An Apologetical Narration Or a just and necessary VINDICATION OF CLEMENT WRITER AGAINST A Four-fold Charge laid on him BY RICHARD BAXTER And published by him in Print Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World Jam. 1. 27. In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men Mat. 15. 9. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you FOR I was an hungry and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye clothed me c. Mat. 25. 34 35 36. Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in Mat. 23 13 14. The Second Edition with an Appendix by the same Author LONDON Printed for Daniel White and are to be sold at his Shop at the seven Stars on the North-side of St. Pauls To the Reader READER I Have here set before thee the whole business between Mr. Baxter and my self intreating thee to bear with such faults as happily thou mayst apprehend either in me or the Book and the rather let me move thee hereunto First Because I may requite thee with the like kindness when ever thou shalt be provoked in like manner to make thy Defence being openly set upon by such a potent Assailant as now I have been Secondly because it is more then probable that thou and I as well as all other men may be mistaken in apprehending of Errors when indeed and in truth the Error may be and many times is meerly in our own apprehension being much vitiated by Custom and Education Wherefore I advise thee once and again seriously and impartially to consider the whole matter over and over and then also not hastily to enter into the seat of Judgment because things of such high deep and weighty concernment need always due and exact weighing and that with sutable Balances wherein humane learning must neither have the pre-eminence nor bear any sway at all And especially in thy judging be very sollicitous and exceeding careful so to doe it as neither to wrong the Truth nor thy own conscience For if thou doest I assure thee whosoever thou art all the Honour and Advantage Profit and Preferment which thou shalt either retain or get thereby will proveâ—tly unreparable damage at last Pray with me therefore that the eyes of our understandings may be opened and anointed with Eye-salve that we may clearly see perfectly apprehend and certainly judge between both Persons and things that differ And in the mean time to exercise mutual Charity and forbearance one towards another at least until our Ignorances be much less and our Authority much more to judge one another in these matters Worcester this 25. of March 1658. Farewel Reader I am against my will provoked by Richard Baxter to make here my just Defence against some charge laid upon me by the name of Clem. Writer in a Pamphlet of his INTITULED A second Sheet for the Ministry wherein though he something mistakes my name yet I suppose I am the Person he ayms at THe first Charge is in p. 6. thus That Clem. Writer told him That no man is bound to believe that Christ did rise again or the rest of Christianity that seeth not Miracles himself to prove it Answ 1. I deny these words in manner form and sence to be ever spoken by me And 2. If any such words or of like import were spoken by me it was to this effect and meaning namely That no unconverted or unbelieving man is bound by God upon pain of damnation to believe and obey the Gospel without Divine evidence to attest unto him the truth thereof whereon undoubtedly to ground that his faith c. This long hath been yet is and must be my judgement until I am otherwise informed and I conceive there are sufficient grounds both from Scripture and Reason to confirm me therein But I leave it to Gods will not determining what Divine evidence he please to use for that purpose whether Signs Wonders diversities of Tongues Miracles casting out of Devils curing of the Lame healing of the Sick raising of the Dead for I finde that by these and other the like demonstrations of the powerful works and gifts of the Spirit he usually confirmed the Word every-where preach'd by his true Ministers for the conversion of men to the Faith of the Gospel insomuch as by the meer shadow of Peter and by the very handkerchiefs of Paul were special Miracles and many Cures wrought as may be seen in Mark 16. 20. Heb. 2. 4. Act. 2. Act. 5. 14 15 16. Act. 8. 6 7. 1 Cor 2. 4. Compared with Act. 19. 11 12 18 19 20. and many other places And as for Tongues these were for a sign not for them that believe but for them that believe not 1 Cor. 14. 22. And we likewise finde that the end of Christs sending of these powerful gifts of the Spirit to abide with his true Ministry and Church for ever Joh. 14. 16. was chiefly to convince the unbelieving world Joh. 16. 8. Thereby not onely to afford them successively in all Ages an infallible ground of Faith but also to bring them under guilt of much sin if they obeyed not the Gospel which otherwise would have been no sin at all in them Joh. 15. 