A true RELATION Of the chief passages between Mr. Anthony Wotton, and Mr. George Walker, in the year of our Lord 1611. and in the years next following until 1615.  
Written by George Walker, out of his own papers which he hath yet to show; for the vindicating of himself from some imputations laid on him by Mr. Thomas Gataker, in his defence of Mr. Wotton.  
Printed at London for William Branch, and are to be sold in St. Olaf's Churchyard upon Breadstreete hill. 1642.   

A true relation of the chief passages between Mr. Anthony Wotton, and Mr. George Walker, in the year of our Lord, 1611.  
THe foul brand which Mr. Gataker hath laboured to set upon me in his preface, to wit, breach of piety and charity, and defect of humanity and common honesty, is so scandalous to the person and calling of a living Minister and Pastor in God's Church, that Mr. Gataker in going about to set it on me, doth manifestly appear to have printed it deeply in his own forehead. The words of truth spoken of a dead man, in the defence of a divine and saving truth, and in confuting of a dangerous error can be no such breach of piety or charity, as the unjust scandal and slander laid on a man living and labouring in the work of the Lord: For this tends to bring his Ministry and the word of God by him preached into contempt; to disgrace his person most uncharitably, and to add affliction to him who hath suffered persecution and bonds for the truth's sake, by wounding him deeply in his reputation, which is contrary to humanity and common honesty.  
Mr. Wotton in his papers which he dispersed in this city, and which he acknowledged to be his own when I brought them to his face before Mr. Gataker and eight other grave Ministers, doth deny the imputation of the whole obedience of Christ, to the Law of God; both active and passive, both jointly and severally. He affirms that there is no end or use whatsoever of the imputation of Christ his righteousness for justification. He renounceth the law in whole and part, performed by ourselves, or any other in our stead for our justification. In stead of man's own works of righteousness, performed to the law in his own person which was the condition of justification, and life in the first covenant, and instead of Christ's fulfillng of the law for us which is the condition of justification and life to believers in the covenant of grace, he sets up faith, even the Act of believing for righteousness, affirms that it is said to be imputed in a proper sense without a trope, and serves for all purposes in our justification under the gospel, as perfect righteousness of works performed to the whole law did for man's justification in the first covenant. He denieth the punishment of our sins in Christ, and the satisfaction which. in him our head & surety was made to God's justice for purchase of our pardon. For (saith he) I see no place left for pardon, if we in Christ be said to have satisfied God's justice, & to have suffered in him the punishments due to sin; for pardon and punishment are contrary. Thus he overthrows our redemption by Christ, and that Christ is our ransom, as Socinus did, (though he hold the words of Scripture with Socinus in an improper sense; to wit, Redeemer, Ransome, Propitiation, and the rest.) For no man can dream of any other way by which Christ is said in Scripture to redeem us, and to be a ransom for sin, but only by being made under the Law, and a perfect fulfiller of it in our stead. If faith serves for all purposes to justification, as a man's perfect righteousness of works performed to the full in his own person would have done in the first Covenant; then it serves to this purpose to be our formal righteousness; yea our own inherent righteousness by which we are justified. Which is most contrary to the truth of the gospel, and contradictory to his own words in other places. These and such like speeches I condemned for Socinian heresy and blasphemy, as Beza, Paraeus, and Lubertus had done before me, and for this Mr. Gataker did deride me, when I gave in my charge against Mr. Wotton 27. years ago, and now blames it in me as falsehood and dishonesty. I desire no better defence of my innocency but Mr. Wotton's own confession in his Expositions which Mr. Gataker hath published for his defence. For in his answer to the first proposition, he confesseth that the denying of the imputation of Christ's righteousness as a meritorious cause of justification is both heretical and blasphemous. And this he himself doth in the words which are cited out of his own papers, to prove him guilty of the first error, as you may see in the 12 page of Mr. Gataker's defence, where they are thus laid down and translated out of Mr. Wotton's Latin Theses. No necessary use or end can he assigned of the imputation of the obedience of Christ to the justification of a sinner. And in an English Manuscript of his, which I also showed, and he acknowledged for his own, he useth more peremptory words, saying, I dare not admit of Christ's righteousness imputed to any end whatsoever. I find no testimony or proof of it in any part of God's word, no signification in any Sacrament of the gospel, no necessary use or end thereof. Which words if we take them as Mr. Gataker hath related them, prove him to be an heretic and blasphemer by his own confession. Unless Mr. Gataker can persuade us, that to be imputed as a meritorious cause, is to be imputed for no end or use whatsoever.  
But before I proceed to my narration, I will first lay down the occasion, by which I have provoked Mr. Gataker to proclaim so bitterly against me, and to brand me with breach of piety, charity, and defect of humanity and common honesty. In my discovery and confutation of Socinianism I perceived that Mr. Goodwins disciples did admire and extol him as a deep searcher out and discoverer of divine truth, which none could ever find out before him; To convince them of folly and ignorance I rehearsed the names of several persons who had published and taught the same things before Mr. Goodwin, and for them and other errors and Heresies which are therein necessarily included, have been condemned in former ages; as Peter Abailard, Servetus, Socinus, Arminius, and Mr. Wotton, out of whose book De Reconciliatione, Mr. Goodwin stole his opinions. My words are these, The fifth perverse publisher of this heresy, who first openly professed it in England, and in manuscript Pamphlets, and printed books dispersed it in London, and from thence into several places of the country, about twenty eight years ago, was Anthony Wotton. I would gladly know what just offence can be taken at any of these words. That Mr. Wotton was the perverse publisher of this heresy, and the first that openly professed it in England, is a manifest truth; as my parallel of him with Socinus published by Mr. Gataker now in print, proveth most fully.  
If he be offended, because I call this error an heresy, though he and his fellow Subscribers to Mr. Wotton's exposition, out of their great love to Mr. Wotton's person, and upon his promise of reformation, did think it not fit to call any thing in his exposition of his speeches, by the name of heresy or blasphemy: I answer, first, that his speeches which I cited in my parallel are manifestly blasphemous and heretical by his own confession; and of them and his opinion in them published, do I speak and call it heresy. Secondly, though I rather assent to Beza, Paraeus, Lubertus, and other most learned and orthodox Divines, who condemn some things in Mr. Wotton's expositions for heresy, & blasphemy, rather than to Mr. Gataker and his fellows, who were pleased to think otherwise; I hope I give therein no offence, especially seeing I have God's Word for my warrant, and have such clear knowledge and full persuasion of the blasphemy of some of his speeches, That I did (as Master. Downham, Dr. Gouge and others present at our meeting did hear and see, and if their memories fail them not, will confess) challenge Mr. Wotton and Mr. Gataker also, if he would take his part to defend some passages in those expositions, and promised that I would ask Mr. Wotton forgiveness on my knees, if I did not by convincing arguments in strict syllogisms prove them to be heretical: which they cowardly then refused with show of scornful disdain.  
