or most perfect degree of it As for example Silver is called white though it be not as white as snow and a man or woman may be called black though they bee not as black as a Negro So a man may be termed an ignorant man not onely when he knowes nothing at all but when he knows little in comparison of what he might and ought to know and what others do know In like maner men may be termed natural or carnall not because they are wholly or altogether either the one or the other but because there is much of that genius and temper many of the properties principles of those who are altogether such found remaining in them The Apostle himself gives this account unto his Corinthians why he called them carnall For having charged them with being carnall that it might appeare to them that ' he had done them no wrong in this charge verse 3. he demands of them and reasons with them thus For where is there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnall and walk as men Implying that since they had so much of meere naturall and carnall men in them or amongst them as they clearly discovered by such wayes aâ—d doings as these since they so farre communicated with them in their natures and dispositions they might well be content to partake with them in their names also If it be here objected Sect. 93. Ã minori ad majus thus If weak Christians who have the Spirit of God in some measure are not yet able to know ordiscern the things of the Spirit of God how can we imagine that the meere naturall man should doe it I answer briefly for the present expecting an opportunity of further enlargement evident it is from the tenor and carriage of the context that the Apostle doth not in this passage of Scripture speak simply or in generall of the things of God nor particularly of things simply necessary to be known or beleeved unto salvation but onely of the deep things of God as they are called vers 10 and such which the Corinthians by reason of their infancy or bâ—bâ—ship in Christ were not for the present able to beare Such things of God as before viz. verse 6. and 7. of this chapter he had called wisdome and the wisdome of God and afterward viz. c. 3. v. 2. he calls meat opposed to milk i. strong meat by milke understanding the obvious and plain truths of the Gospel such as are easie of apprehension even to those that are carnall and babes in Christ Now men meerly naturall may be uncapable of these as a great part of the beleeving Corinthians themselves were and yet be some wayes capable and apprehensive of such of the things of God the knowledge whereof is of absolute necessity unto salvation And that they are very capable I mean in respect of knowing discerning of many of the things of God as generally of the duties commanded in the morall law of his eternall power and Godhead manifested in the creation of such rationall grounds arguments and demonstrations by which the original and descent of the Scripture particularly of the Gospel from God are usually argued proved by learned Divines others is a thing so manifest that me thinkes Mr. Jenkin himselfe though he have a rare gift of denying any thing that makes not for his turn should not deny it But 2 o. Sect. 94. That power or ability which the Apostle here denies to his Animal or naturall man who ever he means by him of knowing the things of God or of the Spirit of God may well nay of necessity must be understood onely of an immediate actuall or present capacity or power So that his meaning may be onely this The Animall or Naturall man whilst he continues meerly such animall or naturall or in sensu composito hath no principle or power directly actually and de praesenti to know savingly the things of the Spirit of God But this proveth not but that such a man animall or naturall may have such principles even for the present which by a due and regular improvement such whereof by the never-denied assistance of God at first he is very capable may advance and rise through the ordinary blessing of God in such cases into such a capacity or power as is contended for A childe or youth of ten or twelve years of age cannot haply construe or understand a chapter in the Hebrew Bible or lift a great weight which requires the strength of a man to heave it whilst hee remaines yet a childe hee hath no immediate or actuall power to doe either of these yet such a power or principle he hath in reference unto both by a regular imployment and improvement whereof he will or may in time according to the ordinary course of Gods providence be able to doe either A man that stands upon the floore of a low room hath no power of stepping into the upper room immediatly but he hath a power of conveying himselfe if he pleaseth by the opportunity of staires made for such a purpose The Apostle himselfe in this very context of Scripture viz. cap. 3. 2. supposeth that these Corinthians who being carnall and babes in Christ were NOT for the present ABLE to beare meat had yet such a principle or capacity in them by the growth and strengthening whereof they might in time come to such an abilitie I have fed you saith he with milk and not with meat For HITHERTO ye were not able to beare it neither YET NOW are ye able In that he saith to them that they were not YET able to beare it as being Babes he plainly implies that by using meanes to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ they might in time through the ordinary blessing of God ordinary I mean in such cases come to be able 3 o. Sect. 95. And lastly whether the place be understood either of weake Christians or of meere naturall men though the former be lesse questionable as well the one as the other may according to the frequent Dialect and phrase of Scripture be said to be unable or to have no power to know or to discern the things of God either because of that great difficulty which lies in the way of such men to attaine the knowledhe or discerning of these things or else because of that great aversnesse or indisposition which is incident to both these sorts of men to steere a course of meanes proper or likely to render them capable of such knowledge or discerning For first as the Scripture is wont to expresse a number next to none I mean a very few a number inconsiderable by the word none simply There is NONE that doth good c. Psal 14. 3. and elsewhere and so likewise in greater sums or accounts to omit the fractions or odd unites expressing onely the round number whereof there are many examples in Scripture ready enough to
same person Mr. Jenkin I trust before he baul Sect. 49. or brays against me any more as a man erroneous for denying the Scriptures to be the foundation of Religion will vouchsafe to answer these 8. arguments that workman-like not after that smal-sense rate at which he hath written in his busie Bishop Or if he had rather clamour then clerk it or shall do only the one because hee hath no good faculty at the other I shall apply that soft and gentle remedy good both for him and my selfe neglect Before I leave the particular in hand I must needs for the credit of my Antagonist being but a young beginner acquaint the Reader with that Hercule in and signall argument of his page 22. being the quintessence and spiritfull extraction of many pages yea of all hee argueth against me about the Scriptures How can any saith he believe the matter and substance of the Scripture to be the word of God when as he must be uncertaine whether the written Word or Scriptures wherein the matter is contained are the word of God or no But is not this a question of the same profound calculation with this How can a man believe that the Sun is a greater light and the Moone a lesser if he be uncertaine whether every jot and tittle of what is read in our Bible Gen. 1. 16. be the word of God or no because here it is said and God made two great lights the greater c Or with this How can a man believe that there are any such seasons in the yeare as Summer and Winter if he must be uncertaine whether that be the word of God or no Psal 74. 17. Thou hast made summer and winter If there be no meanes possible to believe the matter and substance of the Scriptures if a man be uncertaine whether the written word or Scriptures i. whether every thing sentence phrase word syllable letter point that is found in our printed Bibles for this must be his meaning if he meanes to argue against me be the word of God or no miserable is the faith of Master Jenkin yea miserable is the faith of the whole world For what assurance can any man have that the Transcribers of the Bible heretofore and the Printers of them of later times have in nothing mistaken or miscarried about them Are Scribes and Printers Mr. Jenkins his Prophets and Apostles or doth he not vest in them the infallibility of the immediate pen-men of the holy Ghost If the knowledge and faithfulnesse or unerringnesse of Printers and Transcribers be the foundation of Master Jenkin's Faith I confesse that hee and I build upon two very different foundations Besides Sect. 50. if it be unpossible for mee to believe that the matter and substance of Scriptures is the word of God if I be uncertain whether the written word be the word of God or no how came the Patriarchs and holy men and women who lived in the first two thousand years of the world to believe it since it was not only uncertain unto them whether our Bibles or Scriptures or word now written were the word of God or no but whether such a word should ever be written or no Doubtlesse the same way to bring me to believe what they believed is as open before the glorious God at this day as it was then seeing he hath not hedged it up either against himselfe or me with the thrones of any threatning or decree Againe though I willingly acknowledge and prove it at large in my Treatise concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures that the manner of the phrase and style of the Scriptures is a rich character of their Divinity and a very considerable ground to prove that they are the word of God yet is not this character of equal weight or power for such a conviction with the matter and substance of the Scriptures Therefore the nature beauty worth weight and excellency of these I meane of the matter and substance of the Scriptures is sufficient to perswade and bring men to believe that they are the word of God or things which came from God though they had not the gracious and super-added advantage of any thing in the Scriptures whereby to believe that they in respect of their language stile and all particularities of expression were the word of God Insomuch that were the matter and substance of the Scriptures understandingly and faithfully declared and held forth in any other Book or writing besides the Scriptures and which Mr. Jenkin himself would not call the written word of God there were no impossibility at all nor much improbability but that considering men might come to believe them to be the word of God Yet again Sect. 57. Doth not the Scripture it self plainly affirm and teach that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goodnesse or kindnesse of God leadeth even natural yea and wicked men to repentance a Rom. 2. 4. If so then certaine it is that this kindnesse or goodnesse of God towards them leadeth them to the knowledge and consideration of this Truth that upon their Repentance God will be gracious unto them and forgive them their sins in as much as without the knowledge or beliefe hereof it is unpossible that any man should be led to a true and sound Repentance of which the Apostle here speaketh by any motive means or ingagement whatsoever Now I desire to understand from Mr. Jenkin in his next whether forgivenesse of sinnes and acceptation into favour with God upon true repentance be nothing of the matter or substance of the Scriptures yea or whether it doth not comprehend in it as explicitely and intirely as so much can lightly be comprehended in so little the whole and intire matter and substance of the Scripture If this be so then may men who are uncertaine whether the written word or Scriptures be the word of God or no come to believe the matter and substance of them to be the word of God notwithstanding in as much as the long suffering kindnesse or goodnesse of God are extended and vouchsafed unto many who are altogether uncertain whether the written word be the word of God or no. Lastly Sect. 52. doth not the Scripture also as plainely affirme that the Heavens declare the glory i. the glorious power as the word often signifieth of God b Psalm 19. 1. and his righteousnesse c Psalm 50. 6. and againe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. that which may be knowne of God his invisible things his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene from the Creation of the world and are to be understood by the things that are made d Rom. 1. 19 20. and yet further that the Gentiles without the written word both have and shew the works of the Law written in their hearts e Rom. 2. 15. by the worke of the Law meaning the effect matter or substance of the law written or else such convictions of