24. And hence it was that the Apostles themselves were commanded to stay until they were endued with power from on high to enable them to do those mighty Works for the attestation of the truth of their Mission and Message for the conversion of men to the Faith of the Gospel Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4 8. And it 's likewise worthy our Observation That neither the twelve nor yet the seventy were sent out at first until they had power given them over Devils and diseases c. whereby to enable them by Divine Evidence to attest the truth of that their Mission although they were then sent but to preach in the Land of Judea only Mat. 10. 5 6. Luk. 10. 1. c. And these being persons meerly of the same Language Kindred and Country might therefore have challenged to have been credited by the Jews upon their own bare testimony only without producing any Divine Evidence at all if any had been so to be credited Yet neither were they nor ought they nor Christ himself to be so credited in these matters as is most evident Joh. 10. 37. Joh. 5. 31 34 36. compared with Joh. 15. 24. And since that none of these were nor ought to be so credited how then dare any mortal man or men of what degree order sort or company soever now upon the face of the Earth assume or challenge to themselves any such Authority or Divine
Sorcerers insomuch that the Sorcerers themselves were convinced and openly confest them to be no otherwise wrought then by the Finger of God And do not you your self in your Saints Rest part 2. pag. 232. tell us That Irenaeus affirmeth That in his time the working of Miracles the raising of the dead the casting out of Devils healing of the sick by meer laying on of hands and prophesying were in force and that some that were so raised from death remained alive among them long after And that Cyprian and Tertullian mention the (c) Note here that these powerful gifts of the Spirit were both ordinary and yet convincing ordinary casting out of Devils and challenge the Heathen to come and see it And in your Saints Rest part 3. pag. 242 243. you do likewise tell us That it is certain from currant Testimony of Church-Records that the gift of casting out of Devils and making them (d) even to the Devils themselves and continued 3 or 400 years at least in the Church after the Apostles all which is granted and proved by R. B. himself confess themselves mastered by Christ did remain in the Church three or four hundred years at least after the Apostles And for this you produce divers Authors and after say That no where could Satan keep his Possession where the power of Christ did assault him And it is likewise evident by the Scripture That the gifts of the Spirit and the Ministry thereof by laying on of hands were to continue in the Church for all that were either then or afterwards called or converted to the Faith to partake thereof even as well all afar off as those that were neer Act. 1. 5. Act. 2. 38 39. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Gal. 3. 5. Comp. Act. 18. 12 14 to 18. Act. 19. 1 to 7. And it is evident also That the Apostolical Office to whom the Ministry of the Spirit was committed together with the Prophetical and Evangelical as well as the Pastoral and Doctrinal being all such meerly by gift were all joyntly by gifts to continue in the true Church for the perfecting of the Saints c. till we all come to the Unity of the Faith c. in Christ from whom the whole body fitly joynted together and compacted by the effectual working of that one Spirit by his several gifts in the measure of every part maketh encrease in the body unto the edifying of it self in love being all baptized into that one Body by some manifest gift of the Spirit to profit the body withal Eph. 4. 8 11 12 13 16. 1 Cor. 12. 7 13. For God saith the Apostle hath set in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then gifts of healings helps in Government diversities of tongues 1 Cor. 12. 28. And as the gift of tongues was to continue for a signe to unbelievers so also was the gift of prophesie to continue in the Church for the profit and comfort of believers 1 Cor. 14. 