the fuft and Reasonable Defires of Men, nor involve this our Portion of Mortal life into a Neceffity of Sadness and Malecontent, by Laws commanding over the Unreducible Antipathies of Nature Sooner or Later found, but allow us to Remedy and shake off Thofe Evils into which Human Error bath led us through the Midft of our Beft Intentions, and to Support our Incident Extremities by the Authentick Precept of Soveraign Charity, whofe Grand Commiffion is to Do and to Difpofe over all the Ordinances of God to Man, that Love and Truth may Advance each other to Everlasting; while Wee, Literally Superftitious through Cuftomary Faintnefs of Heart, not Venturing to pierce with our Free thoughts into the Full Latitude of Nature and Religion, Abandon our Selves to ferve under the Tyranny of Ufurp'd Opinions, fuffering Thofe Ordinances which were Allotted to Our Solace and Reviving, to Trample over Us, and Hale Us into a Multitude of Sorrows which God never Meant Us. and Where he fets us in a fair Allowance of Way, with Honeft Liberty and Prudence to our Guard, we never leave Subtilizing and Cafuifting till we have Straitned and Pared that Liberal Path into a Razor's Edge to walk on, between a Precipice of Unneceffary Mifchief on either fide; and starting at every Falle Alarm, we do not know which way to fet a foot forward with Manly Confidence and Chriftian Refolution, through

the Confufed ringing in our Ears of Panick Scruples and Amazements.

in p. 351. What can be more Oppofite and Difparaging to the Cov'nant of Love, of Freedom, and of our Manhood in Grace, than to be made the Yoking Pedagogue of New Severities, the Scribe of Syllables and Rigid Letters, not only Grevious to the Beft of Men, but Different and Strange from the Light of Reason in them, fave only as they are fain to Stretch and Distort their Apprehenfions, for fear of Dif pleafing the Verbal Straitnefs of a Text, which our Own Servil Fear gives us not the leifure to understand Aright?

P. 290.- there is a Certain Scale of Duties, there is a certain Hierarchy of Upper and Lower Commands, which for want of Studying in right Order, all the World is in Confufion.

This Strict Interpretation of Texts without having a Prudential and Confcientious Regard to the Great Scope and Defign of Things he Somwhere calls an Alphabetical Servility, tending to Antichriftian Cruelty.

p. 369. what can This be but Weak and Shallow Apprehenfion, to forfake the Standard Principles of Inftitution, Faith and Charity; then to be Blank, and Various at every Occurrence in Scripture, and in a Cold Spafm of Scruple, to rear Peculiar Doctrines upon the Place that fhall bid the Gray Autority of most Unchangeable and Sovran Rules to stand by and be Contradicted?

P. 364.

p. 364. -for This is a Confeft Oracle in Law, that He who looks not at the Intention of a Precept, the More Superftitious he is of the Letter, the More be Mifinterprets.

P. 368. that his Difciples, and all Good Men might learn to Expound him in this Place, as in all other his Precepts, not by the Written Letter, but by that Unerring Paraphrafe of Chriftian Love and Charity, which is the Sum of All Commands, and the Perfection.

326. Laft of all, to Those whofe Mind is fill to maintain Textual Restriction, whereof the bare Sound cannot confift Sometimes with Humanity, much less with Charity, I would ever Anfwer by putting them in Remembrance of a Command above All Commands, which they feem to have forgot, and Who spake it; in Comparifon whereof This which they fo exalt is but a Petty and Subordinate Precept. Let them go therefore with Whom I am loath to Couple them, yet they will needs run into the fame Blindnefs with the Pharifees; let them go therefore and confider well what this Leffon means, I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice; for on That Saying all the Law and Prophets depend, much more the Gospel, whofe End and Excellence is Mercy and Peace: or if they cannot learn That, how will they learn This? which yet I shall not doubt to leave with them as a Conclufion, that God the Son hath put all Other things under his Own feet, but his Commandments he hath left all under the feet, of Charity.

C 4

Who

Who that Cries out Thefe Notions Savour of Libertinifm, of Licentioufnefs; let him Shut his Lips again, till he has confider'd on What thefe Mafculine Sentiments are Built; and for the Prefent what is faid by S. Paul, 2 Cor. v. 13. Whether we be Befides our Selves, it is to God; or whether we be Sober, it is for Your Caufe.

Let the Tree be judg'd by its Fruit. We know of no Immoralities of any Kind. how fhould he be Guilty of Any? A Mind So Employ'd, So Fortify'd as His was, left no Place for an Attack; Temptation had no Inordinate Paffion to work upon. However, as Some Afperfions have been caft at him, Chiefly with relation to his Moral Behaviour in his Younger Years, he fhall Anfwer for Himfelf. he will be forc'd to fay Somthing in his Own Praise, as 'tis Often Neceffary for the most Modest Men to do, Hear him therefore first of all Excufing himself for That. though Suppofing thofe Overflowings of Comfort and SelfApprobation, which is One of the Great Rewards of a Good Mind, appear to have Somtimes a Mixture of Oftentation, or Folly, 'tis not without Excufe, and the Beft Examples; What think you of St. Paul, 2 Cor. xi. 16. &c? Here is Milton, he Offers to fpeak; Attend with Candour. p. 174. Tol. Edit.

Not caring to burthen me with thofe Vices, whereof, among whom my Converfation hath been, I have been ever leaft Sufpected; perhaps

not

not without fome Suttlety to caft me into Envie by bringing on Me a Neceffity to enter into Mine Own Praifes. in which Argument I know every Wife Man is more Unwillingly drawn to Speak, than the moft Repining Eare can be Averfe to Heare. Nevertheleffe fince I dare not wish to paffe this Life Unperfecuted of Slandrous Tongues, for God hath told us that to be Generally Prais'd is Wofull, I fhall relye on His Promife to free the Innocent from Caufeleffe Afperfions: whereof nothing Sooner can Aljure me then if I fhall feele Him Now Affifting me in the juft Vindication of My Selfe, which yet I could Deferre, it being more meet that to thofe Other matters of Publick Debatement in This Book, I fhould give Attendance Firft, but that I feare it would but Harme the Truth for Me to Reafon in Her behalf fo long as I should fuffer my Honeft Estimation to lye Unpurg'd from Thefe Infolent Sufpicions. And if I shall be Large, or Unwonted in Fuftifying my Selfe to Those who know me not, for Elfe it would be Needleffe, let them confider that a Short Slander will oft-times reach farder than a Long Apology; and that He who will do fuftly to All Men, must begin from knowing How, if it fo happen, to be not Unjuft to Himself. I must be thought, if this Libeller (for Now he fhews himself to be So) can find Beliefe, after an Inordinat and Riotous Youth fent at the University, to have been at length Vomited out thence. for which Commodious Lye, that he may be encourag'd in the

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