But if Mr. Gataker be so highly offended, because I call Mr. Wotton by the bare name of Anthony Wotton; I must answer that therein I did him a favour. For under that obscure title, his person might have been hid, and not made known to any, but those who were acquainted with all the passages between him and me. But Mr. Gataker by discovering him more plainly, and blazoning his arms, hath exposed his person to much shame, and stained the name and memory of him long ago dead and buried in the dust with the brand of heresy, & hath made all the world see, that he was the man who first sowed these Socinian tares in the fair field of the Church of England. As for myself, I am assured, that the goodness of my cause, which is the cause of God & his truth, will bear me out, & justify me against all his misreports. And if any man be forestalled with prejudice and a sinister opinion of my proceedings against Mr. Wotton, let him read this my relation, which I can justify both by living witnesses, and by my papers, which I have in my custody until this day.  
When Mr. Wotton's opinions were first made known to me upon the occasion mentioned in my letter to Mr. Wotton, which hereafter followeth; I by means of my late reading of the controversies between Junius & Arminius, Lubertus, Bertius, Gomarus, and others of the Remonstrants, did easily discern them to be of the same stamp with the heresies of Servetus, and Socinus, newly revived and set on foot in Holland by Vorstius, Arminius, and those of that faction. I showed Mr. Wotton's papers to Mr. Alexander Richardson a most learned and judicious Divine, to whom for his singular learning in Divinity, and all other learned Arts, and excellent knowledge in the original tongues of holy Scripture, divers studious young men did resort from Cambridge to his dwelling in the parish of Barking in Essex, to be directed in their study of Divinity, and other arts: among which these proved men of good note in our Church, Mr. Hooker, Mr. Chauncey, Mr. Yates, Mr. John Barlow, Mr. Perry, with others. Mr. Richardson approved my censure of them, and so detested them that he could not read one passage without sighing. He also sent to Mr. Wotton, to meet him in a conference before some judicious hearers, which Mr. Wotton promised, but did not perform. I also sent and desired that he would admit me, to come to him and confer with him; but as he was afraid to meet Mr. Richardson, so he disdained my youth and years, and referred me to one Spencer a tradesman, a factious Disciple of his, as I have objected to him in my letter: upon this I preached two sermons in the Church of which I am now Pastor, in the one I laid open briefly, the true received doctrine of justification; in the other I discovered Mr. Wotton's opinions to be Socinian heresy, and showed the danger of them. The next day some of Mr. Wotton's friends being startled came to me, and entreated me to go with them to him, and promised that he should purge himself from those errors, and give me good satisfaction: I yielded to their desire, and went along with two of them to Mr. Wotton's house, who welcomed me coldly in words, though his heart seemed by his countenance to be hot with indignation and disdain. At my first entrance into his study he told me very abruptly, that I had untruly affirmed that the whole stream of learned Orthodox Divines did hold the same doctrine which I had taught concerning justification by Christ's righteousness imputed to believers. And withal he showed a place out of Luther upon the Galatians, in which Luther denied justification by our own works and righteousness of the law: but in the words which next followed upon the top of of the next page, (which Mr. Wotton covered with his fingers as he held the book in his hand) Luther in plain words affirmed that Christ's fulfilling of the law for us is our righteousness; & in the same page also saith, that faith is not sufficient for righteousness without God's imputation of Christ's righteousness. I snatched the book out of his fingers, read the words, which were directly against himself, blamed him before the two witnesses for his dealing d●lo malo, and going about purposely to delude us, and with great compassion and tears in mine eyes professed my grief to see him, a man of great esteem (whom I had never seen before, but had much reverenced for the reports which I had heard of his great learning) to play the prank of a deceiver and juggling Sophister. After many words which passed between us, but in no strict form of disputation, which I desired and M. Wotton refused; he confessed that my doctrine, which I taught concerning imputation of Christ's righteousness, was sound and saving truth, able to save believers, though they went no further: but he had dived more deeply into the points of justification, and did go further, but not a contrary way; But I protested against his opinion and told him it was as contrary to my doctrine and faith, as darkness is to light. Mr. Standish one of the witnesses who went along with me, desired me to rest satisfied and to break off; to which I yielded, and took my leave. And no sooner were we entered into the street, but the said Mr. Standish broke out into speeches of dislike against Mr. Wotton's fraudulent dealing, protested that he would never harken to his opinion and doctrine in these points any more, and that he was much comforted and confirmed by that acknowledgement of the truth which I at length did wring from Mr. Wotton's own mouth. The second day after this I went to Cambridge & returned not to London till three months after; in which time what lies were dispersed in London concerning my apostasy to Mr. Wotton's errors, my letter to him showeth.  
The next year after I came to be settled in my pastoral charge, and because I found some in my parish much inclining to Mr. Wotton's opinion out of respect to his person more than any knowledge, being not able to give any reason for it at all, I spent many Sabbaths in preaching the doctrine of justification out of the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans; and in discovering and confuting all errors contrary to the truth professed in the reformed Churches, and amongst the rest the errors of Socinus: What affronts were offered me in the Church & what clamours raised against me in the city, my letter to Mr. Wotton will tell you in part. I could rehearse many passages which would move laughter and discover the absurdity and ridiculous folly of divers people who were factiously addicted to admire all things in Mr. Wotton, good or bad; I will Instance in one example only. It was this. I was requested to preach at Blackfriars on a Wednesday in the absence of Mr. Gouge, some weeks after I had finished my text concerning Justification. In that assembly, there were many ancient professors of Religion, who knew me not by face, and who were so taken with my Sermon, that they were very inquisitive to know my name, and hearing that I was Pastor of Saint John Evangelists, and my name Walker, they were so possessed with an evil opinion of me by the slanders and railings of Mr. Wotton, and his disciples, that they cried, Hang him, he will be hanged before he come to preach such a godly Sermon as this is, we will never believe that this is that Walker which hath preached against that man of God, Mr. Wotton, and belied him in the pulpit. My clerk being well acquainted with them, and overhearing, did affirm to them that I was the man, and told them that they themselves might easily come to be hanged in hell, if they did not repent of their wicked railings against me so unjustly: By this you see what wrong I suffered, and what hu●t shameless slanders of wicked hypocrites, may do to the good name of the most innocent, even among them that are religious. These & such injuries and reproaches heaped on me together with a ridiculous book written against me by one Spencer a disciple of Mr. Wotton, forced me to write a challenge in my letter to Mr. Wotton, by which I at length brought him to the conference, which is the subject of M. Gataker's invective against me. This letter, because it contains a just complaint and a rehearsal of the ill behaviour of M. Wotton and his Disciples towards me, I have thought good here to insert, that the world may see the intolerable provocations, wherewith I was provoked to call M. Wotton to account, before some brethren in the ministry equally chosen by both parties.  
Anthonio Wottono, Georgius Walker resipiscentiam & sanam mentem precatur.  
