word Spirit or Holy Ghost is most usually in the New Testament taken for the extraordinary gifts of that Age d Vnreasonableness of Infidelity p. 12. As for the word Power you heard what Musculus said But beside I have noted in my small Observation that when our Saviour was sent into the World he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with Power Acts 10.38 and that he told his Apostles as the Father sent him so he would send them Joh. 20.21 From whence I concluded that they were to be anointed also with the Holy Ghost or the Spirit and with Power as he had been And so they were for as at his Baptism the Spirit of God descended on him like a Dove Mat. 3.16 so on the day of Pentecost which was the day of their Baptism Acts 1.5 they were all filled with the Holy Ghost prophesying and speaking with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and presently working a great Miracle upon the Creeple and with great power giving witness of his Resurrection e See Act. 2. v. 4.17.25 Act 3. v 2 c. Act. 4. v. 33. This I thought was the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power whereby our Lord was approved and demonstrated in his life time to be the Son of God and by which afterward they proved his Resurrection from the dead and so the Truth of his Religion Spirit I take to comprehend the gift of Tongues Prophesie Interpretation of Tongues and all the rest except doing Miracles which in Scripture is called by the name of Power Thus I observe they are distinguished Gal. 3.5 He that ministreth the Spirit and worketh Miracles among you doth he it by the works of the Law c. where all gifts besides Miracles are called the Spirit And the Author to the Hebrews saith that God did bear witness to the Apostles Preaching both with Signs Wonders and divers Miracles and also with Gifts or Distributions of the Holy-Ghost according to his own will These and such like considerations were sufficient to perswade me to incline to that sense of the words which I gave you But when I attended to the scope of the Apostles discourse I had no doubt left in me nothing so well agreeing with it whatsoever this man prates as that Interpretation For the Spirit and Power is that which proved the Truth of the Apostles Preaching better than any Syllogisms or artificial Orations could do which he therefore calls a Demonstration in opposition to those ways of perswasion which deserved not that name Now what should that be which was the Reason and Cause of Belief Since it is certain the Spirit did not inwardly perswade men to believe without any reason Could some meâ—â— belief of the Doctrine prove that
observe it N. C. You should not study revenge by taking notice of the motes that are in the eye of his discourse because he did so by yours r Sober Answ p. 11. C. If I sought for motes I could find a great one in that very phrase These are logs which I am going to speak of that a man may see with half an eye First he confesses that they are self conceited impatient of contradiction wedded to their own opinion such as will rule even their Ministers if not despise and abandon them unless they please their humor Else why should they so easily run away from them nay spew them out of their mouth ſ They are his own words p. 228. and see p. 223. if they perswade them earnestly to that which they think in their conscience is their Duty They are so currish also and hard hearted that they will give such a Minister a Bill of Divorce and he may starve if he will for any thing that they will do for him t His own words p. 229. But the reason is that they are in a rage in a violent fermentation and boiling against our Church and therefore must not be medled withall but let alone for fear as he tells you of making them stark mad which it is thought would be the effect of an attempt to reduce them to that which I call sobriety u pag. 227. So uncapable they are of good instruction that they speak evil of our Bishops and others with open mouth being the Authors or abetters of false and scandalous stories concerning them and yet cannot be perswaded that they have done it sufficiently or that they can open their mouths too wide in this case N. C. A horrid slander C. Say you so I will read his very words then to you that you may be convinced though others will not Neither must they x pag. 228. i. e. your Ministers presume to keep a Day of Humiliation for the sin you there mention p. 235. viz speaking evil of Bishops c. though either to raise or take up a false report against any man especially if in Authority is a great sin yet to keep a day of Humiliation among the people upon such an account as that who will not be convinced that they can open their mouths too wide in that case were immediately to divorce themselves from them ☞ or to cause the people to give them a Bill of Divorcement and to be married to some worse Husband N.C. I am astonisht at his negligent writing I shall not be angry hereafter if you call him a shatter'd-brain Scribler C. Who not only confesses that you cannot be convinced that you can bawl too loudly though falsely and scandalously against our Governours but that the hearts of your people are alienated from us and have an antipathy against us as he tells you in the next page And that some of them hate our Worship worse than a Toad as he assures us upon his own knowledg y pag. 224. Canepejus angue and are so ungrateful withal to our Sovereign that they will not so much as wish for the peace and prosperity of their Native Country unless they can enjoy such quiet as they desire N. C. There is no such thing sure in his Book C. No! read then what he saith in another place p. 221 222. Where he tells us we must not