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is next us*. If therefore, by hasty resolution, you lose this only proper and advantageous season of deliberation, you are not like to find such another,

Remedy 4. Trust not to the clearness of your own unassisted eyes, nor to the strength of your single reason; but confult, in such cases, with others that are pious and judicious, especially your godly and faithful ministers; and hearken to the counsels they give you. Paul justly wondered that the Galatians were so soon removed: and well he might; for, had they not a Paul to confult with, before they gave their consent ta false teachers? or, if he was at a distance from them, about the work of the Lord, in remote places, had they no godly and judicious friends near them, whose prayers and assistances they might call in, as Daniel did, Dan. ii. 17. Woe unto him that is alone in a time of temptation, except the Lord be with him by extraordinary afsistance and direction.

Remedy 5. Lastly, Suspect that opinion (as juftly you may) for erroneous, that is too importunate, and pressing upon you, and will not allow you due time of confideration, and means of information: That which is a truth to-day, will be a truth to morrow; but that which looks like a truth to-day, may be detected, and look like itself, an odious error, to-morrow: And this is the reason of that post hafte that Satan and his factors make to gain our present consent, left a speedy detection fruftrate the fuit, and spoil the design. The uses follow in fix consectaries.

Confestary 1. From all that hath been faid about errors, we see, in the first place, the great usefulness and plain neceffity of an able, faithful, standing ministry in the church.

One special end of the ministry, is the establishment of the people's fouls against the errors of the times, Eph. iv. 11, 14. "He "gave some apostles, &c. that we henceforth be no more children, "toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, "by the flight of men," &c. Ministers are shepherds; and without a shepherd how foon will the flock go astray? Mofes was absent but a few days from the Ifraelites, and at his return found them all run into snares of idolatry. A sheep is animal fequax, a creature that follows a leader. One straggler may mislead a whole flock. A minister's work is not only to feed, but defend the flock, " I am fet (faith Paul) for the defence of the gofpel," Phil. i. 17. An orthodox and faithful minister, is a double blessing

* Perit omne judicium, cum res tranfit in affectum, i. e. When the affections are biassed, judgment is lost.

to the people; but woe to that people, whose ministers, instead of fecuring them against errors, do cause them to err, Ifa. ix. 16. they are the dogs of the flock: Some in Scripture are called dumb dogs, who, instead of barking at the thief, bite the children; but faithful ministers give warning of spiritual dangers. So did the worthy ministers of London, Worcestershire, Devon, &c. in their teftimonies against errors.

Confectary 2, This discourte shews us also how little quietness and peace the church may expect, till a greater degree of light and unity be poured out upon it; what by perfecutions from without it, and troubles from within, little tranquillity is to be expected. 'Tis a note of St. Bernard's, that the church hath sometimes had pacem a Paganis, fed raro aut nunquam a filiis, peace sometimes from Pagan perfecutors, but feldom or never any peace from her own children.

We read, Zech. xiv. 7. the whole state of the Christian church, from the primitive days to the end of the world, fet forth under the notion of one day, and that a strange day too, the light of it shall neither be clear nor dark, nor day nor night, but at evening-time it shall be light; i. e. a day full of interchangeable and alternate providences; sometimes persecutions, herefies, and errors prevail, and these make that part of the day dark and gloomy; and then truth and peace break forth again, and clear up the day. Thus it hath been, and thus it will be, until the evening of it, and at evening time it shall be light; then light and love shall get the ascendant of error and divisions. Most of our scuffles and contentions are for want of greater measures of both these.

Confectary 3. From the manifold causes and mischiefs of errors before mentioned, we may also see what a choice mercy it is to be kept found in judgment, stedfast and unmoveable in the truths and ways of Christ. A found and stedfast Christian is a blessing in his generation, and a glory to his profeffion. It was an high encomium of Athanafius, Sedem maluit mutare, quam fyllabam: i. e. He would rather lose his feat, than a syllable of God's truth. Soundness of judgment must needs be a choice blessing; because the understanding is the το ήγημονικον, that leading faculty which directs the will and confcience of man, and they his whole life and practice. How often, and how earnestly doth Christ pray for his people, that they may be kept in the truth? 'Tis true, orthodoxy in itself is not fufficient to any man's falvation; but the conjunction of an orthodox head, with an honest sincere heart, does always constitute an excellent Christian, Phil. i. 10. Happy is the man that hath an head fo hearted, and an heart so headed.

Confectary 4. By this discourse, we may further discover one great and special cause and reason of the lamentable decay of the fpirit and power of religion, amongst the professors of the present age.

'Tis a complaint more just than common, that we do all fade as a leaf. And, what may be the cause ? Nothing more probable, than the wasting of our time and spirits in vain janglings, and fruitless controverfies, which the apostle tells us, Heb. xiii. 9. have not profited, i. e. they have greatly damnified and injured them that have been occupied therein. Many controverfies of these times grow up about religion, as fuckers from the root and limbs of a fruit-tree, which spend the vital sap that should make it fruitful.

* 'Tis a great and sad observation made upon the state of England, by some judicious persons, That after the greatest increase of religion, both intensively in the power of it, and extenfively in the number of converts, what a remarkable decay it fuffered both ways, when, about the year forty-four, controversies and difputations grew fervent among profeffors. Since that time, our strength and glory have very much abated.

