Paul and those in the Hebrewes are blessings and the portions of Gods servants not to be prayed against but rather rejoyced in c. There it is thus written briefly because in the other place I did more fully explane and expresse my self unto which I referred you that so you might understand what I meant in these short speeches as in my said answer you might have seene Now wherein doth this which I have written disagree from the word of God Yet as it seemes you taxe these for dangerous positions namely to say first that to be persecuted for the truth is a blessed thing And secondly that those tortured Saints Heb. 11. seeing to be persecuted for the truth is such a blessed thing accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And thirdly that wee have no warrant to pray at all against persecution that wee shall not suffer Now the word of God warranting the truth of all these positions then there is no danger in them but the word of God doth warrant them to be true as it is and will be further prooved First that to be persecuted for the truth and for righteousnesse sake is a blessed thing those Scriptures Math. 5.10.11 1. Pet. 3. and 4. chap. and the 14. vers quoted in my writings doe plainely proove t is further manifested in divers other places So that what I affirme concerning persecution is no more but what the word of God doth avouch to be true I say that persecution for righteousnesse sake is a blessing or to be persecuted for the truth is a blessed thing and thus much is verified Heb. 11.26 where it is said that Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Moses wee see and t is recorded by the holy Ghost for a fruit of faith counted the reproach for Christ or persecution for righteousnesse sake a blessing a favour or rich treasure of great waight Quae vel omnia Regum terronorum diademata facilè exuperaâ— And did not the Apostles also thus esteeme it when as they rejoyced Act. 5.41 that they were counced worthy to suffer shame for his name And did not Paul glory in the crosse of Christ Gal. 6.14 Did Moses account the crosse of Christ such a rich favour and did the Apostles rejoyce that they were counted worrhy to have a part in it And may not I affirme without heresy that persecution for the name of Christ is a blessing or a blessed thing Especially seeing in the first place as wee may further add Gods name is thereby glorified as I before prooved from that of Peter 1. Epist 4.14 And secondly in that thereby the Gospell is furthered and its faithfull professors imboldened to speake the word without feare as t is to be seene Philip. 1.12.13.14 And thirdly seeing the reward of those that doe suffer for Christ is so excellent for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven And to speake truely this is a favour which God giveth to his Saints for a signe the persecuted and that in that they are persecuted for righteousnesse are said to be blessed and thereby they are sure the Kingdome of Heaven is theirs So that as one neately observeth all our fiery tribulations fall under the nature and definition of Sacraments they are so many visible signes of invisible graces without this Sacrament this fire of tribulation a man cannot be so sure of his salvation for all that will live godly shall suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 which is indeed an evident token of a mans salvation and that of God being given to him in the behalfe of Christ Philip. 1 28.29 not onely to beleeve in him but also to suffer for his sake By this I hope you see that to say persecution is a blessing or to be persecuted for the truth is a blessed thing is cleared from being dangerous And I doubt not but so will the second also for in saying that those tortured Saints accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection I say no more but what the holy Ghost expresly speaketh And whereas I affirme the consideration of the blessednesse of persecution was a motive which did stirre up to hold fast the profession of their faith and to be willing and ready to resist even to blood it is no more but what the Apostle here teacheth Hee tells us vers 26. that Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt for hee had respect to the recompence of reward Non temerè mens in judicando resolvit in alteram partem as one saith upon the place sâ—d in deliberando intuebatur in praemij largitionem Was not the recompence of the reward now a motive which mooved Moses to make this choise and to esteeme the reproach of Christ as he did And had not these tortured Saints not accepting deliverance a respect to the recompence of the reward too thinke you Was not the joye that was set before them a motive to perswade them patiently to indure the crosse and to despise the shame Yea doe not the very words there following proove so much If this be true and who can deny it wherein am I to be blamed for saying that Hence it was seeing to be persecuted for the truth is such a blessed thing that the tortured Saints accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Now in the third place That wee have no warrant to pray at all against persecutions that wee shall not suffer the Scriptures doe plainely shew as those Scriptures which I have quoted in my writings concerning this thing doe plainely manifest It is as I have already said the portion of Gods people to suffer persecutions and without drinking this potion of tribulations here there is no drinking of the full cup of pleasures in heaven Wee must be with Christ in the garden and pertake of his afflictions or els wee shall not be with him in Paradice and pertake of his pleasures If wee suffer with Christ saith the Apostle 2. Tim. 2.12 wee shall also raigne with him If wee are with Christ in his afflictions wee shall be with him also in his eluctation in his Triumph els not Consider this I pray you and then tell me whether wee have any warrant from the word to pray at all against persecutions the afflictions of the Gospell that wee shall not suffer seeing without suffering with Christ there is no raigning with him Paul I finde exhorted Timothy 2. Epist 1.8 to the partaking of the afflictions of the Gospell but I find not any warrant any place wherein God doth commaund us to pray against persecution or promise us that wee shall not suffer If you or any one shall now aske how wee must pray in time of persecution The answer is thus already made in my said writings All the prayers that wee are to make in this case must be to desire the Lord that he would give us strength and
betweene following the examples of the Saints in things indifferent as things indifferent betweene making their examples without any commandement to be the ground of a duety In the first wee shew our Christian liberty it is not forbidden In the other wee shew voluntary humility in creating such a service which never came into Gods heart to require of us Had you well considered the drift of my writings in this particular all by-ends layd aside you could not me think have dealt with it so injuriously as you have but it seemes you are glad to catch any advatage where indeed there is none For here you have in that confused manner patcht together this collection partly with my words and partly with your owne as that the reader cannot rightly conceive the drift or ground of my writings concerning this particular I would you had presented to the Readers view my writings and mine onely in its proper kinde then had you bene free from blame and I from many scandalls 14. For answer to this fourthteenth place I referre you to that which I have already written from whence you gathered this collection and there I doubt not you will see a plaine difference betweene Praying and Saying 15. Concerning the fiftenth place I referre you and the Reader to that which I have already written in my answer to your fifth Argument from whence you drew this collection The summe whereof is to shew that this ground of yours is very weake to contradict a commandement and nullify a promise seeing it is uncertain why there Paul prayed for Trophymus his health and could not recover him for who knoweth whether Trophymus did dye or recover of that sicknesse for my part as I said before I know not how this can be rightly resolved unlesse you can call either Paul or Trophymus from the dead againe And what can you make of this You labour indeed to make it seeme as bad as may be for why els have you not set downe the same words which are written in your Argument and repeatingly used by me in my answer 16. In this sixtenth place you deale very injuriously in that you have set it downe for one of my Assertions notwithstanding there is no ground for it in all my writings I remember indeed that in a letter I wrote this unto you Whereas you say where I repeated your owne words that absolute prayer for temporall necessaries the tenent which wee hold is an uncouth and proud conceit without warrant tending to evill you doe in that saying no lesse then blaspheme the truth And in the conclusion of my answer to your arguments I add this speech It is namely your opinion a perverting of the promises besids their intendement and the teaching of an ignorant and unwarrantable kind of praying In these sayings I affirme first that you doe no better then blaspheme the truth in that you say this