•1 '>i 
 

 #^ 
 
 cJ! 
 
 
 •5 
 
 (0 
 
 
 -^ 
 
 3 
 
 
 4 
 
 JO 
 
 
 .i^^ 
 
 IE 
 
 1 
 
 SS »-a 
 
 CL 
 
 . 1 
 
 w 
 
 
 
 •s. ^ 
 
 o 
 
 - : 
 
 <» 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 ^ 5 
 
 <u 
 
 
 c 
 
 
 w o 
 
 tm 
 
 cs 
 
 •^ s 
 
 -< 
 
 :§ 
 
 fc^ g 
 
 "tt> 
 
 =3 
 
 ^^ 
 
 iz; 
 
 E 
 
 J 
 
 <•» M 
 
 n 
 
 ■S 
 
 ^ Ph 
 
 CO 
 
 1^ 
 
 
 w! 
 
 s 
 
 ^ 
 •«4 
 
 Ot 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 % 
 
 c 
 
 s 
 
 ^ 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 .V> 
 
 d: 
 
 1= 
 
 b 
 
 
Several Important 
 
 TRUTHS 
 
 RELI°GION 
 
 MAI A' TA I N'Di 
 
 In Oppoficion to 
 The Abufes impos'd upon the H. Scriptures, 
 the Primitive Fathers, and other Eccle- 
 siastical Writers, in Favour of Tenents 
 efpous'd by Anabapifts and Quakers. 
 
 BEING A 
 
 REP L Y 
 
 T O 
 
 R. Claridges MELIUS INQUIRENDUM > 
 a Book frequently boaded of as hitherto 
 unanfwer'd. 
 
 By DANIEL. PRAT, A.M. 
 
 ex Fumo dare Lucem. Hor. 
 
 Thefe Mc7i's Moutlis muft be ftopt, there is a WeceJJtty 
 
 fo7' it; for cthcrwife they rvill {libvert whole Houles, yea 
 a7id pervert whole t^arijhes. Not that we have any Hopes in 
 this Age^ tojiop the Mouths of our Oppofers, fo as to rr.aiti^ *em 
 
 ceafe fpeaki?ig {for bawl they will to Eternity ) hut fo, 
 
 at leaft, as that they Jlall be able tofpeak little to the Purpofe. 
 
 The Prielt's Oi^cc ditficulr, &'c. 
 
 by Bp. Bull, Vol. i . p. 2^9, 240. 
 
 LONDON: . 
 
 Printed for John W^at ^ at the Rpfe in St. Paulas 
 Church-yard. MDCCXIV. 
 
Ul 
 
 THE 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THAT 'tis no Negled in a Shep- Mr. 
 herd to leave his Feeding of the Browne's 
 Lambs, and go afide for awhile ^"^^"^' 
 to beat off any Thing that comes r^f^^J; 
 to devour or infed them, has been fieriout, 
 pleaded to juftifie fome for engaging in Con- p. i, 2. 
 troverjies tfjey had rather have been excused fromy 
 as thinking themfeives better employed : And 
 the Heretical Contents of the Treatife here 
 examind fo Pernicious and Fatal in their Ef 
 feEisy the confirm d AJfurances of their Succefs,the 
 Mifchief they have too long wrought^ 
 and are ftiH propagating t, may alfo t '^^f Book has hun 
 
 he urg'dfor this Undertaking. Some f/' ^f^t' "'"'^'f 
 ^r^L ' n r ? ■ iT J feveral of the ParilhiO" 
 
 Of the main Points ofivhtchy regard '^„^ ^^ Tottenham; 
 
 not R. Claridge only and his Party ; tfihtre its Author hat 
 
 who yet are not fo unworthy -our No- for fime Tears faft, fit 
 
 ticey 06 fome are apt to conceive : Fory t^p^pMck Schtol^and 
 
 befides that it mtght jufily raife our ^'^' " ^^''^'^^• 
 
 A 2 Concern 
 
jV The Preface, 
 
 Concern^ to meet with fuch Numbers of Un- 
 baptiz'd Hereticks, (pretending to refine Chri- 
 ftianity, even to the very Circumftance of Garb 
 and Drefs, while they openly deny its Funda," 
 mentals jj their Principles being direBly de- 
 ftruBive to our Conftitutiqn in Church and 
 State^ the Induftry and Policy ufed to difperfe and 
 eftabijh W, the Jnefficacy of all Oppofition 
 hitherto^ vifible in their great Increafe, make 
 all Means to flop this growing Evily highly 
 requifite. 
 
