In like manner he proceeds to put in his exceptions unto what I discoursed about the laws that an innocent man is liable luito. For I said, that God never gave any other law to an innocent person, but only the law of his creation, with such symbolical precepts as might be instances of his obedience thereunto. Something he would find fault with, but knows not well what; and therefore turmoils himself to give countenance unto a putid cavil. He tells us, " That it is a great favour that I acknowledge, p. 310, that God might adil what symbols he pleased unto the law of creation." But the childishness of these impertinencies is shameful. To whom, I pray, is it a favour, or what doth the man intend by such a senseless scolf ? Is there any
THE PRECEDING DISCOURSE. 359
word in my whole discourse intimating that God might not in a state of innocency give what positive laws he pleased unto innocent per- sons, as means and ways to express that obedience which they owed nnto the law of creation ? The task wherein I am engaged is so fruitless, so ban'en of any good use, in contending with such imperti- nent eifects of malice and ignorance, that I am weary of every woj-d I am forced to add in the pursuit of it ; but he will yet have it, that " an innocent person, such as Christ was absolutely, may be obliged for his own sake to the observation of such laws and institutions as were introduced by the occasion of sin, and respected all of them the personal sins of them that were obliged by them;'' which if he can believe, he is at liberty, for me, to persuade as many as he can to be of his mind, whilst I may be left unto my own liberty and choice, yea, to the necessity of my mind, in not believing contradictions. And for what he adds, that I " know those who conceit themselves above all forms of external worship," I must say to him that at present personally I know none that do so, but fear that some such there are ; as also others who, despising not only the ways of external worship appointed by God himself, but also the laws of internal faith and grace, do satisfy themselves in a customary observance of forms of worship of their own devising.
In his next attempt he had been singulai', and had spoken some- thing which had looked like an answer to an argument, had he well laid the foundation of his procedure: for that position which he de- signeth the confutation of is thus laid down by him as mine, " There can be no reason assigned of Christ's obedience imto the law, but only this, that he did it in our stead;" whereas my words are, " That the end of the active obedience of Christ cannot be assigned to be tliat he might be fit for his death and oblation." And hereon what is afterward said against this particular end, he interprets as spoken against all other ends whatever, instancing in such as are every way consistent with the imputation of his obedience unto us ; Avhich could not be, had the only end of it been for himself, to fit him for his death and oblation. And this v^^ilful mistake is sufiicient to give occasion to combat his own imaginations for two or three pages together. P. 314, he pretends unto the recital of an argument of mine for the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, .with the like pretence of attempting an answer unto it ; but his design is not to manage any controversy -vvith me, or against me, but, as he phraseth it, to expose my mistakes. I cannot, therefore, justly expect from him so much as common honesty will requne, in case the real handling of a con- troversy in religion had been intended. But his V'/ay of procedure, so far as I know and understand, may be best suited unto his design. In this place, he doth neither fairly nor truly report my words, nor
360 A VINDICATION OF
take the least notice of the confirmation of my argument by the removal of objections whereunto it seemed liable, nor of the reasons and testimonies whereby it is farther proved; but, taking out of my discourse what expressions he pleaseth, putting them together with the same rule, he thinks he hath sufficiently exposed my mistakes, — the thing he aimed at. I have no more concernment in this matter but to refer both him and the reader to the jolaces in my discourse reflected on ; — him, truly to report and answer my arguments, if he be able ; and the reader, to judge as he pleaseth between us. And I would for this once desire of him, that if he indeed be concerned in these things, he would peruse my discourse here raved at, and deter- mine in his own mind whether I confidently affirm what is in dispute, (that is, what I had then in dispute ; for who could divine so long ago what a doughty disputant this author would by this time sprout up into ?) and that this goes for an argument, or that he impudently affirms me so to do, contrary unto his science and conscience, if he had not quite "pored out his eyes" before he came to the end of a page or two in my book. And for the state of the question here proposed by him, let none expect that upon so slight an occasion I shall divert unto the discussion of it. When this author, or any of his consorts in design, shall soberly and candidly, without scoffing or raihng, in a way of argument or reasoning, becoming divines and men of learning, answer any of those many writings which are extant against that Socinian justification which he here approves and contends for, or those written by the divines of the church of England on the same subject, in the proof of what he denies, and confutation of what he affirms, they may deserve to be taken notice of in the same rank and order with those witli whom they associate themselves. And yet I will not say but that these cavilling exceptions, giving a sufficient intimation of what some men would be at, if ability and opportimity did occur, may give occasion also unto a renewed vindication of the truths opposed by them, in a way suited unto the use and edification of the church, in due time and season.