declare his Faith if he were in Spain He answered me No But soon after he would have supped up again that his answer by telling me If it concern'd the Glory of God he would After all which with a low voyce I told him That if we were alone I might haply be freer to speak and to tell him more of my minde Then stept he to the Lurcher and dismist him with words to this effect You may now be gone I have done with you there 's no more need now of your stay Which hearing I concluded as before I suspected that he was on purpose appointed in that manner to be there which made me think it best to say little more to him but rather to forbear until I had studied and found out the man and his aims more perfectly onely I wish'd him to answer the Book and not to be so inquisitive to know the Author and also to seek out some meeter Match then my self for him to Dispute and Contest withal Telling him in effect thus much further That when any great Boy encounter'd with a little one in the Street the very Women and Wenches passing by will reprove him saying Thou great Knave why quarrelest thou with this little Boy who is quiet not medling with thee nor is he any meet Match for thee so great a Lubber For shame let him alone and meddle with thy Match And having thus spoken I took leave and departed being glad to be so well quit of such a Companion well discerning of what Spirit he was Loe this is the sum of the whole that is worth the relating which then passed between this busy Bishop and my sel Since which came out his second sheet thus publiquely charging me which I have here answered and freely told him part of my mind and something of my Faith too which he so much desired to know for which I hope no Impartial Wise Just or Rational Man will in the least blame me doing it in my own Defence being so much assaulted and provoked thereunto and that both publickly in print and otherwise as is here already declared And now lest my Notes being in his hand should likewise be sent abroad either in some disguise or without the right and proper Sentences of the Book to which they relate I shall here make bold to publish them my self even as they came rudely and hastily at first from my Pen not in the least suspecting that I should ever have been thus caused to publish them in my own Defence as now I am Wherein for the Readers better satisfaction I shall first set down the Sentence as it is in the Book and the page where it is this shall be marked in the Margent with the letter B. for Book Next to which shall be my Note thereupon and this shall be marked with the Letter N for Note And where any need is to add a word for explanation this shall be marked with the letter A. for Addition The Title of the Book The Unreasonableness OF INFIDELITY Divided into Four Parts By RICHARD BAXTER 1. The Spirits Extrinsick Witness 2. The Spirits internal Witness 3. The sin against the Holy Ghost 4. The Arrogancy of Reason The First PART Page 16. B. TO one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom to another the word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another working of Miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another divers Tongues to another the interpretation of tongues but all these worketh that one and the same Spirit N. Why is Faith here omitted seeing the Text hath it Page 18. B. If we were in a case of doubt between several Teachers and one of them should write thus to publick Churches even the Churches of England Scotland Holland and Germany I appeal to your selves whether you did not by that Doctrine which I delivered to you receive the Holy-Ghost by which you all received either the gift of tongues healing prophesie or the like N. Can any Minister now truly so write to any Church or infallibly tell what that Gospel or Doctrine was which was so confirmed to the Galatians Page 30. B. We have yet Copies of Scripture extant of very great Antiquity N. Admit all this and that they all accorded as they do not yet the Quere will be Who gave those Copies or any Translations Authority to be a ground of true Faith to the world whereby they might be saved by their believing them or damned everlastingly for not believing them Page 32. B. Men must not believe Gods Law ceased or abrogated without good proof N. But the Gospel was in like manner confirmed to the Centiles also who had not the Law Page 32. B. We have the full use and benefit of the Holy Ghost which was given then that seal that was then set to the Christian Doctrines and Scriptures stands there still N. Hereby every several Opinion and Doctrine drawn from Scripture is justified the one as well as the other Page 33. B. Tongues are not for them that believe but for them that believe not saith Paul 1 Cor. 14. 22. that is to shew them the power of Christ and so convince them N. What are not now unbelievers in the world as well as then Page 33. B. But now the Scripture is sealed by these N. Who but Mr. Baxter dare to affirm this Page 34. B. These glorious Experiments and potent Workings will not suffer them to change their Religion N. This justifies the Quakers as well as Mr. Baxter if not more at least they may pretend the same as well as he Page 35. B. The gifts of strange Languages healing casting out of Devils fell on men ordinarily N. These gifts being ordinary Why do you elsewhere term them extraordinary A. Yea and why do you in the seventh page of your second sheet for the Ministry say If Miracles were ordinary few would be moved by them as any proof of a Divine Testimony And also in the thirty sixth page part two of your book of Infidelity say Miracles if common would lose their convincing force and be as none Yet here you tell us That they were ordinary when no such inconvenience followed their being so But these with other like slights and juggles are so common in your VVritings as no man in his VVits can take them for Miracles nor your VVritings for any proof of a Divine Testimony Page 35. B. That putteth such a new nature into the soul of every Saint N. â—quere VVhether this be any otherwise then by Faith or their believing the promise of having it 2 Pet. 1. 