and Tranfilvanian churches: but I was never baptized into his name, and therefore deny that reproachful epithet; and if in any thing I acknowledge the verity of his doctrine, it is for the truth's fake, of which, in many things, he had a clearer profpect than most of his contemporaries; but not therefore a Socinian, any more than a fon of the English church, whilft efteemed a Quaker, because I justify many of her principles, fince the reformation, against the Roman church. k II. As for the bufinefs of fatisfaction, I am prevented by a perfon whofe reputation is generally great amongst the Proteftants of these nations; for fince the doctrine against which I moftly levelled my arguments, was, The impoffibility of God's forgiving fin upon repentance, without Chrift's paying his juftice, by fuffering infinite vengeance and eternal death for fins paft, present and to come,' he plainly in his late difcourfe about Chrift's fufferings, againft Crellius, acknowledges me no lefs, by granting, upon a new ftate of the controverfy, both the poffibility of God's pardoning fins, as debts, without fuch a rigid fatiffaction, and the impoffibility of Chrift's fo suffering for the world;' reflecting clofely upon those perfons, as giving so just an occafion to the church's adverfaries to think they triumph over her faith, whilft it is only over their mistakes, who argue with • more zeal than judgment:' nay, one of the main ends which first induced me to that discourse, I find thus delivered by him, namely, If they did believe Chrift came into the world to reform it, that the • wrath of God is now revealed from heaven against < all unrighteousnefs; that his love, which is fhewn to the world, is to deliver them from the hand of their enemies, that they might ferve him in righteofness and holiness all the days of their lives; they could ⚫ never imagine that falvation is entailed by the gospel upon a mighty confidence, or vehement perfuafion I Stillingfleet contra Crell. pag. 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274. • of of what Chrift hath done and fuffered for them :" thus doth he confefs, upon my hypothefis or propofition, what I mainly contend for: and however pofitively I may reject or deny my adversaries unscriptural and imaginary fatisfaction, let all know this, that I pretend to know no other name by which remillion, atonement and falvation can be obtained, but Jefus Chrift the Saviour, who is the power and wifdom of God, what apprehenfions foever people may have entertained concerning me. III. As for juftification by an imputed righteoufnefs, I still fay, that whofoever believes in Chrift shall have remiffion and juftification: but then it must be fuch a faith as can no more live without works," than a body without a fpirit; wherefore I conclude, that true faith comprehends evangelical obedience; and here the fame Dr. Stillingfleet comes into my relief, (though it is not wanting) by a plain affertion of the neceffity of obedience, viz. Such who make no other condition of the gofpel but believing, ought to have a care to keep their hearts founder than their heads;' thereby intimating the grand imperfection and danger of fuch a notion; and therefore (God. Almighty bears me record) my defign was nothing lefs, or more, than to wreft thofe beloved and finpleafing principles out of the hands, heads and hearts of people, that by the fond perfuafion of being juftified from the perfonal righteousness of another, without relation to their own obedience, they might not fin on upon truft, till the arreft of eternal vengeance should irrecoverably overtake them; that all might be induced to an earnest purfuit after holiness, by a circumfpect observance to God's Holy Spirit, without which none shall ever fee the Lord. And (to fhut up my apology for religious matters) that all may see the fimplicity, fcripture-doctrine, and phrase of my faith, Jam. ii. 26. n Stillingfleet Stillingfleet contra Crell. p. 160. in. in the most important matters of eternal life, I fhall here fubjoin a fhort confeffion. I fincerely own, and unfeignedly believe (by virtue of the found knowledge and experience received from the gift of that holy unction, and divine grace infpired from on high) in one holy, juft, merciful, almighty and eternal God, who is the Father of all things; that appeared to the holy patriarchs and prophets of old, at fundry times, and in divers manners; and in one Lord Jefus Chrift, the everlafting wifdom, divine power, true light, only Saviour and preferver of all, the fame one, holy, juft, merciful, almighty and eternal God, who in the fulness of time took, and was manifested in the flesh, at which time he preached (and his disciples after him) the everlasting gospel of repentance, and promife of remiffion of fins and eternal life, to all that heard and obeyed; who faid, he that is with you (in the flesh) fhall be in you, (by the fpirit) and though he left them (as to the flesh) yet not comfortless, for he would come to them again, (in the fpirit:)" for a little