expect that you should be perswaded to seek our peace by such easy means as I directed you to for men cannot easily so much deny themselves as to promote the interest of those by whom they have been ruined and are ruining all the day long If you urge that text saith he seek the peace of that City whether I have caused you to be carried captive and pray to the Lord for it some are ready to reply how many who knows Yea and so we will seek your peace and presperity when you make good what is there added for in the peace thereof yee shall have peace They will condition you see with his Majesty or else he must not have the benefit of their prayers for the tranquillity and happiness of his Realmes N. C. Would He had held his peace and never undertaken our cause C. There is a plain reason he tells you for this surliness They are grons high and proud they swell with grief anger and vexation z pag. 281. because they cannot have their will or as he calls it are trod and trampled upon And though they are it seemes so low yet their spirits are so high and so far from humble and silent patience that they have clamoured both upon King and Parliament 〈◊〉 and down the Nation for the undoing of many families a So he tells us p. 236. which tells you what excellent Christians they are for that word clamour as one b Mr. Fullers Vindic of his Sermon 1643. told Mr. Saltmarsh sounds in a bad sense in the Holy Scriptures as arguing an ill tempered spirit with amixture of Pride and impatience for which he cites 9. Prov. 13.4 Ephes 31. But some of them are gone higher and have a rebellious principle in them as he confesses if what I said be true c Sober Answer p. 105. as I am sure it is And yet for all that there are no such people as they the power of Godliness is their peculiar portion thus far this man himself is possessed with those proud fancies that he thinks from what I have said against them it will be inforc'd that all that which is called Religion is meer Hypocrisie and imposture d Preface p. 22. 23. Lastly as for lying and speaking falsly you shall not easily meet with a greater example of it than in himself And if one of your guides be so addicted ro this vice that he blushes not to put them in Print when he may be so soon confuted what a number of lyes in all probability are there whispered in corners by your common people N. C. You should say they are mistakes and no more C. I would willingly have called them all by no worse name than falshoods but upon serious consideration of all things I cannot but conclude that too often there was something of his will in it and that he had a mind to calumniate And for our more orderly proceeding this being you know part of my Charge against him I will first set before you some of the lyes and falshoods in his preface and then some of those that are in his Book For the former there is no truth in those words you meet withal p. 3. that I call some men all to naught nor did I say so much as this which he confidently affirms that W. B. is the greatest Impostor that ever I knew in the Christian Religion c My words are He is one of the principal Impostors that perverted the truth and a lulterated c. Contin p. 108. These are forgeries of
protest but the naughty humour of such men as these Otherways it is a great confirmation of the strength of my Book that he is fain to make lies his refuge that he may make a show of a confutation And as the blind we say swallow many a fly so will you I doubt many a ly For if you follow him to p. 144. He will tell you that the passages which I quote concerning their railing and bitterness against us are but few when the contrary is apparent He himself within two pages d pag. 146. takes notice of others besides those few which he here mentions Nay he sinds one more then I named to that purpose whom he calls one of the Malcas's Who was not quoted for any speeches against those by whose decree he was cropt who it seemes were Apostolical men according to the state of this resemblance but for bitter words against your selves It is some thing strange that they being so few if you believe him whom I cited he could not name them right But I am fain he saith to look back as far as 1642. for some of them and as far as 1621. for others that is for one which insinuates that I could not or did not cite many of later dayes Both which are false for I noted several passages out of Mr. Bridg printed within these two years wherein he plainly makes us Antichristian and the Prelates all one with the Beast N. C. Pray repeat them not nor name any more C. Which I can as easily do as show the loudness of thar ly that we began with them first e Against which Mart. Mare-prel is a witness p. 146. and the nakedness of that excuse for their tailing from the general conflagration of Church Government p. 145. As if that could be a provocation to them when they had desired and contrived it themselves and clapt their hands at the flames Witness the great expressions of joy and glorying which we then heard and his own acknowledgment when he tells you they were as firebrands newly pluckt out of the Fire f pag 146. which deliverance it seemes in stead of provoking their thanksgivings to God inraged their spirits to throw about firebrands arrows and death These were very great Saints without all doubt who deserved his Apology and may in good time come into the catalogue of Martyrs N. C. I believe he would only try what he could say for them C. Like a true Sophister who I am afraid strained his Conscience a little to make excuses for that which he knew was too black to be blanched and therefore I less wonder that he makes bold with it that he may be able to calumniate me Making you