things are all I can observe that are offered in the confirmation of it First That these things of morality moral Vertues are of more importance in Religion than the outward worship of God which the amplitude of power before asserted is now reducing to a respect unto Secondly That there is much more danger of his erring and mistaking in things of morality than in things of outward Worship because of their great weight and importance These things are pleaded p. 28. And elsewhere up and down That any thing else is offered in the confirmation of this consequent I find not And it may be some will think these proofs to be very weak and feeble unable to sustain the weight that is laid upon them For it is certain that the first Rule that he that hath power over the Greater hath so over the Lesser doth not hold unless it be in things of the same nature and kind and it is no less certain and evident that there is an especial and formal difference between these things namely moral Vertues and Instituted Worship the one depending as to their Being and discovery on the light of Nature and the dictates of that Reason which is common to all and speakes the same language in the Consciences of all mankind the other on pure Revelation which may be and is variously apprehended Hence it is that whereas there is no difference in the world about what is Vertue and what is not there is no Agreement about what belongs to divine Worship and what doth not Again lesser things may be exempted from that Power and Authority by especial priviledge or Law which hath the disposal of greater committed into it and intrusted with it As the Magistrate amongst us may take away the life of a Man which is the greatest of his concernments the name of his all for fellony but cannot take away his Estate or Inheritance of Land which is a far less concernment unto him if it be antecedently setled by Law to other uses than his own And if it cannot be proved that the disposal of the Worship of God as to what doth really and truly belong unto it and all the parts of it is exempted from all humane Power by special Law and Priviledge let it be disposed of as who so will shall judge meet Nor is the latter consideration suggested to inforce this consequent of any more validity namely that there is more danger of the Magistrates erring or mistakes about Moral Vertue than about Rites of Worship because that is of most concernment in Religion For it is true that suppose a Man to walk on the top of an high house or Tower on a plain floor with battlements or Walls round about him there will be more danger of breaking his neck if he should fall from thence than if he should fall from the top of a narrow wall that had not the fourth part of the heighth of the house But there would not be so much danger of falling For from the top of the house as circumstantiated he cannot fall unless he will wilfully and violently cast himself down headlong and on the top of the Wall it may be he cannot stand with the utmost of his heed and endeavours The Magistrate cannot mistake about Moral Vertues unless he will do it wilfully They have their station fixed in the world on the same ground and evidence with Magistracy it self The same evidence the same common consent and suffrage of mankind is given unto Moral Vertues as is to any Government in the World And to suppose a supream Magistrate a Law-giver to mistake in these things in judging whether Justice and Temperance or Fortitude be Vertues or no and that in their Legislative capacity is ridiculous Neither Nero nor Caligula were ever in danger of any such mis-adventure All the Magistrates in the World at this day are agreed about these things But as to what concerns the Worship of God they are all at variance There is no such Evidence in these things no such common suffrage about them as to free any absolutely from failings and mistakes so that in respect of them and not of the other lyes the principal danger of miscarrying as to their determination and administration Supposing therefore the Premises our Author layes down to be true his Inference from them is feeble and obnoxious to various impeachments whereof I have given some few Instances only which shall be increased if occasion require But the Assertion it self which is the foundation of these consequences is utterly remote from Accuracy and Truth It is said that the Magistrate hath power over the Consciences of Men in reference unto Moral Duties which are the principal parts of Religion Our first and most difficult inquiry is after the meaning of this Proposition the later after its truth I ask then first whether he hath power over the Consciences of men with respect unto Moral Vertue and over Moral Vertue it self as Vertue and as a part of Religion or on some other account If his power respect Vertue as a part of Religion then it equally extends it self to all that is so by Vertue of a Rule which will not be easily everted But it doth not appear that it so extends it self as to plead an obliging Authority in reference