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PACIFIC ADDRESS

TO

The very Reverend, renowned, and celebrated Professors of Divinity in the universities of the United Provinces, and Pastors of the Reformed Churches, the zealous Defenders of the Faith once delivered to the Saints.

OUR lot is cast in those days, in which the world is almost weary, and the church certainly groans under the weight of books. With the latter it was never

better, than when wrapping herself up in the pure

simplicity of faith and love, and without any itch for disputing, she depended on the word of the Lord alone, and drew the pure and undefiled truth from those writings only, which both made David wiser than all his teachers, and are able to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished to every good work. But it is now-a-days extremely difficult to write so as to please. For so great is every where the fruitfulness of true learning or the vain imagination of science, so obstinate the attachment to once-received hypothesis, so brisk the study of particular parts, and so malevolent the judgment passed on other mens works, which even affect the minds of good men reluctantly, that whoever imagines by his writing to satisfy either those delicate persons, or those addicted

to more than one side in the orthodox faith, seems both to attribute too much to his own capacity, and to be ignorant of the disposition of the times. Since the former of these cannot be charged upon me by reason of the slenderness of my abilities; and the latter cannot at all be hid from a person who has been conversant in the world; it seems to be very proper for me to assign the reasons of my again appearing in public, and to shew the purpose and design of the work which I now offer to the churches of my native country.

And to whom should I render these reasons, rather than to you, Reverend and Learned Gentlemen, who are interested in these matters, who are the most proper of all to judge of them, and to whom, next to God and my own conscience, I chiefly desire to approve my studies. Above all I sincerely declare, that it was not an incurable itch of writing, a raging thirst after vain glory, a cankered or envious disposition of mind, a detestable desire of widening the wounds already made in the churches, the odious pleasure of blackening any one's character, exposing right sentiments, or misrepresenting any one's opinion, nor, lastly, an infamous desire to sow, increase, or continue strifes, which have occasioned my writing at this time. For, as I disclaim all these reasons, so the whole design of this work, though but slightly glanced at, will acquit me from these charges.

To see however the minds of the godly disturbed by the inconsiderate assertions of some, and their uncommon interpretations of the scriptures, or the suspicions of others, not at all times dictated by charity, perhaps not by prudence, gave me indeed the greatest concern. And forasmuch as the doctrine of the covenant of grace, in which the manner of the reconciliation of sinners to God is shewn, and the manifold dispensation of that covenant, have been the unhappy object of contention in the Netherlands; so that whatever points are now the subject of dispute (if you except the new method of interpreting the prophecies,

and the opinions of the modern philosophy, which have been introduced with a bad design into divinity) may and ought to be referred to this; I have thought this subject in the first place challenged my attention. But this I have undertaken to treat in such a manner, that both the truth which hath been handed down to and believed in the churches, might be preserved in entire safety, and in defending it nothing might be said savouring of pride or severity, or against the laws of charity. This reason induces me not to dwell upon bare disputations, which are generally unprofitable, and, if not seasoned with a certain degree of acrimony and salt, are quite destitute of every elegance and embellishment.

I have chosen to enter on this subject from its very beginning; and have endeavoured, as far as I could, to explain it methodically and clearly, every where throwing light on the obscurer passages of scripture, anxiously searching the import of the phrases used by the Holy Spirit, and referring the whole to the practice of faith and godliness, and to the glory of God in Christ, that my exposition might be more useful and instructive. As nothing was more profitable and delightful to me than this study, so nothing more forcibly and certainly convinces the minds of men than a clear and sober demonstration of the truth to the conscience; which, proceeding by pleasant steps, beginning with plain and acknowledged truths, and connecting its assertions in a continued chain, gradually leads to the more abstruse points, and forces an assent to them, not less strongly than to those which command our suffrage at the first view; in the mean while by its secret officacy gliding into the inmost parts of the soul, and fixing it with a certain astonishment on the contemplation of the admirable perfections of God.

It was necessary, however, sometimes to oppose different opinions, as the subject led me; either the public adversaries of the reformed churches, chiefly the Socinians and Remonstrants, who, by their daring comments, have defiled the doctrines of God's cov

enants; or some of our brethren, who have taken it into their heads to form hypotheses different from those that have been received, and lay them as the foundation of almost all divinity. Malice itself cannot, I imagine, deny, that I have every where treated them with candour and modesty. I hase stated the controversy justly, have fixed upon no man any opinion which he ought not to acknowledge for his own; and have used such arguments as had before satisfied my own conscience. And if these were not solid and convincing of themselves, I could not think any strength could be added to them by the fervor and vehemence of the disputer. Above all I thought cautious procedure necessary, in the examination of the opinions of my brethren. To this business I never applied myself with an intention to search after any inaccurate word, harsh phrase, or crude expression, on which to exercise a critical talent. Let those be so employed, whom Gregory Nazianzen styled the flatterers of ' names; but I thought I would be more usefully occupied, in examining how far all the orthodox agree, and how the more improper modes of expression might be softened by others more accurate; and there at last fixing, where there is a real diversity of sentiments; and those, I dare promise myself, will be found fewer, and of less importance, provided alienation of mind be out of the question. Yet I cannot pass over some uncouth expressions, foreign interpretations, and contradictory positions. In certain places I detect the danger attending some of them, but without disparagement of the teacher, and without a malignant disposition. For I confess I agree with those, who believe that the doctrine of the covenants has long since been delivered in the churches on so sure a foundation, as to stand in no need of new hypotheses; in which I could not find that solidity or utility, which could warrant an endeavour to support them as points of theology.

That observation concerning the threefold dispensation of the covenant of grace, is not of such impor

tance; the first under the promise, wherein mere grace and liberty prevailed, without the yoke, or the burden of an accusing law; the second under the law, when the Old Testament commenced, subjecting the faithful to the dominion of angels, and the fear of death all their lives, and last of all to the curse and execration, mean time not allowing to the fathers true and permanent blessings; the third under the gospel, when the godly began to be set at liberty from the dominion of angels, from the fear of temporal death, and the curse, which an exact observance of the ceremonial law carried with it, and at last enjoyed true and lasting blessings, the circumcision of the heart, the writing of the law in the mind, the full and true remission of sins, the Spirit of adoption, and such like things: this observation, I say, is not of such importance as to be insisted on in so many academical lectures, so many pulpit discourses, and in such a number of books published as well in Latin as our native tongues, as though the whole substance of theological learning consisted in it. For I have shewn in the following work, that these doctrines, however they be explained, are horrible to be mentioned, that they are founded on corrupt interpretations, and cannot be defended without wresting the scriptures.

But I esteem to be no less dangerous the opinions of a man otherwise very learned, who denies that a covenant of works was made with Adam; and will scarce allow that under the name of death, with which he was threatened in case he sinned, a corporal death is to be comprehended; and denies that spiritual and heavenly bliss, such as we now obtain thro' Christ, was promised to Adam on condition of perfect obedience; and, by a musty distinction, dividing the sufferings of Christ into warlike and judiciary, affirms that the latter only, or, as they sometimes soften the expression, chiefly, were satisfactory, excluding thence the sorrows he endured in the garden, and the conmnatory sentence he received both in the Jewish council, and from the Roman governor, the stripes VOL. I. E