4. A. Afterward viz. at the Resurrection and now to have it meerly by promise See the Text. Page 36. B. If you would open your eyes you might see very much of it i. e. of the gifts of the Spirit before specified in the holiness of the Saints N. If it be with any now shew it and so end the Controversie but if not then rest onely on
first age but for 400 years at least after which contain many Ages See this granted and proved by R. B. out of his own writings a little before cited And he further acknowledgeth it in his book of Infidelity part 1. pag. 35. where he expresseth himself as followeth viz. Whence came the Holy-Ghost which the Lord Jesus did send down upon his Church which sate on his Disciples in the likeness of firy cloven tongues which filled all Churches in all parts of the world at once how distant soever with the miraculous gift of strange Languages prophesying interpretation healing casting out of Devils or the like that fell on men ordinarily note that and in such numbers as soon as the Apostles laid their hands on them after they were baptized And in pag. 33. he tells us That tongues are not for them that believe but for them that believe not saith Paul 1 Cor. 14. 22. that it saith R. B. to shew them the power of Christ and so convince them From all which granted and proved by R. B. I thus reason Even as the powerful gifts of the Spirit raising of the dead casting out of Devils miracles prophesie c. were ordinary in the first Age of the Church and for four hundred years at least after and yet lost not their convincing force nor were taken by men otherwise then as some proof of a divine Testimony So they might have been ordinary in all Ages since and yet not lose their convincing force nor have been taken by men otherwise then as some proof of a divine Testimony The third Charge is likewise in page the seventh thus And we saith R. B. have experience of Millions that still do actually and stedfasty believe in Christ without miracles and many have laid down their lives on that belief therefore without miracles men may believe but to this Clem. Writer saith to me These believers of all sorts condemn each other as Hereticks but not saith R. B. as Infidels and none but the ignorant or passionate condemn all other sorts as Hereticks Answ 1. R. B. by his granting here that the ignorant and passionate do it justifies my Answer so far as it needs no other defence 2. By this his grant he concludes the generality of Christians in this and late Ages to be ignorant and passionate and who would deny it though thereto should be added soiteful and malicious as in a thousand pregnant instances might be evidenced though we should omit the late case of Mr. Biddle and others here and Mr. Williams and Mr. Gorton and others in new England who meerly for difference in judgment from them in matters of religion hardly escaped with their lives And is not the mark of Heathens common now upon such as think themselves the best of Christians even by this Authors own confession in his Saints Rest part 1. pag. 137. in the Margent 3. It 's granted on all sides That Hereticks and others who have no true Faith in Christ or the Gospel may yet lay down their lives in maintenance of their respective Tenents true or false as the experience of all Ages can witness 4. Let R. B. therefore prove that these millions were true believers in Christ and in the true Gospel of Christ or did or do so much as truly and undoubtedly know Christ and the true Gospel of Christ without any Miracle or other divine evidence to attest the same which he can never do being good at drawing confident and strange consequences from weak yea and from groundless premisses For 1. If these millions believe the true and onely Gospel of Christ How is it possible for them to condemn each other as Hereticks 2. If they all believe it without miracles or other divine evidence How could or can it be by any divine Faith for R. B positively affâ—rts That divine faith hath ever a divine Testimony 3. If they all believe it by no divine Faith but by some humane Faith how then could or can they still both actually and stedfastly believe and lay down their lives on that belief (e) But that as it was said before mis-believers may lay down their lives for their Opinions for all Faith 's not grounded upon divine Testimony or evidence are no better then humane whose foundation R. B. hath told us is laid in the sand where all will fall at the next assault Here it may be R. B. will seek to relieve himself by some distinction of divine evidences and tell us of some such that these millions had or that he himself now hath which was unknown to the primitive Churches the Church being then in its infancy and Christians but Babies in comparison of us and then fed meerly with the Doctrine of Christ and pure VVord of God and had then no other divine evidence then the gifts of the Spirit with the powerful demonstrations thereof which these like Children as they were contented themselves withall denying themselves in many good and