unto all Duties For let but the Scheme of Moral Duties especially those whose Object is God given us by our Author be considered and it will quickly be discerned how many of them are exempted from all humane cognizance and Authority and that from and by their nature as well as their use in the World And it is in vain to ascribe an authority to Magistrates which they have no power to exert or take cognizance whether it be obeyed or no. And what can they do therein with respect unto Gratitude to God which holds the first place in the Scheme of Moral Vertues here given in unto us We are told also p. 83. That in matters both of Moral Vertue and Divine Worship there are some rules of Good and Evil that are of an Eternal and unchangeable obligation and these can never be prejudiced or altered by any humane power because the reason of their Obligation arises from a necessity and constitution of nature and therefore must be 〈◊〉 perpetual as that but then there are other rules of Duty that are alterable according to the various accidents changes and conditions of humane life and depend chiefly upon contracts and positive Laws of Kingdoms It would not be unworthy our inquiry to consider what rules of Moral Duty they are which are alterable and depend on accidents and contracts But we might easily find work enough should we call all such fond Assertions to a just examination Neither doth the distinction here given us between various Rules of Moral Vertue very well answer what we are told p. 69. namely that every particular Vertue is therefore such because it is are semblance and imitation of some
not so learned him as to relieve themselves by false or fierce Recriminations The measure of the covering provided for all these excesses of unbridled passion is that alone which is now to be taken The Case expressed it seems is the only single instance in which zeal is just and warrantable How our Author came to be assured thereof I know not sure I am that it doth neither comprize in it nor hath any aspect on the ground occasion or nature of the zeal of Phinehas or of Nehemiah or of David or of Joshuah and least of all of our Saviour as we shall see He must needs be thought to be over-intent upon his present occasion when he forgot not one or two but indeed all instances of just and warrantable zeal that are given us in the only sacred repository of them For what concerns the example of our blessed Saviour particularly insisted on I wish he had ossended one way only in the report he makes of it For let any sober man judge in the first place whether those expressions he useth of the hot fit of zeal that He was in of the Height of impatience that he was provoked unto the seeming Fury and Transport of Passion that he acted withall do become that Reverence and Adoration of the Son of God which ought to possess the hearts and guide the Tongues and Writings of men that profess his Name But whatever other mens apprehensions may be as it is not improbable but that some will exercise severity in their Reflections on these Expressions for my part I shall entertain no other thoughts but that our Author being engaged in the Composition of an Invective Declamation and aiming at a Gradeur of Words yea to fill it up with Tragical expressions could not restrain his pen from some extravagant excess when the Lord Christ Himself came in his way to be spoken of However it will be said the Instance is pertinently alledged and the occasion of the Exercise of the zeal of our Blessed Saviour is duly represented It may be some will think so but the truth is there are scarce more lines than mistakes in the whole discourse to this purpose What Court it was of the Temple wherein the Action remembred was performed is not here particularly determined only 't is said to be the Outward Court wherein the Gentiles and Proselytes worshipped in opposition to that which was peculiar to the worship of the Jews Now of old from the first Erection of the Temple there were two Courts belonging unto it and no more the inward Court wherein were the Brazen Altar with all those Utensils of worship which the Priests made use of in their sacred Offices and the outward Court whither the people assembled as for other Devotions so to behold the Priests exercising their Function and to be in a readiness to bring in their own especial sacrifices upon which account they were admitted to the Altar it self Into this outward Court which was a dedicate part of the Temple all Gentiles who were Proselytes of Righteousness that is who being circumeised had taken upon them the Observation of the Law of Moses and thereby joyned themselves to the people of God were admitted as all the Jewish Writers agrree And these were all the Courts that were at first Sanctified and were in use when the words were spoken by the Prophet which are applyed to the Action of our Saviour namely My house shall be called a House of Prayer but ye have made it a Den of Thieves Afterwards in the dayes of the Herodians another Court was added by the immuring of the