Sir, we never vet deserted the judgment or practice of infants bap- tism, and yet have had (blessed be Jesus Christ for it) great and mani- fold, sweet and signal proofs and evidences of his presence with us; He bath owned and blessed our ministry to the conversion of many ; and there are some, and those not mean, or few, of our spiritual chil- dren, now in your societies in England, who have acknowledged us to be the first instruments of their conversion : The Lord lay it not to their charge, who now desert that ministry in which they first receiv- ed Christ ! But as forthe departure of his presence, I assure you, friend, I am more afraid of the rents and divisions you now renew so unsea- sonably among the churches of Christ, than of any one thing amongst us beside. It grieved my soul to see you, quieta mover e, awake a sleep- ing controversy, especially in such a season, when we are little more than half delivered from our enemies and dangers; you take us by the heel, as Jacob did his brother, whilst but yet in the birth. Sir, ex- cept 3^ou return to a more quiet and Christian temper, than you seem here to be in, I am out of hope that ever you and I shall see those blessed days, we have so often with pleasure, comforted ourselves ■with the hopes of. However, extend your charity (if you have any left) so far, as to believe that I am one, notwithstanding of all this, that am studious of the church's peace, and inquisitive into the rules
A REPLY TO MR. CARY's SOLEMN CALL. ST5
of duty, not daring to hold any truth of God in unrighteousness ; and yet well satisfied I am, in the path of my duty, wherein, though we cannot walk together, yet I ho})e to meet you at the end of our way, in our Father's house, where perfect light and peace dwells.
And here I had put an end to this debate, had I not received your return to some of these sheets, whilst the last of them was under my hand ; wherein I only find four things in which I am concerned. In general, you tell mc, ' You are not convinced of any error, by what I have said.' I am sorry to hear it: But considering the nature of error on one side, and the difficulty of self-denial on the other, you have not much deceived my expectation. More particularly,
(1.) You say. As to your hooking the Sinai covenant into this con- troversy, I gave you the first occasion of it; for when you shewed me your papers about God's covenant with Abraham, I told you, that you were best first to try if you could prove the covenant at Sinai, to be a covenant of works; forasmuch as our divines are so far from conceiting the covenant with Abraham to be a covenant of works, that they will not allow the Sinai law itself to be so ; and to convince you of it, I lent you Mr. Roberts and Mr. Sedgwick on the covenant, to enlighten and"^ satisfy you about it : But little did I think you had confidence enough to enter the lists with two such learned and emi- nent divines, and make them to follow your triumphant chariot, shackled with the incomparable Baxter and Allen, Sydenham and Borthogg, Hke three pair of noble prisoners of war. But whatever was the occasion (setting aside your sin) I am not sorry you have given a fit opportunity to enlighten the world in that point also.
(2.) You seem to fancy in your letter, that I once was of your opinion about the moral law, because you find these passages in a sermon of mins, upon John viii. 36. " If the Son therefore shall make you free, then are you free indeed ;" viz.
« That the law required perfect working, under pain of that curse; accepted no short endeavours, admitted no repentance, and gave no strength.' But finding me here pleading for the law, you think you find me in a contradiction to that doctrine.
The words I own ; the contradiction I positively deny; for I speak not there, and here, ad idem ; for in that sermon, and in those very w^ords you cite, I speak against the law, not as God intended it, when he added it to the promise ; but as the ignorance and infidelity of unregenerate men, make it to themselves a covenant of works, by looking upon it as the very rule and reason of their justification before God: This was the stumbling-stone at which all legal justiciaries then did, -and still do stumble, Rom. ix. 31, 32, 33. In this sense the apostle, in his epistles to the Romans and Galatians, argues against the law, and so do I in the words you cite ; but vindicate the law in the very same sermon you mention, as consistent with, and subservient to Christ, in the former sense ; and there tell you, ' The lav/ sends us to Christ to be justified; and Christ sends us back to the law to be re-
gulated. The very same double sense of the law you will find in this discourse ; and from the mistaken end and abuse of the law, which the apostle so vehemently opposeth, I here prove against you, that the law in this sense cannot consist with, or be added to the promise; and therefore make it my medium to prove against you, that the true nature and denomination of the Sinai law, can never be found in this sense of it, but it must be estimated and denominated from the purpose and intention of God, which I have proved to be evan- gelical. Try your skill to fasten a contradiction betwixt my words in that sermon and this discourse.
I know you would be glad to find the shadow of one, to make some small excuse, or atonement for the many faults of that nature you have here committed.
(3.) Your letter also informs me, that you hear you are answered by one hand already ; and, for ought you know, many more may be employed against you, and I for one ; and so we shall compass you about like bees.
Reply. I have only seen Mr. Whiston's little book against your brother Grantham, wherein he hath baffled two of your principal arguments ; but you only come in collaterally there, and must not look upon it as a full answer to your book, but only as a lash for your folly, en passant. And for our compassing you about like bees, me- thinks you seem to be elated in your own fancy, by the supposition, or expectation, of a multitude of opponents. You know as well as I, who it is that glories in this motto, Unus contra omnes. Sir, I think your mind may be much at rest in that matter. Of all the six famous adversaries mentioned in your title page, there are but two living : and you know, Mortui non mordent ; and of the re- maining two, one of them, viz. Mr. Baxter, is almost in heaven, living in the daily views, and cheerful expectations of the saints everlasting rest zvith GOD ; and is left for a little while among us, as a great example of the life of faith. And it is questionable with me, whether such a great and heavenly soul can find any leisure or disposition to attend such a weak and trivial discourse as this.