of men being in an unknown Tongue to them A. Especially as it came from the first Pen-men thereof Page 81. B. As these Testimonies were left by him to wit Christ on certain Record N. Upon what Record was it so left by Christ Page 149. B. Would you have him bring you another Gospel when Paul would hold an Angel from heaven accursed if he should so do Gal. 1. 7 8 9. N. The sence of this Text is perverted being applied to the Scripture A. For the Text runs thus Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that that we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have received let him be accursed So that it is evident that Paul here had reference onely to the preaching of the Gospel to the Galatians whereby they were converted to the Faith which preaching was confirmed to them by miracles and by ministring to them the Spirit after their believing as may be seen Chap. 3. 5. Insomuch that this Text being rightly understood and duly considered quite overthrows that Doctrine which this Author would maintain and here prove by it Page 150. B. This is the Word which is able to make men wise to salvation N. Through Faith in Christ Jesus A. And through that alone the Gentiles were also made wise to salvation who knew not the Scripture Page 150. B. By this word it is that those must be washed and cleansed and sanctified whom Christ will present pure and spotless to his Father at last Ephes 5. 26. N. The Word preached by the true Ministry witnessed by God and not the Scripture is here meant Page 167. B. That many Heathens excel in this Learning to wit Humane Learning and it was Gods Truth which they received by the study of the Creatures though they detained it in Unrighteousness yea so much excellency was in it that the abuse of it will leave them without excuse though they never had the Scriptures nor heard of Christ for that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Rom. 1. 19 20. N. If I am not much mistaken the sence of this Text is here much mistaken A. For these Heathen came not to the understanding of the Eternal Power Godhead by Humane Learning nor by the Study of the Creatures but by Gods manifesting it to them in the preaching of the Gospel which was invisible or hid from or ever since the Creation of the World being the mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God Eph. 3. 8 9. and hid from Ages and generations but then made manifest Coloss 1. 25 26. This mysterious hidden or invisible power and Godhead or Divine Essence did God shew to them and was clearly seen by them and that by the preaching of the Gospel and by the mighty and powerful works done or wrought among them for the Confirmation thereof Made is very unaptly put into our Translation instead whereof done or wrought would more fitly set forth the sence of the Apostle in that place And then when these Heathen after so clear a discovery and manifestation to them of the only true and powerful God by the Gospel fell back againe to their former Idolatry this was it which aggravated both their sin and punishment to so great a height but if the same discovery had been made to them by humane Learning or the study of the Creatures then they had been guilty of the same sin and so would have been made liable to the same punishment ever since the Creation and their attaining humane Learning because they formerly committed the same Idolatry but yet were not at all guilty of the same degree of sin nor liable thereby to the same punishment for in respect of the times before the coming of Christ and the Gospel God winked at as times of their Ignorance Act. 17. 30. which could not be if that the eternal Power and God-head had been so clearly manifested to them as in the Text is set forth by the Creation or the study of the Creatures by humane Learning Nor was it the Apostles drift or business to tell the Romans there what means of knowledge the world had 4000 years before nor was it to set forth or declare the vertue or excellency of humane Learning nor of the knowledge attainable by it or by the Creation but to set forth the great and mighty power of God which had been hid from Ages and Generations since the world began but was then made manifest by the power which accompanied the Gospel beginning at the 16 verse thus 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek This he proves and sets forth by its effects in divers instances in the four next following verses thus For there-in or by it 17. Is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness 19. That which might be known of God is manifest to them for God hath shewed it unto them 20. The invisible or hid things of him from or ever since the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made done or wrought even his eternal Power and God-head This may plainly be seen to be the drift and sence of the Apostle in that place and to this sence the Scripture accords elsewere Heb. 2. 3 4. Heb. 6. 4 5 6 7 8. but to the other sence no where And therefore seeing that humane Learning is so pur-blind as not in one thousand six hundred years to finde out the true scope and genuine sence of Scripture which lies so obvious and plain as here and in divers other places it doth where the true sence is hitherto mistaken and not to this day attained unto by humane Learning How then can it reasonablybe thought possible that Christ did ever advance humane Learning to so great and honourable an employment as to cause a Star thereof to arise of purpose to direct men to the Sun of Righteousness or to be an Usher to prepare the way for the Gospel or that he hath now delivered it up unto his Church to be continued therein or esteemed a gift of his Spirit as our Author R. B. in his book of Infidelity part 1. page 37 38. most presumptuously hath asserted Cujus contrarium verum est Page 174. B. Are not our Divines themselves