remainder of the Hill whereunto a promiscuous entrance was granted unto all people It was therefore the antient Outward Court whereinto the Jews thought that Paul had brought Trophimus the Ephesian whom they knew to be Uncircumcised I confess some Expositors think that it was this latter Area from whence the Lord Christ east out the Buyers and Sellers but their Conjecture seems to be altogether groundless for neither was that Court ever absolutely called the Temple nor was it esteemed Sacred but common or Prophane nor was it in being when the Prophet used the words mentioned concerning the Temple It was therefore the other antient outward Court common to the Jews and Proselytes of the Gentiles that is intended for as there the Salt and Wood were stored that were daily used in their Sacrifices so the Covetous Priests knowing that many who came up to offer were wont to buy the beasts they sacrificed at Hierusalem to prevent the charge and labour of bringing them from farr to further as they pretended their Accommodation they appropriated a Market to themselves in this Court and added a Trade in money relating it may be thereunto and other things for their Advantage Hence the Lord Christ twice drove them once at the Beginning and once at the End of his Ministry in the flesh not with a seeming Transport of Fury but with that evidence of the presence of God with Him and Majesty of God upon Him that it is usually reckoned amongst one of the Miracles that he wrought considering the state of all things at that time amongst the Jews And the reason why He did this and the occasion of the exercise of his Zeal is so express in the Scripture as I cannot but admire at the Invention of our Author who could find out another Reason and Occasion of it For it is said directly that he did it because of their wicked profanation of the house of God contrary to his express Institution and Command Of a regard to the Jews contempt of the Gentiles there is not one word not the least Intimation nor was there in this matter the least occasion of any such thing These things are not pleaded in the least to give countenance to Any in their proud supercillious Censures and Contempt of others wherein if any person living have out-done our Author or shall endeavour so to do he will not fail I think to carry away the prize in this unworthy Contest Nor is it to Apologize for them whom he charges with extravagances and excesses in this kind I have no more to say in their behalf but that as far as I know they are falsly accused and calumniated though I will not be accountable for the expessions of every weak and impertinent person Where men indeed sin openly in all manner of Transgressions against the Law and Gospel where a spirit of enmity to holiness and obedience unto God discovers and acts it self constantly on all occasions in a word where men wear Sin 's Livery some are not afraid to think them Sin 's Servants But as to that Elation of mind in self-conceit wherewith they are charged their contempt of other men upon the account of Party which he imputes unto them I must expect other proofs than the bare assertion of this Author before I shall joyn with him in the management of his Accusation And no
other Answer shall I return to the ensuing Leaves fraught with bitter Reproaches Invectives Sarcasms far enough distant from Truth and all Sobriety Nor shall I though in their just and necessary vindication make mention of any of those things which might represent them persons of another Complexion If this Author will give those whom he probably most aims to load with these Aspersions leave to confess themselves poor and miserable sinners in the sight of God willing to bear his indignation against whom they have finned and to undergo quietly the severest Rebukes and Revilings of men in that they know not but that they have a Providential permissive Commission from God so to deal with them and add thereunto that they yet hope to be saved by Jesus Christ and in that hope endeavour to give up themselves in Obedience to all his Commands it contains that Description of them which they shall alwayes and in all conditions endeavour to answer But I have only given these Remarks upon the preceding Discourse to discover upon what feeble grounds our Author builds for his own justification in his present Engagement Pag. 13. of his Preface He declares his Original Design in writing this Discourse which was to represent to the World the lamentable folly and silliness of those mens Religion with whom he had to do which he farther expresses and pursues with such a Lurry of virulent reproaches as I think is not to be parallel'd in any leaves but some others of the same hand and in the close thereof he supposeth he hath evinced that in comparison of them the most Insolent of the Pharisees were Gentlemen and the most savage of the Americans Philosophers I must confess my self an utter stranger unto that generous disposition and Philosophick nobleness of mind which vent themselves in such revengefull scornfull wrath