than to take Errours and Hercsies for granted Consider Sir Churches have err'd and may err yea in Matters of Faith too if so who is to be blam'd he that by Reasoning seeks for Liberty or he that unjustly with-holds it thro' Imposition Did we seek to impose our Hypothesis's on the World we were as much to be blam'd as you but if we only set up ours to confute the Uncharitableness of yours wherein do we trespass You say we are Hereticks and have no Understanding And whence come you to judge thus freely of us and not we of you So you say we blaspheme but pray is not your Charge precarious and if retorted falls it not as heavy on your self If we err indeed we blaspheme the Son and Holy Ghost which we hope we do not but if you err do not you both blaspheme and commit Idolatry in worshipping them as coequal to the Father But Sir we desire to have a Charity for your Misconstructions and will give it you where possible if so pray at least return our love you see we stoop to make the first offer charge us not therefore that we are only eminent for Blasphemy and Nonsence for surely you may add in the other scale that we have a courageable good will to Truth are some of us perverse or do some of us revile and what are such Men wanting quite on your side REFLECTIONS If therefore you leave us but room to advise you as much as the Great Moses left Jethro let us beg you for Christ's sake to cut off all these Offences remember 't is not Generous much less Christianly to discountenance a weaker Brother But what you believe not me yet at least believe my Truths for surely Christ's own Argument will hold you Can you expect Peace in Christ's Church whilst you thus allarum and startle Mens Consciences by so great and grievous Impositions Or what do you expect Men should have no Conscience or Resentment for Truth If you do not do not fetter them thus you know 't is no Argument of Errour to be singular nay I am sure you know very well that Truth is rarely popular but rather suppressed and stifled through Mens Lusts Let us learn therefore to let Natural Religion lead our Revelation else the Curse of the Holy Ghost will fall upon us and tho' we have eyes we shall not be able to see nor were we Turks should we be capable of being converted indeed when we are bewitch'd to the fury of a prepossess'd Zeal will not all Men say we rather bafle than love or scearch for Truth when we argue Excuse me Sir that I am thus free with you which I should not have been had it not been in Justice to my Cause but I durst not let these prepossessions ensnare my Reader and yet not that I think so heinously of you for them neither for many that have wrote much worse then your self on the Subject have been more confident and I could wish myself as well as you out of harms way of Error indeed could I have had a fair Hearing without I had been very easily otherwise satisfied PRECOGNITA I shall now only present you with a few Precognita to state duly the true Idea of the Controversie between the Trinitarians and the Arrians and I shall then proceed to a particular Answer and I hope you shall see too to your satisfaction and without the least needless Cavil or Objection whatever The Trinitarian believes That there is One God but that he Exists in Three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost and that these Three Persons are co-equal and co-eternal and by a Joynt Power created the Heavens and Earth Men and Angels and all things else that any way exist They believe this Trin-unity even now continues to Rule the World by a Joynt Providence but that for Orders-sake they have distributed their Dominions into several and subordinate Personal Offices thus they make the Father alone to personate the True God the Son to become Incarnate to redeem us to his Mercy and the Holy Ghost under the Son to assist us through Grace in his Trials The Arrian believes That there is but One God and that he Exists but in One Person that the Son and Holy Ghost are neither co-equal nor coeternal with him that he first made the Son and through him fram'd the Holy Ghost and Angels that some of the Angels falling with Lucifer He through the Son and by the Holy Ghost fram'd this World and Man within it They believe there is no co-equal Trinity to Rule the World through a Joint Providence but that their Dominions are subordinate and adequate to their Powers thus that the Father alone is the True God that the Son became Incarnate to satisfie God's Justice to redeem his Creation and to destroy the Devils Malice in Adam that the Son has deputed the Holy Ghost to assist us through his Grace in our Trials By this Sir I hope I have given you a fair Breviate of the two Hypothesis's I shall only beg your Patience whilst I add two or three Principles to illustrate the Controversie and then after a few Reflections on them I shall desist my Precognita and proceed PRINCIPLES 1. Nothing is more manifest than that the Jews in the Idea of their First Commandment conceiv'd but One Person to be in their One God. 2. Could the Jews or Judas have charg'd Christ with pretending himself to be the Supream God which the Gospel tells us the False Witnesses principally labour'd after they would not only have made their Acclamation We have no King but Caesar and their Inscription on his Cross Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews John 19. but