Confectary 5. From this discourse we may also gather, the true grounds and reason of those frequent perfecutions which God lets in upon his churches and people: These rank weeds call for snowy and frosty weather, to subdue and kill them.

I know the enemies of God's people aim at something else; they strike at profession, yea, at religion itself; and according to their wicked intention, without timely repentance, will their reward be: But, whatever the intention of the agents be, the issues of persecution are, upon this account, greatly beneficial to the church; the wisdom of God makes them excellently ufeful, both to prevent and cure the mischiefs and dangers of errors. If enemies were not, friends and brethren would be injurious to each other. Persecution, if it kills not, yet, at least, it gives check to the rife and growth of errors: And, if it do not perfectly redintegrate and unite the hearts of Christians, yet, to be fure, it cools and allays their finful heats; and that two ways: (1.) By cutting out for them far better and more

* England in four years became a fink, and puddle of all errors and sects; no province, since the beginning of the world, in so short a time produced so many Herefies as this. Honor. Reg. de Statu Ecclef. Britan, p. 1.

necessary work. Now, instead of racking their brains about unnecessary controverfies, they find it high time to be searching, their hearts, and examining the foundations of their faith and hope, with respect to the other world. (2.) Moreover, such times and straits, discover the sincerity, zeal, and conftancy of them we were jealous of, or prejudiced against before, because they followed not us.

Confectary 6. Lastly, Let us learn hence, both the duty and neceffity of charity and mutual forbearance: we have all our mistakes and errors one way or other; and therefore must maintain mutual charity under dissents in judgment.

I do not say, but an erring brother must be reduced, if poffible, and that by sharp rebukes too, if gentler effays be ineffectual, Tit. i. 13. and the wounds of a friend have more faithful love to them, than the kisses of an enemy; and if God make us instrumental by that, or any other method, to recover a brother from the error of his way, he will have great cause, both to bless God, and thank the instrument, who thereby saves a foul from death, and hides a multitude of sins, James v. 20. 'Tis our duty, if we meet an enemy's ox or ass going aftray, to bring him back again, Exod. xxiii. 4. much more the foul of a friend. Indeed, we must not make those errors that are none; nor stretch every innocent expression to that purpose; nor yet be too hasty in meddling with contention, till we cannot be filent and innocent; and then, whatever the expence be, truth will repay it.

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An APPENDIX: Containing a full, and modeft Reply to Mr. Philip Cary's Rejoinder to my Vindiciae Legis et Foederis.

Manifesting the badness of bis Cause, in the feebleness, and impertinency of his Defence; and adding farther Light, and Strength to the Arguments formerly produced in Defence of God's graci ous Covenant with Abraham, Gen. xvii. and the Right of Be lievers Infants to Baptism, grounded thereupon.

SIR,

N EXT to the not deferving a reproof, is the due reception and improvement of it. You deserve a sharper reprehenfion for your temerity, and obstinacy, than I am willing

to give you from the press; yet, in love to the truth, and your own foul, reprove you I must, and I hope God will enable me to be both mild in the manner, and convincingly clear in the matter, and cause thereof: 'Tis better to lose the smiles, than the fouls of men. I dare not neglect the duty of a friend, for fear of incurring the fufpicion of an enemy. Several learned, and eminent divines, who have seen what hath publicly passed betwixt you and me, have returned me their thanks, and think you ought to thank me too, for the pains I have taken to set you right, hoping you will evidence your self-denial and repentance, by an ingenuous retraction of your errors.

But how will you deceive their expectations, and unbecome the character given you by your friends, when they shall find the true measure, both of your ability, and humility, drawn by your own pen, in the following rejoinder!

I have thoroughly confidered your reply, in the manufcript you fent me, which, I hear, is now in the press; and in the following theets have given a full, and (I think) a final answer to whatsoever is material therein: And, it so falling out, that my discourse of Errors was just going under the press, whilst you rejoinder was there also, I thought it not convenient to delay my reply any longer, but to have my antidote in as great readiness as might be, to meet it.

One inconvenience I easily foresee, that the pages of your manuscript, which I follow, may not throughout exactly answer to the print; but every intelligent reader will easily difcern, and rectify that, if my bookseller save him not that trouble, as I have defired him to do.

As to the controversy about the right of believers infant-feed to Baptifm, you have altogether adventured it, the second time, with the consent of your partizans, upon the three hypotheses, which (if I mistake not) I have fully confuted and baffled in my first answer: but, if my brevity occasioned any obscurity in that, I hope you shall find it fufficiently done here. Mean time you have given, and I accordingly take it for granted, that our arguments for Infant's Baptifm, stand in their full strength against you, till you can better discharge, and free your dangerous affertions from the errors and absurdities in which they are now more involved and intricated than before.

The weaker any thing is, the more querulous it is. If scripture argument and clear reason will not fupport the cause I undertake, I am refolved never to call in passionate invectives and weak evafions for my auxiliaries, as you have here done. The Lord give us all clearer light, tenderer confciences, exemplary humility, and ingenuity.

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