within the Compass of the four Seas By the same way of Arguing I will prove that the doctrine of the Trinity is no part of Christianity as delivered in the Scripture And so you may saith the Vindicator for I hold there is no such thing as the Trinity in Scripture But I will try again by the same Argument I will prove that the Divine Decrees and the Attributes of God and his Providence are no Part of Christianity because these words Decrees Attributes Providence as it is understood of God are not in Scripture Nor do the Sacraments belong to Christianity because that word occurs no where in the Sacred Writings as Barclay Apol. p. 292. profoundly argues Nay The word Christianity is not to be found in Scripture why then doth this man talk of Christianity as delivered in the Scripture You see by this what strange and inconsistent things he obtrudes upon the Reader He will not allow of Satisfaction because the word is not mention'd in the Bible Is there any reason then to own such a thing as Christianity seeing the word is not found there But he will say the Thing is And the same I say of Satisfaction and so the Vindicator shews himself to be a sorry contemptible Wrangler and lets the World know that he hath dealt so much with Children that he 's of that number himself But afterwards p 157. he pretends to own the Thing and to say it may be collected out of his Reasonableness of Christianity Yet still the Stubborn and Stomachful Man which disposition he observes reigns much in Children Educat p. 121 122. will not buckle to the Word Surely this same word satisfying hath been some way or other very mischievous to him that he so starts back at the naming of it But to come close to the business I appeal to any Impartial Man whether it can in any probability be believ'd that a person own such or such a Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel and yet will not express it by that Word or Name which all the Professors of the Orthodox Faith have agreed to call it by This is the Case of the Vindicator he pretends to allow of the Satisfaction of Christ and yet he absolutely refuses to use the Word But till he can give us any Reason for this refusal we shall believe that the true Cause why he will not admit of the Word is because he disbelieves the Thing it self P. 159 he would be fastning two Properties of a Iesuite as he saith upon me but every one saith they are his Own and therefore I will not injure him by laying claim to them And this I 'll tell him moreover that he hath an Other Property of one of that Order which he hath not named and that is Trudging up and down and having no Home And if a man can be of Loiola's Order and a Mendicant too then I 'm sure he may put in for both What he jabbers p. 163 164. about Satisfaction not being named at the Admission of those of Riper Years to Baptism he might have seen answer'd if he had had two eyes in my Socinianism Unmask'd p. 47. P. 168. he comes to make little Whimsical Remarks on what I had said of the Apostles Creed he raises Trifling Objections he sets up a Phantom a mere Shadow and then encounters it he is wanton and freakish and in brief the Kitling plays with his own Tail He insists upon the terms Abstract and Abridgment p. 173 174. and spends a great many vain words about them but can't for his heart disprove what I asserted viz. that the foresaid Creed is an Abstract or Abridgment of the Christian Faith which is more fully express'd in the Holy Scriptures not only in the Gospel but in the Epistles which our Vindicator cannot endure to hear of At last I am to be the Iesuite again and he is to take Mr. Chillingworth's place and so the Protestant is to confute the Papist and there 's an end of that silly Fantastick Fiction of our Masker not worthy of one of the poor raw Boys that he hath drag'd up in his time Further it is to be noted that after he had banded as fiercely as he could against my notion of Abridgment and to thwart me had produced Chillingworth's sense of the word he confesses that he is ignorant whether what Chillingworth had given be the nature of an Abridgment or no. p. 177. Which shews how fickle and restive he is and that he builds upon precarious hypotheses and is not careful whether there be any Ground for what he saith This would make one doubt whether this Writer be in his right mind or no. Hath not former Thoughtfulness disorder'd his Brain that he thus talks P. 177. he would seem to pay some honour to the Primitive Church and the Church of England though no man believes it no not himself and to vindicate their practise in admitting persons to Baptism upon the Faith contain'd in the Apostles Creed as if no more were to be believ'd by them than what is in express terms in that Form of Confession But the Catechism of our Church may satisfy him that more is comprehended in that Form of Faith than is expresly there mention'd else it would not have been said that we are chiefly to learn in these Articles of our Belief to believe in God the Father in God the Son and in God â—he Holy Ghost He may look long enough into the Creed and never find there these words God the Son and God the Holy Ghost but Our Church lets us know that these terms are really contain'd in that Profession of Faith Whence it follows