THE MYSTERY OF GOD INCARNATE: OR, The WORD made Flesh, cleared up: Or, A Vincication of certain Scriptures( produced to prove the Divinity of Jesus Christ) from the corrupt Glosses, false Interpretations, and sophistical Argumentations of M. John Knowles, who denies the Divinity of CHRIST.  
Also, Certain Annotations and Observations upon a Pamphlet entitled, A Confession of Faith concerning the holy Trinity, according to the Scriptures: Together with a copy of a Letter sent by him to the Committee of Gloucester, concerning his Faith touching the doctrine of the Trinity.  
By Samuel eton, Teacher of the Church of CHRIST at Duckenfield.  
Whereunto is annexed the Attestation of 

Philip nigh,  
John own,  
Joseph Caryl,  
Tho. Harrison,  
William Greenhill,  
Sydr. Simpson,  
Geo. Griffiths.    
London, Printed for Henry Cripps, and Lodowick Lloyd, in Popes-head Alley. 1650.   

An Attestation to the ensuing Treatise.  
AS all the Saints of God are everlastingly obliged to seek and contend for the glory and honour of him, whose inheritance and purchase they are, so especially is this duty incumbent on them, whom he enables from above, and calls forth to declare his Name unto the residue of the sons of men; this they have in charge, of this they must give an account, the manifestation of himself, and all things wherein he is concerned, being an effectual means to draw sinners to the faith of him, and obedience to him which he doth require: this is the design of the ensuing Treatise, even a vindication of that glory of our blessed Saviour, which it is even astonishable to think, that any calling themselves by his Name should once attempt to divest him of; it is the glory of his being, as to that nature of his, wherein he was eternally glorious, and without which he could not be a meet Mediator to bring his many sons to glory.  
There hath scarce passed an age since the Incarnation of the son of God, wherein the old enemy of mankind hath not attempted by sundry instruments to oppugn his Deity, whereby himself was conquered; he knows where the Churches great strength lies, and what alone is the unshaken foundation of the purchased salvation; no wonder then if he turn himself into all forms, and improve his skill to the utmost for the removing of that corner-stone, that all our faith and hope might fall to the ground; this he subtly endeavours by the opposer thereof, whom you shall find confuted in this Treatise; a man who by sundry dextrous insinuations, and such advantages as seducers for a season are seldom unfurnished withall, hath disturbed the peace of many, and( as we hear) overthrown the faith of not a few. Thou wilt find how by a faithful labourer in the vineyard of the Lord, his sophisms are resolved, his corrupt gloss removed, false and subtle reasonings answered, and the eternal truth of the eternal Deity of the Son of God, cleared from the impotent assault of an unthankful creature. It is our desire, and shall be our prayer, that the Lord would make this serious and solid Discourse effectual to disentangle poor souls from the snare of the devil, and recover them from such mis-believing thoughts of the Lord Christ, as will certainly drown them in perdition, as also to establish those that are shaken, and to build up all to whom by providence it shall come, in the faith of the Son of God.  


Philip nigh,  
John own,  
Joseph Caryl,  
William Greenhill.  
Sidr. Simpson,  
Geo. Griffiths,  
Tho. Harison.     

To the faithful and dearly beloved, the Saints of Jesus Christ, in, and about Chester; Especially to all such who have known the Doctrine, red the Papers of M. John Knowls, and who have been his familiar Hearers and Followers.  
CHristian friends, whom I love and honour in the Lord Christ, I have been jealous over you with godly jealousy, lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve, so your godly mindes should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. When M. Knowls first came among you, and was under some suspicion of unsoundness in the doctrine of the Trinity, I warned many among you to take heed of him; not because I envied him( the searcher of hearts is witness) but because I loved you and sincerely sought your welfare. When I more perfectly understood his tenant against the Godhead of Christ,( which( to use M. John Goodwin's words) hath a malignant influence upon the whole Gospel of Christ) I professed against it as heretical, as blasphemous against Christ as destructive to the faith of Jesus and damnable to all that should continue to adhere to it: and I  told some of you in his presence, that my opinion was, that he was sent among you in wrath, and not in mercy. But all that I spake, was a Paradox unto you; you could not receive it, but I was as a mad man in your account, and all was wrath and passion in your understanding.  
But my design is not to grieve any of you; therefore I'll forbear to ripp up, and leave it to God to judge of these things. Afterward I congested some few Scriptures and Arguments together, and presented them unto you, at such time when the most of you were convened together;( my tender care over you( God knoweth) that you might be in nothing damnified by that horrid doctrine that was brought unto you, was the sole incentive that set me on work:) and I gained from you a confession of your Faith in that point, according to the tenor of the Paper that I had red among you: you were then firm and unshaken in the Faith; and if it be otherwise at this day, that which is corrupt will be burnt up, and my hope is that your precious souls will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. There must be something that must humble all flesh that God alone may be exalted in every soul that is his.  