SIr, my hearty desire, and prayer to God for you is, that you may repent and be saved. And as I do, and by the grace of God will continually pray to God for you, so long as there is any hope: So now also I will not spare to exhort you, and in the bowels of Jesus Christ beseech you, (yea if need require) by thunderings and threatenings of God's heavy judgements, proceed and go forward to puty ou in fear, that if it be possible you may repent, and recant, and that the errors and thoughts of your heart may be forgiven; for I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity. You will perhaps say, A sharp and a fierce onset, who can bear it? To remove and prevent all prejudice I answer, if it be sharp, it is as it ought to be, for a deep and festered wound hath need of a sharp corrasive, but such I am persuaded in my soul, that yours is; and upon my conscience, and before God I speak it, whom I know to be the searcher of all hearts. Wherefore though an heart settled in error, and overrun with perverse affection cannot brook any sharp reproof, but will hate the reproover, according to that saying of the wise man, reprove a scorner and he will hate thee: yet I will against hope believe under hope, though my experience would persuade me the contrary, and will hope better things of you; yea I will thus say to my heart, fear not, neither be afraid of his countenance, though it be as hard as brass, for if he be ordained to life, and be within the compass of God's election, though he be troubled, and fret at the first, yet spare not to rebuke, for by this means thou shalt find more favour in the end. I am not ignorant that by my former both writing and preaching against your errors, and by my fervency and vehemency of words I have troubled, and vexed you, neither would I have you think, that I have thus dealt with you upon any distempered affection or such like infirmity: I profess ingenuously that I have done it upon good deliberation and of set purpose, because I have judged, & do yet still deem that course to be the best for divers reasons. First, because I knew that the errors and opinions which you maintain, and wherewith you have infected divers, are of all that ever were sown by the enemy of God and men among Christian people the most pe●●ilent and dangerous, being nothing else but the heresies of Serve●us and Socinus, those most damnable and cursed heretics, the greatest monsters that ever were borne within the borders of Christ's Church, as I can plainly show by your own writings and theirs compared together, and would have already showed, if you had not refused to join with me in a Christian conference before eight learned and godly Ministers. Now being persuaded, yea knowing that your opinions are so dangerous, & pe●nicious; do you not think that I am bound before God to lay them open, and to inveigh against them, after the manner of God's Prophets, whose fashion hath ever been to brand less sins than these, and less dangerous errors, with the name of abomination, blasphemy sorcery, witchcraft, and such like?  
The second reason of my fervency is godly jealousy, because I see that you labour by all means to draw men's hearts from the love of the truth of my God generally professed unto your errors, and that many who are grounded in knowledge of good things, are so overcome with a conceit of you, and affection to your person, that rather than they will forsake you, they will forgo the truth; this being (as you know) the ground upon which all heresies have been builded, and the special means by which they have been dispersed, and have gotten head, and made factions in the world, in all ages heretofore. Can you blame me, whom God hath called to be a watchman over his flock, if I be jealous over you, and if for love to my God and his truth, and the salvation of his people, I do bring you, to the utmost of my power, into just disgrace with them, by uncovering your shame, so far as may stand with equity, and conscience, and by painting out your errors in most ugly manner, for the terrifying of God's people from meddling with them?  
The third reason, and indeed the greatest of all, is your obstinacy, arrogancy, pride, perverseness, fraud; and dissimulation, the special marks of wilful heretics; all which I have good reason to suspect in you, yea, (if we may know a man by his fruits and works) I know and have tried to be deeply rooted in you. And that you may know I speak upon judgement, not in affection, I will name some particulars.  
First, when I first heard of your errors by one of your near●● disciples, I observed in him such forwardness to 〈…〉 before me, being to him a stranger, such 〈…〉 in urging and maintaining them, with no other arguments than your authority, whom he so odiously compared with all learned and godly Divines, chief pillars of our Church, as Calvin, Beza, whitaker's, Perkins, and others; that he was not ashamed to call them foolish boys in comparison of you; not worthy to carry your books; whereupon I conceived present suspicion, that these gross and stinking sins did proceed from some secret sparks of hellish fire, either by you suggested, or by him foolishly conceived, and that such a malicious and railing spirit was not free from gross error. And therefore for mine own better information, I desired to confer with you, and to learn from you the substance of your opinion, and according to my small ability, to reason and dispute the question with you, if so be you held as he affirmed; the message he willingly took upon him, and promised to bring me to you, to confer in a kind and friendly manner, (for that was my desire, for the reverence I did bear to your person, being then, by report of others only, known to me:) But I found your answer far differing from that which I expected, I looked for the spirit of meekness, humility, love, gentleness, and had good hope to be admitted into familiarity, and acquaintance with you; And you in scorn sent me to one Spencer, a fellow of ill report among all honest men; who all with one voice, when I inquired after him, told me, he was a vain idle giddy-headed fellow, and so I now find indeed, and his own hand-writing shall testify unto the world. If this be not an infallible token of your pride and scornfulness, let the world judge, thus to send a Minister of the gospel in contempt to one of your disciples, to learn of him, as if you thought yourself too high, and all others too base to be admitted to your presence.  
This your doing, when I complained to you of it, face to face, you excused, as done out of ignorance of mine intent and desire. Afterwards, you for shame utterly denied it, and sent about your disciples to disprove my report of it. And now lastly, you have again so justified it, that you are not ashamed to say, you did me no wrong, in affirming that Spencer understands the Doctrine of Justification better than I; And that your pride, obstinacy, and perverseness, might show itself to the full; you still go on from worse to worse, and now you have set Spencer to confute me, and to make a challenge; whose writing will (I hope) be the utter ruin either of your errors, or of yourselves. All judicious men to whom I show it, are ready to stop their noses at the first sight and smell of the stinking folly, blindness, and ignorance, wherewith almost every line is stuffed, so miserably doth he beat himself, and eat the flesh of his own arm, saying, and unsaying, lying and mistaking every point: These courses, and proceedings, whether they argue and convince you of pride, obstinacy, and perverseness, I leave to the judgement of others.  
Secondly, when (after my first Preaching against your errors for the satisfaction of some who were wavering and doubting) one of your disciples brought me unto you, did not I then show all patience, love, and good affection towards you? Did not I beseech you with tears to be silent in these points, till you had further sifted them, and throughly disputed them with others? Did not you use me scornfully, and go about to wrest a place in Luther's Commentary on the Galations, and out of it to prove that Luther denied the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us; and this against your own conscience? For by a mark of your own making in the same page, I was directed to words in the same page, in which he plainly disproved you, and this you would have smothered by covering the place with your fingers, till I plucked the book from you. Did not I patiently put up this, though it wounded my soul? and did not this your dealing dolo malo, show your fraud, and forgery, and that you are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, which sinneth being damned of himself? If you deny this, God is my witness and mine own conscience▪ Your book also, and the mark in the marg●● 〈…〉 against you; and besides, I have another witness, 〈◊〉 godly Christian who was there present.  
Thirdly, after my departing for a time into the Country, your disciples thinking I had quite left the City, did most falsely and abominably report abroad, that you did so put me down by arguments, that I with tears acknowledged mine error, and vowed to live and die in your opinion. How wicked and false this was, you, and I, and they who were present, know; I am sure that never did the Papists and Jesuits more falsely slander Calvin and Beza, than they did me in this report. If these be not the arts of the devil, the Father of liars, let all Christians judge.  