delicate things of this life which we being grown Christians have and know how to use and enjoy without any hurt to our selves which the others being then but Babies in Christ knew not at all what to do with unless to hurt and hinder themselves in their Christian race and warfare set before them and therefore many needless hardships went they through not knowing how to expound Christs injunctions so well and so profitable for themselves as we now can and do such as their forsaking all and following Christ these simple as they were instantly forsook the Riches and Profits of this World contenting themselves meerly with Food and Rayment as Peter said Lord we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have But all such Rocks and Shelves have we avoyded knowing the meaning of that and the like Precepts better then so viz. never to forsake the World till it forsake us or at soonest not till it come in direct competition with Christ and Christianity which we hope will never be Then and not till then we intend to fulfil that and all such-like Precepts But to the point in hand R. B. had need to tell us if he can what Divine Evidence these Millions had or that he hath which were not Miracles nor any such other Divine Evidence as were formerly exhibited to the Primitive Churches and before specified And since R. B. himself believes practises and maintains the sprinkling of Infants to be an Ordinance of Jesus Christ and a Doctrine of the Gospel with many other Doctrines of the Gospel which he believes holds and maintains against many other Ministers being of the Reformed Churches as well as he Now let him tell us what Divine Evidence he hath or can produce for any of these which the Dissenters from him have not who hold and maintain the contrary It cannot be the Scripture for all have that nor can it be humane Learning which R. B. makes to be a gift of the Spirit as by and by shall be shewn
that that is past halt not so between both if either be sufficient to uphold your Doctrine then cleave to that but you seem to doubt either alone why else make you such use of both A. For do not you say page 32. as before is noted That you have the â—ull use and benefit of the Holy-Ghost which was formerly given which if true is sufficient without your having it now your selves in particular for it alone was sufficient to them that then had it and if you have the full use and benefit of that now it alone is sufficient for you also and now to have it your selves too is supersluous and over and above what is sufficient but they formerly manifested their having of it so must you before any wise man will believe your having it because the manifestation of the Spirit was given to every one that had the Spirit to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. Page 38. B. Christ hath now delivered up even all the Learning in the world that is worth the speaking of unto his Church and continued even these common gifts of the Spirit therein N. The Church of Rome will challenge this as much as you if not more A. But the Church of Rome is more wise and reasonable then to account humane Learning any gift of the Spirit or to make it any mark of a true Christian since Heathens and Unbelievers may have humane Learning and had it in great measure among their Philosophers c. but the gifts of the Spirit were given onely to believers and that after they believed Eph. 1. 13. Act. 19. 2. Act. 2. 38. Page 46. B. The Scripture being true and the Christian Religion certainly true every part of it must needs be true N. Where is that Bible or Scripture A. And is not the Church of Rome the Quakers the Antinomians and divers other whom you oppose all Christian and their Religion Christian Religion and if true in every part VVhy do you then oppose them in many if not in most parts of their Religion but haply by Christian Religion you mean onely your own Religion Let me then ask you Is your Religion true in every part If it be why then do so many as learned Christians and as true Ministers of the reformed Churches as your self oppose you and you them in so many parts of your Religion being all Christian Religion and true in every part and all of you also true Ministers of Jesus Christ as you assert How fell you out and How comes it to pass that you be at so great Odds even about the most essential Doctrines of the Gospel yea and about the very Person and Nature of Christ himself Nay How comes it to pass that you so heave and cast out one another out of Habitation Liveli-hood and Maintenance and so much seek to get places of profit from one another as you do all of you being the true Ministers and Officers of the Kingdom of Christ Surely the Apostles may fear to admit you as such into the true Kingdom of Christ lest you should there likewise heave them out of their places appointed for them to eat and drink at Christs Table and also justle them besides their Thrones whereon they are to sit to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel in the Kingdom of Christ Luk. 22. 29 30. Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Page 57. B. As the bodies of men do live and speak and reason by the soul so doth the Church live and move by the spirit of Jesus N. In which of the many sorts and Sects of Christians is this Church to be found since Rome and all other challenge to be the true A. And also to have this Spirit of Jesus yea and to live and move thereby yea and by that Spirit of Jesus which each will pretend to have they will judge each other sort dissenting from them to be led by the Spirit of Error Page 80 81. B. Jesus did send forth his Spirit into his prophets before his coming and more fully into believers since his coming to be his infallible witness to the world to convince the unbelieving and confirm believers and that this Spirit was poured out on the Church especially on the Apostles causing them to prophesie and speak with strange Languages and cast out Devils and heal Diseases and that the same Spirit is given to all true believers in all ages to guide c. N. Is it the same and not the same powerful works of manifestation to accompany it A. Yea and which did and will alwayes accompany it for by Spirit of God and Power of God is one and the same thing meant in many places of Scripture As Stay until ye be endued with power from on High i. e. with the spirit Luk. 24. 49. Ye shall receive power when the Holy-Ghost is come upon you or the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you Act. 1. 8. My speech and my preaching came not with perswasive words of mans wisdom but with evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and power that your faith might not stand in the wisdome of men but in the power or Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. And it cannot be imagined that this self same Spirit which was then so powerful is now grown old weak and feeble nor that it hath lost or is separated from that its might and power Page 81. B. That it is and must needs be the holy Spirit of God which doth such Miracles as were then wrought and attesteth and revealeth so holy a Doctrine N. But where are any such to attest the Truth of your Doctrine or are we bound to take it on trust Page 83. B. It is most expedient that Christ our head should be bodily present in Heaven but send his Spirit to his lowest and remotest Members N. In 1 Cor. 12. these spiritual Members of Christs body are set out by manifest gifts onely Page 84. B. It actuated the first Church after Christ with a force extraordinary by Miracles Prophesie Healing Languages c. N. Here you make a difference without warrant see Mar. 16. 16. Joh. 14. 12. and by limiting it to the first you contradict your self elsewhere in proving these continued long after the first Church Page 85. B. John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever N. The same Spirit and Power to be with the true Church for ever A. A little before to wit in page 80 81. you say That the same Spirit by which the mighty works were wrought formerly is given to all true believers in all ages Whence will necessarily follow That all true Churches and all true Ministers of the Gospel must be endued with the same power as formerly And thus and not otherwise the text in John 14. 16. is truly expounded Page 87. B. He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is said to be none of his N.
Christ evince to the world the truth of his Doctrine we shall find it was by this of Miracles and undoubtedly Christ knew the best Argument to prove the divine Authority of his Doctrine And that which was the best then is the best still See Saints Rest page 236. A. Yea and do not all the Ministers of the Gospel as they call themselves I may say of all the various Gospels now on foot in the world contest against one another onely by words and Sophisms c. without using any of the fore-mentioned weapons used by Christ as well and as much as any of the learned Philosophers and Artificial men here specified by you Page 247. B. Christ obtained victory over Satan and his best armed Souldiers both Jews Idolaters Conjurers Sorcerers Hereticks with their Witchcrafts and jugling Delusions the great learned Philosophers of all Sects with Orators and Poets and the rest of their learned men N. Are not all these sorts of Enemies to the Truth yet remaining A. Yea and hath not Christendom since given entertainment even to such as are the most notorious Deluders of them all and admitted them into highest place Rule and Authority in the Church witness our Author who informs us That the Supremest Officers even Popes themselves have been Hereticks Whoremongers Sodomites Symonists Murtherers See the lives of Silvester 2. Alexander 3 and 6. John 11 22 and 23. Gregory 7. Vrban 7. and abundance more John 13. was proved in Council to have ravished Maids and VVives at the Apostolick doors murthered many drunk to the Devil asked help at Dice of Jupiter and Venus c. in his second sheet page 13. And can it be imagined but that such heads had suitable bodies and members If any Reformation since be urged Answer not in Rome nor in the Reformed Protestant Churches witness Mr Whites Centuries being all Protestant Ministers and that of the reformed Churches and witness yet their continual supplying their Churches with teaching Ministers generally out of their Magazine of Artists and Sophisters even to this day Yea and doth not our Author being one of the most eminent Ministers of one of the most eminent reformed Churches so highly magnifie and advance humane Learning that he accounts it a gift of the Spirit delivered by Christ himself to the Church and therein to continue as before is noted out of his book of Infidelity part 1. page 38 Nor is any of all this more then what we finde foretold vizt That Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God and be there worshipped as God I shall not say that humane Learning is a special Limb of that Beast but I will say that Antichrist shall never attain to that his Advancement but by the special assistance and means of humane Learning nor shall I say that this worshipping of humane Learning as a Gift of the Spirit is a part of the fulfilling of that Prediction but this I must and dare say That the Scripture informs us How that the Apostle Paul by the spirit of Prophesie declared to the Church That after his departure grievous Wolves should enter in among them not sparing the Flock and that of their own selves should men arise speaking perverse things drawing Disciples after them and that in the latter times there should be a departing from the Faith and a giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron And that Christians should turn away their Ears from the Truth and having itching Ears should be turned unto Fables and should heap to themselves Teachers for the purpose Act. 30. 