22 31. All which laid together manifestly prove the continuance both of the Apostolical and Prophetical Offices in the true Church not onely for the first age and for four hundred years after but also that they were and are alwayes to continue therein and are and will be therein wheresoever it is and whensoever it shall be upon the face of the Earth notwithstanding all that is or can be produced or proved by R. B. to the contrary in his proposing a lame and imperfect body of Christ dismembred and without his chiefest members yea and quite memberless These spiritual diversities of manifest Gifts being the formality of the diversity of the spiritual members of Christ their spiritual Head but R. B. tells the world That these Gifts are now both useless and unnecessary if a man might with safety take his word against both reason scripture and experience and albeit he may therein nevertheless easily prevaile with many weak and inconsiderate men yea and please many thousand others whose interests are concerned who though they be at Daggers-drawing with him and amongst themselves concerning the most material points of the Gospel yet herein his service will be acceptable in that he affords them help though very little at so dead a lift even when they were breathing out their last of divine right both to Office and Benefice and which was not long since quite dead as may appear by their petitioning the long Parliament for its reviving but the Parliament declared and that most truly That all just power must be derived from the people hence they proceed to act mighty matters and all in the name and authority of the people of England and still at the adjournment of the Court after a solemn cry of O yes they founded out with a loud voice God save the good people of England whence will follow as a necessary Consequence that if any divine right remains now in England it is in the people of England But a little further to the point in hand and to use Christs argument against the Pharisees slandering his casting out of Devils to be done by the Prince of Devils If Satan saith Christ cast out Satan how shall his Kingdom stand The like may I say If God doth not apparently distinguish the works done by his Spirit and Power for the Confirmation of the Gospel from those wrought by Satan or any other created power how shall his Wisdom Truth and Justice stand in his requiring Faith and Obedience unto the Gospel and that upon pain of damnation meerly upon the account of the mighty works wrought for its Confirmation and yet not to distinguish them by some such apparent signes from all other done by Satan or his instruments as they might evidently and undoubtedly be known by all men For saith Christ if I had not done and that among them the works which none other man did they had not had sin John 15. 24. The second Charge is in pag. 7. If Miracles saith R. B. were ordinary few would be moved by them as any proof of a divine testimony To this saith he Clem. Writer answers me miracles were convincing in the first age when they were common How common saith R. B. not as natural operations Answ VVho ever said they were as common as natural operations not Clem. Writer But here R. B. sets up a Dudman of his own invention to affright Daws from questioning his far-fetcht false and unwarrantable Doctrines and then when he pleaseth makes an Adversary of it fights it stoutly conquers it beats it to Clouts with his Fists and who now can deny him his just triumph for so glorious a victory But to the Charge it self against Clem. Writer for answering you Miracles were convincing in the first age when they were common is this any offence in Clem. Writer for so saying when R. B. himself hath proved it over and over That Miracles were both ordinary and convincing even to the Devils themselves not onely in the
for all have that also nor can it be the perswasions of the Spirit that he can pretend to have which the others may not pretend to have as well as he And I think it may be boldly asserted unpossible for such different perswasions to proceed from the spirit of God as to judge or condemn one another for Hereticks or Erroneous Persons either as these do Wherefore it is more safe and reasonable to deem that none of them all were nor are indued with the Spirit of God but such onely who could or can and also did or do manifest the same by some Divine Evidence and Demonstration as none being destitute thereof can possibly do The fourth Charge is in the eighth page being thus If the Church or Ministery saith R. B. had an end Christs Kingdom had an end and he Reigned not for ever Mat. 28. 20. Lo I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world To this express Promise Clem. Writer hath no wiser an answer but that it is conditional if they teach men to observe all things that Christ hath commanded them he will be with them else not To which R. B. replies and saies This is your forgery there is no such words but an absolute Promise Answ And doth the Promise indeed come in so independently as R. B. hath here set it forth Reader see with thine own eyes for thou and I too have look'd too much and too long with other mens see if it hath not a necessary Dependence and Relation to the next precedent words in the Text which thou shalt finde to run thus viz. Going therefore teach or disciple all or in all nations baptizing them c. teaching them i. e. the baptized Disciples to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world The genuine and true sence whereof