Fourthly, after my return out of the Country, when they saw their lies discovered by my open profession, and constancy in the truth which I had Preached; they and you were so far from shame and amendment, that you made me amends with all railing, and reviling speeches, insomuch that in many men's mouths, I hear your outrageous exclamations, in which you call me in ass, a sot, a boy, an impudent and brazen-faced fellow; yea, your disciples have not been afraid to make mows at me, Preaching in the Pulpit, as mine eyes, and the eyes of divers others did often see and can testify, and oftentimes have they cried out in the Church, and derided me, and scoffed at the word of God, by me delivered, and that so loud, that all round about have heard, and been offended. And yet all this I have endured, though the Law was in my hand, to make them be apprehended, brought before the Magistrate, and punished; and for all this, there is no remorse nor amendment. Shall I, nay, can I (Think you) in this case judge any better of them, then as of wilful heretics, and blasphemers, and of your Doctrine, which leads them into this excess, then as of devilish heresy? For the Doctrine which I delivered and they derided, did not in one sentence differ from the doctrine of Calvin, and all learned Divines, as by my papers and notes shall appear.  
Lastly, for I will not repeat all particulars, (which were an endless work) you still go on in your opinions, and send out pamphlet after pamphlet, full of contradictions, and falsifications, as I can show you to your face. You will neither confer before any of our learned Brethren, godly Ministers privately; nor publicly before the Reverend Bishop of London. You dare not commit yourself to him, because he is a wicked Judge, and will respect persons in Judgement, my friends are too potent with him: these are your excuses; and I know them all to be false. For so cunningly did you dissemble with that good Bishop, and hide your errors, that he rather blamed me, than you, (as I hear.) Can you therefore in conscience blame me, if I, for these, and such like reasons, think hardly of you, as of an heretic, and though my zeal do burn against you like a fire, though I cannot without grief look upon you? May not a Christian Minister; nay, is he not bound in conscience being thus persuaded, to cry out against you, and to lift his voice like a trumpet, and make men know your abominations? yea, to threaten hell, destruction, and all curses against you, except you repent? Surely my conscience doth not accuse me of any thing which I have done in this cause; I have the examples of the Prophets to warrant and encourage me, and to justify my doings. If you will stop my mouth, you must either by words or deeds persuade me to think otherwise; and I promise you I will; yea, I desire to be otherwise persuaded, if you will but purge yourself from the crimes whereof you are openly convicted. Wherefore I will once again entreat you, and earnestly request you, yea, charge you in the name of Jesus Christ, that if you desire the peace of the Church, and can abide to have the truth tried, you will cast off those carnal and corrupt, yea hellish affections of pride and disdain, or at least this show of them which appeareth in you; and meet me as a Christian before eight godly and learned Ministers, chosen equally by both, that they be witness between you and me; and that it may be seen whether I do justly charge you with heresy and blasphemy or no; and whether your writings do not show you to be a Socinian. The four Ministers which I will choose for my part, shall be Mr. Stock, Mr. Downham, Mr Westfield, and Mr. Gouge. I profess, and take God to witness, that I desire your conversion, not your confusion. It is my love and zeal for truth, more than hatred or indignation against you, which makes me so hot and earnest against your errors.  
The first offence that ever you gave me, was the injury which you have done to the obedience, righteousness and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ, whom you deny to be so made mine, that his obedience is imputed to me for righteousness, and his blood for the satisfaction of God's justice. For this (if you obstinately persist in it) I must hate you with a perfect hatred, as if you were mine enemy, neither shall there ever be peace so long as your errors are so great, and pernicious. God himself I am assured, will trouble you, And quickly confound you, except you repent. O consider therefore from whence you are fallen, and suspect yourself. Cannot that faith be sufficient for you, which hath saved so many Saints of God, and for the which so many godly and noble Martyrs have heretofore shed their blood, even in this place, and in this kingdom? Me thinks that the name of Servetus, and Socinus should terrify your conscience, if it were so tender as you have heretofore professed. Can you hope for any good or pure water, from such foul and polluted cisterns, full of all heresy and blasphemy?  
O that you would but lay these things to your heart, and be moved! My heart, I assure you, is open to embrace you with all love, if you would truly repent; God forbid that I should hate you any otherwise, then as you are the enemy of Christ. And God forbid, that I should give you one {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, or God save you, if you persist in this heresy, which is so contrary to the wholesome doctrine of salvation. Wherefore, if now you will show but one sign of amendment by yielding to my request, and appointing a time and place where we may meet, I will much relent from my jealousy over you, and I hope that God will give good success. But if I find you so incurable, that you will not admit of the least means, which tends to the cure of your soul, but will still upon no grounds at all persist in your novelties, and publish them for the seducing of others, to the overthrow of God's ttuth, and the disturbance of the Church: I do think myself bound in conscience to forbear no longer, but to publish your errors to the world, that all may see those many errors, blasphemies and contradictions, which I have faithfully gathered out of your own words and writings. And because you do go about by your disciple Spencer to challenge me, and to debase my calling and ministry, by laying false imputations upon me, as ignorance, slander, and the like: I have resolved to draw articles against you, and to collect your errors, and misdemeanours into one supplication, and to present it to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace, and to the High Commission, that there and before them it may be tried and seen, whether you do not jump with Socinus in his heresy. I know and have traced you in all your Socinian and Arminian tricks, and distinctions, and if you trust to them you are deceived. If you compel me to take this last, and most desperate course with you, and if it turn to the subversion and ruin of your whole estate, and of yourself and your disciples: blame yourself, and not me. For you see I admonish you first, and it is in your own hand to prevent it. I am loath to be a means of your open shame and confusion; but if no better will be, Melius est ut pereat unus, quam unitas. Our Saviour Christ (you know) gave this commandment, that when you will not be privately admonished, than we must tell the Church, Sure I am, that if you be once brought in public, and persist in your errors; you shall perish, and your blood shall be on your own head: But on them that put away shame from Israel, and are instruments to root out heresy from the Church, and on their seed, and on their house shall be peace for ever from the Lord. The God of power and strength give you an heart to fear his judgements, and to harken to them that admonish you in his name; And if it be his will I pray that you may be converted in his good time, that the truth may flourish, and the peace of our Church may be surely established unto the end of the world. Thus you see I have opened my mind freely unto you. If I be deceived in you, it is error amoris, non amor erroris, I will so soon as I perceive it, change my stile, and mine affection towards you. I pray you let me have your answer as shortly as you can; if you send not quickly, I will take it for granted that you scorn to harken to me, and despise my Christian admonitions, as heretofore you seem to have done; and I will proceed in my resolution against you. God is my witness, I desire your good, and the good of his Church. If I were not careful of your safety, I would not steal this time from my night's rest and sleep, this Sabbath day at night, after my body is wearied with reading, Preaching, and administering the Lord's Supper.  
From my study this second of May, past one a clock in the morning, Anno Dom. 1614 Yours, if you be Christ's, George Walker.  