For your sakes also it was( that your faith might stand not in the words of men that are sent among you to try you, but in the power of God, which came upon you when you first believed) that I desired, and in some kind endeavoured his removal from among you, because I saw that your affection to his person and parts would certainly be a snare to many of you, and enslave you to his doctrine, which was not like to want a specious presentment to commend it to you: Not that I wished one hair of his head to fall to the ground to his hurt,( the Lord he knoweth) but my earnest desire was, that you might be kept from evil.  
Nor had I any design to reinvest myself into place, or power, or profit, or honour among you; for then I might have continued in the place, and in the power and profit of it, while I possessed it; for no one took it from me, nor could do, while I faithfully discharged it; but I voluntarily quitted it, because I could not fulfil my ministry to another people, and yet live among you: and you yourselves know, that I traveled some miles in York-shire, to procure the blessing of an able ministry among you; but the man whom I designed for you, was designed by God to another people in Berwick.  
When I saw that he was like to abide, at least for a time among you, I then attempted the separating of you from him, and pressed the duty( with the Apostles authority) of withdrawing from him, because he brought not the doctrine of Christ which you had received, and upon which your souls had been built; and I had the concurrence of the Elders of Churches both of the South and of the North therein, that walked in the same way and order with yourselves; but this was fruitless also, though I have much peace and comfort in it; for I sought not myself, but your good in it.  
But what reason was there( may some one ask) that I should be thus active among you more then other men? Oh Brethren the flames of your ardent affection to me, and desires after me( some of you standing in nearness and dearness of relation to me, and others of you combining together to invite me and call me among you, being willing to resign up your souls( which are the most precious parts of yourselves) to my watchfulness in the Lord) enkindled my zeal and love towards you all, so that it was the more grievous to think that any soul among you should perish, by sucking in the poison of asps that was under the tongue of one whom you put into the bosom of love.  
But all this while( while I had no rest in my spirit, but was striving with God in my prayers for you night and day, and using all means with you and for you, that you might be saved from the infection of so malignant a Doctrine) he was among you, and at work he was, in stilling( as there was occasion) his principles into you, and applying himself with all seriousness unto the answering of a Paper which I had( for your strengthening in the faith) presented to you: and your expectation was great of the finishing of that Work, and the approbation of many of you was greater when it was finished: And it was looked upon by some among you, and spoken of to be an unanswerable Piece, carrying the evidence of Truth along with it.  
And indeed, I will grant it, it might well deceive some of you, who have not red of the depths of Satan in Arrius and his followers, but have imagined that all that he hath held out unto you concerning this point, was never known to the world before, and that he had received it all from God inasmuch as he renounced Tradition, and gave himself to God, and to the study of the Scriptures and that then God came in to him, and revealed this secret to him, that was hide from ages: But the heresy is ancient, and hath been often raled into and revived by many; and I do know where( for substance) all he presents may be found, and much more then he hath made use of: yet I disparaged not his parts, but wish from my soul that they were improved in the knowledge and love of the Truth, and sanctified unto your salvation.  
When this Answer was come out and sent unto me, I saw subtlety enough in it, by which the mindes not onely of the simplo but of some that were more intelligent, might possibly be deceived; and I presently conceived that there was now no way but one to be taken, to deliver you out of the hands of the destroyer, who kills you by denying Christ, while he pretends to preach the Gospel of salvation through Christ unto you. I will not say that he doth this willingly, but perhaps through ignorance, and by the seductions of others, or because when he knew the Truth( for he was enlightened with the knowledge of it, as himself confesseth) he received it not in the love of it and therefore( it may be) God hath given him up to strong delusious, to believe lies, to his own and others hurt and hazard. I discerned, I say, that now all other attempts must cease, and that I must apply myself to a Reply to his Answer, and must commit it to Gods blessing, if so be the Lord may be pleased to convince any poor soul by it: which I have now done and do commend it in prayer to the hands of the Lord, who knows how to carry any truth in it, to your hearts.  
And now, Brethren, I do exhort and beseech you, especially so many of you as have received from his mouth this Doctrine( which is so contrary to what you have formerly heard, and have believed) or which have red his Papers, in which he so largely handles it, and all others who are any way affencted with his person, or with his parts and gifts, or seeming graces, or with his life and conversation, and so may more readily embrace his opinion; and all such who have any questionings in their hearts, or doubtings in their mindes about Christs Godhead, especially if any among you have left their first faith, and have turned aside to this new Doctrine, or old error; and all such whosoever, that love the Lord Jesus Christ and the Truth in sincerity, and would be confirmed and strengthened in the Faith, and enabled to encounter with gainsayers; I do entreat you all, for the sake of Jesus Christ, that you would in conscience to God, and to your souls, red and peruse with all seriousness, and with much prayer, this Controversal Tractate, which is of the highest consequence and concernment( whatever you may think) that ever you had to do with. For your sakes and for the Truths sake, which I love, I have engaged in it; if it profit you not, yet my labour is with the Lord.  
