is a plaine recantation 8 It is more for Gods honour and yours to make a free noble solemn recantation and now you have deceived the Kingdom with three editions to doe all things like your selfe ingenuously a worthy action loses its grace and our brethren lose their share of benefit by it when done with so much reservednesse that others cannot well take notice of it for their edification Pray Sir let your recantation bee as remarkable as your seduction doe not put it at the fag-end of some lesse remarkable alterations acknowledge that you were seduced by into this opinion and recant with observation lest others be seduced by so many hundred Catechismes as are dispersed throughout the Kingdome But it may bee that you will deny that you have made a recantation Truly Sir first the addition of those words in the primary intention of the phrase 2 The putting in of Idle and blotting out of perhaps which did much affront your No more undoubtedly 3 The change of these words the particular matter of Moses his Law was of Promissory nor Assertory oaths for these The matter was peculiarly of promissory not onely of assertory oaths all these three together will amount to a round recantation considering that in three editions you had said there was No more and undoubtedly no more forbidden in the third Commandement then the breach of promissory oaths Ninthly consider that if this amendment had been before Oxford had been taken or if you would say that it as well as another edition of your Book was intended before you were in danger to bee called to an account for this and many things of worse consequence your recantation would bee more satisfactory I spake to you as a friend and speake not out of my owne breast for I doe but repeate the censures of other men For my owne prart you have made a solemne profession under your hand to give mee satisfaction but how will you satisfie other men 10. Yet I must professe that I doe not like that expression of yours Neverthinking to deny or doubt but that vaine oaths would bee forbidden there also Doe you mean that they were forbidden by God when Moses published the Law or would bee forbidden afterwards by a superaddition Would bee is not so cleare an expression as is desired 11. I doe not understand that expression of yours when you say That in kindnesse and submission to the meanest the Author thought fit to adde If you meane it of mee I take it kindly for I did speake to your friends at London about you and they promised to tell you positively of it and I spoke for that end for I doe respect you more then you thinke I doe and some worthy friends both of yours and mine know that neare upon tenne yeares agoe wee did exchange some Letters about your opinion concerning certaine vacuities in the morall Law of God 12. But Sir you should consider that Learned men have told you of this errour and therefore say in submission to better Judgements 13. Say in submission to the greatest even to Iehovah the God of glory I will abase my selfe recant my errors and acknowledge the perfection of his morall spirituall Law Surely it is meet to bee said to God c. Iob 34. 31 32. I beseech that you will weep over those two Verses and then read that passage Iohn 6. 38. Christ came downe from heaven to doe the will of God c. Oh doe you come downe from your Criticismes come downe from your notions your imaginary superadditions which you looke upon as a kind of heaven and endeavour to doe the will of your Father revealed in his perfect and spirituall Law and I 'll warrant you you 'll finde it so perfect without any superadditions that your Evangelicall obedience shall not excell or transcend that excellent rule nay you will confesse that you cannot see an end of its perfection and you will hate every false way Pardon mee if I seem to preach to you the Lord set it home upon your heart 3. The next report is that you made inclination to sinne an infelicity not a sinne I said that the Author of that Catechisme did acknowledge that godly sorrow was to be conceived for all kinds and sorts of sinne but when hee descends to particulars hee speakes with so much irresolution as if hee doubted whether our aptnesse to fall into all sinne were an infelicity onely or a sinne Sir your expression is inexcusable and your apology doth no way satisfie Truly Sir you must fall downe at a Throne of grace and beg pardon of God and you must speake more positively or else you will not bee able to give satisfaction to impartiall men 1 You speake of pollutions of nature sure that expression is more proper to denote actuall sinnes then originall sinne which is one entire universall and naturall pollution 2 Every one that is of age to conceive godly sorrow hath actually consented to the corruption of his nature hee hath cherished it and been pleased with it 3 You seeme to imply that there must needs bee some consent given to every actuall sinne Sir that is yet to