I conceive to be this viz. That in their so doing and teaching alway Christ promiseth to be with them and their true Successors alway even to the end of the world But R. B. his sense seems to be thus much That Christ doth there promise absolutely to be with them and their successors alway even to the end of the world they teaching whatsoever false Doctrine or introducing never so many humane inventions into the Gospel-Worship yet that Christ's promise is absolute still to be with them alway even to the end of the World notwithstanding An Exposition highly gratifying the Pope and justifying his Divine Authority being Peters Successor No Papist can advantage him by an Exposition of this Text more or better then R. B. hath here done And whereas R. B. tells me This is your forgery there is no such words but an absolute promise Answ Can any man give his Sence of any Text or explain the meaning thereof but he must do it in some other and more words then are in the Text yea and doth not R. B. himself in the next words following tell us That the promise is absolute Christ being with them to support and help them in his Work Answ These words not being in the Text is his forgery also for how else is my taking but the same liberty forgery and his doing the same thing no forgery But perhaps his Commission is with a non obstante to pervert or falsyfie Scripture at his pleasure and yet have the absolute promise of Christ still to be with him to support and help him in that his Work How strangely hath he perverted the true meaning of this Text For 1. He cites the last words thereof as if they had been intire and absolute without dependence upon any precedent words 2. The word whatsoever he leaves out and also them which relates to the baptized disciples and instead thereof he foysteth in men as if the teaching last mentioned in the Text had relation to men in general and unconverted whereas it is confined onely to the baptized Disciples that they being converted and baptized should then be taught to observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded those eleven Disciples and accordingly R. B. himself hath opened and given the sense of this very Text in his book of Infidelity Part 4. page 40. And nothing in Scripture is more evident then that Christ after his Resurrection commanded these eleven not to go out in the exercise of their Ministery and preaching of the Gospel for the converson of men to the faith until they were indued with power from on high telling them that they should be so indued when the Holy Ghost was come upon them Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4 5 8. And as these were commanded by Christ so they accordingly stayed and waited until they received this power before they went forth Now if R. B. had been disciplized and baptized by any of these Eleven or by any true Ministery succeeding them he ought and undoubtedly should have been taught the very same Lesson viz. to stay until he had been indued with like power from on High as these Eleven did and who had run before they had been sent as R. B. hath done if they had not so stayed Multitudes are the Scriptures throughout his first and second sheet which he forceth against their genuine sence to do him Divine Service in up-holding the Ministery he pleads for In his first sheet page 4. he brings in for that purpose Christs speech in Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Answ These words were spoken by Christ to the twelve Disciples Chap. 9. 1. and to the seventy Chap. 10. 1. VVhom he sent out to preach giving them power over all devils and diseases and to do other miraculous works to attest the truth of their Mission and Message as is to be seen Chap. 9. 1 2 6. and Chap. 10. 9 17 18 19. Charging them to take nothing for their journey neither staves shooes scrip bread purse nor money giving them also other special directions for their behaviour wheresoever they came Chap. 9. 3 c. Chap. 10. 3 c. Now although these words of Christ were truly applicable to these to whom they were spoken and to all others succeeding them unto whom God should himself in like manner bear witness by such mighty works yet are they not applicable to any others to whom God bears no such witness The Reason is because their preachings being evidently witnessed by God himself to be truth it was and might therefore be truly said of such He that believed not them made God a lyar And also to such He that heareth you heareth me c. Yet it is no more true nor appliable to the preachings of R. B. nor of any of the Ministers he pleads for coming without such Divine Evidence then it is to the Preachings of the Jesuites or of any other coming without such Divine Evidence to attest the truth of their Mission or