I have very much avoided harshness, that I might offend none of you: and if there be any passages that relish not, be not offended at the Truth for such passages sake: and if you think you discover weaknesses in many things that are held out to you, yet consider whether there be not strength also in many other things which are presented to your view; and let that which hath strength, have a strong impression upon you, and a deep entrance into you: take heed of shutting out any light, or of arguing against your consciences: take heed of prejudice in your spirits, or of respect of persons; beware lest affection should darken your judgements: flee from temptations which the shane of retracting, or of changing and altering your opinion, may expose you to. But if any of you have erred, give glory to God, who would not suffer you to abide in error, but had mercy on you. It is the greatest honour, to be ashamed of evil. If you should any of you stifle light within you, and struggle against that which is truth in your hearts, and should study to uphold a person, or a party, or an opinion, because you have upheld it, God will not take pleasure in you. But I hope better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though I thus speak.  
My Work is not yet ended, my Reply not yet finished, his Papers not yet answered; much is yet behind; it would have swelled to too great a Volume, to have done it all at once; and I was counseled against it; and I should have tired out many in their expectations while they would be waiting for it, and much more hurt might have been done in the interim while I might be long about it: Therefore I thought it my duty, as timely as I could, to give you a taste of my Labours: if the Lord be pleased to prosper my work, I may prevent the further spreading of so great an error, and the further leavening of the hearts of men with it, by the interposition of a part of that which I purpose to present you with; and by that means also, I shall have time, while your mindes are exercised about this part, to finish the whole work.  
And if any shall think that I have wronged myself or the Work by putting it out of my hands by parts and pieces, I shall onely entreat them to red what is done: they will easily discern that I have encountered with him wherein his great strength lieth: and if I prosper in this, and prevail, themselves will readily confess that there will be no great doubt to be made of the rest.  
I have much work yet to do: some Scriptures are to be vindicated, and all the Arguments that I produced, must be freed from his evasions, and must be further confirmed and strengthened. And I purpose to hold forth the dangerousness and desperateness of his error, and to show that the Foundation is overturned by it; and I look up to God for his further help and assistance, and take my leave of you all, beseeching the Lord to direct, guide, confirm, and settle you both in the Truth, and in the love of it, and remain,  
Yours to serve you in the Gospel of Truth, SA. eton.   

Observations upon M. KNOWLS his Epistle to the READER.  
I Thought to have passed over the Epistle( which he fixeth to the ensuing Debate) in silence, because my scope was to avoid prolixity, and not weary the Reader with an unnecessary discourse: But because I understand that the Reader( to whom he directs it) hath not passed it by without passing his verdict upon it, I shall also present the Reader with some of my apprehensions concerning it.  
I do easily understand that some mens designs are to be admired by presenting something to the Vulgar which they can apprehended: and my Antagonist appears to me( and to very many others who have red his Epistle) to be one of them.  
His first undertaking is, to commend Truth; but he wraps himself in the dark clouds of obscure expressions, and( to use his own words) he enshrines his discourse in the dark shadows of conceited phrases; so that if himself understand himself in some of his sentences,( I dare say) few others do.  
What this every Truth is, that proceeds from the Divine mystery, seeing all Truth proceeds from God, who is the Divine Mystery. And what this Divine Mystery is, whenas there are many Divine Mysteries, the Father, the Son, the Spirit, the Gospel, the Scriptures, being all of them Divine Mysteries; and what God in Christ is seeing he denies the Godhead in Christ; and what Mystery is in God in Christ seeing Christ is not God, but a mere creature consisting of body and soul as other men, as he holds, is hard to be understood, and requires an interpreter.  
But these sayings, more especially, are not very intelligible: Truth is enshrined in a dark shadow, The very centre and soul of corporal appearances, purposely enured to sense: And, Reason is of progeny more then human, heartened by a divine power, &c. And, Reason, in the invention of Truth, obtains a greater prise, and greater praise: And, Truth draws her breath in the Divine Mystery of God in Christ, and therein is centred up in unity. These sentences are shadowed in darkness, requiring( but not deserving) some learned Commentator. What these corporal appearances are, of which Truth is the centre and soul; how Truth proceeding from the Divine Mystery, is enured to Sense; how Reason is of progeny more then human since the Fall, seeing both Men and Reason have lost God, and cannot tell where to find him; and seeing both are degenerate, and cannot call God Father so much as the rest of the creatures can: and how Reason hath the invention of Truth for its greater prise or praise, seeing the natural man, with all his Reason cannot understand the things of God: and how every Truth that proceeds from the Divine Mystery, draweth her breath forth from God in Christ, and is centred up in unity: How such Riddles must be expounded, and how such mystical Positious must be interpnted, and whether they be consonant either to Reason, or to Scripture, let him that can( M. Knowls excepted) show.  