believe that I would perswade the people that there is nothing of true Religion in a sincere aptness and promptness to good discourse p. 171. a most horrid ly And that they may be better imployed the mean time p. 172. Where he is at his old trade of curtailing my sentences for I did not positively say that they might be better studying other things but only upon supposal that they did not understand what they said g Sec Friendly Deb. pag. 179. Which shows what an inclination this man hath to falsify and how vain he is in going about to make me contradict my self and also how much nearer he is to madness or some thing else than he thinks me For in fine be pronounces that I say Heavenly discourse may be spared or let aleâ—e p. 186. Such another forgery is that Paâ—ciple which he saith seemes to be mine that no man can love another but in the sight and upon the account of a reward p. 192. Which is as true as that I was the Aggressor and first set upon the N. C. h pag. 290. and that my Books have been magnified as if they deserved to be bound up if not with the Bible yet with the Liturgy i pag. 291. N. C. Why did not you fall upon them before they meddled with you C. No. I only vindicated and defended our Church and Ministers from the odious aspersions cast upon them by words and writings as if they were Antichristian Babylonish Apostatical Superstitious formal and without the power of Godliness N. C. You did more than so C. That is in defending myself who am a Member of this Church and other men I turned the charge upon you and that is called an Assault But it is very new reformed language For I never heard that they who defended themselves though they gave a wound to their Enemy were accused of any crime Surely as the Scotch Gentleman saith k Modest Conference 1669. pag. 63. You who have been so much for desensive Armes may at least allow us to defend our selves as well as we can with our Tongues and Pens N. C. I 'le give you leave to do any thing if you will but make an end C. You shall be troubled with no more upon this head then these two things the one about excommunication the other about playes N. C. It 's well you bring them to my mind I thought to have askt you about those very things He tells us of Lay-Thunders and Lay-dispensers of Excommunications who are the nimblest at casting abroad the Thunderbolts p. 240. C. He doth so and deserves to be soundly ratled for that Calumny There are no Lay-men who excommunicate any body as he might have learnt if he had been a careful Student from a substantial Book It is the Answer l Printed at Oxford 1603. pag. 21 22. of the Vice-chancelour and Doctors c. of the University of Oxford to the Petition of certain Ministers desiring Reformation when King James came to the Crown Among other Enormities in Discipline which they complained of this was one that Excommunication came forth in the name of lay persons Chancellors Officials c. To which the reply was that suppose it true yet the Chancellor or Commissary is not a lay man in this case the Ordinary and he are but one Judg or rather whatsoever he doth in this behalf he doth it in the Authority of the Ordinary according to the power committed to him A thing not unusual in the civil state wherein the Lord Chancellor doth dispose of many things which are originally in the King c. But secondly no lay Chancellor or Commissary what soever doth at any time excommunicate any man or sends out in his own name any excommunication For this is the practise of the Church of England in the censuring of notorious and more grievous crimes the Arch-Bishop the Bp. the Dean the Arch-Deacon or a Prebendary that is a Priest pronounceth the Sentence in his own Person And in matters of less offence as contumacy in not appearing or the like the Vicar General Official or Commissary that is not in Holy Orders holds this course First upon knowledg and examination of the cause he adjudges the pâ—rty worthy to be excommunicated
call Praying and Discoursing about good things and such like matters He whose Religion only alters the Countenance and busies himself in composing the Face and ordering the Postures of the Head shall sooner be believed though he pour out an hundred Lies than that well-designing Person who studies to bridle his tongue to speak nothing but the Truth and to order his Life according to the Will of God These shall all be disparaged and vilified by an empty and talkative Devotion which shall be preferred much before them You may think this to be scarce credible but when you consider the Ignorance of some the Weakness of other mens Natural Parts the naughty Affections that most are possessed withal and bring along with them to the reading of Books even of the Holy Scriptures and how Truth it self was rejected when it came in Person into the World and the sacred Volumns have been so wrested that the absurdest Fictions have been made out of them you will not wonder that a Pious Discourse meets with this Bad Entertainment Either men consider not that some Truths lie deep and must be drawn up with a great deal of labour or they have not indifferent Minds but suffer their Desires and Wishes to form their Opinions for them They run over a Book in post-hast and only spend a few slight thoughts upon it or they want that Honesty and Integrity of heart which is necessary to a right Vnderstanding They are fiercely bent to maintain their own conceits they are blinded by the Love of this World or by Anger and Hatred of others or by a proud and vain Opinion of themselves which rise up to contradict the plainest Truth that strikes at them And of all the rest nothing more indisposes the Soul and prejudices it against the Truth than that laest thing now named a vain Conceit of themselves which makes men bold and confident apt to censure rather than to learn to be angry at all Reproofs and to conclude that is false which they do not instantly understand St. Austin e L. 3. Conf. chap. 5. Turgidus fâ—stu mihi gâ—randis videbar confesses that this would not let him understand the Holy Scriptures which contain things that are of this Property to grow up with a little one but I disdained saith he to be a little one and being swoln with Pride and conceit seemed some great Person in my own eyes To this there often joyns it self an Envious Humour which loves to detract from others that men may seem better themselves than indeed they are Or rather as Dr. Sibs hath observed f Sermons upon 4. 