opinion namely That temperall necessary blessings ought to be prayed for without doubting and wavering c. being the ground of our tenent is an uncouth and proud conceit without warrant tending to evill And secondly that your opinion contained in your Arguments is a perverting of the premises besids their intendement and the teaching of an ignorant and unwarrantable kind of praying Now if it doth appeare that these above named grounds concerning praying for outward necessaries are warranted for truth by the Word of God then you must confesse your rashnesse in censuring for no one can say that any part of Gods truth is a proud conceit tending to evill and not blaspheme it And furthermore if it appeare that the drift of your Arguments is to alter the nature of the promises contradict commandements and to establish a will-worship then it is an ignorant and unwarrantable kind of praying for ignorance is the mother of will-worship and to teach will-worship is to teach but an ignorant kind of service Now whether the grounds of my writings which you say is a proud conceit are agreeable to the truth or not or whether your arguments doe bend their forces to alter the nature of the promises contradict commaundements and so establish any thing more but a will-worship a duety which God never commanded let our writings witnesse But you here give out without any If yet absolutely false that I affirme That for any to teach men to pray with submission to the will of God expressed is to blaspheme the truth c. whereby you pretend which you absolutely affirme That the ground and drift of my writings is to proove that no man without blaspheming the truth and teaching of an ignorant and unfaithfull kind of praying can teach men to pray with submission to the will of God expressed And to the end you might fasten this false imputation on me and my writings you have so framed this extraction as that it doth agree with the title or preface of these your learned collections which you say is the ground of my writings There you professe that the matter wee stand for is praying for temporall blessings in the particulars without any condition expressed or implyed of the will of God therein and here to make both ends meete you bring me in to conclude That for any to teach men to pray with submission to the will of God expressed is to blaspheme the truth c. As if this was the principall thing I aymed at to proove in that which I have written namely that we must not pray for temporall things with submission to the will of God expressed in his word Alas Mr. Norrice is this the thing which I hold concerning praying for outward blessings or is there any such thing written in those papers which I sent unto you Who that had his 5 wits about him would once avouch it Especially seeing the principall thing I aymed at and pressed in them was to perswade men to frame all their prayers according to Gods will revealed or expressed in his word And can any petitions be made with more humble submission to the will of God then when they are made agreeable to his word wherein his will is revealed This is the will of him that sent me saith Christ that ye keepe my commaundements And againe this is the will of God that ye beleeve in Iesus Christ whom hee hath sent And doe wee not pray with submission to the will of God when our prayers are made agreeable to his word Nay how can a man pray to God for this or that which hee hath commanded to aske and beleeve to receive that which hee hath promised to give and yet such petitions not made with submission and aggreeable to his will Unloose this knot that can for I cannot Mr. Norrice having first laid his foundation namely the Title pretending it thô falsely to be mine And secondly the particular Assertions of his calling from my sayd writings affirming that his sayd collections but how true it is curteous Reader thou mayst plainely
the teaching of a presumptuous and unwarrantable kind of praying EDW. NORRICE Answer to the fift Argument TO this argument I thus answer that if by the will of God you understand his revealed will wee deny not but that faith is limited and bounded by the will of God revealed in the Scriptures .i. faith is bounded by the promises of God which are the ground of faith Neither doth this in any measure contradict our tenent or proove what you affirme But if by the will of God you understand that will whereof you are ignorant as it seemes you doe by that which you have sayd .i. if you bound faith with Gods secret and not with his revealed will onely I utterly deny your whole Argument for both the faith of miracles and all other faith Acts 19.12 have no other bound or ground but the revealed will of God his promises And that faith of miracles and healing diseases which Paul had was bounded with and grounded onely upon the promises For what the Apostle did in working miracles and curing diseases hee had the authority of an absolute promise as it appeareth Ioh. 14.12 Verely Verely saith Christ I say unto you hee that beleeveth on me the works which I doe shall hee doe and greater workes then these shall hee doe because I goe to the Father Now whereas you goe about to nullify this promise and to proove from that of Paul to Timothy 2. Tim. 4.20 that the promises are conditionall because as you say Paul had the gift of healing but could not cure Trophimus that was sicke I answer that all you say herein is as nothing for say you Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sicke Whence you also say No doubt but hee desired his health and prayed for it but could not obtaine it Vbi libellus where is your evidence to proove this or who told you that Paul prayed for his health and could not obtaine it Where is this prooved in the Scriptures Deut. 29.29 The secret things saith Moses belonge to the Lord our God But those things which are revealed unto us and to our children for ever This is not for ought I find revealed and therefore it is not for you to determine You say and but say it no doubt hee prayed for him another may say no doubt hee did not pray for him a third may say no doubt hee tould Paul that hee had finished his course and would not have him to pray for his life a fourth may say no doubt but hee recovered afterward and was healed Now which of you shall a man beleeve or who shall decide the case and tell us which of these doubts is true Truely for my part I know not how it can be rightly resolved unlesse you can call Paul or Trophimus from the dead againe Strange and lamentable then it is that you would goe about to drawe a conclusion to proove your assertion from that which is so uncertain nay which is more by suppositions and such uncertain collections to contradict commaundements and to goe about to nullify promises And to speake truth all your Arguments doe tend to this one end namely to contradict a commandement or nullify promises And what is this els but to contend against the truth Review with a single eye your owne proceedings in these your arguments and you may plainely see that they are bent against the truth for the drift of them is to establish a will-worship a duety which God never commanded It is to pray conditionally for temporall necessaries For Vbi libellus where is your commandement to proove such a duety as also they doe oppose commandements and bend their forces to alter the nature of the promises But they loose their labour for cedunt arma togae away with Arguments blunt weapons when commandements sharp swords come in place for it may be sayd of them as in another case it was sayd of old One commandement shall chase a thousand arguments and two put tenn thousand to flight What now remaineth but that you confesse your errour for its cleare you have erred and give them satisfaction which you have made to erre by your Arguments And as you have taught men to observe that which Christ never commanded so now teach the contrary which is what Christ hath commanded Neither is it to use your owne words any disgrace for any man to revoke an errour but his praise and glory and the testimony of an ingenious mind and of the feare of God Thus have I now by Gods assistance contrary to your conceit sayd some thing to that which you have sayd and as you requested me set downe wherein your arguments are faulty and fayling I beseech you seeing it was your owne desire that I should send you word wherein they were faulty and failing that you would not take any passage in this my answer in the worst part or imagine I speake any thing to vent cholere or to disparidge you but rather receive it as I write it in defence of the truth in love and love shall cover all offences And in conclusion I pray you take notice That it is your opinion that is a speaking of God and of his administration that which is not right which kindleth his wrath against his owne servants it causeth men to arrogate to themselves too much Iob 42.7 and to give to God too little It is a perverting of the promises beside their intendement and the teaching of an ignorant and unwarrantable kind of praying An Answer to Mr. Norrice his PROSOPOPEIA A draught of Mr. Norrice his collections from certain passages and writings which hee sent about the Country affirming them to be the assertions of Rice Boye set downe under his owne hand and in his owne name as in and by the said draught here following it doth and may appeare FIRST PART A View of Mr. Boys assertions set downe under his owne hand and in his owne name and some others concerning the point of absolute praying for temporall blessings in the particulars without any condition expressed or implyed of the will of God therein or of our owne everlasting good Answer to this first Part. THat the Reader without all If should both constantly beleeve and report that Mr. Norrice hath related no more from my writings but what he receaved he presents as he sayth in the first place to his view no more but a view of my assertions set downe under my owne hand and that concerning the point of absolute praying for temporall blessings c. wherein Mr. Norrice doth cunningly play the Sophister even slyly possesse the Reader with a bad conceit of my assertions before ever he hath heard or seene them as appeareth first in that he useth the word blessings indefinitely whereas I use them definitely of such blessings as God hath commaunded us to aske and promised to give And secondly which is worst of all in that he doth use these words in the particulars without any
