the design of christianity, or, a plain demonstration and improvement of this proposition viz. that the enduing men with inward real righteousness or true holiness was the ultimate end of our saviour's coming into the world and is the great intendment of his blessed gospel / by edward fowler ... fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the design of christianity, or, a plain demonstration and improvement of this proposition viz. that the enduing men with inward real righteousness or true holiness was the ultimate end of our saviour's coming into the world and is the great intendment of his blessed gospel / by edward fowler ... fowler, edward, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by e. tyler and r. holt for r. royston ... and lodowick loyd, london : . contains engraved half-title page. errata: p. . one page of advertisement bound at end. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng catholic church -- controversial literature. christianity -- essence, genius, nature. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the design of christianity . qvi seqvitur me non ambulat in tenebris . clem. alexandr . paedag. — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the design of christianity ; or , a plain demonstration and improvement of this proposition , viz. that the enduing men with inward real righteousness or true holiness , was the ultimate end of our saviour's coming into the world , and is the great intendment of his blessed gospel . by edward fowler , minister of god's word at northil in bedford-shire . london , printed by e. tyler and r. holt for r. royston , bookseller to the king 's most excellent majesty , and lodowick loyd . mdcl xxi . imprimatur , april . . . rob. grove r. p. dom. episc. lond. à sac . dom. to the reader . reader , whereas there was , somewhat above a twelve-moneth since , exposed to publick view ▪ a free discourse between the two intimate friends theophilus and philalethes ; which containeth an account of some principles and practices of certain moderate divines , &c. together with a defence of them , i desire thee to take notice that in this tractate is pursued the main and fundamental reason of that dialogue : as , if thou art not a stranger to it , thou mayest easily guess by the foregoing title-page . and if thou shalt please to give thy self the trouble of running over the following pages , i hope thou wilt be satisfied that the doctrines that are chiefly maintained in that book , do most naturally result from , and those which are most opposed in it are confuted by the argument that is here insisted on . if thou conceivest that in demonstrating the establishment of real righteousness and true holiness in the world to be the ultimate design of our saviour's coming , and the grand and even whole business of the christian institution , i have taken upon me to prove a proposition that is as evidently and imdisputably true as any first principle ; i must tell thee that i most heartily wish there were more of thy mind than i doubt there are : and that i have been so far from giving my reader any the least temptation to suspect the contrary , that i have expresly ( as thou wilt see ) shewn , that there is nothing in the whole world more clearly apparent than the truth thereof , to such as are not , either through ignorance or wilfulness , very strangely blinded ; or that have , with any seriousness , read the new testament or but a small part of it . but though this be so , i may not be accused of so idley employing my self in the first section , as if i there held up a torch to shew the sun ; for i have pointed to it by its own light only ; that is , exposed to thy view in a few leaves the summ and substance of that abundant evidence which throughout the gospel is given us of that great truth . and whosoever shall say that to do this was needless , i shall give him my unfeigned thanks , would he make me sensible that i am guilty of a mistake in believing otherwise : and , upon that account , rejoyce to be convinced , that i have in that business spent time impertinently . but , alas , it is no less undeniable , that a discourse of this nature is necessary and seasonable , than that the matter thereof is true : for it cannot be at all doubted , that the design of the christian religion is by abundance of its professors very sadly mistaken ; and that ( though it is with infinite plainness expressed to be no other than the reformation of our lives , and purification of our natures , and is wholly adapted to that purpose ) the complaint that tully took up of certain philosophers , viz. that they esteemed their philosophy ostentationem scientiae , non legem vitae , a boast of science , not a law of life , may be applied to not a few of those that are called christians , concerning their opinion of christianity . and besides that there are diverse opinions that too many among us are greatly fond of , which make it absolutely certain that they think otherwise than they ought , and have entertained unworthy notions of the design of the gospel , it must be acknowledged that such practices are likewise observable in the far greater part , as are a demonstration that if they have no false conception of it , yet it is but little considered , and therefore not thorowly believed by them . and this alone is abundantly sufficient to avouch the usefulness of my undertaking both in that and the two other sections . and till those that profess themselves christ's disciples do more generally become effectually sensible ( as those of the first ages were ) that the mystery into which they are initiated is purely a mystery of godliness , and that it is entirely composed of such principles as tend throughly to instruct man-kind in the particulars of that duty that the law of their nature obligeth them to , towards their creatour , themselves and their fellow-creatures ; together with the most powerful motives to excite , and the best means and most successful assistances to enable them to a faithful discharge of them ; we may never hope to out-live or to see the least abatement of that gross superstition , fanaticism and enthusiasm , or those mad enormities and most impious practices which have now for a very long time sullied and most miserably defaced the beauty , obscured , nay and even utterly extinguish'd the glory of the church of christ ; have laid the honor , w ch she was deservedly once crowned with , in the very dust ; and bring the borridest scandal upon her holy profession and that blessed name she is called by . but not to detain thee with a tedious preface ; thou wilt have no reason to accuse me , upon the account of this discourse , of starting and troubling the world with any more controversies ; but mayst on the contrary be greatly assured , that there cannot be taken a more effectual course to put an end to those we are at this day disturb'd with , and to the pernicious effects of all whatsoever , than is the right explaining and well improving of the subject that is here handled : for this is to strike at the grand cause of them , they being to be imputed to nothing so much as to the ignorance of , or non-attendence to , the design of christianity . i will add no more , but that if thou shalt please to accept this small performance as ingenuously and candidly as it is meant honestly ; and believe that it proceeds not from an humour of scribling , but a sincere desire of doing some service , thou wilt be but just to him , who is ambitious of nothing so much as of being instrumental towards the promoting of that most excellent and infinitely important design in thy heart and life . e. f. the contents . sect . i. that true holiness is the design of christianity , plainly demonstrated . chap. . the nature of true holiness described . pag. . chap. . a general demonstration that the holiness described is the design of christianity , by a climax of seven particulars . pag. . chap. . a particular demonstration that holiness is the onely design of the precepts of the gospel . and that they require , . the most extensive holiness , . the most intensive . an objection answered . pag. . chap. . that holiness is the onely design of the promises of the gospel , shewed in two particulars ; and of the threatnings therein contained . pag. . chap. that the promoting of holiness was the design of our saviour's whole life and conversation among men ; both of his discourses and actions . and that he was an eminent example of all the parts of vertue , viz. of the greatest freedom , affability and courtesie : the greatest candor and ingenuity : the most marvellous gentleness and meekness : the deepest humility : the greatest contempt of the world : the most perfect contentation : the most wonderful charity and tenderest compassion : stupendious patience , and submission to the divine will : the most passionate love of god , and devoutest temper of mind towards him : mighty confidence and trust in god. an objection answered : the most admirable prudence . pag. . chap. . that to make men truly virtuous and holy was the design of christ's unimitable actions , or mighty works and miracles . and that these did not onely tend to promote it , as they were convincing arguments that he came forth from god , but were also very proper to effect it in a more immediate manner . pag. . chap. . that to make men holy was the design of christ's death , proved by several texts of scripture : and how it is effectual thereunto , discovered in six particulars . pag. . chap. . that it is only the promoting of the design of making men ●…oly , that is aimed at by the apostles insisting on the doctrines of christ's resurr●…ction , ascension and coming again to iugdement . pag. . sect . ii. upon what accounts the business of making men holy came to be preferred by our saviour before any other thing , and to be principally designed by him . chap. . two accounts of this : the first , that this is ●…o do the greatest good to men . and that the blessing of making men holy , is of all other the greatest , proved by several arguments , viz. fir●… , that it containeth in it a deliverance from the worst of evils ; and sin shewed so to be . pag. . chap. . the second argument , viz. that the blessing of making men holy is accompained with all other that are most desireable , and which do best deserve to be so called : particularly with the pardon of sin , and god's special love . and that those things which sensual persons are most desirous of , are eminently to be found in that blessing . pag. . chap. . the third argument , viz. that whatsoever other blessings a man may be supposed to have that is utterly destitute of holiness , they cannot stand him in so much stead , as onely to make him not miserable . and all evil and corrupt affections shewed to be greatly tormenting in their own nature , and innumerable sad mischiefs to be the necessary consequents of yielding obedience to them . pag. . chap. . the fourth argument , viz. that holiness being perfected is blessedness it self ; and the glory of heaven consists chiefly in it . this no new notion ; some observations by the way from it . pag. . ch. . the second account of our saviour's preferring the business of making men holy , before any other , viz. that this is to do the best service to god. an objection answered against the author's discourse of the design of christianity . pag. . sect . iii. an improvement of the whole discourse in diverse inferences . chap. . the first inference . that it appears from the past discourse that our saviour hath taken the most effectual course for the purpose of subduing sin in us , and making us partakers of his holiness . where it is particularty shewed that the gospel gives advantages infinitely above any those the heathens had , who were privileged with extraordinary helps for the improvement of themselves . and . that the good principles that were by natural light dictated to them , and which reason rightly improved perswaded them to entertain as undoubtedly true , or might have done , are farther confirmed by divine revelation in the gospel . . that those principles which the heathens by the highest improvement of their reason could at best conclude but very probable , the gospel gives us an undoubted assurance of . this shewed in four instances . . four doctrines shewed to be delivered in the gospel , which no man without the assistance of divine revelation could ever once have thought of , that contain wonderful inducements , and helps to holiness . the first of which hath five more implyed in it . pag. . chap. . that the gospel containeth incomparably greater helps for the effecting of the design of making men inwardly righteous and truly holy , than god's most peculiar people , the israelites , were favoured with . where it is shewed . . that the gospel is infinitely more effectual for this purpose than the mostical law was . . and that upon no other accounts the iews were in circumstances for the obtaining of a thorow reformation of life and purification of nature , comparable to those our saviour hath blessed his disciples with . pag. ▪ chap. . an objection against the wonderful ●…fficacy of the christian religion for the purpose of making men holy , taken from the very little success it hath herein , together with the prod●…gious wickedness of christendom . an answer given to it in three particulars , viz . that how ill soever its success is , it is evident from the foregoing discourse that it is not to be imputed to any weakness or ●…nefficacy in that religion . the true causes thereof assigned . . that it is to be expected that those should be the worse for the gospel , that will not be bettered by it . . that there was a time when the gospel's success was greatly answerable to what hath been said of its efficacy . and that the primitive christians were people of most unblameable and holy lives . the g●…ostiques improperly called christian●… in any sence . the primitive christians proved to be men of excellent lives , by the testimonies of fathers contained in their apologies for them to their enemies ; and by the acknowledgements of their enemies themselves . an account given in particular of their meek and submissive temper , out of t●…rtulitan . the admirable story of the 〈◊〉 legion . pag. . chap. . the second inference . that we understand from what hath been said of the design of christianity , how fearfully it is abused by those that call themselves the roman catholiques . that the church of rome hath by several of her doctrines enervated all the precepts and the motives to holiness contained in the gospel . that she hath rendered the means therein prescribed for the attainment therof extremely ineffectual . that she hath also as greatly corrupted them . diverse instances of the papists idolatry . their image worship one instance . their praying to saints departed another . other impieties accompanying it , mentioned . some account of their blasphemies , particularly in their prayers to the blessed virgin . their worshipping the hoast the third and grossest instance of their idolatry . some other of their wicked and most anti-christian doctrines . pag. . chap. . the third inference . that these two sorts of persons are most extremely so●…tish . such as expect to have their share in the salvation of the gospel without true holiness . . such much more , as encourage themselves by the grace of the gospel in unholiness . pag. . chap. . the fourth inference . that a right understanding of the design of christianity will give satisfaction concerning the true notion , . of justifying faith , . of the imputation of christ's righteousness . pag. . chap. . the fifth inference . that we learn from the design of christianity the great measure and standard whereby we are to judge of doctrines . how we are to judge of the truth of doctrines . pag. . chap. . how we are to judge of the necessity of doctrines either to be embraced or rejected . a brief discourse of the nature of points fundamental . how we may know whether we embrace all such , and whether we hold not any destructive and damnable errours . pag. . chap. . the sixth inference . that the design of christianity teacheth us what doctrines and practices we ought , as christians , to be most zealous for or against . pag. . chap. . the seventh inference . that the design of christianity well considered will give us great light into the just bounds and extent of christian liberty . of complying with the customes of our country , and the will of our governours . the great difference between the mosaical law and the gospel as to its preceptive part . pag. . chap. . the eighth inference . that it is the most unaccountable thing to do that which is essentially evil , in defence of the christian religion , or of any opinions presumed to be doctrines relating thereunto . the pope and church of rome most prodigiously guilty in this particular . and not a few of those that profess enmity against popery too lyable also to the same charge . pag. . chap. . the ninth inference . that it is a most unwarrantable thing for those that are the ministers of christ to prefer any other design before that of making men really righteous and holy. that this ought to be the whole design of their preaching . that it is of as great concernment that they promote the same business by their conversations , as that they do it by their doctrine . infinite mischiefs occasioned by the loose lives of ministers . several instances of practices extremely blame worthy in preachers of the gospel . that they ought to have a regard to the weaknesses of persons so far as lawfully they may . that the promoting of holiness ought to be onely design of ecclesiastical discipline . pag. . chap. . the tenth inference . that an obedient temper of mind is an excellent and necessary qualification to prepare men for a firm belief and right understanding of the gospel of christ. that it is so by virtue of christ's promise . that it is so in its own nature . this shewed in three particulars , viz. in that , . it will help us to judge without prejudice concerning the doctrines contained in the gospel . . it will give satisfaction concerning the main doctrines of christianity far excelling any that can arise from mere speculation . . it will secure from the causes of errour in those points that are of weightiest importance . six causes of such errours laid down ; and an obedient disposition of mind shewed to secure from each of them . pag. . chap. . the last inference . that we are taught by the design of christianity , wherein the essence , power and life of it consisteth . instances of what kind of things it doth not consist in . for what ends the several exercises of piety and devotion are injoyned . how god is glorified by men , and by what means . whom it is our duty to esteem and carry our selves towards as true christians . that by following the example of christ and making his life our pattern , we shall assure our selves that the design of christianity is effected in us , and that we are indued with the power of it . pag. . the introduction . the accusation that celsus and iulian , the grand adversaries of the christian religion , had the impudent confidence to fasten upon it ; namely , that it indulgeth men in , and encourageth them to the practice of immorality and wickedness , is so notoriously false and groundless ; that there is nothing truer , or more perspicuously held forth in the books that contain christianity , than that the perfectly contrary is the great design of it . but yet notwithstanding , those that shall heedfully observe the lives and actions of an infinite number of such as call christ their master , would be very shrewdly tempted undoubtedly to conclude , that they secretly think , what those heathens had the face to publish : and as for ( i fear i may say ) even most of those professours of faith in christ , which have escaped the scandalous and more gross pollutions of the world ; that man that shall take an exact survey of their conversations also , and consider what matters they most busie themselves about , what the designs are which they chiefly prosecute , and that not onely as men , but as christians too ; what things they are that exercise most of their deal , and for and against which is spent the greatest part of their religious heat ; will be strongly enclined to suspect , that , though they have not entertained so highly dishonourable an opinion of their saviour , as to esteem him a patron of vice and wickedness , yet they think so undervaluingly of him , as to judge him so mean a friend to holiness , as that the promoting it in mens hearts and lives , if it was at all a design of his coming into the world , and of the religion he left behind him , yet it was at best but a bye-one , and that some other matters were much more in his eye , and principally intended by him. though i will not say that the greater part of our most forward professors have their heads leavened with such thoughts , yet any one may dare to affirm that they behave themselves exactly as if they had : and moreover i am absolutely certain , that it is utterly impossible , men should make such a bustle and stir about matters of none , or but small importance , to the serving or prejudicing the real interest of their souls ; and , on the other hand , be as lukewarm , unconcern'd and careless in diverse things that have the most immediate and direct tendency to their eternal wellfare ; if they duly considered and had a quick sense of what was now intimated , viz. that the business that brought the blessed iesus by the appointment of god the father down from heaven ; and the end of his making us the objects of such rich and transcendent kindness , was the destroying of sin in us , the renewing of our depraved natures , the ennobling our souls with virtuous qualities and divine dispositions and tempers , and ( in one word ) the making us partakers of his holiness . and so long as there are but few that either believe or consider , that this is the end of christianity , and that alone which it directly drives at , it cannot be matter of wonder , if multitudes of those which lay a great claim to it , should be ( as excellent a religion as it is ) little the better , nay , and in some respects even the worse for it . and on the contrary , it is not to be in the least doubted . that nothing can be so available to the introducing of a better state of things , the abating and perfectly quenching our intemperate heats , the regulating and bringing into due order our wild exorbitances , the governing and restraining our extravagant and heady zeal , the induing us with becoming tempers , sober thoughts , and good spirits , as would the thorow-belief , the due minding and digesting of this one principle . and for this reason , i am not able to imagine how time may be spent to better purpose , than in endeavouring to possess mens minds with it : and to contribute thereunto , what it can , is the business of this treatise : whereof these following , are the general heads : which shall be insisted on with all possible perspicuity , and convenient brevity , viz. . first , a plain demonstration , that , true holiness is the special design of christianity . . secondly , an account , how it comes to pass that our saviour hath laid such stress upon this , as to prefer it before all other . . thirdly , an improvement of the whole discourse , in diverse , ( and most of them practical ) inserences . sect . i. that true holiness is the design of christianity , plainly demonstrated . chap. i. the nature of true holiness described . in order to this demonstration it is necessary to be premised , that the holiness which is the design of the religion of christ jesus , and is by various forms of speech express'd in the gospel ( as by godliness , righteousness , conversion and turning from sin , partaking of a divine nature , with many other ) is such as is so in the most proper and highest sense : not such as is subjected in any thing without us , or is made ours by a meer external application , or is onely partial ; but is originally seated in the soul and spirit , is a complication and combination of all vertues , and hath an influence upon the whole man ( as shall hereafter be made to appear ) and may be described after this manner . it is so sound and healthful a complexion of soul , as maintains in life and vigour whatsoever is essential to it , and suffers not any thing unnatural to mix with that which is so ; by the force and power whereof a man is enabled to behave himself as becometh a creature indued with a principle of reason ; keeps his supreme faculty in its throne , brings into due subjection all his inferiour ones , his sensual imagination , his brutish passions and affections . it is the purity of the humane nature , engaging those in whom it resides , to demean themselves sutably to that state in which god hath placed them , and not to act disbecomingly in any condition , circumstance , or relation . it is a divine or god-like nature , causing an hearty approbation of , and an affectionate compliance with the eternal laws of righteousness ; and a behaviour agreeable to the essential and immutable differences of good and evil. but to be somewhat more express and distinct , though very brief . this holiness is so excellent a principle , or habit of soul , as causeth those that are possessed of it ( i mean so far forth as it is vigorous and predominant in them , ) first , to perform all good and virtuous actions , whensoever there is occasion and opportunity ; and ever carefully to abstain from those that are of a contrary nature . secondly , to do the one , and avoid the other , from truly generous motives and principles . now , in order to the right understanding of this , it is to be observ'd , that actions may become duties or sins these two ways . first , as they are complyances with , or transgressions of divine positive precepts . these are the declarations of the arbitrary will of god , whereby he restrains our liberty for great and wise reasons , in things that are of an indifferent nature , and absolutely considered are neither good , nor evil : and so makes things not good in themselves ( and capable of becoming so , onely by reason of certain circumstances ) duties ; and things not evil in themselves , sins . such were all the injunctions and prohibitions of the ceremonial law ; and some few such we have under the gospel . secondly , actions are made duties or sins , as they are agreeable or opposite to the divine moral laws : that is , those which are of an indispensable and eternal obligation , which were first written in mens hearts , and originally dictates of humane nature , or necessary conclusions and deductions from them . by the way , i take it for granted ( and i cannot imagine how any considerative supposing he be not a very debauch'd , person can in the least doubt it , ) that there are first principles in morals , as well as in the mathematicks , metaphysicks , &c. i mean such as are self-evident , and therefore not capable of being properly demonstrated ; as being no less knowable and easily assented to , than any proposition that may be brought for the proof of them . now the holiness we are describing is such , as engageth to the performance of the former sort of duties , and forbearance of the former sort of sins , for this reason primarily , because it pleaseth almighty god to command the one , and forbid the other : which reason is founded upon this certain principle ; that it is most highly becoming all reasonable creatures to obey god in every thing ; and , as much disbecoming them , in any thing to disobey him . and secondarily , upon the account of the reasons ( if they are known ) for which god made those laws . and the reasons of the positive laws contained in the gospel are declared , of which i know not above three that are purely so , viz. that of going to god by christ , and the institutions of baptism and the lord's supper . again , this holiness is such as engageth to the performance of the duties , and forbearance of the sins of the second kind ; not meerly because it is the divine pleasure to publish commands of those , and prohibitions of these ; but also , and especially , for the reasons , which moved god to make those publications : namely because those are good in themselves , and infinitely becoming creatures indued with understanding and liberty of will ; and these are no less evil in their own nature , and unworthy of them . that man that would forbear , gratefully to acknowledge his obligations to god , or to do to his neighbor as he would that he should do to him , &c. on the one hand ; and would not stick at dishonouring his maker , or abusing his fellow creatures in any kind , &c. on the other ; if there were no written law of god for the former , and against the latter ; doth not those duties , nor forbears these sins , by virtue of an holy nature that informs and acts him ; but is induced thereunto by a meer animal principle , and because it is his interest so to do . and the reason is clear , because no one that doth thus , onely in regard of the written precepts and prohibitions of the divine majesty , doth so out of respect to them , as such , but as they have promises , but especially threatnings annexed to them : for to be sure , he that performs the one , and forbears the other from any lovely notion he hath of obedience , and any hateful one he hath conceived of disobedience , will also make conscience of those and the like duties , in regard of the goodness , becomingness , and excellency he discerns in them ; and will abstain from these and the like sins , because of the intrinsick evil , turpitude , and deformity he apprehends in them : for those are no whit less manifestly lovely , and worthy of mankind , than is obedience to the divine will , considered in an abstracted notion ; nor these less apparently vile , and abominable than is disobedience . for , that very reason , that makes it an intolerable thing to disobey a law of god , ( viz. because it is highly unjust so to do ) makes it so also to commit the forementioned , and such like sins ; and so on the contrary . now this proposition ; that it is a base thing to do unjustly , is one of those which i call first principles ; than which there is nothing man-kind doth more naturally assent to : and those sins with many other are alike plain instances and expressions of that shameful vice injustice , though not of an equal degree of it . the summe of what we have said in this account of the nature of true holiness is this , viz. that it is such a disposition and temper of the inward man , as powerfully enclines it carefully to regard and attend to , affectionately to embrace and adhere to , to be actuated by , and under the government of all those good practical principles that are made known either by revelation , nature , or the use of reason . now though nothing is more natural to the souls of men considered in their pure essentials , and as they came out of their creatour's hands , than this most excellent temper ; yet by their apostacy from god , and sinking into brutish sensuality , did they sadly disposses themselves of it , and so became like the beasts which perish . but it pleased the infinite goodness of the divine majesty not to give us over so ; for when we had destroyed our selves , in him was our help found . he greatly concerned himself for the recovery of fallen mankind by various means and methods , and when the world was at the very worst , did he make use of the most sovereign and effectual remedy . he , who at sundry times , and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets , did in these last days send his dearly beloved , and onely begotten son to us . and to prove that the great errand he came upon was the effecting of our deliverance out of that sinful state we had brought our selves into , and the putting us again into possession of that holiness which we had lost , is now our next business . chap. ii. a general demonstration that the holiness described is the design of christianity , by a climax of seven particulars . in the first place , in order to the proof of this , it is worthy our observation , that s. iohn the baptist being sent to prepare the way before our saviour , did so , by teaching the doctrine of repentance , and baptizing men thereunto : and that we no sooner read of his appearing in publique , and entring upon his office of harbinger or fore-runner , but we find him preaching this doctrine , and making use of the news of the messiah's approach , as a motive to perswade them to that duty . matth. . , . in those days came iohn the baptist preaching in the wilderness of iudea , and saying ; repent ye , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . and this was that which the angel foretold zacharias he should do , when he gave him the first notice that he should be the father of such a son. luk. . , . and many of the children of israel shall he turn to the lord their god ; and he shall go before him in the power , and spirit of elias , to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children , and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just ; to make ready a people prepared for the lord : that is , he shall make way for the messiah with the same zeal against all wickedness , as was expressed by elias , and likewise with an immediate commission from heaven , as he had , in order to the working of a general reformation among the jews . this sheweth that christ's great errand into the world was mens thorow-conversion from sin , and the making them truly holy ; seeing that the only preparation necessary for the entertainment of him consisted in having this work begun in them . secondly , upon the first news of christ's near approach brought by malachi the last of the prophets , this is expressed by him as that which should be his grand business when he was come , mal. . , , . — the lord , whom ye seek , shall suddenly come to his temple , even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in ( or , have a longing expectation of : ) behold , he shall come , saith the lord of hosts : but who may abide the day of his coming ? or who shall stand when he appeareth ? for he is like a refiner's fire , and like fuller's soap : and he shall sit as a refiner , and purifier of silver ; and he shall purifie the sons of levi , and purge them as gold is purged , &c. thirdly , immediately after his conception in the womb of the blessed virgin , this was foretold to ioseph concerning him by an angel , matth. . . she shall bring forth a son , and thou shalt call his name jesus ; for he shall save his people from their sins . this blessing of making men holy was so much the design of christ's coming , that he had his very name from it . observe the words are ; he shall save his people from their sins ; not from the punishment of them : and ( as will fully appear hereafter ) that is the primary sence of them , which is most plainly expressed in them : that he shall save his people from the punishment of sin is a true sence too , but it is secondary and implied only ; as this latter is the never failing and necessary consequent of the former salvation . this again was foretold by zacharias , betwixt his conception and birth . he saith , luke . , &c. that god performed his covenant in sending christ ; which covenant consists in this , that he would grant us , that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies , might serve him without fear , in holiness and righteousness before him , all the days of our life . fourthly , we likewise find this expressed by simeon , immediately upon his birth , luke . . where having called him god's salvation , which he had prepared before the face of all people , he adds that , he is a light to lighten the gentiles : whereby is meant , that he should bring them into the way of righteousness and true holiness . holiness is in not a few places expressed by the metaphor of light , and wickedness by that of darkness : turning from darkness to light is explained by * turning from the power of satan unto god. and the following clause , viz. and the glory of thy people israel , signifieth the same thing : namely , that in the place of their outward and ceremonial observances , called by the apostle * beggarly elements ; he should bring in among them a far more noble , viz. an inward substantial and everlasting righteousness ; and by abrogating that , and establishing only this righteousness , he should enlarge their church , an accession of the gentiles being by that means made unto it . fifthly , this is expressed by s. iohn the baptist , immediately before our saviour's solemn entrance upon his office , as the business he was undertaking , matth. . , . i indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ( that is especially from the more plain and confessed exorbitances ) but he that cometh after me , is mightier than i , whose shoes i am not worthy to bear ; he shall baptize you with the holy ghost , and with fire : ( which will take away those stains and pollutions , that water cannot : ) whose fan is in his hand , and he will throughly purge his floor . sixthly . again , after our saviour's entrance upon his office , he himself declared , that , he came to call sinners to repentance : and that he was so far from coming to destroy the law and the prophets , that he came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to fulfil , or perfect them , that is , by giving more and higher instances of moral duties than were before expresly given : and he tells the jews presently after , that , except their righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees ( that is , unless it be above their practical and meerly external righteousness ) they shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven . and he abundantly made it appear , ( as will be quickly shewn ) that the reformation of mens lives , and purification of their natures were the great business that he designed . lastly , this was frequently asserted , after he forsook the world , by the apostles he left behind him . s. peter told his countrey-men , acts . . that as god sent christ to bless them , so the blessing designed them by him , consisted in turning them from their iniquities . to you first ( saith he ) god having raised up his son iesus , sent him to bless you , by turning every one of you from his iniquities . again , acts . . the same apostle , with others , saith that , him hath god exalted with his right hand , to be a prince and a saviour , to give repentance to israel , and forgiveness of sins . repentance first , and then forgiveness . s. iohn tells us , epist. ●… . . that , for this purpose the son of god was manifested , that he might destroy the works of the devil . and s. paul calleth the gospel of christ , the mystery of godliness , tim. . . the doctrine that is according to godliness . and gives us to understand that , that which the grace of god which brings salvation teacheth , is , that denying vngodliness , and all worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godlily in this present world , tit. . . chap. iii. a particular demonstration that holiness is the only design of the precepts of the gospel . and that they require , . the most extensive holiness , . the most intensive . an objection answered . but to give a more particular proof of what we have undertaken . first , it is most apparent , that holiness is the design , the only design of the christian precepts , and that this is the mark which they are wholly levelled at . what the * apostle spake of the iewish , may be much more said of the christian law , that it is holy , just , and good. for as clemens alexandrinus in his paedagogus saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. even infant-christianity is perfection , compared with the law or the mosaical dispensation . there is no affirmative precept in the gospel , but it either commands holiness in the general , or one or more particular vertue , or habit of holiness , or some essential act or acts of it ; or means and helps to the acquiring , maintaining , or encrease of it . such as hearing and reading the word , prayer , meditation , good conference , watchfulness against temptations , avoiding occasions of evil , &c. and there is no negative precept , but doth forbid the contrary to some one or more of those duties ; but doth forbid some thing or other that doth tend either directly or indirectly , immediately or mediately , in its own nature or by reason of some circumstance to the depraving of humane nature , and rendring us perfectly wicked , or in some degree or other less holy . to make this appear by going over the several precepts contained in the gospel , would be a work of too much time ; but whosoever , as he reads them , shall duly consider each of them , cannot be to seek for satisfaction , concerning the truth of what i have now said ; and i dare undertake he will readily acknowledge , that there is nothing that is not upon its own , or some one or other , account , greatly becoming us , and perfective of humane nature , in the whole gospel commanded : and that there is not any thing in it self , and in all respects innocent , there forbidden . this can be by no means said concerning the precepts of the law of moses ; but that it may concerning those of the gospel , is absolutely certain . but my whole discourse upon this present argument shall be confined to these two heads : namely to shew , that the christian precepts require the most extensive , and most intensive holiness ; that is , exactly such a holiness as hath been described . first , they require the most extensive holiness , not onely towards god , but also towards our neighbour , and our selves . in the forecited place , tit. . . s. paul puts all these together , under the phrases of living soberly , righteously , and godlily , as making up that holiness which the grace of god , that brings salvation , teacheth . the precepts of our saviour command us not onely to give unto god the things that are god's ; but also to caesar the things that are caesar's : not only to obey god in all things , but to be subject likewise to every ordinance of man for the lords sake , that is , to every ordinance of man that doth not contradict the law of god : not only to fear god , but also to honor the king , and to obey our spiritual governors likewise , which watch for our souls , &c. and to behave our selves towards all persons sutably to the relations we stand in to them : wives to submit themselves to their own husbands , as unto the lord ; husbands to love their wives even as christ loved the church : children to obey their parents in the lord ; and fathers not to provoke their children to wrath , but to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord : servants to be obedient to their masters , with singleness of heart as unto christ , &c. and masters to do the same things unto them , forbearing threatning , or a harsh behaviour towards them , knowing that they have a master in heaven , with whom is no respect of persons . we are commanded to love not our relations or our friends onely , but also all mankind ; and to do good to all without exception , though especially to the houshold of faith ; to good men . nay our saviour hath laid a strict charge upon us , not to exclude our malicious enemies from our love ( that is , of benevolence ) but to pray for them that despitefully use us , and to bless those that curse us . which law as harshly as it sounds to carnal persons , they themselves cannot but acknowledge that what it enjoyneth , is heroically and highly vertuous . secondly , the christian precepts require the most intensive holiness ; not onely negative but positive , as was now intimated ; that is , not onely the forbearance of what is evil , but the performance also of what is good : not onely holiness of actions and words , but likewise of affections and thoughts : the worship of god with the spirit , as well as with the outward man ; a holy frame and habit of mind , as well as a holy life . they forbid cherishing sin in the heart , as well as practising it in the conversation . they make iusting after a woman , adultery , as well as the gross act of uncleanness . they make malice , murther , as well as killing ; they forbid coveting no less than defrauding ; and being in love with this worlds goods , as much as getting them by unlawful means . and i shall digress so far as to say , that there is infinite reason that thoughts and the inward workings of mens souls should be restrained by laws , upon these two accounts . first , because irregular thoughts and affections are the immediate depravers of mens natures ; and therefore it is as necessary in order to the design of making men holy , that these should be forbidden , as that evil actions and words should . but suppose this were otherwise ; yet secondly , laws made against evil words and actions would signifie very little , if men were left at liberty as to their thoughts and affections . it would be to very little purpose to forbid men to do evil , if they might think and love it : for where the sparks of sin are kept glowing in the soul , how can they be kept from breaking out into a flame in the life ? from the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak , and the hands act . but to proceed , the precepts of the gospel command us not onely to perform good actions , but also to do them after a right manner , with right ends , &c. or in one word , from good principles . whatsoever we do , to do it heartily , as to the lord and not as to men . to be fervent in spirit in our service of god. to do all to the glory of god. to be holy as he that hath called us is holy , in all manner of conversation . to be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect : which precepts shew that we ought to imitate him , not onely in the matter of our actions , but likewise in the qualifications of them : among which , that which i said is essential to true holiness , is a principal one ; namely , to do good actions for those reasons which moved god to enjoyn them , and , i adde , which make it pleasing to him to perform them himself , viz. because they are either in themselves and upon their own account excellent , worthy and most fit to be done , or are made so to be by some circumstance . our whole duty to god and our neighbour ( as our saviour hath told us ) is comprehended in the love of them : but the love of god required by him is a most intense love : we are commanded to love him with all the heart and soul , mind and strength ; and that of our neighbour which he hath made our duty , is such , as for the kind of it , is like the love which we bear to our selves ; such as will not permit us to wrong him in his good name , any more than in his estate or person ; such as will not allow us rashly to speak , or so much as think ill of him ; such as will cause us to put the best constructions on those actions of his that are capable of various interpretations , &c. and for the degree , such , as will make us willing to lay down our very lives for him , that is , for the promoting of his eternal happiness . to summe up all together , we are commanded to adde to our faith vertue , to vertue knowledge , to knowledge temperance , to temperance patience , to patience godliness , to godliness brotherly kindness , and to brotherly kindness charity . to behave our selves in all respects towards our creatour as becometh his creatures , and those which are under unspeakable obligations to him ; towards one another , as becometh those that are indued with the same common nature , and according to the diverse relations , engagements and other circumstances we stand in each to other ; and towards our selves according as the dignity of our natures require we should . in short , whatsoever things are true , whatsoever things are honest , whatsoever things are just , whatsoever things are pure , whatsoever things are lovely , whatsoever things are of good report , whatsoever things have vertue and praise in them , are the objects of the christian precepts , and by them recommended to us . let any one read but our saviours incomparable sermon upon the mount , the th to the romans , and the third chapter of the epistle to the colossians , and well consider them ; and it will be strange should he find it difficult to assent to the truth of that proposition . even trypho himself , in the dialogue betwixt iustin martyr and him , confessed , that the precepts contained in the book called the gospel are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , great and admirable . he saith indeed , that they are so admirable , as that he suspected them not to be by humane nature observable ; but in that he spake not unlike to himself , that is a prejudiced and carnal iew. if it be now objected , that notwithstanding what hath been said concerning the christian precepts recommending the most elevated vertue to be practised by us , it is acknowledged by all sober christians , that they are not to be understood in so high a sense as to require of us indefective and unspotted holiness , or at least that our saviour will accept of and reward that holiness which is far short of perfect ; and therefore he can be no such great friend to it , as hath been affirmed : the answer is very easie and obvious , viz. that our saviour's not rigidly exacting such a degree of holiness as amounts to perfection , proceeds from hence , that the attainment of it is in this state impossible to us ; and therefore it is not to be attributed to his liking or allowance of the least sin , but to his special grace and good will to fallen mankind : nay , moreover it proceeds from his passionate desire that we may be as pure and holy , as our unhappy circumstances will admit ; he well knowing , that should he declare that nothing short of perfection shall be accepted at our hands , he would make us desperate , and take the most effectual course to cause us to give over all thoughts of becoming better , nay , and to let the reins loose unto all ungodliness . but yet nothing short of sincerity , and diligent , serious endeavors to abstain from all sin , will be admitted by him in order to our being made the objects of his grace and favour : and as for wilful and presumptuous sins of what kind soever , he makes no allowances for them , but hath by himself and his ministers declared very frequently , that they shall not be pardoned , without our unfeigned reformation from them . and , lastly , notwithstanding the allowances and abatements that in tender compassion to us he is pleased to make us , no less than our absolutely perfect holiness is designed by him , though not to be effected in this , yet in the other world. chap. iv. that holiness is the onely design of the promises of the gospel , shewed in two particulars : and of the threatnings therein contained . secondly , the promises and threatnings of the gospel have most apparently the promoting of holiness for their onely design . first , the promises , it is plain , have . this s. peter assureth us , epistle , ch . . v. . whereby are given unto us exceeding great and pretious promises , that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature , having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust . and s. paul doth more than intimate the same , in cor. . . having ( saith he ) these promises , dearly beloved , ( viz. those which the foregoing chapter concludes with ) let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of the lord. again , rom. . . i beseech you by the mercies of god , that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy , acceptable to god , which is your reasonable service . and be ye not conformed to this present world , but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds , &c. . we always find these promises either limited to holy persons , or made use of as encouragements and exciting motives to holiness . the apostle tells us , that it is godliness which hath the promises of the life that now is , and of that which is to come . the promise of the beatifical vision is made to the pure in heart . blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see god. that of the kingdom of heaven to the poor in spirit , or those that are of humble and lowly tempers . the promise of obtaining mercy to the merciful . that of inheriting the earth ( of temporal felicity ) to the meek , or such as live in obedience to government , &c. that of eternal life to those that patiently continue in well-doing . that of sitting with christ on his throne , to those that overcome , that is , that mortifie their lusts and corrupt affections . the promise of a crown of life is used as a motive to perswade to faithfulness to the death . but to what purpose do i multiply instances , when as there is not a particular promise throughout the whole gospel , but it is expressed or plainly enough intimated , that its performance depends upon some duty of holiness to be on our parts first performed , or at least heartily endeavoured . and whereas the promises of pardon , and of eternal life are very frequently made to believing , there is nothing more evidently declared than that this faith is such as purisieth the heart , and is productive of good works . . nay the nature of these promises is such , as is of it self sufficient to satisfie us , that holiness is the design of them . . this is manifestly true concerning the principal promises , or those which relate to the other life . they may be reduced to these three heads ; that of the holy spirit ; of remission of sin ; and of eternal happiness in the enjoyment of god. now for the first of these , viz. the promise of the spirit , that is it to which we are beholden for grace and assistance in the great work of subduing sin , and acquiring the habit of holiness ; and this is the very business for the sake of which that promise is made to us . and for the second & third , they are such as none but holy souls are capable of . that none but such are capable of having the guilt of their sins removed , and of being freed from the displeasure and wrath of god , is self-evident ; for the guilt of sin must needs remain while its power continues ; these two are inseparable from each other : sin is so loathsome and filthy a thing ( as shall hereafter be shewn ) that it is perfectly impossible that the blood of christ it self should render a sinner lovely or not odious in the sight of god , any otherwise than by washing away the pollution of it . and nothing is more apparent , than that holy souls alone are in a capacity of the happiness that consists in the enjoyment of god in the other world ; than that , as without holiness no man shall see the lord , ( as saith the author to the hebrews ) so without it none can see him : for the full and complete participation of god , which our saviour promiseth his disciples and faithful followers , ariseth out of the likeness and conformity of mens souls to him : but there is such a perfect unlikeness and contrariety in impure and polluted souls to the infinitely holy god , that it is impossible there should be any communications from him to them , any friendly agreement and complacency between him and them . he is not a god that hath pleasure in wickedness , neither can evil dwell with him . psal. . . what communion hath light with darkness , saith the apostle , cor. . . but vicious and unholy souls are full of darkness , whereas god is pure splendid light , and in him is no darkness at all . the platonists would not admit that any man is capable of being acquainted with divine things , that is not purged from that which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , remissness of mind and brutish passions . how utterly impossible then is it , that such as are not so , should be acquainted with the divinity it self ? hierocles saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. as a bleer eye cannot look upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things very bright and shining , so a soul unpossessed of vertue is unable to behold the beauty of truth : how unable then is such a soul to behold the beauty of god himself , to see him as he is , and be happy in the sight of him ? those eyes which have continually beheld vanity ( as saith an excellent late writer of our own ) would be dazled , not delighted , with the beatifick vision . thanks be to god ( saith the apostle ) who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. those can by no means partake of it , that are not by holiness made meet and disposed for it . what happiness can we find in the enjoyment of god when he is of a perfectly contrary nature to our own ? and moreover , how can we then enjoy him ? there must be in us a likeness to him , or we cannot see him as he is ; for s. iohn proves , that when he appeareth , we shall be like him , by this argument . it was one of the maximes of the excellent socrates : * it is unlawful for an impure nature to touch pure divinity . now this being the happiness promised in the gospel , we easily learn from the consideration of the nature of it ( it being not at all gross and sensual , but purely spiritual ) what is the design of those promises that contain it . at the first hearing of them , though they should sound ( as they do not ) like absolute ones ; we may be certain that holiness , and sincere endeavours after a participation of a divine nature must necessarily be tacit conditions of them , as without which our souls cannot possibly be qualified and put into an apt disposition for them . . as the promises which concern the other life are such as none but holy souls are capable of , so those that only relate to this li●…e are such as none but such souls will be contented with . they are onely necessaries which the gospel gives us an assurance of , and such things as may be a help to the exercise of vertue and holiness ; not supersluities and such as serve to gratifie liquorish appetites . so we are to understand that of our saviour , mat. . . first seek the kingdom of god , and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you : the words foregoing shew , that by [ all these things ] we are onely to understand meat , drink , and clothes . the temporal blessings that christ engageth himself to bestow upon his disciples , are such alone as tend to answer moderate desires , not to satisfie inordinate cravings : in short , they are onely such as are needful to keep their bodies in such a state as that they may be meet habitations , and instruments of their souls , so long as it shall be fit for them to continue in them . secondly , and as for the threatnings of the gospel , which are most terrible and dismal , that they have the same design that the promises have , is out of question : for they are never used to scare men from any thing but what tends to pollute and debauch their souls : and the end of them is every where to excite us effectually to diligence and industry in the pursuit of real righteousness and substantial holiness . the wrath of god is revealed from heaven in the gospel against all ungodliness , and unrighteousness of men : such as disbelieving and disobeying christ's gospel , in the general ; and particularly , such as idolatry , adultery , fornication and uncleanness of all sorts , theft , covetousness , drunkenness , reviling , wrath , contemptuous behaviour , implacability , unmercifulness , illiberality , malice , censoriousness , lying , pride , hypocrisie , rebellion and disobedience to governours , &c. and therefore are the committers of these and such like sins threatned , that so those , which from the consideration of their vile nature and ugliness will not be withdrawn from them , may from a principle of self-preservation be afraid of them : and our saviour is infinitely good to us in his terrifying threatnings , as well as in his alluring promises . for ( as clemens alex. in his paedagogus , saith ) his threatnings proceed not from anger , but from great good will ; and he therefore threatneth punishment , that sinners being thereby scared into reformation , may by that means prevent their being punish'd . he doth not ( as he proceeds ) like a serpent bite before he giveth warning . and therefore onely doth he give warning , that he may not bite . chap. v. that the promoting of holiness was the design of our saviour's whole life and conversation among men ; both of his discourses and actions . and that he was an eminent example of all the parts of vertue , viz. of the greatest freedom , affability and courtesie : the greatest candor and ingenuity : the most marvellous gentleness and meekness : the deepest humility : the greatest contempt of the world : the most perfect contentation : the most wonderful charity and tenderest compassion : stupendious patience , and submission to the divine will : the most passionate love of god , and devoutest temper of mind towards him : mighty confidence and trust in god. an objection answered : the most admirable prudence . thirdly , the promoting of holiness was the design of our saviour's whole life , and conversation among men. all his discourses that are on record carried on this great business : not onely his sermons , but likewise those which were less solemn , and that occasionally , and as it were by the bye dropt from him. there is not a parable he uttered , but some thing highly conducing to the instilling of vertue into those to whom he directed it , was the moral of it : and all advantages and occasions he greedily embraced for the infusing of true piety and holiness into the souls of men. to give a few instances : when it was told him that his mother and brethren sought for him ; he took that opportunity to tell them , that whosoever will do the will of god , the same is his brother , sister , and mother , mark . . when he observed a reasoning among the disciples , which of them should be the greatest in the kingdom of god ; he took occasion from thence to preach to them the necessity of the grace of humility and becoming as little children , of self-denial , mortification of their most beloved lusts , and to teach them several other very excellent lessons , matth. . in the beginning . upon a certain woman's saying to him , blessed is the womb that bare thee , and the pap●… that gave thee suck ; he minded his hearers of the blessedness of obedient persons : yea rather ( said he ) are they blessed that hear the word of god , and keep it . luke . . upon martha's desiring him to command her sister to help her in serving , he reproved her over-solicitousness about the affairs of this life , and put her in mind of the one thing needful , luk. . . from a pharisees ma●…velling that he washed not before dinner , he took an advantage to reprove their superstition , hypocrisies , partial rig●…eousness , pride and several other immoralities , luke . , &c. from a person 's desiring him to speak to his brother to divide the inheritance with him , he took an opportunity to discourse against covetousness , and to disswade from s●…ing the heart upon earthly riches ▪ from solicitousness and carking carefulness and to exhort to several most weighty and important duties , luke . , &c. upon some mens talking of the lamentable disaster that befel the galileans , he took occasion to give a caution against rash iudging , and to preach to them the absolute necessity of repentance , as that without which they should all perish luke . begin . upon his observing how that at a feast they chose the uppermost rooms , he laid hold of that opportunity to teach the vertue of humility , luke . . and in the same chapter he took the advantage that was offered him by other passages for the instilling of diverse other profitable instructions . and you may find in the four evangelists abundance of observations of this nature . and as it was the business of all his discourses to teach vertue , so was it also of all his actions : he preach'd holiness to mens eyes no less than to their ears , by giving them the most stupendious example in his own person , of all the parts of it . his whole life was one continued lecture of the most excellent morals , the most sublime and exact vertue . for instance ; he was a person of the greatest freedom , affability , and courtesie , there was nothing in his conversation that was at all austere , crabbed or unpleasant . though he was always serious , yet was he never sowr , sullenly grave , morose or cynical ; but of a marvellously conversable , sociable and benign temper . those who had checks from his disciples , as rude and troublesome , were never accused by him for being so , but were most kindly listned to , and lovingly received : even little children , as unwelcome as they were to them , were tenderly embraced , and blest by him . he never blamed any for interrupting him in his discourses , or other business ; nor was put into the least chafe by their so doing , but ever patiently heard them , and sent none of them from him ( supposing they had no ill design in coming to him ) without satisfaction . when he was invited to mens tables ( as little as their chear could tempt him ) he readily went ; nor did he esteem it as disbecoming his gravity to make one at a marriage-feast ; nor to contribute to it himself neither . he did not think himself defiled by bad company , nor baulked the society of publicans and sinners themselves , ( as loathsome as they were to worse men , the pharisees ) but freely in order to the reforming of them sate down , when there was occasion , and conversed with them . his first entertainment of the woman of canaan , as uncivil as it might seem , was nothing less than so ; for the unkind and contemptuous language he gave her , though it was but the same which the iews always bestowed upon those people , proceeded from no contempt of her ; nor was it designed , as the event shewed , in the least to discourage her , but on the contrary , to give her occasion to shew the greatness of her faith , in the answer she returned to it . the ever and anon infirm , imprudent and impertinent talk of his disciples and others , could not at any time put him out of his good temper , but only gave him an opportunity of imparting to them seasonable instructions and wise counsels . the candour also and ingenuity of his spirit did to great admiration discover it self : whereof take this one instance . where as he ( as was said ) forbad censorious judging of other men ; and commanded , consequently , to put the best constructions upon those actions of others that are capable of various interpretations , he hath given us no small encouragement so to do , by his behaviour towards those three disciples , whom he could not perswade for a little while to forbear sleeping , no not in his agony ; as infinitely great obligations as he had laid upon them , to do any thing he should please to desire of them . that their sleeping at such a time looked as exactly as could be like an infallible argument of extreme unconcernedness for their blessed lord , and of excessive coolness of affection to him , especially he having ( i say ) before desired them to watch with him , and given them the reason why he did so : yet for all that , would he impute it to no worse a cause than meer infirmity , nor entertained any ill opinion of them upon that account ; and when they themselves had nothing to say to excuse their fault , he makes this apology himself for them ; the spirit indeed is willing , but the flesh is weak : nay though , for all this , and notwithstanding that friendly expostulation of his with peter , [ couldest thou not watch with me one hour ? ] they fell asleep again , yet did he not at his last return to them pass any censure upon them , but carried it towards them as he was wont to do . and the gentleness and meekness of his disposition was very marvellous : when iames and iohn in a great heat , would have perswaded him to call for fire from heaven after the example of elias to consume the samaritans for their inhospitable and barbarous refusal to give him entertainment , he rebuked them immediately for that revengful motion , and gave them this reply ; ●…e know not what manner of spirit ye are of ; for the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives , but to save them , luke . . and so , silently went his ways , without giving them so much as a lash of his tongue for so rude an affront . never had any one so strong provocations to wrath and revenge , as the blessed jesus ; but never were either so undiscernible in any as they were in him . in his carriage indeed towards the pharisees he might seem to some to be once or twice transported with a fit of unordinary passion , but it would not have become the zeal he had for god and true goodness to behave himself otherwise towards such monstrously immoral wretches and most hatefully conceited and proud hypocrites . nor was his overturning the tables of the money-changers , or whipping the buyers and sellers out of the temple , any other than a very befitting and seemly expression of his just displeasure against those sacrilegious and prophane people . but he was never so concerned for himself , for his own reputation or ought else that belonged to him , as to be put into the least heat by all the ignominious language that was from time to time given him , and the vile reproaches and unsufferable abuses that were heap'd upon him. when he was acosted with a never-to-be-parallel'd impudence by his old disciple iudas in the front of an armed multitude ; who could have forborn to receive such a villainous and intolerably base traytor with the most emphatical expressions of an exasperated and enraged mind ? but with what wonderful mildnes was that monster of ingratitude & dissimulation treated by our dear lord ! the worst words he bestowed upon him being these , iudas , betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss ? nor did he more angrily bespeak the wicked followers than he did their leader , when they rudely assaulted and apprehended him . and so far was he from revenging himself upon them , as able as he was to do it effectually ; and notwithstanding ( as he gave them to understand ) that he could , if he listed , have no fewer than twelve legions of angels imployed in his service , that he wrought a miracle for the healing of the wound that one of them received from the sword of peter ; and withal charged him to put up that weapon . nor was it ever in the power either of the calumniating and black tongues , or rude and cruel hands , of his bitterest enemies to draw from him so much as a reviling or fierce word . but of so rarely moderate a temper and serene spirit was he , that ( as s. peter saith ) when he was reviled , he reviled not again ; when he suffered , he threatned not , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously . he gave his back to the smiters , and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair , he hid not his face from shame and spitting . he was oppressed and he was afflicted , yet he opened not his mouth ; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter , and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb , so he opened not his mouth . and thus hath he taught us by the most excellent example to obey those precepts of his whereby the practice of that vertue of meekness and sedateness of spirit towards injurious persons is injoyned on us . nor was his meekness less to be parallel'd or more observable than his great humility ; from whence indeed that proceeded , and was of this no small expression . and especially considering his high descent , most transcendent perfections and infinite worth , it was impossible he should have been so meek as to put up such contemptuous usage and inexpressibly provoking affronts as he did , if his humility were not equal to his other excellencies , if he had not been most lowly minded and of a profoundly submiss spirit . god onely had the glory of all his mighty works , he would not ascribe to himself the least . the father , said he , that dwelleth in me , he doth the works , john . . verily , verily i say unto you , the son can do nothing of himself , but what he seeth the father do : for , whatsoever things he doth , these doth the son likewise , john . . i can of mine own self do nothing ; as i hear , i judge ; and my judgement is just , because i seek not mine own will , but the will of the father which hath sent me , vers . — i do nothing of my self : but as my father hath taught me , i speak these things , john . . though he was king of kings and lord of lords , the prince of the kings of the earth , yet did he hide his greatness , told his disciples that his kingdom is not of this world , and chose the condition of a subject and a private man in it : nor would he be perswaded to assume to himself so much authority , as judging but between two persons in a case of civil right did amount unto . in the above-cited place ( luke . . ) when one desired him , to speak to his brother , that he divide the inheritance with him , he returned him this answer , man who made me a judge or a divider over you ? nay he put himself into the condition , not onely of a private , but also of a mean , a most despicably mean person . as he chose to be born of a mean woman , in the meanest and even vilest of places , a stable , where a manger was his cradle , and brute beasts his chamber-fellows ; so did he afterwards subject himself to his poor mother , and the carpenter her husband . he was not unacquainted , when he was but a child , with the nobility of his descent , the greatness of his extraction , he even then did well understand whose son he was , and that no less a person was his father than the infinite god of heaven and earth ; for said he to ioseph & mary , when after a sorrowful search after him they found him in the temple , wist ye not that i must be about my father's business ? yet notwithstanding he went down with them from ierusalem , and came to nazareth , and was subject unto them , luke . , . and under ioseph , though he knew him to be but his reputed father ( if we may believe * one of the most ancient fathers ) he wrought at his own trade , and , as he saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , did carpentrywork ; and particularly busied himself in making 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ploughs and yokes . again , the persons that he took for his most intimate associates were of no better quality than sorry fishermen , and men of the lowest rank . as for his worldly estate , i cannot say 't was mean , for he had none at all ( that is , but what he was beholden to others for . ) the foxes , said he , have holes , and the birds of the air nests , but the son of man hath not where he may lay his head . and as for employments , he thought not himself too good to undertake the vilest , even one in comparison of which making ploughs and yokes was most gentile , viz. the washing of his disciples feet . in short , so marvellously humble was this infinitely great person , that ( as he saith , matth. . . ) he came not to be ministred unto , but to minister ; and was in this world as one that serveth , luke . . and that , though he was rich , he became poor , that we through his poverty might be rich . that , though he was in the form of god , he thought it no robbery ( or spoil ) to be equal with god ; but made himself of no reputation , and took upon him the form of a servant , and was made in the likeness of men ; and being found in fashion as a man , he humbled himself , and became obedient unto death , even the death of the cross , phil. . , . and our saviour hath declared that he was our pattern both in his meekness and humility ; for , learn ( said he ) of me , for i am meek and lowly in heart , matth. . . and therefore did he submit to that meanest office of a servant ( which was but now mentioned ) that we might from the consideration of his example , not look upon the lowest , whereby we may serve our brethren , as below us : for , after he had washed his disciples feet , and was sate down again , he said thus to them , iohn . . know ye what i have done unto you ? ye call me master and lord , and ye say well , for so i am : if i then your lord and master have washed your feet , ye also ought to wash one anothers feet . for i have given you an example , that ye should do , as i have done unto you . verily , verily , i say unto you , the servant is not greater than his lord , neither he that is sent , greater than he that sent him . if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . considering what hath been said of his chusing so mean and despicable a condition in this world , i need not spend time in shewing what an example he hath given us of contempt of it . never was any one so dead to its pleasures as he was : nor were ever its glories so trampled on by the feet of any , as by our saviour's : and that , not as were the carpets of plato by that cynick diogenes , who was truly enough ( no question ) told by that great philosopher , that he trod under foot the pride of plato , with a greater pride ; for he was guilty of no insolent behaviour either towards great men , or their greatness , nor of any thing that looked in the least like it . but he gave most eminent demonstrations of the mean opinion he had of popularity and applause among men , of titles of honour , and vast revenues , and that he infinitely despised them in comparison of mental endowments and accomplishments . he confuted the idle fancies of the world concerning these and the like things , and disparaged those vain estimations that are founded upon them , in that he chose to be wholly devoid of them , and in the very other extreme to those which abounded with them : whereby he likewise signified how little evil he apprehended in disesteem , reproach and poverty ; which we vain creatures have such frightful conceptions of , and so greatly dread ; in that he did not at all matter them , nor in the least concern himself at them . so great , generous , and gallant a soul had he ; that he was so far from suffering his mind to be at all disquieted with them , that he voluntarily and freely chose them . for it lay in his power to be the richest man under heaven , and most to abound with this worlds goods , if it had so pleased him ; and he could , if he had listed , have been also the most popular person upon earth ; could always have kept the credit which for a while he had among the common people , and gained the like among all sorts : for he had infinitely the advantage above all that ever appeared upon this stage of the word to have raised to himself a most mighty renown , and to be adored by all people . so that the truth of that saying of epictetus , [ they are not the things themselves which so affright and seare men , but the false opinions they have conceived of them , ] is greatly confirmed as to the forementioned reputed evils by our saviour's practice . and this blessed person , chusing so mean and contemptibly poor a condition of life in the world , i need not tell you that he was perfectly contented with it ; nor that he was altogether free ( though he had many times scarcely from hand to mouth ) from thoughtfulness & anxiety of mind concerning his future maintenance . for as he cautioned his disciples against taking thought for their life , what they should eat , what they should drink , and wherewith they should be clothed ; & shewed the folly and sinfulness thereof , as proceeding from distrustfulness of the divine providence , ( matt. . , &c. ) so was he so far from being guilty of that fault himself , that he was no less liberal than he was poor . for when he was provided with a small pittance of victuals , instead of hoarding it up , or being saving of it , he would not think much of spending it upon others whose needs craved it : we read twice of his bestowing the little stock that he and his disciples had gotten between them , upon the hungry multitude , and of his working a miracle to make it hold out among them . and how full he was of charity , and ●…nder compassion , is beyond expression : for as he commended to his disciples and inculcated upon them nothing more , nor scarcely so much ; so in the exercise of no vertue was he more exemplary . we read often of the yerning of his bowels towards miserable mortals , and his pity did always exert it self in acts of mercy . never did any make application to him for deliverance from the evils that did afflict them , that had not their requests granted them : nor were any more forward to beg relief of any kind of him , than he was to bestow it upon them : nay he frequently made poor creatures the objects of his merey before it was sought for by them . it was even his whole business to oblige the world by signal kindnesses , and ( as shall be farther shewn anon ) he continually went up and down doing good either to the bodies or souls of men . nay his charity was of so large and universal extent , that the wicked and unthankful , and even his bitterest enemies , were ( as well as other●… ) very ample partakers of it . whereas the duty of blessing those that curse us , and praying for those that dispitefully use us , is to our corrupt natures one of the harshest and most difficult of any he hath imposed upon us , he hath taken a course by the admirable example he hath herein given us , to make it one of the easiest and most pleasant to us . for the devilish malice that by the vilest of men was exprest towards him , could not in the least imbitter his spirit or harden his heart against them : nor could he be disswaded by it from persisting in doing good to them : but continued to entreat them to accept of life from him , to grieve at their infidelity , and with tears to bewail their most obstinate perverseness . and lastly , when their inveterate and implacable hatred came to vent it self in the cruellest and most barbarous manner imaginable upon him , did he pray to his father for them ; even whilst they were tormenting him , did he beseech him to forgive them ; nay , and in order thereunto laid down his very life for them ; even for them , i say , that took it from him . and this gives occasion to discourse something of his most wonderful patience , & the stupendious submission of his soul to god , which he gave us in his extreme sufferings an example of . we are exhorted , heb. . , . to run with patience the race that is set before us , looking unto iesus the author and finisher of our faith ; who for the joy that was 〈◊〉 before him , endured the cross , despising the shame , &c. the ignominy that was cast upon him by ungodly creatures , he despised ; and as for the excessive tortures felt by him , them he endured : he did not indeed despise these also , but neither did he saint under them ; according 〈◊〉 we are forbidden to do , vers . . of the ●…ow mentioned chapter , my son , despise 〈◊〉 thou the chastisement of the lord , neither saint when thou art rebuked of him ▪ there were on the one hand no stoical rants heard from him , such as that of p●…donius in the presence of pompey ( when he was afflicted with a fit of the gout , or some such disease , ) viz. nihil ●…gis color , &c. o pain , thou art an insignificant thing , i don't matter thee : for we find that our saviour had as quick a sense of pain , as have other men ; and his agony in the garden did so affect his soul , as to force , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , clodders of blood through the pores of his body . we read that he was sore amazed , and very heavy ; and he told his disciples that his soul was exceeding sorrowful , even unto death : but yet on the other hand , notwithstanding the immense weight and most heavy pressure of grief his mind suffered under , through his fathers withholding the wonted influences of his love from him , and the intolerable torments of body that he underwent , ( though both in regard of the greatness of his sufferings , and also his most perfect innocence , and therefore non-desert of them , he might have the greatest temptations imaginable to be impatient ) he never uttered a murmuring or discontented word , nor conceived the least displeasure at the divine majesty , or doubted either of his iustice or goodness ; but entirely submitted himself to this his severe dispensation of providence , and willingly acquiefced in it . he prayed indeed to his father , that this bitter cup , if it were possible , might pass from him ; but it was with this condition , that it might seem good to him . and as so much is implied in those words [ if it be possible ] so is it expressed , luke . . where it is said , father , if thou be willing , remove this cup from me : and it immediately followeth ; nevertheless not my will , but thine be done ; according as he hath , in the absolute form he left us , required us to pray . and again , saith he , iohn . . the cup which my father giveth me , shall i not drink it ? and iohn . . after he had put up the forementioned petition to be delivered from that most dismal hour that was approaching near him , he doth as it were , recall it presently , in these words , but for this cause came i unto this hour ; and then puts up this second , father , glorifie thy name : which is plainly as much as if he had said , father , as dreadful and terrifying as the thoughts are of my future sufferings , seeing glory will redound to thy self by them , i am not only contented but also desirous to undergo them . celsus having mentioned that celebrated bravado of anaxarchus to the tyrant of cyprus , when he cruelly pounded him in his mortar ; and the merry saying of epictetus to his master when he brake his leg , and thereupon scoffingly demanded of the christians , what saying like to either of those , was uttered by their god in the midst of his sufferings , origen makes this handsome reply to him , viz. that our saviour's silence , in the midst of the tortures he endured , shewed greater patience and fortitude of mind , than did all the sayings of the greek philosophers in the like cases : and he adds that those words of christ , not as i will , but as thou wilt , were not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. the voice of one that patiently suffered , but also that was well pleased with his sufferings , and spake his preference of what was appointed for him by the divine providence before his own desires and natural affections . in the next place , our saviour gave us the most noble and eminent example of love to god , and the devoutest temper of mind towards him . that love of him , with all the heart and soul , mind and strength which he commended to us as our duty , did he himself give the highest demonstrations of . his last mentioned patience , and perfect submission to the divine pleasure under the most dreadful sufferings , is alone sufficient to convince us that his love to his father was most intense : for it was utterly impossible that his will should be so entirely resigned up to the will of god , if his love of him had not been , as sincere , so of the highest degree and absolutely perfect . so his heavenly father might thereby be glorified , he was willing to endure the extremest miseries , that ever were inflicted on any mortal : and indeed his meer well interpreting so severe a providence was a great and very significant expression of no small affection . and besides , it was ( as he told his disciples ) his very meat to do the will of him that sent him , and to finish his work . as he was heartily well pleased to suffer his will ; so he took infinite content , satisfaction and delight in the doing of it . it was to him the most pleasant thing in the whole world to be about his father's business ; and therein he abounded , and was indefatigable . all that he did was referred by him to the honour of god ; and of each of his glorious works he gave him the glory , and him onely : which thing was no less an argument of the ardency of his love , than ( as we have said it is ) of the depth of his humility . in all his ways he acknowledg'd god , and took all occasions to make mention of him , and to speak of his excellent perfections . when the ruler called him but good master ; which was an epithet , had he been but a meer man , he was infinitely worthy of ; as sleight an occasion as this may seem to some , it minded him to speak of god's goodness , and he presently replyed , why callest thou me good ? there is none good ( that is originally and from himself ) but god onely . he was much in delightful converse with god , and in prayer to him , and ever and anon retired from all company for that purpose ; according as he hath enjoyned us to do , mat. . , . and we read luke . . of his continuing on a mountain alone a whole night in prayer . a mighty confidence and trust in god , as it could not but be an effect of our saviour's most passionate love to him , so did he give of it very strange instances . the storm that put his disciples into a dreadful consternation , could not terrifie , nor so much as discompose him ; no , though he was suddenly awaked out of a sound sleep by their dismal cries . when he was hoysed up into the air by his grand adversary , the devil , and set upon a pinacle of the temple , and then by abusing scripture solicited to cast himself down ; as much as he seemed to be abandoned to his power , and under as great a disadvantage as he was through extreme fasting , his mind was as strong as his body weak , his constancy remained unshaken , his thoughts undisordered , and with an undaunted courage he readily replyed to him , it is written again , thou shalt not tempt the lord thy god : matt. . . where you have also two other signal instances of the like nature . by all which he shewed that his trust in god was so invincibly strong , and his adherence to him so inseparably close , that the utmost attempts and fiercest assaults of the devil could have no other effect than to prove them so . our saviour could never be prevailed upon to go the least step out of god's way , in order to his preservation from the most eminent dangers , so firm was his faith in him : and he still doing the things that were pleasing in his sight , he was confidently and undoubtedly assured of the continuance of his presence with him . this he hath himself told us , iohn . . and he that hath sent me , is with me , the father hath not left me alone , for i do always those things that please him . so visible and apparent was his trust in god , that when he was given up to his adversaries most barbarous rage , they themselves could not but take notice of it , and scoffingly when he hung on the cross ( and therefore seemed to be in a desperate condition ) did they upbraid him with it : he trusted in god , said they , let him deliver him now if he will have him , for he said , i am the son of god , mat. . . and where as it hath been objected by some of our saviour's adversaries that a little before his death , he expressed very great distrust , if not perfect despair of his father's love , in that tragical exclamation , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? there are those that conceive that it may be satisfactorily enough answered , that it is an unreasonable and most barbarous thing to take any advantage from words uttered in the very pangs of death , accompanied with unsupportable torment , to the prejudice of those they are spoken by ; it being not ordinarily supposable that those can be themselves that are in such circumstances ; and why the man jesus , or our saviour according to his humane nature should not be under as great disadvantages as others in such a condition , ( he being ( as was said ) no less sensible of pain than others were ) no reason can doubtless be given by us ; but however we stand not in any necessity of this reply . but i say , secondly , though we should suppose our saviour to be now as perfectly master of his thoughts as he ever was , these words may not be understood in so harsh a sence , for they were but a repetition of the first verse of the . psalm ; and thereby he declared himself to be the true messiah , for whom it is apparent ( and by the antient jews themselves not doubted ) that this psalm was penned ; and is not to be understood to relate to david's case only , but also to his whom he often personated , and was a type of . nor can it be gathered from our saviour's rehearsal of these words , that it is in the least probable that he either concluded or at all doubted that he was utterly rejected and cast off by his father , but the contrary : for several verses in the forementioned psalm do give us assurance that they are not there to be so understood ; for david doth diverse times afterward , not onely pray for , but likewise expresseth good hopes , nay and undoubted assurance of a gracious deliverance , and praiseth god for it too , as if it were already effected . so that this sad complaint of the blessed iesus , as it could not be occasioned by the least distrust , so it may be more than presumed , to have proceeded from the highest and intensest degree of love , which caused in his soul the most pungent and smart sense of his father's hiding his face , and absenting himself ( though but for a while ) from him . but the least favourable interpretation that it is capable of is no worse than this , viz. that our saviour did thereby express how excessive the misery was which he then felt , especially since the word [ lama ] doth signifie how as well as why. but lastly , his dying words and the last he uttered did express his retaining his confidence in god ( as much as he might seem to be cast off by him ) to the very last ; which were these , father , into thine hands i commend my spirit . i will instance in one vertue more wherein our saviour was also singularly exemplary . whereas he advised his disciples to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves , they beheld in his conversation a pattern to walk by in followiug the former as well as the latter part of this advice : nor was the wisdom of the serpent less conspicuous in him , than was the innocence of the dove . prudence is the first of the primitive vertues , or of those from whence all other take their original , and are derived : she is the chief governness of humane actions ; and those which are performed without her direction , do want a main circumstance that is necessary to give them the denomination of truly vertuous . a rash and heady doing of those actions which are for the matter of them praise-worthy , will render them culpable as to the manner of their performance : and he that hath no regard to prudence , though he may do good things , and possibly may some times mean well , yet he will never merit the commendation of a well-doer . i say therefore that our blessed saviour , as he hath by his example , no less than by his doctrine , taught us the exercise of all other vertues , so hath he of this also ; and his prudence did wonderfully discover it self through his whole life . as very great as was his zeal for the glory of god , and the good of men , it was not too strong for , nor over-match'd his reason ; it was not a blind zeal ; but he was ever very careful to give each of his actions their due circumstances . as eagerly as he was bent upon accomplishing the work that he was sent into the world about , he was not for making more haste than good speed . he shewed great prudence in his injunctions , his preaching , and several discourses : he never urged any duties unseasonably , and had a care not to give such severe precepts to his novice disciples as might discourage and overburthen them . he was not for putting a piece of new cloth into an old garment , nor new wine into old bottles . he very wisely timed his discourses ; did not preach all his doctrines at once : what was said of the orator demosthenes , cannot be truly affirmed of him , viz. that he knew what to say well enough , but not what not to say : for as he well understood what doctrines to preach , so did he also what not to preach . he spake the word unto them as they were able to hear it , mark . . and , said he , iohn . . i have yet many things to say unto you , but ye cannot bear them now . he knew both when to speak , and when to hold his peace ; and in whatsoever he said , he considered the genius , temper and capacity of his auditors . he would not cast pearls before swine , as he cautioned his disciples not to do , for this reason , lest they turn again and rend them . when he thought good to deliver those doctrines that were likely to exasperate , as that of the calling of the gentiles and rejection of the jews , &c. he chose to fold them up in parables , unfolding them in private to his disciples , who were fitly disposed for the receiving of them ; and therefore had the favour bestowed upon them to understand the mysteries of the kingdom , as he told them . we find that till he knew his time of suffering was come , he wisely still avoided danger ( wherein he properly shewed the wisdom of the serpent ) one while by withdrawing himself , as matth. . . and at other times ( as was now said ) by concealing those doctrines , which he was well aware the unbelieving jews would be so far from embracing , and making good use of , that they would take occasion from them the more industriously to design his ruine : we read ioh. . . to . that he would not expresly owne himself to be the son of god in any other sense than such a one as he might acknowledge with the least danger ; and concealed that which he very certainly knew would but confirm them in their opinion of him as a wicked blasphemer , and make him so much the more obnoxious to their spight and rage . so far was he from running headlong upon sufferings , and making himself through a rash and indiscreet zeal lyable to those that hated him ; so far was he from being in love with persecution that he did ( as the apostle exhorted the ephesian christians to do ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 buy out or gain time , because the days were evil and full of danger . again , how wisely did our saviour from time to time defeat and render unsuccessful , the plots and machinations of the pharisees and his other enemies against him ! we find in matth. . . the herodians ( or those of the jews that adhered to the caesarean and roman authority ) and the pharisees ( who esteemed it as an usurpation ) combining together to intangle him in his talk : and they so ordered their plot , as that they might get an advantage from whatsoever he should say , either to render him obnoxious to herod , and the roman party , or to inrage the most popular and highly esteemed sect of the jews , the pharisees . in order hereunto they cunningly put to him this question , viz. whether it were lawful to pay tribute to caesar ? if he should answer that it was , he would make himself lyable to the latter mischief ; if that it was not , to the former and the far greater . now ( as is to be seen in the , , . verses ) our saviour with such admirable prudence contrived his answer , that ( vers . . ) both factions are said to wonder at it , and to be basfled by it . when they had heard these words , they marvelled and left him and went their way . diverse other instances there are of a like nature ; as in iohn . . to . matth. . . to . matt. . . to , &c. and thus we have sufficiently and fully enough proved , that it was the whole business of our saviour's life to make men in all respects pertuous and holy ; and that thereunto were subservient , as his discourses with them , so his actions likewise and whole behaviour . plus docent exempla quàm praecepta : examples are the most natural and easie way of teaching , and they are so by reason of mankinds being so greatly addicted to imitation ; and , i say , it doth from our past discourse sufficiently appear , that our saviour's whole conversation was a rare exemplification of all kinds of vertue and true goodness . chap. vi. that to make men truly virtuous and holy was the design of christ's unimitable actions , or mighty works and miracles . and that these did not onely tend to promote it , as they were convincing arguments that he came forth from god , but were also very proper to effect it in a more immediate manner . but it cannot be amiss if we moreover adde , that it was not onely the design of our saviour's imitable actions , to teach the world vertue , but also of those which are not imitable , viz. of his miracles and mighty works : and that these did not onely tend to the promoting of that design , as they were convincing and infallible arguments that he came forth from god , but were likewise very proper to effect it in a more immediate manner . for they were not onely argumentative or a proof of the truth of his doctrine , but also instructive , and minded men of their duty . those miracles which he chose to work , were of such a nature , as to be hugely fit to accomplish at one and the same time both these businesses . they were not such as the foolish and carnal jews expected , that is , signs from heaven , that were apt to produce directly no other effect than that of pleasing their childish phansies , or striking their senses with admiration and astonishment by making prodigious and amazing shews and representations before their eyes ; but most of them were expressions of the greatest kindness and charity to mankind . for instance ; his healing the sick of all manner of diseases , his making the lame to walk and the blind to see , and the deaf to hear ; his cleansing the lepers , feeding the hungry , raising the dead , and ejecting of evil spirits out of those that were , miserably possessed with them and tormented by them , &c. in acts . . the apostle expresseth our saviour's working of miracles , by this phrase [ doing good ] who ( saith he ) went up and down doing good , and healing all that were oppressed of the devil . and in his miracles did he give instances of great kindness and good-will even unto those which did least deserve it : for he made use of his divine power for the healing & relief of the disingenuous and unthankful , ill-natured and wicked , as well as of the better-disposed and more worthy persons : therein imitating his heavenly father ( as he required us to do ) who maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good , and sendeth rain on the iust and on the unjust , matth. . . and , as i take it , the last miracle , that before he ascended the cross was wrought by him , was the cure of one of those his enemies that came with clubs and staves to apprehend him . and the few miracles besides those that consisted in doing kindnesses to men ( for those we have on record are almost all such ) were such as by which he gave us an example of other vertues : as particularly of piety , trust in god , and zeal for him . of his piety and trust in god his fasting fourty days and fourty nights was a great evidence : it was so of his trust in him and constant adhering to him , as by thus doing he put himself by his father's appointment upon most violent and strong temptations ; in conflicting wherewith ( as hath been shewn ) he came off a most noble conquerour . of his zeal for god was his whipping the buyers and sellers out of the temple no small expression ; and i adde , it was so also of his most gracious and loving respect to the contemned gentiles , whose court ( as master mede and others have most evidently demonstrated ) they were whip'd out of ; they making their house of prayer a den of thieves , as our saviour told them . and this may deservedly be numbered among his miracles , because it is unconceivable how a man unarmed , in no authority , and of mean esteem in regard of his parentage , poverty and low circumstances , should strike such a fear into those people , as to force them without the least offer of resistance to flee before him , if the cause thereof were not extraordinary and more than natural . and even that miracle which might seem the most inconsiderable , namely his causing his disciple peter to catch a fish with a small piece of money in its mouth , was also instructive of a duty ; it being an instance of his loyalty to the supreme magistrate ; for the money was expended in paying tribute , and taken out of the sea in that strange manner for no other purpose . in short , i know no one miracle that our saviour wrought , but over and above its being a seal for the confirmation of his divine mission , it teacheth some one or other good lesson , and is proper for the bettering of the souls of those that seriously consider it . and that great miracle , which after his ascension ( according to his promise ) he shewed in sending the holy ghost , did promote the business of making men holy , in a far higher way than that of example : for the grand & standing office of the spirit in the world , is the exciting in us holy desires , and the assisting of us in the performance of holy actions : it is the making the gospel and all means effectual to the renovation and reformation of our hearts and lives . if it be objected that we read of two miracles , namely , his cursing the fig-tree , and sending the devils into the herd of swine ; which are so far from containing any lessons of morality , or tending to the least good , that they seem to be on the contrary onely of an evil and mischievous consequence . i answer , that as for our saviour's cursing the fig-tree that bare leaves , and had no fruit on it , it was a most significant document unto men , that their profession , which is answerable to bearing leaves , must be joyned with a sutable practice , and have fruit accompanying , or 't will be nothing worth : and fruitless persons were taught by that emblem , what they must look for , if they continued so . but the most pregnant meaning of it is ( as the learned doctor hammond hath shewn ) that the jews which were just like that leafie-tree without fruit at that time on it , a meer professing people , were to expect speedy destruction from him , on supposition that they persisted in their unfruitfulness . it is not once to be imagined that this which our saviour did to the fig-tree was any other than emblematical ; for no one that deserveth but the name of a man , would be guilty of such a piece of impotent revenge , as to wreak his anger on a senseless tree , that was not upon the account of its barrenness , or any thing else , in a capacity of being faulty or blame worthy . and besides it is mentioned in the story as related by s. mark , chap. . . that the time of figs was not yet , or , it was not then a season for figs ; that is , it was not a good fig-year ; which is given as the cause of the tree's being at that time without fruit : and it seems to me very probable , that , that clause was purposely added , that it might be the more easily observed that our saviour's curse was not designed to be terminated in the tree , but that it was pronounced against it onely as it was an apt resemblance of a professor that is barren of good works . so that our blessed lord , who was so meek and forbearing towards wicked and the worst of men , and likewise so very gracious and kind to them , could not be supposed to have been at all , much less so very angry with an innocent vegetable , as to destroy it for no other reason than that he once found no fruit upon it ; but it is evident that he onely took hold of this opportunity to do as i now said . so that this miracle was designed no less than the forementioned to be instructive to the spectators of it , and to all that should afterwards hear or read the story concerning it ; which none could be so dull as not to understand , that had but the least knowledge of him . and as for that other , viz. his sending the devils , which he had ejected out of a poor man , into a herd of swine , and by that means causing them to run violently down a steep hill into the sea , and to perish there : we read , first , that our saviour did not command them , but onely suffered them ( as 't is expressed both by s. mark and s. luke ) at their own request to take possession of those beasts . nor doth the saying unto them , go , ( which is in s. matthew's relation of the story , ) speak any more than a bare permission ; seeing their beseeching him to suffer them to go is there expressed as the occasion of his so speaking . so that the mischief that was done , the devils onely were the authors or the proper cause of . nor , secondly , could our saviour permit this , either to make sport , or to please himself with the destruction of the poor creatures ; for both these were infinitely below him , and perfectly contrary to the seriousness of his spirit , and goodness of his nature ; but there were very weighty and great reasons why he should thus do . as , first , to expose the hateful nature of the devils , and to give men to understand and take notice , how extremely they delight in doing mischief ; which it doth greatly concern the wellfare of our souls , both not to be ignorant of , and well to consider . by this experiment it appeared , that those unclean spirits are so maliciously disposed , and so bent upon mischievousness , as that rather than want objects to vent their spite on , they will be glad to do it upon bruit beasts . but especially the devils most inveterate and deadly hatred to man-kind was hereby shewed ; in that when they were no longer permitted to do them a greater , they were glad of an opportunity to make them the objects of a less mischief : and to procure to them what hurt they were able in their goods , when they ceased to be in a capacity of tormenting them in their minds and bodies . ly , by this means there was a discovery made what a multitude there were of them that possessed that one , or at most ( according to s. matthew ) two persons ; insomuch as that those which were cast out of them were enough to actuate the bodies of a great herd of swine , and consisting of no fewer than about two thousand , as s. mark saith ; and none could tell ( but he that cast them out of the men , and suffered them to enter the swine ) how very many each of these might be possessed with . this was of great importance to be known , in order to the understanding of the greatness of the miracle that was wrought in behalf of the miserable wretches , and to their being made sensible of the exceeding vastness of the deliverance that by their saviour was brought unto them . for though the devils declared that their name was legion , to signifie that they were a very mighty multitude ; yet what they said was too incredible to be received upon the bare word of those which from the very beginning were always liars : but this permission of our saviour gave a plain demonstration that in this saying of theirs they spake the truth . thirdly , these persons were by this means most effectually taught how infinitely they were obliged to the divine providence , in not suffering this huge number of fiends all the time they had possession of them to destroy them ; when as they no sooner entred into the herd of swine , but immediately they dispatch'd them all . fourthly , this permission was also a just punishment to the gaderens to whom those beasts belonged ; who ( as afterward it appeared ) were a generation of covetous muck-worms , and preferred their swine before their souls ; and so likewise it was as effectual and proper a course as could well be taken for their reformation . several other reasons of this action might be instanced in , but these , nay any one of them , may well suffice . so that it is apparent that this miracle was so far from being a mischievous one or of no use , that there was scarcely any one wrought by our saviour , that is so pregnant with profitable instructions , and in so many respects of great importance to the good of our souls as this is . chap. vii . that to make men holy was the design of christ's death , proved by several texts of scripture : and how it is effectual thereunto , discovered in six particulars . fourthly , the making of us holy , as it was the business of our saviour's whole life , so was it also the great end and design of his death . and this are we assured of by abundance of express scriptures ; some few of which we will here produce , romans . . knowing this that our old man is crucified with him , that the body of sin might be destroyed , that henceforth we should not serve sin . corinthians , . . — he dyed for all , that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves , but unto him which died for them , and rose again . galatians , . . who gave himself for our sins , that he might deliver us from this present evil world , ( viz. from its corrupt practices ) according to the will of god and our father . ephesians , . , , . husbands love your wives , as christ loved the church , and gave himself for it , that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word , that he might present it unto himself a glorious church , not having spot or wrinkle , or any such thing ; but that it should be holy and without blemish . colossians , . , . and you that were sometimes alienated , and enemies in your minds by wicked works , hath he now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death , to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight . titus , . . who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works . pet. . . for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold , from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers ▪ but with the precious blood of christ , as a lamb without blemish , and without spot . pet. . . for christ also hath once suffered for sins , the just for the unjust , that he might bring us to god , &c. that is , saith calvin upon the place , that we might be so consecrated to god as to live and die to him . pet. . . who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree , that we being dead to sins , should live to righteousness , by whose stripes ye were healed . now the death of christ is greatly effectual to this end of making us holy , these several ways . first , as it gave testimony to the truth of his doctrine ; which ( as hath been shewn ) hath no other design . christ took his death upon it that that was true ; was willing to expose himself in the defence thereof to a most ignominious and painful death . secondly , as the shedding of his blood was a federal right confirming the new covenant , wherein is promised in and through him the pardon of our sins , and eternal happiness , on condition of our sincere repentance , faith and new obedience . so the blood of christ is called the blood of the covenant , heb. . . and the blood of the everlasting covenant , heb. . . thirdly , as it is exemplary of the highest vertue . pet. . . christ also suffered for us , leaving us an example , that we should follow his steps ; who did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth : who when he was reviled , reviled not again ; when he suffered , he threatned not , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously . the greatest humility and self-denial , the greatest meekness , patience and submission to the divine will , the most wonderful charity , and forgiveness of enemies , &c. are exemplified in our saviour's death ; and so it must needs be very highly effectual towards the promoting of these most excellent graces , and the like , in us , and the expelling and utter extirpating out of us the contrary vices . one would think it impossible that he should be of an haughty spirit and a proud mind , that seriously considers how the onely-begotten son of god humbled himself to the death , even the shameful and ignominious death of the cross : that he should covet great things in the world , that frequently affects his mind with the thoughts of his saviour's emptying himself and becoming poor , that we through his proverty might be made rich , and preferring the death of the vilest of wretches before the life of the greatest and most honourable personages . how can he be vain and frothy , that considers his saviour's horrid agony , what a man of sorrows he was , and how acquainted with griefs ? how can he storm at the receiving of injuries , and swell with indignation against those that offer him incivilities and rudely behave themselves towards him , that fixeth his thoughts upon his saviour's meek putting up the vilest and most contemptuous usages , and considereth how gentle , sedate and lamb-like he was when barbarous villains mocked , buffetted and spit upon him , crowned him with thorns , put a robe in a jear upon his back , and a reed for a scepter into his hand , and at last acted the parts of the most inhumane butchers towards him . one would think it no uneasie matter to perswade our selves to forgive very heartily the spitefullest & most malicious enemies , whilst we take notice that christ shed even his pretious blood for those that carried in their breasts the greatest malignity against him and bare him the most deadly hatred ; that he suffered death for those which in the cruellest manner they were able took away his life . what temptation can be forcible enough to prevail upon us sinners to murmure and repine at the hand of god in the afflictions he inflicts upon us , while we observe how much greater sufferings than ours are , were with profoundest submission to , and likewise the heartiest approbation of the divine will , endured by the not onely perfectly innocent , but also the highly meriting and infinitely well deserving jesus ? fourthly , as the death of christ was likewise a sacrifice for sin , it was in an eminent manner effectual to this great purpose . in the death of christ considered as an expiatory and propitiatory sacrifice , is the offence that god almighty hath taken against sin , and the hatred he bears to it , as well as his love to us sinners , infinitely declared ; in that he would not forgive it to us without the intervention of no meaner an offering than the blood of his onely-begotten son. observe what the apostle s. paul saith to this purpose , rom. . , . whom god hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood , to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past , through the forbearance of god , to declare i say at this time his righteousness , that he might be just , and the justifier of him which believeth in iesus . the plain sense of which words ( as i conceive ) is this : that god might at one and the same time demonstrate how holy he is , and how much he hateth sin on the one hand , and how infinitely gracious he is in his willingness to forgive sinners on the other , was christ set forth by him to be a propitiation through faith in his blood . there are many ( and they no adversaries to the doctrine of our saviour's satisfaction ) that do not question but that god could have pardoned sin without any other satisfaction than the repentance of the sinner , ( and in the number of them were calvin , p. martyr , musculus , and zanchy , as might be fully shewn out of their several works , but that this is not a place to do it in ) but he chose to have his son die for it , before he would admit any terms of reconciliation , that so he might perform the highest act of grace , in such a way , as at the same time to shew also the greatest displeasure against sin. and therefore would he thus do , that so he might the more effectually prevent wicked mens encouraging themselves by the consideration of his great mercy , to persist in their wickedness . therefore was christ set forth to be a propitiatory sacrifice for sin , i will not say that his father ( who is perfectly sui juris ) might be put by this means into a capacity of forgiving it , but that it might be a cogent motive , and most prevailing argument to sinners to reform from it . there is an excellent place to this purpose , rom. . . for what the law could not do , in that it was weak through the flesh : god sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh , and for sin ( or by the means of sin ) condemned sin in the flesh ; that is , what the precepts of the mosaical law could not do , in that they were weak by reason of the impetuosity of mens fleshly inclinations , that the son of god ( coming in the humane nature , and in all respects becoming like to us , sin onely excepted ) did , and by being a sacrifice for sin ( so the word [ sin ] signifieth in diverse places , as leviticus . . chap. . . cor. . . and , as i suppose , also gen. . . ) condemned sin in his flesh ; he by this means shewing how hateful it is to god , took the most effectual course to kill and destroy it . and moreover the most dearly beloved son of god undergoing such extreme sufferings for our sins , it is evidently thereby demonstrated what dismal vengeance those have reason to expect that shall continue impenitent , and refuse to be reclaimed from them : for saith he , luke . . is they do these things in a green tree , what shall be done in the dry ? if god spared not his own most innocent , holy and onely son , than whom nothing was , or could be , more dear to him , but abandoned him to so shameful and horrid a death for our sins ; how great and severe sufferings may we conclude he will inflict upon those vile creatures , that dare still to live in wilful disobedience to him . and from the death of christ considered as a sacrifice we farther learn , what an esteem god hath for his holy laws , that he would not abate their rigour , nor remit the punishment due to the transgressors of them , without a consideration of no meaner value than the most pretious blood of his own son. and lastly , in that christ hath laid down his life at the appointment of god the father for the purpose of making an atonement of sin , this gives all men unspeakably greater assurance of the pardon of true penitents than the bare consideration of the divine goodness could ever have done : and so by this means have we the greatest encouragement that our hearts can wish to become new men and return to obedience ; and have all ground of jealously and suspicion removed from us , that we have been guilty of such heinous and so often repeated impieties , as that it may not become the holiness and justice of god to remit them to us though they should be never so sincerely forsaken by us . in the death of our saviour thus considered , are contained ( as we have seen ) the strongest and most irresistible arguments to a holy life ; and i farther adde , such as are no less apt to work upon the principle of ingenuity that is implanted in our natures , than that of self-love . for who that hath the least spark of it , will not be powerfully inclined to hate all sin , when he considereth , that it was the cause of such direful sufferings to so incomparably excellent a person , and infinitely obliging a friend as christ is ? who but a creature utterly destitute of that principle , and therefore worse than a brute beast , can find in his heart to take pleasure in the spear that let out the heart-blood of his most blessed saviour ; and to carry himself towards that as a loving friend , which was ( and still is ) the lord of glory's worst enemy ? again , hath jesus christ indured & done so much for our sakes , and are we able to give our selves leave to render all his sufferings and performances unsuccessful by continuing in disobedience ? can we be willing that he should do and suffer so many things in vain , and much more do our parts to make him do so ? is this possible ? nay hath he been crucified for us by the wicked iews , and don 't we think that enough ? but must we our selves be crucifying him afresh by our sins , and putting him again to an open shame by preferring our base lusts before him , as the iews did baral bas ? hath he expressed such astonishing love to us in dying for us , and wo'nt we accept of it ? which we certainly refuse to do so long as we live in sin. hath he purchased eternal salvation for us , and such great and glorious things as eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , and which have not entered into the heart of man , to be conceived by him ; and can we perswade our selves to be so ungrateful to him , as well as so wanting to our-selves , as to refuse to receive these at his hands on those most reasonable terms on which he offers them ? hath he bought us with such a price ; and can we refuse to be his servants , and rather chuse to be the slaves of sathan , the devil's drudges ? where can we find so many strongly inciting motives to hate and abandon all sin , as are contained , and very obvious in the death and sufferings of our saviour for it ? fifthly , the death of our saviour is in a special manner effectual to the making of us in all respects vertuous and holy , as he hath thereby procured for us that grace and assistance that is necessary to enable us so to be . in regard of his humbling himself as he did , and becoming obedient to the death of the cross , hath god highly exalted him , and given him a name that is above every name ; that at the name of jesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven , and things in earth , and things under the earth : and that every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord , to the glory of god the father , phil. . , , . now by vertue of the authority he is by this means invested and dignified with , and particularly as he is king of his church , hath he sent the holy ghost to sanctifie us , to excite us to all holy actions , and to assist us in the performance of them . sixthly , the death of christ doth also apparently promote this great design , as by his patient submitting to it he vindicated god's right of sovereignity over all his creatures , and the power he hath to require what he pleaseth , and to dispose of them as seems good to him . whereas the first adam by contumacy , pride and rebellion did put an high and unsufferable affront upon the authority of his maker , and his wretched posterity followed his example , and have by that means done what lay in them to render his right to their obedience questionable ; this blessed second adam by acting directly contrary , viz. by obedience , humility , & subjecting himself to the divine pleasure in the severest expressions and significations of it , hath done publiquely and before the world an infinite honour to his father : and his absolute right of dominion over his whole creation , and the power he hath to prescribe to it what laws he judges sitting ( which was before so eclipsed by wicked sinners ) hath he by this means in the most signal manner manifested and made apparent . and of what force this is to promote our holiness and universal obedience , the dullest capacity may apprehend . from what hath been said it appears to be a most plain , and unquestionable case , that our saviour in his death considered according to each of the notions we have of it , had an eye to the great work of making men holy , and that this was the main design which he therein drove at . and i now adde , that where as it is frequently affirmed in the holy scriptures , that the end of christ's death was also the forgiveness of our sins , & the reconciling of us to his father , we are not so to understand those places where this is expressed , as if these blessings were absolutely thereby procured for us , or any otherwise than upon condition of our effectuall believing , and yielding obedience to his gospel . nor is there any one thing scarcely which we are so frequently therein minded of , as we are of this . christ died to put us into a capacity of pardon ; the actual removing of our guilt is not the necessary and immediate result of his death , but suspended till such time as the forementioned conditions , by the help of his grace , are performed by us . but moreover , it is in order to our being encouraged to sincere endeavours to forsake all sin , and to be universally obedient for the time to come , that our saviour shed his blood for the pardon of it : this was intended in his death as it is subservient to that purpose ; the assurance of having all our sins forgiven upon our sincere reformation , being a necessary motive thereunto . therefore hath he delivered us from a necessity of dying , that we might live to god ; and therefore doth god offer to be in his son jesus reconciled to us , that we may thereby be prevailed with to be reconciled to him . therefore was the death of christ designed to procure our justification from all sins past , that we might be by this means provoked to become new creatures for the time to come . observe to this purpose what the divine author to the hebrews saith , chap. . , . if the blood of bulls and goats , and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean , sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh : how much more shall the blood of christ , who through the eternal spirit ofsered himself without spot to god , purge your consciences from dead works ( for what end ? it follows ) to serve ( or in order to your serving ) the living god. and thus much may suffice to be spoken concerning the design of our saviour's death . chap. viii . that it is onely the promoting of the design of making men holy , that is aimed at by the apostles insisting on the doctrines of christ's resurrection , ascension and coming again to judgement . i might in the next place proceed to shew , that the resurrection of our saviour did carry on the same design that his precepts , promises and threatnings , life and death aimed at ; but who knows not that these would all have signified nothing to the promoting of this or any other end , if he had always continued in the grave , and not risen again as he foretold he would . if christ be not risen , saith the apostle , cor. . . then is our preaching vain , and your faith is also vain . so that whatsoever our saviour intended in those particulars , the perfecting and final accomplishment thereof must needs be eminently designed in his resurrection . the apostle peter tells his country-men the jews , acts . . that , to them first god having raised up his son iesus , sent him to bless them in turning every one of them from his iniquities . but farthermore we find the doctrine of christ's resurrection very much insisted on , by s. paul especially , as a principle of the spiritual and divine life in us ; and proposed as that which we ought to have not onely a speculative and notional , but also a practical and experimental acquaintance with . and he often telleth us , that it is our duty to find that in our souls which bears an analogy thereunto . he saith , phil. . . that it was his ambition to know ( or feel within himself ) the power of his resurrection , as well as the fellowship of his sufferings ; to have experience of his being no longer a dead but a living jesus by his inlivening him , and quickening his soul with a new life . and again he saith , rom. . . that , therefore we are buried with him by baptism unto death , that like as christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father , even so we also should walk in newness of life ; that is , christians being plunged into the water in baptism signifieth their undertaking , and obliging themselves in a spiritual sence to die and be buried with jesus christ ( which death and burial consist in an utter renouncing and forsaking of all their sins ) that so answerably to his resurrection , they may live a holy and a godly life . and it followeth , vers . . for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death , we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection ; that is , if we are ingrafted into christ by mortification to sin , and so imitate his death , we will no less have a resemblance of his resurrection , by living to god , or performing all acts of piety and christianity . and then from vers . . to . he thus proceeds : now if we be dead with christ , we believe that we shall ( or we will ) also live with him : knowing that christ , being raised from the dead , dieth no more , death hath no more dominion over him . for in that he died , he died unto sin once ( or for sin once for all ) but in that he liveth , he liveth unto god , ( that is , in heaven with god : ) likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin , but alive unto god through iesus christ our lord ; that is , after the example of his death and resurrection account ye your selves obliged to die to sin , and to live to the praise and glory of god. and the same use that the apostle here makes of the resurrection of our saviour , he doth also elsewhere of his ascension and session at the right hand of god , coloss. . . . if ye then be risen with christ , seek those things which are above , where christ sitteth at the right hand of god ; set your affections on things above , not on things on the earth : for you are dead ( that is in profession , having engaged your selves to renounce your past wicked life ) and your life is hid with christ in god , &c. that is , and the life you have by embracing the christian religion obliged your selves to lead , is in heaven where christ is . so that this sheweth the informations the gospel gives us of these things to be intended for practical purposes , and incitements to holiness . and christ's resurrection with his following advancement we are frequently minded of , to teach us this most excellent lesson , that obedience , patience and humility are the way to glory ; and therefore to encourage us to be followers of him , to tread in his holy steps , and make him our pattern . this we have in the fore cited place , phil. . , , , &c. and hebr. . , . we are exhorted to lay aside every weight , and the sin which doth so easily beset us , and to run with patience the race that is set before us : looking unto iesus the author and finisher of our faith , who for the joy that was set before him , endured the gross , despising the shame , and is set down at the right hand of the throne of god. and vers . . to consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself ( that is especially how he is now rewarded for it ) l●…st we be weary and faint in our minds . and that the meaning of our being so often minded of our saviour's coming again to iudgement , is to stir us up to all holiness of conversation , who can be so ignorant as not to know ? for we are sufficiently told that we must be judged according to our works , especially such works , as the hypocrites of this age do most despise & leave to be chiefly performed by their contemned moralists ; as appears from m●… . . . to the end of the chapter . and , lastly , that is very certain , which is intimated in the page of the free discourse , namely , that all the doctrines of the gospel , as merely speculative as some at the first sight may seem to be , have a tendency to the promoting of real righteousness & holiness , and are revealed for that purpose . but as i did not there , so neither will i here proceed to shew it , in all the several instances , or in any more than i have now done : and that for the reason that is there given . but besides i conceive that what hath been discoursed already in this section , is abundantly sufficient to demonstrate what we have undertaken , viz. that to make men truly vertuous and holy , is the design , the main and onely design of christianity . sect . ii. upon what accounts the business of making men holy came to be preferred by our saviour before any other thing , and to be principally designed by him . chap. ix . two accounts of this : the first , that this is to do the greatest good to men . and that the blessing of making men holy , is of all other the greatest , proved by several arguments , viz. first , that it containeth in it a deliverance from the worst of evils ; and sin shewed so to be . i proceed in the next place to shew how it comes to pass , that of all other good things , the making man-kind truly vertuous and holy , is the grand and special design of christianity . there are these two accounts to be given of it . first , this is to do the greatest good to men. secondly , this is to do the best service to god. first , the making of us really righteous and holy is the greatest good that can possibly be done to us . there is no blessing comparable to that of purifying our natures from corrupt affections , and induing them with vertuous and divine qualities . the wiser sort of the heathens themselves were abundantly satisfied of the truth of this : and therefore the only design they professed to drive at in their philosophy was the purgation , and perfection of the humane life . hierocles makes this to be the very definition of it : and by the purgation of mens lives , he tells us is to be understood , the cleansing of them from the dregs and silth of unreasonable appetites ; and by their perfection , the recovery of that excellency which reduceth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the divine likeness . now the blessing of making men holy , is of all the greatest , first , because it contains in it a deliverance from the worst of evils . those are utterly ignorant of the nature of sin , that imagine any evil greater than it , or so great . it was the doctrine of the stoicks that there is nothing evil but what is turpe & vitiosum , vile and vicious . and tully himself who professed not to be bound up to the placita of any one sect of philosophers , but to be free-minded and to give his reason it s full scope and liberty , takes upon him sometimes most stiffly and seemingly in very good earnest to maintain it & dispute for it . but as difficult as i find it to brook that doctrine as they seem to understand it , that more modest saying of his in the first book of his tusculan questions hath without doubt not a little of truth in it . viz. that there is no evil comparable to that of sin. hierocles a sober philosopher , and very free from the high-flown humour and ranting genius of the stoicks , though he would allow that other things besides sin , may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very grievous and difficult to be born , yet he would admit nothing besides this to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly evil ; and he gives this reason for it , viz. because that certain circumstances may make other things good , that have the repute of evils ; but none can make this so . he saith that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [ well ] can never be joyned with any vice , but so may it with every thing besides : as it is proper to say concerning such or such a person , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is well diseased , he is well poor , that is , he is both these to good purpose , behaving himself in his sickness and poverty as he ought to do ; but ( proceeds he ) it can never be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. he doth injury well , or he is rightly and as becomes him intemperate . now that wickedness is the greatest of evils , is apparent , in that it injures mens better part , their souls , whereas it lyeth in the power of no other ( as the now mentioned philosopher also observeth ) so to do . do i say , it injures them ? that 's too gentle a word , it even marrs and spoils them , as again that person doth in another place speak . other evils may ruine our bodies , our fortunes , &c. and may , i confess , by that means disquiet and disturb our souls ; but they can be depraved by nought but sin , this alone can deprive them of the image of god wherein consists their excellency . and when i say that sin undoes our souls and sin only , i say that this and this alone undoes our-selves : for ( as saith the same brave man , ) thy soul is thy-self ; thy body thine ; and all outward things , thy body's . and the excellent simplicius speaking of death , hath this saying , that it is onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil to our bodies , not to us . and this both the stoicks and platonists do much insist upon , and make great use of it . they stick not to tell us , that it is improper to say that a man consists of two parts , whereof the body is one ; and that this is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a constituent part of man , but onely his instrument : that it is but our prison wherein we are confined , our leather-bag , our satchel , our case , our sheath , our house , our cloathing , and the like . and we find such a notion of the body in the holy scriptures , as well as in the heathen writings . s. paul also calls it our cloathing , our earthly house , our tabernacle , cor. . , . s. peter calleth his body , this tabernacle ; i think it meet , ( saith he ) so long as i am in this tabernacle , &c. pet. . . knowing that shortly i must put off this tabernacle , vers . . so that other evils have that denomination because they are so to such things onely ( immediately i mean ) as belong to our-selves , but sin is an immediate evil , and the greatest imaginable to our very selves ; in that in whomsoever it is entertained , it changes the man's nature , spoils his constitution and makes him quite another thing : from a lovely , noble and excellent , it transforms him into an ignoble , base and contemptible creature . we are not ignorant what names the scripture bestoweth upon wicked men , even those of the uncleanest and most impure beasts . there is no such filthiness ( said cicero ) as the f●…ditas turpificati animi , that of an unclean soul : and the philosophers used to express vice by turpitudo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthiness , as being that which is infinitely disbecoming , below and unworthy of humane nature . and the wise man in his book of the proverbs saith , that a wicked man is loathsome , and cometh to shame . there is no such hideous monster in nature as a reasonable creature living in contradiction to the dictates of his understanding , trampling under-foot the eternal laws of righteousness , and opposing himself to the known will of the great sovereign of the world , of him in whom he liveth , moveth and hath his being , to whom alone he is obliged for all he is or hath , and for the capacity he is in of having any thing for the future which for the present he is destitute of . a body in which the head and feet have exchanged places , is not more deformed and monstrous than is a vitious soul : for her superiour and governing part is subjected to , and lorded over by her inferiour and that which was designed by nature to be kept in subjection and governed . her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as the pythagoraeans phrase it ) or holder of the reins , and ruling faculty , is become the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reined in and ruled faculty . i adde moreover , that well may sin be said to spoil and marr mens souls , for we read in the writings of the apostles that it kills them . she that liveth in pleasures is dead , while she liveth , tim. . . you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins , eph. . . s. iude speaking of certain ungodly wretches , saith , that they are twice dead , v. . and the very same notion had diverse of the heathens also . pythagoras used to put a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or empty coffin in the place of that scholar that left his school , to betake himself to a vicious and debauch'd life , as thereby signifying , that he was dead , dead as to his nobler part . and his followers tell us that the souls of men died , when they apostatized from god , and cast off the divine life . and such a one , as in whom sin reigneth , may be called a dead man , because according to them , the definition of a man belongs not to him , nor doth he any longer deserve the name of a reasonable creature . the philosopher we have so often quoted , ( and shall have occasion to do it oftener ) will have wickedness to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the death of the reasonable nature : and simplicius doubts not to assert , that a man that is drowned in sensuality , hath no more of reason in him , than a brute creature . to return to god and to a right mind , to be without god and without understanding , were of one and the same signification with those excellent men . and our saviour tells us that the prodigal came to himself when he resolved upon returning to his father's house ; as if that while he persisted in disobedience , he was as very a brute , as were those whose husks he fed on , and had utterly lost his understanding faculty . though that last saying of simplicius may seem somewhat hyperbolical , yet this following , one of hierocles hath not the least tittle of a figure in it , viz. that wicked men do render the reason that remaineth in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more base and wretchedly contemptible than the vilest slave . they use it altogether in matters of very bad , or ( at best ) of most mean concern ; and therefore as upon that account , it were better , so upon this it would be even as well , if they had none at all : for the sagacity that is in beasts is not less serviceable to them , than is the reason of a wicked man to him : nay had he onely that sagacity that is observable in many unreasonable creatures , it might stand him in as much stead as his reason doth , and perhaps more . so that from what hath been discoursed it appeareth very evidently that wickedness is the worst , incomparably the worst of evils ; that it is so in its own nature , as well as in its consequences : and therefore to deliver us from it , by purifying our lives and natures is to confer upon us the greatest blessing , and consequently is an undertaking , of all others , the most worthy of the son of god. chap. x. the second argument , viz. that the blessing of making men holy is accompained with all other that are most desireable , and which do best deserve to be so called : particularly with the pardon of sin , and god's special love. and that those things which sensual persons are most desirous of , are eminently to be found in that blessing . secondly , this is the greatest blessing , because it is accompanied with all other that are most desireable , and which do best deserve to be so called . where sin is sincerely forsaken , it will certainly be pardoned : the nature of god is such as that he is ready to be reconciled to a true convert . they are our iniquities alone that make ( or can make ) a separation betwixt us and our god , and our sins onely that hide his face from us : but the cause being removed , the effect ceaseth . when the divine grace that is offered to sinners , becometh effectual to the turning any one from his evil ways , god's favour doth naturally return to him : even as naturally as doth the sun's light into those places , where that which before intercepted between it and them , is taken away . he is of so infinitely benign and gracious a nature , that no man can continue an object of his displeasure one moment longer than while he is uncapable of his favour ; and nothing , i say , but sin and wickedness ( as he hath often enough assured us ) can make men so . nay a holy soul is ever the object also of his dearest and most special love . he is not onely friends with , but also takes pleasure in those that fear him , psalm . . he is said to make his residence within such persons , so great is the delight that he taketh in them . isaiah . , . thus saith the lord , the heaven is my throne , and the earth my footstool , where is the house that ye build unto me ? and where is the place of my rest ? for all those things have mine hand made , and all those things have been , saith the lord : but to this man will i look , even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit , and trembleth at my word . john . . iesus said unto him , if any man love me , he will keep my words , and my father will love him , and we will come unto him , and make our abode with him . and it is said particularly of him that dwelleth in love ( which is the fulfilling of the law ) that he dwelleth in god , and god in him . and i might shew that the heathens themselves had this very notion . it was a saying used by the pythagoraeans ; that god hath not in the whole earth a more familiar place of residence than a pure soul. and apollo is brought in thus speaking , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . to dwell in heaven doth not more please me , then within the souls of pious mortal men . and hierocles which reciteth that verse doth himself assert , that god hateth no man ; but as for the good man , he embraceth him with an extraordinary and surpassing affection . the righteous lord loving righteousness , his countenance cannot but behold the upright . wheresoever he finds any impressions of true goodness , as he cannot but highly approve of them , so is it not possible but that they should attract his singular love to those which are the subjects of them : according to that measure and proportion that any one participates of his goodness , he must needs have a share in his grace and kindness . a holy person is a man after god's own heart , as his servant david was said to be : he is a man that carrieth his image , and bears a resemblance to him , and upon that account he cannot fail to be very dearly beloved by him . now i need not go about to prove that there is no blessing whatsoever but is implyed in an interest in the divine love , and especially in such a love as that which we have shewed good men are made the objects of . it might be here shewn also that those things which sensual and carnal persons are most desirous of , viz. riches , honours and pleasures , are eminently to be found in the blessing we are now discoursing of , and indeed those which best deserve to be so called and are in the properest sense so , no where else . nothing inricheth a man like the graces of god's holy spirit : what s. peter said of meekness , is true of all the vertues ; they are in the sight of god ( and he judgeth of things as they are ) of great price . they are called gold tryed in the fire , rev. . . the true and our own riches , luk. . . which is as much as to say , that these only are ours , and all but these are false and counterfeit . these inrich our souls , which alone ( as was said ) deserve to be called our-selves , and will abide by us when all other have bid adieu to us . these do as much excel in true value and worth all those things which the world calls riches , as do our immortal spirits transcend our frail and corruptible carkasses . it was one of the maximes of the stoicks , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the wise ( whereby they meant the truly virtuous ) man is the onely rich man. and tully hath this saying upon it . a mans chest cannot properly be called rich , but his mind onely : and though thy coffer be full , so long as i see thee empty , i shall not think thee a rich man. and saith hierocles , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . all things that are without a mans soul , are but little and insignificant trifles . and the righteous , saith solomon , is more excellent than his neighbour ; or he is of greater worth than any other person that is not righteous , prov. . . nothing , again , makes men so honourable as doth vertue and true goodness , or at all truly so . seeing he and he alone that is indued with it , lives up to his highest principle , like a creature possessed of a mind and reason ; nay this man is moreover ( as was said ) like to god himself , and imitates his glorious perfections . and therefore well might wisdom say as she doth , prov. . . riches and honour are with me . to overcome our unruly lusts , and keep in subjection all impetuous desires and inordinate appetites , makes us more deservedly glorious than was alexander or iulius caesar : for he that thus doth , hath subdued those that mastered those mighty conquerours . and such a one hath praise of god , of the holy angels , and of all men that are not fools , and whose judgments he hath cause to value . he that is slow to anger , is better than the mighty ; and he that ruleth his spirit , than he that taketh a city , proverbs . . and no pleasures are comparable to those that immediately result from vertue & holiness : for that man's conscience is a very heaven to him that busieth himself in the exercise thereof . while we do thus , we act most agreably to the right frame and constitution of our souls , and consequently most naturally ; and all the actions of nature are confessedly very sweet and pleasant . this also very many of the heathens had a great sense of ; even those of them which much doubted of another life wherein vertue is rewarded , commended very highly the practice of it , for this reason , that it is sibi praemium a reward to it self . simplicius in his comment upon epictetus hath this observable saying , that , the observation of the rules of vertue in that book prescribed will make men so happy and blessed even in this life , that they shall not need 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. to be promised any reward after death , though that also will be sure to follow . these things , i say , might be insisted on in this place ▪ but they are such large and spacious fields of discourse , that should we make any considerable entrance into them , we shall find it no easie matter to get out of them . i therefore proceed . chap. xi . the third argument , viz. that whatsoever other blessings a man may be supposed to have that is utterly destitute of holiness , they cannot stand him in so much stead , as only to make him not miserable . and all evil and corrupt affections shewed to be greatly tormenting in their own nature , and innumerable sad mischiefs to be the necessary consequents of yielding obedience to them . thirdly , whatsoever other blessings a man may be supposed to have , that is utterly destitute of this of holiness , they cannot stand him in so much stead as but to make him not miserable . we may by the first particular , and what was said upon it , be sufficiently convinced of the truth of this : but i rather add , that sinful lusts are extremely troublesome , disquieting , and painful . the wicked ( saith the prophet isaiah ) is like the troubled sea which cannot rest , whose waters cast up mire and dirt . the labyrinths that sin involves men in , are innumerable ; its ways are so full of intricate turnings and windings , that they sadly perplex those poor creatures that walk in them , and it is impossible but that they should do so . the greatest outward inconveniences and disastrous misfortunes are very frequently ( as might be largly shewn ) occasioned by them , but vexations of mind , and troublesome thoughts are the constant and never failing effects of them . tully in the forementioned book , saith thus to the vitious man , thy lusts torment thee , all sorts of cares oppress thee , and both day and night torture thee . and hierocles saith that , it is necessary that the worst life should be most miserable , and the best most pleasant and delightful . covetousness and ambition put mens minds upon the rack to contrive ways of inriching and advancing themselves : and when they have attained to so large a proportion of earthly profits , or so high a degree of honour as they at first designed , they are so far from being at ease and rest ( as they vainly promised to themselves they should ) that their cravings encrease as do their fortunes , and in the middest of their abundance they continue in the same streights that at first afflicted them . nay so impetuous is the fury of those lusts , that they drive them into still greater , and cause in their souls that are possessed by them a more pungent and a quicker sense of want than they felt when their condition was most mean , and their estate at the lowest . nor is this mischief any other than a most natural and unavoidable consequent of forsaking god ( who is , as the scriptures call him , the rest , and ( as plato ) the center of souls ) and of seeking satisfaction in such things , as are infinitely too little for their vast capacities : which the forementioned are , and all worldly enjoyments . what a multitude of tormenting cares is independency on god and distrust of his providence perpetually attended with ? how impossible is it to give a comprehensive and just catalogue of the many mischiefs and miseries that are the necessary products and genuine off-spring of intemperance and lasciviousness ? solomon enumerates some of the evils that are the fruits of the former of these , prov. . but to give a perfect account of them would be an endless work . and as for the latter , besides the loathsome and painful disease that is ordinarily the consequent of satisfying the cravings of that filthy vice , the unclean person is continually in a restless condition , and as it were , in a constant fit of a burning feaver ; and the evil accidents that are occasioned by it are so many , that they are not neither to be reckoned up . the epicuraeans , though they placed mans chief happiness in corporeal pleasures , did strictly notwithstanding forbid adultery , for this reason because ( as they said ) in stead of performing its promise of pleasure , it robs men of it . he that is proud and highly conceited of himself , is disordered and discomposed by the least sleighting word , or neglect of respect , and ( i had almost said ) by the smallest commendation of his neighbour too : and it lyeth in the power of any sorry creature , when he list , to afflict him . the inward sad effects of envy and malice are sufficiently observable in the dismal countenances of those that are under the power of them ; and these hateful and devilish lusts do eat into and prey upon the very hearts of those in whose breasts they lodge , and are like fire in their bosomes uncessantly torturing them : not to say any thing of the many outward and ●…st direful mischiefs that are caused by a 〈◊〉 satisfaction of them . in short , there is not any one inordinate affection , but is so disturbing and disquieting a thing in its own nature , that it cannot but make those who are in subjection to it , though they should have never so many good things to set against it , exceeding miserable in this , as well as in the other world . so that had our saviour come into the world , onely upon such a design as the carnal jews expected their messia would , viz. that of making us partakers of a meer temporal happiness , he must in order to the succeeding of it chiefly have concerned himself to make us holy . if it were possible ( as it hath been shewn it is not ) that a wicked man should have god's pardon , this would not make him cease to be miserable ; all it could signifie would be no more than an exemption from being immediately by him punish'd ; but though the divine majesty should not in the least afflict him , his very lusts would be of themselves no light punishment , but such as under which he could never enjoy himself in this life , but wil be found to be intolerable in the life to come : seeing there will then be nothing to be met with that can at all suite with his sensual inclinations , or that will have any aptness in it to please and gratifie them : whereas now all places abound with such things as are fit for that purpose ; as are able , i say , to gratifie , though not to satisfie such appetites . so that this man's condition in the future state must needs be very exactly like to his , that is even parcht and dried up with excessive thirst , but can by no means obtain wherewithal to quench it ; no nor yet so much as a little to slake it , and mitigate the pain of it ; as he in this state very frequently makes a shift to do . were it possible that christ's righteousness could be imputed to an unrighteous man , i dare boldly affirm that it would signifie as little to his happiness , while he continueth so as would a gorgeous and splendid garment to one that is almost starved with hunger , or that lieth rackt by the torturing diseases of the stone or cholick . and could we suppose such a man to be never so much an object of the divine benevolence , nay & complacency too ( as there is nothing than this latter less supposeable ) this could not make him , he continuing wicked , so much as not miserable : he being rendered by his wickedness utterly uncapable of such effects of the love of god , as could have upon him so good an influence . nay farther , were our phansies so very powerful , as that they could place him even in heaven it self ; so long as he continueth unturned from his iniquities , we could not imagine him happy there ; nay he would carry a hell to heaven with him and keep it there . it is not the being in a fine place , that can make any one cease to be miserable ; but the being in a good state ; and the place heaven without the heavenly state , will signifie nothing . an unhealthful and diseased body will have never the more ease for residing in a princes court , nor will a sick and unfound soul have an end put to its unhappiness , though it should live for ever in the presence of god himself . that saying to this purpose doth well deserve our repeating which i find in the excellent book called the causes of the decay of christian piety ; alas , what delight would it be to the swine to be wrapped in fine linnen , and laid in odours : his senses are not gratisied by any such delicacies , nor would he feel any thing besides the torment , of being withheld from the mire . and as little complacency would a brutish soul find in those purer and refined pleasures , which can only upbraid , not satisfie him . it is not to be doubted that such habits of soul as men carry hence with them , they shall keep in the other state ; and therefore if we leave this earth with any unmortified and reigning lusts , they will not only make us uncapable of the happiness of heaven , but also of any happiness . for there will be ( as was but now intimated ) no satisfaction or so much as gratification of carnal and brutish , and much iess of devilish appetites in the coelestial mansions : and therefore they cannot be otherwise than very grieviously painful to the person that is fraught with them ; though i say we could suppose him to be safely possessed of those glorious habitations . to summ up all i shall say on this argument , i fear not to assert , that omnipotency it self cannot make a wicked person happy , no not so much as negatively so ( except he should be annihilated ) any otherwise than by first giving him his grace for the subduing and mortification of sin in him : and that to deliver one from all misery while sin is vigorous in his soul , and bears the sway there , is not an object of any power , and implieth in it a palpable and apparent contradiction . for misery is no less of the essence of sin and wickedness , than is light of the sun ; so that it is impossible they should ever be separated from one another , but that they must like the twins of hippocrates , live and die together . chap. xii . the fourth argument , viz. that holiness being perfected is blessedness it self ; and the glory of heaven consists chiefly in it . this no new notion ; some observations by the way from it . but in the last place , well may we call holiness the greatest of blessings , for when it is perfected , it is blessedness it self , and the glory of heaven is not only entailed upon it , but doth chiefly consist in it . beloved ( saith s. iohn ) now are we the sons of god ; but it doth not appear what we shall be ; but this we know that when he appeareth , we shall be like him &c. as if he should say , i cannot tell you particularly and distinctly what the bl●…ness of the other life will be but thi●…●… am sure of , that like●… to god is the 〈◊〉 notion of it ; and that it consists , for the substance thereof , in a perfect resemblance of the divine nature . the happiness of heaven doth not lie in a mere fixing of our eyes upon the divine perfections , and in admiring of them , but mainly in so beholding and contemplating them , as thereby to be changed into the express and lively image of them : and in having so affecting a sense of gods infinite justice and goodness , purity and holiness , , as will make the deepest impressions of those most amiable qualities in our own souls . the glory that heaven conferreth upon its inhabitants , consists nothing so much in an external view of god and christ , as in a real and plentiful participation of their glorious excellencies , whereby are chiefly to be understood those , that are implyed in that general word holiness : for as for their other attributes such as knowledge , power , &c. the devils themselves who are most of all creatures unlike them , have a large measure of them . this blessedness principally implyeth a rapturous love of god , a feeling as well as understanding the goodness that is in him ; an inseparable conjunction of all the faculties of our souls with him , and a perfect assimilation of our natures to him . the felicity of heaven is an operative thing , full of life and energy , which advanceth all the power of mens souls into a sympathy with the divine nature , and an absolute compliance with the will of god , and so makes him to become all in all to them . so that the happiness of heaven , and perfect holiness , are by no means to be accounted things of a different nature , but two several conceptions of one and the same thing , or rather two expressions of one and the same conception . all that happiness ( as said the learned and pious mr. iohn smith ) which good men shall be made partakers of , as it cannot be born up upon any other foundation than true goodness , and a god-like nature within us , so neither is it distinct from it . neither are we to look upon this as any upstart or late notion , for our antient divines have long since taught it in this saying that was frequently used by them , viz. grace is glory begun , and glory is grace perfected . and i cannot but by the way observe that those which have considered this , will need no other argument to satisfie and convince them , that that talk of some [ that it is mere servile obedience , and below the ingenuity and generosity of a christian spirit , to serve god for heaven , as well as for the good things of this life only ] is very grossely ignorant , very childish prattle : for , to serve god in hopes of heaven according to its true notion , is to serve him for himself , and to express the sincerest , and also the most ardent affection to him , as well as concernment for our own souls . and therefore it could do no other than infinitely become the son of god himself to endure the cross , and despise the shame , for the joy that was set before him , taking that joy in no other sence than hath been generally understood , viz. for the happiness of heaven consisting in a full enjoyment and undisturbed possession of the blessed deity : nor is there any reason why we should enquire after any other signification of that word which may exclude this . and on the other hand , to be diligent in the service of god for fear of hell , understanding it as a state perfectly opposite to that which we have been describing , is in a like manner from a principle of love to god and true goodness , as well as self-love , and is no more unworthy of a son of god , than of a mere servant . and thus , the truth of this proposition , that to make men holy , is to confer upon them the greatest of blessings , by the little that hath been said is made plainly apparent . chap. xiii . the second account of our saviour's preferring the business of making men holy , before any other , viz. that this is to do the best service to god. an objection answered against the author's discourse of the design of christianity . it remains secondly to be shewn , that to promote the business of holiness in the world , is to do god almighty the best service : and this will be dispatcht in a very few words . for is it not without dispute , better service to a prince to reduce rebels to their allegiance , than to procure a pardon under his seal for them ? this is so evidently true , that to do this latter , except it be in order to the former business , is not at all to serve him , nay it is to do him the greatest of disservices . i need not apply this to our present purpose . and therefore to be sure the work of making men holy and bringing over sinners to the obedience of his father , must needs have been much more in the eye of our blessed saviour , than that of delivering them from their deserved punishments , simply and in it self considered : for his love to him will be ( i hope ) universally acknowledged to be incomparably greater than it is to us , as very great as ' t is . none can question , but that by our apostacy from god , we have most highly dishonoured him , we have robbed him of a right that he can never be willing to let go , viz. the obedience that is indispensably due to him as he is our creator , continual preserver , our infinitely bountiful benefactor and absolute soveraign . and therefore it is as little to be doubted , that christ would in the first place concern himself for the recovery of that right . and but that both works are carried on together , and inseparably involved in each other ; he must necessarily be very greatly and far more solicitous about the effecting of this design , than of that of delivering wicked rebels from the mischiefs and miseries they have made themselves lyable to , by their disobedience . so that laying all these considerations together , what in the world can be more indisputable , than that our savious chief and ultimate design in coming from heaven to us , and performing and suffering all he did for us , was to turn us from our iniquities , to reduce us to intire and universal obedience , and to make us partakers of inward , real righteousness and true holiness ? and we cannot from this last discourse but clearly understand , that it is most infinitely reasonable , and absolutely necessary that it should be so . but now if after all this it be objected , that i have defended a notion concerning the design of christianity , different from that which hath hitherto been constantly received by all christians , viz. that it is to display and magnifie the exceeding riches of god's grace to fallen mankind in his son jesus : i answer that he will be guilty of very great injustice towards me , that shall censure me as labouring in this discourse to propagate any new notion : for i have therein endeavoured nothing else but a true explication of the old one , it having been grossly misunderstood , and is still by very many to their no small prejudice . those therefore that say , that the christian religion designeth to set forth and glorifie the infinite grace of god in jesus christ to wretched sinners , and withall understand what they say ; as they speak most truly , so do they assert the very same thing that i have done . for ( as hath been shewn ) not only the grace of god is abundantly displaied and made manifest in the gospel to sinners for this end , that they ●…ay thereby be effectually moved and perswaded to forsake their sins : but also the principal grace that is there exhibited , doth consist in delivering us from the power of them . whosoever will acknowledge sin to be ( as we have proved it is ) in its own nature the greatest of all evils , and holiness the chiefest of all blessings , will not find it easie to deny this . and besides ( as we have likewise shewn ) men are not capable of god's pardoning grace , till they have truly repented them of all their sins , that is , have in will and affection sincerely left them : and also that if they were capable of it , so long as they continue vile slaves to their lusts , that grace by being bestowed upon them cannot make them happy , nor yet cause them to cease from being very miserable , in regard of their disquieting and tormenting nature , in which is laid the foundation of hell it self . the free grace of god is infinitely more magnified , in renewing our natures , than it could be in the bare justification of our persons : and to justifie a wicked man while he continueth so , ( if it were possible for god to do it ) would far more disparage his iustice and holiness , than advance his grace and kindness : especially since his forgiving sin would signifie so little , if it be not accompanied with the destruction of it . in short , then doth god most signally glorifie himself in the world , when he most of all communicates himself , that is , his glorious perfections , to the souls of men : and then do they most glorifie god , when they most partake of them , and are rendered most like unto him . but because nothing is , i perceive , more generally mistaken , than the notion of gods glorifying himself , i will adde something more for the better understanding of this , and i am conscious to my self that i cannot do it so well , as in the words of the excellent man we a while since quoted , mr. iohn smith sometimes fellow of queens college in cambridge ; when god seeks his own glory , he doth not so much endeavour any thing without himself : he did not bring this stately fabrick of the universe into being , that he might for such a monument of his mighty power , and beneficence gain some panegyricks or applause from a little of that fading breath which he had made . neither was that gracious contrivance of restoring lapsed men to himself a plot to get himself some external hallelujahs , as if he had so ardently thirsted after the lauds of glorified spirits , or desired a quire of souls to sing forth his praises : neither was it to let the world see how magnificent he was . no , it is his own internal glory that he most loves , and the communication thereof which he seeks : as plato sometimes speaks of the divine love , it ariseth not out of indigency , as created love doth , but out of fulness and redundancy : it is an overflowing fountain , and that love which descends upon created beings is a free efflux from the almighty source of love : and it is well-pleasing to him that those creatures which he hath made , should partake of it . though god cannot seek his own glory so , as if he might acquire any addition to himself , yet he may seek it so , as to communicate it out of himself . it was a good maxime of plato , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no envy in god , which is better stated by st. james , god giveth to all men liberally , and upbraideth not . and by that glory of his which he loves to impart to his creatures , i understand those stamps and impressions of wisdome , justice , patience , mercy , love , peace , joy and other divine gifts which he bestoweth freely upon the minds of men . and thus god triumphs in his own glory , and takes pleasure in the communi●…ion of it . i proceed now to consider what useful inferences may be gathered from our past discourse . sect iii. an improvement of the whole discourse in diverse inferences . chap. xiv . the first inference . that it appears from the past discourse that our saviour hath taken the most effectual course for the purpose of subduing sin in us , and making us partakers of his holiness . where it is particularly shewed that the gospel gives advantages infinitely above any those the heathens had , who were privileged with extraordinary helps for the improvement of themselves . and . that the good principles that were by natural light dictated to them , and which reason rightly improved perswaded them to entertain as undoubtedly true , or might have done , are farther confirmed by divine revelation in the gospel . . that those principles which the heathens by the highest improvement of their reason could at best conclude but very probable , the gospel gives us an undoubted assurance of . this shewed in four instances . . four doctrines shewed to be delivered in the gospel , which no man without the assistance of divine revelation could ever once have thought of , that contain wonderful inducements , and helps to holiness . the first of which hath five more implyed in it . first , it appears from what hath been said to demonstrate that our saviour's grand design upon us in coming into the world was to subdue sin in us , and restore the image of god , that consisteth in righteousness and true holiness , to us ; that he hath taken the most effectual course imaginable for that purpose ; and that his gospel is the most powerful engine for the battering down of all the strong holds that sin hath raised to it self in the souls of men , and the advancement of us to the highest pitch of sanctity that is to be arrived at by humane nature . this ( as hath been shewn ) was the business that the philosophy of the heathens designed to effect ; but alas what a weak and inefficacious thing was it , in comparison of christ's gospel : wherein we have such excellent and soul-enobling precepts most perspicuously delivered ; and moreover such mighty helps afforded to enable us , and such infinitely pressing motives and arguments to excite us to the practice of them . and it will not be amiss if we particularly shew , what exceeding great advantages christians have for the attaining of true vertue , and the sublimest degrees of it too in this state attainable , above any that were ever vouchsafed to the world by the divine providence , before our saviour's descent into it . and ( not to make a formal comparison between the christian and best pagan-philosophy , this not deserving upon innumerable accounts to be so much as named with that , & much less to dishonour the religion of our saviour so far as at all to compare it with any of those which were professed by heathenish nations , or that of the impostor mahomet , which as well as those , in not a few particulars tends greatly even to corrupt and deprave mens natures ) we will discourse according to our accustomed brevity ▪ first , what advantages the gospel gives us above those which such heathens , as were privileged with extraordinary helps for the improvement of their understandings , had ; and secondly , above those which god's most peculiar people , the children of israel , were favoured with . first , as for those the gospel containeth above such as the best and most refined heathens enjoyed , it will be worth our while to consider first , that the good principles that were by natural light dictated to them , and which reason rightly improved did perswade them to entertain as undoubtedly true , or might have done , are farther confirmed by divine revelation in the gospel to us . as , that there is but one god , that he is an absolutely-perfect being , infinitely powerful , wise , iust , merciful , &c. that we owe our lives and all the comforts of them to him , that he is our sovereign lord , to whom absolute subjection is indispensably due , that he is to be loved above all things ; and the main and most important particular duties which it becomes us to perform to him , our neighbour and selves . we christians have these things as plainly declared from heaven to us , and as often repeated and inculcated , as if there were no other way to come to the knowledge of them but that of revelation . so that ( as hath been shewn in the free discourse , pag. . ) what the heathens took pains for , and by the exercise of their reason learnt , we have set before our eyes , and need but read it in order to our knowledge of it . it is true , for our satisfaction whether the holy scriptures are divinely inspired , and have god for their author , it is necessary that we employ our reason , except we can be contented to be of so very hasty and easie a belief as to give credit to things , and those of greatest concernment too , we know not why ; or to pin our faith on our fore-fathers sleeves ; and so to have no better bottome for our belief of the bible , than the turks have for theirs of the alcoran . but although it is necessary that we should exercise here our discursive faculty , if we will believe as becomes creatures indued with reason , yet this is no tedious task , nor such as we need much belabour our brains about . an unprejudiced person will soon be abundantly satisfied concerning the scripture's divine authority , when he doth but consider how it is confirmed , and how worthy the doctrine contained in it is of him whose name it bears . now , i say , this little pains being taken for the establishment of our faith in the holy scripture , we cannot but be at the first sight assured of the truth of the contents of it . for no man in his wits can in the least question the veracity of him , whom even natural light assures us can be no other than truth it self . secondly , those good principles that the heathens by the greatest improvement of their reason could at best conclude but very probable , are made undoubtedly certain to us christians by revelation ; as , first , that of the immortality of our souls . the vulgar sort of heathens who were apt to believe any thing that was by tradition handed down to them , ( 't is confessed ) did not seem to doubt of the truth of this doctrine , but to take it for granted ; which ( no question ) is also to be imputed to the special providence of god , and not merely to their credulity . but the more learned and sagacious , that would not easily be imposed on , nor believe any farther than they saw cause , though by arguments drawn from the notions they had truly conceived of the nature of humane souls they have diverse of them undertaken to prove them immortal ; yet could their arguments raise the best of them no higher than a great opinion of their immortality ▪ cato read plato of the immortality of the soul , as he lay bleeding to death , with great delight ; but that argues not that he had any more than great hopes of the truth of it . socrates did so believe it , that he parted with this life in expectation of another ; but yet he plainly and ingenuously confessed to his friends , that it was not certain . cicero , that sometimes expresseth great confidence concerning the truth of it , doth for the most part speak so of it , that any one may see that he thought the doctrine no better than probable . he discourseth of it in his book de senectute as that which he rather could not endure to think might be false , than as that which he had no doubt of the truth of . and after he had there instanced in several arguments which he thought had weight in them for the proof thereof , and expressed a longing to see his ancestors , and the brave men he had once known , and which he had heard of , read and written of , he thus concludes that whole discourse , if i erre in believing the souls immortality , i erre willingly ; neither so long as i live will i suffer this errour which so much delights me , to be wrested from me . but if when i am dead , i shall be void of all sense , as certain little philosophers think , i do not fear to have this errour of mine laught at by dead philosophers . but now the gospel hath given us the highest assurance possible of the truth of this doctrine ; life and immortality are said to be brought to light by it : he who declared himself to be the son of god with power , gave men a sensible demonstration of it in his own person , by his resurrection from the dead , and ascention into heaven : and both by himself , and his apostles ( who were also indued with a power of working the greatest of miracles for the confirmation of the truth of what they said ) did very frequently , and most plainly preach it . secondly , the doctrine of rewards and punishments in the life to come ( which is for substance the same with the former ) according to our behaviour in this life , the learned heathens did generally declare their belief of ; which they grounded upon the justice , holiness and goodness of the divine nature . they considered that good men were often exercised with great calamities , and that bad men very frequently were greatly prosperous , and abounded with all earthly felicities : and therefore thought it very reasonable to believe that god would in another life shew his hatred of sin , and love of goodness , by making a plain discrimination between the conditions of vertuous and wicked persons , by punishing these , and rewarding those without exception . but this , though it was , in their opinion , a very probable argument , yet they looked not on it as that which amounted to a demonstration . for they could not but be aware , that that doctrine which was so generally received by them , viz. that vertue is in all conditions a reward , and vice a punishment to it self , did very much blunt the edge of it : and that other very harsh one , that all things besides vertue and vice are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither good nor evil , did render it ( as the perfect stoicks did seem too well to understand ) too too insignificant . but i must confess that hierocles , who ( as hath been said ) did not admit that notion , but in a very qualified sence , saith of those that think their souls mortal ( and consequently that vertue will hereafter have no reward ) that when they dispute in the behalf of vertue , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they rather talk wittily , than truly and in good earnest . the excellent socrutes himself , when he was going to drink off the fatal drug , thus said to those that were then present with him , i am now going to end my days , whereas your lives will be prolonged ; but whether you or i upon this account are the more happy , is known to none but god only : intimating that he did not look upon it as absolutely certain that he should have any reward in another world , for doing so heroically vertuous an act , as chusing martyrdom for the doctrine of the unity of the godhead . but now , what is more frequently or clearly declared in the gospel , than that there will be rewards and punishments in the world to come sutable to mens actions in this world ? than , that christ will come a second time to judge the world in righteousness , and that all must appear before his iudgment-seat , to receive according to what they have done , whether it be good , or whether it be evil , cor. . . thirdly , that mens sins shall be forgiven upon true repentance , from the consideration of the goodness and mercy of god , the heathens were likewise perswaded , or rather hoped : but we christians have the strongest assurance imaginable given us of it , by the most solemn and often reiterated promises of god himself ; and not onely that some or most , but also that all without exception , and the most heinous impieties upon condition of their being sincerely forsaken , shall in and through christ be freely forgiven to those that have been guilty of them . fourthly , the doctrine of god's readiness to assist men by his special grace in their endeavours after vertue , could be no more , at the best , than probable in the judgement of the heathens : but we have in the gospel the most express promises thereof made to us , for our infinitely great encouragement . tully in his book de naturâ deorum saith , that their city rome , and greece had brought forth many singular men , of which it is to be believed none arrived to such a height nisi deo juvante , but by the help of god. and after he tells us , that nemo vir magnus sine aliquo afflatu divino unquam fuit , no excellent man was ever made so but by some divine afflation . and pythagoras in his golden verses exhorts men to pray unto god for assistance in doing what becomes them . — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and hierocles ( with whom i confess my self so enamoured , that i can scarcely ever forbear to present my reader with his excellent sayings , when there is occasion ) he , i say , upon this clause of pythagoras , hath a discourse , concerning the necessity , of our endeavours after vertue on the one hand , and of the divine blessing to make them successful on the other , which i have often admired . and even seneca himself , very unlike a stoick , saith , bonus vir sine deo nemo est , &c. no man can be made good without god , for can any one raise up himself without his help ? but none of these could have the least assurance , that god would not deny his special assistance to any that seriously seek after it , especially since men have brought themselves into a state of imbecillity and great impotence through their own default . but this , i say , the gospel gives all men very serious offers of , and assures them if they be not wanting to themselves , they shall obtain . hence our saviour saith , ask , and it shall be given unto you : seek and you shall find : knock , and it shall be opened unto you . for every one that asketh , receiveth ; and he that seeketh , findeth ; and to him that knocketh , it shall be opened . if a son shall ask bread of any that is a father , will he give him a stone ? or if he ask a fish , will he for a fish give him a serpent ? or if he ask an egge , will he offer him a scorpion ? if ye then being evil , know how to give good gifts unto your children ; how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit unto them that ask him , luke . , &c. and the same thing is told us by s. iames in these words chap. . . if any of you lack wisdom , let him ask it of god , that giveth to all men liberally , and upbraideth not , and it shall be given him . antoninus the philosopher puts men upon praying for a good mind above all things , but all the encouragement he could give was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and see what will come of it . thirdly , we have other doctrines made known to us by the gospel , which no man could ever without divine revelation in the least have dream'd of . as , first , that god hath made miserable sinners the objects of such transcendent kindness , as to give them his onely-begotten son. and there are these five doctrines implied in this , which are each of them very strong motives and incentives to holiness , viz. . that god almighty hath made such account of us , and so concerned himself for our recovery out of that most wretched condition we had by sinning against him plunged our selves into , as to send his own son from heaven to us to shew us on what terms we may be recovered , and also in his name even to pray and beseech us to comply with them . that he should send no meaner a person than one who was the brightness of his glory , and the express image of his person , by whom also he made the world , upon this errand , is such a motive to holiness as one would think no sinner could be able to stand out against . that god should send an embassadour from heaven to us to assure us that he is reconcileable , and bears us good-will , notwithstanding our high provocations of him , and to lay before us all the parts of that holiness which is necessary to restore our natures to his own likeness , and so to make us capable of enjoying blessedness ; and most pathetically moreover to entreat us to do what lieth in us to put them in practice , that so it may be to eternity well with us ; and that this embassadour should be such a one also as we now said , never was there so marvelous an expression of the divine love ; and therefore one would even conclude it perfectly irresistible by all persons that have not extirpated out of their natures all ingenuity . . that this son of god conversed upon equal terms with men , and was incarnate for their sakes . great is the mystery of godliness , god manifested in the flesh. that he should become the son of man , submit to be born of a woman , is a demonstration that god is so far from having cast off humane nature , that ( as much as it is depraved ) he beareth a very wonderful good-will still to it , and hath a real desire to readvance and dignifie it : even this simply considered and without joyning with it the consideration of the design of it , might make us conclude this ; seeing that christ's taking our nature is the bringing of it so near to the divine , as to lodge it therewith in one and the self-same person . and therefore , besides the motive to holiness drawn from god's infinite love therein expressed , this doctrine containeth another very powerful one , viz. that it must needs be a most notoriously vile thing to dishonour our nature by sin and wickedness , and far more so than it was before the incarnation of jesus christ ; in that it may now by the means thereof be properly said , that it is in his person advanced above even the nature of angels ; for him who is invested with it do they themselves worship . and how can any christian while he considereth this , be able to forbear thus to reason with himself ? shall i by harbouring filthy lusts debase that nature in my own person , which god hath to such an infinite height exalted in his son's ? god forbid . what an additional motive is this , to do as pythagoras advised his scholars , in these words , above all things revere and stand in awe of thy self . do nothing that is disbecoming and unworthy of so excellent a nature , as thine is . . that this son of god taught men their duty by his own example , and did himself perform among them what he required of them . now that he should tread before us every step of that way , which he he hath told us leadeth to eternal happiness , and commend those duties which are most ungrateful to our corrupt inclinations , by his own practice ; our having so brave an example is no small encouragement to a chearful performance of all that is commanded . for how honourable a thing must it needs be to imitate the onely begotten son of god , nay and one who is likewise god himself ? how glorious to follow such a pattern ? those which have any thing in their souls of true generosity , cannot but find themselves by the consideration hereof , not a little provoked to abandon all sin , and to set themselves very heartily to the performance of whatsoever duties are imposed upon them . and as for those which we are so apt to look upon as unworthy of us , and too low for us ( such as meek putting up of affronts , and condescending to the meanest offices for the serving of our brethren ) how can his spirit be too lofty for them , that considers christ's was not . now these are all such motives and helps to holiness , the like to which none but those who have the gospel , ever had . . that this son of god was an expiaatory sacrifice for us . we have already shewn what cogent arguments to all holy obedience are herein contained . . that this son of god being raised from the dead , and ascended into heaven is our high priest there , and ever lives ( as the author to the * hebrews saith ) to make intercession with his father for us . the heathens , it is confessed , had a notion of daemons negotiating the affairs of men with the supreme god ; but they could never have imagined in the least that they should be so highly privileged , as to have one who is the begotten son of this god , and infinitely above all persons dear to him , for their perpetual mediator and intercessor . i need not say what an encouragement this is to an holy life . and as the doctrine of god's giving his son , which containeth the five forementioned particulars , is such as the highest improvement of reason could never have caused any thing like it to have entered our thoughts , or that is comparable thereunto for the effectual provoking of men to the pursuance of all holiness of heart and life , so secondly , the doctrine of his sending the holy ghost , to move and excite us to our duty , and to assist , chear , and comfort us in the performance of it , may go along with it . how could it have once been thought , without divine revelation , that a person indued with the divine nature , and infinite power and goodness should take it upon him as his office and peculiar province to assist mens weakness in the prosecution of vertue ? but this doth the gospel assure us of ; as also that those which do not resist and repel his good motions shall be sure to have alwaies the superintendency of this blessed spirit , and that he will never forsake them , but abide with them for ever , and carry them from one degree of grace to another , till at length it is consummate and made perfect in glory . and to this i adde thirdly , the doctrine of our union with christ through this spirit : which union ( to speak in the words of the learned dr. patrick in his mensa mystica ) is not only such a moral one as is between husband and wife , which is made by love ; or between king and subjects , which is made by laws ; but such a natural union as is between head and members , the vine and branches which is made by one spirit or life dwelling in the whole . the apostle saith cor. . , . as the body is one and hath many members ; and also the members of that one body , being many , are one body , so also is christ ; for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body . now see what use the apostle makes of both these cor. . , , . know you not that your bodies are the members of christ ? shall i then take the members of christ , and make them the members of an harlot ? god forbid . and then he thus proceeds in the and verses , what , know you not that your body is the temple of the holy ghost , which is in you , which ye have of god , and ye are not your own , but ye are bought with a price : therefore glorifie god in ▪ your body and in your spirit , which are god's . what helps and incitements we have to the perfecting of holiness in the fear of god , from these two doctrines , is inexpressible . lastly , the doctrine of the unconceivably great reward , that shall be conserred upon all good and holy persons , which the gospel hath revealed , is such as could not possibly by the mere help of natural light enter into the thoughts of those that were strangers to it . we are therein assured not only of another life , and that good men shall therein be rewarded , but likewise that the reward that shall be conferred upon them , shall be no less than an hyperbolically hyperbolical weight of glory : as are the words of s. paul cor. . ●… . those that overcome , are promised that they shall sit with christ on his throne , even as he overcame and is set down with his father on his throne , rev. . . in short , the happiness that our saviour will reward all his faithful disciples with , is so expressed , as that we are assured it is inexpressible , and likewise far exceeding the short reach of our present conceptions : of which their souls are not only to partake , but their bodies also , they being to be made ( as vile as they are in this state ) like the glorious body of jesus christ , and though sown in corruption and dishonour to be raised in ●…lory , cor. . now though , as we said , the learned heathens did many of them by the exercise of their reason make it probable to themselves that their souls were immortal , and that in another world vertuous persons shall be richly rewarded ; yet no reasoning of theirs could ever enable them so much as to conjecture that this reward shall be such an immensely great one , as that the gospel assures us of : there being an infinite disproportion betwixt the best services that the most vertuous persons are in a possibility of performing , and such a reward as this is : and it being also impossible that so great a felicity as that of the soul only , should be a necessary and natural result from the highest degrees of holiness that are attainable in this low and imperfect state . but yet it is too well known to be concealed that the pythagoraeans and platonists do speak very great things of the happiness of heaven ; and those of them that discourse intelligibly concerning it , do give in the general the gospel-notion of it . i have found simplicius somewhere in his comment on epictetus calling it an eternal rest with god. and the pythagoraean verses conclude with these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when from this body thou' rt set free , thou shalt mount up toth ' sky : and an immortal god shalt be , nor any more shalt die . where by [ thou shalt be an immortal god ] the commentator hierocles understands , thou shalt be like to the immortal gods , and by them he meaneth , as appears by his comment upon the first verse , those excellent spirits that are immediately subordinate to their maker the supreme god , and the god of gods , as he calls him ; by which he seemeth to understand the same with those called in the scripture arch-angels ; for i find that he gives the name angels to an order next below them . so that , according to him , it was the pythagoraean doctrine , that good men shall , when they go to heaven , be made in state and condition like to those that are likest to god almighty . but how they should learn this by mere natural light , is unimaginable . that which is most probably conjectured is , that they received these with several other notions from the antient traditions of the hebrews . but as for their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the splendid body , and spiritual vehicle they talk of , they mean not that glorious coelestial body , which the apostle tells us this terrestial one shall be changed into , but , a thin subtile body , which they say the soul even while it is in this gross one is immediately inclosed in : and which being in this life well purified from the pollution it hath contracted from its case of flesh , the soul taking its flight from thence with it , enjoyeth its happiness in it . but , i say , the change of this vile into a glorious body they were perfectly strangers to . now what an unspeakable encouragement to holiness is the happiness which the gospel proposeth to us , and gives us assurance of also , that the now mentioned or any of the philosophers could never by the best improvement of their intellectuals have conceived to be so much as likely to be attainable by mankind ? and who would still serve their filthy lusts , and in so doing be the vilest of slaves here , that looks to reign with the king of the world for ever hereafter ? he that hath this hope in him , saith s. iohn , purisieth himself even as he is pure . iohn . . and what hath been spoken of the greatness of the reward which is promised in the gospel to obedient persons , may be said also of the punishment it threateneth to the disobedient . it would make ( one would think ) even an heart of oak , and the most hardened sinner to tremble and shake at the reading of those expressions it is set forth by . some of the philosophers do speak very dreadful things concerning the condition of wicked men in the other world ; but they fall extremely short of what the gospel hath declared . but i confess a discourse on this head will not very properly come in here . for mere reason might make it exceedingly probable that so highly aggravated sins as those which are committed against the gospel are , shall be punish'd as severely , if impenitently persisted in , as is declared by our saviour and his apostles they shall be . but however it is no small awakening to us christians , that we have such an undoubted assurance from god himself , what we must expect , if we will not be prevailed upon by all the means afforded us for our reformation , but shall notwithstanding them persevere in the neglect of known duties , and in the allowance of known wickedness . chap. xv. that the gospel containeth incomparably greater helps for the effecting of the design of making men inwardly righteous and truly holy , than god's most peculiar people , the israelites , were favoured with . where it is shewed . . that the gospel is infinitely more effectual for this purpose than the mosaical law was . . and that upon no other accounts the jewes were in circumstances for the obtaining of a thorow reformation of life and purification of nature , comparable to those our saviour hath blessed his disciples with . in the second place , it is the clearest case that the gospel of our saviour containeth incomparably greater helps and advantages for the effecting of the great work of making men really righteous and truly holy , than god's most peculiar people , the israelites , whom he knew and favoured above all the nations of the earth , were partakers of . first , nothing is plainer than that the gospel is infinitely more effectual for this purpose , than the mosaical law was . for indeed that was directly designed only to restrain those that were under the obligation of it from the more notorious sins . it was added ( saith the apostle ) because of transgression , till the seed should come &c. gal. . . iustin martyr saith particularly of the sacrifices , that the end of them was to keep the jews from worshipping idols , which trypho also , though a jew that greatly gloried in the law , acknowledged . they were an extremely carnal and vain people , exceedingly prone to be bewitched with the superstitions of the gentiles ; god gave them therefore a pompous way of worship that might gratifie their childish humour , and so keep them from being drawn away with the vanities of the heathens among whom they dwelt : and he gave them , withall , such precepts inforced with threatnings of most severe and present punishments , as might by main force hold them in from those vile disorders , immoralities and exorbitances that had then overspread the face of the woefully depraved & corrupted world . it is certain that the law of moses , strictly so called , did properly tend to make them no more than externally righteous ; and whosoever was so , and did those works it enjoined ( which they might do by their own natural strength ) was esteemed according to that law and dealt with as just and blameless ; and had a right to the immunities and privileges therein promised . but much less was it accompanied with grace to indue the observers of it with an inward principle of holiness .. and the apostle s. paul expresseth this as the great difference between that law and the gospel , in calling this the spirit , and that the letter , as he several times doth . not that god , who was ever of an infinitely benign nature , and love it self ( as s. iohn describes him ) was wanting with his grace to well-minded men under the old-testament ; or that the jews were all destitute of an inward principle of holiness ; nothing less : but the law which moses was peculiarly the promulger of , did not contain any promises of grace , nor did the obligation thereof extend any farther than to the outward man. but there ran ( as i may so express my self ) a vein of gospel all along with this law , which was contained in the covenant made with abraham and his seed , by virtue of which the good men among the jews expected justification and eternal salvation , and performed the substance of those duties which the new testament requireth , and which were both by moses and the prophets , at certain times , and upon several occasions urged upon them . but as for this law of moses considered according to its natural meaning , it is called a law of a carnal commandment , heb. . . and the services it imposed , weak and beggerly elements , gal. . . and a law which made no man perfect , heb. . . its promises therefore were only temporal ; upon which account the author to the hebrews saith , that the gospel is established on better promises . nor was justification before god obtainable by it , as s. paul frequently sheweth ; and therefore did account the righteousness of it very mean and vile in comparison of that which the gospel indued men with . no man could be acquitted by the severest observance of this law from any other than civil punishments , nor were its sacrifices able to make the offerers perfect as pertaining to the conscience , heb. . . and though it be true ( as mr. chillingworth observeth in his sermon on gal. . . ) that the legal sacrifices were very apt and commodious to shadow forth the oblation and satisfaction of christ ; yet this use of them was so mystical and reserved , so impossible to be collected out of the letter of the law ; that without a special revelation from god , the eyes of the israelites were too weak to serve them to pierce through those dark clouds and shadows , and to carry their observation to the substance . so that ( proceeds he ) i conceive those sacrifices of the law in this respect are a great deal more beneficial to us christians : for there is a great difference between sacraments and types : types are onely useful after the antitype is discovered , for the confirmation of their faith that follow . as for example , abraham ' s offering of isaac by faith did lively represent the real oblation of christ ; but in that respect was of little or no use till christ was indeed crucified ; it being impossible to make that history a groundwork of their faith in christ. the like may be said of the legal sacrifices . and for a clear understanding of the direct use of this law , i refer the reader to that sermon : where it is fully , and ( in my opinion ) as judiciously discoursed as i have ever elsewhere met with it . secondly , nor were these special favourites of heaven upon any other accounts in circumstances for the obtaining of a thorow reformation of life , renovation and purification of nature , comparable to those which our saviour hath blessed his disciples with . for though they had ( as we said ) for the substance the same spiritual precepts which are enjoyned in the gospel over and above the mosaical law ; yet these were inforced by no express promises of eternal happiness , or threatnings of eternal misery : nor was so much as a life to come otherwise than by tradition , or by certam ambiguous expressions ( for the most part ) of their inspired men , or by such sayings as onely implyed it , and from which it might be rationally concluded , discovered to them : as for instance , in that place particularly , where god by his representative , an angel , declared himself to his servant moses to be the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god of iacob ; from whence our saviour inferred that doctrine for this reason , that god is not the god of the dead , but of the living . and that the notices they had hereof were not very plain and clear , is apparent , in that there was a sect among them , viz. the sadduces , that professed to disbelieve it ; and yet , notwithstanding , were continued in the body , and enjoyed the privileges of the jewish church . but that one forecited assertion of the apostle , tim. . . putteth this out of all question , viz. that christ hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel . from whence we may assuredly gather thus much at least , viz. that in the gospel is manifestly revealed life and immortality which was never before made known so certainly . i adde moreover that the israelites were required to keep at such a distance from all other nations , that they could not but be by that means greatly inclined to morosity , self-conceitedness , and contempt of their fellow-creatures : and were ever and anon employed in such services as naturally tended , through the weakness of their natures , to make their spirits too angry and fierce , not to say cruel . as for instance , that of destroying god's and their enemies , and sometimes their innocent children too , and the cattle that belonged to them . and several connivances and indulgences they had ( as in the cases of divorce and polygamy and revenge ) which did not a little conduce to the gratifying of sensuality , and the animal life in them : all which are taken away by our saviour christ. these things with diverse others , made it in an ordinary way impossible for those people to arrive at that height of vertue and true goodness , that the gospel designeth to raise us to . and though we find some of them very highly commended for their great sanctity ; we are to understand those encomiums for the most part , at least , with a reference to the dispensation under which they were ; and as implying a consideration of the circumstances they were in , and the means they enjoyed . and thus have we shewed what a most admirably effectual course our blessed saviour hath taken to purifie us from all filthiness both of the flesh and spirit , and to make us in all respects righteous and holy : and how much the christian dispensation excelleth others as to its aptness for this purpose . and from what hath been said we may safely conclude , that neither the world , nor any part of it was ever favored by god with means for the accomplishment of this work , comparable to those which are contained in the christian religion . so that , well might s. paul call the gospel of christ the power of god to salvation , that is , both from misery and the cause of it . well may the weapons of the christian warfare be said not to be carnal and weak , but mighty through god , to the pulling down of strong holds , and casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of god , and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of christ. great reason had clemens alexandrinus to call our saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the instructer and school-master of humane nature ; and to say ( as he doth in the following words , ) that he hath endeavoured to save us by using with all his might , all the instruments of wisdom , or all wise courses , and draws us back by many bridles from gratifying unreasonable appetites . and iustin martyr , speaking of the gospel , had cause pathetically to break out as he did , in these words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c o thou expeller and chaser away of evil affections ! o thou extinguisher of burning lusts ! this is that which makes us not poets or philosophers or excellent orators , but of poor mortal men makes us like so many immortal gods , and translateth us from this low earth to those regions that are above olympus . and well , again , might the same good father , having throughly acquainted himself with the stoick and platonick philosophy , ( by which latter he thought himself to have gained much wisdom ) and at last by the advice of an old man a stranger , having studied the gospel , thus express himself , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. i found this alone to be the safe and profitable philosophy , and thus and by this means became i a philosopher . symplicius faith thus of epictetus his enchiridion , that it hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much of powerfulness and pungency , that those which are not perfectly dead , must needs come to understand thereby their own affections , and be effectually excited to the rectifying of them . could he give such a character as this of that little book of his brotherheathen ; what can be invented by us high enough for the gospel ? that , as very fine a thing as it is , being most apparently extremely weak and insufficient for the purpose upon the account of which he praiseth it , if compared with this blessed book . chap. xvi . an objection against the wonderful efficacy of the christian religion for the purpose of making men holy , taken from the very little success it hath herein , together with the prodigious wickedness of christendom . an answer given to it in three particulars , viz. . that how ill soever its success is , it is evident from the foregoing discourse that it is not to be imputed to any weakness or inefficacy in that religion . the true causes thereof assigned . . that it is to be expected that those should be the worse for the gospel , that will not be bettered by it . . that there was a time when the gospel's success was greatly answerable to what hath been said of its efficacy . and that the primitive christians were people of most unblameable and holy lives . the gnostiques improperly called christians in any sense . the primitive christians proved to be men of excellent lives , by the testimonies of fathers contained in their apologies for them to their enemies ; and by the acknowledgments of their enemies themselves . an account given in particular of their meek & submissive temper , out of tertullian . the admirable story of the thebaean legion . if it be now objected against what we have said of the admirable efficacy of the christian religion for the purpose of making men holy , that there is but very little sign of it in the lives of those that profess to believe it : for who are more woefully lost as to all true goodness , who are more deeply sunk into sensuality and brutishness , than are the generality of christians ? nay among what sort of men are all manner of abominable wickednesses and villanies to be found so rife , as among them ? upon which account the name of christian stinks in the nostrils of the very jews , turks and pagans . beastly intemperance and uncleannesses of all sorts , the most sordid covetousness , wretched injustice , oppressions , and cruelties ; the most devilish malice , envy and pride ; the deadliest animosities , the most outragious feuds , dissensions and rebellions ; the plainest and grossest idolatry , highest blasphemies and most horrid impieties of all kinds are in no part of the world more observable than they are in christendom ; nor most of them any where so observable . and even in those places where the gospel is most truly and powerfully preached , and particularly in this our nation , there is but little more to be taken notice of in the far greater number , than the name of christian ; nor any more of religion , than insignificant complementings of god , and a mere bodily worship of him . but what abominable vice is there , that doth not here abound ? nay where doth the highest and most daring of impieties , viz. atheism it self , so boldly shew its head as it doth here ? and as for those among us that make the greatest pretences to christianity , besides a higher profession , a more frequent attendance on ordinances , and a mighty zeal for certain fruitless opinions they have taken up , and little trifles which signifie nothing to the bettering of their souls & carrying on that which we have shewed is the design of christianity ; there is little to be observed in very many , if not most , of them , whereby they may be distinguished from other people . but as for the sins of covetousness , pride & contempt of others , disobedience to authority , sedition , unpeaceableness , wrath & fierceness against those that differ in opinion from them , censoriousness & uncharitableness ; it is too obvious how much the greater part of the sects we are divided into are guilty of most , if not all of them . and that which is really the power of godliness doth appear in the conversations of but very few . god knows , the wickedness of those that enjoy and profess to believe the gospel , is an extremely fertile and copious theme to dilate upon ; and is fitter to be the subject of a great volume ( if any one can perswade himself so far to rake into such a noisome dunghil , as sure none can except enemies to christianity ) than to be discoursed by the bie , as it is here . nor can there be an easier task undertaken than to shew , that not a few mere heathens have behaved themselves incomparably better towards god , their neighbour , and themselves , than do the generality of those that are called christians . nay i fear it would not be over-difficult to make it appear , that the generality of those that never heard the gospel , do behave themselves in several respects better than they do . but i have no list to entertain my self or reader with such an unpleasant and dismally melancholy argument , but will betake my self to answer the sad objection which is from thence taken against the truth of our last discourse . . and , in the first place , let the gospel have never so little success in promoting what is designed by it ; whoever considers it , and what hath been said concerning it , cannot but acknowledge that it is in it self as fit as any thing that can be imagined for the purpose of throughlyreforming the lives , and purifying the natures of mankind : and also incomparably more fit than any other course that hath ever been taken , or can be thought of . so that we may certainly conclude , that the depravedness of christendom is not to be ascribed to the inefficacy of the gospel , but to other causes ; namely , mens gross unbelief of the truth of it , as much as they profess faith in it : their inexcusable neglect of considering the infinitely-powerful motives to a holy life contained in it ; & of using the means conducing thereunto prescribed by it . and these are inseparable concomitants , and most effectual promoters of each other . every mans inconsideration is proportionable to his incredulity , and his incredulity to his inconsideration : and how much of carelessness is visible in mens lives , so much of unbelief doth possess their hearts ; and so on the contrary . upon which account to believe and to be obedient and not to believe and to be disobedient , are synonymous phrases and of the same signification in the new and likewise in the old testament . now it is a true saying of somebodie 's , contumaciae nullum posuit remedium deus , god hath provided no remedy ( that is , no ordinary one ) against wilfulness . and though the gospel hath such a tendency as hath been shewn , to work the most excellent effects in men , yet it doth not operate as charmes do , nor will it have success upon any without their own concurrence and co-operation with it . the excellent rules of life laid down in the gospel must necessarily signifie nothing to those that only hear or read them , but will not mind them . its promises or threatnings can be exciting to none that will not believe and consider them : nor can the arguments it affordeth to provoke to assent , be convincing to any but those that impartially weigh them ; its helps and assistances will do no good , where they are totally neglected . and though there be preventing as well as assisting grace going along with the gospel , for the effectual prevailing on mens wills to use their utmost endeavour to subdue their lusts , and to acquire vertuous habits ; yet this grace is not such as that there is no possibility of refusing or quenching it . nor is it fit it should , seeing mankind is indued with a principle of freedom , and that this principle is as essential as any other to the humane nature . i will add , that this is one immediate cause of the unsuccessfulness of the gospel , to which it is very much to be attributed ; namely , mens strange and unaccountable mistaking the design of it . multitudes of those that profess christianity are so grosly inconsiderate , not to say worse , as to conceive no better of it than as a science and a matter of speculation : and take themselves ( though against the clearest evidences of the contrary imaginable ) for true and genuine christians , either because they have a general belief of the truth of the christian religion , and profess themselves the disciples of christ jesus in contradistinction from iews , mahometans and pagans ; and in and through him alone expect salvation : or because they have so far acquainted themselves with the doctrine of the gospel , as to be able to talk and dispute , and to make themselves pass for knowing people : or because they have joyned themselves to that party of christians which they presume are of the purest and most reformed model , and are zealous sticklers for their peculiar forms and discriminating sentiments ; and as stiff opposers of all other that are contrary to them . now the gospel must necessarily be as ineffectual to the rectifying of such mens minds , and reformation of their manners , while they have so wretchedly too low an opinion of its design , as if it really had no better : and so long as they take it for granted that its main intention is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make them orthodox , not vertuous , it cannot be thought that they should be ever the more holy , nay 't is a thousand to one but they will be in one kind or other the more unholy for their christianity . and lastly , there are several untoward opinions very unhappily instilled into professors of christianity , which render the truths of the gospel they retain a belief of , insignificant and unsuccessful as to the bettering either of their hearts or lives , as infinitely apt and of as mighty efficacy as they are in themselves for those great purposes . . secondly , whereas it was said also , that the generality of heathens live in diverse respects better lives , than do multitudes , and even the generality , of those that profess christianity ; it is so far from being difficult to give a satisfactory account how this may be without disparaging our excellent religion ; that it is to be expected that those people should be even much the worse for it , that refuse to be bettered by it . it is an old maxime , that corruptio optimi est pessima : the best things being spoiled do prove to be the very worst : and according to this , nothing less is to be looked for , than that degenerated christians should be the vilest of all persons . and it is also certain , that the best things , when abused , do ordinarily serve to the worst purposes ; of which there may be given innumerable instances . and so it is , in this present case . s. paul told the corinthians , that he and the other apostles were a savour of death unto death , as well as of life unto life . and our saviour gave the pharisees to understand , that for judgement he was come into the world ; that those that see not , might see ; and that those that see , might be made blind : that is , that it would be a certain consequent of his coming , not onely that poor ignorant creatures should be turned from darkness to light , but also that those which have the light , and shut their eyes against it , should be judicially blinded . and the forementioned apostle , in the first chapter of his epistle to the romans , saith of those that held the truth in unrighteousness , that would not suffer it to have any good effect upon them through their close adhering to their filthy lusts , that god gave them up to the most unnatural villainies , permitted them to commit them by withholding all restraints from them ; and likewise gave them over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a reprobate mind . so that , from the just judgment of god it is , i say , to be expected that depraved christians should be the most wicked of all people : and therefore it is so far from being matter of wonder , that those that will not be converted by the gospel , should be so many of them very horribly prophane ; that it is rather so , that all those which , having for any considerable time lived under the preaching of it , continue disobedient to it , should not be such . in the purest ages of the church , were degenerated christians made in this kind most fearful examples of the divine vengeance : and so utterly forsaken of god , that they became , ( if we may believe irenaeus , tertullian , and others of the antient fathers ) not one whit better than incarnate devils . nor were there to be found in the whole world in those days , and but rarely since , such abominable and most execrable caytiffs as they were . i have sometimes admired that humane nature should be capable of such a monstrous depravation , as several stories recorded of them do bespeak them to have contracted : but , . thirdly , if we must needs judge of the efficacy of the gospel for the making men holy , by its success herein ; let us cast our eyes back upon the first ages of christianity , and then we shall find it an easie matter to satisfie our selves concerning it , though we should understand no more of christianity , than the effects it produced in those days . for though there were then a sort of people that sometimes called themselves christians , that were ( as was now said ) the most desperately wicked creatures that ever the earth bare ; yet these were esteemed by all others that were known by that name as no whit more of their number , than the pagans and iews that defied christ. and their religion was a motly thing that consisted of christianity , iudaism and paganism all blended together ; and therefore in regard of their mere profession they could be no more truly called christians than iews or pagans . or rather ( to speak properly ) they were of no religion at all , but would sometimes comply with the iews , and at other times with the heathens , and joyned readily with both in persecuting the christians : and , in short , the samaritans might with less impropriety be called iews , than these gnostiques , christians . 't is also confessed that the orthodox christians were calumniated by the heathens as flat atheists , but their only pretence for so doing was their refusing to worship their false gods. and they likewise accused them of the beastliest and most horrid practices ; but it is sufficiently evident that they were beholden to the gnostiques for those accusations ; who , being accounted christians , did by their being notoriously guilty of them give occasion to the enemies of christianity to reproach all the professors of it as most silthy and impure creatures . i know it is commonly said , that those calumnies proceeded purely from the heathens malicious invention , but it is apparent that those vile hereticks gave occasion to them . but that the christians were so far from being guilty of such monstrous crimes , that they did lead most inoffensive and good lives , doth abundantly appear by the apologies that diverse of the fathers made to the heathen emperors and people in their behalf . iustin martyr in his apology to antoninus pius hath this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. it is our interest that all persons should make a narrow inquisition into our lives and doctrine , and to expose them to the view of every one . and he afterwards tells that emperor , that his people had nothing to lay to their charge truly , but their bare name , christians . and again , that they which in times past took pleasure in unclean practices , do live now ( that they are become converts to christianity ) pure and chast lives : they which used magical arts , do now consecrate and devote themselves to the eternal and good god : they which preferred the incomes of their money and possessions before all things else , do now cast them into the common stock ; and communicate them to any that stand in need : they which once hated each other , and mutually engaged in bloody battles , and ( according to the custom ) would not keep a common fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with those that were not of the same tribe , now live lovingly and familiarly together with them ; that now they pray for their very enemies ; and those which persecute them with unjust hatred they endeavour to win to them by perswasions , that they also , living according to the honest precepts of christ , may have the same hope , and gain the same reward with themselves from the great governour and lord of the world . athenagoras in his apology , saith thus to the emperors aurelius antoninus ; and aurelius commodus ; as very gracious and benign as you are to all others , you have no care of us who are called christians ; for ye suffer us who commit no evil , nay , who ( as shall hereafter appear ) do behave our selves of all men most piously and justly both towards god and your government , to be vexed , to be put to flight from place to place , and to be violently dealt with . and then he adds some lines after ; if any of you can convict us of any great or small crime , we are ready to bear the most severe punishment , that can be inflicted upon us . and speaking of the calumnies that some had fastened upon them , he saith ; if you can find that these things are true , spare no age , no sex ; but utterly root us up and destroy us with our wives and children , if you can prove that any of us live like to beasts &c. and there is very much to the same purpose in tertullian's apology : where he tels the roman governours , that they dealt otherwise with the christians , than with any other whom they accounted malefactors ; for whereas they tortured others to make them confess the faults they were accused of , they tortured these to make them deny themselves to be christians : and that having no crime besides to lay to their charge which carried the least shew of truth , their professing themselves to be no christians would at at any time procure for them their absolution . and to this objection , that there are some christians that do excedere à regula disciplnae , depart from the rules of their religion , and live disorderly ; here turneth this answer , desinunt tamen christiani haberi penes nos , but those that do so , are no longer by us accounted christians . and by the way , let me recite rigaltius his short note upon this passage , at perseverant hodiè in nomine et numero christianorum , qui vitam omnem vivunt antichristi ; but those now adays do retain the name and society of christians , which live altogether antichristian lives . and ( proceeds he ) tolle publicanos &c. take away publicans and a wretched rabble which he musters together , et frigebunt hodiernorum ecclesiae christianorum , and our present christian churches will be lamentably weak , small and insignificant things . from these few citations out of the apologies of the forementioned fathers , to which may be added abundance more of the same nature both out of them and others , we may judge what rare success the gospel had in the first ages , and what a vast difference there is between the christians of those , and of these daies ; that is , between the christians that were under persecution , and those that since have lived in ease and prosperity . when the christian religion came to be the religion of nations , and to be owned and encouraged by emperors and rulers , then was the whole vast roman empire quickly perswaded to march under its banner ; and the very worst of men for fashions sake , and in expectation of temporal advantages , came flocking into the church of christ. nay the worse men were and the less of conscience they had , the more forward might they then be so to do , the more haste they might make to renounce their former religion and take upon them the profession of christianity . and no sooner was the church set in the warm sun-shine of worldly riches and honours , but it is apparent she was insensibly over-run with those noisome vermine , which have bred and multiplyed ever since , even for many centuries of years , in her . if any shall doubt whether the forementioned fathers might not give too good a character of the christians whose cause they pleaded ; i desire them to consider whether or no it be imaginable that they should so do , seeing their enemies , to whom they wrote their defences of them , could easily , they living among them , have discovered the falsity of their commendations . and we find them frequently appealing to the heathens own consciences whether they themselves did not believe that to be no other than the truth which they said of them : and moreover we have them ever and anon triumphing over them , and provoking them to shew such effects of their philosophy and way of religion , as they themselves could witness were produced by the gospel of christ. nay , and we have their adversaries themselves giving them a very high character . tertullian in his forementioned apology saith , that pliny the second ( who was a persecutor of christians ) wrote thus to the emperour trajan from the province where he ruled under him , viz. that , besides their resolute refusing to offer sacrifice , he could learn nothing concerning their religion , but that they held meetings before day to sing praises to christ and god , and to engage their sect in solemn leagues ; forbidding murther , adultery , deceit , disloyalty and all other wickednesses . and in a now extant epistle of his to that emperor , we find him giving him this information , viz. that , some that had renounced christianity , and now worshipped his image , and the statues of their gods , and cursed christ , did affirm , that this was the greatest fault or errour they were guilty of , that they were wont upon a set day to assemble together before it was light , and to sing a hymn to christ as to a god ; and to bind themselves by a sacrament , not to any wickedness , but that they would not commit thefts , robberies , adulteries ; that they would not be worse than their words , that they would not deny any thing instrusted in their hands when demanded of them : which done , it was their custome to depart , and to meet again , ad capiendū cibū promiscuū , tamen & innoxiū , to eat a common but innocent and harmless meal : which was doubtless the agape or feast of charity , which was in the primitive times in use among the christians after the celebration of the lord's supper . this was an excellent account of them , and much too good to be expected from wicked apostates , such having been ordinarily observed to be of all others , the most deadly enemies of christianity and the professors of it . but to return to our author , he a few lines after adds , that he put two maid-servants upon the rack , to extort from them as full a discovery as he could of the christians crimes ; but he could not find any they were guilty of ▪ except obstinate and excessive superstition : so he called their constant perseverance and diligence in observing the precepts of their most excellent religion . and the emperour antoninus pius , as much an enemy of christians as he was , writes thus in an epistle to the people of asia ( which is to be seen in iustin martyr , and affixed to the apology he directed to him , ) viz. that they could make no proof of the crimes they laid to the christians charge , and that they overcame them by chusing to lay down their lives rather than to do the things they required of them : and that he thought it sit to advertise them , that the christians , when earth-quakes happened , were not under such dreadful fears as they were ; and that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indued with a firmer confidence and trust in god. and there next followeth another epistle of the emperour antoninus philosophus to the senate and people of rome ; wherein he gave them an account of an eminent danger that he and his army were in , in the heart of germany , by the sudden approach of nine hundred and seventy thousand barbarians and enemies : and how that finding his strength to oppose them very small , he commanded all those to appear before him who were called christians , ( as suspecting , 't is like , either their sidelity or courage ) and perceiving there were a great number of them , very sharply inveighed against them : which ( saith he ) i ought not to have done in regard of the vertue which i after found to be in them ; whereby they beg●… the fight not with darts and weapons and sound of trumpets ; which thing they approved not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of respect to god whom they bear in their conscience . wherefore ( proceeds he ) it is meet that we should know that those whom we suspect for atheists , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , have god willingly inclosed , or of his own accord inhabiting , in their conscience : for laying themselves flat upon the earth , they prayed not only for me , but also for my whole army , which was then present , that they might be a means of solace and comsort to us , in our present hunger and thirst , ( for we could not come by any water for five days together : ) but as soon as they were postrate upon the ground , and prayed to a god whom i knew not , immediately there fell rain from heaven , upon us , very cool and refreshing , but upon our adversaries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fiery hail-storm : and their prayer was instantly accompanyed with the presence of god , as of one invincible and insuperable . therefore let us permit these people to be christians , lest they praying to have the like weapons imployed against us , they should obtain their desire . and a few lines after , the emperour declared it his will and pleasure , that whosoever accuseth a christian as such , for the time to come , he shall be burnt alive . what better satisfaction can be desired by us , concerning the truth of the forementioned fathers account of the christians that lived in their days , than that which the pens of these their enemies have given to us ? there is one thing more i will adde concerning the primitive christians , viz. that the most calm , meek , peaceable , gentle and submissive temper recommended in the gospel did mightily discover its self in them : and thereby we may judge what kind of people they were as to the other parts of christianity ; it being impossible that such an excellent spirit should be alone , and unaccompanied with the other vertues . though they were for the most part very sorely persecuted , yet , as tertullian saith ( in his book ad nationes ) nunquam conjuratio erupit , there was never any uproar or hurly-burly among them . and having , in his apology , ask'd the two emperors and the rest this question , if we are commanded to love our enemies , whom have we then to hate ? he thus proceeds : how often do you your selves rage against the christians who are obedient unto you , and moreover suffer them to be stoned and burnt by the rout of common people ; but yet what revenge did ye ever observe them repaying for the injuries done unto them , as stout hearted as they are even to death it self ? if it be objected ( as it is by some ) that this might be attributed not to their good temper , but to mere necessity , seeing they knew themselves too weak to succeed in any rebellious or violent attempt : let the same tertullian give an answer ; and he doth it in the very next words . in one night ( saith he ) with a few firebands they could revenge themselves sufficiently upon you , if they thought it lawful to render evil for evil . nay , and not only so , but he tells them plainly that they were in circumstances to manage the parts of hostes exerti , open enemies against them , as well as of vindices occulti , ●…ly and secret revengers ; and that they could raise an army , if it pleased them , numerous and powerful enough to cope with them : and withal he thus proceeds : hesterni sumus , & vestra omnia implevimus , &c. though we are but as it were of yesterday , yet you have no place but is full of us ; your cities , your islands , castles , towns , council-houses ; your fortresses , tribes , bands of souldiers , palace , senate , court , sola vobis relinquimus templa , your temples onely are empty of us . and he goes on cui bello non idonei , &c. what battles are not we able to wage with you , who are so willingly slain by you ; but according to the laws of our religion we esteem it better to be killed than to kill . nay , he next tells them , po●…uimus inermes nec rebelles , &c. we need not take arms and rebel to revenge our selves upon you , for we are so great a part of the empire , that by but departing from you , we should utterly destroy it , and affright you with your own solitude , and leave you more enemies than loyal subjects . and so far were they from making use of the advantages they had to deliver themselves by the way of violence , that ( as not long after he saith to them ) they prayed for the emperours , and those in authority under them , for peace and a quiet state of affairs among them , and ( as some where he adds ) very ready also to give them assistance against their enemies . the story of the thebaean legion is wonderful to astonishment ; it consisted of just six thousand six hundred sixty and six men , and all christian. these when maximianus caesar went about to compel them to offer sacrifice to the heathenish gods at a place called octodurum , they fled to another called agaunum ; & when he sent after them to require them to obey that his command , they drew up together into a body , and with one voice professed that they could not do it . maximianus thereupon commanded that every tenth man of them should be slain upon the place ; which accordingly was immediately done without the least resistance . mauritius , the general of this legion , thus addressed himself to the souldiers : quàm timui ne quisquam , quod armatis facile est , &c. how fearful was i lest any of you , being in arms , and therefore no hard matter to do it , should attempt the defending of your selves , and by that means prevent a happy and most glorious death . and so goes on most excellently , to encourage them rather to submit to death , than resist their emperour . when every tenth man was slain , the emperour repeated his command to the survivers , and they all thus answered : milites quidem , caesar , tui sumus , &c. we are , it is confessed , thy souldiers , o caesar , for the defence of the roman republique ; nor have we ever proved either traytors , or cowards ; but this command of thine we cannot obey ; for know , we are all christians ; yet all our bodies shall be subject to thee , &c. at last exuperius their ensign concludes thus , non nos adversum te , imperator , armavit ipsa , quae fortissima est in periculis , desperatio , &c. despair it self hath not armed us against thee , o emperour ; behold we have all our weapons in our hands , and yet resist not ; because we had rather die innocent than live nocent . and thereupon they were all put to the slaughter , not a man of them once offering to defend himself . you may find the relation of this more at large , taken out of fucherius by grotius , and set down in his book de jure belli & pacis . origen also tells celsus that he or any of his party were able to shew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing of sedition that the christians were ever guilty of : and yet , what tertullian said of the roman empire in general , this father elsewhere in the same book speaketh of greece and barbary , viz. that the gospel had subdued all that country and the greater part of this , and had brought over to godliness souls innumerable . thus you see how far the primitive christians were from the tumultuous , fiery , and boisterous spirit , that christendom above all other parts of the world hath been since infested with . and thus we have shewn that there was once a time ( god grant that the like may be again ) when the success of the christian religion in conquering mens lusts and rectifying their natures , was greatly answerable to the efficacy that it hath for this purpose . and so we pass to the second inference . chap. xvii . the second inference . that we understand from what hath been said of the design of christianity , how fearfully it is abused by those that call themselves the roman catholiques . that the church of rome hath by several of her doctrines enervated all the precepts and the motives to holiness contained in the gospel . that she hath rendered the means therein prescribed for the attainment thereof extremely ineffectual . that she hath also as greatly corrupted them . diverse instances of the papists idolatry . their image worship one instance . their praying to saints departed another . other impieties accompanying it , mentioned ▪ some account of their blasphemies , particularly in their prayers to the blessed virgin. their worshipping the hoast the third and grossest instance of their idolatry . some other of their wicked and most anti-christian doctrines . secondly , by what hath been said concerning the design of the christian religion , we easily understand how fearfully it is abused by those that call themselves the roman catholiques . nor need we any other argument to prove popery to be nothing less than christianity besides this , viz. that the grand design of this is to make us holy ; and also aimeth at the raising of us to the most elevated pitch of holiness , and is admirably contrived for that purpose : but the religion of the papists as such doth most apparently tend to carry on a design that is diametrically opposite thereunto : to serve a most carnal and corrupt interest ; to give men security in a way of sinning ; and pretendeth to teach them a way to do , at one and the same time effectually , the most contrary and inconsistent works : that is , to deprave their natures , and save their souls ; and even in gratifying their wicked inclinations to lay a firm and safe foundation for eternal happiness . so that , if this ( as they pretend it alone is ) be the christian religion , we must needs ingenuously acknowledge , that what we said in the introduction was by celsus and iulian charged upon it , is no calumny , but an accusation most just and well deserved . for as the church of rome hath rendred diverse excellent precepts of holiness contained in the gospel very in-effectual , by making them counsels onely , not commands : and also not a few of its prohibitions unnecessary by her distinction of sins into mortal and venial ; understanding by venial sins such as for the sake of which no man can deserve to lose the divine favour ; and therefore making them really no sins : so hath she enervated all the evangelical commandments both positive and negative , and made them sadly insignificant by a multitude of doctrines that are taught by her most darling-sons , and decreed or allowed by her self . that one popish doctrine of the non-necessity of repentance before the imminent point of death , and that ( though the church requireth it upon holy-days , yet ) no man is bound by the divine law to it until that time , is of it self , without the help of any other , sufficient to take away the force of all the holy precepts of our saviour , and to make them utterly unsuccessful to the embracers of it : and this other goeth beyond that in aptness for this purpose , viz. that mere attrition , or sorrow for sin for fear of damnation , if it be accompanied with confession to the priest , is sufficient for salvation . for , as the former maketh a death-bed-repentance onely necessary ; so this lar●…er makes that repentance alone so , which is far from deserving to be so called , and which wants the principal ingredients of that grace , viz. hatred of sin , and love to god and goodness ; and consequently works no change in the nature of the sinner , nor makes him partaker in the least measure of true ho●…iness . the threats of hell have they made a mere bug-bear , and scare-crow by their doctrine of purgatory ; and the fear of this too have they taken a notable course to secure men from by that of penances , and the indulgences granted by their popes very ordinarily for doing certain odde trifles and idle things ; but which by money can never fail to be procured . nor are the most horrid impieties shut out from having their share in his holiness his indulgences ; as more than sufficiently appears by the tax of the apostical chancery ; where to those that will pay the price , absolutions are to be had for the most abominable and not to be named villainies , nay and licences also , for not a few wickednesses . i may adde to the forementioned , their doctrine of the meritorious supererogations of the saints , which , being applied to others ; they teach to be available for their pardon ; which besides its most impious making many co-saviours with jesus christ , doth infinitely encourage to carelessness and loose living . the religion of the means prescribed in the gospel , have they done what lay in them to make both extremely ineffectual and highly irreligious . i say , first , most ineffectual : for they will have the bare saying of prayers without the least minding of what is said , to be acceptable to and prevalent with almighty god : and congruously to this fine doctrine their church enjoyns them to be said in a tongue that is unknown to the generality of her children . though the papists cannot for shame but acknowledge it a good thing to give attention of mind to what is spoken in the worship of god , yet i say it is well known that they deny it to be necessary so to do ; and make the mere opus operatum the work done sufficient , and that in all acts of devotion whatsoever . and besides their divine service is made by them an idle and vain piece of pageantry by the abundance of foppish ceremonies it is burthened with . nay , secondly , it is made as wicked as ineffectual : it being accompanied with so great immoralities as gross idolatries , together with other very impious practices : whereof first , their worshiping of images is a notorious instance : they making pictures of christ and his cross , and even of the holy trinity , and giving ( as they themselves profess to do ) latria or divine honour to them . and as for what they have , by stretching their wits upon the tenters , invented to defend themselves from the guilt of idolatry in those actions , it will do the heathens as much service as themselves , and no less successfully clear and acquit them from that soul imputation . celsus in defence of their idols saith , that they are not gods , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gifts consecrated to them . and the heathens in lactantius are brought in saying , non ipsa timemus simulachra , &c. we fear , or worship not the images themselves , but those whose representatives they are , and to whose names they are consecrated . and several other citations might be produced to shew , that the divine honour that was by the heathens bestowed on their images , was relative only ( as the papists say theirs is , and think they get a main matter by so saying ) and not absolute . but as for their worship of the image of the cross , it is grosser idolatry than i believe can be shewn the wiser sort of pagans were ever guilty of . for the cross it self is the ultimate term of their divine adoration , and the image is worship'd relatively , as it represents the cross : in short , their image-worship is as expresly forbidden by the second commandment as words can do it , and one may conclude that they themselves are not a little conscious of it , in that that commandment is left out of their offices of frequent use . secondly , another plain instance of their idolatry is their praying to saints departed . and whereas they pretend that they confer not upon them any divine honour , and that they onely pray to the saints to pray for them ; this pretence is but a pityfully thin cob-web to hide the idolatry of that their practice . for besides that their invocations of them and of the same saints too in innumerable places at vast distances each from other , do imply an opinion of such an excellency in them , ( viz. such a knowledge as can hardly be at all short of omniscience ) as we can no where find god almighty hath vouchsafed to any creature ; they likewise make their prayers to them with professions of considence in them , and with all the rites of invocation , in sacred offices , and in places set apart for divine worship ; and moreover they set particular saints over whole cities and countries ( one single one over this and another over that ) and put up petitions to them for their help and succour . and the roman catechism made by the decree of the council of trent , and published by the popes command doth give them encouragement so to do ( as the late bishop of down sheweth in the former part of his dissuasive from popery ) in these words ; the saints are therefore to be invocated , because they continually make prayers for the health of man-kind , and god gives us many benefits by their merit and favour : and it is lawful to have recourse to the favour or grace of the saints , and to use their help ; for they undertake the patronage of us . and he adds that the council of trent doth not onely say , it is good to fly to their prayers , but also to their aid , and to their help . and he furthermore minds them of this distich in the church of s. laurence in rome , continet hoc templum sanctorū corpora pura , a quibus auxilium suppleri , poscere cura . within this church saints holy bodies ly , pray them , that they w th help would thee supply . so that over and above the great impiety of their praying to saints , discovered in making them in some kind equal with christ , and in derogating from the sufficiency of his merits , satisfaction and intercession ; god being prayed to with reliance on theirs as well as on his , and through them as well as him ; ( as may be farther and largly shewn in their prayers , and chiefly in those to the blessed virgin ; ) i say besides this gross impiety of that practice , it can never be justified from the charge of idolatry . and by whatsoever arguments they endeavor therein to prove themselves no idolaters , it will be no difficult matter by the same to vindicate the heathens from that abominable crime in worshipping their daemons , heroes and deified emperours . and for hierocles his part , i cannot find that he alloweth of praying to any one but him whom he calls the supreme god : for , speaking of the honour that is due to that order of spirits which is immediately subordinate to him , and above the daemons and heroes , all he ●…aith concerning it is , that it consisteth in understanding the excellency of their natures , and in endeavouring after a likeness to them ; where as he hath afterward a very excellent discourse of tho necessary obligation men are under of praying to god. but i have not yet instanced in the worst part of the popish prayers to departed saints , the blasphemies contained in those to the virgin mary are such as i would not defile my pen with the recital of any of them , did i not know it to be too needful so to do . she is stiled in their publique prayers , the saviour of desparing souls , the bestower of spiritual grace and dispenser of the most divine gifts ; one higher than the heavens , and deeper than the earth ; and many such compellations as are proper onely to some one person of the glorious trinity , are given in them to her . in her anthem she is supplicated for pardon of sin , for grace and for glory . and the forementioned learned bishop observeth that in the mass-book penned one thousand five hundred thirty eight , and used in the polonian churches , they call the blessed virgin viam ad vitam , &c. the way to life , the governess of all the world , the reconciler of sinners with god , the fountain of remission of sins , light of light : and at last she is there saluted with an ave universae trinitatis mater , hail thou mother of the holy trinity . and he adds that the council of constance in the hymn they call a sequence , did invocate the virgin in the same manner as councils did use to invocate the holy ghost : that they call her the mother of grace , the remedy of the miserable , the fountain of mercy , and the light of the church . and lastly his lordship alleageth a psalter of our lady , that hath been several times printed at venice , at paris and leipsich , the title of which is , the psalter of the blessed virgin compiled by the seraphical doctor s. bonaventure , &c. which consisteth of the psalms of david , one hundred and fifty in number : in which the name of lord is left out , and that of lady put in , and altered where it was necessary they should , to make sense . therein , whatsoever david said , whether prayers or praises of god and christ , they say of the blessed virgin ; and whether ( saith he ) all that can be said without intolerable blasphemy , we suppose needs not much disputation . who would not readily conclude it altogether impossible for any men to invent , or approve , nay or not to have indignation against such daring and most execrable impieties , that are not utterly beref●… of their senses , or are but one remove from perfect atheists ? there are diverse other most prodigious sayings concerning the virgin mary transcribed out of the approved books of great sons of the roman church , in the now cited disswasive from popery , to which i refer the reader . and to them i will adde some which may doubtless vie with the worst that we can well imagine were ever uttered , of one iohannes argentus a prime catholique youth , which he hath exposed to the view of the world in a right worthy piece , treating of the seven excellencies of the most blessed virgin. saith he , christus servit atque assiduè ministrat matri suae , christ serveth and continually administreth to his mother ; and next thus vents himself in a great fit of devotion to her . o si liceret , quàm libenter me illi socium adjungerem , &c. if it might be lawful , oh , how gladly would i joyn my self with him as his companion ! how willingly would i learn of him the way of perfectly serving thy self , and god! ( the reader will not anon judge his placing the virgin before god himself as proceeding from inadvertency , ) how willingly would i ease my most sweet iesus of this his labour ! o lord iesu my most lovely saviour permit me to perform some service to thy mother ; but if thou wilt not grant me this , yet at least give me leave , that whilest thou servest thy mother , i may serve thee . and he tells us afterward , that , god is in other creatures after a threefold manner , by his essence , by his presence , and by his power ; but in the most blessed virgin after a fourth manner , viz. by identity or being one and the self-same with her . who could think that the worst should be yet behind ? let the reader judge whether it be or no. he farther saith , that her seventh degree of excellency consists in this , quòd sit domina dei , that she is the mistriss of god. and then a line or two after , as if he had thought that he had not yet sufficiently performed the part of a most impudent blasphemer , he adds that supra ipsum thronum dei solium suum collocavit , she hath erected her seat above the very throne of god. this was a fellow that had improved to purpose the prayers he had learn'd of his holy mother . surely she could not find in her heart to deny so passionately devout a worshipper of the holy virgin a very considerable share in the merits of her supererogations : or rather may we not think that she would judge him so great a saint as to stand in no need of them ; and to have of his own to spare , wherewith to add to the riches of her treasury , for the relief of those who being conscious to themselves of being too dry and cold devotionists can be perswaded to go to the charge of them ? have we not now infinite cause to wonder that the papists should take it so very heinou●…ly at our hands , that we fasten upon them the imputation of idolatry ! this very wretch would have been sensible of an unsufferable abuse , should one have call'd him idolater , as blasphemous a one as he was , and notwithstanding his having even more than deified a mere creature , and advanced her throne even above her creator's . lord ! to what heights of impiety will superstition lead men ! and how thick is that darkness she blindeth the eyes of her captives with , that it will not suffer them to discern that guilt which is no whit less apparent than is the sun it self . but thirdly , the grossest instance of the church of rome's idolatry we have yet omitted ; and that is their worshipping the consecrated bread , not as god's representative , but ( which is far worse ) as god himself , in the sacrament of the altar ( as they call it ) and on other occasions . this is no where to be parallel'd for the sottishness of it , no not among the most barbarous and bruitish nations ; it being founded upon the most absurd , contradictious , portentous and monstrous conceit that ever entered the head of any mortal : as they have had it unanswerably and to the confusion of their faces proved to them by a multitude of learned persons of the reformed religion : who have also so fully , and with such mighty and irresistible strength made good the forementioned charge of idolatry , and of other impious practices and principles against them , that it is unimaginable how it should be possible that any who are not stark-blind , or resolved that they will not see , should not acknowledge them . and as for the elaborate tricks whereby they endeavour to justifie themselves from those accusations , and to perswade the world that they are undeserved , they may doubtless , whensoever they shall have a mind to it , devise others no less plausible with as little pains , to make forcing of virgins no rape , lying with other folks wives no adultery , cutting of purses no theft , robbing of churches no sacrilege ; and in one word , they may with as little exercise of their brains invent ways to do whatsoever is most flatly forbidden in the ten commandments , without being guilty of transgressing any one of them . i might proceed to instance in very many other doctrines of the romish church , which by what we have said of the christian religion we may be perfectly assured are anti-christian ; but i will onely adde two or three more . as , their asserting the insufficiency of the holy scriptures for mens salvation , and denying them to be the sole rule of faith , and joyning with them their own paltry traditions as equally necessary to be believed ; and this against the express words of s. paul to timothy , epist. chap. where he tells him that the holy scriptures are able to make him wise unto salvation , through faith which is in christ iesus . and that all scripture is given by inspiration of god , and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for correction , for instruction in righteousness ; that the man of god may be perfect , thorowly furnished unto all good works . and their teaching that the gospel is obscure , and difficult to be understood even in things necessary to be believed and practised . which , as it makes it greatly inefficacious for the purpose which we have proved it is designed for , so doth it open a gap for vile interpretations of any part of it , and exposeth it to the power of heretiques , and especially of the romish ones , to make it a mere nose of wax : which none can doubt , that consider also therewith their doctrine of implicite faith ; and that other upon which it is grounded , viz. that of the infallibility of their church : which , as the iesuites define , is seated in the pope's chair . but whether it be asserted that the popes have an unerring faculty , or they and their general councils together , this doctrine being received ( as by them it is without the least ground ) for unquestionably true , doth greatly hazard , nay and even necessitate the betraying of men to the very worst both of opinions and practices , whensoever this pretended infallible guide shall be pleas'd to propose them to them . and whosoever believes it , must ( to use the words of m r chillingworth ) be prepared in mind to esteem vertue vice , and vice vertue , christianity anti-christianism , and antichristianism christianity , if the pope shall so determine . and this doctrine , without doubt , is that which causeth those of the papists to stick so fast in silthy 〈◊〉 , and to persist so obstinately in their foul errours , who are not detained therein by the love of gain ( with which their popes , and other ecclesiasticks by the means of diverse of them are mightily enriched ) or by the dear affection they bear to their other lusts , which they are so exactly fitte●… for the satisfaction of . their doctrines being very many of them so ridiculously absurd , plainly false and of such dangerous consequence ; i say , nothing else , certainly , could hold the sincerer sort of papists in the belief of them , but this consideration , that any one of them being let go , their great dagon of the churches infallibility must necessarily to the ground with it . i might also instance in their doctrine of the dispensableness of the most solemn oaths , which is no less destructive to humane society , than it is to piety . and in that of the popes power to absolve subjects from their allegiance to their lawful sovereigns : and to them adde a great number of maximes of the most famous order among them , the iesuites , and resolutions of cases of conscience , which are as wicked and destructive of a holy life , as the devil himself can well devise . but to be employed with hercules in emptying the augean stable would be as acceptable a work as stirring so far in this nasty sink . whosoever shall peruse the mystery of iesuitism , may find more than enough there to turn his stomach , though it should be none of the most squeamish and quezy , and to make him stand astonished , and bless him , that ever such loathsome and abominable stuff should come from persons that derive their name from the holy iesus . but to hasten to the conclusion of this chapter , the most pure and holy religion of our saviour hath the church of rome defiled with as impure and unholy opinions and practices ; and hath taken the most effectual course not only to render it a feeble and insignificant thing for accomplishing the design for which it was intended by the blessed founder of it , but also to make it unhappily successful in serving the directly contrary . the great mystery of godliness hath she transformed into a grand mystery of iniquity ; and by that means most excessively confirmed its professed enemies , the iews and mahumetans , in their enmity against it . and for my own part i should not stick to say , as did averroes ( when he observed that the popish christians adored that they ate ) sit anima mea cum philosophis , let my soul take its fate with the philosophers in the other world , did i think christianity to be such a religion as she makes it . as much as i admire it now , i should then prefer that of socrates , plato , and cicero very far before it . though i abhor so far to imitate the papists in the devilishly cruel uncharitableness , as to pronounce them all in a state of damnation , yet i dare assert with the greatest and most undoubted confidence ▪ that all that continue in communion with that degenerated and apostate church , run infinite hazards : and moreover that it is impossible that any sincere persons should give an explicite and understanding assent to all her doctrines : but that whosoever can find in his heart to practise upon them , can be nothing better than a shamefully debauched and immoral wretch . nor is it conceivable what should induce any to exchange the reformed for the popish religion ( as too many have of late done ) that have but a competent understanding of both , besides the desire of serving some corrupt interest . and we plainly see , that the generality of those that turn apostates from the church of england to that of rome , are such people as were a scandal to her , while they continued in her : and that atheism and popery are the common sanctuaries to which the most abominably vicious and profane of this age do betake themselves . chap. xviii . the third inference . that these two sorts of persons are most extremely sottish . . such as expect to have their share in the salvation of the gospel without true holiness ▪ . such much more , as encourage themselves by the grace of the gospel in unholiness . thirdly , there is nothing we are more assured of by what hath been discoursed of the design of christianity , than that these two sorts of persons are guilty of extreme sottishness : namely , those that expect to have a share in the salvation of the gospel without true holiness : and much more , those that encourage themselves by the grace of the gospel in their unholiness . first , those that expect to have their share in the salvation of the gospel without true holiness . i fear me that such people are not consined within the limits of the romish church ; but that a vast number of protestants also may be deservedly accused upon this account . but by so much more sottish are these than the papists , by how much better things their religion teacheth them than the papists doth . though i must likewise with sadness acknowledge that too many opinions have been unhappily foisted into it , that give too great encouragement to a careless life . but that those which promise to themselves an interest in the salvation purchased by jesus christ , either from their baptism , and partaking of certain christian priveleges , or from their being of such or such a sect and mode of professors , or from their supposed orthodoxy and good belief , and zeal against erroneous doctrines , or from their imagining christ's righteousness theirs and applying the promises to themselves , or from their abstaining from the grosser and more scandalous sins , or from their doing some externally good actions , and have in the mean time no care to be universally obedient , to mortifie every lust , and to obtain an inward principle of holiness ; that those , i say , which thus do , are guilty of most egregious and stupid folly , is most manifest from what hath been discoursed of the design of christianity . for we have shewn not only that reformation of life from the practice , and purification of heart from the liking of sin are as plainly as can be asserted in the gospel to be absolutely necessary to give men a right to the promises of it ; but also that its great salvation doth even consist in it : that , salvation from sin is the grand design of the christian religion , and that from wrath is the result of this . i will instance in two more scriptures for the farther proof of this . the apostle s. paul saith , ephes. . , &c. even when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath he quickened us together with christ , ( by grace ye are saved ) and hath raised us up together , and made us sit together in heavenly places in christ iesus : that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through christ iesus . for by grace ye are saved , through faith , ( or by the means of believing the gospel ) and that not of your selves , it is the gift of god. where , by the salvation which the ephesian christians are said to have obtained , and in the bestowing of which upon them the exceeding riches of god's grace appeared , is plainly to be understood their deliverance from their former heathenish impieties and sinful practices : and so is it interpreted by our best expositors . again it is said , titus . . not by works of righteousness which we have done , but according to his mercy he saved us ( how saved us ? it follows ) by the washing of regeneration , & renewing of the holy ghost . our saviour giveth ●…ase to our sin-sick souls by recovering them to health : and his salvation first consisteth in curing our wounds , and secondarily in freeing us from the smart occasioned by them . s. peter tells the christians that by his stripes they were healed , pet. . . it being a quotation out of isaiah . . clemens alexandrinus in the second book of his stromat . hath this saying to the same purpose , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , pardon doth not so much consist in remission as in healing ; that is , the pardon of the gospel doth chiefly discover it self in curing men of their sins ; in delivering sinners from the power of them , rather than from the mere punishment due to them . by which words that learned father declared that he looked upon the subduing of sin as a more eminent act of grace , than the bare forgiveness of it . now , would that man be accounted any better than a perfect ideot , who being sorely hurt should expect from his chirurgion perfect ●…ase , when he will not permit him to apply any plaister for the healing of his wound ? or that being deadly sick should look that his physician should deliver him from his pain , when he will not take any course he prescribes for the removal of the distemper that is the cause of it ? but of far greater folly are all those guilty , who will not be perswaded to part with their sins , and yet hope for the salvation of their souls . he that looketh for this , expects that which implyeth a most palpable contradiction , and is impossible in its own nature to be effected . it hath been fully enough shewn that mere deliverance from misery , cannot possibly be without deliverance from sin ; and , much less eternal blessedness in the enjoyment of god. secondly , but how excessively mad then are those , which turn the grace of god declared in the gospel into wantonness , and take encouragement from the abundant kindness and good will therein expressed to wretched sinners , with the more security and boldness to commit sin ? we read of such in the epistle of s. iude ; and god knows there are too many such in these our days . but seeing it is so grosly foolish a thing for men to hope to be saved notwithstanding their living in the allowance of known sins , what desperate madness then is it to be imboldened in ungodly practices , by the offers christ makes of pardon and salvation to them . these declare that they look upon the design of christianity not onely as different from what it hath been demonstrated it is , but also as directly opposite , and perfectly contrary thereunto . these do not only judge their saviour to be no friend to holiness , but to be the greatest enemy likewise to it ; and a minister of sin and wickedness . they make him to be the very servant of the devil , in stead of coming to destroy his works . they make the christian religion more vile by ●…ar than that of mahomet ; and such a religion , as those which have but the least spark of goodness must needs abominate . shall we sin ( saith the apostle ) that grace may abound ? god forbid ! those that think they can magnifie the free-grace of god in christ by thus doing , or that they may take encouragement from it to continue in sin , do make this grace unworthy of mens acceptance , and no grace at all . nay they make almighty god the greatest enemy to mankind in sending his son jesus and his gospel among us . for sin being so apparently the greatest of evils , it can be no other than the highest and most significant expression of hatred to us , to encourage us to the commission of it . it is so far from being part of our christian liberty , to be delivered from our obligation to all or any of the laws of righteousness , that such a deliverance would be the most diabolical yoke of bondage . if any man can be so silly as to object that of the apostle , rom. . . ye are not under the law , but under grace : let him give himself an answer by reading the whole verse ; and then make ill use of that passage if he can tell how . the words foregoing it in the same verse are these : sin shall not have dominion over you , and these words are a proof of that assertion : for ye are not under the law , but under grace : that is , as if he should say , it is the most inexcuseable thing for you to continue under the dominion and power of sin , because ye are not under the weak and inefficacious paedagogy of the law of moses , but a dispensation of grace , wherein there is not only forgiveness assured to truly repenting sinners , but strength afforded to enable to the subduing and mortification of all sin . our saviour hath told us expresly that he came not to destroy the law , ( that is the moral law ) but to fulfil it : and that heaven and earth shall soouer pass away , than that one jot or little thereof shall sail . and it is absolutely impossible , that our obligation thereunto should cease , while we continue men. all the duties therein contained being most necessary and natural results from the relation we stand in to god and to one another , and from the original make and constitution of humane souls . but it is too great an honour to the doctrine of libertinism to bestow two words upon its confutation , it being so prodigiously monstrous , that it would be almost a breach of charity to judge that professour of christianity not to have suffered the loss of his wits that hath entertained it , or hath the least favour for it ; supposing he hath but the least smattering in the christian religion . it is a most amazing thing , that such a thought should have any admission into the mind of such a one , while he is compos mentis , and not utterly deprived of his intellectuals : our saviour's gospel being wholly levelled at the mark of killing all sorts of sin in us , and rendering us exactly obedient to the divine moral , and also all innocent humane laws . let me speak to such as so shamefully abuse our incomparable religion , as to take liberty from thence to be in any kind immoral , in the words of s. paul , rom. . , . despisest thou the riches of god's goodness and forbearance and long-suffering , not knowing that his goodness leadeth thee ( or designeth the leading of thee ) to repentance ? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath , and revelation of the righteous iudgment of god , &c. chap. xix . the fourth inference . that a right understanding of the design of christianity will give satisfaction concerning the true notion , . of iustifying faith , . of the imputation of christ's righteousness . fourthly , from what hath been said of the design of christianity may be clearly inferred the true notion of iustifying faith , and of the imputation of christ's righteousness . first , of iustifying faith. we thence learn , that it is such a belief of the truth of the gospel , as includes a sincere resolution of obedience unto all its precepts ; or ( which is the same thing ) includes true holiness in the nature of it : and moreover that it justifieth as it doth so . for surely the faith which intitles a sinner to so high a privelege as that of justification , must needs be such as complieth with all the purposes of christ's coming into the world , and especially with his grand purpose ; and it is no less necessary that it should justifie as it doth this ; that is , as it receives christ for a lord , as well as for a saviour . but i need not now distinguish between these two , there being but a notional difference between them in this matter . for christ ( as was shewn ) as he is a saviour , designeth our holiness : his salvation being chiefly that from the worst of evils , sin ; and principally consisting in deliverance from the power of it . i scarcely more admired at any thing in my whole life , than that any worthy men especially should be so difficultly perswaded to embrace this account of iustifying faith ; and should perplex and make intricate so very plain a doctrine . if this be not to seek knots in a bulrush , i know not what is . i wish there were nothing throughout the bible less easily intelligible than this is , and i should then dare to pronounce it one of the plainest of all books that ever pen wrote . for seeing the great end of the gospel is to make men good , what pretence can there be for thinking , that faith is the condition ( or i 'le use the word [ instrument ] as improper and obscure as it is ) of iustification , as it complieth with only the precept of relying on christ's merits for the obtaining of it : especially when it is no less manifest than the sun at noon-day , that obedience to the other precepts must go before obedience to this ; and that a man may not rely on the merits of christ for the forgiveness of his sins , and he is most presumptuous in so doing , and puts an affront upon his saviour too , till he be sincerely willing to be reformed from them : and besides such a relyance is ordinarily to be found among unregenerate , and even the very worst of men . and therefore how can it be otherwise , than that that act of faith must needs have a hand in justifying , and the special hand too , which distinguisheth it from that which is to be found in such persons . and i adde , what good ground can men have for this fancy , when as our saviour hath merited the pardon of sin , for this end , that it might be an effectual motive to return from it . and can any thing in the world be more indisputably clear , than , if the only direct scope that christianity drives at be the subduing of sin in us , and our freedom from its guilt or obligation to punishment be the consequent of this ( as i think hath been demonstrated with abundant evidence ; ) that faith invests us with a title to this deliverance no otherwise than as dying to sin and so consequently living to god are the products and fruit of it ? and seeing that , one end , and the ultimate end too of christ's coming was to turn us from our iniquities , if the nature of faith considered as iustifying must needs be made wholly to consist in recumbence and reliance on him , he shall be my apollo that can give me a sufficient reason why it ought only to consist in reliance on the merits of christ for the pardon of sin , and not also in his power for the mortification of it . in short , is it possible that faith in christ's blood for the forgiveness of sin should be the onely act which justifieth a sinner , when such a multitude of plain texts assure us , that he died also to make us holy , and that his death was designed to deliver us from dying in order to a farther end , namely to this , that we should live unto him who died for us . i will never trust my discursive faculty so long as i live , no not in the plainest and most undoubted cases , if i am mistaken here . and will take the boldness to tell those who are displeased with this account of iustifying faith , that ( in my opinion ) it is impossible they should once think of any other , if they did as seriously weigh and throughly consider the design of christianity as they ought to do . i the more insist upon this , because those persons explication of this point hath been greatly lyable to be used to ill purposes by insincere persons ; and hath given infinite advantage to the dangerous errour of antinomianism . and for my part i must confess that i would not willingly be he that should undertake to encounter one of the champions of that foul cause , with the admission of this principle , that faith justifieth , onely as it apprehendeth the merits and righteousness of iesus christ : i must certainly have great luck , or my adversary but little cunning , if i were not forced to repent me of such an engagement . secondly , and as for the other doctrine of the imputation of christ's righteousness ; we learn from the design of christianity that this is the true explication of it : namely , that it consists in dealing with sincerely righteous persons , as if they were perfectly so , for the sake and upon the account of christ's righteousness . the grand intent of the gospel being to make us partakers of an inward and real righteousness , and it being but a secondary one that we should be accepted and rewarded as if we were completely righteous ; it is not possible that any other notion of this doctrine should have truth in it . for as from thence it appeareth , that there can be no such imputation of christ's righteousness offered in the gospel , as serveth to make men remiss in their prosecution of an inward righteousness ; so is it manifest likewise , that that doctrine is designed for a motive to quicken and excite men in their endeavours after such a righteousness as this is . so far is it , from tending to cause in us an undervaluing and sleight esteem of it , that , as sure as that the ultimate design of christianity is to indue us with it , it must be intended for no other purpose but to farther and promote that business : and it is effectual thereunto in that manner , that we shewed the exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel are . but because both these points are discussed in the free discourse , i have said so little of the former , and will proceed no f●…rther on this : but refer the reader thither , and to other much more elaborate discourses for his fuller satisfaction . and indeed it was enough for me in this place to shew , that the notion laid down in that book of both these doctrines , doth evidently follow from that proposition which is the subject of this treatise . chap. xx. the fifth inference . that we learn from the design of christianity the great measure and standard whereby we are to judge of doctrines . how we are to judge of the truth of doctrines . fifthly , we learn from what hath been said of the design of christianity , what is the great measure and standard whereby we are to judge of doctrines ; both whether they are true or false , and in what degree necessary to be received or rejected . first , we understand how to judge of the truth of doctrines . we may be certain that , seeing the design of christianity is to make men holy , whatsoever opinions do either directly or in their evident consequences obstruct the promoting of it , are perfectly false ; and with as great peremptoriness and confidence as they may be by some that call themselves christians obtruded upon us , they are not of christ , nor any part of his religion . and those which do appear to us to discourage from serious endeavours after piety and true vertue , we ought for that reason , while we have such an opinion of them , most vehemently to suspect them to be erroneous . for it being the business of our saviour's coming into the world , and of his blessed gospel , effectually to perswade us to use our utmost diligence in subduing our lusts , and qualifying our souls by purity and holiness for the enjoyment of god , and to make our endeavours successful for that purpose ; we may be undoubtedly assured that he hath not either by himself immediately , or by his apostles delivered any thing that opposeth this design . if ( saith s. paul ) i build again the things that i destroyed ; i make my self a transgressor : and no man that hath in him the least of a christian , will once suspect , that the perfectly wise as well as holy jesus should so manage the business he hath undertaken , as what he builds with one hand , to pull down with the other ; and frustrate that design by some doctrines which he promoteth by others . those doctrines on the other hand which in their own nature do evidently tend to the serving of this design of christianity , we may conclude are most true and genuine : and those which , upon our serious considering of them , we are perswaded do so , we ought upon that account to have a kindness for them , and to believe them of an higher than humane original . and therefore those which give the most honourable accounts of god , his nature , and dealing with the sons of men ; that most magnifie his grace , and best vindicate his holiness , justice , and goodness ; do commend themselves to our belief with infinite advantage : because the most worthy conceptions of the deity are extremely helpful and likewise necessary to the loving of god , and serving him as becometh us , and have a mighty influence into the ordering and regulation of our whole man ; as might be largly shewn . those doctrines , again , that most discountenance all sins both against the first and second table , and best enable to answer all pleas and pretences for security and carelesness ; that are most highly agreeable to the innate dictates of our minds , and least gratifie and please our carnal part ; we may from the consideration of the design of christianity be greatly perswaded of the truth of them . and on the contrary , those which are apt to instil into mens minds any unlovely notions of the divine nature , that disparage his holiness , or lessen his kindness and good will to his creation , and the obligations of the generality of the world to him and his son jesus , and so make his grace a narrow and scanty thing , or that naturally cast any dishonorable reflections on any person of the most holy trinity ; must needs be false . as also those that make religion to be a mere passive thing , wholly god's work , and not at all ours ; or that cramp men , and perswade them that they are utterly void of the least ability to co-operate with the grace of god or to do any thing towards their own salvation ; or any way whatsoever discourage them from the diligent prosecution of holiness ; or deprive us of any help afforded us towards our gaining , and growth in grace , either by putting a slur upon the written word , in advancing above it the light within men , and in enthusiastical pretences to immediate revelations , &c. or else by teaching men to sleight any one ordinance of the gospel , &c. or such doctrines as tend to introduce confusion into the church of christ , and to deprive it of all government and order , or in short that give countenance to any immorality whatsoever : i say , as sure as the christian religion is true , and that what we have proved to be the design thereof , is so ; such doctrines as these must needs be false . what our saviour saith of false prophets , is as true of most doctrines , by their fruits you shall know them : we may understand whether they have any relation to christianity or no , by the design they drive at , and their evident consequences . and i may adde , that we may make a shrewd guess what those particular wayes and modes of religion are ( which the various sects we are cantonized into have espoused to themselves , and are so fond of ) by the proper and most distinguishing effects of them . if we perceive that they make the great sticklers for them , to differ from others chiefly in unconcernednes about the most important & substantial duties of morality , and in laying the greatest weight upon certain little trifles , and placing their religion in mere externals ; or that the things whereby they are most peculiarly discriminated from other folk are spiritual pride , and fond conceitedness of themselves , and a scornful and fierce behaviour towards those that approve not of their way ; uncharitableness , morosity , and peevishness ; a seditious , ungovernable and untameable spirit , &c. i say , if we observe such as these to be the most distinguishing effects of their several modes and forms , we have sufficient reason from thence alone greatly to presume that they have not the stamp of ius christianum upon them , that they are not of christ , but of their own invention . the wisdom that is from above is quite another thing , and begets perfectly other kind of effects ; as shall be shewn hereafter . but to return , the design of the gospel is ( as was said ) the great standard by which we are to judge of the truth of opinions : those that seem to us to oppose this design , we are bound to suspect , because they do so ; but those which apparently do this , we must with heartiest indignation reject . and though we should meet with some places of scripture that at first sight may seem to favour them , we may not be stumbled upon that account , but be confident that whatsoever is their true meaning , as sure as they have god for their author , they cannot possibly patronize any such doctrines . and , lastly , in examining which of two opinions is true , that oppose each other , and do seem to be much a like befriended by the holy scriptures ; it is doubtless a very safe course to consider as impartially as we can , which doth tend most to serve the great end of christianity , and to prefer that which we are perswaded doth so . chap. xxi . how we are to judge of the necessity of doctrines either to be embraced or rejected . a brief discourse of the nature of points fundamental . how we may know whether we embrace all such , and whether we hold not any destructive and damnable errours . secondly , the design of christianity is the great measure whereby we are to judge as of the truth , so also of the necessity of doctrines either to be embraced or rejected . first , we may thereby understand , in what degree we ought to esteem those necessary to be by all received , which we our selves are convinc'd of the truth of ; or , which of such are fundamental points of the christian faith , and which not . first , it is plain , that in the general those and those only are primarily and in their own nature fundamentals , which are absolutely necessary to accomplish in us that design . such , as without the knowledge and belief of which it is impossible to acquire that inward righteousness and true holiness which the christian religion aimeth at the introduction of . it is in it self absolutely necessary , not to be ignorant of or disbelieve any of those points , upon which the effecting of the great business of the gospel in us doth necessarily depend . the particulars of these i shall not stand to enumerate , because ( as will appear from what will be said anon ) it is not needful to have a just table of them : and besides , any one that understands wherein the nature of true holiness lyeth , may be able sufficiently to inform himself what they are . secondly , it is as evident , that those points of faith are secondarily fundamental , the disbelief of which cannot consist with true holiness , in those to whom the gospel is sufficiently made known ; although they are not in their own nature such , as that holiness is not in some degree or other attainable without the belief of them . and in the number of these are all such doctrines as are with indisputable clearness revealed to us . now the belief of these , though it is not in it self any more than in higher or lower degrees profitable , yet is it even absolutely necessary from an external cause , though not from the nature of the points themselves , viz. in regard of their being delivered with such abundant perspicuity , as that nothing can cause men to refuse to admit them , but that which argueth them to be stark naught , and to have some unworthy and base end in so doing . but we must take notice here , that all such points as these are not of equal necessity to be received ▪ by all christians ; because that in regard of the diversity of their capacities , educations , and other means and advantages , some of them may be most plainly perceived by some to be delivered in the scriptures , which cannot be so by others with the like ease . and in the second place , what hath been said of fundamental truths , is applicable by the rule of contraries to the opposite errours , as i need not shew . now then , would we know whether we embrace all the fundamentals of christianity , and are guilty of no damnable and destructive errours ; among the great diversity and contrariety of opinions that this kingdom abounds with ( i think i may say ) above all other parts of christendom ; our onely way is to examine our selves impartially after this manner . am i sincerely willing to obey my creatour and redeemer in all things commanded by them ? do i entertain and harbour no lust in my breast ? do i heartily endeavour to have a right understanding of the holy scriptures , and chiefly of the gospel , and to know what doctrines are delivered there in order to the bettering of my soul by them , and the direction of my life and actions according to them ? if we can answer these questions in the affirmative ; whatsoever mistakes we may labour under , they can be none of them such as will undo our souls ; because we shall have cause to conclude from thence , that the design of christianity is in some good measure effected in us . and whatsoever tenets may be accompanied and consist with the true love of god , and a solicitous care to keep a conscience void of offence towards him and men , we may be certain from the past discourse of the design of the gospel , that they belong not to the catalogue of fundamental errours . this obedient temper is the most infallible mark ( of any i know ) of an orthodox man ; he that is indued with it , though he may erre , cannot be an heretique . but there will be an occasion of speaking more anon to this purpose . chap. xxii . the sixth inference . that the design of christianity teacheth us what doctrines and practices we ought , as christians , to be most zealous for or against . sixthly , we consequently learn what doctrines and practices we ought , as christians , to be most zealous for or against . those , surely , that are most available to the begetting and encrease of true holiness , it is our duty to concern our selves most for the defence of : and those which have the greatest tendency towards the endangering of it , to set our selves with the greatest industry and vigour against . the reason is plain , because the former do most promote the design of the gospel , and the latter do it most disservice . s. iude exhorts in the third verse of his epistle , to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints ; that holy doctrine which was first delivered by our saviour , and unanimously by his apostles after him ; which is perfectly contrary to the wicked and abominable doctrines taught by the profane crew he speaks of in the next verse ( and were more than probably the gnosticks ) which were crept in unawares , who were before ordained to this condemnation ( or whose impostures first , and then the vengeance which should be taken of them , were formerly written of or foretold both by christ and his apostles ) ungodly men , turning the grace of god into lasciviousness , and denying the only lord god , and our lord iesus christ. and we ought to contend against whatsoever is designed to overthrow and make ineffectual that most blessed doctrine , more or less , according as it more or less tends so to do . our zeal should be altogether employed for the promoting of personal and real holiness , and mostly for the essential parts of it , and the necessary means and helps to it . but doubtless it cannot be worth our while to lay out any considerable matter of our heat , either for or against doubtful opinions , alterable modes , rites and circumstances of religion : they are not things on which much weight may be warrantably laid ; for they are too weak to bear it , in regard of their being so little serviceable or disserviceable to the design of christianity , as 't is plain they are . i say , eager defending or opposing of such kind of things , is ( to use the similitude of an excellent person ) like the apes blowing at a glow-worm which affords neither light nor warmth . nay it is no less injurious to the design of christianity , than unserviceable and useless , as we have been effectually taught by very woful experience . and nothing doth more harden atheistically-disposed persons , than their observing the contention of christians about matters of that nature ; for thereby do they take a measure of our whole religion . and besides an eager concernedness about them is too ordinarily accompanied with a lukewarm or rather frozen indifference concerning the most important points and the indispensables of christianity . it is too visibly apparent to be denied , that those which have such a sealding hot zeal either for or against things of no certainty and no necessity , are many of them ( as their predecessors the pharisees were ) in the very other extreme as to not a few of the weightyest matters of religion . chap. xxiii . the seventh inference . that the design of christianity well considered will give us great light into the just bounds and extent of christian liberty . of complying with the customes of our country , and the will of our governours . the great difference between the mosaical law and the gospel as to its preceptive part . seventhly , we may be greatly satisfied by considering the design of christianity concerning the iust bounds and extent of our christian liberty . for that being to make men holy , it may safely be presumed that such things as have neither directly nor consequentially any tendency to the depraving of our souls , are left free to us by our saviour , either to do them or not to do them , as we shall see cause . whatsoever doth neither promote no●… hinder this design , we have reason to believe is neither injoyn'd upon us christians , nor forbidden to us . whatever things are any way necessary to the furtherance of it , must needs be matter of strict duty ; and what are so profitable thereunto , that the omission of them doth make the effecting of this design more difficult , cannot but be ordinarily so also . whatsoever is in its own nature , or by reason of some circumstance inseparably adhering to it , a necessary occasion of gratifying some one or other corrupt affection , and that , by the doing of w ch we shall certainly desile our own souls or the souls of others , either by drawing them thereby to , or hardening and encourageing them in any wickedness ( which is that our saviour means by offending or scandalizing little ones , and is so severely forbidden by him , and also by the apostle in the eighth chapter of the first epistle to the corinthians ) can be no other than absolutely unlawful : and whatsoever is foreseen to be a probable occasion of any one of these mischiefs , must also be carefully avoided by us . but those things which are none of all these , cannot be otherwise than perfectly indifferent under the gospel . and therefore whatsoever of such are commended by the custome of the places we live in , or commanded by superiors , or made by any circumstance convenient to be done ; our christian liberty consists in this that we have leave to do them . and , indeed , it is so far from being a sin to comply with our country-men and neighbours in their plainly innocent usages and harmless customes , or with the will of our governours when they command us such things ; that it would be so , to refuse so to do . for our refusing to comply with either of these can hardly proceed from any thing better than a proud affectation of singularity , or at best from superstitious s●…rupulosity ; which , in calling it superstitious , i intimate to be very evil , as much of conscience as there may be in it . for superstition implyeth a frightful and over-timorous apprehension of the divine nature , and consequently a base and undervaluing conception of it , as the greek word that expresseth it [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] signifieth . that which makes men superstitious , is such an opinion of god as represents him a very angry and captious being , but yet such a one too as may be a●…oned and pacified by a great care and exactness in certain little matters , in performances and abstinences of an insignificant and very trivial nature . now the ancient author of the epistle to diognetus therein acquaints him , that the primitive christians were no such squeamish or conceited creatures as to live in a different way from the people among whom they inhabited ; and saith that they distinguish'd themselves from their neighbors and other folk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither by civil customes , nor a certain language , ( or phrases or tone ) proper to themselves , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. nor that they affected to make themselves notifi●…d by any peculiarities ( that is , in harmless matters ) as a foolish sect among our selves , and some other fanciful people , now adays do . i design not here so tedious a work as that of examining particulars by the rule we have given , but only to shew in the general that we may be satisfied concerning the extent of our christian ●…berty by well weighing the design of christianit●… ▪ and may understand what kind of things must needs be free to us under the gospel-dispensation , and what not ; leaving it to the reader to make application , and consider the nature of particulars by comparing them with this rule . but i presume i need not mind him , that i suppose all this while that whatsoever is plainly commanded and forbidden in the gospel , must be done and forborn by him , though he should not be sagacious enough to discern how every thing there commanded is serviceable , or forbidden is injurious , to the design of holiness : for surely none can doubt but that they ought to understand me , in what i have asserted , to have this meaning onely , viz. that , as to those things which the gospel speaketh nothing in particular and clearly concerning , the best course we can take in order to our knowing to what heads to refer them ( whether to that of things commanded , or to that of forbidden , or to that of indifferent things ) is to examine them by this general rule , viz. the design of christianity . but to conclude this , the great difference between the mosaical law , and the gospel , as to its preceptive part , is this , that by the former a vast multitude of perfectly indifferent things were imposed , and many such also prohibited : but by the latter , onely those things are injoyned that are in their own nature of indispensable necessity , or such as are means and helps towards them : and there is nothing thereby forbidden , but it is so , because it is evil ; and is not therefore evil onely because forbidden . there is nothing either commanded or forbidden in our saviour's religion , but , as it is in order to our good , so is it in order to such a good too as consists in the reformation and renovation of our lives and natures . so that , i say , our past discourse concerning the design of christianity may give us great light , as to the knowledge of what kind of things , we that are under the gospel-dispensation , must do , and are matter of necessary duty ; must not do , and are matter of sin ; and may do or leave undone without sin . chap. xxiv . the eighth inference . that it is the most unaccountable thing to do that which is essentially evil , in defence of the christian religion , or of any opinions presumed to be doctrines relating thereunto . the pope and church of rome most prodigiously guilty in this particular . and not a few of those that profess ▪ enmity against popery too lyable also to the same charge . eighthly , it may be plainly inferred from what hath been said of the design of christianity , that it is the most strangely unaccountable thing for men in defence or favour of that way of religion , which they take to be most truly the christian , or of any opinions that are presumed by them to be doctrines thereunto belonging , to do that which is essentially and in its own nature evil . for these act quite contrary to the design of the christian religion , and so consequently , do what lye●…h in ther●… to spoil it , and render it a 〈◊〉 and insignificant thing by the co●… 〈◊〉 take for the advancement of it . the pope and church of rome are most prodigiously guilty of this madness ; they doing the most plainly vicious and immoral actions imaginable to promote the interest ( as they pretend ) of that which they call the catholique faith. for , their imposing of their own sences upon the word of god , and then persecuting , burning and damning men for not subscribing to theirs as to god's words , can be no better than an act of devilish pride and barbarous cruelty . it is so of the former , in that it is a compelling men to acknowledge their wisdom to be such as that it may not be suspected in the least measure , no not in the determination of points that are the most doubtful and disputable : nay neither in such opinions and practices of theirs as most apparently contradict a multitude of texts of the holy scriptures . and moreover in endeavouring to force all men to act and think as they do in matters of religion , they with luci●…erian arrogance usurp the empire of almighty god , and sway that scepter over mens consciences which is his peculiarly . and i need not say that they are therein no whit less cruel than they are proud ▪ for what greater cruelty can there be , than to inflict upon people the saddest of calamities and the horridest tortures ( whereof the instances are innumerable ) for such things as they cannot have the least cause to think they are able to help ; and which they have also the greatest reason to conclude they are not at all blame worthy for ? i say what can be greater cruelty than this is ? except their designing thereby to terrifie men to the owning of doctrines and doing actions perfectly against the clearest sense of their minds and expres●…est dictates of their consciences ; which is an exercise of no less cruelty towards their souls , than the other is towards their bodies . and what villanies are there which the pope and his proselytes have stuck at committing for the propagation of their religion ? such as exciting subjects to take arms against their lawful sovereigns , to whom they are obliged in the bonds of most solemn oaths ; poisoning and s●…abbing of princes , the most barbarous massacres that any history can give account of . in short , what frauds and perfidiousness , what treachery , what impostures , what pe●…juries , what cruelties and horrid out-rages have they thought too wicked to be undertaken and persisted in for the sake of holy church ? but i would i could say that of all that are called christians the papists onely are lyable to this charge ; but , alas , it is too manifest to be denied or yet dissembled , that not a few of those that profess enmity to popery are sadly guilty , though not equally with the papists , in this particular . but there is nothing more certain than that for any of us to be cruel and of a persecuting spirit , to be wrathful and furious , to backbite and slander , to be false and perfidious , to be ungovernable , rebellious , or seditious , to be uncharitable or in any kind whatsoever unjust upon the account of religion it self , is most unsufferable and inexcuseable . for if it be lawful to behave our selves after this manner upon any account whatever , religion would be the most useless thing in the whole world ; and if this were lawful upon the account of religion onely , i will not stick to say that it would not be more useless and unprofitable than mischievous and hurtfull . nor would the christian religion it self be worthy our profession , if it would give us leave , upon any design , to allow our selves in the forementioned immoralities or in any one whatsoever . but there are none , it more absolutely or with greater severity forbiddeth than such as these . who is a wise man and indued with knowledge among you ( saith s. iames ) let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom ; but if ye have bitter envyings and stri●…e in your hearts , glory not , and lie not against the truth , ( that is , do not boast of your christian wisdom , nor play the hypocrites in pretending to be spiritual ) this wisdom des●…endeth not from above ( is not zeal kindled from heaven ) but is earthly , s●…nsual , devilish : for where envy and strife is , there is confusion and every evil work . but the wisdom that is from above , is first pure , then peaceable , gentle , and easie to be entreated , full of mer●…y and good fruits , without partiality , and without hypocrisie : and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace , of them that make peace , iames . . to the end . and s. paul tells the galatians , chap. . , . that the fruit of the spirit is love , ioy , peace , long-suffering , gentleness , goodness , faith , meekness , temperance . and he reckoneth among the works of the ●…lesh , vers . , , . not onely adlultery , fornication , uncle●…nness , i asciviousness , idolatry , wit●…herast , heresies , mur●… , drunkenness , revelling : but also hatred , variance , emulations , wrath , strife , seditions , envyings : and saith , that they which do such things ( such as these as well as the ●…ormer ) shall not inherit the kingdom of god. and adds vers . . that they which are christ's , have 〈◊〉 the flesh with the af●…ections and lusts , that is , all such as the foregoing . and it appeareth from what hath been discoursed concerning the design of christianity , that the grati●…ication of any of these affections is so far from becoming lawful or more warrantable by being yielded to for the sake of it , that it is rendered the more wretchedly foolish and unaccountable by this means . for thus to do , is no other than to be irreligious to promote religion , to be un-christian to do service to christianity ; and therefore to go the directest way to destroy i●… , by the means we use for its preservation : and we do our particular opinions and forms of religion more mischief in alienating the minds of others from them , than their most professed adversaries will be able to do by all their attempts against them , by such wild and wicked expressions of zeal for them . and lastly , thus to do is to oppose the interest of our religion to that of our souls , and to cast these away in the defence of that : as appears from our discourse in the second section . but what madness is like to this ? chap. xxv . the ninth inference . that it is a most unwarrantable thing for those that are the ministers of christ to prefer any other design before that of making men really righteous and holy. that this ought to be the whole design of their preaching . that it is of as great concernment that they promote the same business by their conversations , as that they do it by their doctrine . infinite mischiefs occasioned by the loose lives of ministers . several instances of practices extremely blame-worthy in preachers of the gospel . that they ought to have a regard to the weaknesses of persons so far as lawfully they may . that the promoting of holiness ought to be the onely design of ecclesiastical discipline . ninthly , seeing our saviour's grand and onely direct design was to make men really righteous and holy , it must needs be a most unwarrantable thing for those that are his ministers and representatives to prefer any other before this ; for those that are intrusted with the care of souls to concern themselves about any thing so much as this . it is plainly their duty to subordinate every thing they do , by virtue of their sacred function , hereunto ; and to imitate their great master , all they can , in the discharge of it ; to promote holiness , as much as lyeth in them , both by their doctrine and conversations : with all perspicuity and plainness to instruct their people in all the indisputable doctrines of christianity above any other ; and to have a special care to shew them the aptness that is in them , to the furtherance of holiness of heart and life : and most to inculcate those upon them which have the greatest and most manifest and immediate tendency thereunto : to inform them of their whole duty relating to god , their neighbour and themselves impartially ; to press them to the performance of them with the greatest affection and fervency ; and to back on their exhortations with the most prevalent and inforcing motives ; the most rational and convincing arguments ; couragiously , but with a discovery of tenderest compassion to sinners , to reprove all sins without exception ; and faithfully to shew the danger of living in any one whatsoever . and to do thus , not onely in publique , but , as there is occasion , in private also , and readily to embrace all opportunities for that purpose . thus ( as hath been shewn ) did our blessed saviour spend his time , and that it is the duty of his ministers to come as near as they can , in their practice , to him , is out of question : and thus also did his immediate successors , the apostles employ themselves ; as might be largly made to appear . they preach'd the word , were instant both in season and out of season , they reproved , rebuked and exhorted with all long-suffering and doctrine ; according as s. paul charged timothy to do , in the most solemn and severe manner : even before god , and the lord iesus christ who shall judge the quick and the d●…ad , at his appearing and his kingdom . and that charge by parity of reason must concern the whole clergy as well as that bishop . and as christ and his apostles taught men by their lives , as well as doctrine , and encouraged them to the performance of whatsoever duties they injoyned them , by their own example ; so it cannot but be of infinite concernment that all that have the conduct of souls committed to them should do the like . s. paul exhorted timothy first to take heed to himself , and then to the doctrine ; and the former advice was of no whit less necessity and importance than was the latter . for ( as woful experience assureth us ) a minister of a careless and loose life , let his parts and ability in preaching be never so great , nay though he should behave himself never so faithfully in the pulpit , and be zealous against the very vices he himself is guilty of ( which would be very strange if he should ) must needs do more hurt incomparably , than he can do good . and though ( as some of them will tell them ) it is the peoples duty to do as they say , and not as they do ; yet is there nothing more impossible than to teach them effectually that lesson . mankind ( as we had before occasion to shew ) is mightily addicted to imitation , and examples ( especially those of governors and teachers ) have a greater force upon people ordinarily than have instructions ; but chiefly bad examples ( in regard of their natural proneness to vice ) than good instructions . had not the apostles expressed as great a care of what they did , as of what they said , how they lived as how they preached , christianity would ( without doubt ) have been so far from prevailing and getting ground as it hath done ; that it could not have long survived its blessed author , if it had not bid adiue to the world with him ▪ most men , do what we can , will judge of our sermons by our conversations , and if they see these bad , they will not think those good ; nor the doctrines contained in them practicable , seeing they have no better effect upon those that preach them . and besides no man will be thought to be serious and in good earnest in pressing those duties upon others , which he makes no conscience of performing himself . nay every man's judgement in divine things may warrantably be suspected , that is of a wicked and vicious life . and those that are conscious to themselves that they are not able to pass a judgement upon doctrines , may not be blamed if they question their minister's orthodoxy , while they observe in him any kind of immorality , and see that he lives to the satisfaction of any one lust. for , the promise of knowing the truth is made onely to such as continue in christ's words , that is , that are obedient to his precepts . and i adde , that such a one 's talks of heaven and hell are like to prevail very little upon his auditors , or to be at all heeded by the greatest part of them , while they consider that the preacher hath a soul to save as well as they . and therefore the love that they bear to their lusts , with the devil's help , will easily perswade them , that either these things are but mere sictions , or else that the one may be obtained , and the other escaped , upon far easier terms than he talks of . but as for those few in whom the sense of true vertue and piety have made so deep an impression , as that they have never the slighter opinion of the necessity thereof , in regard of their minister's wicked example ; the prejudice that they cannot but conceive against him renders his discourses insipid and unaffecting to them , and so they ordinarily take all opportunities to turn their backs upon him , and at length quite forsake him . and then , if they are not as understanding as well meaning people , are too easily drawn away from all other churches , when they have left their own , and become a prey to some demure and fairly pretending sectary . and i am very certain from my own observation , that no one thing hath so conduced to the prejudice of our church of england , and done the separating parties so much service as the scandalous lives of some that exercise the ministerial function in her . the late excellent bishop of down and connar hath this memorable passage in a sermon he preached to the university at dublin : if ye become burning & shining lights , if ye do not detain the truth in unrighteousness , if ye walk in light and live in the spirit , your doctrine will be true , and that truth will prevail : but if you live wickedly & scandalously , every little schismalick will put you to shame , & draw disciples after him , and abuse your flocks , and feed them with colo●…ynths and hemlock , and place heresie in the chair appointed for your religion . but to hasten to the dispatch of this unpleasant topick : wicked ministers are of all other ill-livers the most scandalous , for they lay the greatest stumbling block , of any whatsoever , before mens souls ; and what our saviour said of the scribes and pharisees , may in an especial manner be applyed to them , viz. that they will neither enter into heaven themselves nor yet suffer them that are entering to go in : so far are they from saving themselves and those that hear them . but i would to god , such would well lay to heart those sad words of our saviour , luke . , . it is impossible but that offences will come ; but woe unto him through whom they come : it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck , and he cast into the sea , &c. and those words are not more effectual to scare them , than are these following of a heathen , viz. tully , concerning vicious philosophers to shame them into a better life : saith he in his tusculan questions , the second book , quotusquisque philosophorun●… invenitur , qui sit ita moratus , &c. what one of many philosophers is there who so behaves himself , and is of such a mind and life , as reason requireth ; which accounteth his doctrine not a boast of science but a law of life ; which obeyeth himself , and is governed by his own precepts ? we may see some so light and vain , that it would have been better for them to be wholly ignorant , and never to have learn ▪ d any thing : others so covetous of money , thirsty of praise , and honour , and many such slaves to their lusts , ut cum eorum vitâ mirabiliter pugnet oratio , that their lives do marvellously contradict their doctrine . quod quidem mihi videtur esse turpissimum , &c. which to me seems the most filthy and abominable of all things . for as he which professing himself a grammarian speaks barbarously , and who being desirous to be accounted a musician sings scurvily , is so much the more shame-worthy for his being defective in that the knowledge and skill of which he arrogates to himself ; so a philosopher in ratione vitae peccans , miscarrying in his manners , is in this respect the baser and more wretched creature , that in the office of which he will needs be a master , he doth amiss ; artemque vitae professus delinquit in vitâ , and prosessing the art of well-living , or of teaching others to live well , is faulty and miscarrieth in his own life . could this excellent heathen thus inveigh against wicked philosophers , what satyre can be tart and severe enough for ungodly ministers of the glorious and most holy gospel of the blessed jesus ? i will adde one more saying of our saviour's , which he spake to his disciples , whom he was training up for the ministry , matt. . . ye are the salt of the earth ; but if the salt hath lost its savour , wherewith shall it be salted ? it is thence-forth good for nothing , but to be cast out , and to be trodden under foot of men . well , i say that the design of our saviour and his gospel being to make men holy , those behave themselves infinitely disbecoming his ministers and the preachers of the gospel , that live unholily ; and so do all such also ( as was at first intimated ) as do not above all things endeavour the promoting and furtherance of that design . and of that number are those that are ever affecting to make people stare at their high-flown and bum-baste language , or to please their phancies with foolish jingles and pedantick and boyish wit , or to be admired for their ability in dividing a hair , their metaphysical acuteness and scholastick subtilty ; or for their doughty dexterity in controversial squabble . and among such may those also , and those chiefly , be reckoned , that seek to approve themselves to their auditors to be men of mysteries , and endeavour to make the plain and easie doctrines of the gospel as intricate and obscure as ever they are able : these are so far from endeavouring above all things to advance the design of the gospel , that it hath not any greater enemies in the whole world than they are . and to them i may adde such as preach up free-grace and christian privileges otherwise than as motives to excite to obedience , and never scarcely insist upon any duties except those of believing , laying hold on christ's righteousness , applying the promises ( which are all really the same with them ) and renouncing our own righteousness , which those that have none at all to renounce have a mighty kindness for . all which rightly understood , may , i grant , and ought to be preached ; but to make the christians duty to consist either wholly or mostly in those particulars , and especially as they are explained by not a few , is the way , effectually to harden hypocrites , and encrease their number , but to make no sincere converts . those again do nothing less than chiefly promote the business of holiness , that are never in their element , but when they are talking of the irrespectiveness of god's decrees , the absoluteness of his promises , the utter disability and perfect impotence of natural men to do any thing towards their own conversion , &c. and insist with greatest emphasis and vehemence upon such like false and dangerous opinions . and those may well accompany and be joyned with the foregoing , that are of such narrow , and therefore unchristian spirits as to make it their great business to advance the petty interest of any party whatsoever , and concern themselves more about doing this , than about promoting and carrying on that wherein consists the chief good of all mankind : and are more zealous to make proselytes to their particular sects than converts to a holy life ; and press more exact and rigid conformity to their modes and forms than to the laws of god and the essential duties of the christian religion . such as all the forementioned have doubtless little cause to expect a [ well done good and faithful servant ] from the mouth of their saviour at the last day ; their practice being so very contrary to that of his ( whose ministers they profess themselves to be ) when he was in the world ; and they making christianity so infinitely different a thing from what he made it . and furthermore , it is unquestionably the duty of all the stewards of the mysteries of god to take special heed that they do not by over-severe insisting on any little matters and unnecessary things , give their people a temptation to conclude that they lay the greatest weight upon them ; but so to behave themselves towards them , as to give them assurance that there is no interest so dear to them as is that of the salvation of their souls . and lastly , to be so self-denying as to have a regard to the weaknesses of persons , so far as lawfully , and without disobeying authority they may , to prevent their departure from communion with the church they belong to ; and to use all fair and prudent ways to perswade those back again thereunto , which there is any the least reason to hope are not irrecoverably gone away . it being very much the interest of their souls not to continue in separation : and not of theirs only but of others too , in that strifes and contentions , envyings and animosities are like to be kept alive , and greatly to encrease , while men keep at a distance from one another ; and where these are ( as it was said s. iames hath told us ) there must needs be confusion and every evil work . and this is no other than what the great s. paul thought it no disparagement to him to be exemplary to us in . for saith he , cor. . , &c. though i be free from all men , yet have i made my self a servant to all , that i might gain the more : and unto the iews i became as a iew , that i might gain the iews ; to them that are under the law as under the law , that i might gain them that are under the law ; to them that are without law ( or observe not the law of moses ) as without law , that i might gain them that are without law : to the weak became i as weak , that i might gain the weak ; i am made all things to all men , that i might by all means save some . the summe of which words amount to this , that he denyed himself in the use of his liberty to gain those who were not acquainted with the extent of it , and dealt with all sorts of men in that way which he thought most probable to convert them to christianity , and keep them in the profession of it . not that he sneaked and dissembled and made weak people think that he was of their mind , and so confirmed them in their mistakes and follies ; or had any regard to the humours of unreasonable and meerly captious people that will be finding faults upon no ground at all : this must needs be unworthy of an apostle ; for it is so of all inferiour ministers and likewise of every private christian. and our past discourse assures us also that the promoting of holiness in mens hearts and lives ought to be the only design of ecclesiastical discipline and church censures : and 't is easie to shew that if the laws of all christian churches were framed and the execution of them directed onely , or above any other , to the service of this design ; or that no interest did sway so much with their chief governours , as that which was ( and still is ) most dear to the great founder and king of the church whom they represent ; and if they were willing to lose in their little and petty concerns , that they might gain in this grand one , we should quickly see christendome in most lovely and blessed circumstances . all people that have any thing of sincerity , would quickly unite and agree together , and as for factious hypocrites they would be with ease supprest , and put out of all capacity of doing mischief . this i say might be easily shewn , and plainly demonstrated ; but it needs not , there being nothing in the world more undeniably evident . chap. xxvi . the tenth inference . that an obedient temper of mind is an excellent and necessary qualification to prepare men for a firm belief and right understanding of the gospel of christ. that it is so by virtue of christ's promise . that it is so in its own nature . this shewed in three particulars , viz. in that , . it will help us to judge without prejudice concerning the doctrines contained in the gospel . . it will give satisfaction concerning the main doctrines of christianity far excelling any that can arise from mere speculation . . it will secure from the causes of errour in those points that are of weightiest importance . six causes of such errours laid down ; and an obedient disposition of mind shewed to secure from each of them . tenthly , we learn what is the best temper and disposition of mind to bring to the study of christ's gospel , in order to our firm belief and right understanding of it . seeing its design is to make men entirely obedient , and truly holy , it is evident that a desire so to be is the most excellent and necessary qualification for that purpose . our saviour saith , iohn . . if any man will do his will ( or is willing to do it ) he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of god , or whether i speak of my self ; that is , in the first place , he shall be throughly satisfied concerning the truth of the gospel , shall be abundantly convinced that the christian religion is no imposture , that the author of it came from heaven , as he declared he did , and was sent by god to reveal his will. such a one , when it comes to be sufficiently proposed to him , shall heartily embrace the gospel as containing the true , the onely true religion . and therefore observe what he saith , iohn . . he that is of god , heareth god's words ; ye therefore hear them not , because ye are not of god : that is , as if he should say , he that is of an obedient temper , and ambitious of doing the will of god , shall receive the doctrine which in his name i preach to him ; and the reason why you iews , for your parts refuse so to do , is because you are insincere and hypocritical . it is said acts . . that as many of the gentiles as were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( which is doubtless in this place to be rendred ) disposed , or in a ready preparedness , for eternal life , believed ; that is , those which were proselytes of the gate , who were admitted by the iews to the hope of eternal life , and to have their portion in the age to come , without submitting to their whole law , or any more than owning the god of israel , and observing the seven precepts of noah ( as master mede hath learnedly and with great conviction shewn ; ) these being desirous to live godlily , and not prejudiced against the christian religion as the iews generally were , did then at antioch receive the gospel upon its first being made known to them : and of this sort was cornelius , whose conversion to christianity we read of before in the tenth chapter . secondly , and consequently , this sence is also implied in the first cited words of our saviour , viz. that , as he which is willing to do god's will , shall know that christ's doctrine came from him , so he shall rightly understand that doctrine too . for it would be to no purpose for him to believe the gospel to be true , if his faith be not accompanied with an ability to pass a right judgement on the sence of it . and therefore he must needs be able to distinguish between the doctrine of christ and that which is falsly imposed at any time upon the world as his , and fathered upon him by ungodly heretiques ; as well as satisfied that what he delivered in the general is the will of god. s. iohn to this same purpose expresseth himself , epistle . . he that knoweth god ( that is , practically , or is obedient ) heareth us ; he that is not of god ( or is not willing to obey him ) heareth not us ; hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error : that is , by this obedient temper we are capable of distinguishing betwixt these two spirits . and , i say , from the design of the gospel , that being to make men holy , it may be presumed , that whosoever considereth it with a desire of being so , must needs both believe it to have come from god , and also be inlightened in the true knowledge of , at least , all the necessary points of it ; and be enabled to give a particular , explicite and understanding assent to them : so that it shall not lie in the power of any subtile seducer to rob him of his faith , or to infect him with any principles that are directly destructive to it , or are so plainly in their consequences so , as that he shall see it , and make that ill use of them as to be perswaded by them to let go his hold of any fundamental article of the christian religion . for our saviour having so infinitely concerned himself for the destroying of sin in us , and to make us partakers of his holiness , as to aim at this above all things , in all he did and suffered in the world , and to make it the whole business of his gospel ; we may be certain that those honest souls that come to the study of it , with a desire of reaping this advantage by it , cannot be left destitute of christ's grace and blessing to make it successful to them for that purpose ; which it is impossible it should be without a thorow-belief of it , and a right understanding of , at least , all its absolutely necessary and essential parts . this we might be assured of from that consideration , though there were no promise extant of that his grace to such well disposed people , as there are diverse others besides that which we have produced . but besides this , a sincere desire of being obedient and holy must needs of it self very greatly dispose us for the belief and sufficient understanding of the gospel , and be very necessary in order thereunto also . for first , it will help us to judge without prejudice and partiality concerning it and the particular doctrines therein contained . he whose hearty desire it is to please god in doing his will , will be unbyassed in his judgement in enquiries after it . he knows that he cannot make that to be truth by thinking one way or other , which was not before so ; and that truth will be truth whatsoever he thinks on it : and therefore doth not wish that this or that may be so , and then endeavour to perswade himself that it is so ; but will only examine what is so , that he may not entertain an erroneous perswasion . he will bring his mind to the gospel , and not wrest the gospel to his mind . but vice and sin , being allowed and predominant in the soul , must needs warp the judgement and clap a heavy byass on it ▪ that will draw it to favour , as much as may be , their interest in all matters it is concerned in . and therefore a man of wicked and depraved affections cannot but be exceeding unapt to study a book whose design is such as the gospel's is . but the obediently-disposed will bring free , ingenuous and candid spirits to this work , and therefore are very fitly prepared to do it with good success . secondly , this honest and sincere temper of mind will help a man to evidence for his satisfaction concerning the main doctrines of the gospel , far excelling any that can arise from mere speculation ●… namely that of sense and experience ▪ the man that is indued with it , shall know of the doctrine , that it is of god , he shall not onely believe it according to the strict notion of that phrase . there is an inward sweetness in holy truths that a good soul will relish , and savour , but the vitiated palates of those that are in love with any lust cannot taste it . how sweet ( said david ) are thy words unto my taste , yea , sweeter than honey unto my mouth . now naked demonstrations give but very poor and slight satisfaction in comparison of that knowledge that ariseth from sense and experience ; and this latter alone will remove from us all doubt and uncertainty ▪ therefore that was so far from being a weak and foolish , that it was a most worthy and laudable speech of the honest martyr : though i cannot dispute , i can die for christ ▪ no one that hath tasted honey , can at all doubt of its sweetness , though he may want cunning enough to answer the arguments whereby a sophister may attempt to prove it bitter . we say , seeing is believing . and the great evidence that our saviour proved himself to be the messias by , was that of sense . by this was thomas his incredulity , as very strong as it was , immediately overcome . and the bodily senses are not more infallible than is the purified sense of the soul. thirdly , the aforesaid temper of mind will secure those in whom it is , from the causes of errour in those points of the gospel that are of weightiest importance . it is undoubtedly certain that mistakes about these cannot possibly arise from the obscurity of that book , it being as plain as heart can wish in all matters of absolute necessity ; as hath been shewn in the free discourse . therefore errours that are of a damnable nature must necessarily proceed from vicious causes , such as , . gross ignorance : but 't is not possible to find this in any soul that is sincerely desirous to obey god. . a too high opinion of our parts and reason : by which is often occasioned a rejection of whatsoever they are not able to comprehend . but the honest soul can have no such conceits of his reason ; he knows nothing more undoubtedly than that he is a weak and most shallow creature . he knows that the most contemptible insect and common weed are able to pose and put him to a non-plus ▪ and that it would therefore be the highest of arrogances in him to believe nothing revealed to him , but what is an adequate object of his understanding . this man will submit his reason to divine revelation , and not divine revelation to his reason . 't is true he cannot , though he would never so fain , believe that which doth manifestly contradict the reason of his mind , and the innate sense of his soul ; but therefore it is certain that no such things are to be found in the gospel , nor can be a matter of divine revelation . . proud affectation of being thought wiser than other folk . this was a great thing which made the first heretiques that the church of christ ever knew , as appeareth by the arrogant title they assumed to themselves , and distinguished their sect by , viz. gnostiques . but that temper of mind that makes men unfeignedly desirous of piety and true vertue is inconsistent with all such ambitious and aspiring thoughts . . liquorish curiosity and wantonness of spirit . when people are glutted with those wholesome truths which they have for many years been entertained with , and will be hunting after novelties ; when they grow weary of their honest teachers , and will be following every upstart that sets himself in opposition to them ; it can hardly otherwise be but that they must fall into dangerous errors . the apostle saith , tim. . . that , the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine , but after their own lusts will they heap to themselves teachers : ( but how comes it to pass that they will do thus ? it followeth ) having itching fars . but the obedientlyinclined soul will be careful to keep in that good way , which by experience he hath found to be so , and to avoid all bye-paths . nor will he be running after seducers , but shun them all he can , as being conscious of his own weakness and his aptness without the grace of god to be misled . . the love of , and being wedded to any one lust whatsoever will certainly endanger mens falling into the worst of heresies . when men have some beloved sins or sin , which they are resolved they will not part with , and are as a right eye or right hand to them , they are easily perswaded to entertain such principles as will allow them to live in them , and to abandon those that will not ; and therefore to wrest the scriptures ( as those the apostle speaks of , pet. . . ) to their own destruction , and put them upon the rack to make them speak such things as may consist with the interest of their corrupt affections . quod volumus , facilè credimus , that which we would have to be true , we easily believe is so ; and what we desire should be false , we are with little difficulty perswaded to disbelieve . this therefore , hath had such a very fearful influence on not a few , as to cause them at length to throw away their bibles , to deny the immortality of their souls , and disbelieve as much as they can even the being of a deity , because they are sensible that while they continue in their sins , it is infinitely their interest that the holy scriptures should be false , that there should be no other life , and no god. but i need not say , that the honest , obedient person is one that is not devoted to any lust. . the just judgement of god upon these and the like accounts , is the last cause i shall mention of mens disbelieving the gospel , and renouncing any of the essentials of christianity . even as they did not like to retain god in their knowledge , ( that is to acknowledge him in their practice ) god gave them up to a reprobate ( or an adulterate , corrupted ) mind ▪ rom. . . because they received not the love of the truth , that they might be saved ; god shall send them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strength of delusion , that they should believe a lie ; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness . thess. ▪ . the forementioned particulars do of themselves lead to the most dangerous errours , how much more then must they needs so do , when they are backed on with the divine vengeance . but if honesty and an obedient temper of soul will secure from the other causes of errour and seduction , it will , in so doing , secure from this last . so that it is manifest that a sincere desire of righteousness and true holiness will not fail to help men to a thorow-belief and sufficient understanding of that book which is onely designed to indue them with it : and that nothing can occasion the contrary but a wilful adhering to some one or other immorality ; and that this hath a very great aptness so to do . so that it is not the least matter of wonder , to see men of excellent wits and brave accomplishments , either fall into gross errours or even into a flat disbelief of the christian religion . as strange as this may seem to some , it appears from our past discourse , that there is not any real cause of admiration in it . for other endowments , of as excellent use as they may be when accompanied with that of an obedient temper , must needs do more hurt than good to the souls that are adorned and graced with them , when separated from it , and occasion those vices that may well make way for heresies . and it is certain that an acute wit when it hath not a purified sense going along with it , is so far from being a sufficient praerequisite to the right understanding of evangelical truths , that it is as notable an engine as the grand deceiver can desire to make use of , in order to the bringing about his mischievous designs upon the person that is master of it . so that indeed , it is on the contrary rather matter of wonder , that any man that hath a naughty will , should have a good iudgement in gospel-truths , though both his natural and acquired parts should be ne'r so great . and again we may without the least breach of charity presume , that whosoever , to whom christianity is sufficiently made known , doth either disbelieve it or any of the fundamentals of it , his heart is much more in fault than is his head , and that he hath darkened his discerning faculty and greatly dimmed the eye of his soul , by entertaining some filthy lust that sends up a thick sog and mist of vapours to it . if any man teach otherwise ( saith s. paul , tim. . . ) and consent not to wholesome words , even the words of our lord iesus christ , and to the doctrine that is according to godliness ; he is proud , &c. not he is weak and cannot , but he is wicked and will not understand the truth . and , by the way , this discourse may conduce to the no small encouragement of the weaker sort : let such be but heartily solicitous about doing god's will and having the design of the gospel effected in them , and they need fear that their weakness will betray them into the wrong way to blessedness . chap. xxvii . the last inference . that we are taught by the design of christianity , wherein the essence , power and life of it consisteth . instances of what kind of things it doth not consist in . for what ends the several exercises of piety and devotion are injoyned . how god is glorified by men , and by what means . whom it is our duty to esteem and carry our selves towards as true christians . that by following the example of christ and making his life our pattern , we shall assure our selves that the design of christianity is effected in us , and that we are indued with the power of it . lastly , we learn from the doctrine of the design of christianity , wherein the essence , power and life of it consisteth , viz. in a good state and habit of mind , in a holy frame and temper of soul ; whereby it esteemeth god as the chiefest good , preferreth him and his son jesus before all the world , and prizeth above all things an interest in the divine perfections ; such as iustice and righteousness , universal charity , goodness , mercy and patience , and all kinds of purity . from whence doth naturally proceed a hearty complyance with all the holy precepts of the gospel ; and sincere endeavours to perform all those actions which are agreeable to them , are necessary expressions of those and the like vertues , and means for the obtaining and encrease of them ; and to avoid the contrary . the kingdom of god ( or christianity ) is not meat and drink , but righteousness , peace , and joy in the holy ghost ; as saint paul tells us , rom. . . that is , it doth not consist in any merely external matters , or bodily exercises , which ( elsewhere he saith ) do profit but little . and as not in such as he there meaneth , viz. things of a perfectly indifferent nature , and neither good nor evil ; so neither in such as are very good and laudable for the matter of them . it is onely their flowing from an inward principle of holiness , that denominateth any whatsoever christian actions . but such as are onely occasioned by certain external inducements and motives , and proceed not from any good temper and disposition of soul , be they never so commendable in themselves , bespeak not him that performeth them to be a true and sincere christian. he is not a iew , saith the same apostle , that is one outwardly , neither is that circumcision that is outward in the flesh : but he is a iew , that is one inwardly ; and circumcision is that of the heart , in the spirit , and not in the letter , whose praise is not of men but of god , rom. . , . that is , he onely is a true child of abraham , who in the purity of the heart obeyeth those substantial laws that are imposed by god upon him . and if no one that doth not thus , might properly be called a iew or child of abraham , much less can the name of a christian and a disciple of the holy iesus be due to him . he ( it is evident ) is onely so , in whom the design of christianity is in some measure accomplish'd . and it appears from what hath been said that its design is primarily and immediately upon the nature ; which , being rectified and renewed , will certainly discover it self so to be throughout the whole life . for a good tree will not bring forth corrupt fruit , nor a corrupt tree good fruit , as our saviour hath said . were it possible ( as it is not ) that we should forbear all outward acts of sin , and yet our souls cleave to it , we could not but be destitute of the life and power of christianity . and should we abound never so much in the exercise of good duties , if our design in so doing be to gratifie any lust , and serve some carnal interest , they will be so far from christian actions , that they may be most truly and properly called sins . there is no one duty more affectionately recommended in the gospel to us than is alms-giving ; but to give alms to be seen and praised by men , is no better than base hypocrisie ( as christ hath told us ) so far is it from an expression of christian charity . and whatsoever materially vertuous actions proceed not from the principle of love to vertue , though i cannot say that all such are hateful to god , yet they want that degree of perfection that is requisite to make them truly christian. and it is a plain case that he is not the christian , that is much employed in the duties of prayer , hearing god's word , reading the bible and other good books , &c. but he that discovereth a good mind in them , in whom the end of them is effected , and who is the better for them . this is the business for the sake of which prayer is enjoyned . we are therein to acknowledge god's infinite perfections , and our obligations to him , that we may express our hearty sense of them , and in order to our being the more affected with those , and our having the more grateful resentments of these . we are in that duty to address our selves to the divine majesty , in the name of christ , for what we want ; that we may by this means both express and encrease our dependance on him , and trust in him for the obtaining thereof . and to confess and bewail our sins , to exercise godly sorrow and contrition of soul ; and that by so doing we may be so much the more deeply humbled for them , and have the greater averseness in our wills against them . the communion which we are to enjoy with god in prayer is such as consisteth in being enamoured with the excellencies that are in him , and in receiving communications of his nature and spirit from him . therefore also are we commanded to hear and read god's word , that we may come thereby to understand , and be put in mind of the several duties he requires of us , and be powerfully moved to the doing of them . and the like may be said concerning all the other exercises of piety and devotion , the end of them is more and more to dispose our hearts to the love , and our wills to the obedience of our blessed creatour and redeemer . and busying our selves in any of them without this design may well be counted in the number of the fruitless and unaccountable actions of our lives . thus to do is prodigally to wast and mispend our time : as the jews were upbraided by one of their adversaries , with doing , upon the account of their sabbath , saying , that they lost one day in seven . and those that are most constant in their addresses to the majesty of heaven , both in the publique and private worship of him , if they go into his presence with the entertainment and allowance of any sinful affection , they have never the more of the divine approbation upon that account . if i regard , saith david , iniquity in my heart , the lord will not hear me . god esteemeth no better of such as do so , than as hypocritical fawners upon him , and false-hearted complementers of him ; and hath declared that their sacrifices are an abomination to him . the generality of the jews were such a people : god by his prophet isaiah speaks thus concerning them . they seek me dayly and delight to know my ways , as a nation that did righteousness , and forsook not the ordinance of their god. they ask of me the ordinances of iustice , they take delight in approaching to god. they were a people that loved to fast and pray , and afflict their souls , and to make their voice to be heard on high : but giving liberty to themselves in plain immoralities , god declared that all this was even hateful to him : as may be seen in the fifty eighth of isaiah . and he there likewise telleth them , that the fast which he took pleasure in , consisteth in loosing the bands of wickedness , in undoing the heavy burthens ; and letting the oppressed go free ; in breaking every yoke ; in dealing their bread to the hungry ; and bringing the poor that are cast out , to their houses ; in covering the naked ; and the exercise of strict justice , mercy and kindness . and in the first chapter , he asks them , to what purpose the multitude of their sacrifices were ( though they were no other than he himself by the law of moses required ) and charged them to bring no more vain oblations to him ; told them that their incense was an abomination to him , their new-moons and sabbaths and calling of assemblyes he could not away with , that their solemn assembly was iniquity , that their new-moons and appointed feasts his soul hated , and that he was weary to bear them . and all this because these were the onely or main things they recommended themselves to him by ; their religion chiefly consisted in them ; and they gave themselves leave to be unrighteous , cruel and unmerciful , as may there be seen . god abhorrs to see men come cringing and crowching before him , bestowing a great heap of the best words upon him , and the worst upon themselves , and with dejected countenances bemoaning themselves and making lamentable complaints of their wickedness to him , imploring mercy and favour from him , &c. when they resolvedly persist in disobedience . so far are such things as these from being able to make amends for any of their sins , that god accounts them no better than additions to their most heinous impieties ; as by the sixty sixth of i●…aiah , it further appeareth : it is said there , he that killeth an ox , is as if he slew a man ; he that sacrificeth a lamb , as if he cut off a dog's neck ; he that offereth an 〈◊〉 , as if he offered swines blood ; ●…e that burneth incense , as if he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ and how came this to pass ? it follows ▪ they have chosen their own ways , and their soul delighteth in their abomination●… ▪ so that if he had such an opinion of the goodliest and most acceptable sacrifices when offered by disobedient and immorall persons , under the law ; it is impossible that he should have one jot a better of the most affectionate devotions of those that take no care to be really and inwardly righteous and holy under the gospel . and in being so , consists ( as was said ) the soul and life of christianity . not that a true christian can have undervaluing and slight thoughts of the external worship and service of god ; nor that he can contemn or neglect praying to him , singing his praises , hearing or reading his word , &c. nothing less : for by the serious and diligent performance of these and the like duties he comes to acquire and encrease that good temper of soul that gives him the denomination of such a one , through the assistance of the divine grace . he is one , to speak in the words of hierocles , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , joyns endeavours to 〈◊〉 , and prayers also ( with the other parts of divine worship ) to his other endeavours . and besides the solemn acknowledgements of god , both in publique and private , are expressions of natural justice . quid aliud est 〈◊〉 ( saith tully ) quàm iustitia adversùs deos ? what is piety or devotion but iustice towards god ? and each of the significations of it , whether natural or positive , they are payments of a due to him ; so that men cannot be so much as honest , and omit the honouring of the divine majesty by them . but it is certain that these performances do him no honour at all , any otherwise than as they proceed from a good and sincere soul. and to this purpose our often cited philosopher hath this other excellent saying , viz. the greatest abundance and profusest costliness of oblations bring no honour to god , except they are offered with a divine mind : for the gifts and sacrifices of fools are but food for the fire . sacrifices in ancient times were called the food of almighty god , as being provision made for his house ; but ( saith this philosopher ) when they proceed from fools ( or wicked men ) they are at best but the fire's meat , they signifie nothing to god , and are merely thrown away . and indeed the best intelligible and most significant honour that our devoutest services bring to god , is by their being a means of making us more like unto him . and as i shewed , out of the learned master smith's treatise , how god most glorifieth himself , so i think it not amiss to transcribe more lines of that worthy person , wherein he excellently sheweth how we most glorifie god ; and they immediately follow the former . saith he , pag. . as god's seeking his own glory in respect of us is most properly the flowing forth of his goodness upon us ; so our seeking the glory of god is most properly our endeavouring a participation of his goodness , and an earnest uncessant pursuing after divine perfection . when god becomes so great in our eyes , and all created things so l●…ttle , that we reckon upon nothing as worthy of our aims or amb●…tions but a serious participation of the divine nature , and the exercise of divine vert●●s , love , joy , peace , long-suffering , kindness , goodness and the like ▪ when the soul beholding the infinite beauty and loveliness of the divinity , and then looking down and beholding all created perfection mantled over with darkness , is ravished into love and admiration of that never-setting brightness , and endeavours after the greatest res●●blance of god in justice , love and 〈◊〉 : when conversing with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by a secret feeling of the 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 and power of his goodness , we endeavour to assimilate our selves to him : then we may be said to glorifie him indeed . god seeks ●…o glory but his own , and we have none of our own to give him . god in all things seeks himself and his own glory , as finding nothing better than himself ; and when we love him above all things , and endeavour to be most like him , we declare plainly that we count nothing better than he is . see more to the same purpose , pag. , , . and this same excellent notion the pythagoraeans ( however they came by it ) did also teach . it was one of their sayings , thou wil●… best glorifie god , by assimilating and making thy mind like to god. and i will trouble the reader with one more of our philosopher's sayings which is no less worthy of his observation than any of the past recited ones , viz. thou canst not honour god in giving ought to him , but by becoming a meet and worthy person to receive from him . and the great and infallible oracle of truth , our blessed saviour , hath assured us , that , herein is his father glorified , that we bear much fruit ; that we are fruitful in all holiness . and we learn from s. paul , phil. . . that they are the fruits of righteousness , which are by iesus christ ( or the effects of his grace and holy spirit ) which redound to the praise and glory of god. and then do we praise him most significantly and effectually , when we are 〈◊〉 ( as there he prays that the philippians may be ) with these fruits : when righteousness takes possession of our souls , grows and encreases in them , and exerts it self in our lives ( as it must needs do wheresoever it is ) and our whole conversations shine with it . in short ; circumcision is nothing , and uncircumcision is nothing , ( neither any opinions , nor performances , nor forbearances , that have no influence upon the soul and spirit , are any thing ; ) but the keeping the commandments of god : this is all in all . in christ iesus nothing at all availeth but such a faith as works by love ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or is perfected by charity ) and a new-creature . and if any man be in christ , he is a new creature ; and whosoever is a new creature , is in christ or a true christian . all which s. paul hath plainly taught us , in cor. . . gal. . . cor. . . those in whom the design of the gospel hath taken good effect , are indeed christians , and none but such : in the success of that must needs lie the power of christianity , and in nothing else . and therefore whosoever they are in whom the genuine effects of righteousness and true holiness are conspicuous , we ought to look upon them as living members of that body whereof christ is the head. whoever are ready to profess their faith in god and christ and the holy spirit in all scripture phrases ( without perverting their manifest and apparent sense ) and lead a life answerable , for ought that we can discern , to the clear intimations of our saviour's will , and all the rules plainly laid down in his holy gospel , ( though it should not be their fortune to concur with us in all our sentiments ) it is our duty to judge them to be indued with all the essentials and integral parts of christianity , and accordingly to carry our selves towards them : or we shall offer them too great a temptation to suspect , that we our selves are ignorant wherein they consist , and for all our great profession are void of them . there is one thing more which i cannot forbear to add concerning the weighty and most important point we are now discoursing , and which contains the summ of all that need to be said about it , viz. that it is impossible we should not have the design of christianity accomplished in us , and therefore that we should be destitute of the power of it , if we make our saviour's most excellent life ( a short account of which we have been in this tractate presented with , ) the pattern of our ●…ves ▪ if we write after that fair copy he hath therein set us , if we tread in his blessed s●…eps , and be such , according to 〈◊〉 measure and capacity , as we have understood he was in this world. those that sincerely and industriously endeavour to imitate the holy jesus in his spirit and 〈◊〉 , can never be ignorant what it is to be truly christians ; nor can they fail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and if the history of his life were more perused and minded , and that he designed to be therein our example ( as both he and his apostles have often enough assured us he did ) were more seriously considered , it could not possibly be that the design of his gospel , and that wherein consists the power of godliness and soul of christianity , should be by so many so very miserably mistaken , as we see it is . the conclusion . what remaineth now but that we sedulously and with the greatest concernedness betake our selves to find that , which hath been proved to be the design of christanity , accomplish'd in our hearts and lives . that we endeavour above all things in the world to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called ; and that our conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ : and by that means make it appear to our selves and others that we are not in the number of those wretched souls on whom the knowledge of the most incomparable religion is merely thrown away , and bestowed to very ill or to no purpose . that we place the kingdom of god not in word , but in power ; and our christianity not in letting our tongues loose , but in bridling both them and our exorbitant affections . that we make less noise , be less disputacious , and more obedient ; that we talk and cavil less , and be and live better : as well knowing , that an objecting , quarrelsome and wrangling humour serves to no better end than eating out the heart and life of all true religion . let us exercise our selves unto reall and substantial godliness , and in keeping our consciences void of offence both towards god and towards men ; and in studying the gospel to inable us not to discourse , or onely to believe ; but also and above all things to do well . let us esteem christianity a principle of such vigour , spriteliness and activity , as to be assured of nothing more than that it cannot possibly be where it doth not act ; and that the lives of those that are indued with it cannot but bear witness to the force of it . let us do what lyeth in us to convince our atheists that the religion of the blessed jesus is no trick or device ; and our wanton and loose christians , that it no notional business or speculative science , by letting them see most excellent effects produced in our selves by it : by shewing them how sober and temperate , how chaste , how severely just , how meek and peaceable , how humble , how patient and submissive to the will of god , how loving and charitable , what contemners of this world and confiders in god we are enabled to be by the power of it . let us declare that we are not mere professours of faith in christ jesus , by doing acts worthy of such a faith : that we are not barely relyers on christ's righteousness , by being imitatours of it , by being righteous as he was righteous : that we do truly believe the christian doctrine , by chearfully complying with the christian precepts . hereby let us know that we do indeed know him , that we keep his commandments by our care thus to do shall our minds ( as hath been shewn ) be inlightned in all necessary truth . it was by their care to do the will of god , that the primitive christians obtained the right knowledge of it . and there is no such method for the acquiring of all useful knowledge as this is . by this means shall we also be kept constant in the true profession of the faith. the obedient is the only christian that is out of danger even of a total apostacy ; nor can there be any sure hold of any one that is not obedient . he whose great design it is to keep the commandments of god and his son jesus , is the onely solid , stable and settled man. our saviour hath likened him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock , which , notwithstanding that the rain descended , and floods came , and the winds blew and all beat upon it , fell not , because it was founded upon a rock . and on the contrary he hath compared those that hear , but do not his sayings , to a foolish man , which built his house upon the sands ; which , when assaulted by a tempest , fell ; and great was the fall of it . 't is no strange thing to see a very highly professing , if he be not as conscienciously living a christian , tossed up and down like a wave of the sea , and carried away with every wind of doctrine : but so will not the obedient person be . he may ( 't is confessed ) alter his opinion in the less weighty and more obscurely delivered points , but those which belong to the main body and substance of christianity , and are plainly revealed , as all such are , he will inseparably adhere to . by this means will our knowledge be sanctisied and made useful , but without the care of obedience it will be utterly unprofitable , nay of very hurtful and mischievous consequence . whatsoever christian knowledge is not impregnated with answerable goodness , but is unaccompanied with christian practice , is not onely an insipid and jejune , but also a flatulent thing , that in stead of nourishing is apt to swell and extremely puff up the souls of men ; i mean , to make them proud and highly opinionated of their own worth , censorious and contemners of other people , and of a conceited and pragmatical , a contentious and unpeaceable behaviour . and there i●…no man but may observe too too many of our great pretenders to christianity unhappily exemplifying and demonstrating by their practices this sad truth . by this means , shall we convince gain-sayers more than by any arguments : but they are never like to be perswaded that our iudgements are orthodox , while they perceive our conversations to be heretical . wicked men are an infinite discredit to any party they side with , and do it mighty disservice . i wish we of the church of england did not know this by very woful experience . and on the other hand , a good life cannot but be of exceeding great force to draw dissenters to the embracing of our religion . we see that mere pretences to great sanctity do strangely make proselytes to several forms , that have nothing besides to set them of●… and commend them . and as for obstinate persons who are peremptorily resolved that they will by no means be prevailed with to come over to us , they will however be greatly disabled from reproaching our religion , when they are convinc'd that it hath excellent effects on the professours of it : or at least , neither their reproaches , nor any attempts whatsoever against it , could then ever have success , or be able to do any thing to its considerable prejudice . nor would that idle and sensless talk , whereby some hot-headed people endeavour to prove us an anti-christian church , be by many , if by any listened to , could they discern among us more christian lives : could they be once satis●…ied that we esteem it our principal interest and concernment to make our selves and others really and substantially good . so is the will of god ( saith s. peter ) that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men . by this means shall we pass chearfully through this sad world ; and in the middest of our thoughts within us will solid comforts delight our souls . little do those think what happiness they deprive themselves of even in this life , that place their religion in any thing more than an universal respect to their saviour's precepts . there is no true christian that 〈◊〉 to be told , that the more careful 〈◊〉 is to obey god , the more sweetly h●… enjoys himself : nor , that a vertuous and holy life doth several ways bring in a constant revenue of peace and pleasure ; even such as no earthly thing can afford any that deserves to be nam'd on the same day with it . every good man feels that christ's yoke is not less pleasant than it is easie , nor his burthen more light than it is delightful : and that all his ways are , upon many accounts , ways of pleasantness , and all his paths peace . so that were there no other reward to be hoped for but what dayly attends them , it would be most unquestionably our interest to walk in them , and to forsake all other for them : and there is no one of christ's disciples that by experience understands what his blessed master's injunctions are , that would be content to be eased , though he might , of them : or that would accept of a qui●…tus est from performing the duties required by him , though he should have it offered him , even with the broad seal of heaven ( which is impossible to be supposed ) affixed to it . but , lastly , by this means shall we obtain , when we depart hence , the end of our faith , even the salvation of our souls , and arrive at a most happy and glorious immortality . by the pursuance of real and universal righteousness shall we certainly obtain the crown of righteousness , which our righteous redeemer hath purchased for us , and god the righteous iudge will give unto us . an exceeding and eternal weight of glory we shall assuredly reap , if we faint not and be not weary of well-doing . glory , honour and peace is the undoubted portion of every soul that worketh good . and blessed are they that do his commandments , for they have right to the tree of life , and shall enter through the gates into the city . but if , on the contrary , we foolishly satisfie our selves with an ineffectual faith in christ , a notional knowledge and empty profession of his religion , or a meerly external and partial righteousness ; these will be so far from intitling us to the exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel , that they ( at least the three former ) will much heighten our misery in the world to come , and excessively aggravate our condemnation . let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter ; fear god , and keep his commandments ( from a principle of love to him and them ; ) for this is the whole of ( the christian ) man. the end. errata . page . line . for practical read partial . p. . l. . r. world . p. . l. . r. poverty . p. . l. . r. for sin . and l. . r. jealousie . p. . l. . r. of sin . p. . l. . r. farther add . p. . l. . r look . p. ●… . l. . blot out too . p. . l. . r. christians . p. . last line , for the r. their . p. . l. . for in r. on . p. . l. . r. need not . p. . l. . r. filled . p. ●… . l. . r. it is . in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. . and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. . and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. . for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . some books printed for r. royston at the angel in s t paul's church-yard , since the fire . a paraphrase and annotations upon all the books of the new testament . the third edition : by h. hammond , d. d. ductor dubitantium , or the rule of conscience , in four books , folio : the second edition : by jer. taylor , chaplain in ordinary to king charles the first , and late lord bishop of down and conner . the sinner impleaded in his own court : the third edition : whereunto is now added , the love of christ planted upon the very same turf , on which it once had been supplanted by the extreme love of sin : in o. a collection of sermons upon several occasions : by tho. pierce , d. d. and president of s. mary magdalen-college in oxon. a correct coppy of some notes concerning god's decrees , enlarged : by the same authour : in o. a discourse concerning the true notion of the lord's supper , to which are added two serm. by r. cudworth , d. d. in o. the unreasonableness of the romanists , requiring our communion with the present romish-church : in o. christian consolation derived from five heads in religion . i. faith , ii. hope , iii. the holy spirit , iv. prayer , v. the sacraments . written by the right reverend father in god , john hacket , late lord bishop of coventry and lichfield , chaplain to king charles the i. and ii. in o. the profitableness of piety , an assize sermon preach'd by richard west , d. d. in o. west barbary , or a narrative of the revolutions of the kingdoms of fez and morocco : with an account of the present customes , sacred , civil and domestick : in o. printed at oxon for john willmot , and are to be sold , by richard royston . the christian sacrifice . a treatise shewing the necessity , end , and manner of receiving the holy communion : together with suitable prayers and meditations for every month in the year ; and the principal festivals in memory of our blessed saviour . the end. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * act ▪ . * gal. . mat. . . or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , may signifie fully to preach , as rom. , . & col. . . tim. . . * rom. . eph. ●… . mat. col. . . rom. . . cor. . . pet. . mat. . . mat. . . ●…it . . . cor. . john . . pet. . phil. . tim. . mat. . . vers . . vers . . vers . . rom. . . rev. . . chap. . col. . . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rom. . cor. . , . mat. . . mat. . . ●…ha . . ●…ha . . john . . 〈◊〉 . . . revel . . . jam. . . matth. . rom ▪ , . pet. . . isa. . . isa. . vers . . * iustin martyr . cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 john . see mat. . . to mat. . mar. . luk. . matth. . , . notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nè malum quidem ●…lum cum turpitudini●… malo comparandum . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in car. pythag. pag. ●… . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . pag. . 〈◊〉 lib. ●… . de 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ●…ieroc . pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . comment . in epict. pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . pag. . pet. . nihil neque meum est neque cujusquam , quod auferri , quod eripi , quod amitti potest . cicero in paradoxis . animus hominis dives , non arca appellari potest . quamvis illa sit plena , dum te inanem videbo , divitem non putabo . in paradox . tuae libidines te torquent , te arumnae premunt omnes , tu dies noctesque cruciaris . — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . qui appetitus longius evagantur &c. et non satis ratione ●…etinentur , ●…c . ab iis non modò animi perturbantur , sed etiam corpora : licet era ipsa cernere iratorum , aut corum qui aus libidine aliquâ aut metu commoti sunt , aut voluptate nimiâ gestiunt : quorum omnium ●…ultus , voces , motus , statusque mutantur . cicero lib de officiis primo . see his select discourses pag. . chap. . . notes for div a -e quòd si in hoc erro , quod animos hominum immortales esse credam , libenter erro : nec mihi errorem , quo delector , dum v●…o , extorqueri volo . sin mortuus , &c. lib. . sect. ●… . cor. . . heb. . , tim. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chap. . 〈◊〉 ●… . 〈◊〉 . this notion of a fine body did tertullian retain his belief of , after he was converted to christianity , and took it for the inner man , spoken of in scripture . exod. . matth. . ●… . rom. . cor. . . p●…dag . pag. . oratio ad graeco●… . pag. . dialog . cum tryph. p. . pag. , cor. . . joh. . . praeter obstinationem ●…on sacrificandi , nihil aliud se d●… sacramentis eorum compe●…isse , quàm caetus antelu●…anos ad canendum christo & deo , & ad confoed●…randam disciplinam ▪ homicidi●…m , adulterium , fraudem , per fid●…am & c●…etera scelera prohiben●…es . lib. . epist. ●… . 〈◊〉 . affirmabant autem , haue fuisse summam vel culpae suae , vel erroris , quòd essent soliti stato die ante lucem convenire ▪ carmenque christo , quasi deo , dicere secum invicem , seque sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere , sed me furta , ne latro●…inia , ne adulteria committerent , ne fidem fallerent , ne depositum appellati abnegarent , &c. — sed nihil aliud inveni , quàm superstitionem pravam & immodicam . iustin. martyr . apolog. ad antoninum pium ▪ pag. . ●…ss . . pag. . 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . joh. . . rom. . mat. ●… . ●…al . . ●… tim. . . joh. . 〈◊〉 ▪ m●…tt . . , . tim. . matt. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . comment . in aur. carm. pag. . joh. . . notes for div a -e joh. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . clem. alexandrin . stromat . lib. ●… pag. . mat. . . vers. . pet. ●… . 〈◊〉 tim. . rom. . rev. . dirt wipt off, or, a manifest discovery of the gross ignorance, erroneousness and most unchristian and wicked spirit of one john bunyan ... which he hath shewed in a vile pamphlet publish'd by him, against the design of christianity ... fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) dirt wipt off, or, a manifest discovery of the gross ignorance, erroneousness and most unchristian and wicked spirit of one john bunyan ... which he hath shewed in a vile pamphlet publish'd by him, against the design of christianity ... fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed by r.n. for richard royston ..., london : . attributed to edward fowler. cf. nuc pre- . the "vile pamphlet" referred to is bunyan's a defence of the doctrine of justification by faith in jesus christ. errata: p. [ ]. reproduction of original in clark library, university of california, los angeles. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bunyan, john, - . -- defence of the doctrine of justification by faith in jesus christ. fowler, edward, - . -- design of christianity. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion dirt wipt off : or a manifest discovery of the gross ignorance , erroneousness and most unchristian and wicked spirit of one iohn bunyan , lay-preacher in bedford , which he hath shewed in a vile pamphlet publish't by him , against the design of christianity . written for the disabusing of those poor deluded people that are followers of him , and such like teachers , and to prevent their farther deluding of others , and poisoning them with licentious and destructive principles . pet. . . but these as natural brute beasts , made to be taken and destroyed ( or to catch and corrupt ) speak evil of the things that they understand not , &c. prov. . , . a fools lips enter into contention , and his mouth calleth for strokes . a fools mouth is his d●struction , and his lips are the snare of his soul. london , printed by r. n. for richard royston book-seller to his most sacred majesty . m dc lxxii . the preface to the reader . reader , i think my self obliged to make my apology to thee for the writing and publication of these papers ; for i know thou wilt be tempted to wonder , how any one but of ordinary discretion could perswade himself to set his wit against so lamentable a piece of proud folly , and not disdain to defile his fingers with so very dirty a creature as is the person i have to do with in the following sheets : and thou mayst also conclude , that i am ashamed to be seen so meanly imployed by my concealing my name from thee : to deal openly and ingeniously , i never undertook business that went against the hair as this hath done , nor can i well more deny my self in any thing than in this condescention : but the consideration , that there is something of necessity in the case , hath over-ruled me and brought down my spirit . not that there is any thing , that this john bunyan hath publisht against the design of christianity , that an intelligent reader can otherwise entertain than with contempt and scorn ; but the intolerable insolence and naughtiness of the man , together with the weakness of those many poor souls into whose good opinion he hath and may , to their infinite danger , insinuate himself , made it , in my opinion , a great piece of charity to undertake this drudgery . drudgery i call it , not in regard of any difficulty there is in knowing what to reply , for there was never in this world an easier province ; but because 't is an exceeding hard task to satisfie ones self what not to reply : for i profess most unfeignedly , that i never knew any one so expose himself , nor give his adversaries so many advantages of discovering his shameful ignorance , erroneousness , dishonesty and base nature , as he in that book hath done . and therefore i add too , that the mere reading it over cannot but be a very great pain to any understanding and good spirited person . i say 't is the pity i have for deluded people , and my great desire to prevent an increase of their number , as also , if it be possible , to make this poor man sensible of his folly and wickedness , that have prevailed with me to set a-part a few dayes for this employment . for , though i have i must acknowledg , a particular kindness for mr. fowler and his book ( both which he hath in the grossest manner imaginable calumniated and abused ) yet my mere concern for the one or other should never have occasioned one line from me ; it being as impossible for such a thing as he to disgrace either the writings or person of mr. f. by all his railings , as it is for the like rude creatures to eclipse the moon by barking at her , or to make palaces contemptible by their lifting up their legs against them . nay , for my part , i should think my self most effectually disparaged , should any body tell me that this man prais'd me , and thereupon should ask that question of socrates upon the like account , what evil have i done ? but not to detain thee with a larger preface than is necessary , the remaining part shall consist of but little more than two or three requests to the followers of this j. b. and of such like teachers . . i desire that those of you that shall meet with this pamphlet , would put yourselves to the very little trouble of reading it over , and that with as little prejudice as well you can ; and then if you can but give credit to your own eyes , you must needs be convinced that this person ( as able and godly as you may now think him ) doth scarcely excel the most foolish in any thing but prodigious pride and boldness , and men of the most wicked spirits in nothing but a vain-glorious shew & form of godliness . i would not for all the world so positively affirm such things of any one , if they were not as self evident , as that twice ten make twenty , and what i have now laid to his charge , you must necessarily acknowledge to be as manifest to sense , as is that proposition by that time you have read but one half of this pamphlet . and for this reason i also desire you to read it over , namely , because your judgments may be thereby greatly rectified in the doctrine of the gospel , if you will consider what you read . . i entreat you that , as you love your souls , you will not for the future suffer your selves to be gul'd and cheated by mere noise and confidence ; you are not so imprudent about the concerns of your frail bodies or perishing estates , as to make use of that man for your physician or lawyer , whose ignorance and dishonesty you have but the tenth part of that proof of , that you have here given you of this john bunyan's : and is it not a miserable thing , that you should be in nothing so rash and unaccountably foolish , as in the matters that relate to your eternal welfare ? . if this man shall have the face to say any thing by way of reply , ( as what may not be expected from such a forehead ) i entreat you to compare what he saith with what i have here proposed to your view , and be not so weak and easie of belief , as to think he hath done himself the least service , if he answers not punctually to the particulars of the charg of gross ignorance , erroneousness , dishonesty , and a most unchristian spirit , that i have here exhibited against him . no doubt but the infinite concern that he hath for his credit among you , ( which he must needs now conclude to be in eminent danger ) will prompt him to make as plausible a tale for himself , as his together with his brethrens inventions can possibly devise ; but , i say , be sure to compare his defence with the things in these papers laid to his charge , and i 'le warrant you , you shall be confirmed thereby in an ill opinion of him , as much as by any thing any adversary of his can write against him . and lastly , i would desire this j. b. himself to take notice , that mr. fowler is much more profitably imployed than to have leisure to return answers to his wretched scribbles , but if he had time lying upon his hands , he will not easily be perswaded to do such bald & rude scriblers so great an honor . but if any one that is able to write sense , and to do any thing like a scholar or man , will be dealing with him , such a one may be certain that , as busie as he is , he will find him work . but he will not have so little a regard for his repute with discreet and understanding persons , as to give himself leave to be in the least concerned at the brutish barkings of such a creature as this , though it lies not in his power to hold the pens of others from returning upon him . if you wonder , reader , that i should use such an expression as brutish barkings , do but turn to the catalogue i have given you of some , and but some of his most scurrilous and vile language at the end of this pamphlet , and there see at what a rate he raves at mr. f. and his treatise , ( whose only business it is to promote holiness ; and for which reason it hath had as general a good acceptance with pious and good people , as most books i have known , ) i say , do but turn to that catalogue , and then thou wilt acknowledg that i might have said devillish contumelies instead of brutish barkings , and not have fouled my pen with unseemly words . but to conclude , whereas mr. f. is now upon the publishing of an excellent scripture catechism , composed by a learned and very worthy person now deceased , when that is printed , if i can perswade him , he shall send this j. b. one of them , which he infinitely more needs than he doth an answer ; for though he impudently takes upon him to be a teacher of others , he hath need that one teach himself which be the first principles of the oracles of god ; and besides , mr. f. cannot desire that the doctrine of his design of christianity should be better defended than , to my knowledg , any man may do it by the assistance of that catechism . farewel . imprimatur , tho. tomkyns . ex aed. lambethanis . sept. . . errata . page . last line : adde in effect . p. . l. . for justifies read intitles . p. . l. . for almost r. at most . p. . l. . for as r. than . p. . l. . add on . p. . l. . for in r. is . p. . l. . & . for where he said 'tis r. where 't is said . courteous reader , these and other faults have been occasioned through the authors absence , and by the hasty printing of this treatise , which thou art desired both for thy own sake and for his , to correct with thy pen , before thou settest thy self to the serious reading thereof . dirt wip't off : or a manifest discovery of the gross ignorance and most unchristian and wicked spirit of one john bunyan . of all the mischievous things that poor mortals are or ever were infested with , there is scarcely any one comparable to ignorant fanatick zeal ; nor are there to be found in nature so implacably spiteful and cruel creatures , as those that are acted by this fury . and as she hath produced unspeakably sad and dismal effects in this our once too too happy church and state , and in innumerable other places ; so the most horrid impieties that ever the sun saw , have received their birth from her womb. it was this zeal that hurried those proud and ill-natur'd religionists the pharisees on all those horrible affronts and indignities , that they offered to and heapt upon the lord of glory ; nor would it suffer them to rest , till it had made them his inhumane and most barbarous murtherers . and when i consider this prodigious instance of the wickedness of those zealots , i cannot wonder at any villanies , that i ever understand are acted by the people of their spirit : nor when we call to mind , how our most blessed saviour suffered both from their tongues and hands , because he preached such doctrine as did distaste their humor , and set himself against their corrupt opinions and practices ; can we think it any other than what ought to be expected , that in all ages his faithful ministers and servants should meet with the same usage for therein following their lords example ; and especially since he himself hath forewarned them , that they shall be no otherwise entertained by that sort of men , than as he was . for ( saith he matt. . . ) the disciple is not above his master , nor the servant above his lord , it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his lord : if they have called the master of the house beelzebub , how much more shall they call them of his houshold ? again ( john . . ) if they persecuted me , they will also persecute you . and among the many true successors of the pharisees , that among our selves do daily verifie those predictions , there are , i have reason to believe , none whose breasts are fuller of rancour and malice , towards those that are industrious , not to make converts to sects but to christ iesus , and to propagate not the fancies of men , but the genuine doctrines of the gospel , than is the breast of the man that hath occasioned the publication of this pampelet , viz. iohn bunyan , a person that hath been near these twenty years or longer , most infamous in the town and county of bedford , for a very pestilent schismatick . never did any more cry out of persecution , nor inveigh against others as persecutors , than he hath done ; but in the mean time no one is of a fiercer and more persecuting spirit than he himself . for besides that a slanderer is a cruel persecutor ( as doing what in him lies to deprive his brother of his good name , which in the wise man's judgment is rather to be chosen than great riches , nay to a good man is deservedly more precious than is life it self ) such a one demonstrates , that nothing but want of power is the true cause , that he persecutes not by deeds as well as words ; calumnies being ever taken up by impotent creatures for want of sharper weapons . and that this i. b. is a most black-mouth'd calumniator , besides innumerable other evidences , his late pamphlet , or rather libel , intituled a defence of the doctrine of iustification by faith , &c. will abundantly satisfie any person , that hath but the wit and honesty impartially to examine , how he attempts to make good what he therein hath charged against mr. fowler , viz. that he doth propagate , in his treatise intituled the design of christianity , the doctrine of quakers , of papists and heathens , writes blasphemy , is an enemy to the son of god and salvation of the world , tramples under foot the blood of the son of god , together with many the like dreadful and most horrid accusations ; which shall be presented together at the end of the book to the readers eye . before i go further , i must needs tell thee , i. b. thou art a man of metal , thou scornest , i perceive , to play at small game , to give thine adversary some light scratches , thou art for neck or nothing . thou hast a mouth for machiavil's money , who hath taught such as thy self this rule , fortiter calumniare , &c. which ( because thou hast little kindness for the language of the beast ) take thus in english , slander lustily and something will stick . thou couldst scarcely hope that any one that knows or hath but heard of mr. f. ( nay though he should be one of thine own herd ) can find in his heart to think him such a monster of men , such a devil incarnate , as thou wouldst make him ; but yet , to be sure , thou concludest that all that don't think thee so will , at least , be suspicious that so loud and hideous an out-cry is not made for nothing , and that he hath written a too erroneous book , if not such a damnably heretical one , and therefore that 't is dangerous to read it , and hear or converse with the author of it . but we will now consider what foundation is laid in that treatise of mr. f's , for this fellow to build so black a charge on ; and in order thereunto i shall not need to do any thing more , than give the reader a short view of the sum and substance of the doctrinal part of it , which i will do for the sake of those that are strangers to it . and i promise to do it with all sincerity and impartiality , and if i perform not , let me be stigmatized by any that shall compare the following account with the book it self , for a man of no conscience , and a most false person . the whole title of the book is , the design of christianity , or a plain demonstration and improvement of this proposition , that the induing men with inward real righteousness or true holiness was the ultimate end of our saviour's coming into the world , and is the great intendment of his blessed gospel . the business of the first chapter is an explication of the nature of true holiness : wherein ( after it is said to be by various forms of speech exprest in scripture , such as godliness , righteousness , conversion and turning from sin , partaking of a divine nature , &c. and that it is originally seated in the soul and spirit , and is a complication of all vertues ) there are four general and comprehensive descriptions given of it : all which differ only in words , not at all in sense . and they all amount to thus much ( as any one of but a competent understanding will at first sight perceive ) viz. that true holiness is such an inward living principle , as so far as it prevails , causeth the person that is indued with it to behave himself as becomes him ( that is to avoid and hate whatsoever is any wayes known to be morally evil , and to love and prosecute whatsoever is good ) or to be under the government of all those good practical principles or laws , which are made known either by revelation ( that is by the scriptures of the old and new testament ) or by nature or the use of reason . when holiness is called a healthful complexion of soul , &c. the purity of the humane nature , &c. and a divine or godlike nature , &c. there is no more said than what is included in this description . next , between the third and last description , there is a somewhat more express and distinct account of the nature of holiness ; but this i shall have occasion hereafter to take notice of . in the close of this chapter it is said , that nothing is more natural to the souls of men as they came out of god's hands , than this excellent temper , but by their apostasie from god and sinking into brutish sensuality , they sadly dispossessed themselves of it , and so became like the beasts which perish ; but it pleased god in infinite goodness not to give us over so , but , when we had destroyed our selves , in him was our help found , and in order thereunto he sent his only begotten son to us . the second chapter is spent in proving that the great errand christ came upon was , to put us again into possession of that holiness which we had lost : and this is proved by a climax of seven particulars , all which are implyed in these scriptures , which i entreat the reader to turn to matt. . , . and luke . , . mal. . , , . matt. . . luke . , &c. luke . . matt. . , . matt. . . matt. . . acts . . acts . . iohn . . titus . . iohn . . in the third chapter is shewn , that holiness is the only design , ( that is , in reference to us ) of the christian precepts ▪ and 't is particularly shewn that they require , . the most extensive holiness ; that is , such as respects god , our neighbour and our selves . . the most intensive , not only negative but positive , ( that is , not only such as consists in doing no evil , but also in doing good ) not only holiness of words and actions , but likewise of thoughts and affections , not only such a holiness as puts upon performing good actions , but also such as puts upon performing them in a right manner , with right ends , or from good principles , causing us to do every duty as to the lord and not as to men , to do all to the glory of god , &c. lastly , this chapter concludes with the answer of an objection : the objection is , that all sober christians acknowledge , that the gospel precepts do not require indefective and unspotted holiness , or at least that christ will accept of that which is far short of perfect , and therefore he seems not to be so great a friend to it as is asserted . the answer is that , . the attainment of perfect holiness is in this state impossible to us . . that christ will accept of nothing short of sincerity , and diligent serious endeavours to abstain from all sin. . that no less than our absolutely perfect holiness is designed by christ , though not to be effected in this yet in the other world . the fourth chapter sheweth that the promises and threatnings of the gospel have the promoting of holiness for their only design . that the promises have , 't is proved from pet. . . cor. . . rom. . . and 't is further shewed , that . these promises are either limited to holy persons , or made use of as motives to holiness ; as tim. . . matt. . . v. , , . rom. . rev. . . ch . . . and whereas the promises of pardon and eternal life are made to believing , 't is said that nothing is more evidently declared , than that this faith is such as purifieth the heart , and is , productive of good works . . 