that when persons are baptized into the Faith of the Apostles Creed they are baptized into the Faith of the Trinity and consequently into more than is in express words mention'd in this Symbol of our Faith Which is the thing that this Quarrelsome Animal objects against but is not able after all his fluttering to effect any thing Besides it is evident that our Church thinks not this Creed to be absolutely Perfect and Compleat because she adds other Creeds to it as the Nicene and Athanasian Which it is probable she would not have done if every thing to be believ'd were in express direct and full words set down in the other Form of Belief And again as to what he saith of the Primitive Practise of admitting persons to Baptism upon the bare confession of the Apostles Creed he betrays his Ignorance having not learnt from several Eminent Writers that this Creed is not exactly the same that it was in the First Ages of Christianity but that some Articles have been added to it But the heedless Masker attends to none of these things but goes on Chattering and loves to hear his Clack move But you must pardon him for he that is used to the Conversation of Nurses and the whole Posse of the Chatting Crew can't be thought to moderate his Intemperate Organ P.
such as they must needs believe And how doth he prove that these were brought in as Arguments Ay that is worth our taking notice of That our Saviour's Crucifixion Death and Resurrection were us'd here as Arguments to perâ—wade them into a belief of this Fundamental Article that Iesus was the Messias is evident saith he from hence that they preach'd here to 〈◊〉 who knâ—w the death and crucifixion of Iesus as well as Peter and therefore they could not be propos'd to them as New Articles of Faith to be believ'd p. 269. The answer is obvious that though those Auditors knew as well as their Speaker that Christ suffer'd on the cross and there expir'd and rose again yet they were ignorant of the Design and End of all this viz. that he suffer'd and died and rose from the dead for the Benefit and Advantage of Mankind Thus they were New Articles of Faith to them and thus St. Peter proposed them to be believ'd and receiv'd as appears from that Question of those Jews who were converted by this Sermon What shall we do to be saved Which implies that St. Peter had told them Christs Death and Resurrection were in order to the Salvation of lost mankind and therefore they desire to know what Method they must take to have the Benefit of that Salvation and Redemption and accordingly he exhorts them to Repent and to be baptized every one of them in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins v. 38. These Jews were before strangers to this they had no perswasion concerning the Design of Christs Suffering Dying and Rising again viz. that Salvation and Pardon of sins were to be obtain'd by them and therefore the Apostle preaches tehse Truths to them And that they are the Principal Doctrines in this Sermon appears from their being insisted upon so largely from v. 23 to 36. but as for that Other Article that Iesus is the Messias it is not expresly mention'd throughout the whole Sermon only the substance of it is in ver 36 after the other Grand Articles of Christs Passion and Dying and Rising had been amply discours'd of and urg'd And yet our Bold Breeder up of Small Craft faces it out that that was the Sole Proposition and the Sole Truth the Apostle labour'd to convince them of and to bring them â—o p. 270. and that the Others are no Fundamental Articles Our new Theologue is for a Messias that neither Suffer'd nor died nor rose again I leave the Reader to judge of this whilst I follow our Travelling Tutour to p. 281. c. where we still fiâ—d him perverting of St. Luke's Writing He sets himself to misrepresent his History both of the Gospel and of the Acts as if he had a particular pike against that Good Man that Holy Writer above all the rest From p. 209. to p. 299. he undertakes to set down the Contents of our Saviour's and the Apostle's Preaching and thence to prove that One Article only was propounded to be believ'd to make men Christians But our bold Undertaker falls very short of what he designed as I shall make evident from the Texts he alledges First he quotes Mat. 4. 23. Iesus went about all Gaâ—â—ilee teaching in the Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom called in the 17th v. the Kingdom of heaven which is no other than the State of the Christian Church under the Gospel with all the Great Benefits and Priviledges as well as the Duties and Offices which appertain to it This is the Gospel of the Kingdom even the kingdom of heaven for it is that Doctrine and Dispensation wherein Heaven and Happiness are freely offer'd to mankind and whereby they may be made actual Partakers of them This is that which Christ taught and preach'd and thence our deep Logitian inâ—ers that he taught and preach'd but One Article as if the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven contain'd in it no more Next he quotes Mat. 10. 7. where our Lord enjoin'd his Apostles to preach saying The kingdom of heaven is at hand And he adds Luke 10. 