have heard for their foundation his subjoyned parenthesis hath nothing but mire and dirt Mr. Goodwins answer saith he my selfe by my improvement of nature made me to differ would have fallen little shorter than blasphemy What putid incongruity and perfect non-sense is there in this parenthesis Mr. Goodwins answer to what or to whose question Such an answer as he personates in me hath no more relation unto nor congruity or coherence with either of his questions propounded than his answers so called in his book have to or with the importance of my arguments unto which they pretend this relation Mr. Jenkin demands What place is here left for grace Mr. Goodwin is made to answer My selfe by improvement of nature made me to differ Or else M. Jenkin demands thus What agreement with the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 7 Mr. Goodwin answers by plowing with Mr. Jenkins heifer thus My selfe by my improvement of nature made me to differ Qu. How far is it to London Ans A poke full of Plummes Doth not this Harp and Harrow agree as well as those that Mr. Jenkin hath here tuned If his meaning be that according to the tenor of that opinion of mine which he speakes of I must make such an answer as that to the Apostles demand Who maketh thee to differ he should have done well and unlike to himselfe to have said so As for those words from another who maketh thee to diffeâ— from another I confesse he finds them in our last English Translation but this is never the more the word of God but the lesse for having them in it For the original bears only thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. For who makes thee to differ or who separates thee as the former translation had it But first how doth my opinion which onely saith that by the improvement of Nature a man may attain to such a conviction upon which saving conversion followes necessarily lead me to such an answer to the Apostles question as this young Simplicius will needs thrust into my mouth Must Mr. Jenkin because he hath a paire of long legges needs walk as far in a day as they are able to carry him or is it not far from blasphemy to say that it is possible for him to ride on an horse because he is able enough to go on foot Or doth he in every kind whatsoever he is able to doe If so certain I am that his ability in arguing or drawing consequences is very scant Secondly Sect. 67. in case it were true that a man by the improvement of nature hath actually and defacto attained such a conviction upon which saving conversion followes doth it follow from hence that therefore this attainment must needs bee resolved into himselfe or his endeavours as the sole or primary cause hereof For supposing that the Apostle here speakes of such differing which is made by beleeving that his question doth not intend to exclude the creature it self from ing the cause in a sence viz. in a way of inferior subordinate and dependent efficiencie or causality of its differing or separation here spoken of is evident from hence viz. because this differing or separation of his from others either consisteth in or is caused by his beleeving So then if it be the creature it selfe and not God who beleeveth then is it the creature it selfe and not God which thus far and in this respect maketh it selfe to differ But it seems by Mr. Jenkin his Logico-divinity that if Mr. Jenkin should say that he beleeveth it would not be farre from blasphemy Possibly it might not bee farre from untruth but as for any affinity or neernesse unto blasphemy it may I suppose be measured by the neighbourhood of the East to the West Therefore it is as clear as the light that the Apostle in this demand Who maketh thee to differ supposing as before that he here speakes of any saving difference between man and man intended only to put the creature upon this consideration and acknowledgment viz. that God and God onely was the originall prime and soveraigne cause of that happy estate and condition by the attainment and enjoyment whereof he differed from all others who had not attained it not to occasion him to confesse or acknowledge that himselfe could in no sense or consideration at all be looked upon as the cause thereof But Thirdly and lastly evident it is Sect. 68. to him that will but view the context that the Apostle doth not speak here of any difference between man and man which is made by Faith or by any saving work in either but of such a difference onely which stands in more and fewer or in greater and lesser gifts which kinde of difference in the primitive times was very frequent between persons who were paratakers in all things saving one with another And that God indeed is not onely the principall but the sole cause of such differings as these between men and men is more evident than to be matter of doubt or question unto any man But how or wherein doth the Apostles question thus understood relate unto my opinion concerning the power of naturall man to good supernaturall If M. Jenkin understand Scripture no better than thus which it seemes by many other misinterpreted places in his pamphlet he doth not certainly the Chalk and Coales in Corners are more wholsome nourishment than the Partridges and Quailes that are cook'd and fed upon in the pompous Basilique neere Newgate not so properly as commonly termed Christs-church unlesse haply the Episcopall consecration of the place be a standing antidote against all infection and unwholsomnesse of Doctrine that shall be delivered there I have good ground to beleeve that the persons which he pities as feeding upon Chalk and Coals in corners will by the goodnesse of their food and blessing of God upon it be nourished up to eternall life when as the wrath of God I feare would come upon the quail-eaters in Mr. Jenkin his vast and roaring Seraglin even whilst the meat which they feed upon is in their mouthes as sometimes it did upon those that ate Qâ—ails in the Wâ—ldernesse had they not some better provisions from other hands You have seen the young mans nakednesse in point of arguing he neither levies Reasons nor Scriptures with any pertinency to his cause there is not the least haire of the head of my opinion concerning the naturall mans power to good supernaturall fallen to the ground by any thing by all things that hee hath attempted against it His Scriptures are good and serviceable otherwise but too hard for him his Reasons are like unsavoury salt good for nothing but to be thrown upon the dunghill But Tenthly Sect. 69. though he be weak in arguing yet he may bee strong in questioning Some can beg stoutly that can doe little work Possibly his faculty may lie this way for I remember it was a common saying in the University that plura potest interrogare Asinus
to be received as the word of God is unworthy to be handled by any Christian Divine had it not been necessary by the deliration of Swenkfeldius and the Anabaptists denying it I confesse Mr. Jenkin my pen never dropt such a passage as this nor I hope ever shall Dâ—mmemor ipse mei God keeping me in my Christian wits I shall never say or affirm that such a Question is unworthy to be handled by any Christian Divine which of all Questions in Christian Religion is of the highest and most fundamentall concernment both for the propagation of this Religion in the world and likewise for the radication and confirmation of it in the soules and consciences of those who professe it The young man could hardly have pick'd out a more inconsiderate and unsavoury saying out of all the writings of this his admired Author than that mentioned whereon he bestoweth such admiration Nor is nor was the deliration of Swenkfeldius or of the Anabaptists who in words denied the divine authority of the Scriptures the onely no nor yet the principall or most considerable cause of that necessity which lieth upon Christian Divines to labour in the Question whereof Bellarmine speakes or to assert the said Authority of the Scriptures The sinfull and prophane lives and conversations of the generality of Professors of Christianity whether in the way of Bellarmines or of M. Jenkins perswasion I mean whether Papists or Protestants who deny the Divine Authority of the Scriptures as they doe God himselfe as the Apostle speaketh in their workes a Tit. 1. 16. amount upon true accuunt to a farre more considerable iâ—gagement upon Christian Divines to assert the true Originall and Authority of the Scriptures than the deliration of Swenkfeldius or of the Anabaptists on which only Mr. Jenkin his adored Author insists Yea the conviction of the Jewes in respect of the Divine Authority of the new Testament together with the conversion of the Turkes and all Pagan and Idolatrous Nations throughout the world unto Christian Religion impose a greater necessity upon Christian Divines to labour in that Question which first to Bellarmine and then by vertue of his authority to Mr. Jenkin seemes so inconsiderable than either or both of those considerations which the one of them suggests and the other digests so readily Yea I beleeve Mr. Jenkins own Faith and conversation stand in much need of a through and substantiall ventilation of the Question we speak of concerning the Divine authority of the Scriptures and would receive improvement thereby if he were capable of understanding and condescending unto the things of his peace I shall conclude for the present with Mr. Jenkin Sect. 117. when I have onely to perfect the demonstration in hand presented the Reader with a first fruits of those palpable and broad-fac'd untruths together with those industrious and consulted falsifications for Charity her self can think no better of them of my words opinions which together with his workings and arguings upon the advantage taken by them take up little lesse than the one halfe of his Pamphlet Pag. 16. He affirmes as we heard before that I am paid for being an hearer of my people which is as true as that Mr. Jenkin is paid for hearing his bells ring In the same page speaking of me and other preaching Sectaries as his clemency indulgently termeth us You saith he are Preachers under worldly glory Speak holes and corners speak hatred and threatnings of all sorts of people Speak Bookes and Pulpits of Presbyterian Ministers Speak votes and ordinances of Parliament and stop the mouth of a leasing-speaking man In the same page a little before he tells me this untroth that now I see many of the names of those Ministers of Christ in the Province of London subscribed in the last edition of the Testimony concerning whom I had said in my Sion Colledge visited that God had provided a better thing for them than to suffer them to fall into the snare of so unworthy a Subscription whereas the truth is that I neither see nor ever saw and confident I am never shall see any one of the Names I speake of or intended in the said passage subscribed to that Testimony in what Edition soever Page 19. He obliquely taxeth me with preferring my selfe before the most learned and pious of the Subscribers Mendacissimâ—e as was said before and as is visible enough in the words upon which the tax is raised In the same Page be bids me Remember in what confident heat I rose up for the most horrid Heretiques Anti-scripturians Anti-trinitarians c. in my Hagiomastix Reader assure thy selfe that I never rose up for any Heretique whatsoever either Horrid or smooth much lesse in any heat least of all in any confident heat as this mouth of vanity suggesteth but have evermore pleaded and declared AGAINST them upon these termes That first their opinions being substantially and clearly proved to be Hereticall Secondly all due and Christian means being used for their conviction and reclaiming if yet they remain obstinate they ought to be censured and punished with such punishments which the word of God appointeth for such offenders It seems by the principles of M. Jenkins Divinity that to be delivered up unto Satan is a courtesie and to be cast into bell fire a friendly dealing by men Why else doth he charge me with rising up for Heretiques who never thought nor said that they deserve any more courtesie or friendship upon the terms mentioned than to be thus severely and dreadfully punished Pa. 26 27. He saith that a Sectarian Anti-scripturist hath found that favour in my Hagiomasâ—ix as that in this Calender he was highly Sainted The vain young man is not able to produce any one line saying word or syllable in that book of any such import Page 28. He tells me that my mouth is widely opened against God for the English of this assertion If God should not make men able to beleeve they MIGHT accuse God Reader I assure thee these words are none of mine but Mr. Jenkin's and consequently it his mouth not mine that is widely opened against God Whereas 1 o. he makes me to say If God should not make men able to beleeve my words are If God should not make men capable of beleeving An intelligent Reader cannot but apprehend a very materiall difference between the one expression and the other especially as I explain my capability of beleeving Secondly whereas be makes me to say that men MIGHT accuse God as if I implied the lawfulnesse of such an accusation my words are that they WOVLD have their mouthes opened against Gods proceedings and be furnished with an excuse In which words I only imply an aptnesse in men to take hold of such an opportunity or advantage in case it were given them to speak against Gods proceedings in their condemnation and by way of excuse for themselves which how farre short it comes of any justification of such an