they would have added No God no False God too 3. Lastly 'T was near 300 Years after Christ e're Tradition and Scripture-Interpretation were so much as urg'd to explain and bring forth a Trinity My Reflections upon these Principles shall be only Two and they are as follows First That the Doctrine of the Trinity has alter'd the first and greatest Commandment as it were by chance and whereas the Goodness of God in such a Case would certainly allow us a solemn Repeal the Athanasian Creed is so far from such Mercy that it makes this very catch poenal of Salvation and that very Trinity that without doubt received their Honour jointly before can now be admitted on no pretence to receive it otherwise than severally Secondly You see hereby this Great Mystery is not purposely requir'd but accidentally enforc'd so that whether this inscrutable Mystery and incomprehensible Hypothesis be a Divine Truth or not yet at least this is plain the means of knowing it are Humane and consequently the whole Mystery itsself disputable and left to the Understanding of Man to examine Now whether the little grounds Men pretend to for the support of this Mystery be sufficient or not is what I have undertaken to disprove in answer to you by this following Treatise
so that tho' there be but One Supream God the Father yet he has constituted the Son and Holy Ghost two Deputies under him calling the Son an Angel in this deputation in the Old Testament And on this Foundation stand those Expressions Let us make Man c. And thus through the Son it is that we are said to have Access by one Spirit to the Father and thus it is that the Holy Ghost and Sâ—tan the Eâ—â—l God are in us like two contrary prompting and ruling powers Thus it is that the Son as Governour under the Father of these two lesser Gods administers the Gifts of the One and restrains the temptations of the other whilst they are in a perpetual War in us that is all Mankind at once one helping us the other tempting us one comforting us and the other accusing us one having seven the Number of Perfection attributed to him as likewise has the other And thus you are to understand the Texts of a universal good Angel and a universal evil one and tho' some have thought both Satan and the Holy Ghost rather Names of Orders of Spirits than God-Angels citing for it yet 't is plain by the whole course of Scripture that those places more rationally ought to be understood that those Gods have Principalities and Angels c. which are sometimes employ'd by them in Offices under them If you desire to see this Matter more amply argued you must read Mr. Bidell's Twelve Arguments of the Holy Ghost who when he had made the Holy Ghost so considerable as he did I wonder how he could continue a Socinian longer for the Scriptures so plainly set the Son above the Holy Ghost and tell us That all Power is given to the Son both in Heaven and Earth which he cannot possibly otherwise manage that I admire he did not turn Arrian through-out But to return this Order of God's Administration through the Son and by the Holy Ghost appears more plainly when we consider their gradative Stiles in Scripture and the Apostles Creed thus the Father only is called God in our Creed as only being so the Son called Lord as he only really is so under him 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. and the Holy Ghost or Spirit only stiled Holy in opposition to the Evil One. And thus the Divine Benefits we receive as from the Father are called Love and Operation from the Son Grace and Administration but from the Holy Ghost and lesser Power only Gift and Fellowship 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. 2 Cor. 13. 14. and hence it was that all Communication between the Father and Holy Ghost being through the Son Prophecies ceas'd while the Son was Incarnate Next unto these as I have said succeed Principalities Powers and Dominions Now these by their very Names shew themselves to be as lesser Deputies that is as Governours of Provinces and Kingdoms under the Gods of the World the Holy Ghost and Satan and for these and their Offices you may see Dan. 10. 12 13 20 21 12. 1. Acts 16. 9. Lastly As for Angels I need say nothing of them seeing their Names declare their Offices and the Scriptures abound with Examples of their performing them thus an Angel came to the Virgin Mary to Cornelius and several others so that of this enough And if any thing remain it must be to explain the reasonableness of there Hierarchy REFLECTIONS I say therefore when we think to reason of Spirits we must freely allow our selves an open and generous source of Thought for as the Air and much more they are too fine for the gross Casements of our Eyes so if we design duly to examine their Nature we must be able to walk without Sence a little and not think to grope grosly after them as if we would feel them First then I lay it down as a Rule That Spirits are Immortal and have no need of any nourishment nor do nor need we doubt this when we consider even how the Sun has subsisted how his unwearied Rays impair him not and how so many Thousand Years has not exhausted his Source of glowing Fuel 2 ly To this I must add that I cannot but believe that like unto Clouds in the Air they gradually subsist in each other by the proportional Purity of each others Substances nor need this be strange to us for this is