5. and 6. of â— Canticles p. 285. This is a thing which springs from the poisonous Pride of mens Hearts that when they cannot raise themselves by their own worth they will endeavour to do it by the ruin of anothers Credit through Lying and Slanders The Devil was such a Lyar and Slanderer then a Murtherer He cannot Murther without he Slander first This disposes them to believe any thing of others though never so false and then moves them to fling it abroad by Word and Writing thinking it enough to salve their own Credit should they be caught in a Falshood and convicted of notorious Lies to thrust in these old Words they say it is reported g Aiunt feâ—tur and such like wherewith all the Tales and Legends that are have been ushered into the World In this manner Apion calumniated the Jews and thus the Primitive Christians were abominably abused And all this with Security enough the Folly and Ill Nature of the Multitude being so great that they dote upon these Forgeries and Detractions and suffer themselves as Josephus hath observed h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. l. 2 contra Apion sooner to be won by them than by that which is writ with more care and consideration they rejoyce in Reproaches and are ill at ease and vexed when they hear mens just Commendations Some are credulous and others are negligent a Lie steals upon some and it pleases others Those do not avoid it and these have an appetite to it i Sen. l. ult nat Qu. c. 16. But I need not go to those antient times to seek instances of this hard Vsage there being one so fresh and pregnant nearer at hand of all that hath been said There came forth a little Book not long ago whose Design as God knows and all Sober men might easily discern was not to make men less but more Religious not to abate the Force and Power of true Godliness but to direct unto it encourage and advance it that its Name might be venerable among men For which end the Author earnestly desired that men would not deceive themselves and others with mere Words and Phrases that the Scriptures of God might be carefully studied rightly explained and wisely applied that the People might be taught the wholesome Words of the Lord Jesus and not fed with vain and empty Fancies that the Holy Faith of Christ might be made more effectual for its end Goâ— might be worshipt with greater Reverence Charity and Vnity among Brethren preserved and restored all those notorious Sins which stare meâ— in the Face though they wear the Mask of Religion might be repented of and that they might not make those things the mark of Religion which do not distinguish Bad men from Good in short that they might talk less and do more not rest themselves in the Means nor quarrel about them but seriously mind that Religion which is the End of all Sermons Prayers Holy Conference and of Faith it self and may certainly be promoted and attained by such means as the Laws of this Christian Kingdom allows Against this innocent and harmless Book a malecontented Person hath opposed himself with that unbridled and unruly Heat which without Reason and Knowledg was noted of old k Greg. Naz. orat 26. p. 446. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be one great cause of all the Disturbances and Divisions that have been in the Church of Christ Religion he would have you think is not only assaulted in its Out-works but the whole Fabrick of it undermined For which purpose he hath contrived a great many Stratagems and Maximes out of his own Imagination but as he would have it believed out of that Debate wherewith he tells the World he sees me going on destroying and to destroy Piety and introduce Ungodliness and laying an exact Method and Platform to compass and effect the Extirpation of all practical Holiness even from Dan to Beersheba l Pres to the Sober Answer p. 12.15 This is the Sum of his Charge against me and in his own words For which there is no Cause at all but that I set not the same Esteem that he doth upon their keeping of Daies talking about Religion and such like things which are at most but Means of Piety when lawfully used but in which he places it should seem the