signifie Before Christ was revâ—â—led unto them but that Peter answered and said or the like 〈…〉 quam ut ignorare eos Christum suum pateretur doth at no hand 〈…〉 then that he would suffer them to be ignorant of his Christ but 〈…〉 two Sparrowes sold for a farthing or something as extravagant 〈◊〉 noramus-like as this or other things of everyhwit as difficult 〈◊〉 as any of these otherwise I make no question but the next time that he and his conscience meet either he will come off with this faire interpretation of his words that the IMPERTINENCIE of my quotations i. all the IMPERTINENCIE that is in them which indeed is none at all is manifested in his Busie-Bishop for in this sence I confesse the IMPERTINENCIE of them is here manifested 1. there is no more IMPERTINENCIE in them than what is by him manifested which as was said is none at all or else with this penitent confession that hee dealt unkindly by his Conscience when he talk'd of IMPERTINENCIE in my quotations Whereas he pretends in the same Title page that in his Busie-Bishop my Cavils against the Ministers of London are answered Sect. 6. I answer that in such a sence at the strong Arguments of his Book are answered in the Title page of mine so are my cavils against the Misters of London answered by him in his For as I answer all his strong Arguments without answering any at all so doth he answer all my cavils against the Ministers without so much as answering any there being no jot or tittle of such imployment in my Book for his Busie-Bishop to meddle with Amongst many other causlesse and sencelesse revilings of me Sect. 7. wherein he comforts himselfe and his Reverend Sirs his fellow Testimonialists against me in his Preface he is not ashamed to charge me with abundant rage in opposing Christ in his Scriptures Grace Ministers Government his rage saith he against the two last reaching up to heaven Elijah was the man charged by Ahab to be the troubler of Israel but Ahab himselfe with his Fathers house was the man who indeed and in truth was the troubler thereof Elijah being the Chariot and Horsmen of Israel I have not troubled Israel saith Elijah to him but thou thy Fathers House a 1 King 18. 18. So I am the man charged with abundant rage in opposing Christ in his Scriptures Grace Ministers Government but M. Jenkin with his Sinonian band is the man who really according to the truth thus opposeth him I oppose Christ in his Scriptures in such a sense as Christ himselfe deceived the people Others said nay but he deceiveth the people b Joh. 7. 2. These obstinate and blinde Jewes called that a deceiving of the people which was nothing else but an instructing of them in the truth and a preserving of them from being deceived In like manner this sonne of shame wilfulnesse and folly calls that an opposing Christ in his Scriptures which is most evident in the eyes of all men who have not sold themselves 〈◊〉 â—laves into the hand of high-Presbytery a justifying a magnifying an exalting of Christ in them It was the expression of a man as eminent both for pietie parts and place as either of our Universities affoord and not of the abhorred order of Independency neither as his preferment sufficiently testifieth finding me charged by the testimony-mongers of Sion Colledge with the foul crime of denying the authority of the Scriptures having seen my tractate upon that subject that he wondred how ever it should come into the hearts of these men to lay such a thing to my charge how they durst traduce me as a man denying the authority of the Scriptures when I had written so clearly fully effectually in the defence and vindication hereof These or words to this effect he used to some of his friends adding further this regretfull Epiphonema But I see wee are fallen into times wherein men dare doe and say any thing Words of like import have come from severall other men of worth and judgement But as they who charged the Lord Christ with deceiving the people were the deceivers of them themselves so the truth is that Mr. Jenkin his CoÌ„peers who burthen me with opposing Christ in his Scriptures are themselves the men of this abomination For whilst in their teachings they turn the glory of the abundant grace love sweetnesse and bounty of God expressed in the Scriptures towards men into the similitude of the most unnaturall unreasonable unconscionable cruelty and blood-thirstinesse of a tyrant and withall represent Christ as the Image and Expresse Character of this God doe they not oppose and that with an high hand Christ in his Scriptures Or what opposition is Christ capable of in his Scriptures greater than this that these diametrically contrary to their native tenor tendency and import should be made accessory to his disgrace and to the misrepresentation of him in the mindes judgements and consciences of men as if all the love care bowels and compassions which hee bare towards farre the greatest part of them in his death being interpreted were nothing else but bloody purposes intentions desires to make them two-fold more the children of wrath and this to the dayes of eternity than otherwise they had been And that as for those few whose salvation he is supposed to have intended in his death that these were as much in the love and favour of God before and without it and had eternall life and salvation setled upon them by the unchangeable decree and purpose of God from eternity without any relation to or consideration of it The teachers and avouchers of such doctrines as these are they who oppose Christ in his Scriptures not they who deny ink and paper and whatsoever is materiate or formed by man to be precisely and in propriety of speech the word of God Of the two in case the saying of Epiphanius be true that misbelief is worse than unbelief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is better to deny the Scriptures in any sense or in every sense to be the word of God which yet I never did am as far from doing as the best resolved man in all Mr. Jenkins fraternity than to render them an obloquie and reproach unto God and destructive to his glory But with what authority and soveraignty of argument Mr. Jenkin proves the Sun to be a Sackcloth I mean that I deny the Divine authority of the Scriptures shall be taken into consideration in due time That I oppose Christ in his grace Sect. 8. is a charge parallel to the other of opposing him in his Scriptures and therefore it is no great marvell if one conscience affords them both But why or how doe I oppose Christ in his Grace Surely not by making it greater more extensive more comprehensive more redundant than Mr. Jenkin and his fellow-dogmatists doe Certainly the conscience of the man if it
boves caetera pecora campi or such like creatures or otherwise suffer the shame of a Pseudographer in those words As for heresies most certain I am that I have none in me being alwayes ready and willing to submit my judgement to such Arguments for my conviction of the weaknesse and insufficiencie whereof I am not able to give a faire and reasonable account though I confesse there is somewhat short of this which yet in true account is sufficient to exempt from the imputation of heresie But as for errors I confesse there may be more in me than are dispersed among ten thousand sheep oxen but that one Wil. Jenkin hath not double and treble my proportion in this black coyn I know that there is neither man under heaven nor Angell in heaven that knoweth or is able to demonstrate And when page 7. he chargeth it for a passage as pernitious as proud that I should say that I will endeavour when I am gone that my followers may have my spirit among them First he falsifieth almost as fast as he transcribeth Graecia mendax as if his pen were made of a Greek-goose quill and antipathized against the truth My words in the Epistle he mentioneth are these I shall endeavour whilst I yet remain with you to prevent as much as may be any supposed or feared inexpediencie in my departure from you As for these words and phrases which hee interfoysts followers when I am gone amongst them c. they are no where to bee found in the Epistle And for those words which are in the Epistle some of them he takes out of one sentence and others out of another and jumbles them together into what saying he pleaseth But secondly suppose such a saying as he reporteth should have dropt from my Pen why or how or wherein would it have been either pernitious or proud Doth M. Jenkin judge it pernitious either to his followers or to the world that he should endeavour that his hearers might have his spirit among them when he is gone More shame for him to have a spirit so mischievous and vile that it would be a pernitious endeavour in him to propagate it amongst his people Certain I am that it becomes every Shepheard of every flock of Christ to be of such a spirit which he may lawfully yea and commendably desire and endeavour to leave amongst his people when he is gone Page 7. Sect. 22. He sets this crown shall I call it of thorns or of honour upon my head he calls me a Seducer in chiefe and yet a few lines before he was so devout as to acknowledge it for a mercy that I have no more of intellect and in his Preface he saith that my writings are below the most to omit twenty vilifications and ten every whit as quisquilious and importune as these A double minded man saith James is unstable in all his wayes What A Seducer in chiefe and no intellect A Seducer in chiefe and yet his chiefe writings below the most Happy sure is the condition of the world in Mr. Jenkins dayes when the chiefe seducer in it is a man of a despicable and depressed intellect Is not the most devouring beast also in it a silly lamb and the greatest danger in it that men will walk with their heels upwards It had been time enough for Mr. Jenkin to have called me a seducer in chiefe when he had proved that I had seduced more than any of the practitioners belonging to Sion Colledge Page 8. His face and conscience it seemes like Simeon and Levi Sect. 23. took a shamelesse and sinfull boldnesse together to affirme that it was my aim in a place in Hagiom to prove him guiltlesse who denieth the Being of the Scriptures and yet in the words immediatly preceding he saith that it is most like that in the place he meaneth I deale cloudily What a wretched man is this to charge a person positively and peremptorily with the vilest intentions that lightly can be when by his own confession he had but a cloudy and obscure ground to do it I am perswaded that hardly can an instance ab orbe condito be given that so green a head and so black a mouth ever met so neere together before Page 9. he chargeth me with throwing off the Covenant in my life I confesse I have not observed it with that exactnesse which I both might and ought to have done but had not Mr. Jenkin and his high Presbyterian consorts thrown it off in their lives at another manner of rate than I have done the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament had been better preserved Incendiaries and Malignants more discovered the Reformation of Religion in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the word of God had been more advanced amongst us lesse had been taught contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse yea and a more effectual course had been taken that we and our posterity after us might as brethren live in faith and love and the Lord delight to dwell in the midst of us But not to rave and rage against the servants of God in zeale to the fifth rib of Mr. Jenkins Religion is in his interpretation to throw off the Covenant in our lives Page 10. Sect. 24. He chargeth me with denying the Scriptures Why doth he not accuse the Sun for wearing a Sackcloth the Moon that she never shineth Here also he saith that I think my eares defiled when with the Covenant the Ministers do but name the world Truth Truly I think that M. Jenkin thinks he may both think talk what he listeth without being called to an account by him that judgeth righteously Where doe I meddle with or so much as mention the Ministers naming the word Truth with their Covenant Let them practice Truth and keep their Covenant and I shall not be offended at their naming either the one or the other Indeed that men should talke aloud of giving Testimony to the Truth and so to their Covenant and yet to walk contrary to the Truth and to their Covenant is a matter of no pleasing resentment unto me nor I suppose to any truly fearing God or loving the souls of men Lest he should be so farre overseen as to let a page passe sine calumnia he remembers himselfe p. 11. and forgeth this slander that I plead for the covenant onely to get the greater advantage against it God I am certain doth not know of any such intention as this in me but it is a small thing with Mr. Jenkin to make himself equall in knowledge with God he presumes to know what God knoweth not In the same page he strikes the same false stroke againe and affirmeth that I dare not come neere an expression of dislike to errors by twelve score when as himselfe in the beginning of the same period had acknowledged that I tell the world that errors are a great griefe to my heart and that
Sectaries and Independents which the Ministers I speak of have had for these 3. or 4. years last past for I speak of the unprofitablenesse and uselesnesse of their Ministery only since the zeale of high Presbyterie eate them up as my words cleerly enough import I am very full of a rationall confidence that it may be cast up in a cipher and measured with a reed that never grew Page 1. Sect. 32. He chargeth me with aiming at the fifth rib of Religion It is the strangest metaphor that a man shall likely meete with to call High-Presbytery the fifth rib of Religion For certain I am that with truth he can mean nothing else that I should aime at Let that writing of mine he speaks of be examined and sifted to the bran let my scope drift aim end designe therein be calculated by the narrowest and most exact observations and it will clearly appeare that I aim at nothing but the breaking of the necke of high-Presbytery Indeed if this Presbytery be the fifth rib of Mr. Jenkin his religion I confesse I did aim at his fifth rib and gave her a soare bang I beleeve upon it But did Mr. Jenkin gather this Rhetoricall flower in Mr. Vicars garden Or what quaint Author furnished his pen with such an Elegancy as this to call the great interest of Sion Colledge domineering Presbytery I meane the fifth rib of Religion But I am so taken with the pleasantnesse and rarity of the resemblance that I shall hereafter in this discourse forbeare the dull Grammar expression of High Presbytery and use the Rhetoricall of the fifth rib of Religion in stead of it Yea but he presseth sore upon me with this accusation Sect. 33. that I take away the foundation of religion because I deny the Scripture to be that foundation What else saith he after his insulse and vain manner acting the part of a meere Braggadoch is the English of these words in terminis his owne viz. Questionlesse no writing whatsoever whether Translations or Originals are the foundation of Christian Religion And upon the onely repetition of these words as if the battell were fought the day won and nothing more to be said in the businesse hee be-zeales it thus Away with your hypocryticall exclamations against the enemies of Religion c. But is Caiaphas the High Priest risen again from the dead Or was not this his deportment right up and down He hath spoken Blasphemy saith the Priest concerning Christ John Goodwin denies the Scripture saith Mr. Jenkin to be the foundation of Religion What further