evident that God at least exists in all of them and rules them as easily as they by his permission can us and if so what hinders but that he may have Deputy-Gods to do the like under him Nor can it well be otherwise than that they should rule one another thus through their gradual Purity and Inexistency for when we consider that Devils are entirely wicked and are not to be ruled otherwise than through a real force there remains no doubt but that as they are in subjection to one another so it is through such a real force as this that neither Art nor Conspiracy can destroy But yet after all this methinks I hear hear you object that this is difficult to conceive that any Creature should be of so extensive a Power And yet why so Does not the Sun do the same thing in the Sensible and Vegetable World And shall we think as general a power in a Spirit that as easily pierce the thickest Bodies as he does the Air impossible nay or so much as difficult in the rational World But what We know not how it is done no more we know not how God and our own Spirit exist within us To conclude I shall only add that this being once granted there remains no difficulty to imagine how all our Spiritual Actions are perform'd and how we are tempted thus only the Supream God and his Son possibly may see our Thoughts the lesser Gods the Holy Ghost and Satan may only have power of Imagery and prompting us while Potentates and Angels may only have power to rule and converse us But of this enough and I shall now proceed to handle those particular Texts that you and others have cited against us Particular TEXTS John 1. 1. Page 216 you tell us In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God And what Sir can be more agreeable to an Hypothesis than this to ours May I tell you more agreeable than the Trinitarian for here is no mention of a Union of these two but that in the beginning of all Things there was a God which we beheld as the Word on the Earth that Existed with the Supream God that as his Instrument made all things and that coming to his own to redeem them they knew him not And here Sir your Charges against the Socinians not only vanish to Air but turn against you when us'd by the Arrians Now that you may not take our Idea of the Son to be groundless I shall give it you thus from Scripture itsself He is the
grow to the most considerable degrees of Glory as the Scriptures assures us surely there can be no impossibility nor difficulty that God should be able to reduce the most glorious of his Beings back again and make them as from the first Seed of a Soul arrive to their Ancient Glory But to this you say pag. 244 That there is no greater Nonsence in the World than a Made God and a Creature God Sir the Proposition is bold but you have not stoop'd to a proof of it however I hope to shew you 't is neither Nonsence nor Absurd I must confess a Creature God to be imagin'd the Supream were absurd but when I say a Creature-God I only mean a Spirit of an ubiquitary Presence and multitudinary Power or one that by a perfect Self-consciousness can reason with infinite Beings at once If then Sir you will not deny it to be in the Power of God to create such a Spirit which I hope Sir you will not for I should be sorry to see my Words draw you to blaspheme the Power which you can know no Limits of but Vice Error and Weakness if you 'll grant me I say that God can make such a Power I will add he has for surely to make such more glorious Beings is much more for his Honour than all little single and weak Individuals as You and I are But you say pag. 159 160. What shall a meer Man be exalted above Angels Yes surely if he were first above them and laid aside his Being only for a time and in obedience to his God And what say you Can any thing under infinite Wisdom Rule the World Yes Sir God's most glorious Son that is wiser than all Men and Angels besides and that is in the Bosome of the Father and so has his assistance may rationally do it And pray Sir where are the Absurdities and Contradictions of these things Methinks Sir in this you should have been asham'd of your Reasoning You can allow God's begetting a Son co-equal Rational pag. 221. but 't is with an horrour that you detest an Angel-God But pray Sir if the Notion of God's begetting a Son be not carnal tell me why he has not more Sons than One You dare not blaspheme him sure to say he is not more fruitful or are you so niggardly to think he can multiply his Glorious Issue too fast But to return to my Subject Hence it was if you would know That the Son says he could do nothing of himself pag. 169. and hence it was That whilst Incarnate he had need of the help of the Holy Ghost but the Reasons that you have given in these things are so shuffling pag. 187 270 that I blush to read them Platonicism objected So that all the Objections I know against this Hypothesis is but that 't is the Platonick Philosophy made Christian and as to that I shall only say this Is Truth the worse because Plato hapned to Idea it or is Christianity to be dis-esteem'd because a Philosopher chanc'd to be in some of her Roads But least any one should think that the Doctrine of Plato should have the least influence in wresting the Scriptures to this Hypothesis I do hereby in the presence of God declare what it was that first mov'd my Judgment and turn'd me to be an Arrian and if it did