whole matter They affirme that for outward necessary things wee ought to pray with an If but we affirme that If in all such prayers must be layd aside Wherefore it shall not be unmeete before we speake particularly of the matter in hand to shew how this word If is taken in the Scriptures This particle If then is taken in the Scriptures either for a terme of condition or els for a terme of doubt It is a terme of condition Deut. 4.30.31 If thou turne to the Lord thy God and shall be obedient unto his voyce he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee c. This and all other such like places may be turned participially thus Thou turning to the Lord and being obedient unto him he will not forsake thee nor destroy thee Secondly this particle If is not onely a terme of condition but also a terme of doubt and distrustfullnesse and so it is 2. Kings 7.19 If the Lord should make windowes in heaven might such things be As if he had sayd I cannot beleeve that such a plenty of corne will be in Samariah notwithstanding the Lord doth make windowes in heaven He doubted of the truth of the Prophets word Now to the thing in hand In what sence then is this word If used in prayer for necessary temporall blessings as it is conditionall or doubtfull if conditionall as the truth is the most would have it then our prayers for outward necessary blessings must be framed thus Oh Father if the gift of things necessary for my present being shall stand with thy will then be pleased to bestow it upon me In which petition this word If is not onely conditionall but also doubtfull We doe not by this saying referre it to the will of God but in so praying we doubt whether it doth agree with the will of God to bestow upon us things necessary for our present being which maner of praying doth manifest both ignorance and infidelity wee know not whether it be the will of God or not to give us such things as we aske and then no marvaill if we doubt whether we shall have them yea or no. Therefore contrary to the common opinion we conclude That the particle If ought to be excluded from the prayers of Gods faithfull servants yea from such prayers which they make for outward necessary blessings This doth appeare by our Saviours words Mat. 6. where he commaundeth his Disciples to pray for things necessary for soule and body without any If at all I thinke it be receaved of all without contradiction as a generall truth that that prayer which we call the Lords prayer and so call it because it is the Lord Christs owne framing is exemplar absolutissimum such an absolute patterne of prayer as that there is nothing in it superfluous neither is there any thing essentiall to prayer wanting If then nothing therein is superfluous neither yet any thing essentiall to prayer wanting then surely this particle If ought to be excluded from all the petitions of the Lords prayer because we find that in the whole forme it is wanting You all acknowledge that there is no need of any If in any of the petitions but in the fourth onely in which petition ye say that it is implied If this be graunted then it must needs be first that somewhat essentiall to prayer in Christs forme is wanting and then secondly that Christs forme is not perfect which is contrary to your owne tenent for ye confesse that the forme is perfect and then it must needs be if the forme be not perfect that there wanted either skill or will in Christ to make such a forme of prayer which could not be mended which for any man to affirme is no lesse then blasphemy Wherefore for ought I see so long as wee keepe our selves close to the word of God and frame our petitions according to his will revealed in the same there is no need of any If in any of our prayers no not in such prayers which wee make unto God for temporall blessings But more of this hereafter Now more fully to manifest and more evidently to proove our tenent concerning absolute prayer for temporall necessary blessings wee will draw all the matter as is specified in our title afore-mentioned into these three heads First that necessarie temporall blessings ought to be prayed for without doubting or wavering Or thus Faith without doubting is as well required in such prayers which are made to God for necessarie temporall things as it is in those which are made for spirituall blessings Secondly that the Saints of God may and ought as absolutelie depend upon the promises of God for their daily bread .i. for things necessarie as they may for the pardon of their sinnes And thirdly that the cause is in themselves who doe not obtaine them These are the branches which as I conceive doe naturally spring from the roote of our tenent concerning absolute prayer for necessary temporall things what fruit doe grow upon each of them ye shall by Gods assistance plainely and briefly see And first of the first namely That necessarie temporall things ought to be prayed for without doubting and wavering That faith without wavering is required in all prayers made unto God as well for temporall as spirituall things I thinke it is not I know it cannot be denyed of any For faith in prayer is not accidentall but essentiall it is not contingent but necessary it cannot be seperated from prayer sine subjecti interitu without its violation Faith is that which makes prayer to be as a sweete smelling sacrifice in Gods nostrills but without it it is displeasing For whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. last Whereupon Augustine affirmeth that our righteousnesse is discerned from unrighteousnesse not by the law of works but of faith without which faith whatsoever seemed good works are sinnes and turned into sinnes neither can it be that such prayers will bring either comfort to man or glory to God seeing they doe not please him whom to please without faith as the Apostle affirmeth Heb. 11.6 is impossible Whereupon our Apostle Paul doth expresly commaund us to send faith with all our prayers as appeareth 1. Tim. 2.8 I will therefore sayth he that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting And if any man should thinke the Apostles meaning in this place is restrained onely to spirituall things our Saviour himself shall give him satisfaction Luk. 12.28.29 where he doeth speake of temporalls from whom our Apostle did fetch his text where he doeth reproove the Disciples for their infidelity concerning outward things and he doeth draw reprooving arguments from the lesse to the greater did the Lord feed the fowles and cloath the grasse how much more will he feed and cloath you oh ye of little faith whereupon he addeth this prohibition Seeke not what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke neither be ye of doubtfull mind Hence it
pray absolutely to be delivred and if they are not delivered is the fault theirs too To remoove this doubt which some thinke doth contradict the point in hand wee are to consider that persecution for the testimony of faith and a good conscience is the legacy and portion of the faithfull as appeareth Math. 10. when our Saviour doth tell his Disciples that they were sent forth as sheep among wolves and that they should be hated of all men for his names sake and that many would thinke that they did God good service to kill them Ioh. 16.2 and therefore he tells them vers 33. that in the world they should have tribulation Neither is this the portion onely of the Apostles but also of every one that beleeveth by their preaching for all saith the Apostle 2. Tim. 3.13 that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Now this portion of the Saints is not to be accounted neither is it a plague or a punishment upon them but a blessing as appeareth by our Saviours words Math. 5.10.11 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake c. which words St. Peter repeatingly useth 1. Epist 3. and 4. chap. and the 14. verse Hence it was as I conceive seeing to be persecuted for the truth is such a blessed thing that those tortured Saints Heb. 11.35 accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And this made St. Paul Act. 21.13 willing and ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus The promises being rightly