Spiritual desertions are nextly decried. Some poor souls would thank him to make good this discovery. They find mention in the Scripture of " Gods hiding his face, Avithdrawing himself, forsaking, though but for a moment," and of them that on this account "walk in darkness and see no light, that seek him and find him not, but are filled with troubles, ter- rors, arrov/s from him," etc.* And this, in some measure, they find to be the condition of their own souls. They have not the life, light, power, joy, consolation, sense of God's love, as formerly ; and therefore they think there are spiritual desertions, and that in respect of their souls these dispensations of God are signally and signifieantly so termed ; and they fear that those who deny all desertions never had any enjoyments from or of God.
' Salus Electonim Sanguis Jesn, or the Death of Death, etc ^Eph. ii. S, i. 18, ID; 2 Cor. V. 17, etc., iv. 6. ^ i Qq^.^ \\ ]4. Rom. viii. 7; James iii. 15. * .Job xiii. 24; P.S. X. 1, xiii. 1, xxvii. 9,xxx. 7, xi;v.24, Iv. 1, Ixix 17, cii. 2; Is-a. xlv. 15, viii. 17, xlix. 14, liv. 7, i^, Ix. 15,1. 10, etc.
TO HIS CATECHISH EXAMINED. 81
Of spiritual incomes there is the same reason. It is not the phrase of speech, but the thing itself, we contend about. That God who is the Father of mercy and God of all consolation gives mercy, grace, joy, peace, consolation, as to whom, so in what manner or in what degree he pleaseth. The receiving of these from God is by some (and that, perhaps, not in- aptly) termed "spiritual incomes," with regard to God's gracious distribu- tions of his kindness, love, good-will, and the receiving of them. So that it be acknowledged that we do receive grace, mercy, joy, consolation, and peace from God, variously as he pleaseth, we shall not much labour about the significancy of that or any other expression of the like kind. The Scriptures mentioning the "goings forth of God," Micah v. 2, leave no just cause to INIr B. of condemning them who sometimes call any of his works or dispensations his outgoings.
His rehearsal of all these particular instances, in doctrines that are found neither name nor thing in Scripture, Mr B. closeth with an "etc.;" which might be interpreted to comprise as many more, but that there remain not as many more important heads in Christian religion. The nature of God being abased, the deity and grace of Christ denied, the sin of our natures and their renovation by grace in Christ rejected, Mr B.'s remaining re- ligion will be found scarce w^orth the inquiry after by those whom he undertakes to instruct, there being scarcely any thing lei't by him from whence we are peculiarly denominated Christians, nor any thing that should support the weight of a sinful soul which approaoheth to God for life and salvation.
To prevent the entertainment of such doctrines as these, Mr B. com- mends the advice of Paul, 2 Tim. i. 13, " Hold fast the form of sound words," etc. ; than which we know none more wholesome nor more useful for the safeguarding and defence of those holy and heavenly principles of our religion which Mr B. rejects and tramples on. Nor are we at all concerned in his following discourse of leaving Scripture terms, and using phrases and expressions coined by men ; for if we use any word or phi'ase in the things of God and his worship, and cannot make good the thing signified thereby to be founded on and found in the Scriptures, we will instantly renounce it. But if indeed the words and expressions used by any of the ancients for the explication and confirmation of the faith of the gospel, especially of the doctrine concerning the person of Christ, in the vindication of it from the heretics which in sundry ages bestirred themselves (as Mr B. now doth) in opposition thereunto, be found con- sonant to Scripture, and to signify nothing but what is written therein with the beams of the sun, perhaps we see more cause to retain them, from the opposition here made to them by Mr B., than formerly we did, con- sidering that his opposition to words and phrases is not for their owai sake, but of the things intended by them.
The similitude of " the ship that lost its first matter and substance by the addition of new pieces, in way of su])ploment to the old decays," having been used by some of our divines to illustrate the Roman apostasy and traditional additionals to the doctrines of the gospel, ivill not stand Mr B. in the least stead, unless he be able to prove that we have lost, in the re- ligion we profess, any one material part of w^hat it was when given over to the churches by Christ and his apostles, or have added any one particular to what they have provided and furnished us withal in the Scriptures; Avhich until he hath done, by these and the like insinuations he doth but bog the thing in question ; which, being a matter of so great consequence and importance as it is, will scarce be granted him on any such terms. I
VOL. XII. 6