There is also some frothy vanity which he takes pleasure in, because his discourse is full of it; he fancies words which sound alike, or begin with one letter, or are terminated with like syllables; which is not altogether so suitable to his professed Christian gravity. I shall give some few instances; heartened, heightened; unskilful, wilful; wicked, weaponed; traduc't, traitors; fail, fall; preservation, expugnation, and many more; which affectation of words will perish as the grass; but he haps upon it in his sentences.  
After commendation of Truth, he comes to exhortation, and excites all professors to try all things yea to examine principles; and under that head, the examination of Christian Religion itself may come, and also the Scriptures must be tried whether they be the Word of God, and whether there be any such thing as a Christ or not, and whether Mahomet or Christ be the greater Prophet, seeing there is a great contention betwixt Turkes and Christians about that point.  
He shows also the design of the Treatise that he was upon, and calls it a Logical Question, Whether Jesus Christ, the Son of the most high God, be that God: Which I have always thought to be a Theological and Divine Question, and to be received by Faith, and not preached out by Reason. And with this distinction of God, and that God, or, God, and the most high God, granting Christ to be God, but denying him to be the most high God, he hath cloaked and covered the horridness of his Opinion; and it hath been the bait whereby he hath alured many to swallow it down. Poor souls have pleaded his cause with such expressions: He denies not Christ to be God, he detracts not from Christ, he exalts him, and sets him up in glory; and they never heard Christ held forth in greater clearness and lustre then he hath set him forth: whereas they consider not that he hath infinitely debased him in making him a Creature-God; and if he should strip him of all his created glory at the next 'bout, and make him base then a worm, and tread him under feet as the dust of the earth, he could not so much dishonour him and vilify him, as he hath done, in taking his Divinity from him. The distance betwixt an Angel and a Worm, is but finite; but the distance betwixt God and a Creature( as glorious as you can think of) is infinite.  
He saith, The nature of this Question calls for the greatest, the gravest consideration; and if so, then the salvation of men is concerned in it; which indeed I have much contended for, but have been thought to be harsh and rigid in maintaining of it: but he hath preached, that it was sufficient for persons to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that God raised him from the dead, though they were ignorant whether he were the most high God, or a mere Creature: How is it then, in his account, of greatest and gravest consideration?  
He presents the weightiness of the knowledge of this Question in three Arguments which he produceth, fetched from the excellency, mystery, and utility of this Knowledge. But of the Excellency I may say as the Apostle( in 2 Cor. 3.10.) saith of all the glory of the Law, when he compares it with the Gospel, that it was not glorious in comparison of the glory that excelleth: so it may be said of the knowledge of Christ, If he be but a mere man, consisting of soul and body, as he makes him, there is no excellency in the knowledge of him, in comparison of that excellency which he takes from him, which will be in the knowledge of him to be God and Man united together in one person: For the excellency of the knowledge, is derived from the excellency of the thing known: by how much then the most high God is more excellent then any Creature, by so much the knowledge of Christ, as the most high God, is more excellent then the knowledge of him as a mere Creature, how excellent soever any one may imagine him. And as the love of the Father, in giving Christ, and of Christ in giving himself, Joh. 3.16. and Joh. 15.13.( if Christ be the Son of his own Nature and Essence, by eternal generation) is superlatively great and glorious, in comparison of what it is if he be but a created, made Son, like the Angels: so the knowledge of this love of God and Christ is transcendently high and excellent, if we know it in reference to the excellency of such a Person, so given; the knowledge of the love of such a Christ passeth knowledge, and the knowledge of the love of the Father in giving such a Christ, passeth knowledge; we may proclaim the height and depth, the length and breadth of it; for it is not to be paralleled.  
But he also makes the knowledge of Christ in the excellency of it, to arise from the person, whom he saith lay in the womb of eternit, and it was excellent in that respect.  
But did not all other things lye in the womb of eternity in his sense, as well as Christ? for he speaks onely of Gods eternal purpose to create Christ in time. And Gods counsels creating all things, were in this womb of eternity; and what pre-eminence then had Christ, in this respect, above other creatures, that the excellency of his knowledge should hence be argued? But with high expressions, wherein( when examined) there is nothing but emptiness, he captivates the mindes of the inconsiderate. But to say that the knowledge of Christ hath excellency in it, because it is the knowledge of him that not onely lay in, but proceeded from the womb of Eternity, in that eternal generation which he had from the Father; this hath not the form of truth, but the truth itself of all excellency in it.  
And, according to our tenant, the Righteousness of God is lifted up in greater glory: for he that was able to bear Gods wrath to the utmost, and to subsist under it, without being overwhelmed and consumed by it, such an one was able to give a sufficient price to God for sin, to pay the utmost farthing of the debt of the Elect, and to satisfy Justice in the utmost demand; which no mere human creature( such as he makes Christ onely to be) could do; but such a person who is God-Man, which we assert Christ to be: and the knowledge of this hath incomparable excellency in it.  