expressed in such rude and barbarous railings against any sort of men whatever as that here manifested in and those here used by this Author If this be a just delineation and character of the Spirit of a Gentleman a due portraicture of the Mind and Affections of a Philosopher I know not who will be ambitious to be esteemed either the one or the other But what measures men now make of Gentility I know not truly noble Generosity of Spirit was heretofore esteemed to consist in nothing more than remoteness from such pedantick severities against and contemptuous reproaches of persons under all manner of disadvantages yea impossibilities to manage their own just Vindication as are here exercised and expressed in this Discourse And the principal pretended Attainment of the old Philosophy was a sedateness of mind and a freedome from turbulent Passions and Affections under the greatest Provocations which if they are here manifested by our Author they will give the greater countenance unto the Character which he gives of others the judgement and determination whereof is left unto all impatial Readers But in this main design he professeth himself prevented by the late Learned and Ingenious Discourse The Friendly Debate which to manifest it may be that his Rhetorical faculty is not confined to Invectives he spendeth some pages in the splendid Encomiums of There is no doubt I suppose but that the Author of that Discourse will on the next occasion require his Panegyrick and return him his Commendations for his own Achievements with Advantage they are like enough to agree like those of the Poet Discedo Alcaeus puncto Illius Ille meo quis Quis nist Callimachus For the present his Account of the excellencies and successes of that Discourse minds me of the Dialogue between Pyrgopolynices and Artotrogus Pyrg Ecquid meministi Art Memini Centum in Ciliciâ Et quinquaginta Centum Sycolatronidae Triginta Sardi Sexaginta Macedones Sunt homines Tu quos occidisti uno die Pyrg Quanta isthaec Hominum summa est Art Septem millia Pyrg Tantum esse oportet rectè rationem tenes Art At nullos habeo scriptos sic memini tamen Although the particular instances he gives of the man's successes are prodigiously ridiculous yet the casting up of the summ Total to the compleating of his Victory sinks them all out of Consideration And such is the Account we have here of the Friendly Debate This and that it hath effected which though unduly asserted as to the particular Instances yet altogether comes short of that absolute Victory and Triumph which are ascribed unto it But I suppose that upon due consideration mens glorying in those Discourses will be but as the Crackling of thorns in the fire noise and smoak without any real and solid use or satisfaction The great design of the Author asis apparent unto all was to render the Sentiments and Expressions of his Adversaries ridiculous and thereby to expose their persons to contempt and scorn Egregiam vero laudem spolia ampla And to this end his way of writing by Dialogues is exceedingly suited and accommodated For although Ingenious and Learned men such as Plato and Cicero have handled matters of the greatest Importance in that way of writing candidly-proposing the Opinions and Arguments of Adverse parties in the persons of the Dialogists and sometimes used that method to make their design of Instruction more easie and perspicuous yet it cannot be denyed that advantages may be taken from this way of Writing to represent both Persons Opinions and Practices invidiously and contemptuously above any other way and therefore it hath been principally used by men who have had that Design And I know nothing in the skilfull Contrivance of Dialogues which is boasted of here with respect unto the Friendly Debate as also by the Author of it in his Preface to one of his worthy Volumes that should free the way of writing it self from being supposed to be peculiarly accommodated to the ends mentioned Nor will these Authors charge them with want of skill and art in composing of their Dialogues who have designed nothing in them but to render Things uncouth and Persons ridiculous with whom themselves were in Worth and Honesty no way to be compared An Instance hereof we have in the case of Socrates Sundry in the City being weary of him for his Uprightness Integrity and continual pressing of them to courses of the like nature some also being in an especial manner incensed at him and provoked by him amongst them they contrived his ruine That they might effect this design they procured Aristophanes to write a Dialogue his Comoedy which he entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Clouds wherein Socrates is introduced and personated talking at as contemptible and ridiculous a rate as any one can represent the Non-Conformists to do and yet withal to commend himself as the only man considerable amongst them Without some such preparation of the peoples minds his enemies thought it impossible to obtain his Persecution and Destruction and they failed not in their Projection Aristophanes being poor witty and as is supposed hired to this