29 30. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. which also is confirm'd by Peter telling Christians that there should be false Teachers among them who should bring in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. Now tell me is not here work cut out sufficiently meet for the most notorious exquisite of this learned artificial Rabble aforementioned yea even for the very worst of them as Witches Sorcerers and Conjurers c. for who 's more meet to teach Doctrines of Devils damnable Heresies c. then Such unless it be the Devil himself The Fourth PART Page 40. B. His teaching is joyntly by his Word Ministers and Spirit N. VVhere or who are they Page 40. B. Mat. 28. 19 20 21. where he bids them first disciple the Nations which contains the convincing of them of age of the Fundamentals and procuring their consent and then baptize them that they may be solemnly engag'd N. That is whom they convincingly did disciple those onely they ought to baptize A good and honest confession for the Anabaptists Page 40. B. Now there are two gross Errors which Professors do oft run into to their perdition the one is when they do not first lay the Fundamentals as Certainties but hold them loosly N. Can any make Fundamentals of Uncertainties Page 41. B. If they read the Scriptures c. and when they are at a loss they do not go to their Teachers N. How ill is it that the Bible had not been kept in an unknown Tongue and not made so common Page 42. B But they go as confident censurers and as Boys that will go to School to dispute with their Master N. And who many times are these Masters even very Boys coming from the University Page 42. B. They receive not the truth in the love of it that they may be saved God oft gives them up to believe a Lye and reject that truth which would have saved them if they had received it N. This is only of such as reject such a Ministry which is absent from among us Page 45. B. I have shewed you already how fully he hath sealed his Testament N. At his last Supper he said This is the blood of the New Testament which was before any of that which we call the new Testament was written Page 46. B. If it had no divine attestation or evidence that it is of God then you might reject it without sin or danger N. Here it 's confest whatsoever Doctrine is brought by any for divine without divine attestation may be rejected without sin Pa. 56. B. But when God hath put his seal to it and proved it to be his own if after this you will be questioning it c. N. This need better proof if the Scripture be here meant A. Or your or any other mans Doctrine drawn from Scripture Page 46. B. Think not the proved sealed Word of God is ever the more to be suspected because the matter in it doth seem strange and unlikely to your reason N. No rational man is guilty of this by his so thinking A. But he must upon some sufficient ground know it to be the sealed and proved word of God else he cannot in reason but doubt it to be such About the middle of his Preface B. The Holy Ghost by special inspiration was the
Gospel preacht by this Author R. B. and the Gospel preacht by St. Paul to be different and not the same First because the Gospel preacht by St. Paul was accompanied with infallible Divine evidence to attest the truth thereof for the conversion of men and whereon infallibly to ground their faith and obedience thereunto without which he neither would nor could binde any to beleeve and obey it but the Gospel preacht by this Author hath no such evidence yet he will dare to say That all at least those that hear it are bound to beleeve and obey it Secondly Because illiterate men are uncapable of the Gospel preacht by this Author without their taking many things implicitely upon trust and upon the word of their Teachers as he himself tells us in page 238 239. of his Saints Rest where he thus expresseth himself viz. Something must be taken upon trust from man whether we will or no yet no uncertainty in our faith neither For First saith he The meer illiterate man must take it upon trust that the Book is a Bible which he hears read for else he knows not but it may be some other Book Secondly That these words are in it which the Reader pronounceth Thirdly That it is translated truly out of the Original Languages Fourthly That the Greek and Hebrew Copies out of which it was translated are true authentick Copies Fifthly That it was Originally written in these Languages These with many more as he there tells us the vulgar must take upon the word of their Teachers Behold here what use and benefit this Author makes of his having now the full use and benefit of the Holy Ghost which was formerly given and then sealed the Christian Doctrines and Scriptures and stands there still as he tells us if we could beleeve him in his Book of Infidelity Part â— pag 32. And must we needs therefore take these and all other his Doctrines which he hath raised or may