An Apologetical Narration Or a just and necessary VINDICATION OF CLEMENT WRITER AGAINST A Four-fold Charge laid on him BY RICHARD BAXTER And published by him in Print Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World Jam. 1. 27. In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men Mat. 15. 9. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you FOR I was an hungry and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye clothed me c. Mat. 25. 34 35 36. Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in Mat. 23 13 14. The Second Edition with an Appendix by the same Author LONDON Printed for Daniel White and are to be sold at his Shop at the seven Stars on the North-side of St. Pauls To the Reader READER I Have here set before thee the whole business between Mr. Baxter and my self intreating thee to bear with such faults as happily thou mayst apprehend either in me or the Book and the rather let me move thee hereunto First Because I may requite thee with the like kindness when ever thou shalt be provoked in like manner to make thy Defence being openly set upon by such a potent Assailant as now I have been Secondly because it is more then probable that thou and I as well as all other men may be mistaken in apprehending of Errors when indeed and in truth the Error may be and many times is meerly in our own apprehension being much vitiated by Custom and Education Wherefore I advise thee once and again seriously and impartially to consider the whole matter over and over and then also not hastily to enter into the seat of Judgment because things of such high deep and weighty concernment need always due and exact weighing and that with sutable Balances wherein humane learning must neither have the pre-eminence nor bear any sway at all And especially in thy judging be very sollicitous and exceeding careful so to doe it as neither to wrong the Truth nor thy own conscience For if thou doest I assure thee whosoever thou art all the Honour and Advantage Profit and Preferment which thou shalt either retain or get thereby will proveâ—tly unreparable damage at last Pray with me therefore that the eyes of our understandings may be opened and anointed with Eye-salve that we may clearly see perfectly apprehend and certainly judge between both Persons and things that differ And in the mean time to exercise mutual Charity and forbearance one towards another at least until our Ignorances be much less and our Authority much more to judge one another in these matters Worcester this 25. of March 1658. Farewel Reader I am against my will provoked by Richard Baxter to make here my just Defence against some charge laid upon me by the name of Clem. Writer in a Pamphlet of his INTITULED A second Sheet for the Ministry wherein though he something mistakes my name yet I suppose I am the Person he ayms at THe first Charge is in p. 6. thus That Clem. Writer told him That no man is bound to believe that Christ did rise again or the rest of Christianity that seeth not Miracles himself to prove it Answ 1. I deny these words in manner form and sence to be ever spoken by me And 2. If any such words or of like import were spoken by me it was to this effect and meaning namely That no unconverted or unbelieving man is bound by God upon pain of damnation to believe and obey the Gospel without Divine evidence to attest unto him the truth thereof whereon undoubtedly to ground that his faith c. This long hath been yet is and must be my judgement until I am otherwise informed and I conceive there are sufficient grounds both from Scripture and Reason to confirm me therein But I leave it to Gods will not determining what Divine evidence he please to use for that purpose whether Signs Wonders diversities of Tongues Miracles casting out of Devils curing of the Lame healing of the Sick raising of the Dead for I finde that by these and other the like demonstrations of the powerful works and gifts of the Spirit he usually confirmed the Word every-where preach'd by his true Ministers for the conversion of men to the Faith of the Gospel insomuch as by the meer shadow of Peter and by the very handkerchiefs of Paul were special Miracles and many Cures wrought as may be seen in Mark 16. 20. Heb. 2. 4. Act. 2. Act. 5. 14 15 16. Act. 8. 6 7. 1 Cor 2. 4. Compared with Act. 19. 11 12 18 19 20. and many other places And as for Tongues these were for a sign not for them that believe but for them that believe not 1 Cor. 14. 22. And we likewise finde that the end of Christs sending of these powerful gifts of the Spirit to abide with his true Ministry and Church for ever Joh. 14. 16. was chiefly to convince the unbelieving world Joh. 16. 8. Thereby not onely to afford them successively in all Ages an infallible ground of Faith but also to bring them under guilt of much sin if they obeyed not the Gospel which otherwise would have been no sin at all in them Joh. 15. 24. And hence it was that the Apostles themselves were commanded to stay until they were endued with power from on high to enable them to do those mighty Works for the attestation of the truth of their Mission and Message for the conversion of men to the Faith of the Gospel Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4 8. And it 's likewise worthy our Observation That neither the twelve nor yet the seventy were sent out at first until they had power given them over Devils and diseases c. whereby to enable them by Divine Evidence to attest the truth of that their Mission although they were then sent but to preach in the Land of Judea only Mat. 10. 5 6. Luk. 10. 1. c. And these being persons meerly of the same Language Kindred and Country might therefore have challenged to have been credited by the Jews upon their own bare testimony only without producing any Divine Evidence at all if any had been so to be credited Yet neither were they nor ought they nor Christ himself to be so credited in these matters as is most evident Joh. 10. 37. Joh. 5. 31 34 36. compared with Joh. 15. 24. And since that none of these were nor ought to be so credited how then dare any mortal man or men of what degree order sort or company soever now upon the face of the Earth assume or challenge to themselves any such Authority or Divine