't is shewed that the nature of these promises is such as is alone sufficient to satisfie us , that holiness is the design of them . this , 't is shewed , is manifestly true concerning the principal promises , which are reduced to heads , . that of the holy spirit . . of remission of sin . . of eternal happiness in the enjoyment of god. for the first , viz. the promise of the spirit , that , 't is said , is it to which we are beholden for grace and assistance in the great work of subduing sin and acquiring holy habits . and for the second and third , none but holy souls are capable of them . none are capable , but such , of pardon of sin ; because the guilt , 't is shewn , and the power of sin are inseparable , and that sin is so loathsome and filthy a thing , that 't is impossible the bloud of christ should render a sinner lovely or not-odious in god's sight , any otherwise than by first washing away the pollution of it . lastly , that none but holy souls are capable of the enjoyment of god , is proved from cor. . . col. . . and as for the promises , that concern the good things of this life , it is shewn that only such are assured by them as may be a help to the exercise of holiness , not such as serve to gratifie sensuality or licourish appetites . and then as to the threatnings of the gospel , 't is proved , that they are no where made use of for any other end , than to scare men from what doth tend to pollute their souls , and to excite them effectually to industry in the pursuit of real righteousness and substantial holiness . in the fifth chapter is shewed , that the promoting of holiness was the design of our saviours whole life and conversation among men . . of his discourses : not only his sermons , but also those that occasionally dropt from him . . of his actions , whereby he preacht holiness to mens eyes , no less than to their ears , by giving them the most stupendious example in his own person of all the parts of it ; whereof these instances are given . . he was a person of the greatest freedom , affability and courtesie . . of the greatest candor and ingenuity . . of the greatest gentleness and meekness . . of the most profound humility . . of the most generous spirit , which discovered it self in the greatest contempt of the world . . of the most contented spirit . . of the greatest charity and most tender compassion . . of the most wonderful patience , and stupendious submission of soul to god. . of the most passionate love to god , and devout temper of mind towards him . . of a mighty confidence and trust in god. . of the greatest prudence . in the sixth chapter is shewed , that to make men truly vertuous and holy was the design of christ's unimitable actions , or mighty works and miracles : and that these did not only tend to promote it , as they were convincing arguments that he came forth from god , but were also very proper to effect it in a more immediate manner . the seventh shews , that this was the design of his death ; which is proved by these scriptures , rom. . . cor. . . gal. . . eph. . , , . col. . , . titus . . pet. . . pet. . . pet. . . next , the death of christ is proved effectual to this end ; . as it gave testimony to the truth of his doctrine : . as the shedding of his blood was a federal rite confirming the new covenant , wherein is promised in and through him pardon of sin , and eternal happiness on condition of repentance , faith and new obedience . . as 't is exemplary of the highest vertue , particularly , of the greatest humility , self-denial , meekness , patience and charity . . as it was a sacrifice for sin ; where 't is shewn , that in the death of christ , considered as an expiatory sacrifice , the offence god hath taken against sin , and the hatred he bears to it , as well as his love to sinners , is infinitely declared . . as christ hath by his death procured that grace and assistance for us that is necessary to enable us to be in all respects holy . . as his death doth vindicate god's right of soveraignty over his creatures , and the power he hath to require what he pleaseth of them , and to dispose of them as seems good to him . did ever man speak higher concerning the effects of christs death , and precious blood-shedding , than mr. f. hath in this chapter done ? is this the talk of one that trampleth under foot the bloud of the son of god ? in chapter the eighth is shewn , that it is only the promoting of the design of making men holy that is aimed at , by the apostles insisting on the doctrines of christ's resurrection , ascension , and coming again to judgment , that is , the only use which they make of them as to us , is to make them motives to all holiness of heart and life . the second section sheweth upon what accounts the business of making men holy came to be preferred by our saviour before any other thing , and to be principally designed by him ; and the ninth chapter ( which is the first of that section ) giveth this first account , viz. that this is to do the greatest good to men . and 't is proved by several arguments , that the blessing of making men holy is of all other the greatest ; as . because it contains a deliverance from the worst of evils , viz. sin , and this is proved so to be , and that those are utterly ignorant of the nature of it , that imagine any evil greater than it , or so great . the tenth chapter is spent in proving by a second argument , that holiness is the greatest of all blessings , viz. because it is ever accompanied with other blessings that are most desireable , and do best deserve that name ; particularly with the pardon of sin , and god's special love : and that those things that sensual persons are most desirous of , are eminently to be found in that blessing : as riches , it is shewed that nothing doth inrich a man like the graces of god's holy spirit ; secondly honours ; thirdly pleasures : where 't is proved that both these result from true holiness , and that no other are comparable to those that do so . the eleventh chapter prosecutes a third argument , viz. because whatsoever other blessings a man may be supposed to have , that is utterly destitute of true holiness , they cannot stand him in so much stead as but to make him not-miserable . and sinful lusts are here proved to be most tormenting things in their own nature ; and that therefore if we could suppose a wicked man to be made an object of god's pardon , it could signifie no more than an exemption from being immediately by him punished ; and though the divine majesty should not in the least afflict him , his very lusts would be of themselves no light punishment , but such as under which he could never enjoy himself in this life , but will be found to be intolerable in the life to come . and for the same reason 't is shewn that were it possible that christs righteousness could be imputed to such a man , it would signifie as little to his happiness , while he continueth wicked , as would a gorgeous and splendid garment to one that is almost starv'd with hunger , or that lieth rackt by the torturing diseases of the stone or cholick . and moreover , that wickedness makes men uncapable even of those effects of the divine benevolence and complacency , that would render them but not-miserable , and therefore could we suppose a wicked man the object of both these , ( as 't is said that nothing is less supposeable than that he should be an object of the latter ) this could not make him , whilst he continues wicked , to cease to be miserable . and lastly , if our phansies were so powerful , as that they could place a wicked man in heaven it self , so long as he continueth unturned from his iniquities , he would carry a hell to heaven with him , and keep it there ; and that 't is not the place heaven , without the heavenly state that will make men happy ; as a diseased body will have never the more ease for residing in a princes court. and in the conclusion of this chapter it is asserted , that deliverance of a man from all misery while sin is vigorous in his soul , is not an object of any power , and implieth a palpable and apparent contradiction ; misery being no less of the essence of sin and wickedness , than is light of the sun , so that they cannot be separated , but must like the twins of hippocrates , live and dye together . the twelfth chapter contains the fourth argument , viz. holiness is the greatest of blessings , because when 't is perfected 'tis blessedness it self , and the glory of heaven doth chiefly consist in it : this proved out of iohn . . this we know , that when he appears we shall be like him , that is chiefly in holiness ; for as for god's attributes of knowledge and power , &c , 't is said that the devils themselves , who are most of all creatures unlike to god , have not lost all likeness to him in them , but have still a large measure of them . by the way observe that j. b. puts this among mr. f's . doctrines destructive of christianity , but who that believes there are such creatures as devils , especially having read what the scripture saith of them , did ever doubt it ? but to proceed , it is in this chapter plainly shewn , that the perfection of holiness and the heavenly happiness are for substance one and the same , and therefore it may well be affirmed , that the making us holy is the ultimate end of christs coming ( as to us that is , ) seeing our eternal salvation is by all acknowledged so to be ; and perfect holiness and eternal salvation are but two conceptions of one and the same thing ; eternal salvation being primarily a salvation from sin , all sin ; and a salvation from misery as 't is a salvation from the cause of it . the thirteenth chapter gives the second account of our saviours preferring the business of making men holy before all other , viz. that as this is to do ( as hath been shewn ) the greatest good to men ; so is it also to do the best service to god ; where 't is said , that 't is without dispute better service to a prince to reduce rebels to their obedience , than to procure a pardon under his seal for them ; and that christ , loving his father better than us , must needs more concern himself for the recovery of the right of obedience , that sinners have rob'd him of , than for the deliverance of wretched rebels from the misery they have deserved , but that both these works are carried on together . and in the close of this second section 't is shewn , that those that say that the christian religion designeth to glorifie the infinite grace of god in christ to sinners , if they understand what they say , do assert the same thing that this book asserts : seeing that not only the grace of god is so abundantly displayed in the gospel to sinners , for this end that they may be effectually prevailed with to forsake their sins , but also the principal grace that is therein exhibited doth consist in delivering them from the power of sin ; which appears , in that sin is demonstrated to be in its own nature the very greatest of evils , and holiness the chiefest of all blessings : and besides , men are not capable of god's pardoning grace , till they have repented them of all their sins , that is , ( as it there follows these words ) till they have in will and affection sincerely left them . and to justifie a wicked man , while he continueth so , would far more disparage his justice and holiness , than advance his grace and kindness ; viz. because to deal with a man living in wickedness as if he were righteous , would be an argument that he doth not hate sin , as he declares he doth . thus reader i have faithfully given thee the substance of the doctrinal part of the design of christianity ; the third and last section is spent in improving that whole discourse in most evident inferences : and now my hand is in , i 'le be better than my word , and very briefly tell thee what they are . the first inference : chap. . that it appears from the past discourse , that our saviour hath taken the most effectual course for the purpose of subduing sin in us , and making us partakers of his holiness : where . it is largely shewn what mighty and infinite advantages the gospel gives above any , that even those heathens had who were priviledged with extraordinary helps for the improvement of themselves . and if the reader will run over that discourse he shall perceive , how wickedly j. b. hath slander'd mr. f. in accusing him as levelling christianity with mere heathenism . . 't is fully shewn that the gospel contains incomparably greater helps for the effecting of the design of making men holy , than any god's people the israelites were favoured with . then follows a threefold answer to an objection against the wonderful efficacy of the christian religion for this purpose , chap. . the second inference , chap. . that we understand from what hath been said of the design of christianity , how fearfully 't is abused by those that call themselves the roman catholicks . this chapter will soon inform thee , reader , what a friend mr. f. is to popery , and make thee believe if thou hast any charity , that no man under heaven doth more abominate it , than he does . the third inference , chap. . that these two sorts are most extremely sottish ; . such as expect to have their share in the salvation of the gospel without true holiness . . such , much more , as encourage themselves by the grace of the gospel in unholiness . the fourth inference , chap. . that a right understanding of the design of christianity will give satisfaction concerning the notion , . of justifying faith , viz. that it is such a belief of the truth of the gospel , as includes a sincere resolution of obedience unto all its precepts , that is true holiness ; and that it justifieth as it doth so : where it is added , that the faith that justifieth must needs be such as complyeth with all christs purposes of coming into the world , but especially , with his grand purpose ; and that 't is necessary it should justifie as it receives christ for a lord , as well as for a saviour : nay , especially when in this matter there is but a notional difference between these two ; it having been shewn that christ as a saviour designs our holiness : his salvation being chiefly that , from the worst of evils , sin . canst thou think , reader , that mr. f. deserves to be accused as popishly affected in this point ? are all those papists in the doctrine of justification that deny a dead faith to be the condition of it ? and doth not s. iames say that faith without works is dead : and if a living faith justifies , is it popery to say that it justifies as 't is a living faith ? i am sure 't is non-sense to say otherwise . doth mr. f. any where , contrary to the apostle paul , assert the merit of works ? no , he makes works or a working faith , only a necessary condition of justification , as s. iames doth , and all the apostles , and christ alone to be the meritorious cause of it : and he must needs attribute our justification to the free grace of god in christ , when he makes also the condition of it faith a free gift , a grace of god's holy spirit . in short , let the reader consult mr. f's free discourse between two intimate friends , p. . to p. . and there he shall see his full sense of justifying faith , and the notion given there of it sufficiently defended . . the other notion , mr. f. in this inference saith the design of christianity will give satisfaction concerning , is , that of the imputation of christs righteousness , viz. that it consists in dealing with sincerely righteous persons , as if they were perfectly so , for the sake and upon the account of christ's righteousness . and he shews , that the doctrine of the design of christianity makes it impossible , that any other notion of this point should have truth in it . but mark what he saith in the close ; but because both these points are discussed in the free discourse , i have said so little of the former , and will proceed no farther on this ; but refer the reader thither , &c. would any one now have imagined , but that this i. b. ( had he the least spark of ingenuity , or meant at all honestly ) would have taken occasion to inform himself throughly from that discourse concerning mr. f's . judgment , in these two points especially , and to try the strength of the arguments , whereby he there hath confirmed his doctrine ; and if he had been sagacious enough to espy flaws in them , to make a discovery of them ; but he takes no more notice of that book than if there had been none such extant , nay , though mr. f. doth several times in the design of christianity refer to it . this is the blade that loves to tell the world , he is a lover of truth , but if she hath no sincerer friends than he makes it apparent , by this and all his other practices , he is , her case would be most deplorable . all that understand this man may safely conclude , that he hath as little will as ability to find out , and acquaint himself with this precious jewel . but to the next inference . the fifth inference , chap. . that we learn from the design of christianity what is the great measure and standard whereby we are to judge of doctrines ; both whether they are true or false , and in what degree necessary to be received or rejected . the sixth inference , chap. . that the design of christianity teacheth us what doctrines and practices we ought , as christians , to be most zealous for or against . those surely , that are most available to the begetting and increase of true holiness , it is our duty to be most concerned for , and those that have the greatest tendency towards the endangering of it , to set our selves with the greatest industry against . the seventh inference , chap. . that the design of christianity well considered will give us great light into the just bounds of our christian liberty : and that that being to make men holy , it may safely be presumed that such things as have neither directly nor consequentially any tendency to the depraving our souls , are left free to us by our saviour . and 't is shewn that this is only to be understood of such things as the gospel speaks nothing particularly and clearly concerning . the eighth inference , chap. . that 't is a most unaccountable thing to do that which is essentially evil , in defence of the christian religion , or of any opinions presumed to be doctrines relating thereunto . i would j. b. would well lay to heart this ; i am sure if he had done so when he read it , there would have been no occasion for these leavs . the ninth inference , chap. . that 't is most unwarrantable for the ministers of christ to prefer any design before that of making men really righteous and holy . the tenth inference , chap. . that an obedient temper of mind is an excellent and necessary qualification to prepare men for a firm belief and right understanding of christ's gospel . the last inference , chap. . that we are taught by the design of christianity , wherein the essence , power , and life of it consisteth , viz. in a holy frame and temper of soul , whereby it esteemeth god as the chiefest good , preferreth him and his son jesus before all the world , and prizeth above all things an interest in the divine perfections , such as justice and righteousness , universal charity , goodness , mercy , patience , and all kinds of purity : from whence doth naturally proceed a hearty complyance with all the holy precepts of the gospel , and sincere endeavours to perform all those actions which are agreeable to them , are necessary expressions of those and the like vertues , and means for the obtaining and encrease of them . what thinkest thou now , reader , canst thou fancy the design of christianity to be another leviathan ? or rather art thou able to retain any tolerable opinion of that man that calls it so , and represents it as such a piece of monstrous devilism ? nay , can he himself have such a brazen forehead , as not to be confounded to think what he hath done , upon his reading over ( if he can be perswaded to it ) but this short account of that treatise ? i pray god give him true repentance , and set home upon his conscience what hath , and shall be farther laid open to his view in this small pamphlet : which if ever he does , i am sure he 'l acknowledge that mr. f. hath given him as little temptation to accuse him so highly , as did our blessed saviour the malicious pharisees to fasten upon him the imputation of as fearful crimes , viz. profane company keeping , treason , witchcraft and blasphemy . and who can be so blind as not to see , that the only provocation i b. could have to exclaim at such a rate is this , that the design of mr. f's took is utterly to root out that doctrine which is the grand support of wretched hypocrites , and which doth infinitely disparage our blessed lord jesus and his glorious gospel : i mean that filthy doctrine of antinomianism , with which this man hath stuffed his sad scrible ; and it appears not only by that but by his other lamentable writings , that he is as rank and ranting an antinomian as ever foul'd paper . i concluded as soon as i had read the design of christianity ( which no man hath done more deliberately or impartially than my self ) that it would be a very acceptable work to sincere souls ; but on the otherside , as welcome to all hardned hypocrites , as our saviours sermon on the mount to the scribes and pharisees . i knew it would make such gnash their teeth , and that the author would be an object of their spight and rage ; but i must confess i could not in the least imagine , that any one that would be thought a christian had so little concern for his reputation , as so shamelesly to lay open his hypocrisie to the sight of all men , as by printing such fearful stuff as this i. b. hath done . in the first place he sets down a catalogue of the errors and doctrines destructive of christianity , that he saith mr. f. hath presented to the world in his ( as he calls it ) feigned design , &c. and that it might make a huge shew , he puts it upon the tenter hooks to make it contain so round a number as just forty . and 't is worth our observation , that in order to the making of it so bulky a thing as he does , he useth this honest art , ( as any one will see that reads his long bed-roul with the least attention , namely , he makes in abundance of instances distinct doctrines of different expressions , and proofs , and illustrations of one and the same thing . as ( in the first place ) the sixth damnable wicked doctrine he chargeth on mr. f. is , that christs grand coming into the world was to put us again into possession of that holiness that we had lost . design of christianity page . the seventh , that iohn the baptist , the angel sent to zacharias and mary ( which is his own addition ) and malachi preached this doctrine . p. . the eighth , that by christs saving us from sin , is meant not first his saving us from the punishment of it , &c. p. , . mark , by the way , that what he refers to here is only two or three words , by which the proof out of malachi of the same thing is explained . the nineteenth , that the salvation of christ first consists in curing our wounds , and secondarily in freeing us from the smart . p. . the twentieth , that pardon doth not so much consist in remission as in healing . p. . note , this is not mr. f's saying but only a saying of the ancient father clemens of alexandria quoted by him . the th . that the grand intent of the gospel is to make us partakers of inward real righteousness , and it is but a secondary one that we should be accepted and rewarded as if we were completely righteous . p. . the th . that it is not possible that any other notion of this doctrine should have truth in it p. . i. b. himself cannot be so blind as not to be able to see , that all these seven amount to one and the same thing . again , the th . error is , that it is impossible a wicked man should have god's pardon . p. . that is , as mr. f. explain'd himself , he continuing wicked . the th . that 't is impossible christ's righteousness should be imputed to an unrighteous man. p. . that is , he continuing unrighteous . the th . that if it were , it would signify as little to his happiness while he continueth so , as would a gorgeous and splendid garment to one that is almost starved . p. . the th . that for god to justifie a wicked man &c. would far more disparage his justice and holiness , than advance his grace and kindness . p. . the th . that men are not capable of gods pardoning grace till they have truly repented them of all their sins . p. . who that hath eyes in his head doth not see , that these are all the same . once more , the st . pretended error is , that faith justifies as it includes true holiness in the nature of it . p. . the d. that the faith , that iustifies a sinner to so high a priveledge as that of iustification , must needs be such as complyeth with all the purposes of christ's coming into the world , and especially with his grand purpose ; and 't is no less necessary that it should justify as it doth this . p. . the d . that he wonders that any worthy man should be so difficultly perswaded to embrace this account of justifying faith. p. . a special doctrine this doth he know what the word [ doctrine ] means that makes this one ? the th . that there can be no pretence for a man to think that faith should be the condition or instrument of justification , as it complyeth with only the precept of relying on christs merits for the obtaining of it . p. . the th . that it is as clear as the sun at noonday , that obedience to the other precepts must go before obedience to this p. . the th . that , he shall be his apollo that can give him a sufficient reason , why justifying faith should consist in recumbency and relying on christs merits for the pardon of sin. p. . this another special doctrine . and anon his foul dishonesty in this shall be discovered . the th . that , he will take the boldness to tell those who are displeased with this account of justifying faith , that in his opinion it is impossible they should think of any other . p. . this a doctrine like the other two ; which no one of common sense would call so . here are seven more of his doctrines that are all the same . to which also may be added many more that are the very same , but i am weary of this work ; and i think i have done fairly in transcribing these instances , whereby it is manifest that nineteen of his number are dwindled away into almost but a poor three . and by these let the reader judg of the rest , or rather let him examine and compare them himself , and he will find enough in all conscience of the same fair play ; and be ready to take up his saying to the shearer of the hoggs : a great cry , but little wool . next after this doughty performance , our notable muster-master of damnable doctrines thus accosts his reader . reader , i have given thee here but a taste of these things , and by my book but a brief reply to the errors , that he by his hath divulged to the world , although many more are by me reflected , than the forty thou art here presented with . but i must tell our honest iohn , that surely he never expected any other readers than the most arrant blockheads , or he ( except he be so himself ) would never have made them such a present . and whereas he saith , he hath reflected many more , to pass by the non-sense i will assure him , that after his rate of counting , if i may but have the honour to serve him in compleating his catalogue , it should scape me hard but i would advance mr. f's . errors from so modest a number as forty to at least four hundred . but i must have another remark upon this goodly catalogue , namely , that i. b. hath very falsly represented , and more than so , invented doctrines for mr. f. which is the part of a marvellously honest man. as for instance ; what think you of his very first ; namely , that the first principles of morals , those first written in mens hearts are the essential , the indispensable and fundamental points of the gospel . for this he cites p. . , . but there is no such thing , and all that can be gathered thence is but this , that these are fundamentals , and in p. . there is numbred with righteousness , charity , &c. the preferring god and christ iesus before all the world , and this is set before those too . but i. b. hath so worded this , as to make the reader think that mr. f. hath asserted so horrid a doctrine , as that those are the only fundamentals of the gospel . but what mr. f. doth assert , i. b. if he be in his wits , whatever he thinks , will not dare to deny . the second is like the first , viz. that these first principles are to be followed , principally as they are made known to us by the dictates of humane nature ; and that this obedience is the first and best sort of obedience that we christians can perform . observe . that this is non-sence , and no where written by mr. f. he knows not what dictates mean that saith , that the first principles are made known by them ; for they are the dictates of humane nature themselves ▪ but . observe , what is far more unpardonable , that the whole is a pure forgery , consult the place he refers to , p. , , . the third , that there is such a thing , as a soundness of soul , and the purity of the humane nature in the world . this he cites p. . for , but neither there or elsewhere is this asserted otherwise than thus , that true holiness is the purity of the humane nature , and a sound complexion of soul ; now all that follows hence is , that where holiness is , there is purity of nature , &c. that is , in what degree soever a man is holy , his nature is pure : and doth not our saviour intimate as much , when he calls holy men ( and that on this side heaven too ) pure in heart , matt. . . what is the difference between purity of nature , and purity of heart ? but the vilest thing is this , that i. b. would by wording it thus make the reader believe , that mr. f. denyes the corruption of nature ; as will be seen anon . the very next again is his pure invention , viz. that the law in the first principles of it is more obliging on the hearts of christians , than is that of coming to god by christ , p. , , , . mr. f. abhors this doctrine , nor is there any thing in those or any other pages of his said to tempt any well-minded man to gather so wretched an inference from it . the most that is said concerning going to god by christ is but this , that 't is a duty enjoyned by a divine positive law not by the law of nature ; and of all men i hope i. b. won't say it is , who ( like a wofully ignorant creature ) so often speaks contemptuously of this law. but because mr. f. said some pages before , that the law of nature is of an eternal and indispensable obligation , but not positive laws , he fastens on him that wicked doctrine ; whereas nothing more , so much as seems to follow from thence , than that , therefore god can dispense with our obedience to his positive laws , not that we are less obliged to obey them than the laws of nature , while they are in force ; and i never knew any man in the world that ever questioned this . observe reader , that this that he here so vilely abuseth mr. f. in , he repeats innumerable times over in his book , and 't is one of the blasphemies he chargeth on him ; but how dares that man look god in the face that is no more tender of his brothers reputation , as so without any ground to accuse him of the horridest of all wickednesses ? again he invents the tenth error , viz. that christ's fulfilling the law for us , was by giving more perfect and higher instances of moral duties , than were before expresly given , p. . doth not this man know that he hath put in these words [ for us ] and that mr. f. did only repeat that of our saviour , i came not to destroy the law but to fulfil it ; and then expounded that word fulfil by the word perfect , intimating that the greek hath that signification ; and adding in the margent that , in rom. . . and col. . . it is rendred to preach fully . for another instance of his wicked dealing , take error the . that he shall be his apollo that can give him a sufficient reason , why justifying faith should consist in recumbency and relyance on christ's merits for the pardon of sins . p. . observe here the most palpable knavery of this citation . . he sets down but one half of the sentence . . the half he conceals is the principal ; mark , this is mr. f's whole saying ; he shall be my apollo that can give me a sufficient reason , why justifying faith ought only to consist in recumbency and relyance on christ's merits for the pardon of sin , and not also on his power for the mortification of it : is not there a vast difference between this whole sentence , and his clipt one ? but . to make it sound yet more odiously he leaves the word , the principal word [ only ] out of that part he sets down . and he makes mr. f. say , he shall be his apollo that can give a sufficient reason , why justifying faith should consist in relyance on christ's merits ; when his saying is , should only consist in relyance on christ's merits . and canst thou think this , reader , a wicked saying ? 't is as wicked , as he that hath thus notoriously abused it is honest : what but a dear love of sin can make any one have a less value for that grace of god , that is through christ discovered in killing it , than for that grace that is expressed in the pardon of it ? and what but hypocrisie can perswade any man , that it is not as necessary a condition to our acceptance with god to trust in christ's power for the subduing of our lusts , as in christ's merits for the forgiveness of them . another instance of this mans insufferable baseness is to be found in his . citation , out of p. . the imputation of christ's righteousness consisteth in dealing with sincerely righteous persons , as if they were perfectly so ; there my gentleman stops with an &c. and leaveth out the main business . if you consult the place you 'l find this the left-out-part of the sentence [ for the sake , and upon the account of christ's righteousness . ] i do not remember whether he hath it right any where in the body of his book , but if he hath it signifies little , for he knew well enough that , where one would read through ( or any considerable part of ) his book , very many would read this catalogue in the front of it , nor could he be ignorant how much it is his interest that the reader should not see this part , and that he would bless himself that i. b. should be so shameless a creature , as to reckon that up among doctrines destructive of christianity ; and much more , that he would stand amazed to think , that mr. f. should be accused as a trampler under foot of the bloud of the son of god , ( as he is in the very title page ) and an idolizer of man's own righteousness , when he asserts , that sincerely righteous persons are dealt with by god as if they were perfectly righteous , for the sake of christ's righteousness . for one more instance take error the fifth , which i heedlesly passed over , when i wrote the first four , but 't is time enough now to make i. b. most dearly repent of his fathering that doctrine on mr. f. it is this : the precept of coming to god by christ is in its own nature a thing indifferent and absolutely considered , neither good nor evil . he knew how this would be entertained , and that every body that thought him but an indifferently honest man would cry out shame on the venter of such an assertion ; and he in his book doth on every turn make a fearful out-cry with this doctrine , stopping his ears , and crying , blasphemy ! blasphemy ! but what if mr. f. hath no such passage in his whole book ? what is i. b. then ? reader , if he hath i 'le be thy bond-slave . i. b. refers thee to p. , , . but ( as was before said ) all that is said of going to god by christ is but this , that it is enjoyned by a divine positive law , and who ever said that it is enjoyned by the moral law ? now because mr. f. two pages before saith , that positive precepts are the declarations of the arbitrary will of god , whereby he restrains our liberty ; for great and wise reasons , in things that are of an indifferent nature , and absolutely considered neither good nor evil ; he takes occasion from thence to calumniate him by making him assert a doctrine , which doth not so much as follow from any thing he hath written . what! because the objects of the positive precepts , or the things they command , are said to be in themselves indifferent , &c. ( which every body saith as well as mr. f. ) may it be inferred thence , that therefore any positive precept it self is indifferent , and particularly that of coming to god by christ ; whose skull is so thick as not to discern that this is mad arguing ? are precepts and the objects of them the same thing ? but would the reader know what is the worst consequence that follows from thence ; i answer , not that any divine precept can be in it self indifferent , much less that of going to god by christ , 't is blasphemy i acknowledg most willingly , and so will mr. f. too , to say it is ; but this follows , that therefore going to god by christ , considered without respect to god's command that we should do so , is of an indifferent nature ; and did ever any mortal deny this ? will i. b. himself say , that it would have been our duty to go to god by christ , although he had never declared it to be his will that we should do so , although god had never ordained him to be our mediator . and though god's ordaining that christ should be so , was a declaration of his infinite wisdom as well as goodness , yet dare any say that god was bound to it ( that is before he had bound himself ) and that god had been unwise , or unjust , and unholy , if he had not appointed christ our mediator ? but the duties of the law of nature such as loving of god , justice , mercy , &c. these are such as it would disparage god's holiness to give men liberty to perform them or not . god cannot , that is , he cannot will to give us leave to be disobedient to him , to hate him or not to love him , to be unjust ( that is to take away from another what is his , he not first altering the property and making it none of his ) or to commit murther , that is , to kill our neighbour out of malice , &c. contradictions are not objects of any power , and 't is the greatest of contradictions that a creature can be under no obligation to love and honour his creator , &c. and therefore seeing god hath made his son jesus christ our mediator , and told us so , the law of nature it self now commands us to go to god by him , because it commands us to obey god in all things , ( nothing being more a natural dictate , than that god must be universally obeyed ) but if god had done otherwise , if he had never signified it to be his pleasure that christ should mediate between him and us , no dictate of nature would have told us that we ought to go to god by him , nor could it have been our duty . i should be ashamed to insist so long upon so plain a thing , but i hope my reader will excuse me , when he considers whom i deal with . i now challenge this man to make one tittle more than what i have said of any thing mr. f. hath written concerning going to god by christ , but this is no more than every man in his wits will readily assent to . i also appeal to those that are most fond of this i. b. whether or no he does not most barbarously abuse mr. f. in making such hideous clamours as he doth of his blasphemous doctrines , and most of all of this ? i appeal even to the most prejudiced of all his profelytes , and desire them to take a measure of his conscience and sincerity by these doings . most of the things i have laid to his charge you see are the plainest matters of fact , the truth of which any one will presently perceive that compares his representation of mr. f's . doctrines with the book out of which he pretends he had them . but 't is no wonder that he that casts such base slurs on all righteousness but what 's imputative ( as i. b. doth in abundance of places in his book ) should make any bones of these matters ; yet i cannot but admire that so insolently proud a creature as he is fam'd to be , should have no more concern for his own reputation , than to publish ( to call a spade , a spade ) such manifest and apparent lies . god keep us from that religion that gives liberty to such things as these . thus , reader , i have given thee , i think thou wilt say , a sufficient taste both of this mans gross ignorance , and unchristian spirit , and i assure thee i have remarkt upon nothing in his account of mr. f's . doctrines destructive of christianity , but what obviously occurred to me , but i 'le warrant thee if , ( when thou hast nothing else to do ) thou 'lt consider them thy self , thou wilt find that i have left thee scope enough for more discoveries of i. b's . honesty and ingenuity . and who now sees not , that the holy scriptures themselves cannot be secure from being charged with a great number of impious and blasphemous expressions by this presumptious man , should his impudence once rise so high as to deal by them , as he hath done by the sayings of mr. f. indeed to serve their own turns of them , neither he ( as i can largely shew ) nor others like him , do stick at so serving the sacred oracles ; and no body can warrant us that they shall never be so fearfully audacious , as to make use of the same wicked arts to render them as hateful to the world , as they endeavour to make those pious books and men , that discover the extreme naughtiness of their principles and practices . the apostle hath told us , that evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse , and , if so , god alone can tell us where they shall stop . if any reader now expects that i should next proceed to examine the book it self , i must tell him i have done enough in all reason to make him perceive without farther assistance , how i. b. from the beginning to the end hath bewrayed his ignorance and dishonesty . for though he pretends to have confuted effectually the doctrines he so rageth against , this is the sum of his whole performance . . spitting his venome at them all in general . . urging wofully silly arguments against several of them . . wretchedly misrepresenting many of them : putting them into bears skins and then rudely baiting them . . making doctrines for mr. f. which he never dream'● of : setting up men of straw and then fighting with them . . exclaiming and raving at the most horrible rate against mr. f's . person . . intermixing a many non-sensical and wicked opinions of his own . . running over and over innumerable times the very same things . now for the first , fifth , sixth , i will give more than a taste of them together in the close of all . and as for the seventh , viz. his running over and over the very same things , it cannot be expected that i should do any more than desire the reader , if he won't believe me , to receive satisfaction from his own eyes . so that it may be thought there remains now to shew the second , third and fourth , but the third and fourth i have already shewn sufficiently in too many instances for his credit , and a great part of his pamphlet is founded upon those very inventions and misrepresentations of his that have been discovered ; and for the second , viz. the arguments he urgeth against several of mr. f's . doctrines they are so miserably silly , that they deserve not to have one sine bestowed upon them . but yet because i will chuse rather to offend on the right than on the left hand , i will as briefly as may be , shew both how unable and unwilling this poor man is to do mr. f. right in several other particulars ; and also answer those arguments whereby he opposeth his main doctrines . after he had begun his pamphlet with a most obligingly civil address to his beloved mr. f. ( which shall be seen anon ) he next falls foul upon his descriptions of holiness , and not to take notice of the failure of sense in his setting down the second and third , as not deserving the name of faults in this man , he claps in between the third and last , one of his own devising . you farther ( saith he ) call it a principle or habit of soul originally dictates of humane nature . profound sense believe it ! but to pass this by too , he cites p. . for it . but what is there said is only this , that the divine moral laws are either those that were first written in mens hearts , and originally dictates of humane nature , or necessary conclusions and deductions from them . so that holiness and the moral laws are with him the same . this i will not also charge i. b's . dishonesty , but on his woful ignorance . you see he is so used to talk and scrible non-sense , that he cannot easily write sense when prepared to his hand , and therefore we may guess how well he understands it . is not this a right goodly tool to make a preacher of ? but who so bold as blind bayard . next observe that from mr. f's . descriptions of holiness by an healthful complexion of soul , and the purity of the humane nature , he would make us believe he hath asserted that mens natures since the fall ( as i have already intimated ) continue sound and whole ; and thereupon cryes out that no man by nature hath any soundness in him , and sets himself to prove the corruption of nature , and a mighty bawling he makes about this . but doth not mr. f. affirm , that men by their apostasie from god , and sinking into brutish sensuality , have sadly dispossessed themselves of this most excellent temper , and are become like the beasts that perish ? this he doth presently after his descriptions of holiness . nay does he not suppose that this soundness and purity is lost , in making it the design of his book to demonstrate that it was christ's grand business to restore it ? he saith , that this purity and healthful complexion are things a great way off from the spirit of grace and the gracious workings of the spirit , a fine chime ! but doth not mr. f. in the very first page say , that the holiness he so describes is a complication of all the vertues ? whereby he understands what the gospel doth by vertues , viz. the graces of gods holy spirit . and doth he not say in his descriptions of holiness , that 't is such a temper of the inward man , as causeth men to be actuated by all those good principles that are made known by revelation ; that is , to obey all the laws of god , and are not all the graces of the spirit virtually contained in such a temper as causeth men so to do ? he saith , it must be concluded that the divine nature mr. f. talks of , is no other than the dictates of humane nature . if this fellow were now at my elbow , i would know of him what the word dictates means , 't is plain that a goose understands that phrase as well as he ; and therefore he infers that non-sense from mr. f's . descriptions . but who sees not , that that which is to be concluded from them in this good sense , viz. that a divine nature doth enable him that is indued with it , according to the measure he hath of it , to obey not only the dictates of nature , but also whatsoever laws are made known by divine revelation . i. b. could not but know this , if he ever considered those descriptions , and if he did not , what a sad creature is he to undertake ( i won't say to confute ) but to inveigh against them . after he had spent almost another page again in crying out of the corruption of nature , and bringing scripture to prove it , as if mr. f. had most plainly denied what he as plainly asserts as words can do it , he comes to these words in one of the descriptions [ keeps his supreme faculty , in it's throne ] &c. and saith , that they suppose it is within the power of a mans own soul always to keep sin out of it self , &c. but can he think that these words suppose it , when . mr. f. makes holiness the effect of god's grace and spirit , not of a mans own power . . when he doth deny any such thing as perfect holiness in this life , p. . and . when he saith immediately after his third description , that so far forth as holiness is vigorous and predominant in men , it causeth them to perform good actions , and forbear the contrary . all this lamentable stuff is in the two first pages . but i have something else to do than thus to trace him to the end , for 't is all alike : and therefore i can look for no other , should i do so , from all wise men , than to be call'd fool for my pains . i will therefore only take notice of those things that he builds most noise upon . after a deal of hideous non-sense , and running over the same things again and again , he saith in p. . that this righteousness , as mr. f. hath described it , is not that which justifieth us before god. because it is our own , and tells us , that there is the righteousness of men , and the righteousness of god. but is that righteousness our own that is wrought in us by god's holy spirit ? is not that god's righteousness which is the effect of god's grace ? who sees not that it is ? and therefore his citation of phil. . . will do him no service ; for s. paul meant no other there , by his own righteousness which is of the law , than that which consisted in the observance of the purely jewish law ; which he calls his own righteousness because he could obtain it by his own natural power , it consisting of external performances . and by the righteousness of god by faith in the next verse , he means the righteousness of the new creature wrought in him by god's holy spirit ; through faith in christ's gospel : and so the apostle explains himself in the following words : that i may know him and the power of his resurrection , &c. — that is , that i may know the power of his resurrection in raising me up to newness of life , and of his death , in mortifying all my lusts . and whereas he abuseth rom. . . to the same purpose , take notice that their own righteousness there , is no other than that the unchristian iews gloried in , as that by which alone they expected justification and eternal salvation ; and 't is the same with that in the philippians . he saith , the righteousness mr. f. hath described is the righteousness of the moral law only . but i say , that his general descriptions take in the righteousness of the gospel too . 't is said that 't is such a disposition and temper of the inward man , as causeth men to be under the power of all practical principles made known by revelation ; and all the laws of the gospel , i hope , are such . and mr. f. abundantly sheweth , that this righteousness is by the faith of jesus christ , ( that is , by effectually believing christ's gospel ) in shewing what an admirable instrument the gospel is to work this righteousness . and this is an answer to the text quoted out of rom. . . mark ▪ by the way , i. b takes faith still for nothing else but a bare relying on the merits or righteousness of christ , which any presumptious wretch may do ; but i will make it good against men of an hundred times his abilities ( if it be possible any such should be of his mind ) that the true christian faith is such a belief of the doctrine of the gospel , as implyeth an hearty complyance with all its precepts ; whereof that of relying on christ's merits is one , and but one . he saith , the righteousness mr. f. hath described can't justifie before god because of its imperfections : and then follows another page , within two or three lines , spent in proving and crying out of the corruption of nature ; in the midst of which he brings gal. . . to prove that his assertion ; where he said 't is , by the works of the law shall no flesh living be justified . but i have told the reader already that mr. f. never affirmed , but absolutely denyeth justification by any thing but the righteousness of christ only as a meritorious cause ; and he holds the true living faith to justify as a condition , without which no man by the righteousness of christ shall be justified . and whereas the apostle saith , by the works of the law none shall be justified , his meaning is that none shall be justified by the merit of them , nor yet in any sence by them considered as opposed to the obedience of the gospel . he saith , the righteousness which mr. f. hath described can't justify because 't is not of faith . this he proves from gal. . . the law is not of faith. the meaning of that place is , the law makes no account of faith , allows no justification but on condition of legal obedience ; as the following words shew , but he that doth them shall live in them . but now the righteousness mr. f. hath described doth make account of faith , it causing men to comply with all divine revelations , and therefore with the gospel . he saith p. . that there are three things essential to gospel holiness , of which mr. f's descriptions are utterly destitute . the holy ghost : faith in christ : a new heart . the holy ghost . but mr. f. hath shewn that this righteousness cannot be obtained without the assistance of the holy ghost . but 't is false and nonsense to say the holy ghost is of the essence of righteousuess , and therefore that he ought to be put into the definition of it : he may as well say , that a man is falsly described , when he is said to be a reasonable creature indued with a soul and body , because god his creator is left out of the description . as for faith in christ ; i have again and again shewed that it is manifestly contained in mr. f's descriptions . and then for a new heart and a new spirit , what difference is there between these and purity of nature , and a sound complexion of soul , and a divine or godlike nature ? doth not every body know that these are but several expressions of the very same thing ? p. he inveighs against mr. f's saying , that it was christ's main errand to effect our deliverance out of that sinful state we had brought our selves into , and so to put us again into possession of the holiness that we had lost . by this you see he was not ignorant , that mr. f. asserted the corruption of nature , for all his base suggestions to the contrary . now saith he , i would have the reader take notice that in this last clause [ to put us again into possession of that holiness which we had lost ] is the summ of all his large descriptions , and the holiness he contends for is only that which was in adam before the fall . i answer that it is the same , the very same for kind ; but in what degree adam was holy is unknown to us . this is , at least , without dispute that he was perfectly innocent , and was also indued with a principle of holiness and such powers , as whereby he could improve that principle to as great a heighth as humane nature was capable of ▪ true holiness or inward real righteousness was ever one and the same in its own nature ; it was never nor ever can be any other than such a temper of soul as causeth an affectionate and hearty complyance with all goodness , and an abhorrence and detestation of all wickedness ; which is the sum of all mr f's descriptions of it . in short , it is the image of the infinitely holy god in man , and what god's holiness is we may learn from such scriptures as these ; the righteous lord loveth righteousness , &c. he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity . the lord is just in all his waies . the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hates . the lord is merciful and gracious , long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth ▪ god cannot lye , &c. now this holiness is in god originally , he is an inexhaustible fountain of goodness , nay he is holiness itself , holiness , as 't is in him , is his very nature and essence ; but in all creatures , whether angels or men , it is by way of derivation from him . now observe , the holiness that was in adam was the image of god ; god made him after his own image ; and take notice again , that the holiness of the gospel is of the same nature is shewed by st. paul. eph. . . he there exhorting christians to holiness , expresseth himself thus : and that ye put on the new man which after god ( or after the image of god , or like to god ) is created in righteousness and true holiness . and again he plainly intimates and more than intimates too , that the holiness of the gospel is the same with that mankind hath lost , in the verse immediately foregoing , and be renewed in the spirit of your minds . what is it to be renewed but to recover our former state or that which was lost ? lastly , holiness is described by mr. f. by a divine and godlike nature , and so the apostle peter calls the gospel holiness , pet. . . now what is the difference between a divine or godlike nature , and the image of god ? but i say once more god made adam after his own image , gen. . . what is clearer than all this ? not the sun at noon . * but let us now see the goodly argument whereby this ignoramus endeavours to overthrow this doctrine . . saith he , adam before the fall even in his best and most sinless estate was but a pure natural man , which he explains thus , consisting of body and soul , and in this mans heart god did also write the law , that is ( saith he ) the first principles of morals . but doth not every man since the fall consist of body and soul ? and does not the law still continue written in the hearts of men ? doth not the apostle say concerning the very heathens rom. . that they having not the law are a law to themselves , and that they shew the work of the law written in their hearts , & c ? was adam no more than this comes to ? yes he adds too ( for i will do him no wrong as wickedly injurious as he is to mr. f. ) that adam was made of god sinless . but are not all brutes sinless too ? so that according to this doctrine , we now differ from adam before the fall in nothing but what every beast it self hath . but let this man know , that god did not only write the law in adams heart , but also indued him with a principle whereby he was enabled to yield perfect obedience to that law , and this by his fall he lost . next see what folly he discovers in proving this gross assertion concerning adam , he doth it by that of the apostle cor. . . and thus he sets it down , the first adam was made a living soul , howbeit that was not first which was spiritual , but that which was natural , and afterwards that which is spiritual . the first man is of the earth earthy . observe . he saith , that here adam is said to be but a natural man , even in his first and best estate earthy when compared to christ ; or with them that believe in christ. so that he makes christ and them that believe in christ the same , for adam is here only compared with christ. . that which the apostle speaks only concerning adams body , this i. b. understands concerning his soul. this i never heard of any one that once doubted , and no one can that understands sense , if he reads that chapter , or but the context of those words . the apostle makes it his business in that th to the corinth . to prove the doctrine of the resurrection ; and from verse . shews what bodies christians shall rise with ; and having said that the body ●s sown in corruption and raised in incorruption , sown in dishonour raised in glory , sown in weakness raised in power , he adds v. it is sown a natural body , it is raised a spiritual body : there is a natural body , ( that is an animal body , for so the word in the greek signifies , that is , a body that needs meat and drink , ) and there is a spiritual body , or a pure fine immortal body that needs neither . now follows that which i. b. hath cited , and so it is written , the first adam was made a living soul , the last adam was made a quickning spirit ( which words he hath left out ) howbeit that was not first which is not spiritual , but that which is natural , and after that which is spiritual , ( that is the animal body was first , and afterwards 't is to be changed into a spiritual body ) the first man is of the earth earthy , &c. that is the first mans body was so , for his soul ( as the history of his creation tells us ) was not from the earth . and whereas adam is said to be made a living soul , the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soul is by a metonymy very often used to signifie the body , and that not only living but dead too , nay , the breath , and the bloud also ; of these significations of it i can give abundance of instances out of the holy scriptures , but 't is so well known , that i will not lose one moment upon it . and whereas the second adam is called in opposition to the first a quickning spirit , that is , he is a quickner of dead bodies . but now , what is all this to i. b's . purpose ? he might as well have quoted for it ; in the beginning god created the heavens and the earth . and in interpreting those words as he hath done , he hath put as great an abuse upon the apostle as he hath done , upon himself , that is , made him a most wretched arguer . you see again , what a sad soul this is to take upon him to be a publick teacher , he that so abuseth the most plain scriptures in print , ( as i can shew he doth in a vast multitude of instances besides this ) what woful work may we conclude he makes with them in his ridiculous preachments . he saith , that adam in his best and most sinless estate was a type and figure , a type and figure doubtless in his sinless and holy estate , a type or figure of the holiness of christ. this must be taken upon his own word , he saith doubtless 't is so , but gives not one word of proof . but suppose it were so , it would be nothing to his purpose ; would this prove that adams holiness was of a different kind from the holiness of christians , or of christ either ? but i say doubtless it is not so ; we only read that he was in his fallen estate a figure : and that is in rom. . . by figure there is meant the opposite member in a comparison , and there the reader may see how adam and christ are compared . he saith , the holiness that was in adam and we lost in him , was such as stood in , and was managed by his natural perfect complyance with a covenant of works . on the other side of the leaf , he would acknowledge no more than that adam had the law written in his heart , now we see he grants that he perfectly complyed with that law ; how thick is his ignorance that knows not the difference between these two ! but what again is this to the purpose ? why , . saith he , adams holiness was a natural perfect complyance , &c. but prithee i. b. is it ever the worse for being natural , is not the holiness of the good angels , natural to them ? nay , is not the holiness of god natural to him ? or is it therefore of a different kind from the holiness of christians , because theirs is not natural ? i should affront my reader , should i go about to prove to him ; that the different manner of receiving these two doth not make them to be of a different nature : because adam was created with his holiness , and the holiness of the gospel is by regeneration or a new-birth , are they not therefore of the same kind ? . he saith , that the covenant christ brings in is a better covenant than adams , a blessed covenant of grace , and he possesseth his children with the holiness and priviledges of that covenant . but i say , the holiness that christs covenant of grace requires , is of the same nature with that required in the covenant of works , but the difference is , the condition of the former is true holiness , and that of the latter is perfect holiness : by virtue of the former sincerity is accepted , and by virtue of the latter nothing short of perfection ; and so the holiness of the one and the other differ only in degrees ; and the holiness required by the covenant of works is so far from being meaner , that 't is as much above that which the covenant of grace accepts , as perfection is above sincerity . he saith , the holiness that was in adam , and that we lost by the fall , was such as might stand with perfect ignorance of the mediation of christ ; for christ was not made known to adam as a saviour before he was a sinner . what stuff is here again ? doth this make the one and the other holiness to be of a different nature ? and was adams holiness ever the worse because it stood with perfect ignorance of christ's mediation ? nay , it was therefore far better than we can attain to in this life because he needed no mediator . he saith , the holiness that was in adam was never given him through the promise , nor incouraged by the promise . adam had no promise to possess him with a principle of holiness ; it came to him by creation ; neither had he any promise to strengthen or incourage him in holiness . but . how doth he know he was not incouraged by a promise ? if god did make him a promise was he bound to tell us so ? . there was a promise that if he did not eat of the tree he should live , implyed in the threatning , that if he did eat he should die . . but suppose this to be true , what is it to the purpose ? and what doth it make for him to say that adam's holiness was not given him through the promise , but by creation , when ( as was said ) a different manner of obtaining a thing makes no change in the nature of the thing it self . lastly , he sums up all this sottish prate together , and thereby expresseth his brutish contempt of the holiness we have lost . in a word ( saith he ) it was a natural , shadowish , old covenant , promiseless holiness such as stood and might be walked in while he stood perfectly ignorant of the mediator christ. you see reader , what a vile object of contempt he makes himself . he next ( p. . ) quarrels with that saying before the descriptions of holiness , namely , that the holiness that 's the design of christianity is not subjected in any thing without us , nor is made ours by a mere external or outward application . to this he saith , that these words secretly smite at the justification that comes by the imputation of the glorious righteousness , that alone resideth in the person of the lord iesus , and that is made ours by an act of eternal grace , we resting upon it by the faith of christ. here 's malice with a witness ? does not he know that mr. f. hath asserted the imputation of christ's righteousness , and that the worst he saith is , that 't is not the ultimate end of christianity , but that 't is designed in order to the promoting of inward holiness , as all christian priviledges are ? and does he not therefore know , that when mr. f. saith , that the holiness that is the design of christianity is such as he there affirms , that he means by the design the chief and main , or the design by way of eminence ? he that hath read but the title page cannot but see this ; for he interprets there the design of christianity by ultimate end and grand intendment . one may sufficiently understand the naughtiness of this mans spirit by this one instance . by the way , i must tell the reader , that whereas mr. f. doth somewhere in his book call holyness the onely design of christianity , he must needs be most disingenuous that can interpret that [ onely ] so severely as to exclude all other ends , the whole business of the treatise being to demonstrate it to be the ultimate or last end , that is , in reference to men ; and no man can think that he would any where assert more than he designed to prove . and he could mean no more by onely , than as in common speech it is very ordinarily used , that is , for special or principal . and so the reverend and learned mr. baxter hath expounded the word in defence of mr. fowler . these are his words , where he and others do say , that holiness is the only design of the promises , &c. you must not interpret them too severely , nor suppose them to speak properly , or accurately ; but [ onely ] is an hyporbolical expression , as many use the word [ infinite ] as an attribute of created things , &c. this i. b. saith , but if the holiness mr. f. speaks of be not subjected in any thing without us ; then it is not of all that fulness which it pleased the father should dwell in us : for the holiness and righteousness , even the inward righteousness that is in the saints ; it is none other than that which dwelleth in the person of the son of god in heaven . now , reader , thou understandest what a ranting antinomian this man is , or rather ( if he knows what he saith ) a down right ranter . for this most abominable assertion he brings iohn . . of his fulness we all receive , and grace for grace . but would any one that hath the least of sobriety have understood this text otherwise than thus ; viz. christ is a bountiful bestower of grace on his , especially when 't is not said , we all receive his fulness , but we receive of ( or from ) his fulness , as the greek preposition signifies . observe here that this monstrous piece of impudence saith , that the saints on earth are as perfectly holy as christ himself , in asserting that their holiness and righteousness is none other than that which dwelleth in the person of the son of god in heaven . now i will cry blasphemy too , and that upon most just grounds . there is also another place he abuseth to favour this blasphemy , viz. iohn . . but let the reader see how that makes for him . i sedately , and without the least inclination to passion , profess ; that i cannot remember i ever knew such a shameless abuser and perverter of the holy scriptures in all my dapes . but i wonder how he came here to escape that text , eph. . . that you may be filled with the fulness of god ; where , by fulness of god , we must understand that heighth of grace to which god designeth to raise christians : as the righteousness of god signifieth ( as i shewed ) the righteousness that is the effect of gods grace and spirit : but according to this i. b's . wild rate of interpreting , the sense of the words would be that ye may be goddified , or be made god himself ; which is a blasphemy that any one but a very devil would tremble at the thoughts of . and i pray , reader , how much short of this do those strange words of i. b's . come , which i find in p. . in heaven there shall not be in us a likeness onely to , but the very nature of god ; that is , ( if he understands that word ) the essence and very deity of god. and observe to thy amazement , that he proves this by rom. . . heirs of god , and joynt heirs with christ. as if to be an heir of god is to be an inheritour of his nature or godhead ; when to be the heir of a man , no fool will understand to be the heir of his nature , but of all or part of his estate and goods . if he should think that those words of s. peter make for this horrid assertion ; namely , that ye may be partakers of the divine nature , let him know that the divine nature , ought to be rendred a divine ( that is , a god-like ) nature ; and our translators meant no more ; though ( little thinking how wretches would abuse it ) they put the for a. i would not so far imitate this man in his most ( not only unchristian but also ) inhumane uncharitableness to mr. f. as certainly to conclude him as bad as his last cited words make him ; but if they don't necessarily speak him guilty of the highest impiety , they demonstrate him most wofully ignorant , and therefore judge how dangerous a thing it must needs be for such a one to be suffered to preach the gospel . if he should say , ( for i would prevent all his pleas for such mad talk , ) that christians are said to be even in this life the temple of god and of the holy ghost , &c. a mere novice in christianity can tell him , that the meaning of the metaphor is , that they are by their special favour and graces in the church and in particular christians , not that the divine nature and essence it self can be otherwise there than in other places : whose brain is so wild , as not to apprehend the absurdity and contradiction of such an assertion ? to say a word or two more to his frantick doctrine of the holiness that is in the saints ; he possibly may think that eph. . . is a friend to it ; where 't is said , that christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ; but none but a bunyan that reads the foregoing verse with it , can doubt that the apostle's meaning is any other than this , namely , that christ may dwell by his spirit , or the graces and fruits of his spirit in your hearts , by or thrrugh faith or an effectual believing the gospel ; not by his individual righteousness imputed to them , or accounted theirs . but lastly to conclude this , let the reader observe , that there is this poison also in those words concerning the saints holiness , namely , that there are no holy dispositions wrought by the spirit of god in them ; for ( as was said ) these are his words , that even the inward righteousness that is in the saints , it is none other than that which dwelleth in the person of the son of god in heaven . so that whatever for his credits sake he acknowledgeth elsewhere , he professeth here , that the only inward righteousness or holiness of the saints is but christ's imputed righteousness ; which is to say also , that they have no inward holiness at all . then next , he puts as wicked a sense on the following words of mr. f's . as he doth on the abovesaid scriptures , namely these [ but is originally seated in the soul and spirit , ] and makes mr. f. to say in them , that holiness hath its original from us : when the plain meaning is , that holiness is first seated in the soul it self , not in the outward man ; and ( as i have said ) he doth as expresly as is possible assert , that god's holy spirit is the seater of it there ; and that those that have it are beholden to christ for it . i have shewed this over and over . again in the . page , he proceeds to his accusation of mr. f. as affirming , that coming to god by christ is in itself and absolutely considered an indifferent thing . this he saith follows from mr. f's . saying , that positive precepts are so , in that he makes this a positive precept . but mr. f. never said positive precepts are so , but the things injoyned by them . now see how ignorantly he talks . if ( saith he ) it be but indifferent in it self , 't is not of the substance of christianity . but he that is but one remove from a child can tell him , that this is an egregiously false consequence . to say that a thing is in itself and absolutely considered indifferent is , ( as hath already been shewn ) only to say , that 't is so considered without respect to the command of god , but the command of god hath made going to him by christ a duty of absolute and indispensable necessity , and such a grand fundamental and essential of the gospel , as that there is none greater : so that 't is damnable for any one to whom the gospel is revealed to omit this duty . he saith , that an indifferent thing in it self is next to nothing , and then the bloud of christ is of no value at all , and afterwards , he thus taunts it ; how indifferent ? as indifferent as the blood of a silly sheep , &c. but thou most unsufferable abusive and provoking man , take this answer once for all ; whatsoever is commanded us by the great god , how indifferent soever it was before , ceaseth then to be indifferent , but is of as absolute necessity to be done by us , as 't is not to incur the penalty of eternal damnation . and i tell you once again , that no man in his wits ever could think any other , than that going to god by christ is made a duty by a positive law of god only ; nor did i ever hear of any one that was so mad as to deny this ; nay , you your self will not dare to say , that this duty is commanded by the law of nature or the moral law , nay , you more than once say it is not . go now and confess that you are either most shamefully ignorant , ( as not knowing the difference between a moral and positive law ) or else that you do most wittingly and designedly calumniate and defame your brother . all men of any understanding will tell you , that one of these is most true of you , when they read this , and therefore take your own choice . but he that reads this whole pamphlet will not , cannot doubt ( if he be not grosly prejudiced ) that you are not less malicious than you are ignorant . after abundance of repetitions , vile railing , and the most foolish cavills that ever man read , which i will not trouble my self with , he comes , p. . to tell mr. f. that his saying that 't is an impossible thing that a wicked man should have gods pardon , and that christ's righteousness should be imputed to an unrighteous man , proclaim him to be ignorant of jesus christ , and then he undertakes thus to confute him . saith he , god doth not pardon painted sinners , but such as are really so . that is granted , but it is when they are sincerely , through his grace , willing and desirous to leave their sins ; and then they do not , in this life cease to be sinners , but they cease to be such as are called wicked and ungodly , by which phrases is meant presumptuous sinners . then he tells mr. f. impertinently , that christ dyed for sinners , but he must say he dyed so for sinners , as to give them a pardon while they live and delight in sin , and refuse to be reformed , or he saith nothing to the purpose . but where is this said ? i declare , no where , but the contrary in abundance of places : is it not said , repent and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out ? acts . . repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of iesus christ , for the remission of sins , acts . . him hath god exalted to be a prince and a saviour to give repentance to israel , and forgiveness of sins . repentance first , and then forgiveness acts . . let the wicked forsake his way , &c. and let him return to the lord , and he will have mercy on him , and to our god for he will ( or he then will ) abundantly pardon , isai. . . wash ye , make ye clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes ; cease to do evil , learn to do well , &c. and what follows ? come now and let us reason together , saith the lord , though your sins be as scarlet , they shall be as white as snow , &c. is. . . acts . . — i send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god , that they may receive forgiveness of sins , &c. have i wrested these scriptures ( to which i can add innumerable more , ) and don 't they as plainly speak turning from sin to be a necessary condition of pardon , as words can do it ? what blindness have they contracted that don't see this ! but i. b. hath a text for his turn , which all his brethren cry up mightily , namely , that in rom. . . god justifieth the ungodly . but doth not every body see , that that text will contradict hundreds of other scriptures , if it be otherwise to be understood than thus ; god justifies those that were once ungodly , not while they are ungodly : god doth not , nay he cannot pass a false judgment , and declare those righteous , that are utterly void of righteousness : god's nature is so holy , that he no less abominates to be a justifier of the wicked , while they continue so , than to condemn the righteous . he hath declared , no peace to the wicked . now take notice reader , that there is no doctrine delivered in m. f's . book , that he is so outragiously mad at , as at this doctrine . now suppose it should be false ( as 't is as true as the gospel ) what danger can there be in asserting , that men by the free grace of god are delivered from the power of sin , before ( that is in order of nature ) he delivers them from the guilt of it . and who but the devil , or one devoted to his service , can curse that man with bell book and candle that delivers this doctrine ? nay , who but a man that loves his lusts with all his heart , and cannot endure to think of parting with them , would not be ready to embrace this doctrine as soon as 't is sufficiently proposed to him ? and once more , who that hath any love for inward real righteousness , would desire to be dealt with as if he were a perfectly righteous man , merely because he hath so strong a fancy as to imagine christs righteousness is imputed to him ? and nothing but this fancy is the faith of this i. b. he declares p. . ( to omit other places ) that faith in the justification of a sinner from the curse and wrath of god , respecteth only the mercy of god , and forgiveness of sin for the sake of christ. so that he that hath but confidence enough strongly to believe ( though he hath no more reason so to do than because he believes so ) that his sins are forgiven , hath justifying faith . again ( saith he ) in the next words , god for christs sake hath forgiven him that is inabled to believe , that is , to trust to , and venture the eternal concern of his soul upon the righteousness that is no where to be found , but in the person of the son of god. the destroyer of souls cannot invent more destructive doctrine . nor is that to be heeded that they say , that holiness will by way of gratitude be the consequent of such a faith ; for . we know by experience that that is false ; for we see that the most hardned wretches have ordinarily the strongest confidence , that the merits and righteousness of christ is theirs , which ( as i said ) is this poor mans faith . but . this salvo ( as a worthy person saith ) is like to prove but a slippery hold , when 't is believed ( as those people do ) that gratitude it self as well as all other graces is in them already by imputation : they must say something to make their wretched doctrine to seem less odious , or they would scarcely be indured in a christian state. but whereas i said , that the fore-mentioned salvo is demonstrated by experience to have nothing of truth , i must tell the reader , that i need go no farther for an example than this poor creature himself ; he is as sad an instance of the falsity of that pretence as ever i knew . no man discovers a stronger confidence ( as i can prove ) in the merits of christ , nor more presumes that the righteousness of christ is imputed to him , than doth this man ; but in the mean time , what is the holiness that this faith of his hath produced ? if as insolent pride as ever man heard of , the most outragious fury , the most turbulent spirit , the most reviling and defaming pen and tongue , and consequently the most malicious soul can consist with the mortification of sin , and true holiness , then this man may be a holy man ; but he that saith they can , affirms this horrid contradiction , viz. that the most thick egyptian darkness may have fellowship with pure light , and the most exact and lively resemblances of the devil , may consist with the image of the infinitely holy god , and a divine nature . let him not think himself a saint because he hath a zeal , and pretends to have it for god too ; for so the worst of men the pharisees had , and the crucifiers of the lord of glory , rom. . . or because he preacheth and makes long prayers , for besides that ( if fame belies him not ) those are such , as alone declare him not only a very absurd but naughty man , i say besides this , the abominable pharisees were as good at those things as he for his heart can be . if he thinks that his despising and separating from others as carnal and prophane wretches , ( though far better than himself ) and such as communion with whom will defile him , is an argument of his holiness ; i will only ask him who those were that cryed stand by thy self , come not near to me , for i am holier than thou , isai. . . and who those likewise were that s. iude saith separated themselves , as being much more perfect than others , and calling themselves the spiritual . v. . if he flatter himself with a fond conceit ( as no doubt he doth ) that suffering persecution is a great evidence of holiness , the quakers , which he himself counts most damnable hereticks , have suffered as much , and many of them far more than ever he hath done , whose persecutions have been but fleabites or not so bad , nay no other than such as have contributed to his purse , far more plentifully than ever his cast of trade could . but besides the apostle tells us , if i give my body to be burnt and have not charity , ( which i. b. proclaims himself ( if the tree be known by the fruit ) utterly void of ) it profiteth me nothing : read the chap. of the first to the corinthians , and you need not be told how charitable this man is . in a word , the devil hath his martyrs as well as jesus christ. he will not say that being no drunkard or fornicator , &c is any argument of a holy man , for he inveighs against none as unholy so much , as those he is not able to tax with the vices that denominate men so , or any other immoralities ; and i must tell him too , ( however he take it ) that his vices are as far beyond such , as are those that render men like to devils more black and filthy , than those that make them resemble brutes : and our saviour hath told the men of i. b's saintship , that publicans and harlots shall enter into the kingdome of heaven before themselves . i heartily again pray , that this plain and most honest dealing may be succesful to his true repentance ; but it is scarcely to be hoped it will , so long as he persists in his gross conceits concerning that blessed doctrine of justification by faith , and imputation of christs righteousness , ( which are but two expressions of one and the same thing , as is abundantly proved in the free discourse ) for while he rouls himself on christ for salvation , and strongly conceits that he is clad with his righteousness , ( which i have with undeniable evidence shewn to be the whole of his justifying faith ) he looks upon all his sins , past , present and to come , as actually pardoned , and therefore who that is not as blind as a post cannot see , that repentance is then a needless and vain thing ; nay , and that 't is but a meer mockery for such a one as i. b. so much as to pray for the pardon of his sins . and i entreat those that use to hear him , to observe whether ever he doth so . he contradicts himself egregiously , if he doth any more than pray that god would give them a sense and assurance that their sins are pardoned ; the plain english of which petition is in him no more than this , that god would strengthen more and more their already too strong fancies , that they may not doubt , but that their foul pollutions are all hidden from his all-seeing eye by the garment of the righteousness of christ cast over them ; and that they may be more and more assured , that ( as bad as they are ) christs righteousness doth not suffer him to see any iniquity in them . i say 't is scarcely to be hoped , that this man should ever repent , or so much as pray for pardon , till he comes to embrace that doctrine which he now so detests : viz. that receiving of christ as a lord to rule , as well as a priest to save , is a condition without which god will pardon none for the sake of christ ; and also that no mens sins are actually pardoned before they are repented of , and therefore much less before they are committed , and that christs individual righteousness is not made any mans in a proper sense , much less that it is so merely because he believes it is so ; and that there is no other doctrine true concerning the imputation of christs righteousness than this , that those only that are enabled by the grace of god to hate and detest their sins , or are endued with inward real righteousness , shall have the benefit of christs righteousness : for to have christ's righteousness imputed ( as is fully proved in the aforesaid book ) is onely ( and that is as much as heart can wish ) to have as great advantages by his righteousness , accruing to us , as if it were in the properest sense imaginable made ours . before i go farther , let me tell the reader , that this whole doctrine of mr. f's concerning justification by faith is most invincibly defended by abundance of the orthodox divines of the church of england , and by none more effectually than by mr. baxter in his book against crandon long since written , and in many other of his works . which , if it be possible , thou shouldest yet be dissatisfied concerning it , thou wilt do well to peruse ; and which if this i. b. had ever read , ( or but anyone of them , and had the wit to understand it ) he had never made himself so infamous as to publish to the world such filthy stuff ; nor brought out the worst of those woful arguments for the defence of his doctrine , that have been answered a thousand and a thousand times . in page . and other places he makes woful work with mr. f's saying , that christ trod every step before us of the way that leads to gods kingdom ; and cryes therefore he went to heaven by vertue of an imputative righteousness , and by vertue of his own intercession , and faith in his own bloud , and then christ must come to god , and ask mercy for some great wickedness that he hath committed . but here he also discovers a most ill nature and perverse spirit , for no man of any candour could otherwise have understood mr. f. in those words than thus : that christ was an example of all those vertues or graces that qualifie men for the kingdom of god : was he not an example of all those graces that together denominate a man pure in heart , can he dare to say he was not ? now doth not our saviour say , blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see god : but then , faith he , what say you to going to heaven by vertue of an imputative righteousness , and of his own intercession , and faith in his own bloud ? i say all these are no other than going thither by faith in christ , that being faith in his bloud , and righteousness and intercession , but those that understand the christian religion will tell him , that the obtaining of this purity of heart , or the graces christ was an example of , is the end of this faith ; so much the apostle intimates in those words purifying their hearts by faith , and it is the business of the design of christianity to demonstrate this . so that 't is most true , that whosoever follows christs example shall see the kingdome of god , but we cannot follow it without faith in his merits , faith in his power , or in one word , without effectual believing the gospel , which takes in the whole of the christian faith. and whereas he saith , that if this doctrine be true , christ must ask god mercy for some great wickedness committed by him ; how does that follow ? christ ask'd god mercy for us , and do not we do as he did , when we ask it for our selves ? but then he monstrously foolishly proceeds , and saith , if this be so , then we cannot come to heaven before we be accursed of god , we must first make our body and soul an offering for the sin of others , then we must go to heaven for the sake of our own righteousness . and then he insultingly cryes o sir ! what will thy gallant generous mind do here ? this might be a sad nonplus indeed , were mr. f. a perfect changling . but observe , did mr. f. say that christ trod no steps but those we must tread ? is this saying , that he trod before us every step which he hath told us leads to the kingdom of god , ( or that we must go in to the kingdom of god ) the same with this , that he trode no other but those we must tread ? can any man be such a sot as not to discern the wide difference between these two propositions . by the way take notice , that it is blasphemy to say , that christ was accursed of god in any other sense than this , that he suffered such a kind of death as was by the law of moses pronounced accursed . so the apostle explains his being made a curse , gal. . . christ was alwayes gods beloved son , nor was he ever more a darling of heaven than when he hung upon the cross. and that the reader may be truly informed in the doctrine of christ's satisfaction , ( false notions whereof make this i. b. talk most gross things ) i entreat him to get and carefully peruse the learned dr. stilling fleets treatise upon that subject ; there you will find that christ did not suffer the very same punishment that is due to sinners , but that what he suffered for sinners sakes was as satisfactory , and answered the ends of government as much , as if all mankind had perished : and thanks be to god that doctrine of christs suffering the very same is now generally exploded . but to return , observe but these scriptures , and you will then need no more than what hath been said , to discern how ridiculously and wretchedly this i. b. talks in several places about the life of christ. luke . . if any man will come after me ( or be a christian ) let him deny himself , and take up his cross daily , and sollow me . pet. . christ suffered for us leaving us an example , that ye should follow his steps , who did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth , who when he was reviled , reviled not again , &c. john . . he that saith he abideth in him , ought himself also to walk , even as he walked . v. . if ye know that he is righteous , ye know that every one which doth righteousness , is born of him . john . . little children , let no man deceive you , he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous . iohn . . herein is our love made perfect , that we may have boldness in the day of judgment , because as he is or was ( the analage of the tense being ordinary ) so are we in this world . now this i. b. saith p. . that our saviours life in all duties that respected morals was not principally , or first , to be imitated by us , but that the law , even in the preceptive part thereof , might be fully and perfectly fulfilled for us . mark , . he saith in all duties that respected morals , what nonsense is this ? any body may see he does not know what [ morals ] means . . that our saviours life in these duties was not principally to be imitated by us ; he dares not say not at all to be imitated , though any body may see that reads his book , he would be glad to say so with all his heart : but what scripture doth he bring for this ? none at all . so that if you will not take his word for it , he hath nothing to say to you . . but saith he , that the law even in the preceptive part may be fulfilled for us , was christs principal design in living as he did . what proof hath he for this ? rom. . . christ is the end of the law for righteousness , the end , saith he , not only of the ceremonial law , but of the commandments too ; but is he the end of both alike ? then we are no more now obliged to the one than to the other . in short , the meaning of those words is this , that christ by introducing his gospel , hath put an end to the mosaical dispensation , but how does this make for him ? and whereas he keeps such a stir with christs fulfilling the law for us , he adds to the scripture , 't is nowhere said he fulfilled it for us , much less in his sense ; the man christ jesus ( or christ as man ) was in the same subjection to the law that we are , and he would have been a sinner like unto us if he had disobeyed it , and the benefit we get by his perfect obedience is this , that it qualified him to be a satisfactory sacrifice for our sins , which without it he could not be ; but christ never obeyed the law for us so as that , his obedience should be looked on as ours ; for then what necessity can there be of our own personal obedience . you see , reader , what a sweeper down of cobwebs i am grown ! the truth is , all this mans cavils have nothing so much substance in them as a cobweb hath ; they are rather to be likened to the apples of sodom , do but touch them and they fall to dust , nay , to a perfect nothing . but i will thus idly imploy my self but a very little while longer . he quarrels with mr. f. p. , . for saying , that it is not needful to give a just table of the primary fundamentals of the gospel , and for keeping hid the secondary fundamentals . but . for his saying , that 't is not needful to have a just table of the sormer ; he gives this reason , because 't is impossible that a man that endeavours heartily to understand the scriptures , in order to the bettering of his soul by them , should erre in them , all fundamentals being as clearly revealed as heart can wish . and . for his not particularizing the secondary fundamentals , i think this is a satisfactory reason ; namely , that should he so do , he must transcribe all that is with indisputable clearness delivered throughout the gospel . then he saith , that coming to god by christ is accounted by mr. f. but one of the secondarily fundamental points . but that is wickedly false : he proves it thus , because it is in itself indifferent . but what if it be so , that is , without respect to the command of god that hath made it a duty , does it follow therefore that 't is not a primary fundamental of the christian faith ? such are said by mr. f. to be primary fundamentals , as without the knowledge and belief of which it is impossible to acquire that inward real righteousness , which the christian religion aimeth at ; now god hath made going to him by christ such a doctrine , as without the knowledge and belief of which 't is impossible for us to acquire that righteousness , and consequently hath altered the nature of it . god hath declared that he maketh us to be accepted in the beloved , and that he hath exalted him to be our prince and saviour , and therefore going to him by christ must needs now become necessary in its own nature , and quite another thing than what it was before that declaration . but god hath not so ordered things as that it should be necessary in its own nature to believe , that christs mothers name was mary ; but 't is necessary from an external cause not to deny it , that is , because 't is so plainly revealed that no good man can disbelieve it ; and this according to mr. f's . doctrine is a secondary fundamental . and now i hope i have enabled i. b. to understand that , at which he cryes confusion ! darkness ! confusion ! and if he will not acknowledge that the darkness and confusion , he so tragically exclaims at , is only in his own brains , i am sure every intelligent reader will. there is something i have let pass in his . page , that i 'le take notice of , before i conclude , which is this , that whereas mr. f. saith , that calvin , peter martyr , musculus , zanchy , and others did not question , but that god could have pardoned sin , without any other satisfaction , than the repentance of the sinner , he saith to it , it matters nothing to me , i have neither made my creed out of them , nor any other than the holy scriptures . what iohn ! because you have not made your creed out of them , do the judgment of so many men famous for learning and godliness signifie nothing with you ? this is like a saying of your own , that is , of one composed of pride and ignorance ; how came such a piece of nothing as thou art to be so highly conceited of thine own judgment ? he saith , he hath made his creed out of the scriptures , but who are best accomplisht for the understanding of them ? the learned or idiots ? that would have been in an utter incapacity of understanding one line of the bible without the help of the learned , and must now trust their skill as to the right translation of every word of it ; and cannot have the least guess at the meaning of a difficult place but by their assistance . but let us see his arguments , whereby he endeavours to overthrow that doctrine . saith he , christ was from all eternity appointed to be the saviour . but were not all things that god hath effected as much decreed from all eternity as this ? he dares not say otherwise , as bold as he is ; but by the same argument then , whatsoever god hath done he could not but do , and he is no free agent . his second goodly argument is founded upon a miserably mistaken notion of god's justice , and the doctrine of satisfaction : which i have something else now to do than to explain to him , especially since this that he here quarrels with was delivered but by the bye , and signifies nothing to the design of mr. f's book . he makes another argument of these scriptures , matt. . . if it be possible let this cup pass from me . but no body saith it was possible , after god had decreed christ should suffer , that he should not suffer : but that which is said is , that god was not necessitated to decree it , though for great and wise reasons he did : was god necessitated to make men ? though he was wise in so doing , yet could he not have done otherwise ? his second scripture is heb. . . without shedding of bloud is no remission . true , but the reason is because it was the free decree of god , that remission should not be obtained without it . his third is luke . . ought not christ to have suffered ? but the foregoing verse saith why he ought , viz. because the holy prophets had foretold it . the last is acts . . christ must needs have suffered . but i say , 't was the voluntary not necessitated decree of god , that made his suffering necessary . and the verse before this also shews the same . these are the old thread-bare arguments he useth ; and i condescend to say what i have done to them , only to shew this i. b's . followers in another instance , what a judicious creature they have chosen for their teacher . there is yet another thing in p. . that i 'le bestow two or three lines upon . he there tells mr. f. that he will have a little touch upon his principle of freedom , which ( saith he ) you in p. . call an understanding and liberty of will. observe his non-sense again . but what is it mr. f. there saith that offends this man ? 't is this , that he supposeth men indued with understanding and liberty of will. now proceeds he , there is no such thing in man by nature as liberty of will , or a principle of freedom , in the saving things of the kingdom of christ. but . mr. f. saith never a word of liberty of will as to those things , but only supposeth this in general , that man is indued with liberty of will : and this he himself supposeth in denying it only as to the saving things of christ's kingdom . . he limits that too , and saith there is no such thing in man ▪ by nature as to those things ; will he therefore acknowledge there is such a thing in man by grace ? if he will not , that limitation is ridiculous ; but if he will , he is never like to have mr. f. for his adversary , in this point , nor any of his judgment . he hath declared in the book several times cited , p. . that the men of his judgment hold no free will that is opposite to free grace , and acknowledgeth in the next page the necessity not only of assisting but also of preventing grace . and now let the reader judg , whether mr. f. hath written the least tittle contrary to any one of the articles of the church of england , and particularly to those there concerning free-will , iustification , and works before faith , which in general terms he hath charg'd him with , without shewing wherein he hath done it ; though i acknowledg , if he hath not abused mr. f's . book , that his accusation is no slander . but he is to his perpetual infamy most sensibly demonstrated to have bewrayed most woful ignorance , and notorious dishonesty , and ill nature , besides the foulest erroniousness , in what he hath published against the design of christianity . but 't is pleasant to observe , that this wretch , who abominates any thing ( if one may judg by his rude behaviour ) that bareth the name of the church of england , should cite three of her articles as main orthodoxy's , in order to the more effectual defaming of mr. fowler . this is just like the devils making use of scripture to assist him in his malicious designs against our saviour . lastly , he falls to compare mr. f's . doctrine with campian's the jesuite , and pen's the quaker , and makes a parallel between several of his sayings with seven of the former , and eight of the latter . by the way take notice , that this lamentable piece of work is the labour of more clumsy brains than this poor i. b's . for first , how should he come by sayings out of campian ? but secondly , ( which is more considerable ) he hath a company of terms and phrases , that he was never in a capacity of understanding , as commixed , radicals , abstract , replication , &c. derived from the latin. again characteristical , diametrical , parenthesis , paragraph , &c. borrowed from the greek language . and he is up with his arguing from a thing to a thing , habit and act , which smell of one whose name hath had the honour to stand a little while in a colledge buttery book , and that had the luck sometimes to hear his masters chopping logick together : for i 'le warrant him , who ever was i. b's . fellow-labourer in this worthy performance , is a fellow that never was under a much higher dispensation . and 't is he i presume that hath helpt our author to his after-conclusions . p. . as if there were fore-conclusions . thirdly , the whole is a motly thing piec't and patch't together , as if it were the product of not so few as two , but a club of wise-akers . but yet all that understand i. b's . manners , ability and temper , will accuse me as injurious , should i rob him of the honour of the down-right non-sense , knavery , calumnies and vile language , which make a very great , if not the far greater part of the pamphlet . but to our business , that is , to the parallel between mr. f's . doctrine and a few sayings of the papist and quaker set down by him , to which i reply in a few words . i know not , whether this i. b. hath not as falsly represented these mens sayings , as it hath been proved he hath done many of mr. f's . i have neither of the books to examine the matter , nor have i ever read either , and therefore i cannot accuse him ; but he hath been proved so very notoriously dishonest in this particular , that he ought never more to be trusted upon his own word . but suppose he hath not too favourably represented any of them , the reader will see if he compares them with the sayings of mr. f. set under them , that he abuseth most of these in making a parallel between them ; as i would particularly shew , but that it will take up too much time , and any man of understanding that hath his book will immediately perceive that i charge him truly . but mr. f. i am sure will not stick to acknowledge , that there may be put upon most of them such a sense , as may speak them good and true sayings . as where campian saith , that faith justifies , but not faith only ; this is no other than what s. iames affirms in express words , chap. . . and mr. f's . doctrine is , that faith , if it be taken for a mere relyance on christ's righteousness ( which is but one act of faith ) doth not only justifie ; but if it be understood so as to include the receiving of christ according to all his offices , or for an obediential faith , so it doth only justifie . that is , ( as hath been shewn again and again ) not as a meritorious cause but as a condition . he abhors to assert with the papists the merit of works ; nor doth he affirm that works are a necessary condition of justification , but as they are virtually in faith , for he every where makes a true and sincere willingness to obey christs precepts , which is implyed in faith , the necessary condition of justification . there is not an heretick in the world , but hath some good sayings , this i. b. himself ( as grosly erroneous as he is ) is not out in every thing . and no wise man will love truth one jot the worse for hearing it from the devils mouth . and i freely declare , that if the papists and quakers did assert no worse things than those i. b. hath cited , and withal understood them as he by his parallel makes them to do , i would as heartily defend the principles of both , as i now oppose them . every body knows , that understands these men , that this i. b. and his brethren joyn hands both with quakers and papists , in not a few opinions and practices as they are enemies to the church of england , but doth he think himself and them one jot the more hereticks upon that account ? thus the reader sees how idle and malicious ( that is , like all the rest ) this his last charge also against mr. f. is . before i come to the conclusion of all , i must advertise the reader , that whereas mr. f. p. . hath these words : let us declare , that we are not barely relyers on christ's righteousness by being imitators of it : i. b. hath p. . for barely put hearty , and so makes mr. f. to give this most wicked advice : let us declare that we are not hearty relyers on christ's righteousness . i examined his erratae to find whether it were not a mistake of the printer ( though 't is not easily to be thought it should , there being no resemblance between the words barely and hearty ) but there is no such thing . and to confirm the suspicion that 't was done designedly , he makes this to bring up the rear in his catalogue of mr. f's . . doctrines destructive of christianity , but here thus words it . to be imitators of christ's righteousness , even of the righteousness we should rely on , is counted by mr. f. more noble , than to rely thereon , or trust thereto , pag. . now mark , if he intended honestly , he would have said thus , viz. mr. f. saith , let us declare that we are not barely relyers on christ's righteousness by being imitators of it : for those and no other are mr. f's . words he refers to ; but he knew that none but the most paltry hypocrites could take any offence at that saying . or , if he must be giving it in those other words of his own ; he might have added the word barely , and then the saying would have been without all exception , viz. thus to be imitators of christ's righteousness is accounted by mr. f. more noble than barely to rely on it . i am confident the reader will say , that he never knew any one so impudent , as thus effectually to prove himself in print , a man of a prostituted and debaucht conscience . and my observing of this hath occasioned my taking notice of the foregoing doctrine , viz. this , to do well is better than believing , p. . but mr. f's . words are only these , let us exercise our selves — in studying the gospel to enable us not to discourse , or only to believe , but also and above all things to do well . now that doctrine of his cannot be so much as gathered from these words , all that follows from them is this , that any honest man will say as well as mr. f. namely , that to do well is better than believing without doing well ; for well-doing supposeth believing . the reader can no longer wonder at his flying in mr. f's . face so often with worse than brutish rage and fury , for asserting that christ's righteousness cannot be imputed to a wicked man while he continues so ; his conscience could not but tell him , that this touched his copy-hold ; and that if that doctrine be true , his case is sad . i will , now i am gotten to the catalogue again , take notice of one of the doctrines more that he chargeth on mr. f. viz. the . namely : there is no duty more affectionately commanded in the gospel , than that of alms-giving , p. . i don't remember he saith any thing of this in the book , but only sets it down here , as that the reader would presently perceive is a doctrine destructive of christianity . mark , i say , i don't remember he doth , i do not positively affirm he doth not . but . mr. f. doth not say that no duty is more affectionately commanded , but recommended ; and who knows not that these two are not the same ? . now judg , reader , whether any duty can be more affectionately recommended when 't is said , that pure religion and undefiled before god and the father is this , to visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions , &c. iames . . again s. iohn asks how the love of god can dwell in that man that refuseth to perform this duty , iohn . . and iames ch . . , , &c. sheweth that the faith , that is void of this particular good work , is a dead faith ; that is , no faith at all . and our saviour saith , matt. . . blessed are the merciful , for they shall obtain mercy : that is , those that are merciful from a good principle . and lastly , our saviour instanceth in no other works but these , that men shall be judged according to , at the great day , mat. . . to the end . can a duty be more affectionately and effectually recommended than this of alms-giving is in these places ? to which may be added many more . what can hard-hearted hypocrites say to these places ? the only fence they have against them is their paltry explication of the doctrine of the imputation of christ's righteousness ; by which also they can make all the precepts of the gospel to signifie nothing . again in the same page , viz. . he tells mr. f. that he hath applauded the godliness of heathen philosophers , when as he hath no where done so , and but only cited several of their excellent sayings , and that too for the service of the christian religion . but this is no more than s. paul himself doth , acts . . and titus . . but if mr. f. had said , that very many of the heathens were much better qualified for the kingdom of heaven than this i. b. hath demonstrated himself to be , i make no doubt but he had spoken truly , and not at all transgressed the law of charity ; for there were multitudes of heathens , that would have abominated such practices , as have with the most undeniable evidence been proved against this pretended christian. i can give several more instances of this mans unchristian dealing with mr. f's . sayings , and i doubt not but many have escaped my notice , for i have not narrowly lookt for any , but let the reader , when he finds any thing cited by him out of mr. f's . book , that looks strangely ; consult the book itself , and i dare promise him he shall find , that by either altering the sentence , or omitting part of it , or basely wresting the words to another sense than the context will bear , i. b. hath abused mr. f. in it . and now who that hath read this i. b's . book will not tell me , that it is much more than high time i should have done with it ; and that i have done abundantly more than enough to convince the reader of the apparent folly and wickedness of it ? indeed i might well have concluded as soon as i had answered his miserably simple objections against that doctrine , that christ came to restore the holiness we had lost ; for he saith , p. . if you can prove that any of these promises were made to the holiness we had lost , or that by these promises ( viz. those of the holy spirit , remission of sin , and eternal happiness in the enjoyment of god ) we are to be possessed with that holiness again , i will even now lay down the bucklers . and again , when he had done his utmost to confute that doctrine , he brags that he had rased the foundation of mr. f ' s. book ; so that the bare shewing how wofully he hath performed that one undertaking , would have been a sufficient confirmation and defence of it . but ( though i have not found so much as one thing in it , that deserves to have a serious reply made to it ) i have so far denyed my self , as not only to say enough to undermine , but also to give an utter overthrow to the whole of it : and to shew , that so far as it opposeth the design of christianity , 't is composed of nothing else but the most horrid absurdities , belyings and revilings of that treatise , nay , it fully appeareth from what i have written , that never did any writing more flatly ( that is in more evident consequences ) oppose the doctrine of justification by faith in christ iesus , than this that he stileth a defence of it : and that were mr. f. a iulian , celsus or porphyry , & an utter enemy to christianity , as he wickedly accuseth him , he could never have wished to have a greater dishonor done unto it , than this man in his book hath done . so that should i have considered every absurd and base passage from one end to the other of it , and given it its due remark , i should have made my self a most unmerciful drudg , and swelled these leaves to a large volume ; and been guilty of the most profuse and unaccountable expence of my time and paper : for i sedately and consideratively profess , that i never read ( that i remember ) any thing that was half so full thrapt and crowded with both non-sensical and wicked stuff . to conclude , if any reader is now able to think , that there needs more than i have written ( or so much either ) to wipe off the dirt that is flung upon the design of christianity ; i must be so free with him , as plainly to tell him , that he is honor'd far beyond his merits in having one wise word bestowed upon him . a catalogue of some few , of the abundance , of absurd and most wicked doctrinals and assertions , that are contained in john bunyans pamphlet , against the design of christianity . . he calls this paul's definition of a man : there is none righteous no not one , there is none that understandeth , &c. page . mark , as he most absurdly calls this paul's definition , so he calls it too his definition of a man , not of a wicked man : and sutably to this fine doctrine , . he makes no real distinction between the humane nature and sin. p. . as if sin were not the corruption of our nature , but essential to it . . he saith , that of mans supreme faculty the scripture teacheth , that man in his best estate is altogether vanity , psal. . . p. . when as david speaks there only of mans bodily frailty . but i might have spared this , as being but a peccadillo in this man. . he saith , that the command of the law was not the great and principal argument with christ , no not in its first and highest principles to do or continue to do it . p. . then the first reason of our saviours obedience was not the command of god. . he interprets those words of the apostle of moral duties , viz. they speak of the world , and the world heareth them , john . . p. . . he saith , that the new man is dead to the law as to principles of nature , and interprets that of the apostle , you are become dead to the law , of the moral as well as ceremonial law ; and further saith , that a man must first be dead to your principles both of nature and the law ; if he will serve in a new spirit , if he would bring forth fruit unto god. p. ▪ the only sense of which sayings ( whatever he meant by them ) is this , that a man must cease to be a man and turn beast , nay and devil too , before he can bring forth fruit unto god. . he interprets those words in cor. . . and after that which is spiritual , of spiritual holiness . p. whereas the words are only spoken of an immortal body . . he saith , that the holiness of adam in his best estate , even that which he lost and we in him , it was no other than that which was natural , even the sinless state of a natural man. p. thus he makes adam a mere brute as to holiness , but in this he contradicts himself elsewhere , as hath been shewn . . he saith , that even the inward holiness that is in saints ; it is none other than that which dwelleth in the person of the son of god in heaven . p. then there are no graces of the holy spirit wrought in us , then our holiness is perfect and infinite , and then , according to his rate of arguing with mr. f. p. . christ's righteousness is by faith in himself , and an imputative righteousness . . he saith , that christ dyed to put us into a personal possession of pardon before we know it . p. he that hath read his or this pamphlet , knows his meaning in this saying , viz. that christ dyed to put men into a personal possession of pardon , while they continue in their wickedness . . he saith , that for christ to come to establish this righteousness ( viz. the righteousness which we have lost ) is all one , as if he should be sent from heaven to overthrow and abrogate the eternal purpose of grace , which the father had purposed should be manifested to the world by christ. p. . let the reader match me this saying for the horrid wickedness of it , out of any other books than this mans , if he can . . the wrath that the law is said to work , rom. . . he interprets to be , murmure and anger against the lord. p. whenas the next words shew that the meaning is , it renders men for their disobedience to it lyable to the judgment of god. . he saith , that that repentance which hath its rise originally from the dictates of our own nature , is called the sorrow of the world , and must be again repented of . p. . so that to be sorry for my sins , because my reason tells me that they are an unworthy requital of gods goodness to me , is the worldly sorrow condemned by the apostle , and must be again repented of . . he saith , that he that looks to or seeks after that holiness we have lost , is as sure to be damned and go to hell , as he that transgresseth the law , because that is not the righteousness of god , the righteousness of christ , the righteousness of faith , nor that to which the promise is made . p. . so that according to this devilish doctrine , to endeavour to bring our hearts to the love of god above all , and to the hatred and abhorrence of all sin , is as ready or sure a way to hell , as living in disobedience to all gods commandments . and take notice that it is proved , that that is the righteousness of god , of christ , and of faith. . he saith , that it is a foolish , and an heathenish thing , nay worse , to think that the son of god should only or especially fulfil , or perfect the law and the prophets , by giving more and higher instances of moral duties than were before expresly given ▪ this would have been but the lading of men with heavy burthens . p. . observe that those words [ and the prophets ] are of his own adding . but whereas he saith , that our saviours giving more and higher instances of moral duties , &c. would be but the lading of men with heavy burthens ; he should have said , it would have been the lading of hypocrites , such as himself , with heavy burthens , none but such can think them so . . christs exposition ( he saith ) of the law , was more to shew thee the perfection of his own obedience , than to drive thee back to the holiness thou hadst lost . p. can any ranter talk at a madder rate ? read but matth. . and then believe this wretched assertion if you can : could s. paul be of his mind when he said , rom. . . not the hearers of the law are just before god , but the doers of the law shall be justified ? . he saith , that in heaven there shall not be in us only a likeness to , but the very nature of god. p. for this he cites ( as hath been shewed ) that of the apostle , heirs of god. that is heirs of his nature or substance . here is blasphemy with a witness ! . he saith , the dictates of humane nature are never urged in the new testament , but in order to shew men they have forgotten to act as men . p. . that is , they are not urged that they may be obeyed , and yet almost all the precepts of the gospel are dictates of humane nature . he himself saith somewhere , that trust in god is one , and so are love to god and our neighbour , humility , meekness , patience , purity , &c. all such , as we are told are our duty by the dictates of nature . never did wicked creature more industriously set himself to make the gospel precepts mere insignificant and vain things . . whereas christ is called a prince and a saviour , he thus interprets it , that is a prince as a saviour , because the righteousness by which he saves , beareth rule in heaven and earth . p. i want words to express my amazement at , and detestation of his , as senseless as wicked perverting this place , to make it favour his ranting doctrine . thus reader thou seest he is as good at abusing and wresting of scripture as of mr. f's words ; god grant that his timely repentance may prevent his doing it to his own destruction . . he saith , that the obedience or inclination to obedience that is , before faith , or the understanding of the gospel , is so far from being an excellent preparative , or good qualification for faith , and the knowledge of the gospel , that in its own nature , which is more than in its consequences , it is a great obstruction thereunto . p. still like himself , a blessed faith , that must be in the mean time that is obstructed by a readiness to obey whatsoever god reveals ; and would the reader see what his faith is , let him go back to page . of his book ; there ( as hath been shewn . ) . he saith , god hath forgiven him that is enabled to believe , ( and what is it , with him to believe ? he tells you in the next words ) that is to trust to , and venture the eternal concerns of his soul upon the righteousness , that is no where to be found but in the person of the son of god. p. this is all , and as much as any one can expect from him . . he saith , that for a man to confine himself only to the life of the lord iesus for an example , or to think it enough to make him in his life a pattern for us to follow , leaveth us through our shortness in the end , with the devil and his angels , for want of faith in the doctrine of remission of sins . p. . how sottish is this ranter ? for faith in christ and his whole gospel is enjoyned as a means to bring us to the blessed state of likeness to him , as is fully proved in the design of christianity ; and we may not once suppose , that we can obtain this likeness without that faith. . but how desperately wicked is it likewise ? as if a man may be damned that is exactly like christ , and hath all that done in him , for the sake of which , faith in christ is required : that is , is enabled from holy principles to perform all holy obedience . but this is another discovery of his wickedness in contemning moral righteousness , and advancing only imputative ; and i never knew a brutish creature do it like him . nay , he cannot forbear somewhere in his book to speak contemptuously of our saviours life , in asserting that mr. f. hath given a mere heathenish account of it , where he ( as is to be seen in the beginning of this pamphlet ) gives the four evangelists account of it . i do assure the reader , that this i have read in his book , but i do not now remember the page . observe , that i do not call these , two and twenty doctrines , nor yet distinct assertions , for i have not ( nor will i ) so much trouble my self about them , as to consider to how many or few heads they may be reduced ; the mere transcribing them must needs be trouble and discomposure enough to any man , that hath the least affection for the gospel of christ and true goodness . i could present not a few more , but never was horse more tired at a mill than i am at this work : and i assure the reader , as i shall answer it at the great day , that i have been most severely just to him in this catalogue , as he may quickly see , so far have i been from dealing with his sayings , as 't is shewn he hath dealt with mr. fowlers . and now i conjure the followers of him and his brethren , as they have any the least regard for their souls , that for the future they abandon them , as those that feed their hearers with the deadliest poison instead of the sincere milk of the word , and the most wholesome food of the gospel of christ : i say i conjure them to avoid such , as they will answer it at the dreadful day of our saviours appearing with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon all , and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed , and of all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him , against the blessed doctrines of his glorious gospel , and his faithful ministers . and now i will present you with another catalogue of the hard speeches of this man , of whom whether he be one of st. iudes ungodly sinners or no , the reader is by this time well able to judge , or at least will be anon . a catalogue of some of john bunyan's horrible revilings , and most abominable scurrilities . . in the title page he tells us , that the design of mr. f's . book is proved to be nothing more than to trample under foot the blood of the son of god , and the idolizing of man's own righteousness : and that he falls in with quakers and romanists against the articles of the church of england . . he tells mr. f. that he hath vilely exposed the rottenness of his heart in principles diametrically opposite to the simplicity of the gospel ; and calls the doctrine of his book , open blasphemy . page . . with the graces of the spirit of god you have nothing to do . p. . . here are pure dictates of a brutish beastly man , that neither knows himself , nor one tittle of the word of god. p. . . whatsoever is brought ( in your book , ) and urged for the proof of this your description of holiness , it is but the abuse of christ , &c. p. . . why should this thief , &c. p. . . how far off this mans doctrine is , of sinning against the holy ghost , let him that is wise consider . ibid. . — spit your intended venome at christ. p. . . in all you have yet asserted , you have shewed no other wisdom than of a heathen , or of one that is short even of a novice of the gospel . p. . . — sundry and damnable errors that like venome drop from your pen. ibid. . you have in this your discourse , put an unsufferable affront upon the son of god , in making all his life and conversation to center and terminate in the holiness we had lost . p. . . about all these things you are heathenishly dark ; there hath not in these . pages one gospel truth been christianly handled by you . . what man that ever had read , or assented to the gospel , but would have spoken more honourably of christ than you have done ? ibid. . all this villany against ( i suppose it is ) the son of god ; the rest is torn out . p. . . this is no other than barbarous quakerism . ibid. . all others like your self being fearful and unbelieving , despise it , and wonder and perish . rev. . . acts . , . p. . . having broken the head of your leviathan . p. . . your great question by which you would have all men make judgment of their saveable or damnable estate , p. . is , according to your description of things , most devilish and destructive . p. . reader , this is mr. fowlers great question he refers to : am i sincerely willing to obey my creator and redeemer in all things ? do i entertain no lust in my breast ? do i heartily endeavour to have a right understanding of the holy scriptures , and chiefly of the gospel , in order to the bettering of my soul by them , and the direction of my life and actions according to them ? . he calls the ministers of the church of england , the whole gang of our rabling counterfeit clergy , who generally like the ape , ly blowing up the glory and applause of our trumpery ; and like the tail , with foolish and sophistical arguings cover the filthy parts thereof . see also p. . p. . i now appeal to authority , whether this man ought to enjoy any interest in his majesties toleration , who is so far from being satisfied with his own liberty , that he falls thus fouly upon not only one minister of the church of england , and a book licensed by authority , but also upon all the ministers of the church together , and likewise the discipline and rites establish't ? and whether the letting such fire-brands , and most impudent malicious schismaticks go unpunish't , doth not tend to the subversion of all government . i say , let our superiours judge of this . . but to proceed , he saith thus of the design of christianity ; from the beginning to the end , from the top to the bottom it is a cursed blasphemous book ; a book that more vilifies iesus christ , than many of the quakers themselves , p. . . had you joyned here with such as vilifie and trample upon the bloud of the lord iesus , preferring the snivel of their own brains before him , you had herein but drawn your own picture , and given your reader an emblem of your self . p. . . i tell you again , that your self is one of them , that have closely , privily and devilishly , by your book , turned the grace of our god into a lascivious doctrine , bespattering it with giving liberty to loosness , and the hardning of the ungodly in wickedness ; wherein if you persist , i shall not fail ( may i live and know it and be helped of god ( he should have said of the devil ) to do it ) to discover yet farther the rottenness of your doctrine , with the accursed tendencies thereof . p. . here 's a rabshakeh ! but with what brow can this wicked man thus accuse mr. f's . book , when his own conscience must needs tell him , that the only thing that makes him thus spit his venome at it , is , that it's design is to take away all shadow of pretence for his filthy libertinism and mad licentious principles ? and as to his threat , i will only say ; do thy worst thou fierce and fiery bedlam , and persist in treasuring up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. but know that all thy wicked attempts against that book ( that all good men have a most hearty and affectionate kindness for , ) or against the author of it ; and such like books and men can be no more regarded by people of but common sense and honesty , than are the ravings of a perfect mad man. but i have not yet done with his raylings , though i shall present the reader but with a few in comparison of those i can . . he calls mr. f's . doctrines his filthy errors , compiled and foisted into the world , by his devilish design to promote paganism against christianity . p. , . p. . . no man ( proceeds he ) is more brutish or heathenish , nor so void of satisfaction about it , ( that is the truth of the gospel ) nor more involved in error concerning it , than your self ; being . grosly ignorant , . too highly opinionate , . proud in affection , . licourish , . a self-lover , . and for your blasphemy under the just judgment of god. p. . . to mr. fowlers calling these the divine perfections , viz. iustice and righteousness , universal charity , goodness , mercy , patience , and all kinds of purity ; he saith , to call these the divine perfections , when they are only your own humane virtues , bespeaks you fond , impious , and idolatrous , &c. p. . . he saith , the way of salvation , or the design of christianity as prescribed by you , is none other than the errors of your own brain , the way of death , the sum and heart of papistical quakerism , and is quite denied by the lord iesus , and by his blessed testament . p. . once more he saith , . i admonish my reader to tremble at the blasphemy of your book ; and account the whole design therein to be none other , but that of an enemy to the son of god , and salvation of the world . p. . and i admonish my reader to tremble at that religion , that incourageth such a most hellish and devillish spirit ; that gives mens pens and tongues leave to be such unruly evils , and even helps to fill them with the most deadly poison . that puts its professors upon thus persecuting christ's ministers for righteousnes sake , for the sake of inward and real righteousness , without which nothing can commend a religion ; let wretched hypocrites think never so despicably and basely of it , and inveigh never so villainously against those that promote it . thus thou hast seen , reader , how this raging wave ( like his fellows in s. iude ) fometh out his own shame . and let him take for an answer to all , the same that was given to his great master ( that hath assisted him in this employment ) by michael the arch-angel , iude . but one word more to this sad object of pity , and then i shall have done with him : if your pride and stomack will not suffer you to make now an acknowledgement of your most wicked behaviour towards mr. f. and his treatise , as open and publick , as you have made your sin ; do not so cheat your own soul , as to hope for forgiveness upon any account whatsoever at the hands of god : which god for christ's sake , by first qualifying you for it , bestow upon you . amen . an abstract of several of the excellent propositions contained in that tract of m. baxter's , wherein he hath defended mr. fowlers design of christianity . his th . proposition . the sum of holiness and morality , which is all one , is the love of god as god , ( including absolute resignation and subjection ) and the love of man and all things for god appearing in them , and served by them . his . nothing is more sure in christianity , than that christ came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost ; and to bring home straying prodigals to god , and to destroy the works of the flesh and devil ; and to bring man back to the love and obedience of his maker , and to cure him of his worldly love . and so that holiness or the love of god , is the end of our redemption , and our faith. part of his , , . we are pardoned what is past , that love may make us sin so no more ; and justification is an antecedent means to our fuller holiness and obedience to god , ( which i have largely opened in my confession of faith. ) it is certain that justification and sanctification go on hand in hand together , and it is a notorious error of such as say , that justification is perfect as soon as it begins . and it is certain that sanctification , as it is the work of god , is one part of the executive pardon of our sins ; because it is the taking off of a very great penalty , which is the privation of the spirit of grace . his . nothing is more injurious to christ , than to feign that he is a patron of sin , or came to excuse men by free justification from obedience to their creators law of nature , or to make sin less odious to mankind ; seeing he dyed to redeem us from all iniquity , and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works . his . and it is an intolerable blasphemy against god , to imagine that christ came to make the divine nature more friendly or reconcileable to sin , or to love complacentially an ungodly person , as if he were godly , as being such by the imputation of christ's righteousness to him , and to repute any man to be what he is not ; to take a wicked man for a saint , because that christ was holy for him : whatever malicious papists say , the protestants abhor such doctrine . ( therefore john bunyan is no protestant . ) his . and as far are we from believing that christ was a sinner , or that god ever supposed him to be a sinner , or hated or punished him as a sinner ; or that ever our sin did really become his sin , or that god reputed it so to have been . for no false judgment can belong to god. part of his , and . but we believe that christ dyed for our sins , as a sacrifice , ransom , propitiation , attonement , &c. and though we believe not , that god doth judge us to have done all the righteousness that christ did , nor to have possessed the same individual righteousness that christ had , ( for god never erreth ) nor accounteth us as righteous as christ himself ; nor yet useth us in all respects as he would have done , if we had been as righteous as christ himself ; nor do we think it a thing possible , that the same individual righteousness that was in christ ( being an accident ) can be in itself and really given to us , and made ours : yet do we believe that his habitual perfection , with his active righteousness and his sacrifice or sufferings , all set together , and advanced in value by their conjunction with his divine righteousness , were the true , meritorious , procuring cause of our pardon , justification , adoption , sanctification , and salvation , &c. and thus christ's righteousness is imputed and given to us ; not immediately in it self , but in the effects and fruits . as a ransome is said to be given to a captive , because it is given for him , though strictly the ransome is given to another , and only the fruits of it to him . his . those ignorant , self-conceited , contentious teachers , that seek the reputation of orthodox zeal in the things which they never understood , and instead of clear apprehending sound scripture-doctrine , and plainly expounding it to the church , do take on trust and for company , false or insignificant confounding notions , and proudly make them the instruments of their furious censures and revilings , and of dividing the church by raising slanders against those that presume to be wiser than they ; and so by back-biting tell their hearers , how erroneous and dangerous this and that man's doctrine is , because they never had wisdom , study , and patience to understand it ; such i say are the men that in all ages have been the fire-brands in the church , and zealously promoted christ's kingdom by dividing it , and will hardly ever have peace here themselves , nor endure their brethrens or the churches peace . his . those churches especially that lament the laps of discipline , and the confounding of the holy and profane ; and those that are constituted by unwarrantable scrutinies after the holiness of members , beyond the test that was appointed by christ , should not dishonour themselves , nor bring their doctrine or persons into suspicion by being the hasty censurers and condemners of such writings , as drive harder for the promoting of holiness than themselves . his . he knoweth not the hurtful miscarriages of our times , who knoweth not what the mistaken notions about free-grace have done against free-grace it self ; and how the gospel hath been supplanted , by an erroneous crying up the gospel , and crying down the law ; and how justification hath been abused by mens seeming to extol it , and sanctification injured by such pretexts . and he that with one eye looks on that disease and its effects , and with the other looks on the book you tell me of ( viz. the design of christianity ) and such like , will quickly see what sore this plaister was provided for , and how much excellent matter there is in it , which the aforesaid persons and diseases need . part of his . and as to mr. fowlers consectaries ( or inferences ) ch . . , . what would you wish more accommodate to an honest concord , ( which is our strength and beauty ) and to the healing of deforming and destroying abuses , than the practising the motion , that our union be placed in things necessary to holiness , &c. whose judgment reader , dost thou think is to be preferred concerning these inferences , whether this worthy able divine , or poor j. b' s. ( who makes a very turk of mr. fowler upon the account of them ? ) part of his last proposition . to conclude , undoubtedly holiness is the life and beauty of the soul ; the spirit of holiness is christ's agent to do his work in us , and our pledg and earnest and first fruit of heaven : it is christ's work , and subordinately ours , to cleanse us from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , &c. christ , the spirit , the word , the ministry , mercies , afflictions , and all things are to bring home our hearts to god , and to work together for our good , by making us partakers of his holiness . our holiness is our love of god who is most holy : and our love of god , and reception of his love , is our heaven and everlasting happiness . thus thou seest , reader , that if mr. fowler be so devilish a wretch as i. b. makes him , this learned divine may shake hands with him . matt. . , , , , . wo unto you ye blind guides , which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. thou blind pharisee , cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter , that the outside of them may be clean also . wo unto you scribes and pharisees , hypocrites , &c. ye outwardly appear righteous unto men , but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity . matt. . . and if the blind lead the blind , both shall fall into the diteh . tim. . . . now as jannes and jambres withstood moses , so do these also resist the truth : men of corrupt minds , reprobate concerning the faith. but they shall proceed no further : for their folly shall be manifest unto all men , as theirs also was . read also the foregoing verses . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ☞ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * observe that he chalengeth mr f. to produce but one piece of a text , that in the least looks towards a proof , that christ came to restore the holiness we had lost ; p. . and i think i have answered his challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ●● . . . . . . . a discourse of offences delivered in two sermons aug. , and sept. , in the cathedral church of gloucester / by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a discourse of offences delivered in two sermons aug. , and sept. , in the cathedral church of gloucester / by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by j. heptinstall, for brabazon aylmer, london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng offenses against religion. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discourse of offences . delivered in two sermons aug. . and sept. . . in the cathedral church of gloucester . published by reason of the hainous offence that was taken at the former of these sermons , by some of that city . by edward fowler , d. d. give none offence , neither to the iews , nor to the gentiles , nor to the church of god. cor. . . whosoever shall be ashamed of me , and of my words , in this adulterous and sinfull generation , of him also shall the son of man be ashamed , when he cometh in the glory of his father , with the holy angels . s. mark . . london , printed by i. heptinstall , for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons , over against the royal exchange in cornhill . . to the right reverend father in god , robert , lord bishop of gloucester . my lord . little did i think , when i made these plain sermons of offences , that they would have made me , in any place within his majestie 's dominions , so high an offender , as the former of them hath , in your city . but whether the offence that is so strangely expressed , and without president ( of which way of doing it , i thank the observator heartily , for being the first publisher ) be offence given or merely taken , i leave it to your lordship to judge , when you have given your self the trouble of reading it over , together with the second part on the same subject . and it is the onely favour , i have now to beg of your lordship , that you would give your self this little trouble . i wish your lordship had been present at the hearing of these sermons , which if you had , you had heard every syllable of what i took the freedom to deliver in your absence . i doubt not , your lordship hath had as odious representations made of the sermon that occasioned the act of common council , as i perceive were sent to the observator : and , no doubt , a no whit better character of the second had been given you ( for i am sure it deserves no better ) had not those that were offended , obliged themselves to be out of the hearing of it , by that sudden act of theirs , the very next day after the first was preach'd . i solemnly profess to your lordship , that this whole discourse is neither better nor worse in print , than it was in the preaching ; each part of it being published , without the least addition , diminution , or alteration , of any thing . so that by this most fair play , the act-makers have all the advantage imaginable given them , of going a much more terrible way to work with me , if any thing either seditious or factious be to be found in either of these sermons . and i assure you lordship , there is as much such stuff in these , as in any i ever preached , either in gloucester , or else where in my whole life . and therefore , if your lordship shall find me guilty of any such crimes , i need not put you in mind that you can doe no less , than procure to the covntenancer of sedition and faction , or ( which is the same thing , without mincing the matter , like these modest gentlemen ) to the seditious and factious preacher , the severest punishment that either the laws or the canons can inflict upon so high an offender : that so an orthodox and loyal person may fill his stall in the quire , and take his turns in the pulpit for the time to come : and the innocent city may be saved harmless from the penalty now imposed upon them , of hiring such a preacher . i am in great earnest , my lord , for i had a thousand times rather fall into a bishop's hands , than into the hands of any new committee of tryers . i am sorry for the trouble that my preaching at gloucester hath occasioned to your lordship , but i should have been more sorry to have prevented it , by dawbing with untempered morter , and being meal-mouth'd , and partial ( for fear of displeasing a very few , though never so powerfull ) in exposing of that , which we are all obliged to take all opportunities to expose . many , i am sure , will bear me witness , that impartiality is one of the worst faults , i have ever been guilty of , in any of the sermons that have made men angry ; but , by the grace of god , this fault i will never mend : and all that know your lordship will easily believe , that you 'll never like me one jot the worse for 't . some of the other sort of people in london , i hear took such offence at the same sermon , as to declare they would never hear me more . and this fate of being censured and reproached by the bad or weak of all parties , those must make full account of undergoing , who are resolved to doe the work of their great master with all faithfulness . and this , by god's help , is my sincere resolution , whatsoever it costs me ; and in the doing of my duty , to have always in my eye that advice of the apostle , whatsoever you doe , doe it heartily , as to the lord and not as to men ; knowing that of the lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance ; for you serve the lord christ. i hope you will pardon this freedom to , my lord , your lordship 's obedient and humble servant , edw. fowler . a discourse of offences , &c. matth . . . woe unto the world because of offences ; for it must needs be that offences come ; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh . not to trouble you with any thing of preface , we have our saviour in these words , first , asserting the impossibility of the not coming of offences , or the vnavoidableness of them . and secondly , pronouncing woes upon the account of them . he asserts the vnavoidableness of them , in these words , it must needs be that offences come . the woes he pronounceth upon the account of them are two , first , against the world , or men in general : woe unto the world because of offences . secondly , against those particular persons who are the causes of offences : but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh . in the handling of this text , i will endeavour to shew i. what we are to understand here by offences . ii. from whence the vnavoidableness of them doth arise . iii. that offences are of woefull consequence , both to men in general , and to those particular persons by whom they come . i. we will endeavour to shew what we are to understand by offences in this place . it is in the greek , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 woe to the world because of scandals . now the grammarians tell us that this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to halt , or to be lame : and its proper signification is a trap , or snare ; and by a metaphor is used in the new testament to signifie whatsoever administreth an occasion of falling into sin , or is a temptation thereunto . in rom. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a stumbling-block , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ are put together , to express the same thing : iudge this rather , that no man put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a stumbling-block , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or an occasion to fall , as it is translated , in his brother's way . and pet. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a stone of stumbling , and rock of offence , or scandal , are also two phrases of the same signification . and accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to make ones brother to offend , or to fall into sin , cor. . . and whereas in the verse following our text , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated offend ; if thine hand or foot offend thee cut them off ; by offending is to be understood , being an unavoidable occasion of offending . now an offence or scandal is commonly distinguished into datum & acceptum , given and taken . an offence given is , when such things are said or done as have a natural tendency to the drawing of men into sin . an offence taken , or taken and not given , is , when words or actions that are well intended , and in themselves either good or lawfull , are so construed as to be made an occasion of sinning . and in this acceptation of the word offence , the best actions that ever were done may accidentally become offences , or scandals ; and the best men that have ever lived may happen to be offenders , or scandalizers . our saviour himself ( as appears from the now cited text ) was one from whom offence came , and that mighty offence too ; he there being said , to be made a stone of stumbling , and rock of offence , even to them which stumble at the word . and this was predicted concerning him by old simeon , luk. . . this child is set for the fall , and rising again of many in israel : as for the rising of many , so for the fall of many ; but not so set for their fall , as for their rising ; for he was designedly set for the rising of many , but he accidentally became an occasion of the fall of many , through the offence they causelesly took at him , upon several accounts . now both these sorts of offences , viz. those given and those onely taken , are to be understood in this saying in the text , woe to the world because of offences ; and in this too , for it must needs be that offences come . but that offence onely which is given , scandalum datum , is to be understood in the last words , but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh . for no woe can justly be pronounced against him from whom an offence cometh , upon the accout thereof , if he be but a mere accidental cause of the offence ; and it be wholly the fault of the offended that offence is taken at him : which , as we said , was the case of our blessed lord himself . and indeed no one that ever appeared in the world was ever so great an accidental cause of peoples being offended , as he was . ii. i proceed to shew , from whence the vnavoidableness of offences doth arise . our text saith , that it must needs be that offences come , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , there is a necessity of the coming of offences . and st. luke chap. . . doth thus express this passage , it is impossible but that offences will come . so that there is no preventing them , as unhappy things as in both these places we understand they are , by the woes pronounced on the account of them . but we are now to enquire , from whence the unavoidableness of them , the necessity of their coming , the impossibility of their not coming doth proceed . and to this i answer , that it proceeds from these two causes conjunctly . . from the world's being so full of folly and wickedness , as it is ; and every part thereof . . from god's determination for great ends not to prevent by his omnipotency the natural effects of these . . from the world's being so full of folly and wickedness , as it is ; and all parts of it . i need not go about to convince you , that the generality of men in all places are far from being wise ; are rash , heady and inconsiderative ; acted by prejudice and blind passions : and that the number of those who are calmly and sedately considerative , in their own actings , and in passing judgment upon the actions of others , is exceeding small . and consequently , most men must needs be extremely prone to give offence , and no less liable to the taking of offence , when offence is given , and when also it is not given . nor need i go about to convince you , that all places abound with wickedness as well as folly. the whole world , saith st. iohn , lieth in wickedness . ep. . v. . so it was in his time , and so it hath done , ever since the first apostasie , to our times . moses gives a lamentable account of the depravedness of the old world ; which provoked god almighty to overflow it with a deluge of waters ; gen. . . there he saith that god saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth , and that every imagination , and the thoughts of his heart , were onely evil continually . and st. paul gives a like sad account of the new world , both gentile and iewish , rom. . from the th verse . he there setteth forth the general fearfull depravation , both of the gentiles and iews , as if it were vniversal . and i need not tell you that , though the business of christ's coming into the world , was to destroy the works of the devil ; and to redeem us from all iniquity , yet his grace is received in vain , and turned also into wantouness , by the generality of those that profess faith in him . so that the iews could not more vie with the gentiles in wickedness , than the christians may vie with both iews and gentiles . and , to our great grief and shame be it spoken , this may too truly be affirmed , of those that pass under the name of protestant and reformed , as well as of popish professors of christianity . and although all ages have not been alike wicked , nor all countries in any age , yet the far greater part of all societies of men in all ages have hitherto greatly corrupted their ways . and , which is never sufficiently to be laid to heart , this present age is in divers respects more debauched than many , if not than all , the foregoing : and this nation is more so , than it hath been known to be in formey times ; notwithstanding the blessed means of grace we have enjoyed , above most other people in the world ; and notwithstanding too the very heavy judgments , which have come for fourty years past so thick upon us . now then , considering the great wickedness of the world , and how full all places are of wicked men , it must needs be that offences come : and 't is impossible but that very many in all ages and places will be scandalized , and fall into sin , by the means of them . it is impossible but all places must be full of stumbling-blocks , and 't is impossible too but that many will fall over them , and break their necks ; as will be shewn anon . we add hereunto that , . it must needs be that offences come , because god almighty hath , for great ends , determined , not to prevent these natural effects of folly and wickedness ; not to interpose by his omnipotency in hindring the folly and wickedness , which are in mens hearts , from being the causes of offences . upon which account we reade in the prophesie of ezekiel , chap. . . of god's laying a stumbling-block before him that turns from his righteousness and committeth iniquity . and it is an idiom of the hebrew language , which we find often in the holy scriptures , to express that as done by another , which is onely permitted to be done . to give but one instance of this , god is said in one place , to move david to number the people , whereas 't is said in another , that satan moved david hereunto ; so that the meaning of god's doing it , must be that he permitted satan , for great and wise reasons , to doe it . now , . one reason wherefore god hath determined not to hinder the folly and wickedness of men from being the causes of offences , is the same that is given , why there must be heresies , or why he will permit heresies to be . the apostle saith , cor. . . there must be also heresies among you , that they which are approved , may be made manifest among you . even so , there must be offences and scandals , that there may be a manifest difference and discrimination made , between the sincere and the insincere professors of religion : for this reason hath god determined not to restrain foolish or wicked men , from the laying of stumbling-blocks . the cause of this necessity is far from being his immutable decree , that men shall doe foolish or wicked things , and so cause scandals ; god forbid we should entertain so impious a thought : but the cause thereof is the folly and wickedness of men , occasioned by the abuse of their liberty , and god's determining not to prevent their causing scandals ; his determinating this for great reasons : one of which , i say , is , that by them a tryal may be made , who are upright-hearted , and who hypocritical , in the profession of religion . who have the power of godliness and who the external form onely . that a difference may be made , between those wise builders , who have founded their houses upon a rock , and those foolish ones , who have built them upon the sand : between those who have embraced religion for its own sake , and those who have embraced it for the sake of their temporal interest ; and are engaged in the ways thereof , from corrupt motives and carnal principles . thus did god almighty permit false prophets to work wonders by the power of the devil , to draw the people to idolatry , in order to the making of this discrimination ; as may be seen deut. . , , . if there arise among you a prophet , or a dreamer of dreams , and giveth thee a sign or a wonder , and the sign or the wonder come to pass , whereof he spake unto thee , saying , let us go after other gods , which thou hast not known , and let us serve them : thou shalt not hearken unto the voice of that prophet , or that dreamer of dreams : for the lord your god proveth you , to know whether you love the lord your god with all your heart , and with all your soul. that is , the lord your god permitteth this stone of stumbling to be laid in your way , that it may be as it were , a touch-stone , for the tryal of your love to him ; that a discrimination may be hereby made , between those who sincerely love him , and those who only pretend to love him . for the same reason likewise , did not god restrain ieroboam , ahab , or the other wicked kings , who made israel to sin , from laying before their people the great offences and scandals of the golden calves , &c. and temptations to idolatry by their precepts and examples : and by this means , an apparent difference was actually made , between those who were onely iews outwardly , and those who were iews inwardly . by this means were those seven thousand , who hated idolatry , distinguished from the rest of the people . i have , saith god by the prophet , reserved unto me seven thousand , who have not bowed the knee to baal . . another reason , why god hath determined the not restraining of men from giving offence , or being the causes of scandals , is , that by them the obdurate may , in his just judgment , be more hardned . for instance , he permitted simon magus and his followers , to be the authors of such mighty scandals , for this reason ; as we reade thess. . , for this cause god shall send them strong delusions ( or shall permit them to be sent ) that they may believe a lie ( or that the hypocritical professors of christianity may believe a lie ) that they all might be damned , who believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness . and we may be assured , that for both the reasons now given , god hath permitted the roman hierarchy to bring so horrible a scandal upon the christian religion , for so many ages past ; by debauching it with such corrupt and damnable principles and practices , viz. . to make a difference between the sincere christians , and hypocrites ; which , i need not tell you , hath by this means been made , in innumerable instances : many thousands having chosen the loss of all , and even the most cruel deaths , rather than to embrace those principles , and comply with those practices ; and rather than not to protest against both . and , . in his just judgment to harden such more in their wickedness , as turn the grace of god into lasciviousness . for 't is well known , nothing is better known than , that the whole systeme of popery is so contrived , as to reconcile light with darkness , the thickest darkness with the most glorious light ; gross idolatry of several kinds ( such idolatry as that grosser is not to be found among the pagans ) unsatiable covetousness and ambition , and monstrous cruelty , with true christianity ; and a careless and dissolute life in this world , with the hopes of happiness in the other . and for both these reasons hath god , we may be sure , permitted also fearfull offences and scandals to come by protestants ; by those who make a profession of this our holy religion ( of true and genuine christianity , purged from all popish mixtures ) which unto all sincere and pious protestants , are matter of most bitter lamentation : particularly the drunkenness , vncleanness and profaneness of multitudes that profess the reformed religion , and the scandal of rebellion and treasonable conspiracies , that some of them have incurred the guilt of ; and that in this kingdome , now very lately . though all good protestants do bless god heartily , for the discovery of such conspiracies , and for the defeating of open resistences of the higher powers , and secret plots against them ; yet 't is a heart-breaking consideration to such , that there should be such antichristian doings found among us ; by which a woefull blot is cast upon our religion , and particularly by this last wicked conspiracy of some mad desperate people , who call themselves protestants . now , i say , for both the forementioned reasons , we may be assured god almighty hath permitted such fearfull offences and scandals , to come by professed protestants , viz. . to make a discrimination between those who are well grounded in our religion , and those that are not so . those who are well grounded in our religion , and embrace it like wise and understanding men , viz. because of the excellency of its principles , will not be tempted to think one jot the worse of it , in regard of these offences . such will consider that if these can make a reasonable objection against the truth of the protestant religion , the same objection lies every whit as strong , against the truth of christianity : for even in the first and purest ages of christianity , there were as wicked people found among the professors of it , and men that did as wicked things , as ever were before or since to be found in the world. such will consider too , that the protestant religion is no more to be charged with rebellions , or any other licentious principles , than is christianity : for this religion is nothing else but pure and uncorrupted christianity . nay they will consider , that rebellion and treason , and whatsoever hath any tendency that way , and all kinds of immorality whatsoever , are expresly forbidden by our religion , under pain of damnation . they being so forbidden , as by the precepts of the gospel , and the doctrine of all the reformed churches , so especially by the doctrine of the church of england , as by law established , derived from the gospel . and therefore these offences are no objection to understanding and well grounded protestants , against the truth of their religion ; whilst those that have embraced it onely because it is the religion of their countrey , or on such like weak and sleight grounds , do often find this objection too strong for them ; and it frequently occasions their apostasie . and then especially are such in danger of apostatizing , by means of this scandal of treasons and rebellions particularly ( as often as these sins are found among protestants ) when the adversaries of our religion do assault them with the sophistical argument drawn from this scandal , with all the advantage of their sophistry . obj. but you may say , if the popish treasons and conspiracies are used by us , as an argument against that religion ; why should not the papists make use of the treasons and conspiracies of protestants , as an argument against our religion ? this seems to be fair play. sol. i answer , that popish treasons and conspiracies may not be used by us , as an argument against the popish religion ( nor are they so used by any wise man , that i know of ) because , for the reason already given , this is a fallacious argument . but our argument against them is , that their treasons and conspiracies are suitable and agreeable to the allowed principles of popery ; provided at least , that they be levelled against heretical princes . and if those committed among us can be shewed to be suited to the protestant principles , and by them encouraged , then will not i , for my part , ever more open my mouth for the protestant religion . but this can never be shewed , but the perfectly contrary who cannot shew ? and as for the principles that some protestants have imbibed , they are not protestants in imbibing them , nay they are papists in so doing : for 't is very well known , they at least originally received them from their books : particularly from the books ( as i can shew ) of these jesuits , suarez , lessius , mariana , father parsons , with divers others . again secondly , god also permits these grievous offences to come by protestants ( as for the making the forementioned discrimination between protestants and protestants , so ) for the farther hardening , in his just judgment , of wicked people : for the farther hardening of irreligious people against all religion , and of obstinate papists against our religion . in rom. . , , &c. the apostle saith , thou that teachest another , teachest thou not thy self ? thou that preachest a man should not steal , dost thou steal ? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery , dost thou commit adultery ? thou that abhorrest idols , dost thou commit sacrilege ? thou that makest thy boast of the law , through breaking the law , dishonourest thou god ? then it follows , for the name of god is blasphemed among the gentiles , through you . to keep to the instances of rebellion and treason , the papists , when they see such doings among protestants , ( willingly overlooking the innumerable instances of this nature which themselves are so infamous for throughout the world : and seeming not to know what principles they have to encourage them in such practices ) they immediately cry out , these are your protestants , and this is their religion ; 't is good for nothing but to make men rebels and traytors . princes can have no security from these protestants . and they urge the same argument for the utter destruction of the protestant religion , that was used by bishlam , and his company , to king artaxerxes , against the rebuilding of ierusalem , viz. this city is a rebellious city , and hurtfull unto kings and provinces . and , no doubt of it , our adversaries will not be wanting in improving this argument to the utmost , at this time : though there are no sort of men in the world , but might with a better face doe it . and so , by this means , they more harden themselves ( if they can be more hardened ) in their enmity to our religion , and more harden others . and , as i said , for this reason , no doubt , god permitteth in his just judgment , this sort of offences , as well as others , to come by protestants . i mean still , by professors of the protestant religion ; for the authors of such offences cannot be more than in profession protestants : nay , considered as guilty of such offences , they are truly papists ; so far forth they deserve that name . i may apply to this discourse , those words of our saviour , iohn . . for judgment am i come into this world , that they which see not , might see , and that they which see might be made blind . that those which sit in darkness , may have the light ; and that those who have the light , but wilfully shut their eyes against it ( as one would think those papists do who live among us ) and will not be convinced by the strongest and most powerfull arguments , may be made blind . and offences , or scandals , are great instruments in the hand of the divine justice , for this purpose . iii. i come to shew that offences are of woefull consequence . we learn from our text , that they are so to the world , or to men in general ; woe unto the world because of offences : and likewise , to those particular persons , by whom they come ; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh . now , first , as to their being of woefull consequence to the world , or to the generality of men . it hath been intimated already , that such is the folly and wickedness of the generality , that when these snares are laid before them , they occasion their falling into sin ; and also multitudes in all places are mightily hardened in sin , by the means of them . . they occasion their falling into sin , to the great endangering of their souls ; and , as we see very ordinarily , to the ruining of themselves and their families , as to all the concerns of this world . wicked men are the most pernicious instruments , the devil can make use of , in the carrying on his great work , of drawing men into sin , and , by that means , into misery both here and hereafter , both temporal and eternal . as they are of their father the devil , so his works they doe , as our lord said of the pharisees ; they doe this work which is most properly and peculiarly the work of the devil , with strange success . and then do offences prove the most fatal stumbling-blocks , when those by whom they come are men in circumstances to work forceably upon the hopes and fears of others : or when they are such as have laid great obligations on those whom they tempt to evil . to be under a great obligation to a wicked man is a mighty snare . the principle of ingenuity , as excellent a principle as it is , doth too frequently , in this circumstance , prove infinitely mischievous . a great benefactor is with the greatest difficulty in the world denied any thing he will demand , by a good natured man ; by a man that hath much of gratitude in his temper , and a quick sense of kindnesses : and this man offers great violence to himself , whensoever he refuseth to doe that which his benefactor putteth him upon , or which he knoweth will please him . again then are offences very fatal stumbling-blocks , when those by whom they come , are in great repute for wisdom . men are apt to give up themselves to be led blindfold by those whom they take to be mighty wise. but of more force are those offences to draw men into sin , which come by sly hypocrites , who have deceived people into a wonderfull opinion of their godliness . now by such means , and upon such accounts as these ( to which may be added divers others ) we find by woefull experience , that but few comparatively , when the snares of offences are laid before them , are so happy as to escape the danger of them . . multitudes also in all places are grievously hardned in sin , by the means of offences ; as when they come by great professors of religion especially . ignorant people , and such as have little kindness for religion , be they never so knowing , are too apt to conclude from thence , that either religion is a mere cheat , and hath nothing of reality in it ; or , if it hath , that it may admit of certain evil practices , in order to certain good ends : or that the miscarriages they behold in those religious men , are such as a man may be guilty of , and yet be truly religious : and that they are but the spots of god's children : all which conclusions , though they be not errors of a like hainous nature , yet are of much a like dangerous consequence . and though it cannot but be observed , that there are many noted professors of religion that live extraordinarily good lives ; yet men that have no mind to be good , and that encourage themselves , as much as they can , to live wickedly , will not inferr from hence , that these do excell the scandalous professors in real goodness , but rather in slyness . they will perswade themselves , to conclude nothing more from hence , than that these have a better faculty at hiding their sins from the eye of the world. and they hope that many of these in due time , may make their vicious inclinations as publick as others have done . and thus , i say , are wicked men rendered more obdurate , are more hardned in their sins , by the means of offences ; and by the offences especially of those who have been noted professors of religion . the horrible offence that david was guilty of , in those two fearfull sins , caused ( as nathan told him ) the enemies of the lord to blaspheme ; and so greatly hardned them in their irreligion . for which reason , though david was so forgiven upon his true repentance , as not to be punished for them in the world to come , yet he paid most dearly for them in this world. secondly , i now come to the woefull consequence that offences are of to those particular persons by whom they come . but woe to the man by whom the offence cometh . that the case of such is most deplorable , will be seen by what our saviour saith , immediately before the words of my text , viz. but whoso shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me , it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck , and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. and st. mark relateth the same words , chap. . . and so doth st. luke too , chap. . . that the greater regard may be given unto them . and this is the meaning of these words : he that shall either by words , or deeds , discourage the very meanest of christ's disciples , from holding on in his christian practice ; shall cause him to fall into sin ; it will be better for him to have a great heavy weight hanged about his neck , and to be therewith cast into the sea ; whereby he will be hurried to the bottom of it , and never suffered to rise again . what an emphatical expression is this , of the most woefull state , which that person is in by whose means offences , or scandals , come ! and mark , the condition of that man is declared to be thus dreadfull , who hath caused to offend any one , and that of the meanest and weakest of those that believe in christ. how unexpressibly sad and dismal then , shall his punishment be , who in this sense hath offended many ! i mean upon supposition , he prevents it not , by timely repentance and reformation . and what reason have those of us , who are in a publick station , whether magistrates or ministers , to consider this well , and lay it to heart , and to have an extraordinary care of our lives ! for our example will have a much larger influence on others , than the example of private persons : and if by any evil practice or advice , we cause any to offend , we are like to cause many to offend . and , consequently , how extremely miserable must our condition then necessarily be in the world to come ! i will conclude the doctrinal part with those words , deut. . . cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way ( or that shall put a stumbling-block before the blind , contrary to the law of god. lev. . . ) and all the people shall say amen . i now come to make application of what hath been discoursed , and our application shall be this . how infinitely are we all concerned , as we would not have the woe pronounced against those by whom offences come , for our portion , to look to it that we be not found of that number ! and if at present any of us are , to repent immediately , to bewail in the bitterness of our spirits our having caused offences , and to doe all that lies in our power , for the time to come , not onely to give no offence in any thing ( according to st. paul's advice cor. . . ) but also to repair the injury we have done to religion , and to the souls of men , by whatsoever offences we have occasioned . and that we may so doe , it will be necessary to consider the several ways whereby offence may be taken , that so we may avoid it in those instances : and if we are conscious to our selves of having been guilty in any of them , we may repent and reform for the future . here begins the second sermon . i. one way of offending is the drawing of our brethren into erroneous opinions . i mean such as have an ill influence upon mens lives and natures . i don't mean such as are merely not true ; for , there being divers points relating to religion so disputable , as that no man can certainly tell , whether he be not mistaken in them : if i should make him guilty of this sin of offending , who happens to lead his brother into any false notion , i should be forced to assert , that a man may be guilty of giving offence , and not be able to know he is so . but it is not to be imagined , that a sin which hath so great a woe attending it as this in the text , can possibly be a sin of unavoidable infirmity , or invincible ignorance . so that i say , by erroneous opinions i mean , such as are apt in their own nature to lead men into sin ; to make men irreligious , or to encourage to any particular sin , or to the neglect of any necessary duty . and all such we are certain are erroneous , and contrary to the true sense and meaning of god's word , because they have such a tendency . i will give a few instances of such false and corrupt principles , viz. that god is the author of sin , that he not onely foreknows all the sins of men but hath also decreed them : which in other words is the same with the former . that all mens fates are determined absolutely : that is , without respect to their future obedience or disobedience . that 't is lawfull to doe evil that good may come . that good works are not necessary to salvation . that the covenant of grace is vnconditional . that religion is a mere passive thing ; not our work at all , but wholly god's in us . that mere attrition ( or sorrow for sin for fear of hell ) is able to bring a sinner to justification , if accompanied with the sacrament of penance . which is a doctrine plainly delivered in the council of trent . all these , to which i might add abundance more of like nature , wherewith mens minds have been corrupted , do manifestly encourage to a careless , loose and irreligious life . and to these i might add instances of such principles as encourage to certain particular sins , of commission and omission . in the number of which are all those popish ones , that lead to idolatry of divers kinds ; that encourage rebellion , and treasonable practices , with which latter too many corrupt and spurious protestants have declared themselves to be infected , to the great scandal of our holy religion ; as hath already been observed . who , while they profess to abhorr popery , have been found to be the genuine off-spring of the iesuite . of this rank are also those doctrines , both popish and fanatical , that tend to make men fierce and bitter , proud and selfish ; that destroy charity , and spoil mens tempers . now those that propagate any such principles , as either directly , or by manifest and plain consequence , tend to make the embracers of them irreligious , or that encourage to any particular sins , are great offenders of their brethren : nor are there any greater destroyers of souls than corrupters and debauchers of mens vnderstandings ; nor any so great . the apostle st. paul charged timothy to beware of being found in the number of these , ep. . ch . , , . study to shew thy self approved unto god , a workman that needeth not to be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth . but shun prophane and vain bablings ( the wretched doctrines of seducers ) for they will encrease unto more ungodliness ( or greatly encouage wickedness . ) and their words will eat as doth a canker , of whom is hymeneus and philetus , who concerning the truth have erred , saying , that the resurrection is past already ; and overthrow the faith of some . and whosoever they be , that are guilty of this kind of offences ; that are guilty of causing men to sin by corrupting their judgments , may ( till they become true penitents ) look upon themselves as greatly concerned in those words of our saviour , matt. . . whosoever shall break one of these least commandments , and shall teach men so ( shall teach men to evacuate and destroy the force of any one commandment of the moral law ) he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven . or , as dr. hammond interprets it , he shall be thought unworthy of having his name written , in the catalogue of christians here , or of saints hereafter . but before i conclude the argument i am now upon , i think my self obliged to add , that i would not for a world , have had a hand in possessing mens minds with those principles , which have administred to our lamentable and most unchristian divisions ; and , while they are entertained , will make all endeavours for the healing of them ineffectual : viz. such as these , that national churches are no churches of christ. that the government of the church by bishops is antichristian . that liturgies , or set forms of prayer , are a stinting of the spirit ; and therefore 't is unlawfull to join in them . that nothing is to be done in the worship of god , but what is expresly commanded . that indifferent things , when they come once to be commanded , become sinfull ; and the commanding of them is a violation of our christian liberty . that infant baptism is no baptism ; and consequently those that have no other , are no church members ; and therefore not to be communicated withall . that it is lawfull and a duty to separate from a church , upon the account of promiscuous congregations , and mixt communions . that there is no such tie between ministers and their people , but that the people may cast them off , whensoever they think they can edifie more by any other : and are obliged to betake themselves to those by whom they think they can most edifie . that an inward call ( that is , a strong impulse of phancy ) is a sufficient warrant to any man , to be a publique preacher . i say i , would not for a world , have had a hand in the propagating of these , and many the like notions , which of late years have strangely prevailed among us : for , as they have no warrant or countenance from scripture , so have they been woefully mischievous to the church of god , and to this our church . they are good for nothing , but to cause schisms and factions ; but to destroy all good order , and bring in confusion ; as we too well know by sad experience . and by this means , they have done our common adversary mighty service , and the souls of men infinite prejudice . and i earnestly desire , that those who are , or have been , promoters of such principles , may be before it be too late convinced , how greatly they are involved in the guilt of offending ; or making people to offend : of making them strangely censorious and vncharitable , mighty vnmanageable and vngovernable , extremely conceited , vain and wanton , and most vnfixed and vnsettled : innumerable of those who have entertained such principles , having been known to run from one sect to another , till they have at last settled in quakerism , or turned mere scepticks , or cast off all religion : have been tossed to and fro , and carried about with every wind of doctrine , by the sleight of men , and the cunning craftiness of those , that lie in wait to deceive . i pray take notice that what i have now said , hath not proceeded from the least pique at persons , but from pure good-will to those who are herein concerned : from hearty love and charity to their souls , and a solicitous concern for the interest of our religion , and the welfare of the publique . and having solemnly declared this , i hope i shall not need to use st. paul's expostulation , am i therefore become your enemy , because i tell you the truth ? ii. another way of offending , or making people to offend , is inticing them to sin by wicked advice and solicitations ; which is an horribly bad way indeed : but , as bad as it is , it is very common . particularly , as to intemperate drinking , how common is it grown in this most dissolute age , not onely to intice , but even to force men to this sin ! notwithstanding the woe that is pronounced against him who giveth his neighbour drink , and putteth his bottle to him , and maketh him drunk , &c. hab. . . and there is a fine device of good-fellows , to force down drink civilly and gentily , namely , that of multiplying healths ; which not to pledge , or to refuse to pledge them in full glasses , and those large ones too , is to be mighty rude , and at least deserves a challenge . but i will trouble my self no longer with these wicked men , than while i conjure you to fly their company , and all their haunts , as you would do the dens of the most salvage beasts . i might add , to this sin of inticing to drunkenness , that of inticing to vncleanness , and several other sorts of wickedness , not much less common : particularly ( to name no more ) to plots and conspiracies against the king and his government ; which , of late years , to our amazement have been practised , by more among us , than have been known to adventure upon so fearfull a sin , in some whole ages heretofore . now these tempters of others to wickedness , are daring sinners indeed , who , as the apostle saith , rom. . . knowing the judgment of god , that they which commit such things are worthy of death , not onely doe the same , but have pleasure in them that doe them : which pleasure excites them to doe their utmost , to make others as wicked as themselves . what name shall i give to these sinners ? they deserve no better , than that of devils in humane bodies . these one would think , are affraid of being damned with too little company ; and they are not content to be damned for their own sins onely , but must have their reckoning inhaunced by the sins of others , which they make their own . and therefore they seem not to be satisfied with the same damnation for kind , with that of the devils , without the same damnation for degree too . iii. another way of offending , and laying stumbling-blocks before others , is that of affrighting or discouraging others , from being religious , or from the doing of their duty in particular instances . . the highest offence of this kind is that of persecution , for righteousness sake : which is a great offence and scandal , to those that are actually persecuted , or in danger of persecution . and persecution for well-doing is such a stumbling-block as hath occasioned the falling away of multitudes of professors of religion . and 't is a thousand to one that he who is not well confirmed in his religion , or , if he be , is not a conscientious practicer of the duties thereof , will not stand his ground ; especially when he meets with , or finds himself in danger of , the sharpest sort of persecutions : when he meets with a fiery tryal or is in danger of it . see what our lord saith of the stony ground hearers , matt. . . these are they which are sown on stony ground , who when they have heard the word , immediately receive it with gladness ; and have no root in themselves , and so endure but for a time : afterwards , when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake , immediately they are offended : or fall away . and the danger christ's disciples are in , of falling off from him , when they cannot adhere to him , but they must suffer persecution , is intimated in those words matt. . . and blessed is he , whosoever shall not be offended in me . i need not tell you that the church of rome is horribly guilty of this kind of offence ; but so is not our own church , god be thanked . her terms of communion being none of them such , as contradict any law of god ; as abundance of the best of people are verily persuaded : and not a few of our divines , and other learned men , have with great , and , i think , irresistible strength demonstrated . . another offence of this nature is representing the ways of religion as very rugged and difficult , and the duties thereof as over harsh and severe ; and at least next to impossible . representing the yoke of christ as an vneasie yoke ; and his burthen as an intolerably heavy burthen . this hath ordinarily been the practice of sensual people , of people who are wedded to their lusts and vile affections . and by this means , i fear , not a few poor souls have been utterly ruined , who have given more credit to these wretched people , than to their saviour , or to those good men who assure them , that such representations are most false and unworthy , from their own experience . . another offence under this head is , that which was charged by our blessed saviour upon the pharisees , viz. binding of heavy burthens ; and teaching for doctrines the commandments of men : or , making a great number of additions of their own to the laws of god ; and imposing them as necessary to salvation . and so making religion to be indeed a mighty burthensome and uneasie thing . and of this offence the church of rome is more notoriously guilty , than were those pharisees . but i must again doe that right to our own church , as to pronounce her guiltless , as to this offence also : she having not made any thing a part of religion , but what is plainly contained in the holy scriptures ; nor enjoyned any thing of her own as necessary to salvation ; but onely in order to the more solemn administration of divine worship , according to general rules laid down in scripture : which hath not determined , as all sober men will grant , the particular circumstances of worship , but prescribed rules in general , whereby the governours of churches may determine them . . another offence , under this third head , is treating of those who have fallen into errours of judgment or practice , with too great harshness and severity . i mean , continually inveighing against them , with mighty heat and fierceness ; and taking all opportunities to expose them , and to make them the objects of hatred , or of contempt and scorn . it is found by experience , that this is so far from being the way , to convince men of their mistakes , and to bring them to repentance for their miscarriages , that it stops their ears against our arguments , and fills them with prejudice against our admonitions ; and whatsoever endeavours we use , for the reclaiming of them . we must first satisfie offenders that we are their friends , before we can hope to work any good upon them . but this kind of behaviour is never like to convince them , that we love them . i am sure this is not to follow st. paul's admonition , tim. . , . the servant of the lord must not strive , but be gentle unto all men ; apt to teach , patient : in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves ; if god peradventure will give them repentance , to the acknowledging of the truth . dr. hammond's paraphrase upon these words , in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves , is this ; dealing with those who are of different opinions from us , with great temper and calmness , though in opposing us they oppose the truth . nor again , is this angry passionate way of dealing with such persons , to follow the counsel of the same apostle , gal. . . brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault , ye which are spiritual , restore such a one in the spirit of meekness ; considering thy self lest thou also be tempted : considering that thou art no less liable both to errours of judgment and practice , than is thy brother ; and art not kept by thine own strength , from falling into his errours . and let me take this opportunity to mind you likewise , that it is yet more unchristian , to be severe upon those whom we perceive to be sensible of their having been in an errour , and are returned or returning to their duty ; to be still upbraiding these with what is past ; and to load them with heavy censures , as if the change that is observed in them hath proceeded , not from any good principle , not from conviction of judgment , but from the mere fear of the lash of the law. but how contrary are these doings to that charity , which the apostle tells us , hopeth all things , and believeth all things ; and makes the best interpretations and constructions ! and this behaviour towards such is mightily discouraging , and therefore a great offence , scandal and stumbling-block , both to them , and to those who still persist in their errours . the former , by this means , are shrewdly tempted to repent of their change , and to go back again : and the latter to take warning by their usage , and are in danger of being made more obstinate , and confirmed in their resolution to stand their ground , and to keep where they are . now i intreat such as are guilty of this offence to consider , . that it is a great rashness , and a great wickedness too , thus to judge of peoples hearts . what is this but to assume to our selves the peculiar prerogative of god almighty ? . consider that the execution of the laws may be the occasion of fallen persons rising again , and returning to their duty , and yet notwithstanding they may so doe from the conviction of their judgments . that is , the execution of the laws may awaken those to more serious and impartial consideration , which by other means could not be brought to it ; and who can say of such as are now reduced , either wholly or in part , that this is not their case ? . if we could certainly know that such or such are reduced by mere bye respects ; that no inward change is wrought in them , but that they are onely become externally conformable ; yet such a treating of them as i am now blaming , would be a mighty fault for all that . for in due time these insincere converts may become as sincerely affected towards our national establishment , as the best of our selves , if they be but well dealt with : but if they find us an ill natured sort of people , given to upbraiding and censuring , gibing and flouting , we shall tempt them , while they continue with us , to resolve never to be of us ; and still to hold up an aversation to our church , for our sakes . but this is no very comfortable consideration ; for 't is not impossible that false friends may again become more mischievous to our church , than professed enemies . and this leads me to entreat you to consider , . that an unkind treating of those who now come over to our communion , is a plain demonstration , that we have as little true love for our church , as we have for the souls of those we thus discourage . you shall not find an hearty papist , i 'll warrant you , bestowing an unpleasing word , or a sour look , upon any that go over from us to their church ; but he immediately embraceth them with both his arms , and bids them wellcome : nor , surely , can any sincere lovers of our church and religion , be so much mistaken in their true interest , as to discourage any from returning , that have departed from our communion , or from continuing therein , that are returned . lastly , to give these discouragements , is to put an effectual affront upon our governours . for those that doe so , do as good as plainly tell the world , that they look upon their design in the execution of the laws , to be mere revenge , and not the reformation of offenders . or if they would be thought not to have such a base opinion of their governours , they must acknowledge that they doe what they can , to render their true design therein unsuccessfull . but i know not which of these is the greater affront to them . and therefore i hope , that all who hear me this day , will carefully avoid this very scandalous practice of some people ; as they would approve themselves good churchmen , and truly loyal subjects ; and , much more , as they would approve themselves good christians , who dread to fall under the sad woe pronounced in my text , against those by whom offences come . iv. another way of offending is by an evil example . this is the last i shall name , as wanting time to discourse of divers others , with which i might present you . evil examples are extremely scandalous and offensive , by the means of the great inclination of mankind to imitation . 't is a known saying , plus docent exempla quam praecepta , the most powerfull way of teaching is by examples , and these signifie more than precepts . there is no small force in good examples , but much greater in bad , by reason of the universal depravation of humane nature . and let a man prescribe to others never so excellent rules of life , if he himself be observed not to walk by those rules , he had e'en as good hold his peace , for any good he is like to doe . this man's example is a confutation of his doctrine and advice ; and he ought to expect no other reply to it but this , cur verba audio , cum facta videam , what regard is to be had to thy words , when they are so contradicted by thy practice ? and , above all , the bad examples of magistrates and ministers , parents and masters of families , and instructers of youth , and of people that are noted for wisdom , or for the profession of religion ( as hath already been shewed ) have the most malign and fatal influence . i will single the bad example of parents out of all these . it is a plain case , that the wickedness of the world is mostly owing to the examples of drunkenness , swearing , profanation of the lords day , and of a careless and irreligious life , that are given by parents to their children . and 't is very rare when parents are bad , but their children take after them ; and imitate them especially in those vices , which they observe them to be most addicted to . by which means , by that time they are grown up to years of discretion , they are so habituated to sinning , that though they afterwards should be so happy , as to light into the families of pious people , and so want neither good advice , nor good examples , they are found to be generally unreclaimable : and so , when these too come to have children , their example proves likewise as pernicious to them ; and by this means wickedness is still propagated and encreased , from generation to generation . but let all such parents know that , as none are more concerned than themselves , in the fearfull woe pronounced in my text , against those by whom offences come , so may they expect the bitter curses of their dear children , sooner or later in this world , but especially in that to come . i shall conclude all with a few words relating to the sacrament of the lords supper . this being an ordinance most plainly , and in most express terms , instituted by our blessed lord , it must needs be a great offence and scandal , in those that profess the religion of our saviour , to live in the constant neglect of it . and by the same reason that any man doeth this , he may cast off , with the mad ranters , all other ordinances . and i must add , that to come to the lord's table , but once or twice in a year , or very seldom , is a great offence and scandal too . and a man may every whit as well , but seldom attend upon the other ordinances , as omit , without apparent necessity , the receiving of the lord's supper , whensoever he is presented with an opportunity , and is invited thereunto . if communicating be a duty , frequent communicating is so too ; and there is the same reason for doing it as often , as well we can , that there is why we should doe it at all . the first christians were very sensible of this , and therefore 't was their practice to receive the holy communion , whensoever they met to worship god. and he that shall think that once in a month is too often to perform this duty , whensoever he is perswaded to doe it , i think it no breach of charity to say , he is far from being duly qualified for it . an affecting sense of the infinite love of god in christ , and holy resolutions to walk , by the assistance of his grace , worthy of that love , are necessary qualifications for this ordinance : but how is it possible , that he who hath this sense , and these resolutions , can think he can too often express this sense at the lord's table , or there get these resolutions more and more confirmed , where grace is received for that purpose , by all those that seriously , and with a sincere design , come unto it ? but whereas there are those very honest people , who are neither wanting in good resolutions , nor in good endeavours , that are discouraged from coming to the lord's table , as often as they would ; because they find , to their grief , their thoughts much disordered oftentimes , and ther affections dull and heavy ; and their power falling mightily short of their will and desires , i will leave with them what is said to the christian that makes these complaints , in the meditation before the sacrament , in the ast; christian sacrifice , viz. be assured that christ pitieth thee , that , notwithstanding this , he will kindly entertain thee ; and receive the poorest oblation thou art able to make him at his table . eat and be satisfied and bless the name of the lord. he hath invited thee , he expects thee ; he loves to see thee there ; and will make thee know that he loves thee , and delights to doe thee good . now the god of all mercy give us all his grace , so to demean our selves in all our relations , as that no damage may accrue to the souls of any , by our means ; nor any dishonour to our holy profession : but that all that know us , may have cause to bless god for us ; and we may adorn the doctrine of god our saviour in all things : to whom , with the father and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , now and for ever . amen . finis . advertisements . the act of the common council of gloucester , that necessitated the publication of this discourse , and was made the very next day after the former part of it was preached ( and which , for substance , is truly published in the observator , that came out on wednesday , sept. . . numb . . ) runs thus , as i am informed , verbatim ( but i won't be bound to make true grammar on 't ) whereas edward fowler , doctor of divinity , and one of the prebends of the cathedral church of this city , hath been frequently taken notice of , by the mayor , aldermen , sheriffs and common council of this city , in his sermons here , to countenance sedition and faction , and to preach those things , which tend to the disturbance of well-affected men of this city : it is therefore ordered by this house , that when , and as often , as he preacheth at the cathedral church in this city , that the mayor and aldermen and common council of this city , shall not go thither with the sword in their formalities ; but shall go to some other church in this city ; to hear some loyal orthodox divine , and to be paid at the charge of the city . the works of the learned dr. isaac barrow late master of trinity colledge in cambridge ; published by the reverened dr. tillotson , dean of canterbury : in two volumes in folio . the first containing thirty two sermons , preached upon several occasions , an exposition of the lord's prayer and the decalogue , a learned treatise of the popes supremacy , a discourse concerning the unity of the church : with alphabetical tables . also some account of the life of the authour . the second volume containing sermons and expositions upon all the apostles creed : with an alphabetical table ; and to which may be added the life of the authour . printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhill . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e sess. . cap. . see dr. hicks his spirit of popery , &c. a complaint brought to me in my own parish , where i first preached this sermon , occasioned that which follows . this was the sacrament-day . ast; for the month of august . a discourse of the great disingenuity & unreasonableness of repining at afflicting providences and of the influence which they ought to have upon us, on job , , publish'd upon occasion of the death of our gracious sovereign queen mary of most blessed memory : with a preface containing some observations, touching her excellent endowments, and exemplary life. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a discourse of the great disingenuity & unreasonableness of repining at afflicting providences and of the influence which they ought to have upon us, on job , , publish'd upon occasion of the death of our gracious sovereign queen mary of most blessed memory : with a preface containing some observations, touching her excellent endowments, and exemplary life. fowler, edward, - . , [ ], p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., london : . reproduction of original in bodleian library. attributed to edward fowler. cf. bm. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng mary -- ii, -- queen of england, - . great britain -- history -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discourse of the great disingenuity & unreasonableness of repining at afflicting providences : and of the influence which they ought to have upon us , on iob . . publish'd upon occasion of the death of our gracious sovereign , queen mary of most blessed memory . with a preface containing some observations , touching her excellent endowments , and exemplary life . london , printed for brabazon aylmer at the three pidgeons in cornhil , . the preface relating to the queen . reader this plain discourse being design'd at first , to go no farther than the pulpit , i was by the late most afflicting providence induced ( as the title page tells you ) to send it to the press : considering that a discourse of this nature ( tho' it can be at no time unseasonable ) can never be mo●e seasonably published than at this iuncture ; when there is as general a lamentation for the death of our most gracious queen , as we have ever known for any publick calamity . and my design herein being to promote , what in me lyes , a due acknowledgment of the hand of god in all afflictions , and to instruct those who need such helps , how they are obliged to behave themselves under them , and how they ought to improve them ; and to lay before them the most perswasive motives to such a behaviour and improvement ; i humbly hope it may be in some measure serviceable to my country-men in affecting them with such a sense of this heavy storke , as may have that happy influence upon them , which i have here shewed , god , in his infinite goodness , doth principally aym at , in all the evils that befall us . and because the quicker sense we have of this loss , there may be the more hope of our compliance with gods design therein ; and it being necessary to the retaining and more quickning our sense thereof , to keep fresh in our minds the greatness of it , i can not but take this occasion to represent , with an equal mixture of admiration and grief , the excellency of the person , and therefore the greatness of the blessing , which we have lost . but since it would be too great a presumption ( in me especially ) to pretend to give so full a description of her majesties virtues , and her natural and acquired accomplishments , as may deserve the name of her character , i intend not mu●h more , than to instance in those which lay most open to observation : but those are enough to speak her , the glory of her sex. we had very admirable accounts of her , from her court at the hague , during her abode there , from most unquestionable testimonies , which made us envy our neighbours happiness in such a princess ; who knew their happiness , ( as 't was impossible they should not ) and had an extraordinary value and veneration for her. and since her return to her native country , and her advancement to the throne here , we never knew a more eminent exception than she was to that common observation minnit praesentia famam . the fame that persons had when absent , suffers by their presence . the queen had , to begin with her intellectual endowments , an exceeding quick apprehension , and as clear and discerning a judgment . the late arch bishop of canterbury hath more than once expressed to me great admiration , at the proofs he knew her give of these accomplishments in the weighty affaires of state , in the kings absences , when the executive part of the government was in her hands . and , by the way , that great and excellent man , whose death is also much bewailed , could not have chosen a time for his leaving the world , more happy for himself , than that which providence chose for him ; since he escaped a very terrible shock by being taken away from the inexpressible loss we are now lamenting , which was then at the door . the queen hath left also a great name behind her , for her wisdom and prudence in the management of whatsoever business she was pleased to be concerned in . and in difficult cases no person certainly , might more safely than she be trusted , with that advice of the son of sirach , let the counsel of thine own heart stand . several great passages which i have had from the best hands do make me say this . and her person was not more amiable than was her temper . it was so far from having the least tincture of pride , or peevishness , or any thing distastful or disobliging , that the character of deliciae humani generis , might with as little suspicion of flattery be bestowed on this queen , as on that 〈◊〉 roman emperour , whose it 〈◊〉 . nay i am perswaded , that nev●● was so great a person so great an example of condescending courtesy , kindness and sweetness , as she was towards all about her , or that made addresses to her ; not excepting the meanest of her poor supplicants , who were very numerous . as more of true majesty was never seen in a sovereign , than in her , so never appeared less of loftiness , or of contemptuous behaviour in a subject . in the several yearly courses of my waiting upon her as chaplain , i can truly say , i could never observe her , to the best of my remembrance , either by any thing she said or by her manner of speaking or by so much as a look , to be angry or out of humour . she did not seem to have any thing of melancholy in her natural complexion , and yet , which is very extraordinary , she was at a great distance from the other extreme . she was easie , free and chearful , but without the least appearance of levity . she would neither ●e over whelmed with grief , nor transported with ioy , and yet was far from a stoick ; her temper was sufficiently impressible . she hath been seen to shed tears , with great tenderness , for the death of a person she had an esteem for , and would express a due sense at the hearing of unwelcome tidings ; and she had a great deal of sympathy , and compassion in her nature , as will be shewn : yet she still bore afflictions with great patience ; they could not extort from her an unseemly word , nor make her uneasy to any body but her self . her parting with his majesty once a year was always grievous to her , and a cloud afterward appeared upon her countenance for a time , but it was even astonishing to observe , not only how soon she overcame her sorrow , and cleared up again , but also with what evenness and composedness of mind , she could bear his long absences , and the thoughts of the infinite dangers to which he exposed his royal person . i say this was very wonderful , considering that she was a pattern for the best of wives ; she always expressed the tenderest affection to , and the highest value for , the king her husband . and therefore it was impossible for her , notwithstanding the happiness of her temper , so to demean her self under such a tryal , had she not a great faith in the divine protection , being assured of his being engaged in the best of causes . such a pattern was the queen of sobriety and freeness from vanity , that i am sorry so few of our ladies could ever perswade themselves to have the ambition herein to resemble her : and that ( contrary to the custom , which till this reign hath here no less prevailed , than in other countries ) the example of a queen should be of little force ; nay of so little , as not to be able to make such childish vanities as spot●ed faces , out of fashion . and tho' queens of all ladies may be ( i hope ) excused , if they should exceed in their ward●robe ▪ our queen was so far from being lyable to censure upon that account , that a gentleman of great worth , whose office would not let him be ignorant of her expences , did sometime since profess , that he was very unwilling to say how little she laid out upon apparel . and as to the sobriety which relates to the palate , she was so far from being fond of great dainties , that i heard her once say , that she could live in a dairy . what an enemy she was to idleness , even in ladies , those who had the honour to serve her , are living instances . it is well known how great a part of the day they were employed at their needles , & several ingenuities ; the queen herself , when more important business would give her leave , working with them . and , that their minds might be well employed at the same time , it was her custome to order one to read to them , while they were at work ; either divinity , or some profitable history . and what a value she set on time , appeared by her leaving her pillow by six in the morning , and her late returns to it : and by the hours which she daily spent in her closet . and 't was admirable to see how she would contrive , to be as little as needs must out of business . she did not spare so much as her dressing time from it : which was after she had been first in her closet about half an hour , and then , after a dish of tea or chocolat , about two hours more . she appointed her levy ( that is her dressing time ) for the receiving of petitions , and doing what other business could then conveniently be dispatch't . and even now also would she have reading when there was a vacancy for it . and this was the time which the ladies knew to be most acceptable for the receiving of visits , because then they would least hinder business . as for those ladies who came at her working time , they knew they should not be welcome , except they work't too . between the chappel-prayers and dinner , she would commonly walk into the gardens , and there see how the gardners had observed her orders , and farther appoint them what to do . but we must return to her closet , where , how she employed herself , we may more than guess , by the choyce collection of books she furnished it with ; as well of divinity , as history , and other learned and ingenious treatises ; and by the great improvement of her mind she gained by them : which those worthy men who were her chaplains in holland , and the learned clerk of her closet here ( who also for several years waited on her there ) can abundantly witness . those histories she spent most time in , were such as by which she might be best accomplished , for the most difficult and weighty employment of a sovereign queen . and as to divinity , she had been such a student therein , as well to know , upon what grounds and reasons , she ought undoubtedly to believe the gospel of our saviour , & the evidence we have for the truth thereof : and not only to have the truest understanding thereof , whereby she could well distinguish between the true teachers and the corrupters of the christian doctrine , but to be able to defend it , and especially against those of the roman communion ; her greatest danger , as i need not say , having been from that quarter . and 't is highly worth our notice , what a not able insight she had into the errours of that church , and how understandingly she would argue against some of those errours , when very young , and what a warm zeal she would even then express against popery ; for which she got the name of queen bess , from her uncle king charles . and a second q. elizabeth she proved to be , both in regard of her immoveable constancy in adhering to the protestant religion , against vigorous assaults , which have not hitherto been made publick ; and of her great affection to the church of england , for whose true and just interest she was much concerned . but yet her love to this church did not leven her mind , with any sour prejudices against other protestant churches , as that of holland found by experience ; nor lessened her charity towards sober dissenters among our selves . i am as sensible as my reader , that i have now a little deviated from the rules of method ; but it is more pardonable to give you such remarks as these in a less proper place , than to forget them , when i have a fi●●er for them . and now shall i need to add , that our incomparable queen was also a person of most sincere and unaffected devotion and piety ? whether there be need of it or no , i cannot decline this subject . she was , if comparisons may be made , most exemplary in her piety . it is very well known , in the first place , how strictly consciencious she was in the observation of the lord's day ; and that as well privately , as in the publick assemblies . as she enjoyned preaching in the chapple-royal after the evening prayers ( though there were always prayers , and a sermon twice every sunday morning ) and likewise two sermons , with the prayers , on all the monthly fasts , so was she constantly a most serious and devout attender on them both parts of those days . as she was also on the lords supper , the first sunday of every month. and she was observed to spend more time than ordinary in her closet , not onely the day , but also the week before every communion . nor could any business detein her from her private chappel , neither morning nor evenings , throughout the week . in all the times of my waiting , i never knew her once absent . and whensoever she had occasion to go abroad a mornings , she gave order for the prayers before she went ; or if she intended to return to dinner , she would have them , tho' late , before she sate down at table . and whereas it was the practice in former reigns , to have onely the second lesson for the morning and evening service read in the private chappel , she commanded to have both for the future . and it so fell out , that i had the honour of first receiving this her pious command . but her piety was far from being confined to her chappels and closet ; she was every where a like pious in various instances . a reverence of the deity shewed it self in every thing she said or did . who ever heard her take the name of god or of our saviour into her mouth , in too light or vain a manner ? tho' this practice is grown so common , as to be little scrupled by very many , whom we may not censure as not truly religious . such is the force of a general custom . i do not , you see , speak of profaining gods name by vain swearing , for it would be much too little a thing to say of such a saint , that she abhorred this , but of all irreverend use thereof ; but of this , i say , our blessed queen did make great conscience . and so did she no less , of censuring and speaking ill of others , and of all other liberties , which even great professors of religion do too commonly give themselves in talking . and therefore she was one of st. james his perfect women ; for saith he , if any offend not in tongue , the same is a perfect man. and it is no wonder , if she , who could so perfectly govern her speech , should be as void of offence in all her actions . and it is certain , that so she was . so extraordinary strict was her majesties life , even from her youth , that for the seventeen years of her married state , the king , as he hath professed , could never see any thing in her , which he could call a fault . and no man can keep a stricter guard upon his words ▪ than his majesty is always observed to do . and as to the positive instances of the queens piety , or fear of god , they were such as shewed she made no less conscience of sins of omission , than of commission . i might speak of the pious care she took of her immediate attendants ; and how concerned she was , to have them secured from temptations , when they had occasion to go abroad . but i cannot omit one passage , which is an equal instance both of her piety and humility . she having condescended to be god-mother to a daughter of one of her servants , and calling to mind those words at the end of the office of baptism ; you are to take care , that this child be brought to the bishop to be confirmed by him , &c. she not onely took this care of her god-daughter , but in order to her due preparation for confirmation , would instruct her herself , and hear her say her catechism . she did not think it enough , to command one of her servants , or the clerk of her closet , to do this office. and how great a concern she had for the reforming of the manners of her subjects , in this very loose age , appeared , by her most pious letter to the iustices of middlesex : wherein she vigorously excited them to do their duty , according to their oaths , in executing the laws against swearers and cursers , and profaners of the lords day , and all debauched persons . and her majesties charity ought to be taken notice of next after her piety ; in which most christian grace , it is impossible so excellent a person in all other respects , should be defective . the queen could well distinguish , between the religion of the means and of the end. and no one can be more sensible , than she was , how little praying , hearing , reading and the sacraments do signify , to those who place the whole of religion in such things , as necessary as they are . she knew that the design of these great duties , is the making us more and more to partake of a divine god-like nature ; the subduing of all corrupt affections and inordinate appetites , and the making us forward to all good works . and it is evident , that these were the ends she propounded to herself , in all acts of devotion ; as by her great proficiency in other virtues , so particularly by her excelling in works of mercy and charity . she filled her almoners with business of this kind , more perhaps than any king or queen ever did in this kingdom , within such a space of time. and tha● not only in distributions at home , but also in foreign parts , among poor sufferers for the sake of christ. and i have good reason to believe from what i know , that her own hands were likewise large dispensers of very private charities . and it is strange , that her memory should serve her to be so punctual as she was , in the payment of her private pensions , at the times she had set for it , without being put in mind of those times when they came . and her memory was no less faithful in reference to the performance of her gracious promises ; as i have known by experience . these things , i say , are very strange , considering how her mind was always loaded with business ; and with business of the greatest weight & importance , especially when the king was abroad : which i think hath mostly been for the greater part of every year . but it seems she thought nothing could be of greater importance , than works of charity . in the last place , i cannot forbare taking notice of another rare endowment with which her majesty was adorned , and which few would expect to find in the character of a woman , tho' a queen , viz. courage and fortitude . herein was she also a second queen elizabeth . this was eminently demonstrated by her manly ( her more than manly ) behaviour , when the french bravadoed it upon our coast : and great danger apprehended from our busy enemies at home , and of treachery in our navy ; and the king then in very difficult circumstances in ireland . so that the streight , the queen was now in , seemed much like that of david at ziklag ; and much greater than that of queen elizabeth at tilbury . but now did she demean herself , not only as that queen , but as david did at that time , she encouraged herself in the lord her god. and those who should have animated her , had she need of being animated by them , were chiefly supported by the observations they made of the admirable presence of mind , she all along shewed . minding the business which the exegency of affairs called for , and expressing no dissidence of success . and this , no doubt , was one of those times , to which a noble earl referred , in this saying which i heard from him , viz. we have owed our safety more than once , to the queens care and vigilancy . and he was at such a post , in all the most difficult part of their majesties reign , as to be best able of any minister of state , to say this of his own knowledge . i cannot here omit the mentioning , ( tho' it would have better come in before ) what another great person , very eminent for piety as well as parts and learning , with whom the queen frequently conversed , did say to me of her , about four years since , viz. she is so good , that when i compare my self with her , i am ashamed to find , how much i fall short of her. she was so great an example of piety and every virtue , that considering them altogether , it can be no hyperbole to say , certainly a greater never graced a throne . she had the virtues of the best princes , without the least mixture of those failings , with which the names of most of them are stained in history . as to that one ( that onely ) thing , which our male-contents would fix as a foul blot upon her majesties memory ; would they once be perswaded to lay aside their prejudices , and the groundless notions they have entertained , it is impossible they should not at length see , with the generality of their protestant brethren , not only at home , but throughout christendom , that that which they would make such ●n hainous crime in the king and queen , is rather an instance of heroick virtue . as to the king , what greater demonstrations can they desire , than he hath given them , of his not having been acted in what so much offends them , by aspiring ambition ? for had he been induced by so very bad a principle , to take upon him the government of these kingdoms , are they able to imagine he would have harassed himself , and run so many tremendous hazards , as he hath done ever since , both by land and sea ? can they think it possible for him to chuse such a life , had he accepted of three crowns for the pleasure of wearing them ? had this been his ultimate design , his haughty neighbour had too many irons in the fire , to have given him the least disturbance in the enjoyment of his acquisitions : and would have thanked him to let him have owned him for his brother ; and to have consented to such a league with him , as that he made with the late usurper : and would no more have been king james's friend , than he was king charles's , when he fled to him for succour ; but would have served the one as he did the other . those know nothing , of that prince who hath made himself so well known to all europe , that can make the least doubt of this . one would think therefore , that malice it self should not need to be satisfied , that king william accepted not of these crowns , otherwise than as a means to the noblest of ends , viz. the rescuing of both these and the neighbouring nations , from popery , oppression and slavery . and would the men i am dealing with , have had the queen obstruct this glorious work , by refusing to sit with her royal husband upon the english throne , merely because that prince was her father who left it empty ? when if he could have been satisfied , not to subject himself to the tripple crown , and not to be governed by the counsels of jesuites , and by the dictates of the greatest enemy we are capable of having ; and to let his people enjoy their religion , and laws ; he might have reigned as happily , notwithstanding his being a son of the church of rome , as ever did any of his royal protestant predecessors . should the queen have been so wilful , as to prefer the false interest of a father , to both the temporal and spiritual interest of many whole nations ▪ to the interest of so many millions of bodies and souls too ) she would have left a blot indeed upon her now spotless and most precious memory . in what i have here said of her majesty , which is extreamly little , considering what she deserved , i sincerely profess that i have no other aim , but to make us the more affected with that sad providence , which hath deprived us of her ; in order to our making that good improvement thereof which god expecteth . had the queens high deserts been published in her life time , the publisher ought to have been content to be cryed shame of , as a foolish fulsome flatterer ; and that i may not now incur the suspition of flattery , you see how sparing i have been in speaking of the king. but this i may be allowed to say of his majesty , that he had an high esteem for his royal consort , upon the account both of her wisdom and piety . and the king bewails her death , as an unspeakable loss to himself , as well as to his people . he declared , like a good christian , when he had no hope of her life , that he did not repine at the will of god : but yet the thoughts of his parting with her did put him , as great a soul as he hath , into terrible agonies . which were so far from being blame-worthy , that they made his submission to that hand , which gave him this bitter cup to drink , the more like his blessed saviours . and the queens death was such as it might have been presumed , such a life would end in . upon her having the first intimation of the danger she was in , she replyed to this effect : i have been instructed by the divines of our church , how very hazardous a thing it is to rely upon a death-bed repentance ; and i am not now to begin the great work of preparing for death : and , i praise god , i am not afraid of it . and she was so composed throughout her sickness , that 't was evident she had not the least disturbance upon her mind ; but that all was calm and serene within her. one of her physicians ( a very worthy gentleman ) was so affected with the observations he then made of her , as since to say , she seemed to me , more like an angel , than a woman . frequently she called for the prayers , which my lord of canterbury still read to her ; and about twelve hours before her departure , she comfortably received the holy communion at his hands , seven bishops communicating with her. and at last she went away as quietly as a lamb , with her works following her. oh! what a dark , what a black christmas hath this year brought us ! we may well apply thereto those words in the prophesy of amos , it shall come to pass , saith the lord , that i will cause the s●● to go down at noon-day , ( and it was scarce noon-day , with this our bright sun , when it sett ) and i will turn your feasts into mourning , and all your songs into lamentation . and now , if my grief could permit me farther to aggravate this our loss , after the faithful representation , as defective as it is , which hath been given of the worth of the jewel we have lost , it would not signifie much to you : since the loss is such , as that you can conceive , much better than i can express the greatness of it . and if it be not year after year more and more felt , and therefore better understood , it will be what we have as little reason as can be , to expect . and nothing but wretched inconsideration can make us fearless of its being designed for a presage and forerunner of other calamities ; while we continue so bad a people , notwithstanding the great blessings , both spiritual and temporal , which our nation hath had a long enjoyment of , above all other parts of christendom : and while most countries about us have lain under oppression and tyranny , and been in blood and confusion : and notwithstanding our late most wonderful deliverance , and the strange and unexpected things which god hath since done for us , towards the securing and the perfecting thereof . the most serious people are much afraid , that her majesty is taken away from the evil to come , when they reflect upon the high provocation , we have given to the divine majesty , by our obstinate aversion to the least reformation , either of manners , or of any thing amiss , after all the marvellous interpositions of providence , in the behalf both of our church and state. god saw her to be incomparably too good for a people , who would not mend in the least by her example : and therefore what can we reasonably think , but that he took her hence in just iudgment to us , tho' in infinite mercy to herself . at least , this sad conclusion may be made from this providence , if we should be as insensible of the hand of god in our loss of her , as we have been of the blessing we had in her , while we enjoyed her. and her kingdoms might have enjoyed her more than forty years longer , had they better deserved her. had her life been prolonged to such a number of years , it would have been no strange thing , considering her temperance , and the healthfulness and strength of her constitution . we can assign no mere natural reason , why she might not at least have lived to the age of queen elizabeth , who dyed before she was seventy years old , and yet was thirty eight years elder than our blessed queen mary . and if it should prove , that this sad stroke should be lost upon us , what cause may we have to dread , a yet sadder ! i mean the losing of our king too , who may well be called , the very breath of our nostrils , since the prophet jeremiah did so stile a prince , who deserved not to be named on the same day with him. and well may i say , that the loss of king william , would be the greatest , that ( humanly speaking ) can befal us : since those are worse than blind , who will not see , that the safety of these nations , and of at least all our protestant neighbours , doth wholly , under god almighty , depend upon his precious life ; and must necessarily so do in the eye of reason , while our circumstances continue as they are abroad . should god call the king from us , before our danger from france is over , i can not think but the faces of many of his professed enemies would soon gather blackness , at the scaring prospect which those who can see but one inch before them , must needs then have a clear sight of . and then it may endanger their losing that sense they have left them , to reflect upon their prodigious insensibility of their own interest , whether they ever come or no , to have any concernment for the publick . and what cause have we to pray heartily for the kings long and prosperous reign over us , from affection to him as well as to our selves ! since to him , as gods great instrument , we owe the preservation of our religion , and of all that is dear to us ! to conclude , those who are so irreligious as to look no farther , than the natural cause of the queens death , are never like to be bettered thereby . but such as are duly sensible of gods hand therein ; who could easily have prevented it without a miracle , and by his ordinary providence too , had he seen it in his infinite wisdom fit ; can not but see what an awakening providence this is , loudly calling upon us to attone his wrath , by deep humiliation , hearty repentance and reformation . but let the consequents of this stroke be never so sad , we ought , with holy king david , to be dumb , and not open our mouths , because it was gods doing : and to say , righteous art thou o lord , and just , most just , are thy judgments . and indeed to have such a blessing as this , snatcht away from us , and one so qualified in all respects , and so desirous too , to make us ( in conjunction with her royal companion in the throne ) both a good and a flourishing people ; and that in the very flower of her years , and in an age which could worst spare her ; religion being now at so low an ebb , and wickedness and infidelity so abounding ; this is such a calamity , as no considerations can support good people under it , like the thoughts of his hands being in it from whence we receive all our good , and therefore ought to receive evil : and the assurance we have , that our mighty loss is her infinite gain . edward gloucester . job , ii. x. what ? shall we receive good at the hand of god , and shall we not receive evil ? the wicked speech of iob's wife in the foregoing verse , was the occasion of these words . observing his perseverance in his integ●●ty ; and not onely his patient submission to , but also thankful acquiescence in the will of god , under the heaviest of calamities , she brake out into these most impious and blasphemous words , as they are in our translation , dost thou still retein thine integrity ? curse god and dye . whereupon the holy man gives her this reply , thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh ; what ? shall we receive good at the hand of god , and shall we not receive evil ? that speech of hers is variously rendred , but i shall onely observe , that the hebrew word which is here translated curse , properly signifies the contrary , bless . the old latin version so renders it in this place ; but i acknowledge so it doth too , in that saying of the devil , he will curse thee to thy face ; where the same word is used , but our translation there must needs be right . but i have thought it strange , that the septuagint should render this speech of iob's wife , blapheme god and dye ; where the word may very well signifie bless ; and yet render that other of the devil , he will bless thee to thy face ; where 't is manifest it must signifie curse ; as it does in some few other texts . in short , i see no reason why we should not ( with some of our most learned expositors ) understand this word here according to its proper signification ; and so make iob's wife to say to him , bless god and dye . you may object , why then should these words so strike iob to the heart , as his reply shews they did , viz. thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh ; that is , thou speakest like a wicked wretch . i answer , that 't is too evident these words were spoken tauntingly , and therefore well deserved so severe a rebuke : they may be thus paraphras'd : i see thou art a wonderful thankful man : thou canst bless god , when of a vastly rich man , he makes thee a beggar ; when of a father , of no fewer than ten children , he makes thee childless in a moment : go on to bless him still , since thou hast so great encouragement ; the reward he designs thee being the destroying of thee , next after thy children . and this saying , bless god and dye , used as a taunt , i need not tell you was highly daring and presumptuous ; tho' not so horribly profane as curse god and dye . in discoursing on the latter part of iob ' s admirable reply , what ? shall we receive good at the hand of god , and shall we not receive evil ? i shall endeavour to shew , i. that evil proceeds from the hand of god as well as good. ii. what is meant by receiving evil at his hand . iii. how our receiving good is a motive to receive evil at his hand too : or where in lies the force of this motive . iv. i shall draw several inferences from the whole . first , that evil proceeds from the hand of god , as well as good. or , that evil events as well as good , are from the divine providence . you see i shall take it for granted that good things are all from god ; and well i may , since tully could ask , why do we worship him , or pray to him , if it were otherwise ? and he thought , with posidonius before him , that a man cannot deny this , but he must be an atheist ; and therefore made no better men of epicurus and his followers , tho' none did more profess the belief of a deity . but we will a little enquire , whether evil things do come also from god's hand ; because those who have the highest thoughts of the divine goodness , may be most apt to question how god can be the author of any evil ; how out of the same fountain can flow , both sweet streams and bitter ; or rather , how bitterness can issue forth from the fountain of sweetness . now that this is very accountable , will chiefly appear from what we are to say hereafter . our present business is to shew , that evils do proceed from the hand of god ; as also what hand he hath in th●m . that they do proceed from his hand , is so evident from the holy scriptures , that nothing is more evident . god almighty saith by his prophet isaiah , ch. . . i form the light , and create darkness ; i make peace , and create evil : i the lord do all these things . and by his prophet amos , ch. . . shall there be evil in a city , and the lord hath not done it ? and by his servant moses , deut. . . see now , that i even i am he , and there is no god with me ; i kill and i make alive , i wound and i heal ; neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand . and all the threatnings in the book of god do suppose this . and therefore we there find good men , still acknowledging god's hand in their afflictions . thus upright iob , upon his receiving the tydings of his prodigious losses , saith , the lord hath given , and the lord hath taken away , &c. ch. . . the lord hath taken away , as well as given . king david we find frequently making such acknowledgments . and our blessed saviour calls his sufferings , the cup which his father had given him to drink . and indeed the pagans had generally this sense of the evils ( especially the greater ) that befell them , as well as of their good things : and therefore they had their catharmata , and many expiatory rites , for the pacifying of their gods , whensoever calamities of any kind did light upon them . now in order to our understanding what hand god hath in evils , we are to take notice . . that they do not ordinarily proceed immediately from his hand : nay we have no reason to believe that any evils ever do , but 't is probable that those do proceed from invisible second causes , which do not from visible . . nor is it necessary to make evils , at least ordinarily , the effects of second causes , by any positive act of god , whereby he useth those causes as his instruments in the most proper and strict sence of that word . but it may be enough to say , upon the falling out of disasters , that his good providence did not interpose , in preventing those evil effects being produced by their causes . nor can we certainly conclude , that ever god doth any more than withhold his wonted protection in such cases . . evils may be truly of god's appointing , tho not caused by any positive act of his. and whensoever his providence suffers us to fall into such circumstances , as that certain evils inevitably light upon us , and no care could prevent them ; then , at least , we may look upon them as being of the divine appointment , no less than permission . and even those may be so , which are the effects of other peoples wickedness . as when the pride , or covetousness , or malice of another makes me a sufferer . for the opportunities and advantages which a wicked man may at any time have against me , are from the divine providence . so that , tho' it be infinitely unworthy of god , to infuse evil affections , inclinations or dispositions into any man , or to excite any one to sin , yet he knowing such affections and inclinations to be in such persons , and that they only want objects or opportunities for the acting of them , he may make use of them , for the scourging of such particular sinners , or for the tryal of such or such of his servants . we have an instance hereof in shimei ' s cursing king david . upon abishai ' s saying , why should this dead dog curse my lord the king ? let me i pray thee go over , and take off his head : the king thus reply'd , let him curse , because the lord hath said unto him , curse david ; who shall then say , wherefore hast thou done so ? david could not mean by these words , that god had laid his command upon that wretch to curse him ; this would have been to make him no sinner herein , but his obedient servant . but his meaning was , that god had by his providence given shimei this opportunity of insulting over him , and venting his spite upon him . and therefore the good king concluded that god in just judgment did not scourge him with the tongue of shimei , as he had done by the sword of his son absalom . and thus god calls the assyrian , the rod of his anger , and saith that he will send him against an hypocritical nation . and by this phrase , we are to understand , god's so ordering it , as that all difficulties and discouragements should be removed out of his way to the invading of the israelites ; which he knew he was prepared in mind to do , as soon as he could have an opportunity . nor are we to think it strange that such words , as sending , commanding , doing , determining , and many other like them , should be used onely to express , either removing rubs out of the way to certain evils , ( whether natural or moral ) or bare permissions ; since these ways of speaking are hebrew idioms , and as ordinary as can be in the iewish language : of which there are innumerable instances in holy scripture : i will name one more , viz. that in acts . . where god's hand and counsel and determination are said to be in the horrible death and sufferings of his holy child iesus . but 't is as evident as that 't is impossible for god to be the author of sin , that those phrases signifie no more than his permitting , or decreeing to permit those sufferings to be inflicted by his enemies , and his so ordering it in his wise providence , as that all impediments to the executing of their malice , should be removed . and we may well say , that god's hand is in the evils which befal men , tho' there should be no positive act of his hand in them , since the evils of which iob saith , shall we not receive them at the hand of god ? were all inflicted by the hand of the devil , through his permission . all his heavy calamities were the effects of satan's malice , and consequent upon god's not restreining him from venting it as he did . it appears by the story , that it was the devil who stirred up the sabeans and others to rob him of his cattle , and to destroy his servants : that it was the devil that brought down the fire on the remainder of them , altho' it be called the fire of god from heaven : that it was the devil who raised the storm , which blew down the house upon his sons and daughters : that it was he who filled his body with blains & botches . and these terrible evils were not onely permitted by god , but appointed too , but his appointment took place through his mere permission : as knowing that satan was enough his enemy , to bring all these calamities upon him , and worse too , if he would but suffer him . there is no more than permission , or not hindering to be understood in that saying of the divine majesty to him , behold all that he hath is in thy power , &c. chap. . . or in that , behold he is in thine hand , &c. chap. . . not that god gave him a commission , or so much as leave ( or licence ) thus to torment the upright man ; he onely withdrew the restreints he was before under , from thus worrying him . this is evident from the account which the devil himself gives of his having hitherto spared him , chap. . . hast thou not , saith he , made an hedge about him , and about his house , and about all that he hath on every side ? and whereas he saith in the next verse , but put forth thine hand now , and touch all that he hath , and he will curse thee to thy face : it is plain , he meant no more by these words , but cease to protect him from my hand : and in so expressing this his meaning , he complyed with the fore-mentioned hebrew idiom , or manner of speaking . before we proceed further , let us stop a while to take notice , how infinitely we are obliged to the divine protection ; in that we find not our present state , far more sad and calamitous than it is . many afflictions we meet with in this world , and sometimes very heavy ones : but for one exercise of our patience , we should have a thousand , and those much more intolerable than we have ever yet felt , did not the good providence of god continually guard us ; were not the lord of hosts with us ; were not the god of iacob our defence and refuge : there are not a few things in all places , which would be both mischievous and destructive to us , but for the care which god almighty takes of us , by the ministry of his angels , and very many other invisible ways ▪ we know , both by observation and experience , that there is no creature so inconsiderable , as not to be able to make us miserable , with the divine permission , or to put a period to our lives . and therefore that was a good reply , which theodorus made to lysimachus , when he threatned to kill him , viz. what a mighty matter is that , the most contemptible things is as able to do this as thy self . the ill accidents to which we are dayly liable , are innumerable ; and so are the natural causes , both without us and within us , of a great number of diseases ; so that if they were not over-ruled by providence ( and that by such secret means as make it impossible for us to understand how ) we could never have one hours freedom from sickness , or pain ; and should be always running into mischief . but if the devils were our onely enemies , who are still watching all advantages against both our souls and bodies , were it not for the divine protection , the case of both would be most deplorable . st. peter compares the head of them to a roaring lyon , and saith , that he walketh about seeking whom he may devour . of these malignant spirits , and their malevolence to mankind , the pagans had an undoubted tradition , & the poor americans especially need no such tradition , to whom , to this day , they make themselves visible , and make them feel sad effects of their malice . and we find enough in the history of the gospel , to incline us to think it very probable , that many of the diseases , and other evils which happen to us , are of their procurement . and there needs no more , but god's saying to any one of them , concerning any of us , what he said of iob , behold they are in thine hand , to make this life a very hell to us . i say therefore , how unspeakably are we obliged to our good god , for protecting us , as he doth , with his watchful eye , and almighty arm ! we have seen that he needs not do any thing , nor exert his power in any one act , to make our being in this world most miserable . he needs , in order thereto , onely not to continue his care of us ; which the bad as well as good , and those who provoke him every day , such is his goodness and long-suffering , are every moment protected by ; though not alike protected ; nor the same persons alwaies alike . and how fearful should we be of disobliging such a friend , lest we at length provoke him to pluck up his hedge of protection ! secondly , we come next to shew , what is meant by receiving evil at the hand of god ; which iob's question here speaks to be a most necessary duty . — shall we not receive evil ? this implyeth these four things . . heartily acknowledging the hand of god , to be in the evils that befal us . . submitting patiently to his will under them . . doing this also , thankfully . . complying with god ' s great end and design , in them . first , heartily acknowledging the hand , or providence of god , to be in the evils which befal us . since god's hand is , as hath been shewed , in them , we must needs be obliged to receive them as from him ; and with a great sense of the truth of that saying of eliphaz , affliction cometh not forth of the dust , neither doth trouble spring out of the ground : or it is not to be ascribed merely to earthly or natural causes . and therefore , as we have observed , we find pious men in scripture , still owning god's providence in their afflictions . those consequently , who look no farther than the immediate causes of them , or who look not beyond those which are visible , cannot behave themselves like religious men under them , nor scarely like men : but do too often resemble those silly currs , that fly furiously upon the stones which are flung at them , taking no notice of the hand from whence they come . those must either not believe that god takes care of men , and deny that there is any such thing as providence , ( which is as bad as slat atheism , if it be ever separated from it ) who , when , for instance , they are visited with sickness , think of no higher cause thereof , than the noxious quality or quantity of what they have eaten or drank , or infectious steams , or bad air , or the like ; and never consider , that none of these things could hurt them , had not god seen it good , not to keep them by some providence or other out of harms way , or not to over-rule such causes . and the like may be said of those , who , upon the death of a dear relative or friend , are aware of no other cause thereof , than the nature of the disease , or the weakness of the means which were used for the cure thereof , or some ill accident , &c. and it never enters into their thoughts , that this person would have recovered , had god seen it fit to prolong his or her life : which if he had , more effectual medicines would have been applyed , or success given to more ineffectual : or , in a word , god would then have raised up the patient by some means or other , innumerable of which he hath at his command ; or have done it , if he had pleased , without means . he who suffers from the hand of malice , doth not suffer like a pious man , who looks not upon his enemy as god's rod ; who considers not , that as much ill will as he hath , he could have no power against him , except it were given him from above ; as our blessed saviour said to pilate . and so we might proceed in other instances . secondly , receiving evils at god's hand implyeth also , submiting patiently and quietly to his will under them . patient submission under afflictions is expressed by accepting them , which is the same with receiving them . if their vncircumcised heart be humbled , and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity , &c. lev. . . and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity , v. . we had as good , not to acknowledge the hand of god in our afflictions , as not to submit to his hand . nay , in this respect it is worse , to murmur and repine at them , while we acknowledge a divine providence in them , than to have no belief hereof , viz. that repining at any thing which we believe god hath an hand in , is charging him foolishly . 't is at least , a tacit and virtual accusing god almighty of injustice , or unkindness , or want of wisdom . impatience under god's hand must necessarily proceed from some false and unworthy notion of him ; nor can we grudge at any dispensation of his providence , while we have a sense of this , that god can do nothing , but what is most fit to be done . now it is nothing so great a reflexion upon the divine honour , to deny that god concerneth himself in our sufferings , as , acknowledging it , to think that he can do what is vnworthy of himself , and can be cruel or unrighteous in any of them : or can at any time act unlike to an absolutely perfect being . nay plutarch would tell us , that it casts less dishonour upon god , to deny his very being , than to conceive such a thing as this of him : for he saith , that he had rather the world should hereafter say there was never such a man as plutarch , than that plutarch was an vnjust and naughty man. and i am sure , every good man will be of his mind . so that there is no duty more reasonable , and therefore more indispensable , than quiet submission under the severest of providences ; which doth always imply a sense of their being good , as severe as they may seem to be ; and no less good really , than they are severe seemingly and in appearance . and therefore , where as we have observed , that we still find good men acknowledging the hand of god in their sufferings , so we have them as constantly expressing their submission thereto . iob was a most admirable example of patience , considering what a prodigious sufferer he was ; tho' in the last of his terrible tryals , he discovered too much weakness . old ely , when the prophet samuel had told him the dreadful things , which god had threatned against his house , immediately expressed his submission in these words , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good , sam. . . king david under a very sore affliction , which he called the stroke and the blow of god ' s hand , thus expressed his submission ; i was dumb , i opened not my mouth , because thou didst it , psal. . . and there is another very remarkable and affecting instance given by him hereof , when he was not onely forced to flee from ierusalem , but in eminent danger of losing his kingdom , by reason of the powerful conspiracy of his own son against him. if , saith he , i shall find favour in the eyes of the lord , he will bring me again , and shew me both the ark of god and his habitation : but if he thus saith , i have no delight in thee , behold here am i , let him do what seemeth good unto him , . sam. . , . but as , all things considered , never was there such a sufferer as our blessed lord , so never was there a pattern of patience and submission , comparable to that which he hath set us . never were worse words heard from him , than such as these : if this cup may not pass from me , except i drink it , thy will be done . not my will , but thy will be done . the cup which my father hath given me to drink , shall i not drink it ? and his example is again and again proposed to us , as a great motive to patience , and the resigning of our selves to the divine will under all afflicting providences , let us , saith the author to the hebrews , run the race that is set before us with patience , looking unto iesus the author and finisher of our faith ; who , for the joy that was set before him , endured the cross , despising the shame , &c. chap. . , . for consider him , who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself , lest ye be wearyed and faint in your minds , ver . . and for as much , saith the apostle st. peter , as christ hath suffered for us in the flesh , arm your selves also with the same mind , epist. . . thirdly , in receiving evil at gods hand , is likewise implyed thankful , as well as patient submission . it is evident , that iob intended this too , in saying , shall we not receive evil ? seeing his wifes upbraiding him with his blessing god in these words , the lord gave , and the lord hath taken away , and blessed be the name of the lord , did occasion that reply to her . nor are we to think , that this his blessing of god , upon his receiving such woful tydings , was more than his duty ; as greatly honoured as he hath most deservedly been in all ages for it : for 't is as highly reasonable , that we should receive evils thankfully , as that we should be submissive under them ; tho' it is more difficult . not that an affliction as such is matter of thankfulness ; but it is so , considered as designed by god for our good , our greatest good ; as will hereafter be shewed . good people find it a very easie thing , to thank god heartily for afflictions after the smart of them is over , upon their experimenting advantage to their souls by them : but there is the same reason to thank god for his designing us good , that there is for our actual receiving it . i have every whit as much reason , when i am sick or in pain , or when i see one so who is dear to me , or when i have lost such a one ; to praise god for intending such sufferings for my spiritual advantage , as i have so to do , after i have found this advantage by them . no man can doubt , but that iob was obliged to be thankful for his afflictions ( as heavy as they were ) after he was raised to much more plentiful and happy circumstances by the means of them ; and therefore it is evident that it became him so to be , while he continued under the weight of them . because the notion he had of god assured him , that he meant great good to him by them ; possibly in this world , but certainly in that to come ; which is far better . all afflictions as such are evils , as iob calls them , and therefore it would be harsh doctrine to say , that we ought to bless god for them considered under that notion ; but it sounds no more harshly to say , that we are bound to be heartily thankful for them , as they are means of grace , and divine methods for the more and more qualifying us for the heavenly happiness , than it doth to tell me , that my surgeon deserves not only thanks but a reward too , for the torment he gives me , as that torment is designed in order to my cure. considering afflictions under the notion of medicines for the curing of our spiritual maladies , or as tryals for the exercise of our graces , they are not onely good , but some of the best things ; but i shall not need to say , that all good things are matter of thanksgiving ; nor that our thankfulness for them ought to be proportioned to the degrees of goodness that are in them . fourthly , it is implyed too in receiving evils at gods hand ; that we chearfully comply with gods ends and designs in inflicting them . we now intimated that they are designed for good to us , but the concurrence of our endeavours with the divine grace , is absolutely necessary to the accomplishing of gods good designs upon us . no means of grace can signify any good to us , without our making use of them as such . we said but now , that patient submission is expressed by accepting the punishment of our iniquities ; and now we add that compliance also with the ends thereof , the chief of which is our reformation , was intended by that form of speech . nor can we be properly said to receive evil from god , or to accept thereof , if we are meerly passive under it ; or at least we then receive it in vain , as the apostle beseecheth us not so to receive the grace of god. not to improve afflictions to our spiritual advantage , seeing this is the design of them , is to despise them ; which eliphaz warned iob against . happy is the man , saith he , whom god correcteth , therefore despise not thou the chastening of the lord , iob . . which is as much as if he had said , seeing god doth mean the greatest good to men in correcting them , be sure thou so improve this his severe correction ; as not to frustrate his end therein . and excellent was that advice which elihu gave him , ch. . , . surely it is meet to be said unto god i have born chastisement , i will not offend any more ; that which i see not teach thou me ; if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . some may think , that we have omitted one great thing , in shewing what is implyed in receiving evils at gods hand , and that is rejoycing and glorying in them ; which is more than being thankful : for there are several texts in the new testament , which speak this likewise to be a duty . as particularly st. iames saith , ch. . . count it all ioy , when you fall into diverse temptations , or tryals . st. paul saith , we glory in tribulations , rom. . . and i will rather glory in mine infirmities , cor. . . and other passages there are to the same purpose . but in answer hereunto , such expressions doubtless have not reference to those afflictions , which god layeth upon us in the ordinary course of his providence , but to those particularly which christians meet with , for the testimony of a good conscience , and for righteousness sake ; which were the chief sufferings of the apostles , and the primitive christians . and the apostle doth plainly intimate , in the words next following those i last cited , that this sort of afflictions were those he there meant , viz. therefore i take pleasure in infirmities , in reproaches , in necessities , in persecutions , in distresses , for christ's sake . or in suffering all these for christ's sake . and those words of our saviour may well lead us , thus to understand the forementioned and the like texts , viz. blessed are ye , when men shall hate you , and when they shall separate you from their company , and shall reproach you , and cast out your name as evil , for the son of man's sake . rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy : for behold your reward is great in heaven ; for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets . luke . , . and there are three special reasons , why afflictions that are suffered upon this account , should be rejoyced and gloried in . namely , . because infinite honour is done us , when we are called forth to suffer for the sake of christ. wherefore it is said , acts . . that the apostles departed from the presence of the council , rejoycing that they were accounted worthy to suffer for his name . . because such sufferings have the most glorious reward promised to them . which you now saw is the reason , which our saviour gives , why such sufferers should leap for joy . . because a great reward doth likewise accompany such sufferings , viz. a mighty presence of gods spirit , whereby the sufferers are strengthned with might in their inward man. and this was the reason the apostle gave , why he would most gladly glory in his infirmities ; for it follows , that the power of christ may rest upon me : and why he took pleasure in reproaches , in necessities , in persecutions , in distresses for christs sake , viz. because , when i am weak then am i strong . or then do i find great strength from above , when my sufferings do most exceed my natural strength . again , st. peter saith , if ye be reproached for the name of christ , happy are ye ; for the spirit of glory , and of god , resteth upon you . so that glorying in tribulations , in such tribulations , is , if we make comparisons , rather a privilege than a duty . as it is a very dangerous thing , to make christianity an easier religion than christ hath made it , so is it to make it a harder too : for this tends greatly to the discourageing of men , and the frighting them away from it . but nothing could more incline us to think it an impractical religion , than to be told that one of its precepts is , that we must rejoyce , triumph and glory under whatsoever afflictions we are exercised with . so that , when i am tormented with a disease , when i have lost a most dear relative or friend , or see such a one in misery ; when a great publick blessing ( such a one as that which we are now lamenting ) is taken away from us , it is not enough to submit quietly to the hand of god , nor to thank him for his good and gracious designs in such fore tryals , towards those who shall duly improve them , but i must also rejoyce and glory in them ; or i cannot suffer like a christian : this in truth is much too severe doctrin . we must needs say of it , what the disciples said in another case , this is an hard saying , who can hear it ? if this were one of the duties ( as it is not ) to which christianity does oblige us , we could not affirm that there is no ground for this saying of trypho the iew to iustin martyr , viz. those precepts of yours , which are conteined in the book which you call the gospel , are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so great and wonderful , that i suspect no mortal can observe them . i think it here sit to suggest this also , that neither are we obliged to behave our selves under afflictions , as if we had no sense of pain . this is to suffer like stoicks , not like christians . afflictions are painful things ; they are not for the present ( as the apostle saith ) joyous but grievous ; and if they were not grievous they would not be afflictions . and when a man is in pain , to carry it as if he felt nothing , is so far from being brave , or so much as commendable , that it is to play the hypocrite . our saviour never taught us such doctrin , as not by precept , so neither by his example ; since he himself expressed a sharp sense of pain . and so tender was his nature , that when he saw others weep for his dead friend lazarus , he could not forbear weeping with them , altho' he intended presently to restore him to life . and therefore it is so far from being blame-worthy in us , that it becomes us to shed tears , and to use other natural expressions of grief under afflictions ; and as they are greater or less , to express more or less sense of them . onely we must do all that lies in us not to be immoderate mourners : that is , we ought not to give way to so great a dejection of spirit , as will disable us for those duties which an afflicted state calleth for . and as to weeping , i would be so far from checking an afflicted person for it , that i would encourage him to it , if he can weep . for experience tells us , that tears give a vent to grief , and so give some ease . but yet we may weep too much , for excessive weeping raiseth vapours , and as much disturbs the head , as moderate does relieve the heart . and thus much for our second head of discourse : what is here meant by receiving evil at god's hand ? thirdly , we shall now shew , how receiving good at the hand of god , is a motive to receive evil : or , wherein lyeth the force of this motive . the force thereof lies in these four particulars ; which singly , and much more altogether , do make it very strong and powerful . i. the evils we receive at god's hand , are exceeding few in comparison of the good things . ii. our good things are all undeserved , even the least of them ; but we deserve incomparably more evil things than we meet with in this world , and incomparably worse things . iii. we need evil things as well as , and no less than , good things . which will lead us to shew , that , iv. evil things are ordered and appointed to us by god , from the same principle that good things are : and therefore the evil things which come from his hand are good , considered as coming from thence . first , the evils which we receive at the hand of god , are exceeding few in comparison of the good things , which are innumerable . our good things are so many , that we are dayly loaded with them . blessed be the lord , saith the psalmist , who darly loadeth us with his benefits , psal. . . and he thus addresseth himself to god , psal. . . many , o lord my god , are thy wonderful works which thou hast done , and thy thoughts which are to us ward : they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee ; if i should declare and speak of them , they are more than can be numbered . it is impossible for us to draw an inventory of the thousandth part of those blessings , which in a very short time we all receive from the bounty of heaven . every minute of our lives is full of mercies , nor can we see any place , which doth not abound with effects and expressions of the divine benignity : whether we look upwards or downwards , or round about us , or within us , as well as without us . and all considerative persons are able to make a large catalogue of more special favours , from time to time conferred upon them , over and above those which are the common portion of their fellow creatures . nay , as it is certainly beyond the ability of a finite understanding , to comprehend all the individual blessings which every man is oblig'd to god for ; so is it too much for an humane understanding to number all the several species and sorts of them . we can begin with meat , drink and cloaths , health and strength , the use of our reason , and many bodily and mental endowments : and we can proceed to friends and relations , to preventions of evils feared , and deliverances from evils felt , &c. but when we have gone as far as we can , we can not say how much we have fallen short of filling up the account ; and are fain to content our selves at last , with summing up all in such generals as these , necessaries , conveniences and superfluities : things profitable , honourable and pleasant : bodily and spiritual good things ; or those which relate to our well-being in this world , and to our eternal happiness in the other . now what an argument is this , to perswade us to do what we shewed is implyed , in receiving evil at god 's hand ! viz. for now and then a days cloudy weather , i have many weeks of sun-shine : for a few weeks sickness , i have many months , and perhaps years of health : evils fall upon me in thin drops , but good things come down in plentiful showers ; or i have many thousands of good things , for one of evil. this consideration must needs make us sensible , that it is the most disingenuous thing in the world , to forget our obligations to god for an infinite number of good things , by means of the greatest of those ( comparatively speaking ) extremely few evils , from which his providence does not protect us . nay , there is one gift of god , which alone will weigh down all the temporal evils that do , or can befal us ; namely , that of his own son : how then are they out-weighed by this , and all the other fruits of the divine mercy and bounty put together ! secondly , another consideration that adds much to the force of this motive , is , that our good things are all undeserved , even the very least of them : but we deserve all the evils we suffer , and incomparably more and greater , than are inflicted in this life . there is no good man , but will readily say with iacob , gen. . . i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies , and of all the truth , which thou hast sh●wed unto thy servant . it is impossible that such poor impotent creatures as we are , should be able to do any service , whereby we can challenge the least reward at the hands of our creator , upon the account of merit . indeed the notion of a creature is inconsistent with the least deserving from him. a creature owing all that it is , and all the power it hath , to its maker . it being a perfectly dependent thing , and unable to act or to subsist one moment , but by virtue of its dependence upon its first cause . and therefore the glorious angels themselves must needs acknowledge , that they are obliged to the divine grace for all the blessings they enjoy . and as the notion of a creature excludeth all merit in reference to god , so doth the notion of a god , render it impossible for a creature to merit of him. for that notion being absolute perfection , and infinite self-sufficiency , it is impossible to do god a kindness ; and for him to be beholden to any one . can a man , saith eliphaz , be profitable to god , as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself ? is it any pleasure , or addition of happiness , to the almighty , that thou art righteous ? or is it gain to him , that thou makest thy ways perfect ? job . , . and therefore i say , there can be no proper meriting at his hands . but on the contrary , the evils we receive are all deserved . we cannot but be convinced of our ill deserts , when we consider that we are lapsed and apostate creatures ; and how we have transgressed the eternal laws of righteousness , and affronted the great sovereign of the world , by innumerable acts of disobedience . he knows not what sin is ; what horrible injustice is in it ; how intolerably presumptuous a thing it is , for creatures to oppose their wills to the wise and good will of their great creator ; nor does he know what prodigious ingratitude , nor what desperate madness , every wilful sin against god implyeth , who is not sensible that the worst of evils are deserved by him . and whosoever have a due sense of their sins , will say whilst under the heaviest calamities with nehemiah , in the name of the rebellious israelites , how be it , thou lord art just in all that is come upon us , for thou hast done right , but we have done wickedly , ch. . . and with ezra , thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve , chap. . . and as in the general , all kinds of evils are deserved by us , as we have been more or less guilty of wilful sinning , so whatsoever particular evils we at any time fall under , we are , i doubt , ( ordinarily at least ) conscious to our selves of having more especially deserved each of them , by such and such particular sins . who , for instance , when he is cast upon a bed of sickness , is not sensible that he deserveth to be deprived of his health , by having too much abused it while he enjoyed it ; or by having been too unthankful for it ? who when he hath lost a dear relative , doth not , or ought not , to reflect upon his having over-loved him , or not having had a due value for the blessing he had in him ; or not having discharged his duty towards him , &c. again , where is that man to be found , who , when he has susteined a great loss in his estate , is not compelled by his conscience to acknowledge that this is very just upon him , for his having made it serviceable to some lust or other , or his having made an idol of it , and preferred it before god ; or for doing too little good with it , or for minding the great concerns of his soul and the other life , the less for it ? who , when he is wronged in his good-name , can say he deserves not to suffer in this kind from the providence of god , either for having so wronged others ; or for not being so tender as he ought to have been of their reputation ; or for having been too forward , to take up reports against men , without good evidence ; or over-valuing his own credit , and priding himself therein ; or for not having endeavoured as he ought , to promote the interest of religion thereby ; nor imployed it to those good ends and purposes , upon the account of which a good name in the world is chiefly desirable ? now what stronger arguing can there be than this ? do we receive good things in so great an abundance , from the hand of god , when our merits could not claim the very least of them ; and is it then reasonable that we should think much of receiving evil things also from the same hand ; when our hearts accuse us of having deserved every one of them , and much greater evils too , than have ever befallen us ? i will bear , saith the prophet , the indignation of the lord , because i have sinned against him , micah ch. . . thirdly , it adds still more force and strength to this motive , to consider , that we need evil things as well as good , and no less than good things . afflictions are needful for all sorts of people : for the bad ; for the more imperfectly good , and even for the very best . i. they are needful , and most necessary , for bad people . for those who live without god in the world ; who make none , or but little conscience of their ways ; who live in great forgetfulness of their being subject to gods sovereign authority , of their continual dependance upon him , both for their well-being and their continuance in being , and of their unspeakable obligations to him ; who are alienated from the life of god , and wholly addicted to the animal and sensual life , and mindless of the concerns of their immortal souls . afflictions are so necessary for such as these , that no other means are like to be effectual to their conversion , to the opening of their eyes , and the turning them from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god , except they are inforced by them . afflictions are in their own nature apt to make men serious , and to put vain people upon considering , as well as by their being backed with the divine grace . they are most proper means to this end , as they force sinners to retire from their naughty companions , and from their sports and pastimes ( especially if they are very smarting and painful ) and from all their secular employments too , by setting their hearts on which , they are continually diverted from concerning themselves in the affairs of religion and the other world ; and as they render all carnal and worldly delights and pleasures unsavoury to them . afflictions do also naturally excite men to call upon god , especially when they are sensible that he alone is able to help them ; and awaken their consciences , and make them reflect upon their many miscarriages , as having provoked him to inflict them . and they as naturally put them upon making strong resolutions to amend their lives for the atoning of his displeasure . thus the woman of zarephath , upon the suddain death of her child , cryed out to the prophet , art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance , and to slay my son ? kings . . and thus iosephs brethren , upon the severity he used towards them , said one to another , we are verily guilty concerning our brother ; in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us , and we would not hear ; therefore is this distress come upon us . gen. . . god saith , hosea . . i will go and return to my place , or i will withdraw my protection from them , till they acknowledge their offence , and seek my face : in their affliction they will seek me early . and it is said , psal. . . when he slew them , then they sought him , and they returned and enquired after god. and they remembred that god was their rock , and the high god their redeemer . or , then they called this to mind , who till they were afflicted , could never be perswaded to consider it . as stubborn a wretch as pharoah was , his hard heart was quickly from time to time softned by the plagues , and it reteined its softness under each plague , till it was removed . when the prodigal son was brought to extream penury , he soon came to himself and returned to his father . king manasseh was a prodigy of wickedness , yet when he was in affliction ( as the text saith ) he besought the lord his god , and humbled himself greatly before the god of his fathers . and prayed unto him , and he was intreated of him , &c. then manasseh knew that the lord he is god. or he had a powerful sense thereof upon his mind , chron. . , . afflictions are so necessary to the conversion of sinners , that those who have spent many years in a loose sort of life , are very rarely effectually reclaimed otherways , than by gods blessing upon some sharp affliction . ii. evil things , or afflictions , are very needful and necessary for imperfectly good , as well as for bad , people . they greatly need them , in order to their growing in grace , and rising to higher degrees of goodness . particularly , in order to their being more watchful against temptations to sin. this experience king david had of the benefit of afflictions . before i was afflicted , saith he , i went astray , but now have i kept thy word . psal. . . in order to the more weaning them from this vain world , and the mortifying of all remainders of sensuality . in order to the more humbling them , under a sense of their frailty and impotence , and their more close dependence upon god. in order to the more softning of their hearts , and more opening their bowels of compassion towards others in affliction . none have such a sympathy with their suffering brethren , as those who are made sensible of the sadness of their condition , by their own feeling . in order to their more loving of god , and trusting in him. to which the experience they have had of divine supports under afflictions , and deliverances out of them , doth greatly contribute . in short , by afflictions the iniquity of jacob is purged , and this is all the fruit , to take away his sin. isaiah . . iii. evil things are needful too even for the eminently good. and that , as upon some of the forementioned accounts , so more especially , . for prevention . for which end the most healthy persons do sometimes take physick . st paul , as eminent a saint as he was , had a messenger of satan sent to buffet him , lest he should be exalted above measure , through the abundance of his revelations , as he tells us , cor. . . there are none so good as to be out of all danger , while they remain in this world ; as to be able to bear long and uninterrupted prosperity , without being lyable to be the worse for it in several respects . who is so humble , who so heavenly minded , as to have no reason to fear his being too much opinionated of himself , and loving the world too much , if god did not sometimes mind him what an infirm and weak creature he is , by afflictions of one kind or other , and never imbittered his comforts to him ? . the best people need them likewise , for the tryal and exercise of some graces and virtues , which cannot be exerted without them . what exercise can there be of the grace of contentment , while all things succeed according to a man's desire and expectation ? of patience , while he feels no pain ? of submission to god's will , while god never crosseth his own will ? of meekness and forgiveness of enemies , while he hath no enemies to forgive , or meets with no provocations from them ? and this leads me to add , . that the best do need afflictions , in order to their doing so much the more credit to religion , and the more benefiting the world by their examples . for we have now seen , that they cannot be examples of all virtues without them . . the best need them also , to make them so much the more to value , and consequently to be the more thankful for , the good things they enjoy . there is no man so good , but he prizeth health the more , for being some times sick. no man can be so affected with his obligations to god for any blessing , who never was without it , as he who hath felt how uneasie and grievous a thing it is to want it . nay , were there no life after this , we should think tolerable evils necessary to give the better gusto , & a more pleasing relish to the gratifications of our senses . the more hungry or thirsty a man is , the greater is the pleasure he takes in eating or drinking . how pleasant is a bed or couch to a man tyred with hard labour ; a cool shade to one parched with heat ; liberty after confinement ; the enjoyment of a dear relation or friend , after a long absence ; and even indolence or mere ease , after great pain ! as socrates observed , in his last discourse with his friends , after he was rid of his shackles . and perhaps there are not many evils , which we are able to bear with any patience , and that continue not over-long , which do not make us a good recompence , by the much more pleasant enjoyment we have of the opposite good things , upon their leaving us . fourthly , the last consideration i named , which gives great weight to the motive in the text , to receive evil things at the hand of god , is , that they are ordered and appointed to us by god , from the self-same principle that good things are , viz. that of good will. and therefore , as was said , the evils which come from him are good , as they come from him. there is an excellent saying to this purpose of an heathen philosopher ▪ viz : * simplicius , we do not say that the divine iustice is the cause of evil , but of good ; because the evil which proceeds from thence , is in order to good. we have seen that all sorts of men do need evil things , as well as good ; and we are now to shew , that god inflicts them , because we need them . we have shewed , that they are spiritual physick , for the cure of the maladies of our souls ; and we find that for this reason god sends them , in hebr. . , . the apostle tells us in some of the foregoing verses , that in the general , gods end in his chastizements is good ; that good-will is the principle from whence they proceed ; and in these he shews particularly , that god designs our spiritual advantage by them . furthermore , saith he , we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us , and we gave them reverence ; shall we not much more be in subjection to the father of spirits● and live ? for they verily for a few days chastened us , after their own pleasure ; but he for our profit , that we might be partakers of his holiness . we have shewn , that afflictions are needful , not onely for correction , in order to our amendment , but , for tryal too ; and we read that this end also god hath in them , pet. . , . — now for a season ( if need be ) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations : that the tryal of your faith being much more precious than that of gold which perisheth , tho' it be tryed with fire ( or , it being of much more advantage to your faith , than the tryal of gold is to gold , because it will wear out , tho' it can bear the trial of fire ) might be found unto praise , & honour , & glory , at the appearing of iesus christ. and pet. . . think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal , which is to try you , &c. or , is designed by god for this purpose . god is alike good in the evils he inflicts , & the good things he con●ers upon us ; as the physitian hath the same good design towards his patient , in his griping physick and comforting cordials : he equally aims at the recovery of his health , in making him uneasy with the one , and chearing his spirits with the other . and therefore considering this last with the foregoing particulars ; nay , tho' there were no other but this to be considered , well might iob say , shall we receive good at the hand of god , and shall we not receive evil ? and infinite reason have we , not only to be patient under evil things , but to be thankful for them too ; seeing they are not so evil considered in themselves , as they are good considering their design ; seeing , if we will comply therewith , they are not more painful than they are profitable , nor so injurious to our outward man , as beneficial to our inward . i will conclude this argument with the words of another of the philosophers , viz. * epictetus in arrian ; o man , what dost thou ? why dost thou not rid thy self of all this trouble ? adventure at last , with eyes lifted up to god , to say unto him ; vse me , o god , for the future at thine own pleasure , thou hast my freest consent . i am of the same mind that thou art , i have a mind to nothing but what thou thinkest good. lead me whither thou wilt , cloath me as thou pleasest . wilt thou have me bear an office , or shall i live a private life ? must i stay , or must i fly ? shall i be poor , or shall i be rich ? i am ready to obey , i will defend thee against all the world. i will make an apology for thy providence about these things to every body . i say that all is good , because thou art so . what could he have said better , had he been a christian ? but to prevent mistakes , i desire it may be observed , that i have not said that in whatsoever evils men may suffer , god aimeth at the benefit and advantage of the sufferers ; for had i affirmed this i could not have justified it : there being some evils which we have cause to look upon as wholly iudgments , and as proceeding from mere vengeance , in reference to those on whom they are inflicted . as when a notoriously wicked wretch is cut off in the very act of some horrible wickedness . instances of this kind are not only to be found in the sacred records , but our own age hath produced such , and possibly no age hath been without them . and when provoking sinners are taken away in their sins , without any previous warning . but it is notwithstanding most true , that god almighty's design is good in all evils ; for when he means not the good of the sufferers , he intends a more general and publick good : that all spectators of such judgments , and those to whom the notice of them shall come , may be scared by them from those impious practises which drew them down . but i will add , that those have not the least reason to fear , that evil things of any nature whatsoever , have fallen upon them in mere iudgment , who do not feel themselves given up to hardness of heart ; by which phrase we are to understand perversness of will , or to a reprobate sense ▪ but find that their afflictions have a good influence upon their minds ; that they make them more serious , and excite in them good inclinations , and awaken them to consider the things which belong to their peace , and eternal happiness . fourthly , we are now come to the inferences , which are to be drawn from the doctrine we have delivered . first , i infer from thence , how we are to pray against afflictions , viz. not absolutely , but conditionally , and with intire submission . that it is lawful to deprecate them , we are well assured , in that we find not only the best men so doing in h. scripture , but also our blessed saviour himself . he did so , iohn . . now is my soul troubled , and what shall i say ? father save me from this hour . and he doth the like , matth. . . o my father , if it be possible , let this cup pass from me . but we have also his example , for praying against the bitter cup conditionally , and with submission to the will of his father . this is implyed in those words , if it be possible : that is , to give it in the words of grotius , if it be consistent with thy decrees , that by any other means thy glory , and the salvation of mankind , may be equally provided for . and this condition , we have in the expressest terms in the latter part of that verse , nevertheless not as i will but as thou wilt . again , v. . o my father , if this cup may not pass away except i drink it , thy will be done . and v. . it is said , he went away and prayed the third time , saying the same words . and the same submission is implyed in the text first cited ; for after our lord had said , father save me from this hour , and so expressed his natural aversion thereunto , it follows , but for this cause came i unto this hour . which is as much as to say , but being assured that it is thy pleasure that i must undergo this terrible death , i heartily submit . but there are others who read these words , father save me from this hour , with an interrogation point , & so they conceive him thus to speak , what shall i say ? shall i say , father save me from this hour ? no i will not , as well knowing that thou hast determined otherwise . and it is evident , that no temporal evils are to be prayed against otherwise , in that afflictions of one sort or other , are such things , as hath been shewed , as we have need of upon several accounts ; and there is no particular affliction but it is better for us to undergo it , than to be without it , for ought we know . we are therefore to refer our selves to the unerring wisdom of god , who knows in all circumstances what is best for us , and best in it self , after we have prayed him to keep off such an affliction , or to remove it . it becomes us consequently not to beg either , over-passionately and vehemently : for this would be to prescribe to god , and to tell him what is best . those do no less than so , who pray for health or any outward blessing for themselves or theirs , as if they would have no nay . instead of so doing , we ought heartily to endeavour to bring our minds to a full acquiescence in the divine wisdom and goodness ; and to a willingness to bear such or such an affliction ( with the divine assistance ) if god sees it fit we should ; as knowing that what he seeth fit , must necessarily be so , and that it is madness to be averse to what is so . and by this means shall we be able to say that our petitions are never denyed . i mean , when we pray with submission , and desire absolutely nothing but what is best for us , or rather what is best in it self ; which also will prove to be best for us , when we are once brought to this happy temper . it is said by the author to the hebrews , that our saviour was heard in that he feared . how was he heard , since the bitter cup of death did not pass from him , but he did drink it ? why , he was heard , as in other respects so in this , that he prayed against that cursed death , not absolutely but conditionally . and therefore he prayed for it upon supposition that it was most agreeable to the wise and good will of god that he should suffer it : for we have seen that he said , not as i will but as thou wilt . to this purpose , i will present you with other most excellent sayings of the last cited philosopher . let us begin every thing without too passionate a desire , or an over-great aversness . let us behave our selves like a traveller , who when he comes where two ways meet , asks the first passenger which of them he shall take to such a place ; having no inclination to the right hand , rather than to the left : but desiring onely to understand the ready way to his iourneys end. iust so must we go to god , as to our guide ; as to one who ought to dispose of us as he pleaseth . we must not direct him , what course to take with us , but embrace that which he proposeth , and desire only that he will conduct us in the direct way to happiness . this is our duty and our safety : whereas now you shall see men runing to him ; saying , lord have mercy upon me , deliver me from such or such an evil ! wretch that thou art , wouldst thou have any thing but what is best ; and who can tell what that is ? is there any thing best , but what shall seem so to god ? why dost thou endeavour to corrupt him , who is thy iudge , and to seduce him who is thy counceller , and to move him by thy cries to do otherwise than he thinks sitting ? suffer him therefore to follow his own wisdom , &c. what admirable discourse is this ! 't is most worthy of the highest rank of christians . but yet it is not very strange , that it should come from the pen of a considerative religious pagan ; it being perfectly agreeable to right reason , and necessarily to be inferred from a true notion of god , which very many of them had . and consequently what a shame must it needs be to us christians , not heartily to endeavour to get our minds into this frame . but it is a very melancholy thing to consider , that it should be so extreamly difficult , as we generally find it is , so to master our passions under great afflictions , as to bring our selves to an intire acquiescence in the good pleasure of god ; while we cannot but acknowledge it to be the most unreasonable thing imaginable , not to rest well satisfied therewith . and that it should be even next to impossible , without an extraordinary measure of the divine grace , to make our minds easie under such afflictions ( and especially for those who are of unhappy bodily tempers , be they never so good christians ) but by the help of time , which without the help of reason , will much deaden the sense of any affliction . and therefore it is alike difficult not to pray against such evils , as we are naturally inclined most to dread , over vehemently , and with less submission than becomes us . but god is so good , as to consider our frame , and to make abatements for our natural infirmities , so long as we do not give our selves leave to repine and murmur at any of his providences . one of the philosophers , i think epictetus , adviseth never to pray to god , for any external blessings in particular , but only that he would do for us in the general what is best . and such a sence may be put upon one or two of the last recited sayings , tho' they do not necessarily imply it . but he was so careful to avoid one extreme , as to run into another , tho' the safer of the two. for we are sufficiently warranted by the h. scriptures ( and therefore that extreme was very pardonable in those who were unacquainted with them ) to ask for particular outward blessings ; tho with great care to do it with resignation to the wise will of god. and it is very wonderful to see , how epictetus could himself take that forementioned advice , which he gave to others , in this following address he made to the supreme deity , viz. did i ever find fault with thy government ? i was sick when thou wouldst have me to be so , and so are others , but i was willingly sick. i was always poor at thy appointment , but rejoycing . i never was a magistrate , nor had any dignity , because thou wouldest not have me , and i never desired it . didst thou ever see me the more out of humour , or cast down for this ? have i ever appeared before thee with a discontented countenance ? was i not always prepared and ready for whatsoever thou requiredst ? wilt thou have me depart out of this festival solemnity , i am ready to go ; and i give thee all thanks for having honoured me so far , as to give me leave to keep the feast with thee , and behold thy works , and observe thy government of the world. let death seize on me no otherwise employed , than thus thinking and writing of such things . and he thus appealed to his acquaintants , behold i am an exile , without house , without servants , i lye upon the ground , i have no wife , no children , &c. but when did you ever hear me accuse either god or man ? when did i ever complain of any one ? have ever any one of you seen me with a sad countenance ? o how few christians can for bear blushing at the reading of these passages ! and what hath been said of private and personal evils , is as true of publick and national . these neither are to be deprecated absolutely ; for they are designed no less for the good of nations and bodies politick , than the other are for the good of particular persons . when thy iudgements are abroad in the world , the in●abitants thereof will learn righteousness , saith the prophet , isaiah . . and that for this end they are inflicted we are abundantly assured . no calamity short of utter destruction , ought otherwise to be interpreted , than as designed for the reformation of those kingdoms , cities , and other societies on which they fall . and god hath threatned it as an high expression of his displeasure , that he will not punish a wicked people ; nor certainly can there be an higher on this side hell. as hosea . . i will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom ; nor your spouses , when they commit adultery . and ver. . ephraim is joyned to idols , let him alone . and nothing more severe could well come out of the mouth of god almighty , than those words , isaiah . . why should you be smitten any more ? you will revolt more and more . and therefore , i say , in our intercessions for the diverting or removing of general judgments , we must beware of prescribing to god : in praying for which , without any conditions expressed or implyed , we make our selves wiser than infinite wisdom . and in so doing , we may curse our selves and our country , when we think we pray for both . we do now seem generally impatiently desirous to have a conclusion put to this bloody and expensive war ; but yet we may not pray absolutely for it , because we are far from knowing that it will prove best for us to have our prayers granted . nay indeed we have too great reason to fear it will not , since this heavy scourg hath wrought no visible reformation upon us : and that the consequence of a peace , and of the total removal of our fears from abroad , may be an occasion ( considering how many unquiet and restless spirits we have among us ) of running us into confusion at home : which is not much less dreadful to think of , than falling into the clutches of our common enemy ; and which ( without a miraculous interposition of providence , which it would be madness to expect ) must inevitably make us a prey to his teeth ; and fasten for ever , at least for this age , our chains upon us . but if this should not be the effect of a peace before we more deserve it , and are better prepared for it , god hath plagues enough for a people who hate to be reformed , which may make them as miserable as any war can do . and so we pass to our second inference . secondly , we learn from what hath been discoursed , how great a folly it is for a man to judge himself or others to be out of gods favour , because much afflicted . if afflictions were in all respects evils , this ought to be concluded . but it hath been shewed that , as they come from god's hand , they are good things : that there is not only a good design in them but the best of designs ; and that they are things apt in their own nature , to promote our greatest good. those look no farther than the pain and smart of an affliction , that conclude it an expression of god's ill-will . they fix their eye only upon the dark side of the cloud , and take no notice of the bright side . they are people of very little thought , and consideration ; otherwise they would easily call to mind , that nothing is more common among our selves , than correcting and chastising from a principle of love , and of the greatest love : than putting to pain from the greatest good-will , and for the most charitable purposes . they would also , if they used themselves to thinking , consider that nothing makes people so serious , or so brings them to their rightminds , as afflictions . and they could not ( if well acquainted with the bible ) but think of such texts as these : whom the lord loveth he correcteth , as a father the son in whom he delighteth , prov. . . happy is the man whom god correcteth , job . . . whom the lord loveth he chastneth , and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth , heb. . , . if it be replyed , that tho' every affliction is no sign of a persons being out of the favour of god , yet being exercised with frequent , long and sharp afflictions , seems not consistent with his love : those who make this reply , need only to be minded , of the calamities which fell on iob ; who being declared by god himself to be an upright , & most exemplarily good man , could not but be his extraordinary favourite : or of the terrible afflictions with which king david , tho' a man after god's own heart , and the prophet ieremiah , and many other of the best men in the old testament , were exercised : and those of the great st. paul and others , which we read of in the new. nay , those who think there are such temporal evils , as cannot consist with the love of god , must believe that his onely begotten son , was an object of his hatred . but god's hatred is so far from being to be concluded from any evils that here befal us , that we cannot certainly conclude so much as his anger from any whatsoever , without taking in other considerations , besides that of the nature of those evils . for we have seen that they come from god's hand , for diverse other ends besides that of punishing for sin. and this may be said even of the greatest that are of a mere temporal nature . for we do not find , that there was any thing of punishment in iob's calamities ; and we are certain there was nothing of it , in our saviour's sufferings . that is , they could not be inflicted upon the account of any displeasure he had given to his heavenly father , because in him was no sin. and considering what hath been said upon this subject , it would be no unaccountable thing , if none were ever so afflicted as god's children . no nor if his dearest children , that is the best christians , and those who have arrived to the highest degrees of virtue and goodness , should be always most afflicted of any of his children . this would be no perplexing providence , because such would make the best examples to the world of bearing afflictions , of patience , chearful and thankful submission to the will of god under them . nor would they judge themselves upon a little sedate thinking , hardly dealt with , if the better christians they are , the more they should be afflicted , because they look not at the things that are seen , as the apostle speaks , but at the things that are not seen : the things that are seen being temporal , but the things that are not seen , eternal . they know that they shall have an abundant recompence made them hereafter , for all their sufferings here : that they are not worthy , as the same apostle saith , to be compared with the glory , which shall be revealed in them : that the extraordinariness of their afflictions for a short time , shall ( through the merits of their saviour ) procure to them an extraordinary degree of heavenly bliss to all eternity . and they find also , especially if their sufferings be for righteousness sake , supports at present suitable to their burdens ; and that as their sufferings abound , their consolations abound likewise . and thus we see what a weak thing it is , to have the worse opinion of our spiritual estate , or to conclude our selves out of the divine favour , upon the account of our being much afflicted : and how unchristian a thing it is , to pass , like iob's friends , severe censures on others upon the like accounts . i could name one of the most eminent persons , and christians too , of the age he lived in , who was so far from looking upon great afflictions , as a sign of god's hatred , or displeasure , that one day reading the th . to the hebrews , where it is said , if ye be without chastisement , whereof all are partakers , then are ye bastards and not sons , &c. fell into a deep melancholy concerning his own state , because he did not then remember , that he had ever had any very remarkable affliction . which being observed by a friend of his , he humbly desired to know of him the cause of the great pensiveness he discerned in his countenance . and having his request satisfied , he replyed , that he wondred his memory should so fail him , since he was fallen ( through the iniquity of the times ) from most plentiful to low circumstances . the good man not acknowledging this to be any great affliction , because god had still taken such care of him as that he never wanted , his friend minded him of a great one indeed , ( which it is much he should at any time forget ) which gave case to his mind . but this great man was herein guilty of the other extreme , not considering those words of k. solomon , no man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before him . as for the foresaid words of the author to the hebrews , and that saying of st. paul , we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of god : and that other , all that will live godly in christ iesus , must suffer persecution , they had doubtless a special relation to that time when they were spoken . when a man could not make profession of christianity , and adhere thereto , but he must expect to suffer greatly for it . tho' the world was never yet i doubt so good , as that there hath been a time when this could not be truly said , the greater conscience men make of their ways , and the more strictly they keep to the rules of righteousness and goodness , the more trouble they must make account of : especially when it relates to persons in publick stations . tho' it must be acknowledged too , that these mens troubles are not to be compared with those , in which the bold transgressors of those rules are , in a well governed nation , frequently involved . in short , we are to judge of our own spiritual estate , by considering how it is within us , not without us . and we are to judge of others , as to that state , by their lives and manners , not by their outward circumstances . this rule our blessed lord hath taught us , in the beginning of the thirteenth chapter of st. luke's gospel . thirdly , i infer from what hath been said upon this subject , that it is a part of great wisdom , to be , when we are in the most easie circumstances , often thinking of a change , and preparing our selves for new afflictions . this will be a means to make them much easier to be born when they come ; and may be a means to prevent their coming , because by thus doing we must needs have so much the less need of them . but the more we need one affliction or other , the more reason have we to expect it , from the consideration even of the divine goodness . and good people should make the less account of any long uninterrupted prosperity in this world , because they have not their portion here , as the wicked have . and it is very unreasonable for those to presume upon a kind of heaven here , who upon the best grounds do hope for a heaven hereafter ; and to conclude on passing through temporal pleasures to eternal ones . we ought in all reason , if we think heaven our home , to be very well satisfied , to live on earth like pilgrims and strangers . as the apostle saith the good patriarchs confessed themselves to be , heb. . . if we look upon heaven as our everlasting rest , how can we so much as hope , that our condition here will be better than that of travellers ? who use to make full account of a deal of rugged and foul , as well as smooth and clean way ; who expect not to have dry and serene weather always , nor scarcely for the most part ; who are not at all surprized at rain , wind and storms , as if some strange thing happened to them . nor do they think themselves unhappy , if they meet with more scorching heat , than cool shade ; or with more uncivil than kind and courteous usage in a strange country , so long as they hope to get safe to their journeys end ; and know that they shall find all things there most agreeable to their desires , and to their hearts content . good christians need not be minded , that the captain of their salvation himself was made perfect by sufferings ; as the apostle saith , heb. . . that he took the cross in the way to his crown . that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief before he could enter upon the possession of that ioy which was set before him : that he entred into the kingdom of heaven , through much tribulation . nor can they think that god hath any reason , to be more tender of them than of his dear son ; nor imagine themselves ill dealt with , if it fareth no worse with them than it did with him. or , if god will have them go the same uneasie way to eternal bliss , that he went. they can not see the least cause to complain , if he will have the members to be conformed to their head in all respects in this world , as well as in the world to come . those are therefore very imprudent , that because of their having suffered severe things , presume upon a long respite from the like again . it is possible they may have such a respite , but it ought not to be with any confidence expected ; because there is no reason on which to found such an expectation , as hath been shewed . and ( by the way ) it would be a very great folly , in reference to the publick , to conclude upon happy times , if we were once eased of our present burdens and complaints , and effectually secured from our present fears . for when we are biggest with hopes of a most prosperous state of affairs , and that god will make us glad , according to the days wherein he hath afflicted us , and the years wherein we have seen evil , some unthought of calamity may suddenly seize us ; as we have again and again found by experience . for how often have we seen cause to say with the prophet , we looked for peace , but no good came ; and for a time of health , but behold trouble ! ier. . . and to allude to that in the th . v. many a time , when we have been comforting our selves against more sorrow , there hath presently happ●ned one cross thing or other , which hath caused our hearts to faint in us . and so , no doubt , it will be for the future with us , if we continue as unreformed as ever . except our good god should give us over , for an obdurate and incorrigible people , and no farther concern himself for our amendment . but , as hath been intimated , this is the saddest of all judgments ; and it speaks eternal destruction to be sealed upon those people , upon whom it lighteth . but to return to the matter in hand ; we seeing so great reason , while we remain in this world , to look for new afflictions , it greatly concerns us to be still preparing our selves for them , that they may not come upon us before we are aware . for whensoever they do so , we shall find them so much the heavier and more ●ntolerable ; and that it requires much the longer time for the so subduing our passions to our reason , as to be able to demean our selves decently , and as becomes men , and much more as becomes christians , under them . as the son of sirach saith , eccles. . . o death , how bitter is the remembrance of thee , to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions ; unto the man who hath nothing to vex him , and that hath prosperity in all things ! so may it be said , how bitter , how unsupportable , is a great affliction to a man , when it falleth upon him all of a suddain ; when he thought of nothing less , than afflictions ! how weak doth a sad providence find a man , when at the time of its comming he had put far from him the evil day , and did not in the least dream of any alteration of his condition ! what a horrible surprize must it have been to the rich man in the gospel ( had it been no parable but a real history ) to hear those words , thou foool this night shall thy soul be required of thee , then whose shall those things be , which thou hast provided ? at that very instant , when he was saying to himself , thou hast goods laid up for many years ; take thine ease , eat , drink and be merry ! fourthly , i infer from the text , what a wonderfully powerful motive , the hopes we have of receiving such glorious things in the future life , must needs be , to receive evil things at the hand of god in this life . if our receiving the good things of this present state , be such a motive thereto as hath been shewed , then what a motive is that of the hope of infinitely better things in that to come ! i confess that the motive in the text hath the advantage , as the matter there of is things present , and the matter of the other , things to come : but considering all the other differences , between these two sorts of good things ; and that there is the greatest assurance imaginable given to good people , of their hereafter receiving those good things , there is no comparison to be made between this and that motive . it is impossible , that he should think god a severe master , let him meet with never so many evil things in this world , who hath a sure and certain hope of ere long receiving such good things , as pass all vnderstanding : as the eye of man never saw , nor his ear ever heard , nor his heart is able to conceive any like unto them . it must needs make this vale of tears , not only a tolerable but a pleasant place , to consider , that at the end thereof is the mount of ioy : of ioy vnspeakable and full of glory . and that these ( comparatively speaking ) light afflictions which are but for a moment , will work out for us ( if we are not inexcusably wanting to our selves ) a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . fifthly , i infer , how unreasonable it is , to have the lower and more undervaluing thoughts of the divine goodness and beneficence , and the less sense of our obligations to god , in regard of the evils wherewith our good things are mixed , and our earthly comforts are allayed . the great unreasonableness hereof will appear by the following considerations , over and above those we have been presented with from the words of the text. i. very many , and perhaps the incomparably greater part of the evils we suffer , are not from the mere , or immediate providence of god. it is certain , that innumerable are of mens own inflicting upon themselves . and not only deserved by them , but also the necessary effects of their sinning , or of their inadvertency . we will take poverty for one instance . for the most part , we may well adventure to say , men fall into it from plentiful fortunes , through their wicked or foolish wasting their estates ; by either spending them upon their lusts , or their rash engaging for non-solvent persons , or their improvidence , idleness and mindlesness of their business . where one is brought to great want , by the mere providence of god , our observation i believe will tell us of many , who ought to impute it to themselves immediately . let sickness be another instance . men , for certain , do ordinarily fall into diseases , by doing what they ought not to do , or neglecting what they ought to do , and for want of due care and caution . from whence do too commonly the tormenting diseases of the gout and stone , and the dropsy and consumption come , but from mens offending as to the quantity or quality of their liquors ; or from such other causes as by a greater care of themselves might have been prevented ? feavers are some of the most common diseases , but are they not ordinarily occasioned , either by some intemperance in meats or drinks , or exercise ; or unseasonable drinking when over hot , or not taking care to cool by degrees , and the like ? and i am per●waded , that in reflecting upon the causes of our sicknesses of most kinds , there are few of us who are not sensible , that they were the natural consequents of some sin or imprudence or other , much more frequently , than of that which was wholly unavoidable . except in the case of the airs being infected with pestilential or malignant vapours , we have great reason to think , that the much greater number are laid upon sick beds by the ordinary maladies , through some neglect of their health ; and therefore that there may be no more than the permissive hand of god in their being deprived thereof . when we suffer in our reputation , or otherways , from the ill will of others , ought we not too often to thank our selves for not being so cautious , as we should have been , of giving them offence ; and to impute it at least to inconsideration and rashness as to some actions or words , which gave occasion more or less , to their being provoked against us ? those that suffer from the misbehaviour , or vndutifulness of their children ( which must needs be , especially to good men , the greatest of all afflictions ) are they not , for the most part , too well aware , that these sufferings are in a great measure owing to themselves ; and that they might have had much better children , if they had set them a better example , and given them better education ? and i need not add , that the same is to be said , in reference to the divine providence , of those afflictions which do arise from our sympathy with those in affliction , who are dear to us , when they suffer through their own default . and the same thing is to be asserted of those evils , which we have not brought upon our selves , but are occasioned by the faults of our parents , or of such as whose interests and concerns , are necessarily linked together with ours ; so that the one cannot suffer , but the other also must . as when a man lives in penury , by means of his fathers disabling himself by his prodigality , sin , or folly , to leave him a subsistence . or when a trades-man is made a bankrupt by his means , whom he hath taken into partnership . or when parents , having by debauchery marred their own bodies , and vitiated their constitutions , propagate their diseases or weaknesses , to the children which are afterwards born of them . now i say , there is nothing more unreasonable , than to think god almighty the less good , in regard of such evils as those now mentioned . and if it be well considered , i cannot , i say , doubt but that most of those which men complain of , are of that nature . and what would we have god to do , to keep off such evils as these ? would we have him to be continually laying irresistible restreints upon free agents , so as that it shall be impossible for them at any time to do wickedly , or at any time to act foolishly ? if we think that this would well become him , we must think at the same time , that to make free agents did disbecome him. but supposing such agents so left to the use of their liberty , as not to be so withheld from either sinning , or playing the fools , as that they can not do either , the foresaid and such like evils will necessarily follow from the abuse thereof . and therefore far be it from us , to have the lower opinion of the divine goodness upon the account of them . but i ought to add ( in order to our having a just sense of gods goodness , and that it may lose nothing of the honour due to it ) that he doth innumerable times prevent by special providences , our running into those sins , and those rash actions , which we should most certainly have otherwise been guilty of . and he doth frequently ( and possibly as often ) in a secret invisible manner , so over-rule natural causes of evils , as to prevent their producing them , when they were ready to do it . not only history , but many of our own observations , do furnish us with great proofs hereof . and if these propositions were not both true , it is not imaginable but that this world would be a far more intolerable place than it is , considering how it abounds with wickedness , and how corrupt human nature is in this lapsed state , and what foolish & heady creatures the generality of mankind are , and what dangers we are always encompassed with . and the worst objectino we can make against almighty god , for not always thus interposing , is , that he will not have his goodness in any one instance , to thwart and contradict that wisdom by which he governs the world. but suppose we waved the consideration of the divine wisdom in the case , what reason can we have to complain of god's deficiency in goodness , because he is not more concerned to keep evils off from us , than we our selves are ? 't is certain , he is much more concerned for our good than we can be , and sad would it be for us , if he were not ; but suppose him onely equally so , we should not have cause to think him wanting to us , but should see great reason to admire his goodness ; considering that he is infinitely above even the glorious angels , and can get nothing by any of his creatures being happy , nor lose any thing by their being miserable . ii. let us next consider , that , as abundance of the evils which men groan under , are not from the mere or immediate providence of god , so very many things which we are apt to account evils , and are matter of discontent to us , are not evils . that stoical maxim , mens minds are not troubled with things , but with the false opinions they have of things , would be very true , if it ran thus , mens minds are not so much troubled with things , &c. for there are a multitude of things which greatly disturb men , which are onely evils of their own making ; and which they would make exceeding light of , would they govern themselves more by reason , than by fond phansy , and the childish opinions of other folk . to have nothing of superfluity , but a bare competency , how many are there who account this a great evil ! tho' the apostle saith , having food and rayment , let us be therewith content . and we have a good old saying , nature is content with a little , and grace with less . how many lay it to heart , as a grievous thing , to be necessitated to earn their bread with the sweat of their brows ; nay not to be able to make such a figure among their neighbours , as divers of them do ! and thereupon they take but slight notice of the innumerable great mercies which they enjoy ; and instead of being thankful for them , murmur at the divine providence , because they have not all they would have . but as god almighty asked the peevish prophet , whether he did well to be angry ? i ask these , whether they do well to be discontented , and to have so little sense of the bounty of their great benefactor ? for ( not to mind them again , that whatsoever the good things are which they enjoy , they are more than he oweth them , or than their deserts can claim ) they ought to consider , that the whole world is god's charge , and not only some particular persons ; and that his goodness expresseth its self by so proportioning his blessings to particulars , as shall be most for the good of the whole : and that it would be extremely ill for the whole , for all to be alike sharers in his good things . and it is necessary for the well-being of the whole , that there should be a great variety of ranks and orders of men : by which means , all necessary offices have people sitted for them . and , withal , they ought to consider , that if it be necessary that many should be in low circumstances , for the performance of the lower and meaner offices , which yet are every whit as necessary as the higher , what reason can they give , why themselves should not be in the number of those many ? and whether , for the same reason that they would be placed in one of the higher orbs , every body else may not expect it ? self-love is the onely reason , why they would be so , but why may not every man love himself , as well as they love themselves ? they ought to consider too , that at this rate there could be no pleasing them . for tho' god should still humour them , in giving them their desires , it would but make them rise , still higher and higher in their cravings . it is an unquestionable truth , that contentment is not to be fetched from without , but from an inward good frame and temper of mind . and therefore we find , that those who are in high places , are not the most but the least contented ; are far more ambitious of rising still higher , than those who are in the very lowest . and for the same reason , he , who being in a low condition , is discontented because he is not in an higher , will never be satisfied till he gets to the very top ; nor then neither . so that , if thy being without such or such good things , may reasonably be a matter of complaint , or cause an abatement of gratitude , thou canst never be put into such circumstances , as where in thou wilt see cause to be very thankful , or not to complain . and i add , that it is highly worthy of an infinitely good god , instead of being repugnant to his goodness , to make such feel real evils , who frame to themselves so many imaginary ones : to make those sufferers in good earnest , who complain of such things as evils , which are not so , but at worst in a less degree good things : and to bring heavy afflictions on those , who make by their discontent light ones heavy . iii. consider that , as you want those good things which many have , so abundance of those who enjoy those things , do want others that you have . how many that have great estates , and honourable titles , are destitute of some of the most common mercies ; by which means they are able to take but little content , in all their grandeur ! and by which means , thousands of the meanest people , would be very unwilling to change conditions with them . and who knows not , that the most common blessings , are the most valuable ? what beggar would lose his eye-sight , to be a lord ? who would change his cottage for a palace , if he must give his health and his ease into the bargain ? who would not rather chuse to sleep sweetly upon straw , than to lye crying out under the stone or gout , upon a bed of ivory ? what wise man would not rather eat course fare with a good stomach and appetite , than to be served with great variety of choice dishes , and unable to digest one of them without wine , or relish one of them without sauces ? nay , if we understood what crosses and vexations of innumerable kinds , do attend great estates , and what dangers high places are surrounded with , we should greatly pity very rich and great men , instead of envying them ; and think our selves far more happy with a quiet and a safe competency . there is nothing more plainly observable , than that ordinarily the meanest servants of great people , do enjoy more satisfaction , than their lords or ladies . so that put all things together , tho' there be a vast difference between men and men in their external circumstances , there is but very little difference between them , as to their partaking of the divine beneficence . no man enjoys all good things , and 't is commonly seen that he who falls short of another in some , as much excells him in others . iv. consider how prone we are , to make the good things god blesseth us with , evils to our selves , and the greatest evils . that is , to convert our temporal good things into spiritual evil things ; and to make them more mischievous to our souls , than it is possible they should be beneficial to our outward man. and , as we are all very prone hereto , so , are not most men actually so much the more high-minded , vain , covetous and sensual , &c. by how much the more they abound in earthly blessings ? and therefore is god ever the less good to men , in either depriving them of those good things they so abuse , or in withholding many such from those , whom he knows would be in very great danger of abusing them , if they had them ? v. consider how many do make little conscience of doing evil to others ; of making them sufferers in one respect or other : and how many of those , who would not be thought unjust or cruel , can find in their hearts to be severe and rigid . and how many that are better natured and better principled than such persons , are nothing so inclined to pity the afflicted and distressed , as they ought to be ; nor to concern themselves to keep off evils from their brethren , or to ease them of them , according to their power . now with what face can such expect , that god almighty should be so ●ender of those , either in preventing the lighting of evils upon them , or in taking them off , when ever they would have him , who are either harsh to , or so little tender of their fellow-christians , or fellow-creatures ? how doth it dis-become the goodness of god , to say to such , with what measure you mete , it shall be meted to you again ? what wretched people then are they , who complain of god , for shewing no more mercy to them , who have no more mercy for others ; and that will have him to be the less good upon this account ! since it is no contradiction to his goodness , to abandon such to extreme sufferings , but an act most worthy of his justice . vi. it may be considered too , that many of the evils which befall us , others do gain more by than the sufferers lose ; & consequently , god is more gracious to others in them , than he is severe to those who suffer by them . we use to say , that is an ill wind , which blows no body good . and , as we have shewed , that god designs mens own good in their sufferings , be they never so bad , provided they have not sinned themselves past recovery by afflictions ; and that all that improve them as they ought , do reap great advantage by them , especially spiritual advantage , so hath he contrived things in so wise a manner , as that we are mutually advantaged by one anothers afflictions . there may be given a thousand instances of this nature , and therefore it is needless to give any . now , he that would take a measure of the divine goodness , by what happeneth to himself , considered as a being separate from the rest of mankind , must be so silly as to think at the same time , that god hath no body to be concerned for besides himself . now , take we along with these considerations , what hath been discoursed of the fewness of our evil things , in comparison of our good things : and of our non-desert of the least good things , but our high desert of the greatest evils : and of the need we all have of evil things : and of evil things being appointed us by god almighty , from the self-same principle that good things are ; i say , let these accompany our last mentioned considerations , and then , if we are able , let us think it a tolerable thing to repine at any of god's dealings with us ; or to cease to praise him , and to have a thankful sense of our obligations to him , under even the sharpest tryals . then let us think , if we can , that that exhortation of the psalmist , may be sometimes unseasonable , viz. praise the lord ; for it is good to sing praises unto our god : for it is pleasant , and praise is comely . if , after all that hath now been offered to our consideration , we can perswade our selves thus to think , we must blame holy iob for being so offended as his wife 's taunt , bless god and dye . but now , in the conclusion , i must repeat what hath been already suggested , and which sad experience assures us of , viz. that it is far more easie to satisfie our reason , than to bring our passions under the government thereof ; and especially in reference to the bearing of afflictions . and therefore there is an absolute necessity of adding , to whatsoever considerations we are furnished with to strengthen us under them , our frequent , humble , and most importunate supplications to the throne of grace , that we may not under the afflicting hand of god , be so over-power'd with melancholy , as to be unable to think a wise thought ; and to be inabled so to fix our minds upon such considerations , as that they may make an effectual impression ; and that we may have supports suitable to our burdens ; without which , let us exercise our thinking faculty as well as we can , we shall be as weak as water . and they were great divine supports to which iob was above all beholden ; or he had never behaved himself as he did , under such mighty calamities ; nor particularly given so brave a reply to his wifes prophane speech , as , what ? shall we receive good at the hand of god , and shall we not receive evil ? the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . quod ni it● sit , quid v●n●ra●ur quid precamur deos ? de nat. de●r . sam. . . esay . , . * in epictet . enchirid . c. . p. * comment . in epictet . l. . c. . p . arrian . l. . p. . arrian . epict. l. . c. . p. . a friendly conference between a minister and a parishioner of his, inclining to quakerism wherein the absurd opinions of that sect are detected, and exposed to a just censure / by a lover of truth. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a friendly conference between a minister and a parishioner of his, inclining to quakerism wherein the absurd opinions of that sect are detected, and exposed to a just censure / by a lover of truth. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed by t.r. for clavell ..., london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. table of contents: p. [ ]-[ ] errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- controversial literature. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a friendly conference between a minister and a parishioner of his , inclining to quakerism , wherein the absurd opinions of that sect are detected , and exposed to a just censure . by a lover of truth . thess. . . for this cause god shall send them strong delusion , that they should believe a lye . london , printed by t. r. for robert clavell at the peacock in st. paul's church-yard . . the contents . some mens not profiting under the present ministery , is not to be charged on the ministers . pag. . the efficacy of the divine ordinances depends not upon the worthiness of the ministers . p. . of saying you to a single person . p. . civil titles lawful . p. . matth. . . call no man master , explained . p. . of the doctrine of perfection . p. . the lawfulness of an oath . p. . the definition of it . p. . proved an act of religion . p. . proved an act of justice and charity . p. . proved by scripture examples . p. . matth , . . swear not at all , &c. explained . p. . of composing sermons upon single texts . p. . learning vindicated by pet. . . and its necessity in order to the explication of some scriptures asserted . p. . the reason why christ made choice of unlearned men to be his apostles . p. . the case altered now . p. . the unreasonableness and danger of expecting new revelations . p. . cor. . . tongues shall cease , explained . p. . joel . . and it shall come to pass afterwards in those dayes , that i will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh , &c. explained . p. . cor. . . i am become all things to all men , explained . p. . of tithes . p. . not now challenged as they were due to the levites . p. . lawful as other properties . p. . tithes being a temporal property , it 's sufficient that they are established by temporal laws . p. . temporal authorities , have power to establish temporal rights . p. . tithes are a distinct property p. . maintenance in general , to the ministers of the gospel , proved to be of divine right , by cor. . p. . tithes set out for that maintenance by king ethelwolph . p. . what soever is dedicated to god ( as were tithes ) not alienable . p. . tithes cleared from the charge of popery . p. . the elector of saxony's prudent determination , in a controversie of tithes . p. . the receiving of tithes no sin , being not the transgression of any law. p. . certain texts produced by the quakers against tithes , discovers both their ignorance and dishonesty . p. . tithes no grievance either to landlord or tenant . p. . reasons why the apostles took no tithes . p. . quakers enemies to the king and government , in the non-payment of their tithes . p. . tithes no grievance to the most needy poor . p. . receiving them makes not ministers hirelings . ibid. the injustice of the quakers censures , further discovered . p. . their depriving themselves the benefit 〈◊〉 the ministery ( by separation no just plea for deteining their tithes . recovering tithes by course of law vindicated . p. . going to law not universally forbidden . p. . cor. . — b. dare any of you having a matter with another , go to law , &c. explained . p. . advice to wavering and unsteady minds . p. . the quakers very unlike to the primitive christians , manifest in divers particulars . p. . errata . page . . . r. kings . . p. . . . r. superstition and pharisaism . p. . . r. imply's . ibid. . . after men , add , to be evil . p. . . ult . r. of them . p. . . . after strain , add , all . p. . . . r. tit. . . p. . . . r. naught . p. . . . instead of but a small time in use , r of no use to justification , gal. . . p. . . . r. come . p. . . . r. abolished . a friendly conference , between a minister , and a parishioner of his , inclining to quakerism ; wherein the absurd opinions of that sect are detected , and exposed to a just censure . minist . my good friend , and neighbour ; i cannot but observe an alteration in your very countenance , as if it did proceed from some great disturbance in your mind ; therefore i have sent for you , that if it be in my power , i may give some ease to your thoughts . and i hope you will be free with me , and so far open your self , that i may have an opportunity , to express the true friendship i bear towards you . parish . i thank you for your charity ; i perceive you can read my disturbance in my face , and seeing you invite me to discover the reasons of it , i will conceal nothing from you . there are no temporal affairs which offer any disquiet to my thoughts : it 's nothing of this life , but what concerns the next , which is the cause of the perplexity , which ( i perceive by you ) is so visible in me . i must confess that of late , i have read the books , and frequented the company of some quakers : and to my apprehension , they argue strongly . they positively affirm that they are the people of god. you implead them for cheats and impostors : if they be in the right , god forbid , that i should be found in any other way : if you be in the right , i am sensible of my danger , if i desert you : for mine own part ( if i know mine own thoughts ) i have no passion , or interest to gratifie , besides the salvation of my poor soul , and gladly would i do for the best , god direct me . if you can convince , me that these people walk in any perverse way , i shall soon abandon all communion with them , but if you cannot so do , you must not wonder , that i wholly joyn with them , in the exercise of religion . min. i thank you for your freedom , and commend your serious inclinations , and i wish you well advised in the conduct of them . i must confess that i have been often told , that you have frequented the company of quakers : and am confirmed in that report by your own confession ; yet am not a little pleased , that you are not so far gone , but that you are willing to try the spirit of quakerism , before you will altogether yield to the delusions of it . therefore i pray declare the grounds of your dissatisfaction ; and so long as you keep within the bounds of your wonted modesty , and humility ( so rarely to be found amongst those of that sect ) i shall not despair to give you full satisfaction in your most important scruples . par. i am glad that you sent for me , and more glad that i had the good manners to be ready at your call : and take it not for flattery if i tell you , that the respects which i bear to your person , are most sincere and cordial ; therefore shall i the more willingly discover my disgusts , and the cause of my present dissatisfaction . min. i do in all gratitude accept the expressions of your affection , and i beseech you to make no longer delays , but declare what it is that gives you this disturbance . par. being upon a certain time , at a quakers meeting , a notable speaker ( being there ) propounded this to the consciences of the hearers ; whether any among them could affirm , that he had received any spiritual advantage by his long frequenting of the steeple-houses ? and bad him , if after enquiry he found no profit by it , further propound this quaery to himself , why am i thus ? for if god had any regard to the priests , or their worship , he would not be wanting to give a blessing to their ways , to which ( said he ) experience shews the contrary . now comparing what he said , with the corruptions of mine own heart , the words became a great wound in it , and made me conclude , that all this while i have been in a wrong box ; and that if the present ministry were from god , it would have witnessed it self by its efficacy . min. let me tell you here , that it is impossible for you to give any right judgment of the efficacy of any divine ordinance by the present apprehension you have of its operation upon you , neither is the goodness or badness of the ministry , to be measured by the want of a sensible effect upon the hearts of indisposed , and careless hearers , but from its agreeableness to the divine institution , and real tendency to its proper end , the salvation of souls . was rachel's barrenness imputable unto jacob ? the sower in matt. . sows his seed , and we read of a great miscarriage , but where was the fault ? in the seed or soil ? or was it not in the enemy who had mingled tares therewith ? isaiah of old complained , that he had laboured in vain , and spent his strength , for nought , and in vain , esai . . . did this confession of his , render him a false prophet ? or did jeremiah's ill success in his ministry , accuse him , and excuse that rebellious people among whom he exercised it ? many that heard christ himself received no benefit ; witness the tears he shed over stiff-necked jerusalem ; must their non-proficiency blemish the excellency of his doctrine ? a man distemper'd in his health , may receive good food , which may turn to unwholsome humours ; is the meat , or the disorder of his stomach to be blamed ? i wish that some of our most zealous separatists , would here consider , that we must not esteem that , most powerful , and profitable , which produceth only sensible consolations , working upon the tender inferiour faculties of the soul : whereas the strong grown christian ( such as the english ministry designs to make men ) hath his religion seated in the rational powers , and measures not the goodness of the ministry from those little warmths , heats , and flashes ( which weak heads admire as divine fires ) but from its tendency to uniform , through , conscientious obedience , that is , the performance of all duty in its latitude , both to god and man , together with our selves : real profit is obedience , and holiness of life ; not talkativeness , censoriousness , singularity , some little warmth of affection , or hasty conceits of gods favour : so that if you state the question right , it will be this ; not whether you have profited by our ministry , but whether you might not have profited , had not the fault been in your selves ? alas ! it's our hearts grief , that our people should come into the church , as the beasts into noah's ark ; go out beasts , as they came in beasts ; or like unto pharaoh's lean kine , no fatter for all their feeding . can you imagine that the divine justice will charge upon the ministry the non-proficiency of their people , when the neglect is not in them ? who then so miserable as they ? but that which is the comfort of all good ministers is , that they must give an account of their labours , but not of the success of them . we are embassadours for christ ; now embassadours are not to be judged by the success of their embassy , but by their integrity , and a due regard to their instructions . it will not be ask't us at the great day what souls we have gained , but what faithfulness we have used in our ministration ; and our reward shall be according to our labours , and not according to the success of them as you may be informed from cor. . . every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour . the dust of our feet will condemn such as will not profit by our doctrine . whether they hear or forbear , yet shall they know that there hath been a prophet among them . ezek. . . and though our labour be in vain as to men , yet it is not in vain in the lord , who is so righteous , that he will accept our labour of love , and reward every man according to his works . heb. . . par. i cannot reply to the reason of your arguments : only satisfy me how it comes to pass , that you should pretend to be the ministers of god , yet acknowledge , that you are sent upon a fruitless errand ? min. we acknowledge no such thing ; for we cannot yield our errand to be fruitless , even to the most obdurate , and impenitent ( cor. . , . ) to whom it is the savour of death , unto death , for the glory of gods revenging justice to those that have rejected his mercy . par. is this all the fruit of your doctrines ? min. no , for ( blessed be god ) we can give a more comfortable account of our labours then this : for if you , and others have not profited by our labours , we can instance in those that have ; who have given large testimonies of their proficiency , by the exemplary holiness of their lives , and will be one day dreadful witnesses , against the despisers of that ministry , and the publick ordinances , which those holy souls so profited by . par. it cannot be denyed , but that many have frequented those ordinances ( as you call them ) yet have truly reaped no benefit by them ; therefore you cannot but conclude , that they are under a great discouragement , in attending there any longer . min. i shall yield to the matter of fact , but not to your placing of the fault . shall the divine ordinances , or those to whose ministration they are committed , be blamed for the ignorance or negligence of the hearers ? par. but if i should grant your ministry doth some good , yet the quakers may well despise it , having teachers of their own , who work far more powerfully upon them . min. if their speakers did work on their understandings , they would have more knowledg in religion then most of them have ; if on their memories , they would be able to give a better account of those immethodical and broken discourses afterwards , so that in truth they work only upon their fancy , not by any efficacy of the matter , or power in the speaker , but from the misconceit of the hearers ; as it was with the followers of simon magus , who were so wrought upon by certain words which he used , that they were in an extasy , and stood amazed , as if they were mad a , because they believed him to be the mighty power of god b , and yet this simon had no part in the gift of the holy ghost c . par. but why do you compare the speakers to such a reprobate as simon magus , when as they speak from the heart , and ( as the prophets of old ) are much moved in spirit , when the hand of the lord is upon them , and is not their trembling , sobbing , sweating , foaming , &c. visible workings of the spirit of god ? min. the lord came in a still small voice . kings . . but these are more like the workings of another spirit , luke . . and you may find the picture of your speakers drawn by virgil ( a heathen poet ) where he brings in the sibil possessed with her daemon , going to tell aeneas his fortune ; which since you understand not latine , i will give it you in english , this said , her colour chang'd , nor did her face , or comelytresses , keep their former grace , her brest doth pant , and from her swelling heart , a furious rage spreads over every part ; her voice , and stature seems to change , when she , inspired was , by her kind deity . d thus also when montanus ( a branded heretick ) saw any of his party tremble and foam , and fall into these extasies ; he would say , behold it is the lord that moves the hearts of men into extasies e : wherefore i would not have you to take all for gold that glisters ; but remember sathan delights to counterfeit , and can turn himself into an angel of light f , and thereby has deceived as wise men as either the quakers , or their teachers . i do with st. john advise you to try the spirits , before you trust to them . par. i try them , and that by their fruits , and i see they are of good lives , and so cannot be led by an evil spirit . min. you must not be too confident of that inference ; for you cannot see their hearts , and sathan doth often connive at the outward sanctity of false teachers , to make their doctrines more taking : thus hierax g , peter the anchorite h , pelagius i , and many of the old deceivers lived seemingly very well , but were condemned for their unsound judgment k and if you had judged their spirit , by their outward conversation , you would have received the most prodigious blasphemies . whereas our saviour saith of hereticks , and false prophets , ye shall know them by their fruits , math. . . he means by the fruits and ill consequences of their doctrines , and not outward conversation ; hypocrisy being spun of so fine a thread , that none but the great searcher of hearts , can distinguish it from sincerity : for even those same false . prophets were such as our saviour said should come in sheeps clothing , that is , under the disguise of a seeming innocence , whilst within they should be ravening wolves . and if you look narrowly upon the speakers , many of them make their pretended holiness , a cloak for evil designs , and divers of them who have been much admired for a time , have been by the quakers themselves rejected for arrant cheats . 