considered it will follow that we have no warrant to pray at all against persecution that we shall not suffer seeing it is our portion yea and a blessed portion too neither would this petition put case a man did pray be agreable to Gods will which was the last thing required in prayer because hee doth not for ought I find command us to pray against persecution and promise us that wee shall not suffer All the prayers that they are to make in this case must be to desire the Lord that he would give them strength and patience manfully to persevere in the truth and that hee would make them instruments of his glory In a word then when the Saints of God in case of persecution for the Gospells sake are taken and by wicked hands deprived of temporall necessaries as of goods livings liberty and life and all we impute not these their sufferings to their want of faith and repentance it is their portion and they suffer it joyfully Heb. 10.34 Neither to their failing in any other particular God never promised that they should not suffer but we say as Christ speaketh Math. 10.18 They are brought before Kings and Governours for Gods sake for a testimony against them and the Gentils And indeed the sufferings and persecutions of the Saints doe exceedingly redound to Gods glory 1. Pet. 4.14 So in this case notwithstanding the Saints doe suffer the promise of God concerning outward things is not nullified but is still in force and fast to the beleever Neither doth this hinder us from praying absolutely for temporall necessaries in time of freedome neither can it proove that the faulte is not ours if in any other case wee are deprived of them For to be deprived of them for the Gospels sake is a blessing and the portion of Gods people but in any other case it is a plague and a punishment for sinne The first maketh for the advancement of Gods glory the latter is to worke in those upon whom it is layd humiliation and repentance So that now the answer of this question being rightly understood we are come againe clearely without rubbe to our former ground It is this when we begge and goe without a gift the thing desired it is because we want faith and repentance or faile in some or one of these particulars required in prayer for as much sayth Cyprian upon the Lords prayer as all things are Gods he that hath God can want nothing if he himself be not wanting unto God What now dearely beloved doth all this doctrine tend unto but to the humbling of us in our wants as also to the justifying of God in all his proceedings First it doth serve to the humbling of us in our wants in that by reason of our weaknesse and corruptions we have made our selves unworthy of many temporall blessings Oh then whatsoever thou art whensoever thou prayest unto God and hee will not be found of thee retire quickly to thine owne heart be jelous of him hee is deceitfull and say unto him Oh wretch thou hast caused my loving Father to frowne upon me and cover himself in a cloud so that my prayers cannot passe thorough either thou regardest sinne and hidest corruption within thee thou art stubborne and wilt not be mollified or els thou art hardned too much against the face of thy brethren either thou doubtest and waverest at the promise of my loving Father and doest even call his faithfullnesse into question who hath alwayes bene faithfull unto me or els thou doest ayme too much at thy owne end asking what thou desirest according to thy old custome to consume it upon thy filthy lusts Say I say unto thy heart Oh hinc illae lachrymae be not beate off it here is the fountaine of my griefe why my Father is angry with me Let him not shift thee off with this or the like poore excuse The Lord doth not see it good for thee but rather tell him plainely thou knowest the Lord doth see it good for thee because hee hath both commanded thee to aske it of him and hath also promised to give it but thou Oh false heart with some or one of those before specified hast made me unworthy of the thing which I have asked unsufficient to apprehend the promise and to receive it To bring the heart to this examination is an excellent meanes to worke in him humiliation and certainely it will keepe him in the better awe This being thus performed in the first place it will also in the second place justify God in all his proceedings for when we aske a lawfull petition of God and goe without it If then wee acknowledge that the fault is our owne if we doe not receive it wee doe thereby submit our selves to Gods justice and acknowledge that whatsoever the Lord hath done unto us in depriving of us of such or such a blessing or continuing upon us such or such a punishment it is all but just there can be no aspertion of severity no imputation of iniquity layd upon his Majestie Yea by this we acknowledge nay our sinnes our weakenesses our infidelity our corruptions have taught us to yeeld that all is just and that there is not the least mixture of wrong in his proceedings In a word by this we acknowledge as David saith Psal 51.4 that he is just in speaking and cleare in judging Such then as maintayne
will so much of his will as is necessary for us to know is revealed in his Word Iohn 5.39 his Scriptures unto which our Saviour referreth the Iewes for to enquire of him Search the SCriptures they are they that testify of me Now the Scriptures Gods written verities are absolutely sufficient to instruct us in all saving knowledge as Paul affirmeth 2. Timoth. 3.15 Thou hast knowen from a child the holy Scriptures speaking of Timothy which are able to make thee wise to salvation Chap. 1.21 or as Iames sayth to save thy soule through faith which is in Iesus Christ. Now whereas you affirme that the promises for temporalls are conditionall notwithstanding in the whole Scriptures there is no condition expressed what is it els but to affirme that God hath not revealed so much of his will in the Scriptures as is needfull for us to know and that the Scriptures are not sufficient to make the man of God perfect Your owne words in this matter shall be your judge you say that this position of yours namely That the promises for temporall things are conditionall is one of Gods truthes for you presse it upon men to beleeve it as a Truth from God and yet you say that God hath not expressed this Truth is his word for you say it is implyed Now it being implyed and not expressed it is no Scripture for if it be not expressed it cannot be written if it be not written it is none of Gods will because Gods will so much of his will as wee must know or beleeve is all written To which purpose saith Christ in the place before quoted Search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scriptures So then to affirme the promises of God for temporall things are conditionall according to your owne words is a doctrine of mans owne invention and not of God And certainely to make the best of it it is but as one of the Popes unwritten verities Unwritten you confesse it is for if any man should but aske you where in the Scriptures doth God say the promises are conditionall you have nothing to answer for ought I know but this The condition is implyed To those that come in a pretended message from Christ to beate downe the power of Sathan and have no better commission from Christ then this the Devill may boldly say as he did Acts 19.15 Qui vos Iesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee I would I had no worse enimy then you Wherefore I beseech you beware how you maintaine any thing for Gods truth which is not written its a chief pillar of the Romish Church least it be sayd to you as Paul speaketh Rom. 2.22 Thou that abhorrest Idolls doest thou commit sacriledge Now for those 2 cases which you alleadge for the prooving of your Minor proposition as it will appeare is not any thing at all to the purpose For your Minor proposition being denyed you labour to proove it by these cases thus First you say the Lord for the sinnes of his people doth strippe them of outward comforts sometimes in part sometimes wholely unto death ergo the promises of outward things have conditions implyed in them and are not absolutely intended Alas what is this to the purpose or what colour is there in it to proove that the promises are conditionall for you know and must needs confesse that the Lord Levit. 26. and Deuter. 