And the Righteousness of Christ also is made the righteousness of God according to our assertion, and as the Scripture affirmeth; which is more excellent then the righteousness of a mere man, and the knowledge of it more full of lustre and glory. And the Truth of God, Holiness of God, Hatred of Sin, Abhorrencie of Unrighteousness, do all shine forth with ravishing astonishment to the eyes of every spiritual beholder, when God would not spare his natural Son, the Son of his own Self, but( having imputed the sins of the Elect unto him) delivered him up, and prosecuted him with all his wrath,( as if he had been the greatest malefactor and transgressor) and fetched out thereby an infinite satisfaction to himself from him, that was infinite, and able to give it. And the unsearchable Wisdom and Knowledge of God( which the Angels and the Church have always admired and adored) who hath found out a way of satisfying Himself by Himself, and yet in our nature,( which was necessary, because the offence was in our nature) shines forth in the perfection of beauty in Christ, the Son of God, who subsisteth in the nature of God, and assumed Flesh. And indeed, all the Attributes of glory do meet in their perfect excellency, in the mystery of Christ, or God Incarnate: and there we may see them; and the sight of them hath such transcendency of splendour, that it dazzles the sight of all persons that do contemplate them: But let Christ be stripped of his Godhead, and the glory of the knowledge of Christ departs away with it.  
In a word, In the knowledge of Christ, we have the knowledge of the Father in his full proportion; we see him as he is in Christ: As face answers to face in a glass, so doth Christ, the essential Son of God, answer the Father in all things; insomuch as Christ himself  told Philip, that he that hath seen him, hath seen the Father: which cannot be spoken of any finite creature, because of the infinite distance betwixt God and it. So that there is in the knowledge of this mystery Christ, a great depth of glory, as we have received it, and believed it; but, according to him, it may be soon fathomed.  
But he urgeth the Reader to acquire the knowledge of Christ the Son from the mystery that is in it. There is mystery in it indeed, to him that contemplates it, as the truth is in Christ. What greater mystery, then two Natures in one Person? the Nature of man, without the Person of man? the Son as ancient as his Father? begotten of the Father, yet not in any time begotten? another Person from the Father, and yet not another God? Nature and Essence communicated to him, and yet he not dependant, nor less perfect? This is such a mystery as Scripture doth assert, and commands to be received by faith; because there is a depth in it, which Reason cannot prie into. And he disputes against it as impossible, and cries out against it of contradictious that he saith are in it: he would number it with his Reason, being resolved not to receive any thing which he cannot understand: but Reason cannot reach it; the wisdom of man is foolishness in searching into and discussing this secret; Reason is confounded; and the attempts of Rational men, in seeking to comprehend it, are madness; they might as rationally attempt to reach heaven with their hand: therefore Christians must be pressed to get Faith, that they may measure the length and breadth of it.  
But according to his Position of the Son, that he is a mere Creature, consisting of soul and body, Where is the mystery? where is the Secret? where is the wonderfulness of Christ? If in his person he be in all things like unto other men, and be constituted of the same constitutive parts, Where is the separateness, the remoteness and transcendency of his person compared with others? For that is the mystery, viz. the mystery of his Person, which he sends us to study out. As for the wonder of works wrought by the virtue and power of God that is another thing; but our Dispute respects the Person. Nor is there any such secret in it, that a mere man should do mighty things by the power of God, inasmuch as the Prophets and Apostles have done things( in the ages in which they lived) by Gods power; and of the Apostles( as instruments in Gods hand) it is said, that they did greater things, materially considered, then Christ himself: yea, we red that God made the sounding of rams horns( in which there was little virtue to such a purpose) instrumental for the casting down of the walls of Jericho; and we can easily dive into the depth, and come unto the bottom of this by our Reason: This therefore cannot be the mystery of Christ; but the mystery is God Incarnate, or, the Flesh and Nature of Man assumed and taken up unto an hypostatical union with the Son( who is very God) which this Tractate undertakes to prove.  
His third Argument( wherewith he excites the Reader to gain the knowledge of the Son) is the utility of this knowledge.  
We grant the utility of it, and enforce it upon undeniable grounds as we determine the Question: but he destroys the benefit which comes by Christ, in holding the negative of the Question, viz. that Christ is not that God is not the most high God; which hereafter I shall endeavour to make out largely with such clearness( through Gods help) as may convince gainsayers.  