or dictated There are two or three heads which the remainders of this Prefatory Discourse may be reduced unto First a magnificent Proclamation of his own Achievements what he hath proved what he hath done especially in representing the Inconsistence of Liberty of Conscience with the first and Fundamental Laws of Government and I am content that he please himself with his own Apprehensions like him who admired at the marvelous feats performed in an empty Theatre For it may be that upon examination it will be found that there is scarce in his whole Discourse any one Argument offered at that hath the least seeming cogency towards such an end Whether you take Liberty of Conscience for Liberty of Judgement which himself confesseth uncontroleable or Liberty of Practice upon Indulgence which he seems to oppose an impartial Reader will I doubt be so far from finding the Conclusion mentioned to be evinced as he will scarcely be able to satisfie himself that there are any Premises that have a tendency thereunto But I suppose he must extreamly want an Employment who will design himself a business in endeavouring to dispossess him of his self-pleasing Imagination Yea he seems not to have pleaded his own cause absurdly at Athens who giving the City the news of a Victory when they had received a Fatal Defeat affirmed that publick thanks were due to him for affording them two dayes of Mirth and Jollity before the tidings came of their ill success which was more than they were ever like to see again in their lives And there being as much satisfaction in a fancied as a real success though useless and failing we shall leave our Author in the highest contentment that thoughts of this nature can afford him However it may not be amiss to mind him of that old good Counsel Let not him that girdeth on his Armour boast like him that putteth it off Another part of his Oration is to decry the folly of that bruitish Apprehension that men can possibly live peaceably and quietly if they enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences where he fears not to affirm that it is more elegible to tolerate the highest Debauchertes than liberty for men to worship God according to what they apprehend he requires whence some severe persons would be too apt it may be to make a conjecture of his own Inclinations for it is evident that he is not absolutely insensible of self-interest in what he doth or writes But the contrary to what he asserts being a truth at this day written with the beams of the Sun in many Nations of Europe let Envy Malice Fear and Revenge suggest what they please otherwise and the Nature of the Thing it self denyed being built upon the best greatest and surest Foundations and Warranty that mankind hath to build on or trust unto for their peace and security I know not why it's denial was here ventured at unless it were to embrace an opportunity once more to give vent to the remainders of his Indignation by Revilings and Reproaches which I had hoped had been now exhausted But these things are but Collateral to his principal Design in this close of his Declamation and this is the Removal of an Objection that Liberty of Conscience would conduce much to the Improvement of Trade in the Nation It is known that many persons of great Wisdom and Experience and who as it is probable have had more time to consider the State and proper Interest of this Nation and have spent more pains in the weighing of all things conducing thereunto than our Author hath done are of this mind and judgement But he at once strikes them and their Reasons dumb by drawing out his Gorgon's head that he hath proved it inconsistent with Government and so it must needs be a foolish and silly thing to talk of its usefulness to Trade Verum ad populum phalera if great blustering words dogmatical Assertions uncouth unproved principles accompanied with a pretence of Contempt and scorn of all exceptions and oppositions to what is said with the persons of them that make them may be esteemed proofs our Author can prove what he pleaseth and he is to be thought to have proved whatever he affirms himself so to have done If sober Reason Experience Arguments derived from common acknowledged Principles of Truth If a Confirmation of Deductions from such principles by confessed and commonly approved Instances are necessary to make up convincing proofs in matters of this Nature and Importance we are yet to seek for them notwithstanding any thing that hath been offered by this Author or as far as I can conjecture is likely so to be In the mean time I acknowledge many parts of his Discourse to be singularly remarkable His Insinuation That the Affairs of the Kingdom are not in a fixed and established condition that we are distracted amongst our selves with a strange variety of Jealousâ—es and Annimosities and such like expressions as if divulged in a Book printed without Licence would and that justly be looked on as Seditious are the Foundations that he