and principally to the Eleven Apostles and to their Successors in the Apostolical Office Whence will follow That if this promise be absolute as R. B. would have it then it will prove the Apostolical Office to continue alway even to the end of the world but this promise though it should be absolute yet it will neither prove the continuance of the Church nor of any inferior Officer any otherwise then by a Consequence and that from the continuance of the Apostolical Office which together with the prophetical and the rest of the powerful gifts of the Spirit R. B. grants is ceased long since and by consequence both Church and inferiour Ministry likewise for the inferiour Ministry was by gift as well as the superiour and the superiour as well as the inferiour and both were of equal continuance and for many reasons were both of them useful and necessary to continue with the true Church the one as well as the other and the superiour office most necessary of any Eph. 4. 8 11. 12. 13. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Wherefore it is the less to be marvelled at That R. B. being so learned and so wise yet makes no learneder nor wiser a Reply to Clem. Writers foolish or no wiser an Answer And now I hope a man may without any blasphemy or forgery either say to this great Clerk That he erreth not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God As for the Scripture see how grossly he hath wilfully or ignorantly perverted it And as for the power of God which always did accompany the true Ministry of the Gospel and Church for the Conviction and Conversion of unbelievers to the Faith this he denies rendring it now useless and unnecessary as if now there were no unbelievers in the world nor any Children born unbelievers to be converted and as if Christs sending of that his powerful gifts of the Spirit to accompany and abide with his true Ministry and Church for that purpose for ever had been for the most part useless and unnecessary John 14. 16. John 16. 7 8 9. whereby he casts a foul aspersion on the Wisdom of Christ himself in his doing that by much which he might have done by little a sault seldome or never committed by a wise man But the task here undertaken by me was onely to make some necessary defence for my self against his open assault made upon me by his fourfold Charge which having done I shall not follow him in the rest of his fallacious Arguments to discover the vanity and falshood of them but shall leave that to be done by some abler pen who can throughly anatomize and lay the faults of them open particularly and in their Colours which I am as unable to do as that plain and unlearned man was who assembled at the first Nicene Councel of whom Socrates Lib 1. Chap. 5. relates this Story viz. Before the Bishops met together in one place the Logicians busied themselves propounding against divers others certain Preambles of Disputation and when divers were thus drawn to Disputation and allured as it were by bayts a Lay-man one of the number of Confessors of a simple and sincere mind set himself against the Logicians and told them this in plain words That neither Christ neither his Apostles had delivered unto us the Art of Logick neither vain fallacies but an open and plain minde to be preserved of us with faith and good works The which when he had spoken all that were present had him in admiration and held with his sentence then the Logicians after they had heard the pure words of plain truth quieted and setled themselves aright so that at length by that means the stir raised by reason of Logick was wholly suppressed From which we may observe how great the bashfulness of humane learning was in former times as so to be repulsed from medling or intermixing it self in matters of Divinity by the check of one plain man and how impudent it is now become even to bear all the sway therein getting admission no doubt at first under the colour of being but a Servant or Hand-maid to Divinity but now this Hand-maid maid hath gotten into the Chair and Room of her Mistris the gifts of the Spirit and justled her quite out both of Doors and esteem These being now deemed both useless and unnecessary matters and Humane Learning having now gotten the sole possession of all the Glory Honour and Praise due onely to her Mistris for do not some make great boast What a g Whereas the more learned they are in humane Arts and Sciences the more able they are to delude by transforming the grossest Errors into the similitudes of the purest Truths learned Clergie is now amongst us that the whole world hath not the like Yea and how doth my Assaylant R. B. glory and boast therein and that so transcendently in his Book of Infidelity part 1. pag. 37 38. as there to express himself thus viz Let the wisdome of God be observed both in the stream of Doctrine and in the effect of the Holy-Ghost in illuminating the Church so that you may look over all the rest of the world at this day and