bee proved on your part for you are too magisteriall and so much given to dictates that you may well stand to bee perpetuall Dictator in Divinity every point of a Catechisme should bee exactly proved 4 You seeme either to recant what you said before or at least to doubt whether these pollutions bee infelicities onely or sinne 5 The danger is the greater because you expresse such a grand point Sceptically there are indeed too many that say The corruption of our nature is rather an infelicity then a sinne doe you expresse your selfe thus doubtfully that you may comply with them indeed if you were composing such a Liturgy as some have wished for that Protestants c. might joyne together I confesse you have sufficiently served that designe but sure it was your duty especially in a Practicall Catechisme to have declared your selfe freely and fully against that dangerous error 6 If you are of their mind who maintaine the corruption of our nature to bee onely an infelicity not a sinne it was not fairly done to blind your Reader with an Orthodox expression in the beginning of your answer that you might afterwards tempt him into a dangerous error 7 It is absurd to say that godly sorrow is to bee conceived for an infelicity quà sic meerly as an infelicity 8 There is no doubt but that every sinne should bee wailed quà sic as a sinne an inconformity to a spirituall Law and a pronenesse to actuall rebellion against God and all the commands of God ought to bee bewailed even with tears of bloud you need not speake timorously or doubtfully in so weighty and cleare a point 9 I found the more fault with this doubtfull expression because you write a Practicall Catechisme and you know that the corruption of our nature hath great influence into our
of such a principle upon them wil never humble them If you had told them that we are all by nature spiritually dead in a polluted and cursed condition this might humble them but if you serve men upon their owne proud principles they will take it for granted that their principles are good and grow the prouder No man can conceive true godly sorrow for his actuall sinnes who doth deny the very root and fountaine of all his sinnes to be a sin 3 You suppose that corruption is not cherished in some act and conclude ergo in that act it is not cherished just idem per idem 4 You are desired to prove what you take for granted is not that equall I say that originall sinne is truly and properly a sinne in them that are not of age to consent to it and that every actuall sin in men of ripe yeares is not actually and formally consented to corruption is so strong in us that it doth many times breake forth without our consent and I am ready to prove both propositions if you doubt of them 5 You were ill advised to passe a complement in a Practicall Catechisme with men of corrupt opinions contrary to your owne principles 6 You mention the Socinians very often but let me intreat you to be wiser do not provoke me to make a parallel between your expressions and theirs I take not upon me to know any mans opinion or his heart any further then his words declare both 7 When I spake of a Liturgy that was in designe you know I did not meane the Common-prayer-book 8 For your View of the Directory doe not magnifie it till you have finished your taske never talke of the suffrages of the Jewes Heathens or Mahometans but speake to the point I have shewen you the point in question 9 You would have Doxologies and Creeds is this worth answering doth not the Directory take in the whole Scripture for a Liturgy and are there not Doxologies enough and Creed enough even all things necessary to salvation in the holy Scripture When the confession of faith is published to the world you will finde this Reverend Assembly so much scorn'd in that Booke you subscribe to bee no enemies to any Orthodox Creed and you may amongst the rules and directions about the Sacrament in the Ordinance of Octob. 20. 1645. see that wee have not forgot our Creed 10 I am not at leisure to dispute with you about sitting at Sacrament the Parliament is not guilty of your illogicall conclusions though you would faine expose them to contempt in your View of the Dirictory View Dir. ca. 1. p. 1. If it please you we will put it to the question Whether the Directory in which there is the wisdome of two Parliaments two Assemblies which I oppose to your wisdome or your Pract. Catechisme give more countenance to Socinian errours and practises I will dispute this question with you where you please and when you please 1 Shew mee where the Directory doth enjoyne all communicants to sit in the act of receiving 2 Tell mee whether all familiarity with Jesus Christ doth inferre an equality 3 Doth any Socinian thinke himselfe equall with Christ or conceive that there is no more honour due to Christ then to a meere man Pray doe the Socinians no wrong they will say as you say That Christ did not