II. His last attempt is upon some sayings which he calls my " prin- ciples •'' in the representation whereof whether he hath dealt with any greater regard to truth and honesty than are the things we have already passed through shall be briefly considered.
The first, as laid down in the contents prefixed to this sorry chap- ter, is in these words : " That success in business doth authoricate its cause ; and that if God's providence permit a mischief, his will ap- proves it."
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There are two parts, you see, of this principle, whereof the first is, "That success Avill justify a cause in business," — that is, as I take it, any one; and secondly, "That which God permits, he doth approve." Now, as both parts of this principle are diabolically false, so in their charge on me also; so that I must betake myself again to the example of the friar, and say, " Mentitur impudentissime." A cause is good or bad before it hath success one way or other; and that which hath not its warranty in itself can never obtain any from its success. The rule of the goodness of any public cause is the eternal law of reason, with the just legal rights and interests of men. If these make not a cause good, success will never inend it. But when a cause on these grounds is so indeed, or is really judged such by them that are en- gaged in it, not to take notice of the providence of God in prosper- ing men in the pursuit of it, is to exclude all thoughts of him and his providence from having any concern in the government of the w^orlcL And if I or any other have at any time applied this unto any cause not warranted by the only rule of its justification, it no way reflects on the truth of the principle which I assert, nor gives countenance to the false one which he ascribes unto me. For the latter clause of this pretended principle, " That if God's providence permit a mischief, his will approves it," I suspect there is some other ingredient in it besides lying and malice, — namely, stupid ignorance; for it is mischief in a moral sense that he intends, nothing being the ol)ject of God's approbation or disapprobation on any other ac- count. It would therefore seem very strange how any one who hath but so much understanding as to know that this principle would take away all differences between good and evil should provide him- self with so much impudence as to charge it on me.
Another principle, in pursuit of the same design, he laj's down as mine, p. 46, namely, " That saints may retain their holiness in the act of sinning ; and that whatever law they violate, God will not im- pute it to them as a sin."
There seem to be two parts of this principle also. The first is, " That saints may retain their holiness in the act of sinning." I know not w^ell what he means by this part of his principle ; and yet do, for some reasons, suppose him to be more remote from the understanding of it than I am, although the words are his own. If he mean that the act of sinning is not against, or an impeachment of holiness, it is a ridiculous contradiction. If he mean that every actual sin doth not deprive the sinner of all holiness, he is ridiculous himself if he assert that it doth, seeing " there is no man that doeth good, and sinneth not." The framing of the last clause of this principle smells of the same cask, and, as it is charged on me, is false. Whatever law of God any man breaks, it is a sin, is so judged of God, and by
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him imputed so far unto the sinner as to judge him guilty thereof, whoever he be; but God doth not impute every sin unto believers unto judgment and condemnation. And if he can understand any thing in the books quoted by him, he will find that there is no more in them towards what he reflects upon, but that God will by his grace preserve true believers from falling into such sins as whereby they should totally and finally Lose their faith, fall from grace, and be cast out of God's covenant. This principle I own, and despise his impotent, ignorant, and ridiculous defamation of it.
His third principle is about praying by the Spirit, which he chargeth at the highest rate, as that which will destroy all govern- ment in the world !
I know well enough whence he hath learned this kind of arguing; but I have no reason to concern myself particularly in this matter. The charge, for aught I know, as here proposed, falls equally on all Christians in the world ; for whether men pray by a book or without a book, if they pray not by the Spirit, — that is, by the assistance of the Spirit of God, — they pray not at all. Let, therefore, the Scripture and Christianity answer for themselves; at present in this charge I am not particularly concerned.
Thus, sir, I have complied with your desire unto a perusal of this confused heap of malicious calumnies ; which otherwise I had abso- lutely in silence put off to the judgment of the great day. It may be this author hath scarce yet cast up his account, nor considered what it is to lend his fingers to others to thrust into the fire, which they would not touch themselves; for whilst they do, or may if they please, enjoy their satisfaction in his villany and folly, the guilt and shame of them will return in a cruciating sense upon his own un- derstanding and conscience. When this shall befall him, as it will do assuredly, if he be not utterly profligate, he will find no great re- lief in wishing that he had been better advised, nor in considering that those who rejoice in the calumny do yet despise the sycophant. — I am, Sir, your, etc.,