Christ, God-Man is the very life of Believers; he is their Peace, he is their Hope, he is their Rock upon which their souls are built, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them; he is their Shadow from the wrath of God; he is their Strength, unto all that Believers are called to do or suffer in this evil world; he is their Comforter, in his Advocateship, and in the presence of his Spirit in their souls; he is their All in All: Faith may act upon a Christ with greatest assurance, in all conditions, in all necessities and temptations; and with great sweetness hath the fainting weary soul been supported and born up, in the meditations of such a strong, mighty, great, and glorious Christ, who is God, very God, the most high God, with us in our nature. But he takes away the utility of all that either Christ is, or hath, or did, or suffered; the Utility of his Person, in that union that Saints have with it; the Utility of his Offices, in that communion which Saints have with them; the utility of his Righteousness, it can be but his own righteousness, and cannot be made over to others; if he be but a mere man, it is due, and cannot be imputed for others righteousness; the utility of his Death, of his Resurrection, &c. the Merit of them, is the Utility of them; and it is destroyed by him with the Godhead, as I shall show when I shall come to handle it.  
As for the many Prophecies that are chained up in darkness, if Christ be not in the mystery of him known: It is true, that the Prophets speak much of Christ in their writings, and the whole Scripture also, concerning the Godhead of Christ; and we are in darkness, and are even confounded what sense to put upon them, if Christ be not that God, or the most high God. But what those Scriptures are that are brought out of obscurity( which were imprisoned in darkness before) by the stating of the Question( as he resolves it of Christ, making him a man onely, and nothing more) he might have done well to have declared, because the Reader will be in the dark about it. If he mean the Scriptures produced by him in this controversy, I hope I have made it to appear, so far as I have proceeded in my Answer of them, that he put them into darkness by unnatural and ingenuine sences that he hath put upon them. But let the Reader decide that betwixt us.  
Whereas he maketh it eternal life, and no less, to know Christ in his person as he hath determined the Question, Doth he not conclude, by consequence, that, to be ignorant of it, as he holds it, is to fall short of eternal life, and to lose it? And doth he not conclude all others that differ from him in this doctrine that respects the person of Christ, to be in the state of condemnation? and if they shall adhere still to their own opinion, opposite to what he hath held out, that such must needs perish? And is it not as high as ever I asserted in that last Debate which I had in Chester, in the presence of so many, concerning the knowledge of the Deity of Christ, which I made necessary to salvation; for which I fell under such deep censure of harshness, and became, as some  told me, a great offence to the weaker Christians? and in reference to his assertion, this is currant doctrine: he may sentence men to death everlasting, according to his fancy, and yet it is a fault in me to show the danger of so high an heresy according to the Scripture.  
It is also to be observed that this very text of Joh. 17.14 when I brought it to prove the damnableness of denying Christs Godhead, it would not be granted that it respected the person of Christ, but the sending of him; but now it is applied by him to the Person, and passeth well enough. His last words under this Head of utility, ( viz. 'tis to know the being of all knowledge, and the centre of every being) are expressions very suitable to such a Christ as we contend for; but altogether inconsistent to a Creature-Christ, which cannot adumbrate the Father in such perfection( as the Scripture he allegeth shows) that he that knoweth the one, knoweth the other also.  
After he had baited the hook with the colourable Arguments of the Excellency Mystery, and Utility of the knowledge of such a Subject, to bring them to an examination and revisal of their principles, he casts out the line in some awakening and quickening Exhortations to draw them to the net of his own delusions; and there is a great deal of cunning craftiness in his manner of working. Their rootedness and setledness in the Faith a long time together he calls it but a state of deadness and darkness which they have been in and he would shake them out of it, and invites them and excites them to a consideration of the things that he would present to their view. And because all judging requires a Rule according to which it must be made, and God designs the Scripture to be the Rule by which Light and Darkness, Truth and error may be discerned I looked when he would have sent the Reader thither, to the serious perusal and study of it, because the nobleness of the Bereans was in the searching of it: but there is a deep silence in this respect, and another Rule is exalted; the spirit of Oneness, and divine revelation that works in them is mentioned, and nothing else; by which spirit himself at first received this Doctrine, as was collected from some expressions of his. And he speaks of a spiritual light, and intelligent persuasion and of seeing with ones own eyes, and of truth written upon a mans own soul; and in all these expressions he draws off from the standing Rule, which is appointed to measure all things by; yea, the very things that he hath mentioned. The spirit that is in men, may be a spirit of Satan, and not of God, unless tried by the Scripture, that was indicted by the Spirit of God; for such a spirit is now gone forth into the world. The divine revelation may be a diabolical delusion, unless it come with Scripture-impression upon it. The spiritual light may be darkness unless it can abide the Scripture-light and unite with it. There is also error written upon the heart, as well as Truth; and a man cannot be at a certainty what is written, unless it be compared with Scripture-writing to find out the agreement or disagreement. And for seeing with a mans own eyes; a man is like to see but a little Truth with them, unless Scripture enlighten them.  
But is not the Spirit necessary to interpret Scripture?  
The Spirit interprets Scripture by Scripture; that is, in a mans study of the Scriptures, the Spirit is sent to led persons unto remembrance of other Scriptures, and suggests what is written elsewhere, and helps the understanding to extract a right sense from hence: and the Spirit makes use of others gifts and light, but still according to the Scriptures: but he passeth over this without the least touch.  