for all have that also nor can it be the perswasions of the Spirit that he can pretend to have which the others may not pretend to have as well as he And I think it may be boldly asserted unpossible for such different perswasions to proceed from the spirit of God as to judge or condemn one another for Hereticks or Erroneous Persons either as these do Wherefore it is more safe and reasonable to deem that none of them all were nor are indued with the Spirit of God but such onely who could or can and also did or do manifest the same by some Divine Evidence and Demonstration as none being destitute thereof can possibly do The fourth Charge is in the eighth page being thus If the Church or Ministery saith R. B. had an end Christs Kingdom had an end and he Reigned not for ever Mat. 28. 20. Lo I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world To this express Promise Clem. Writer hath no wiser an answer but that it is conditional if they teach men to observe all things that Christ hath commanded them he will be with them else not To which R. B. replies and saies This is your forgery there is no such words but an absolute Promise Answ And doth the Promise indeed come in so independently as R. B. hath here set it forth Reader see with thine own eyes for thou and I too have look'd too much and too long with other mens see if it hath not a necessary Dependence and Relation to the next precedent words in the Text which thou shalt finde to run thus viz. Going therefore teach or disciple all or in all nations baptizing them c. teaching them i. e. the baptized Disciples to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world The genuine and true sence whereof I conceive to be this viz. That in their so doing and teaching alway Christ promiseth to be with them and their true Successors alway even to the end of the world But R. B. his sense seems to be thus much That Christ doth there promise absolutely to be with them and their successors alway even to the end of the world they teaching whatsoever false Doctrine or introducing never so many humane inventions into the Gospel-Worship yet that Christ's promise is absolute still to be with them alway even to the end of the World notwithstanding An Exposition highly gratifying the Pope and justifying his Divine Authority being Peters Successor No Papist can advantage him by an Exposition of this Text more or better then R. B. hath here done And whereas R. B. tells me This is your forgery there is no such words but an absolute promise Answ Can any man give his Sence of any Text or explain the meaning thereof but he must do it in some other and more words then are in the Text yea and doth not R. B. himself in the next words following tell us That the promise is absolute Christ being with them to support and help them in his Work Answ These words not being in the Text is his forgery also for how else is my taking but the same liberty forgery and his doing the same thing no forgery But perhaps his Commission is with a non obstante to pervert or falsyfie Scripture at his pleasure and yet have the absolute promise of Christ still to be with him to support and help him in that his Work How strangely hath he perverted the true meaning of this Text For 1. He cites the last words thereof as if they had been intire and absolute without dependence upon any precedent words 2. The word whatsoever he leaves out and also them which relates to the baptized disciples and instead thereof he foysteth in men as if the teaching last mentioned in the Text had relation to men in general and unconverted whereas it is confined onely to the baptized Disciples that they being converted and baptized should then be taught to observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded those eleven Disciples and accordingly R. B. himself hath opened and given the sense of this very Text in his book of Infidelity Part 4. page 40. And nothing in Scripture is more evident then that Christ after his Resurrection commanded these eleven not to go out in the exercise of their Ministery and preaching of the Gospel for the converson of men to the faith until they were indued with power from on high telling them that they should be so indued when the Holy Ghost was come upon them Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4 5 8. And as these were commanded by Christ so they accordingly stayed and waited until they received this power before they went forth Now if R. B. had been disciplized and baptized by any of these Eleven or by any true Ministery succeeding them he ought and undoubtedly should have been taught the very same Lesson viz. to stay until he had been indued with like power from on High as these Eleven did and who had run before they had been sent as R. B. hath done if they had not so stayed Multitudes are the Scriptures throughout his first and second sheet which he forceth against their genuine sence to do him Divine Service in up-holding the Ministery he pleads for In his first sheet page 4. he brings in for that purpose Christs speech in Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Answ These words were spoken by Christ to the twelve Disciples Chap. 9. 1. and to the seventy Chap. 10. 1. VVhom he sent out to preach giving them power over all devils and diseases and to do other miraculous works to attest the truth of their Mission and Message as is to be seen Chap. 9. 1 2 6. and Chap. 10. 9 17 18 19. Charging them to take nothing for their journey neither staves shooes scrip bread purse nor money giving them also other special directions for their behaviour wheresoever they came Chap. 9. 3 c. Chap. 10. 3 c. Now although these words of Christ were truly applicable to these to whom they were spoken and to all others succeeding them unto whom God should himself in like manner bear witness by such mighty works yet are they not applicable to any others to whom God bears no such witness The Reason is because their preachings being evidently witnessed by God himself to be truth it was and might therefore be truly said of such He that believed not them made God a lyar And also to such He that heareth you heareth me c. Yet it is no more true nor appliable to the preachings of R. B. nor of any of the Ministers he pleads for coming without such Divine Evidence then it is to the Preachings of the Jesuites or of any other coming without such Divine Evidence to attest the truth of their Mission or