while, and they fhould not fee him (as to the flesh;) again, a little while " and they should fee him (in the fpirit;") for the Lord (Jefus Chrift) is that fpirit, a manifeftation whereof is given to every one to profit withal; In which Holy Spirit I believe, as the fame almighty and eternal God, who, as in those times he ended all fhadows, and became the infallible guide to them that walked therein, by which they were adopted heirs and co-heirs of glory; fo am I a living witnefs, that the fame holy, juft, merciful, almighty and eternal God, is now, as then, (after this tedious night of idolatry, fuperftition, and human inventions, that hath overfpread the world) gloriously manifefted to discover and fave from all iniquity, and to conduct unto the holy 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. Heb. i. 1. 1 Cor. viii. 6. P John i. 14. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Mat. iv. 17. Luke xxiv. 47. 18. Chap. xvi. 16. 2 Cor. iii. 17. 1 Cor. i. 14, 17. John xiv. 17, 7. Rom. viii. land r land of pure and endless peace; in a word, to tabernacle in men: and 1 alfo firmly believe, that without repenting and forfaking of past fins, and walking in obedience to this heavenly voice, which would guide into all truth, and establish there, remiffion and eternal life can never be obtained; but unto them that fear his name, and keep his commandments, they, and they only fhall have right unto the tree of life; for whofe name's fake I have been made willing to relinquifh and forfake all the vain fashions, enticing pleafures, alluring honours, and glittering glories of this tranfitory world, and readily to accept the portion of a fool, from this deriding generation, and become a man of forrow, and a perpetual reproach to my familiars; yea, and with the greatest chearfulness can obfignate and confirm, (with no lefs feal, than the lofs of whatsoever this doting world accounts dear) this faithful confeflion; having my eye fixed upon a more enduring fubftance and lasting inheritance; and being infallibly affured, that when time shall be no more, I fhall (if faithful hereunto) poffefs the manfions of eternal life, and be received into his everlasting habitation of rest and glory. IV. Laftly, it may not be unreasonable to observe, that however induftrious fome (and thofe diffenters too) have been to reprefent me as a perfon difturbing the civil peace, I have not violated any truly fundamental law which relates to external property and good behaviour, and not to religious apprehenfions; it being the constant principle of myself and friends, to maintain good works, and keep our confciences void of offence, paying active or paffive obedience, fuitable to the meek example of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Nor would I have any ignorant, how forward' I was by meffages, letters and vifits, to have determined this debate in a fober and felect affembly, notwithstanding the rude entertainment we had met with Rev. xxi. 3. Prov. xxviii. 13. Luke xiv. 33. Rev. xxi. 27.. VOL. I. before; < before; but, contrary to their own appointments, our adverfaries failed us, which neceffitated me to that defence; and finding the truth fo preft with flander, I cannot but fay I saw my just call to her relief: but, alas! how have thofe two or three extemporary sheets been toft, tumbled, and torn on all hands, yea, aggravated to a monftrous defign, even the fubverfion of the Chriftian religion, than which there could be nothing more repugnant to my principle and purpose; wherefore how very intemperate as well as unjust have all my adverfaries been in their revilings, flanders and defamations! ufing the most opprobrious terms of Seducer, heretick, blafphemer, deceiver, Socinian, Pelagian, Simon Magus, impiously robbing Chrift of his divinity, for whom the vengeance of the great day is reserved," &c. Nor have these things been whispered, but, in one book and pulpit after another, have more or less been thundered out against me, as if fome bull had lately been arrived from Rome; and all this acted under the foul pretence of zeal and love to Jefus Chrift, whofe meek and gentle example always taught it for a principal mark of true Chriftianity, to fuffer the most outrageous injuries, but never to return any; nay, if my adverfaries would but be juft and conftant to themselves, how can they offer to confpire my deftruction upon a religious ground, who either are themselves under a prefent limitation, or have been formerly by the Papifts? tell me, I pray, did Luther, that grand reformer, whom you so much reverence, justly demand from the emperor at the diet of Worms (where he was fummoned to appear) that none fhould fit judge upon his doctrines but the fcripture; and in cafe they fhould be caft, that no other fentence fhould be paffed upon him, than what Gamaliel offered to the Jewish council, If it were not of God it would not ftand;" and See T. Vincent's late railing piece against the Quakers, also T. Danfon's and Dr. Owen's. Mat. v. 39, 40. uCoun. Trent. P. 14. |