2. What is the meaning of that which follows, " If there be no value or merit in good works?" Who ever taught that there is no value in good works? that they are not commanded of God? that they are not accepted with him? that they are not our duty, to be careful in the performance of? that God is not honoured, the gospel adorned, the church and the world advantaged by them ? Do all these things put " no value " on them ? For their " merit," the expression being ambiguous, unscriptural, and, as commonly interpreted, derogatory to the glory of Christ and the grace of God, we shall let it pass as
68 ANIMADVERSIONS ON A TREATISE
proper to his purpose; and much good may it do him with all that he gains by it.
3. " If," saith he, " God's laws be impossible to be kept;"— but who said so ? ' Protestants teach, indeed, that men in their own strength cannot keep the laws of God; that the grace received in this life extends not to an absolute sinless perfection in their observation, wliicli is inconsistent witn the covenant of grace, and men's walking with God therein : but, that the laws of God were in their own nature " impossible " to be observed by them to whom they were first given, or that they are yet impossible to be kept in that way of their sincere observation which is required in the gospel, Protestants teach not, that I know of. He proceeds: —
4. " If Christ be not our law-maker and director of doing well, as well as our Redeemer from ill." This is a little too open and plain. Doth he think any man will believe him, that Protestants or Pres- byterians teach that " Christ is not our law-maker and director of doing well," etc.? I dare say he beheves not one word of it himself, what confidence soever he hath taken upon him of imposing on the minds of weak and unstable men.
Other things mentioned by him are ambiguous; as, " If the seven sacraments be deemed vain, most of them," etc. Of the things them- selves, which they term " sacraments," there is scarce any of them by Protestants esteemed vain; that one of Unction, which they judge now useless, they only say is an unwarrantable imitation of that which was useful. Of the rest which they reject, they reject not the things, but those things from being sacraments ; and a practice in re- ligion is not presently condemned as vain which is not esteemed a sacrament. There is no less ambiguity in that other supposition, " If the real body of our Lord be not bequeathed to his spouse in his last will and testament;" which no Protestant ever questioned, though there be great contests about the manner of the sacramental partici- pation of that real body. The same may be said of some other of his supposals. But I need not go over them in particular; I shall only say in general, that take from amongst them what is acknow- ledged to be the doctrine of the Papists, and as such is opposed by the church of England or by Presbyterians (as papal supremacy, sacrifice of the mass, monasteries of votaries under special and peculiar vows and rules, necessity of auricular confession, transubstantiation, which are the things gilded over by our author), and prove that they were the doctrines, all or any of them, whereby and wherewith the first preachers of Christianity in this nation, or any where else in the old known world, displaced Paganism, and, for my part, I will im- mediately become his proselyte. What, then, can be bound with this rope of sand ? — " The first preachers of Christianity preached tlie
ENTITLED FIAT LUX. 69
pope's supremacy, the mass, etc.; by these doctrines Paganism was displaced: if these doctrines now be decried as Hes, why may not Christ himself be esteemed a romance?" — for neither did the first preachers of Christianity preach these doctrines, nor was Paganism displaced by them : nor is there any ground to question the authority and truth of Christ, in case those that do first preach him do there- withal preach somewhat that is not true, when they bring along with them an authentic conviction of their own mistakes, as was manifested before, and might be made good by innumerable other instances.
I shall not need to follow him in his declamation to the end of this paragraph; the whole foundation of his many flourishes and j^re- tences being totally taken out of the way.
CHAPTER VI.
Scripture vindicated.
With his three following paragraphs, from p. 82 unto 108, — which have only a very remote and almost imperceptible tendency unto his purpose in hand, though they take up so long a portion of his discourse (seeming to be inserted either to manifest his skill and proficiency in philosophical scepticism, or to entertain his readers with such a delightful diversion, as that, having taken in it a taste of his ingenuity, they may have an edge given their appetite unto that which is more directly prepared for them), — I shall not trouble my- self nor detain my reader about. If any one, a little skilled in the discourses of these days, have a mind to vie conjectures and notions with him, to vellicate commonly received maxims and vulgar opi- nions, to expatiate on the events of providence in all ages, he may quickly compose as many learned leaves : only, if he would be pleased to take my advice with him, I should wish him not to flourish and gild over things uncertain and unknown, to the disadvantage of things known and certain; nor to vent conjectures about other worlds and the nature of the heavenly bodies, derogatory to the love of God in sending his Son to be incarnate and to die for sinners that live on this earthly globe. Neither do I think it well done to mix St Paul and his writings in this scepticism, mentioning in one place his fancy, in another his conceit, which he seems to oppose, — such is the reve- rence these men bear to the Scripture and holy penmen thereof; so also that whole scorn, which he calls " man's dominion over the crea- tures," reflects principally on the beginning of Genesis and the eighth Psalm,