In the next place, he warns of two extremes he speaks of, lifting up the heel against the truth; and calls this wantonness, but mistakes the term or expression very much; he might have called it perverseness, peevishness, pertinaciousness, but not wantonness; for wantonness is a foolish facility to please their own fancy, in receiving something which they should not so lightly have received; to which too many are inclined else there would not be such sudden changes in such high and weighty things of greatest concernment: and this is the facility which he mentions as the second extreme.  
He comes over again with this double extreme, but in other words. He speaks of some that draw the curtains to shut out light, and calls them luxuriant and heady spirits; but stumbles again in the terms: for a luxuriant and heady man is one that runs headlong from one opinion to another, and is not stayed, and sober, and modest, and cautious in his entertaining Doctrine, but is extravagant in the reception of all that at first likes him: but he makes it to be a quiter contrary thing; surely he would have said, or at least should have said tenacious in stead of luxuriant: there are persons which will hold what they have held, and shut out all further light then they have received, which is doubtless a fault; and others are luxuriant, and heady, and hasty, and rash, and too easily welcome all that is presented for truth: and indeed, he might speak this experimentally of this extreme, because too many welcomed his doctrine, as if it had come from heaven to them; but they will know in time that they were mistaken.  
Now his design is in all this to fetch off from ancient truth received, and then to fasten them upon this new Doctrine, that when they have received it, they might not depart from it again. And this appears from these words; They are as soon drawn off, as dallied to it. But my hope is, that such precious souls whom he hath unsettled, God will never suffer to settle upon his bottom.  
After this, he expresseth himself insinuatingly, and with plausible attractives, to incline the minds and spirits of men to attend seriously to him. His Doctrine that he brings to them is the mystery of the Father and of Christ, and it hath been hide, and God hath manifested it to him; and haply it may be the time that God will have so much mercy as to manifest it to them by him; for this is the sense of his expressions. And the received Doctrine of the Trinity, he makes to be Antichristian, and calls it the smoke of the Pit; and his Opinion he calls, the glory of the Lord: And because some were taken with it, therefore he thinks the glory of the Lord is ascending for the breaking of the cloud, and for the ushering in of the day; thus he flatters himself, and allures them.  
But he knows very well that this mystery of iniquity which he calls the mystery of the Father, and of Christ, hath not been hide unto this day, and is now newly manifested but hath been of old made known to the world, and in every age there have been some that have disturbed the Saints with it; & he knows that God suffered it once to overspread the world; but after the darkening, the glory of the Lord in the truth of the deity of Christ, and mystery of the Trinity did arise again, and the wrath of God overtook him in a remarkable judgement that first broached it among men; and God brought both him and it to nought.  
But he makes an Objection concerning the producing and publishing such Questions for the troubling of the people, and answers it, but not with godly simplicity and sincerity, as becomes the Gospel.  
He saith his design was that the doctrine formerly received might have better foundations, and that the seemingly-fair face of many mental buildings may be preached, and their body examined to the very basis; and so he pretends to do nothing against the truth, but for the truth; and that his scope is not to destroy the doctrine formerly received, but to make bare the foundation of it to make it firmer, that it may carry the building, that the former doctrine may come to be further ratified, and more firmly established. But if this be so what means the importunate exhortations to the Reader, in the precedent parts of his Epistle? In one place he saith, See with your own eyes that the Babel of traducal doctrines, authorised onely by man, may fail and fall. And in another place, That which I have to mediate with thee for, in reference to the work in hand, is, that thou wouldst not suffer traduent doctrines to become traitors to presented truths. And again in another place, Haply this may be the time that the truth of these mysteries of the Father and the Son shall be manifested. The smoke of the pit ascendeth very high; methinks it proclaims the glory of the Lord to be rising for the breaking of the cloud, and the ushering in of the day. Are these expressions to build up doctrine formerly received with greater sureness, or to destroy them? Therefore there is fraud or falsehood in his expressions. If by former doctrines he mean the doctrine of the Trinity, and especially that which respects the Godhead of Christ, as it hath been formerly received by the Saints generally all along in the ages of the world; then here is falsehood: for his design is to deface, extirpate, and destroy that doctrine as his own expressions declare. But if by former doctrine he mean his own heresy and error, which is not new, but of old hath troubled the Church, especially in the fourth age after Christ; then there is Fraud and deceit in his words: for his words are an Answer to an Objection, and they are his defence which he makes for himself; he would not be thought to trouble people with new doctrine, but to settle them in the old.  
In the next place he Apologizeth for the plainness of his language; but I have never heard him condemned for that by any, but for the conceitedness of his language he hath been censured by many.  