't is observable that sathans emissaries , and factors , have been persons of smooth moral lives , for otherwise their deeds would destroy their trade : their practises demolish their profession l . some of the most moraliz'd emperors were the worst persecutors m . agelius bishop of the novatians led vitam planè apostolicam , went barefoot , and used other severities , as do the papists at this day ; from whence we can make no argument , that their doctrines are therefore sound . par. but why do you complain thus of the speakers , when ministers are far worse ; and now that you put me upon it , i shall give you the true cause of mens non-proficiency , and indeed separation , which is occasioned by the scandalous lives of some ministers , whose behaviour is such , that they become obnoxious to the greatest censure , and have caused both themselves and doctrines to stink in the nostrils of the people . min. that there are scandalous ministers in the world , is too sad a truth ; and which indeed ought to be lamented in the most brinish tears ; but then it ought to be consider'd , that in a setled national ministry ( such as ours is ) consisting of great numbers in holy orders , it cannot be expected to be otherwise , but that some men , for a corrupt interest , will intrude themselves into these sacred offices ; which is not to be charged upon our function , since there was a judas among the chosen twelve . but then , as a little blasted corn makes a great show in a field , yet when gathered together , will lye in a small room , so i hope these scandalous ministers will prove but few , when compared with the number of such , that truly thirst after the honour of god in a faithful discharge of their duty . par. but are not all ministers highly to be blamed in their lives and conversation ? min. you make that scandalous and faulty which in truth is nothing so . this age is so maliciously wicked , that every seeming fault in a clergy-man is aggravated to the highest pitch ; every mole-hill is made a mountain , and every mote a beam. let our actions be never so innocent ; a wrong construction is put upon them , to render us odious . if a clergy-man mannage his outward affairs by prudential rules , and frees himself from the charge of infidelity * by caring honestly for his family ; then he is covetous ; if he be free and bountiful , then he is prodigal . if he please not all ( which is impossible ) then he is this , or he is that : you know christ himself had not every ones good word : different humours will have different sentiments : and if innocency it self could not escape the lash of tongues , we must not hope to be free . i pray god , we may so live as to please him : and then let unruly tongues wagg , till they be weary . we are very sensible that there are three sorts of men , who make it their business to scandalize and defame ministers . par. i pray who are they ? min. you may soon imagine who i mean : first all atheistical profane wretches , who as well deride religion it self , as all religious persons , thinking to hide their shame by reproaching the rule † and making those ridiculous who would press them to walk by it . david of old said that the drunkards made songs of him : and it will be thus , as long as sathan has a friend that will espouse his interest . next are the papists who have made it a chief part of their polity , to bring our clergy under all the contempt they can ; and you may imagine for what reason they do it . and lastly the quakers in this respect have out-done them all , and have driven on the design of rome , whetting their tongues to speak the most prodigious lies , that is in the power of malice to invent * . these like edom , ishmael , and moab , are all in confederacy against israel , and the most innocent have not escaped the lash of their serpentine tongues . psal. . , , . par. but the main quaery is behind : you do acknowledge that some ministers are scandalous ; how then is it possible for the people living under such , to receive any profit or edification from them ? min. your great mistake lies here , in supposing the efficacy of the divine ordinances , to depend upon the worthiness of the persons concerned in the ministration of them : herein the quakers are worse then the very papists and contrary to all the ancient fathers * . par. can you suppose then that an evil man can be a minister of christ ? min. what do you think of judas and nicholas the deacon ? solomon you know fell into the grievous sin of idolatry , yet for all that we burn not his books of proverbs , ecclesiastes , and canticles , but esteem them as inspired writings . you know that noah's ark was a typical representation of the church of christ , and it cannot be imagined that noah and his family could frame so vast a building in so small a time ; therefore we must conclude that several helpt to frame that building , which themselves had no benefit of , when the deluge came . even so it 's possible , that some may be instrumental in the saving of others , by preaching the gospel to them , yet themselves receive the doom of castaways , cor. . . the truth hereof will further appear from phil. . . where st. paul saith that some preach christ even of strife and envy ; then observe ver . . whether in pretence or truth christ is preached , i herein do rejoyce and will rejoyce : thus it pleased god to bring light out of darkness : i am to look at the water , and not at the conduit through which it is convey'd . we have this treasure in earthen vessels , saith the apostle . the reason given is , that the excellency of the power may be of god and not of us . pray consult acts . . where the apostles st. peter and st. john forewarn the people from ascribing the miracles wrought by them to their power , and holiness , and refer it wholy to the power of christ. a good stomach respects the meat without inquiring after the hand that dressed it . the scribes and pharisees were got into moses chayr , our saviour bids not the people , pull them down , but gives them an eternal document how to behave themselves , when such teachers fall to their share , ( viz. ) whatsoever they bad them to observe , that to observe and do , but not to do after their works , matth. . . and you cannot but acknowledge that you have heard many excellent discourses from the pulpit , pressing your respective duties both to god and man. and will you tell the great judge at the great day that your non-proficiency , was occasioned by the scandalous life of your minister ? or will an impudent upbraiding of the minister with his faults , excuse you in the neglect of your duty ? par. i must confess that you have given me some satisfaction in this particular : i shall now proceed in the discovery of my other scruples . min. i shall not despair ( with the divine assistance ) but to give you equal satisfaction in your remaining doubts ; and your ingenuity gives me large hopes of diverting you from that erroneous way , to which you have too long inclined . therefore i pray , mention your objections . par. i must confess ( with some regret ) i have not left my old custom of saying ( you ) though i speak to a single person , in this respect the quakers seem to have the advantage of those , that differ from them . min. i pray resolve me this question ; whether religion suffer by saying ( you ) when we address our selves to a single person ? if it do , declare wherein , if it do not , why do you trouble your own and other mens consciences in a business wherein religion is no ways concerned ? par. but is it not more proper to say ( thou ) then ( you ) to a single person . min. if propriety of speech be the thing , you had best challenge school-masters and grammarians to dispute the point ( some of which do very learnedly defend the use of ( you ) to a single person ) * and not trouble mens consciences in a case where they are not concerned . and here let me tell you , that the pharisees were not more guilty of superstition , in the washing of their pots and cups , than the quakers are in this very thing , and other niceties of this nature : who while in other things they declaim so much against our forms , and ceremonies , do herein betray the greatest formality imaginable . but seeing you stand upon the propriety of the thing , let me tell you , that usage gives the stamp to speech , and custome is the only law , to make words , or phrases , proper , or improper . par. but what do you say to that argument which you will find printed in one of the quaker's books , that god thou'd adam , and adam thou'd god ? min. do you suppose that god and adam discoursed together in english ? if the translators had used you for thou , this shadow of an objection had disappeared . par. but why do you say you to one man and thou to another ? min. the reason is , that custome has so far prevailed that sometimes we say thou to express a familiarity ; to another you to signifie a civil respect . par. now you speak out , and here let me tell you that the quakers will triumph in the advantage you have given them , for when you address your selves to god , you say ( thou ) when to men , you say ( you ) the consequence of all is , that you give more respect to man , than god. min. the quakers will find that they have no occasion to triumph ; no other intimation of respect being appropriated to you or thou , or any other words , but what they have by custome , and common usage , which in the present case hath taught us to use the word thou in a different sense , in temporal and spiritual relations : and thus it 's only in civil matters that we say ( you ) to a single person : but in religious offices we say ( thou ) to the greatest personages on earth , as will appear by consulting the offices of our church . whosoever is to be baptized , the form of words run thus , n. i baptize thee , &c. and you may observe the same , in the communion service , in matrimony , and so in all other religious offices . par. but while you make use of the term thou in religious offices , why are you not as much bound to use it in civil communication ? min. we suppose the use of ( you ) or ( thou ) to be a matter in it self wholly indifferent , and morally neither good , nor evil , and therefore no matter of conscience , nor just occasion of scruple ; but a thing imputable to innocent custome , which until you can prove sinful , or unlawful , or any where in scripture prohibited , see , how you can clear your selves of the guilt of superstition , pharisaism , by laying heavy burdens upon the consciences of men , when indeed god has left them at liberty . par. but the issue of the point will be here ; whether it 's lawful to give any civil respects to the persons of men ? min. if that be all , i am ready to prove , that it is not only lawful but our duty , which i shall make good , if my arguments from scripture-evidence , will be allowed . par. i would have you to know , that though i approve of some quakers , yet not of those who set up the notions of their own brains , above the authority of the sacred scriptures ; i shall be as ready to keep to the scripture rule , as your self . min. what then do you think of these texts ( and many more which i could name , of the like importance . ) honour to whom honour is due , rom. . . in honour preferring one another , rom. . . let the elders that rule well , be counted worthy of double honour , tim. . . and honour all men , pet. . . par. i should be convinc't by these texts , if other scriptures did not contradict the sense , which you put upon them . min. name those scriptures . par. i begin with that in acts . . of a truth i perceive that god is no respecter of persons ; which text i understand thus ; that from god almighty's example , we are not to give any outward respects to the persons of men . min. that you put a false interpretation upon these words , will evidently appear , if you throughly consult the foregoing passages of that chapter ; especially if you call to mind , what the vision of the sheet to st. peter , and the vision of an angel to cornelius , did truely import : the sense of the text under debate appearing to be no more than this ; that the partition wall is now to be broken down , and that the gospel is catholick , that is , of an universal concern , not to be confin'd within the narrow limits of one nation or people ; but like the sun in the firmament which shines on all . no matter now where our country is , who were our progenitors , or what our present circumstances are , as to the flesh : for god hath no respect to our personal capacities , whether we be jew or gentile , bond or free , rich or poor , noble or ignoble , in reference to our salvation : the qualifications he now looks at , is fearing him , and working righteousness , and then we need not fear but to be accepted of him . this will now tell you what is meant by respecting persons in st. peter's notion , and you will find the like case in rom. . . for there is no respect of persons with god. what is there meant by respecting persons in st. paul's sense , the foregoing verse will inform you , but glory , honour , and peace to every man that worketh good , to the jew first , and also to the gentile . par. but suppose these words do wholly relate to the calling in of the gentiles : yet the four first verses of jam. will come home to my purpose ; the words are these , my brethren , have not the faith of our lord jesus christ with respect of persons ; for if there come a man into your assemblies , with a gold ring , in goodly apparel , and there come a poor man in vile raiment , and you have respect to him that weareth the gay cloathing , and not to the poor , &c. are not you then partial in your seives , and become judges of evil thoughts ? &c. which sufficiently imply'd all outward regard or civil respects to the persons of men . min. the apostle here forbids not civil respects , but such sort of respects only , as did violate justice in their publick consistories , when the gaiety and outward splendour of the rich tempted them to partiality ; and to give such a sentence , as agreed not with the merit of the cause , and this is answerable to that in deut. . . thou shalt not have respect of persons in judgment . par. do you suppose then that ( assemblies ) here signifie places of judgment ? min. this supposition will appear to be well grounded , when we consider that the jews had a law , whereby it was provided that when a rich man and a poor had a suit together in their courts of judicature , either both must sit , or both stand in the same rank , to avoid all marks of partiality . to the terms of which law the apostle here has reference . par. but is it not a more agreeable interpretation to say , that the apostle by assemblies means all civil meetings whatsoever ? that when christians meet at a feast , or in any place , on whatsoever occasion , they should shew no civil respect whatsoever , to one more than another ? min. this cannot be his meaning , because he then had contradicted what his lord and master had plainly allowed , in luk , . , , . when thou art bidden of any man to a wedding , sit not down in the highest room , least a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him : and he that bad thee , and him , come and say to thee , give this man place ; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room . but when thou art bidden , go and sit down in the lowest room , that when he that bad thee cometh , he may say unto thee , friend go up higher : then shalt thou have worship in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee . where difference and degrees of honour and place are evidently allowed by our saviour , plainly intimating , that as one place is higher than another , so some persons are more honourable than others ; and as divine worship is only due to god , so civil worship or respect , is due to man ; yea and to one man more than another . par. but what do you say to that plain precept of christs , mat. . . neither be ye called master : for one is your master even christ ? min. pray answer me this query , did christ's command there , relate to spiritual , or temporal matters ? par. i suppose it did relate to spiritual affairs ; for his kingdom not being of this world , we cannot suppose that he gave any temporal laws for the outward government of it . min. if his commands did extend only to spirituals , why then do quakers apply them to temporals , such as civil honour and civil titles are ? but i pray resolve me , whether a civil and natural title be not necessary to express a civil and natural relation ? par. what do you mean ? min. my meaning is plain : do you allow your servant to call you master , or your child to call you father ? par. should i not allow them so to do , they would have no other term of relation , to call me by . min. now you have confuted your self . par. wherein ? min. in allowing your child to call you father , and your servant master . par. possibly i have been faulty in suffering my servants to call me master . min. you are as faulty to suffer your children to call you father . par. how do you make that good ? min. with ease : for in the same notion that we are forbidden to call master , we are also forbidden to call father : for in the foregoing verse of the text objected it 's said , call no man father upon earth . so then the quakers bring this tenent to this strange result , that a child must honour his father , but must not call him father , that a servant must obey his master , but must not call him master . and had our saviours command agreed with the quakers interpretation of it , then had st. stephen and st. paul been highly reproveable when both begun their speeches at jerusalem in these words , men , brethren , and fathers , &c. acts . . & . . was it not strange that they should use the term of fathers , when christ saith , call no man father , and as highly reproveable for enjoining servants to obey their masters , when christ had said , call no man master , &c. as if the gospel continued the duty to parents and masters , yet forbad the title . tim. . , , , , . eph. chap. . col. chap. . par. but if our lord condemns not all civil titles , what then do these words mean ? min. for your satisfaction herein : you must know that the scribes and pharisees had so far incroacht upon christs prophetick and regal offices , that they had usurped an absolute authority , and dominion over the faith and consciences of men ; imposing the traditions and inventions of their own brains as so many absolute laws in the church of god , and not only so , but assumed titles answerable to those usurpations which were [ rabbi ] [ father ] and [ master ] and some of these great demure cheats were as lordly in their sanhedrim , as the roman bishop in the conclave , or as george fox is said to be at devonshire house . now it was this spiritual tyranny and arrogancy of the scribes and pharisees which our saviour condemns in these titles , and no civil titles whatsoever . the sense of the text under debate , will presently appear , if the apostles distinction in heb. . . be admitted ; where he mentions fathers after the flesh to whom we owe reverence and obedience in all things which concern the flesh ; and a father after the spirit to whom we are subject in all things which concern the spirit : for of our souls , spirits , and consciences , as we can have no father , so we can have no master upon earth . so that we must not ambitiously affect such arrogant titles our selves , nor give them to others in the pharisees sense , viz. as a testimony of our implicite faith in them , or of their absolute dominion over our consciences , for in this sense god only is to be called , and accounted our father and master . par. i will but desire your resolution in another scripture which seems to forbid all outward respect to man ; it 's in luke . v. . salute no man by the way . min. do you suppose that text is taken in a literal sense ? par. i supose it is . min. then the quakers are faulty , in ever making , use of a purse , and highly to be blamed , because they go not always barefoot ; the whole verse running thus , carry neither purse , nor scrip , nor shoes , and salute no man by the way . par. what then is the meaning of that text ? min. you must know that when our lord had commissionated the seventy to preach the gospel to several particular cities , that they might give him a speedy account of their success , he saith , salute no man by the way : as much as if he had said , your present commission requires a speedy execution , and the hast thereof is such that you cannot now perform such offices of friendship , as at other times you may : because at this time they will prove an impediment to the present ministry . * par. what reason have you to suppose that this command had a reference only to that particular juncture ? min. because our saviour elsewhere saith , when you come into a bouse salute it , matth. . . and rom. . seems to be almost wholy composed of salutations as you may see at large . see also phil. . . cor. . . cor. . . to all this i may add the reason of the thing , which will render the objection more frivolous : for a salutation is only an outward testification of love and affection . and can any be so senseless as to suppose the religion of love forbids your characters and expressions of it ? the usage is christian and commendable , consisting of prayers and well-wishes to those we meet , and is a testification of our reverence to the image of god , wheresoever we do meet with it , and of our respect to humane nature . and for your further confirmation i have this to add , that the practice of the saints herein , do's sufficiently vindicate the lawfulness of the thing . i begin with jacobs demeanour towards his brother esau , recorded gen. . where you will find that jacob calls himself no less then five times his servant , and called esau eight times his lord , and when they met bowed seven times before him : which civility and manners , in all probability he learned from his grand-father abraham , of whom we read that he bowed down himself to the children of the land , gen. . . when eli reproved hannah supposing she had been drunk , the mistake whereof might have provoked her being innocent , yet she made no passionate reply : but said , no my lord , for i am a woman of a sorrowful spirit , i sam. . . pray observe with what civility mephibosheth congratulates davids return , at every address , it is , my lord the king , let him take all , for as much as my lord the king is returned in peace , sam. . . next i will shew you that there is the same strain along in the new testament . st. luke dedicating his gospel to theophilus , salutes him with the title of most excellent theophilus , chap. . . the apostles barnabas and paul cryed among the people , sirs , why do ye these things ? acts. . . though festus was a heathen , yet st. paul addresses himself to him with the title of most noble festus , acts. . . and he no ways abridgeth agrippa of his royal titles , but calls him king agrippa : and st. john in his second epistle writes to the elect lady : and st. peter commends sarah not only for obeying abraham , but also for calling him lord , pet. . . and there is one thing more which is to me very remarkable , that friendship is a great moral and christian duty : but then take friend , as it is a civil title , and we shall find that our blessed saviour gives it even to that infamous traitour judas , matth. . . friend wherefore art thou come ? par. i thank you for the satisfaction that you have given me herein , and if you please i will go on to propound my next scruple . you expect that all good christians should joyn in communion with you ; and what reason have they so to do : when in your service-book you confess your selves not only sinners , but miserable sinners , and would you have us joyn with sinners ? min. to put a speedy end to this debate , pray resolve me whether you own confession of sin to be the duty of every humble penitent ? par. it 's yielded that confession of sin is a duty because enjoyned by these scriptures , psal. . . behold the eye of the lord is upon them that fear him : upon them that hope in his mercy . joh. . . if we confess our sins , he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins , and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness . mat. . . and were baptized of him in jordan , confessing their sins . min. then the sum of your accusation lies here , that we live in the practise of a known duty . par. i must confess that i took up this argument too hastily from one levingston : but i pray resolve me , whether the publick form of confession be not contradictory to that evangelical doctrine of an unsinning state of perfection even in this life ? min. if confession of sin be a christian duty ( as all who own the scriptures must acknowledg ) then are we not only innocent in the practise of it , but consequently the quakers notion of perfection is utterly false . par. do you then deny the doctrine of perfection ? min. we deny not the doctrine of perfection , but such a notion as the quakers have thereof , calling it an unsinning state . par. i think it will be no hard task to prove that this assertion has not only the stamp of a divine authority upon it ; but that in the practise of it the saints in this life have attained to it . min. make but either good and i shall be satisfied . par. as to the proof of the doctrine , i shall not need to spend either my time or yours , in multiplying allegations ; one clear text will be enough , and such a text you will find , mat. . . be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect . where you have not only a precept but a pattern from god himself ; shewing that the perfection there required isan unsinning perfection . then as for the practise of this precept we read in scripture the examples of noah and job , that they were perfect ; and of david above both , that he was a man after gods own heart . min. the text and the instances which you have produced in favour of this opinion , will signify nothing to our present case . to every particular whereof i will answer when i have told you , that this doctrine of perfection was first broached by the grand heretick pelagius whose opinion and arguments the quakers have stoln ; but it was condemned by the ancient christians in several councils , and also confuted by the excellent pens of st. hierom , st. augustine , and orosius , who all lived when it first appeared in the world. and it will be little to your credit to lick up the vomit of such as pelagius , and oppose the doctrine of the fathers . but to go on to your arguments . i begin with the text , be ye perfect , &c. in which words , our lord aims only , from god almighty's example to press charity and mercy to the highest degree : and this will evidently appear from the context . begin therefore with the verse and so on , where you will find that our saviour pressing the duty of charity and mercy , urgeth its extent not only to friends , but also to enemies . for should christianity oblige our charity no further than to friends , the civility of heathens would vie perfection with it ; the philosophers of old having taught that in their schools of morality ; but to love enemies is the perfection of charity , a law peculiar to christianity . be perfect , that is , love your enemies , bless them that curse you , and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you . be perfect even as your father is perfect , who having commanded you to love your enemies doth himself give you an example for your imitation , for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil , and on the good , and sendeth rain on the just , and on the unjust . and that this is that our saviour principally intends by this precept , will be clear from all contradiction , if we observe how st. luke pens this very sermon on the mount. you will find these passages in luke . beginning at vers . . love your enemies , do good to them which hate you , &c. and instead of concluding in st. matthews expression , be ye perfect , &c. his words are , be ye merciful even as your father is merciful , ver . . par. i should be very much convinc't with your reasons but for the clause of the text , which you take no notice of : where god almighty's example is propounded to us for our imitation . and here i may add another text of the like importance , pet. . . intimating that we are commanded to be holy as he is holy , and if we could not be unsinningly perfect and holy , in vain is the precept propounded to us . min. could you rightly distinguish between equality and similitude , your objection would disappear in a moment . for you must know that it is one thing to be perfect after the measure of divine perfection and holiness ; and another thing to be so , after the manner and nature of it : after the measure , is impossible ; shall the creature measure perfections with the creator ? the very angels themselves are in his sight comparatively impure . and shall degenerate man vie perfections with the divine majesty ? a presumption which brought lucifer from his station to what he is . but though we cannot equal , yet we may imitate the divine perfections , which is the only import of the text. take this familiar instance to express my meaning by . a writing master sets his scholar a copy , with a charge to imitate it : you must only construe his meaning to be such , that he must frame his letters according to the form of those characters , which are set before him ; and not that he expects he should write according to the perfection of the copy . so when our lord saith , be ye perfect even as your father is perfect , the words cannot be so understood as that it were possible for us , or that we were obliged to arrive to the perfection of the divine nature ; but to be imitators of him , to write after his copy , and to follow him as the true pattern of goodness and mercy : therefore he tells us , joh. . . that he hath given us an example to do as he hath done , that is , to purify our selves , as he is pure , joh. . . to walk as he walked , and to be holy in all manner of conversation because he was so . and it is good to set the mark as high as may be , so that we may be excited to endeavour nobly ; for as one wittily observed , * he that aims at the moon , though he do not reach the mark , shall shoot higher than he that levels only at the top of a tree . par. but what do you say to those instances i gave you of noah , job , and david ? min. i am now ready to give you a reply to them : i begin with noah ; and do confess that the spirit of god gives this great character of him , that he was just and perfect in his generation , and that he walked with god , gen. . . but the question is , whether that perfection attributed to him , did signify such a state , as rendred him free from all sin ? par. it is necessarily implyed : for how can he be said to be perfect who is subject to sin ? min. now i will shew you from this very instance which the quakers use to prove perfection by , according to their notion of it , that it overthrows the tenent which they think to establish by it , and that by comparing it with gen. . , . where we read that noah was drunk & uncovered in his tent. it may be added that some of great note , do expound , perfect in his generation , to be meant comparatively , that is , in respect of the men of that age. † a generation like that in which st. salvian * lived , wherein it was accounted a great degree of holiness to be less vitious . your next instance is of job , of whom the scripture saith that he was perfect and upright , and that , he feared god and eschewed evil , job . . uprightness there explains perfection ; a perfect man he was , that is , upright , sincere , a fearer of god and lover of him . yet notwithstanding this character that was given , he had his failings , accordingly he makes consession , chap. . . i have sinned , what shall i do unto thee , o thou preserver of men ? see also chap. . . and . . and job answered the lord and said , behold i am vile . and for your last instance of david : you cannot be ignorant ( though he was a man after gods own heart ) that he fell into the hainous sins of adultery and murder , and besides the psalm which he composed upon that sad occasion , he penned other penitential psalms and prayers for the pardon of his sins , which would be strange to ask if he were altogether free from them . so that the quakers might as well write against those psalms , as against the confession in our service book . par. if perfection signify not such a state , as supposeth us absolutely free from all sin , what then doth it signify ? min. as perfection is attributed to the saints in this life , it generally signifies no more than sincerity , and uprightness , a serving god with a single heart , without hypocrisie and guile : and this you will find in such bibles as have marginal notes in them ; perfect in gen. . . is noted upright , and in gen. . upright and sincere ; and by observation you may find the like in more places : for the word in the original might as well be translated upright , as perfect . see davids last advice to his son , chror . . . and thou solomon my son know thou the god of thy fathers , and serve him with a perfect heart : that sincerity is there meant by a perfect heart , will appear in the following words , for the lord searcheth all hearts , and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts : that is , he sees into the bottom of our hearts whether they be sincere or no. par. but what do you say to this text ? phil. . . let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded . min. compare it with the th verse , where it is said , not as though i had already attained , either were already perfect . make a right inference from the text compared , and you will find the mistake . par. do you suppose the apostle contradicts himself ? min. the apostles words are justifiable from any contradiction allowing the right construction which ought to be put upon them : by perfect , in the text objected he means no more than sincerity in his christian course : by perfect in the verse , a fulness of grace , together with the reward of it , which is not to be had but in a state of glory and immortality . par. how doth that appear to be his sense ? min. very plainly from the verse , if by any means i might attain to the resurrection of the dead ( then follows ) not as though i had attained , either were already perfect ; intimating that he could not be fully perfect till he had attained the refurrection of the dead , where you may observe , that the sense we give of perfection is agreable to st. pauls sense of it , but yours contradictory to it . par. if these scriptures already named do not prove an unsinning perfection : yet that of , joh. . . we know that whosoever is born of god sinneth not , will put this question out of all doubt . min. that the quakers have a wrong notion of this scripture , i hope to make evident to the meanest capacity ; but before i proceed , will you allow me this fundamental truth , that the holy scriptures do no where contradict themselves ? par. god forbid , that such a thought should enter into me , that the infallible spirit , by which the scriptures were written can contradict himself . min. this being granted , the text under our debate cannot be interpreted to signify , that any in this life hath gotten an absolute conquest over all sin , and that for two reasons . first , because st. john here would contradict other plain texts , as kings . , for there is no man that sinneth not : prov. . , who can say i have made my heart clean , i am pure from my sin ? rom. . , for all have sinned and come short of the glory of god. see ezek. . . eccl. . . chron. . . job . . . jam . . gal. . . secondly , because st. john would not only contradict others , but himself also , having plainly said , joh. . . if we say we have no sin , we deceive our selves , and the truth is not in us : to all which let me add , that it would be otherwise strange that our lord should teach his disciples to pray , as often for the forgiveness of their sins , as for their daily bread ; whilst that we must suppose that when they so prayed , they had no trespasses to forgive , which very instance being inconsistent , is enough to answer the objection . par. what then do these words really mean ? min. the meaning of the words is this , . he sinneth not that sin unto death , ver . . by some expounded to be the unpardonable sin against the holy ghost . nor . doth he live in a wilful course and trade of sin , joh. . . he makes not sin his business , he works not in it as a man doth in his trade , which is the true sense of the greek word in the text : and that is the reason why wicked men are called in scripture workers of iniquity , because they do follow it as their business ; while sins of weakness and infirmity ( which he daily strives and prays against ) are notwithstanding consistent with a regenerate estate . par. but is there not one clause in the text you mentioned , which contradicts the sense you have given of it ? wherein we read that he that is born of god , cannot sin , whereof you have this reason given , because he is born of god. min. the objection will soon be answered by considering what the apostle means by the seed of god , which is a new firm principle of grace , and holiness , wrought in him by the spirit of god , by which he is kept from habits of wilful and deliberate sins , and thus he cannot sin : not through any natural , but moral impossibility , i say : he morally cannot do so , the powers of his soul being acted and inflamed by such a divine principle of grace and goodness , as will not suffer him to live in any known sin whatsoever . if he does ; he falls from that holiness , and forfeits the divine relation , and can no longer be said to be born of god , no more than he that has carried the repute of an honest man , can after wilful breaches of justice , and honesty , challenge that worthy title . who can be so confident to say that he is free from all the infirmities of his nature ? who dare say that he never speaks , thinks , or acts amiss ? he that saith he cannot fall by errour , is already faln by pride ; and he that saith he cannot sin , sins even in saying so : it 's true a good man makes not sin his work , and he sins not so as to be lyable to that dismal sentence , depart from me ye workers of iniquity , mat. . . par. but the quakers will tell you , that denying perfection in their notion of it , you give incouragement to sin . min. if you examine the case truly , you will find the quite contrary , that the charge will fall upon themselves . pray , who is your friend , he that saith you have no enemy , or he that informs you where he lurks ? when the devil perswades man that he is clean and free , a considerable part of his work is done ; there is small hopes of that mans conversion , who thinks himself well enough already ; it 's one step to conversion , to see our selves unconverted ; and one step to happiness , to perceive that we are miserable , nay , even miserable sinners : he is besotted with his condition that mistakes his prison for a palace ; i need not guard my house , when i am sure that no thieves can enter in : it 's vain to offer him physick , who concludes himself well ; or to sue for redemption , when free from thraldom . math. . . but if on the other hand i find my self weak , then i lay hold on him that is strong ; from a sense of my infirmities i seek after help . if i find many enemies , i prepare against them . if i be throughly convinc't that i am beset round with temptations and such stratagems as are under the conduct of such a powerful and politick enemy as the devil is without me ; and to compleat my misery , that i have a false and treacherous heart within me ; being in those sad circumstances , i see the necessity of a saviour , set my watch , and fly from the confidence of flesh , to the protection of an almighty arm . par. i shall not yield the cause till you have more fully clear'd the point : consult eph. . . rev. . , from whence we may learn that no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of heaven : which implies a necessity of an unsinning state even in this life , & that in order to our happiness in the next . min. i shall not need to spend much time in refutation of your mistakes in these scriptures ; do but duly consult them , and the best commentators on them , and you will find they import no more , than that no unregenerate , and unsanctified person shall have any share in bliss and happiness . par. i will give you one argument more for perfection ( as it is taught by the quakers ) and then i have named all i have , that are of any moment ; by denying perfection , a fundamental in divinity is overthrown ( viz. ) that the second adam has gain'd what the first adam lost . min. you cannot think that the first adam had a state of such perfection , as to make it impossible for him to sin , for you know , he did actually fall ; such a perfection he never lost , nor did christ gain such a state for us in this world : we are indeed by christ , and the grace of god put into such a state , as that we may perform that which is necessary to our salvation under the covenant of grace , even that which god will accept of , through his mercy ; that is , we may please god , considering what he now expects , and accepts through christ , as well as adam could , considering what god required then . but if you will stretch this sentence to be meant of an equal perfection , to adam's in this life , you discover gross ignorance in the mis-timeing that fundamental of yours which you are not to apply to this present mortal state , but to the life to come : here we have but the earnest and first fruits of the spirit , rom. . . cor. . . eph. . , therefore it is that , here we know but in part , and prophesy but in part , cor. . . the state of grace here is gradual . we grow by little and little , but when that which is perfect is come , then that which is in part shall be done away , ver . . then mind ver . . for now ( that is in this life ) we see through a glass darkly , but then ( that is in the life to come ) face to face . seeing god face to face cannot be here , for we cannot see the face of god and live , exod. . . for here we walk by faith not by sight , cor. . . and it 's only in the life to come that we must expect the fruition of the beatifical vision , joh. . . but that i may bring this subject to a conclusion , give me leave to add , that to argue a state here free from sin , is to argue against matter of fact , and the clearest conviction and experience ; for we read of failings in the best of men , and have not such their shares of troubles and vexations in this life ? they suffer hunger , and cold , needs and necessities , the tormenting diseases , and anguishes of the body : and at last yield up the ghost to death it self . par. what do you infer from hence ? min. that christians are not reinstated in this life in the outward part or appendages of that perfection which adam lost , that is , not in a painless , secure , immortal state . all the miseries we suffer here are but the dire effects and consequents of sin ; will you say then that the cause is taken away , and the effects remain ? this impleads the divine justice , that some should feel the punishment of sin , whilst they are not concerned in the guilt of it ; and shall not the judg of all the earth do right ? par. if to be acquainted with sorrow , grief , sickness , diseases and death , be nothing but the effects of sin : how shall our saviour who suffered them all , be himself free from the imputation of it ? min. those sorrows were the effects of our sins , which he in compassion to us , took voluntarily upon himself ; it was our sins , which he bare upon his own body ; and taking upon himself our sorrows and infirmities , he thereby became a more merciful high priest ; for death entred by sin ; so consequently no sin , no death , nor any of its sad attendants . we free christ from the commission of sin , not from the imputation of it ; and we confess , sin was the occasion of our saviours sufferings ; but it was our sin , not his own . he offered himself to suffer all the miseries of life and death , which we had deserved ; and it was as just in god to inflict them on him , as it is in a creditor to make the bonds-man , who is able and willing , to pay the debt of an indigent bankrupt : and thus christs sufferings do still more strongly prove , they are the just desert of sin ; since even a surety for sinners cannot escape them . par. the satisfaction which you have given me , invites me to give you some further trouble , in the resolution of my remaining doubts . you cannot be ignorant how the quakers fasten the charge of pbarisaism upon the clergy , in having their pulpits exalted ; and do they not herein manifest an horrible pride , and come within the lash of that reproof of our saviour ? mark . , . beware of the scribes , which love to go in long cloathing , and love salutations in the market-places , and the chief seats in the synagogues . min. what our lord condemned in the scribes and pharisees , was their pride in chusing the high places in the synagogues , in a vain presumption that they exceeded all men in learning and holiness : herein the quakers discover not our pride , but their own ignorance ; for it is not for preeminence , that we use our pulpits , but for convenience ; not that our persons , but that our voices may be exalted : and herein we aim not at glory to our selves , but edification to our people : and this is according to the example of ezra , neh. . . who did erect a pulpit of wood , not in obedience to the ceremonial law , because it was no where commanded by it , but that he might stand above the people , that he might be the better heard , while he interpreted the law to them . but i beseech you let us not so far humour the quakers , as to take notice of all their idle impertinencies , and cavils ; but if you have any thing of moment to object against us , i am ready to give a reply to it ; and further to engage you to give credit and attention to what i say , i profess to you that i have not spoke any thing hitherto , but what i am perswaded in my conscience , is agreeable to sacred truth , and i hope you will believe me without an oath . par. an oath would be so far from giving me any assurance of your sincerity , that i should for that be the rather moved to question it : for what more expresly forbidden than swearing ? what so contradictory to that sacred truth you profess to own ? i have not much convers'd with books , but i have heard that the primitive christians , whose piety was approv'd ( as gold ) in the furnace of a dreadful persecution , practis'd such an honest and ingenuous simplicity , to that exactness and accuracy , that they accounted it a disparagement to be put to an oath . but seeing you hold the lawfulness of it , i hope you will prove it out of scripture ; and if you can make it in any case a duty , and an act of religion , i shall then change my opinion of this generation , which i esteemed most impious , and on the contrary , think it very religious through the multitude of oaths that are so frequently in it . min. pray tell me how the quakers instruct you concerning an oath ? par. that i shall do presently out of a book i lately met with , intitl'd antichristianism reproved , written by rich. hubberthorn , in answer to a book of mr. tombs , who it seems did vindicate the lawfulness of an oath ( lawfully administred ; ) wherein hubberthorn endeavours to make it out , that all oaths are utterly unlawful by christ's command ; and therefore all such as do vindicate them , are guilty of the charge of antichristianism . min. before i proceed in this controversy , you must tell me whether or no oaths were ever lawful ? par. hubberthorn will answer you , for his words imply that they were . therefore he tells mr. tombs that he failed in his instances of abraham , isaac , david , and others swearing , for they lived under the first covenant . min. if hubberthorn by the first covenant means the covenant of works , he shews a great deal of ignorance and folly , in saying that abraham and others after him lived under that covenant . and therefore before i proceed any further upon this discourse concerning oaths , i shall make a digression to unfold , this necessary point of religion about the nature of the two covenants ; wherein ( as in many other things ) the quakers are grosly ignorant and erroneous . you must know then , that there is a twofold covenant , which god out of his gracious condescension hath vouchsafed to enter into with man , according to the different state and condition he found him in : the first was made with adam ( for himself and his posterity , ) whilst he remained in the state of innocency ; and this by divines is called the covenant of works , because an exact obedience was required from him , and a reward promised him upon that obedience . adam violating that covenant , and thereby falling from his original happy state ; he and all mankind are made utterly uncapable of receiving any benefit thereby . and now we are to consider man in another state ( viz. ) of sin and misery . and gods compassion was such , that he was pleased to enter into a second covenant with him , according to the degenerate estate he was faln into : and this is usually called a covenant of grace ; because a more superabundant measure of grace is seen , and infinitely more favour shown , in gods entrance into covenant with man in his lapsed condition , for his restitution and reconciliation , than in his state of integrity for his preservation . this latter covenant god made with adam soon after his fall , in these words , the seed of the woman shall break the serpents head , gen. . . that is , god shall send his son jesus , who shall be born of the seed of the woman , and he shall destroy the power , and dominion of the divel . and this afterwards he plainly repeated to abraham , gen. . , . and entails this promised seed to his loyns . but his son isaac , that type of this promised seed god commands him to offer up , on mount moriab ; which command , when he was about to execute , a countermand stays his hand , and a ram is by gods good providence provided for a sacrifice ; to intimate to us , that the promised seed was not then to be offer'd up , but should be suspended for a time , and that in the mean time god would accept the sacrifices of rams , bulls , goats , &c. as types , and figures , that the promised seed should in due time offer up himself , a full propitiatory sacrifice , oblation , and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. now to say that abraham , moses , and david were under the first of these covenants , ( viz. ) the covenant of works , is notoriously false ; for that covenant was but a small time in force , and after adam's fall , but a small time of use , because it could not give life , none living under it but adam ; all hopes of salvation ever after , depending upon the grace of the second covenant , which is the only plank after shipwrack . par. but do we not read in heb. . of an old covenant which was to be done away , and a new covenant to succeed in the room of it ? was not the old covenant the covenant of works , and did not abraham , moses , and david live under it ? min. that abraham , moses , and david lived under the old covenant there mentioned , i readily grant ; but that , that was a covenant of works , i utterly deny ; which that you may apprehend , you must know , that the covenant of grace , though one and the same in substance from the first promulging of it to adam , unto the end of the world , yet is according to the several forms or modes of its administration , distinguished into old , which was to be abolished , and new , which was never to be antiquated . in the times of the old testament the covenant of grace was administred by promises , prophesies , sacrifices , &c. foresignifying christ to come , which for that time were sufficient to build up those who then lived in faith , in the promised messiah , by whom they had remission of sins , and eternal salvation . under the gospel when christ the substance was come , those types and ceremonies were abolished ; and the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed , are the preaching of the word , and the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the lords supper . so that the words old and new are not applicable to the covenant , as to the substance of it , but only to its various dispensation . now that the covenant in old testament times was a covenant of grace , the same in substance with that under which we live in gospel times , i prove thus : that covenant which teacheth christ , by whom eternal salvation may be attained , and which offereth pardon of sin , and acceptance to favour upon repentance , must needs be a covenant of grace : but the covenant delivered in the old testament , as well as that in the new , is such a covenant , as appears from these scriptures , john . , . luke . , , . with , , . john . . john . . acts . , . deut. . , . exod. . , . chron. . . and many other places . par. i thank you for the information you have given me in the nature of the two covenants ; for i did think ( as many of the quakers do ) that all that lived in the time of the old testament were under the covenant of works . an i have heard some urge it ( as it seems hubberthorn here doth ) to bring down the credit and authority of old testament scriptures , and preachers , but i perceive mine and their great mistake herein . i would have you now return to the query about oaths ; and let us suppose hubberthorn , by first covenant , to understand the legal dispensation of the covenant of grace , under which , he saith , oaths were lawful . min. indeed hubberthorn yields they were then lawful ; and yet he brings in his proofs , as if they were as unlawful then as now . par. what are those proofs ? min. in the beginning of his book against mr. tombs you will find , hos. . . for oaths the land mourns ; and zach. . . every one that sweareth shal●… be cut off ; these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do you gather from thence ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 horrid abuse the quakers put upon the scriptures , and the spirit of god by which they were writ . par. how do you make it appear that they abuse the scriptures ? min. doth it not appear very plainly , when they confess that in the time of the law oaths were lawful , yet do bring in hosea and zachary , who lived in the time of the law , speaking against that usage which themselves confess was then lawful ; if hosea and zachary were true prophets , how can we think they contradict the truth ? if they were false prophets , why do the quakers use their testimony ? par. it may be , hosea and zachary did not mean the unlawfulness of oaths then , but only prophesied of their unlawfulness in the times of the gospel . min. that you make use of a pitiful shift , will be very evident , if you consider , that there was then a heavy calamity threatned , and hanging over the land ; the prophet gives the cause thereof to be for oaths : and if oaths were then lawful , must the people be cut off for doing what was just and lawful ? or is it reasonable to think , the people should suffer , for a sin to be committed afterwards ? par. do you suppose that oaths were unlawful during the continuance of the law. min. i suppose no such thing : my design being only to shew , that fallacious way of arguing , which the quakers use : and that this hubberthorn ( so much esteemed by them ) is trap't in his own net , and confuted by himself , while he confesses oaths to be lawful , during the continuance of the law , and yet contradicts himself again by bringing texts out of the law to prove them otherwise : and thus you see he brings in the old testament contradicting it self also , which in deut. . . commands it as a duty , as also in other places , jer. . . i pray you judge of these things . par. you have highly , and i think not untruly , charged the quakers in the use of these texts of the prophets : for i cannot but acknowledge it an absurdity , to alledge the scripture against it self : but i pray you discover the true meaning of them , and what swearing the people were there threatned for . min. if you mind the scope of the prophet hosea , and the sins which swearing is there joyned withal ; in the first verse of the chapter you will discern , that the cause why the land mourned was not for taking oaths ( for those are already proved , and confessed to be then lawful ) but for taking them against truth and mercy with malicious , or injurious designs . but their bringing in zachary's words to disprove the lawfulness of swearing , discovers a most dishonest principle in the quakers , because they cannot but know , that the prophets words are wrested by them : for the fourth verse expresly interprets swearing for which . the people are threatned to be cut off , to be false-swearing only ; therefore consult both at large zach. . , . this is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth : for every one that stealeth shall be cut off , as on this side , according to it : and every one that sweareth shall be cut off , as on that side according to it . i will bring it forth , saith the lord of hosts , and it shall enter into the house of the thief , and into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my name . par. but what do you say to an oath now under the dispensation of the gospel ? min. i say the gospel has no where abolished the lawful use of it . par. you will fall under john tombs his charge of antichristianism : for our lord saith , matth. . . but i say unto you , swear not at all . and the same is repeated by the apostle james , c. . . from whence it appears , all manner of oaths are unlawful , and they who say the contrary , do live in opposition to the gospel . min. you mince the text by taking a piece of it only ( as your usual way is ) of which i hope to convince you in the process of this discourse ; in order whereunto , i shall pitch upon this method following . first , i shall shew you that these words do not generally forbid all manner of oaths , in that large sense you take them . secondly , i shall endèavour to give you the true sense of the words , and shew you what sort of swearing is there forbidden . par. it will very much contribute to my conviction if you do , as you say ; pray you therefore first prove to me , that the words do not forbid all manner of oaths , in that large sense wherein we take them . min. i shall do it in this order . first , by proving it an act of natural religion towards god. secondly , an act of necessary justice and charity towards men . thirdly , that it is therefore a part of that moral and eternal law , which our saviour professeth he came not to destroy , but to fulfill . and fourthly , that we find it practised in the new testament . par. i much desire to hear the first particular prov'd ( viz. ) that an oath is an act of religion . min. i prove it first by reason . secondly by consent of nations , thus . that whereby we glorifie god and adore his attributes , is an act of religion ; but by an oath ( rightly taken ) we glorifie god and adore his attributes , therefore such an oath is an act of religion . the first part of the argument is evident of it self , for what else is religion , but to adore and glorifie god in the humble acknowledgment of his attributes . and that we do , by an oath ( reverently taken ) glorifie god , is clear from the nature ( and definition ) of it ; for an oath is a religious appeal unto god , the searcher of all hearts , as a witness of what we assert , or promise , and the avenger of perjury . now that by such a reverent appeal unto god , we glorifie him ; appears , in that we do therein make acknowledgment , . of god's existence and being ; for he that cometh to god must believe that he is , &c. heb. . . and an oath certainly is one sort of coming to god , being an immediate appeal to him , as witness and judge . . of his omnipresence and ubiquity , that he is present in all places , and at all times , according to psalm . whither shall i go from thy presence , &c. how could we call upon him either as witness of our sincerity , or judge of our hypocrisie , if we did not believe him within hearing ? and therefore the not having god before our eys is in scripture , the description of the most profligated wretchless state of sin . . herein we acknowledge his omniscience , that he is in the apostles stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the searcher of hearts ; that all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have ( then more immediately ) to do . . his truth and veracity , a witness brought into the court , that cannot lie , nor be impos'd upon : as saith the apostle , gal. . . be not deceived , god is not mocked . . his providence and paternal care of the concerns of mankind , taking the cause of the righteous into his own hand , and helping them to right , that suffer wrong . . his superiority , or rather supremacy , over all things , according to that of st. paul , heb. . . for verily men swear by the greater . therefore in swearing by him , we own him to be supreme , and most high . . we herein acknowledge his vindictive justice , as he is a revenger of perjury ; such an one as will by no means patronize iniquity , fraud , or guile , exod. . . and will both bring sin to light , cor. . . and punish it , rom. . . so that i hope you see by this time , that an oath ( rightly circumstantiated and taken ( viz. ) in truth , in judgment , and in righteousness , jer. . . ) is a comprehensive part of religion ; it being such a solemn acknowledgment , where by we glorifie god's existence , omnipresence , omniscience , truth , providence , superiority , and revenging justice ; how can you think it less then a duty , fit to be commanded by god , and to bear a part in the moral law ; as indeed we find it doth , deut. . . thou shalt fear the lord thy god , and shalt serve him , and swear by his name . and jer. . . thou shalt swear the lord liveth , in truth , in judgment , and in righteousness . par. i had thought that an oath had been so far from glorifying god , that it had been the only prosanation of his name . min. then it would never at any time have been commanded . par. i confess this discourse inclines me to some more consideration about it , than hitherto i have entred into . min. therefore to confirm you further , i shall resume the method propos'd , and prove that an oath is an act of religion , out of the light of nature , and the consent of nations ; as is evident to such as are conversant in ancient authors . aristotle , the great philosopher saith , an oath is the most venerable thing that pertains to religion * . cicero , the learned oratour , gives this account of an oath : an oath is a religious affirmation , and what you affirm or promise by taking god to witness , ought to be kept , that is , such an oath binds you to performance † . and elsewhere he hath these words , our fore-fathers thought no tie more fast to bind mens faith than an oath ‖ . and therefore anciently captains of war , in listing their souldiers , did alwayes bind them to their fidelity with an oath ; which oath was had in so great reverence with them , that they honoured it with a religious title , calling it a sacrament ( or religious solemnity ) whereupon seneca ( that excellent moralist ) saith , religion ( that is that military oath which they call'd a sacrament ) is the chiefest bond of fidelity in the militia * . yea , so great a reverence had they for an oath , that those that broke it , were the infamiâ notati , the only men of infamy , and justly seiz'd upon by divine vengeance . the heathens had so great a dread of the sin of perjury , that they said , it laid waste the whole stock and family , root and branch † . and what other is this , then what the prophet zachary hath said almost in the same words , cap. . , , , . concerning the flying roll , that it should enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly , and consume it with the timber and stones thereof . so that herein you may take notice of the harmony and agreement between the light and the law of nature , with the positive and moral law of god given by moses to mankind , which was nothing but the law of nature renew'd and improv'd . par. how come you to alledge the testimony of heathen authours to prove a christian duty ? min. those testimonies do signifie the universal consent of mankind in this point , and that it is ingrafted in our natural principles of reason and conscience , and therefore is a part of that law of nature which our lord came not to destroy , but to fulfil , and perfect : and of which st. paul speaks , rom. . . for when the gentiles which have not the law , do by nature the things contain'd in the law ; these having not the law , are a law unto themselves . thus having prov'd an oath an act of religion , by reason , and consent of nations , confirm'd by scripture in the reference it hath to the first table , i shall now proceed to shew you that it is an act of justice and charity , in the respect it hath to the d table . par. i pray go for ward in your undertaking . min. if you look into the holy scriptures , as well in the new , as the old testament , you 'l find that the primary designation and intendment of an oath , is for confirmation , and the end of all strife , as you may be inform'd from heb. . . than which , nothing can have a more moral consideration , or have more immediate respect to justice and charity . now in order to the ending of strife and law-suits , about mens rights and properties , you know that evidence is necessary , without which no court of justice can proceed to the determining of controversies . par. i understand the scope of your argument . but may not true and faithful evidences be given without an oath ? min. if there were that truth in men , that their bare testimony were infallible , & of sufficient credit , then there were no need at all of an oath ; but seeing all men are lyars , & mankind is so generally leaven'd with hypocrisie ; and since fear , or favour , malice , or interest sways with the far greater part of men , it becomes highly needful , that their evidences be demanded and given in such forms , as are most binding to the conscience , which an oath by all the world is acknowledg'd to be ; and therefore called by diodorus siculus , the greatest bond of faith amongst men * : and by dionysius hal. the utmost assurance † ; beyond which ( saith bishop sanderson ) we have no further ways of scrutiny ‖ . par. but if men will be nought , they may forswear themselves as well as lie ; and he that makes no conscience of a lie , what conscience will he make of perjury ? min. conscience does not dread all sins alike , some sins it can swallow down glibly , others not without regret : and in this case , you must consider , that an oath is a much strongger bond to the conscience than a bare testimony : for such is the power of natural conscience , even in the breasts of bad men , that multitudes , who fear not a lie , yet do dread the solemnity of an oath , and the horrour of perjury . seeing therefore that the ends of justice and charity are so much served by the religious use of an oath ( as hath formerly been prov'd ; ) would not the abolishing of it derogate from the honour of christianity ? for while the apostle saith , an oath for confirmation is the end of strife ; if you take away an oath , you take away that which by god is ordained to be the most effectual means of ending it , and so make christ not so much the prince of peace , as discord ; by making him the abolisher of that which was design'd to compose it . par. i should think your discourse very reasonable and convincing , did i not find in the text i mentioned , matth. . . after christ had said , let your communication be yea , yea ; nay , nay ; he adds , for whatsoever is more than this , cometh of evil . if all oaths then be evil , how dare you call them good , or plead for the lawfulness of them ? min. that you mistake the text , i shall give you account in its due time and place . but that all oaths are not evil in themselves , you may be satisfied , not only by what has already been said of their morality , and usefulness , but further by these following considerations : . in that by your own confession they were once lawful , therefore not morally evil . . by the example of the holy patriarchs before the levitical law was given , therefore not ceremonial . . by the examples of st. paul and the angel , after the gospel was promulg'd , therefore against no gospel precept . i begin with the first ; by your own confession they were once lawful under the old testament , and till you prove them repeal'd , must be so still , and therefore are not of themselves evil . par. but doth not all good and evil depend upon the divine will , and not upon the nature of the thing commanded ? so that things are good or evil for no other reasons , but because they are commanded or forbidden . min. should you indeed consult some of the writers of this age , ( whose learning , i doubt , surmounts their piety ) you would find them of this opinion : such as the dutch szydlovius , who tells us that all that we account now wicked , could by a divine commandment immediately become good ; and i am sorry that we have instances nearer home , even in our own nation ; such as by their writings have not a little contributed to the debauching of this present age. but let me tell you , that the reasons of good and evil , are eternal , and were eternally , lodged in the divine nature : for god is not a meer , arbitrary , wilful being ; his will is not a blind impetus ; but acts by the dictates of divine wisdom , the disposition of his holy nature , and the rules of eternal justice * . so that what has an intrinsick goodness in it , was agreeable to the divine nature , antecedently to all divine commands ; and whatsoever is evil in it self , was eternally repugnant to his holy nature . par. i am very sensible , that this is a digression from our subject , but my desire of further satisfaction in this particular , prompts me to give you a further interruption . min. i say it is the most horrid contradiction to affirm , that god can will any thing that is disagreeable to the eternal rectitude of his nature , as all sin is ; and i appeal to your own faculties , whether love , meekness , truth , justice , purity , &c. be not more suitable to his holiness , and commend themselves to us by their inward goodness , more than hatred , murther , theft , lying , impurity , and the like . if we had not these characters of goodness impress'd upon our consciences , we should loose a main argument for the divinity of the holy bible ; and a false religion , would bid as fair for our belief , as the true ; miracles themselves being not able to ingage my faith , if the doctrines to be confirm'd by them , be not agreeable to my reason , and natural conscience ; to which god himself makes his appeal , deut. . , . the heathen world , could never be brought to the embracement of the true religion , were there not , besides the will of the law-giver , a natural congruity in it , with their judging faculties ; so that good , and evil , are not only so , because commanded and forbidden ; but because they are so in themselves , and were for ever so . par. i thank you for this profitable digression i have caused you to make , and shall now desire you to return to your old subject ; concerning which i have this scruple to propose unto you , viz. that those instances , wherein an oath is acknowledged to have been lawful , are taken out of the ceremonial law , which is now repeal'd by the gospel . min. if it were so ( as it is not ) yet their having been once lawful and commanded by god , proves undeniably , that they are not evil in their own nature , for whatever things are so , can at no time , and upon no tearms , be ever commanded , or countenanc'd by god , being eternally repugnant to his will and holy nature ; ( as hath been before shown to you . ) but that an oath is not a part of the ceremonial law , is clear from what hath been said concerning the morality of it , which proved it a part of natural religion and justice , which are the things that distinguish the moral from the ceremonial law. this will further appear , if you consider that the ceremonial law is a systeme only of types and shadows , and of things to come , that is , of the messiah , and the blessings of the gospel ; for whatever was purely ceremonial , was purely typical ; but the law concerning an oath was not a type of any thing to come , but had its proper and perpetual usefulness , therefore was no part of the ceremonial law. if you say it was a type of any thing pertaining to the times of the gospel , shew what was its antitype , or thing represented by it ; but if you cannot find an antitype for it in the gospel , you may then be satisfied , that the command of swearing was no part of the ceremonial law. the second argument to confirm you , that oaths are not evil in themselves , nor part of the ceremonial law , is taken out of the examples of the holy patriarchs ; with whom an oath was of authentick use , and held sacred , before the delivery of the levitical law. i shall begin with abraham , the father of the faithful , gen. . , , . where abraham and abimelech made a covenant and confirm'd it by oath interchangeably ; and ( what is observable in that passage ) abraham gave the very place , where they swore to each other , a name , which was to be in perpetuam rei memoriam , a memorial of that solemnity , calling it beersheba ; in english , the well of the oath . consult also that other instance , in that holy man , gen. . , , . and it is not to be thought that abraham would give his servant an oath rashly , nor exercise his authority to impose on his conscience . the same is also confirmed by the example of isaac , making a covenant , and swearing to abimelech , gen. . , . as also by the example of jacob , making a covenant , and swearing to his uncle laban , by the fear of his father isaac , gen. . . an oath therefore having been so sacred and authentick with those holy fathers , before the law was given by moses , it follows , that it was no part of the levitical , but of that moral law which ( as has been said ) our saviour prosesseth he came not to destroy . par. had the quakers liv'd under the old law , they would certainly have been convinc't by what you have said of its lawfulness , and not only so , but usefulness , having been made an instrument of establishing such happy leagues and bands of amity ; but to us that live under the gospel , are not our circumstances alter'd with the dispensation , and by the prohibitions already quoted ? min. i say the gospel dispensation does not repeal any law , that is moral , and of continued usefulness ( as hath been said ) and such is this of a lawful oath : for that law , whose reason and usefulness is perpetual , and the same to us under the gospel , as it was to them under the law , is it self perpetual , and therefore not repeal'd by any new dispensation . so that unless you can tell me some use it was to them which it is not to us , you can have no reason to believe it was any of those laws which our saviour came to abolish ; there being as much need of it to the ending of strife , in this litigious age especially , wherein the love of many is waxed cold , as there could be in former times . and that those words you so much insist on , do not wholly forbid all oaths , is manifest by the instances we find upon record in the scriptures of the new testament , which were written by that infallible spirit whereby the holy penmen were acted , and which ( one would think ) should be sufficient to convince you that call so much for examples , if you were not prejudic'd ; they are the examples of st. paul the apostle of the gentiles , and of the angel , revel . . , . as for the first of these , if you do seriously consider them , you 'l sind , that they are as manifest oaths and express instances of swearing , as those publick forms now in use in our courts of justice , which you are so much offended at . par. pray produce me these places , for i think i should be much satisfied if you could convince me that st. paul swore . min. 't is hard to convince prejudic'd persons by the clearest truths that can be produc'd , till they lay down their passions , and be willing to be instructed , but your humility gives me confidence that you are none of those . par. i hope i am not , but am willing to be convinc'd by the truth , and therefore i pray you proceed . min. the instances are in rom. . . for god is my witness , whom i serve with my spirit , in the gospel of his son , that , &c. rom. . . i say the truth in christ , i lie not , my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy ghost . cor. . . but as god is true , &c. and v. . moreover , i call god for a record upon my soul , that , &c. cor. . . the god and father of our lord jesus christ , which is blessed for evermore , knoweth that i lie not . gal. . . now the things which i write unto you , behold , before god i lie not . read these with attention , and you 'l find , that in every one of these instances st. paul makes a most solemn appeal to god , as witness of what he affirms , and judge of his sincerity : and what other thing is an oath ? for you 'l find as much of the nature of an oath in them , as in several forms recorded in the old testament , for oaths . see ezech. . , . where god , ( who can do nothing that is immoral , or unbecoming his holiness ) swears in these words , as i live , &c. here god swears by his life ; and is it not as much an oath in st. paul to swear by gods truth , cor. . . as god is true , &c. and those other , gen. . . by my self have i sworn , saith the lord , for because thou hast done this thing , &c. psalm . . once have i sworn by my holiness that i will not lie unto david : are , as if he had said , as i am , and as i am holy . and for these , or what other forms of oaths , we find in scripture , whether in more , or fewer words , they all do invocate god both as witness , and as judge , both to attest , and revenge it if we perjure : for the swearers conscience does tell him , that if god be called in to witness a lie , he will both detect , and revenge it . all this is in the sense of every oath : so that that form in the close of our publick oaths , so help me god , &c. hath neither any thing new in it , nor any more , than is included in the sense of every oath ; for execration , is implyed and understood wheresoever it is not express'd , even in those elliptical forms of swearing us'd by god himself , whether express'd by a bare attestation , ezech. . . gen. . . psalm . . or by a bare execration only , as psalm . ult . according to that of the learned casuist ( bishop sanderson de juramento , p. . ) omne juramentum quocunque modo prolatum , &c. that is , every oath , in what manner soever it is utter'd , either expresly , or implicitely , invocates god both as witness , and as judge ; and even a bare attestation subinfert execrationem ( as he saith ) infers an execration , as its necessary consequent : according to that of plutarch , every oath ends in a curse upon perjury . so that those mentioned forms used by st. paul , were as positive oaths , as any other you find in the bible , or any of those that are impos'd upon you by the laws of the land. par. i little thought that oaths under the gospel could have been so clearly made out . min. i shall confirm you yet by a further instance , and it is that of the angels swearing , rev. . , . and we need not fear to imitate any thing that is done in heaven , where nothing but the will of god , nothing evil and unholy can be done ; our lord has taught us to pray , thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven ; that is , as it is by the angels whom he has propos'd to us as patterns for our imitation ; so that an oath , taken in due order , can neither be evil in it self , nor inconsistent with the heavenly conversation . par. but may not the angels and we act under different dispensations , so that that may be lawful and commanded them , which to us may be forbidden ? min. that the angels and we are joyned in the same fraternity , and tye of obedience , even to the same scripture , is evident from the angels confession , rev. . . who calls himself our fellow-servant , and of our brethren the prophets , and of them which keep the sayings of this book . par. but perhaps by that book , whose sayings he kept , he meant no other than the book of the revelations . min. suppose it were so ; yet that book was indited by the same spirit that all the rest were ; so that whatsoever is allow'd in it , cannot be contradicted , or forbidden in any other scripture . all which serves to make that example of the angel sufficiently valid , to prove swearing lawful under the gospel . par. but where do you read that st. paul layed his hand on the bible , and kissed it , when he swore , as you do ? i thought you had held these necessary parts of a publick oath . min. the laying on of the hand , and kissing the book , we hold to be no essential parts of an oath , but only decent and comly ceremonies , enjoyned by the wisdome of our governours , to make the act more solemn , and to excite the juror , to a greater reverence and dread of the majesty of god , and his threatnings denounced in that book . par. i have now nothing left to object , but the forementioned texts , matth. . . james . . whereof if you can give me as clear an account , as you have done of my other doubts , i shall hereafter be of your udgment , and withal thankfulness acknowledge it an happy hour when i met with you ; but these texts look so opposite to your design , that i cannot as yet acquit my self of all fears , of being antichristian , in thinking swearing lawful . min. by the same way of reasoning that the quakers charge us with antichristianism , by vertue of those texts , i can prove them antichristian . par. shew wherein . min. you know , that we are commanded by the apostle to speak evil of no man , tit. . . the quakers transgress this command by speaking evil of the clergy , therefore they do fall under the charge of antichristianism . par. you are to consider in what sense the apostle forbids us to speak evil of no man. you are not to imagine his design in that text , is absolutely to restrain us from giving true characters of evil and unworthy men ( upon a just occasion ; ) then he himself had been faulty in speaking evil of hymenaeus and alexander the copper-smith . besides , how should we reprove , or how should justice upon the most notorious offenders be administred , if their faults may not be spoken of ? therefore the words cannot bear a general interpretation , but must be taken with a limitation : for otherwise a monstrous train of absurdities must attend such an exposition . but i do conceive that the words do relate to that horrid custome of reflecting upon the good names and reputations of men in their ordinary converse , whereby we may deprive our neighbour of that which is as dear to him , as his life , or livelyhood . so that 't is speaking evil , detractingly , untruly , or maliciously , or without just occasion , in our communication , which is the thing there prohibited by the apostle . min. i must confess , you have given the true meaning of the apostles words . and i hope you will not abridge me of the liberty which you take your self , in freeing the texts under debate from a wrong construction of them . whereas you say , i ought to consider , in what sense the apostle bids us speak evil of no man ; so let me tell you , that you ought to consider too in what sense our lord saith , swear not at all . you are not to suppose that 't is our lord's design to forbid all manner of oaths upon what occasion and solemnity soever they may be tendred ; then ( as hath already been shewn ) st. paul had not only been faulty in making so honourable a mention of an oath , hebr. . . but much more faulty in taking an oath himself , and then both he and the angel , rev. . had fall'n under the charge of antichristianism . therefore ( according to your phrase ) the words cannot bear a general interpretation , but must be taken with a limitation : there being a peculiar and proper sense to which that prohibition is to be restrained . par. i 'm very willing to be informed , therefore i beseech you explain these words , swear not at all : together with those in james . . min. seeing our saviour in that gracious law of his has forbid nothing that is morally good , nothing that is either indifferent or expedient , cor. . . it must needs follow , that an oath is no further forbidden , than as it is evil ; that is , when it prophanes the name of god , deut. . . and . . or doth any way dishonour him , which an oath doth , when it is false , irreverent , or needless . in these instances an oath , being so dishonourable to the divine majesty , is absolutely forbidden , namely , all swearing by the creature , or by any thing propos'd to our vain fancy ( that being to make an idol of the creature , and to set it up for a god ) as also all swearing by the express name of god in mens ordinary communication , which is for the most part so full of passion , and vain transportation , as to expose men to the frequent abuse of gods name , and the danger of perjury . and therefore i must inform you that our blessed saviour took the occasion of this prohibition from the gross errors both of jew and gentile about this point , and from the wicked customs of common swearing and prophaneness , which by those errors were encouraged . i will therefore shew you , first what those evil customs were , and then give you the sense of the words as they lye in the text , and are accommodated to the healing of those corruptions in doctrine and practise . the erroneous glosses of the scribes and pharisees , and the jewish doctors taught , that while they abstained from the mention of gods name , it was lawful to swear by the creature as oft as they pleas'd ; and that such swearing ( though falsly ) was no perjury . see mattb. . , , . there you will find , that they made nothing of swearing by the temple , the altar , or by heaven , supposing it did not bind the conscience . secondly , that it was lawful at any time to swear by gods name , so that they swore nothing but truth , and performed their oaths unto the lord. and these opinions , it seems , the jewes thought consistent enough with that part of the law cited by our saviour , matth. . . you have heard that it hath been said by them ( or rather to them ) of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self . and according to those corrupt doctrines , they acted without fear or measure , by that wretched custom of common swearing . to the confuting of which doctrines , he accommodates his answer in the verses following . against the first of them , viz. swearing by the creature , he opposes that prohibition in the , , verses . but i say unto you , swear not at all , neither by heaven , &c. against the latter , viz. swearing by the name of god in our ordinary converse , he gives this precept , v. . let your communication be yea , yea , &c. par. but does not our saviour say there , swear not at all , and so do's he not generally forbid all oaths whatsoever ? min. to ease you in this scruple , let me tell you what advice i heard a famous judge give to a jury ; you must not ( said he ) determine by bits and parcels of what you have heard attested , but you are to consider your whole evidence , and accordingly bring in your verdict . so let me tell you , that to give the true account of any scripture , you are not to imitate the quakers , who determine upon such bits and scraps , as they steal out of the word of god ; by which means they make one part of the scripture contradict another , and so expose themselves to the greatest errours imaginable ; but to find out the true sense of any scripture , you must determine according to the whole evidence , by comparing the parts of it together with each other , and by considering the scope of the text , from the whole so compared , and considered , to gather the true meaning of it . and so here in this place you are not to take these words single by themselves , for you see they stand not alone , and are not a whole sentence by themselves , but are immediately conjoyned in a continued discourse with other words , which do restrain , and limit them . so that when he sayes , swear not at all ; he adds , neither by heaven , &c. nor by the earth , &c. so as the prohibition is limited to those things the jewes were wont to swear by , in order to the reforming of that evil custome amongst them : and therefore to each of those oaths which he forbids , he adds a reason to convince them of their errour . he bids them not swear at all by heaven , because it is gods throne , &c. as if he had said , the pharisees teach you that swearing by heaven , by earth , by jerusalem , by your head ( by the temple , by the altar , &c. matth. . ) are no real binding oaths ; and that therefore to swear by them falsly is no perjury ; but i say unto you , swear not by heaven , for it is gods throne , and therefore includes him that sits on it , so that he that shall swear by heaven , sweareth by the throne of god , and him that sitteth thereon , matth. . . and therefore his oath is as really binding both to the sin and punishment ( if he forswear ) as if he had sworn expresly by the name of god. neither swear by the earth , for it is his footstool , and therefore ( agreeable to the other argument ) he that sweareth by the earth sweareth by it , and him that setteth his foot upon it : neither shalt thou swear by jerusalem , for it is the city of the great king ; he therefore that sweareth by jerusalem , sweareth by it , and him that inhabiteth in it . and this is the same our saviour saith , matth. . . whoso shall swear by the temple , sweareth by it , and by him that dwells therein . again , he saith here , neither shalt thou swear by thy head , because thou canst not make one hair white or black ; that is , it is not in thy power to engage , or pawn it for the truth of any thing thou affirmest ; for thou didst not make it , neither canst thou so much as change the colour of one hair ; therefore he that swears by his head , swears by it , and him , to whom he owes his head , his life and safety . so that whensoever you swear by any creature , you do by interpretation , swear by the maker of it . which , when you swear falsly by the creature , involves you in the guilt of perjury before god , and of the breach of that law which saith , thou shalt not forswear thy self ; for in every oath whatsoever a man swears by , it is god which is call'd upon either expresly or implicitly . par. but while our saviour saith , swear not at all , neither by heaven , &c. and then immediately addeth these words , let your communication be yea , yea , nay , nay ; have not these last words a relation to the other ? so that his meaning should be , do not bind or urge any thing you shall say , by any forms or further inforcements than by these terms of asseveration , yea , yea , nay , nay ; this is that i took to be the meaning of the words , so as to make all oaths unlawful . min. this objection of yours is so far from so doing , that it hath in part forestall'd the explication which i was prepari●…g to give you of the scope of our saviours discourse ; for by the relation you rightly take notice of , it is evidently restrained to that abuse of the tongue in common talk and communication here particularly mentioned ; and so to that very prophanation whereby both jews and gentiles had then most licentiously corrupted their conversation ; yea , and that by allowance from the jewish interpreters of the law , which therefore it was high time for our great law-giver to correct , and tell them , that in ordinary communication , those plain asseverations of yea and nay ( or yes and no , which are the same ) or other words of the like importance ; either used singly , or else for more vehemence sake , repeated if need require , are enough to give credit to what we say , if we would use our selves to speak truth . and that these are as much as can be safely used in such promiscuous discourses , wherein passion , interest , transportation , and too much haste , or inconsiderateness do usually carry the tongue out of its bounds , and therefore would provoke men to multiply words , and oaths , and bring them in danger not only of rash , irreverent swearing , but even of perjury it self . par. but is not the explication of this place disproved by that passage in james . . where he saith , but above all things , my brethren , swear not , neither by heaven , nor by the earth , nor by any other oath . doth not the apostle here expresly forbid all manner of oaths ? min. the apostle st. james do's mean only all oaths of that kind there mentioned , and then so much used by jew and gentile ; for he leaves out some of those , which our saviour had instanced in , and breaks off with this clause , nor by any other oath ; which implyes his meaning to be , that as we are not to swear by heaven , nor the earth , so neither by any other such like oath , which our saviour had forbidden , ( viz. ) neither by jerusalem , nor by the temple , the altar , &c. and consequently by no created being ; for if christ has not forbidden all kinds of oaths , st. james has not ; for the servant is not greater than his lord , either to institute any new law , or to repeal any which christ left in force . neither can we think st. james intended any thing he said , to charge st. paul's oaths with sin , which we find in those epistles he writ by the inspiration of the holy ghost , and which were used by him for the more solemn confirmation of those truths he wrote to several churches : and as little can we think that he accuseth the holy angel in revel . . for swearing . without doubt st. james offers at a repetition of our saviours doctrine ; for while he saith , let your yea be yea , and your nay nay ; his meaning is , let your promise be performance , and let your word be the truth , to the end that amongst all , with whom you converse , you may be believed without an oath : and so he adds , lest you fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as some authentick copies have it ) that is , into hypocrisie , and so into lying and perjury , by occasion whether of your passions of any sort , or of those frequent inadvertences which we are so subject to in our common talk . par. i thank you for the large pains you have taken in giving me the sense of this scripture , which has so much puzled me ; and that you may see i have not heard you without attention , i thus apprehend your meaning . an oath being in it self an act of religion towards god , and of so much justice and charity towards my neighbour , in determining publick causes ; it remains that it is a part of that moral law , which our saviour came not to repeal ; and therefore this text must not be interpreted to do so ; but hath a peculiar reference to those errours in doctrine and practice among the jews , which the words are designed to correct , that is , all swearing by the creature , which the jewes falsly suppos'd to be no oaths , and so not binding , and all swearing by the name of god in our common talk ; because such a license might daily expose men both to rash and false swearing ; in place whereof , our saviour hath therefore substituted those plain asseverations of yea , yea , nay , nay , or such like ; but the use and lawfulness of swearing remains , when i am called by lawful authority to declare my conscience in order to the ending of any controversie , wherein my evidence may be concern'd . i shall give you no further disturbance in the case of an oath , having had all my scruples about it sufficiently answer'd . i shall now only desire to know , whether the quakers , tying themselves to the strict use of ( yea ) and ( nay ) in all their communication , do not live in a stricter conformity to that precept of the gospel , then those who neglect the use of them ? min. i wish the quakers did as seriously consider the meaning and occcasion of these phrases , as they superstitiously affect the use of them . our obedience to this command of christs consists not in the precise use of the words ( yea ) and ( nay ) , but in the truth and integrity of the speakers heart , in what forms and phrases soever he expresseth himself : no words being of further use , than as they are the interpreters of the heart . for it is not words and phrases , wherein good and evil consisteth , but truth and honesty , which commends us to god , and the only thing commanded in his law. par. i have no other objection concerning oaths , i pray therefore let us pass to some other subject of controversie , wherein if you can give me as much satisfaction as i have received in this ( beyond my expectation , ) i hope neither will you have cause to think your pains , nor i my time , ill bestow'd . min. i shall readily embrace your motion , and therefore let me hear what your other scruples are ? par. you pretend your selves to be the apostles successors and imitators ; if so ; how comes it to pass , that you preach not as they did ; but single out a text , out of which you compose your sermons : what warrant have you for so doing ? min. the apostles themselves took texts out of scripture , to expound and apply them . st. peter did so in his sermon acts . and st. paul in the synagogue at antioch , act. . and they both preached christ out of the same text , namely , psal. . . and the whole fourth chapter to the romans is but an enlarged discourse upon gen. . . again , you may consider , the apostles and we act under different circumstances : they might sometimes , without a book , speak by the sole authority of infallible inspiration ; but now such extraordinary gifts being ceased , we take texts , to shew we have no other doctrine to deliver but what is taken out of the written word of god : and our only work is to explain and apply the same . and is not this kind of preaching more fit to be heard by you , and has it not more authority to command your reverence and attention , then the extemporary effusions of those men , who leaving the conduct of the holy scriptures , do rashly vent their own fancies , and schismatical dreams , and by lying divinations do prophesie out of their own hearts , and from the heats of a disturbed brain ? par. i expected you would have produced dr. sherlock's instances ? min. which be they ? par. he endeavours to vindicate the custom by two scripture examples ; the one of christ himself , who took a text , and preach't upon it , luks . , . the other of philip , who took a text which the eunuch read in isa. . . and preached christ unto him , converting him to christianity , by giving the sense of the text ; the eunuch being not able of himself to understand it , without an interpreter , acts . . min. and were not his instances very proper to justifie this practice , and did not the doctor speak worthily , and like himself ? par. for my part i was well satisfied with them , till such time as i met with a reply from richard hubberthorn . min. what was there in that reply ? par. his words are these , o thou enemy and slanderer of christ , and the apostles , did they take texts to get money with them , and to lye a quarter of a year , or half a year in a text ? christ came to fulfil the scripture , and the apostles shemed how he fulfilled the scripture , and came to fulfil that which the prophets spake . the scribes and pharisees were learned men , and they could not open the scriptures ; peter , an unlearned man , he opened the scriptures . min. had you not more reason to be confirm'd , than alter'd by such a brutish reply ? i pray answer me this question , did dr. sherlock any where lay such a slander upon christ and his apostles , as to say , they took texts to get money with them , or to ly half or a quarter of a year in them , as this man so injuriously infers ? par. i do not remember he did . min. who then think you is the slanderer , and who stood at this mans elbow to dictate unto him that wretched untruth ? but if you mind this reply a little better , you may observe that he seems at last to yield to the lawfulness of taking a text , as being convinc'd by the undenyable proofs produced by the doctor . his quarrel is , that we take texts to get mony with them , and that some insist a quarter of a year , or half a year upon a text , which i think very few do , nor any but when their text has such plenty and variety of matter in it , as requires much time in the handling of it , which is a thing that hath no unlawfulness in it at all , and therefore is far from being a just cause of separation from us . lastly , observe that he magnifies the learning of the scribes and pharisees , and makes a very ignoramus of st. peter , affirming that peter , who open'd the scriptures , was an unlearned man. will they prove that st. peter , who open'd the scriptures , was an unlearned man ? is there no difference betwixt peter the fisherman , and peter the disciple ? had he been so long with him that spoke as never man spake . and is he still unlearned ? did the holy ghost give him the tongue of the learned , nay a portion of the cloven tongues by which he spake all languages , to enable him to expound the scriptures to all nations ; and is this peter unlearned still ? doth he not say that the unlearned and the unstable wrest the scriptures to their own destruction , and is he himself unlearned ? is this the doctrine of their dear innocent richard ? is this a conquering through truth ? as some of his * brethr●…n say of him . i pray consider whether such blind guides , and those that follow them be not in danger of falling into the ditch ? par. but i pray tell me what is the meaning of the last text you quoted , pet. . . in which are some things hard to be understood , which the unlearned and the unstable wrest , as they do other scriptures to their own destruction . who are they whom st. peter here calls unlearned ? min. if those words of st. peter were duly weigh'd and understood by you , they would give you abundant satisfaction in many of your scruples , and let you see the weak foundation of quakerism , or rather that it hath none at all , but ignorance , unstableness , and wresting of the holy scriptures , which the apostle st. peter reproves in this text. in which are four particulars recommended to your observation . . that some passages of scripture are so obscure and dark , that they are hard to be understood . . that by that occasion such places have been wrested , that is , mis-interpreted . . a twofold cause in those that wrest them , viz. want of learning , and the want of stability or stedfastness . . the sad effects of it , viz. destruction to themselves . par. if you suppose that many things in our present debate will fall under these heads , i pray let us proceed in your method , and discourse these particulars at large . therefore what do you say to the first proposition that some passages in scripture are so obscure , that they are hard to be understood ; what infer you from thence against the quakers ? min. if the scripture abounds with so many obscure passages , i infer thence the same which the apostles words do imply , viz. the necessity of learning in the interpreting of scriptures , and the great danger of mis-interpreting them without it , as follows in the next words , that tell us de facto how much they are wrested for want of learning . therefore your self may infer further , that they that want it , as most of your leaders do , are very unfit persons to be preachers and interpreters of the holy word of god , or to be followed by you as your guides . mysteries , types , and allegories , which the bible is so sull of , being such things as render holy scriptures difficult , even to the most learned , how much more to the unlearned and the unstable . par. but these are taken out of the old law , which was a shadow of things to come ; a shadow indeed is dark , but what is this to the gospel , which is clear and bright ? min. you will not deny that st. paul was a preacher of the gospel : now st. peter's words , as they imply the obscurity of some other scriptures in general ; so do they affirm that st. paul's epistles in particular were hard to be understood ; and if they were hard then , in those dayes of primitive light and purity , and extraordinary inspiration , and even to those that were acquainted with the original languages , whereing they were written , and with the peculiar proverbs and proprieties of them ; if they were hard then to those who well understood the rites and customs of the people to whom they were particularly written ; and who might be easily informed of the particular occasion , and by that means , of the true scope of them ; how much more difficult must they needs be to us at this distance , especially to such as are wholly strangers to all those things aforemention'd , that are so necessary to the making any dark scriptures intelligible . par. this i cannot deny , but then i would gladly know , how to reconcile this with such passages in the bible , which ( contrary wise ) call the gospel a light , and bid us walk in the light. min. you are greatly mistaken in supposing that i affirm all the scriptures h●…rd to be understood ; i only say , as st. peter sayes , that some passages are so ; for so run the words , in which are some things hard , &c. par. are then the necessary points of religion in them , hard to be understood ? min. no , they are not , for whatsoever is necessary to salvation , either to be believed , or to be done , are in some place or other in holy scripture fitted to the most vulgar capacity and shallowest understanding , as ( for example ) the history of christs birth , death , resurrection , and ascension is , as necessary to be believed , so plain to be understood ( though yet it hath been perverted by the mis-interpretation of the quakers and some hereticks , and from plain history turn'd into meer allegory ; ) then the duties of the first and second table of the law , and the love of god and our neighbour ; all the evangelical precepts and the essentials of religion , are in the gospel made such easie doctrines , that he that runs may read them , being fitted to the capacity of the most unlearned : and this reminds us of our duty of thankfulness to our great law-giver in that he hath made those doctrines most plain , which are most necessary to be believed , and those things least necessary which are most difficult : as for example , it is not necessary to salvation to be knowing in all the circumstances of the levitical rites , nor in all the genealogies of the scripture , nor in all the apocalyptical prophesies , and therefore the obscurity of them need not dismay us . par. certainly god would never have sent his messengers to deliver those things to the world , which he did not indispensibly require every one to understand . min. i hope to convince you of this mistake , and to assist your apprehension by this plain comparison . suppose a king makes a great feast for his subjects ; he prepares meats for all constitutions , and different dishes for different stomachs , that among all this variety every person should feed upon that which is most agreeable to his constitution ; just such preparations hath god made for the church in holy scriptures , where are vyands for all pallats : for the strong , there is strong meat , and mysteries to exercise the greatest wits and the most improved understandings , heb. . . and as for those , whose understanding is either clouded by an unhappy constitution , or was never well open'd and improv'd by education , to such there is not wanting what is necessary , even milk for babes ; many passages , especially those of the greatest concern , being written in such a plain and familiar style , that the weakest and most illiterate ( of which number a greatest part of the members of the church are ) shall never be able to excuse the neglect of them ; the omniscient author of the scriptures herein graciously condescending to the shallowest capacities , to let them see , that they were not forgotten nor overlook't by him , who says , all souls are his , ezek. . . the scriptures being ordinarily compared to such a river , wherein the elephant may swim , and the lamb may wade : but when illiterate people , who commonly see no further than the outward appearance of things , will venture to be guides , and will be rashly passing judgment upon that which is above their understandings ; according to that character given of such men , tim. . . desiring to be teachers of the law , understanding neither what they say , nor whereof they affirm ; and do leave the plain easie paths , and confidently falling upon points too high for them , no wonder if such wrest and pervert the scriptures . par. i remember that was the second particular , that the scriptures have been wrested ; how do you make that good ? min. this is matter of fact , and known to all that are acquainted either with men , or books , for we all too sadly know , that there is not that opinion in religion , be it never so wild and absurd , but challengeth authority from the scriptures . though truth be the same , yet every sect lays claim to it ; and though the scripture be the fountain of truth , yet is it by some rendred the very sink of errours : go to all the wild sects , yea heresies in the world , those of the arrians , socinians , antinomians , ranters , as well as this of the quakers ; all these will , with equal confidence , challenge an authority from the word of god. the fault here is not in the scriptures , but in them that do abuse and wrest them to their own conceptions , to make them speak their own sense ; as for instance , suppose a man that is troubled with a vertigo in his head , should tell you that he is confident , the earth turns round ; 't is not the earth , but a disturbed brain that is the cause of this mis-apprehension ; so every fanatick will tell you , that he 's confident , he has the scripture on his side , in the behalf of his opinion ; where is now the fault , in the scripture ? or in the whim in his pate ? the scriptures are in no fault for any irregularities in the conceptions of such men : the fault is in their byass'd affections , and their want of steady principles , and defect both of wit and grace ; but the true sense of scripture words continues one and the same , though mens erroneous conceptions and interpretations of them should still abound and vary to the worlds end . par. but how then happens this strange variety in the interpretation of scripture ? min. by taking the words thereof to put what construction they please upon them , while they mistake their : true scope and meaning ; for it is not the letter , but the sense , that is the word of god. and 't is not only quakers and other separatists that have the words of seripture , but the devil also , as you will find matth. . . when he tempted our saviour ; he replyes there with a text of scripture . but the devil and these wanting the sense and design , take the shell and leave the kernel . it was st. † augustines saying , that hereticks and schismaticks steal the words of christ : intimating that they may use his name , his word , and his ordinances ; but then , 't is only as thieves and robbers use their stoln goods to which they have no right nor property . par. give me now leave to remind you of your third particular , viz. the causes there exprest , why the scriptures are thus wrested . min. i am ready to gratifie your desires , and begin with the first cause , namely , the want of learning , which is derided by hubberthorn , and censur'd by those that know it not . and here you are to take special notice , that learning is by the holy ghost declared so necessary for the understanding of difficult passages in the scriptures , that the cause of the wresting them is attributed to the want of it , in these words , which the unlearned and the unstable wrest , &c. pet. . . besides , i have this to say for the honour of learning , that none do vilifie or speak disdainfully of it , but such as are unacquainted with it . it would be strange to hear a man that was born blind , discourse of colours . ask such an one what apprehension he has of them , possibly he will tell you that he does suppose colours to be fish or flesh , or else a crack of thundex ; for the true notion of colours is only to be apprehended by the organs of sight ; so that , as no colour can be discern'd or judg'd of by any but those that see it , so neither learning by any but those that know it . and it is as impossible for unlearned men to be able to judge aright of learning , as it is for blind men to judge of colours , or to distinguish betwixt black and white ; for 't is peculiar to wisdom , that she is justifi'd of her children only , because none but they can be competent judges of her . par. i cannot but confess all this to be very reasonable , but yet methinks , if our saviour had so great regard unto learning , 't is very strange that he should make use of illiterate persons , fishermen and such like , to be the first preachers of his gospel . min. that argument diminisheth not the reputation of learning ; for . though the apostles were unlearned when jesus called them , yet to the eternal honour of learning , he made them learned in all tongues by a miracle , before he sent them abroad to teach all nations ; teaching us thereby , that men wholly illiterate are not fit to preach the gospel . and again , if you will rightly consider , how the case then stood , you may observe , there was great reason for it , ( and it was a great instance of divine wisdom in calling such men ) viz. in order to the most successful promulgation of the gospel , and the glory of god : for had our lord chosen the philosophers and learned rabbies of the time , his whole doctrine might have been opposed with greater force of argument , and would have lost much of its due reputation , by being ascrib'd to such mens invention , as if its success had been wholly owing to their skill and learning , and not to the mighty power of god , cor. . , . it would ( as to that particular ) have wanted that stamp of divinity which the miracle of their inspired learning set upon it . which was st. paul's case with the men of corinth : some malignants there knowing his education to be altogether scholastical , took an occasion thence secretly to undermine his authority in the church of god , as though he had wrought upon the people only by his learning and policy ; which occasion'd those protestations of his , cor. . . that his preaching was not with the enticing words of mans wisdom , &c. the truth of the gospel being thus attested by miracles , infidelity became utterly inexcusable ; and among the many miracles he wrought for the confirmation of the gospel , that was none of the least , that he should endue ignorant and unlearned men with such mighty gifts ; a thing which the whole council of the jewish sanedrim were astonish'd at , as you may see in acts . . and the meaner their education was , the more evident it appear'd , that their new indowments were extraordinary and divine . . the quakers run themselves into these mistakes , by not distinguishing aright between a time ordinary , and a time extraordinary , according to which god is pleas'd to suit his providence . par. what do you mean by this distinction betwixt times ordinary and times extraordinary ? min. i shall explain my meaning by this familiar instance . when the children of israel were in the wilderness hungry and thirsty , their souls fainted in them , they had there no opportunity of plowing and sowing , it was a time extraordinary ; wherefore god to manifest his greatness and goodness , supplies them by as extraordinary a providence , viz. by raining down manna from heaven to supply that necessity ; but when the children of israel came into the land of canaan , where the earth was fertile , and where they had opportunity both to plow and sow , then manna ceased . so upon the first plantation of the gospel , the world might fitly be compared to a barren wilderness , no universities consisting of a gospel education ( as it was impossible there should ) wherefore christ supplies that barrenness , by those extraordinary qualifications and gifts which he gave unto men ; his disciples were to plant the gospel in all nations , and probably understood no language but the syrian ( their own mother tongue ; ) he therefore rains upon them not manna , but cloven tongues , whereby they were capacitated to preach the gospel to all people , and nations under heaven ; and what they wanted in education was supplyed them by a miracle . but a time was coming when these tongues should cease , the main work being done ; and christianity being thus already evidenced by demonstration and power ( that is by miracles ) we must now be contented with these ordinary means , which god's good providence has allowed us for the conveying of knowledg to us . for though the planting of the church required miracles , yet the watering of it does not ; the undoubted histories of the miracles already wrought , with the excellency of the doctrine confirmed by them , being now a sufficient moral perswasion to procure the complyance of every honest heart and unprejudic'd hearer . par. but ought not you , who pretend to be the apostles successors , to receive all gospel knowledge in the same manner , and in all those wayes wherein it was communicated to them ? min. i say no , and it would be presumption in us to expect it . par. o strange reply ! min. 't is no more strange , than for me to say , that a husbandman ought not now to look for manna , but to follow his labours and watch his seasons ; for such a one would wonder , should i bid him burn his plows and other implements of husbandry , and tell him that he ought so to do , for this reason , because christ fed five thousand with a few loaves , and fewer fishes : compare but the other case with this , and you will find them exactly parallel , and that it is as ungodly and absurd , to depend upon extraordinary revelations and miracles , while we neglect the ordinary means under which we live , as it is for a husbandman wholly to give over husbandry in expectation of being provided for by daily miracles ; for though gods hand be not shortned , but that it is in his power to give the church now the same gifts of tongues , of working miracles , and the rest , as he was pleased to do in the primitive age of the church , yea , and to feed us ( without our industry ) with manna and quails , as he did his church in the wilderness , or by the ravens , as he did elisha ; or to make the small provisions we have , to abound by an inexhaustible increase , as he did the widows barrel of meal , and cruse of oyl : and ( in the gospel ) the five loaves and two fishes ; though he could soon introduce the * golden age , to make it a perpetual spring , and to cause the earth to bring forth all her fruits , and teem her riches to us of her own accord ; though god could quickly do all this , and more ; though he could translate us instantly , and carry us up into a better habitation ; though he could perfect us out of hand , and the next minute wrap us into the third heaven , and rest us in paradise ; though this be in his power , yet we see it is not in his will ; it is not his pleasure thus to dispense his favours , nor to pour out his blessings all at once : for though the divine power and goodness too , be both of them infinite , yet do not engage god ( though an almighty father ) in doing good , to act like natural agents , both alwayes and † all he can . for the acts of his power and goodness are determin'd by his infinite wisdome ; and he dispenseth his gifts according as there is necessity and occasion for them . that the spirit helpeth us to understand old truths already revealed in scripture , we confess and pray for his assistance therein , but to pretend to such miraculous inspirations as the apostles once had , or to new revelations beyond what was discover'd to them , is a horrible cheat set up at first by st. francis and st. bridget , and some other fanatical friers and nuns of the romish church , whose steps the quakers do now follow , but the delusion and falshood of such pretences will appear , if you consider . how highly these new revelations disparage the holy scripture , which if it be true , and may be believed , declares it self to be a perfect and sufficient rule in order to salvation , tim. . . and accurseth all that shall preach any other doctrine , gal. . , . and in the close of that holy book , a woe is denounced to all that should add any thing to it , or take any thing from it ; so that they who would make new additions by daily inspirations , make god himself a lyar in commending that to us for a perfect rule which needs continual additions ; and the preaching of christ and his apostles at this rate must be thought imperfect , and that word which should try the spirits must submit to every new revelation ; nor do the papists more dishonour gods word by making their traditions of equal value to it , than the quakers by esteeming their new revelations to be as much from the spirit of god. . consider how contrary these new revelations are to gods constant method , in regard they came naked , without any miracles to attest them , for when did god ever send any new doctrine into the world , and did not also give the preachers thereof a power of working miracles to confirm that it was from him ? moses had this power when he was to set up the law ; jesus when he was to preach the gospel to the jews ; the apostles when they were to convert the gentiles : but as st. austin notes , when once the world did believe , this power ceased , which was only given that they might believe . now if god had sent the quakers with any new revelations , how comes it to pass , he hath given them no power of doing miracles , or why do any believe them , whenas god doth not bear witness to them as in other cases he alwayes did ? shall we take their own words for it , or esteem their new doctrines , not confirmed with any divine powers , as highly as we do the holy gospel , witnessed by many thousand miracles ; this were to make our selves as foolish as those who dote upon them , and to encourage every cheat to impose his fancies on us as divine revelations , who hath the confidence to say he is inspired . . new revelations do manifestly contradict the faith of the primitive christians , and holy fathers , who called the scriptures the truest rule of doctrine a ; the ancient measure of faith b ; the divine standard c ; the repository of all things necessary either to faith or manners d ; they esteemed it great impudence to affirm any thing without their authority e , or to expect any truths beyond what was written f ; they desired not to be believed , unless they proved their assertions by scripture g ; did they not in every councel examin all doctrines and opinions by the written h word of god ? and condemn those for hereticks who invented new fancies not agreeing to it i ; and when the gnosticks , montanists , and messalians , pretended to prophecy , raptures and inspiration , they were censur'd as impostors and deceivers k . by all which it appears , that if the quakers had held forth their new revelations in those pure and zealous dayes , they had also been solemnly convicted and denounced hereticks , and why should we embrace that for a truth in these last and worst of times which the best ages of the church did reject as a notorious falshood . . and yet this new doctrine of new revelations is not more false than it is mischievous to those who do believe it , for hereby their faith is uncertain as their teachers fancy , and poor deluded souls do receive falshood and railing , non-sense and blasphemy , as if they came from the spirit of god ; they despise the ancient and pure , certain and fixed principles of christianity received from jesus and his apostles , sealed with the blood of martyrs , and retained by all good christians ; and admire the discourse of a bold and empty man above them all ; they take upon them to appoint new wayes of worship , and reject the old , even the very sacraments which jesus himself instituted ; they neglect learning themselves , contemn it in others , and would bring the world into an egyptian darkness , if others were of their mind ; and all this and much more they do for a thing that never was nor never will be proved , for a dream , a meer fancy , and a miserable mistake which none can believe till they have first bid adieu to all sense and reason . so that in meer pity to those mis-guided souls who follow this false and fantaltick light , i cannot but make this digression to convince them that they adore a lie for divine revelation , to the great hazard of their eternal damnation . par. but do you deny all revelations ? min. i own those revelations , which are upon r●…cord in the holy bible , which is the word of god , wherein he hath revealed his will to the church , but no other revelations do i hearken after . par. but the quakers tell us , the bible is a dead letter , but the word of god is quick and powerful ; so is not the bible . min. by such like sottish wayes of reasoning , i conceive , the speakers among them endeavour to bring their silly and unstable auditors into a contempt of holy scriptures , and to justifie their pretences to new lights and revelations . to proceed then , whence learn they that the word of god is quick and lively ? par. out of the bible , heb. . . min. what ? out of that bible which they call a dead letter ? judge then whether these men are acted by the rules of sobriety and reason , that call that book a dead and sensless letter , from whence they fetch their reasons . and where is the religion of these men , that take a sentence out of the word of god , to make it prove it self dead and stupid . if those places quoted by them , contain sense and reason , why do they brand that book with such contemptible characters , by calling it dead and sensless ? but if those places do truly contain no reason in them ; why are the quakers so sensless themselves , to produce reasons from them ? though the leaves and letters have no natural life in them , is therefore the sense of the scriptures dead ? and hath it no rational importance in it ? and are not the quakers a company of fine cheats , to take a bible ( as some in my presence have done ) and cry , look at this , is this quick and lively ? as if the life natural , and bodily sense , were meant by that scripture which they so wretchedly abuse and prophane . suppose the king puts forth a proclamation , wherein he declares his royal will and pleasure , do you think it fit for every man that heareth it not first proclaimed , to slight it , and to say , it 's a dead letter ? is not this a way to evacuate to the vulgar all commands , and all laws that are not given to every one by audible voice ? yea , and to render every thing insignificant , that does not walk and speak ? is not this the very immediate way utterly to make void the written word and laws of god , and to send us streight either to enthusiasms , dreams and phantasms , or else to oral traditions , & c ? is there not something of a fanatical † jesuit here ? no doubt but these are fine wayes to decoy an illeterate multitude , as being very agreeable to them , who envy learning , because it is out of their reach , and who are more desirous to be led by fancy , than by laws ; and therefore willing enough to have all laws of god and man , call'd dead letters , to introduce their own fancies and pretended inspirations . but i pray you consider , is there no use of books , and writings ? if you make void the holy scriptures , because they are written , you do by the same argument make void all histories , records , and all quakers books also ; yea , by this means you make void your father's will , and all the deeds by force whereof , your self or any man holds his land , and may as reasonably call them dead letters , as you do the bible : but if you think your written deeds are valid , or that your written bonds do stand in full force and vertue ( according to the form they run in ) to empower you to recover your debts ; why should not the written word of god have as much force , and be as powerful to the ends for which the wisdom of god hath design'd it , as any writings , you have about you , are to establish your temporal rights , or to recover your dues ? if these have truth , force , and vertue in them , why should you deny that the holy scriptures , by those heavenly truths , those divine promises and threatnings written in them , have power and vertue by the grace of god to awaken and quicken the reader or hearer to new life , and obedience , which is the meaning of its being termed quick and lively . let me further argue with you ; do we not understand one anothers minds by epistles as well as discourses , by words that are written , as well as words that are spoken ? may you not read sense as well as hear it ? and i appeal to your own conscience , whether you may not read as good sense in the visible letters of the bible , as you can hear , either out of the mouth of a quaker or a jesuit ? and i cannot but wonder , that you , whose judgment i have formerly had a better esteem of , should now be transported so far besides your reason and senses : will you call the ten commandements ( written by the finger of god on two tables of stone ) useless and insignificant characters , because they were on stone ? can your eyes and reason read no sense in them ? and whilest you have read the commands and threatnings of god , hath your conscience been so dead , as not to find any life and power in them ? and though you undervalue the leaves and letters , yet dare you say that you had no reverence for the word of god , when you have heard it from the mouth of your minister , preached with a lively and audible voice ? par. i thank you for the pains you have taken with me , for now i perceive my mistake , and must consess that in this point i have been led into an error , for i should be very unreasonable , if i should speak any more in behalf of those absurdities which i now see are lodged in it ; i shall only desire some further reasons from you , why revelations are not still to be expected by us . min. i shall think no pains too much , provided you will henceforth use your reason better than hitherto you have done , in the attention you have given to the quakers ; and that you will now learn to suspect the teachings of those men , whom you begin to see and discover ; and hereafter have a greater value of the holy scriptures , that more sure word of prophecy ; we being sufficiently assured ( let the quakers say what they please ) that god's word is a lamp unto our feet , and a light unto our paths ; but for any new revelations , we need them not ; the apostle having declar'd unto us , that the scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation , thorow faith which is in christ jesus , tim. . . to look then for more revelations , or a repetition of the former , would be equally an act of impudence and infidelity . par. why of impudence and infidelity ? min. would it not be an act of infidelity , not to believe god , when he plainly tells us , that the scriptures themselves are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith , &c. and to furnish us thorowly to all good works ? and is it not an act of impudence , when god has plainly told us , that we have sufficient , not to be contented with them , but to expect and call for more ? par. i confess i begin to have no esteem for these pretenders to new revelations , so far as they are concern'd in that point ; yet i can hardly be reconcil'd to learning , because it is not to be acquired without study and industry ; whereas surely it is against that express command and promise given to the disciples in mark . . take no thought before hand , what ye shall speak , neither do you premeditate , but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour , that speak you , for it is not ye that speak , but the holy ghost . min. take but the true sense of this scripture , and you can frame from thence no argument to your advantage . par. what is the sense of that scripture ? min. the words import no more than this , that whereas the disciples were to be brought before the kings and potentates of the earth , to vindicate the doctrine of christianity , that they might be under no discouragements , either from the presence of those before whom they were to appear , or from a sense of the meanness of their own education , he promises to supply all their defects miraculously : and whereas they had extraordinary work to perform , they might be assured of an extraordinary assistance from him : but this reacheth not to an ordinary case . par. but i have heard some speakers say before they begun their discourses , that they did not know what they had to say , but as the spirit gave them utterance , that only would they speak ; and although they came without preparation , yet spake notably . min. that which incited your attention ( if you had understood it ) should rather have frighted you away from the sacrifice of a fool ; for there is a company of wandering fellows that have got into a road of babling , and father their nonsensical stuff upon the good spirit of god , and no wonder they are never out while they speak * whatsoever comes next on their tongues end . but as to the objection out of the text you quoted , you must not interpret it to overthrow other plain scriptures , and that plain advice which st. paul gives to timothy , till i come , give attendance to reading , exhortation and doctrine . meditate on these things ; give thy self wholly unto them , that thy profitting may appear unto all , tim. . , . and study to shew thy self a workman approved unto god , a workman that needeth not be ashamed , tim. . . and there is a great deal of equity for it , as in the like case david of old told araunah the jebusite , that he would not offer that to god which cost him nothing . see solomons advice , be not rash with thy mouth , and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before god , for god is in heaven , and thou upon earth ; therefore let thy words be few , eccles. . . wherein we may take notice , that the spirit of god is so far from owning those extemporary exercises in his worship , that they are reproved by him . 't is not the nimbleness of the fancy , quickness of invention , readiness of elocution , fluency of speech , or a ready tongue that god is delighted with ; with these we work upon the imperfections of men , and these are natural faculties , with which the worst of men have been endowed ; such as achitophel and tertullus , whilst holy moses was naturally defective in his utterance , exod. . . the use of these faculties in the exercises of religion , without reverence , truth , and soberness , cannot be pleasing unto god. par. but do you not remember what a quaker in my hearing objected to you against learning : that tongues are ceas'd ? min. i remember it very well , and you may remember the reply i made , that learning was so far from being opposed by that scripture , that it is a mighty argument for its justification : i perceive the quakers understand not the meaning of the word tongues ( which the scripture saith are ceased ) for by them is only meant , that the miraculous supplies in the gift of tongues , and understanding all languages by inspiration , given to the apostles and primitive christians be now ceased , as we see they are : the gospel being sufficiently promulged , and by these and all other miracles proved to be divine . and yet there remains a necessity of interpreting and understanding these original tongues , hebrew and greek , in which the scriptures were written , it being impossible that without the knowledge of them , the gospel should have been translated and communicated to us . and we have great reason to be truly thankful that the scriptures are translated into the vulgar languages , but then we are beholden to the learning of the translators ; and if learning was at first necessary for the translating of the scriptures , it is still as necessary for the interpreting of them . and while i observe how the quakers persecute the clergy with the venom of their tongues , and abhor their works for the ill will they bear unto their persons , my wonder is that they should look into our english bible , it being translated by clergy-men , and with the help of that learning , which the quakers so much despise and abhor . so that learning has a strong argument from the text which you bring in prejudice of it . for if the extraordinary gift of tongues be ceased , while there is still a necessity of understanding those tongues for the translation of scripture , i pray by what way and means must we attain the knowledge of it , but by the ordinary means of study , industry , or university education ? and do you not see that 't is learning and learned men that the good providence of god hath made so highly instrumental in the service of his church . so therefore ( with balaam ) those whom you had design'd to have curst , you against your wills have blest : and the argument by which you thought to have overthrown learning , proves an establishment of it ; and i thank you for reminding me of what i had like to have forgot . par. but now i pray you shew me what use there can be of learning in unfolding difficult places in scripture ? min. the use of learning will appear in three eminent instances : . in giving a right distinction of the several senses of scripture . . in the right timing of the passages therein . . in applying of scripture seasonably and properly , on each occasion . now as to the first , you are to understand that there are several senses in which the scripture-words and phrases are to be variously understood and interpreted , as namely literal , moral , mystical , and tropical . though these be hard words , yet i hope to make them easie in the explication of them by scripture-instances . in the literal sense you understand scripture according to the bare import of the words : the moral is when the sense goes higher than the words , being back't by reason and the law of nature : the mystical sense is that which is still more hid , and by the designment of the holy ghost , looks further than either of the other . i will now produce one text , which includes in it all these three senses , it is in tim. . . the words are these , thou shalt not muzle the ox that treadeth out the corn . the literal sense is , that every good man is merciful to his beast ; and that the poor creature toyling for us , ought to have a maintenance from us . the moral sense , taken out of the principles of equity , and the law of nature by reasonable consequence , is , that the labourer is worthy of his hire . the mystical sense ( viz. ) the still further intendment of that law , was a divine ordination , that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel ( i. e. ) the ministers of the gospel ought to be provided for , cor. . , . now as some scriptures will bear a literal sense with the moral , and the mystical , there are yet other scriptures that will not , therefore in the fourth place such texts as these are to be interpreted tropically . par. what do you mean by that ? min. such a figurative expression , whereof there are several sorts , which you will meet with in the reading of the scriptures ; some are metaphorical , which is a borrowed expression , when another thing is made use of to express our meanings by , and cannot be taken literally , as that of john . . i am the true vine , and my father is the husbandman . the prophet isaiah prophecying of the admirable effects of christianity , useth these expressions , chap. . , , . the wolf shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lie down with the kid , and the calf and the young lion , and the fatling together , and a little child shall lead them ; and the cow and the bear shall feed , their young ones shall lie down together : and the lion shall eat straw like the ox ; and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp , and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den . do you suppose that this scripture is to be understood literally , as if a time were coming , when there should be a perfect reconcilement among the creatures , their natural antipathies being taken away ? no , these are but so many metaphorical representations of the excellent temper of christianity ; that the doctrine thereof , will effect a real change in our natures : that that savage , waspish , crusty humour of our natural dispositions , shall by the christian laws and the spirit of christ , be transformed even into the meekness and innocency of a lamb. and when our lord bids us put out and cut off our offending eyes and hands , he hath no design to provoke us to dismember our selves ; no , 't is our darling sins and beloved vices which he levels at . again , as some scriptures are to be interpreted metaphorically , so others allegovically , which is by continuing of a trope ; and this you have in the case of hagar and sarah , sinai and sion , which the apostle calls the two covenants , and saith they are an allegory , gal. . . &c. to the chapters end ; for so far you will find the explication of the allegory continued . again , there are other scriptures which must be interpreted by an hyperbole , which is another kind of trope or figure ; when the truth of the thing affirmed , lies not in the letters , but in the priviledge of the phrase , as john . . and there are also many other things which jesus did ; which if they should be written every one , i suppose that the world it self could not contain the books that should be written . where the evangelist takes a rhetorical liberty , that he might with greater elegancy express , that our saviour was not idle in this life , but marvellously busie and active in it . in other places god represents himself to us after the * manner of men , as attributing to himself eyes , ears , and hands , walking , sleeping , repenting , and the like : it being the great mercy of god in so revealing himself and his dispensations to mankind ( that thereby he may accommodate himself to the understandings of men ) in such expressions , as suit most with their weak capacities and common apprehensions : by which he may make the more sensible impressions on us , like to that prophet , who shrunk himself into the proportions of that † child whom he meant to revive . par. what do you infer from all this discourse ? min. the necessary use of learning , lest we confound the senses of scripture , and take that allegorically which we ought to take literally , and that literally which we ought to take figuratively . and what disorder this may create , i leave to your self to judge . after all these , there remains a necessity of being acquainted with such histories , as give us a relation of those rites , opinions , customes and proverbs , in use among the jews and neighbouring nations , to which the scriptures in many places have particular references , without the knowledge whereof 't is impossible we should understand a book of so great antiquity , or read it with that judgment , estimation , relish and delight , as we should do , did we discern the references and allusions that in it are frequently made to them . par. if you please we will pass to the next particular you told me of , ( viz. ) that there is great use of learning now , for the right timing of scripture , what mean you by that phrase ? min. that is to observe to what period of time the histories , and especially the prophecies in scripture have a peculiar and proper relation ; and if due care be not taken therein , the mischiefs that may arise from your want of circumspection , will be innumerable . par. explain your meaning by some instance , and shew where any one prophecy hath been mis-timed by the quakers . min. what do you think of that famous prophecy of joel , so much abused by quakers , joel . . and it shall come to pass afterward , that i will pour out my spirit upon all flesh , and your sons , and your daughters shall prophecy , your old men shall dream dreams , your young men shall see visions . which prophecy they apply to this present age , therefore they say , that the quakers have an extraordinary spirit , according to the prediction thereof . par. but have not the quakers reason to time that prophecy to this present age , wherein we live ? and do we not see the prophecy fulfilled in them ? min. i cannot tell how to undeceive you better than in the words of a learned * commentator upon that place : who tells us that that prophecy was cited and applyed by st. peter , acts . to the times of the gospel , it shall come to pass afterward ( or † in the last dayes ) saith god , that i will pour out my spirit ( or , ‖ of my spirit ) upon all flesh : and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy , your old men shall dream dreams , your young men shall see visions : and also upon the servants , and upon the handmaids in those dayes will i pour out my spirit ( or , of my spirit ) and they shall prophecy . whatsoever can be collected from this place to the benefit of the pretenders , will receive a short and clear answer by considering the time to which this prediction ( and the completion of it ) belonged , and that is expresly the last dayes , in the notion wherein the writers of the new testament constantly use that phrase ; not for these dayes of ours , so far advanced toward the end of the world ( which yet no man knows how far distant it still is ) but for the time immediately preceding the destruction of the jewish polity , their city and temple . that this is it , appears not only by the mention of sion , and the destruction approaching it , in the beginning of that chapter of joel , which signifies it to belong to jerusalem that then was ; but also by two further undeceivable evidences : . by the mention of the wonders ( immediately subjoyn'd ) in the heavens and the earth , &c. as forerunners of the great and terrible day of the lord , the same that had been before described in joel v. . &c. and applyed by christ in the very words , to this destruction of jerusalem , matth. . , . . by the occasion for which st. peter produceth it , acis . . the effusion of the holy ghost upon the apostles , v. . . which , saith he , was no effect of drunkenness in them , but the very thing which was foretold by that place of joel , before that great and notable day of the lord , that was to fall upon that people to an utter destruction . this being a prediction of what should come before the destruction of jerusalem , and the completion whereof was so visible and remarkable in that age , to which by the prophet it was assigned ( and this as a peculiar character of those times wherein the gospel was to be first propagated by this means , and to which it had a propriety , as a last act of god's miraculous and gracious oeconomy for the full conviction of this peoples sins , before they were destroyed ) it must needs be impertinently and fallaciously applyed to any men or women , old or young , of this age , so distant from that to which it belonged , and so well provided for by the ordinary means , the setled office of ministry in christ's church , as to have no such need of extraordinary . so that they have no more right to charge god to perform this promise over again , than a creditor hath reason to exact a sum of money by vertue of a cancel'd bond. the quakers i perceive pretend to an interest in these prophesies . but then why do not these pretenders to new lights speak with new tongues , heal diseases , raise the dead , and do other miraculous acts , according to the tenor of those prophesies . par. but they will tell you of as great acts ; for they gain many proselites , and thereby enlarge the kingdom of christ. min. if counting numbers be the thing to establish the truth of their religion , in all probability , they will renounce christianity it self , and turn mahometans , for mahomet has more that follow him than christ ; then wo be to that little flock to whom a kingdom is promised . par. but what do you say to the third particular in order to applying scripture seasonably and properly ? min. i say , if a due regard be not had thereof , there is scarce that irregularity in the world which you may not make the scripture to patronize , therefore saith the evangelical prophet isaiah , cap. . . the lord hath given me the tongue of the learned , to speak in due season . and so prov. . . a word spoken in season is like apples of gold in pictures of silver . a good thing improperly applyed , may be made , instead of good , the occasion of evil ; * for good things do loose the grace of their goodness , when they are not in a good and convenient manner performed . suppose a carpenter frames a building with great art and skill , and makes a proper mortise for every tenon ( as the terms are ) when this building comes to be set up , if you place not the joynts aright , the whole building will be in disorder . so god almighty , the wise architect , has framed his word to proper times , occasions , and emergencies ; now if you do not suit the text to the occasion , to which it was originally framed , and to the season proper to it , you spoil all . though the words be good , yet if the application be wrong , they will prove like salt which hath lost its savour . suppose a physician prepares a great many excellent remedies , there must be a due application , otherwise an antidote may prove a poyson ; so the great physician of souls has prepar'd for all maladies their proper remedies , and if we expect any benefit by them , we must make a seasonable application of them . and to make this more plain , you may consult psalm . . , . for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes , they shall bear thee up in their hands , lest thou dash thy foot against a stone . should i say that in this scripture is represented to us gods especial providence over his servants , and whilst that i am performing my duty to god , either in his immediate service , or in an honest attendance on my lawful calling , i may expect the divine protection ; in this sense i apply the text seasonably and properly : but should i get upon the top of a pinacle , and cast my self down , upon confidence of this promise , that the angels shall bear me up , then i wrest and misapply the scripture , which no where gives incouragement to a desperate attempt : for it is written , thou shalt not tempt the lord thy god ; that is , thou shalt not tempt him to work a miracle by casting thy self down from a desperate precipice , when the ordinary means of his providence may effect thy preservation . par. what rule have you to prevent mistakes in this kind ? min. take this for one , when any text hath a relation to a particular case , that text must not stand for a general rule , but must be applyed to a like occasion ; for it's a most grand fallacy , to draw an universal conclusion from particular premisses ; take an instance of my meaning from cor. . . i am made all things to all men ; make this a general rule , and christianity ( which is the most pure religion in the world ) will from this text be a sanctuary for all villany and impurity : for if i may be all things to all men , then may i lawfully comply with all the irregularities of whatsoever company i come in : but suit the text to its proper occasion , and it imports only this , that all customs and constitutions of an indifferent nature , for the peace of the church ought to be conformed unto . as for the holy scriptures , they are the lively oracles of god , and contain in them the words of eternal life ; but in the quakers impertinent application of them , they look like so many jewels in a swines snout , or like good liquor that is lost , by the badness of the vessel that contains it . having thus shewed you at large the first cause of the scriptures being wrested ( viz. ) the want of learning , i need say but little upon the other , the instability of mens minds . par. however , let me hear what you can say upon that subject . min. little need be said , for 't is no wonder if those , who are unlearned , ( especially if they be bold and confident ) be unstable , for it 's the empty cloud which is carried away with every wind . old truths ought to be most loved , but commonly they have the same fate with the manna in the wilderness , to be odious for their being old . it 's the property of unstable men to have itching ears , and to heap up to themselves teachers that may teach placentia , & speak unto them smooth things : if they hear of any new knack , they are in pain till they gratifie their fancy there with , and with running from meeting to meeting , they raise and heat their fancies , and are commonly molded into that notion they hear last . i am sure 't is a sad diagnostick that his stomach is out of order , that longs after all meat and drink he hears of . 't is likely enough , if the persons whom they so much admire , had but the stamp of authority upon their actions and discourses , they would be as much rejected , as now they are imbrac't and follow'd . and may we not suspect a further reason of their contempt of the publick ordinances ( viz. ) that it is not the true spirit of god , but of prejudice , opposition ? and animosity , which separates them from our congregations ? do they not mistake the spirit of core for the spirit of god ? however , when such men set their minds on running , they are like a ship which sails without the conduct of her pilot , the ruin where of any one may see to be inevitable . which gives me an occasion to mention the effect of all , which is destruction to themselves . it has been well observ'd , that such things as have been most useful in their regularities , prove most dangerous in their abuse . gods blessings perverted , are commonly sowred into the most imbitter'd provocations . the scriptures are compared to a sword , which will defend him that takes it by the proper handle , but this sword is a two-edged sword , which will wound the hand of him that doth not manage it aright : 't is no wonder then we read or damnable heresies , which are the dire and miserable consequences of wresting scripture . it 's good apostolical advice , to hold fast the profession of faith without wavering ; a good rule to a fickle age , wherein so many are apt to be led by those that flatter them most , against those that counsel them best . and i pray god they may consider hereof , before it be too late . par. but before we pass from this subject , i pray resolve me this query , whether you do not mightily discourage the common people from reading the scriptures , if so much learning be requisite for the understanding of them . min. if my words be rightly weighed , you can make no such inference from them , for though i say with st. peter , that some things are hard to be understood , to exercise the deepest and sharpest apprehensions , and the greatest proficients ; yet i have told you already , that all necessary points in them are plain and easie : insomuch , that the most learned need not be ashamed , nor the most ignorant be afraid to read them : but as for these , let them read them with this caution , that they be not too confident in adventuring to make their own interpretation of such hard places according to their fancy , interest , or prepossessions ; but that they have recourse to their pastors , whose lips preserve knowledge , and whose work and business it is , to resolve them in all such doubts and difficulties , as are of concernment to them . par. i do esteem my self not a little ingaged to you for the pains you have taken with me ; my request to you now is , that i may have your resolution concerning tithes . min. i am very ready to hear what you have to object against them . par. i have had many scruples concerning them , and find those scruples much augmented by a book of ed. burroughs , called a just and righteous plea , presented to the king and councel , wherein i find that to pay tithes , is to deny christ to be come in the flesh , and so consequently antichristian , and that we may as well turn back to circumcision , sacrifices , and burnt offerings , as to the payment of them . min. by what argument is this made good ? the charge is heavy , and we may reasonably call for proof . par. he thus proves it ; tithes are now not to be paid according to the first covenant , neither is the first priesthood to be upheld that once gave and received tithes , now should we pay tithes according to the first covenant , and uphold any part of that priesthood , which took tithes , &c. then should we deny jesus christ to be come in the flesh . min. i shall not trouble you with such reflections , as i may justly make upon the ignorance and confidence of your author ; nor of your own weakness and credulous temper , in being moved by such arguments : to which i now make my reply ; wherein you may observe that burroughs is as ignorant in the nature of the first priesthood which took tithes ( which he saith is ended ) as he and his brethren are in the nature of the first and second covenant , of which i have already given you an account . if by the first priesthood , he means that of aaron's , then it will be apparent , that he hath presented to the king and councel a notorious falsity , by affirming it to be the first priestood ; there being before him a priest to whom levi himself paid tithes , heb. . . or if by the first priesthood he means that of melchisedec's , the falsity will be no less notorious in saying that priesthood is ended , which christ himself exerciseth for ever , heb. . . so that the charge of antichristianism will lye at the revilers door . par. wave this mistake , and reply to that assertion of his , that you may as well turn to circumcision , sacrifices , and burnt-offerings , as to the payment of tithes . min. to affirm that the clergy now claims their tithes , by vertue of the ceremonial law , is a most wretched untruth ; for we disown all such titles to them . par. then the question is , whether tithes are not purely ceremonial ? and so established by christ. min. tithes cannot be called purely ceremonial , because paid by abraham to melchisedec four hundred years before the law , and vowed two hundred years by jacob before it was delivered . that the exact tenths of the holy land should be brought in kind to jerusalem , and paid there , was ceremonial , and confined to the legal dispensation . but that the priest should have an honourable maintenance , is a right , founded not only in natural justice ( as a due reward for his labour ) but as a homage to god , whose honour and worship is concerned in his office ; and therefore not abolished by christ : these things you ought to have done ; for as god doth challenge part of our time for his service and worship , so also a share in our proprieties and substance for the maintenance of it . par. i wish you would more clearly take off the charge of judaisme which lyes upon the clergy , by their pretences to tithes . min. should we challenge and receive our tithes as they were due to the levites , our coffers would be much fuller than they are , and the impositions much heavier upon the people : for besides the meat-offerings , sin-offerings , shake-offerings , heave-offerings , and the shewbread , as also of all eucharistical sacrifices , the breast and the shoulder , and the offerings for purification ; i say , besides these , the priests were to have the first-fruits of wine , and oyl , and wool , deut. . . yea , and of all things else which the earth brought forth for the use of man , the first-fruits of the dough , numb . . , . so that when all things were computed , there was not left five parts , instead of nine , to the owners . and therefore you being eased of the charge and trouble of all those payments and offertories to the priests , which the jews paid as supernumerary , over and above their tithes , you have little reason to grudge the gospel-ministers that proportion allowed them by the christian laws , which is much short of what was allowed to the legal minister . par. i understand by what right the levites demanded their tithes , and the rest , namely by the law of god ; but then by what law of god do you demand your tithes now under the gospel ? min. let me here tell you that those that insist upon the divine right of tithes , derive them not from levi , but melchisedec . par. it was not the tithe of hay and corn that abraham paid to melchisedec , but the spoils of war. min. it 's not material what the particulars were , out of which abraham paid his tithes , but whatever they were , he paid them as a tithe , and melchisedec received as a priest. and if you consult the original , you will find that it was not a voluntary gift of abraham's , but as a due received by melchisedec , for the words would properly be rendred he tithed abraham . par. that i may draw my matter into as few words as i can , i frame my argument thus ; if the clergy of england now possessed of tithes , can show a precept , where god has commanded them , or an example , where the apostles did actually receive them , i shall be satisfied in the point , but if neither can be made good , then do not the clergy with an ill conscience enjoy them ? min. your argument will appear very weak , till you make good the consequence of it . par. there can be no mistake in the consequence , for certainly precept or example in holy scripture must be the guide of all our actions . min. i will shew you the mistake , by your own way of arguing . it hath pleased god to bless you with a competent estate ; you challenge so many acres of ground in such a field , and so many acres of meadow in such a place ; part of which you enjoy in dernise from your landlord , and part you hold in fee , being the inheritance of your ancestors and family . now to make you a good property in this estate , you must shew either some positive scripture for your right to hold the same , or an example from christ or the apostles , that they had freeholds and copyholds , or else if you cannot so do , will you not fall under the same condemnation you have past upon us ? par. i shall soon discover your fallacy , by telling you , that i enjoy my estate as a temporal right . min. if then the consideration of a temporal right , be sufficient to satisfie your conscience in a temporal enjoyment , by the same reason i can hold my tithes without any wound to my conscience . par. do you call tithes a temporal right ? min. is not that temporal , which contributes to my temporal subsistence ? but to put the thing out of all doubt , our laws have made them a free-hold . par. if tithes are temporal rights , how come you to ●…all them spiritual preferments ? min. all tithes are not so called : because all impropriations are held in a lay-fee , and others are called spiritual preferments , not in respect of the profits , but the persons who are capable of them , and therefore are they vulgarly called spiritual preferments , because enjoyed by spiritual persons . but i pray let me ask you what you have to shew for your estate ? par. i will answer you upon condition you will resolve me a like question . min. agreed . par. i have a good deed. now what have you to shew for your glebe and tithes . min. i have a good terrier , and endowment . par. prove that terrier and endowment to be right by the law of god. min. so i will , when your deed is made good by the law of god. par. it 's sufficient that my deed is approved by the laws of the land. min. so 't is sufficient that our tithes are setled by the same laws : when you have said all you can against them , they will be found to be as equitable as any other property whatsoever : and if you judge us unjust , in taking of the tenth , by the same argument you will condemn your selvcs of nine times greater injustice for taking of the remainder . the sum of all will amount to this , that tithes are due by either divine or human right , or both ; if we enjoy them by a divine right ( as we do , at least a maintenance in the general ) you kick against the pricks in with-holding them ; if by human right , you will involve your property in the destruction of ours , because none of the laity can shew any other right to their temporal properties , than human laws ; and if we have both divine and humane right to our tithes , as they are a setled maintenance , we enjoy them by the strongest title in the world ; so that the quakers will hereby be proved to be no better than robbers of god in with-holding them . par. before we proceed any further in this controversie , there is one material point to be discussed , which will bring the business of tithes to a speedy issue ; and 't is this : do you suppose that temporal authorities , have sufficient power to establish temporal rights ? min. i suppose you will think it a needless question to be askt , whether the quakers own any temporal authority or no ( though many of their practices may justifie the absurdity of such a query ) yet i shall presume they do ; for government is so essential to the well-being of the world , that even a private family , cannot subsist , unless some undertake the conduct of it : and if a kingdom have no laws , so that every one may do what is right in his own eyes , such a kingdom must needs be brought to desolation , through the abundance of divisions that will be therein . yea , christ himself hath so far honoured government , that he submitted himself not only to the private authority of his parents , but also paid homage to the publick government , as you may see in that remarkable instance , in giving tribute , though he was put to the expence of a miracle for it . and government is so far approved by god , that we are expresly commanded to be subject to it , and to obey them that have the rule over us , hebr. . and no less punishment than damnation is threatned to them that resist , rom. . . par. i believe that what you say is gospel , and so i 'le assure you the quakers do own authority and magistracy to be of divine institution . min. now i shall answer your question , and that in the affirmative ( viz. ) that temporal authorities have power to establish temporal rights , and this will evidently appear , when it is considered that our saviour never so medled in temporal matters , as to determine them as a judge . when two brothers came to him for judgment in a temporal matter , he absolutely refused , and disclaimed all such power , saying , who made me a judge ? &c. he declared his kingdom not to be of this world , he took not upon him the judicial cognizance of any offence whatsoever . he left the woman taken in adultery , and all other offenders to the ordinary course of law. his design was not to diminish the authority of princes , but to fix in the hearts of men the true principles of holiness and goodness , and to rule there as a spiritual prince ; whilst in temporals he left them to a due observance of the laws of their respective countries . it was upon this stumbling block that the jews fell , supposing the messiah should be a temporal prince . par. what do you infer from all this ? min. the inference i draw from hence , is , that in temporal affairs , an argument drawn srom a temporal authority ( where the thing is equitable and reasonable ) is a good and convincing argument , and that in two respects . . because christ having disclaimed all exercise of authority in temporal matters , there is now , no other way of determining them than by recourse to the civil powers . . he hath so far confirmed these powers , that he has commanded a severe obedience to them ; let every soul be subject to the higher powers , rom. . . fear god ; honour the king , pet. . . and a great number more of the like importance . and it 's very observable , that those powers they were then to be subject to , and the king they were to honour , were heathenish and tyrannical ; which teacheth us , that dominion is not founded in grace , and that the demerits of princes do not absolve subjects from their duty of obedience . par. but suppose a tyrannical power should give you that which is anothers right and property , can you enjoy the same with a good conscience , because you have the same from a temporal authority ? min. you mince my words , for i do not say in every case a temporal authority can create a right to a temporal interest , but in such cases only as are equitable and reasonable . par. hold you to this principle , and your cause is lost . min. i shall not shrink a tittle from it . par. shew me then what reasonable and equitable right you have to the tenth part of another mans estate and property . min. if tithes be another mans estate and property , the case will be clear against me ; but this is begging of the question , therefore i am ready to prove that tithes are mine , not his , from whom i receive them . par. then the question will be here , how you came by that property in the tithes you claim as your own ? min. in order to the satisfying of this scruple , i shall not insist on the divine right of tithes , and the lawfulness of receiving , from melchisedec's priesthood ( to whom they were paid ) which is an unchangeable priesthood , but shall ground my discourse upon that which is owned by all , that will yield to the authority of scripture or reason , viz. that maintenance in general to the ministers of the gospel is just , reasonable , and established by a divine authority . par. pray let me hear where the gospel has appointed that maintenance you speak of . min. the apostle hath done the thing sufficiently , and cloathed it with words , so emphatical , that you shall not meet with more briskness , and sharpness of style elsewhere . see cor. . if you read his words there from verse , to the th . you may find st. paul quoting the law of moses , and pressing the reasonableness of it , verse . it is written in the law of moses , thou shalt not muzle the ox that treadeth out the corn ; doth god take care for oxen ? or saith he it altogether for our sakes ? &c. that is , he appeals to them , whether they that labour for us in the word and doctrine , be not by that law designed to be much more regarded by us , and to have a maintenance from us ? verse . if we have sown unto you spiritual things , is it a great thing if we reap your carnal things ? that is , have a temporal reward for our spiritual service : verse . who goeth a warfare at his own charges ? that is , spends his own patrimony when he is on the publick service ; is it reasonable that we should plant your spiritual vineyard , and not eat of the fruit of your temporal vineyard ? shall we feed the flock of christ , and not eat of the milk of the flock ? and when he writes to the galatians , he reminds them of this particular : gal. . . let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things ( or in all his goods , as the original imports ) where the apostle enjoyns us to minister to the natural necessity of those that minister to our spiritual necessity , and all this according to god's ordinance , that they that preach the gospel , should live of the gospel , cor. . . par. i acknowledge these to be the apostle's words , and the reasonableness of them ; but this is no other kind of maintenance than what the poor may require of us , and which a voluntary contribution may answer ; and such a maintenance as this the apostles had , and we allow the preachers of the gospel . min. that the poor have a right to such a provision from us as may be a supply to their necessities , is evident from prov. . . where it 's called their due and right : and alms-giving is * elsewhere called righteousness . now suppose some charitably disposed persons , should give certain lands and tenements to every parish , for the maintenance of the poor , and the same is confirm'd by the law : because we do not meet with any command in scripture to set apart such lands , or that any did actually entail them to such uses ; have therefore the poor no right to those lands , and are the tenants under no obligation to pay their respective rents ? that our case is the same will be evident to every understanding man ; so that by the same argument you endeavour to destroy tithes , you will destroy also all the hospitals in england . par. you start from your question , which is not concerning maintenance , but tithes : you say that they that preach the gospel ought to live of it ; that is , it takes care for the livelyhood of those that are the preachers of it ; but where doth it appoint tithes for that livelyhood ? min. if you will grant that maintenance in general is due by the tenor of the gospel , you will sufficiently justifie tithes from all the idle cavils which are brought against them . par. how so ? min. the gospel , you hear , commands a maintenance be provided for the ministry , and the civil powers , and nursing fathers of the church , have set out tithes for that maintenance ; so that if tithes were not due by a divine appointment , they are now due , by a voluntary dedication of them . par. how does any such voluntary dedication appear ? min. you need not scruple this point , would you but give your self the pains of consulting antiquaries , or church histories , especially that famous charter of king ethelwolf , set down at large by ingulf ; where you will find the whole history of the thing , to the full satisfaction of any , whose prejudices do not obstruct the free use of their reason . par. i am apt to believe what you say , without any further inquisition into the thing , but then i suppose they were given in a blind and superstitious zeal , which makes all void to us . min. this is another mistake ; for tithes being given to god for the maintenance of his ministry , no blemish in the dedication of them can alter their property . to make my assertion good , a parallel case in scripture shall be produced . that which comes most near it , is the case of the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense : yet there was a vast difference between them : the two hundred and fifty offered in a stubborn , rebellious manner , and these in an ignorant zeal ( as some suppose , but we do not grant ; ) but that which will give us most light into our present case , are the censers which were so offer'd , which you will find , notwithstanding that damnable sin committed in the consecration of them , yet because they were offer'd to god , they were not to be alienated to common uses . numb . . . speak unto eleazar the son of aaron the priest , that he take up the censers out of the burning , &c. for they are hallowed . from hence you may learn how dangerous a thing it is to meddle with any thing that hath been given to god. for you see the reason given why the censers were not alienable , was because they were hallowed by being offered before the lord. therefore saith a learned rabbi , they were unlawful for a common use , because they had made them vessels of ministry . par. i have often heard that tithes were given at the first by the pope , and therefore not to be endured in a nation , that hath renounced all communion with him . min. this i know is one of the popular arguments of the quakers to cast a mist before the eyes of their ignorant followers ; but suppose it had been so , they would not have been less hallowed than the two hundred and fifty censers were , and so consequently the alienation of them no less impious ; yet i deny your assertion , that tithes had their institution from popery ; and i have good grounds for what i say , for tithes were setled upon the church , before popery had made her encroachments in it . for popery is not of that antiquity ( as some do vainly and falsly boast ; ) though they shew their old shooes and mouldy bread , yet upon a strict enquiry , they will be found to be but so many gibeonitish cheats , and that their tenents and corruptions are not of that antiquity as is pretended by them . however , that you may have a distinct answer to your question , give me first your notion of popery . par. i call all such doctrines and practises popery , as are held in the church of rome . min. that this is a wrong notion of popery , will be very evident , if you consider that the doctrine of the blessed trinity , the incarnation , passion , resurrection , and ascension of our lord is believed in the church of rome . par. i cannot but confess all this to be true . then i pray do you tell me what is popery ? min. i cannot give you a more brief and true account of popery , than this , that it is such doctrines and superstitious practises , which by the corruption of time , have prevailed in the church of rome , contrary to the true , ancient , catholick and apostolick church . where we agree in any points of religion , there is no more reason to call us papists , than there is to call them protestants . the socinians maintain the sufficiency of the holy scriptures , the church of england doth the same , shall we therefore be branded with socinianism ? by which instance you may see the quakers folly in their charging tithes with popery . but to make it more clear , do you think that cranmer , hooper , ridley , latimer , tayler , and bradford were inclinable to popery ? par. i suspect them not in the least , for they sealed their detestation of it with their blood , and were eminent martyrs for the protestant cause in the bloody dayes of queen mary . min. then i hope you will have a better opinion of tithes , since these in their time were receivers of them : as also of the common-prayer-book , since some of those good men did assist in the compiling of it . par. hereafter , for their sakes , tithes shall never be reputed popish by me : yet methinks you have not proved yet the divine institution of them . min. is it not sufficient that i have proved maintenance in general a divine institution , and that tithes have been set out for that maintenance ; but that you may be eased in this scruple , let me tell you a story : there happen'd to be a publick disputation in germany , before the elector of saxony concerning tithes : one side vigorously maintaining that they were due by the laws of god , arguing that tithes were paid to the priesthood of melchisedec , and so consequently that tithes were still in force with the priesthood ; further arguing , that no law is abolished whilst the reason of it continues still in force , now there is as much reason for tithes in the times of the gospel , as there was in the times of the law : and lastly , they argued from that analogy which the apostle makes between the levites maintenance under the law , and the ministers maintenance under the gospel , even so hath the lord ordained , &c. the other side as briskly maintaining that tithes were due only by the laws of the land. when they had all spent their arguments , the elector himself gave the determination thus , one party i perceive ( saith he ) is for the divine , another for the human right of tithes ; yet both sides agree and acknowledge them to be a right , therefore according to my duty , to maintain right , i am bound to justifie and uphold tithes . after all this out-cry against tithes , do the quakers think the paying and receiving of them to be a sin ? par. do you think that all this stir could have been , if they thought it not a sin to demand and receive tithes ? min. what is sin ? par. the transgression of the law , john . . min. now shew me a law against tithes ; if it be the transgression of a divine law , shew the text ; if of an human law , shew the statute . 't is the opponents part to prove ; and if we be faulty , you must shew wherein , and the accuser must make good his charge . par. you are very faulty in intimating that the quakers can produce no texts against tithes , for you cannot be ignorant that they have produced several ; as that in jeremiah . . the prophets prophesie falsly , and the priests bear rule by their means . isaiah . . every one for his gain front his quarter . min. i must confess i have seen these in many of their books , and by some quakers they have been urged to my self ; but when i reflect hereupon , i cannot forbear concluding that they discover not only a sottish ignorance , but downright dishonesty herein . par. make good your charge . min. can there be more sottish ignorance , than to apply jeremiah's words either against tithes , or the maintenance of the ministry under the gospel ? and that i may manifest their folly , let me tell you a story parallel to this case ; two men disputing when guns had their first invention ; one said that a certain monk ( as he was making some chymical experiment ) accidentally found out powder , &c. and consequently guns must come after : the other dated their original to be of as long a standing as david's dayes , because he saith in one psalm , o lord , i have kept thine ordinances : which was impossible for him to have kept , had there not been guns then . par. why do you bring in here this idle story ? min. to convince you that the quakers use the prophets words as idly , and as little to the purpose : for it is as proper to say , that ordinances signifie guns in the text quoted , as to say that means in the prophet's sense signifie tithes , maintenance , or any other estate . the priests bear rule by their means ; that is , by the means or procurements of those false prophets , or by reason of them . and solomon tells us , that by means of an whorish woman a man is brought to beggery ; not by reason of her estate , but by her means , i. e. by reason of her inticements , it so comes to pass . par. i must confess this is an oversight , but wherein doth their dishonesty appear ? min. that will be as apparent as their ignorance ; they say tithes are unlawful , why then is it said , mal. . . will a man rob god ? yet ye have robbed me : but ye say , wherein have we robbed thee ? in tithes and offerings . par. you are to conceive , that malachi lived during the continuance of the law , and burrough's will yield that tithes then were of gods commandment , of heavenly ordination , &c. what then signifies the text in malachi , for tithes in the time of the gospel ? min. here it is , that quakers discover their dishonesty , in acknowledging tithes of an heavenly ordination under the old testament , and yet condemn them by producing texts out of the prophets who lived under the same dispensation , which they knew did both allow and command tithes . par. i must confess i am not furnisht with a reply to this ; how well soever others may . min. i told you before , that tithes and other church revenues have been setled by those that were actually seized of them in law ; now if the quakers can prove from the laws of god , or right reason , that it 's not lawful for every one to do what he will with his own , and consequently , that he may not settle tithes , lands , or moneys upon the clergy , then they do something to the purpose ; if not , they do but beat the air with empty words , and you have reason to look upon them ( as indeed they are ) a company of cheats and impostors . par. all this while you do not consider that tithes are a great oppression to all sorts of people concern'd in the payment of them . min. so all tenants may as reasonably say ; that the payment of rent to their respective landlords , is a national burthen and oppression . par. there is not the same reason ; for every landlord will tell you that he ( or some for him ) purchased their respective tenements upon a valuable consideration . min. but the main question is behind , whether they purchased the tithes with those tenements , if not , where is your grievance ? par. do you suppose then that tithes are no grievance ? min. none at all , neither to the landlord nor tenant . par. prove this . min. you cannot be ignorant that every purchaser buys his land according to the rent it gives , and every tenant payes rent according to the conveniencies he enjoys . now if a tenant stand charged with tithes , taxes , chief rents , and the like , these are computed to every occupant , according to which he models his rent : and though he pays these dues and duties ( as they are called ) yet are they no inconvenience to him , because he pays less rent in consideration thereof . neither is it any inconvenience to the landlord , because his purchase was according to that rent , and the land he bought , he knew ( or might have known ) was lyable to these charges . par. here must needs be some mistake , for were i to sell my estate , i could not have so much for it by a considerable sum , because it stands charged with the payment of tithes : and if this be no grievance , judge you . min. but pray satisfie me whether you gave not as considerable a sum less upon this consideration , when you bought it ; if so , will you sell what you never bought ? where then is that intolerable grievance , which i perceive is no where to be found , but in the mouths of fanaticks , and ill affected people ? par. but i pray you resolve me thus much , where the apostles had tithes , glebes , and the like ? min. i confess the apostles had not the tithes in their dayes , and you ought not to bring this for an argument , because they could not have them if they would ; for they were not only persecuted by the civil authority , but the levites themselves were in possession of them ; which they kept during the continuance of their nation and temple . besides , you ought to consider , that tithes , or any other fixed maintenance , was utterly inconsistent with their unfixed state of life ; being to preach the gospel in all nations , they became an improper maintenance for them ; and besides , you are to consider , that the apostles needed them not , for as they had their gifts , so their maintenance by a miraculous providence . luke . . and he said unto them , when i sent you without purse , and scrip , and shooes , lacked ye any thing ? and they said , nothing . par. ought not you then to be in all things , as were the apostles ? min. if you conciude that we must be in all things , as were the apostles , then must you of the laity , now do as the laity did then , who sold their possessions , and laid them down at the apostles feet , acts . and i can argue the one , with the same reason you can the other . but i have one query , wherein i shall desire your answer , whether the quakers think it lawful to pay the king his revenues ? par. you know the quakers willingly pay the king all his dues , which they do for consciencesake . min. therefore , for conscience sake , they ought to pay us our tithes , . because the king commands it ; . because he hath so considerable a revenue out of them , i mean the first-fruits and tenths , which is one of the fairest flowers belonging to the crown . now how can we pay the king his dues out of our tithes , if we receive them not ? so that in becoming enemies to the clergies right , the quakers are indeed enemies to the king 's rights , by which the government is upheld and supported . par. but do you not think it a sad thing , that the poorest person should be as lyable as the richest to the payment of tithes ? min. this is no more injustice , than for a poor man to pay rent to his landlord ; and the charge might as well , nay much more , reach the priests under the law , as the clergy in the time of the gospel ; and it 's well known that the most poor and needy are no sufferers by the payment of tithes , but rather gainers ; for by this means , they find that relief , which they could not have if it were otherwise . par. but are not the ministers , that receive tithes , hirelings ; and do they not sell the word of god , and make merchandize of the souls of their people ? min. do you call the receiving of their rights , a selling of their peoples souls ? what a wretched uncharitableness is this ; you know the king has twelve judges , who are to moderate and determine betwixt party and party , and these have an honourable allowance from the exchequor , will you therefore say that they are hirelings , and sell justice ? and is not ours the same case ? is it not said , luke . . the labourer is worthy of his hire ? is it not then very improper to upbraid ministers with the name of hirelings , when their salary is called hire ? par. i perceive you do think that the quakers do most injuriously stile you hirelings ; yet the covetousness of the clergy hath given us occasion to fear , that bereave you of your preferments , and you would soon abandon your profession . min. i hope many of us can appeal to the searcher of hearts , that we embraced the ministry upon better grounds than temporal interests . and do not the quakers , and other enemies of the clergy , rashly usurp god's prerogative , in judging of mens secret affections and intentions , and charging them with such things , as none but god himself can have inspection into ? and thô the secular care of some of the clergy , for the maintenance of their families , have been excessive ; yet what doth this prove against the ministry it self , or against other ministers , who principally intending and indeavouring the salvation of the souls committed to their charge , do in the mean time both receive , and imploy their tithes with a good conscience , to none but necessary and charitable uses ? i pray you therefore , ask your own conscience , whether it were likely to be reason , or rather envy , that drew up this charge against us . par. but i had almost forgot to demand of you , for what reason the quakers should pay their tithes , when by their separation they have no benefit of your ministry ? min. the minister is not to blame for their separation , or lack of that benefit , but desires they would enjoy it , while he is attending his office. shall then their publick contempt of gods ordinances , give them a priviledge to invade another mans right and property ? and because they neglect their duty , shall therefore our free-hold suffer ? if our preferments were precarious , or did we wholly depend on the good will of our people for what we enjoy , your argument then would have a better face ; but as for our tithes they are ancient setled maintenances , and therefore we look upon our selves to be no more obliged to the people for the payment of them , than a land-lord is to his tenant for the payment of his rent , as i have proved to you before . par. i must confess my self to have lived under a mistake in these things : but i have another thing to tell you , which has a long time been a great offence to me ; and that is to see clergy-men go to law for their dues , and sometimes for small and inconsiderable sums , to the great dishonour of their function , and reproach of religion it self . min. if it be their dues they sue for , then the recovering of them by course of law , ( when fair means have proved fruitless ) will have no injustice in it ; so that indeed you misplace the crime , which is not in him that brings the action , but in those who have given just occasion for it . the high-way-thief may as well implead the justice of an hue and cry , as the quakers such a lawful prosecution . whereas you say , the action is sometimes for an inconsiderable sum , the less the sum is , the less excuse men have for the non-payment of it . if a noble man ( be his patrimony never so large ) sue for the smallest chief-rent belonging to his estate , it 's thought neither injustice nor uncharitableness in him so to do ; because thereby he does but secure his inheritance . now a clergy-man in suing , though for his smallest dues , hath not only as good a right , but a more noble end , because it is for the securing of that , which is not so much his own , as gods title , and dedicated to his service to all generations ; and therefore the incumbent upon each benefice is obliged in conscience entirely to preserve god's and the churches right , and that not only for himself , but for his successors to all posterity . this therefore appearing thus to be his duty , is by your injuriously accused for covctousness , oppression , or uncharitableness , ( it being the greater uncharitableness in you to judge so ) for as for those in his parish who are truly needy and in distress , he may not withstanding this , relieve them according to his ability , in such ways and seasons , as his discretion shall see most expedient , without yielding up any thing of the churches dues to those who do wilfully either deny , or neglect to pay them . par. but the main question is behind , whether there be any occasion at all which may justifie going to law ? min. you cannot suppose that a nation can subsist without government , neither can you suppose a government without laws : and of what signification are laws , where men are denied the use and benefit of them ? laws are designed for the exercise of distributive justice , to help them to right that suffer wrong : and thereby to be a hedge and fence to every mans right and property : therefore going to law ( upon a just action ) is no more , than making an honest appeal to the government for remedy , which cannot be unlawful ; till government it self be proved so . par. i should approve of your discourse as very reasonable , did it not contradict the apostle's in cor. . . dare any of you , having a matter against another , go to law , before the unjust , and not before the saints ? min. you mistake the apostle ; for first you must not think that either that passage of the apostle , or any other part of the word of god , doth contradict right reason , or prohibit whatever is so requisite to the relief of the common and evident necessities of mankind . . other scriptures do both allow and establish secular government , and enjoyn obedience to the civil powers , even to those that were heathen , and call them god's ordinance , rom. . , . and command magistrates to prosecute with all diligence and integrity all acts of publick justice , chron. . , . fsa . . . and this implies the warrantableness of going to law ; for how shall injur'd persons be righted and defended by the magistrate , if it be not lawful for them to bring their causes before him , that is , to go to law ? . if you read on in that discourse of the apostle , you will find that the fault he reproves in the corinthians is not all going to law upon necessary and just occasions , but their bringing their private quarrels and disorders , before the unjust , that is , before the unbelievers ( which were the heathen and infidel-judges ) as he interprets himself in v. . but brother goeth to law with brother , and that before the unbelievers . which would have been to the scandal and reproach of christianity among those who hated it , and who would improve such occasions to bring it into greater derision . and he exhorts them v. . rather to take a great deal of wrong , and to suffer themselves to be defrauded , ( viz. in their private rights ) than thus to go to law one with another , to expose their christian profession to so open contempt , and to give occasion to the enemies of god to blaspheme . but fourthly , though the apostle there forbid all such unbrotherly contentions , and bringing them before infidel-judges ; yet he there ( if you mark ) appoints them a judicature , before which they might lawfully bring their reasonable and just complaints , that is , a christian judicature , consisting of believers , v. . and expostulates with them sharply for not having appointed such a court among themselves , before whom wronged persons might bring their causes pertaining to this life , v. , , , . while therefore we live under a christian prince governing us by christian laws , and appointing us courts consisting of christian judges , we cannot suppose our selves to be in the fore-cited scripture forbidden to make application to them in cases just and necessary . par. i have given you diligent attention , and cannot but thank you for the satisfactory account you have given me , for i must needs acknowledge my self convinced by you of the unreasonableness of my scruple , and of taking any scripture in such a sense , as makes void all law and government : but when i come in a quakers meeting , i fear , new doubts will arise , and when i hear them speak such things as i cannot answer , i am apt to conclude their arguments to be unanswerable . min. if so : then you have reason to observe in your self such an unstableness of mind , as is common to the vulgar ; no question but your wavering mind would be under the same perplexities , did you frequent the meetings of other separatists . a jesuite , socinian , pelagian , nay , a turk or jew , might bring such arguments , in vindication of their respective heresies and tenents , as might puzle you to give a solution to ; would you therefore conclude them all in the right ? if you hear the quakers bring such reasons in vindication of their tenents and ways , as your self cannot answer , will you conclude they are unanswerable ? and because you know not a way to china and japan , will you therefore suppose , there are no such countries , at least no way to them ? the consideration of this instability of yours , should teach you , . humility , not to look upon your self as a person fit to trust to your own judgment , not to be confident in your own opinion , nor to lean to your own understanding , prov. . . . prudence , to withdraw your self wholly from the meetings of those , by whose sophistries your judgment is in most danger to be perverted , and to be carried away from those good principles you have already recover'd , and of the soundness and reasonableness whereof you have already confess'd your self convinced and satisfied . for to be led away by a gadding humor to every conventicle and irregular meeting , is a presumption , which may provoke god to withdraw his protection from you , and to give you up to a spirit of delusion , which makes it very necessary to advise you to keep out of harms way , and the reach of so taking an infection . and . it is hence fit and seasonable to exhort you to be willing to be taught , and to that end to have recourse unto pious and sober men , especially ministers of the gospel , who , being by their education and calling , separated to study and devotion , are the fitest persons to advise you and resolve your scruples , they being such as , by your own experience and acknowledgment , have administer'd to you the most rational satisfaction . you are ready to consult a physitian in order to your health , and to take the advice of a lawyer for the settlement of your estate , and methinks in matters of religion and conscience , a divine will be no less fit to be consulted with . the priests lips should keep knowledge , and they should seek the law at his mouth , for he is the messenger of the lord of hosts . and in case of doubts our church adviseth you to consult either your own , or some other discreet and learned minister of gods word , &c. * and when you have compared the discourses of the quakers and the ministers of our church together , and weigh'd them well , and consider'd them in your heart , i doubt not but you will judge our doctrine to be in your conscience most agreeable to right reason , and to make most to the honour of god , and the promoting of godliness , righteousness and sobriety , wherein the sum of religion consists . iu which things you will find the doctrine of our church far to exceed the new upstart tenents of the quakers . par. you cannot call their doctrines new , when they are the same which the primitive christians had in the apostles days . min. you may easily perceive this to be a manifest untruth : for you know the primitive christians were quite different from the quakers ; they did not contemn the two great ordinances of the gospel , baptism and the supper of the lord , but with due veneration received both , as i am ready to make appear at large , when there is occasion for it . the primitive christians had bishops and deacons to govern and teach them , and when they had them did not revile them , as do the quakers ; and these were ordained to their functions by prayer and imposition of hands . the primitive christians had no women-teachers , being observant of saint paul's injunctions , who said in plain words , that it was a shame for a woman to speak in the church , cor. . . the primitive christians had no silent meetings , as the quakers have , and when you hear again of any more such pray ask them , how reasonable it is for them to call preaching ministers dumb dogs . the primitive christians did not contemptuously call the temple , nor the † synagogues , nor houses of prayer , steeple-houses ; but resorted to them to teach the people , and perform their devotions . thus did our saviour job . . . luk. . . and so did the apostles act. . and cap. . . but it may be made evident that 't is not the primitive christians , but the scribes and pharisees whom the quakers do imitate , who place religion in external observances , while they neglect the weightier things of the law. par. i could have been glad we had time to have debated these last particulars more fully , concerning the quakers non-conformity to the primitive church . min. so should i ; and shall hereafter be ready to bestow my pains herein , as providence shall give occasion and assistance . in the mean time i must refer the success of these present endeav●…urs and counsels i have bestowed on you , to your careful remembrance , and impartial consideration , and to the blessing of god , who only is able to lead you into all truth , to whose grace i commit you , and heartily bid you farewell . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e some mens not profiting under the present ministry , not chargeable on the ministers . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeurus labor quem nullus potest e vacuare defectus . bern. conf . lib. . the quakers pretensions to the spirit of god a meer delusion . a at rome he was esteemed a god , and had so bewitched the people there , that they erected a statue to him simoni deo sancto . euseb . eccl. hist. lib. . cap. . b acts . , . c acts . . d virg. aen. . in nomine domini incipit omne malum : prov . e epiph. adver . haetes . . lib. . . f cor. . . joh . . g epiphan . in haeres . . l. . h idem in ●…aer . . l . i chrysost . ad olymp . ep. . k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clem. al. x. strom. . l cressy ( an apostate from the church of england ) makes the severities of the carthusians one motive of his revolt . m socrates hist. eccl. l. . c. . the efficacy of the divine ordinances depends not upon the worthiness of the minister . * tim. . . † malunt idessefictum quo desideriis suis renuntiare coguntur . lactan. in s . l. . c. . * non incessimus adversarios , convitiis & contumeliis , sicut plerique faciunt , rationum & argumentorum infirmitatem . maledictis obtegentes . gregor . nazianz. prima semper irarum tela sunt maledicta , & quae non possumus imbecilles , optamus irati . salvian , gub. dei. . . * non ergo sacerdotis iniquit as effectum impedit sacramenti , sicut nec infirmitas medici virtutem medicinae corrumpit . innocen . the unclean beasts were in the ark too , and of more kinds then the clean . ( you ) to a single person vindicated . * walker's part. p. . wallis gram. lin . ang. p. . ! civil titles lawful . bp. sanderson . dixit hoc jesus , non ut odi●… haberemus patres , sed nè à patribus & matribus , ad alterius fidei imperium subducamur . epiphan . adv . mart. . i. tom. . * signum erat festinationis , ut reg. , . apud orientales enim istae salutationes , variis flexionibus , osculis , amplexibus , percunctationibus et bonis omnibus , peraguntur . grot : in luk. . . of the doctrine of perfection . they outgoe the cathari a branch of the novatians . euseb . hist. eccl. . . c. . who were excommunicated by a synod of bishops besides presbyters , deacons , and the pastors of other provinces . the quality though not the quantity ; the sort and kind , though not the degree . * dr. tho. fuller . † aetate quidem suâ suit justus , at fortasse non tempore abrahami ita . hieron . trad . hebr. noah non erat ut oportuit nisi per gratiam . ber. r. . * salvian de gubern . dei lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operarii iniquitatis . ut jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones . hor. id tantùm possumus quod jure possumus . quifquis se incu●…p●…tum dixerit , aut superbus est , aut siul●…us . cypr. de oper . & elem . gen. . . pet. . . heb. . . . isa. . . he hath born our griefs , and carried our sorrows . the same a fanatical woman at geneva objected against calvin . the old and new covenant signify the old and new dispensation of the same covenant of grace . non est divisio generis in species , sed su●…jecti in acciden●…ide e. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 † est jusjura ndum affirmatio religiosa , quod antem affirmate , quasi deo teste , promiseris , id tenendum est . ‖ nullum vinculume ad astringendam fidem majeres nostri jurejurando arctius esse voluerunt . * primum militiae vinculum est religio . sen. ep. . † omnem vastat stirpemque domumqu●… ( carmen pythiae in herod . ) . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‖ huc ubi ventum est , ne plus ultrá , * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . eph. . . . rationes boni & mali sunt aeternae . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i tim. i. . tim. . . vid. bishop sand. de jur . p. . the evils from whence swearing in communication proceedeth ezek. . , . * g. w and g f. pet. . . gal. . . nullum facinus absque patrocinio . sen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clem alex. strom . . tim. . eruditio non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem . ignoti nulla cupido . . . . ps. . . jos. . * omnis feret omnia telius . virgo † semper & adultimum posse . a orig. in matth. tract . . b euseb. hist. lib. . c ang. de bon . vid. cap. . d id●…m de doct. christ. e non ego tam aud●…x ut affirmem quod s. scriptura silentio praeterit . theod dial. . f benè habet quod its quae scripta sunt contentus est . hil. de trin. lib. . g non mihi quidem simpliciter fidem adhibeas , nise de divin . scrip●…orum quae dicam demonstrationem accipias . cyril . cat. . h in unum convenimus & scripturis diu ex ultraque parte prolatis , temperamentum salubri moderatione libravimus . cypr. ad anton. ep. . i sinon est scriptum timeat ( viz. hermogenes ) vae illud adjicientibus vel detrahentibus destinatum . tert. adv . hermog . k messatiani dicuntur enthusiastae , qui cujusdam daemonis operationem expectant , & hanc sp. sancti praesentiam arbi●…rantur , hist. tripart . l. . c. . † ex pede herculem , pet. . . psal. . . * quicquid in buccam venerit . sam. . . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gen. . . & . . psal. . . & . . isa. . . ☜ deus loquitur nobis lingus filiorum bominum , a jewish proverb . † kings . . * dr. hammond . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * zonarus in can. apost . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . corruptio optimi est p●…ssima . pet. . . heb. . . deus in scriptur is quasi amicus familiar is loquitur ad cor doctorum & in doctorum . aug. ep. mal. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 march. ; , non ejusdem naturae cujus aliorumsunt regna , coelestis scilicet , non ●…errestris ingenii . grot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ps. . . ps. . . factum valet , quod fieri non debuit . rabbi solomon iarchi . see the advice to the roman catholicks . cor. . . bertholdus swart . heyl. cos. lib. . p. . mal. . . * exhort to the communion . tit. . . † see psal. . where you will find them called ( in the old translation , v. . ) the houses of god , and ( in the new , v. . ) the synagogues of god ; being dedicated to his worship and service . a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall, on sunday, march , / by edward fowler ... fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall, on sunday, march , / by edward fowler ... fowler, edward, - . 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- james ii, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall , on sunday , march . / . by edward fowler , d. d. chaplain in ordinary to their majesties . published by her maiesties special command . london , printed by t. m. for ric. chiswel at the rose and crown in st. paul's church yard , . dr. fowler 's sermon preached before the queen , march . / . a sermon preach'd before the queen . iames . . for whosoever shall keep the whole law , and yet offend in one point , he is guilty of all . there are several passages of our saviour and his apostles , which at the first hearing do sound very harshly , and seem to savour of over-great severity , that upon due consideration are found to have nothing in them , but what is highly reasonable . to omit others , this text is one of those passages ; and many , no doubt , have been startled at it , and been ready to say as the disciples of our saviour did upon another occasion , this is an hard saying , who can hear it ? for can this doctrine be true , that whosoever shall keep the whole law , and yet offend in one point , is guilty of all , and we be in the mean time dealt with according to the gentleness and clemency of a covenant of grace ? is this the gospel we talk so much of ? is this the glad-tydings which our saviour hath brought us ? we find none so bad , we read nothing so sad , in all the old testament . the worst passage there is , and that is bad enough , cursed is he that continueth not , in all that is written in the law to do it . it is no where there said , that he who is never so careful to observe the whole law , if he chance to transgress in any one point , shall be look't upon as a transgressour of all the commandments , and dealt with like such a one . that other saying is a very terrible one , but this is much more terrible . if this be so , we may well repeat that other question of the disciples , who then can be saved ? in many things we offend all ; if therefore he who keepeth the whole law , and yet offends in one point , be guilty of all , how desperate must the case not onely of the generality needs be , but of every individual person ? i must confess that these words may well confound us , and fill us with amazement , were they to be understood in the severest sense they are capable of ; but we are certain they are not so to be understood ; and therefore that the fore-mentioned paraphrase upon them , is by no means a true one : and the context sheweth , that this is the plain meaning of them , viz. upon supposition that a man were careful to observe all the laws of god but one , his living in the breach of that one , shall be so far from being connived at upon the account of his obedience to all the rest , that he shall be lyable to the punishment which is due to the transgression of the whole law : that is , the same punishment for kind , not for degree ; there being nothing more plainly revealed , than that the more and the greater sins men are guilty of , the greater and severer shall be their punishment . and in saying that such a one shall have the same punishment for kind , i mean that which consisteth in being forever banished from the presence of god ; and which is called eternal death . now the reasonableness of this assertion of our apostle , thus understood , may be fully made to appear by these following considerations . first , he who refuseth obedience to any one of the divine laws , may as truly be said to contemn the divine authority , as if he lived in the breach of all . men in wilfully disobeying any one law , do put as true an affront upon the law-giver , tho' not so high a one , as they do in disobeying all . this reason st. iames gives in the words next following , for what he affirms in the text : for he that said , do not commit adultery , said also do not kill ; now if thou commit no adultery , yet if thou kill , thou art become a transgressour of the law. that is , it is the same law-giver who hath forbidden adultery and murther ; and his authority is as truly contemned in transgressing one , as both of these laws . every deliberate act of disobedience is flat rebellion , and so for forth a renouncing of god's right to govern us ; it is a virtual denial of his authority to prescribe any laws to us , and lays a foundation for universal disobedience . for if god almighty's soveraignty be disacknowledg'd in any one instance , it may as well be so in all other . the same reason that leads to the violation of one law , doth enervate and render invalid all other laws . again , secondly , he who willfully disobeys any one of the divine laws , is no sincere observer of any of the rest . for whosoever allows himself in any one act of disobedience , hath no true love either for god or goodness ; but it is necessary to the sincerity of obedience , that it proceed from that love which hath both these for its objects . that it proceed from love to god , and ( which is indeed materially the same ) love to goodness : goodness ( or universal righteousness , purity and benignity ) being that upon the account of which god almighty is a lovely being . now it is evident , that those who live in any disobedience to god , do not love him. they love him not according to the scripture-notion of loving god ; because whatsoever that is for the sake of which we can find in our hearts to disobey him , must needs be valued and esteemed above him ; and the scripture-notion of loving god , is the esteeming him above , and preferring him before all creatures . he who hath no true love for god , may obey him in many instances , as the poor pagans worship the devil , out of a slavish fear and dread of him ; he may obey him too as a meer mercenary , i mean , for the good things of this life , and a sensual kind of happiness in the other : but this obedience is far from being genuine , or the true evangelical obedience , as is easy to shew . and again , it is no less apparent , that the love of virtue and true goodness , is inconsistent with harbouring any thing in our breasts that is contrary there to . thirdly , he who lives in disobedience to any one law of god , as he obeys none sincerely , so is he prepared to break all other laws , and that in the grossest manner , whensoever forceable temptations may assault him . for if the divine authority can't prevail with a man , to abstain from this or that sin , how is it to be expected it should restrain him from other sins , when he may happen to be incited to them by alike strong and violent temptations ? such a one may forbear not a few sins while he is not at all , or not very violently set upon by a tempter ; but if god should once suffer him to be sharply encountred , either from without or from within , it is not hard to divine what success such temptations would have upon him . hazael once thought that 't was impossible he should incurr the guilt of such horrid villanies , as he was foretold he would ; such as dashing young children against the stones , and ripping up women with child : what , replyed he to the prophet , is thy servant a dog , that he should do such things ? but for all that , when he came into other circumstances , and so to have such temptations , as he never before met with , he was such a dog as to commit such barbarities . and if we will not be prevailed with , to forsake in will and affection every sin , we shall scarcely stick longer at any sin , than our forbearance thereof is consistent with the satisfaction of that lust which is dearest to us . we have iudas also for an example of this : he was doubtless , as to outward appearance , a very moral inoffensive man ; for our saviour would not have given such scandal , as to have taken him , had he not been so , into the number of his constant associates ; yet this judas loving the bag , being a secretly - covetous wretch , could perswade himself , even most basely to betray his blessed master , when allured by the bait of gain to it ; and that a very sorry bait too . fourthly , whosoever makes no conscience of transgressing some one law , as he is prepared to break all other upon strong temptations , so he actually disobeys other laws , according to that latitude of interpretation which our lord hath given them ; and which ought to be given them . such a one may tremble at the thoughts of breaking those two commandments , thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not kill ; but lusting in his heart , or hating his enemy , will be venial sins with him , though his saviour hath told him , that these are transgressions of those commandments . this man may punctually keep the first and second commandments , as to the shunning of those sins , which in express terms are forbidden by them : he may abhorr to acknowledge any other god but iehovah : he may abominate graven images in the worship of god ; but while he preferreth the world , either the riches , or honours , or pleasures thereof , before god ( as whosoever lives in the allowance of any known sin doth ) he is a very idolater , as the apostle hath told us . fifthly , living in the breach of but one law , would as truly deprave mens natures , and make them unmeet for the enjoyment of god , as living in the breach of all . it would do so as truly and really , though not in the same degree . one sin allowed , one lust cherished , robs the soul of the divine image , renders it unlike to god , and consequently makes it uncapable of taking satisfaction or complacency in that best of beings , who is pure light , and in whom is no darkness at all . it is thereby unqualified for the heavenly , and it sinks it down into the hellish state. we say , one leak will sink a ship as sure as a thousand : and , upon this account , one sin entertained , must needs as certainly ruine our souls , if we will not part with it , as never so many . our four first considerations make it highly reasonable that it should be so , but this last makes it necessary . necessary from the very nature of the thing ; not only , nor yet primarily , from the will of god. i shall now present you with several plain inferences from what hath been said . as , i. that we ought not to account any sin a light or a small thing ; such a thing as god almighty will not concern himself about : such a thing as we may allow ourselves in , and yet be objects of the divine favour . this is evident from what we have said ; or rather is our text it self in other words . but i add , for the farther clearing of the truth hereof , that that sin which we are apt to fancy so light a matter , is either a transgression of god's law or 't is not ; if it be not , we may not acknowledge it to be a sin : for sin , as saith the apostle , is the transgression of the law ; and where there is no law there is no transgression . but if it be a transgression of the law , how can it be a light or a trivial thing ? if it be really so , then must god needs so account it , for he judges of things as they are ; but how can god so account it , when he hath made a law against it ? will his infinite wisdom suffer him to make a law , which he matters not whether it be observ'd or no ? such a law would be a very vain and needless one , and therefore cannot be of god's making . no wise man would be the maker of such a law. but because some sins are accounted small and others great , this distinction is not to be born , except we mean , that some sins are small ones in comparison of others ; not that any are absolutely and in themselves small . indeed considering sins as transgressions of god's law , so all are alike ; for one sin is not more contrary to the law than another : all are as contrary to the law as can be . that stoical paradox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , all sins are equal , tully gives this true explication of : parva inquis res est , at magna culpa ; thou sayest this is but a small thing , but i say 't is a great fault : in quo peccatur , id potest esse aliud alio majus aut minus ; that in which a man offends , may be a greater or a less thing : ipsum autem peccare , quoquo te verteris unum est . but the offending ( the sinning ) it self , is ever one and the same thing . and this amounts to what was now said , that considering sins ; as transgressions of the divine laws , so all are alike : but considering them according to various circumstances , some may be comparatively small , or much less than others . some are committed with less of the will than others ; and those , men fall into upon a surprize , and before they are aware , are nothing so great in that respect , as those which are committed with deliberation . i mean upon supposition , that a naughty custom doth not occasion the inadvertency . there are those who profane the sacred name of god by rash oaths , and by taking it into their mouths lightly and wantonly , and ( when reproved ) profess they were not aware they did so : but this is no extenuation of their fault , because such insensibility can proceed from no other cause , than mens having acquired a wretched habit of so making bold with and abusing god's name , through their minds being void of any awful sense of his glorious majesty . some sins are committed against less light and knowledge than others ; and sins against greater actual knowledge , or better means of knowledge , are in that respect the greater sins ; and therefore our lord hath assigned the greater punishment to them , mat. . . the greater obligations , and the more mercies men sin against , the greater are their sins upon that account . the more of disingenuity and hateful ingratitude there is in sins , the more hainous and provoking are they . sins are greater or less , according as the effects of them are more or less mischievous . those which injure our selves onely , are not in that respect so great , as those which injure our neighbour together with our selves . and those which are injurious to our neighbours souls , are the greatest that can be committed against them . those which are mischievous to the community are as such , much greater than those which are so only to particular persons . the worse end a man hath in a sin , the greater is it . the more of ill-nature , and a vile devilish temper is in a sin , the more exceedingly sinful ' t is . those which are transgressions of the rules of everlasting righteouss , are greater as such , than those which are onely transgressions of positive precepts . the former are more intensively evil ; they are evil not onely as violations of a declared law , but there is also turpitude and malignity in the matter of them : which malignity is the reason of the law against them . and of this nature are generally those things which are forbidden in the gospel of our saviour . and to these may be added other instances . but though upon these and other accounts , some sins are less than others , yet ( as hath been sufficiently proved ) it is impossible that any sin should be simply , and in it self little . which , by the way , is a sufficient confutation of that dangerous doctrine of the church of rome ; that there are a sort of sins which are venial in their own nature , and that cannot put us out of god's favour , tho' committed never so frequently or deliberately . ii. what hath been said may serve to vindicate our saviour's dealing with the young man in the gospel , from being too severe . such as are apt to pass hasty judgment upon the actions of others , without duely considering the reasons of them , may be apt in reading that story , not only to pity the young man , but to take his part : as thinking him too hardly dealt with , in not being accepted for his having observed the ten commandments even from his childhood , but having such father terms impos'd upon him , as forced him to go away sorrowful . surely , may such say , our lord was utterly averse to the bestowing of eternal life upon this poor man. it is said , blessed are they that do his commandments , for they shall have right unto the tree of life , but here is one who must be excepted , since obedience to the whole law , and that of so long a standing too , might signifie nothing to the intitling of him thereunto . nay our lord did at first plainly intimate to him , that keeping the commandments should be all he would expect from him ; for said he , if thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments : but when he had replyed that this he was not to begin to do now , but h●d ever done it , then was more required of him ; and that no less than the selling , and having sold , the giving away his whole estate ; which was very great . it seems as freely as eternal life was offered to others , this man must buy it , and that with no less a sum , than the price of all he had . but we are to take notice , that our blessed saviour designed to try him by this injunction , whether he really was , as he thought himself , universally obedient ; and it seem to be such another command as that of god almighty to his servant abraham , for the offering of his onely son isaac . but as abraham by his readiness to obey that command , demonstrated the sincerity of his love to god , as god himself told him , so this young man by his unwillingness to obey this command , gave as great a demonstration of his having been nothing less , than a sincere observer of all god's commandments . in short , he was by this means convicted of wretched covetousness ; in that , as desirous as he was of eternal life , he preferred his temporal estate before it . that our saviour did not thus treat him out of prejudice to his person , and with a design to affright him from him , is plain from what we find in this narrative , as st. mark relates it . 't is said , ch. . upon his telling him that he had observed all the commandments from his youth , that iesus loved him . now it is very clear from our past discourse , that there was great rèason , why this young man , as good as he was , should be sent away sorrowful , since he was no better . for though he was no murtherer , nor adulterer , nor thief , &c. in the gross sense , yet he might be all these , according to the spiritual sense and meaning of the law ; for 't is certain that in this sense he was an idolater , in that the world lay deepest in his affections , and was esteemed above god , and eternal life . iii. i infer from what hath been said , what a great weakness it is in any man to hope for salvation , because he perceives that there are many who are far greater sinners than himself , when yet he lives in the wilful commission of some known sins , or in the wilful neglect of some known duties . i doubt there are too many , who because they are not drunkards , nor unclean persons , nor profane swearers , &c. as they see multitudes are , do fa●●● all to be well with them , though they are conscious to themselves of being faulty , and that wilfully too , in other respects . they can possibly over-reach their brother , when they can do it slyly ; or if they stick at plain injustice , they can do hard things ; which will be found another day to be unjust also , and which those know to be so now , who take their measures of right and wrong from their saviour's golden rule , matth. . . they can make an idol of the world , are inamoured with either the riches , or honours , or pleasures thereof ; if not with all , yet with one or other of these , and are with great difficulty drawn to works of mercy and charity . some seem mightily devout , and zealous for the duties of the first table , and therefore take themselves for good christians , tho' they are as remiss in reference to divers duties of the second . others again are seemingly very observant of those of the second table , are sober , orderly , governable , good subjects , quiet and inoffensive neighbours ; when perhaps they are as culpable in relation to the duties of the first : live under little sense of god , of their dependance on him , and their obligations to him : worship him with their bodies , when their hearts are far from him ; and content themselves with a meer external , tho' not with a meer ritual righteousness . but why should any of us think our selves in a good state , because we live not in any of the scandalous sins ? were not those laws made to be obeyed which we break , as well as those we keep , or at least think we keep ? and , if so , how can we expect god's favour , and live in such contradiction to his will ? will you approve of that servant who wilfully disobeys some of your commands , because he observes others ? no surely , all masters will expect to be in every thing obeyed ; or at least that their servants should endeavour to obey them in all things . god will say another day to the partially obedient , these things ought you to have done , and not to have left the other undone . but how came it to be ever imagined , that god will be put off with a partiall obedience ? the mischief is , those who live not in open sins , the world , not seeing farther , hath a good opinion of them ; and therefore they will please themselves with a conceit , that god almighty hath the same . or it may be their own party will applaud those things in them , which are far from being praise-worthy . but let us not be deceived , god is not mocked , as men are ; nor will he flatter us as men do . let no man deceive us , nor let us deceive ourselves with vain words or thoughts ; for , for the sake of whatsoever sins we will not part with , be they what they will , the wrath of god will fall upon us , except it be diverted by timely repentance ; that is , by timely reformation . was the pharisee accepted of god , because he could say , god i thank thee that i am not as other men are , extortioners , unjust , adulterers , or even as this publican ? we know he was not ; for tho' he was free from the sins of many others , yet was he a pharisee still : there were secret and less observed sins , which he allowed himself in ; and therefore that publican he so despised , being a true penitent , went away iustified before him . iv. methinks those who make none , or but very little , conscience of their ways , and dare to live in open sins , should not be able to forbear being mightily concerned at what hath been said . for as the apostle saith , if the righteous scarcely be saved ( or have such a portion of misery in this life ) where shall the wicked and ungodly appear ? we may say , if those who are seemingly righteous , or have a regard to most of god's laws , not heartily endeavouring to obey them all , shall fall short of salvation , what shall become of such as are apparently , and in the eye of the world , wicked and ungodly ? prophane and debauched people are vniversally acknowledged to be objects of the divine displeasure ; and therefore whatsoever vain hopes those , who are not guilty of the crimes which speak men such , may have of the goodness of their state , one would presume that these could have no temptation to hope well of themselves , while they continue impenitent and unreformed . some mens sins , saith st. paul , are open before hand , going before to judgment ; and some , they follow after . some mens sins are so conspicuous , that they may be pronounc't to be in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity , in this life : the sins of others are more secret , the judgment of whom is to be reserved to the great day . but alas , such is the nature of sin , that the greatest sinners are least sensible of their danger . none shall be more forward than they , to perswade themselves of god's pardon ; especially if after a wretched life they can but make a good end , as the phrase is ; that is , be sorry for their sins , for fear of hell , when they can sin no longer , and call upon their saviour at the last gasp. but if the hopes of a man who can't be prevailed with , to be intirely obedient , be vain and groundless , then the hopes of such sinners as these , must needs be ( do i say vain too ? they must be ) mad hopes . what is the hope of the hypocrite , when god taketh away his soul ? said upright iob : and therefore what hope can those have , who to that time have lived dissolutely , and been open violators of gods laws ? and now i shall shut up this discourse , with seriously applying my self to those , who dare not run with the now mentioned sort of sinners to their excess of riot , but yet harbour in their breasts some secret sins still . i beseech you think well of the words of our text , which taken in the most candid sense may well scare you also ; may throughly convince you of the absolute necessity of intire obedience . and that you may be effectually perswaded of it : first , consider how wonderfully you are obliged to your infinitely good god , in that he hath , through christ , declared himself so exceedingly willing , to pardon all sins not allowed and liv'd in . can you be so foolish and ill-natured , as thus to requite the lord ? is it not matter of unspeakable thankfulness , that god will be reconciled to sinners upon any terms possible , and can we desire he should be , upon more reasonable terms ? if thou lord shouldst mark iniquities , o lord who shall stand ? but there is forgiveness with thee , that thou maist be feared . this is the use we ought to make of the goodness of god , and his readiness to forgive ; and 't is an argument of an intolerably bad temper , not to be induced to fear to offend him , by the consideration hereof . seeing god is pleased to assure us of his pardon thro' the sacrifice of his son , so we will do what lyeth in us for the time to come to please him , he is as gracious to us as we can reasonably wish he would be . with what face then can we desire to persist longer in any one instance of disobedience ? there is no honest soul , but thinks it extremely too much , that he sometimes trangresseth against his will , and before he is aware , and his weaknesses and infirmities do very heartily afflict him ; then surely if we are sincere , we shall not indure to add wickednesses to our weaknesses , nor deliberate presumptuous sins to those of infirmity . it will grieve us at heart , that we find our selves constrained to beg pardon so often for weaknesses ; so far shall we be from making through wilfulness , or carelesness , more work for repentance . secondly , consider how gracious god hath been to you , in continuing his restraining grace , whereby you have been kept from scandalous sins ; whereas he hath had most just provocations to leave you to your selves , in regard of your allowance of secret ones . many fearful examples there have been of those who have been thus punish't , for their hypocrisy and playing fast-and-loose with god ; obeying him in some things , and making bold with him in others : and 't is gods infinite mercy that you are not yet in the number of such examples . while any corrupt affection is gratified by us , we are prepared ( as hath been shewed ) to close with the very worst of temptations , when so ever we may be violently assaulted by them . now it is only the good providence and grace of god , which hath hitherto kept off such temptations ; and the wicked one not flinging the most fiery darts he hath in his quiver at us , is wholly to be imputed to the divine restraints : but how soon we may be abandoned by the divine providence , to the rage and fury of that roaring lyon , which goeth up and down seeking to devour us , we cannot tell ; but have cause still to be expecting so great a judgment , while we refuse to be intirely god's servants . thirdly , let the partially obedient consider , what unaccountable folly and madness it is , to disobey god in any thing . what can you say for your selves , why you should obey him but just so far ? is there not the same reason , why you should be in every thing obedient , that there is , why you should be in any thing so ? is it most reasonable to obey him in some things , and is it not so to obey him in all things ? can we say that god goes beyond his power in imposing some laws ; or that those we dislike , are less reasonable than his other laws ? surely we dare not admit such a thought . is it possible then , that we can think it fit or tolerable , that the great creator and governour of the world should be in any thing disobeyed ? such a worm as thy self art highly offended with thy servant , when he willingly disobeys thee ; and too often when he does so against his will : but is thy authority over thy servant equal to god almighty's over thee ? are the obligations in which he stands to thee , like those in which thou standest to god ? or is there any comparison between those encouragements , thou art able to give thy servant to please thee , and those which god gives thee to please him ? who would not think himself greatly affronted , to have such questions seriously put to him ? and this minds me to entreat you , fourthly , to consider what a glorious reward is assured to us , to encourage us to obey . it is called a crown of righteousness , a crown of life , and a crown of glory . there are given to us , for this end , exceeding great and precious promises , as st. peter calls them . a promise of seeing god even as he is : of being forever with our lord iesus christ : of beholding the glory which the father hath given him ; and of partaking too of his own glory , and that to all eternity : a promise that the righteous shall shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of the father : of their being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . equal with the glorious angels : and of having their vile bodies made like unto christ's most glorious body . which , and many other such like , promises our lord confirmed by innumerable miracles , wonders and signs ; and then sealed them with his blood , and next , by his resurrection from the dead , and ascension into heaven : whither he declared he went , as the fore-runner of his obedient disciples , there to prepare a place for them ; that where he is , there they may be also . and lastly , he confirmed these exceeding great and precious promises , by sending the holy ghost , according to his promise before he left the world. now , who can have any worthy sense of the reward of obedience , and think much of obeying in any one instance , tho' much more were required of him than there is ? if the apostle said of the sufferings of that present time , ( which were extraordinary and prodigious ones , and especially those which himself underwent ) that they are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us ; much more may this be said of the services of this life , of all the duties to which our creator and redeemer have oblig'd us . and therefore , fifthly , let it be likewise considered , that , as vastly great as the reward of obedience shall be , there is no more required of us under the gospel dispensation , than , all things considered , needs must . it may with the greatest assurance be affirmed , that nothing is now commanded , but what is necessary to make us capable of the glorious inheritance purchased for us ; or doth tend to the better inabling us for those duties , which are of indispensable necessity to this end : and that nothing is forbidden us , which doth not either directly or consequentially tend to make us unmeet for that inheritance . so that to complain of any one of our lord's precepts , is the same thing with finding fault with him , for designing to make us such happy creatures . sixthly , consider also , that the laws which are given us , as they are most necessary , so they are not so many , as that we need to be scared at them . many are apt to think , that because the bible is a great book , the divine laws are almost numberless . but the far greater part of the bible consists of history , and relations of matters of fact , and of pious mens devout prayers and praises , &c. and in the preceptive part , there are very many laws which are abrogated , and never concerned christians : and those which are of force , are many of them abundance of times repeated and inculcated . in short , our whole duty may be brought into a very narrow compass . st. paul reduceth it to three heads , sobriety , righteousness and godliness : and our blessed saviour to two , the love of god , and our neighbour ; and the particular instances of each of these , are easily and quickly learn't . nay they are generally written in our hearts , as st. paul tells us ; i.e. are the plain dictates of natural reason . seventhly , let us farther consider , that there is so close a connexion between them all , that obedience to one law will inable us to obey another , and so on : and the performance of one duty , will prepare us for another , and make it easie to us . and on the other hand , the breach of one law will cause carelessness in keeping other laws ; and no sin goes alone . so that 't is but a bare supposition in the text , that a man may keep the whole law , and offend but in one point , or slight one law , and observe all the rest ; for there can really be no such thing ; as is evident from what hath been now discoursed . eighthly , i may also add , that there is no necessity of being very solicitous , about any more than one thing , in order to our keeping god's laws ; and that is the vigorously possessing our souls with the love of god. this , saith st. iohn , is the love of god , that we keep his commandments , ( or , this is a necessary expression thereof ) and his commandments are not grievous : namely to those that love god. and what can we imagine so natural to creatures capable of understanding god , as loving him with all their hearts , considering the infinite loveliness of his nature , and the inexpressible obligations he hath laid upon them ? what so agreeable to our nature , as to love him who is the author of our being , after whose image we were made , who is the centre of our souls , and in whom alone consisteth our true happiness ? and 't is very easy to shew , that the love of god will naturally draw after it , all those duties which relate , either immediately to him , or to our neighbour , or to our own souls and bodies . now , considering these things , well may god almighty expostulate with partially obedient christians , as once he did with such iews , and that with greater reason , o my people , what have i done unto thee ? and wherein have i wearied thee ? testify against me . he hath been indeed so far from wearying us with his impositions , that every good christian's experience is able to testify that the greatest satisfaction , the truest self-enjoyment , ariseth from the observance of his laws . nor can it be otherwise , since love , and the love of god , is the fulfilling of them . for what so pleasant as love , and much more as love placed on such an object as god is ? we ought therefore to be so far from thinking much of yielding obedience to all his laws , that we are highly disingenuous , if we be not heartily thankful to him , for giving us so few , and those such as in obedience to which consists such pleasure . in the last place , and with these words i will conclude , what a sad thing , and miserable disappointment , must it needs be , to come near to the kingdom of heaven , and yet at last fall short of it , for want of going a little farther ? may all partially obedient professors of christianity , consider this also , and lay it well to heart . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e tim. . . iob , . . psal. . , . rom. . . mica . . . a second defence of the propositions by which the doctrine of the holy trinity is so explained according to the ancient fathers, as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason : in answer to a socinian manuscript, in a letter to a friend : together, with a third defence of those propositions, in answer to the newly published reflexions, contained in a pamphlet, entituled, a letter to the reverend clergy of both universities / both by the author of those propositions. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a second defence of the propositions by which the doctrine of the holy trinity is so explained according to the ancient fathers, as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason : in answer to a socinian manuscript, in a letter to a friend : together, with a third defence of those propositions, in answer to the newly published reflexions, contained in a pamphlet, entituled, a letter to the reverend clergy of both universities / both by the author of those propositions. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed for b. aylmer ..., london : . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. attributed to edward fowler. cf. nuc pre- . the "socinian manuscript" was submitted to fowler by giles firmin. errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng fowler, edward, - . -- certain propositions by which the doctrine of the h. trinity is so explain'd. firmin, giles, - . -- socinian manuscript. tindal, matthew, ?- . -- letter to the reverend clergy of both universities. trinity -- controversial literature -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a second defence of the propositions , by which the doctrine of the holy trinity is so explained , according to the ancient fathers , as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason . in answer to a socinian manuscript , in a letter to a friend . together , with a third defence of those propositions , in answer to the newly published reflexions , contained in a pamphlet , entituled , a letter to the reverend clergy of both universities . both by the author of those propositions . london , printed for b. aylmer at the three pidgeons in cornhil , errata . page . line . dele is . p. . l. . for doth read do . p. . l. . for that proceed from the sun r. that proceeds , without the sun. p. . l. . for pooceed r. proceed . p. . l. . for stages r. stage ) . l. . for soul ) r. souls . p. . l. . for incorporal r. incorporeal . p. . l. . for does r. do . the preface . the propositions relating to the doctrin of the h. trinity , were but twenty-one when the manuscript mentioned in the title-page , was writ against them : but all the twenty-eight , which since came out , are implyed in them . and i acknowledge that those written papers occasioned my making them so many more , to put the explication more out of danger of misconstruction . there is likewise some difference in the wording of those twenty-one and the title , and two or three small additions , but the sence of both is exactly the same . those i drew up in compliance with a gentleman of as great worth as quality , who requested me to give him in writing the sence , he once heard me affirm to be the most ancient , of this grand article of our faith ; and in my opinion incomparably preferrable to the later hypotheses . and falling into this method , of expressing , clearing , and confirming the fathers notion of the trinity , by propositions , i delivered , when i had finished them , a fair copy of them to that gentleman , and gave my foul one to a friend , who needed satisfaction about this great point . this person , some time after , brought me from a socinian acquaintance of his , an answer to my paper , concealing his name from me : and i sent him my thoughts of his performance , as soon as my occasions would permit me to consider it ; which are contained in the next following defence . only in what i now publish , i abridge a little in a few places of what i writ , nor is there any other considerable alteration . and as i printed not more than an hundred copies of the propositions , till i reply'd to the answer to them , a while since publish'd by another hand ; so the now coming abroad of this answer , is solely occasion'd by the new reflections . but if it be thought no fair dealing with my adversary , that i do not publish also his papers , i have this to say , i have them not to publish , but returned them at his desire , who brought them to me , not thinking it worth the while to take a copy of them , since i had not then a thought of ever printing my reply . but if i have played any tricks in transcribing what i animadvert upon ( which is the substance of the whole ) both my adversary and his friend are able to let the world be acquainted with them . but i abhor such doings . the twenty eight propositions . . the name of god is used in more sences than one in holy scripture . . the most absolutely perfect being , is god in the highest sence . . self-existence is a perfection , and seems to be the highest of all perfections . . god the father alone , is in reference to his manner of existence an absolutely perfect being ; because he alone is self-existent . . he alone , consequently , is absolutely perfect , in reference to those perfections , which do presuppose self-existence . . those perfections are absolute independence , and being the first original of all other beings : in which the son and the holy ghost are comprehended . . all trinitarians do acknowledg , that these two persons are from god the father . this is affirmed in that creed which is called the nicene , and in that which falsly bears the name of athanasius : tho' with this difference , that the holy ghost is asserted in them , to be from the son as well as from the father . wherein the greek church differs from the latin. . it is therefore a flat contradiction , to say that the second and third persons are self existent . . and therefore it is alike contradictions , to affirm them to be beings absolutely perfect in reference to their manner of existence ; and to say that they have the perfections of absolute independence , and of being the first originals of all things . . since the father alone is a being of the most absolute perfection , he having those perfections which the other two persons are uncapable of having ; he alone is god in the absolute highest sence . . and therefore our blessed saviour calls him , the onely true god , joh. . . this is life eternal , to know thee the onely true god , and jesus christ , whom thou hast sent . and it is most absurd to think , that in these words , and the following prayer , he did address himself to the three persons of the trinity conjunctly , since throughout the prayer he calls this onely true god his father ; and calls himself twice his son , before these words . not to mention the absurdity of making our lord to pray to himself , or of distinguishing himself from those three , of which himself was one. if such a liberty as this , in interpreting scripture , be allowable , what work may be made with scripture ! . our lord calls the father , the onely true god , because he only is originally , and of himself god , and the first original of all beings whatsoever . as he calls him the onely good , saying , there is none good but god , because he alone is originally so , and the spring of all that good which is in other beings . . the god head , or god in this highest sence , can be but one numerically . of which the best philosophers were satisfied by their reason ; and therefore the oneness so frequently affirmed of him in scripture is a numerical oneness . . there seems to be neither contradiction , nor absurdity , in supposing the first original of all things , to be productive of other beings so perfect , as to have all perfections , but that of self-existence , and those which are necessarily therein implyed . . supposing any such beings to have immediately issued forth from that infinite fullness , and foecundity of being , which is in the deity , each of them must have a right to the name of god , in a sence next to that in which it is appropriated to the father ; since they have all the perfections of the godhead , but those that must of necessity be peculiar to him. . it is evident from the holy scripture , that the son and holy spirit are such beings , viz. that they have all divine perfections but the forementioned : such as unlimited power , wisdom , goodness , &c. . and they are always spoken of in scripture , as distinct beings or persons , according to the proper signification of this word , both from the father and from each other . nor are so many men or angels more expresly distinguished as different persons or substances , by our saviour or his apostles , than the father , son and holy ghost still are . . it is a very presumptuous conceit , that there can be no way but that of creation , whereby any thing can be immediately and onely from god , which hath a distinct existence of its own . or , that no beings can have existence from him , by way of necessary emanation : of which we have a clearer idaea than of voluntary creation . it is the word of the ancients both fathers and philosophers ; nor can a better be found to express what is intended by it , viz. a more excellent way of existing , than that of creation . . it is no less presumptuous to affirm , that it is a contradiction to suppose , that a being can be from eternity from god the father , if 't is possible it may be from him , in a more excellent way than that of creation . and we have an illustration of both these propositions , by something in nature . for , according to our vulgar philosophy , light doth exist by necessary emanation from the sun , and therefore the sun was not before the light which proceeds from thence , in order of time , tho' it be in order of nature before it . and the distinction between these two priorities , is much elder than thomas aquinas , or peter lombard , or any school-man of them all , or christian-man either . . and if any thing can be from another thing by way of necessary emanation , it is so far from a contradiction to suppose , that it must only be in order of nature before it ; that 't is most apparently a contradiction to suppose the contrary . . our th . and th . propositions do speak our explication of the h. trinity , to be as contrary to arianism as to socinianism ; since the arians assert , that there was at least a moment of time , when the son was not ; and that he is a creature . . altho' we cannot understand , how it should be no contradiction to affirm , that the three persons are but one numerical being , or substance ; yet hath it not the least shadow of a contradiction to suppose , that there is an unconceivably close and inseparable union both in will and nature between them . and such a union may be much more easily conceived between them , than can that union which is between our souls and bodies ; since these are substances which are of the most unlike and even contrary natures . . since we cannot conceive the first original of all things , to be more than one numerically ; and that we acknowledg the now mentioned union between the three persons , according to the scriptures , together with the intire dependence of the two latter upon the first person , the unity of the deity is , to all intents and purposes , as fully asserted by us , as it is necessary or reasonable it should be . . and no part of this explication , do we think repugnant to any text of scripture ; but it seems much the easiest way of reconciling those texts which according to the other hypotheses , are not reconcilable , but by offering manifest violence to them . . the socinians must needs confess , that the honour of the father , for which they express a very zealous concern , is as much as they can desire taken care of by this explication . nor can the honour of the son and holy spirit be more consulted , than by ascribing to them all perfections , but what they cannot have , without the most apparent contradiction ascribed to them . . and we would think it impossible , that any christian should not be easily perswaded , to think as honourably of his redeemer and sanctifier as he can , while he robs not god the father for their sake ; and offers no violence to the sence and meaning of divine revelations , nor to the reason of his mind . . there are many things in the notion of one god , which all hearty theists will acknowledg necessary to be conceived of him , that are as much above the reach and comprehension of humane understandings , as is any part of this explication of the h. trinity . nay , this may be affirmed , even of the notion of self-existence ; but yet there cannot be an atheist so silly as to question it : since it is not more evident , that one and two do make three , than that there could never have been any thing , if there were not something which was always , and never began to be . . lest novelty should be objected against this explication , and therefore such should be prejudiced against it , as have a veneration for antiquity , we add , that it well agrees with the account which several of the nicene fathers , even athanasius himself , and others of the ancients who treat of this subject , do in divers places of their works give of the trinity : as is largely shewed by two very learned divines of our church . and had it not been for the school-men , to whom christianity is little beholden , as much as some admire them , we have reason to believe that the world would not have been troubled since the fall of arianism , with such controversies about this great point , as it hath been and continues to be . this explication of the b. trinity perfectly agrees with the nicene creed , as it stands in our liturgy , without offering the least violence to any one word in it . which makes our lord jesus christ to be from god the father by way of emanation ; affirming him to be god of god , very god of very god , and metaphorically expressing it by light of light ; answerably to what the author to the hebrews saith of him , ch. . . viz. that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the effulgency of his glory , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the character of his substance : and so is as much of one substance with the father , as the beams of the sun are with the body of it . and since there have been of late so many explications or accounts published of this most adorable mystery , which have had little better success than making sport for the socinians , i thought it very seasonable now to revive that , which i affirm with great assurance to be the most ancient one of all ; much elder than the council of nice ; and to have much the fewest difficulties in it , and to be incomparably most agreeable to h. scripture . the defence , &c. sir , i have perused your friends answer to the paper i put into your hand , and here hope to give you a satisfactory reply to it . i shall dispatch his preface in a few words . he saith , that the trinitarians have in vain tryed their strength against their adversaries . and there 's no doubt of it , if their adversaries may be judges . as to his saying , that the vanquished victors are ( viz. among the trinitarians ) for each buys his victory with the loss of his own explanatory hypothesis ; i confess i have that soft place in my head , which in his great modesty he saith our education has given us , that disables me to understand the sence of that saying : and am inclined to think , that the inversion thereof would have been better sence , how true soever it would have been , viz. the victors vanquished are ; since it follows , for each buys his victory , &c. and whereas he saith , that in their unitarian tracts , they have thrown a stone of contention among the trinitarians , and this stone has committed them among themselves : to pass by the conceitedness of this latter phrase , and the paedantry of affecting to speak english in latin phrases , sound they never so untowardly , i may i hope without offence tell him , that neither are the socinians at a perfect agreement in their notions : as particularly in that question relating to the h. ghost , viz. whether he be a person or no ; or a meer divine vis or energy : the followers of mr biddle asserting him to be a person , viz. an angel. nor need i tell him what a controversie hath been among them , about the adorability of our b. saviour ; wherein they are not of a mind yet , and i doubt never will be . and many more disagreements in their opinions , may be instanced in , if i cared to go on upon this topick . but what tho' the trinitarians differ in some particulars , in their explication of the trinity , so long as they agree in the main substance ? i mean , what if they differ in certain notions relating to this doctrine , wherein the h. scriptures are silent , so long as they are agreed in what the scriptures expresly say of it , or of any one of the persons of which the trinity consisteth ? and they all agree in giving divine perfections to each of them ; which the scriptures most expresly do . and in affirming them consequently to be each of them god , which also they believe the scriptures affirm them expresly to be . and farther they agree in believing them to be one god ; tho' they are not all agreed in what sence they are one ; nor in the notion of the word person , as relating to them ; nor in their opinion about using that word . but if any of them have such a value for their own explications , as to be severe upon such as dissent from them in any of the less certain parts of them , i will not , i cannot , apologize for this . and now , sir , i follow your friend from his own preface , to my papers title , which is this : an explication of the doctrine of the trinity in certain propositions , which speak it to be agreeable with natural reason , and therefore intelligible , tho' not comprehensible by our shallow capacities . and here he is pleased to exclaim somewhat tragically , against my distinguishing between intelligible , and comprehensible . i am , saith he , perfectly amazed at this his distinction . i will not say , that i am amazed at his amazement , but it seems somewhat strange to me , that first , he should call this my distinction , when i should think he hath heard and read it a thousand times ; since there is no distinction more common . and therefore , secondly , that he should be amazed , nay perfectly amazed at it . and thirdly , that he should be so , for such a reason as this that follows , viz. that which makes a doctrine unintelligible , is its disagreeableness to reason ; therefore if the doctrine of the trinity be not disagreeable to reason , neither is it unintelligible ; and if it be not unintelligible , neither is it incomprehensible . i answer , that i think the obscure expressing a doctrine may also make it unintelligible : but this his reason may be expressed in these fewer words , i am perfectly amazed at this mans distinction between intelligible and comprehensible , because they ought not to be distinguished : or , as he adds , because they are synonimous , and signify one as much as the other . but sure your friend cannot think , i should have such an opinion of a perfect stranger , as to be satisfied with his bare word for this . he is perfectly amazed at my distinguishing betwixt intelligible and comprehensible : i ask why ? he answers , because they ought not to be distinguished . but i am so impertinent as to ask again , why they ought not ? and he so magisterial , as to let me have no other answer than , i say they ought not . but he needs not be told , that tho' these two words are sometimes used in the same sence , yet not always ; but have most frequently different significations . comprehensible always implyes intelligible ; but intelligible is found innumerable times , not to imply comprehensible . and therefore comprehensible is taken either in a larger , or a stricter sence : and in my distinction , as he calls it , 't is taken in the stricter , as for the most part it is . even his dictionary will tell him , that comprehendere signifies something , that intelligere doth not . and according to the most proper acceptation of the word , there is as much difference between these two , as there is , between seeing a thing and looking through it ; or understanding it , and compleatly understanding it , and having an adoequate preception of it . and indeed , if your friend had learnt socrates his first lesson , he would acknowledg himself so short-fighted a mortal , as , tho' he understands many things , not to be able to comprehend the most obvious ones . he would acknowledg that in this state , things are only to be understood by their properties , and certain modes , and that the naked essence neither of a spirit nor of a body is known to us . in short , had i distinguished between intelligible and apprehensible , your friend might have had more cause for amazement . next he saith , that the incomprehensibility of god himself implyes no more , than what the apostle expresseth , when he saith , his ways are past finding out ; we cannot understand them , that signifies as much as , we cannot comprehend them . now it is my turn to be amazed ; at least this sentence must be greatly surprizing to more heads , than those that have ( like trinitarians ) a soft place in them . for , first , who hath so hard , or so large a head , as to find only the ways of god incomprehensible to him ? as to be able to comprehend gods nature and glorious attributes ? second , if comprehending must needs be no more than understanding , there cannot be a proposition less true than this , that we cannot comprehend gods ways ; for mankind is capable of understanding them , or god almighty would never have appealed to the jews as he did , about the equity of his ways . and therefore when the apostle saith , his ways are past finding out , his meaning must be , they are not to be comprehended by us , in our sence of the word : we cannot grasp , or fathom them ; they are of too great a depth for us to dive to the bottom of them . and now , sir , i believe you are sufficiently prepared to wonder , if not to be amazed at this following saying of your friend , viz. it were a very hard thing , that a law should be passed , postnate to a crime , on purpose for the taking off one particular offender ; and 't is as unreasonable , that a distinction should be coyned ( viz. this between intelligible and comprehensible ) purely for the service of a particular mystery ; and when that is done , can be of no further use , unless new mysteries were to be created . and i appeal to your self , as much as you may be byassed by affection to your friend , not only whether all he hath said about this distinction , be not unaccountably strange , but likewise , whether i have not given a more than sufficient answer to the request he makes me in these words : ignorant , or unthinking people , may be cheated with an empty verbal distinction , but since a. t. ( by which letters he all along decyphereth me , and i understand he means by them the anonymous trinitarian ) offers his explanation to satisfie men that are knowing , as well as religious , scholars as well as christians , i must beg him to assign the difference between these two words , intelligible and comprehensible . and he guesseth what answer i will make , in these words ; i am apt to think that he will tell me , we can well understand that this proposition is true , three are one ; but we cannot understand the manner how three should be one : and then makes this reply upon me , now he might as well say , we comprehend the truth of this proposition , but we do not understand the manner ; but then what becomes of his distinction ? but he might have saved himself the pains of putting words into my mouth , and then replying upon them : for you have seen he is much out in his guess what i would answer ; and if he were not , i should be content to be told that i have more than one soft place in my head. for what should ayl me to offer at an explication of the doctrine of the trinity , agreeable with natural reason , if i did think what he would have me say , that 't is impossible to understand the manner how three should be one ? and now he saith , he will take his leave of my title , with these two propositions . . three are one , is not true in a sence that is disagreeable to reason ; and the sence of a proposition that is not disagreeable to reason is intelligible and comprehensible . to which he must needs , by this time , expect this reply , it is intelligible , but 't is not therefore comprehensible . . he that understands the truth of a proposition , understands the manner in which it is true ; and he which does not understand the manner in which a proposition is true , does not understand the truth of a proposition , but takes it on authority . this proposition of his is worded very oddly , i cannot make better sence of it , than by thus expressing it : he who assents to the truth of a proposition , understands the sence in which it is true ; but he that does not understand the sence , does not assent to a proposition , but assents to it upon authority . now the former part of this proposition is sence , but nothing to the present purpose ; but the latter is neither to the purpose nor sence ; as i need not inform you . and now , sir , your friend is at length come to my propositions . as prop. . god is a being absolutely perfect . to this he saith all theists agree it . prop. . that being which wants any one perfection , cannot be absolutely perfect . that is , in the strictest sence of that phrase , as i afterwards explained my self . and he saith , that this proposition is self-evident ; as who sees not that so it is ? but his consequence is so far from being so , that it is a false one , viz. therefore our b. saviour is not god , but in a metaphorical sence , &c. but had he had but a little patience , he might quickly have seen , that notwithstanding our lord is not self-existent , there is no necessity of his being god only in a metaphorical sence . prop. . self-existence is a perfection , and seems to be the highest ; it being an abatement of any other perfections greatness and excellency , tho' in it self boundless , not to be originally in him who hath it , but derivatively . to this he saith , that self-existence does not only seem , but is the highest perfection . this he might perceive i could have told him , as well as he me ; but 't is no fault to express our selves a little modestly , tho' he all along seems to be of another mind . but whereas he here saith , that creatures perfections are improperly so called , with respect to the creatures ; as he afterwards found , i by no means acknowledg , either the son , or . h. ghost to be creatures , so we have only his word for it , that the perfections of creatures are improperly so called with respect to them . prop. . god th father alone ( strictly speaking ) is a being absolutely perfect , because he alone is self existent ; and all other beings , even the son and holy ghost are from him. this all trinitarians do acknowledg , and is asserted both in the nicene creed , and that which bears the name of athanasius . this proposition too must needs down with your friend , but he likes not the parenthesis , strictly speaking , and saith he is very suspicious of it , not that he thinks a. t. inserted it to help a cause off the weakness , whereof he was jealous , but yet to make his scheme the more accountable . i thank the gentleman for being so modest in this wipe ; but he could not wonder , had he read to the end of my propositions before he entred on his animadversions , that i should here insert the foresaid parenthesis . for i do affirm the son and h. ghost to be absolutely perfectly beings , in reverence to the perfections of their nature ; that is , that they are all boundless and infinite ; and that they have all perfections they can have , without a contradiction ; and those are all but self existence , and what necessarily follows upon it , viz. being the first original of all things ; and i add too absolute independence . but more of this anon . the four next propositions , he hath no controversy with me about . but now , sir , comes a proposition that makes your friend tearingly angry , viz. prop. . a being which hath all the divine perfections , that are capable of being communicated , may be properly said to be essentially god , upon the account of those perfections ; or to be indued with the divine nature . this he calls a gross proposition , because it contradicts , not only common sence and reason , but even all that a. t. hath advanced . this is , sir , a heavy charge , but we must wait a while before he makes it out , that this proposition is contradictory to common sence and reason ; for he thus goes on : he had advanced , that god is a being absolutely perfect : that a being which wants any one perfection , can not be absolutely perfect : that self-existence is the highest perfection : that jesus christ and the h. ghost are not self - existent : that they depend on god the father : that god the father is the original ( he should have said the first original ) of all things : and that he can be but one numerically . he should have said , that god , in this highest of sences , can be but one numerically . and now he saith , that point-blank against all this , a. t. affirms that a being which is not absolutely perfect , which wants self existence , which wants the highest perfection , which derives it self from god , which depends on god the original of all things , who is but one numerically , may be properly said to be essentially god , upon the account of some perfections ( for two it seems are not communicated ) or to be induced with the divine nature . now , sir , what a multiplying of words is here ! which wants self-existence , which wants the highest perfection , which derives it self from god ; as if these three were more than one thing : tho i had no such expression neither as , derives it self from god. and he is a little injurious to me too , in representing me as saying , that the son and holy ghost have only some perfections , notwithstanding the following parenthesis ; whereas he knows he ought to have represented me as saying , that they have all that are capable of being communicated ; which are all but self-existence , and what is necessarily therein implyed . and i say , that this is not capable of being communicated , because there is not a more gross contradiction , than to say it is . but how is this proposition point-blank contrary to my foregoing ones ? this question he answers by askking questions . for he next saith , he must make bold to ask me these following questions : and i will answer them , as well as i can , as he asks them . quest. . doth the divine nature comprehend all perfections ; or can it want one or two of the chiefest , and be still the same divine nature ? i answer , that the divine nature doth comprehend all perfections ; but self existence is a perfection relating immediately to the fathers existence ; not to his nature or essence ; it speaking the most excellent manner of existing peculiar to himself . even as adam's coming into being by gods immediate creation , speaks not the humane nature in him , a different nature from that of his posterity , tho it spakes his person to have an excellency above all that have come into the world by ordinary generation : and as the humane nature of our b. saviour is not of a different kind from other mens , because he came by it in a supernatural way , so , i say , god the father's existence being without a cause , doth not make him to have another sort of nature , from that of the son and h ghost ; which may be a necessary nature , and uncreated , and be constituted of all the boundless perfections , of which the nature of the father consists abstracted from the consideration of the manner of his existence , notwithstanding whatsoever your friend can object against the possibility thereof : and notwithstanding any thing i have said in my first . propositions , this may be asserted , without danger of being caught at contradicting my self ; as i hope you 'l be convinc't anon . and now for his next question . quest. . can the divine nature be communicated to a being , when less than all perfections are communicated to it ? i answer , that if you 'l read again what i have said to the former question , you will find there needs no other answer to this . but i must blame the wording of this question , because it seems to suppose prae existent beings to which the divine nature is communicated . whereas the possibility of the existence of other beings from god the father , which have the perfections of his own nature , is that which is to be understood by the communicableness of those perfections . quest. . can a being that depends on god , be properly said to be essentially that god , on whom it depends ? i answer , that such a being can be properly said to be essentially that god in one sence , but cannot in another . i. e. it can have an essence of the same kind , tho' not the same numerical one . quest. . can a being that distinguisheth it self from the only true god , be properly said to be essentially that god , who is the onely true god , and but one numerically ? i answer , that because he loves needlesly to multiply questions , i am not obliged so to multiply answers . and this being the self-same with the other question , i have given my answer to it . and now i hope the gentleman may be satisfied of the true reason of my parenthesis in the th . proposition ; namely , because the son and h. ghost may be absolutely perfect as to their nature , abstracted as i said from the consideration of the manner of their existence ; wherein yet they may be said infinitely to excel even arch-angels : these existing by voluntary creation , but those by necessary emanation : which is the word of the ancients , and i cannot find a better , to express what is intended by it , viz. a more excellent manner of existence , than that of creation . which thousands of persons , no whit inferiour to the greatest masters of reason , the socinians can bost of ( both ancient and modern , divines and philosophers ) have not thought deserves to be scoffed at , as non-sence and a contradiction to natural reason , as much as it is above the comprehension thereof ; and is every whit as intelligible as are many notions relating to the deitt , in which all true theists as well as christians are agreed ; and also as are not a few relating to our own souls , their powers and faculties , and their union with , and influence upon , our bodies ; and as are innumerable notions too relating to material things , which an experimental philosopher cannot doubt the truth of . in the next place , sir , your friend saith , he despairs of hearing a wise word answered to these questions , viz. the forementioned . but i will not say , where was his wisdom then , when he askt them ; because you will reply , they are however wise questions , if they serve to expose the trinitarian to whom they are put , and to make his explication of the doctrine of the trinity down right non-sence . but i reply , let the unbyassed readers judge of this ; and sir i heartily wish , that your self may be one of them . and whereas he saith , that he will do what he can , to prevent troubling ( that is my troubling ) the questions , with confused empty jargon : my answer is , that i think i have not at all troubled the questions , whether i shall trouble him or no , by my answering them . but i expect he will tell you , that my answers are confused empty jargon , and if he will please to tell me so , i shall give him no rougher reply than this , sir , this is a rare demonstration , that your self is one of those anti-trinitarians , whom you extol in the beginning of your answer to my propositions , as having modestly , as well as learnedly and piously , and strongly impugned , the commonly received doctrine of the trinity . but how does he endeavour to prevent my troubling his questions , with confused empty jargon ? he does it thus : by essence , i suppose he means nature . i answer , i am willing to do so too . and , saith he , in that respect perhaps . men who have the same nature , may be properly said to be essentially one , but not essentially one person . i answer , this may be more than a perhaps ; but he may perceive by my th . proposition ( now the . ) that i am far from thinking the . persons in the h. trinity to be in so low a sence one as . men are . but , proceeds he the nature of the self-existent god , is above the nature of all beings which proceed from him ; and it can not be communicated . i answer , that the individual nature of the father , is not a divine nature more truly than that of the two other persons : but how does he prove that his nature cannot be communicated ? why , saith he , we have no other notion of the word communicate , but to impart or give ; and what one person does impart or give , of any essential and singular thing , that himself hath not , but he hath it to whom it is given . it may be some will say , thus it is among finite creatures , but the essence of god is not of the same condition , &c. but as god said to job , who is this that darkneth councell by words without knowledge ? it may be replyed to this man , who is he that multiplyeth words without knowledge ? for it is not thus , as he positively asserts , even among creatures . for there is not a creature that generates another of the same kind , but may be properly said to communicate its own nature , and yet notwithstanding it foregoes not its own individual nature , nor any part thereof . what a boldness then is it to affirm , that the infinite creator cannot do the like ! he that planted the ear shall he not hear ? and he that formed the eye shall not he see ? he that hath gi-given a generative power to the meanest of creatures , or creatures that have the lowest degree of life , shall not he have the same power himself ? i mean a power of doing that which may be called generating his own essential likeness , in an inconceivably infinitely more excellent manner . i wish , sir , your friend would well lay to heart that old maxim , temerè affirmare , vel negare de deo periculosum est . which i will english to you , who i doubt are no great latinist , 't is a dangerous thing to affirm or deny any thing rashly of god , as to the little that remains upon this proposition , it consists of a repetition of what i have answered , and of what he repeats upon the next proposition , which i will answer . and indeed , sir , your friend is excellently good , next to dareing assertions , at repetitions , and saying things , that are nothing , or very little , to the purpose . but you will find every thing , to have more or less spoken to it , that is but one remove from what is nothing but mere words . and now to what he animadverts on the th . proposition . prop. . there seems to be no contradiction , nor the least absurdity in asserting , that god is able to communicate every one of his perfections , except those of self-existence , and being the first original of all things . by the way , my meaning in these words , appears plainly by other following propositions , to be this . that there is no contradiction or absurdity in asserting , that such beings may have their original from god the father , as have all perfections but those two ; and which indeed ( as i have said ) do amount to but one . now what faith your friend to this ? he tells us in the first place . that for the same reason that these two are incommunicable , all the other divine perfections are likewise so . and whereas he assigns two reasons , why god cannot communicate these two , he saith for the same reasons , he cannot communicate any of his other perfections . but how egregiously absurd is it , to go about to give reasons , why god cannot communicate his self-existence , and his being the first original of all things ? since that he cannot communicate these , is a first and self-evident principle : and therefore is uncapable , as all such principles are , of being demonstrated ; as every body knows that understands , what a first and self-evident principle is ; which every one must understand , that can understand any thing . whatsoever is capable of being proved , must be less clear , than is the argument by which it is proved ; and whatsoever proposition is so , cannot possibly be a first or self-evident principle ; as no man in his wits does need to be informed . and therefore no such one will go about to prove this proposition , the same thing can be , and not be , in the same moment . and the foresaid proposition is every whit as self-evident as this : and the denial thereof as manifest a contradiction . there cannot be a greater , or clearer , contradiction than to say , that god can communicate self-existence ; it being to say in other words , that god can be the cause of that which hath no cause . nor than to say , that god can make a first original of all things ; since this is to say , that he can make a thing to be before himself , and to be the original of himself ; for what is not so , cannot be the first original of all things . and therefore , whereas his first , reason , why god cannot communicate these perfections is , because it is a contradiction so to do ; he might as well have said , 't is a contradiction to say that god can do a contradiction . that he can communicate them is contradictio in terminis ; and therefore 't is absurd to give it as a reason why he cannot do it , that 't is a contradiction . for you may as well ask , why god cannot do a contradiction ? and if a reason can be given for this , you may ask a reason for that reason ; and so in infinitum . but if it were onely contradictio in adjecto , i acknowledg , that because such contradictions are not manifest at first hearing , at least to every body , 't is proper to give reasons to shew that there are contradictions implyed in such propositions . but if , any man should ask me a reason , why two and two do not make twenty , i would bid him go look , instead of telling him , that it is a contradiction that they should ; since i had as good tell him , he has a nose in his face , and better too . but that god can make a self-existent thing , or a first original of all things , are every jot as evident contradictions , as that two and two do make twenty . but , sir , your friend saith , that , 't is equally absurd and contradictions , to suppose more than one infinitely powerful , wise and good being . if he means by equally absurd and contradictions as evidently so , sure he is the onely man that will say so , nor can he think so , say he what he will. but how does he prove this ? this is the argument by which he does it , viz. infinite power , infnite wisdom and infinite goodness go together , and may all of them , as well as either of them , be in all beings whatsoever , as well as in more beings than one . but what if i say that this is as much needs to be proved , as that which it is brought to prove ? his onely answer is like to be , you must take this upon the authority of my lord of canterbury . for he onely goes about to confirm it by a passage in his sermon on tim. . . p. . but i not having that sermon by me , and he making no marks to distinguish between , what is his graces and what is his own , it is enough to give him that for an answer . his second argument , whereby he endeavours to prove the forementioned self-evident proposition , is , that self-existence is indivisible , and gods self-existence is necessary ; and therefore if he should communicate his self-existence to another , he himself should remain not self-existent , which is a gross absurdity , and a manifest contradiction . o wonderful ! is it so indeed ? i marvel who told him so ; it may be he takes this too on the authority of some great man , since he troubles not himself to make it out . but there is as great a necessity of proving this also , as of proving that of which it is a proof . and he makes this brave argument to prove too , that infinite power is as incommunicable as self-existence , and infinite wisdom and goodness , because these are also indivisible . but the trinitarian is not so knockt down by this unmerciful argument ( to use a phrase of his own ) but that he may soon rise again . nay , as goodluck would have it , 't is so weak a blow , that he has not felt it . and 't will be found weaker than a puff of breath , by that time i have askt him this one question , viz. is not also the individual nature of every living creature indivisible ? but , as was before said , even the lowest sort of them can propagate their own nature , which is the same thing with communicating it ; and therefore methinks it should not be so great a contradiction to say , that he who gave being to those creatures can do the like . or if you please , thus : 't is therefore no contradiction to say , that god the father may be the original of a being , which hath power to do all things possible to be done , and hath unlimited wisdom and goodness . as to the rest of this animadversion , i will not spend one minute so vainly as to take notice of it ; for half an eye must see it to be nothing better than ( to give it his own word ) mere jargon . prop. . it seems evident from the h. scriptures , that the son and h. spirit have all divine perfections but those two , such as unlimited power , wisdom and goodness , and unspotted purity . as to unspotted purity he grants , that the scriptures do plainly assert it of our saviour , but faith , that that is but the perfection of a man or angel , not an infinite perfection of a god. i answer , that this he onely with his usual confidence saies , but tells us not how he comes by this confidence . but suppole he could demonstrate this , yet the unspotted purity of the h. ghost one would think to be the purity of a god , since we are so assured from scripture , that he is the author of all that purity and holiness , which is or ever shall be found in men. and he must have a large stock of confidence , who dares say . that the purity which excells not that of a man or angel , is sussicient to qualify a person to be the sanctisier , of all that are or shall be sanctified . and if the purity of the h. ghost be the purity of a god , i hope the son's purity may be acknowledg'd so to be too : surely those socinians who believe the h. ghost to be a person , will not make him to excell the son in holiness . next he cavils at my saying , that this th . proposition seems evident to me , and saith that seems and evident , are two words very ill put together ; because that which doth but seem evident is not really so ; and that which is evident doth more than seem so . i see , sir , i must not hope to please this friend of yours , i verily thought he was about to praise me for my it seems evident : for he saith upon it , that [ seems ] is a word that speaks the modesty of an ingenuous enquirer after truth ; and on the contrary , that evident fills the mouth of a man of confidence ; as by the way i must tell him he knows by experience . yet for all this , the good man designed to expose me for my it seems evident ; and those two sentences are fleering ones , and were intended for scoffs . but i pray him to mock on after i have told him that , first , he knows i did not say , it but seems evident . and that , secondly , 't is utterly false , that that which is evident doth more than seem so to all persons . there are many evident truths , that to those who shut their eyes against the light , may not so much as seem so ; and there are those who being sensible of the weakness of their understandings , may say of very evident truths , this or that seems or appears evident to them . but we shall not in haste , sir , catch your friend at the extreme of modesty . for whatsoever seems not agreeable with his reason ( which we have found to be a clear and strong reason indeed ) must be immediately contrary to natural reason . and he is onely puzled at comprehending gods ways , not god himself and his glorious attributes . and he can comprehend whatsoever he understands . and now follows another of his modest sayings , viz. that this proposition we are now upon , does not so much as seem evident from scripture . and he wishes i had cited some of the plainest texts to my purpose . but he hath had enough of those cited by other trinitarians ; many of which the socinians so play the criticks upon , that should the same liberty be taken as to all other texts , which are capable of having the same work made with them , the scriptures would be made a mere nose of wax . but however , methinks , the apostle's so expresly applying those words of the psalmist to the son of god , viz. thou lord in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth , and the heavens are the work of thine hands , &c. doth at least seem to speak him infinitely powerfull . and thesame thing does seem at least , to be affirmed in those words , coloss. . . &c. by him were all things created , that are in heaven and that are in earth &c. for he is before all things , and by him all things consist . and st peters saying to him , lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest that i love thee , doth at least seem to speak his believing him to be infinitely wise , and a searcher of the very hearts of men : which is also expresly affirmed of him by st paul , rom. . . and cor. . . and by our saviour himself too , rev. . . i am he which searcheh the reins and hearts . and the apostles saying , that in christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg , doth sure seem at least to speak his wisdom and knowledg boundless or infinite . and those words rom. . . — of whom as concerning the flesh christ came , who is god over all blessed for evermore , do at least seem to speak him to have the divine added to the humane nature . and those words , coloss. . . in him dwelleth all the fulness of the god-head bodily : and christ's giving himself the title that is proper to god , in his saying , i am alpha and omega , the first and the last , doth likewise seem at least to assert the same thing . and so doth god the father's saying of his son , let all the angels of god worship him ; especially since it is said , thou shalt worship the lord thy god , and him onely shalt thou serve . and the same thing seems at least to be implyed too , in that saying of christ , that all men should honour the son , as they honour the father ; which is , i think , with divine honour ; and must at least seem to this man himself so to be . and what think you of those words which begin st johns gospel ? in the beginning was the word , and the word was with god , and the word was god , &c. all things were made by him , &c. compared with v. . and the word was made flesh , &c. do not these words at least seem to speak the same thing ? and socinus his exposition of them , would at least seem to be no true one ( tho' there were no such gross absurditys as the arch bishop , among others , hath shewn it to be guilty of ) since he himself does acknowledg , that he was the first inventer thereof , and therefore not known till above fifteen hundred years after the coming of our saviour . and those words , isa. . , . do seem at least to be a prophecy of christ , viz. to us a child is born , to us a son is given . he shall be called wonderfull , counsellour , the mighty god , the everlasting father , the prince of peace , &c. nor is it so much as a seeming objection , which the socinians urge against these words being a prophecy , that the first do run in the present tense , viz. to us a child is born , a son is given , since in that unquestionable prophecy of christ , isa. . several of the praedictions run in both the present and praeterperfect tense : as he is despised and rejected of men. he hath born our griefs . he was wounded for our transgressions : and the like almost in every verse throughout the chapter . nor is any thing more common than this enallage of tenses in the hebrew language . and their rendring the words next following , so as to adapt them to k. hezekiah instead of our saviour , is a wonderful instance of their offering violence to texts of scripture ; for thus they read them , the wonderful counsellour , the mighty god , the everlasting father , shall name him ( viz. hezekiah ) the peaceable prince . and wheras it follows , of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end ; they make this to be fulfilled in hezekiah , because he reigned no less than nine and twenty years . see this in the brief history of the unitarians so much magnified by them , p. . of the d . edition . i have , sir , now given your friend a taste , and a mere tast of the plainest texts to my purpose , in compliance with his wish ; and notwithstanding my seems , which he makes such a do with , i am as certain as i can be of any thing of this nature , that these sriptures and abundance more , do much more than seem to confirm the truth of this proposition . and as to the h. ghost , i need give no other proof , of his having all the perfections of the divine nature , than what hath bin already said of his being the sanctifier ; for since this speaks him infinitely pure and holy , and i may add too , omnipresent , he must needs have all the other , according to your friends assertion , viz. that they cannot be some in one , and some in another , but must be inseparate , and go together . and he now betakes himself to cite texts against christs having unlimited perfections , but he gives us only two ; one to prove his power , and the other his wisdom to be limited . that for the limitedness of his power , is that saying of our lord to peter , when he was apprehended in the garden , mat. . . put up again thy sword , &c. thinkest thou that i cannot now pray unto my father , and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels ? but . there is no necessity , that it should be implyed in these words , that christ had not power to deliver himself without praying to his father for the help of angels , or any other help , since unspeakably greater works are recorded of him , without any mention of his praying for ability to do them : and since he had twice before done this very work , when he was as much as now in the hands of his adversaries ; as may be seen luke . . and john . . . our lord 's whole power being originally from the father , he , we find , took all opportunities of giving him the glory of whatsoever he did . . he now thought fit to declare in the ears of his enemies , how dear he was to god , as much as they hated him. and therefore , whereas one legion of angels could have delivered him , as well as twelve ; nay , one angel , as well as so many legions ; yet he saith his father would send him twelve legions , upon his praying to him ; i. e. supposing he could stand in need of them . . our lord did industriously conceal the highest sence in which he was the son of god , from those who were so far from being capable of then receiving that doctrine , that he knew they would make him so much the greater blasphemer upon that account . nor would it have been so congruous to his state of humiliation , for himself then to have proclaimed his divinity ; but after his glorious ascension , and sending the h. ghost , according to his promise , was the season for the doing hereof by the apostles : as particularly st chrysostom hath shewed , in more than one of his homelys . again , sir , your friend attacques christs infinite wisdom , from its being said of the child jesus , that he grew in wisdom . but does he think us to have so soft a place in our heads , as to believe the humane nature of christ capable of all the wisdom of the divinity thereto united ? no he does not , for foreseeing what answer was ready for him , he saith , if it be replyed that his wisdom as god was infinite , the scripture does not so much as seem to tell us any thing of christ , with distinguishing respect to a supposed divine nature , in opposition to an acknowledged humane . to pass over the odd phrase [ with distinguishing respect ] what if the scripture saith nothing of christs having a divine nature in opposition to his humane , does it not therefore so much as seem to tell us any thing of his having a divine nature distinct from his humane ? that text , god was manifested in the flesh , doth seem so to do , but i will despair of understanding much of scripture , if several of the forecited texts do not much more than seem to do it . but i have slipped one passage , which 't is convenient to take some notice of , viz. but it may be said , that all power in heaven and earth , is committed to christ. and he answers , tes , to fit him to be the great minister by whom god will judge the world. i will interrupt him but while i tell him , i wonder it should not seem to him and every man , not only strange but impossible , that a mere man ( tho' in an extraordinary manner conceived ) should be a subject capable of receiving all power in heaven and earth , and of judging the world , both men and angels . but he thus proceeds , but when that great day shall be over , that power , that fulness of power , shall be given up to the great god again . and i answer , to what purpose should a power ( or authority ) be longer retained , than while there is any occasion for the exercise thereof ? the authority relating to christs mediatory kingdom must cease , with the ceasing of that kingdom it self . i did not cite that text among those i instanced in to prove the infinite power of the son of god , and industriously declined it upon considering , that christ speaks in those words of a power committed to him , and therefore not essentially in him ; and that by power here is to be understood authority , and a new authority relating to a new kingdom . and now what hath he to say to my th . proposition ? prop. . it is intolerable presumption to conclude , that there can be no way besides that of creation , whereby any thing can be immediately and onely from god , which hath a distinct existence of its own : or that no beings can have their existence from him , by way of necessary emanation ; since there is a resemblance of such a thing in nature , viz , the issuing forth of rays from the sun. and now see a rare , and as charitable a remarque upon the first words , it is intolerable presumption . there is , saith he , the very spirit of the church in it . well , what means he by the very spirit of the church ? it follows , the spirit of degrading and scourging ; the spirit of jayling a man , and ruining his business ; the spirit of fining him , and starving his wife and children : the spirit of burning him , and ( if anger could do it ) sending him to the devil . and instead of sending me to the devil , he makes a very devil of me ( which is the worse punishment of the two ) as mighty good as he has thought me sometimes , when he and i have had the good luck to jump in our notions . but why must i be such a devillish persecutor merely for one word ? cannot this [ intolerable ] bear a more merciful interpretation ? i was very unlucky in lighting upon this epithet , if it cannot ; for time has bin , when i could have bin a persecutor but would not ( and that is more than the socinians can say ) nor have i since ever changed my mind . but i am old enough to be assured from my own observation , that there is no being secure of any party , that they will never persecute till they have been tryed . and there is no party ( the papists themselves not excepted ) but hath decryed persecution , while it hath had no power , to persecute . but , sir , i will take leave to tell your friend , that , as great an enemy of persecution as he professeth himself to be , he is himself a persecutor , and a pretty fierce one too . there are more ways of persecuting than one , and a man may persecute with his tongue and pen ; and whosoever can do so with either of these , i won't be bound for him , that he will not do it with his hand too , when he hath an opportunity . now he persecutes with his pen , who employs it in heavily censuring his brother without just cause , but so hath he employed it now against me . for i meant no more by intolerable , than a most high presumption ; nor did you , sir , i dare say , understand it otherwise ; i will not descant upon his very spirit of the church , i am sure it shews his spirit sufficiently . but , sir , i thank your friend for the charity he next expresseth towards his persecutor . let us try , sayes he , , whether we can restore him to himself , and the spirit of meekness . but if i am restored to that spirit , which he cannot say i ever lost , it must be by one , to whom i can't reply , physician heal thy self . and do you judge , sir , whether there is more heat in my propositions , or his animadversions . but how will he allay the fury i have expressed in those words , or rather in that one word ? he attempts it by saying , that the socinians know of no otherway but that of creation , whereby any thing can be immediately and onely from god. but i did not say , that 't is intolerable presumption not to know any other way , but to conclude there can be no other . and i still say , 't is a wonderful boldness ( to wave intolerable because 't is so intolerable to him ) so to conclude , tho' no other way should be known to us . as to the way of necessary emanation , he saith it is the supposal of a thing , where of we have no idea . well , suppose this , is it impossible for a thing to be , of which we sorry mortals have no idea ? is god almighty bound to give us ideas of the way and manner how any thing can be produced by him ? or how what we know does exist is produced ? or to give us ideas of every thing that he can produce ? or of every thing that he hath produced ? sure your friend will not dare to answer yes to the two latter of these questions , and much less ( then ) to the two former . and if he be not so daring , with what face could he object against the possibility of a necessary emanation from god , because we have no idea thereof ? but i tell him , we have every whit as much an idea of necessary emanation , as of voluntary creation , understanding thereby the making of something out of nothing . which aristotle and his followers thought an impossibility , ex nihilo nihil fit ; or nothing is made out of nothing , being a maxim of theirs . and therefore they held both the eternity and self existence of the matter of the world. and the platonists thought the idea of necessary emanation , at least as clear as that of creation ; and the younger platonists for the most part held humane souls to be by such an emanation from the deity , and therefore to be eternal , tho' not self-existent . but he saith , that something should come from god which wants some perfection that god has , is at 's ( that is my ) prodigious supposition , under the name of necessary emanation . and i say , it would be a prodigious supposition indeed , that any thing should come from god , that hath the perfection of his manner of existence ; or that any thing can have it's existence from god , and be self-existent . and now , he will display , he saith , the absurdity and impossibility of this necessary emanation , in two or three questions ; and , i thank him , in consideration of my soft place , he himself answers them for me . q. . was god conscious to the emanation ? yes saith he , else his understanding is not infinite . q . was he sensible of the necessity ? yes again , for the same reason . and i answer yes , yes too , though he has excused me . but now , when i have most need of his help , he leaves me to answer for my self , to a stabbing consequence from those concessions , viz. but then it follows , that he was determined to one thing , and sensible that he was so . i will here too adventure to give him two more yesses . then , proceeds he , there is some power above him , or such a determination is the law of his nature ; the former , he saith , cannot be , because god is the supreme being . and he would have done like himself , had he given us a reason , why nothing can be above the supreme being . nor , saith he , can the latter , because neither reason , nor scripture , describes god by any such law. but , being aware that this is too difficult for my brains , he tells me , he 'l make the matter plain by a question . i see he 's excellent at questions , and his question is this , by what evident principle of reason , or what text of scripture , does it appear to be the law of an infinite nature , to beget infinite power , wisdom , goodness ; and that in a being that must want self-existence , and being the maker of all things ? i answer , that if he hath any idea of the thing called non-sense , and any true mark to find it by , he cannot miss of it in this question . but who ever talked of the fathers begetting infinite power , wisdom and goodness in any being ; or otherwise than of his begetting an infinitely powerful , wise and good being ? and now comes a third question , does the idea of an infinitely perfect being , evidently imply the necessary emanation of another being ? this question , sure , he asked for askings sake ; for he knows i desired to have no more granted me , than that it is not impossible , or there is no absurdity in it , that beings may have exstence from god by way of necessary emanation . and now for the . proposition . prop. . it is no less presumption to affirm , that it is a contradiction to say , that a being can be from all eternity from god the father , supposing it possible that it may be from him , in an higher and more excellent way , than that of creation ; since the sun , tho' it is the cause of light , is onely in order of nature before it . to this he saith , first , that for one being to be from all eternity from the eternal father , is a contradiction one degree more absurd , than barely two eternals . not to tell him , that i have hitherto thought , that all contradictions are alike absurd ; how does he prove this to be in any degree an absurd contradiction ? he saith , that it is so , is the most manifest thing in the world. if i demand a proof now hereof , i should affront him , had i not already catcht him at proving ( after his manner ) the most manifest thing in the world. but i need not demand a proof hereof , for he presently sets about it . and the argument whereby he proves this most manifest thing in the world is this , we neither have , nor can have , any notion of proceeding , or being from another , but what implyes the proceeder who derives his being , to be inferiour ( he should have said posteriour ) to that other being , in order of time. in truth , 't is a pleasant thing to see men all of a piece . this is perfectly like his arguing ; that is , proving the most manifest thing , by what is less manifest ; nay , this is proving it by what is very false . he saith , we have no notion of such a thing , and i have already told him , that a thing may nevertheless be , for our having no notion of it . but he also saith , we can have none ; here 's confidence too like his own , but let him speak for himself , and not say we ; for i both can have , and have some notion of such a thing , and so may any one that pleaseth ; for such a thing is a daily object of our sight ? of which anon , after i have considered . more of his wise sayings . the absurdity and impossibility , saith he , of deriving existence from god , by a more excellent way than that of creation , i have already made manifest . but if any man of sense be found to be herein of his mind , i will never trust my sense more , in the most manifest matters . and then he sayes , i therefore conclude , that eternal generation cannot be proved by it , unless it can be made to appear , that a true notion is a necessary consequence of a false . but , sir , can you think it possible , that your friend should do such mighty feats as he makes his brags of , since he cannot distinguish between , denying a thing to be contradictions and impossible , and asserting the truth of it . and if he knows not , that the proof of such a thing as eternal generation , was now none of my business ; and much more , if he needs to be told , that i only affirmed that there is no contradiction therein to natural reason , 't is hard to say , whether he was more weak in offering to animadvert on my propositions , or i in troubling my self with taking any notice of his animadversions . and now we come to the instance i give in this proposition , of an effect every whit as old as the cause of it ; and your friend being come to it too , asks me how i know , that the sun is the cause of light ? and adds , by the revelation of school-divines perhaps , not by the history of the bible ; for , if the account of the creation in genesis , be to be taken in a litteral sence , that will convince me of a philosophical errour ; for there 't is said , that god made the light the first day , the sun not till the fourth . but , sir , did you ever meet with such triflng ? first , he saith , perhaps i have learnt that the sun is the cause of light , from the revelation of school-divines . how well was this flurt bestowed on me , since he knew what a veneration i exprest for those divines , in my last proposition ? secondly , he saith , i could not have this rare notion , from the history of the bible ; because the book of genesis saith , that light was made the first day , and the sun the fourth . admirable i profess ! sure this man hath himself been dabling with the school-men , he 's so subtil . but what if i grant him , that that light which was created before the sun , the sun was not the cause of ? does it follow thence , that the sun is the cause of no light ? my candle is the cause of the light i now write by , therefore the sun is not the cause of any light. but whereas i humbly conceive ( after all ) that the sun is the cause of light , i owe this my opinion neither to the history of the bible , nor to the schools , but to a certain thing called eye-sight ; and for this satisfaction he owes me thanks . but thirdly , saith he , the sun is the cause of light ! he may as well say , the sun is the cause of the sun ; and the light of light ; or any thing whatsoever is the cause of its own nature . but why so i beseech him ? are the sun and light the self-same thing ? then a glow-worm hath the sun in the tayl of it . and then , the light was not made . days before the sun , for all the book of genesis . but if he please to give any credit to his own eyes , he will be tempted to think , that the body of the sun , and the light which comes in at his windows are two things . but at last we find him in a good humour ; for , well then , saith he , be it granted him , that the sun and the light which proceeds from it did begin to co-exist in the same moment of time , but then they cannot be the cause of one another . but i must be still a little cross , and say , first , that i will not have it granted me , that they did begin to co-exist in the same moment , for i am satisfied to have them begin only to exist in the same moment . secondly , neither shall he grant it to me , that therefore they are the cause of one another ; for i was so reasonable as to be content to have but one of them the cause of the other . but now he is cross again , and saith , that thing which is the cause of another , must be in respect of time before the other thing , whereof it is the cause . in sober sadness , my friend , he might have spared all his other wise talk , and only have told me this and he had done his business . for 't is as much as if he had said , let the sun be the cause of light , with all my heart , and let them begin to exist together too , yet notwithstanding i would have you know , that whatsoever thing is the cause of another thing must be in order of time before it : and for once take my word for it . and now , to my comfort , we are come to the conclusion of this ammadversion , viz. what a. t. means by order of nature , i am not sure that i can guess , for i am not much versed in school-jargon ; yet guessing at his meaning , i tell him , that i can no more conceive the sun without the light which proceeds from it , than the light that proceeds from the sun , from whence it does proceed . this sentence is long enough too , to be taken to pieces . . he saith , he is not sure that he can guess , and yet does guess . but my school-learning tells me , that if he is sure he does guess , he is sure he can guess . . he saith , he is not much versed in school-jargon , that is to say , he is verst in jargon , but not in school-jargon . and , because we will part fairly i am willing he should know , that i believe both these propositions . . he saith , he is not sure that he can guess , what a. t. means by order of nature . as if priority in order of nature , and in order of time were a distinction of my coyning , like that of intelligible , and incomprehensible . i perceive he is as great a philosopher , as school-divine if he never before met with that distinction , which is much more ancient than the most ancient of the school-men , or than christianity it self . but if he hath ever met with that distinction before , he might have presumed , that what i mean by it , is but what other folk have ever meant . . he saith , i can no more conceive the sun without the light that pooceeds from it , than this light without the sun. no nor can i neither , for i can perfectly well conceive them both . i can conceive the sun abstractly from any other light , than what is in the body of it ; and i can conceive too every jot as well of the light in my house at noon-day , abstracted from the sun : and so can he too , if his great modesty would but let him think so . but we must not forget the last words of this his conclusion , viz. thus i reckon to have done justice to a. t 's . th . proposition , not forgetting the appendent similitude . and i reckon i have done no injustice to his animadversions , on this or any other of my propositions ; and whether he be out in his reckoning , or in mine , let any man of his own chusing be judg , that has but common-sense . prop. . those two propositions do speak our explication of the h. trinity , to be as contrary to arianism as to socinianism ; since the arians assert , that there was at least a moment of time , when the son was not , and that he is a creature . on this he sayes nothing , that i can be concerned to reply too , unless i delighted in exposing him , for exposings sake . prop. . tho' we cannot understand , how it should be no contradiction to affirm , that the three persons are but one numerical being , yet hath it no appearance of a contradiction to say , that there is an unconceivably close and inseparable union , both in will and nature between them . and here too is very little to draw a reply from me , except i delighted in repetitions as much as he does ; but two or three passages i can't well let go . he saith , it is a very stange boldness for men to determine , that such or such a notion is true , which they cannot conceive is true . but i. how comes boldness all o th' suddain to be such a crime with this gentleman ? . how comes that proposition by such a remarque as this ? since it speaks nothing of the truth of any notion , but affirms one notion , to have no appearance of a contradiction in it . nor does he offer a word to shew that there is any contradiction therein , or any appearance thereof ; which a wise man would believe to be his onely business , could such a one undertake confuting of this proposition . . who are they that determine any notion to be true , while they cannot conceive it to be so ? and another saying he hath here , which further demonstrates what a deadly enemy he is to the crime boldness , viz. a close and inseparable union between god and christ , there cannot be ; unless he means such a union as is between different natures ; but that will not content him , yet 't is all that can be granted . but i much doubt , that this is much more than he will grant ; i fear he will not grant , that god the father and his begotten son , are as closely united as are his soul and body , the natures of which are as different , as the natures of any two created things can be ; and their union with each other so close ( tho' not inseparable ) that he is as unable to give an account of this union as of that which trinitarians do believe to be between god the father , the son and the h. ghost . but he saith , the nature of god the father includes perfections , which are not in the nature of jesus christ ; and from thence concludes that such a union as the forementioned cannot be between them . to which , i am loth to repeat what i have so often said , that the fathers self-existence , with what is there in implyed , is a perfection immediately relating to his manner of existence but however , are there not many perfections , or excellent powers and properties in souls , which are not in bodys ? and yet the union between them ( as was said ) is too close for us to give an account thereof . prop. . such an union as this between them , being acknowleg'd by us , together with the forementioned intire dependance of the son and h. spirit upon the faher ; the unity of the deity is as fully , to all intents and purposes , asserted by us , as it is necessary or desirable it should be . but to this , sir , as he saith very little , so not a line that i can reply a new word to ; nor a syllable is here of confutation . prop. . and no part of this explication , do we think repugnant to any text of scripture , but it seems to be the best and easiest way of reconciling those texts , which according to the other hypotheses , are not reconcileable , but by offering extreme violence to them . now to this he saith , that he is infinitely certain , that this explication is in a great part repugnant to many texts of scripture , and to many self-evident principles of reason . but not one of those many texts of scripture , does he instance in , and we have seen what work he makes with self-evident principles . nor is here any offer at a confutation , except his calling me an ishmalite trinitarian be so , whose hand is against all the heads of the trinitarian-expositors , and all their hands against me ; and a scareing threat , how merciless — would expose me , and that he would do it at another kind of rate than he hath done . but i say , should he expose me at the same rate , he would be merciless to himself onely . but since he saith , that my hand is against all the heads of trinitarian expositors , 't is enough to tell him that 't is false . prop. . the socinians must confess , that the honour of the father , is as much as they can desire taken care of by this explication ; nor can the honour of the son and h. ghost be more consulted in any explication of the h. trinity , than it is in this ? it ascribing to them all perfections , but what they cannot have , without the most manifest contradiction . now the first thing he here saith , that i ought to take notice of , is , that he who gives more to an excellent person , than of right belongs to him , may perhaps be in a great part excused for the sake of his good intention , but must nevertheless always be chid for the injury he offers to him , because by giving too much to him , he brings the just measures of his real excellency into question . now instead of an answer , i would ask him one question more , who has askt me so many , viz. which is the safer of the two extremes , to think of the son and h. ghost more or less honourably than we ought , provided that god the fathers honour be not in the least intrenched upon ? sure , 't is impossible for any sincere christian not to chuse to err on the right-hand , if he must err on one. on that hand we chuse to err in our opinion of whomsoever we have a respect and value for . now if the honour of the father be as much as can be taken care of in this our explication ; and we believe it is , since he is made the original of all the excellencies and perfections , that are in the other persons , and of their existence . and since there are so great a number of texts , which have more than seemed to the generality of christians ( and to all but a small handful since arianism went off the stages to give the perfections of the divine nature to these persons , surely the love and esteem which all good soul ) must necessarily have for them , must needs byass them towards the understanding of scripture in that sence , which makes most for their honour , provided it be not forced and too artificial ; and provided , i say again , the father loseth no honour thereby . again he saith , that , to his knowledge , the socinians are not willing to confess that the honour of the father is as much taken care of in this explicaiion , as they do wish it were . but he offers not at any reason , why they are not willing to confess this . but sure they will not say , that their own hypothesis doth give more honour to the father , than that which speaks him the author of all that the other persons either have or are . lastly , he saith , that the scripture no where tells us , that jesus christ , or the holy ghost desired to be accounted god : that jesus christ did not command nor desire divine honours to be paid him is plain , in that when he taught his disciples to pray , he did not propound himself as the object of prayer , but directed them to address themselves to the father . to this i reply , first , that suppose neither of these persons is said in scripture to desire to be accounted god , are there there fore no texts which speak of either of them as god ? i have i think sufficiently minded him of the contrary . secondly , how can he say that jesus christ desired not divine honours to be paid to him ? ( except he means , that he desired none to be paid him while he was on earth ) when he hath told us john . . that the father hath committed all judgment to the son ; that all men should honour the son , even as they honour the father . and are not all the glorious angels commanded by the father to worship his son ? heb. . . and is not eternal glory given to him , apocal. . , . now to him that loved us , and washed us from our sins in his own blood , and hath made us kings and priests unto god , and his father : to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever ? and will not all such texts speak him an object of divine worship , because that in the days of his humiliation , he expressed no desire of being so ; but still gave all the honour of whatsoever he did to his father ? thirdly , i doubt from this passage , that your friend is gone beyond his master socinus , and denyeth the adorability of the son of god , for which he was a zealous champion . i am heartily sorry for him , if it be so ; this being ( to speak modestly ) to make a very large step towards being no christian. prop. . and one would think it impossible , that any christian should not be easily perswaded , to think as honourably of his redeemer and sanctifier , as ever he is able , while he robs not god the father for their sake ; and doth not offer any violence either to the sence and meaning of divine revelations , or to the reason of his mind . to this he replys , i. that saving the honour of the father intire and uninjured , the socinians think as honourably of the son , as any men whatsoever . i answer , surely the arians opinion of him is far more honourable than the socinians , who will not allow him to be other than a mere man , nor to have had a being before he was in the womb of the virgin ; whereas the arians doctrine is , that he hath a super-angelical nature , and that he was before all worlds , and that the father created them by him ; and yet they consult the honour of the father , as much as the socinians can no ; they making all that belongs to the son to be from him. ii. he saith , that some of the socinians think as honourably too of the h. ghost ; tho' 't is to be confessed , that others do think the h. ghost to be a divine energy or virtue , and not a person ; whether of the two is not plainly revealed , and my antagonist does not tempt me to dispute the question . not to reflect upon your friends wisely calling me his antagonist , who had nothing then to do with him , don't those socinians that believe the h. ghost to be a person , make him no better than an angel , how then do they think as honourably of him , as those that believe him to be god , and yet rob the father of no honour ? and whereas he saith , it is not plainly revealed whether the h. ghost be a person or no ? i say , it is as plainly revealed , as that the father himself is a person ; nor can any one be more plainly spoken of as a person , than the h. ghost still is by our b. lord. but some men will dispute any thing ; and some too , who little understand the knack of disputing . iii. he saith , that to think as honourably as possibly we can , of any person , besides god the father almighty , is not our duty . but i hope i need not tell him , that id solùm possumus , quod jure possumus . we can only do that , which we can lawfully do . and he knew i could mean no other by possibly can , than lawfully can . iv. he saith , we are to think but just so honourably of jesus christ , as god directs us in the new testament . and i say , what ever directions we have what to think of him in the old testament too , are also to govern our thoughts concerning him. and we are wholly led by the h. scripture to think so much more honourably both of christ and the h. ghost , than he and his friends do . v. he saith , that we must leave it to god , who will be honoured above all things he hath made , and will not communicate his honour to another , to appoint what honour shall be done to his son. and we say so too ; and therefore wholly take our direction in this point from divine revelation . and that saying of god almighty's , that he will not give his glory to another ; or to any one of his creatures , confirms us in our belief , that the son of god is not a creature ; since he will have us to honour him , even as we honour himself . and whereas the socinians say , that god will have him so honoured , as he is his ambassador , and representative , i answer , that so angels have often been too , and yet ( as i need not tell them ) it was ever idolatry to pay religious honour to them , upon any account . an angel that was sent on an embassy to st john , said to him , upon his falling down before him , see thou do it not , for i am thy fellow-servant , &c. worship god. and thus have i replyed to every thing in this animadversion too , that i have not already spoken , more than once , to . prop. . there are many things in the notion of one god , which all hearty theists will own are necessary to be conceived of him , that are every whit as much above the reach and comprehension of humane understandings , as is any part of this explication of the trinity . nay this may be affirmed , even of the notion of self-existence : but yet there is not an atheist so silly as to call it in question ; since it is not more evident that one and two do make three , than that there could never have been any thing , if there were not something in being , which was always , and never began to be . to this he only replys , that there are many things directly contrary , to self-evident principles in this explication ; and he trusts he hath plainly proved it . and , sir , do you judge , as much as he is your friend , how he has proved it . prop. . lest novelty should be objected against this explication , and so such as have a veneration for antiquity ( as it becomes all to have ) should be prejudiced against it , we can make it evident , that it very well agreeth with the account , which the nicene fathers ( even athanasius himself ) and others of the ancients who have treated of this subject , do in divers places of their works , give of the trinity . and had it not bin sor the subtil school-men ( to whom christianity is little beholden ) we have reason to believe , that the world , since the fall of arianism , would never have been troubled with such controversies about this great point , as it hath bin and continues to be . now to this your friend saith , . novelty is the least objection i have against his explication , but 't is a good exception , which he will never be able to answer . but this proposition tells him , i am prepared to shew , that this explication agreeth very well with the account that the ancients do give of the trinity . and therefore he might have had the patience to have seen whether 't was a vain boast or no , before he had so confidently pronounced me forever unable to answer the objection of novelty . . he saith , i can hardly think that his hypothesis , take it altogether , will down with any trinitarian . but i phansy that if he did not mistrust it would down with many , he would not be so angry , as he is , with it . and now , . he gives me his parting blow , and it is a stunner , viz. and as for ancient fathers , how weak a thing is it , to seek credit to an hypothesis , upon the account of their concurring ! but , but now , novelty he acknowledg'd to be a good exception , tho' the least objection , of which distinction between objection and exception , himself must have the honour , and 't is as wise a one , as mine between intelligible and comprehensible is a weak one ; but how is novelty any exception against an hypothesis , if the concurrence of the judgments of ancient fathers can give no credit to it ? but whereas i called this blow a stunner , i was in too good earnest , ; for these his last words do as perfectly amaze me , as my now mentioned distinction did him . and since stunned people are not good at talking , i have no more to say , but that i know not , whether there be more of arrogance than ignorance , or of ignorance than arrogance in these words . and now , sir , if you shall think that i have treated your friend with too much freedom , and have given him too course a farewell , the onely apology i can make for it , is , that i find him such a sort of adversary , as would not permit me to treat him otherwise . however , the liberty he hath taken with me , hath not the least influence upon my spleen , and i wish him as well as you know i do your self . and particularly , that he may learn to be more modest , and think it possible that those opinions which he takes for most evident and most necessary truths , may be as gross and dangerous errors ; and that his understanding is not so much above the pitch os other fallible mortals , but that he may be mightily mistaken when he is most confident . and i heartily pray , that you both may with all sincerity and impartiality consider what is here offered to you , and that god would give us all a right understanding in all divine truths . these things i say , are heartily prayed for , by your affectionate friend , e. g. the latter defence . there are other trinitarians concerned with me , in this gentlemans book of reflexions mentioned in the title-page . his th . chapter conteins those he hath made upon the . propositions , which consists of . sections , that begin with numb . . the first is no more than a recital of . or . of my propositions . the writer saith upon them , sect. . . that two infinite substances should emane from one infinite substance , is so gross a notion , that i wonder any man of sense should be guilty of it : and my reason is , because all infinites , of what sort or nature soever , are equal ; for if one infinite be less than another , there must be some terminus bound or end of it , and consequently it cannot be infinite , of which there can be no bound or end ; or if one infinite were any ways more than another , there would be somewhat more than infinite ; which is evidently absurd : therefore to suppose two infinites to emane from one , is to suppose two to emane from one , when each is equal to the one from which it emanes . here , and in the remaining part of this section , is demonstration with a witness against the ancient fathers hypothesis , of the sons and h. spirits being from the deity by emanation ; and against my hypothesis , of the possibility hereof . i will take a little more liberty with this subtil gentleman , when i am better acquainted with him ( as i shall be quickly ) than i will at present . for he may think it no good breeding to tell him homely all my mind , at our very first meeting . but now a complement is more civil , as i thank him , he begins with too great a one to me . and my complement is , sir , i commend your wisdom in changing all along my phrases , viz. beings whose perfections are unlimited , and who have all they can have without a most manifest contradiction , for a phrase i not once use in my propositions , viz. infinite substances ; because i understand it nothing so well as those phrases . and i say he did wisely herein , since had he used my phrases , this section would not have looked quite so scaringly . but let the reader still put one of my phrases in the place of infinite substances , and then consider whether contradictions would so immediately and at first sight seem to appear in this hypothesis . but i shall deliver my mind a little more freely to him , relating to the matter of this section when i come to his d . but i have not so done with this , but shall farther consider what it sayes . and be he pleased to take notice , that there is nothing in this acute arguing , except he means by infinite substances , substances of an infinite quantity , or bigness . but i hope he will be so far from attributing quantity or bigness to the substance of the deity , that he will not do it to the substance of an angel or humane soul. . it next follows , to suppose one infinite substance to emane from another , is to suppose the whole entire substance to emane from it self . but this i deny , and do acknowledg that if i granted it , i must without any farther troubling either him or any of his brethren , bid adieu to the fathers hypothesis they are so displeased with , as a plainly contradictions one : seeing it asserts a real distinction of the divine substances , tho' no difference in them . it follows . and what makes it stranger , is , that the two infinite substances emaned from the fathers single substance , yet there was no diminution in the substance of the father ; it is as infinite as it was at first . but how should this make the hypothesis stranger , when it would be the strangest thing in the world , if the divine substance were capable of the least diminution , since those that believe spiritual substances , know that none of them are : but anon a little more of this . but it may be said , saith he , . why may not one infinite , as well as one finite , proceed from another ? and then he thus answers himself , but nothing can be more absurd , than to suppose one finite ( much more two ) to proceed from one but of the same bigness . yes , i 'le tell him what is more absurd , viz. to suppose one or more infinite substances , to proceed from another infinite substance of the same bigness . this is more absurd , because there is one more contradiction in this supposition than in that , viz. that bigness belongs to a spiritual substance ; which kind of substance , i hope he will acknowledg to be alone capable of infinity . but as notable work as our author makes , at demonstrating the absurdity of two infinite substances emaning from one , i fancy i know those who may almost as much put him to it , to defend the non-absurdity of a sparks being kindled by ( or emaning from ) a spark ( both being of the same bigness ) as a trinitarian shall need to be by his arguments ( i will not be so rude as to call them cavils ) against the possibility of the other emanation . but to use his own phrase infinite substance , 't is so far from being impossible , that an infinite substance , should emane from an infinite substance , or ( to use the scripture-phrase ) be begotten by it , that if any being can emane or be begotten by an infinite substance , it must be infinite too . for , as athanasius saith , it is impossible that that which is begotten , should be a different essence from that which begat . the reader may see what is farther said of emanations , in d defence p. . i have abundantly too much business lying now upon my hands , to find leisure for so close a consideration of all that this gentleman hath reflected on the . propositions , as possibly i might apply my self to , had i time to spare . but the truth is , i find his arguing to be such , as if well followed upon other arguments , it might make those , who are willing to be so , down right scepticks , as to almost every thing . he needs not to be informed , what doughty dexterity a sophister might shew in making it out , that creation is a perfect impossibility : that eternity in both the notions thereof , is a monstrous contradiction to the reason of our minds . and that so is also the notion of an incorporal substance . and of liberty , nay even in god himself : and of the divine omnipresence : and that both parts of a contradiction may possibly be true . and perhaps a thousand other things , for which we have the highest rational evidence , may be exposed to ridicule , by a man who loves to chop logick . and likewise a many other things , the contrarys to which , we have even ocular and the most sensible demonstrations of , may one make such a shew of demonstrating , as to baffle most men . as that there is no such thing as motion : that a body can have no influence upon a spirit , nor a spirit upon a body : and much less can they be vitally united : that 't is impossible that will and thought should stir a finger : that all bodies are alike big , &c. i say most , if not all , these strange propositions , are capable of being with as plausible a shew of reason defended by a subtile sophister , as the emanation of the son and holy ghost from the father hath bin now confuted by this gentleman . so that i cannot but apply those words of the apostle to such disputers , they have turned aside unto vain jangling , understanding neither what they say , nor whereof they affirm . but i have said enough to this section : each of the following , i shall ( i think ) dispatch as easily . sect. . he saith , that whatsoever emanes , or any way proceeds , from a self-existent substance ( except it were created and then joyned to it ) is as self-existent as that substance . but i say with as great assurance , that whatsoever substance emanes from another , must owe its existence to that other ; and the contrary is a manifest contradiction . as to his reason for thus asserting , viz. because before its emanation , it was a part of the self-existent substance , it is taken from material substances , which do consist of parts ; but this cannot be said of spiritual ones , because they are not divisible , and therefore have no parts . and it is observable too , how well this reason suits to eternal emanations . sect. . this section hath several very surprizing things in it . as . our author cannot see , since the son and spirit are necessary emanations , how they owe their origin more to the father , than the father owes his to them . which is as much as to say , since the tree necessarily issues forth from the root , and the rays from the sun , therefore the root owes its origin no less to the tree , and the sun to its rays , than the tree to the root , and the rays to the sun. . his reason for that assertion is , that the father son and spirit are all three of a substance , that is self-existent . but i say onely the two latter are so , for the first ( as he needs not to be told ) is the self existent substance ; not of or from such a substance . but if he asks me how they emane from the father , i know not which of us would be the more presumptuous , he for asking , and for endeavouring to answer thatquestion . but ( on second thoughts ) i will undertake to answer it , when he shall be pleased to answer me this , how did your self come into being ? or , what is the modus how any thing comes to be what it is , or to be at all ? . he adds , nor could the father more than they , be the cause of the separation , since they necessarily separated from one another . but can i need to mind him , that our hypothesis will not bear a separation between the divine persons , and only asserts a distinction betwen them ? and sure i need not tell him , that he is not over-fit to write books , who knows not that distinction , and separation , and difference too , are several things . but . whereas he saith that , no one of these persons can be the cause of their separation , because they necessarily separated , doth he think that god can be the necessary cause of nothing ? or that he is in his own nature indifferent to every thing ? if he believes ( for instance ) that the perfection of his nature doth not necessarily determine him , to what is best ; or to do whatsoever he in his infinite wisdom knows fit to be done , i hope there are not many of his mind . he saith , . that it is another contradiction to affirm , that an infinite substance is divided into three infinite parts . how does our author already run taplash ! but i will not therefore forbear replying , and i answer , no doubt it is a horrid contradiction so to affirm . but how rank does this smell of the gross thing called body ! his mind runs altogether upon material substances , which alone i say have parts to be divided into . and if a spiritual substance cannot be divided into spiritual parts , much less can an insinite spiritual substance be divided into infinite spiritual parts . and he who thinks that a spirit can be divided into parts , had as good never take that word into his mouth , and much less can he pretend to believe it a thing of an immortal nature , which whosoever does not , whatever theologers they may be , i can't admire them for philosophers . . he makes it in what follows an absurdity to deny that whatsoever proceeds from another thing , must be in order of time after it . these are his words , whatsoever proceeds from a thing must first be in it , except it can be in it and proceed from it , at the same time . but as we never thought of such a thing , as the two persons so proceeding , as to be separated from the first ; nor of any more than their having their origin from him , so this they may have and yet still be in him , and might ever have been in him. can our author think ( not to trouble him too often with the rays being from the sun , and yet as old as it ) that all thoughts must be younger than minds , because they have their original from them . this can be denied by none , that make minds to be thinking beings : i mean , that do acknowledg thinking to be essential to minds . but this i have spoken to in the preceding defence . p. , , &c. sect. . he saith , that it had bin intolerable in the pagans , to believe those rays that come from the sun , to be the sun it self . and i need say no more , than that it is as intolerable to believe the son and spirit , who have their existence from the father , to be the father himself . but i desire him to think sedately with himself , whether gods decrees could none of them be eternal , i phansy he is not so much a school-man as to answer , gods decrees are god himself . sect. . he saith , what i further add are direct contradictions , reciting several more things conteined in my propositions ; and this is the whole of this section . here is not one word of proof , that any one of them is a contradiction ; and therefore i have nothing to add here . sect. . he affirms , . that necessary existence from eternity is as great a perfection , as self-existence . but not to tell him , that whatsoever doth necessarily exist , must have bin from eternity , and therefore such an existence is never attributed to a creature ; i do absolutely deny , that necessary existence from another , is as great a perfection as necessary existence from ones self . can our author in his cool thoughts imagine it is ? he saith . if the father hath given existence to any being , which he cannot take away , he would cease to be almighty . but i conceive , that to suppose that the father can make a being to cease , which hath a necessary existence from him , would be a contradictions supposal ; and that contradictions being objects of no power , cannot be objects of divine power ; and that therefore the almightiness thereof consisteth in an ability to do whatsoever implyes not a contradiction , or that power can do : and so doth our author conceive too . he saith , . that self . existence separate from those powers , which can only belong to a self-existent being , is no perfection . but i ask him , how self-existence can be separated from those powers ? and if it cannot , what does this saying signifie ? and it is certain it cannot . but if he means abstracted by separate , as he used a very improper word to express his thoughts by , i deny that the notion of self-existence abstracted from all other considerations whatsoever , implyeth no persection . and i have as much liberty to contradict him without giving my reason , as he hath to affirm this without giving his . but indeed this denial of mine needs no reason , for that self-existence is as such a perfection is self-evident , or i know not what is so . but were it not that i find him in one of these sections , asserting creation out of nothing , this passage would lead me to a very shrewd suspicion , that he is of wolzogenius his mind , and some others of his brethren , that god is not the only self-existent being , but that the rude chaos was , and therefore all matter now is , self-existent too . and if they could demonstrate this to me , i confess i should do what lyes in me , to think self-existence to be no perfection at all , in spight of its being self-evident that it is a great perfection , if not the greatest . . he saith , that if the persons have the some unlimited perfections , but their manner of getting them was different , that would not cause any inequality betwen them . but i say it would ; that is in reference to their manner of existence , tho' not in reference to their mere essence . what follows , is but dilating on the same thing , and repeating what hath been already considered . sect. . he asks , . how the father can be greater than the son and h. spirit , and be the only good , when they have the same unlimited power and goodness ? i answer , they have an unlimited power , but not the same unlimited power with the father . ad extrà , or in relation to the creation , their power is unlimited ; but no body will say , that ad intrà , it is the same with the fathers , except he can believe , that the son could beget the father , as the father hath begot the son. and as to the fathers being called by our saviour the only good , in that he saith there is none good but god , i have said in my propositions ( with grotius and others ) that that phrase must needs signifie the only original good , or the only fountain of goodness ; which the father may be , and yet not the onely perfectly good. and i think that the perfection of self-existence belonging to the father alone , and therefore those perfections too , which do necessarily suppose self-existence , the father may most truly be said to be greater than the son and h. spirit , although all the perfections of these persons are unlimited . . he asks , what greater absurdity there can be , than that beings which have infinite unlimited perfections , should want some perfections ? i answer , that indeed there cannot be a greater absurdity than to say , that a being which hath an infinite number of unlimited perfections , can want some ; this would be an ab'urdity with a vengeance : but i doubt i am not capable of understanding where lyes the absurdity of asserting , that a being which hath not the perfection of self-existence , and those that suppose it , may notwithstanding have in as high a degree as can be those perfections which they have . . he saith , that a being cannot be partly infinite and partly finite . and so he runs on upon infinite , infinite , which he all along does ; and the reason of it is obvious enough , viz. because it is a rare amusing confounding word , for my brains , and the brains of his readers ; there is not such another to be met with for the purpose . but infinity is not a thing to be made so bold with , or talk't of with such freedom and confidence , as he still does , as if it were a very familiar matter . but i say again , it is no such monstrous business to imagine , that a being which hath not every perfection , may have those it is possessed of , in the highest degree . if i cared to talk things which i understand nothing of , i could talk too of infinity ; and say , that there are several sorts of infinity : that there is infinity of substance : and infinity of quantity : and infinity of duration : and infinity of space ; and god knows how many more infinities : and could shew that there is no absurdity in saying , that all these infinities do not necessarily belong to every one of these , and i should get great reputation among wise men for my pains , should they catch me thus employing my tongue or pen. but now i think better of it , i find i am not quite so ignorant , as i thought i was ; for i can tell this gentleman , that a being can be partly infinite and partly not ; since i have learned that angels and humane souls are so : that is , with respect to the infinity of duration they are infinite à parte post , tho' not à parte antè . and what a rare notion is this ! sect. . as to the little that is here said , viz. upon the odious topick of tritheism , i referr him to my reply to the considerator , my much more ingenuous adversary , which i presume he hath read , tho' he takes no notice of it . sect. . here is nothing to be spoken to without repetitions ; and i want time to make them , and he is not in such want of sense as to need them . sect. . here he misrepresents me , and argues upon his misrepresentation . see prop. th . sect. . considering what i have said to the considerator , and already to this person , relating to the matter of this section , i shall onely observe upon it , . that i wonder how any man that hath a due awe of the infinite majesty of god upon his mind , can give himself leave to use such an expression , as tacking two persons to god the father . i scrupled a while , whether i might foul my pen with transcribing it . . he tells us that nothing can be more absurd than to say , that the . persons are one god by union , and yet are distinct from one another . but is there no difference betwixt union and identity or self samenefs ? is there not a real distinction between our souls and bodys , tho' united so closely as that he cannot conceive how closely , nor any man else ? if he shall say , that union is but another word for composition , i shall say he is extreamly out . composition being a blending or mixing of the parts of distinct things . the word is commonly used onely of heterogeneous things : spiritual substances therefore having no parts , are incapable of being compounded . and , in my poor opinion , tho' a man consists of a soul and body , he cannot be said to be compounded of them , because onely one of these hath parts . our author 't is like will cry mystery ! mystery ! to this talk ; as he despiseth trinitarians for calling the union of the three divine persons a mystery : but if even to the union of the two created beings himself consists of , he cannot seriously cry mystery , i know what i know of him . i will not say every witty man , but i am sure every wise man will cry mystery ! to every thing , as ill as some can bear that word . i confess no man shall perswade me any more than him and his friends , to swallow a palpable contradiction by calling it a mystery , till he can perswade me too that god almighty indued me with false faculties ; and then , do what i can , i am like to believe but few things more than cogito ergo sum. but i am as certain as i can be of any thing but what i see or feel , that it is not more difficult to understand this union , than abundance of other things relating to the deity , and innumerable things which our author must believe in spight of fate , if he will be a christian , or a theist , or but a man. sest . . he here banters the real trinitarians , as doing very wisely in supposing their three infinite substances , to be as close together as can be , lest there should not be room enough for them , in but one infinite space , &c. and then he enquires , if the substance of the father be every where , how the substance of the son can be every where too ? i shall be a little closer upon this gentleman for the strange liberty he takes in talking of infinite substances , as soon as i have done with his sections , than i have bin yet or will now be . in the mean time , i will be satisfied to reply thus to this section , viz. doth not this kind of talk suppose , that he takes the three divine persons ( if he thinks two of them are any thing ) to be corporeal substances ? which is so gross a conceit , and speaks such beastly stupidity , that i would charge no man therewith , who doth not expresly own it . but , hoping he doubts not of the being of spiritual substances , nor of the divine omnipresence , i ask him how the substance of god the father can be in those spaces which are filled with bodies ? or how can his soul and body , or that part of his body which his soul possesseth ( if his philosophy will permit him to think it doth not pervade the whole of his body ) how can they be , i say , in the self-same place or ubi , call it which he pleases ? surely , one would think , that several spirits may be together in the same individual space , seeing the penetrability of spirits must be acknowledg'd by all that believe there are such substances ( except they have no manner of notion of what they believe ) as well as that a spirit and an impenetrable body may be together in the same space . as to his adding [ and after the same manner ] to [ at the same time ] this can be onely for a blind . but we may talk endlesly upon this subject , and little understand one another or our selves ; for this , for certain , is one of those things , which our minds were never made for any thing like a clear perception of ; at least in these gross bodies . and much more then ( as he will be shewed anon ) is the infinity of the divine substance to be reckoned of that number . and he is an intolerably conceited fop , who will not confess so much ignorance , as to have no other idea of gods infinity , than that he hath all possible perfections , and that all his perfections are unlimited . and we are at a perfect loss what to say or think further about the divine essence . nay , we have now no cognizance of more than the modes and properties of bodily substance , we have none at all of its naked essence . all we can say of body as body , is , that 't is extended penetrable bulk . sect. . he saith , . that the trinitarians say , the persons are one god , as the soul and body are one man : and then he exposeth the folly of that simile . but he might have saved himself this little labour ; for as i never said so , so neither know i of any other trinitarian that hath . the creed indeed which is called the athenasian , saith , that as the soul and body are one man , so god and man are one christ ; but what is this to his purpose ? but what i have said , is , that the union between the three divine persons , is not more unaccountable , than is the union between the soul and body ; and that in one respect it is less unaccountable than this union , viz. because this is between beings of perfectly unlike natures ; whereas that is between persons of the same nature . and why distinct intelligent substances , which is the onely definition i can give of persons , may not be as closely united because they are all intelligent , as one intelligent substance and a body , is above the little philosophy that i can pretend to be master of , to understand . . upon the simile , of the close union of the sun with its light and heat , as he words it ; he saith , there are no such perceptions as those we call light and heat , in any beings , but those that are capable of seeing and feeling ; and that this every common systeme demonstrates : and that this is obvious to all but children and metaphysicians . what a wonderful piece of learning is here ! . light and heat perceptions ! i have heard of perceptions and sensations of light and heat , but that they are perceptions and sensations themselves , i have hitherto bin to learn. . but they are not ( tho' ) perceptions in any beings , but such as have faculties capable of seeing and feeling . and 't would be some what extraordinary , if any thing could perceive light and heat , that can neither see nor feel . yet i am a little mistaken , if heat , and light too , cannot have some operation on bodies , which have never a one of the five senses . . he saith , that every common systeme demonstrates , that there are no such perceptions as light and heat , but in things that are capable of seeing and feeling . a goodly demonstration ! but the commonness of it may make it the less observable . but it is pretty much it should be demonstrated in every common systeme , and i should never light on it in any one systeme . but 't is no matter , since i am a little too old to be a child ( unless twice one ) and then to be a metaphysician too ; for i am told to my comfort , . that this notion is obvious to all but children and metaphysicians . yet 't is obvious to this gentleman , tho' a metaphysician ; as i dare warrant him he is ( whether he knows it or no , as 't is like he does not since he so despising them ) or he could never be so notable at infinity , and other most sublime and abstruse matters . . but in good earnest , i am so dull as to be utterly unable to imagine , but that light would be light ( whatsoever is to be thought of colours ) tho' there were no eyes to perceive it : and such a heretick in philosophy ( whether i am in divinity or no ) as to think , that it is an aggregation of a certain sort of particles , as much as air is . and therefore i am not like in haste to be shamed out of the fathers simile , of emanations of light from the sun. nor do i think that our author himself , will ever be able to demonstrate any absurdity in conceiving , that heat differs onely gradually from fire , and light from both : and that fire is a fluid constituted of an excessively small sort of particles , and therefore very active , subtile and piercing ; and that a collection of these minute bodys in such a quantity , and so closely as to become an object of sight , is that which we express by the words fire and flame ; and a less close collection is what we call heat . and that flame differs from fire , as it is a more dispersed collection of these particles , than fire ; and light from both , as it is a thinner collection of them than either of the other : i say , i do not think that our author , as skilled as he is content to be thought to be in physicks ( tho' not in metaphysicks ) can demonstrate that these are absurd notions . sect. . there is nothing to be taken notice of in this very small section , but our being charged with terminating our devotions in each of the three persons in our praying to each of them . but i say , this is a very false charge ; for we as heartily acknowledg that all the honour we pay to the son , and h. spirit , ought to be ultimately terminated in god the father , tho' we believe they are not creatures , as those socinians do who are for giving divine honour to the son , believing him to be a creature and a mere man. and i am sure he cannot think otherwise , of those whom he calls the real trinitarians , because their hypothesis necessarily obligeth them so to believe , what ever the hypothesis of the other does . but the h. scripture is so express upon this point , that i should think no christian should find it hard to believe it : no , tho' there were no other text but this for it , viz. — that at the name of jesus , every knee should bow , of things in heaven , and things on earth , and things under the earth : and that every tongue should confess , that jesus christ is lord , to the glory of god the father . having now done with my adversarie's reflexions upon the . propositions , i will make bold to argue a while with himself ; and to give him a sample of his reasoning . with as infallible assurance , sir , as you talk of infinite substances , and reason against the possibility of the sons and h. spirits being infinite substances from the nature of such substances ; i never yet met with your fellow , if you will pretend to have a distinct and explicite idea of the thing call'd substance ; but i know not what epithet to give you , if you can take the liberty to tell me , that you have any such idea of infinity , as it relates immediately to a substance . you have indeed told us , that an infinite substance is that which hath no bounds or limits ; but did you think you then gave us a definition of an infinite substance ? no , you are a wiser man than so ; or than to hope that the construing of a word , would pass with any but children and fools for a definition of a thing . but suppose , sir , that i were so easy , as to accept of boundlesness and unlimitedness for a definition , or description of infinity , yet i should ( ten to one ) put this question ( whether an easy one or no ) what is the infinity of a substance ? you will not say , this is an easy question because answered already , viz. that the infinity of a substance , is the boundlesness thereof ; for you know you must tell us what a substance is , before you can make us the wiser , by discoursing upon infinite substances , or the infinity of a substance . if you will now be defining this thing called substance , by certain of its properties , i cannot for bear proceeding to ask , what is the subject of these properties ? or , what is substance considered abstractedly from all accidents ? if you tell me , it is something that doth substare accidentibus , and needs no support it self , i must be satisfied with this answer , since i know you will not attempt to give a better . but however i will not be discouraged , from asking on a while longer , tho' you should give me the proverb for my pains : and this question next occurrs , viz. since an insinite substance is something that hath no bounds , must it not reach to all the dimensions of infinite space , which you were up with in your th . section ? one might be tempted to think , that after you had said absolutely , as you did sect. . there can be no bound or end of what is infinite , you will grant this ; for if it were extended through the length and breadth of a million of worlds , if there be so many , this would not speak it to have no bound or end ; since all these worlds put together will not fill a boundless space . but then i ask what is space ? or ( to speak a little learnedly ) what is the ratio formalis of space ? and you have a ready answer for me , viz. 't is vacuity or emptiness . then demand i , what kind of thing is emptiness ? and you have an answer at hand to this too , viz. 't is an imaginary thing . and when i have asked , what is a mere imaginary thing ? i am much mistaken , if a man of your head-piece will in the least hesitate at replying , a mere imaginary thing , is a real nothing . and then , sir , this is your disinition of an infinite substance , it is a thing that is of equal extent with an infinite nothing . but hold ! cry you , who gave you leave thus to ask me questions , and then to answer them as you list for me ? i would have told you , that my phrase without bounds or limits , is not to be taken so strictly , as to surpass the space which holds all worlds . but , sir , will this answer do ? is , after all your arguing from the infinity of the divine substance , your notion of it onely this , that it is as much without bounds as gods creature the universe ? and can this consist with your having asserted , that 't is a contradiction to say , that there can be more than one infinite being ? but i foresee you will go near to reply , my notion thereof is far from being so scanty a one as you imagine ; for i hold , that the infinity of the divine substance , consists in its power to extend its presence thro' all the parts of new worlds , as they are created ; which god almighty can if he pleases create to all eternity . but then say i , will you pretend , sir , to have any the least idea , how the divine substance can do this ? and is not this dilatation and farther expansion thereof , think you , capable of being made as ridiculous and contradictory a thing , by such a wit as yours , as you think you have made emanations from thence to be ? i know you cannot but be aware , that it is certainly so . and therefore let the reader judg , what prodigious monstruous presumption it is , excuse me if i am now a little warm , to draw most confident conclusions from premises , which are unspeakably above the reach of humane understandings ; as the gentleman i have now bin socratically talking with , must confess the premises are , from which he hath argued against me . nay , they must be above the comprehension of all finite , as well as humane understandings ; or nothing is so . for my part , i dare not trust my shallowness with two thoughts upon such a subject as this of infinite substances , nor of an infinite substance neither . i have a distinct notion of a being absolutely perfect , and beings of unlimited perfections , tho' infinitely short of a comprehensive one , and therefore i chose to use onely such expressions in my propositions . and because these are in some measure adapted to humane capacities , the deity is every where described in h. scripture , by its glorious perfections of wisdom , power , goodness , mercy , righteousness and purity ; and by its most wonderful exertions and displayings of them in the creation : and by these are the son and h. spirit described there as well as god the father . wherefore i could not without mighty regret critizare cum cr●tensi ( taking the phrase , for paying our author in his own coyn ) as i now did , had i not so good a design therein , as to expose the folly and madness of the liberty which he and others take , with the most profoundly adorable deity . can such persons read those questions of zophar , without astonishment , which he put to job , ch. . , &c. canst thou by searching find out god ? canst thou find out the almighty to perfection ? it is as high as heaven , what canst thou do ? deeper than hell , what canst thou know ? the measure thereof is longer than the earth , and broader than the sea. and now i have done with this author , as well as with his reflexions ; who must not take it unkindly , that i have been so plain with him ; there being not the least of ill-will in it , but the greatest good-will i am sure . and notwithstanding we differ so mightily in our sentiments , i wish him as well as i do my self . if any do expect that i will be still replying on , as i am farther attackt , they 'l find themselves disappointed , unless such objections shall happen to be offered , against the hypothesis of the fathers , the non-absurdity of which i endeavour to desend , as have not yet appeared . and if such hereafter appear , as upon impartial consideration i shall think convictive , i will not ( by god's grace ) be ashamed to confess that i have bin in an errour . but rather shall think , i cannot do my self a greater honour , as i cannot do a greater right to truth , than by publishing a recantation . but i will not be so idle , as to contend for the last word with such men as i know will never yield it me ; i mean those who will not distinguish between dicibile & dicendum , what it is possible to say and what ought to be said ; but will adventure to say any thing , and turn every stone , and put their wits to their utmost stretch , to invent replys and rejoynders , rather than let their pens rest ; and much more , rather than they 'l own the least mistake . and where-ever i find a deal of art and subtilty , and mightily laboured oppositions , defences or provings , i cannot but suspect , that the desire of victory , and the encreasing or upholding of a party , or mens great opinion of their own understandings , have very much the ascendent of the love of truth . but how may the learned socrates shame the self-conceited dogmatizers ? who would not acknowledg that the oracle could have any other reason to pronounce himself the wisest of all men , but because he knew how ignorant he was ; and did not think he knew , what indeed he did not . and how may those words of s paul , lay the plumes of these gnosticks , viz. if any man thinketh he knoweth any thing , ( or prideth himself in an opinion of his being a knowing person ) he knoweth nothing yet , as he ought to know . and it is certain , that the more sincerely and impartially inquisitive any man is after truth , the less stiff , opiniative and pertinacious he will be ; and the less confident of those notions which are very disputable : because such a man is no less acquainted , with the strongest objections against them , than with the best arguments for them . and the more extensive knowledge any one hath acquired , the more vigorously sensible will he be , that he knows but very little . nor is any man in a capacity of perceiving such shallowness and emptiness in his mind , as he who is surnished with the largest stock of the most useful knowledge . the more we know of the deity , and the stupendious works of creation and providence , with the greater amazement shall we cry out with holy job , how little a portion is heard of him ! how little am i capable of understanding , either of him or them ! and the more a man hath enquired into the works of nature , the more conscious will he be to himself , how extreamly little he hath bin able to discover , even of the most despised things ; and such as the vulgar take for granted , to have nothing belonging to them , that will afford any matter for enquiry . there is no such antidote therefore against pride , as the most substantial and comprehensive knowledg , whereas nothing makes a man so conceited and self-assuming , as a small smattering of learning . and there are no such masters of reason ( in their own opinion ) as such men. the most ancient fathers , when they han't the good luck to be of these mens mind , are old dunces ; and as nothing is the truer for their saying it , so neither is it one jot the more like to be true . nor is novelty and objection to them , against the probability of any darling opinion . how much rather would i be modest socrates , than a christian who so leans to his own ( or his parties ) understanding . in what i have now bin saying , i cannot for bear thinking , of more denominations than one of professors of christianity . but yet i have bin far from reflecting upon all of any denomination . i am not such a censurer . god give us all more humility . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e dr. cudworth , and dr. bull. notes for div a -e orat. ● . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a defence of the resolution of this case viz. whether the church of england's symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome makes it unlawfull to communion with the church of england : in answer to a book intitiuled a modest examination of that resolution. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a defence of the resolution of this case viz. whether the church of england's symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome makes it unlawfull to communion with the church of england : in answer to a book intitiuled a modest examination of that resolution. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed by j. h. for b. aylmer ..., london : . attributed to edward fowler. cf. blc. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- doctrines. modest examination of the resolution of this case of conscience. lord's supper -- early works to . lord's supper -- church of england -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a defence of the resolution of this case , viz. whether the church of england's symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome , makes it unlawfull to hold communion with the church of england . in answer to a book intituled a modest examination of that resolution . london , printed by j. h. for b. aylmer , at the three pigeons , against the royal exchange in cornhill . . a defence of the resolution , &c. sir , i who know the author of the book , which hath given you this trouble , better than any man , do conclude that you are not more a stranger to him , than he is to you , from the epithets you so frequently bestow upon him throughout your papers ; except you do it ( which i would not be so uncharitable as to think ) by way of irony . in your first paragraph you express a liking of the complexion of his book ; and i perceive you mean , that it pleaseth you to find it not written in a heat , and that there is nothing of a censorious or peevish humour , or of a haughty contempt of those he deals with , therein exprest . and he hopes that upon the same accounts , you are no less pleased with the other resolutions of cases , which bear this company . but he thinks it no mighty attainment , to be able in writing to manage a controversie coolly and sedately ; without bitter or provoking reflexions , or contemptuous expressions . though men of warm tempers may find it somewhat difficult , to govern their spirits and passions , as it becomes them , in the heat of disputing by word of mouth ; one would think that a small measure of humility or good nature , or of discretion and prudence , should make it no hard matter to acquire that other attainment : and , much more , that no one who is a christian in spirit and temper , as well as in notion and profession , can find it a difficult thing to arrive at it . but enough of this . in your second paragraph , you seem to intimate , that our author might have spared his pains in dwelling so long upon the distance between our church and the church of rome , in points of doctrine : but he is not satisfied with the reasons you give for the needlesness of so doing . your reasons are two ; first , because he argued chiefly for communion in worship . and secondly , you never met with the doctrinal part of the articles charged as popish , nor our church reflected on , as symbolizing with that idolatrous church , in points of doctrine . but these reasons have not convinced our author , that he is over long upon this argument ; for it was not his design to shew , that our church doth not symbolize in points of doctrine with that of rome , but that she stands at greatest defyance with that church : not , that she doth not teach her corrupt doctrine in her articles ; but that she designedly confutes them , and exposeth the falsity and corruption of them . and this surely was worth the shewing in so many instances , for their sakes who never read or considered those articles ; as i fear very few of the dissenters have done . and , whereas you say , you never met with the doctrinal part of the articles charged as popish ( and it would be strange if you had ) i say , there is too great cause to suspect , that very few of our dissenting brethren do understand how anti-popish they are , though they do not charge them as popish . and i doubt you have met with many ▪ ( i am sure very many are to be met with ) who have reflected upon our church as an idolatrous church , though you never heard her accused as symbolizing with the idolatrous church of rome , in points of doctrine . but they will find it somewhat hard to understand , how a church can be idolatrous in matters of practice , and yet be pure in her doctrine from any tang of idolatry . surely her practices must be grounded upon her doctrines , or they would be strange practices indeed . and it would be wonderfull , if she should practise idolatry , and yet believe nothing that tends to the encouragement of that soul sin ; nay believe and teach all those doctrines that are as opposite to idolatry , as light to darkness . so that i conceive nothing could be more to our author's purpose , than to endeavour to remove that prejudice of many , against the constitution of our church , which is grounded upon an opinion of its being near of kin to popery . and what could signifie more to their conviction , that there is not any ground for such an opinion , than the shewing how abhorrent to popery our church is in her doctrine ; and what a testimony she beareth in her articles against the idolatrous and superstitious doctrines of the romish church , and the practices which she foundeth upon those doctrines ? as to the several additions you say may be made to the * anti-popish doctrines contained in the articles , our author conceives he was not guilty of any oversight in not preventing you , because some of them are not properly anti-popish , but contrary to the doctrine of other sects , which are to be found among abhorrers of popery as well as papists ; and others of them our author hath not omitted , but if you 'll look again , you may find them in their proper places . viz. those doctrines contained in artic. vi. and artic. xi . this , under the head of doctrines flatly contradicting the holy scriptures , pag. . that , under the head of the authority on which each of the two churches founds its whole religion , pag. . now i hope by this time , you understand very well what our author would have you conclude , from this first part of his performance , which you say * you do not well understand . and whereas you ask , whether it be that the articles have in them nothing of kin to popery , as to matters of faith ? and add that you dare say , there is not a judicious dissenter in england will say they have . i answer , if there be any injudicious dissenters in england , that will say they have , i hope these poor people ought not to be so despised , as that we should use no means for the undeceiving of them . but our author would have you conclude , that he hath done what he designed , which is ( as hath been already said ) not to shew that the articles have nothing of kin to popery , but that they are most abhorrent from it ; and that our church is at the widest and vastest distance from popery in her doctrinals ; and consequently one would think too , in matters of practice . but our author does not satisfie himself to prove this by this consequence ; but goes on to shew it in the particular instances of matters of practice , after he had done it in points of doctrine . to return now to your second page , you say that it is mightily satisfactory to you to hear our author assuring you , that our church alloweth her members the judgment of discretion , &c. but , sir , you needed no authors to assure you of this , since our church hath done it as fully , as it can be done by words ; and our author no otherwise assures you of it , than by citing our churches articles . but whereas you add , that this you cannot but think implieth a liberty , not onely to believe and judge , but to doe also according to what a man believes and judgeth ; surely you will find your self able to think otherwise , when you have considered , what is the necessary and immediate consequence of such a thought , viz. that all such things as laws are utterly inconsistent with allowing to men the judgment of discretion , according to this large notion : and that , therefore our church doth faultily symbolize with the church of rome , in having any such things as government and discipline . you next say , that our author speaketh very true as to the popish rites and ceremonies , and that those in our church are comparatively few ; but you much doubt , whether the use of those few was long before popery appeared in the world , unless he means popery at its full growth ; for that mystery of iniquity , as to rituals , began to work very early . to this i answer , that the papists may con you great thanks for this passage , it plainly enough intimating that the primitive father and christians were for the most part papists , though not fully grown papists . and as to those words of st. paul , the mystery of iniquity doth already work , if you can do any thing like proving that the apostle meant by the mystery of iniquity , which began to work in his days , the use of such rites as those you are offended with in our church , i will engage for our author , that he shall immediately set up for a nonconformist . you say in your third page , that you cannot well understand how our author saith , that our church doth not impose her rites as necessary , unless he means as necessary in order to salvation , &c. but doth he not expresly tell you what he means by necessary ? you found he did , if you read the whole sentence , which runs thus , pag. . and she imposeth her rites not ( as the church of rome does her's ) as necessary , and as parts of religion , but as merely indifferent and changeable things , as we find in her th article , &c. and why , sir , did you conceal this part of the sentence , and thus stop at a comma ? you thus proceed ; nor do i well understand how they are not made necessary to salvation , when the non-observance of them is made sinfull , and meritorious of a being cast out of the church , &c. and i assure you , that i do as little understand , if this be good arguing , how whatsoever the king commands of his subjects , or a master of his servants , is not made by them necessary to salvation , since the non-observance of the lawfull commands of each , is acknowledged to be sinfull , by all that believe these precepts binding , viz. submit your selves to every ordinance of man , for the lord's sake , &c. and , servants obey in all things your masters , &c. and as to the penalty you mention , of being cast out of the church , and cut off from the body of christ , which is the same thing , it amounts to thus much ; that those who will by no means be prevailed with , to conform to the laws of the society of which they are members , shall be cast out of it : which all societies and bodies politique whatsoever , have ever thought fit to have inflicted , upon obstinate transgressors of their laws , in order to the preservation of themselves , and the upholding of government amongst them . and our author i am certain will readily grant , that none but obstinate transgressors of the churches laws , and such as are incorrigible by all other means first tryed , ought to be cast out of the church , and that the sentence of excommunication should never be pronounced against them , but as the last remedy : as also that the design thereof ought always to be the reformation of the offender ( as well as for example to others ) never his destruction . but how does this penalty's being made the sanction of the laws of our church , which ordain rites and ceremonies for order's sake , and the decent administration of divine worship in publique , speak these to be enjoyned as necessary to salvation , when the non-observance of any of them is no otherwise judged to be sinfull , than as it is an act of disobedience to humane authority ; and when this penalty is never ( according to the rules of our church ) to be inflicted , but in case of the offender's adding contempt to his disobedience ? if any instances can be given of persons being excommunicated upon the account of nonconformity , who are humble and modest and peaceable , and that give good evidence of their willingness to comply with the laws of their governours as far as they are able with safe consciences , this i am sure is wholly the fault of persons , not of our constitution . but this objection is too inconsiderable to deserve our bestowing so many words upon it . all that follows to the bottom of your fifth page , wherein our author is concerned , hath been replied to : and there you thus speak . as in england we have a silent and a speaking law , so we have also a silent and a speaking church , &c. we know the doctrine of the church of england in the articles ; but this is but ecclesia muta : how many have we that will tell us , we are ecclesia loquens , the living church of england ; and we tell you , &c. here follow no fewer than thirteen doctrines taught by this ecclesia loquens , contradictory to the articles . but . you have given us ( we thank you ) the very first information of this ecclesia loquens : but why do you expect , unless we knew you better , that we should take your bare word for it ? nay we have hardly that , for you do not in express terms affirm , but ask this question , how many have we that will tell us , we are ecclesia loquens ? and therefore it might suffice , to give you onely this short answer , do you tell us how many , or whether there are any , if you know . surely this church of yours is an invisible church ; or , if not , none but dissenters eyes are clear enough to get the least glympse of it . but the truth of it is , 't is a mere figment , and the very dream of a shadow . but . whereas a positive assertion of the being of such a church of england is implied in this question , you cannot well be otherwise understood , than as asserting , that the prevailing party of our church of england divines , have obtruded upon the world this long beadroll of heresies , as articles of faith ; and so have turned the old church of england out of doors : and therefore you are brought to this miserable pass , that you cannot hold communion with this new church , except you will separate from , and bid adieu to the old. and , in good earnest , if this be so , dissenters are the onely true friends of the church of england , as by law established ; and this church is hugely obliged to them for their separation . but . i am well assured , that you will never be able to make good this charge , or any part of it , against any number of the divines of our church . for i who know , i am confident , as many of them , as most men in england , can truly declare as followeth , that i cannot name any one divine of our church , who teacheth your first contradictory doctrine to the articles , viz. that although we may not terminate our worship in an image , yet we may bow down and worship the true god before an image . nor your second , viz. that departed saints know our states here upon earth , and are praying to god for us ; and therefore we may pray to them . nor know i any one of our church , who teacheth your third , viz. that any priest may absolve , by commission from god , more than declaratively . i mean , i know no one that maketh the priest's absolution to be other in effect than declarative , though it signifies more than if pronounced by a layman . nor your fourth , that the natural body and bloud of christ , is in the elements of bread and wine really . our church-catechism saith that , the body and bloud of christ , are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithfull in the lord's supper : and i know no divine of ours that explaineth this otherwise than thus , that believers feed on the body and bloud of christ , in the lord's supper , as truly and really as they do on the elements ; but not after a corporal and carnal manner , but after a spiritual , viz. by applying to themselves the benefits of christ's death by faith . and i presume you will neither assert this to be popish doctrine , nor deny that 't is true doctrine . nor do i know any one of our divines that holds your fifth proposition , for it may not be called a doctrine , viz. that our conformable congregations are no better than conventicles , where the minister reads not the communion service at the altar . which you assert to be tantamount to the allowing of prayers in an vnknown tongue ; because in multitudes of congregations , the people cannot hear a line from him . i say , i know of no divine of our church , that ever asserted that such congregations as the forementioned , are no better than conventicles . there was indeed lately a foolish book published to prove them conventicles , but it is strongly conjectured that this book was written by a certain layman : and what church he is of i cannot say , nor is it a pins matter to know . but i may as much suspect him to be a protestant dissenter , as a popish , upon the score of that his position ; it being nothing of kin to the allowing of prayers in an vnknown tongue . for ( as there is not one of your multitudes of congregations , wherein the people cannot hear a line from him that reads at the communion table , except you mean , wherein every one of the people cannot ; for , i doubt not , the major part can in all where the minister hath a voice to be well heard from the pulpit , so ) all that is read is known before to those who are not strangers to our prayers , or at least they may have books to enable them to go along with the minister , whether they can , or cannot hear distinctly one sentence from him . nor do i know any one of our divines that hath ever taught your th doctrine , that whole christ is under each element : which you intimate is the onely foundation on which the sacrilegious romish practice stands . but if i could believe that doctrine to be true , i should notwithstanding judge it an intolerable thing to refuse the cup to the laity , against the express institution of our lord. nor know i any divine of our church guilty ▪ of the th particular of your charge , viz. that there are those who interpret the ten commandments so as that he who will ever be saved must do a great many works of supererogation . and if i did know any one that so interpreted the commandments , as to make any one such work necessary to salvation , i would not call him a papist for it , but an ignoramus ; who understands not the word supererogation . nor know i any one that teacheth original sin , ( thereby understanding corruption of nature ) to be rather our misfortune than our fault : which is your th doctrine . nor consequently , that concupiscence is no sin ; which is your th . nor your th , that man hath a power in his own will to chuse and doe what is spiritually good ; ( i. e. ) without the assistence of divine grace : and with this assistence i hope you dissenters do all hold it . nor know i any one of our divines who teacheth , that we are not accounted righteous before god ( or justified ) onely for the merits of christ : that is , that there is any other meritorious cause of our justification besides the active and passive obedience of christ . nor your th , that we are not justified by faith alone : understanding by faith , not a dead but a living faith , that purefies the heart , and works by love . nor your th , that good works must go before justification , and are not the fruits of faith , but faith it self . for i know no one of our church that asserts more than this , that a sincere resolution to obey all god's commandments must , in order of nature , go before justification . nor your th , that there is no eternal predestination of persons to life , and the means tending thereunto . i know of none of our church that have ever taught this doctrine , as you have expressed it ; nor any worse than this , that eternal predestination to life is not irrespective or absolute ; which no article of our church saith it is . and abundance of you dissenters hold this doctrine , as well as church of england men . and thus have i gone over all the doctrines contradictory to the articles , taught by your ecclesia loquens , yours i say , for she is not ours ; and i declare again , that i know of no divine of our church , that teacheth or holdeth such doctrines . if you know any , as one would think you do very many , i pray name them . you say , we spare any names in these cases ; but be you entreated not to spare them . but if you won't be prevailed with , we shall very shrewdly guess at the reason . sir , to deal freely with you , i cannot but wonder , at your adventuring into the world this other celeusma ; since the author of the former had so ill success , and must needs have repented him heartily of that undertaking . all that have consideratively read his answerer , i am confident are convinced , that after a great cry , little wooll appeared ; or rather none at all . nor can such be ignorant , what foul play was used to make our divines of the church of england broach heresie . and i doubt not but you your self have blushed at it , if you have ever read the parallela imparia ; five specimen fidei celeusmaticae . could you catch us thus dealing with the books of your authors , as ours have been dealt with by that author , and some others that might be named , we should at another kind of rate have been exposed , than they have been . but , sir , for god's sake , let us make as much conscience of vile calumny , than which there is not a more express transgression of the law of god , nor of the very light of nature , as of obedience to authority in such things as no divine law can be produced against ; and nothing but strained and far-fetcht consequences . and , for god's sake also , let us at length be perswaded to have so great a concern for our common religion , as to give over exposing it by such unchristian doings , to the scorn and derision of our common enemy . but i cannot take my leave of this heavy charge of yours , till i have asked you , what you inferr from thence , on supposition you can make good proof of it ? it is plain your design in all this talk , is to justifie , if not a total , yet a partial separation . you do indeed ( to conceal nothing of your candour ) after all acknowledge , * that you are very far from thinking that there are not multitudes of holy and learned men in our ecclesia loquens , that in these things are of another mind : and therefore , i hope , you will not excuse separation from their churches . nay you say , † that hundreds of the speaking church are , as we believe , as far from symbolizing with the church of rome ( you mean in doctrine ) as the articles ; and that in this thing a separation from the silent , as well as this part of the speaking church , must needs be highly sinfull . and in thus declaring , you condemn the generality of those that separate ; it being well known that communion with those whom you will acknowledge to be orthodox divines , and those which you account heterodox , is much alike boggled at . but i fear , when all is done , you condemn onely separation in heart from these orthodox men ; your undertaking in your th page makes me fear this ; viz. that all the valuable persons in presbyterian and independent congregations , shall give any reasonable assurance , that they are not in heart divided from a single person , in the church of england , that speaketh in matters concerning doctrine , as our church doth in her articles : but if you think that all the communion you are obliged to hold with these divines , is onely that of the heart ; that is , thinking them orthodox , and loving them as such , but allow it to be lawfull , to refuse to worship god with them , nay and not so much as to hear them , we thank you for nothing . this is such church communion as will well consist with rending and tearing the church in pieces . but i pray do not think that all this while i take it for granted , that 't is lawfull to separate from the congregations of those divines whom we take to be in some points heterodox . nay upon supposition that your ecclesia loquens did as generally depart from the doctrine of our church , as the pharisees in our saviour's time did from the law of moses , i shall be far from granting that separation from their congregations is lawfull , except there be a constraint laid upon us to subscribe to their heterodox opinions , till you can prove that our saviour allowed of the jews separation from the pharisees ; which you never can , but the contrary who cannot shew ? he bad his disciples indeed , to beware of the leaven of the pharisees ; and so are we to beware of the leaven of such heterodox teachers ; but not so to beware of it , as not to come within their churches ; for that that caution of our saviour is not to be so interpreted , appears not onely from his own practice ( who was far from being a separatist from the jewish temple or synagogues ) and by what he saith , mat. . , . in the last paragraph of your th page , you return to speak more directly to our author : and first you reflect upon these words in his book , p. . but i am so far from taking it for granted , that a church is guilty of sin in agreeing in some indifferent things with the church of rome , that i must needs profess , i have often wondered , how this should become a question : seeing whatsoever is of an indifferent nature , as it is not commanded , so neither is it forbidden by any moral or positive law ; and where there is no law there is no transgression , &c. to this you say , that it is an obvious begging the question . and it might be so , if our author stopt here , but he thus proceeds : and whereas certain circumstances will make things , that in themselves are neither duties nor sins , to be either duties or sins , and to fall by consequence , under some divine command or prohibition , i have admired how this circumstance of an indifferent thing , being used by the church of rome , can be thought to alter the nature of that thing , and make it cease to be indifferent , and become sinfull . so that this is the obvious meaning of our author's words , that he hath wondered how it should become a question , whether a church may lawfully agree in some things with the church of rome , which the law of god hath not forbidden : and whereas somethings that are not forbidden by the law of god directly , are notwithstanding forbidden thereby consequentially , he hath admired how the more circumstance of a thing 's being practised by the church of rome , can speak it to be forbidden by god's law consequentially . and then he immediately betakes himself to the consideration of some of those laws given to the israelites , that prohibit their imitating the doings of the egyptians and canaanites , which are urged by nonconformists , to prove it unlawfull to imitate the church of rome in things of a mere indifferent nature , and that that circumstance of their being practised by that church makes them cease to be indifferent , and to become sinfull : and endeavours to shew , that this cannot with any shew of reason be gathered from these laws . and how , i pray , is this an obvious begging of the question ? which is , whether a church's symbolizing , or agreeing in some things , with the church of rome , be a warrant for separatian from the church so agreeing ? this , i say , is the question which our author handles ▪ but you next make a question for him , and say it is this , * whether a thing in its own nature indifferent , be still indifferent as to christians use in god's worship , when it hath been once used in idolatrous services ; if the use of it be neither naturally necessary to the worship of god , as it is an humane act , nor suitable to the ends of it , nor such without which it cannot in common judgment be decently performed ? but our author much more wonders , how this should become a question , than how that of his own propounding should . for first , there are three apparent contradictions in it . it being a contradiction to say concerning the same thing , that it is in its own nature indifferent , and yet naturally necessary to the worship of god , as it is an humane act. it being so too , to say of the same thing , that 't is in its own nature indifferent , and yet vnsuitable to the ends of divine worship . it being a contradiction again , to say of the same thing , that 't is in its own nature indifferent , and yet such as without which the worship of god cannot in common judgment be decently performed . for you must mean by things in their own nature indifferent , things that are so in divine worship : for otherwise , you trifle egregiously in putting this question , or make your nonconformists so to doe , for whom you put it . but you abuse them , if you do so ; for that which divers of them do assert , and which occasioned our author's resolution of the case of symbolizing , &c. is this ; that things which might otherwise be lawfully used in the worship of god , do become unlawfull , by their having been abused in idolatrous or superstitious services . and some of them do understand this in a more limited and restrained sense ( as our author hath shewed ) than others of them do . secondly , as this question is put , you are sure to have no adversaries . for who ever doubted whether a thing be unlawfull in the worship of god , that is vnsuitable to the ends thereof , whether this thing hath been abused or no in idolatrous services ▪ now , having thus strangely put the question , you proceed to shew that from thence will follow several things , as things out of controversie betwixt us . and i perceive you are very cautious herein of reviving a certain old controversie among your selves , viz. whether our old churches , bells and fonts , &c. may still be used . for you thus word your third particular wherein we are agreed , viz. that things of mere conveniency for a religious action , for the service of the ends of it may be used , though idolaters have used the like ( you are shy , i perceive , of saying the same ) so as none scruple the using of churches to meet in , &c. you say not , none scruple the using of the old churches which were built by papists . in your next page , you tell our author , that you think that , * zanchy's rule is at least safest , and that he knows that , in dubiis animae tutior pars est eligenda . but i think you might have englisht it better than thus , in matters of sin , the safest part is always to be preferred . for in matters of sin , or sinfull matters , in my silly judgment , there is no safest part to be preferred . next you positively assert , that in matters of divine worship , if the things used by idolaters be not necessary , both the abuse and the use also ought to be abolished . and you say , you cannot understand what else is the meaning of the apostle in that his application of the words found , psal . . . in cor . . viz. if any man say unto you , this is offered in sacrifice unto idols ; eat not , for his sake that shewed it , and for conscience sake : for the earth is the lord's and the fullness thereof , &c. that is ( you say ) you shall not need to starve , though you do not eat of that meat , &c. to this i answer , that our author hath freely acknowledged , pag. . that all things of an indifferent nature , that have formerly been abused to idolatry , or superstition , ought to be taken away by the governours , whensoever they find their people inclined again so to abuse them : at least , if such abuse cannot probably be prevented by other means . but our author utterly denies , that those rites which our church retaineth , that have been abused , and are still , by the church of rome , have been observed to be any temptation to idolatry , or to the embracing of popery . and therefore there is ( upon this supposition ) no argument to be drawn from that text , against the sinfulness of using those rites : because the apostle there forbids the strong christian the eating of that meat , which a weak christian shall inform him , was a portion of an idol-sacrifice , for this reason , lest he be confirmed in , or betrayed to , the sin of idolatry by his example , not rightly understood by him . and consequently this christian is supposed to be such a weak one , as would be in danger of making this ill use of his example ; as being but lately converted from paganism , and not yet sufficiently instructed in the precepts of christianity . it is manifest from the immediately following verse , that the apostle forbiddeth the eating of meat offered to idols upon this sole account : for saying in the former verse , eat not for his sake that shewed it , and for conscience sake , he adds in the latter , that he means not that he should forbear for the sake of his own conscience , but onely for the sake of the others conscience . if therefore you can prove that these rites of our church are temptations to any of its members to go over to the romish church , or to commit idolatry still continuing therein , you shall be so far from being opposed by our author , that he 'll heartily join with you in endeavouring by all lawfull means to have them abolished ; on supposition that the temptation cannot otherwise be taken away . but i desire you , by the way , to take notice , that it is not the design of his book ( which you could not but see , though you would seem not to see it ) to plead for the continuance of these rites ( as innocent and harmless things at least as he takes them to be ) but onely to perswade dissenters not to separate from our church upon the account of such things ; and to shew that their having been abused is no just ground for separation . and , having minded you of this , i shall not need to tell you , that the other old-testament text , which you have added to those which he hath replied to , is alledged very impertinently : which yet we 'll bestow two or three words in answer to . but first let us see what you reply to what he saith to these texts . you say , * you cannot possibly get leave of your self ( considering under what terms of divine abhorrence god every where mentioneth idolatry in holy writ , &c. ) to be of the mind of our author , that the texts , lev. . . deut. . . lev. . . are merely to be understood of things in themselves evil . nor , by the way , is our author of that mind , for he acknowledgeth , pag. . that the things forbidden in the last of these places are things of so indifferent a nature , that none can be more indifferent . but , he asks , where it is said , that these things were forbidden , because the heathens used them ? and he addeth , that though maimonides saith , that the egyptians used these mixtures of seeds , and of linnen and woollen in many of their magical exploits , yet 't is universally acknowledged , that these things , among many others , were forbidden to the jews , as mystical instructions in moral duties . but to this you are perfectly silent . but why cannot you be of our author's mind , as to the two other texts ? you say , the following part of the chap. lev. . gives some colour to interpret that place of things morally evil ; yet , why are they forbidden under the notion of things done , after the doings of the egyptians and the canaanites ? i answer , because they were the doings of those people , whom they were exceedingly prone to imitate , even their greatest immoralities : and this is a sufficient answer . then you tell us , nor is deut. . . or lev. . . capable of such a sense . but our author saith not a word of lev. . . for 't is verse the th that he speaks to , and ( as hath been said already ) he never saith that in this place the things forbidden are morally evil , but the contrary . but as to those things forbidden in deut. . . he sheweth that they are morally evil , nor is your bare saying , that that place is not capable of such a sense , a confutation of him . and now we come to the text , which you desire your author to consider , in these words . * but because our author tells us , he can find no other texts , that make more , if so much , for this purpose , i shall desire you , sir , but to consider hos . . , . and it shall be at that day saith the lord , that thou shalt call me ishi , and shalt call me no more baali . for i will take away the names of baalim out of her mouth ; and they shall no more be remembred by their name . now upon this text you say , that baali was a very good name ; if we consider it in its self what doth it signifie more than my lord ? adonai is of the same signification , by which name it was never unlawfull to call god : but because the idol was called baal , god abhorred it ; though he allowed himself to be called by another name of the same significancy . nor will i believe our author himself owns that it was lawfull for the jews , to apply themselves to god under the name of baali . now because you lay so much weight upon this text , you shall have the fuller answer ▪ and , . i say that god doth not in the former verse give the jews a prohibition no more to call him baali , but makes them a gratious promise that they shall not . ▪ t is plain by what goes before , that the words are a promise , viz. by the two foregoing verses : wherein god promiseth them to cease from plaguing them for their idolatry , ( that is , upon their true repentance ) and to give them again happy days . and then he saith , thou shalt call me ishi , and shalt call me no more baali . that is , thou shalt call me no more by a name of fear as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was , but by a name of love as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is , this signifying sponsus benignus , but that , durus & imperiosus maritus , or dominus , such as baal was to his worshippers ; as the criticks will tell you . which is as much as to say , there shall no more be an occasion given you from my severe usage of you , to call me by a name that signifies , a harsh lord , or he would not be to them like such a lord as baal was , but he would shew them the kindness of a tenderly loving husband , for the time to come . . it is manifest that god's meaning was not , that they should never use that word baal , because idolaters used it , and an idol was called by that name ; for then they might not use the name jah neither , because the heathens used the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nor would god have called himself by the name of baal , as you will find he does , isa . . . if you consult your hebrew bible , as that word signifies no more than husband . . whereas it follows in the next verse , for i will take away the names of baalim out of her mouth ; and they shall no more be remembred by their name . the following criticks do give such a sense of them as will not in the least favour your purpose . this is liveleius's , in the renovation of the church , idolatry shall be abolished . calvin's is , i will cause my people to cast away all their lies , and to be content with the pure doctrine of my law. the exposition of vatablus is this , by baalim god understands the various images of baal , which had various names according to the places wherein they were erected ; as there were many jupiters among the heathens . and whereas you say , because the idol was called baal , god abhorred that name , i must needs tell you , that to think god can abhor a good name merely because of its having been given to an idol , speaks a childish notion and opinion of that infinitely perfect being . but after all this , let us suppose that god here forbad the jews to call himself for the future by the name of baal ; this will not in the least affect our author ; for if it were so , it could be onely upon the account of their vehement inclination to the worship of the idol baal ; and therefore they might not take his name into their mouths , that so they might not be tempted , by using it , to worship him again : but our author hath said enough to convince you , that there is not the least appearance of an argument to be fetched from hence , against the lawfulness of our ceremonies ; or to prove , that since they were used without any idolatry or superstition by the ancient fathers , before they were abused by the apostate church of rome , they may not return to their first use , the idolatry and superstition being perfectly removed : and moreover , no danger arising from the using of them , to the members of our church , of returning to popery . but in your * next page , you find fault with our author for asserting , as he doth in his th page ; that there is no such inclination in the members of our church , to go over to that of rome ( nor hath any such inclination been observed , ever since the reformation ) as was in the jews , to the superstitious and idolatrous practices of the heathens . but need i shew you the impertinency of your answer to this passage ? which is this , that the people now are more devoutly inclined , i very much doubt ; i am sure they had much more reason then than now , to be averse to it ; having more miraculous operations and extraordinary appearances of god to them , than we can pretend to . and i am sure the hearts of all are by nature now , as bad as then . but , . doth it argue that our people are more devoutly inclined , than the jews were , because they are not so inclined to idolatry ? men that have nothing of devotion in their tempers , may have no inclination at all to some certain vices . but i need onely to ask you , whether the turks be a devouter sort of people than the jews then were , or whether the jews be more devout now , than they were then ? because ( as every body knows ) they both have at present not onely no inclination , but the greatest abhorrence to idolatry , and so have had for many ages . . what if the jews had more miraculous operations among them , &c. doth it thence follow , that we must therefore be necessarily as much inclined to idolatry , as they were ? why then are not the turks as much inclined , or the present jews , who have no more miraculous operations among them , than we have among us ? . what though our hearts be as bad by nature , as the hearts of the ancient jews were , must we needs be therefore as much inclined to idolatry as they were ? why then , i ask again , are not the hearts of the turks and modern jews as much inclined thereunto ? and yet i fear the hearts of each of these are no better by nature , than theirs were . but i am almost ashamed to make any reply to such talk as this . and how , sir , is it , that you can perswade your self thus to object , against so plain a matter of fact , as no one can be plainer , or more indisputable ? but in what follows , you suppose that we have a greater antipathy to popery now , than we had formerly , though you do not grant it ; and then add , that if so , you fear the irish rebellion , and the fire of london and other places , have more contributed to it , than peoples natural inclinations to true worship , or aversion from idolatry . well , let the cause thereof be what it will , if we have a greater antipathy , that 's as much as our author asserted : he did not assign the cause of it . but , i pray , did you observe any greater inclination to popery before the fire of london , than you now observe ? or before the irish rebellion either , if you are so old as to be able so early to make observations ? i may ask too , what hath made the so often mentioned turks or modern jews to be so exceedingly averse to idolatry , that the irish rebellion , and fire of london must needs make us so , and nothing else ? by this time , i hope you need not to be told the reason , which you say you understand not , why there is not a necessity , for the keeping as wide a distance between protestants and papists , as god appointed should be kept between the jews , and the egyptians . though i will lay you a wager , you cannot prove that there is not as great a distance in rites and ceremonies between our church and the church of rome , as there was by divine appointment between the jews and the egyptians . and i 'll lay you another , that there is a greater than was by divine approbation between the jews and divers of the heathen nations . the next page , viz. the th , containeth nothing but what hath been already fully answered ; or what is so trifling as not to deserve the least consideration . in your th page , you say that our author cannot but know that calvin , p. martyr , and zanchy , and others of our famous first reformers , have said much more against the retaining unnecessary things abused to idolatry , than he can bring to testifie any of their approbation of them . but , in the mean time , i perceive you are very willing to have it thought , that mr. calvin made no bones of contradicting himself ; though we beg your pardon for not believing it , till you are pleased to cite those passages wherein he doth so . methinks you might have favoured us with one at least , in opposition to those many our author hath cited . but why should you be so altogether silent too , in the quoting of your other authors ? but if you had been never so copious herein , except you could have brought them in pleading for the lawfulness of separation upon the account of the rites retained in our church , which are abused by the papists , you cannot but be aware that all your quotations had been nothing to the purpose of confuting our author . but you are so far from being able to doe this , that you cannot find them so much as pleading against the lawfulness of ministerial conformity . but , on the other hand , i presume you need not be told , that divers of them have declared their judgments for it : nor that zanchy particularly , at the same time endeavoured to perswade queen elizabeth to moderate the urging of ceremonies , and to perswade the ministers not to stand it out against her majesty's pleasure , if she could not be prevailed with . and this he saith he did by the advice of his prince , and many ministers . you proceed to tell us , that our famous reformers by the spirit of prophecy have lamented the probable future state ( you should have said the certain future state , if they were acted by the spirit of prophecy ) of those churches , that have retained any nest eggs belonging to those old birds . what religion is come to the saxon , and divers other lutheran churches , we need not tell our author ; what is coming among us , time will shew . but no considerative man needs to be told , sir , that if we should be so miserable as to have popery again prevail in this kingdom , we are not to thank our liturgy , or our rites and ceremonies for it , as the true cause thereof , but our as vnreasonable as vnchristian divisions , and our being crumbled into so many sects and parties , which have extremely weakened our church ; which , were she as a city united within her self , would still be , no doubt , as impregnable a bulwark against the assaults of the romanists as she hath ( god be thanked ) hitherto been . and for this reason alone , though these divisions tended to no other mischief ( as several other great and lamentable ones are produced by them ) i would not for all the world fall under the guilt of having contributed to them , by instilling such prejudices into the minds of people as might cause them to withdraw from the communion of our church , and embody themselves in separate congregations . ●●ge . you next reply to what our author saith in reference to hezekiah's breaking in pieces the brazen serpent , in his th page . and whereas he saith , . that it was not onely a thing defiled in idolatrous services , but was made an idol it self . you reply , but no more than the cross , or the picture of the virgin mary , is at this day made by the papists . i answer , do you shew , if you can , what papists have made an idol of an aerial sign of the cross . and as to the picture of the virgin mary , is that one of our ceremonies ? . our author saith that the brazen serpent was at that time actually used as an idol . you reply , so is the cross by the papists . but is this an answer ? you know the onely pertinent answer would have been , that it is made use of as an idol by church of england-men , as the brazen serpent was by jews . but this is so far from being true , that there is no cross used among us , that was ever made an idol , or object of worship , by the papists . . our author saith , that the jews were generally lapsed into this idolatry . you reply , so are the papists universally . but if you would speak to the purpose , you should have said , and proved , that so are church of england-men , either universally or generally . . our author saith , that there was little hope of reclaiming the jews any other way . you say , there is as little hope of reclaiming the papists from their idolatry of the cross . but i will not a third time repeat the same answer . onely i will ask whether there be any hope of reclaiming the papists from their idolatry by our laying aside our ceremonies ? . our author saith , that although the brazen serpent had been a thing onely defiled in idolatrous services , yet we freely grant , that it ought to have been destroyed , or removed out of the peoples sight , if the continuance of it in their view were like to be a snare to them , and a temptat●●● to idolatry . you reply , may not the like be said of what dissenters plead against ? but you have been already told , that the like may not be said , with any colour or shew of reason . . our author saith . that if hezekiah had let it stand , private persons might have made use of it , to put them in mind of the wonderfull mercy of god , expressed by it to their fore-fathers . this you acknowledge , but say , that the question at present under our debate is , whether hezekiah might lawfully have let it stand , and removed it into the temple ? whether his setting it up by the ark , or mercy seat would have purged it ? but for shame , sir , do not say that this is the question in debate between us . in your th page , you express very great offence , at those next words of our author , pag. . and much more might they have lawfully continued in the communion of the church , so long as there was no constraint laid upon them , to join with them in their idolatry . but you leave out what follows , viz. as we do not reade of any that separated from the church , while the brazen serpent was permitted to stand , as wofully abused , as it was , by the generality . and do you find that the pious jews did separate upon this account ? or if they did not , will you say that they were guilty of sin ? for my part , i dare not say so ; nor that it would be a sin now , not to separate from our church , though our governours were so remiss as not to excommunicate idolaters , if such were sound therein ; any more than it is so , upon the account of promiscuous congregations , and mixt communions : as the worthy person that published the resolution of that case , hath clearly proved , and proved too that it is vnlawfull to separate upon that pretence . but you say , you can never believe this , till some can prove to you , that a wife may lawfully , contrary to the command of her husband , stay in a family of whoremongers , provided that she be not compelled to play the whore. i answer , that a wife may not lawfully , though her husband hath not expresly forbidden it , stay in a family consisting wholly of whoremongers , except to bear her husband company , and in that case it is her duty to stay . but where hath christ forbidden us to communicate with a church out of which idolaters are not ejected , though idolatry be not enjoined . you say he hath done it in those words , rev. . . — come out of her my people , but i pray read on , and you have an answer , that ye be not partaker of her sins , and that ye receive not ( viz. by partaking of her sins ) of her plagues ? and moreover , i presume you will acknowledge , that the babylon which the christians were commanded to come out of , is the idolatrous church of rome : but i need not acquaint you , that you cannot continue in this church , except you will your self also be an idolater . but i will not stand to dispute this point with you , it being nothing to the business of our author's book ; and all he asserts as to this matter , doth amount to no more than this , that we are not obliged to renounce communion in pure ordinances , with such as we know to be guilty of idolatry , when it lies not in our power to keep them away . and now you have brought me to our author's third head of discourse , viz. that the agreement which is between the church of england , and the church of rome , is in no wise such , as will make communion with the church of england unlawfull . you say , page th , that if our author had said all communion , ( viz. with the church of england ) is not unlawfull , you had fully concurred with him ; believing that this church cannot be justly charged with idolatry , and that some communion may , and ought to be held with any church that is not so charged . if you mean by some communion , a not being divided in heart , as you before express it , i say again , we thank you for nothing ; the communion which our author pleads for , being ( as your self observes in your first page . ) chiefly communion in worship . but you proceed , saying , but as he hath laid it , i cannot agree with it . i am sure christ had communion with the jewish church , and i believe he had so , in all acts of worship of his father's institution , and i am as sure he had no communion with them in the traditional part of their worship , as i am , that he would not himself practise , what he condemned so severely . but are you not as sure that our blessed lord had communion with the jewish church , in all acts of worship instituted by his father , as you are that he had no communion with them in the traditional part of their worship ? i am sure , that in the former part of that saying you are too too cautious , and in the latter not so cautious as you ought to have been : for you may be sure of the contrary to what you affirm so positively , when you have considered , that our lord could not have so freely been admitted into the temple , had he not observed divers traditions or canons of the elders , without complying with which none might come thither . i shall not stand to instance in particulars , but refer you to dr. leightfoot's temple service , pag. . to . and again , you may yet be more sure of the contrary , when you have considered , how our lord complied with jewish traditions , in the celebration of the passover ; and such too as altered certain circumstances prescribed in its first institution . particularly , his ordering the preparation of the lamb on the th day , when moses ordained the taking of it up upon the th day . his eating the passover lying along , being the posture in which they ate their ordinary meals , according to a jewish tradition , as you may see in dr. leightfoot's foresaid book , pag. , . whereas , according to moses his institution , it was to be eaten with their loins girded , &c. and in haste , or standing . his complying with the jewish customs of drinking wine at the passover , and concluding with the hallel , or a hymn . and not these onely but more traditions than these , dr. leightfoot will satisfie you , were conformed to by our blessed saviour . but you say christ condemned severely the jewish traditions : but i say , he did not at all condemn all jewish traditions , and none but such as by which they made the commandments of god of none effect : and such as they placed special holiness in , and necessary to acceptance with god ; as is too evident to need my standing to prove it . and , sir , when you can prove that our ceremonies are like to those condemned traditions , i will undertake that our author shall be as zealous against complying with them , as he is now against separation from our church upon the account of them . but to go on , whereas our author saith , of episcopal government and the three other following things , pag. . that he takes it for granted that there is nothing of viciousness or immorality in any of them , to make them vnlawfull ; and therefore that they are indifferent in their own nature . you reply , pag. . that there are few things to be named unlawfull in this sense . i answer , there are as many things unlawfull in this sense , as there are things prohibited by the moral law , and if you please to consult our expositors of the decalogue , i presume you 'll find those things not a few . you say at the bottom of this th page , that it troubles you to reade your author saying , i know not how our brethren will defend the apostolical institution of the observation of the lord's day , while they contend that this of episcopacy cannot be concluded from the uninterrupted tradition of the catholique church , &c. and why , i pray , sir , doth this trouble you ? you give this reason why , viz. because certainly , for the apostolical practice in the observation of the lord's day , we have the infallible evidence of holy scripture , acts . cor. . but you must prove that we have in those scriptures , or some other , infallible evidence for the apostolical institution of the observation of the lord's day , and not for the mere apostolical practice , or you will say nothing to the purpose . but to save my self the labour of saying more upon this argument , and of replying to those few lines that follow against the primitiveness of our episcopacy , i entreat you to consult mr. chillingworth's apostolical institution of episcopacy demonstrated , together with the most learned dean of st pauls his ample proof of these two propositions , in his vnreasonableness of separation , p. , &c. viz. first , that our diocesan episcopacy is the same for substance which was in the primitive church . and secondly , that it is not repugnant to any institution of christ , nor devising a new species of churches without god's authority . as to what you say , p. . about liturgies , viz. that they cannot be indifferent , if indeed ( as our author speaks ) they be highly expedient to be universally imposed , yea necessary . i reply , you have not caught him in a contradiction , as you think ; for his saying concerning liturgies , &c. pag. . is , that he takes it for granted , that they are all indifferent in their own nature . and tells you what he means by those words , in the next ; viz. that there is nothing of viciousness or immorality in any of them , &c. now is it a contradiction to say of the same thing , that it is indifferent in its own nature , and that 't is necessary considering certain circumstances ? and i farther say , that liturgies are necessary , considering , that through humane weakness and frailty , the performance of publick worship with that solemnity and gravity , which it calls for , cannot be secured ; and yet notwithstanding they are still things in their own nature indifferent ; and so are all those things too which god ' s positive laws have made necessary ; as all know who understand the difference between moral and positive . but as to the antiquity of liturgies , which you say our author knoweth to be denied , you have had a good while extant that discourse which he said was expected , and which you say you will patiently wait for , to give you satisfaction , about this matter . and it is excellently fitted ( as i hope you have before now found ) not onely for the satisfying of dissenters about that point relating to liturgies , but divers others also . in your next paragraph , you tell us , that all divines will readily acknowledge , that such a method and order of a liturgy , as is not contrived in subserviency to the general rules , of doing all to edification , the glory of god , and not giving offence to any of the churches of god , may make it unlawfull . and i also do readily acknowledge this , and am confident that you cannot prove , that ours is not so contrived as to be made not subservient unto those rules . and as to the last of them , whatsoever churches please to take offence at our liturgy , i am sure it gives no offence to them . in what follows you profess , that you never thought it unlawfull for any laick , wholly to separate from the church of england , because of our liturgy ( and i hope you think it no more lawfull for a clergy-man ) nor did your self ever so separate . but for all that , you know that many hundreds and i fear some thousands do . but you say , there is a new generation started up , that not onely makes you a separatist , but all conformable ministers , if they do not every time read the second service at the altar . this in good earnest , is somewhat a hard case ; but i pray sir , by what figure do you call one start-up warm head a new generation ? in your next paragraph , pag. . you say , our author hath spied four little thorns in some dissenters flesh , which he hath very charitably endeavoured to pick out . and you add , that you will candidly enquire if no bit of them remain which may cause pain , and hinder healing . to make no reflexion , sir , upon your expressing your self thus phancifully , your meaning must be , that you will enquire whether our author hath not well defended the four things in our liturgy , which dissenters object against as symbolizings with the roman service , from being liable to just offence : of which , the first is , the shortness of many prayers . but you say not one word in answer to what he speaks in the vindication thereof : but tell us , that if some dissenters think that throughout the scriptures there is nothing like this to be found , either in the prayers of solomon , &c. or any others , and be a little stumbled at it , you cannot condemn them : but you must needs condemn it as an errour in them , to think there are no short prayers to be found in the holy scriptures , when there are many more short , than there are long prayers : when our saviour used in the garden thrice , a shorter prayer than is any one in our service : and when the form he left behind him for our use is a very short one . but if the using of a short prayer be not the thing blamed , but the using of several such in the same service , instead of one very long one , i must take leave to say , this is more wantonness . and whereas you say , you cannot condemn dissenters , if they be a little stumbled at it ; i say , to be stumbled at it so , as to make it one pretence for not joining with us in our prayers , is not to be a little stumbled at it . and you know that that which our author is concerned to doe is , to perswade dissenters not to be so much stumbled at any thing in our prayers , as to leave our communion upon the account thereof . though he would be very glad to have them so well pleased with all of them , as not to be in the least stumbled at any of them . the second instance is , the peoples bearing a part with the minister in divine service . and whereas our author hath thought it enough to transcribe what mr. baxter hath said in five particulars , to vindicate both the lawfulness and fitness hereof ; you reply not one word to any of them . but you think you have balanced ( as your word is ) those five with five of your own . . you say , these responses do not suit the gravity and solemnity of divine worship . but we say they do ; and our yea is as good as your nay . . you say , many read false oftentimes . and whose fault is it , if they do ? but it appears from what is coming , that you cannot prove it . . you say , many children and girls , understand not what they doe . and therefore why do you permit them to join in singing ? and why do you suffer them to hear sermons ? . those that cannot read , you say , are not edified in a confused noise , not being able to understand what is read . and then i hope you might have spared your second particular ; for those that read falsely cannot then be observed so to doe in this confused noise . . you say , many leud and profane persons , are thus made to bear their share in the ministerial part of publique worship , &c. but do you prove that this is bearing a share in that part of publique worship which is proper and peculiar to the minister ; and then we will grant that not onely no profane men , but no lay-men neither , be they never so good , may have their part therein . . you say , there is no such practice in the churches of god , in new england , scotland , france , holland , &c. do you think that our author hath taken the solemn league and covenant , that you urge such an argument as this to him ? if you do , you are much mistaken , sir. but mr. baxter tells you , in his fifth particular , that it was the decay of zeal in the people that first shut out the responses : and therefore those churches you mention should doe well to imitate ours in this particular . i am constrained , sir , to tell you again , that i am ashamed of taking any notice of such talk as this . the third instance is , the taking of some of the collects out of the missal . you say you wish our author had told us how many . but i say , 't is not worth the knowing ( if it were i could soon tell you ) if those that are taken thence are all good ones . and ( considering what hath been said ) this is a sufficient answer . remember our author hath told you , that our departure from the church of rome , was designed to be a reformation , not a total destruction and extirpation . and i suppose the zeal of some reformers that hurried them upon making no discrimination between things faulty , and those that were innocent , occasioned that honest saying of zanchy's , which i have heretofore somewhere met with , viz. non intelligo istam reformatorum mundi theologiam . as to that which follows to the last paragraph of pag. d . enough abundantly hath already been said to satisfie you that you might have spared it . onely let me once for all tell you , that whereas both here and elsewhere , you insist upon our being at perfect liberty as to the using or not using those unnecessary things , wherein we symbolize with the church of rome ; you ought to know that while they are enjoyned , we who are under government are not at liberty ; as the christians in the apostles days were , as to the eating of meats , &c. and whereas you touch here upon the topick of scandal , i can not hope to satisfie you about this point ; if the two late judicious resolutions of that case cannot do it : to which i refer you , and ought so to doe , it not falling within our author's undertaking . the fourth instance is , the appointing of lessons out of the apocryphal books . and what you say under this head , amounts to thus much , that you think it were better if they were not appointed . and therefore i perceive you are not for making this a pretence for separation , and consequently you can have no controversie with our author about it . whether it were better or not , that we should imitate the primitive church in reading them now and then on holy-days and ordinary week-days , merely for example of life , and instruction of manners , but not for the establishing of any doctrine , let it be left to our superiors to judge . but though you have a greater latitude than many other dissenters , as to this matter , yet you say that all should not be forced out of their wits , nor made to doe what , they cannot , as well as you , apprehend lawfull . no , god forbid , that any one should be forced out of his wits upon such an account . but whom can you name that hath had the least trouble given him , for not being at church on a week-day holy-day ? but i must take notice of one more passage , before i proceed , viz. holy-days are the same with sabbath-days , with those who judge that there is nothing but tradition for either . here is a good wipe for our author . but i pray , sir , did he say that there is nothing but tradition for the observation of the sabbath ? he said that indeed , pag. th , from whence it may be inferred , that he believes that the apostolical institution of the observation of the lord's day , is wholly to be gathered from the uninterrupted tradition or practice of the catholick church ; and is that such a small matter to found it upon ? when 't is the foundation on which is built the canon of the holy scriptures . but who are they that tell you , that from the uninterrupted tradition of the catholick church may be gathered the apostolical institution of the other holy-days ? name any one if you are able that so saith , or that saith that they are of apostolical institution . now we are come to those particular rites and ceremonies of our church , in which our author saith , pag. . our symbolizing with popery is so much condemned . and you say , pag. th . that he observeth in the general , . that our ceremonies are not the hundredth part ( you should have added scarcely ) of those used by the papists . and this you grant ; but you add , that we may as well symbolize in thirty as in three . but i must make bold to tell you , you never uttered a more inconsiderative saying . it seems then , 't is no matter how many ceremonies are used in divine worship , so they be all innocent . i am sure st. augustin was not of this mind . but it may be you 'll say there are none innocent . but if so , you cannot say that we may as well use thirty as three : because the thirty must necessarily be a great hindrance to that attention of mind that divine worship calls for ; but he must have a weak head indeed , whose mind must needs be diverted by three . . our author saith , that our church imposeth them not , as the other doth , on the consciences of her members , as things of necessity , as parts of religion or meritorious services . and you need not one word more of answer to what you object against this than you have had already given you , viz. pag. . in your th . page , you begin , as our author does , with the ceremony of the surplice ; and . you say , he rightly observeth that all are not obliged to wear it . and this is sagaciously indeed observed by him , if he does observe it ; but he onely saith , that he cannot imagine why those who are not obliged to wear it , should be affrighted from our churches , by the mere sight of so innocent a thing , as he before had proved it to be , as it is used in our church ; but shewed it is far from being an innocent thing , as it is used in the church of rome . . you say , that you are not scandaliz'd at the sight of it . but for all that , you know that not a few dissenters do profess to be so . . you say , that you are not sure , that they use a garment of the same form in the church of rome ; though they use some garment of the same colour ; so that you doubt , whether in that we do symbolize with the church of rome or no. i was in good hope when i had read thus far , that there would have been no controversie between you and our author about this ceremony . but i presently found my self mistaken ; for . you make us notwithstanding faultily to symbolize with the church of rome , in that we will not suffer this garment to be worn but in acts of worship . so that , you say , it is neither merely for necessity , nor natural decency , nor ornament , nor for distinction . but i say that this garment is required , both for ornament and distinction . you say it is not required for either , because all ministers wear it not at other times . but i deny your consequence ; for it is required as an ornamental garment in divine worship , and for distinction between a minister officiating and not officiating . you may as well say that for the same reason , the judges scarlet is neither for ornament nor distinction . and seeing it is such an offence that this garment should be appropriated to divine worship , i desire you , sir , at your leisure to answer our famous hooker's question , viz. to solemn actions of royalty and justice , their suitable ornaments are a beauty ; are they onely in religion a stain ? time was when putting on a gown merely for the desk and pulpit was accounted no offence by non-conforming ministers , and consequently they did not then espy any unlawfulness , in appropriating a garment to religious exercises . nor do we place one jot more holiness in a surplice than in a gown , or cloak either . but you say , may not jealousies of some homage by it intended to god , and such thoughts , as those you suggested , arise in weaker christians ? i answer , whether these thoughts may arise in them or no , you take as effectual a course as you can that they should arise in them . and as for homage intended to god by wearing the surplice , i don't think any christians so weak as to phansie such a thing , if you and others would but let them alone , and not fill their heads with objections against innocent things , when you might employ your time with them to infinitely better purpose . i pray , sir , be not offended if i once for all freely tell you , that by your possessing these weak christians with all imaginable objections against the lawfulness of obeying governours in things which are made by your selves doubtfull to them , and not with one objection against the unlawfulness of disobedience in doubtfull matters ; is the way to make them everlastingly weak , and to make them worse than weak too . it saddens the hearts of not a few good people to observe , that the fearfull consequents of such doings have not yet made you sensible whose interest you have all along served , by the means of them . you next object three things against the ceremony of the cross in baptism , pag. . . you say , it is an adding to the divine institution unnecessarily . i answer we add nothing to divine institution . i mean we add nothing more to baptism , or any other ordinance , as of divine institution , than your selves do . and as to the vnnecessariness of this ceremony : if it were necessary it would be no ceremony , at least no humane one . if you mean there is no necessity of imposing it . it is enough for a ceremony that it is imposed for good and profitable ends and uses : and our church tells you for what ends and uses this of the cross is required , in the th canon . if you mean there is no necessity of using it , now it is imposed : i beg your pardon for being of a contrary opinion , till you prove it to be a transgression of any law of god : and when you have done this , i will grant that it is necessary not to use it . . you say , we attribute to the sign of the cross , more than is truly due to it , as the papists do . but we say , we do not , and shall persist in saying so , till you prove we do . . you say , that to expound dedicated in the canon by declared ( you should have said declared to be dedicated ) is a catachrestical use of the word . what care i for that , if the word ought so to be expounded . you say , you will take no private doctor 's word for it , though greater than dr. burges . but you cannot otherwise understand that word , except you will make our church to speak contradictions in that canon . there is nothing you object , or i think can object , against the ceremony of kneeling at the communion , but you may find most satisfactorily answered in the learned resolution of the case of kneeling , &c. but yet we will not wholly pass by what you say against it . having called the declaration of our church concerning it , an excellent declaration , pag. th , you say , pag. th , that it may be it satisfieth you , abstracting your thoughts from the bread , while you are upon your knees : and he that cannot , with the greatest ease in the world , abstract his thoughts from the bread , must be almost starved with fasting . but , it follows , if all cannot be so satisfied , shall they therefore be ruined for their doubt in this thing ? you shall have no new answer to this , besides asking you this question , if there be any danger of ruine in this case , who are most charitable to these doubters , those that doe their utmost to satisfie them , that they may not come near the danger , or those that use their utmost endeavours to make all means unsuccessfull , that are used for their satisfaction ? i must needs take notice also of your pleasant answer to this passage in our author , pag. . viz. that there being nothing said of the gesture in our saviour's institution of this sacrament , he hath consequently left the particular gesture to the determination of the church ; a gesture being in the general necessary . your answer is , our saviour bad his disciples baptize , but saith nothing of water , nor from what fountain or river ; hath he therefore left it to the churches determination ; that ministers shall baptize onely with rose-water , or water fetched from the river ? truly , sir , a smile is the best reply that is due to this . but do you in sober sadness then think , that nothing is left by christ to the churches determination , neither place , nor time , nor any other circumstance ? if this be not wild fanaticism , there is no such thing in nature ; and i know you 'll acknowledge it . but if the church may determine the place of publick worship , and the times of day when to meet , because our lord hath not determined such particulars ; why may not the church determine particular gestures , when they are not by him determined ? and can you think , sir , that it is well done after this manner to ridicule the churche's power ? no , i know you cannot think so , and therefore this was an hasty slip from your pen , which you will not upon second thoughts justifie . you say at the bottom of this page , that you do not think what our author mentions , pag. . of the ring in marriage worth the speaking to : because dissenters generally believe the ring a civil pledg , &c. i wish they universally thought so , and if they do not ( as time was when you know they did not ) i know not why you should add , that how it comes into our debate you cannot tell . next you spend the best part of two pages upon our holy-days , which is our author's last instance of rites which dissenters are offended with , upon the account of our symbolizing in them with the church of rome . and . you say , that it is god's prerogative alone to make a day holy , i. e. such as it shall be sinfull for any to labour in . but do you think that god ' s vicegerents have not power given them to set apart days to a holy use ? and in any other sense we do not think that any day is capable of being made holy. 