need have we of witnesse saith the Priest What else is the English of these words saith Mr. Jenkin The High Preist in a devout detestation of our Saviours blasphemy as he must award it rent his clothes Mr. Jenkin in a zealous agony for my denying the Scripture cryes ouâ— Away with your hypocriticall exclamations c. Sio oculos sic ille manus sic or a ferebat i. Just so and so with eyes hands face he acted But before my friend William and I part at this turning I shall either make him as hereticall as my selfe in denying the Scriptures to bee the foundation of Religion Sect. 34. or else prove his wits to be as schismaticall as the senses of a Bethleemite whom he in course English calls a Bedlam in departing from their master But first to his most un-christian yea unmanly deportment in managing this base calumny and forged accusation against me Whereas I clearly and plainly distinguish and lay down a double sense and acception of the word Scriptures and in the one sense aâ— clearly acknowledge them to be of Divine Authority so the foundation of Christian Religion onely denying them to be such in the other this unhallowed piece of Presbytery wholly suppresseth concealeth my distinction and what I deny onely in such and such a sense representeth as simply absolutely and in every sense denied by me Whether I do not in a due regular sense affirme and avouch the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority to be the Word of God and consequently the foundation of Christian Religion I appeale to these words in pag. 13. of my Treatise concerning the Scriptures First if by Scripture be meant the matter and substance of things contained and held forth in the books of the Old and New Testament commonly knownamongst Protestants by the name of Canonicall I fully with all my heart and all my soul beleeve them to be of Divine Authority and none other than the word of God and God assisting shall rather expose my selfe to a thousand deaths than deny them so to be Can any man yea can Mr. Jenkin himselfe in words more perspicuous and plain assert his acknowledgement and beliefe of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures than these So that Mr. Jenkings charge against me of the denying the Scriptures to be the foundation of Christian Religion stands onely upon the authority credit or base of such an argumentation as this God hath taken a course that we might serve him without feare as is evident Luke 1. 74. therefore he hath taken a course that we should not feare him at all or in any signification of the word Feare which conclusion is diametrally opposite to the whole course and current of the Scripture and no wayes followes from the premises In like manner he that should inferre because it is said 1 Sam. 15. 29. that the strength of Israel meaning God is not a man that hee should repent that therefore GOD can in no sence repent should belie the holy Ghost who expresly saith Genes 6. 6. that it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth yea and God himselfe who said thus to Samuel It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be King 1 Sam. 15. 11. If I should reason thus Mr. Jenkin denies the woodden Horse made for unruly Souldiers to ride to be a living creature therefore he denies an horse simply and in every signification of the word to bee a living creatures might not Mr. Jenkin conclude me to be a Woodden Disputant Yet this is the Logick by which he proves that I deny the Scripture to be the foundation of Religion Secondly Sect. 35. when Austine Mr. Bucer Mr. Ball c. deliver themselves in one place at least seemingly and so farre as the letter of the words they use will beare for such an opinion which the generall tenor to nor of their writings elsewhere seeme to oppose how impatiently importune is Mr. Jenkin to have the sense of the particular place over-ruled and interpreted by the Analogy of what hee conceives to be their judgement elsewhere Why then in as much as he can produce but one place onely wherein I seem to deny the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority or the foundation of Religion whereas in twenty and ten places I clearly assert them for such yea it is my entire drift scope and designe in
the whole Treatise to prove them to be such why I say doth he not regulate and measure the sence of that one place by the constant and expresse tenor of the rest of the Treatise But Mr. Jenkin I see hath a weight and a weight an Ephah and an Ephah one to accommodate him in selling another in buying but he shall do well to remember that both these are an abomination unto the Lord Prov. 20. 10. Thirdly Sect. 36. concerning that very particular sence wherein I doe indeed and I think all intelligent and considering men with me deny the Scriptures to be the word of God and foundation of Religion I expresse my selfe thus p. 15. of the said Discourse Though I doe not beleeve that any Originall Exemplar or Copy of the Scriptures now extant amongst us is so purely the word of God but that it may very possibly have a mixture of the word of men in it yet I confidently beleeve that the providence of God and the love which he beares to his own glory as well in the condemnation of the wicked and unbeleevers as in the salvation of his chosen have so farre interposed and watched over the great and gracious Discovery and Revelation which he hath made of himselfe by Jesus Christ unto the world that those books or writings wherein it was in all the branches particularities of it at first imparted unto the world neither as yet have suffered nor ever shall suffer any such violation mutilation or falsification in any kinde either through the ignorance negligence or malice of men but that they will be able sufficiently yea abundantly to furnish the world men of all sorts and conditions with the knowledge of all things necessary to be knowne either for their honourable and Christian deportment in this present world or for their everlasting salvation and exaltation in that which is to come By which words it clearly appeares that though in a sense limited and explained by me I deny the Scriptures to be the foundation of Religion yet I hold and assert them to CONTAIN the Foundation of Religion i. those gracious counsels and intendments of God unto the world by Jesus Christ upon which Christian Religion stands and is built Why then did Mr. Jenkin Anania's it with my opinion and keep back one part of it Fourthly Sect. 37. concerning my said opinion for which I beare the calumniatory charge of Mr. Jenkins pen I write thus pag. 17. of the said Discourse Seventhly and lastly the TRUE AND PROPER Foundation of Christian Religion is not INK AND PAPER nor any booke or bookes not any writing or writings whatsoever whether Translations or Originals but that substance of matter those gracious counsels of God concerning the salvation of the world by Iesus Christ which indeed are represented and declared both in Translations and Originals but are essentially and really distinct from both and no wayes for their Natures Beings depending on either Why then did not M. Ienkin charging me with denying the Scriptures to be the foundation of Religion as with a dangerous error mention and relate this my opinion truly and fully with such explications of mine about it without which it is unpossible for any man to know what mine opinion was in this behalfe Particularly why did he not charge me with denying the Scriptures to be THE TRUE AND PROPER Foundation of Religion Why doth he leave out those words THE TRUE AND PROPER which are essentiall to the true stating of that opinion of mine which he pretends to represent Again secondly why doth he not plainly acknowledge and declare that when I deny the Scriptures to be the foundation of Religion I meane by the Scriptures the INK AND PAPER wherewith whereon they are either written or printed and what ever else is found in them or appertaining to them besides the substance of matter and those gracious counsels of God concerning the salvation of the world by Iesus Christ which are contained and represented in them this being an essentiall ingredient also in that opinion of mine but it may be the fifth rib of Mr. Ienkins Religion hath need of the pious frauds of the Papists for her corroboration and support and can you then blame him for a little logerdemain now and then Fifthly Sect. 38. why doth this young Academick contrary to the principles of Logick and all regular Argumentation yea in full conformity with the weaknesse of illiterate Disputers deny the conclusion without denying or answering any thing at all to the premises I lay down severall Arguments and Grounds of Reason to prove the Scripture not to be the foundation of Religion in the sence wherein I deny it so to be and he without any answer or satisfaction given to so much as any one of these Arguments denies my conclusion and votes it for an error destructive to the foundation of Religion It is like the bent and figure of the fifth rib of his Religion required the Anomalie of these proceedings at his hand But Sixthly Sect. 39. doth not himselfe distinguish p. 7. and affirme that in a sense the Scriptures are not the foundation of religion Else what is the English of these words in terminis his own May not Christ be the onely foundation in point of mediation and the Scripture in point of manifestation and discovery Hath the man a Fungus a Mushrome in stead of caput humanum upon his shoulders to quarrell with me for denying in a sense the Scriptures to be the foundation of Religion and yet to deny as much himselfe Or did I ever or doe I any where deny them to be such a foundation in respect of representation and discovery i. to represent and discover him who is the foundation of Religion by way of mediation Or doth or can this young Pragmatico produce from any writings of mine any jot letter syllable word sentence of any such import I confesse that to call the Scriptures the foundation of Religion in point of manifestation or discovery taking the words manifestation and discovery properly in their usual and known significations is as ridiculous and absurd a metaphor as the stiling of Prerbytery the fifth rib of Religion For can he that onely manifests makes known and discovers unto me where such or such an house or towne stands or what the situation or manner of building of either is be in any tolerable construction or sense called the foundation of either Mr. Jenkin thinks that he manifests and discovers the feeblenesse of Sion Colledge visited is he therefore the foundation either of the book or of the supposed or rather pretended feeblenesse which he discovers But to affirm as he doth the Scripture to be the onely foundation of Religion in point of manifestation and discovery is not onely absurdum absurdo absurdius but most Atheologicall also and unsound in point of truth For did not God manifest and discover Christ or Christ himself whilst yet there were no
Scriptures or bookes written concerning him The Apostle Peter informs us that Christ by his Spirit went and preached unto the Spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah * Pet. 3. 19 20. c. Certainly the Scriptures were not extant in the dayes of Noah Moses who was born divers hundreds of years after being the first Pen-man of them Yet Christ by his Spirit even then preached unto men Did he preach without manifesting or discovering himselfe or the foundation of Religion unto them I mean in such a sense as the Scriptures afterwards manifested and discovered him If he did in the dayes of Noah manifest and discover himself to the world then are not the Scriptures the only no nor yet the first foundation of Religion no not in point of manifestation or discovery Yea if the Scriptures be the only foundation in point of manifestation and discovery how came all the Hagiographers and pen-men of the Scripture by that knowledge they had of God and of Christ and of Religion Did they ground their knowledge of these upon the Scriptures whilst as yet they were not And whereas he demands of me not more imperiously than simply but both sufficiently why I alledge 1 Cor. 3. 11. Other foundation c. to prove that Christ is the only foundation if I doe not ground my knowledg and beliefe hereof upon this place I desire to require his kindnes with this demand of him why did our Saviour Christ cite the testimony of John to prove himself to be the Messias b John 5. 32. 33 34. if hee did not ground his knowledg beliefe of his being the Messiah upon John's testimony One good turne the saying is requires another if Mr. Jenkin will pipe unto me in answering my demand I will dance unto him in answering his In the meane time what if I should prevent him with this answer that I doe ground my knowledge and beliefe of Christs being the only foundation upon 1 Cor. 3. 11 What followes from hence That I acknowledge the Scriptures to be in a regular sense the foundation of Christian Religion Poore man when did I ever deny it My discourse of the Scriptures is as hath beene lately proved full of this assertion If any thing followes besides this narra mi fili fili mi Batte Had not the man now thinke we a sore temptation upon him to foame out his owne shame in this most insufferably Thrasonicall demand Is it possible that the known distinction of essendi cognoscendi principium quod et quo or a foundation personall and Scripturall should be hid from this seducer in chiefe I confesse Mr. Jenkin is in no danger of being a Seducer in chiefe unlesse his wits and intellectuals miraculously advance except it be of or amongst such a generation of men and women as Peter resembleth to naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed a 2 Pet. 2. 22. or Solomons simple ones whose character is to believe every thing b Prov. 14. 15 Well might he ask is it possible that the distinction he speaks of should be hid from me For that which is not hid from him cannot lightly be hid from any other He talks of distinctions but with the Apostles Desirers to be teachers of the law he understands neither what he saith nor whereof he affirmes c 1 Tim. 1. 