9. where our Saviour commands the Seventy Disciples to give and preach to the Inhabitants of some particular places in Iudea and to say unto them The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you Which is as much as to say Go and preach the same Gospel that I my self have taught for this is the Sum of what I have every where publish'd and preach'd Repent ye for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Mat. 4. 17. Reform your lives and embrace that Doctrine which approaches nearer and nearer unto you every day and is more and more to be discover'd to the world It is no less then the doctrine of the Kingdom of God i. e. Gods spiritual Government of his Church under the reign of the Messias the Saviour and Redeemer wherefore you must be careful to inform your selves concerning the Laws of this Spiritual Kingdom and to know and believe them as well as to practise them If a Man can prove hence that there is but One Article in all Christianity to be assented to to constitute a person a member of Christ he hath a faculty of Proving which none ever heard of before Well but why doth he not go on He had undertaken to prove the One Article from the Commission given by our Saviour to his Apostles and his Disciples and why then doth he not proceed and quote Mat. 28. 19 20. among his other Texts that he produces This is worth the Readers taking notice of for it will discover to him the Genius and Spirit of the man we are now dealing with Though he had taken upon him to set down and rehearse the several particular Commissions our Saviour gave the Apostles and Disciples when he sent them to preach the Gospel yet he omits this most Solemn order of all whereby they and their Successors were enjoyn'd to teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things c. They were to convert all Nations to the Faith of the Gospel and to make them Christs Disciples for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by baptizing them into the profession of the Holy Trinity and consequently they were to be instructed in this doctrine in order to their being made Christians they must know and believe that in the Eternal Godhead there are Three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost this is propounded as requisite in order to their being admitted and constituted Disciples of Iesus If the Vindicator had not been conscious to himself that this is the True Sense and Import of the Text it is certain he would have produc'd it among the other places but which is dismal to consider he stifles the inward sentiment of his Conscience to secure his One Article for he saw that the Article of the Trinity was plainly express'd in this Commission and as plainly enjoin'd to
to be Fundamentals he before hand asks why he should take them from me rather then from an Anabaptist p. 52. And in the same place he saith he hath as much reason to believe an Anabaptist or Quaker c. as me Which is as much as to tell me in express terms that he hath taken up a resolution to attend to no Articles of Faith that I shall propound Where were the Thoughts of our Pilgrim Tutour when his unwary tongue dropt such words as these Even when he is soliciting me yea challenging me to give him a List of Articles he proclaims to the world that he will not accept of any of them he declares that he would sooner take a Set of Articles and Fundamentals from a Socinian or a Papist for he particularly names them both on this very occasion than from me p. 52. And Sir we will believe you without swearing IV. An other Question I shall put to you and require an Answer to it Seeing you have taken part with the Follower of Socinus and have adopted several of their Notions and Tenents and interpret some Scriptures which relate to the Trinity in the same way that they do and thereby have given occasion to be thought one of the Party and yet you pretend to disown all acquaintance with them p. 222 223. seeing you appear thus with a double face and amuse the world with these disguises I require of you to return an Answer to this Query and the several parts of it Whether you verily believe that Iesus is so the Son of God that he is really God and that in the Unity of the Divine Essence there is a Trinity of Distinct Persons or Subsistencies that the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and that these Three are One God as the Scriptures plainly and expresly declares Seeing you are so brisk in your demands I expect a positive Answer to mine and hereby shall we know whether you are a True Man or a Spie When I see you have performed this work I will still find you more employment I had proved Socinianism Unmask'd chap. 2. that his Opinion of One Article was founded among other things upon this Notion that all things in Christanity must be so plain that they may be easily comprehended and that there may be nothing difficult to mens understandings This I made clear from the tenour and coherence of his words from his 〈◊〉 of reasoning from the scope of his book and from the plain sense of his expressions But our Vindicator cannot bear this and therefore puts himself into a posture of shifting and evading whatever was brought against him and by all imaginable arts he labours to stifle my Reasonings and Arguings on that Point One of his knacks is to frame a Dialogue between me and him p. 34 35 36. and he is so silly in