me it should move us in Charity to think it did others An Acquaintance of mine speaking by chance of the Trinity told me Some thought it a breach of the first Commandment and to convince me 't was not reveal'd in the New Testament shew'd me that most notable Chapter of the First of the Hebrews Now he little thought what he had done when he did this for tho' my Zeal boyl'd against his Blasphemy as I thought it for a time yet when I reflected again with myself I thought at least his Discourse had rais'd such Scruples in my Mind that the very Considerableness of the first Commandment would necessitate me to enquire of Now this was not only all the Discourse I had with him but I remember to this day that I could never understand by his Discourse whether he were Arrian or Socinian nor indeed what either Hypothesis was tho' lately I must confess I have perceiv'd him rather enclin'd to the Socinians But thus it was that shortly after going for London where my Doubt continuing upon me I resolv'd to give myself satisfaction I saught for Books but found none indeed I did not know what to enquire for whereupon resolving to know that by myself which I could not by others without either knowing of Arrianism Socinianism or Platonism I took this following course I took the New Testament where I conceiv'd this Truth was to be found reveal'd if any where and reading it with attention I collected every Text relating to Father Son and Holy Ghost into an Imperial Sheet of Paper for neither liking giddy Tradition nor the tricks of wresting single Texts I thought that this could be the only way to find the Truth by if any Now God is my witness that when I I did thus I could not but fall into Arrianism not that I then knew what Name my Opinion had but some time after meeting with Books I saw the difference of Arrianism and Socinianism and found that I was not singular in my Sentiments but that the World had thought the same before me Nor was this all but before I knew that my Hypothesis had been known to the World thinking that I was singular in the Truth I resolv'd in Charity to Mankind to publish my discovery till some Friends hearing of it advis'd me to consider first that I might be as much blinded by my own Pride of Sâ—earch as the World was by their Corruption and Traditions Upon this resolving to be resign'd to Truth and fearing lest my presumption might ruine me I not only took all my Papers and burnt them but resolv'd to read all Books for the Trinity and converse all Persons and if possible satisfie myself to believe and acquiesce in so great a Mystery But alas Sir after all this care you see I am forc'd to differ from you so that tho' I could willingly lay by my Sentiments the better to examine Truth for a-while yet when on sâ—earch I could still do no otherwise than think my Old Opinion the best I durst not leave Truth for ever and I hope the necessity of my Case will at last induce you to a Charity for me Of Spirits Gods c. But that I may return from this digression and the better evidence to you that these God-Angels are no Novelties in Scripture let me add hereto an Idea of the Nature of Spirits as I have taken it even from the Scriptures themselves and thus there are Gods 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. 2 Cor. 4. 4. Potentates Principalities Rulers and Dominions Col. 1. 16. Eph. 6. 12 1. 20 21. and Angels c. God signifies a Spirit of Universal Poâ—â—…er
beginning of the Creation of God for Righteousness exalted to be God's Son and yet as so wholly dependant on the Father So he is likewise made our Universal Lord and Ruler nay even Lord of All with express Eminence and Judge who before his Incarnation was that Word by whom God made the Worlds and fram'd all Things whether visible or invisible but yet so as an Instrument only Which Texts I must agree with you Sir I think the Socinians wrongfully wrest to a new Creature Further tho' the Son be often called God in Scripture as yet that can give us no ground to equal him to the Father the Supream God because God is not only a Title as I have said often bestow'd on Creatures but is particularly intended to the Son as such as you may see where he is only declared to be Lord by it which is a Title inferiour and subordinate to God. Prov. 8. 30. Your next Text I shall shall speak to is Prov. 8. 30. Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoicing always before him And what Sir does this look as if there was a coequality to be represented No surely the Text aggrandizes the Person of the Father too much and when you consider it I doubt not but you will grant me so Nor need I give you other Answer here since you know I grant Christ in his pre-existent state to be a Spirit of a Universal Power who laying aside his blessed State was deputed into Incarnation and rewarded for it being made our Mediatour the Lord of our Temple and Sabbath and King and Spouse to the Universal Church Exod. 23. 20. Page 299. you say That there are many Texts in the Old Testament even by Christ and his Apostles applied to himself as then in being and I grant it you thus Zech. 12. 10. They shall look on me whom they have pierced page 208 and in Malacby Behold I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me page 235 answering to Mat. 3. 