7. Would he else charge me as he doth a little after with doing wickedly and weakly to oppose Christ and his word when as himselfe as we heard just now opposeth foundations personall to foundations Scripturall What is this but to oppose Christ and his word as much as and in the very same sense wherein I oppose them There is nothing more frequent in Protestant-writers than to distinguish the person of Christ whom from the greek Fathers they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the essentiall or substantiall word from the written word which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word spoken or pronounced and what Novice knows not that in every distinction there is or ought to be an opposition And for his known distinction of essendi cognoscendi which hee so much wonders should be hid from mee he is desired in his next to produce any classique Author that ever used it but himselfe The complexion of it is as if it were of the house and lineage of Mr. Jenkins learning I confesse there is difference enough to make a distinction between esse and cognoscere witnesse Mr. Jenkin himselfe who hath a tall mans portion in the one but scarce a childs in the other But Seventhly Sect. 40. and lastly that the Scriptures whether written or printed are not truly and properly the foundation of Religion I demonstrate in the sight of the Sun to the shame and confution of all those faces which have charged the Assertion and Tenet upon me as an Errour by these arguments First If Religion was founded built stood firme and stable in the world before the Scriptures were then cannot the Scriptures be truly properly the foundation of religion This proposition needs no proof beyond the explication of the terms By the Scriptures I meane the Book or books commonly known by this Name amongst us wherin the gracious counsels of God concerning the salvation of the world by Jesus Christ are declared and expressed either by writing or printing as they were for matter and substance revealed at first by God himselfe unto the first writers or pen-men of them By the foundation of Religion we meane I presume on all hands that which mainly and primarily supports it and without which it cannot stand or have a being among men If Mr. Ienkin meanes any thing else either by Scriptures or by his foundation of Religion I must excuse him from blaming or medling with any opinion of mine concerning the Scriptures or foundation of Religion Therefore I assume But Religion was founded built stood firm stable in the world before the Scriptures were Ergo. This latter proposition besides the native pregnancy and evidence of Truth in it is fully proved by me page 10. of my discourse concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures where for dispatch sake I desire the Reader if unsatisfied in this point to enquire after it Secondly Sect. 41. If the foundation of Religion truly and properly so called be unperishable and what cannot be thrown down or deprived of Being then can no booke or bookes whatsoever under heaven and consequently not the Scriptures themselves be this foundation But the foundation of Religion truly and properly so called is unperishable c. Ergo. The Consequence in the Major Proposition is evident because any booke all bookes whatsoever are perishable may bee burnt or consumed by fire or miscary by many other casualties that may possibly befall them The Minor Proposition stands firm upon this bottome viz. that no building or superstruction whatsoever
the equity and meetness for them to practice of the things contained in this Law which this Law is wont to worke and produce in those who live under it besides many other things of like consideration Now I would gladly know of Mr. Jenkin by his next whether neither the power of God nor the righteousnesse of God nor the invisible things of God nor the eternall power of the God-head of God nor the things contained in the law be not the matter and substance at least some-what as much of the matter and substance of the Scriptures If they be then simple is his demand How can any man believe the matter and substance of the Scriptures to be the word of God when as he must be uncertaine whether the written word or Scriptures wherein the matter is contained be the word of God or no One thing more as to the point in hand I would gladly be informed of by Mr. Jenkin in his next viz. what the ground-worke and foundation of that Faith of his is whereby he believes that every passage sentence phrase word syllable letter point extant and to be found in every Bible or copie of the Scriptures printed or written Original or Translated throughout the world is the word of God or any part of it considering 1. the manifold yea and material disagreements that are generally known to be betweene many of them and 2. that the word of God is but one alwayes uniforme and consistent with it selfe without the least variation or change It is more than to be feared that whilst he pretends the establishment of men in the Faith of the Scriptures hee spreads a snare in their way and steers a direct course to cast them upon the quick-sands of insuperable difficulties and uncertainties Whereas I take my Testimonialists tardy Sect. 54. in making it an infamous and pernicious errour against the Divine Authority of Scriptures to say that a superstruction is not a foundation or that the act of believing being built upon the foundation of Religion cannot be this foundation it selfe with what acumen thinke ye doth this novice-undertaker bring off himselfe and his fellow adventures from the shelfe of this malicious absurdity For your argument saith he page 8. 9. Christ is the foundation and therefore not any act of man as the believing of the Scriptures 't is very false and feeble What man is it a very false and feeble Argument to infer that because Abraham begat Isaac therefore Isaac was Abraham's Son Or thus Isaac was the Son of Abraham therefore he was not the Son of Moses is this a false feeble argument too Or is not this an argument of the same calculation pregnancy and frame The timber of an house is part of the superstruction and is built upon the foundation therefore it is not the foundation it selfe Faith is an act of man built upon the foundation of Religion therefore it is not this foundation it selfe If Mr. Ienkin's fore-head will serve him to call these false and feeble arguments gape against ovens hereafter who will and let those undertake to prove that a mans eyes are not his eares who have a minde to trifle away their time or know not how to doe God or men better service with it Mr. Ienkin by such couragious expressions and sayings as these superstructions are foundations 't is very false and feeble to say otherwise that the Covenant hath done good to the Kingdome a Busie Bishop p. 9. that I by denying the Scriptures feare not to destroy the word of Truth b Page 10. that men that are dead assume to themselves titles in print c Page 11. that I dare not come neere an expression of dislike to errour d Page 11. that Master Edwards is a man of blessed memory e Page 12. that to advise men not to make errour and herefie of what they please cannot prove them to be such is to advise them to believe nothing or to put them to believe nothing f Pag. 13. 14. that because there is nothing in the world so certain as matters of Faith g Ibid. therefore there is nothing more certaine then that I deny the Authority of the Scriptures and that naturall men have no power at all to good supernaturall c. that Doctrina salutaris signifies the Law h Page 42. of nature that Gentes ante revelatum eis Christum verae justiciae fuisse compotes doth not signifie that the Gentiles before Christ was revealed unto them were partakers or obtainers of true righteousnesse but of the duties of righteousnesse commanded in the law i Page 43. Mr. Jenkin I say by the frequency of such valorous and couragious sayings and reasonings as these for I omit twenty more and ten of as high a resolution as these hath inspired me also with courage and resolution to count it strength eough for me to sit still the next time he riseth up against me By a like line of learning Sect. 55. reason and truth with which he measured my former errour so voted in the Testimonie concerning the Scriptures at last could make nothing of it but a Truth in processe of discourse he attempts the measuring of my second errour also for so it pleaseth the Colledge of Dictators to adjudge it concerning the naturall mans free will and power to good supernaturall for thus that Facultas Theologica thought good to head it The difference between his deportment and acquitment of himselfe in the one and in the other consists only or chiefly in this that as Jerusalem justified her two sisters Samaria and Sodome by multiplying her abhominations more than they k Ezek. 16. 51. 52. so hath hee qualified the hard aspect of his un-christian and un-clerk like behaviour in traversing the former point with that super-abundant extravagancy in both wherein he utters himselfe in managing the latter As for his un-christian dealings in affirming contrary to the certificate of his own conscience so many most notorious broad-fac'd falshoods untruths knowledg hath been taken of them and given in part under the first head Concerning his ridiculous empty and absurd reasonments and other puerllities of this nature we shall for the present only give a transient brief account of them intending a more full and through discussion of the controversie in due time the great disposer of all things not gainsaying First one of his first-born arguments to prove it an errour in me to hold that a naturall man hath any power to good supernaturall as to repent believe c. is that herein I lovingly joyne hands with the Arminians the Remonstrants a Busie Bishop p. 28. that the Arminions were my Schoolmasters b Page 30. again that I and my masters the Remonstrants will not part c Page 31. This cabbage he boyles and re-boyles and boyles again over and over I know not how often sets it before his Readers as one
the receiving of it see and consider to this purpose amongst others Luke 1. 79. Ephes 5. 14. 2 Cor. 4. 46. Mat. 4. 16 c. 2. Upon this ground because if men should have the eyes of their minds or understandings opened in any other sence then that wherein the light may be said to open them God might and must be said to worke as many miracles as conversions and how then can that great pillar of Presbytery that miracles are ceased stand Take onely one instance more for the present Page 31. to prove that the Scriptures deny a power in those who perish to believe and repent he cites dead in sins and trespasses from Ephes 2. whereas it is evident both from the context it selfe where this expression stands and also from the frequent tenor of Scripture-expression else-where that by being dead in sins and trespasses the Apostle only meanes that they were guilty of death or liable to condemnation for those sins and trespasses wherein in times past they had walked For 1. this their death in sins and trespasses is explained by their being children of wrath vers 3. 2. That quickning together with Christ opposed to this death as a remedie to a disease is interpreted Col. 2. 13. to be the forgivenesse of their sins and trespasses Both which plainly shew that the death spoken of by the Apostle in the place which Mr. Jenkin citeth is not a death which either standeth in or which necessarily implyeth an utter impotency in men to believe but which consisteth in guilt and obnoxiousnesse unto death 3. The Scripture oft expresseth the estate and condition of guilt by the term death See Gen. 20. 3. 2 Sam. 9. 8. 16. 9. 19. 28. Rom. 8. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 1 Tim. 5. 6 c. And for those other Scriptures Joh. 14. 17. Rom. 5. 6. Phil. 2. 13. We shall in due time God willing give a satisfactory account with how little pertinency to his purpose they are here brought upon the stage by him 4. And lastly that death in sinnes and trespasses here spoken of whatsoever is meant by it is not asserted or represented by the Apostle as the condition of a meer naturall man or of men considered as naturall but of men who have actually and for a long time lived in disobedience against God contrary to the effect of the Law written in their hearts by the finger of God is evident from the expresse letter of the context And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in times past ye walked c. vers 1. 2. 6. 3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in time past c. So that from this place however nothing can be inferr'd concerning any defect or want of power to believe in meer naturall men though such an inference should be yielded against such men who have corrupted themselves by a long continuance in wilfull and knowne sinnes Again 2. How like unto himselfe i. simply Sect. 66. and novice-like hee reasoneth otherwise to prove my opinion a delinquent against the Truth appears by the constant tenor of his arguing wherein he opposeth indeed my opinion for more generally he makes weake and simple opinions of his owne and then confutes them strongly instead of mine Page 29. Upon this saying of mine that by the improvement of nature a man may attaine to such a conviction as upon which saving conversion followes he profoundly demands what place is here left for grace what agreement with the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another But is there any whit more sap or savour of reason in these arguings and demands then if I should greeâ— Master Jenkin thus Sir If you be able to travail upon your ten toes within 3. or 4. dayes to a place an hundred miles off where you must appeare by that time or else you are a dead man though you be lazie and perhaps as willing to dye as to take the paines of such a journey what place is there left for the kindness of any of your friends to accommodate you with a wel-going horse or Coach for your journey A man may have power of doing yea and of willing that which yet left unto himselfe he neither will ever actually will nor doe So that notwithstanding such a power as Mr. Jenkin striketh at in the dark yet there is place enough for all that Grace of God which the Apostle attributes unto him Phil. 2. 