raise either from Scripture or out of his own fancy for true and undoubted Christian Doctrines formerly sealed by the Holy Ghost upon the account of his bare saying That he hath now the full use and benefit of the Holy Ghost formerly given c. Sir If this be your meaning then speak it plainly out and for shame doe not impose upon the world such Gâ—olleries as these meerly by implication But the Gospel preacht by St. Paul and other the true Ministers of Jesus Christ needed none of all this it being preacht to all people in their own Languages and to the understanding of the meanest and this was all the Originals Copies and Translations that they were troubled withall or needed to bring them to the faith of the Gospel they not being necessitated to take the least tittle thereof impliâ—itely upon trust or upon the word or credit of their Teachers For When Philip went down to the City of Samaria and preached Christ unto them the vulgar people as illiterate as they were with one accord gave heed to the things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the Miracles which he did and without more ado they beleeved and were baptised both men and women Act. 8 12. All which was done before any of these beleevers had received the Spirit for after this were sent from Jerusalem Peter and John who administred the Spirit to them by laying their hands on them ver 17. Even as Peter declared their ordinary method of administring of the Spirit to be after faith and baptism Act. 2. 38 39. by his bidding the Jews to repent and be baptized every one of them and that they i. e. every one of them should then receive the gift of the Spirit because the promise to wit of the Spirit was to them and their children and to all that should afterward be converted or called to the faith of the Gospel as well all afar off as those that were neer And therefore it was that Paul demanded of the Disciples at Ephesus If they had received the Holy Spirit since they beleeved and they answering That they knew not whether there were any Holy Spirit or not He presently asked them Vnto what then were they baptized He well knowing that the gifts of the Spirit was necessary to be administred to all and to every one after their beleeving and being baptised and therefore by laying his hand on them he administred the gifts of the Spirit to them for thereby the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied Act. the 19. 1 2 3 6. compared with Ephes 1. 13. This also is contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel now preached by this our Author and others So then it is most evident that to the true Ministery of the Gospel appertained these three special administrations as essentially necessary thereunto 1. The administration of the Word infallibly and evidently attested for the conversion of men to the beleef and obedience thereof 2. The administration of Johns baptism by water for the remission of sins 3. The administration of Christ's baptism with the Spirit by the laying on of hands whereby the gifts of the Spirit were conveyed on the baptised beleevers Moreover St. Paul tells the Corinthians That his preachâ—ng to them was not for them to take any thing from him implicitely upon trust or upon any perswasive words of his or of mans wisdome but upon the demonstration of the Spirit and power which he produced before them to attest the tâ—uth and Divine Authority of his Doctrine that so their faith should not stand upon the word credit or wisdome of men but upon the power of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. for if they should have taken it implicitely upon the word and credit of Paul so great an Apostle as â—e was without the aforesaid Divine infallible evidence This had not been to beleeve God but to have resolved their faith into some humane testimony even to have laid their foundation upon the sand where all would have fallen at the next assault as this Author himself hath told us in his Saints Rest pag. 20â— 3. The Gospel preach'd by St. Paul was joyful news to every creature under Heaven Col. 1. 23. But the Gospel preach'd by this Author is far short of that being sad news to most men especially to such as beleeve not his Doctrines when they often interfere thwart one another as in part is here already shewed yea and some things published by him in print hath he already in print * Next to the 160. pag. of his Saints Rest part 1. He thus writes viz Reader understand that since I wrote this I begin to doubt of the soundness of what is expressed in the four next foregoing pages which I am not ashamed to acknowledge but ashamed that I published it so rashly revoked and so may he doe as there is just cause many more before he die yea it is hoped that he will ere long publickly own this truth which he now