3. But what benefit will these Texts do you Nothing really but confound your Hypothesis 'T is true Christ did appear in-being in the Old Testament but as but an Angel bearing the Name of God once in Eminence called The Angel of the Presence and as he is sometimes called in the New Testament too Who taking flesh upon him shew'd as much by the Agonies he was in But to pretend that there could be the Union of two Rationals a God and a Soul in a Body to make a Person or that the Godhead could possibly divest itself of Power and Knowledge to possess the Body of an Infant or that it was otherwise in Christ who like others was a Child and grew in Knowledge by degrees are such Principles that without Men lay by their Reason with their Religion beyond retrieve I wonder they are not asham'd of Besides even the satisfaction of Christ as God seems irrational What must we make our Creatour suffer for us e're he can pardon us and imaginarily manage the Machine of a humane Body to attone to himself and by himself What looks more impertinent and absurd But that Christ the Lord of all Creatures should attone their God for them nothing seems more rational or just if he design'd to satisfie God's Justice to destroy the Works of the Devil in Adam and bring us to Glory Heb. 2. 9 10. And upon this account it was that for all Christ's Prayer That if it were possible this Cup should pass from him God's Justice would not let it indeed he is too impartial even to spare his own Son. Heb. 1. Next I should speak of the Text Heb. 1. quoted from Psal 102. 25 26 27. and mention'd in your Book pag. 200. How Christ fram'd the World which you know I deny not however give me leave to tell you that that Context utterly destroys your Hypothesis tho' it does not mine for how you will reconcile these words Being made so much better then the Angels v. 4. And thou hast lov'd Righteousness and hated Iniquity and therefore God even thy God has anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows viz. Angels in the Context I know not and yet you see Christ is called God that it is mentioned in his highest degree in the same Context v. 8. 9. So that I hope Sir if our Brother Socinus cannot please you as wresting too much the Scriptures in his Interpretations as you complain pag. 229 230 yet the Arrian may give you satisfaction and shew you there is an Hypothesis more apt may I say almost infinitely than the Trinity John 3. 16 Page 238 you tell us The Fundamental Mystery of Christianity is that God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life And I agree with you Sir provided you will but take away your additional stretch of an Eternal Generation to the Words and let the Scripture interpret them Now the ground upon which the Scriptures say Christ is called God's Son you may see plainly and so for his Resurrection which God accomplish'd for him But where is it we are to find he is his Son through an Eternal Generation Not surely because he is called God's Son for that he was not unless prophetically before his Incarnation nor only begotten for that might be only as he was God's eminentest and only peculiar Creature indeed the Texts before-cited take away all other Mystery from the Word whatever So for his being without Sin in the Flesh it might be because as I said he was immediately God's Creation whereas all things else were made by him and through him and consequently more imperfect and for that cause too he may properly be called his only begotten Son and his express Image as no one besides has or is capable of managing an entire Deputation under him And upon this account indeed it was too that he alone was able to bear the weight of the Prophecies and Tryals incident to our Redemption for if I may so say not only the Tryals were too hazardous to be ventur'd at by an ordinary Angel but no One except the Great Lord of the Creation would be like to shew so great a Love to it in its Redemption Heb. 2. 9 10. Besides as God's Justice is most impartial so even tho' the Son undertook the Office he was not favour'd in it thus when he became Incarnate he had no Power of his own nor was he called to his Office till he had first sought to God with tears and when he was too he was often left to the sharpest Tryals alone or else he could never have cry'd out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me when he was upon the Cross as he did Indeed had
whole course of Scripture against you that have not so much as one Arrian Author to assist me I have already inform'd you what turn'd me to be an Arrian and now I shall add that when I had once resolv'd nothing should be dearer to me than Truth and bethought me the Corruption even of Primitive Tradition and saw a necessity of sticking wholly to the Scripture the Sun was not clearer to me than the Doctrine which you call Heretical and Arrianism And give me leave to tell you tho' you have Popularity and the Temporal Sword on your side yet blaspheme it more if you dare if there be such a thing as blasphemy against the Holy Ghost as we have Christ's word there is to your peril be it Sir I tell you 't is to blaspheme the known Evidences of his Truth and if these be such I dare venture my Truths with the Sword of the Spirit against all your carnal Weapons Remember Sir there is a Sin unto Death we may not so much as pray for 1 John 5. 