13. In working both to will to doe in men of his good pleasure Yea if Mr. Ienkin would quit himselfe like a man reason home in stead of halâ—e way like a child he would manifestly perceive that there is a farre larger place left for grace by that opinion which he calls error then by that which he seekes to enthrone in stead of it and this in more respects then one For 1. as he is a farre greater sinner who knowes how to doe well and hath all things necessary thereunto and yet doth evill than he that doth evill having no power at all to doe well so is it a far greater act of Grace to forgive the sin of the former than of the latter Now the latter is Master Jenkin his Sinner and the former mine 2. For God to give a man strength and power to believe twice over or after a forfeiture made by sinne and wickednesse of the first donation is an act of more grace than to conferre them onely once and that without any such provocation Now Mr. Jenkin his opinion leaves place onely for this latter act of grace which is farre the lesser whereas my opinion makes roomth for the former which is the greater 3. And lastly to save greater sinners is an act of more grace or of Greater Grace than to save lesser Now whether that opinion which presents men impenitent and unbeleeving before God under a sufficiency of grace and meanes otherwise both to repent and beleeve doth not present them as farre greater sinners than Mr. Jenkins opinion doth which denies them so much as a possibility to doe either I referre to Mr. Jenkins himselfe with the fagge end of reason and understanding which is left him to consider and if he please determine In the meane time had not the man think ye a prodigie of provocation upon him to cry out What place is here left for grace What agreement with the Apostle It seemes there is no agreement between Wood and Trees in Mr. Jenkin his Logick nor any place left for so much as one man to stand where there is space enough for an hundred Surely Mr. Jenkins Theology is like his Philosophy who would undertake to argue and make good this Position Nil intrà est oleam nihil extrà est in nuce duri i. Within the Olive 't is without all doubt There 's nothing hard nor in the Nut without And if his interrogatory exclamations had such simple hey and stubble as you
not acting contrary to his wisdom or coÌ„trary to his goodnes Is his soveraignty or dominion over the creatures impaired because he doth not judg it meet to command throns to bring forth grapes or Thistles Figs Confident I am that there never was a generation of Christians scarce of any kind or sort of men so positive peremptory and bloody in asserting their opinions and withall so weak contemptible and shallow in arguing them as the greater part of the London Sub-scripturients are Page 27. Sect. 91. to prove the words which I deny to be an error viz. 'T is a needlesse thing for Satan to blinde if they have not eyes to see to be very false he advanceth this apodicticall proofe For saith he notwithstanding Satans making us blinde we are blind of our selves Dicite Iâ— Paean is not this a triumphant demonstration we are blind of our selves therefore there is a necessity that Satan should blind us I feare and partly know that such arguments as these or those that are very little better are the foundations of a great part of Mr. Jenkins Religion how importunely soever hee obâ—rudes his reverend opinion of the Scriptures The very truth is that he and many more speake highly of the Scriptures not because they loveth Truth or the minde of God and of Christ contained in the Scriptures or care much for the propagation or knowledge of these in the world but to procure the greater reverence and authority to their own mindes and opinions how unworthy and godlesse soever by perswading the people that they dwell in sacred shâ—ines and therefore can be none other but the Truths of God See a cleare instance hereof in the progresse of the late mentioned argument as simple as 't is it must be fathered on the Scriptures yea Scripture upon Scripture must be cited or rather abused in the justification of it according to Scripture saith he which saith That natur all men cannot know the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 14. and yet that the God of this world hath blinded them 2 Cor. 4. 4 When the Scripture saith that a natur all man is carried captive by Satan it is onely Mr. Jenkin that saith this the Scripture saith it not he hath practised the art of falsification so long in citing my words that his right hand cannot forget her cunning in citing the words of the holy Ghost himselfe when he hath a lame opinion to gratifie 2 Tim 2. 26. Doth it therfore follow he is not a slave to since because to Satan In this peece of discourse the intentions of these men in lifting up the Scriptures and so in using of them may be clearly seen unlesse the vaile of their ignorance may be conceived to hide them He chargeth me page 34. according to the known tendernesse of his conscience that still I would have fain the Scriptures counted hereticall with me In which saying alone there is more arogant and desperate blasphemy than can well be supposed incident to any other man than him that spake it For doth it not clearly suppose that the Scriptures themselves must be hereticall if they should teach or hold forth any other doctrine than what M. Jenkin teacheth And if so then not the Scriptures or their authority but M. Jenkin his judgement and authority must be the touchstone of Truth and Error and the Scriptures must be look'd upon as Hereticall if they shall presume to teach or assert any thing contrary to him and consequently must submit themselves to the regulation of his judgement in their sense and meaning and in whatsoever they affirm But whether I would fain have the Scriptures counted hereticall with me or no evident it is that M. Jenkin would fain draw them into communion and fellowship with himself in a most absurd insulse and unsavoury opinion in going about to prove from them that he that is as blinde as a man that is dead had need yet to be blinded by Satan or may further or to a greater degree of blindnesse be blinded by him As for that Scrip. 1 Cor. 2. 14. by which he seekes to prove it it appeares by his producing it for such a purpose that he understands little of it For first evident it is from the series of the context that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated the naturall man is not meant the man that is simply or meerly natural or unregenerate or that hath nothing at all of Christ in him but such a kinde of men whom two or three verses after viz. cap. 3. 1. 3. he twice expresseth by the name of Carnal whom notwithstanding he calls Babes in Christ So that evident it is that by naturall there and carnall here he meanes onely weak Christians such as for the present had made little progresse in the knowledge of Christ and of the Gospel This interpretation is further confirmed 1 o. from hence viz that one and the same kinde of person whom hee calls spirituall is opposed both to the naturall man there as cap. 2. v. 15. and likewise to the carnall man here cap. 3 1. 2 o. From hence that as the Gospel speakes frequently of two kindes or degrees rather of Christians weak and strong expressing them by severall appellations so the one sort of them viz the strong is amongst other denominations frequently expressed by the term spirituall If any man think himselfe to be a Prophet or Spirituall i. excellent and of a greater growth in knowledge than ordinary let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the commandements of the Lord 1 Cor. 14. 37. So again Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall i. more able than your fellowes restore such an one c. Gal. 6. 1. To passe by other instances of like import And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto spirituall i. as unto strong or understanding Christians but as unto carnall even as unto babes in Christ 1. Cor. 3. 1. So then the word Spirituall when spoken of persons or spirituall man being never found in the writings of this Apostle opposed to the meere naturall or carnall man but very frequently to the weak and lesse understanding Christian it is no wayes reasonable to imagine such an opposition here the scope and carriage of the context no wayes requiring it but rising up in opposition to it The reason by the way why the weake Christian is Sect. 92. and well may be termed naturall or carnall is because he retaines much of the meere naturall or carnall man in him he is still under the guidance of many false principles and notions of things which are more genenerally found in meere naturall and carnall men and consequently his dispositions and practices are in a great measure like unto theirs also A denomination may truly and with sufficient proprietie of speech be given upon a graduall participation onely of a form though it be not inherent in the highest
be found so likewise when a thing is very unlikely to come to passe and as it were neere to an impossibility it oft-times takes no notice of those few degrees of probability or possibility under which it lieth but calls it simply a thing unpossible or which cannot be done Thus Christ having first said to his Disciples Matth. 19. 23. Verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of Heaven in the next verse to carry up their apprehensions to the due height and pitch of the difficulty hardnesse or unlikelihood of the thing he expresseth it by a similitude importing an unpossibility And again I say unto you it is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God Yet that he doth not here speak of a Logicall i. a simple and absolute impossibility but of a morall onely is evident from vers 26. where he restraines the impossibility of it unto men and supposeth it possible enough with God With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible Now that which is Logically or simply impossible is impossible with God himselfe as well as with men And that which in this verse he affirms to be impossible with men v. 23. he had represented onely as very difficult and what was very seldome likely to come to passe Verily I say unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. that very hardly or with great difficulty will or shall a rich man enter into the Kingdome of heaven Many times the rarenesse onely or the great unlikelihood of an effect is expressed sometimes by the difficulty otherwise by the impossibility of it The like passage is to be seen Mark 10. 23 24. Thus when the Lord expostulated with his people after this manner Jer. 13. 23. CAN the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may ye also do good who are accustomed to doe evill he seems to imply as to the manner of the expression a kinde of impossibility in them to repent or turn unto God Which impossibility notwithstanding is not to be measured or computed by the strict definition of what is simply and precisely impossible for in that sense it was not impossible for them to repent notwithstanding their long habituated custome in sinning as appeares by the examples of those who have repented upon such termes as these but onely by the nature and definition of what is marvellously unlikely and what lieth as it were in the borders or confines of an impossibility This interpretation fully agrees with Austines notion in the case How hardly saith he or with what difficultly doth such a man rise or get up meaning to repentance or a course of well-doing who is pressed or kept down with the heavie weight of an evill custome lying on him And yet he riseth upon a great voyce a Quà m difficultiâ—e surgâ— quem malae consuetudâ—â—s moles premit sed tamen surgit post vocem magnam i. after some 〈◊〉 consideration or motive to repentance hath taken an effectuall hold upon his judgement and conscience by the gracious interposition and co-operation of the Spirit of God To instance onely once more for the present the multitude of the Saints spoken of Revel 79 is said to be so great that NO man COVLD number them i. it was very difficult and hard not simply unpossible for men to number them For it is not simply unpossible for men to number any number that is finit and that the number of these Saints was not simply infinit appeares from hence viz. that elsewhere in Scripture they are called few a little flocke See also 1 Kings 3. 8. c. viz. comparatively in respect of the farre surpassing number of those which perish which number the great surplussage of it notwithstanding above the other is not simply infinit The line of this interpretation is to be stretched over very many other places of Scripture of like expression and phrase with those in which instance hath been given According to the tenor of this exposition which is as we have heard fully consisting with the familiar Dialect and frequent manner of speech in the Scripture those expressions in the passage in hand Cannot receive Cannot know Cannot discern c. doe not import a simple or utter impossibility in the men spoken of to receive know or discerne the things of God but a difficultie onely which no man I know of denies Again Secondly as to the other particular mentioned it is very considerable both to the clearing of the place in hand Sect. 96. and very many other placeâ— also of like notion and phrase in the Scriptures that the word POWER whether formally and in the letter expressed or implied onely is in very many places to be taken in a kinde of metaphoricall and unproper sence viz. for a morall POWER that is for such a principle or disposition in the will which renders a man actually inclimble and propense to doe such or such a thing and not for a POWER of efficiencie or execution which in strictnesse and proprietie of phrase is POWER onely And again the present or actuall want of such a principle or disposition is frequently expressed by the want of POWER to doe the thing When it iâ— said of the Lord Christ himselfe that being in his own countrey Hee COVLD there DOE NO mighty work a Mark 6 5 c. It cannot be imagined that the arm of his Divine omnipotency by which he wrought all his great workes and miracles elsewhere was at all shortned in his own countrey more than it was in other places or that it was Logically unpossible for him to work as mighty works here as elswhere Therefore the meaning of the expression is onely this that by reason of the exceeding disrespective and unworthy carriage of his countrey-men towards him he had no minde will or disposition to shew unto them the glory of his power by doing any mighty work amongst them but by reason hereof during his abode with them was as if he had had no such power nor been able to any mighty work at all Thus when Christ saith to the Church of Ephesus I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou CANST NOT beare with them that are evill b Rev. â— 2. c. his meaning is not that it was logically or simply impossible for these persons to beare with those that were evil but clearly this viz. to acknowledge that they were zealouslâ— and vehemently inclined and bent to censure and restraine those that were evill amongst them by reason of which inclination they constantly dealt as effectually as severely with those that were evill amongst them either in reclaiming them or disclaiming them by casting them out from amongst them as if it had been simply impossible for them to tolerate or beare with them being evill In the like construction