't is manifest from what follows , that you do not think so . and if you do not , can you think that our governours have no power to forbid ordinary labour upon those days , which they have so set apart ? and if they have this power , can you think it lawfull to disobey those laws of theirs , that prohibit working on those days ? and , if this be not lawfull , then i fear 't is sinfull . . you say , that god's revelation of his will for solemn praises upon the receipt of signal mercies ; or solemn prayers in times of great distress , justifieth magistrates , or churches in setting apart in such cases , days for praise and prayers . then , i hope , the magistrates or the church , have power to make a day holy ; and consequently , they may forbid opening of shops , and ordinary labour , on such a day : and therefore 't is sinfull to disobey them herein . . you say , that all such days ought to be intirely spent in religious exercises . but notwithstanding you are so dogmatical , in this thing , i am confident upon second thoughts you 'll acknowledge you were too rash : for you cannot really think what you assert with such confidence , except you can find in your heart to reprove ringing of bells , and innocent recreations after sermon , on the fifth of november , as profanations of that holy-day . and i hope we may make bold to call that day a holy-day ; it being so according to your own concession in the foregoing particular . . you say , that to spend an hour of such a day in prayer , and all the rest in idleness , drinking , revelling , gaming , &c. is not to keep a holy but a licentious day . no body doubts this : but are you obliged by our church so to spend her holy-days ? and if you are not , but may keep them as strictly as you please , what a strange objection is this against the lawfulness of observing them ! . you say , that there is no need of keeping any such days , in commemoration of the birth , death , resurrection or ascension of christ ; because god hath appointed fifty two , every year for that purpose . i answer , if you mean by no need , that there is no absolute necessity of the churches setting apart days for the commemoration of christ ' s birth , death , &c. we will perhaps grant it ; but what then ? doth it thence follow that the well observing such days doth not tend to our edification , to the more building us up in our holy faith , and encrease in holiness ? you dare not say or think so . but i say farther , that the well observing them is of admirable use . and nothing would tend more to our growth in all the christian vertues , than besides the general meditation on the birth , death , resurrection and ascension of our lord every lord's day , to set days apart for the particular meditation on each of these grand mysteries of our religion : there being in each of them more than enough to employ a whole day in admiring thoughts of it , and in praises to god for it , and in making applications of it to our spiritual advantage . and therefore i am certain , you would spend your pains to far better purpose , if instead of prejudicing peoples minds against the observance of such days , you would excite them ( like the good fathers of the primitive church ) to the well observing , and making the best improvement of them . the generality , god knows , of professors of christianity , are too too carelesly and irreligiously disposed of themselves , to need to be disswaded from the using of any helps to their being made more devout , and better people . and where there is one among us that is apt to be too superstitiously inclined , i fear there are some hundreds , who are more enclined to the other extreme , that of profaneness . but our author hath sufficiently shewed , that the popish superstitions are perfectly removed by our church from the observation of holy-days . and no man that observes them as our church directeth , can have the least temptation from the observance of them to be superstitious . . you say , that to keep a day holy to any saint , is to make an idol of that saint . and do you think our church in her festivals , designs keeping days holy to saints ? if you do not think so , why are you thus impertinent ? but if you do , then you declare that she makes idols of saints . and if so , why did you pag. th declare it , as your belief , that the church of england cannot be justly charged with idolatry ? but i think , that the making an idol of a saint , is idolatry . . you say , that to keep a day of thanksgiving , for blessing the world with such a saint , is what god hath no where prescribed ; what neither the jews , nor christians , in the first times ever did . so that it seems you are not so ignorant , as you now seemed to make your self ; but , do know why many of our festivals receive their names from certain saints . and why may we not , on certain days , meet together , to praise god for blessing the world with such saints , as have been next to our blessed lord , the most glorious instruments of good to the world ; and at the same time hear those chapters read wherein their worthy deeds are recorded ; and together with other prayers put in one , for grace to follow those blessed examples of a holy life ( of both active and passive obedience ) which they have , through the divine grace , left behind them ? what sin is there in all this ? nay , why should not this highly become us , and be of singular advantage to us ? you give two reasons why this is unlawfull . . because god hath no where prescribed it . but must we be at this time of day , told that nothing is lawfull relating to the worship of god , but what is expresly commanded ; when the idleness and folly of that doctrine , hath been over and over exposed as it hath been ? but dly you say , that this is that which the jews , nor christians in the first times never did . but , if you mean by the first times , the times of the apostles , 't is more than you can prove , that the martyrdom of st. stephen was never solemnly commemorated by the christians in their time . and i presume you would not have had the martyrdoms of the apostles commemorated , before they were martyred , what if this be not recorded , is it therefore a certain argument that it never was ? you find not i think the martyrdom of any one of the apostles recorded in holy scripture , except st. james's . but if you mean by the first times , the primitive times , i perceive you never read , or have forgotten , the epistle of the church of smyrna , concerning policarp's martyrdom . but i hope it needs not to be proved to you , that the catholique church observed martyrum natalitia , the days whereon they were crowned with martyrdom , even from the second century : but where do you find it prescribed in god's word , or recorded that it was practised in the apostles times ( for to be sure you mean those by the first times ) to praise god for the good examples of holy men , among other great blessings , is it therefore unlawfull so to doe , as well as to doe it upon set days ? you will not assert so absurd a thing . in short , sir , think not that we need either precepts or examples , to justifie our doing of that , which the very light of nature , and right reason , do plainly declare to us , to be , though not a necessary duty , yet highly becoming us , and praise-worthy . and we are certain that it is dictated thereby to be highly becoming us , to commemorate , at annual selected times , the unspeakable goodness of god to us in giving us such shining lights as the holy apostles , &c. and to meditate upon christ glorified in them , who with admirable courage first preached and propagated his gospel in the world , and with admirable patience , for the sake thereof , indured the greatest of miseries and calamities , and at last sealed it with their blood. . you say , but if devout persons will set apart days , ( you might have said too , will observe days set apart by the church ) to give god thanks for any signal mercies ( among which i think , every apostle is a most signal one ) or to put up prayers for any people in distress , provided they do not mock god , in giving him an holy hour , instead of an holy day , and spend the rest of the day in idleness , gaming , drinking , &c. ( and can you think that any of our devout people , do not abhor such practices as much as you ? ) dissenters will never blame , or condemn them for it . i hoped you would have said , they will join with us , since authority requires it . . you say , finally dissenters will never separate from the church of england , for the true keeping of a day holy to god , &c. yes surely they will , if it be a saint's day at least , as one would think by what you have said . but you add , that they will separate from the looseness and commonly practised profanation of it ( and so do thousands of those that are no dissenters , i hope ) or such as were onely so , in the pope's kalendar , as st. george , &c. now you would , sir , again feign your self more ignorant than you are ; for , no doubt , you know as well as we , that st. george his day is no church of england holy-day . and for all your [ &c. ] you cannot but know too , that our church hath no festival-days called by any saints names , but such as all christians own for the greatest of saints , except those innocents who had the honour to suffer for christ's sake , before they were of age to know him . we have indeed a fast-day , occasioned by the horrid murther of king charles the martyr , whom we deservedly honour as a great saint . but i never heard that this saint stands in the pope's kalendar , and i 'll warrant you never shall . we should be glad to hear , that he stands in yours ; however we hope he will never be blotted out of ours . and now , having done with our author , you spend a good part of your five last pages in such discourse , as is so far from tending to the composing of our differences , and healing our wide and most dangerous breaches , that it hath the most apparent tendency to the making them irreparable beyond all remedy . and 't is enough to convince all sober people , that the cause of those that separate is desperate , to observe what strange principles are taken up of late in the defence of separation ; even such as the old non-conformists would have thought very wild ones , serving no better purpose than the unhinging of all . and those , sir , which you here lay down so dogmatically not offering any proof of them , you shall find most shamefully baffled by the dean of st. pauls , in his forementioned excellent book . for my part , i am too much tyred with scribbling thus long , to take into consideration this close of your book , farther than reflecting upon two or three passages ; though i am not at all obliged to take notice of those neither , as a defender of our author . and indeed ( to deal like a plain-hearted friend with you ) it was but the other day before i could be perswaded to think it needfull to reply at all . you say , pag. . that separation in these three cases is lawfull , if not necessary . your first case is , when such errours are in the constitution of a church , as , if they had been known before , ought to have hindered vnion with it . but you do not tell us what errours those are . would you have your readers take it for granted , that there are such errours in the constitution of the church of england ? but we may guess at one of those errours in our constitution , from that which you say , pag. . viz. that governing churches must have proper officers , which cannot be , unless elected by the governed ; who could never part with their right in chusing officers , &c. but what right they have you will soon learn from the reverend dean stilling fleet , in his vnreasonableness of separation , pag. , &c. there you will find they have no right at all , or i am much mistaken . from what you say in these two pages , and that which follows ( in which your discourse is such , that 't is hard to say certainly what you would be at ) i shrewdly conjecture , that you believe it lawfull to separate from the church of england , although she had neither ceremonies nor liturgy to score men away . your second case is , when a church is turned idolatrous ; that then it is necessary to depart from it . and here we have no controversie . your third is , when a church will not admit a man's abiding in it , unless he will doe something which his conscience tells him is sinfull . but , sir , will you not acknowledge , that it cannot justifie our separation that something is required which we judge sinfull , whilst we will not impartially use all means for the duly informing of our judgments : whilst we call it a running into temptation , to read what is offered us in defence of the lawfulness of that , we have a prejudice against : whilst we so confide in our own judgments , or in the judgments of our party , as not to bear to hear that 't is possible we should be mistaken ? surely all truly good men will acknowledge this . you say , in all these cases separating is lawfull , if not necessary : for in the two first cases we ought to separate ( and then i hope in those cases it is necessary and not onely lawfull to separate ) in the last we may prudently and warily depart , &c. and why do you so mince the matter , by changing your phrase , when your meaning is that you may separate ? and why do you so mince is too in saying , in the two first cases we ought to separate ? which supposeth that in this case you are at your liberty , and that , though you may lawfully separate yet it is not a necessary duty so to doe . and why again do you say , we judge this no sinfull separation ? why don't you speak out and say 't is a necessary one ? except you think that a man may lawfully act against his conscience . but you have given me sufficient assurance in your book , that this you do not think . you say , pag. . if any others in former ages , or in our own , have had any other apprehensions of the significancy ( you would have said signification ) of the terms , church , schism and separation , whom we own to have been holy and excellent men , till we see their notions justified from holy writ ( which alone can determine these things ) we must crave leave to dissent from them , and believe that had they lived in our times , they would have dissented from their own apprehensions under a more perfect light , &c. but . what would you have said to us , if we had given this answer to your citing holy and excellent men , such as calvin ( whom our author hath so often appealed to in his book ) and others against our notions ? i am sure you would have severely upbraided us with having a wonderfull opinion of our own judgments . especially if our notions ran counter to all antiquity , and the judgments of all holy excellent men in former ages , and to the generality of such in our own age and time. but this i dare say may be asserted of your notions concerning the terms , schism and separation ; and much of your talk concerning the term church too . . how came you to have more light than the holy and excellent men in former ages , and in our own age too ? which you plainly suppose your selves to have . nay you suppose this , as to multitudes of such persons also as are your contemporaries . for you say , pag. . we are far from thinking that there are not multitudes of holy and learned men , in our ecclesia loquens , &c. that is , among conformable divines of the church of england . . this answer would far better become the quakers than you ; they pretending to inspiration , which you do not . i will now conclude with a remarque or two on those words , with which you begin the concluding part of your book . you say , pag. . and now how happy should we not onely think our selves , but indeed be , would our brethren but leave disputing ; how far it is lawfull for the spouse of christ , to have communion with the great whore ; and onely argue how far we come short of symbolizing with the first and purest gospel churches , of which we have records in holy writ . to this i say . how unaccountable is this charge you lay against your brethren ! when you know that they are in as perfect a separation as your selves , from the communion of that apostate church , which you mean by the great whore . . it lieth not in your power to shew us a church , which more symbolizeth with the first and purest gospel churches , than the church of england . and as for those churches which you believe do come nearer to the first and purest , it hath often enough been demonstrated with invincible strength , that the main thing ( viz. the point of government ) in which you conceive they more agree with these churches , doth speak them far less to agree with them , than the church of england does : and speaks them to be therein unlike to the whole catholique church of christ for fifteen hundred years together , from the time of the apostles . we do not pretend that the constitution of our church is absolutely perfect , we do believe that such a constitution is the peculiar privilege of the church triumphant ; but we bless god that 't is no more imperfect , and we who live in complete communion with this church are well assured that there is nothing either in the constitution thereof , or in what is required thereby , that hindereth us from being as good christians as ever were in the world . we cannot find after all the pains that you and others have taken to prove the contrary , that there is imposed upon us any one condition of communion that does contradict any law of god ; that tends in the least to the depraving of our souls , to the gratifying of any one corrupt affection , or the making us unmeet for the heavenly happiness . and this our holy martyrs thought as well as we : and gave a demonstration hereof by their excellent lives , and heroick behaviour under the greatest torments ; they not onely patiently but also joyfully enduring them for the sake of christ . nor do we find , any more than they did , that we are debarred by our church of any helps for the building of us up in our most holy faith . and whereas you express such mighty zeal for purer ordinances , we think that zeal would be much better employed in endeavouring after purer hearts : and that this contending with your superiours , and your brethren about some things enjoined , hath been infinitely more prejudicial to mens souls , and contributed unspeakably more to the impurity both of mens hearts and lives , than the impure ordinances you so complain of . and therefore all good and pious church of england men cannot but say , how happy should we not onely think our selves , but indeed be , would our brethren but leave disputing with such mighty concern about little things , and things that are perfectly harmless and innocent ▪ would make no more sins , than god and their blessed saviour have made ▪ would be as fearfull of culpably disobeying authority as of culpably obeying it ▪ would be as thankfull that they are in no worse circumstances , as they are full of complaints that they are in no better ▪ would take as much pains to satisfie themselves , how far they may lawfully hold communion with our church , as how far they may lawfully separate from it ▪ would be as willing to read those books that are written in the defence of the things enjoined by our church , as to read those which are written in opposition to them ▪ would as impartially consider the vast distance between our church and that of rome , as thus dwell upon the most inconsiderable agreement that is between them ; which our author hath convincingly to any unprejudiced person proved , to be no justifiable pretence for separation . and if we would well digest those excellent words of the apostle , rom. . , . the kingdom of god is not meat or drink , but righteousness , peace , and joy in the holy ghost : for he that in these things serveth christ , is acceptable to god and approved of men . and , if we would follow after the things that make for peace , and things wherein one may edifie another . and lastly , if we would at length be perswaded to let all bitterness , and wrath , and anger , and clamour , and evil speaking , against one another , be put away from us , with all malice : and to be kind and affectionate one to another ( notwithstanding the difference of apprehensions ) tender hearted , forgiving one another , even as god for christ's sake hath forgiven us . i say , if we could once be brought to this temper , we should be unspeakably more happy , than those things you express so passionate a desire of could possibly make us . and without this blessed temper , we shall be miserable wretches , though there were no agreement in any one rite between rome and us , and though our ordinances were as pure as 't is your wish to have them : nor will our bidding the greatest defiance to the antichrist in the roman chair one whit avail us , while the spiritual antichrist , which is the worse of the two , continues possessed of his seat in our hearts . and so , sir , i heartily bid you farewell . errata . page . lin. . read in their greatest . p. . l. . dele ? p. . l. . read is so contrived . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * pag. . * pag. . * p. . † p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . * p. . eccl. pol. book th . p. . last edit . v. . eph. . , . the principles and practices of certain moderate divines of the church of england (greatly mis-understood), truly represented and defended wherein ... some controversies, of no mean importance, are succinctly discussed : in a free discourse between two intimate friends : in three parts. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the principles and practices of certain moderate divines of the church of england (greatly mis-understood), truly represented and defended wherein ... some controversies, of no mean importance, are succinctly discussed : in a free discourse between two intimate friends : in three parts. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed for lodowick lloyd ..., london : . attributed to edward fowler. cf. bm. errata: p. 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; wherein ( by the way ) some controversies , of no mean importance , are succinctly discussed : in a free discourse between two intimate friends . in iii parts . phil. . . let your moderation be known unto all men . london , printed for lodowick lloyd , at the crown in duck lane , mdclxx . to the reader . reader , what may be the fate of this book , i can't divine , nor will i be solicitous concerning it : but i expect , and also claim at thine hands so much candour , as that , how meanly soever thou mayest think of it , thou wilt not judge uncharitably of the author's design in writing it . i ( that may best know it ) am able to assure thee , that it was not to gratifie those persons ( he wisheth he may not rather offend them ) whom he therein giveth a true account of ; but to serve a more noble interest : nor is it his desire , that their adversaries would entertain a more favourable opinion of them , upon their reading the following lines , but onely in order to their being reconciled to their spirit and principles . this is an age wherein plain and open-hearted dealing will be by no means endured , and must look for no better thanks from the generality , than calumnies and down-right rayling . but i am very sure that no man can be easily provoked by any thing in this dialogue , but he that accounts moderation a great crime ; and is conscious to himself , that he is , in the way it hath pleased him to espouse , a hot spirited and violent zealot . for neither theophilus nor philalethes , have taken a course to exasperate any one of the contesting parties , but only ( and much alike too ) the high and fierce men of each party . and as for such , they could not perswade themselves to be over-careful not to displease them ; as too well knowing that it would signifie nothing so to be ; they being a generation of people whose waspish and testy ( not to add proud ) spirits , can by no means brook a dissenter , scarcely in the smallest , and most trivial matters . whereas theophilus , as he passeth along , doth engage himself in the confutation of certain opinions , i desire thee to take notice , that he is , notwithstanding , so far from a disputing or contradicting genius , that i know no man more averse than himself thereto : and he thinks time infinitely better spent in the serious practice of true piety , than in disputing or studying controversies : and that there is no such life , when all is done , as that which is chiefly employed in mortifying corruptions , and making our selves more and more like to god , and fit for the enjoyment of him . and , indeed , if all our professors of christianity did sincerely love god ; and made it their great business to keep consciences void of offence towards him and men ; it would be scarcely worth the while to concern our selves much about curing them of any of their mistakes : for so long as they are careful to exercise themselves in so doing , to be sure they cannot possibly be such as would so far injure them , as to render them uncapable of eternal blessedness . but seeing there are several opinions , very highly cryed up among us , which do apparently make many of the embracers of them much worse , and have an extreamly bad influence upon their lives , and therefore much more upon their souls , it must needs be a work of great charity to endeavour to undeceive those that hold them . and they are such doctrines alone , as theophilus is assured are of very bad consequence , that he hath much troubled himself about , in this discourse . as for the last opinion , that he spends any considerable time in endeavouring to shew the falsity of , it was at first his intention to take no notice of it : but ( to deal freely with thee ) he could not , upon second thoughts , gain leave of his conscience to let it pass : for that told him that he would shew but little love to his infinitely good god , or concernment for his honour , should he not take advantage of so fit and proper an occasion as was then offered him to vindicate him from the most unworthy representation that doctrine giveth of him . and he solemnly professeth that he would have said nothing of it , were he not constrained to do otherwise by his love to god , and the souls of men : and by his earnest desire to give his testimony against the abuse that is thereby put upon the best of beeings , & also to contribute his little mite towards the utter silencing of that plea for carelesness and irreligion , that very many ( if not most ) men from thence make . whoever they be that shall take offence at that person for freely speaking his own mind , because it hath the ill hap not to jump with theirs , i would fain know of them why he may not be as much out of humour ( though he is resolved he will not ) with them again : for surely he doth not more differ from them , than they do from him . well , reader , it is high time to be reconciled to moderation and sobriety , to lay aside our uncharitable and ( therefore ) unchristian heats against each other : and to labour to preserve the unity of the spirit ( if it be not already quite lost ) in the bond of peace , and throw water upon those flames that threaten our destruction , ( and but for god's infinite mercy would have effected it before now ) instead of adding more fewel to them . and that is the great design ( as thou wilt easily perceive ) of the ensuing discourse . moreover , i most humbly entreat thee to consider , that as god was not in the whirlwind , but in the still voice ; so divine truth is far more unlikely to be found among men of violent and boisterous passions , than among those that are soberly and sedately considerative . passion doth cloud and darken the understanding , it casts a thick mist before the eye of the soul , and makes it altogether unapt to discern a difference betwixt truth , and the error that is nearest to it ; and to distinguish it from one of the extreams which it lyeth between . i have another request to make to thee , viz. if thou shalt vouchsafe to cast an eye upon this discourse , that thou wouldest not only read here and there some part of it , but take the small pains to run it through : for by this means thou mayest understand the authors sence in several passages , which otherwise thou wilt be lyable to be mistaken concerning : and also to go away with a false notion ( in some particulars ) of the persons therein represented . whom , should they judge it an over-bold attempt to give the vvorld , without their own consent or knowledge , a character of them , he knows to be masters of so great ingenuity as will easily encline them to put up such faults ( how great soever they may seem in themselves ) as are mitigated by the circumstance of well-meaning . the author is aware that the matters discoursed might have been digested into a more accurate method ; but yet he is not like to apologize for it , till thou canst convince him , that the neglect of formalities , and curious exactness of any kind , in discourses between friends , is blame worthy . nor yet will he plead excuse for the plainness of his style , till he hath reason to believe that the vulgar ( whose benefit is here principally intended ) are capable of understanding higher language . i shall detain thee no longer , than till i have told thee , that he saith , may this trifle be instrumental to beget in but any one a more free , ingenuous , and amicable temper , he shall not think he hath cause to repent his permitting it to be exposed to publick censure . the contents . the first part , page . i. the entrance into the discourse ibid. ii . the hateful character given by some to certain friends of theophilus and philalethes , iii. an argument of their being greatly abused in that character , iv . that character due to the broachers of hobbian doctrine , v. but that doctrine by none better confuted than by these men , vi . that preaching some of their adversaries doctrines , might render them too well deserving that character , in the iudgment of over-critical persons , ibid. vii . another argument that they are abused , viii . theophilus undertaketh impartially to represent them , ix . of their practises , x. of their conformity to the ecclesiastical laws , xi . the unreasonableness of censuring men upon the account of their conformity , xii . of their conversation , xiii . of their preaching , xiv . of their preaching the reasonableness of the christian precepts , xv . of the use of reason in matters of religion , ibid. xvi . cor. . . considered , xvii . one advantage that is gotten by demonstrating the reasonableness of christian duties , xviii . the consideration of the goodness of the doctrine of the gospel , necessary to accompany that of miracles to prove its divine authority , ibid. xix . of the testimony of the spirit to the truth of scripture , xx . theophilus his opinion concerning the inward testimony of the spirit , xxi . the believing of divine things , a divine faith , whatever the motives thereunto are , xxii . of moral certainty , xxiii . of the scripture bearing testimony to it self , xxiv . a second advantage gotten by demonstrating the reasonableness of the precepts of the gospel , xxv . in what sence the precepts of the gospel are highly reasonable , xxvi . a description of reason , xxvii . the first proposition , shewing in what sence the precepts of the gospel are reasonable , with a brief demonstration that they are so , xxviii . the design of the christian religion , xxix . the second proposition , ibid. xxx . a more particular demonstration of the reasonableness of the gospel precepts , xxxi . almost all the duties injoyned in the gospel , commended by heathens , xxxii . those vindicated from making the gospel but a little better than a meer natural religion , that assert that reason alone is able to prompt to us most of the duties therein injoyned , xxxiii . wherein the gospel excelleth all other religions , xxxiv . to say that what the gospel requireth , is most suteable to reason , is highly to commend it , &c. xxxv . of their preaching the reasonableness of the points of meer belief , xxxvi . all the points of meer belief to be consistent with reason sometimes proved by them , xxxvii . that they do not endeavour to level all such points with mens capacities , xxxviii . that they acknowledge incomprehensible mysteries in the christian religion , ibid. xxxix . that they prove the consistency of such points with reason , as they are delivered in the scripture only , xl . that they assert many speculative points to be also suteable to the dictates of reason , ibid. xli . an argument drawn from notions of the heathens , to prove the most weighty points of faith suteable to the dictates of reason , xlii . of their style in preaching , xliii . of their making doctrines intelligible , xliv . a sort of men that are obscurers of the gospel , ibid. xlv . another sort of such , xlvi . of the perspicuity of scripture , xlvii . their opinion of powerful preaching , xlviii . of carnal and spiritual reason , xlix . a farther account of their preaching , l. of their being accused of preaching up only a moral righteousness , li. in what sence they do not so , and in what sence they do , ibid. & lii . no difference betwixt evangelical righteousness , and that which is the best sence moral , liii . to work in us such a moral righteousness , the design of the gospel , liv . a righteousness in no sence moral a contradiction , lv . of imputative righteousness , and in what sence they believe and preach it , lvi . their notion of christ's imputed righteousnesse , ibid. lvii . a false notion of it , lviii . the first mistake in that notion , lix . the second mistake , ibid. lx . a false definition of faith they confute in their preaching , lxi . christ's imputed righteousnesse no scripture phrase , lxii . some verses in the fourth to the romans considered , ibid. lxiii . st. james . . considered , lxiv. philippians . . considered , lxv . as high a favour to be dealt with , as if we were perfectly righteous as to be so esteemed , lxvi . the dangerous consequence of the antinomian doctrine about imputed righteousness , lxvii . the antinomians opinion of sin , lxviii . theophilus his charity for some antinomians , lxix . a defective definition of faith that those divines preach against , and the ill consequence of it , lxx . a full definition of faith ill applyed to the business of iustifying , lxxi . a full and plain definition of faith used by those preachers , lxxii . of that doctrine of those preachers ; that faith justifyeth , as it implyeth obedience , lxxiii . an argument to prove that faith justifieth as it receiveth christ quà lord , as well as quà saviour , lxxiv. the act of receiving christ quà lord to go before that of receiving him quà priest , lxxv . how faith is distinguished from repentance , and other vertues in the business of iustification , lxxvi . why iustification is mostly ascribed to faith , lxxvii . two acceptations of the word faith , ibid. lxxviii . the vertue of faith variously expressed in scripture , ibid. lxxix . how faith justifieth , lxxx . the covenant of grace conditional , lxxxi . hebrews . . considered , lxxxii . men not without all power to cooperate with with god's grace in their conversion , lxxxiii . a middle way to be taken in giving account of mens conversion , lxxxiv . faith the condition of the new covenant , ibid. lxxxv . of their being accused for the foregoing doctrine , as holding iustification by works , and enemies to god's grace , lxxxvi . a digression concerning censuring men upon the account of their opinions , ibid. lxxxvii . a vindication of the foregoing account of faith justifying from being opposite to free grace , lxxxviii . a vindication of that doctrine , from asserting iustification by works in st. paul's sence , lxxxix . by works , when opposed to grace or faith , new obedience never meant , xc . no crime to hold iustification by works in st. james his sence , ibid. xci . st. pauls language not to be preferred before st. james his , the second part. i. a more distinct account of their opinions , ibid. ii . of their iudgment in doctrinals , iii. in what sence the church of england imposeth subscription to the articles , ibid. iv . the lord primate of ireland his testimony , ibid. v. what doctrines they most endeavour to confute , vi . philalethes his representation of gods nature , vii . consequences of opinions not to be charged on all those that hold them , viii . that they set themselves against the doctrine of gods absolute decreeing mens sin and misery , ix . that those two are not to be separated , x. that those doctrines make their defenders assert two wills in god ; and the one contrary to the other , by which means other sad consequences also follow , xi . of opposing gods secret to his revealed will , xii . that we must resolve to believe nothing at all , if we may believe nothing against which we cannot answer all objections , xiii . that the forementioned doctrine evidently contradicts our natural notions , xiv . which is the safest course in reconciling seemingly contradictory scriptures , xv . theophilus can believe no sence of scripture that doth evidently contradict self-evident notions , xvi . of that opinion , that whatsoever god doth , is therefore good and just because he doth it , xvii . what is the motive inducing the good men of that perswasion to go that way , xviii . those divines middle way between the calvinists and remonstrants , xix . this way proposed by catharinus at the council of trent , xx . how it comes to pass that this way for some ages had fewest friends , xxi . this way , a great ease to theophilus his mind , xxii . philalethes no less beholden to it : which causeth theophilus to ask him some questions , xxiii . of free will. xxiv . of the state of the heathens , xxv . that god hath wayes , though they may be perfectly unknown to us , to clear the iustice and goodness of his dealings with all mankind , xxvi . whether what must be acknowledged to defend that middle way , tends to encourage security , &c. xxvii . that the doctrine discoursed against doth a world of mischief , xxviii . the test by which theophilus examines controverted points , xxix . of the great obscurity of st. paul's style in many places , and the causes of it , xxx . a paraphrase upon several verses , of the ninth to the romans , xxxi . how god is said to harden sinners , xxxii . philalethes offereth another interpretation of the th and th verses , xxxiii . that the most ancient fathers were enemies to absolute reprobation , with its concomitants , xxxiv . that the old gnosticks were great friends to it , xxxv . mr. joseph mede's iudgment concerning this point , xxxvi . the church of england no favourer of it , xxxvii . the moderation of those divines in other matters of controversie , which theophilus hath not time to insist upon , very remarkable , xxxviii . none more disliked by them , than the monopolizers of truth to a party , xxxix . infallibility in the best of men or churches , denyed by them , xl . of the infallibility of the church , and those protestants that seem to be sticklers for it , xli . of acquiescing in the four first occumenical councils , xlii . what respect due to councils , xliii . the church of englands sence of general councils , xliv . the determinations of our own church , not to be opposed in matters disputable , xlv . an argument that christ intended us no infallible iudge of controversies , xlvi . private christians promised infallibility in the same sense that the church representative hath the promise of it , xlvii . of disputacity , xlviii . of friendly disputes , ibid. xlix . the way to peace , ibid. l. the mischief of contending for an infallible iudge , li. forcing others to be of our mind tyrannical , ibid. lii . to condemn men for dissenting from us unwarrantable , liii . of those divines candor towards dissenters from them , liv . of mr. chillingworth's book , lv . of their opinion concerning fundamentals , and that they are not forward to give a catalogue of them , lvi . the use of the foregoing principles , lvii . that those divines procure to themselves enemies of divers sorts by their endeavours to propagate those principles , the third part. i. their iudgment in matters of discipline , ibid. ii . that they prefer episcopacy to all other forms of church government , iii. how much essential to episcopacy , ibid. iv . that they unchurch not those churches that will not admit it , though they think it desirable that all would , v. their opinion of the power of the civil magistrate in sacred affairs , vi . that the civil magistrate hath a power both legislative and iudiciary in ecclesiastical affairs , ibid. vii . their opinion of the authority of the church , viii . that they believe magistrates are to be obeyed , when they command things inconvenient , if lawful , ix . that they judge it unlawful for the people to take arms against their prince , &c. on any pretence , x. that they are for shewing favour to dissenters out of conscience , xi . whom they conceive are not to be dealt with as men of tender consciences , xii . theophilus presumes that they would be glad , if some things that most offend were removed , &c. xiii . philalethes his opinion upon the whole account , xiv . why the bigots of the several parties are mostly their enemies , xv . that it is pity there should be any distinction of name between them , and the moderate men of some parties , xvi . what name they onely desire to be known by , xvii . that their temper and free principles are of no late standing , &c. xviii . why the pharisees could not endure our saviour , ibid. xix . when the temper and spirit that hath been described , began to decay in the christian world , xx . the pope beholden to the decay thereof for his power , xxi . that it is much revived in the protestant churches , though the generality are still greatly defective in it , xxii . if the invisible antichrist were once fallen , the visible one would quickly follow , ibid. xxiii . the conclusion , theophilus , a lover of god. philalethes , a lover of truth . errata . page . line , read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . l. . r. make. p. . l. . r. . a free discourse between two intimate friends , &c. philalethes . my dearest theophilus , the observation i have for some time made of the great change in your countenance , from that spriteful and chearful air i was wont with pleasure there to behold , to a melancholy pensiveness and deep dejection , hath made me not a little solicitous concerning the cause : nor can i but entertain a great suspicion , that it is no ordinary misfortune that hath made such an alteration in so well-composed , and excellently tempered a minde , as yours is . theophilus . i am much obliged to you , my best friend , for the good opinion you have conceived of me ; which must be imputed not in the least to mine own merit , but wholly to your goodness : for i assure you , my temper is as obnoxious to troublesome impressions as other mens , how sedate soever you are pleas'd to think it . philal. none doubtless may pretend , so well as your self , to understand it : but if it be so impressible as you say , i have known you far better able to hide your infirmity then i perceive you now are . theoph. i say , philalethes , no man can with less reason boast of stoicism , then my self : but were my soul the most unconcerned of any mortals , and as free from all disturbing passions , as is in this state possible ; that discomposure of thoughts you read in my looks , you will not at all wonder at , when you have once understood the occasion . but i shall defer the satisfaction of your desire in acquainting you therewith , till i have informed you , that i have taken notice of as little serenity of late , in your aspect ; as critical as you are in observing mine : and have several times seen so thick a cloud there , as made me conclude the distemper of my minde to be no whit greater than that of yours . philal. i see then that i am no less to seek in the art of dissembling then your self ; and you shall presently acknowledge , that of us two , i am the more open-breasted : for though you have kept me hitherto in suspence , and delayed to let me learn the ground of your trouble ; you shall not wait one minute for the knowledge of the true cause of mine . it is not to be attributed , theophilus , to any personal evil , or of a private concern ; but to a very quick sense of the most deplorable state of this our church . it pains me to the heart , when i consider to what a prodigious height , about matters of religion , our feuds are grown ; and how utterly averse the too many sects and parties we are crumbled into are , to entertain thoughts of peace and accommodation . when i well weigh in my minde , what a rare engine the gospel is , for the effecting the most hearty agreement and friendship among men imaginable , ( wherein , i perswade my self , it fails not of happie success , where it is sincerely entertained ) and then observe what a make-bate it hath notwithstanding proved , among the generality of our professors of it ; and occasions , through their own most wretched folly and naughtiness , the sharpest contests , and most bitter and irreconcileable enmities : i finde i have more than enough to do , to govern my self as i am sensible i ought , and to keep the inferiour faculties of my soul in subordination to its superiour , as becomes a man and christian , in the resentment of it . theoph. had you not the ambition , philalethes , to be now before-hand with me in friendship , and first to unbosome your self to me ; you had by this time received the very same account of that melancholy that in me you spyed . philal. though i could never give credit to the pythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of souls into divers bodies , yet i could be almost tempted to fancie what is more strange , namely , that our two bodies are at once informed by one and the same soul. theoph. this is not a thing so wonderful , as to incline me once to dream of such an hypothesis , were it much less incredible than it is , to enable me to give an account of it : for though , sure enough , our souls are as distinct as other folks ; yet they being conjoyned by the same principles and interest , i can much better understand how this you so admire at should be , than how it came to pass , that hippocrates his twins laugh'd and cry'd , liv'd and dy'd together . but , my good philalethes , hath it not increased the disquiet of your minde , to think what usage some worthy friends of ours ( whom i know you have much heard of , though i suppose you are not so well acquainted with them as my self ) meet with from our hot and contentious christians ? and how ill they are recompensed by the several litigating and sharply-contesting parties , for their industrious endeavours to make peace between them ? philal. yes , theophilus , that it hath ; and to my great trouble i have often observed , that the fierce men ( as much at odds as they are among themselvs ) can too well agree in heaping calumnies on these gentlemen , and in giving them the worst of characters : in which dealing of theirs with them , they have imitated that of the heathens with some of the primitive christians ; who first dressed them in bears skins and then baited them . the world is not so depraved , nor do i think ever can be , as to reproach good men under that notion : that therefore these persons may be cryed down with the greater shew of zeal , and that it may be looked upon as the interest of religion to cast an odium on them ; i have heard them represented as a generation of people that have revived the abominable principles of the old gnosticks ; and that they are of those long since extirpated hereticks the natural and genuine off-spring . theoph. you say very right , for they are represented as such for all the world ; we being told with much confidence , by those that think themselvs greatly affronted , if whatsoever drops from their mouths be not received as a sacred oracle , that they are a company of men that are prepared for the embracing of any religion , & to renounce or subscribe to any doctrine , rather then incur the hazard of persecution ; and that they esteem him the onely heretick that refuseth to be of that religion the king or state professeth ; or , at least , this the most dangerous heresie , that suffering is to be preferred before sinning . they are characterized as people , whose onely religion it is to temporize , & transform themselves into any shape for their secular interests ; and that judge no doctrine so saving , as that which obligeth to so complying and condescending a humour , as to become all things to all men , that so by any means they may gain something : as i heard one once jear a most worthy person that is one of them , as he thought , no doubt , very wittily . philal. have you not heard the cholerick gentlemen distinguish these persons , by a long nick-name ; which they have taught their tongues to pronounce as roundly , as if it were shorter then it is , by four or five syllables ? theoph. yes , philalethes , oftener , i presume , then you have : for though we are both country-men , and wonted more then most to a solitary life ; yet my occasions call me abroad , and into variety of companies , more frequently then yours do you : where i hear , ever and anon , the word of a foot and half long sounded out with a great grace ; and that not onely at fires and tables , but sometimes from pulpits too : nay , and it accompanied good store of other bumbasts , and little witticisms , in seasoning , not long since , the stately oxonian theatre . philal. i am not so little skill'd in the language of the beast , as to be ignorant of the derivation of that long name : but i pray , theophilus , what do those that so please themselvs with it mean by it ? theoph. that i can tell you from their own mouths : for i have heard them give a description of their latitudinarian ; and 't is this short one , he is a gentleman of a wide swallow . philal. very good ! it seems then his conscience is the seat of his latitude , and that this name includes the forementioned lovely character . theoph. it does so . and thus as we have seen children make an ugly picture upon a wall , & then spit at it ; or dress up a puppet , and then make sport with it : so those , whom one might expect should be better employed , make a deformed and mis-shapen beast , and then worry their own creature . but if to be highly charged be a sufficient evidence of guilt , who can accuse the enemies of the primitive christians of barbarity in their carriage towards them ? for it is well known that the imputations they lay under , were no better then those of atheism , the most beastly incest , and bloudy cruelty . phil. nay , how can we then blame even our blessed saviour's judges , for pronouncing that sentence they did against him , seeing the crimes he was charged with , were of the foulest nature , and no less then sorcery , treason and blasphemy ? but as confidently as these men are thus highly accused , and that by those that pretend to be of all others best affected to that religion , that is no less peaceable than it is pure , and that engageth its professors not easily to think , as well as not to speak ill of any ; the little knowledge that i have of them makes me conclude , that it is no hard matter to prove , that their accusers , in being so , declare themselves to have the wide swallows they condemn their brethren for ; and that so wide , as glibly to down with camels , as much as one sort of them may seem to strain at gnats . theoph. you say well ; there is indeed no difficulty in proving it : for what unprejudiced person can easily perswade himself to judge so very hardly of these men , that considers , that there are not any that have better than they , ( i had almost said , so well ) demonstrated and improved that principle , which is the foundation of all religion , viz. that moral good and evil are not onely such , because god commands the one , and forbids the other ; but because the things themselves are so essentially and unalterably . that there is an eternal reason , why that which is good should be so and required , and why that which is evil should be so and forbidden ; which depends not so much on the divine will as the divine nature . philal. this is to me a demonstration that they are most injuriously represented . i must confess , had they broached such doctrine as the hobbists propagate , viz. that all moral righteousness is founded in the law of the civil magistrate : that the holy scriptures are obliging by vertue onely of a civil sanction : that whatsoever magistrates command , their subjects are bound to submit to , notwithstanding contrary to divine moral laws : i say , had they published such doctrine , i should then my self most freely subscribe to the worst that hath been said of them . theoph. and so should i too ; but those accursed principles ( for i can give them no better epithet ) were never more solidly confuted , than by these men . nay , they might have rendered themselvs too liable to the hardest censures of men , more judicious and critical , than ingenuous and charitable ; had they preached those doctrines , that not a few of those very people that make the loudest out-cries against them have formerly , and i have cause to fear do still instruct their credulous disciples in : whom yet neither i nor they dare pass an hard sentence against , upon that account ; because we hope , and believe also , that they do not discern the natural consequences of their principles . but i for my own part must needs confess , that should i think as they profess to do in several points , i should be in no small danger of being , in their hateful sense , a man of latitude . i shall onely instance in one of those doctrines , that pass for currant among many of these severe censurers ; viz. that which is opposite to that i said those persons have so rarely well demonstrated . you know that not a few of their adversaries do make the will of god the onely measure of good and evil ; and will by no means admit that distinction , some things are good because commanded , other things are commanded because good ; and so on the contrary . philal. no , i know they will not . i was my self once told by a too hot divine , that yet was in some things more sober than many of them , when i delivered that distinction , and expressed my approbation of it , that i spake blasphemy . theoph. 't is very likely ; i have also , and that more than once , been shent with great gravity upon the very same account . however , philalethes , god forbid that we should so far imitate the weakness of the men we blame , as to say that holding the forementioned principle , they must all of them of necessity be of that dutch gentleman zeglovius his minde , who hath impudently told the world in print , that god may please , out of the absolute soveraignty of his will , to command all that wickedness he hath forbidden , and forbid all that holiness he hath commanded . nor dare i say , or yet suspect , that they believe that we can have no assurance , that god will perform either his threatnings or promises ; and that he doth not will to deceive his creatures in making the one and the other ; which deception , if he wills it , must needs be good : nor that when they say that god is of a holy nature , they mean no more , than that he cannot abide to be disobeyed ; which is but a slender commendation : yet who seeth not , that will but give himself leave to think at all freely , that these are consequences inevitably following from that their doctrine ? which as i said , have the men they look upon as such debauchies , divers of them most excellently discovered the falsity of ; and most convincingly proved the unchangeable natures , and eternal laws and differences of good and evil : and that it is the most horrid contradiction to assert , that god can will that his creatures should not be just and righteous , good and holy ; and , those of them that i know , take occasion frequently , to declare their abhorrence of that opinion , with all that are derived from it , or of kin to it . now , philalethes , what can their designe , think you , be in thus doing ? can they manage any other than that of convincing men of the indispensable obligation that lieth upon them , to love and prosecute all goodness , and to shun and abominate all sin ? what other end can they serve by this means , besides rendering the religion of christ jesus most amiable , and effectual as to its great intent ? philal. for my part , i am not able to imagine , how they can propose to themselvs any other : and what you said last , brings to my remembrance another argument that will convince any candid person , that it is , at least , most highly probable , that they are , in being represented as was said , very unjustly dealt with , viz. that none have with more strength of reason demonstrated , that the grand designe of the gospel is to make men good : not to intoxicate their brains with notions , or furnish their heads with a systeme of opinions ; but to reform mens lives , and purifie their natures : which noble principle together with the former , doth utterly overthrow that latitudinarianism they are accused of , as he must be blind , or shut his eyes , that doth not see it : and if it were well minded and improved by our angry men , it would , no question , turn the edge of their zeal quite another way ; and convince them , that there are too many things they lay a heavier stress upon , than they can ever bear . theoph. this was excellently well observed of you ; and as you say , if the designe of the gospel were well understood , and as well considered by those men , they would think their precious time may be much more profitably spent , than in contending about meer speculations , or such practices as neither serve nor disserve that designe ; and have no influence either into the bettering or depraving the souls of men . philal. but , theophilus , i could be glad to know more distinctly than i do , how it comes to pass , that it is the ill fate of those our friends , to have the worst character given them , by the rigid men of all perswasions : what unluckie stars are they born under , that , of all others , they should meet with the worst usage , and foulest play ; if they have given no occasion to those people to think and speak so ill of them ; nor by any default of their own , have exposed and laid themselves open to their censures ? theoph. i shall willingly gratifie you in this request ; which i will do in giving you an impartial representation of them ; wherein by the way , as we pass along , you will clearly perceive , what you are already , i know , inclined to believe ; that some things , at least , not blame-worthy , and others very highly deserving praise , have made them the objects of so much spite ; and that 't is occasioned by none but such things . philal. the account in general , that from men worthy to be credited i have had of them , and particularly that they are persons of great moderation , hath prepared me , were you a perfect stranger , not to question your veracity , let the character be never so good you shall give of them . theoph. i assure you , philalethes , i am under no temptation , to tell you a tittle more than i know to be true concerning them : nor do i think it can be my interest to tell , at any time , a lye for god himself . philal. you might have reserved this , for one to whom you are less known , than you are to me ; and therefore , i pray proceed : but if you please , i will make so bold as to set you your method ; and desire you first to give an account of their practices , and then of their opinions . theoph. you may , if you will , call this freedom , which i acknowledge a great favour , but by no means boldness : and the order you prescribe i shall as willingly proceed in , as if it had been mine own choice ; but i will not promise you to keep my self over-exactly to it , and never to confound these two . philal. i do not expect you should . theoph. well then , philalethes , as to their practices ; the familiarity that divers of them have honoured me with , assures me , that there are none among whom more true goodness is to be found , than is in them observable . nor have their aspersers , as i can learn , ever convicted any of them , as persons offensive in their behaviour either towards god or men : nor can i tell , that any of those that are most maligned , have been so much as accused of such actions in particular , as are plain and undoubted transgressions of the first or second table . philal. i perceive you put an emphasis upon undoubted ; and that therefore they are charged with those things , that their adversaries judge transgressions of the one or the other table . theoph. the reason of that emphasis you have well guessed at ; for they are accused of some such things as divers look upon as breaches of the first table , and particularly of the second commandment ; which are by others esteemed not onely not so , but in certain cases to be so far from being prohibited , that they are their duty . in short , the grand fault that is found by some in their practice , is their conformity to the present ecclesiastical laws ; which enjoyn some rites in the worship of god , which there is no express warrant from the scriptures for . but whether this be well or ill done of them , i must not now stand to determine . philal. nor will i desire you ; it being a controversie that will take up too much time ; and besides , the driest and most unpleasant that ever i engaged in . theoph. i have the same opinion of it ; and therefore you shall not hire me to consent to the spending of any part of the time we have together upon such an argument . all that need be done now , will be to consider whether the persons we are discoursing of , can possibly be guilty of so great an offence in their conformity , as may not admit a charitable interpretation . for none can think , except such as are grosly silly , that it is indisputable that the matters now enjoyned are unlawful . philal. those must be very ignorant that so judge ; when as men , as famous both for learning and piety as the church of england hath ever been blessed with , have both by their own conformity declared their allowance of them , and also defended their lawfulness , against those of a contrary perswasion . theoph. nay more than so , philalethes , you know that divers of the most eminent protestant divines of the best reformed churches beyond the seas , such as calvin , beza , zanchy , and others , have declared their judgements for conformity to them ; and some of them , their earnest desire , that the ministers of this church would comply with the will of their governours in observing them , while they shall think it fit to impose them . philal. i am not ignorant of it : and me-thinks the authority of those men , who were our great champions in the anti-romane cause , should be of no small account with us all ; but much less contemned by any of us . theoph. me-thinks it should not ; there being this moreover to say for their being competent judges in the case , that they were not onely men of great learning and godliness , but also uninterested ; and therefore under no temptation of being byassed in their judgements in this particular . so that i say , it is a most reasonable postulatum , that conformity to the present enjoyned rites , may be by those that oppose it , acknowledged not to be so plainly , at least , condemned , but that very wise and good men may not see it so to be : and therefore may judge it not onely lawful to conform , but also their duty so long as they persist in that opinion . philal. i think it a very clear case , that the conformists adversaries have sufficient reason to desire , and take kindly the same favourable thoughts of their nonconformity ; they well knowing how obnoxious it hath been to an ill construction , and hard censures : nor can they be ignorant what a black and odious character is by some men given themselvs ; wherein those have paid divers of them in their own coyn , and measured to them with the same measure , wherewith they have meted , to those our friends we are speaking of , in an especial manner , and more than to any other conformable persons . theoph. what you say is most true ; but yet i must tell you , that these friends of ours , ( and i thank you for giving me this occasion ) though , as you said , most provoked , are not in the number of those warm gentlemen of the other extreme ; but , as i have often observed , they express great candor towards them . philal. i am glad to hear it ; and that they are so wise men , and good christians , as not to return censures for censures , and evil for evil . nor can i well conceive how any ingenuously-minded person can admit so much as an hard thought of any , meerly upon the account of their not being of his minde , in matters that have been controverted , as these things have been , between men of confessedly-great worth and goodness . i declare for my part , and i care not who knows it , that i love with my heart a sober and peaceably minded nonconformist , as much conformist as i am my self . theoph. gods blessing on your heart for that , philalethes , and i also do freely declare the same , and that i think him never the worse man that is so , supposing i perceive him conscientious in other matters ; and particularly that he is not of a censorious , seditious , and tumultuous spirit ; but yet such i would not hate neither , but pitie and pray for them . but now , do you not think it unaccountably strange , that those our friends , upon the score of their conformity , should not be so much censured as erroneous and mistaken as men of no conscience ; as if it were as plainly prohibited as murther , adultery , and the grossest sins ? philal. i cannot think otherwise ; but yet 't is not more strange then it is true , as i my self also well know . for i happened but the other day upon a book written by a divine , that is of a separated party , and looking into it , chanced to light upon an opposition of the conformists to the three children ; and these being commended for their heroick resolution , rather to be thrown into the fiery furnace than to serve the kings gods , and worship the image which he had set up ; he next falls bewailing those , in these words : how many in this hour of temptation , are caught in this ensnaring tryal ! what say some ? come , let us rather conform to the ceremonies , than lose our liberties ; rather let us bow at the name of iesus , than lose all for the sake of iesus ; it is better to baptize with the cross , than to bear the cross ; and to wear a surplice , than to pinch our carcase . thus many ( it is to be feared ) destroy their consciences to keep their places . and so he goes on talking after that rate . and though he qualifieth his censure with an [ it is to be feared ] yet he plainly supposeth , that to use the ceremonies of our church is as unquestionably sinful , as to worship false gods , and fall down to graven images : and therefore , not withstanding that parenthesis , he endeavours to make his readers conclude rather than fear , that conformists destroy their consciences , ( that is , those of them that he thinks had ever any ) to keep their places . nay , three or four lines after , as he doth also before , without mincing the matter , he positively asserts as much , in these words : alas poor souls , how are they fallen in the hour of temptation ! theoph. you have , i perceive , a very happie memory : for i my self some days since met also with the same book and passage ; and i dare say , you have been so faithful as to quote it word for word . but whether thus to judge be consistent with the ingenuity of a christian ; i leave to that gentleman and his brethren , in their cool bloud to consider . but i am sure if this be not a most manifest transgression of the law of charity , it is no easie matter to transgress it . but let these men print or preach what they list , i am shrewdly tempted much to question , whether they so much declare their own thoughts , as what they would have their people think ; it being their great interest , that themselvs should be reputed the onely men , that have not shipwrackt faith and a good conscience . philal. this sounds like such an uncharitable censure , as you blame them for . theoph. i expected that reply ; but there is too good reason thus to fear : for i profess it cannot enter into my head , that those of them , that are men of competent learning and parts , should suffer their tongues and pens so to lash out , if there were not more of cunning than any thing else in it . for they must needs know as well as any body can tell them , let them make their admirers believe what they will , that it is no easie matter to make it good , that the things upon the account of which they so asperse their brethren , are against any law of god : but yet the people must be born in hand , that they are so plainly sinful , that he must needs shut his eyes against the light , that is not convinc'd they are so : or rather , that all knowing men , can not but suspect them at least , so to be ; but most have so little of their self-denial , and zeal for gods honour , as rather to yield to them than lose their livings , and expose themselvs to sufferings . philal. you have sufficiently vindicated your self from uncharitable censuring ; for surely that cannot deserve so ill a name , which is grounded upon so good a reason as you have given . theoph. and i thank you , my friend , that you gave me this occasion of purging my self from so foul and unchristian a crime . philal. and you have done it , as i said , very satisfactorily : for prudence , no question , is a necessary ingredient in every virtue ; nor could i ever think blinde charity to be more truly so , than blinde zeal . theoph. but to proceed where we brake off . is it not greatly to be wondered at , philalethes , that these men will not afford those that differ in their practice from them , in disputable matters , any more favourable title , than that of people of prostituted consciences ; let them live never so exactly according to all the notices of gods will clearly expressed in his word ? which , as i said , those friends of ours are so far from living in contradiction to , that i hear of no clamours against them upon that account ; which i am confident i should with both ears , if any thing of immorality did discover it self in their conversations . philal. but now i think of it , don't you believe that there are those conformable persons , that have given too good cause for such a severe censure ? theoph. i don't think that any have done so , by their bare conformity : but whereas there are those that in all our changes , have been observed to be zealous still , for that which was most countenanced by the authority that bare the sway ; and have been taken notice of to leap out of one extreme into another ; that is , from the hight of fanaticism to that of conformity ; these , i confess , may thank themselvs for the hard words that are heapt upon them ; but they did not merit them , or gave occasion for them , by their meer conforming : their former actings might have rendered their honesty too liable to suspicion , though they had never conformed ; nor may their doing what is now enjoyned , considered as such , adde to the suspicion ; but onely considered as diametrically opposite to former actings . and now i have this occasion , i must tell you , that i know none of our friends in the number of those , that have merited the opprobrious name of turncoats . but under the late usurpers , they did so behave themselvs , as that some of them were great sufferers for his majestie and the church ; and the rest of those i was acquainted with , though they were so prudent as to keep as much as they could out of harms way , and not to expose themselvs to needless sufferings , and such of which there could come no good ; yet were they no less consciencious , and had a care to preserve themselvs unspotted from the guilt of the then wilde extravagances . philal. you have told me no more , than i have often before heard ; but i am glad of its confirmation from your mouth . i pray pardon my occasioning so many digressions from the main business , and be pleased now again to return to it . theoph. you shall not have my pardon , but thanks , for the digressions you have occasioned ; they being none of them , i think , impertinent . to go on then : they are not onely not scandalous , but very lovely also in their behaviour , and greatly obliging . i never in any one sort of men observed so much of openheartedness and ingenuity , freedom , sociableness , and affability , as in these generally . they have nothing of that crabbed austerity , foolish affectation , or sullen gravity that render too many of their censurers to wise men not a little contemptible . but as the pharisees bare our saviour a grudge , upon the account of his being contrary to their humour in this very particular ; so i have reason to believe , that by this means , these persons do not a little distaste divers of their adversaries , because they look so unlike them , and condemn those their follies , by a quite contrary carriage . but with any sarcastical smartness to perstringe those fooleries , which some of them have done , is looked on as an expression of a profane spirit : as if to dislike that which makes religion ridiculous , were to be an enemy to religion it self . philal. nay , i have thought , that there is too much cause to suspect , that what they themselvs cannot but acknowledge very commendable in those our friends , is a great motive to them , so much the more to traduce them ; as being jealous that they may thereby gain with many too great esteem . for there was one , some time since , that took occasion to commend a reverend and most worthy person that is called by the long name , to an eminent pastor of a separated congregation in london , from whom he received this answer ; that iesus christ hath not in this nation a greater enemy ; and that the goodness of his life was that which put him into a capacity of doing so much the more mischief . theoph. the story you have told me , i should have looked upon as not incredible , had a less faithworthy person related it than your self . for i have often observed that scandalous ministers , of which there are too many , the more is the pity ( though the number of them is computed by those that gladly take all advantages to bespatter and fling dirt in the faces of their civil and ecclesiastical governours , to be far greater than i am verily perswaded it is ) i say , i have often observed , that scandalous ministers have the good luck better to escape the tongues of our carping people , than the most painful and consciencious . philal. any man may , if he will , make this observation : and truly i have too good reason to fear , that not a few of those men are more sorry that all conforming ministers are not persons of debauched lives , than that any are so : for if they hear but an ugly tale of any one of them , they never stand to examine whether it be true or false , but with great greediness catch at it , and send it flying . theoph. would you have me , in the next place , to inform you , how those divines in their pulpits demean themselvs ; i dare affirm , that if our separating people would be but perswaded to make their own ears judges , and for some time deign to be their auditors , if they could also leave all prejudice behinde them , they would confess that they cannot in any of their private meetings , at least better spend their time . i am sure it must be their own fault , if their experience doth not convince them , that there are no preachers by whom they may gain more real profit . for none can give their hearers better instructions , or back them on with more cogent and effectual motives and arguments than they do . i have my self been as constant a hearer of them ( before i betook my self to this solitary way of living ) as any man : but never was my judgement more convinced , my will perswaded , nor my affections more powerfully wrought upon , by any sermons than by theirs . i found that in their discourses generally , they handled those subjects that are of weightiest and most necessary importance : i mean such as have the greatest influence into the reformation of mens lives , and purification of their souls : nor had i ever so lovely an idaea of the divine nature , which is the most powerful incentive to obedience to the divine will , nor so clear a sense of the excellency of the christian religion , the reasonableness of its precepts , the nobleness and generosity of its designe , and its admirable fitness for the accomplishment of it ; as , through the blessing of god , i have gained by the hearing of these men . philal. you say , theophilus , that you have gained by these men a clearer sense of the reasonableness of the gospel-precepts ; there are many now-a-days that will con a preacher little thanks , for insisting on that topick : for they tell us very weakly , that onely faith is to be set on work in matters of religion , not reason . theoph. very weakly indeed : it seems those men would have us believe our religion we know not why ; and so we shall be wise believers in the mean time . were i of their opinion , i doubt i should be shrewdly tempted to prefer no one religion before another ; and to think none so absurd , as that i should need to stick , upon that account , at entertaining it . philal. i greatly fear that mahometanism it self would bid as fair for my belief , as christianity , did i think as they do . but i am so far from imagining that reason hath nothing to do in religion , that i am most assured , that it is no-where to so good purpose employed as it is there . but how do you understand that place , which these enemies of reason , i think , lay the greatest stress on , in their cavils against it , viz. the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of god , for they are foolishness to him ; neither can he know them , because they are spiritually discerned . where , by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is ( i know not why ) translated the natural man , they understand the rational ; or as some of them love to word it , the souly man , but mean the same thing . theoph. those words of s. paul are strangely misunderstood by them ; nor is there any thing in them , that , with the least shew of probability , tends to serve those mens absurd hypothesis . for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie animalis ; and this word never signifieth a souly man in their sense , but in the quite contrary . for an animal man is such a one , as gives himself up to the government of his inferiour faculties ; or a carnal sensual man : so that he is so far from being a man of reason , that he is most irrational . 't is such a man as this , that the apostle saith , receiveth not the things of the spirit of god ; he being drowned in sensuality , can have no gusto of , cannot relish such things ; that is , while he remains so . they are foolishness unto him , neither can he know them ; he can have no right understanding , no clear perception of them ; and they sound in his ears like very odde things also . and it is to be imputed to this , that he understands by his affections more than by his reason ; like the wolf in the fable , that went to school to learn to spell , whatsoever letters were told him , because he minded nothing but his belly , he could never make any thing but agnus of them . he cannot know them , because they are spiritually discerned ; that is , by vertue of a higher principle than that which is predominant in this man ; who is , as was said , a meer fleshly wretch . so that this place is so far from condemning the use of reason in the matters of our faith , that the necessity thereof in those things is rather to be concluded from it ; and that men cannot receive the things of gods spirit , till by the assistance thereof , their reason hath regained its authority , and be able to keep under their bruitish affections . philal. but they say , that we must believe the scriptures , not because reason tells us they are true , but because they are gods word . theoph. i perceive you are hard put to it , to retain your wonted gravity in propounding this objection ; but however , i will very gravely answer you . if we must believe the scriptures because they are gods word , then i trow there is a reason on which we are to found our faith , and that a good one too . but again , why must we believe what god saith to be true ? must we believe this because we believe it ? none sure will speak so absurdly : but whatsoever answer these men will give to that question , it is apparent that this is grounded upon a principle of reason also , than which there is none more evident , viz. that god cannot lye . philal. i presume that they themselvs would give that answer . theoph. then they would give another reason , and so still contradict their own doctrine . philal. but they will tell you , that all is at last resolved into gods meer testimony : for we must believe that he cannot lye , because he himself hath said so . theoph. and what if he had never said so ? what they would do i will not undertake to conjecture ; but i should not therefore have one jot the less believed it . for gods saying that he cannot lye , cannot be a sufficient argument to me to believe it , if i did not know that to lye is unworthy of god , and dis-becoming him : for how else could i tell , but that he designed to deceive me in that very saying that he cannot lye ? this therefore is the reason why i doubt not of that great truth , because the reason of my minde tells me , that god must be a being absolutely perfect , or he can't be god ; and being so , it tells me that he cannot be without any moral , no more than physical perfections ; and to lye , the same reason of my minde assures me , is a moral imperfection . philal. this no man can once doubt , that hath to any purpose employed his considerative faculty . but to personate these stiff opposers of reason a little farther . to what purpose is it to go about to demonstrate the reasonableness of the christian precepts , when it is once taken for granted , that they are divine ? for nothing is more undoubted , than that whatsoever god commands , is therefore to be done , because he commands it . theoph. that is a truth beyond all dispute ; and , by the way , let me tell you it is so , because nothing is more highly reasonable , than that god must be obeyed in all things . but however , i would have these men know , that to demonstrate the reasonableness of the duties of christianity , is to do excellent service to the christian religion : for , first , it is no small confirmation of our faith in the truth thereof , to understand the reasonableness of what is therein enjoyned . i remember a good saying of origen to this purpose ; saith he to celsus , in his third book against him , see whether or no the agreeableness of the precepts of our faith with the common notions of humane nature , be not that which hath caused them to to be so readily entertained , by the ingenuous hearers of them . and i must profess to you , philalethes , that i lay no less weight upon the goodness that my reason apprehendeth in the doctrine the gospel containeth , than upon the miracles whereby 't was confirmed . nor do i believe the miracles unaccompanied with that other consideration , a sufficiently-satisfying argument that our saviour was sent from god , as infinitely wonderful as they were : but both these together most fully demonstrate to us that proposition , and neither singly and abstracted from each other . philal. i have , in this particular , thought as you do , ever since i well considered the three or four first verses of the th chapter of deuteronomy ; where god , by moses , saith thus to the children of israel : if there arise among you a prophet , or a dreamer of dreams ; and giveth thee a signe or a wonder ; and the signe or the wonder come to pass , whereof he spake unto thee , saying , let us go after other gods , and let us serve them : thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet , or that dreamer of dreams ; for the lord your god proveth you , to know whether you love the lord your god , with all your heart , and with all your soul , &c. theoph. that place is to very good purpose quoted by you ; and these two things are plainly to be gathered from it : first , that we are to consider the doctrine it self , before we believe it to be of god , as well as the means of its confirmation . secondly , that god , for certain reasons , may suffer wonders to be wrought , that is , such things as no man can give account how they should be effected by natural means , for the confirmation of a false doctrine . and you have from thence rationally concluded what i now said , viz. that the goodness of the doctrine is necessary to go along with the consideration of the miracles whereby it was confirmed , to make them such an argument as we may reasonably desire to induce us to entertain it as coming from god , and to receive him as gods son that brings it . by the goodness of the doctrine i mean at least its negative goodness ; and say , that we ought to see that there be nothing in it , that is plainly unworthy of god to revele , or that containeth a manifest contradiction to any of his attributes : but when positive goodness is also therein observable ; that is , a high congruity and agreeableness with the divine perfections ; such doctrines make miracles a more abundantly strong argument , that the preacher of them is no impostor , but that he came from heaven upon gods message . philal. but there are learned men , that , distinguishing betwixt miracles and wonders , assert that the former are sufficient motives of credibility , though not the latter . theoph. though these two ought to be distinguished , yet i conceive , that distinction will signifie very little when applyed to this matter . for i cannot question , but that it may lie within the compass of evil spirits power , to play such feats as no mortal man , though they should be but wonders , can be sagacious and quick-sighted enough to discern them from real miracles . but when a person doth not onely perform most marveilous works , but also delivereth the most excellent doctrine , we have the greatest assurance that can be from both together , that he came on gods errand , and that the religion he brought with him hath the majestie of heaven for its author . we have reason to be no less assured of it , than that god is good : it being utterly unconceivable , that he should lay before us such an invincible temptation to believe a cheat and falsity . philal. but there are those , you know , that seem by their discourse to lay no weight either upon the miracles , or excellencie of the doctrine ; and are heard to cry up onely the testimony of the spirit , as an argument of the truth of christianity , and of the divine authority of those books that contain it . theoph. there are so , philalethes ; but why do they distinguish between miracles , and the testimony of the spirit ? they are one and the same , without all doubt : for were they not performed by the power of the holy ghost ? and therefore they were his testimony or attestation to the truth of the gospel . philal. but they mean an internal testimony , or a secret powerful perswasion wrought immediately , in the souls of men , by the holy ghost . theoph. but those that say , that credit cannot be given to the truth of the gospel without this , make the devils greater unbelievers than we are from scripture assured they are . and moreover , they seem to me to assert that christ and his apostles might have spared their mighty works : for who will deny that the spirits immediate testimony is alone abundantly sufficient for that purpose ? but besides , those that talk thus , do apparently run in as gross a circle , as that we accuse the papists of . for as they prove the scriptures by their church , and their church by the scriptures ; so these prove the scriptures by this testimony of the holy ghost , but then cannot prove so much as that there is any such person , but by the scriptures . and once more , if there be any truth in this opinion , there is nothing to be done for the conviction of infidels ; for this internal testimony can be an argument to none but those that have it . philal. this i once urged to a certain divine , who stiffly maintained that conceit , and was angry with those that went about to prove the authority of the scriptures the other way ; and he readily replied , that he knew no means to be used for the conviction of unbelievers , but praying for them . theoph. i commend that gentlemans ingenuity in that concession ; but nothing could be said more dishonourable to our excellent religion , or that tends more to expose it to the scorn and contempt of those that bear no good-will to it . philal. but , theophilus , do you think then , that there is no such thing as this inward testimony ? theoph. all i think as to this matter , i will briefly tell you . i say that the external and rational motives of credibility are as sufficient to give unprejudiced persons an undoubted belief of the truth of our religion ; as any rational arguments are to perswade a man of the truth of any thing , he desireth satisfaction concerning : but yet because our grand adversary useth all arts to make it as much suspected as may be , and to shake our faith therein ; and we are moreover in regard of the contrariety of our religion to our carnal and fleshly interests very apt to be strongly prejudiced against it , ( and we are not easily brought fully to believe what we would not have true ) god is ready without all question , to assist our weakness by his grace and spirit , in this as well as other particulars , when humbly sought to : but we have no reason to think that he doth this ordinarily in an immediate manner , but by blessing the use of means , i. e. the consideration of the motives he hath given us to believe : and that he confirms our faith , by giving us to see such strongly-convincing demonstration in those arguments , and by so closely applying the evidence of them to our understandings , as that they come to be even perfectly over-power'd , and against all opposition to have full assent , and such as hath a powerful influence upon our practice , as it were , even forced from them . but if all the external motives will not make one sufficient argument to perswade to assent , how could they render the unbelieving jews inexcusable , as our saviour several times assured them they would ? nay , how then could he marvail ( as we read he did ) at their unbelief ? philal. but they will tell you , that to assent to the truth of the scriptures from the forementioned motives , is no divine faith. theoph. but i dare tell them , that the believing of divine things is a divine faith , let the motives inducing thereunto be what they will ; and that it is no unusual thing for the act to receive its denomination from its object . but with a divine faith in their sense also , we no less than they , believe what is contained in the scriptures true , viz. because god that cannot lye hath reveled it : but that he hath indeed reveled it , the miracles , as was said , whereby this is confirmed , and the goodness of the doctrine , ( to which i may adde also , the completion of prophecies , as being of no less consideration than the miracles ) do assure us . and again , that such miracles as are recorded , were really wrought for the confirmation of the gospel , and likewise that the doctrine contained in our books , is that gospel that was confirmed by them ; we may be convinced by as undeniable arguments , as any matters of fact men have not seen with their own eyes can be proved by ; and so undeniable , that he must needs be a most unreasonable person , that requires better . nay , he must resolve , if he will be consistent with himself , to believe nothing he hath not himself seen . i will adde too , that whoever he be that is dissatisfied as to this matter , he doth undoubtedly believe hundreds of things , and thinks he should be unwise in questioning them , that have not the quarter part of the evidence that this hath ; nay , i may say , not the twentieth part . if they please , philalethes , to call it a humane faith to believe matters of fact upon the account of tradition , i will not contend with them , but tell them plainly , that i like it never a jot the worse for being so ; nor can i understand how any wise man should . but yet take notice too , that such a degree of faith concerning these matters of fact also , as hath a powerful operation upon our lives and souls , is imputed by us , no less than by them , to the grace of god , and his holy spirit ; though not as operating in us in an immediate manner , as i said , ordinarily ; but in making the means effectual ; and i hope they will acknowledge this , in the best of senses , a divine faith . philal. but they say , that onely a moral certainty can result from the evidence that is in the most uninterrupted and universal tradition ; and therefore how closely soever you tell us the spirit of god applieth that evidence , this way of yours tends to make men no better than morally certain of the truth of our religion . theoph. what a fault that is ● our certainty thereof may be perfectly undoubted , as moral as it is . and i fear not to declare , that i do not desire to be more undoubtedly assured that there were such persons as our saviour and his apostles , that they performed such works , and preached such doctrines as we have on record ; and that the books we call canonical , were written by those whose names they bear , than i have cause to be and am that there were such great conquerors as alexander and iulius caesar , which yet lived before our saviour ; or that those which pass for tully's orations were really ( for the substance of them at least ) his , which yet are elder than the gospel : but for all that my certainty of these things can be no more than moral ; yet i do notwithstanding no more doubt of them , than i do of those things that are plainly objected to my senses ; for i do not at all doubt of them ; and i should be laugh'd at as an arrant fool , if i did ; but should i deny them , i should be thought a mad-man by all wise people . and yet let me tell you , that we have from tradition a greater certainty , in some respect , of most of those particulars , than we have of these : for it hath been the interest of many that those should be false , but so hath it not been of any that these should be so . but the greatest enemies of the christian religion have not so much as attempted to disprove those , nay have taken all for granted , except one or two miracles . philal. i have but a moral assurance that there is such a city as rome or venice ; or that there were such persons as queen elizabeth and king iames : yet i should be a brute , did i more question , whether there are such cities , or were such persons , than i do , whether there be such a place as london or bristol , where i have several times been , or whether there are such men as theophilus and philalethes . theoph. to be sure , so you would . well , i wish that those men would shew us a more certain way of conviction concerning this matter of weightiest importance ; and then see whether we would not , with great thanks , leave ours for it . but i fear me , in stead of so doing , should we give up our selves to their conduct , they would most sadly bewilder us ; and in stead of setled and unshaken believers , make mere scepticks of us , or what is worse . philal. there are others , theophilus , that say that the scripture is sufficiently able to convince men of its divine authority , by the witness it can give to it self ; or , to use their own metaphorical expression , by the resplendency of its own light . so that he doth enough in order to his believing it to be gods word , that doth but acquaint himself with the contents thereof ; which i think follows from that opinion . theoph. if these understand what they say , there is no difference betwixt them and us : for the miracles and goodness of the doctrine , we prove the scriptures authority by , we fetch onely out of the scriptures themselves . and therefore , supposing we believe the matters of fact therein written , we say as they do , that we need no argument to prove them divine , but what is therein included . but if their meaning be , ( as by their manner of expressing themselvs one would think it should ) that there is such a light in scripture , as immediately operates upon mens mindes , as proper light doth on the optick nerves , there can be nothing said more inconsiderately . for mens understandings cannot discern the truth of things by immediate intuition , but onely in a discursive manner ; that is , by such reasons and arguments as perswade to assent . and besides , if that be true , not onely what you concluded from thence is so also , viz. that 't is enough , in order to our believing it , to acquaint our selvs with the contents thereof ; but likewise that 't is altogether impossible , that any man should read the scriptures , and not believe them , supposing he be compos mentis , and understands what he reads . but to convince us that this is not so , i fear there are very many sad instances , & have too good ground for my fears . well , philalethes , it is time to have done with the first advantage , that i told you is gotten , by having the reasonableness of the precepts of the gospel demonstrated to us , viz. that it is no small confirmation of our faith in the truth thereof . secondly , another advantage we get hereby is , that by this means we learn the incomparable excellencie of our saviours religion ; not to say above the heathen gods impositions on their worshippers , ( their religion being , for a great part , not onely most ridiculous , but also full of unnatural villainy and filthiness , such as a modest tongue would find it difficult to utter , and chaste ears to hear : witness the rites of cybele , the feasts of bacchus , flora , venus and priapus ; and likewise 't was full of cruelty and bloudy tyranny ) i say , passing by the religion of the heathens , as not worthy to be named on the same day with that of the gospel ; we do by this means understand the incomparable excellencie of our saviours religion , even above that given by god himself to his own people the israelites , under the mosaical dispensation . for , we know , it consisted of almost innumerable injunctions , the reason of which is not at all obvious . we may see our way before us , in obeying gospel-precepts ; they are enjoyned because good , whereas these were good onely because enjoyned . and though we may guess at reasons for gods giving those people such a kinde of religion in the general , yet we can say nothing for most of the particular instances of obedience , but that it was the divine will to make choice of them . they were in themselvs of a perfectly-indifferent nature , and neither good nor evil ; nor had they any thing , i say , that we know of , to commend them , and set them off , but the meer legislators pleasure . now except we understand the vast difference betwixt the law and the gospel ; and how greatly the later , especially in this point of reasonableness , excels the former ; we shall be insensible of that much larger share we have in the goodness of god , than the iews had , and so want a most exciting motive to chearful obedience to him , in the present notices of his will we are under the obligation of . philal. what you say , is too evident to be denied , or so much as disputed : but i pray inform me more particularly , what you mean , when you say that the precepts of the gospel are highly reasonable . theoph. you have less need , philalethes , than most i know , to ask me that question ; but yet because i am gotten into a vein of talking , i will satisfie you , for discourse sake , in that demand . i mean , that they are such , as our reason tells us are highly fitting , and becoming us ; considering what kinde of creatures we are , and the circumstances and relations we stand in , to god , our selvs , and each other . nay , they are so becoming us , that our reason will also assure us , that the contrary are no less unworthy of us . philal. but before you proceed farther , give me leave so far to interrupt you , as to desire a clear description of reason from you . whatever i do , i can scarcely think that the great decryers of it , do distinctly understand what it is . theoph. if they did , i cannot imagine what should incline them to such extravagant and strange prattle , as is heard from them . but to your question : reason is that power , whereby men are enabled to draw clear inferences from evident principles . and therefore when the preachers we are discoursing of , and others , demonstrate the reasonableness of the precepts of the gospel ; they prove that there are those self-evident principles , from whence what the gospel requires may be inferred to be our duty , although god had never declared his minde concerning them . philal. but surely they cannot think , that there are no precepts in the christian religion , but what are such : what say you to those that enjoyn the two sacraments ? theoph. i will , in short , tell you all that , i think , is necessary to be said in this matter , in these two propositions . first , all those things , wherein doth consist the substance of the christian religion , are good , and necessary in themselvs to be done ; and the contrary evil , and necessary in themselvs to be avoided . those are such , as it would be a contradiction to suppose them not our duty ; considering , as was said , what creatures we are , and our several circumstances and relations ; and so would it be to suppose these not disbecoming us , and unworthy of us . our saviour , you know , sums up our whole duty in the love of god , and our neighbour ; the substance of which , ( as is easie to be shewn by enumerating particulars ) is reducible to these two heads ; nay to the former , namely the love of god. and there is no principle we do more naturally assent to , than that he , in whom we live , move , and have our being ; from whom we receive all we enjoy , and expect all that we can hope for of good ; should be beloved by us , nay , and made also the object of our chief love . and an imitation of all gods imitable perfections , is a necessary consequent of such a love of god ; such as his holiness , justice , goodness . hierocles hath told us , that whom a man loves , he will as much as lyeth in him imitate ; and that therefore it is necessary , that there should be not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the knowledge of gods nature and essence ; but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , all possible likeness thereunto . now the imitation of the divine nature , is the whole designe of the christian religion ; ( which st. gregory nyssen makes to be its very definition ) as no one that consideratively reads the books wherein it is contained , can at all doubt . secondly : the other duties of the gospel , which are but few , are imposed as helps to the performance of those forementioned . they are not required for themselvs , but for the sake of the great essentials of religion . and it may be easily made good , that there are none of them of a meerly positive nature , except the two sacraments : which yet are appointed for very great ends and purposes ; and are most excellent helps to the attaining of true holiness , and that wherein the power and life of religion consisteth ; and not onely tryals of obedience . meditation , prayer , reading and hearing gods word , the observation of the lords day , good conference , &c. are in themselvs helps ; and baptism , and the lords supper are so , through the divine ordination . and indeed , to speak properly , they are no less our priviledge than our duty ; as being seals of gods covenant , and pledges to assure us of the divine grace ; for which we are no less obliged to him , than we are for his gracious promises . philal. but what think you of believing in christ jesus for the remission of sins ? could reason ever have prompted this , as mens duty ? theoph. yes , as soon as any thing enjoyned in the gospel , when once it was demonstrated , that him hath god exalted to be our prince and saviour . men would have , of themselvs , concluded faith in him their duty , when they were convinced of that truth , though there had been no precept to make it so . which is so plain , that i shall disparage your intellectuals in using more words to clear it to you . philal. it is indeed so plain , that i am ashamed i ask'd the question . theoph. but if you please , philalethes , i will more particularly , and distinctly , though very briefly , demonstrate that the duties of the gospel are such , as reason ( would we consult it ) would prompt to us . philal. you cannot shew the strength of your own reason upon a nobler subject . theoph. a very small pittance of it , that is , so little as i am master of , is sufficient to enable any one with ease to perform this successfully . now then , as our saviour referreth our whole duty to two heads , viz. the love of god , and our neighbour : so doth the apostle to three ; sobriety , righteousness , and godliness . now for godliness , which contains all our duty immediately relating to god ; all the instances thereof , which the gospel enjoyns , may be learnt by improving but that one natural principle of gods existence ; and that thus . there being a god , he must necessarily be absolutely perfect : he , being absolutely perfect , is to be acknowledged the creator , preserver , benefactor , and governour of the whole world : for it is unreasonable to attribute our creation , preservation , &c. to any besides such a being . and then , god having all perfections in himself , and being so related to us ; this will necessarily follow , that we ought to make him the object of our highest admiration , our greatest love ; we ought to offer up sacrifices of prayer and praises to him , to trust in him , and depend upon him , in all our ways to acknowledge him ; chearfully to do what he commands , patiently to submit to his dispose , &c. and there is no duty immediately relating to god , but is in those included ; setting aside that of doing what he commands ; for that alone takes in our whole duty in reference , not onely to god , but also to our neighbour and our selvs . god being such a one in himself , and to the world , as you heard ; this must be eternally true , that it is the duty of all reasonable creatures , to carry themselvs towards him as was shewn . there is so close a connexion , between those premises , and these conclusions ; that a man cannot believe the one , and ( except he were stark mad ) doubt the other . we cannot more easily apprehend this argument to be necessarily true , viz. this figure is a circle , therefore all its parts are equally distant from the center ; than this , god is our creator , preserver . &c. therefore we ought so as was now said , to behave our selves towards him . nay , we can hardly think of that premiss , but this conclusion will come into our mindes whether we will or no. and then for righteousness , which implieth our duty to our neighbour ; that rule of our saviour , what ye would that men should do to you , that do ye to them ; ( which severus expresseth in negative terms , quod tibi fieri non vis , alt●●● ne feceris ) it is as self-evident 〈◊〉 principle , as any is to be found in morals . and this will teach us to be just , most severely just to every body ; and to be kinde and merciful to those that are in need : now these two include all that the gospel requires in reference to one another . and then for sobriety , that comprehendeth our whole duty to our selvs . the meer principle of self-love will teach a man , that he may not be intemperate in any kinde ; he by this means abusing himself . and the very knowledge of our selvs , and what excellent creatures we are , will convince us that we ought not to set our heart upon , or place our happiness in any earthly thing . therefore , this was one rule , among the several excellent ones in the pythagoraean golden verses ; — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ above all things revere thy self . there is no man but does or may know , that his soul is too noble a creature to glut it self with base corporeal pleasures ; and that his understanding is too sublime a faculty to subject it self to his brutish appetite : and that god , as the philosopher speaks , indued him with that , to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a prince and ruler within him ; and with this , to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a subject and ruled ; to be the servant , not master of his minde . there is no man but feels his soul too big for these terrestrial things , and that they are never able to fill its vast capacities . now what are we enjoyned in the christian religion , as relating to our selvs , but is to be reduced to one of these , nay to this one head of inordinate affection ? and in short , ( for i am sensible that we have protracted our discourse upon this subject to too great a length ) i know no duties enjoyned in the gospel , besides that of faith in christ , and the two sacraments , but may be found , as to the substance of them , at least commended as noble perfections , in some one or other of the heathenish writings ; as may be particularly shewn , but that it will take up too much time . philal. what say you to meek bearing , and putting up affronts ; but especially , to loving malicious enemies , and rendering good for evil ? theoph. both these may be found in them ; if not under the notion of indispensable duties , yet as greatly becoming us , most highly commendable , and significations of a bravely generous and virtuous minde . the instances of the former , are so many , that you cannot be a stranger to them ; nor any that have read but that little book ( that is worn out in school-boys hands ) tully's offices . nay , plato brings in socrates speaking of it , as that to which all men are absolutely obliged . injury , saith he , is to be done by no means , vely by no means , nor may it be repayed to him that doth an injury , as the vulgar think , for that it is to be committed upon no pretence . and what think you of that speech of cato : if an ass kicks me , shall i again kick him ? he thereby intimated , that it was unworthy of him to be revengeful ; at least towards some sort of people . and as to the later , i remember that origen in his eighth book against celsus gives two notable instances of it : the one of lycurgus , and the other of zeno. one being delivered into the hands of lycurgus , that had put out one of his eyes , he was so far from revenging the injury , as very great as it was , that he never left giving him wholsome counsel , till he had made him in love with philosophy . and he brings in zeno making this reply to his enemy , that said , let me perish if i do thee not a mischief ; viz. and let me perish if i do not reconcile thee to me . both these shew sufficiently what those heathens thought of returning good for evil . philal. but have you observed , that the heathens give rules for the regulation of mens thoughts and affections , as well as words and actions ? theoph. why do you ask me that question ? for you very well know that they abound with them , as ignorant as you are pleased to make your self . philal. i was ( i confess ) guilty of great inconsiderateness in putting that question to you . theoph. and you are not to learn that divers of them lead men to good ends in their vertuous actions . and that , placing mans supreme happiness in the enjoyment of god , they teach us to make that our great designe . philal. i have much observed it , and especially in the writings of the platonists . and moreover , that in their moral discourses they tell us that it is our duty to perform good actions out of love to goodness ; and condemn base ends , and particularly some of them even that of applause , and a great name , as much as some others allow of it , and commend it too . but have you found that any of them teach men to act our of love to god , and to make his glory their last end ? theoph. these two you ought not to have distinguished from each other . now though i do not remember the later in any of them , as you word it , yet the former i do . the forementioned hierocles speaking of piety or love to god , hath this saying ▪ with this every thing is pleasing to god , but without this nothing . and he brings in apollo speaking thus , to one that offered an hecatomb to him , but with no pious minde ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thine hundred oxen i less kindly take than poor but pious hermions barley-cake . but i need not trouble you with instances to this purpose ; for there is nothing more plainly agreeable to reason , than that we ought to act principally out of love to god ; our obligations to him being beyond all expression and conception great . any man may see this , that hath not lost all sense of gratitude ; which principle how any should quite extirpate out of their souls , i cannot understand ; it being , i think , not much less deeply rooted there , than that of self-love ; and observable in brutes as well as men . philal. but yet i conceive that to act out of love to god , and out of love to goodness , are much the same . theoph. materially they are ; goodness being the very nature of god. but 't is certain that nothing argueth a man to be so like to god , as doth doing vertuously from this principle of love to goodness . philal. nor do the holy scriptures seem to me , to make any nice distinction between designing the enjoyment of god as our supreme happiness , and making his glory our last end. theoph. no , surely , they do not ; and i wish that no good people were more critical in so doing , than the scriptures are ; by this means would many free themselves from a great deal of needless trouble they are apt to cast themselvs down with . philal. i have sometimes wondered greatly , how heathens should come by such excellent notions , in matters of religion ; but i should now be tempted to account it matter of admiration , should they all have been ignorant of them . theoph. truly , philalethes , i do really think , that it is so far from being difficult to conceive , how those that never law the bible should have such conceptions ; that it would be rather so , how those of them that , through the goodness of god , were emerged out of those gross notions of the deity , into which the generality of mankinde were sunk , and that made use of their intellectuals , and were considerative , should not have them . philal. but doth not what hath been said tend to disparage the gospel , and make it the very same , excepting in two or three precepts , with a meer natural religion ? theoph. i would rather impose an eternal silence upon my tongue , and pluck it out by the roots too , than once utter a syllable to such a mischievous purpose but i am so far from being conscious to my self that what hath been said doth tend to the debasing of the christian religion , that , i know , it highly conduceth to its commendation . but whereas you asked , whether to assert that there are scarcely any duties therein enjoyned , but what mens reason alone , were it well consulted ▪ might suggest so to be , be not to make it a meer natural religion : to that i answer , that you did not consider , that the gospel is not made up altogether of agenda , or things to be done ; whereas these , you know , are but a part of it : there are , besides , relations of matters of fact , and many things to be known , and points of meer belief , which yet have an influence upon practice too : there are abundance of promises as well as precepts ; and stupendious expressions of gods love to mankinde therein declared ; all which we are beholden to revelation alone for the knowledge of . but , in short , i assert these two things concerning the gospel , which do highly tend to the magnifying of it infinitely above any religion that was ever embraced by the sons of men . first , that it containeth all those excellent precepts , that are scattered here and there very thinly among much trash and rubbish in other books , some in one , and some in another ; and moreover , that there is found therein whatsoever may be discovered by reason to be becoming and worthy of mankinde ; which are all there expressed , one where or other , in a most plain and intelligible manner . and were there no more in the gospel than this , we should be infinitely obliged to god for it : in that , what the heathens took pains for , and by the exercise of their discursive faculty were , or might have been acquainted with ; we have laid before our eyes , and the knowledge thereof need cost us no more pains , than reading the scriptures will put us to . lest we should either be too slothful to acquire the knowledge of our whole duty , by drawing inferences from premises , and gathering one thing from another ; or any of us too weak headed to do this successfully ; god hath out of his abundant kindness , assured us thereof from his own mouth ; which we have all great cause to esteem , as a most exceedingly great priviledge . but this is but little in comparison of what is next to be said . secondly , the gospel gives far greater helps to the performance of our duty ; and enforceth its precepts with infinitely stronger , and more perswasive motives and arguments , than were ever before made known . such as the unconceivable love of god in giving his onely begotten son to take the humane nature , and to be an expiatory sacrifice for lost sinners ; his excellent example here among us ; his declarations of free pardon to the vilest of sinners upon their repentance , and faith in his gospel . his proffers of grace to assist us in well-doing , and his readiness to work in us by his spirit an inward living principle of holiness , if we will not resist and quench it ; his promises of the most transcendently-glorious reward in the life to come , to sincere believers , and threatnings of the most dismal punishment to those that shall persist in impenitence and unbelief , &c. philal. you need say no more , than you have done , to make the christian a most incomparable religion : but did you not say too much under the former head , in affirming that therein is contained our whole duty , so as that we need do no more than read the gospel , to come to the knowledge of it ? for there are very many moral cases , wherein men are forced to use their reason to the utmost , and also to call in the assistance of other mens , for the understanding of their duty in them . theoph. surely , philalethes , you could not think me so extremely weak , as to mean by what i said , that the scriptures descend minutely to determine all possible cases in particular ; for this cannot be done in books ; they being infinite , and varying with mens innumerable circumstances . but this was my meaning , that the particular duties men are constantly obliged to , are all plainly there reveled , and in the most express terms : and i adde , that there are also general rules laid down , whereby all emergent cases may be determined , and such as ordinarily occur , at least , for the most part , with the greatest ease . but to go on : to say that there is nothing required but what is most sutable to our rational faculties , tends as much to magnifie gods goodness to us , and to commend the gospel , as any thing that can be said : and should it consist much , of perfectly new precepts , which the world could never before so much as once have dreamt of , or of any thing like to them ; and the reasonableness of which could not be at all , or not without great difficulty apprehended , it would be exceedingly less easie to believe it to be a religion sent from god , than now it is . this also makes it a religion as easie to be practised by mankinde as can be : for all the duties , wherein consisteth the substance of it , must have continued to oblige us , whether they were therein expressed or no. from what hath been said , it is most manifest , that while we continue to be men , they cannot cease to be our duty : and therefore whatsoever other precepts the gospel might have consisted of , they would have been an addition to our burthen . and we may be hereby convinced that gods designe in giving us the gospel is purely our own good , seeing the impositions , wherein ( as i said ) consists the substance of it , are but just so many as obedience to which is absolutely necessary in themselvs considered , much more then to the qualifying of us for the full enjoyment of himself in blessedness ; and the rest are enjoyned onely as helps to enable us to obey them . philal. but do those preachers content themselvs to shew that the duties of the gospel are very reasonable ? i have been informed , that they rise higher in this attempt , and that sometimes they undertake to demonstrate that the points of meer belief , and even the most mysterious too , are so ; and endeavour to level them with mens shallow capacities . theoph. this , philalethes , is partly true , and partly as false : it is in a sense true , that they have proved sometimes that all the points of meer belief are reasonable ; that is , consistent with reason , so that we can have no temptation to dis-believe any , upon the account of their contrariety to the innate and natural notions of our mindes . they ( some of them at least ) endeavour to convince their auditors , that our saviour hath not imposed upon our faculties , in requiring our assent to contradictions ; that he puts not his disciples , as his pretended vicegerent doth his proselytes , upon offering violence to their understandings , in any thing as a matter of faith proposed by him . philal. this is no more , in my opinion , than is necessary for men to know : for though our best reason could never have proved to us divers gospel-truths , had they not been reveled ; yet they being reveled , there is nothing , surely , in them , that rightly understood , sounds so harshly , but that our reason may admit of it , and close with it . but do they not ( as i said i have heard ) go about to bring down all such points to mens capacities ? theoph. that , be you assured , is a notorious calumny ; for they onely say , that the doctrines of the gospel are all such as we may be able to make sence of ; and that there is nothing in them that is opposite to our reason . but they most freely acknowledge , that there are such mysteries , as are so sublime as much to exceed our apprehensions ; and that can by no means be comprehended by the most rational persons . and this acknowledgement , they have well proved , is no disparagement to our saviours religion ; but rather procures to it the greater veneration : there being no wise man but will willingly confess , that there are even in nature innumerable things which he knows to be , but yet is not able to imagine how they are ; and that his very senses do assure him of many such things as no faculty of his can give him a satisfactory account of . philal. i have often thought it to be very fit , that there should be some such points in our religion , as are not comprehensible and adaequate objects of our understandings ; that so , as we are to take occasion from the consideration of those doctrines that god hath made facile , and adapted to our understandings , to admire his gracious condescention ; so from the consideration of those , which we finde surpass our reach , we may no less adore his wisdom . but , theophilus , do those divines ever undertake to demonstrate the consistency of some mysterious points with our reason , as they are by the school-men , and other over - subtile gentlemen made out ? theoph. no , i hope you think them wiser men than to adventure upon a task so desperate . they consider those points as they are delivered in the scriptures ; and not as dressed up with the metaphysical subtilties of wanton wits : who have been so far from doing service to those doctrines , that they have rendered them much more doubtful to many inquisitive persons , and such as are not easily imposed upon , by confident sayings , and great names . philal. but now it comes to my minde , i am confident i have been told by some of their good friends , that they assert more concerning the reasonableness of the speculative doctrines of christianity , than that they are onely not inconsistent with reason ; but moreover , that they are very suitable to its dictates . theoph. i thank you for helping my memory in this , as well as in many other particulars : your information is very true as to many of the weightiest points ; and there is no wise man but will assert the same . for it is well known that the heathens had a notion of them : life and immortality are said to be brought to light by the gospel , i. e. to give mankinde full satisfaction in that article of faith , is the sole prerogative of the gospel ; our saviour having given a sensible demonstration of it , by his own resurrection and ascension ; as well as in the plainest terms preached it . now you need not be told that several of the learned heathens have by arguments drawn from the nature of humane souls made that doctrine highly probable ; and that even the more brutish sort of them had generally , if not universally a sense of a life to come . you know also that the doctrine of a day of judgment they were no strangers to . iustin martyr truly tells the greeks in his oration to them , that not onely the prophets , and other divine persons of the old testament ; but also those that were accounted wise among the heathens , both the poets and philosophers , did acknowledge a judgement to come after death . and their poets tell us of three persons whose office it is to judge men in the other world ; viz. minos , rhadamanthus , and aeacus . and mens being adjudged to rewards and punishments in the other , suitable to their actions in this world , was a doctrine that accompanied that other , and as generally received : nor are you ignorant what excellent discourses divers of the philosophers have of the nature of true happiness . the forementioned iustin saith , that it seemed probable to him , that plato had entertained the doctrine of the resurrection of the body : but i must leave him there , because i finde that he gives an insufficient reason for that conjecture . nay , even the doctrine of the trinity was , as to the substance of it , embraced by the pythagoraeans and platonists . several other instances of this nature may be produced . and there are other particulars i might present you with , of notions the heathens had , resembling several other doctrines reveled in the gospel , which are not less generally known than the forementioned . as they held a doctrine somewhat like that of the divine conception of our saviour : for it was their opinion that divers of their eminent benefactors were born of more than humane race , and that they were ex stirpe deorum ; and accordingly gave divine honour to them . their sacrificing of men for the attoning of their gods , shewed that they believed what is somewhat of kin to the doctrine of satisfaction ; or christs reconciling us to god , by offering himself up as a propitiatory sacrifice . as grotius , among others , hath fully shewn in his book of satisfaction . they had another opinion that beareth resemblance to our saviours mediatorship ; for they held the intercession of daemons ; of which mr mede hath discoursed in his apostacie of the later times ; and i finde that celsus calls our saviour the christians daemon . philal. by these instances it should seem that the heathens did of their own accords give credit to as strange doctrines as any our saviour requires our belief of ; and that several of the strangest of them are so far from sounding like uncouth and absurd ones , that they are rather gratifications of the natural propensions of mankinde . theoph. that the learned dr. more hath well observed in his mystery of godliness . though , no question , the fathers did upon good grounds conclude that the heathens received many notions from the jews , and some from a more ancient tradition ; and therefore we have no cause to judge that all the forementioned were the products of their own reasoning , yet that makes not at all against the assertion that occasioned these instances , but on the contrary clearly proves it . for i did not say that many of the weightiest points of meer belief may be certainly concluded from principles of reason ; or that , without the help of revelation , men might have been acquainted with them ; but that they are suitable to the reason of mens mindes , being reveled ; and several of them very taking too ; which appeareth by the heathens being so tenacious of some , and so readily catching at others upon the first news of them . philal. i give you my heartiest thanks , theophilus , for the full satisfaction you have given me concerning those friends of ours endeavours to perswade men of the reasonableness of christianity . which doth much adde to my esteem of them ; ( though i know many are offended with them upon this account , and by way of contempt call them the rational preachers ) for this subject is most necessary to be handled in this our age especially , wherein atheism and irreligion are , to the grief of all good men , gotten into the principles , as well as practices of very many . and i hope that i shall be better able for the future to vindicate them , than i have been , when i hear them reproached for bringing so much reason into points of faith. i must desire you now to proceed to inform me of other things that are , in their preaching , most worthy of observation . theoph. i think it not amiss , philalethes , to let you understand in the next place , that they affect not b●mbaste words , trifling strains of wit , foolish quibling , and making pretty sport with letters and syllables in their preaching ; but despise those doings as pedantick and unmanly . but on the contrary , they use a style that is very grave , and no less significant . philal. this , undoubtedly , must needs be best pleasing to the more understanding part of our congregations , and to all incomparably most profitable : as much as that pretty toying is cryed up by many , as a most rare accomplishment ; and conciliates to the most dextrous in that knack , the repute of the ablest preachers ; and makes them greatly plausible . theoph. but , certainly , it can do so among none , but very little-soul'd and childish people ; and such as whose judgement in sermons , no wise man will make any account of . i will adde also , that it is their endeavour to make the doctrines of the gospel as easie and intelligible as well they may ; wherein none have been more successful . they are far from those mens untoward genius , that delight to exercise their wits , in finding out mystical and cabalistical sences in the plainest parts of scripture , and in turning every thing almost into allegories . philal. i am greatly apt to fear , that those men are far from being hearty friends of our saviour , and his religion ; and that some , not daring openly to decry the gospel , take this course to undermine it , and to make a meer trifle of it . theoph. they give us great cause for such a suspicion . observe moreover , that those preachers are no less averse to their temper , who , most admiring that which they least understand , and thinking there is very little in that , which is quickly intelligible ; please themselvs exceedingly with making mysteries of the easiest points of faith ; and such mysteries too , as they tell us , no man , though he be master of never so clear a reason , can have an insight into , without the special illumination of the holy ghost . that , because the apostle saith , great is the mystery of godliness , would make every thing so that the gospel hath reveled ; and that so high as was now said : whereas in those words s. paul means no more , than that divers doctrines of the gospel , such as he there enumerates , viz. god manifested in the flesh , justified in the spirit , &c. are so high and admirable , that we cannot dive to the bottom of them , or fully comprehend them , nor could have so much as once thought of them , had they not been from heaven made known : but that being reveled they are still to reason unintelligible , and cannot be sufficiently understood thereby ; he hath asserted no such thing . now of these , as well as of the former , those preachers have , no less than any , discovered the great weakness and vanity ; and when they have occasion , make it plainly appear , that those whose notions of divers articles of faith are so expressed , as that no man , that makes good use of his reason , can tell what to make of them , deserve nothing less than the titles of spiritual preachers , and profound divines , as they are by many accounted ; and that they , in stead of being so , bewray very great ignorance of the gospel . philal. and , without question , they do no small mischief , but render our religion , which you have shewn is so highly reasonable ▪ greatly suspected by many of the warier sort of people . theoph. i remember that erasmus complaineth of the times of the nicene council , that it was then a matter of great wit and cunning to be a christian. and a matter it was most worthy to be complained of : for evident it is , that our saviour never made it so . he hath made christianity , so much , at least , as is necessary to carry men to heaven , so plain , that an honest heart is a sufficient prerequisite to the understanding of it . philal. 't is not to be doubted , but that he hath delivered all those points that are absolutely necessary to be rightly understood , in the plainest and most intelligible manner : and so condescended to the weakest capacities , that they cannot but apprehend his meaning in them , if it be not their own fault . theoph. i count that onely those doctrines , that contain the terms of mans salvation , are of absolute necessity to be by all rightly understood ; and that all such are delivered with that perspicuity and clearness , that nothing but mens shutting their eyes against the light can keep them from discerning their true meaning . philal. s. austin hath a good saying to this purpose , in his book of christian doctrine , viz. that all those things that contain faith and manners of life , are found among those doctrines that are plainly laid down in scripture . theoph. this is so true , that celsus is brought in by origen , in his sixth book , finding great fault with the scriptures upon the account of their plainness , and great simplicity : to whom he returneth this answer ; that iesus and his apostles made use of such a style , as was best suited to the vulgar sort ; and that plato and other of their philosophers were greatly to blame , for expressing themselves in so lofty a manner as they did ; for that , by this means , none could make use of them but learned men . and i remember that , in his seventh book , he tells celsus , that plato and the other wise greeks were like to physicians that took care of persons of the better rank , but neglected ordinary plebeians , and the meaner sort ; whereas the prophets , and disciples of iesus , did no less carefully apply themselvs to the good of simple , than of wise people . philal. surely christ will never condemn men at the last day , for not believing those things they could not by any means understand to be reveled : and it is matter of admiration to me , that any should judge the gospel to be obscure in matters necessary ; when the apostle accounted it so sad a judgement not to understand it : for , saith he , if our gospel be hid , it is hid to them that are lost . theoph. and in the words following he saith , that those that understand it not , have their eyes blinded by the god of this world . isaiah , prophesying of the gospel , and expressing it by the metaphor of a way , saith that it is so plain , that wayfaring men , though fools , shall not erre therein . 't is true indeed , it is so deep a sea , as s. hierome saith , that the elephant may swim there : there is that , and much of that too , that putteth the strongest brains , and most searching wits , hard to it : but ( as the same father addes ) 't is so shallow a brook also , that is , as to all things necessary to salvation , that the lamb may wade in it . so that all those , philalethes , that affect to make such truths as subtil and mysterious as they can , do what lyeth in them to cross and make ineffectual the designe that our saviour and his apostles had in the delivery of them ; and these , and all other preachers that , like them , do condemn such doings , do no less advance it . and i will adde , that those that affect to make any points as obscure as they can , whether they are necessary or not , are too injurious to the christian religion . and , by what hath been said , i am likewise put in minde to tell you , that these persons look upon no preaching as truly powerful , but that which worketh upon the affections by first conquering the judgement ; and convinceth men of their duty by solid reasons and arguments , and excites them thereunto by perswasive motives : they esteeming that which affects people so , as they can give no account why it should , to be so far from powerful , that it doth not deserve to be called preaching . now upon these accounts , as well as those forementioned , do many inconsiderate people despise them , as men of dry reason , and void of gods spirit : as if to be a spiritual preacher , were to be an irrational one ; and none were capable of divine illuminations , but such as have bid adieu to the guidance of their intellectuals . which is as much as to say , that we must cease to be men , and be metamorphos'd into brutes , before we can hope to become christians . philal. what confused and gross thoughts have such people in the matters of religion ! as not to be able to distinguish between that which is truly carnal ( which they talk so much against ) and spiritual reason ; and not to understand that the former is that onely which is governed by fleshly and corrupt affections , and the later that which is submitted to , and directed by our saviours gospel , and designeth nothing so much as promoting the ends of it . theoph. there are a few things more , philalethes , i would advertise you of , concerning the preaching of these our friends ; namely , that they are very careful so to handle the doctrine of justifying faith , as not onely to make obedience to follow it , but likewise to include a hearty willingness to submit to all christs precepts in the nature of it . and to shew the falsity and defectiveness of some descriptions of faith , that have had too general an entertainment , and still have . this they look upon themselvs as greatly obliged to do , as being well aware , of what dangerous consequence some received notions of that grace are ; and that not a few that have imbibed them , have so well understood their true and natural inferences , as to be thereby encouraged to let the reins loose to all ungodliness . they also so state the doctrine of imputed , as to shew the absolute necessity of inhaerent righteousness , and that in a more intelligible way , and less lyable to misconstruction , than hath ordinarily been heretofore done . as also the doctrine of gods grace , so as to reconcile it with , and shew the indispensableness of mens endeavours : and ( as the apostle doth ) they make gods readiness to work in us to will , by his preventing grace , and to do , by his assisting , a motive to work out our own salvation . and i have heard several of them do this , in a more satisfactory and clear manner , than most , with whose preaching i have been acquainted : wherein , as in the foregoing instances , they have done , in my opinion , very worthy service . but some hot-headed men , from thence also , take occasion greatly to vilifie them , & represent them as men popishly affected , and holding justification by works : as persons utterly unacquainted with the great mystery of believing : as those that make void the righteousness of faith , by establishing moral righteousness : and that set themselvs to cry up the power of nature , and to perswade their hearers , that they are able to convert themselvs , without being beholden to the divine grace . in all which , it is easie to shew that they have performed the parts of most notorious calumniators ; and shewed themselves , if not too malicious ( which i would not think ) yet extremely weak . philal. you say that they are accused as men that make void the righteousness of faith , by establishing moral righteousness : i am thereby put in minde , that they have another name given them besides the long one , and that of rational preachers ; namely , moral preachers . theoph. then have you heard them so called ? philal. yes , of late frequently . theoph. and do you think that an opprobrious name , philalethes ? philal. no , i assure you , not i ; but i perceive they do that use it . theoph. i ever esteemed morality as that which no ture christian can have a slight opinion of ; and therefore thought it could never be judged a crime to preach it . philal. but by moral preachers they mean such as are meerly so . theoph. if by moral righteousness they understand a barely external conformity to , or customary observance of the laws of righteousness , they most shamefully belye these divines , in saying that they preach no other righteousness : but if they mean thereby , the whole duty of man , to god , his neighbour , and himself ; which these preachers insist upon , as much as any whatsoever , by the names of true holiness , the divine life of vertue , the righteousness which is of god by faith in christ iesus ; which he taught in his own person , and by his apostles , and , upon our using the means , works in us by his spirit ; or inward rectitude and integrity ; and doing all the good we can from the best and most divine principles ; or , ( as one of them expresseth it ) that divine and heavenly life whose root is faith in god and our saviour christ ; and the branches or parts of it are humility , purity , and charity : i say , if they upon the account of their preaching up such a righteousness alone as this , call them in contempt moral preachers , they expose onely themselvs to contempt by so doing . philal. those men will tell you , that evangelical righteousness is as well to be insisted on as moral , nay and more than moral too , by persons that would be accounted gospel-preachers . theoph. truly , philalethes , i am so very dull , as not to be able to make any distinction between these two , as i have now described the later righteousness ; but think evangelical to be such a moral righteousness , and such a moral evangelical . philal. but you know , that they make a difference between them . theoph. it is strange they should ; understanding moral righteousness for that which consisteth in the regulation of both the outward and inward man , according to the unchangeable laws of righteousness ; ( which i must confess may be properly called moral righteousness , and is so in the most proper sence too ) for i am as certain , as that the gospel is true , that its onely ultimate designe upon us , is to work in us that righteousness . let any man but consider the precepts of it , and he shall finde , i 'll warrant him , that they are all designed ( either mediately or immediately ) to make men in that sence morally righteous . and i fear not to say , that i am verily perswaded , that if this were not the end of the christian religion , it would not be worthy of the son of god. let any one read our saviours sermon upon the mount , and then tell me whether he doth not think , that if he were now upon the earth , these men would not call him a moral preacher . he must have a strangely piercing eye of his own , that can therein discern any other , than such moral discourses . what doth the apostle s. paul tell us , the grace of god that brings salvation teacheth us ? is it not , that denying ungodliness , and all worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously and godlily ? and if these gentlemen suppose , that living godlily implieth something that is not so moral , ( for i know they will not say so concerning living soberly and righteously ) they will finde themselvs very hard put to it to make it out . for all godliness , our saviour ( as hath been said ) referreth to the love of god ; and it would be strange if that should not be a moral vertue . what did s. peter mean , when ( speaking of our saviour ) he saith , that his own self bare our sins in his own body , on the tree ; that we , being dead to sin , might live to righteousness ? what righteousness should that be , which he doth there oppose to sin , if not such a one as is in the number of morals ? and yet the apostle tells us , that our living to this was the designe of the death of christ. this also is the end of the promises , as well as precepts of the gospel ; as the same s. peter assureth us . he hath given us , saith he , exceeding great and precious promises ; for what end ? is it that we should be swollen with high conceits of gods special love to us , and of our being the favourites and darlings of heaven ? nothing less : but it followeth , that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature , having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust . and what do those men think it is to escape the corruption of the world , if not , to be truly virtuous , and , in the best sence , morally righteous ? nay , what can they imagine it is to partake of the divine , or a divine nature , if not this ? can any thing be understood thereby , but participating of the divine moral perfections , such as justice , mercy , purity ? i hope they will not say that an imitation of god in power , knowledge , and his other physical perfections is there intended . this st. paul also ( as much as those people count him their great friend , and quote him more than any other apostle ) makes to be the designe of the promises . having these promises ( saith he ) dearly beloved , let us cleanse our selvs from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , ( all sensuality , malice and pride ) perfecting holiness in the fear of the lord. nay , i may adde , that there is not a doctrine , ( as meerly speculative as divers may seem to be at first sight ) but it hath a tendencie to the promoting of this moral righteousness : but that will be too long a task to perform now . and , indeed , i may spare my pains to do this at any other time ; for it will not be long , before the world will see a discourse upon this subject from a very worthy person , if god spare him life and health . but enough of this : i am ashamed to adde more in so plain a case ; and think , indeed , that i have said too much . philal. what you have said is as clear as the sun at noon-day : and for my part i must confess , that i know no righteousness , that deserves that name , but what is , in your sence , truly moral . and a righteousness in no sence so , seems to my understanding a most perfect contradiction . and therefore i much wonder what should incline those people to inveigh against preaching up altogether such a righteousness as this is . they must therefore mean , surely , something else by it , than such a one as you have described . do they not ( think you ) mean , however they express themselvs , a perfect unsinning righteousness ; or the other extreme , a meer partial and external one ? theoph. i had a thousand times rather charge them with an errour of vnderstanding onely , than of will ; and therefore i should be loath to think that they mean either of those , because i cannot then excuse them from the guilt of notorious lying ; for they have not the least shadow of pretence for accusing those preachers of at all preaching up the former righteousness ; which they as little doubt as any , that no man in this lapsed state can attain to ; and as to the later , none more frequently shew the defectiveness and insufficiencie of it . but i perceive that i am acquainted with those mens principles better than you are ; and therefore can , i presume , tell you , why they are so angry with those that understand the gospel better than themselvs , for preaching up onely this truly moral or real righteousness : namely , because they hear no talks from their pulpits of an imputative righteousness . philal. you startle me now , theophilus ; i pray do those preachers deny imputed righteousness ? i thought them as orthodox in that , as in any other point . theoph. they don't use the phrase , at least not often ; and anon i will tell you why ; but they believe the thing , and preach it too , in that sence , that i dare say you do . philal. in what sence ? theoph. do you not remember , that i told you a while since , that they so handle the doctrine of imputed , as to shew the necessity of inhaerent righteousness ? philal. yes very well . theoph. this , then , is their notion of christs imputed righteousness : that those which are sincerely righteous , and from an inward living principle allow themselvs in no known sin , nor in the neglect of any known duty , which is to be truly evangelically righteous , shall be dealt with and rewarded , in and through christ , as if they were perfectly , and in a strict legal sence so . philal. i my self would have given no other account of imputed righteousness . theoph. you see , i had a good guess of you : for i presumed that such a man , as i take you to be , could entertain no other notion of it ; for i am confident that this is the onely true one . philal. but are there any that will not be satisfied with this account ? i must confess , it is so long since that i read any thing of the quarrelsom mens divinity , that i have forgotten both in this , and some other particulars , what they say . theoph. but have you not had occasion of late to discourse with any of them ? philal. no , not about matters of religion . theoph. if you had , i believe you would not have asked me , whether there are any , that have any other notion of imputed righteousness , than that which you now heard . philal. inform me , i pray , what is their opinion of it . theoph. that i will do truly ; and it is this : that christs righteousness or inherent holiness is as completely made theirs , as if they themselves were completely and perfectly righteous : and that upon no other condition or qualification wrought in them , but onely believing ; whereby too many of them mean strongly fancying this righteousness to be theirs . philal. i do now remember that i have read such doctrine as this in my younger days : but i need no argument to convince me that it is grosly false . for there are these two palpable mistakes in it . first , that christs righteousness is properly made ours . i am confident , that there is no scripture that tells us so . all that we finde asserted in the gospel , as to this matter , is this ; that real benefits and advantages , which are likewise exceedingly great & excellent , do by the righteousness of christ accrue to us ; and those no less great and excellent , than if that righteousness were in the most proper sence ours . secondly , the other mistake is , that this righteousness is made ours , upon no other terms , than that of believing it is so . this is not onely a false , but also a most dangerous opinion . theoph. you have not , i suppose , forgotten that i informed you that those they call the moral preachers are careful to shew the falsity and defectiveness of some definitions of faith , of dangerous consequence ; and this is one of the false ones ; namely , that it is a taking hold of christs righteousness ; or a believing that it is made over to us . which is the same , as i said , with strongly fancying it to be ours . philal. you said that they are despised , as men unacquainted with the great mystery of believing ; this is a mysterious faith indeed . theoph. it is so ; for i count nothing so mysterious , and hard to be understood , as the thing called nonsence ; which i am sure this definition is , according to their sence of it , that will not admit of any other , but one worded after that manner : for they understand christs righteousness , in the most proper sence , and not for the advantages redounding to believers by it . i speak of those that are truly antinomians . phil. but why do not those friends of ours use at all , or but seldom , the phrase imputed righteousness ? theoph. what need they , so long as they preach the doctrine ? i mean , all that is true of it . but to say the truth , those mens very untoward notion , hath so leavened the heads of the vulgar , that they can scarcely hear of christs imputed righteousness , but they are ready to make an ill use of it , by taking from thence an occasion to entertain low and disparaging thoughts of an inward real righteousness . i have too good reason to suspect this . so that , to deal freely with you , i think it would be well if it were never used , except when there is an opportunity of also explaining it . philal. what you say is considerable ; but is it not a scripture-phrase ? and i have heard you say , that you could wish that points of faith were used to be expressed , as they are in scripture . theoph. it would ordinarily be to very good purpose if they were ; and therefore these divines preaching the doctrine of remission of sins through the bloud of christ , do preach all that is true of the doctrine of christs imputed righteousness , in scripture-language . for , as a learned divine saith , if you prescind it from remission of sins through the sacrifice of christ on the cross , this phrase of imputative righteousness hath no signification at all ; and that therefore there is no damage done to our religion , if it be not accounted a distinct article from the remission of sins in the bloud of christ. for it cannot afford any true and useful sence distinct therefrom ; nay i may say , any that is not very mischievous and dangerous , and such as tends to that loathsome and pestilential errour of antinomianism . thus far he . but take notice moreover , that this expression , christs imputed righteousness , or the imputation of christs righteousness , is not to be found in all the bible . nor in any of the places where we finde the word imputed relating to righteousness , is the righteousness of christ at all to be understood ; but onely an effectual faith which is the very same with inherent righteousness , which , as i said , is that moral righteousness onely , that those preachers may be justly charged with altogether insisting upon . phil. i wish we had time , before we go farther , to consider those places . theoph. there are but two chapters in all the new testament , where we finde the word imputed mentioned as relating to righteousness . one is the fourth to the romans , and the other the second of s. iames. in the fourth to the romans we have it four or five times ; and it is most evident , that there still it is to be interpreted as i said . for the apostles defigne in that chapter is to prove against the jews , that the observance of the mosaical rites , whereof circumcision was the chief , is not necessary to mens justification or acceptance with god ; and this he proves by the instance of abraham , who was accepted , and also very high in the divine favour , even while he was in uncircumcision . now in several verses , his faith ( which we know was not idle , but very operative ) is said to be imputed unto him for righteousness in his uncircumcised estate ; i. e. it was of the same account with god , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it was reckoned , ( as in two verses it is there translated ) or it was valued by god , at as high a rate , as if it were complete righteousness . and in like manner the apostle assureth the romans two or three several times , that all that believe in christ , ( whereby we are to understand such a faith as abrahams was ) their faith shall also be imputed for righteousness to them , ( without the addition of the works of the law ) as his was to him . and then we have the phrase again , iames . . but there is onely a repetition of the same that s. paul had said concerning abraham , viz. that he believed god , and it was imputed to him for righteousness ; which is a quotation out of genesis . . now this place of s. iames will farther explicate that of s. paul. s. iames saith , vers . . that abraham was justified by works , that is , ( as appears by the next verse ) an obediential faith , or faith expressing and exerting it self by good works . and then it followeth , abraham believed god , and it was imputed to him for righteousness . nothing can be plainer , than that this is the apostle's meaning : this working faith of abraham , was accounted or accepted by god for righteousness . for as it was the designe of s. paul , in the forementioned chapter , to prove against the jews , or judaizing christians , that justification was to be had without the meer external works of the mosaical dispensation ; and that these could have no influence into it : so is it s. iames's , in this chapter , to prove , it is like against the gnosticks , who were ranting antinomians , the absolute necessity of new obedience , in order to mens being received into gods favour ; and that justifying faith must be productive of good works . now as s. paul proved what he designed , by shewing that abraham was justified by faith without the works of the law ; so s. iames proveth his designe by shewing , that the faith abraham was justified by was such as discovered it self by obedience to gods commands ; and instanceth in the highest act of obedience too , viz. his offering isaac upon the altar . philal. all this is as clear as can be . but , theophilus , is that place of s. paul , philippians . . to be understood of inherent righteousness ? where he saith , that he chiefly desires to be found in christ , not having his own righteousness which is of the law , but that which is through the faith of christ , the righteousness which is of god by faith . theoph. there can be no other there intended by this later righteousness . for we learn by the preceding verses , that by his own righteousness which is of the law , he meant that which consisted in the observance of the jewish law ; which he calleth his own , as being that which before his conversion he gloried in , or rather , as being that which he could obtain by his own natural power , it consisting of meerly external performances . and it is as evident by the verse following , that by the righteousness which is of god by faith , which he opposeth to his own , and that which is of the law , he means the righteousness of the new creature , wrought in him by gods holy spirit ; and is an effect or fruit of believing christs gospel : for see how he goes on : that i may know him , and the power of his resurrection , and the fellowship of his sufferings , being made conformable unto his death . i. e. that i may experimentally know him , and the power of his resurrection , in raising me up to newness of life ; and of his death , in killing and mortifying all my corrupt affections . well , philalethes , considering what hath been said , is it not matter of wonder , that any but arrant hypocrites should desire to have more told them , than that god is so pleased with the active and passive obedience of his son jesus , as that for his sake he will reward those , that accept of him for their lord and saviour , though they are very weak and imperfect , as if they were altogether spotless and sinless persons ? and is it not every jot as high a favour , and as great an expression of the divine grace , to be dealt with as if we were perfectly righteous , as to be so judged and esteemed ? philal. i should think him as blinde as a beetle that doth not see it is . but though i said , the antinomian notion of imputed righteousness is of dangerous consequence ; yet now i remember me , the defenders thereof have a way to evade it ; for they say , that though a real inward righteousness is no qualification required to this imputation of christs righteousness , and so to our justification ; yet it will follow of it self , by way of gratitude , and therefore will be found in men , before their salvation . theoph. i will answer you to this , in the words of an excellent doctor : this is like to prove but a slippery hold , when it is believed that gratitude it self , as well as all other graces , is in them already by imputation . what reply they can make hereunto , i am not able to imagine . philal. i am not like to help you . to say the truth , it is a most sottish and mischievous doctrine ; and must needs do a world of hurt among people that are glad of any pretence for their carnality and disobedience . theoph. i know too many that make use of it to patronize their ungodly practices ; and no question , it is the grand support of most , if not of all hypocrites . a very worthy person , preaching some time since , upon the words of zacheus , the necessity of restitution , where there is ability , in case of fraud ; one of his auditors was heard to say , as he was going out of the church , if the doctrine now taught us be true , how are we beholden to iesus christ ? and multitudes , i fear , of our meerly imputatively-righteous men think what that gentleman had the face to speak . philal. you may well fear it ; for there is no consequence more natural from any doctrine , than is this from those mens , viz. that real righteousness , or inherent holiness , is a needless thing in order to eternal happiness . theoph. the light at noon-day is not clearer , than is that inference : for if a person may have in his unregenerate or sinful state christs righteousness made his , and so be esteemed by god as perfectly righteous ; what should hinder but that in the same state , he may be admitted to enjoy the reward of a righteous man ? if an ungodly man may be justified , and declared righteous , why may he not also be saved and made happie ? philal. but they will tell you , that it is expresly asserted by s. paul , that god justifieth the ungodly . theoph. i cannot conceive why it may not be admitted , that the word that signifieth to justifie , is in divers places to be understood for making really just , or sanctifying : for because it is sometimes to be taken in a forensick sence , it doth not therefore follow that it must always be so . but i will willingly grant , that it is to be so understood here , if that by the ungodly may be meant those that were once so ; that is , before , not at the same time when they were justified . for to say that god can pronounce a person just & righteous , that is unjust and unrighteous , is the greatest contradiction imaginable to his own justice , his own righteousness . this makes him to pronounce a perfectly false sentence , and to do that which prov. . . he himself had declared an abomination . nor can we entertain a more unworthy thought of the holy god , than to conceive , that he hath no greater antipathy against sin , than to make him , that alloweth and liveth in it , an object of his complacential love . philal. but , theophilus , to say the truth , i have observed that those men make such a thing of sin , as that it may become god well enough to reconcile himself thereunto , as well as to him that lives in it . for they make it a meer indifferent thing in it self , and to depend onely upon arbitrary laws , the evil of which is founded upon the alone will of god ; as you gave me an intimation at our entrance on this discourse . which account of sin doth plainly , as you said , undermine all religion ; and therefore the antinomian opinion of imputed righteousness , as absurd , and of as wretched consequence as it is , may , if that be so , very well be true . theoph. it may with as great shew of reason be questioned whether god be essentially good , as whether sin be intrinsecally evil : and i admire , what those men have done to themselvs to enable them once to doubt the later , more than the former . philal. i hope they will call it blasphemy to deny gods essential goodness ; yet in acknowledging no vertue or vice independent upon all will , they dwindle it away to a perfect nothing . theoph. i have not a more undoubted assurance of mine own being , than of the truth of what you say . well , philalethes , those whose stomacks can digest such filthy stuff , ( and such as i can shew you even heathens did nauseate ) need not stick at swallowing the phancie of imputed righteousness in that gross sence , as absurd and dangerous as it is : but we that know how contrary sin is to the nature , as well as the will of god , cannot question , that no man that is in love with it can , by vertue of anothers righteousness , be esteemed or dealt with by god as righteous . philal. when i can once see a diseased or lame man made well and sound , by anothers imputed health and soundness , i may imagine a wicked man made righteous , by the imputation of anothers righteousness ; but before i cannot ; as well knowing that wickedness is as really a moral , as sickness or lameness is a natural evil . theoph. if you don't fancie it till then , to be sure you never will. philal. they are both alike contradictions . but , i pray , theophilus , now i think on 't , how can those that hug , and are so fond of this ill-favoured notion , have any opinion of christs expiatory sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins ; for how can there be any sin to be pardoned , where a perfect and most complete righteousness is imputed ? theoph. that question is put by the last mentioned doctor ; but i believe he will wait long enough for a satisfactory answer to it . philal. is it possible , think you , that there should be any good men of this perswasion ? theoph. as apt as i am to censure and condemn some doctrines , i would be as backward to pass sentence on the persons of those that hold them . and i must tell you , i verily hope that there are pious men of that opinion we are now perstringing ; but know too , that those of them that are so , are so weak as not to understand the true consequences of their doctrine ; and so honest , as , at first hearing , to abhor them : and were led to like well of it , not out of a designe to gratifie any base lust ; but because it seemed to them , to have a shew of humility and self-denial , and to advance gods grace . philal. as charitable as you are towards them , i fear that they ( if not those also that are too neer of kin to them ) had they heard your past discourse , would pronounce you an heretick . theoph. and what if they should ? i should pitie them as weak , but not condemn them as wicked for so doing . the excellent melancthon was called a worse name by luther ; and the worst hurt i wish them is , that i could upon as good grounds return that answer to them , that he did to him : which was to this effect ; though luther calls me devil , yet i will call luther a most pious servant of iesus christ. besides , we need not now-a-days look upon our selvs as having any great injury done to us by being called hereticks ; that name being grown ( as you know who speaks ) a meer theological scare-crow : and moreover , there is no man but is so reputed , if not so called , by some or other . but yet , mistake me not so , as if i thought that to be really a heretick , and in a scripture-sence , were a trivial and light matter : for i am far from so thinking ; being well aware , that the apostle reckons heresies with adulteries , lasciviousness , idolatry , witchcrafts , hatred , seditions , and other fruits of the flesh , which will undoubtedly exclude men out of gods kingdom . philal. you intimated that there is more than one definition of justifying faith , which those they call the moral preachers concern themselvs to bring their hearers out of conceit with . theoph. there is another , that they judge as defective , as that we have given our sence of is false ; which is this : that it is a recumbence or resting on christ for salvation . there are those which i cannot but think are very good men , that will by no means endure that any more should be admitted into its definition . now these men , i acknowledge , make inherent holiness otherwise necessary , than as that which must needs follow , by way of gratitude , upon a sense of their being in a justified state : for they make it , a necessary qualification to salvation , though not to iustification . but herein they also fall into the antinomian errour ; that they , or at least their doctrine supposeth a man capable of gods favour so far as to have his sins pardoned , before he is purged from them , i mean freed from their reigning power . philal. these differ from the other men , as i suppose , in this also , that they do not make justification to be from eternity , as they do . theoph. you say well ; they do not approve of that mad phancie , but make justification to follow upon believing : but then , that believing they judge necessary to justification , they make such a scanty thing as i now said ; and will not hear of making receiving christ as lord , or being willing to obey his precepts , a prerequisite to the obtaining of that priviledge . and so their doctrine is too plainly liable to the ill consequences of the other mens . philal. do they not onely say , that good works are not necessary to justification ? theoph. no , that i am sure they do not : for , as i told you , they will not admit so much as a willingness to perform them into the definition of justifying faith : and besides , they assert that good works are not always necessary to salvation it self neither ; as when a person is converted at the point of death . wherein they say truly , if any are ; which can be known to none but god onely . but then observe moreover , that these persons will not have their faith a condition of justification , but an instrument . philal. but why are they so shie of that phrase , and so fond of this ? theoph. their pretence is , that to make any condition of justification , is to derogate from the freeness of gods grace therein . but to that we shall have occasion to speak anon . philal. our salvation , as well as justification , is ascribed to gods grace ; but sure they will grant that that hath conditions . theoph. conditions must take from the freeness of the one , as well as of the other ; but therefore , they being aware of it , will not call what is necessary to salvation proper conditions , but rather qualifications ; men having , they say , no hand in them , but are the meer effects of the holy ghost . philal. will they not grant then , that the covenant of grace is conditional ? if it be not , it is , sure enough , no covenant : for i understand not what a covenant means , and how it is distinguishable from a meer or absolute promise , if it be not conditional . theoph. no more can any mortal . therefore they talk strangely in the clouds as to this matter ; so that i confess , i can by no means understand them ; i wish they understand themselvs . for because there are so many promises in the gospel that run as conditionally as words can express them they are shie of saying , with the antinomians , that the covenant of grace is not conditional ; but then they tell us that all the priviledges therein contained shall be absolutely bestowed on those that they are promised to ; and so , in my weak judgement , they plainly deny all conditionality therein notwithstanding . and they think themselvs warranted thus to express themselvs , by ieremiah . . and the quotation of that place , hebrews . . but to these places we will speak anon . philal. well , i perceive , these also are obscurers of plain , and i had almost said too , spoilers of good divinity , as well as the other men : for the consequences of their doctrine , will , i fear , be found to have too untoward an influence upon the practice of too many that understand them ; though they do not shew themselvs quite so soon , as those that follow from the former doctrine . theoph. i wish they could as easily discern consequences , as i see you do : for my charity leads me to believe that very many of them have so much unkindness for them ; as that they would then for their sakes bid adieu to the beloved premisses . but , philalethes , there are other more moderate and wise persons , and many of them men of excellent worth , who being sensible how greatly protestants have exposed themselvs to the papists lash , by that doctrine make receiving of christ as both lord and saviour to be justifying faith. ( which i acknowledge to be a very true and full definition . ) but yet they say , that though this alone is the faith that justifieth , yet as it justifieth , it receives christ as saviour onely ; or consists in relying on his merits . philal. but is not this marveilous subtile ? theoph. truly it seems so to me ; and i believe , at least , to all vulgar capacities . philal. but why will they not admit , that receiving christ quâ lord , as well as qua saviour , justifieth ? theoph. because they say justification is often denied to works , and onely ascribed to faith . but they apprehend not a difference between these two , otherwise than by making faith , relying on christs merits ; and works , yeelding obedience to his precepts . but , therefore , that they may reconcile justification by faith alone , with taking obedience ( or a willingness to obey ) into justifying faith , ( which they are convinc'd they must do , or they shall make mad work on 't ) that is , that they may make s. iames not to contradict s. paul , they say that justifying faith must be a working obediential faith ; yet as it justifieth must be considered as distinct from obedience . but because it is replied , that to rely upon christs merits , is an act of obedience , or a work ; they answer , that though it be , yet it doth not justifie as it is a work ; and therefore with the other men , they will not have it called a condition of justification , but the instrument . philal. but don't you think that this elaborate acuteness might be well spared , by understanding works when they are undervalued comparatively to grace and faith , as quite distinct things from sincere obedience to the gospel of christ ? theoph. i am verily perswaded it may ; and that the way , in which those that are called the moral preachers go , as to this point , will be made as clear as our hearts can wish , by so understanding them . philal. i desire you to give me as full an account , as briefly you can , how they deliver this doctrine of faith , in reference to justification . theoph. justifying faith ( because they would express themselvs as plainly as may be , in a matter of most weighty importance ) they describe much after this manner : that it is so full a perswasion , that christ iesus is the saviour of mankinde , and that his gospel is true , as causeth a hearty and sincere willingness to yeild obedience to all his precepts ; or to take that course , which he hath prescribed in order to salvation . philal. this is plain enough : and i should think , not capable of being misunderstood . theoph. though i cannot say that i speak the words of any of them ; yet sure i am , that those i have heard them use , in defining justifying faith , are as easily intelligible as these are , and have the same sence . philal. i have heard you heretofore say , that when you were a youth , you was taught this definition , viz. iustifying faith is a grace of the holy spirit , whereby a man , being convinced of his sin , and miserable estate in regard of it , and an all-sufficiencie in christ to save from both , receives him as he is tendered in the gospel , or according to his three offices of prophet , priest , and king. what fault can be found with the wording of this ? theoph. none at all ; not is a better definition of faith desirable : i was taught this , when other kinde of definitions of that grace were all the mode , by a most judicious , as well as pious divine : ( i cannot forbear to call him so , though he is of all men most nearly related to me ) & to him i shall ever acknowledge my self obliged , for first rightly instructing me in this point , and antidoting me against the forementioned false notions concerning it , with divers others that were highly by very many cryed up in those , as well as in these wilde days . philal. you are not less beholden to that reverend and worthy person , upon those accounts , than you are for your very being . but , i pray , do the preachers you have undertaken to represent , not onely say that justifying faith includes obedience , but also , that it justifieth as it doth so ? theoph. yes , philalethes , that they do . for they do not think that the scriptures make any difference between the two forementioned acts of faith , as to the influence it hath upon justification ; and that not without cause . s. paul tells us , gal. . . that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing ; ( he means especially as to justification , as appears by vers . ) but faith that worketh by love ; which takes in the whole of obedience ; and there he stops . the apostle troubleth not himself to give any caution to the galatians , that they should not understand him as if his meaning was any more than this , that justifying faith worketh by love ; or as if he had said , that faith justifieth as it worketh by love . philal. there comes into my minde an argument , that seems to me demonstrative , that there is to be made no distinction between those acts of faith in justifying : namely , the scriptures assure us , that our saviours death was intended not onely to deliver us from wrath , but from sin too ; and it is plain that this later was its immediate end ; deliverance from wrath being a consequent of deliverance from sin : and therefore faith in christs bloud must needs justifie as it designs obtaining this , as well as that . theoph. your argument will rather prove more than that for which you bring it , viz. that if those acts of faith be at all to be distinguished in the business of justification , the greater stress is to be laid on that , which complieth with the principal end of our saviours death . and so , if we must be making comparisons , faith justifieth as it receives christ quâ lord , rather than quâ priest or saviour . but however , i am not for any comparisons , they being perfectly needless , and nothing gotten by them . philal. that act of receiving christ as lord , is to go before that of receiving him as priest : for we may not rely upon him for salvation , till we are willing to yeeld obedience to him . theoph. 't is most true ; we have not any ground at all so to do : we must be willing to be to our power universally obedient , before we take that confidence . philal. before you go farther , i pray tell me what distinction you would make betwixt faith and repentance , and the other graces also , if its nature be extended so far as to imply obedience . theoph. the scriptures are seldom so curious , when they speak of faith , or repentance , or the love , or fear , or knowledge of god , &c. as to understand them in so restrained a sence , as to abstract them from other vertues : but sometimes they express all by one . we finde in multitudes of places some one of the principal vertues put to express the whole of practical religion ; as each of those last mentioned ; of which i need not give you instances . and whereas faith and repentance are sometimes distinguished , it is onely because believing the gospel implieth more than bare repentance in its strict notion . irenaeus therefore gives this honest description of faith in christ : credere ei est facere ejus voluntatem : to believe in christ is to do his will. moreover , we shall finde that justification , and remission of sins , ( for the scripture makes no difference betwixt those two ) is sometimes ascribed to other vertues , as well as to faith : but then they are understood either in so general a sence , as to include faith , or as supposing it . for instance , acts . . 't is attributed to conversion and repentance : repent and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out . to forgiveness of trespasses , matth. . . if you forgive men their trespasses , your heavenly father will also forgive you . to shewing mercy , mat. . . blessed are the merciful , for they shall obtain mercy . to works , or sincere obedience , iames . . a man is justified by works , and not by faith onely . where faith is taken in a more strict sence , and works suppose faith. that is , a man is justified by an effectual working faith , and not by faith without works . and again , vers . . saith he , was not our father abraham justified by works ? who yet , according to s. paul , was justified by faith . but whereas justification is mostly attributed to faith , the reason is , because all other graces are vertually therein contained ; and that is the principle from whence they are derived . philal. i pray inform me next , theophilus , what influence it is that those preachers tell their people faith hath upon justification ; or how it justifieth . theoph. i should not have forgotten this , though you had not minded me , in the least , of it : for it is of as great importance to be spoken to , as most of the heads of our past discourse . observe therefore , that faith sometimes signifieth in scripture the doctrine of faith , or the gospel : so it is to be understood , gal. . , . and in several other places . but it ordinarily signifieth the vertue or duty of believing ; and so it is variously expressed ; as by believing on the son of god , and the record that god gave of his son , joh. . . believing the word or words of christ , joh. . . believing christ to be the son of god , and the saviour of the world , joh. . . joh. . , . receiving of christ , joh. . . all which are to be understood in a practical sence . for as the scriptures scarcely ever call any other the knowledge of god , but that which hath the end of knowledge , viz. obedience : so do they make nothing true believing , but that which hath the ends of faith , or causeth men to do those things for the sake of which it is required . now as faith is put for the doctrine of faith , so those preachers are content it should justifie as an instrument , viz. as it containeth the covenant of grace , and holdeth forth pardon to sinners ; and so it justifieth , as the law condemneth . as it signifieth the vertue or duty of faith , so it justifieth as it is the condition of the new covenant , wherein forgiveness of sin is offered . god the father is the principally . efficient cause of our justification ; and so it is said , that it is god that justifieth : jesus christ justifieth as the onely meritorious , or procuring cause ; the gospel as the instrumental cause ; and faith therein , as the condition without which we cannot be justified , and to which that priviledge is assured . the new covenant offereth pardon of sin and eternal life to us , upon the condition of believing in christ : so god loved the world , that he gave his onely begotten son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . he that believeth shall be saved , &c. if ye believe not that i am he , ye shall die in your sins . philal. this is a very easie account of faiths justifying . theoph. nothing seems to me to be more plain ; as obscure a business as 't is made . philal. but what cannot the wit of men make difficult ? theoph. first , there is nothing more evident ( as we said ) than that the new covenant is conditional ; and that god doth not therein promise absolutely pardon of sin and the consequent blessings . philal. the great place that is produced against the conditionality of the covenant of grace , is that which you said you would speak to , viz. that quotation out of ieremiah that we finde in heb. . . where god seemeth in his covenant to promise to do all , in order to our eternal happiness , and to require nothing of us . theoph. it is in a good hand : i pray do you answer that objection . philal. were i duller than i am , i think i could easily enough apprehend a satisfactory answer to it , viz. that a condition is there implied : for the meaning of those words [ i will put my laws into their hearts , and write them in their inward parts ] cannot be , i will do all for them , they need do nothing at all ; this would make all the precepts of the gospel most wretchedly insignificant , ( nor indeed do any assert this , but some very monstrously wildebrain'd people : ) nor yet , as appears from many other scriptures , can this be the sence ; i will sanctifie their natures , and so cause them to keep my laws , without their concurrence in that act : but , i will afford them my grace and spirit , whereby , they co-operating therewith , and not being wilfully wanting to themselvs , shall be enabled so to do . or , i will do all that reasonable creatures can reasonably expect from me , towards the writing of my laws in their hearts , & putting them into their inward parts . whatsoever god may do for some persons out of his superabundant grace , doubtless this is all that he either here or elsewhere engageth himself to do for any . theoph. this exposition of yours is a very good one , most agreeable with the analogie of faith , and fully answers the forementioned objection . but there are very judicious expositors that are led by the consideration of the verse following thus to interpret this place , viz. this is the covenant that i will make in the times of the gospel ; i will in stead of those external and carnal ordinances , which the house of israel hath for a long time been obliged to the observance of , give them onely such precepts as are most agreeable to their reason and understandings , and such as wherein they may discern essential goodness : and by this great expression of my grace to them , ( as also that which is expressed in the verse , namely , assurance of pardon to all reforming sinners , of all past wickednesses whatsoever , and all present frailties and weaknesses ) i shall not onely convince them of their duty , but also , strongly encline them to the chearful performance of it . and then it follows , very pertinently to this sence , in vers . . and they shall not teach every man his neighbour , and every man his brother , saying , know the lord : for all shall know me , from the least to the greatest . i. e. there shall be no need of such pains , in teaching men how they must obey the lord , and what they are to do , as there was under the law of moses , ( which consisted in observations that were onely good because commanded , and had no internal goodness in them to commend them to the reason of men , and which might cause it to prompt them to them ; ) but the precepts now given , shall be found written by every man in his own heart , so that none need be ignorant of what is enjoyned for the substance of it , that will but consult the dictates of their own natures . for a confirmation of this sense , see deut. . , , , vers . moses having in the later part of vers . . put the people upon turning to the lord their god with all their heart and with all their soul ; and before shewed that it was their duty to love the lord their god with all their heart and soul , which you know containeth the substance of what is enjoyned in the new covenant , and was no part of that which was required by the law , that is called in a strict sence the iewish & mosaical , ( which , as the apostle saith , was added because of transgression , till the seed should come to whom the promises were made ; not as any new condition whereby they were to attain to the promises , but that they should till they were fulfilled , be restrained and kept under a strict outward discipline backt on by temporal rewards and punishments ) i say , having over and above his own law , exhorted them to the observance of those duties , wherein the substance of those commanded in the gospel consisteth , ( and which may be found sprinkled up and down in the other prophets , as well as his writings , and doubtless were more compleatly delivered to them by tradition from their fathers ) he thus saith in the verse , and the three following : for this commandment which i command thee this day , it is not hidden from thee , neither is it far off : it is not in heaven , that thou shouldest say , who shall go up for us to heaven , and bring it unto us , that we may hear it and do it ? neither is it beyond the sea , that thou shouldest say , who shall go over the sea for us , and bring it unto us , that we may hear it and do it ? but the word is very nigh unto thee , in thy mouth and in thy heart , that thou mayst do it . by the word in their heart at least , we are certainly to understand , the forementioned spiritual , and essentially good precepts : for so is it interpreted by s. paul , rom. . , , . philal. i am hugely pleased with the paraphrase you have given , and must needs say , that of these two ( considering the context ) it seemeth the most natural . theoph. but however , their interpretation of this place , that endeavour to prove from it the nonconditionality of the new covenant , is by no means to be endured ; it being of so very ill consequence , and also so flatly contradicting the apparent sence of multitudes of scriptures as it doth ; whereby we are assured that god expects that the working of his and our own spirits should go together , and be conjunct causes co-operating one and the self-same effect . philal. if men have no power , as those people say , to co-operate at all with the grace of god , in the mortification of their lusts , or the renovation of their natures , s. iames did very strangely forget himself , when he said , cleanse your hands ye sinners , and purifie your hearts ye double minded . theoph. the truth is , the scripture seems one while to give all to god in the work of regeneration and conversion ; and another while to make it wholly mens own act . and as in that place to the hebrews , it may seem , at first sight , that all is to be done by god ; so doth god in other places express himself , as if man were to do all in this work : as , cast away from you all your iniquities ; make you a new heart and a new spirit ; turn your selves and live ye . wash you , make you clean , put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes ; cease to do evil , learn to do well . and you know that i could tire you with sayings to the same purpose . philal. therefore we must interpret such places so , as to reconcile them to each other . theoph. and to this end we must go in a middle way , and avoid the extremes on both hands , or we shall never do so . i mean , that where god speaks as if he did all in this great work , we are to judge , that he supposeth mens endeavours ; and where he speaks as if men were to do all , that he supposeth the concurrence and assistance of his own grace . but as i said that nothing is more evident than that the new covenant is conditional : so , secondly , there is nothing more plainly or frequently expressed , than that faith is the condition of it ; and therefore i shall not need to insist upon it . philal. you said that those preachers are accused by many hot men , for this doctrine , as persons popishly affected , and holding justification by works ; and therefore enemies to the freeness of gods grace . theoph. i foresaw , that in this part of our discourse , you would put me upon vindicating them from this high charge ; and therefore when i had occasion given me to do it , i chose ( as you may remember ) to defer it longer , because this is the properest place for it . philal. but suppose the consequences of this doctrine were so very foul as those men think they are ; would it not be , notwithstanding , very uncharitably done of them , to censure the preachers of it so highly upon that account ? theoph. yes verily , philalethes , this would not excuse them at all from unchristian uncharitableness : for they ought to hope ( seeing they profess to magnifie free grace no less than themselvs , and concern themselvs to confute the papists as much as any , not to say more ) that they do not understand the evil consequences of their doctrine ; and that , if they did , they would most willingly and freely renounce it . philal. if those preachers should retaliate , ( as i hope they are better christians than to do so ) they might call these their censurers worse than papists ; i mean , libertines and ranters : for they are as strongly perswaded , that their notions about justifying faith , and some other , lead to looseness and libertinism , as these are , that theirs lead to popery . theoph. but they dare not , i hope , so much as suspect , that those of them that seem to make any conscience of their ways , are at all aware of the poison that is in some of their opinions ; but judge that their meaning is much better than their faith. philal. i for my part can truly say , that i think not at all hardly of them for the sake of their false tenets , so long as i do not observe that they practise upon them ; but i am sometimes very shrewdly tempted to fear , upon the account of the reviling and censuring not a few of them are guilty of , that they are no better than meer pretenders to religion , as great a profession as they make of it : for s. iames hath taught me , that , he that seemeth to be religious , and bridleth not his tongue that mans religion is vain . theoph. but perhaps they may mean as honestly in the one as in the other ; and 't is possible that their angry expressions may not be the effects of malice , but of a certain kinde of zeal . philal. well , theophilus , i will endeavour after more of your charitable temper : if you judge too well of those people , it is a safe and good extreme : charity , i confess , hopeth all things , and believeth all things , even there , where are too great temptations to the contrary . theoph. when we can put a favourable construction upon our brothers faults , and not offer over-great violence to our own reason , we ought to do it ; and to look upon them as proceeding rather from infirmity , than from a principle of immorality . but yet , philalethes , i would not have you take me to be more charitable than i am : for though i will not conclude those censorious people to be all hypocrites , yet i dare confidently pronounce them , at best , but of the lowest fourm in christs school ; as great attainments as they may be thought to be arrived at , by men of greater honesty than understanding . philal. but we have forgotten our business all this while . theoph. you do well to minde me of it . you expect , philalethes , that i should vindicate those friends of ours , and all that are of their minde in the point in hand , from opposing free grace , and holding the popish doctrine of justification by works . they are so far from being guilty in these particulars , that i am amazed at their ignorance , that say they are , upon such slight grounds , or rather upon none at all . nor do i think that an easier task can be imposed on any man , that hath but a competent understanding of our saviours gospel , than to clear the foregoing account of faiths justifying from those hateful sequels . for , whereas 't is pretended , that that doctrine is an enemy to free grace ; i may ask those that pretend so , how justification is free , seeing it is necessary to believe in their sence in order to it : they must at least acknowledge , that if not so much as that lazie faith of theirs were requisite , it would be so much the freer . philal. but the antinomians will tell you , that they make no faith at all , nor any thing else necessary or requisite to their justification ; and that their faith consists in believing that they are already justified , and that they were so before they were born too ; nay , as was said , that their justification is as old as god himself ; for he could be but from eternity . theoph. i confess these blades are swinging assertors of the freeness of their justification ; and therefore the question i now asked is nothing to them : but i am sure it signifieth something to the second sort i told you of , and that are gotten about one little remove from formal antinomians . but i say moreover , that such a faith as that we have described is absolutely necessary in it self , to make us capable of that priviledge , and meet objects of gods grace . will they say , that the kings pardoning a notorious traytor is ever the less free , because that as far as he could judge of his heart , he looked on him as a person that was resolved to become for the future a loyal subject ? me-thinks they should not ; and that for this reason , because such a purpose is but necessary to qualifie him for a pardon ; it being an act of greater fondness and folly , than of grace and goodness , to forgive an offender that obstinately persists in his disobedience . or suppose his majestie should confer upon one of them an honourable office in his court , would he say he bought it , or that it was not freely bestowed upon him , because his majestie required that before his investiture , and admission into it , he should learn good breeding , and how to behave himself in such a place ? surely he would not ; and that for the already-mentioned reason : this he could not but know was no more than necessary to be enjoyned him ; for otherwise he could not be at all fit for the office ; and the king would greatly disparage his wisdom in making such a choice . and as little cause have any to imagine , that to assert that god will pardon , and receive into special favour , none but such , as so believe , as to be heartily willing to obey his sons gospel , is to derogate from the freeness of his grace . besides , that glory and blessedness which consisteth in the enjoyment of god in the other world , which is the consequent of justification , cannot be enjoyed by a wicked man : the joys of heaven are of so spiritual a nature , that carnal souls are as uncapable of them , as are beasts of the intellectual delights of men . they are onely the pure in heart that can , as well as that shall see god. heathens will teach us this doctrine , if we are to learn it . much less then , in the third place , is this doctrine of a working faiths being the condition of our justification , at all a lessening of the freeness of gods grace ; when as those that preach it do withal assert , that this faith is gods own gift , a grace of his blessed spirit . they say indeed , and that most truly , that we are to use the means appointed us by him for the obtaining of it ; but they tell their hearers also , that it must come from god , if they ever have it . could we work this faith in our selvs , and stood in no need of the divine assistance ; considering what hath been said , it would make our justification to be never the less free : much less reason then is there , that those should be charged with making it otherwise , that preach that doctrine of faiths being the condition of justification , when they declare that the power whereby we perform that condition comes from god. philal. i am sure that i have no power to invent any one reply by way of objection . theoph. well then , we 'll to their next cavil ; namely , that to hold this doctrine , is to maintain justification by works : which is indeed the same in their sence with the former ; but it is fit it should be distinctly spoken to , because s. paul ( in his epistles especially to the romans and galatians ) doth so often deny works to have an influence into justification , and is found opposing them one while to grace , and another while to faith as to this matter . i cannot stand to cite the particular places ; but the consideration of these following things will enable any man to reconcile them with this doctrine at the first sight of them . . by the works of the law , whereby the apostle saith that men cannot be justified , we are frequently to understand those of the jewish law , their external rites and observances . and so they are to be understood in most , if not all the places in the epistle to the galatians . and by the understanding of that one thing , that epistle may with ease be defended from patronizing the antinomian doctrine . the chief designe of which ( as is most apparent ) being to vindicate the liberty of the christian religion from the judaical yoke , which being by the judaizing galatian converts imposed upon the christian gentiles as absolutely and indispensably necessary , was like to prove a mighty obstacle to the progress of the gospel among them . . in some other places , by works are meant absolutely perfect , and altogether faultless ones . and we are told , that , as the law of moses cannot , nor ever could justifie , by reason of its own weakness ; so , the law of perfect obedience now cannot , by reason of ours , . we may sometimes understand any works , of what nature soever , considered as meritorious causes . could we obey perfectly , we cannot merit thereby the pardon of past sins : nay , had we never sinned , we could deserve no reward at our creators hands , our righteousness being not at all profitable to him ; much less then can the imperfect works of sinners be meritorious . . meer external works performed by our own power in our unsanctified state , that is , such as proceed not from an inward principle of life , may in other places be understood . but we have no ground ever to understand by works when opposed to grace or faith , inherent holiness , or new obedience to the gospel-precepts . i dare promise an unprejudiced person , that , reading the several scriptures where works are so opposed , he will be satisfied that they are not any where to be otherwise understood than of one of these four sorts . so that as works signifie sincere obedience to christs gospel , neither i nor those preachers can account it any scandal to have it said of us , that we hold justification by works ; nor can we deserve to have it thought that we have one bit the more of a pope in our bellies upon that account . and why any man should be more shie of acknowledging this than s. iames was , ( who saith in plain terms , a man is justified by works , and not by faith onely ; and that abraham was justified by works ) i cannot understand . nor need we so mince it , as to say that faith justifieth our persons , and works our faith : for understanding works , i say , for a working faith , our persons ( if ever they be ) must be justified by them . i would not that protestants should give such advantage to the sottish papists , as to be shie of using any scripture-language ; and , by being so , to give them occasion to think that we are in the other extreme from them , and have a slight opinion of good works . and i think it desirable that we would cease to prefer s. paul's language before s. iames his ; and not more interpret s. iames by s. paul , than s. paul by s. iames , they being both alike apostles , and their epistles alike scripture ; but that we would be content to interpret them by each other . and then , i dare say , this controversie would quickly be at an end among us ; and we should have no adversary to contend with , about this point , but the papist onely . philal. i am of your minde . theoph. but , philalethes , don't you remember that you set me a method , and desired me first to discourse of those our friends practices , and next of their opinions . philal. yes , very well . theoph. and you see , how well i have observ'd it . but the best of it is , i told you then , that i would not promise you never to confound those two together ; nor , indeed , could i have been as good as my word if i had : for i could not , as i ought , discourse of their preaching , and not take in some of their doctrine . par. ii but i will now , in a more distinct manner , give you an account of their opinions . they may be referred to matters of doctrine and discipline . as to the former , they profess to dissent from none that have been held to be fundamentals of the christian faith , either by the primitive , or best reformed modern churches : and heartily to subscribe to the articles of our church , taking that liberty in the interpretation of them , that is allowed by the church her self . though it is most reasonable to presume , that she requires subscription to them , as to an instrument of peace onely . philal. so the late most reverend and learned archbishop of armagh several times expresseth the sence of the church of england , as to her requiring subscription to those articles . the church of england , saith he in his schism guarded , p. . doth not define any of these questions as necessary to be believed either necessitate medii , or necessitate praecepti , which is much less ; but onely bindeth her sons , for peace sake , not to oppose them . and pag. . he doth farther thus express himself . we do not suffer any man to reject the articles of the church of england at his pleasure ; yet neither do we look upon them as essentials of saving faith , or legacies of christ and his apostles ; but in a mean , as pious opinions fitted for the preservation of unity : neither do we oblige any man to believe them , but onely not contradict them . theoph. i thank you , philalethes , for these citations out of so excellent an author ; which are no small confirmation of the truth of that assertion of mine , which did occasion them . but to go on : those opinions in doctrinals that those divines look upon themselvs as most obliged to manifest their disapprobation of , and to confute , are such as either directly , or in their evident consequences , tend to beget in mens mindes unworthy thoughts of god , and unlovely notions of his nature ; or to encourage profaneness , or discourage from diligence and industry in the ways of holiness ; as , by what hath been said , you have in part understood . philal. 't is strange to me , theophilus , that any that understandingly believe the being of god should entertain an unlovely notion of his nature ; for not to have the most lovely , is to deprive him of his very godhead . he must needs be as good , as good can be , and have all perfections attracting love concentred in him in the highest degree possible : he must be infinitely merciful , of perfectly unspotted righteousness , purity , and holiness , ( which i esteem as no less lovely qualifications , than that of mercy ) or he cannot be god. nay , no man , i should think , ( that is not a very atheist ) can doubt but that all the amiable qualities that we see in good men , are but so many effluviums , if i may so call them , or emanations from those that are in god ; and therefore must needs be , in an unconceivably greater measure in him , where they are originally , than in them , where they are but derivatively . we learn from very heathens that such qualities are irradiations sliding into mens souls from god , and that they proceed from a divine afflatus ; who also tell us , that god is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the best , as well as chiefest and most supreme being . and they give a most lovely description of gods essence ; and make him , you know , to be no less just and gracious , than wise and powerful ; as , i need not tell you , may be shewn in a world of instances . but that any christian should be able to form to himself an unlovely idaea and conception of god , is to me matter of the greatest astonishment ; he being so excellently represented in the new , and also in the old testament . in the new , we finde his definition to be love it self ; and that the way to be his lively images , and like to him , is not to affect to be men of great power and knowledge , but to be most holy and righteous , loving and merciful . in a word , the new testament , i am sure , gives the most amiable account imaginable of the divine nature : and so doth the old too ; even when god appeared in the most frightful form , did he proclaim himself , the lord , the lord god gracious and merciful , pardoning iniquity , transgression , and sin : and though it follows , that he will in no wise clear the guilty , i. e. the impenitent ; yet that is so far from being a contradiction to his goodness , that it is a farther declaration of it ; for otherwise he would not have that part thereof that is called righteousness . he is there represented , as a god good to all , and whose mercies are over all his works : as a god , whose ways are all just and right , and whose soul abominates all evil . it would be a very long work to go over all the places where we finde such accounts of god as these are ; and it would finde us employment , i believe , for some days . theoph. how dearly do i love you , philalethes , for the most worthy conception that i perceive you have lodg'd in your soul , of the divine nature ! 't is pitie , me-thinks , that you and i are not namesakes : i loved you very sincerely since my first knowledge of you , but now passionately . and i 'le no longer account you my friend onely , but you shall be my dearest brother , and my second self too , for the future . philal. how do you transport me , theophilus , with these almost - rapturous expressions of affection ! but i cannot understand how i have deserved them , by any thing i have now said : doubtless there is no christian , no , nor any theist neither , but will say the same . and though i prefer your name before mine own , yet is mine given me for nought , if i did not thus speak of god ; for then , to be sure , i could make no pretence to be a friend to truth . theoph. but you spake , what i now heard from you , with such an impetus , as is a demonstration to me , that you have a most quick and deep sense of what you said , and that you are infinitely concerned that it should be true . philal. but i pray , sir , answer me ; are there any christians that dare deny this , nay , that will not most heartily acknowledge it ? theoph. truly , philalethes , i dare not say there are ; but i dare say this , that there are too too many that will speak such things of god , as most apparently contradict it . philal. would to god you had no ground for this assertion ; but i know , to my frequent great trouble , that there is too good ground for it ; and that some , whom i cannot but hope are sincerely good men , do with great and mighty zeal defend such opinions as are , in my judgement , no less contrary to the goodness and holiness of gods nature , than the thickest darkness to the clearest light . theoph. we must not by any means , i am more and more convinced , charge the consequences of opinions upon all those that hold them : for there is nothing i have a clearer perception of , than that the notions of some , whom i verily perswade my self are pious christians , and very true lovers of god and goodness , do immediately tend to rob god of his goodness , ( in which word i imply all his moral perfections ) and to lay a foundation for impiety and irreligion . philal. i know the notions you chiefly mean , are , the making of mens sins , and consequent misery , the unavoidable effects of gods decrees . theoph. you could not well miss of my meaning , nor i of yours ; these doctrines must needs be principally in both our thoughts : and i must tell you , that the divines we are discoursing of do set themselvs against both these in good earnest : and they profess that they do so for no other reason , than because they have a most clear sense of the mischievous effects of them . philal. but do all those that hold that god doth absolutely predetermine men to eternal misery , make him absolutely to decree mens sins too , in order to it ? i think they do not . theoph. no ; there are many that assert the one , that no less deny the other : but i confess i do not understand how they can . for if men are by god unavoidably and absolutely determined to the end , he must do more than decree , barely to permit the means : for they must necessarily sin , that gods absolute decree may infallibly take effect ; which it is possible it might not , if they were onely permitted , and not necessitated thereunto ; for then mankinde might have never fallen . philal. i wonder that all should not see this . but , theophilus , why should those that maintain that desperate doctrine of gods absolute decreeing mens sins , be so shie as not to acknowledge him the author also of them ? theoph. i do not see that they need be so ; and therefore there are those of them that are not ; and that tell us , that to boggle at acknowledging god the author of sin , is to fear where no fear is . philal. i would , for my part , be an atheist , before i would imagine such a monstrous thing of god. theoph. and less you would dishonour him in being so : for as plutarch saith , i had rather posterity would say , there was never such a one as plutarch , than that he was an unjust and vicious person : so 't is more dishonourable to the infinitely just and holy god , to assert that he is the author of sin , than to say that there is no god at all . philal. but that doctrine , with its appendant , will ( in my opinion ) not onely make him the first cause of mens being sinners , but also to set men the worst example to encourage them still in sinning : which is so horrid , that i even quake to express it . theoph. i guess whereabout you are , philalethes : those doctrines make their defenders to assert , that there are two wills in god , whereof of one is perfectly contrary to the other , viz. his secret and reveled will : and though he professeth kindness to all men , and saith , nay and sweareth too , that he willeth not the death of sinners themselvs , but had rather they would turn from their wickedness and live ; yet , according to those doctrines , this is but a declaration of his voluntas signi ; the plain english of which phrase is this ; a meer copie of his countenance . the like to which should one assert concerning any one of those that talk after this rate , i am sure he would take it in greatest disdain , and think himself not a little reproached . philal. from thence it follows too plainly also , that god giveth laws to the generality , to the very intent that they may break them , and so aggravate their condemnation ; notwithstanding that he professeth even a passionate desire , that men would observe them , and so be made happie . and by this means , most mens obligations to god for the many temporal mercies they receive from him are quite struck off , and made to be no expressions of his goodness to them , but the quite contrary ; whereas he tells us , ( as was said but now ) that he is good to all , and that his tender mercies are over all his works ; and that the whole earth is full of the goodness of the lord. this is likewise from thence a sequel too plain and natural , that jesus christ is not onely eventually , but also intentionally , the greatest curse that ever befel the world ; and a far greater expression of the fathers hatred than of his love , notwithstanding that he himself hath said , that he came not to condemn the world , but that the world through him might be saved : and that , so god loved the world , that he gave his onely begotten son , &c. for if the forementioned doctrines be true , our saviours coming was to aggravate the condemnation of the generality of men ( which would be far more properly called the world , than a very few ) for not believing in him , who never died for them , so much as to put them into a possibility of being saved ; though he declared that he gave himself a ransome for the vulgus , or multitude of the people , ( for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is rendered many , doth , among the greeks , most commonly signifie ; as our lexicons tell us , and vatablus also upon that place ) and s. paul saith , he gave himself a ransome for all , and did taste death for every man ; and that he is the saviour of all men , though especially of those that believe : and though he sadly bewailed mens not coming to him , that they might have life ; and wept over ierusalem for her obstinate persisting in unbelief , and most pathetically with tears wished , that she had known , in that her day , the things that belonged unto her peace . i could go on instances of this nature , as — theoph. but i pray , philalethes , do not : for they are grating to my ears , and most grievous to me . and it troubleth me to the very soul , that any ( good people especially ) should entertain ( and much more , should be zealous for ) such notions as are attended with so long a train of most dismally-sad consequences , and so greatly reflecting dishonour upon our infinitely-holy and good god. philal. i fear this kinde of discourse hath put you into one of your old dumps of melancholy ; for me-thinks you all of a suddain look very dejectedly . theoph. no , philalethes , there is no fear of that ; but i would willingly be more concerned at any dishonour that is done to god , and his son jesus , than at any personal evil . well , what was it that immediately occasioned this last talk ? philal. the ill use that is made of that distinction of gods secret and reveled will. theoph. you say well , it was so . philal. but is that distinction to be found fault with ? theoph. i see your memory needs rubbing up as well as mine . i did not at all except against that distinction , but against opposing gods secret to his reveled will. and now i adde , that whatsoever god saith he intends , he really doth so ; and that his declarations are to be understood , as we would any honest mans . but to deal freely with you , i should not be at all sorry , if the distinction of voluntas signi & beneplaciti were quite thrown out of doors . philal. but what say you to that of gods commanding abraham to offer up his son isaac ? did he intend he should be offered up ? sure no. theoph. nor did god say he intended it ; but onely for tryal bade abraham do it . philal. so it may be said , that god may not , as well , really intend , that all should observe his laws , to whom he gives them . theoph. but he plainly and often declares , that he gives them for that end ; and moreover hath imprinted them in mens souls , as well as written them in his book : and , as i said , expresseth a desire that men would observe them , and yeeld obedience to them , i. e. do what lies in them so to do . and i hope that none will say otherwise , than that it is every ones duty to believe that god would have him obey his laws : but it was not abraham's duty to believe that god would have him to sacrifice his son ; but onely to do it , except he interposed . philal. but it appeareth from the story , that abraham did believe this . theoph. i grant that ; but , i say , he was not bound to believe it , though he did : for no man can be obliged to believe a falsity : and besides , he could have no reason to be confident that god did not intend onely to try him by that command , as the event proved he did . but suppose it had fallen out otherwise , that would not at all have altered the case ; for who dares say but that god may , if he pleaseth , give commands to his servants , when he doth not intend they should do as he biddeth them , but onely to make an experiment of their readiness to obey him ? none sure will deny the use of this liberty to any earthly parents towards their children ; or masters towards their servants . and therefore i say that abraham had no just cause to conclude that this was not his creators designe in that command ; though he took it for granted , that it was his purpose that he should do as he bade him . philal. what you say is clear enough : but did not god , by the prophet , tell nineveh that in fourty days she should be destroyed ? did he mean as he spake then ? theoph. yes doubtless that he did ; for there was a condition so plainly implied in that threatning , ( viz. if she repented not ) that the ninevites themselvs were inclined , of their own accords , so to understand it . and it is ordinary among men to imply conditions in both threatnings and promises that sound absolutely , but especially in threatnings ; and so such are usually understood . nay , some conditions are always understood by us in the most absolute promises and threatnings that are ever uttered by the tongues of men ; and must be so . philal. the truth is , i am but a sorry objector . theoph. your objections have as much weight in them , i think , as any that the scripture affordeth : but , i confess , some more baffling ones may be urged from seeming reason : but whether we can answer them or no , we ought not , in the least , to be shaken by them , much less to be overcome . for if i may not believe any thing against which i am not able to answer all objections ; i must resolve to believe nothing at all , & to set up for a perfect sceptick . there are arguments invented by wits against the certainty of evidence from sense ; which he must have a good metaphysical pate of his own , that is able to answer ; would all men therefore that han't such heads do foolishly in giving undoubted credit to their own senses ? i know no man that can give a satisfactory answer to an argument that is brought against the possibility of so close an union of the particles of matter each with other , as to make a solid body ; but will any man in his wits therefore doubt , whether or no there be any such thing ? the argument that is brought for the infinite divisibility of matter , hath hitherto puzzled the most acute philosophers , and so it is like to do to the worlds end ; but yet i cannot imagine that any one doth notwithstanding really believe it . and from thence , all bodies may be proved to be of a like bigness ; and that a mountain is as small as an ant-heap , and an ant as big as either : and this with so great a shew of reason , as i must acknowledge i cannot answer ; but ought i therefore to suspect whether this be not true ? so there are some metaphysical niceties that may seem to make the opinion ( and those it is founded on ) probable , which we last expressed our selvs against : but what of that ? all we ought thence to infer is no more than this , that man is a weak , shallow creature . philal. but our adversaries will say , then you may believe their doctrine , for all the strong objections you think you can make against it ; and answer them all with an oh the depth ! theoph. but what saith s. austin ? because we cannot understand things that are difficult , shall we therefore deny those that are plain ? philal. i wish that good father had always born in his minde that saying . theoph. i wish so too : but to our business : that doctrine doth as evidently contradict the natural notions god hath imprinted in the original constitution of humane souls , as can be ; at least to me it seems so to do , and so doth it to thousands of others that are neither fools nor mad-men : and i must adde , that i cannot question but it would to all , that will be but perswaded freely to consult those innate notions : and besides , it is expresly against the whole strain of scripture from genesis to the revelation . philal. but you know that there are divers scriptures that seem to make for gods absolute decreeing mens damnation , and their sins too , which are much urged . theoph. truly , philalethes , if our translators had been pleased , they might with the alteration of but one little particle for another of the same signification , have prevented the taking almost any arguments out of scripture to prove gods decreeing mens sins , any otherwise than barely to permit them . i mean , if they had put [ will ] in a multitude of places , where mens sins are foretold , in stead of [ shall ] . the [ shalls ] make those places look as if they contained declarations of decrees , whenas [ wills ] would have made it at first sight to appear that they contain onely predictions , and expressions of gods foreknowledge that men would commit such and such sins , not of his will and purpose that they should . i heartily wish that authority would please to command the printers to make that little alteration in their future impressions of the bible . you may smile at this as an odde fancie ; but i assure you , i am upon good grounds confident , that it would be to very good purpose so to do . philal. no wise-man or scholar will fetch an argument from such a trifle to prove that or any other opinion . theoph. what of that ? the generality of people are neither scholars nor yet wise : and i have great cause to suspect , that the vulgar sort have that wretched doctrine insensibly instilled into them by the frequent reading and hearing such passages as these , viz. in the later days perillous times [ shall ] come ; men [ shall ] be lovers of themselvs , covetous , proud , &c. there [ shall ] be false teachers , who [ shall ] privily bring in damnable heresies , &c. and many [ shall ] follow their pernicious ways , &c. and there are innumerable passages of this nature . but then , philalethes , whatever scriptures are brought to prove either the one or the other doctrine by , it must needs be acknowledged , that they are but very few , in comparison of those that ( most evidently say i , but ) all will confess do seemingly contradict them . and which is the safest course , think you , in reconciling seemingly-contrary places to each other ? to interpret a multitude of plain scriptures by a few difficult ones , or a few difficult ones by a multitude of plain ones ? philal. the later , without all doubt . but it will be said that the scriptures that make for those doctrines , are as plain as those that make against them , though , as to their number , there is no comparison betwixt them . theoph. but i say they are more difficult , in that , their most obvious sence doth , ( as none can deny ) at least , seemingly contradict the natural notions of our souls ; which the plainest sence of the other no less gratifie . but however , is it not much the better way , to understand a few scriptures , in their less obvious sence , to reconcile them to the most obvious sence of a multitude of others ; than to understand a multitude of scriptures in their least obvious sence , to reconcile them to the most obvious of , in comparison with them , extremely few ? philal. i have , since i suffered my self to think at all freely , been of your minde , and concluded that the scriptures produced on the other side must necessarily be taken in another sence than that they fix upon ; except we will make them contradict the greatest part of the bible besides : and those that endeavour to reconcile all other to those scriptures , make the bible an extremely more difficult book , than i am verily perswaded god hath made it . theoph. for my part , i can believe no sence of any scripture true , that plainly contradicts the self-evident notions of good and evil , that god hath put into my soul , and were born with me : for , ( as hath been shew'd ) i could have no reason to believe the scriptures to be gods word , no , nor yet any thing i am sure god himself saith , to be infallibly true , were it not for those notions . and can't you remember that 't was proved also , that the goodness of the doctrine delivered is necessary to convince us , that it is of god ? mankinde hath a natural sense of moral good and evil . philal. but those of the other perswasion say , that whatsoever god doth , is just and good , because he doth it . i am sure many of them , at least , will. theoph. there is no other way to defend their doctrine , but to prove that : but do not those , in so saying , plainly make nothing in it self to be just or unjust , good or evil ? and so , in calling god a just god , say just nothing of him , ( pardon the quibble , i designed it not ) that is , no more than this , that he wills what he wills : and i wonder who does not . thus you see , they are forced to make good and evil to depend upon arbitrary will ; and so make the holy god a meer wilful being , and his nature perfectly indifferent to any thing : and thence it follows , that it is consistent enough with the divine nature , to forbid all that which by being commanded is now called holiness , and by that means make it wickedness ; and to command all that which by being forbidden is now called wickedness , and by that means make it holiness . but if this doth not raze and overturn the foundation of all religion , no opinion in the world tends so to do . philal. if abraham was of that minde , he strangely forgot himself , when he said to his maker , shall not the iudge of all the earth do right ? and whether he was of that minde or no , if the doctrine be true , he was guilty of a monstrously-absurd impertinence in so saying ; and yet ( which is more strange ) he had no check for it . theoph. nay , did not god himself appeal to mens innate notions , and so confute that doctrine , when he said to the rebellious jews , are not my ways equal , and your ways unequal ? can those men think that he onely meant , are not my ways such as i please to fancie , and yours such as it is my pleasure to dislike ? who would dare to fix such an expostulation as that on the infinitely-wise god ? philal. well , i am clearly sensible , that nothing reveled by god can possibly contradict those principles that are impressed in ( as i think ) indelible characters upon the souls of men ; and therefore whatsoever places may seem to speak mens being necessitated to be either sinners , or miserable , must be understood in another sence : especially seeing that god hath so often declared that mens ruine is of themselvs , and that their help is to be found in him ; and that he willeth not their death , but the contrary ; ( and therefore much less can he will their sins ; as he hath also , as plainly as can be , declared : ) and moreover affords them means whereby they may obtain happiness ; ( which , who will not say that all that enjoy them are greatly beholden to god for ? ) and expresseth his grace and good will to them all without any exception . theoph. you have put me in minde of a passage i have met with in a sermon of a most pious and learned divine now in heaven ; which , when i read it , did greatly affect me . it is this : consider impartially with your selvs , what an unreasonable , horrible thing it is , seeing there are so many several frequent expressions of gods general love , and gracious favour to mankinde , inforced and strengthened with such protestations , and solemn oaths , that the cunningest linguist of you all cannot , in your whole lives study , conceive or frame expressions more full and satisfactory . i say , is it not desperate madness , for a man to shew such hatred and abomination at the comfortable and gracious promises of god , that he can be content to spend almost his whole age in contriving and hunting after interpretations utterly contradicting and destroying the plain apparent sence of those scriptures : and will be glad , and heartily comforted , to hear tidings of a new-found-out gloss , to pervert , and rack , and torment gods holy word . philal. me-thinks this passage should affect any good man. but , theophilus , what should induce so many to be led by a few scriptures against such a torrent of others , to cry up such strange doctrine ? theoph. you love to ask me questions which you can answer as well your self : you know they pretend that this is the onely way to advance gods grace in mens conversion and salvation . and this , no doubt , is the onely motive that prevaileth with all the truly good men among them to go that way . it sounds as harsh in many , at least , of their ears , as it doth in ours ; as i have great reason to be assured . and calvin himself , in the page of his institutions , calls absolute reprobation horribile decretum : and the president of the synod at dort said it was materia odiosa ; and therefore declared to the remonstrants that that controversie should be waved , and said that they would onely hear their arguments against absolute election , for that was materia suavis . as i finde in their letters called epistolae ecclesiasticae , &c. i say , it is very harsh doctrine to many of them as well as to us ; but because they cannot otherwise than by admitting it , magnifie , as they think they ought , the divine grace to gods elect , they force themselvs to swallow the bitter pill , as much as their stomacks nauseate it ; and therefore , as those that drink down loathsome potions stop their noses , so do these their ears to the clamours of their own reason against it ; and will not sedately advert to , but violently suppress the natural dictates of their understandings . have you not several times observed that the good-natured people of that way complain more than others of blasphemous thoughts ? i am sure i have ; and have found when i have discoursed with them , that this doctrine was the occasion of them . so that whether they will or no , their reason , or innate sense of their souls ( call it which you please ) suggests to them the dreadful consequences of it , which they would fain believe to be the devils temptations . philal. but don't you believe , that the men of this opinion are also induced to it , because they are not able to interpret in any other sence those places of scripture that seem to make for it ? theoph. i do not think that the learned men are : for i cannot imagine that those should think , that such scriptures are unintelligible in any other sence than that they understand them in , that know how few , and therefore how ambiguous the original words of the hebrew tongue are , as also that there are different sences of the same verb in several conjugations ; and that there are strange idioms and proprieties of speech in that language , which are also imitated in the greek testament ; and lastly , that the occasions of several passages do frequently make another sence necessary to be imposed on them , from that which at first sight , and considering them simply and absolutely , and as entire propositions , without relation to any other thing , offereth it self . philal. i have sometimes thought , that those need never despair of understanding the places they produce to serve their hypotheses , in a different sence from that they are so fond of , who can invent a figure to make all men , nay and every man too , to signifie but some few ; and can reconcile i will not the death of a sinner , with i desire the death of most sinners ; and , he will have all men to be saved , with he will have the generality of men to be damned ; and many the like propositions which sound in my ears as contradictory one to the other , as any i have ever heard or can invent . so that , theophilus , it must needs be , as you said , their desire to magnifie gods grace to the elect , that alone prevaileth with those of them that are good-natured & truly-pious people to go that way . but yet i wonder that they should no more consider , that , to magnifie gods grace to some few , so as to deny it to all others ; and so to advance his mercy , as to rob him of his holiness , truth and justice , is to take ten thousand times more from him , than is given thereby to him . theoph. i would advance gods grace as highly as ever i am able , ( and so i perswade my self would the divines we have been speaking of ) so as not to destroy his other perfections : nor do i ( nor i believe they ) desire to attribute any more to man , in the business of his salvation , than needs must , and not suppose him a perfect brute . but to say the truth , i , and those i am acquainted with of those divines , do magnifie in all respects the grace of god , as much as any of the other way ; and in one respect incomparably more . philal. what is the way you take so to do ? theoph. a middle one betwixt the calvinists and remonstrants ; which , in short , is this : that there is such a thing as distinguishing grace , whereby some persons are absolutely elected , by vertue whereof they shall be ( having potent and infallible means prepared for them ) irresistibly saved . but that others , that are not in the number of those singular and special favourites , are not at all in a desperate condition , but have sufficient means appointed for them to qualifie them for greater or less degrees of happiness , and have sufficient grace offered to them some way or other , and some time or other ; and are in a capacity of salvation either greater or less through the merits of jesus christ ; and that none of them are damned but those that wilfully refuse to co-operate with that grace of god , and will not act in some moral sutableness to that power they have received . and as for those that have been in an extraordinary manner wrought upon , and finde themselvs very powerfully excited and carried to that which is good ; such at least have reason , so long as they are also careful to walk in all ways of holiness , to believe themselvs in the number of the absolutely elected . now ( as a learned divine saith ) the arminian need not repine at this way , nor yet the calvinist : for whatsoever good arminianism pretends to concerning all men , is exhibited to the part not absolutely elected ; and to the other part , the goodness of god is greater than is allotted by arminius : and whatsoever good is pretended in calvinism to that part that is absolutely elected , the same goodness is here exhibited ; and besides , that direful vizard pulled off , that ignorance and melancholy had put upon divine providence , and the lovely face of the gospel . philal. i am glad to understand that you and they have made choice of this way ; which is not new to me , ( no more than another middle way , which i cannot be satisfied with ) but for some time i have been greatly inclined to prefer this before any other , as having by much the fewest and least difficulties . theoph. i did not think you a stranger to it , and believed you could not but like well of it ; nor can i conceive why either any calvinist or remonstrant should mislike it . but that we see in all professions there are those that will hardly be brought to allow that there may be any farther improvements made , than those which their great masters had attained to . though both calvin and arminius were excellently-learned and pious persons , yet methinks their respective greatest admirers should acknowledge each of them short of infallibility , and therefore not presume them in any thing attained to a nè plus ultra . every age , sure enough , improveth in knowledge , having the help still of those foregoing : and as this is seen in other sciences , so especially is it discernible in that of divinity ; as all but ignorant , and extremely prejudiced persons must needs acknowledge . philal. but this way is not so new as some have imagined it : for i have read it in the history of the council of trent , as that which catharinus , a moderate and learned man , proposed there for the accommodation of the difference between the dominicans and franciscans about this point . theoph. the same person ( as i am informed by one that hath read it ) hath also written a very ingenious piece upon that subject , wherein he layeth down , and defendeth very handsomely this very way . philal. but indeed , if i did not think that this way were as much elder than that gentleman , as were our saviour and his apostles , i should not have , at all , given credit to it . theoph. no , nor i hope any else , if they did not think so : id verum quod antiquissimum , being in divinity an indisputable maxime . and i verily believe that this way is much more befriended by the great standard of truth , the scriptures , than any other . but how it should , if true , have for some ages the fewest , if any friends , is no wonder : for truth is too frequently , if not always lost in a scuffle , and forced to give place to extremes by eager contests . and indeed this is too moderate and yeelding a way to have so much as entered into the thoughts of the hot men of either party ; who like nothing so well as to keep themselvs at the greatest distance from each other . and there is great cause to suspect , that in most other controversies that have been managed with that fierceness that this hath been , the several contesting parties have over-done , and out-shot the mark : and that truth will one day be found to have been on neither side , but to have layn unobserved between the combatants , though nearer to some than others . philal. 't is not unlikely . theoph. this way , i must tell you , philalethes , hath , for divers years , been a mighty ease to my minde : and i will communicate to you something concerning my self , that i never , before now , had occasin to tell you . the doctrine of absolute reprobation did ever since i was of years of discretion lie very unevenly and ruggedly in my brains ; and seemed extremely harsh to me . and though i for some time thought that i was bound to believe it ; yet could i not endure much to think , or to hear others talk of it . but after i betook my self to studie the controversie , i had so quick a sense of the natural consequences of it , as did greatly distract me : for i was fearful of letting go the premise , as much as the conclusions scar'd me . but while i thought , or rather feared that the doctrine was too too true ; i was frequently disquieted with blasphemous thoughts , and most black apprehensions of the loveliest of beings ; nor could i think of god many times without consternation . those thoughts i was ready to look upon as injections from his and mankindes enemy : till at length , after i had weighed things more impartially , ( having read a book or two that prepared me with some free principles ) i found that i had wrong'd the devil , and that my affrighting thoughts were the too natural off-spring of that principle : and came to be convinced that till i let go this , i was not like to be rid of them . but then i was as much to seek where to fix , and how to steer my self , as to the doctrine of election ; ( for very fearful i was to entertain any opinion that might at all lessen gods grace to any ) whereupon for a while i was well pleased with that middle way you now gave an intimation of ; till after better weighing it , i found but very little , if any thing , gotten by it . then i fell to considering that other i have given you an account of , and have ever since been as well satisfied with this , as i was with that dissatisfied . and so i took my leave of the forementioned principle , and was thereupon , i thank god , well rid of its troublesome attendants . for some time i could not be perswaded that those sad consequences were so fast tyed to that opinion , but that they might be loosed from each other : whereupon i set my very teeth to the knot , and tryed all my skill to undo it ; but when i found that it was labour in vain , i was , as i said , chiefly encouraged by the acquaintance i took with this way , to send both principle and conclusions packing together ; and so bade them all goodnight . philal. i am no less beholden to it than you are ; nor do i think that any ones minde hath been more relieved by it , than mine hath . theoph. and have you not found , philalethes , that since you exchanged the calvinistical for this way , you love god better than before , and can think of him with more delight and pleasure ? philal. yes , i thank god ; and whereas before i loved him chiefly from some hopes i had that he loved me ; i can now love him for himself , and the consideration of the amiableness of his nature , and essential perfections : and therefore my affection to him is more constant , than it was while it chiefly depended upon the apprehension i had of his affecting me . theoph. so it must , i should think , needs be ; although you still loved him onely in regard of his love to you : for though you may sometimes , possibly , be without any great sense of his love of complacence , yet i dare say you now never want that of his love of benevolence . philal. no never . theoph. you have also a clearer sense of the goodness of the divine precepts , and of the hatefulness and vileness of sin , han't you ? philal. yes , a much clearer ; which i hope hath some good influence upon my life . theoph. so your love alone must needs have ; but much more that and this together . philal. but , theophilus , what a catechist are you grown all of a suddain ? i pray desist from putting any more questions of this nature . did i not so well know you , i should have done but foolishly in thus freely answering those you have ask'd me : and had i of mine own accord told you , what you have now heard , you your self would have accounted me too guilty of boasting and vain-glory . but yet though ( thanks be to gods grace ) i am somewhat better than i have been ; yet am i still sensible of so much weakness , of such great discomposure of thoughts , and disorderliness of affections , as may well keep me exceedingly low in mine own eyes , and antidote me from pride and conceitedness in regard of my attainments , ( were they greater than they are ) even though i should onely be beholden to my own strength for them . but seeing you are so good at catechizing , why may not i be so also ? theoph. so you have been , i think , sufficiently , since the beginning of this discourse . philal. but why may not i repeat to you your own questions ? theoph. but you have time little enough , at present , for other matters : don't you see ? the sun grows low . philal. well then , to pursue more closely the business in hand : do not our adversaries in this point accuse those friends of ours of arminianism in asserting free-will , notwithstanding that their middle way ? theoph. this way teacheth us to assert no free-will that is opposite to free-grace : and onely thus much , that men are invested by god with ability to do much in order to salvation ; as , to abstain from the external acts of sin , to hear his word , read it and consider it , and to endeavour to subdue all their lusts , and perform whatsoever duties are required of them , &c. and likewise by the infinitely-strong motives contained in the gospel , by the motions of his holy spirit , various providences , or in one word , by his preventing grace , may they will so to do . but that we can , of ourselvs , turn our own wills from the ways of sin to the ways of god , is peremptorily denyed by us ; and , for ought that i can learn , by the remonstrants themselvs also ; as much as they are accused by some for so asserting . philal. but don't we see that the generality of men that enjoy the means of grace are never the better for them , but continue in wilful disobedience ? theoph. 't is too true , and matter of saddest lamentation : but what of that ? let us , in gods name , charge it wholly upon themselvs ; and not say , they are not able to do otherwise : if this were so , i should think it the greatest folly in the world to be angry with a wicked man. don't we see that the threatning of an easie punishment , or the promise of a small reward , will make men finde a will to abstain from several sins , which they would not be kept from by all the threatnings and promises in the book of god ? therefore , surely , by the help of these , ( and especially if we take the other helps along with them , that were but now named ) they may will not onely to keep from some sins , but also to endeavour to keep from all . mens wills being so seldom wrought upon , doth not prove that they have no power to will thus to do : for we see that it is the very same thing as to all other habits , as well as sinful ones : there is not one among many , scarcely , that will be broken of such customs as are in themselvs very innocent , no , though they finde them prejudicial to them ; as i need not give you instances . but then for so few mens being throughly converted by the means of grace , let us much less run to gods absolute decreeing their non-conversion or damnation to give a solution of it . nor let us so wrong god , as to say that it is any way long of him , or that he hath been wanting to them ; and by this means excuse them . what reason have we to imagine that they are not themselvs in all the fault ? and that god would not have given them such a measure of grace , as would have effectually converted them , had they but acted in some sutableness to the power he hath given them ? had they but done what they could , and might have willed to have done too , but that they freely chose the contrary ; and against the checks of their own consciences , and all the methods of gods grace , with a free , not fatal willingness , preferred the pleasing of their senses before the salvation of their souls . god hath said enough to perswade us not to imagine this ; as may be largely shewn . philal. i could never hear the most wicked wretch , when he is wisest , and most himself , ( i mean when on his death-bed , or under some smart affliction ) either complain of god , or curse adam for his neglect of the means of grace , and unmindfulness of his precious soul : and those of them whose consciences are awakened do ever lay the blame on themselvs principally , of their carelesness and disobedience : and not at all , i say , either on their creator or first parents ; as if by the one or the other they were brought into so sad a condition , as to be under an impossibility of so much as willing to do otherwise . but then they are heard to befool themselvs exceedingly , and to make god a many fair promises how good they will be , if he 'll but please to prolong their lives , or remove their afflictions : which is a plain argument , that ( whatsoever specious shews of reason any of them might once have pleased themselvs with , for their being under a necessity of behaving themselvs as they did ) their own experience , and inward sense of their souls undoubtedly assures them , now that they have leisure sedately to consult them , that they are much freer creatures than they were once willing to fancy themselvs to be . theoph. that one argument would satisfie me , more than the most plausible ones i ever met with of the other side . philal. but we see , theophilus , whither too many of those are carried , that deny all freedom of will in unregenerate men , as to that which is good : for , i think i may say , that even all those that best understand themselvs in that way , do also oppose this liberty as to all the actions of all men : wherein they are not a little beholden to mr. hobbs , as hard an opinion as too deservedly they have of him . theoph. but the philosophical subtilties whereby that gentleman and his brethren in this point , have defended that opinion , may be abundantly confuted by the contrary and confessed sense of almost all mankinde , and by the knowledge we have of our own souls . for we are able at any time to make an experiment to our selvs , that there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or self-moving principle in our wills , and that they are nor blinde powers necessarily following the dictates of our understandings ; ( the will being doubtless no really-distinct faculty from the understanding , nor from the soul neither ; but the soul it self , as it simply understands or apprehends an object under the notion of true or good , or as by comparing one with another it judgeth of them , is called the vnderstanding ; and as it putteth it self forward towards the doing or having any thing , or refuseth so to do , it is called the will ) . for we finde that we are able to will to do what we know ought not to be done , and to omit what we are assured we ought to do : i say , we finde this by sad experience ; and therefore when we do thus , our wills contradict and disobey the dictates of our understandings . and if this were not so , ( let those men say what they can ) there could be no such thing as a sin against conscience . philal. our own feeling and sensation is a thousand times more convincing than any argument can possibly be that is onely founded in speculation . theoph. yes verily . but whereas i said , that this strange opinion is against the sense of almost all mankinde ; i think i spake too modestly , and might have spared that [ almost ] . for i cannot imagine that those men themselvs , that are the greatest zealots for the doctrine of mens wills being under a fatal necessity , either by the means of gods decrees , or upon any other account ; ( i say , i cannot imagine that ) they really believe it themselvs , except in some certain fits ; as confidently as they may talk or write ( i will not say to shew their parts , but ) to manage a disputation . for they will as much befool and vex at themselvs when they are sensible they have done amiss , as other folk . but how a mans conscience , or the reflecting of his practical understanding upon his actions should trouble him , so as to make him condemn himself ; i cannot by any means understand , if he be not at the same time conscious to himself , that he might have done otherwise . philal. none are more angry with others neither , than they use to be , and that not onely upon the account of actions , but also of opinions : there are none in the world more impatient towards those that are not of their minde than i perceive the violent men of that way are : nay , they will be ready to call you heretick if you don't think as they do in philosophy , as well as in divinity . theoph. but there is nothing in the world more certain , than that if all mens actions and opinions be the necessary result of an irresistible fate , they may onely pitie naughty men , and poor hereticks ; it would be the most unaccountable folly to be angry with them . and though they are never so willingly so , this can make them the objects of onely so much the greater pitie ; seeing , according to their doctrine , they cannot but will so to be . and he therefore that shall storm against you and me , for talking against this doctrine , will in so doing take our parts , and declare himself to be of our minde . philal. but we have all this while , theophilus , been discoursing onely of such as enjoy the means of grace ; but what say you to the heathens , that never heard of christ , or saw one letter of the bible ? are not they under a fatal necessity of being damned ? and is not god wanting to them , think you ? theoph. to say the truth , many of them , for all their not having heard of christ , and their being strangers to the bible , have out-done most christians , to our great shame be it spoken . but , i say , that god is not nor hath not been wanting to them neither , as to the enabling them to do so much , as he expects from them ; and so making them capable of some lower degrees of happiness . hath not our saviour told us , that where little is given , but little shall be required ? and i have heard of a meer natural fool , that on his death-bed said , lord , where thou givest but little , thou dost not expect much . god hath given the meanest of them a sense of good and evil in divers instances , and that he is willing to assist them with his grace to live accordingly ; as also that he sometimes excites their wills , who dares deny ? hath not s. paul told us , that they are without excuse , or rendered inexcusable ? but how can they be so , if they are denyed what is , at least , so far necessary as was now said ? but , philalethes , we need not trouble our selvs about them ; we shall , no question , at the great day ( if we can but have patience to wait till then ) clearly understand the infinite justice of god almighty's proceedings with them ; and that those of them , that shall then have the sentence of condemnation past upon them , will accuse themselvs mostly , and not at all their maker for it . for my part , i will not say that they are any of them saved ; but i would not for a world , neither , pronounce them all damned . i know that there is no name under heaven whereby men can be saved , but onely the name of iesus christ ; but i am nowhere told , that those which never heard of him cannot be saved by him , without faith in him . if this be so , what becomes of poor infants ? nay , of all those , except a prophet or two , that lived before the coming of our saviour ? he shall be my great apollo , that can give me sufficient reason to believe that any under the law , except some few extraordinary persons , had faith in christs death for the remission of their sins ; whenas his own disciples had not , till after his resurrection : but yet eleven of them will be acknowledged to have been good men before his death . nay , it is evident , that till after his resurrection , they retained too gross a notion of the messiah . so that , i say , if any of the heathens be saved ( which if they are not , it will be their own faults ) it may be time enough to understand their obligation to christ for it , when they are come into the other world . but why should we christians be less charitable toward them , than were the very jews ? who admitted those that observed the seven precepts of noab , and worshipt the true god , ( who were called proselytes of the gate ) to the hope of eternal life . and the saying of trypho the jew to iustin martyr is very observable . if thou hadst continued a heathen philosopher , said he , and lived unblamably , there would have been hope of thee : but seeing thou leavest god , to believe in a man , what hope can there be of thy salvation ? so that if i were bound to give my sense of the honestest of the heathens , i would chuse to judge on the right hand : but we have nothing to do with them ; nor can any argument drawn from the consideration of their circumstances , establish the doctrine against which we have so freely expressed our selvs . philal. from that little you have said of them , it plainly enough appeareth . but besides , there are some , you know , that are of opinion that those who have been in the worst circumstances in this state , and enjoyed the least means , may continue in a state of probation for some time betwixt their departure hence and the day of judgement , and have better means then afforded them . theoph. whether that will be so or no , god onely knows : but this , me-thinks , should be by all granted , that the infinitely-wise god hath ways enough , though never so much unknown to us , to clear his justice and goodness , in his dealing with the whole world ; though the doctrine some are so fond of , and we no less dislike , should have no truth in it : and that he may have most wise holy and good ends in those dispensations that seem most harsh to us ; which we cannot so much as dream of . nor is it fit for us to desire that unsearchable wisdom it self should make us acquainted with the reasons of all his actings ; or level his providences with our most shallow capacities , and gratifie our licourish curiosity in all our enquiries . we may well be abundantly satisfied with this , that god is perfectly holy , wise , and good ; and that he cannot do any thing disbecoming or unworthy of those attributes . and therefore as desirous as i am to defend , according to my weak ability , what the almighty hath declared concerning himself in the plainest manner that words can express , from the attempts of those , that i think in my conscience do take a course ( as well as they may mean ) to render it insignificant , and to vindicate him from those notions that most evidently tend to eclipse those perfections which he most desireth to be known by : yet i altogether dislike prying into those matters that he hath kept secret , and affecting to be wise above what is written . philal. if all men were of that minde , the controversie in hand would be soon ended . but , theophilus , there are those that say , that what we are forced to acknowledge to defend our middle way , tendeth to encourage men in security , and to defer the great work of repentance to the very last : for that it from thence followeth , that it is in mens power , when they please to have a minde to it , to put themselvs into the number of gods faithful and elect people . theoph. we most heartily abominate that consequence ; nor can any doctrine of ours be at all charged with it . for we say that men may sin away their day of grace , even before that of their lives be expired . and by their often grieving gods holy spirit , and quenching his blessed motions , they may cause him quite to leave them , and give them over to the hardness of their own hearts . and let me speak to the man , that is hereby inclined to be more secure , in the words of the excellent person , a passage in whose sermon i before quoted , and which presently follow it . thou wretched fool ! darest thou make an advantage of gods goodness to assist and patronize thy security ? hath he promised to give thee repentance , whensoever thou pleasest to allow thy self leisure to seek it ? no , know , there is a time , ( and presuming security doth hasten and add wings to that time ) when there shall be found no place for repentance , &c. philal. i wish you could as easily vindicate the contrary doctrine from tending to make men secure and careless . theoph. i wish i could , but for my life i cannot : and i am sure it doth a world of mischief . many whom i hope are good people would be better , i verily think , were it not for that doctrine : but i am certain that multitudes of wicked wretches are greatly hardened in their sins by it ; and will not endure to be told that it is not true , that they may not be deprived of the main prop of their security . they will fleer in the faces of their pious ministers , when they pathetically excite them to work out their own salvation ; and flatter themselvs with this , that whatere the preacher is pleased to say , there is no necessity of any such strictness and diligence , or of any at all : for their fate is determined ; and that though holiness be necessary to happiness , yet if they are absolutely designed for happiness , god will sure enough , at one time or other make them holy ; but if not , let them do what they can , he will not . and who can answer this ? were there no other mischief attending the doctrine than this , it would make one conclude it false . and would it not vex one to the very soul , to be liable to be baffled by every sorry rascal ; and that too in a business of infinitely the most weighty importance ? philal. i see you have some hot bloud in you , and can for a need be very heartily angry . one would think all the veins in your body to have emptied themselvs into your face . theoph. say you so ? i must confess i can never think of this mischief , but i am apt to be much moved : and to say the truth , i give my self leave to be angry upon such accounts ; i wish that no much slighter occasions could ever make me so , and then of all my sins , i should least bewail that of passion . well , philalethes , i am sure that our doctrine is a mighty incentive to holiness , and the other a no less obstacle ; as many as there are whose true goodness doth antidote them against the poison of it . and this is the great test and standard , whereby i examine points of controversie ; i consider which of the opposites tends most to the advancement of real holiness , ( which i have more than once had occasion to tell you , is the great designe of the christian religion ) and that i think my self bound to prefer , which i finde doth this : but that which apparently tends to make men careless in their prosecutions of it , i account my self obliged to reject as false , as great shews as it may have of probability . nor is it any thing in the world , but the clear sense i have that this doctrine doth so , as also that it , with its unavoidable consequents , shamefully misrepresents our blessed creator and redeemer , that makes me oppose it , as i sometimes do , and conclude it to be erroneous . philal. but you likewise reject it because it contradicts ( as was said ) such an innumerable company of scriptures ? theoph. the forementioned considerations make me interpret those few scriptures that seem to make for it , by these many ; and not these many , by those few . philal. i believe this doctrine would quickly be exploded by all good men , if they could once be perswaded to think that the ninth to the romans is capable of another exposition than that which is commonly given to it : for i know no other scriptures urged for it , but may be answered with ease enough . theoph. though i will not say , that it is easie to give the true sense of every verse in that chapter , any more than it is in many others of s. paul's epistles , ( whose style is often the most obscure i ever read , the connexions in many places being not to be found without extreme difficulty ; which is occasioned , i think , chiefly by his many tacite answers to objections , and questions made to him by those to whom he wrote , which we are unacquainted with ; as also having a very curt and short way of expressing himself , ( observing very much in the greek tongue the hebrew way of speaking ) and besides , making so many excursions as he doth , and very long parentheses ; upon which accounts , if not more , no apostle hath been so misunderstood as he ; and , if you observe it , you shall finde that they are s. paul's epistles out of which almost all our wilde opinions have principally had their original , through the ignorance of men , or what is worse . the apostle s. peter observeth , that even in his days , ( when they were much more easily intelligible than now they are ) there were some things in them hard to be understood , which those that were unlearned and unstable wrested ( as they did the other scriptures also ) to their own destruction ) . i say therefore , though it may not be easie to give the true sence of every verse in that ninth to the romans ; yet i count it far less difficult to vindicate it from patronizing absolute reprobation , than to prove it doth so . philal. if it be not too great a trouble , i could wish that you would run it over with a brief paraphrase . theoph. that i need not do , nor above half that chapter ; there being but about so much of it that signifieth any thing towards the countenancing of that opinion : and so far i will comply with your desire . the apostle having in the five first verses expressed his great sorrow for his country-men the jews , in that by their killing the messiah , and most obstinate persisting in unbelief , they had provoked god to resolve upon the casting off and rejecting their nation in general , that is , to put them into the same circumstances with the rest of the world , and in some respects into worse , viz to deprive them of their good land , and even to cause them to cease to be a nation or body politick , but to be dispersed here and there up and down the world ; and therefore necessarily deprived of the extraordinary advantages for their souls they had an enjoyment of , which are there summed up , together with not a few temporal ones ; they having been a people owned by god above all other , and his most special favourites : i say , having done this in the five first verses , it followeth in the . not as though the word of god had taken none effect ; for they are not all israel that are of israel . in which words he answers an objection they might make against the possibility of gods rejecting them , viz. if this be so , how can the promise of god to abraham concerning his seed be performed ? and he replieth , they are not all israel that are of israel ; i. e. god hath reserved to himself a liberty of determining at several times , according to his pleasure , who shall be esteemed that seed of abraham to whom the promise belongeth , and therefore he may restrain it to those that were never the seed of his loyns , but of his faith onely . and he sheweth next that this liberty god did use immediately after the promise : for , saith he in v. . neither because they are the seed of abraham are they all children , but in isaac shall thy seed be called : i. e. those which came from abrahams loyns were not all accounted those sons of abraham that should have a share in the promise , but those onely which he should have by isaac . and he saith in v. . that is , they which are the children of the flesh , these are not the children of god , but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed . i. e. they that descended from abraham by carnal generation were not all heirs of the promised blessing ; but onely those children he had by vertue of the promise were accounted for the seed that should so be . then it followeth , v. . for this is the word of promise , at this time will i come , and sarah shall have a son . i. e. the birth of isaac was a special effect of gods promise ; he being miraculously born of a naturally-barren woman , and according to the ordinary course of nature past childbearing , had she been never so fruitful ; and his father being a very old man. then saith he , v. , , . and not onely this , but when rebecca also had conceived by one , even by our father isaac ( for the children being yet unborn , nor having done good or evil , that the purpose of god according to election might stand not of works , but of him that calleth ) it was said unto her , the elder shall serve the younger . i. e. neither did god at one time onely declare , that he reserved to himself liberty to distinguish between the sons of abraham , as to their enjoyment of the promised inheritance , and other extraordinary priviledges ; but he declared it again concerning the sons of isaac : for before the birth of the twins which he had by rebecca , and therefore when neither had done good or evil , whereby there should be any difference made between them , it was reveled by god to her , that her elder son , that is , the people that should be born of him , should serve the younger , or the nations that should descend from him . this i say , because esau in his own person did never serve iacob . and this appeareth farther , in that god told rebecca at the same time , that two nations were in her womb . so that god declared to rebecca , that he intended to restrain the promise made to abraham to the seed of iacob onely ; and that they alone were chosen by him to inherit the good land , together with its appendages . and this priviledge , he tells them here , they had not upon the account of any foreseen desert of theirs , but onely of his free goodness that called or designed them thereunto . then he thus proceedeth , v. . as it is written , iacob have i loved , and esau have i hated . this is a quotation out of malachi , , . where esau's person was not spoken of ; but by esau , his posterity the edomites are understood ; as you will see , if you consult the place . some conceive , that whereas god saith by the prophet that he hated esau or the edomites , he meant no more than that he less loved them than the israelites , or was not so kinde to them , as he was to these ; in that whereas he gave iacob or the israelites a land flowing with milk and honey , the portion of esau or the edomites was the stony and barren mountains of seir. and it is certain that so the word that signifieth to hate is in many places to be understood . as gen. . . iacob is said to hate leah ; i. e. he loved rachel better , as appeareth by the foregoing verse . in luke . . we are required to hate our father and mother , &c. and iohn . . to hate our lives . but nobody understands by hating these , any more than not loving them so well as christ. but however , i conceive that by hating in this chapter of malachi , is to be understood very severely punishing : and indeed , the words following make this evident . and observe that the apostle doth here onely allude to these words of the prophet : nor doth he say , that before the children had done either good or evil , god said , iacob have i loved , and esau have i hated ; but onely , the elder shall serve the younger . but as for that saying , esau have i hated , it was after their wicked and most unnatural behaviour towards their brethren the israelites , and also upon the account ; as you will see , if you compare this place with the prophecie of obadiah ; where , in vers . . it is said , for thy violence against thy brother iacob shame shall cover thee , and thou shalt be cut off for ever : and in the next verses , we see what the violence they are charged with was . i confess i do not know but that i am singular in this exposition ; but it is so very evident , that i should wonder if several expositors should not have hit upon it . now then the apostle saith , v. . is there unrighteousness with god ? god forbid . i. e. will god be unjust in casting off the seed of abraham , isaac and iacob , which strictly observe the law given them by moses , and making those of the gentiles his special favourites in their stead , that believe his revelation made by christ and his apostles ? no surely , we cannot accuse him of injustice if he doth so ; for it is but agreeable to his own words to moses . v. . for he saith to moses , i will have mercy on whom i will have mercy , and i will have compassion on whom i will have compassion . i. e. i will bestow my kindness where i please , without giving account thereof to any one . and therefore god may justly accept gentiles to his special favour , as idolatrous and wicked as generally they are , ( for he is not obliged to damn all that deserve it ) and cast off his ancient people the jews at his pleasure , as strict observers as they are of one law , they being disobedient to another . then he thus proceeds : v. . so then it is not of him that willeth , or of him that runneth , but of god that sheweth mercy . i. e. from thence it is evident , that this mercy and favour of god is not the desert or prerogative of those that with great zeal aspire to it , but in a wrong way , viz. by the mosaical performances ; as the jews do , ( this you will see is very clear by v. , . ) but to be had from the free grace and mercy of god by faith in jesus christ. then in the verse following the apostle proceeds to shew that god had reserved liberty to himself , not onely in bestowing benefits on whom , and on what conditions he pleaseth ; but also in inflicting punishments , and so casting off the jews , notwithstanding their zeal for the law of moses : for this he tells them god had given them a plain testimony , concerning his dealing in the like case , viz. shewing his severity against obstinate sinners , as the jews were in rejecting christ and his blessed gospel . and instanceth in that of pharaoh ; v. . for the scripture saith unto pharaoh , for this same purpose have i raised thee up , that i might shew my power in thee , and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth . i. e. pharaoh having long hardened his own heart , notwithstanding the several warnings he had by moses , and no fewer than six judgements inflicted upon him ; god at length saith concerning him , that he would harden his heart in his just judgement , i. e. do that which he would be farther hardened by : and addes , that he would presently cut him off , but that he preserved him , and raised him out of great dangers , for no other end , but to make him an example of his just indignation against obdurate and stubborn rebels , in the more signal and illustrious manner . that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is translated [ i have raised thee up ] is to be understood as was now said , is apparent , in that it signifieth to raise out of some low condition , and often from some disease or danger , as a very learned critick hath observed . particularly , iames . . it is used to signifie raising out of a disease . and farther , this appears from the hebrew word that is used exod. . . which is the very place that is here cited by the apostle : the word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and it signifieth stare feci , i have made thee stand . the vulgar latine renders it , sustentavite , i have sustained thee . the septuagint , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , thou wert kept , or kept alive . it followeth , v. . therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy , and whom he will be hardeneth . i. e. from hence i conclude , that god may without the least injustice , have mercy at his pleasure , on some wicked persons that have deserved the contrary ; and harden others . by gods hardening in scripture , we are not to understand any positive action of his , whereby he putteth wickedness into men , or intends and increaseth that which is already in them ; for then would he be the author of sin ; which to assert is the highest blasphemy . neither have we any cause to believe that it is to be understood of gods withdrawing all manner of necessary helps whereby sinners may be mollified . for the signes that were wrought upon pharaoh , were in themselvs very proper to soften him ; and most of them , while they continued , had that effect : but gods still removing of them , seems to be the great cause of his induration ; as among others is observed by origen . and i remember he saith , that it is usual for fafathers to speak after this manner to their disobedient children : 't is i have hardened you , 't is i that have made a rogue of you : for had not i been so indulgent towards you , you would not behave your self as you do towards me . so that by gods hardning , we are to understand no more than his doing such things to wicked men , which are not in their own nature , but accidentally , through their wickedness , the occasion of their farther hardening . and so , and no otherwise , did he harden the jews ; nay , chiefly were they hardened by the divine forbearance to punish them for their rebellion and unbelief ; by which means most of them came to be , through their own naughtiness , more and more obstinate ; and so rendred themselvs the more fit objects of that vengeance that forty years after our saviours death , according to his prediction , brake forth upon them . that notwithstanding this induration , each particular person of them was not in an absolutely hopeless condition as to their eternal state , appeareth in that many of them were converted to the faith by the apostles preaching ; though it is certain , that the rejection of them , considered as a nation , was inevitable ; and the decree concerning their being deprived of those priviledges , whereby they were for a long time distinguished from other people , irreversible . in the next words a reply of the perverse jews is brought in , to what the apostle had said to them in those foregoing ; which , 't is like , they had sometime made upon the like occasion . v. . thou wilt say then unto me , why doth he yet finde fault ? for who hath resisted his will ? i. e. why doth he still accuse us for , and upbraid us with not believing in your jesus ; when he hath ( as it seemeth from what thou hast said ) hardened us , and is resolved to reject us ? for his counsel shall stand ; who hath ever resisted his decree ? though we should now believe the gospel , it will be to no purpose . nay , now he would not have us believe it , that his decree concerning us may take effect . to this he answers , v. . nay but , o man , who art thou that repliest against god ? shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it , why hast thou made me thus ? i. e. nay but , o man , who art thou , that thou darest tax the wisdom of god , upon the account of his so doing , as if he could do foolishly ? ( and as for his dealing in such a manner with you , as that you become by that means more hardned , and averse to obey his gospel ; you may thank your selvs for it , and therefore have no cause to object against gods justice neither : and besides , 't is onely long of your own wickedness that you become more hardned by any of his providences ) . for you therefore to talk after this rate , is as arrogant , as if the thing formed should say to him that formed it , why hast thou made me after this fashion ? v. . hath not the potter power over the clay , of the same lump to make one vessel to honour , and another to dishonour ? i. e. if you think that god hath dealt unjustly with you , i pray answer me this question : hath not the potter power over his clay , to make of it what vessel he thinks good ? and when a piece thereof is marred upon the wheel , to make a meaner vessel of it than otherwise it might have been ? and shall not your creator have as much power to deal with you as he pleaseth , and ( if he thinks good ) to harden some of you , when he converts others ; seeing you have rendered your selvs as liable to his wrath , as is the clay to the potters pleasure ? by ieremiah . , , , and the following verses , will this exposition be made very plain and clear : to which place the apostle , in these words , doth very probably allude ; and you will by those verses understand , that the onely use god himself makes of this similitude , is the very same with that which you now heard . then he goes on thus : v. ▪ what if god , willing to shew his wrath , and to make his power known , endured ( or will endure ; here being , 't is like , an analage of the tense ) with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction ; and that he might ( or that it may please him to ) make known the riches of his glory , on the vessels of mercy which he hath before prepared unto glory ? i. e. what if god doth not presently punish you according to your desert , but goeth on for some time to bear with you , and , while he doth so , findes fault with you for your unbelief ? what if he doth not immediately destroy those that have long provoked him to it , and by their continued rebellions made themselves most worthy and fit objects of his wrath ; but is pleased still , with great gentleness and patience , to bear with them ( as he did with pharaoh ) to chide and threaten them ( as he also did him ) that so he may the more severely proceed against those , that shall be more hardned by his forbearance , and continue refractory notwithstanding his threats , and punish them in the more exemplary manner , ( as he did that wicked king ) i pray what shew of injustice is in this ? but much less can god be taxed with unrighteousness in having mercy on some as ill-deserving jews , and even wicked gentiles ( see the next verse ) by preparing them by a true and effectual faith in christ for eternal blessedness , to demonstrate , in the most signal manner , the riches of his grace and goodness . observe , that the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction , are such as the apostle saith god endured with much long-suffering ; and therefore they were not made so by any absolute decree of his , but made themselvs so by their wilful and free sinning : for what long-suffering can it be , to bear with the sins of those that could never have possibly been avoided ? philal. that verse alone is enough to warrant the truth of the paraphrase you have given of those foregoing , at least as to the substance of it . theoph. but , philalethes , those that would have the apostle to designe in those verses the proving of the doctrine of absolute reprobation , and the justice of it ; how besides the purpose do they make him in this verse to conclude that discourse ? philal. it would have been a thousand times more pertinent to such a designe , for him thus to say : what if god willing to declare his soveraignty , was pleased from eternity to determine concerning you , that you should be unavoidably damned , and to make you for that very end , notwithstanding all the means of grace he hath afforded to you ; which of you dares therefore to say or think that he is too hardly dealt with , or can complain upon that account ? theoph. ay well said , this would be to the purpose with a witness : but thanks be to god , there 's no such talk as this in all the bible . philal. but give me leave to offer to you another interpretation of the and verses : why doth he yet finde fault , for who hath resisted his will ? i. e. why doth he now finde fault , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be so rendered , for it signifieth jam as well as adhuc ) for who hath disobeyed his law ? why is he so angry with us , and resolved so severely to punish us ? for we are so far from refusing obedience to his law , that it is onely our zeal for that , which makes us reject your christian religion . then saith the apostle , nay but , o man , who art thou that replyest against god ? shall the thing formed ? &c. i. e. you may be ashamed of that sawcie and profane answer : for may not god your creator impose what laws he pleaseth on you ? is he bound never to abrogate the law given by moses to you , and to require your obedience to no other ? and then it followeth , hath not the potter power over the clay ? &c. and therefore why may not god , for your obstinate disobedience to his son jesus , as zealous as you are for the law of moses , of a glorious nation dignified with extraordinary priviledges , make a base and contemptible people of you ; and continuing in unbelief , make your condition far worse too in the other world ; as well as the potter , when he findes a piece of clay untractable , so that it will not be made a fine vessel , doth make a courser , and one for a mean use , of it ? theoph. this exposition of yours is ingenious , and for ought i know the truest ; if either there can be found a good connexion between the verse , and those so interpreted ; or the verse be related not so much to these , as to the verse . philal. but whatsoever meaning the apostle had in some verses of this chapter , the oftener i read it , the more am i convinced , that there is not a syllable of any such doctrine as that you have been disproving to be found there : and that he saith nothing to prove either esau or his posterity to be put into a desperate condition , by gods decrees , concerning their eternal state ; but onely that the seed of iacob were distinguished from that of esau by the enjoyment of far greater priviledges in this world . nor that he asserts any other reprobation of the jews , than that which their wilful rejection of the messiah , and his gospel , was the cause of . theoph. no , nor yet , as i said , doth the apostle say , that they were in a hopeless condition as to their eternal salvation , notwithstanding their unbelief ; but onely that upon this account god had passed an irreversible decree for the rejection of them considered as a nation . for the conversion of any particular persons among them , is not asserted to be absolutely impossible ; but all that may be proved from any of his words is , that gods purpose to cast them off so far as that they should be no more a distinct nation or body politick , was unchangeable . philal. i have been often told that the most ancient fathers were not so eagle-eyed as to espie that doctrine either in this chapter , nor yet elsewhere . theoph. several , nay most of them , most plainly , i assure you , contradict it in their writings in the plainest expressions ; as i am prepared to shew you at large , whensoever you shall please to desire me . and this is so true , that you know they are suspected by many of that doctrine which was since their days called pelagianism , though without sufficient ground ; if at least the pelagian doctrine were what it is now commonly represented to be ; but it is not certainly known what it was . philal. this alone is almost a demonstration to me , that the apostles never preacht this doctrine : for those fathers living so near their days , 't is not easily conceivable how they should so unanimously concur in mistaking their sence , they being in far better circumstances to understand it , than we that are at such a distance from them . theoph. but how is it imaginable then , that they should run so soon from one extreme to another , as they must have done , if the forementioned suspicion of some be true . but however , i can by no means understand how it should come to pass , that those fathers of the church that almost immediately succeeded the apostles , should in such a point as this , ( which is pretended to be so clearly revealed ) depart from them . iustin martyr wrote his apology for the christians but fifty years after st iohn's death , as appeareth by the apology it self ; i mean that written to the emperour , senate , and people of rome ; for therein he tells them , that it is now one hundred and fifty years since christ's nativity ; and st iohn died according to both eusebius and st hierom sixty eight years after his passion ; and therefore a or after his birth . now iustin in several of his undoubted books expresly contradicteth that doctrine ; and so he doth particularly in his first apology , viz. that to antoninus pius ; which the forementioned eusebius and st hierom say was the first , though it be set in the second place . the like also doth athenag●ras who was iustin's equal ; and irenaeus frequently , who was scholar to polycarpus , who was scholar to st iohn the evangelist . and i can give you many more instances , as tatianus , tertullian , clemens alexandrinus , origen , &c. but that this is a most plain and confessed case . philal. this doctrine , as it hath of late years been stated , ( as i have been informed ) was never known till fourteen hundred years after our saviours birth ▪ in the christian world . theoph. but i assure you , philalethes , whosoever told you so , misinformed you : for that which is as like to it as an egg is to an egg , or milk to milk , was held and taught in the first ages of the church . philal. you seem now to contradict what you last said . theoph. no , but i do not . philal. by whom was it taught then ? theoph. by the old gnosticks ; as you will see if you consult irenaeus , and origens philocalia : where you have them urging the very same scriptures for it , that are now urged ; and by those fathers , but especially by origen , you shall find them answered . and by this means it was that the first fathers were so express in declaring themselves in this matter . philal. those gnosticks ( as ancient as they were ) are but a slender credit to that cause they are found friends to . theoph. they were ( as i can largely shew you ) the most monstrous hereticks that ever the christian church was infested with , from its first plantation to this very day ; as many other vile ones as there have been : and they were as horribly prophane devils also , as ever the earth bore : and the doctrine of men's being under an irresistible fate of being wicked and miserable , or good and happy , was their great encouragement so to be , as appeareth by their being so concerned for the propagation of it . nor were they so meal-mouthed as to stick at declaring the too natural sequel from it that all good men abominate , viz. that god is the author of sin : as also that other which all such must abominate also , that understand it , viz. that all vertue and vice are made so by arbitrary laws ; and founded in the divine will ; that is , that they are meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , only imaginary things , and nothing in themselves . well , philalethes , it is high time to have done with this , we are gotten into a large field , and scarcely know how to get out of it . the truth is , i did not think , when we entered on this discourse , to be held in it one quarter of this time ; but one word hath insensibly drawn on another ; and indeed we may as easily persist in it twice thus long . let us therefore bethink our selves , and proceed to what remaineth . philal. i shall only desire first to mind you of a passage i have read in the life of the most judicious and pious mr ioseph mede , written by the learned dr worthington , and affixed to his elaborate works ; which is this : if at at any time ( as it was said of st paul at athens ) his spirit was stirred in him , it was when he observed some to contend with an unmeasurable confidence , and bitter zeal , for the black doctrine of absolute reprobation , upon which occasion he could not forbear to tell some of his friends , that it was an opinion he could never digest ; being herein much of dr jacksons mind , that generally the propugners of such tenets were men resolved in their affections of love and hatred , both of which they exercised constantly , and violently , and according to their own tempers , made a judgment of god and his decrees . several more passages relating to the same matter , you may ( if you have not already ) there also read ; which shew his judgment in this particular ; as much a calvinist as he was accounted . theoph. he therein shewed himself to be of his mother the church of england's temper ; who injoyns us , in her article , to receive gods promises in such wise , as they are generally set forth to us in holy scriptures . and now let us return to those sons of hers , that were the occasion of all this talk. and take notice , that as in this last , so in divers other of those points , about which there hath been so great a contest , and which have raised such feuds and animosities betwixt protestants , their moderation is very remarkable . for they have not ( as hath been too general a practice ) endeavoured to run as far from their adversaries as possibly they could ; but carefully observing what truth may be found in their opinions , and heedfully separating it from what they conceive erroneous in them , they have , i say in some more , which with too great heat have been controverted among us , steered a middle course ; which time will not admit me now to inlarge upon , and therefore i will not so much as instance in them . philal. therefore it is no great wonder , that it fares with them , as usually it doth with those that endeavour to part a fray , that they are beaten on both sides , and exclaimed against by the hot men of the several extreams . theoph. but whomsoever they dissent from , there are none they can worse brook , than the monopolizers of truth to a party , or those that make the judgments of such , as they most admire , the standards of it . nor will an ipse dixit be admitted by them as a sufficient argument to prove any doctrine by , if it be understood of any but god himself : they not thinking the wisest and best of men , or churches either , as priviledged from a possibility of being deceived . they therefore look upon it as very unreasonable , for any to go about to knock down their adversaries with humane authorities , and to deprive each other of their liberty to judge for themselves . philal. this is so great a fault , that it is not possible any protestant should be guilty of it , and not contradict his own professed principles . for do we not all most highly condemn the practice of the roman church , in erecting an infallible chair for the judicial deciding of controversies in religion , and to give men the true sense of scripture ? theoph. and upon the same grounds , that all protestants complain of that corrupted church ; these persons greatly blame those , whose practice is in this particular , like to theirs : and that while they inveigh against the pope , make popes of themselves ; or of the masters of their several sects ; and so intrench , as he doth , upon god's authority . philal. but i perceive , there are those among our selves that seem , by their talk , to lay no less weight upon the judgment of the church , than the papists themselves do . theoph. but i would gladly hear them speak out , and tell us what church they mean. surely they cannot mean the church of england ; for if she be infallible , it is more than she knows or believes her self ; for whoever reads her articles , may swear she renounceth all claim to infallibility . but if she did not , how miserably would she be baffled out of her pretence thereto by her sons arguments against the infallibility of the church of rome ? philal. i suppose they mean the truly ancient , catholick and apostolick church . theoph. very good ; but where shall we look for her decrees ? if it be said in the writings of the apostles ; we will cry up the churches infallibility , and believing as she believeth as much as any . but then , who shall judge of the true sense of those writings , in matters disputable ? philal. surely they say more than so . theoph. will they say , that the churches judgment is to be found in the ancient fathers ? but we are like to be but sorrily helped by that means too , they differing so much among themselves , as 't is well known they do ; and there being but few things , if any , besides such as are most plainly revealed , wherein they are all unanimous . and in such points , why may not we also be unanimous , and that as well without their help as with it ? philal. but there are some that cry up the four first oecumenical councils , as our great standard ; and assert that their determinations ought to be by all acquiesced in . theoph. but there are few controverted points determined by them ; what then shall we do as to all other ? but besides , what assurance have we that those councils ascribed infallibility to themselves ? but suppose they did , must we believe them infallible upon their own bare word ? if any will assert so , they must prove it , except we are bound to believe them as infallible as those councils ; and if they undertake to prove this , who shall judge whether they do it well or no ? they must say every man 's own reason , or hold their peace ; and if so , then all is at last to be thereinto resolved . nor is it any mens saying that general councils are infallible , that will cause considerative men one jot the sooner to embrace their decrees , unless their understandings be first convinced by a proof of it . if any will say , that those councils proved themselves , or shall for them go about to prove that they were infallible ; the same question recurrs , who shall judge whether this be done convincingly ? and so the matter comes again to the same issue . philal. but you do not contemn the authority of those councils ? theoph. i am so far from it , that i have a great veneration both for the ancient fathers , and all general councils that have been impartially called ; and whose members have been under no restraint , but were freely permitted to speak their minds , and give their suffrages ; but i must tell you , that such have been at most very rarely known . yet i will not ascribe more to such neither , than i have good reason for ; much less will i believe them infallible against plain reasons , too many to be now given . if i could think any so , i should be most inclined to believe it , of the great jewish sanhedrin , because the jews were expresly commanded to stand to their determinations ; but he that will say that council could not err , must renounce his christianity , and believe that it justly condemn'd our saviour . philal. what is the veneration then that you say you have for those councils ? theoph. i say , that we ought rather to suspect our own private judgments , than without very apparent reason to conclude their determinations false . and moreover , that it is our duty in order to the preserving of the churches peace , not publickly to oppose them , whatsoever opinion we have of them . for supposing them obnoxious to errour , yet i will grant them to have the authority of courts of appeal , and that their power is so great as to bind men to outward submission , when their errours are not so weighty as to preponderate the churches peace . but though we ought for peace-sake to submit to them , in all things that are not contrary to the great essentials of our faith ; yet ( as i said ) there is no warrant for our being obliged to assent to their decrees ( quatenus so ) as infallibly true . but for all this saying , neither i , nor those friends of ours ( who are all , i believe , of the same judgment in this point ) do no less value all general councils then doth our mother the church of england , as appears by what she saith of them in her article , whose words are these ; general councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes . and when they be gathered together , forasmuch as they be an assembly of men , whereof all be not governed with the spirit and word of god , they may erre , and sometime have erred , even in things pertaining unto god. wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation , have neither strength nor authority , unless it may be declared that they are taken out of holy scripture . and it will not be amiss to mind you also ; that in her article she declares not onely that the church of rome , but also that those of ierusalem , alexandria , and antioch have actually erred . by these citations you will easily guess , who are most of the church of england's judgment in this point ; whether we or those persons , whose talk we but now took notice of , and which occasioned this discourse . and the like to what was said of general councils , we also most heartily acknowledge concerning our own particular church , viz. that we are bound by no means to oppose the determinations of her governours and representatives in disputable matters ; nor do they ( as hath been shewn ) require our internal assent to their articles , but enjoyn our submission to them , as to an instrument of peace onely . and what wise and good man can think , though he should suppose them ( not only subject to error , but likewise ) to have actually erred in some of them , that contention about them can by any means make amends for the loss of the churches peace ? philal. it is too apparent that those which contend for an infallible judg of controversies in religion , are like to do no service towards the ending of them , but indeed so much disservice as to encrease them . seeing there is nothing more hard to prove , than that there is any such judge ; and , if there be , where he is to be found : and in the determining of this controversie , the reason of every mans own mind must be appealed to , except there be another judge to resolve us concerning that judge ; and again , another to satisfie us concerning him , and so we shall never have done . and i look upon this as a most certain argument , that our saviour never intended us any other , besides our own reason , assisted with his blessing ; for if he had , he would , no doubt , have been so plainly deciphered , as that there should be no dispute about him ; much less would that which was ordained for the churches peace , be an unavoidable occasion of contention . theoph. for my part , i see no need of any other judge , for the rule of our faith , the scripture , is in all essential points so plain , that we can not reasonably desire to have it plainer : and moreover , in such points , every private honest christian hath a promise of infallibility in the same sence , that the church representative hath . if any man will do his will , ( saith our saviour ) he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of god , john . . if ye continue in my words , then are ye my disciples indeed ; and ye shall know the truth , joh. . , . & several other promises there are to the same purpose . i grant , the church cannot err in fundamentals , while she continues so , for should she , she would , ipso facto , cease so to be ; and therefore the same is to be asserted also concerning every particular member of it . and as for circumstantials , why may not men dispute about them , and maintain peace and love notwithstanding ? what is there in not thinking just alike in doubtful matters , that should make people so much as angry with each other ? i like not , i confess , a disputatious wrangling and contradicting humour ; i despise nothing more ; it argues those , in whom it is observable , to have attained to no solid judgment or sense of things ; and besides , there is a deal of conceitedness and pride in it , and too much , ordinarily , of a cross-graind and ill nature . but amicable disputes sometimes , meerly in order to the finding out of truth , can have no other than a good effect : and moreover , they add much to the pleasure of conversation . and therefore let the professors of christianity labour for the true spirit and temper of christians ; and it will be as well with the christian world , as if we were all of the same mind . i mean , let us not magisterially impose upon one another , and be so charitable as to believe well of dissenters from us that live good lives , are of a modest and peaceable deportment , and hold no opinions , that directly oppose the design of the christian religion , and of making men like to god ; and then we shall see , that there will be little reason to desire an infallible judge of controversies , to make us all of one opinion . so that by this pleading for one , ( the case standing as it doth ) there is no hope of having an end put to them , but by this means ( as you said well ) is there another controversie added to the rest ; and this alone , except it were more plainly decidable than it is , may cause as much wrangling , as the church is now disturbed with . so that , philalathes , those friends of ours cannot but judge it a piece of tyranny , too near of kin to that of the cruel procrustes , for any to endeavour to force others to be just of their pitch and size in opinions , and to approve of their sentiments . philal. and well they may : for by this means , though men may make hypocrites , and cause some to profess what they do not believe , yet they can never make any sincere converts ; but rather so much the more alienate dissenters , both in their judgments and affections , from their religion . theoph. there cannot be a more effectual course taken so to do , than this is . and though men of some tempers may not be able to contain themselves from over-much warmth in managing a dispute ; yet it is no less unreasonable to malign our brethren , because they are not in every thing , or in several things of our judgment , than to quarrel with each other , upon the account of the unlikeness we observe , in our faces and constitutions . philal. 't is , surely , utterly unwarrantable , and most unaccountable to censure and condemn those persons as hereticks , that dissent from us in any matters , not very clearly revealed in scripture , for no other reason , but because they do so . it being very evident , that where its sence is doubtful , we have a liberty of thinking one way or other : and that we are not so much as culpable in misunderstanding such places as are capable of various interpretations , if we are not wanting to our selves in our endeavours to understand them ; if we suffer not our selves to be lead by parties , prejudices , and the like , in our enquiries after truth . theoph. our understandings are not free , as are our wills ; but the acts of them are natural and necessary : nor can they judge but according to the evidence that is presented . the understanding is like the the eye , which cannot apprehend the object , but as it offereth it self ; nor can it otherwise judge of objects , than the nature of the reasons that are offered will endure . philal. but theophilus , though that faculty can never properly deserve blame , when it is deceived ; yet mens wills may , and i fear often do ; and that many suffering them to lie under the power of prejudice , and to be governed by some inordinate affection , are by that means careless of providing their understandings with due helps for making a true judgment . theoph. you say well ; but this no man can be a competent judge of in any one that doth not declare it by unwarrantable practising upon his opinions ; and therefore to be incensed against men meerly for not being of our mind , and not having the same thoughts that we have in uncertain points , may be to find fault with the make of their intellectuals , and to condemn them for that which they cannot help . philal. if our saviour had laid such great weight , as too many nowadayes do , on such things ; if he had made a right understanding and belief of them a necessary condition of salvation , we may be assured that the love he beareth to man-kind , would have caused him to speak most plainly , and to have taken a course that his apostles should do so likewise , where it is of such infinite importance not to mistake his meaning . theoph. there is no doubt to be made of it . now then i say , philalethes , that those divines , from these considerations , and such like , are not at all forward to conclude any man an heretick , or erring damnably , that is of a perswasion contrary to theirs ; supposing his opinions do not so evidently contradict the scriptures , as that it is unimaginable how any should not see it , that do not purposely shut their eyes . and can hope well of any one , notwithstanding his mistakes , if they be not inconsistent with true goodness , and have no bad influence upon his practice . they are so perswaded of the graciousness of the divine nature , that they verily believe that simple errors shall be destructive to none , i mean , those which men have not contracted by their own default ; and that where mistakes proceed not from evil affections , and an erring judgment from a corrupt heart , through the goodness of god , they shall not prove damnable . but that he will allow , and make abatements for the weakness of mens parts , their complections , educations , and other ill circumstances , whereby they may be even fatally inclined to certain false perswasions . philal. i remember , to this purpose , a good saying of the learned and pious chillingworth , in his excellent book against the papists . i am ( saith he ) verily perswaded , that errors shall not be imputed to them as sins , who use such a measure of industry in finding truth , as humane prudence , and ordinary discretion ( their abilities and opportunities , their distractions and hindrances , and all other things considered ) shall advise them to . theoph. 't is a saying , like one of that brave persons , who had he lived till these dayes , would most assuredly have been branded with the hateful long name , as he was before his death ; with those of papist and socinian ( and which adds to the wonder ) for the sake of that his book . philal. i scarcely ever more admired at any thing , then at the character i have read of that piece . theoph. as vile a book as not only all papists , but some also that would be thought no friends to them think it ; i am sure he would do a very excellent piece of service , ( which all good protestants would have cause to thank him for ) that would take the pains to translate it into the latin tongue . i think it great pitty that it should be kept lockt up in our own language . but to proceed , as that gentleman was not , so these also we are speaking of , are not at all forward to give a catalogue of fundamentals ; but instead thereof , content themselves to tell their hearers , that it is sufficient for any mans salvation , that he assent to the truth of the holy scriptures , that he carefully endeavour to understand their true meaning , so far as concerns his own duty , and to order his life accordingly . and that he whose conscience tells him , upon an impartial inquiry into himself , that he doth thus , need not fear that he erreth damnably . but into the number of the doctrines , they account fundamentals , they will by no means admit any , that are not plainly revealed , as hath been already intimated , with the reason why . and for the same reason they doubt not , but that according to mens various capacities , means of knowledge , and such like ; the same points of faith may be to some fundamental , and to others not : i mean , may be necessary to be known , and explicitely believed by some , but not so by others ; which was likewise before in effect said . philal. well , theophilus , you have imparted to me , i thank you , very excellent principles . without doubt they would be greatly effectual to the cementing of our present differences , and healing our lamentable wide breaches , if they were generally entertained by christians , and improved . what a brave world should we have , would we but all practise upon such principles ? this would be the way to unite those in affection , that differ in opinion . theoph. and this would be the way too , to make far fewer differences in opinion : for then would not men be superstitiously fearful of impartially examining those doctrines , the truth of which , they now think it a sin so much as to call in question . and by this means , taking all those they have been instructed in for granted , there is little hope of ever undeceiving them . these principles , being well digested , will likewise mightily quiet mens minds , and cure them of all tormenting fears , of their being out of the true way to blessedness , while they are not conscious to themselves of living in the allowance of any known sin , or neglect of any such duty , that they seek truth impartially , and adopt not any opinion , in order to the gratifying of any corrupt affection . philal. they will certainly unshakle , and disintangle mens minds and give them their due liberty ; they will enlarge and widen their souls , and make them in an excellent and most commendable sence , men of latitude . theoph. you make me smile at that conceit . but yet , philalethes , as excellent and very useful as they are , and must needs appear to be , to any one that will give himself leave to consider them , those friends of ours , by their endeavours to propagate them , have procured to themselves enemies of divers sorts . their thus doing , vexeth to the heart all peremptory and magisterial dictators of whatsoever party they be : this whets the tongues of those against them , whose great ambition it is to lead , & of those no less , that take as great pleasure in being led , and in following blind-fold either some particular men , or certain church . philal. concerning these latter , it may be said , ( as tacitus doth of some ) that they are , natiad servitutem , born to be slaves ; and think bondage a great blessing : for otherwise how could they be so highly displeased with the charity of those that would set them free ? i presume , theophilus , that it might be upon this account that so much choler discovered it self in a reverend doctor , ( whose years alone , it might be thought , should have taught him much more discretion ) and provoked the angry man , not very long since , to shoot from the pulpit most dreadful thunderbolts against these divines , in a learned auditory . theoph. there are those that suspect , that 't was envy chiefly that put him upon taking so much vain pains to render them odious to gentlemen too wise , to do other than pity him for his labour ; he finding himself ( as great as he thinks his own deserts ) less regarded , than some of those vile persons . moreover , philalethes , thence it is that some who have more zeal than discretion , ( and i wish i had not cause to say more passion and pride than either ) do inveigh against them as those , that are so far from true sons of the church , that they are her enemies , and undermine her ; and more dangerous people than the worst of sects . and thence it is that others too , who are of the same temper , though of a contrary faction , joyn with these in accusing them as men luke-warm in the cause of god , and unconcerned for the orthodox religion ; nay such as are so far from contending earnestly for the faith once given to the saints , that they expose it , and endanger the loss of it . philal. i think in my conscience , they take the only course to preserve it . but it seems those men take it for granted , in the mean time , that those opinions they are pleased to call theirs , must needs be of no less account with god , than with themselves ; and that those they think good to brand with the black mark of fundamental heresies , cannot be otherwise ; and that there can be no effectual confuting of them , but when the persons that hold them are cursed with bell , book , and candle , and have the severest and most dismal of sentences past upon them . part iii theoph. you may be sure of it . but is it not time , think you , philalethes , to acquaint you with those divines judgment in matters of discipline ? philal. yes , if you think so . theoph. come on then . this following , be you assured , is a true account thereof . namely , that to all forms of ecclesiastical government , they greatly prefer that of episcopacy ; because it is apparent that so much as is essential to that government , did universally take place in the church presently after the apostles times , and therefore it is very probable that it was also in their dayes : it being hardly conceivable , that so great an alteration as that of presbyterian , or congregational to episcopal government , could in a little time have prevailed over all the world , and have continued for so many ages together , if it had been otherwise . philal. how much do they or you conceive to be essential to episcopacy , and therefore agreeable to the primitive pattern ? theoph. mr. chillingworth shall answer you that question . if we abstract ( saith he ) from episcopal government all accidentals , and consider onely what is essential and necessary to it ; we shall find in it no more than this : an appointment of one man of eminent sanctity , and sufficiency to have the care of all the churches , within a certain precinct or diocess ; and furnishing him with authority ( not absolute or arbitrary , but regulated and bounded by laws , and moderated , by joyning to him a convenient number of assistants ) to the intent that all the churches under him may be provided of good and able pastors : and that both of pastors and people conformity to laws , and performance of their duties may be required , under penalties , not left to discretion , but by law appointed . philal. by the account you have given me of those divines , i am confident they do not unchurch those churches that will not admit of this government , as highly as they themselves approve of it . theoph. if they should , they would be very inconsistent with their own principles . but let me tell you , they cannot but look upon it as very desirable , that those few churches that refuse it , would receive it , upon more accounts than that of its great antiquity . i need not tell you , that they moreover believe the civil magistrate to have a power , both legislative and judiciary , as well in sacred , as in civil affairs . philal. but this will not be admitted by many protestants , any more than by the papists themselves . theoph. i know it will not ; and that some very fiercely talk against it , where they think they may do it safely , but they bewray too much ignorance in so doing . for ( as the learned author of the ancient liberty of the britannick church hath shewn ) as fathers of families were at first both princes and priests , and as by the encrease of families , and their enlargement into cities and communities , the oeconomick authority at length became politick : so it is apparant , that in the first institution of priesthood , moses took away no part of the supream jurisdiction from the politick authority ; for he , as king of iesurun , was constituted by god himself the keeper , as well of both trumpets , as tables . and as moses , not aaron , delivered the ceremonial law ; so long after moses , king david , instituted the courses of priests , and solomon thrust out abiathar the high priest. and when christ inaugurated his apostles , he furnisht them with great powers of his own , such as the administration of sacraments , and the power of the keys ; but all that he bestowed on them , he did it cumulatively , and nought at all privitively ; for he detracted nothing from the authority of the civil power ; nor gave any commandment that kings , because christians , should have their jurisdiction abated . but you may find this subject excellently , and more fully handled , in the former part of the discourse of ecclesiastical polity , lately publisht . philal. seeing , theophilus , those divines are of those good subjects , that heartily acknowledge the kings majesty to be supream governour , in these his dominions , in all causes , as well ecclesiastical as civil ; they must needs likewise believe , that the church government he hath constituted , may not without the guilt of rebellion be violently opposed , or of sedition , be in any kind affronted by any of his subjects . theoph. you may be assured of it , philalethes , of any ( as well as them ) that are not next door to mad-men . and these our friends acknowledge also , that it is in the power of the governours of the church to compose forms of prayer to be used in publick ; and such rites as they in their wisdom shall conceive most proper for the decent , orderly and reverend solemnizing of divine worship : and that it is the duty of all under their authority to submit to the use of such forms ; supposing the matter of them be agreeable to the holy scriptures , and that they are directed onely and immediately to god in the name of christ ; and that they ought to conform to those rites , so long as they are of an indifferent nature , and not imposed as necessary in themselves , or essential parts of worship , or to recommend the worshippers to god , and make their service accepted , or to convey grace , or as laying an antecedent bond upon the judgment , as well as on the practice ; but only as things alterable , and in their own nature indifferent : and such they conceive the forms of prayer , now enjoyned , to be ; and the other rites of our church ; and to be no otherwise than as such imposed . philal. but do they not likewise hold that governors are obliged not only to make choice of such rites as are in their own nature indifferent ; and to impose them as such , but also to beware how they enjoyn any , that they are not on good grounds assured are for edification ? theoph. this is out of doubt : and i presume they also believe ; that no rites may be enjoyned , that are known to be but by accident , and the infirmity of the people generally inconvenient . but yet though governors should miscarry in the discharge of their duty , they question not but that the people are bound to obey them , while they command nothing but what is lawful , though it should be inconvenient . philal. that command of the apostle ; obey them that have the rule over you in the lord , hath no such limitation as this annexed , [ when they command things convenient . ] we are also required to submit to every ordinance of man , for the lords sake : whether it be to the king as supream , or unto governors , as those that are sent by him . theoph. nor ought that limitation to be implyed in these or the like precepts : for that , though those that are under authority ought to judge for themselves what is lawful ; yet it is most unreasonable , that the judgment of what is convenient , should not be left to their governors . philal. nothing is more apparent , than that if the people should have this liberty , it would tend to the invalidating of all laws , and utter subversion of government . theoph. that 's certain : therefore these divines , though they could heartily wish that nothing may be injoyned in the worship of god among us , but what ( considering the very outward circumstances we are in ) may be as expedient as lawful ; yet they esteem it as unquestionably true , that the people ought to obey , even in those things that the magistrate should not command : and that a certain duty ( and such is obedience to authority ) may not be forborn upon uncertain conjectures , or any miscarriage in those to whom they owe it . the mischiefs of contending with governors about supposed inconvenient things , being incomparably greater , than any that can follow upon obedience in such things . philal. by what you have said , i easily guess what opinion they have of that conceit , that hath of late years been broached and practised upon , viz. that when the supream magistrate refuseth to reform what is amiss in church or state ; the subjects ought to take that work into their own hands . * theoph. do you only guess at it ? you may be most certain , that they judge no fancy more wild and mad , nor of more pernicious consequence . and know also that they profess unfeignedly to believe ( as well as subscribe to it ) that it is unlawful for the people to take up arms against their prince , or those commissionated by him , upon any pretence whatsoever . i need not now inform you , philalethes , whom by their forementioned moderation , they greatly offend : you know that also upon that account they are condemned by some ; who without any reason take themselves to be the only sons of the church , as false friends to her : and that as by acknowledging no more , they anger that extream ; so , by granting so much , they no less displease the other . but to proceed : these persons are not more for obedience to all lawful commands of authority , than desirous that mercy and indulgence should be shewn towards those whose consciences will not permit them to comply with the will of their governours in some things disputable . philal. but do they not conceive it to be most unfit , that seditious practices should pass unpunisht ? theoph. yes that they do : and do believe that those dissenters from the establisht way of religion , ought not to be esteemed or dealt with as men of tender consciences , who are not quiet and peaceable , modest and charitable in their behaviour towards those , that are not of their way and mind : and that think it not enough , not to obey ; but they must needs be likewise confronting authority ; and refuse to yeeld obedience in those things against the lawfulness of which there can be no pretence , that carrieth any shew of reason . philal. i suppose they cannot but look upon it as extreamly desirable , that ( if our governours shall see it good ) the tearms of communion with the church of england , and likewise of exercising the ministerial function therein , may be so inlarged , as to take in all that are of any reason , sobriety and moderation . theoph. i wonder that all wise men should not ; it being so very plain a case , that this would tend exceedingly to the churches security , and the strengthening of her hands against unreasonable , ill-minded , and wild-headed men of divers sorts , who would rejoyce in nothing more , than in her utter ruine , and are ready to catch at all advantages to effect it . and for that end , i presume they would be very glad , if our church doors were set wider open , i mean , if some things that most offend were taken out of the way ; and that no such weight may be laid on any little things , as that they should be insisted on , to the endangering those of an higher nature , and hazarding the churches prosperity and peace . and particularly , that there might be no expressions in our forms of prayer , that contain disputable & uncertain doctrines ; and so give occasion to those that are dissatisfied concerning the truth of them , to refuse to joyn with us in those forms : and in a word , that there might be nothing in our ecclesiastical constitution , that may give any plausible pretence for separation or non-conformity . this , i say , they cannot , i am perswaded , but heartily desire , but with submission to the wisdom of their governors . and now , philalethes , i have performed my promise of giving you an impartial representation of those our friends ; and i pray tell me your thoughts , in a few words , upon the whole matter . philal. from the account you have , i thank you , given me , i cannot but confidently conclude , that were many more tongues let loose against them than there are ; there would need no other solution of the phoenomenon , than that of the philosopher , a wise man is the greatest prodigy . and i believe them the only sort of men , that are in any likely-hood of , or qualified for the repairing of our present dangerous breaches , and curing our very ill presaging animosities . theoph. for my part , i must profess to you , that i could scarcely perswade my self once to hope , that there may be any prevention of our utter confusion , but that it hath pleased the divine providence to raise up among us so considerable a number of such good spirited and generously minded persons , the thoughts whereof are my best antidote against despondence . philal. that they chiefly design the propagation of truth , and true goodness , and not any private selfish interest , from what hath been said i have cause to conclude : for the practices and principles that distinguish them from other men , have never yet , in any times , been the way to raise any ; but the contrary . theoph. 't is certain they have not . and the great reason why the bigots of our several parties , do chiefly set themselves against them , must needs be because they are aware , that of all their other adversaries , there are none that do them so much disservice as do these , by shewing , that those things they raise such a dust about , and make such a hideous stir and noise , signifie nothing ( what ere they pretend ) to the promoting of true religion , the advancement of christ's kingdom , and the real and true welfare of his church , but are available only to the carrying on of such little , narrow , and low designs as the making & strengthning of sects and parties , and gaining to themselves greatness and popularity . those high and hot gentlemen know very well , that if these persons principles should once get good footing among the people , they must either grow more cool in those matters that do most exercise their zeal , or there will be little for them to do . philal. the truth is , those men trouble themselves most about matters which ( as an excellent person saith ) are neither religion , nor the body of religion , nor scarcely the garment of the body of religion ; but are rather the fringes of the garment of the body of religion . they are things , or rather circumstances and manners of things , wherein the soul and spirit are not at all concerned . theoph. but yet as great an antipathy as those kind of men profess against these persons ; i observe there are prudent and moderate men in some of the parties , that have a reverend esteem of them , and look upon them as men very valuable . which sober persons are no less honoured and loved by them also ; between whom the difference in opinion is so inconsiderable , that it is pity there should be any distinction of names between them . philal. and if the generality of each of our parties were as true to the cause of christ jesus , and so self-denying , as to prefer his interest before their own ; i question not but that they and their principles , would find incomparably more friends among them , than they do now enemies . theoph. but whereas i now spake of the distinction of names , i must desire you to take notice , that if others were not better at coining them , than these our friends are , they would be known by no other than the good old antiochian one , viz. christians , or ( if they must have one that is more discriminating ) obedient sons of the church of england . philal. to which church i cannot better express the sincerity of my affection , than by wishing that all those who are ambitious of being accounted her most genuine off-spring , were of the temper and principles of these here children , if they were , i doubt not but that her circumstances would be far less sad than now they are . theoph. nay it is not at all then improbable , but that in due time , her condition ( as seemingly desperate as at present it is ) may be very good . i need not tell you , philalethes , that these mens temper and free principles are of no late standing ; for they are no whit younger than christianity it self , nor yet than the blessed founder of it : who , were he now upon the earth , and conversant here among us , would , i doubt , narrowly escape the reproach of the long name , as much as those that in spite and contempt use it , pretend to be his only friends and followers . for i might shew in several instances , that it was upon the account of his being such a one , as they are accused for being , that the zealous pharisees could by no means endure him . as particularly his free conversation , void of all sourness , starchtness , & affectation ; his condemning their ostentatious shews of sanctimony , their base censuring and judging , their scrupulous straining at gnats , when in the mean time they swallowed camels : their teaching for doctrines the commandments of men , and making more species or kinds of duties and sins than god hath made ; their zeal for mens traditions , more than for gods commandments : their great exactness in little things ; such as tything mint , anice , and cummin ; and preferring them before the weightier matters of the law , judgement , mercy and faith ; their placing religion mostly in externals ; their cloaking their naughtiness with long prayers ; their accounting themselves defiled by any thing without them , &c. and moreover his forbidding to call none master upon earth , or to pin their faith on any mens sleeves : his freely and ingenuously shewing them wherein the power of godliness consisteth , viz. in inward purity and holiness : and preaching up only an inward , real and truly moral righteousness . philal. and to be sure the apostles did in all things follow the example of their great master . theoph. yes , no question , as far as they were able : and among other , it may be shewn they did so in such instances as the forementioned . and , i fear , were they alive now , that there are many pretended christians that would quickly change their opinion of them , and upon such accounts carry themselves towards them ( as much as now they profess to admire them ) as our saviour intimated to the jews , they would towards the prophets , were they then living , as great honour , as in garnishing their sepulchres , and otherwise they professed to have for them . and for many years after our saviour and his apostles , did the temper and spirit we have been describing , mightily prevail : but as the christian world grew worse and worse , which was especially after it came to be freed from persecution , and to enjoy rest and prosperity , it more and more decayed : and the generality of christians grew miserably narrow soul'd , and contentious with each other about little matters , and rigorously to impose their own private conceits upon their brethren , and pronounce those hereticks that would not receive and admit of them : to lay a greater stress upon that which they pleased to call orthodoxy , than upon an innocent and holy life : to evaporate religion into meer air and speculations : to burthen the worship of god with unprofitable & needless ceremonies ; and by overmuch pomp and gaudery , to rob it of its primitive simplicity and spirituality : and in a word , quite to forget the great end and design of christ's gospel . so that the excellent spirit we awhile since commended , seems to be utterly lost in those places where the bishop of rome bears the sway ; the very great decay of it being that to which he was first beholden for his power . but , blessed be god , it hath been much revived in the churches , which have thrown off his yoak ; though there are yet but few in these neither , in whom it is in that measure and degree discernable , that it was in the most ancient christians . and the generality of our greatest professors are still very defective in it : and even most good men in too many instances yet to seek for it . philal. if it were once , in some good measure , prevalent in the protestant world ; i am perswaded we should soon see those very blessed dayes , that have been so much talked of , and that all pious souls , and good christians long for . * theoph. i verily believe we should : and that we shall not much longer wait for the downfal of the visible antichrist , if the spiritual and invisible one , whose seat is erected in our own breasts , were once fallen . this being that which is like , as long as it continueth , to keep the other in his chair , in spight of all our prayers , and other endeavours to pluck him thence . but my dear philalethes , 't is high time now to conclude this discourse , and refresh our selves with a short supper : for we cannot but be both of us sufficiently tyred , and hungry too . philal. if i am tyred , then well may you . theoph. yes truly am i , and as sharp set , as one that hath lost his dinner . wee 'l therefore no longer exercise each others patience , than while we put up our most earnest prayer , that at length it may please the god of peace to guide all our feet into the way of peace : that he would give us teachable tempers , modest and meek spirits : and that the differences in our sentiments may cease to have so ill an influence upon our minds ; as to create such uncharitable heats among us , and unchristian animosities ; to the great dishonour of god ; the no less scandal and reproach of our most excellent religion , the raising of jealousies in our governours , the exposing our church and state to the common enemies , and the greatly endangering our immortal souls . that the profession and practice of christianity may not so rarely go hand in hand : and that we may place our religion in doing , rather than in talking and disputing : and may behave our selves as those that understand wherein the life and power of godliness doth indeed consist . that [ non magna loquimur sed vivimus ] may be ours , as it was the ancient christians motto , and that the old primitive spirit may now at last prevail among us . that we may not peremptorily pursue our own private humours , and the concerns of parties , and prefer them before indifferent and impartial enquiries after truth ; or oppose them to the publick peace , reason and interest . that we may hate a selfish , private spirit , as unworthy of the benignity , and generosity of the christian religion . and lastly , that we may contend with each other about nothing more , than who shall express , in the midst of our different perswasions , most charity and most candour . god grant that our jerusalem may at length be made a praise in the earth , by a confluence of these , infinitely above all other , desirable blessings . philal. amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e part i. i. the entrance into the discourse ii. the hateful character given by some to certain friends of theophilus & philalethes . iii. an argument of their being greatly abused in that character . iv. that character due to the broachers of hobbian doctrine . v. but that doctrine by none better confuted then by these men . vi. that preaching some of their adversaries doctrines might render them too well deserving that character in the judgment of over-critical persons . vii . another argument that they are abused . viii . theophilus undertaketh impartially to represent them ix . of their practices . x. of their conformity to the ecclesiastical laws . xi . the unreasonableness of censuring men upon the account of their conformity . xii . of their conversation . xiii . of their preaching . xiv . of their preaching the reasonableness of the christian precepts . xv. of the use of reason in matters of religion . xvi . cor. . . considered . xvii . one advantage that is gotten by demonstrating the reasonableness of christian duties . xviii . the consideration of the goodness of the doctrine of the gospel necessary to accompany that of miracles , to prove its divine authority . xix . of the testimony of the spirit to the truth of scripture . xx. theophilus his opinion concerning the inward testimony of the spirit . xxi . the believing of divine things a divine faith , whatever the motives thereunto are . xxii . of moral certainty . see the learned dr. stilling fleets excellent answer to the lo. archbp of canterbury's adversary , p. . xxiii . of the scriptures bearing testimony to it self . xxiv . a second advantage gotten by demonstrating the reasonableness of the precepts of the gospel . xxv . in what sence the precepts of the gospel are highly reasonable . xxvi . a description of reason . xxvii . the first proposition , shewing in what sence the precepts of the gospel are reasonable : with a brief demonstration that they are so . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. p . xxviii . the designe of the christian religion . xxix . the second proposition . xxx . a more particular demonstration of the reasonableness of the gospel-precepts . xxxi . almost all the duties enjoyned in the gospel commended by heathens . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. p. . xxxii . those vindicated from making the gospel but little better than a mere natural religion , that assert that reason alone is able to prompt to us most of the duties therein enjoyned . xxxiii . wherein the gospel excelieth all other religions . xxxiv . to say that what the gospel requireth is most sutable to reason , is highly to commend it , &c. xxxv . of their preaching the reasonableness of the points of meer belief . xxxvi . all the points of mere belief to be consistent with reason , somtimes proved by them . xxxvii that they do not endeavour to level all such points with mens capacities . xxxviii that they acknowledge incomprehensible mysteries in the christian religion . xxxix . that they prove the consistency of such points with reason , as they are delivered in scripture onely . xl. that they assert many speculative points to be also suitable to the dictates of reason . xli . an argument drawn from notions of the heathens to prove the most weighty points of faith suitable to the dictates of reason . xlii . of their style in preaching . xliii . of their making doctrines intelligible . xliv . a sort of men that are obscurers of the gospel . xlv . another sort of such . xlvi . of the perspicuity of scripture . xlvii . their opinion of powerful preaching . xlviii . of carnal and spiritual reason . xlix . a farther account of their preaching . l. of their being accused of preaching up onely a moral righteousness . li. in what sence they do not so , and in what sence they do . lii . no difference betwixt evangelical righteousness and that which is in the best sence moral . liii . to work in us such a moral righteousness the designe of the gospel . liv. a righteousness in no sence moral a contradiction . lv. of imputative righteousness ; and in what sence they believe and preach it . lvi . their notion of christs imputed righteousness . lvii . a false notion of it . lviii . the first mistake in that notion . lix . the second mistake . lx. a false definition of faith they confute in their preaching . preface to the mystery of godliness , p. . lxi . christs imputed righteousness no scripturephrase . lxii . some verses in the fourth to the romans considered . lxiii . s. james . . considered . lxiv . philippians . . considered . lxv . as high a favour to be dealt with as if we were perfectly righteous as to be so esteemed . dr. cudworth in his serm ▪ preached at lincolns inne . lxvi . the dangerous consequence of the antinomian doctrine about imputed righteousness . rom. . . lxvii . the antinomians opion of sin . lxviii . theophilus his charity for some antinomians . lxix . a defective definition of faith , that those divines preach against , and the ill consequence of it . lxx . a full definition of faith ill applied to the business of justifying . lxxi . a full and plain definition of faith used by those preachers . lxxii . of that doctrine of those preachers , that faith justifieth as it implieth obedience . lxxiii . an argument to prove that faith justifieth as it receivs christ quâ lord , as well as quâ saviour . lxxiv . the act of receiving christ quâ lord , to go before that of receiving him quâ priest. lxxv . how faith is distinguisht from repentance and other vertues , in the business of iustification . lxxvi . why justification is mostly ascribed to faith . lxxvii two acceptations of the word faith. lxxviii the vertue of faith variously expressed in scripture . lxxix . how faith justifieth . lxxx . the covenant of grace conditional . lxxxi . heb. . . considered . lxxxii men not without all power to co-operate with gods grace in their conversion . lxxxiii a middle way to be taken in giving account of mens conversion . lxxxiv faith the condition of the new covenant . lxxxv of their being accused for the foregoing doctrine , as holding justification by works , and enemies to gods grace . lxxxvi a digression concerning censuring men upon the account of their opinions . lxxxvii a vindication of the foregoing account of faiths justifying from being opposite to free grace . lxxxviii . a vindication of that doctrine from asserting justification by works in s. paul's sence . lxxxix . by works when opposed to grace or faith , new obedience never meant . xc . no crime to hold justification by works in s. james his sence . xci . s. paul's language not to be preferred before s. james his . notes for div a -e i. a more distinct account of their opinions . ii. of their judgment in doctrinals . iii. in what sence the church of england imposeth subscription to the articles . iv. the lord primate of ireland his testimony . v. what doctrines they most endeavor to confute . vi. philalethes his representation of gods nature . vii . consequences of opinions not to be charged on all those that hold them . viii . that they set themselvs against the doctrines of gods absolute decreeing mens sin and misery . ix . that those two are not to be separated . x. that those doctrines make their defenders assert two wills in in god , and the one contrary to the others ; by which means other sad consequences also follow . xi . of opposing gods secret to his reveled will. xii . that we must resolve to believe nothing at all , if we may believe nothing against which we cannot answer all objections . xiii . that the forementioned doctrine evidently contradicts our natural notions . xiv . which is the safest course in reconciling seemingly contradictory scriptures . xv. theophilus can believe no sence of scripture that doth contradict self-evident notions . xvi . of that opinion , that whatsoever god doth is therefore good and just because he doth it . xvii . what is the motive inducing the good men of that perswasion to go that way . xviii . those divines middle way between the calvinists and remonstrants . xix . this way proposed by catharinus at the council of trent . xx. how it came to pass that this way for some ages had fewest friends . xxi . this way a great ease to theophilus his mind . xxii . philalethes no less beholden to it ; which causeth theophilus to ask him some questions . xxiii . of free-will . xxiv . of the state of the heathens . xxv . that god hath ways , though they may be perfectly unknown to us , to clear the justice & goodness of his dealings with all mankind . xxvi . whether what must be acknowledged , to defend that middle way , tends to encourage security , &c. xxvii . that the doctrine discoursed against doth a world of mischief . xxviii . the test by which theophilus examines controverted points . xxix . of the great obscurity of s. paul's style in many places ; and the causes of it . xxx . a paraphrase upon several verses in the ninth to the romans . xxxi . how god is said to harden sinners . xxxii . philalethes offereth another interpretation of the & verses . xxxiii . that the most ancient fathers were enemies to absolute reprobation , with its concomitants . xxxiv . that the old gnosticks were great friends to it . xxxv . mr joseph mede his iudgment concerning this point . xxxvi . the church of england no favourer of it . xxxvii . the moderation of those divines in other matters of controversie which theophilus hath not time to insist upon , very remarkable . xxxviii . none more disliked by them than the monopolizers of truth to a party . xxxix . infallibility in the best of men , or churches , denyed by them . xl. of the infallibility of the church , and those protestants that seem to be sticklers for it . xli . of acquiescing in the four first oecumenical councils . xlii . what respect is due to councils . xliii . the church of england's sense of general councils . xliv . the determinations of our own church not to be opposed in matters disputable . xlv . an argument that christ intended us no infallible iudge of controversies . xlvi . private christians promised infallibility in the same sence that the church representative hath the promise of it . xlvii . of disputacity . xlviii . of friendly disputes . xlix . the way to peace . l. the mischief of contending for an infallible iudge . li. forcing others to be of ●●r mind tyrannical . lii . to condemn men for dissenting from us unwarrantable . liii . of those divines candour towards dissenters from them . liv. of mr. chilingworth's book . lv. of their opinion concerning fundamentals , and that they are not forward to give a catalogue of them . lvi . the use of the foregoing principles . lvii . that those divines procure to themselves enemies of divers sorts , by their endeavours to propagate those principles . notes for div a -e i. their judgment in matters of discipline . ii. that they prefer episcopacy to all other forms of church government . iii. how much essential to episcopacy . iv. that they unchurch not those churches that will not admit it , though they think it desirable that all would . v. their opinion of the power of the civil magistrate in sacred affairs . vi. that the civil magistrate hath a power both legislative and iudiciary in ecclesiastical affairs . vii . their opinion of the authority of the church . viii . that they believe magistrates are to be obeyed when they command things inconvenient , if lawful . * ix . that they judge it unlawful for the people to take arms against their prince on any pretence . x. that they are for shewing favour to dissenters out of conscience . xi . whom they conceive are not to be dealt with as men of tender consciences . xii . theophilus presumes that they would be glad , if some things that most offend were removed . xiii . philalethes his opinion upon the whole account . xiv . why the bigots of the several parties are mostly their enemies . xv. that it is pity there should be any distinction of name between them and the moderate men of some parties . xvi . what name they only desire to be known by . xvii . that their temper and free principles are of no late standing , &c. xviii . why the pharisees could not endure our saviour . xix . when the temper and spirit that have been described , began to decay in the christian world. xx. the pope beholden to the decay thereof for his power . xxi . that it is much revived in the protestant churches though the generality are still greatly defective in it . * xxii . if the invisible antichrist were once fallen , the visible one would quickly follow it . xxiii . the conclusion . a sermon preach'd at the church of st. mary le bow to the societies for reformation of manners, june , by edward lord bishop of gloucester. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preach'd at the church of st. mary le bow to the societies for reformation of manners, june , by edward lord bishop of gloucester. fowler, edward, - . p. printed for b. aylmer, london : . half title: the bishop of gloucester's sermon preached before the societies for reformation of manners, june , . reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- sermons. bible. -- n.t. -- ephesians vi, - -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the bishop of gloucester's sermon preached before the societies for reformation of manners . june . . a sermon preach'd at the church of st. mary le bow , to the societies for reformation of manners . june . . by edward lord bishop of gloucester . london : printed for b. aylmer , at the three pigeons in cornhil , . ephes. vi . , . with good will doing service , as to the lord , and not unto men : knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth , the same shall he receive of the lord ; whether he be bond or free. the design of these quarterly sermons being to encourage those worthy persons , who are entred into societies for reformation of manners , to persevere and abound more and more , in the extraordinary good work they are engaged in ; as also to excite others , in their respective stations , to follow their example : and it being moreover very seasonable , to discourse at this time of the principle , by which we ought to be acted in all our services ; and especially in a service of this high nature , i thought i could not make choice of a more proper subject for this occasion , than the words now read . i. we meet with in them a great duty : with good will doing service ; as to the lord , and not unto men. ii. a most perswasive motive thereto : knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth , the same shall he receive of the lord , &c. i. as to the duty . we find an injunction of the same , col. . . whatsoever you do , do it heartily ; as to the lord , and not unto men. with good will , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as 't is in the foregoing words , from the soul , i. e. most freely and chearfully . doing service , or any service you do , whether sacred or civil . whatsoever you do , as 't is in the parallel text. and these words do immediately relate to services of a mere civil nature , because they are in both places directed to servants of men , for their instruction in reference to their mean services particularly . but if even these are to be done as to the lord , much more should far higher services ; and most of all those which immediately relate to almighty god. as to the lord , and not unto men ; or , not as to men. i. e. having a greater regard to the lord than to men. this is an hebreism , which expresseth what is not to be done , but in a certain limited sence , as if it were not to be done at all : of which forms of speech there are in scripture abundance of instances . i will name but one , viz. those words of our saviour , labour not for the meat which perisheth , but for that meat which endureth to eternal life . and not unto men , i. e. for the pleasing of them , and obtaining from them a reward for your service . we will , in discoursing on these words , shew i. what is implyed in thus doing our services . ii. under what obligations we are thus to do them . i shall defer speaking to the motive , to the application . i. what is implyed in this doing our services as to the lord , &c. these three things are herein implyed , having a respect to god's command : and to his glory : and to both chiefly and principally . . having in our services a respect to god's command . to his command either particularly or in general , expresly or by evident consequence , requiring them . and therefore in the two verses before the text , servants are enjoyned to perform their services in singleness , or simplicity and sincerity , of heart , as unto christ. not with eye service as men pleasers , but as the servants of christ , doing the will of god from the heart . which is exprest in the verse before the other text by fearing god , — in singleness of heart , fearing ( or as fearing ) god. whatsoever service we are employed in without any consideration of the divine law , we are not therein obedient to god : obedience to him being not a mere doing what he requires , but doing it because he requires it ; under the notion of its being required by him. . herein is implyed doing our services , with respect also to the glory of god. to have respect to god's command , and to his glory , are different things ; so different , that the one may be without the other . as when a man obeys god from a slavish dread of him , as the poor americans worship the devil . or when obedience to the divine majesty proceeds from no higher a motive , than hopes to obtain thereby temporal blessings , or a sensual happiness in the other world ; such a sort of heaven as is the turkish paradise . but that our services ought to have regard to god's glory , as well as to his command , must necessarily be implyed in the text , in that our apostle expresseth it in that injunction of his , whether you eat or drink , or whatsoever you do , do all to the glory of god. or , make all your actions subservient , as far as they are capable of being so , to the honouring of god. the glory of god , which we so often read of in the h. scriptures , is the displaying of some or other of his glorious perfections ; or the making reasonable beings to feel or observe them in their effects . and we are said to glorifie him , when we are his instruments herein ; and when his moral perfections do shine in our selves ; which are those alone wherein we are inabled to imitate him , and which are called his image . these are his loving kindness , righteousness and holiness ; and may be all comprised in this one word goodness . to do good consequently from the love of goodness , is an instance of designing god's glory in the good we do ; as also to do good with a design to be like to god , and by this means to be qualified for the enjoyment of him. god glorifieth himself by exerting his goodness , or his power and wisdom in doing good , from the delight he takes therein . i am the lord , which exerciseth loving-kindness , judgement and righteousness in the earth ; for , or because , in these things i delight , saith the lord. jer. . . who is a god like unto thee , that pardon●th iniquity , and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage ! he retaineth not his anger for ever , because he delighteth in mercy , mic. . . thou art good , saith the psalmist , and dost good ; or , therefore thou dost good . because thou art good ; and what is god's being good , but his delighting in goodness ? loving-kindness & righteousness are too excellent things , to be exercised as a mere means to a farther end ; for these are the very best things ( as tully discourseth admirably in his book de naturâ deorum ) and as they are in god they are the divine nature it self , not as qualities in their subject . it may be said , that the same may be affirmed of the divine power and wisdom : that 's certain , but these perfections do concur to the constituting of the divine nature , as they are necessarily determined to the serving of the ends of loving kindness and righteousness ; as it is easie to demonstrate . and in saying , that god glorifieth himself in exerting his perfections in doing good , from the delight he takes therein , i say also , that we do glorifie him in herein resembling him. so that , in short , to have respect to god's glory in our services , is the same thing with being acted from a principle of love to god and goodness . of love to god , not considered meerly as good to us or ours , but chiefly as infinitely good in himself , & as unspeakable good to his whole creation . and he who loves goodness as such , with what is implyed therein , will so as we now said love god ; as he who so loves god , will necessarily love goodness as goodness . . to have regard to the command and the glory of god , chiefly and principally , must needs also be implyed in doing service as to the lord. this rather is expressed , in that it is said as to the lord and not unto men , or more to the lord than to men. but indeed it is too little a thing to say , that in all our services we are obliged to a merely greater regard to god than to men ; or than to the serving of any selfish worldly interest ; for nothing is more undoubted ( as will be shewn presently ) than that the serving and glorifying of god must be so the principal , as to be the ultimate end of all our services : such an end , as that whatsoever other ends we propose to our selves in them , should be intended to be subservient thereunto ; should be designed as means to the promoting thereof . for instance , our blessed saviour saith , let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good works ; or let the immediate end of your doing good works publickly be , that men may take notice of them : but in what follows , he saith , that their being taken notice of should be wholly designed as means to the glorifying of god , and glorifie your father which is in heaven . not to the having the praise of men , but to glorifie god , by doing credit to your religion , and so bringing the observers of your good works , to the embracing thereof , and to the following of your example ; whereby they will bring glory to god too . nay , the praise of men , or a good name , may very lawfully be designed in doing good works ; but then it is a bad end , a very bad one , when our motive thereto is the gratifying of fond imagination , and an ambitious humour ( for which our saviour so condemned the pharisees ) and not from a desire to be enabled to do the more good in the world , by the means of our good name , or the more to glorifie god. i proceed to shew , ii. under what obligations we are thus to perform our services as to the lord. i shall speak to three , and they are the greatest imaginable . . we are obliged hereunto , in that all we have , or are , is from god. all the faculties , abilities and powers , both bodily and spiritual , whereby we are fitted for any service ; all the means , opportunities & advatages we have for the doing of good ; nay , our very willingness to improve them for that purpose : these are all from god. what a devout acknowledgment doth k. david make of this ! chron. . . but who am i , and what is my people , that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort ? for all things come of thee , and of thine own have we given thee . and once more , all the good success of our endeavours is from god too . o lord ( saith the prophet ) i know that the way of man , is not in himself ; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps . it is not in man , either to do what is most eligible , for the bringing about this or that good design ; nor , when he is directed to the best and fittest means , to bring his affairs to a good issue . paul can but plant , apollos but water ; it is god alone that giveth the increase . now , who is not able , at first fight , to perceive the mighty force of the obligation which ariseth from hence , to do all his services as to the lord ? are we our selves , all our powers , all our opportunities for the doing of them , from god ? are we not sufficient of our selves , so much as to think any thing as of our selves ( as the apostle speaks ) but our sufficiency is of god ? is our very willingnefs to endeavour owing to the grace ( tho' not the irresistible grace ) of god ; and is all our success from his blessing ; and can any thing then be more evident , than that we are bound to have principally , and ultimately , an eye to him in them ? there is no first principle more apparent , than that the glory of him who is our first cause , and who is all in all to us , ought to be our last end. of him and through him , and to him are all things : to whom be glory for ever and ever , amen . rom. . ult . or , therefore to him be given glory by the whole universe for ever and ever . there is so inseparable a connexion between that premise and this inference , that they can not be parted by the divine power it self . especially since , . we are farther obliged hereunto , in that god made us and all things belonging to us , for the glorifying of himself ; the exerting and displaying of his glorious perfections . this consideration doth very much heighten our obligation to do all our services as to the lord. had he only made us , and placed us in the circumstances in which we are ; and then left it free to us ( which 't is impossible he should ) whether we would serve him , or not serve him , with our souls and bodies , his own gifts and blessings , we should notwithstanding be eternally obliged hereto by the law of gratitude : but when he hath given us our being , and all we enjoy , that we may glorifie him , we contradict the design of our great creator and benefactor in making us what we are , and doing as he hath done for us . i need not tell those who are acquainted with the divine oracles , that there had been no such creatures as our selves , but for this end. but were this never revealed , we are assured of nothing more from natural light , than that it must necessarily be so . for he who is infinite wisdom and goodness , can not but have the best of designs in all his actings ; but what design can be comparable to this , of making his creatures to observe and teel , how glorious he is in his power , wisdom and goodness ; and those of them to be his instruments in setting forth the glory of these , which he hath made capable of being so ? if it be Óbjected , that the brutes and inanimate creatures are made to glorifie god , as well as men and angels ; and therefore designing his glory is not necessarily implyed in glorifying him : i answer , that god aims at his own glory , in a far higher and more excellent manner , in rational agents , than in creatures void of reason . that is , he hath made those so to glorifie him , as to intend and design the glorifying of him. and farther , we can not conceive , how brutes , and insensible creatures , can be said otherwaies to glorifie their maker , than as they give occasion to reasonable ones so to do . origen , indeed , was of opinion , that because the sun , moon and stars are called upon by the psalmist to praise the lord , they are endued with reason as well as our selves : but he might for the self-same reason as well have asserted , that cattle , and fowls , and all creeping things ; nay , mountains and hills , fire and hail , snow and vapours , and all god's works , are reasonable creatures too ; these also , and that in the same psalm , being called upon to praise him. but plato was , in this matter , a better divine than that holy father ; for having stiled the world god's temple , wherein all his creatures do joyn together in the worshiping of him , he calls mankind his priests , by whom the worship of the universe is performed . . our obligation to the duty in the text , is also founded upon our own interest ; our infinitely greatest interest . and therefore , as it appears from the two former considerations , that it is the most disingenuous and the most unjust thing , not to make the glory of god the chief and ultimate end of all our services ; so this consideration speaks it to be the most unkind thing to our selves : since it is only our good god aims at , in desiring to be glorified by us : for none can accrue to himself from any thing without him , nor the smallest drop added to his fountain-fulness . if there could , he could not be god ; that is , a being of absolute , infinite perfection . the apostate emperour was much disgusted at the second commandment , and would have had it struck out of the decalogue ( as the romish church , for a reason too well known , hath left it out of her daily offices ) because god in that commandment expresseth so great jealousy for his own honour ; which he would have to be very unworthy of the divine majesty : but st. cyril well answered him , that it is by no means so , because man's greatest happiness consisteth in the due apprehension of god , and giving glory to him. god , i say , is not more glorious in himself , by means of the glory his creatures give him , but all the gain thereof is their own ; they by this means becoming like to him , and therefore qualified for everlasting communion with him. i will farther observe to you suitably to the two former considerations , that god almighty must needs also expect our designing his glory in all our services , as it is a necessary act of righteousness , it being ( as has been shewed ) most highly reasonable , sit and just , that we should have such a sense of his infinite goodness , as thus to do , he cannot but look for it for this reason from us , and oblige us thereto . so that , as god exerciseth goodness and righteousness because he delights therein , so will he have us to exercise the same , because he delights in our so doing . not ( as we said ) in regard of any advantage that he can reap thereby , but because the exercise of goodness & righteousness wheresoever it is , is as such most highly pleasing to him ; and the contrary thereto , as abhorrent to his holy nature . and now , to make application of what hath been discoursed , to you , my brethren , who are members of of our societies for reformation of manners : the service in which you have engaged your selves , is incomparably the most noble , the most highly praise-worthy , that it could be possible for you to be employed in . so it is , as the most publick and general good is the design of it ; not the good of some particular persons , or bodies of men , or onely of this great city , but of our whole nation : in several parts of which a good progress is made therein . nor is this design confined within our own country , but it hath taken in that of ireland too ; where ( thanks be to god ) it hath had as good success , as could reasonably have so soon been hoped fer . and to what people may not the influence thereof reach , sooner or later , according as it prospers where it is undertaken ? and the setting it on foot hitherto is , under god , wholly owing in every place to your worthy example , gentlemen , and to the directions they have received from some of you . and as this is a service of the most publick nature , so is it of the greatest concernment imaginable to the publick ; as highly conducing to both the temporal and spiritual interest thereof . he knows not what this phrase spiritual interest signifies , who can question , whether a reformation of manners be absolutely necessary thereunto . and he must be sunk below paganism , who can doubt of its being necessary also to the temporal wellfare , both of particular persons , and of nations as nations . even that atheist epicurus ( as tully has demonstrated him to have been , as much better thoughts as many since have had of him ) as he forbad adultery to his disciples , in regard of the great mischiefs which he saw attended that vice ; so he condemned the indulging of any unreasonable and vicious appetite , as inconsistent with all tranquillity of mind , and self-enjoyment . and as to nations , the wise king solomon hath observed , that righteousness exalteth a nation , but sin is a reproach to any people . and 't is easy to shew , that there is no one maxim wherein the wisest of pagans are more agreed . that excellent tully hath this very remarkable saying , omnia prospera eveniunt colentibus deos , sed adversa spernentibus . all things happen well to those people , who have a care of religion ; but as ill to the contemners thereof . and those who are acquainted with divine revelation , and such as have only natural light , together with experience and observation , for their instruction , are very unanimous in declaring the toleration of vice to be the most pernicious thing to bodies politique , both in regard of its natural consequents , and the provocation it gives to the divine majesty severely to visit for it . surely therefore those among our selves , who have no sense of the fatal consequence of a general corruption of manners , upon both those accounts , must either have little more of men than the figure and shape ; or ( which is infinitely worse ) be given over to a reprobate mind . now , notwithstanding god almighty has constituted one order of men , whose whole business it is , to turn sinners ( with the assistance of his grace ) to righteousness ; and to advance piety and virtue in the world , by inlightning men in the principles of natural and revealed religion ; by instructing them in the divine laws , and exciting them to the observance of them , by the glorious promises , and terrible threats annexed to them ; and by the exercise of spiritual discipline : yet such is the depravation of humane nature , that he saw it moreover necessary , to ordain civil magistrates for the punishment of evil-doers , ( as st. peter speaks ) and for the praise , or incouragement , of those that do well . for the punishment of evil-doers , by inforcing their creators laws , with laws of their own enacting , with the sanction of corporal and pecuniary penalties ; and the due inflicting of them on those who are too much hardned in their wicked practices , to be reformed by the menaces of punishment in another life ; and by spiritual methods . and it being the business of the foresaid societies , to do their utmost to awaken the good laws of our land against prophaneness and immorality , which have for the most part a long time lain a sleep , and served to little better purpose , than the reproaching of those ( too generally speaking ) who have been intrusted with the execution of them : what more worthy enterprize , or of greater , or so great importance , could enter into the hearts os you , my worthy brethren , who have entered into these societies , to undertake ! and the method you have pitched upon for the carrying on of this blessed work , is so excellently well contrived , that it hath succeeded , by the blessing of god , to admiration , in and about this city . this hath been a great age for projects ; but this of yours ( tho' i undervalue it in so calling it ) doth infinitely excell them all ; as very beneficial as some of them are found to be . it must be acknowledged , that no man is the more religious for abstaining from the practice of any vice , merely for fear of temporal penalties : yet those on whom this fear works an outward reformation , are in a much more hopeful way to a thorow conversion from religious motives , than the more hardy sinners . besides , by the vigorous execution of the laws , wicked wretches are restrained from doing open dishonour to almighty god ; that dishonour to his authority , which may well be called national , when connived at , and as such deservedly punished : and , by this means they are forced to give over offending scandalously , and debauching others by their infectious example , and insnaring practices . whereupon will necessarily follow , that our youth for the future , will be nothing so liable to be corrupted ; and a happy stop will be put to that propagation of vice , which for so many years hath been greatly encreasing . and as nothing is more evident , than that this your undertaking is the most excellent one considered in it self ; so we ought not in the least to doubt but that it is likewise so , with respect to the principle by which you are acted . for what motive can you have thereto , besides the love of god and goodness , and an earnest desire to promote both the temporal and eternal wellfare of your fellow citizens and country-men ; together with the hope of being qualified thereby for greater degrees of that happiness which our blessed lord has promised to his faithful servants , and chiefly confisteth in likeness to god , and the eternal enjoyment of him ? which hope must as much proceed from love to god , as to your selves . can you design any secular advantage , by being thus employed ? expense it brings upon you ; but can it make you a recompence for it , and for all your pains , by bringing in what the world calls profit ? i must be an idle man , if i seriously asked you these questions . there is a reward from men , which you could not but expect , when you entred into this service ; and you have accordingly found it : but i verily believe this was no motive to you . i mean , the reward of hard censures , as a company of busy-bodies , and medlers in matters that don't concern you ; tho' if they concern not you , they can concern no body . but , indeed , nothing is more evident , than that every man without exception , is obliged to concern himself in this great work , suitably to the circumstances in which providence hath placed him . and none can accuse those of you who are not magistrates , as seizing upon their office. the best of it is , you cannot be censured , as exercising your selves in things too high for you ( tho' you do in great matters ) this your success demonstrates . brow-beatings also from too many , who ought to have given you the greatest encouragement , is a reward which i suppose did not neither come unlookt for ; nor yet that of vexatious prosecutions ; nor that of running imminent dangers from lewd mobs : neither these , nor worse things can surprize those , who are bent upon doing their utmost towards the overthrowing of the devils kingdom ; who express the greatest emnity to the darling lusts of his children , and to the ungodly trades of a great number of them . and , whether you expected them or no , you cannot be ignorant what reflections upon your proceedings , many sober people have been too forward to make ; and some who have the repute ( and very justly i doubt not ) of truly religious people too ; thro' their rash credulity , and lending too favourable an ear to idle tales ; and from jealousies of what consequence such combinations may in time prove to be to our constitution in church and state. on which topick i never yet heard one wise word ; and do perswade my self i never shall . and since experience assures us of nothing more , than that no great undertaking can be managed with any considerable advantage , otherwise than by societies ; and therefore in all professions they are found to be necessary : it is very wonderful to me , that the least danger to either of these constitutions can be suspected from such societies , as are formed wholly for the promoting of the grand design of both ; as i need not say the reformation and regulation of manners is . but it will be well for those regular persons , who are so forward to find fault with these societies , if there be nothing of envy at the bottom , arising from their consciousness of being much out done by them , in concern for the publick weal , in activity in doing good , and in zeal for the honour of almighty god. and , mentioning their zeal , i cannot but observe , that were it not as prudent as pious , their adversaries would never have been baffled in courts of judicature , as they have been . and as , my brethren , you might reasonably have made account of far worse requitals for your pains , than any of you have found hitherto , through the special protection of the divine providence , and yet you would run the venture ; so have i not heard , that the furious rage which some have met with , for giving informations against impious and profligate people , hath in the least discouraged any of them . and by the way , none but such as are either wicked , or very silly , can look upon this as a base employment ; as infamous as the trade of informing was against another sort of men , we know when . for since crimes must ever go unpunished , if there be no informations ; and therefore no care can be taken , either of the honour of god , or the honour of the government , and the welfare of the publick , or of the souls of obdurate sinners ; this cannot be a more necessary than honourable service . but to return to what i was now saying , the principle of this your zeal may not , without great uncharitableness , nor apparent injustice , be called in question : since , considering what has been said , you must be the weakest men in the world , if you do not this service , as to the lord , and not as to men : considering likewise , how not only atheism and deism , speculative prophaneness , and contempt of religion , but also a gallio like indifferency in such as retain the profession of christianity , have gotten ground amo●g us ; and how much the very form of godliness is grown out of fashion among such as may not be accused of being irreligious in their principles . so that there can be very little temptation now , what so ever was heretofore , to the vice of hipocrisy : it being become also very modish , to give jerks at all zeal as a fanatical , enthusiastical , and hot-brain'd thing . as indeed zeal is , when it is not according to knowledge ; and the world hath had lamenrable experience , and particularly our church and state , of the horrible mischievousness of such a zeal . but this is a superstitious , it may by no means be called a religious zeal . but doth not st. paul say , it is good to be always zealously affected in a good thing ? and it is the best of things , in the opinion of all but the worst of men , in which these societies are zealously affected . to be inspired with a zeal in things of this weighty importance , which is well principled and well governed , is the most blessed thing we can pray for . the more we have of it , the more shall we be filled with all the fruits of righteousness , unto the praise and glory of god. the more like shall we be to our blessed saviour , whose zeal for his father's glory , and the salvation of men , and their bodily welfare too , did put him upon always going up and down doing good . and i need not stand to shew , that the greatest blessings that ever have accrued to the church of god , by the ministry of men , have been the effects of a warm zeal : nor was ever god much glorified , nor the publick well served without it ; let our fleerers at zeal think what they please . and therefore to be called zealots in such a cause as you , my brethren , have espoused , is so far from a disparagement , that it is a name to be glorified in . so that i once more say , your doing this service as to the lord , and not as to men , may not be in the least doubted of ; and the less may it , for what was now sadly observed , viz. that the prevailing humour of the present age , is such , as gives as little temptation as can be , to affect popularity by undertakings of this nature . and having reflected upon the deplorable degeneracy of the age , i can not forbear professing to you , that the greatest hope i have , that god hath still mercy in store for us , notwithstanding the intolerable returns we have made to as mighty obligations , as he hath ever laid upon any people , is , from the excellent spirit with which he hath of late indued so great a number of good christians among us , for the running down of wickedness , by the most justifiable means , in their respective stations : and from his majesty's having given them so great encouragement , by his late proclamation , for the more effectual suppressing of immorality and prophaneness ; and his recommending this great work , again and again , to the special care of the houses of parliament . and i pray god , they may comply with the king's desire the next session ; by preparing for the royal assent as effectual a bill or bills , against the other reigning vices of the age , as is the late act against prophane swearing and cursing . and who were the contrivers , and chief promoters of this act , some gentlemen of the chief of these societies do best know . but i must not forget to take notice of another most pious and charitable design , which hath for some time been carrying on with very great industry , by these societies , viz. the setting up of free schools in the great parishes within and without this city ; for the teaching of poor children to read and write , and cast account , to enable them for honest callings ; and especially for the imprinting in them the principles of christianity ; and the forming of them to true piety and goodness . there are several of these schools already set up by them ; particularly in the parishes of aldgate and wapping , and st. margarets westminster . and an account will be shortly published of the progress of their endeavours ; and their methods and orders for the securing , and rightly applying what is and shall be given , for the promoting of so excellent a design . and surely 't is impossible that any good christian , should not freely contribute according to his ability , to such a work as this . nay all such , certainly , must needs be very glad of the opportunity now given them , of being engaged in the best of all charities ; and of having such faithful and skilful hands at their service , for the imploying and management of this their charity . now for your encouragement , my worthy brethren , to persevere in doing these incomparable publick services as to the lord ; and the more powerfully to excite us all thus to do all our services , of what nature soever , i shall lay before you a few considerations ; upon which i want time to enlarge , as i would do . i. this doing our services as to the lord , will make those very pleasant and delightful , which would otherwise be as grievous and burthensome . you have heard , that thus to do , is to act from a principle of love to god and goodness : and who knows not , that love is an affection most highly pleasing ? and therefore how much there is of it in any performance , so much of delight there must needs be . now , if love , whatsoever is its object , carrys pleasure with it ; what pleasure must necessarily arise from that love which is placed upon the infinitely most lovely object , god , and that which is the next lovely , goodness ; or rather , which is scarcely to be distinguished from him ; and no otherwise at most , than as rayes from the sun , or streams from their fountain . ii. this will greatly dignifie our services , and therefore our selves . 