the title of faith; The fews alfo call my Lord Fefus, magician. Is the disciple greater then his Matter? I have endeavored to avoid all Arguments of retortion. I know not how to give reviling for reviling. If the discovery of their Contradictions be to be vile, I will yet be more vile. For the direction of my Reader, I have a few things to prefix. All that concerneth any paffages in my former piece (which R.F. quotes in his Epiftle) I do (in this Reply) deal with them in their due place. What remaineth in his Epistle, is but an Invective against the Scots, where he fights in the dark, or with his own fhadow, fancying me, because I was in Scotland (at that juncture of time) to be a Scot, and often in his book he lets flie against them of that Nation for my fake But what is Chrifts Gospel in England or Scotland (as elfwhere) I am not ashamed of what I preached there, or what the Scots affirm there of the Scriptures, and Doctrines confonant thereunto, I affirm with them. : The method I follow is after my former piece, un der the feveral miscellaneous Heads, and Sections, of their Scripture and Self-contradictions. The word [Contradiction] I ufe in the Scripture phrafe, in the largest and most Theological fenfe, for gainfayings,as d in Acts 13.45. Titus 1.9. αντιλέγοντας. By R. F. all along I mean no other perfon then Richard Farnworth,concerning whom I received a Cer tificate, by the hands of two worthy Gentlemen,from a Minifter in Yorkshire of note and esteem for piety, and pains in his place: The character of my Antagonift is this: Thefe may certifie, That Richard Farnworth was born at Tickhil in Yorkshire, where he hath Lands of five pounds per annum after his mothers deceafe. He lived about feven years with Mr. Lord of Bramton, carrying very fairly, till at length reading fome parts of Mr. Saltmarsh, he turned Antinomian and Perfetionist, pretended to internal Teachings, and immediate Revelations, renouncing all outward publique Gofpel-adminiftrations, and refusing to joyn in Family-worship, whereupon his Master cashiered him, fince that I do not hear he hath had any place of fetled abode, fave onely one year, that he ferved Coronet Heathcoat in husbandry: The last five years he ha's gone about deceiving and being deceived, leavening all that possibly he could with Familifm and Quakerifm: He hath committed to the Prefs fome books of higher account, then the facred Scriptures amongst thofe deluded wretches; two of them I have feen, wherein he expreffeth malice more then humane against al Chrifts Inftitutions and Ambassadors; they are indeed full fraught with nothing else but prodigious railings, afperft with abhorred blafphemies. About two years fince he attempted the feduction of Mr. Lord himself, he told him he was fent to him of God, and he would not receive him : upon his inquiry what he was? he Jaid, He was more then a prophet;what art thou then? faid he, Art thou Chrift? be replyed, I am. Hereupon with holy indignation he expelled him; and where he hath been fince I hear not, nor that ever he refided at Balby, though he much frequented and im poifoned thofe filly fouls. This I declare this Novem ber 26.--55. S. K. Upon the perusal of this fober Narrative, I think fit further to advertise my honeft godly Readers, that are and defire to be judicious, how far R. F. and his affociates have made up a litter and fardel of er roneous page 6. roneous divinity, the spawn of many ancient errors, brooded by fome modern writers, and backt by fome of the prefent age. Whatsoever R. F. observed in Mr. Saltmar writings, and howfoever he abused them, he might have learned better Divinity from that Author, if he had read him advisedly, and compared his writings one with the other, and with the Scripture. Against their magnifying of every mans light, and the Law within them, Mr. Saltmarsh hath Flowings of this favory paffage: The natural Law, Rom.2.14,15. Christs blood is but weak in respect of any transforming power it hath, as the Law of the Spirit bath in it felf. We fee in a clear frosty night, though the moon shines very bright, and the ftars too, yet not fo, but it is cold and hard, as if there were no light at all, &c. If R. F. *15.page 146 stumbled at that paffage, Though the Law be a beam of Chrift in fubftance and matter, yet we are not to live by the light of one beam, now when the Sun of righteousness is rifen himself: He might have recovered himself by that which followeth, * There is a doctrine of holiness in the Gospel as of grace and love. Gofpel commands fits man who is made up of flesh and Spirit, and fo hath need of a Law without and in the Letter, as well as in the heart and spirit. The Law is Spiritual, but we are carnal, Rom. 7. nor can fuch a ftate of flesh and spirit be ordered by a Law onely with. in, &c. He might have learned how the justified perfon is perfect while his fanctification is imperfect. 