blesse us till after his resurrection till hee became an everlasting Priest and ever since he was such a Priest hee hath all power in heaven and earth a power equall to Gods power and therefore Divine honour is due to him Sed tum cultum qui nunc Christo debetur postquam in coelis esse coepit qui est ut ipsi tanquam Deo confidamus omnia ab illo speremus petamus quae ad salutem aeternam pertinent adeoque ipsam aeternam salutem dicimus ei deberi non propter qualemcunque sed talem tantam potestatem quae par sit Dei potestati Smalcius refutat prim lib. Smig de erroribus Arianorum cap. 11. p. 109. Sir I will give you a better Argument against the Directory and for the Common-prayer-booke you may read it View of the Directory page 27 It is not necessary to exchange the pleasant easie course of our Liturgy for the tedious toylsome lesse-profitable course in the Directory Tell Prelates and Courtiers of ease and pleasure and you winne their hearts This was a good Argument for an University Orator to urge but this same word Ergo spoiles all such Rhetoricall arguments I hasten to your discourse about godly sorrow This is your first assertion 1 Godly sorrow may be conceived for the pollutions of our nature as infelicities if not as sinnes Be pleased to prove this proposition and I will abide by it and maintaine the negative 2 Hee which doubts whether originall sinne bee a sinne may conceive godly sorrow for it this is the second dictate But your third Dictate is admirable 3 He that thinks inclination to sinne no sinne but when he actually consents to it may when hee doth not consent to it grieve for it as an infelicity Sir the question is of Godly sorrow is it godly sorrow or is it not for a man to grieve for an infelicity which as he conceives is no way sinfull 4 You say If a man look upon originall sin as a pollution though not as a sinne hee may grieve for it with a godly sorrow I had thought that all pollution of the soule of man had been by sinne onely Mar. 7. 23. You are much mistaken when you say that they who thinke originall sinne no sinne may bee advised to true griefe and sorrow for it on their owne principles If by true griefe you meane a godly sorrow no man mournes for sinne after a godly manners but he that grieves for it as a sin against God Sir in a Practicall Catechisme you should have laid undeniable grounds of repentance and therefore either plainely proved or at least resolutely asserted originall sinne to be a sinne without any ifs or ands For where shall a man begin in his repentance if he bee not convinced that originall sinne is a sinne should hee not lay the axe to the root of corruption and bewaile the fountaine of pollution will not hee be apt to doubt whether actuall sinnes be sinnes who doubts whether an inclination to all sinne be a sinne surely such an acute wretch will say My inclination to such and such an act is naturall and not evill Ergo this and the like acts to which I am naturally inclined are not evill You know that I could adde let mee beseech you to consider what hath been said and I will passe on to your fourth report Your fourth Report concernes Justification Sir I did not desire you to give an account of your faith but I should have been glad that you would have vouchsafed an answer to my quaeres I thanke you for your second acknowledgement that you
a disputing with all commers about originall sin For the Liturgie you speake of if you know not my minde let mee tell you 1 That I would have the Letany continued in the Church the first part of which is sufficiently contrary to your c. and this you may guesse by a Book which I professe to subscribe to in that particular viz. The view of the Dir. page 25 and 26. Then secondly that I would have the Doxologies continued and how that would become such a Liturgie you may see View of the Dir. page 32 and 33. yet farther that I would have the Creed continued yea and kneeling at the Sacrament among other reasons for this on which the Protestants in Poland forbad sitting because I would not comply with the ancient or moderne Arians or any other that make our Saviour a meere creature For which I shall direct you also to that View of the Dir. page 28. I shall not now aske you which is more complyant to your c. the New Directory or Old Liturgie nor whether a Socinian may not more conveniently officiate now and so in that case those of his opinions joyne with him then they could six yeares agoe when the whole Church service was appointed to bee read constantly in every Church I am not willing to trouble you with any new questions but onely to bee satisfied by you in matter of fact what wrong you have done that Author in your Sermons and to shew you that it is wrong As for reparations from you I now know you better then vehemently to expect any and by your carriage in this particular and your If I were composing such a Liturgie I am for the future arm'd to bee content with