Upon the receipt and reading of this Letter, Mr. Wotton sent me a Letter of defiance, and therein professed his scorn and disdain of my threatenings: but the next day he sent me another, wherein he promised to yield to my motion. And yet to prevent our meeting, he used means by Mr. Mason, the Bishop of London's chaplain, an Arminian, to make it known to the Bishop, in hope that he would forbid our meeting: Notwithstanding the Bishop gave way, and we did meet upon a day appointed, before the eight Ministers named in Mr. Gataker's defence. I brought for me, Mr. Stock, Mr. Downham, Mr. Westfield, and Mr. Gouge, now Doctors. He brought for him, Mr. Balmeford, Mr. Randall, Mr. Gataker, and Mr. Hickes, the last of which appeared to be already of Mr. Wotton's mind in all points. And both Mr. Gataker and be, bare themselves towards me, as towards an adversary, and as advocates for Mr. Wotton. Dr. Westfield being the only man with whom I then had any great familiarity, did perceive a general inclination in them all, to favour Mr. Wotton as much as they could, being all his old familiar friends, and I a stranger of two years' residence in the City; after our first meeting, refused to meet any more, fearing what followed, and I chose Dr. Bailiff in his place.  
I being the plaintiff and procurer of the meeting, did first show what I desired, namely, that I might have Mr. Wotton's writings, which were come to my hands, viewed; and by Mr. Wotton acknowledged; which he could not deny, but did confess them to be his own handiwork. And that I having rehearsed Mr. Wotton's words out of his books and writings, which I had in my Sermon confuted, under the name of Socinian heresies, and having paralleled them in writing, with the words of Socinus, and made them appear to be the same, by showing and comparing the books and writing; They would give me their hands to my parallel, and subscribe that I had not either charged Mr. Wotton with any opinions or words but his own, or confuted under the name of Socinianism any words of his, but only those wherein he did concur with Socinus. If I had either misrelated his words, or confuted under the name of Socinianism, any point wherein he did not jump with Socinus, I desired them to censure me. The Parallels being read and examined, appeared to some of them so clear, and my charge so just, that the same day at Mr. Randall Wetwood's table, where Dr. Bailiff and Mr. Downham dined with me, the Doctor did protest that I had discovered Mr. Wotton to be as damned an heretic as ever did tread on English ground: Mr. Downham, Mr. Wetwood, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Hopkins were ear-witnesses of this, and all yet living, as well as myself. Mr. Wetwood asked why they did not justify me and censure him without more ado, seeing that was the purpose of our meeting, that they should judge of things accordingly as they were proved. They pretended that they desired to convert, not to confound Mr. Wotton, that they perceived him to be afraid of shame like to fall on him, and that if I would yield to let him expound himself, he would by a wrested exposition gainsay, and contradict his former words and opinions and run from them, which being gotten from him under his hand, they would either hold him to it, or shame him for ever, if he did fall back again. This course being Mr. Gataker's device, I refused to yield unto, because I had never opposed him, but only in opinions formerly published, and not in future expositions, and because I had fully proved my charge, I desired their verdict and just judgement. But after much importunity I yielded, and so lost my cause, and was drawn into a new business that was to contend with Mr. Wotton, not about his former opinions, which I had formerly confuted; but about new expositions, which he would make in answer to my parallels. At another day appointed he brought his expositions, which when they had read in my hearing, I did except against divers passages in them, and some contradictions, which I desired to argue against, with Mr. Wotton face to face, in strict syllogisms; but he refused to answer me, and our Judges refused to hear me, or to suffer me to have a copy of his expositions, as he had of my parallels.  
Whereupon I protested against their unequal dealing, and departed, threatening to bring him and them before higher Judges. After that they had read the expositions which Mr. Gataker did plead for most hotly, Mr. Wotton promised to make and publish a large declaration, wherein he would free himself from all Socinian errors. In the mean time he begged this favour, that they would subscribe to his expositions, that they found no heresy or blasphemy in them. Upon this promise and entreaty, they did subscribe as followeth.  

Howsoever, we whose names are underwritten, do differ from Mr. Wotton in some points of the former doctrine of Justification, contained in these his expositions: yet we hold not the difference to be so great and weighty, as that they are to be justly condemned of heresy and blasphemy.  


jews Bailiff,  
James Balmeford,  
John Randall,  
Richard stock,  
John Downham,  
Thomas Gataker,  
William Gouge,  
William Hickes.     
THE Expositions thus subscribed, were commtited to Doctor Bailiff, with charge that he should keep them close, and not suffer me or any other man to see, or read them, until Mr. Wotton had made a larger Exposition, and fully purged himself from Socinianism. By which it appeared, that they durst not openly justify their subscription, nor suffer it to come into my hands. And that it was a thing with much importunity wrung from them which the better part of them would never have yielded unto, but upon promise of a better and larger exposition, and in hope to draw Mr. Wotton wholly from his errors; some of which he had already contradicted, and acknowledged to be heretical and blasphemous, to wit, his denying of Christ's righteousness imputed for any use or end whatsoever.  
Dr. Baily the first of the Subscribers had (upon the first reading of those speeches of Mr. Wotton which I showed out of his own writings, and did parallel them with Socinus) condemned Mr. Wotton for an heretic, and his errors for blasphemy. Mr. Downham heard his censure uttered at Mr. Wetwood's table, and by silence assented to it. Mr. Randall did argue very hotly against Mr. Wotton's opinions that same day that they subscribed, and told him before as all, that he had protested against them often in private, and had dissuaded him from them; and that he for his part abhorred them. Dr. Gouge hath publicly confuted them, and in the pulpit condemned them under the name of Socianism. Mr. Stock did ever abhor them, as he often told me in private. And one time, I by a pretty stratagem brought him before other witness, to condemn them for heresy and blasphemy. Mr. Wetwood mine host in whose house I then lodged, having by much importunity obtained of Dr. Baily the sight of Mr. Wotton's expositions subscribed, as you heard before, and committed to his custody, did lend them to me for the space of two hours, till I had copied out both them, and the subscription word for word with the men's names, which copy I have yet to show.  