publickly opposeth for he hath so closely pursued it and so neerly approached it that he cannot but see some glimpses of its glory For why else would he or needed he to have so perverted Joh. 15. 24. as he hath often done to obscure its lustre to prevent its shining forth to the view of all men and that so purposely and â—â—advisedly if the truth opposed by him had not glanced its light fully and directly into his face and he cannot but know how unsafe and dangerous it is in any man to persist in opposing a truth after it is once discerned by him Fourthly The Gospel which St. Paul preached was the same which Christ preached but the Gospel preach'd by this Author is not the same which Christ preached because the Doctrine of the Gospel which Christ preached would be proved and upheld by Joh. 15. 24. being truly and in its genuine sence cited but the Doctrine of the Gospel preach'd by this Author would be disproved and overthrown by its being truly and in its genuine sence cited for why else would he or needed he so much and so often as he in his writings hath done to have perverted it to a contrary sence or to any other then its true and genuine sence to prove his Doctrine He being no Baby not to know what he did nor why he did it when he did it Whence will necessarily result these conclusions First That the Gospel preached by this Author not being the same which Christ and St. Paul preach'd must be some other and being any other cannot be the true nor he any true Minister of the Gospel Secondly That none can be blest by beleeving or obeying the Gospel which he preacheth because St. Paul positively asserts Gal. 1. 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed This he duplicates in the next verse thus As we said â—efore so say I again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have heard let him be accursed And who now can secure this our Author from the reach of these Comminations or reasonably imagine how any man can be blest in beleeving or obeying that Gospel for the preaching whereof the preacher is accursed Thirdly That this Authors Sermons and Books are liable to the same destiny unto which he himself hath doomed almost all other mens In his Saints Rest Part 1. pag. 132. where he makes these pathetical demands viz. How many Sermons zealously preached How many Books studiously compiled will then to wit in the world come by the Authors be all disclaimed These interrogations implying negations are as if he should have said That the Sermons and Books which will in the world to come be disclaimed by the Authors are so many as they can hardly be numbred And why may we not put into this numerous company the Sermons and Books also of the rest of the Presbyterians of whom one both learned and Mr. John Goodwin in his fresh discovery of the high Presbyterian Spirit pag. 38 56. judicious thus writes viz. That day after day they preach broad-faced contradictions and make the Scripture to say and unsay which being interpreted is to make them say just nothing Nor are many of their writings any whit more excusable upon the same account And that he had thorowly tryed many of their Doctrines and tenents and found them lyars yea and had opportunity to stigmatize them for such publickly and alarm the world concerning the hatefulness and danger of them Wherefore I could wish that our Author in his future undertakings would please to look round about him and to grasp and duly weigh the whole matter of which he intends to treat and to lay aside whatsoever he findes vain or sinewless and no more to obtrude upon the world such empty humane traditions for necessary Divine Doctrines as he hath done and that with such unwarrantable and groundless confidence as thereby he hath given many great advantages more then I finde hath been yet taken against him by any Alas poor mortals silly wretches dust and ashes meer baggs of warm dung as we are can we command back the Sun when it is set or instead thereof place in the Firmament some equivalent light to prevent the darkness which necessarily will follow its setting No more can we though furnished with all the acquired Arts of humane learning our natures are capable of call back the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ when it is withdrawn by God as now apparently it is the times and seasons for these things being solely in his own power and dispose For doth not the Scripture plainly fore-tel of these times of general Apostasie was not the woman Rev. 12. expounded by the learned to typifie the true Church to be driven into the wilderness from the converse and sight of men to be fed there by God and therefore not by Popedoms Bishopticks Masterships of Colledges or Hospitals Parsonages Tythes Augmentation or any other forced maintenance from men And was not her Man-child the Masculine Divine and powerful gifts he firâ—tborn fruits of the Spirit to be taken up unto God and to his throne from whom and whence they were at first received by Christ and given unto men Eph. 4. 8 11. compared with Act. 2. 33. and are not these in more abundance to be powred out on the sons of men Before the great and terrible day of the Lord Joel 2. Act. 2. compared with Esa 44. 3. even when he shall send his Angel to preach and make known his everlasting Gospel unto them that dwell upon the earth Rev. 14. 6. and when he shall call his ancient people the Jews until which time this Babylonish darkness which hath overspread the world is like to continue even that darkness which the Prophet tells us shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people or Gentiles until they shall come and partake of the Jews light when the Lord shall arise to them and his glory be seen upon them Isa 60. 1 2 3. And therefore the duty most incumbent upon us now in these Aporetick times is not to hate persecute judge or condemn one another in matters of Religion but to joyn in prayer for and with the Jewes That God would be merciful unto them and bless them and cause his face to shine upon them that his way may be known upon the earth and his saving health among all Nations then shall the earth yeeld her increase and God even their own God shall bless them God shall bless them and all the ends of the earth shall fear him Psal 67. For then many people shall goe and say Come let us goe up unto the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from