28. made absolutely to his people Israel pretious promises In which promises there is no condition implyed It is true indeed those promises were made upon condition of their obedience as appeareth in both chapters If thou obey the Lord thy God all these blessings shall come unto thee Which condition may be turned participially thus Thou obeying the commandements of the Lord thy God c. The condition in these his promises lyeth on their part If thou obey that is thou obeying his commandements Gods part is absolute all these blessings shall come upon thee Doe what I require of thee and all these blessings without all doubt shall come upon thee But if thou wilt not obey my commaundements .i. thou disobeying my commaundements all these curses shall come upon thee As thy obedience shall be rewarded with such and such blessings so thy disobedience shall be punished with such and such curses The children of Israel found the word of God true in these particulars for so long as they kept the commaundements of their God and walked humbly with him which was the thing he required of them he was as a wall of brasse unto them and they wanted nothing of that which he promised them as the whole current of the old Testament doth plentifully witnesse But when they brake his covenant and did not observe that condition obedience being all the conditions too which was made betweene God and them he brought upon them those plagues which he had threatned For Israel notwithstanding they were a chosen people were very rebellious and unthankfull as the Lord complayneth of them Isay 1. The Oxe knoweth his owner but my people doth not consider Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seede of evill-doers They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger Read that 105. Psalme there is a whole catalogue of their rebellious proceedings and how the Lord dealt with them And to the end the Lord would have no imputation of severity layd upon his Majesty for dealing with them as he did and that no man should once imagine that hee did faile in his part in the least particular but was faithfull in all his promises he made it appeare to all the world that his proceedings with them were just for saith he Deut. 39.22 to the end of the chapter Their children and the nations shall say when they see the plagues of that Land wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this Land what meaneth the heat of this great anger Then men shall say vers 25. Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt Here is the Lords proceedings cleared by the confession of all the nations and the fault layd upon the people as Ezechiell also witnesseth Ezech. 39.23 as also the Prophet Isay prooveth Isay 59.2 to the end of that chapter Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sinnes have withholden good things from you Now concerning that place Lament 46. which you produce thinking to proove your position I beseech you call to mind I know you know it that the Lord had a long time before told them that if they would not heare and obey he would bring upon them that plague of famine which the Prophet did there bewaile This appeareth Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. where the Lord tells them if they did not walke with him in obedience that they should be compelled to eat the flesh of their sonnes and
say that faith and grace doe put no certaine difference in this life concerning outward things betweene one and another For he saith that such words are stout words against him as appeareth Mal. 3.13.14.15 verses for saith the Lord Your words have bene stout against me But the people sayd What have we spoken so much against thee Unto which question the Lord made this answer Ye have sayd it is in vaine to serve God c. and now we call the proud happie Yea they that worke wickednesse are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered For this purpose see Iob 21.15 To say that faith and grace doe make no difference betweene one and another in outward things is wee see to speake proudly towards God David wee must confesse was almost perswaded that his faith and grace had put no certaine difference betweene him and the wicked in outward things for he sayd I have cleansed my heart in vaine untill he went into the Sanctuary of God but then he found a difference as is prooved vers 37. yea and that a plaine difference too betweene him that serveth God and him that serveth him not The second place that you alleadge to proove your assertion is in Math. 5.45 Your heavenlie Father maketh his sunne to shine c. whence you say that the verie same dispensation in outward things belongs to one as to another You say it indeed but you have not prooved it neither can you proove it by the Word of God For which indeed doth put a speciall difference betweene one and another there is a speciall difference in the dispensation of outward things It is true the Lord out of his abundant goodnesse doth give gifts and blessings to all to the just and unjust but such blessings doe not as you say belong to all They belong to the just onely because they are promised onely to them even so many as are restored by Christ Iesus God hath given to them Christ and with him all other outward necessaries and by vertue of his promises they may chalenge them to be theirs And the Lord gives it them by promise Now the Lord doth give the wicked many blessings but not by promise Neither can any wicked man gather any such promise out of the Word of God as that the least favour belongs unto him And hence it is that it is generally received for truth that the wicked have all they have not for their owne but for the righteous sakes For were it not for them the wicked should all suddenly perish The Lord would in a moment as Iob sayth cause them to vomit it up Iob 20.15 and cast it out of their bellyes So that wee see these outward things are diversly dispensed upon the sonnes of God and the Imps of the devill The Lord gives them to the Saints as hee gave Abraham his sonne Isaac by promise but hee gives them to the wicked as he gave Abraham Ismaell not by promise The manner of which dispensation doth quite overthrow your tenent Mr. Norrice his fourth Argument THat which the Lord Iesus and his Apostles did pray for or against conditionally is so to be done of us for wee are bid to follow their examples and to try our spirits and practises by theirs and not theirs by ours But our Lord and his Apostles did so Ergo. This is prooved by two places 1. Luk. 22.42 Father if thou be willing let this cup passe from me yet not my will but thine be done Here is the deprecation of an outward evill not absolutely but with submission to the will of God 2. Rom. 1.10 Making request if by any meanes I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come to you Here is an outward benefit yea somewhat more seeing it was a service to the Church desired with submission to Gods will And St. Iames layes downe a rule for all to follow in such cases ye ought to say if God will Iames 4.15 What is it then to teach that wee ought not to say if the Lord will but directly to crosse the word of God Answer to the fourth Argument IN this Argument I deny your Major proposition a doctrine more fit to be spewed out then to be taught in the Church of Christ being as was your first proposition a chief pillar of the Church of Rome This we will make plainely to appeare Whatsoever is mans duety to observe in Gods service that must be commanded by God for nothing but a commandement from God can make a man owe a duety to God This appeares by that expres saying of the Preacher where hee doth clearely proove Eccl. 12.13 that all mans duety unto God is contayned in commaundements precepts being the true ground of dueties for saith hee feare God and keepe his commaundements for this is the whole of man or the whole duetie of man This is seconded by our Saviour when hee was to leave his Disciples for the commission which Christ gave his Disciples runneth thus Goe teach all nations c. Mat. 28.20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commaunded you Upon which commission Calvine in his Harmony upon the Euangelists speaketh thus Christ sendeth forth his Apostles with this exception that they thrust not to men their owne inventions but that they doe purelie and faithfullie dispence from hand to hand as it were that which he himself hath commaunded And I would to God the Pope would submit the right which he arrogateth to himself to this rule c. But he infecteth the Church with his owne trifles c. Now if any man shall teach men to observe any thing as a duety which God hath not commanded t is beyond his commission a created worship a worship of his owne invention which God never required Now whereas you make examples without the authority of any commaundement to be the ground of a duety what is it els but as the Apostle saith to beguile men of their reward in a voluntarie humilitie .i. in will-worship which is Idolatrie Col. 2.18 Now you say for the confirmation of your Major that we are bid to follow their axamples Quote that Scripture that biddeth or commaundeth us to follow their examples in praying conditionallie for outward necessaries and we will lay our hands upon our mouthes Sure I am Christ did checke this kind of praying but I find not where he doth commaund it Mark 22.9 These words repeated by you we are bid to follow their examples I thinke you take them from St. Peter leaving us an example saith he that we should follow his steps 1. Pet. 2.21 Hee doth not wish us to follow his steps in every thing that hee did for although every action of Christ his Apostles is written for our instruction it followeth not that therefore it is written for our imitation but patiently to suffer for well-doing which was the thing handled in that place by the Apostle and in