And one Sunday at night being invited to supper by Mr. Thomas Goodyeare, my parishoner, I brought it with me to show it to Mr. Goodyeare, who was very desirous to see and read it. Mr. Stock and his wife being at the same time invited came in while we were reading it together And seeing me 〈…〉 in my hand, asked what it was. I answered that it was a paper of new and strange opinions, which when he desired to hear, I did read to him that passage in Mr. Wotton's Expositions, where he saith; This I say, that in this proposition (Faith is counted for righteousness,) the word (Faith) is to be taken properly, not tropically; and I asked him what he thought of it: He not knowing that it was Mr. Wotton's Exposition, out of which I read it, did answer that it was Popery, or worse. I asked him whether he did not think it to be the heresy and blasphemy of Socinus: he answered, yes verily. I asked him then what he thought of certain learned Divines, who had subscribed to this, and other such speeches, that they were neither heresy nor blasphemy: He said he thought none but mad men would do it, and asked who they were. I presently read the subscription and among the rest his own name, and withal showed him the copy. Mr. Goodyeare laughed heartily, and said to Mr. stock, O Master, our Parson is too cunning for you, I never saw any man so finely taken in a snare, as he hath taken you in your own snare. I have ever told you, that in this controversy you were too partial for your old friend and familiar Mr. Wotton. Mr. Stock could plead nothing but this, That Mr. Wotton had promised them to silence himself and his disciples in these points, and to write a large declaration; whereby he would purge himself fully from Socinianism. In hope whereof they did gratify him with this subscription, for the suppressing of clamours, till he had further cleared himself. But Mr. Wotton had broken his promise, and boasted of that which made nothing for him in the main cause, but only upon the by; and had requited their favour towards him, with disgrace to them, and danger to himself; and that it had been better he had never been borne, then to trouble the Church of God with his false opinions. By this you see how dangerous a thing it is, even for godly men, to be judges in a cause of controversy between a familiar friend (as Mr. Wotton was to these men) and a stranger, as I at that time was to the most of them.  
As for the other three, to wit, Mr. Balmeford, Mr. Gataker, and Mr. Hickes, they were Mr. Wotton's advocates, rather than equal Judges: Mr. Balmeford was Mr. Wotton's silenced brother; Mr. Hickes was Mr. Wotton's disciple, one who would jurare in verba Magistri; Mr. Gataker did more angrily and peevishly speak against me, and snarl at me then my adversary Mr. Wotton himself, so that I was forced to challenge him as well as Mr. Wotton, and to offer to dispute against them both.  
What Mr. Wotton's intent was in begging such a beggarly subscription, and Mr. Gataker's in procuring it from the rest, the event hath showed. For Mr. Wotton and his disciples did presently report through London, that I could prove nothing against him, nor bring any thing out of his books, or writings to convince him of Socinianism, and that the eight learned Ministers had justified him, and condemned me for a false accuser. And upon this he grew more bold, and wrote certain essays concerning Justification, a copy whereof I have to show, wherein he denies the true, real, and spiritual union of the faithful with Christ, and Chrits meriting of justification, and salvation for them; he affirms that when they are said to be one with Christ, the speech is metaphorical, and that there is no mention of Christ's merits in all the Scripture. By which his violent breaking out, and going on from evil to worse, I was forced to write my Antithesis Wottonismi, & Christianismi; wherein I discovered more of his errors, and his factious and schismatical behaviour: This I presented to the then Archbishop of Canterbury, who committed it to Doctor Nidd● his chaplain, who being himself a favourer of Arminians, neglected to make report of it to his Lord. And indeed I never called upon him, because Mr. Wotton having intelligence of it, silenced himself and all his disciples, being admonished by his friends of the danger in which he was, unless he and they did forbear to justify and maintain his errors, and further to provoke me by their false reports and calumnies.  
Thus was the fire quenched, and no man opened his mouth to defend Mr. Wotton's opinions; though I with many others, did often (as occasion was offered by the Scriptures which we expounded) confute and condemn them: In the mean time Mr. Wotton wrote his book De Reconciliatione in Latin, wherein he seemed to recant and to contradict divers of his former writings; but yet he vented so much poison in it; that when it was sent over to Leiden to be Printed, the Professors there rejected it, as being full of Socinian errors; and (as I have been informed) did also send to Amsterdam to stop the Printing of it, which was there attempted also; So that Mr. Wotton's disciples were forced to Print it at their own charge by stealth, in some further place beyond the Seas, and to disperse the copies here in England. Upon one of which Mr. Goodwin, a lover of novelties, and strange doctrines unhappily stumbled; and thence stole his opinions, which his foolish followers receive, and admire, as new revelations from heaven, never heard of before.  
Thus have I briefly related the chief passages between Mr. Wotton and myself. I have heard of others also, who did privately oppose Mr. Wotton, especially Master Woodcock, a grave Preacher, Parson or Vicar of Chessam, who did in writing confute Mr. Wotton, and admonished him to forsake his errors. One thing I cannot omit, which was a strong motive to move divers godly people in London, to abhor Mr. Wotton's opinions; that was the sharp censure which that holy man of God, Master Alexander Richardson gave against them on his death bed, and which Mr. John Barlow an earwitness thereof, did report to divers from his mouth. Mr. Richardson being ready to leave this world, Mr. Barlow who had often before resorted to him for direction in his study, and resolution of doubts, in many points of Divinity, was at that time present with him, and told him that he had heard me the Sabbath before, propounding the Doctrine of Justification, to be laid open out of the fifth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and to be maintained against Papists, Socinians, and other heretics, some of which were of late revived in the City, and withal desired to know his judgement concerning Mr. Wotton's opinion, who denied Christ's fulfilling of the Law for justification of believers, and the imputation of his righteousness; and held faith to be imputed in a proper sense without a trope: Mr. Richardson answered and said, Take these words of me a dying man. I have read and well weighed Mr. Wotton's papers, and opinions, and I know them to be so pestilent and dangerous, that whosoever liveth and dyeth in the belief of them, shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven. Commend me to Mr. Walker, and desire him from me, (as being my last request to him) to be courageous in the cause of God, and for that saving truth which he hath undertaken to maintain against those dangerous and deadly errors, lately set on foot by Mr. Wotton. This message being delivered unto me before diverse witnesses, some of which are alive to testify it, did much encourage me, and made me more bold to lay open the abomination of Mr. Wotton's opinions publicly in my Sermons, without fear or regard of the slanders and revilings of his factious and furious disciples. This was in the year 1613. And I praise God, I am constant in the same mind, and do pray and hope that God will give me grace to persevere in this belief to the end. As for Mr. Gataker's invective against me in Mr. Wotton's defence, I do as little regard it, as Mr. Goodwins railing libel, which (some say) Mr. Gataker counselled him to write against me.  
If it were not vain expense of precious time, I could produce Socinianism out of Mr. Gataker's Printed works, and prove him a party. I could prove him to be Thomas of all sides. Sometimes holding that the elect and faithful are clothed with the garment of Christ's righteousness, and again, disputing against their communion and imputation of Christ's righteousness. But I pray God to give him a more settled judgement in the truth, and a more charitable heart to his laborious neighbours, who spend their time in better studies then writing of Treatises for unlawful gaming and card-playing, and bedawbing margins with many quotations to small purpose, but only for ostentation of much reading.  
Yet give me leave to ask Mr. Gataker a few questions, which if he cannot answer with any credit, let him for shame hold his peace, and blush to think of his defence of Master Wotton, to the accusing and defaming of himself.  
1. Question, Whether is it truth and honesty, to say that all the eight Ministers, with unanimous consent, generally resolved and pronounced, that there appeared not to them either heresy or blasphemy, in aught that Mr. Wotton was by me convinced to have delivered or maintained? When their subscription shows, that they meddled only with his Expositions, and not with his heretical and blasphemous speeches, in which I paralleled him with Socinus the heretic.  