proceedeth upon Now as I am confident that there is very little ground or none at all for these Insinuations so the publick disposing of the minds of men to fears suspicious and apprehensions of unseen dangers by such means becomes them only who care not what disadvantage they cast others nay their Rulers under so they may compass and secure their own private ends and concerns But yet not content to have expressed his own real or pretended apprehensions he proceeds to manifest his scorn of those or his smiling at them who with mighty projects labour for the improvement of Trade which the Council appointed as I take it by His Majesty thence denominated is more concerned in than the Non-conformists and may do well upon this Information finding themselves lyable to scorn to desist from such an useless and contemptible employment They may now know that to erect and encourage trading Combinations is only to build so many Nests of Faction and Sedition for he sayes there is not any sort of people so inclinable to seditious practices as the trading part of a Nation and that their Pride and Arrogance naturally encrease with the improvement of their stock Besides the Fanatick party as he sayes live in these greater Societies and it is a very odd and preposterous folly to design the enriching of that sort of people for wealth doth but only pamper and encourage their presumption and he is a very silly man and understands nothing of the follies passions and inclinations of humane nature who sees not that there is no creature so ungovernable as a wealthy Fanatick It cannot be denyed but that this Modern Policy runs contrary to the principles and experience of former Ages To preserve industrious men in a peaceable way of emproving their own Interests whereby they might partake in their own and family concerns of the good and advantages of Government hath been by the
have as good and better grounds to suspect him to have no conscience at all who upon unjust surmises shall so injuriously charge them as finding him in a direct transgression of the principal Rules that Conscience is to be guided and directed by than he hath to pronounce such a judgement concerning them and their sincerity in what they prosess And whether such mutual censures tend not to the utter overthrow of all peace love and security amongst mankind is easie to determine Certainly it is the worst game in the World for the Publick to have men bandying suspicions one against another and thereon managing mutual charges of all that they do surmise or what else they please to give the countenance of surmise unto I acknowledge the notion insisted on namely that mhilest men reserve to themselves the freedom and liberty of judging what they please or what seems good unto them in matters of Religion and the Worship of God they ought to esteem it their duty to practise in all things according to the prescription of their Rulers though every may contrary unto and inconsistent with their own judgements and perswasions unless it be in things that countenance Vice or disgrace the Deity where of yet it may be it will not be thought meet that they themselves should judge for themselves and their own practise seeing they may extend their conceptions about what doth so unto such minute Instances as would frustrate the whole design is exceedingly accommodated to the corrupt lusts and affections of men and suited to make provision for their security in this world by an exemption from the indispensable command of professing the truth communicated and known unto them a sense of the obligation where of hath hitherto exposed innumerable persons in all Ages to great difficulties dangers and sufferings yea to death the height and summ of all For whereas men have been perswaded that with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation the latter clause is in many cases hereby sufficiently superseded and the troublesome duty seeming to be required in it is removed out of the way It will not it may be be so easie to prove that in the Religion of the Mahumetans there is any thing enjoyned in practise that will directly fall under the limitations assigned unto the complyance with the commands of Supeperiours contended for And therefore let a man but retain his own apprehensions concerning Jesus Christ and the Gospel it may be lawful for him yea be his duty to observe the worship enjoyned by the Law of Mahomet if his lot fall to live under the power of the Grand Seignior or any Soveraign Prince of the same perswasion But the case is clear in the Religion of the Papists which is under the protection of the greatest number of supream Magistrates in Europe It will not be pretended I suppose by our Author that there is any thing in the confession of the Church of Rome or imposed by it on the practices of men that directly gives countenance unto any Immorality especially as the sense of that term is by him stated and it is no easie matter for ordinary men to prove and satisfie themselves that there is ought in their Modes of Worship of