condition expressed of the will of God therein whereas they are words of his owne addition and invention for in all my writings there is no such matter written Whereby he would needs as farre as I can gather possesse the Reader with these conceits First that I should teach men to pray absolutely for all temporall blessings whatsoever And not onely so but that in the second place I should tye God to bestow upon us what we please without any relation to Gods revealed will recorded in the Scriptures Whereas è contra alas miserable it is to see how it is abused the whole drift of my writings is to perswade men to pray unto God for outward blessings according to his will revealed or expressed in the Scriptures which will of God as in my said writings t is plainely prooved as wee shall hereafter cleare ought to be the onely directrix of all our requests I affirme in that which I have written that all our petitions ought to be framed according to Gods will expressed in his Word and Mr. Norrice gives out and that in writing too that these are my assertions set under my owne hand and in my owne name concerning the point of absolute praying for outward blessings in the particulars without any condition expressed of the will of God therein Sir you have made but a bad beginning and as it will appeare anon a worse conclusion But more of this hereafter And thus from the Title or Preface I passe to his collections And thus they follow SECOND PART HE saith 1. That this opinion is newly raysed from the dead by him and his Complices and that it hath a long time bene buried in the pit of oblivion 2. That to use the conditionall If to stand with the will of God in praying for any temporall benefit doth argue both ignorance and infidelity 3. And that we may be sure to obtaine the very thing petitioned if the fault be not in our selves 4. And therefore that wee should not rudely unadvisedly and ignorantly upon all occasions runne to God onely with an If. 5. For our petitions are not then aggreeable to the will of God when wee say If it be thy will to give us this or that neither doth the Lord delight in such bablings but when wee leave it out and say Lord thou hast promised to give the thing wee now desire at thy hands 6. Neither let thy heart put thee off with this poore excuse The Lord doth not see it good for thee 7. Come out then oh thou conditionall from among the petitions of the Lords prayer and sit downe yonder for thou wert never placed there by Christ nor art of his planting thou hast robd God of his glory and deprived us of many blessings and a long time luld us in too much ignorance and security c. 8. That to affirme the promises of God for temporall things are conditionall is a doctrine of mans invention one of the Popes unwritten verityes 9. For that all the promises made to the obedient are absolute in Levit. 26. and Deuter. 28. so that if they did what was required it was absolute certain they should have the blessings and there was no other thing mentioned or implyed and so for the disobedient on their parts the evills and punishments threatned in these outward things 10. Also that the Saints may and ought as absolutely looke for temporall necessaries and pray for them as for the forgivenesse and pardon of the their sinnes c. contrary to Psal 73. 11. That the Martyrs Heb. 11.37 that are sayd not to accept deliverance did refuse it because persecution is a blessing and the portion of Gods people in which they are to rejoyce and therefore there is no warrant to pray against persecution at all for it is to pray against a blessing c. so the Martyrs persecuted themselves 12. That when Salomon saith Eccles 9.2 All things come alike to all and there is one event c. he speaketh not as the truth is but according to the judgement and censure of the world that doth so thinke and imagine and therefore in the third verse the holy Ghost doth condemne it saying it is an evill he saw under the sunne that is that men say there is no difference betweene good bad in outward things but all things come alike c. 13 That to teach men to follow the example of our Saviour Christ and the Apostles even in this matter of prayer and submission to the will of God is a doctrine worthy to be spued out of the Church and not fit to be taught therein for that we are to follow rules and not the example of any therefore thô our Saviour and St. Paul did as we confesse pray conditionally for outward matters yet wee are not to follow them nor to make their doings our rule it being a chief pillar of the Church of Rome this ground c. 14 That whereas St. Iames chap. 4.15 gives a charge to all that they ought to say not absolutely but with condition if the Lord will I will doe this or that is nothing to our purpose for that is of saying and this of praying 15 That to say when Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sicke undoubtedly he desired his health and prayed for him is an unwarrantable speech and groundlesse collection for who told you St. Paul prayed for his health or where is it revealed in Scripture and therefore another may say no doubt St. Paul did not pray for his health c. for my part I cannot see how it should be resolved unles wee call Paul or Trophimus from the dead againe c. 16 That for any to teach men to pray conditionally for temporall benefits and with submission to the will of God expressed or implyed is to blaspheme the truth and to teach an ignorant and unfaithfull kinde of praying Concord cum Originali The Answer to this second Part. Mr. Norrice having laid downe his Preface in the next place be layeth downe the particular assertions of his owne collecting from my writing but sitting them for the most part to make good his conceits concerning them that so there might be some shew of honestie in his proceedings And therefore to make good his reports in the first place he setteth downe a preface pretending it to be the ground of my opinion concerning praying for outward things And to make that seeme apparant hee doth in the next place by an idle Prosopopeia faine me speaking to his purpose for saith hee hee saith that is Rice Boye saith these and these things So that the Reader must necessarily understand that Mr. Norrice doth bring me in speaking thus I Rice Boye doe say that this opinion is newly raysed from the dead c. Now what I have sayd and what he sayth good Reader thou shalt plainely see And that wee may proceed orderly and omit nothing I will speake particularly of each particular as they lye in order
I made plainely appeare in that as is there specified the will of God so much of his will as is necessary for man to knowe is revealed in the Scriptures which Scriptures Gods written verities are absolutely sufficient to instruct us in all saving knowledge which I prooved by that of the Apostle 2. Tim. 3.15 Now sayd I whereas you affirme that the promises for temporals are conditionall notwithstanding in the whole Scriptures there is no condition expressed what is it els but to affirme that God hath not revealed so much of his will in the Scriptures as is needfull for us to knowe And to make this appeare I brought your owne words to be your judge as it doth there thus follow You say that this position of yours namely that the promises for temporall things are conditionall is one of Gods truthes for you presse it upon men to beleeve as a truth from God and yet you say that God hath not expressed this truth in his word for you say it is implyed c. From which premises I drew this conclusion So then to affirme the promises of God for temporall things are conditionall is a doctrine of mans invention and not of God and certainly to make the best of it it is but as one of the Popes unwritten verities And thus much is made plaine by your owne words as they immediatly follow Unwritten you confesse it is for if any man should but aske you where in the Scriptures doth God say the promises are conditionall you have nothing to answer for ought I know but this the condition is implyed c. Now whether or not I have in this speech affirmed any more but what the Scriptures as also your owne words doe cleare let the unpartiall and honest hearted judge 9. The ninth place runneth thus in my writing For you know and must needs confesse that the Lord Levit. 26. and Deuter. 28. made absolutely to his people Israel precious promises In which promises there is no condition implyed c. Now by this and that which followeth I made it plaine even to the weakest capacity that that of Lament the fowerth which you alleaged to proove the promise to be conditionall is not any thing at all to the purpose For your Minor proposition being denyed you labour to proove it by that place thus The Lord for the sinnes of his people doth strippe them of outward comforts some times in part some times wholy unto death as you prooved Lament 4.15 Ergo the promises of outward things have conditions implyed in them and are not absolutely intended This was your doctrine And how doth this proove the promises to be conditionall Especially seeing the Lord as in my answer is manifested upon condition of their obedience did absolutely promise to give them such and such blessings If saith he thou obey .i. thou obeying his commaundements all these blessings shall come upon thee But if thou disobey .i. thou disobeying my commandements all these curses shall come upon thee c. Now while Israel walked with God in sincerity they wanted nothing of that which God promised them as the current of the Scriptures doe proove But they rebelling against him for they pluckt away the shoulder Zach. 7.11 He brought upon them this plague of famine which the Prophet Ieremy doth here bewaile The pittyfull women Lament 4.10 according as hee had threatned Lev. 26. and Deuteron 28. did eat