easily see that they are all but Barbarians even in humane and common knowledge in comparison of the Christians especially in the things of God they are utterly blind He further goes on Indeed Christ did at Rome and Athens cause a Star of humane learning to arise but it was only for a time and that at that season a little before his own coming in the flesh of purpose h Note how he all along denies the powerful gifts of the Spirit to be now useful or necessary yet see how useful and necessary he here makes humane learning as to be even a Star caused by Christ to arise of purpose to direct men to the Son of righteousness and to be an Usher to prepare the way for the Gospel and after all that he makes it a gift of the Spirit and continued in the Church by Christ as if Christs being exalted at the right hand of the Father and by his receiving of him the promise of the Holy-Ghost and his shedding it forth on his Disciples Act. 2. 33. was meant humane Learning Is not be with the cloven foot filled with this gift of the Spirit as much as R. B. or the most learned in Europe to direct men to the Son of righteousness and to be an Usher to prepare the way for the Gospel and when the Gospel was come he hath now delivered even all the learning in the world that is worth the speaking of unto his Church and continued even these common gifts of the Spirit therein If this be the best Divinity he can afford us I shall send him to a Cobler Samuel How by name to learn better out of a Book extant entituled The sufficiency of the Spirits teaching being a Sermon of his upon a Text given him by Mr. John Goodwin and
Christ evince to the world the truth of his Doctrine we shall find it was by this of Miracles and undoubtedly Christ knew the best Argument to prove the divine Authority of his Doctrine And that which was the best then is the best still See Saints Rest page 236. A. Yea and do not all the Ministers of the Gospel as they call themselves I may say of all the various Gospels now on foot in the world contest against one another onely by words and Sophisms c. without using any of the fore-mentioned weapons used by Christ as well and as much as any of the learned Philosophers and Artificial men here specified by you Page 247. B. Christ obtained victory over Satan and his best armed Souldiers both Jews Idolaters Conjurers Sorcerers Hereticks with their Witchcrafts and jugling Delusions the great learned Philosophers of all Sects with Orators and Poets and the rest of their learned men N. Are not all these sorts of Enemies to the Truth yet remaining A. Yea and hath not Christendom since given entertainment even to such as are the most notorious Deluders of them all and admitted them into highest place Rule and Authority in the Church witness our Author who informs us That the Supremest Officers even Popes themselves have been Hereticks Whoremongers Sodomites Symonists Murtherers See the lives of Silvester 2. Alexander 3 and 6. John 11 22 and 23. Gregory 7. Vrban 7. and abundance more John 13. was proved in Council to have ravished Maids and VVives at the Apostolick doors murthered many drunk to the Devil asked help at Dice of Jupiter and Venus c. in his second sheet page 13. And can it be imagined but that such heads had suitable bodies and members If any Reformation since be urged Answer not in Rome nor in the Reformed Protestant Churches witness Mr Whites Centuries being all Protestant Ministers and that of the reformed Churches and witness yet their continual supplying their Churches with teaching Ministers generally out of their Magazine of Artists and Sophisters even to this day Yea and doth not our Author being one of the most eminent Ministers of one of the most eminent reformed Churches so highly magnifie and advance humane Learning that he accounts it a gift of the Spirit delivered by Christ himself to the Church and therein to continue as before is noted out of his book of Infidelity part 1. page 38 Nor is any of all this more then what we finde foretold vizt That Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God and be there worshipped as God I shall not say that humane Learning is a special Limb of that Beast but I will say that Antichrist shall never attain to that his Advancement but by the special assistance and means of humane Learning nor shall I say that this worshipping of humane Learning as a Gift of the Spirit is a part of the fulfilling of that Prediction but this I must and dare say That the Scripture informs us How that the Apostle Paul by the spirit of Prophesie declared to the Church That after his departure grievous Wolves should enter in among them not sparing the Flock and that of their own selves should men arise speaking perverse things drawing Disciples after them and that in the latter times there should be a departing from the Faith and a giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron And that Christians should turn away their Ears from the Truth and having itching Ears should be turned unto Fables and should heap to themselves Teachers for the purpose Act. 30. 