't will make all acts of justice and charity , acts of piety : ' i will hallow all our civil employments , and make them sacred ; it will make even drugery divine , saith our devout poet mr. herbert . the meanest servant of men , by having respect to god in his services , becomes his servant , and a fellow-minister with the glorious angels : for , the doing god's will on earth , as it is done in heaven ; for which our blessed saviour hath taught us to pray , consisteth in doing it from this principle ; many of the services of angels being , for the matter of them , such as we are utterly uncapable of performing , in this state at least . the angels , considering the dignity of their nature , may be said to be more meanly employed than the meanest of men ; as being attendants on us poor worms , who are mueh more their inferiors , than the poorest peasant is the greatest peers : but they designing their great creators service , in being serviceable to us , makes them to be employed honourably , and like themselves . iii. nothing but this hearty regard to god in our services , will secure our constancy in well-doing . the discouragements we shall therein find , upon the failing of our expectations , will sooner or later quire dishearten us , when we chiefly propose to our selves the poor low ends of gain or credit ; but especially , upon our meeting with a quite contrary reward to what we hoped for . we shall be ready then to say , with those profane jews , it is vain to serve god ; and what profit is it , that we have kept his ordinances ? iv. this will be consequently a great support to our spirits , when we find our good services not accepted by men ; or not to have their desired success . when we do good offices either to the bodies or souls of men , and find our selves unworthily requited , it goes to our hearts : but we are soon easy again , when we can thus reflect , i did these services as to the lord , more than to men ; and god is not unrighteous to forget my work and labour of love , which i have shewed to his name ; which is the encouragement given by the apostle , heb. . . and was that which enabled him , to express himself so bravely as he did . cor. . . i will very gladly spend , and be spent for you , tho' the more abundantly i love you , the less i be loved . v. nothing will secure to us the divine assistance in difficult services , but being governed by this divine principle . nor can we reasonably have the least suspicion , of gods readiness to go along with us in those services , to which we are induced by the love of himself , and a generous desire of doing good . vi. this is that only which can give us a well - grounded hope of success in any good undertaking . i know no argument that man can urge , to encline god almighty to give a blessing to his endeavours , who is chiefly acted by little private selfish ends . vii the successes those have who chiefly design themselves , or the gratifying of their animal appetites , will prove more unhappy to them , than their greatest disappointments : they will help to make them so much the more miserable , both here and hereafter . hereafter , as they will aggravate their punishment , by aggravating their sins ; and here , as they will more and more encourage them in those gratifications . the self-designer who obtaineth that credit , that profit , or sensual pleasure , he hunteth after , becomes by this means more uneasy than he was before : for the more any lust is pampered , the stronger it grows ; and there is nothing a man's observation , experience and feeling , do more fully prove to him , than that all lusts are very troublesome things ; and therefore no wonder that perturbationes was the common philosophical name for them . there may also be given not a few instances of outward mischiefs , that attend on mens prosperous successes in selfish designs : but i proceed to our last consideration , viz. viii . by principally designing the glory of god in all our services , we infinitely best consult our own interest . this was touched upon in the doctrinal part . by our own interest , we are to understand the interest of our souls : our souls being our selves , our bodies ours not our selves ; as some of the philosophers , both greek and latine , have observed . and therefore the interest of our bodies , is no otherwise our interest , than as it is subservient to that of our souls . the glory of god , and our happiness are so inseparably conjoyned , that in promoting the one , we promote the other also . so that he loves himself best , who loves god most ; and he who chiefly designeth his glory , in the best and truest sence is the most selfish man. and thus are we come to the motive in the text , knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth , ( viz. as to the lord , and not unto men ) the same shall he receive of the lord , or ( as we have it in the parallel place ) knowing that of the lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance . and this reward of the inheritance , we find in our text shall be proportioned to the services we do : to our services , not to our successes ; endeavour only being our work. this the prophet isaiah did ●●mfort himself withall . chap. . ●● . . then said i , i have laboured in vain ; i have spent my strength for nought , and in vain : yet surely my judgment is with the lord , and my work ( or reward ) is with my god. and now , saith the lord , who formed me from the womb , to be his servant , to bring jacob again unto him ; tho' israel be not gathered , yet shall i be glorious in the eyes of the lord , and my god shall be my srength . oh how admirable , how astonishing , are the expressions by which this reward of the inheritance is set forth to us ! it is called an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled , reserved in heaven for us : a building of god , and an house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens : a crown of life , of righteousness and of glory : a kingdom prepared from the beginning of the world : a being with christ , and beholding the glory which the father hath given him : a sitting with him upon his throne , even as he sits on his father's throne : a transcendently transcendent ( as the words may be rendred ) and everlasting weight of glory . by these and more such amazing words , is this reward expressed by our blessed saviour himself , and his holy apostles . but by our interest , i understand likewise the interest of our souls , with respect to the bodies with which they shall be cloathed : since the happiness of the other life is set forth by st. paul , by having our vile body so changed by christ , as to be fashioned like unto his glorious body . and our saviour might have a special reference to the glorified bodies of the righteous , in saying , that they shall shine forth like the sun , in the kingdom of the father . and by the exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel , as st , peter calls them , viz. the promises of so unspeakable a happiness as is therein described , what may we not be encouraged to do , for the glorifying of our most blessed creator , redeemer and sanctifier ! and what may we not be encouraged to suffer too , for the same end ! the sufferings of this present life , being not worthy to be compared with the glory , that shall be revealed in us ; as saith st. paul. and therefore , my beloved brethren ( to conclude with the exhortation of that great apostle ) be ye stedfast , immoveable , alwaies abounding in the work of the lord ; for as much as you know , that your labour is not in vain in the lord : our labour will be so far from being in vain , that we have now heard our reward will infinitely exceed the greatest services , we can ever be capable of performing : through the merits of our dear lord and saviour , christ jesus ; to whom , with the father and the holy ghost , be ascribed by us and the whole world , all honour and glory , now and for ever . amen . finis . published at the request of the societies , which should have been plac'd in the title . errata . page . line . read sight . page . line . read gloryed . some books printed for b. aylmer at the three pigeons in cornhill . an account of the societies for reformation of manners in london and westminster , and other parts of the kingdom ; with a perswasive to persons of all ranks , to be zealous and diligent in promoting the execution of the laws against prophaneness and debauchery , for the effecting a national reformation : published with the approbation of these lords , with many more . lords temporal , lords spiritual , judges , pembroke p. t. carliol . ed. ward . lonsdale . h. bangor . ed. nevill . leeds . n. cestriens . nic. lechmere . bedford . s. eliens . tho. rokeby . lindsey . j. oxon. john turton . kent . e. gloucestr . john blencowe . bridgwater . r. bath & wells . hen hatsell . thanet . j. bristol . guilford , &c. j. cicestriens . a discourse of the great disingenuity and unreasonableness of repining at afflicting providences ; and of the influence which they ought to have upon us , job . . published upon occasion of the death of our gracious sovereign queen mary of blessed memory ; with a preface containing some observations , touching her excellent endowments , and exemplary life . certain propositions , by which the doctrine of the holy trinity , is so explain'd , according to the ancient fathers , as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason , together with a defence of them ; in answer to the objections of a socinian writer , in his newly printed considerations on the explications of the doctrine of the trinity ; occasioned by these propositions among other discourses , to . a second defence of the propositions , by which the doctrine of the holy trinity is so explained , according to the ancient fathers , as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason ; in answer to a socinian manuscript , in a letter to a friend . together with a third defence of those propositions , in answer to the newly published reflections contained in a pamphlet , entituled , a letter to the reverend clergy of both universities , in to . all three by the right reverend father in god edward lord bishop of gloucester . a sermon preach'd at st. mary le bow , to the societies for reformation of manners ; by lilly butler minister of st. mary aldermanbury . a sermon preach'd at st mary le bow , to the societies for reformation of manners ; by samuel bradford rector of the said parish . a sermon preach'd at st. mary le bow , to the societies for reformation of manners ; by john hancock d. d. and chaplain to his grace the duke of bedford . finis . a sermon preached before the right honourable the lord maior of london, and the court of aldermen, &c., on easter-monday, being one of the anniversary spittal-sermons / by edward lord bishop of gloucester. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the right honourable the lord maior of london, and the court of aldermen, &c., on easter-monday, being one of the anniversary spittal-sermons / by edward lord bishop of gloucester. fowler, edward, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by ric. chiswel ..., london : mdcxcii [ ] half-title page reads: the bishop of gloucester's sermon on easter-monday. advertisement: p. -[ ]. reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- corinthians, st, vi, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached before the right honourable , the lord maior , of london , and the court of aldermen , &c. on easter-monday , . being one of the anniversary spittal-sermons . by edward lord bishop of gloucester . london , printed for ric. chiswel at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard . mdcxcii . the bishop of gloucester's sermon on easter - monday . stamp , maior . jovis xiv o. die aprilis , . annoque regni regis & reginae willielmi & mariae , angliae , &c. quarto . this court doth desire the right reverend father in god , edward lord bishop of gloucester to print his sermon preached at st. brides-church on monday in easter-week , before the lord maior , aldermen , and governours of the several hospitals of this city . goodfellow . cor. vi . . god hath both raised up the lord , and will also raise up us by his own power . both this great festival of the catholick church , and the special occasion of this anniversary meeting , have directed me to the choice of these words for my present subject . a discourse on that greatest article of our christian faith , our lords resurrection , you need not be told , is what this festival calls for ; and a discourse on our own future resurrection , and the life to come , as we shall now apply it , you will be satisfied is no less suitable to the design of this meeting . and in speaking to the former of the propositions which our text consists of , i shall with all possible brevity lay the evidence before you , which commands our belief of our lord's resurrection from death to life . that he was put to death , is no more to be doubted than that such a person once lived ; nor did either the jews or pagans , who lived in those days , ever question it . he was publickly crucified , and in the sight of a great multitude , between two thieves ; and not taken down from the cross , till after the spear had pierced his heart : and all the spectators were so satisfied he was dead , that they brake not his legs , as they did his fellow sufferers ; where by a prophecy concerning him , was , unawares to his enemies , fulfilled by them . after which his body was buryed , and the sepulchre watched till the third day by a guard of souldiers . the jews his inveterate enemies , do to this day upbraid us christians with his death , and scoff at us for believing in a crucified saviour : and his ignominious death is the great scandal which hath hitherto prejudiced them against the christian faith. christ crucified , saith the apostle , is to the jews a stumbling - block , and to the greeks foolishness . the turks indeed say , that our saviour did not dye , but was translated , mahomet having told them , that judas was crucified in the place of jesus . but if the followers of that great impostor were not miserably bewitched , they could never have rested on his sole authority , about a matter of fact of six ages standing , against the evidence of universal tradition . and besides , what blindness are they under , who prefer mahomet before christ , whilst they believe christ so dear to god as to be received up into heaven , when they acknowledge mahomet not only to have dyed like other mortals , but likewise still to remain among the dead ! there were also those in the primitive times among the gnosticks , who to their other monstrous forgeries , added this , that simon , who was compelled to bear christ's cross , being changed into his likeness , was crucified for him ; christ himself standing in the crowd looking on him , and deriding him , but s. irenoeus and tertullian who lived in their time have given us such an account of these people , as speaks them scarcely otherwise distinguishable from the devils , than as they had humane bodies . and as it is no less evident that our lord was put to death , than that he once lived , so 't is as manifest that he rose again , as that he dyed and was laid in the grave . for , first , those who bare witness to his resurrection , were themselves at first most averse to the belief of it . notwithstanding his having plainly told them , that after he was put to death , he would rise again , yet ( as if they thought those words were not to be taken in a literal sense ) they had no expectation of any such thing . and whereas the two maries and salome went early , on the third day , to his sepulchre , their design was so far from being to be satisfied whether he were risen or no , that it was to embalm his dead body : which alone was a demonstration of their not imagining it should rise again till the last day ; the end of embalming being to preserve bodies from putrefaction . nay , when they missed his body in the sepulchre , this did not at all incline them to think 't was risen , for they concluded upon it , that it was taken away . mary magdalen makes her complaint to peter and john , that they had taken away the lord out of the sepulchre , and she knew not where they had laid him. and the other mary stood weeping at their disappointment , and made the same complaint to the angels , whom she took for men ; and immediately after to her lord himself , whom she supposed to be the keeper of the garden where the sepulchre was , and modestly taxed him with taking him away . if thou hast born him hence , said she , tell me where thou hast laid him and i will take him away : or i will provide some other burying place for him , if he mayn't lye here . and when these women had informed the rest of the disciples , that the body was not in the sepulchre ; and how that two men in shining garments said unto them , why seek ye the living among the dead ? he is not here but is risen . remember how he spake unto you , when he was in galilee , saying , the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified , and the third day rise again , they could by no means perswade them to give them credit . their words , it is said , seemed to them as idle tales , and they believed them not , luk. . . and when their lord appeared to them , as he quickly after did , they took him for some spectre , and were frighted at the sight of him ; so far were they from being hereby convinced that he was raised to life . and when he spake to them , and told them that it was he himself , and moreover , shewed them his hands and feet , or the wounds in them , we read that they believed not for joy and wondered ; they thought 't was infinitely too good news to be true . so that he was fain to call for meat , and did eat before them , for their full satisfaction that what they saw , was not a phantastical but his real body . and after all this , thomas , being then absent , when he was told these things by the eye-witnesses , would not believe them , but roundly answered them , that except he not only saw in his hands the prints of the nails , but also put his finger into them , and thrust his hand into his side , he would not believe . so that , i say , the witnesses of our lords resurrection were at first most averse to the belief of it . they were so far from being credulous , that never were there more unreasonably incredulous people . they would not believe the resurrection of their lord , till invincible irresistible evidence had compelled them to it . secondly , these witnesses had not onely the forementioned , but all imaginable evidence given them of his being risen . as some of them were informed thereof by two angels , and as they all saw him , and heard him speak , and he shewed them his pierced hands , feet and side , so they farther handled him , they ate and drank with him , they conversed with him ; and that not once or twice , but , at times , for fourty days together . so that well might s. luke say , that he shewed himself alive after his passion , to the apostles , by many infallible proofs , acts . . and at last , after he had given them commission to preach and baptise , and promised to be with them to the end of the world , they saw him ascend towards heaven , till a cloud received him out of their sight . and therefore s. john begins his first epistle with these powerful words : that which was from the beginning , which we have heard , which we have seen with our eyes , which we have looked upon , and our hands have handled of the word of life , &c. that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you . and those words of s. peter do well deserve to follow these , tho' they chiefly relate to what he and two other apostles saw before christs death , viz. we have not followed cunningly devised fables , when we made known unto you the power and coming of our lord jesus christ ; but were eye-witnesses of his majesty . for he received from god the father honour and glory , when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory , this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased . and this voice which came from heaven we heard , when we were with him on the holy mount , ep. . , &c. nor was he onely seen by the eleven apostles , and the forementioned good women , but by above five hundred brethren at once ; as s. paul told the corinthians , adding , that the greater part of them were at that time living . and after his ascension , he was seen by this apostle too in his journey to damascus ; and that in so astonishing a brightness , as both blinded his eyes , and struck him to the ground . and he farther spake audibly these words to him , saul , saul , why persecutest thou me ? 't is in vain for thee to kick against the pricks . and asking him who he was , he received this answer , i am jesus whom thou persecutest . so that he who was an outragious persecutor of the witnesses of our lords resurrection , was now compelled to be one of that number , and became as couragious an attestor of it , as any of those he before had persecuted . and many years after this , our lord appeared to his beloved disciple in the isle of patmos , in the most glorious form. his countenance being as the sun , when it shineth in its strength . and so terrified was he with the sight , that he fell as dead a ! his feet , apocal. . . and when i saw him , i fell at his feet as dead ; and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me , fear not , i am the first and the last ; i am he that liveth and was dead , and behold i am alive forevermore : and have the keyes of hell and death . and lastly , his so abundantly performing his promise of sending the holy ghost , was so great an evidence of his resurrection and ascension too , as a greater was not possible to be given . he made this promise not only before his death , but likewise immediately before his ascension : some of his last words to his apostles being these , that they should not depart from jerusalem , but wait for the promise of the father which they had heard of him. and they waited no longer than ten days , for the accomplishment thereof . for on the tenth day , there came a sound from heaven , as of a rushing mighty wind , and filled all the house where they were sitting . and there appeared cloven tongues like as of fire , and they sate upon each of them . and they were all filled with the holy ghost , and began to speak with other tongues , as the spirit gave them utterance , &c. acts . beginning . and v. . we read , that many wonders and signs , besides that of speaking all languages for the preaching of the gospel throughout the world , were done by the apostles . nor did the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost quite cease , for at least the three first ages , or till christianity became the religion of nations ; when it was protected by the emperours sword and encouraged by their laws . by which means the church was under no necessity of the longet continuance of those gifts . to our lords accomplishment of this promise may be added the wonderful fulfilling of his threats against the jewish nation for their obstinate persisting in unbelief , and his prediction of the destruction of jerusalem ; which came to pass within fourty years after his death . and 't is marvellous to see , what an exact agreement there is betwixt josephus his history of the miserys that then befel that people , with divers circumstances relating to them , and our blessed lords predictions of them . thirdly , the apostles witnessed most boldly their lords resurrection before his crucifiers and most deadly enemys ; nor could they be deterred from it by all their threats , nor by the executions of them neither : and therefore chose to suffer , not onely the greatest shame and ignominy , but all manner of calamitys , and the cruellest deaths , rather than desist from preaching this doctrine . he who had been so great a coward , as to deny him in his very presence , and to be scared thereto by a silly maid , had the courage to own him even in the midst of his murtherers , after the descent of the holy ghost . ye men of israel , said he , acts . , &c , hear these words , jesus of nazareth a man approved of god among you by miracles , wonders and signs , which god did by him , in the midst of you , as you your selves also know . him being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of god , ye have taken and with wicked hands have crucified and slain : whom god hath raised up , having loosed the bands of death , because it was impossible he should be holden of it , &c. and in the next chapter , he and s. john having cured a cripple before a great confluence of people , at one of the gates of the temple , he immediately declared to them , that this they had done by the power of that jesus whom they had murdered . ye men of israel , said he , v. . why marvail ye at this ? or why look ye so earnestly on us , as tho' by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk ? the god of abraham , isaac and jacob hath glorified his son jesus , whom ye delivered up and denyed him in the presence of pilate , when he was determined to let him go . but ye denyed the holy one and the just , and desired a murtherer to be granted unto you ; and killed the prince of life , whom god hath raised from the dead , whereof we are witnesses . and his name , through faith in his name , hath made this man strong , &c. and we find that by the sermon of which these words are part , there were converted to the faith of christ about five thousand souls ; and by the foregoing sermon about three thousand . but the priests and captain of the temple , and the saducees being enraged at this boldness of theirs , with the success thereof , laid hands on these two apostles ; and the next day being brought before the high-priest , with the rulers , elders , and scribes , and being asked by them , by what power they had done this miracle , s. peter declared to them as he had done before to the people with the self-same courage , ch. . . be it known unto you all , and to all the people of israel , that by the name of jesus of nazareth , whom ye crucified , whom god hath raised from the dead , even by him doth this man stand before you whole . this is the stone which was set at nought by you builders , which is become the head of the corner . neither is there salvation in any other , &c. it would take up a long time to shew , with what admirable resolution these and the other apostles , and especially s. paul , persisted to the death in preaching the resurrection of jesus , with the other christian doctrines ; and what miserys they underwent , because they would not be taken off from this work. so that who is able to suspect such witnesses as these , who is not as hardned an infidel as the most obdurate of our lords enemies ? that they could not be deceived themselves , we have seen is as apparent as the light , and ( setting aside the consideration of their most exemplary goodness ) 't is impossible that any interest could prevail with them to deceive others : except we should suppose them so unlike all other of their fellow-creatures , as to be in love with ignominy , torment and death . but there are some who object , that our lords resurrection would have been more unquestionable , had he at least shewed himself alive after his passion to herod and pontius pilate , the chief priest , and the great sanhedrin , that condemned him. in answer here to i will say these four things . . that this is most impudently to prescribe to the great god. was not he who is infinitely wise the best judge , what evidence was fittest to be given in this case ? and shall not he chuse his own way and method ? . those most perverse and obstinate infidels had rendred themselves utterly unworthy of so great a favour , who would not be convinced by such an abundance of most miraculous works , which jesus had wrought before their eyes ; but still followed him with the most horrible calumnies , until they had put him to the most horrible death . it seems unworthy of almighty god thus to necessitate and extort by main force belief from those , who had so maliciously shut their eyes against the clearest light , and had in the most insolent manner , rejected the counsel of god against themselves . . in that those who were chosen to be witnesses of christ's resurrection , were indued with such divine power , and did such mighty works for the confirmation of the truth thereof , there was every whit as effectual a course taken , for the conviction of all not utterly incurable , as if he had appeared to every one of them , and suffered himself to be handled by them . and they might as reasonably have questioned their own senses , as the truth of those who did so admirably confirm their testimony . but , . had he shewed himself alive to his enemys , they might have objected that it was not he , but the devil in his likeness , with as great an appearance of reason , as they could before impute his casting out unclean spirits , and his other most supernatural works , to the power of belzebub the prince of the devils . we will make a very short application of what hath been delivered on this former part of the text , and then proceed to the latter part. first , we hence learn the strange force and power of prejudice . a rooted prejudice is so masterly , so unruly a thing , that there is no dealing with it . the rulers and generality of the jews being strongly prejudiced against our saviour , chiefly upon the account of his being in diverse respects , quite a different person from what , without ground , they expected their messias should be : and because he declared that he came upon as different a design from that which they vainly fancied , and promised themselves , he would come upon , viz , not to deliver them from the roman yoke , but from the power of incomparably worse enemys , sin and satan : not to bless them with a great affluence of worldly wealth , and a mighty dominion in the world , but to purchase eternal happiness for them in the life to come , and to qualify them for it : i say this great disappointment of their carnal expectations , did make them conclude it impossible that he of all men should be the messias . and because such sensual wretches as they were , could not bear the thoughts of his being so , his giving them the greatest demonstrations imaginable that he was so , was labour in vain , they were all lost upon them . not only the most rational evidence in the world , is ordinarily compell'd to yield to the power of prejudice , but even sensible and ocular demonstrations have submitted to it . our blessed saviour having had such sad experience hereof among the jews , it is said , not only that he bewailed , but also that he marvailed , at their unbelief . and constant experience assures us , that the greatest strength of argument signifies nothing to those , who come with byassed and prepossest minds to the hearing of truth : who judge of what is offered to them by their wills , not by their understandings . nay , the clearer and more irresistible the evidence is , the more are the prejudiced incensed against the proposer of it , if they have but ill will equal to their prejudice . secondly , we learn from what hath been discoursed , that we ought exceedingly to admire , and deeply to be affected with the divine goodness , in that there is given us such wonderful evidence of the truth of the gospel . this none can call in question who believe christs resurrection ( as i need not though i had time , stand to shew ) and it is apparent from what hath been said , that god hath done much more than barely enough , to remove from us all uncertainty concerning this great point . i cannot doubt but that the quarter part of the evidence for it he hath vouchsafed us , would be sufficient to prevail on the minds of all such , as can perswade themselves to be impartially considerative . and therefore how utterly inexcusable must those , who are made acquainted with the whole of it , needs be , if they continue not withstanding unbelievers ! and by unbelievers we are to understand , not only those who disbelieve the gospel , but such also as yield so weak and feeble an assent there to , as not to govern their lives by it . for we had every jot as good give no credit at all to our lords doctrine , as refuse to live in obedience to it . we now come to discourse a while on our own future resurrection , expressed in the following words of the text , and will also raise up us by his own power . and two things are herein implyed . first , that god will not suffer our souls , when our bodies dye , to go out of being . secondly , that our dead bodies shall be raised to life again . first , that god will not suffer our souls , when our bodies dye , to go out of being ; or to dye with them . for as much as to sense , the man seems to dye , and not his meer body , ( and therefore we always say such a man is dead , not such a ones body ) the restoration of the soul , which alone is truly the man , to the exercise of its faculties , after the stound of death is over , is in several places of scripture exprest by the word resurrection . our saviour proves the resurrection of the dead , mark . . from gods saying to his servant moses , i am the god of abraham , isaac and jacob. but this saying did imply necessarily no more than this , that they were not gone out of being , but that their souls were still alive , tho' their bodies were dead , and crumbled to dust . and so much is intimated in the next words : he is not the god of the dead , but the god of the living . and 't is plain , that the word resurrection is taken in the same sense , acts . . where we read , that the sadduces say there is no resurrection , neither angel nor spirit , but the pharisees confess both . and ( to name but one place more , as we might do divers ) it is so to be understood too , cor. . . where the apostle saith , if after the manner of men , i have fought with beasts at ephesus , what advantageth it me , if the dead rise not ? would onely the resurrection of s. pauls body have made him an amends for all his sufferings ? would not his souls enjoyment of his dear jesus to all eternity , have been an abundant recompence , though he never had seen his body more ? yes undoubtedly ; and therefore by these words , if the dead rise not , he meant , if there be no life after this . but , secondly , by he will also raise up us by his own power , is especially to be understood , he will raise up our dead bodies as he did our saviours . our souls and they shall be re-united by the divine power . there is no doctrine more clearly or fully revealed , than is this of the resurrection of the body . we have a very particular account thereof . we are informed , who shall rise again . not some few , or so many , but all the sons and daughters of adam , without exception . cor. . . our saviour saith that , that , the hour is coming , in the which , all that are in the graves shall hear his voice , and shall come forth . john . . and s. paul , that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust . we are told in what order they shall rise , the dead in christ , or true christians , shall rise first . thes. . . we are told by whom they shall be immediately raised , viz. by jesus christ ; or by the power of god the father given to him. by which power he is also again and again said to have raised himself . we now heard that it is his voice that shall raise us : and he saith , john . . this is the will of him that sent me , that every one which seeth the son , and believeth on him , may have eternal life , and i will raise him up at the last day . and thus we see we are informed too , of the time when the dead shall be raised , viz. at the last day ; and in the end of the world ; as our lord saith , mat. . . we are told for what end christ will raise the dead , viz. that they who have done good , may come forth to the resurrection of life , and they that have done evil , to the resurrection of damnation . lastly , we read also , what kind of bodies the raised ones shall be : cor. . , &c. but some man will say , how are the dead raised up , and with what body do they come ? or , how can it be that dead bodies being putrified and rotten should be made to revive , and what kind of bodies may we suppose they will be ? it follows , thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye . or , is any thing more common , than things rising to life from putrifaction ? don't we see that the rotting of the corn is so far from making it impossible that it should spring up again , that 't is necessary thereto ? and that which thou sowest , thou sowest not that body that shall be , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , bare meer grain , it may chance of wheat or some other grain . or , thou sowest not the grain with the ear or blade , but it comes up again with both . but god giveth it a body as it pleaseth him , and to every seed it s own body . a body of the same kind , proportion and form. all flesh is not the same flesh , &c. there are various sorts of flesh , as there are of grain . and there is great variety of other bodies , as it follows , there are bodies coelestial and bodies terrestial , but the glory of the coelestial is one , and the glory of the terrestial is another , &c. and our bodies , when raised , shall be of a different nature and quality from what they were when laid in the grave ; as we see v. . they are sown in corruption , they are raised in incorruption : they are sown in dishonour they are raised in glory ; they are sown in weakness they are raised in power : they are sown natural bodies , or animal ones , which need to be sustained and nourished with meat and drink , they are raised spiritual bodies , or such as need neither . thus have i given you the substance of what we find in scripture upon this argument ; and if we can be satisfied with the scriptural account of the resurrection of the body ( and he is a wanton wit that cannot ) it will not appear to be so contradictious or impossible a thing , as many have endeavoured to make it ; or at all contradictious , or impossible to the infinite power of god. we find in the holy scriptures that the bodies raised are in some sense the same with the bodies buried , and in some sense not the same : and we find their sameness illustrated , by the sameness of the corn sprung up , with the corn sown . and those who affect not to be wiser than the apostle s. paul in this matter , are not at all concerned to trouble themselves with the cavils which have been often raised , against the resurrection of the body ; they all supposing such a sameness , as is no where to be found in the sacred writings ; nay the contrary to which the apostle , in the fore-cited words , hath at least intimated . and the argument taken from our bodies being such fluid things as we know they are , do nothing hinder , but that the dead may rise with as much the same bodies with those that were buried , as the buried are the same with those they were born with , or that they had but a few years before they dyed . but , in short , we shall doubtless rise with as much the same bodies , as it can be our interest to desire we should ; and he who believes this , needs not fear in the least , that he believes too little relating to this great doctrine of the resurrection of the dead . and tho' he may not have so large a faith as some others , yet if it hath its due influence upon his practice , he hath every whit as good a one to all intents and purposes . now as to our evidence for the truth of this article , we have the greatest that can be , since our lord did so plainly reveal it before his death , and confirmed the truth of all his doctrines by his resurrection . or , which is the same thing , demonstrated hereby that he was no imposter , in having declared himself to be sent of god , and the son of god. we are therefore altogether as certain of our own future resurrection , as we can be of the resurrection of jesus christ. and from what hath been said we may be assured , that we can be certain of no matter of fact , which we have not beheld with our own eyes , if we are not sure of this . but the apostle doth not stick to say , that if there be no resurrection of the dead , then is not christ risen , cor. . . and he both repeateth this and enlargeth upon it , v. , . yea , saith he , and we are found false witnesses of god , because we have testified of god , that he raised up christ , whom he raised not up , if so be that the dead rise not . for if the dead rise not , then is not christ risen . and farther , christ in rising again is declared by s. paul to be the representative of all true christians . he saith , now is christ risen from the dead , and is become the first fruits of them that slept . now the first fruits under the law did represent the whole harvest ; and their being offered to god brought a blessing on all the other fruits ; and by the offering of them ( as he also saith ) the rest were sanctified ; or consecrated to god. and so is the whole church both in soul and body by christs resurrection . and i add , by his presenting himself to his father in heaven , upon that very day , on which the first fruits were offered according to the law. and so , his resurrection to glory , was a proof and pledge of all his sincere disciples rising to glory also . and therefore this apostle tells the ephesians that , as they who were dead in sins were quickned together with christ , or raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousness , so likewise god hath raised them up together , and made them sit together , in heavenly places in christ jesus . that is , in christ their head their dead bodies are already raised , and with their souls may be said to be at present glorified in him : in him , i say , considered as their head or representative . and thus we see there is a necessary connexion between the two propositions in our text : god hath raised up the lord , and he will raise up us by his own power . now , to make application of what hath been said on this part of the text ; in the first place , is it so certain that god will raise up us by his own power , even as certain as that he hath raised up christ , then are we not all of us infinitely concerned , to make it our greatest business , while we remain in these bodies , which is our state of probation and tryal , to be found in the number of those , who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world ( to use our saviours own words ) and the resurrection from the dead , and to stand before the son of man ? that is , to attain a glorious resurrection , and to stand with courage and confidence before the son of man. and how should we watch and pray always , that we may escape those dreadful things which shall come upon the wicked . s. paul having said , that he had hope towards god , that there shall be a resurrection both of the just , and of the unjust , immediately adds , and herein do i exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence , both towards god and towards men . and no man can be perswaded of this , and withal consider it , but it must of necessity have this effect upon him . especially since , though the resurrection of the body may still be at a great distance , yet the other life is at the door , and near at hand , as to each of us : the doctrine of the soul-sleepers being plainly confuted both by our blessed saviour , and the now mentioned great apostle . and indeed that doctrine is no better philosophy than divinity , it speaking great ignorance of the nature of souls . nor have i ever met with a philosopher , who believed a future life ( as they all did , or were inclined to do , except the profest , or the sly atheists ) but took it for granted , that humane souls are so far from being deprived of all sense and consciousness of being , that they gain much the freer use of their faculties , by their leaving these bodies : they looking upon them as prisons and dark dungeons to souls , in which they are miserably straitned and pent up . and they were so far from thinking , that bodies do give life and activity to souls , that they held the quite contrary . and not onely that the life and activity of bodies is wholly from their souls , but also that souls can never be so truly said to live , as when they are let loose from these bodies . and the book of wisdom presents us with the same doctrine , ch. . . where 't is said , that the corruptible body presseth down the soul , and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind , that museth upon many things . and in saying , that we are all upon the borders of the other world , i say we are very near to great happiness or great misery . good souls in the separate state being very happy , by their having got rid of that body of death , with which they were here so clogged , and by the free exercise of love to god , and to one another , and of all the divine virtues thereby obtained ; in which their bodies , to their great grief , miserably interrupted them . as also they must needs feel great happiness , from comfortable reflexions on the good they did , or endeavoured to do , in these bodies ; and the joyful foresight of that crown of righteousness , which their righteous judge hath declared he will confer upon them , at the day of his appearing . and wicked souls must necessarily be as miserable in this separate state , by reason of as bad company they shall be confined to ; and the evil affections and corrupt habits they carry out of their bodies with them ; which are mightily disquieting in this life ; and must much more be so in the other , through the want of those satisfactions of inordinate appetites this world abounds with . and their condition must needs be extreamly sad too , through the lashes of their guilty consciences , and their certain looking for of vengeance , and fiery indignation . now then what inexpressible folly is it , and especially in us christians , who profess to believe the resurrection of the body , and the life everlasting , so to dote upon these vile bodies , and this vain world , as generally we do ! as if our inward thought were , that there shall be no resurrection , that there is no life to come . this is great folly even in those who are utter strangers to the christian and all revealed religion ; but that they who are acquainted with the doctrine of jesus christ , with his description of the future state both of the good and bad , and with the abundant , the superabundant evidence he hath given us of the truth thereof , with all his other revelations ; that they i say should be so unconcerned about these things , is most amazing . this is such madness as no tongue can give it its due aggravation . let me address my self to those who remain under the guilt hereof , in the words of the prophet , remember this , and shew your selves men ; bring it again to mind o ye transgressors . let it appear that you are a sort of creatures superiour to the brutes , in being no longer only affected with present things , and those which can signifie nothing to you one moment longer , than while you continue in these bodies . let this appear by your so laying to heart what you have now been minded of , relating to the doctrine of the resurrection , as in all your actions and inward affections to be powerfully influenced thereby , for the time to come . but to be more particular , in the second place , let me commend to you those words of our blessed saviour , luk. . . ( a text which i formerly discoursed on to you upon this same occasion ) viz. i say unto you , make to your selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness , that when ye fail , they may receive you into everlasting habitations . the argument i have now been upon contains , one would think , an irresistible motive to abound , during our stay in these bodies , in works of piety , mercy and charity , according to the ability god hath given us . this is evident from too many texts of scripture to be now recited , in which the happiness of the other life is intitled to the sincere performance of such works as these . our lord doth particularly assign no other reason , for the pronouncing of that most joyful sentence to the sheep on his right hand , come ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you , from the foundation of the world , but this , i was an hungred , and ye gave me meat , i was thirsty and ye gave me drink , &c. or my brethren were so , and you relieved them , as he explains himself in the words following . nor doth he express any other reason , for the fearful sentence which shall be pronounced against the goates on his left hand , depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels , but their averseness to works of mercy and charity . tho' there will be many other reasons for each of these sentences , yet these onely are particularly mentioned , to shew what a mighty weight shall be laid upon them , at the day of judgment . and he declares , matth. . . that blessed are the merciful , for they shall obtain mercy . and luk. . . that the reward of such shall be great , and they shall be the children of the highest . he likewise calls the imploying of riches in the fore-mentioned good works , laying up a treasure in heaven , in opposition to hoarding them up , which he calls laying up treasures upon earth , mat. . , &c. and he commands his disciples , as poor as they were , to sell what they have and give alms , luk. . . and farther expresseth this injunction of giving alms by such words as these , provide your selves bags which wax not old , a treasure in the heavens which faileth not ; where no thief approacheth , neither rust corrupteth . s. paul calls being rich in good works , laying up in store for our selves a good foundation against the time to come , that we may lay hold on eternal life . and that is the motive with which he backs the charge , which he requires his son timothy to lay upon rich men , ep. . . charge them who are rich in this world , that they be not high-minded , nor trust in uncertain riches , but in the living god : who giveth us all things richly to enjoy . that they do good , that they be rich in good works , ready to distribute , willing to communicate . and s. james , having divided pure religion into two parts , makes visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction , or being bountiful and compassionate , the whole former part , ch. . . and he puts this question , ch. . . what doth it profit , my brethren , if a man say he hath faith and hath not works ? can faith save him ? that is , it can not profit a man to say he hath faith , when he hath not works ; no nor to have faith neither without works , such a faith cannot save him . and the next words tell us what works he means , without which faith cannot save , if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food , &c. and s. john hath pronounced him a false hypocrite in pretending to be a lover of god , who makes little conscience of these good works : for saith he , whoso hath this worlds goods , and seeth his brother hath need , and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him , how dwelleth the love of god in him ? ep. ● . so that we see , there is nothing more indispensably necessary to our resurrection to a blessed immortality , than is our being indued with such a love of god and goodness , as powerfully inclineth us , and makes us forward , to works of mercy and charity . there is no duty more earnestly pressed , nor the recommending of which is inforced with more promises , nor so many neither ( as may be shewed out of the old as well as new testament ) than is this of being charitable , and doing good with this worlds goods , in proportion to the share of them wherewith god has blest us . i might shew also , how greatly this grace of charity is perfective of our nature , how it dignifieth and beautifieth our souls , and so is not only a necessary condition of , but likewise as necessary a qualification for , that blessedness which consists in the enjoyment of that god , who is goodness and charity it self , alwaies showering down bounty and mercy on the whole creation . i might shew too , that nothing is so amiable as this vertue in the opinion of the world , that nothing procures such love and esteem , and how it perfumes mens memories , like precious oyntment , when they are dead and gone : of which i need not tell you there are innumerable examples . and it is impossible to recount , how many of these , this renowned city may make her boast of , whose greatest renown is owing to the great numbers of most exemplarily charitable christians , who will be had in everlasting remembrance , which from age to age she hath produced . and , thanks be to the divine grace , this city , with the sub-urbs , is blest at present ( as lamentably degenerate as the age is grown ) with not a few , whose works both of piety and charity do praise them in the gates . i am sure our persecuted and distressed brethren of france and ireland , as well as multitudes of miserable families in our out-parishes , have great cause to praise god for them ; and to remember them and theirs in their dayly prayers . for abundance of them , notwithstanding the publick collections , and their majesties exceeding great bounty , must have perished , had it not been for the private contributions of these good christians . and by the way , i must needs put in a word here , for our french brethren , whose extreme sufferings you know are for the best of causes . i certainly inform you , that their condition is so deplorable at this time , by the means of the ceasing of the publick charity , that between three and four thousand of them ( and among these , many ministers and persons of quality ) must starve , or beg about our streets , if extraordinary and speedy care be not taken of them . there is a noble project newly set on foot , by certain worthy and excellent persons , for their dayly relief ; and i promise my self that all those will gladly , according to their power , close with it , who are sincere lovers of our blessed lord , whose suffering members they are , and of his religion , for which they are next to martyrs . but to proceed , there is one sort of charity which this city is deservedly very famous for , that the present occasion requires my particular taking notice of ; namely , that of improving , and from time to time supplying , ancient hospitals . and most worthy instances of this nature , are presented to you in this paper . a true report , &c. we see by these reports , which have for a long time been published every easter , what a vast treasure of charity hath been deposited in each of these hospitals ; and especially in that of christ's church . as also how very faithfully and prudently it hath still been employed , by the respective governours . we have a yearly account of great numbers of poor orphans , extraordinarily well maintained and as well educated , both in learning and piety , and afterwards put forth to good callings , and the best qualified sent to the universities , by that most noble hospital of christ church . we have the like account of abundance of sick , lame and wounded people , restored to their health and the use of their limbs , in the hospitals of s. bartholmew and s. thomas . of many poor lunaticks , whose case is the most compassionable of all mortals , restored to their understandings in the hospital of bethlem . and of many idle and vicious people taken out of harms way , and kept to work , and indigent vagrants taken in and relieved , in order to their being returned to their proper homes ; as also poor youths well brought up and bound to honest trades , by the hospital of bride-well . all these , i need not say , are great works of charity , and works , most of them , of the greatest charity ; being so no less to the souls than to the bodies , of helpless wretches . so that the charitably disposed among us can never be at a loss , where excellently well to bestow their charity . where it may be secured from embezzlement , and from being conferred too upon the less necessitous . but to come to a conclusion , the only thing that can make more than a meer competency , for our selves and families , in the least desirable , is the advantage that 's gotten by riches , of having the great pleasure in this world , of being benefactors , and of encreasing our happiness in the world to come . and 't is a wonderful thing , that so few mens observation and experience should convince them , that nothing besides these two things can make any amends , for the innumerable troubles and vexations that attend riches . and that spending them in the gratifying of fleshly lusts , or on pride and vanity , will make them far more unhappy even in this life , than they can be made by the want of them . but 't is impossible that those should not be perswaded , to employ themselves in doing good , suitably to the talents they are intrusted with , who do so firmly believe , as to bestow every day a few serious thoughts on , such texts as this , god hath both raised up the lord , and will also raise up us by his own power . the end . books lately printed for richard chiswel . jaco bi usserii historia dogmat. controvers . inter orthodox . & pontificios de scripturis & sacris vernaculis . nunc primum edita . descripsit digessit & notis atque auctuario locupletavit henricus wharton , a. m. dr. patrick ( now lord bishop of e l y ) his exposition of the ten commandments , and lord's prayer . — private prayer in difficult times . — thanksgiving for our late wonderful deliverance . — two prayers for the happy success of their majesties forces by sea and land. — prayer for charity , peace , and unity . — his thanksgiving sermon before the lords , on the th of november , . for the preservation of their majesties , and the reducing of ireland , and the king 's safe return . dr. tenison ( now lord bishop of lincoln ) his sermon of doing good to posterity . — his sermon concerning discretion in giving alms. — his sermon against self-love , before the house of commons , june , . — his sermon before the queen , concerning the wandering of the mind in god's service . — his sermon before the queen , of the folly of atheism . february . . — dr. fowler ( now lord bishop of gloucester ) his sermon before the queen , march . . dr. burnet ( now lord bishop of sarum ) his sermon before the king and queen , april . . dr. freeman ( now dean of peterborough ) his sermon at the assizes at northampton , aug. . — his thanksgiving sermon before the house of commons nov. , . some remarks upon the ecclesiastical history of the ancient churches of piedmont . by peter allix , d. d. treasurer of the church of sarum . — his remarks upon the ecelesiastical history of the ancient churches of the albigenses . a vindication of their majesties authority , to fill the sees of the deprived bishops , in a letter out of the country , occasioned by dr. b — 's refusal of the bishoprick of bath and wells . a discourse concerning the unreasonableness of a new separation on account of the oaths : with an answer to the history of passive obedience , so far as relates to them. a vindication of the said discourse concerning the unreasonableness of a new separation , from the exceptions made against it , in a tract called , a brief answer to the said discourse , &c. the present state of germany ; by a person of quality . vo . the judgment of god upon the roman catholick church , from its first rigid laws for universal conformity to it , unto its fast end. with a prospect of these near approaching revolutions , viz. the revival of the protestant profession in an eminent kingdom , where it was totally suppressed . the last end of all trukish hostilities . the general mortification of the parts of the roman church in all parts of its dominions . by drue cresner , d. d. to . anglia sacra sive collectio historiarum antiquitus scriptarum de archiepiscopis & episcopis angliae , a prima fidei christianae susceptione ad annum mdxl. opera hen. whartoni a. m. in . vol. fol. mr. rushworth's historical collections , the third part in two volums in folio ; from the beginning of the long parliament , . to the end of the year . wherein is a particular account of the rise and progress of the civil war to that period . the bishop of ely's fast sermon before the queen , april . . — his letter to the clergy of his diocess . forms of prayer for a family. composed by the late pious and learned john worthington d.d. published by the right reverend father in god edward, lord bishop of gloucester worthington, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) forms of prayer for a family. composed by the late pious and learned john worthington d.d. published by the right reverend father in god edward, lord bishop of gloucester worthington, john, - . fowler, edward, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for luke meredith, at the star in st. paul's church-yard, london : . with three final pages of advertisement. gathered in 's. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng prayer -- early works to . prayer -- church of england -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - spi global rekeyed and resubmitted - ben griffin sampled and proofread - ben griffin text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion forms of prayer for a family . composed by the late pious and learned john worthington d. d. published by the right reverend father in god edward , lord bishop of gloucester . london , printed for luke meredith , at the star in st. paul's church-yard , . to the reader . the following prayers for a family being hereafter to accompany the scripture-catechism , which i published soon after the author's decease ; it was thereupon desired by some friends that i would recommend these additional prayers to you : and i could not but comply with their request , though the author's name is sufficient to bespeak their acceptance . i gave a brief character of that excellent person , in a preface to the catechism : and the little that is there said ( which i need not tell those that knew him , he highly deserved , and a great deal more ) is abundantly enough to invite all good people to the perusing of any of his writings . and as to these prayers , whoever reads them , must needs judge them well fitted for the vse of families : the more so , for their being for substance penned in the words and sentences of the divinely-inspir'd writers , which are the aptest of any to excite devotion ; and in this respect they have the advantage of all the prayers that i have seen . this and other instances of their excellency and usefulness , i might here insist upon ; but i think it wholly needless , they being easily to be discerned by a serious reader . i will add a few words concerning the daily worshipping of god in our families , which i cannot forbear , having this opportunity . this is a duty very shamefully neglected in this loose age. and no wonder it is so , by such as are irreligious , and can be content to live in gross ignorance and the disacknowledgment of him in whom they live , move and have their being . but that so many of those who are well instructed in religon , and keep themselves from the more scandalous pollutions of the world , and make conscience of attending on the publick worship of god , and of secret prayer , should be able to satisfy themselves constantly to neglect family-worship , is very unaccountable : especially since not only pious people in all ages have so commended it by their practice ; but also , that nothing seems more clearly discoverable by natural light than that it is the paying of a most reasonable service ; and nothing doth more plainly tend to the begetting , keeping up , and encreasing a sense of religion in families , than this doth . in a word , since the divine providence watcheth over families as such , what serious christian can doubt whether the governours of them are strictly obliged to call them every day together ; thankfully to acknowledge the daily care god takes of them , and the great obligations he continually heaps upon them ; to make a penitent confession of their daily offences against him , and to deprecate the punishment deserved by them ; and to put up humble petitions to the throne of grace , for the continuance of those spiritual and temporal blessings they enjoy , and a supply of those they want ? and that we may be more generally awakened to a sense of this great duty , as also that the following and all other good helps for the better performance thereof , which pious persons have given those who stand in need of them , may have the divine blessing accompanying them , is the hearty prayer of , your faithful servant , edw. gloucestr . morning-prayer for a family . i. ever-blessed lord god , the god that hearest prayers , and therefore should all flesh come unto thee a ; thou who hast promised that where two or three are met together in thy name , there thou wilt be in the midst of them b : we thy poor and unworthy servants , who are less than the least of all thy mercies c , desire in all humility to offer up unto thee this our morning-sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving ; we acknowledge , o lord , that it is of thy mercies that we are not consumed , because thy compassions fail not , they are new every morning d . thou hast not dealt with us after our sins , nor rewarded us according to our iniquities e : but thou hast spared us according to the greatness of thy mercy f , and kept us unto this present moment : in thee we live and move and have our being g , with all the comforts thereof : thou , o lord , hast preserved us from the dangers of the night past , whereas we might have slept the sleep of death h ; and thou hast raised us up to the light of another day , to walk before thee in the land of the living i . what have we , o lord , which we have not receiv'd of thee k ? the mercies of this life , the means of grace , and the helps and advantages for that better life which is to come ; they are all from thee : and by these mercies we should have been perswaded to offer up our selves a living sacrifice , holy and acceptable unto thee , o god , which is our reasonable service l . ii. but we confess , o lord , that we have not rendered unto thee according to what we have received from thee a : we have been unthankful , and have not glorified thee as god b . we confess , o lord , we have sinned against thy law written in our hearts c , and against the light shining in our consciences . we have sinned against thy righteous law , declared in thy holy word ; whereas thy word should have been a lamp unto our feet , and a light unto our paths d . we have sinned against the light of the glorious gospel of christ e , against the precepts and promises of the gospel ; nor have we walked agreeably to that excellent pattern of holiness shining out therein , even the life of christ , who left us an example , that we should follow his steps f . we have sinned , o lord , against thy mercies , and against thy judgments and corrections ; against the motions of thy holy spirit ; against purposes and promises of better service and obedience . father , we have sinned against heaven and in thy sight , and have made our selves unworthy to be called thy children g : and therefore to us belongeth nothing but shame and confusion h of face , and the wrath to come i . iii. but there is forgiveness with thee , o lord a . to the lord our god belong mercies and forgivenesses , though we have rebelled against him b . thou hast declared thy self in thy word to be the lord , the lord god , merciful , gracious , and long-suffering ; forgiving iniquity , transgression and sin c ; not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance d : thou willest not the death of sinners , but hadst rather they should turn from their evil ways and live e : thou didst so love the world , that thou gavest thine onely-begotten son jesus christ ; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life f : thou didst send thy son to be the propitiation for our sins , that we might live through him g . iv. good lord , give us such a sight and sense of our sins , as may beget in us an holy hatred of them , and that godly sorrow for them which worketh repentance not to be repented of a . give us therefore to repent and turn to god , and do works meet for repentance b ; and by repentance fit us for remission and pardon of sin . lord , help our unbelief c , and enable us by faith to receive christ as prophet , priest and king. make us willing to be taught by him , and to obey him in all things d . enable us by faith to embrace the promises , and obey the precepts of the gospel . bless us , o lord , with all spiritual blessings in christ e . bless us in forgiving our iniquities f ; and bless us in turning every one of us from our iniquities g . wash us in the blood of jesus christ , that lamb of god which taketh away the sins of the world h ; and purge our consciences from dead works to serve thee the living god i . v. and let thy holy spirit sanctifie us wholly and throughout , in spirit , soul and body a . let our minds and hearts be renewed more and more ; that being transformed by the renewing of our minds , we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god b ; that we may be enabled to know it as we ought to know c , and delight to do thy will , o our god : and let thy law be within our hearts d . give us so to know christ and his life , that he may be formed in our hearts e , and that he may live in us f ; that the same mind may be in us which was in christ g , and that we may be in the world as he was in the world h . give us so to know christ and his death and sufferings , that we may be made conformable to his death i ; that we may feel the virtue and power of the cross of christ within us , in being crucified to the world , and having the world crucified unto us k ; in crucifying the flesh , with the affections and lusts thereof l ; that the body of sin may be destroy'd , and that henceforth we may not serve sin , nor obey it in the lusts thereof m . give us so to know christ and the power of his resurrection n , that like as christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father , so we also may walk in newness of life o , and may mind and seek those things that are above , where christ sitteth at the right-hand of god p . let the love of christ constrain us , his love in dying for us ; and let us not live unto our selves , but unto him which died for us , and rose again q . enable us to walk worthy of the gospel and the grace of god ; and , as we are taught thereby , to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to live soberly , righteously , and godlily in this present world r . help us , o lord , to consider our selves to be but strangers and pilgrims here on earth s , and to behave our selves as those that seek and desire a better country , that is , an heavenly t . let our affections and conversations be in heaven u , and make us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light w . give us , o lord , to consider our latter end x , and to prepare for it ; and to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling y . so teach us to number our days , that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom z . vi. keep and deliver us , o lord , from the lusts of the flesh , the lusts of the eye , and the pride of life a ; that no temptation of worldly pleasure , profit , or honour , may prevail over us : and enable us by thy grace , to live a life of purity and chastity , a life of temperance and sobriety , a life of humility and self-denial ; help us to deny our selves , and to take up our cross and follow christ b . keep and deliver us , o lord , from all worldly cares and fears , from all discontent with our own estate , from all distrust of providence : and help us to sanctify thee in our hearts , to make thee our fear and our dread c ; help us to cast our care and burden upon thee d , to commit our selves unto thee in well-doing as unto a faithful creator e . prepare us for all disposals of thy providence , and make all things work together for good unto us f . keep and deliver us from the temptations either of prosperity or adversity ; that in fulness and prosperity our hearts may not be lifted up and forget the lord our god g ; that in adversity and time of trial we may not forsake thee , nor murmur and repine against thee : but enable us to possess our souls in patience h , and to endure unto the end i : make us to know both how to be abased , and how to abound , to do all things , or to suffer all things through christ strengthening us k . deliver us from all coveting , envying and grieving at the good of others , or from rejoicing at their evils and sufferings : and enable us to be content with our own estate and condition l , and to love our neighbour as our selves , and to do to others as we would they should do to us m . deliver us from all bitterness , wrath and anger n , from all hatred and malice and desire of revenge : and give us to put on bowels of mercies , kindness , humbleness of mind , meekness , long-suffering o ; not rendring evil for evil unto any p , but over-coming evil with good q . keep and deliver us , o lord , from the wrath and craft of satan and his wicked instruments : make us sober and watchful r against temptations : make us strong in the power of thy might , that we putting on the whole armour of god , may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil s . thy grace is sufficient for us t ; give us the victory over satan , the world , and the flesh , and all those lusts that would war against our souls u . deliver us from all blindness of mind w , and from all hardness of heart x : and give us a right understanding in all things y . enlighten thou the eyes of our mind z , and give us an heart of flesh aa : put thy laws into our hearts , and write them in our minds bb ; and put thy fear into our hearts , that we may not depart from thee cc . vii . and now , o lord , who hast brought us to see the light of another day , lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us a , and watch over us for good b ; keep and preserve us this day from all evil c , from all sin and danger . thou hast been our helper , leave us not , nor forsake us , o god of our salvation d . preserve our going out and our coming in from this time forth and for evermore . e . direct our thoughts , our words and ways , that we may walk worthy of the lord unto all pleasing f . give us grace to walk circumspectly , redeeming the time , because the days are evil g . enable us to keep our selves unspotted from the world h . and herein to exercise our selves to have always a conscience void of offence toward god and toward men i . bless us in our callings , in all lawful endeavours and employments . bless all that belong to us . bless all that are nearly related to us ; let them be near unto thee , and find favour in thy sight . be thou their refuge and strength , a very present help in trouble k . let them obtain mercy , and find grace to help in time of need l . viii . neither are we mindful of our selves alone ; but we beseech thee that thou would'st manifest thy goodness and thy power throughout the world. have mercy upon the jews and all other infidels . bring in both jews and gentiles , that there may be one fold , as there is one shepherd the lord jesus christ , that good shepherd a who laid down his life for the sheep b . give grace unto all those nations that name the name of christ , to depart from all iniquity c , and so to live as becomes the gospel of christ d . purge and purify all christian churches from all corruption of doctrine and life ; and let the doctrine and truth which is according to godliness e , prevail more and more in the world against the spirit of error f and all false doctrine whatsoever . bless the protestant reformed churches with peace among themselves g , sanctify them through thy truth h , make them sound and stedfast in the faith , defend and deliver them from the oppressions of their enemies . save thy people , and bless thine inheritance ; govern them and lift them up for ever k . ix . in mercy , o lord , look down upon these realms and dominions . cause us to repent and to turn our selves from all our transgressions ; so iniquity shall not be our ruin a . take away all our iniquity , and receive us graciously b . give us in this our day to know the things that belong unto our peace c . look down in mercy upon all from the highest to the lowest . establish the king's throne in righteousness d . bless him in his relations ; in his council . let the judges judge the people with just judgment e . let magistrates rule in the fear of god f . cloath thy ministers with righteousness g , make them burning and shining lights h ; thou who art the lord of the harvest , send forth faithful labourers into thy harvest i . x. in mercy look down upon all ranks and estates of men. visit the sick , strengthen the weak , pity the afflicted and remember them in their low estate a . succour the tempted , heal the broken in spirit ; and let those that sow in tears reap in joy b . instruct the ignorant , and enlighten those that are in darkness . convince and humble those that are presumptuous and secure , and give them repentance unto life . confirm and comfort the converted , and establish them in every good word and work c ; that they may be blameless and harmless , the sons of god , without rebuke , in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation d ; that they may be steadfast , unmoveable , always abounding in the work of the lord , as knowing that their labour is not in vain in the lord e . xi . these mercies , and whatever else thou knowest to be needful for us or for others , we humbly beg of thee for the sake of thy dear son and our saviour jesus christ ; in whose name and words we further call upon thee . xii . our father which art in heaven , hallowed be thy name , thy kingdom come , thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven : give us this day our daily bread ; and forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us ; and lead us not into temptation , but deliver us from evil : for thine is the kingdom , and the power , and the glory , for ever . amen . evening-prayer for a family . i. most holy and glorious lord god , infinite in goodness , and wisdom , and power ; the father of mercies , and the god of all comfort a : we thy unworthy creatures desire in all humility to offer up unto thee this our evening sacrifice of praise for the mercies of thy providence over us this day . blessed be the lord who daily loadeth us with his benefits , even the god of our salvation b : thou art good , and doest good c . thou art unwearied in doing us good ; o let us never be weary in well-doing d : while we live let us praise thee , and sing praises unto our god , while we have any being e . let us praise and glorify thee in ordering our conversation aright f , in devoting our selves to thy fear g , and consecrating our lives to thy service . thou art worthy o lord , to receive glory and honour and power ; for thou hast created all things , and through thy pleasure they are , and they were created h . thou art worthy to be loved by us with all our heart , with all our mind , and with all our strength i . ii. but we confess , o lord , we have not given thee the glory due unto thy name a : we have been lovers of our own selves , and lovers of pleasures more than lovers of god b : we have loved this present world c , and the things that are in the world d . how have we wandered from thy commandments e , and walked contrary unto thee f , in walking in the ways of our heart , and in the sight of our eyes g : and therefore thou might'st walk contrary unto us , and make us feel that it is an evil and a bitter thing to have forsaken thee the lord our god h : if thou , o lord , shouldst mark our iniquities , we could not stand in thy sight i . iii. but with the lord there is mercy , and with him there is plenteous redemption a . blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ , who hath visited and redeemed his people b : who sent forth his son , made of a woman , made under the law , to redeem them that were under the law , from the curse thereof , that we might receive the adoption of sons c . and blessing , and honour , and glory be unto jesus christ , the lamb of god , who was slain that he might redeem us unto god by his blood d . iv. we beseech thee , o lord , that thou wouldst fit us and prepare us more and more for that eternal redemption , and the benefits thereof , which christ hath obtained for us b . create in us clean hearts , o god , and renew right spirits within us a . give us that broken spirit , which thou wilt not despise c ; that contrite and humble spirit , which thou delightest to revive d . give us that repentance toward god , and faith toward our lord jesus christ e , as may fit us for pardon and peace , for mercy and grace ; that in christ we may have redemption through his blood , even the forgiveness of sins , according to the riches of thy grace f . and give us grace to live as the redeemed of the lord , and to walk worthy of christ , who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purifie unto himself a peculiar people , zealous of good works g . we are not our own , but are bought with a price , even with the precious blood of christ ; o let us therefore glorifie god in our bodies , and in our spirits , which are god's h . v. fit and prepare us also , o lord , for the influences of thy light and love : make us meet to be living habitations and temples of thy holy spirit a ; and do thou delight to dwell in us b , and make thine abode with us c , and manifest thy self unto us d . fit us for the guidance and the powerful assistances of thy spirit , and fit us for the comforts of thy spirit . let us not grieve e , nor resist the holy ghost f ; but always follow thy good spirit as our guide , that we may enjoy thy spirit as our comforter g . let thy grace always prevent us , and accompany us , and enable us to persevere unto the end . make us , o lord , perfect in every good work , to do thy will , working in us that which is well-pleasing in thy sight , through jesus christ h . father of mercies , o god the god of our strength i , and of our salvation , never leave us nor forsake us : our eyes are unto thee , o god the lord , in thee is our trust , leave not our souls destitute k . let thy presence be with us , while we are here in this wilderness ; and lead us through it to the heavenly canaan : let us take heed of grieving or provoking thee through disobedience or unbelief l ; but enable us by faith in thy goodness and power , to resist and overcome our spiritual enemies , sin and satan ; enable us to follow the lord fully m , and to continue patiently in well-doing n , that through faith and patience we may inherit the promises , and enter into thy rest o . guide us , o lord , with thy counsel , and afterwards receive us to thy glory p . vi. and now , o heavenly father , we recommend our souls and bodies unto thy fatherly care and keeping this night . thou that neither slumberest nor sleepest a , watch thou over us for good b : preserve us from the dangers and fears of this night ; hide us under the safe shadow of thy wings c : refresh us with quiet rest and sleep : let us lie down in peace d , in thy love and favour ; and raise us up in health of body , and ability of mind , to serve thee faithfully the next day . cause us to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning , for in thee do we trust e . vii . merciful father preserve all our relations and friends : withhold not thou thy tender mercies from them , o lord ; let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve them a . bless them with all spiritual blessings in christ b . bless them with health and peace , with all the necessaries of this life , and with contentment ; and give them all things that pertain to life and godliness c . viii . be merciful , o lord , unto all the nations of the world that are without christ a . send unto them able and faithful ministers of the new testament b , to open their eyes , and to turn them from darkness to light , and from the power of satan unto god c . make thy son to be a light to lighten the gentiles , and the glory of thy people israel d ; and let him be thy salvation to the ends of the earth e . let the earth be full of the knowledge of the lord , as waters cover the sea f ; and let all the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our lord and of his christ g . let those that enjoy the light of the glorious gospel of christ h , walk as children of light i , and shew forth the vertues and praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light k . preserve thy little flock , and deliver the afflicted churches of christ out of all their troubles : weaken the power , and disappoint the devices of their enemies : bless thy people with peace l ; and let all those that love thy name , be joyful in thee m . ix . have mercy upon these realms and dominions . turn thou us unto thee , o lord , and we shall be turned a ; give us grace throughly to amend our ways and our doings b , and to bring forth fruits meet for repentance c ; and do thou rejoyce over us to do us good d . establish us in truth , righteousness and peace . be merciful to all orders and degrees amongst us , from the king who is supreme , to all subordinate magistrates and rulers ; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty e . let judgment run down as waters , and righteousness as a mighty stream f . let the word of god run and be glorified g ; and let it appear to be the power of god unto salvation h , in the turning of many souls from sin to righteousness and true holiness . x. in mercy remember all the children of affliction . be unto them the father of mercies , the god of comfort a , and the god of their salvation . let patience have its perfect work in them b ; and make all things , even afflictions , work together for good unto them c . xi . o lord hear , o lord , forgive , o lord hearken and do a abundantly for us above all that we can ask or think b . answer us and accept us in the beloved c , thy dear son d , jesus christ : to whom with the father and the holy spirit be all praise , and love , and obedience , this night and for evermore . amen . xii . our father which art in heaven , hallowed be thy name , thy kingdom come , thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven : give us this day our daily bread ; and forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us ; and lead us not into temptation , but deliver us from evil : for thine is the kingdom , and the power , and the glory , for ever and ever . amen . prayers to be said before the reading of the holy scriptures . i. blessed lord god , who alone canst teach us to profit a , enlighten our minds , and give us a good understanding in all things b . open our hearts , that we may receive the love of the truth c . enable us , o lord , to receive the word with meekness d , and with all readiness of mind e ; and to mingle it with faith f . let thy holy spirit ( which thou hast promised to give to them that ask g ) enable us to know as we ought to know the holy scriptures , which are able to make us wise unto salvation ; that we may thereby be throughly furnished unto all good works h . give us as new born babes to desire the sincere milk of the word , that we may grow thereby i ; that we may grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ , to whom be glory both now and for ever . amen k . ii. o god , the father of lights , from whom comes every good and perfect gift a , give us the spirit of wisdom and knowledge b , that the eyes of our understanding being enlightened c , we may know the great things of thy law d , and the mysteries of the gospel . make us , o lord , to see and taste how gracious thou art e in thy promises , which are exceeding great and precious f ; how holy in thy precepts , which are all just and good . and let us not be hearers only , but doers of the word , lest we deceive our own souls g . let it be the power of god unto our salvation h . enable us to walk as children of light , having no communion with the works of darkness i ; to walk in the light , as thou art in the light k ; that we may have fellowship with the father , and with his son jesus christ l , and may be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light m ; through jesus christ our lord. amen . graces . before meat . i. most gracious god , bless us , and all thy mercies unto us : and make us thankful and obedient unto thee in all things , for jesus christ his sake . amen . ii. we beseech thee , o lord , to bless us ; and these thy creatures provided for us ; that being refreshed and strengthened by them , we may live to the praise of thee , the god of all our mercies and comforts , and serve thy will in our generation , through jesus christ enabling us ; to whom be glory and thanksgiving for evermore . amen . after meat . i. blessed and praised be thy holy name , o lord , for feeding our bodies at this time : we beseech thee to feed and nourish our souls unto everlasting life , through jesus christ our lord. amen . ii. o god , the father of mercies , who hast refreshed our frail bodies with thy good creatures ; blessed be thy name for these and all thy mercies , for thy mercies to our bodies and to our souls . enable us , o lord , to return unto thee according to what we have received from thee : and bless us with all spiritual blessings in christ ; to whom be all praise , all love , and all obedience , now and for evermore . amen . finis . books printed for , and sold by luke meredith , at the star in st. paul's church-yard . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a form of sound words : or , a scripture-catechism ; shewing what a christian is to believe and practise , in order to salvation . very useful for persons of all ages and capacities , as well as children . together with two short prayers for the use of children . composed by the pious and learned john worthington d. d. deceased . the fifth edition . books written by jer. taylor , d. d. late lord bishop of down and connor . the rules and exercises of holy living and dying . the sixteenth edition , newly printed , in octavo . the golden grove ; a choice manual , containing what is to be believed , practised , and desired or prayed for : the prayers being fitted to the several days of the week ; also festival hymns according to the manner of the ancient church . the psalter of david , with titles and collects according to the matter of each psalm : whereunto are added devotions for the help and assistance of all christian people in all occasions and necessities . the tenth edition ; in twelves . a collection of offices , or forms of prayers in cases ordinary and extraordinary ; taken out of the scriptures and the ancient liturgies of several churches , especially the greek . together with a large preface in vindication of the liturgy of the church of england . the second edition , in twelves . books written by the reverend dr. patrick , now lord bishop of ely. the christian's sacrifice : a treatise , shewing the necessity , end , and manner of receiving the holy communion together with suitable prayers and meditations for every month in the year ; and the principal festivals in memory of our blessed saviour . in four parts . the third edition corrected . the devout christian instructed how to pray and give thanks to god : or , a book of devotions for families , and particular persons in most of the concerns of human● life . the eighth edition , in twelves . advice to a friend . the th . edition in twelves . a friendly debate between a conformist and non-conformist , in octavo , two parts . the truth of christian religion , in six books ; written in latin by hugo grotius , and now translated into english , with the addition of a seventh book against the present roman church , in octavo . a book for beginners ; or , a help to young communicants , that they may be fitted for the holy communion , and receive it with profit . the countess of morton's daily exercise : or , a book of prayers and rules how to spend the time in the service and pleasure of almighty god. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e a ps. . . b matth. . . c gen. . . d lam. . . e ps. . f nehem. . g acts . . h ps. . . i ps. . . ps. . k cor. . . l rom. . . a . chr. . . b rom. . . c rom. . . d ps. . . e cor. . . f pet. . . g luke . . h dan. . . i thes. . . a ps. . . b dan. . . c exod. . . d pet. . . e ezek. . . f john . . g john . , . a cor. . . b acts . c mark . . d acts . e eph. . . f rom. . . g acts . . h john . . i heb. . . a thes. . . b rom. . . c cor. . . d psal. . . e gal. . . f ch. . . g phil. . . h john . . i phil. . . k gal. . . l gal. . . m rom. . . n phil. . . o rom. . . p col. . , . q cor. . . r tit. . . s heb. . . pet. . . t heb. . , . u phil. . . w col. . . x deut. . . y phil . . z psal. . . a ioh. . . b matth. . . c pet. . . isai. . . d pet. . . psal. . . e pet. . . f rom. . . g deut. . . h luke . . i matth. . . k phil. . . l heb. . . m matth. . . n ephes. . . o col. . . p pet. . . thes. . . q rom. . . r pet. . . s ephes. . . t cor. . . u pet. . . w cor. . . x rom. . . y tim. . . z ephes. . . aa ezek. . ● . bb heb. . . cc ier. . . a psal. . . b ier. . . c psal. . . d psal. . . e psal. . . f col. . . g ephes. . . h iames . . i acts . . k psal. . . l heb. . . a john . . b ver . . c tim. . . d phil. . . e tim. . . tit. . . f john . . g thes. . . h john . . tit. . . cor. . . k psal. . . a ezek. . . b hos. . . c luke . . d prov. . . e deut. . f sam. . . g psal. . . h john . . i matth. . . a psal. . . b psal. . . c thes. . . d phil. . . e cor. . . matth. . notes for div a -e a cor. . . b psal. . . c psal. . . d gal. . . e psal. . . f psal. . . g psal. . . h rev. . . i mark . . a psal. . . b tim. . . c tim. . . d john . . e psal. . . f levit. . . g eccles. . . h ier. . . i psal. . . a psal. . . b luke . . c gal. . , . ch. . . d rev. . , . b psal. . . a heb. . . c psal. . . d isa. , . e acts . . f eph. . . g t it . . h pet. . . cor. . . a cor. . . ch. . b cor. . c john ● . . d vers. . e ephes. . . f acts . . g john . . h heb. . . i psal. . . k psal. . . l heb. . . m numb . . . n rom. . . o heb. . . p psal. . . a psal. . . b ier. . . c psal. . . d psal. . . e psal. . . a psal. . . b eph. . . c pet. . . a ephes. . . b cor. . . c acts . . d luke . e isa. . f isa. . . g rev. . . h cor. . . i ephes. . . k pet. . . l psal. . . m psal. . . a lam. . . b ier. . . c matth. . . d ier. . . e tim. . . f amos . . g thes. . . h rom. . . a cor. . . b iames . . c rom. . . a dan. . . b ephes. . . c ephes. . . d col. . . matth. . luke . notes for div a -e a isa. . . b tim. . . c thes. . . d iames . . e acts . . f heb. . . g luke . . h tim. . , . i pet. . . k pet. . . a iam. . . b isai. . . c eph. . . d hos. . . e psal. . . f pet. . . g iames . . h rom. . . i eph. . , . k john . . l ver. . m col. . . the great wickedness, and mischievous effects of slandering, represented in a sermon preached at st. giles without cripplegate, on sunday nov. , by edward fowler, d.d. ; together with a preface and conclusion in his own vindication. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the great wickedness, and mischievous effects of slandering, represented in a sermon preached at st. giles without cripplegate, on sunday nov. , by edward fowler, d.d. ; together with a preface and conclusion in his own vindication. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng libel and slander -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion imprimatur , c. alston , r. p. d. hen. episc. lond a sacris dornest . . nov. . the great wickedness , and mischievous effects of slandering , represented in a sermon preached at st. giles without cripplegate , on sunday nov. . . by edward fowler , d. d. together with a preface and conclusion in his own vindication . thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour . they are grievous revolters walking with slanders , jer. . . london , printed for brabazon aylmer , at the three pidgeons against the royal-exchange in cornhill . . the preface . if the readers of the following sermon knew how very little time i had for the composing of it , they would not be offended with its plainness : nor those that are ingenuous , critical in observing faults or over-sights . the conclusion of the sermon , which contains the occasion of my penning and preaching it , i have here publisht with some small additions , which i think fit to mention , because those of whose humanity i have had such plentiful experience , will be forward enough , i presume , to give out , upon their finding any passages they did not hear from the pulpit , that i have lyed in the title-page . the design of this preface is to vindicate my self from a great slander of theirs ( and i am prepared to do the like , as to all the other i have heard of ) which notwithstanding my endeavours , both by word of mouth and letters , to clear my self of , doth ( as i understood the last week ) still stick upon me : and 't is this , that i should give , about a year and three quarters since , to a certain fanatick , a knavish certificate , to bring him off , in a court of iustice , from an indictment of so scandalous a crime , as the depraving of the common-prayers . and in short , that i certified him to be a good church-man , whereas he never came to the communion but once , in order to his being qualified for the office of common-council-man . and if i ever gave to any such person such a certificate , i will freely acknowledge , i was a knave indeed . but before i proceed farther , i will say this , that i know not that i ever repented of any certificate i gave in my life , except of one that two of my greatest enemies , before they discovered their malice towards me , did unawares draw me into ; which was to this effect , and , to the best of my remembrance , in these very words , that for ought i know , they were men of peaceable and christian spirits ; which certificate was of their own penning . i must confess , i then shrewdly suspected that they were not men of such spirits , but because i had no certain knowledge of the contrary , upon a little deliberation i subscribed it . but within a few dayes . i was made sensible what a trapan this was , being informed , that these very men had represented me , at white-hall , as an encourager of fanaticks in our freedom-vestry . this was told me by a person of honour , who had it from mr. secretary ienkins . but i appeal to the present recorder of london , and to the alderman of our ward , whether , in their presence , i did not abundantly clear my innocence , as to this charge . the latter of these gentlemen , meeting me in , or near , cornhill , some dayes after the hearing which we had in the recorders chamber , desired me to pardon the chief man of them ; and the recorder , at the conclusion of the hearing , i think before most of the vestry-men were gone out ( for there was a full appearance of them too ) was pleased to declare ( my self standing by him , and divers others ) that he would justify my honesty ( that was , with respect to my proceedings in the vestry ) on any ground in england . my adversaries thus failing of their design , they , with one or two more , have , almost ever since that time to this , turned every stone to ruine me : and london rings of their carriage towards me . nor hath it satisfied them to abuse me in the grossest manner , but they have put an intolerable abuse upon a great-man or two ; for when they have been expostulated with , for making my life so vneasy , they have endeavoured to remove all blame from themselves , by pretending that what they had done , was in meer obedience to their commands . and when it was replyed ( as once it was by my self , to this effect ) you first instigate great persons by your wretched stories , and then hypocritically pretend that my troubles originally proceed from them ; there was no answer , but perfect silence . it might make a competent volume , to give an account what slanders they have devised , and methods they have taken , from time to time , to do me mischief . i have a narrative by me of the molestations they have given me , to about half a year since , which i intended then to publish , but upon second thoughts i judged it more prudent to hold my hand for some time longer . but to return to this knavish certificate ; the person i certified for , was one mr. r. w. who is one of my nearest neighbours . the occasion of the certificate was this , two of these three or four men , who have so long been my adversaries , accused this man to me before his face ( which fair play they rarely use ) of having called the common-prayers an innovation , upon a motion to have them read , at the meeting of their quest , in the quest-house . mr. w. professed that he only called the reading of them upon that occasion so , for that never any such thing had been done before , that ever he heard of in this parish : and that he opposed the bringing up of such a custome , for the poors sake , because he presumed they would pay the reader out of the purse , that at that meeting annually was made for them. but he told me he declared to them , that if they would pay the reader out of their own purses , they might have the prayers in the church with all his heart ; and acknowledged then that he gave them a proverbial saying , which they made a mighty business of , that signified no more than that every body might have his liberty , either to go , or to stay away ; which , though it might be decently enough used in most cases not relating to religious affaires , yet i told him it was irreverendly done of him to use it in this case ; and though i could not impute it to his disaffection to the prayers ( he having ever since i came to this parish , and i understand , for some years before was a constant attender on them upon sundayes ) but to meer rashness and inconsideration , they being then in the heat of passion ; yet at that time , and more then once since , i rebuked him for it with severity enough . and i further reproved him before these men , for not being as forward as any to so good a motion ; though it was evident enough , that the motion was not made from so good a principle , as that of true love to the worship of god , but upon a design that was very obvious . i farther added , that to encourage the reading of the prayers , at this yearly meeting , i would my self first read them at their meeting again the next year , and so for the future , which accordingly i did the last christmas . they had another story of a most indecent scoff at our church musick , but this he utterly denied , and persists in doing so ; and the truth is i never believed it , but now , for a reason i won't mention , i disbelieve it . after all the passionate fending and proving was over , and i had , as i said , smartly enough reproved mr. w. i told them 't was evident , he did not call the prayers an innovation , but only the reading them in the quest-house , or upon that occasion , and then exhorted them to more christian behaviour towards one another , and to be friends again ; having heard that there was an elder grudg between one or both of these men , and this mr. w. and that the difference did not begin now : although one of them had been sometime before his great intimate , and he constantly gave mr. w. the title of his master . hereupon they drank to each other , more than once , and shook hands . but the next news i heard of them , which surprized me much , was , that they had made a complaint of him to mr. recorder , and that the constable had carried him away to guild-hall , and that there he was bound over to answer for his depraving the common-prayer ; upon these mens oaths , at the kings bench barr. whereupon this mr. w. signified to me , that the lord mayor had advised him , to get a good petition drawn up to my lord chief iustice , and as good a certificate as his minister and other creditable people of the parish , could give him ; and that his lordship promised him to present both with his own hand , and accordingly he performed that promise . hereupon i again reproved him , and told him i hoped this would be for the future a warning to him ; and finding him much dejected , i said i would willingly certifie for him whatsoever i knew to be true of him . and the certificate i gave him was this , that he was a constant attender on the prayers of the church , a frequenter of the holy communion , in the way of the church of england , and a forward man to publick good works in the parish , and particularly at that time , to the repairing of our church and steeple . and in the close , i expressed how far i was from going about to excuse his fault ; but in what words i did this , i don't now remember . this is the plain and naked truth of this matter , and i am yet to learn where lay my fault . nay i am still fully satisfied in my conscience , that i did nothing but what i might lawfully do , nay nor any thing but what i was bound in common iustice to do . for i never knew him other , than a constant attender on the prayers of the church , nor than a frequenter of the holy communion , i mean upon his knees and at the rayles . and , whatsoever faults he may have been guilty of , i have found no one parishioner more publick spirited , both in reference to the church and parish . and he was one of the best church-wardens ( i finding him in that office when i first came hither ) that i believe the parish ever knew . it hath been objected to me , that he behaved himself disloyally at the election of sheriffs , and therefore this certificate was taken the worse at my hands . but i need make no other reply , than that this was more than i knew . i have but little acquaintance in this parish to this day , and had less then , so that i might very well be a stranger to his behaviour at that election . for my part , i never perceived any disloyalty in him , but the contrary , when he hath come to me , which he does very rarely , but when business brings him , though he lives close by me . and had he discovered disaffection to the government , either in church or state to me , what is commendable in him should not have made with me an atonement for it . but there is no end of these my obliging friends stories ; i hope though , for the future they 'l be more innocent ones ; i mean , that their tongues will be no slander . the worst thing i knew of this man was , that he would be too easily provoked , but as soon ( that i 'le say for him too ) pacified . but why should i better know what this w. was , than what these men were ? i was i confess often told what two of them were , but i would not believe it , till they did me the kindness to make me understand them whether i would or no ; and since i have been sufficiently upbraided with my charitable incredulity . but in order to the more blackening of me , one or more of my good friends have reported , that he was upon the scaffold when the king was murthered . i never heard of this till this very day , but i concluded 't was a wicked lye , before i sent for him to ask him the question . his reply was , that he was then but a boy about sixteen years old , ( as any one may believe that knows him ) and that he was at that time fourscore miles from london . in short , mr. attorney general had a full hearing of the forementioned cause , was fully satisfied of the baseness of it , and gave mr. w. a noli prosequi . my enemies after this , made an article against me of this certificate , at doctors commons , and it was thrown out again with contempt enough . and yet , it is still made a hainous crime in me , and if it must be so for the future , after this pains i have taken to clear my self of being faulty therein , so let it . pervicaciae nullum opposuit remedium deus . but i declare farther , that if i had refused to certifie what i knew to be true of this man , i had not only been vnjust , but highly dis-ingenuous . for at my first coming to this parish , though he was a meer stranger to me ; and i never once heard of him before ; he highly obliged me by standing up for my right to houses that were built on the church-yard ground , and which i recovered without going to law , and by no mans assistance more than by his . and so much for that . i am accused too of this very whiggish trick , and in my mind a more knavish one , than the pretended certificate , viz. that the lord mayor , or some great man ( no body knows who ) sending to me to give my iudgment of persons fit to be chosen common-council-men , and to do my best towards procuring the choyce of loyal persons , i recommended fanaticks , or at least whigs , and stickled for them . but the reader shan't need to be scared with the fears of another tedious tale , for a word or two will do this business , viz. i solemnly profess both upon the word of a christian and a divine , that i never concerned my self , either directly or indirectly , in that affair , nor ever was defired by any mortal to meddle in it . but yet this goodly complaint of me , was told me by no less a man than a lord , this last week . and i am not to seek to understand , why just at this nick of time , ( i mean within this week or fortnight ) there are such strenuous but secret endeavours used by these men , to make me all that 's naught to our governovrs . it may be expected i should here clear my self of discouraging my church-wardens from presenting dissenters , which they made an article of , but i need to say no more than this to it , that as they could make nothing like a proof of it in the court , so the contrary appeared there , by the deposition of the principal of their own witnesses . and i had full evidence ready to prove , that i only charged them to present impartially , and not to gratify any ones revengeful piques , but it was not produced because 't was needless . and i had , after a full hearing , ten pounds costs given me against them . and now my hand is in , a word or two to their grand article , that i gave the communion to two of my church-wardens together , who were excommunicated in the court , near a year and half since . but as i had leave to defer the publishing of that excommunication , so the sacrament was given them before 't was publisht ; and i had then great assurance , that excommunications can take no effect till they are publisht ; and what i did , was done upon the best advice i was capable of having , and i relyed upon the authority of more than one ecclesiastical iudge ; and the same article had been exhibited against many other divines besides my self , had they been so unhappy as to have had in their parishes any people of such venomous spirits , as those few i am infested with . so that , if this were a fault in me , it was a fault of most excuseable , if i may not say invincible , ignorance . i no way consulted mine own interest in doing this thing , and i abominate the breaking of any order of the church to gratify any person whatsoever . there is one thing more which i ought not to omit , viz. that whereas i might say ( but that it may be replied , i live far from neighbours ) that no man could live more peaceably than i have done in this place , nor have been more forward to oblige all men , i have wondred sometimes , and so have others too who know my conversation , how i should happen to have in my parish such bitter enemies , though , i thank god , i have but a very few that i know of . but i have been for some time satisfied , that my impartiality in preaching hath netled some , and particularly my frequent exposing certain vices of some among us , who value themselves mightily upon their loyalty and conformity , whom i have plainly told , that they are a disgrace both to the king and the church ; and it may be i have but seldom dealt severely with the fanaticks , and men of factious , seditious , and rebellious principles , but i have had a bout with them too . now this is a fault i will not make the least excuse for , and if it be a fault , i believe most of the good service i have done here to the king and church , hath been principally owing to it . a second cause of my troubles i am too sure ( and i question whether i can name a third ) is , my refusing to part with mr. s. after all endeavours that have been used to set me against him . and for my great aversness to gratify his enemies herein , i will exercise my readers patience with this short apology . viz. that , besides one personal pique , i soon perceiv'd , the bottom of the emnity against him , to be some sermons he preached of the absolute necessity of restitution , that grievously galled some , who were too well known , to have wronged the poor , together with his declaring his mind else-where with some severity , against several unjust practices , before i had any relation to this parish . and it would have lain heavy upon my conscience , while i had a day to live , should i have joyned with those against him , who , i was satisfied , did set themselves in opposition to him , for the zeal he had expressed upon so highly commendable an account , as that of endeavouring to do right to those who are not in a capacity of righting themselves . besides , should i have dismissed mr. s. i could not but expect the curses of hundreds of needy families , for , excepting two noted citizens , i know not his fellow for bestirring himself , to get relief for poor people . i am confident , that never was a parish so obliged to a curate , as this parish hath been , for many years , to him , as ill as he hath now , for a long time by some few , been requited for it . and , to speak my conscience , i am certain this parish could very much better spare my self , than it can him. i confess , at my first coming , there was some misunderstanding between him and me , which some hoped would have ended in a settled enmity like to theirs : but in a very short time , we came to know each other better , and then immediately all that vanished , and hath never been in the least revived to this day . and , as to his preaching up loyalty , and conformity to the church , i know not a divine in london that is , or , ever since i came hither , hath been more zealous ; as many hundreds , i may say some thousands , can bear me witness . i will make no other apology for troubling the reader with this long scribble , than this very short one , viz. meer necessity hath , sorely against my inclination , compell'd me to it . but , for all that , i expect to have the old lame distick flung in my dish , viz. hoc mihi pro certo est , quòd si cum sterc●re certo , vinco , seu vincor , certè ego maculor . and if i have this wipe , i 'le take it patiently , though of all gibes , i confess , i most hate true ones . st. giles cripplegate , nov. . ( . ) the great wickedness , and mischievous effects of slandering represented . psalm . . . whoso privily slandereth his neighbour , him will i cut off . i shall not detein you with any thing of preface , but fall immediately upon the business i designed in the choice of these words , for my present subject . the just and pious king , who was the pen-man , spends this short psalm in declaring to his people , how he was resolved to mannage himself , in reference to the encouragement of piety and virtue among them ; and the discouragement of vice and wickedness . and among other particular vices which he tells them should by no means escape punishment , that of slandering their neighbours comes in , in the words of my text. nor is here any one vice which he expresseth so great an abhorrence of , or so severely threatens , as this of slandering . for , whereas he saith , a froward heart shall depart from me : i will not know a wicked person : and him that hath a high look , and a proud heart will not i suffer : and he that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house : and he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight ; he makes slandering their neighbours , a capital crime , and declareth that whoso slandereth his neighbour , him would he cut off. first , i will endeavour to shew , what is here meant by slandering ones neighbour . secondly , upon what accounts we may presume this good king did thus threaten those that should be guilty of this practice . i. what is here meant by slandering ones neighbour . thus to do , is either to devise a tale of another and then tell it ; that is , such a tale , as tends to the bringing of a blot upon the person of whom 't is invented and told : or to tell a false story from other hands as true , and with a design to have it believed without sufficient evidence of the truth of it . now although this latter way of slandering be a very great sin , as proceeding from great want of charity , and being perfectly opposite to that golden rule of our saviour , what you would that men should do to you , do you even the same to them , ( than which no maxim in morals is more plainly taught by the law of nature , i. e. right reason unassisted by divine revelation , and which a pagan prince gives us in negative terms , viz. quod tibi fieri non vis , alteri ne feceris . whatsoever thou wouldst not have done to thy self , do not offer to do to another : i say , as this latter way of slandering is for these reasons a very great sin , and consequently will meet with , where it is not timely repented of , very sore punishment from gods hands ) yet the former way , viz. slandering by inventing of stories to the blemishing of any ones good-name , is a greater sin , ( as is evident at first hearing ) and therefore deserves greater punishment . and the more the tale blackens his reputation of whom it is told , and the greater , or more useful the person is in the world who is defamed , as also the greater the injury is that is designed him in telling it of him , the greater still is this exceedingly great sin. now the slanderers that king david must needs mean here in the text , and whom he threatneth with being cut off , are such as shall devise and invent lies to the injuring of their neighbours , i. e. of any persons , be their rank and quality what it will ; which the word neighbour doth import . and they are only such slanderers as these which must be here thus threatned , because the other sort ( viz. such as do not invent , but only rashly give credit to and report lies of their neighbours ) though they are great sinners too , yet we cannot think that the king would doom them to so great a punishment . for in all places , there are too many of these offenders to be made obnoxious to so severe a sentence . and besides , it is not so easy a matter for the magistrate to find evidence sufficient in such a case as this , to found such a sentence as that of death upon it . ii. i come to shew upon what accounts this good king did thus threaten such as privily slandered their neighbours . there is very great reason for his being thus incensed against them . first , because inventers of slanders are in the number of the most injurious and mischievous people in the world. . they are most mischievous to those persons who are the objects of their slanders ; none are more so , except those instruments of satan , who by drawing others to sin destroy their souls . after the divine graces and virtues , which are necessary to qualify for the heavenly happiness , a man's good-name is the most highly valuable . it is not only better than precious oyntment , and rather to be chosen than silver and gold ( as the wise man saith ) but 't is to be prefer'd before all temporal enjoyments whatsoever , not excepting life it self . for who can take any comfort in his life , ( unless he be devested of all humanity , and strangely sunk into the brutish nature ) that is sensible of having out-liv'd his good-name ? and as for those that are so sunk , it would be much better for themselves as well as for the world , if they were out of being . and as it is natural to those men who have any thing of generousnes and ingenuity in their tempers , above all things to covet a good-name ; so there is this great reason why they should , namely , because it is the chief thing that makes men useful in the world ; and there are no such unprofitable or insignificant creatures upon god's earth , as those are who have lost their reputation , or had never any to lose . i mean by a good-name and reputation , that of a good-man : of a man that hath imbibed good principles , and is true to them : of a man revering the great god , and fearing to break wilfully any of his laws . that which either in the sacred writings , or in the books of the philosophers is called a good-name , is wholly founded upon good morals . a large understanding , shrewdness of wit and parts , high titles of honour , &c. have , 't is confessed , acquired to their owners great names , but these alone never made any man the possessor of a good-name . now so far as any man's reputation , in reference to his morals , is eclipsed , so much the less capable doth he immediately become of being serviceable in his generation . the less of a good-name any one hath , the fewer opportunities and advantages will he have , of being beneficial to his fellow-creatures , either in their temporal or spiritual concerns , but especially in their spiritual . and as it is cheifly upon this account that a good-name ought to be so highly esteemed ; so to esteem it upon any other account , separate from this , is nothing better than a gratification of animality or fond fancy . but this consideration makes it highly reasonable to prize a good-name above rubies , and above the wealth of both the indies , and to reckon our sufferings herein in the number of the greatest worldly sufferings . so , it is manifest , king david did , by divers passages in his psalms : as particularly in psal. . , . saith he , false witnesses did rise up against me , they laid to my charge things which i knew not ( or which i was altogether guiltless of ) they rewarded me evil for good ( or this evil of slander for all the good services i have done them ) to the spoiling , or ( as 't is in our old translation ) to the great discomfort of my soul. and psal. . , . he thus complaints ; thou hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonour , mine adversaries are all before thee , reproach hath broken my heart and i am full of heaviness . so that a slanderer being a robber of that which is deservedly so precious , or at least he alwayes being so in his endeavour , there was great reason why this holy king should so abominate him , as we find by our text he did : but , . as the slanderer is thus highly injurious to those who are the objects of his slanders , so is he the most pestilent creature to the community of which he is a member . those who invent slanders , are the greatest pests and plagues to a body politique . they are continually stirring up strife and contention , animosities and emulation : and where these are , st. iames tells us , there is confusion , and every evil work. one of these is sufficient to set a whole neighbourhood together by the ears , and a few of them are enough to enflame a whole city , nay a whole kingdom . king solomon saith , prov. . . an ungodly man diggeth up evil , and in his lips there is a burning fire . and st. paul , cor. . . brings in swellings and tumults immediately after backbitings and whisperings . which he had good reason to do , since those are the natural consequents and effects of these . for they not only sow seeds of division among the people , but beget a mutual mis-understanding between them and their governours . these backbitings and whisperings render governours jealous of their people , and the people as jealous of their governours . princes see with other mens eyes , as they act by other mens hands ; and therefore 't is the most difficult thing , and even next to impossible for them , ordinarily to discern between calumnies and true stories . they have greater matters alwayes to mind , than to have leisure to dive to the bottom of those reports that are brought to them . and therefore , no wonder if they are frequently abused and imposed upon ; and so , perswaded to take some for their worst , who are in the number of their best subjects ; and others for their best , who are really their worst . and while the slanderers are as cunning and dextrous as they are wicked and malicious , what can alwayes prevent this , and the horrible mischiefs occasioned thereby , but such a degree of wisdom and knowledg , as no where resides but in god himself ? now king david had great reason to resolve upon doing his utmost towards the rooting out of his kingdom such people as these , when he knew them to be the great instruments of their father the devil , in making his subjects uneasy to himself , and to one another , and himself too as uneasy unto them : when he knew that all good order and government , was inconsistent with the encouragement , or toleration of such a crew of vile miscreants . when he was so well aware , that let such pretend to what loyalty they pleased , 't was impossible for him to have naughtier subjects than these are . let us consider what st. iames saith of a slandering tongue , ch. . v. . the tongue is a little member , and boasteth great things ; behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth ! and the tongue is a fire , a vvorld of iniquity . so is the tongue ( or a calumniating backbiting tongue ) among our members , that it defileth the whole body , and it is set on fire of hell. secondly , as inventers of slanders are the most mischievous and destructive sort of people ; so , whilst they are neglected and let alone , they are the most successful in their wicked designs . they are so successful , that what our proverb saith of a flayl , is much truer of a slandering tongue , that , there is no fence against it . if any thing be a sure protection from it , one would think the most spotless innocence , and the most exemplary virtue needs must , but the example of our blessed saviour assures us of the contrary . no man ever arrived to his innocence or vertue ; but for all that , never was any one so strangely wronged in his good-name as he. though no man more practised or taught loyalty , yet was he represented as an enemy to caesar. though never had the devil such an enemy , yet was he calumniated as a great wizzard , in league with beelzebub the prince of the devils . though never was the breast of any one so possessed with divine love , nor any man's mind with so great a reverence and veneration of the divine majesty , yet was he stigmatized with the blackest of all marks and characters , viz. that of a blasphemer . and as the most horrid slanders were invented and published to the world of him , so were they generally believed too . there is nothing we are owners of that 's so exposed to the mercy of others , as are our good-names . whosoever hath a tongue in his head , if he be but wicked enough , and not universally known to be a wicked man , can , when he pleaseth , do our names a mischief . the wise man saith , prov. . . that a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour , is a maul , and a sword , and a sharp-arrow . that is , he is made up and compounded of all fatal mischiefs . a maul cannot give greater bruises , nor more effectually fell to the ground , than this sort of weapon : nor a sword pierce deeper , or cut and slash more cruelly : nor a sharp arrow wound at a greater distance , no nor at nothing so great a distance ; for there is no getting out of the reach of a slandering tongue ; nor is there any where to be found security against it : i mean , besides the special and extraordinary providence of god. st. iames tells us in the fore-mentioned chapter , ver . . &c. that every kind of beasts , and of birds , and of serpents , and things in the sea , is tamed , and hath been tamed of man-kind ; but the tongue ( viz. the tongue of a slanderer , as is plain by ver . . ) can no man tame , it is an unruly evil , ( such an evil as there is no dealing with it ) full of deadly poison : such as is too strong for the most sovereign antidote . many ( saith the son of syrack ) have fallen by the edge of the sword , but not so many as have fallen by the tongue : well is he that is defended from it , and hath not passed through the venome thereof . who hath not drawn the yoke thereof , nor hath been bound in its bands ? for the yoke thereof is as a yoke of iron , and the bands thereof as bands of brass . the death thereof is an evil death , the grave were better than it . so that the slanderer being an enemy , against whose assaults the greatest human power , policy or wisdom , cannot wholly defend us ; well might king david conceive so high a displeasure against him , as he here expresseth . and the like displeasure doth he declare against him , psalm . . , , . deliver my soul , o lord , from lying lips , and from a deceitful tongue . what shall be given unto thee , or what shall be done unto thee thou false tongue ? sharp arrows of the mighty , with coals of iuniper . or , with hot burning coles , according to the other translation . i proceed now to make some application of what hath been said ; and it shall be this. first , this little we have discoursed on this argument , is abundantly enough to render the sin of slandering our neighbour most abominable in our eyes . i mean , . the sin of devising and inventing defamations and slanders . this indeed is such a wickedness as one would think it should be needless to caution those against it , i will not say , who profess christianity , but who have not bid adien to all humanity . it is such a black , such a hellish sin , as that the devil hath both his chief names and characters from it . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. this name devil , signifies the slanderer . satan signifies the spiteful enemy . the chief characters we meet with in scripture of the devil , are these two , the father of lies , and the accuser of the brethren . and therefore nothing can denominate us more perfectly like the devil , than this forging of lies and calumnies against our brethren . and we see , psalm . . , &c. with what severity the great god expresseth himself against those that dare to commit this sin. saith he , thou givest thy mouth to evil , and thy tongue frameth deceit . thou sittest and speakest against thy brother , thou slanderest thine own mothers son. these things hast thou done , and i kept silence ; thou thoughtest that i was altogether such an one as thy self : but i will reprove thee , and set them in order before thine eyes . and v. . he asks such as these , what they had to do to declare his statutes , or that they should take his covenant into their mouths : or to make profession of his religion , or indeed of any religion . and v. . he threatens them that he would tear them in pieces , and there should be none to deliver , if they would not consider what he now had said , and lay it to heart . king solomon putteth this practice of slandering , in the number of those sins , which god abominates in a more especial manner . prov. . . &c. these six thing doth the lord hate , yea seven are an abomination to him . a proud look , a lying tongue , and hands that shed innocent blood : an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations : feet that be swift in running to mischief : a false witness that speaketh lies : and he that soweth discord among brethren . and indeed all these seven things , except the first , are such as make the proper character of this sort of slanderers i am now exposing . and rev. . . whosoever loveth and maketh a lie , is reckoned with dogs and sorcerers , and whoremongers , and murtherers , and idolaters ; who are to have their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone . . let us no less hate the practice of taking up evil reports against any , that that of inventing them . we learn from psal. . . that this also will exclude us the kingdom of heaven ; in that 't is here said , that among those that shall abide in gods tabernacle , and dwell in his holy hill , he is one that backbiteth not with his tongue , nor doth evil to his neighbour , nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour : or doth not without good evidence give credit to it , and much less spread and propagate it . the wise man maketh him a vvicked doer , who giveth heed to false lips ; and a lyar , who giveth ear to a naughty tongue . prov. . . this is as much a transgression of the forementioned golden rule , of doing as we would be done unto , as is devising and forging slanders . i doubt there is not much less malice in this practice , but i am sure it savours of every whit as little charity , as that other practice doth . i can have no charity for that man , against whom i am forward to believe and report whatsoever of evil i chance to hear of him . nay , vvhisperers and backbiters , as well as inventers of evil things , are reckoned by saint paul , among those obdurate sinners , of whom he pronounceth , that god had given them over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a reprobate mind , rom. . , . hasty believers and spreaders of false reports , are the tools and instruments of those that invent them , for the doing of the mischief they design by them . and it is almost wholly long of these , that those wicked people are in a capacity of doing any mischief by their forgeries . we are bound therefore by the strictest bonds , by the bonds of charity , of iustice , and of self-preservation , to be extremely cautious of lending our ear to tale-bearers , lest we be involved in their guilt , and so brought to share with them in their dreadful punishment . since this is an express law of god , thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people , lev. . . surely 't is as much a law of his , that we should not give incouragement to those whom we know to be tale-bearers , by listning to their tales . nay , we are obliged to be so far from believing a report against our neighbour , meerly from the information of any one or a few persons , of whose integrity , and of 〈◊〉 certain knowledge of the truth thereof , 〈◊〉 have not great assurance , that we may not ne●●ther conclude any man guilty , from his being accused by the generality . there is indeed a common saying , vox-populi est vox dei , the voice of the people is the voice of god. and in a certain sence it may well pass for a true proverb . but as it is vulgarly understood , the voice of the people is not the voice of god , as we of this city and kingdom have often found by sad experience . all wise and honest men cannot be , at this time of day , to seek for conviction , what great sufferers , even our governours themselves have been wrongfully made to be , by the voice of the people . and i dare affirm , that he who now takes the common vogue for unquestionable evidence , had he lived in the dayes of our blessed saviour , would have been made one among that wicked crew , who applauded the sentence pronounc'd against him. and there is this weighty reason , why common fame it self is not to be confided in , viz. for ought we can tell this fame might first arise from but one man , and that man a liar too ; and this we certainly know , that the generality are so void of charity , as hastily to catch at scandalous stories , and are much more easily perswaded to think and report evil things upon very slight grounds , than good and commendable things , upon the most evident and apparent ones . and none have so sad experience of the truth of this , as those of whose reputation we are obliged to be the most tender . i mean our governours in church and state. but suppose we have certain assurance , that such an ill report did take its first rise from not a few , yet we may not be sure but that these might be united in one common interest and design ; but in this case , the report of many carryes no whit stronger evidence with it , than if it came but from one mouth . and this was the very case of our blessed lord : they were many who first divulged vile slanders of him , but they were all acted by one and the same principle , viz. that of malice ; and by the same design , viz. that of disgracing him among the people , and incencing of king herod and pontius pilate against him. but lastly , suppose we could be certain , that the many ' first reporters of bad stories were not linked together by one common tye , yet even in this case too we are bound to use caution and deliberation , before we give them undoubted credit . especially if those stories relate to words or actions that are capable of a two-fold interpretation . the same actions may be faulty or commendable , according to the circumstances wherewith they are attended . and the same words may be so too , according to the occasion or connexion of them . but people are generally , even those who have no malicious intention , rash , and heady in judging of actions without weighing circumstances ; and in running away with half sentences ; or with whole ones , without considering , what went before , or followed after . so that , i say , as we would not fall under the guilt of that sin , the exceeding heinousness of which i have been representing , look we to it , that we be not hasty in taking up evill reports of any body , let them come to us from never so many . if this be warrantable , as i have already intimated , the joyning with those who ran down our saviour , and at last nailed him to the cross , had been very excuseable , not to say defensible . and let us believe as well as , without offering violence to our reason , we can of all men ; and chuse much rather in our judging , and in our reports of men , to offend on the right than on the left hand . i am certain , thus much is implied in those two precepts of our lord , viz. iudg not that ye be not iudged ; for with what iudgment ye iudge ye shall be iudged , and with what measure ye mete , it shall be meted to you again . matth. . , . and iudge not according to the appearance , but judg righteous iudgment , john . . . ought the slandering of our neighbour to be so detested by us , then what an abominable thing is it , to slander , and injure the good-name and reputation of the kings majesty , and of those that under him have authority over us ! 't is an express law of god , exod. . . & repeated by st. paul , viz. thou shalt not revile the gods , nor curse ( or speak evil of ) the ruler of thy people . and as to the king , 't is so great a wickedness to defame him , or say any thing to the lessening of his honour , that the wise man thus chargeth us , eccles. . . curse not the king , no not in thy thought . and 't is as much the peoples interest , as it is the kings , that he be not slandered ▪ or spoken evil of . for seditious and rebellious practices do usually arise from mens first taking this wicked liberty ; as we have all known by very woeful experience . and we know by the like experience , that the king suffers not more by those leud practices , than the people necessarily must . it was a good saying , as i remember , of aristotle , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , vvhosoever defames the prince , is injurious to the common-vvealth ; or mischiefs his subjects . and as for those that take liberty to invent or tell stories reflecting upon their ecclesiastical governours , pastors , or teachers , they are in a special manner injurious to the souls of men. for nothing so tends to the prejudicing of their people against their doctrine , as their having an evil opinion of their persons . and for this reason , i think none are so much concerned to keep their good-names as unspotted as they can , and to clear themselves of whatsoever aspersions are cast upon them , as they are . the conclusion . and now i will take this occasion to inform you , that some having greatly concerned themselves of late , to carry tales of scandalous passages which they pretend to have heard from the pulpits of divers of my brethren in this city , there are others who have very lately done the like good office for my self . i am too well aware who they are , i will tell you who they are not ; i am very confident , they are not papists , at least not professed ones . but you of this parish may have a shrewd guess within a very few ; for you must needs know some to have long expressed as bitter and implacable enmity against me , as if we had been of two churches and contrary religions : and that without the least provocation on my part . and i doubt not there are many of the roman religion , from whom i should have had much more iust , fair , and christian treatment . as silent as i have been hitherto , this is not the first nor second time neither , that i have been in the self-same manner most vilely abused by these people , as in due time , i trust in god will be made manifest . my last accusation was this , ( or at least the last i have heard of ) that i vented in this pulpit , on all-saints-day , viz. this day fortnight , a bitter curse against the papists , together with all those ( for which i trust to the memory of an extraordinary person ) who give them encouragement . and the curse i understand was worded to this effect ; i wish their names and memories may rot eternally . whatsoever the express words were , i hear they perfectly agreed in the self-same , which is so far from evidence of their telling truth of me , that 't is a much stronger argument of their being conspirators against me . but may this curse , instead of falling upon the papists , or those that encourage them , light upon my own name and memory , if i either pronounced it , or any curse like it against either the one or the other , or any curse at all against either . and as i solemnly appeal to god almighty , so i appeal to you my auditors , whether there were the least appearance or shadow of an occasion given by me , for such an information as this against me . i appeal to you also , whether you can think it possible , that such an accusation as this could arise from meer mistake . i am confident , that all who minded my sermon , will pronounce , that neither this charge , nor any charge that hath the least likeness to it , be it worded how it will , must be nothing better than pure invention ; which we have shewn is the most horrible way of slandering . i prevailed with a most worthy prelate to hear that sermon read out of my notes word for word , and i cannot call to mind my having said above three or four words more than are in my notes , and those i acquainted his lordship with , meerly that i might truly say , that he had nothing of the sermon concealed from him. and after it was read , not one bit of a sentence could be fixed upon , that might put my enemies in mind to invent such a slander as this of me , unless it were this , viz. if we do not justify to all the world ( meaning , as before was expressed , we divines of the church of england ) the representations we have made of that religion ( viz. the roman ) to our people , let our names stink , and our memories be covered with eternal shame . and these words next follow , 't is a most wicked thing to slander a particular person , and much more to slander and be-lye a whole church , and that so excellent and famous a church , as that of rome once was . so that if i had been accused of curseing my self , or my brethren , instead of the papists , and those that encourage them , there had been a much more colourable pretence for such a calumny . i know i han't lived such a life as that after so solemn appeals as i have now made , my perfect innocence , as to this charge , should be in the least questioned by those , who have the least knowledge of me . bur as for those that are acquainted with me , i am certain they need no such appeals to satisfy them , that i could not be guilty of so un-christian a thing , as the cursing of any man , upon any account ; and much less , as the cursing of any sort of men , upon the account of their being of a different religion from my self . for as to all such , i have very rarely been blamed for any defect of charity towards them ; but i have often been censured as being in the other extreme , viz. of the excess of charity , which i have alwayes concluded to be much the safest . good lord , that any , who profess themselves christians , should be so depraved , as to attend our preaching god's holy word , with no better a design , than to be spyes upon us , and to catch at all advantages ( and when they can find none , to make them ) for the ruining of us and our families ; nay , and which is worse , if worse can be , that such should dare to receive the holy communion , and that at their hands too , against whom they are alwayes contriving of mischief . god grant that such people may at length seriously lay to heart , the wretched state they are in , and consider what a severe reckoning , they shall one day be called to for such practices . and that , if timely repentance prevent it not , there will most certainly be bitterness in the latter end. i have sometimes e'ne trembled to think , what horrid crimes the devil in time may draw such into , who are so forsaken of the divine grace , as to be able to do such things as these . i have long remembred my adversaries particularly in my daily prayers , that god would be pleased to give them true repentance for the many great injuries they have done me , and for their other sins , that their souls may be saved in the day of the lord iesus . i am under a greater necessity than you are aware of , thus to clear my innocence ; and what i have now done , hath not been without the best advice . thanks be to god , his majesty is so just and gracious a prince , as instead of readily crediting ill stories of us , to give us opportunities for the clearing of our innocence : and very willingly condescends , audire alteram partem , to the hearing of our vindications . nor is his majesty less forward to the receiving of satisfaction concerning our innocence , than patient in hearing complaints against us . which grace of his lays a farther obligation upon us , to pray for his majesties long and happy reign over us . i will now conclude , with that most christian petition of our church in the litany . we beseech thee good lord , that it may please thee to forgive our enemies , persecutors and slanderers , and to turn their hearts . and with the intercession of our blessed saviour upon the cross , for his bloody enemies : father forgive them , for they know not what they do . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e tertul. an answer to the paper delivered by mr. ashton at his execution to sir francis child ... together with the paper itself. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an answer to the paper delivered by mr. ashton at his execution to sir francis child ... together with the paper itself. fowler, edward, - . ashton, john, d. . child, francis, sir, - . stillingfleet, edward, - . [i.e. ] p. printed for robert clavell ..., london : . also attributed to edward stillingfleet. reproduction of the original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng last letters before death. great britain -- history -- restoration, - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion white-hall , march . . let this be printed . sydney . an answer to the paper delivered by m r ashton at his execution to sir francis child : sheriff of london , &c. together with the paper it self . london : printed for robert clavell , at the peacock in s. paul's church-yard . . m r. ashton's paper . mr. sheriffe , having observed that the methods of making speeches at the place of execution was not alwayes attended with the designed success ; and thinking it better to imploy my last minutes in devotion and holy communion with my god ; i have prepared this paper to leave in your hands , as well to assert my principles as to testifie my innocency . as to my religion i professe , by god's grace , i dye in the faith into which i was baptized , that of the church of england , in whose communion ( nothing doubting of my salvation thro the merits of my saviour ) i have alwayes thought my selfe safe and happy ; according to her principles and late much esteemed doctrines ( tho now unhappily exploded ) i have regulated my life , beleiving my selfe obliged by my religion to looke upon my rightfull lawfull prince ( whatever his principles were or his practises might be ) as god's vicegerent , and accountable ( if guilty of male-administration ) to god only , from whom he received his power , and alwayes beleiving it to be contrary to the laws of god , the church , and the realme , upon any pretence whatsoever to take up arms against him , and let all the world take notice , in this beleife i dye . but i have more particular obligation to the king my master , whom i have had the honour to serve , and received many signal favours from him , for sixteen years past , so that gratitude ( a thing not much esteemed at this time ) as well as duty and religion commanded the utmost service i could pay him ; and when i add these considerations that we were born his liege subjects , that we have solemnly professed our allegiance , and often confirmed it with oaths , that his majesties usage after the prince of orange's arrival was very hard , severe , ( and if i may so say ) unjust ; and that all the new methods of settling this nation have hitherto made it more miserable poor , and more exposed to foreign enemies . and the religion we pretend to be so fond of preserving , now much more than ever likely to be destroyed : there seems to me no way to prevent the impending evils , and save these nations from poverty and destruction , but the calling home our injured sovereign , who as a true father of his country has ( notwithstanding all his provocations and injuries ) a natural love and tenderness for all his subjects , and i am so far from repining at the loss of my life , that had i ten thousand i should think my self obliged to sacrifice them all rather than omit any just and honest means to promote so good and necessary a work ; and i advise and desire all my fellow subjects to think of their duty and return to their allegiance , before the severe iudgment of god overtake them , for their perjury and rebellion , but certainly the good and interest of these nations , abstracted from all other considerations , will ere long convince them of the necessity of doing it . having thus frankly declared my principles , i know the inference will be , that i have acted accordingly and consequently that am i now justly condemned ; but as i ingenuously own the premisses , so as i positively deny the consequence ; for whatever my inclinations or actions have been , yet , as to the matter i was sentenced to dye for , i declare my self innocent , and will appeal even to the iudges themselves , whether or no , upon my tryal , there appeared the least proof that i knew a tittle contained in the papers , but presumption was , with the iury , thought sufficient to find me guilty , tho i am told , i am the first man that ever was condemned for high treason upon bare suspicion or presumption , and that contrary to my l. coke's and other eminent lawyers opinions . the knowledg of my own innocency , as to the indictment and charge against me , was that that armed me with so much assurance , and occasioned my casting my life upon the first twelve men of the pannel , without challenging any . but tho i have , i think , just reason to complain of the severe charge given by the iudges , and hard measure i have received , not to mention my close imprisonment , the hasty and violent proceedings against me , nor the industry used in the return of fitting persons to pass upon me , the denying me a copy of the pannel , &c. yet , as i hope for pardon and forgiveness at the hands of my god , so do i most heartily pray for , and forgive them , and all my enemies , all the world , nay even that iudg and iury-man who did so signally ( contrary to common iustice ) expose themselves to destroy me . but let the will of god be done : i rely wholly upon his mercy and the merits of my blessed saviour for salvation , i do chearfully and entirely resign my self into his hands , as into the hands of a faithful creator , in sure and certain hopes of a happy resurrection . bless , protect , and strengthen , o lord god , my good and gracious king and master ; in thy due time let the virtue , goodness , and innocency of the queen , my mistress , make all her enemies blush , and silence the wicked and unjust calumnies that malice and envy have raised against her ; make her and these nations happy in the prince of wales , whom from unanswerable and undoubted proofs i know to be her son ; restore them all when thou seest fit to their just rights , and on such a bottom as may support and establish the church of england , and once more make her flourishe , notwithstanding the wounds she hath received of late from her prevaricating sons . forgive , forgive , o lord , all my enemyes , bless all my friends , comfort and support my deare afflicted wife , and poor babes , be thou a husband and a father to them ; for their sakes only i could have wished to live ; but pardon that wishe , o good god , and take my soule into thy everlasting glory . amen . jn o ashton . the answer . the paper which passeth under the name of mr. ashton's speech seems to me to be composed with too much art and care to be the work of one who professeth , he thought it better to employ his last minutes in devotion : and if he was so illiterate and unskilled in the law , as he said at his tryal , fol. . one may justly wonder not only at such terms as impending , prevaricating , premisses , and consequènce , &c. but at such a peremptory judgment as he gives about the laws of the realm , in a case that must be acknowledged by all ingenuous men of his own party to have a great deal of difficulty in it . but there are some men who think to bear down all others by their confidence , and would have it taken for granted that the whole nation ( themselves excepted ) is under the guilt of perjury and rebellion . these are the modest terms in this speech , which at least do not become the charity of one just going out of the world. therefore i rather believe it to be drawn up by some persons of more art and leisure ; who thought it best to convey their own sentiments ( as they call them ) under the more popular name of one who suffered for their cause . but the weight of what is said doth not depend on the person , and therefore i shall calmly and impartially consider the things themselves and shew how unjust and unreasonable the insinuations are which respect the present government , and all such who act in obedience to it . there are two things this paper is said to be design'd for , to assert his principles and to testify his innocency . for his principles he professeth , that he dyes in the faith and communion of the church of england . and he might have lived longer in both if he had pleased ; for i cannot see how the faith and communion of the church of england obliged him to do that for which he suffered : but , by the faith of the church of england he means the doctrine of passive obedience . be it so : however he suffered not for his passive obedience , but for the want of it : if he had regulated his life by this principle , he had preserved it ; yet he saith he did so , and dyed for it . there must be certainly then some great mistake about the doctrines and principles of our church . i alwayes thought those are to be found in the articles and constitutions of it . which of these did he suffer for ? they are , he saith , her principles and late much esteemed doctrines tho now unhappily exploded . i know of no doctrines or principles of the church of england which are exploded among us ; and therefore this is unhappily insisted on by a dying man , unless he had given some proof of it . well ; but he believed himself obliged by his religion to look upon his rightful , lawful prince ( whatever his principles were or his practices might be ) as god's vicegerent , and accountable to god only , from whom he received his power . all this he might have done , and have been alive still ; for the matter in dispute is not whether rightful , lawful kings are to be obeyed , but who in our present circumstances is our rightful , lawful sovereign ; not whether kings be not god's vicegerents , ' but whether god doth not sometimes confer the right of sovereignty by a law superiour to the laws of particular countries , that is , by the law of nations , which establisheth such a right upon the success of a just war ; not whether sovereign princes are not accountable only to god , but whether allegiance be not due where the rights of sovereignty are placed , by an extraordinary act of providence and the concurrent consent of the nation . but he goes on ; and alwayes believing it to be contrary to the laws of god , the church , and the realm , upon any pretence whatsoever to take up arms against him , and let all the world take notice in this belief i dye . i had much rathor have taken notice that in this belief he lived ; for i see no reason of his dying for it . for , why must a man be said to die for not taking up arms , who was condemned to die for a design just con●rary , viz. for the subverting the present government by domestick insurrections and foreign power ? so that the question is not about passive obedience but to whom it is due ; i grant that the laws of god and of the realm are to determine the measures of our obedience ; but here lies the only point , whether the rights of sovereignty may not be transferred by the success of a just war and the consent of the people : for if they may , then according to his own principles he suffered justly . and if the directors of his conscience did not speak to this point , they led him into a dangerous error , and have been too much the occasion of his suffering . therefore to clear this whole matter , and to prevent the like mistakes in others ; i shall endeavour to state the present case of our government , so as to shew both that it is our duty to submit to it , and that no principles or doctrins of the church of england are violated thereby . to do this , we must of necessity look back to the occasions of this great revolution : and there were two principal occasions of it . first , great and violent presumptions of an injury to the right of succession . secondly , too great evidence of a formed design to subvert the established religion and civil liberties of the nation . now there are two very material questions which arise from hence . first , whether these were the just occasions of a war ? secondly , whether upon the success of this war the rights of sovereignty were duly transferred ? if these were just occasions of a war , and upon the success thereof the sovereignty was duly transferred , then there can be no dispute left to whom our allegiance is due . it is taken for granted by all who understand these matters , that as there is a law of nature , which determines the rights and properties of particular nations ; and that all private persons are bound to submit to the municipal laws of those societies for their peace and security : so there are other laws which concern those nations , as they make up several independent governments upon each other . and there are several rights which belong to them with respect to one another , which do not belong to private persons as they live in subjection to any particular government . and as there are such rights , so there must be a just and lawful way for reparation of injuries . in particular governments , the thing is plain by established laws and courts of judicature , whose sentence is executed by the civil power ; but in separate nations and independent governments , although there be laws by consent called the law of nations ; yet there is no common judicature to determine of right and wrong , and therefore in case of injury there is an allowance for the injured party by this law of nations to right himself by force , as there would be to every particular person , if there were no laws nor power to see them executed . there is then a right in every sovereign and independent prince to exercise force against another prince , who detains any right from him , or doth any injury to him , or to those he is bound to defend . the question then comes to the iust occasions of such a war , and here are two assigned , first , great and violent presumptions of an injury to the right of succession . this is expresly mentioned and insisted on , in the declaration of the then prince of orange ( our present king ) in these words — but to crown all , there are great and violent presumptions inducing us to believe that those evil counsellors , in order to the carrying on of their ill designs , and to the gaining to themselves the more time , for the effecting of them , for the encouraging their complices , and for the discouraging of all good subjects , hath published that the queen hath brought forth a son ; tho there have appeared both during the queen's pretended bigness and in the manner in which the birth was managed , so many just and visible grounds of suspicion , that not only we our selves , but all the good subjects of these kingdoms do vehemently suspect that the pretended prince of wales was not born of the queen : and it is notoriously known to all the world , that many both doubted of the queens bigness , and of the birth of the child , and yet there was not any one thing done to satisfie them and to put an end to all doubts . and since our dearest and most entirely beloved consort , the princess , and likewise we our selves have so great an interest in this matter , and such a right as all the world knows to the succession to the crown — and since the english nation hath ever testified a most particular affection and esteem both to our dearest confort and to our selves ; we cannot excuse our selves from espousing their interests in a matter of such high consequence , and from contributing all that lies in us , for maintaining both of the protestant religion , and of the laws and liberties of those kingdoms , and for the securing to them the continual enjoyment of all their just rights . here we have an hereditary right to the crown asserted both remoter in himself and nearer in the queen , who was unquestionably the next , if there were no heir male : it was possible this right might be really defeated by a prince of wales , and it was possible it might be pretended to be so when it was not : for there have been many instances in history of suborned and supposititious princes , and therefore there was reason that sufficient evidence should be given in a case of such importance and which was under so great suspicion . but if there was no reasonable care taken to prevent or remove these suspicions , then the parties most concerned have a right to assert their own pretensions in such a way as the law of nations doth allow . and in this case no private depositions or confident affirmations of such as are dependents or otherwise liable to suspicion , can in reason be taken for satisfactory evidence ; for let any one consider what the laws of nations have thought sitting evidence in a case of this nature , and he will soon find how very much short such proofs are of what the nature of the thing hath been thought to require — the civil law is very strict where there is any occasion of suspicion . it requires notice to be given twice a month to the parties concerned that they may receive full satisfaction . that the mother is to be kept in a house by itself : that thirty days before she expects to be delivered , she must give notice of it to those who are most concerned , that they may send such as they can trust to be present : that there ought to be but one door where she is to lie in , and if there be more , they must be done up ; that at that door there are to be three men and three women and two assistants : that all persons are to be searcht who go in , especially at the labor , at which time there must be sufficient light in the room . when the child is born it ought to be first shewn to the parties concerned , and great care is taken about the persons in whose hands he is put , and satisfaction must be given from time to time that it is the same child , and if satisfaction be not given as to these things , the roman law doth not allow any right of possession . by the old common law of england , in case of suspicion , a writ of inspection was allowed , the form whereof is in the books , and if there were any doubt , the woman was to be put into a safe place , where no suspicious persons were to come near her till she was delivered . this was then thought so reasonable a thing , that the old law books have a chapter on purpose de partu supposito , wherein directions are given to prevent and discover a subornation . these things i mention to show what satisfaction is necessary to be given in case of suspicion , and the higher the persons are , and of so much greater importance as the succession is , so much clearer ought the evidence to be , that no occasion of doubt may remain : but if no such care was taken , if the principal persons concerned had not the least satisfaction given them ; if the whole thing were managed with secrecy and suspicious circumstances , then i can see no reason to exclude those who are most concern'd from a right of demanding satisfaction by force of arms. but mr. ashton thinks he hath cleared this matter , when he affirms that he knows there was no supposititious birth by unanswerable undoubted proofs and this is put into his prayer , that it might look like an appeal to god as to the truth of what he said . this is one of the boldest and most artificial strokes of the penner of this speech , not barely to make him af firm it with so much assurance , but to do it in his prayer too . but a matter of so great consequence is not to be determined upon the testimony of any single wittness , although he were the most competent witness as to such a matter , which doth not in the least appear as to mr. ashton : for how could he know it by unanswerable and undoubted proofs ; when considering the circumstances that were in this case , it was hardly possible to produce such proofs , as would pass for unexceptionable evidence upon a legal trial ? for there hath been such a trial here in england within the memory of man , wherein the father and mother and midwife have all sworn to the truth of the birth of a son , and yet the jury upon hearing the whole evidence have given judgment that it was supposititious . therefore bare affirmations of some persons concerned are not evidence sufficient in case of strong and vehemont presumptions to the contrary ; and such evidence ought to have been given as might have either prevented or removed any just grounds of suspicion . but since no such unanswerable undoubted proofs were made to those who were most concerned , the same just right doth remain to the undoubted heir of the crown , as it did in the former case to the next heir at law , who upon a fair trial and the verdict of the country , recovered the estate . but between princes there are no such ways of trial or courts of judicature , and therefore in such cases the right of war is allowed by the general consent of mankind . secondly , there was a further just occasion for that expedition , which was the design to subvort our religion and civil liberties . as to the particulars they are fully set down in the declaration , and need not to be repeated ; that which i am to make out is , that the then prince of orange by his relation to the crown had a just right to concern himself in the vindication of both , and that this is not repugnant to the doctrines and principles of the church of england . it was not thought disagreeable to them for q elisabeth to assist the dutch against the king of spain ; yet she had no such reason for it as our king and queen had to prevent the suppression of their own religion here , and the rights of that people to whom they were so nearly related . for there was nothing in her case so considerable as the growing power of spain and the danger of overturning the religious and civil liberties of a neighbour people . the queens professor of law in oxford at that time saith , that it was then made a question by some whether q. elis. had just reason for that war in assistance of the dutch , and he resolves the lawfulness of it upon grounds : first , that it was to prevent ensuing mischief ; secondly , from the ancient alliance between the two nations ; thirdly , that if the dutch were totally vanquished by the spaniard , they would be made slaves under an arbitrary power . the queen herself owned this as the ground of her resolution , that it was christian piety to relieve them who were of the same religion which she professed , and wisdom to prevent the pernicious designs of her enemies . and in her declaration she published this as the reason of her sending forces to the aid of the netherlanders , that they might peaceably enjoy their ancient freedom . in the latter end of the reign of king iames i. the war broke out in germany wherein the emperor used his utmost endeavour to establish absolute power and popery together . there was occasion offered to try whether the giving assistance against these were against the principles and doctrines of the church of england . for the prince elector palatine was chosen king of bohemia , and sent over for king iames's advice about it : but his designs lay then so much another way , that he had no mind he should engage in it : but the archbishop of canterbury in his letter to sir r. naunton then secretary of state , saith , that god had set up this prince his masters son in law , as a mark of honour throughout all christendom , to propagate the gospel and to protect the oppressed ; that for his own part he dares not but give advice to follow where god leads , apprehending the work of god in this and that of hungary ; that he was satisfied in conscience that the bohemians had a just cause ; that the king's daughter the elector's lady had professed , she would not leave herself one iewel , rather than not maintain so religious and so righteous a cause . in the beginning of the reign of king charles the first , when i suppose it will be granted , that the doctrins and principles of the church of england were understood and followed ; the king of denmark had taken up arms , to settle the peace and liberty of germany , as he declared : but he met with a great defeat . whereupon king charles the first thought himself concerned to give assistance to him : and archbishop laud was then employed ( as dr. heylin confesseth ) by the king's command , to draw up a declaration , to be published in all the parishes of england ; which was read by the king , and approved by the council , wherein the greatness of the danger they were in is set forth , and the people are exhorted to serve god and the king , and to labour by their prayers to divert the danger . wherein lay this danger ? it is there said to be , that by the defeat of the king of denmark , there was little or nothing left to hinder the house of austria from being lord and master of germany . and what then ? why then there will be an open way for spain to do what they pleased in all the west part of christendom . it seems then , it was not thought disagreeable to the principles and doctrins of our church , to hinder the growth of a western monarchy , although it be by assisting subjects against their princes who promote it : and then follow these remarkable words ; you are to know therefore , that to prevent this is the present care of the king and state ; and there is no proba●le way left , but by sending of forces , and other supplies , to the said king of denmark , to enable him to keep the field , that our enemies be not masters of all on a sudden . and not long after — if he be not presently relieved , the cause of religion is not only like to suffer by it in some one part , ( as it hath already in a fearful manner in the palatinate ) but in all places where it hath got any footing . so that if we supply not presently our allies and consederates in this case , it is like to prove the extirpation of true religion , and the replanting of romish superstition in the neighbouring parts of christendom . and the coldness of the state shall suffer in all places , as the betrayers of that religion elsewhere , which it professeth and honoureth at home ; which will be an imputation never to be washed off : and god forbid this state should suffer under it . — and in the last place : you are to call upon god your selves , and to incite the people to joyn with you , in humble and hearty prayers unto god , that he will be pleased now , after long affliction of his dear people and children , to look in mercy both upon them and us ; and in particular for the safety of the king of denmark , and that army which is left him , that god would bless and prosper him against his and our enemies . thus far archbishop laud. let those who now with as much ignorance as confidence , upbraid men with renouncing the doctrins and principles of the church of england , read and consider these passages ; and if any thing will make them more wise and humble , this will. did archbishop laud go off from the church of england , or king charles the first , who both suffered for the sake of it ? but some men have never throughly penetrated into the doctrins and principles of our church , but look only on some principles in opposition to the late times of rebellion , and think there is nothing farther to be looked after . whereas the consideration is very different as to our duties , with respect to our own princes , and those of a more general concernment as to the state of religion and government in the world. but from hence it is plain , that it was then thought not only lawful , but a duty , to prevent the dangerous growth of such a monarchy , which designs to suppress religion and civil liberties ; and not only to give assistance to those who joyn in the same design , but to pray god to bless and prosper it . and accordingly a form of prayer was then appointed for those dangerous times . not long after this a breach with france hapned , and the king published a declaration of the ground of the war ; wherein it is laid down as the first ground , that the house of austria conspiring the ruin of all those of the reformed religion ( as plainly appeared in the affairs of germany ) had such an influence on the councils of france , as to make them break promise in such a manner , as hazarded the loss of the whole party in germany . the next is , " that he had broke his articles with his protestant subjects , when he had been a mediator of peace between them , and they had done nothing to violate them . so that a design to suppress the protestant religion , in a neighbour country , was looked on as a just cause of war , when he was concerned to preserve it . and then another form of prayer was appointed to be used suitable to that occasion ; which plainly evidence , that such a design was no ways thought repugnant to the doctrins and principles of the church of england . but since the french conduct seems to be now admired by this sort of men , i shall bring some remarkable instances from them . it is notorious to the world what powerful assistance the french gave to the confederate princes of germany , against the emperour , their lawful prince , and what defence they made for this . they published an account to the world of the reasons of it , and the chief was this ; viz. that they had reason to suspect , that from charles the fifth's time the difference of religions had been secretly supported by the emperours , in order to their making themselves absolute ; and that the changing the form of government in the empire , was sufficient for a neighbour prince to interpose by force of arms. in the revolt of catalonia from the king of spain , their lawful prince , the french king accepted of the sovereignty over them , being offered him by the states of that country , and caused discourses to be written in justification of their transferring their allegeance : and yet their complaint was nothing but the severity of the spanish government , and a desire of some greater liberties than they enjoyed under it . why then should it be now thought an unjust thing , for a sovereign prince ( so nearly related to the crown of england ) to espouse the cause of our religions and civil interests , when the design was so apparent for the suppressing them ? if that opportunity had been lost , they might before this time have been past all reasonable hopes of recovery . ii. but suppose this were allowed ; yet here is another difficulty ariseth , concerning the transferring allegeance from a lawful prince , to him that met with unexpected success in his design . and here i shall endeavour to make it plain , that this is not against the doctrins and principles of the church of england . if we allow the church of england , to have declared its sense in the matter of government , it can only be with respect to subjects . but i think the measures of our obedience , are not to be taken from the rules of the church ; but from the laws of the realm : because they are not the same in all countries where the same religion is professed ; as is plain in the case of france and poland : the reason of the different measures in these countries is not from the church , but from the different constitution of the kingdoms . and i do not see how the rules of the church can alter the fundamental laws : for the church only enforceth the duty of obedience on the consciences of men ; but it doth not prescribe or limit the bounds of it . whether our monarchy be absolute , or limited ; or if limited , whether in its exercise of power , or in the right of sovereignty ; how far the limitation gives a right of resistance , in case of the breach of it ; are nice questions , but not to be resolv'd by the rules of the church ; but by our legal constitution and the general reason of mankind : and therefore in such cases , where the right of war and a foreign power are concerned , we are not to judge meerly by municipal laws , but we are to proceed by a more general law , viz. that of nations , which takes in the effects of a just war , which the particular laws of a country have n● regard to . but where hath the church of england declared its sense about the right of war ? the articles of our church declare , that the chief government of all estates of this realm , doth appertain to the civil magistrate : but they no where say , that in a just war the supream power cannot be acquired ; or that god doth never confer it in an extraordinary method . the book of homilies is very severe against disobedience and wilful rebellion ; but it is no where said , that where the right of sovereignty is transferred by a successful war , there is no allegeance due to those who possess it : on the contrary it is said in the first part , that if god for their wickedness , had given them an heathen tyrant to reign over them , they were by god's word bound to obey him , and to pray for him . can it then be agreeable to the doctrins and principles of our church , to refuse allegeance to good religious princes , whom god hath made the happy instruments of preserving our religion and liberties ? in the same part , the iews are commended for praying for the king of babylon , when they were in captivity , that they might live under his protection , and do him service , and find favour in his sight . and what is this short of allegeance to one , who had nothing but bare success in war , to plead for his title to it ? if any princes of their own religion had rescued them from that captivity , would they have scrupled allegeance to them , when we see how far the maccabees went in the defence of their religion and laws ? in the second part , the obedience of the iewish nation to augustus is commended ; and it is evident that he had no authority over them , but by the right of war. and our blessed saviour's example is mentioned , who being brought before the roman president , acknowledged his power and authority , to be given him from god. and how was this authority conveyed to him , but by the success of war ? so that we can find nothing , in the certain established doctrin and principles of our church , which is repugnant to our allegeance to the present government . i might easily produce considerable testimonies , of some of the greatest divines of our church , which assert , that soverignty may be transferred by a just war ; but i leave that to others , and proceed . mr ashton saith , that we were born leige subjects to another ; that we have solemnly professed our allegeance , and often confirmed it with oaths . i know no body denies it . but is this all ? is our allegeance so inseparable from the person we have once sworn to , that no case whatsoever , can alter it ? not the case of plain voluntary dereliction ? not the case of putting the kingdom under a foreign power ? not the seeking the utter ruin and destruction of the people ? is allegeance inseparable in these cases , because we were born subjects and did swear allegeance ? if not , then it is not always so , notwithstanding the oaths . for these and several others are allowed , by such who have written the most warmly against the republican principles . but we need not run to any difficult cases : ours is only the case of a just war ; which is allowed by all sorts of casuists , who do agree , that allegeance is due to the party that prevails in it ; and if it be due to one , it cannot be due to another , at the same time , altho' he be living and do not discharge persons from their oaths ; for the obligation of oaths , depends on the nature and reason of things , and not upon the pleasure of those to whom they are made . but where there is a right to govern , there must be a duty of allegeance : and that success in a just war , doth give such a right , i could produce so many testimonies , of all kinds of writers , as would make the reading of them as tedious , as of those in the history of passive obedience . nay , some go so far , as to assert a right of sovereignty to be acquired by success , even in an unjust war : but we need none of these testimonies . but doth not all this resolve this whole controversy into a right of conquest , which is not so much as pretended in our present case ? i answer , that we must distinguish between a right to the government , and the manner of assuming it . the right was founded on the iust causes of the war , and the success in it : but the assuming of it was not by any ways of force or violence , but by a free consent of the people , who by a voluntary recognition , and their majesties acceptance of the government , as it is setled by our laws , take away any pretence to a conquest over the people , or a government by force . thus i have endeavoured to set this matter in as clear a light , and in as little a compass as i could : i now return to mr. ashton's speech . next to his obligation on the point of religion , he mentions that of gratitude to the king his master , whom he had served years , — but this , he adds , is a thing not much esteemed at this time . as little as it is esteemed , i know no body would have blamed his gratitude , if it had not carried him beyond the bounds of his duty . but it is strange , he should be so much for gratitude , and yet should allow none for so great a deliverance . what is years service to the preservation of a nation , from the imminent danger of popery and arbitrary power ? such men look but a very little way , who talk at this rate : and can they imagine a french power , under our circumstances , could secure any thing to us , but ruin ? as to his master's usage , which he saith , after the prince of orange's arrival , was very hard , severe ; and , if he may say it , unjust . i would desire his friends to consider a little better , and to think , if any such thing as severity had been intended , how easy it had been to have executed it , and to have prevented his going away ; and consequently , a great deal of the charge of the war , he complains of immediately after . let them name any one person in such circumstances , who was allowed so great freedom as he had , of disposing of himself : but this is very far for mr. ashton's occasion of suffering . well , but all the new methods of setling , have hitherto , he saith , made the nation more miserable , poor , and exposed to foreign enemies . it is possible such may believe , that the nation would be less miserable and poor under the french power , than it is now . but no man who observes the vast designs of france , and the incredible industry of the french monarch , to inlarge his own power and dominions , can think ( if he thinks twice ) that ever he should undertake so great a work , out of kindness to any but himself ; much less , out of perfect good will to the english nation . hath he given so much evidence to the world of his sincerity in his promises , when the keeping of them hath been prejudicial to his interest ? suppose he should compass his end upon us , and under so fair a colour , make provinces of these kingdoms ; what possible remedy would there be for this , then indeed , poor and miserable nation ? what comfort will it then be to say , they did not think he would have broken his word so with them ? in the mean time , is it not great wisdom and policy , to venture our religion , and all our liberties on the sincerity and kindness of france ? but if there be any present hardship , it is no more than a necessary war involves our neighbours in as well as our selves ; and that in a common cause , for preserving the liberty of europe , against the growing power of france , as it did formerly of spain . but there is another insinuation of a higher nature , viz. that the religion we pretend to be so fond of preserving , is now much more than ever , likely to be destroyed . what is the meaning of this ? what! more in danger than when penal laws and tests were taking away , in order to the taking away our religion after them ? when the design was as plain , and open as a thing of that nature could be , in such a nation ? when some of the factors themselves complained , they made too much haste , and were too eager and forward , to accomplish it . and altho' nothing was then pretended , but the setling liberty of conscience upon a new magna charta , yet all wise men saw through these pretences , and that nothing was really designed but popery ; which the jesuits did not conceal in their letters to each other : one of the which hapned to be intercepted ; and the thing it self , is now fully owned in the kings own letter to the pope , printed at the end of the late trials . so that there must be a design , either to deceive the pope , or the nation ; and which is the more probable , let any man of sense judge . but where lies the danger of our religion now ? have we not the same laws , the same protection , the same encouragement , which we ever had , at any time since the reformation ? if our religion be now in danger , it is by such men who would bring in the french power to establish it ; however it be disguised under another pretext . after this follows a charge of no less than perjury and rebellion , upon his fellow subjects ; whom , he adviseth to return to their allegeance , before the iudgments of god overtake them , for their perjury and rebellion . this is a heavy charge indeed , upon the body of the nation , which hath taken the oaths of allegeance to their majesties : but if it be true , it is accusing the greatest part of mankind of these sins , who have hapned to live in the time of any great revolutions , or changes of government . was the nation forsworn , in the times of william the conqueror , and his two sons , and his nephew ? was it forsworn all the time of king iohn , and the several reigns of the th , th , th and th henries ? one would think it better became a dying man to judge more charitably of his fellow subjects . had he never heard of the law of england , requiring allegeance to the king , on account of the possession of the crown ; and that our most eminent lawyers , in peaceable and quiet times , have been of that opinion ? methinks at least , that should make modest men , not so peremptory in such a charge ; for it is to make , such an oath unlawful , which the law makes not only lawful , but a duty . and when the greatest lawyers this nation hath had thought this a part of our law ; shall such who confess themselves unskilful in the law , charge the nation with perjury , for taking an oath , which the law requires ? but if our law did not require it , there is such a general consent in mankind about it , that it seems to me , to be a law of nations , that an oath of fidelity should follow possession ; because otherwise , there would be infinite snares to the consciences of all such who are required to obey , but are not bound to enquire into the rights of war. is it perjury and rebellion in the new french conquests , for the inhabitants to take oaths of fidelity to the french king ? if not , how comes it to be so here ? is there not the same right of war here as abroad ? was it perjury and rebellion in the subjects of the king of spain in portugal , to take a new oath of allegeance to the duke of braganza , when he was declared king ? and yet they were all sworn before , not only to the king of spain , but to his heirs : and even the duke himself , had not only taken this oath ; but the spaniard particularly charged him with perjury , and great ingratitude : yet the obligation to his countries good ▪ was then thought to overrule that personal obligation to the king of spain . but if they were all guilty of perjury and rebellion ; how came the other princes of europe so frankly and readily to own his government ; and the french , as much and as early as any , sending assistance by sea and land to support it ? but in this revolution of portugal , the best title was the success of war , sounded on a remote title to the crown , when the king of spain had enjoyed the possession of that crown to the third generation . but it may be said , that the practices of other people are to be no rule ●o us ; and that we are not to be guided by bad precedents abroad , but by the principles and doctrins of our own church . this were to the purpose , if our church had any where declared , taking such an oath to be perjury . but where is that done ? i confess , i can find no such thing : and if mr ashton ( or his friends ) had made such a discovery , they ought to have told the world of it . but if there be no such declaration to be met with , then we are left to the ▪ general rules of conscience , and the common reason of mankind ; according to which , i see no ground for this heavy charge of perjury and rebellion in our present case . but although mr. ashton be so abundantly satisfied in the design he mentions , that if he had ten thousand lives , he would sacrifice them all in so good and necessary a work ; yet the remainder of his speech is spent in clearing his innocency as to the fact for which he was condemned . if it was so meritorious an act to die in such a cause , a man might have been tempted to be thought guilty . but before he could think fit to die in charity with all the world , he saith several things with a design to blacken the iudges , the iury , and the government . the iudges he accuses of a severe charge , and the hard measure he received — . as to the latter , it is a very odd kind of hard measure , when he was so very little sensible of it then , that he said , he did not complain of the court , fo . . and more fully afterwards , fo . . i cannot but own i have had a fair trial for my life . where was the hard measure then ? therefore this could not be mr. ashton's sense , unless he would contradict himself ; and those who would free him from it , must take these words to have been written by others , who thought to serve another end by it ; and were not so near giving an account for such calumnies . the severity of the charge lay in applying the statute edw. . to his fact. which was a design to carry into france a treasonable scheme and project of an invasion , in order to the deposing the king and queen . this last the judges declared , had been always held to be high-treason . all the question was then , whether such a fact were an overt-act of such a design ; and so it was left to the jury , whether mr. ashton intended to go over with such a design or not . if there be any severity here , it must be in the law ; and that all those who suffer by a law , are apt to complain of . he particularly chargeth that iudge , and that iury-man , who did , he saith , signally contrary to common iustice , expose themselves to destroy him . this is a very hard charge from a dying man , and ought to have great evidence to reconcile it to common charity ; but he offers none . the iury were to act according to their consciences ; and if they did so , how could they expose themselves contrary to common iustice to destroy him ? but what evidence doth he give , that they did not so ? some have told him , that he was the first man that was ever condemned for high treason , upon bare suspicion or presumption , and that contrary to my lord cook and other eminent lawyers opinions . the main point as to the iury , was , whether they were satisfied in their consciences , that mr. ashton intended to go into france with such a design ? and where the fact lies in the intention . there can be no direct evidence ( without seeing the hea●t ; ) but it must be gathered from a concurrence of circumstances , strong enough to determine an honest mans judgment : and such the iury believed to be in his case . my lord cooks words are on the case of treason that the compassing , intent : or imagination , thô secret , is to be tried by the peers , and to be discovered by circumstances precedent , concomitant and subsequent , with all endeavour evermore for the safety of the king. it is true , he saith afterwards , fol. ● . that conjectural presumptions , or inferences , or strains of wit , are not sufficient , but there must be good and manifest proof ; but still this proof must be such as the thing will bear ; for there can be no direct and plain proof of a secret intention : either therefore no man can be justly condemned for a secret intention , manifested by an overt-act , or there must be such a proof allowed , as is sufficient to satisfie a mans conscience , although it come not up to plain and direct evidence , as it is opposed to the highest degree of presumption . but it may be said , that the presumption lies in judging the intention from the overt act , but that overt-act must be manifestly proved . ▪ the overt-act in this case was the carrying over treasonable papers into france , in order to an invasion . the sole question then was , whether there was manifest proof as to these papers . that the papers were found about him was manifestly proved ; and he owns fol. . that they were unfortunately found upon him ; but he saith that he knew not the importance of them . it was manifestly proved , that he had an extraordinary concernment to have these papers thrown over ▪ board ; which he saith was perfectly out of friend ship , and whether that was a true answer , was left to the consciences of the iury , who were to judge of this by all the circumstances antecedent , concomitant and subsequent , by which they did conclude him guilty . and i cannot see how they went against common iustice therein ; especially since mr. ashton well knew ▪ that one of the most material papers taken , was of his own hand writing ; not the first draught , but the copy which was shewed him in the court ; and when it was so , he desired , fol. . that the original may be read , and not the copy ; and he had good reason for it : for as far as i can judge , upon perusal of both , it is the very same hand in which this speech was written . but what said mr. ashton to the iury , to clear this matter ? he faith , fol. . that his hand was not proved to any of the papers , and therefore there was nothing but supposition or suspicion against him . it is true , there was no direct and plain proof of the hand , as there was in the case of my lord preston ; ( and it is a wonder it was omitted , for that would have been plain proof of his knowing what was in those papers : ) however , all the other circumstances put together , were a sufficient proof of his privity to the contents of them . and i wonder how mr. ashton , could so confidently in his paper declare himself innocent , as to the matter for which he was sentenced to die , when he knew the paper was of his own hand writing , and plain proof hath been since made of his own delivery of it to a third person . can a man be innocent and guilty of the same thing ? the only thing to be taken notice of , which remains , is , a reflection on the government for his close imprisonment , and the hasty and violent proceedings against him . if there were any thing more than usual in such cases , as to his imprisonment , he ought to have mentioned the particulars ; for otherwise it is to arraign the common iustice of the nation . as to the hasty and violent proceedings of his trial ; it was then told him , that the greatest advantage he had , was in putting off his trial : for by that he knew how to lay the papers on my lord preston ; which yet could not clear him ▪ as to those papers which were not written with my lord's hand , nor related any ways to him ; but one of them was written with his own hand . upon the whole matter , i cannot see how he hath either proved his innocency , or that he acted according to the principles and doctrins of the church of england . as to his concluding prayer , i cannot but observe ▪ that in the beginning of the speech the reason he gives why he would not make any to the people , was , because he would employ his last minutes in devotion and holy communion with god : which i hope he did . but those who contrived the speech , were to make a prayer for him too ; but not a prayer of devotion , but rather of faction and sedition : for it hath no other meaning , than that god would overturn this present government , and restore the former , in order to the flourishing of the church of england ; notwithstanding the wounds she hath received from her prevaricating sons . i cannot imagine how a man could joyn these things together in a prayer , unless he could think all those are prevaricating sons , who are against popery . for i know no bottom large enough for popery , and the church of england , to stand upon together . but this i do not think of mr. ashton , and therefore conclude , as i began , that this seems rather the speech of a party , than of mr. ashton ; who made use of his name and hand , to convey into the minds of the people , the most malicious insinuations against this present government , and all who live in obedience to it . a catalogue of some books , lately printed for r. clavell . forms of private devotion for every day in the week , in a method agreeable to the liturgy ; with occasional prayers , and an office for the holy communion , and for the time of sickness . humbly recommended to all the pious and devout members of the church of england . a sermon preached before the queen at white-hall , february the fifteenth , / . by henry dove , d. d. chaplain to their majesties . roman forgeries in the councils , during the first four centuries , together with an appendix , concerning the forgeries and errors in the annals of baronius . by thomas comber , d. d. precentor of york . a scholastical history of the primitive and general use of liturgies in the christian church ; together with an answer to mr ▪ david clarkson's late discourse concerning liturgies ; in two parts , in octavo . by the same hand . seasonable reflections on a late pamphlet , entituled , a history of passive obedience since the reformation ; wherein the true notion of passive obedience is setled and secured from the malicious interpretations of ill-designing men. the golden rule , or the royal law of equity explained : by i. goodman , d. d. the frauds of the romish priests and monks set forth in eight letters ; lately written by a gentleman in his journy into italy . a late letter concerning the proceedings in scotland , and sufferings of the episcopal clergy there ; in quarto , price d. political arithmetick , or a discourse concerning the extent and value of lands , people , buildings ; husbandry , manufacture , commerce , fishery , artizans , seamen , soldiers ; publick revenues , interest , taxes , superlucration , registries , banks ; valuation of men , increasing of seamen , of militia's , harbors , situation , shipping , power at sea , &c. as the same relates to every country in general ; but more particularly to the territories of his majesty of great britain , and his neighbors of holland , zealand , and france . by sir william petty , late fellow of the royal society . their present majesties government proved to be throughly setled , and that we may submit to it , without asserting the principles of mr. hobbs ; shewing also , that allegiance was not due to the usurpers , after the late civil war ; occasion'd by some late pamphlets against the reverend dr. sherlock . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e d. . tit. . bract. l. . c. . fleta l. . c. . in the case of one robins's child , at hereford assizes about an. . alberic . gent. de jure bel. l. . c. . life of archbishop laud , sol . . motifs de la france pour la guerre d' allemagne , p. , , . a vindication of the friendly conference, between a minister and a parishioner of his inclining unto quakerism, &c. from the exceptions of thomas ellwood, in his pretended answer to the said conference / by the same author. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a vindication of the friendly conference, between a minister and a parishioner of his inclining unto quakerism, &c. from the exceptions of thomas ellwood, in his pretended answer to the said conference / by the same author. fowler, edward, - . ellwood, thomas, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by sam. roycroft, for clavel ..., london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. attributed to edward fowler. cf. nuc pre- . errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -- doctrines. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion novemb. . . imprimatur , guil : iane. a vindication of the friendly conference , between a minister and a parishioner of his inclining unto quakerism , &c. from the exceptions of thomas ellwood , in his pretended answer to the said conference . by the same author . job . . — in your answers there remaineth falshood . london , printed by sam. royoroft , for r. clavel , at the peacock at the west end of st. pauls . . the epistle to the people called quakers , from the author . i suppose that many of you are acquainted with a little book , called a friendly conference , between a minister and a parishioner of his inclining unto quakerism ; however you esteem of the arguments , yet i hope that some of you have the charity to believe , that no by end , no indirect purpose whatsoever , induc't me to the publication of it . no , the searcher of all hearts bears me witness , that i was mov'd to the undertaking from the truest principle of charity and kindness , to discover to you your miserable mistakes , the sanay bottome upon which your tenents are founded , and the real danger your poor souls are in , by your obstinate persisting in so desperate a schism . though ( blessed be god ) this book has had its wished effect upon some , yet others have loaded it with all the calumnies they well could invent , misrepresenting both its design , & argument ; and more openly one thomas ellwood in a late virulent pamphlet , nick-named truth prevailing and detecting error — , venting therein not only his spleen against me , but against the whole constitution and government of the church of england , as it is now happily establisht by the supreme authority of this nation . in communion of which church our pious ancestors both liv'd and dy'd , and your selves too were both born and baptized . when i found such an immodest and fantastick title , i began to suspect , what afterwards was confirmed to me , ( viz. ) that he had placed the empty name of truth rampant in the title page , but nothing of the thing in the book it self . had i not understood , with what mighty applause my adversaries book was received among you , i had not given my self the trouble of this vindication , but answer'd him in silence , as in all probability i shall do , for the time to come . i had drawn my vindication much larger than now i present it to the world ( being very unwilling to allow my antagonist any one paragraph in his whole book ) which i found had swelled the volume too big ; wherefore i delayed the publication hereof in order to contraction , fearing otherwise that my book would be too large for the busie to read , and too dear for the poor to buy . this book had sooner seen the light , had not some of my sheets as they were sent to the press , unfortunately miscarried : and though it come somewhat late , yet i hope not unseasonabby or less welcome to you . you will find me often complaining of the dishonesty of my adversary in mis-stating my book in many places of it ; and also of his disingenuity in pretending to answer it , when in truth he has passed by the most material passages of it . if therefore you would impartially judge between us , then compare the books together , and you will easily discern whether he has done me right . next compare his book with this reply , then do you judge , whether or no i have done him right . i had been much larger upon the subjects of inspiration and tithes , had not t. e. been taken particularly to task by two other pens , which you will find me mentioning afterwards . you will find that i generally make use of t. e's own authors , but how honestly he has represented them , as some others of your own party , from whom he has taken them , will appear in its place . i know not what opinion you may have of me , but if i know my own soul , it is your eternal interest and welfare , that i have been aiming at , as well in this , as my former undertaking ; that i may shew you , how ridiculous and nonsensical your tenents are ; and if i sometimes search into your wounds till they smart , it 's more that i may be faithful to you , than any ways for to please my self . you will find that sometimes i mention the sayings and actions of some quakers , yet conceal their names , which i do for this only reason , that i may shew not my unkindness to your persons , but opinions . i wish you would seriously consider , with what woful mediums and artifices your leaders divert you from the truth , and hoodwink you in your errors . for when any has attempted your conversion , then must they be traduc't with slanders , and calumnies : as such an one is , or was a presbyterian , or an army-chaplain , &c. — thus do they accommodate themselves to the passions , and uncharitable humours of men , and take sanctuary in dunghils and puddles : as if they thought your religion better defended by dirt than arguments : accordingly t. e. threatens me with an adjunct † in case i set not my name to my next : but what he means , i know not , having ( i thank god ) no particular guilt , that in the least makes me concern'd at it . i am sensible that i have infirmities as well as other men , yet i can modestly say , that i do not indulge my self in any thing which i know to be ill . but i wonder why the publishing of my name must excuse me ? and seeing he knows me so well ( as he makes his reader believe ) why has he not the charity , and christianity , to inform me what this adjunct is , that i may amend it ? but let him publish his adjunct when he pleases , my comfort is , that neither he , nor his master , can go any further than god is pleas'd to suffer them : only let me advise t. e. ( for his credits sake ) not to take his adjunct upon trust , as ( it seems ) he did his ancient authors , lest he come off with as muchshame in the one , as he has done in the other . how much better had he been imploy'd , had he gone about to have heal'd , and not ( as he do's ) to widen our unhappy breaches ? nay rather than you shall want an argument for schism , he will make suspicion a ground thereof : i must confess he puts in where i have great ground to suspect — but then there is difference between ground to believe , and ground to suspect ; for be the ground never so great , it 's still but in order to a suspicion . one thing i do assure you , that i have not said that thing in this following tract , which i thought not the very truth , ( so far as my judgment did guide me . ) with this integrity i have proceeded , and can with the greater hopes expect god's blessing on my labours . had i thought my name would have been any satisfaction to you , you should have had it before , however you must not wonder , that you want it now , being so rudely threatned to it . god open your eyes , is my prayer to heaven for you — yours — the contents . the introduction page chap. . of the present ministry of england , and the cause why some people are not profited by it , inquired into p. chap. . of saying [ you ] to a single person p. chap. . of titles and civil respects p. chap. . of confession p. chap. . of perfection p. chap. . of swearing p. chap. . of taking texts p. chap. . of humane learning , and divine inspiration and revelation p. chap. . of tithes p. the conclusion p. a vindication of the friendly conference , &c. from the exceptions of thomas ellwood . the introduction . minister . neighbour , i am glad to see you : i hope you have well digested our late conference about the erroneous tenents of the quakers , and continue as well satisfied , as you seem'd to be at our last parting . parishioner . i cannot deny the satisfaction , i then receiv'd ; only i have been a little amused , since the publishing of it , by an answer to it , lately extant under the name of thomas ellwood . min. i hope you remember the caution i gave you , not to conclude every thing unanswerable , which you cannot answer your self : your education and employment not qualifying you for finding out the fallacies of every sophister . par. i have not forgot your counsel ; therefore am i come on purpose to consult you in several passages of that book . min. i have perused it my self , and find nothing in it fit to be made an occasion of scruple ; as i doubt not but ( with the divine assistance ) to make clear to you , before we part . par. seeing you did not print your name with your book , t. e. conceives that omission disingenuous ( not to say dishonest ) and asks , if you were afraid or ashamed openly to avouch it ? preface . min. the concealing of my name imports no such thing , seeing there are other causes which may make it proper . par. but you write your self a lover of truth ; therefore , since truth seeks no corners , what should induce you to conceal your name ? ibid. min. though truth seeks no corners , yet may truth notwithstanding have a friend in a corner . but will it sollow , that because i conceal my name ( for reasons best known to my self , ) i conceal the truth even then , when i publish it to the world ? or that i am not a lover of it ? or that my book is not the truth ? no sure : but it 's this quaker that conceals and darkens the truth by deceitfully jumbling things thus together without distinction ; as if there were no difference between an author and his book , between truth and a lover of it , and all this , merely to cast a mist before you . par. indeed i do the more wonder at him , because he confesses that men are not strictly tyed in all cases to affix their names to whatever they write . ib. min. and well you may , for here he contradicts himself , and has made his objection as ridiculous as it was fallacious ; for if they be lovers of the truth , then are they tyed ( by his rule ) in all cases to affix their names . par. but he tells his reader , that in matters of controversy ( especially where one man shall charge another ) the opponent in point of honesty , is obliged to give his name , as a caution and security to make good his charge . min. it 's not the author's name , but reason and truth , wherein consists the worth and credit of a book : these secure all men from suffering injury from the contents thereof . if truth be spoken , who is slander'd ? the guilty know they are not , therefore need not the author's name for caution : and for my part , i have laid no charge to any party , but what i am ready to make good , when need shall require ; and until i fail of that , no man can accuse me of dishonesty . but there are two things which i shall offer to your consideration : first , whether a bare name be a sufficient caution and security ? secondly , whether he has not involv'd the author to the hebrews , and his own party in this accusation of dishonesty , being guilty of the same omission ? as for the first , what if the name of thomas ellwood be fictitious ? or suppose it be the true name of mine adversary ; still without the mention of his habitation , to direct me where to find him , it looks like an illusion , and a designed piece of mockery , while his person lurks and skulks as much as my name , yea and more ; for it seems he could be readily inform'd both of it and the place of mine abode . but for that malicious charge which in divers places of his book he brings not only against the clergy , but the whole constitution of the present government , being most notoriously false ( as will be made evident ) and the place of his abode not being affixed with his name , where then is our caution and security ? par. but to your other particular ; how can the author to the hebrews be included in this charge ? min. because a great part of his epistle is controversial ; and further he taxes some particularly with the enormous crime of schism , and separation from the publick assemblies of christians ; heb. . . not forsaking the assembling of our selves together , as the manner of some is ; then he shews in the next verse the great mischief of the sin of separation , as bordering upon , and bringing them into the danger of final apostasie , or the sin against the holy ghost , for which there remains no more sacrifice , v. . is not here a dreadful charge , though no author's name for caution ? and yet his honesty was never questioned . par. did the epistle to the hebrews come into the world without the name of its author ? min. yes , it did : for it was long disputed among the ancients who he was ; some affirming st. luke to be the author , some barnabas , others clemens romanus : at last , it being ( for good reason ) concluded that it was st. paul , his name was affixed to the title of it . but whoever was the author , happy was he in this , that ellwood lived not in his days , for had he found out the concealed author , who and what he was , his name , place , &c. by a parity of reason ( a phrase of his ) and according to his impertinent and malitious threats against me , did he not put his name to his next , after so fair a warning , he must not have thought much , if ellwood should have given the world his name , with such an adjunct , as so unmanly a dealing did deserve . par. but to let that pass , what quakers do you charge with this omission ? min. in a certain book entituled [ some principles of the elect people of god , in scorn called quakers ] i find several points undertaken by several of them ; some of them indeed subscribe their names , but most of them do not ; and i observe , and so may you by consulting the book , that some of those who have not affix'd their names , bring the most railing accusation against us , and particularly the second of them , who charges us with going in the way of cain , to envy , murther , persecute , and a great deal more of such like slanderous and abominable stuff : now where must we find out the writer of it ? the third quaker and others are not wanting in this railing divinity , which it seems , is a principle of the quakers . par. i remember the book very well , and do wonder , you mention the third quaker in it , when he has set the first letters of his name , and subscribed himself g. f. min. g. f ? who 's that ? it may be another * guy faux with his dark-lanthorn , or any other person whose name begins with those letters . this therefore being no sure indication of the writer , makes nothing for the caution and security required . so that if these quakers be innocent , then ellwood is an accuser of his brethren ; and it will concern you to observe also , that for all the confidence the quakers have in that spirit by which their teachers speak and write , here must needs be some mistake , yea dishonesty , either in these writers of theirs , who omit to subscribe their names to such virulent treatises , and consequently in that spirit by whose instigation they publish'd them , or else in ellwood and his spirit ▪ that accuses all such of dishonesty who do so ; here then you may see , that there are contradictions and delusions among the quakers and the leaders of them . par. truly this is so reasonable an advertisement that i cannot object against it , and shall therefore seriously consider of it . min. having now given you an account as well of the logick , as ingenuity of my adversary , from his preface , let us examine the book it self . chap. i. of the present ministry , and the cause of some people 's not profiting under it inquir'd into . par. t. e. tells his reader , that you lay the foundation of your discourse upon that question which i told you was propounded by a quaker in one of their meetings , whether any among them could affirm , that he had received any spiritual advantage by his long frequenting the steeple-houses ? and whereas in your answer you affirmed , that the ministry is not to be judged from the effects it has upon careless and indisposed hearers ; min. what then ? par. the question ( says he ) is not concerning careless and indisposed hearers , but in general terms , whether any among them impartially consulting his own conscience , could affirm that he had received any spiritual advantage by his long frequenting the steeple-houses ? so that drawing it from any to careless and indisposed hearers only , you rather avoid the question , than answer it . pag. . min. those non-proficients , who have forsaken our assemblies , had they not been careless and indisposed hearers of us , they had better profited by us ; this therefore is a true character of them , and reaches all those to whom the question was propounded , being such as had left their lawful pastors , and forsaken the orthodox faith , and church , wherein they were baptized and brought up ; or other giddy persons resorting to them to gratify their itching ears . my reply then being as comprehensive as the question , how was it avoided , when it was fully answered ? par. this however is observable ( says he ) that we have an implicit acknowledgment of the peoples not profiting under the present ministry . min. does he suppose then that my words take all the people into the charge of non-proficiency ? par. he seems so to do in saying , that you acknowledge that the people are not profited , as also by his way of connecting it to his following discourse . min. your observation is very reasonable , in that he brings both this and the next passage which he cites out of my book , under the same acknowledgment , and cry's out that i have given up my cause , p. . but do you not remember what was before charged upon these very words , as if they were so scant and particular as to avoid the question ? and is this same clause now made so large by him , as to include all the people ? this puts me in mind of the famous thief procrustes , who used his captives with so much cruelty , that what stature soever any of them were of , they must be fitted to the length of his bed ; if they were too short , then they must be rack'd ; if too long then must so much of their legs be chopt off , to fit them to it . thus must a clause of mine be one while shortned ; otherwhile lengthen'd , according to the torture he hath design'd it : yea this quaker seems to be more cruel than ever procrustes was said to be , while he practises both kinds of tyranny upon one and the same limb. par. but to proye this acknowledgment of yours , he says that it is more freely confest by you afterwards in these words , alas , it 's our hearts grief that our people should come into the church , as beasts into noah ' s ark , &c. p. . min. this is a sophistical and usual trick of his , to stretch out an indefinite proposition to a general , making me to accuse all the people , when i did no such thing , but expresly explain'd my s●… and affirmed that , if you and others have not profited , i can instance in those that have , &c. conf. pag. . par. what do you mean by an indefinite proposition ? min. it is such as in the terms of it expresses neither a particular , nor a general , but may mean either [ all ] or [ some ] as the sense is determin'd by what goes before or follows after . and this of mine being thus plainly determin'd by that which follows in my discourse , and by the whole tenor of it , i have just cause to complain of the injustice of this quaker in judging me , before he hears me out , forgetting what the wise man saith , prov. . . he that answers a matter before he hears it , it is folly and shame to him . moreover this way of construing words and sentences will necessarily impose a false and blasphemous sense upon many texts of scripture . take this instance . he came unto his own , and his own received him not , john . . now according to t. e. this is an implicit acknowledgment that christ had not a people among the iews to receive him , whereas the contrary is manifest : the meaning of it then must be , that some or most of them did not receive him . so that you see the quaker makes a fine tool of an indefinite to work withall , purposely leaving out the restrictive term [ some , ] slily to engage inconsiderate readers to understand it of all . by this piece of craft he would make them believe that i accuse all ministers too as scandalous , in that idle passage of his , the priest himself pleads guilty , ac●…owledging the scandalous lives of ministers . where he sets down ministers indefinitely ; but according to his construction you may see he would have it understood of all ; or else , what means that ridiculous insultation of his , babemus confitentem reum ? although my words expresly restrain the sense by a note of particularity , where i say not all , but some men for a corrupt interest will intrude , &c. as also that i hope these scandalous ministers will prove but few , when compared with such as truly thirst after the honour of god in a faithful discharge of their duty . here you may have a full view of the quaker's honesty . par. but ( says he ) however the priests have fed the people , it is evident the people have fed the priests well , for they are grown fat and wanton , &c. p. . min. but while such a number of the priests are so slenderly provided for ; and while the people are so wanton as to kick at their lawful pastors ; it may be easily inferr'd , who is the better fed of the two . par. next he comes to enquire into the causes , why the people are not profited under your ministry . we read ( says he ) of some in former times , who did not profit the people at all ; and the reason thereof is also given , &c. in the d . of jeremiah , vers . . the lord by the prophet saith , therefore behold , i am against the prophets that steal my word every one from his neighbour ▪ behold , i am against the prophets , saith the lord , that use their tongues , and say , he saith : behold , i am against them that prophesie false dreams , saith the lord , and do tell them , and cause my people to err by their lyes and by their lightness , yet i sent them not , nor commanded them ; therefore they shall not profit this people at all , saith the lord , v. . here the very ground and reason why that ministry did not profit , nay why it was rendred uncapable of profiting the people at all , is most plainly given by god himself , viz. he sent them not , nor commanded them . p. . min. that this scripture does not reach his purpose , will be evident , if we consider , . that this non-proficiency of some of the people do's not inferr that we are not sent , seeing it may proceed from other causes . in the careless hearers of ieremiah it proceeded not from any corruption in his doctrine , which was divine , nor of his life , which was holy ; but from the hardness of the peoples hearts , in that they would not bearken . in the hearers of the false prophets , it proceeded from their dreams , lyes , and lightness , which they taught , and to which the people trusted . . that this scripture is ignorantly and injuriously applied to the present ministry , appears in that those false prophets perswaded the people ( and that to the ruine of that nation that jerusalem should not be destroyed , that they should neither see sword nor famine . which was an errand upon which god never sent them . besides , they were a company of fanatick enthusiasts ▪ who cheated the people by false pretences to extraordinary inspirations ; i have dreamed , i have dreamed was their canting note . not to profit the people then ] is in the true sense of this scripture , not to secure them from the captivity and calamities hanging over that nation . now let us examine how truly this scripture is applied to the present ministry ; do we come with any new errand to the world , or pretend to extraordinary inspirations to confirm it , as those did ? or do we preach peace to impenitent sinners ? no ; the contrary is well known . so the words do rebound upon the quakers themselves , while in their strange doctrines and misconstructions of holy scripture , they are guilty of the same fault with those lying prophets in saying , the lord saith , when he hath not said ; and in their presumptuous pretences to revelation to confirm it ; as also in opposing the true ministers of god , as those fanaticks opposed ieremiah . par. but he denies your ministry , when he saith , hath god sent thene , or do they send one another ? that they are ministers of mans making common experience shews . page . min. i answer ; the ministry in general is distinguisht into ordinary and extraordinary . thus it was under the law , and under the gospel too : of old the priesthood belonged to the head of every family , challenged by a right of primogeniture : but when the house of israel multiplied into many families , it pleased god for the more advantageous settlement of his church , and the better government thereof , to devolve the priesthood upon aaron ; and to call him to the same in an extraordinary manner , by a commission from heaven to moses for his consecration ; and to settle that priesthood successively upon his posterity without any further need of an extraordinary ▪ call to the priests of succeeding generations . such too was the evangelical ministry ; for aaron's priesthood being antiquated , the apostles were called to their function in an extraordinary manner even by christ himself , and by the visible descent of the holy ghost were accordingly qualified for the discharge of it : yet even in the apostles days this extraordinary call ceased ; for timothy and titus were ordain'd by imposition of hands , and were commanded so to ordain others , by which means the ministry was by the divine ordinance to descend to all ages in an orderly succession , though not in one family as aaron's did . these things thus premised , do determine our present case as followeth . he that is sent according to the order appointed by god in holy scripture ( though by the ministry of men ) is not a minister of man's making but of god's : but both the priests of the law , and the priests of the gospel , though consecrated and ordained by the ministry of men , were sent according to the order appointed by god ; therefore they were not ministers of man's making , but of god's , and by him truly call'd and sent . were timothy and titus ministers only of man's making , because they were ordain'd by imposition of hands ? and if many of the people did not profit by their ministry ( as many of the cretian's did not by titus's ; ) was the fault think you in their not being sent ? par. no sure . min. do you suppose t. e. himself could be ignorant of a truth so obvious ? par. methinks he should not . min. what then should he mean by saying , we send one another , and by that common experience , which ( he says ) shews that we are ministers of man's making ? par. what can he mean by it , but your going to the bishop for orders , as common experience shews you do ? min. truly his words stand very fair for this meaning ; and therefore not only you , but doubtless his whole fraternity , and many others do so take it , and through ignorance may be corrupted by it , and made to believe , we are not sent by god , because ordained by the ministry of men. par. indeed i cannot deny but this passage brought me under some scruples , till you gave me this satisfaction . min. if t. e. could not be ignorant in so plain a case , what can be his design here ? whatever a man pretends to mean by any of his expressions , yet to set them down in such terms as will impose upon vulgar readers , and engage them in error , can surely be no upright dealing . par. no , how should it ? but if ( says he , speaking still of the ministers of england ) they ministred by the command of god , they would do it as of the ability which god giveth ; but this divine ability they rely not on , nor indeed expect ; but school-learning , and humane ability acquired by study and much reading , these they trust to , these they depend on , &c. p. . min. whether this impudent charge against a whole order of reverend divines be more foul or false , is beyond my skill to determine ; while so great a number of them have by their humility and devotion made the contrary apparent . i am sure he can charge no such thing upon the doctrine of our church . where do's he find any such self-confidence taught or encouraged in our articles and homilies , or practised in our publick and solemn forms of devotion ? no where , i am sure , but the quite contrary , 't is the healthful spirit of god's grace that we daily pray * for . and these are as great assurance , as men ( whose lives are not openly scandalous ) can give one another of the integrity of their hearts . this quaker therefore accuses us of a crime visible to god only ; and thereby strikes at his prerogative , who alone is the searcher of hearts . but if there be any of the clergy guilty of too great a measure of confidence in their own abilities ; yet as this is best known to god , and hard for us to judge ; so you are also to consider , that , after they are lawfully ordained , it is not some personal faults of theirs , that can make void their ministry , much less justifie the accusation this reviler brings against the whole ministry of the church . and as for human learning ( which , he says , we trust to ; ) is not he himself a pretender to it in his book , and equally lyable to the same censure ? but more of this in its proper place . par. but he tells us of another great reason , why the people are not profited , viz. the disagreeableness of the present ministry to divine institution , p. . which institution , he tells us in the foregoing page , is generally urged to be the words of christ to his apostles , mat. . . go ye therefore and teach all nations , &c. min. it concern'd the credit of his party to leave out the later clause in that commission , instituting the holy ordinance of baptism ; for had he not so done , he would have faln foul upon his brethren , who most impiously reject it , contrary to the universal practice of the church in all ages , since its first institution . but wherein do's our ministry disagree with the divine institution ? par. before the apostles were to go forth to teach , they were to receive the promise of the father ; and to tarry in the city of ierusalem , till they were endued with power from on high p. . min. that this promise related to the extraordinary effusion of the holy ghost , is very manifest from the visible effects of that effusion , which were miraculous , and did not continue in the church , but are actually ceased long ago ; and therefore cannot ( without presumption ) be expected in these latter ages of the church , by virtue of this , or any other promise in holy scripture . but if the quakers expect the spirit in that manner as the apostles had it , then according to the condition of that promise , why go they not to the city of ierusalem to receive it ? ( in the mean time we shall be happily rid of them . ) however if they lay claim to the whole promise , why do they not make it evident , as the apostles did , that they are endued with power from on high , by working miracles , healing all diseases , raising the dead and the like ? when do these new lights speak with new tongues ? for according to ellwood , similar causes should have similar effects . but for as much as the contrary is evident , that the quakers are not endued with this power , with what confidence can they lay claim to this promise ? par. you told me that the strong grown christian measures the goodness of the ministry from its tendency to conscentious obedience , that is , the performance of all duty in its latitude , both to god , to man and to our selves , now if the performance of all duty to god , to man and our selves be the tendency of a good ministry ; how can that ministry be good , which denies that all duty to god , to man and our selves can be performed in this life ? p. . min. the words immediately subjoyn'd do show , that by [ latitude ] there , i meant not the perfection of an unsinning state , but the universality of our obedience to god and man together with our selves ( as it there follows ) that is ; a sincere respect to all the commandments of god , which zacharias and elizabeth were commended for , luk. . . though zacharias ' his imperfection was plainly discover'd in ver . , . where you may read , he was struck dumb for his unbeleif : but more of this subject when we come to his chapter of perfection . par. but he tells us , the poople may plainly see the reason of their not-profiting under your ministry , because it designs to seat the religion even of the grown christian in the rational powers , p. . min. the rational powers are the understanding and the will ( as any smatterer in ordilearning could inform him ; ) for these are they which distinguish a man from a beast : and religion being the most rational thing , where can it be more properly seated than in the rational powers ? that religion which is not seated there , is but a zeal without knowledg , such as seduced the iews to reject christ and the samaritans to worship they knew not what . so that ellwood's religion ( it seems by his own confession ) hath no seat in his understanding . here he has discover'd the true ground of the fanaticism of himself and his party , and has shew'd in this frantick passage of his , that whoever will be a right quaker must in the concerns of religion lay aside his understanding , reason , wits and judgment . rational arguments are the proper mediums by which the word of god works upon our wills and affections . therefore saith god by his prophet isa. . . come let us reason together ; and the apostle prays phil. . . that the philippians love may abound more and more in all iudgment ; and christ saith ioh. . . this is life eternal , that they might know thee the only true god , and iesus christ whom thou hast sent . par. but take his reason , the people of god ( says he ) in ages past had their religion seated in their hearts ; and this he proves from the good ground in the parable of the sower , which by our saviour is delared to be them , which ( not in a wise and knowing head , not in the rational powers , as you speak , but ) in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it . ibid. min. the quaker here has brought an instance directly against himself : for by [ honest heart ] in that parable is not meant the passions and sensible consolations , which is plain from vers . . where 't is said , some received the word with ioy , and wanting root in time of temptation fell away . therefore the heart being there distinguisht from the lower faculties , must consequently be meant of the higher , that is , the rational powers , acted by mature deliberation , constant resolution and sincere endeavours . through the ignorance of this , both good men and bad have oft mistaken their condition and estate towards god , good men being sometimes discourag'd for the want of these consolations , and bad men by the strange raptures of these fanciful joys commonly encouraging themselves with a false conceit of being in the truth and a good estate ; and therefore may be truly resembled to isaiah's hungry man , who dreameth he eateth , but he awaketh and his soul is empty . isa. . . which place do i never read , but it puts me in mind of the quakers , as a true emblem of them . par. but he tells us , that the prophet david speaking of the righteous , saith , that the law of his god is in his heart . p. . min. where said i any thing to import the contrary ? but then do's not the same david say , give me understanding , and i shall keep thy law ? and did not solomon beg of god a wise and understanding heart ? when the scriptures speak of the heart with a relation to religion , they mean the spirit , the inward man , the rational soul ; and therefore are far from setting it in opposition to the rational powers , which are the faculties of it , and in which the very nature of the reasonable soul consists . men of understanding , in iob , . . are in the hebrew tongue ( and accordingly noted in the margin ) * men of heart : mercerus upon the place gives this reason , * because the heart is the seat of wisdom . in prov. . . he lacketh understanding , is in some readings , * he lacketh heart . you know the decree against nebuchadnezzar . dan. . . let his heart be changed from man's , and let a beast's heart be given to him : now do you suppose it was the real heart of an ox , or ass , or of any other brute , that was given to him ? no ; heart there signified his rational powers , the use of which he was to be deprived of . and this is evident from ver . . and at the end of the days i nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes to heaven , and mine understanding return'd to me i wish the quaker be true at heart himself ; for i can hardly believe him such an iguar●… , as here he makes himself ; and 't is well , if his design be not the advancing some other interest than that of quakerism ; and i wish those miserable deluded people , whose true good only ( as the searcher of all hearts knows ) engaged me in this controversy , may seriously consider of it . par. his next cause , why the people are not profited by your ministry , is the evil lives of ministers . p. . min. here most injuriously and craftily do's he pass by , what he might have found in my book sufficient to convince ( if not him , yet ) any sober man. where i assert , that the efficacy of the divine ordinances depends not on the worthiness of the minister ; friendly conference , p. , but upon the power of god , p. . that is , upon his blessing and grace , that the excellency of the power ( as the apostle hath it ) may be of god , and not of us . and why did he pass by that note i made of st. paul's rejoycing , that christ was preacht , tho' it were from a principle of strife and envy ? and if no benefit could come to the people by such mens doctrines , what ground had the apostle to rejoyce ? seeing mens respective duties to god and their neighbours are taught them from the pulpit , why takes he not notice of that unanswerable appeal i make to their consciences in these words ? wil you tell the great iudg at the grat day , that your non proficiency was occasioned by the scandalous life of your minister ? or will an impudent upbraiding your minister with his faults excuse you in the neglect of your duty ? conference p. . now judg whether ever this quaker design'd a sober and honest answer to my book , as in the fear of god , when not only here , but all along , he passes by what is most considerable , and wherein the strength of my argument lies . at this rate he might easily answer any book whatsoever . par. i observe that he speaks of ministers ( as you say ) indefinitly ; and therefore cannot tell whether he means all , or some ; for he do's not explain himself , as you used to do . min. then may you take notice of a jesu●…tical trick of this quaker's ( frequently used by him ) to play fast and loose , in such shifting and ambiguous terms . if he mean that some ministers only are scandalous ; why had he not the honesty to express it , to free the innocent ? but then i suppose , he foresaw that his argument would have been hiss'd at as ridiculous and impertinent , in accusing the ministry it self , and denying its efficacy meerly for the personal failings of some ministers , as if iudas's faults had made void the doctrine both of himself and his fellow apostles : on the other side , if to avoid this absurdity he purposely orders his discourse , that ignorant people may believe all ministers are scandalous , this is after the rate of his modesty , and that which ( blessed be god ) the world knows to be a foul and malicious slander . par. you told me that in a settled national ministry , consisting of great numbers in holy orders , it cannot be expected , but that some men for a corrupt interest will intrude themselves into those sacred offices ; which is not to be charged upon their function , seeing there was a iudas among the chosen twelve : from hence t. e. infers that you palliate and extenuate the crime . p. . min. whose crime ? that of the scandalous ministers ? will any man endued with common sence say that the import of that passage was to palliate or cloak their crimes , when it contains a relation of so great a crime as that of intruding for a corrupt interest into sacred offices ? no ; any one ( that is not blind ) may see that there i am doing quite another thing , that is , excusing the church and government from the blame of such an inconveniency , as indeed is unavoidable . par. but he wonders that you should say these scandalous ministers should intrude themselves ; seeing all men that know any thing of them , know that according to the constitution of your government , none can intrude themselves into the ministry , but must be admitted and have letters of induction from the bishop , p. . min. that there is due care taken to prevent scandalous men from intruding into the ministry , is as freely confest by me , as it is truly intimated by this quaker ( to the honour of our church ) tho' against his will ; yet as the church may unavoidably and unblamably receive some into her outward visible communion , who afterwards may prove apostates ; so may she , when all is done , as unavoidably admit some men into holy orders , who may afterwards prove hypocrites . for whereas christ's government of his church is partly visible and partly invisible ; his invisible government of the souls of men , being that which he exerciseth by his grace and holy spirit , is his own immediate work , because he only is the searcher of hearts . his outward government of his church is that which he excerciseth by subordinate ministers and pastors ; who , not seeing mens hearts , can act only according to that outward polity which he has settled in his church ; and consequently the bishops in admitting ministers can and are obliged only to act by prudential rules of probation , following the apostolical directions in tim. . and tit. . according to the best of their knowledg and conscience . now if any so ordain'd prove hypocrites ( as they may after the severest inspection ; ) yet are they regularly received , and duly ordained , and therefore true ministers according to christ's own institution ; the church having herein done her utmost , and all that god requires in this outward administration : and the gospel preached by them , being not theirs , but god's , and his blessing upon his own ordinance , are sufficient to convert and save the souls of men ; tho' these , while they preach to others , may themselves become castaways . to say that upon our admission we must have letters of induction from the bishop , is a gross mistake ; for letters of induction are given by the arch-deacon ; and the intent of them is not to certify our ordination , but only to give us possession of our benefices . par. but he speaks cautiously , and adds [ as i think they term them . ] ibid. min. he is faln very flat on a sudden . is his confidence come to i think ? here he either dissembles his ignorance , or not ; if he dissemble , ( let his design be what it will , for which he do's it ; ) who is the hypocrite then ? if he do not dissemble , but is truly as ignorant as he seems to be ; how is such a man qualified to censure the constitution of a church ? par. now then the question ( he says ) naturally arises , why would the bishop admit such hypocrites into such sacred offices ? ibid. min. the answer as naturally follows ( in his own words ; ) why ? he knew them not to be such , ibid. which is indeed an answer unanswerable . par. but then , alas ! may the people well say , we are now in worse case then before ; for how shall we be assured , they are not most of them such ? here they are all at a loss . ibid. min. why should not such ministers ( whose lives are free from scandal ) be thought sincere good men , rather than hypocrites , seeing charity ( as himself confesses p. . ) useth to think the best ? thefore you may discover here an unchristian artifice and wheedle of this quaker's , to bring the people into a prophane contempt of their pastors , and to make them suspect the most pious clergy-man for an hypocrite . neither are the people at a loss , tho' the minister were an hypocrite ; while ( as hath been ptoved ) the efficacy of god's word depends upon his own blessing , &c. and not upon the minister's merit . by this argument of his the church of god ever was and will be at a loss , unless the sincerity of her teachers were made known by revelation : therefore are not the quakers themselves all at a loss ? for what assurance have they of the sincerity of any of their speakers , who may have drifts and designs much different from what they pretend to ? it 's well known that jesuits have personated quakers , and have been speakers in their meetings . dr. good * tells us that it 's upon record at bristol , that two franciscans gave notice of the coming of quakerism into that city ; and that himself heard a popish priest brag , that he had been a speaker in their meetings . now who is at a loss here ? not that the emissaries of rome care more for the quakers , than other sectaries , among whom they trade and lurk ; but by this wicked craft , they carry on their business , which is to undermine the protestant religion , and this excellently constituted church ( the grand object of their envy , ) by throwing a bone of division , and raising enemies in the bowels of her ; well knowing that an army is more effectually destroyed by a mutiny among themselves , than by the fiercer assaults of a foreign enemy . so indeed do's religion suffer more by separation and divisions among the professors of it , than by the opposition of the very infidels . i pray god this may be seriously consider'd by all good men , to avoid all schismatical meetings ; and by the quakers themselves , to be at length convinc'd , whose journey-men they are . par. next he blames you for saying , that by fruits math , . . is not meant the outward conversation of false prophets , but the ill consequences of their doctrines , p. . . min. it 's true , i both said it , and prov'd it : and why takes he no notice of any of my arguments , which i suppose , he would not have pass'd by , had he known how to have answer'd them ? did i not prove my assertion from the deceits of hypocrisy , and the outward sanctity of some hereticks , whom i mentioned , and the sheeps clothing ( the guise of innocency ) mention'd in the text it self ? look into my book again , and judg whether ellwood have dealt ingennously with me . i shall only add thus much , that as an ill life makes an ill man ; so 't is false doctrine that makes a false prophet : and that as the outward shew of holiness did not argue those old hereticks true prophets ; so neither did the ill life of iudas prove him a false apostle . hence it follows , that by mens outward carriage we cannot distinguish between a false prophet and a true . and as for the , and verses , which he cites to prove the contrary , it 's very evident that they relate to the final condemnation of false prophets at the last day by christ ; and not to their discovery here by us . par. if those wise and great learned men , who admit these scandalous preachers , cannot by the ill consequences of their doctrines discover those corrupt interests for which they do intrude themselves , how alas ! should the ignorant vulgar do it ? p. . min. you have started here a piece of elaborate nonsence . 't is indeed an hard task which he puts upon the bishops , and 't is confest it would have required all the wisdom and learning they have , to discover the corrupt interests of intruders by the consequences of their doctrines before their admission , that is to say , before they preach any doctrine at all . what grave conclusions would this shufler make by this preposterous form of putting consequents before antecedents , cart before th' horse ! but for the prevention of their preaching false doctrine after their ordination , all security that may be is taken of them by their subscriptions to sound and orthodox articles of religion , according to which they are bound to preach ; and there are laws also to restrain them . par. seeing t. e. taxes the constitution of your government , in relation to your admission into the ministry , i should be glad to understand the form and manner of it . min. to satisfy you , that all care imaginable is taken by the wisdom and piety of our church , to prevent the admission of scandalous persons into holy orders , and to promote the honour and ends of our sacred function , you are to understand , first , that there are certain times appointed for fasting and prayer , to invoke god , to guide the bishops and pastors of his flock , faithfully and wisely to make choice of fit persons to serve in the sacred ministry of his church ; and this is according to the primitive practice acts . . then due care is order'd to be taken for the examination of the abilities of such persons as come to be ordain'd . then certificates and testimonials must be produced concerning their life and conversation . when they are presented to the bishop for ordination , he in most solemn manner charges the arch-deacon to take heed , whom he presents &c. and if the people have any thing to object against any of them , they are required to come forth in the name of god , and to shew what the crime or impediment is . * after prayers , and the reading of such scriptures as are chosen for the occasion , the bishop in a solemn speech publickly exhorts them in the name of our lord iesus christ , to have in remembrance into how high a dignity , and to how weighty an office and charge they are called , that is to say , to be messengers , watchmen , and stewards of the lord , &c. then he bids them have it printed in their remembrance , how great a treasure is committed to their charge , that is , the sheep of christ which he bought with his death , and for whom he shed his blood . and if the church or any member thereof take any hurt , &c. by their negligence , he reminds them of the greatness of the fault , and the horrible punishment , which will ensue . and that they may be excited to the greater care and diligence , they are put in mind not only of the end and excellency , but of the difficulty also of their office , as well to shew themselves dutiful and thankful unto that lord who hath placed them in so high a dignity , as also to beware that neither they themselves offend , nor be occasion that others offend . next he tells them , they cannot have a mind and will thereto of themselves , for that will and * ability is given of god alone , and therefore that they ought and have need to pray earnestly for his holy spirit . and be their learning never so great , and their testimonials never so credible ; yet are they not to be ordain'd , till they have given engagement , in the presence of god and the congregation , for the faithful exercise of their duty and function , by solemn promises , and positive answers to several * questions propounded to them by the bishop : first , whether they trust , that they are inwardly moved by the holy ghost , to take upon them that office to serve god for the promoting his glory , and the edifying of his church ? to which each of them answers , i trust so . then he enquires of them , whether they unfeignedly beleive , that the holy scriptures contain all doctrines necessary to salvation ? and ( for the time to come ) whether they are determin'd to teach nothing as necessary to salvation , but what they shall be perswaded may be proved from thence ? whether they will be faithful always to minister the doctrine and sacraments and discipline of christ , as the lord hath commanded , &c. whether they will be ready with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to god's word ; and use both publick and private exhortations as well to the sick as to the whole within their cures , &c. whether they will be diligent in prayers and reading the holy scriptures , and in such studies as help to the knowledg of the same , laying aside the study of the world and the flesh ? whether they will be diligent to frame and fashion themselves and families according to the doctrine of christ , and to make themselves wholsome examples and patterns to the flock of christ ? whether they will maintain and set forward , as much as in them lies , quietness , peace and love among all christian people , &c. and lastly , whether they will obey the godly admonitions of their ordinary , and other chief ministers , to whom is committed the charge and government over them ? to all these they answer and promise , they will so do , the lord being their helper . then are they by prayer and imposition of hands , according to the apostolical rule and practice , ordained into their respective functions . now judg what reason this bold man had to besplatter so wise and pious a constitution ; and by consequence to affront the king and parliament , who have so conscientiously establisht it by law. but let me advise you to read the office it self , where you will be still more fully informed . par. i have given you great attention , and i must freely confess ( from what you have already told me ) that this form of your ordination is a most solemn , serious and pious service , far beyond what i ever knew or imagin'd of it ; and now i begin to blame my self , for taking things so much upon trust , and for believing every tale that others have told me , as if this church were an enemy to the power of godliness : for not weighing things impartially , i became very much prejudic'd against it ; and when i heard others rail , i learnt by their example to do so too . min. therefore , i hope , hereafter you will be more just to examine things before you censure them ; and for this end i have been so express in particulars , lest you should neglect to read , and still go on ( as many do ) to speak evil of those things which you * know not . here you may note , how unjust and disingenuous our adversaries are , who designedly conceal the excellency of our constitution , while they exasperate ignorant people against it . and i hope hereafter you will beware of them . par. your counsel is very reasonable ; only i am thinking it will be said , that the faults of scandalous ministers are the more aggravated by their walking contrary to such principles and engagements . min. the sin of these men will lie at their own doors . i am not justifying any such ; but or mother the church of england , from whom , you see , they learn no such thing . and though there be some bad , ( as there ever were , and will be in the purest churches , after the greatest care is taken , ) yet does it detract nothing at all from the honour of those other of the clergy , who give all faithful diligence to live up to their excellent principles , and to act according to their promises and engagements . par. whereas you affirmed to me , that they who make the efficacy of the divine ordinances to depend on the worthiness of the persons concerned in them , are worse than the papists , and cnotrary to the antient fathers : the reason , t. e. tells us , is obvious , the papists and you jump together , and as with one voice endeavour to subject the people to the clergy , how corrupt how scandalous soever . p. . min. then may you see , how dishonestly this quaker shuffles in words of his own , to pervert mine ; the drift of my discourse being there to subject the people to the divine ordinances . but why do's he pass by the antient fathers , who were no papists , and yet generally * held the abovesaid doctrines , and yet by the very arguments which this quaker opposes ? for our part , we expect no other subjection from the people , but what god himself has for their own good been pleased to command , and make their duty . so far as his objection concerns scandalons ministers , i shall have further occasion to speak of it hereafter . but if this be all the quakers have to say against obedience due to their lawful pastors ; how will this justify their disobedience to , and separation from the good as well as bad ? par. he continues the discourse , and laments the condition of the people in these words , alas poor people ! miserably enthrall'd to their own servants , whom good or bad they must keep , &c. p. . and he makes this note in the margin , minister a servant . min. if one would believe the quaker here , he 's full of pity to the people ; but i am sure he 's much more full of mistakes , ( and charity must be mightily stretch'd to excuse them from being wilful . ) you are therefore to consider , that there is a twofold notion of service : there is a service of subjection , and there 's a service of love and friendship . to the first the apostle has reference , in that exhortation col. . . servants , obey in all things your masters , &c. to the second , he refers , in that other exhortation gal. . . — by love serve one another . in this latter notion of it , viz. in acts of kindness , we are ready with st. paul to preach our selves the peoples servants for iesus's sake ; for in this sence , that is , in the offices of love , a superior may not inproperly be said to serve his inferior , as that great apostle shewd himself ready to do . in the first notion , it implies dominion and authority in those whom we serve , and a power to command and controul ; and consequently requires subjection and obedience in him that serveth . and in this notion also a minister is a servant , but then 't is to him whose minister he is : a minister of state is a servant , but it is to the prince that employs him ; so a minister of religion is a servant , yet not to the people , but to god whose embassador he is . the apostles were ministers , and did the people think them their servants ? the church is compared to an army ; and are the leaders and officers in an army , servants to the common soldiers ? ministers are by their office to direct and rebuke ; and if they were servants to the people , would it become them so to do ? angels are ministring spirits , and are by god appointed to serve the necessities of the church ; this do's not suppose that they are our servants , to be controuled by us . but the quakers methinks should be more modest than to expect from the clergy a service of subjection to the people , while ( if the author of the spirit of the hat may be trusted ) fox and others of them arrogating to themselves the ministerial function and power , do crush the tender ones ; as he terms it , p. . however you see the arts , t. e. and such as he , make use of to encourage the people to contemn their lawful teachers ; and in the mean time , as scrupulous as the quakers are to call any man master , you see how they take upon them to be really so themselves . do's not this piece of ambition directly oppose the plain doctrine of holy scripture , which says concerning the relation of ministers to the people , that they are over them in the lord , thess. . . and so commands them to esteem them very highly . v. . and again , that they have the rule over them heb. . . and commands them to obey them , and submit themselves , &c. and calls them elswhere * teachers , fathers and pastors ? but the quakers it seems , are for inverting this doctrine , and making the hearer and learner a master over his teacher , a son over the father , and the flock over their shepherd . now therefore to retort his own words , p. . what i pray do's this bespeak , but pride and arrogance ? and as a little before , is it the humble , meek , gentle spirit of iesus ? or the haughty proud exalted spirit of lucifer ? here you see the ill consequences of his doctrine ; and by applying the rule of our saviour , you may know , who he is by his fruits , that is to say , a false prophet . par. though i have great ground to suspect a man for a fornicator , though i know him to be covetous , though i fear he is an idolater , &c. must i notwithstanding ( says he ) acknowledg this man to be a minister of christ , and have recourse to him for teaching , &c. god forbid . p. . min. this quaker , lest he should not have enough against the clergy positively to accuse them of , judges it needful here to supply that defect with fears and suspitions . though both the proverb and right reason affirm , that suspition is no proof ; yet observe here , that even fears and suspitions are by this quaker made warrantable grounds , both for censure and separation . but i pray , consider , what confusions and distractions this principle tends to , how ready an expedient it is to pick a hole in the coat of the best man living , to incense the vulgar , and justify any villainous enterprize . what jealousies will not malice and prejudice suggest , of the holiest man on earth ? the suggestion of fears and jealousies was the first artifice , that was used to foment the late rebellion , and to hasten those fatal effects of it both in church and state , which this nation since has felt . the same trade , you see , is still driven on by this incendiary and his fellows , in order to the same effects , from which god deliver this church and nation . par. you told me , that the scribes and pharisees were got into moses's chair , &c. here first ( says he ) it may be worth our noting , that the scribes and pharisees were got into moses's chair , not into aaron's : now moses was the civil magistrate , the iudg or ruler ; but aaron was more properly the priest , p. . min. for the right understanding of this text , we must consider what moses's chair imports ; and who the scribes and pharisees were . moses was not only a civil magistrate , but a prophet , and type of christ deut. . . and we are to cosider him here , not as a magistrate , but as a prophet . him the iews ever esteemed , as cheif of their doctors . they call him master , to this day ; and glory not a little in his discipleship : and indeed the scriptures do artribute to him a higher mode of prophecy than ordinary . now the great and principal work of a prophet , was to teach and instruct the people : this is evident from the scripture ; pet. . . false prophets and false teachers do there explain one another . and prophesying is put for expounding and teaching the will of god , cor. . . and . , . and he that expoundeth and declareth another's mind and meaning is called his prophet , exod. . , , : and christ's great work in the exercise of his prophetical office , was to teach the people and to reveal his father's will. we may therefore safely conclude , that moses's chair , is the chair of doctrine ; for it was the custom of those times for teachers to sit , while they taught ; as several of the iewish doctors , and also the antient commentaries under st. ambrose's name on cor. . , . do inform us . in conformity to this custom christ himself taught sitting ; and the antient philosophers did the same , as grotius noteth upon the place , where he quoteth seneca calling them cathedrarii , that is , chair-men . that moses's chair is thus to be taken , will further appear from the persons sitting in it . christ's discourse is not concerning iudges and magistrates , but teachers , as appears from ver . . where we read , they bound heavy burthens &c. that is expounded the law with intolerable strictness by adding their traditions to it ; see acts . , . and accordingly the iews called a thing forbidden by the doctors ligatum , viz. a thing bound ; and a thing permitted solutum or loosed . christ mentions none , but scribes and pharisees , excluding sadducees , who yet were members of their sanhedrins , as well as the other . and if he had spoken concerning their sanhedrins , the priests would no doubt , have been mention'd especially the high priest , who was a chief member of them in our saviour's time . now that the scribes here mention'd did succeed the prophets in their office and employment , is clear from the scripture . behold ( says our saviour ) i send you prophets , wise-men and scribes , mat. . . where the one do's expound the other . in cor. . . wise-men and scribes are conjoyn'd ; for such as were educated in the learning and wisdom of the law , and professed it , were called scribes . ezra is called a scribe , ch . . . to which sense christ alludeth mat. . . in antient times many were educated in schools and colledges to be prophets ; but when the gift of prophesy ceased among that people , then they remained scribes only ; accordingly maimonides says , that the reason why baruch was so discontented , was because he had spent so much time under jeremiah , to obtain the gift of prophesy , yet was constrain'd to go without it : so that he was called baruch the scribe only . wherefore the true notion of scribes is this , they were students , learned men , and teachers * of the law to the people , as the prophets were of old , but without the gift of prophecy ; succeeding them in their office , but not in their extraordinary mission and supernatural endowments : hence our lord says , that they sate in moses's seat . as for the word [ pharisees , ] that denoteth their sect , and way of religion only , most of the scribes being of that sect as is probable , because it was so much in vogue with the people . — from this scripture thus explain'd it will follow . . that persons without an extraordinary mission , and supernatural endowments , may be true successors of them that had both , as the scribes were of the ancient prophets . . that men may be god's officers , though they have not that immediate mission from him ; for if the scribes were not god's officers , they did not sit in moses's chair , in christ's sence ; this is so obvious , that even heathen magistrates are called god's ministers , rom. . . . that whatever such as have the office and authority to teach , ( tho' bad men ) do teach , * jure cathedrae , ( as grotius expresses it ) keeping themselves within the sphere of their authority , they ought to be obeyed in . par. you said that our saviour hath given the people an eternal document , when such teachers as live not answerably to their doctrine fall to their share . an eternal document ! what 's that ? p. . min. i told you in our saviour's own words , whatsoever they bad them to observe , that to observe and do , but not to do after their works . mat. . . par. nay hold there ( says he ) we have had too much of that already ; england hath not yet forgot , since the scribes and pharisees of rome sa●…e in the chair here , &c. ibid min. had it been a turk , iew , or profest atheist , that had accosted me with this reply , i should have receiv'd it without any surprize at all ; but seeing this quaker pretends to christianity , is it not strange that he should fall foul upon christ himself ? had it been a document of mine own framing ( though never so reasonable ; ) i should not have wonder'd to see him exercise his sophistry upon i t : but it being a document of our blessed lord's , and deliver'd in no other but his own express words , and in his own sense ; methinks the honour and authority of the author should have deterr'd him from this confidence , and perswaded him to have been more sparing . how would the barbarous iews have hugg'd themselves , and how much innocency would they have pleaded , if in the days of christ , they had been furnisht with this quaker's argument ? for had it been broacht then , much louder had the crucifige's rung in pilat's ears . might not they have argued at ellwood's rate , hast not thou commanded us to observe and do , whatsoever the scribes and pharisees bid us ? we are now set on by them ; 't is they that bid us crucify thee ; then from thy self we have an authority to execute this command of theirs . so that i must answer my antagonist in isaiah's dialect , kings . . whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed ? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice , and lifted thine eyes on high ? even against the holy one of israel . par. i must confess that the consequences from this gloss are very odious ; therefore , i pray , give me now the true sense of the text . min. i cannot do it better than in the words of st. chrysostom an author , whom this quaker pretends to have a very good opinion of , and whose authority he misquotes against me with so much triumph . p. , and . let us here him therefore descanting upon this document by theophilact , the lord speaketh of those , who fit in moses's chair , that is , of those who teach what is in the law ; those therefore who teach the divine law we ought to hear , tho they do it not themselves : further he objects , ( as ellwood here ) but must we do all things they say , tho they be evil things ? we answer , says he , first that he that teacheth will hardly be so audacious as ever to exhort to things directly evil . secondly , if we grant that any one should exhort to evil life , then he speaks not from moses's chair , nor out of the law. and this i hope the quaker will grant an eternal document , that all that an evil pastor commands us from god's law ( and by virtue of his office , ) we ought to do ; this was our saviour's sense in that text , and mine in quoting it . par. there is one thing which i must not forget ; he tells his reader in these words , our godly martyrs ( by his leave ) held not this document to be eternal , as smithfield can amply witness . ibid. min. this is a passage i must not brook , that he should be so arrogant to call them their martyrs , as if the martyrs were quakers , and it were the quakers cause for which they suffer'd , the crow must not adorn himself with the peacocks feathers ; nor the quaker challenge a property where he has none at all . in honour therefore to the memory of these pious souls , i shall ( god willing ) undertake to vindicate their reputation from so foul , so false an intimation ; and shew , . how far they were from being any thing like the quakers , or in the least inclinable to them . . that they did not oppose christ's words ( as ellwrod here doth ; ) but held this document to be eternal . first i hope to make it evident , that they were as contrary to the erroneous and nonsensical tenents of the quakers , as to those of the papists , by whose cruel hands they were murther'd . and this disparity will appear both in their doctrines and manners . mr. fox tells us , that mr. rogers , protomartyr in queen mary's bloody persecution , speaking of the ministry , declared , that the similitude between them and the apostles , was not in the singular gifts of god , as doing miracles , &c. but they were like them in doctrine , &c. now he being vicar of st. sepulchre , prebendary of st. pauls , and divinity-reader there , could not be admitted into the said preferments , but by taking oaths and subscribing to several ecclesiastical constitutions . and must he be put into the calendar of the quakers martyrs ? par. 't is well if you can agree upon the persons ; for t. e. speaks of the martyrs in general , and not here of any in particular . min. you say well : but what if i pitch upon cranmer , ridley , latimer , hooper , philpot , bradford and taylor ? par. these t. e. will own to be godly men , and worthy martyrs . p. . min. good. par. what makes you smile ? min. cranmer was arch-bishop of canterbury , ridley bishop of london , latimer bishop of worcester , hooper bishop of glocester , philpot arch-deacon of winchester , bradford prebendary of pauls , and dr. taylor parson of hadley : and would it not make any man smile to hear this man call those reverend prelats , &c. the quakers martyrs , who were such constant defenders of the protestant religion , and of the doctrin of the church of england , both by their sermons , their pens , and their lives ? however take this by the way , that in calling them godly , he justifies their practices ; and in calling them martyrs , he owns the cause for which they suffer'd ; * and so by consequence makes the whole design of his book a contradiction to himself here . so that he has brought himself into this miserable dilemma and necessity , either to reject these godly martyrs , or to recant his book . for further instance , these martyrs , who were so learned , so well skilled in the fathers , and so excellently grounded in the principles of faith and holiness , that they confirmed them with the sacrifice of their lives , these very men were so far from concluding all oaths unlawful , that as they could not be admitted into their offices and places , but by taking oaths ; so likewise did they administer oaths to the subordinate clergy , and ecclesiastical officers , according as the laws , did then oblige them . these were dispencers of both the sacraments , were receivers of tithes ; they never scrupled to give civil titles to men , nor to say [ you ] to a single person , as is evident from all their conferences and disputations ; they wore * gowns , and were in all such things as the present clergy . yea that very form of confession ( in our service-book , ) against which ellwood writes a whole chapter , was composed by some of these , whom he calls their godly martyrs . par. i see already , that he had better never have mention'd these godly martyrs . min. he knows , what reputation they have among all protestants , and therefore he would gull the common people with this plausible cheat , by endeavoring to perswade them , that these martyrs were patrons of their cause . therefore think it not tedious , if i give you a further account of their principles and practices . cranmer one of the compilers of our liturgy , was so far from abandoning the two blessed sacraments , that he calls them the seals of god's promises and gifts ; and also of that holy fellowship , which we have with christ and all his members . ridley another of the compilers of our li - liturgy , was so constant to the devotions of it , that mr. fox tells us , * he constantly used the common-prayer in his own house both morning and evening . and that he , being told out of st. cyprian and st. augustine , that communion of sacraments do's not defile a man , but consent of deeds , acknowledged it to be well spoken if well understood ; which was meant ( saith he ) of them , which suppose they are defiled , if any secret vice be either in the ministers or in them which communicate with them . baptism ( says he ) is given to children ; the lords supper is , and ought to be given to them that are waxen . and he tells us , that he wished the bishop of winchester , to be stiff in the defence of the sacraments , against the detestable errors of anabaptists . and ( that you may see his judgment of the continuation of the lord's supper ) he says * [ do this , &c. luke . . ] was not a commandment for a time , but to persevere to the world's end . hooper in his exposition on the d. commandment tells us , that to swear or take an oath before a lawful iudge is the work also : of this commandment , and setteth forth god's glory : for as paul saith , all controversies are ended by the virtue of an oath , so have we examples in paul rom. . and in the same exposition , he not only owns the holy sacraments ( as he rightly styles them , ) but he expressly calls them both vows and oaths ; and further tells us that therein we swear and promise to live after god's will and pleasure . pray , consult the preface to his exposition on the ten commandments , and you will find how contrary his doscourse is to the quakers notion of perfection . do you not remember what character t. e. gives of philpot ? par. yes ; he tells us , he was a godly and learned martyr p. . min. truly ellwood is so far in the right , for a godly and learned man he was . but then let us see how he and the quakers agree in their notions and principles of religion ; and what property the quakers have in this excellent martyr . bonner taunting him as an anabaptist , and as one that denyed the lawfulness of swearing before a judge , he replyed thus , my lord , i am no anabaptist , i think it lawfvll to swear before a competent iudge . he being accused by the said bonner , before one of the sheriffs of london , that he denyed baptism to be necessary to them that were born of christian parents ; and that he denyed fasting and prayer , &c. smartly answer'd to this slander , is not your lordship ashamed to say before this worshipfull gentleman , that i maintain these abominable blasphemies which you have rehearsed ? so that you see to deny the ordinance of baptism ( as the quakers do ) in the judgment of the learned philpot is an abominable blasphemy . and in vindication of infant baptism he has writ a very learned tract never to be answer'd . and concerning the other sacrament of the lord's supper ; at a conference with several of the nobility , he said thus , i do protest to your honours , that i think as reverently of the sacrament , as a christian man ought to do ; and that i acknowledg the sacrament of the body and blood of christ ministred after christ's institution , to be one of the greatest treasures and comforts that he left us in the earth . and being required by the arch-bishop of york to give a definition of the church , he gave it thus , it is a congregation of people dispersed thorow the world , agreeing together in the word of god , using the sacraments and all other things according to the same . so then those that deny the use of the holy sacraments ( and consequently the quakers , who do so ) are , according to this pious martyr , no members of the church of christ. bradford ( whom ellwood styles an eminent martyr , p. . ) in a conference with the arch-bishop of york and the bishop of chichester , would not by both their entreaties be moved to sit in their presence ; neither would he be perswaded to put on his cap , till they overcame him by their great importunity . the same bradford chargeth the papists with sacrilege in robbing the laity of christ's cup in the sacrament . now if he were living , of how great sacrilege would he accuse the quakers , who not only take away the cup , but utterly deny both the sacraments ? and herein are the quakers far worse than the papists . again as to his judgment of an oath ; in a certain conference he says thus , i was thrice sworn in cambridg , when i was admitted master of arts , when i was admitted fellow of pembrook hall , and when i was there , the visiters came thither and sware the university ; again i was sworn , when i enter'd into the ministry , when i had a prebend given me , and i was sworn to serve the king a little before his death . tush ! herod's oaths ( quoth the chancellor * ) a man should make no conscience at . but , my lord , ( said bradford ) these were no herod's oaths , no unlawful oaths , but oaths according to god's word , as you your self have well affirmed in your book de verâ obedientiâ . do but compare his letters recorded by fox , with ellwood's chapter of confession , and see whether light and darkness can be more contrary . taylor speaking of the common prayer-book , gives this character of it , there was ( says he ) set forth by the innocent king edward , the whole church-service , with great deliberation and the advice of the best learned men in the realm , and authorized by the whole parliament , and receiv'd and publish'd gladly by the whole realm , which book was never reformed but once , and yet by that one reformation it was so fully perfected , according to the rules of our christian religion in every behalf , that no christian conscience could be offended with anything therein contained , i mean of that book reformed . and the common prayer-book was the last present he made to his wife ; and that which he used also during his inprisonment . this may satisfy you , that this godly martyr was no quaker . of an oath you may see his opinion , where he saith , the oath against the supremacy of the bishop of rome was a lawfull oath , and so was the oath made by us all touching the king's or queen's preheminence . par. i perceive after all this , that all those excellent men , whom he acknowledges godly martyrs , were of the church of england . min. did you ever doubt it ? surely it was never questioned , till this quaker invaded our right in them . par. but how do you prove your other particular , that they held the afore-mention'd document to be eternal ? min. first you shall hear , what latimer saith , as long as they minister the word of god or his sacraments , or any thing that god hath ordained to the salvation of mankind , wherewith god hath promised to be present , to work with the ministration of the same to the end of the world , they be to be heard , to be obeyed , to be honoured for god's ordinance sake , which is effectual and fruitful , whatsoever the minister is , though he be a devil , &c. and he cites origen and chrysostom as of the same opinion . hear also what the learned philpot saith to this point . he being engaged in a disputation with the arch-bishop of york , and being asked [ what the opinion of the donatists was ? ] replyed , that they were a certain sect of men , affirming among other heresies , that the dignity of the sacraments depended on the worthiness of the minister , so that if the minister was good , the sacraments which be ministred were available , or else not . here you may infer , that this tenent of ellwood's in the opinion of this holy martyr is no less than heresy : and you may know too from whence both he and his brethren had it , even from the long since exploded donatists . at another disputation with the bishop of worcester and others , he told the bishop that he knew rome . to this the bishop answer'd , that he was sorry that he had been there ; for he supposed , the wickedness which he saw there made him do , as he did . philpot replyed no , my lord , i do not do , as i do for that cause ; for i am taught otherwise by the gospel , not altogether to refuse the minister for his evil living , so that he bring sound doctrine out of god's book . par. i wonder , why you take no notice of tindall , whom t. e. calls a faithful martyr p. . min. i shall give you two or three instances , whereby you may understand , his principels were far from quakerism . in a supplication to the king and estates , he exhorts the lords temporal , that they would fall before the king's grace , and would humbly desire his majesty to suffer it to be tryed , who of right ought to succeed , &c. and that all the lords temporal be sworn thereto , &c. next i find this confession of his , we be all sinners an hundred times greater than all that we suffer . and in one of his letters he gives advice , that the scripture may be in the mother-tongue , and learning set up in the universities . that these martyrs aforemention'd were godly men , t. e. himself confesses . from which confession of his you may reasonably make this inference , that men may be arch-bishops , bishops , arch-deacons , prebendaries and parsons ; may encourage university-education ; sons may live and die conformable to the doct rine and discipline of the church of england ; may administer both the sacraments ; may hold it robbery and sacrilege to deprive the people of [ but ] a part of the lord's supper ; may defend infant-baptism ; take oaths ; daily confess themselves to be miserable sinners ; may say [ you ] to a single person ; give and receive titles of honour ; may take tithes ; and ( agreeably to christ's doctrine ) affirm it unlawful for any man to divide the external unity of the church by separating from that particular congregation , whereof he is a member , for the faults or ill life of the preacher ; and yet , even in ellwood's judgment , be godly men. now if these were godly martyrs , why must we be accounted ungodly , for retaining the same doctrins and constitutions ? i heartily wish the quakers would be of the same religion these good men were of ; for then they would be of our religion too ; and then ( but not before ) i should acknowledg them their martyrs . par. whereas you told me , that a man is to look at the water , not at the conduit through which it is conveyed . conf. p. . to this he answers , but if a man see the conduit besmeared with mire and dirt , will he choose ( or is it reasonable he should be tyed ) to drink the water that issues therefrom , & c ? p. . min. the outside of the conduit may be defiled , and yet the pipes and water in them may be clean . man's evil actions do not hinder his speaking well , nor doth the wickedness of the sower infect the seed ; as was determin'd in an old british council under saint patrick . par. to your instance of iudas he says ; he was bad enough , but will you say , that after he had transgressed and faln , he should ( if he had lived ) have continued in the ministry ? p. . min. this is an idle query , far remote from our present business , started on purpose to avoid the question , which was not to enquire , whether iudas should have continued in his apostleship after his horrid treason , ( had not the divine vengeance pursued him to death ? ) but the question was , whether iudas was a good man or bad , during the exercise of his apostolical function , before that treason was committed ? that he was both an apostle and a bad man , is * certain , and * confest by my adversary . therefore 't is clear enough ( what i before asserted ) that an ill man may notwithstanding be a true minister of the gospel . here you may see , that i am not pleading the cause of iudas , or any like him ; for i wish such were ejected : but till this be fairly done by just authority , we may not allow the people to separate from them , seeing our saviour never caused his disciples to separate from iudas , tho' he knew him and declared him to be a devil . ioh. . , . now that the people are not tied and fetter'd ( according to t. e's . expression ) to ministers incorrigibly ill , but may have remedy by a judicial way of proceeding , appears from the . article of this church ; and to my knowledg , some accordingly have been ejected from their offices and benefices . par. as for nicholas the deacon ( whom you mention'd ) his office was to serve tables , to take care of the widows , &c. he was chosen to be overseer of the poor , &c. however it appears not , that he was a publick preacher . ibid. min. if i rightly understand this quaker , the offices of a deacon and an overseer of the poor are according to him one and the same . then probably his next work will be to quarrel with our magistrates , or rather with the laws of the land , that the overseers of the poor are not ordained into their function by prayer and imposition of hands , as the deacons were acts. . . but why might not he be a preacher as well as his collegue st. stephen ? however this i must ask , if the quakers plead , that his deaconship did not qualify him for a publick preacher , how dare they ( men and women , every one at their pleasure ) take upon them to preach , being neither priests nor deacons ? do's not this contradict and make void their pretence of the spirit 's moving them ? and whereas t. e. says , that neither the scriptures nor eusebius say he continued his deaconship after his defection ; i answer , neither do they say he was cast out of his deaconship , which was my adversarie's part to have proved : but he saw that be could not make that out ; whereupon he says , that it appears not he was a publick preaocher , concerning which i have said what is sufficient already . but whatever the preacher is , the people are accountable for all the instructions they hear , concerning their respective duties both to god and man. how will ellwood deny this ? par. ay but , ( says he ) might his parishioner well have replyed , those discourses made little impression upon me , when i consider'd from whom they came &c. p. . min. ay indeed ? is this the quaker's divinity , to say this would have been well replyed , that the sermons of his duty to god and man made little impression upon him ? no pretence , i am sure , can justify this reply ; but it 's too apparent , the contrary command of our blessed saviour lately explained to you , has made little impression upon this quaker , whereby the people are straitly enjoyn'd not to disobey their teachers ( tho' scribes and pharisees ) nor to plead their ill life to excuse their own disobedience , ( as this quaker here encourages the people to do , having ( to this end no doubt ) aforehand corrupted that text , as you have heard ; ) but in quite opposit terms , whatsoever they bid them concerning their said duty to god and man , that to observe and do , tho' not after their works . this quaker in the mean time forgot that heavy sentence of our saviour's , mat. . . whosoever shall break one of these least commandments , and teach men so , shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven , that is , excluded from the priviledges of it . i am confident , he cannot think , this plea , which he teaches the people , will hold good at the last day ; for while goodness is goodness , and truth is truth , whoever speaks it ; god will then demand an account of it from all that heard it . and whatever prophane men , and promoters of satan's kingdom may talk and vent at this distance from that day , yet they will then find ellwood's plea insufficient to answer these questions , if you discerned the actions of your teacher to be evil , why then did you not avoid them ? his example did not compel you to be bad : and if you discerned his instructions to be good , why then did you not follow them ? why did you not consider what they were , rather than from whom they came ? to these questions they will then be as speechless , as he in the gospel , that was found without his wedding garment ; and it will not be thomas ellwood , that will then be able to open their mouths . par. you have said enough to convince me both of the weakness and naughtiness of this plea , which he has taught the people , and by which they encourage themselves to sleight their teachers and their doctrine for the least failing they find in them . min. this will neither justify the impiety of these men , nor the separation of such as have already left the church , on that pretence of the teacher's not following his own directions , which is as absurd and preposterous , saith st. augustin , * as if a traveller should think , he must go back again , or leave the way , because he saw the mil-stone with its inscription shewing him the way , but not moving in it at all it self . but there are too many that rejoyce at the faults of ministers , where they find them ; and invent and impute them , where they find them not ; that they may have a pretence for their separation . to which purpose rightly saith st. augustin in the same place , men seek not so much with charity whom they may commend , in order to their imitation ; as with ill will whom they may carp at , in order to their [ own ] deception : some cannot find out good men , being ill themselves ; and others fear to find such , because they would still be evil . par. the true ministers were always examples of goodness , ( he says ) but too many of these ministers are examples of evil . p. min. has not the quaker forgot himself here ? for [ too many ] is an implicit acknowledgment , that many are not examples of evil , and therefore after all his exclamations may be good men . par. when you cannot clear them of your own profession , ( says he ) you fall upon the quakers , whom if you can render as bad as your own , you think you have done something , &c. p. , . min. i never endeavour'd to clear those of mine own profession that are faulty , but the innocent , and to justify the profession it self from unjust cavils . i ever thought it a method as ungentile , as improper , to defend truth by personal reflections . a zealous turk and a prophane christian makes me think no better of mahometanism , nor worse of christianity . but seeing the quakers themselves have been the first aggressors in this way of arguing , and do place so much of their strength therein ; it was proper for me , ( only in general terms not naming any particular persons ) and indeed i was engaged to confnte it , by letting them see , how much it reflects upon their own faction , and makes all such objections void . however , that the world may know it was no groundless intimation of mine , being thus put upon 't , i desire sir iames whitlock's case , as it was lately managed in chancery , and two books , the one call'd [ the quakers spritual court ; ] the other [ the spirit of the hat ] written by a quaker , may be examined . by this time , i hope , i have removed your scruples occasion'd by the quaker's first chapter , which in his preface he tells his reader , is offensive . as great a truth as ever he spake ; for i have sufficiently proved it so to be , that is , offensive to god , to truth , and all good men . but let us now proceed to the examination of his second chapter . chap. ii. of saying [ you ] to a single person . par. in his second chapter t. e. says , you seem offended with their using the wrd [ thou ] to a single person . min. i only vindicate the use of [ you ] to a single person ; yet must i tell him , that to take up a word or phrase ( tho' lawful in it self ) in contradiction to an innocent custom , and in an affected singularity as a mark of distinction from their neighbours , this is justly offensive : and to make it a necessary duty to say [ thou ] to a single person , and a sin to say [ you ; ] when god has neither commanded the one , nor forbidden the other , this is adding to the word of god , and is rank superstition and pharisaism , in enslaving the conscience , and placing religion in pitifull niceties ; superstition being an impiety , which represents god so light , or so froward , as to be either pleased , or angry with things indifferent , and of no moment . * par. but t. e. says , that they lay not the stress of their religion upon words . p. . min. a good hearing ; then may a good man , without any violence to religion , say as well [ you , ] as [ thou ] to a single person . but if he spoke as he thought , why do they and he contend so much about a word , and divide the church , and separate themselves from it for a thing they dare lay no stress of religion upon ? so that he has in those words done little credit to his cause , and his whole party , in making them all schismaticks . yet can we think , that he has here truly represented his own party , or clear'd them of superstition , while we observe their strict and demure use of words and phrases to the enslaving of their own consciences ? as if to say , [ i thank you for your kindness ] or the like , were not as good sense and as lawful , as to say , [ i receive thy love ; ] or to say [ such a one is dead ] were not as pleasing to god , as to say [ he is out of the body ; ] or to say , [ i cannot consent to such a thing ] were not as proper , and as religious , as to say [ i am not free , ] which is a phrase they have very ready to oppose good laws and good counsel . and if you mark the quakers , you cannot but observe , that in the affected use of their distinguishing phrases , tones and gestures , they really esteem themselves more religious than their neighbours , whilst indeed ( if they understood it ) they are the less religious , by how they are the more superstitious and schismatical . but i believe , that in many of them much of this proceeds from want of knowledge , who now ( i hope ) will by one of their own teachers be at length convinc'd of their great errour in laying so much stress of religion upon words and phrases . par. you must be cautious how you reflect upon the quakers for the use of their phrases , seeing many of them are taken out of the holy scriptures . min. though the holy scriptures ought to be remembred and frequently used in our converse , for our mutual instruction ; yet i would not have you so ignorant and superstitious , as to think that god in revealing his will there , design'd that our duty should consist in the continual use of those very forms of speech , but in a due regard to those truths and commands contained in them . as for the style of the scriptures , you are to understand , that it was ever accommodated to the particular dialect of that people to whom they were written , and therefore varied accordingly ; as we find it does in the different proprieties of the hebrew tongue in the old testament , and of the greek in the new : and if this had not been observed by the apostles in their preaching , how could they have been understood by men of so many different languages , as we find they spake to acts . seeing every language has its peculiar phrases and proprieties of speech ? therefore god's complying with those national customs of speech then , is a rule to us to do the like now ; otherwise a man would be a barbarian to those he converses with . now the word of god is never so much abused , as when the phrases of it are plausibly used , while the sense of it is p●…rverted and applyed to evil purposes , to maintain schism , faction and the like ; and this we call canting ; an instance hereof we have in corah and his company , who even in an act of rebellion could cry ; the congregation is holy , and the lord is among them ; their sin being much aggravated , by their gainsaying authority in holy language . par. yet , says he , we know there is a form of words , and we desire to keep to it . ibid. min. here is one instance ( among many in his book ) of this quaker's canting , in his demure and impertinent bringing in a scripture phrase , nothing at all belonging to the subject in hand , but quite to another matter . however one thing i like well , that sound words in the opinion of a quaker may be contained in a form . but if he allude to that form of sound words , which st. paul gave to timothy ; that , you must know , was no such thing as a gang of phrases , but a creed or short summary of christian religion , by the use of which he might be enabled to withstand the opposition of growing heresies . and therefore to bring in this to the subject in hand , to make the sense of these words to imply a grammar or dictionary to direct the conscience in the use of words and phrases ( as his brethren no doubt do understand him ) is a thing which sure he , upon more serious thoughts , will be unwilling to defend , and therefore he had done faithfully to have interpreted his meaning . if by sound words he mean an entire and plain confession of faith , or a summary of those things that are necessary to be believed unto salvation , i know no such thing subscribed by the body of them ; for that would fix them to something , when indeed they are yet fix'd to nothing . this miserable defect is far remote from the uprightness and ingenuity of the apostles , in giving their hearers an account of their fundamental principles in a * short form , to let men see to the bottom of their religion . t is true indeed , some quakers have pretended to set down in their books the heads of their belief . but then , . no man knows whether the rest will subscribe to them , while they have been so different from one another even in fundamental points . . that croud of scripture texts which they quote , has been generally so erroneously misinterpreted and misapplied by them , that even where they write little else but scripture words , we have reason to suspect their meaning . therefore when you were so inclined to quakerism , would you have turn'd to you knew not what ? to a dangerous religion you cannot see to the bottom of ? what kind of religion is this of the quakers , whereof their leaders either can not , or dare not give any entire and intelligible account ? do not these teachers use this as a piece of craft to reserve to themselves a liberty to preach what doctrine , yea what heresy they please ? i pray god draw their followers out of their snares , and grant all unstable people grace and discretion to keep off from them and their meetings . as for that which we and the universal church of christ embrace under the name of the apostles creed , as the mark and badge of a christian , the quakers tenents are such as give us little reason to think they will own it ; while some have held one heresy , some another ; some have denied the holy trinity , some have pretended equality with god : one of the heads of 'em pretended to be the messiah ; another of their cheif men affirmed himself to be the judge of the world , and to see mens hearts ; and has been by some of his party call'd the son of god : others have affirmed , that christ in the flesh , and all he did and suffer'd was but a figure , and nothing but an example ; others , if not most of them , think they have no need of outward teaching , by reading , and hearing the holy scriptures read and applied ; and that the holy scriptures are not the word of god ; that there is no mediate call to the ministry , &c. so far are they degenerate from the christian faith. * now what fault finds t. e. with us for saying [ you ] to a single person ? par. i do not see that he blames you for putting the singular and plural number together , as unlawful in it self ; but for the pride and flattery , which , he says , first put inferiors upon paying a plural respect to the single person of every superior , and superiors upon receiving and at last requiring it . ibid. and which are still cherished thereby . p. , . min. as for the pride and flattery he speaks of , you must consider , that the best actions are liable to such imputations ; even almes-deeds , fasting and prayer in the pharisees proceeded from vain-glory ; but then did their pride lessen the value of those good actions in others , who constantly perform'd them ? or make alms-deeds , fasting and prayer unlawful ? and is it unlawful for an honest man to use an innocent expression of respect , because ill men may abuse it to pride and flattery ? i hope he will not say that those , whom he owns for godly martyrs , used it from such evil principles . but whether , think you , is there more pride in our useing it as a testimony of respect , or their sawcy denying it to superiors , even to the king himself , in an affectation of singularity , and in opposition to a lawful custom ? par. truly i know not how to clear them , but t. e. tells us , that in the best times , and with the best men [ thou ] and [ thee ] were inoffensive language . ibid. min. it was custom that made them so : but what were those times and men which he calls the best ? par. those under the common-wealth of rome , before it was turn'd into an empire . p. . min. what ? those the best times , and best men , in the very height of paganism and idolatry ? did our common-wealths-man here remember , that christ was born and lived under the roman empire , and paid obedience to it ? or did he consider that afterwards many of the emperors themselves proved zealous patrons of christianity ? yet did neither alter their dialect , nor the imperial government , as inconsistent with the christian religion . par. i doubt he was a little inconsiderate here ; but he says that [ you ] to a single person ( with other titles , &c. ) seems to have its rise with the roman empire . ibid. min. suppose it had , what is it the worse for that ? but how do's he prove it ? par. from symmachus his epistles to the emperors theodosius and valentinian , wherein his style unto them is vestra aeternitas . ibid. min. had those epistles been written to iulius caesar the first roman emperor , there had been some tolerable sense in his inference ; but is it not strange , that this instance of [ vestra , y●…ur ] in the epistles to theodosius and valentinian should make the custom seem to have its rise with the roman empire , when these epistles were not written till near four hundred years after the empire was begun ? has not our wise quaker here shot very wide of the mark ? besides , those epistles , by his own confession , were written to two persons , theodosius and valentinian : and that they were written to them both together , appears in st. ambrose's answer to them ; with what sense then could he say [ thou ] or [ thine ] to two together ? so that t. e. brings an instance here to prove no●…hing , but himself ridiculous ; for i thought he had disapproved only our saying [ you ] to one , not our saying [ you ] to two , unless he could twist them both into one : he says , that by a figure i make one man two . p. . now let me ask , by what figure he makes two men one ? but had he made search , he might have found , that it was customary to use one number for another long before the empire began . the ishmaelitish princes usually spake of themselves in the plural number . * nay among the romans themselves , this custom was of a much ancienter date than their empire : for terence , who lived years before it began , has this expression , profecto nescio quid absente nobis turbatum est domi , * that is , truly i know not what disturbance there has been at home in our absence : phoedria speaks there of himself in the plural number : this was used by cicero very frequently both in his orations , epistles and his books of offices , as i could give variety of instances , if it were doubted by any : * now cicero dyed , when the empire was scarce begun . par. but he complains of hard usage ; and says , how often have many been abused and beaten for this harmless word , &c. ibid. min. i know not what usage they have met withal for their incivility and rudeness to authority , and for the contempt of laws ; but that any have been beaten for the use of the word [ thou ] is what i never heard of : however i observe , that ellwood all along makes it his business and study , to promote schism and mischief , by exasperating his party , and heightning their prejudices against us and the truth , by all the idle calumnies he can invent . par. but he goes on ; what spirit is that which thus rageth ? is it the humble , meek gentle spirit of iesus , or the haughty , proud , exalted spirit of lucifer ? ibid. min. what spirit ( think you ) is that , which is so far from being inoffensive ( as the christian spirit is ) that it disturbs and disquiets neighbourhoods and societies in matters purely indifferent , and wherein the stress of religion do's not lye ? i acknowledge that the spirit of jesus is an humble and obliging spirit , and should be most truly glad to see the quakers conform to it . for our blessed lord complyed with all the innocent customs of the people among whom he lived . did they stand in the synagogues when the scriptures were read ? christ did so too : did they sit when they preached ? he did the same : did they eat bread and wine after the paschal lamb ? christ did so too ; though god never commanded it : did the jews observe the feast of dedication , a feast of their own institution ? christ did so too : did they lye upon beds when they ate the passover ? ( tho' by the original institution it was to be eaten standing ) christ conforms to the custom , and did so too : nay he accommodated the two great sacraments of his church to their customs ; and that prayer which he taught his disciples , was for the most part of it compiled out of the jewish liturgies . so that we have all the reason to conclude , that if he had lived among us , he would have suited himself to the present innocent customs both in speech and behaviour : for he used both the jewish language and their phrases ; he used both the hebraisms and hellenisms of those times . he deliver'd his parables in positive assertions ; a thing more exceptionable than [ you ] to a single person . so unwilling was he to quarrel with innocent customs , or to make innovations , where necessity did not compel him . all which shew that the son of god was far from a spirit of crossness and contradiction , and from all principles of schism and faction . par. you must give me leave here to put in a question of my own ; if christ taught sitting , and instituted one of his sacraments sitting , why do not you imitate our saviour's posture in the performance of those services ? min. you must know that sitting when he taught , and when he instituted and administred the holy eucharist , was not one and the same posture ; for when he taught he * sat in a chair , as the jewish doctors used to do ; but his posture at the sacrament was * leaning or lying along on one side ; in which posture , though he being the lord himself , did in his state of humiliation , eat his last supper with his disciples , and gave them the freedom to do the like ; yet that being contrary to our national custom , and christ being now glorified , this posture of leaning or lying along would be very irreverent among us , in the celebration of that b. sacrament , the great pledge of his love , and memorial of his death . but one thing i will take the boldness to affirm , that we conform more to our saviour's example in doing as we do , then if we performed those services in christs own posture . par. this is strange ! min. it will not be so strange to you , if you well weigh and consider this truth ; that conformity to our saviour consists not in doing the same natural actions which he did , but in following the same moral rule , by which he did those actions : now his rule was to conform to all present constitutions and customs in themselves indifferent ; and this in order to the promoting of love and peace : the rule of charity was his constant and general rule in all his actions ; particularly in this last instance , our saviour did not institute a posture , but only express a compliance with a jewish custom : he therefore that for peace and love conforms to all present lawful customs and constitutions ( though far different from the same natural actions our saviour did ) most truly conforms both to the example , and the meek and gentle spirit of jesus . par. you may remember , that when i produced this argument from the quakers , viz. that god thou'd adam , and adam thou'd god ; you stopt my mouth by asking , whether the discourse was in english ? and by saying that if the translators had put [ you ] instead of [ thou ; ] this shadow of an objection had disappear'd . he says it should have been [ not appeared ; ] but this remark i pass by as inconsiderable , and nothing against your cause : only he has this to say against the answer you gave me , that the hebrew is not defective of numbers , but hath the singular and the plural as distinct as the english ; if therefore the translators had used [ you ] for [ thou ] instead of one objection there would have been two . p. . min. he needed not to have so gravely told us , that the hebrew is not defective of numbers ; for who knoweth not , that no language can be without them ? but by this rabbi's good leave , neither is the hebrew defective of figures , especially one common both to latin , greek , and hebrew , called enallage numeri ; by which is justified the use of the plural number , when the signification is singular ; * of which i could produce abundance of instances out of the holy scriptures ; take these few ; iud. . . he was buried in one of the cities of iudah : the hebrew text in the latin version is rendred word for word sepultus civitatibus , &c. buried in the cities . so gen. . . they hid themselves among the trees , &c. according to the hebrew it should be [ tree ] in the singular number ; hereupon menochius notes , arbor ponitur pro [ arbores ] per enallagen numeri . josh. . . he is an holy god , &c. where [ holy ] ( in the original ) is in the plural , and [ god ] in the singular number ; for it is not unusual for adjectives and verbs in the hebrew to be joyn'd with substantives in the plural number . pray consult iob . . where you will find bildad speaking thus to iob , how long will it be ere you make an end of words ? and daniel speaks thus ( dan. . . ) this is the dream and we will tell the interpretation thereof : so that you see in these instances ( long enough before the roman empire i wot ) that both a good man was spoken to , and a good man spake of himself in the plural number : holy daniel of himself says [ we ; ] and upright iob receives the title [ you ] when he was far from being an object of flattery , and bildad a miserable comforter driving on a quite contrary extreme . nay god almighty speaks of himself in the plural number . as gen. . . let us make man , and in our image ; and so gen. . . and . . isa . . and the first time that god is named in scripture , he is , in the original , exprest in the plural number , gen. . . par. those instances in iob and daniel i never observ'd before , and must confess they are very convincing : but as to gen. . , &c. i have often heard that the plural number there represents the three persons in the blessed trinity . min. this is an answer that perhaps ellwood will not thank you for , because the quakers ( at least many of them ) deny the doctrine of the blessed trinity ; to such a pitch of blasphemy and herefie are they already arrived : however these scriptures will bring the quakers into this dilemma ; either to acknowledge the doctrine of the blessed trinity , or else to confess , from the example of god himself , that it 's neither unlawful nor improper , to speak of a single person in the plural number : if so , then is it as lawful to speak to a single person in the same number ; for if god say [ we ] and [ us ] of himself , it would not have been improper to say [ you ] to him , seeing one is but the relative of the other . therefore though we should suppose [ you ] to be only plural , this way of useing it would be sufficiently justified by the instances already given : yet after all this , you are to consider , that while [ thou ] is singular , [ ye ] plural , custom ( the only law-giver in these cases ) has so far prevail'd , that [ you ] is become either singular or plural , as some pronouns * are in the hebrew . therefore the translators might ( if they had pleas'd ) have warrantably used it instead of [ thou . ] par. but t. e. likes not that your discourse should lean so much upon custom . min. of this i said sufficiently in the conference ; but let me ask you further ; is there any one general rule of speech appointed by god ? or is it arbitrary , in the choice of men in each particular society ? par. i never heard that any one dialect was ever commanded by god ; for if so , he would not have divided it , as we read he did gen. . therefore i suppose it is arbitrary according to the consent of each society . min. custom then being the expression of that consent , must be the standard of speech in every society . and in this case the world will subscribe to the determination of horace . multa renascentur quae jam cecidere , cadentque quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula , si volet usus ; quem penes arbitrium est , & jus & norma loquen - ( di . much phrase that now is dead , shall be reviv'd , and much shall dye , that now is nobly liv'd , if custom please ; at whose disposing will the power , and rule of speaking resteth still . words may be compared to coin , which is worth just so much as it goes for . yea , they may by custom be turn'd into a quite contrary signification to that which formerly they had . as for example ; tyrannus a tyrant formerly signified the best , now the worst of princes . magus did in ancient times signifie a wise man , now a magitian . and though [ kn●…ve ] denotes now a dishonest person , yet it did formerly signifie no more than a servant . ellwood confesses that he lived in the country when he wrote his book : now if custom do's not alter words , and is not the rule of speech ; why should he take it ill , if i say he was a villan * ? seeing the word , till custom fixt an evil signification to it , meant no more than an inhahitant of the country , or one that dwelt in a village . and if the apostle plead custom in the use of garments and habits , in being cover'd in the assemblies , or uncover'd : surely it 's as good a plea in the use of words and phrases . now whereas controversies about indifferent things can never be determin'd by any reason drawn from the nature of them ; and the peace of the church notwithstanding requires their determination one way or other ; the apostle in the controversie aforesaid betakes himself to custom as his last refuge , ver . . if any man seem to be contentious , we have no such custom , neither the churches of god : the reason is be cause men may dispute about indifferent things to the worlds end , and yet be no nearer peace private persons therefore in things of this nature , must be over-ruled by the custom of the church . par. there 's one thing that i wonder at in him , that he should say , you confess that in religious offices [ thou ] is the fittest word to be used . ibid. min. i suppose he has taken this upon trust , as he has done his authors : for you may remember that my words were these , it 's only in civil matters that we say [ you ] to a single person ; but in religious offices , we say [ thou ] to the greatest personages upon earth * : yet from this very passage , has this quaker the confidence to infer , that if it be high enough for god and spiritual affairs , i see not how it should be too low for man and temporal affairs . p. . did i either say , or did my words imply , that it was too low for man , when i said that in religious offices we use it to the greatest personages upon earth ? is this an honest way of answering books , by making a false quotation , in order to a false inference ? as for the different use of it in temporal and spiritual affairs , that is a thing in it self wholly indifferent , as i gave you sufficient account in the conference , which he no where denies , but takes it for granted , and therefore is the more schismatical in contending . par. but he leaves it at last to the consideration of every uuprejudic't reader whether that dialect which god is pleased to accept , that wherein he has been pleased to deliver himself , that which all the holy prophets , our blessed saviour , his apostles , and all good men in the best times , is not fitter for a christian ' now to use , than that which depends only upon a custom sprung up out of the putrefaction of corrupi times ? p. . min. by these last words of his , he has spoiled quakerism , which we may impeach as sprung up out of the putrefaction of corrupter times , than those-he mentions : in the midst of wars and figtings ( as a quaker confesses * ) when the throne was usurped , when religion and property were invaded in the heat of our civil broils and distractions , up starts the quaker . as for the dialect he contends for ; you must know , that god did not accept of it for its own goodness as better than any other , but so that he would have accepted another as well as it ; and when himself and the best men used it , they did it in compliance to the customs of speech at that time . yet the dialect at some times varied ( as has been proved ) and yet was no less accepted of by god ; to shew , that he design'd not to bind the conscience to any particular form of speech . but will he not ( think you ) allow the primitive christians to be as good men , as the heathen romans before their empire ? of those ancient christians , who lived under the empire ( at which time ellwood confesses [ you ] to a single person was used ) iustin martyr , who lived in the time of antonius the emperor , gives this account ; the christians ( says be ) are not distinguished from others by their country , speech nor any peculiar customs : they inhabit not cities appropriate to them alone , nor do they use a dialect differing from other men , nor is their manner of living unlike to other men ; they follow the customs of their country in clothes , dyet and other things , * &c. this shews that the primitive christians were nothing like our quakers , in the singularity of garb , tone , phrases and behaviour , wherein they affect to be unlike other men , even in the most innocent customs . i wish they would imitate these primitive christians , and follow that good old rule , vivere moribus antiquis , loqui verbis praesentibus , to live after the ancient manners , but to speak after the present dialect . chap. iii. of titles and civil respects . par. in t. e's . third chapter of titles and civil respects , he briskly charges you with dealing injuriously and dishonestly with the quakers , and moreover adds , that we have befool'd our selves . p. , , . min. this quaker is a right conformist to the humour of his party , and a true practicant here of this uncivil tenent of theirs , against civil respects . his first work is to render me suspected and ridiculous , that mens ill opinions of me may give advantage to his feeble reasonings : but i am willing to put my self upon my trial ; how do's he make good his charge ? par. whereas i told you in the conference , that possibly i had been faulty in suffering my servant to call me master ; he accuses you for inferring ; that the quakers have brought this tenent of theirs [ against the civil title of master , founded on mat. . . ] to this strange result , that a child must honour his father , but not call him father ; that a servant must obey his master , but not call him master ; which tenent ( he says ) is your own , not theirs , as their writings & practices sufficiently evidence . p. . min. i made not the interence from your words immediately , but from the quakers way of alledging that text , utterly beside the scope and intention of it ; for the words just before my interence were these , in the same notion that we are forbidden to call [ master , ] we are likewise forbidden to call [ father . ] and seeing that that text and the next before it forbidding to call father and master , concern not temporal but such spiritual titles only , as imply a mastership and dominion over the conscience ; it follows , that while the quakers extend the text from spiritual to temporal titles ( as they have done all along ) they make even that of a natural father to be equally forbidden by it , that being but a temporal title no more than any other . so that the practice of those quakers , who receive of their children the title of father , evidently contradicts the result of the quakers tenent against civil titles , as it is founded on the said text. and whereas he tells his reader , that this is contrary to their universal practice , and a foppery fasten'd on them . p. . you shall hear what one iohn toldervy says as to this point , having been desirous to draw coll. webb ( his master ) to quakerism ; he , after his return from his errors , gives this following relation , i took him by the arm and bad him sit down william web , not bowing , not pulling off the hat , not master , for then i denyed that title to him , though related to him a servant , as afterwards i denyed all relations , from the words of one , he that liveth in the light will see no difference . which shews that it was not his private opinion only . par. his other instance of dishonesty , wherewith he chargeth you , is this ; that in our discourse we should fasten on the quakers the absurdity of applying that place in luk. . . [ salute no man by the way ] to themselves in a literal sense : ibid. min. surely he will not deny that it has been a known custom among the quakers , to pass by their neighbours unsaluted . besides 't is well known , that when we used to bid them good morrow , good speed and the like ; they frequently reproved such salutations in the words of this text. might not the quaker with equal modesty deny , that ever his brethren used to quake and foam , as deny a thing so generally known as this is ? have the quakers forgot , that iames naylor ( before whom they sung their blasphemous hosanna's ) thus applied this text ; that he did so , appears by a * book called the perfect pharisee , subscribed by five ministers of newcastle . now if some , or many of the quakers be laughed out of this absurdity , must my honesty be taxed , because they vary from themselves and one another ? but would it not ( think you ) have been more honest in him and ingenious to have said , truly it was our former practice so to apply that text , but since we saw the folly and weakness of it , and that spirit we trusted to did deceive us , we have left it off . i pray god they may henceforth learn to suspect that delusive spirit which they have trusted so long , and leave off the rest of their errors , not only for the ridiculousness of them , but for conscience sake . but here i must desire the quakers to take notice that salutation ( which is an outward and civil respect ) is by this quaker implicitly granted to be lawful and commendable ; while he insinuates the denying it to be an absurdity , p. . and while he passes by the reasons and † quotations i gave to prove it . therefore he has done very ill , while his conscience convinc'd him of the duty of civil respects , to write so rudely against them , as he has done in this chapter : but now let me hear wherein we have befool'd our selves . par. because i professed my sincere and cordial respects to you at our first meeting ; he thinks that by my objecting against civil respects afterwards , i contradicted my self , and that the decorum was ill observed there ; was this ( says he ) a fit person to represent the whole body of the quakers , and dispute against respecting persons ? nay do's it not look like a design laid to mis-state our principles and misrepresent us to the world ? p. . min. indeed he seems here wonderfully transported with his own conceit : but that he may not hurt himself with too much mirth , let us consider the case : pray , what were the respects you professed unto me ? answer for your self . par. my inward respects : and therefore i called them sincere and cordial . min. were those the respects which afterwards you objected against ? par. no ; i was not such a brute , for inward respects are nothing but love , which is the fulfilling of the law ; but it was outward respects and titles only i then scrupled at . min. i believe you : for any man of common sense may easily see this distinction in the conference ; for in my reply , i told you that i accepted the expressions of your affection . if your controversie had been against the same respects which before you had so heartily professed , this indeed had been some indecorum ; but seeing it was against a different thing , i doubt the quaker has brought the indecorum upon himself , and in the result a great deal of shame too , both on himself and his whole party ; for while he inveighs thus against all respects , without distinction , and against your unfitness to represent the body of the quakers upon this very account : from hence it plainly follows , that to represent the quakers bearing any sincere and cordial respects to their neighbours is a grand indecorum , a design laid to mistake their principles , a misrepresenting them , yea the whole body of them to the world. so that i see , a man had need be cautious , how he represents a quaker , either as good natur'd , kind , or affectionate ; for if he do , beware he meets not with my fate , to be call'd a fool for his pains . par. i doubt it 's the quaker that has here besool'd himself ; yet do not you take notice of that heavenly expression of his after it ? but our confidence is in the lord our god , whose truth we are engaged to defend . ibid. min. here you have more of his canting , that old art of deceiving , which has ensnared so many weak people , and brought true religion into suspition and contempt : is it not strange that after so injurious and ridiculous a passage , he should have the impudence to pretend confidence in the lord , &c. and go to him to patronize his folly and dishonesty ? i mention not this to discourage any true seriousness among christians ( i wish there were more of it ) but to convince you , that all is not gold that glisters . par. i must confess i have been apt to be carried away with fine words and pretences , but could never suspect so much deceit and delusion in them as you have discover'd to me : but i hope this will be a fair warning to me to take heed hereafter whom i trust . but as for that exposition you gave me of saint iames chap. . , , , . as not accusing civil respects , but such only as violated justice in their publick consistories , he dislikes as not being the apostles drift . p. . min. first observe here that t. e. overcome by truth hath wittingly pass'd by acts . . [ god is no respecter of persons ] as nothing to his purpose , though all along objected by the quakers against civil respects ; and he says nothing against the account i gave you of the words : i wish the quakers by these and other instances may at length discover that spirit of error , they have been so long led by to pervert the scriptures . now as for that exposition i gave you from dr. hammond of that passage in saint iames , it is sufficiently defensible against the cavils of this confident quaker : i need not now trouble you nor my self with a recital of all the reasons he gives for that interpretation , but refer you to the annotations themselves : only i shall ad two or three instances more of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assembly , in the text , being used for a court of judicature , . mac. . . hist. susan . v. . luk . . when they bring you unto synagougues , and unto magistrates and powers , &c. acts . . — they know that i imprisoned , and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee . moreover in the following verses the apostle interprets his own meaning , and chiefly v. . where 't is clear , that by respecting of persons he means only corruption and partiality in judgment ; are ye not ( says he ) partial in your selves , and become judges of evil thoughts ? this is agreeable to the law lev. . . deut. . . thou shalt not have respect of persons in judgment ; and it is to the law that saint iames refers expresly v. . but if ye have respect to persons , ye commit sin , and are convinced of the law as transgressors ; making this no new prohibition , but only a recital of an old one . if then civil respects were not forbidden by any precedent law , neither are they forbidden here : but by the law they are so far from being forbidden , that they are enjoyn'd as a duty , and practised by the best of men ; of which i gave you several instances in the conference , which t. e. unfairly passes by . take these over and above , lev. . . lam. . . deut. . . kings . . but what reasons do's t. e. give of h●…s dislike of that exposition i gave of iam. . , , , ? par. because the epistle of saint iames was written to the dispersed believing jews , thereupon he bids his . reader consider what consistories or courts of iudicature those poor scatter'd believers could then have . p. . min. that they had such places in the gentile cities may be confirmed from * epiphanius and * ensebius ; and there were jews at this time in all the eminent cities of the roman empire , who had officers and judges of their own , and by the † rescripts of augustus , they were allowed to use their own laws and customs ; all which priviledges they retained till their rebellion against the romans , but afterwards they were restored by the emperors arcadius and honorius . par. but were not those the unbelieving jews ? min. let it be consider'd that the primitive christians were by the romans long esteemed a sect of the jews , and so they had a share in all the priviledges of that people ; nor were the forreign jews so malicious against the christians , as those in and about ierusalem , acts . . and . , . so that the believing jews might have justice administred in those courts belonging to their nation , or else might have private consistories among themselves , which we may believe they would rather chuse , because st. paul had forbid them to go to law before the unbelievers , and advised them to end their questions among themselves , cor. . , , . so that it is the quakrs old disease of ignorance which makes him wonder , how they should have any courts of iudicature in their dispersion . par. to that law you mention'd of both parties sitting or standing to avoid partiality , &c. t. e. answers , whence had they it ? if given them by god , we should have found it among those laws which they received from him ; if it was not from god , but an invention and tradition of their own , it 's altogether improbable that the apostle of iesus christ would have reference thereunto . p. . min. what thinks he of the feasts of purim , and that other of dedication , which our saviour countenanc'd by his presence iob. . ? these were no institutions immediately received from god , but of the jews own making . pliny tells us of a vain painter , who being to draw a goddess , made it exactly like his own mistress ; such is the fansie of this quaker , who being about to describe jesus and his apostles , thinks they are altogether such as himself ; and since their practice is unknown to him , he fancies they were as much for innovation and novelty as himself : and hence it is that he is for throwing away all laws and traditions . christ and his apostles were not so ; they were not for throwing away any traditions , that promoted either piety or morality ; and none but one of t. e.'s . capacity will question it . our lord would not suffer a vessel to be carried through the temple ( to teach us reverence to the place of god's worship ) which was an antient tradition , and is recorded in the talmud . * so likewise saint paul orders the christians to receive their meat with thanksgiving ; which custom has been religiously observed by the ancient christians . † which i note the rather , because the quakers so brutishly neglect this piece of universal religion . again this very apostle iames , ch . . . commands the christians to say , if the lord will , we will do this or that : which is known to be a tradition of the old rabbins , recorded also by ben. syra . why then may not st. iames as probably relate to this custom , which is founded upon so much equity , and which is but an instance of that divine precept , deut. . . in the rabbinical way of illustration ? this seditious passage of his would set christianity at odds with all the civil sanctions in the world , and make it indeed inconsistent with all government , because every magistrate do's not receive his laws immediately from god. par. if this law ( says he ) was but a sanction of their own , the iews were so superstitiously zealous for the traditions of their forefathers , that it 's no way likely that they would so positively violate a law of their making . ibid. and he goes on to tell us , that this was a thing they were seldom guilty of , for they too often preferred their own traditions even to the law of god. p. . min. what his fideles iudaei , his poor scatter'd believers , who , as he had just immediately before said , were then coming off not only from the traditions of their elders , but even from the whole iewish polity ? i assure you he wrongs them as much as he contradicts himself . par. you told me that if st. iames had forbidden civil respects , he had contradicted what our lord plainly alloweth in luk. . , , . when thou art bidden of any man to a wedding , sit not down in the highest room , lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him , &c. now for the understanding this scripture , t. e. tells us , that it must be considered in what time , and to whom those words were spoken . for the time , it was under the law , before the one offering was actually offer'd up . that was an outward state , the people of god was then an outward national people , their religion and worship was much outward and shadowy , their wars were outward , their ornaments were outward , their honours and respects to one another were outward . and in this state many things were indulged to the iews , many things permitted & connived at , partly because of the hardness of their hearts , and partly by reason of their weakness . but this state was to last but till the time of reformation ; and when the time of reformation was fully come , these things grew out of use , &c. p. , . min. was christ's time then no time of reformation ? what though the levitical priesthood , it's rites and sacrifices , being types of the sacrifice of christ , were to continue till they were fulfilled in their antitype , and then to expire of themselves ; though that d●…spensation was in this respect reformed after ; do's this prove that whatsoever in reference to the moral law , or to good manners , he found less perfect , he might not , or did not in his own person reform before his offering up ? do's this prove that christ was no reformer ? what though the reformation was not so general till the more plentiful effusion of the spirit , do's this prove it was not actually begun , and set on foot , before christ's death , both by his doctrine , and visible effects of it , upon both jews and gentiles mark . . mat. . . and . , . and . ? were all christ's sermons , the calling of the twelve apostles , and the seventy disciples , and sending them forth to preach , his healing of mens bodies and souls together , was all this no method of reformation ? he disproved the corrupt traditions of the elders , whereby they made void the commandments of god , he reformed the imperfection of moses's law in the case of divorces , and reduced marriage to its primitive institution , mat. . denounced eight woes together against the scribes and pharisees , he asserted and cleared the moral law ( in his sermon on the mount ) from the false glosses the jewish doctors had put upon it ; and advanced the law of nature ( whereof the moral , law is the transcript ) to the highest pitch ; and was not all this sufficient to make christ a reformer ? he is our sole lawgiver ; and what the apostles taught after his offering up , was his own law , which himself had deliver'd before his death , and which the spirit was promised to bring into their remembrance . if therefore civil respects were so vain and evil a custom as t. e. makes them . p. . is it likely that so severe a reformer should not only connive at them , but expresly allow them , as he does luke . ? as ellwood implicitly grants he did , not denying it , but using an absurd and an odd circuit of words to shuffle it off . though therefore the pharisees ambition and affectation of the chief seats was rebuked by our saviour ; yet it is evident the distinction of persons and places , and such good manners as are founded thereon , were none of those things which he disliked , or design'd ever to remove . what though the state of the church in the time of the law was in a great measure outward , and the legal ceremonies of the levitical priesthood upon christ's death expired ? what though a more inward and spiritual worship * was enjoyn'd under the gospel , and the spirit of god to that end poured out more plentifully than ever ? did this prove that to christians all outward things are vanisht , and such things as no way belonged to that priesthood ? are their bodies vanisht too ? what then will become of that injunction , glarific god in your body — cor. . . are we now devested of all outward capacities and concernments ? untill he can prove this , he must allow christians such outward customs and usages , as are agreeable to this present state ; such ( among the rest ) are civil respects , being sutable to that distinction , which providence and the state of this world have made of persons and places , in the various relations which we find in all civil societies : he that is an enemy to this distinction , is an enemy to all government , which cannot subsist without it ; for we must distinguish between rulers and subjects , governors and governed , both in common wealths and private families . what madness then is it to think , that christ meant to take away civil respects and good manners , things that are so necessary to uphold this distinction & essential to it , as the due acknowledgment and proper expressions of it ? therefore he abolish'd not those decentcustoms of them , which are upon record in the old testament , or any where else ; but all quotations out of the old testament to this purpose must needs be still in force . par. you have thus far given me very good satisfaction in this point ; & if you have any thing further to add to it , i pray go on to clear it , not only to me , but to all others who do ignorantly scruple it , as i have done . min. the great duty of a christian is universal friendship , but as friendship is amicitia parium a●…t imparium , of equals or unequals ; so the signification of that friendship requires different expressions ; since the state of the world , and the constitution of societies necessarily infers a distribution of persons into several ranks higher and lower ; the foundations of which distribution are these following , first , difference of age calls for different behaviour , lev. . . thou shalt rise before the hoary head , and honour the face of the old man. the face of the old man here is the gavity of his person : so that respect to mens persons is not always evil , but oft times a duty . see also tim. . . intrea●…an old man as a father . secondly , difference of sex , cor. . , , . and the ordinance of marriage makes man the head of the wife , and requires expressions of subjection from the woman to the man , as t. e. himself acknowledges in the example of sarah obeying abraham , and calling him lord. thirdly , all domestick and civil relations , implying superiority and inferiority , as not only husband and wife , but parents and children , masters and servants , all which t. e. acknowledges : why not then between magistrates and subjects ? seeing magistrates are fathers of their country , and every ruler is properly a master ; for christ himself calls nicodemus a master of israel , iob. . . fourthly , different occupations and employments , some being honourable and others mean , make one rankof menhigher than another . exod. . . iud. . . acts . . where you have mention of the baser sort . fifthly , by reason of the necessity of publick offices for civil governmenment , some men must needs be publick , some private persons ; publick persons must have an eminency above private ; and kings in scripture are lookt upon as sacred ; and the jewish rulers and judges frequently styled gods , exod. . . ps. . . io. . . which is a much higher title of respect , than any we give in our addresses to them ; therefore it was boldly done of t. e. to quarrel at the title of m●…st sacred majesty , and dread sovereign , as he do's p. . seeing all these are essential to the title of king , which the quakers own , and are willing to give him . pray read these places , ps. . . chr. . . dan. . , . sixthly , nearness to , or distance from such as are eminent persons , thus they that are near the kings person gain an eminence by it . est. . . ier. . . and so the civil law looketh upon men as more eminent , as they are nearer the emperor : and we do find abundance of these reckon'd up in scripture , dan. . . and many other places . and the scripture speaks of different ranks of nobility , and freely gives them their usual titles without any scruple . thus we read of princes , gen. . . and sam. . , &c. of dukes , exod. . . ios. . . gen. . , &c. of lords dan. . , . ezr. . . neh. . . and in the new testament , mark . . where 't is said , that herod made a supper to his lords , &c. note here , that st. mark writes not like a quaker ; he do's not say , he made a supper to his lords , as they call them ; nor like ellwood , who is so demure , that forsooth he dare not name titles and civil respects without this same reserve [ as they are called . † seventhly , by civil vertues and great exploits men justly gain an eminency and renown , and become famous . see ruth . , . num. . . and . . chron. . . and . . ezek. . . eighthly , when persons have larger priviledges and immunities granted to them in the commonwealth , they gain an eminency by them : thus noblemen are constituted by that the lawyers call dominium nobilium , whereby they have jus praecedentiae , a right of precedency ; and locus potior decernendi ; and other things of like nature ; therefore they have ornaments allotted to them , which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and titles to adorn them , whih are no other than certain marks of their civil valuation . for it is past dispute , that as some men are of much more value to the publick than others ( viz. able commanders , iudges , &c. ) so publick governors have power to determine the rates both of men and things , and to signifie the value they set upon one man above another by giving him a higher place and a title . ninthly , these priviledges being propagated to posterity and made hereditary ( for patrum conditionem liberi sequuntur , as the law speaks ) make different families in respect of superiority and inferiority ; these advancements descending to their children , being encouragements to civil vertues , and great actions ; and 't is hard to conceive how these things can be otherwise in this world , without † danger to that order which is necessary to the subsistence of each civil society . these things and the like must necessarily distinguish persons into several ranks and classes , as servius tullius distributed the roman citizens ; and this the scripture freely acknowledges , for we read also of nobles exod. . . ier. . . and the sons of nobles eccl. . . the title of honourable isa. . , . mar. . . acts . . and . . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by which the scriptures express men of worth , was used by the greeks as a title to salute a gentleman . for seeing there are different ranks of men downwards from the king to the peasant , therefore as you see it is agreeable to holy scripture ; so all sober men will acknowledge it is agreeable to reason also , to give to each rank such distinct titles as are proper to express that difference . and with what reverence and outward civil respects the primitive christians behaved themselves to their governors , may be seen in iustin martyr apol. . and what is any where said , that true piety is the fountain of honour or the like , is meant in a religious sense , and concerns the inward man , and is not at all intended to exclude those civil distinctions among men , in reference to their outward capacities ; to suppose otherwise were very ridiculous . par. the case is still clearer to me , and you have made t. e's . way of reasoning appear sufficiently absur'd . min. i shall make it more apparent before i have done , by giving you a list both of his absurdities . and self-contradictions contained in this one paragraph we are now upon . first absurdity , in implying that christ's death put an end to his moral documents , this of luk. . . being one . absur . that all political government is now at an end , and god's people must be now no more an outward national people . absur . in making the use of the sword unlawful , now in the time of reformation , in contradiction to rom. . . where 't is said that the magistrate bears not the sword in vain , hereby condemning two good centurions , him in mat. . , . and cornelius acts . , . who was after christ's death . by this rule neither forreign invasions , nor intestine rebellions must be opposed , nor prevented by any outward means ; but we have no reason to trust the quaker here , seeing divers of his brethren bore arms and offices in the late army , yet at the same time professed quakerism , and i can name the persons , were there occasion for it . absur . in going about to prove outward things connived at by christ , and indulged to the jews for the hardness of their hearts , by that very text in mat. . . which is an express and plain instance of his forbidding and reforming those arbitrary divorces which moses suffer'd . absur . in saying in such general terms that the state of the church in christ's time was outward , and worship outward , and in that notion afterwards to vanish ; as if after christ's death , the church were not to retain any outward state , or outward worship ; and consequently that all vocal prayers , all gestures of devotion , all outward ordinances , yea the very notion and being of the visible church must vanish together . absur . in making no difference at all between the state of the church under christ's time , and under moses's contrary to these scriptures , heb. . . and . , , . and . , — . making the doctrine of christ no gospel . ellwood's self-contradictions in this passage are these , contrad . his putting outward respects among those things , which he says were indulged by our saviour , to continue till the reformation , and yet venturing to contradict himself in the exposition he gives of mat. . . wherein he affirms that civil titles are there forbidden . contrad . his saying , outward honour went off after the death of christ , in contradiction to his own acknowledgment of the epithet ( as he will have it ) of most noble , given by st. paul to festus , who being a heathen had no christian vertue to qualifie him for it , according to the quakers principles . contrad . his putting outward respects among other things , that were to cease at the time of reformation , in contradiction to what himself had implicitly yielded concerning the lawfulness of salutation p. . which is an outward civil respect . par. but t. e. has another distinction , and bids his readers consider to whom this in luk. . . was spoken ; they were pharisees , of whom ( t. e. says ) there were several ranks and degrees , there were chief pharisees , and inferiour pharisees ; and they took place one of another , &c. nay there were seven ranks among them , as goodwin tells us , &c. p. . min. the quaker is out again ; where did he ever read of inferiour pharisees ? indeed in ver . . it 's said one of the chief pharisees , but in the greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and signifies one of the sanhedrim , as appears from luk. . . io. . . acts . . for though goodwin tells him that there were seven ranks among the pharisees , he do's not tell him , that they took place of one another by virtue of higher or lower ranks ; for there was no such matter , one rank looking on themselves to be as good as another : hence the learned scultetus saith pharisaeorum septem non classes aut ordines , sed genera fuisse liquet . and we may note by the way , that they who go about to explain scripture upon pretence of their having the spirit , do ( if they want the ordinary means , viz. learning sanctified by the spirit ) soon baffle themselves , and demonstrate they have no true spirit in them . par. but what was that to his disciples ( says he ? ) he puts them in mind of their equality . p. . min. was there ever so gross an absurdity ? as if the saviour of the world , who came to disciple all mankind , should allow that to one sort of men , and prohibit the same thing to another . but to let that pass : did ever christ establish such an equality , as to take away all superiority and subordination ? how comes then the quakers to allow that of master and servant p. . christians indeed are in reference to almighty god all equals , as to the capacity to salvation , gal. . . but i must ask your leveller here , what is this to their civil capacity ? which cannot be put off , while we are in these bodies . par. but he concludes his comment on luk. . . thus , the words of the apostle james may be understood a general prohibition of that vain custom of respecting persons upon any occasion whatsoever . ibid. min. i shewed you before how this quaker contradicts himself ; now i shall shew how the quakers contradict one another : in a certain pamphlet called a treatise of oaths , subscribed by thirteen quakers , in the name of the rest , and dedicated to the king and parliament , you will find this expression , we do with all due respects present you with our reasons , p. . now do's st. iames give a general prohibition against all respects , both inward and outward , none excepted ? why then do the quakers contradict their own tenent ? for according to t. e. the most sincere and cordial respects are unlawful , and contrary to the quakers principles ( as you have heard ) and 't is a vain and evil custom ( as he says here ) to give them upon any occasion whatsoever . why do's he rail against me and tax my honesty ? why did he not rather tell his brethren , that they did not observe their decorum ? and that they were not a fit company to represent the body of the quakers ? yea , do's not this passage look like a design laid to mistake their principles ? why do's not t. e. tell them as much ? yet he finds no fault with his brethren for that which he condemns in us ; and therefore is deeply guilty of that partial respect , which both the scripture and right reason do every where condemn . par. i cannot imagine what should hold the quakers unsatisfied in this matter , unless it be this weak scruple , that they may respect men but not the persons of men . min. is not respecting men and the persons of men all one ? can you make a difference between a man and his person ? do the quakers understand , what the word they are contending for signifies ? do's it import any more , than honour , favour and kindness ? to honour a man is to respect him ; to favour a man is to respect him ; to be kind to a man is to shew respects to him ; are these sins ? as respecting persons relates to partiality , either in dispensing of the gospel , or the distribution of justice , so far it is a great sin ; but as it relates to honour , civility , humanity , and kindness ; it 's in that case so far from being a sin , so far from being prohibited , that it is expresly enjoyn'd and commanded us , lev. . . and it was reputed a sin in israel , that they respected not the persons of the priests , and favoured not the elders , lam. . . so that we are to respect persons in one sense , as we are not to respect them in another . par. to your exposition on mat. . . t. e. i observe , agrees so far , as to say , as little learning as you are willing to allow the quakers , they are not ignorant that christ did condemn the use of the word father , as it implied an implicit faith in them to whom it was given ; and also the word master , as it denoted the chief , or head of a sect and party . p. . min. i would have you to observe also , how the quaker is come down from the conceit of his revelations so far , as at last to yield that learning may be made use of to the understanding the true sense of scripture ; which concession has taken away the force of his eighth chapter . par. but he tells us , that in that text christ condemned also the use of those titles [ father and master ] in every sense , where there is not a true relation , that is ( as he explains it ) by nature or law , which he calls a direct untruth . ibid. min. as much learning as the quaker thinks he has , it has failed him here ; seeing this sense which he has added , is neither agreeable to the occasion and scope of that text , nor is consistent with other places of scripture , wherein you will find titles without either of these sorts of relation : i mention'd some in the conference , which he unhandsomly passes by , as those of st. stephen and st. peter , giving even their persecutors the title of fathers , acts . . and . . and of our blessed saviour , who gave the title of friend to the traitor iudas , mat. . . now which of these were due either by nature or law ? did our saviour contrary to his nature speak an untruth ? or did he not rather in this passage intimate to us , that a title of civility is no untruth to whomsoever it is given , though to an enemy ? one thing let me ask you concerning st. paul , whether think you , was he a married man , or no ? par. no , the contrary appears from cor. . . min. how comes ellwood then ( who acknowledges no title due but by nature or law ) to tell us , that he exhorted his son timothy and his son titus thus and thus p. ? so that t. e. has either spoil'd st. paul's reputation , or his own comment . par. but st. paul's piety was above such a reflexion : he was their father in a holy sense , in a spiritual relation , having begotten them through the truth . min. you are in the right : but then this is no thanks to our quaker , who has excluded this of st. paul's out of the catalogue of his lawful titles . i will ask you another question concerning david , who brought in and used musical instruments in the service of god ; who , i pray , was his father ? par. why ? who , but iesse ? min. yes , i shall find another father for him in scripture ; which sure t. e. never dreamt of , viz. old iubal , for he is said to be the father of all that handle the harp or organ : gen. . . now how do's this title hold by nature or law ? could all the musicians in the world be iubal's natural sons ? i must ask you one question more ; what relation was there between abraham ( the father of the faithful ) and the rich glutton , that he should cry , father abraham , luk. . ? where was there any such relation , as ellwood talks of ? par. i know that after death there can be no relation by nature or law : but why do you fetch an instance from hell ? min. if that will not serve , i will fetch you one from heaven : abraham replied , son remember , &c. v. . par. that was a parable . min. suppose it were ; did christ use to deliver parables in such terms , as were opposit to his own commands ? par. but is it not an untruth to call them masters , and our selves their servants , who in strictness cannot challenge that relation ? min. is it an untruth to profess a duty ? are we not commanded to be subject to one another , pet. . . in honour preferring one another , rom. . . and that each esteem other better than himself , phil. . ? par. but t. e. thinks , many do not intend to do any service for those they call masters , and so 't is flattery . min. let the flattery be laid aside , not the innocent phrase , which expresses a christian duty , viz. that we be ready to serve one another in all offices of civility : by love ( saith the apostle ) serve one another ; which a superiour may do to an inferiour . par. but titles ( says he ) without relation we disown and reject , as being indeed titles of flattery , which we dare no more make use of , than that good man who said of old , job . . , . let me not , i pray you , accept any mans person , neither let me give flattering titles unto man. p. . min. i suppose he brings not this quotation out of the old testament to disprove all titles , because he acknowledges that they were then allowed and used , outward honour having not then passed off . and it 's evident the good man in iob . speaks not against all , but flattering titles only . par. you told me that st. luke dedicating his gospel to theophilus salutes him with the title of most excellent ; and though festus was a heathen , yet st. paul addresses himself to him with the title of most noble . these ( says t. e. ) are not titles , but epithets . p. . min. they are epithets of honour , and what are those but titles ? a term of honour is a title , in what part of speech soever it is exprest : what do's the quaker think of [ right worshipful , and right honourable ? ] do's not every body know these to be titles ? and yet these are as much epithets , as this of [ most noble , or most excellent . ] and then what has this wise quaker gotten by this subtle distinction ? par , be it title , be it epithet ; i observe t. e. is not well pleased with it ; for he says , that the same luke did afterwards , and to the same theophilus , dedicate his treatise of the acts of the apostles without any either title or epithet at all , but barely [ o theophilus ; ] and yet this was written after the other , in his riper years , and when he had made a further progress in the christian religion ; and none , i hope , will think so good a man went from better to worse . ibid. min. you will find in p. . of his book , how nettled he is , that i affirmed that the quakers faith is as uncertain as their teachers fansie , and that poor deluded souls do receive falshood , railing , non-sense , and blasphemy , as if they came from the spirit of god , &c. i hope you see that i have already convicted this quaker of falshood , railing , and non-sense : now i shall charge him with blasphemy also ; for st. luke was inspired with the holy ghost when he writ his gospel ; and suppose he might at other times be guilty of an idle or an evil word , and afterwards grow wiser and better ; yet the holy ghost could not , being infinitly perfect : so that in truth it 's not st. luke but the holy ghost , who is implicitly accused by this quaker , at least of weakness and non-proficiency , when he gave that title , or epithet to theophilus . st. basil says , it 's a great blasphemy to affirm that there is one idle word in the holy scriptures * i pray god , my antagonist may repent this rashness . par. as for paul's address to festus , calling him most noble ; he tells us that [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] might have been rendred most excellent . p. . min. i grant it , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both ; so that it was as much as if he had said , if it please your excellency . par. he says that st. paul had reason to use it to him , for in iustice and courteous deportment he excelled all other magistrates that paul had been brought before . ibid. min. do's he commend him for courteous deportment ? that 's civil respects ( as they a●…e called . ) but he was so far from being either civil or iust to st. paul , that ( to please the jews ) he sought to deliver him to them , by endeavouring to perswade him to go up to ierusalem to be judged among them , by their laws , to the end he might fall by their witness and verdict . acts . , , . but let us consider when , and upon what occasion he gave him this superlative title . par. that is mention'd , acts . . it was in reply to festus saying with a loud voice , paul , thou art beside thy self , much learning has made thee mad . min. i pray , do you remember , what answer a quaker lately gave to one , who urged this example of st. paul for civil titles ? par. yes , he said , perhaps noble was his christian name : but why do you remind me of this ? min. to let you see that ellwood's evasion is no less ridiculous ; for he might as well have said ( as his brother quaker did ) that noble is the christian name of an heathen , as that st. paul gave this epithet to festus for his justice and courtesie , when he call'd him mad man. however you may hence infer , that call but this quaker mad man , tell him that he is besides himself , and then for the courtesie , perhaps for the justice thereof ( even in his own sentence ) you will merit the epithet of most excellent . par. you told me that paul and barnabas said sirs , &c. acts . . the place , t. e. says , is misrenderd ' ; it ought to be men , &c. p. . min. the greek word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which ( as he says ) beza did rightly translate , viri . now let me tell our critick , that the greeks ever distinguished between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which only signifies the humane nature in common , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denotes manliness and courage . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , multi quidem homines , pauci viri . * homo ab humo , denoting mortality ; vir a viribus , denoting prowess and courage ; according to that excellent saying of seneca , non sentire mala non est hominis , non ferre non est viri . this may suffice to justisie our translators . but though it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here , yet we find that mary saluted him whom she took for the gardiner , ioh. . . by the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in beza's latine domine , in english sir or master . the like did the devout jaylor to paul and barnabas , acts . . yet did neither christ , nor the apostles , reprove them for it , being the usual civility of that age. but suppose my argument had mist the mark it aim'd at ( which it has not ; ) yet it cannot be denied to have hit another , namely , a vindication of human learning , even from my antagonist's own practice , who by the help thereof appeals from the translation to the original : i hope he will not say that he did it wholly by the spirit ; if he do , believe him not . par. i shall not be so ready hereafter to believe pretences , as i have been ; but to your other instance of saint iohn writing to the elect lady , &c. t. e. answers , who she was , and in what relation john stood to her , or how far her temporal power might extend , do's not appear . ibid. min. he is in the right , the relation he stood to her in do's not appear ; therefore a title may be given , where there is not even so much as an appearance of any relation . par. lady ( he says ) signifies no more than mistress or dame. ibid. min. mistress , dame and lady are all exprest by the latin word domina , and by the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; though in common usage they be distinguisht : but suppose it no more than mistress or dame , the quaker will gain little by the plot ; for saint iohn was her guide and instructer , and surely that great apostle stood in no relation of servitude to her , and had no temporal office under her ; if so , then you may collect from hence , that ( according to this quaker ) its lawful ( without the appearance of such relation he talks of ) to call a woman mistress , but not a man master . par. i pray you , seeing t. e. trades so much in beza , has he no note upon this place ? min. yes , having translated it domina , he adds thisingenuous note ; for ne ither do's the christian religion reject such lawful titles , as far as it is just and equal ; so that it is as if he had written to the lady of eminent dignity * par. st. iohn writing to gaius ( t. e. says ) he do's not call him rabbi or mr. gaius , but simply says , the elder to the well beloved gaius . ibid. min. i never heard that gaius was one of the rabbies , or a person of quality above the common people : if so , no wonder , st. iohn gave him no title . par. but he concludes his remarks upon st. iohn thus : if therefore the priest will have it that john gave the title of lady in complement only , let him prove it . ibid. min. by his good leave , the priest neither writ , nor thought any such thing : the priest believes that st. iohn gave the title in truth and sincerity , as answerable to her quality . but is this ingenuous of the quaker from a supposition of his own making , to put me upon proving what i never affirmed ? par. you said , sarah was commended not only for obeying abraham , but calling him lord : to this he answers , abraham had a lordship or power over her , as he was her husband ; here was government and subjection , for lord or master ( which imports the same ) was a relative title to it . p. . min. if he means , the husband hath such a despotick power over his wife , as to make her stand in the same relation to him with his servants , this will not be granted ; for the subjection of the wife is of a more ingenuous sort . indeed the jewish doctors affirmed men to have a real lordship over their concubines , because they took them without the solemnity of law ; as our quakers do their women , who yet are still in worse circumstances ; for thereby their children are incapable of inheriting their fathers estates , and themselves of having any advantage by dower or alimony . let this suffice for a caveat to women , how they adventure on quakers . as f●… his reflexions upon the government and polity of our church , with which he concludes his chapter of civil respects ; i shall in his own terms tell you , that it is an old and over-worn objection , long since baffled and confuted by the learned pens of the incomparable mr. hooker and bishop sanderson ; and of late by the author of the friendly debates , and by mr. falkner in a good book call'd libertas ecclesiastica ; to which i shall refer you for satisfaction . now i shall leave it to the consideration of all sober men , whether of these two is more christian , to add a title to a name , or an adjunct , a title to express our civility and charity , or an adjunct to express malice , revenge , and bitterness ? chap. iv. of confession . par. t. e. tells his readers , that from contending for empty titles , you come to confession of sin ; and that ( in his own opinion ) not without reason , because you defend such vain , flattering and untrue words as ( he says ) titles are . p , . min. i doubt not but the unprejudic'd reader , who has observ'd how this quaker has proved himself truly guilty of that whereof he unjustly accuses me , will judge it more reasonable for him , than me , to come to confession , if his pride would suffer him ; but he is so far from it , that he writes against it , as if he were one that needed no repentance . par. yet he owns it the duty of every humble penitent to confess his sins . p. . min. either then t. e. is no humble penitent , or neglects his duty . par. but ( he says ) the question is , whether a constant course of confession be a duty ? ibid. min. no good man ever made a question of it ; indeed those hereticks , the pelagians and donatists did : and you shall hear what answer they had from the holy fathers of the church ; confess always ( saith st. augustine ) for thou hast always matter to confess . * he is taught that he sins daily , who is commanded to pray daily for the remission of his sins , saith st. cyprian on the lords prayer , who lived years after christ. therefore thou must daily say this prayer ( saith st. ambrose ) that thou may'st daily ask pardon for thine offences ? † and that the publick prayers of the primitive christians had always a form of confession in them , is what all the ancient liturgies do manifest . this is according to the practice of the servants of god in all ages . david was far from the temper of a quaker , who professes that he will declare his iniquity , and be sorry for his sin . ps. . . and confesses that his sins are more in number than the hairs of his head . ps. . . the lower a christian is in his own thoughts , the higher he is in god's favour . let then this perking pharisee tell god , that he is not as other men are , and that he has no sin to confess , unless he belie himself ; god grant , i may follow the example of the humble and penitent publican in my prayers to god , to be merciful to me a sinner . par. but t. e. says , a constant course of confession implies a constant course of sinning . ibid. min. i answer , . confession of sins past implies no such thing : some authors report , that st. peter rose betimes every morning to weep for the denial of his master . . a constant general confession of our being sinners implies no wilful course of sin , but the quite contrary in them that do it sincerely , viz. a constant sight and sense of it , a constant sorrow for it , a constant desire , and endeavour to reform it . this we deny not , that such confession implies daily need of mercy ; but then this is no more , than what becomes the best of men , while even such do find themselves not yet deliver'd from all infirmity . bradford , whom the quaker himself acknowledges an eminent martyr , used in his confession to say , thou art heaven , and i am hell. we are sure the quakers have the disease of sin , as well as others , but alas ! not the same hope of cure , because they will not see the need they have of a physitian . par. now the question is , whether it be our duty from day to day , &c. to confess that we are still guilty of those sins , which by god's grace we have forsaken , and which god hath forgiven us ? ibid. min. 