16. and all our pretences and good Works will be of none effect while we blaspheme the most great and sincere Truths of God beware Sir of this great and fiery Tryal I mean perversly to blaspheme God's Truths especially when so considerable as this this is that that will make the Tree good and the Fruit good and the Tree evil or its Fruit evil indeed can you expect to be call'd or receiv'd as a Son when you openly and malitiously proclaim'd your self a Rebel to the only and great means of Government of the Holy Ghost TRADITION HAving now done with the two first Heads of my Discourse the proof of the Trinity by Reason and Scripture I proceed to the last viz. Tradition wherein would Men but be content to believe as they pray I should be satisfied for that they do almost wholly to the Father and therein may I say they give all their pretences to Tradition the greatest Lye even the Cause is capable of bearing but alas the World is made too giddy by this Mystery to bear such or any other Reasoning I know Sir you are very confident that she is of your side as you say page 31. but your Proofs and Suggestions for it are as few and inconsiderable as even I can wish for pag. 40. Thus you would fain wheedle us that Men were Arrians and not Arrians And what Sir was it out of Charity that they forbore to call the Trinitarians Hereticks If it was 't was a sign they were the better Christians for it not that their Cause was the worse So you asperse the Great Council of Arminium of 550 Bishops of so seeming or wou'd-be an Imputation pag. 43 that I am asham'd to see 't What Sir do you think they would have called the greatest Council that ever was if they had design'd a tricking Or are you resolv'd to trust more to the Council of Nice because not so many Methinks Sir you should think it enough at least that your Tradition was disputable then that you had such Numbers against you and not repose in forging Rome for blemishing Councils You tell us Mr. Bull has answer'd this matter throughly page 24. But I tell you Sir I have perus'd him and he has not and were it worth my while I would shew it you too besides Sir would you expect a fair and strict Combat after so many Years while Rome has held the stakes What wont you make us no allowances in your Thoughts Not that we beg it neither But is it generous first to fetter a Man and then challenge him What shall I say Is this the way to defend your Catholick Faith That Faith which you say requires both Forehead and Forgery to deny it page 44 when you should say to maintain it REFLECTION Give me leave to advise you a little Sir if you are resolv'd to follow Tradition Be not partial in it Why should you act by halves you would be a good Papist were you sincere and follow'd it throughout Or if as a Protestant you hate this course why do you not pursue it more home and to the root Tradition was only of use till the Scriptures were deliver'd and indeed 't is well if 't was contain'd pure till then as we may most justly censure by St. John's Advice to the Churches in the Revelations But to continue Tradition further what is it but like the Jews to make the Law of God of none effect by our Traditions You must excuse me therefore if I think Tradition to be too much a Nose of Wax to be alledg'd against Scripture especially such express apparent and self-evident Texts as Heb. 1. and John 16 I shall therefore leave you to jangle out your quoted Inconsistencies page 107 108 113 114 119 120 121. And tell you withal such Variances are no Miracle in a Traditionary Mystery In short Sir if ever you design for Truth you must learn a new bravery to be able to dare to be singular think you that Men that geld suppress and sorge Books are in the right or they that persecute all that oppose them Surely I hope you think better that these are the Engines of weaker Error and yet this is even the present Case and who dares even at this day and in sull Protestancy to write or speak freely He is sure of being suppressed at best Damnatory Sentence But before I leave this Subject there is another part of your Discourse that deserves to be consider'd and that is your Damnatory Sentence wherein I wish I could spare you but your love for your Mystery has so inspir'd you with such a furious and unchristian Zeal that 't would be an Offence to the World should I leave it unanswer'd under so great a Name Thus P. 22 you say this Faith is necessary to Salvation and p. 23. That no Jew Turk or Pagan can be sav'd without it And that whether he has us'd reasonable diligence or not Or whether it has been perplext with never so great Controversies The same you add page 271 only you add this merciful Apology That Men may understand it if they will. And further that I may give your Argument the greatest force you add page 25. That to say Men can be sav'd by good Works alone without Faith is Popery And page 26. That if Salvation were so common Christianity were but a better Sect of Philosophy and there would be too great a scope for Infidelity page 23. ANSWER Alas Sir I pity you had you regarded Natural Religion more and your Mystery less you would not have abounded with such an Envy and Monopoly of Salvation What must we have no Faith but be sav'd by Works because we have not just this Mystery And what is it nothing to Christianity that we have several degrees of Glory as an Encouragement set in our prospect and search above the Heathen Or what Sir is your Eye evil because God is good Would you have God