16. page 129. A perfon juftified, or in covenant, is as pure in the fight of God, as the righteousness of Christ can make bim (though not fo in his own eyes, that there may be work for faith) because God fees his anely in Chrift, not in themselves. He might have been inftructed, 188. That Chrift is not ours by an act of our own, but Gods; * Ib,page 150 God God imputing and accounting. Against the dream of perfect fanctification (in their fenfe) he might have obferved fuch a paffage as this, The body of fin is in a 1b. page 67. Believer more or less, till he lay down this body, and take up a glorious one; And again, Can you have any affarance that the change that is in any childe of God in this life, or their fanctification is fuch in any particular act or work, as there is no pot of fin in it? is it not mixt of flesh and spirit? * If he grew fick of opinion by one paffage, he might have been cured and relieved by fome other. But whatever were that good mans Navi, blemishes or fpecks, my Antagonist and his fellows are transported with another kinde of fpirit, even with that of Marcion and Montanus, and his Enthufiaftical Affociates, and the Manichees, who troubled the Church (as a very learned Brother * hath already hinted) with Dr. John their madness and folly; and with that fpirit, which Owen vindic. acted the fanatick and furious Libertines (who called to the Readers themselves fpiritual) in Calvin's time ninety years page 4. ago, who placed our redemption in this, That Christ was but as a Type, Image, or Exemplar, in whom all thofe things were figured which were required to our falvation. Moreover as they imagine (faith Calvin) caterum, uz there is not one of us, but is Christ, and what was done imaginantur, in him, they fay, is performed in all. Evang. Pref. nemo noftrum non eft Chriftus, quodque in ipfo factum eft, in omnibus effectum dicunt. Calvini Opufcula. Infru &io adverfus Libertinos pg. 214. ? Hence one Quintinus* was very angry, as often* Qusmodo? as he was asked, How he did? How? faid he, can it inquis, an Christus male be otherwife then well with Chrift? They (as that babere poteft most learned and godly man faith) make an idol of pag. 215. * Chriftus ipfis Chrift. Further, as he noteth, a They fay, that God is idotum est. ib. a Deum blafphemari aiunt, fiquis lamentetur, aut fenfum aliquem doloris præ fe feras.. ibid. pag 217. blafphemed blafphemed if any bewails his condition, or makes a a sic, eorum fhew of any fenfe of grief: So as a by their opinion to fententia vete- mortifie the oldman, is nothing else but to be fenfible rem Adamum of nothing. b For, if any be displeased with himself, nibil aliud eft, and grieved upon the confideration of his fins, they quam nihil di- fay, fin reigneth in him, and that he is held captive by the feeling of his own-corruption. mortificare, fcernere. ibid. pag. 218. b Siquis peccata fua confiderans fibi difpliceat, ac mærore afficiatur, peccatum adhuc in ipfo regnare aiunt, & fenfu carnis fua captivum teneri. ib. pag.219. See Anfw. to 1579. Such a fpirit follows thefe men as acted H. N. in Flanders, who wrote seven and twenty fmall Treati fes and Epiftles, to brood the Sect, and broach the doctrine of the Familifts, admired by fome at this a fimous Li- day, that understand not the mystery of iniquity bel of C.. by therein, or love not the truth in Scripture, but are gi John Rogers, ven up to ftrong delufions, that they might believe a printed An, lie: The lie of perfect holiness and juftification thereby: The lie of the light in every man to be Christ : And,that Adam was nothing but the old man or corrupt qualities, and Chrift nothing else but the new man,or new qualities. Hence our men make nothing of the Historical letter of Chrifts Death, Refurrecti on,&c. but turn all into an Allegory, and according *Joyful mef- to H. N. *they are ready to call thofe things meer fage of the lies which the Scripture-learned (through the knowH. N. p.170. ledge which they get out of the Scripture) bring in, inftitute, preach and teach. From what spirit that H. N. wrote, may clearly be difcerned by that one piece of his, tranflated out of base Almayn into English, An. 1652. wherein after all his exotick and unSee from couth divinity, he plainly cries up the Catholique page 153 to Church of Rome, the Holy Father the Pope,his Cardinals, his Bishops, his Parish-priests, his Deacons, his Sexton's and Monks, and condemneth them that kingdom, by 163. |