't is our duty , no question , to confess our sins , after we are perswaded that we have forsaken them , and have obtained the pardon of them . confession is a general duty commanded in scripture , without limitation : do's not david confess his sins , psal. ? which ( as appears by the title of the psalm ) was after that nathan had already assured him from the mouth of god , that his sin was pardoned ; elsewhere he confesses and begs the pardon of his sins long since committed and reformed , viz. the sins of his youth ; psal. . . remember not the sins of my youth . now let the quaker speak out , and say in his style to david , this confession of thine is an untruth which i am sure is no man's duty . par. some among the corinthians before their conversion had been fornicaters , idolaters , adulterers , &c. paul says to those corinthians , ye are washed , &c. had it been the duty of these corinthians , after they were thus washed to have said , we are such still ? we are fornicators still , &c. this would have been the way to have made them lyars still . p. . min. what a pitiful piece of sophistry is this ? might they not for all that have said in reference to the time past , that they had sinned by fornication , by idolatry , &c. have pardoned sinners no reason to grieve , and accuse themselves any longer , than till they think , they have gained their pardon ? yes surely , they have a new occasion , a greater reason than they had before , a higher instance of the goodness of god , to engage them to renew their repentance , than they had at first to lead them to it ; while they sadly consider , how good a god they offended , a god so good , as upon their reformation to forgive them . but then let ellwood shew , where the church of england makes any publick confession in the present tense ? they run in the praeter-perfect tense ; as , we have erred and strayed , &c. we have offended , &c. and in the publick they are always general . now where is the untruth ? may not the most perfect man in the world say all this ? par. but you still call your selves miserable sinners . min. that he and all may see , it is our judgment only thus to confess , i shall here ( in ellwood's own form * produce a very authentick witness , basil sirnamed the great ; who advising to confession of sin hath these expressions , though thou knowest no wicked thing by thy self , thou oughtest to say thus ; i truly , o lord , am not worthy to speak to thee , because i am a grievous sinner ; for there is none free from sin but god alone . we are all in the construction of the law miserable sinners ; and should be found so , if god should arraign us at his tribunal , and try us by the rigour of it : david has told us as much , psal. . . enter not into iudgment with thy servant , o lord , for in thy sight shall no man living be justified , the least obliquity from , or falling short of the absolute perfection of the divine law being enough to render us sinners , and to make matter of confession . he that has but once offended may ever after justly deserve the name of sinner : a regenerate man is conscious of having committed sins , though he be not guilty of the present dominion of any ; the fact done cannot be undone . a heathen could say , ne non peccaram , mors quoque non faciat * but after all this i must ask our confident quaker , . how he is infallibly certain , he has obtain'd to an absolute unsinning state of perfection ? for he must grant that he ought to confess , and ask pardon , till he be infallibly certain of his being pure from all sin , and without all spot and blemish , as pure as adam before he fell , as the angels in heaven , and the spirits of just men made perfect ; for he must grant that he ought to confess and ask forgiveness of all , even the least moral weaknesses , and all defects of obedience , whereby he falls short in the smallest degree of the absolute perfection of the law , until he is thus sure his performances are without all defect , and himself without all infirmity . and is t. e. indeed sure he is so ? and do's he know the hour and minute when he first arrived to this state , and might take confidence to conclude of his absolute perfection ? but if neither we nor he himself be sure of this , or of the possibility of it , i think 't is very safe for us to continue the confession of sin , yea and for him too , lest perhaps he should be mistaken , and in some small degree be yet imperfect . for as there is little danger of his displeasing god by any excess of humility in the continuance of such confession , though he were really arrived to such a perfection ; so on the other side in the case of our state towards god , there being a great deal of danger in our mistaking , i think it is good for him to consider of it , and for us to go on in our course of confession till we be sure . . i must also ask him , how he infallibly knows , that all his sins are for ever pardon'd ? for i suppose he will grant that he ought to confess and to ask forgiveness , till he be sure of a pardon . par. he will say , he knows they are forgiven , because he hath forsaken them . min. that indeed is the best ground of hope ( if he have it ; ) but not such as to make fear or confession needless : for seeing first , according to his own assertion † the state of the best and most perfect men here is not immutable , but that they may fall from it : secondly , seeing perseverance to the end is a necessary condition of final pardon , and salvation ; it will follow , that though t. e. were perfect , yet it were not at all improper for him to confess , and ask forgiveness of his former sins , because ( according to his own principles ) he is not sure , but he may fall into sin again , which may cause his pardon to be revoked : and as there is no danger of displeasing god ( as is said before ) in any excess of humility in these confessions ; so the practice of this humility , and the fight and sense of our former sins is a very expedient , and indeed a necessary means to preserve us from falling into sin again . for this is that ( saith st. bernard ) which makes it necessary for us to be solicitous with fear and trembling , and always humbling our selves under the mighty hand of god , since though we can know in part what we are , yet it is utterly impossible for us to know , what we shall be . finally then , since our sin is certain , our pardon conditional , our enemies vigilant , and we frail ; whatever ellwood thinks of himself , we think , we ought to call and esteem our selves miserable sinners , till god upon our perseverance hath sealed our absolute pardon . par. is there but one lesson ( says t. f. ) for all degrees ? p. . min. yes , there are several lessons for several states of men , but this lesson suits them all . this confession , like those of the primitive church being design'd for the publick ( where are men of all degrees , children , young men and fathers ) is made in such general terms , that all may joyn in it : the particulars we leave to every mans conscience , and to his closet to supply : but since we all agree in this , to live together in a miserable , sinful world ; and we all have sinned , and ( as t. e. acknowledges ) we all may sin ; therefore it is not unreasonable , we should all agree to confess that we are miserable sinners : if this will not suffice ; let ellwood use his captious question to st. paul , o paul , dost thou say thou art the chief of sinners ? thou wast so at thy first coming into this school ; what ? no proficiency , no improvement ? no going forward ? after thou hast spent thy age in this school , if we measure thee by thine own confession , thou art not one step nearer thy iourneys end ; no whit better , than when thou camest first in , and therefore worse . * par. but to conclude this subject , t. e. tels us , it is not the duty of any man , to propose to himself a constant and common course of confession , because whosoever do's so , must first propose to himself a constant and common course of sinning . p. . min. that which is lawful and fit to be used ( as i have proved confession to be , till we have persevered , and be absolutely perfect without all infirmity ) is lawful to be proposed to mens practice ; and may be so , without any proposing to our selves a common course of sinning , because the proposal of this course of confession most properly proceeds from a con-contrary cause , viz. from the consideration of our infirmity and mutability , from humility , a pious fear † , prudence and sense of duty . therefore the quaker's pride and scoffing shall not make us out of love with the medicine , that god hath provided for us . it may shame us ( says tertullian * ) that we sin again , but to repent when we have sinned should not shame us . we have another kind of judge than ellwood , who sees our hearts , and will account with him for his malicious censure of our penitence , and of the devout and orthodox constitutions of our church : so that my adversary has taken much pains here to prove himself not only weak but wicked . and truly i am apt to believe , that in this abuse of piety , and so necessary a duty , as confession is , t. e. is too much a socinian to please all , even of his own party , or any man that is considerate ; and i wish the quakers would at last open their eyes , to see by what seducers they are led , that at length they may withdraw from them , and make choice of more upright , more orthodox , and safer guides . chap v. of perfection . par. what ground t. e. has lost in his four first chapters will surely be regained in his fifth of perfection , a doctrine which ( he says ) has not met with opposition from the hands of most sorts of men , since the time it was first preacht in this later age of the world. p. . min. if the oldest things in religion be best ; then the newest must needs be the worst : but if it will not make the quaker too proud , i will tell him , that his doctrine of perfection is of greater antiquity then he is willing to allow it ; for it was preacht before the latter age of the world : and if it please him to look again into goodwin's antiquities , and particularly into that instance he gives me of the seven sorts of pharisees , he will find that one sort of them were called quid debeo facere & faciam illud , from their boasting of a perfect power to keep the law ; and that author thinks , that the young man mention'd luk. . . was of this order : so that elwood might have learnt , that the pharisees were quakers in this point , yet hypocrites in christ's account : and upon a further search into this controversie , i find this doctrine much ancienter than i thought , when we first discourst it ; for the gnostick hereticks , and particularly that herd of them called the valentinians , did exalt themselves , calling themselves perfect , saith epiphanius . after them the novatians call'd themselves cathari , i. e. pure . but those who call themselves pure ( saith the same epiph. ) are confuted by their own words ; for whosoever doth call himself pure , doth perfectly condemn himself , that he is impure . next after them the pelagian hereticks held , that a man may be without sin : which the holy augustine confutes by many of the same arguments , which this quaker derides me for using . and celestinus the pelagian used such false mediums , as his friend ellwood has stoln from him to justifie this doctrine : and this may be seen in that book which he writ against him . now will this bold quaker tell these orthodox fathers , who opposed this notion of perfection , that some through ignorance mistook it , others through interest reviled and gainsayed it , as foreseeing it destructive to their trade and profit , & c ? as he tells his reader , p. . par. i perceive then this doctrine of perfection was condemned for here●…ie by the holy fathers of the church : but did not the quakers first broach this opinion in these later ages ? min. quakerism it self cannot plead the prescription of one age. but this doctrine was preacht by the popish fryars as a foundation for their merits and works of supererogation : the wild anabaptists about years ago pretended also to perfection : and it 's the socinian doctrine , that we may perfectly fulfil the law of god. but all orthodox protestants ever opposed these men , as much as i do the quakers herein ; who may go and boast , that they have the pharisees , the old hereticks , the wild anabaptists , and the socinians on their side in this matter ; whilst we ( by gods grace ) do , and will hold the constant doctrine of the catholick church . par. you have said enough to make me aware of this quaker ; who wonders that you should own perfection , and yet deny it to be an unsinning state : therefore he asks , what kind of notion you have got of perfection , who would be perfect , yet a sinner ? ibid. min. seeing i believe , you sincerely desire to be inform'd ; and withal t. e. ( as you cannot but observe ) is so unconstant to his own assertions , and confused in his notions of perfection ; and the right fixing the notion of things being necessary in order to the clear proceeding in affirming , or denying any thing concerning them ; i will digress a little to state the case , and that in three particulars : by which many of my adversarie's objections will fall without taking any further notice of them . we shall therefore consider , . what is meant by perfection ; and what is to be granted or denyed concerning it . . whether the best of men can attain such a perfection , as that they need not , or ought not to acknowledge themselves sinners and offenders ? . what is the result , tendency and consequent of asserting , or denying such a perfection . par. i shall be very glad to have a just account of these particulars . min. i begin with the first . it 's very evident that perfection or being perfect , is taken in different senses in holy scripture , sometimes in a positive sense , and sometimes in a comparative . a positive perfection is that , which includes such a compleatness , wherein nothing is wanting or deficient to the answering and coming up to those measures , by which it is to be judged and examined . now the measures by which the perfection of men must be judged of , are of two sorts , first , the capacity of our nature taken in its best and sinless estate , and the holy and perfect law of god , to which it is in every respect exactly conformable ; and hence the first sense of perfection is , when a man is in a state of enjoying as great good and satisfaction , and as high purity and freedom from all stain of evil , as either the nature of man can arrive unto , or as the perfect law of god do's require . this was our state in paradise , and will be in heaven ; this is the perfection spoken of cor. . . and probably eph. . . heb. . . and elsewhere . the second measure by which a man's perfection is to be judged of , is the capacity of our nature since the ●…all , and the terms which the gospel covenant prescribeth , and the mercy of god accepteth : hence the second sense of perfection is , when a man lives as holily as ever he can in this frail estate ; sincerely striving to do all christian duties , and to avoid all sin ; and supplying his failings by faith and repentance ; so that god accepts him upon the terms of the gospel as perfectly righteous , in and through christ : this may be call'd evangelical perfection ; and is spoken of heb. . . and . . iam. . . and this is oft exprest by the perfect heart ; and in this sense [ perfect ] is opposed to [ wicked ] iob. . . and is explain'd by being upright . psal. . . and this may be consistent with some failings . that there are two measures of perfection , appears by that instance i gave you of st. paul ; who acknowledges himself perfect according to one measure , and yet not perfect according to another , phil. . , and . compared . so according to this second measure , and god's gracious acceptance , asa's heart is said to have been perfect all his days , king. . . yet came he far short of a sinless perfection ; for the high places were not taken away , ibid. and he was sinfully passionate against hanani , chron. . . who did but his office in reproving him for relying on the king of syria , ver . and being lame on his feet sought not to the lord , but to the physicians , ver . . now let ellwood , ask , what notion the holy ghost has of perfection , who records asa both perfect and a sinner ? therefore upon the account of this second sense of perfection , the hebrew word for perfect is by our translators often render'd upright , and made use of to express the necessary qualification for obtaining god's favour , psal. . . compared with ver . , . and psal. . . elsewhere it is exprest by a heart that is sound in god's statutes ; and made to be a ground of sure hope and confidence in god's mercy . psal. . . yea , the hebrew word signifying perfection is translated sincerity , ios. . . which t. e. seems to deny , p. . this for the positive sense of perfection . the next sense of perfection is comparative , by which is meant such a perfection , as is not exactly compleat in it self in respect to the first and highest measures , but only more compleat than some other , to which it is compared ; and this applied to our case , consists in outdoing the lower sorts of christians , and coming up to the higher measures and degrees of knowledge and practice ; and in this sense perfection is taken , heb. . . cor. . . now to apply this threefold distinction of perfection : the attaining a comparative perfection is not only desirable , and useful , but possible ; nay 't is actually arrived to by some , though not by all , who notwithstanding may be true christians . the attaining an evangelical perfection is not only possible , but also absolutely necessary to all true christians . but an absolute perfection in the first sense ( about which the dispute lies ) though it be the crown we aim at , yet is not attain'd by any in this life : which is my next particular , of which i shall now give you an account . par. as you propounded it before , it was this , whether the best of men can in this world attain to such a perfection as they need not , or ought not to acknowledge themselves sinners and offenders ? min. to which query i reply by laying down these propositions . first , that there being two measures , by which we may judge of our perfection , namely , the perfect and exact law of god , and the terms of the gospel covenant ; the first of these is the rule of our duty ; the second is the condition of our acceptance , which are not one and the same under the gospel : the covenant of grace as a covenant requires not the first sort of perfection in order to our acceptance ( though the law do's still call for it ; ) for if it did , salvation were impossible for us in our faln and frail estate : yet still the gospel is a dispensation of purity as well as grace , nor is it the design thereof to cancel our obligation to obedience , but rather to advance it ; and therefore it rejects not any moral duty , nor allows any thing that is morally evil ; for as it cannot be , that any thing good or evil should cease to be so under the gospel ; so it is unsuitable to the design of that doctrine that establisheth god's kingdom , to discharge man from the obedience which he owes as a creature . whence it follows , secondly , that all , even the least evil is a sin , because the transgression of a law , as well as the grosser acts of sin ; all evil thoughts , irregular desires , and disorderly passions , and also the omission of the due exercise of good thoughts and desires , as well as of good words and actions , are breaches of god's holy law now , incur his displeasure , deserve his wrath , and need his pardon : for man's present inability to keep the law in the rigour of it , do's by no means excuse him of his duty to keep the whole law ; because his weakness is the effect of his own sin and fall , and he is accountable for it . thirdly , the perfection of practice in avoiding all evil , and performing every duty , which god requires , ought to be endeavour'd after : yet such an absolute sinless perfection in the whole course of our lives is not attain'd in this life , nor was it ever actually attain'd by any meer man since the fall ; which though i formerly proved to you in the conference , yet will i now take more pains with you to confirm it . perfection is opposed to moral imperfection , and signifies a state and condition absolutely sinless in rigour of law , such as comes up to the first measure , and our primitive capacity before we fell : thus the word ought to be taken in this controversie ; and now i shall tell you how far we dispute against it , and this i shall do both negatively and affirmatively . first , we do not deny it to be desirable , for it is the matter of our highest aims and hopes ; nor ( secondly ) as wholly and for ever impossible to us , for we believe we shall attain it , when we reach the heavenly mansions ; nor ( thirdly ) as impossible for god to effect now in our present state , who can do every thing which implyeth not a contradiction ; nor ( fourthly ) do we discard sincere endeavours after it ; for we constantly maintain ; that sincere endeavour to perfect holiness , and to live without all manner of sin , is the condition of salvation : for what divine ever affirmed it lawful to allow our selves in any sin ? that therefore we assert is as followeth ; we maintain ( first ) that the absolute perfection here explained , is not the condition of salvation ; seeing even babes in christ ( who are far remote from it ) may be saved . ( secondly ) we maintain , that it is not the ordinary condition of christians , but is to be reckoned ( though not among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , things simply impossible , if god were pleas'd to use his power , yet ) among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , things that do not actually come to pass in this world , which they that please may call morally impossible , that is , so difficult that men will not actually arrive to it in this lower state , wherein it hath pleased god to set us : and the grounds of our assertion are these . first , the many expressions of the saints of god in scripture , who testifie of themselves , that they were not absolutely sinless in rigour of law ; and the constant experience of the people of god , since the scripture times . secondly , the inconsistency of such perfection with the present weakness of man's nature , and the many deplorable circumstances , which are the consequents of his fall. thirdly , the end of gospel institutions , which are plainly design'd for an imperfect state , and of no use , if it were otherwise , in the foremention'd explained sense . fourthly , abundance of scriptures commanding us to grow in grace ; therefore we can never be past growing in this life : we must abound more and more . these and many others suppose plainly , that we come not to our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to our ultimate perfection in this life . fifthly , those scriptunes which shew the danger of standing upon terms with god , and the misery we are in , if god should deal with us in rigour of law : enter not into judgment with thy servant , for in thy sight shall no man living be justified , psal. . . if thou lord shouldst mark iniquities , o lord who shall stand ? psal. . , &c. sixthly , those scriptures which shew our need of mercy at death and judgment : the lord grant unto him , that he may find mercy of the lord in that day . tim. . , &c. seventhly , we may confirm it , with respect to the times of the old testament , from lev. . . and heb. . . where aaron ( the saint of the lord * ) with his successors is enjoyned yearly to offer a sin-offering , as well for himself , as for the errors of the people ; which shews plainly , that the saints in the old time had not attain'd to an unsinning perfection . and with respect to the new testament , the same is proved by the description of the gospel righteousness consisting in having sin pardon'd . rom. . , , . eph. . . ioh. . , . so that after all this , fourthly , we ought not to be discouraged as to our final estate ; because this unsinning perfection is not the terms of our acceptance with god , nor will the want of it cause our final rejection : for to assert this , would make void the covenant of grace , which admits repentance , proposeth forgiveness , and accepts sincerity ; because though it be ( as i said ) the design of the gospel to prohibit all sin , and to allow none ; yet if through infirmity a man fall , it provides a remedy , ioh. . . and upon performance of the conditions of our acceptance , secures salvation . par. i see not why men should require more , than god is pleas'd to accept , and we in a capacity to perform : so that you need enlarge no further in the proof of these ; only let me understand , what is the result , tendency , and consequent of denying the quakers absolute unsinning state , and asserting the evangelical perfection ; which was your third particular . min. we deny the quakers absolute perfection , not only as unattainable , and inconsistent with the condition of faln man , but as it is apt to deceive some men into a groundless pride , to make them neglect the means of remission , despise the mercy of the death of jesus christ , and rely on their own merits ; as it confounds the covenant of works and grace , and as it stands as that two-edged sword , gen. . . keeping the way of the tree of life , and making them despair of ever attaining everlasting glory , when they once find themselves deceived . but then there are no ill consequents ( as is falsly pretended ) by our denying this absolute unsinning righteousness , or perfection . first , 't is no discouragement to christian care and diligence , and the most vigorous endeavours , that any christian can use ; while he attains at present an evangelical perfection , and peace and reconciliation with god , and the favour to be owned as his child , and an heir of glory , and of that state of absolute perfection in heaven , yea and of a greater degree of glory , according to his growth in grace here . secondly , it 's no doctrine of looseness , or encouragement to sin ; since that grace , which tenders remission of sin to the sincere and penitent , will never accept the slothful and careless : and it 's sufficiently proved , that the gospel gives no allowance to sin , but promiseth greater rewards to greater degrees of piety . lastly , the asserting this evangelical perfection hath many good consequents : for it directs to the performance of many considerable duties , which else would have no foundation ; as the seeking of god's pardoning mercy , and acknowledging that we deserve from him much worse than we receive , a recourse to the merits of christ , and applying them to our selves in the sacrament of the lord's supper , the practice of confession and godly contrition , with the exercises of mortification , the duty of humility and many other , which will have no place in ellwood's unsinning state. these are our reasons ( and it 's left to you and the world , whether they be weighty or no ; ) why we deny one kind of perfection , and assert another . par. i must confess with all thankfulness , that the account you have given me of perfection is clear to me in all its senses , whereby i do not only apprehend the true state of the case , but do perceive , the quakers are in love with the name [ perfection , ] but never well consider'd what it meant : and i hope , when they see , how fully you hold an evangelical perfection , and the reasons why you deny an absolute ●…nsinning perfection , they will submit to your sense thereof . min. but that t. e's . fallacies may not hinder a wished compliance ; pray , do you mention , what in your opinion are the most considerable of his reflexions on our last discourse . par. the grand text , which the quakers used to produce in favour of their notion of perfection , is that in mat. . . be ye therefore perfect , even as your father which is in heaven is perfect ▪ which place , you told me , st. luke render'd , be ye therefore merciful , as your father also is merciful . and from the context you told me , that our lord there aims only from god almightie's example to press charity and mercy to the highest degree , &c. to this t. e. replies , did he consider what he writ ? or how he should be able to maintain it ? he is got so high at the first step , that the quakers had need help him down again . the highest degree of charity and mercy is applicable only to god almighty , &c. p. . min. i hope you take notice , that here 's not one word in vindication of his brethren . is it not a wonder , that his answer was not , here the priest deals dishonestly with us ? and that the quakers never applied that text to such a sense ? but you see he leaves the argument , and makes it his business to play the jack pudding by telling his reader , that i am got so high at first step , that the quakers had need help me down again . but by his good leave i shall need no such favour from them , being without their help able to vindicate my own expression ; therefore i would desire t. e. to consider , that the word [ highest ] is to be limited by the persons we are speaking of : as eccl. . . he that is higher than the highest regardeth , &c. highest there signifies the highest among men : so christ presseth charity and mercy to the highest degree they can be acted among men : and is this vying perfection with the creator ? he only set them the divine charity for a pattern , which is the highest charity in it self ; and prest them to come as near it , as their nature was capable of , by exercising it in the highest kind , namely , by forgiving enemies , and in imitation of the highest example . st. luke call'd theophilus most excellent ; will the quaker say , he had set him so high , as to make him excel god , or at least to be equal with him ? or was he got so high , as to stand in need of the quakers to help him down ? par , i fear , this was rather a wilful than ignorant mistake of your adversarie's : and do very much wonder , that having learnt from you the distinction of equality and similitude , he should tax you with the neglect of it , ibid. min. i shall here enquire how a dear friend of his understood this distinction ; i mean george fox , who blasphemously affirmed that he was equal with god ; as it was attested by the oaths of credible witnesses at lancaster assizes : see the foremention'd book call'd the perfect pharisee , p. . where 't is also proved , that iames naylor with no less blasphemy said , that he was as holy , just , and good , as god himself . thus the quakers talked of old , though now ellwood has learnt ( from the book he opposes ) this distinction , and says , they desire their charity and mercy may be real , true , sincere , of the same nature , kind , quality with god's ; but expect it not in the same degree , &c. ibid. but this is far short of their former boastings : and therefore they who are so inconsistent with themselves , must not complain that their principles are mis-stated while they have no fixed principles , nor standing rule of faith : for every body knows that the quakers are not now what they were formerly ; nor do they know themselves what they will be the next year : the wise man saith , a fool changeth as the moon , ecclus . . so that i cannot but think of the witty apologie of cleobulus , how the moon came and desired her mother to make her a coat fit for her ; to which she replied , alas ! how can i do it ? for thou art sometimes full and round , sometimes small and horned , again only half full , &c. this is my task in this dispute ; while t. e. hath set up a notion of perfection , so different from the usual opinion of his brethren . par. indeed the proverb is , they never chose well , that change so often ; yet if t. e. bring the quakers nearer to truth , i would not have you discourage him : and i fancy he has yielded much of his cause in the definition he gives of perfection ; which ( he says ) is to aim at , and press after a state of being in this life deliver'd from sin , and by the mighty power of god preserved from the act , commission , and guilt of sin ; this , he says , is that they mean by perfection , p. . min. not heeding the tautologies of this description , we will come to the definition it self : where i must desire you to take notice , that after all his boasting of an unsinning state , p. . though he blames me for interpreting perfection in several places of scripture to mean no more than sincerity , p. . here he defines it to be only the aiming at and pressing after such a state. now consider , i pray , that he that is aiming , has not hit the mark as yet ; he that is pressing after such a state , has not yet attain'd to it ; this is not that absolute perfection , which the quakers used to pretend to : and st. paul concluded that he was not already perfect , because he had not already attained , and was but pressing towards the mark , phil. . , , . perfectum est cui nihil deest : he that is strictly perfect , wants nothing ; but he that is aiming and pressing after , would have something that he wants . finally , ellwood has brought his perfection to signifie no more , than sincere endeavours to be free from sin ; and thus much we yield and press . we are perfect travellers ( as saith st. augustine ) not perfect possessors ; and our perfection is capable of increase : for no man is perfect ( saith st. bernard ) who desires not to be still more perfect , &c. but if this be all the quakers perfection , they are but like their neighbours ; and is it not unreasonable , that t. e. should dispute against his own definition ? i wish he and his brethren would stand to this sense of perfection ; for then we should be agreed as to this point : but i fear from what follows , the quaker thinks that he had overshot himself ; and his brethren perhaps will charge him to have betrayed their cause . par. i doubt as much ; for p. . he infers not only a possibility of living without sin , but in the next page he is expresly for an unsinning state , affirming that the commands for it are plainly produced : now indeed one would think , if god command us to be perfectly free from all sin , there might be some , who in this life are truly so ; because he commands no impossibility . min. this is an usual fallacy with t. e. especially in p. , . to argue from the precept to the performance ; and falsly to suppose , that some men are actually and absolutely perfect ; because we are commanded to endeavour and press after our being so : but st. augustin's answer to celestinus the pelagian on the same occasion , will suffice to shew the sophistry of this pretence ; those exhortations , by which we are commanded to be perfect , do not so much shew what we are , as what we ought to be . the law indeed still demands perfect obedience , though we are utterly unable to perform it ; and this most righteously , because it is not god , but our selves who are the causes of our own inability ; it is the effect of our own sin ; and therefore both our obedience to the whole law , and all our primitive righteousness , which we had before the fall , are by the law justly required of us . but then the gospel covenant in jesus christ , who has satisfied the rigour of the law for us , requires no such thing , as necessary to salvation , of us ; though it requires our utmost endeavours after it ; as has been said . par. i produced the instances of noah , ioh , and david , who had actually attained this state of perfection ; but in regard you proved , that as to matter of fact they were all guilty of sin ; i was satisfied that their perfection could not mean an unsinning state , or a state of freedom from all sin : but t. e. is not so perswaded , but replies , that to blemish noah's perfection you object , that he was drunk and uncovered in his tent ; and that he walked with god before this , and after this also ; and while he was in his sin , he did not walk with god , &c. p. . min. i suppose your design was to find out the truth , as his is to cavil , and darken it ; therefore he will speak absurdly rather than say nothing . if it was ill done in me to m●…ntion the failings of noah , iob , and david ( as he suggests ; ) do's not he also blasphemously accuse the holy ghost for recording it ? however this i am sure of , that this instance shews noah's perfection to be such , that he needed pardon , and that his life was not all of a piece , not free from all stain of sin ; and the quaker's rare discovery amounts to no more than this ; noah was perfect , while he did not sin , that is , while he was perfect , he was perfect : wonderful ! par. i would have you answer this more fully ; for i perceive he is not a little pleased with this device , but relies much upon it ; and for iob , he conceives that it cannot be fairly infer'd , that he was not deliver'd and kept from sin in the precedent and subsequent parts of his life , p. . and of david he says , that he was not a man after god's own heart , &c. while he was guilty of sin ; and that when he was after god's own heart , he was free from it , p. . and he grows mighty big , and thinks , if it be possible to attain the state of perfection , it is not impossible to retain it ; for the same divine power that brings a man to it , is equally able to preserve him in it ; and if it he possible for a man to be preserved in this state an hour , it is not impossible to be preserved a day ; if a day , a year ; if a year , an age , p. . min. the notion this quaker has got of perfection will amount to no more than this , that a man may be perfect at morning , fall at noon , and be perfect again at night . this perfect man of his mindeth me of mercury in homer ; who was born in the morning , invented musick at noon , and stole apollo's oxen at night . i thought perfection had been a state and condition absolutely sinless , and inconsistent with relapses into sin . i 'm sure , i may more justly argue thus ; the saints have sinned once , and therefore may sin twice , and consequently many times ; they have the same enemies without , and propensities within : and for all t. e.'s fallacious argument , 't is not so probable , that a good man shall abstain from sin a whole year , as it is , he shall abstain from sin one day , much less an hour ; because the mind cannot be so long fixt and intent to avoid the innumerable occasions of falling : i can keep awake one night , but not many ; not therefore a week , or a year , or an age : yet by ellwood's argument , we may stand in a posture for ever . par. but cannot god's mighty power keep us as well as age , as an hour from sin ? min. we are not disputing what god can do , but what he sees fit to do , and what he actually doth : let him prove de facto , that god useth his irresistible power in this case ; and that actually he hath so preserved any man. i doubt the quaker must be forced here to leave the scriptures , and go to the popish legend , to prove that bonaventure never committed any sin in his whole life ; which story has as little of truth in it , as ellwood's argument has of solid reason . finally , if t. e. can go no higher than to prove , the saints are perfect , only while they do not sin ; and that the divine power can preserve them from sin for an age together ; all this may be said of sinners , who yet are no more perfect , then is his discourse . par. but t. e. says , if in this life freedom from sin be not attainable , when and where is it ? as death leaves , iudgment finds , p. . min. 't is true , as death leaves , judgment will find us , as to the general state of regeneracy or unregeneracy ; but this is far from being true concerning all perfections or imperfections of body or soul , and many other things relating to the state of the whole man : the body , which dying is gorruptible , will not be such when raised again ; the assaults of satan , and allurements from various objects , both men and things in the world , after departure hence , have no place . he that to the time of death lived by faith with respect to things above , will then have a more present sight of another world , and the state of happiness , and of the glorious majesty of god , and our saviour : nor will his state then be ( as here it is unto death ) subject to weariness and dulness , and such imperfections , whereby he is here oft indisposed for constant vigorous actions , and such compleat perfection of holiness , as by his original strength man was able to exercise before his fall , and which therefore in the strictness of the divine law is still required of him , and the least defect whereof is therefore sinful , and hath need of that pardon purchased for us by jesus christ. now , as to that state of absolute perfection without spot , and that prize of the high calling which true christians press after , and hope assuredly to arrive to hereafter , there is a great accession in order hereunto , when the person , whose heart was truly upright , becomes freed from all the imperfections and infirmities of this low estate , and out of the reach of all temptations and assaults of enemies , and all allurements to evil ; and where he is affected with the fullest sense of the highest good , which are the most powerful motives to determine his actions ; and his soul ( and in the resurrection his body also ) shall be fitted and strengthen'd to the most constant and vigorous actions of compleat perfection , and act under the higher supplies of influence from god , together with the advantage of the heavenly society of god , angels , and saints , in that state where god will fulfil all promises which relate to happiness . and when perfection in knowledge and incorruption , and the most excellent state of , soul and body , both with respect to their actions , capacities of enjoying perfection of state , and the being immediately possessed of the highest good , are none of them fully enjoyed in this life ; what pretence can reasonably be made against the then entring into the most absolute perfection of purity ? par. your instance of iob's confessing that he had sinned , t. e. says , speaks of the time past not present , p. . min. he might in this confession mean some sin or sins newly committed ( either in thought or word , through weakness in this present state of imperfection ; ) and this would require the praeter-perfect tense , as well as sins committed long since . but one thing here i would have you to take notice of , that according to ellwood's own sense which he gives of this passage , here is iob a perfect man ( one therefore whose sins were all pardon'd and forsaken , yet ) confessing his sins ; yea and in the next verse begging the pardon of them too , in these words , why dost thou not pardon my transgression , and take away mine iniquity ? i hope therefore t. e. will no more declaim so much against confession of sins though past and forsaken . but that iob was then a sinner , when he spake those words , t. e. may be sufficiently convinced by that confession of his own mouth , which relates too to the time present , chap. . . if i say , i am perfect , my own mouth shall prove me perverse . par. this is very plain . min. therefore i have not stained iob's perfection , as t. e. vainly charges me ; but only recite what the holy scriptures have recorded of him. par. but against your instance of that saying of iob's , behold i am vile , iob . . t. e. quotes authors to prove the word [ vile ] there not properly to signifie wicked , but only mean , small , and of little account , ibid. min. but in this place the word is used with respect to sin , as by the circumstances of the place it is manifest ; it being said in answer to the expostulation of the almighty , in whose dreadful presence iob sees , and confesses himself vile and base by reason of his sinfulness : hence , iob . . i repent , and abhor my self , &c. what should he repent of , if he had no sin ? and for what did he abhor himself , but for his sin ? and doubtless , when iob had the divine purity before his eyes , nothing made him think himself so vile and mean , as his sins . par. but , says the text , in all this job sinned not , p. . min. in that particular carriage , in all this , he sinned not , that is , he cursed not god ; he charged not god foolishly : but do's the text say , that he had never sinned ? or that he had no sin in him ? but i pray you mark , that here he wholly passes by the account i gave you in the conference , of the word [ perfect ] not always meaning an absolute unsinning state , but frequently no more than sincerity , as you have it sometimes in the margin of the larger bibles , gen. . . deut. . . this was very unfairly and disingenuously done of him . you have more reason to believe the saints confessions of their own state , than this quaker's incoherent arguments ; and what can be more full than holy david's confession of his being actually a sinner , and liable to commit more ? psal. . . who can tell how oft he offendeth ? o cleanse thou me from my secret faults . see psal. . . and . , , , . and . , . we know but in part , saith st. paul , cor. . . if our knowledge be imperfect , our other graces bear a proportion to it , and are imperfect likewise . what can be more plain than that saying of st. paul ? not as though i had already attained , either were already perfect , phil. . ? and therefore when he says , ver . . let us therefore , as many as be perfect , &c. it must needs refer to some lower degree of perfection , and not to an absolute unsinning perfection : otherwise the apostle cannot be freed from a contradiction in saying he was perfect , yet he was not perfect . for sometimes the same word ( even in all languages ) has divers significations ; and i could herein give many instances in the holy scriptures ; take one for all ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies liberality , cor. . . and yet in ver . . of the same chapter it signifies grace . however this cannot be denyed , as being evident in express words , that st. paul confesses himself not to be already perfect : it is clear then , that st. paul was not perfect ; and if not he ; what holyer man will t. e. find for an example of perfection , than st. paul was ; who in a vision was rapt up into the third heaven ? is t. e. the man think you ? but this plain confession of st. paul t. e. very unfairly here le ts slip , and says nothing to it ; very unkindly endeavouring to shut ( not his own only , but ) all mens eyes to the plain and open truth , and attempting to shift off the matter by meer evasions . par. but he has one shift left ; that by resurrection of the dead , ver . . is not meant the last and general ; which he endeavours to prove by two reasons ( . ) because the apostle would not seem so dubious of obtaining that . ( . ) he would not have told them that he had not attained that while he was alive , which could not be attained , till he was dead : this is the sum of his reasons , p. . min. i must therefore ask this bold interpreter ; what resurrection is then meant ? par. he answers , the first resurrection , mention'd , rev. . . which the apostle refers to , col. . . if ye be risen with christ , seek those things which are above , p. . min. the first resurrection is the raising up a sinner from the death of sin to newness of life ; and this is conversion . has not therefore the quaker mended the matter well ? was st. paul , so long after his conversion ( which we read of acts . ) dubious , whether he should attain conversion ? after so great proficiency in holiness ; yea after that he had ( according to t. e. ) attain'd to absolute perfection ; would he tell them , he had not yet attained the first resurrection ? how effectually does t. e's . self-contradictions baffle his new-coin'd sense ? but i would desire him to consider , that the resurrection of the dead is often taken for the better part , that is for the resurrection to life , as luk , . , . they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world , and the resurrection from the dead — are equal unto the angels , &c. and thus it signifies in this ver . he laboured , if by any means he might attain to that better part of the general resurrction , namely , the endless life of glory : now is it any absurdity for st. paul to press after this ? or to tell them , that he had not yet attained the full measure of his perfection , and the end of his hope , but was only in the race , & c ? theophylact also notes , that it is not the ordinary word for resurrection , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which st. paul here useth ( saith he ) to signifie his lifting up to meet the lord in the air , which is only the portion of blessed souls : we conclude therefore that [ perfect ] in ver . . must signifie the absolute unsinning state of perfection , which the saints shall have in the next world ; this st. paul had not attained here in this world ; hence it necessarily follows , that [ perfect ] in ver . . must mean some lower degree of perfection . par. now you have made me sufficiently sensible , that it is the quaker , and not the priest , who was as well out in his notion of the resurrection , as in that of perfection . now he comes to examine your interpretation of ioh. . . whosoever is born of god sinneth not , that is ( say you ) lives not in a wilful course and trade of sin , though not wholly without sin . and whereas you affirmed , that otherwise st. iohn would contradict other plain texts of scripture , viz. king. . . eccles. . . prov. . , &c. t. e. to avoid the force hereof , hath this notable device ; the words of the apostle ( says he ) are not contradictory to these ; the one speaks of man in a natural state , the other of man as begot and born of god , p. . min. but those texts speak of all men in general , spiritual as well as natural , otherwise there would be no sense in them : for instance , while he interprets kin. . . [ there is ●…to man that sinneth not ; ] to signifie only a man in his natural state , as he is a child of wrath ; he mak●…s the sense run thus , there is no child of wrath but sinneth ; or there is no sinner that sinneth not : thus he makes the scriptures as ridiculous as his own canting : i hope a spiritual man is a man still ; & therefore from the testimony of this scripture , such an one sinneth . as for prov. . . who can say , i have made my heart clean , i am pure from my sin ? you may note , that he makes the latter part of this verse to be only a repetition , as having no other sense than that same , which he has given of the former part : these words , [ who can say — i am pure from my sin ? ] must signifie nothing , if they oppose t. e's . assertion . and that threatning in ezek. . . against a righteous man committing iniquity ( he says ) implies there was a time , when he did not commit iniquity ; but do's not consider , that by committing iniquity there is meant his falling into gross sins , as appears by the words immediately added , and doth according to all the abominateons that the wicked man doth : this implies indeed that there was a time , when the righteous man did not commit gross sins , but not that there was a time when he lived without all infirmities & moral imperfections . and as for iob . . [ if i justifie my self , my own mouth shall condemn me ; if i say , i am perfect , it shall also prove me perverse . ] this he would evade by an impertinent discourse of self-justification ; while the translators meant no more than ( in the sense of the original ) if i say i am just , or ( as olimpiodorus expounds it ) if i dare to say , i am righteous , &c. and the latter partof the verse is express enough , if i say i am perfect , &c. if iob was perfect , as the quaker pleads , what reason can be given , why he should deny it , and disclaim the grace of god in him ? why might he not say , he was so ? but do you not take notice , that he has passed by the plainest pl●…ce of all , viz. eccl. . . [ there is not a just man upon earth , that doth good & sinneth not ? ] i hope he will not say here , that by a iust man is meant a natural man , or a child of wrath , &c. par. i am very much satisfied with these scripture-proofs ; yet must i not pass by his note on iam. . . [ in many things we offend all. ] this ( says t. e. ) do's not prove , that the apostle himself was an offender , any more than that other saying of his concerning the tongue , ver . . [ therewith bless we god , and therewith curse we men , ] can prove that the apostle himself was a curser , p. . min. this is very strange ! doth [ all ] in the former place signifie nothing ? doth st. iames say , we all curse ? but he says , we offend all ; to include himself , and exclude so false a gloss ; which is thus noted in an ancient council , wherein st. augustine was present ; in many things we offend all — and why is [ all ] added , but that this place may agree with psal. . . in thy sight shall no man living be justified , & c ? which council also shews us , that the pelagians ( not t. e. ) were the first authors of this exposition . par. but i assure you , that t. e. is not a little proud of it ; for he brings it over again , to evade the exposition of that scripture we have been discoursing of ; if we say that we have no sin , &c. it s evident ( says he ) that the apostles , in condescention to those to whom they writ , did many times include themselves , as in the condition of others , &c. p. . min. ellwood ●…ollows the pelagian hereticks in this also , who thus of old expounded this place : whence the holy fathers of the aforesaid milevitan council , having produced this of ioh. . . if we say we have no sin , &c. add — whosoever thinks this place is so to be taken , as if it were spoken out of humility , and not in truth ; let him be accursed . to which curse you see t. e. has entitled himself . moreover if the apostles do say [ we ] sometimes in condescension , yet it follows not that they always use it in that sense ; in ioh. . . says st. iohn , that which we have seen , &c. and chap. . . we have an advocate , &c. surely he do's not mean here to exclude himself . why therefore must [ we ] be necessarily so taken here ? there is but one reason for it ; it is because otherwise it would contradict t. e's wild opinion , to which all scripture ▪ must vail and stoop . but , o ye people called quakers , take heed of this exposition , for it will utterly overthrow your arguments against saying [ you ] to a single person ; since the apostles might as well change the numbers , and say [ you ] for [ thou , ] as change the persons , and say [ ye ] for [ we : ] yea i perswade my self , that if you should hear men say [ we , ] when they meant [ ye ; ] you would accuse it as a greater untruth , than to say [ you , ] when they meant [ thou : ] and your champion ellwood loses more on one side , than he gains on the other ; for while he would prove the apostles no offenders , he proves them no quakers ; while he would shew they were perfect , he makes them ( according to your strict way of reproving others ) to be manifest lyars , in saying [ we , ] while they mean [ ye . ] thus while he defends one point , he confutes himself in another ; ea enim mendaciorum natura est , ut cohaerere non possint . by all this is manifest that ioh. . . means not an absolute perfection ; which further appears , and that most evidently in this , that this is asserted of all that are born of god ; now babes in christ are born of god ; but i hope , t. e. will not say , that babes in christ are absolutely perfect ; for he that is so , and has overgrown all imperfections , certainly is past a babe . par. yet i see t. e. is so taken with his opinion of perfection , that he resolves to pull down all that seems to oppose it : and because our lord taught his disciples to pray , forgive us our trespasses ; he throws away the whole prayer saying , that it doth not appear , that it was intended to be a standing rule for them to pray by as long as they lived , p. . min. here e●…wood outstrips pelagius , who had the same quarrel at praying for forgiveness ; yet he durst not say , that it was not used by the apostles , or unfit for strong christians , only he said , the saints need not say it for themselves , but for others who were sinners : yet for this he was accursed by the aforesaid council of milevis . sure i am , that our lord taught his disciples this prayer in that sermon , which contains the most perfect doctrines of christianity , mat. . . and when they had arrived to greater proficiency , he renews his injunction to them to use this prayer , luk. . and no doubt , the apostles used it themselves , as well as taught it to the church , where it was used all along , in all publick offices ; whence it was called the daily prayer by st. cyprian , st. hilary , and st. augustine : y●…a the ancients taught the most perfect christians to use it three times a day . as for the quakers pretences , that the s●…t being come on them , this prayer would be usel●…ss , because the spirit would teach them what to pray f●…r ; which he would prove out of ioh. . , . p. i pray read those places , and you will 〈◊〉 , that as there is not one word thereof reaching them what to pray for , so there is no ground for us to build such pretences upon . and that so much mistaken place , rom. . . ( objected by him ) our not knowing what to pray for as we ought , is ( says st. chrysostom , and the context confirms it , which there are treating of afflictions , and our need of patience , ver . . immediately before , and ver . . immediately after this passage ) that in our afflictions we should never wait with patience , ver . . if the spirit did not help our inf●…rmities to bear up under them ; but we should immediately pray to be delivered ( as st. paul did , cor. . , . ) though it were not best for us ; and indeed we often ask amiss , and know not what to pray for as we ought , especially when we consult the flesh . therefore the holy spirit here is asserted as only an internal intercessor ( for externally to intercede for us is christ's office ) and that not by dictating words , but by stirring up in us holy desires , and by giving us a sense of our wants , and patience with faith , submission , and devotion . in this consists the spirit of prayer , and is not only consistent with , but assisted by a form of prayer , and of fit expressions : and what is all this to the rendring the lord's prayer , or any publick or private forms of prayer useless ? or to countenance extempore prayers in god's publick and ordinary worship ? or mens fathering the impertinences and disorders of such effusions upon the spirit of god ? yet oh! what strange castles in the ayr do's this quaker , and other separatists attempt to build upon this mistaken passage ? par. but what is the reason , t. e. charges you with mis-stating the case in declaiming against the impossibility of sinning ? p. . min. this he do's very abusively as here , so in other places , pag. , . but let him know , 't is no mis-stating the case at all ; because all that i have said there is concerned in it , while all is too little to oppose the presumptions of many quakers , and all such perfectionists , as look upon themselves , as out of danger . par. i perceive , he makes it his business , to represent your denying perfection in his sense , to be a discouraging men from striving against sin and satan , which is the main thing he urges , p. , , . min. we say indeed , that our victory over these enemies shall not be so compleat , as never to be disadvantaged by them any more in this world : this whole life is a warfare ; this world is a wrestling place , and our enemy is in the field ( as my adversary confesses ; ) and we tell men , that while the battel endures , the conquest is not absolutely compleated ; for if it were , what need were there of more fighting ? the warfare then were ended : this whole life is a race , cor. . . and while we are running , we are not yet at the goal . to tell men of their being absolute conquerors , while our adversaries are in arms , is to make them secure , before they are safe : no man can boast , till he put his armour off , kings . . and 't is the evening that crowns the day . yet we teach , that if christians be watchful , and use god's grace aright , they shall not be mortally wounded in the battel , but gain ground of the enemy more and more , and get the upper hand in this life : the house of saul in them ( as i may so speak ) shall grow weaker and weaker , and the house of david shall grow stronger and stronger ; and they shall be absolute conquerors at the last . we do not deny , but that christians may and must get a comfortable conquest over their corruptions , and proceed forwards towards a total overthrow : and this is encouragement sufficient , that ( if they be faithful ) they shall daily be on the winning and prevailing hand : as men in wrestling with the distempers of their bodies , are not discouraged , if they know , they may daily get ground of them , and arrive at a comfortable state of health , though they know , they can never arrive at the most perfect state of health in this life . a scholar is not discouraged in his studies , though be knows he can never be free from all ignorance ; yet because he may make a very great progress in learning , and daily be on the improving hand , he seeketh as much learning as he can attain with a comfortable vigour and industry : a christian may much more comfortably pursue perfection , because he is assured he shall one day compass it , that is , in heaven ; there it is , where we shall find our selves s●…ved to the uttermost , according to heb. . which is absurdly applied by the quaker , p. . to this present state. so that we may comfortably labour after such acquests and perfections , as are not attainable here below , because our growing endeavours here shall be rewarded with those perfections hereafter ; witness the apostles , who pressed forward towards the mark , and to attain the resurrection of the dead , &c. and who seeketh not to grow to a state of manhood in divine knowledge , though that which is perfect cometh not in our present state here , where we know but in part , cor. . , & c ? moreover it is themost pressing encouragement , that can be exprest , to christians , in this life to their duty , and assault their spiritual enemies with all their might , and in that vigour to abound more and more , when they are told , that they shall not only receive the prize , an incorruptible crown of glory , but also an higher degree of glory , according to the higher degrees of their increasing vi●…tues , and their growing valour , and holy ●…ortitude in this life , cor. . . par. but it is in god's power to free men wholly from sin here ; and to say , that a man cannot be perfectly cured of sin in this life , is to reflect upon the ability of the physician : at this rate t. e. argues , p. . min. we do not question god's power , but his will in this matter ; because we do not find any promise for us to expect , that he should make use of his omnipotence to this purpose . hear what tertullian answers to an old heretick , who made this very objection ; verily nothing is difficult to god ; but if we shall so abruptly apply this maxime to all our own presumptions , we may feign what we will of the almighty , as if he had done it , because he can do it . god is the physician of our bodies , as well as of our souls ; and yet it do's not reflect upon his ability at all , that we are troubled with many bodily diseases ; only it shews , that we are not to enjoy our perfect health and happiness here on earth ; thus our saviour cured no diseased bodies to an immortal state , exempt from all bodily infirmity , in that they dyed after notwithstanding . par. i confess you never pleaded , that the enemy should overcome , as t. e. falsly suggests , p. , . but he reflects upon your saying i have a false and treacherous heart , p. . and makes it an absurdity to suppose by that saying , that a regenerate man hath such an heart , p. . min. solomon saith prov. . . he that trusteth in his own heart , is a fool : now that which is not to be trusted , hath a least some degrees of falshood remainning in it . solomon says elsewhere , keep thy heart with all diligence ; and our lord bids us , watch and pray , &c. now surely that which has need of so much keeping , and watching , is not to be trusted without it ; otherwise it would not need it . from this disease we shall not be wholly free , till in body and soul we become immortal , saith st. augustine . and all orthodox christians did ever hold the flesh and its inclinations ( though in some degrees mortified ) to remain even in regenerate men : every man has flesh in him opposed to the spirit , to keep him in exercise in this state of trial , as is evident , not only by gal. . . but by the experience of all truly humble christians ; who will abhor all presumptuous boastings , while they find , that though the spirit be willing , yet the flesh is weak ; though the spirit be sincere , yet the flesh is treacherous ; because ( saith the apostle ) these are contrary the one to the other . and the fleshly part in man is in the holy scripture frequently called the heart ; so that t. e. had no reason to fall so rigidly upon this passage in the conference . par. i will only mind you of one conclusion , which he draws from rom. . . [ there is no condemnation to them that are in christ iesus , &c. ] if there be no condemnation to them ( says he ) there is no sin committed by them ; for wheresoever there is sin , there is also condemnation , p. . min. a strange conclusion indeed ! which if true , would damn t. e. and all mankind : this is socinianism in the highest degree . what ? no redemption ? no pardon for penitents ? has christ's death done no good to the avoiding of condemnation ? then wo be to all the world. but t. e. has found a better way to heaven , ( viz. ) by being so perfectly free from sin , that god cannot justly condemn him : and hence in this whole chapter he avoids all mention of christ's merits , and satisfaction , and of remission of sins , &c. laying the foundation of his title to heaven , upon a perfect freedom from sin in this life , p. . the popish doctrine of merits is short of this , which takes in christ's merits to their own , as giving value to them : but t. e. being in a greater degreee ignorant of god's righteousness , goes about to establish his own , rom. . . but let him know ( if this be his opinion ) that a possibility of not sinning will not serve his turn , but an actual and total freedom from it ; if he commit but the least sin , he must be condemned according to his own position . for wheresoever there is sin ( says he ) there is also condemnation . god grant that he may not be dealt with according to the measures of his own principles , but that he may rather see his error to his conversion , than feel the sad effect of it to his condemnation . the rest of his discourse on this subject is spent in artifices , to render me , and my doctrine odious : but upon the principles i have already laid down ( in the stating of this case of perfection ) they will appear neither to need , nor deserve an answer . par. but there is one thing , which must not be omitted : t. e. thinks you , and others , who set your selves in opposition to this truly gospel doctrine of being perfectly deliver'd and preserved from sin , to be as the evil spies , who discouraged the heart of the children of israel , that they should not go into the land which the lord had given them , &c. p. , . min. the quaker has brought this comparison to his disadvantage ; did the good spies ioshuah and caleb ever tell the children of israel ( as t. e. do's the quakers ) that they should get such a perfect victory over those canaanites , as that no remainders of them should be left to disturb and vex them any more ? no such thing ; but the scriptures tell them the contrary , just as we do to christians concerning their spiritual enemies ; see deut. . . — thou mayst not consume them at once ; and in matter of fact 't is evident they were not wholly driven out , or consumed . 't is the quakers therefore , and not ours , that is the discouraging doctrine ; for ●…f a perfect freedom from all sins and infirmities here , be taught as the necessary condition of obtaining heaven hereafter ; then all humble souls sincerely thirsting after righteousness , standing upon their constant watch , and yet finding imperfections , wants and infirmities in themselves , will ( if they believe this doctrine ) be driven into inevitable despair . there are sins of omission , as well as of commission ; how many accidents may hinder us from performing our devotions with that vigour , intentness , and exactness , as the purity and sublimity of the precepts do require ? the very constitutions of our * bodies , the influence of the clime and season , may hinder the performance of our duties with an exact † perfection . and therefore we flee to god for mercy in the performance of our best services ; see nehem. . , . so that they do most effectually keep men from coming to heaven , who build this fools paradise of imaginary unsinning perfection for them to dwell in on earth ; wherein they grow so proud , and conceited , that they sit down on this side iordan , and fansie they have no need of ioshua to conduct them into the true land of promise ; in effect they deny the gospel , despise the death of christ , rely on their own perfection , and ( i fear ) tumble into hell , while they vainly dream of heaven . chap. vi. of swearing . par. now we are come to t. e's . chapter of swearing , which is so very long , that it consists of no less than . pages , therefore i shall only propound to you the most material passages in it . he begins with a reflexion on that short digression , which you made upon the two covenants , and very gravely tells us , that you tread in an unbeaten path , p. . min. had he been acquainted with authors , and not taken things upon trust , he would not have accused the account i gave off the two covenants as a peculiar notion o●… my own , when the same has been asserted by the greatest clerks in christendom : i could fill a page with citations of such authors ( if it were needful ) as concurr in the same notion : i shall only name two ( viz. ) dr. hammond in his practical catechism , and the excellent author of the whole duty of man , in the preface of that same treatise : which when t. e. hath consulted , he will be be satisfied , that i have trodden in no unbeaten path : but seeing t. e. will have it my own notion , and there being so much matter before us upon this subject of oaths , which in the conference was primarily intended , i will pass on to that , and examine my adversaries objections and extravagances on this subject . par. he would gladly clear r. hubberthorn from that impertinence and dishonesty , where with you charged him ; in acknowledging oaths lawful in the times of the old testament : yet alledging hos. . . zech. . . ( texts out of the old testament ) to prove them unlawful now ; which ( he says ) you call his proofs , though he do not so himself , and hints , as if they were only set in the title-page of the book , p. . min. however they were at first in the title-page , i found them in the book it self . and if they be not proofs , what are they then ? so here is an implicit acknowledgment of a quaker's bringing scripture to prove nothing . par. he thinks you mistake the case ; for they are not ( says he ) brought against that which was then lawful , but against that which was then unlawful , namely , the wrong use and abuse of oaths , ibid. min. wonderful ingenuity ! i thought the question had not been , whether perjury , but whether any oaths were lawful ? now to what end is a quotation brought , but to prove the subject in hand ? in a word then , i desire the quakers to take notice , that these scriptures ( viz. hos. . . zech. . . ) do not reprove all oaths as unlawful . par. you told me , that an oath is an act of natural religion ; but he tells us , that all acts of religion are not acts of natural religion , as in the case of circumcision , p. . min. 't is very true , that all such acts of religion , as owe their original to a positive command , and have no reason in the nature of the thing to put mankind upon the observation of them , as in the case of circumcision , these are not acts of natural religion ; for t. e. may read the definition of natural religion in bishop wilkins's discourse upon that subject , pag. . that is natural religion , which men might know , and should be obliged unto by the meer principles of reason improved by consideration and experience , without the help of revelation . now an oath came into use among men from the meer principles of reason improved by consideration , without the help of revelation . so that if an oath be an act of religion , it must be an act or part of natural religion . for the first that ever required an oath was abimelech a gentile , gen. . . he required abraham to swear ; and abraham said , i will swear , ver . . yet we read not , that either abimelech's requiring , or abraham's consenting to it , was by any positive command from god : so that t. e. must grant , that men were led to bind their covenants by a solemn calling of god to witness , and that by the light of nature , of which more anon . but when i say , an oath is an act or part of natural religion , i do not insist , that it is by natural religion commanded primarily , simply and per se towards god ; but subordinately , implicitly and by consequence , as a necessary medium for the publick good in this state of things : for the law of nature , that commands the end , must also command the only means ; so that the use of an oath is commanded by the law of nature ex hypothesi , or from a supposition that it is necessary for the publick good ; just in the same sense , that magistrates are commanded by the same law to make penal laws against vice : but if we were perfectly innocent , neither the one nor the other would be commanded . you may remember i told you in the conference , that if there were that truth in men that their bare testimony were infallible , and of sufficient credit , then there were no need at all of an oath . so that we are commanded by the law of nature to use oaths only upon just and necessary occasions . and thus i assert ( what i did before in the conference ) that an oath ( rightly taken ) that is ( as every honest man will understand me , and as i interpreted my self ) duly circumstantiated , and taken in truth , in judgment and in righteousness , is an act of natural religion , and understood plainly by the light of nature to comprehend a great deal of religion in it , as having god for the immediate object of that appeal , which therein is made to him , and by which so many of the divine attributes are acknowledged and glorified , as i shew'd you in the conference . and an oath being such , and so needful to the ends of justice and charity , it remains ( as i said ) that it is not made unlawful by the doctrine of christ , who has prohibited nothing , that hath so much of morality and goodness in it . par. but t. e. ( lest he should not be understood ) hath put in a marginal note in order to the explaining what natural religion means , viz. the word natural hath divers acceptations , for there is pure nature , corrupt nature , and the divine nature , ibid. min. these may be the senses of the word [ nature ; ] but would any but a natural have brought in these to expound natural religion ? let us apply it thereto , and then there is pure natural religion , corrupt natural religion , and divine natural religion : rare distinctions ! besides , how comes the divine nature to be a sense of the word [ natural ? ] is natural ever used for the divine nature ? or are the saints , who are partakers of it , any where called natural men ? one would suspect t. e. was not in his right mind , when he put down this lamentable note . par. t. e. tells us , you enumerate many attributes of god , which are acknowledged by an oath ; to which ( he says ) no other answer need be given , than that the divine attributes are acknowledged by speaking the truth without an oath , p. . min. having mudded the waters by his captious-exceptions , he thinks to escape undiscern'd , and to put off the whole force of my reasoning , conf. p. , . with this fallacious and sleight reply , but we must not part so . what though a man may believe the attributes of god in his heart , while he speaks the truth , yet do's he so openly , and so solemnly acknowledge them , as he that immediately calls god to witness by an oath ? speaking truth is not so particularly directed unto god ; but an oath rightly taken , or duly circumstantiated is so direct an application to god , and we do so particularly ascribe a divinity to that we swear by , that lactantius affirms , socrates his swearing by a goose and a dog was an acknowledgment of those creatures being his gods. and tertullian plainly gives this reason , why the primitive christians would not swear by the genius of the emperor , lest they should thereby own them to be gods. and hence authors generally make solemn oaths to be acts of religion , and one sort of the worship of god. so sanderson , * pareus , † cbemnitius , ‖ &c. but none can say thus of speaking bare truth ; and therefore the difference is very great ; that being an act of moral vertue , but this an act of the incommunicable worship of god ; that being directed to a man , this to the true and living god. par. but t. e. has a way to avoid this by telling us , that god is more glorified by having redeemed a people from perfidiousness , treachery , and falshood , &c. who can now speak truth every man with his neighbour . ibid. min. though the price of our redemption be of infinite value ; yet if men improve not the grace , which was purchased for them , this fault ( which is in them , and not in christ's redemption ) will spoil the quaker's argument . are all men , are all quakers themselves purged from hypocrisie , & c. ? if they be not , t. e. has said nothing to purpose against the use of solemn and legal oaths . par. he tells us now , that from reason you are come to consent of nations , your second medium to prove swearing an act of religion ; and here he bids his reader observe , that you have wholly let go your hold of natural religion , ibid. min. you may remember , my words were these ( which i suppose he durst not cite for fear of exposing himself ) i shall resume the method propos'd , and prove , that an oath is an act of religion , out of the light of nature and consent of nations , &c. and is not that , which can be proved an act of religion out of the light of nature , and by the consent of nations , an act of natural religion ? what better way , nay , what other way to prove it ? is this letting go my hold of natural religion , when i prove it by an instance of religion evident in the light of nature with special precept or institution ? what mark will t. e. assign us to distinguish it from an act of positive religion , according to his own distinction , p. . ? so that you see here how unfairly he deals with me , which surely he would never have done , had he thought , that the books would ever have been compared together . par. as to those instances , which you gave of aristotle , cicero and seneca , affirming an oath an act of religion out of the light of nature ; he carps only at your quotation in seneca , who says , that religion is the chief bond of fidelity in the militia ; where he observes that seneca do's not say , that an oath is the chief bond , but religion ; and that you would perswade your readers , that by [ religion is meant an oath , p. . min. had t. e. read the place in seneca , surely he would not so grossly have abused himself ; the whole sentence is this , even as the first bond of fidelity in the militia is religion , and the love of the ensigns , and the wickedness of running away , and then afterwards other things are easily required and commanded to those who are bound by an oath : nothing plainer , than that he calls that oath , with which souldiers are bound , religion ; and so do many other authors . if t. e. have none but rider by him in the country , or his capacity extend no higher ; let him look [ religio ] there , and he will find these words , viz. cic. in flacoum , religioni suae consulere , i. e. fidei & sacramento militari . and i think it makes much to my purpose , that the romans did not call an oath barely religious , but religion it self , as i could prove by more instances , were there occasion for it . par. well , he is resolved to attack all your instances together , and accordingly charges you with saying , those testimonies do signifie the universal consent of mankind in this point . do they so ? ( says he ) what , three men ( one greek , and two romans ) to represent all nations , and signifie the universal consent of mankind ! &c. ibid. min. he cannot be ignorant , that my words were not applied only to those three mens testimonies , but were a reply to your general question , why i alledged the testimonies of heathen authors to prove a christian duty ? i answer'd you , that those testimonies do signifie the universal consent of mankind , &c. that is , the testimonies of heathen authors in general . wherefore i said [ those ] not [ these , ] as he most falsly and injuriously cites my words , when he has got a little further off , pag. . as if i had meant the testimony of these three alone , when i plainly spake of all those testimonies , which might be produced from heathen authors , of which these three were the most eminent and plain ; and since other proofs and examples are so numerous , i thought these might suffice , otherwise i could have cited three hundred as well as three ; but indeed this is the first time a man was ever required to bring in an induction of all authors in the world to prove the consent of all mankind . i could fill a whole volume with the religious manner of the gentiles taking oaths , being in solemn cases accompanied with sacrifices and devoting themselves to the justice of their deities , if they did offend * . and so the samnites and arcadians custom was to take their oaths in the midst of their divine worship † . at rome a magistrate could not enjoy his place longer than five days without taking an oath , as livy witnesses . among the athenians the iudges took an oath to judge according to law , and so did they in aegypt , as alex. ab alex. tells us , lib. . cap. . but if names delight my adversary , let him read for brevity sake that author lib. . cap. . who shews all nations used to swear by what they accounted their gods and esteemed most sacred , where he reckons up the old grecians , athenians , thebeans , yea ( which will stumble t. e. ) the scythians , the massagetes , cappadocians , persians , aegyptians , ethiopians , armenians , africans , indians , &c. all agreeing to take oaths ; only differing as much in what they swore by , as they did in their opinions of their gods ; all agreeing in this , that an oath was a religious act , and only to be appropriate to the most sacred thing , and that which they did most highly venerate . surely t. e. is not a stranger to that famous story of marcus attilius regulus , who took an oath of the carthaginians ( whose captive he was ) that , if they would give him his liberty to return to rome , he would either send them the contracted sum for his ransome , or deliver up himself into their hands again ; and because he could not effect the former , he did the latter , which cost him his life . and do's not kings . . sufficiently prove my assertion ? where good obadiah speaks thus to elijah , as the lord thy god liveth , there is no nation or kingdom , whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee : and when they said , he is not there , he took an oath of the kingdom and nation , that they found thee not , par. but t. e. tells his reader , that to she●… the rashness of your inconsiderate assertion , he will give you some instances to the contrary . the first ( says he ) shall be of solon , one of the sages of greece : a good man should have that repute , as not to need an oath : it is a diminution of his credit to be put to swear , p. . min. solon's saying , as it is recorded by diogenes laert. ( the best preserver of these antiquities ) has no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , account honesty surer than an oath ; and how do's this prove an oath to be no act of religion ? samuel saith , obedience is better than sacrifice ; † but will ▪ t. e. bring that to prove , sacrifice was 〈◊〉 act of religion in samuel's time ? and that solon did not dislike oaths , is plain from what plutarch reports in his life , that when he had given laws to the athenians , he caused the senate and all the people to come into the market-place , and bind themselves by an oath to observe them . par. i see t. e. has lost one of the seven wise men of greece at the very first reincounter ▪ but to him he adds sosiades ( another of those seven wise men ; ) whose saying was , abstain from an oath , ibid min. had he told us where to have found that saying , that the occasions and circumstances of itmight have been consider'd , he might have expected a fuller answer than now can be given : why may not this relate only to vain swearing ? but this i must tell him , that no such man as sosiades was ever reckon'd among the seven wise men of greece . had but t. e. consulted his friend rider , he would have informed him , that solon , thales , periander , cleobulus , chilon , bias and pittacus were the seven wise men of greece ; but mentions no such man as sosiades : however if he was a wise man of greece , he was the eighth , and tho. ellwood deserves to be reckon'd the ninth for the discovery . par. his next instance is in cherillus , whose saying was , no oath ought to be used , neither a just one , nor an unjust one , ibid. min. to this i answer , if cherillus thought all oaths bad in themselves , how comes he to account some oaths just ? and if the saying be taken in the quaker's sense , it is contradiction in its very terms : so that this quaker's author will come off as poorly as another cherillus , who ( as rider tells us ) presented alexander the great with a poem , that had only seven good verses in it , the rest being stark naught ; whereupon the prince order'd , he should have seven pieces of gold for the good verses , and a buffet for every bad verse : if t. e. were so served , that is , if he were to have a piece of gold for every good section of his book , and a buffet for every bad one , i perswade my self he would find , that he had purchas'd his gold at a very dear rate . par. next he quotes the saying of epictetus , refuse an oath , if possible , altogether ; if not , by things obvious , ibid. min. this is a quotation little to his purpose , it being evident , that he speaks not of solemn oaths , especially in judicature , where it was never the custom to require oaths by things obvious , but always by the name of the gods ; and to confirm that epictetus was not against oaths on a serious occasion , arrianus his auditor , who writ this enchiridion , and also larger discourses from epictetus's own mouth , brings in the philosopher solemnly swearing in his lectures ; one instance may suffice , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. and verily by iove and the gods one creature were enough to make a modest and grateful man sensible of a providence . par. but t. e. says , plato is more positive , away ( saith he ) with an oath altogether , ibid. min. plato is a large author , and if t. e. had told us whereabouts he said so , we might have considered the occasion and truth of this saying : indeed hetorbids the using the names of their gods lightly * or without a necessary occasion : but what makes this against solemn swearing ( upon a due occasion ) by the true god ? and if he say any where , away with an oath altogether , he must not be understood otherwise than of common swearing , for these reasons . first , he was three times listed a souldier in the athenian wars , among whom it was the custom to bind their souldiers with an oath at their entrance into the service . † secondly , we find him frequently swearing by iove , and by god , whenever he is earnestly pressing any thing . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , being as familiar in his apol. pro socrate , critone , phaedo●…e , &c. as verily , verily in the gospel , of which i will engage to give examples . thirdly , he advises , that a law might be made , that no iudge should execute his office , unless he was sworn . † and though he thinks it inconvenient to administer oaths in some cases , and to some peculiar persons that are presum'd to have great t●…mptations to perjure themselves ; yet you may ●…nd that he allows oaths ( as to judges , so ) to several other persons , if you consult his th fock of laws . let it be lawful ( says he ) for strangers that cannot agree among themselves , to take , and administer oaths , if they please , as it is the custom of these times . * so that it plato any where forbid serious oaths , he is strangely inconsistent with himself . par. menander ( t. e. says ) is little less positive , so avoid evil swearing , as not to swear in things just and true , ibid. min. the greek is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but neither this , nor t. e's english do at all oppose solemn swearing in necessary cases ; for it is vain and common swearing to all truths in discourse , that brings men to such a custom , that by degrees they learn to swear any thing true or false ; and therefore to escape this evil custom , we should resolve to avoid all swearing to what we ordinarily say : and this same menander , to make men careful of solemn oaths when they did take them , saith , when thou swearest falsly , think not to conceal it from the gods. apud stobaeum . par. but t. e. says , plutarch tells them , it was unlawful for jupiter ' s priests to swear . ibid. min. i suppose he means , that it was their priviledge to be exempted from an oath ; for they who write upon that matter do tell us so ( viz. ) that it was the peculiar priviledge of the flamen dialis to be excepted ; which plainly implies , that other sorts of men were obliged to the taking of oaths ; nay not so much as the pontifex max. wax excepted ; and if the flamen dialis was to be chosen to any peculiar office , he was to swear by proxy . * by the law of england a nobleman is not obliged to give evidence upon oath : do's this argue , that the law looks upon an oath as evil ? nay noblemen themselves are not exempted in all cases ; for they cannot take upon them the execution of a will without taking an oath . † in an old council held at berkhamstead anno . cap. . it is ordained , that the word of a king and bishop ( without an oath ) shall be irrefragable : will t. e. hence argue , that an oath was not then accounted an act of religion in this nation ? he himself seems to reckon the wearing of black in mourning for the dead among the religious actions of the heathens , pag. . and yet that also was forbid to iupiter's priests . ‖ so that you may see , how glad the quakers are to take hold of any twig to save a linking cause ; but it will not do . par. he tells us further , that fimicus said to lollianus , neither take an oath , nor require one , p. . min. i suppose here 's some mistake , and that he means some other person ; for i never heard or read of such a man as fimicus ; and therefore am not so well prepared to answer the objection . but himself having stated [ oath ] indefinitely , may relate to an oath in converse , as well as to such as are tender'd upon a serious and solemn occasion . par. his last instance is out of polybius , who says , in the better and simpler ages of the world oaths were seldom used in iudicature ; but after that perfidy and lying encreased , the use of oaths encreased , ibid. min. if oaths were seldom used in judicature , do's it necessarily follow that they were never used in judicature ? polybius writ his history years before christ's time ; so that we must look to the very beginning of the roman state ( whose history he writes ) for these better and simpler ages ; let us go back as far as numa , successor to romulus ( which was the best and simplest age of that state : ) he ( says livy ) had endued the breasts of all with that piety , that fidelity and an oath without the fear of laws and punishment did rule the whole city † in those ages there were fewer men and fewer causes , and therefore fewer oaths : but neither polybius nor any other can say truly , that in any age they were wholly useless . and indeed this quotation is so far from being to the quaker's business , that it is directly against him , it proving that oaths were then used , though but seldom . par. yet t. e. bids his reader judge by these instances , whether the more virtuous and honest sort of heathens did esteem an oath to be an act of natural religion ( that is ) whether they accounted it of a religious nature in it self . ibid. min. where do's any of those instances deny it ? the strictest of them and the most positive cannot with any reason be interpreted to signifie any more than either a dehortation from that falslhood which was the occasion of them , or a caution against evil swearing , that is , against false , irreverent , and needless oaths . is this to consute my assertion ? let us try in a parallel case : excommunication is an act of religion ; now if i should bring many who say , it must not be used lightly , and some who forbid to use it at all inslight manner , many who say , a good man needs not to be excommunicated , and some , with polybius , who tell us , that in the best and simplest ages of the church it was seldom used , but when heresies and impieties encreased , the use of excommunication encreased also : doth this prove excommunication to be no act of christian religion ? all this is true , and yet all christians continue the use of it , and the quakers have something like it , pag. . let any man judge , if t. e. reason well , or have got the victory . that an oath ( duly circumstantiated ) is an act of natural religion , & of a religious nature in it self , i proved before , in that it glorifies god in the acknowledgment of his attributes : for to make any action of a religious nature , it 's sufficient that the attributes of god are glorified in the thing that is done , notwithstanding the occasion of the action be but rare and accidental ; and though it be no prescribed way of the constant worship of god , but secondary and occasional in the designation of it ; yet it is real , when thus occasioned and performed with reverence to the divine name . par. from instances of particular persons , he gives one of a nation in general , namely the scythians , whose embassadors treating with alexander the great , thus deliver themselves , think not that the scythians confirm their amity by oaths ; they swear by keeping their word : that it ▪ is the security of the greeks , who seal deeds and call upon their gods. we are bound by our very promise . p. , . min. this is one of the fairest quotations i see in his book ; and to this i have much to answer . first , this very saying declares , that it was ( however ) the custom of the greeks to seal deeds , & to swear by calling on their gods ; yea that swearing is a calling upon god , which overthrows all his greek authorities before produced . secondly , the embassadors say not , they never swore ; only they confirmed not their amity [ or leagues ] by oaths . in other cases the scythians did swear by their king's throne , by the wind , or their sword. * and indeed they worshipped their sword , and so might well swear by it . the scythians hanging up a sword are wont to sacrifice to it as to mars † . mars is the god of this people , and instead of an image they worship a sword ‖ . thirdly , one instance ( especially of so barbarous * a nation as the scythians , who were without towns or houses ) do's not overthrow a law of nature ; nor do's the exception of some few rude people make a thing to be no act of religion , which the more knowing and more general part of mankind observe as such . i hope t. e. will not deny that incest is against the law of nature , yet there were some whole nations † that allowed it . iustice is ( saith t. e. ) a part of natural religion , p. . yet among the spartans it was commendable to steal ‖ . and the old spaniards account robbery not only lawful , but glorious * . to worship the supreme god is confestly the main of natural religion , yet the chineses † and tartars ‖ were sunk so much below the principles of natural light , that they gave no worship at all to him , whom they accounted so . so that if it were true ( as it is not ) that the scythians did never swear , it will not at all follow * from thence , that swearing is no part of natural religion ; since the generality of mankind has used it as such . and now after so many discoveries of ellwood's untruths and sophistries , i may justly retort his own question here upon himself , might he not have come off with less shame , if he had used more modesty ? p. . par. that oaths were used among the heathen , and by many of them reputed religious , t. e. at length denies not ; but this ( says he ) do's not prove , that oaths were acts of natural religion , ibid. and tells us , it is evident , that the heathen borrowed many ceremonies from their neighbours the iews , p. . min. you have been shewed that the first oath that is mention'd , was tender'd by abimelech ( an heathen ) to abraham , and accepted of and taken by him , before any positive law was given about it . so that to these things i answer ( first ) all real acts of religion used by the heathen , must be acts of natural religion , because they were under no positive commands . rom. . . ( secondly ) though all , that some particular persons or people among the heathen did account religious actions , were not really so ; yet that which is so , not only in the suffrage of the most sober heathen , and such an universal consent of nations , as i have proved , but also was used as an act of religion , by invocation of god as witness , not only by abimelech , but by the holy patriarchs , before ( i say ) any positive law was given about it , must needs be an act of natural religion , as being dictated by nothing else , but the universal law of nature . this is so plain , that i hope , t. e. himself will be so ingenuous , as to consider of it . but i have now a great complaint to make against him , that whereas ( you may remember ) i gave you the definition of an oath , and told you , it was a religious appeal unto god , the seareher of all hearts , as a witness of what w●… assert or promise , and the avenger of perjury ; t. e. wholly passes this by ; it being indeed for his interest so to do ; while he well consider'd , how absurd it would have been for him to have denied , either that a religious appeal to god is an act of religion , or that ( being granted to be so even in the nature and definition of it ) it is an act of natural religion : so that the passing this by is plainly yielding the cause . another thing i complain of as a grand omission is , that all this while he has given us no definition of his own , nor any such express description of an oath , as to make us understand what he means by it : this is an omission very injurious to peace ; for as he may state the case , we may be as much against oaths ( in his sense ) as himself . par. i have often thought of this , yet ( though i cannot excuse t. e's . passing by your definition ) if you mind , he has given one himself , though he do's not call it so ; for he says an oath is but the mode or manner of speaking truth , p. . min. a false oath is an oath ; but a false oath ( sure ) is not a mode of speaking truth : i suppose then he means , an oath is a manner of asserting any thing , whether true or false . par. and he tells us further , that the manner of performing this has been various ; sometimes by a bare affirmation ; sometimes by an additional asseveration ; sometimes by calling god verbally to witness ; sometimes by an imprecation on the party himself ; sometimes by putting the hand under the thigh ; sometimes by lifting it up to heaven ; sometimes by laying it upon the breast ; sometimes by laying it upon the altar ; sometimes by laying it upon a book ; sometimes by kissing the book , &c. p. , . min. did ever man tye unequal things together at this rate ? calling god to witness , this is an oath in the true nature and formal reason of it , and has an imprecation either expresly added to it , or implied in it : but all the rest that follow , are neither various ways or modes of speaking truth , nor essential to an oath ; but only modes , [ or signs rather ] of calling god to witness ; and variable arbitrary ceremonies of expressing an oath . but the oath it self , you must understand , is ( in reference to truth ) the confirmation of it , heb. . . not a mode , nor ceremony of speaking it . as a vow is a confirmation of virginity , and neither a ceremony nor a mode thereof . but among all these which he has given us as modes or ways of expressing truth , he has not shewed us , which of all these is an oath . par. he tells us , an oath is made up out of them , p. . min. he cannot mean , that it is made up of them all conjunct : for the first of these , viz. a bare single affirmation , being single excludes all the rest ; the second , viz. an additional asseveraton , stops there and goes no further ; and those various ceremonies of putting the hand under the thigh , lifting it up to heaven , and the rest , cannot be supposed to have ever been used together in the same oath ; therefore an oath cannot be made up of all these conjunct : if so , then it can be but made up of some of them ; but t. e. has not told us which of them he meant ; neither what mode of speaking truth an oath is , nor of what modes it is made up . par. but t. e. has one scruple which troubles him often , to which i pray , answer once for al●… . consider ( says he ) now , i pray , what act of natural religion is that , which , the more truly christian men become , the less need they have of it . and here he thinks he has bishop gauden of his side ▪ who lays the necessity of oaths upon mens evil manners . yea , he says ▪ you confess † as much yourself : which ( as he thinks ) plainly shews , that an oath is not an act ▪ of natural religion , p. , . min. that evil manners make oaths more necessary , i did and still do consess ; but all t. e's . inferences from thence rely on this false and rotten foundation ; that no acts of natural religion can be founded upon mens evil manners . repentance is an act of natural religion ; yet the more truly christian men become , and the more free from sin , the less need they have of it : but here in this passage of t. e's . we must distinguish between him that needs an oath , and him that takes it ; for the holiest man may need a bad mans oath to assure his testimony , &c. ellwood confesses that iustice is an act of natural religion ( p. ▪ ) and one part of it is called distributive , which in all its penal acts depends wholly upon the ill manners of men , as much as oaths . the like may be said of mercy , as to that part of it which forgives injuries , &c. and yet the more truly christian men become , the less need there would be of either of these . yea st. paul says concerning the law , that it is not made for a righteous man , tim. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , says demonax in lucian : and constantius the emperor , if it were possible all men could be philosophers , there would be no need of compulsion by laws ; for that which now they forbear out of fear , they would then hate out of iudgment † and much more i might cite to this purpose ; but shall i therefore argue from hence , that justice and mercy , &c. are no moral virtues ? or that oaths , like many other good moral acts , and acts of natural religion , some in their own nature , some in their immediate ends , are nothing else but remedies against evil ; especially seeing t. e. himself ( p. . ) calls both these , viz. doing iustice , and shewing mercy moral and eternal precepts ? why then should he here exclude a duly circumstantiated oath , which in its primary designation is an act of justice , as i told you in the conference ? par. but your second proposition , that an oath is an act of necessary justice and charity towards men , and that in order to the ending of strife by evidence , t. e. answers , that evidence is necessary , but not an oath ; for evidence may be given by a plain affirmation , &c. and that an oath is therefore superfluous , p. . min. i answer , that a bare affirmation indeed is an evidence , but not so well assured : and he wilfully passes by the answer i gave you to this in the conference , which methinks might satisfie a reasonable man , viz. that conscience do's not dread all sins alike , &c. and that multitudes who fear not a lye , yet do dread the solemnity of an oath ▪ and the horrour of perjury . † in opposing this he opposeth himself , for he seems to grant it pag. . however he opposeth common sense ; for all men are more apt to believe those that are upon their oaths , than if they were not . par. but he says , that you must either deny , that there is in any man that truth , which may make his bare testimony of sufficient credit ; or yield , that there are some men , from whom there is no need at all of an oath , p. . min. his consequence is not good ; i grant there are some men , whose reputation may give great credit to their bare testimony : but in a case , where my life , credit , or estate is at stake , such an one ( seeing he is not infallible ) must not take it ill , that i require the utmost assurance that may be had , viz. his oath ; for i see his fact , ‖ but not his heart . by what certain mark shall we knowmens integrity ? and though some men may be satisfied concerning this or that mans veracity ; yet others , who may be concern'd in his testimony , may not be so : and if some men be believed in publick evidence without an oath ; others , who are privy to their own integrity , may censure this as partiality , if their evidences be not so taken also ; however ill disposed men will readily make it occasion of censure and contention . and though i say not , all oaths are infallible ; yet this i say , that they are the highest and best security we can have in this world ; and higher assurances we must not expect . par. he abuses you also for saying in the prophet darid's words psal. . all men are lyars . p. . and tells us , that david indeed in his great affliction let such an expression drop ; but he quickly recalled himself , and confest it was spoken in haste : [ haste ] i perceive he takes for rashness , and therefore says , you catcht up the word at a venture , ibid. min. he has done so , i am sure ; and has accused me here as rashly as he fancies david accused all mankind . david said it in his haste , that is , when saul was in pursuit of him , in fugâ in his flight , saith gejerus , and dr. hammond on the place : when he was in haste , that is , hotly pursued by his enemies , he then sound there was no truth in man ; and therefore must rely on god , and not on the arm of flesh . but suppose david had been guilty of this imperfection , and had spoken in haste according to ellwood's sense ; was st. paul in haste too , when he said , let god be true , but every man a lyar , rom. . ? the meaning whereof is , every man is fallible ; yea the best man may depart from his integrity , as t. e. himself confesses . p. . par. but t. e. says , if felons cannot be held without fetters , must true men therefore wear shackles ? p. . min. till honest men ( occasionally suspected ) be known to be such , they are laid in the same irons with felons ; and since honest men live among knaves in this world , and sometimes knaves do appear in the dress of honest men , there it is prudent to use the same bonds , seals , witnesses , oaths , &c. to oblige the one , as we use to bind the other . but if t. e. can inform us of any certain visible mark , whereby we may be sure such a man is honest , and will not deceive us , by my consent we will take his bare word ; but the world never knew such a mark as yet . all men are not actually lyars , but all men may lye sometimes ; and we cannot tell when they will do so , and when not : so that we will lay the strongest obligations upon them we can , in weighty cases ; and then we have done our part . i know that the strongest bond and best security may fail , but he that takes the best and most likely , acts with most prudence and safety . to conclude , it were happy , if there were no sickness ; but so long as we either are sick , or are in a possibility of being sick , remedies are and will be good : and so oaths are and will be good and needful , so long as any men can , or any men do deceive ; and so long , till we know by evident tokens those that cannot deceive us from those that can ; which art as yet we are so far from having learned , that we are generally cheated by those we put most confidence in . par. if hypocrisie and wickedness ( saith t. e. ) be reasons of demanding an oath , does not he , that in conformity thereunto takes an oath , acknowledge himself to be hypocritical and wicked ? p. . min. i answer , that supposing these were the reasons , it only follows , that those that demand an oath look upon him as fallacious ( for ought they know : ) but the juror does no more acknowledge himself to be an hypocrite , than he , that seals a bond for the performance of such and such covenants and conditions , do's by that acknowledge himself a knave . when an honest man therefore seals , or swears , &c. it is ( first ) because it is legally demanded of him ; and ( secondly ) because it is both necessary and just in order to the satisfaction of the parties demanding it . he hereby only acknowledges he lives in an evil world , and so must be dealt with , as one that may be an evil man ; but he does not acknowledge that he really is one . par. but evil men ( says he ) will not make any more conscience of false swearing , than of false speaking . p. . and for this he cites bishop gauden , ibid. min. as for bishop gauden , he speaks of those who have got a custom of swearing , which is another case . but for the quakers objection , that men leavened with hypocrisie & swayed with malice and interest are not to be trusted , when they do swear : i answer , that experience shews , that evil men will say much more , than they dare swear to ina court of judicature ; many dread swearing , that do not stick at lying . but if we grant that some are so wicked , that they will both lye and forswear ; what then ? 't is to no purpose to require an oath of them , says the quaker : i answer , yes ; for why should a mans wickedness priviledge him from the duties of society ? this is the way to encourage more to be wicked : we know a knave 's bond is little better than his his word , and yet we take his bond as the best assurance we can have . if we had a mad-man , who would be likely to break all the cords we have to tye him with , shall we let him run loose ? nonne debui facere quod possum , si non potui totum quod volui † ? we will bind an evil man with an oath ( that bond of the soul , num. . . ) hoping that partly for fear of hell and the curse due to perjury from god , and partly from dread of the outward penalty from men ( as t. e. notes ) he will not forswear himself : if he do , let him look to it ; we have done our best to be safe ; and it is not in this case alone , but in all others , there 's no fence against them , who fear neither god nor man. par. but t. e. thinks his argument safe under the testimonies of the ancients ; and first brings in chrysostom saying , he that doth not stick at lying , will not fear swearing , p. . min. if st. chrysostom's words must be taken in t. e's . sense , they make oaths as insignificant during the law , as in the times of the gospel ; that reason being as good then , as now . and though i might urge , that the learned have doubted , whether the homilies he quotes were st. chrysostom's or no ; yet i shall take it as granted , and reply further . first , that it is true of common discourse , where rash oaths spoken without any solemnity , do as easily fall from common swearers , as lyes from common lyars ; but in judicial oaths experience shews , that men have a greater dread upon them : and that this whole discourse is to be understood only of common swearing , viz. to shew that a man is not one whit more to be credited in his discourse for the oaths he mingles with it , i thus prove . ( first ) these are homilies , which were popular sermons ; and were not directed to the magistrates , who had the power of giving and requiring oaths . ( secondly ) in all the genuine homiles of st. chrysostom about swearing , he plainly speaks only of private mens swearing among themselves , which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superfluous oaths . hom. . ad pop . antioch : and there tells the people , he would not give over preaching against it , till they had left this evil custom of common swearing ; and advises the masters and mistresses of such servants as swore in their families , to make them go supperless to bed. ( thirdly ) in all probability st. chrysostom would not dare ( being a patriarch of constantinople ) in the imperial city to inveigh against the oaths then used in the emperors judicatories ; or if he had , his many and bitter enemies ( who laid other frivolous things to his charge ) would surely have deeply accused him for this , which yet is never mentioned : so that this can be meant of none but private oaths in communication . secondly . if t. e. apply it to publick oaths , he shall see the weakness of such arguing by a familiar instance : suppose t. e. be to lend l. of some orphans under his care , will he not expect and require a bond ? i believe , he will ; and i ask why ? the man is either one that fears god and is honest , and then his word is good without a bond ; or he does not fear god and is a knave , and then his bond is of little value : would t. e. or any wise man with such plausible arguments be wheehled out of a prudent care of the best security he could get ? i speak not this to derogate from the fathers ; but in their popular discourses ( t is sufficiently known ) their arguments are rather rhetorical than logical , and must not always be used as authority in dispute ; but as to this quotation , it is applied by t. e. to a purpose contrary to the author's meaning , and that makes it degenerate into a meer fallacy . but of st. chrysostom more hereafter . par. next t. e. brings in isidorus pelusiota writing thus , obey his voice , that forbiddeth to swear at all . p. . he brings in also erasmus , the scythians , antipho and sophocles also out of stobaeus , p. . min. isidore of pelusium imitates his master st. chrysostom , and is also to be interpreted of private oaths , which inredulous men rrequire of one another in ordinary communication , and take familiarly , which no doubt are great sins : and that he means it not of magistrates requiring publick oaths is plain , because that was always lawful before christs time ; and ( whatever t. e's . opinion be ) isidore affirmeth , that the son of god did not add any new doctrine over and above what was in the law and the prophets . ‖ but to teach publick oaths to be unlawful , had been a new doctrine , never heard of before : christ therefore and isidore only do forbid private and needless and common swearing , which were forbidden in the law and the prophets , had they not been ill interpreted by the pharisees . to his lesser authorities i reply , that not one of those he cites were against solemn swearing , and therefore they ( saying much the same , that the two preceding fathers had done ) do confirm us in the belief , the fathers spoke of ordinary swearing ; for these do so . first , erasmus his opinion may be known from the very place cited by ellwood , viz. his comment on iam. . . where after he has inveighed against those that swear by god in light or trivial matters , and those that swear after the jewish custom by heaven , by the earth , &c. he immediately adds the words quoted by this quaker , whosoever dare be bold to lye without swearing , he dares do the same , when he sweareth , if he list . what kind of swearing is here meant , the very words immediately before this sentence sufficiently evidence . but if it be not plain enough , let t. e. consult erasmus's annotations on mat. . . where are words to this effect , i suppose that christ did only mean , that the perfect [ or grown christians ] ( for of these he speaks ) ought not at all to swear upon the account of those things , which make the common people great swearers : otherwise ( saith he ) in a cause of * faith , or piety , even christ himself and the apostles swear . and again , many hard questions might be easily solved , if we understand that christ did not simply [ or absolutely ] forbid these , but only forb●…d them to be used in that common manner , people were wont then to use them in . † if t. e. read on , he may see erasmus's opinion in more things than this , wherein he will find him , as much as any , opposite to the quakers tenents . secondly , that the scythians did swear also in some cases , i have proved before . thirdly , antipho ( in the same place of stobaeus ) inveighs against those who will not believe a serious oath , saying , when any despises a man swearing , that never was convict of false-swearing , he seems to me to despise the gods , and to have formerly been guilty of perjury himself . fourthly , sophocles ( in stobaeus also ) saith , the mind is made more cautious by the apposition . of an oath ; for th●…n a man must take heed of two things , lest he injure his neighbour , and offend against the gods. if the quaker read the other sentences in stobaeus , he must needs see these , which plainly shew that they were not against serious oaths : and therefore though they say , the oaths of wicked men are of little value ; yet they never meant to exempt wicked men from publick swearing on great occasions . yet i will tell t. e. one thing , now i think of it , the civil and canon law , i am sure ( and i think our common law ) which all allow publick swearing , knowing that the o●…th of an ill man is of little weight , do give the parties liberty to except against a notorious wicked man , so that he shall not be allowed to swear or give evidence . † and thus t. e's argument every way falls to the ground . par. now he comes to tell us , that the abolishing of an oath would not derogate ; nay , he adds , the continuing of oaths doth derogate from the honour of christianity , &c for it ( says he ) mounts far above all other religions , and leads them that sincerely embrace it , to a perfection beyond what ever was attainable in any of them , yet in them oaths were attainable , &c. and he brings in bishop gauden saying , the primitive christians did so keep up the sanctity and credit of their profession among unbelievers , that it was security enough in all cases to say , christianus sum , i am a christian. if any urged them further to any oath , for matter , or manner , or authority unlawful , they repeated this , as the only satisfaction they could give , &c. p. , . min. to these i answer , first , that t. e. minces my argument , which was this , seeing therefore that the ends of iustice and charity are so much served by the religious use of an oath ; would not the abolishing of it derogate from the honour of christianity ? for while the apostle saith , an oath for confirmation is the end of all strife ; if you take away an oath , you take away that which was ordained by god to be the most effectual means of ending it , and so make christ not so much the prince of peace , as discord , by making him the abolisher of that which was design'd to compose it * . now had the quaker found my argument really faulty , why did he not strike at the foundation of it ? which is this , an oath for confirmation is an end of strife : by which omission he has render'd his other reasonings impertinent and vain . i grant it would be for the honour of christianity , to take away the need of an oath ; but to make a law against it , while the necessity continues , this is not for its honour . . though oaths were attainable under judaism and heathenism , it does not follow , that they are useless now . iustice in punishing , and government by laws and magistrates were attainable too , the jews and heathens being thus kept in order ; but must we therefore throw these away ? . would all sincerely embrace christianity , i know with t. e. that it would make them upright , just and true , so that they durst not speak a falshood , and so there would be no need of an oath . but if t. e. let oaths alone till this come to pass , i promise him , i will not then dispute for them . if men were what they are not , than might we spare , what now we cannot be without . . as to bishop gauden's words , i see no argument producible thence against us ; for the bishop does not say , that the primitive christians refused to take any oath whatever [ indefinitely ] ( for then he need have gone no further ; ) but only such an oath , as for matter , or manner , or authority was unlawful . and which of us does plead for such an oath ? but to give you further satisfaction in this point , i shall hereafter prove , what the bishop speaks of the primitive christians , viz. that they did not refuse any oaths , but such as were unlawful upon some of these accounts ; but did swear by gods name , as we do , in necessary cases . par. but still t. e. replies , how great a derogation is this from the honour of christianity ? p. . min. so he may argue , are rods and axes , prisons and fines , houses of correction , and places of execution ; t is very sad that christianity hath not set its followers above the need of these things ; but he will scarce perswade our governours to throw away these instruments of government , which help to keep the seditious in some awe . a man may lament it , that these things should be necessary ; but since they are so , they must be retained . i remember seneca cries out in a rhetorical strain , o how base a confession is this from mankind , of their publick fraud and villany , that our seals shall be of more credit than our souls * ! yet seneca never intended that bonds , and sealing of deeds should be taken out of the world , considering what men were . and truly if oaths were taken away , and other like securities at t. e's . motion , we should soon find such a flood of cheating and lying break in upon us , as would derogate ten times more from the honour of christianity , than solemn swearing doth ; which indeed does not dishonour it at all , though the occasion of its being used in publick courts is some disgrace . but though the occasion be evil , yet swearing is good ; and would be of use in dedicating our selves to god , psal. . . and in consecrating our voluntary oblations , numb . . . and in other cases , though the use of them in judicature should cease ; for we can offer nothing more acceptable to god than a just oath * , saith st. augustine ; and when christians take oaths with all due reverence , & are careful not to satisfie or break them for the whole world , i think they honour their profession , and do not disgrace it , whether in judgment or on other grand occasions . par. but t. e. wonders , that from the apostle's words , heb. ▪ . [ an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife ] you should conclude , that an oath [ is ] ●…ined by god to be the most effectual means of compesing it , whereas you should rather have said [ was ] ordained , if you had intended to deal fairly . p. . min. is he angry then that i quote scripture aright ? had the apostle said that an oath for confirmation [ was ] an end of strife , than had i indeed ddeal●… unfairly . but if the holy ghost●…speak in the present tense ( as may reasonably be concluded he does , because [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swear ] in the same verse is of this tense ) let not the quaker blame me for speaking here so too . par. but he has another rare criticism , st. paul do's not say [ we ] swear , but [ men ] swear , nor [ to us ] an end — but [ to them ] an end , so that he speaks of men under the law , and men in a carnal state , p. . min. if t. e. had looked back to ver . . and read the antecedent which lies there , he would have seen the impertinence of his long criticism ; the words are these , [ for whe●… god made the promise to abraham , because he could swear by no greater , he sware by himself : ] and then ver . . . the apostle repeating the promise and the certainty of it adds , v. . [ for men verily swear by the greater , and an oath for confirmation is to them an end , &c. ] here the antithesis lies ; not between saints and carnal men , nor between christians and iews , them and us ; but between god and men , between him and them ; the sense being , god did act in this oath more humano , he confirmed it by an oath , as men use to do , only with this difference , that god could not swear by any greater than himself , whereas men always do swear by a greater : yet the event is the same ; for god's oath by himself put the promise out of all question , even as mens swearing by a greater , to confirm what they say , is to them an end of all strife . par. but t. e. infers from ●…or . . . that the apostle in this place does not by [ men ] intend saints , true believers , the new testament church ; but such as were under the old dispensation . nor are you or any else to take advantage from the apostle's speaking in the present tense ( men [ do ] swear , &c. and an oath [ is ] to them , &c. ) from thence inferring that he spake this of the christian state : because on other occasions he expresses himself in the same tense , as in heb. . . and . . p. , . min. to the first i answer , it does not follow from cor. . * . that [ men ] here in heb. . . should exclude those of the christian church , unless t. e. could prove , that [ men ] in other places of scripture did always signifie carnal and bad men only . what do's he think of that saying of our lords , luke . , . let your loins be girded about , and you lights burning ; and ye your selves like unto men * that wait for their lord , & c. ? what means cor. . . quit you like men ? i am sure our translators do take [ men ] in a quite contrary sense to t. e. sometimes ; for in cor. . . the greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [ be ye perfect , ] vet they read [ be ye men , ] taking [ men ] for perfect mer. to the second i answer , that his shifts to evade the force of the particle [ is ] in the present tense ( which he pretends st. paul uses in this epistle for things that had been among the iews , but are not applicable to the christian state ) are very wretched . the apostle said truly , there is a high priest , and is a holiest of all ; for at that time there were both in being , and he could not speak truly in any other tense : but do's it follow from thence , that always , when he useth [ is , ] it is of things only applicable to the jewish state ? in this chap. ver . . he saith , christ [ is ] enter'd into the heavens ; and chap. . . for the word of god [ is ] quick , &c. and chap. . . faith [ is ] the substance , &c. what non-sense and blasphemy would it make ●…to say here , [ is ] only was applicable to the jewish state , when these things were true then , and will be so to the end of the world , to jews and christians all alike ? and when this was the plain and common sense , what reason has t. e. to make [ is ] stand for [ was , ] but only that he may impose his own absurd notions on the holy scripture ? as he does again , p. . where he impudently puts his false opinion into the middle of a text of scripture meerly to force it to his own sense , the law ( in which oaths were , says he ) was given by moses , but the grace and the truth came by iesus christ , joh. . . whereas the gospel and the law do not oppose each other in this matter , us i shall prove immediately : but t is plain he mak●…s no scruple of abusing scripture ; for in the same place , reading some exhortations in the gospel to truth , sincerity , love , &c. from these precepts he infers , that men ( he means quakers , i suppose ) now are really endued with all these vertues : though 't is a plain fallacy to argue from what we ought to be , to what we are ; yet this is a common way the quakers have of profaning holy scripture , to take christ's precepts and turn them into affirmations , applying them as encomiums to their own mis-led party ; being herein like the iews , who delighted much in hanging the precepts of the law in phylacteries about them for ornament and ostentation , but took no care to live up to them in their conversations : see the quaker in this posture , p. , . par. now ( says t. e. ) you are come to your third proposition , viz. that an oath is a part of that moral and eternal law , which our saviour professeth , he came not to destroy , but to fulfil * . p. . min. this is a cunning and malicious untruth , for though he be come to it , i am not yet come so far ; for the last words objected by the quaker were out of p . but the figure [ ] in the margin of my book noting the third proposition is placed , p. . yet to colour over the matter , he begins with the last words of these four pages , and first sets upon the conclusion , p. . and then runs back presently to the beginning , p. . but i perceive his treachery , viz. he would make his reader believe , that all i say to prove oaths not evil in themselves , is said to prove them part of the moral and eternal law ; but i desire you and others to observe , that i am yet upon the proof of my second proposition , that oaths are a piece of necessary iustice and charity ; only foreseeing that some would object , that oaths are evil in themselves , and so could not be necessary : i first prove they are not evil in themselves . secondly , in page † . i go on to answer a second objection , viz. that oaths are part of the ceremonial law , and so could be no parts of iustice and charity : which having disproved as a transition to my third proposition , p. . i make that inference ( the way being now clear , and oaths proved necessaryry parts of justice and charity , as also neither evil in themselves , nor ceremonial ) therefore they are parts of the moral law , the next thing to be proved : this is the very truth ; and now where is t. e's sincerity ? where is his honesty , so apparently to prevaricate ? par. but here he makes himself much sport , that you should bestirr your self not a little to prove that , which ( he says ) he never yet heard any deny , namely , that all oaths are not evil in themselves , which you gravely inferr from their having been once confessedly lawful . what else is this , but to mis-spend your time , and bestow many a doughty blow upon your own shadow ? p. . min. t. e. could not be better pleas'd with my expressions , than i am with this answer . so that i shall reply upon him with his own words , did he consider what he writ ? if he thinks that all oaths are not evil in themselves ; let him give an account , why he produced the testimony of heathens against them , nay the testimony of a whole nation , as he pretends . he will not say , that the heathens had any revelation to forbid all oaths : so that they could not be evil in their sense , but as they were evil in themselves . why do's t. e. commend their zeal for refusing all oaths , seeing they could not be evil to them ? did not he mis-spend his time in producing these testimonies ? has not he lost here his argument to save his jest ? and made one part of his book inconsistent with another ? but further to prove oaths moral , i shall desire to know of the quakers , whether they account the third commandment moral . par. i think none of them will be so absurd as to deny it . min. than an oath is moral ; for [ thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain ] is ( according to both the ancient and modern divines ) thou shalt not forswear thy self . the syriac version hath it , ne jures per nomen domini dei tui cum mendacio , thou shalt not lye , when thou swearest by the lord thy god. now it 's a known rule , that every negative supposeth an affirmative : if we are commanded not to swear falsly , it implies that we may swear truly upon a just occasion . wherefore saith st. augustine , no body can speak falsly , who speaks not at all ; so he that do's not swear , cannot forswear . so that if the quakers make all swearing vain , they will make the third commandment insignificant . par. if [ taking the name of god in vain ] be no more than [ thou shalt not forswear thy self ; ] will not tho●…e who take the name of god lightly , wantonly , and irreverently into their mouths , be encouraged by this exposition ? min. when we come to give an account of scripture , we must do it as it is ; and must not by consequences of our own make our selves wiser than god : yet i must tell you , though [ to take the name of god in vain ] be only an hebrew phrase to forswear ; yet is there here no encouragement for wicked men to use god's name lightly and irreverently ; for every time they so do , they are guilty of the vice of swearing , and so are included in the breach of this commandment . par. but t. e. tells us , some things are forbidden , because they are evil ; and some things are evil , because they are forbidden , ibid. min. [ some things are forbidden because they are evil ] implies that all things that are evil are not forbidden , this is so false and irreligious a principle , that it needs no other consutation than the very naming of it : and [ some things are evil , because forbidden : ] here he should have given an instance , where any thing is so , imm-diutely and directly . it was so of old , i confess , during the continuance of the ceremonial law ; but he should have instanced where 't is so now in the times of the gospel . par. you have another far-fetch ( s●…ys t. e. ) by which you would prove oaths moral , and that is , because they are not ceremonial . and to prove that they are not ceremonial , you say , they were used by the patriarchs before the levitical law was given . whereupon t. e. asks , was nothing then ceremonial , that was used by the patriarchs before the levitical law given ? p. . and this question pleases him so well that he is at it again , p. . min. to both these places i answer , when the quakers say , oaths are ceremonial , they mean , they are a part of moses his law , and t. e. plainly says , p. , they were appointed to them under the law ; & hubberthorn accounts them levitical ceremonies ; so that i may justly disprove their being ceremonial in this sense , because they were used by the patriarchs years before the levitical ceremonies were given . so that t. e's . inference is not so natural as he dreams it is , when he says , can any thing be more naturally inferr'd , than that i account whatsoever was used by the patriarchs , before the levitical law was given , to be a part of the moral and eternal law , p. . par. was not ( says he ) circumcision in the flesh used before the levitical law was given ? ibid. were not beasts sacrifiecd long before the levitical law was given ? will you thence conclude that circumcision , and these sacrifices are parts of the moral and eternal law ? min. i answer , neither were they properly levitical ceremonies ; for first , circumcision ( saith christ ) is not of moses , but of the fathers , ioh. . . and though it be not moral , yet there is a great difference between that and oaths : circumcision hath no reason in it self , why it should be observed , nor could the light of nature ever have taught it men , without a positive institution , which is recorded , gen. . but oaths have a reason in their own nature , and the light of nature led men to use them long before any law was given about them : t. e. confesses , the patriarchs used them ; let him shew what command they had for so doing ( as is evident in the case of circumcision ) and then oaths and circumcision may fall together ; but this is impossible , therefore though circumcision be ceremonial , oaths are not so . secondly , as to sacrifices , they are believed by all divines to have had a positive institution , viz. as to the offering things slain ; some think god taught this to adam , others to noah ; and no man will say that sacrifices are levitical ceremonies : i grant that sacrificing slain beasts being typical of christ was ceremonial ; but sacrifice as it is the oblation of something to god in acknowledgment of his being lord of all the world , is a part of natural religion as well as oaths ; mortification , rom. . . alms heb. . . and praise ver . . are called sacrifices in gospel times , and are eternal duties ; and the fathers hold , that under the gospel the kind is altered , but there are christian sacrifices still ; as i could largely prove were there any need for it . wherefore an oath doth not agree with sacrifices , as they were instituted , and as they pointed to christ's death ; but as they are an acknowledgment of god's sovereignty and bounty , so they are a part of natural religion , and no ceremonies , and of the same nature and duration with an oath , both being moral : and indeed oaths were never instituted , but supposed ; and ▪ where they are spoken of in the law or prophets , are only restrained to due circumstances , and set among moral duties , deut. . . isa. . . ier. . . par. thus you have made way for your third proposition ; but t. e. will quarrel still at his old rate : and whereas your first argument to prove oaths not ceremonial was , because they were not typical ; this knowing man bids you prove that all the ceremonies of moses law were types , and tell him what they were types of , sporting himself about aaron's breeches , and the places anointed in a priest's consecration : p. . min. if he had more knowledge , he would shew less mirth ; for st. paul affirms that which he doubts of , heb. . . and . . and iustin martyr , origen and st. ambrose of old , with many modern authors of great note , have very learnedly shewed the antitypes in the gospel for every type and ceremony of the law ; and are these fit to be the objects of t. e's scorn and laughter ? even by aaron's breeches was typified that modesty , which those ought to shew who meddle with holy things . this moral thereof t. e. is ( methinks ) as far from practising , as he is from understanding : again , exod. . . the blood was put on the tip of the priests ear , to shew , they should be ready to hear the commands of god ; on the thumb , to shew they should lift up holy hand in god's service ; and on the toe , to note an holy conversation in the ministers of the gospel . par. t. e. may now , if he please , laugh at his own folly : but the next attempt of his is to find out an antitype for an oath , which must typifie something , though other things do not ; for he says , this truth-speaking , this true witness-bearing , this pure language under the gospel , is the antitype of an oath , p. . min. a pure invention of the quakers ! as if all that sware , before christ brought in truth , were perjured . just now an oath was a mode of truth , and now 't is a type of truth ; can any thing be a mode and a type of the same thing ? alms is a mode of shewing mercy , but sure is no type of shewing mercy ; trying malefactors before a judge is a mode of doing justice , but no type of doing justice . indeed an oath is the calling god to witness to a truth spoken , as prayer is the calling on him to supply our wants ; now how strange would it be to say , prayer is a type of the supply of our wants without prayer ? yet it is as absurd to say , an oath is a type of truth-speaking without an oath ; besides , thus type and antitype would have always gone together , or else it was false swearing ; and was christ the antitype actually slain with every sacrifice that was a type of him ? surely his cause is bad , when he is put upon such absurd shifts as these to defend it . par. but t. e. comes now to your third proposition indeed , viz. that the reason and usefulness of an oath being perpetual , it must be an eternal duty , and so not repealed in the gospel . to this he has nothing to reply more than what relies on his old baffled suppositions , viz. that lying and hypocrisie cannot be the ground or reason of what is eternally good , p. , . min. i never affirmed they were the reasons , but the occasions they may be ; the reasons of an oath ought rather to be said to be , god's omniscience , and his being the supream judge of the world , a lover of truth , and avenger of all perjury and lying ; for the belief of this makes men require an oath ( in matters of moment , wherein prudence directs them to the greatest security that may possibly be had ) and causeth those who take it to fear to prosane it : as the reason of justice in punishing is , that every man may have his desert , ut qui non reddit agendo , reddat patiendo ; but the occasion is evil doing . as for the usefulness of an oath , when t. e. hath found out as good , and great a security as this is , we will then debate , whether oaths may be laid aside . at present he saith lying , hypocrisie &c. are taken away , at least ( de jure of right ) it ought to be so , p. . but then t. e. must stay till his [ de jure ] be turned into [ de facto : ] the quaker de jure ought not to lye and wilfully to mistake and abuse my words , but de facto he has done it . would god , all things were as they ought to be ; for if we were what we are not , we might omit some things now not to be spared , as i told you before . par. t. e. has now followed you to your fourth prop●…sition , wherein by the examples of st. paul and an angel who swore in the new testament , you undertook to prove , that all oaths are not forbidden by christ. and here i wonder at him , that he falls not upon all the instances you gave of st. paul's swearing , as in this case ( i think ) he ought to have done . min. 't is no wonder to me to find this quaker omitting any material passage in my book : but as to those instances i gave you , they are the truest and plainest way of interpreting christ's meaning : for if st. paul swore in those writings which were dictated by the holy ghost , it 's plain demonstration , that all oaths are not forbidden . for the apostle ( saith st. augustine ) doubtless knew the command of our lord , and yet be swore † . and i hope all men will believe that st. paul and the holy ghost are safer interpreters of the sense of our saviour than t. e. and his spirit . now it 's so plain that st. paul did swear , that st. augustine saith , they are not to be heard , who fansie these are not oaths which the apostle used ‖ . now let us examine , why the apostle's words [ god is my witness , &c. rom. . . ] should not pass for an oath . par. to say barely and simply god is my witness , is not an oath ( saith t. e. ) for then god must swear by men , when he saith ( isa. . . ) ye are my witnesses , &c. moses by heaven and earth , and st. paul by the high priest , when they say , they are witnesses ; yea the quaker by john and james if he say , they are his witnesses . p. , , . min. i grant first , that every appeal to god is not an oath ; to appeal to god as a righteous judge against the injustice and cruelty of men , without relation to his attesting and judging of a proposition , is no swearing by him. secondly , that the citation of witness is no swearing . and thirdly , that in some cases men do not swear , when they affirm or say , that god is a witness ; thus much i can grant the quaker : for when i comfort my self against false accusations of men , i may say , god is a witness to my innocency , and yet not be said to swear by him ; or when i say , god is a witness of mens secret wickedness , i do not swear by him : but then divines and lawyers agree , that to take god to witness , and to appeal to god as the iudge of the truth of what we say , and the avenger of the untruth , is swearing . in which respect this passage of st. paul's is accounted an oath ; which he thought necessary , as being the greatest assurance he could give the romans of his charity and zeal for them ; god is my witness , &c. that without ceasing i make mention of you always in my prayers * , wherefore st. augustine saith , what signifies [ by god ] but [ god is witness ? ] and what means [ god is witness , ] but [ by god ] serm. . de verb. apost . to , &c. to call god to witness is to swear , saith the same st. augustine ; and so chrysostom † ; so all the school-men , so our modern divines , so both jews and heathens define an oath . but do's it at all follow , that because it is no swearing to call a creature to witness , therefore it 's none to call the creator to witness ‖ ? to petition god is divine worship , is it therefore divine worship to petition the king ? no , let the quaker know , it 's essential to an oath , to call somewhat to witness , that we believe to be a god. par. now t. f. comes to your next instance [ rom. . . i say the truth in christ , i lye not , my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy ghost . ] to this he answers , to speak the truth in christ is not an oath , &c. p. . if paul should have sworn as oft as he spake the truth in christ , he would have been a very common swearer , p. . min. it 's very true , that every time we speak the truth in christ we do not swear ; but as the phrase stands here , it can be accounted nothing else but an oath ; which will be more evident to this great critick and judge in translations , if he observe , that in greek it is [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] which he knows may justly be translated [ by christ ; ] for he is not ignorant , i hope , that in st. mat. . , , . where we read — by heaven — by earth — by thy head — ( per caelum — per terram — per caput tuum , as beza has it ) which are plain swearing : yet there the original is the same preposition as here — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and eph. . . where we read [ and testifie in the lord , ] beza hath obtestor per dominum , the greek being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and i am sure there are very many instances in scripture , where [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] is translated [ by ] and where it is used in swearing ; so that if we read it [ i say the truth by christ , &c. ] as we may do ; then it will admit of no dispute . i shall only add , that this [ i say the truth in christ , i lye not ] was appointed by an old english council † to be the priests and deacons form of swearing before the altar . as to the second part of the sentence , st. paul swears not by his conscience , which was not his god , but only professeth the agreement of this protestation to the sense of his soul , and to the testimony of the holy ghost , with which he was inspired , unless we translate [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] by the holy ghost , and make it another oath , viz. by the holy spirit . par. though t. e. did not consult his greek testament in this instance , yet in your next he did ; for whereas you propounded cor. . , [ but as god is true , &c. ] to this he replies , the particle [ as ] is not in the greek , but put in by the translator , ibid. min. what then ? who knows not that the jews did always leave out [ as ] in their oaths ? and yet always it was to be understood ; i suppose t. e. will grant [ as the lord liveth ] to be an oath , yet [ as ] is never in the original , but always put in by the translator , as he may understand by [ as ] being printed in a smaller letter , iud. . . and sam. . . sam. . . kings . , &c. and whereas t. e. would have us read it in tomson's traslation , [ yea god is faithful , ] he must know that if he leave out [ as ] it will be an oath still ; for ier. . . though they say , the lord liveth , surely they swear falsly : where the prophet saith , they did swear , who only said , the lord liveth without [ as. ] surely it 's as much an oath in this instance of st. paul to say [ god is faithful , ] as in the other to say [ the lord liveth ; ] all the difference is , they whom ieremy mentions swore falsly , but st. paul truly . and indeed it is but an hebraism to leave [ as ] out , for it must be understood , or else it is not a full sense . par. i observe that t. e. finds himself pincht by this instance , for he allows the words of st. paul to be a solemn asseveration , ibid. min. a solemn asseveration here is a religious asseveration , which makes it amount to an oath : however i thought the quakers had allowed of no asseverations beyond [ yea ] and [ nay , ] but accounted them as bad as oaths : so that this evasion will help him but a little . but do you not observe how close he crouds together the remaining instances ? and though st. paul solemnly appeals to the omniscience of the god and father of our lord jesus christ as a witness , who knew he did not lye , cor. . . this is no oath with t. e ; no nor that cor. . . where he plainly calls god to witness , and ( knowing it to be true ) offers up his soul to suffer by god's justice , if it were not as he said , this is no swearing with t. e. neither ; but he only says it , but cannot prove it ; so that till he can prove these are no oaths , i shall take it for granted . but i gave you one instance gal. . . [ behold before god i lye not , ] which is so plain an oath , that the quaker ( according to his own expression ) was not hardy enough to venture on it , nor so much as to mention it in his book . now if st. paul did swear , though but once , when he writ by the holy ghost ( though it was not in his riper years , when he had made a further progress in the christian religion † ) it must necessarily follow , that all swearing is not forbidden by christ under the gospel . par. now t. e. comes to produce some probabilities , that the apostle did not swear . min. probabilities are not good arguments against matters of fact ; but pray , let us hear what they are . par. first he thinks it absurd , that the apostle upon no greater occasion than recounting to the corinthians the manner of his escape out of damascus through a window into a basket , should take a solemn oath by god , that he did not lye , p. . min. certainly he is not so stupid , as to think as he writes here ; for nothing can be more plain , than that the oath i mentioned in the verse , relates to the precedent passages in the chapter . there were false apostles at corinth , who had brought the apostle's credit so low among them , that he is forced to commend himself , ver . , . and to shew that he was not inferiour to those false apostles , either in any legal prerogative , or in the service of christ , or in any kind of suffering for his ministry ; so that here was sufficient occasion to require the solemnity of an oath , to give the greater assurance to the corinthians of his commission for apostleship , which they then call'd into question , and required him to prove that he had received it from christ , cor. . . and in galatia too , some of these deceivers had wrought the like evil perswasions in the people . he saw some there who did not believe , saith st. augustine ‖ and the apostle knowing their salvation depended upon their believing his doctrine and commission , uses the solemnity of oaths to convince them ; being compelled thereto by their unbelief , and by his desire to preserve them from apostacy and damnation ; and sure this was a sufficient occasion . par. he supposes you have given him advantage , by saying , that the pharisees taught , that it was lawful to swear at any time by god's name , so that they swore nothing but truth , &c. which you acknowledge christ prohibited . and further he says , bishop gauden makes the lawful call of authority , one of the due circumstances which are necessary in a lawful oath , and that your self should say , the use and lawfulness of swearing , which remains , is , when a man is called by lawful authority to declare his conscience , in order to the ending of any controversie , wherein his evidence may be concerned . now then ( says he ) let us consider , if paul had sworn , who called him to it ? who required it of him ? nay , what lawful authority had the corinthians over him to require an oath of him ? &c. p. , . min. as to the first , it will not advantage his cause at all , unless he could prove that i ever said , that st. paul swore either by the creatures , or by god in ordinary converse . for the sum of what i said was , that swearing by the creatures , though faslly , and by god at any time in ordinary converse , if but truly , was allowed by the pharisees : and that against the first of them , viz. swearing by the creature , christ opposeth that prohibition , mat. . , . but i say unto you swear not at all , neither by heaven , &c. against the later , viz. swearing by the name of god in our ordinary converse , he gives this precept , ver . . let your communication be yea yea , nay nay , &c. secondly , if bishop gauden makes the lawful call of authority one of the due circumstances , which are necessary in a lawful oath ; it do's not follow , that he allows no other circumstances . nor thirdly , do i any where in all my book say , there is no other use of an oath , but in iudicatories , as he here suggests cunningly , making two propositions of one , and so perverting the sense of my words , which were these , viz. the use and lawfulness of swearing remains ( i. e. ) continues ; or more plainly , oaths continue lawful , though not in common converse , yet ) when i am called by lawful authority to declare my conscience in order to the ending of any controversie , wherein my evidence may be concern'd . if i had said , the use and lawfulness of swearing , which remains , is when , &c. as he quotes it ; then indeed he had had some shew of reason to imply here , and expresly to say , p. . that the only lawful use that i give of swearing now under the gospel is in judicatories , &c. but seeing no such inference can be deduced from them as they are set down in the conference , where is t. e's sincerity ? where is his honesty thus to pervert my words ? is this the way to prove himself an adherent to christianity , which he tells us , p. . hath made it's adherents so upright , just and true , that they dare not speak a falshood , though others dare swear it ? i confess indeed that the main use of an oath is in judicatories , but not the only use ; for we may swear in a very weighty case , when we cannot otherwise be believed , and when it will be very prejudicial to them that hear us , if they do not believe ; so st. augustine of his own practice , when i see i am not believed ▪ without an oath , and that it is very inexpedient to him that believes me not , weighing this reason , and taking good consideration , i say with great reverence [ before god ] or [ god is witness ] or [ christ knows it to be so in my soul. † ] oaths are useful likewise in dedicating our selves to god , &c. ( as i told you before . ) and for my part i shall subscribe to the opinion of bishop hooper ( whom ellwood himself calls a godly martyr ) that the two blessed sacraments ( as you have heard ‖ ) are both vows and oaths , being therefore called sacraments ; that on god's part they are seals , but on our part oaths of allegiance and fidelity . now then let the quaker consider , how impertinent his queries of st. paul are , p. . who called him to it ? who required it of him ? &c. that the apostle had sufficient occasions to swear , i have shewed you before ; nor can the quaker prove from any thing i have said , that i confine all lawful swearing to judicatories . par. but he says , if in these instances paul had sworn , he had not sworn judicially and legally , but in his ordinary communication , which kind of swearing is acknowledged to be forbidden by christ , p. . min. t. e. is out again ; is writing epistles ordinary communication ? it was in his writing that st. paul swore , and not in his ordinary writing neither , but in that which the holy ghost dictated . and st. augustine notes , the apostle might better weigh his expressions when he was writing , than if he had been speaking . t is true , st. paul swore out of a court of iudicature , but not without a great necessity . and i think it 's a good argument , that he would have been much more ready to have done so in a court of judicature , if there had been occasion , and he legally call'd to it . certainly he would have scrupled no more in taking an oath than in tendering one , as we find he did , thes. . . i charge you by the lord , where the greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is ( as in the margine ) i adjure , or i swear you . par. whereas you told me , that in every one of these instances st. paul makes a most solemn appeal to god as witness of what he affirms , and judge of his sincerity ; he answers , if to appeal to god , be to swear by god , then by the same reason to appeal to man , or any other thing ( in the same tense ) is to swear by that man or thing , that is so appealed to , p. . min. every appeal to god ( as i granted before ) is not indeed an oath ; but then surely , when we appeal to god in a most solemn manner as witness of what we affirm , and iudge of our sincerity ( as st. paul i told you in these instances did ) it cannot be interpreted less than an oath . if this be not swearing , i know not what it is ; and indeed i wonder why the quakers inveigh against us here in england for swearing , when according to ellwood's principles ( if st. paul swore not ) there is no such thing among us . as for his old fallacy , that [ to appeal to god is not an oath , because to appeal to man , or any other thing is not to swear by that man or thing ] it hath been sufficiently baffled already , and is as much non-sense as to say , it is not blasphemy to say god is mortal , because it is not blasphemy to say , a man or a horse is mortal . par. but because you said , those mentioned forms used by st. paul , were as positive oaths , as any other used in the bible , here he takes advantage of your calling an oath a form , and seems to wonder that you will not have it therefore a ceremony , ibid. min. here 's another fallacy ; do i in any part of my book make [ form ] the genus of an oath ? or suppose i had ; are all forms ceremonies ? the apostle recommends to timothy a form of sound words ( of which you have had an account ) that is , sound doctrine ; will therefore this quaker accuse the apostle of calling the christian doctrine but a ceremony ? he himself saith , p. . there is iustice and the manner of doing iustice , there is mercy and the way of shewing mercy , there is truth and the manner of speaking truth . so say i , there is an oath , and there is the way and manner or form ( which is all one ) of expressing an oath ; of these forms i produced several both out of the old and new testament . now i may as justly accuse t. e. of making iustice and mercy to be but ceremonies , as he accuse me in this passage of making an oath to be no more . par. reason will not help the quaker , and now he flies to authority to prove that st. paul did not swear , which he introduces with this formality , but that he and all may see , it is not our judgment only that paul did not swear , i here produce two very authentick witnesses to clear paul from swearing . the first is basil , sirnamed the great , who himself refused to swear at the council of chalcedon . — min. i must interrupt you a little , and tell you , that though i do acknowledge st. basil a very great and good man ; yet i must not prefer his single suffrage , before the determination of a general council , especially that of chalcedon consisting of . bishops . it seems the council required an oath , and basil ( he says ) refused it ; now whether he or the council was greater , or more authentick , let any man of sense judge . but what if i tell you that the quaker or his spirit has wrong'd st. basil , and that this relation is false ? par. surely it cannot . min. if he refused to swear at the council of chalcedon , it was ellwood that conjur'd him up ; for basil sirnamed the great was above threescore and ten years in his grave , before that council sate ▪ he dying in the reign of valens the emperor about the year of christ , and that council called in the year . this is affirmed not only by helvicus , † but baronius and several others : but if this will not satisfie t. e. he may consult his friend rider , who says as much almost as this in his dictionary . par. i know not what to say to this , and can the less excuse him , because i suppose , he pretends to write by the dictates of the spirit — but to let this pass ; st. basil's words , as they are cited here by t. e. to prove , that paul did not swear , are these , there are some speeches which have the forms of oaths , and yet are no oaths at all , but rather remedies to perswade . he instances in joseph and the apostle paul , of which last he saith , the apostle willing to shew his love to the corinthians said , by the glorying of you which i have in christ iesus our lord , &c. cor. . . p. . min. in the first place i must desire you to take notice , that in st. basil's opinion , there is an oath , and the form of an oath . secondly , observe , that this is none of the instances which i gave of st. paul's swearing , and so doth not oppose the examples i brought : yet here must i tell you , that st. augustin ( who was as authentick a witness , and as glorious a light as ever shone in the church of christ since the apostles days ) not only says , this very phrase is an oath , but proves it too ( which is more than st. basil doth ) by the greek particle [ nn ] here used , which ( saith he ) every one knows is the common particle of swearing among the greeks ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ubi dixerit graecus , jurat . † nay erasmus ( whom t. e. quotes against lawful oaths , p. . ) produceth st. augustin's opinion ( as well as i do ) to prove this an oath ; and immediately adds , there 's no reason why we should wrangle , and deny that the apostle swore here , seeing that elsewhere , not in a few places he plainly swears . ‖ thirdly , t. e. confesses ( and that truly ) that st. basil in the same place affirmeth ioseph's words , by the life of pharaoh , were no oath ; yet in this , i suppose , the very quakers are hardly of his mind . but more of st. basil hereaster . par. the other witness is gregory nazianzen , in his dialogue against swearing , thus . b. but paul also swore , as they say . a. who said so ? o what a vain ja●…gler was he that said it ! quoth he ; [ god is my witness , ] and [ god knoweth , ] those words are not an oath , but a certain asseveration , &c. ibid. min. observe here the fraudulent dealing of this quaker ; for whereas the title of nazien's poem here cited , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iamb . . p. . a dialogue against common or frequent swearers , the quaker cunningly changes it into — against swearing — as if it were against all oaths in general ; but what saith this dialogue ? why , the person with whom he discourseth , saith ; b. they say ( that is the common swearers of those times ) that paul swore . a. asks . who said so ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he was a trifler , or it was but a trifle ; that is , their authority was not very valuable . but to the matter . i reply , gregory nazianzen do's not disapprove of all oaths in this piece of poetry , but he is arguing against common swearing ; and whereas these common swearers alledged the examples of god and st. paul , both taking oaths , nazianzen denies , that god did ever swear ( which i doubt t. e. cannot fully agree with him in ) and then denies , that st. paul did swear . now it being so plain , that god did swear ( as also in my opinion , that st. paul did swear ) i cannot reconcile nazianzen to reason , if he mean absolutely ; and therefore his sense must be , that god and st. paul never swore as these common swearers do , and that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a trifle to alledge their examples , considering they never swore at all , as customary swearers do : let any man read the whole dialogue , and he will be convinced , this is the design of it . but i shall more fully prove , that nazianzen is not of the quakers side , when we speak to p. . where t. e. quotes him again . par. next he comes to your last instanc●… of the angel swearing , rev. . , . and seeing he cannot deny the fact , he catches at your expression , that we need not fear to imitate any thing that is done in heaven , &c. for ( says he ) this was not done in heaven , but on earth , p. . min. i did dot say , that the angel was in heaven , when he swore ; and the quaker must know , that by [ heaven ] 't is an usual trope to understand the inhabitants of heaven , as in that of the lords prayer ( which i there cited ) [ thy will be done in earth , as it is in heaven ] we mean — by men , as it is by angels ; so that my meaning plainly is , we need not fear to imitate any thing done by those of heaven : now this angel came from heaven , vers . . and was a good angel of heaven ; wheresoever he stood therefore makes nothing to our purpose , it being sufficient that a good angel did it . and in s t. ambrose's * opinion , this angel was christ himself ; wherefore an oath cannot be suppos'd unlawful , having even in gospel times so notable a president of one who did actually swear . par. but t. e. says , we must not imitate the angels in all things , for one of them offer'd incense , which is abolished by christ , as the concurrent judgement ( he says ) and practice of all parties confirms . p. . min. if all the christians in the world were divided into three parts , two of them do use incense ( in their worship ) at this day : i do not mention this to justifie the practice , but to shew with what confidence the quaker prattles , as if it were the concurrent judgment of all parties . besides , there is a vast difference between types and ceremonies , which cease of themselves , when the substance is come , and such things as are under a positive prohibition ; circumcision , abstaining from blood , and things strangled , were ceremonies , yet were they connived at , in the early times of christianity : but had they been under a positive prohibition , it had been a damnable sin afterwards to have allowed them in any case : so the using of incense in divine service is ceremonious , but had it been as expresly forbidden , as the quakers pretend all swearing is , the angel had fallen into sin , ( and consequently from his state ) by using it . so that the quakers instance here comes infinitely short of the case . however i shall add , that the apocalypse , or book of revelation is mystical , one part whereof describeth the things of christianity allusively to moses's tabernacle , and solomon's temple ; on this account the offering of incense is there introduced , to signifie that which it is a symbol of ; but the angel's oath is no symbol of any thing , therefore not only allowable but useful in gospel times . par. you said , that if there were that truth in men , that their bare testimony were of sufficient credit , then there were no need at all of an oath , and yet ( says he ) would you fetch an instance from heaven of swearing ? if there were not truth enough among men , do you think there is not truth enough in angels neither , to make their bare testimony of sufficient credit ? p. . min. god and the angel did swear meerly in condescension to the weaknesses and infirmities of men , to give us the highest assurance either of god almighty's mercy , or justice ; therefore whensoever they sware , it was wholly upon our account . par. t. e. tells us , that he would go directily to the two texts in matthew and james , but for a passage or two which lie in his way : the first is , that you should say , that every oath implies an execration , that is , a cursing or betaking ones self to the devil ( as rider expounds the word ) which makes an oath more unsuitable to the nature of the gospel , &c. p. . min. if an execration be not implied in every oath , then is the oath it self excuseable , the fault will only lye at my door , for making such an assertion : but if every oath do's really imply an execration , and the true notion of an execration is a cursing or betaking ones soul to the devil ; then an oath was as unsuitable to the law , as it can be to the gospel : so that the quaker's argument will fall every way to the ground . neither do's rider say , it is a cursing and a betaking — but cursing or betaking — for there are execrations which are a betaking our selves to the justice of god , in case we falsifie : and such are the execrations implyed in the oaths we take . now that such execrations are understood in every oath , was the opinion of plutarch , and the incomparably learned , and no less judicious bishop sanderson , whom before i quoted . st. augustine is of this judgement also ; for ( says he ) what we mention in swearing , we bind it over to god , namely to suffer if we falsifie * . and the same is affirmed by cornelius à lapide on rom. . . by fuller in miscel. lib. . cap. . by grotius de iure belli , and many more . if need were i could quote several forms of heathen oaths , and of christian oaths out of our own historians , where the execration hath been exprest , ita me diespiter ejiciat ut ego hunc lapidem , in his beloved polybius ; — but i need not instance in a thing so generally known as this is . par. but whereas you added , that execration is implied and understood even in those elliptical forms of swearing used by god himself ; this ( he says ) he cannot brook that you should thus charge god with using an execration ( that is , wishing a curse upon himself ) which how great a blasphemy it is against god , will appear , if we consider that it tends to make the most high god acknowledge some other being superiour to himself ; for he who execrates ( or wisheth a curse upon ) himself , doth thereby own a power above himself , which is able to bring , or execute that curse upon him . ibid. min. i hope you are sensible that the notion he has of [ execration ] is utterly false , that indeed no such thing is implied by it , as to betake ones soul to the devil ; so that it is no wonder to see the quaker throwing down the iack straw which himself hath made . had he consulted bishop sanderson , he would have found sufficient reasons given by him for this assertion : however i must tell t. e. that god in swearing ( as in some other things ) follows the manner of men , and his oaths are elliptical in the hebrew tongue , as well as mens , in which something must be understood to make up the sense , and that which is so understood , is an execration . of this we have a plain example in psal. . . so i sware in my wrath [ if ] they shall enter into my rest ; ( for so it is in the hebrew , as both you and t. e. may be informed from the marg . ) [ if ] what then ? somewhat must necessarily be understood : let vatablus here teach the quaker how to fill up the sense : if ( says he ) is a particle of swearing among the hebrews , and they understand [ let this or that happen to me . ] the children of israel ( you know ) had grieved god forty years in the wilderness ; had in the highest affront to his majesty set up a filthy idol , most ingratefully murmured against him , and brought up an evil report on that good land whither he was carrying them , wherefore he sware in his wrath that [ if ] any of them entered into his rest ( that is , possessed the land of canaan , except ioshua and caleb ) &c. now in the [ if ] here consists the ellipsis , and the sense must be made out by our supposition , which will run after this manner : if they enter into my rest , if ever they have any thing to do in the land of canaan , then let that calf they made be thought their god , and have the honour of bringing them out of the land of egypt : i have sworn they shall never enter my rest , which if they ever do , let me be accounted a lyar , and for ever forfeit the honour of my veracity . here 's now the execration : and does the high god in this acknowledge some other being superiour to himself ? &c. now i would know what evil this can be to god , who ( it's true ) can incurr no evil , because he cannot falsifie ? suppose a true man , that knows the thing he speaks to be right , should ( sor the confirmation of them who doubt ) say , if i be a lyar , let me suffer as a lyar ? here 's an execration : now what christian precept doth it oppose ? or which way is it unsuitable to the nature and purity of the gospel ? s t. paul did execrate himself conditionally , rom. . . i could wish my self ( says he ) were accursed from christ , for my brethren , my kinsmen according to the flesh , &c. so that t. e. needed not to have made so many black inferences from my words , unless he intended to give thereby a clearer and fuller demonstration of his own impertinencies , and wrangling disposition . but to retort his own words with some little variation . by this you may see what horrid absurdities that wisdom which descendeth not from above , but is earthly and sensual , runs ( not the learned rabbies but ) the unlearned quakers into . par. the other passage of yours which lies in his way , is this ; you said , that the laying on of the hand , and kissing of the book , were no essential parts of an oath , but only decent and comely ceremonies . p. . min. as for laying on of the hand , kissing the book , &c. however they may be serviceable to affect the mind with so solemn and serious a business ; yet indeed are they but so many circumstances , and concern not at all the nature of an oath . for if to appeal to god as witness of our hearts and actions , is not an oath , ( as t. e. tells us ) surely then to lay the hand on the book , and kiss it , cannot pass for swearing , even in the quakers own account . par. he wishes here that the magistrates in all counties would read this , and reflect upon those many great fines , and sore imprisonments inflicted by some of them , upon many of the quakers , even to the loss of life , for not complying with those things which are by you asserted to be no essential parts of an oath , but bare ceremonies . ibid. min. do the quakers then suffer for such things as are meerly indifferent ? who do they think will thank 'em for it another day ? or will it not be said to them at the great day , who required this at your hands ? it 's the cause which makes a martyr : and it 's not barely suffering fines , imprisonments , or death it self that god accepts , for there are sufferers of all opinions : filthy mahomet has not wanted those that have died for him . christ ( it's true ) saith , blessed are they which are persecuted , but then he adds , for righteousness sake . and though i give my body to be burned and have not charity , it profiteth me nothing , cor. . . kissing then and laying the hand upon the book , being by all sides accounted no essential parts of an oath : my wonder then is , what the quaker here aims at , unless it be to prove his own party cross and peevish , who it seems do obstinately suffer for that , wherein our saviour's prohibition is no ways concerned . par. however he hopes that the magistrates for the future will be induced to exercise more moderation and gentleness , and not to expose their honest neighbours to so great sufferings for meer ceremonies , when the summe and substance is effectually answered by their speaking the plain and naked truth in the presence of god. ibid. min. we can speak no where , but in the presence of god : what security is this to the magistrate ? every lyar speaks in the presence of god : for where can he flee from his presence ? par. i suppose t. e.'s meaning is , that if the magistrates will dispense with their kissing of the book , &c. they will assure them , that what they speak is the plain and naked truth , as they are in the presence of god. min. this either is his meaning , or else he plainly equivocates ; wherefore let us take the quaker in the best sense , and suppose that he equivocates not , yet here must i tell him , that speaking thus in the presence of god is the summe and substance of an oath . this reminds me of a passage which happen'd some few years ago : the king and council order , that all persons in any military imployment should be obliged to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy , otherwise to quit the service . an ignorant souldier ( who was a papist , as the story goes ) consults his confessor whether he might take the oaths ? who told him , that he might take the oath of allegiance , but not that of supremacy : but it seems this souldier understood him quite wrong , and when he came to swear , took the oath of supremacy , but absolutely refused the oath of allegiance , for which he was casheir'd . no less ignorant are the quakers , who it seems do not really scruple the summe and substance of an oath , but at the form and manner of taking it . to speak thus in the presence of god , i. e. to appeal to him as a witness of their sincerity , is what ( it seems ) they dare yield unto : but to lay their hands on the book and kiss it , ( though t. e. calls it a meer ceremony ) yet is it so enormous , that they will rather suffer fines , imprisonments ( nay what not ) than they will do it : now how ridiculous this is , let all of even common sense and reason judge and determine . however if the magistrates will be content to take the quakers oaths , without kissing of the book , i am willing that they have my suffrage ( if it might signifie any thing ) for a dispensation . par. at length t. e. is come to those two notable texts , mat. . . swear not at all ; and jam. . . above all things my brethren swear not : these ( says he ) stand like two immoveable rocks , against which all the contenders for swearing have hitherto been sp●…t : these two bishop gawden confesseth to be not able texts , which seem to stand as the angel of the lord against balaam , &c. p. , . min. if big swelling words be true arguments , i must then acknowledge my book baffl'd to all intents and purposes : but i must desire the quaker to take notice ( as fiercely as he lays about him ) that bishop gawden doth not say that these texts do really stand , &c. but seem to stand — that is , not to knowing and considerative men , but to such as t. e. who takes a bush for a bear ; which makes me recall a saying which i heard from the mouth of that reverend and pious prelate : alas ( said he ) our dissenters may be truly compared to boggling horses , which start and boggle at that which will do them no harm at all . — but now that he has got to those texts , let me enquire of you , whether you have compared the account i gave you of them , with t. e's reflections together ? par. i have so , and do find that he has not dealt fairly with you ; for whereas you compared mat. . . with titus . . shewing that the words would not admit a general interpretation , but must be limited to a particular sense ; he takes no manner of notice thereof : yet because you said , that our lord must not be supposed to have forbidden all manner of oaths , because of s t. paul ' s and the angel's swearing ; this he conceives is sufficiently disproved and enervated already . p. . min. i hope you sufficiently see that this is a meer bravado ; and also , that not only here but all along , the most considerable passages of my book are omitted . now i desire to know where he undertook to disprove that the angel swore ? he pretends indeed in the place where he is treating about it , to excuse the action , as if it were done in conformity to the law , because another angel used a censor : but how come our saviour's words to be a general prohibition ? if so , the angels had been included , and consequently ( as i before noted ) had fall'n from their state , had they transgressed it . so that you may see , with what pitiful shifts the quaker goes about to evade the truth , and will persist in his error , though indeed an angel stand in his way . par. but t. e. saith , that you meanly beg a concession that an oath is morally good , &c. ibid. min. i begg'd no such thing , but proved it from the nature and end of an oath ; as i have done even now from the third commandment . par. why then did you make way to hook it in , under the notion of indifferency , as t. e. tells us ? whereupon he triumphs not a little , and says , you come down a pace , who from calling it an act of natural religion , a part of the moral and eternal law , are come already to talk of its being indifferent . p. , . min. he abuses my words and their apparent sense : this i said , that our saviour in the sermon on the mount , forbad nothing that is morally good , nothing that is either indifferent or expedient , &c. my true meaning was , ( and my words express as much ) that our saviour is so far from forbidding any thing that is moral , that he forbids nothing that is indifferent or expedient . par. yet herein ( he says ) you may see your self at a loss too , if you observe that our saviour in the same sermon forbad the use of a trumpet in giving alms . ibid. min. commend me to this for a spruce notion indeed ! christ here ( saith grotius ) speaks metaphorically , and by this we are forbidden to make proclamation when we bestow our alms : so that it is not a trumpet which christ forbids , but vain-glory and ostentation under that metaphor : and if vain-glory and ostentation be indifferent , i shall confess t. e's argument to be good , otherwise a perfect fallacy . par. but ( he says ) that in taking it for granted that an oath is expedient , you again beg the question . ibid. min. was not its expediency sufficiently proved even by your confession ? that it had been made an instrument of establishing such happy leagues and bands of amity , and that contention and strife were ended by it ? if this be begging the question , i know not what begging the question is . par. however you said that christ's words must be taken with a limitation , as not forbidding all but some oaths only . t. e. will allow of no such limitation . ibid. min. why not a limitation in swearing as in other things ? christ in this chapter forbids not all anger , but anger without a cause , vers . . not every looking on a woman , but looking on a woman to lust after her , vers . . not all divorce , but divorce for every cause , vers . . and so doubtless not all kind of swearing , as may be fully proved from the very text which plainly contains these two exceptions . first , that we must not swear at all by the creatures , for so the words run , swear not at all neither by heaven nor by earth , &c. there 's no full stop after [ swear not at all ] they are but half the sentence , and the quakers do unmannerly interrupt christ here in the middle of his speech , and will not hear him out , nor take his words together , the whole sentence being , swear not at all by heaven , &c. now what work may be made with any scripture if we thus break it off in the middle ? have i any power to say any thing , saith balaam ? thus may we prove him dumb . there are some standing here , which shall not taste of death , saith christ — stop there , and you may prove them immortal . besides , if that part of the sentence [ swear not at all ] be full sense , and forbid all oaths whatsoever , what need was there of adding any particular exceptions , seeing they were provided against in that one general ? as if the law should say , thou shalt not kill any man at all ; what need were there to say , not a merchant , not a farmer , not a judge , not a priest , not a quaker , & c ? this would be a meer tautologie , of which i hope the quaker will not accuse our blessed saviour . wherefore many of the ancients did expound this to a prohibition from swearing by creatures , and particularly s t. hierom on the place , which i doubt will not please t. e. very well . a second limitation is taken from the next words , but let your communication be yea yea , nay nay ; which is the positive precept , as the former is the negative , and is the remedy of the evil custom of swearing in communication , which shews that our lord is both forbidding and prescribing matters relating to our ordinary converse , it being strangely incoherent to say , swear not , no not in judgment , &c. but let your ordinary discourse be yea and nay . i shewed you before , that titus . . [ speak evil of no man ] was as general a prohibition as this , yet could not bear a general interpretation ; but this the quaker passes by : however i will give you another like text , in lev. . . an israelite there is commanded , not to approach to any that is near of kin to him . yet was that restrained to such degrees of consanguinity and affinity , as are afterwards mentioned , and to such as bear the same analogy , as iunius and tremelius note upon the place . why then may not our saviour's words be restrained to what follows after , according to that plain account which i have given you ? par. but you said , that our saviour is not here repealing the law of moses , but the false glosses , which the scribes and pharisees had put upon it : this he calls a fond conceit . p. . min. as fond a conceit as he takes it to be , i must tell him , that the famous s t. augustine was guilty of it , and so were most of the learned doctors of the church . par. but i desire to be satisfied , whether any of t. e's authors were not guilty with you of this fond conceit ? min. yes , i do assure you , the famous origen , whom himself cites p. . is of the same opinion ; and so likewise s t. hierome on the place says no less ; yea , and s t. chrysostome also affirms , that this swearing by creatures , was a corruption brought in by the pharisees , being absolutely forbidden by the law of moses , where he commands to swear only by the name of god. but then i must tell you , that beza whom he so often quotes , is guilty of this fond conceit . * now i would know why t. e. would use the authority of such men , that with me are guilty of so fond a conceit , as he fancies this to be ? hereafter sure he will be wiser . par. but he thinks he can oppose all this from bishop gawden , whom he calls an earthen pitcher , he ( it seems ) saith , our saviour gives many singular lessons or precepts of more eminent diligence , patience , charity , mortification , self-denial , sincerity , conspicuity , perseverance and perfection of obedience required now under the gospel , above what either the letter of the mosaical law seemed to exact , or by the pharisaical interpretations were taught to the iews . p. . min. methinks it does very ill become this quaker , to call bishop gawden by that contemptuous name of earthen pitcher . for ( if i be not very much mistaken ) there 's scarce one sip of learning with which he flourishes this chapter , which he has not drunk out of this pitcher . the jewish doctors say , if we drink out of a pit , we must not throw dirt into it afterwards ; which this quaker hath done against all rules of gratitude and manners . however let me tell you , that i see nothing in bishop gawden's assertion which i cannot subscribe to , yet hold to my own . par. he labours in this place to prove , that christ did forbid more than was forbidden by moses , even solemn swearing ; therefore the text is not to be restrained to the pharisees glosses ; and so ( he saith ) he doth in other instances . pag. , , &c. min. because he forbad more than moses , does it follow , that he contradicted moses ? and then will he not contradict himself , when he saith , he came not to destroy the law ? v. . but the question is , whether such a law be taken away ? the answer is , that more is required by christ than moses : is refining and elevating a law , an abolishing and repealing of it ? the ceremonial law pointed at christ , and decipher'd all his offices , and the evangelical purity , which upon the offering up of christ , gave place to its antitype of its own accord , without any further need of an express repeal . but the moral law is improved and advanced ; which having been obscured by the pharisees glosses , and traditional expositions , it was no superfluous and needless thing ( as t. e. suggests ) for our blessed saviour to clear and vindicate it . par. you said enough before to make it very reasonable , that christ did not herein forbid all oaths whatsoever . yet t. e. spends two or three pages to prove from the particle [ but ] here in the text , that our saviour excludes all manner of swearing , p. , , . min. not only the particle [ but , ] but the whole sentence is to be interpreted by what goes before and follows after . had our saviour said [ but i say unto you swear not at all , ] and there stop't ; and if [ them ] in the text be only applicable to moses ( as t. e. would have it , p. . forgetting in the mean while his second chapter ; ) then the particle [ but ] had been of more force . but whereas our saviour mentions swearing by creatures , and in communication , immediately after [ swear not at all ; ] t. e's arguing here from the particle [ but ] is idle and impertinent ; and 't is plain , the quakers interpretation of this text ( and not the priests ) will render the words of our saviour christ superfluous and vain . par. now let us examine t. e's notes upon the words of st. iames , chap. . . [ but above all things my brethren , swear not . ] here he grants that the apostle did forbid only such oaths as our saviour had forbidden , p. . min. having shewed you that our saviour forbids not all oaths whatsoever , this text of st. iames must needs fall short of the quaker's purpose . by the by , it will be worth your noting , that he writ to the jews ( who had been strangely accustom'd to swear by the creatures , and in their communication ) to be the more careful and watchful over their words . but i cannot but wonder that t. e. should say , that christ forbad oaths ( which are confessedly lawful during the law ; ) when himself has told us , that the time when our saviour lived was under the law , and that in this state many things were indulged to the iews , p. , . if so ; surely christ in the time of the law would not contradict the law. and therefore if st. iames ( as t. e. acknowledges ) forbad oaths no further than christ forbad them , this sophister by his own distinction has quite spoiled his argument . par. but i observe that t. e. stands much upon the first and last words of the text [ but above all things , &c. ] and says , that he might be sure to leave no oath unforbidden , he closes up his sentence with these comprehensive words , neither by any other oath , p. . min. as to the first part [ but above all things , ] let st. augustine be the expositor , why above all things ? ( says he ) is to swear , worse than to steal , or to commit adultery , & c ? — these are evil in themselves , so is not swearing , * why then must we avoid oaths above all ? not that they are worse than any other sin , but because we most easily slip into them , having gotten a custom of them † . so that these words [ above all ] strike at that irreverence towards the majesty of god , which indeliberate swearing ( as that in common talk ) makes men continually liable unto . the apostle then is speaking here of customary oaths , not of solemn and judicial . as to the other clause [ nor by any other oath , ] i said enough in the conference to prove it referred to the head , to ierusalem , and other such like oaths , which christ had particularly mention'd ; but the quaker has past over my arguments , having had little or nothing to object against them . but i now add , that in all examples of a general rule , the greater instances should be named particularly , and the lesser comprehended in a general phrase ; whereas if the quaker's exposition be right , the lesser oaths [ by creatures ] are named particularly , and the greater [ by god's name , used in judicatories ] are at the most but hinted at under a general phrase of — [ any other oath ; ] which is against the rules of speech , and very absurd . [ swear not by lesser oaths , by heaven nor by earth , nor by any other oath , i. e. not by god's name in iudgment : ] this is the quaker's interpretation . and indeed 't is very odd , that christ and his apostles ( if they intended to prohibit all swearing by god's name ) should never give one plain word about it , when as they do mention oaths by creatures , which are not so ma●…erial . to conclude , st. iames must be limited to communication as well as christ , as is plain from the very words ; and so st. augustine and antiquity did expound him , whose practice ( being the next enquiry ) will be an excellent commentary on both these scriptures ; for if any of those primitive fathers did practise , or allow solemn swearing , they did not surely think that it was forbidden by christ , or by st. iames. par. but before we come to enquire what thoughts the ancient fathers had of oaths , i must know what you will answer to this objection , if men would use themselves to speak truth , would not this be enough to give credit to what they say in all cases ? if their yea be yea , and their nay nay , that is , if their promise be performance , and their words be truth ; will not this answer all ends in humane society ? then farewell all swearing ? p. , . min. might not all this have been said against oaths before and in the time of the law ? might not abraham's servant thus have answered his master requiring an oath of him , when he sent him to fetch a wife for his son isaac ? might not he have said , have i been so long in thy pious family ? hast thou thought m●… worthy to rule over all that thou hast , † and now darest not trust me in this matter , without an oath ? wilt thou make no distinction between the virtuous and the vitious , the true man and the false , the sincere and hypocrite , the good and the bad ? wilt thou ( who hast given us so many instructions ‖ to fidelity ) enjoyn a sincere and upright man to wear the badge of hypocrisie , an oath ? thus abraham's servant might have argued with his master at t. e's rate , p. . but he was better instructed , than to make this a plea for disobedience . and do's not t. e's way of arguing blasphemously charge god with folly , who not only used swearing himself , but in necessary cases enjoyn'd it to be used by men ? thus ( to give you one instance ) in exod. . , . god enjoyns that if a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass , or an ox , or a sheep , or any beast to keep , and it dye or be hurt , or driven away , no man seeing it ; then shall an oath of the lord be between them both , that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbours goods ; and the owner of it shall accept thereof , &c. might not the quaker at his wild rate have said , this was a needless injunction ; seeing that in the th chapter a little before this , god had deliver'd the decalogue or ten commandments , whereby he had sufficiently provided against all lying , hypocrisie , & c ? so that if we pursue t. e's argument to the end , it will charge not only the holy men of old , but god himself ( you see ) with impertinency and folly . this however i will confess , that to speak the truth is security enough , but then an oath is still necessary ( in some cases ) to assure us ( as much as is possible ) that it is the truth they speak ; for we cannot see into mens hearts , and therefore hereby we provide against the worst . par. now let us hear whether antiquity be of your side ; for t. e. would have us believe the contrary : and accordingly tells us that polycarpus ( who lived in the time of the apostles ) being required by the magistrate to swear by the fortune of caesar , refused , giving this only reason , i am a christian , and was therefore burned to death , p. . min. polycarp refused not simply to swear , but to swear by the fortune of caesar ; and who goes about to justifie an oath , taken by a heathen goddess , for such was fortune reputed among the romans ? * but upon what account the oath by the fortune or genius of caesar was refused , as not consistent with christianity , we learn from origen ( which will serve to answer what the quaker says of him , p. . ) we swear not ( says he ) by the fortnne of the emperor : for whether fortune be only what happens , we swear not by that which is not at all , as if it were god , lest we should place the power of an oath upon such things which ought not to be : or whether the genius or daemon of the roman emperor be that which is called his fortune , even so we had rather dye than swear by a wicked and perfidious devil . † hear also tertullian as to this point ? but we also do take an oath , but not by the genii of the caesars . and then goes on , do ye not know , that genii are called devils ? devils we are wont to adjure , that we may drive them out of men ; not to swear by them , that we should conferr on them the honour of divinity . ‖ one thing i wonder at , that the quaker did not leave out [ by the fortune of caesar. ] par. that would not have been honest . mir. yet i must tell you , that he has left out as considerable a passage in this story . for eusebius , in the book and chapter which the quaker quotes , writes , that the proconsul urged and said , swear , and i will let thee go , blaspheme and defie christ. ‖ so that polycarp was burned to death , not barely for refusing to take an oath , but such an oath , as indeed was a renunciation of christianity . par. if t. e. get no more by his other instances , than he has got by this of polycarp , he had better have let them alone . however his next is of basilides . basilides ( a roman souldier ) who led pontamiena to execution , and by her constant martyrdom was turned to christ ) being required to swear , refused it utterly , &c. for which he lost his head. ibid. min. to this i answer that in all probability , the oath tender'd to him , was the very same that polycarp and the christians in that age refused to take ; whereupon the centuriators tell us , that he refused to swear [ more ethnico ] in the heathen manner , by the pagan gods. † to make this appear more probable , let us consider ( first ) the sense of the church concerning an oath , when basilides suffer'd ; which we may learn from tertullian before-mention'd , who wrote his apology in the time of the persecution of severus , in which persecution pontamiena suffer'd martyrdom ; and from origen , by whom she was instructed in the principles of christianity ; and from clemens alexandrinus , who was catechist in alexandria , when basilides made his profession there , as is noted by eusebius . ‖ now clemens speaks sharply against swearing in many places , as paed. lib. . c. . strom. lib. , &c. and describing his [ understanding pious christian ] he saith , he is no swearer in what he affirms or denies , but will add , [ i speak the truth : ] yet he saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. he that useth an oath piously , is not addicted to swear , and is rarely brought to the use of an oath . where 't is plain , that in the opinion of clemens , a pious christian may use an oath , and that where he speaks against swearing , he means irreverent , needless , and customary swearing , or swearing by the heathen gods. ( secondly , ) let us consider what opinion eusebius ( the relater of this passage ) had himself of an oath . and here i must needs say , that he speaks as largely against swearing as any other ancient writer ; yet he declareth that wonderful vision which appeared in the heavens to constantiue the great , to be of undoubted certainty , because he himself heard it related by constantine , who confirmed what he spoke by his oath † whereby it appears that both eusebius , and that pious emperor doubted not , but a weighty occasion would require and allow the solemn use of oaths . now is it likely , that eusebius would record basilides a martyr , for obstinately refusing that thing , which himself counted lawful ? but suppose the case were as my adversary relates it ; yet basilides being but a new convert to christianity , and consequently not well knowing in the controversies therein ; of what validity is such an one's authority ? par. you have made it appear already , what kind of oaths origen was chiefly against ; yet t. e. will have him to be against all whatsoever ; and brings him in saying , that christ did manifestly forbid to swear at all , p. . min. though the quaker tells us not whence this passage is taken , yet we may note it is taken out of those homilies on st. matthew , which bear origen's name , but are much doubted of by erasmus ; so that 't is a question whether this be origen , or some impostor : but suppose it be origen ; he ( first ) in those undoubted books against celsus , maintains , that god the father did not by the gospel of iesus bring in any commands contrary to the law of moses ; * and so he could not think , christ prohibited solemn swearing contrary to moses ( as t. e. affirms . ) secondly , 't is plain origen meant , that christ had forbid to swear at all on slight occasions , because he himself on a weighty occasion do's swear : god is witness unto , or upon my conscience , is his oath ; contra celsum lib. . so that if such expressions of the fathers as t. e. quotes , be not taken with a limitation to some kind of oaths in communication , &c. we must unworthily fancy that they contradicted themselves as well in words as in deeds . par. now he is come again to basil sirnamed the great , who saith , in the law the lord seemeth to allow an oath to a perfect man , which in the gospel is altogether forbidden , &c. ibid. min. this phrase [ the lord seemeth to allow an oath in the law ] do's plainly import , that an oath was not really lawful then : now do's the quaker imagine that st. basil did think an oath was but seemingly allowable during the law ? this will render him more ignorant than the quakers are themselves , who confess an oath really allowable then . so that if we make sense of st. basil's words , his meaning must needs be this ; oaths in converse are seemingly allowed by the law ( though not really so ; ) in the gospel they are not seemingly , but plainly forbidden . and that basil meant oaths in communication , we may be sure from those ecclesiastical canons he made : of which the th canon is , that he who had sworn with due circumstances , should not be forced to retract his oath . and the th canon saith , they who use to swear they will do evil things , ought to be cured by all means , by teaching them ( first ) not to swear lightly , ( secondly , ) not to persist in their evil purposes : whence the famous balsamon in his notes on these canons concludes , that st. basil was not against lawful oaths . † par. next ▪ he brings in his other authentick witness gregory nazianzen , who in his dialogue ( framed between a. and b. ) against swearing , discourses thus . b. what if i use an oath unwillingly , but to free me from danger ? a. let another allow thee that . b. what if we be drawn by necessity to give an oath ? a. why didst thou not rather dye ? for surely thou shouldst rather dye than do it . and that he speaketh here of all oaths , even the most solemn , t. e. bids us observe what he says a little before . b. but what wilt thou say to me of the old covenant ? surely it doth not prohibit an oath , but requires a true one . a. no wonder , at that time only it was prescribed in the law concerning murder ; but now it is not lawful , for any cause , so much as to smite or beat , &c. p. , . this is so considerable a passage , that not only t. e. but thirteen of the grand quakers ( in the book before-mention'd call'd a treatise of oaths ) do mention it as a great argument , p. . to shew that the practice of antiquity is clearly against you . min. you may observe here , that t. e. do's falslly and dishonestly again call this tract of nazianzen's a dialogue against swearing , when the title is , a dialogue against common swearers ; and a little after , where nazianzen saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. then it was forbidden to murder , but now even to strike ; t. e. to make gregory speak like a quaker , turns the last words , but now it is not lawful , for any cause , so much as to smite or beat . where he puts in one half of the sentence out of his own head ; and it would make one think ( who saw not the cheat ) that nazianzen thought it unlawful for a father or school-master to whip a child for his faults , or for a magistrate to punish a malefactor by stripes . — but to come to the matter ; i will make it appear that gregory nazianzen believed the lawfulness of oaths upon weighty occasions ( first ) from his own words in this very dialogue against common swearers . and ( secondly ) from his own practice . in his dialogue he hath these words . forbear to multiply oaths , especially commonly , and great oaths , and on every occasion : — and a little after , swear not to all things , nor always , that is , playing , eating , when thou art crossed , or when thou art blessed — &c. b. when then , and on what occasion do you allow us to swear ? a. when there is a necessity . b. very well ! but when will you call it a necessity ? when i may free a good man ? a. yes . b. or when i may deliver my self from a base aspersion ? a. and then it is lawful . par. i see already that gregory ( that authentick witness , as t. e. calls him ) is against the quakers , and not against you in this matter ; and yet what the quakers cite out of him relates to false and unlawful oaths to free our selves from danger , which the holy father will not allow , nor you ( i believe ) neither . it seems he positively declares swearing in cases of necessity to be lawful ; but can you prove that he ever swore himself ? min. that may easily be proved from one of his own poems , which is entituled [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. oaths or promises by oath , † ] wherein he solemnly swears by by his saviour to avoid such and such sins , and to perform such and such duties of christianity . the poem begins thus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. i 've sworn by th' word , who is my god most great , the beginning from th' beginning , &c. and a little after , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. i 've sworn that i will never entertain dishonourable thoughts of god , &c. then the holy man goes on . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . if i , complying with bad times , deny the unity of th' glorious trinity . here you may observe he follows the hebrew form of swearing , as he do's all along , till he comes almost to the end of his poem ; the particle [ ' e●… , i. e. if ] being used by him above twelve times ; and after all comes the execration ( whereby t. e. may learn that his authentick witness did not think that this makes an oath more unsuitable to the nature of the gospel . p. . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . let others then christ's mercy soon obtain ; but let my labours fruitless be and vain . i told you before that , an oath may lawfully be used in the dedicating our selves to god ; here you see gregory useth it to that purpose , as it were crying out to all ( says billius ‖ ) that of the apostle , * be ye followers of me , as i am of christ. for i have sworn ( that i may speak in the words of the psalmist † ) and am stedfastly purposed to keep the righteous iudgments of christ. now what do you think of the quaker and his friends ? you see nazianzen is point-blank contrary to their pretences . par. i cannot tell what to think ; well may the poor ignorant people be deluded by them , little imagining there can be so much deceit under such serious pretences & demure countenances : but if this be their way of managing their cause ; and their principles be such , as are not to be defended but by such wofull tricks as these ; then farewell quakerism , min. what i have said of gregory nazianzen may serve also to clear st. basil further in this point ; for such was the intimacy and correspondence between these two , that gregory tells us in the funeral oration he made for st. basil , that they were but as one soul in two bodies . ‖ now if st. basil did so concur in all things with nazianzen , is it possible , that the one should differ from the other in a point , which ( in the opinion of hubberthorn ) is no less than antichristianism ? par. i see his quotations thus far have done his cause more hurt than good : but what do you say to the testimony of epiphanius , that we must not swear , no , not by the lord himself , nor by any other oath , for it is an evil thing to swear at all . p. ? min. the quaker ( and those other thirteen , from whom he has this passage ) did very cunningly in not mentioning the occasion of that discourse , which would have spoil'd the argument . epiphanius is writing against one elxai a judaizing heretick , who commanded his followers to swear by creatures , ( viz. ) salt , water , earth , bread , &c. now epiphanius saith : this heretick is condemned by the law and the gospel both , since the lord saith both in the law and in the gospel , thou shalt have no other gods but me , & thou shalt not swear by any other name , and swear not neither by heaven , nor by earth , nor any other oath , but let your communication be yea yea , nay nay , for what is more than this is of the evil one : and i suppose the lord spoke of this before , ( because there were like to be some who would say , we might swear by other names ) first , that we might not swear neither by the lord himself ( that is in communication ) nor secondly , by any other oath ( on any occasion whatsoever ) for it is ( not as t. e. translates it , an evil thing to swear at all , but ) of the evil one to swear . these are the words , and this the sense of epiphanius , and if you will compare them with t. e's citation , you will see how he alters the words , and adds as he sees occasion : but when all is done , the occasion being to confute an heretick swearing by creatures , and the words of epiphanius no more than the words of scripture , which we have proved must be taken with limitation , it follows they are nothing to t. e's purpose . par. chrysostom is again produced by him , who says : it is not lawful to swear , neither in a just , nor unjust thing , &c. ibid. min. the places , which t. e. cites , are out of those popular discourses that bear st. chrysostom's name , but are suspected to be none of his by very learned men ; yet suppose they were genuine , you have had already a sufficient answer given you to all t. e's pretences from hence . * i shall now further add , that st. chrysostom's discourse being directed to private persons , must therefore be limited to private unnecessary oaths , for had his discourse been against the oaths used in the imperial courts , the emperour doubtless would have called him to an account for his doctrine , which he was so far from doing , that he advanced him to the see of constantinople . but we may more clearly perceive his meaning by comparing all passages together . he tels us , how exceeding customary the sin of swearing was in his time ; that the people used to take the gospel to swear by , & to put one another to swear at the holy altar ; and declares , that the like excess of swearing was not to be found in any other city , as in that of antioch , where he then lived : * ‖ and therefore for the beating down this profane and irreligious practice , he speaks so zealously and vehemently against swearing , and expresses himself in such large and general terms , that they who do not weigh one passage with another , may think that oaths were universally disallowed by him : but to put it out of all dispute , that this was not the sense of that father , we find him of an opinion , that it was the son of god who swore by himself to abraham : ‖ and that he made use of the same oath in the gospel , when he said , amen amen ; and expounding the words * of the apostle , he saith : by an oath is determined the dispute of all matters of contention , and that not of this , or of that , but of all. par. did our saviour swear , when he said amen amen , or verily verily ? if he did , whom did he swear by ? min. he swore by himself . however , whether it be really so or no , yet it was so in the opinion of st. chrysostom ( as i have told you ) and of several other fathers , which shews that they were far from thinking all oaths forbidden by christ , while they held he allowed them by his own example . and indeed what can be more plain , than that our saviour swore in judgment as much as any persons among the jews in his time were wont to do ? for in their courts the parties did not speak the words of the oath , but the magistrate did adjure them by the living god to tell truly ; and then the answer they made to this adjuring , was accounted an answer upon oath , and they were reputed to have sworn , and to be obliged by the name of the living god to speak the truth . now the high-priest according to this custome , saith to our saviour mat . . i adjure thee * [ or ( as in some translations ) i cause thee to swear ] by the living god , that thou tell us whether thou be the christ the son of god. our lord being thus adjured or taken sworn , answers ver . . thou hast said , or ( as st. mark more plainly chap. . . ) i am &c. which confession he made according to the rules of court then ; and accordingly they proceed to sentence him for blasphemy , as they impiously accounted this his testimony concerning himself . * and if the quakers themselves were to swear in our courts , they shall never be required to name the name of god ; for the magistrate ( or his substitute ) names the oath , and the parties sworn stand silent , only shewing their consent by kissing the book ; yet the answer they make to such questions as the judge then puts to them , are called their oaths , and they said to swear the things . now sure christ would have reproved the high-priest for adjuring him , and giving him an oath , rather than have answered , if it had been unlawful ; and i hope t. e. and his brethren will venter to do what our blessed lord hath done before them ; nor will they think , he broke his own laws . par. now t. e. crowds in a company of quotations together , as that of iustin martyr , christians ought not to swear at all ; then chrysostoms and origens sayings against oaths ( but of these two you have given me a satisfactory account before ; ) next that of lactantius : a good man will not swear falsly , lest he mock god ; nay he will not so much as swear at all , lest at one time or other he fall , even by custome into perjury . last of all that of hierom , the truth of the gospel doth not admit an oath . p. . min. as for iustin martyr , his words are falsly cited by t. e. for he is speaking of christ's laws and saith : concerning not swearing at all , and always speaking truth , he thus commands , swear not at all &c. this is not what the quaker alledges , that christians ought not to swear at all ; nor doth it sound to t. e's sence , but relates to speaking truth in communication without an oath ; yea in the same apology , he saith : the christians need not die for christ , if they would dissemble , for we might ( says he ) do that which the proverb saith , i swear with my tongue , but my heart was not made to swear : so that it seems christianity would allow them to swear , but not to equivocate in swearing . as for lactantius , his words do plainly relate to common and customary swearing , as appears by that reason he gives , viz. — lest at one time or other he fall , even by custom , into perjury . lastly , that of hieroms must be meant of flight oaths or oaths by creatures ; for st. hierom himself swears on great occasion , god is my witness to my conscience : * and he relates , that he being in a vision was dragged to christs tribunal , and scourged for too much delight in tully ; nor ( saith he ) was i dismissed , till i promised upon oath to amend † and to shew that he was wholly contrary to t. e. and his brethren , he plainly saith , consider that our saviour hath not here forbidden to swear by god , but by heaven , by earth , by ierusalem , and by thy head. * par. from the ancients t. e. comes down to bishop taylor , who says , our blessed lord would not have his disciples to swear at all ( not in publick iudicature ) if the necessity of the world would permit him to be obeyed . if christians will live according to the religion , the word of a christian were a sufficient instrument to give testimony , &c. p. . min. as for this citation , you see the doctor himself here confesses , the necessities of the world will not permit the precept to be obeyed in that sense . should i say , it were a happy thing , if men were never cold , hungry , or sick ; for then there would be no need of fire , food , and physick : will t. e. bring this saying of mine to prove , that i am ( as cases stand ) against the use of these ? yet thus he abuses the good bishop ; who took divers oaths himself , and required them from others by virtue of his office . and in his exposition of the third commandment , the second duty is to invocate gods name directly , or by consequence in all solemn adjurations , and publick oaths . ‖ by this time , i hope , i have satisfied you , that to refuse all manner of swearing is a new doctrine , and contrary to the primitive christian faith ; yet to confirm this truth , i shall give t. e. a few more undeniable evidences in this matter . clemens of alexandria , who ( was elder than any of t. e's pretended authorities , and ) lived anno christi , saith clearly , a christian ought not to swear to his affirmations , but to profess he speaks truth , and to live so that he may be believed — but there where iudgment requires it , he doth rightly swear to the truth : * which is more direct to our purpose than all the quakers put together are to his . to him add the old author of the apostolick constitutions ( which some say , was this clemens ) it is said , swear not at all ; but if you shall swear , take heed it be a just oath . † tertullian follows , who shewing why the christians would not swear by the emperours genius adds — but we do swear ( though not by the genius of the emperours , yet ) by their safety ( he means , by god the author of their safety ) which is more excellent than all the genii in the world. ‖ the practice of origen and hierom you have had before . st. athanasius saith , christ forbid to swear at all ; * yet that he did not thereby mean to exclude solemn and necessary oaths , we may learn from his apology to the emperour constantius ( to whom the arrians had falsly accused him ; ) where he often clears himself by oaths , saying god is witness , and christ is witness ; & in another place , we speak this before god , for we christians have this oath ; where he plainly calls that an oath , and an oath used by christians . st. ambrose allows an oath , where we can be certain of the truth of what we swear . † let t. e. see his comment on heb , . where he tells us , that christ swore in the gospel , when he said amen amen , [ or verily verily ] i say unto you . and upon the verse he has these words , if we must believe for the future the oaths of men , of whom the prophet saith , all men are lyars , how much more ought we to believe the oath of god , who is truth , and can neither be deceived nor deceive ? t. e. may now abuse this holy man , and say , i do not believe all men are lyars , whatever he may be ; and i would gladly hear in what sense he will own himself to be a lyar. this man has been over hasty [ with david , ] and has catcht up the word at a venture ; let us see whether he ( who is so much for confession ) will as fairly confess his error , p. , . i am sure these impertinent words of t. e's might as justly have been said against this ancient father as against me. — but to let this pass ; the third general council of ephesus imposed an oath upon nestorius and victor ; and so ( saith t. e. p. . ) did the th general council upon some body , whose name was basil. and are not all these fathers , and two general councils , competent witnesses of the practice of the primitive church , and their sense of our saviours words ? but further , it is attested by dio in the life of antonius , and appears from tertullian , that the christians did take an oath , when they were listed souldiers under the heathen emperors ; and their form of swearing was by the safety of caesar , &c. and this was in the best and earliest days of christianity ; but afterwards when the emperours became christian , the souldiers oath was enlarged , but never taken away ; for vegetius records the form which the christian souldiers used to take to christian emperours . they swear by god , by christ , and by the holy ghost † , &c. and what christians ever scrupled this ? who ever reproved the emperors for requiring or the souldiers for taking this oath ? and not only in the camp , but also all proceedings in iudicature were managed by the use of oaths , as i could prove at large , if it were not too tedious , or in the least doubted by men of learning and understanding . thus i hope you see with what sophistry t. e. has managed what he produces as arguments , and with how great disingenuity he hath cited his authors , who are so far from being of his opinion in this point , that they are evidently against him , and ( to use his own phrase , p. . ) have laid him flat . now therefore let us pass to his next chapter . chap. vii . of taking texts , &c. par. concerning the question of taking texts , it 's marvellous to me , that it should become a question , seeing there is no appearance of reason to doubt either its lawfulness or expediency . min. as little as there is ; and though at our first conference this was but an occasional transition ; yet t. e. thinks it of such moment , as to make it the main subject ( you see ) of a whole chapter . and indeed if the question be stated , we shall find very little work upon this subject . par. pray then do you state the case . min. to take a text then , and to compose a sermon thereon , is to pitch upon some portion of scripture , to expound the same , and from thence to raise such observations , and remarks , as ( in the preacher's judgment ) tend most to the instruction and edification of the people . so that the question will be this ; whether thus to pitch upon a portion of scripture , to explain and to recommend the knowledge and practice thereof to the people , be displeasing to the majesty of heaven ? if it be , then are the quakers in the right , and we truly are faulty : but if it be not ( there being the breach of no law to make it a sin ; ) then you and others may take notice , that it 's not god's cause and quarrel , that this quaker is defending , but the contradicting and turbulent spirit of his own party . par. you told me , that st. peter in acts . and st. paul in acts . took texts , &c. to this t. e. replies , that if you and your brethren have no better warrant for singling out a text , and composing your sermons out of it , than these scriptures afford , your practice will appear to be very weakly grounded , p. , . min. the quaker ( i perceive ) opposes the lawfulness of taking a text , &c. because not warranted by an express command from scripture ; which has been the sottish mistake of these later ages , as if nothing ought to be done without a scripture-command ; these men would do well to explain their great principle , what they mean by scripture-warrant , and to answer the learned discourses of mr. hooker upon this subject , which none of our sectaries hitherto have been so hardy as to undertake . as to the present practice of preaching upon texts , i have shewed the expediency of it already , produced scripture examples ( and could produce more , if there were occasion ; ) and now i shall produce church presidents ; though indeed none of these are necessary in a matter left to the conduct of prudence ; and ( i hope ) you remember that the main of my answer to this scruple was this , that the apostles and we act under different circumstances , they might sometimes speak by the sole authority of infallible inspiration ; we take texts to shew that we have no other doctrine to deliver , but what is taken out of the written word of god , &c. this was the chief thing he should have replied to ; yet he do's by this , as by the weightiest passages in the conference , answers it by silence . par. pray produce your church presidents . min. i shall instance in basil the great ; he took texts and preached upon them , as may be seen in those homilies on the th psalm , quoted by this quaker against me . the same practice appears by the more ancient homiles of origen ( another of his authors ) on leviticus , numbers and st. matthew ; and most plainly by st. augustine in his sermons on the words of our lord and the apostle ; where that holy father singles out a verse or two , out of the epistle or gospel appointed for that sunday , and preaches on them . and if t. e. please to read his th sermon † , he will find that he takes for his text the words of st. iames , above all things , my brethren swear not . where he may learn ( besides that texts were used in those early times ) how different his judgment is from the primitive fathers , in the point of swearing , &c. since st. augustin's time , examples are infinite for the taking of texts , though not prescribed by any canon of the church ; for though all of us pitch upon a subject , yet do we not always name a text , as appears by the church homilies , which are so many orderly discourses upon certain points . par. as for your instance of our saviour's preaching on a text , luk. . . he denies not the fact , but says , it was in the time of the law , and suitable to that ministration , p. . min. by this shuffle , he will make all the examples , which our saviour set before us in his holy life , to be no presidents for our imitation ; or as if it were lawful to expound texts of scripture under the law , but not under the gospel ; or as if to expound texts under the law , were peculiar to that ministration . par. but t. e. has another charge against the priests , that they take texts to get money by , &c. p. . min. a virtuous man may marry a woman with a good portion , and yet be farr from making money the end of his marriage : but i shall pass by this , for the same reason i did before , when i met with it in hubberthorn , because it is railing , not arguing . i shall only now desire you , and all sober men to judge , whether a methodical , orderly and regular discourse , be not more profitable for the people , than a loose rambling overall points without any method , coherence , or visible scope , according to the wild practice of the quakers . this may suffice to vindicate our taking texts , since it was practised by christ and his apostles , used by the primitive fathers , and is the custom of this church , being also found to be the safest way to prevent wandering from the scripture rule , the easiest to be understood and remembred , and the way now used throughout all christendom , except in the quakers confused assemblies ; where there is no order , and therefore 't is no wonder that their preachments are immethodical , roving , and as hard to be understood , as they are to be remembred . chap. viii . of humane learning , divine inspiration and revelation . par. in the beginning of t. e's discourse of humane learning , he mainly insists on these three things . first , he brings a charge against you in making it necessary to the interpreting of scripture . secondly , whereas you charged hubberthorn for saying , peter was unlearned , when he opened the scriptures ; t. e. tells us , that the scripture says it expresly , acts . . and ( thirdly ) to your query , whether there was not difference between peter the fisher-man , and peter the disciple ? he saith , there was , when he was a fisher-man , he was carnally minded ; but afterwards , being a disciple , he became spiritually minded , &c. p. , . min. to these i shall give a distinct answer , and in as few words as the matter will bear . and i must tell you that t. e. hath here egregiously falsified my words , falsified the scripture , and abused both st. peter and himself . first , i say he hath falsified my words in saying , i make humane learning necessary , &c. [ humane ] is a word of his own shuffling in , and never so much as named in the page he quotes , nor in all my discourse to you upon that subject . i know that st. peter was a true interpreter of scripture ; and that he had not his learning by humane means , but by inspiration . secondly , he hath falsified the scripture in affirming , that it says expresly , that st. peter was unlearned , &c. which is an express untruth . for he may as well say , that the scriptures expresly say , that our saviour was a wine-bibber , &c. indeed the scripture tells us in the place he quotes , that the high-priest and others perceived that peter and john were unlearned and ignorant men , &c. but was all gospel which they either said or perceived ? were all the perceptions and opinions of the jewish council express truths ? this is to make the scripture own whatsoever it relates of wicked and mistaken men. thirdly , t. e. has abused st. peter in saying , he was carnally minded ; this being a calumny which he cannot prove ; for doubtless st. peter was a good man , when he was a fisherman . par. but methinks his greatest oversight is this ; that he having endeavour'd from acts . to prove st. peter and st. iohn two express ignoramus's , he should so soon contradict himself , and tell us , that our saviour before his ascension opened their understandings ( which was an immediate and inward operation of his spirit and power upon them ) that they might understand the scriptures . p. . min. you may see , what shifts an ill cause brings a man into . it seems he opened their understandings before his ascension , and yet they were unlearned and ignorant after his ascension , as if they had lost and not gain'd by it . and he is not too in his notion of the opening of their understandings , which he calls an immediate operation of his spirit and power : for that it was not ; our saviour opened their understandings by his convincing arguments , thus it is written , and thus it behoved christ to suffer , ver . . and if christ had then inspired them with that immediate and inward operation of his spirit and power ; how comes he in the th verse to command them to tarry in the city of jerusalem till they were endued with bower from on high ; intimating that as yet they had not received it ? par. after a great many repetitions of the word [ humane ] which was never put in by you ; he brings a heavy charge against you , that you make humane learning all in all ; and not a word of the spirit of god , p. . min. this is a notorious calumny : and if it were as he says ; why do's he so often cite the . page of the conference , where i say , the spirit helpeth us to understand old truths already revealed in scripture ; and that we pray for his assistance therein ? indeed i did not so often mention the spirit in that discourse , because it was not the matter of our debate , being denyed by neither side ; but learning is that which the quakers deny , and that which i am now defending ; and to oblige the quaker , i will now put in the word [ humane , ] since tongues are ceased ; which yet is farr from excluding the spirit of god ; should i say , that plowing and sowing are necessary to procure corn , i do not thereby deny god's blessing to be necessary ; for indeed both are necessary , they as natural means , this as a divine efficacy to make them prosper . even so , i say , humane learning is necessary in these ages for the right interpreting of scripture ; but then this assertion is far from denying the assistance of the spirit , which sanctifies our learning . so that this is a malicious conclusion he draws from my words . par. but he thinks that you have contradicted your self in asserting the necessity of learning to the interpreting of scriptures ( i. e. the hard places in the scriptures , for your preceding words shew that to be your meaning ; ) when as you afterwards affirm , that the necessary points of religion are not hard to be understood ; and he is so pleas'd with this , that for fear the reader should not take notice of it , he repeats it over and over , as p. , , , . min. i find he is so tickled with this invention , that when he has nothing to say , he fills up his pages with a repetition of this seeming contradiction . but i must tell the quaker , that he deals here most injuriously with me ; for these two places of mine , were not spoken upon one and the same occasion , nor do they belong to the same subject ; for in the th page of my book , i am speaking of preaching and interpreting scripture to others ; in p. . i am discoursing of private christians understanding so much of scripture , as is necessary to their own salvation : which they may attain without humane learning , otherwise none but the learned can be saved . now the quaker disingenuously wrests all my discourse to preaching , p. , . but let us see what consequence there is in his arguments ; an unlearned man may know what is necessary to his own salvation , therefore he may be a preacher unto others . rare arguing ! is every man , that can write his own hand-writing , fit to be a writing-master ? or every souldier , that can handle his arms , fit to be a general ? or every clown , that can draw a bill or bond , fit to be a counsellor or a judge ? a little knowledge with an honest heart and good life may do a man 's own business ; but surely it requires more to be an interpreter of scripture , to preach , to defend the faith against hereticks , to instruct , exhort , comfort and and reprove in due season . methinks t. e. might have been more ingenuous , than to sport himself with his own impostures , and so falsly to represent the passages of my book , having done by it , as dionyfius did by apollo's statue , whose silver mantle he took off , and then clad it with his own course cloth , and when he had so done , laughed it to scorn . par. i observe that t. e. goes on at this rate , picking up three passages spoken on different occasions , to raise this observation , that learning is only necessary to the understanding of those things which are least necessary , p. . min. suppose it did follow from my words , that it is a minister's duty to apply things that are plain , and make them more plain ; this is no inconsiderable employment . st. peter thought it his duty to be a monitor , and to put the churches in remembrance of things they knew , pet. . . and it requires skill and learning to manage even the plainest things to the best advantage of the people . and though i said the difficult places of scripture were least necessary , i did not say they were unnecessary ( which would have been blasphemy to assert ; ) for there is not that place , but the understanding of it may be useful , nay necessary too , when such as t. e. pervert them , to the overthrowing of the faith of some . par. now he tells us , that he passes on to your second observation ( on pet. . . ) not finding any thing further in your first that is remarkable , save that in p. . you again acknowledge , that those passages in scripture that are of the greatest concern , are written in such a plain and familiar style , that the weakest and most illiterate , or unlearned , &c. shall not be able to excuse the neglect of them , &c. p. . min. it 's t. e's old subtilties to call what he cannot answer minute and less material passages , † and here he says he do's not find any thing further that is remarkable , when indeed he hath left unanswered the most remarkable passage of all , even that in page . of my book ; my argument there was this , if st. paul ' s epistles were hard then , in those days of primitive light and purity , and extraordinary inspiration , and even to those that were acquainted with the original languages , wherein they were written , and with the peculiar proverbs and proprieties of them ; if they were hard then to those who well understood the rites and customs of the people , to whom they were particularly written ; and who might be easily informed of the particular occasion , and by that means of the true scope of them : how much more difficult must they needs be to us at this distance , &c. this had been worth the quaker's pains to have answered , and ours to dispute about . so that i have no reason to take any further notice of him , when thus he skips over the main of my arguments . but neither you nor any other can remain unsatisfied of the necessity of humane learning , if you will peruse a treatise † on that subject , written by mr. reyner of lincoln . par. but methinks he yields the cause , for he tells us , that it is not their manner to deride learning , or any way to undervalue it , which in its place is good and serviceable , p. . min. i doubt his party will scarce thank him for this concession , who for many years made it a great part of their religion to decry it . one ( whose name is not affixt to his works ) saith , that the original of tongues was in the days of nimrod that heretick . though i must tell that learned antiquary , that nimrod was rather an atheist than heretick . but i pray , wherein then is learning good and serviceable ? in natural , civil , or humane affairs , p. . min. if so , why do's he make use of it himself in a controversie of religion ? and why do's he pretend so much to esteem that learning , which the translators of the scripture made use of in that work ? p. . par. t. e. has one objection against humane learning , &c. which to me seems very considerable , and to have more in it , than the whole chapter besides . if ( says he ) want of humane learning were the cause why the scriptures are wrested , how comes it to pass , that they are wrested by those that have humane learning ? p. . min. seeing you look upon this objection as considerable , you shall have the fuller answer to it . let us look back into former ages , and we shall find that no heretick was famous for learning in the two first centuries . montanus was for inspiration , as are the quakers , and as horrible a wrester of the scriptures as they are , calling himself the paraclet or comforter that was for to come . manes was a persian slave , void of all ingenuous literature and education , and he broached the manechaean heresie . ar●…ius was a man of plausible eloquence , but of no great learning . and i would have t. e. shew us any one of the hereticks , that did come near to the profound learning which was in those glorious lights of the church , iustin martyr , irenaeus , clemens alexandrinus , athanasius , basil , nazianzen , chrysostome , hierome , ambrose , augustine , eusebius , theodoret , &c. these holy fathers were some of them admirably skill'd in languages , all of them in histories , laws , rites and customs , yea in most of the liberal sciences , all which they got by education : and he must be a stranger to primitive times , who knows not , how god made use of the learning and eloquence of these orthodox fathers , to confound heresies , is they did arise up in the world. it the hereticks with their little learning did wrest some places of scripture , these hero's did rectifie such abused places , by which they both baffled their adversaries , and confirmed the truth ; so that the heretick got as little by those attempts , as ellwood has by this allegation ; which gives us but an opportunity to set an higher value upon learning , seeing god has been pleased to use it as a means to secure his holy word in times of old : — but to go on ; we may observe , that when by the furious inundation of the barbarous nations into the roman empire , learning fell into decay and when arts and sciences were discouraged and neglected , at the same time all manner of corruptions crept into the church ; and as ignorance encreased , errors multiplied ; so that most of the present evil opinions of the church of rome , had their original in those unlearned ages , from about years 〈◊〉 christ , till about 〈◊〉 after ; about the midnight of which darkness , there was scarce any learning left in the world ; it is wonderful ( saith sabellions ) what a general oblivion of arts had seized on mens minds . * these were the unhappy times , which bred and nursed up invocation of saints , worship of images , purgatory , with all the fanatical visions and revelations , miracles , &c. then began shrines , pilgrimages , reliques , purchasing of pardons , and the popes attempts for an universal monarchy : to serve which ends , scripture was wrested ; fathers , councils , and records corrupted and forged ; while the world was a sleep , and for want of learning discerned not the cheat , which is now so gross and palpable . and 't is well worth our notice what the learned hottinger observes ( viz. ) that the canon of the council of vienna ; anno . commanding the study of the oriental languages in europe , was the happy dawning of the blessed reformation ; for while ignorance overspread the world , the pope carried the bell away , and had it generally at his devotion . and canus confesseth that their doctors for years together , understood neither greek nor hebrew ; and lelius tifernus anno . had much ado to get leave to read greek in the university of paris ; for as epen●…aeus tells us ( com. ad tim. . ) in that age to understand greek was suspected , and to have skill i●… hebrew almost enough to make a man accounted an heretick : in those times they could wrest [ ec●… duo gladii † ] and [ deus fecit duo luminaria ‖ ] to prove the pop●… above the emperour . but as soon as god restored learning , the reformation immediately followed ; which the wisest papists foresaw : hence platina relates , that pope paul the second ( who lived about forty years before luther ) was wont to call all that studied humane learning , hereticks , frequently admonishing the romans not to bring up their children in learning ; hence that famous saying of ludovicus vives his master to him ( which might very well fit the mouth of george fox ) the better grammarian thou art , the worse divine thou wilt make . and he that considers what opposition was made against reuchlin , erasmus , and other restorers of learning , by the illiterate monks of that age , will discern , that the popish church did strive as much to hinder the setting up of learning , as the quakers strive to pull it down : and it s well if t. e. and the grandees of his party ( for all their big words against them ) be not carrying on a design for that people , who hold ignorance the mother of devotion . par. but t. e. will have the cardinals , iesuites and popish priests in latter times to be learned men . p. . min. some of them i confess were so , but it was the excellent learning of the protestant divines which forced them to it ; as we may gather from andreas vesselius hebrew-professor at lovain in the time of pope paul the th , who hath these words , we wonder at the hereticks skill in tongues , and all learning , and they deride our contempt of these things ; let us wash off this blot , and joyn to philosophy the knowledge of tongues . * yet ( blessed be god ) the learning of the protestant churches hath ever outvyed them ; in so much that of late the popish champions could never wrest one single place of scripture , which hath not been rescued from their false glosses by the learning of the protestant divines assisted by god's spirit . but what lamentable abuses might have been put upon scripture , and what easy victories would they have had , had all protestants been as illiterate as the quakers are ? by all this it appears , that learning hath been the means , by which god hath vindicated his word from wresting ; and that ignorant persons have been the greatest wresters of it : of which if more proof be requisite , let us look back to the unlearned anabaptists of germany ( in the last century ) the progenitors of our quakers thomas muntzor , iohn of leyden , knipperdolling , &c. with heiman the cobler , theodore the butcher , who attempted to set up christs kingdom by a bloody rebellion , and abusing of scripture : yea this is confirmed to us by the miseries of this church in our late unhappy times ; when any mechanick took up-upon him to preach , and expound scripture so long , till they put more thorns about our saviours doctrine , than the iews ever did about his head ; and divided this poor nation into innumerable sects and parties , under which it groaneth ; and broached as wild errours , as ever were heard before . so that st. peter did truly observe , that unlearned men do wrest the scriptures . perhaps t. e. may pick up some men of learning , who out of base ends , peeks , and prejudices have wrested the scripture : but this is so far from proving learning unnecessary , that it shews it to be the more needful ; for if theeves wear swords for to rob and kill , ought not honest men so much the rather wear them in their own defence . ? par. you have satisfied me abundantly , so that we shall find little more upon this point worth the taking notice of : only t. e. has found out a way to make tongues unnecessary , for illiterate men may speak by interpreters p. . yet afterwards he tells us , that tongues were given to the apostles , to enable them so to express themselves in every nations proper dialect , that they might understand what was spoken to them . p. . min. it seems then , they were requisite , and they were not requisite ; they were requisite to enable them to preach intelligibly to all nations ; and yet not requisite , seeing this might have been done by an interpreter . the fallacy then , which he pretends to be in my argument , will manifestly appear to be in his own . besides , what a ridiculous method is this , which he prescribes of an interpreter ? for if the preacher understand not the language of that people whom he is to instruct , the interpreter must , who is to know two tongues at least , that he may interpret one by the other ; and since interpretation of tongues ‖ was a miraculous gift in those days , as well as speaking with tongues , the quakers way is not easier at all , it being indifferent , whether the miracle be wrought by the preacher or by the interpreter : now if skill in tongues be learning , then were the apostles learned in that point ; theirs came by miracle , ours by gods blessing upon our study and endeavours ; and though we come diversly by it , yet the skill is the same : and though t. e. seems to separate the gifts of tongues from the gifts of the holy ghost , p. . yet we know , they both came together ; neither can we be so absurd , as to fancy , the spirit gave the apostles words without sense , or that he taught them like parrots to talk without understanding . now because this knowledg , and skill to express it , is not in this age given to any man without means , namely , reading and study ; therefore it is that we press a necessity of learning in the ministers of the gospel . if it be enquired now , of what use tongues were to the apostles , i shall grant that they were given to them ( who had knowledge without study ) to enable them to speak properly to all nations in their own dialect . now though tongues be not necessary to us for this purpose , yet are they necessary for other purposes ( viz. ) to enable us to compare the original with the several oriental versions , to fit us for the reading of ancient historians , expositors , and other authors of such sciences as are useful handmaids to divinity , which are generally written in greek and latine , without the knowledge of which tongues we cannot know the signification and proprieties of words , the sense of phrases , the variety of customs , the history of times , the exposition of the holy fathers , the practice of the primitive church , the frauds of hereticks , &c. the apostles needed the tongues to express themselves , having notions by inspiration : we need them as well to inform us in the notions of things , as properly , pertinently and methodically to express our selves , even in our own country ( this will serve to answer another of his objections . ) and so tongues were and are necessary for the apostles and for us , for those times and these times ; and none wholly illiterate either then were , or now are fit to preach the gospel . par. you told me , there was great reason why illiterate men were at first chosen , &c. t. e. says , the reason holds good still . p. . min. are we and they then in the same circumstances ? surely different times require different dispensations . but here i must ask , why the comparison between gods raining down manna in the wilderness , and the ceasing thereof when that people was settled in the land of canaan , with the extraordinary and ordinary state of the church , was omitted by this quaker ? but i must confess , he has provided himself a brave salvo to call any thing a minute passage , which he knows not how to answer . par. though he takes no notice of the comparison , yet he do's of the inference ; for he thinks , you are to blame for inferring from thence a necessity of humane learning in ordinary times . p. . min. a more senseless remark cannot be made ; unless humane learning had been an extraordinary thing , and acquired only in an extraordinary manner . par , however he saith that teaching of the spirit had no dependency upon tongues ; it was before them , and was to continue after them ibid. min. this is false , for they were given both at one time : but if he mean , that the ordinary teaching of the spirit was to continue after them , i say as much : but then his not distinguishing between the ordinary and extraordinary teaching of the spirit , has here run him into some gross absurdities for two or three pages together . first he supposes all christian believers to be the apostles successors , as if there were no difference between the preacher and the hearer , between priest and people , when the apostles selected their successors from out of the company of ordinary christians : and the distinction has been ever kept up in all ages since . secondly , the quaker pleads alike for all believers , as if they had all the inward and immediate teaching p. . and takes those places iohn . . , . ye know all things — and need not that any man teach you &c. without limitation . hence it follows , that the apostles taught in vain ; and so not only ministers pains are in vain , but the quakers own preachments ; for if all were & are immediately taught , what need was or is there of any of these ? thirdly , the quaker seems to fancy , that if the spirit be not with believers in this immediate manner , he is not with them at all . p. . and that christ hath left his people comfortless ; as if the people in canaan , where they plowed and sowed , were not fed by gods providence , as well as in the wilderness . we know that it is the spirit , that blesseth our learning , and to as useful purposes ( considering our circumstances ) as if we had that immediate teaching , which the quakers do but dream of . par. he would make his reader believe , that you are of opinion , that the apostles received the knowledge of the gospel by tongues . p. . min. he wrongs me infinitely , i put in miracles and the rest . immediate knowledge and tongues are by me usually reckoned together , because the apostles received them together ; and they were miraculous effects of the spirit , both temporary and extraordinary , and both fitted to that season ; and immediate teaching is as little to be expected now , as the gift of tongues , which was not so miraculous as immediate teaching ; it being a greater wonder , that ignorant men should be acquainted with all heavenly truthes , as speak all earthly languages . methinks , when quakers talk of this immediate teaching , it 's as some do of the philosophers stone ; for while they boast of it , they should shew us one man that actually hath it . and for all their pretences , we see some of them do not depend upon it , but make use of humane means , and do read and study , and when they falsly quote an author , can pretend they were in the countrey , &c. and we all know , that the quakers being generally devoid of learning , their discourses , and writings are fuller of tautologies , soloecisms , confusion and darkness , than any other sort of people whatsoever ; whereas if they had the immediate teaching as the apostles had , their notions would be clear , their discourses methodical and argumentative , as those of the apostles were . and wee see they are so far from it , that even t. e. a pretender to learning as well as to this inspiration , is often detected of gross ignorance , impertinence , and self-contradiction , in this little tract . all the knowledge therefore , that we expect now , must be attain'd only by gods blessing upon our due use of means . 't is certain , that the best quaker of them all , did he not read , study , converse &c. would be as ignorant as a barbarous indian ; and till they can give us an example to the contrary , this pretence of theirs must pass for an absolute imposture . par. but t. e. thinks , that he has catch't you in a contradiction , because you say , that necessary truths are already revealed in scripture ; yet you confess that you want the assistance of the spirit to help you to understand them p. . min. he forgets that here he do's contradict himself ; before , i made humane learning all in all , now ( it seems ) i make the ordinary assistance of the spirit necessary . — but to the point ; if it be a contradiction to pray for the assistance of the spirit , for the understanding of what is revealed , then is his worship guilty of the same contradiction ; for he tells us p. , . that the doctrines contained in the holy scriptures cannot be comprehended or understood by the wit and wisdom of man ( in his highest natural attainments ) but only and alone by the openings and discoveries of that holy spirit , by which they were at first revealed . so that i must retort his own words * , if it cannot be understood , it 's not revealed but vailed . my wonder is , that this quaker quarrels not with the last book in scripture ; seeing it's the hardest to be understood , yet called the revelation of iesus christ. and i must tell the quaker , that whatsoever is made publick is revealed , whether every body understand it or no. par. as for ▪ new revelations , he thinks it is a phrase of your own , not used by them . p. . min. 't is well known , that i am not the inventer of it ; and though t. e. disowns the phrase , yet you see he defends the thing ; and if we must not call them new revelations , we must then call them new impostures . have not divers quakers stript themselves stark naked , and said the spirit bid them deliver such and such a message in that posture ? must not then this be a new revelation in their own sense ? i shall be glad to hear that all quakers were really become ( as their champion ellwood pretends they are ) of another mind ; it would be very well , would they at last renounce all revelations , which are not contained in the scripture , and search out the sense ▪ of what is already revealed , which they may do with the ordinary assistance of gods spirit , and his blessing on the use of means , so far as is needful to their own salvation . thus far i shall agree with t. e. that outward means without the spirit of god will not make us savingly to understand the scriptures , provided that he will add , that the spirit will not help those , who neglect to use the means , so far as their condition and capacity do extend unto . now as for those that expect new revelations , or immediate teaching ( that is a teaching without means ) such do render the scriptures useless altogether : for he that hath immediately the same truthes from the same fountain , from whenee the scriptures do flow , will not value the scriptures at all ; for who will value a copy , that hath the original ? 't is the conceit of this teaching , that hath made many of the quakers despise the scriptures ; what need have such ( says one of them ) of scripture-teaching without them , when they have received the same spirit within them ? * another , whom i could name , said to a credible person , that it had been better for him , had he never read the bible . par. but you affirmed the scriptures were a perfect rule ; this sticks in his teeth : and whereas you proved it by . tim. . . he confesses the scriptures to be profitable , but hopes the priest will not say , every thing that is profitable , is a perfect and sufficient rule . p. . min. it 's well , if my gentleman put not on a false vizard , for this is the foundation-principle of all popery , to deny that the scripture is a perfect rule ; and under this sconce all their other errours do take sanctuary ; wherefore the papists call the scripture a leaden rule , a dead iudge , merum putamen sine nuel●…o , a meer nut-shell without a kernel . that the fathers are clear in this point , as well against the papists as their frieud ellwood , may be seen in the confe●…nce p. . which he passes by . that the scripture is a sufficient rule , the apostle proves sufficiently . tim. . , , . do's not st. paul say there , that they are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith ? which they could not do , were there not a rule in order to that salvation : for the main use of a rule is to direct us in the way we should go in . the apostle proceeds to enumerate the several particulars , wherein the scriptures may by us be profitably made use of ; they are profitable ( says he ) for doctrine , for reproof , for correction , for instruction , which contain all the intents and purposes of a rule . to shew that the scripture hath all the perfection that a rule can have , the apostle adds , that the man of god may be perfect , thorowly furnished unto all good works . let this quaker therefore beware how he digs up foundations ; especially considering , how many places there are which make the law of the lord perfect , &c. which for brevity sake , i must omit . i expected that t. e. in this chapter of learning would have shewed us his greatest skill and accuracy , but i find my self deceived his pages being filled only with pitisul shifts and evasions ; lest therefore i should weary you , i must desire you to pass to the next and last chapter of his book ; especially considering , there is a tract now in press called [ christianity no enthusiasm ] which answers all his pretensions to immediate teaching . par. i shall only then desire you to take notice , that he concludes this chapter with the testimonies of tindall , iewel , bradford , philpot and bullinger , all which argue a necessity of the spirit in order to the interpreting of scripture . min. i have seriously consider'd their words , and do find that they either speak of the practicable knowledge of the scriptures , which is ouly to be had from the grace of the spirit , or else of the ordinary teaching of gods spirit in the use of means . but where do's he find that any of these relyed on immediate inspiration , or disputed against the use of humane learning in divinity ? or do you think that the quaker observed his decorum in giving philpot the reverend title of a [ learned martyr ] in this chapter against learning . p. ? but to shew that t. e. has abused the learned and pious philpot ; and that i maintain no notion of learning different form him ; let us hear his own words , i confess ( saith he ) that faith comes by hearing , and hearing by the word of god , and i acknowledge that god appointeth an ordinary means for men to came unto knowledge now , and not miraculously , as he hath done in times past ; yet we that be taught by men , must take heed that we learn nothing , but that which was taught in the primitive church by revelation . par. one thing i wonder at ( viz. ) that t. e. should not say [ bishop iewel ] ( he having been bishop of salisbury ) as well as [ bishop gauden ] and [ bishop taylor ; ] but barely styles him iohn iewel a zealous defender of the protestant religion . p. . min. you will the less wonder , if you consider that the design of ellwoods book is to blind and delude the ignorant common people ( for he can hardly fancy , that men , whose reason has been improved by consideration and education , can be imposed upon by so many apparent fallacies . ) now should he have called him bishop iewel , then would the most vulgar have made this remark ( viz. ) that a man may be a bishop , and yet a zealous defender of the protestant religion . but if t. e's design be to prove , that gods people cannot be without the assistance of his holy spirit , he needed not to have gone to bishop iewel , arch-deacon philpot and the rest ; he might have brought as plain proofs , and with more authority from the book of common prayer , from the articles and homilies of the church of england . and if i say any thing to the contrary , i will submit to the severest puninshment for so high a cirme . par. i should give you no further trouble upon this point , but for one odd passage which i had like to have forgot . he says , the faith which they have received , is the same with that of the primitive christians . p. . min. then let me give you a testimony or two of their opinion in this matter . eusebius ( in his ecclesiastical history lib. . c. . tells us of one pantaenus ( who lived in the second century ) that he was a famous learned man , and moderator in the school of alexandria ; and that of old disputation and exercise in holy scripture did flourish among them , being instituted by such men as excelled in eloquence . the same eusebius informs us , that origen perswaded to the study of liberal sciences , affirming them advantagious to the knowledge of holy scriptures , being of an opinion , that the exercise of philosophical discipline was very necessary and profitable . it was an unhappy project of iulian the ap●…state to extirpate christianity by destroying all schools of literature and education ; for by this means ( saith he ) if we suffer them , we are beaten with our own weapons * and the christians complained of this as a very great grievance ; which shews , that they both used learning and highly valued it also . saint augustine allows the knowledg of philosophy and other heathen learning to be useful in order to the expounding of scripture , and compares it to the israelites spoiling of , the egypt●…ians to adorn the tabernacle † ; and saith that saint cyprian , lactantius , victorinus , optatus and hilarius were rarely furnished with these spoils ‖ . saint hierome was brought up in learning from his youth : and before he set upon explaining the scripture , he learned the hebrew tongue * ( long after he was a man ; ) and hehighly commended the mother of rusticus ( who was designed for the ministry ) that she brought him up in all kind of learning † . and he advises ministers , that they be long in learning what they are to teach unto others ‖ . i could produce infinite testimonies to shew how learning was encouraged by the ancient christians ; and for this kind of inspiration which ellwood talks of , it was never pretended , from the time of the heretick montanus , till st. francis pretended to this point of quakerism , and other fanatical popish fryars , and monks , the modern enemies of all ingenuous education . so that i hope the quakers champion has been so far from putting you out of conceit with learning , that he hath raised your esteem and opinion of it . chap. ix . of tithes . par. t. e. begins his chapter of tithes with railing , and saith , that he is got to the priests dalilah , the very darling and minion of the clergy , p. . min. but rather ( if the quaker please ) tithes are that which an english man calls property , and i hope will be ever esteemed so , for all his billinsgate rethorick : but to wave thir ( for i dare not encounter my adversary in scolding ) i must remind you , that the first thing which you proposed to me upon this subject , was an argument of edward burroughs in his plea to the king and council , who said it was a denying of christ to uphold any part of the first priesthood , that gave and received tithes , &c. to which i answered , that if by the first priesthood be meant that of aarons , than had he presented to the king and council a notorious falsity in affirming it to be the first , there being a priest before him , to whom levi himself paid his tithes , heb. , . or if by the first priesthood he meant that of melchizedeck's , the falsity was no less notorious in saying , that priesthood is ended , which christ exerciseth for ever , heb. , . par. this indeed i told you was a great scruple to me , and your answer was no less satisfactory : and i expected that t. e. here would have shew'd his art , but i found my self deceived ; for he hath left burroughs in the lurch , and given the world an occasion to look upon him as a meer cheat and impostor . min. it s strange that he should pass by so considerable a passage , and the very first thing insisted on ; but you will wonder indeed , when i tell you ( that if a certain letter may be credited , subscribed by isaac pennington ) edward burroughs was an occasion of his convincement ( he should have said seducement . ) of all quakers , one would have thought e. b. should not have been deserted : is it not strange that t. e. who abounds with sophisms and fallacies , should not have one le●…t him at such a pinch as this , when the credit and reputation of his patriarch burroughs was so emi●…tly concern'd ? i pray god he may lay it to heart , and that in order to his own eternal good , that this burroughs , who was the unhappy instrument of his apostacy from the protestant religion establisht in the church of england , had not that inspiration which we have been discoursing of , and of which the quakers so vainly boast . par. i see one thing very plainly , that where t. e. has not the wit to answer any of your arguments , he has however the cunning to pass them by : for he has skipt over four pages , and the first thing that he enquires into is , whether tithes were due to melchisedeck , that which should make them due ( says he ) must be a command , p. . min. you know that abraham built an altar to the lord his god who appeared to him : now according to t. e. that was a superfluous service , not a due to god , because we do not read that any where he had commanded it . par. i suppose that t. e. is sensible that melchizedeck was a type of christ , and that if tithes were due to the type , they are no less due to the antitype ; wherefore he produces three arguments to prove that tithes were not his due : first , because moses says expresly , that he gave him tithes : and that the apostle useth the same phrase : now to give imports one thing ; to pay another , p. . min. that the phrase imports no such things will appear , when we observe the very same in other scriptures : as for example , my son ( saith ioshua ) [ give ] glory to god , do's this imply that [ glory ] is not god almighties due , any further than man is pleased to give it to him ? ( secondly ) the apostle , who gives the best account of the phrase , has it in these words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he tithed abraham . now since t. e. pretends to understand greek , and this passage being in my book , how came he to pass it by ? this i am perswaded , had he not found it true , it would not have escaped his lash ; wherefore do i suspect , that here he offers an argument directly against his own knowledge and conscience . par. his second reason is this , had tithes been due to melchizedeck , then must abraham have paid melchizedeck tithes of all his substance , p. . min. we know nothing to the contrary , but that he did so ; and i can affirm the one , as well as he deny the other . par. but the main is behind : we do not read ( says he ) that he gave him tithes of his own estate ; but that which he gave him the tenth of was the spoils , ibid. min. this was answered in the conference also : it not being material out of what he paid his tithes , but whatever they were , abraham paid them as a tithe , and melchizedek received them as a priest. but seeing he insists so much upon this , i shall add , that the spoils were in strictness his own estate , having obtained them with the hazard of his life , in a just and righteous war. but if it were not so , that they were not his , than will an eternal infamy ly upon the father of the faithful , and the priest of the most high god , in disposing and receiving of that which ( in right ) belonged to other men. par. but ( thirdly ) ( says t. e. ) which seems to me a meer trifle , the occasion , &c. seems altogether accidental , ibid. min. that is , accidentally abraham metwith an occasion & opportunity to discharge his duty . as meer an accidental passage , as the quaker would have this to be , yet the apostle draws a solid argument from thence ; and whoever reads the th chapter to the hebrews will find , that the apostles design there is to prove the priesthood of melchizedeck's above that of levi's , from a threefold argument . ( first ) he received tithes of abraham , or he tithed him , v. . ( secondly ) he blessed him , and without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better , v. . ( thirdly ) the apostle proves it the greater and the more blessed priesthood from the duration of it : for thou art a priest for ever after the order of mechizedeck , v. . now if the account that ellwood hath given of these two great men be true , then has the apostle quite lost his argument ; therefore let us compare t. e's discourse , and the apostles together . is melchizedeck's priesthood greater or better than that of aarons , because abraham gave him tithes ? that cannot be : for tithes were none of his due , neither did abraham pay them duly , nor was there in those days any publick worship , wherein he could perform any outward priestly office ( as if melchizedeck was a meer cypher , bore the name of a priest , but did not the work and office of a priest. ) it 's true abraham gave him tithes , but he did not pay him tithes : and when all is done , it was but an accidental business , and will not bear an argument . with what dint of argument might a jew ( upon ellwoods principles ) implead christianity it self ? what , melchizedecks priesthood above aarons , because abraham gave him tithes ? that 's false even from christian principles : did not iesus himself say , that it was more blessed to give than to receive ? abraham was the giver , melchizedeck was but the receiver ; wherefore the priesthood in abrahams loins was the greater priesthood , the more blessed priesthood . so that if we pursue the quakers argument to the far end , with tithes it overturns not only the epistle to the hebrews , but indeed the very foundation of christianity . par. you have given me very good satisfaction , as to your ministry , in your reply to t. e's first chapter ; i shall therefore pass by his canting expressions , that you are made priest after the law of a carnal commandment , which i suppose , related to the bloody sacrifices under the levitical law : but then whereas you asserted , that maintenance in general to the ministers of the gospel is just , rea sonable , and establisht by a divine authority ; he quite contrary to my expectation grants it p . min. maintenance it seems then is due : now i would know , what could possibly have been set out for that maintenancce less obnoxious to exception than tithes are . par. nothing that i know of , but men of corahs temper would have quarrelled with it . but as for those scriptures from which you urged this maintenance , the apostles intent ( he saith ) is not to set out what the maintenance is , as who they are , from whom it is to be received , namely , such as receive their ministry . ibid. min. i answer ( first ) nothing can be more plain , than that the apostles drift in these scriptures is , to oblige the people to set forth a maintenance for their ministers , and those instances of the ox treading out the corn , &c. shew the equity and reasonableness thereof . ( secondly ) the question being whether the ministers of the gospel ought to be provided for out of mens estate , for their work and labour in their ministry ; this i perceive is fairly yielded : but then did t. e. consider , how this very thing has been opposed all along by his own party , and how miserably they have abused that text , freely have ye received , freely give ? however we may fairly inferr from his own words , that they who are fed by us , taught by us , planted , &c. ought not to withhold our maintenances from us . but then ( thirdly ) the next question will be this ; whether those who withdraw themselves from the publick ordinances , are for that reason excusable in withdrawing our maintenances ? if this be so , t. e. has found out a right expedient , to make all indifferent men turn either atheists , or schismaticks in point of interest . but then i must desire their friend ellwood to take notice , that if they be not fed , taught , and planted by us , the fault is in themselves , and for which we ought not to suffer . ( fourthly ) the fallacy and cheat lies here , that the quaker do's not distinguish between the first donors of tithes , and the present payers of tithes , who are considered in the rent or purchase for the tithes they pay , which i made plain to you at our first conference , and shall ( i hope ) make more plain before we part . par. he is got into a fit of railing again , an says , though christ deny them , yet if man will grant them , it will serve your turn as well , p. . min. where ( i wonder ) do's christ deny them ? had the quaker proved this , he had most effectually done his work : but he is so far from proving this false assertion , that when i am challenging the quakers for about four pages together , to prove tithes a sin , that is to say , the transgression of any law , humane or divine , t. e. is not so hardy , as to make any manner of reply ; though he could not but know , that it was the most considerable passage that i had . par. you may be sure t. e. was wise enough to pass by those passages : for i suppose he knew neither how to answer your argument , nor vindicate the reputation of his own party , whom you had render'd both ridiculous and dishonest , in the application of that text , the priests bear rule by their means , to tithes or other estates , when i related to the prophets who prophesied ●…falsly , and by their [ means ] or by reason thereof , the priests than usurped an authority : now it seems the quakers in their gross ignorance took [ means ] there for estates , &c. and t. e. not knowing how to excuse this , puts it into the catologue of minute passages . min. i would now know of t. e. wherein consists immediate teaching . had i nothing to object against the quakers but this very passage , comparing it with the notion of inspiration , its sufficient to prove them very cheats , and to draw any serious man from their ways , making a plain discovery what that spirit is , by which they are guided and directed ; and that this text has been so abused , see that tract ( before mentioned to you ) called some of the quakers principles , put forth by isaac pennington , and the second quaker there has this passage . but to return to his gospel maintainance , which ( he says ) is expresly set down by christ , eat such things as are set before you ; eat and drink such things as they give , p. . according to this rule tithes are a gospel-maintenance , which have been expresly set before us , expresly given us . and if tithes were not melchizedeck's due before such time as abraham gave him them ; yet when they wete so given him , they were without all dispute , which will sufficiently make good our title to tithes ( could we lay no other claim unto them ) wherefore it was that i said before , that if they were not due by a divine appointment , yet are they now due by a voluntary dedication of them . par. it 's from those words that he infers , that though christ deny them , and men give them , it will serve your turn . min. could a more malicious and uncharitable interpretation be put upon my words ? ananias and saphira ( without any positive appointment ) dedicated the money , which they raised upon the sale of their est●…e , to the use of the church : might not ellwood have replied upon st. peter , and the rest , though christ deny that money , yet if ananias and saphira give it , it will serve your turn ? par. now t. e. takes notice of my query , how the dedication of tithes appeared ; and saith the answer , o! you need not scruple the point , ibid. min. the interjection [ o ] is put in by himself , as before , p. . to put more emphasis upon my words , than ever was intended by me , and to make more room for his scurrility , as if the strength of my argument depended upon that single passage : but let us pass by his immoralities to his arguments . par. he saith you ground your claim upon the famous charter of king ethelwolf . p. . min. this is false , the church was possessed of tithes long before his days : but it was the solemn dedication of them ( whereby all disputes concerning them was taken away ) that i grounded upon that charter . but what concerns king ethelwolfs charter , &c. you 'l find answered in another book intituled the right of tithes , &c. which is a fuller answer to all the main passages of this chapter , than i could conveniently make , without swelling this reply much bigger than i am willing to publish it . par. i shall then only propound his chief objections . t. e. spends some pages to prove most gross corruptions in that charter . min. some corruptions there might be , even as there was in asa's reign , who tho he suffered the high places to remain , yet nevertheless his heart was perfect with the lord all his days . so there might be some great defects in ethelwolfs charter : yet having no idolatrous design , but an honest zeal , that those whom he esteemed ministers of christ might be provided for . and what can be more uncharitable than to make a damnable idolater of him , for doing something , tho it were in an ill manner , through invincible ignorance . magna charta , or the grand charter of england , runs thus . henricus dei gratia rex angliae &c. archiepiscopis , ducibus &c. sciatis quod nos intuitu dei , & pro salute animae meae , & animarum antecessorum , & successorum nostrorum &c. that is , he grants this charter upon this seeming pretence , that it was for the good of his soul , and for the souls of his ancestors and successors . now shall we argue that this was idolatry , and therefore magna charta was ipso facto voyd ? and that the english subjects ought to quit all the priviledges that they claim by it ? now suppose the obliquity as great as t. e. pretends in ethelwolfs charter , yet the dedication of the tithes being to god , no blemish therein can alter their property . par. to prove this you instanc't in the case of the censers , which the men offer'd , which because offer'd to god , you proved from numb . . and . they were not to be alienated to common use : but to this he answers , that there was a particular reason why the censers were to be kept . yet tho they were thus taken up , they were not permitted to be used , or imployed in that service , to and for which they were dedicated , but being wrought out into broad plates , the property of them was altered , before they were allowed to be used . p. . min. here i must tell my adversary ( in his own dialect ) that he treads light , as if he meant to shew us a pair of heels . if the question were , why they were made broad plates ; then we should find an answer . v. . to be a memorial to the children of israel , that no stranger which is not of the seed of abraham , come near to offer incense before the lord , &c. but this is not the question , i ask why they were hallowed : here 's the point , which is plainly resolved ver . . for they offered them before the lord , therefore they are hallowed . but was there ever a more gross absurdity than to say their property was altered , because allowed as to their use , by being wrought out into broad plates ? a noble man turns a mansion-house into tenements , or into an exchange , is not his property to that house the same which it was before ? par. but he tells us that tithes , and other such like oblations are alienable , and in this nation have been legally alienated to common uses p. . min. i confess that henry the eighth did alienate them : and so did he also establish the six bloody articles , to shew himself as ill a friend to protestants as to tithes : but is not this a wise argument , to prove that sacriledge may de jure be committed , because de facto it hath been committed ? seeing the quaker talks so big against idolatry , i must bespeak him in st. pauls language : thou that abhorrest idols , dost thou commit saledge ? but t. e. ( forsooth ) to culver with the impropriators , thinks to engage them all against me ; as if i put them into the same predicament with the first alienators , which is a gross mistake : and ( god knows ) i covet nothing from them , but do truly pity the circumstances that they are in , as i do all other men , who are enriched with the spoils of the church . however if all things were as he argues ; sacriledge would be as much a virtue as a vice , and ananias and saphira may be put into the calender of the quakers martyrs , who do justify that thing for which they suffer'd . and now that i maintain ananias and saphira , i wish t. e. would read mr. medes th discourse , which fully states both their sin and punishment ; and then i hope he will blush , for being ingaged in so bad a cause . par. to prove that tithes were not popish , you produced protestant martyrs that received them : you instanc'd in cranmer , ridley , hooper , bradford and taylor . these ( he confesses ) were godly men and worthy martyrs ; but he thinks they had not so clear a sight into all the abominations and superstitions of rome , because they lived but in the day-break of the reformation ; and that there were divers things which they took no notice of , that are plainly condemned , &c. this is the sum of p. , , . min. it seems then a man may be godly , may be a worthy martyr , may enter into a crown of life , as he tells us these did ; yet in this life come short of perfection : for it seems these martyrs were so far from being perfect , that they took no notice of divers things plainly condemned , and left the reformation it self imperfect . compare this with his chapter of perfection , and see what consistency there is between them . besides they lived a good while after the reformation was begun by martin luther . neither was there any thing of moment fit to be reformed , which they left unreformed ; being wonderfully endowed with piety , wisdom and learning for the work they had to perform : neither wanted they courage nor opportunity to do it . however the quaker should have told us , what those many things are , which were allowed by them , and since plainly condemned by others . i suppose by these [ others ] he means such as himself , or other factious and schismatick spirits , who love to oppose any thing which hath the stamp of authority upon it ; who would be always altering and reforming , till they bring all to confusion & ruine . par. but to come even with you ; as you produced martyrs that took tithes , he instanceth in other martyrs that denied them , namely wicklif , swinderby , brute and thorp , and produces fox's martyrol . for his authority . p. . min. then let us search fox for two things , first whether these did deny tithes ; but especially whether they were all martyrs , to parallel the martyrs which i named , because he saith i oppose the martyrs one to another . p. . as for wicklif , i do believe indeed that he denied the jus divinum of tithes , but then he held them in the nature of alms. nay he was so far from denying tithes altogether , that he was a receiver of them , being parson of litterworth . i believe he looked upon tithes as due only upon civil sanctions : and the quaker represents me of the same opinion , and very idly tells his reader , that tithes were wont to be claimed as of divine right ; but that i am not hardy enough to venture my cause upon that title p. . therefore he is the more ridiculous in bringing so improper a testimony against me . but suppose he had altogether denied t●…th ●…s , yet was he no martyr : for fox tells us that he quietly departed this life at litte●…worth . indeed by order of the synod of constance his bones were buried years a●…ter his death ▪ ●…d fox has drawn an e●…figies of the manner of it ; * but for my part , i ever took a martyr to be one that seals his testimony of the truth with his blood . — par. i believe t. e. has the same notion of a martyr : for he saith the blessed martyrs seald their testimony with their blood . p . min. i pray then what blood was left in wicklifs bones , after they had been buried years ? par. but what do's fox say of swinderby ? min. he tells us , that he was articled against for affirming that tithes purely be alms , & in case that curates be evil men , the same may be lawfully confer'd to other men . but withall that he retracted this before thebishop of lincoln , & sets down the very words of this retractation . but for his being a martyr , fox saith , whether he dyed in prison , or whether he escaped their hands , or was burned , there is no certain relation made . and for brute , i confess that he also was against the jus divinum of tithes : but then he was not against tithes as due by the positive laws of men ; for he said , by the traditions of men christian people are bound to pay them . and he too made a submission before the bishop of hereford : neither was he a martyr ; for fox saith , what end he had i find it not registred : thorp too was against tithes , as claimed by levitical precepts , &c. but then as alms he was not against them , if fox may be credited , who is so far from recording him a martyr , that he saith expresly , his end was uncertain . now i hope you see , what juggling here is , and how unfaithfully and dishonestly he cites his authors , when those men are no more against tithes , than , as he pretends , i am my self : and whereas he saith i oppose the martyrs one against another , you see that never a man of these was a martyr . but to the point in hand , i must tell you that ( if my author fail me not ) in italy ( if not all of it , yet in that part where the pope is sovereign ) the people pay no tithes at all . to this i shall add another remark of sir thomas herberts , that in the isle of socotora , where the pope was never own'd and received , even there ( says he * ) the christians have a patriarch of their own , whom they reverence , and other of the clergy to whom they duly pay tithes , their feasts and fasts like ours , &c. they use the cross in baptism , and the other sacrament in both kinds . par. but to go on ( says t. e. ) from divine right , youbetake your self to your last & surest refuge , making tithes but a temporal right , p. , . min. i am sure he goes on to falsifie ; for i said no such thing : to say they are a temporal right is one thing , to say they are but a temporal right is another . all that i aim'd at ( as my words do testifie ) is that we have the same title to our tithes , that other men have to their estates ; enjoying them by a national consent in positive and establish'd laws . par. yet he has a way to evade this , by telling us , that he claims his estate in a natural and civil capacity , without relation to a ministerial function , p . min. this will pass for an argument , when he can prove that the ministers of the gospel ought to be reputed outlaws , and what is set apart for such , ought to be exposed to the rapine of every sacrilegious ruffian . and if humane laws be a good plea for other men , i do not know why they should be a bad plea for us , and this may serve to answer several of his pages , where he beats the air with a repetition of a company of vain and empty words . par. after you had at large proved , that the continuation of tithes in the church is no sin , because restrained by no law , humane or divine ; and though t. e. durst not there encounter you , yet he pays you off for concludingthus , if the quakers can prove from the laws of god or right reason , that it is not lawful for every one to do what he will with his own , and consequently that he may not settle tithes lands , or moneys upon the clergy ; then they do something to the purpose , &c. well then ( says he ) that i may do something to the purpose , i will prove both from the laws of god and right reason , that it s not lawful for every one to do what he will with his own : he may not imploy it to an evil use , &c. hemay not make an idol of them , it s not lawful to lay out his money in beads , crosses , crucifixes , and so he goes on . p. , . min. our quaker is very true to his method , to leave his argument ( which here was to prove the settlement of tithes upon the church to be a sin ) to catch at , or play upon a word or phrase , to exercise upon it his abusive wit and sophistry . i perswade my self that every honest reader doth take my words to signifie no more than this ; that where i have a free estate , i have a power to keep or alienate it : wherefore says st. peter to ananias , whilst it remained was it not thine own ? and after it was sold , was it not in thine own power ? this however i cannot but take notice of , that if the quaker can but spit his malice against me , he cares not , though it fly in our saviours own face , whose very words i used , and to whose plain sense i referred , when i mentioned them to you : see mat. , . is it not lawful for me to do what i will with mine own ? is thine eye evil because i am good ? but it seems ellwood can tell our saviour another story , and will prove from the laws of god and right reason , that it is not lawful for every man to do what he will with his own , &c. par. but i pass by this profanation , he supposes , that if ethelwolf had an ample power of disposing what he pleased , or that the people had by consent joyned with him in the donation , every man according to the interest that he had ; yet neither could he , nor they grant more than belonged to themselves , p. . min. suppose i grant it , what then ? par. to make a grant of the tenth part for ever is ( in his understanding ) utterly repugnant to reason , p. . min. is it reasonable wholly to pass an estate from them and their heirs for ever , and yet repugnant to reason to grant but a part of that estate for ever ? par , he has a way to evade this too : for he saith , that it must be considered that by the profits of the land is not understood the natural only , but the artificial product thereof ; not what the earth of her own accord , without the help of man brings forth ; but what by the painful labour , toil , care , sweat , and great charge of the diligent and industrious husbandman is digged , and as it were torn out of her bowels . ibid. min. i will propound you a case : suppose you were seized in fee-simple of an estate valuable at l. per an . might you not out of that estate charge l. per an . for ever , to such and such uses ? par. this i fancy t. e. himself will not question . min. then must i tell him , that l. per an is not the natural product of the land , not what the earth of her own accord brings forth : but must be fetch 't from the indies ; and must be procur'd by the labour , toil , care , and charge of the diligent and industrious husbandman , &c. now i must ask , why it should be thought more unreasonable for the husbandman to pay such things as the ground it self brings forth , than to pay such a sum of money , which must be brought from the remotest parts of the world ? par. believe me , i am not able to answer you : but ( says t. e. ) if ethelwolf ' s consideration be taken away ( which it seems was for the health of his soul ) why should the charge continue ? p. . min. you have the parallel case of magna charta already , by which the english subjects do differ from the subjects of france ; which by this reason ought as well to be void as ethelwolf's charter ? but then what is all this to the present payers of tithes ? if the clergy must not gain by the charter , why must the laity have the advantage of it , who have a valuable consideration for what they pay ? but let us seriously consider of the case : if the clergy must not have the revenue they are in possession of , who must ? will t. e. find out the heirs of ethelwolf , and of that people who joyned with him in the donation ? but suppose he cannot , or suppose the case worse than he states it , that tithes had been set out for the worship of the devil , and the original proprietors , nor any claiming under them in being : what is fit to be done in such a case as this ? par. in such a case the supreme authority of a nation ought to proceed to a reformation , and change them from a bad use to a good . min. had the original of tithes been never so ill , yet we see that our laws have so reformed the church , that they are notnow used to any such idolatrous ends and purposes . were not those censers that we have been discoursing of , though consecrated by wicked men in so rebellious a manner , wrought out into broad plates for gods own altar ? surely the quaker fancies , that whatsoever has been abused to idolatry , &c. cannot be reformed to a pious use afterwards : if so , then must tithes rot in the fields , and no body meddle with them . suppose the whole turkish empire ( through gods mercy ) should be converted to christianity : may not the mufti himself , and those whom t. e. calls emaums , together with all the mosks and revenues now belonging to them , be reconsecrated to christianity ? is idolatry of that contaminating nature , that no reformation can purge it ? how then came aaron to officiate in the priests office , after he had made the molten calf , and said , these be thy gods which brought thee out of the land of egypt ? par. but if tithes ( saith t. e. ) were a suitable maintenance , the clergy now does nothing for the people which can deserve so great a compensation , p. . min. that is , if his worship may be judge . but what i wonder do the impropriators for the people , which deserve so great a compensation ? besides , it 's all one to the people , whether they pay tithes or no. as i shall shew you anon . par. you said that our only work is to explain the written word of god , & to apply the same . from these words he concludes , that what you do for the people , is not suitable to the reward of tithes , p. , . min. do's not this quaker ( think you ) instruct the people very graciously ? as if tithes were of more real value to them , than the word of god explained and applied ? but i must not let the abuse pass , which he hath put upon me in this quotation . he so states my words , as his reader must understand him , that i make explaining and applying the word of god , the sole and the only work of a minister . in the place he quotes i am treating of infallible inspiration , together with those extraordinary gifts which the apostles had , and that they are now ceased : and that we take texts to shew , that we have no other doctrine to deliver , but what is taken out of the written word of god , then i said , our only work is to explain and apply the same : [ only work ] related to the particular which i was there discoursing of , and not to the general office of a minister . here you may see how unconscionably the quaker states my words , contrary to their plain sense & meaning . par. i perceive he would flatter the people into a conceit , that you receive the tithes from their kindness and courtesie . min. indeed the people do pay us our tithes , but they do not give them ; to pay is one thing , to give another . should i tell t. e. that a certain gentleman pays me a rent-charge out of his estate , who reading this quakers book , may tell me that i do nothing for him , which deserves so great a compensation ; and though i owe the party all the civility and kindness imaginable , suitable to his real worth and quality ; yet should i tell him , that i have no obligation at all to him , upon the account of the rent-charge he pays me , for it was none of his benefaction , but the kindness of an ancestor , who charged the lands therewith , which if he had dislik't , he might have let them alone . so the people pay us our tithes ; but than it 's no thanks to them , nor burden neither , seeing they must have paid them , or what is as valuable , to some body else . par. you call'd tithes a freehold , this nettles him extremely , because that proves them a distinct property : but he desires you to shew those laws , to produce those statutes , that have tithes a freehold to the clergy , p. . min. who ever before this quaker required a statute to prove a freehold ? i thought the representives of freeholders , with the concurrence of the king and peers had made those statutes which he calls on me to produce : i pray who elect the parliament men that serve for the county ? par. the freeholders . min. and did you never see clergymens votes enter'd at one of those elections ? par. yes many a time . min. that very thing proves them freeholders . so that you see t. e. is no better a lawyer than a divine : for he should have gone to the common law , and not to the statute law , to prove a freehold . par. i find however , that he has consulted some statutes for the payment of tithes , and discovers a fundamental error in them , namely , that tithes should be due to god and holy church ; now the reason of the law ( says he ) being taken away , the law it self must cease , p. . min. the reason of the law will prove a fundamental truth : for tithes are due to god and holy church , either by a divine right , or at least by a solemn dedication of them : par. but this scurvy word [ property ] vexes him ; for he says nothing less will serve your turn , p. . min. no , nothing less will serve my turn . par. but then he enquires , where it s vested : in whom ( saith he ) doth it lie ? is it in the person of the priest ? no such matter : for a man may be a priest in orders , and yet have no power to demand tithes , &c. so that the property ( if there were any ) would lie in the office , ibid. min. what office do's he mean by office ? par. he propounds the question himself : and what is the office ? ibid. min. but how do's he resolve it ? par. thus : it was to be sure a popish office , when tithes were first paid to it in this nation , ib. min. is this an answer to a question ? what was then that popish office ? par. that he do's not tell us : but i suppose he means the office of a priest ; for he saith , the priest hath nothing to do with tithes , until by presentation , institution , and induction he is invested with office. ibid. min. wonderful learned nonsense ! yet i must tell him , that neither presentation , nor institution , nor induction , nor these altogether , invest a man with the office of priest. in short , he confounds himself by distinguishing between the person and the office , as he calls it : and because this property does not belong to either of them apart , therefore he concludes there is no property at all , whereas the property belongs to the person , as qualified by holy orders , and put into actual possession by institution and induction . par. he thinks he has a clever argument to prove you have no property in tithes : for ( he says ) to manifest the emptiness of your plea , you have no property , until the owner , by setting it out for you , hath made you one . p. . min. suppose a landlord sets a farm for l. per an . has he not a property to such a sum , though not to any particular coin , till such time as he hath received it ? so we have a property to a tenth , though not to such a particular sheaf , until such time as it is tithed and set out for us . par. there is one argument more , which he seems wonderfully fond of : with which he fills up many of his pages , ( viz. ) that you have the tithe of the husbandmans labour , toil , sweat , care , charge , diligence , nay in one place he thinks you lay claim to his understanding . p. . min. whoever reaps the tithe of t. e's . understanding , will not find himself much enriched by it : and i must tell the quaker , that if lands could bring forth without labour , toil , charge , &c. and tenants pay no more than they do , the argument would look with more shew of reason ; but as the case stands , it s a perfect fallacy . there wanted not those who suggested such stuff as this to the people , in the days of the prophet malachi , as if they were squeezed and impoverished by the payment of their tithes ; wherefore god calls on them to try , whether they should be losers by it . bringye ( saith he ) all the tithes into the store-house , that there may be meat in my house , and prove me now herewith , if i will not open the windows of heaven , and pour ye out a blessing , that there shall not be room enough to receive it . so certainly those that pay their tithes in a conscientious regard to god , as consecrated to his worship and service , may be sure to be no losers , and that god will open the windows of heaven , and give a blessing to their labour , toil , care , & diligence ; will bless their crops and their cattels , when in the mean time all sacrilegious robbers do trouble their own houses , are enemies to themselves and families , depriving themselves of gods blessing , which only maketh rich , being not unlike to the eagle in the fable , who stole a coal from the altar , and carrying it to her nest , set therewith both her young , and nest on fire . tithes have been long settled in the nation , and the church's right to them being antecedent to any proprietors of land , who bought their estates liable to such an incumbrance , and consequently , had a proportionable deduction in the purchase-money , and so no injury to them ; and if so , why should they grumble at the payment of that which was never reckoned to them in the purchase ? par. yes ( says t. e. ) they purchased all that was not excepted out of the purchase . p. . min. but tithes were excepted out of the purchase : for every body knows that they were excepted by the law of the nation , and therefore it would have been impertinent to have excepted them in the the body of the purchase-deed . but it any lands are to be sold , which are exempted from the payment of tithes , than to be sure the purchaser shall hear of that in both his ears , and for such a convenience must pay to a farthing . a friend of mine was lately concern'd in the purchase of a little meadow-close , the strict tithe of which was computed at s . per an . but the parson was bound up by a modus or composition of d . per an . payable at candlemas . possibly you will say my friend had a convenience here , that he paid but d . instead of hay worth s . by the year : but then i must tell you , that it s no convenience at all , for his exemption from the tithes in kind ( to my knowledge ) cost him l . extraordinary in the purchase . this is not a particular , but the general case of all england : for in matters of contract and bargain the common rule is , tanti volet , quanti vendidi potest , every thing is valued , for what it may be sold ; and where men meet with conveniencies , they are made to pay for them ; and where they meet incumbrances , there they do call for proportionable deductions : and the landlords case descends to the tenant , who pays more or less , according to the nature and quality of the thing he holds . par. but t. e. says , that it is questionable , whether a tenant pays less rent in consideration of tithes . p. . min. suppose then two farms of equal value in themselves . one pays tithes , the other pays none , and both these belong to one man : now is any man so senseless as to question , wether the landlord does not value the farm as highly which pays tithes , as the other which is exempted ? t. e. may lead the quakers by the nose ( as he saith i do my parishioners ) and perswade them that the moon is made of green cheese , and that two and three make not five , as thus to dispute against demonstration , and question that which every body knows to be unquestionable . par. however he 'l undertake to demonstrate , that the abatement , which he is supposed to have in his rent , is not proportionable or answerable to the value of the tithes he pays . ibid. min. i perceive the quaker begins to sneak , an abatement it seems there is , but not such an abatement as is proportionated to the tithes : but let us hear his demonstration . par. suppose ( says he ) a landlord lets a farm for l. a year , which if it were tithe-free would yield an l. the tenant to pay his rent , defray all charges , &c. must raise three times as much as his rent comes to , which will make l. the tenth part of which is l. so that if the tenant should have l. abated in his rent because of tithes , than do's he pay l. more than is allowed in his rent , p. , . min. cals he this demonstration , when he has so stated the case , that no certain estimate can be made of the tithes of such a farm ? a farm of that value consisting in tillage may be worth ( as he says ) l. per an . or a farm of that value consisting in pasturage may not yield seven shillings a year to the parson , for it may be eaten with horses , and then t. e. tells us , that very little , if any thing at all , is recoverable for tithe , p. . now is it likely that a landlord would take ten pounds for that which is worth pounds , or above l. in consideration of a tithe , when the tenant pays not above seven shillings , or nothing at all ? and indeed the one is as probable as the other . but to pass by his case so fallaciously stated : i will ive him a real case . there is one , whom i could name , that sent to my self to purchase the interest which he had in a certain prebendal lease , to which there belonged a farm , rented at l . per an . i made choice of two neighbours to view the particulars of that farm , and to inform me , whether in their judgment the occupant had such a tack , as he might be able by his labour , toil , charge , &c. to maintain his family , and pay me my rent : the method they took to satisfy me herein , was to know what rates other men in the same village paid for their farms , which being computed and compared together , they found , that this farm was not worth above the annual rent of l . according to the rates that other men paid for the grounds they held of the like nature . this was objected to the seller , who returned this answer , that it was a mistake that this farmer paid more than his neighbours : true it was , that he paid more rent , but then he had a recompence for it , being discharged from tithes , which priviledge the other neighbours had not , who accordingly had an abatement in their rents . so that one neighbour was no better than another : he that paid tithes had less rent to pay , and he that had no tithes to pay was no better , seeing he paid the value of them in his rent . and had i gone on with the purchase , i had received no benefit by that exemption , which i must have bought . and i do perswade my selfe there are thousands of the like cases to be found . but suppose a quaker enjoy a farm of l . per an . rent , and the landlord abate l . a year in consideration of tithes . or be it questionable whether he abate any thing upon that consideration . i 'l tell you what is not questionable , that the quaker will pay nothing , and will pay this neither to the landlord nor priest , and so the one of them shall be sure to be cozen'd by him . now if a quaker which farms l . per an . should say , it s true landlord , i should have paid thee l . but that thou deducts me ten pounds upon the consideration of tithes : truly tithes i dare not pay , but for the ten pounds i have brought it to thy self , &c. but i would have t. e. to name me one quaker that ever did thus , then i shall have a better opinion of his morals , than i have of many of that fraternity . par. however t. e. thinks that there is a great deal of difference between a landlord and a priest in their dealing : the landlord doth not take , or desire the whole encrease and profit that is made upon his farm. ibid. min. nor the priest. par. t. e. saith the landlords take no more for the rent of his land , than it is supposed the tenant may make double so much to himself . but when the merciless priest comes &c. like the sabeans and chaldeans , he falls on , and sweeps all away together . p. . min. is not this a modest quaker think you ? if the landlord do allow a part upon the account of charges : tithes are part of that charge which it seems is allowed by the landlord , and therefore no loss to the tenant . how compassionate doth he make the landlord ? ( would to god they were all truly so ) and how cruel and merciless doth he represent the priests ? now to shew that this is downright malice and envy , let it be consider'd , that the greatest part of the tithes of england ( to the great dishonour and sin of our nation , may it be said ) are impropriate , and that the greatest landlords in the nation have gotten away the tithes from the church . now as kind as he makes them , do they use the people better than the merciless priests ? do they say in t. e's language to the people : neighbours though i claim the tenth part , yet seeing you have been at the pains and charge to get it for me , i 'l deal no worse with you , than i do with my other tenants , take one part , and leave you two : so divide the tithes into three parts , i 'l be content with one of them , and do you keep the other two for the pains and charge you have been at in procuring it . now is it usual with impropriators thus to bespeak the people ? if not , then must he account for those soul slanders , which he hath wickedly cast upon the clergy : as if they were merciless and cruel ; nay they only so . from my heart do i pray to god to bring him to a sense , and to forgive him so great a wickedness . par. i remember you acquainted me that the king has a great revenue out of the tithes ; namely , the first-fruits and tenths , which you are disabled to discharge , if your tithes be withdrawn : so that the quakers are in this point as well enemies to the king as the clergy ; and consequently to the government it self , which is supported by it . now i do not find that t. e. answers the argument , but catches at a phrase , that you should call the first-fruits and tenths one of the fairest flowers belonging to the crown . herein ( he says ) you are like the crow , which is said to think her own bird white , though others see it to be black . and that no flower can be fair in an english crown , which was taken out of a popes mitre , p. . min. was there ever so dull a comparison ? do's he call the first-fruits and tenths my crow ? if ( forsooth ) they must be a crow , is it mine or the kings ? and though it be plain that my words related not to the kings prerogative , but revenue ; yet seeig the quaker will have it so , i shall tell you , that its very true that this flower stuck once in the triple crown , but then it was stole from the english diadem . i confess the pope did challenge the supremacy over the church and clergy . the first-fruits and tenths , was a homage , whereby the clergy did own and acknowledge that supremacy : the kings of england did themselves that right , as to take the supremacy to themselves , and the first-fruits and tenths as an acknowledgment thereof . that you may understand what is included in the supremacy , i shall acquaint you with a case . it was disputed in the popish schools , whether a clergy man could be guilty of treason against a temporal prince ? and resolved in the negative , because treason supposes a relation between a sovereign and a subject : and a clergyman being subject to the pope only , therefore could he not be guilty of treason against a temporal prince . now you see i hope what was included in the popes claim to supremacy , and upon what account the first-fruits and tenths are now paid , which if the king should part withall , even in ellwoods sense ; he would part with the fairest flower belonging to his crown . par. the quakers used to call ministers hirelings for receiving their allotted maintenances . and therefore in their usual way of railing , used to charge you with selling god's word to the people . to this you said , that they may as well say the iudges sells iustice , because they have an honourable allowance from the exchequer : he thinks the parallel will not hold ; you pretend to be ministers of christ , whereas they pretend no higher , than to be ministers of state , p. . min. i thought that every magistrate had been a minister of god : st. paul had ill luck , that he had not our inspired ellwood to correct him , when he said , he is the minister of god to thee for good , &c , and beareth not the sword in vain . we are ministers of god , magistrates are ministers of justice , and consequently ministers of god too : they are dispensers of justice , we of the word of god ; may not then they with equal reason be said to sell justice , because they receive their maintenances , as we to sell the word of god , because we receive our maintenaners ? is not the analogy the same ? thus you see with what pitiful shifts the quaker eludes the truth , and deludes his ignorant party . par. you have made me sufficiently sensible of t. e's many tricks and fallacies , i shall peruse that discourse ( however ) you referr me to , where i perceive this chapter of tithes is handled at large : so that i shall give you no further disturbance about this subject : now let me mind you , that whereas the quakers ( to make magistrates as useless as ministers ) used to declaim against going to law upon any occasion whatsoever , t. e. in contradiction to his brethren says , in civil cases it is no injustice for a man to recover his due by law , . min. has the quakers received some new dispensation from heaven ? if not , how comes it to be lawful to go to law now in civil cases , when twenty years ago the same thing was denied by them as unlawful ? the spirit then by which the quakers pretend to be inspired , either differs from it self , or is not the same spirit which the quakers so lately pretended to . is not this enough to make you abandon for ever all thoughts of quakerism , when you find their religion is not fixt , when we know not where to to have them , nor how long to keep them in one mind ? one of them told me very lately , that i accused the quakers falsly in saying that they neglect to crave a blessing upon their meat , which is now frequently practis'd among them . i am glad to hear of any reformation among them , and would to god they would leave off the rest of their fooleries : but if this be their minds now , formerly they talked at another rate : what ( said they ) we crave a blessing when we go to meat ? that 's stinting the spirit to a meal , to a breakfast , a dinner , or a supper . that is , must the spirit just come , when the stomach comes ? and if the quakers say grace now at meals ; yet herein do they take away the reason of their dumb meetings . this is to shew you what a shifting people they are , and how unconstant they are to their own assertions : but to the case in hand : it seems then t. e. will allow it now lawful to go to law in civil cases ( how unlawful soever it was before ) and i suppose he was wary enough in asserting this ; because he cannot but be conscious , that going to law is a thing frequently practis'd by the quakers . but then here i must desire them to take notice , that as dishonourable as they say oaths are to christianity , yet they will make their appeals to sessions and assizes , bring actions , &c. though they know there can be no proceedings in any court , but that both witnesses and juries must give their evidences and verdicts upon oath . if then it be truly so , why will they be any occasion to bring a disgrace and reproach upon christianity ? notwithstanding the quakers talk so loudly against oaths , many of them ( to have the benefit of wills and administrations ) have taken oaths , as i am able to make out . an attorney of great account and practise , told me lately , that two quakers ( clients of his ) took their oaths in an answer to an exchequer bill , and very formally too , put off their hats , and kiss'd the book . the late bishop of lincoln , being either as plaintiff or defendant , concern'd in a chancery suit , a quaker at a commission , came very formally to swear against him : one of the commissioners ( from whom i had the account ) ask't him , how it came to pass that he being a quaker would swear ? he told him , thou knowest that among huntsmen it was never thought amiss to kill a fox or badger , by any means ; such being allowed no fair play , &c. leaving it to himself to make the application . you see then that it 's lawful to go to law in civil cases , to ingage others to swear , and sometimes to swear themselves : as it interest and envy ought to take place , though contrary to the principles and honour of christianity . god knows i mention none of these things out of any envious principle , but to discover to the quakers the danger that they are in : from which good god deliver them for his blessed names sake . amen . the conclusion . par. in the conclusion of t. e's book , having first falsly told his reader , that he had given a particular answer to the most material passages in yours : he gives you a warning from writing any more against the quakers , for if you do , you may expect him on your bones again ; for he saith , that he no way doubts , but that the lord will enable him , or some of his servants to vindicate his truth , p. . min. god no doubt will take care of his truth , but if he enable t. e. to write , we may be confident that it will be a recantation of what he hath already writ . however let not him think that his idle threats will discourage me in duty of doing good . par. his main business here , is to present his reader with a collection of some of your phrases , which he calls virulent expressions , and which he saith your academical education hath bestowed upon you . p. . min. whether my expressions were virulent or no : this i am sure , here 's a foul and impudent slander , in charging my academical education therewith : but wherein do's this virulency appear ? par. his first instance is this , the spirit of quakerism and the delusions of it . ibid. min. this mind 's me of an old woman who corrected her maid for swearing , because she call'd a hen a jade : is not the quaker think you , sadly put to 't , when ( for want of matter ) he falls upon such innocent expressions as these ? i must confess i could not forbear smiling , when i found not only a fanatical iesuit , for a woful bitter expression , but the whim in the pate put into his catologue : pray do you remember upon what account it was spoken ? par. yes : for to vindicate scripture from the idle fancies of some : you supposed a man troubled with a vertigo in his head , should say he was confident the earth turned round , you askt , whether it was the earth or the distemper in the brain that occasioned that misapprehension ; so ( said you ) every fanatick will tell you that he has the scripture on his side , in behalf of his opinions , where is the fault ? in the scripture ? or in the whim in his pate ? min. you see then , how that expression concern'd all fanaticks in general : and is it not very pleasant , that ( to prove me virulent ) he should take [ fanatick ] to himself and party ? par. you said the quakers were cheats and impastors , ibid. min. it s true i said it , but not before i first plainly proved it . you know the quakers pretend to immediate teaching , and that they speak and write by the infallible dictates of the spirit of god : if so , then must all their works be as authentick , and of equal authority with the scriptures themselves . now having discovered their gross ignorance in the interpretation and applicacation of that saying of ieremiah , the priests hear rule by their means , how could i be true to the souls of men in saying less ? had t. e. clear'd his brethren from the imposture , he had effectually convicted me of virulency : but he is so farr from clearing them in this point ( though their credit lay at stake ) that he sneaks off without taking any notice of it , as was observed before . should i forwarn a traveller from coming in such place , and tell him that the people there are thieves and robbers , if they were honest men , or i know nothing to the contrary , my fault would be very heinous ; but if i knew them to be such , it would be a breach of justice and charity to hide it from the traveller . alas , what i said of the quakers were not bitter expressions , but so many sad and serious truths , and spoken out of a principle of the truest charity and kindness , to prevent their running headlong into eternal ruine and destruction . but if no such expressions can proceed but from a malevolent , crusty , waspish , and virulent principle , then let me ask my friend ellwood , whether there is not such a people in the world , who use to call ministers dumb dogs , hirelings , serpents , baals priests , and what not ? if he will be pleased to consult the works of his weighty friend hubberthorn , he may there collect a large . catalogue indeed of expressions , truly virulent and bitter : or let me tell him of another , whose memory ( i suppose ) is much dearer to him , i mean ed. burroughs , who in his works hath these expressions , reprobate , child of darkness , a stranger to the life , in the sorcery and witchcraft , dragon , diviner , and many more such like . he that had seen no more of t. e's book than the conclusion , would ( at the first blush ) take him for such a gentle , sweet , and humble quaker , that one would imagine that the royal society had been trying some experiment upon him , and that they had taken out the very splene out of his side : if this be so in truth , those gentlemen must excuse me , if i tell them in plain terms , that they have proved themselves no good artists , in that they have left the main matter behind : therefore i shall give you some of his expressions , and do you judge whether they be virulent , or no : the author of that book , partly through ignorance , but principally through envy : in the first page of his preface . ay but might the parishioner have said , he told me that i must not be covetous , yet of all my acquaintance i know none more covetous than he : he told me i must not be drunk , yet have i seen him so often : he told me i must live chastly , yet he himself was incontinent , and so he goes on , p. . the whole book shews him big with envie , p. . bishop gauden was as hold , and no less blind than himself , p , . his envie and evil nature p. . my greedy adversary , p. . this priest like a saucy and unthankful son , p. . and when the merciless priest comes , p. . to omit divers others , in this very conclusion , this mans malevolent tongue . so that i shall not imitate him in concluding with a saying of cornelius tacitus's , but with a much better author , namely , st. paul in rom. . . for wherein thou judgest another , thou condemnest thy self , for thou that judgest dost the same things . finis . errata . page . line . read controversial , p. . l. . r. people , ibid. l. . r. ordinary , p. . l. . r. ingenuously , p. . l. . r. bespatter , p. . l. . for or r. our . p. . l. . r. discourse , p. . l. . dele sons . p. . l. . r. mile-stone , p. . l. . r. word , p. , l. after how add much , p. . l. . after times add did express themselves by , p. . l. . r. fightings , p. . l. . r. ingenuous , p. . l. . r. mis-sta●…e , p. . l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . l. . after is add not , p. . l. . dele not , p. . l. . r. scriptures , p. . l. . r. ecclus. . . p. . l. . r. corruptible , p. . l. . r. abominations , p. . marg . r. cap . p. . l. . for . r. . ibid. l. . d. ●…e , p. . marg . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ibid. for and r. et , p. . marg . r. sen. ep. , p. . l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . marg . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ibid. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . l. . after but add to . p. . l. . d. his , p. . l. . after ●…efore add p. , . p. . marg . r. in . pr●…cept . p. . l. . for satisfy . r. falsify , p. . l. . for you r. your , p. . l. . after law add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . l. . r. hands , p. . l. . d. to &c. p. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . l. . r. sense , p. . l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . l. . r. not , p. . l. . after ceremonious add but , p. . l. . r. a curse , p. . l. . r. ancient . p. . l. . after oaths add i. e. against solemn oaths taken with due circumstances , p. . l. . r. falsly , ibid. l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. l. . for yet r. tha●… , ibid. l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ibid. l. . d. by , ibid. l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . l. . r. slight . p. . l. . and p. . l. . r. precedents , p. . l. . before in r. par. p. . l. . r. from about the year of christ , till about the year . ; — p. . l. . r. 't is certain , that the best quaker of them all , had he n●…t read , studied , conversed , &c. would have been as ignorant as — notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e † dolus latet in generalibus . notes for div a -e t. e. himself seems not ignorant of this ; and therefore ( as must in reason he suppos'd ) calls him the author to the hebrews . p. . c. . printed in the year . p. . * whom he compares me to in his preface . notes for div a -e gal. . . cor. . . and . . p. . conf. p. . & p. . jer. . . ch. . . chap. ▪ . ) chap. . . v. . tit. . . tim. . lev. . . tit. . , , . * common prayer-book . pr. for the clergy . see the collects sor the . sund. after epiph. for the . sun. after easter . & for the , , and . sund. after trin. &c. luke . . ps. . . king. . * viri cordati . * quia cor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . m●…c . * c●…et vel d●…ficit co . d●… . cor. . . dr. good 's dialog . p. . . collect for ember week . see the preface before the offices for ordination . * that they may not miss opportunity to do it ; there are ( as is well known ) four set sundays in the year appointed for ordination . see the form for ordination of priests . * here judg with what honesty t. e. charges the ministry of eng land with denying the divine ability . * see both offices for ordering deacons & priests . iude . fr. conf. p. . * st. aug. de doctr . christiana l. . c . and de serm. dom in mo●…te l. . c. . and contra epistol . parmen . l. . & elsewhere st. chrysost. by theophyl . on mat. . . they are ministers of god , ministers of christ , not of the people . seemede's disc. on cor. . . * tim. . . eph. . . cor. . ma●… . . . io●… . , . deut. . . and . . num. . , , . see ver . , ●… , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 luk . . * by virtue of their office. by an eternal document i mean a standing rule in the church . theoph. in loc . the like exposition we read in st. aug. de doct . chr. l. . martyrology vol. . p. . * the cause makes the martyr . * foxes martyrol vol. p. , , . &c. ibid p. . * martyrol . vol. . p. . ibid p. . ibid p. . ibid p. . martyrol vol. . p. . ibid. ibid. p. . ibid p. . martyrol v. . p. ibid p. . ibid p. . ibid p. . * steph ▪ gardiner . martyrol vol. . p. . ibid p. . ibid p. . biid p. . ibid p . ibid p. . martyrol . vol. . p. . ibid. ibid p. . splem . t. . p. . * acts. . , . io●… . . . and . . * pag. , . mat. . . * hom. . notes for div a -e * superstitio est impietas , quâ deum ita levem , aut iracundum quis cogitat , ut rebus nihili placari eum putet , iisdemve ad iram commovtri . mori enchir. eth l. . numb . . . tim. . . dr. hammond in ioc. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . see perfect pharisee . * see perfect pharisee . * haec est consuetudo linguae ismaeliticae , ut reges de se loquantur numero plurali . aben. ezra . * e●…nuch . act . sc. . * see walkers particles p. ●… . whereof there are great numbers in their talmud . * l●…k . . 〈◊〉 . joh. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * mat. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * see dr. ham. on mat. . . see buxtorf's thes. gram. linguae sacrae . p. , , . * buxtorf . p. . hor. de art. poet. * villanus qui in villa habitar . spelman's gloss. p. . t. e. did well to name no page , as conscious of the misquotation . * conf. p. . * spirit of the hat. p. . * just. mart. epis. ad diogen . p. , . notes for div a -e see the foot out of the snare p. . * p. , . † mat. . . rom. . phil. . ●… . cor. . . cor. . conf. p. . p. . seld. de jur. nat. & gent. j●…xta heb. lib. . cap. . * epiph. haer . . ebion . canar . lib. . tom. . * euseb. ecc. hist. lib. . cap. . ibid. sam. veti●…'s variae lect. lib. c. . p. . and dio. cap. . † joseph . antiq. lib. . c. . mark . . * tract . mass. jevamot . c. . tim. . , . † nec cibi sumantur nisi oratione praemisiâ , nec ●…ecedatur à mensâ nisi referatur creatori gratia . hieron . ep. . ad eustoch . & tert. apolog. cap . which arose first from a iewish tradition . talm. tract berach . cap. , &c. ‖ see drus. quaesl . heb. l. . jo●… . . . * according to those scriptures t. e. quotes , cor. . . rom. , . joh. . , , , &c. job . . † see title of his third chapter . ] † nulla universitas potest subsistere , nisi eam ordo servet & sustinear . bodin . de re pub . l. . ex talmud exercit evang . lib. . cap. . rom. . . gal. . . * hexamer . hom. . * herod in polymn . sen. de consul . si nomen non occurrit , dominos salutamus . sen. joh. v. . * neque enim ab ejusmodi honestis titulis christiana religio abhorret , quatenus quidem justum ac fas est . perinde est igitur ac si scriptum esset , eximiae ac praestanti dignitate dominae . notes for div a -e * aug. in ps. . † ambr. de sacram . lib. . c. . see also tertul. de orat. . & august . de temp. se●…m . . mat. . . sam. . . * p. . constir . exercit. * ovid. † p. . serm . in septuages . * p. . † rom. . . * tert. de poenit . notes for div a -e epiph. haer . . anno. . haeres . anno . epist. . aug. de perfec . instit. edit . e●…asin . tom. . pet. . . thess. . , &c. * ps. . . luke . . conf. p. . causin . parab . hist. l. . c. . arist. phys lib. . bern. epist. job . . corc●…l . milevitan . can. . conc. milevit . can. . lact. inst. l. . cap. . ●…an . . constir . apost . l. . c. . a●…g . ●…om . . terr . adv . prax. cap. . prov. . . mat. . . in psal. . * sunt & quaedam non humanae simpliciter naturae , sed huic & nunc inevitabilia , ob corporis concretionem in animam transeuntem , aut adultam consuetudinem , &c. grot. de jore belli . l. . c. . † bonum non nisi ex integro , malum ex qualibet parte . notes for div a -e see hubberthorn's works printed together . conf. p. . jer. . . lact. de sal . sap . cap. . apolog. cap. . * de juram . praesec . . §. † in rom. . . ‖ loci com . de lege dei. conf. p. . omni autem in re consensus omnium gentium lex naturae putanda est . cic. tusc. qu. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . heraclitus see grotius de jure bel . and pa. l. . c. . p. . ser. p. . conf. p. . * liv. l. . and l. . † a●…ex . ab al. lib. . c. . in vit . sol . p. . † sam. . . vit. solo●…is . simplic . proaem . comment . lib. . cap. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plato de legibus lib. . p. . † diog. laer. vit . p. . collarcum alex . ab al. l. . cap. . in fine . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de legib . lib. . p. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . id. ibid. p. . * alex. ab alex. lib. . cap. . † stat. . h. . . ‖ aul. gell. lib. . cap. . † ea pictate omnium pectora imbuerat , ut fides ac jusjurandum , propulso legum ac paenarum meru , civitatem regerent . liv. hist. lib. . dec. . * alex. ab al. lib. . c. . † clem. alex. protrept . ‖ solinus de scythis . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chrvsost . in oratione , christum deum esse . † persae . medi , indi , & aethiopescum matrib●…s & aviis , cum filiabus & neptibus copulantur . hieron . in jovin . lib. . ‖ plutarch in vit . lycurgi . * plut. in vit . ma●…ii . † semedo hist. chin. p. . ‖ jo. plano carpinilib . hist. de tartar. cap. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 andron . rbodius . conf. p. . ex malis moribus bonae nas cuntur leges . † conf. p. . † orat ▪ pro themist . † conf ▪ p. . ‖ fronti nulla fider . ego dixi inter fugiendum . chald. paraphr . † aug. hieron . epis. . ‖ lib. . ep. . ad tim. lector . * opinor christum simpliciter sensisse , perfectis ( nam de his loquitur ) omnino non esse jurandum pro rebus hisce pro quibus vulgus dejerat . alioqui in causa fidei aut pietatis etiam christus & apostoli jurant . eras. annot. in mat. . . † hac autem ratione multarum questionum nodi dissolvi poterunt , si intelligamus christum non simpliciter haec vetuisse , sed veruisse eo more fieri , quo vulgato more hominum fiebant . sic vetuit irasci , sic vetuit salutare quenquam in viâ , sic vetuit ditescere , sic vtuit resistere malo , sic vetuit appellari magistros , sic vetuit vocare patrem in terr●…s . id . ibid. † l. quoniam c. de festib . vid. heersback christian. jurispr . in g. praecept . p. . & decret . gregor . l. . tit. . cap. . * conf. p. , . * oturpem humani generis fraudis ac requitiae publicae confessionem , annulis nosiris plus quàm animis creditur ! sen. de benef . l. . c. . * nihil deo gratin●… 〈◊〉 possu●… quam jure 〈◊〉 . aug. in ps. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 . conf. p. 〈◊〉 . † conf. † pag. . falsum loqui non potest , qui non loquitur ; sic pejerare non potest , qui non jurat . aug. in serm. dom. in mont. lib. . p. . juramentum vanum est , quando quis jurat non necessaria de causa ; falsum quando pejerat . † aug. in galat. ‖ ib. ibid. * rom. . . juret , qui adhibet deum testem . aug. de serm. dom. in mont. l. . p. 〈◊〉 . and in psal. . † chryl . h●…mi . act. . ‖ see p. . concil . berkhamsted . cap. . spelm. anno. . † see t. e. . . cor. . gal . . ‖ serm. . de verb. apest. see fr. conf. p. , . see fr. conf. p. . † aug. de verb. apost . ser. . ‖ see p. . see fr. conf. p. , . † see his chronelogy . † aug. verb. apost . ser. , . ‖ citat hunc locum & augustinus epist . rursum copiosius serm. de verb. apost . . ostendens hoc loco jurasse paulum , idqque liquete ex graecis exemplaribus . nec est quod tergiversemur , & negemus apostolum jurasle , quum alibi non paucis locis palam juret . erasm. annot. in cor. . . * s. ambr. in loc . * aug. de verb. apost . ser. . vatab. in loc . pag. , and . 〈◊〉 see turkish hist. p. . mat. . . psal. . fr. conf. p. . numb . . . mat. . . confer . p. . orig. cont . cels. l. . * omnino 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( i. e. ) per ullam rem creatam , ut apparet ex proxime sequentibus , quas christus damnat , formulis : ex quibus liquet , indirectas jurandi species , non ipsum jusjurandum legitimè conceptum , ●…eprehendi , ac proinde ●…niversalem particulam à nonnullis temere hoc loco ●…rgeri . beza annot. in loc . * this t. e. himself grants , p. , &c. † aug. in ver . ap. serm. . * gen. . † ver . . ‖ gen. . . * sed te nos facimus fortuna d●…am , caelóque locamus . juven . sat. . † orig. cont . cel. l. . edit . cant. p. . ‖ tert. apol. cap. . ‖ lib. . 〈◊〉 . . † cent. magd●…burg . cent. . c. . ‖ eus. l. . c. , . † eus. de vit . constant . lib. . cap. . * orig. in cels. l. . † bevereg . pandect . tom. . canon . s●… basil : ad amphiloc . opera greg. naz. vol. . iamb . , p. . edit . paris . † ibid. carmen . p , . et . joh. . . ‖ billius annot. on the poem . * cor. il . . † psal. . . ‖ naz. orat. . * see p. . ‖ ad pop . antioc . hom. . & . hom. de juram . ‖ hom. . ad heb. * heb. . . rev. . . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * see grotius on mat. . . * ad paulin . ep. . et ad eust●…ch . epi●… . . † ad eustoch . ep. . * comment . in mat. . ‖ holy dying chap. . §. . p. . * stromat . . † lib. . c. . ‖ apolog ▪ cap. . * athan. in passion . et crucem dom. † in psal. . serm. . veget. instit . rei militar . notes for div a -e fr. conf. p. . † de verb. apost . notes for div a -e luk. . . tim ▪ . . † preface to his book . † printed anno dom. . principles of the quakers , p. . * ennead . lib. . † luke . . ‖ gen. . ●… . vives de causis lib. . * de rat . stud. theol. lib. . cap. . ‖ . cor. . see fr. conf. p. . . absurd . . absurd . . absurd . p. . rev . ▪ * g. batemans anto mr. legard p. . see jewels treatise of the h. scriptures p. and the first part of his defence , &c. p. , . fox●… martyrol . vol. p. . * propriis pe●…nis config●… m 〈◊〉 ex ●…st is enim li b●…s arma capinnt ; &c. theodor . l. . c. . † hist. trip●…rt . lib. . c. . ‖ de doct . chr. lib. . c. . * hieron . ep. . † ibid. ‖ ●…ee ep. . p. . notes for div a -e conf. p. , . gen. . . jos. . p. . acts . . cor. . gal. . . p. , &c. jer. . . . kings . . rom. . dolus latet in ge neralibus . martyr . . vol. p. , mart. . vol. p. * p. . . vol. p. . ibid. p. . p. . p. . p. . p. . p. . sir edwin sandys s survey . sect . . † herberts travels into africa and asi●… , p. . acts . . p. . exod. . . da decimas & in hoc ditescas . a jewish proverb . pag. . rom. , . . notes for div a -e conf. p. , . p. . . certain propositions by which the doctrin of the h. trinity is so explain'd, according to the ancient fathers, as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason together with a defence of them, in answer to the objections of a socianian writer, in his newly printed considerations on the explications of the doctrin of the trinity : occasioned by these propositions among other discourses : in a letter to that author. twenty-eight propositions by which the doctrine of the trinity is endeavoured to be explained fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) certain propositions by which the doctrin of the h. trinity is so explain'd, according to the ancient fathers, as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason together with a defence of them, in answer to the objections of a socianian writer, in his newly printed considerations on the explications of the doctrin of the trinity : occasioned by these propositions among other discourses : in a letter to that author. twenty-eight propositions by which the doctrine of the trinity is endeavoured to be explained fowler, edward, - . , [ ] p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., london : . attributed to edward fowler. cf. halkett & laing ( nd ed.). a reissue of: twenty-eight propositions by which the doctrine of the trinity is endeavoured to be explained. . cf. dnb. advertisements: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng nye, stephen, ?- . -- considerations on the explications of the doctrine of the trinity. trinity -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion certain propositions , by which the doctrin of the h. trinity is so explain'd , according to the ancient fathers , as to speak it not contradictory to natural reason . together with a defence of them , in answer to the objections of a socinian writer , in his newly printed considerations on the explications of the doctrin of the trinity : occasioned by these propositions , among other discourses . in a letter to that author . london , printed for brabazon aylmer at the three pidgeons in cornhil , . certain propositions , &c. . the name of god is used in more sences than one in holy scripture . . the most absolutely perfect being , is god in the highest sence . . self-existence is a perfection , and seems to be the highest of all perfections . . god the father alone , is in reference to his manner of existence an absolutely perfect being ; because he alone is self-existent . . he alone , consequently , is absolutely perfect , in reference to those perfections , which do praesuppose self-existence . . those perfections are absolute independence , and being the first original of all other beings : in which the son and the holy ghost are comprehended . . all trinitarians do acknowledge , that these two persons are from god the father . this is affirmed in that creed which is called the nicene , and in that which falsely bears the name of athanasius : tho' with this difference , that the holy ghost is asserted in them , to be from the son as well as from the father . wherein the greek church differs from the latin. . it is therefore a flat contradiction , to say that the second and third persons are self-existent . . and therefore it is alike contradictious , to affirm them to be beings absolutely perfect in reference to their manner of existence ; and to say that they have the perfections of absolute independence , and of being the first originals of all things . . since the father alone is a being of the most absolute perfection , he having those perfections which the other two persons are uncapable of having . he alone is god in the absolutely highest sence . . and therefore our blessed saviour calls him , the onely true god , joh. . . this is life eternal to know thee the onely true god , and iesus christ whom thou hast sent . and it is most absurd to think , that in these words , and the following prayer , he did address himself to the three persons of the trinity conjunctly , since throughout the prayer he calls this onely truly god his father ; and calls himself twice his son , before these words . not to mention the absurdity of making our lord to pray to himself , or of distinguishing himself from those three , of which himself was one . if such a liberty as this , in interpreting scripture , be allowable , what work may be made with scripture ! . our lord calls the father , the onely true god , because he only is originally , and of himself god , and the first original of all beings whatsoever . as he calls him the onely good , saying , there is none good but god , because he alone is originally so , and the spring of all that good which is in other beings . . the god head , or god in this highest sence , can be but one numerically . of which the best philosophers were satisfied by their reason ; and therefore the oneness so frequently affirmed of him in scripture is a numerical oneness . . there seems to be neither contradiction , nor absurdity , in supposing the first original of all things , to be productive of other beings so perfect , as to have all perfections , but that of self-existence , and those which are necessarily therein implyed . . supposing any such beings to have immediately issued forth from that infinite fullness , and foecundity of being , which is in the deity , each of them must have a right to the name of god , in a sence next to that in which it is appropriated to the father ; since they have all the perfections of the godhead , but those that must of necessity be peculiar to him. . it is evident from the holy scripture , that the son and holy spirit are such beings , viz. that they have all divine perfections but the forementioned : such as unlimited power , wisdom , goodness , &c. . and they are always spoken of in scripture , as distinst beings or persons , according to the proper signification of this word , both from the father and from each other . nor are so many men or angels more expresly distinguished as different persons or substances , by our saviour or his apostles , than the father , son and holy ghost still are . . it is a very presumptuous conceit , that there can be no way but that of creation , whereby any thing can be immediately and onely from god , which hath a distinct existence of its own . or , that no beings can have existence from him , by way of necessary emanation : of which we have a clearer idaea than of voluntary creation . it is the word of the ancients , both fathers and philosophers ; nor can a better be found to express what is intended by it , viz. a more excellent way of existing , than that of creation . . it is no less presumptuous to affirm , that it is a contradiction to suppose , that a being can be from eternity from god the father , if 't is possible it may be from him , in a more excellent way than that of creation . and we have an illustration of both these propositions , by something in nature . for , according to our vulgar philosophy , light doth exist by necessary emanation from the sun , and therefore the sun was not before the light which proceeds from thence , in order of time , tho' it be in order of nature before it . and the distinction between these two priorities , is much elder than thomas aquinas , or peter lombard , or any school-man of them all , or christian-man either . . and if any thing can be from another thing by way of necessary emanation , it is so far from a contradiction to suppose , that it must only be in order of nature before it ; that 't is most apparently a contradiction to suppose the contrary . . our th . and th . propositions do speak our explication of the h. trinity , to be as contrary to arianism as to socinianism ; since the arians assert that there was at least a moment of time , when the son was not ; and that he is a creature . . altho' we cannot understand , how it should be no contradiction to affirm , that the three persons are but one numerical being , or substance ; yet hath it not the least shadow of a contradiction to suppose , that there is an unconceivably close and inseparable union both in will and nature between them . and such a union may be much more easily conceived between them , than can that union which is between our souls and bodies ; since these are substances which are of the most unlike and even contrary natures . . since we cannot conceive the first original of all things , to be more than one numerically ; and that we acknowledg the now mentioned union between the three persons , according to the scriptures , together with the intire dependence of the two latter upon the first person , the unity of the deity is , to all intents and purposes , as fully asserted by us , as it is necessary or reasonable it should be . . and no part of this explication , do we think repugnant to any text of scripture ; but it seems much the easiest way of reconciling those texts , which according to the other hypotheses are not reconcilable , but by offering manifest violence to them . . the socinians must needs confess , that the honour of the father , for which they express a very zealous concern , is as much as they can desire taken care of by this explication . nor can the honour of the son and holy spirit be more consulted , than by ascribing to them all perfections , but what they cannot have , without the most apparent contradiction , ascribed to them . . and we would think it impossible , that any christian should not be easily perswaded , to think as honourably of his redeemer and sanctifier as he can , while he robs not god the father for their sake ; and offers no violence to the sence and meaning of divine revelations , nor to the reason of his mind . . there are many things in the notion of one god , which all hearty theists will acknowledg necessary to be conceived of him , that are as much above the reach and comprehension of humane understandings , as is any part of this explication of the h. trinity . nay this may be affirmed , even of the notion of self existence ; but yet there cannot be an atheist so silly as to question it : since it is not more evident , that one and two do make three , than that there could never have been any thing , if there were not something which was always , and never began to be . . left novelty should be objected against this explication , and therefore such should be prejudiced against it , as have a veneration for antiquity , we add , that it well agrees with the account which several of the nicene fathers , even athanasius himself , and others of the ancients who treat of this subject , do in divers places of their works give of the trinity : as is largely shewed by two very learned divines of our church . and had it not been for the schoolmen , to whom christianity is little beholden , as much as some admire them , we have reason to believe that the world would not have been troubled since the fall of arianism , with such controversies about this great point , as it hath been , and continues to be . this explication of the b. trinity perfectly agrees with the nicene creed , as it stands in our liturgy , without offering the least violence to any one word in it . which makes our lord jesus christ to be from god the father by way of emanation ; affirming him to be god of god , very god of very god , and metaphorically expressing it by light of light ; answerably to what the author to the hebrews saith of him , chap. . . viz. that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the effulgency of his glory , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the character of his substance : and so is as much of one substance with the father , as the beams of the sun are with the body of it . and since there have been of late , so many explications or accounts published of this most adorable mystery , which have had little better success than making sport for the socinians , i thought it very seasonable now to revive that , which i affirm with great assurance to be the most ancient one of all ; much elder than the council of nice ; and to have much the fewest difficulties in it , and to be incomparably most agreeable to h. scripture . a defence of the foregoing propositions . sir , the author of the twenty eight propositions thanks you for the very charitable opinion you have expressed concerning him , in the entrance into your reflexions upon them ; and hopes he shall always endeavour to deserve the character of a man so honest , as never to speak otherwise than he thinks ; and so true to his understanding , as always to make reason one of his guides in the choyce of his opinions : he professing to believe , that the use of reason is so far from being to be condemned in matters of religion , as no where else to be so well employed : and that it is infinitely unworthy of almighty god , to conceive it possible for him to contradict his internal by his external revelations . but so he must have done , should such writings be of his inspiring , as are manifestly contradictory to the plain dictates of natural reason , which the wise man faith , is the candle of the lord. and sir , our author takes no less notice of your candour , in the character you give , in the words following , of his explication of the doctrin of the h. trinity in those propositions . but after your acknowledgment , that he hath avoided a great many contradictions , which those of your party do charge on this doctrin , as it is held by others ; and that his explication is a possible scheme ; and that it is clear from any contradictions to natural reason ; you object that , besides some insuperable difficulties , the author hath not been able to avoid some numerical contradictions . now , as to the insuperable difficulties with which you charge his explication , since you acquit them from being contradictions to natural reason , you mean , i suppose , that it is fraught with several contradictions to h. scripture : and i confess such contradictions to be as insuperable difficulties to us , as we are christians , as those to reason are , as we are men. if this be your meaning , the author may well expect to have it shewn , what texts of scripture are contradicted by this explication ; but if you mean otherwise , my reply is , that you are not so shallow a thinker as not to be aware , that there are also insuperable difficulties in the notion of one god , both as his nature is described by all christians , according to the account given of him in h. scripture ; and as all theists are compelled by natural light to conceive of him. nay you will frankly own , that there is not any one thing in the whole universe , which doth not suggest insuperable difficulties to an inquisitive mind . and whereas , sir , you charge our author with not being able to avoid some numerical contradictions , i confess i never before met with this distinction , but i think i understand it by your description of it . you say that a numerical contradiction is an error committed in the summing up of things . but how is he guilty of such contradictions ? if you mean that he hath made contradictory conclusions ( or such a conclusion ) to several of his premisses , i cannot ( though you do ) excuse him from contradicting natural reason , any more than from contradicting himself : and it appears from what follows , that that is your meaning ; for , after you had given the sum and substance of the first thirteen propositions , your reflexion thereon is this : one would think that such a foundation being laid , the conclusion must be wholly in savour of the unitarians . for if the father is absolutely perfect ; if the son and spirit are not absolutely perfect , how shall we ever prevent this consequence , therefore onely the father is god ? what is the definition of god among all divines and philosophers ? is it not this , a being absolutely perfect ; or , a being that hath all perfections ? but if so , than onely the father having all perfections , or being absolutely perfect , he must be the onely god , to the certain exclusion of the other two persons ; to the exclusion of the son and spirit by name , because 't is affirmed here of them by name , that neither of them is absolutely perfect , or hath all perfections . but this author will shew us in his following propositions , that , for all this , the son is god , and so also is the holy ghost : that is , he will pu● out the light of the sun. and , sir , as you have now represented our author , you cannot but be sensible , upon second thoughts , of over great modestly in your not having charged him with natural contradictions ; nay and of too great partiality towards him in acquitting him , as you have done , of such contradictions . he will instruct us , say you next , in his premisses , that there is but one who is god , and in the progress and conclusion , or , in the summing up the whole reckoning , he will make it appear , that there are three beings , each of which is ( singly and by himself ) god : which is the numerical contradiction that i charged at first on his hypothesis . and i say , sir , if you have not too incautilously represented him in these words , he is as justly to be here charged with a natural , as with a numerical contradiction ; except you will affirm , that 't is no natural contradiction to say , that the number one is as many as three , or the number three is no more than one. but , sir , i must crave leave to say , that you have committed a great oversight in representing our author as you have now done . for his first proposition is , the name of god is used in more sences than one in h. scripture . the second , the most absolutely perfect being is god in the highest sence . the third , self-existence is a perfection , &c. the fourth , god the father alone is , in reference to his manner of existence , an absolutely perfect being , because he alone is self-existent . and from these , with the five following propositions , he infers in the tenth , that the father alone is god in the absolutely highest sence : and in the thirteenth , that the god-head , or god in this highest sence , can be but one numerically . and therefore , sir , you should not have made our author say , ( as you do ) that there is but one who is god , without any restriction , when you now see he saith , that there is but one who is god in the absolutely highest sence : and that god in the absolutely highest sence , can be but one numerically . and whereas you say , that he will make it appear that there are three beings , each of which is singly and by himself god , you should have said , he will make it appear that there are three beings , each of which is god , but not in all the self-same respects . and therefore i cannot as yet accuse him , either of any one natural or numerical contradiction ; if this be a proper distinction , which i will not dispute . what remaineth of your reflexions is chiefly a charge of tritheism against this explication of the trinity . . you say , i acknowledge in these propositions the genuine doctrin , and very language of the fathers , who wrote shortly after the council of nice , till the times of the school-men . and the author is assured , that this explication for substance , is a great deal elder than that council . but he gives you his hearty thanks for this free concession of yours , because you have saved him the pains of proving his last proposition : and i will therefore requite you , for him , in imitating your brevity , as you say , you do his : but methinks you should also acknowledge , that the authors explication hath no inconsiderable advantage on its side , in that you allow it to be of so great antiquity . if the socinians will not acknowledge this an advantagious circumstance , in all disputable points , they are certainly the onely learned men who have no regard for antiquity . . you add , but the school-divines , or the divines of the middle ages , saw , and almost all the moderns , that are well versed in these questions , confess it , that this explication is an inexcusable indefensible tritheism . and quickly after you say , that the school-divines , and , generally speaking , the most learned of the moderns , with the greatest reason in the world , abhor making the three divine persons , to be persons in the proper sence of that word : which is to say , they are distinct intellectual beings , and have different substances in number , tho' not in species or kind . and you affirm , that the forementioned divines do with the greatest reason in the world abhor this , because they perceive it destroys the true and real unity of god ; it taketh away his proper , and natural , and numerical unity ; and leaveth onely a certain political and oeconomical unity ; which is indeed onely an imaginary unity . hereto i answer , . that a wise man will think never the worse of any thing , merely for its having an ugly name given it : as you would account it no real dishonour to the socinian hypothesis , should it be called ditheism , which sounds every whit as ill as tritheism . and you cannot deny it to be ditheism in a certain sence , because it asserts two gods ; one by nature , and the other by office ; and that this god by office , is to be honoured by all men , even as they honour the father , ( according to his own declaration ) though but a mere man by nature . and this grates every whit as much upon my understanding , as any thing in this explication can on yours : and is as contradictory to natural reason in the opinion of all trinitarians , as any of their explications are in the opinion of socinians ; who cannot but acknowledge , that honouring the son even as the father is honoured , is giving him that honour which is truly and properly divine , let them restrain it as much as they can . . whereas you say , that this explication destroyeth the true and real unity of god , and therefore to be abhorred ; i must grant , if it does so , it can not be too much abhorred ; but i would know from whence we are to learn , wherein consists his true and real unity . it must either be learned from scripture or reason , or both . but as to the h. scripture , this indeed abundantly declareth the unity of god , but it no where distinguisheth of unity , nor saith of what nature that unity is which it ascribes to god. were you never so well satisfied that that text in st. iohn's epistles is genuine — these three are one ; you would say it proves nothing against the socinians , because it saith not in what sence the father , son , and holy ghost are one. but i am sure our author never spake a truer word , than what he saith in his seventeenth proposition , concerning the real distinction of the three persons in scripture . and surely those whose notions are most agreeable to the letter , and most proper sence of scripture , when there is no apparent necessity of departing from them ( as i think there is the greatest necessity of keeping thereto in this case ) if they happen to be in an error , their error is on the safer side . and since those of your opinion do so zealously contend for making the h. scriptures the sole rule of faith , and profess that you will take nothing for a point of religion but what is found in the bible , ( wherein you do like protestants , at least if you will acknowledge that to be there which is there by evident consequence , as well as in express words ) ; since , i say , you do so , you of all men should not be over dogmatical in determining a point , which the h. scripture is silent in . and then for reason , such an unity as our author ( after the fathers ) asserts , is not contradictory , or contrary , to any plain and evident dictate thereof . this i adventure to affirm with very great assurance : and , sir , your self must needs be of the same mind , if you were in good earnest ( as i can't think otherwise ) in calling the explication a possible scheme , and owning that it is not contradictory in any of its parts to natural reason . but , sir , ( to speak my mind freely ) i will not , of all men , go to school to the school divines to learn what reason saith on an argument of this nature ; and therefore neither to those modern divines , who pin their faith upon their sleeves . if i could satisfie my self to be an implicit believer , i would a thousand times rather take the ancient fathers ( and , it may be , philosophers too ) for the guides of my reason , than those gentlemen who spent their time in the weaving of fine cobwebs ; and particularly are so superfine upon the simplicity of the divine essence , as to render god almighty ( at least , to such a dull understanding as mine ) a no less unconceivable than incomprehensible being ; and to simplifie him rather into nothing , than into simple vnity . . that this explication leaveth onely a certain political , or oeconomical unity is only said by you ; but the twenty second proposition tells you the contrary , of which more anon . . this explication doth not take away the numerical unity of the god-head , or of god in the absolutely highest sence , and the first original of all things : for it expresly affirms the necessity thereof , prop. th . . it maketh the other two persons as much one with the first , and with one another , as they are , without the most apparent contradiction , capable of being . one in so high a sence , as that we want a word , by which to express their unity : and therefore that they are much more than specifically one , as three humane or angelical persons are . were i a schoolman it should scape me hard , but i would add another distinction of unity , between specifical and numerical , to express this unity by ; which i am sure would have more of a fundamentum in re , than many of their distinctions have . this explication speaks as great a unity between them , as is between the sun and its splendor , and the light of both : and a greater than is between the vine and its branches ; or than is between the fountain and the streams which flow from it : which are similitudes of the ancients . i say , this explication speaks the unity of the divine persons greater than the unity of each of these ; because , tho' they are most closely and intimately united , yet are not inseparable . and for the same reason , it speaks a greater unity between them , than is between our souls and bodies ; as appears by the twenty second proposition . and where is he who will pretend to know how many degrees , or kinds of unity are possible , or actually are ? . the inseparable unity in will and nature between the three persons , which that proposition affirmeth not to have the least shadow of a contradiction in it , and therefore is taken into this explication , doth answer all the ends for which the unity of the deity was ever asserted . and therefore the distinction asserted between the three persons , hath not the least appearance of any one of the pernicious consequents , which follow upon a plurality of gods ; and consequently there is no reason in the world , ( tho' you say there is the greatest ) why it should be abhorred by the school-divines , or the most learned among the moderns ; or by any mortal , learned or unlearned . for they are outwardly , and in reference to the creation , perfectly one and the same god , as concurring in all the same external actions ; tho' in relation to one another , there is a real distinction between them . and it seems very wonderful , that this should be denyed by any one who professeth himself a trinitarian ; since there is no understanding what a contradiction means , if a being that begets , and that which is begotten thereby , and a third which proceeds from both , should not be really distinct from each other . . a plurality of gods hath generally been so understood , as to imply more than one independent , and ( therefore likewise ) self-existent deity , as the common arguments against a plurality of gods do suppose ; but it was never otherwise understood , than so as to import separate deities . and never were there more zealous asserters of the unity of the deity against the pagans , than were divers of the ancients to whom our author is beholden for the substance of this explication . one of these was lactantius ( to pass by several others of the three first centuries ) and i find him thus discoursing in the th . chap. of his fourth book , de vera sapientia . fortasse quaerat aliquis , &c. some one perhaps will ask , how when we say we worship one god , we can assert two , viz. god the father , and god the son , &c. and to this question the father thus answers , quum dicimas deum patrem , &c. when we say god the father and god the son , we don't separate and part them asunder , &c. they have one mind , one spirit , one substance . and , in the next words , he saith in what sence they are one : sed ille quasi exuberans fons , &c. but the father , is as it were the overflowing fountain , the son as a stream flowing from him : he like to the sun , this like to a sun-beam . and this is the same description of their unity with one another , that the explication gives . and i think there needs no more to be said in defence thereof , against the odious charge of tritheism to any ingenuous and free-minded person . nor doth there need to be given any farther answer to what remains in your paper , that designs to prove this a to be abhorred tritheistical explication . but i must clear it from another great mistake in the account you next give of it . you say that the hypothesis expresly acknowledgeth in each of the two persons , not onely whatsoever properties can make them to be distinct intellectual beings , and substances ; but also all the attributes that are necessary to essentiate a god , that is , to make him a perfect god ; onely it saith the father hath this peculiar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or priviledge , that he is first in order of nature . he hath no essential or real perfection more than the other two persons ; onely he hath this honour , that their original is from him. and hence you conclude , that it is not possible to say what are three gods , if this be not an account and description of three gods. but , sir , doth our author's hypothesis give the father no other priviledge above the son and h. spirit , than his being first in order of nature , and their original ? doth not the fourth proposition expresly say that he is self-existent too ? and his being their original , is so far from being the same thing with self-existence , that simply in it self considered , it doth not so much as necessarily suppose his self-existence . doth he who faith , that the sun is the original of the illustrious splendour in the heavens , and of the light which pervades the world , in so saying affirm that it is self-existent ? and i shall wonder , if self-existence be but an imaginary perfection , i should rather conclude it the very greatest of all real perfections . how then can you say , that this hypothesis gives the father no other priviledge above the other persons , but onely that he is first in order of nature ? again , is not absolute independence a real perfection , and being the first original of all things another ? but doth not the sixth proposition considered with the fifth , ascribe both these too to the father onely ? and whereas you say farther , that this hypothesis gives the second and third persons all the attributes that are necessary to assentiate a god , what earnings will you make of this ? since it saith not that those which are ascribed to them ( viz. infinite goodness , wisdom and power , ) are all that are necessary to essentiate a god in the absolutely highest sence , which the name of god is ever to be understood in in holy scripture . and now you can need no answer to what you say in the last words of this paragraph , viz. the perfections of the deity that are real , are gods infinite wisdom , power , goodness , duration , and such like : therefore the son and spirit are gods in the highest sence of that word , if they have all those aforesaid real and positive perfections of the divine nature ; tho' it be granted at the same time , that they are originated from the father . you need , i say , no answer hereto , since you were now minded , that self-existence , absolute independence , and being the first original of all things , are perfections peculiar to god the father ; and that this is part of the explication . and upon this account athanasius , s. basil , gregory nazianzen , and st. chrysostom , with several of the latin fathers , interpret those words of our b. saviour , my father is greater than i , to have been spoken , not of his humanity , but his divinity ; as dr. cudworth hath shewed in his th . page of his intellectual system of the universe . nor certainly did our lord ever say so little a thing , as that the infinite maiesty of heaven and earth is greater than any mortal man. and having this occasion to mention dr. cudworth , the honour i have for the memory of that excellent person , constraineth me to say , that the account he gives of the fathers judgment of the trinity , is not represented as it ought to have been , in the former socinian treatise of considerations on the explications thereof . and i so word that most learned performance of the doctor , because he was therein an historian , rather than an explicator . your next paragraph begins with this question , a father begets two sons that have all the properties of the humane nature , in as great perfection as their father ; shall we deny that they are men in the highest sence of that word , because they are originated from their father ? and this , say you , is the very case before us . but , sir , this is not ( with your leave ) the very case before us : 't is nothing like it , because 't is the perfection of no man , to be self-existent ; nor are a humane fathers sons immediately dependent on him for the continuation of their being , as the two persons are upon god the father , as light is upon the sun , and as streams on the fountain . but if a humane father could be supposed to be self-existent , and that his sons had the now mentioned kind of dependence upon him , the consequence must be , that their nature is short of the perfection of their fathers nature , notwithstanding the many properties they agree in ; and therefore that they are not men in so high a sence , as he is a man ; seeing the humane nature would be supposed capable of perfections which they have not , but their father hath . what follows of this paragraph , is only applying the point in controversie to this case ; but i have said enough to shew that there is not the least affinity between these two cases . the substance of what you farther object against this explication , is a remark upon the twenty second proposition : and you say , in these few words consist the strength and hopes of this explication . the unconceivably close union in will and nature between the three gods , makes them to be one god. i see , sir , you as odiously word it as you can , but you would have lost nothing by it , had you kept to our author's words , and said three persons ; or , if you had pleased , three distinct proper persons , instead of three gods. well , sir , the unconceivably close union in will and nature between the divine persons is that ( as you say ) in which the strength and hopes of this explication do consist . but you object , that this is as much as to say , that they are one god by that very thing , which most incontestably declares them to be three gods. and this you make out by this question , what is the union of will and nature between distinct intellectual beings , and different substances ; is it any other but this , in plain english , that they always will the same things , and their natures and substances are united in the same properties , attributes , or perfections ? that is to say , as you proceed , these three intellectual substances or beings , are each of them almighty , omniscient , most good , and the rest ; why this is the very thing that makes them to be three gods. next , you give us a proof of this , but you might have saved your self that labour ; for 't is readily granted , if this be all the union that is between them . but in answer to your question , it must never be granted you that the inseparably close union between the three divine persons , both in will and nature , is no more than their union in the same will and properties ; for it is also their immediate union in their substances , ( their spiritual substances ) as the union between our souls and bodies is in their substances . and if they were acknowledged to be separate substances , and united onely as you say , you would have made our author ashamed of his explication . but if , sir , you think you may do it however , by saying that the substance and properties of the divine nature are the self-same thing ; i will now content my self to say onely this , then you might have used the word substances , as well as properties and attributes ; and then it would have appeared at first sight , that there is no force in your objection . but your self doth also expresly here distinguish them , in saying , that their substances are united in the same properties , attributes or perfections . if you ask me what account can be given to the satisfaction of any rational person , of such an union between the substances of the three persons , i will reply that when you give me an intelligible account of the union betwixt our souls and bodies , i do promise to give you a no less intelligible account of the union betwixt the substances of the three divine persons . nay ( as the twenty second proposition tells you ) the union between our souls and bodies is more unaccountable to reason , than is this union ; because that is an union between substances of perfectly unlike , and even contrary natures . in reciting that proposition , you say contradictory instead of contrary ; but i suppose this was the fault , not of your pen , but of the press . but if you will say , that the substances of our souls and bodies are onely united in their properties ; i say they are not at all united in these , because their properties are of as different and contrary a nature , as their substances . but if they could be united in these , yet the union of their substances must be more than their being united in their properties , except my soul is as much united with your body as with mine own ; for the essential properties of all souls and bodies are the same . and now , sir , i hope you are sensible , that you might have spared your last paragraph , viz. how is it possible that this author should overlook such an obvious reasoning , or not be satisfied with it ? and say i , how is it possible that so acute a person as your writings speak you to be , should be guilty of so plain a flaw in that reasoning , and take it to be so obvious ? i shall give you no farther trouble , than while i desire you to take notice , that i have not troubled you with more words than needs must ; and much less with finesses , to use your own word ; nor with any subtle distinctions , as much enamoured , as you perceive i am , with the school-men ; nor with any thing you may be tempted to call scholastical cant , or metaphysical gibberish ; nor so much as with the father's great word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but my answer is as plain as a pyke staff , yet as full as plain , to all the reflections you have made upon the explication . but whether it be to the purpose too , i must leave it to the judgment of the fair and impartial reader . but i can sincerely avow , that i have said nothing to any of your objections , merely because for my credits sake , ( seeing i undertook to reply to them ) i must say something : nor hath a line come from me which is not agreeable to the sense of my mind ; nor which i think not to be pertinent . as i also solemnly profess , that since such perfections and operations , as are unquestionably proper to the deity , are attributed in h. scripture to the son and h. spirit ; and that i cannot be satisfied by the extremely laboured glosses and criticisms of the socinians , to depart from the most obvious and natural sence of the multitude of texts wherein they are so ; as doubting whether many texts are to be found , which might not have more than one sence put upon them , by the same labour and art : and since divine honour is most expresly declared to be due to the son , iohn . . and he hath the honour of such a doxology , apocal. . . as according to the original , as well as our translation , i remember not an higher given to god the father in all the new-testament . and since too the son and spirit are all along most plainly described , as distinct persons both from the father , and from one another , even as plainly as words can do it ; and yet all this while the unity of the deity is fully asserted ; i can not , for my life , reconcile these things but by this ancient explication of the trinity , which your self ingenuously acknowledges to be a possible scheme ; and hereby , i thank god , i can do it to my great satisfaction . that god almighty would give us a right understanding in all the points of our christian faith , and particularly in the great and weighty one , wherein you differ from the generality of christians in all ages ; and that we may be sincere and unbyassed , and also humble , in our searches after truth ; not leaning over confidently to our own understandings , since those that most improve them are most sensible of their being infinitely too shallow to comprehend truths of this nature especially , is the humble and most hearty prayer of , sir ; notwithstanding our being ( as i suppose ) perfect strangers , and our wide difference in opinion , your sincere friend to serve you in all christian offices , &c. some books printed for b. aylmer . forty two sermons and discourses upon several occasions , most at court ; in four volumes , vo . the rule of faith : or , an answer to the treatise of mr. i. sergeant , &c. vo . six sermons concerning the divinity and incarnation of our blessed saviour ; of the sacrifice and satisfaction of christ ; and of the unity of the divine nature , and the b. trinity , &c. against the socinians , vo . six sermons , ( newly printed ) one concerning resolution and stedfastness in religion ; one of family religion ; three of education of children ; and one of the advantages of an early piety , vo . a perswasive to frequent communion in the sacrament of the lords supper , vo . alone stitch't , price d. or in o bound , price d. a discourse against transubstantiation , vo . alone price d. stitch't . all published by his grace iohn lord arch-bishop of canterbury . the exact effigies of his grace iohn lord arch-bishop of canterbury ; on a large sheet of paper curiously engraven by r. white , price d. the great wickedness , and mischievous effects of slandering : a sermon preach'd at st. giles cripplegate , on psalm . . a sermon preached before the lord mayor of london , and court of aldermen , in easter-week , . on luk. . . a sermon preached at the meeting of the sons of the clergy , in st. mary-le-bow church , the th . of dec. . on iohn . . these three by edward lord bishop of gloucester . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e dr. cudworth , and dr. bull. notes for div a -e octob. th . . a sermon preached before the judges, &c. in the time of the assizes in the cathedral church at gloucester on sunday aug. , published to put a stop to false and injurious representations / by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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[ ], p. printed for r. royston, and walter kettilby, london : . reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- timothy, st, i, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached before the judges , &c. in the time of the assizes in the cathedral chvrch at gloucester , on sunday aug. . . published to put a stop to false and injurious representations . by edward fowler , d.d. london , printed for r. royston , bookseller to his most sacred majesty , and walter kettilby , . a preface to the reader . the desire of many worthy gentlemen , who were pleased to think this sermon seasonable , could not have prevailed with me to make it thus publick , were it not for the entertainment it hath met with from another sort of auditors , who have represented it as fanatical , and almost all that 's naught . but , as i have not ( i thank god ) so little of a christian in me , as to return cursing for cursing , or reviling for reviling ; but , on the contrary , do most heartily pray for these men , who express the greatest enmity against me : so will i no longer trouble the reader with complaints of their most injurious and provoking behaviour upon the account of the following discourse , but only intreat him to be impartial in the perusal of it ; and then to judge between them and me , whether i have given them any other cause to be so inraged , than what the blessed apostle gave the galatians , viz. telling them the truth . and i appeal to the most censorious and captious of those that heard me , whether i have been guilty of the least vnfaithfulness in this publication . god is my witness , that i had the best of designs in penning and preaching this sermon , viz. a sincere and earnest desire to do some service to the protestant religion , his majesty , and the church of england , as by law establisht : nor am i conscious to my self of any crime in the pursuing of this design , unless honest impartiality in exposing the doings , which are apparently most highly prejudicial to the interest of all these ( than which nothing in this world should be dearer to us ) ought to render me blame-worthy . but i am not in the least solicitous about what defects may be found in the discourse , that are not of a moral nature ; for , as the ingenuous will easily overlook them ( especially in a discourse not design'd for the press ) so 't would be a great piece of weakness to be at all concerned at the censures of those that lye at the catch , and who if they find no faults will be sure to make them . but the main thing i intended this preface for is yet behind , viz. a faithful narrative of a matter of fact , which hath had the ill fortune to be as falsly and injuriously represented as this sermon . it is this , there lately stood in the west-window of the quire of gloucester cathedral , a most scandalous picture , viz. of the blessed trinity : which , had it been much observed , could never have outstood the first year of the reformation ; and much less continued till about two years since . i was first shewed it by one of my brother prebendaries about four years since : after which time , the sight of it , when i read at the communion table , did often discompose me . and , thinking my self obliged to do my endeavour to have it taken down , though no great notice , that i knew , was taken of it , i made no haste for that reason ; but some time after my return from my residence , i advised with one who is a most learned and eminent prelate of our church about it ; and he , expressing high offence at it , told me we were all bound in conscience not to suffer such a thing , now we had observed it , to stand longer . hereupon i resolved to complain of it in chapter at my next residence , but there being not above two , or at the most three of us upon the place all that time , i put off the doing it till my residence the following year . and then , having a good opportunity ( there being about the conclusion of that residence , our whole number except one , present ) at a chapter that was called about other business , the very last day of my stay ( which was mid-summer eve . ) having all of us viewed it before , i moved my brethren in chapter ( the officers that were present being first desired to withdraw , because i would have the matter carried as privately as might be ) that it might be taken down : representing the hatefulness of such a picture , and what scandal it would give , should it happen to become more publick ( as it quickly might , it being known to more than our selves , and that not by my means ) and the great seasonableness of doing it at this nick of time , seeing through oversight it had been omitted thus long : it being not long after the discovery of the plot , and many factious people then at work in vilifying the church of england as advancing apace towards popery . this motion of mine was readily entertained by the chapter , and the idol most chearfully voted down , and the act of chapter afterwards recorded in the register book by some of the prebendaries , where it now stands . i moved , as i said , that it should be taken down , that is , by a glasier ; but for a great reason , which i think fit to conceal , till provoked to publish it , it was as readily consented to , that it should be immediately broken , as 't was before , that it should be taken down , and new glass set up in the room of it . whereupon the greater number of the chapter went together to the place to countenance the action , and it was done by my hand . we could not in the least doubt , but that this was done very regularly , it being a hard case if the governours of a cathedral should not be invested with as much authority as this comes to . but when it came to be known abroad , there was a hideous noise and clamour made by some few people ; who are , i dare say , the first protestants that ever so concern'd themselves about such a vile relique of popish superstition . the clamour continues to this very day ; and , after i had preached this sermon , complaint was made of the high misdemeanor to the judges , and some , further to vent their spleen against me for my sermon , did what lay in them to have it presented by the grand iury of the city , though a thing of above two years standing ; which doughty attempt ( as well it might ) made sport enough . but that which necessitates my publishing this narrative , is the several shameful vntruths they have made to pass for current , far and near , among those who have little knowledge of them and me ; for those that know either of us cannot easily believe them . particularly , first , they represent this action , as done by me upon my own head . they say not one word of a chapters being concerned in the case , and so expose me for a rash and furious zealot . secondly , to lay still greater load upon me , they have given it out by themselves , and their agents ( particularly a * little agent they have in london , a most disingenuous creature , of whom i have deserved , as he can't forget , much better things ) that it was only the picture of a saint or angel , or at worst of our saviour , when the contrary was visible to us all , and to others also , as i have intimated already . it was the old popish picture of the trinity ; god the father represented by an old man with a very long grey beard , and a huge beam of light about his head : god the son , by a crucifix between his knees : and god the holy ghost , by a dove with spread wings , under his beard : which was patcht with a piece or two ( as i remember ) of plain glass . i have the copy of the picture by me as it stood in the window , drawn by one who lives in that city , that had ( as he told me ) viewed it at times for twenty years together . thirdly , they represent it as done in complyance with the scotch rebels , who , they say , were then in arms. but as this is most false , ( these wretches being routed before this time , and the news of it come to gloucester in the publick intelligence ) so every body must needs see the woful silliness and ridiculousness , as well as malice of this suggestion . there are some i confess , who are of better tempers than the furious people who have made such a loud clamour , that express their dislike of breaking this picture , which they call a great indecency . but i would fain know of them , why must it be done so decently ? is it because it was a gross abuse of the holy trinity ? but if it was not an indecency to break in pieces the brazen serpent , when it came to be abused , though of god's own institution , much less can it be so , to break that the making of which god hath * forbidden in so strict a manner . but i have said already that it had been done after these mens decent fashion , that is , taken down by a glasier , might i have had my will , and had there not been a great probability , if not certainty , of our making our order to no purpose , if it were not done this way ; as my worthy brethren will bear me witness : who are all living , and can testifie the truth of my narrative of this so scandalous a thing , viz. the destroying of an idol , that even moderate papists have condemned , and some of the better sort of heathens also ; that is , a corporeal representation of the great god , and which one would wonder should have any patrons , besides the monstrous sect of anthropomorphites . i perswaded my self with great difficulty , to publish this account to the world , and could not resolve upon it till i considered , how well it becomes me to disabuse abundance of people , who have been imposed upon by false stories , as well as to vindicate my own reputation . and besides , this i have now done , will not make the thing much more publick than it was before : no nor at all more publick than the late doings at the gloucester assizes , will perhaps make it . i have only taken a course to make the truth about this matter as publick , as some men have made gross falsehoods . and indeed i am now sensible , i should have done this long ago , and that i have been much too patient . i am prepared to say much more of the vnworthy treatment i have had from some upon this account , and of what methods were used to raise clamour , but i have done enough at present ; my design being only to suppress lying reports , and to disabuse ( as i said ) those who have received them , not the exposing of particular persons , which i am not like to do , till any of themselves shall make it necessary . i will conclude with this address to my adversaries ( in allusion to our blessed saviours reply to the wretch that smote him ) viz. if i have spoken , or done , evil , and transgrest the law , bear witness of the evil , the law is open : but if well why smite you after so unchristian a manner him with your tongues , for want of sharper weapons , who never had any quarrel or controversie with any of you , and who is resolved to requite your malice , with never ceasing to pray for you ? erratvm . page line , for his generation , read , this generation . a sermon preached in the cathedral of gloucester , on sunday aug. . . tim . . . holding faith and a good conscience , which some having put away , concerning faith have made shipwrack . notwithstanding that the whole intendment of the christian faith be the promoting of righteousness , true holiness and universal goodness in the hearts first , and then in the lives of men ; and that it is most admirably fitted for that end : yet there arose even in the earliest and purest days of christianity a generation of people , who laboured to reconcile light and darkness , the christian religion and a wicked life : and although they pretended to adhere to the faith of the gospel , denyed the necessity of good works , and let open the floud-gates to all ungodliness . they made the holy jesus , who was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil , the great patron of sin , and turned the grace of god into lasciviousness ; did not only receive this grace in vain , and rendred it , as much as lay in them , ineffectual to the bettering mens lives and natures , but also made it the greatest promoter and encourager of that , for the utter destruction and extirpation of which it was designed . this they did by corrupting the christian doctrine , and bringing into it a company of wicked and licentious principles , and by endeavouring to make that pass for the doctrine of christ , which was no better than the doctrine of devils . of these wretched people s. paul saith that , they professed that they knew god , but in works they denyed him , being abominable and disobedient , and to every good work reprobate , tit. . . and in diverse other places he discourseth of these men , calling them false apostles , deceitful workers , and the like ; and warns the christians he wrote to , to beware of them : as do other of the apostles also , particularly s. peter , s. iohn and s. iude. now would we know how it should come to pass , that the christian religion should be so strangely perverted , and made use of for the building of that which it was designed to destroy . we are assured that it proceeds not from the obscurity of the writings of the new testament ; for they as plainly , as 't is possible for words to do it , do every where condemn all unrighteousness and sin. but it was caused by wresting the scriptures and putting them upon the rack to force them to speak quite contrary to their intention . thus s. peter tells us the epistles of his brother paul were abused , that those that were unlearned and unstable wrested them to their own destruction . but how came it to pass that any should dare to make thus bold with the scriptures ? my text answers this question : the apostle in these words tells us that , their making shipwrack of the faith was occasioned by their having first put away a good conscience . he here exhorts his son timothy to take care of holding both faith and a good conscience ; and the motive he useth to quicken his care is , that those who are not careful to hold both , will be in danger of losing both . so much is implyed in his saying , that some having put away a good conscience have made shipwrack concerning faith. holding faith , or the faith , and a good conscience , which some having put away , concerning faith , or the faith , have made shipwrack . first , we will explain the terms , or endeavour to shew what it is to hold the faith , and what to make shipwrack of it ; as also what it is to hold a good conscience , and what to put it away . secondly , that holding the faith will nothing avail us , except we also hold a good conscience . thirdly , that mens making shipwrack concerning the faith is occasioned by their having first put away a good conscience . first , for explication of the terms ; we will enquire , . what it is to hold the faith , and what to make shipwrack of it . to hold the faith is to adhere to the belief and profession of the doctrine of the gospel . holding or keeping the faith sometimes implyeth also a life answerable to the christian doctrine ; as where s. paul saith , i have kept the faith : and where the author to the hebrews exhorts the christians , to hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering . but here it can signifie no more than the belief and profession of that doctrine , because it is distinguished from holding a good conscience . again , to make shipwrack of the faith is to do either of these two things . either , first , expresly to renounce the articles of the christian belief , the main fundamental articles ; all or any of those on which the whole frame of christianity is erected , and which are the essential materials of it . as that iesus is the son of god : that he dyed for our sins , and rose again for our justification : that he ascended into heaven , and will come again at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead : that men shall be rewarded or punished according to their works : that faith , repentance and new obedience are of absolute necessity to our obtaining the divine favour , and everlasting life . these and the like articles which either are declared necessary to salvation by our saviour or his apostles , or which from their own nature appear so to be , as containing necessary motives , encouragements or helps to a holy life , these are such as the renouncing any of which is making shipwrack concerning the faith. but the misunderstanding such doctrines as have no such weight and stress laid upon them , or which considered in themselves appear to be of such a nature , as that the misunderstanding of them is consistent with true goodness , cannot be called a making shipwrack of the faith : for if so , it will be impossible to know who holds the faith , and who makes shipwrack of it : there being many points so disputably expressed in the scriptures , and which there is such a diversity of opinions about , even among good as well as learned men , that it may be an argument of too great confidence and presumption in any , to conclude peremptorily that theirs is the true notion of them . or , secondly , the introducing such principles and practices into the christian religion as do manifestly strike at any of its fundamentals ; and particularly such as directly , or in their evident consequences , enervate the promises , threatnings , or precepts of the gospel , and contradict the great design of christianity , viz. that of making men sober , righteous and godly , this may also very properly be called making shipwrack of the faith. it is truly so notwithstanding it may be joyned with a profession of all the articles of our religion : for who seeth not that those who corrupt it with such doctrines or practices , are as injurious to the faith , as the down-right opposers of its main principles ; or rather the more injurious of the two , there being much more danger of a false friend , than of a professed and open enemy . . would we know what it is to hold a good conscience ; this is , in short , sincerely to endeavour to walk in all the commandments of the lord blameless : to endeavour impartially to acquaint our selves with the divine will , and when we understand it , to comply therewith , although it be never so cross to our own wills and natural inclinations . and therefore , on the contrary , to put away a good conscience is to be bent upon the pleasing our own wills , and gratifying our sensual appetites : to give up our selves to be acted and governed by fleshly and impure lusts : to be devoted to the service of corrupt , carnal and worldly affections and interests . where the lust of the flesh , the lust of the eye , or the pride of life , the love of pleasures , riches or honours , are predominant in the soul , there a good conscience is put away . secondly , we next come to shew that holding the faith will nothing avail us , if withal it be not our care to hold a good conscience . this is apparent in that the renewing of mens natures , and bettering their lives is the only end both of natural and revealed religion ; and were not this the end thereof , religion would be the vainest and most insignificant thing in the world . the heathens themselves were well aware of this , and therefore the professed intendment of their philosophy was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the purgation and perfection of the humane life . they well knew that no body is the better for the best principles , where they are only believed and not lived . and as for the principles of the christian religion , which the ancients used to call the christian philosophy , i shall not need to prove that our belief of these is required wholly upon the account of the great efficacy they have for the transforming of us into the divine likeness , the subjecting our wills to the will of god , and the making us holy in all manner of conversation . and therefore we find our blessed saviour and his apostles making the whole of a christian to consist in keeping his sayings , in doing the things he commands them , in faith that worketh by love , and in the new creature . and therefore we see the greatest contempt cast upon knowledge and profession and faith , unaccompanied with an answerable life and practice . therefore we read , that faith without works is dead , that faith is dead being alone , as being utterly unable to stand us in the least stead , and as being so unable to save us , as greatly to aggravate our condemnation . the papists lay mighty weight upon their orthodoxy , their believing as the church believes , and flatter themselves with a fond conceit , that the goodness of their faith will make great amends for the badness of their lives . but suppose it true , that they are the orthodox believers , and all the christian world hereticks besides themselves , as they would have us believe , yet the devils are as orthodox as they can be for their hearts , but their orthodoxy makes them but the more miserable ; if they did not believe so truly , they would not tremble as they do . the devils also believe and tremble , iames . . in short , we are not more assured from the holy scriptures that god made the heavens and the earth , than we are of the truth of this proposition , that the most sound belief will not do us the least service while it is accompanied with a naughty life : that the most orthodox sentiments will nothing avail us while joyned with an heretical conversation . thirdly , we proceed to shew , that mens making shipwrack concerning the faith , is occasioned by their having first put away a good conscience . which ( good conscience ) some having put away , concerning faith have made shipwrack . the apostle , speaking of some that resisted the truth , calls them men of corrupt minds , reprobate concerning the faith , tim. . . thereby intimating , that their being reprobate concerning the faith , proceeded from the corruption of their minds , or naughtiness of their hearts , and the prevalence of evil and corrupt affections . and the same apostle , speaking of certain hereticks , attributes their erring from the faith to their gratifying particularly that last of covetousness , tim. . . the love of money is the root of all evil , which while some coveted after , they have erred from the faith. and s. peter , speaking of wicked seducers , saith , that they had eyes full of adultery , and hearts exercised with covetous practices : and intimateth that this is the cause of their forsaking the right way , and their beguiling unstable souls , ep. . , . now would we be satisfied how this putting away a good conscience occasioneth mens making shipwrack of the faith : it is evident that it doth thus these three ways . first , as mens addicting themselves to the satisfying of some lust or other , puts them upon devising shifts and tricks to still the disquieting clamours of their consciences . the wrath of god being revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men , 't is no easie thing for any one willingly to transgress the rules of righteousness , without being frequently tormented with fearful expectations , and the horrors of an accusing and condemning conscience . now the most effectual way to be rid of these ( next to sincere repentance and reformation ) is either for a wicked man to perswade himself , if he be able , that there is no god , or nothing after this life ; and consequently , that the bible is a cheat , and all its threatnings mere scare-crows . or if this he cannot do , in regard of the abundant evidence of the being of a god , and the authority of the holy scriptures , the course must be so to wrest and pervert the scriptures , as to make them give liberty to certain evil practices , or to promise forgiveness of sin to certain performances that are short of forsaking it . thus those hereticks in the primitive times wrest●d the places wherein the gospel is called the law of liberty , and wherein we are said to be delivered from the law , so as to take off the obligation of the moral as well as the ceremonial law ; and to give liberty to sin , and to oppose faith to obedience in the business of justification and acceptance with god. many other instances may be given both of ancient and modern hereticks perverting of passages of scripture , so as to make them great encouragements to sin , and discouragements to a holy life ; perfectly contrary to the whole strain and tenor of the gospel . but i must not enlarge farther upon this argument , because the main thing i intended in the choice of this subject is yet behind . secondly , the putting away of a good conscience occasions making shipwrack of the faith , through the just judgment of god. the former particular gave us an account of wicked mens being strongly enclined to make shiwrack of the faith , and of their endeavouring it , this of their putting their inclinations into practice , and succeeding in their endeavours . men that are wedded to any lust are very forward , for their own ease , to endeavour either the embraceing of atheistical principles , or so to abuse the scriptures as to take encouragement from them to live in sin ; but they could hardly so extinguish the light of their own minds , as to succeed in their endeavours , were it not for the judgment of god upon them , in giving them up into the deceivers hands . to this purpose observe what the apostle saith , thess. . , . because they received not the love of the truth , that they might be saved ( or they did not so receive it as to suffer it to have any good effect upon their hearts and lives ) for this cause god shall send them strong delusions ( or give them up to be deluded by the tricks of the devil , the signs and lying wonders before mentioned ) that they should believe a lye , that they all might be damned who believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness . thirdly , the putting away of a good conscience occasions making shipwrack of the faith , as wicked professors of christianity do find it a most successful course to promote their corrupt and naughty designs , by foisting into the christian religion such doctrines and practices , as favour and encourage such designs . i have shewed that those who corrupt the christian religion with such doctrines or practices as contradict the design of it , do truly make shipwrack of the faith ; and whereas there may be given too many instances of such hypocrites as have so done , i shall make it the whole business of what remains of the doctrinal part of this discourse , to shew that the church of rome as she is now constituted , is most shamefully guilty in this particular . it is to be acknowledged , that she retains the profession of all the fundamental and essential articles of the christian faith ; a summary of which is that creed which we call the apostles , and she professeth a reverence for the whole new testament . if she in express terms rejected any doctrine that is of the essence , and a vital part of christianity , her members may not be called christians in any sense , and we then do very ill to say the church of rome . we do not stick at calling them a church , though a most corrupt and degenerate church ; as ( to use the similitude of bishop hall ) a thief is truly a man , though not a true man. a woman may retain the name of a wife till she 's formally divorced , though she be an adulteress . the church of rome may as truly be called a church , as the iewish nation the people of god , after their foul revolt from him , and lapse into idolatry and other wicked and impious practices . but this hath been abundantly made good against this church , that , though she holds the foundation yet , she builds wood , hay and stubble upon the foundation : that is , she mixeth many impure doctrines of her own , with the most holy and undefiled doctrines of the gospel . of which i will present you with some instances , but must be very brief upon most of them . what say you , in the first place , to her doctrine of infallibility ? which speaks her uncapable of erring in any of her decrees and determinations : which infallibility the iesuits will have seated in the popes chair ; others in the pope in conjunction with a general council ; that is , a number of bishops and priests packt together of his own faction : for there is nothing he hates more than a council truly general . i call this not only a false but a wicked doctrine , because of the infinite mischief that it doth in the world : for the romish church's pretence to infallibility , is that which enables her to lord it at that intolerable rate , over the minds and consciences of her subjects , and to make them the greatest of slaves and vassals . and 't is this also that makes her utterly incurable of her gross corruptions , her other notorious heresies , and the ungodly and horrid practices founded upon them . so that , so long as she continues to assume to herself the title of infallible , there is no hope to be conceived of her being ever in the least reformed , either in her principles or practices . but never was a doctrine more shamefully baffled than this hath been ; as easily it may , there being nothing but interest to uphold it , nor one syllable in all the bible to befriend it . as for that promise of our saviour , that the gates of hell shall never prevail against his church , the most that can be concluded from thence is , that he will ever have a church upon earth in spight of all the endeavours of hell to destroy it . but thanks be to god , this promise would be no whit the further from being performed , although the devil should be permitted totally to extinguish the church of rome ; though to be sure he understands his own interest better than once to attempt it . but if the meaning of this promise be ( as the romanists would have it ) that the gates of hell shall never so prevail against the church ▪ as to occasion her falling into errors of iudgment , why may we not as well extend it so far as to secure her also from errors of practice ? these being no less dangerous or destructive than those of iudgment . but i retain so much charity for the romish church still , as not to think her so forsaken of all modesty , as to deny that in this sense , the gates of hell have prevailed against her with a vengeance . and as for the other promises which they lay any stress on , they are either such as 't is manifest the apostles only , and first planters of the gospel were concerned in , or else such as belong to all christians without exception thus far , as that while it is their sincere endeavour to know the truth , and to live up to their knowledge , they shall be secured from pernicious and damnable errors . again , what say you to the doctrine of the popes supremacy over all other churches and kingdoms too , and his having a grant of as vast dominions upon earth , next and immediately under christ , as christ himself hath under god the father , his being king of all kings , and lord of all lords , and that both in spirituals and temporals ? i might easily tire you upon this head of discourse , but all i will say to it shall be this , that the charter pretended for so mighty an empire is much too obscurely exprest to be ever understood , by any other people than the pope and his vassals . there is not a tittle in the holy scriptures for it , though we know what a noise and fluster they make with two texts , pasce oves meas , and dabo tibi claves , &c. as if this supremacy were as plainly legible in each of them , as the doctrine of the creation in the first verse of genesis . but , which is worst of all , how many thousands of honest people have been barbarously butcher'd , merely because their eyes would not serve them to read this doctrine of theirs in those two texts ! and this is that doctrine which gives them a pretence for their restless and unwearied endeavours to get these kingdoms again within their clutches , and for all their desperate and hellish designs against us . what say you to their doctrine of image-worship ? with which i will joyn that other of praying to saints and angels . in their adored council of trent it is decreed , that the images of christ , the virgin mother of god , and other saints , be especially kept in churches ; and that due honor and veneration be given unto them . and afterward this council expresseth its allowance of picturing the divinity it self ; and accordingly pictures of the blessed trinity , ( oh hateful sight ! ) are ordinarily to be beheld in the popish churches . now would we know what the council means by debitus honor & veneratio , the due honour and veneration that is to be given to images ; this appears by these following words , we decree doing honour to them , because the honour which is done to them , is referred to the prototypes which they represent . so that in the images which we kiss , and before which we uncover our heads , and fall down , we adore christ , and worship the saints which they represent , &c. so that the honour and veneration which they determine should be given to images , do imply all external acts of adoration ; and that the image of our saviour is to have the self same adoration paid to it , that would be due unto himself were he personally present . and the universal practice of the romish church ( wholly to pass over the vile stuff of their doctors , schoolmen and casuists ) will tell you the meaning of their debitus honor & veneratio . the consent of nations ( saith the learned grotius ) have made sacrifices , oblations and incense , proper signs of divine worship ; but , though i had time , i need not stand to shew , that the images of christ , angels and saints , especially that of the blessed virgin , are every where worshipped with these signs , and with all the rites of the most solemn invocation in sacred offices , and in places set apart for divine worship . and they do all the external honour to the saints and angels in the addresses they make unto them , whether immediately or as represented by images , that 't is imaginable they should do to our saviour himself , or the blessed trinity . nay , they pray unto them , not only for temporal or ordinary blessings , but for spiritual and supernatural : such as the pardon of their sins , and the holy spirit , and eternal life , as might be shewn at large . now what is idolatry , if such doings are not ? why , they tell us , and we cannot blame them , that the true notion of idolatry is only the worshipping some creature for the most high god , supposing it to be the most high god. but if so , the worshippers of the golden calf , to be sure , were no idolaters ; for they can be little better than mad themselves , who are able to imagine that the israelites were so mad , as to believe that the calf which they saw made , and that of their own ear-rings too , was that very god which brought them out of the land of egypt . but the gentlemen of rome would have us think that they were so forsaken of their intellectuals , as so to believe ; and we cannot blame them for that neither . for if they did not impudently bear us down , that the children of israel believed that this moulten calf was that god that divided the sea , wrought so many miracles for them , and the maker of heaven and earth , they would , they are sensible , be necessitated to excuse them from idolatry , expresly contrary to the words of scripture . and if this their notion of idolatry be the only true one , we are certain that it will be extremely difficult , if not impossible , to find out idolaters among the very pagans . what think you of their doctrine of transubstantiation , of which take this account from the council of trent . by the consecration the whole substance of the bread is changed into the substance of the body of christ our lord , and the whole substance of the wine , into the substance of the bloud of christ. so that as like as it still looks to bread and wine : though it hath the perfect tast , the perfect feeling and smell of bread and wine , yet it is nothing less ; 't is that very body that hung upon the cross at ierusalem , and that very bloud that was there shed . this is the most prodigiously contradictious doctrine , that i will not say the wit but the madness of men can possibly invent : 't is a most wonderful complication of most horrid contradictions , and absolute impossibilities . but this is not the worst of it , it is also the foundation of so gross and foul idolatry as is scarcely to be named among the gentiles , or to be found parallel'd in peruvia it self , or the most barbarous parts of india . the forementioned holy council declares , nullus itaque dubitandi locus relinquitur , &c. there is therefore no place left for doubt , but that all good christians do give the worship of latria , quae vero deo debetur , which is due to the true god , to this most holy sacrament ; according to the always received custom of the catholick church . they should have said , according to the late and upstart custom of the romish faction . here you see that the bread and wine are worshipped by them , not as representations of god , but as god himself . but what if those words of our saviour , this is my body , should prove to be a figure ? like those other of his , i am a vine , i am a door , &c. or what if this is my body should be as much a figure , as they will confess the words presently following are , viz. this cup is the new testament in my bloud ? where we have a double figure , both the cup put for the wine in it , and the wine said to be the new testament or covenant , when , supposing it were the very bloud of christ , it could not be the new covenant it self , but the seal of that covenant ; i say , what if these words be to be understood figuratively ? ( as why they should not the papists can shew nothing like a reason , but we have shewn them the greatest absurdities imaginable in otherwise understanding them ) why then they themselves will and do acknowledge that they should be guilty of the most gross idolatry in their worship of the host. what say you to the popish doctrine of the sacrifice of the mass , which is of near kin to the foregoing ? the doctrine of the roman church is , as you shall find it in the council of trent , that in this sacrifice which is performed in the mass , that very christ is contained , and in a bloudless manner offered , which , upon the altar of the cross , did once offer up himself in a bloudy manner . so that , according to this doctrine , our blessed saviour must still to the end of the world be laid hold of by sinners , be ground with their teeth , and sent down into their impure paunches , as often as the priest shall pronounce the charm , hoc est enim corpus meum . and it seems that he was a false prophet , when he said upon the cross it is finished , seeing there was such an infinite deal of loathsome drudgery still to be undergone by him . and it seems the author to the hebrews is found to be a false apostle , in asserting so expresly , as more than once he doth , that such is the dignity of christ's priesthood , and its excellency above the levitical , that by one offering he hath made perfect satisfaction , and expiation for sin . so that this their doctrine of the sacrifice of the mass , is not only false , but very corrupt and impious doctrine . what say you to their doctrine of purgatory ? which , in short , is this : that no souls , except such as are perfectly purified in this life ( which they 'l surely acknowledge are extremely few ) shall go at their departure hence into a place of happiness or ease , but all , the forementioned excepted , into a place of torment ; where they may abide for an exceeding long time , even many hundreds of years , except some effectual care be taken for their deliverance . by this doctrine the poor people are brought into a most slavish state ; by the means hereof their merciless tyrants the priests hale them into worse than egyptian bondage : who , instead of enjoyning them the most reasonable duties to which the precepts of their saviour oblige them , and which are most admirably adapted to the cleansing of their natures , and mortifying their corrupt affections , impose upon them a great number of ridiculous services of their own invention . but though they cannot pretend the least warrant from scripture for such doings as those , yet they have a most express text , they tell you , for their doctrine of purgatory , viz. those words of s. paul , cor. . . but he shall be saved , yet so as by fire . but he who considers these two things will see nothing like purgatory in this text , namely , first , that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not he shall be saved by fire , but as it were by fire , or rather through fire . secondly , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to be saved as through fire , is a proverbial speech ( as those great criticks , grotius and scaliger , with others , have shewed ) signifying to be saved from most eminent danger . and as this doctrine of theirs is groundless , so is it as wicked , it being a most vile affront to the merits and and satisfaction of our blessed saviour : for in order to the establishing of this doctrine they teach , that , the passion of christ takes away only the guilt of mortal sins , not their eternal punishment , which is as non-sensical as false and impious . 