what now I finde and to expect that when you want even words in the Author to cavill at as it will bee long before those will bee wanting and I remember to have seen an art of cavilling that turn'd every word of the Creed into heresie or blasphemy or Atheisme and then what shall become of this poore mortall fraile Catechisme when such an artificer is resolved to triumph over it possibilities and jealousies such as the If you were composing c. shall bee sufficient to rob that Author of his little reputation That that if could have no ground but in your designe quocunque modo to defame him for a Socinian you will guesse when againe I tel you that the placing inclinations in the front of sins was a declaration free and full against that errour 6. I am you see neither of their minde that thinke inclination to ill no sinne nor therefore did I blinde but instruct my Reader with that Orthodox expression as you call it and 't is hard that a man cannot use Orthodox expressions but he must be accused for doing it upon supposition that he did it to this end that he might afterwards tempt others to an error God knowes our hearts and must onely judge that of me and till hee have done so and revealed it to you 't is want of charity in you to say I have not done fairely 7. If it were never so absurd to say that godly sorrow were to bee conceived for an infelicity quà sic meerely as an infelicity yet it might bee conceived for it as an infelicity if not a sinne i. e. by them who doubt whether it bee a sinne or no or who though they are not certainly perswaded that it is a sinne when unconsented to yet acknowledge it so when it is consented to and then grieve for it as for a sinne and when it is not acknowledge it to bee an infelicity and grieve for that also Besides an infelicity may bee such an infelicity that it may be matter of godly sorrow though not quà sic meerly as an infelicity as in this point I may have sorrow that I have a vitious impure nature about mee which is justly thought by me an infelicity especially in comparison with that pure state of them that are with Christ and this sorrow is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sorrow according to God and the interpretation of desiring or loving the appearance of Christ and so a godly sorrow and hee that doth not positively resolve that this having a vitious nature is more then a pollution and an infelicity taking neither of them for a sin may yet mourne for it quà a pollution not quà an infelicity and make good that he doth so by professing sincerely that hee would undergoe any infelicity on condition to get rid of this pollution And yet lastly which is the onely answer necessary for you to consider to this point if that which you say is absurd were so indeed it would rather prove that what is called an infelicity if not a sinne were indeed a sinne when 't is said of if in that very place that it must be matter of contrition or godly sorrow then that it is taken to bee no sinne when 't is both affirmed to be one and to bee matter of contrition If I should say that I may have sorrow for somewhat that is an infelicity and call that a godly sorrow an errour this might bee but I hope not a dangerous one or if it were not such an infectious one as to turne every other affirmation of mine into a non-affirmation or make mee guilty of other errours of which I professe and 't is cleare at that time by other evidences that I am not guilty Thus hard is it for flesh and blood to lay downe a quarrell or a jealousie when 't is once engaged Otherwise plaine words might deserve to bee heeded to prove a man Orthodox as well as supposed consequences to arraigne publiquely and condemn him for errours In how much more quietnesse have poore creatures possest their soules that have learnt from those words and ever since dayly practised the humbling of themselves for their very inclinations to sinne then you that have thus used your skill unhappily to limbeck extract and force poyson out of them 8. I acknowledge that every sin ought to bee bewailed as a sin and that inclinations to sin ought to bee so bewailed and I meant by contrition or breaking of the heart to pieces as much as your teares of blood amount to And of this I neither doubt nor feare to professe my sense Yet sure they that doe not agree with mee in that particular may be advised to have true griefe and sorrow for them and their own principles 9. That the corruption of our nature hath speciall influence on our practice I am as confident and have considered as ponderingly as you and this whole Catechisme was designed to obstruct those fountaines as much as was possible and to helpe to purifie unto Christ a peculiar people zealous of good works and according to my best understanding I designed a scheme that might bee instrumentall to that end and whatever your method would have been and what your commands for the particulars that might