the contriving of it that it baffles him instead of favouring his Cause Fearing that the Dialogue would not do the feat he appears in the shape of a Syllogizer p. 39. though the Inconsiderate Man had derided Logick and Syllogism because they are University-Learning The next he falls into the old trade of Questions Where and When and after this is done he begins his Dialogue again This is one of the Distracted Scenes of his Vindication and the Reader may thence form an idea of the Whole Work and see with amazement what little Knacks and Conceits he applies himself to that he may juggle men out of the Truth He hath so accustom'd himself to shewing of Tricks among his Young Frie whom he hath had the Tutorage of that we must never expect any other of him whatever Subject he handles P. 93 94. he will not admit of any Mysteries in Christianity and therefore opposes what I had asserted viz. that there are some Doctrines in the Gospel which are not plain and clear and yet are of necessity to be believ'd If he had been Master of any Sincerity he would have observ'd how I explain'd my self and shew'd that all the Doctrines and Articles of the Christian Religion are not alike some of them are in themselves Evident and Illustrious others because of the Transcendency of their Matter are Obscure and Mysterious and not level to our humane understandings as the doctrine of the Holy Trinity Christ's Incarnation c. but yet are believ'd with a firm and unshaken Faith This is so Rational that none but the hood wink'd Masker would have excepted against it And he doth it after a very poor rate He nibbles at the distinction I make between the Certainty or Reality of some Evangelical Doctrines and the exact manner of the things themselves contain'd in those Doctrines But he finâ—s it pricks his chaps and so he gives it over However like the Gentlemen of Racovia he cannot endure to hear of Mysteries in Christianity and therefore here he takes occasion to express his great dislike of those who assert that in the Christian Religion there are Mysteries properly so called i. e. such Truths and Articles that as to the Manner of the things contained in them are not Intelligible but exceed humane Reason and cannot possibly be fathom'd by it The denying of this is one of his last Artifices and Contrivances for if we brieflâ— recount the Methods of this New Projector we shall find them to be in this order first he presented the world with odd Conceits of the Idea's of things thereby to undermine the Principles of Truth and to discompose the receiv'd Notions in Philosophy and Divinity as a very Reverend and Learned Writer though one of the chiefest and most Eminent of the Pulpit Orators hath lately proved against him Then that his Sentiments might prevail he prescribes a new way of Bringing up of Youth and seasoning them betimes in some Private Nurseries with such Principles as he and his Associates shall dictate and accordingly all Publick Schools and Universities and their Studies are cried down by him Next there comes forth a New Plat form of Religion all the Fundamental Articles and Doctrines of Christianity are discarded by him excepting One bare single Article which he thinks fit to retain till he hath a fair opportunity of throwing that off too Then he further advances and every where very warmly inveighs against Ministers and Preachers partly because of their University-Learning but chiefly because they oppose his groundless notion of One Article and assert the Fundamentals of Christianity And lastly to compleat his design he strikes in with the Deists and Socinians and laughs at the Mysteries of the Christian Religion and thereby encourages men to cast off all Reveal'd Religion the greatest part of which consists of Profound and Inexplicable Mysteries and such as Humane Reason neither found out nor can comprehend when reveal'd These are the Ways and Methods he hath applyed himself to in order to the undermining of the Orthodox Faith Here I will observe to the Reader how profoundly skill'd
yet I shall be so Civil to him as to acknowledge and recount those which he is Master of I own him to be Censor-General of the Logick and Latin of the Universities Corrigidore and Regulator of all the Publick Schools in Christendom Great Master of the Anti-Academick Order Tutor in Eyre and Controller to the Youth of Seven Counties Curator in Ordinary to Costive Paunches Principal Secretary to the Deists Office Feoffee in Trust for Sozzo's Pupils c. And I beg his pardon that I forgot to mention those Offices and Places before He is at me again p. 67. and obliquely insinuates for he is full of his Squinting Hints that I am for that Maxim The Doctrines in fashion and likely to procure Preferments are alone to be received and so would imply that I am ready to receive any Doctrines in fashion be they never so Unreasonable or Impious and that Gain will tempt me to this or any thing else Why I tell you Sir you are in the wrong box I am not the man you take me for I was never hired to write for the lowering of Guineas I never sought or held a Place with the forfeiture of my Honesty and therefore I defy your Impotent Raillery not only against me but against the Whole Clergy High and Low for you look upon them all as Mercenary