29 30. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. which also is confirm'd by Peter telling Christians that there should be false Teachers among them who should bring in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. Now tell me is not here work cut out sufficiently meet for the most notorious exquisite of this learned artificial Rabble aforementioned yea even for the very worst of them as Witches Sorcerers and Conjurers c. for who 's more meet to teach Doctrines of Devils damnable Heresies c. then Such unless it be the Devil himself The Fourth PART Page 40. B. His teaching is joyntly by his Word Ministers and Spirit N. VVhere or who are they Page 40. B. Mat. 28. 19 20 21. where he bids them first disciple the Nations which contains the convincing of them of age of the Fundamentals and procuring their consent and then baptize them that they may be solemnly engag'd N. That is whom they convincingly did disciple those onely they ought to baptize A good and honest confession for the Anabaptists Page 40. B. Now there are two gross Errors which Professors do oft run into to their perdition the one is when they do not first lay the Fundamentals as Certainties but hold them loosly N. Can any make Fundamentals of Uncertainties Page 41. B. If they read the Scriptures c. and when they are at a loss they do not go to their Teachers N. How ill is it that the Bible had not been kept in an unknown Tongue and not made so common Page 42. B But they go as confident censurers and as Boys that will go to School to dispute with their Master N. And who many times are these Masters even very Boys coming from the University Page 42. B. They receive not the truth in the love of it that they may be saved God oft gives them up to believe a Lye and reject that truth which would have saved them if they had received it N. This is only of such as reject such a Ministry which is absent from among us Page 45. B. I have shewed you already how fully he hath sealed his Testament N. At his last Supper he said This is the blood of the New Testament which was before any of that which we call the new Testament was written Page 46. B. If it had no divine attestation or evidence that it is of God then you might reject it without sin or danger N. Here it 's confest whatsoever Doctrine is brought by any for divine without divine attestation may be rejected without sin Pa. 56. B. But when God hath put his seal to it and proved it to be his own if after this you will be questioning it c. N. This need better proof if the Scripture be here meant A. Or your or any other mans Doctrine drawn from Scripture Page 46. B. Think not the proved sealed Word of God is ever the more to be suspected because the matter in it doth seem strange and unlikely to your reason N. No rational man is guilty of this by his so thinking A. But he must upon some sufficient ground know it to be the sealed and proved word of God else he cannot in reason but doubt it to be such About the middle of his Preface B. The Holy Ghost by special inspiration was the
disagreed about the Definitions of Faith Repentance and almost all Graces N. This proves them no true Divines The Third PART Page 9. B. If we can evince this That Christs great works and his Disciples were done by the Holy Ghost and not by evil spirits then I think we shew the credibility and certainty of Christian Religion N. I conceive the doubt lies not in this A. For it being granted That those works were done by the Power of the Holy Ghost yet the doubt still remains in full force namely How your Doctrines are any more confirmed by Christs or the Apostles works then the Jesuites or Dr. Kendals Mr. Crandons or Mr. Tombes his Doctrines by all whom most of your Doctrines are contradicted or then his Doctrines who may contradict both yours and theirs also Page 55. B. And what I speak of sight I say also of just report he that will not believe c. N. But by what warrant do you equalize these since Christ hath put so vast a difference between them John 15. 24. John 10. 