their owne children for want of other meat What now as I there demaunded the question was the cause of this plague of famine Your owne words there is the answer The Lord did visite them thus for their sinnes So then by this it doth appeare that in prooving your argument you have spoken against your self in that you affirme the sinne and rebellion of the Iewes was the cause why God did thus plague them And is not this the thing which I labour to defend yet now by you opposed namely that it is our as it was their ignorance rebellion infidelity which doth robbe us of many blessings and bring upon us many punishments So that for ought I see you are contrary to your self Let all men now judge what daunger there is in that which I have written Notwithstanding you labour to make men thinke as bad of it as possibly you can in that you here in this place leave out those Scriptures which I use to make that plaine which I have sayd as if there was no warrant for what I speake The Lord lay not this your injurious dealing to your charge 10. The tenth place in my writing is thus The Saints of God may and ought as absolutely depend upon the promises of God for their dayly bread i. for things necessary as they may for the pardon of their sinnes This point is confirmed thus It is indifferently acknowledged by our whole Church that the promises of God concerning the pardon of sinnes and life eternall ought absolutely to be depended upon without any scruple c. The ground of our depending upon God for soule or body is his promises which God in Christ made to all his servants as the Apostle prooveth 2. Corinth 11.14 all the promises as well temporaries as spiritualls are in Christ Yea and in him Amen Now that God in his word hath promised his servants things necessary for the body as well as for the soule I made it appeare in divers places As that of Peter 2. Epist 1.3 Math. 6.25 to the end Rom. 8.32 and Iohn 15.7 with divers other Scriptures and reasons which are too long here to repeat all which you have left out as if I had no ground for what I speake And here I feare your study was to entangle you have put downe this position consisting partly of your owne words and partly of mine without quoting that Scripture which I had used to proove it As also you have thrust in this parenthesis of your owne contrary to Psal 73. why could you not if you had meant plainely have quoted some or one of those Scriptures which I cited to proove this position as well as you have cited this in a parenthesis which is none of mine that so the Reader might have compared yours mine together But I perceive your meaning 11. The eleventh place runneth thus in my writing Hence it was as I conceive seeing to be persecuted for the truth is such a blessed thing that those tortured Saints Heb. 11.35 accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection and this made St. Paul Act. 21.13 willing and ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus In my answer to your first argument it is thus written Those in Heb. 11.37 suffered those things for the truthes sake neither did they accept deliverance And Paul also 2. Cor. 11.37 suffered those things for the Gospels sake in case of persecution as hee testifieth 2. Tim. 1.12 which kind of sufferings both of
patience manfully to persevere in the truth and that he would make us instruments of his glory Thus what I affirme in my writings concerning persecution and those tortured Saints Heb. 11. is cleared by the Scriptures from being dangerous But now to your collection In which writing as before is specified I use the very phrase of the Scripture which you have left out and here you bring me in to affirme that the Martyrs Heb. 11. that are said not to accept deliverance did refuse it or they might have bene deluded if they would which words are not in all my writings but they are of your owne invention So that the Reader cannot conceive but that I affirme those Martyrs had deliverance offered them but they refused to injoy their liberty together with the freedome of their consciences And to the end you might strengthen these conceits you have added this parenthesis of your owne so the Martyrs persecuted themselves In which saying you doe but labour to forestall the judgement of the Reader and possesse him with a bad conceit of what I have written before indeed hee doth truely understand or know what I have written that so you might the easier shape all to your owne foote Besids in this your extraction you have not placed those words which are mine as I have written them but you have taken some from the answer to your first argument and some from your other writing whereas you had done better had you placed my words and mine onely in their proper places I leave it to your conscience what you intended in doing the contrary Meane time I am sure I undergo many scandalls and foule reproaches which by reason of you and your proceedings are most falsely laid upon me 12. The twalefth place runneth thus in my writing Concerning those 2 places which you produce to proove your position you doe greatly mistake the true meaning of the holy Ghost in them For the meaning of the holy Ghost in that of Eccles 9.1.2.3 is quite contrary to your interpretation For your interpretation is according to the judgement of the world which judgement the holy Ghost doth condemne as appeareth vers 3. for saith hee this is an evill among all things that are done under the Sunne c. Men of the world judge it so but what then because they say there is no difference betweene the just and the unjust concerning these things must their saying therefore be true Alas it is no such matter c. This you know is written in my answer to your third argument wherein I give you to understand that you have greatly mistaken the true meaning of those 2 places which you alleadged to proove your position and that the meaning of the holy Ghost in that of Eccles 9.1.2 is contrary to your interpretation Now what is your interpretation of those words Is it not this namely that there is no certaine bettering of the outward state by faith and grace For after you had repeated the words of Eccles 9.1.2 you say thus Which could not be so if there were any certaine bettering of the outward estate by faith and grace So that here you make the Wiseman to patronize your saying and that these words of yours There is no certaine bettering of the outward estate by faith and grace is the summe or meaning of the holy Ghost in them Whereby it doth appeare that you make the meaning of the holy Ghost to be according to the judgement of the world For you make the holy Ghost to patronize this speech There is no certaine bettering of the outward estate by faith and grace which saying is the saying or judgement of the world and condemned by the holy Ghost vers 3. Now that the holy Ghost doth condemne your judgement being as I said before but the judgement of the world appeareth plainely in that is shewed in this verse that you offer violence to that text in drawing a conclusion which hath no sound footing from it the meaning of it being as appeareth by this verse contrary to your interpretation But here notwithstanding that before specified you give out in this collection that I affirme that when Salomon saith Eccles 9.2 all things come alike to all and there is one event c. hee speaketh not as the truth is but according to the judgement and censure of the world c. Is there any such saying in my writings or doe I say that Salomon in that place speaketh not as the truth is I remember indeed that I have said and so doe still that your interpretation of that place is not as the truth is but according to the judgement of the world but you find not this in all my writings that Salomon in this place speaketh not as the truth is What is this better then a plaine falsifying of my writings and a laying false imputations upon me But let this passe and in conclusion I pray you take notise that an argument framed according to the true intent and meaning of the holy Ghost in that of Eccles 9.1.2 will not in any measure contradict what I have affirmed concerning prayer for outward blessings 13. The thyrteenth place is thus in my writings In this argument I deny your Major proposition a doctrine more fit to be spued out then taught in the Church of Christ being as was your first proposition a chief pillar of the Church of Rome This wee will make plainely to appeare Whatsoever is mans duety to observe in Gods service that must be commanded by God for nothing but a commaundement from God can make a man owe a duety to God This is the ground of that conclusion which is there prooved by that of Eccles 12.13 and that of our Saviour Math. 28.20 whereupon I inferred this speech Now if any man shall teach men to observe any thing as a duety which God hath not commaunded t is beyond his commission A created worship a worship of his owne invention which God never required What is the whole drift of my speech or what is the doctrine which I said was more fit to be spued out then taught in the Church of Christ Was it not this Namely to make examples without any commandement to be the ground of a duety seeing such service as in my writings is prooved is will-worship and will-worship is idolatrie And wherein if you speake truely can you find fault with any thing which I have there written For is will-worship which is idolatry fit to be taught or cast out of the Church of Christ and is not that will-worship or a created service which is offered to God without the authority of any commaundement For who requires such a service at thy hands Nay if this doctrine was but reasonably pressed Examples without the authority of any commandement are sufficient grounds of duetyes or examples thô commanded are equivalent with precepts in Gods worship would it not looke more towards Rome then Sion There is great difference