2 Quest. Whether Mr. Gataker doth think that Mr. Wotton renouncing the Law of God, and the righteousness thereof performed by Christ in our stead for our justification, doth not in so doing deny Christ his ransom paid, and satisfaction made to God's just Law, for our redemption and for remission of our sins?  
3 Quest. Whether man's perfect fulfilling of the Law in his own person, under the covenant of works, was not formal inherent righteousness, and would have made man worthy of life: And if so, how he can excuse Mr. Wotton, from making faith the formal inherent righteousness of believers, in the covenant of the Gospel, by which they are worthy of justification, and eternal life, seeing he saith that faith under the gospel serves to all purposes, for obtaining eternal life, as man's perfect fullfilling of the Law did in the covenant of works?  
4 Quest. Whether Mr. Wotton professing his dissent from Socinus in those things which are Orthodox and true, to wit, That faith is obedience to Christ's commandments, who commands us to believe and repent; That repentance which cometh not but by faith, is the means to obtain forgiveness of sins which Christ hath brought, that is to get the sense and assurance of forgiveness; And that faith is a believing of that which Christ taught, and an assurance of obtaining that he promised upon our repentance and obedience: can therefore be justified from the heresies of Socinus, in the point of justification, when he holds other things which are condemned in Socinus for heresy, as that faith used in a proper sense, not tropically, is said to be imputed for righteousness to justification, and not the righteousness of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith; And that Christ hath not redeemed us, and satisfied for our sins, and procured our pardon and justification, by fulfilling the Law in our stead; And that faith, though not for the merit, worth and virtue of it, yet by the place and office which the Lord of his mercy hath assigned, is the condition upon which God doth justify and adopt us, and is accepted of God and counted for righteousness?  
5 Quest. Whether Mr. Wotton doth not deny the free covenant of Grace, when he holds that God doth not covenant to justify and give life, but upon a condition, performed on our part, equivalent for all purposes, to a man's perfect fulfilling of the Law in his own person under the covenant of works?  
6 Quest. Whether Mr. Wotton affirming that if we be freely pardoned, than our sins were not punished in Christ our head and surety, doth not deny Christ's satisfaction for sin?  
7. Quest. Whether Mr. Wotton be not guilty of heretical tergiversation, and gross contradiction in these passages. First, when he saith, that there is no end or use of the imputation of Christ's righteousness, pag. 12. of Mr. Gataker's defence. And again, pag. 21. That it is heretical and blasphemous, to say that Christ's righteousness is not imputed as the meritorious cause of Justification. And again, in his essays saith, that there is no mention of the merit of Christ in all the Scriptures.  
Secondly, when he saith, That Faith doth not justify us, per se, by itself, and yet is said properly, and not tropically, to be imputed to us for righteousness, pag. 27. of the Defence; and is the only condition which God requires on our part for Justification, pag. 13. Also, when he saith, That Faith doth not justify us, but only as it apprehendeth and applieth Christ and his righteousness, pag. 27. And yet denyeth that Christ's righteousness is so apprehended and applied by Faith, that God counts it our righteousness to Justification, pag. 12.  
Thirdly, when he renounceth the Law of God, performed by ourselves or any other in our stead, for the justifying of us before God, pag. 12. And denyeth that we are punished for our sins, in Christ our head and surety, for the satisfying of God's just wrath, pag. 29. And yet pag. 34. saith, I acknowledge and profess that Christ hath made satisfaction for us, by paying a true price to God his Father. Is not this the same tergiversation, which the heretic Socinus useth? Who in some places confesseth in the Scripture phrases, that Christ is our Redeemer, our ransom, and the propitiation for our sins: And in other places denyeth Christ's satisfying and paying of a ransom to God for our Redemption and justification.  
Fourthly, when he saith, that we are not accounted to be formally righteous, by fulfilling the Law, and satisfying the Justice of God in Christ, and yet saith, that we are accepted of God as Righteous for Christ's obedience no less than if we had indeed performed those things, pag. 32. and pag. 26. For aught I hold of Faith, Christ's righteousness may be even the formal cause of our Justification. But pag. 22. He confesseth that he denyeth Christ's righteousness to be imputed as the formal cause whereby we are made formally Righteous; which is a flat contradiction of the Apostles words, Rom. 5. 19 By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous, that is, constituted and made formally righteous, for so the Greek word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} doth signify.  
8. Quest. Whether Mr. Wotton can with a good conscience by Mr. Gataker be justified and proclaimed free from heresy, when he will fully and perversely denyeth the very form, essence, and being of Justification, to wit, the imputation of Christ's righteousness, which he first simply rejecteth, as being of no use, and afterwards as the formal cause of justification, seeing he (the said Mr. Gataker) hath publicly extolled, and commended for Orthodox, the like Treatise of Mr. William Bradshaw, wherein he makes imputation of Christ's righteousness the form of Justification, and inveighed against some, (meaning me, who had opposed some errors and contradictions which are in that book) in his funeral Sermon, Preached at Mr. Bradshaw's burial?  
9 Quest. Whether the faithful being by one spirit united to Christ, and made one spiritual body, and partakers of his righteousness, and whole obedience to the Law of God, and thereby constituted righteous before God, can without heretical perverseness be denied again and again to be formally, that is, truly and really righteous, by that righteousness, though not inherent in every believer, but only spiritually communicated from the head to every member of the body?  
10. Quest. Whether Mr. Wotton might not justly be judged to be possessed with the spirit of Socinian blindness, and giddiness, when he derides Orthodox Divines, For making every believer justified by imputation of Christ's satisfactory obedience, a Redeemer and Saviour, and satisfyer for all the elect and faithful (for thus he argues. If Christ's righteousness and satisfaction, be imputed to every believer, then must every believer be counted a Redeemer, Justifyer, & Satisfyer, for all the Elect: But this is absurd, Ergo the Antecedent is false. In one of his written pamphlets) though they do not hold that God's imputing of Christ's obedience and satisfaction, is an accounting of it to be performed by them in their own persons, or imputed as a meritorious efficient cause; but only his accounting it theirs by communion from Christ the head to every member so far as to make him formally righteous. And yet he himself contradicting his former absolute denial of imputation, pag. 12. doth hold imputation of Christ's righteousness, as a meritorious, and efficient cause of Justification, pag. 21. Which is a manifest falling into that absurdity, which he would pin upon others. For if it be counted ours, as a meritorious efficient cause, then are we all counted justifyers, who do justify the Elect, and merit their justification.  