't is an impious doctrine also , both as it is devised to inslave the consciences of the poor people , and to bring them into absolute subjection to their priests ; and likewise to gratifie their greedy appetites , and to bring their purses no less under their power than their consciences . what say you to their doctrine of the non-necessity of the laity's partaking of the cup in the lords supper , and their being rob'd accordingly of their share therein ? expresly contrary to our saviours institution , and the practice of the first ages of the church , and of all other churches in the world . what say you to their well known doctrine , of the non-necessity of repentance before the imminent point of death ? and to this other that goes beyond that , viz. that meer attrition ( or sorrow for sin for fear of hell ) if accompanied with the sacrament of penance is sufficient to a sinners justification and acceptance with god ? this the council of trent doth plainly take for granted , in the fourth chapter of their fourteenth session . what say you to the doctrine of opus operatum ? which makes the meer work done in all acts of devotion , sufficient to the divine acceptance : particularly the bare saying of prayers , without either minding what they say , or understanding it . and agreeably hereunto the romish church enjoyns the saying of them in a language unknown to the generality of her children ; notwithstanding the perfectly contrary doctrine delivered by s. paul in the th chap. of the first to the corinthians . what say you to the doctrine of the insufficiency of the holy scriptures for mens salvation , and her denying them to be a complete rule of faith , and practice in things necessary , without her traditions ? wherein she gives the lye to the same great apostle , who tells his son timothy that , the scriptures are able to make wise to salvation : and that by them the man of god may be perfected , and throughly furnished to every good work . what say you to her doctrine of the gospels obscurity even in things of absolute necessity to be believed and practised ? devised on purpose to perswade the people to an implicit belief in her self , and to receive without examining whatsoever doctrines she shall please to call articles of faith. this is a wicked doctrine in it self also , as well as upon the account of the design of it : it being most unworthy of god to require all under pain of damnation , rightly to understand those points which are obscurely revealed . what say you to her doctrine of the dangerousness of the vulgars reading the holy scriptures ; and her practice answerable thereunto , of denying them the bible in their own language ? what say you to her doctrine that , faith is not to be kept with hereticks ? what say you to this doctrine that , the most horrid villanies are then lawful , when necessary to the promoting of the interest of the catholick cause ? i do not say that this is decreed in any council ; or that it is in express terms taught by any of them : but however , if it be lawful to judge of mens opinions by their constant practices , we may without a calumny call this also a doctrine of the church of rome . particularly , the world hath for a long time been well acquainted with her most horrible cruelties , upon the account of religion . to mind you of a few famous instances : in the persecution of the albigenses and waldenses , were miserably murthered no fewer than a thousand thousand : in the massacre of france , in the space of three months , an hundred thousand : in the low-countries , in a few years , were cut off by the hand of the common hangman thirty and six thousand protestants : and by the holy inquisition ( as vergerius witnesseth , who was well acquainted therewith ) were destroyed in less than thirty years space , one hundred and fifty thousand , with all manner of the most exquisite cruelties . i need not mind you what a vast number were burnt at the stake in our own country , in the reign of queen mary : nor what additions have been made since to romes butcheries , in piedmont and ireland . and what a horrible slaughter had there been in england , by the gun powder treason , if it had not been prevented by a wonderful providence ! and also what work the romanists would have been at here again before this time , if god in his infinite mercy had not defeated the councels of those bloudy achitophels , all who do not wilfully shut their eyes , and are not papists at least in masquerade , * should , one would think , acknowledge themselves satisfyed , after so great evidence . so that we need no further proof that the woman hath rome christian for her principal seat , upon whose head s. iohn tells us , was a name written , mystery babylon the great , the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth : and whom he saw drunk with the bloud of the saints , and with the bloud of the martyrs of iesus . but we have farther proof that the now mentioned wicked doctrine , may truly be charged upon the church of rome : for her abominable practices do not only justifie this charge , but several of the doctrines of her darling sons , those pretious youths the iesuits , and which ( as they tell you ) are much elder than their order , viz. that of the lawfulness of equivocations and mental reservations , even before courts of iudicature , at least , if they consist of hereticks ; of the putting which vile principle into practice we have had of late diverse marvelous and most astonishing instances . that of the popes power of dispensing with the most solemn oaths , and of absolving subjects from their allegiance to heretical princes . that of the lawfulness , nay meritoriousness of taking arms against them , of stabbing and poisoning them . and we of this kingdom too well know that the romish church make no bones of practising upon these principles . i might still farther proceed in instancing in her most corrupt and wicked principles , but you have had enough in all conscience : and but that , now especially , we are obliged to take all opportunities for the exposing of the vileness of the romish religion , i would e'en be as soon engag'd in stirring jakes's , and raking dunghills , as in such work as this . god be thanked for that mighty spirit that hath been stirred up throughout the nation against popery : oh that it more generally proceeded from our sense of the hatefulness thereof , and the extreme dishonour it brings to christianity , and its infinite injuriousness to the souls of men , as well as from the concern we have for our temporal interest ; which is but a mean and pitiful consideration in comparison of those other . and the better the principles of popery and the practices of the papists are understood , the greater and more lasting must their zeal against them needs be , who have any hearty kindness either for christianity or for natural religion ; either for christianity or for good morality and common honesty , or even mere good nature . i will not so far imitate the horrible uncharitableness of the romish church , as to say that 't is impossible to find any sincere christians in her communion ; and much less , that no honest or good natur'd people are among them : but this we are very certain may safely be said that , whosoever is throughly instructed in the popish principles and acts accordingly , is so much a stranger to christianity , that he hath totally cast off all humanity . whosoever is a thorough papist hath no conscience in his own keeping ; his conscience is perfectly at the dispose of his holy father and his confessor : nor is there any villany , be it never so great , but he is prepared for it , whensoever a priest or jesuit by commission from the pope shall oblige him to it . that protestant doth but slightly understand popery , who dares trust his throat with a thorough papist , although he be seemingly a man of never so good a nature , or of never so good morals : and the more conscientious he is in his way , by so much the more dangerous a person is he . that 's a rare religion in the mean time , the more true to which any man is , the greater villain he must necessarily be . and those are a precious sort of christians , of which one cannot adventure to give a true and impartial character , and to paint them in their own colours , but he must be in danger to be censured as a scurrilous person , as a man of a foul mouth , and a down-right railer . let us all therefore take up those words of iacob , in reference to his generation , which he uttered concerning his two wicked sons , simeon and levi , o my soul come not thou into their secret , unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united . to make some application of what hath been discoursed . first , is the putting away a good conscience the true cause to which making shipwrack of the faith is to be imputed ? is this the account into which it is to be resolved ? then , as we would be out of danger of falling into heresie , and particularly of turning papists , and of making shipwrack of the faith as they have done , let us have a great care to hold fast a good conscience : to exercise our selves in keeping consciences void of offence both towards god and towards men : to lead lives answerable to the holy doctrine which we profess to believe . if any man will do the will of god ( or be sincerely willing to do it ) he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of god , saith our blessed saviour , iohn . . he shall be able to discern between truth and falshood , and shall be guided into and kept in the truth . the truth hath no fast hold of any , but those who receive it in the love of it , and make it the measure and rule of their lives and actions . it is not at all strange that learned and knowing men should make shipwrack of the faith , for learning and knowledge is no security while separated from honesty and a good conscience . there is no error so absurd or dangerous , but we ought to expect an insincere person will embrace it , when once it becomes serviceable to that interest he is most concerned for the promoting of . even those of us who do now shew the most forward zeal against popery , if we be wedded to any corrupt affection , and have only the form , but are void of the power of godliness , will be in never the less danger , notwithstanding our present zeal , of apostatizing , if ever it should become our temporal interest ( which god forbid ) to turn papists . secondly , is it so apparent that the church of rome hath made so woful a shipwrack of the faith ? then what an infinite obligation lyeth upon us to the greatest thankfulness to our good god , for rescuing these nations from under her yoke ; and for those miracles of mercy which he hath wrought for us , in blasting so many of their deep laid designs , their late great conspiracy , and late sham-plots , for the reducing of us to our old captivity . if it had not been the lord who was on our side , now may england say , if it had not been the lord who was on our side , when these men rose up against us ; then they had swallowed us up quick , when their wrath was kindled against us : then the waters had overwhelmed us , and the streams had gone over our soul. let us therefore bless the lord , who hath not given us as a prey unto their teeth . lastly , as we would still be secured from popish conspiracies , from the unwearied attempts of our old adversaries against us , take we great heed of provoking the almighty to withdraw at length his protection , and abandon us to their malice , by walking unworthy of that glorious light and liberty we now enjoy in the church of england . and while we have the light let us walk in the light , lest god , in his just judgment , suffer us to be again involved in egyptian darkness . oh happy children of the church of england , if we could be perswaded to prize our present vast priviledges , before our having lost them doth force us to set a high value on them . and , oh that we were capable of so much wisdom , as no longer to strengthen the hands of our common enemy , by our as unreasonable as unchristian animosities against one another . that we had once as great a zeal against the anti-christs within our own breasts , pride , anger , malice and bitterness , as we seem to have against the anti-christ in the roman chair : those anti-christs being the greatest friends this anti-christ hath , and more our enemies than he is capable of being . oh that at length we could be convinced of this great truth , that the christian religion consisteth not in meats or drinks , mere external things , but in righteousness , peace and joy in the holy ghost . in humility , meekness , self-denial , obedience to authority in all lawful things , love to god , and love to men , &c. oh that we had a vigorous powerful sense of this , that neither the most admired gifts nor appearances of grace , which are not joyned with a benign and charitable temper , can at all recommend us to the divine favour : that he hath no participation of the god-like life and nature , who is of a quarrelsome , contentious , uncharitable spirit , be he in a many other respects never so saint-like . and that christian love is a thousand times better argument of a renewed state , than most of those marks and characters which are ordinarily given of a godly man. if we were once brought to this happy pass , to have a lively sense of these things : to make great conscience of preserving the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace ; and to abandon all separating , dividing , sowre and ill-natur'd principles and practices , we shall not then need to fear the malice of the papists , were their power greater than , god be thanked , it is ; but till then , all our other endeavours to secure our selves may fail of success . but alas , i fear , that never had a people sadder omens of miserable days than we now have : and nothing bodes worse than this that , we are so far from uniting among our selves , notwithstanding we seem so sensible of extraordinary danger from our common enemy , that our breaches daily grow wider and wider . we seem no less infatuated , no less madly bent upon our own destruction , than were the miserable iews in the siege of ierusalem ; among whom there were never such desperate feuds , as when they were all surrounded with the roman armies . those who , by their causeless forsaking of our communion , have greatly strengthned the hands of our enemies , are so far from being yet made sensible of the mischief of separation , and the most pernicious consequences of dividing , that many of them are now grown fiercer than ever ( as appears by their late books and pamphlets , &c. ) against that church , which rome hath always found to her cost , the most impregnable bulwark in all christendom against popery . and on the other hand ( for i will not be taxed with partiality ) there are too too many among our selves , that do little consult our churches interest , nor consequently the interest of the protestant religion , but greatly disserve both , by their intemperate heats , and branding all with the names of fanaticks and presbyterians who are not come up to their pitch ▪ and in all things just of their complexion ; although they be as obedient to both their civil and ecclesiastical superiors as themselves , are no less truly regular and conformable . we ought by love and sweetness to encourage men all we can , this is to act like the disciples of the mild and most lovely temper'd jesus ; and not by sowreness and censoriousness tempt those to depart from us , who would gladly still hold communion with us * . and where we find an inclination towards returning in any that have departed from us , we should be glad to meet them half-way in order to the bringing them over to us . and it becomes us likewise to make a difference between peaceable and modest dissenters from us , and those who are turbulent , seditious and factious , and not wind up all together in the same bottom . i may add also , that there are , god knows , too too many debauchees in the nation , who would be thought great champions for the king and the church , but do infinite prejudice to both , by the mad and frantick expressions of their zeal . who do mighty honour to fanaticism by charging all with it , that run not with them to the same excess of riot . one would suspect that these , whatsoever they pretend , do really design nothing more , than to make both the king and the church as friendless as they are able . heaven help them both , should they ever be so unfortunate , ( which god forbid ) as to stand in need of this sort of people . if indeed huffing and healthing , cursing and damning , and giving vile names would do the business , then let them alone to protect and defend the king and church : but former experience hath assured us , that those are the best weapons that most of them can boast of their being good at . a neighbouring king , and the church of rome , may wish god's blessing on the hearts of these gentlemen : but our own king ( whom god preserve ) and the church of england have little reason to con them thanks , for any service they are like to do them . king charles the first of glorious memory was very sensible of the consequence of such mens assistance , which proved fatal to him : the goodness of whose cause did sink under the burden of their sins , according to the sad presage of our excellent chillingworth , in a sermon preached to the court at oxford . and if ever his majesty and the church should be again set upon by scribes & pharisees , god grant us better assistance than that of publicans & sinners . but i wonder in my heart , what should make any debauched and prophane people pretend the least zeal for the church of england ; there being no church in the world that more condemns all unrighteousness and sin ; or which would be more severe against wicked livers , were she in circumstances to put in execution her own discipline . which she is not like to be , so long as the civil magistrate is so remiss in executing , according to their oaths , those excellent laws that are enacted against drunkenness , swearing , uncleanness , profanation of the lord's day , and other wicked practices . and i add that popery and fanaticism will both undoubtedly still grow upon us , be we never so zealous against both , whilst that debauchery and prophaneness , which have so miserably overspread the nation , do still escape scot-free and go unpunish'd . i cannot but observe one thing more that , 't is an uncouth and ridiculous spectacle , to behold wild fanaticks , and prophane * people , that call themselves church of england men , ( who are far from deserving that title , whether they be clergy or laity ) contesting together , and falling foul upon one another : one would be tempted upon this occasion , to take up the grand vizier kuperlées blunt reply to the french ambassador ( upon his accosting him with the news of the spanish armies being routed by the french , ) viz. what matter is it to me whether the hog worries the dog , or the dog the hog , so my masters head be but safe . to conclude . 'till i see on the one hand a far greater sense of the hatefulness of schism , and of breaking the peace and unity of the church : of which all good people did heretofore express the greatest abhorrence and detestation . and till i see on all hands more sincere endeavours to put away anger , wrath , malice and bitterness . till i see that the several divided parties among us , are more inclinable to unite heartily with us of the church of england , and we again with them , so far forth as unanimously to oppose popery , that designs the destruction of us all . which all but hot-spurs , that never allow themselves leisure to think a wise , or sedate thought , must needs know to be absolutely necessary to our mutual preservation at this time . and it would be well , would we herein learn of the papists , who , notwithstanding the great differences that are among them also , can joyn together against protestants . till i see again that our zeal against popery is generally so well tempered , as not to endanger our running headlong into the other extreme , that of confusion : which will , no question , end in popery . till i see that we hate popery for its disloyalty , as well as for its idolatrous and cruel principles and practices . till i see also that our opposition to poper y ariseth more generally from a sense of the infinite scandal it brings upon the holy religion of our blessed saviour , and it s wofully depraving the souls of men , as well as from our concern for our temporal interest . till i moreover see that zeal in any sort of people whatsoever , is not accounted sufficient to give them the reputation of good protestants or good church-men , so long as they are bad christians , and their conversations declare them no hearty friends to any religion . and ( in a word ) till i see that our excellent reformed religion , that the pure and undefiled religion of the church of england , hath a more powerful influence upon the lives and spirits , of those who profess themselves anti-papists and anti-sectarians : i say , till i see these things , i shall , for my part , be far from concluding with agag , that the bitterness of death is past , that the worst is not still behind ; which god in his infinite mercy , give us wisdom to prevent , by our timely reformation in the forementioned instances , for christ jesus his sake : to whom with the father and the holy ghost , be rendred by us , and by all the world , all honour , glory and praise . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * see prov. . , , . see prov. . . * deut. . , &c. notes for div a -e see dr. more ' s mystery of iniquity , book . chap. . most plainly to be learned from the council of constance sess. . p. perionius . the excellent mr. joseph mede declares it as his opinion , that the papal persecution doth equalize , if not exceed , the destruction of men made upon the church by the ten famous persecutions under the pagan emperors . and this he wrote before the horrible slaughters in piedmont and ireland . * that is , upon supposition that the evidence be fully known to them . * we think it high time to shew our dislike of those against whom we have been ever enough offended , though we could not in this manner declare it , who under pretence of affection to vs and our service , assume to themselves the liberty of reviling , threatning and reproaching others ; and as much as in them lies , endeavour to stifle and divert their good inclinations to our service ; and so to prevent that reconciliation and vnion of hearts and affections , which can only , with gods blessing , make vs rejoyce in each other , and keep our enemies from rejoycing . king charles ii. in his proclamation against vicious and debauched people . t is evident i meant nothing by this passage but that we ought to imitate the fathers behaviour in the parable towards his prodigal son. there are likewise another sort of men , of whom we have heard much , and are sufficiently ashamed , who spend their time in taverns , tipling-houses , and debauches , giving no other evidence of their affection to us , but in drinking , our health , and inveiging against all others , who are not of their own dissolute temper ; and who in truth , have more discredited our cause , by the licence of their manners and lives , than they could ever advance it by their affection or courage , &c. in the same proclamation . * this paragraph is a little enlarged . ricaut . the resolution of this case of conscience whether the church of england's symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome, makes it unlawful to hold communion with the church of england? fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the resolution of this case of conscience whether the church of england's symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome, makes it unlawful to hold communion with the church of england? fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed by henry hills, jun., for fincham gardiner ..., london : . attributed to edward fowler. cf. nuc pre- . advertisement: p. [ ]. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church of england -- relations -- catholic church. catholic church -- relations -- church of england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion books printed by fincham gardiner . a continuation and vindication of the defence of dr. stillingfleets unreasonableness of separation , in answer to mr. baxter , and mr. lob , &c. considerations of present use , considering the danger resulting from the change of our church-government . . a perswasion to communion with the church of england . . a resolution of some cases of conscience , which respect church-communion . . the case of indifferent things , used in the worship of god , proposed and stated by considering these questions , &c. . a discourse about edification . . the resolution of this case of conscience , whether the church of england ' s symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome , makes it unlawful to hold communion with the church of england ? . a letter to anonymus , in answer to his three letters to dr. sherlock about church-communion . . certain cases of conscience resolved , concerning the lawfulness of joyning with forms of prayer in publick worship ▪ the first part. the resolution of this case of conscience , whether the church of england's symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome , makes it unlawful to hold communion with the church of england ? london : printed by henry hills , jun. for fincham gardiner at the white horse in ludgate-street , . the case . whether the church of englands symbolizing so far as it doth with the church of rome , makes communion therewith vnlawful ? in speaking to this case , we will , first , premise , that there is a wide and vast distance betwixt the church of england and that of rome . secondly , shew , that a churches symbolizing or agreeing in some things with the church of rome , is no warrant for separation from the church so agreeing . thirdly , shew , that the agreement that is between the church of england and the church of rome , is in no wise such , as will make communion with the church of england unlawful . first . we think it necessary to premise , that there is a wide and vast distance betwixt the church of england and that of rome . our church having renounced all communion with the church of rome , this speaks the greatest distance in the general betwixt the two churches . and as their distance particularly in government is manifest to all , from our churches having utterly cast off the jurisdiction of the papacy , so it is easie to shew , that there is likewise a mighty distance betwixt them , in doctrine , worship and discipline . but we shall not stand to shew this in each of these distinctly , but rather make choice of this method , viz. to shew that our church is most distant from , and opposite to the church of rome . . in all those doctrines and practices , whereby this church deprives her members of their due liberty , and miserably inslaves them . . in all those doctrines and practices , in which she is justly charged with plainly contradicting the holy scriptures . . in each of their publick prayers and offices . . in the books they each receive for canonical . . in the authority on which they each of them found their whole religion . first , our church is at the greatest distance from that of rome , in all those doctrines and practices , by which she deprives her members of their due liberty , and miserably inslaves them . for instance , . this church denieth her members all iudgment of discretion in matters of religion : she obligeth them to follow her blindfold , and to resolve both their faith and judgment into hers ; as assuming infallibility to her self , and binding all under pain of damnation to believe her infallible . but our church permits us the full enjoyment of our due liberty in believing and judging ; and we act not like members of the church of england , if ( according to st. pauls injunction ) we prove not all things , that we may hold fast that which is good , if we believe every spirit , which st. iohn cautions us against ) and do not try the spirits , whether they be of god ; which he requires us to do . 't is impossible that our church should oblige us to an implicite faith in herself , because she disclaimeth all pretence to infallibility : our church tells us , in her th . article , that , as the churches of jerusalem , and alexandria , and antioch , have erred , so also the church of rome hath erred , not only in their living and manner of ceremonies , but also in matters of faith. and our churches acknowledgment is plainly implyed , in asserting the most famous churches in the world , to have erred from the faith , that she her self must needs be obnoxious to errour in matters of faith ; and that she would be guilty of the highest impudence in denying it . . the church of rome imposeth a deal of most slavish drudgery in the vast multitude of her rites and ceremonies , and unreasonably severe tasks , and cruel penances . as to her ceremonies , they are so vast a number , as are enough to take up ( as sir edwyn sandys hath observed a great part of a mans life merely to gaze on : and abundance of them are so vain and childish , so marvellously odd and uncouth , as that they can naturally bring ( to use that gentlemans words , who was a curious observer of them in the popish countries ) no other than disgrace and contempt , to those exercises of religion wherein they are stirring . in viewing only those that are injoyned in the common ritual , one would bless ones self to think how it should enter into the minds of men , and much more of christians , to invent such things . and the like may be said of the popish tasks and penances , in imposing of which the priests are arbitrary , and ordinarily lay the most severe and cruel ones on the lightest offenders , when the most loud and scandalous come off with a bare saying of their beads thrice over , or some such insignificant and idle business . but the church of england imposeth nothing of that drudgery , which makes such vassals of the poor papists . her rites are exceeding few , and those plain and easie , grave and manly , founded on the practice of the church , long before popery appeared upon the stage of the world. our church hath abandon'd the five popish sacraments , and contents her self with those two which christ hath ordained : as is to be seen in her th . article , where she declares that , there are two sacraments ordained of christ our lord in the gospel , that is to say , baptism and the supper of the lord. those five commonly called sacraments , that is to say , confirmation , penance , orders , matrimony and extreme vnction , are not to be counted for sacraments of the gospel ; being such as have grown , partly of the corrupt following of the apostles , partly are states of life allowed in the scriptures : but yet have not like nature of sacraments with baptism and the lords supper : for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of god. the sacraments were not ordained of christ , to be gazed upon , or to be carried about , &c. and in saying that our church owns not the forementioned popish sacraments , is implyed that she hath nothing to do with any of those very many superstitious fopperies which are injoyned in the offices appointed for the administration of those sacraments . again our church no whit more imitates that of rome in her cruel tasks and penances , than in her ceremonies ; as is needless to be shewed . in short , in our churches few rites , she hath used no other liberty , but what she judgeth agreeable to those apostolical rules of doing all things decently and in order ; and doing all things to edification . and she imposeth her rites ( not as the church of rome doth hers ) as necessary , and as parts of religion , but as merely indifferent and changeable things ; as we find in her th . article , where she declares that , every particular or national church , hath authority to ordain , change and abolish ceremonies , or rites of the church , ordained only by mans authority , so that all things be done to edifying . and this article begins thus , it is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or utterly like ; for at all times they have been divers , and may be changed according to the diversities of countries , times and manners ; so that nothing be ordained against gods word . . the church of rome subjects her members by several of her doctrines to inslaving passions . for instance , that of purgatory makes them all their life time subject to the bondages of fear ; at least those of them who are so solicitous about the life to come , as to entertain any mistrust or doubting ( as it 's strange if the most credulous of them do not ) concerning the efficacy of penances and indulgences . her doctrine of auricular confession subjects all that are not forsaken of all modesty to the passion of shame . her doctrine of the dependence of the efficacy of the sacraments upon the priests intention , must needs expose all considerative people , and those who have any serious concern about their state hereafter , to great anxiety and solicitude . but these doctrines are all rejected by the church of england . that of purgatory she declares against in these words : article d. the romish doctrine of purgatory , is a vain thing fondly invented and grounded on no warranty of scripture , but rather repugnant to the word of god. as to that of auricular confession , nothing like it is taught or practised in our church . her members are obliged only to confess their sins to god , except when 't is necessary to confess them to men , for the relieving of their consciences , and their obtaining the prayers of others ; or in order to the righting of those they have wronged , when due satisfaction can't otherwise be made ; or in order to their giving glory to god , when they are justly accused and their guilt proved : in which cases and such like , 't is without dispute our duty to confess to men. nor have we any such doctrine in our church , as that of the dependence of the efficacy of the sacraments on the priests intention ; but the contrary is sufficiently declared , article th , viz. that the efficacy of christs ordinance is not taken away by the wickedness of those that minister . . the church of rome subjects her members by not a few of her doctrines and practices to vile affections and vices of all sorts : as might be largely shewed , and will be in part under the next head of discourse . but our church neither maintains any licentious principle , nor gives countenance to any such practice ; our adversaries themselves being judges . secondly . the church of england is at the greatest distance from that of rome , in all those doctrines and practices in which she is justly charged with plainly contradicting the holy scripture . for instance , ( not to repeat any of those ranked under the foregoing head , several of which may also fall under this , ) her doctrines of image worship , of invocation of saints ( with her gross practising upon them ) of transubstantiation , of pardons and indulgencies , of the sacrifice of the mass , wherein christ is pretended to be still offered up afresh for the quick and dead . her keeping the holy scriptures from the vulgar , and making it so hainous a crime to read the bible , because by this means her foul errours will be in such danger of being discovered , and the people , of not continuing implicite believers . her injoyning the saying of prayers , and the administration of the sacraments in an unknown tongue . her robbing the laity of the cup in the lords supper . her prohibiting marriage to priests . her doctrines of merit , and works of supererogation . her making simple fornication a mere venial sin . her damning all that are not of her communion . her most devilish cruelties towards those whom she is pleased to pronounce hereticks . her darling sons doctrines of equivocation and mental reservations ; of the popes power of dispensing with the most solemn oaths , and of absolving subjects from their allegiance to their lawful princes : with many others not now to be reckoned up . but the church of england abominates these and the like principles and practices . as to the instances of image worship , invocation of saints , and pardons and indulgences , what our church declareth concerning purgatory , she adds concerning these things too , article d. viz. that the romish doctrine concerning pardons , worship and adoration , as well of images as of relicks , as also invocation of saints , is a fond thing vainly invented and grounded on no warranty of scripture ; but rather repugnant to the word of god. and as there is no such practice as worshipping of images in our church , so all are destroyed which popery had erected among us . nor have we in our church any co-mediators with jesus christ ; we worship only one god , by one only mediator , the man christ jesus . and the now mentioned practices , our church doth not only declare to be repugnant to the holy scriptures , but to be likewise most grosly idolatrous , viz. in the homilies . as to the doctrine of transubstantiation , our church declareth her sense thereof article th . in these words : transubstantiation ( or the change of the substance of bread and wine ) in the supper of the lord , cannot be proved by holy writ , but it is repugnant to the plain terms of scripture ; overthroweth the nature of a sacrament ; and hath given occasion to many superstitions . the body of christ is given , taken and eaten in the lords supper , only after an heavenly and spiritual manner ; and the mean whereby the body of christ is received and eaten in the supper is faith. the sacrament of the lords supper , was not by christs ordinance reserved , carried about , lifted up , or worshipped . as to the sacrifices of the mass , see what our church saith of it , article st . viz. that the offering of christ once made , is that perfect redemption , propitiation and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world , both original and actual ; and there is none other satisfaction for sins but that alone . wherefore the sacrifices of the mass , in the which it was commonly said , that the priest did offer christ for the quick and the dead , to have remission of pain or guilt , were blasphemous fables , and dangerous deceits . as to the church of romes locking up the scriptures , and prohibiting the reading of them , our church hath not only more than once caused them to be translated into our mother-tongue , but also ▪ as i need not shew , gives as free liberty to the reading of the bible , as of any other book ; nor is any duty in our church esteemed more necessary , than that of reading the scriptures , and hearing them read . as to praying and administring the sacraments in an unknown tongue , as this is contrary to the practice of the church of england , so is it to her declaration also , article th . viz. that it is a thing plainly repugnant to the word of god , and the custom of the primitive church , to have publick prayers in the church , or to administer sacraments in a tongue not understanded of the people . as to robbing the laity of the cup in the lords supper ; in our church they may not receive the bread , if they refuse the cup. and article . tells us , that the cup of the lord is not to be denied to the laity , for both the parts of the lords sacrament , by christs ordinance and commandment , ought to be administred to all christians alike . as to prohibiting marriage to priests , this is declared against , article . bishops , priests and deacons are not commanded by gods law , either to vow the estate of single life , or to abstain from marriage ; therefore it is lawful for them as for all other christian men , to marry at their own discretion , as they shall judge the same to serve better to godliness . as to the popish doctrine of merit , our church declares against this , article . we are accounted righteous before god , only for the merit of our lord and saviour iesus christ by faith , and not for our own works , or deservings . wherefore , that we are justified by faith only , ( viz. such a faith as purifies the heart , and works by love ) is a most wholsome doctrine , and very full of comfort ; as more largely is expressed in the homily of justification . as to the doctrine of supererogation , this is confuted , article . voluntary works , besides , over and above gods commandments , which they call works of supererogation , cannot be taught without arrogance and impiety : for by them men do declare , that they do not only render unto god as much as they are bound to do , but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required : whereas christ saith plainly , when ye have done all that are commanded to you , say , we are unprofitable servants . as to making simple fornication a meer venial sin ; our church will endure no such doctrine . for as in the litany she calls fornication expresly a deadly sin , so hath it ever been accounted in our church , one of the most deadly , even considered as distinct from adultery . as to the church of romes damning all that are not of her communion , the church of england is guilty of no uncharitableness like it ; and never pronounced so sad a sentence against those in communion with the church of rome , as great a detestation as she expresseth , in the homilies , especially of her idolatrous and wicked principles and practices . she is satisfied to condemn the gross corruptions of that apostate church , and leaves her members to stand or fall to their own master , nor takes upon her to vnchurch her . and as to the remaining most immoral principles and practices of the romish church , which are all as contrary to natural as to revealed religion , the greatest enemies our church hath , cannot surely have the forehead to charge her with giving the least countenance to any such . there being no church in christendom that more severely condemns all instances of unrighteousness and immorality . thirdly , the church of england is at a mighty distance from the church of rome , in reference to their publick prayers and offices . whereas our liturgy hath been by many condemned as greatly resembling the mass book , all that have compared them do know the contrary , and that there is a vast difference between them , both as to matter and form : although some few of the same prayers are found in both , and three or four of the same rites ; of which more hereafter . to shew this throughout in the particulars , would be a very long and tedious task : i will therefore single out the order of administration of infant-baptism , as we have it in the roman ritual , and desire the reader to compare it with that in our liturgy ; and by this take a measure of the likeness between our liturgy , and the mass book , &c. there being no greater agreement between the morning and evening services , and the other offices of each , than is between these two ; excepting that , besides the lords prayer , there is no prayer belonging to the popish office of baptism to be met with in ours . for the sake of the readers who understand no more of the language , that the popish prayers and offices are expressed in , than the generality of those that make use of them , take the following account of the popish administration of infant-baptism in our own tongue . to pass by the long bedroul of preparatory prescriptions , the priest , being drest in a surplice and purple robe , calls the infant to be baptized by his name , and saith , what askest thou of the church of god ? the god-father answers , faith. the priest saith again , what shalt thou get by faith ? the god-father replies , eternal life . then adds the priest , if therefore thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments ; thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thine heart , &c. and thy neighbour as thy self . next the priest blows three gentle puffs upon the infants face , and saith ( as if we come all into the world possessed by the devil , ) go out of him o unclean spirit , and give place to the holy ghost the comforter . then with his thumb he makes the sign of the cross , on the infants forehead and breast , saying ; receive the sign of the cross both in thy forehead , and in thy heart : take the faith of the heavenly praecepts , and be thy manners such , as that thou maist now become the temple of god. after this follows a prayer that god would always protect this his elect one ( calling him by his name ) that is signed with the sign of the cross , &c. and after a longer prayer ( the priest laying his hand on the infants head ) comes the benediction of salt : of which this is the form. i exorcize ( or conjure ) thee o creature of salt , in the name of god the father almighty ✚ , and in the love of our lord iesus christ ✚ , and in the power of the holy ghost ✚ . i conjure thee by the living god ✚ , by the true god ✚ , by the holy god ✚ ; by the god ✚ which created thee for the safeguard of mankind , and hath ordained that thou shouldest be consecrated by his servants , to the people entring into the faith , that , in the name of the holy trinity , thou shouldest be made a wholesome sacrament , for the driving away of the enemy . moreover we pray thee o lord our god , that in sanctifying thou wouldest sanctifie ✚ this creature of salt , and in blessing thou wouldest bless it ✚ , that it may be to all that receive it a perfect medicine remaining in their bowels , in the name of the same iesus christ our lord ; who is about to come to judge the quick and dead , and the world by fire , amen . this idle and prophane form being recited , the priest proceeds in his work with the poor infant ; and next , putting a little of this holy salt into his mouth , he calls him by his name , and saith , take thou the salt of wisdom : ( and adds-most impiously ) be it thy propitiation unto eternal life , amen . this ended with the pax tecum , god almighty is next mockt with a prayer , that this infant , who hath tasted this first food of salt may not be suffered any more to hunger , but may be filled with celestial food , &c. now follows another exorcising of the devil , wherein he is conjured as before , and most wofully becalled . and next the priest signs the infant again with his thumb on the forehead , saying , and this sign of the holy cross ✚ which we give to his forehead , thou cursed devil never dare thou to violate . by the same iesus christ our lord , amen . and now after all this tedious expectation , we see some sign of baptism approaching , for the priest puts his hand again on the infants head , and puts up a very good prayer for him , in order to his baptism . the prayer being ended , he puts part of his robe upon the infant , and brings him within the church , ( for he hath been without all this while ) saying , ( calling him by his name ) enter thou into the temple of god , that thou mayest partake with christ in eternal life , amen . then follow the apostles creed , and the pater noster . but after all this here 's more exercise for our patience , for the priest falls to his fooling again : for now comes another exorcising or conjuring of the devil . and this being also concluded , the priest takes spittle out of his mouth , and touches therewith the ears and nostrils of the infant . and in touching his right and left ear , he saith , ephphatha ( i. e. ) be opened . then , touching his nostrils , he saith , for a savour of sweetness : no doubt mighty sweet . ) another conjuration of the devil followeth , in these words , be packing , o devil , for the judgment of god is at hand . and now the priest will make you hope again that he hath not forgotten his main business : for he asks the infant , whether he renounces the devil , and all his works , and all his pomps ; of which he makes three questions ; and the god-father distinctly answers to them . but alass he is thus soon gone off from his proper work again , for now you have him dipping his thumb in holy oyl , and anointing the infant with it in his breast , and betwixt his shoulders , in the figure of a cross , saying , i anoint thee with the oyl of salvation , in christ iesus our lord , that thou mayest obtain eternal life , amen . then next he puts off his purple robe , and puts on another of a white colour , and falls in good earnest to the great business : for having askt three more questions out of the creed , and received the god-fathers answers , and this other question , whether the infant will be baptized ? and received the god-fathers answer to that , he pours water thrice upon the childs head , as he reciteth over it our saviours form of baptism , doing it each time , at the naming of each of the three persons . and now ( that the priest mayn't conclude less wisely than he began ) comes the chrism or holy ointment , in which dipping his thumb , and anointing the infant upon the crown of his head in the figure of a cross , he thus prayeth , o god omnipotent , the father of our lord iesus christ , who hath regenerated thee of water and the holy ghost , and who hath given thee pardon of all thy sins , anoint thee with the chrism of salvation , in the same christ iesus our lord , to eternal life , amen . and next , after the pax tibi , and the wiping of his thumb , and the anointed head , he takes a white linnen cloath and putting it on the childs head , useth this form , take the white garment which thou maist carry unspotted before the tribunal of our lord iesus christ , that thou maist have eternal life , amen . and lastly , he puts into the childs , or his god-fathers hand a lighted candle , and saith , receive the burning lamp , and keep thy baptism blameless , keep gods commandments , that when the lord shall come to the wedding , thou maist meet him , together with all his saints , in the celestial court , and maist have eternal life , and live for ever , amen . concluding all with this form , go in peace and the lord be with thee , amen . and as if there were not fooling and ridiculous doings enough in this office of the common ritual , there are divers others added to them , in the pastorale : for instance , the ceremony of blowing thrice in the childs face is here to be done crossways . and after the conjuration following , to which two more are here added , the priest crossing his forehead , saith , i sign thee in the forehead in the name of our lord iesus christ , that thou maist trust in him . then he crosseth his eyes , saying , i bless thy eyes , that thou maist see his brightness . then his ears , saying , i bless thine ears that thou maist hear the word of his truth . then his nostrils , saying , i bless thy nostrils , that thou maist smell his sweetness . then his breast , saying , i bless thy breast , that thou maist believe in him . then his shoulders , saying , i bless thy shoulders , that thou maist bear the yoke of his service . then his mouth , saying , i bless thy mouth , that thou mayst confess him , who lives and reigns god with the father , &c. again , the child here receives the sign of the cross in his right-hand , the priest saying , ( calling him by his name ) i deliver thee the sign of our lord iesus christ , in thy right-hand , that thou maist sign thy self , and drive away the enemy on all sides from thee , and maist have eternal life , &c. here also the priest is to lay his robe on the child in the figure of a cross , with a many dire menaces tormenting the devil before his time . here also the ave maria is added to the pater noster . the infant likewise hath this benediction pronounced over him before his going to the font ; the benediction of god the father ✚ almighty , and of his son ✚ and holy ghost ✚ descend and abide upon thee , and the angel of the lord keep thee , until thou comest to holy baptism . as if the poor creature were in mighty danger of being carried away by the devil , before he could be baptized , notwithstanding all the past conjurations , and dreadful doings that had been made with him , and all the crosses , together with the holy oyl , and holy spittle bestowed on the infant . and lastly ( to name no more additions , tho there are divers others ) the flax wherewith the anointed places are wiped is ordered to be burnt over a pond of water . if those who are unacquainted with our churches office of baptism would , after the reading of this of the romish church , consult ours , they will immediately acknowledge that no two things can well be more unlike than are these two offices . and the like , as was said , may be seen in the rest , as those may perceive who , if they understand sorry latine , will take the pains to compare theirs with ours . and whereas we asserted the same thing of their and our forms of morning and evening prayers , we might particularly instance in the litanies . our litany ( which i think , if comparisons may be allowed , is the choicest part of our service ) , is more than any other part of the liturgy condemned by dissenters , as savouring of popish superstition ; but , as nothing but great ignorance can make any man think it really doth so , so i am perswaded that the meer comparing it with that of the romanists might incline the most prejudiced to call it a most protestant piece of devotion : for they shall find invocations of saints and angels to pray for them , the greater part of the popish litany . next after the holy trinity st. mary is there invoked first by name , then as the mother of god , then as the virgin of virgins . next to her , three angels are invoked by name . then all the angels and arch-angels together . then all the holy orders of blessed spirits . next iohn the baptist. next all the patriarchs and prophets . next st. peter and all the other apostles and evangelists by name . then altogether . then all the holy disciples of our lord , then all the holy innocents . then the protomartyr st. stephen , and ten other by name . then all the holy martyrs together . then seven more saints . then all the bishops and confessors together . then all the holy doctors . then five more of their own great saints by name . then all the holy priests and levites . then all the holy monks and hermites . then seven she-saints by name . then all the holy virgins and widows . and lastly , all the he and she saints together . but the brevity i am confined to in this discourse will not permit me to abide any longer upon this argument , of the vast distance between these two churches in reference to their publick prayers and offices . fourthly , we proceed to shew , that there is also no small distance between the church of england , and that of rome , in reference to the books they receive for canonical . this will be immediately dispatched : for no more is to be said upon this subject , but that , whereas the church of rome takes all the apocryphal books into her canon , the church of england , like all other protestant churches , receives only those books of the old and new testament for canonical scripture , as she declares in her sixth article , of whose authority there was never any doubt in the church . and she declareth concerning the apocryphal books in the same article , citing st. hierom for her authority , that the church doth read them for example of life , and instruction of manners , but yet it doth not apply them to establish any doctrine . and after the example of the primitive church , no more doth ours ; and appoints the reading some of them on holy days , only upon the foresaid account . in the fifth and last place , the church of england is at the greatest distance possible from the church of rome , in reference to the authority on which they each found their whole religion . as to the church of rome , she makes her own infallibility the foundation of faith ▪ for , . our belief of the divine authority of the holy scriptures themselves must , according to her doctrine , be founded upon her infallible testimony . . as to that prodigious deal which she hath added of her own to the doctrines and precepts of the holy scriptures , and which she makes as necessary to be believed and practised , as any matters of faith and practice contained in the scriptures ( and more necessary too , than many of them ) the authority of those things is founded upon her unwritten traditions , and the decrees of her councils ; which she will have to be no less inspired by the holy ghost , than were the prophets and apostles themselves . but contrariwise the church of england doth , . build the whole of her religion upon the sole authority of divine revelation in the holy scriptures : and therefore she takes every jot thereof out of the bible . she makes the scriptures the complete rule of her faith , and of her practice too , in all matters necessary to salvation , that is , in all the parts of religion ; nor is there any genuine son of this church , that maketh any thing a part of his religion that is not plainly contained in the bible . let us see what our church declareth to this purpose , in her . article , viz. that holy scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation ; so that whatsoever is not read therein , nor may be proved thereby , is not to be required of any man , that it should be believed as an article of faith ; or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation . so that , as mr. chillingworth , saith , the bible , the bible is the religion of protestants : so you see the bible is the religion of the protestant church of england : nor doth she fetch one title of her religion either out of unwritten traditions , or decrees of councils . notwithstanding she hath a great reverence for those councils which were not a company of bishops and priests of the popes packing , to serve his purposes , and which have best deserved the name of general councils , especially the four first , yet her reverence of them consisteth not in any opinion of their infallibility : as appears by article . general councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes ; and when they be gathered together ( for as much as they be an assembly of men , whereof all be not governed with the spirit and word of god ) they may err , and sometimes have erred , even in things pertaining unto god. wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation , have neither strength nor authority , unless it may be declared ( that is , manifestly proved ) that they be taken out of holy scripture . let us see again how our church speaks of the matter in hand , article . the church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies , and authority in controversies of faith : and yet it is not lawful for the church to ordain any thing that is contrary to gods word written ; neither may it so expound one place of scripture , that it be repugnant to another . wherefore although the church be a witness and keeper of holy writ ( that is , as the iewish church was so of the canon of the old testament , by whose tradition alone it could be known , what books were canonical , and what not , so the catholick christian church , from christ and his apostles downwards is so , of the canon of the new ; ) yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the same , so besides the same ought it not to inforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation . if it be asked who is to judge , what is agreeable or contrary to holy writ ? t is manifest that our church leaves it to every man to judge for himself . but 't is objected , that 't is to be acknowledged , that if the church only claimed a power to decree rites and ceremonies ; ( that is , according to the general rules of doing all things decently and orderly , and to edification , which power all churches have ever exercised ) this may well enough consist with private persons liberty to judge for themselves , but 't is also said in the now cited article , that the church hath authority in controversies of faith ; and accordingly our church hath publisht articles , and requires of the clergy , &c. subscription to them . to this we answer , that we shall make one article egregiously to contradict another , and one and the same to contradict it self , if we understand by the authority in controversies of faith , which our church acknowledges all churches to have , nay more than authority to oblige their members to outward submission , when their decisions are such as contradict not any of the essentials of our religion , whether they be articles of faith , or rules of life ; not an authority to oblige them to assent to their decrees , as infallibly true . but it is necessary to the maintaining of peace , that all churches should be invested with a power to bind their members to outward submission in the case aforesaid ; that is , when their supposed errors are not of that moment , as that 't is of more pernicious consequence to bear with them , than to break the peace of the church by opposing them . and as to the forementioned subscription that is required to the articles , it is very consistent with our churches giving all men liberty to judge for themselves , and not exercising authority ( as the romish church doth ) over our faith ; for she requires no man to believe those articles , but at worst only thinks it convenient that none should receive orders , or be admitted to benefices , &c. but such as do believe them ( not all as articles of our faith , but many as inferiour truths , ) and requires subscription to them as a test , whereby to judge who doth so believe them . but the church of rome requires all under pain of damnation , to believe all her long bed-roul of doctrines , which have only the stamp of her authority , and to believe them too as articles of faith ; or to believe them with the same divine faith that we do the indisputable doctrines of our saviour and his apostles . for a proof hereof , the reader may consult the bull of pope pius the fourth , which is to be found at the end of the council of trent . herein it is ordained that profession of faith shall be made and sworn , by all dignitaries , prebendaries , and such as have benefices with cure , military officers , &c. in the form following : i. n. do believe with a firm faith , and do profess all and every thing contained in the confession of faith , which is used by the holy roman church , viz. i believe in one god the father almighty , and so to the end of the nicene creed . i most firmly admit and embrace the apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions , and the other observances and constitutions of the said church . also the holy scriptures according to the sense which our holy mother the church hath held , and doth hold , &c. i profess also that there are truly and properly seven sacraments of the new law , instituted by iesus christ our lord , and necessary to the salvation of mankind ; although all are not necessary to every individual person , &c. i also admit and receive the received and approved rites of the catholick church , in the solemn administration of all the foresaid sacraments ( of which i have given the reader a taste ) i embrace and receive all and every thing which hath been declared and defined concerning original sin , and justification in the holy synod of trent . i likewise profess that in the mass a true , proper and propitiatory sacrifice is offered to god , for the quick and dead : and that the body and blood of christ , is truly , really and substantially in the most holy eucharist , &c. i also confess that whole and intire christ , and the true sacrament is received under one of the kinds only . i constantly hold that there is a purgatory , and that the souls there detained are relieved by the prayers of the faithful . and in like manner that the saints reigning with christ , are to be worshipped and invoked , &c. and that their relicks are to be worshipped . i most firmly assert , that the images of christ , and of the mother of god , always a virgin , and of the other saints , are to be had and kept , and that due honor and worship is to be given to them . i affirm also , that the power of indulgences is left by christ in his church , and that the use of them is very salutiferous to christian people . i acknowledge the holy catholick and apostolick roman church , the mother and mistress of all churches ; and i profess and swear obedience to the bishop of rome , the successor of st. peter , prince of the apostles , and the vicar of iesus christ. also all the other things delivered , decreed and declared by the holy canons , and oecumenical councils , and especially by the holy synod of trent , i undoubtedly receive and profess : as also all things contrary to these , and all heresies condemned , rejected and anathematized by the church , i , in like manner , condemn , reject and anathematize . this true catholick faith , ( viz. all this stuff of their own , together with the articles of the creed ) without which no man can be saved , which at this present i truly profess and sincerely hold , i will , god assisting me , most constantly retain and confess intire and inviolate ; and , as much as in me lies , will take care , that it be held , taught and declared , by those that are under me , or the care of whom shall be committed to me ; i the same , n. do profess vow and swear : so help me god , and the holy gospels of god. who , when he reads this , can forbear pronouncing the reformation of the church of england , a most glorious reformation ? . as to the motives our church proposeth for our belief of the doctrine of the holy scriptures , viz. that that doctrine is of divine revelation , they are no other than such as are found in the scriptures themselves , viz. the excellency thereof , which consists in its being wholly adapted to the reforming of mens lives , and renewing their natures after the image of god ; and the miracles by which it is confirmed . and as to the evidence of the truth of the matters of fact , viz. that there were such persons as the scriptures declare to have revealed gods will to the world ( such as moses , our saviour christ , and his apostles ; ) and that these persons delivered such doctrine , and confirmed it by such miracles , and that the books of scripture were written by those whose names they bear ; i say as to the evidence of the truth of these matters of fact , our church placeth it not in her own testimony , or in the testimony of any particular church , and much less that of rome , but in the testimony of the whole catholick church down to us from the time of the apostles , and of vniversal tradition , taking in that of strangers and enemies as well as friends , of iews and pagans ▪ as well as christians . secondly , we proceed to shew , that a churches symbolizing , or agreeing in some things with the church of rome , is no warrant for separation from the church so agreeing . agreement with the church of rome in things either in their own nature good , or made so by a divine precept , none of our dissenting brethren could ever imagine not to be an indispensable duty : agreement with her in what is in its own nature evil , or made so by a divine prohibition , none of us are so forsaken of all modesty as to deny it to be an inexcusable sin . the question therefore is , whether to agree with this apostate church , in some things of an indifferent nature , be a sin , and therefore a just ground for separation from the church so agreeing . but , by the way , if we should suppose that a churches agreeing with the church of rome in some indifferent things is sinful , i cannot think that any of the more sober sort of dissenters ( and i despair of success in arguing with any but such ) will thence infer , that separation from the church so agreeing is otherwise warrantable , than upon the account of those things being imposed as necessary terms of communion . but i am so far from taking it for granted , that a church is guilty of sin in agreeing in some indifferent things with the church of rome , that i must needs profess , i have often wondred how this should become a question : seeing whatsoever is of an indifferent nature , as it is not commanded , so neither is it forbidden by any moral or positive law ; and where there is no law , the apostle saith , there is no transgression ; sin being , according to his definition , the transgression of the law. and whereas certain circumstances will make things that in themselves are neither duties nor sins , to be either duties or sins , and to fall by consequence under some divine command or prohibition , i have admired how this circumstance of an indifferent thing 's being used by the church of rome can be thought to alter the nature of that thing , and make it cease to be indifferent and become sinful . but that it doth so , is endeavoured to be proved by that general prohibition to the israelites , of imitating the doings of the aegyptians and canaanites , in those words , lev. . . after the doings of the land of aegypt wherein ye dwell , shall ye not do , and after the doings of the land of canaan whither i bring you , shall ye not do , neither shall ye walk in their ordinances . this place divers of the defenders of nonconformity have laid great weight upon , as a proof of the sinfulness of symbolizing with the church of rome , even in indifferent things . but i chuse to forbear the naming of any whose arguings i purpose to enquire into , because i would prevent ( if it be possible ) the least suspition in the readers , that i design in this performance to expose any mans weakness in particular , or that i am therein acted by any personal piques . now then , as to the text now cited ; not to insist upon the fallaciousness of arguing , without mighty caution , from laws given by moses to the israelites , so as to infer the obligation of christians , who are under a dispensation so different from theirs , and in circumstances so vastly differing from those they were in ; i say , not to insist upon the fallaciousness of this way of arguing , ( which all considering persons must needs be aware of ) if this general prohibition be not at all to be limited , then it will follow from thence , that the israelites might have no usages whatsoever in common with the aegyptians or canaanites ; and therefore , in as general terms as the prohibition runs , our brethren must needs acknowledge that there is a restriction therein intended : it being the most absurd thing to imagine , that the israelites were so bound up by god , as to be obliged to an unlikeness to those people in all their actions : for , as the apostles said of the christians , if they were never to company with wicked men , they must needs go out of the world , we may say of the israelites in reference to this case of theirs , they then must needs have gone out of the world. now if this general prohibition , after their doings ye shall not do , be to be limited and restrained , what way have we to do it , but by considering the context , and confining the restriction to those particulars prohibited in the following verses . but i need not shew that the particulars forbidden in all these , viz. from v. th . to the th . were not things of an indifferent nature , but incestuous copulations , and other abominable acts of vncleanness . and god doth expresly enough thus restrain that general prohibition , in the th . v. in these words : defile not your selves in any of these things , for in all these the nations are defiled , which i cast out before you . but those that alledge this text to the foresaid purpose , will not hear of the general proposition's being thus limited by the context ( as apparent as it is , that it necessarily must ) because , say they , we find that god forbids the israelites in other places , to imitate heathens , in things of an indifferent and innocent nature . to this i answer , first , that supposing this were so , it doth not from thence follow , that god intended to forbid such imitations in this place , the contrary being so manifest as we have seen . but , secondly , that god hath any where prohibited the israelites to symbolize with heathens , in things of a meer indifferent and innocent nature ; i mean that he hath made it unlawful to them , to observe any such customs of the heathens , meerly upon the account of their being like them , is a very great mistake : which will appear by considering those places which are produced for it . one is , deut. . . you shall not cut your selves , nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead . now , as to the former of these prohibited things , who seeth not that 't is vnnatural , and therefore not indifferent ? and as to the latter , viz. the disfiguring of themselves by cutting off their eyebrows , this was not meerly an indifferent thing neither : it being a custom at funerals much disbecoming the people of god , which would make them look , as if they sorrowed for the dead as men without hope . another place insisted upon for the same purpose is lev. . . thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a divers kind , thou shalt not sow thy ground with mingled seed , nor shall a garment of linnen and woollen come upon thee . now these three , 't is said , are things of so indifferent a nature , that none can be more indifferent . i answer , 't is readily granted . but where is it said , that these things were forbidden because the heathens used them ? maimonides indeed ( as i learn from grotius ) saith , that the aegyptians used these mixtures of seeds , and of linnen and woollen in many of their magical exploits ; but 't is universally acknowledged that these things , among many other , were forbidden to the iews , as mystical instructions in moral duties . i have found no other text made use of to prove meer indifferent things to have been forbidden the israelites , only in regard of heathens using them , which make more for this purpose than these two do , nor hardly another that makes so much . but if there were never so many , it is not worth our while to concern our selves now with them , because , though we should suppose a great number of instances of such things as were forbidden those people , for no other reason , but because the egyptians or canaanites used them , yet this would signifie nothing to the proving our churches symbolizing with that of rome in indifferent things to be unlawful , because there is not the like reason , why in such things we may not symbolize with papists , that there was why the iews should be forbidden to symbolize in such with those heathens . for there could not be too great a distance and unlikeness between those people and these in their usages , in regard of their strangely vehement inclination to their superstitious and idolatrous practices . and upon this account , the distance was made wider ( as our brethren themselves will acknowledge ) between the iews and the pagans , than it ought to be between christians and them , or between protestants and papists . and we find that the distance that god made between the jews and heathens , as very wide as it was , was not wide enough to preserve the iews from being very often ( and that generally too ) infected with their superstitions , and various kinds of idolatry : no , though they frequently paid most dear for these their wicked imitations of them . but , thanks be to god , there is no such inclination in the members of our church to go over to that of rome , nor hath any such inclination been observ'd ever since the reformation . and where one of our communion hath revolted out of love to popery , ( of those few comparatively who have play'd the apostates ) we have cause to believe that many have so done meerly upon the score of interest . and i need not say , that such persons would not have been preserved from apostasy , by our churches being set at the widest distance possible from the church of rome , in indifferent things . nay 't is so far from being true , that there is a general inclination in our protestants to popery , that nothing is better known , or hath of late been more observed , than the greatest antipathy and aversation thereto imaginable in the generality . upon which account , i say , the foresaid and the like prohibitions to the iewish nation ( although they should be understood in the sense of our dissenting brethren ) can by no parity of reason be obliging to us protestant christians . and indeed most of them have seemed of late years to be pretty well aware of this , and therefore divers of their writers have limited the unlawfulness of symbolizing with the romish church , to things that have been abused notoriously , in idolatrous and grosly superstitious services . and that our symbolizing with that church in any such things is unlawful , they endeavour to demonstrate both by scripture precepts and examples . first , they endeavour to demonstrate this by scripture precepts . and if any such precept as this could be produced , that all such things as have been notoriously abused and polluted in idolatrous or grosly superstitious services , should by all be abolished and laid aside , there could be no place left for dispute about this matter ; and i doubt not but we should all of us express as great zeal , as our brethren do , for the abolishing of all such things . but no such express and unlimited precept is pretended , but the chief of those texts from whence our brethren endeavour to infer this proposition , that it is the will of god , that all things so polluted should be utterly destroyed and laid aside , are these following , isaiah . . ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver , and the ornament of thy molten images of gold : thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloath , thou shalt say unto it , get thee hence . deut. . , . the graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire , thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them , nor take it unto thee , lest thou be snared therein : for it is an abomination to the lord thy god. neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thy house , lest thou be a cursed thing like it , but thou shalt utterly detest it , and thou shalt utterly abhor it , for it is a cursed thing . jude . . — hating even the garment spotted with the flesh. revel . . . i have a few things against thee , because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of balaam , who taught balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of israel , to eat things sacrificed unto idols , &c. v. . notwithstanding i have a few things against thee , because thou sufferest that woman jezebel , which calleth her self a prophetess , to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication , and to eat things sacrificed to idols . now to their alledging of these texts to prove the foresaid proposition , i reply : first , that the last of them is altogether impertinent . for the eating of things offered to idols condemned in those two verses , is nothing better than joyning and complying with idolaters , and communicating in idol-worships . which the vile gnostiques held they might do ( and accordingly practised this doctrine ) to avoid persecution : which abominable sect arose in the church ( as we learn from irenoeus , epiphanius , eusebius &c. ) even in the apostles times , of which simon magus was the first founder . but st. paul hath given us his judgment concerning eating of things offered to idols , without any respect to idols in eating , in cor. chap. viz. that upon no other account but that of scandal it is unlawful . and the like he hath done , cor. . , , . if any of them that believe not bid you to a feast , and you be disposed to go , whatsoever is set before you , eat , making no question for conscience sake . but if any man say unto you , this is offered in sacrifice unto idols , eat not , for his sake who shewed it , and for conscience sake , &c. conscience i say not thine own , but of the others : for why is my liberty judged of another mans conscience ? that is , so as to make a thing indifferent in it self , simply unlawful to me . but the stating of this case of scandal is the business of anothers pen , to which i refer those who need satisfaction in this matter . secondly , as to those words of st. iude — hating even the garment spotted by the flesh : nothing more can possibly be gathered from them , than what we and all christians must acknowledge , as well as our brethren viz. that we ought to be as cautious of exposing our selves unnecessarily to temptations to sin , as we naturally are of touching the garments of infected persons . but if the text had run thus — hating even the garment that was once spotted with the flesh , or once fouled with a plague sore , though it be never so well cleansed from infection , then i must confess it would be an argument for our brethrens purpose , we could make no reply to . thirdly , as to the two places cited out of the old testament , they indeed not only serve to prove , that it was god's will that the iews should destroy idols , but also the appurtenances of them . and the reason of these precepts being given to those people hath already been shewed , viz. because they were so strangely , so prodigiously addicted to the superstitions and idolatry of their heathen-neighbours . but if these and the like places should really make for our brethrens design in citing them , and do prove that christians are obliged to destroy , or cast away , all things notoriously defiled in grosly superstitious and idolatrous services , they would certainly prove more , than the more sober sort of dissenters do desire they should . for they do not object against the lawfulness of our using the churches , or fonts or bells , which heretofore were most notoriously so defiled by the papists . but if these texts speak it to be the duty of christians as well as iews to destroy all such things , then 't is manifest that down we must with all our old churches &c. or we are guilty of an inexcusable violation of the divine law. and to except such things as these , after they have evinced from such scriptures our obligation to destroy all things notoriously polluted in grosly superstitious and idolatrous services , seems to be making too too bold with the express laws of god , which make no such exceptions , nor doth the forementioned reason of them imply any such . and therefore they have been highly condemned for making such like exceptions by others of their brethren who have attained to a higher dispensation ; and considering this concession that such things as the fore named may still be lawfully used , as also the concessions of a nameless author in his famous book call'd nehushtan , that no creature of god is to be refused , nor any necessary or profitable devices of men need be sent packing upon the account of their having been much abused to the foresaid ends , i appeal to their own more sedate thoughts , whether all that can be concluded from such scriptures is any more than this , that things so abused ought to be destroyed or abolished , by all who have power to do it , in some certain case or cases , and not merely for this reason , because they have been so abused . this , i presume , none of us will deny , and if they will acknowledge it , as they must do if they will stand to those their concessions , they will be constrained to give up this cause . i will conclude the argument in hand with the judgment of that eminent reformer mr. calvin whose authority goes farther with the generality of our brethren , than , i think , any mans next to the apostles . saith he upon the second commandment , i know that the jews , throughout the time of their paedagogy , were commanded to destroy the groves and altars of idolaters , not by vertue of the moral law , but by an appendix in the judicial or politick law , which did oblige that people for a time only , but it binds not christians : and therefore we do not in the least scruple whether we may lawfully use those temples , fonts and other materialls , which have been heretofore abused to idolatrous and superstitious uses . i acknowledge indeed , that we ought to remove such things , as seem to nourish idolatry , upon supposition that we our selves in opposing too violently things in their own nature indifferent , be not too superstitious . it is equally superstitious to condemn things indifferent as vnholy , and to command them as if they were holy. thus you see mr. calvins sense agreeth exactly with ours , touching this point of controversie between us and many of our dissenting brethren . secondly , they endeavour also to make out this doctrine of theirs by scripture - examples . there are four or five of these examples insisted upon , but i will trouble the reader with considering only one of them ; both because it is the principal example , and that which they lay most stress on , and because the reply i shall make to this , will be as satisfactory in reference to the rest . it is that of hezekiah his breaking in pieces the brazen serpent that moses had made , because the children of israel burnt incense to it , kings . . now , sai●● a certain noted author , what example is more considerable than that of hezekiah , who not only abolished such monuments of idolatry , as at their first institution were but men's inventions , but brake down also the brazen serpent ( though originally set up at gods command ) when once he saw it abused to idolatry . and he adds , that this deed of hezekiah pope stephen doth greatly praise ( citing wolphius for it ) and professeth that it is set before us for our imitation ; that when our predecessors have wrought some things , which might have been without fault in their time , and afterwards they are converted into error and superstition , they may be quickly destroyed by us who come after them . which soever of the stephens this was , he was a strangely honest pope ; especially had he practised according to this his profession , and his infallibility-ship had judg'd impartially of errors and superstitions . and he cites farellus ( out of an epistle of calvins ) for this saying , that princes and magistrates should learn by this example of hezekiah , what they should do with those significant rites of mens devising which have turned to superstition . and he farther adds , that the bishop of winchester ( in his sermon on phil. . . ) acknowledgeth , that whatsoever is taken up at the injunction of men , when it is drawn to superstition , cometh under the compass of the brazen serpent , and is to be abolished . and he saith he excepteth nothing from this example , but only things of gods own prescribing . but 't is strange if a bishop should not except churches , and some other things besides which are of an humane make ; and as strange if there be nothing going before or coming after this acknowledgment , to lead us to a better understanding of it . we will not question our authors faithfulness in transcribing it , but wish he had told us which bishop of winchester this is , and in what page of his sermon we might find this acknowledgment . but that this fact of king hezekiah will not prove , that whatsoever hath been notoriously defiled in idolatrous or grosly superstitious services ought to be abolished , and much less , that the not abolishing some such things is a good ground for separation from the church that neglects so to do , will , i presume , sufficiently appear by these following considerations . first , the brazen serpent was not only a thing defiled in idolatrous services , but it was made an idol it self . secondly , it was not only a thing that had once been made an idol , or object of religious worship , but it was actually so at that time when it was destroyed . nay it was at that instant an object of the most gross kind of idolatry : it being not only bowed down to , but had likewise incense burnt to it ; this being a rite which is never used in meer civil worship , like bowing the knee , &c. but so proper and peculiar to divine worship , that no rite is more so . nay farther : thirdly , it was not thus notoriously idolized by some few of the people , but the people were generally lapsed into this idolatry : as the text plainly sheweth . nay : fourthly , there was as little hope as could be of the peoples being reclaimed from this idolatry , while the idol was in being : seeing that of a long time they had been accustomed thereunto . for 't is said , that unto those days the children of israel burnt incense to it ; which speaks it to have been not only a custom , but a custom also of a long standing . fifthly , although it had been only a thing defiled in idolatrous services , yet we freely grant that it ought to have been destroyed , or removed from the peoples sight , if the continuance of it in their view were like to be a snare to them , and a temptation to idolatry : since now the use of it was ceased , for which , by divine appointment , it was first erected . but there was no necessity for this , upon supposition , that it had ceased to be abused for any considerable time , and there were no appearance of an inclination in the people to abuse it again . and no doubt , all things of an indifferent nature , that have formerly been abused to idolatry or superstition , ought to be taken away by the governours , whensoever they find their people again inclined so to abuse them ; at least , if such abuse cannot probably be prevented by other means . sixthly , but had hezekiah suffered the brazen serpent still to stand , no doubt private persons ( who have no authority to make publick reformations ) might lawfully have made use of it , to put them in mind of , and affect them with the wonderful mercy of god expressed by it to their fore-fathers ; notwithstanding that many , had not only formerly , but did at that very nick of time , make an idol of it . and much more might they have lawfully continued in the communion of the church , so long as there was no constraint laid upon them to joyn with them in their idolatry : as we do not read of any that separated from the church while the brazen serpent was permitted to stand , as wofully abused as it was by the generality . i will also conclude this head with the sense of mr. calvin concerning rites used ( and consequently superstitiously abused ) by the papists , expressed in these words ; let not any think me so austere , or bound up , as to forbid a christian without any exception , to accommodate himself to the papists in any ceremony or observance : for it is not my purpose to condemn any thing , but what is clearly evil and openly vitious . to which may be added many other such like sayings of this learned person . and thus much shall suffice to be discoursed upon our second general head , viz. that a church's symbolizing in some things with the church of rome is no warrant for separation from the church so symbolizing . we now proceed , in the third and last place , to shew , that the agreement which is between the church of england and the church of rome is in no wise such as will make communion with the church of england unlawful . we have shewed , what a vastly wide distance and disagreement there is between the church of england and that of rome : and we have sufficiently ( though with the greatest brevity ) made it apparent , that a church's symbolizing or agreeing in some things with the church of rome , and those such too as she hath abused in idolatrous and grosly superstitious services , is no just ground for separation from the church so agreeing ; and we have answered the chief of those arguments which have been brought for the confirmation of the contrary doctrine . and now , from what hath been discoursed , it may with the greatest ease be prov'd , that those things wherein our own church particularly , agreeth with the romish church , do none of them speak such an agreement therewith , as will justifie separation from our church's communion . now the particulars wherein our church symbolizeth with that of rome , which our dissenters take offence at , and make a pretence for separation ( though all dissenters are not offended at all of them , and much less so offended as to make them all a pretence for separation ) are principally these following . first , the government of our church by bishops . secondly , our churches prescribing a liturgy , or set-forms of prayer , and administration of sacraments , and other publick offices . thirdly , a liturgy so contrived as that of our church is . fourthly , certain rites of our church . particularly , the surplice , the cross in baptism , the gesture of kneeling at the communion , the ring in marriage , and the observation of certain holy-days . and to all these i shall speak very succinctly , the limits i am confined to not permitting me to enlarge much upon any of them . but i must first premise concerning them all in the general these following things . first , that i take it for granted , that they are all indifferent in their own nature : that there is nothing of viciousness or immorality in any of them to make them unlawful . i know no body so unreasonable as not to grant this . secondly , that there is no express positive law of god against any of these things . i do not know of any such law objected against any one of them . and therefore if all , or any of them are unlawful , they must be made so either by consequences drawn from divine laws , or certain circumstances attending them . thirdly , that i am concerned in this discourse to vindicate them from being unlawful , upon the account onely of this one circumstance , viz. our symbolizing with the church of rome in them . now then , first , as to the government of our church by bishops : this is so far from being an vnlawful symbolizing with the church of rome , that we have most clear evidence of its being a symbolizing with her in an apostolical institution . and what eminent divines of the presbyterial party have acknowledg'd ( and is too evident to be denied or doubted by any , who are not wholly ignorant of church history ) is sufficient ( i should think ) to satisfie unprejudiced persons concerning the truth of this : and that is , that this was the government of all churches in the world from the apostles times , for about years together . beza , in his treatise of a threefold kind of episcopacy , divine , humane , and satanical , asserts concerning the second ( which is that which we call apostolical ) that of this kind is to be understood whatsoever we read concerning the authority of bishops , in ignatius , and other more antient writers . and the famous peter du moulin in his book of the pastoral office , written in defence of the presbyterial government acknowledgeth that presently after the apostles times , or even in their time ( as ecclesiastical story witnesseth ) it was ordained , that in every city one of the presbytery should be called a bishop , who should have preheminence over his collegues ; to avoid confusion , which oft times ariseth out of equality . and truly , saith he , this form of government all churches every where received . mr. calvin saith in his institution of christian religion , quibus docendi munus injunctum erat , &c. those to whom was committed the office of teaching , they called them all presbyters . these elected out of their number in each city one , to whom in a special manner they ga●● the title of bishop ; lest strife and contention ( as it commonly happeneth ) should arise out of equality . and in his epistle to arch-bishop cranmer , he thus accosts him , illustrissime domine , & ornatissime pr●sul , &c. most illustrious sir , and most honourable prelate , and by me heartily reve●enced : and tells him , that if he might be serviceable to the church of england , he would not think much of passing over ten seas , for that purpose . again in his epistle to the king of poland , he thus speaks of patriarchs and arch-bishops ; the ancient church did appoint patriarchs and primates in every province , that by this bond of concord the bishops might the better be knit together . in short , ( for i must not proceed farther upon this vastly large head of discourse i know not how our brethren will defend the apostolical institution of the observation of the lords day , while they contend that this of episcopacy , cannot be concluded from the uninterrupted tradition of the catholick church , for so many centuries from the time of the apostles . nor how those that separate from our church upon the account of its government by bishops , and call it antichristian , can defend the lawfulness of communicating with any church in christendom for about years together . secondly , as to our churches prescribing a liturgy or set forms of prayer and administration of sacraments , and other publick offices ; it is easy to shew that symbolizing with the church of rome herein is so far from being culpable , and much more from being a just ground of separation from our church , that 't is highly commendable : for as herein our church no less symbolizeth with the primitive church , than with that of rome , as she is now constituted ( nothing being more certainly known than that liturgies are of most ancient standing ) so nothing is more highly expedient , for the due management of the publick worship of god , than the use of a liturgy . and , indeed , instead of expedient i might say necessary ; it being impossible to secure the performance of publick worship with that solemnity and gravity that becomes it , in a church where its ministers are wholly left free to the exercise of extemporary invention . but the handling of this argument is the business of another new discourse , to which i refer the reader . i shall therefore conclude it with a citation out of calvins epistle ad protectorem anglioe ; saith he , as to a form of prayers and ecclesiastical rites , i do very much approve of the publishing of a fixed one , from which it may not be lawful for the pastors to depart in the exercise of their function : thereby to provide against the simplicity and unskilfulness of some , and that the consent of all the churches with each other may more certainly appear : and lastly to put a barr to the skipping levity of others , who affect certain innovations . and therefore ( as he proceeds ) statum esse catechismum oportet , statam sacramentorum administrationem , publicam item precum formulam , there ought to be an established catechism , an office for the administration of the sacraments establisht , and also a publick form of prayers . and he accordingly composed a liturgy , to be used by the ministers in geneva , on sundays and holydays . and the exiles that resided at geneva , in the days of queen mary , did by his advice draw up a liturgy , which was printed in the english tongue , in the year . thirdly , as to a liturgy so contrived as that of our church is , what hath been said of the vast distance between our church and that of rome herein , is sufficient to shew that there can be no warrantable pretence for separation from our church , upon the account of the symbolizing that is between these two churches in this particular . but we will particularly consider those instances of agreement between ours and the romane service which are most offensive to our ●rethren ; they are especially these four . . our many short prayers , which some have too lightly called short cuts , and shreddings , and rather wishes than prayers . but there needs no other reply hereunto , than that our learned hooker gives , viz. that st. augustin saith , epist. . that the brethren in aegypt are reported to have many prayers , but every of them very short , as if they were darts thrown out with a kind of sudden quickness , lest that vigilant and erect attention of mind , which in prayer is very necessary , should be wasted and dulled through continuance , if their prayers were few and long . but that which st. austin alloweth they condemn , &c. he might as well have said , what that good father commendeth , nay his words imply no small commendation . and i fear not to appeal to all pious souls , who without prejudice joyn with us in our publick prayers , whether they find the shortness of many of them an hindrance or help to their devotion . i don't question but that such will readily acknowledg that they find it an help . and therefore , in my weak judgment , our symbolizing with the church of rome in this particular , is symbolizing with her in that which is highly commendable , as t is so also in that wherein she symbolizeth with very ancient churches . . another instance is , the peoples bearing a part with the minister in divine service . but mr. baxter hath said enough in his christian directory on q. . not only to vindicate the lawfulness , but the fitness and expediency also , of symbolizing herein with the church of rome . saith he , . the scripture no where forbids it . . if the people may do this in the psalms in metre , there can be no reason given , but they may lawfully do it in prose . . the primitive christians were so full of zeal and love of christ , that they would have taken it for an injury , or quenching of the spirit , to have been wholly restrained from bearing a part in the praises of the church . . the use of the tongue keeps awake the mind , and stirs up gods graces in his servants . . it was the decay of zeal in the people that first shut out the responses : while they kept up the ancient zeal , they were inclined to take their part vocally in the worship . though i were under no obligation of brevity , i should add nothing more of mine own about this matter . . another instance of this nature is , the taking of some of the collects out of the mass-book . but to this i give this , i hope as satisfactory as short answer , viz. that these prayers are either good or bad ; if they are bad ones , they may not be used , though they were not in the mass-book , and upon that account the use of them would be unlawful , not upon the account of our symbolizing in them with the roman church . but if they are all good ones , as they are very good , then from what hath been said 't is evident that this symbolizing cannot make them bad ; and 't is a hard case that we should not be allowed the use of whatsoever is good in their service . our brethren will allow of reading the same scriptures that they do , and why then should they disallow of using what perfectly agreeth with scripture , because they use it ? our departure from them was designed to be a reformation , not a total destruction and extirpation . . the last instance is , the appointing of lessons out of the apocryphal books . but herein we symbolize with the primitive church , rather than with this of rome : for ( as hath been shewed out of the . article of our church ) they are not appointed to be read as canonical scripture , and we perfectly agree with the primitive church , in reading them for example of life , and instruction of manners , but not for the establishing of any doctrine : which , in that article , is shewed from st. hierom , to have been the practice of that church . and besides they are not now appointed to be ordinarily on sundays read in our churches , but only on holydays . these i take to be the chief of those instances of our churches symbolizing with that of rome , in the composure of the liturgy , that our dissenters are offended at : and as for their other objections of this kind they are as easily answered . and i most sincerely profess , that t is not to me imaginable that any thing better than extreme prejudice can make any man a separatist from our communion upon such accounts as these : as also , that i cannot understand how any devout and pious souls that come to our publick prayers without prejudice , can find themselves in the least tempted not to joyn in them heartily with the congregation . absolute perfection is not to be expected in any thing of a human make , but if all would read our liturgy with that candour they use in reading the books of those they have a good opinion of , as i am sure they could think nothing intolerable therein , so am i as sure , they would freely acknowledg it to be exceedingly well adapted to the design of it , viz. the exciting of devotion , and that good temper of mind , that is necessary to our worshipping of god in spirit and in truth . i am certain , the experience of very many as excellent christians as this age can boast of , do bear me witness , that this is no lavish commendation of our prayers . dr. tayler that blessed martyr gave this testimony to our liturgy , there was set forth by the most innocent king edward ( for whom god be praised everlastingly ) the whole church service with great deliberation and advice of the best learned men in the realm ; and authorized by the whole parliament , and received and publisht gladly by the whole realm ; which book was never reformed but once , and yet by that one reformation it was as fully perfected , according to the rules of our christian religion in every behalf , that no christian conscience could be offended , with any thing therein contained . i mean of that book reformed . what then would he have thought of it , had he lived to see it twice more reformed , as it hath been since . lastly , i proceed to the forenamed rites and ceremonies of our church , in which our symbolizing with popery is so much condemned , and made a pretence for separation . but before i come to particulars , i will observe in the general , that the distance our church keeps from that of rome in the imposition of ceremonies is infinitely greater than her agreement therein with her . for , as those imposed by our church ( as hath been already said ) are exceeding few , not the hundredth part scarcely of those imposed by the roman church , so doth not our church impose them ( as the other doth ) on the consciences of her members as things of necessity , as parts of religion or meritorious services , as hath been proved out of the articles . now then , . as to the surplice , our church requires not the wearing of this garment , as an holy vestment , like the priestly garments under the old law , but meerly for the sake of order and uniformity : whereas in the church of rome a surplice may not be worn till 't is hallowed in a solemn manner by the bishop , or some one by his allowance ( as may be seen in the missal ) with divers prayers , that it may defend him who wears it from the assaults of the devil ; the prayers being accompanied with a number of crossings , and , in fine , the surplice besprinkled with holy water , in the name of the blessed trinity . but , i say , in our church 't is used only as a garment of distinction , no more holiness is placed in it , than in the hoods worn over it meerly for distinction of degrees : and the white is preferred before any other colour , because it was a very antient custom in the primitive church for the ministers to officiate in white garments . beza saith of the surplice , these linnen garments we do not so stick at , that we would have the progress of the word of god hindred in the least for them . and we might shew that mr. calvin much blamed contending with authority about the wearing this garment : particularly in his epistle to bullinger . and since all the popish abuse of this garment is perfectly removed , i know not why all ministers should not be of their mind ; and much less can i imagine , why those who are not obliged to wear it , should be affrighted from our churches by the meer sight of so innocent a thing . . as to the cross in baptism ; our church holds so little conformity with the papists herein , that in no one thing of an indifferent nature can our symbolizing with them be less scandalous . dr. burges in his defence of dr. morton , sheweth , that we hold no conformity with the papists in the use thereof , either in the time when , or place where , or manner how , or end whereto . the minister with us as he there sheweth ) may not cross himself , or the people , or font , water , communion table , or cups , or the bread and wine , or any other of gods ordinances : all which in popery the priest is bound to do , for their consecration , or blessing of himself , or them , as without which nothing is consecrated . the child to be baptized with us , may not be crossed before baptism on the forehead , breast , or any part , which in popery , the priest must do , to drive away the devil , and make the efficacy of that sacrament more easy and strong , as they teach . after baptism , the minister may not with us cross the children with oyl or chrism , or without , on the crown of the head , as in popery is required , to give them their full christendom , lest they should die before confirmation . yea at confirmation , the minister is not to make the sign of the cross on the forehead with chrism or without , which is enjoyned in popery as an essential part of the sacrament ( as they call it ) of confirmation . nay ( as he proceeds ) if the child be in danger of present death , and not like to live to make profession of christ crucified , the minister is directed not to use the sign of the cross ; that all may know , that we hold it not to be either operative upon the child , or at all necessary to the efficacy of the lord's sacrament , but do only retain it , according to the first and best intention , as an outward badg of the constant profession of christ crucified . and where as 't is said in the canon , that by this lawful ceremony and honorable badg , this child is dedicated to the service of christ , the doctor declareth that he hath good warrant to assure those who are offended at that explication , that the word dedicated doth there import no more , than declared by that ceremony to be dedicated , viz. by the foregoing baptism : like as the priest is said to have cleansed the leper , whom he only declareth to be clean . lev. . . and t is manifest from the account given of the imposing of this ceremony in that canon , that this phrase cannot otherwise be understood . i shall not need to add any thing more about this ceremony , after i have said , that our church retains it not in imitation of the church of rome , but of the primitive christians , they thereby ( to use the words of the foresaid canon ) making an outward profession even to the astonishment of the iews , that they were not ashamed to acknowledg him for their lord and saviour , who died for them upon the cross , &c. and ( as it follows ) this use of the sign of the cross in baptism , was held in the primitive church , as well by the greeks , as the latins , with one consent and great applause , &c. i conclude with bezas judgment of the lawfulness of this ceremony . saith he , i know many to have retained the use of the sign of the cross , the adoration of the cross being taken away : let them , as is meet , use their own liberty . but in our church , not only the adoration of the cross but likewise all superstition in the use of it is perfectly abolished . how then can it be thought such a symbolizing with the church of rome as may warrant separation from our communion ? . as to the ceremony of kneeling at the communion : if our churches declaration at the end of the communion service , will not vindicate her from an unlawful symbolizing with rome herein , i have nothing to say in her defence . the declaration is this , whereas it is ordained in this office for the administration of the lords supper , that the communicants should receive the same kneeling ( which order is well meant , for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of christ , therein given to all worthy receivers , and for the avoiding of such prophanation and disorder in the holy communion , as might otherwise ensue ) yet lest the same kneeling should by any persons , either out of ignorance and infirmity , or out of malice and obstinacy , be misconstrued and depraved ; it is here declared , that thereby no adoration is intended , or ought to be done , either unto the sacramental bread and wine , there bodily received , or unto any corporal presence of christ's natural flesh and blood. for the sacramental bread and wine remain still in their very natural substances , and therefore may not be adored , ( for that were idolatry to be abhorred of all faithful christians . ) and the natural body and blood of our saviour christ are in heaven , and not here ; it being against the truth of christs natural body , to be at one time in more places than one . we see that our church doth here , not only declare that no adoration is in this gesture intended , either to the elements or to christ's corporal presence under the species of bread and wine , but also that , as such a pretence is absurd and contradictions , so the adoring of the sacramental bread and wine , would be idolatry to be abhorred by all faithful christians . so that , as nothing is in it self more indifferent than this gesture in receiving the holy communion , there being not one word said of the gesture in our saviours institution of this sacrament either before his death to his disciples , or after his ascension to st. paul , ( who hath delivered to us what he received of the lord about this matter , as he said , that is , all that he had received ) and as christ hath consequently left the particular gesture to the determination of the church , a gesture being in the general necessary , so this circumstance of symbolizing with the church of rome herein , cannot make our churches requiring kneeling to be unlawful ( and much less our obedience to the church in using this gesture ) seeing all the idolatry and superstition too , wherewith the church of rome hath abused it , is perfectly removed , and 't is required by our church meerly as a decent reverend gesture . . as to the ring in marriage : the church of rome ( as is to be seen in the office of matrimony , juxta usum ecclesiae sarisburiensis , abuseth it most notoriously . there you have it , first blessed with two prayers ; in the former of which , god is beseeched to send his blessing on this ring , that she who shall wear it may be armed with the power of heavenly defence , and it may be beneficial to her , to eternal life , through christ our lord. and in the latter , the priest , crossing , himself , prayeth , that god would bless this ring , which we in thy holy name bless , that whosoever shall wear it , may abide in his peace , &c. next holy water is sprinkled upon the ring : and lastly , the priest puts it upon the brides thumb , the bridegroom saying , in the name of the father : then upon her second finger , saying , and of the son : then on the third , saying , and of the holy ghost : then on the fourth , saying , amen . and there he leaves it . and there is expressed a special mystery in leaving it upon that finger . but there is used nothing of this impious or superstitious fooling about the ring in our office of marriage . all the doings about it are , the ministers putting it on the fourth finger , the bridegroom saying after him with this ring i thee wed , and the mentioning of it in the prayer following , as a token and pledg of the vow and covenant made between the married persons . so that 't is so far from being used as a sacramental sign among us , that it no otherwise differs from a meer civil ceremony , than as 't is a token and pledg of a covenant made between the parties in the most solemn manner , viz. as in the presence of god. and in truth , this is such a symbolizing with the church of rome , as i should be ashamed to bestow two words about , but that so many of our bretheren have been pleased to take offence at it . lastly , as to our observation of certain holy days : all i shall say about it is , . that there is no comparison between the number of our holydays and the popish ones . . our few are purged from all the superstitious and wicked solemnizations of the popish ones . . we observe scarcely any besides such as wherein we have the primitive church for our example : excepting those which are enjoyned upon the account of deliverances and calamities , in which our own nation is peculiarly concerned . . an observation of them void of superstitious conceits about them , and only as our church directeth , can have no other than a very good effect upon our hearts and lives . if we could say as st austin did of the christians in his time , viz. by festival solemnities and set days , we dedicate and sanctify to god , the memory of his benefits , lest unthankful forgetfulness of them , should in tract of time creep upon us we should certainly be much the better christians for the observation of our holydays . mr. calvin saith , in festis non recipiendis cuperem vos esse constantiores &c. i could wish that you would be more constant in your not receiving festivals , but so , as not to contend and make a stir about all , but about those only which nothing at all tend to edification , and which have a manifest appearance of superstition , &c. and he instanceth in those days which popery dedicates to the celebrating of the immaculate conception of the virgin mary , and of her assumption , on which holydays nothing , he saith , can be said in the pulpit , by a servant of god , besides exposing the folly of those who have invented them . and in another epistle , caeterùm cùm festi dies hic abrogati , &c. moreover , whereas some of your country are much offended at the abrogation of holy days among us , and 't is likely that much odious talk is spread about it : and i make account that i am made the author of this whole matter , and that by the ignorant as well as malicious ; i can solemnly testifie of my self , that this was done without my knowledg or desire , &c. before i ever came into the city , there was no holy day at all observed besides the lords day ; those which are celebrated by you were taken away by that same law of the people , which banisht me and farel : and 't was rather tumultuously extorted by the violence of wicked men , than decreed legally . vpon my return i obtained this temper ( or mean ) that christmass day should be observed after your manner , but upon the other days extraordinary supplications should be made , the shops being kept shut in the morning , but after dinner , every one should go about his own business . and , no doubt , the governours of our church would be abundantly satisfied with such an observation of most of our holy-days , as mr. calvin ordered at geneva , would the people be generally so far conformable . and thus i have , i hope , sufficiently shewed , that our church's symbolizing in this rite too with the church of rome no otherwise than she doth , can be no colour for separation . it may be objected , that notwithstanding our having several times cited mr. calvin , for the unlawfulness of separation from the church of england , on the account of her symbolizing as she doth with the church of rome , yet he calleth her ceremonies tolerabiles ineptiae , tolerable fooleries , which would make one think that he was not in earnest in calling them tolerable ; fooling in the worship of god being no doubt intolerable . in answer hereto , let mr. calvin account for his joining ineptiae & tolerabiles together , but the instances he gives of things he so censured , were such as the liturgy was cleared of , in the amendment of it under queen elizabeth , viz. prayers for the dead , ( that is , that they might have a happy resurrection , not such prayers as supposed purgatory ) chrism at baptism , and extreme vnction . and besides , he saith , he was informed by mr. knox , of several other popish ceremonies that were retained , viz. the use of wax candles , divers crossings at the communion , &c. which information was not true . and now , how happy should we think our selves , would our brethren at length be perswaded to cease fearing where no fear is ; as also to fear what is really very frightful ; namely , the guilt of so great a sin as that of schism , or making and continuing a breach in the church by separation without just cause : the greatness of which sin none have more aggravated than mr. calvin , and several of our old non-conformists ; who have also zealously born their testimony against separation from the church of england , and accordingly did themselves hold communion therewith generally ( viz. all the presbyterian party ) to their dying day , though they could not conform as ministers . and there is another very formidable evil too , which i wish more of our brethren had a greater sense of , viz. the advantage that our common enemy is too like to make of our sad divisions , and being crumbled into so many sects and parties , and hath already made , in order to their final accomplishing their designs upon us . the truth on 't is , they themselves have had the main hand in those divisions , they so upbraid us with , of which we have abundant evidence ) having most industriously followed that advice of the famous jesuit campanella , viz. there is no such effectual way to weaken the english , as to stir up strife and discord among them , and still to feed it : this will quickly put into our hands very fair advantages and opportunities . their main spight is at the church of england , as being well aware , that it hath ever since the reformation been their most formidable enemy , and the most impregnable bulwark in all christendom against the mighty power and policy of their church of rome . what a madness therefore is it in hearty protestants , to joyn with those people in layi●g this church as low as ever they are able ! and by contending with our church about innocent , if not commendable things , upon the account of her symbolizing in them with the church of rome , eminently to endanger the opening such a breach as shall let in all her heresies , superstitions , and idolatries among us . which god in his infinite mercy prevent , by causing us to live more answerably to the happy means and opportunities we now enjoy , by quenching our as unreasonable as unchristian fierce feuds and animosities , and by making our church like ierusalem of old , a city compact together , and at vnity within it self . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e see libertas evangelica . chap. . which crossings are also prescribed by the ritual in the office of adult baptism , but with a variation of the forms . calv. devitanâ superstitione , &c. l. . cap. , §. , acts and monuments . p. . contra westphalum . vol. . p. . p. , &c. resp. ad baldw. p. . in epist. ad monsbelgardenses , p. , . in epist. ad hallerum . jam veròadenervandos anglos , nihil tam conducit , quàm dissensio & discordia inter illos excitata , perpetuóque nutrita : quod citò occasiones meliores suppeditavit , camp. de mont. hisp. p. . amstel . a vindication of a late undertaking of certain gentlemen in order to the suppressing of debauchery and profaneness. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a vindication of a late undertaking of certain gentlemen in order to the suppressing of debauchery and profaneness. fowler, edward, - . p. [s.n.], london : . attributed to edward fowler--nuc pre- imprints. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng conduct of life. ecclesiastical law -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a vindication of a late undertaking of certain gentlemen , in order to the suppressing of debauchery , and profaneness . london , printed in the year , . the preface . that which follows , had , for the substance of it , appeared abroad before now , but for the strange imprudence of a printer , and base treachery of a certain licenser ; who was intrusted by him ( wholly unawares to the writer ) with an imperfect copy , and , as to the latter part , a first draught ; which was promised to be returned home again , to have added or altered what should be thought fit . and whosoever shall be offended at what is here published , as taking themselves to be disobliged by it , i assure them it is not written from the least ill-will to any person in the world , but from the greatest good-will ; and that not onely to the best of causes , but also to those men who are most like to be incensed . methinks i hear now our cautious politico's asking , what ayls this person to be thus busily interposing in the behalf of those , who must needs by their extraordinary zeal be exposing themselves to the high displeasure of some , and the censures of others , as a sort of hot-headed and rash men ? but if they 'll vouchsafe to read what is here written , i hope they 'll see no just c●use to accuse him of being over-busy . but indeed , tho' the apostle saith , it is good to be always zealously affected in a good thing : and tho' their cool wisdomships can be as hot as their neighbours in their own concerns , yet 't is ordinary with many of them , to pass sly reflexions upon all religious zeal . but why zeal should not best become a cause , wherein the honour of almighty god is most highly concerned , and our country-mens happiness in the world to come , and this world too , they are too wise to offer at a reason . but they 'll object , that the ill-timeing of a good thing will make it chargeable with indiscretion . and who knows not this ? but how can zeal for so good a thing as the reformation of our manners , be ever ill-timed ? what is absolutely necessary , 't is impossible should be set about unseasonably . and it argues a mighty distrust of the divine providence , to fear , from the angering of the vicious part of the kingdom , any evil that can be greater , than the good of suppressing vice , or so great . nay , this savours of downright infidelity and irreligion . nor seems it much less culpable to think , that the disobliging of wicked men will be a weakning of this government . for 't is so far from being true , that the governments giving all possible discouragement to vice , may be a means to endanger it , that nothing can conduce more to the strengthening and securing thereof , nor so much neither ; and that naturally , as well as through the blessing of god almighty . h●nest tully hath told us as much as this comes to . the offence which profane and vicious men may take at the government , is a meer scare-crow ; for so long as they see it for their interest , to adhere to it , there is no fear but they will ; and they 'll put on a shew of being reformed , nay and ape a zeal too for reformation , rather than hazard their preferments under it , or their prince's favour : and 't is certain that the government can be secure of such no longer , than their interest holds them fast to it , tho' their vices should be never so much connived at . but it hath been much observed both in city and country , that those whose conversations are none of the strictest , did upon the late execution of the laws , with some briskness , express great liking of it , in hopes of having for the future , their children and servants , under better government . and the truth is , the height of viciousness , to which the youth of this nation , and especially of this city , are arrived , is a most melancholly subject to reflect upon ; but not to be wondred at any more , that that bad examples should be more powerful than good precepts . and this presents us with as sad a prospect , of the age's being still more and more corrupted , and of the next ages proving worse than this , if more time should be lost ; and the setting in great earnest on the work of reformation be longer delayed . and i need not add , that the longer it is so , the work will every year be the more difficult . a vindication of a late undertaking of certain gentlemen , &c. the most deplorable degeneracy of this nation in its morals , occasioned by the encouragement , which for many years together , ( for a well-known reason ) was given to vice , raised in the minds of serious people , very strong apprehensions of approaching judgments ; and accordingly very great ones came down upon us ; and two such , as no age hath parallel'd in these kingdoms , within a few years after the return of king charles . but those having produced nothing of reformation , they were followed with others from time to time ; and these likewise being lost upon us , at length we had all the reason in the world to look for the heaviest calamities that could befal us , viz. popery and slavery ; but when these were at the door and just entering , so infinitely merciful was he to us , whose ways are not as our ways , nor whose thoughts as ours , as strangely to surprize us with a happy deliverance . and the blessed instrument thereof , with his most virtuous consort , being by god's wonderful providence plac'd on the throne , never were so great hopes conceived as now , of an effectual reformation . but alas , in a short time it was too apparent , that this deliverance came too soon , to be much valued by such a people , as generally we were . it found us miserably unqualified to receive it , and the returns we have made to the divine goodness for it , speak us no less unworthy of the continuance of it . for neither hath the first part of the deliverance , nor the many amazing things god almighty hath since done , both at home and abroad , towards the perfecting and securing thereof , had any visible good effect upon us . but those vices which before reigned , and cryed to heaven for vengeance , do reign still as much as ever ; and those who were filthy before , let god use never so powerful means for the cleansing of them , will be filthy still ; as if , to speak in the prophets language , they had made a covenant with death , and were at an agreement with hell. and whereas we have very good laws for the suppressing of vice , i will not say how very few have hitherto shewed , any thing of zeal or an hearty concern ( notwithstanding the highest obligation ) for the execution of them : nor from how many nothing is to be expected , but an extream averseness to a reformation . but to come to the business of these papers : certain pious gentlemen , all of the church of england , laying greatly to heart these things , resolved to make tryal , whether any thing could be done , towards the giving a check to debauchery and profaneness ; and joyntly pitch't upon this following method for the reforming of offenders in those two most scandalous instances , by due course of law , viz. first , to endeavour the procuring of a letter from the queen ( the king being then absent ) to the justices of the peace for the county of middlesex , requiring them to put the laws in execution against drunkenness , vncleanness , swearing , cursing , profanation of the lords day , &c. secondly , to endeavour the obtaining a good order of sessions to be made thereon . and her majesty having ( like her self ) most chearfully granted the humble request of the lord bishop of worcester , for such a letter ; and having accordingly sent a very pious and pressing one to those justices ; and the justices having thereupon publish't an exceeding good order , these gentlemen , encouraged with this good success , thirdly , made it their request to many of their acquaintance , ( and all of the church of england too ) whom they knew to be sober and religious persons , to give information to some justice of the peace , of all offences of the forementioned nature , which they should observe to be committed ; as by the order of sessions they are encouraged to do . and that all possible ease might be given to the informers , the iustices , and their clerks : . they printed blank-warrants against the several offences . . they procured divers persons ( to the number of eighteen or twenty ) inhabiting in convenient places of the city and suburbs , to fill up such warrants , as the case should happen to be ; for the informers , who should carry the same to the justice ; by which means he would have nothing more to do , but to examine them upon oath , and sign and seal the said warrants . and , . to ease the justices servant of the trouble of carrying every warrant to the proper officer , the informer was to take his warrant back with him to the person who filled it up ; with whom care was taken to have it executed ; as will appear presently . that the penalties might be duly applyed to the use of the poor , and not imbezel'd by the constables or church-wardens , they took this method . . they directed every person who filled up the warrants , to keep an account or register of the several offenders names , the offence of each , the time when , and place where each offence was committed : and , when the informer had brought him back the warrant , to insert also the name of the magistrate , before whom each conviction was made ; . they appointed a special messenger , and paid him well for his pains , to collect all the said warrants and registers weekly ; and , after they were sorted , to carry them out again to the proper officers of the several parishes where they were to be executed ; and to insert the names of the several constables , to whom each of the said warrants should be delivered , in the said registers . . they prepared an abstract of these registers , to be presented to the justices at their petty-sessions , for the enabling them to call every constable to an account , how he had executed the several warrants he was charged with in that register ; and to what church-warden he had payd the penalties by him levyed . . a short account was to be taken out of all those abstracts , by which to charge the several church-wardens , at the making up of their accounts with all the money by them received on those warrants , in order to their sending it to the several vestries once a year . and lastly , to awaken all good christians throughout the kingdom , whether magistrates or private persons , to a vigorous endeavour for a reformation of manners , they set the good example of the justices of middlesex , and the following as good a one , of the lord mayor of london , and court of aldermen , before the rest of the nation . for which purpose they caused the orders of the said sessions and court , to be printed in a smaller character ; and of these they sent several thousands throughout the kingdom , viz. to most parliament-men , mayors , bayliffs , iustices of the peace , ministers , coffee-houses , &c. and the printing and postage too were wholly at their own charge . and , thanks be to god , they quickly saw extraordinary good effects hereof , in the excellent orders of the like nature , made by the cities of york , gloucester , &c. and by the counties of hertford , buckingham , bedford , sussex , gloucester , the north-riding of yorkshire , and divers others . and there was perceived very good success of their endeavours at home , by the manifest ceasing in a great measure of the profanation of the lords day ; and the awe that appeared upon many common swearers and drunkards , who either felt , or had notice of , the execution of the laws against such o●fenders . but for as much as another sort of informers , who had been so busie a few years since , hath made that name odious to inconsiderate people ; and that the restraining of licenciousness , is ever extreamly grievous to the licencious , 't was necessary that the justice should be desired by the informer to conceal his name from the offender : there having been too many instances of late , not unknown to the justices , of those , who , instead of amending by the gentle punishment of one sin , have added more to it , by reeking their revenge on such as informed against them , with great barbarity . i say the concealing the informers name , for this reason , ought to be judged necessary ; especially when he is ready to appear , and prove the fact to the face of the offender , in case he persists in the denial of it . and care was taken , that in this case the informer should adventure to appear , although the law doth not oblige to it ; as will be seen anon . this is an exactly true , but imperfect narrative of the undertaking of these gentlemen ; and is it possible it should need a vindication ? who would not now wonder that such a word as this should be seen in our title-page ? for can there be a nobler design laid , than that which is directly and solely for the advancement of the publick good ? and is not that good , which comprehends both the spiritual and temporal interest of the publick , the incomparably greatest publick good ? and is not he a brute who needs to be told , that the reformation of mankind , and running down of vice , is such a good as contains in it both these interests ? but this was the onely design of this undertaking . and it hath been shewed , that it was not limited to the reformation of one city , or one county , but it extended to the whole kingdom . and a due countenance from those who are principally obliged to encourage it , must needs cause it to have in time , an happy influence upon both the other kingdoms . and then , how much farther in the world it may by gods blessing reach , he 〈◊〉 knows . moreover ; these gentlemen were so far f●●m designing to serve themselves by this undertaking , that , as they were not capable of getting one penny for their pains , so they expended in the carrying of it on , considerable sums out of their own purses . nor can they with any justice or charity be censured , as designing the applause of the sober and virtuous part of the nation , ( as highly as they deserve it ) for we are wholly beholden to their enemies for our knowledge of so much as one of the undertakers , or of the undertaking it self . and those who received the printed orders all over the kingdom , were perfectly ignorant from whose hands they came . and as to the foresaid method they agreed on , for the managing of this design , it as little needs a uindication as the design it self ; and is so far from being lyable to be taxed with imprudence , that i ( for my part ) must needs profess , i greatly admire the wisdom of the contrivance . i challenge those who dare to reproach it , to shew any project better fitted for the attainment of its end , than this throughout is . 't is scarce civil to desire them to mend it themselves , since there is no employment they can be more averse to . in short , 't is a lamentable instance of the debauchery of the age , that it is not a piece of great impertinence to publish a vindication of such an undertaking . but so it is , that the clamours of delinquents , which , where they are readily received , shall never be wanting ; served for an occasion to certain gentlemen , whose own conversations will not suffer them to be reconciled to the thoughts of a general reformation , to calumniate it , with the persons concerned in it ; and to do their utmost to overthrow it . all the tales of punish'd ale-house-keepers and other criminals , were by them immediately received as gospel , since they were told by such dis-interessed and unbyast people ; and hereupon they fall to work. and no wonder , for if the prince of darkness had not now bestirr'd himself , to baffle a design so directly levelled against his kingdom , this would doubtless have been the very first time of his being unconcern'd upon such an occasion . and first these persons satisfied themselves a while with playing at small-game ; and among other most notorious untruths , they gave it out with great assurance , that there was a wonderfully gainful office lately set up in lincolns-inn , where hundreds of pounds were already gotten by the erecters of it . and what great pity is it , provided the tempting wages could have reconciled them to such loathsom work , that themselves had no interest in the stock going there ? by my consent , they should have had shares gratìs upon that condition ; nay , could they have been hyred thereby not to hinder business , the founders of the office should have done all the drudgery , and they should have all the gains , but that the poor ran away with every farthing . and , by the way , the informers too who were engaged in this undertaking , refused to receive a penny of the penalties in those cases wherein the law alloweth them the third part . they desired no other reward for so good a work , than what they are sure to have in the other world , and would have only their labour for their pains in this. and when it appeared to every body by the form of the warrants , that the constables were to pay the money they had levyed upon offenders , to the church-wardens , for the use of the poor , the foresaid persons found that a lye could do them very little service , which was every whit as easily detected as told . and now from talking they proceed to action ; and 't is well known how the first blow was given to this undertaking ; though several worthy justices of the peace , to their honour be it spoken , heartily interposed for the prevention of it . in order to it , they in the first place fell very heavily on mr. hartley , a virtuous person , who had given as a justice , all possible encouragement to this best of works . he was loaded with diverse accusations of injustice in his proceedings ; and those on which the greatest weight was laid , were the two following , whereby the reader may judge of the rest . and perhaps they were both true as to matter of fact , whatever they were as to their faultiness . one was , that the name of the landlord of an ale house was inserted in one of his warrants , instead of the tenant's who kept the house . the other , that a woman was called in another warrant by the name of her dead husband , after she was again married . now as to the former , it is said , that the landlord also liv'd in the house ; so that 't was unknown to many which of them was master of it : however , the house was ascertained in the warrant , and the offence against the law , there committed , positively sworn to . and as to the latter , 't is ordinary among the meaner sort , to call women , at least for some time after their second marriages , by the names of their former husbands : and those who had not heard of the husbands death , might without any great offence presume him to be still living . nor was it necessary that all who knew of his death , should know that his widow was a wife again . these are the only objections which we find particularly assign'd against mr. hartley's proceedings , and therefore unpardonable faults no doubt ! but the best of it is , they were the informers not the iustices . but can any one of those who have made such ado with these two trifles , make any body believe that his justiceship ( if he be in commission ) was never so imposed on ? he hath had very little custom , or very great luck , if it never was . but old aesop hath helpt us to a true proverb : it is an easie thing to find a staff to beat a dog. but suppose these two were culpable mistakes , for want of due caution , as those who have made such mighty matters of them , can't think them so in the iustice , and scarcely in the informers : i wish they would seriously consider , what means that question of our blessed saviour ; why beholdest thou the mote which is in thy brothers eye , and perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye ? o how happy would it be for , especially some of them , were they chargeable with no worse mistakes , or lay they under the scandal of nothing worse than mistakes ! such little things as these , and which are as soon rectified as perceived , would be easily over-look't for the sake of the greatness and nobleness of the undertaking , by all such as heartily desire a reformation ; nay , by those who are but able to bear the thoughts of it : nay , one would think too , by those who , though they would fain have none , have so much modesty remaining , as to be ashamed openly to oppose it . which sure none can have the impious bravery to do , but such as would make a true story of the fiction of the giants , by designedly fighting against god himself , if they believe there is one . and as it is eminently his cause in which these pious gentlemen engaged themselves ; so no christian can doubt , nor scarce a hearty theist , whether god hath a special hand in all undertakings of this nature ; nor whether those who are employed in them are his instruments ; called , spirited and assisted by him : i mean on supposition , that they carry on their work by lawful means , and transgress not the bounds of those stations in which providence hath placed them . but malice it self may be defyed to shew any one instance , wherein these persons ( the undertakers i mean ) have not strictly kept to the observance of humane , as well as the divine laws ; or acted out of their own sphere . it is evident by the foresaid narrative , that there was nothing in their undertaking , but what they had at least liberty from our laws to do , nay , a commission ( i mean a general one ) from god to do ; and the queens commission too , may be easily made out of her majesties most gracious letter , for what they have done ; could they stand in any need of it . as to the particular charges against two of the undertakers , and divers of the imformers , the world will quickly be satisfied they are mere forgeries by a better hand ; and therefore i will wholly wave them . mr. hartley will be also vindicated from the other misdemeanours objected against him in the execution of his office ; but i cannot forbear to touch upon two more of these . one was , that he play'd the busy-body in acting out of his own division . and 't is true , that he did so act , but not that he was a busy-body in so doing . for , as he did it not but when 't was necessary , so he had expresly violated his justices oath , if he had refused it . the other was , his convicting offenders , without bringing them and their accusers face to face . now , besides what hath been said to this already , which shews the necessity of his frequently so doing , so the law ought not to be understood as being against it : for the same magna charta which saith , that no man shall be condemned vnheard ; saith also , that no man shall be disseized of his goods or life , but by a tryal per pares . in which latter , if an act of parliament hath dispensed as to goods , it may well be construed so to do in the former clause ; especially when there is no proportion between the crime and the punishment : i mean , when the former is very great , and the latter as little ; and this not to be inflicted but by a solemn conviction upon the oath of a credible person , and in some cases of two ; and the oaths likewise of such , as get not one farthing of the penalty . this is as much as we design to say , relating to the first blow that was given to this undertaking . a second soon followed it , and this proved a home one . and gods will be done , if there is no remedy to be had . but there is little likelihood of any , should good men be so sheepish , as to conceal , or only vent to one another , their sorrowful resentment of fierce oppositions to reformation , and such an open contempt as is now cast upon the best of queens , in baffling a design so well adapted to the promoting of the business of her excellent letter . and of the great encouragement given to licencious publick houses ; of several instances of which , diverse bishops , to their no small trouble , have been ear-witnesses . there is an objection which have been too often made against the restraining of such houses , viz. that their majesties excise will be greatly lessened by this means . but who is able to think it can be grateful to such a king and queen as we are now bless't with , to have their revenue enlarged by the sins of their people ? who can be ignorant , that there is nothing they would more abominate ? or that their majesties do not need to be told , that their revenue must most certainly be exceedingly diminished by the poverty of their subjects ; and nothing is more observed , than that multitudes of them do every year bring themselves and families to a morsel of bread , by being permitted so much drink ; expresly contrary to our laws , which lay great restraints upon drinking-houses , and drinkers in them ; not only on sundays , but the week-dayes too . possibly some may object against the matter of these pages , that advice of the poet : dum furor in cursu est , &c. when you see fury ride full speed , get out o' th' way of fury's steed . and censure it as too heady an act , now vice is so rampant , thus to expose our selves to the rage of the vicious . but it may be replyed , that whosoever is heartily concerned at vice's being now so rampant , must have the soul of a nit , if he fears looking it in the face in such a reign as this . if he be more afraid of debauchees and profane persons in king william's and q. mary's reign , than many were of papists and jesuites in king iames's . or apprehends more danger in attacquing those now , than these then , without the leave of a licenser . and as to the governments having any reason to be afraid of provoking them , i add to what is said in the preface , that vice is a dastardly cow-hearted thing , and always sneaks when bravely born up to ; having nothing to plead in its own defence . but could vicious men invent any thing to say for themselves , they are still self-condemned . their vices also make them too soft and effeminate , to carry on with any vigour a dangerous design . nor can they confide in one another , in laying a conspiracy , as having no principle to secure fidelity : so that there is not the least fear of their being too hard for the sober part of the nation ; of which i hope there are an hundred to one on the side of the government . were those who bear an implacable enmity to any thing of reformation , onely injurious to their own souls , the charity we have for them , might have forbidden us to be silent , upon such an occasion as is now given us ; much less then can we have any temptation to be shy of offending them , when we consider how extreamly the publick , and their majesties great affairs have suffered by them , and are still like to suffer ; and what heavy judgments ought to be expected from a most highly provoked god , for the toleration of so much wickedness , after as great obligations as ever were laid upon a nation . now the third time draws on a pace , when he , who is the light of our eyes , and the breath of our nostrils , designs to expose his sacred person for our safety , and the well-fare of all christendom , to such dangers as nothing but the courage of a matchless hero could encounter : and therefore 't is more than time , that a more effectual course than ever be taken to run down those enemies at home ( our reigning sins ) which may do , through god's just judgment , our potent enemy abroad more service , than all the preparations he hath made against us . and in order thereunto , to take all possible care , that none be intrusted with the business of reforming others , who need as much as any to be reformed themselves . as also to give all encouragement to those , whose hearts god hath inclined to give their helping hand to a work of such absolute necessity , we may be much afraid to think of the king 's again leaving us , before this be done , or at least a doing . and , thanks be to god , and their majesties , since this was written comes the happy news , of this work 's being again set on foot , by a most pious proclamation . finis . a sermon preached before the right honourable the lord maior of london, and the court of aldermen, &c. on wednesday in easter week, in the church of st. andrew holborn being one of the anniversary spittal sermons / by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the right honourable the lord maior of london, and the court of aldermen, &c. on wednesday in easter week, in the church of st. andrew holborn being one of the anniversary spittal sermons / by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed by t.m. for brabazon alymer, london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- luke xvi, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached before the right honourable , the lord maior of london , and the court of aldermen , &c. on wednesday in easter week , in the church of st. andrew holborn . being one of the anniversary spittal sermons . by edward fowler , d.d. london , printed by t.m. for brabazon aylmer at the three pigeons against the royal exchange in cornhil , . to the right honourable sir john shorter , lord maior of london , and the court of aldermen . right honourable , the sermon which by your appointment i lately preached , and you heard , i have now in compliance with your order made more publick ; hoping that by this means it may be the more serviceable , through the blessing of god , to the charitable design ( and that towards the rich no less than the poor ) which , my conscience bears me witness , i sincerely propounded to my self therein . which that it may , is the earnest desire and prayer of , right honourable , your most humble servant , edw. fowler . a sermon preached before the right honourable the lord maior of london , and the court of aldermen , &c. luke . . and i say unto you , make to your selves friends of the mammon of vnrighteousness ; that when ye fail , they may receive you into everlasting habitations . that saying of the wise-man , money answers all things , is no doubt in the opinion of the children of this world , one of the wisest of all his sayings . and whosoever observes how zealous men are in the pursuit of money , what labour and toyl both of body and mind they undergo , and what eminent hazards both of soul and body they run themselves into , for the gaining of it , must needs conclude , that there 's scarcely a more universally-received maxim than this , that money answers all things . but yet , so silly are the incomparably-greater number of poor mortals , as to take this for granted , in such a sense , as wherein their manifold experience tells them , there can be nothing more false : and least to think of that sense , in which it is especially and most eminently true. they think that the heaping up of this worlds wealth , is the most effectual course to have all their needs supplied , and desires answered : whereas a wiser , as well as greater person than king solomon , even our blessed saviour ( and solomon himself too ) hath again and again assured us , that the well-spending it is the best means we can use for the obtaining of our withes . and particularly , those words of our saviour , now read , assure us of this ; viz. and i say unto you , make to your selves friends of the mammon of vnrighteousness , &c. by the mammon of vnrighteousness , we are to understand this world's goods : so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is more a syriac than a greek word , signifies . but why they should be called , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , mammon of unrighteousness , there are various conjectures ; of which ( perhaps ) the truest is , that it may best be rendered , vain or false and deceitful riches . for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true , are taken in the same sense , and put one for another , in several places , by the sacred writers ; as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unjust , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deceitful . and in the th . verse of this chapter , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which varies from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not in sense , but only in the phrase , by an ordinary hebraism , is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , true riches . if therefore you have been unfaithful in the vnrighteous mammon , who will commit to your trust the true riches ? which is as much as to say , if you have been unfaithful in those riches , which deserve not that name , who will intrust you with real , true , substantial riches ? but in what sense soever we understand this phrase , we must confess , that the things which are so eagerly pursued , and so vehemently thirsted after , have but little credit done them by being thus expressed . yet , since no less a person than our blessed lord , hath bestowed this name upon them , we are certain , that , as generally-adored an idol as wordly wealth is , it is not given it without just cause , that it hath it not for nought . make unto your selves friends of the mammon of vnrighteousness . this figurative manner of speaking is well suited to the foregoing parable ; the summ and substance of which is this : the steward of a certain rich man was accused to him of wasting his goods , and his lord hereupon requiring him to give accompt of his stewardship , and threatning him , that he should be no longer steward , he immediately resolves upon this course , for the securing to himself a livelihood ; viz. the drawing of his lords debtors into the same guilt of cheating him : foreseeing , as easily he might , that their fear of his telling tales would-lay an obligation upon them , to maintain him among them . now my text is the moral or application of this parable : and therein our lord adviseth us to be as wise and prudent , as this steward was wickedly crafty ; viz. as he made friends of his lord's riches to procure him houses to live in , when his lord's house would no longer hold him , so we should make such friends of our own riches , as that when we are turned out of this earthy house of our tabernacle , we may be received into everlasting habitations ; or into a building of god , an house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens . make to your selves friends of the mammon of vnrighteousness , that when ye fail , ( i.e. when ye die ) they may receive you , &c. i.e. you may be received . like that in luk. . . where good measure shall they give into your bosom , signifies , good measure shall be given , &c. and like that in ch. . . where they shall require thy soul , is as much as , thy soul shall be required of thee . and other instances , of the like forms of speech , i might present you with . so that the sense of this verse may be thus exprest : do you so use the things called riches , with which god intrusts you as his stewards in this world , as that when you take your leaves both of them and it , you may have riches truly so called , in the kingdom of heaven . first , it is , you see , supposed in these words : that let us stock our selves never so plentifully with this worlds wealth , yet there is no help for us , but fail we must ; we must die sooner or later , and leave it all behind us . thou that hast best feather'd thy nest , and laid up the richest treasure on earth , shalt not be able to redeem thine own life there with any more than thy brothers , nor to give to god a ransome for it . it may enable thee to make a great figure , and to fluster in the world for a little while , but it cannot secure thy continuance therein , for one day or hour . thou maist be in great power , and spread thy self like a green bay tree , but thou shalt quickly pass away notwithstanding , and be no more here , and he that seeks thee shall not find thee . the most wealthy and powerful have no power over the spirit , to retain the spirit , neither have they power in the day of death . this is an evil among all the things that are done under the sun , that there is one event unto all , unto the rich and poor : but this is an intolerable evil , and never sufficiently to be lamented , that the hearts of the far greater part of the children of men , and especially of rich men , are full of evil ; and madness is in their hearts while they live , and after that they go to the dead . he who hath most improved his time in filling his chests , and laying house to house , and field to field ; as he came forth of his mothers womb , naked shall he return , to go as he came ; and shall take nothing of his labour along with him , which he may carry away in his hand : in all points as he came , so shall he go ; and what profit hath he , he hath but laboured for the wind ; that is , supposing he hath not taken the advice in the text. this man cometh in with vanity , and departeth in darkness , and his name shall be covered with darkness . and though we know nothing more certainly , than that die we must : yet so inconsiderative are the generality , that they know not their time ; but as the fishes that are taken in an evil net , and as the birds that are caught in the snare , so are the sons of men snared in an evil time , when it falleth suddenly upon them . though we all know that we must fail , and can't be assured but we may the next moment ; and have innumerable warnings given us to prepare for death , yet most die suddainly , and before they are aware . o that we were wise , that we understood this , so as to lay it well to heart , that we would consider our later end . so much for that which these words suppose . secondly , that which is expressed in them , is , that the well-imploying , and doing good with the good things of this present life , shall be rewarded with infinitely-better things in the life to come . and of this , we have the fullest assurance from these two considerations , and from either of them , viz. i. that one phrase , whereby our saviour expresseth doing good and being charitable , with our earthly enjoyments , is laying up a treasure in heaven . ii. that he hath intitled the heavenly happiness to the sincere performance of this one duty , by many promises and declarations . first , one phrase , whereby he expresseth doing good with our earthly enjoyments , is laying up a treasure in heaven . this we find , matt. . . in the foregoing verse our lord saith , lay not up for your selves treasures on earth , where moth and rust do corrupt , and where thieves break through and steal . or , do not hoard up your riches , there being no goodness in them , but what consisteth in the well-using of them ; and besides , by hoarding them up , they will be liable to be either spoiled , or stolen from you . it follows , but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven , where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt , and where thieves do not break through and steal , &c. or , according to your ability , do good with your estates ; make them serviceable to works of piety , mercy , and charity . and agreeably to this sense , he thus proceeds : the light of the body is the eye ; if therefore thine eye be single ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which may better be rendred liberal , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies liberality in several places ) thy whole body shall be full of light : but if thine eye be evil , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , envious , or covetous ) thy whole body shall be full of darkness . and this is plainly the meaning of this verse , viz. as the eye enlighteneth the whole body , and guides it this way , or that , so a liberal mind hath a like influence upon all the actions of a christian : but where an vncharitable spirit is , there 's nothing but darkness , or the abounding of evil works . so that it appears by the context , that this phrase , laying up a treasure in heaven , was designed by our lord to signifie , being liberal and bountiful with our riches : but there could be no reason for his so calling it , were it not to assure us , that by this means we shall undoubtedly obtain a treasure there . and the like he doth , luk. . . sell that ye have , and give alms , or rather than excuse your not giving alms by your want of money , make money of what you have , that you may give alms. and to encourage hereto , he in the next words calls it , providing our selves bags , which wax not old , a treasure in the heavens which faileth not , where no thief approacheth , neither rust corrupteth . and in imitation of our b. saviour , s. paul calls it , laying up in store for our selves a good foundation , against the time to come . tim. . . charge them that are rich in this world , that they be not high-minded , nor trust in uncertain riches , but in the living god , who giveth us richly all things to enjoy : that they do good , that they be rich in good works , ready to distribute , willing to communicate . o what a charge is this ! how happens it that so few comparatively will obey it ? but what encouragement is there to it ? surely the greatest imaginable , for it follows ; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come , that they may lay hold on eternal life . or , rich mens being rich in good works , is , laying up in store for themselves a good foundation , or treasure , against the time to come , &c. secondly , our lord hath intitled the heavenly happiness to the sincere performance of this one duty , by many promises and declarations . as we have one of these in the text , so the time would fail me to recite all those which our lord hath given us out of his own mouth , and by his apostles . i shall now content my self with presenting you with two or three of those which he himself delivered . in mat. . . &c. he expresseth no other reason for the pronouncing of that ioyful sentence , come ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you , from the foundation of the world , to the sheep on his right hand , but this ; i was an hungred , 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 cloathed me ; i was sick , and ye visited me ; i was in prison , and ye came unto me . verily i say unto you , inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren , ye have done it unto me . and on the contrary , there is no reason exprest , why the goats on the left hand should have so horribbe a sentence pronounc'd against them , as , depart from me ye cursed , into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels , but this ; i was an hungred , and ye gave me no meat ; thirsty , and ye gave me no drink , &c. inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these my brethren , ye did it not to me . again , see what our lord saith , luk. . . love your enemies , and do good , and lend , hoping for nothing again , ( or hoping for no reward from those whose benefactors you are , and charitable creditors ) and your reward shall be great , and ye shall be the children of the highest , &c. and mat. . . blessed are the merciful , for they shall obtain mercy . whereas s. iames hath declared , ch. . . that he shall have judgment without mercy , that sheweth no mercy . i am sure you will acknowledge , that there 's no need of going farther than these two considerations , for the confirmation of the doctrin raised from the text. if it be asked , how this one part of religion can be said to give a title to these everlasting habitations ? i hope none of us do believe , that there is any thing more of proper merit in these than in other good works ; since the falsity and dangerousness of the popish doctrin of merit hath been sufficiently exposed to us from time to time : as also , the folly of imagining that creatures can deserve any reward at the hands of their great creator ; and much more , of thinking that sinners can ; and much more , that they can deserve such an immensely great reward as the kingdom of heaven by the best works they are in a possibility of performing ; these works not bearing the least proportion with that reward . nor need i surely go about to perswade a congregation of protestants , that the righteousness of christ is the only meritorious or procuring cause of whatsoever good we have received , or can hope to receive . and as to that saying , that christ hath merited , that we may merit , 't is so far from good doctrine , that 't is impossible to make any good sense of it . but , . works of mercy and charity are conditions , to the sincere performance of which , god in his infinite grace and bounty , and for christ's sake , ( or in and through christ ) hath promised these everlasting habitations : and they are such conditions as our saviour might well propose , without naming any other with them , because the whole of religion is virtually contained or implyed in them . who knows not , that faith , and love , and obedience , are words which severally express in scripture all religion ? but all these are implyed in true christian charity . both the tables are comprized by our saviour in the love of god and our neighbour ; and the summ of what is required in the gospel , is sometimes expressed by believing , and other times by obeying . now , as charity hath a respect to god's gracious promises , or as a christian is excited thereto by them , so is it an eminent act and exertion of faith : as it hath respect to the many commandments of god and our saviour , so every act of charity is an act of obedience : as it hath respect to our infinite obligations to god and our saviour , and is an expression of gratitude towards them , so every act of charity is an act of divine love : as it hath respect to the necessities of our brethren , so is it an act of brotherly love ; and that which hath these several respects , is the truly christian charity . considering this , well might s. iames say , ch. . . pure religion and undefiled before god and the father is this , to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction , and to keep ones self unspotted from the world. and therefore good reason had our saviour here to instance solely in employing our estates in doing good , as that which intitles to everlasting habitations in the heavenly mansions . and this likewise justifies that advice of the prophet daniel to nebuchadnezzar , ch. . . break off thy sins by righteousness , and thine iniquites by shewing mercy to the poor , &c. and also this interprets to us those words of s. peter , ep. . . charity shall cover the multitude of sins . above all things , have servent charity among your selves , for charity shall cover the multitude of sins . . works of mercy and charity give a title to these everlasting habitations , as they are the best evidence of our being regenerate , and christians in deed as well as in profession . the tree , saith our saviour , is known by its fruits . but it hath already appeared , and will farther appear , that no fruit speaks a good tree like these fruits . and therefore s. paul preferreth the grace of charity before the graces of faith and hope . and now abideth faith , hope , and charity , but the greatest of these is charity , cor. . ult . 't is confest , he doth not here mean by charity the meer giving of alms , as appears by the third verse of this chapter ; but , as wheresoever that charity is , which the apostle describes in the foregoing verses , there will be a cheerful forwardness to the relieving of our necessitous brethren , so this forwardness proceeding from the forementioned motives , is the best expression of that charity . and what single evidence of a man's , being a good christian , can excel , nay can equal this ? who can doubt whether that man doth truly and sincerely believe in god , and embraceth with his heart , that religion which he professeth with his tongue ; or whether he hath a powerful sense of another life , and sets his affections on the things above , that can freely forego present profit and advantage for their sake ? what surer argument can there be of our sincerely loving god and our blessed saviour , than our readily parting with those things at their command , which the generality are so tenacious of , and most unwilling to let go , upon any other account , than the some way or other serving themselves ? i mean promoting their carnal interests . and i need not say , that this is the best evidence of a man's loving his neighbour as himself , since all other signs thereof , can signifie nothing without this . for 't is too plain a case to need proving , that he is a lyar who pretendeth love to his neighbour , while he cannot find in his heart to relieve him in his necessity , in some proportion to his ability . s. iohn makes this the great distinguishing character of a sincere lover of god , from an hypocritical pretender to the love of him , in ep. . . hereby perceive we the love of god , because he laid down his life for us ; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren : or , for the promoting of their eternal welfare . but whoso hath this worlds goods , and seeth his brother hath need , and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him , that is so far from venturing his life for him , that he will not so much as open his purse to him , how dwelleth the love of god in him ? my little children , let us not love in word or in tongue , but in deed and in truth . or , let us not only profess love to our brethren , but demonstrate the sincerity of that profession , by acts of bounty and beneficence . then it follows , and hereby we know that we are in the truth , and shall assure our hearts before him , &c. or , we cannot desire a more certain evidence , a more infallible mark , of our being upright-hearted christians , than such a temper of mind as shall be on all occasions engaging us in such works as these . . by works of mercy and charity we are made more and more capable of being received into these everlasting habitations ; more and more meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light ; which principally consists in a likeness to god , and a complete enjoyment of him. there is nothing whereby we can so resemble god , and therefore that can put us into such a capacity of enjoying him , as our being habituated to these works . the divine god-like nature must needs most eminently appear in these , since mercy and goodness , benignity and loving kindness are the perfections by which the best of beings doth above all other recommend himself to us ; as might be largely shewed from the holy scriptures . therefore the definition which s. iohn gives us of god , is , love. god is love , saith he , and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in god , and god in him. the lord is good to all , saith the psalmist , and his tender mercies are over all his works . nothing is so natural to him , as doing good. the prophet isaiah calls his iudgments and acts of severity his strange work. and the prophet ieremiah tells us , that he doth not afflict willingly , nor grieve the children of men . the divine severity is not an effect of choice , but of necessity , for the maintenance and upholding of god's government of the world. it proceeds from a necessity of sinners making . but he hath thus declared , by the now nam'd prophet , i am the lord , which exercise loving-kindness and righteousness in the earth ; for in these things i delight , saith the lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 't is as natural to god to do good , as to fire to warm , and to light to enlighten , saith s. clemens of alexandria . those therefore who do most good , and are most delighted therein , are most like to god ; whereas those who most resemble him in power and knowledge , if void of goodness , ( the devils for instance ) are most unlike him. and those who are most like to god , are best qualified for enjoying him ; and capable of enjoying most of him. and such as by their likeness to god , are fitted to enjoy him , shall not fail so to do ; i may truly say cannot . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . there cannot be a separation betwixt god and his likeness , said the philosopher excellently . the application . now from what hath been discoursed , we learn , first , wherein lieth the goodness and desirableness of a plentiful fortune . if we give any credit to our blessed lord , we must believe that it doth not lie in its inabling us to lay up , but to lay out the more , and that upon pious and charitable designs , not upon our selves or families , ( and much less to gratifie pride or luxury ) and the better to promote by that means , the great business for which we were sent into this world ; to make our selves so much the greater blessings to it , and more to glorifie our creator and redeemer by good works than we are capable of glorifying them without plentiful estates ; and to attain to the higher degrees of blessedness and glory in the world to come . i say , we are abundantly satisfied from what our lord hath declared to us , in our text and other places , and from what hath been discoursed , that herein alone consists the advantage of being rich. and he is a person not sufficiently purged from worldliness and sensuality , who endeavours or can desire to be rich for other ends ; or to make his children so for any other reason , than that by this means they may be the more serviceable to their fellow-creatures , may bring the more glory to god , and gain the larger proportions of bliss and happiness in the other life : in comparison of which this life is nothing worth ; and truly all things considered , not worth any thing in it self , nor at all desirable , but as 't is a state of probation for the fitting and preparing us for an infinitely better . and if we considered how far a large estate is from making the owners of them happy in this life , nay , how it involves them in innumerable anxious cares and distracting troubles , and a world of misfortunes , which those are secure from , who possess but just so much as not to stand in need of the charity of others , we should think it the most desireable thing for our selves , and ours , to have no whit more than agurs with , viz. a competency , except for the foresaid purposes . and especially considering the dreadful account which those shall be called to , who have not hearts to imploy their riches to such purposes , and withal , what our lord hath said of the extreme difficulty of rich mens entering into the kingdom of heaven ( in regard of the difficulty of their not trusting in their riches , and of their not being made covetous , or proud , or sensual by them ) one would think that all who have any serious concern for the souls of their dear children , should tremble at the thoughts of venturing them with great estates ; and be under no temptation upon their account of not being liberal . and i cannot imagine , but that every truly-good man must needs dread for his childrens sake , as well as for other reasons , being backward to works of charity : nothing being more commonly observed , than that the children of covetous close-handed parents , do either as prodigally fling away what they scraped together for them , or prove mere mammonists and muck-worms like them ; and so have their portion , like them too , in this life . which no man that really believes the other life , shall need to be told , is an evil to be dreaded unspeakably more , than their going a begging from door to door . secondly , we learn from our past discourse , that 't is not in the least disbecoming a christian spirit , nor at all inconsistent with that ingenuity which christianity requires , to have respect , with moses , to the recompence of reward in the good we do ; or to be excited thereby to well-doing . many charitable and good souls have perplex't themselves with doubts , that their good works are not of the true christian kind ; because they think they are conscious to themselves , of not being principally moved to them by love to god , but by self-love ; being perswaded that the onely spring and principle of evangelical obedience is divine love and gratitude ; and that neither hope nor fear is so . but since so very many promises and threats are to be found in the gospel , 't is evident they are greatly mistaken , and that they fear where no fear is . for is it to be thought , that we should be stirred up to good works by such motives as these by our blessed saviour himself , if their having their designed influence upon us would so spoil them , as to make them not truly christian ? but i will say two things in reference to this matter . . it is true , that self-love ought not to be our onely principle in doing good. we ought to be constrained thereto by the love of god and our saviour , and the wonderful expressions of their love to us . we are obliged also to do good works from a sense of the goodness of them ; and to be charitable from the love of charity as such ; as it is a most lovely thing , an excellent grace , highly beneficial to the world , and greatly ennobling and beautifying the soul that 's therewith inspired . and we ought likewise to shew pity to our afflicted brethren from a principle of love to them . but still since god and our saviour have seen it necessary to lay before us the motives of promises and threatnings , 't is impossible it should be unworthy of christians to be acted by them in their obedience . and god knows , that in this imperfect state , the best christians find that they have need enough of these motives . but , d. 't is a mighty mistake to think that to be perswaded to the obedience of the precepts of the gospel by it's promises or threats either , is to obey from a meer selfish principle . for if we have a true notion of that happiness our lord promiseth , and of that misery he threatneth , we are no less acted by love to god , in that obedience which our desire of obtaining the one and avoiding the other excites us to , than by love to ourselves : the heavenly happiness ( as hath been already observed ) principally consisting in a perfect likeness to god , and enjoyment of him , viz. as perfect as our nature is capable of ; and the hellish misery being a state of perfect unlikeness to him , and eternal separation from him. thirdly , we learn from what hath been said , what a folly it is for men of estates to hope to be received into the everlasting habitations in the text , without being charitable with them ; without making to themselves friends , in our saviour's sense , of their mammon of vnrighteousness . let me beg of such not to be offended , if i take leave to be a little free and plain with them . do you really and indeed hope to be saved ? to be sure you will say you do . but , for god's sake , tell me why ? hath god promised such as you these habitations , and will you expect them without a promise ? i pray look into the bible , i can in the name of god assure you , that you shall not find one syllable there of any promise whatever , and much less so exceeding great and precious a promise as this , made to such as you . but you will there meet with threatnings good store against you , and such terrible ones too , as would make a man even tremble to read them , though he should know himself to be unconcern'd in them . you will , no question , say that you hope for eternal happiness through the alone merits of iesus christ. very well ! but hath christ promised to save all by his merits that rely upon them for salvation ? hath he proposed no terms to us , without our compliance with which , he will not save us ? nay , have not he and his holy apostles most expresly and frequently told us , that obedience to his other precepts is every whit as necessary to our salvation , as obedience to that of relying on his merits can be ? and is there any one precept so often repeated , so much inculcated , as this of charity ? as those of feeding the hungry , and cloathing the naked ; of being fathers to the fatherless , and husbands to the widows ; of being merciful and tender-hearted ; of being ready to distribute , and willing to communicate , & c. ? nay , is any one single duty oftener made a condition of salvation , than this of charity ? there is scarcely any one made so so often . why then should not those who live in the open transgression of the laws of temperance , sobriety , and chastity , or of iustice and righteousness , expect as well to be saved by the merits of christ , as you who live in the manifest breach of those which oblige you to be charitable ? there are many promises of such blessings as i know you desire with all your hearts , and much more than you ought , made to the charitable : now what an unaccountable thing is it , that those who cannot find in their hearts to trust in god for the fulfilling of his promises , by performing the conditions of them , should be able to trust in him without the encouragement of any promise ; nay , against many solemn declarations made by god and his son iesus , on purpose to discourage us from expecting the least favour from them , while we persist in wilful disobedience to any of their precepts . your are plainly told , that whosoever shall keep the whole law , and yet offend in one point , is guilty of all : or , if it were possible for a man to observe all the laws of god but one , and live in the breach of that one , this will as certainly make him liable to the divine vengeance , as living in the breach of all ; though not to the same degrees of punishment . and you are assured by him , on whose merits you so rely for salvation , and who will be your iudge , that the covetous and vncharitable shall be placed on his left hand , at the day of judgment , and receive that foresaid fearful sentence from him , depart from me ye cursed , &c. and yet , i say , in spight of such declarations as these , those i now address my self to , will hope , not only to escape the wrath to come , but to be eternally happy too : at least those of them will that are not secret infidels ( as i must confess 't is hard to think most of them should not be , profess they what they will ) : but who can express the folly , the madness rather , of such a hope ? i know many of our covetous ( christians i can't call them , but ) professors of christianity do lay no small weight on their being iust and righteous in their dealings , and taking great care to do no wrong . but , . suppose you are strictly just , can you expect a reward for this ? nay , can you expect that the king of heaven should bestow upon you no less a reward than the kingdom of heaven , merely because you do no wrong ; merely because you are pleased not to be mischievous ? in good time in truth . but this is all that a barely just man can commend himself for , viz. that he does no mischief . and remember , i beseech you , that our lord hath declared that the vnprofitable ( and not only the injurious ) servant shall be bound hand and foot , and cast into outer darkness ; where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . and that the tree which bears not good fruit ( and not only that beareth bad ) shall be hewn down , and cast into the fire . but , . 't is more than an even lay , that those misers who most boast of their iustice , are far from being strictly iust. nay , i dare warrant them , should their practices be narrowly lookt into , if they be not found guilty of such gross injustice as will render them obnoxious to the laws of the land , yet they may be discerned to make no scruple of many such sly tricks , as will speak them no less vnjust than vncharitable in the court of heaven ; nay , and also in any impartial court of equity . that common saying , such a one is a very just , but an hard man , is founded upon making mere humane laws the measure of justice ; but a man may be a great villain , and yet be as honest as he can be made to be by the laws of his country . and , i say , 't is many to one , but that those misers , who most be-pride themselves in their being just and honest in their dealings , will be found to have much too good an opinion of themselves , were their actions measured by either the laws of the gospel , or of natural equity ; even such as are to be seen in tully's offices , and many other writings of the pagans . but however , . men are unjust in being uncharitable . for the uncharitable are alwaies transgressing that rule of justice given by our saviour , and which is as much a maxim of the law of nature as of the christian religion , viz. what you would that men should do unto you , do you even the same to them . there is no man , let him be never so insensible of the miseries of others , who would not , should himself fall into needy circumstances , complain of it as a great cruelty to be denied relief by those who have power to help him . and therefore 't is the plainest case , that men as often transgress this golden rule , as they refuse to close with opportunities of being charitable . again , every uncharitable person is as such unjust , in that the poor and necessitous have a right and title to their charity . god hath by many laws given them a clearer title to our charity , than any man can shew for his estate . and therefore in denying it to them , we withhold a plain due , and what is this but as plain injustice ? these things considered , what can be more evident , than that those do put the grossest cheat upon their own souls , and are befooling themselves into eternal misery , let them be never so great professors of christianity , and never so observant of its easie and cheap duties , who hope to be saved upon such accounts , while there is no prevailing with them by all the arguments that almighty god hath laid before them , ( though they are the greatest imaginable ) to employ any considerable proportion of their mammon of vnrighteousness in works of charity ? before i proceed farther , i would briefly speak to this question , what rules should we go by , what measures should we take , to satisfie our selves that we are truly charitable ; and therefore have a right to the promises made to such . . in answer hereto , let us take notice that god expects our spending more or less in works of charity , according to the estates he hath blest us with . if the h. scriptures had been silent , as they are not , about this matter , we may be certain from the equity of the divine nature , that according to our circumstances and abilities , god looks for more or less from us . if there be a willing mind , it is accepted , according to what a man hath , and not according to what he hath not . which words the apostle spake in reference to charity . and mens estates , and therefore their abilities for doing good , are to be measured , not only by their incomes , but also by their necessary layings out . and consequently he who hath a family to maintain , is far from being obliged to give as much as he who hath no body to take care of but himself , though the lands or stocks of both are equal : and according as a mans family is greater or less , more or less of his estate is to go to charity . this is too plain to need proving . . god expects more or less of our charity , according to the opportunities his providence presents us with , of being charitable ; as we have opportunity , saith the apostle , let us do good unto all men , &c. the more or greater the objects of charity are , that we hear of within our reach , the more liberal are we bound to be . . we ought to be much less cautious of offending on the right , than on the left hand in our charity . he is like to be but a sorry creature at charity , who is resolved to do no more good than he needs must . in an highly important affair , the extreme of over-doing is far more safe than that of vnderdoing . the overdoer in a good work , supposing his excess proceeds from a good principle , shall have his charity rewarded , and his imprudence pardoned ; but the wilful vnderdoer must neither look for a reward , nor without repentance , ( that is reformation ) a pardon . and whosoever is an vnderdoer from too great inadvertency , and a too-little concern about the duty of charity , hath no title to any greater promise than this , he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly . and as with respect to our selves , the offending on the right hand is by much the safer extreme ; so is it also with respect to others . there is more good in giving to one needy person , than there is evil in giving to twenty counterfeits . for , as being liberal to these , proceeds from a better cause , than doth the with-holding from the really necessitous ; so 't is more eligible that some should have more than enough of our charity , than that any should want bread . and the extreme of being too charitable ( of which fault i doubt but few are guilty ) is better for the world in general ( which i need not stand to shew ) than the other extreme . in short , most , i am sure , do exceed in their expences upon something or other ; but he who does so on objects of charity , of all exceeders , exceeds the most safely . that saying , too good is stark naught , needs some wit and pains to make it a true proverb . but , . though we should rather chuse offending on the extreme of charity , yet we ought to manage our selves with such prudence , as so to give at one time , that we may give at another , and hold on in giving . . this is the best general rule i am able to prescribe , viz. that we never refuse to part with our money to charitable uses from the love of money . it is not to be particularly and exactly stated , how much it is each persons duty to give ; circumstances in this case to be considered , being infinitely various : but if this rule be carefully observed , and we keep alive and cherish in our breasts the true christian principles of charity ( which i need not again repeat ) though 't is possible we may not alwaies be so very prudent in our charity , as is desirable , yet we need not fear , but we shall so govern our selves in this weighty point , as to be accepted of god , and rewarded by him , as charitable christians . but it is necessary to add , that it becomes us not to be desirous of more for ours , than that they may live comfortably , according to their education , and the rank and quality of our children : nor ought we to covet great things for them ; since by this means we may endanger their being deprived of what is infinitely better than any thing we can leave them , viz. god's blessing . and he hath made promises enough to put us out of all doubt , that the best course we can possibly take to have our children blest in the world , is to be mighty cautious ( while we retain enough for their comfortable subsistence ) of making the poor and needy fare the worse for them . and now , fourthly , and lastly , since we have such abundant evidence of the absolute necessity of making to our selves friends of the mammon of vnrighteousness , if we would , when we fail , and are turned out of these mouldering cottages , be received into everlasting habitations : since , if we are not infidels , we must needs be convinced , that there 's no duty whatsoever , but will as easily be dispensed with as this duty ; and that 't is every whit as indispensable as faith in christ's merits and righteousness , for the remission of our sins : and since we have not the least shadow of reason to hope , be we never so observant of other precepts , that christ's undertakings for sinners will in the least avail us , while we live in disobedience to his so often repeated precepts of charity , and have none , or but little fellow-feeling of the distresses and calamities of our poor brethren : let us , considering these things , be perswaded to make as much conscience every whit of this , as of any other duty to which our religion does oblige us . and in order to the still more effectually exciting you hereunto , i might present you with as many promises relating to this life , as well as the other , as your hearts can wish for . and i might shew particularly , from not a few texts of scripture , that to be rich in good works is the surest way to encrease your riches , to add to your treasures on earth , as well as to secure and augment your treasures in heaven . but as these promises are forreign to my text , so you were on monday minded of many of them . as also had many bright and shining examples of charity , the more to quicken you to this great duty , laid before you . but yet i must not wholly wave this great topick , but shall confine my self to those examples which our own city hath been , and god be thanked , is still blest with . examples enough to shame all miserly people out of their excessive backwardness to works of charity , and more than enough to make our adversaries ashamed of their nick-naming protestants solisidians , although they were wholly unacquainted ( as 't is impossible they should be ) with our principles . which ( by the way ) are no more reconcileable with solisidianism than is the doctrine of the bible . for , the bible , ( as mr. chillingworth saith ) the bible is the religion of protestants . which if it were of another sort of christians , who call us biblists , it could not be one of their avowed doctrines , that good works do vere mereri augmentum gratiae , aeternam vitam & augmentum gloriae : truly or properly merit an encrease of grace , eternal life , and an encrease of glory . which are the words of the council of trent . nor would their greatest motive to good works be that which divers of them have frankly acknowledg'd is not in the bible ; and which we are certain is a meer figment , and the very dream of a shadow : and serves to no better purpose than to spoil charity , and make it a thing forced and extorted by slavish fear . i need not tell you i mean their doctrine of purgatory . but to proceed , i say we have had many noble examples among our selves , and have at this day , to encourage us to be charitable . and great instances of the charity of our fellow-citizens ( for the most part ) are commended to your imitation in this paper . a true report , &c. here are five eminent hospitals , which you may be satisfied by what hath been now a third time read , are such treasuries for charity , as there are no where to be found better : and which withal give us such patterns of it , as the like to them are not easily to be met with . as these hospitals have had of late years far more liberal contributions than heretofore , so a very great part of their revenues being consumed by the late dreadful fires ( and the greatest part of three of them ) and the whole stock of the hospital of bethlem exhausted by the building of a far more commodious house , which cost above l. ( besides paying interest for several great summs for the finishing thereof ) they would since have signified nothing to what they now do , without such contributions . now certainly those whom god hath blest with estates , and who want not hearts to be liberal with them , cannot want encouragement to liberality towards these houses of charity . for as in these they cannot fear depositing their alms either in unfaithful or imprudent hands , their governours and treasurers having so great a reputation for their excellent managing and improving of charity , so they cannot be bestowed on people whose case is more compassionable than theirs is , who are received into these houses : i mean among our own country-men . i thus limit it , because the french protestants ( for whom i must take all opportunities of being an advocate ) must necessarily be acknowledg'd to be the most inviting objects of charity in the world : both in regard of the not to be parallel'd greatness of their sufferings , and the blessed cause for which they suffer . but if god's stewards ( as all that have estates will one day be convinc't they were , and that god never parted with his propriety in them ) would be but as just as he is bountiful to this city and kingdom , neither these distressed forreigners , nor our own poor , would have cause to complain of the want of charity . our good god hath given among us enough and to spare , for the supply of both , and no one be in ever a jot the worse circumstances . but to return to our business ; in the hospital of christ's-church , the receivers of your charity are poor orphans , who might have been cast upon the wide world , had they not here been taken in : and whose begging about our streets could only have been prevented by the hand of charity . and , who would not covet being of their number , whose hearts are now rejoiced at the lovely shew now before us , of fatherless children well fed ( which is seen in their countenances ) and as well cloathed , by the help and assistance of their charity ? but they are ( next under god ) obliged to their benefactors for a far greater blessing than mere food and rayment , viz. a liberal education ; which is fitting them for good callings suited to their several genius's and capacities ; and to which they are placed as they become fit for them . so that they being as well taught as fed , are not only in an excellent way to be inabled comfortably to provide for themselves , but also to relieve others : to be useful in the world , and great blessings to their country . nay , by your charity to this hospital you no less contribute to poor orphans eternal happiness , than to their temporal well-fare : to their souls no less than to their bodies ; and charity to the souls of our fellow-creatures , i need not say is incomparably the most worthy and excellent in it self ; and therefore the most grateful to god , and the most highly rewardable . and in the hospital of christ's church ( i am well assured ) no means are neglected for the well principling its children in the true religion ; all care is taken for the training of them up in the way that they should go ; in piety and devotion , vertue and goodness . god almighty reward those ( as most certainly he will ) who so faithfully discharge this greatest of trusts : and give the poor children his grace , to be duly affected with , and carefully to improve , so inestimable a blessing . in the hospitals of s. bartholomew and s. thomas , you bestow your charity on the sick , lame , and wounded , who must inevitably perish , and while they live lie in great misery , without the help of charity . and ( as you have now heard from the paper ) there are such great numbers of these miserable people received into these houses , that they must be very large contributions that will defray their charges . and these objects of charity you shall not need to be told , are sad ones indeed . 't is a lamentable thing to be destitute of food , fire and cloathing ; but over and above these wants , to want health too , or the vse of limbs , which wants render uncapable of supplying the other ; and to have excessive pain added to extreme poverty : oh what a pitiable case is this ! what is given to the hospital of bridewell contributes to the maintaining of poor youths , and fitting them for trades , and putting them out to them : which are much like objects of charity with those in the hospital of christs church . it farther contributes towards the reducing of vicious people to sobriety ; which , whatever the success be , is never the less acceptable charity ; endeavour being our work , and not success . and what is bestowed here , helps also to the relieving of indigent , miserable people ; and to the sending of poor vagrants to the places which ought to be their homes , that are bound by law to take care of them ; and to their relief and subsistence in the mean time . and though many i fear of these last do much more need than deserve your charity , yet this is so far from being a good objection against giving to them , that it carrieth with it a no small motive thereto , viz. that this is imitating the charity of our heavenly father , who is kind , as our saviours words are , to the vnthankful and to the evil. and if those should want the charity of heaven who are far from deserving it , we should all go without it . but i am not now encouraging you to any great liberality towards our street - vagrants ; and much less to such of them , as are not by age , or loss of eyes or limbs , disabled from working . the truth is , the so swarming , and i doubt daily encreasing , of common beggars , is a great temptation to reflect upon our government . and lastly , as to the hospital of bethlem : lord , how deplorable is the condition of those , for whom your charity is here desired ! of those who have lost their reason , and so are rendred as vnuseful to themselves as to the world ; and have left them but little more , to make them distinguishable from brute creatures , than the shapes and tongues of men and women ! but the case of lunaticks is too lamentable to need aggravation , for the raising of compassion . those therefore can be no less void of sense than these poor souls , who need to be told , that what is given towards the reducing of such as are destitute of other help to their right minds , is extraordinary charity . and now let me commend those words of the author to the hebrews , ch. . . to your very serious consideration : remember them that are in bonds , as bound with them , and them which suffer adversity ; as being your selves also in the body . that is , as being liable your selves , whilst you are in this world , to the same adversities . the richest man among us hath no assurance , but that he may be as poor as iob. the healthiest and soundest of us all , cannot promise himself , that he shall not live to be as full of sores , as was that good man and lazarus in the parable ; or as miserably diseased as the most languishing people in either of our hospitals . the ripest wits and best - parted in our city do little know , but that they may end their days in bedlam . and the best security we can have from such like calamities , is to sympathize with , and extend what relief we are able to , such-like sufferers . as on the other hand , 't will be most just with god so to abandon us by his providence , as to permit our falling into very miserable circumstances , if we have little compassion for our fellow-christians , or fellow-creatures in misery . and whensoever this may happen , ( as god only , knows what a day , or what an hour , may bring forth ) how must then our consciences needs upbraid us , as ioseph's brethrens did them , when they said one to another , we are verily guilty concerning our brother ; in that we saw the anguish of his soul , when he besought us , and we would not hear : therefore is this distress come upon us . i doubt i have tired your patience , but i can't however conclude , till i have addressed my self , in a few words , to those of you whose hearts and souls are in doing good : who chiefly value your riches upon the account of the good you are inabled by them to do in the world : who cheerfully embrace all opportunities of expressing a compassionate and charitable temper . the great s. paul , ( who next to our blessed saviour , was the most wonderful example of charity the world hath known ; though he was not in circumstances to be so of that part of it which consists in alms-giving ) : s. paul , i say , assures such as you , that god is not vnrighteous , to forget your work and labour of love : and that , you who sow bountifully , shall reap bountifully . and therefore , as it follows , every man according as he purposeth in his heart , so let him give not grudgingly , or as of necessity , ( or , as being constrained by importunity ) for god loveth a cheerful giver , cor. . , . and give me leave to read what follows to the end of this chapter . and god is able to make all grace abound towards you , that ye alwaies having all sufficiency in all things , may abound to every good work ; or may still have plenty for all charitable works : as it is written , he hath dispersed abroad , he hath given to the poor , his righteousness remaineth for ever . or , his charity . and therefore he hath ever wherewithal to be charitable . now he that ministreth seed to the sower , both minister bread for your food , and multiply your seed sown , and encrease the fruit of your righteousness ; or , of your charity . being inriched in every good thing to all bountifulness , ( or , having enough to be liberal at all times ) which causeth through us thanksgiving to god. or , gives us occasion to bless god for all his blessings bestowed on you . for the administration of this service , not only supplieth the want of the saints , but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto god. or , causeth mighty thankfulness to god from those that are relieved by you , and those that are beholders of your charity . while by the experiment of this ministration they glorifie god , for your professed subjection to the gospel of christ ; and for your liberal distribution to them , and to all men . and by their prayer for you , which long after you , ( or are in love with you ) for the exceeding grace of god in you . thanks be to god for his vnspeakable gift . or , for this his great and unspeakable gift of charity . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e psal. . . eccle. . . ch. . . ch. . . ch. . . ch. . . deut. . . see dr. hammond's note on this place . john . . esay . . iam. . . jer. . . stromat . lib. p. . hicrocles . jam. . . mat. . . ch. . . cor. . . gal. . . cor. . . prov. . . luke . . gen. . . a sermon preached at the general meeting of gloucestershire-men, for the most part inhabitants of the city of london in the church of st. mary le-bow, december the th, / by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at the general meeting of gloucestershire-men, for the most part inhabitants of the city of london in the church of st. mary le-bow, december the th, / by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed by t.b. for brabazon aylmer ..., london : . errata: p. . reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- peter, st, ii, -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a sermon preached at the general meeting of gloucestershire-men ; for the most part inhabitants of the city of london : in the church of st. mary le-bow , december the th . . by edward fowler d. d. london , printed by t. b. for braybazon aylmer , at the sign of the three pidgeons in cornhill . m dc lxxxv . to my honoured countrymen mr. john haynes mr. aaron pengry mr. richard bishop mr. gwynnet freeman mr. edward sandys mr. edward davis mr. anthony partridge mr. stephen rose mr. john ferrers mr. william till . the stewards of the late gloucestershire-feast . gentlemen , the sermon which , in complyance with your desire , i preached to a very numerous meeting of our country-men ; and the publishing of which you since requested , i here present you with : and god grant that this plain discourse , composed in a hurry of other business , may in some measure contribute to the better observance of the great praecepts of fearing god , honouring the king , and loving one another , therein recommended and inforced . then shall i have great cause to be thankful , as to almighty god , for his blessing on this endeavour , so to your selves , for putting into my hands this opportunity of doing good . i am gentlemen , your affectionate countryman and humble servant edward fowler . a sermon preached at the gloucestershire-feast , pet. . . — love the brotherhood , fear god , honour the king. that the religion of which our lord jesus is the founder , is most admirably fitted for the making mankind as happy as they are capable of being in this world , as well as in the world to come , is a no less certainly true than common observation : as also that it tends as much to the happiness of societies and bodies politick , as of single persons . and were i to give a demonstration of this , i should need to do more than propose to your consideration , this one short verse , honour all men , love the brotherhood , fear god , honour the king. if christians generally practised the four duties , which our blessed lord , by his apostle st. peter , here enjoyneth ; if they gave all men the respect due to human nature , to the relations they stand in to each other , and the rank and circumstances god hath placed them in ; if they loved one another as brethren , the children of the same father , indued with one common nature , and redeemed by one saviour ; if they revered the divine majesty , and dreaded the wilful transgression of any one of his laws ; and under god honoured their kings , as his immediate representatives and vicegerents : if ( i say ) christians were generally as willing to put these duties in practice , as they are to acknowledg their obligation to them , i need not tell you , that to live in christendom , would be , to live in a heaven upon earth ; and in all likelyhood in a short time , the whole world would be taken into christendom . in the handling of this text , i shall begin with the duties of fearing god and honouring the king ; and spend the rest of my discourse upon that of loving the brotherhood : each of which three arguments doth well suit with the occasion of this meeting , but more especially the last . in the prosecution of these words , fear god ' honour the king , i will endeavour to shew these three things . first , what it is to fear god. secondly , what to honour the king. thirdly , that there is a necessary connexion between these two , fearing god , and honouring the king. first , we will shew ( and that very briefly ) what is implyed in this precept , fear god. . to fear god is to be possessed with an holy awe and reverence of his infinite majesty , of his glorions attributes and perfections . particularly of his irresistible boundless power , of his absolute dominion over us , and the whole world , of his infinite wisdom and knowledg , of his unspotted purity and holiness , of his uncorrupted justice , and his inexhaustible goodness . the fear of god doth presuppose an hearty belief and acknowledgment , that all these perfections are in the divine nature , and implyeth in the first place , the being affected with awe and reverence towards god , upon the account of all these . he who understandingly believes the existence of god , must necessarily believe him to be a being absolutely perfect , and consequently must believe that he hath all these perfections : of this natural light assures men , no less than divine revelation . and therefore the philosophers , who were hearty asserters of the deity ( which the epicuraeans were not , as tully confidently , and with great reason affirms ) have abundantly preached this doctrine , as well as the prophets and apostles , concerning god. and he , i say , that fears god , doth so believe this doctrine , hath so lively and vigorous a sense of the truth thereof , as to have an holy awe and dread of the divine majesty upon his spirit , upon the account of the foresaid perfections of his nature : each of which singly and much more altogether , do make him an object of the greatest reverence , awe and fear ; and each of them doth necessarily attract fear from him who considers it . you may object , that the last of these perfections , viz. the divine goodness , doth not seem to be attractive of fear , but of love and gratitude . i answer , that it is no less attractive of fear , than of love and gratitude : not of a slavish but of a fillial fear , which is founded on love and gratitude , and necessarily results from them . and therefore the prophet hosea . ch . . . praedicts concerning the children of israel , that they shall fear the lord , and his goodness , in the latter days . . the fear of god implyeth also the expressing of this inward fear and reverence in our outward conversations , in all the actions of our lives . and it is impossible , where there is an holy awe of god in the heart , but it must express it self in the life . in short , this is , in the general , the true character of the man that feareth god ; he is one who escheweth evil. it was part of job's character , that he feared god , and eschewed evil ; which are two phrases to express the same thing ; and so are departing from evil and fearing god , prov. . . fear the lord and depart from evil . he that fearetb god is one , that though he may happen to transgress a law of god before he is aware , and may be surprized into a sin , yet dares not sin deliberately , nor allow himself in the doing of any thing which god hath forbidden , nor in the neglecting of any thing god hath commanded . and therefore he endeavours sincerely to acquaint himself with his whole duty . he is one who dreads more to offend the great god , than to provoke the greatest of men : as knowing that these have done their worst , when they have killed the body ; whereas almighty god is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. which is our saviours motive to the making of god the object of our greatest fear . mat . . the man that feareth god is so affected with those words , as to be incomparably most afraid of the evil of sin. and , no longer to insist upon this mans character , he who fears god doth exercise himself ( with the blessed apostle ) to have always a conscience void of offence , both towards god and towards men : and this is his rejoycing , the testimony of his conscience , that in simplici●y and godly sincerity , not by fleshly wisdom , but by the grace of god , he hath his conversation in the world. secondly , i proceed to shew what it is to honour the king. this implieth these following particulars . . the revering of him as gods vicegerent , as his immediate representative . kings are called the ministers of god. he is the minister of god to thee for good . rom. . . the higher powers , in the same chapter , are said to be ordained of god. v. . . there is no power but of god , the powers that be are ordained of god : whosoever therefore resisteth the power , resisteth the ordinance of god ; for which reason ( as it follows ) they that resist , shall receive to themselves damnation . kings are said to reign by god , or by virtue of the commission they receive from him : by me kings reign , and princes decree justice ; by me princes rule , and nobles , even all the judges of the earth . prov. . . that is , by god immediately kings reign , and inferiour magistrates by god mediately , as receiving their commissions immediately from the king , who is impowred by god to give them . again kings are called the anotnted of god ; even cyrus , though a heathen prince , is so called . thus saith the lord to cyrus his anointed , isaiah . . and lastly , god hath put his own name upon them : i have said ye are gods. thou shalt not revile the gods , nor curse . ( or speak evil of ) the ruler of thy people . exod. . . now this being so , in the honouring of the king , is manifestly implied , the honouring him as gods vicegerent and representative , as the person whom he hath commissionated to rule under him. this is to honour the king , which a man may be short of doing , and yet have reverence for his person : for honour or reverence is due to all men. honour all men , saith the apostle before my text ; but to reverence the king , under the notion of gods minister , gods deputy and vicegerent , this ( i say ) is to honour the king. this is to honour him as a king ; and therefore he who honours him not under this notion , though he may honour that person who is the king , he doth not honour the king : or ( which is the same thing ) he gives him not that honour that is due to the king. . in honouring the king is implyed , expressing the reverence we bear to him , as god's vicegerent , by yielding obedience to his laws , from a principle of conscience . whatsoever honour we express to his person , that is not accompanied with the observance of his laws is insignificant ; nay 't is a perfect mockery of him . and our king may say what our and his great master did , luk. . . why call ye me lord , lord , and do not the things which i say ; this is shameful hypocrisy . and as without obedience , so without obedience from a principle of conscience too , our honouring the king will fall far short of our duty , and be far from speaking us truly loyal . . to obey the kings laws , merely for fear of the penalties annexed to them , is not loyalty : 't is neither christian , nor true loyalty . this is not christian loyalty : for the apostle hath told us , that we must needs be subject , not only for wrath , but also for conscience sake . rom. . . and st. peter saith , ep. . . submit your selves to every ordinance of man , or to every ordinance of man , which doth not contradict any ordinance of god : and , god be thanked , no people in the world have better laws and ordinances , than those of our king are . but now , how doth the apostle say , we must submit to every ordinance of man ? it follows , for the lords sake ; whether it be to the king as supreme ; or unto governours as unto them that are sent by him , &c. now to submit for the lords sake , and to submit for conscience sake , are the self same thing ; for the lord alone can immediately bind the conscience , and the king binds the conscience by his laws , as the great god hath obliged us , upon pain of damnation , to observe them . that is , all such laws ( as i now said ) as are not contrary to his own : for as to all such as are contrary to them , we must reply as the same apostle did , vvhether it be righteous in the sight of god , to hearken unto men more than unto god , judg ye . acts . . but , god be praised , vve have not any occasion to use these words to our governours . furthermore , we are so to obey the king , as not only not to disobey god in obeying him , but likewise so as to obey god in obeying him . and he obeyeth god in obeying the king , who obeyeth him , as god 's immediate representative : and thus to do ( as hath been shewed ) is to obey him as a king. and therefore not so to do , as it is inconsistent with christian , so also with true loyalty . but to obey him from mere fear of punishment , is , to give the king such obedience , as the poor indians give to the devil worship ; it is to obey him only as one who hath gotten us under his power , and who will have his will upon us , whether we will or no. thus we would obey the great turk , were we his vassals , or any usurping tyrant ; and consequently , to be subject to our lawful king , from the mere principle of fear , is no loyalty at all . and , . the like is to be said of obeying him merely for our own temporal interest , for the making our selves rich and great under him , or for the bettering of our fortunes . all kings have ever had too many such loyal subjects , who , whilst loyalty serves their turns , set up for mighty royalists , but when nothing more is to be gotten by it , but especially when any considerable danger attends it , shake hands with their loyalty , and will by no means be held to their allegeance , by the mere sense of their duty ; nor by the most sacred oaths , again and again repeated . that blessed martyr king charles the first , had woful experience of such loyal subjects , and so hath our present gracious soveraign had too . when a king is in prosperous circumstances , and able to reward plentifully whatsoever services are done him , there needs nothing but an eager desire of wealth , or honour , or both , to excite to the making a mighty shew of loyalty . but if he chance to be so unfortunate , as that more is to be hoped for by deserting his interest than cleaving to it , there is the tryal of true loyalty . but , if this tryal happen ( as god grant it may never among us again ) that subject who is indued with this principle , will be stript stark naked of all his enjoyments , and part with his heart-blood to boot , rather than forsake or prove false to his prince . and abundance of brave instances of such a loyalty , god be thanked , we have known . but he who will be loyal no longer than he hath a motive from worldly interest so to be , is far from being obedient to the praecept in our text , of honouring the king : and consequently , is a mere pretender to loyalty , let him seem to value himself never so much upon it . he may be rewarded by the king , who knows not breats , or inward principles , as a loyal subject , but he must expect no reward from the king of kings . thirdly , i come to shew , that there is a necessary connexion between these two , fearing god and honouring the king. we find else where likewise these two joyned together , viz. by king solomon , prov. . . my son fear thou the lord and the king , and meddle not with them that are given to change ; and it follows ; for their calamity shall rise suddainly , and who knoweth the ruin of them both ? or what ruin attends them , both from god and the king. and what hath ( by the way ) been more observed , than the fulfilling of this threatning upon rebellious people , and traiterous conspirators ? now there is very great reason , why these two precepts should go hand in hand , viz. because there is a necessary connexion between the duties enjoyned in them , and that a mutual connexion too . so that he cannot honour the king that fears not god ; and on the other hand , he cannot fear god , who honours not the king. . he who fears not god cannot honour the king. i have shewn that to honour the king as such , is to honour him as god's representative ; but how can he honour the king as representating god in his kingdom , who hath no due reverence for god himself ? again you heard , that to honour the king , is to express our reverence by submitting to his government , and observing his laws from a principle of conscience , and for god's sake . but how can he who fears not god thus submit and be obedient to the king ? who can expect , that he should obey the kings laws , because god ' hath commanded him , who makes no conscience of living in disobedience to gods own laws ? a man that is so void of the fear of god , as to live in the plain breach of his holy commandments , will make no bones , of breaking the kings laws , when he thinks he may do it safely , and it makes for his interest . this is so evident as to need no more words . he again that honours not the king cannot be said to fear god. for as the apostle faith , he that loveth him that begat , loveth him also that is begotten of him . and , ●f we love not our brother whom we have seen , how can we love god , whom we have not seen ? so he who honoureth not the king who reigneth by god , and hath his authority from him , doth not honour or fear him by whom he reigneth , and who hath given him his authority . he who revereth not the divine authority which displayeth it self in gods vicegerents , will not revere it in god himself . and the like is to be said , as to obedience to the kings laws , he who makes not conscience of obeying these , supposing them not contrary to the laws of god , will not be obedient to gods own laws ; because it is a great law of god , that we should obey such laws of our kings . to make a short application of this past discourse ; as we would have our professions of loyalty believed to be syncere , let us give the world a demonstration thereof , by our fearing of god. if we be prophane and wicked , though we may do some externally loyal actions , and may be in some instances what the world calls loyal , yet 't is manifest from what hath been said , that we are devoid of the true principle of loyalty , and may no more be called loyal men , than , in regard of our doing some externally pious actions , we may be called godly men . besides can people who live in the constant transgression of the kings laws , be said to be loyal men ? but if we are debauched and wicked , if we stick not at profaning the name of the great god by swearing , or can give our selves leave to be intemperate drinkers , or to commit uncleanness , or the like , we break our kings laws , as well as gods. even nine commandments of the ten are incorporated into the laws of our country ; and so , no doubt , would the tenth have been too , but that the sin of covetousness , being a sin of the heart , falls not within the reach of human cognizance . pretend we therefore to honour the king as much as we please , if we live not sober , righteous and godly lives , we are insyncere in such a pretence . the loyalty we brag of lyes but in a few instances , and in these ( i need not mind you again ) we are not truly loyal , as not being so from the true principle : and therefore our loyalty is by no means such as his majesty can securely trust and confide in . king david was very sensible , that those who fear not god , are not to be trusted as faithful subjects : for he saith , psal. . . &c. a froward heart shall depart from me , i will not know a wicked person . who so privily slandereth his neighbour , bim will i cut off ; him that hath a high look and a proud heart , will not i suffer . mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land , that they may dwell with me . he that walketh in a perfect way , he shall serve me , &c. for god's sake , what security can we give of our faithful adherence to god's vicegerent in all his circumstances , if we are false and perfidious towards god himself , and live in the breach of that solemn vow , we made in baptism , and renew from time to time in the lord's supper ? viz. to for sake the devil and all his works , the pomps and vanities of this wicked world , with all the sinful desires of the flesh , so as not to follow , or be led by them . what security can he give , that the oath of allegeance shall bind him fast , who makes nothing of breaking so much stronger a cord ? and therefore , as we would have all to conclude , that we honour the king , let all be satisfyed by our lives and conversations , that we fear god : and let us abominate such shameful hypocrisy , as to pretend to honour the king , whilst we don't fear god ; or to fear god , whilst we honour not the king. and so much for these two precepts , fear god , honour the king. i now go back to that which praecedes these , viz. love the brotherhood ; or love the brethrem . now men are our brethren , either in a more large or strict sense . in the most large sense of all , men of all nations and religions , even turks , jews and infidels , are our brethren . that is , as we have all one god for our father . have we not all one father , hath not one god created us ? saith the prophet . mal. . . and all men are brethren , as they proceed from one stock , and have one common-nature . in a more strict sence , all christians are brethren : all that prosess faith in christ ; and are members of the catholick church , these st. john calls the brethren . and all the members of a particular church , are brethren in a stricter sense than that ; and in a stricter sense than this ( to descend no lower ) those christians are called brethren , whose places of birth and habitation are so near together , as to stand in need of one anothers more immediate assistance ; and to be combined in all the same interests . for instance , those of the same town , city or county . now , though by the brotherhood , which in this place we are required to love , beonly to be understood christians ; because brotherhood is here distinguisht from all men ; honour all men , love the brotherhood : yet nothing is more evident from the praecepts of our saviour and his holy apostles , than that 't is our duty to love , that is , to be concerned for the welfare and happiness of all men , without exception : and 't is as evident , that we are obliged to love our fellow-christians in an higher degree than the rest of the world ; and that , according as christians are more or less like to christ , as also according to the more or fewer relations they stand in to us , 't is no less evident , they ought to be sharers in the degrees of our love. and what duty is so often inculcated , so vigorously urged , so passionately pressed , by our blessed lord and his apostles , as this of loving each other ? our lord hath told us , that a new commandment he hath given us , that we love one another , even as he hath loved us : that is , at least , that we love all universally , as he did , and that in such a degree as to tast death , the most ignominious and torturing death , for every man. and he makes this the great mark and character of his true disciples . by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if you have love one to another . and so desirous was he , that they should not be defective in his grace of love , that , among all the excellent petitions he put up for them , when he was upon leaving the world , john th . this is the only grace he particularly prays for in their behalf . v. st . he prays , that they may be one , even as he and his father are one . that they all may be one , as thou father art in me , and i in thee : that they may be united in love and affection , have one heart and one soul. and the reason for which he desires this , doth mightily recommend this grace , that they also may be one in us , that the world may believe that thou hast sent me . in which words is implied , that christians loving one another , would be a great conviction to the world , of the truth and excellency of the christian religion . and so it was in the first ages of christianity ; when as tertullian reporteth , it was a common saying among the pagans , ecce quam se diligunt christiani ! behold how these christians love one another ! though almost ever since the three first centuries , to our horrible reproach be it spoken , we have given them cause to cry out , ecce quàm se odio prosequuntur christiani ! behold how these christians hate one another . but to proceed , our lord 's beloved disciple thought he could never speak highly enough , of this grace of love : for he makes it the very definition of god himself . he tells us , that love is of god , and every one that loveth is born of god , and knoweth god. and we know , saith he , that we are passed from death to life , because we love the brethren . and that , he that loveth not his brother abideth in death ; or , he is a wicked wretch , and that , he who hateth his brother is a murtherer . nor is st. paul wanting in pressing this duty of love. owe , saith he , no man any thing but to love one another : for he that loveth another , hath fulfilled the law : or , this is that perfection of the law which christ requires . and he shews in the following words , that the whole second table is herein implyed . and ( in short ) the same apostle preferreth charity to all accomplishments and endowments whatsoever : to the speaking with the tongues of men and angels : to gifts of prophecy and understanding all mysteries : to all faith , even the faith of miracles , nay to the greatest zeal , such a zeal as will carry a man , evcn to the stake . and he sheweth that charity is so much to be esteemed above all these , that they are none of them worth any thing , or will avail in the least , without charity . cor. th . chap. much more might be added , to shew what mighty weight is laid upon this duty of loving one another : but it sufficiently appears by this little that hath been said . i have told you what our blessed saviour ( the stupendious example and pattern of love ) and what two of his apostles , say of it . i might add , that there is no one thing wherein mankind do more universally agree , than in the beneficialness of love and friendship , both to single persons and communities . that excellent heathen cicero , in his laelius tells us , that although many do contemn vertue it self , and others despise riches and honours , yet , de amicitia omnes ad unum idem sentiunt ; the whole world to a man , hath the self same opinion of love and friendship , that is , of the excellency and the necessity thereof , to the happiness of mankind . and before these words , he saith , that they seem to pluck the sun out of the firmament , who rob humane life of love and friendship ; than which we receive nothing from the immortal gods , that 's more excellent or more pleasant . and he makes it in the same book , his request to his friends , that they would prefer friendship before all humane things : so that , what ought to be so coveted , so earnestly pursued ? i say , so earnestly pursued , for this love of each other , accompanied with the love of god , is that which mainly constitutes the heavenly state. all that we know ( saith the poet ) the blessed do above , is that they sing , and that they love. but ( it being an old maxim , contraria juxta se posita mag is elucescunt ) i cannot more endear love and friendship to you , than by presenting you with some of the most mischievous effects and consequents of the contrary vices , ill will and malice , strife and emulation , &c. . i will mind you of some of those , by which the community must needs greatly suffer . one is , wicked partiality . what moses saith of a gift or bribe , is every whit as true of ill-will , emulation , &c. viz. it blindeth the eyes of the wise , and perverteth the judgment of the righteous . nothing is more natural to men , that are at variance and strife , than to saint all on their own side , and to reprobate their adversaries ; and when they have so done , no wonder if they see no sin in those , and deal with these in this world , as they wickedly presume , god almighty will deal with them in the other . and whatsoever furious people will own , 't is too likely that most of them think , that god is a being like themselves , and saves and damns men , not by fixed and standing laws , but by mere will and power . again , this strife and ill will , &c. destroys all the comfort and pleasure of conversation . and that as they engage the company in siding against one another , and in wrathful disputing , when they meet together for mutual enjoyment ; and also as they cause fear , and jealous mistrust , and so destroy all freedom in converse . again , when this ill will , emulation and strife , &c. come to be between great numbers , they have a most mischievous influence upon the government . nothing makes men so ungovernable . and therefore , traiterous , heady and high-minded , do well follow , false accusers , incontinent , fierce , tim. . . it is not possible that the government should carry it , with such an even and steady hand , as not to favour one side more than the other : nor is it indeed fit it should ; because it hardly ever so happens that one part hath no more right on it's side , than the opposite : and it would be strange too , if both should be equally guilty of injustice and transgressing the laws . now nothing is more natural , than for men of wrath and fury , to take high offence at those , who are in the least favourable towards their adversaries ; especially if they perceive them , to be one jot more in their favour than themselves . and i think they are far more apt to take this heighnously at their governours hands , than at their fellow-snbjects : because they always on each side pretend , to be most faithful to the interest of the government . now when once offence is taken at the government , whilst people are so generally acted by interest , much more than by principles of religion and conscience , i need not say that the government can be no longer secure from open violence , or private conspiracies , than till the offended party grows strong enough , to hope for success . oh how sad a felling , have we of this nation had , of the truth of this ! moreover this evil spirit , when 't is gotten into societies , tendeth mightily to the debauching of them . this it doth , as it takes men off , from following the business of their callings ; as it makes them idle and gadders about . the heads of those who are engaged in strife and contention , are too much heated , to mind , as they should do , serious business . and therefore they commonly employ themselves , as the athenians did , who spent their time in nothing else , than to tell or to hear , some new thing . vvhen they should be in their shops , and about their necessary affairs , you may find them in the coffee-houses , or in the taverns , caballing together : and as in the one they spend many pretious hours , one while in vain prating , and another while in seditious talking , or unchristian censuring , railing and reviling ; so in the other , in adding to these and the like immoralities , excessive drinking ; which i need not tell you , draweth after it other vicious and leud practices . i add also , that by this means they become great sufferers in their fortunes , and abundance break and run-out of all , and bring themselves and families , to a morsel of bread. vvhat a number of sad instances of the truth of this , have we of late years had in this city ! and lastly , strife and variance , if not timely abandoned , brings upon that kingdom , city or other society , utter ruin and desolation . this our lord himself hath told us , mat. . . every kingdom divided against it self , is brought to dosolation ; and every house divided against it self , cannot stand . and he intimates to us in the following words , that the devils are so wise , as to be aware of this ; and therefore will agree together , as natural as malice and contention are to them , and as great pleasure as they take , in imbittering mens spirits towards one another . there are innumerable instances of the truth of that saying of our blessed lord ; and the experience of those to whom he spake it , found it verifyed , within about half an age after , with a vengeance . the horrible feuds that were in jerusalem , did the romans business to their hands , and brought them under a fatal necessity , of a total destruction and desolation . again , . as the community must needs suffer thus by the means of those vices that are opposite to love , so are they the heaviest plague to those particular persons , in whom they reign , that can befal them . but the time will suffer me , to say but a very little to this argument . in short therefore thus . malice , revenge and fury , &c. are mightily uneasy and restless vices : they are a very hell to him in whom they dwell . they give not so much trouble and vexation to others , but that they give more to those men themselves , who entertain and gratify these lusts. all corrupt appetites whatsoever are of a tormenting nature , but 't is most especially true of them in whom the spirit of ill will is found , that they are like the troubled sea which cannot rest , whose waters cast up mire and dirt. this , farthermore , is the true spirit , and temper of the devil . s. james saith , chap. . . if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts , glory not and lye not against the truth ; this wisdom descendeth not from above , but is earthy , sensual , devillish . the pharisees who were acted by this spirit , our saviour calls the devil's children . ye are , saith he , of your father the devil , and the works of your father , ye will do ; he was a murtherer from the beginning , &c. in this , saith s. john , the children of god are manifest , and the children of the devil ; he that doth not righteousness is not of god , neither he that loveth not his brother . or the man who is guilty of this instance of unrighteousness , hating his brother , is in a more especial manner the child of the devil . no man doth resemble him so exactly , as doth this man. and envious and malicious kain is said by the same apostle , to be of that wicked one , of his spirit and temper , as if he were his natural off-spring , and begotten of the devil . consequently , this spirit and temper sets us at the greatest distance imaginable from god ; who is a most kind , gratious and benign being : whose tender mercies are over all his works . who is a being most placable and reconcileable towards repenting sinners : a being of wonderful patience and long-suffering , not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance . a being that considers our frame , and remembers that we are dust ; and is compassionate in all cases that are compassionable . and , lastly , 't is apparent from the foregoing account , that this spirit of malice and revenge , &c. puts men into the hellish state , and completely qualifies them , for the place called hell , and the company thereof , and for the worst of company there , the devil and his angels , for whom hell was originally prepared . a soul destitute of love , and fraught with the contrary qualities , when it goes out of this body , will be prest down by them into the bottomless pit : 't will as naturally sink down thither , as the stone , or any heavy body , falls to the ground . hell is the very center of all such souls . and therefore what remains , but that we hate this malign spirit , as we hate the devil ; and that we shun it , as we would do hell it self . as also that we make it the chief business of our lives , to get our selves intirely possessed , of the godlike spirit of love ; of that wisdom which is from above , which is first pure , then peaceable , gentle and easy to be entreated , sull of mercy and good fruits , without partiality , and without hypocrisy . but it may be objected , are we obliged to be united in love and friendship , with those who are enemies to all unity ; who do all they can to encourage faction and sedition in the state , and schism in the church ; and are enemies both to our ecclesiastical and civil government ? hereto i answer , . if we could all be perswaded to love one another , we should have no such offenders as these among us . all true love and unity hath its foundation ( as i shewed true loyalty hath ) in the fear of god : and where that is ( as i shewed too ) there will be submission to the higher powers . the combinations of traiterous , factious and schismatical persons ( and indeed of all wicked men whatsoever ) is , as the father saith , conspiratio non unit as , a conspiracy not an unity . but because we cannot expect in this depraved state of mankind , that so much as the major part should be induced with the principle of love , i answer , . that there is a twofold love , a love of complacency , and of mere good-will . now as to the love of complacency , that cannot be between persons of unlike spirits and tempers ; they cannot take delight in one another . a man of loyal principle and practices , can take no delight in a man of disloyal ones ; nor can any good man take delight in a wicked man , nor ought he so to do , if he could . but then we ought still to retain the love of good-will for such ; we ought in this sense to love their persons , whilst we hate their principles and practices . and we ought to express our good-will to their persons by pitying them , and praying for them , and using all endeavours to reclaim them . we ought ( as the apostle adviseth ) with meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves , if god per adventure will give them repentance , to the acknowledging of the truth . and when there is a necessity of exercising severity , it should never proceed from a principle of revenge ; but the design thereof ought always to be , the preservation of the government , and the reformation too of the offenders , when their punishment is not capital . so that in no case whatsoever malice and revenge , wrath and fury may take place among us . and all men whatsoever should be objects , either of our love of delight , or of good-will . and now , my honoured and dear country-men , god almighty grant , that this our happy meeting , may contribute towards the promoting and encrease of love among us : and fully answer the designs thereof expressed in the tickets , viz. mutual society and charity . and it is my humble request to you , that this our first feast , after a long discontinuance , may give a noble example to all succeedings ones , of forwardness to this great work of charity , the putting out to apprentice poor children of our country ; or otherwise releiving the most necessitous of our brethren . and farther , god almighty grant , that no other strife , no other emulation , may ever be discerned in our brotherhood , than these most highly praise-worthy ones , viz. who of us shall give the best demonstration to the world , of his fearing god and honouring our king ( or of honouring our king , from the true principle of fearing god ) and of sincere zeal for the interest of the government . who of us shall be most concerned for the religion of our truly apostolick church , in opposition to both its adversaries , popery on the one hand , and fanaticism , under all forms , on the other . and who of us shall most hate medling with either of those extremes , who would fain change our government , whether civil or ecclesiastical . a word or two more , and i will no longer trespass upon your patience . we have a country , i think , take it altogether , not inferiour ( to speak modestly ) to any one in england , both for riches and pleasure ; and a country that is honoured with inhabitants of great worth and great quality , equally with most in england . she hath indeed but a few of the nobility , but , among these , she can boast of one family of the very highest rank of nobles . and i can't but take notice farther , of the honour which some would have to be done our country , by an antient proverb , the like to which , no other place i ever heard of can lay claim to , except heaven it self : namely this , as sure as god is in gloucester-shire . our country 's so abounding heretofore with religious houses , hath been thought ( as dr. fuller , and others say ) to be the occasion of this proverb . but though those houses have been long gone ( which we have no cause to be sorry for , except their religion were better than it was ) i could be content we might never lose our proverb ; on condition that it may never for the future be prophanely used , as alass now it is ; and that this , for the time to come , may be the ground of it , viz. that gloucester-shire abounds , above all other countries , with love and friendship . then there may be a defence made for such a proverb as this : for though god be every where , yet is he most especially , and peculiarly , present there where love reigneth : for god is love , and those that dwell in love , dwell in god , and god in them : as st. john assures us . i say , upon so blessed an account as this , let this proverb ( so it be never , as i said , for the future , prophanely or irreverendly used ) to all generations be continued . the end . errata . page . l. . read no more . page . l. . read representing . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e viz. ever since the burning of london . his grace the duke of beauford's . a vindication of the divines of the church of england who have sworn allegiance to k. william & q. mary, from the imputations of apostasy and perjury, which are cast upon them upon that account, in the now publish'd history of passive obedience / by one of those divines. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a vindication of the divines of the church of england who have sworn allegiance to k. william & q. mary, from the imputations of apostasy and perjury, which are cast upon them upon that account, in the now publish'd history of passive obedience / by one of those divines. fowler, edward, - . p. printed for brabazon aylmer ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. a reply to abednigo seller's the history of passive obedience since the reformation. attributed to edward fowler. cf. nuc pre- . created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng seller, abednego, ?- . -- history of passive obedience since the reformation. government, resistance to -- great britain. church and state -- great britain. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a vindication of the divines of the church of england , who have sworn allegiance to k. william & q. mary , from the imputations of apostasy and periury , which are cast upon them upon that account , in the now publish'd history of passive obedience . by one of those divines . it is impossible but that offences will come , but woe unto him through whom they come , &c. luke , . . licens'd august th . . i. fraser . london , printed for brabazon aylmer at the three pidgeons over against the royal exchange , cornhill , . a vindication of the divines of the church of england , &c. i should hardly have thought it much worth any ones while , to concern himself about the now publish'd book , intituled , the history of passive obedience , were it not to prevent atheistical and debauched persons making use of it , to the scandalizing of weak and inconsiderative people against religion ; and the more hardening themselves in their contempt thereof , by seeing so great a body of the ministers of this church , so exposed to the world for apostates and perjured wretches , as they are in this book . but it seems to me to be absolutely necessary , for this reason , to take , at least , the design of this book into consideration , which is all i intend to do . and the apparent design of it is , as i now intimated , to make the world believe , that the generality of the divines of the church of england are fallen under the guilt of most shameful apostasy , and consequently , of perjury too , in the oaths they have taken to king william , and queen mary . had this history come abroad some considerable time before the first of august , i confess i should not have pass'd such a censure upon it , but had been obliged to hope , that 't was piously and charitably intended to prevent our clergy's scandalizing their people , and violating their own consciences : but since it comes thus late , the exposing of those who have taken these oaths , 't is most evident , is at least the principal design of it . and how well such work as this does become christians , and protestants , and members of our church , who , to justifie their refusal of these oaths , and to commend themselves to the world as stanch-men , and steady to their principles , are content to sacrifice to their own reputation , the good-names of all but a very inconsiderable number of their brethren , i leave to their own consciences and serious thoughts ; if ever they are at leisure to think seriously , or are capable of making sedate reflexions . all those of the clergy that have taken these oaths , are as expresly as can be , without running the most apparent danger of the law , blackned with apostasy from the doctrine of the church of england subscribed by them ; and very many of the most eminent of them by name , with basely deserting that principle , which they have heretofore publisht to the world in print , and been zealous maintainers and avowers of , viz. that of passive-obedience , or non-resistance of the higher powers , upon any pretence whatsoever . but i can scarcely desire a more easy task , than to shew that these new oaths are no whit repugnant to the asserting of the most absolute passive-obedience ; and that those who have skrewed up this point to the very highest peg ( as i ever thought some have done it much too high , thro' their non-attendance to the constitution under which we live ) may lawfully take these oaths , without recanting any thing they have preached or printed upon this argument : and own william and mary , without fear of contradicting what they have held about this matter , as not only de facto , but de iure too , their king and queen : for , first , can a prince who is justly provoked by another prince , to whom he oweth no allegiance , gain a more unquestionable title to his crown than that of conquest , when reasonable satisfaction hath been first denied him ? and will the highest asserters of passive-obedience , affirm it to be due from those , who are under no obligation of allegiance ? now this was the case of the prince of orange : for , . he was no subject to king iames. . king iames had given him very just provocations . surely his making so great advances towards the setting up of popery in his kingdoms , and the bringing in of a foreign power consequently , and the overthrowing of the laws , and quite changing the government , must needs appear to all impartial persons to be just provocations , since he was so very nearly concerned in these actings , by reason of his princess's and his own right of succession , to the government of these kingdoms . but what more sensible provocations could the prince receive , than was king iames his giving him so great reason to believe , that 't was his design to deprive his princess of her title of next successor to the crown , and for ever to exclude the immediate line ? . the prince having demanded in his declaration , satisfaction from king iames , and promis'd to referr his cause intirely under god , to a free parliament ; and that he would make no worse use of his army in the mean time , than for his own necessary security , he would by no means yield to any thing of compliance ; but betook himself to the most vigorous opposition of him , he could possibly make . and when he found himself forsaken of the best part of his army , and that the prince grew much too strong to be encountered by him , instead of yielding to his demand of a parliament , he revoked that summons of one , which before the princes landing , he was perswaded to send forth ; and leaving those who had to the last adhered to him to shift for themselves , as well as they could ; away he fled , both a first , and a second time fled , flung away the seals , and leaving no representative behind him , left the nation without government : not to mention here his putting himself wholly into the hands of the greatest and most formidable enemy , his three kingdoms , and all protestant nations , have in the world. now , what was this but a plain conquest ? 't was such a conquest in all its circumstances , as hath ever been acknowledged to give an unquestionably just title as far as concerns the conquered prince . i give this limitation , because i am aware 't will be objected , that though king iames was conquered , the nation was not , they not liking his cause so well as to side with him ; but generally received the prince of orange , as a glorious instrument , which they hoped god almighty had raised up , to bring them deliverance from the evils they suffered , and the much greater they saw very near approaching them . and those that now refuse to swear allegiance to him , were observed to be as forward as others , in expressing their affection to him ; at least many of them . in answer hereto , it must be acknowledged that the nation was not conquered : but all that follows from hence , is , that the prince would not have acquired a right to the crown against the nations consent . he had a very justifiable plea against king iames , but not against his subjects , had he gone about to make himself their king , whether they would or no ; since , having had no contest with them , he could notbe said to have made a conquest of them . and , as he never claimed the crown by the right of conquest ( which he could not have done prudently , nor justly neither , in regard of the engagement he was under from his declaration , as well as because he had no occasion given him of conquering the nation ) so their consent he had , if an assembly of the three estates may be call'd the nation : and i need not say , that he had more than their bare consent too . and as to the collective body of the nation , if it be divided into fourty parts , i believe i shall be thought sufficiently modest should i say , that he had the consent of no fewer than thirty nine of them . and as king iames had no wrong done him , since he must altogether blame himself , for being disabled to hold his crown , and for ought that appears to us , for leaving the nation without government ; so the princess of orange being crowned with the prince , and she giving her consent to his being crowned with her , suffered no wrong neither ; and she lost nothing of the honour , and nothing but the trouble of a crowned head. nor did her royal sister receive any injury , or met with the least unrighteous dealing , since her being put one remove farther from the crown , was first consented to by her self , for his sake to whom ( under god ) she was obliged for her being in a capacity ( a moral capacity i mean ) of ever wearing it . now whether the lords spiritual and temporal , with the freely elected commons of england , did light upon the very best method , for the settling of the government , and satisfaction of all parties , as it is not material to enquire ; so i doubt 't is impossible for us that are in an inferiour station , to determin : but i dare affirm , that the much greater part of the nation , and of the members of the church of england too , do think they did , from the general great satisfaction that hath been in all places expressed therewith . but as for those who do not approve of this method as the most desirable , if they cannot make evident proof of its being unjust , i am sure their refusing to acqui●ss in it , would be a notorious contradiction to the doctrine of passive-obedience ; since 't was pitched upon by those whose business alone it was to adjust this affair ; and to whom also they intirely referred it , in their voting for persons to be their representatives in the convention , which was summoned for no other purpose . and nothing is more evident , than that 't is inconsistent with all government , for private persons not to rest satisfied with the decisions of those , whose office it is to judge in the disputable and difficult points that relate to it . if the compilers of this goodly history will object to us , that king iames his subjects , ought to have stood by him against the prince of orange ; and therefore since it was through their default that he was conquered by him , they ought not to fetch an argument from thence , for their owning the prince as their rightful king. i reply , first , why then did not themselves stand by king iames ? why did themselves so silently look on , and see him conquered ? why did they not at least mind their people of their duty , and on pain of damnation excite them to it ? suppose there were hazard in the case , ought that to discourage the ministers of jesus christ from the performance of a necessary duty ? nay , how came it to pass , that so many of their party , did seem no less than others , highly to approve of the prince's enterprize , and to wish him success ? if they will ingeniously acknowledge , that these were inexcusable faults in them , why don't they make their repentance as publick as these faults were ? and believe it , very hainous ones they are , if they are faults . secondly , do they think that our not siding with king iames , which hath brought upon us these new oaths , is a contradiction to our doctrine of passive-obedience ? i have ever thought , that this doctrine makes it a duty to suffer , not to act ; and should we think that we are bound to stand by our king in wrong doing , and an unrighteous cause ( as we must verily believe his was , since we believe the prince's was very righteous ) we must be asserters of as unlimited an active-obedience to our kings , as these gentlemen are of a passive : and when we do so , we will give them leave to call us apostates with a witness : apostates from christianity it self , as well as from that one doctrine of passive-obedience : and to accuse us of bidding adieu to our baptismal vow , as well as of breaking an oath of allegiance . of which more anon . secondly , another argument for our owning william and mary , as our rightful king and queen against king iames , shall be taken from the circumstances he is brought into ; or rather into which he hath cast himself : which circumstances are such as make it absolutely necessary to the preservation of our religion , liberty and property , to the saving us from utter ruine , and from a deluge of all manner of miseries , zealously to stand by the present settlement . we know upon whom king iames hath cast himself , and in whose power he hath been , ever since he left this kingdom . we know that all the hopes he can now comfort himself with , of re-gaining his kingdoms , if by this time he despair not of it , are from the assistance of the most iesuited prince in the world but one , and the most barbarously cruel tyrant , and who hath not his match for horrible perfidiousness , that we know of , under the cope of heaven . we know that , if by his help he should at last have success , the protestants of the kingdom of france , as fearfully deplorable a state as he hath brought them into , cannot be more miserable , than will be these three protestant kingdoms . nay , we know too , that then this monster must be our king , and that king iames can scarce reasonably hope for so great an honour , as to be his vice-roy . these things i say , that humanly speaking , we know there is no avoiding ; and that without miracles from heaven , no means can save us from being the greatest objects of compassion , in all the world. and what shall we call those , who having so scaring a prospect of things before their eyes , shall refuse the only humane means for their preservation , in hope of miracles ? which only means no man can be so blind as not to see , is faithfully adhering to king william and queen mary . i need not add , that we know too , by sad experience , the strange wilfulness ▪ of king iames his temper , and that the iesuits have gotten him so perfectly under their own power , as to be the sole masters of his judgment and conscience ; that he hath been all along acted by such an implicite faith in their counsels , that his continual experience of the foolishness of them , could never make the least abatement of his confidence in them . and therefore , what wise man can hope , from the greatest security he can possibly give us , that our condition may be so much as tollerable under him , should he return to sway the scepter in these kingdoms , though the king of france had no hand in it ? those that so insist still on the perpetuity of the obligation of their oath to king iames , are inconsiderative to amazement , of the prior ▪ obliligation they are under , to their ▪ religion , and to the community of which they are members : which no after obligation can by any ▪ means cancel . and 't is the absurdest thing imaginable to suppose , that that for the sake of which principally , we are obliged to swear allegiance to our kings , viz. the safety and wellfare of the community over which they are placed , ought upon the account of this oath to be dis-regarded . as it is not a less profane thing , to think our selves bound to give them assistance , in such a cause , as their success wherein 't is morally impossible should not end in the utter ruine of our religion . those that propogate the contrary doctrine , i will not stick to say , make idols of their kings ; and they are the people to whom the world is chiefly beholden for arbitrary and tyrannical ones . and for my part , i must needs profess , that i could not with a safe conscience swear allegiance to the best king that ever held a scepter , while i thought my self obliged by that oath , to preferr his personal interest before his political , before the apparent interest of religion , or of the community . i can be sure of nothing , if i am out in this notion , that no oath can bind any longer , than the obligation thereof is consistent and reconcilable with the salus populi ; the well fare ( the spiritual and temporal well-fare ) of the people ; which is the sole end of all government . by salus populi i cannot be thought to mean the well-fare of any party ; i mean the well-fare of the whole , or of the generality of the community . and every private subject , who is capable of making a true judgment in any case , is easily able to make a judgment , when the safety of the community is in eminent danger . and though i know that maxim ▪ salus populi est suprema lex : the well-fare of the people , is the highest law ; may be liable to be abused to most villanous purposes , and likewise that it hath been very greatly abused in our own nation , yet 't is therefore never the less true ; but as evident a principle as any in nature . nor is it capable of being abused to worse purposes , than hath been the gospel of the grace of god , or the apostles doctrine of christian liberty . those that will mis-understand and abuse this maxim of government , shall dearly pay for it either in this world , or in that to come ▪ if not in both ; but wise men will not sooner part with it , because it may , or hath been the occasion of great mischiefs , than our good protestants will throw away their english bibles , in regard of the mischief which the papists tell them hath been done by them . and i could adventure to appeal to any unbyassed person , that competently understands the nature of government , in general , whether this great and unrepealable law alone , would not , in our present circumstances , devest king iames of his title to the governing of these kingdoms ; would not perfectly dissolve our obligation to him , and transfer the right to those who now reign over us . and methinks , though providence alone , be a very fallible topick to argue from , yet the very many amazing providences , by which these princes have been brought to the throne , and have carryed them through many extreme difficulties here , and are now a displaying in scotland , but especially in ireland , should add strength enough to other arguments to convince our greatest unbelievers of their right to be our sovereigns ; and that they have the broad seal of heaven for it . and i wish , that those , on whom such astonishing appearances of the hand of god can have no influence , would consider those words of the prophet isaiah , ch. . . lord when thine hand is lifted up , they will not see ; but they shall see and be ashamed , &c. and thus have i kept to my resolution when i first set pen to paper , to write no more lines than needs must , upon this argument . and the little that hath been said , as i am verily perswaded , is a sufficient vindication , even of their taking the new oaths , whom i cannot vindicate from having gone too far in their doctrine of passive obedience . nor shall i have the least controversy with these my brethren , though they should never change their minds about that point ; since having transferred their allegiance , they must needs also transfer their passive obedience to those , of whom we are mighty secure , they 'll make no such advantage of their making it so absolute , as king iames was preparing himself to do . finis . a sermon preached before the house of lords in the abby-church at westminster, upon thursday the sixteenth of april, being a day of publick thanksgiving to almighty god for the most happy discovery and disappointment of a horrid design to assasinate his sacred majesty, and for our deliverance from a french invasion / by edward lord bishop of gloucester. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached before the house of lords in the abby-church at westminster, upon thursday the sixteenth of april, being a day of publick thanksgiving to almighty god for the most happy discovery and disappointment of a horrid design to assasinate his sacred majesty, and for our deliverance from a french invasion / by edward lord bishop of gloucester. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed for b. aylmer ..., london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- psalms lxxxvi, - -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. great britain -- history -- william and mary, - -- sources. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the bishop of gloucester's thanksgiving sermon before the house of lords , at westminster-abby , april th . . die veneris o aprilis , . it is order'd , by the lords spiritual and temporal in parliament assembled , that the thanks of this house shall be , and are hereby given to the lord bishop of gloucester , for his sermon preached yesterday before this house , in the abby-church at westminster ; and he is hereby desir'd to print and publish the same . matt. johnson , cler ' parliament ' a sermon preached before the house of lords in the abby-church at westminster , upon thursday the sixteenth of april , . being a day of publick thanksgiving to almighty god , for the most happy discovery and disappointment of a horrid design to assassinate his sacred majesty , and for our deliverance from a french invasion . by edward lord bishop of gloucester . london printed for b. aylmer , at the three pigeons near the royal exchange in cornhill . . psal. lxxxvi . , . i will praise thee , o lord my god , with all my heart ; and i will glorifie thy name for evermore : for great is thy mercy towards me ; and thou hast deliver'd my soul from the lowest hell. or ( as it is in the margin ) from the grave . it is not worth our while to enquire , what particular deliverance from an extraordinary danger that was , which king david here expresseth , in very vigorous and emphatical words , his thankful sense of . 't is enough to observe to you , that it was from a design of uillains upon his life . this the next verse sheweth : o god , the proud are risen up against me , and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul , and have not set thee before them . and , the deliverance we are now met to commemorate , being of the same nature ; it being from an horrible conspiracy of blood-thirsty people , both foreigners and our own countrymen , against our king and his kingdoms ; his majesty from a barbarous assassmation , and all his good subjects not only from the loss of him , who is the very breath of our nostrils , but also from a most formidable invasion ready to follow it : i say , this being the deliverance which god almighty , in his undeserv'd and infinite goodness , hath now sent us , i take the words i have read to you , to be a subject very proper to employ our thoughts on , upon this joyful occasion . i will praise thee , o lord my god , with all my heart , and i will glorifie thy name for evermore : for great is thy mercy towards me ; and thou hast delivered my soul ( or life ) from the grave . or , great is thy mercy towards me , in delivering my life from the grave . the return which this pious king here makes to his great deliverer , was the engaging himself to praise him for his deliverance with all his heart , and to glorifie his name for evermore . and the example of this as good as great man , are we bound to follow ; tho' we need no example to excite us to make the same return for our deliverance , which is as great a one as his could be ; it being a most necessary and indispensable duty , thus to express our gratitude , for far less expressions of the divine grace and favour . in the handling of these words , i will endeavour to shew , i. what is implied in praising god with all our hearts , and glorifying his name . ii. that we are under the most necessary obligation thus to do , for our deliverances , and , consequently , for our other blessings . . what is implied in praising god ( the lord our god ) with all our hearts , and glorifying his name . i joyn these two together , because they are one and the same thing ; as god himself saith , psal. . . whoso offereth praise , glorifieth me . and glorifying god's name is expressed by singing forth the honour of his name , and making his praise glorious , psal. . . i need not inform those , who are not grosly ignorant of the divine nature , that 't is impossible to make any addition to the divine glory and praise . there is no greater contradiction , than that the glory of an infinitely-glorious being is capable of the least augmentation or diminution . but if a greater could be , it would be this , that it lieth in the power of any creature to add thereto or lessen it . to glorifie god , therefore , is to make his glory ( his essential glory ) to be more known . observ'd , and acknowledg'd . and by his essential glory , his glorious perfections are to be understood ; such as his power , wisdom , righteousness , holiness , and goodness . thus doth god almighty glorifie himself , namely , by displaying his perfections , and making men and angels behold them , in their admirable effects . and rational beings do glorifie him , by declaring such effects , and their affecting sense of them . when it is said , that god in all his actings designeth his own glory , we are to take notice , that the glory he designeth to himself is not a consequent of , but the self-same thing with , the illustration of his ' foresaid perfections , and making them known and manifest in various exertions and exercises of them . the glory he aims at , is , the making his intelligent creatures to feel in themselves , and to observe in other beings , his perfections in their productions . and 't is absolutely impossible for any creature , to give glory to god otherwise , than by rendering his glorious perfections more conspicuous , which are much eclipsed and obscured by the sins of men. in which sence sinners are said to dishonour god , and to rob him of his glory , and to turn his glory into shame . having thus explain'd the notion of giving glory and praise to god , i proceed to shew what is implied therein . and , first , it implieth a strong belief of our being principally obliged to god almighty , for our deliverances , with all other blessings ; and obliged to none but him otherwise than as his instruments . secondly , a grateful sense of our unspeakable obligations to him. st , it implieth a strong belief of our being principally obliged to god for our deliverances , &c. and to none but him otherwise than as his instruments . as those who are acquainted with , and do believe the h. scriptures , cannot doubt but that god is all in all to the whole universe ; that the most excellent creatures are perfectly dependent things , things immediately dependent on their creator , both for their well-being and their continuance in being ; that all their powers and abilities are from him , and preserv'd by him , so all hearry theists must acknowledg this , nothing being more knowable by natural light. and therefore tully stuck not to pronounce epicurus an arrant atheist , because tho' he profess'd to believe the existence of a god , he deny'd the divine providence , and that the affairs of men are under his care and government . and as to deliverances from open violence and secret conspiracies , and successes of war , nothing is better known , than that the pagans who retein'd any sense of religion , have always ascrib'd them to the protection and assistance of their gods. even those brutish idolaters the philistins , upon the slaying of their great enemy king saul , and vanquishing his forces , did shew to whom they acknowledg'd themselves obliged for this great victory , by putting his armour in the house of their gods , and fastning his head in the temple of dagon , chron. x. . . giving glory and praise to god for deliverances and other blessings , implieth a grateful sense too of our being obliged to him for them . the meer belief hereof , i need not say , is a most insignificant thing without this . and 't is equally necessary to express this sense , by praising him with joyful lips , and by living to his praise and glory . nor can we glorifie and praise him with all our hearts , but by joyning these two together . and therefore offering praise , and ordering the conversation aright , are conjoyn'd by the psalmist in the words following those forecited ones , he that offereth praise , glorifieth me. as to the former of these expressions of gratitude , what noble strains do we find of praise and thanksgiving , in the h. scriptures , and especially in the psalms ! as , bless the lord o my soul , and all that is within me bless his holy name . bless the lord , o my soul , and forget not all his benefits . who forgiveth all thine iniquities , and healeth all thy diseases . who redeemeth thy life from destruction , and crowneth thee with loving kndness and tender mercies , psal. . beg . i will extoll thee my god , o king , and i will-bless thy name for ever and ever . every day will i bless thee , and i will praise thy name for ever and ever . great is the lord , and greatly to be praised ; and his greatness is unsearchable . one generation shall declare thy works to another , and shall praise thy mighty acts. i will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty , and of thy wondrous works . and men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts , and i will declare thy greatness . they shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness , and shall sing of thy righteousness ; psal. . st to th v. and so he goes on admirably to the end of the psalm . but could we sing god's praises with the tongues of angels , we shall be far from glorifying him , from giving him the glory due unto his name , ( as we are called upon to do ) except we live them too ; except we are led by the great things god doth for us , to a more careful observance of his righteous laws . the praises of the disobedient do him no honour , since the lives of such do give the lye to their tongues . such will never be believ'd to praise god in earnest , for it may well be concluded , that the principle which will make a man sincere in his praises , must needs excite him to real expressions of thankfulness , no less than verbal ones . it is not to be imagin'd , that those who take but little care , to do what is acceptable in the sight of god , and stick not at wilfully and deliberately offending him , can have any great sense of their being much obliged to him. and god doth lay so great weight , upon being glorified by our lives , that this is his great design in obliging us as he doth . and we read particularly of deliverances from our enemies , that they are sent us for this end , luke . . that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies , may serve him without fear , in holiness and righteousness before him , all the days of our life . king david , upon his deliverance ( as 't is very probable ) from the imminent danger he was in from his son absalon , brake forth into such expressions as these ; i love the lord , because he hath heard my voice and my supplication : because he hath inclined his ear unto me , therefore will i call upon him as long as i live . i will lead a more devout and religious life . thou hast delivered my soul from death , mine eyes from tears , and my feet from falling . i will walk before the lord in the land of the living . or , therefore i will do so ; i will be more caresul than ever , to walk uprightly before him. what shall i render unto the lord for all his benefits towards me ? i will take the cup of salvation , and call upon the name of the lord. i will pay my vows unto the lord , now in the presence of all his people . o lord , truly i am thy servant , i am thy servant , thou hast loosed my bonds . or , by thy having set me free from the fear of mine enemies , thou hast laid a new obligation upon me , to be thy servant , thy faithful servant . the israelites ( as the psalmist observes ) remembred that god was their rock , and the high god their redeemer ; and they remembred this in songs of praise to their rock and redeemer ; he had enough of these from them ; but their hearts not being upright with him , as it follows , and they not being stedfast in his covenant , 't is said , they flattered him with their mouth , and lyed unto him with their lips. all their thanksgiving songs ( and sacrifices too ) were of no better account with god than meer mockeries , and were in themselves no better . we our selves can have no better opinion of the thanks we receive from those we have obliged , tho' they are never so solemn and seemingly hearty , when at the same time we observe an aversion in them , to answer our reasonable expectations from them . tho' we read of but one fault charged upon that excellent prince hezekiab , namely , that his heart was lifted up ; that he had a too high opinion of himself , by means of his being magnified in the sight of all nations , upon the most miraculous deliverance which god had sent him , from an irresistible invasion ; yet , upon this single account , he is said not to have render'd according to the benefits done unto him ; and it follows , that therefore there was wrath upon him , and upon his people , chron. . . therefore god punish'd him , and took this occasion to be very severe upon his people , for former provocations . and this leads me to shew , dly , that we are under a necessary ( the most absolutely necessary ) obligation , to praise the lord our god with all our hearts , and to glorifie his name for evermore ( as these phrases have been expounded ) for all god's blessings in general , and for our deliverances from our enemies in particular . i will not here insist upon god's command , whose will and pleasure must as such be obey'd , but upon those reasons on which this command is founded . and those reasons do speak this duty , not only a branch of natural religion , but as clearly discernable to be a duty of the most indispensable necessity , at first sight , as is any corporeal object apparent to our outward senses : so that no man in his wits can doubt , whether he be bound to glorifie god both with his lips , and by his life , for the great expressions of his goodness to him . now the reasons on which our obligation hereto is grounded , over and above the command of god , and which are the foundation of god's willing to be glorified by us , are these two . . thus to do is the most comely , the most fit , just , and good thing in it self . . it is the most beneficial and good thing for us . . 't is the most comely , the most fit , just , and good thing in it self . praise is comely , saith the psalmist , psa. . . and praise is comely for the upright , ps. . . gratitude is highly becoming , meet , fit , and good in its own nature , without considering it as an instance of obedience . and we have every whit as lovely an idea of gratitude , as we have of obedience , not to say a more lovely , gratitude being the principle of the most lovely obedience . 't is as disbecoming and unjust , on the other hand , to be ungrateful , as to be disobedient . i mean , the notion of ingratitude speaks it to be as unjust and vile a thing , abstractively consider'd , as the notion of disobedience , so consider'd , speaks it so to be . it is indeed commonly said , such a one is not bound in justice to do this or that , but he is in gratitude . i cannot say this is dishonest dealing , but 't is disingenuous . but we do ill to distinguish between justice and gratitude , and between disingenuity and downright dishonesty , otherwise than by making gratitude a distinct species of justice , and disingenuity of dishonesty and injustice . these differ only as one is more comprehensive than the other . whatsoever is an instance of ingratitude , is so likewise of injustice ; tho' every instance of injustice is not so of ingratitude : and no man can doubt , that 't is unjust to be ungrateful , since it cannot be question'd whether it be injustice to deny a due ; but gratitude is due ( naturally due ) to every benefactor : for which reason kindnesses are call'd obligations . he who is bountiful or merciful to us , hath by so being a right to our thankfulness and hearty endeavours to serve and please him . there is no notion that more seems to be born with us than this , tho' we nevertheless need to be minded of it , or to have it imprest upon us ; so corrupt is human nature . and , next to a sense of pleasure and pain , we discover none more early than a sense of gratitude : nay , we discern in some brutes that which is as like it , as an egg to an egg. and as solomon sent the sluggard to school to the poor pismire , to learn industry ; so may the dog of the ungrateful man , teach him gratitude . now , if love , thankfulness , and obedience are duties necessarily resulting from the relations of fathers , benefactors , and deliverers , how much of those must needs be due to the infinitely best of such ! his right to them in the highest degree is so necessary , that he can no more quit or surrender it , than it can be taken from him. he cannot will to forgo this right , any more than he can cease to be what he is , both in himself , and in reference to his creation . contradictions are not objects of power , and therefore not of the divine power . and farther , setting aside the divine will in this case , god cannot give us liberty not to glorifie him , because this would be to separate between things essentially inseparable ; which to suppose possible , is a monstrous contradiction . . the other reason on which this duty is founded ; this , of praising god with all our hearts , and glorifying his name for evermore , for our deliverances , &c. is , that thus to do is as good for us , and that necessarily , as it is just , fit , and good in itself . so that god must leave off to be concerned for the happiness of his creatures , according to their natural capacities of happiness , ( which so infinitely good a being cannot do ) should he cease to oblige us hereunto . now the sun at noon is not more clearly visible than it is evident to all , whose understandings are not blinded with vile affections , that there is the most necessary connexion between our interest , and the consciencious discharge of ●his duty ; even our interest relating to both worlds . and that we must be utterly unqualified for the heavenly happiness , and as incapable of all true self-enjoyment on this side heaven , and shall have much more of the brutish ( nay , the worse than brutish ) than of the human nature , while the blessings which are so heaped upon us , do not so affect us , as to engage us to live to the praise of that good-god , who has so highly merited at our hands . nothing is more plainly or easily demonstrable than this , as nothing hath been oftener , or more abundantly demonstrated . but good men need not demonstrations of it ; this is self-evident to all such : which may well excuse me from entring now upon so copious an argument , tho' my time would permit me , as it will not . now , to make application of what hath been discours'd to the present occasion , is it possible we should any of us be difficultly perswaded , upon such a deliverance as god has now again given us , to make these words of the devout king our own , or to repeat them with that sense of the divine goodness , which he expressed in them ? i will praise thee , o lord my god , with all my heart , and i will glorifie thy name for evermore ; for great is thy mercy towards me , and towards my king and country , in that thou hast delivered our souls from going down into the pit. is it possible , i say , we should not readily and cheerfully thus do for such a deliverance as this ? . and , in the first place , since so doing supposeth an hearty acknowledgment of god's being the author of it , can we think much of doing him this honour , which is the very least we can do him for it ? it may be censur'd as no good manners to ask any of those this question , who have now been joyning in the praises of god for this deliverance ; and i doubt it may be deservedly so censur'd , did we not too well know , that nothing is more common than mere formal addresses to almighty god , and drawing near to him with our lips , when our hearts are far from him. with which great hypocrisie , the prophet , in his name , charged even the generality of his country men , as devout worshipers , as they would have been thought to be , of the god of israel . and , i would to god that the incomparably greater number of our country men , be not as chargeable herewith as the israelites then were , althô the religion we profess so much excels theirs ! and as to the great sin of infidelity , i wish it could be said , that it does much less prevail among us , ( tho' we all call our selves christians ) than it did among the jews , even in the sadducean age. but however , we must give a better demonstration of our sincerely professing our obligation to god for this great deliverance , than our complyance with authority in the observance of this day . in some occurrences the hand of god appeareth much more plainly than in others . we ought to believe it to be in all , but it is to be seen in some ; so that those who discern it not , must shut their eyes on purpose that they may not . and among these may this deliverance be well reckon'd ; as , i hope , 't will appear anon . but there have been in the world , such wilfully blind and perverse people , as would not acknowledge god's hand , no , not in the most incontestable miracles . such were those of whom the prophet complain'd , that they regarded not the work of the lord , neither considered the operation of his hand . and those of whom the psalmist saith , that they understood not god's wonders in egypt . and , what strange examples were those of this perverseness , who had so many of the most wonderful miracles , wrought by our saviour and his apostles , before their eyes , and yet believ'd not ! ordinarily the divine concurrence with the free actings of men , and with natural agents , is not so discernible as that we are able to say , this is the divine part of the event , and that the humane , or merely natural ; tho' right reason , as well as the divine oracles , will not so exclude god out of any event , as to make him a mere spectator thereof , or a bare permitter of any more in it , than what is morally evil. for the notion of god's being the wise governour , as well as maker of the world , ( which is evident from the improvement of natural reason , as well as from revelation ; and therefore taught by the pagan philosophers , as well as by the jewish and christian divines ) will not admit of his being wholly unconcern'd inany occurrence whatsoever ; since very great things may be occasion'd , and very frequently have been , by as small and inconsiderable ones . i say , there are occurrences , and such as ( strictly speaking ) may not be called miracles , which have such circumstances belonging to them , that an impartial considerer of them , must necessarily see a special providence , and god's more immediate hand in them . and these are so far from being rarities , that all ages and countries have abounded with them . nay , i question , whether there be any one single person , who hath not experimented several such relating to himself . but as to publick and national instances of this kind , how full are the best historians of them ! to confine our selves to deliverances of kings and their people , out of great calamities , or from imminent dangers of falling into such : who , for example , can question whether there was an extraordinary divine hand , in the raising of cyrus for the deliverance of the jews from their seventy . years captivity , tho'he were an utter stranger to isaiah's prophecy ( in which he is foretold by name as their deliverer , above two hundred years before he was in being ) if he hath read tully's prince of historians herodotus , or xenophon , or justin ? in whose accounts of cyrus's birth , and preservation from being butcher'd as soon as born , by the commandment of his grandfather astyages , and of the most wonderful fortune that all-along attended him , from a poor shepherd's boy , to his advancement to a mighty empire , tho' i remember not one miracle recorded in his story , yet so long a series of marvelous events as we find therein , must needs have made the observers of them conclude him to be the immediate care of heaven , in order to the accomplishment of some glorious design . there was no miracle neither , in the jews deliverance from the cursed design of proud haman , but there was a concurrence of such happy events for the bringing it about , as spake it to be the peculiar work of god , as evidently every whit , as if it had been the atchievement of many miracles . but because i want time to enlarge upon examples of this nature , i 'le content my self to mention but two or three more , which shall be deliverances of our own kings , church and people . there was nothing properly miraculous in the discovery of the hellish pouder plot , but it being brought to light by such very strange means , ( which i hope few of us are ignorant of ) and so very late , that had it been delay'd but some hours longer , the astonishing blow would have given the first news of it , even cardinal bellarmin was so affected with the consideration of these things , as to acknowledge to the world that he looked on this deliverance , as no less than miraculous . the deliverance of king charles ii d from his twelve years banishment , and of his kingdoms from arbitrary government , oppression , and confusion , had no miracle neither accompanying it , but so great a number of the most surprizing things , all of a suddain follow'd upon the neck of each other , till they had made way for the king 's easie return , even without the effusion of a drop of blood , through the most inconquerable difficulties , that the divine power , wisdom and goodness were scarcely less eminently visible therein , than if no human means had contributed towards it . and what are we to think less of our late deliverance from popery and slavery , and as scaring a prospect as ever people had ? surely the most egregious folly of the jesuites counsels , as cunning shrewd fellows as the world , to that time , had long accounted them : the strong impressions which were upon the minds of great men abroad , even of both religions , to assist in promoting this deliverance : the unanimous agreement of so many of different sentiments at home , to the utmost to put to their helping hand : the so close concealment of so hazardous a design , which so many were privy to : the ordering of the wind : the strange dispiriting of those who ( humanely speaking ) had power , as well as will , abundantly enough to defeat this design : these , with many things more , are demonstrations that this mighty deliverance was no less the work of the almighty god , than that of the israelites at the red sea tho' it was not properly and strictly miraculous , as that was . i may well add to this , the deliverance of poor ireland afterwards , out of the most deplorable circumstances , it having been brought about by so many most signal events , as are enough to make a good volume . after the self-same manner , that tully ridicul'd the mad epicuraean hypothesis of the world 's being form'd by a lucky jumblement of atoms , may our infidels imputing such deliverances to mere fortunate chances , be expos'd to the laughter of all , who are but a remove or two from idiots . and we have great reason , to reckon the deliverance we are now commemorating , among the ' foremention'd . the hand of god so appears in this , that no thanks are due for it , to either any humane power or policy . the happy discovery of the horrible design to assassinate our gracious sovereign , and to back his murther with a powerful invasion , together with a mighty assistance from the combin'd forces of papists , and a strange sort of protestants among ourselves ; i say , the mere discovery hereof was our deliverance , like that of the gunpowder treason : which ( by the way ) was in some respects the less dangerous of the two , viz. as none but papists were engag'd in this , and there was no division among protestants at that time ; and we had then nothing so formidable an enemy to our neighbour , as we have now . as to the tragedy now to be acted , there was late notice from abroad of great french preparations , but no great apprehension from them of a design to invade us , till the assassinating part was brought to light . and the circumstances of the discovery hereof are such , as speak it the lord 's doing . and indeed without the knowledge of those circumstances ( which may hereafter be more fully publish'd ) whosoever believes a providence superintending the affairs of the world , will think it highly reasonable to impute this discovery to a secret impulse from him , who hath the hearts of all men in his hand , ( as the wise man saith of the hearts of kings ) and turneth them as the rivers of water . and to what can we ascribe so certainly the bringing to light such a hidden work of darkness as this was , and which was so very shrewdly laid , as to his special providence , from whom there is no darkness , nor shadow of death , ( to use elibu's words ) where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves ? since nothing is more worthy of infinite goodness , than to take the most special care of those , to whom is committed the care of whole nations ; and who are the greatest instruments of good to manking ; as all good kings are . and never did the welfare of any people in the world more necessarily ( under god ) depend upon the life of their king , than does ours at this time ( as our enemies well know ) upon the preservation of his life , who ( not as our conquerour , but for having been the glorious instrument of our deliverance ) now reigns over us . and who that is a hearty assertor of the divine providence , can find in his heart to impute an event of so mighty a consequence as this is , to god's bare permission , since he knows that the most insignificant and trivial matters can't come to pass without it ? and as to the invasion , what a providence was it that the wind should so constantly blow , for , i think , near a quarter of a year together , and in the winter too , from such points of the compass , as that the squadron design'd for the mediterranean , could not stir ! which if it had gone within that time , our island had been left naked of all defence . i am sure we concluded this stay of those ships , a very unhappy providence , and that it boded extremely ill to us , whereas it prov'd to be the happiest we could have wish'd for . little did we imagine that now god had sent us another protestant wind. to nothing better than most stupid infidelity can the not seeing god's immediate hand in this , be attributed by us . but , god be thanked , no body , would he never so fain , can now be so stupid or perverse , as to have the least doubt ' of even the basest and most barbarous part of this conspiracy ; as many as at first would have had it a sham ; it being confessed , under their hands , by two of those three papists who have suffer'd for it , and not denied by the third ; tho' they could not have wanted absolution , had they protested most solemnly in their old form , that they knew no more of it than the child unborn . but all they attempted was , the clearing their king from having any hand in it . and how did they this ? they only affirm'd , that they saw not , nor knew of any commission from him for it . and this they might truly affirm in the strict sence of the word [ know ] if they had never seen it , tho' it had been never so well attested to them . but those little understand what a papist is , who can think the conscience of any of them so strait laced , as to scruple so small an equivocation as this , to serve so highly meritorious a purpose , as the wiping off such a horrible scandal from a king so bigotted to the church of rome , as to part with three kingdoms for her sake . but 't is a jest which no sensible man can forbear smiling at , that there should be a commission for an invasion , but none for that on which their hopes of success did so much depend . . in the second place , since the hand of god is so apparent in this deliverance , let us not only acknowledg it , which ( as hath been said ) is the least honour we can do him for it , but let us most gratefully acknowledg it . and let us express our gratitude , by praising our great and most merciful deliverer with all our hearts , and glorisying his name for evermore , in the full sence which hath been given of these phrases . let us express it by crying out , with the same holy man , o magnifie the lord with me , and let us exalt his name together : by adapting the doxology of the mother of our lord hereto , my soul doth magnifie the lord , and my spirit doth rejoyce in god my saviour : and , above all , by more fearing to offend him , and more delighting to please him , for the time to come ; this being the great end and design of deliverances particularly , as hath been shew'd : and god almighty having told us the same thing , psal. . . i will deliver thee , and thou shalt glorifie me. and i need not repeat it , that the reforming of our lives is absolutely necessary to our glorifying of god. certainly , a very little ingenuity will constrein us to these expressions of thankfulness , if we well consider , first , what our deliverance is . secondly , what little reason , we had now , of any time , to expect such a deliverance . . if we well consider , what our deliverance is , and therefore seriously reflect upon what we are deliver'd from , we shall be presently satisfied , that no people under heaven ever had a greater . had our enemies accomplish'd their horrid design , upon the royal person of our sovereign , how would our faces have gathered blackness ! with what fearfulness and trembling should we have been seiz'd , upon the dreadful out-cry , the king is murther'd ! the king is murther'd ! and how would our hearts have failed us for fear , and for looking after the things that were coming upon us ! and what horrour and astonishment would have filled all places , upon the rushing in of so many thousands of bloody french , joyn'd with an army of unnatural english ! then would our streets have rung with as doleful moan , as that of the prophet jeremy , upon the babylonians invading his country : my bowels ! my bowels ! i am pained at the very heart ; my heart maketh a noise in me , i cannot hold my peace ; because thou hast heard , o my soul , the sound of the trumpet , the alarm of war ; destruction upon destruction is cryed . and like that of isaiah , in the name of jerusalem , upon the assyrian invasion ; look away from me , i will weep bitterly , because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people : for it is a day of trouble , and of treading down , and of perplexity by the lord of hosts . and what frightful spectacles should we have been forced to behold , while our selves were not among those spectacles ! such as dead bodies covering our streets , and blood running down the kennels : our houses all on a flame : the ravishing of wives and daughters ; and all manner of salvage outrages . and should an entire conquest at last have been made of us ; which , considering all our circumstances ( not now to be mention'd ) would , in the eye of reason , have been inevitable , without god almighty's wonderful interposing , and been but a short work too , our religion , liberty , property , every thing valuable and worth the keeping , would for ever have taken leave of the survivers of those calamities ; and of how many succeeding generations also , god only knows . for who needs be told , that tyranny and cruelty are inseparable from popery , wheresoever it has its full swing , and is under no restreint ; and nothing in nature is more evident , than that now it would be so . for , at least , our protestant allys must undoubtedly in a little time , have drank as deep as our selves , of the same bitter cup. and now , to digress a while , could our restless protestant country-men , who have long'd for nothing more than the downfal of this government ( as easie as they might , if they would , live under it ) could they have hoped that this bitterest of cups should have past from them ? we know they more than hoped it , they presumed it would , or they could never have adventur'd to engage with popish foreigners , and the most deadly enemies in the world to england , in such a conspiracy . but never was faith built upon such foolish evidence . for , if we can be certain of any futurity , we may be of this , that , had their design prosper'd , they would have been so far from not being involv'd in the sad circumstances of the friends of this government , that they must have been the most wretched people among us . and therefore , if any have more cause than others , to praise god for this deliverance , these have most of any ; all of them that shall be so fortunate , as to escape the hand of justice . for , how miserable must those be , who have not abandon'd all concern for their native country ( which , i should think , none of them can , should they never so much endeavour it ) when , upon observing the miseries they have brought upon it , they would be forced to take up that cry of fools , non putâram , i could never have thought it ; and when they should have no better cordial for the allaying of their grief , than themselves and their families faring no better than their neighbours . and that they could not , is every whit as certain , as that protestants merits can have no other influence upon papists , than to raise laughter , whensoever they are wholly at the mercy of their ingenuity : and as certain too , as that nothing but interest can oblige papists , to keep faith with hereticks . and these mens greatest master may satisfie them , that against what he shall please to call his interest , he cannot be oblig'd ( no , not by the most solemn oaths at the holy altar ) not to break faith with his brother catholicks . the most catholick king well knows to his cost , what hold such cords as those can have , of his most christian majesty . but as to these gentlemens great merits , on which they have built such mighty confidence , how sanguine are they in taking it for granted , that their after-game would be better remembred than their having had no concern for their king , when they might , possibly , have kept him upon his throne ! nay , that it would be better remembred than their having been so very angry with him , for his arbitrary proceedings ; or rather ( to speak plain truth ) for his not employing themselves in advancing prerogative above law ; and for his having so forgot their former merits , as to kick them off , to receive the fanaticks in their room . and , once more , how came they by their confidence , that this their after-game must needs be better remembred , than their rejoycing as much as others at the prince's landing ; and than their being so willing to have k. james shackled , and made a kind of doge of venice ? not to go farther in the demerits of some of the chiefest of them , as they know i might . i wish these people could have look'd on their dark , as well as on their bright side , and then have thought with themselves what darlings they are like to be , when a view shall be taken of both together , or rather of their dark side only . and all but themselves must needs call to mind enough to conclude , that their ill deservings will be best remembred , when there 's no farther occasion for their service ; as there would have been none in a little time . what i have said , is upon a charitable supposition , that , for the completing of their merits , they would not ( at least generally ) be prevail'd with to renounce their religion ; but 't is easie to think that whosoever should thus late be perswaded to it , his motives thereto would be so well understood , as that 't would stand him in but little stead . not to mention how dear he must expect to pay for his apostasy in the other world. but indeed , half an eye may see , that under a french conquest , 't will be crime enough to be an english man ; and that should k. james be never so willing to shew favour to his subjects , he would have none to shew favour to . that , at best , the power of a vice-roy must then content him . who can question this , that hath not forgot , how very short his power was of a vice-roys in ireland , and that lauzune made all the figure there ? and now let these gentlemen take it for a great civility , to be address'd to in no harder words than those of k. solomon , how long , ye simple ones , will you love simplicity ? or of his royal father's , ye fools , when will ye be wise ? when will you be made sensible , how destructive to all humane society , the principles are , on which you have founded your flaming loyalty ? when will you be convinc'd of the pernicious folly of such an extravagant notion of passive obedience , as levels a legal with the most arbitrary constitution ; as makes laws not worth a straw , one jot longer than the prince pleases ; as hath not the least shadow of truth , except instead of kings being made for people , people are made to be wholly subjected to the lusts of kings ; to abuse them , harass and plague them , and do what they list with them ? which to suppose , would speak god almighty such a being , as that 't would be even a less horrid blasphemy , boldly to affirm he hath no being . i am sure , much more than enough hath been written since this happy revolution , to make these friends of ours sensible , not only how false their principles of government are , but also how fatally mischievous and destructive . i pray god their eyes may at length be open'd ; and i should think that now is the time for it , if ever they be . the less innocent of them do well deserve to have those words of the prophet apply'd to them , let favour be shewed to the wicked , yet will be not learn righteousness ; and will not behold the majesty of the lord. lord , when thine hand is lifted up , they will not see , but they shall see and be ashamed , &c. or they shall see when 't is too late for seeing to do them service . but i chuse rather to give them the necessary advice of our blessed saviour , sin no more , lest a worse thing come unto you . and let them thank god with all their hearts , that he hath done infinitely better now for them , than what they had done for themselves , if he had not defeated their most desperate design . . in order to our being the more affected with the greatness of our deliverance , let us not only reflect upon what miseries we are deliver'd from , but likewise consider what little reason we had now ( we had now of any time ) to expect from him such a deliverance . had we , i beseech you , made such returns for our late so wonderful a one , as reasonably to hope for such another , should we again need it ? alas , alas ! never was our good god worse requited for any delivearance , than he hath been for that . so that we had all the reason in the world to fear , that ( as he threatned the israelites , judg. x. . ) he would deliver us no more ; and yet we are not only again rescued from a worse than egyptian bondage , but also deliver'd from being so much as scared with the imminent danger we were in again of falling under it . what shall we say to this ? what other account can be given of it , but that of the son of sirach , as is god's majesty , so is his mercy . i say , our former deliverance , as amazing as it was , was ( to our infinite shame ) very soon forgotten ; and that notwithstanding many very strange and most surprizing providences , in order to the more completing thereof . and notwithstanding the severe scourges we have since met with , for our horrible ingratitude , we have still persisted therein , as if we had a mind to provoke god almighty , to become no less our enemy , than he had been our friend . but if an affecting sense of the dreadful things we have been deliver'd from , be not now reviv'd ; and ( whereas we apparently grew a worse people , after that deliverance , having begun to be a better , while the rod was upon some of us , and hung over us all ) if there be now no visible reformation ; if debauchery and prosaneness shall abound among the friends of this government as much as ever ; if those who have been infidels in their principles , or such in practice ( living without god in the world , and disacknowledging him in their ways ) shall be generally so still ; if pride and vanity , a dear love of the world , factiousness , and base selfishness , or the preference of our personal or private interests , before the interest of the publick ( of the church and state ) shall reign as much as ever ; if religion shall hold on at so very low an ebb , as it is now at ( ay , and the old english honesty too , god knows ) ; if divisions and animosities , emulation and strife do not now abate ; if we continue so unconcern'd for each others welfare , while our god so concerns himself for all our welfares ; if neither the wrath of our enemies , nor our repeated deliverances from their wrath , can reconcile us to god , nor to one-another : and , lastly , whereas we have at length obtain'd an excellent law , against profane swearing and cursing , ( which , i fear , begins already to signifie much less than it did at first ) if there be not henceforth an hearty zeal for a more thorow reformation ; i say , if this great deliverance shall do no more than past deliverances , towards the making us a more honest , a more sober , a better natur'd , and a more religious people ; and i think fit to add too , if a sober and discreet use be not made of it ; as much as good men rejoyce in it , they will rejoyce with trembling to think , what things may yet be reserv'd for our church and nation , after all the extraordinary and next to miraculous appearances of god for both . 't will not then be our associating in defence of the king and of each other , from which we may reasonably promise much to our selves ; but if we shall still hate to be reformed , the prophet's ironical apostrophe to the assyrians , will as well fit us ; associate your selves , o ye people , and ye shall be broken in pieces , isa. . . and besides , there is no relying upon the best security wicked men can give us . i will leave with you , part of the th and th verses of the th of ezra , and so conclude : seeing thou our god hast punish'd us less than our iniquities deserve , and hast given us such a deliverance as this , should we again break thy commandments , wouldest not thou be angry with us , till thou hast consumed us ; so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? and god almighty give us all his grace , to know ( now at last ) in this our day , the things which belong to our peace , before they be hidden from our eyes . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sermon preached at bow-church, april the xvith. before the lord maior, and court of aldermen, and citizens of london, being the fast-day by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a sermon preached at bow-church, april the xvith. before the lord maior, and court of aldermen, and citizens of london, being the fast-day by edward fowler. fowler, edward, - . [ ], p. printed by t.m. for brabazon alymer [sic] ... and awnsham churchil ..., london : . half-title: dr. fowlers sermon preached at bow church, on the fast day, april the th, . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- luke xvi, -- sermons. fast-day sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion dr. fowlers sermon preached at bow-church , on the fast - day . april the th . . pilkington , maior , &c. cur. special . tent . apud dom. mansional . domini maior . die lunae , xxi o. die aprilis , . annoque regni , regis & reginae , willielmi & mariae , angliae , &c. secundo . this court doth desire dr. fowler to print his sermon , preached at st. mary le bow , the th . of this instant april , . before the lord maior , aldermen , and citizens of this city . wagstaffe . a sermon preached at bow-church , april the xvi th . : before the lord maior , and court of aldermen , and citizens of london . being the fast-day . by edward fowler , d. d. london , printed by t. m. for brabazon alymer , at the three pidgeons over against the royal exchange in cornhil ; and awnsham churchil , at the black swan in ave-mary-lane . mdcxc . to the right honourable , sir thomas pilkington , lord maior of the city of london : and the court of aldermen . right honourable , since your favourable acceptance of this sermon , hath produced your order for my making it thus publick , i do here humbly present you with it : in composing whereof it was my whole aym and endeavour , to promote as well as i was able , the proper business , and that which ought to be the only design of publick days of humiliation . namely , the atoning of the divine displeasure , by so penitent a sense of our personal sins , and the sins of our nation that cry aloud for vengeance , as is followed with the forsaking of them , and with hearty endeavours , in our several stations , to be instrumental as much as in us lies , towards a general reformation . to which , i doubt , there never was in any people a more obstinate aversness , than is at this present to be observed among us . the consideration whereof makes the hearts of good men ake to think , what at last may become of us , after the wonderful things god hath from time to time , and now of late , done for us . it can be at no time excuseable , but is on fasting-days unpardonable , to be mealy-mouth'd , and shy of justly representing the untoward state we are in , with the true cause ; thereof ; or of impartially enumerating and exposing our reigning sins ; or to be sparing in reproving those vices and follies , which are grown so popular , as with very many among us to pass for virtues . and the only apology i shall make to those , who may happen to be offended at several passages in the applicatory part of this discourse , is , that if we spare to speak now , we may for ever hold our peace . but the truth is , we are under no small discouragement to hope for success upon those men , who stand in most need of plain-dealing ; since long experience assures us , that these have made themselves sermon-proof . yet however , whether they will hear , or whether they will forbear , there is great satisfaction in having faithfully done our duty , and discharged our consciences . now that god would multiply his blessings , upon this great and renowned city ; and especially on yourselves , who ( under their majesties ) have the chief government thereof : and make you happy instruments in the diverting of his iudgments from it , by vigorously setting yourselves to the suppressing of the vices that abound in it ( which will be your crown and glory at the great day ) is the hearty prayer of , right honourable , your most humble servant , edward fowler . a sermon preach'd before the lord maior and the court of aldermen , &c. hosea . . how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee , israel ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? mine heart is turned within me , my repentings are kindled together . there is nothing to be affirmed of almighty god with more absolute certainty , than that the making of his creatures happy , according to their capacities of happiness , is highly pleasing to him . let him that glorieth glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me : that i am the lord which exercise loving-kindness , iudgment and righteousness in the earth , for in these things i delight saith the lord , ier. . . the divine nature is all love and benignity : god is love , saith the apostle st. iohn . the sun and light may be as soon separated , as god and goodness , the deity and loving-kindness : nor is that glorious lamp of heaven more free in communicating light and heat to the several parts of the world , according as they are capable of receiving them , than is god in spending the benign rays and influences of his goodness upon his whole creation , according as 't is qualified and disposed for them . and whensoever he withdraweth the light of his countenance and fatherly care from any people , whensoever he turns their ioy into heaviness , and puts them into unhappy circumstances , it is long of themselves , not of the least defect of goodness in him ; 't is wholly owing to their rendering themselves unmeet to be any longer partakers of his grace and favour : so that he cannot act the part of an indulgent father towards all sorts of men , and do like an infinitely wise and holy being , who is above all things concerned to promote the interest of righteousness and universal goodness in the universe . god is ever a like good in himself , and a like willing to do good to all , as the sun is equally full of light at all times , and a like free in displaying his beams : and therefore , as it is not to be ascribed to any deficiency in the sun , that we are every night in darkness , but to the earth's interposing between it and us ; so is it not , i say , to be imputed to any want of goodness in god , that nations or particular persons are at any time deprived of his wonted protection , but they must blame themselves for it . your iniquities ( saith the prophet ) have seperated between you and your god , and your sins have hid his face from you , &c. isaiah . . in short , god as god is always inclined to do good to his creatures , but considering him as governour of the world , he is too often under a necessity of being very severe ; though indeed he may be truly said to do good in inflicting evil , nay , he designeth herein the greatest good ; he aimeth at the good of their souls whom he punisheth , till they grow obdurate and are incorrigible : but he ever designeth a general good in the iudgments he executeth , viz. the reformation of those corrigible people who are observers of them , or made acquainted with them . when thy iudgments are abroad in the earth , the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness , isaiah . . which is as much as to say , mens learning of righteousness is gods design in his iudgments , and they are very powerful means in order thereto , in their own nature . now this being the true state of the case , it is apparent , that god almighty inflicts his iudgments , not out of free choice , but from constraint , and with a kind of unwilling willingness . and this he hath expresly told us , lam. . ● , &c. the lord will not cast off forever , but though he cause grief , yet will he have compassion , according to the multitude of his mercies : for he doth not afflict willingly , nor grieve the children of men. and the pathetical words , which i have chosen for my present subject , may give us as great an assurance hereof , as any text in the bible ; and before i will repeat them , i 'le give you an account of the occasion of them . in the four first verses of this chapter , we find god almighty , by his prophet , making a sad complaint of the israelites inexpressibly vile returns to him , for wonderful engagements he had laid upon them . when israel was a child , then i loved him , and called my son out of egypt . as they called them , so they went from them , ( or as moses and the prophets called them to piety , and the reformation of their lives , so they despised their calls ) they sacrificed unto baalim , and burn'd incense to graven images : i taught ephraim also to go , taking them by their arms ; but they knew not that i healed them . or i took the same care of these people , from their very beginning to be a nation , that tender mothers take of their weak children ; but they never would be perswaded to lay it to heart . i drew them with the cords of a man , with bands of love ( or with the greatest expressions of love and kindness ; which is the best and most proper method to be taken with free agents ) and i was to them as they that take off the yoke on their iaws , and i laid meat unto them . or i delivered them out of the most miserable bondage , and gave them a land flowing with milk and honey ; and fed them in a miraculous manner in their iourney thither , through the barren wilderness . and verse , . we find their gracious father so highly provoked by their long intolerable behaviour towards him , as to pronounce very terrible threats against them , viz. they shall not return into the land of egypt , ( or they shan't be suffered to flee to the egyptians , who were now their great friends , and on whom they relyed more than on the divine safeguard ) but the assyrian shall be their king ( he shall subdue them , and carry them away captive ) because they refused to return ; or to return to me , after so many earnest calls . and the sword shall abide in his cities , and shall consume his branches , or choice men , because of their own counsels . because to save themselves , they take forbidden courses , making wicked alliances ; and are perpetually revolting , and backsliding from me ; as it follows verse . and my people are bent to back sliding from me , though they called them to the most high , none at all would exalt him . though i sent my prophets from time to time , to admonish them to repent and amend their lives , yet they have generally still refused to give glory to me , by harkening to these admonitions , but still persist obstinately in their rebellions against me . but we see , after all this , as highly as they had incensed the great god against them , and as dreadfully threatned , as they now were by him ; he yet farther makes good , when one would least expect he should , that saying of the son of syrach , as is his majesty so is his mercy : this he doth in the words of my text ; how shall i give thee up ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee , or deliver thee up , israel ? how can i find in mine heart to be as bad as my word in executing such fearful threatnings ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? how shall i be able to make an utter end of thee , as i did of those two , and their neighbouring cities ? mine heart is turned within me , my repentings are kindled together . my bowels do yearn towards you still , as little as you deserve the least compassion . i feel my nature strongly inclined to spare you yet a while longer , and to give you a longer space for repentance , and i will comply with this inclination : as it follows in the next verse . i will not execute the fierceness of mine anger , i will not return to destroy ephraim ; or i will not do it yet ; for i am god and not man ( my compassion is inconceivably beyond what a mortal man is capable of ) the holy one in the midst of thee ; and i will not enter into the city ; or into the head city samaria ; i will not enter into it in an hostile manner , to make a ruinous heap of it . i say the words of my text , with the verse following , contain a most gracious declaration of almighty god , that he would hold his hand yet for some longer time , from destroying these people ( after his patience seemed to be perfectly spent , by the threatnings just before uttered ) if happily they might at last come to themselves , and return to their right minds . but we find that these desperate wretches would not to the very last be in the least wrought upon , either by the most scaring menaces , or astonishing patience , or the most melting and indearing expressions of divine pity ; and therefore in conclusion , the wrath of god came upon them to the uttermost ; they were carried away captive by the king of assyria , and he made a clean riddance of them : for to this day they never returned , but are quite lost among the gentiles . where as iudah returned , after seventy tears , from her captivity under the king of babylon . but we see that god here expresseth , the greatest averseness imaginable , to the bringing of utter ruin upon this nation , if consistently wich the honour of his laws , and the wisdom , and righteousness of his government , it could have been avoided . from whence we learn , that nothing less than apparent necessity can prevail with the infinitely good god , to make his creatures miserable ; and much more , those whom he hath taken into covenant with himself , his visible church and professors of the true religion : and this will farther appear , by these following considerations . first , god's earnest and most pathetical exciting of sinners to turn and repent , that iniquity may not be their ruin , is of it self sufficient to assure us hereof . his sending his prophets and messengers to cry aloud in their ears , turn ye , turn ye from your evil ways , why will ye dye ? doth assure us of this . the bible is full of calls to sinners of this nature , inforced with gracious promises to those who shall obey these calls , and as scaring threatnings against those who will not obey them . secondly , 't is god's ordinary method to give warnings to sinners before he strikes ; and what can his meaning therein be , but that he may not strike , that repentance and reformation may stay his hand , and prevent the blow ? how many inspired men did he heretofore send , upon this sole errand ? thus did he give warning to the old world by the preaching of noah , and his preparing an ark for the saving of himself and his houshold , before he overwhelmed it with an universal deluge . and this ark was noah in preparing for forty years together , that so it might give the longer warning ; for otherwise , 't is likely he might have finish'd it , in a much shorter time . how long , and how frequently had both the ten tribes and the two , warnings sent them by the prophets , before they were carried away captive ? and what an awakening warning had the two tribes , from the fulfilling of the threatnings against the ten , to prevent the fulfilling of the like against themselves ? nor did god thus concern himself to give warnings only to the people of israel , but he did the like also to heathen nations . as the moabites , the syrians , the egyptians , the tyrians , the ninevites , &c. i say , the threatnings sent to all these , were designed for warnings . god's meaning in them was nothing less , than to torment them before the time . they were sent to rouze sleepy souls out of their security , and to awaken them to a speedy repentance , that so there might be no necessity of making good his threatnings ; which the ninevites found by happy experience . well was it for them that they were so threatned , since they had been actually destroyed , had they not first been threatned with destruction : because then they would not have repented as they did . and the design of those other threats , which were fulfilled to the utmost , was the very same with the design of those pronounced against nineveh ; as the prophets do abundantly assure us . conditions we plainly perceive were implyed in such , as were most absolutely exprest ; as what threatning could be exprest more absolutely , than tha● against nineveh ? even our saviour's so punctually predicting the destruction of ierusalem , with the heavy calamities leading to it , and the strange prodigies which gave notice of the near approach of it , we are to reckon in the number of warnings ; although the destruction of that city was irreversibly decreed , for the murthering of the lord of glory there , which was at hand ; as also were the miseries that befel the obdurate iews . that prediction and those prodigies were warnings to the sincere christians that they might escape , as accordingly they did , the dreadful iudgment : and likewise to those who were not hardned to the utmost degree among the iews , that they might repent of their infidelity , and embrace the gospel , and so might escape too . and as i have shewed , how god did of old give fore-warnings by the prophets of great iudgments , so i think it no hard matter to make it out , that he hath given presages in all these latter ages , by very significant providences , and extraordinary events , which our saviour calls signs of the times , before especially great revolutions , or general and extraordinary calamities . history hath surnish'd us with abundance of instances of this nature , and our own histories with not a few , that have been observed in these kingdoms . and we may , if we please , call to mind several of these presages , which have happened in our own time , before great iudgments . but this is a topick , which the scepticism of the age will scarce bear the handling . but i can't forbear saying , that i much fear , we have some ill-boding signs , at this present , of god's sending , viz. instances of a marvellous infatuation , no whit , i doubt , inferiour to that we observed a while ago with no less pleasure than wonder in our adversarys . i say , at this present we have instances of such an infatuation , as all must needs observe who are not in the number of the infatuated ; and which seems perfectly unaccountable , if it be'nt iudicial . no doubt the wiser and better sort , ought to look on these as warnings designed for them especially , if not only . thirdly , 't is gods usual course to try a wicked people with lighter iudgments , before he brings the heaviest upon them . we have a remarkable place to this purpose , amos . , &c. here god minds his people , first , that he had given them great scarcity of bread , and yet have ye not returned unto me , saith the lord. next , that he had given them the like of water , and yet have ye not returned unto me , saith the lord. next , that he had sent upon their vineyards and olive-yards , &c. blasting winds , and devouring insects , and yet have ye not returned unto me , saith the lord. next , that he had sent among them a sweeping plague , and moreover the heavier iudgment ( as king david accounted it ) of a bloody war , and yet have ye not returned unto me , saith the lord. and , by the way , you can scarce need to be minded , that these three last were our late calamities , and since they were i fear as much lost upon us , as they were on those iews , we have the greater reason to attend to what follows in the next verse , which is a dreadful one indeed : therefore thus will i do unto thee o israel , and because i will do this unto thee , prepare to meet thy god o israel . which is as much as to say , seeing so many other iudgments have proved ineffectual to the reforming of you , do you now expect some fearful thing , which shall be nameless : some iudgment far more dreadful than any that have hitherto fallen upon you ; and therefore put your selves into a posture of defence , and see whether you are able to contend , and try it out with me . and the author of the book of wisdom tells us , that god dealt after the same manner , with the canaanites , themselves ; that before they were for their horrid practices devoted to destruction , he executed upon them his iudgments by little and little , and by so doing , gave them place for repentance , ch. . , &c. fourthly , when god had determined to pour down the vials of his vengeance on a wicked people , he hath some times plainly intimated , that he did it not , till their wickedness was come up to such a heighth as did necessarily call for them . for instance , when he was resolved on the destruction of the old world , he declared that the wickedness of man , was not only great upon the earth , but so great , that every thought and imagination of his heart was only evil , and that continually : and that mankind was grown so horribly depraved , that it even repented him that he had made man ; or he was become as hateful to him , as if he repented his creating of him . god did not rain down fire and brimstone upon sodom and gomorrah , before he had signified to his servant abraham , that the cry of their wickedness was come up unto him ; that it was great , and their sin very grievous . the reason he gave for his deferring the destruction of the amorites to the fourth generation , was , that the iniquity of the amorites was not yet full . and our blessed saviour supposeth , that there is a certain measure and proportion of wickedness , which sinners do come up to , before god is so severe , as to inflict the heaviest iudgments upon them , in those words to the scribes and pharisees : fill ye up the measure of your fathers , mat. . . fifthly , 't is likewise apparent , that god almighty is most backward to the destroying of a wicked people , or putting them into miserable circumstances , till necessitated , in that he hath again and again declared his being diverted from so doing , by such motives , as one would think could have but very little influence upon such a being as he is , or rather none at all . as if ( to speak with reverence ) he were glad of any excuse for the longer sparing those , who had made themselves lyable to the stroak of his iustice. . a meer partial humiliation , an humiliation far short of true repentance , hath been one of those motives . thus upon ahabs putting on sackcloth , fasting , and going softly , said god to the prophet , seest thou how ahab humbleth himself , because he humbleth himself before me , i will not bring the evil in his days , &c. 't is said of ahab , that he sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the lord , whom iezebel his wife stirred up . and i need not recite unto you the abominable things he did , for which god threatned him by the prophet elijah , that he would bring evil upon him , and take away his posterity , and cut off from him , him that pisseth against the wall , and him that is shut up and left in israel ; and would make his house like the house of ieroboam , the son of nebat , who made israel to sin . kin. . , &c. and it follows ver . . and it came to pass , when ahab heard these words , that he rent his clothes , and put sackcloth upon his flesh , and fasted , and went softly . would any one have thought now , that this humiliation of so vile a man , could in the least have moved the divine compassion ? we are not to think , that he only acted a part , and play'd the hypocrite , in this humiliation ; for then he would have so much the more provoked god against him . but yet god knew that this his humbling himself , proceeded from meer dread of the threatned iudgment ; that there was no detestation of his wicked doings at the bottom of it , and therefore that no reformation would be produced by it : yet it pleased the almighty to shew how averse he was to great severity , by being wrought upon by so very imperfect an humiliation as this , to the putting off the execution of this threatning till after his time . it follows verses , . and the word of the lord came to elijah the tishbite , saying , seest thou how ahab humbleth himself , because he humbleth himself before me ( because he doth not mock at this threat , but so far humbleth himself as thou hast seen ) i will not bring the evil in his days , but in his sons days will i bring the evil upon his house . which threatning , we may suppose , had this tacit condition ; i will bring the evil in his sons days , if another sort of humiliation than the fathers was , doth not prevent it . again , we have another instance like this of ahab , chron. . , , we read in the beginning of the chapter , that when rehoboam had establish'd the kingdom , and had strengthened himself , he forsook the law of the lord , and all israel with him . and that in the fifth year of his reign , shishack king of egypt came up against ierusalem , because they had transgressed the law of the lord , with chariots and horsemen , &c. and ver . . shemaiah came to rehoboam and the princes of iudah , and said unto them : thus saith the lord , you have forsaken me , and therefore have i also left you , in the hand of shishack . and what effect this terrible message had upon them , we are told in the next words : whereupon the princes of israel and the king humbled themselves , and they said , the lord is righteous . now what could be expected less than this from them , under such frightful apprehensions ; when they were in sight of so formidable an enemy , and when ( as we read ) they had already taken the fenced cities of iudah , and were come to ierusalem ? and it appears by ver . . that this was but such a kind of humiliation , as that of ahab ; but , for all this , the next verse tells us , that when the lord saw that they humbled themselves , the word of the lord came to shemaiah , saying , they have humbled themselves , therefore i will not destroy them , but i will grant them some deliverance , and my wrath shall not be poured forth upon ierusalem , by the hand of shishack : nevertheless they shall be his servants ( or tributaries to him ) that they may know my service , and the service of the kingdoms of the countries , i. e. that they may feel the vast difference between my service , which they refuse , and the service of foreign nations . and again 't is said , ver . . and when he humbled himself , the wrath of the lord turned from him , that he would not destroy him altogether , and also in iudah things went well . . another motive by which god hath also been diverted from destroying a wicked people , is , the prayers of a few good people , nay , of one good man. 't is said , psal. . . that god said he would destroy the israelites , had not moses his chosen stood before him in the breach , to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them . and there is a strange passage , ezek. . . where god complains , that there was no one to be found to intercede for those , whom he had often threatned with destruction . i sought , said he , for a man among them , that should make up the hedge , and stand in the gap before me for the land , that i should not destroy them ; but i found none . therefore have i poured out mine indignation upon them , &c. but to prevent the making an ill use of god's having been perswaded from executing the fierceness of his wrath , by an humiliation short of reformation , or by the intercession of good people , we are to know , that neither the one nor the other motive will always do , nor is it fit they should . these two motives have , no doubt , prevailed again and again for this nation of ours , but it follows not , that therefore they shall still prevail ; and the oftner they have so done , there is much the more danger , of their not doing so for the future . besides , such motives as these do only prevail for the longer staving off of iudgments , not the keeping them off for altogether . there was a time when god professed concerning his antient people , that though moses and samuel stood before him , yet his mind could not be towards them , &c. ier. . . and he said the like concerning the intercession of noah , daniel and iob ( those great favourites of heaven ) that were they on the earth again , it should nothing avail them , and that they should only deliver their own souls by their righteousness , ezek. . . . we may see another motive god laid hold on for the sparing the same rebellious israelites , deut. . . i said i would scatter them into corners , i would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men , were it not that i feared the wrath of the enemy , lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely , and lest they should say their hand is high , and the lord hath not done all this . that is , were it not that i knew , they would take advantage from the destruction of my people , to bepride themselves the more in their own strength ; and not look on themselves as the rods of mine anger , or executioners of my vengeance ; and so their destruction would lose the force of an example for the deterring of the heathen from their wicked practices . were it not that i feared the wrath of the enemy : this is one of those many examples we find in scripture , of god's speaking to men after the manner of men. . we shall find another like this , ezek. . . where god saith , i said i would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness , to consume them ; but i wrought for my name 's sake , that it should not be polluted among the heathen , in whose sight i brought them forth . that is , that the egyptians might not say , that for mischief he brought them out , to slay them in the mountains , and to consume them from the face of the earth . which was the motive used by moses to prevail with god to turn from his fierce wrath , and to repent of this evil against his people , exod . . . but what could the great god suffer , by the enemies taking occasion from their destroying his people , to bepride themselves the more in their own strength , since ( as the psalmist speaks ) in the things wherein they dealt most proudly , he is above them ? and what dammage could accrue to the divine majesty , from their reproaches ? yet you see such motives as these did stay god's hand ( seeing he had no better ) from their destruction , who had done all that lay in them , to draw down his vengeance . and i say again , that such motives as these four do plainly shew , that he is naturally extreamly averse , to the giving of sinners their due desert ; and that , when he doth so , 't is an effect of necessity , rather than of free choice . sixthly , god's infinite goodness , and his infinite greatness too , do absolutely assure us of this . for taking pleasure in destruction or misery as such , is perfectly inconsistent with goodness , and much more with infinite goodness ; but to destroy or make miserable , when there is no necessity in the case , is much the same thing , with delighting in destruction and misery as such . and again , he hath but a very sorry notion of almighty god , who needs to be satisfied , that he hath innumerable other ways of procuring his own pleasure , and therefore can not need to do it by any of his creatures destruction or misery , were he capable of delighting himself therein . lastly , the many express declarations , which god hath made concerning this matter , do make us not to need any consequences for a proof hereof . you have heard that he hath professed that , he doth not aff●ct willingly , nor grieve the children of men. and since 't is impossible for god to lye , this one text ought to weigh down a thousand objections , could the wit of man invent so many , against the truth of this doctrine . and again , from a great concern that we should not admit the least doubt of it , he hath so wonderfully condescended , as to back such declarations with a solemn oath . as i live , saith the lord god , i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but that the wicked turn from his way and live . ezek. . . again , we have god almighty expressing a vehement wish , that his people had not given him such provocations , plal. . , &c. oh that my people had harkened unto me , and israel had walked in my ways , i should soon have subdued their enemies , &c. but he could not wish this for any good , his creatures observance of his laws could signify to himself ; since 't is no gain to him ( as eliphaz speaks ) that we make our way perfect : and man cannot be profitable unto god , as he that is wise may be profitatable to himself . again , we farther find him expressing a very ardent wish , that his people would cease to give him provocations ; and that for this reason , that he might be under no necessity of making them miserable . this he doth , deut. . . oh that there were such an heart in them ! that they would fear me , and keep my commandements always , that it may be well with them , and with their children for ever . and what an astonishing consideration is it , that the infinite majesty of god should stoop so low , as that he should express himself to vile dust and ashes ; nay , to the most obdurate and hard-hearted wretches in the world , after the manner he hath here done , in the words of our text. how shall i give thee up ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee israel , & c ? now to make application of what hath been discoursed on these words . first , we learn from thence , what strange folly , or rather desperate madness , doth lodge in the hearts of sinful men . lord ! that they should be such deadly enemies to themselves , that they should be so resolutely bent upon plucking down ruine and misery upon their own heads , ruine and misery both in this world and in that to come , when god hath done all that could reasonably be desired , and much more than ought to have been expected from him , to prevent their being miserable , and to make them happy both here and hereafter . what reason have we , when we consider this , to take up that wish of the prophet ieremy ? oh that mine head were waters , and mine eyes a fountain of tears , that i might weep day and night ! this sottishness of sinners can never be enough lamented , nor can we sufficiently wonder at it . there is nothing to be observed in all gods creation so unaccountable , so amazing . there is no sort of creatures under the cope of heaven , besides wretched mankind ( which alone is indued with understanding and liberty ) but do provide as well as they are able for their own safety ; but are so concerned for their own welfare , as not to expose themselves , without apparent necessity , to the least danger . a poor bird needs no other warning to avoid a snare , than the sight of it ; in vain ( saith the wise man ) is the net spread in the sight of any bird. but unhappy man will run into the pit , with his eyes open . for the gratifying of a brutish appetite for a little little while , he 'll adventure being utterly ruined and undone , both soul and body , in this world , and to all eternity . and that , though god himself by his holy word , and by innumerable examples of his iustice , and by the feeling he often gives him of the evil of sin , takes the most effectual course throughly to convince him , of the horrible madness of wilfully transgressing his righteous laws . what words are significant enough to give this its due aggravation ! be astonished o ye heavens at this , and be ye horribly afraid , be ye very desolate : as the prophet crys out in this same case , ierem. . . secondly , will sinners still persevere in this their madness ? will they never return to their wits more ? remember this , and shew your selves men ; bring it again to mind o you transgressors . do i say , shew your selves men , as the prophet did ; i say farther , shew that you are not more brutish than the very brutes . that you are not inferiour to the beasts which perish , in prudence or sagacity , in ingenuity or good nature . can we take our selves for men , and not flee those infinite dangers , to which sin exposeth us , by sincerely applying our selves to the use of those means which god hath appointed , for the avoiding and subduing of it ? nay , can we believe our selves a better sort of creatures , than the very devils , and not be lead to repentance , by god's unspeakable goodness , and his strange patience , and long-suffering towards us , and his mighty unwillingness to destroy us , while there is any hope ? o let not us of this city , and this kingdom , be acting the israelites still over and over , those fearfully hardened people who had even made a covenant with death , and were at an agreement with hell ; and were resolved upon it , what ever they suffered in this life , nay , though they were damn'd for it too , in the life to come , they would not repent of their wicked doings , and return to god ; let him invite them never to graciously , or address himself to them never so pathetically . shall we , i say , still tread in the steps of those sons of belial , and be immoveably bent upon holding on in our rebellion against heaven , as they were ? did they fare so well , as that we need not be scared from following their example ? shall we mock the messengers of god , as they did ? shall we despise his word , and all his warnings , as they did ; till at length the wrath of the lord brake forth against us , as it did against them , until there be no remedy ? truly if so , we are more desperate than they were , because we are fore-warned of the dismal consequence of such doings , by their fearful example ; what things happened to them were for ensamples to us , saith s. paul , and they are written for our admonition , upon whom the ends of the world are come , cor. . . but especially shall we , then , be more mad than they , because our christianity hath furnish't us with far more powerful motives to obedience , and greater helps and advantages , as great as theirs were , than they had : and in no church in christendom , is the gospel more truly preached , or better means of grace afforded than in the church of england : which is no small aggravation of our sins . how often hath god repented him of the evil , that in all appearance , he was just doing unto us , and which we had all the reason in the world , to look for from him ? look we to it , that he be not constrained by us , as he was by the perverse iews , to say , i am weary of repenting ; for when once he is so , those who have tyred out his patience , shall assuredly find it a fearful thing to fall into . the hands of the living god. and though he should still dissipate black clouds hanging over our heads , and shew infinite compassion still to our un-reformed nation , as a nation ; yet impenitents in their own persons shall , instead of faring the better , fare much the worse for it . but let not our nation , or our church either , fancy it self deeper in the divine favour , than were the israelites . though we would gladly hope , that those words of manoah's wife , may be applyed to our present case , viz. if the lord had pleased to kill us , he would not have received a burnt-offering and meat-offering at our hands ; neither would he have shewed us all these things ; nor would as at this time have told us such things as these . if the lord had designed at last to un-church us , or to make us a prey to our enemies , he would not , we may hope , have done such great things for us in answer to the prayers of good people among us . he would not , from time to time , have so wonderfully discovered the deep-laid plots of rome against us ; nor so strangely have basfled all the attempts of our popish adversaries , for the reducing of us to our old bondage ; nor so infatuated the crafty iesuites , as he did , in the last short reign ; and turned the counsels of those achitophels into folly ; nor by so many amazing providences have sent us deliverance , when we were on the very brink of ruine . and because we had so few revolters to popery ; and many who were bad enough in other respects , shewed a great zeal against the superstitions and gross corruptions of that religion : for these reasons we have , i say , incouragement to hope , that god will deal nothing so severely with us , as he did with the ten tribes , nor as he did with the two neither . yet considering the many things he hath ( for all this ) against us , it will be very strange , if we should see those happy days , which we lately were apt to promise our selves , without first more severely smarting for these things , than we have yet done . and especially , when we reflect upon the requital god hath had , for our late most wonderful deliverance , we may tremble to think , how he must needs resent it , and how he may punish it . our church and nation have had two such deliverances , within the space of thirty years , as perhaps never any people in the world , except the iews , were blest with , in one whole age : but as to the former of these deliverances , i mean that in , i need not say how lamentably it was abused ; nor need you , sure , be minded , what dreadful iudgments did ensue upon the abuse of it ; and which came very thick upon one another : and in which this city had the far deepest share , as it had also in that guilt , which brought them down upon us . nor need i tell you , what reason we had to expect , two far heavier iudgments than any we have met with , or than altogether , viz. popery and slavery : towards the introducing of which , there was made so great a progress in the former of the two last reigns , and which was apace perfecting in this last . but in the mount was the lord seen : as loudly as our high provocations called for these iudgments , and such concomitants of them , as have made the french protestants the most deplorably miserable of all people , our infinitely gracious god seemed to address himself to us , as he did to the israelites in our text , and to say ; how shall i give you up ? how shall i deliver you into your enemies hands ? how shall i make you as your poor brethren of france ? how shall i set you , as your fellow-protestants of piedmont ? mine heart is turned within me , my repentings are kindled together . nay , he did not onely not execute the fierceness of his anger , when we looked for nothing more than that he should ; but he sent us deliverance , while we onely feared the foresaid calamities ; for comparatively very few of us had felt any thing : though we saw too many proeludia to arbitrary government and popish cruelty , yet , i say , but a small number comparatively had felt the least smart of either . in short , god almighty by a series or train of very admirable providences , was graciously pleased to rescue both our religion and our laws , from the destruction threatened them , and near effected . he set a protestant king , with a protestant queen , upon the throne . he blest our church with a nursing father , and ( which is a great rarity in these nations ) with a nursing mother too : and he gave us these never to be sufficiently valued blessings , without putting us to the expense either of blood or treasure . but hath he been better requited for this , than he was for the former deliverance ? alas no , no whit better . how many of us , whose mouths were filled with laughter , and whose tongues with singing , upon their first receiving it , did as much in a little time slight it , did quickly grow weary of it ? some , because themselves or their party did not happen to be such gainers by it , as they look't they should have been . others , in regard of the taxes which have followed upon it ; though they can't but acknowledge , that 't would have been a good bargain but the other day , to have parted with one half of their estates , to secure the other half : and they must needs also be sensible , that these taxes are no whit heavier , than the miserable condition of our fellow-subjects of ireland , do necessarily call for ; and which one would have thought , no sincere protestant could have grudged at , for the delivering of that oppressed kingdom , since our own deliverance did cost us nothing . and how many did so soon lose all sense of the divine goodness herein , because it came so early , and the evils they are delivered from , were only , as i now said , feared , not felt by them . although , truly ingenuous minds would esteem this deliverance , as much the greater upon this account , and think themselves obliged to be so much the more thankful for it . nay , how many of us would never account this any deliverance , and look upon it as worse than none ? and if we are capable of understanding the signs that too too many now make , which i think are broad enough to be easily understood , we must conclude they are all a gog upon returning into egypt again ; and that they are so very sick of the present government ( whose greatest fault perhaps is , that 't is too kind to them ) that they would run , to be rid of it , the most apparent danger , or rather are content to fall into the ( humanely speaking ) inevitable necessity , of wearing the iron yoke , and toyling in the brick-kilns of so cruel a pharoah , as never had his match in the land of egypt . how well the obedience of these gentlemen , as mightily passive as they would have us think 't is , is able to brook king lewis his government , i much question ; but never was there a more absurd phancy , than to think it a duty to expose that to the most imminent danger , which is the only design of government , viz. the safety of the community ( the safeguard of both its spiritual and temporal interests ) for the sake of any person or persons whatsoever . or that the obligation of an oath of allegiance is so unlimited , as that the safety of the community , which is the first and principal intention of such oaths , must be sacrificed to it . if this be sound doctrine , those ought to be accounted the greatest enemies in the world to humane society , who were the first inventers of oaths of allegiance . nor can there be a leuder instance of uncharitableness , than to tax those , as these men do , with apostafy and perjury , who can't be convinc't that so incredible and destructive a notion as this is , a doctrine of the gospel , or of the church of england . in what i have now said , i am far from designing to reflect on any , who do modestly dissent from us about the lawfulness of the new oaths ; and whose virtuous and pious conversations oblige us to judge them , truly consciencious in this dissent . i have a more tender regard to conscience , than to be severe upon such persons . i hope in time they may be satisfied in this great point ; but in the mean time , it greatly becomes us to treat such with all christian candour . but to proceed on our present sad argument : whereas almighty god by the psalmist saith , call upon me in the day of trouble , i will deliver thee , and thou shalt glorify me ; and cannot dispense with this return of gratitude for his answering our prayers : and whereas he hath frequently assured us , that he expects to be glorified by our lives ; and that the praises of our lips whilest our lives are unreformed ( and the like he hath told us of fast-days too ) are no whit better than a mocking of him . what reformation hath our late deliverance wrought among us ? are not those who were debauched before , as debauched still ? that were profane before , as profane still ? are not drunkenness and uncleanness , unrighteousness and oppression , profanation of the lords-day , and contempt of religion , as common vices now , as they were before this deliverance came ? don't we hear as we pass the streets , as horrid oaths and as tremendous curses , and as many of these , as we heard before ? nay , how few in authority seem heartily concerned for the suppressing of any of these vices ? and among those who have escaped , the more gross and scandalous pollutions of the world ; are not covetousness and corrupt selfishness , a dear love of the world , pride and ambition , ( which as light matters as most make them , are vices which have the most mischievous influence of any upon the publick ) formality in the worship of god , and loathsome hypocrisy , and placeing religion in little trifles , compared with the plain and express injunctions of the gospel ( in a warm zeal for them , or against them ) uncharitableness , bitter strife and emulation , as much as ever observable among us ? have we ever known the form of godliness less accompanied with the power of it , than now it is ; or the spirit of religion more decayed , and nearer lost , than it seems to be in most places at this present ? nothing is more notorious than that , as all ranks , degrees , and orders of men among us , have most grievously corrupted their ways , so they continue still to do so , without any visible amendment . not one order to be excepted , which is sad indeed . but where as i said , that we seem generally no whit the better for our great deliverance , i am constrained to add , that at least in one respect , we are apparently the worse for it ; namely in this : while we were under the melancholy apprehension of losing our religion , and of suffering in a short time for it , those who differed in opinion , began to be more united in affection , and to have more charity for each other ; and healing discourses , both from the pulpit and the press , grew much in fashion ; and moderation was become all the mode . and in this respect , the last year of king iames his reign , i thought , was the most comfortable year , that ever fell within my memory . but alas ! when was the breach wider than 't is now again ? not only the old nick-names and terms of reproach are now revived , but never did the differing parties make less conscience of defaming and most shamefully belying one another : as if they thought themselves delivered for no other end , but that they might have the more leisure , and the greater advantages , for the biting and devouring of one another . now nothing of condescention in order to an agreement upon tolerable terms , will be listned to , by the ( i fear ) far major part on either side ; no not so much as to the satisfying each others very just demands : and men of healing and generous principles , and whose names have heretofore been sufficiently wounded for their moderation , and made betrayers of the church , or of the government , begin again to be abused as much as ever . 't is matter of amazement , that so many years experience should convince so very few , of the most pernicious effects of bigotry , a stingy narrowness , unyielding and inflexible stiffness , and furious zeal , to both church and state. 't is an astonishing thing that at this time of day , any of us should need being fully satisfied , that if ever we again be made an happy church , or a settled state , 't is christian moderation and mutual condescention in unnecessary and inconsiderable things , that , by the blessing of god , must make us so . but was the late professed inclination to unity , mere dissembling ? was it rather stifled than extinguist emnity ? which like fire that hath rubbish thrown over it , when it breaks out again , flames the more furiously . no , i can not , i will not think so ; for 't is a true observation , that vexatio dat intellectum . afflictions make men wise : and expectations of them do so too . they do so , as they make us serious , and administer calm and sedate thoughts ; and as they check that pride , and cool those passions which wo'nt suffer men to see their true interest . and moreover , there is no such natural reconciler of persons or parties , as a formidable enemy ; and especially when he hath them at his mercy . and nothing is more natural , than for conjunction in the same interest , to beget mutual kindness : and this is no less observed of being sharers in the same misfortunes . even bears ( as i have been told ) that are baited together at the same stake , have a great fondness for one another . but what a shame is it , that all the mighty gospel motives to love and unity between christians , should have a weaker influence on professors of christianity , than such motives as these ? and that upon the removal of them , all those motives together should be insufficient to prevent our immediately returning to our old emnity . this monstrous infatuation bears a strange resemblance with that of the iews , before the destruction of ierusalem . and god grant , that it proves not as ominous as that was . and having given you too true a representation of our present case , can we perswade our selves , that god will put up all these horrible abuses , of his scarce to be parallel'd kindness towards us , without a very remarkable and a speedy reformation ? but alas , of such a blessing as this , we see as little ground of hope , as can be : for though it is not absolutely , it seems morally impossible , that a generation of men , who have never been much the better for iudgments , but always much the worse for mercies and deliverances , should be at length reformed by god's ordinary methods . what should god almighty do with such a people as we are ? as he said to the israelites , hos. . . o ephraim , what shall i do unto thee ? o iudah , what shall i do unto thee ? he may well say to us ; o england , what shall i do unto thee ? o london , what shall i do unto thee ? for your goodness is as the morning cloud , and as the early dew , it passeth away . how far such motives , as i told you , god was pleased of old , to be prevailed upon by , may prevail for us , for the yet longer sparing us , we cannot tell : nor can we tell how merciful he may be to us , for the sake of his great name ; or what respect he may yet farther have to the intercessions of those many good people in the land , who sigh and mourn for the abominations of it ; or to these monthly days of humiliation ( which their majesties , like religious and pious princes , have obliged us to the observance of ) as they are a publick owning of him , and solemn acknowledgments of his absolute sovereignty over us , and of our ill-deserving at his hands , in the face of the world : or how much the nation in general may fare the better for the truly primitive charity , that our poor brethren of france and ireland have experienced from very many , and especially in this city : which god forbid should ever grow cold , so long as their necessities call for the continuance of it ; for that would be as ill an omen . or whether god may still be merciful to us , and prosper our forces by land and sea , for the sake of that glorious work , he is now in all likelihood a doing in the world , ( wherein we trust he will make our soveraign a blessed instrument ) we know not : or were there a way found out , for the effectual putting our laws in execution against the blacker crimes , and inforcing them with more scareing penalties , we know not what blessings such a partial reformation may procure for us . i understand that there is such a way projecting by some worthy persons , to be offered to the parliamen . i pray god give his blessing to their pious design . but after all the encouragements we can think of to hope well , i believe that never were truly wise and good men , at such a stand , nor at so great a loss , as in making a iudgment , what at last will become of such an untoward and untractable , such a murmuring and repining , such a fickle and inconstant , and such a miserably divided people , as we are ? who are , for the most part , as unqualified as a people well can be , for the perfecting of this our already great deliverance : who are no sooner taken out of one snare , but are intangling our selves again in others , and are violently bent upon bringing down misery and confusion upon our own heads , let god almighty do what he will for us : and i think i shall have the concurrence of all considerative people , should i say , that we never observed a more strange and wonderful dispensation of the divine previdence , than would be the happy re-settling of this church and kingdom , after such tossings and tumblings , and wild confusions , without having the way prepar'd thereto , by being again broken all to pieces , or by sharper sufferings than we have yet met with : and the miserable condition of the kingdom of ireland , and the too bad state of scotland , and the powerfulness of the haughty tyrant of france ; together with the horrible ravages and devastations he hath made in so many neighbouring countries , besides his own , and the spoils and rapines with the other terrible effects of war and tyranny , which for several years together , the most part of europe hath drank so deep of , and are still like to do ; while we have onely heard of these things , and enjoyed great peace and plenty : i say , all these are mighty loud warnings to us , so to fear , as to do what lyeth in us , to prevent our feeling the like miseries . but ( to exercise your patience no longer ) however , god may deal with this nation as a nation , or this church , as a church , particular impenitent sinners must expect to be punish't in the other world , with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power : when he shall come to be glorified in his saints , and to be admired of all them that believe . and then they will be all convinc't of the truth of that doctrine , we have so fully proved : that when sinners are made miserable , 't is not an effect of god's free choice . and as comfortable a doctrine as this is in it felf , they will find it no small aggravation of their misery . o that all such would consider this , and lay it well to heart , before it be too late : and would in this their day , know the things which belong unto their peace , before they be hidden from their eyes ! which god give us all his grace to do , for christ iesus's sake , to whom be glory for ever and ever . amen . finis . libertas evangelica, or, a discourse of christian liberty being a farther pursuance of the argument of the design of christianity / by edward fowler ... fowler, edward, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) libertas evangelica, or, a discourse of christian liberty being a farther pursuance of the argument of the design of christianity / by edward fowler ... fowler, edward, - . [ ], , [ ] p. : ill. printed by r. norton for richard royston and walter kettilby, london : . errata: p. [ ] advertisement: p. 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instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng freedom of religion -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion libertas evangelica ierusalem w ch . is above , is free , which is the mother of us all gal. . . if the son therefore shall make you free , ye shall be free indeed . s. l●h● s. 