The Treatise for the matter, and the Epistle for the language, have engendered hard thoughts in the mindes of many of the most sober and truly pious Readers against him  
What he speaks of the rising of this Tractate in hast, intending onely a visitaton to a private Friend, upon a more then earnest invitation, had need of an interpretation. There was a small paper of Scriptures and Arguments prepared for others, to settle them in Christ's Godhead, but presented to him through the counsel of Friends, for his conviction; and he( through I know not what importunity, for it was a grief to me when I heard of it) hastily undertakes an answer to it, which he gave out he intended to sand me,( and it was sent me at second hand, but he sent it not) but sent it to the Press, and hasted it to the view of the world, which he hath cause to repent of. And his publishing of it,( notwithstanding his Plea which he makes for it) is no way justifiable, but carries injury in it against me; for he hath printed my paper, which he knew was, first, suddenly and in a few hours time compiled by me, and therefore was not like to be of such strength, as if it had come forth of my hands with greater deliberation. Secondly, prepared for others, and not for him. Thirdly, that it came into his hands at the request of friends for the satisfying of his scruples, if there were any in him, and for the settling of him in the received Faith. Fourthly, he took a large time for the answer, and deliberately sent it forth of his hands, and then published it with such disadvantage to me, and advantage to himself; and this he did without once acquainting me with it, or seeking my consent, of purpose( it may be through the counsel of friends) to gain honour to himself, and to lay me under shane: but God hath his ordering providence in it, and will turn it to his praise, and with these thoughts I sit down satisfied.  
In the last place, he directs his speech to me, and saith, if I shall deign to descend the sands with this Treatise of his, I must know that Reviling is no Reason, and that He adds nothing to Truth, that belcheth forth Bitterness from a distempered spirit.  
In these expressions of his, he would have the world to conceive, that I am such a one who exercise Reviling more then Reason, and that doth belch out bitterness from a distempered spirit; and he gives hints of it in his ensuing discourse several times.  
My answer is, There was a time when he and I discussed the point of the Godhead of Christ, at which time after I had a good while exercised patience, I was at last so much stirred with his absurd, senseless, and unreasonable answers which he gave( for so they seemed to me) & with the adherence of some that were present at that time, to him, that I called his Opinion heresy, and said it was damnable Doctrine, and warned all present to take heed of him, and said I feared he was sent in judgement: and because he would not own his Opinion( though he laboured with all his might to destroy the received approved Doctrine) I  told him he rather carried it like a jesuit, then like a Christian: and all this was spoken with earnestness and vehemency of voice, as is frequent when I discourse upon a weighty subject; when yet there was no wrath or passion; yet I do confess there was a holy indignation in me against his error, and zeal for the truth. And he alludes to this time in his expressions; and this hath been greatly laid to my charge and objected in the greatest derogation from me: but I spare the mentioning of those who have been herein most guilty.  
And for my further clearing, I did in a private way to a friend present these assertions, and shall now publish them to the world as such which I conceive will justify me, which were grounds of such a carriage, as is censured by many of his friends.  
1. I believe that these are the last times spoken of, 1 Tim. 4.1. 2 Tim. 3.1, 6, 7.  
2. I believe that in these last times false teachers shall arise, who shall privily bring in damnable heresies, 2 Pet. 2.1, 2.  
3. I do believe that these false teachers shall transform themselves into angels of light, and ministers of righteousness, 2 Cor. 11 13, 14, 15. by which means they shall come to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect, Matth. 14.24.  
4. I do believe that all that are sound and orthodox, and lovers of the truth, especially if they be the Ministers of Christ, they ought to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints, judas ●. 3, 4. and that they ought to watch, and to warn the people of such false Teachers with all diligence both night and day, Acts 20.28, 29, 30, 31.  
5. I do believe that zeal ought to be put forth for the defence of the truth, and indignation shewed against heresies that do arise, and against the persons themselves, in reference to such heresies, Tit. 1.10, 11. 2 Joh. 10.11. Tit. 3.10, 11. Rom. 16.17.  
6. I do believe that names that carry reproach with them, and serve to vilify such persons, may & ought to be put upon them, that the godly may be warned of them, and take more heed of them, 2 Joh. 7. 2 Cor. 11.13 and that their opinions may be branded with names, to cause Saints the more to abhor them, 2 Pet. 2.1, 2. Provided always, that the names that are either put upon persons, or the things they hold, do not exceed the nature of such things or crimes of the persons that hold them.  
7. I do believe that it is no persecution either to wish evil to such persons in reference unto such opinions, or to do evil against them, that they may not have opportunity of annoying and hurring the Church of God, Gal. 5.8, 9. My reason is, because there are two things for the most part in Persecution in Scripture-acceptation, of which the latter cannot be wanting. 1. The subjects of it must be Saints, Acts 9.1.2. The Cause of it must be Righteousness, Matth. 5.10. 1 Pet. 4.14, 15. If these he wanting, it cannot be called Persecution: Provided always, that the evil that is wished or attempted, do not exceed the nature of the error that is held and published.