such a tendency as to cast disgrace upon the Deity especially considering with how much learning and diligence the charge of any such miscarriage is endeavoured to be answered and removed all which pleas ought to be satisfied before a man can make sedately a determinate judgement of the contrary Let then men's judgements be what they will in the matters of difference between Protestants and Papists it is on this Hypothesis the duty of all that live under the Dominion of Soveraign Popish Princes outwardly to comply with and practise that Religious Worship that is commanded by them and enjoyned The case is the same also as to the Religion of the Jews Now as this casts a Reflection of incredible folly and unexpiable guilt upon all Protestant Martyrs in casting away their own lives and disobeying the Commands of their lawful Soveraigns so it exposeth all the Protestants in the World who are still in the same condition of subjection to the severe censures of Impiety and Rebellion and must needs exasperate their Rulers to pursue them to destruction under pretence of unwarrantable obstinacy in them For if we wholly take off the protection of Conscience in this matter and its subjection to the Authority of God alone there is no plea left to excuse dissenting Protestants from the guilt of such crimes as may make men justly cry out against them as the Jews did against St. Paul Away with them away with them it is not meet that such Fellows should live or Frotestantes ad Leones according to the old cry of the Pagans against the Primitive Christians But if this should prove to be a way of teaching and justifying the grossest Hypocrisie and Dissimulation that the nature of man is capable of a means to cast off all regard unto the Authority of God over the wayes and lives of men all the Rhetorick in the World shall never perswade me that God hath so moulded and framed the order and state of humane affairs that it should be any way needful to the preservation of publick peace and tranquility Openness plainness of heart Sincerity in our Actions and Professions Generous honesty and an universal respect in all things to the supream Rector of all the great Possessour of Heaven and Earth with an endeavour to comply with His present revealed mind and future judgement are far better Foundations for and ligaments of publick peace and quietness To make this the Foundation of our Political Superstructure that Divisum Imperium Cum Jove Caesar habet God hath immediate and sole power over the minds and inward thoughts of men but the Magistrate over the Exercise of those thoughts in things especially belonging to the Worship of God and in the same Instances seems not to prognosticate a stable or durable building The Prophet was not of that mind of old who in the name of God blamed the people for willingly walking after the Commandment of their Ruler in concerns of Worship not warranted by Divine appointment nor was Daniel so who notwithstanding the severe prohibition made against his praying in his house continued to do so three times a day But besides all this I do not see how this Hypothesis is necessarily subservient to the principal design of the Author but it may be as well improved to quite distant yea contrary ends and purposes His design plainly is to have one Fabrick of Religion erected one Form of External Worship enacted and prescribed which all men should be compelled by penalties to the outward profession and observance of these penalties he would have to be such as should not fail of their end namely of taking away all professed Dissent from his Religious establishment which if
and is affirmed to be unspeakable and full of glory he that knows not is scarce meet to Paraphrase upon St. Pauls Epistles Neither is that Peace with God through Jesus Christ which is rought in the Hearts of Believers by the Holy Ghost who creates the fruit of the lipps peace peace unto them a matter of any more affinity with a Moral peaceableness of mind and Affections Our Faith also in God and our Faithfulness in our Duties Trusts Offices and Employments are sufficiently distinct So palpably must the Scripture be corrupted and wrested to be made serviceable to this presumption He yet adds another proof to the same purpose if any man know distinctly what that purpose is namely Titus 2. 