mine which they pretend to transcribe by suppressing and leaving out what they please yea very emphaticall and materiall words and clauses in a other place that to render me as a man prodigiously erroneous and to make me hereticall in folio they swell and bulk their transcriptions by citing similitudes parables and resemblances also Mr. Ienkin page 30. profoundly censures this deportment of mine as a deep misdemeanour in these words The Subscribers have not as yet the Art of pleasing you even now they cited the words too sparingly now too copiously you are ever complaining c. Might not the tyrant Procrustes having first cut off the feet of a man to make him shorter than he was and afterwards stretched him upon a rack to make him longer than he was in case this man should have complained of his cruelty towards him thus differently acted as reasonably and as Christianly have replied unto him even now you complained of me that I made you too short now you complain that I make you too long you are ever complaining I have not the art of pleasing you c I conclude my present demonstration with another brief touch upon his deplorable weaknesse Sect. 102. and insufficiency in managing the Scriptures Pag. 31. to prove that the Scriptures deny that they who perish have power to beleeve and repent he cites among other Scriptures every whit as impertinent without strength Rom 5. 6. God worketh in us to will and to doe Certainly the man understands nothing of the sense and meaning either of the one place or the other In the former we are said to be without strength or rather to have been without strength not in respect of our condition as repaired relieved and stated by Christ but in respect of that condition whereinto we were exposed by the sinne of Adam and whereinto we should certeinly have perished had not Christ interposed by his death for our deliverance The tenor of the Apostles words is expresse For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly So that this Scripture affirming men to have been weak or without strength i. unable to help or save themselves from death without the death of Christ for them rather supposeth them endued with or as having strength in this kind by means of the death of Christ than otherwise Therfore he â—hat should thus reason the sun now shineth therefore it is midnight should draw the true portraicture of Mr. Jenkin his reasoning from the Scripture in hand For to prove that the Scriptures deny strength in those who perish to beleeve and repent he brings a Scripture which as hath been shewed supposeth it Nor doth his latter Scripture any otherwise relate to his purpose than the East unto the West For Gods working in us both to will and to doe clearly supposeth that men have power both to will and to doe so farre is it from denying it or supposing the contrary Yea it is Gods working in us both to will and to doe that enableth us both to the one and the other The Apostle himselfe earnestly presseth and perswadeth the Philippians to will and to doe in effect upon this ground viz. that it is God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is working in them to will and to doe of his good pleasure Wherefore my beloved as ye have alwayes obeyed not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence worke out your salvation with feare and trembling For it is God that worketh Phil. 2. 12 13. From the connexion between the exhortation or duty laid down in the former verse and the motive in the latter evident it is that Gods working in us both to will and to doe doth not necessarily suppose that either to will or to doe are actually and without any more to doe wrought in us no more than his purging Jerusalem of old necessarily supposed that herefore Jerusalem was actually purged Because I HAVE PVRGED thee saith hee to Jerusalem and THOV WAST NOT PVRGED thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse c. Ezek. 24. 13. As God purged Jerusalem of old and yet Jerusalem was not purged in the like sense and after the same manner God worketh or is working both to will and to doe in many who yet neither will nor doe For the understanding whereof Mr. Jenkin shall doe well to take knowledge of the Scripture Dialect and phrase in such expressions as viz. that when an effect depends upon the joynt concurrence of two or more causes for the actual production of it it is very usual and frequent in the Scriptures when any one of these causes have contributed that efficiencie which is proper for it to exhibit towards the production hereof to mention the effect as produced by this cause though it be not actually produced the other cause or causes not having given in their influence or concurrence herevnto As for example The purging of Jerusalem lately mentioned was an effect which depended partly upon God or his interposall by his Word Spirit Mercies Judgement c. partly upon Jerusalem her selfe in comporting with God in those administrations wherein he applied himselfe unto her for her purging and so in suffering her selfe to be purged by him Now because God had done that which was necessary or proper for him to doe towards this effect of purging her he had for a long time stroven with her by his Word by his Spirit by his long suffering by his judgements to bring her to repentance in this respect the effect it selfe I mean the purging of Jerusalem is attributed unto him though it was not effected or brought to passe Jerusalem her selfe denying or with-holding that which was necessary on her part for the actuall producing of it viz. her consenting unto the motions and applications of God unto her for her purging Because I here purged thee saith God unto her i. have done all that which was proper or meet for me to doe towards the purging of thee and thou wast not purged i. deniedst to joyne or comply with me in thy purgation therefore thou shalt not be purged c. Upon the same consideration and ground our saviour expresseâ—â— himselfe thus Matth. 5. 32. Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication causeth her to commit adultery i. doth that which is proper apt and likely to cause her to commit adultery whether de facto she committeth adultery or no. For he doth not suppose that every woman put away upon such termes must of necessity therefore commit adultery yet he that putteth her away so is said to cause her to commit adultery Thus in Pauls language he is said to destroy his brother a Rom. 4. 15 30. who doth that which is apt or likely to destroy him whether he be actually destroyed or no. In like manner and phrase of speech God may be and is said to work in men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will and to
and Heresies such Tenets not onely which are controverted between learned sober and religious men but for the truth whereof also more in weight and worth hath been said and argued both from the Scriptures and clear principles of Reason than hath yet been produced against them by all their opposers yea or I beleeve ever will be produced that they would for the time to come deale more Christianly and tenderly in such cases and not stigmatize their brethren as Erroneous or Heretickes because they are not of their judgements in such poynts wherein themselves can give no account of their judgements tolerably satisfactory M. Jenkin demands page 12. Had ever Ministers or Christians such advice given them before It seemes hee never heard of that exhortation of Paul given as well to Ministers as Christians even to every man not to think of himselfe more highly than he ought to thinke but to think soberly as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith b Rom. 12. 3. and in another place that men be not wise above that which is written â— For what is the substance or import of these and other like injunctions in this Apostle but the same with that advice of mine given to the Subscribers at which he so causlesly and importunely maunders notwithstanding because of the same Christian counsell he presently after gravely teacheth me that the Hereticall Devill must not be used gently M. Jenkin had best take heed how he provovokes his own Familiar But for my part let the proud Devill and the Bloody Devill be first handled in their kind and as they deserve and I shall freely consent that the Hereticall Devill drinke of the same cup with them Upon the same account he saith afterwards Page 13. that I am more wicked in prescribing the manner of doing than the thing to be done I marvell what that manner of doing is or meaneth for which this upstart Censor concludeth me so abundantly wicked If he were asked what he meaneth by it confident I am that an Ignoramus would be his best account Yet he goes on all this page and the greatest part of the next like himself railing and taking on without feare or wit as if I would have them beleeve nothing at all in Religion for certain onely because I advise them not to be unchristianly poremptory and self will'd in stigmatizing such opinions for Errors and Heresies which men every way as wise as learned as judicious as religious as themselves no dispraise to them judge to be truths yea and have asserted them for such with a stronger hand of Scripture and rationall demonstration than all those of contrary judgement have been able to resist Suppose M. Jenkin his opinion were that there is another World in the Moon or that the Sunne is the center of the Universe or that the earth moves the heavens standing still or that there are nine Hierarchies or distinct rankes of Angels that the name of the Souldier who thrust his speare into our Saviours side was Longinus the name of the penitent Thiefe crucified with him Dysmas with the like and the man should be so importunely confident of his judgement in these particulars that without all question or debate he judged all men Erroneous and Hereticall that were not partakers of the same foolish faith with him in case I or any other man considering the weak grounds of these opinions should soberly advise him that hee would consider better of such opinions and especially forbeare to declaime against those that were otherwise minded as men Erroneous or Hereticall had he the least colour or tolerable pretence to complain of us as if we advised him to turn Sceptique or to beleeve nothing positively and for certain But in M. Jenkins Logick there is no difference it seems between beleeving that the Moone is made of green Cheese and that twice two make foure but that hee that disswades men from beleeving the former doth by consequence disswade them also from beleeving the latter This is ingenuous Mr. Jenkin Page 42. Sect. 106. He tells me that if any thing could be wrested from the words cited by me from Bucer yet I shew nothing but extream ignorance or impudencie M. Jenkin is offended with me for shewing his commodity to alledge an Author for me the whole straine of whose writings are so directly opposite unto me But M. Jenkin suppose that which is not to be supposed and which lies out of the reach of the out-stretched arm of your learning to prove I mean that the whole strain of M. Bucers writings were so opposite unto me as you pretend yet upon what account or by the verdict of what principle of reason or common sense doe you give sentence that I shew nothing but extream ignorance and impudence in citing him i. passages from him for me Will you blaspheam and say the Holy Ghost shewed nothing but extream ignorance or impudencie to record or cite the words of Caiphas the High Priest for him or as consonant to the Scriptures because the generall strain of the words and sayings of this Priest were opposite unto him Or did the Apostle Paul shew nothing but extream ignorance or impudency in citing some passages for him and for the confirmation of his Doctrine out of Heathen Poets because the whole strain in a manner of their writings are opposite unto him and to that great Doctrine or mystery of Christianity which he taught In other cases more generally the more rare and lesse frequent or usuall things are the mention discovery or presentment of them findes proportionably the greater acceptation with men But Mr. Jenkin renders me either ignorant or impudent onely for citing such sayings from M. Bucer which as he saith have no fellowes in his writings But for ignorance impudence and such aspersive termes as these M. Jenkin hath them at the first hand and so affoords them cheap He tells me Sect. 107. p. 43. that I still LABOVR to make my own face clean by throwing dirt in Bucers Wretched man I know of no soyl or uncleannesse in that face of mine he speaks of why or how then should I still LABOVR to make it clean especially how should I LABOVR to do it by throwing dirt in Bucers face or what doth the silly brain mean by throwing dirt in his face Doth M. Jenkin labour to throw dirt in the faces of his Authors when he cites them for him Or doth not every man suppose 1 o. That what he holds in point of judgement is the truth and 2 o. that it is an honour and matter of good repute unto him to assert and hold the truth How then is it possible that any man should LABOUR or intend to cast dirt in the face of another onely by affirming him to bee of the same judgement with him in the Truth I thought Mr. Jenkin had not LABOVRED to cast dirt in the faces of Jerome Austin Luther Calvin c. by citing them