very Life and Spirit of it and thinks they are very Religious when they handle the matter so as to neglect greater Duties to perform these This is to be imputed I verily believe partly to his fiery Nature partly to his Ignorance and want of Judgment partly to a rash and precipitate Forwardness and very much to his Self-Admiration m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1â— p. 444. a vain Conceit of his own Abilities and a Desire to be the Author of some great Discovery that should make him considerable among his Party Hot and fiery Dispositions were antiently noted to be the Movers of Troubles though not simply such as had a great Fervour in them but when it was without Reason and Learning which begets an audacious Rashness in their Spirits Ignorance you know can never be just in its Judgment no more than a man can go right in the dark False Alarms are wont to be given in the Night which is the time of Robberies and Murthers as well as of Dreams and Phantasms Rashness and Inconsiderateness is little better it being much what the same to have no eyes and not to use them Where this Answerers eyes were when he read my Book its hard to say not in his Head sure in Solomon's sense for he never hits the Meaning when he opposes and still misses his way in that which he confidently affirms His whole Discourse if it may be called by that name is beside the Book and managed in such a manner as if his Reason served him but like an half Moon in a Coat of Arms n As Sir Hen. Wotton somewhere speaks to make only a notional Difference between him and other Creatures not for any Vse or Active Power in it self This together with his Prejudice and Passion his vain Confidence and Presumption of his Skill made him so regardless of what he said that as sometimes he cites such Words out of my Books as are to be found in neither of them o P. 44. This should cause you to reflect on your self as somewhere you have dâ—â—â— upon Deâ—lâ—rm This it is to be a great Divine and unâ—equ inâ—â—d with the Scriptures so he hath stuft his own with Slanders and Lies Detractions and Calumnies and notoriously defamed not only my Design but also my Self and every where perverted the Sense of such Plain Words as an innocent Child may easily understand These things he would have had a greater Care to avoid did he either know wherein the Life and Power of Religion consists or used the Means he contends about as much for the purposes of Holiness as for the Marks and Characters of a Party You must not expect that I should enumerate them here You will find as many of them as the brevity I designed would permit in the Body of the following Book which I have writ partly to vindicate my Self but most of all to vindicate and further declare the Truth The Power and Authority of which is such as Polybius an excellent Historian and of great Fidelity p L. 13. excerpt Who yet could not escape Calumnies for one Scylax wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an History opposite to his as Suidas tells us speaks that it hath a kind of Divinity in it So that when all contend against it and there are great numbers of fair and probable Tales ranged with great care on the side of Lies and Falshood she insinuates her self I know not how by her own force into the Souls of men And sometimes she shews her power on a sudden sometimes being darkned and obscured a long time in the end so baffles those Lies by the Strength which resides in her self that she triumphs over them all q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have not so little knowledg of Humane Nature nor so little Experience in what is past as to think that Truth will conquer all no not though we take her part and lend her our Assistance in the best manner we are able Prophets I know have been slighted when Juglers and Enchanters have been admired sober Reason rejected when idle Fancies have been greedily swallowed But yet we must not despair of all because of the perverse Obstinacy and heady Opposition of some Nay the most fierce and violent Enemies of Truth if we chance to meet with them in a calm Season and when they are disposed by the Grace or Providence of God to be humble and meek wâ— may have some hopes to prevail withalâ— The Confidence of this very man is noâ— so high but it may be taken down 〈◊〉 he will read with the same mind thaâ— I wrote voâ—d I protest of all angenâ— and resolved to â—â—â—mit to the Evident of Truth whensoever it should presenâ— it self He will complain perhaps of the Sharpness of my Stile in some places but he may believe me it was not my Passion but my Judgment which dictated those Words to me It was necessary I thought to disabuse Him and his Followers too who otherwise would not have been awakened to see his Folly If I am mistaken in the Fitness of this Proceeding it is but a pure Error of my Mind not any Vice in my Will as far as I can find I was not hurried but went deliberately into it by the Guidance of the best Reason I had This tells me also that I have not done ill in undervaluing his Answer and consequently himself as not worthy the name of a Book but rather of so much blotted Paper It is not the Work of one whose Heart studies to answer as Solomon's words are or that uses Knowledg aright but whose Mouth poureth or belcheth r So it is in the Margin Pâ—o 15 4. and v. 28. out Foolishness And St. John himself as Mr. Burroughs observes s Vindiâ— against Mr. Eâ—w p. 2. that Disciple so full of Charity speaks contemptuously of such and tells the Church he would reckon with Diotrephes for his Malicious-Prating They do not err alone but draw Company into their Follies The Violent or Injurious Man intices his Neighbour and leads him into a way that is not good He shutteth his Eyes to devise froward things moving his Lips he brings evil to pass Prov. 16.29 30. And therefore such Persons must be rebuked with some Sharpness because as they are not insolent merely for themselves so when one of them is lashed many more may learn their Duty at his Cost There are some I know who think he needed not have been replied unto at all and I my self for a good while was one of those For either the People will read my Book or they will not If they will not to what purpose should I write If they will they need but read what is writ already and there they will find an Answer themselves without any more ado But further Thoughts perswaded me to resolve otherwise because there are many men who know well enough he hath missed the Mark