〈◊〉 . libertas evangelica : or , a discourse of christian liberty . being a farther pursuance of the argument of the design of christianity . by edward fowler , rector of alhallows breadstreet , london . london , printed by r. norton , for richard royston , and walter kettilby , mdclxxx . to the right honourable anthony earl of kent , lord hastings , waishford and ruthyn . my lord , the relation i formerly had to your lordship , and to the excellent countess your mother , who , like king solomon's wise woman , hath builded her house , and by her extraordinary prudence , accompanied with the divine blessing , hath raised the now third earldom in this kingdom to its ancient greatness and splendour ; this double relation , i say , hath emboldened me to make a dedication of this discourse to your lordship : but there are also several other considerations that induce me thereunto : as particularly , i know your lordship to be a sober and virtuous person ; and that , as the grace of god did guard your youth , and make the pious and solicitous care of so good a mother happily successful to preserve you from all inclination to the debaucheries of the age ; which have proved so fatal to not a few great men and great families ; so since your coming to years of consideration and iudgment , you have not onely upon deliberate choice totally deelined them , but from the love of virtue heartily detested them . i know your lordship to be excellently well principled , both as a subject of his majesty , and a son of the church of england ; and to be a perfect enemy to the two great adversaries of both , viz. popery and fanaticism . and that , as a noble clergie-man of this church was your grandfather , so your lordship hath always been an affectionate friend and patron of her clergie ; and have had a very particular value for those of them whose piety , prudence and learning intitle them to esteem . but i will not enlarge so far as truly i might upon this subject , i shall onely add , that i know your lordship to be a lover of books and learning ( wherein you attained to very good proficiency , by your noted studiousness and industry in the vniversity ) but chiefly to admire that sort of learning which incomparably excelleth all other , viz. that which our great master christ jesus hath so highly advanc'd and perfected : the design of which is to make us wise to salvation , and happy both in this world and to all eternity . and this ( if your lordship shall vouchsafe to peruse it ) you will find is for a great part the immediate business of the following treatise : as it is of the remainder , to vndermine and subvert those principles , both popish and others , which are of so pernicious consequence , and infinitely mischievous to that design . i am so well acquainted with your lordships candour and ingenuity , as to presume that it will easily overlook the many defects of this discourse , for the sake of that honest meaning which your charity will believe prompted me to the writing and publication of it . god almighty continue to multiply his blessings both spiritual and temporal upon your lordship , together with your pious and eminently charitable lady , your hopeful children , and the rest of your as happy as noble family . this is , and shall be the hearty prayer of , my lord , your lordships most faithful and humble servant , edw. fowler . the preface . as the right understanding of the nature of the christian religion will enable us to discover all destructive and dangerous errors , so those cannot be ignorant of its true nature who are acquainted with its design and business ; and consequently to be well informed herein is the most sure and compendious method that can be made choice of to preserve our selves from the contagion of heresie , and all such opinions and practices as are apt to make us bad christians . by this means men may save themselves the tedious labour of busying their heads in particular controversies , and in strictly examining all the arguments whereby the many sects among us do endeavour to make their proper sentiments to pass for great gospel truths : it is sufficient to measure them all by this one standard , and compare them with this rule ; which having done , we may be fully satisfied , that all such as are opposite to the intendment of our saviour's coming are to be rejected , all such as tend to promote it are to be embraced , and as for such as do neither oppose nor promote it ( if any such are ) it is not worth our while in the least to concern our selves about them . the consideration hereof did heretofore induce me to write that treatise , intituled , the design of christianity : and whereas divers worthy persons about that time had written to excellently good purpose against certain popular notions in religion , and abundantly exposed both the falsity and dangerousness of them , i employed my small talent in endeavouring in that discourse to undermine them all together in the lump , and to pluck them up by the roots : and , i praise god for it , i have seen reason to hope that i did not wholly lose my labour . now the reader will soon perceive that this plain discourse of christian liberty ( as is expressed in the title-page ) is a farther pursuance and improvement of the argument of that treatise : and that the self-same thing for substance is endeavoured in both . and i was the more inclined to treat of this subject , because , as clear and obvious as our notion thereof is , i do not know that it hath hitherto happened to be fully expressed in any other book , and much less made out and improved . considering the near relation between these two discourses , i may save my self and reader the trouble of a long preface , and shall do little more than acquaint him in a few words with these three things . first , the body of the discourse is as practical as can be , and treats of as weighty and important points as are to be found in the gospel : nor is there any one notion started throughout the whole , but what is both very easie , and improveable to the best and most profitable purposes . secondly , the opinions and practices which are exposed as false and dangerous are none but such as are most evidently contradictory to christian liberty as 't is here explicated , or to that natural liberty which is the not to be invaded property of mankind ; although some of them , we have shewed , are insisted upon by not a few , as so many parts or branches of christian liberty : and all those that we have concerned our selves with may be reduced to three heads , antinomian , fanatical and popish : upon which last we have much more enlarged than on the other two ; and not ( especially at this time ) without great reason . thirdly , we have fully made it appear , that as no man can entertain a kind thought of popery , so neither can he easily satisfie himself to separate from the communion of the church of england , while he hath the true notion of christian liberty . the present separation of so great a number of our protestant brethren ( i meddle not here with the mere non-conformity of ministers ) is chiefly occasioned , the more is the shame , by things that are very little in their own nature ; by matters acknowledged by them generally to be indifferent in themselves , and which they can never shew are forbidden by any express law of god , nor can make them look in the least like sinful things , otherwise than by using a deal of artifice and force in interpreting and applying of certain scriptures . and the great obstacle to our peace and unity , i mean next to pride , self-conceit and the want of the true christian spirit , is a gross mistake concerning the nature of christian liberty : it being conceived that as little things as are the cause of the breach , there is a great thing parted with by complying with them ; no less a thing than that which their saviour judged to be worth the expence of his precious bloud to purchase it for them , which is this liberty . and could the brethren of the separation be once perswaded out of their darling notion thereof ( as if they will they easily may ) and be satisfied that it is no way betrayed by obeying their governours ; while nothing worse is imposed by them than what is indifferent , the well-meaning people amongst them would soon think it of far worse consequence to break the peace of the church about such things , than to conform to them : especially since these divisions are no less dangerous to both the church and state than unchristian and scandalous . for who doth not see what advantage our common enemy doth make of them , and what farther advantage , not to be thought of without horrour , he may be too like to make ? i have one humble request to make to the reader , viz. that he will be , i don't say so kind , but so just to me as not hastily to censure me , if he happens now and then to light upon a passage which at first sight may seem somewhat odd to him , but have the patience to suspend his displeasure till he hath read farther ; when he may possibly perceive that he misunderstood me in those passages : for it is impossible ( i at least find it so ) to deliver the intire sense of ones mind all at once , concerning any thing that requireth some considerable exercise of thoughts . i desire especially that this right may be done me in the fifteenth chapter , which treats of that most ticklish argument , liberty of conscience ; whereon i have endeavoured to give my most sedate thoughts with all sincerity and impartiality . i will conclude with this advertisement , that whereas i have touched upon several things which i have since found in the learned dean of s. paul's his most excellent discourse , intituled the mischief of separation , i had perfectly completed all that part where i have done so , and sent much of it to the press too before i read that discourse ; nor did it occasion the addition of any one thing . and it would have been , i am sensible , a weak thing of me had i industriously repeated things published to the world so immediately before by that great man , with so much greater advantage . the contents . sect . i. that the most excellent and most highly to be valued liberty doth consist in an intire compliance with the laws of righteousness and goodness : or in freedom from the dominion of corrupt and sinful affections . chap. i. this shewed in the general from texts of scripture , and further confirmed by those who were strangers to divine revelation . page . chap. ii. that the most excellent freedom and liberty consists in the observance of the laws of righteousness and goodness , more distinctly and particularly demonstrated by three arguments . of which the first is , that this is freedom from the worst and vilest of slaveries . where it is shewed in three particulars , that the transgressors of those laws are the most slavish creatures . pag. . chap. iii. that the liberty which resulteth from the observance of the laws of righteousness is , secondly , the liberty of the soul : and how it is so , is shewed in four particulars . pag. . chap. iv. that this is , thirdly , the liberty of god himself , and his most excellent liberty . pag. . sect . ii. that this freedom to holy obedience and true goodness , or which consisteth in an intire compliance with the laws of righteousness , is our christian liberty . chap. v. the foresaid proposition demonstrated by f●●r arguments , viz. first , that this hath b●en proved to be the most glorious liberty . secondly , this was that liberty , the instating us wherein , was the whole business of our saviour and his apostles . thirdly , our 〈◊〉 abolishing the ceremonial law was chiefly d●signed in 〈◊〉 to the thorough effecting this liberty : where it is shewed , that this law accidentally became very prejudicial to the great design of setting men free from the power of their lusts , in several particulars . fourthly , that none but the jews were obliged to the observance of this law. pag. . chap. vi. what course our lord hath taken to instate us in this liberty shewed in several particulars , viz. that . he hath most fully informed us concerning all the parts and particulars of our liberty . . he hath furnished us with the most potent means , for the gaining of it . . he hath purchased a rich supply of grace and strength , to enable us to use these means successfully . . he hath laid before us the most powerful motives and arguments to prevail on our wills to make use of this strength , and comply with this grace . pag. . chap. vii . wherein is discoursed the first of those motives and arguments which are offered in the gospel , to perswade us to use the means prescribed for our deliverance from the power of sin. namely , the love of god in sending his son upon the errand of our redemption . and two most powerful motives implied in this . pag. . chap. viii . a seasonable digression concerning the doctrine of vniversal redemption . the antiquity and catholicalness of this doctrine . large citations out of bishop latimer and bishop hooper , expressing their sense of it . and full proof thereof presented out of the h. scriptures . pag. . chap. ix . wherein are contained five more evangelical motives , which are of wonderful power to excite us to diligence in using the means of our deliverance from the dominion of sin , viz. our saviours excellent example . the assurance he hath given us , that he will not take such advantage of our frailties and weaknesses , as to cast us off for them . our saviours mediation and intercession . the glorious reward he hath purchased for , and promised to those , who , by the assistance of his grace , overcome their lusts. and the most dismal threatnings he hath pronounced against those who receive that grace in vain , and will not be delivered from the dominion of sin. pag. . sect . iii. containing the inferences from each of the arguments of the foregoing sections . chap. x. which treats of the first inference from the first proposition , [ that the most excellent liberty doth consist in an intire compliance with the laws of righteousness and goodness ; or in freedom from the dominion of sinful affections . ] namely , that those are most vnreasonable and depraved people , who complain of the divine laws as intolerable intrenchments upon their liberty . where it is shewed , first , that upon supposition our liberty were restrained by the laws of god , it would nevertheless be most unreasonable to complain upon that account . secondly , that the laws which oblige christians do not restrain their liberty . pag. . chap. xi . the second inference , viz. that such a freedom of will as consists in an indifferency to good or evil , is no perfection , but the contrary . pag. . chap. xii . which treats of one branch of the first inference from the argument of the second section , [ that in freedom from the dominion of corrupt affections doth that liberty principally or rather wholly consist , which christ hath purchased for us . ] namely , that several notions of christian liberty , which have too much prevailed , are false and of dangerous consequence . the first of which is , that which makes it to consist , wholly or in part , in freedom from the obligation of the moral law. certain texts , urged by the antinomians in favour of it , vindicated from the sence they put upon them . and the extreme wildness and wickedness of it exposed in five particulars . pag. . chap. xiii . a second false notion of christian liberty , viz. that which makes it to consist in freedom from the obligation of those laws of men , which enjoyn or forbid indifferent things . this notion differently managed by the defenders of it . first , some extend it so far as to make it to reach to all humane laws , the matter of which are things indifferent . secondly , others limit it to those which relate to religion and the worship of god. the . vers. of the . chap. of the epist. to the corinthians cleared from giving any countenance to either of these opinions . the former of them confuted by three arguments : and the latter by four . vnder the second of which , several texts of scripture which are much insisted upon in the defence thereof , are taken into consideration . an unjust reflection upon the church of england briefly replied to . and this principle , that the imposing of things indifferent in divine worship is no violation of christian liberty , proved to be no ways serviceable to popery , by considering what the popish impositions are in three particulars . pag. . chap. xiv . an answer to this question , whether the prescribing of forms of prayer , for the publick worship of god , be not an encroachment upon christian liberty ? wherein it is shewed , that this is not a stifling of the spirit , or restraining the exercise of his gift . and what in prayer is not , as also what is the gift of the spirit . whereby is occasioned an answer to another question , viz. whether an ability for preaching be properly a gift of the spirit . pag. . chap. xv. a third false notion of christian liberty , viz. that which makes liberty of conscience a branch of it . two things premised , . that conscience is not so sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being obliged by humane laws . . that no man can properly be deprived of the true liberty of his conscience by any power on earth . that what is contended for , is more properly liberty of practice than of conscience . the author's opinion in reference to this liberty delivered in ten propositions . that whatsoever liberty of this nature may be insisted on as our right , it is not christian liberty but natural liberty . pag. . chap. xvi . the third inference from our notion of christian liberty , viz. that popery is the greatest enemy in the world thereunto . where it is shewed , first , that the church of rome robs those who are subject to her of that natural liberty which necessarily belongs to them as they are men , viz. that which consists in the free use of their vnderstandings in matters of religion . that she will not permit men to examine either her doctrines or practices by the holy scriptures ; nor yet to receive the holy scriptures themselves otherwise than upon her authority . the wickedness of this exposed in two particulars . the alledging of scripture for it , shewed to be the grossest absurdity . their great text tim. . . spoken to . her tyranny over mens minds further shewed . pag. . chap. xvii . where it is shewed , secondly , that popery is as great an enemy as can be to christian liberty . and first , to that liberty which our saviour hath purchased for the world in general . as . that it tendeth as much as is possible to the corrupting of mens souls by subjecting them to vile affections . this shewed in the general , viz. in that it is apt to beget false notions of god ; and more particularly , in that it brings men under the power of the lusts of malice , revenge , cruelty ; pride and ambition ; covetousness ; uncleanness ; intemperance ; and the greatest injustice and unrighteousness . . that it no less tendeth to disquiet mens minds with certain troublesome passions . pag. . chap. xviii . the third particular discoursed on , viz. that the admirable method our lord hath taken to instate us in our christian liberty , is made lamentably ineffectual by popery . this shewed as to each of those four particulars that method consists of . the second head briefly spoken to , viz. that popery is also the greatest enemy to that liberty christ purchased for the jews in particular . a pathetical exhortation to a higher valuing of the priviledges we enjoy in the church of england concludes the chapter . pag. . chap. xix . the fourth inference , that he onely is a true christian , that looks upon himself as obliged to be no less watchful over his heart and the frame and temper of his mind , than over his life and conversation . pag. . chap. xx. the last inference , viz. that the most proper and genuine christian obedience is that which hath most of liberty in it ; namely , that which proceeds from the principle of love to god and goodness . pag. errata . page . line . for six , read thirty six . page . line . after controversie , add this parenthesis ( if they could be ingenuous . ) page . line . after opportunities for , add or in order to . a discourse of christian liberty . the introduction . there is nothing toward which mankind is more naturally or vehemently affected than freedom and liberty ; there is so great a value and price set upon it , that life it self is not thought too precious to be hazarded or laid down for it : and many have rather chosen to die by their enemies hands than to be inslaved by them . it was the saying of cato , malui mori quàm uni parere , i had rather die than that one man ( meaning iulius caesar ) should lord it over me : and he was as good as his word , he laid violent hands upon himself rather than that usurper should be his master . the jewish nation , being besieged in ierusalem , thought it more eligible to suffer the most direful calamities , such as are not to be parallel'd in any other history , than yield themselves captives to titus , and put their necks under the roman yoke . both single persons and communities esteem all their other enjoyments but little worth , whilest liberty is wanting , nor hath any one thing occasioned so much bloudshed in the world , as the defence or recovery of liberty . though tacitus tells us , that 't was greatly deliberated among the gallican cities , whether liberty or peace was to be preferred , yet ordinarily , without the least consultation , when these two stand in competition , the former is chosen , and peace is forced to give way to and sold for liberty . there is no suffering so impatiently born as the loss , or but infringment of liberty , nor are any looked upon as such enemies to mankind , or have so hateful a character , as the invaders of it . but yet as inamoured with liberty as we all are , the generality are lamentably ignorant of its true nature , and wherein it mainly and principally consisteth . a spartan being asked , quid sciret ? replied , scio quid est liberum esse : i know what liberty and freedom meaneth : but i fear there are very few comparatively that can truly return this answer ; nay , that most are so strangely mistaken in this matter , as to account the worst of slaveries the most desirable liberty , and the chiefest of liberties the most intolerable slavery . but if we will believe our blessed saviour , who , being the wisdom of the father , can best inform us , we shall be satisfied that there is no liberty like that which is of his bestowing : he hath said , iohn . . if the son shall make you free , ye shall be free indeed , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ye shall be really free , and not only in shew , in outward appearance and opinion ; you shall be in the truest and most excellent sence free . which words do plainly tell us , that all other liberties are unworthy of that name , in comparison of that which is conferred by himself . and what i now said of liberty in the general , may as truly be affirmed of christian liberty , viz. first , that there is nothing hath raised more dust , or occasioned more sad feuds in the christian world than this hath done : the great ball of contention hath been christian liberty , among the professed disciples of christ. such an opinion is conceived of it , that 't is never thought too dearly bought . this is the good old cause , for which multitudes have been very liberal of both their fortunes and lives ; and no one thing hath been esteemed better , if so well , deserving the price of bloud . the pretence of christian liberty is of all other the most plausible and popular , and nothing hath been more unhappily successful in raising tumults and exciting the people to take the field . nay , this hath been held so sacred a thing ( if it be lawful to judge of mens opinions by their practices ) as to be able to hallow the unholiest actions , and to sanctifie the most apparently wicked , when designed for the preserving or regaining thereof . and therefore . secondly , too many that are called christians ( as i should not need to add ) must needs very grosly mistake the nature of that they are so fond of . and , as great zeal as they shew for christian liberty , do as little desire that which really is so , and is the chiefest instance of it . upon which account i presume 't will be thought no needless labour to endeavour to rectifie mens apprehensions about the nature of this liberty . and in order hereunto i design , with gods assistance , to shew in the following discourse , first , that the most excellent and most highly to be valued liberty doth consist in an intire compliance with the laws of righteousness and goodness ; or in freedom from the dominion of corrupt and sinful affections . secondly , that herein that liberty principally , or rather wholly consisteth , which our blessed saviour hath purchased for us , and in his gospel proclaimed to us . which two propositions being demonstrated , we shall thirdly , draw distinctly from each several useful inferences , where particularly the false notions which too many have conceived of christian liberty shall be effectually confuted . sect . i. that the most excellent and most highly to be valued liberty doth consist in an intire compliance with the laws of righteousness and goodness : or in freedom from the dominion of corrupt and sinful affections . chap. i. this shewed in the general from texts of scripture , and further confirmed by those who were strangers to divine revelation . now in the general that this is so , those forecited words of our saviour , iohn . . do give us assurance : for the freedom which christ there commends as the true freedom by way of eminence is this from the dominion of sin and corrupt affections . this will appear by considering the context : our saviour having said , verse , . to those iews that believed on him , if you continue inmy words , then are ye my disciples indeed , and ye shall know the truth , and the truth shall make you free ; it follows ver . . they answered him , we be abrahams seed , and were never in bondage to any man , how sayest thou , ye shall be made free . they answered , not the believers , but some of the company that came with no good design , we be abrahams seed , we are not descended from the canaanites or other servile people , but from abraham , and from him , not by hagar the bond-woman , but by sarah the free-woman , we are of a generous and illustrious extract ; and were never in bondage to any man , as we were not born slaves , so neither have at any time been made slaves . but how could they say this , whenas they were formerly in bondage , both to the egyptians and babylonians , with divers others , and even now subjected to the power of the romans ? the truth is , if they spake this concerning their nation , the saying was an impudent and loud falshood , as it is usual for men when they are vaunting and boasting , to make bold with truth ; but if they understood it of their own particulars , and they meant that they were not in personal servitude , had not lost their natural liberty as men , though they were in a political servitude as a nation , their saying that they were abrahams seed came in impertinently . it follows ver . . iesus answered them , verily verily i say unto you , whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin . he that is a worker of iniquity , is inslaved and brought into a servile state thereby : ver. . and the servant abideth not in the house for ever , but the son abideth for ever . or those who are in this servile state , under sin , though they may for a time be members of gods houshold , they shall at length be for ever cast out , but the son hath a right to continue there , and to the enjoyment of his fathers inheritance . then next follow those words , if the son therefore shall make you free , ye shall be free indeed . so that the freedom which our lord speaks of , ver . . being deliverance from the power of sin , as appears by his explaining himself , ver . . it is manifest that he meaneth the same thing in these words , and consequently does in them give testimony to what we are now designing to prove , that to be rescued from under the dominion of our lusts is freedom and liberty indeed , the true and most excellent liberty . and of this the holy david was very sensible , when he uttered those words , psal. . . i will walk at liberty , for i seek thy precepts . whereby he signified , that the ways of gods commandments , though they seem to the fleshly and sensual strait and narrow , and though such look upon those that walk in them as too much confined and abridged of liberty ; yet the spirit of a regenerate and good man finds no where such freedom and enlargement as in those ways . and therefore when he lapsed into those two hainous and provoking sins , he felt himself exceedingly straitned , and his spirit was miserably pent up and contracted : as appears by that prayer in his penitential psalm , psal. . . restore to me the joy of thy salvation , and uphold ( or establish ) me with thy free spirit . or rather , with a free spirit . in pet. . . the apostle , speaking of a sort of wicked people , who were industrious to make others as vile as themselves , saith , that while they promise them liberty , they themselves are the servants of corruption , for of whom a man is overcome , of the same is he brought in bondage . they inticed others to all manner of carnality and filthiness , and tempted those that were clean escaped from the pollutions of the world to relapse into them , and this they did by the plausible pretence of giving them liberty ; but alas ( saith the apostle ) they themselves are the most wretched and miserable of slaves , having yielded themselves up to their vile affections , and being under the power and command of tyrannical lusts. and heathens have divers of them discoursed this excellently , and were great masters of this notion : that he who is gotten from under the dominion of his sensitive part , and lives agreeably to the dictates of right reason , and the will of god , is the only free man. arrian in his third book upon epictetus spends some time in shewing , that the true liberty consisteth in the obedience of our appetites to the divine will. and in his first book , that there is no true bondage but that which ariseth from the prevalence of evil affections ; and that a good man can never be in real slavery , though he be in his enemies hands , that then his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , his carkass only is taken captive , but he himself is as free still as ever . and he gives diogenes for an instance , who having been set free from his corrupt appetites by his master antisthenes , would deny that it was possible for any one to make a slave of him , and , being taken by pirates , behaved himself in their hands like one that was more their lord than their vassal . and this is one of the stoical paradoxes which tully discourseth very bravely upon : that all wise men ( whereby they meant good men ) are free men , but all fools ( whereby they meant bad men ) are slaves . and under this head tully , shewing who deserves the title of emperor , hath this saying , let him bridle his lusts , despise pleasures , suppress anger , subdue a covetous humour , and other vicious affections : then may be begin to take upon him the government of others , when he shall have ceased to be under the government of those most cruel lords , shame and turpitude , but whilest he yields obedience to these , as he ought not to be accounted an emperor , so neither so much as a free-man . again he saith a little after . if slavery be the obedience of a broken , abject and base mind , and of a man that hath no power over himself , as it is , then who can deny that allwanton , all covetous , and lastly , all bad people whatsoever are very slaves ? chap. ii. that the most excellent freedom and liberty consists in the observance of the laws of righteousness and goodness , more distinctly and particularly demonstrated by three arguments . of which the first is that this is freedom from the worst and vilest of slaveries . where it is shewed in three particulars , that the transgressors of those laws are the most slavish creatures . it may moreover be more distinctly and particularly proved , that the most excellent freedom and liberty consisteth in the observance of the laws of righteousness and goodness by these following arguments . first , this is freedom from the worst and vilest of slaveries . secondly , this is the liberty of the soul. thirdly , this is the divine liberty , the liberty of god himself . first , this is freedom from the worst and vilest of slaveries . and that there is no such slavish creature as he who lives in the transgression of these laws ( as the wicked man ) doth plainly appear , in that , first , his whole man , both soul and body is inslaved . those who are slaves in the vulgar sence , that are taken captive by the turk , or such like merciless and inhumane masters , are necessarily inslaved only as to their viler part , their bodies : it lieth not in the power of any man on earth to inslave a soul. the mind and will of him , who , as to his outward man , is the most absolute vassal to the lusts of others , may retain their liberty still in spight of them . no tyrant can make me either think , or chuse , or love , or desire what he pleaseth . where all the members of the body are under constraint , the soul may continue free in all its powers , no external force is able to inthral that . but he who lives in disobedience to the laws of righteousness is perfectly inslaved , his whole man hath lost its liberty . as his body is at the command and dispose of his lusts , as each of its members are ministers of unrighteousness , and made to fulfil the will of the flesh , so his soul is subjected to their power and dominion , and his slavery begins there . his mind , will and affections are first subdued and brought into bondage by fleshly and impure lusts , and then his body is ingaged in the filthy drudgery of making provision for them , of gratifying them and giving satisfaction to them . that is the meaning of those words of s. iames , then when lust hath conceived , it bringeth forth sin , chap. . . secondly , the wicked man is thus subject to the vilest and basest of masters . such a one ( to repeat those words of tully ) doth parere dedecori & turpitudini , is at the command of vile shame and filthiness it self . what is sordid covetousness , swinish lust , beastly intemperance , devilish rage and malice , what i say are all these less than so ? to which i may add those other hateful qualities of fraud , dissimulation , envy , pride , selfishness , and the like . but some or other , nay most of these are all wicked men , servants to , and over-powered by . if tully could say of the lustful man , an ille mihi liber videtur cui mulier imperat ? shall i think him a freeman who is at the command of a woman ? and if arrian could say , what , miserable wretch , dost thou fancy thy self free , who art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the slave of a wench , and a vile sorry wench too ; well may i say , what a wretched slave art thou then , who art under the dominion of so many base , vile , opprobrious , shameful and hateful things ? to be subject to any one of these is vile servitude ; what is it then to be at the command of so many such masters , to serve divers lusts ( as the apostles expression is , titus . . ) and all most vile , base and brutish . thirdly , the wicked man is also inslaved by the most tyrannical and cruel masters . indeed 't is rare that the base prove other than cruel whensoever they happen to get into power . having understood who are this mans masters , we must needs be satisfied , that they are not more vile than they are tyrannical . and their tyranny is shewed in requiring the most vnreasonable services , and the most vneasie . their commands must necessarily be most unreasonable in that they themselves are so . the forementioned vile affections , and the like , are therefore vile , because perfect contradictions to the reason of mens minds , and degradations of the humane and intellectual nature : because they brutifie mens souls , yea , and make them more vile than the beasts which perish . in short , he who obeys these masters preferreth the creature before the creator , god blessed for ever : he forsakes the fountain of living waters , and heweth out to himself broken cisterns which can hold no water : his body is far more dear to him than his soul , and he esteems slight and momentany satisfactions and pleasures , above the most substantial and eternal . he fears the displeasure of a poor creature , and some very tolerable and small evil , more than the wrath of the omnipotent god , and than hell it self . he is ever doing that which the sence of his own mind upbraids him with , and what he knows before hand he shall wish undone as soon as done . in a word , he is always contradicting the great design of his creation and coming into being . such things as these ( as i need not stand to shew ) do the lusts of wicked men put them upon doing , such services as these are they perpetually imploying them in . and what we said of the vnreasonableness of their commands speaks them also vneasie , grievous and troublesome . it is impossible for a creature to act contrary to its nature and essential principles , but it must needs feel much pain in so doing ; the more unnatural any thing is , the more disquieting and tormenting must it necessarily be . the very presence of evil affections in the soul must needs make it as uneasie , as evil humours do the body ; what then will the gratifying , the nourishing and cherishing them do ? i appeal to the covetous and ambitious , to the immoderate lovers of riches and honours , to such lovers of wine , and such lovers of women , to the revengeful and malicious , and the like , whether they do not feel excessive disturbance and perturbation of mind , from the several passions that denominate them such ; and whether the pain they cause to their souls , be not incomparably greater and more lasting , than the pleasure which their flesh or sensitive part receiveth from them . add hereunto the grievous disquiet and torment that is occasioned by reflecting upon the past pleasing and gratifying a lust. tully hath an excellent observation to this purpose , when a lust hath ceased to exercise its dominion for a while , or to employ its vassal in new drudgery , he is not for that time at ease , but another lord immediately tyrannizeth over him , viz. the dread that ariseth from consciousness of guilt , oh what a miserable slavery and bondage is this ! and ( by the way ) methinks it should much affect us , to find a heathen expressing such a sense of the intolerable slavery men are brought into by satisfying their lusts. i might add further , that mens lusts have no moderation with them neither , though ( as that philosopher supposeth ) they may , after their commands are obeyed , for a while cease to command again , yet it is but for a very little while ; before the sinner hath recovered his spent spirits , they lay new burdens on his weary shoulders . what the apostle saith of those who have eyes full of adultery that they cannot cease from sin , is as true of those who are under the dominion of any lust whatsoever : and what horace observes of the tyranny of sensual love , may as well be applied to every other corrupt affection , namely , vrget enim mentem dominus non lenis , & acres subjectat lasso stimulos . this cruel lord th' unhappy creature rides , and , when be-jaded , claps sharp spurs to 's sides . i might moreover shew , were it needful , that the service which mens lusts exact from them , is such as ordinarily is of fatal consequence to their estates and bodies as well as souls , but there is nothing to which universal observation in all ages , and sinners experience gives clearer evidence . i might also in the last place , shew , that mens lusts do deliver up their servants to the power of the devil , such being said to be in his snare , and to be taken captive by him at his will , tim. . . and no man , i hope , shall need to be informed , what a tyrant and tormenter the devil is . but enough hath been said of the service of sin to make us cry out with the philosopher in the forementioned words , quàm illa misera , quàm dura servitus ! what miserable and cruel slavery is that service ! enough , i say , hath been said to assure us , that no slavery is comparable to this , and consequently , that the careful observance of the laws of righteousness is the true , and most glorious liberty , in that , freedom from such bondage is implied therein , as is not to be found in any other sort of liberty . chap. iii. that the liberty which resulteth from the observance of the laws of righteousness , is the liberty of the soul : and how it is so , is shewed in four particulars . secondly , the liberty which resulteth from the observance of the laws of righteousness and goodness is the truest and most excellent of liberties , in that it is the liberty and freedom of the soul. as this is apparent by what hath been already discoursed , so we may further take notice , that by the observance of these laws the soul comes to be enlarged , to have self-enjoyment , and to be as it would be , in that it is by this means delivered from those passions which straiten , confine and pend it up , and put it into a slavish state . those passions are chiefly , fear , shame , trouble and dejection of mind , and an immoderate love to our own bodily and particular concerns . and the opposites to these do give the soul great enlargement and liberty , viz. that confidence that is opposite both to fear and to shame , delight and joy , which are opposite to trouble and dejection of mind , and generosity and nobleness of spirit , whereby a man is carried forth to the loving of god the chief good in the first place , and a hearty concern for the general welfare of his fellow-creatures , which is opposite to immoderate self-love . first , the observance of the rules of righteousness casteth out fear . this is a most servile passion ; the apostle speaketh of some , who through fear of ●●ath were all their life-time subject to bondage . by fear i mean that which is expressed by the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a cowardly and dispiriting fear . none can imagine i mean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , an awful and reverential fear , such as is called , heb. . . a godly fear : nor yet do i mean such a fear as awakens and excites the soul to the use of means for the shunning and keeping off evils . such a fear as this doth not at all inslave or put a man out of his own power , but is highly serviceable to the maintenance and preservation of liberty . and therefore it is commended to us by the apostle , heb. . . let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest , any of you should seem to come short of it . but , as was said , the fear which is enslaving is a cowardly dispiriting fear , and this the righteous and good man is freed from . he hath not received the spirit of bondage again to fear , in this sence , but the spirit of adoption whereby he crieth abba father , rom. . . he is not afraid of god as a poor slave is of his fierce master , or as a wicked servant of his justly provoked and incensed lord ; but not being under the guilt of wilful sins , his conscience being privy to no other guilt than that which upon good grounds he believes is expiated by the bloud of iesus , he can go to god as a child to his loving and tender father . and as he hath no tumultuary , confounding or disheartening fear of god , so neither hath he of the devil or men , or any worldly evil ; as knowing that all these are subject to the restraint of that good providence which ever chargeth it self with the care of good souls and all their concerns . god hath not given him the spirit of fear ( or timidity and fearfulness ) but of power , of love , and of a sound mind , tim. . . this man is an affectionate lover of god , and therefore cannot question god's love to him , and is assured that all things shall work together for his good , for his good both in this life , and in the life to come . herein is our love made perfect , saith s. iohn in his epistle . . because as he is , so are we in this world ( because we follow the example of our blessed saviour in the conscientious observance of the rules of righteousness ) there is no fear in love , but perfect love casteth out fear , because fear hath torment , he that feareth is not made perfect in love : that is , he that is affected with such a fear as hath now been described . he who is not under the power of cowardizing , dismaying fear , his spirit is at great liberty ; but a care to keep an inoffensive conscience both towards god and men , to adhere to the rules of righteousness and goodness , and never to swerve from them , will banish this fear . the wicked ( saith the wise man ) fleeth when no man pursueth , but the righteous is bold as a lion , prov. . . he that walketh uprightly , walketh surely : or confidently and securely , prov. . . to which great truth the poet gives his testimony in those known verses ; integer vitae scelerisque purus non eget mauri jaculis nec arcu , &c. he that 's in life upright and pure in heart is too secure to need the bow or dart. — hic murus aheneus esto nil conscire sibi , nullâ & pallescere culpâ . the strongest bulwark's not so sure a fence as is an inoffensive conscience . secondly , true goodness begets that confidence which is opposed , as to fear so , to shame too . there is a highly commendable shame , which is proper to a good man , namely that which is expressed by the latine verecundia : which is a quick sense of whatsoever is indecorous and misbecoming . no man can have too much of this , for the more any one hath of it , the better man must he necessarily be . but there is another sort of shame expressed by pudor , which is a troublesome passion arising from a sense of disgrace , upon consciousness of guilt . of this shame , the most learned doctor henry more observeth in his incomparable ethicks , that it neither falleth upon the worst nor the best of men . for he who is conscious to himself that he constantly exerciseth his liberty in doing the best things , knows that he ought not to be contemned , and thereupon , being above all contempt , contempt it self is contemned by him ; which is a great instance , in good men , of generosity , but in bad men , is the very height of improbity . this shame is a good effect of a bad cause , for though it be an evil , yet 't is a necessary evil , and tends to the deterring men from unworthy actions for the time to come , and doth actually produce this good effect where the great uneasiness and perturbation of mind which was caused thereby upon past commissions of sin , is seriously and consideratively reflected upon . for where this shame is , there is great bondage , where there is consciousness of guilt , the mind of a man is miserably pent up , confined and straitned , so that he dares many times neither to look abroad into the world , nor to look up to heaven , nor reflect upon himself . and therefore liberty and confidence are expressed by the same word ( viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) in the greek language . but while a man is careful in the observance of the laws of righteousness , to be righteous before god , and to walk ( as it is said of zacharias and elizabeth ) in all the commandments and ordinances of the lord blameless , he is not affected with this kind of shame , and consequently enjoys a mighty freedom by this means . upright iob had the happy experience of this effect of uprightness ; as we find chap. . , , . oh that one would hear me , ( saith he ) behold my desire is , that the almighty would answer me , and that mine adversary had written a book . surely i would take it upon my shoulder , and bind it as a crown unto me . i would declare to him the number of my steps , as a prince would i go near unto him . which is as much as if he had said , oh that mine adversary instead of secretly whispering evil things of me , had drawn up a charge in writing against me : i would be so far from endeavouring to have it concealed , that i would my self publish it to all the world , and instead of thinking it a disgrace and disparagement , i would esteem it as an ornament ; for my innocence would be the more cleared , and my good name vindicated by the means of it . and so far would i be from sneaking and skulking in corners , like one ashamed to shew his head , that i would like a prince with heroick courage and confidence go up to the face of mine enemy , and expose and lay open my whole life before him . or rather we will read these verses as the sence of them is expressed in a late excellent paraphrase upon this book : oh that the truth of all this [ that i have been accused of ] might be examined by some equal judge ! behold i continue still to desire of god this favour : and let him that can accuse me , bring in his libel in writing against me . surely i would not endeavour to obscure it , but openly expose it to be read by all ; nay wear it as a singular ornament , which would turn to mine honour , when the world saw it disproved . i my self would assist him to draw up his charge , by declaring to him freely every action of my life : i would approach him as undauntedly as a prince , who is assured of the goodness of his cause . these words , with many other of his sayings , shew , what a blessed liberty the soul of this holy man was possessed with , even whilest he was deprived of all his outward comforts , and in the saddest and most dismal circumstances . thirdly , nothing will free a man from trouble and dejection of mind , like the careful observance of the laws of righteousness . this as it is a certain consequent of fear and shame , it must needs free a man from , as it freeth from those its causes : but it incomparably beyond any thing in the world cureth this malady of a wounded spirit how or by whatsoever it be occasioned . i have shewed that it is the fate of sinners to feel great perturbation and disturbance of mind from their corrupt affections , by the law in their members warring against the law of their minds , and also by reflecting upon their folly and madness , and by the fearful expectations that their manifold bold transgressions of the divine laws do raise in them . the wicked ( saith the prophet ) are like the troubled sea , which cannot rest , whose waters cast up mire and dirt : there is no peace , saith my god , to the wicked . cain had no sooner given place to envy and revenge , but his countenance fell , and the disquiet of his mind was bewrayed by his looks . but there is no such lightsomness and sprightfulness of soul , no such pleasure and self-satisfaction as that which results from true religion , righteousness and goodness . it 's ways are ways of pleasantness , and all its paths peace , prov. . . light is sown for the righteous , and joy for the vpright in heart , psal. . . great peace have they that love thy law , and nothing shall offend them , psal. . . the work of rigteousness shall be peace , and the effect of righteousness quietness , and assurance for ever , esay . . the good man is free from self-accusations , and from that gnawing worm that is frequently felt in guilty breasts . he is not appalled in thinking of what is past , nor cast down with the fore-thought of that which is to come . his soul is like a calm and clear river , like the waters of siloam which run softly , without noise or murmur . whatsoever is natural is for that reason highly pleasing , but nothing so natural to the heaven-born soul of man , nothing is so agreeable to our original make , as to live in conformity to the laws of righteousness . whilest this is our serious care , we act according to our highest principle , that principle which god and nature designed for our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , our leader and governour , i mean the reason of our minds . and therefore so long as we follow its dictates , and behave our selves like those on whose souls the divine image is imprinted , which consisteth in righteousness and true holiness , so long i say we live in our own element , and therefore must necessarily have self-enjoyment : and we shall enjoy our selves more or less according as we are more or less diligent in works of righteousness and goodness . the experience of every good man will force him to subscribe to the truth of this ; no such man can withhold his assent from it , or call it into question any more than he can his own feeling . such a one feels such serenity of thoughts , and such great delight and satisfaction of mind in the exercise of love to god and love to men , in works of piety , justice and charity , in the exercise of humility , meekness , patience and submission to the divine will , and all other christian graces and virtues , that , while he is so employed , all is as well within him as he can desire ; he accounts it a heaven upon earth to be so employed . i fear that many a one who would be thought a christian cannot receive this doctrine , that it seems to him a very strange soloecism ; but i could tell him of many a heathen of whom he may learn it as well as of christians ; particularly tully , who hath this brave saying in his tusculan questions : o philosophy the guide of our lives ! o thou seeker out of virtues , and expeller of vices ! one day well spent , and in obedience to thy precepts , ought to be preferred before a sinning immortality . and all those say for substance the self-same thing , who tell us , that virtue is a reward to it self . the good man feels also no small pleasure in reflecting upon the fruits of righteousness he hath brought forth : and much more in the contemplation of that glorious reward , which god for christ's sake hath promised to those who patiently persevere in well-doing . the fore-expectation whereof doth greatly support him under all the crosses and afflictions wherewith he is exercised in this life : and makes him not only patient under those tribulations he meets with for righteousness sake , but even to glory in them , as the apostles did and primitive christians . and moreover , he receiveth great refreshment and comfort more immediately from the holy ghost , especially when he is called forth to any exceedingly great suffering , or extraordinary service . he then marvellously strengthens the good man with strength in his soul to bear the one and perform the other as becomes a servant of iesus christ. which he doth chiefly by giving sensible , clear and lively representations to the good mans mind of the glory of heaven , and by stedfastly fixing it upon the crown of righteousness and life , which his blessed lord hath promised to all those who are faithful to the death . thus was the first christian martyr s. stephen strengthened , who being full of the holy ghost looked up stedfastly into heaven , and saw the glory of god , saw the heavens opened , as ready to receive him , and the son of man standing on the right hand of god. and in the same manner have innumerable of his followers been since strengthened ; and among others not a few of our own country people who were burnt at stakes by the bloudy papists in the reign of queen mary . and if ever such days should come again ( as god grant they may not ) all sincerely good souls , who are sensible of their own weakness , and intirely confide in the power of iesus , shall undoubtedly be enabled to suffer with great patience and constancy , if not with great ioyfulness also and triumphantly . and indeed without this more immediate and special divine assistance , we could not well hope to endure a fiery trial . all external encouragements , such is the infirmity of our natures , accompanied but with the ordinary assistance of the divine grace , are like little to avail us in the hour of such a temptation . and the reason is , because we shall be in great danger of being totally deprived of the power of considering by very acute pain and torment : and a vigorous powerful sense of the glory of heaven , is necessary to our bearing with patience , and much more with joyfulness the sharpest sort of tribulations ; the mere belief thereof would certainly have but a very weak influence in such a circumstance . and therefore ( as was said ) all good souls may confidently expect extraordinary assistance , whensoever they are called out to extraordinary sufferings . god is faithful ( saith the apostle ) who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able , &c. . cor. . . now then , who after all this shall need to be told , what a glorious liberty of soul is obtainable by the careful observance of the laws of righteousness and goodness ? but this will yet further appear , if we consider that , fourthly , it delivereth from all immoderate self-love . such a love of our selves as ties us down and determines us to our own bodily and particular concerns . a worthy person , in a discourse of the excellency of true religion hath a saying to our present purpose well worth our reciting , viz. that wicked men are of most narrow and confined spirits , they are so contracted by the pinching particularities of earthly and created things , so imprisoned in the dark dungeon of sensuality and selfishness , so straitned through their carnal designs and ends , that they cannot stretch themselves , nor look beyond the horizon of time and sense . and there he observeth , that plato hath long since concluded concerning the condition of sensual men , that they live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , like a shell-fish , and can never move up and down , but in their own prison , which they ever carry about with them . but true religion and goodness is so generous and noble a principle , that he who is acted thereby cannot be confined to himself and his own things . his soul is not imprisoned within himself , that is , within his own particular being separated from the rest of the world ; but is enlarged by an universal charity , by a sincere good will to god's whole creation . he hath an hearty concern for the good of the world , and carries on no designs for himself which are opposite thereunto , nor any other but such as some way or other do tend to promote the welfare and happiness of his fellow-creatures : and 't is the greatest pleasure to his mind imaginable , to be instrumental thereunto . again , his soul is not tied down to any inferior good things , his love and desires are not terminated on such objects , but they are so extensive as to stretch themselves far beyond this world , and fix upon the original and supreme good , and there to centre . the language of this man is the same with holy david ' s , whom have i in heaven but god , and there is nothing upon the earth i desire in comparison of him . though he hath a kindness for things below , yet his thoughts and affections are not confined to them , but soar aloft to him who is the author of them , and from whom all the goodness that is in them is derived . whereas ( as the foresaid author expresseth it ) all the freedom that wicked men have , is but like that of banished men , to wander up and down in the wilderness of this world , from one den and cave to another . and he saith before , that tully could see so much in his natural philosophy , as made him to say , scientia naturae ampliat animum & ad divina attollit : the knowledge of nature enlargeth and dilates the mind , and carrieth it up to divine things . but this is most true of religion , that in an higher sence it doth work the soul into a true and divine amplitude . and thus have we shewed , that the observance of the laws of righteousness and goodness gives the most excellent liberty , in that the liberty which results from thence is the liberty of the soul ; and also how the soul is thereby set at liberty . chap. iv. that this is the liberty of god himself , and his most excellent liberty . thirdly , i proceed to shew , that the liberty which ariseth from the observance of the laws of righteousness and goodness is the divine liberty , the liberty of god himself , and his most excellent liberty . god almighty is of all beings infinitely the most unlimited and uncontroulable by any thing without himself . he doth whatsoever pleaseth him , in heaven , the earth , the sea and all deep places . the whole universe is in his hands as the clay in the hands of the potter , perfectly under his power , and at his dispose , so that there is no resisting him , nor hindering one thought of his . but as unboundable as his will and power are by any thing without him , they are both determined , by the internal rectitude and goodness of his nature , to things holy , just and good. he is so great a lover of equity and goodness , that he can neither do or will any thing , that is contrary or not agreeable thereunto . we read that he is a rock whose work is perfect , and all his ways are judgment , a god of truth and without iniquity , just and right is he . that it is impossible for god to lye . that his ways are right and equal , and his judgment according to truth . that the judge of all the earth will do right , and that he will not lay upon man more than is right , that he should enter into judgment with god. that he is of purer eyes than to behold evil , and cannot look on iniquity ( i. e. ) with approbation . that the righteous lord loveth righteousness , and his countenance beholdeth the upright . that he is not tempted with evil ( is uncapable of the least inclination towards it ) neither tempteth he any man : can not tempt any man to evil , and much less by any decree determine him . that he is good unto all , and his tender mercies are over all his works . that he is full of compassion and long-suffering . that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but that the wicked man turn from his way and live . and a multitude of such declarations we find in the holy scriptures , which abundantly speak the divine will and power to be inseparably conjoyned with righteousness and goodness ; and never in the least to swerve from either . and if any such providences have fallen under our notice at any time , or come to our knowledge , which we have been to seek satisfactorily to reconcile with the rules of righteousness or goodness , we ought to take occasion from thence to be humbled under a sense of our own short-sightedness and shallowness of understanding , and to take great heed how we charge our creator with that , which he hath so often professed to loath and abominate . now let us observe , that this determination of god's will and power from within himself to things just and good , is that which gives a greater lustre to his nature , and far more speaks him the most excellent and most happy being , than his mere unlimitableness by any thing without him . nay , uncontroulableness and absolute soveraignty would make him so much the worse , and less happy being , except the exercise thereof were determined by a holy , good and righteous nature . if god almighty were made up of will , and every thing were in it self indifferent to him , and he did this or that merely because 't is his pleasure so to do , he would ( i say ) be infinitely the worse being , for his absolute sovereignty and uncontroulable power . what is it that makes the devils , the most vile and hateful of all creatures , is it not this , that they are spirits indued with great strength and power , with great knowledge , sagacity and quickness of understanding , and with large dominions , though usurped , but have lost that integrity of nature , and those good principles , whereby they should govern themselves , and be determined in the exercise of their power and wisdom ? 't is certain , they would be nothing so mischievous and wicked as they are , if with the loss of their moral endowments , they had also been divested of their natural : i mean their strength and power , their knowledge and acuteness of understanding . the devils are in these far more like to god , than any of us men are in a possibility of being ( at least in this life ) but notwithstanding this , they are of all his creation the most unlike god ; namely , because their great power and knowledge are utterly unacquainted with , and estranged from , righteousness and goodness ; are altogether employed in most unrighteous and wicked designs and enterprises . so that irresistible power and all-comprehending knowledge are so far from denominating a being the most absolutely perfect considered alone , that that would be the worst being in the world , which is supposed to have those perfections , and is made to be the worst by those perfections , if they do not exert themselves in righteous and good actions , but the contrary : if the exercise of them be not determined by rules and principles of righteousness and goodness . and in saying that a being will be the worse for power and knowledge , &c. separated from goodness , i say also it will be the more unhappy : for the worse any one is , the less satisfaction he must needs take in himself , and the less he will necessarily have of self-enjoyment ; as hath been already shewed . now , considering what hath been said , 't is most apparent that the divine liberty , the most excellent liberty of god himself , is his absolute freedom to good , his being perfectly unbyassed by any evil affection , and infinitely out of the reach of corrupt appetites , so that he can as soon cease to be , as fail to exercise his almighty power , his omniscience and unsearchable wisdom , in doing what is most fit , most right and equal . this is the liberty , which most highly commends the infinitely best of beings , and therefore 't is that which will make us poor mortals most like to him , and partakers of the divine nature . and thus it is sufficiently , i presume , demonstrated , that the most excellent liberty consisteth in , or results from , the observance of the laws of righteousness and goodness . and to shew , that this is eminently ( nay and solely too ) our christian liberty will be the business of the next section . sect . ii. that this freedom to holy obedience and true goodness , or which consisteth in an intire compliance with the laws of righteousness , is our christian liberty . this phrase christian liberty being so much in the mouths of people professing christianity , one would think that nothing is better understood ; that there is no point of our religion in the nature of which we less need to be instructed . we mightily insist upon our christian liberty , a very warm zeal we seem to have for it , and we are not a little concerned ( as hath been already intimated ) when we apprehend it to be invaded , or in the least infringed . and if we be not mistaken in our notion of this liberty , 't is most commendably done of us to contend earnestly for it , to refuse to part with it , or to consent to the smallest violation or abatement thereof upon any terms whatsoever . but alas , nothing is more misunderstood than christian liberty , and nothing hath been more abused ; and therefore 't is well worth our while rightly to state the notion of it , and to fix it where it ought to be . how it hath been mistaken and abused shall be shewn in its due place , our immediate business is , first , to demonstrate the foresaid proposition . secondly , to shew what our lord hath done to instate us in this our christian liberty . chap. v. the foresaid proposition demonstrated by four arguments , viz. first , that this hath been proved to be the most glorious liberty . secondly , this was that liberty , the instating us wherein , was the whole business of our saviour and his apostles . thirdly , our saviours abolishing the ceremonial law was chiefly designed in order to the thorough effecting this liberty : where it is shewed , that this law accidentally became very prejudicial to the great design of setting men free from the power of their lusts , in several particulars . fourthly , that none but the jews were obliged to the observance of this law. first , we will demonstrate the truth of this assertion , that christian liberty consisteth in freedom to holy obedience , in deliverance from the power and dominion of sin , together with the direful effects and consequents thereof : this we will do by these following arguments . first , this is , as we have shewed , incomparably the best and most glorious of liberties , and therefore it must needs be ( at least principally and in the most eminent sence ) our christian liberty . for whatsoever benefits our blessed lord is any where said to have procured for us , the absolutely best of the kind is always to be understood . for instance , whereas he saith , that he is come that we might have life , he means the best of lives , the spiritual life of the soul here , and eternal life hereafter . by the riches he is said to bestow , is meant those whereby the soul is inriched , the divine graces and virtues , called by himself the true riches . by the salvation which he is the author of , is meant that from the worst of evils principally , and everlasting salvation . so proportionably , whenas the son is said to make us free , the meaning is free with the best of freedoms , viz. that from sin , as also we have seen is manifest from the context . whenas christ is said to be anointed , according to the prophecy of esay concerning him , to preach deliverance to the captives , and to set at liberty them that are bruised ( with being long fettered and shackled ) we are likewise to understand the same most desirable of all liberties and deliverances . whereas s. iames calls the gospel the law of liberty ( chap. . . ) and the perfect law of liberty , ( chap. . . ) we are primarily to understand it ( as will be further shewn ) of this same liberty which infinitely surpasseth all other . in which sence the apostle s. paul understood it to be the perfect law of liberty , when he called it the law of the spirit of life , which is in christ iesus , adding that , it had made him free from the law of sin and death , rom. . . secondly , we find this liberty was that , the instating us wherein , our saviour , when he was in the world , and his apostles after him , were altogether bent and intent upon . the business of making men holy and obedient to the laws of righteousness , they had not only mostly in their eye , but all they did was subordinated thereunto . all those powerful means that were used to perswade the world that iesus is the christ , were in order to this end : for the son of god was manifested to take away our sins ; and to destroy the works of the devil , john . , . therefore is faith so highly commended , and so much ascribed thereto , and men so excited to believe in christ , or to believe his gospel , because the doctrine , precepts , promises and threatnings therein contained have a great aptness and tendency , are of mighty force and efficacy , to the thorough reformation of our lives , and the cleansing our natures from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit : because that faith which is terminated upon those objects is such a shield , as whereby we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one : because it is most effectual to the purifying of the heart , and the overcoming of the world . in short , christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works , titus . . he died for all , that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves ( to the drudging service of their lusts ) but unto him that died for them , and rose again , cor. . . or , that they should be his servants , that is , his free-men ; according to that of s. paul , cor. . . he that is called being a servant is the lords free-man . he gave himself for the church , that he might sanctifie and cleanse it , by the washing of water by the word ; that he might present it to himself a glorious church , not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing , but that it should be holy and without blemish , ephes. . , . he his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree , that we , being dead to sins , should live unto righteousness , pet. . . or as s. paul saith , rom. . . that being dead we might be freed from sin : that is , that being dead to it , we might be freed from the bondage we were in under it . or , as we have it , ver . . that being made free from sin , we might become the servants of righteousness . our saviour required nothing of us , forbad nothing to us , but what was apparently designed in order to our deliverance from sin , the making us pure in heart , and holy in all manner of conversation . he gave us not a promise , but what was to encourage us hereunto , nor yet a threatning , but what was intended to scare us from the serving of one lust or other . and the apostle tells us , that the whole of the gospel , or , the grace of god that brings salvation is designed to teach us , that , denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously and godly in this present world , tit. . , . 't is sufficiently evident from this little that hath been said , that the setting us free from sin , and the making us free to righteousness was the business which took up our blessed saviour's time and thoughts when he was upon the earth , and wherein his holy apostles were employed after his departure : and therefore this must necessarily be our grand christian liberty . abundantly more might have been said upon this argument , but we have heretofore copiously handled it in another treatise . thirdly , our saviours abrogating the ceremonial law , his freeing from that yoke , was mainly designed in order to the thorough effecting this freedom and liberty . this was a yoke which the apostle peter saith , neither they nor their fathers were able to bear , acts . . it was a yoke of bondage , as s. paul calls it , gal. . . stand fast in the liberty wherewith christ hath made us free , and be not intangled again with the yoke of bondage . this liberty ( as appears by his discourse both before and after ) was that which christ had given them from the burdensome services of the mosaical dispensation . and diverse other places there are which speak of this liberty as an effect and fruit of the death of christ. now it is worthy our observation , that the great reason wherefore our saviour did put an end to the obligation of this law , and why the apostles , especially s. paul , insisted so much upon it , and so earnestly cautioned the jewish believers against intangling themselves again with this yoke , was because it became very highly injurious to the grand evangelical design of setting men perfectly free from their lusts : because it gendered to that spiritual bondage , in deliverance from which consisteth our best liberty . for this law understood carnally , and according to the letter only , ( which it ought not to have been ) was very apt to beget a sordid and low spirit , a temper of mind very much estranged from true piety and goodness . and it is too unquestionable , that the iews generally had no higher a sense of it . the law , the author to the hebrews saith , made nothing perfect , chap. . . it gave no man freedom from the power of sin , no power to subdue corrupt affections was obtainable thereby ; it did not make men truly and internally righteous , but only ritually and externally . as the most eminently good men under the law did fall far short of the apostles of our saviour , and those whose lives have been most answerable to the christian precepts , so those degrees of virtue and goodness they did attain to were not owing the law , but to the covenant made with abraham , which was the same for substance with the gospel covenant . the law is said to be weak through the flesh ; or in regard of the impetuosity and violence of mens fleshly appetites , rom. . . nor is there any express mention in the ceremonial law of any necessity of purity of heart : this was only represented by the divers legal washings , and other rites ; the mortification of corrupt affections was signified by the cutting off the foreskin of the flesh , and the great substantial duties were veiled under dark shadows . so that a man might be very punctually observant of this law , according to the mere literal sence thereof , and yet his soul remain perfectly under the power of sinful affections . and the learned mr. chillingworth in his sermon on gal. . . saith thus even of the moral duties of the two tables , as they are part of the mosaical jewish law , viz. that they required only an external obedience and conformity to the affirmative precepts thereof , and an abstaining from an outward practice of the negative . they did not reach unto the conscience , no more than the national laws of other kingdoms do . so that , for example , when the law of moses forbids adultery upon pain of death , he that should in his heart lust after a woman , could not be accounted a transgressor of moses his law , neither was he liable to the punishment therein specified : whereas the gospel requires not only an outward , and , as i may say , corporal obedience to god's commandments , but also an inward sanctification of the soul and conscience upon the same penalty of everlasting damnation with the former . and what is now said ( proceeds he ) of the moral precepts ( as they are part of moses his law ) by the same proportion likewise , is to be understood of the iudicial . and as for the promises of this law they were only of temporal good things , and therefore the gospel is called by the author to the hebrews , the bringing in of a better hope , chap. . . and is said to be established upon better promises , chap. . . 't is confessed that promises of heavenly things were contained in those of earthly , as some of the latter were types of the former , particularly the land of canaan of the eternal rest in heaven ; and the promises of good things in the general had those of the other life implied in them ; but there is not the least express mention in this law of any life after this : i do not say , in any part of the old testament , but in this law. now then , seeing it abounded with temporal promises , and none but such being in express terms contained therein , 't is no wonder if it became an occasion to the sensual iews of their being the more eager and vehement in prosecuting the profits , honours and pleasures of this life , as it was of their being the more mercenary in their obedience . the like may be said of the threatnings of this law , they are all so expressed as if they were only of present , temporal evils , and the iews , for the most part , looking no farther than the outward letter of these threatnings , it was not to be expected that they should be excited by them to obey from any higher motive than the mere fear of such evils ; as those that did not look beyond the letter of the promises were obedient only from the hope of some sensual , present good : and by this means especially did this law gender to bondage , as we read it did , gal. . . the terrible manner in which the law was given , and the threatnings of present death or other temporal calamities upon the transgression thereof did occasion that slavish sear , which the apostle calls the spirit of bondage , in those words , ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear , rom. . . god dealt with the iews as it was most fit to deal with such a carnal , such a stiff-necked , stubborn and disingenuous people ; who would not be wrought upon and overcome by love to himself , or a sense of the loveliness of virtue and true goodness , nor regard any laws , but such as were enforced with severe present penalties , or promises of sensual good things : which obedience of theirs was most truly and properly the obedience of slaves , a servile and mercenary obedience . so that this law having been abused by the iews to the so much the more captivating them to their fleshly lusts , for this reason chiefly was it laid aside , namely , because the liberty which consisteth in a thorough compliance with the rules of righteousness , the obligation of this law would have greatly obstructed the promoting of . and the things expresly required in this law being such as had no internal goodness in them , being weak and beggarly elements , as the apostle calls them , gal. . . the imposition of many such must needs be apt to call away mens minds and affections from those that are essentially and immutably good , whilest the spiritual meaning of those injunctions is either not understood or not attended to . and that it had this effect upon the generality of the iews , by this means , is a case too plain to need to be proved . and though the great substantial duties , which are in their own nature good and necessary , and of eternal obligation , were inculcated upon them by all their prophets , as well as taught by natural light , such as doing iustice , loving mercy , walking humbly with god , and the like , yet they generally were so sottish as to think that he valued sacrifices , and the other ceremonial and external performances of the law so much above such duties ( nay , though he had expresly also declared the quite contrary ) as that their exact and diligent observation of those would make expiation for their remisness in these , and fully satisfie for gross immoralities . they trusted in lying words , saying , the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord are these ; implying that their continual attendance on the services there performed , according to the prescription of the law , would effectually secure them from divine vengeance , although they refused to amend their ways , and were never so immoral in their practices . and their constant trading in sacrifices , in rituals and ceremonial things , occasioned their having but very little sense of things morally good ; so that that distinction was almost lost among them , of things positively and morally so , or things good only because commanded , and things commanded because good . their being so intent upon a many little things caused them to sleight and overlook the great ones , as our saviour told the pharisees , luke . . ye tithe mint and rue , and all manner of herbs , and pass over judgment and the love of god. and mat. . . ye pay tith of mint and anise , and cummin , and have omitted the weightier matters of the law , judgment , mercy and faith . and their omitting these things was too plain an argument alone ( though there is other proof of it ) of their having scarcely any notion of things absolutely , immutably and essentially good and evil , which was occasioned ( as i said ) by their minds being so employed about things which were in themselves neither good nor evil , but only by reason of divine injunctions and prohibitions . not that this great evil was necessarily occasioned thereby ( god forbid we should think so ) but 't was through their own default ; otherwise there could have been no truly good people among them , as there were innumerable : just as we see at this day , there are too many of a certain profession , who , by means of their continual dabling in matter , are of so gross and course intellectuals , that they seem almost uncapable of any idea and conception of things immaterial and incorporeal . which is a great unhappiness but as great a fault . so that , this we have now said suggests to us another reason for the putting a period to the ceremonial law , in order to the introduction of that excellent and divine liberty , which we assert to be eminently christian liberty ; because that the love of righteousness and goodness under that notion is necessary thereunto , as shall be farther shewn hereafter . and it is an evidence of a soul imprisoned in sense , and sunk in selfishness to love virtue and goodness , merely for its dowry and the external advantages that accrue by it , and not for its own sake : as also to avoid sin , only for the sake of the uneasie and sad circumstances that attend it , having no sense of its moral turpitude . lastly , whereas i have shewed , that by the observation of the laws of righteousness and goodness a man is delivered from all immoderate self-love to his own bodily and particular concerns , and acquireth that generosity and nobleness of spirit whereby he is carried forth and enlarged to the love of god in the first place , and a hearty concern for the general welfare of his fellow-creatures , the iews by the occasion of the forementioned law , became less free , as freedom is opposed to confinement . for they being paled in and separated from the rest of the world by a religion peculiar to themselves ; and it being forbidden by their law to contract marriages , or have any intimacy , and that they should so much as eat with the gentiles ( though 't was but necessary they should be so restrained for the more effectual preventing their falling into idolatry , and being infected with their other wicked customs and corrupt manners , to which they were naturally very strangely inclined , yet ) by this means they generally became wofully narrow-spirited and contracted in their love , and took occasion from hence to banish all from their kindness and charity , that were not of their own nation and their own religion . and therefore for this reason also it was highly fit that our saviour should take off all future obligation to the observance of this law ; his design being to ampliate and enlarge mens minds by the most universal and unlimited charity ; in imitation of himself , who was a propitiation not only for the sins of the iewish nation , but also of the whole world. and for this reason particularly s. paul tells the ephesians , this law was abolished , chap. . , , . for he is our peace , who hath made both one ( jews and gentiles ) and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us , having abolished in his flesh the enmity , even the law of commandments , contained in ordinances ( or , having abolished by his sufferings the ceremonial law , which was such a make-bate between the iews and gentiles ) for to make himself of twain one new man , so making peace . and that he might reconcile both unto god in one body on the cross , having slain the enmity thereby . and that in the general , the great work of setting men perfectly at liberty from the power of their lusts , and the making them free to all holy obedience was designed by the nullifying this law , is asserted by the apostle , rom. . , . for when we were in the flesh ( or under those carnal ordinances ) the motions of sin , which were by the law , did work in our members , to bring forth fruit unto death . but now we are delivered from the law , that being dead wherein we were held , that we should serve in newness of the spirit , and not in the oldness of the letter . that is , when we were under the law , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or sinful affections , which were heightned thereby ( through our own blindness in not looking beyond the letter of the law ) did so work in us , as to render us so much the more obnoxious to death : but now we are delivered by our saviour christ from that law , it being dead , or abrogated , that in stead of a mere external obedience , and a company of bodily washings , we should for the future be inwardly pure and spiritually obedient . to conclude this argument : wheresoever we find liberty or freedom mentioned throughout the new testament , as that which belongeth to us under the notion of christians , as that which we are beholden to the gospel dispensation for , it is still , i dare affirm , to be understood either of liberty from sin ( the power and the punishment thereof ) or of liberty from the ceremonial and purely mosaical law. this i assert upon a particular consideration of all those texts , wherein any thing is said relating to liberty : and therefore this latter deliverance being principally intended in order to the former , the former , viz. that from sin , must necessarily be the christian liberty . fourthly , none but the israelites were obliged to the observance of this law. indeed in order to a gentiles partaking of the iewish priviledges in the land of canaan , it was necessary he should be circumcised and become ( as their phrase was ) a proselyte of iustice , and so make himself a debtor to the whole law : but it was not necessary to his acceptance with god and eternal happiness to yield obedience to this law. it was sufficient for him to worship the true god and renounce idolatry , and to follow the dictates of the law of nature . even the iews themselves , as ill affected as they were towards the gentiles , did acknowledge no more to be necessary , than the observation of the seven precepts of noah , to their having their part in seculo futuro ; and therefore they permitted the proselytes of the gate to worship in the outward court of the temple . which was therefore called atrium gentium & immundorum . the court of the gentiles and the vnclean . and thus , as it appears from the three foregoing arguments , that liberty from sin and to righteousness is the eminent christian liberty , which is procured for the world taking in the iews , so from this fourth 't is as evident , that it is the only christian liberty which is procured and purchased for us gentiles . there is no other liberty mentioned either by our saviour or his apostles , besides this from the power and dominion of sin ( wherein we always include deliverance from the sad consequents thereof ) which we gentiles are obliged to christianity for , or which we are invested with under the notion of christians . chap. vi. what course our lord hath taken to instate us in this liberty shewed in several particulars , viz. that . he hath most fully informed us concerning all the parts and particulars of our liberty . . he hath furnished us with the most potent means , for the gaining of it . . he hath purchased a rich supply of grace and strength , to enable us to use these means successfully . . he hath laid before us the most powerful motives and arguments to prevail on our wills to make use of this strength , and comply with this grace . having , i hope , sufficiently cleared the truth of this proposition , that our christian liberty ( both mainly and wholly ) consisteth in freedom to holy obedience , and deliverance from sin , i now come to shew , secondly , how christ instates men in this liberty , or what course he hath taken for the effecting hereof . by the way , we are to take notice that the method our lord hath made choice of , for the setting us free from our corrupt affections , is such as is most suitable to the nature of those that are to be delivered , and such as is most suitable to the nature of that bondage and slavery from which he delivers . those who are to be delivered being reasonable creatures , voluntary and therefore free agents , who act not by mere necessity of nature , or blind instincts , and much less from external force and compulsion , he dealeth with them , in setting them free , as with such a sort of creatures . again the slavery ( as also the confinement ) from which he delivers being spiritual not corporal ; i mean , being originally in the mind , will and affections , and not in the outward man , he hath accordingly applied himself to the effecting our deliverance . so that our deliverer hath not done all for us that is to be done , and left nothing for us to do , in order to our being set free . nor can this be said of any other who designs to deliver out of bondage or prison persons arrived at years of discretion , and that are able to use their hands and legs . such a one accounts that he hath done abundantly enough , when he hath paid the slaves ransom , and removed the necessity he was under of continuing in servitude ; if afterward he will not stir a foot , he doth not think himself obliged to hale him by main force out of the gallies or house of bondage . he also looks upon his work as done , when he hath set the prison doors wide open , and hath cleared the prisoner's passage out , and put the key into his hand for the unlocking his fetters , and offered to assist him if he cannot do it by his own strength : but when all this is done , if the prisoner will do nothing towards his own escape , he , who hath done thus much in his behalf , will think it great pity but that there he should lie . there is no prince but will be satisfied that he hath quitted himself bravely , and fully performed the part of a deliverer , when he hath put weapons into the hands of a conquered people , and furnished them with sufficient aids for the rescuing themselves from the tyranny of their oppressors ; but if after all , they will not be perswaded to use their weapons , and are so dastardly as not to joyn with those forces that are sent for their help , he nevertheless deserves the title of a deliverer . in like manner , it is not our blessed saviour's method to drag men with irresistible force out of their spiritual vassallage and slavery : he doth not deliver us against our wills , nor in such a manner as if we were creatures that have no wills ; nor doth so overpower our wills ( at least ordinarily ) as that they shall have left them no power of resistance , but be necessitated to give their consent . but this is the course he hath taken , which is the most wise , and in its own nature the most admirably effectual . first , he hath fully informed us concerning all the parts and particulars of our liberty . secondly , he hath directed us to the most potent means for the gaining thereof . thirdly , he hath purchased a rich supply of grace and strength to enable us to use these means successfully . fourthly , he hath laid before us the most powerful motives and arguments imaginable to prevail with our wills to use this strength , to comply with this grace . first , he hath fully informed us concerning all the parts and particulars of our liberty : i mean , he hath instructed us in all those rules of righteousness and goodness , in the observance of which consists our best and most desirable liberty . this he hath done by the precepts he hath given us , as also by the example he hath set before us . in matthew . , . he proposeth both these , the one to be obeyed , the other to be followed , in order to the possessing our selves of this liberty : come unto me ( saith he ) all ye that labour and are heavy laden , and i will give you rest . and what he meaneth by coming unto him he tells us in the next words , take my yoke upon you , or obey my precepts , and learn of me , or follow my example , for i am meek and lowly in heart , and ye shall find rest unto your souls : rest from the slavish drudgery of sinful affections . as to our saviours precepts , whatsoever he hath required of us , it is either a part of our liberty , or a means for the gaining and maintenance thereof . now as to the christian precepts which oblige us to those things in the doing of which our liberty consisteth , as they incomparably excel the precepts of whatsoever religion was before or since the coming of our saviour , so there is nothing defective or wanting in them . there is not any thing left out of them that is necessary to the completing of the freedom and happiness of our souls . all the defects of the mosaical law , and of the law of nature , are supplied and made up by them . as our lord came not to destroy the law , so he came to fulfil it : to perfect it and fill it up , as he himself hath told us , matth. . . there is nothing that conduceth to the restoring humane nature to its primitive perfection , to the bringing every thing in man into due order , to the effecting a complete harmony and agreement between his various disagreeing powers and faculties , to the putting him into that state wherein every thing would be with him as his own heart could wish to have it , or ( in one word ) to the making him partaker of the god-like nature , and consequently of the god-like liberty , freedom and blessedness ; there is nothing , i say , conduceable to these excellent purposes , but our saviour hath in his own person , when he was on earth , and by his apostles since he left the world , acquainted us with it , over and over inculcated it , again and again minded us of it , and urged it upon our practice . to speak in the words of the apostle s. paul , phil. . . whatsoever things are true , or remote from insincerity and hypocrisie ; whatsoever things are honest , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , venerable and grave ; whatsoever things are just , or exactly agreeable to the rule of doing as we would be done unto ; whatsoever things are pure , or far from all shew and appearance of unchastity ; whatsoever things are lovely , or which tend to secure to us love among men , such as all works of benignity , mercy and charity ; whatsoever things are of good report , or which are apt to procure a good name , and therefore to prevent all the causes of shame , and to give us the greatest freedom and confidence , as before god , so before men too ; if there be any virtue , if there be any thing that is by good men reckoned in the number of virtues ; and if there be any praise , or any thing laudable and praise-worthy : all these things , as the apostle in the general here enjoyneth us to think upon them , so they are very particularly , and as clearly and perspicuously , recommended to us to be carefully observed by us , in the new testament . there is nothing which it becometh us to do or forbear , whether in reference to god , our great creator , governour and benefactor , or to our fellow-creatures , or to our own souls and bodies , but here we find it . again , we may observe all these in our saviour's life also , wherein he set us an example , that we should follow his steps . and it is a most admirable example of piety towards god ( of love to him , trust in him , and submission to his will ) of charity to all men , even his greatest enemies ; and of humility , meekness , temperance , purity , contempt of the world , and heavenly-mindedness . he that shall observe how our blessed saviour lived , cannot be ignorant of any of those laws of righteousness and goodness , which , before his coming , the world was so lamentably , in not a few instances , to seek in the knowledge of , through that blindness which by the customary gratifying their vile affections men had generally contracted . i say , he that is acquainted with the life of our saviour cannot easily be ignorant of any of those laws , although he never understood what particular commands or prohibitions his precepts consist of . so that this is the first thing christ iesus hath done for us in order to our being made free : he hath given us fully to understand what it is to be free , what are those several rules of righteousness and goodness , in compliance with which consists our liberty . secondly , our saviour hath also prescribed most effectual means , by making use of which we shall most certainly obtain and maintain this liberty , that is , obey those laws of liberty which he hath given us . these means are especially : believing himself to be the son of god , and consequently the truth and divinity of his doctrine . hearing his word , and receiving it into honest hearts , or pondering it in our minds , and meditating upon it , with the design of conforming our selves to it . prayer to god in his name , together with faith in his bloud for the remission of our sins , and in his power and goodness , for the subduing our lusts , and the making us obedient to his precepts : that is , for the blessing our endeavours to that end. setting his example before our eyes , which is an excellent means to beget in us a likeness to him , and to our partaking of his spirit and temper . watching over our own hearts , and against temptations . denying our selves , and not indulging our sensitive part. advising in all cases of doubt and difficulty with our pastors and spiritual guides ; whom christ hath given to his church , for the perfecting of the saints , for the work of the ministery , for the edifying of the body of christ , ephes. . . and obeying them which have the rule over us in the lord , they watching for our souls , as those that must give an account , heb. . . which duties were never more neglected , than in this age , to the great scandal of our reformed religion . keeping in the communion of the church : and not forsaking the assembling our selves together ( or our publick assemblies ) as the manner of some is , heb. . . and now is the manner of vast numbers of us , ( though no terms of communion are required that contradict any one text of scripture ) which separation we are too like ere long to pay dear for . the religious observation of the lords day , both in publick and private , is another singular help and advantage ; though few professors of christianity seem now to have any great sense of it , to the great prejudice of their own souls , and the souls of those who are under their charge . and to these add in the last place ( because 't is most convenient to place them here ) the sacraments of baptism and the lord's supper . by baptism we are admitted into the church of christ , and brought into a new state : we are baptized into the name of the father , son and holy ghost , or devoted to their service . and the father , in this sacrament , takes us into his special care , and into the relation of his children , whereas before we were only the children of adam . the son receives us as members of his body the church : we are baptized into one body ( as the apostle speaks , cor. . . ) that body whereof christ is the head. and the holy ghost , who is the author of grace and spiritual life , taketh us for his temples . we are said to receive the holy ghost in baptism , to receive that power and strength from him , which will enable us to mortifie the deeds of the body , and to acquire the divine graces and virtues ; which we shall certainly do , if we refuse not to exert and improve it , when we come to years of discretion , and our faculties are ripe enough for that purpose . in baptism the holy spirit communicates to us the beginnings of a new life , which may afterwards be improved to large measures of virtue and goodness , if we be not wilfully wanting to our selves in the other means . and in the lords supper , as we renew the covenant we made in baptism , to renounce the devil and all his works , &c. so all worthy receivers of that sacrament receive great additions of grace and spiritual strength , are fed with the spiritual food of the most precious body and bloud of christ. and of all the means prescribed for the subduing our lusts , and growing in grace , the frequent receiving the lord's supper is very deservedly accounted the principal . certainly there is not any ordinance wherein sincere souls do so experiment the communications of the holy spirit , by which they are so strengthened with strength in their souls . nor are there any such strong and spriteful christians , any so confirmed and rooted in goodness , in the love of god and their neighbour , and all the christian virtues , as those who take all occasions to attend upon it , with a thankful sense of the infinite love of god and christ to them , and sincerely design in so doing a fuller participation of the divine nature . but this intimation that these two sacraments are conveyances of grace and strength leads me to shew , that , thirdly , our saviour hath moreover purchased for us a rich supply of grace , to enable us to use the forementioned means with happy success . he hath obtained from his father by his perfect obedience , both active and passive , authority to send the holy ghost powerfully to assist us ; and hath assured us that those who ask him shall have him , in those most excellent , and most comfortable words , luke . , , . if a son shall ask bread of any that is a father , will he give him a stone ? or if he ask a fish , will he for a fish give him a serpent ? or if he shall ask an egge , will he offer him a scorpion ? if ye then being evil , know how to give good gifts unto your children , how much more shall your heavenly father give his holy spirit unto them that ask him ? and if any of us want the holy spirit 's assistance , it is certainly because we either pray not at all for it , or not with a sincere and earnest desire that he should root up and destroy every evil affection in our souls ; because we are secretly unwilling to let go some beloved lust or other ; and because we are false to god and our own souls in those things which he hath put into our power . for 't is certain , that not to put forth the power we have already received , and yet complain for want of strength , is to play the hypocrities ; and no wonder if the holy spirit of god doth estrange himself , and withhold or withdraw his blessed influences from such persons . but as for those who are faithful so far as those talents reach , which they are at present intrusted with , our lord hath promised them that more shall be given them . that is the meaning of those words , mark . . he that hath , to him shall be given : that is , that useth what he hath ; for no man properly hath or possesseth what he makes no use of , 't would be the same thing to him to be without it . nay , our lord doth not only promise to him that hath , that more shall be given him , but also that he shall have abundantly more , matth. . . for whosoever hath , to him shall be given , and he shall have more abundance : and he repeats this , chap. . . and if we were not through wilfulness and carelesness wanting to our selves , in putting forth that measure of strength we have , as sure as iesus is the christ we should fully experiment the truth of this promise : we should then feel the divine spirit working in us mightily , as the apostle s. paul saith he did , col. . . the great things that are spoken concerning the spirit , and of what he shall do in the hearts of men , would be then punctually fulfilled in us , and we should be satisfied by happy experience , that they are not mere words ; the holy ghost would not fail to do all that for us , he was sent by our lord to do . it is to be acknowledged with great sadness , that both fleshly and spiritual lusts are exceedingly strong and vigorous even in the generality of those that profess christianity , as well as in others , and no less than in others , that are strangers to our religion : but this never to be enough lamented evil doth not proceed from hence , that grace is denied to the generality , but 't is wholly to be imputed to their receiving the grace of god in vain , and wilfully refusing to comply therewith . it is not at all to be ascribed to the spirits refusing to perform his office in them , or to do in their behalf what doth belong to him , but to their refusing to do their part ▪ this we are as fully assured of from abundance of texts of scripture as we can desire to be . the same is to be said of mens so ordinarily falling again and again into those sins which they frequently pray and resolve and vow against : this is far from being the account of it , that god is not willing to hear their prayers ; for ( as s. iohn speaks , epist. . . ) this is the confidence that we have in him , that if we ask any thing according to his will , he heareth us ; and to ask victory over our lusts is of all petitions most agreeable to his will. this cannot be the reason of it , that the holy spirit refuseth to inforce his preventing ( or prevenient ) with his assisting grace , that he will not assist some persons in the performance of those good resolutions which his preventing grace hath excited in their souls . but this is the true account hereof , viz. such persons are undoubtedly wanting in the use of some necessary means or other for the subduing their lusts ; they do not use all the means our lord hath appointed , and are especially faulty in neglecting particularly the great duty of consideration , they pray , it may be , very frequently and earnestly too , that god would give them strength against this or that corruption , and they add vows to their prayers , but they add not consideration to their prayers and vows , they watch not over themselves , disregard the first motions of their wills , and inclinations of their souls towards the sins or sin they so pray , resolve and vow against , and are not careful to avoid temptations . and as inconsideration is the chiefest cause of unsuccessfulness in the use of means for the subduing of corrupt affections , so the gross neglect of that grand means the lords supper , but now discoursed of ( which i hope in no age , nor among any people professing christianity , was ever so common , as to our great shame it is in this age and this nation ) this gross neglect , i say , is questionless a very great cause of so much non-proficiency in attendance on other ordinances as is complained of . which nonproficiency may well be , notwithstanding the promises of the plentiful effusion of the spirit , and our saviour's purchasing so rich a supply of grace for us . for our saviour is no such friend to negligence and carelesness , as to dispense his grace in such a way and manner , as that it must necessarily be a motive and encouragement to do nothing , or but little our selves : but on the contrary , he so communicates his grace and strength , as to make it a great exciter and quickner of endeavours . of this s. paul assures us , in making god's working in us to will and to do , or his readiness so to do , an argument to perswade us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling , phil. . . lastly , as our saviour hath purchased for us a rich supply of grace for the enabling us to use the means of our deliverance with happy success , so he hath given us the most powerful motives and arguments that can be imagined , to prevail upon our wills to comply and cooperate with this grace . and these arguments are not only proposed outwardly to us in his gospel , but they are also inforced inwardly upon our hearts ( as appears by what hath been now said ) by his holy spirit . that is , they are inforced upon the hearts of all those who will take the pains seriously to consider them . to which consideration likewise the spirit fails not to excite men , till by long grieving him , and very frequent rejecting his good ▪ motions and suggestions , he is , as it were , forced to desist , and depart from them . chap. vii . wherein is discoursed the first of those motives and arguments which are offered in the gospel , to perswade us to use the means prescribed for our deliverance from the power of sin. namely , the love of god in sending his son upon the errand of our redemption . and two most powerful motives implied in this . now the chiefest of those motives and arguments are these that follow . first , the unconceivable love of god expressed in sending his only and eternal begotten son , ultimately upon this errand of redeeming us from the power of sin : and the never to be sufficiently admired love of christ , in so readily taking our nature upon him , condescending to such extremely low circumstances here in the world , and at last submitting to so vile and ignominious , so cruel and tormenting a death , and all this , ultimately i say , for this very end , that of sins and satans slaves we might become his and his fathers free subjects ; for he died , the just for the unjust , that he might bring us to god , pet. . . here we have a two-fold most exciting and wonderfully powerful motive to comply most heartily with the method our saviour hath taken for the setting us free . first , god's sending his own son to be a sacrifice for our sins , without the interposition of which he would not propose terms of reconciliation to sinners , sheweth his infinite hatred of sin , and consequently , that it is a most deadly evil , and hath excessive malignity in it . this is expressed in the most emphatical manner by our saviour's shedding his most precious bloud upon the cross for the expiating of it . and can we have a more constraining motive to do our utmost to be delivered from the dominion of sin , than this , that it is thus demonstrated to be an unspeakable evil ? it hath been shewed , that the death of christ was designed to set us free from the power as well as punishment of sin , and it is apt to effect that end , partly as its extreme hatefulness is thereby discovered and made manifest . by this sacrifice for sin , is it condemned in the flesh , as the apostle saith , rom. . . it is condemned as the vilest and most intolerable thing . the immediate end of christs sufferings was to make atonement for sin , but this way of atonement is a means , a most effectual means , to this farther end , the making us out of love with sin , and perswading us to abandon it as the worst of all evils . of which , i say , we cannot desire greater evidence than this , that no meaner sacrifice might be accepted for the making expiation for sin , than that of the only begotten son of god. secondly , this is as wonderful an expression of the divine love to sinners , as of the divine displeasure against sin. god commendeth his love towards us , in that when we were yet sinners christ died for us , rom. . . and herein did he commend his love in the most wonderful manner that it was possible to commend it . he shewed the exceeding riches of his grace , in his kindness towards us through iesus christ , as we read ephes. . . was that an ordinary love in god the father think we , that moved him to send no less a person upon the business of our redemption , than him who was the brightness of his own glory , and the express image of his person , by whom also he made the worlds ? was that an ordinary love in god the son , that prevailed with him to take the humane nature , and to humble himself in that astonishing manner , and to undergo such direful sufferings for our sake ? or was it not such a love as passeth knowledge ? so s. paul saith it was , and it can be no less . this is such a love indeed , as is rather to be silently admired , than much discoursed of . how hard must needs be that heart which will not be broken by the force of such love as this ! nothing can be imagined to be of such irresistible power over persons not forsaken of all ingenuity , as the consideration of this love. this is the other way whereby the death of christ was designed for the destroying of sin. and in respect of either of these ways , but much more of both , our saviour had good ground for the uttering those words , iohn . . when i am lifted up from the earth , i shall draw all men unto me : he spake of his dying on the cross for mankind , as it follows , this he said signifying what-death he should die . and he here supposeth this his death to contain such forcible arguments to perswade men to cast off the drudgery of sin , and exchange it for his free service , that it must necessarily be happily successful to this end , wheresoever it is seriously thought on , and laid to heart . chap. viii . a seasonable digression concerning the doctrine of vniversal redemption . the antiquity and catholicalness of this doctrine . large citations out of bishop latimer and bishop hooper , expressing their sense of it . and full proof thereof presented out of the h. scriptures . by the way : it is of great importance to be fully satisfied , that no man in the world is excluded from having his share in this propitiatory sacrifice , and that the redemption designed by the death of christ is universal . for if each individual person cannot be assured that he is his saviour , and that he died for him ; if he died not for all , nay , but for a few comparatively ( as those say who deny that he died for all ) then what influence can the consideration of his death have upon the wills of men ? surely the weakest influence that can be , if any at all . indeed how it can rationally have any , seems unintelligible , since those who assert that christ died but for a few comparatively , assert also that those few shall be infallibly at one time or other drawn to him , and christ will not lose any one of them . if this be so , what inducement can we have either from the death of christ , or any other consideration , to concern our selves at all about leaving our sins , and using the means prescribed for our deliverance from the power of them ? for if it so happen that i am one of those few for whom christ died , what need is there of my being concerned about that which is so effectually secured ? what is this but to take christ's work out of his hand ? but if christ died not for me ( as 't is very many to one he did not , if he died for so few ) then all my care is to no purpose . i say , if every one of us cannot be certain that christ died for him , and consequently for all , what motive to obedience can his death be to us ? and if he died but for some , and those some but a very small number compared with those for whom he did not die , and those for whom he died shall be undoubtedly saved , and those for whom he died not shall be undoubtedly damned , then i cannot see how the wisest man on earth can answer this plea of a wicked man for persisting impenitently in his wickedness , viz. if christ died for me i shall be saved , and he will most assuredly at his own time , which to be sure is the best , bring me over to the obedience of his precepts by his omnipotent grace , if that be necessary , in order to my salvation : but if he died not for me , then let me do what i can , it will signifie nothing , my state is unalterable . so that i run no hazard in being careless and neglectful of the concerns of my soul , on supposition of my having an interest in the death of christ ; nor is my case one jot the better for my diligence in using the means of salvation according to my power , on supposition of the contrary . now how can we think , that the gospel doth contain such mighty arguments to perswade us to work out our own salvation , whilest it leaves us utterly unable to answer this plea , that careless people may , and do many of them , make for their carelesness ? and therefore it highly concerns us to beware of that doctrine , which makes christ to die but for some certain persons , as not only most false , but as very dangerous . the truth is , this doctrine could never gain any considerable credit , in any church in the world , for the first fifteen hundred years : 't was broached ( with the other concomitant doctrines ) by one lucidus a presbyter in france , about the year of our lord , of which the pelagian heresie was the occasion , but quickly condemned by two councils , one at arles , the other at lions . about years after , it was ( with the other ) revived by godscalcus , a person of ill fame , but condemned again by a council at mentz . but the doctrine we are defending was asserted , as a point never doubted of , by the fathers of the first years : and is as expresly asserted in the most ancient confessions of the reformed churches beyond sea , and also in the articles , homilies and catechism of our own church . and those three holy martyrs , arch-bishop cranmer , bishop latimer and bishop hooper ( who will be acknowledged by our adversaries in this point , to be most orthodox men ) have as plainly and fully given their testimony thereunto as we can desire . arch-bishop cranmer , in the preface to his book against gardiner hath these words , that christ made a sacrifice and oblation of his body upon the cross , which was a full redemption , satisfaction and propitiation for the sins of the whole world. bishop latimer , in his sermon on the first sunday after the epiphany , tells us , that iesus is an hebrew word , which signifieth in our english tongue , a saviour and redeemer of all mankind born into the world. and he hath this passage in his sermon on the gospel for the twenty first sunday after trinity , p. . of fol. . which would be horribly offensive to many now adays , viz. that christ shed as much bloud for judas , as he did for peter ; peter believed it and therefore was saved , judas would not believe , and therefore he was condemned ; the fault being in him only , and in no body else . bishop hooper , in his preface to his exposition of the ten commandments , saith , that as the sin of adam , without priviledge or exemption , extended and appertained unto all and every of adams posterity ; so did this promise of grace generally appertain as well to every and singular of adams posterity as to adam : as it is more plainly expressed , where god promiseth to bless , in the seed of abraham , all the people of the world. and that these good men did not hold contradictions , but , as they undoubtedly believed that christ died for all , so they also rejected that doctrine of the divine decrees which is inconsistent therewith , is plain from the following passages . bishop latimer saith , in his fourth sermon on the third sunday after the epiphany , that if the most part be damned , the fault is not in god , but in themselves ; for , deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri , god would that all men should be saved , but they themselves procure their own damnation , and despise the passion of christ by their own wicked and inordinate living . here we may learn to keep us from all curious and dangerous questions ; when we hear that some be chosen and some be damned : let us have good hope that we shall be among the chosen , and live after this hope , &c. think that god hath chosen those that believe in christ , and that christ is the book of life , &c. so we need not to go about to trouble our selves with curious questions of the predestination of god. but let us rather endeavour our selves that we may be in christ , for when we be in him , then are we well , and then we may be sure that we are ordained to everlasting life . but you will say , how shall i know that i am in the book of life ? how shall i try my self to be elect of god to everlasting life ? i answer , first we may know , that we may one time be in the book , and another time come out again , as it appeareth by david . see more that follows to the same purpose , fol. . again , in his sermon on septuag . fol. . saith he , god's salvation is sufficient to save all mankind ; but we are so wicked of our selves , that we refuse the same , and we will not take it when 't is offered to us , and therefore he saith , pauci verò electi , few are chosen ; that is , few have pleasure and delight in it , for the most part are weary of it , cannot abide it ; for there are some that hear it , but they will abide no danger , &c. such men are cause of their own damnation ; for god would have them saved , but they refuse it : like judas the traitor , whom christ would have had to be saved , but he refused his salvation , he refused to follow the doctrine of his master christ. and bishop hooper is very full and particular to this purpose in his forecited preface . saith he , cain was no more excluded from the promise of christ , till he excluded himself , than abel ; saul than david ; judas than peter ; esau than jacob : concerning which two brethren , in the sentence of god given to rebecca , there was no mention at all , that esau should be disinherited of eternal life , but that he should be inferior to his brother jacob in this world , which prophecy was fulfilled in their posterity , and not the persons themselves . god is said by the prophet to have hated esau , not because he was disinherited of eternal life , but in laying his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness , mal. . . that threatning of god against esau ( if he had not of wilful malice excluded himself from the promise of grace ) should no more have hindred his salvation , than god's threatning against nineveh : the cause of rejection or damnation is sin in man , which will not hear , neither receive the promise of the gospel , &c. it is not a christian man's part to attribute his salvation to his own free-will , with the pelagian , and extenuate original sin , nor to make god the author of ill and damnation , with the manichee ; nor yet to say , that god hath written fatal laws , and with necessity of destiny , violently pulleth the one by the hair into heaven , and thrusteth the other head-long into hell. i have thus at large transcribed the words of these two holy bishops and martyrs for the reformed religion , because the books are not easie to be met with , and bishop hooper's not to be light on without great difficulty . and , i say , by these citations ( to which we might have added others ) it is very apparent , not only that they undoubtedly believed the doctrine of christ's dying for all men , ( and were zealous assertors of it too ) but also , that they rejected that doctrine of fatal decrees , which is the foundation of the contrary opinion . i cannot but take notice , by the way , how unreasonable and uncharitable those men are , who clamour at such a rate against their brethren , as innovators and apostates from the church of england , for their asserting no worse doctrine , than we have now seen was heartily approved by these ancient and eminent fathers of our church . the doctrine of which church , i presume , they 'l have the modesty to acknowledge , they were as fit judges of as themselves . but i must hasten to that which is much more to our present purpose ; viz. that no doctrine is more clearly or fully asserted in the holy scriptures than this of vniversal redemption . and that there may remain no longer the least doubt or scruple in any of our breasts concerning it , let us take notice of these following particulars . first , how those that have a share in christ's redemption are expressed by our saviour and his apostles . they are expressed by the words sinners indefinitely , the world , all , the whole world , every man. and can the wisdom of man invent more plain , significant and full words , by which to express the universality of mankind ? . those whom christ came , and died to save , that is , to put into a salvable state , so that it will be wholly long of themselves if they perish , are expressed by the word sinners indefinitely . s. paul saith , tim. . . this is a faithful saying , and worthy of all acceptation , that iesus christ came into the world to save sinners , of which i am chief . now 't is a known maxim , that an indefinite proposition is equivalent to an vniversal one . and our saviour himself saith , that he came to call sinners to repentance , luke . . and to seek and save that which was lost , chap. . . he makes no exception of sinners or lost persons , and therefore what can they be less than all mankind ? but if this be not satisfactory , . they are expressed by the word world. our saviour saith , iohn . , . god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . for god sent not his son into the world to condemn the world , but that the world through him might be saved . i could not disparage any ones understanding more , than by endeavouring to satisfie him , that 't is a most pitiful and senseless shift , to say , that by the world is meant all the elect in the world , that is , some exceeding few of the world in comparison of the rest . for , besides that this is to make nonsence of the former verse , as must needs be obvious to every body , so by taking the same liberty in interpreting other texts , the bible would be made the most insignificant book in the world . the generality of men is ordinarily called the world , and bad men are sometimes so called in scripture , because they are the generality ; but to express the incomparably lesser part of men by the word world , is such a figure as was never heard of . . they are expressed by the word all , to put us more out of doubt , cor. . , . the love of christ constraineth us , because we thus judge , that if one died for all , then were all dead , and that he died for all , that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves , but unto him that died for them , and rose again . now did ever the word all signifie a few ? and that by all is to be understood the universality is plain from the former of these verses , where the apostle proves that all were dead , or obnoxious to death , by this argument that christ died for all . but we will not question whether all in the largest sence were obnoxious to death , and therefore all must be understood in the same extent , when it is said that christ died for all , or we shall make the apostle a very sad arguer . for how could it follow from hence , that christ died for some , that therefore all without exception were dead ? again , tim. . . we read that christ gave himself a ransom for all : and ver . . that he will have all to be saved , and come to the knowledge ( or acknowledgment ) of the truth . and once more , tim. . . that he is the saviour of all men , but especially of those that believe : so that those that believe are not the all he is the saviour of , the all being distinguished from them . and the meaning of the words is sufficiently obvious , viz. he is so the saviour of all , as to put them into a capacity of salvation , but he is so the saviour of those that believe , as that they shall be actually saved . those that so believe as to obey the gospel are at present in a state of salvation , and if they persevere shall be undoubtedly saved . . those whom christ died for and came to save ( to make it still more out of doubt if it be possible ) are expressed by the whole world , john . . if any man sin , we have an advocate with the father , iesus christ the righteous , who is the propitiation for our sins , and not only for ours , but also for the sins of the whole world. nay , . they are expressed by every man , heb. . . but we see iesus , who was made a little ( or for a little while ) lower than the angels , for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour , that he by the grace of god should taste death , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for every man. and this is the fullest and most comprehensive expression that can be imagined . if after all these most express affirmations , in such variety of the plainest words , it shall still be asserted , that the doctrine of universal redemption is heretical or false , there needs no other reply but this : let christ be true and his holy apostles , and everyman a liar that dares to contradict them . secondly , as our saviour and his apostles do so express the persons for whom he died , as that they must necessarily be the universality of mankind , so we learn from s. paul , that the remedy by christ is of equal extent with the mischief occasioned by adam : that the sore is not so broad but the plaister is every whit as broad : rom. . . therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation , even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life . can anything be said plainer than this is , in these words , viz. that as many as fell by the transgression of adam , were designed to be recovered by the righteousness of christ ? but it is objected that it follows in the . ver . that , by the obedience of one shall many he made righteous ; as our saviour himself saith , this is the new testament in my bloud , which was shed for many for the remission of sins . but that this is a strange objection , will appear by comparing the latter part of that . ver . with the former : for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners . so that , as many were put into a possibility of being justified by the righteousness of christ ( and we do not desire that more should ) as were made sinners ( or made liable to condemnation ) by the disobedience of adam . and by this means , the reign of grace to eternal life was designed to be no more limited , than was the reign of sin to death : as it follows in the . ver . that as sin hath reigned unto death , even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life , by iesus christ our lord. and it is not to be wondered at , that the word many should signifie all , for it is well known , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , many , or the many , is used in other greek authors to signifie all , as well as in the new testament . so that these texts do most necessarily and plainly speak thus much , that none that hear the gospel shall fall short of salvation , but through their unbelief and disobedience , their wilful rejecting the remedy offered them : nor any neither that never heard the gospel , merely for the transgression of their first parents , but only for their own sins , i mean , their wilful disobedience to that light they have . and that none to whom the gospel is preached are excluded from salvation by christ , is manifestly implied in those words of our saviour , iohn . . as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness , even so must the son of man be lifted up , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . as the brazen serpent was erected for the cure of all that were stung by the fiery serpent , none excepted but such as would not look up to it , for that end : so none shall be shut out from the benefit designed by the son of man's being lifted up upon the cross , but such as will not believe , that is , apply themselves to him in that way , which he hath appointed for the obtaining of it . and though our saviour saith , ver . . of that chapter , that this is the condemnation , that a light is come into the world : yet he immediately explains himself in the following words , and men loved darkness rather than light , because their deeds are evil . or mens being condemned by the occasion of his coming is to be imputed to their rejecting him , and so refusing to comply with the most reasonable terms of his new gracious covenant , not to his or his father's design in his coming . for he saith , iohn . . i came not to judge the world , but to save the world. thirdly , we are assured that christ died even for those that perish . the apostle saith , cor. . . if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idols temple , shall not the conscience of him that is weak be imboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols , and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish , for whom christ died ? here it is supposed that a man may perish , for whom christ died : and consequently , that he died for reprobates themselves ; that is , those that have made themselves so , for if christ died for all , there can be no other reprobates . again , rom. . . destroy not him with thy meat , for whom christ died . and the author to the hebrews expresly preacheth this doctrine , chap. . . of how much sorer punishment , suppose ye , shall he be thought worthy , who hath trodden under foot the son of god , and hath counted the bloud of the covenant , wherewith he was sanctified ( or consecrated ) an unholy thing ? s. peter likewise asserts the same , epist. . . but there were false prophets also among the people , even as there will be false teachers among you , who privily will bring in damnable heresies , even denying the lord that bought them , and bring upon themselves swift destruction . so that these vile wretches were not destroyed because christ did not redeem them , for they are said to be bought or redeemed by him as well as others , but they brought upon themselves swift destruction . lastly , if this doctrine be false , that christ died for all , then none are or can be condemned for not believing in him , notwithstanding that the condemnation of men is so continually ascribed thereunto . for 't is a plain case , that those for whom christ did not die , can be no more obliged to believe in him , than the devils are . and to say that any are condemned for not doing that which it was not their duty to do , will , i hope , be acknowledged the grossest absurdity . this little in comparison of what might be said , to demonstrate the truth of this great article of our faith , is much more than barely sufficient to give us an undoubted assurance of it . the truth is , the sun doth not shine more bright in the firmament , than doth this doctrine in the new testament : and i know nothing we can be assured of upon scripture authority , if this be false or uncertain . i verily believe that there are few of the greatest points of our christian faith , but may as plausibly be objected against as this doctrine , from scripture . 't is said indeed by our saviour , iohn . . i lay down my life for my sheep : but did he ever say , i lay down my life for none but my sheep ? if he had , we must have concluded , either that the whole world are his sheep , or that which is far worse , that he said and unsaid , and contradicted himself , and so destroyed the foundation of our faith and hope . but in saying he laid down his life for his sheep , his meaning was , that those who obeyed his voice should receive the benefit of his death ; and such sheep he would have all to be . for ( as we have seen in tim. . . ) he would have all men to be saved , and to come to the acknowledgment of the truth . again our saviour saith , that he prayed not for the world , iohn . . from whence some would infer , that surely he would not shed his precious bloud for those on whom he would not vouchsafe to bestow a prayer . but 't is apparent his meaning was , that at that time he peculiarly prayed for his disciples : they only ( as appears by the context ) are meant , by those that his father had given him out of the world. but afterwards , ver . . he proceeds to pray for all that should believe on him through their word : and at his death , he prayed for his very crucifiers . and that he could not refuse to pray for the world , is apparent from ver . . where he prayeth that believers might be one in him and his father , for this reason , that the world may believe that he had sent him : or might be converted to the faith of the gospel . these two objections , as weak as they are , are the chief ones that are taken out of scripture , against the most ancient and catholick doctrine we have been asserting . but i must needs say , i have often wondred at their boldness , who have used their utmost endeavours to run down a doctrine , that not only for so many ages together hath stood unshaken , but is also so abundantly , and in the clearest manner imaginable asserted by truth it self , and those who were guided into all truth : and how they are able not to perceive , how grosly they wrest the holy scriptures ; so that , if they should use the same artifice in interpreting all other texts , they would make the bible to look like a thing that is contrived for the service of every humour and every phancy , and for both the proving and disproving every thing . certainly , if we should take the same liberty in understanding our own and other mens sayings , that they take in expounding the forementioned and the like sayings of our blessed saviour and his apostles , speech would signifie nothing , nay , be of very pernicious consequence , and serve only to abuse and put tricks upon one another . if so many plain texts as can be , to all appearance , should require so much labour and pains to be rightly understood , 't will be impossible to defend the holy scriptures from that obscurity which the papists most injuriously charge them with ; and to preserve the bible from that contempt , which ( the higher to advance the authority of holy church ) it suffers from their prophane tongues and pens , and wicked practices . but this doctrine of vniversal redemption , being so strongly fortified , could never have been assaulted , were it reconcileable with that of absolute reprobation , either in the supra or sublapsarian way ( as it is impossible it should be ) which the too great admirers of the otherwise very judicious and pious calvin , are so exceedingly tenacious and fond of . but 't is much to be wondred at , what these men should see in this doctrine ( which is so severe in it self , and horrid in its necessary consequences ) that they should be contented to buy it at so dear a rate , as the parting with that other most comfortable doctrine . especially since this hath no antiquity to commend it , and is not so much as seemingly befriended , but by a very few texts of scripture , and those very fairly capable of quite another sence , than at first sight may seem to belong to them ; but is contradicted by innumerable plain texts , and the concurrent strain both of the new and old testament . but i must not forget that this chapter is a digression from our main business ; and i have thus long insisted upon this argument , that the great motives contained in the death of christ to exchange the slavery of sin for his free service might have their full weight and cogency : which would be in danger , not only of being weakned , but even quite lost , by limiting the design of christ's death to some particular persons , where the consequences of such a limitation are apprehended . and i appeal to every considerative person , whether it be not a mighty motive and encouragement to the engaging all the powers of our souls in this great work of using the means prescribed for the subduing our lusts , to be assured that every individual person of us is one of those , for whom christ gave himself to redeem them from all iniquity . chap. ix . wherein are contained five more evangelical motives , which are of wonderful power to excite us to diligence in using the means of our deliverance from the dominion of sin , viz. our saviours excellent example . the assurance he hath given us , that he will not take such advantage of our frailties and weaknesses , as to cast us off for them . our saviours mediation and intercession . the glorious reward he hath purchased for , and promised to those , who , by the assistance of his grace , overcome their lusts. and the most dismal threatnings he hath pronounced against those who receive that grace in vain , and will not be delivered from the dominion of sin. having presented you with the first powerful motive to diligence , in using the means of our deliverance from the dominion of sin , namely , the unconceivable love of god in sending his only begotten son upon this errand of delivering us ; and of christ in so readily taking our nature upon him , and dying a cursed death for that end : and having also fully demonstrated , that no man in the world is excluded from the benefit designed by the death of christ , in order to our giving that motive its full force and strength : i proceed to shew , that secondly , another singular motive is our saviour's example . as we are by his example directed in the several parts of our duty , as hath been shewed ; and as the frequent eyeing thereof is a means ( as hath been intimated ) whereby we may be more and more transformed into his likeness ; so is it to be considered as a wonderfully exciting motive to comply with those rules of righteousness and goodness , which we have naturally the greatest aversation of will towards . as particularly , those which oblige us to the meek bearing of indignities , the forgiving the greatest and most provoking injuries , the loving our enemies ; whereby we shall be set free from the cruel tyrants of revenge and malice . those also that oblige us to humility , patience and intire resignation to the will of god , under the severest dispensations of his providence ; and contentation with a mean fortune , and low circumstances in the world ; which will free us from the inslaving passions of pride , anger , immoderate grief , covetousness , &c. when we consider with what admirable evenness of mind , this great prince of the kings of the earth indured the contradiction of sinners against himself ; how , when he was reviled , he reviled not again , when he suffered he threatned not , but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously : when we consider with what strange sedateness of spirit he bore the mockings , buffettings , and most contumelious and insolent behaviour of vile creatures towards himself : it is then hardly possible that we despicable worms should rage and be inflamed upon the account of such disgrace , contempt and ill usage from rude people , as is not to be compared with that which he underwent . when we consider how our blessed saviour forgave those who thirsted after his bloud , and were never satisfied till they had put him to the most shameful and most cruel death ; and not only forgave them himself , but entreated his father , and that even in the midst of his torments ( when his spirit one would think should be most highly exasperated ) to forgive them too : i say , when we consider this , how can it be difficult to disswade our selves from meditating revenge upon any provocations whatsoever ? surely we must needs be very powerfully inclined to forgive our enemies . when we call to mind how he exprest his love to his very murderers , even so as to design the greatest good to them by the means of that , whereby they designed the greatest evil to him , can we be averse to the bearing good will to those who are ill affected towards us , to the blessing of those that curse us , and praying for those that despightfully use us ? when we consider how this mighty person humbled himself , even to the washing his disciples feet , and declared that he came not to be ministred unto , but to minister , can we contemptible wretches cherish the least spark of pride in our souls ? can we despise the meanest of our fellow-creatures , or think our selves too great or too good to condescend to the lowest offices of love whereby we may serve our brethren ? when we consider with what submission to the divine will our blessed lord indured the most exquisite pains both of soul and body , though he never deserved them by the least offence , but was always most perfectly obedient to his father , can this be other than a most forcible motive to us , who have merited so ill at the hands of god , quietly to submit to his good pleasure in afflicting us , whenas in so doing he doth always punish us far less than our iniquities deserve ? when we consider how well satisfied our saviour was to be in poor low circumstances , and not to have so much as a cottage of his own to put his head in , though he was lord of all : is it imaginable that we should aspire at high and great things , and having food and raiment , not be content , who are less than the least of all god's mercies ? and lastly , will not the consideration of our saviour's being such a man of sorrows , and so acquainted with griefs , exceedingly deaden our desires after sensual pleasures ? surely it must necessarily so do . thus we see how greatly exciting the example of our saviour is to the perfect mortifying of those lusts which are most strong and vigorous , to the loathing and abominating those , which are naturally very dear to us , and to the most restless endeavours , to get our souls possessed of those virtues and graces which are most supernatural . thirdly , another very prevalent motive is , the assurance our lord hath given us , that he will not take such advantage of our frailties and weaknesses , or sins we fall into by mere surprize and want of due watchfulness , as to cast us off for them ; so long as we allow not our selves in any evil way , and it is the principal design of our lives , to be conformed in all things to the laws of righteousness . there is a prophecy concerning the messiah , isaiah . . which our saviour applieth to himself , matth. . . a bruised reed shall he not break , and smoaking flax shall he not quench , &c. he will not crush under foot those who fall through weakness , but whatsoever good he seeth in them , he will still cherish . my little children ( saith s. iohn ) these things i write unto you , that ye sin not : but what if , through the weakness of their flesh , they should at any time be overtaken , is their state then desperate ? no , by no means , for it follows , and if any man sin , we have an advocate with the father iesus christ the righteous , &c. epist. . . as there are sins unto death , so there are sins not unto death , according to that of the same apostle , epist. . . all unrighteousness is sin , and there is a sin not unto death . though all unrighteousness be sin , and the deserved wages of sin be death , yet such is the goodness of god through christ , that all sins shall not be unto death , but only wilful and presumptuous sins . and i add , not these neither , if not persevered in , but throughly forsaken . if we were liable to eternal ruine for such faults , as considering all our circumstances in this state , it is scarcely to be hoped we shall constantly avoid , we should necessarily live in great bondage , through continual fear , anxiety and disquieting thoughtfulness : but on the other hand , it conduceth exceedingly to the chearful pursuing our great work , to be satisfied that it is not every failure that shall endanger our final miscarrying . and it is no small inducement to ingenuous tempers , to be so much the more solicitous to avoid deliberate and wilful sins , because god through christ is so ready to forgive , and graciously pass by those that are not such : because he is pleased in his infinite goodness to grant a pardon of course for these , upon condition of their being in the general and habituals repented of . and it is a great motive also to such tempers , to be the more vigilant and watchful against all sins whatsoever ; against sins of daily incursion and infirmity , as well as those which waste the conscience . and those are very ill natured and obdurate sinners , who can find in their hearts to encourage themselves by this indulgence to sin the more freely . fourthly , another wonderful encouragement to the careful use of the means , we are directed to for the subduing of our lusts , is our saviours mediation and intercession . there is one god and one mediator between god and men , the man christ iesus . his oblation was begun on earth , but perfected in heaven ; where he appears in the presence of god for us , heb. . . those prayers we put up in his name , for things agreeable to the divine will , with honest and sincere hearts , our saviour inforceth with his own intercession . he ever lives to make intercession for us , heb. . . and for this reason ( as the apostle saith in the former part of that verse ) he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto god by him : that is , to give them a full and complete deliverance from the slavery of sin , and all the evil consequents thereof . now we know that we ask what is according to the will of god , when we pray for his grace to mortifie our corruptions , and to set us more and more free from their dominion : this is the will of god , even our sanctification , &c. thess. . . there are many temporal good things , which god in his infinite wisdom may see not to be good for us ; but he knows that whatsoever hath a necessary influence into our soul's welfare , and the making us partakers of his own image and likeness , can by no circumstances whatsoever become unfit to be bestowed on those that heartily and sincerely seek it . and therefore we are assured that those prayers that are put up for such things , with a true heart and full assurance of faith in his power and goodness , are seconded in heaven by our blessed lord : and him the father heareth always , john . . we have shewed that our saviour hath purchased a rich supply of grace to help our weakness , and that his holy spirit is promised to those that ask him ; who will not fail to assist them , whilest they carefully exert that power they are already in possession of : but the most honest souls have so frequent experience of heaviness , dulness and distractions in their addresses to god , that they would be in great danger of despairing of the success of their prayers , but for this consideration , that they have a no less friend in heaven , than the only begotten son of god ; who is most powerful with his father , and supplies all the defects of their prayers by his own intercession in their behalf . i need not say , what a marvellous incouragement this is of our faith and hope in the divine goodness ; which are so necessary to animate us , and to put spirit and life into all our endeavours . and the mediation and intercession of our blessed saviour conduceth exceedingly to the overcoming those inslaving passions of fearfulness and shame , which arise from guilt ; and do naturally cause a great averseness in sinners from going into the presence of god , and disable them , when they are there , to behave themselves as they ought before him . s. paul tells the ephesians , that in christ iesus they have boldness and access with confidence , by the faith of him . that is , through christ's mediation those believing gentiles ( of whose calling he was discoursing ) as great sinners as they had been , even dead in trespasses and sins , have liberty of approach to god , with confidence of a kind reception and a gracious acceptance . and the author to the hebrews , chap. . , &c. doth thus encourage sincere souls to draw near to god. having therefore , brethren , boldness ( or liberty , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) to enter into the holiest by the bloud of iesus , by a new and living way , which he hath consecrated for us , ( in opposition to the dead shadows under the law ) through the veil , that is to say , his flesh : ( breaking through the veil of his flesh , being fain to die before he ascended into heaven ) and having an high priest over the house of god : let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith ; having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience , and our bodies washed with pure water . that is , being sincerely resolved against all sins both of heart and life : as none that had touched any unclean thing under the law , till the priest had sprinkled them with pure water , had liberty to enter into the congregation . fifthly , the reward , which our saviour hath purchased for and promised to those that shall get free from the power of their lusts , is another motive , than which a more powerful one is not to be imagined . he hath promised that such shall be with him where he is . that because he lives , they shall live also . hath assured them , that he is gone to heaven before , to prepare a place for them : that he is entered thither as their forerunner : that they shall behold the glory there which his father hath given him ; and that they shall be sharers also with him in that glory : that they shall sit with him upon his throne , rev. . . to him that overcometh will i grant to sit with me upon my throne , even as i also overcame , and am set down with my father on his throne . that the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the father , matth. . . that their dead bodies also , being raised again , shall be fashioned like to his own most glorious body , according to the mighty working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself , phil. . . of this glory it is impossible we should speak much in this state worthily of it ; it far surpasseth our most elevated con●eptions , and therefore our highest expressions must needs fall excessively short of it . it doth not yet appear what we shall be , saith s. iohn , epist. . . only we know so much of the heavenly bliss , as to be assured that it is astonishingly great ; for , as it follows , this we know , that when he appears we shall be like him ( like him the infinitely holy and happy being , in his holiness and happiness ) for we shall see him as he is . which implieth such a clear , distinct and vigorous knowledge of his most glorious perfections , as will transform the soul into his own nature , and fill it with his own blessedness , to the utmost extent of its capacity . could we now apprehend this blessedness in any proportion to its transcendent greatness and excellency , we should have no more spirit left in us ; as it is said of the queen of sheba , when she beheld the magnificence of solomons court. indeed there is such an account given us of the happiness prepared for good men , that we should find it impossible to believe it , but that god which cannot lye hath promised it , and that it is the purchase of a most inestimable price , the bloud of his eternally begotten son. and we have so great evidence of its being promised by his father , and purchased by himself , given us by our blessed lord , that our own hearts can't wish for greater ; nay , such as we could not have asked any comparable to it , might we have had our own choice of evidence , viz. his innumerable miraculous works , his resurrection from the dead , his ascension into heaven ; and afterwards ( exactly according to his promise ) his sending the holy ghost . we have not more evidence that iesus is the son of god , than we have that all his sincere disciples shall live with him , in unspeakable and eternal blessedness ; for we have the self - same for both . the same arguments which have abundantly demonstrated the truth of the former proposition , do equally prove the latter , for they depend mutually upon each other ; as s. paul hath shewed in cor. . , . if there be no resurrection of the dead , then is christ not risen : and if christ be not risen , then is our preaching vain , and your faith is also vain . that is , there will be no resurrection of the dead . now of what mighty force and efficacy are the exceeding great and precious promises of such a glorious state as this , to engage all the powers of our souls in the pursuance of that holiness which is not only an indispensable condition to precede the obtaining of it , but like a necessary qualification for it . the happiness which will naturally , by proper , efficiency and necessary consequence , result from our deliverance from the dominion of sin , and our being instated in the freedom we have discoursed of , would be a mighty motive to the doing our utmost to be set at liberty : what a motive then is this vast additional happiness which our lord hath given us the most unquestionable assurance of ? we can never be sufficiently affected with those words of the apostle , rom. . , . what fruit had ye then of those things , whereof ye are now ashamed ; for the end of those things is death . but now being made free from sin , and become servants to god , ye have your fruit unto holiness , an● the end everlasting life . can we have such a hope as this , such a blessed hope ( as the apostle calls it ) and not heartily endeavour to purifie our selves as god is pure ? s. iohn tells us , that he who hath this hope will do so . hath our most gracious lord made to his free servants such a promise as this of entering into his rest , his glorious and eternal rest , how should we fear , lest by continuing in subjection to our vile affections , we should at last fall short of it ? good lord ! . that such a prize as this should be set before us , and we not press hard forward towards it . that such blessedness should be purchased for , and offered to those , who have no esteem or value for it . but had much rather be wretched bondslaves and vassals to the devil and their lusts , than reign with christ in his everlasting kingdom . how many shall lament this inexpressible folly in a sad eternity ! and this brings me to the last motive i shall speak to , viz. sixthly , if it be possible , that this with the foregoing motives should not prevail , there is another behind , which is suited to the most disingenuous , stubborn and inflexible tempers , and must needs subdue them , if any thing will : namely , the most dismal threatnings our saviour hath pronounced against those , who will not accept the liberty he offereth them , and become his freemen . as such will be necessarily exceedingly miserable , beyond what they are here , when they leave this world , through the fury of their corrupt appetites ( there being no objects in the other state to appease it , or to afford them the least satisfaction or gratification ) so our lord hath declared , that , they shall be cast into outer darkness , where shall be weeping , and wailing , and gnashing of teeth , matth. . . that , they shall be cast into a furnace of fire , matth. . . that , he will say unto them at the last day , depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels , matth. . . and his apostle s. paul hath told such , what their doom shall be , in thess. . , , . viz. that the lord iesus shall be revealed from heaven , with his mighty angels , in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not god , and obey not the gospel of our lord iesus christ : who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power : when he shall come to be glorified in his saints , and to be admired of all them that believe . then shall we discern the vastest difference imaginable between the states of the righteous and the wicked , of those who have through the spirit mortified the deeds of the body , and those who have lived after the flesh . the former sort of men , as the same apostle saith , shall live ; that is , a most inexpressibly happy and glorious life : the latter shall die ; that is , the second death , or be eternally miserable . one shall be taken , and the other left : one shall be saved , the other damned : one shall be received into the blessed mansions above , and crowned with immortal bliss and glory ; the other shall be tumbled down into hell , and have his portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone . did i say , that these fearful threatnings are designed to awaken the most disingenuous , stupid and obdurate souls ? i fear there are few who do not find , that they have need sometimes of seriously considering them , and laying them to heart . and when we feel the principle of ingenuity most unactive , as also that those motives that excite our hope have but a weak influence ( as it is possible we may , at certain times , be in so dull and heavy a temper , as that we may be but very little affected with them ) then should we rouse up our selves out of our lethargick stupidity , by employing our thoughts upon the terrors of the lord , the most terrible threatnings of the gospel . and now what think we ? hath not our blessed lord done abundantly enough to make us free indeed ; to set us at liberty from sin and to righteousness ? in that he hath not only shewn us what it is to be made free , and wherein our liberty consisteth ; and given us the best means , by the use of which , as we ought , we shall be set at liberty ; and purchased such grace for us as whereby we may be successful in the use of those means , if we will not neglect them ; but also hath given us such motives , as those we have now discoursed of , to prevail with our wills not to receive that grace in vain . and as for these motives , can the heart of man conceive any more powerful ? no surely , nor could it , unassisted by divine revelation , conceive any that are the thousandth part so powerful . but besides all this ( as hath been intimated ) the blessed spirit of god is ready so to inforce these motives upon us , if we will endeavour to think seriously upon them , as that they shall effectually do what they are designed for : and not only so , but he also begins with us , and by his secret suggestions excites us to the due consideration of them , and the use of whatsoever means we are directed to , for the pulling down of strong holds , and casting down every imagination , and every high thing , that advanceth it self against the scepter and government of christ in our souls , and the bringing every thought , and all that is within us , to the obedience of christ. and thus doth he work in us both to will and to do , as to do so to will , of his own good pleasure : or , of his free and undeserved mercy to us . and therefore what encouragement have we to put the apostles inference from that doctrine into practice , namely , to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling ? that is , to work out our own deliverance from the dominion of sin , and our slavish subjection thereunto , with great diligence and solicitude . sect . iii. containing the inferences from each of the arguments of the foregoing sections . chap. x. which treats of the first inference from the first proposition , [ that the most excellent liberty doth consist in an intire compliance with the laws of righteousness and goodness ; or in freedom from the dominion of sinful affections . ] namely , that those are most vnreasonable and depraved people , who complain of the divine laws as intolerable intrenchments upon their liberty . where it is shewed , first , that upon supposition our liberty were restrained by the laws of god , it would nevertheless be most unreasonable to complain upon that account . secondly , that the laws which oblige christians do not restrain their liberty . i am come now to the last head of discourse , viz. to draw distinctly from each of the arguments of the foregoing sections several very useful inferences : such as , if they be duly considered , will farther improve us in our knowledge of the true nature and design of the christian religion ; and ( with the assistance of the divine grace ) advance us higher in the true evangelical spirit and temper . to begin with the former of those arguments , viz. that the most excellent liberty consisteth in an intire compliance with the laws of righteousness and goodness ; or in freedom from the dominion of corrupt and sinful assections . from hence , and what hath been discoursed thereupon , we infer , first , that those are most unreasonable , and very sadly depraved who complain of , and quarrel with the divine laws as great intrenchments upon their liberty ; and therefore , in regard of the high value they set upon liberty , cry out upon them as intolerable . for , first , suppose it were true , that our liberty is much restrained by the laws of god , yet would it be the most unreasonable thing in the world to cavil at them upon that account , or to think our selves too unkindly dealt with : and that for these three reasons . . we know by experience , that it is absolutely necessary to the well being ( nay to the very being ) of societies , that particular persons be obliged to part with not a little of their natural liberty . it is utterly inconsistent with the wellfare of the whole , for each particular to insist so severely on his own right , as to refuse to submit to the being deprived of that liberty , in several instances , in which the primary laws of nature have instated him : and consequently this is as inconsistent with the wellfare of particulars ; the well-being of each part depending upon the well-being of the whole . there can be no leagues , compacts or agreements between men and men , but there must be yielding , and quitting of liberty ; and that on both sides too ordinarily , if not always . all the laws of men do suppose the necessity of this ; nor is there any one merely humane law but doth restrain natural liberty . he therefore who is resolved not to let go any part of that liberty , must resolve upon another thing too , viz. to live under no government ; to forsake all society with his own kind , and live alone in a desart . but by so doing he will quickly be satisfied , that he pays infinitely too dear for so stiffly infilling upon his beloved liberty , and that he hath sold for it all the comfort of his life , and whatsoever would make it desirable to him . in a word , there can be no such thing as property without parting with several points of liberty ; without this no meum or ●uum ( i mean as to any thing without our selves , or that can happen to come within the reach of anothers power ) can be secured , as every body will grant . and therefore can it be thought a grievous thing that god himself should restrain our liberty ? . as it will be universally acknowledged , that it is absolutely necessary , that particular persons be abridged of their natural liberty in abundance of instances , so all that have a right notion of the deity must needs believe , that we are abridged of it in no instances by god almighty , but such as wherein it is most fit we should be abridged . the holy scriptures assure us of nothing more , nor doth natural light neither , than that infinite wisdom , righteousness and goodness are necessary perfections of the divine nature ; than that wilfulness and arbitrariness , austerity and sourness , envy and ill will , are as far removed from god as is hell from heaven . and consequently , though several of his laws should seem to our thinking never so unreasonable , yet while we adhere to the scriptural and natural notion of the deity , we our selves would be most unreasonable , in not concluding them to be really most contrary to what they may seemingly be to us ; in not believing them to be as wise , as righteous , and as good , as any can fancy them weak , unrighteous , or unkind . . as from the consideration of the nature of god we are as certain as we are capable of being of any thing , that all the abatements and limitations of our liberty , he is the author of , are most wise , just and good ; that they are founded in great reason , equity and kindness also to us , so we that live under the gospel dispensation are assured from the consideration of the particular observances and forbearances he hath by christ iesus obliged us to , that they are no other , than such as are infinitely worthy of such a god. they are all of that nature , that they carry their own reason most visibly and apparently along with them : and such as we are easily able to give account to our selves , upon what particular designs , it was the pleasure of our creator to impose them upon us . 't is the easiest thing in the world to demonstrate , that they are not only all of them consistent with infinite goodness , but also great instances and expressions thereof : that god is not only most righteous in enjoyning each of them , but most good and gracious . all but some two or three of the precepts of the gospel are no other than what right reason , and the law of our creation did , and must necessarily , always oblige us to , as will presently be seen . and those very few purely evangelical ones are designed for our better observation of those natural laws . and thus i have shewed in short , that , granting gods laws do put restraints ( and those many too ) upon our liberty , we have no cause to complain upon that account : they restraining it only in such particulars , as wherein it is incomparably better for us to be restrained than otherwise . but secondly , it is utterly to be denied , that the laws we christians are under the obligation of , do any of them restrain our liberty . they restrain licentiousness indeed , but not liberty . this doth sufficiently appear from what hath been discoursed . that cannot be true liberty which is injurious to our chiefest liberty , but our chiefest liberty we have shewed doth consist in being free to good ; in having all impediments taken out of our way to the free exercise of those virtues which are ( as i may say ) the very soul of our souls , the life of our souls , as our souls are of our bodies : without which we are dead even whilest we live ; without which we are in an utter incapacity of enjoying our selves , of being in the least measure truly happy , or of living like men , and discharging the functions of that life which is proper to reasonable creatures : and by the absence of which we degenerate into the brutish , nay into the devilish nature . you may as well say , that he is abridged of his liberty , who is kept from running his head into the fire , or from cutting his own throat , as that he is so , who is forbidden to be unjust and unrighteous in any kind , or to be malicious , or uncharitable , or intemperate , or lascivious : that is , who is forbidden to play the beast or the devil . or who is commanded to love god above all , to fear him , to trust in him , to be thankful to him , in all his ways to acknowledge him ; and to love his neighbour as himself . but , if we will believe the great s. paul , in these particulars is comprehended all that for substance , which the grace of god that bringeth salvation reacheth men to forbear or practise . to summ up all in short that needs to be said about this matter , there is nothing required of us , but it is either an essential part of our liberty , of our highest and most excellent liberty , to be free to it , or is a means to the obtaining and maintenance of it . what an unreasonable brutish creature therefore art thou , whosoever thou art , that darest repine at the restraints which thy creator and redeemer have laid upon thee , whenas these restraints ( if they may be called so ) are necessary to thy greatest enlargement . and let me tell thee , thou that thinkest much of being held within the limits which the gospel hath set thee , thou affectest a liberty which god himself hath not , and abhors to have . chap. xi . the second inference , viz. that such a freedom of will as consists in an indifferency to good or evil is no perfection , but the contrary . secondly , we may observe from the abovesaid discourse , that such a freedom of will as consists in an indifferency to good or evil , as much as it is magnified by some for a great perfection of the humane nature , is indeed no better than a diminution and disparagement : nor is it otherwise commendable than as a less evil. this must necessarily be so , if the most excellent liberty consisteth in an entire compliance with the laws of righteousness and goodness , as it hath been fully proved it doth . seneca hath somewhere a most impudent and blasphemous saying , to this purpose : that a wise , or virtuous , man is in some respect superior to god himself ; because god is good by necessity of nature , but he by his own free choice . 't is to be confessed , that , comparing this indifferency to good or evil with the determination of the will to evil , so it is desirable ; but then it is so only as 't is a less evil than the other , as was said . but comparing it with the determination of the will to good , from an inward principle , viz. from a quick , vigorous sense of the infinite loveliness of virtue , and monstrous deformity and ugliness of vice , so on the other hand , 't is a great imperfection , and consequently by no means desirable . the divine nature will be acknowledged to be the great standard and measure of perfections : we cannot question but that , the more like to god any one is , the more perfect he will be ; and the more unlike to god , the more imperfect : but the being free to evil and undetermined to good , makes a man less like god , because god is ( as hath been shewn ) necessarily , from his own nature determined to good , and from evil ; and his infinite wisdom , holiness , righteousness and goodness cannot consist with peccability , or a possibility of doing or approving the least evil. and therefore the more any one is from within himself , from a good temper of mind , determined to that which is good , the more like must he needs be to the best of beings , and the more he partakes of a divine nature . that saying of s. ierome doth need a paraphrase , viz. god is the only being , that is uncapable of sinning ; but all creatures , having free will in them , may turn their will to good or evil. namely , that god alone is absolutely im●eccable ; not but that by the divine grace creatures may be made so ; as , without doubt , the angels and saints in heaven are . and , whereas the father seems to exclude free will from god , and to give it to all reasonable creatures , he must mean such a free will as consisteth in indifferency to good or evil , or undeterminedness from within to good and against evil , and so on the contrary . this kind of freedom cannot belong to god , because it speaks great imperfection : for it supposeth him who hath it , to be without such a sense of the excellency and loveliness of goodness , and the hatefulness and intolerableness of wickedness , as he ought to have . he that can in the least deliberate ▪ whether it be more eligible to be just or unjust , chaste or impure , intemperate or sober , to speak truth or to lye , to love god or the world , to forgive or revenge , to be pitiful or cruel , to be niggardly or charitable , &c. he , i say , that can perswade himself to deliberate about these things , doth manifestly declare , that he understands neither the one nor the other , as he ought to do . i mean , that he hath nothing so lively a sense of the goodness of the one , or the evil of the other , as it becomes him to have . if we had such a sense , it would be as impossible to perswade us to any vile action , as it would be to prevail with a man in his right mind , to pour melted lead down his own throat , to pluck out his eyes , or to dash out his brains . you cannot deliberate whether it be better for you to be healthy or sick , to be at ease or in torment , to have a good name or a bad , to be beggarly or in plentiful circumstances , to be a wise man or a fool , to be a mad-man or in your wits , to be a slave or a freeman , &c. you will say that bedlam is the fittest place for him , that shall in the least consider which of these he shall chuse . now if we had as great a sense of the evil of the infinitely worst of evils sin , as we have of those evils , it would be as impossible , that our wills should incline to the commission of a known sin , as that they should prefer sickness before health , and refuse ease and embrace torment . as for those that contend that , it is more praise-worthy to do good and forbear evil , having a power to do otherwise , than to be under a necessity of so doing ▪ supposing they mean by necessity , such as is not from without , or from an inward blind instinct , but from an understanding principle and perfection of nature , i must needs tell them there is no proposition in the world more false or absurd . for is god almighty the less to be admired , loved or praised for his goodness , because his nature is so good , as that he cannot but be ever doing good ? surely he is much the more to be loved , adored , admired and praised upon this account . i will not therefore stick to say , that to have the will necessarily determined to all good , and from all evil , from an overpowering sense of the becomingness and excellency of the one , and the vileness and odiousness of the other , is the very perfection of liberty . and this is so far from being impossible to be obtained by creatures or by our selves , that , by the help of god's grace , it is in a large measure even in this life attainable . i mean such a sense of good and evil , as shall certainly determine us to good and against evil in most of the instances of each . there are some immoralities and wicked actions , that they who have attained to but very mean and ordinary degrees of goodness , cannot perswade themselves so much as to endeavour to reconcile their minds to . nay , there are some that no man can easily be supposed able to consent to , but an extraordinarily depraved and wicked wretch , let the motives that are used to perswade him be what they will. such as blaspheming of god : contriving the murther of our parents , or of a most obliging friend : torturing of innocent babes , and the like horrid villanies . surely then , a man is capable of such a vivid sense of the hatefulness of sin in general , as will ( whilest it lasts ) render it impossible for him to will deliberately to commit any known sin whatsoever . 't is confessed that we cannot hope to get past all danger of sudden surprizals , so long as we inhabit these bodies , and remain in our present unhappy circumstances ; but , i say , so powerful a sense of the infinite unrighteousness , disingenuity , unreasonableness , folly and madness of opposing the holy will of our great creator and blessed redeemer may , by the divine assistance , be acquired even on this side heaven , as shall determine us effectually against all deliberate and wilful violations of the divine laws . for this we have the authority of a great apostle : s. iohn saith in his epist. . . whosoever is born of god doth not commit sin , for his seed remaineth in him , neither can he sin , because he is born of god. he here affirms , not only that those who have attained to extraordinary measures of goodness cannot sin , that is , cannot will to sin deliberately , but likewise that no regenerate or truly good man can . he cannot thus sin , because he is born of god ; because he is a child of god by the inward renewing of his holy spirit : and because his seed remaineth in him , that is , the divine seed . which divine seed i take to be the same thing with the several times mentioned quick , powerful and pungent sense of the horrid nature , and most dreadful effects and consequents of wilful sinning . it is more than morally impossible , that whilest this sense abideth in its strength and vigour , the good man should lapse into such sins . have we not such a sense of the vileness of some actions , as to say frequently , i could not for all the world find in mine heart ( that is , in my will ) to do so or so ? and if we had the same sense of all sins , which it is unreasonable not to have , considering them as sins , or transgressions of the everlasting rules of righteousness ( for considering them under that notion , all sins are alike ) i say had we the same sense of all sins , we should as truly say concerning each , i cannot find in mine heart , i cannot will , to consent unto it . chap. xii . which treats of one branch of the first inference from the argument of the second section , [ that in freedom from the dominion of corrupt affections doth that liberty principally or rather wholly consist , which christ hath purchased for us . ] namely , that several notions of christian liberty , which have too much prevailed , are false and of dangerous consequence . the first of which is , that which makes it to consist , wholly or in part , in freedom from the obligation of the moral law. certain texts , urged by the antinomians in favour of it , vindicated from the sence they put upon them . and the extreme wildness and wickedness of it exposed in five particulars . we proceed now to the inferences from the latter argument , viz. that in freedom from the dominion of corrupt affections , and all the sad consequents thereof our christian liberty doth eminently consist , and wholly too the liberty which christ hath purchased for us gentiles . and first , we infer from hence , that several notions of christian liberty , that have too much prevailed , are false and of dangerous consequence . we will speak to , first , that which makes it to consist in freedom from the obligation of the moral law. secondly , that which makes it to consist in freedom from those laws of men , which enjoyn or forbid indifferent things . thirdly , that which makes liberty of conscience a branch of christian liberty . first , for that notion of christian liberty , which makes it to consist , either wholly or in part , in freedom from the obligation of the moral law : this is extremely wild and wicked , as will appear from what hath been discoursed . it is the doctrine of the antinomians , and they produce in favour of it all those texts wherein we are said to be delivered from the law. as particularly rom. . . now we are delivered from the law , that being dead wherein we were held , &c. gal. . . i through the law am dead to the law , &c. rom. . . ye are not under the law , but under grace . gal. . , . when the fulness of time was come , god sent forth his son , made of a woman , made under the law , to redeem them that were under the law , &c. to this it is answered , that there are indeed many texts which assert our being freed from the law , but the question is , what law they mean ? or rather 't is out of question , that they mean not the moral law. for there is no need of doing more than reading throughout the forementioned verses , to satisfie us , that the apostle understood , in each of them , nothing less than that law. nay , we need do no more to be assured , that he abominated this notion of christian liberty . for whereas he saith , rom. . . now we are delivered from the law , that being dead wherein we were held ; it follows , that we should serve in newness of spirit , and not in the oldness of the letter . that is , that we should no longer be merely externally obedient , but also , inwardly and spiritually . whereas he saith , gal. . . i through the law am dead to the law , he immediately adds this as the reason why he was so , that i might live unto god : or be in all things conformed to the rules of righteousness and goodness , which he hath prescribed ; all which are comprehended in the moral law. again , whereas he tells the romans , chap. . . ye are not under the law but under grace : this comes in as a proof of what he said immediately before in the same verse , viz. sin shall not have dominion over you . lastly , in saying , gal. . . that christ was made of a woman , made under the law , to redeem them that were under the law , he gives this in the next words as the reason or design hereof , that we might receive the adoption of sons . but doth not the relation of a son necessarily infer obligation to obedience ? it doth so no less than that of a servant . for where god saith , if i am a master , where is my fear ? he saith also , if i am a father where is mine honour ? the law therefore which is to be understood in these and the like places is the purely iewish law , the mere external and drudging observances of the mosaical dispensation , which the iewish believers thought themselves to be still under the obligation of , and condemned the gentile converts for not submitting their necks to the same yoke . and the apostle takes a great deal of pains , in his epistles to the romans and galatians , to confute that mistake ; and to convince the iews , that that law was made by christ null and void ; that he had cancelled it , and taken away its obliging power . and in each of those places the apostle as plainly affirms this to be the law they were delivered from , as that it is not the moral law. we will therefore a third time go them over again . rom. . . now we are delivered from the law , that being dead wherein we were held , that we should serve in newness of spirit , and not in the oldness of the letter . that is , we are delivered from that law , that considered literally , required nothing but a company of bodily washings , outward services , and carnal performances , which the iews generally rested in , and thought no more was to be done to render them acceptable in the sight of god ; and the reason why we are delivered from this law is , that so we may be the more intent upon the great substantial duties , and the purification of our hearts , souls and spirits . gal. . . i through the law am dead to the law , that i might live unto god. or , i by virtue of the law of christ , am dead to the law of moses , that i may have all impediments taken out of my way to the being intirely devoted , as to the inward as well as outward man , to the service of god. and it hath been shewed how injurious this law did accidentally become to the great design of the gospel , viz. the making us spiritually obedient ; the enduing us with inward , real , substantial righteousness ; or the divine likeness . rom. . . sin shall not have dominion over you , for ye are not under the law , but under grace . that is , there is no necessity of your continuing under the power and dominion of sin , because you are not under the weak dispensation of moses , which made nothing perfect , and gave no strength to mortifie lust , but under the gospel dispensation , which is accompanied with promises of plentiful supplies of grace and strength . gal. . . god sent forth his son , made of a woman , made under the law , to redeem them that were under the law , that we might receive the adoption of sons . or , that we might no longer drudge like servants of the inferior sort , in such employments as are mean and low , having no internal goodness in them ; and that from the hope only of some sleight reward , from the hope of some mere earthly good things , such as are gratifications only of the animal and sensual life ; and from the fear of mere temporal evils , and the present lash , ( that law containing no other express promises or threatnings but temporal , as was shewed ) but may be dealt with as sons , be honourably employed , viz. in such services as are of the most excellent nature , and do recommend themselves by their own goodness , and agreeableness to our rational and intellectual faculty . and be acted also by a more noble principle , viz. love , and encouraged by an infinitely more noble reward , which consisteth in a perfect likeness to god , and an everlasting enjoyment of him . and thus we see , these very texts that are made use of by the antinomians , to prove this mad notion of christian liberty from the obligation of the moral law , are so far from signifying any thing to this purpose , that they give manifest and clear proof of the contrary . as they are far from asserting , that any such liberty as this belongs to christians , so they assure us that no such liberty belongeth to them . tertullian hath a good saying to our present purpose : the yokes of works ( meaning the drudgeries of the ceremonial law ) are cast off , not those of rules to walk by . liberty in christ is not injurious to innocence . the intire law of piety , holiness , humanity , v●rity , chastity , righteousness , mercy , b●n●volence , purity is still of force . and indeed should we find this doctrine in those texts , that our saviour hath procured for us freedom from this law , then , first , the blessed apostle would have most expresly contradicted his great master , and so have proved himself no apostle ; for our saviour plainly saith , matth. . . think not , let not such a wild fancy enter into your heads , that i am come to destroy the law and the prophets , i am not come to destroy , but to fulfil : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to fill it up , or preach it fully . i am so far from such a design , as that of destroying or abolishing the moral law , that , on the contrary , i am come to preach it more fully and perfectly , than ever it was before my coming . and this he presently sets upon doing , vers. , , , , &c. ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time , thou shalt not kill , and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment ; but i say unto you , that whoso●v●r is angry with his brother without a cause , shall be in danger of the judgment , &c. ye have heard , that it was said by them of old time , thou shalt not commit adultery : but i say unto you , that whosoev●r shall look upon a woman , to lust after h●r , hath committed adultery already with her in his heart . and so he goes on to perfect and fill up law , in the following verses . again our saviour saith , vers . . verily i say unto you , that till heaven and earth pass , one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law , till all be fulfilled : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , till all be done , or till all things come to an end , according to doctor hammond . he hath not here respect to the universal conflagration , saith grotius upon the place , but it is a proverbial speech , as if it were said in latine , vsque dum coelum ruat : till the heavens fall . which is thus expressed , luke . . and it is easier for heaven and earth to pass , than one tittle of the law to fail . in which manner of speaking , as saith the same learned expositor , he hath respect to the order of nature , and not to the power of god. but according to nature it seems impossible that heaven and earth should pass away or perish . so that the meaning of these texts is plainly this , viz. the obligation of the law can neither cease , nor be diminished or relaxed in the least , to all eternity . and then our saviour adds , vers. . of this fifth of s. matthew , whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments , and shall teach men so , he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven : that is , saith grotius , minimi erit pretii , eum minimi habitum iri , he shall be contemned , and treated as a most despicable wretch at the day of iudgment . then it follows , but whosoever shall do and teach them , the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven . he shall be highly honoured , and signally rewarded . when the young man came to our saviour to ask him , what good thing he should do , that he might have eternal life , we know what his answer was , if thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments , s. matth. . . and whereas he meant all , yet ( knowing how apt hypocrites are to flatter themselves with an opinion of the goodness of their state , upon the account of their external conformity to the first table precepts , though they live in the gross transgression of those of the second table ) he only expressed those which enjoyn duties relating to our neighbour . for the young man asking which commandments ? iesus said , thou shalt do no murder , thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shalt not steal , thou shalt not bear false witness , honour thy father and thy mother : and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself , ver. , . secondly , the apostle would have contradicted himself most egregiously , as well as his master , should he , in the above-cited places , or any where else , teach this notion of christian liberty . for 't was he that said , do we make void the law through faith , god forbid , yea we establish the law , rom. . . he here includes even the ceremonial law , as appears by ver . . ( which gave occasion to these words ) therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith , without the deeds of the law : that is , that a gentile is justified without circumcision , or sacrifices , or any other of the iewish rites and services , which they still laid so great weight upon ; as appears by the two following verses , is he the god of the iews only ? is he not also of the gentiles ? yes of the gentiles also . seeing it is one god , which shall justifie the circumcision by faith , and vncircumcision through faith. now saith the apostle , god forbid we should affirm that the gospel dispensation should make void the law ; should make useless so much as the ceremonial law , therefore much less the moral , yea we assert it establisheth the law. in some sence it even establisheth or perfects that law , as it brings in the substance of that , whereof that law had the shadow ; and requireth purity of heart , which was the spiritual meaning of circumcision . again , 't was the same s. paul that said , not the hearers of the law are just before god ; but the doers of the law shall be justified , rom. . . and it is he who makes it to be the design of christ's expiating our sins upon the cross , that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us , who walk not after the flesh , but after the spirit . and it is this same apostle that saith , though i speak with the tongues of men and of angels , and have not charity ( a moral virtue ) i am become as sounding brass , or a tinkling cymbal . and though i have the gift of prophecy , and understand all mysteries , and all knowledge : and though i have all faith , so that i could remove mountains , and have no charity , i am nothing , &c. cor. . , . and in the last verse , doth not only equalize charity with faith and hope ( which many now adays are so far from doing , that they are angry with those who do so ) but also advanceth it above those graces . and now abideth faith , hope , charity , these three , but the greatest of these is charity . thirdly , whosoever teacheth this doctrine , of christ's having set us free from the moral law , contradicteth the whole strain of the new testament : our saviours sermon on the mount throughout , all his injunctions and even all his discourses , and all the precepts and exhortations contained in the epistles of the apostles . they are all so many instances of the obligations that the first and second tables lay upon us , as understood in the most spiritual , sublime and comprehensive sence : and none are more so than those of s. paul , so intolerably is he abused in being made the great , and i think , onely patron of that most licentious and wicked doctrine . and even that precept of believing in the name of the son of god , is a first-table precept , not positive but moral , in its own nature necessarily obliging , and a dictate of natural light , to all those who are acquainted with the evidence of his being the messiah , and son of god. upon our understanding how he is demonstrated so to be , we should have known that faith in him is an indispensable duty , though we could not have produced one text to prove it . moreover believing in christ , together with the institutions of baptism and the lord's supper are designed as means to the great end of making us intirely obedient to the moral law , or the everlasting rules of righteousness . fourthly , whosoever teacheth this doctrine , teacheth a most manifest contradiction to the essential principles and make of mankind . it is impossible that reasonable creatures should be disobliged from loving god above all , from being just and charitable , sober and temperate , humble and submissive to the divine will , and the like . it is impossible that any power whatsoever should discharge them from such duties as these . their obligation to them doth naturally arise from their being such creatures . there is not a greater contradiction than this imaginable , that creatures made capable of understanding what god is , and their relation and obligations to him , may not be eternally bound to behave themselves towards him , as the moral law requires they should . infinite power it self cannot set such creatures free from their obligation to love god with the highest degree of love their souls will admit of . now as the apostle tells us , that love is the fulfilling of the law , so 't is easie to shew , that all moral duties whatsoever , whether relating to god , our neighbour , or our selves , are the necessary results and consequents of the love of god ; so that we cannot once suppose , that these should cease at any time to be the duties of men and women , but we must also suppose them then deprived of their essential form , and to be changed into another sort of beings . fifthly , this doctrine also is as apparent a contradiction to the happiness and welfare of mankind . we cannot be in a happy or tolerably good state , but by conforming our selves to the precepts of this law. we have already shewed , that those must necessarily be deplorably miserable , who live in subjection to any corrupt appetite , any fleshly or spiritual lust. to which purpose , i will add this passage of clemens alexandrinus , to submit and give place to evil affections is extreme slavery , as to overcome them is the only liberty . nor can the best place in the world , not heaven it self , or the most glorious outward circumstances , make that person happy , or not miserable , within whom all is amiss and out of order , and who is indued with no good habit or temper of mind . a diseased body will be uneasie , do what you can to it , and so will diseased souls . these things considered , 't is the most amazing thing , that any who call themselves christians can entertain such a notion as this of christian liberty ; the directly contrary being the whole design and business of christianity . and yet for all that we find it as ancient as the apostles days ; there were those so early that did not only teach it but practised upon it ; that used their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness , and turned the grace of god into lasciviousness . but 't is no over-bold saying , that if this could be really proved to be a liberty of christ's bringing into the world , there is no good man but would abhor the christian religion . but the antinomians ( not to make worse of them than they are ) tell us , that they do not deny the obligation of christians to the performance of the duties required by the moral law , but 't is only love , gratitude and ingenuity that can oblige them . which is as much as to say , that they are not obliged to them in strict justice , or as they are the matter of a law. but alas , they very little mend the matter by this salvo , nay their doctrine is of the same dangerous consequence with it , that it is without it . for , first , it destroys all the gospel precepts , makes them insignificant and idle things ; they being all moral , either in themselves or in their design . secondly , it takes off all obligation to love , ingenuity and gratitude . you say you are not bound to be righteous , charitable , temperate , &c. by any other law than that of love and gratitude : but by what law are you obliged to the love of god and christ , to be grateful to them , and to have an ingenuous , thankful sense of the great things they have done for you ? you must say by no law at all , seeing you make these the only law of christians . and , if you are obliged to these things by no law , how are they duties ? and perswade a man once , that they are not duties , and 't will be very strange if he make any conscience of love and gratitude : and then there is nothing left to hold him in from committing all manner of wickedness with greediness , whensoever the tempter or his lusts solicite him , and opportunities are offered to him . but besides , they have another doctrine , and 't is that upon which this strange wild notion is founded , which takes away all necessity of being grateful and ingenuous , viz. that the righteousness of christ is formally ( and not only in its fruits and effects ) a believers ; so that he hath done all that the law requires in the believers stead , or as personating him . this is their sence of those words lately cited , i came not to destroy the law , but to fulfil it ; so that christ having fulfilled the law as the believers representative , he hath fulfilled it himself in christ. and christs active and passive obedience is his , both as to matter and principle , and therefore christs love and gratitude are his love and gratitude , and all those graces which so shined forth in christ are the believers , in their very formality and essential nature . now what should ail those that can down with this strange stuff , to boggle at believing that they have no need at all of any other love , ingenuity or gratitude , than what is thus imputed to them ? and therefore you see that their talking of the law of love and gratitude is but a pitiful shift , and will do nothing towards the deliverance of their doctrine of freedom from the moral law , from the necessary tendency it is charged with , to the letting the reins loose , and opening the flood-gates to all ungodliness . i exceedingly wonder how it is possible , for people that have not first lost their wits , to embrace an opinion so apparently destructive of christianity and of all religion , and all this while profess themselves christians , and the onely christians too . but i have bestowed too much time in the confutation of this hateful notion of christian liberty ; it being as ridiculously silly as it is wicked : and it being as evident to him that knows any thing of the gospel , that it is antichristian licentiousness , as that there is any such thing as christian liberty . poor souls ! they little understand what liberty meaneth , who are able to talk or think at this rate . in short , he that believes that true christians are delivered by the sufferings of christ from the curse due to the transgressors of this law , believes most truly ; but whosoever believes they are delivered from the power it had to oblige to the duties thereof , or that any man can be so delivered , thinks most wickedly , and thinks most madly . chap. xiii . a second false notion of christian liberty , viz. that which makes it to consist in freedom from the obligation of those laws of men , which enjoyn or forbid indifferent things . this notion differently managed by the defenders of it . first , some extend it so far as to make it to reach to all humane laws , the matter of which are things indifferent . secondly , others limit it to those which relate to religion and the worship of god. the . vers. of the . chap. of the epist. to the corinthians cleared from giving any countenance to either of these opinions . the former of them confuted by three arguments : and the latter by four . vnder the second of which , several texts of scripture which are much insisted upon in the defence thereof , are taken into consideration . an unjust reflection upon the church of england briefly replied to . and this principle , that the imposing of things indifferent in divine worship is no violation of christian liberty , proved to be no ways serviceable to popery , by considering what the popish impositions are in three particulars . secondly , we are next to speak to that notion of christian liberty , which makes it to consist in freedom from those laws of men , that command or forbid indifferent things : ( i. e. ) things neither good nor evil in their own nature , nor required or prohibited by any law of god. this notion is differently managed by the defenders of it . first , some extend it to all humane laws , the matter of which are things indifferent . secondly , others limit it to those which relate to religion onely , and the worship of god. but what proof is there of christ's having purchased such a liberty as this ? or that christians are made free from such laws in either of these sences ? there is one text insisted on by both of these parties for each of their sentiments about this matter ; viz. that of s. paul , cor. . . ye are bought with a price , be not ye the servants of men. that is , say the former party , ye are redeemed by the precious bloud of christ from the obligation of all merely humane laws : from all such observances as are only of mens imposing , which neither natural light , nor any divine law hath made necessary , but have left us free to . and the latter party say , the meaning is , ye are redeemed by christ's bloud from all merely humane impositions which respect religion and divine worship , as being aware that the other exposition is too too extravagant . but these two parties are equally out in their application of this text to their several purposes , nor will it do the least service to either of them . and they may as well conclude from that of our saviour , matth. . . call no man your father upon earth , for one is your father which is in heaven , that it is forbidden them to acknowledge any such relation upon earth , as that of father , as raise either of those doctrines from those words of s. paul. and , as it is manifest , that by this prohibition of our saviour , no more is to be understood , than that we ought not to give up our selves universally and absolutely to be guided and governed by any man on earth ; as the pharisees ( of whom he is there discoursing , and against the imitation of whose proud practices he there cautions his disciples ) did expect their proselytes should be by them ; as young children who are wholly ruled by the will of their parents : i say , as , by considering the context , it is most evident that our saviour there only speaks against an vnlimited subjection to men , as being that which is due to god only , so it is exceedingly unreasonable to make that prohibition of the apostle to speak any more than thus much , put not your selves so under the power of any man or men whatsoever , as to be in all things without exception , at their devotion . as to subject your selves to their lusts , in doing those things at their command which god hath forbidden . and thus to do , 't is acknowledged most freely , is with a witness opposite to our christian liberty , according to that notion of it , which in this discourse hath been laid down and defended by us . but it is , i think , a plain case , that this place hath been not only by these men , but generally mistaken ; and that doctor hammond is in the right , in reading the words otherwise than they are translated , viz. thus : are ye bought with a price ? be not ye the servants of men. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may as well be rendred , are ye ? as ye are bought with a price . so that the meaning of these words according to this reading is this , have you bought out your liberty , and obtained manumission ( having been formerly servants to heathens ) sell not your selves again . return not to that condition of servitude , but prefer liberty . the immediately foregoing verses do greatly favour this reading , viz. ver. , . art thou called being a servant ? care not for it , think it not a disparagement to christianity for a bondman to be a christian , but if thou mayest be made free , use it rather : prefer freedom , if thou canst lawfully obtain it . for he that is called in the lord , being a servant , is the lord's free-man : likewise also he that is called being free , is christ's servant . so that the . ver. follows these two very fitly and pertinently , as we now read it , are ye bought with a price ? that is , out of your servile condition , ( and it was ordinary in those days , for christians to buy themselves from their heathen masters ) be not ye , or be not ye made [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] the servants of men. or return not any more to your former condition . now , first , for that doctrine which makes it a part of christian liberty to be freed from all laws that are merely humane ; ( which the minds of some professors of christianity were leavened with , as i might shew , even in the apostles time , and all theirs must needs have been , who then held themselves disobliged from the moral law ) i say , as for that doctine , the wildness thereof will be sufficiently exposed , by that time we have considered these following particulars . first , there is no intimation in scripture of any such liberty as this . i cannot think of any text that so much seemeth to look that way , as this we have now spoken to : and this , read it how you will , cannot to any sober man , at his second thought upon it , seem so to do . but secondly , nothing is more slatly contradicted by the holy scriptures than this doctrine . for , servants are not only commanded to be obedient to them that are their masters according to the flesh , with fear and trembling , in singleness of heart , as unto christ , without any such limitation as this , if they command nothing but what god hath required ; but they are expresly commanded , in all things to obey their masters according to the flesh , col. . . that is , all things not evil in themselves , or not forbidden by any law of god. the all things must be so limited , because else s. paul would have contradicted two other apostles , s. peter and s. iohn , who said to their rulers , upon their commanding them not to teach any more in the name of iesus , whether it be right in the sight of god , to hearken unto you more than unto god , judge ye , acts . . this limitation needed not to be expressed , because nothing is better known from scripture , nor from natural light neither , than that no laws of the greatest kings on earth are of any force that are contrary to any law of the king of kings . according to that saying of tertullian , if i mistake not , obediendum est principibus , sed intra limites disciplinae . princes are to be obeyed , but no farther than our religion will give us leave . i see not how he can be better than a down-right atheist , let him pretend what he will , whosoever patronizeth the leviathan doctrine , that absolute subjection , active no less than passive , is due to governours . but to return to our present business : s. peter is still more express , epist. . . saith he there to servants , be subject to your masters with all fear , not only to the good and gentle , but also to the froward . or , though they require unreasonable things of you , if they be not forbidden by a higher power , do you obey them . but i presume the greatest zealots for this wild notion who have servants , are well content that they should have no plea from their christianity to disobey themselves in any of their commands ; but are onely concerned to have their notion of christian liberty true in reference to the laws of the magistrate . as if a master of a family hath more power over his servants , than a king hath over his subjects . let us see therefore what doctrine we find concerning obedience to kings and the higher powers . s. peter saith , epist. . . submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the lords sake ; whether it be to the king as supreme , or unto governours , as unto them that are sent by him , &c. again , every soul is commanded to be subject to the higher powers , because there is no power but of god , the powers that be are ordained of god , rom. . , , &c. and ver. . 't is said , we must needs be subject , and that not onely for wrath , but also for conscience sake . but there is not the least syllable , either in these or any other places , of such a limitation as might reconcile these injunctions with this notion of christian liberty . and we may be confident , that if , by virtue of that liberty , christians were disobliged from obedience to their governours , whensoever they required things indifferent , ( though very unreasonably enjoyned , yet in their own nature not evil , and no where forbidden by god to be done ) the apostle would have put in this exception in the last mentioned place : the emperor being a great tyrant , and rather a monster than a man , that then reigned . thirdly , if governours can oblige us to nothing , but what antecedently to their laws we ought to do , there is no formal obedience at all due to them . i am then no more bound in conscience to obey them , than those who have no power over me , that are invested by god with no authority . for if such say to me , do not kill , do not steal , do not commit adultery , &c. i shall greatly sin in not hearkening to them . and whereas it will be replied , that though such injunctions of persons not placed in power ought to be observed , yet not as theirs , but as divine injunctions , i must needs profess that i do not believe it neither to be at all my duty to obey such laws of our governours under the n●tion of theirs : my obligation to obey all the laws of god being as strong and indispensable every whit , by virtue of his immediate authority , as if they were backt and inforced by never so many , and never so severe laws of his vicegerents . nor can any of their laws make what god almighty hath obliged me either to or from , one iot a greater duty or sin than it was before ; for the divine authority hath made whatsoever it hath commanded or prohibited , as great a duty or sin , as it is capable of being made , that is , considered in it self . it is so evident , that we are not obliged to obey a law of the land as such , which onely requires or forbids what is required or forbidden by an express law of god , that the less respect any one hath to humane laws in such things , in doing iustly , in being temperate and chaste , in attending upon the solemn worship of god , and the like , supposing he makes conscience of them upon the account of the divine laws , the better man is he , and the more sincere christian. and therefore such laws of men , as are enacted against what god's law hath forbidden , or do enjoyn what was before commanded by god , are not made for a righteous man ( as the apostle speaks , even of the law of moses ) but for such wretches as live under no sense of the divine sovereignty , and would not have any regard to god's laws , were they not inforced with men's , having severe penalties annexed to them . so that , if i am disobliged by my christian liberty from doing or forbearing any thing in obedience to humane laws , but what i ought to do or forbear , though there were no laws of men about it , that which i now said is very easie to be believed , viz. that no formal obedience is due to magistrates ; and they have no power to make any new laws of their own , but onely to take the best care that the old ones , viz. the laws of god , be observed . and if it be so , what becomes of all those texts wherein obedience to governours is with such strictness required of christians ? this opinion that rulers have no power over us in regard of our christian liberty in matters of an indifferent nature , doth make the fifth commandment , and all those injunctions perfectly insignificant . and the apostle might well have spared his charge to titus , to put those under his care in mind , to be subject to principalities and powers , to obey magistrates , &c. tit. . . this monstrously wild notion of christian liberty , i should not have taken thus much notice of , as little as i have said , but that of late days multitudes by their behaviour would make us suspect they are infected with it , who yet will not professedly own it . it is come to that sad pass , that preaching obedience to authority is become as unacceptable doctrine as can be to even many great pretenders to christianity , although it be done never so prudently and agreeably to the express doctrine of our saviour and his apostles : and the notion of obedience for conscience-sake seems almost lost among not a few . which is one of the great sins for which we have too good reason to fear , there 's a heavy scourge near us . secondly , as for that doctrine which limits our disobligation , by the means of christian liberty , from the laws of men that impose indifferent things , to those that onely relate to religion and the worship of god : that this is wild too , though more sober than the other , will appear by these considerations . first , this notion of christian liberty tends to introduce sad disorder and confusion into the churches of christ , and will certainly do it if practised upon . i need not go about to prove , that the order of ecclesiastical as well as civil societies consisteth principally in the due regulation of things in their own nature indifferent . s. paul hath enjoyned that in the church , all things be done decently , and in order , cor. . . but how shall they be so done , if it be a violation of our christian liberty to have any thing imposed upon us by our governours for decencies and orders sake ? particular rules being not given us in scripture about this matter ; which to be sure would have been , were they not left to the determination of the governours of each church , upon supposition that 't is possible to give such as would well suit all churches . calvin , upon those words of s. paul , cor. . . now i praise you brethren , that you remember me in all things , and keep the ordinances as i delivered them to you , doth thus express his sense about this matter : saith he , we know that every church is left free to appoint a form of polity for it self , because our lord hath prescribed nothing certain : and he speaks this you see , not as his own sense onely , but as the sense , and that undoubted too , of his other brethren of the reformation : whose judgment , were it needful , we might largely produce to the same purpose . but there is no need of it , those very persons , who have been most zealous for the contrary opinion being forced to contradict it in their practice ; and , for orders sake , to determine such things in their several church-administrations as are left perfectly undetermined in scripture ( of which might be given very many instances ) notwithstanding their clamors against the church of england upon this account , as modest as she is in her impositions . secondly , this notion of christian liberty is so great an infringment of the liberty christ hath left to ecclesiastical governours , as not to leave them so much , as it is certain the governours of the iewish church was invested with , who yet were bound up and determined in a very great number of particulars . over and above the multitude of rites and ceremonies which god himself did annex to the substance of his worship , we read of not a few others that were added by men. we have a large account of such in maimonides , in his book de cultu divino , and the holy scriptures themselves present us with diverse such , without the least intimation of god's dislike of them ; a summary of which is to be seen in several late treatises . i will onely instance in some few of the chief of them , viz. king solomon's hallowing the middle part of the temple for sacrifices , kings . . the celebrating of the passover for fourteen days by king hezekiahs order , although god had commanded no more than half that number , chron. . . the yearly feast of purim , esther . . the set hours of prayer in the temple , acts . . the feast of dedication , ordained by the iews , maccab. . . in commemoration of the new consecrating the altar , after antiochus had prophaned it . this feast , though god did not prescribe it , was honoured by christ's own presence at it , iohn . , . several alterations , and particularly that of the gesture , in eating the passover ; the which christ declared his approbation of by his conformity to them , matth. . . to these i shall only add those two known rites of the iews not commanded in the law , viz. that of joyning baptism with circumcision in admitting proselytes ; and that of the post-coenium , or feast after the passover . and these two our saviour was so far from condemning , upon the score of their being of humane institution , that his two great sacraments received their rise from them . the texts which are chiefly urged , to prove the unlawfulness of bringing any thing into the worship of god , but what he hath himself prescribed , are those in the old testament , wherein god declareth his displeasure against some of the israelites , for doing those things which he commanded them not : and one in the new , but cited out of the old , where our saviour reprehendeth the pharisees for teaching for doctrines the commandments of men . those texts in the old testament are lev. . . deut. . . ier. . . chap. . . chap. . . but i wonder that those who produce these texts for such a purpose , could not see without our shewing it to them , that they all speak of such things as god did not onely not command , but had strictly forbid . in lev. . . the thing which god saith he commanded them not , was nadab and abihu's offering strange fire before the lord. which was an act of disobedience to a most express law , chap. . , . that , in deut. . . not commanded by god , was a most hainous sin , and a flat transgression of the first commandment , viz. serving other gods , and worshipping of them , the sun , the moon and the host of heaven . that not commanded , ier. . . was not onely contrary to the law of god , but a horrible wickedness condemned by the light of nature , viz. the burning of their sons and their daughters in the fire , in the valley of hinnom . that which god saith , he commanded not , neither came it into his mind , jer. . . was the same vnnatural wickedness , viz. the burning their sons with fire for burnt-offerings to baal . and that in ier. . . was the causing of their sons and daughters to pass through the fire unte molech . but what doth gods condemning such abominable practices as these signifie , towards the proving it unlawful to use or impose certain innocent rites and circumstances in divine worship , which are not expresly and particularly required by god ? but may be truly said to be in the general required by him , as such are necessary to the decorous management of his worship , and agreeable to the forementioned rule , of doing all things decently , and in order . and whereas the urgers of these texts for the foresaid purpose do reply to us , that though they cannot deny but the instances of the things not commanded mentioned in each of them , are things also prohibited , yet they are pertinently insisted upon by them , because it is tacitly implied in god's expressing them as things onely not commanded , that things not commanded in his worship offend him , as well as things prohibited . to this i briefly answer , that this is subtil arguing indeed , except it can be shewed that god doth any where condemn the doing in his worship what is lawful in its own nature , and no where forbidden by him , under the notion of a thing not commanded . which i dare affirm cannot be shewed . and i add , that nothing is more absurd , than to build doctrines upon idioms of the sacred language ; but this is too commonly done by the men we are now dealing with , as i am able to shew in too many instances . and if we should turn the scales , and argue thus , such and such things are not forbidden by god , therefore they are commanded , we should not be guilty of a grosser absurdity than they are in inferring from god's not having commanded them , that he hath therefore forbidden them . if it be said ( as it is by these men ) that there is a general precept , deut. . . that makes it as evident , that things not commanded in divine worship may not be done , though they ben't forbidden , as if there were particular instances of that nature condemned , viz. ye shall not add unto the word which i command you , neither shall you diminish ought from it , that ye may keep the commandments of the lord your god which i command you . i reply , that if they be not mistaken in the sence of these words , they will prove more than is intended to be proved , or than they would have true : namely , that nothing is to be done out of as well as in the worship of god , but what is expresly and particularly commanded . but episcopius ( who may be listened to in this matter because no episcopalian ) hath shewed that these words , ye shall 〈◊〉 add unto the word which i command you , neither shall you diminish ought from it , are no new precept ; but onely signifie , ye shall not transgress the commandments of god , by doing any thing contrary to them , which is to add ; or by omitting any thing required by them , which is to diminish . and as to that text in the new testament , matth. . . but in vain do they worship me , teaching for doctrines , the commandments of men . it is manifest , that that which is condemned in the pharisees here is the setting up of their own constitutions in stead or in the place of god's , and those too contrary to god's commandments . this is evident from the context . our saviour saith vers. . why do you transgress the commandments of god by your traditions ? that is , saith irenaeus upon these words , they did not onely frustrate the law of god by prevarication , mixing wine with water ; but they also set their law in opposition , or contradiction to the law of god , &c. and that so they did appears by what follows , vers. , , . for god commanded , saying , honour thy father and mother , &c. but ye say , whosoever shall say to his father or his mother , it is gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me ; and honour not his father or mother , he shall be free . thus have ye made the commandment of god of none effect by your tradition . and then next follows a citation out of esay . . according to the septuagint , whereof these words are part , viz. ye hypocrites , well did esaias prophesie of you , saying , this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth , and honoureth me with their lips : but their heart is far from me . but in vain do they worship me , teaching for doctrines the commandments of men . we will also consider these words as they are recited by s. mark , chap. . . with the verse following . howbeit in vain do they worship me , teaching for doctrines the commandments of men . for laying aside the commandment of god , ye hold the tradition of men , as the washing of pots and cups , &c. that is , according to doctor hammond 's paraphrase upon the place , you are those hypocrites that profess great strictness in performances towards god , and practise in some external things more than god commands you , and impose these on others as the commands of god , when they are only humane ordinances . as for the inward purity of the heart and actions , to which all god's laws of washings did refer , you take no care of them , transgress against this substantial part of religion in the foulest manner , and spend all your time in these external superfluities , ●●shing of pots , &c. the ordinances of your rabbins onely . but what are the hypocritical and wicked doings here condemned , to governours determining of external circumstances of administration in the worship of god , which are not onely innocent in themselves , but also not set up in the place of , or justling out , any thing commanded by god , nor yet imposed as the commands of god. but who can have the forehead to fasten such high presumptions as these upon our church ? but i proceed , thirdly , as this notion of christian liberty is an infringment of the liberty which is left to governours , so is it also greatly injurious to the peoples liberty . for it is a very highly to be prized instance of the peoples liberty , that they may without giving god an offence conform to such laws as oblige them onely to indifferent things . and it will be an intolerable straitning and confining of our liberty , it will be a very grievous bondage to us , to be always obnoxious to the penalties which are the sanctions of such laws , and to other manifold inconveniences that follow upon disobeying them . christian liberty , according to this notion , is so far from being worthy of our saviour's purchasing , that 't is infinitely more desirable to be without it , in regard of the extremely mischievous consequences which follow upon quarrelling with authority about harmless matters , which have not the least ill influence upon our souls ; whereby not onely those who refuse obedience are exposed in their own persons and families to great evils , both temporal and spiritual , but also the whole community , the church and state too , by their means . this we all know , at this day , by very sad experience . this , i say , is such a liberty as is the occasion of lamentable mischiefs both publick and private , but i am wholly to seek what good can possibly accrue thereby ; and therefore we may safely warrant it , to be no liberty of our blessed saviour's procurement , but the contrary . if we were well instructed in the nature of the gospel dispensation , we should be very certain that whatsoever doth no way tend to the depraving of our souls , and the bringing us into bondage to sin ( which we have proved to be the onely opposite to our grand christian liberty ) cannot be unlawful to us christians ; because not prejudicial to the ultimate design of the gospel , which is the making us free from the dominion of sin. to which design we have shewed all the precepts of our saviour , the promises and threatnings ( and i may add doctrines too ) are subservient . and on the contrary , we may be as sure , that whatsoever is apt to hinder the promoting of this design must needs be unlawful lawful under the gospel : as all that are not blind , or do not shut their eyes , may easily see this same pretended christian liberty most sadly doth . and there is nothing more apparent , than that obedience to authority , in all things not forbidden by the divine laws , doth mightily conduce to the promoting of peace , love , humility , self-denial , and the like great christian virtues : but disobedience in such matters doth as much occasion the gratifying of those devilish lusts , pride , uncharitableness , contention , wrath , sedition , &c. fourthly , those that pretend it to be such a violation of christian liberty to be obliged by mens laws to things indifferent , if they will be true to themselves and their own principles , must not onely refuse obedience to the injunctions of such things , but to the prohibitions also of such things : as they must not do such as are commanded to be done , so they must do such as are commanded to be forborn . for it is as great an infringment of our liberty to have indifferent things forbidden us , as to have them imposed upon us ; 't is a no less intrenchment upon it , to be tied up from what we may antecedently to the magistrates authority do , as to be commanded what we may omit . so that if the things which the dissenters now refuse to do because commanded , should hereafter be forbidden by authority , they would be obliged , in order to the maintenance of their christian liberty , to be every whit as zealous for them as now they are against them : nor were they so honest as they should have been , but false to this their principle , and shamefully betrayed their liberty , in so patiently submitting , when time was , to the severe prohibition of the same things , though it was by an usurped power too . what a strange liberty is this , which , in its natural consequences , tends to make people so humoursom , cross-grain'd , and opposite to government ! surely it can't be christian , but the most vnchristian liberty . if this free dealing should offend any , i shall be sorry for it , but must withal take leave to tell the offended , that it is an evidence of exceeding great weakness , not to say worse , to be angry with those who endeavour in the spirit of meekness , to convince us of our dangerous mistakes . but such is the fate of conscientious opposing popular and prevailing errors , that it seldom meeteth with better success , than kindling the passions , and sharpening the tongues ( and pens too ) of those , who are most obliged to be thankful for it : but wisdom is justified of her children . but however it be taken , it was never more seasonable , nor ever scarcely so necessary , to do our utmost towards the rectifying of peoples apprehensions about matters of this nature ; when our contentions and animosities about little things mostly , ( things very little in themselves ) and so great a defection from our church , merely upon the account of such things as are no where condemned by the law of god , nor are opposed by any express or plain text , but by exceedingly laboured and far fetch'd consequences , have given our adversaries such advantage against us , and do them far greater service , than all their open attempts , or secret wicked plots and conspiracies , through the infinite goodness of god to us , have hitherto done . god almighty grant that that saying be not to be applied to us ere long , which was used of our predecessors the britains , when their intestine quarrels had occasioned their being vanquish'd by the romans , viz. dum singuli pugnant , vniversi vincuntur . while they severally contend and quarrel with one another , they are all overcome by a common enemy . i must confess , when i consider what excellent treatises have of late been published , fraught with unanswerable and the most convincing and affecting arguments , to perswade our brethren of the separation to ease us in a great measure of our fears of popery or confusion , by returning to the communion of that church wherein most of them were baptized ; and when withal i observe what little success those treatises have had , i have as faint hopes as can be that so small an endeavour as this should do any service . but however , it is some satisfaction to my mind to express my good will. but we are told by some , that we may thank the church of england if ever the pope be again our master , and particularly that principle of hers we have been now defending , viz. that imposing of indifferent things in the worship of god is no violation of christian liberty : and that this principle will open a door to popish conformity , if we should be once more so unhappy as to be brought into subjection to the roman yoke . to these i reply , in the first place , that 't is unconceiveable how any thing but malice or the thickest ignorance can charge the church of england with serving the interest of the popish religion : for is any thing more notorious , than that almost all the opposition that hath either heretofore or of late been made against popery hath been by the bishops and the other clergy of this church ? to say nothing of what the separating party have done ( though not upon that design ) to promote popery , which would be as large as unpleasant a theme to insist on ; what have they done in defence of the reformed religion against popery ? have they all of them put together done the half quarter part of that service in this kind , that one excellent dean of our church hath done ? truly i much doubt it . and i think i may adventure to say , that all the reformed churches together can hardly shew of their own so many learned and judicious treatises against the body and the several parts of popery , as our single church can shew of hers. again , is any thing better known than that the priests and jesuits , and popish faction do at this time spit all their venome and bend all their force against the church of england , and indeed always have done ? this sheweth that they are well aware , though so many among our selves will not acknowledge it , but would have the world think the directly contrary , that our church is the most formidable of all their adversaries . in short , who needs arguments to convince him , that the church of england is at present our onely bulwark against popery ? as , ever since the reformation , she hath been acknowledged by our brethren beyond sea , to be the strongest and most impregnable upon several accounts . but secondly , as to this principle of our church , that imposing of indifferent things in the worship of god is no violation of christian liberty , it is a most weak and ignorant furmise , that it should in the least befriend popery . those little understand what popery means that think thus : for , first , there is nothing more plainly demonstrable than that many of those things which are imposed by the roman church are far from being indifferent in their own nature , but the grossest corruptions , as contrary to the doctrine and practice of the first ages of the church ; and , which is far more , as contrary to the laws of god and our saviour christ , as is darkness to light. i have given a catalogue in the design of christianity of the chief of these , with remarks upon them , and thither i refer the reader that needs satisfaction . secondly , other of her impositions , which are indifferent in themselves , are made to change their nature by the notion under which they are enjoyned by her . that church enjoyns no indifferent things as such ( as ours doth all she imposeth , as appears by her th article ) but as made necessary by divine authority ; she pretending to the infallible guidance of the holy ghost in all her decrees and constitutions : and therefore expects your receiving them , as you do the holy scriptures , with a divine faith , and the self-same awful regard and reverence . i might add too , that several of her rites and ceremonies are imposed under a most superstitious notion , either as sacraments conveying grace , or as having some special virtue in them , to atone the divine majesty , or to scare away the devil , &c. thirdly , it is my opinion too , that though their ceremonies were never so innocent in themselves , yet the multitude of them doth make them in the lump to cease to be indifferent . my reason is , because it is unconceiveable to me , but that so great a number must needs so employ the mind in the worship of god , as that it is not possible to be intent thereupon , and consequently must frustrate ( at least in a great measure ) the design of worship . but this is no reason to a papist , who cannot be thoroughly so , and acknowledge the necessity of exercising the mind in divine worship : for his holy mother hath taught him this mad and impious doctrine , that the sacraments confer grace , ex opere operato , from the work done , and so are differenced from those of the old testament , they conferring grace , ex opere operantis , from the work of the doer ; as also that a mere general attention in saying their prayers and numbering them over , is as much as is necessary . and if we can believe that we need not mind our prayers , we have no reason to blame those of them , who do not desire to understand them ; nor yet their church for enjoyning the saying them in a language which the generality of her children are ignorant of ; as if she designed in so doing to put an affront upon s. paul , who hath taught us in the most express terms the quite contrary doctrine , in the chapter of the first to the corinthians . to conclude this chapter : our notion of christian liberty is so very far from befriending popery , that 't is not possible it should have a greater enemy ; in that it so highly conduceth to the advancing of the true spirit and power of religion , and to the perfect ridding our minds of those two as great friends to popery , as pests to religion , and even humane society , viz. superstition and fanaticism . i mean by these two a base unworthy apprehension of the deity , and a blind , irrational , heady zeal . if it be said after all , that supposing the two notions of christian liberty , which we have now declared our sense 〈◊〉 be never so false , yet we are notwithstanding too confined in our notion ; in ●hat christian liberty doth not onely ●onsist in freedom from the dominion of 〈◊〉 and the other sad consequents of it , ●ut also in our freedom as to all things ●fan indifferent nature , to or from which ●e are not determined as by any divine , 〈◊〉 neither by any humane law : if this , ●say , be objected , our answer in one ●ord is this . this is not christian , but ●his is natural liberty . that of s. paul ●ving been in all ages , and in refe●ence to all sorts of people , as great a truth , as it hath been since our saviours ●ime and in reference to christians , viz. where no law is there is no transgression . chap. xiv . an answer to this question , whether the prescribing of forms of prayer , for the publick worship of god , be not an encroachment upon christian liberty ? wherein it is shewed , that this is not a stifling of the spirit , or restraining the exercise of his gift . and what in prayer is not , as also what is the gift of the spirit . whereby is occasioned an answer to another question , viz. whether an ability for preaching be properly a gift of the spirit . what hath been last discoursed gives me occasion to enquire , whether the imposing of a liturgy , or forms of prayer for the publick worship of god , be not an encroachment upon christian liberty ? i answer it is , if that principle taken up by very many among us be a true one , viz. that this is a stifling of the spirit , and a restraining of the exercise of one of his gifts . if this be so , i say , it can be no better than a very great invasion of christian liberty , and a far greater than the mere obliging men to things indifferent . for , as s. paul saith , cor. . . the mani●estation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal ; and therefore for christians to be limited in doing good by a gift of the spirit , must needs be a robbing them of that liberty , which christ in sending him design'd to give them . by the way , it shall be no part of my reply to say , that onely the ministers are here concerned , not at all the people : for although a conceived prayer of the minister be of the nature of a prescribed form to those that joyn with him , as to the confining their spirits , yet the people must needs be sufferers by means of their ministers being stinted in the exercise of a gift of the spirit , since it was designed for their profit ; and therefore upon this account , and moreover in regard of the countenance they will thereby give to authority in such a kind of sacrilegious usurpation of power over ministers , it cannot be justifiable in them to attend willingly upon such forms . but in order to the undeceiving of those , who are so tenacious of this conceit , that a prescribed liturgy is a hinderance to the free exercise of a gift of the spirit , i must freely profess , that i know of no gifts of the spirit which we have warrant from scripture to believe are continued to the church at this day , besides those which s. paul calls the fruits of the spirit , gal. . . where he saith , the fruit of the spirit is love , ioy , peace , long-suffering , gentleness , goodness , faith , meekness , temperance . these and the like christian graces , are gifts which the spirit still bestows , and therefore called graces . they are supernatural gifts as no man by his mere natural power can obtain them , but only by the spirit 's blessing of our endeavours ; and to the sincere use of the gospel-means the spirit is always ready to give his blessing . and the reason why in these latter ages , these blessed gifts are bestowed upon no more professors of christianity than they are , is because the generality of such are miserably wanting to themselves , and to the holy spirit , in refusing to do their part , and to cooperate with him : because they will not attend to the evidence the spirit hath given to the truth of the gospel , and therefore have too weak and ineffectual a belief thereof : because they will not consider the doctrine of the gospel ; they will not weigh well , and lay to heart its precepts , with the infinitely powerful motives wherewith they are inforced . because they will not listen to the spirits good motions and suggestions , whereby he works in men to will , and begets in them good resolutions , but do truly ●●ench the spirit ( though that phrase is ●sed in reference to his miraculous gifts ) and resist the holy ghost ; and because they will not make a believing application to him for his powerful assistance . i say it is upon these , and such like accounts , that the forementioned gifts of the spirit are so rare , and that the generality of those who are honoured with the title of christians are so destitute of them as we see they are . nay , multitudes are so befooled by the enemy of their souls , as to expect that the spirit should do all in them , without their doing any thing ; that he should make them temperate , righteous , charitable , meek , humble and submissive to god's will , heavenly-minded , and the like , without their due attendance upon those ordinances of the word , sacrament and prayer , and serious consideration and watchfulness over themselves , wherein alone we have ground to expect the powerful working of the divine grace in our souls . but , i say , though these gifts are observable in so very few comparatively , ( the account whereof i have briefly touched upon , and shewed that 't is mens own fault that they are not very common ) yet we have no warrant from scripture that i know of , to call those which are much more common , though they are by many so reputed , gifts of the spirit ; notwithstanding the prophecies and promises of so plentiful a pouring of him out in the times of the gospel . there were indeed common as well as more special gifts of the spirit in the first ages ; for the miraculous ones of speaking all manner of tongues , prophesying , healing all sorts of diseases , casting out devils , &c. which were the great witnesses to the truth of christianity , were very common . they were not only conferred upon the apostles , but the private believers : these signs , said our saviour , shall follow them that believe in my name , &c. mark . . and not onely on those believers who were sincere christians , but those also whose lives were not at all answerable to their christian profession , as appears by those words of our saviour , mat. . . and several of these miraculous gifts , we have full assurance from antiquity , did continue in the church , though in nothing so plentiful a measure , particularly those of healing , prophesying and casting out devils , till about the beginning of the fourth century , when providence blessed her with a christian emperor , and she came to be protected by his sword and laws ; and consequently stood not in such need of those gifts for the keeping her in heart , and the upholding her credit and reputation in the world. but as these have ceased for many ages , so the abovesaid fruits of the spirit are the onely endowments now remaining , which may in a more peculiar manner be ascribed to him ; that is , they are the onely supernatural endowments . as to that therefore which is commonly called the gift of prayer , we have these things to say , first , that we have not the least reason to believe , that the expressions of the very best mens prayers are now dictated by the holy ghost , or that they pray by the inspiration of the spirit as to words or matter . i know not that any sober men do pretend to such a gift as this in prayer , and too many of those that do pretend to it do manifestly declare by the management of their gift , that either they juggle and are gross cheats , or are sadly deluded . what slovenly , what ridiculous , what bold and impudent expressions are ordinarily heard from them ? and what a deal of nauseating stuff , that hath brought a vile scandal upon religion , and furnished atheistical and prophane people with matter of derision ? even such stuff as that it is no better than a blaspheming the holy ghost to father it upon him. but i delight not to insist upon this argument . it is objected , that s. paul saith , rom. . . we know not what we should pray for as we ought , but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered . i answer , that this text makes not at all for the purpose of those who in this sence pretend to an ability of praying by the spirit . for , as for the apostle's saying , that we know not what to pray for as we ought , it is to be limited to temporal things , and wholly to them : for we do know that all those things which are necessary to our eternal felicity , viz. all spiritual blessings , are to be prayed for . and we do or may know what all those are without inspiration . but we do not know whether worldly prosperity or affliction may be best for us , or what measure of temporal good things , or what particulars of such good things ; and therefore in reference to these things , we are not to pray absolutely but conditionally , and with a willingness to be denied if god sees it not good to grant them to us . and the following words shew , that it is not therefore to be concluded , that the spirit will put it into good peoples hearts , what temporal things they should pray for , for they tell us that he will back their petitions in heaven by interceding for them , with unutterable groanings ; not that he will put words into their mouths , or suggest matter of prayer to them . i dare not say , the spirit never does thus , i should be then too bold ; but we have no ground to expect or hope he should , at least , in ordinary cases . in short , whosoever pretends that his prayers are dictated by the holy ghost , must have the very same opinion of them that he hath of the divinely inspired writings . secondly , i say consequently , that an ability of uttering our minds to almighty god in great variety of words and phrases , is as much a natural gift , or a gift acquired in an ordinary way , that is , by study and frequent practising and exercising , as any art or ability whatsoever . very bad men have been often known to have a notable faculty this way ; and so miserably weak and silly are abundance of people as to admire those for excellent christians in whom they perceive it , though they know them guilty of very great immoralities , and they have nothing to commend them but this faculty . but there is no man , if he will set himself to it , and he be made for it , that is , prepared with a sufficient measure of boldness and confidence , with a glib tongue and a warm head , but may be excellent at it . therefore , i say , how shamefully ignorant and childish are the vulgar sort ( i fear the much greater part ) that this dexterity at pouring forth words to the king of heaven without fear or wit , with a mighty voice , great earnestness , and abundance of action , shall gain to a man a greater repute with them for a precious christian , than all the above-mentioned real fruits of the spirit put together ? although any hypocrite that is qualified as we now said , may with the greatest ease attain to it . such a brave man as this shall lead multitudes by the nose , work his base designs upon them , and infuse what principles he listeth into them . such babies are the common people too generally in the affairs of religion , and their spiritual concerns . but , si populus vult decipi , decipiatur , if folk will be thus cheated and made a prey of , who can help it ? it may grieve us at the hearts to think , what work the popish priests and jesuits may hereafter make ( as we know that in disguises they have already made sad work ) among these silly sheep : no men in the world having a rarer knack at extemporary performances , and at feigning and raising of passions than many of them have . but , thirdly , the true spirit of prayer consisteth in a deep sense of the incomprehensible majesty of the great god , of the infinite distance that is between him and us , of our unspeakable obligations to him , and necessary dependance upon him : in an affecting sense of our own wretchedness and sinfulness , which makes us altogether unworthy to appear in his presence , or to receive the least favour at his hands : in a sense of his infinite goodness , wisdom and power , and an undoubted belief that whatsoever is really needful for us , he knoweth so to be , and is both able and willing to confer it upon us , when we ask it as we ought in the name of iesus . add hereunto entire resignation of our wills to the will of god , to have granted or denied to us , as shall seem most agreeable to his infinite wisdom , the good things of this present life ; and hungering and thirsting desires after righteousness , after those divine dispositions and qualifications which are necessary to our being made meet for the kingdom of heaven . in such things as these doth consist the soul and spirit of prayer : these are the absolutely necessary and essential ingredients thereof . but , fourthly , as for words , they are but a circumstantial part of prayer , and no farther necessary than as they tend to the more quickening our affections , exciting our desires , inlivening our sense of the forementioned objects , and keeping our minds fixed and intent ; and in publick prayer , or prayer with others , they are necessary to enable others to joyn with us . but the omniscient god understands the sense of our souls , the temper of our spirits , and the desires of our hearts , though no words be used for the expressing of them ; and always measures our prayers by those , not at all by these . i say not at all by words , because if they flow from an honest heart , and a good disposition of mind , they cannot be so faulty as to make a prayer unacceptable . and therefore it is the same thing to god whether a good sense and good desires be from time to time expressed by the same , or by variety of words and phrases : and he who is affected as he ought to be in the use of a form , who hath such desires and such a sense as he ought to have ( as thousands of good christians have ) hath as much the true spirit of prayer , and as much of it too , as he can have who hath the most notable faculty at varying his expressions . and he who hath this faculty but wants that sense and those good dispositions , is notwithstanding utterly destitute of the spirit of prayer . but it is incomparably most fit , that there should be a liturgy , or forms prescribed for the publick worship of god , for prayer and praising of god in the church , and for the celebration of the holy sacraments , with the other offices ; because the publick worship of god ought always to be performed with the greatest gravity and solemnity possible . but such a performance of divine worship can never be secured , where ministers are wholly left to their own liberty , and permitted to put up all the confessions , petitions and thanksgivings of the congregation , and to perform all the offices , in their own arbitrary and extemporary expressions . for though some ministers who take this liberty may pray excellently well when their heads are clear , and they are in a good temper , yet i doubt there are very few who have always that presence of mind , that composedness of thoughts , and constancy of temper as not to be forced sometimes to use many tautologies and indecent expressions . but however the church is never like to be provided with such ministers as shall be able , for the most part of them , to keep themselves from great confusion in their conceived prayers , from bald and absurd phrases , and from nauseating their auditory with repetitions of the same things , ful●om sayings , or lamentable misapplications of texts of scripture ; through over-much modesty or other infelicities of temper in some , and in others through ignorance , or weakness of natural parts , either slowness of invention or want of judgment . and besides , there is this necessity of having a liturgy , that without one there is no rational way of perswading strangers to hold communion with us : except we can shew them something which is acknowledged by common agreement for a form and method of divine worship , we cannot satisfie them what publick service we perform to god , it will then be so various , that is , as not alike in all places , so neither at all times in the same places . but to complete my answer to the question in hand . fifthly , the affecting us with a profound sense of the majesty and glorious perfections of the god we pray to , and of our own vileness and unworthiness ; and a submissive frame of mind to the divine will ; ardent breathings after more of the divine image and likeness ; and a lively faith in the power , wisdom and goodness of god , which are , as i said , the substantial and essential parts of prayer ; all these we heartily and thankfully acknowledge to be the gifts of the spirit . we own them to be so otherwise than all other good things which are every of them expressions of the divine bounty , and consequently gifts of the spirit as he is one of the persons of the blessed trinity : but we profess to owe them to the more special operations and influences of the holy ghost ; and for the working and encrease of these , all good christians do daily crave the spirits assistance . now i need not say , that to endeavour to put a restraint upon the exercise of such gifts as these is a most wicked invasion and violation of our christian liberty , according to our own notion of it . but what we have discoursed concerning prayer , gives me occasion to add something of preaching too , and to shew also how far an ability for that performance is to be ascribed to the holy spirit , or called one of his gifts . and consequently we may from hence be satisfied , whether a preacher of the gospel is in●●tled to such a liberty in reference to preaching as may not be limited by au●hority , or upon no accounts taken whol● from him , without putting an affront upon the holy spirit . first , it is out of doubt , that no man 〈◊〉 hath the gift of preaching in the demonstration of the spirit and of power , in the sence that s. paul and his fellow-apostles had it . for by the demonstration of the spirit and of power is meant those extraordinary gifts of speaking with tongues , prophecy and miracles accompanying their preaching , whereby they demonstrated the truth of the doctrine preached by them . and so origen understands it , in his book against cel●us . secondly , there is not the least ground to believe that any man hath now the gift of preaching by inspiration , or from the immediate revelation of the spirit . nor do any seriously pretend to it , but wild enthusiasts , brain-sick , melancholy and hot-headed people , who take their own fancies and whims , and the products of an ungoverned imagination for inspirations . i say none but those who plainly discover themselves to be such do seriously pretend to this gift , because there have been and still are a company of knaves in the world ( as is manifest by their actings ) who , for the carrying on their corrupt and naughty designs , pretend to that which they are conscious to themselves they have nothing of . but sober and honest preachers of the gospel do profess to deliver nothing to their people , but what they conceive to be long ago revealed ; but what they acknowledge they have with study and pains gathered from the holy scriptures , either immediately , or by plain consequence ; wherein are contained all things necessary to be believed and practised by us in order to salvation ; and which , without any additions , are able to make us wise to salvation ( as s. paul assures us ) and are a complete rule of faith and practice . and that preacher who shall offer to require his auditors assent to any thing not delivered , either in express terms or by plain consequence , in the writings of the old or new testament , doth impudently impose upon their belief , except he be able to work real miracles for the convincing of them . he takes more upon him , than either the apostles , or our saviour himself , who did still appeal to the works , the supernatural works he did , to attest the truth of the doctrine he delivered . i would such impudent imposers were onely to be found among the romanists ( who are all so , and the most impudent that ever appeared upon the stage of the world ) but alas , they are too too common also among professed haters of popery . thirdly , and as to the sence of the more difficult places of scripture , no sober preacher pretends to come to the knowledge thereof by the immediate illumination of the spirit , but such a one acknowledgeth he doth it in the general by the exercise of his reason : and particularly by considering the proper signification of words and phrases in the original languages ; by comparing scripture with scripture ; by searching into the ancient customs , which give great light to a great number of texts , and without the knowledge of which they are not to be understood ; by enquiring after the judgment of those who lived nearest to the times of the apostles , &c. and after all , they submit their expositions of such texts to the judgments of their hearers , i mean such of them as are capable of judging . as for others , oportet discentes credere , it becomes learners to give credit to their teachers . and credendum est peritis in suâ arte. but , fourthly , we do piously , and by the authority of scripture believe , that the spirit is ready to assist us in our reasonings and enquiries , and whatsoever particular good means we use for the understanding of scripture , when he is humbly and devoutly sought to by us ; and when without the least prejudice , partiality , ill design , or sinister respect , but for the best of ends , and from the pure love of truth , we make enquiry . thus even private christians are assisted in the searches and enquiries which they are able to make : for god hath promised that the meek he will guide in judgment , and the meek he will teach his way . fifthly , in composing also of profitable discourses , as we implore , so we have the divine assistance , but we see no ground to believe that we have it in any other manner , than in other good works of what nature soever . but as for the ready faculty of discoursing from a pulpit , and popular speaking to a congregation , we have no reason to believe it a gift of the spirit , any more than the lawyers strange readiness in pleading at the bar. and a volubility of speech upon any subject whatsoever , heat of fancy , and nimbleness of wit and invention , are as much to be attributed to the holy spirit as such a faculty . and hence we may gather , that a preacher of the gospel can plead no such liberty as is wholly exempted from restraints by authority . but one that is known to have never so good a talent at preaching may be forbidden the exercise of it , till he hath submitted to a lawful ordination , such as was in use in the churches of christ for fifteen hundred years together . and when ordained , he may lawfully have bounds set him as to the places where he shall exercise his ministry in publick , and as to the times when . and he may be forbidden to meddle with such arguments as are above the reach of his peoples understandings , or are not like to conduce to their edification , and much more to broach dangerous doctrines , that is , such as are so in the judgment of his governours . and for his disobedience , and other misdemeanours , he is as liable to be suspended or totally deprived of his ministerial office , as are any other officers . i do but touch upon and give light glances at these things , because my present subject will not give me leave to discourse largely upon them , which would be too great a digression from its proper business . chap. xv. a third false notion of christian liberty , viz. that which makes liberty of conscience a branch of it . two things premised , . that conscience is not so sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being obliged by humane laws . . that no man can properly be deprived of the true liberty of his conscience by any power on earth . that what is contended for , is more properly liberty of practice than of conscience . the author's opinion in reference to this liberty delivered in ten propositions . that whatsoever liberty of this nature may be insisted on as our right , it is not christian liberty but natural liberty . thirdly and lastly , i proceed to that notion of christian liberty , which makes liberty of conscience a branch of it . but before i deliver my opinion about this weighty point , which hath occasioned as great feuds and sharp contests as any whatsoever , i shall premise two things : first , that conscience is not so sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being obliged by humane laws . secondly , that no man can properly be deprived of the true liberty of his conscience by any power on earth . first , that conscience is not so sacred a thing , as to be uncapable of being obliged by humane laws . this is sufficiently clear from what is discoursed in the thirteenth chapter . but it is said by many that god is the onely lord of conscience , and therefore it is the highest presumption for men to go about to bind it by their laws . it is the sole prerogative of the deity to search the heart , and try the reins of the children of men ; conscience is too inward and secret a thing to fall under mans cognizance , and therefore what have any of our fellow-creatures to do to give laws to our consciences ? in answer hereunto , we have already seen what s. paul's sense is about this matter , that he saith , we must needs be subject , or obedient , and that not only for wrath , but also for conscience sake . so that the apostle was far from thinking , that the obligation of humane authority is founded in mere prudence , not at all in conscience . but no man in his wits will say , that the laws of men do oblige conscience as the laws of god do . those cannot do it immediately as these do , but onely by virtue of the divine authority . s. paul saith , rom. . . let every soul be subject to the higher powers : i think i shall not be over-critical in saying , that is every conscience , for what follows proves the obligation of conscience to subjection , and is an answer to the foresaid objection against it , viz. for there is no power but of god , the powers that be are ordained of god , whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of god , &c. so that all we assert is this , that we are bound to obey our lawful governours for god's sake , who hath invested them with the authority they have over us , and commanded us to obey those laws of theirs which are not contradictory to any of his. nor do we say that humane authority can make more duties or sins than god hath made , or to speak properly and strictly , can make any thing to be a duty or sin ; for it can only command or forbid , and what it commands , if lawful , the divine authority makes it a duty , and what it forbids , if not a duty , the divine authority makes it a sin. or to speak in the words of the learned bishop taylor : humane authority doth not make the action of disobedience to be a sin. it makes that the not compliance of the subject is disobedience ; but it is the authority of god which makes disobedience to be a sin. and what immediately follows deserves also to be transcribed in this place , viz. and though no humane power can give or take grace away , yet we may remember , that we our selves throw away god's grace , or abuse it or neglect it , when we will not make use of it to the purposes of humility , charity and obedience , all which are concerned in our subordination to the laws . there is also this difference between the obligations of divine and humane laws , viz. the divine laws bind our thoughts and the sense of our minds , they bind us not onely to obey them , but to think them also wise and good laws . but so do not humane laws , they oblige onely to obedience , but not to the thinking them such as ought , or are fit , to be imposed . a man may think a humane law imprudent or unreasonable , and be guilty of no transgression , if notwithstanding he complies with it ; i mean , provided he keeps his thoughts to himself , or does not make them publick . the forementioned worthy prelate layeth down no sewer than ten or eleven differences of divine and humane laws in their obligation , in his ductor dubitantium : whether they will all hold or no , or may not be reduced to a smaller number , i will not take upon me to say ; but thither i refer the reader . and thus much may serve to be spoken to the first thing premised , viz. that conscience is not so sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being bound by humane laws . secondly , i premise also , that no man can be deprived properly of the true liberty of his conscience by any power on earth , i mean without his own consent ; no mortal nor any creature is able to invade it . this will appear by considering what that is , which is called conscience . conscience is the mind of a man considered as possessed with certain practical principles , and comparing his own actions with those principles , doth , according as he finds them agreeing or disagreeing with them , judge of himself ; either absolve or condemn himself . so that there are three offices of conscience : the first is , that of assenting to and embracing certain practical principles as laws for the governing a man's self . the second is , that of comparing ones self , or actions , with those rules or principles . the third , that of passing judgment of ones self accordingly . now that is properly liberty of conscience , and that onely , which relates to the execution of these three offices . but the acts of conscience in executing these offices being all internal , and within a mans soul , how can its liberty in exerting those acts be infringed by any humane power ? what earthly power can make me assent to or believe what it pleaseth ? can so give laws to my conscience , as to necessitate me to receive them for such , and to think them good laws , and safe to steer my actions by ? again , how can any such power deprive me of my liberty to compare my actions with such rules as i think i am obliged to be governed by ? and , having reflected upon my self and actions , and made this comparison , how can any such power abridge me of liberty to absolve my self , if i find my actions agreeing with those rules , or to condemn my self , if i find the contrary ? can make me condemn when i ought to acquit my self , or acquit when i see reason to condemn my self ? so that the liberty which is with so much heat contended for by some , and inveighed against by others , under the name of liberty of conscience , is truly and properly liberty of practice , not of conscience . and the great thing in contest is , whether a liberty of doing what a man's conscience tells him he ought to do , and of forbearing what it tells him he ought to forbear , be an inviolable right , and not to be invaded by humane authority ? this being the true state of the question , i shall endeavour an answer thereunto in these following propositions . prop. . that there are two extremes about this matter to be carefully avoided . first , that of asserting an unlimited liberty of practising according to a mans conscience . secondly , that of over-great severity in restraining this liberty . first , as to the extreme of asserting an unlimited liberty of practising according to a man's conscience : this will appear to be an extreme indeed , and a very wild and mad one , if we consider that there is scarcely any thing so extravagant or wicked , but the consciences of some or other may urge them to it . nay , it is certain that men have pretended conscience for some of the most impious and most villanous actions in the world. so the papists have done among our selves we all know ; and another sort of people too , whose principles , though very bad , were better than theirs . and it is not possible for us to know that their pretences of conscience were m●re pretences . nor is it hard for us to perswade our selves , that through the just judgment of god for past provocations , the spirit of delusion may be permitted to have such power over some mens consciences , as that they shall call evil good and good evil , put darkness for light and light for darkness , and bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter ; for we find a woe pronounced against such as do so , esay . . which there would not have been , if there were no such men , nor could be . and it is said of some , thess. . , , . that , because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved , god shall send them ( or permit to be sent them ) strong delusions ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , strength of delusion ) that they should believe a lie : that they all might be damned , who believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness . our saviour foretold his disciples , iohn . . that the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth god service . that is , the time is coming , when men shall kill you out of conscience . as no doubt the papists have done many thousands of good christians : and it is well known that their principles are such , as that they cannot be true to them , and not think themselves bound in conscience to stab and poison , burn and massacre all without exception whom they call hereticks , whensoever an opportunity is put into their hands . s. paul , as cruel a persecutor of christians as he was before his conversion , did then think not onely that he did what was lawful , but that he did his duty too . for , saith he , acts . . i verily thought with my self ( or i was verily perswaded in my conscience ) that i ought to do many things contrary the name of jesus of nazareth . among which things he reckoneth in the two following verses , shutting up many of the saints in prison , and giving his voice against them to be put to death , and compelling them to blaspheme . no man is able to imagine what dismal effects superstition and enthusiasm may have upon the mind and conscience . so that this will be easily granted me by men of any sobriety , that that which they call liberty of conscience must be limited by governours , if they will have any concern for the honour of god , the welfare of religion , the safety of the community , and the preservation of government ; it being impossible that there should be any such thing as government , if all shall be exempt from punishment who shall plead conscience for their disobedience ; nay , though they should be known to plead it never so truly . now it being so evident that conscience may and must be restrained in its liberty , we clearly gain one point by it , and that no small one , viz. that liberty of conscience is not to be necessarily allowed under the notion of liberty of conscience : for this liberty as such is not an inviolable right , if it be not to be claimed in all cases without exception . secondly , as to that which we call the other extreme of over-great severity in restraining this liberty , no man surely will question but that there may be an erring on this hand also . but how to steer betwixt scylla and charybdis , these two extremes , is , i think , one of the greatest difficulties : and requires a conjunction of the greatest prudence with as great goodness . but as to what measures in the general are to be taken , we will adventure modestly to suggest our thoughts in the propositions that follow . prop. . no such liberty of conscience ( for so for fashions-sake wee 'l call it ) is by any means to be allowed , as is apparently injurious to the community , and such a liberty as can have no ill publick influence in the church or state , both may and ought to be granted . the welfare of the community with respect to both its civil and spiritual interests is the business and design of government , and the welfare of particular persons , as they are parts of the community . therefore not to grant to particular persons as much liberty of what nature soever , as is consistent with the general good or well-being of the whole , is to hold the reins too strait , and to be over-severe and arbitrary . but it must be left to the iudgment of our governours , what measure and proportion of liberty may be safely vouchsafed , with respect to the interest of the community , both because they are to be presumed the fittest judges of this affair , and because it is wholly inconsistent with government for every private person to be his own judge . but ( as i need not add ) governours are obliged as they will answer it to their judge , not to be hasty in making a judgment , but to do it with the greatest wariness and deliberation , because their being mistaken in this point may happen to be of very evil and mischievous consequence . prop. . it is a very plain case that men ought to have the liberty of enjoying their opinions to themselves , without their being extorted by penalties from them . this follows from the foregoing proposition , and if that be true this can't be false . for if such a liberty ought to be granted as hath no ill aspect upon the community , then no body should be compelled to discover his opinions , because whilest they are kept within a mans own breast , they can do no hurt to other folk , and if they discover themselves by overt-acts ( as the lawyers speak ) there is no need of using violent means for the extorting of them . which is the cruel practice of the roman church , and our own nation knew it by sad experience in the reign of queen mary . how many excellently good christians were then sentenced to the stake for their mere refusing to subscribe to their as wicked as false doctrine of the sacrifice of the altar ? prop. . to make sanguinary laws against mere dissenting from the publick establishment , that is , when dissenting from it is not accompanied with a factious , schismatical and seditious opposition to it , is without controversie antichristian tyranny . of all the indefensible practices of the now mentioned church , there is none that makes the title of antichrist more due to her , than her prosecuting with fire and faggot , and all manner of cruelties , men who are guilty of no other crime but that of renouncing communion with her in her gross corruptions . but suppose her terms of communion were as agreeable as they are contrary to the word of god , yet would her putting men to death for their bare not submitting to those terms , speak her to be utterly destitute of the true christian spirit : and to deserve that reprehension which her mild and gentle master gave to his disciples for desiring him to call for fire from heaven to destroy the samaritans for refusing to receive him , viz. ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of ; for the son of man came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them . and if our saviour was so offended with those disciples for making that motion , though he knew 't was not made deliberately , but in a sudden fit of passion , and that kindled too by the quick resentment they had of an high affront that was put upon his sacred person , how highly must it needs provoke him to see christians destroying their brethren in cool bloud , and that not for so hainous a crime as renouncing his religion , but for not being christians of their mode and form : which possibly considering all their circumstances ( particularly their education , the prejudices of which it is the most difficult thing in the world one of them to overcome , their parts , complexions , &c. ) may be more their misfortune than their fault . besides sanguinary penalties , or the using of extreme rigour of any kind to compel men to come over to our way of religion , are the most improper means to effect that end ; that of lactantius being as great a truth in all ages as it was in his and the two foregoing , when the church was subject to the heathen persecutors , viz. religion is a thing to which no man can be forced , the will is perswaded by words not by blows . and the arguments used by the most ancient fathers against persecuting people for mere dissenting in matters of religion are as strong against the persecuting practices of rome christian , as they were against those of rome pagan . and this means hath proved always as unsuccessful as it is improper , the best success it hath ever had hath been to make some hypocrites , and the rest more averse and obstinate than they were before . that way of religion they before disliked , they now hate , and oppression making even wise men mad ( as king solomon observeth ) multitudes from modest dissenters in their own defence turn factious and seditious , and down-right opposers . and nothing hath been more ordinarily observed , than that persecution doth mightily encrease instead of diminishing the number of dissenters . as it is grown into a maxim , sanguis martyrum est semen ecclesiae , the bloud of martyrs is the seed of the church , so nothing makes any party so considerable , nor any thing gains them so many proselytes , as their bearing death or torment or any cruel usage like martyrs ; which we need not be informed the very worst of men have frequently done . thanks be to god the church of england is as far departed from that of rome in this point of merciless severity , as in the rest of her abominations . which hath made me stand amazed at the tragical out-cries of one or two of late against our church , as if the inquisition it self could hardly match her in her savage cruelty towards sober dissenters . such libellers as these have as little wit as christianity or common honesty ; for can they more expose their reputation than by publishing to the world such things as every body can confute from his own knowledge . these people cannot but believe in their consciences ; that modest dissenters ( nor immodest neither as themselves know by experience ) cannot hope to have fairer quarter in any part of the christian world , where there is any establishment , than they have in this church . nay , that there is hardly any one party of the dissenters that would be half so favourable to the rest , should they get into power , as our constitution is to all of them . the principal of our divided parties 't is well known have been tried in england , scotland and new-england , and how exemplary they have been for their moderation towards men of a different perswasion is too well understood to be quickly forgotten . but old sores shall not bleed afresh by my rubbing them , as great provocation as is given by some at the most unseasonable time imaginable . prop. . but , notwithstanding what we have now ▪ asserted , there is a necessity of making it more mens interest to comply with the publick establishment , than not to comply with it : which cannot be done , so long as those who are conformable thereunto , and those which dissent from it , are both put into the self-same circumstances . it is as good , nay better , to have no legal establishment at all , than not to back it with motives of temporal interest , to disswade from disobedience to it ; it is so , so long as this sort of interest hath so great a power over the generality of men , nay of professors of religion too , as we see it hath ; and so few comparatively are governed by pure reason and conscience , as great pretences as there are to both . penalties of one nature or other are necessary sanctions of laws , and were it not for the annexing of them , laws would be so far from being generally obeyed , that they would be generally despised and contemned . nay , the perverse natures of men do so incline them niti in vetitum , to do what 's prohibited , through their excessive fondness for liberty , that i am perswaded the way to have this or that done by the far greater part , would be for authority to forbid it without a penalty . and as for that objection , that civil penalties make men hypocrites ; how is it possible that those who make it should not at the same time see , that it is as much levelled at all laws , as at those which relate to matters of religion ? then men ought not to be prohibited murther , adultery or theft under civil penalties , because they will be apt to make them hypocrites ; as 't is certain those are no better , who abstain from those crimes from the mere fear of the lash of the law. but it is better for the publick that men should be hypocrites in their obedience , than that they should live in disobedience , and somewhat better for themselves too . and no man will be made a hypocrite by penalties , but such a one as would disobey and be an open sinner were it not for them . i add , that this objection is also levelled at leaving it to every bodies liberty to comply or not comply with the legal establishment . what a temptation would this be to those to plead scruples of conscience against some condition of communion , who are only swayed by some motive of interest ( to get better trading , to please their wives or the like ) to leave the church , and joyn themselves to separate congregations . prop. . we must distinguish between a liberty of serving god according to our consciences , and a liberty of making others to be of our perswasion . there is a wide difference between these two . it is inconsistent with government for this latter liberty to be allowed . nothing can come of authorities giving licence to dissenters to make proselytes to their several parties , but downright confusion . i appeal to themselves , whether if any of them now sate at the helm , and were in the chair of government , they could endure to have their authority publickly confronted ; they know they could not , and much less give liberty , that is encouragement , to those to confront it who have a mind to it . but what is it to put an affront upon authority , if publick endeavours to withdraw people from obedience be not so ? it is the greatest immodesty to desire of governours such a liberty as this , and supposeth them either not to understand or to have no concern for their own interest as governours . and those that dissent from the legal establishment ought to think themselves most kindly dealt with , and to be very thankful , may they enjoy upon tolerable terms their own way of religion , without free licence to do all they can to encrease their party . how happy would our good ancestors in the reign of queen mary have thought themselves , had her majesty vouchsafed them such a liberty as that ! they would hardly have thought they could pay too dear for 't . it may be objected , what if a man be immediately commissionated by the king of kings , as the apostles were , publickly to withdraw men from obedience to those laws which require of them unlawful things , and withal he prove his commission by working of miracles , is not authority obliged to give liberty so to do in that case ? surely it is . i answer , surely it is not , but 't is obliged to do that which is much better than giving this liberty , and which will prevent all need of it , namely , to repeal those laws as soon as ever it appears they are displeasing to god ; and so to make the doing contrary to them no disobedience . but if this be not done , the commissionated person ought not to expect that authority should give him this liberty , but he ought to take it , and to be confident that god will stand by him in so doing . prop. . those laws that enjoyn or forbid things in their own nature indifferent , ought not to be inforced with as severe penalties , as those which are made for or against those things which are good or evil in themselves , which are commanded or prohibited by the divine laws . or the transgressors of the majora jura , the laws of heaven should be more severely punisht , than the transgressors of mere humane laws . 't is certain that the former sort of offenders do deserve worse than the latter do . their crimes are of an higher nature and more intolerable , and therefore it is highly fit that they should be greater sufferers than the other offenders , for the more effectual scaring of others from following their example , or doing like them . all offences against the state are not alike punished , neither should all those which are against the church . no good man will question , but that 't is a greater sin to be a separatist than a mere dissenter in some things ; and also not to worship god at all than to worship him in an illegal way . to make no conscience of receiving the lord's supper , than to scruple the gesture he is obliged to receive it in . or , that profaneness is more hateful than unaffected scrupulosity or superstition . and therefore i think the self-same or equal penalties should not belong to both . common equity requires this ; and according to this rule our judge hath foretold us he will at the last day proceed with the disobedient . and by this means will no pretence be left to those , who take all occasions to censure their governours , for the reproaching of them , as laying too great weight upon things little in themselves , as placing religion in them , and equalizing their own traditions with ( and much less preferring them , pharisee like , before ) the commandments of god ; and as having less zeal for gods glory than for keeping up the reputation of their own authority . and for the same as well as an higher reason it is necessary , that as great care at least should be taken to bring the open immediate transgressors of god's laws to condign punishment , as those who only are transgressors of mere humane laws . but there is one thing more that i would not have forgotten , that the dreadful censure of excommunication ought not to be past upon any but the greatest offenders ; among which ( that i may not be mistaken ) i account ( as the primitive church did ) all schismaticks as well as prophane persons . to make the smaller offenders liable to it , be it done upon what pretence it will , is the readiest way to make it contemptible . and nothing is more contrary to the practice of the apostles or the first ages than so to do . prop. . most favour may be reasonably expected by such dissenters as give the greatest reason to judge that they are really conscientious in their dissenting . if any liberty be left by law to the magistrate to shew favour in pitiable circumstances , whatsoever it is , such dissenters ought to have the benefit of it . and those may be presumed to be conscientious in reality as well as pretence , who first , are observed to make conscience of the great and indisputable duties of religion . and secondly , who comply with the establishment as far as they can , for ought that appeareth to the contrary . these we are bound in charity to believe are sincerely conscientious in stopping where they do . this proposition needs no proving ; and this other is as clear , viz. those who give greatest evidence of their being conscientious have most right to favour . but although it be not an indisputable case , that he makes no conscience in some smaller things who makes none in certain great ones ; or that he who goes not as far as he declares he can , is a mere pretender to conscience in what he saith he cannot do , yet there is no injury done him if his governours have a strong suspicion of him , and he fare the worse upon that account . he must then thank himself for it , and not blame them . prop. . those have least reason to ask or look for liberty of conscience or any thing of indulgence , who are for no bodies having it besides themselves , and give great reason to presume by their behaviour in their present circumstances , that were they in authority they would give none to those from whom they now expect it . such are all those who are not contented to disobey the present laws , nor to draw others to their party as much as in them lies , but cannot forbear railing at , and passing the severest and most uncharitable censures , in their common discourse , and in the pulpit and press too , upon their spiritual governours especially , and those who are conformable to the constitution . 't is not at all to be questioned but such people would persecute otherwise than with their tongues or pens , if ever they should be furnisht with more dangerous weapons . he who shews his teeth at me , i have reason to suspect would make them meet , were he able to bite ; in so doing he shews his good will and what he would gladly be at , had he an opportunity . i wish the papists were the onely people i could now reflect upon . such too are all our peremptory dogmatizers in disputable points of religion , who cannot bear to be contradicted , though never so modestly , as if they had gotten the popes chair from him , and their judgments were the standard of orthodoxy . from whose sentiments you may not depart scarcely one hairs breadth , but you immediately fall under suspicion of heresie , or some dangerous error . i should be very loth these stiff and supercilious men should ever live to be my masters ; if they should , i doubt not ●ut i should soon feel that they have cru●●ty answerable to their pride , as much ●s some of them now cry out for liberty ●f conscience . the men i have now in my thoughts ●re not onely ( as i said of the other ) ●he roman gentlemen , but certain pro●●ssed protestants ( as like papists as they ●ook ) and those of more than one mode and form. such again are those , who , as impa●ent as themselves are of all restraints , ●re very angry that the conformable clergy are no more restrained , that is , ●n doctrinals . who would have the ●hirty nine articles more than nine ●nd forty , and are not a little grieved that several points are so expressed , as to admit of a latitude of interpretation . who can believe but that these men would be far more severe restrainers of liberty , than those whom they so complain of ? i say far more severe , for there is no considerative ingenuous and free-minded man but had rather have twenty harmless rites imposed on his practice , than two disputable and uncertain doctrines upon his belief . and such lastly are those parties , who , whensoever they have had opportunity , have been rigidly severe to dissenters from themselves . what security can we possibly have , that those who for the time past have been persecutors , whenever they had power in their hands , will never be so for the time to come , if they should have power ? especially if they still retain those principles which naturally tend to make men cruel . here if i expatiated i would have onely to do with the popish faction , and spare others , who though they have been too guilty in this respect , yet not comparably to them . what is better known throughout the christian world , than the horrible tyranny of the romish church , than her most barbarous and savage cruelties towards those who would not worship that beast and his image , and would not receive the mark of his name ? what an ocean of bloud hath this ravenous beast shed of the saints and of the prophets of god ? the history of pagan rome's cruelties towards the christians in the ten famous persecutions is far out-done by that of rome christian ( i had rather say rome antichristian ) towards poor protestants . guess we what a prodigiously vast number have fallen as sacrifices to her devilish fury by two or three instances . it is computed that in the massacre in paris , and other parts of france , were butchered about an hundred thousand . that of the albigenses and waldenses were murthered no fewer than a thousand thousand . that within the space of forty years from the founding of the blessed order of the iesuits , were murthered about nine hundred thousand . that the holy inquisition in the space of thirty years destroyed with an infinite number of cruelties an hundred and fifty thousand . that in the low countries duke alva , that bloudy bigot of rome , caused to be executed about six thousand . and what great numbers did suffer here in england purely upon the score of religion in the reigns of king henry the eighth and queen mar● ? and what work the priests and jesuits and other of the sons of rome had ere this time been employed in again among us , if their ●ate horrid conspiracy had taken effect , we very well know . those know no more of the principles or spirit of popery than a sucking infant , who can give the least credit to their most solemn promises of a toleration of , or indulgence towards protestants , although they should back them with never so many sacred oaths upon the holy bible , and pawn their souls upon their fulfilling them with never so tremendous and direful execrations . and yet these men are so void of all shame , that ever since the reformation they have turned every stone to obtain a toleration of their religion among us : and that notwithstanding the plainest demonstrations which from time to time they have given us , that they seek it for no other end , but that by the means of it they may do that by fraud against our religion and all that 's dear to us , which ( thanks be to god ) they are not strong enough to do by force , nor by any other methods of fraud neither . though they could never yet obtain a legal toleration , yet they have not wanted for indulgence and kind usage , but this hath been so far from melting them into good nature , that they have still taken advantage from thence to lay designs for our ruine . at that very time ( and for some time before ) when their gunpowder conspiracy , not to be thought of without the greatest horror , was projected and almost effected by them , did king iames treat them with not onely extraordinary clemency , but also friendship and bounty . at the trial of the traitors , his majestie 's attorny general observed , that that treason was hatched at a time , when the king used the greatest lenity towards the papists , whom he honoured with advancement and favour as well as others , and by the space of a whole year and four months took no penalties by statute of them . and this likewise the king himself remembred them of , the more to convince them of their prodigious ingratitude . and to pass by their conspiring the death of king charles the first of most happy memory , and afterwards effecting it by the hands of the fanaticks ( whose instruments they were , not onely in the not to be parallel'd murder of that excellently pious prince , all circumstances of it considered , but also in the long civil war preceding it , as doctor peter du-moulin hath discovered in his answer to philanax anglicus ) i say to pass by all that , to which nothing could provoke them except the most gentle , gracious and kind usage , 't is known to every body , that nothing neither except the like usage could provoke them to this last most inhumane and hellish conspiracy . and yet , notwithstanding they have always been to us like the philistines to the israelites , sharp thorns in our sides , and pricks in our eyes , are they still so impudent as to insist upon it as their right to have liberty of conscience ; and hope with the assistance of their old tried tools at last to obtain it . and 't is matter of grief and astonishment to us , that these will not yet see , though it be as visible as the light , that if with their help they do obtain it , the best recompence they shall receive for their good service will be the inslaving of themselves , and the ruine of their religion . i thought not of so far enlarging upon this proposition , but considering into what a large field i was entered , i found it somewhat difficult to break off so soon . prop. . in the last place , governours ought not to impose any thing but for weighty reasons ; but what upon the maturest deliberation they judge to be necessary , or ( upon one account or other ) very highly expedient . to make little and insignificant things the matter of laws is the readiest course to beget in the people a sleighting of authority , and to lessen the veneration that is due to laws ; and also gives ill-minded persons a great advantage , and puts plausible objections into their mouths against the government . but , having taken leave to say what becomes governours , i am obliged to add , that private persons are no competent judges of the necessity or expediency of laws . and that it very ill becomes them to be forward to censure those as needless , the reason of which is unknown to them . 't is an argument of great immodesty and pride to think , that we who stand upon the lower ground can see as far as those who are so much above us : and a very little prudence and humility will serve to convince us , that those much better understand the methods of government than we do , and what is fit to be imposed , whose whole business and employment it is to govern. we have certain rules whereby to judge of the lawfulness of things imposed , but we may be easily mistaken when we undertake to determine of the fitness of them . thus having with submission to my superiors offered my opinion about this weighty argument in the foregoing propositions , i hope i shan't be censured as immodest if i also add , that i do not see but governours might avoid the two extremes in reference to liberty of conscience , as it is called , by having a constant regard to such like rules . and that the governed , on the other hand , by doing the like , might understand without much difficulty , within what bounds they ought to confine themselves , in craving of their governours or expecting from them this kind of liberty . but i think it seasonable to suggest this one thing more to these , that they would so behave themselves , that those who have power to grant it as far as is sitting , might not be tempted to think it a thing onely adapted to the serving of interest , and by that means be the more inclined to a total refusing of any such liberty . i mean , that there be no occasion given to what is so commonly , not without ground , said , viz. when 't is mens temporal interest to plead for liberty of conscience , then they are zealous for it , but the tables are no sooner turned , but who like them against it . were we as honest as we should be , we should be more fixed and constant , and not so vary in our principles as our circumstances vary . we should not in one circumstance build what before we destroyed , and in another destroy what we before built : and so declare amidst all our stir and noise about liberty of conscience , that we have either none at all , or but very little conscience . but in the conclusion of all , i must not forget that which hath occasioned all this discourse about liberty of conscience , viz. that whatever that liberty of this kind is which we have a right to , it is not a branch of christian but of mere natural liberty . there is no text of scripture that mentioneth this as a liberty of our saviour's purchasing , and therefore no christian may claim it as a christian. 't is due to men of all religions , who may be supposed to make conscience of what they do , and not only to the professors of the christian religion . and 't was always and in all places as much mens right , as it hath been since our saviour's appearance in the world , and is in those parts of it where his gospel is received . chap. xvi . the third inference from our notion of christian liberty , viz. that popery is the greatest enemy in the world thereunto . where it is shewed , first , that the church of rome robs those who are subject to her of that natural liberty which necessarily belongs to them as they are men , viz. that which consists in the free use of their vnderstandings in matters of religion . that she will not permit men to examine either her doctrines or practices by the holy scriptures ; nor yet to receive the holy scriptures themselves otherwise than upon her authority . the wickedness of this exposed in two particulars . the alledging of scripture for it , shewed to be the grossest absurdity . their great text tim. . . spoken to . her tyranny over mens minds further shewed . having now spoken to all the false notions of christian liberty that i know of , and discovered the intolerable mischievousness of them as well as falsity ; i proceed to another inference from our notion thereof , namely ; thirdly , that popery is a religion ( if i honour it not too much in calling it so ) that is the greatest enemy in the whole world to christian liberty . should all the wicked wits in the world meet together to consult and complot how to banish out of it this liberty , they could not devise more effectual means for the doing of it than those which are pitch'd upon by the church of rome . and here we will shew , first , that she robs those who subject themselves to her , of that natural liberty which necessarily belongs to them as they are men , or reasonable creatures . and much more , secondly , that she robs them of that liberty , which it was the design of our saviour's coming into the world , and of all he did and suffered here to instate us in . first , that she robs those , who subject themselves to her , of that natural liberty , which necessarily belongs to them as men , or reasonable creatures . there is no liberty so essential to humane nature , or so much its inviolable right , as that which consists in the free use of our understandings : but a papist is miserably tied up and inslaved here ; and that in those matters wherein it is of infinitely the greatest importance and concernment to him , that his mind should be free , namely in matters of religion ; which have such a necessary influence into the welfare of our souls and our eternal happiness . but , notwithstanding that injunction of s. paul , thes. . . prove all things , hold fast that which is good . and that of s. iohn , epist. . . beloved believe not every spirit , but try the spirits whether they be of god , &c. this church denieth to her children all judgment of discretion in points of religion ; at least except in this one point , the choice of the church for their guide , which having chosen , they must follow her blind-fold all their lives after . they must be implicit believers , and implicit chusers , she will 〈◊〉 and believe for them : all their ●●dgment and faith must be resolved into h●rs ; as being , if you will believe her , 〈◊〉 and uncapable of being either deceiv●● 〈◊〉 self , or of deceiving others . and therefore , to take our saviour's 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 th● scriptures , except for the forementioned one thing , ( nay , for that too , as we shall see anon ) is to put an affront upon her authority ; and the bereans , who were so highly commended for so doing , were guilty of great sauciness and high presumption . and she takes the most successful course that can be thought of , that you shall not search the scriptures , by locking them up as she does , and making the bible so scarce a book to be light upon , where she hath power enough to do it ; and in those places where her power is clipt , by using a many wicked artifices to keep the vulgar from looking into it ; who are so miserably imposed upon by their wretched priests , as to think it a lighter sin to be drunk or to commit fornication , and transgress many an express law of god , than to cast their eyes upon the holy scriptures . so well aware is this church , that a great part of her religion is neither to be found there , nor agreeable with them , but as expresly , as it can be done by words , contradicted by them . and as you may not examine any of her doctrines or practices by comparing them with the rule of faith and practice , the scriptures , so neither ( which is but a necessary consequence from thence ) may you have any other foundation for your belief of the books of scripture themselves , besides her authority . she will have your assent to their being of divine authority to depend wholly upon her testimony ; notwithstanding that god almighty hath vouchsafed to the world marvellously full and plentiful evidence thereof , and such as is adapted to the capacities of all those who have the use of reason , but never once mentioned this as a part of that evidence , and therefore much less can it be thought the whole . how infinitely ill hath this corrupt church deserved at the hands of all christians , although this were the onely abuse she had put upon them ! for ( to say nothing of her horrible pride and uncharitableness in making the truth of the scriptures dependent on her testimony , that her pretence supposing her making her self the onely true church ) this is the greatest injury imaginable to christianity ; nor can she take a surer course than this to make all men infidels . and that upon these two accounts . first , this pretence of hers is immediately founded upon a precarious and most evidently false principle , viz. that of her infallibility . i dare appeal to those of her own sons who have studied the controversie , whether there was ever a more shamefully baffled cause in the world than this is : whether by their infallible church they mean with the iesuits the pope alone , or with others the pope with his general council , that is , a pack of bishops and priests of his own faction . as the psalmist saith , if the foundations be destroyed , what shall the righteous do ? so if this be the foundation of our christian faith , and that be proved to be a rotten foundation ( as nothing was ever proved if this be not ) then what shall we christians do ? we must then acknowledge our selves a generation of most credulous fools , and that our faith is vain . if the foundation be tottering , the whole superstructure must fall to the ground . but so fond is this unsatiably covetous and ambitious church of her great diana infallibility , by the pretence whereof she hath raised her self to such a height and grandeur , that she is well content , if that must fall , that our saviour and his apostles , both the old and new testament should fall with it . and she hath done all that lies in her to make it necessary , that those who shall have the wisdom to reject her ridiculous doctrine of infallibility , should at the self-same time renounce christianity . if popery were chargeable with no other crime ( as it is with innumerable others , and many of them intolerable ) i say were it chargeable with no other crime , but the making our belief of the authority of the books of scripture to be founded on the infallibility of the romish faction , we ought to be as zealous for the preventing its reestablishment in this nation ( from whence it hath happily been twice expelled ) as we are desirous to preserve the christian religion . secondly , the romish churche's making her authority the sole foundation of our belief of the scriptures makes the testimony of the spirit to the truth of christianity , in our saviour when on ●arth , and in the apostles and others in the primitive ages , to be now perfectly insignificant . i think it makes them to be so as to the church representative , for she pretends to her infallibility ( and consequently to her infallible assurance of the truth of christianity ) as an immedi●te gift of the holy ghost , therefore what need hath she of the testimony of miracles ? but as to private christians i can by no means understand in what stead they stand them ; for if the churches authority be necessary to their believing the truth of the scriptures , and therefore to their believing that there were those miracles really wrought , which the writings of the apostles tell us of , then why may they not without any more ado make her authority the immediate ground of their assent to the truth of christianity ? it is said that the truth of the matters of fact are not knowable at this distance , ( such as whether there were such persons as our saviour and his apostles , whether they performed such miracles , and the apostles wrote such books , &c. ) but by the tradition of the church , because no such matters are to be known at any considerable distance , but by tradition . to this it is answered , that it is one thing to believe the matters of fact upon the churche's tradition , and another to believe them upon her authority founded upon her infallibility . now this latter we reject , but adhere to the former , as a ground of our belief of those things . but then by the tradition of the church we are far from meaning that of rome onely . we mean the catholick church , or the whole collective body of christians throughout the world , from the apostles times down to this present age ; of which the roman church is but a part ( and therefore does impudently in appropriating catholicism to her self ) and that a very vitiated part too , and that church representative an exceedingly small part. and we receive the tradition of the catholick church as a ground ( as i said ) of believing these matters , not as t●e ground , because we take in another tradition , viz. that of those who are out of the church , and enemies to christianity , the iews especially . in short , we believe those and the like matters of fact , upon the same ground that we believe all other wherein religion is not concerned ; but there are circumstances which give the tradition of christian matters of fact a mighty advantage above other traditions , as unquestionable assurance as these give men , when they are general and uninterrupted . but 't is well known to all who are not strangers to the popish writers , what lamentable work they make in proving the testimony of the church to be the foundation of our faith concerning the authority of the scriptures . this proof they fetch out of the scriptures themselves ; and their main text for this purpose , and for the infallibility of their church is those words of s. paul , tim. . . where he calls the church the pillar and ground of truth . but what a manifest circle is this ? we ask them , how it appears that the scriptures are the word of god ? they answer , it appears from the testimony of the church . we ask again , how it appears that the testimony of the church is true ? they reply , it appears from the scriptures . and so they prove the authority of the scriptures by the testimony of the church , and then wheel about again , and prove the authority of the church by the testimony of the scriptures . but again , we can either be certain of the truth of these words of s. paul , setting aside the authority of the church , or we cannot be certain . if we can be certain , why then not of the truth of the whole scripture as well as of this single text ? if we cannot be certain of the truth of this text without the consideration of the churche's authority , what folly or rather knavery is it to make this text an argument to prove the thing in controversie by , when the truth of this text is questionable upon the same grounds that the truth of the scriptures in general is ? again , when they say that the testimony of the church is the ground of this our faith , they tell us , that by the church they mean the church of rome , and that she onely is the true church . we reply , that there are a many societies of christians in the world , that hold no communion with the church of rome , and each of these calls it self a true church , and therefore how shall we know that they are none of them so , but that the church of rome alone is ? they tell us , that this church alone hath the notes and characters of the true church . we ask again , how it doth appear that those notes and characters they give are true and genuine , and , if they are , that their church onely hath them ? here they are forced to fly again to the scriptures , and produce us some which they would have us believe are very pertinent to the purpose ; though none but those who see by their light are able to discern any such matter . but whether they be to the purpose or no , is no part now of our enquiry , but this is that which we shew from hence , how still they are intangled in their own net , and run round in a circle . yet once again , these people would perswade us that there is no knowing the scriptures to be of divine authority , but by the testimony of their church , whenas 't is impossible to know that there is any such thing in being as a church , but by the scriptures . and thus you see what prime christians these romanists are , what worthy catholicks . if there were no better champions than these for the authority of the scriptures , or the truth of christianity , atheists and infidels long since would have filled all places : as it is well known how they abound in the popish countries , and most of all in italy , and of all italy most in rome . and but for old mother ignorance , whom they have a marvellous fondness for , as well they may , their holy mother the church would by this time have had but a very small number of children or friends . but i would this had been the worst on 't , as alas it is not : for multitudes among them being well aware that they are merely imposed on ; and being acquainted with no better than an implicit faith , and thinking that no more is to be said for christianity than they learn from them , shake off both their popish and christian faith together . but we must not let that forementioned text wholly pass on which is laid such mighty stress for the proving of the infallibility of the roman church ; which gives her such a plausible pretence for the enslaving of mens minds and understandings . the whole verse runs thus , with the verse foregoing : th●●e things write i unto thee , hoping to come unto thee shortly . but if i tarry long , that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of god , which is the church of the living god , the pillar and ground of truth . according to episcopius his reading of these latter words , it is not the church that is here called the pillar and ground of truth ; but god manifested in the flesh , justified in the spirit , &c. in the next verse . for he makes that . verse to conclude with living god , ( verses and pointings being arbitrary ) and the pillar and ground of truth to begin the next verse thus , the pillar and ground of truth , and without controversie the great mystery of godliness , is god manifested in the flesh , &c. but there is no need of using any artifice to make these words unserviceable to the design of proving the infallibility of the church of rome ; for all that can be gathered from them is no more than this ; that the church is the support of that truth which is necessary to salvation , viz. the doctrine of the gospel . that which preserveth it in the world is the churches constant profession of it , and standing up for it . that is , this is the external and visible means whereby this truth is kept from perishing and being lost . or according to grotius , the church doth uphold and lift up the truth , it causeth it not to slip out of mens minds , and also to be beheld far and near . for the testimony of many good men , who all say that they received these doctrines and precepts from the apostles , must needs have great force and efficacy upon those who are not obstinate and contumacious . so that , first , this great man seems to understand by the church in this place onely that which was most ancient . but , secondly , there is no reason at all to understand by the church here onely the church representative , but the whole body of christians must necessarily be meant ; it being called the house of god , but the apostles , bishops and pastors are called the builders of the house , and governours never the house it self . and besides , the church which is here called the pillar and ground of truth is that over part of which timothy presided . that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of god , &c. that is , as a bishop and pastor in it . thirdly , if it should be understood of the church representative , 't is however intolerable impudence to make it onely the roman . but , fourthly , this text makes nothing to the purpose of infallibility in the church of rome's sence , understand by the church of the living god which church you please ; especially if you do not limit it to the first age : as is plain from what hath been said , and it needs no more words to make it plainer . now how can we have greater assurance that the church of rome is an arrant impostor than this one thing gives us , viz. that she will not allow us the liberty of judging for our selves ? the great apostle s. paul allowed this liberty to the corinthians in those words : i speak as unto wise men , judge ●e what i say , cor. . . and dare they say , that he overshot himself in that saying , or passed a mere complement upon the corinthians ? 't will not be at all strange if they do , considering how many worse things several of them have said of this apostle . but , i say , this church will not permit us to see with our own eyes , but we must take the whole of our religion upon trust , that is , upon her bare word , pin our whole faith upon her sleeve , and receive the most fundamental articles upon her warrant and authority . nay , though she would seem to give us leave to use our reason in the choice of our church , yet neither doth she this really ; but what she gives with one hand takes away again with the other , in that she will not suffer us to judge of the sence of scripture , and consequently not of those texts whereby she pretends to prove her self the onely true church . for if we be acknowledged to be competent judges of the true meaning of some scriptures , why not of all that are as easily intelligible as those are ? those must be very charitable , who can put a fairer interpretation upon this her severity than this , that it is designed to make us swallow without chewing , receive without examining the doctrines which are of her own invention ; and obey blindfold those decrees of hers , which she is conscious to her self , have not onely no countenance from the holy scriptures , but are as apparently contradictory to them , as any one proposition can be to another ; and are framed for no other purpose , but the serving of a worldly and most corrupt interest , and the gratifying of those appetites which it is the business of christianity to subdue and mortifie , viz. unsatiable covetousness , luciferian pride and ambition , and diabolical revenge and malice . again , what greater tyranny can be exercised over a mans mind , than to impose upon his faith , and that upon pain of damnation , not onely the strangest absurdities and greatest fooleries , but the grossest , most manifest and palpable contradictions ? but the romish church requireth your belief of innumerable of these in that her one doctrine of transubstantiation . nay , in imposing this mad doctrine upon you , she also tieth you up from giving credit to your very senses , no fewer than four of five ; and so would deprive you not onely of the liberty of men , but of all animals . chap. xvii . where it is shewed , secondly , that popery is as great an enemy as can be to christian liberty . and first , to that liberty which our saviour hath purchased for the world in general . as . that it tendeth as much as is possible to the corrupting of mens souls by subjecting them to vile affections . this shewed in the general , viz. in that it is apt to beget false notions of god ; and more particularly , in that it brings men under the power of the lusts of malice , revenge , cruelty ; pride and ambition ; covetousness ; uncleanness ; intemperance ; and the greatest injustice and unrighteousness . . that it no less tendeth to disqui●● m●ns m●nds with certain troublesome passions . secondly , as popery deprives men of that natural liberty which doth necessarily belong to them as men , so it is as grea● an enemy as can be to christian liberty . both to that liberty which our saviour hath purchased for the world in general , and to that which he purchased for the iews in particular . first , it is as opposite and injurious as can be to that liberty which our saviour hath purchased for the world in general . this liberty we have abundantly proved doth consist in freedom from the dominion of corrupt affections , and an entire compliance with the laws of righteousness . upon which follow freedom from the power of troublesom and disquieting passions , and sweet satisfaction and self-enjoyment . now it will fully appear , that the popish religion is as opposite as can be to the liberty which consisteth in these things , by that time we have dispatched these following particulars ; whereon should i give my self leave to be as large as i might , i should write a large volume instead of a chapter . first , popery in its own nature tendeth , as much as is possible , to the corrupting and debauching our souls by bringing them into subjection to vile affections . secondly , it no less tendeth to disquiet our minds with troublesom and tormenting passions . thirdly , it makes the admirable method , which we have shewed our lord hath taken for our deliverance from both , and the making of us holy and happy , perfectly ineffectual . first , it in its own nature tendeth as much as is possible , to the corrupting and debauching of our souls , by bringing them into subjection to vile affections . this shall be shewed in the general , and more particularly . . in the general , it doth this as it is apt to beget false notions , and very unworthy conceptions of the divine nature : whereas a true idea of god is necessary to the reforming of our lives , and rectifying of our natures , which cannot be done , without a due awe and reverence for him , nor without conforming our selves to his image and likeness . among the several instances of popish idolatry ( from the guilt of which high and provoking impiety the heathens may as easily purge themselves , as the church of rome ) their picturing of god the father and the holy trinity ( allowed by the council of trent ) and worshipping their pictures is a very great one . but who seeth not how this tends to beget in mens minds a most low and undervaluing , gross and impure conception of the deity ? can he easily conceive of god as a most pure spirit , that useth to feed his eyes , and foul his fancy with bodily representations of him ? that useth to worship the trinity under the figure of an old man , with a long grey beard , with a crucifix between his knees and a dove in his breast ? or under the ugly figure of a man-cerberus , or a man with three heads upon his shoulders ? but 't is well known that these are the abominable forms by which the papists represent the glorious trinity ; of which the former is much the more common . i do not see how any man who venerates the divine majesty as he ought , and hath according to his capacity a worthy idea of the unspeakable purity of his nature and incomprehensible perfections , can endure the sight of such pictures : but whosoever can fall in love with them , whatsoever becoming sense of god he had before , must needs soon lose it . that other instance also of popish idolatry , viz. the addressing themselves to the saints , whether by images or otherwise with all the reverence and solemnity of devotion which is used to the great god , must necessarily have much the same influence upon their minds . and their multitude of little trifling things , and many of them most ridiculous fopperies , in which they place so much religion , and seek to obtain pardon by them even for great immoralities , speaks them to have no true sense of his wisdom or holiness , to have a base and sordid notion of him , and doth more and more confirm them therein . nor can they have any true sense of the infinite equity and goodness of the divine nature , who are able to think that there is no salvation out of the church of rome ; and that god will damn to eternal torments all persons that are not of her communion , that is , the much greater part of christendom , let them be never so good and pious people otherwise : but no man can be truly a papist who believes more charitably . and 't is no wonder that they should be bloudy wretches who are able to conceive such a thing of god ; when according to their notion of him the more arbitrary , tyrannical and cruel they are , the more are they like that being , which to resemble is their glory and happiness . . this brings me to shew more particularly that popery doth naturally tend to bring mens souls into slavish subjection to the vile affections of malice , revenge and cruelty ; pride and ambition ; covetousness ; uncleanness ; intemperance ; and the greatest injustice and unrighteousness . as for malice and cruelty ( as now we intimated ) they are the natural and genuine off-spring of that most horrible uncharitableness that is proper to popery . when men have once conceived such an opinion of any of their fellow-creatures , as that they are hated of god , and damned reprobates , they think themselves obliged to hate them too , and hatred and cruelty are never separated . we have already given instances of popish cruelty in butchering protestants , and shewed what a vast sea of bloud hath been shed by the papists ; which hath been at the command of their holy father , and the instigation of his cursed instruments the iesuits . and i now add , that they have not satisfied themselves with the mere shedding of bloud , but have devised the most exquisitely tormenting methods of doing it ; such as can hardly be recited without great horror and consternation of mind . to pass over the inexpressible tortures of the holy inquisition , what say you to long protracting the torments of those whose bodies have been committed to the merciless flames , by letting them down by degrees with pullies , that the lower parts might be consumed before the fire could reach the vitals ? what say you to roasting alive ; to flaying off mens skins alive ; to boiling of the young children of hereticks alive , and casting them alive to be devoured by swine ? what say you to ripping up the bellies of women great with child , their hands and feet being first nailed down ; to hanging men at their own doors by their privy members ; to burying men alive , and young children , making holes in the ground out of which they have put their hands , and made sad moan for their mothers ? what heart is so hard as not to bleed at the mere reading or hearing such things as these ? but these and innumerable such like , nay far more horrible things we might shew are instances of popish cruelty ; and those in●licted upon the account of no greater offences , than refusing to be idolaters , and not daring to be partakers of rome's sins lest they receive of her plagues . but how should those think that these devilish barbarities do not well become them , who presume the poor wretches they so torture to be accursed of god , devoted to destruction , and to far more grievous and intolerable torments ; and that the hatred god bears to them doth cause him to accept it as an excellent piece of service at their hands to be their destroyers and tormenters , that is , the executioners of his wrath ? moreover , the absolute obedience they owe to christ's vicar imposeth a necessity upon them not to boggle at the greatest cruelties , whensoever his holiness shall please to imploy them in such services : which his pride and malice will never permit him to fail to do , whensoever he thinks it consistent with his interest . and that a power to employ his vassals in such work as this , was conferred by christ upon s. peter and his successors , pope pius the fifth tells you , in the beginning of his bull against queen elizabeth . saith he , regnans in excelsis , &c. he that reigneth on high , to whom is given all power in h●●●en and in earth , hath committed the one holy , catholick and apostolick church , to one alone on earth , viz. peter prince of the apostles , and to his successor the bishop of rome , to be governed with a plenitude of power . this one hath he constituted prince over all nations and kingdoms , ( but what to do ? the next words tell us ) qui evellat , destruat , dissipet , disperdat , plantet & aedificet . that he may pluck up , destroy , break in pieces , waste , ( blessed work ! ) plant and build ( i. e. ) upon those ruines . and pope innocent the third applieth to the popes in a literal sence those words in the prophecy of ieremy : see , i have set thee over the nations , and over the kingdoms , to root out , and to pull down , and to destroy , and to throw down , to build and to plant . and it would be a most tedious piece of work to shew , what use the popes have made of this their pretended power ; and how they have menaced with excommunication those good-natured or prudent princes , whom they have not found forward to obey their commands in destroying hereticks . so necessary is it that a papist , if he will be true to his principles , should be either actually cruel , or in a ready preparation to be so . and where is the lust of pride and ambition so gratified to the height as in the church of rome ? as for the head of this church , can there be a prouder or so proud a creature upon gods earth ? who claims as universal and unbounded an empire over mankind , as the father hath invested his son iesus withal . who pretendeth his authority to exceed as much the royal power as the sun doth the moon . which are the words of the now mentioned pope innocent in the place cited . who assumes to himself as great a power over kings and emperors as over the meanest of peasants , and authority to dispose of their crowns and kingdoms at his own pleasure : and , whensoever he hath been strong enough , hath made them feel it . who claims as great a power over mens very consciences , their minds and understandings ( as we have seen ) in matters of religion , as god himself can . nay , usurpeth such a power as god himself abhors to have , as shall be shewn anon . so that if the man of sin , who sitteth in the temple of god , and exalteth himself above all that is called god , be not to be found in rome , no part of the world ever was or will be able to shew him . and how is it possible that such prodigious pride in the head should not affect and influence the members , both clergy and laity ; and that there should be none or little contagion in such an example ? surely the example of the profoundly humble iesus cannot have a more powerful influence upon his disciples , than that of his diabolically proud and haughty pretended vicars must needs have upon their proselytes ; especially considering the great propensity of humane nature to this sin of pride . but as for the popish clergie , they have infinite temptations to the gratifying to the height this lust , and as great opportunities for it . to pass by the cardinals and bishops , the former of which have the stile and go in the equipage of princes , and are co-partners with their high and mighty lord in his forementioned vast rule and government : and the latter not inferior to the greatest of the nobility , and have been censured for going too much out of their way to meet princes ; i say to pass by these , their common priests , monks and friers have the greatest incentives to pride , haughtiness and contempt of others , that the most ambitious of them all can well wish to have . as for the priests , i need not say how much their pretended power of transubstantiating the elements in the eucharist , which is no less than making a god almighty with pronouncing five words , must needs conciliate veneration from the people to them . and also what a mighty awe and reverence their taking of auricular confession from people of all ranks lying prostrate before them must necessarily beget in their minds towards them . and to other instigations to pride , too many to be now instanced in , may be added their priviledge of taking the sacrament in both kinds , whereas the greatest men of the laity may not presume to touch the cup. and then for the monks and friers ▪ what a gratification of pharisaical pride is the opinion that the silly vulgar have of their extraordinary sanctity , by means of the many ceremonies , of which some are peculiar to one , and some to another order , which are devised for no other purpose , but to make up a mock-shew of wonderful humility , contempt of the world , and mortification ? and to the lust of pride we next add that of covetousness , this is no less gratified by the popish religion than the other : and no wonder , for covetousness is a pander and pimp to pride . indeed , the whole systeme of popery is mainly contrived for the heaping up of wealth . this is manifestly designed in their doctrine of purgatory ; of the merit of good works ; the popes indulgences , and his prodigious grants of pardons ; the prohibition of marriage to priests ; their many spiritual fraternities , &c. but i must not take liberty to enlarge here ; for innumerable are the ways and methods of the papacy , and that are interwoven with the popish religion , for scraping together the wealth of the world : so notoriously guilty is that church of the crime which s. paul charged the seducers with , tit. i. ii. viz. teaching things that they ought not , for filthy lucres sake . she hath infinitely out-done all societies and bodies of men that ever were in the world in the politick trade of grasping and accumulating riches ; and that ( which makes it far the more abominable ) varnisht over with a form and mighty shew of godliness ; though in the mean time she sticks at no means , though never so unrighteous and abominably wicked , to accomplish her end. the sect of the pharisees , her famous predecessors , who made long prayers to devour widows houses , were in comparison of her very silly novices at this artifice , and sorry bunglers . which should i make out by proceeding to enumerate the rest of the particulars ( as hath been now intimated ) i should hardly know where to make an end. then , for the lust of vncleanness , what greater encouragement can a beastly creature have to give it its full swinge and liberty , than holy church gives him ? as also what dangerous and next to unavoidable snares doth she lay in the way of those mens chastity , who would be glad to live honestly ? as to the encouragement she gives to the satisfaction of this lust , what can be greater than to make simple fornication a venial sin ? that is , in the popish sence of that phrase , a mere peccadillo ; all of which kind put together , bellarmin will tell you , cannot equal one mortal sin , nor destroy charity : nor deprive us of gods favour , etiamsi nullum pactum esset de remissione , although there were no covenant of grace . and whereas it will be replied , that though such sins expose not to the torments of hell , yet they do to those of purgatory , which are sufficient to scare a man from them , and particularly from this of fornication : i add this as another great encouragement to the commission of it , viz. the exceeding light penances that are ordinarily imposed for it , such as going a little way bare●●●● ; a little piece of money ; so often repeating so many prayers , &c. but can there be greater encouragement given , than his holiness his not bare connivence at , but toleration of publick stews or bawdy-houses even at his own door , and sharing with them in their wicked gains ? nay , chemnitius tells us ( for which he quotes the authority of sleidan ) that the popes legat himself had lately in a publick writing , both defended in his own behalf , and commended to others that horrid wickedness for which sodom with the neighbouring cities was destroyed by fire . in short , there is a thousand times greater discouragement given in and by the church of rome to holy wedlock ( the special means appointed by god for the preservation of chastity ) than to vncleanness of what kind soever , and even the most vnnatural , as might largely be shewed . the holy fathers of the council of trent have the impudence to oppose chastity to matrimony , in their ninth canon of the eighth session . which leads me to shew likewise what snares are laid by that church , and what next to invincible temptations to the sin of uncleanness she exposeth innumerable people to . as imposing vows of perpetual single life upon all priests , monks , friers and nuns , most of which live idly and fare plentifully ; and giving the priests the most inviting opportunities for the commission of fornication and adultery that can be : there being not a female of ripe years but is obliged once a year at least to be alone with a priest for auricular confession . and whensoever they please to apply themselves to them upon that pretence , 't is a sin for parents , husbands , &c. to prohibit them : by which means there is no sort of men scarcely in all christendom so infamous for filthiness as the popish priests : and what a snare their example must necessarily be to the laity , i need not say . i might instance in other high provocations to lust and wantonness which the clergy and laity of that church must thank her for . as her excessive number of holy days , whereon the laity at least must be idle whether they will or no. and which , considering how they are observed as well within the church as out of it , do generally not at all serve the purposes of religion ; and , considering the liberty that is allowed , are only opportunities for making provision for the flesh to fulfil it in the lusts thereof . and as for the carnivals , the business of them is to commit all manner of wickedness with greediness , and with the greatest secrecy and security . and therefore i need not distinctly shew what liberty that church gives to the sin of intemperance , the highest provocative to lasciviousness . lastly , for that of the grossest injustice and vnrighteousness , no men in the world have such encouragement to make no bones of it as have the children of the church of rome : diverse of whose practices and principles are exactly fitted for so execrable a design , as the extirpating out of mens minds all sense of justice or common honesty . as particularly , the pope's claiming a power to dispense with the most solemn oaths , and frequent exercise of that power in absolving subjects from their allegiance to heretical princes , and otherwise : that truly catholick principle , that faith is not to be kept with hereticks ; which a council of constance put in practice upon poor iohn husse : the doctrine of equivocation and mental reservation , which takes away all security and confidence in one anothers words , and tends to the destruction of humane society . this doctrine is not proper to the iesuits , but ( as father parsons saith in his treatise tending to mitigation ) hath been received in the roman church for four hundred years . and if you take in the professed principles of that their most renowned order , which improve that doctrine so far , as in some cases , but especially in those wherein their religion is concerned , to make it lawful or at least venial , to back equivocations with sacred oaths , and horrible imprecations ; and that before a court of judicature ( at least if it consists of hereticks ) of the practising upon which we have had among our selves of late most amazing instances : if , i say , you take in these principles ( which are now collected out of their books into pamphlets , and exposed to the view of every body ) as also those very many other , which are to be seen in the iesuits morals , you will say that should we rake hell for doctrines to make men devils , there can none be found more effectual for the purpose than those wherewith we are furnished by the church of rome . and so much shall suffice to be spoken to the first particular , viz. that popery tendeth as much as is possible to the debauching our souls , by bringing them into subjection to vile affections ; in discoursing on which we have studied to be as brief as can be . secondly , popery no less tendeth to disquiet mens minds with certain troublesom and tormenting passions . we have shewed in the first section , that all corrupt affections ( and therefore the forementioned , to which all may be reduced ) are of a very tormenting nature : in saying therefore now that popery tends to disquiet men with certain troublesom passions , i design a distinct head of discourse , viz. that the better and wiser any man of that religion is , the more will his mind be disturbed by a many points thereof ; particularly with fear , shame , anxiety and solicitude : and first , for the passion of fear , what can so excite this , or make a man so much a slave to it , as the popish doctrine of purgatory ? whosoever doth really believe that there is a life after this , must needs be more or less solicitous about his state in that life ; and according to the degrees of that his faith , will his solicitude be greater or less . now the belief of that doctrine must necessarily be accompanied with great fear of death ; which , as the apostle saith , makes those who are under the power of it all their life-time subject to bondage . for , as the pains of purgatory are taught to be so dreadful and terrible as to equallize those of hell , except onely in the duration of them ( and how long each particular person may lie there before he be released , whether scores or hundreds of years , as also what degrees of torment shall be allotted to him , is the greatest uncertainty ) so no man can have any rational assurance , let him lead never so strictly holy a life , of escaping this place of torment ; no nor the least hope neither from such a life , if it be short of absolute perfection , as whose is not ? and as for the efficacy of penances and indulgences , it is impossible for any one who ever thinks seriously about the concerns of his soul , and understands any thing of religion , at least not to be full of diffidence what it may amount to . those are such monstrous cheats , the former for the most part of them , and the latter all of them , that such as are not much short of brutes for folly , or of devils for wickedness , can never be so blinded as to promise to themselves the least benefit or advantage from them , and much less that which is promised by the pope and the priests . again , what a slavish fear and dread of god , as a revengeful being , must needs possess the minds of those who have imbibed the church of rome's doctrine concerning whippings and scourgings , and other severe penances ? viz. that they are necessary not onely for mortification , but likewise for satisfaction , in the popish sence of that word . but what a spirit of bondage are they under then from dread of god's vengeance , in believing ( as they are bound ) that god will not remit the punishment of sin where the guilt of it is washed away with the bloud of christ , upon the performance of the conditions of the new covenant ( which is as nonsensical as false ) that he will not remit it , i say , to such , so far as to excuse them from intolerable temporary torments in the other world , except he hath other satisfaction given him in this life by themselves ; nor from torments of a vastly long duration , except it be given him by others after their decease ? their church is so well aware , with what horrible dread and fear this doctrine must necessarily affect poor credulous fools , that she hath invented it for that very reason ; because by this means she brings them into the most slavish subjection , makes her self mistress of their purses , and is enabled to have her fill of tyranny over their consciences , their souls and bodies . what tongue can express the devilishness of such practices ! next for the passion of shame ; the necessity of all people's of both sexes confessing to the priest , which is enjoyned by the council of trent to be done once a year at least , and that of all their actual sins , and not onely so , but also of all their purposes and desires to commit them , nay , and inclinations too ; what violence is hereby done to the modesty of all such as have not arrived to the height of impudence ? this is ( to use the words of the learned doctor more ) as if all the modest maids and grave matrons in the parish should strip themselves stark naked , and in that manner humble themselves before their priest once a year : which would look like a piece of unsupportable tyranny . and yet ( as he proceeds ) this extorted confession upon pain of damnation not to conceal any thing , is not the stripping of a man to his naked body , but the stripping him of his body , that they may see his naked heart , and so by the force of this superstition break into those secrets , which it is onely the due priviledge of god almighty to be acquainted with , &c. and lastly , what anxiety and solicitude must those papists minds needs be tormented with , who are at all concerned about their eternal state , by reason of these following doctrines , viz. that of the dependence of the efficacy of sacraments upon the priests intention : that of confession now mentioned , decreed in the trent canons , viz. that the penitent must not onely confess every mortal sin , which after the strictest search he can call to mind , but even his particular sinful thoughts , his secret desires , and every circumstance which changeth the nature of the sin : and that of their distinction of sins into mortal and venial ; to pass by many others . as for the first of these , that known doctrine of the dependence of the efficacy of sacraments upon the priests intention : such as baptism ; the lords supper ; absolution , which is a grand popish sacrament , &c. can it be other than a great disturbance and distraction to a considering person , whether there be any dash of melancholy in his temper or no , to think with himself thus : what if after all my care and all my expence , the priest should either from a principle of malice or non-advertency not direct his intention as he ought to do ? then , if i am not remedilesly damned , i am at least in eminent danger of damnation . but then as to the second relating to confession ; this ushers in this perplexing difficulty , viz. how shall i in enquiring after my particular sins , in deed , word and thought , assure my self that i have used my utmost diligence ? which if i have not done , my absolution will signifie nothing to me . and as to confessing the circumstances of sins , the questions and scruples which naturally arise from thence are too many to be recited . but i 'le transcribe some passages of the learned bishop taylor ' s , concerning auricular confession , which are greatly to our present purpose . saith he in his disswasive from popery , the first part , how this can be safely done , and who is sufficient for these things , and who can tell his circumstances without tempting his confessor , or betraying and defaming another person ( which is forbidden ) and in what cases it may be done , and in what cases omitted ; and whether the confession be valid upon infinite other considerations , and whether it be to be repeated in whole or in part , and how often , and how much ? these things are so uncertain , casual and contingent , and so many cases are multiplied upon every one of these ; and these so disputed by their greatest doctors , by thomas and scotus , and all the school-men , and by the casuists ; that , as beatus rhenanus complains , it was truly observed by the famous john geilerius , that according to their cases , enquiries and conclusions , it is impossible for any man to make a right confession . and thus he concludes that section : so that although the shame of private confession be very tolerable and easie , yet the cases and scruples which they have introduced , are neither easie nor tolerable . and though , as it is now used , there be but little in it to restrain sin , yet there is very much danger of encreasing it , and of receiving no benefit by it . but yet for all this , the trent gentlemen in the fore-cited session and chapter , call it an impious thing to say that this their auricular confession is carnificina conscientiarum , a racking and torturing of peoples consciences . but it would be a wonder if the greatest wickedness should be unaccompanied with the most shameless impudence . as for the third doctrine i named , viz. that of their distinction of sins into mortal and venial ( that is , in their own nature so ) the intanglements it brings men into are inextricable . for they cannot be satisfied from their casuists what sins are venial and what are not so , in very many instances . and much less can they distinguish between the greatest venial sins and the least mortal ones . now , considering this little that hath been said , as the apostle saith , cor. . . where the spirit of the lord is ( or the true spirit of christianity ) there is liberty , so may we say , where the spirit of popery is , there is slavery ; much worse than egyptian slavery . no papist who is disposed to be devout and religious can be better than a poor superstitious creature : nor can scarcely serve god after a better sort than a turkish slave doth his cruel patron ; or than the poor indians worship the devil . but that those of them who make conscience of their ways , and are religiously inclined are not beholden to their popery for being so , will be fully made to appear in the next chapter . chap. xviii . the third particular discoursed on , viz. that the admirable method our lord hath taken to instate us in our christian liberty , is made lamentably ineffectual by popery . this shewed as to each of those four particulars that method consists of . the second head briefly spoken to , viz. that popery is also the greatest enemy to that liberty christ purchased for the jews in particular . a pathetical exhortation to a higher valuing of the priviledges we enjoy in the church of england concludes the chapter . thirdly , the admirable course and method which our lord hath taken to instate us in our christian liberty is made lamentably ineffectual by popery , for , first , whereas we have shewed , that he hath fully informed us concerning all the parts and particulars of our liberty , what can the romish church do more than she doth to keep men in ignorance of them ? the holy scriptures ( as hath been said ) she hath locked up : and though ( as that excellent gentleman sir edwyn sandys saith ) as well to beat back the irksome out-cries of their adversaries , as to give some content and satisfaction to their own , that they might not think them so terribly afraid of the bible , they were content to let it be translated by some of their favourers into the vulgar , as also some number of copies to be saleable a-while at the beginning ; yet since , having hushed that former clamour , and made better provision for the establishment of their kingdom , they have called all vulgar bibles straitly in again , yea the very psalms of david , which their famous preacher , bishop panigarola translated , as doubting else the unavoidableness of those former inconveniences . and such base , blasphemous reflections upon the holy scriptures have been published , both from their pulpits and presses , as speak them exceedingly dangerous by reason of their extreme obscurity , even in points necessary to salvation ( though the apostle saith , if our gospel be hid , it is hid to them that are lost ) as well as not worth the reading , as being fitted to serve all turns , a dead letter , and at best an insufficient rule , and not signifying any thing unaccompanied with their paltry traditions ; though s. paul saith , the scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation . nor do their preachers make any great amends for this intolerable abuse ; for , as they are too generally most sottishly ignorant , and know little more of the scriptures than the poor people , so the most knowing of them for the most part stuff their sermons with legends and idle tales , make as little use of scripture as they can , and feed their flocks with sorry trash , nay , with rank poison mingled with the sincere milk of the word , and the saving doctrines of the gospel . secondly , whereas we have shewn , that our lord hath furnisht us with the most potent means for the gaining of our christian liberty , this church hath also taken a course to make these unsuccessful we will instance in some of them . as for that of believing himself to be the son of god , &c. we need add nothing to what hath been said to shew how little she befriends it , in that she makes her own authority the onely foundation of that belief . that of hearing his word , we have now seen how ineffectual she makes it . that of prayer she makes so as much as she can , both by her foresaid doctrine of the non-necessity of imploying the mind therein , and her suitable practice of enjoyning the reading of prayers in an unknown tongue : as also by defiling them with superstitious rites , and even gross idolatry : and by joyning many mediators with iesus christ. that of the observation of the lords day , for which we have uninterrupted tradition from the apostles times , she hath made as effectual to the business 't is designed for , as the rest of her holy-days . that of denying our sensitive appetites , she is a wonderful friend to , as appears by the foresaid doctrine concerning simple fornication , and the forementioned liberty she allows , and the indulgences her popes have granted . and lastly , those of the sacraments , how unserviceable hath she made them to their intended end , by her doctrines of opus operatum , and of making their efficacy dependent on the priests intention : and that of the lords supper , by robbing the people of half , and converting the whole by her prodigious doctrine of transubstantiation into the most shameful idolatry ; and by her , doctrine of the sacrifice of the mass into a daily crucifying our lord afresh , and putting him again to an open shame . thirdly , whereas we have shewed that our lord hath purchased for us a rich supply of grace , to enable us to use these and the like means with happy success , i need not say what an enemy popery is to this grace and the efficaciousness thereof , having now shewn what an enemy it is to these means . fourthly , whereas we have likewise presented several most powerful motives , which our lord hath given us to prevail with our wills to comply with this grace , popery is apt greatly to weaken and deaden every one of them to all its proselytes . as for instance , . that of the vnconceiveable love of god , expressed in sending his onely begotten son upon the errand of our deliverance , &c. wherein we said are implied two wonderfully exciting motives to comply heartily with the method christ hath taken to set us free from the dominion of sin , viz. first , gods extremest hatred of sin , in that he would not propose terms of reconciliation to sinners without the intervention of such a sacrifice as that of his dear son. secondly , his as wonderful love to sinners . now as to the former of these two motives , what influence can it have upon those who are made to believe that a company of little sleight penances will satisfie for great and enormous crimes ? can they think that god doth account sin so heinous and intolerable an evil , when they presume him so willing to be reconciled to great sinners upon the most easie terms and conditions ? the foresaid gentleman , who was conversant among them , tells us , that their penance doth ordinarily consist but in ave maries and pater nosters , with some easie alms to them that are able , and some little fasting to such as are willing . and that he himself hath known , when the penance for horrible blasphemy , and that frequent too , besides much other lewdness , hath been but the bare saying of their beads thrice over ; which in italy ( such good husbands are they ) hinders no business , but ( as he also observes ) they dispatch their beads as they walk the streets , or rid business at home , making it two lips and one fingers work . but were the penance imposed by the priests never so sharp , he shews that the fathers plenary pardon sweeps all away at a blow . and that of these they have granted ( especially the pope that lived in his time ) so huge a number , that he believed there were few churches of note in italy , which had not purchased or procured a perpetual plenary indulgence , by virtue whereof whosoever at certain days being confessed , and , having communicated , pours out his devotions at some altar in that church , or gives alms to the behoof thereof , had forthwith free remission of all sin and punishment . which , i say , is the most effectual course that can be devised to make people think , that the greatest sins are no greater evil in god's than they are in their own account . and then as to the latter motive , how is the love of god to sinners lessened by this doctrine of theirs , viz. that by the sufferings of christ true penitents are indeed delivered from hell , but not from the direful pains of purgatory , which ( as was said ) may be equal in all respects to those of hell , except in the duration of them ; which yet may endure too for many ages , but that they have invented means to shorten them . and their eaking out the satisfaction which christ hath made to the divine justice for sinners , with satisfactions of their own making , doth also not a little disparage his and his fathers love in what he hath suffered in their behalf . . as to the motive of christ's admirable example , we have shewed of what little efficacy this is made by the vile examples of his vicars and vicegerents , and their spiritual guides . whereunto i will add this passage of the said sir edwin's , that the iniquity of their chief see hath been so exorbitant , as to have raised amidst themselves this proverb or saying , that the worst christians of italy are the romans , of the romans the priests are wickedest , the lewdest priests are preferred to be cardinals , and the baddest man among the cardinals is preferred to be pope . . as for this motive , viz. the assurance christ hath given us , that he will not take such advantage of our frailties as to cast us off for them . it is even quite taken away by their doctrine of even venial sins being so severely punisht in purgatory . . for that of our saviour's mediation and intercession , what a little motive have they made it , by making so many co-mediators with iesus christ , as if his mediation were far from sufficient . and nothing hath been more observed than that for one pater noster , they say very many ave maries . and the virgin mother of god ( as they call her ) is caressed after that rate by them , that 't is scarcely uncharitable to suspect that they lay far more stress upon her's than upon her son's merits . lastly , to joyn together the motives of the glorious reward promised to the subduing of corrupt affections , and the most dismal punishment those are threatned with who gratisie them , it appears abundantly from what hath been already said , that they have made these exceedingly weak and insignificant . but that one doctrine is enough to do it alone , which we find backt with the authority of the council of trent , viz. that imperfect contrition , or attrition , although by it self it cannot bring a sinner to iustification , without the sacrament of penance ; nevertheless it disposeth him for the obtaining of the grace of god in that sacrament . now they tell you immediately before what they mean by attrition , viz. a sorrow for sin , arising either from the consideration of its turpitude , or from the fear of hell , ( not from both together , but from either ) excluding a will to sin for the future , and accompanied with the hope of pardon . now who can find it difficult to be affected with sorrow for his sins , for fear of hell , and to be willing to leave off to sin , when he sees death approaching , and he can sin no longer ? and then a priest being at hand to apply the sacrament of penance , according to this sweet doctrine , the most profligate sinners work is done for the other world. and therefore what need any man put himself to the trouble of subduing his lusts , and a holy life , seeing all that 's necessary to eternal salvation may be dispatcht on the death-bed ? if it be said , that no man can be certain that he shall have any time of sickness before death , or that he shall not be cut off in a moment , as many are , or that he shall be compos mentis , and have the use of reason in his sickness , and therefore 't is a mad thing to put off the great work of saving a man's soul to the very last : i say , if this be said , the answer is easie , that seeing there 's scarcely one in some hundreds but hath at some time or other the use of his intellectuals upon his death-bed , and so very few comparatively die without some warning , there is no doubt of it , but a hardned sinner will put those things to the venture , when once he hath drunk down the comfortable cordial which is prepared for him by his spiritual physicians , and that by a general council of them too , which never fails of being infallible . and thus we have seen how wofully mischievous popery is in making as ineffectual as can be the most admirable method our lord hath pitcht upon for the setting us free from the power of sin. which argument i have been the more brief upon , because i have already discoursed upon it in the design of christianity . secondly , it remains to be shewn what an enemy popery is to that liberty which our saviour purchased for the iews particularly . the church of rome hath laid on a far more intolerable burden of ceremonies and ritual observances than that which our saviour took off their shoulders . which , as they fall not short of the iewish ones in number , ( nay i may say do much exceed them ) so they are ( to say nothing how grosly superstitious many of them are , and some as idolatrous ) for the most part so odd and uncouth , so childish and ridiculous , so vain and garish , as that it is not conceivable how truly devout and serious people should stoop so low as to give their minds to them , and not lose their seriousness and devoutness . the ill influence which the mosaical ordinances had by accident , and through their own default upon the minds of the iews , these must naturally have , and a far worse , upon the minds of papists . it would be an endless piece of work to discourse of them particularly , and i shall onely refer the reader to the seventeenth , eighteenth , and nineteenth chapters of the several times quoted mystery of iniquity . nor will i add any thing farther of mine own upon this unpleasant subject , but set down what sir edwyn sandys hath acquainted us with from his own observation . saith he , to omit the endless multitude of superstitions and ceremonies of the church of rome , enough to take up a great part of a mans life to gaze on and to peruse ; being neither vniform in all places , as some would pretend , but different in divers countries : an huge sort of them are so childish also and unsavoury , that , as they argue great silliness and rawness in their inventors , so can they naturally bring no other than disgrace and contempt to those exercises of religion wherein they are stirring . nor can i forbear to add the following large citation from the same author , in the conclusion of this discourse , of the infinite injury that is done by popery to christian liberty : viz. the particular ways they hold to ravish all affections and to fit each humour , are well nigh infinite : there being not any thing either sacred or prophane , no virtue nor vice almost , nothing of how contrary condition soever , which they make not in some sort to serve that turn ; that each fancy may be satisfied , and each appetite find what to feed on . whatsoever either wealth can sway with the lovers , or voluntary poverty with the despisers of the world ; what honour with the ambitious , what obedience with the humble ; what great employment with stirring and metall'd spirits ; what perpetual quiet with heavy and restive bodies ; what content the pleasant nature can take in pastimes and iollity ; what contrariwise the austere mind in discipline and rigour ; what love either chastity can raise in the pure , or voluptuousness in the dissolute , &c. what with the hopeful prerogative of reward can work ; what errors , doubts and dangers with the fearful , &c. what pardons with the faulty , or supplies with the defective ; what miracles with the credulous ; what visions with the fantastical ; what gorgiousness of shews with the vulgar and simple ; what multitude of ceremonies with the superstitious and ignorant ; what prayer with the devout ; what with the charitable works of piety ; what rules of higher perfection with elevated affections ; what dispensing with breach of all rules with men of lawless conditions : in summ , what thing soever can prevail with any man , either for himself to pursue , or at leastwise to love , reverence or honour in another , the same is found with them , not as in other places of the world by casualty blended without order , and of necessity ; but sorted in great part into several professions , &c. what pomp , what riot to that of their cardinals ? what severity of life comparable to their hermits and capuchins ? who wealthier than their prelates ? who poorer by vow and profession than their mendicants ? on the one side of the street a cloister of virgins , on the other a stye of courtizans with publick toleration . this day all in masks with all looseness and foolery , to morrow all in processions , whipping themselves till the bloud follows . on one door an excommunication throwing to hell all transgressors , on another a iubilee or full discharge from all transgressions , &c. what pride equal to the pope's , making kings to kiss his pantafle ? what humility greater than his , shriving himself daily on his knees to an ordinary priest ? &c. where greater rigour in the world in acting the observation of the church laws ? where less care or conscience of the commandments of god ? to taste flesh on a friday , where suspicion might fasten , were a matter for the inquisition ; whereas on the other side the sunday is one of their greatest market-days . to conclude , never state , never government in the world so strangely compacted of infinite contrarieties , all tending to entertain the several humours of all men , and to work what kind of effects soever they shall desire , &c. so that where is mad licentiousness more countenanced in the whole world than it is by this church ? and where are poor mortals made such miserable slaves as she makes them ? and consequently , how can there be a greater enemy than the romish church is , to that which we have proved to be the true , and most excellent liberty ? and now is it possible , that after the reading of the foregoing account of the unsupportably tyranny , the intolerably corrupt principles and most abominable practices of the church of rome , we should not be very greatly affected with the priviledges we enjoy in the church of england ? and with the infinite goodness of god to us in giving us our birth and education in a church which affords us all the advantages of which that church , like a cruel step-mother , robs her children ? we live in a church which lays before us the scripture arguments for our confirmati●n in the christian faith ; which obligeth us to receive the faith of christ upon the self-same grounds and motives that are proposed by our saviour and his apostles , and upon no other . we live in a church which not onely gives us free leave , but likewise enjoyns us to read the holy scriptures , and deprives us of no part of them . we live in a church which requires us to receive nothing as an article of faith upon her bare authority ; that assumes nothing of in●allibility to her self , but freely gives us the liberty of trying all things : that imposeth nothing upon our belief or practice as necessary to salvation , but what is in the plainest and most express terms to be found in the bible : that makes the scriptures a complete rule of faith , and adds not one syllable of her own to supply their defect : that takes no liberty in her constitutions , but such as she believes to be agreeable to the general apostolical rules of doing all things decently and in order , and to edification ; and imposeth these not as of divine institution , or as necessary in their own nature , but onely as expedient for the more solemn , grave and decorous management of the publick worship of god : this being left by christ and his apostles to the prudence of the governours of each particular church . we live in a church which abominates the worship of god by images , allows no prayers to saints or angels , but onely to the true god by the alone mediation of our lord iesus christ. we live in a church which renounceth all merit of good works , and teacheth us to expect salvation onely for the sake of iesus christ , and through his righteousness ; but gives not the least countenance to licentious practices , or remissness in good works ; and teacheth the absolute necessity of purging our selves by the assistance of the divine grace from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit , in order to our being made capable of god's complacential love here , and glory hereafter . lastly , ( whereas i might be exceedingly large upon this subject ) we live in a church wherein we want no necessary help for the building us up in our most holy faith , or our having the design of our saviour's religion happily effected in us ; namely , the reformation of our lives , and our being renewed after the image of god , which consisteth in righteousness and true holiness . o that at length we could become more eflectually sensible of the blessed priviledges the divine goodness vouchsafeth to us of the church of england , lest we be made to prize them by the loss of them : lest our general monstrous ingratitude , and lamentable unprofitableness under them ; and the wantonness , peevishness , and causless separation of multitudes from the communion of this church , provoke the divine majesty to put our necks once more under the iron yoke of those tyrants , which made such vassals of our fore-fathers . if that dismal day should again come ( as god grant it may not ) with what sorrow and grief of soul shall we reflect upon our neglecting and despising such happy opportunities as we now enjoy ? what would we not then gladly part with to regain them , when we are deprived of them ? and o that our several divided parties were capable of being perswaded to consider sedately and seriously before it be too late , what their gain will be by the fall of our chuch , when themselves and their religion lie buried together in her ruines . chap. xix . the fourth inference , that he onely is a true christian , that looks upon himself as obliged to be no less watchful over his heart and the frame and temper of his mind , than over his life and conversation . i shall now return to more immediately practical discourse , for what remains of this treatise , which is far more pleasing to my self than that i have been employed in for several of the past chapters ; as necessary and seasonable as that is also . fourthly , from our notion of christian liberty this is another manifest inference , viz. that a true christian is one that looks upon himself as obliged to be no less watchful over his heart , than over his life and conversation ; to take as great care to cleanse the inside of the cup and platter ( to use our saviour's expression ) as the outside ; to be as vigilant over his affections , as over his outward behaviour ; to be as solicitous about purging himself from all immoderate love of the things of this world , as about procuring them by warrantable and lawful means . the true christian makes as much conscience of lusting after a woman and cherishing impure thoughts , as he doth of lascivious and wanton practices ; of harbouring revenge in his breast , and bearing ill will to any , as of repaying injury with injury . he needs not to be made sensible that 't is no less his duty to forgive and love his enemies , than to forbear reviling them or doing evil to them ; that 't is as indispensably necessary to be low in his own eyes , and to think meanly of himself , as to beware of a haughty and supercilious carriage towards others ; that he cannot more safely covet than he can steal his neighbours goods ; that he is as much bound to bring his will into subjection to the will of god , under the severest providences , as to forbear murmuring , repining and charging of god foolishly . he who is a christian in deed as well as in name placeth religion in governing his own spirit , no less than in any external performances or forbearances of what nature soever ; in putting away from himself all wrath , bitterness and sourness , no less than in abstaining from uncivil deportment towards his brethren . this man doth not think it more necessary to do good works than to do them from a good principle : and he is as much concerned about loving of god , as about doing what he hath commanded him , and forbearing what he hath forbidden him . he no less endeavours to hate sin , than not to commit it ; and to be in love with his duty , than to do his duty . nay , the sincere christian looks upon that as his greatest and most important work and business which is least in sight , which is to be done within himself ; as well knowing that if the tree be good , its fruit will be so also : that ( as our saviour saith ) a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit , nor a good tree evil fruit ; and that all must needs be well without him , if all be well within him : and that no outward temptations can be forceably enough to draw him to sin , so long as there is entertained within him no treacherous lust , that is ready to take part with them . that he to whom this character doth not belong is no genuine christian , is apparent , in that such a person is no freeman . and as a great number of texts do plainly speak the former proposition to be true , so is it to be concluded from what hath been discoursed of the nature of christian liberty ; from our having demonstrated that it consisteth in deliverance from all inslaving lusts , and in having all obstacles taken out of the way to our complete complying with the laws of righteousness and goodness . chap. xx. the last inference . viz. that the most proper and genuine christian obedience is that which hath most of liberty in it ; namely , that which proceeds from the principle of love to god and goodness . fifthly and lastly , i infer from our discourse of christian liberty what is the most proper and genuine christian obedience ; surely that which hath most of liberty in it ; that obedience which is most free and least forced : that which springs from an inward living principle , and is not merely occasioned by the consideration of external motives and arguments . and then doth a man act from an inward principle of life , when he acts from the love of god and goodness . there is scarcely any distinction betwixt these two , for to love god , that is , as god , is to be inamoured primarily with his most beautiful and amiable perfections of righteousness , purity , beneficence and mercy ; all which may properly be expressed by that one excellent word goodness . i say to love god as god is to be in love with these perfections primarily , and to love his person upon the account of them , if it be lawful to distinguish them , and abstract his person from his perfections . but those do most truly conceive of that incomprehensible being , who make no such abstraction , but describe him by calling him infinite righteousness and purity , bounty and mercy , wisdom and power , &c. rather than a being in whom are all these perfections : for they are not so properly said to be in god , as to be god himself . thus limited that maxim of the schools is indisputably true , viz. quicquid est in deo est ipse deus : whatsoever is in god is god himself . so that i say , to love god and to love goodness as such do amount to the same thing : to love god not because good in himself , but because good and kind to me , is more self-love than a love of god. a wicked man may thus love god , for as the wise man observes , that every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts , so is he especially to him that bestoweth gifts upon himself ; the very brutes are so , and he is more a devil than a man that is not so . publicans and sinners , our saviour saith , do love those who love them , and the more a man loves himself the more will he be inclined to love his benefactors and best friends as such . now ( as i said ) that is the most free , and consequently the most christian obedience which ariseth from an inward lively sense of the beauty and amiableness of goodness , of the christian virtues and graces , which are all so many rays of and emanations from the divine goodness , and therefore those who are indued with them are said to be partakers of a divine nature : and when we act from this principle we act from a new nature , and i need not say that no actions are so free as natural actions . thus to do good is to do like god himself , the freest of all agents ; for he doth good not from external motives , but from the infinite complacency he takes in goodness it self . i am the lord who exercise loving kindness , iudgment and righteousness in the earth , for in these things do i d●light saith the lord , ier. . . which is as much as to say , therefore i am exercised in these things , because i delight in them : or , my delight in these things is the principle whereby i am acted in the exercise of them . thou art good ( saith the psalmist ) and dost good , psal. . . or , because thou art good thou dost good , and god's being good is his delighting in goodness . righteousness and goodness are too excellent things to be made mere means to a farther end. who is a god like unto thee , that pardoneth iniquity , and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage , he retaineth not his anger for ever ( and why he doth not , the next words tell us ) because he delighteth in mercy , mic. . . and our imitating of god and being like to him is the great design and business of our saviour's religion . but i would not be understood as if i affirmed that that obedience which springs from hope or fear , or is excited by the consideration of rewards and punishments is an obedience not becoming and unworthy of christians : if so , i should condemn our saviour and his apostles for proposing such motives . but i say , first , that the most genuinely christian obedience is that which proceeds from love , from the love of god and goodness ; not that christianity doth exclude all other motives , but this is the chief and principal , because it makes our obedience most free , and makes us most like to god in doing good. secondly , i say also that to do good from a principle of love to god and goodness , and to do it from the hope of heaven and the fear of hell are one and the same thing , if we have a true notion of heaven and hell : that is , if we conceive of the heavenly state as that which consists in a perfect likeness to god ( as perfect as our natures are capable of ) and a full and complete enjoyment of him ; and of the hellish state as that which is directly opposite to the heavenly , according to this notion of it . now i need not spend one minute in shewing , that to do good from the hope of such a happiness , and from the fear of such a misery , is to be acted by the foresaid principle of love in so doing . thirdly , i add , that to be acted by mere external motives , motives wholly extrinsical to god and goodness , by the ●●ar of hell onely considered as a place of torment , and the hope of heaven onely considered as a place of great pleasure and joy , without considering the nature of that torment and the nature of that joy , this is a low and mean obedience , as having nothing but self-love in it , and self-love of the lower kind too ; and this is a forced not a free obedience . it is a certain truth , that he who hath no sense of the inward pulchritude and loveliness of virtue , and of the deformity and ugliness of vice , and the eligibleness of the former before the latter considered in themselves , and therefore would be a wicked wretch if he were not held in by the mere hope of a reward and fear of punishment , though he be never so conformable outwardly to the laws of christ , this man is no christian. he is much nearer to the kingdom of god , than he on whom hope and fear have no influence to make him better , but he hath not attained to a due qualification and meetness for it . i appeal to any father , whether he would account such a one a good child who is mightily observant of him , if he were assured that his obedience proceeded from no more generous principles ; and that he would be a rogue and a villain but for fear of the lash , and that he hopes for his estate . as little reason hath our saviour to account such disciples of his good christians , as we have to account such sons of ours good children . and from what hath now been said we learn what to think of the principle of gratitude ; whether this makes that obedience which ariseth from thence the most genuinely christian obedience , as it is ordinarily said it doth . if our gratitude proceeds merely from the consideration of the divine bounty to our selves , taking no notice of that expressed to our fellow-creatures , it hath nothing but self-love in it , and therefore is more animal than christian gratitude . and consequently , i need not ask what we are to think of that gratitude which is founded onely or chiefly upon the peculiarity of god's love to our selves ; that wherein the sweetest and most indearing consideration is this , that the generality of mankind are excluded from it : truly this is a worse than mere animal gratitude , and speaks a mind exceedingly destitute of that divine ( and therefore christian ) temper , which exerts it self in universal good will. and i am certain that the more a christian any man is , the higher will the consideration of other's having a share with him in the blessings of god advance his gratitude . and that which doth most become us springs more from a lovely sense of the divine beneficence considered as largely extended , than from the consideration of its being terminated on our own persons or families , or some few people besides our selves . i do not say , that the peculiarity of a favour ought not to affect us , when it is not in our fancy onely but in reality : but , i say , there is nothing but what is natural , ( it is impossible we should not be affected with it when we consider it ) there is nothing proper to a christian in such a gratitude ; and i say also , that though this consideration , i have such a mercy conferred upon me , which not one in a thousand is blessed with besides my self , must needs the more affect me with joy and gratitude ; because it makes me sensible that it was more than a thousand to one i might have missed of it too , supposing it was no fruit of my extraordinary diligence , and i did no more than others for it who went without it : yet it would be a very uncharitable , and therefore wicked , thing in me to be so much the more thankful for that mercy , because it is denied to most others . there is a vast difference between being the more grateful for a blessing , because , since so small a number are partakers of it , i am one of those that are ; and being so , because so small a number are partakers of it . and the more will our gratitude have of the truly christian spirit , the less we abstract our selves from others in the consideration of those obligations god hath laid upon us together with others ; and by consequence that obedience will be most christian-like which flows from such a gratitude . the conclusion . now then , after all that hath been said upon this weighty argument , shall we continue as negligent and cold as ever in asserting our liberty ? that liberty which is infinitely most valuable , that liberty which sets free from the vilest and most intolerable slavery , the liberty of our souls , and the truly divine liberty ? shall that liberty which deserves not to be named on the same day with this , be so highly set by , and can we tamely give up this ? do men think freedom from bodily slavery to be worth the price of all they have , their lives and all , and are we able to imagine that freedom from spiritual slavery can be bought too dear ; or think much of using our most serious endeavours for the regaining of it ? had the laconick boy , when taken captive by a souldier of antigonus , so brave a spirit as to refuse to be employed by him , in any of that drudgery which was proper to slaves , and to prefer a violent death before a slavish life , when he despaired of redemption ? did those dardan women esteem slavery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the most loathsom of all evils , and so extremely vile and shameful a thing , as to take their dear children and drown them in the river to prevent their being made slaves of ? and are we of so much a baser make than that poor lad , and these silly women , as sheepishly to subject our selves to the incomparably most vile and dishonourable slavery ? nay , are we so void of all sense as to be unconcerned at the unsupportable misery which first or last will be the unavoidable consequent thereof ? are we nati ad servitutem , is slavery so natural to us , as that we can endure to be domineered over by the most tyrannical and unreasonable masters , as we have shewed our lusts and the devil are ? are we so in love with the house of bondage as to be well satisfied to make it the place of our perpetual residence ? are we so like apes as to hug our clogs , and so like bedlams as to be fond of our shackles ? the king of heaven , we have heard , hath sent his onely begotten son upon this very errand of knocking off our fetters , of proclaiming liberty to us captives , and opening the prison doors unto them that are bound ; of delivering us from our thraldom and vassalage , and making us free indeed , free with the most excellent and noble freedom ; and recovering those out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will ; and will we not be made free ? will we not exchange this worse than egyptian slavery for the glorious liberty of the sons of god ? as god said of old to ierusalem , wilt thou not be made clean , when shall it once be ? so let me say to every soul that lyeth under the dominion of corrupt affections , wilt thou not be set at liberty , when shall it once be ? did the grecians when set at liberty by flaminius ( as plutarch reports ) sound out , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saviovr , saviovr , with such a courage , that the birds which flew over them fell astonisht to the ground ? and can we be so little affected with what our saviour hath done for us in order to our being rescued from that slavery which is so much worse than theirs , as not to accept deliverance at his hands ? can we be so unconcerned at what king iesvs hath done for our redemption , as to refuse to embrace his offers of it ? have we conceived so low an opinion of the service of god , and his blessed son , as to chuse to be drudges and vassals to most cruel pharaohs , rather than to be their free-men ? had we rather still toil in the brick-kilns of egypt than inherit and possess the good land ; the land of peace and rest , liberty and joy ? god forbid . o that therefore we would at length be perswaded , first to accept of , and then to stand fast in the liberty , wherewith christ would make us free , and no more be intangled with the yoke of bondage . hath christ iesus taken such an admirable course in order to our being set free from the power of sin , and its dismal effects ? then let us no longer cry out , o wretched men that we are , who shall deliver us from the body of this death ? as if we knew of no deliverer ; but let us thank god through iesus christ our lord. it hath been shewed that christ is not so our deliverer as to leave us nothing to do , as to bid us stand still ( as moses did the israelites at the red-sea ) and see the salvation of god , and see what himself will do for us ; but that he doth expect we should do our part in order to our being set free. but he hath done as much as we can reasonably desire he should do for that end , and abundantly more than could ever have entered into our hearts to imagine he would have done ; and so much that it must be now wholly long of our selves , our own inexcusable negligence , if what he hath done prove at last unsuccessful . we are too weak to deliver our selves by our own strength , by our own natural power we are utterly unable to rescue our selves from under the dominion of our spiritual adversaries ; but christ hath purchased that grace which shall be sufficient for us , if we will make a believing application to him for it , so that we may , if it be not our own fault , be strong in the lord and in the power of his might ; and therefore our weakness can be no excuse . it is to be acknowledged also that we are naturally very listless and averse to the using of the means of our deliverance , but what would we desire our saviour to do more than he hath done to excite our wills and quicken our endeavours ? nor can we plead ignorance of the means to be used , for we have understood how fully our saviour and his apostles have instructed us in these . now hath christ been so wonderfully concerned for our deliverance , and can we our selves be unconcerned ? did he pay such a ransom and price for us , and not think much of coming down from heaven , of taking our nature , of parting with his precious bloud , and suffering inexpressible torments in order to this great end , and can we think it unworthy of our serious care ? what is this but to tread under foot the son of god , and that bloud whereby we are redeemed ? was ever any miserable slave heard of that might if he would be set at liberty , and yet refused ? or is it imaginable that such a one could listen to any temptation whatsoever to continue in slavery ? especially if he were promised by a person able to make good his word , that he should exchange his prison for a palace , and his house of bondage for a kingdom ? but we have seen that no less a motive than this is presented to us by one who cannot lie , and who is as able as faithful . we have the greatest security in the world given us of a crown of glory , and an everlasting kingdom ; which infinitely surpasseth all the crowns and kingdoms upon earth to perswade us to comply with that rare , most powerful and most wise method which our lord hath taken to make us free. what a wonderful thing is this , that our lord should hire us to accept of liberty , and that at such a rate as this ! that he should have such compassion and love for our souls , as , that so we may be perswaded to do that which is onely our own interest , and infinitely our greatest interest to do , that so we may be won upon to cease from the vilest , most filthy and most miserable drudgery , and to engage in his most free and blessed service , he should think that he cannot make us too large offers . that he should so strangely out-bid the devil and our lusts , and , that we may no longer be be●ooled by their pitiful promises of vanishing , empty and false pleasures , should proffer us such joys , such bliss , as to which those pleasures , were they truly so , and never so durable , cannot bear the least proportion ▪ and , that we might no longer suffer our selves to be insulted and tyrannized over by them , and to be , as it were , their footstool , he should assure us of his willingness , nay , of his great desire to advance us to his own throne . for , as hath been said , he hath promised to grant unto him that overcometh that he shall sit with him upon his throne , even as he also overcame , and is set down with his father upon his throne . he applieth himself to that principle which is most predominant in our natures , so that if the love of himself cannot , yet the love of our own selves may even compel us to come in to his service . but one would think we should find it no less impossible to be so disingenuous towards our dear lord , than to be so cruel to our selves as to slight such promises , or that his most gracious and endearing invitation , come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden , and i will give you rest. take my yoke upon you , and learn of me , for i am meek and lowly in heart , and ye shall find rest to your souls . for my yoke is easie , and my burden is light , matth. . , , . but then are we able to think of it with any patience , that christ should do and suffer in our behalf so much in vain ; that we should frustrate the design of his astonishing condescension in assuming our nature , and of all he did and suffered for us ? hath he paid so excessively dear for us , and can we be content that after all he should lose his purchase ? especially since he purchased us , not because he stood in the least need of our service , but that we might serve our selves in serving him , and be made thereby unconceivably and everlastingly happy . do we not look upon the iews as a very strange generation of pople , and as no less ill-natured than foolish , that they would not be prevailed with to accept of deliverance from the burdensom services of moses his law ; that they should be so fond of that servile dispensation they were under , as to refuse to be released from it ? whenas the abolishing thereof was evidenced in as full and convincing a manner as its divine authority before was : nay , when that of the gospel set up in the room of it was demonstrated in a far more glorious manner to be of god , by christ himself before his death , by his resurrection from the dead , and ascension into heaven , and by the spirit in the apostles and others afterward . and shall we refuse to be set at liberty by our saviour from the bondage of sin , which is infinitely more heavy and unsufferable , and the consequences of which are so sad and intolerable ? while we so do , let us never blame the iews , and much less accuse them of being so perverse , hard-hearted and stiff-neckt a people ; for then , wherein we judge them we condemn our selves , for we that judge them do not onely the same , but a far more unaccountable thing . and think we this that so judge them that have done such a thing , and do the same and so much worse , that we shall escape the judgment of god ? nay , are we able not to think that it shall be much more intolerable for us at the day of judgment than for them , if we persist in so doing . we are apt to believe that no people ever deserved so ill of our saviour as those pharisees who ascribed his casting out devils to the assistance of beelzebub the prince of the devils : but how much better do we think those deserve of him who will not obey him , after they have had far greater evidence of his being the son of god than they at that time were in a possibility of having ? and if our saviour did accuse those of despising both himself and his father that sent him , who would not be perswaded by his mighty works to believe in him while he was on earth , what a high affront then do those put upon both , who will not give up themselves to be ruled by him , and quit the service of satan for his service ( which is the same thing with not believing in him ) now he is in heaven , and in all his glory ? this he must needs take far more unkindly and hainously at our hands . and be we assured ( for nothing is more evident ) that , as he is a most unreasonable creature , who after such marvellous evidence of iesus his being the son of god , and now sate down on the right hand of the majesty on high , will not give credit to these doctrines ; so he is much more unreasonable who doth give credit to them , and yet behave himself as if he believed no such matter . o that therefore we would ( those of us who have hitherto neglected to do it ) before it be too late and without farther delay , consider these things , and shew our selves men ; and then we shall with great courage and resolution make use of those weapons which the captain of our salvation hath put into our hands , for the vanquishing the enemies of our souls ; which weapons are not carnal , but mighty through god. and if we persevere in so doing , then shall those who have held such a severe hand over us fly before us ; then shall those lords who so subjected us , and kept us under , be brought under by us , be our subjects . then shall our prison-doors fly open , we shall be no longer under restraint and confinement . we shall be our own men , and walk at liberty ; we shall run and not be weary , walk and not faint , until we appear before god in sion ; until we are delivered from all molestation from , as well as dominion of sin and satan ; being made by iesus christ , who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud , kings and priests unto god and his father : to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever . amen . the end . books sold by richard royston , at the sign of the angel in amen-corner . the principles and practices of certain divines of the church of england truly represented and defended , &c. in a free discourse between two intimate friends , viz. theophilus and philalethes . the design of christianity ; or , a plain demonstration and improvement of this ▪ proposition , that the enduing men with inward real righteousness was the ultimate end of our saviour's coming , &c. the second edition . both of them by the author of this treatise . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . refranet prius libidines , spernat voluptates , iracundiam teneat , co●recat avaritiam , cateras animi labes repellat [ imperator ] tum incipiat aliis imperare cùm ipse improbissi●is dominis , dedecori ac turpitudini parere desicrit , dum quidem his ob●di●t . imperator non modò , sed liber habendus omninò non erit . si servitus sit , sicut est , obedientia fracti animi & abjecti , & arbitri● carentis suo , quis neget omnes leves , omnes cupidos , omnes denique improbos esse servos ? in his st●ical paradoxes . cùm cupiditatum dominatus excessit , & alius est dominus exortus , ex conscientiâ peccatorum timor , quàm illa miscra , quam dura scrvitus ! in stoic . paradox ▪ pudor nec in pessimos nec in optimos cadit . nam qui sibi conscius est se libero suo arbitrio constanter uti ad ca quae optima sunt , novit se non debere contemni , ac proinde , omni contemptu superior , ipsumme● contemnit contemptum ; quae magna pars est generositatis , in improbis vero summum improbitatis fastigium . enclur . eth. lib. . cap. . dr. patrick's . o vitae philosophiae dux o virtutum indagatrix , expultrixque vitiorum ! vnus dies benè & ex praeceptis tuis actus , peccanti immortalitati est anteponendus . mr. iohn smith . deut. . heb. . . ezek. . . rom. . . iob . habak . . . psal. . . i●m . ● psal. . . ver. . ezek. . . notes for div a -e luke . . eph. . . acts . . ioh. . . the design of christianity . ier. . . iohn . . chap. . . ver . . heb. . . iohn . . notes for div a -e solus deus est , in quem peec●tum non cadit ; c●et●ra , cùm sint liberi arbitrii , possunt in utramque partem suam flectere voluntatem . operum juga rejecta ●unt . non disciplinarum . libertas in christo , non fecit innocentie injuriam . mannt ●extota pictatis , sanctitatis , humanitatis , veritatis , castitatis , iustitiae , mi●●ricordiae , benevolentiae , pudicitiae . lib. de pudi●itia . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . strom. lib. . p. . eph. . . instit. theol . lib. . cap. . p. . non solùm autem per praevaricationem frustrati sunt legem dei , miscentes vinum aquâ ; sed & suam legem è contrario statuerunt , quae usque adhuc pharisaica vocatur . advers . haeres . lib. . cap. . p. . chap. . vid. iust. mart. dial . cum trypho . p. . tertul . ad scap. p. : rig. orig. cont . c●ls . lib. . p. . cor. . . contra cels. lib. . p. . edit . spenceri . icr. . . rom. . . ductor dubitantium , book chap. . p . edit . . book . chap. . p. . aquatenùs ad omne valet consequentia . religio cogt non potest ; verbis potiùs quàm verberibus res agenda est , ut sit voluntas , lib. . cap. . see the learned dean of canterburies judicious discourse on josh. . . instit. th●ol . cap. . p. . see doctor more 's modest enquiry into the mystery of iniquity , book● . chap. , & . in d●●ret . greg. lib. . tit . . cap. . bellarm. d● amis . grat. cap. . et d● sacram. euchar. l. . c. ▪ exam. c●n. tri● . ses. . cap. vid. chem. exam. con. trid. ses. . cap. ● . chap. ● . sess. . 〈◊〉 . ● . mystery of iniquity , p. . polemical discourses in fol. p. . europe speculum , p. . edit . europae speculum , p. . europe speculum . p. , quamv● sine sacramento poenitentiae [ attritio ] per se ad iustificationem perducere peccatorem ●equeat ; tamen cum ad dei gratian in sacramento paeniten●● impetrandum disponit . sess. . cap. . chap. . europ●e speculum . p. . pag. 〈◊〉 . notes for div a -e phil. iud. p. . ibid. rev. . .