11. Where he tells us that the same Apostle make the Grace of God to consist in Gratitude towards God Temperance towards our Selves and Justice towards our Neighbours But these things are not so For the Apostle doth not say that the Grace of God doth consist in these things but that the Grace of God teacheth us these things Neither is the Grace here intended any Subjective or inherent Grace or to speak with our Author any Vertuous Quality or Vertue but the Love and Grace of God himself in sending Jesus Christ as declared in the Gospel was is manifest in the words and context beyond contradiction And I cannot but wonder how our Author desirous to prove that the whole of our Religion consists in Moral Vertues and these only called Graces because of the Miraculous Operations of God from his own Grace in the first Gospel converts should endeavour to do it by these two testimonies the first whereof expresly assigns the Duties of Morality as in Believers to the operation of the Spirit and the latter in his judgment makes them to proceed from Grace Our last inquiry is into what he ascribes unto his Adversaries in this matter and how he deals with them thereupon This therefore he informs us pag. 71. It is not enough say they to be compleatly vertuous unless ye have grace too I can scarce believe that ever he heard any one of them say so or ever read it in any of their writings For there is nothing that they are more positive in than that men cannot in any sense be compleatly vertuous unless they have grace and so cannot suppose them to be so who have it not They say indeed that moral vertues as before described so far as they are attainable by or may be exercised in the strength of Mens own wills and natural faculties are not enough to please God and to make men accepted with him So that vertue as it may be without Grace and some vertues may be so for the substance of them is not available unto salvation And I had almost said that he is no Christian that is of another mind In a word Vertue is or may be without Grace in all or any of the Acceptations of it before laid down Where it is without the Favour of God and the Pardon of sin where it is without the renewing of our natures and the endowment of our Persons with a Principle of spiritual life where it is not wrought in us by present efficacious Grace it is not enough nor will serve any mans turn with respect unto the everlasting concernments of his Soul But he gives in his Exceptions pag. 71. But when saith he we have set aside all manner of vertue let them tell me what remains to be called Grace and give me any notion of it distinct from all morality that consists in the right order and government of our actions in all our Relations and so comprehends all our Duty and therefore if Grace be not included in it it is but a phantasme and an imaginary thing I say first where Grace is we cannot set aside vertue because it will and doth produce and effect it in the minds of men But Vertue may be where Grace is not in the sense so often declared Secondly Take moral vertue in the notion of it here received and explained by our Author and I have given sundry Instances before of Gracious Duties that come not within the verge or compass of the Scheme given us of it Thirdly The whole aimed at lies in this that vertue that governs our actions in all our Duties may be considered either as the Duty we owe to the Law of nature for the ends of it to be performed in the strength of nature and by the direction of it or it may be considered as it is an especial effect of the grace of God in us which gives it a new principle and a new end and a new respect unto the Covenant of Grace Wherein we walk with God the consideration where of frustrates the intention of our Author in this discourse But he renews his charge pag. 73. So destructive of all true and real goodness is the very Religion of those men that are wont to set grace at odds with vertue and are so farr from making them the same that they make them inconsistent and though a man be exact in all the duties of moral goodness yet if he be a graceless person i. e. void of I know not what imaginary Godliness he is but in a cleaner way to Hell and his conversion is more hopeless than the vilest and most notorious sinners and the morally Righteous man is at a greater distance from grace than the prophane and better be lend and debanched than live an honest and vertuous life if you are not of the Godly Party with much more to this purpose For the men that are wont to set grace at odds with vertue and are so far from making them the same that they make them inconsistent I wish our Author would discover them that he might take us along with him in his detestation of them It is not unlikely if all be true that is told of them but that the Gnosticks might have some principles not unlike this but beside them I never heard of any that were of this mind in the world And in truth the liberty that is taken in these discourses is a great instance of the morality under consideration But the following words will direct us where these things are charged For some say that if a man be exact in all the Duties of moral Goodness yet if he be a Graceless Person void of I know not what imaginary Godliness he is but in a cleaner way to Hell I think I know both what and who are intended and that both are dealt withal with that candour we have been now accustomed unto But First you will scarce find those you intend over forward in granting that men may be exact in all the Duties of Moral goodness and yet be graceless persons For taking Moral vertues to comprehend as you do their duties toward God they will tell you such Persons cannot perform one of them aright much less all of them exactly For they can neither trust in