I could propound divers other Questions, but when Mr. Gataker sees himself seriously to answer these, I hope he shall perceive (if he hath ever an eye left to see) that his defence of Mr. Wotton, is worse than standing at his back, till his head be broken, even a breaking of his head, and a defaming of him by going about to defame me unjustly in this pretended Defence, the issue whereof is, That by publishing in Print, those damnable heretical speeches, which I in private objected against Mr. Wotton, out of his own writings (not one word whereof he could deny) he hath made Mr. Wotton's name to stink, like the issue of a running Cancer in a most foul body, and like those sepulchers dogs, which scratch rotten carcases out of their graves, he hath raked up Mr. Wotton's rotten body of errors out of his grave; (as some godly Divines have said, upon the reading of his defence.) For what true Christian, when he reads those desperate speeches which I objected in my parallel, now Printed by Mr. Gataker, (viz. That there is no end or use whatsoever of the imputation of Christ's obedience, active or passive, for the justification of sinners; That Faith, taken in a proper sense, is by God counted for righteousness: And is for all purposes, as sufficient to justification under the gospel, as the fulfilling of the Law by a man in his own person, was in the covenant of works; that he renounceth the fulfilling of the Law by Christ for our Justification: And that our sins are not punished in Christ, nor God's wrath satisfied thereby) is not so offended with the ill savour of those rotten heresies, that he is forced to stop his nose at the reading of them, as passengers do, when they pass by the valley of Hamon Gog? Ezech. 29. 11.  
If Mr. Gataker be so profuse and prodigal of his Reputation, as to subscribe to them, that there is no heresy or blasphemy in them; when Beza, Paraeus, Lubertus and others, our betters, have, before me, so proclaimed them to be: Yet he hath with breach of piety and charity, and with greater virulency and defect of humanity, and common honesty than he hath proved to be in me; most falsely fathered on those dead Saints, Mr. Randall, and Mr. stock, and on those living pious men, Doctor Gouge, and Master Downham, a subscription to those errors; that they saw no heresy, or blasphemy in them. Whereas, indeed and in truth, I have to show in writing, that their subscription was not to all or any thing, which I produced out of his writings against him; but only to his Expositions, wherein he denied many of his errors, and set a false gloss on the rest.  
Indeed some things in those Expositions, I did then show to be already condemned for heresy and blasphemy, by the learned before named; and thereupon I did blame their subscription, and protested against it, and desired to dispute with Mr. Wotton, and prove those points heresy; but Mr. Gataker interposed and prevailed so with the rest, that I could not be heard, neither could I by any entreaty obtain a copy of those Expositions; but they were committed to Doctor Bailiff to be kept; till Mr. Wotton had more fully in writing purged himself, and the Doctor durst never suffer me once to read them, fearing lest I should write a public confutation of them. Howbeit I wrote a confutation of so much as I could remember, by hearing them once read, at the time when they were subscribed, and on Wednesday, being the second day after, did show it to Doctor Gouge, and Mr. Downham after the Sermon at Blackfriars'. And a long time after, I with much ado, by Mr. Wetwood's means, obtained the sight of them, for two hours, in which space I copied them out, as is before related; so far was I from pressing Doctor Bailiff to conceal them, (as Mr. Gataker would intimate, pag. 37) that I never laboured for any thing more earnestly, then to have them published for the freeing of myself from the crimes which Mr. Wotton then, and now Mr. Gataker by false reports would lay and fasten on me, pag. 39 of his Defence.  
As for that testification rehearsed, pag. 38. and subscribed by John Downham, and William Gouge, it was gotten by Mr. Wotton seven years after, when the business was almost forgotten: And (as Mr. Downham told me) it was upon this occasion. Mr. Wotton having written his book de Reconciliatione, came to him and told him, that now he had fully purged himself from Socinianism, (as he promised) in a book which Mr. Mason the Bishop's chaplain would licence for the press, if two or more of them who heard the controversy, between him and me, would testify that I did not convince him of heresy before them; and that they all had so subscribed. And upon this suggestion, which was false, they two only gave that attestation, which Mr. Stock, and Dr. Bailiff, abhorred to do, repenting of what favour they had showed him at the first.  
If this be not so, let Mr. Downham, and Dr. Gouge, speak for themselves: As for the rest of Mr. Gataker's defence, it is so frivolous, that a short answer will serve. His main charge against me is, that I make Mr. Wotton to hold the same things which have formerly been condemned for heresy in Abailard, Servetus, and Socinus; for this he accuseth me of iniquity, but the iniquity returns upon his own head.  
First, for Peter Abailard, he held that our sins are not punished in Christ, and that it had been injustice in God to punish one for another, and to impute the obedience of one to others: And against him Saint Bernard disputes Epist. 190. in these words, It was man who was indebted, and man satisfied. If one died for all, than all died in him, that the satisfaction of one may be imputed to all; for he who offended and forfeited was not one, and he who satisfied, another; the head and the body are one Christ. And a little after. I call myself righteous, but by his righteousness. Which is that? Christ, the end of the Law for righteousness to every believer. And again, Man is mercifully redeemed, or delivered, yet so as that there Justice executed even in the deliverance. If the heresy of Abailard, thus confuted by Bernard, be not the same which I proved to be held by Mr. Wotton, let the Reader judge. If Abailard did deny in plain words the eternal Deity of Christ, and after him Servetus and Socinus also: so also did Mr. Wotton in effect, though in words he professed the contrary. For he held that Christ's obedience did serve only to justify himself, and to bring him into high favour with God, so that God justifies us by him as by a favourite, only upon condition of our trusting in him. Now where is the infi●●●● value of his Deity, if he needed justification and favour for himself?  
Secondly, that Servetus and Socinus were in the same error, and that Mr. Wotton in the points of justification holds with them, I have proved out of his own words. It is a poor defence for Mr. Gataker, to excuse him by naming other heresies of theirs which he professed not; neither did I charge him with them; And to plead, that because they were condemned for other heresies, more than this; therefore this was no heresy. I know it to be heresy and blasphemy, and with the learned before named do proclaim it to be so. Yea Mr. Wotton's own conscience told him that his opinions were condemned for heresy and blasphemy, and for fear of shame, denied them at sometimes; and most frequently contradicted himself, saying and unsaying, as Socinus his Master often did.  
I am loath to spend more time, to answer to this last part of Mr. Gataker's defence, which one short breath is sufficient to blow away. If he be forward to break out into a further defence of these errors, and of Mr. Wotton, (who in his first paper speaking of the Doctrine of justification, as it is held and maintained by all Orthodox Divines of the reformed Church, did not blush to say, I am enforced to dissent from them all; what spirit enforced him, I cannot conceive unless it was the spirit of Abailard, who is condemned by Saint Bernard for saying, Omnes doctores nostri post Apostolos in hoc conveniunt, etc All our Doctors or teachers since the Apostles agree in this point; but I am of another opinion: sic omnes, non sie ego, all other think so, but I do not think so) I shall by God's grace be as ready to resist him still. And I doubt not but the hand of all Orthodox Divines will be against him who takes part with one against all; yea against the holy Scriptures, and the holy penmen of them. My faith, by which I believe that I shall be saved, is a firm belief that Christ is my head and surety, who fulfilled the whole Law for me, that he might thereby, redeem, reconcile, and justify me, and that my sins were punished in him, and his righteousness, is my righteousness, in which I stand righteous before God. I know whom I have believed. I fear not what any man can say against me. If God be with me, I care not who be against me. If he justify me, who can condemn? I will therefore rest on that promise of the Lord, Esay 54. 17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that riseth up against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord; and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.  
FINIS.