make fifteen without having some choyce Schoolmaster to teach him He tells me page 30. that I have such a long-winded stile Sect. 110. and such a foggy conceptus that I cannot write a slight notion which may be couched in foure lines under thirty foure lines and yet page 10. he tells me on the other hand that I have a compendious way of confutation and that I blow away whole books with the Dictates of three or foure lines M. Ienkin I perceive can beat his dogge both with a long staffe and a short And as the Scribes and Pharisees one while to create enviein and amongst themselves against the Lord Christ pretended that the whole world was gone after him a Ioh. 12. 19. Another while to disparage him among the people pleaded on the contrary that none of the Rulers or Pharisees beleeved on him but onely a few ignorant people who know not the Law b Ioh. 7 48 49. in like manner M. Ienkins ingenuity serves him to make vilifications and reproaches of any thing yea aspersives though never so contradictory unto or inconsistent with themselves will yet warrantably and congruously enough to his principles serve him in his warfare I have to my discredit a compendious way of confutation and can blow away whole bookes with the Dictates of three or foure lines and yet to my disparagement also have such a long winded stile that I cannot write a slight notion which might be couched in foure lines under thirty foure lines Page 14. Sect. 111. Onely upon occasion of my saying that God made the world of nothing he interjects it thus Prophanely enough Is it prophanesse in M. Ienkins Divinity to say or hold that God made the world of nothing Or is it pious only in High Presbyterians to say it but prophane in all others Or doth the man deny creation and dogmatize with those who affirm the world to have been from eternity Why else should he call it prophanesse in me to affirme the contrary 〈…〉 But what is it almost that I can speak or doe but the debauched conscience of this man pretends to finde either blasphemy or prophanenesse in it If I cite or any wayes make use of the Scriptures he chargeth me with prophanation of Scripture What remaines saith hee page 50. of this weak Pamphlet consists of nothing but three or foure prophanations of Scripture And a few lines after 'T is a miracle that the stones and tiles of houses doe not speak about the eares of one so prophane and erroneus But let me tell you M. Ienkin whether I be prophane and erroneous or no both which imputations you are as farre from proving as free in charging upon me that it is prophanesse and erroneousnesse in you and that in a high degree to think it a miracle that God should be God and not man or which is the same that he should not be of your minde and condemne him for prophane and erroneous whom you out of a blind zeale to the fifth rib of your Religion condemne for such Is it a miracle with you that the righteousnesse of God should not accomplish the wrath of man Because I expresse my selfe onely thus Sect. 112. Doe I not plainly clearly and distinctly enough declare unto the world in mâ— Treatise concerning the Divine authority of the Scriptures in what sense I hold the Scriptures whether Translations or Originals to be the word of God his ingenuous and candid animadversion is this pag. 20. YOVR SELFE IS the first man that ever I heard to commend you for clearnesse plainnesse and distinctnesse For a man to say especially by way of Apology that he hath clearly and plainly expressed his sense and meaning or stated his opinion was it ever so fairly and candidly interpreted as to be the commending of himselfe untill Mr. Jenkin and his transcendent ingenuity came to undertake the construction But howsoever the great Corrector or Corruptor rather of Lâ—ctio's should doe well to pull the Beame of false concord ouâ— of his own eye and not joyne Nominative cases of the second person with verbs of the third before he goes about to pull the MOAT or rather somewhat as much lesse than a moat as nothing is than something of unproper English out of his brothers eye If any of Mr. Vicars Boyes who have learned that easie thing where Mr. Jenkin findes Nil permutabis emesve should bring any such English as this to him YOVR SELFE IS or any such Latine as this Tuipse est primus c. I cannot but thinke hee would administer correction to him and but deservedly As much reason as M. Jenkin hath to charge me with commending my selfe for the words lately mentioned so much also and no whit more he hath to slander the close of my Sion Colledge visited with some foure or five it seems he cannot speak clearly or distinctly nauseous commendations of the Author and Booke But Nabal as his own servant described him was such a sonne of Belial that a man could not speak to him a 1 Sam. 25. 17. If a man washeth off the base dirt and filth which M. Jenkin and his Truth-defaming generation hath cast in his face it amounts to no lesse in the balance of his rare ingenuity than to the nauseous commendations of himselfe Page 16. Sect. 113. He sadly bewailes his own condition and the condition of his fellowes under the name of Orthodox thrice mentioned in the complaint for failing this is a nauseous commendation of himselfe to purpose as if it were farre better with the Sect of the Independents than with theirs These saith he are exceeding dayes for Sectaries the Orthodox have but short commons they are rich in imployments and poore in payments 'T is true you preach a great deale more than you pay of the debt of Evangelicall Truth which you owe unto the people your payments in this kinde are very poore you are quite contrary you are paid for being an hearer of your people but it were well with the Orthodox if they were paid for preaching to their people You are the Preachers under worldly glory the Orthodox are under the crosse c. In this passage of M. Jenkin it is clearly seen both how strangely Envy multiplieth and unthankefulnesse substracteth Fertilior seges est alienis semper in arvis Vicinumque pecus grandius uber habet i. In other mens fields the best corn alwayes growes And still the greatest Dugges have neighbour Cowes But 1 o. With what fore-head or face can he say that the Orthodox have but short commons if by Orthodox he meanes the Ministers of the adored Order of Presbytery May not Newcastle as well complaine for want of Coales or the Sea for lack of water as the Presbyterian Ministers for shortnesse of commons Is not the whole English element of Church-livings offered up by the State upon the service of their conformity a Marcus Crassus negabat quenquam esse dâ—vitâ—
then may the Preachers of whom M. Jenkin speaketh be truly said to be the Preachers under worldly glory but if not hath not he avouched it to the shame and confusion of his face 5 o. And lastly the most staring and daring untruth in all the story is this that I am paid for hearing my people If this be written in any of M. Jenkins Bibles whether Translation or Originall most certainly it is not the word of God If in stead of saying I am PAYED for hearing my people he had said I am well apaid in hearing them his pen had been no great transgressor but saying I am PAYD FOR hearing them can he be judged any other than an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man condemned of himselfe in the saying Or if he had said that I am paid for teaching them or for inabling them instrumentally under God to speak those things which sometimes I heare from them the saying had been tolerable enough for matter of truth though little enough for matter of consequence or import But M. Jenkin hath little cause to be offended with me for being payed for teaching my people so that I may heare them speak the things of God with comfort when as himself is payed for teaching his people I feare to farre lesse purpose yea and compelleth some to pay him whom I beleeve he teacheth not at all unlesse it be to know what it is to dwel in a Parish so proudly covetously and quarrelsomly Clergified Though I assert the Divine authority of the Scriptures Sect. 114. or their being the word of God and the foundation of Religion in the very same sence wherein himselfe asserteth either the one or the other as hath been formerly proved and that by many Arguments and Demonstrations himselfe onely dictating his opinion but demonstrating nothing yet how importune and restlesse is he in his barking against me as if I denied both the one and the other And doth not saith he page 1. John Goodwin deny the Scripture to be the foundation of Religion Page 3. he telleth me that I subvert the whole Scripture Page 6. My Treatise wherin I assert the Divine Authority of the Scriptures he calls My late book AGAINST the Authority of the Scriptures Page 10. He chargeth me that by denying the Scriptures I feare not to destroy the word of truth I feare that he by his diabolizing and calumniating feares not to destroy his soule Page 19. he saith My work is to preach and write against all Propheticall and Apostolicall writings What shall be given unto thee or what shall be done unto thee thou false tongue a Psa 120. 3. When did I ever preach or write the least word or syllable against any Prophetical or Apostolicall writing Page 24. he chargeth me with casting contempt upon the written Word Page 20. he demands thus Ought you not to be the more blamed for your cloaked impiety and for your reall enmity to the Scriptures c. Page 22. he complaines that J. Goodwin tells him that this written word is not the word of God Page 24. he chargeth me that in terminis I deny the written word to be the word of God Page 14. he visits me with this Interrogatory Did not you blasphemously deny the Scripture to be the foundation of Faith Page 55. he saith He is sure that according to my principles the written word cannot be the standing measure of Truth and Error I think he is as sure of this as of most things wherein he is or pretends to be most confident The man it seemes knowes not sands from rocks Page 56. he chargeth me with having throwne off the written Word What a generation of spurious accusations hath Mr. Jenkin here begotten upon the body of a shadow of demerit Was there ever a foolish and groundlesse pretence thus nauseously improved to the defamation of a man if yet M. Jenkin hath so much credit in the world as to render him capable of that mischievous act of defaming P. 19 He demands of me thus Sect. 115. Was it from the lowlinesse of your heart that you prefer your selfe before the most learned and pious of the Subscribers Reader if there be any word syllable letter or tittle in that passage of mine as himselfe hath transcribed it upon occasion whereof he levieth this demand which savoureth in the least of any prelation of my selfe before any even the meanest of the Subscribers let this crown of honour be set upon Mr. Jenkins head that once in his dayes he spake truth In the next words he interrogaâ—es me further thus Or was it from the Logick of your head that you form such a childish argument viz. you may not be taxed with errors about the Authority of the Scriptures because you have written in vindication of them Reader if thou canst find any such Argument as this formed by me let me be the child and Mr. Jenkin the man but if it be otherwise contrariorum contraria sint consequentia The Argument formed by me as to that point he speaks of is to this effect that having written and published a large Treatise in vindication of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and having withall laboured with the uttermost of my endeavours in the ingagement to quit my selfe faithfully herein I conceive it no effect or fruit of the integrity of the hearts of the Subscribers to perform their duty taking no knowledge at all of the main drift scope and end or of the generall carriage of the Discourse to clamour and traduce me for a man denying the Authority of the Scriptures onely because in one place I doe not â—autologize and use those restrictrive or explicative expressions the second time which I had used a little before for the cleare stating of my opinion Yet had I formed such an Argument as he speaks of it had been more manly by farre and lesse childish than that whereby himselfe would prove that I cite M. Bucer for me impertinently inasmuch as M. Bucer never wrote an intire book or discourse against that opinion for which he is cited by me as I have done against that opinion which the Subscribers take liberty or licentiousnesse rather of Conscience to ascribe unto mee A while after in the same 19. page to vilifie me Sect. 116. and make ortes of my discourse in vindication of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures he magnifies Bellarmine and makes singular good hey of what he hath written upon the same subject and particularly commends one saying of his as a non-such in all my writings in which saying notwithstanding there is very little weight or worth indeed scarce Truth Bellarmine saith he hath laboured in justifying the Divine Authority of the Scriptures against the Swenkfeldians with INCOMPARABLE more sinews and strength than ever you have done in your way When did your pen ever◠〈◊〉 his did drop such a passage as this that the very Question Whether the Prophetical and Apostolical writing is