and that they receive no Doctrines but what are in fashion and are likely to procure Preferment Which you have learnt from your Brethren of Racovia who tell us that the Church of England men are or would be Pensioners of the World Behold the Insolence of our Libertine who hath had the sway among Children and hath Lord-Mavor'd it over Nurses and Chair-women He hath been so worship'd and obey'd by the Striplings and hath had such an absolute command of their Legs and Hats that he expects the like submission and obeysance from all others and he thinks he may say any thing and not be opposed for he cannot brook Contradiction But I shall force him to it and seeing he hath thought good to Riot thus with his Pen he must not think to go untouch'd Seeing he hath taken the liberty to reflect on my Calling and Function and therein hath abus'd all of the same Character with my self he must not take it ill if I sometimes glance upon the Post he is in and his Studies and Employments If I follow so laudable an Example as his he is oblig'd to pardon me and to remember that he was the Aggressor And though indeed we are forbid to answer such people according to their folly yet in some Circumstances i. e. when Pride and Conceit and such like Ingredients are mix'd with their Folly we are permitted by the Wise Man to answer them according to the merits of their willful and affected folly lest they should be wise in their own conceit lest they should be hardned in their Pride and Arrogance and think themselves Wise because no body checks and bridles their folly Indeed it is almost a Reproach to a man to encounter such an Adversary who hath the second time gull'd the world with false Stories and abandoning all shame and ingenuity given himself up to obstinate resolves of maintaining a Cause which will prove to mischievous to Christendom An Adversary that hath no sense of what he doth but is blinded and infatuated by Prejudice so that he hath left himself no power to judge of his own words or actions Which renders him a person not fit to be treated with that respect and deference which are due to an Ingenuous and Civil Opponent To use him Gently is to handle a Bear with Ceremony and Caution And sometimes he is not worth a Serious Reply for he Cheats the people and then makes Sport of it But however though I shall be somewhat free with him yet I will not thrust upon the Reader any thing that is indecent rude spiteful or entrenching upon Truth When we deal with such men our Master's Example forbids us to revile again but the Apostle allows us nay commands us to rebuke them sharply I shall not be thought perhaps to be defective in this but none can censure me for Excess if they consider what the Badness of his design as well as the Petulancy of his Stile required But where he gives me any scope for Arguing and Reasoning the case I have with great seriousness applied my self to it and I hope I have establish'd the Truth upon firm and solid grounds I will begin with his Preface to his Vindication where he inserts a very Gracious Epistle to Mr. Bold his late Convert and now Confederate and there pretends to tell him the Birth of his Reasonableness of Christianity It was begot if you will believe the Father of it on the Controversy of Iustification He might have as well have said on the Controversy of Predestination for it as much belongs to one as the other And so you see it was a mere By blow and worthy of the Parent But he is extremely fond of this Spurious Issue and applauds himself for being the Author of it The first view I had of it saith he seem'd mightily to satisfy my mind I wonder that every body did not see and embrace it though Systems of Divinity said nothing of it I was pleas'd saith our Narcissus with the growing discovery every day whilest I was employ'd in this search And more to the same purpose in the same Epistle Then he proceeds to applaud the Godfather of this Brat Mr. Bold Concerning whom he declares that he hath more readily entertain'd and more easily enter'd into the meaning of his Book than most he might have said any he hath heard speak of it And afterwards Mr. Bold hath enter'd into the true sense of my Treatise and his notions perfectly agree with mine And therefore he must needs be as he stiles him a Calm Christian a Grave Divine a Man of Parts a Well-bred Man And he hath if you 'll credit our Encomiast a settled repute c. Would you know the reason of all this Coaksing It is no other than this that same Mr. Bold who was Sponsor for the Bastard brood had in a late Pamphlet mightily extoll'd the Dad of it Mr. Lock He calls him the Ingenious Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity Rep p. 3. and that great and eminent Person p. 27. It is a sign so when one of so little sense and discretion votes him to be such He is no Disparagement to the Cause he saith p 27. and there is a good reason for it I must tell him for as a Person so a Cause that hath nothing of worth in it is not capable of being disparaged Poor Creature he â—hinks it a great matter to have One Pen besides his own wagging on his side He is mightily rejoyc'd that he hath got a Single Patron for his Single Article and is over joy'd at such Fulsom Encomiums thrown upon him and therefore he heaps up