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Zelotes and Honeftus reconciled?

O R,

An Equal Check to Pharifaifm and Antinomianism continued:

BEING

THE SECOND PART OF THE

SCRIPTURE-SCALES

To weigh the gold of gofpel-truth, to balance a multitude of oppofite fcriptures, to prove the gofpelmarriage of Free-grace and Free will, and reftore primitive harmony to the gofpel of the day.

By a lover of the whole truth as it is in Jefus.

How is the most fine gold changed!-Take heed that ye be not deceived for many fhall come in my name, faying, I am Chrift' 'DOCTRINAL: 'I am Chrift' MORAL: -But, To the law, and to the teftimony: if they fpeak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them' [or at least because their ⚫ wine is mixed with water, and their filver is' [partly] becomę 'drofs.' BIBLE,

"Si non eft Dei gratia, quomodo falvat mundum.? Si non eft libe◄ rum arbitrium, quomodo judicat mundum?” Aug.

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SHREWSBURY:

Printed by J. EDDOWES: and fold at the Foundery, and by J. BUCKLAND, in Pater-nofter-Row, London, 1775.

[ Price EIGHTEEN-PENCE. Į

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE reader is defired to turn to the end of the book, where he will find an Appendix intitled, K E Y

A

To the controversy, which is intended to be ended by the Scripture-Scales.

That Appendix may be confidered as a supplement to the preface, and to the Explanation of fome terms ufed in thefe fheets.

Juft published, price Six-pence,

The FICTITIOUS and the GENUINE CEEED: Being a Creed for Arminians, compofed by Richard Hill, Efq; to which is oppofed A Creed for those who believe that Christ tafted death for every man.

By the Author of the Checks to Antinomianifm. London: Printed by R. Hawes, (No. 34.) in Lambfreet, near Spital-Square, 1775.

ALSO

Ready for the Prefs, by the fame Author,

An ESSAY on the Twin-Doctrines of Chriftian
Imperfection and a Death Purgatory;

Being a full Answer to " A Creed for Perfectionists.”

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PREFACE.

THE Reconciler invites the contending parties to end the controversy; and, in order to this, he befeeches them not to involve the queftion in clouds of evasive cavils, or perfonal reflections; but to come to the point, and break, if they can, either the one or the other of his Scripture-Scales; And, if they cannot, to admit them both, and, by that means, to give glory to God and the Truth, and be reconciled to all the Gospel, and to one another.

B

EING fully perfuaded that christianity fuffers greatly by the oppofite miftakes of the mere Solifidians, and of the mere Moralifts; we embrace the truths and reject the errors, which are maintained by these contrary parties. For, by equally admitting the doctrines of grace, and the doctrines of juftice; -by equally contending for faith and for morality, we adopt what is truly excellent in each fyftem; we reconcile Zelotes and Honeftus; we bear our teftimony against their contentious partiality; and, to the beft of our knowledge, we maintain the whole truth as it is in Jefus. If we are mistaken, we fhall be thankful to those who will fet us right. Plain fcriptures, close arguments, and friendly expoftulations, are the weapons we chufe. We humbly hope, that the unprejudiced reader, will find no other in these pages: And to engage our opponents to ufe fuch only, we prefent to them the following Petition.

For Candor's fake;-for Truth's fake;-for Peace's fake;-for the Reader's fake ;-and, above all, for the fake of Chrift, and the honour of christianity; whoever ye are, that fhall next enter the lifts against us, do not wiredraw the controverfy by uncharitably attacking our perfons, and abfurdly judging our fpirits, inftead of weighing our arguments, and confidering the fcriptures which we produce. Nor pafs

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over fifty folid reasons, and an hundred plain paffages to cavil about non-effentials, and to lay the firefs of your answer apon mistakes, which do not affect the Arength of the caufe, and which we are ready to correct, as foon as they fhall be pointed out.

Keep close to the queftion: do not divert the reader's mind, by ftarting from the point in hand upon the most frivolous occafions; nor raise duft to obfcure what is to be cleared up. An example will illuftrate my meaning. Mr. Sellon, in vindicating the Church of England from the charge of Calvinifm, obferves, that her catechifm is quite anti-calvinistic, and that we ought to judge of her doctrine by her own catechifm, and not by Ponet's Calvinian catechifm, which poor young king Edward was prevailed upon to recommend fome time after the eftablithment of our church. Mr. Toplady, in his Hiftoric Proof, inftead of confidering the queflion, which is, whether it is not fitter to pather the doctrine of our church from her own antiCalvinian catechifm, than from Ponet's Calvinian catechifm; Mr. Toplady, I fay, in his answer to Mr. Sillon, fattens upon the phrafe poor young king Edward, and works it to fuch a degree, that be raifes from it. clouds of fhining duft, and pillars of black fmoke; filling, if I remember right, a whole fection with the praites of King Edward, and with reflections upon Mr. Sellon: And in this bright cloud of praife, and ark cloud of difpraife, the queftion is fo entirely loft, that I doubt if one in an hundred of his readers has the leaft idea of it, after reading two or three of the many pages, which he has written on this head. By. fich means as this, it is, that he has made a ten or twelve Shilling book, in which the church of England is condemned to wear the badge of the church of Geneva. And the Calvinifts conclude, Mr. Toplady has proved, that she is bound to wear it; for they have paid dear for the Proof.

That very gentleman, if fame is to be credited, has fome thoughts of attacking the Checks. If he favours me with just remarks upon my mistakes (for I have probably made more than one; tho' I hope

none

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