37. Page 59. B. What evidence can be mentioned de facto of a divine attestation that ever God gave to mankind in any case that is higher clearer and more convincing then those works by which he hath sealed the Scriptures N. This is most true being applied as it ought to the preaching of Christ and his true Ministers whose preaching they did seal and attest but not the Scriptures nor any mans preaching from them is sealed by those mighty works formerly (k) This and divers other reasons are here urged which are not so much as hiâ—â—ed by the Author of Fides Divina done for a thing sealed precedes the sealing thereof Page 62. B. The inward work of the Spirit is either of common gifts as Learning or the like succeeding our industry or extraordinary as Miracles Tongues Prophesie c. N. Is it learning which makes Learning attained by Industry a Gift of the Spirit or is it not at least in consideration and if this may be justified by a distinction of Common and special or extraordinary then every natural gift and Science or Trade may as well be accounted a gift of the Spirit and given forth upon Christs Ascention A. Wherefore as the Art of making Hats Gloves Shooes Kettles or Pots and other the like Crafts acquired by Industry be not any of the gifts of the Spirit shed forth by Christ upon his Disciples mentioned Act. 2. so the Craft of humane Arts and Sciences acquired by Industry is no gift of the Spirit given forth by Christ for whatsoever is attained by Acquisition is not by gift and so on the contrary Page 67. B. Such works were done when in all Churches many of them were so common c. N. Were these common why then do you elsewhere term them extraordinary And why might not we expect them to be as common now as then if we had true Ministers and Churches now as then Mar. 16. 17. Page 69. B. There being but one Regeneration but one Baptism to signifie and seal it N. Where in Scripture is Baptism termed a seal of Regeneration A. Or of any other thing Page 71. B. If I had not done the works which no man else could do c. N. Among them is here and elsewhere omitted A. Which is no fair play nor just dealing Page 73. B. In case they hear onely of Christs Person Sufferings and Doctrines c. N. This hearing of Christs Person c. need to be attested likewise to bind men to believe else men may wave it without sin unless the Servant be greater and of more Authority then Christ their Master John 10. 37. Page 74. B. It is a not believing when they have fullest evidence to force belief N. The fullest evidence was to them in whose sight and presence the mighty works were done but not to such who onely hear of them by the report of another or by tradition or the like Page 75. B. The Spirit of Christ especially in his extraordinary works is the convincing attesting seal to draw men to believe and there is but one such Spirit and Seal N. Then where this one is wanting convincing is wanting John 16. 7 8 9. Whence I quere Whether the ground of this sin against the Holy Ghost be not also wanting since it is granted That there is but one such Spirit and Seal and this one being wanting A. You your selves confess That those convincing gifts poured out upon the Apostles are ceased against which the sin against the Holy Ghost might be committed and you never yet produced any thing in its stead armed with like Power and Authority for Convincement whereby to bring men under sin much less under the sin against the Holy Ghost for not believing any of you all Page 76. B. It is now the duty of all men to believe and repent N. Mens duty is in their power else not their duty required by the Gospel unless you can make it good news to any man to be required either to carry Pauls Church on his back or else be hanged Page 133. B. They to wit the Mahometans will not suffer it to be disputed nor reasoned of but absolutely to be believed without asking any evidence for its truth N. This is a fault among many who call themselves Christians as well and as much as mong Mahometans A. Yea and most of all among such as call themselves Ministers of the Gospel Page 191. B. The first Declaration of this undertaking to wit of Christs conquest over the Serpent c. was to the Serpent himself Gen. 3. 15 but doubtless in the ears of man to his comfort N. This is more then you find made known in Scripture Page 191. B. Here is meant the Devil himself the tempting Serpent N. So also is this and many other things affirmed by you A. Besides the Scripture tells us The tempting Serpent was a Beast of the field Gen. 3. 1. but so is not the Devil Page 195. B. Whether the Angels were ministring Spiritâ— to Adam in Innocency is more then I finde made known in Scripture and therefore I think it unsafe and imprudent to conclude either that they were or they were not N. This Moderation had been well used in many other places instead of your peremptory Assertions in things as doubtful A. Yea and more improbable by much Page 219. B. He to wit Christ telleth us That it was he to wit the Devil that deceived Eve 2 Cor. 11. 3. N. How doth this appear or Where doth Christ tell us so A. Not in the Text cited by you for that tells us It was the Serpent that beguiled Eve Page 245. B. Christ hath appointed the first day of every week for this end N. Where is this to be found Page 244. B. Christ used other kind of weapons then theirs they pleaded by words and he with mighty works they used Sophisms c. N. If we consider by what argument did