made either to a temporary faith in that respect as you call it Temporary namely as it is said to last but a while nor to Temporaryes that is as I conceive your meaning to those who are out of Christ Iesus Thus much I knew before as also maintained against you as appeareth in my answer to your third Argument For among other your assertions this is one namely that the very same dispensation in outward things belongs to one as to another to the evill and the good and there is no difference which assertion I there opposed and made it appeare to be a position contrary to sound doctrine and thus much you doe now in this place acknowledge in that you say There are no promises made to Temporaries that is to wicked and ungodly persons So that you have justly brought that upon your self which you unjustly intended against another For by your owne confession you contradict your self If that in your argument be true then this here must needs be false if this be true that cannot be currant I pray you take notise of this and the Lord give you an humble heart and willing minde to confesse your fayling 3. To your third conclusion I thus answer That notwithstanding temporary faith so called by you because it lasteth but a time doth faile when tribulation commeth Mat. 13.21 Yet it doth not therefore follow from this distinction that more can have assurance of helpe in their greatest misery seeing in my distinction yet not mine onely I termed that faith tempory not as you faine would have me because it lasteth for a time but because it apprehendeth temporall promises and blessings Nay doe not I labour to perswade the Saints of God to beleeve that they may have assurance of helpe and deliverance in and out of temporall plagues and miscryes if they are not found to lacke temporary faith that is a firme and stedfast apprehension of the temporall promises which God in Christ Iesus as the eternall promises have firmely made to all his servants 4. To the fourth conclusion I answer That if by faith here you understand faith in so generall a sence as it is in that of Heb. 11.1 that is as it apprehendeth both temporail and eternall promises it is sufficient both for the matters of this life and that which is to come for faith there generally conceived apprehendeth both things eternall and temporall as before I have shewed but if by faith here you meane that speciall one faith which justifieth to eternal salvatiō being an apprehension of a thing that is eternall and an Act of that faith Heb. 11.1 You shot besids the marke Now whereas I use these words These 2. kindes or sorts of faith are both the gift of God I therein speake but the truth for as the former namely Iustifying or Eternall faith is as one faith a perswasion given of God for apprehending eternall life and his Adjuncts So the second namely temporary faith so called as before I termed it is a perswasion given of God for apprehending temporary life with the Adjuncts So that now you see notwithstanding your great stirre this distinction being thus grounded upon the word of God remayneth unmooveable and I doubt not the foundation being so firme but that the building will also stand notwithstanding all the stormes and tempests that beate against it For Sola veritas invicta opprimi sed deprimi non potest And I am bound to say that the maine doctrines in my writings as by them may appeare are warranted for truth by authority of Scripture and if need did require it may be prooved warrantable by authority of approoved writers both at home and abroad notwithstanding I must therefore be slandered and derided EPILOGVS THe ground and foundation of all these horride reports which are scatered abroad of me good Christian concerning prayer for outward blessings I here present to thy view is it not Mr. Norrice his collections from my writings which hee affirmeth to be my Assertions c. Whereunto I have here directly answered Iudge righteous judgement are those reports true which thou hast heard reported of me Have I affirmed under my owne hand and in my owne name first That to teach men to pray for temporall benefits with submission to the will of God expressed is to blaspheme the truth Secondly that wee may pray for any thing and have it Thirdly that Gods will must be subject to our wills and to what wee desire Fourthly that whosoever wanteth outward necessaries have no faith but are meere infidells and the like fooleries Have I either taught these fopperies or are they affirmed by me in any of my writings Who hath ever heard or seene it Where doth he dwell or what is his name If these reports be but flying speeches and meere flanders and thou canst not produce any to stand forth to justify against me that I affirmed these particulars neither that any other to shew it under my hand then know whosoever thou art that hast received these accusations and againe report them that thou hast gone beyond thy bounds seeing one of Gods Canons runneth thus Receive not an accusation against any one under 2 or 3 witnesses And againe Iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 4.5 Yea but it may be thou wilt say that those rumours which thou received'st and againe reportedst concerning me came from Mr. Norrice and it is strange if he should speake or write any thing much more such foule things of any one without sound and sufficient warrant Strange and lamentable it is indeed yet how true it is I leave it to thy godly and judicious judgement comparing my writings with his collections And if thou findest after due examination all these as hee here affirmeth to be my assertions and that under my owne hand then let me beare the blame for ever but if not then know that the reproach I hereby suffer is very great and to me the more grievous in regard it is brought upon me by such a one as he whom notwithstanding I desire that hee would yet once ingenuously confesse wherein hee hath offended In the meane time for my part I can take it as a glory to passe by offences Howsoever to finish all give me leave to add this memento by an apostrophe Mr. Norrice you know that long since I made you acquainted with the grounds I hold concerning praying for temporall blessings whereunto at first you assented but not longe after you framed 5. Arguments intending thereby directly to contradict that which before you assented unto which Arguments you sent to me and withall desired that if they were faulty or fayling I would send you word wherein As also set downe in writing my opinion concerning prayer for outward blessings which thing at length I did and sent you as you desired me in writing both an Answer to your Arguments as also the grounds concerning the point before specified wishing you to shew what I had written to whom you would This being done had you well done you should have shewed had you shewed any my writings and mine onely that the Reader might have judged accordingly In stead of so doing you drew certain collections grounded upon snaps and snips of my writings wherein sometimes my words are corrupted sometimes cut off by the waste to the destroying of their sence sometimes some clause of your owne thrust in as if it were mine and sometimes doctrine foysted in for which you have no ground in my writings but indeed denyed and opposed in them as in this my answer it doth and may appeare And yet for all this you are not ashamed to say I wonder at it that in this paper you have presented to the Readers view no more but a view of my Assertions set downe under my owne hand and here you have laid your credit downe to pawne that these collections of yours doe agree with that which I have written as appeareth by these words Concordat cum originali which you have subscribed immediatly after your collections notwithstanding that collection immediately going before I will be bould to say it and that without an If is a doctrine of your owne invention and none of mine which yet you have here fathered upon my writings O Tempora O Mores Let all men judge whether you have not grosly carried your self in this matter in that you have laboured by your false collections to make me odious in Towne and Country If you have thus abused my Assertions spread before your eyes faire writing what marvaill is it though some prejudicall Heare give credit to your speeches and through your meanes abuse to eares of many with many sencelesse fopperies If you by this your dealing either out of malice or passion have not onely raysed scandalls and foule reproaches on me but also to effect your owne ends gone about to pervert both Priest and people then know that God will find it out and that without timely repentance publikely reproove them God give you so to consider of it as it may never be laid to your soules charge FINIS