 As our Opponent feems in his roving Way 
 to have taken in the whole Compafs ofhts He- 
 refie *y and, which the Badnefs of his Caufe re- 
 quird, to have heafd together all the Mate-- 
 rials that coud any where be found to fupport 
 ity a Confutation of him will prove a Corifuta- 
 tion of his whole Sed • and fo far of others 
 as they efpoufe any of the fame TenentSy aa Ana- 
 baptifts, &c. 
 
 His appealing to the Fathers in order to 
 maintain what he boldly ajfertSy viz. Our Prin- 
 ciple is the Truth it felf, and our Doctrine 
 none other than Pure and Primitive Chri- 
 iSTiANiTY, p. 212. made it necejfary for him that 
 woud take the Irmble of an Anfwery to have 
 Recourfe to thofe Writers^ and Jhew their true 
 and real Sentiments irt the Particulars : Which 
 Necefjity, 06 it woud net admit of any Ex- 
 cufes to the contrary, fo it renders ufelefs fuch 
 C0 might otherwife now feem wanting, for Ci^ 
 ting with fuch Freedom, and appearing fo Fa- 
 miltaf with thofe Venerable Authors. 
 
 2 
 
 As 
 
The Pf efacei 
 
 As to the Defence here offer d for Baptizing 
 Infants, V/'j truey there is in his Book nothing 
 that direBly requird it : But, hefides that hts 
 /peaking againfl Sprinkling of Infants has a 
 Ptew that fVayy ^tis manifeft that both en a Bap- 
 tift and a Quaker he condemns our ChurchV 
 PraBice herein, and that the only Reafon hf 
 has not exprefs*d himfelf more fully, is becaufe 
 this was fuferfluom in one ivho renounces Bap- 
 tifm in general. 
 
 k 
 
 J[fK Wall's Infant Baptifm happen d not to be 
 ferus'd, till what was dejignd to be /aid on 
 hat Head, as to its Lawfulnefs or Necefllty, 
 was firiifid ; which, being afterivards improvd 
 by his Work, became fo far an Abftraft of it. 
 He being fo copiom herein, it might be looKd 
 upon as needlefs for any one to come after 
 him ; but that this it felf proves an Occajion^ 
 of its being loft to many, who may never be in 
 Poffeffion of, or acquainted with fo large a 
 TraB. 
 
 But in the Cafe of Baptifm it felf. Our 
 Adverfary had fo fal/ified and mifreprefented 
 it, as alfo The Lord's Supper, The Lawful- 
 nefs of War, and of Taking an Oath, that 
 tt feemd requijtte not only to overthrow what 
 he hoA advancd, but likewife to re-eftablijh the 
 Truth of thofe Points, that it might appear in 
 its full Force and Luftre. For 'tis obfervd 
 that ObjeSiions, how well foever anfwer^d, are 
 yet apt to leave an ill Jmpreffion in Weak 
 or Prejudiced Minds ; that by continual In- 
 terpoftng, they obfiructthe Light of Conviction, 
 and, in fome Meafure, break and inifalidate 
 
 its 
 
vi The Preface. 
 
 its Strength I and in thefe Particularsy his 
 Iriflingy and the Manner of Anfwering him 
 which that occafionally prochic'd, may feem to 
 have lejfend the Dignity of fo great SubjeEls, 
 To reBifie ivhich InconveniencieSy it was judged 
 f roper to treat of 'em over agaiuy in a Method 
 Vnperpk%dy and clear of at Oppoftion, fui^ 
 tably alfo to their great Weight and Confe-- 
 quence. In that of the Lawfulnefs of War, 
 fDeJure ijohat Afjtftance hm been borrow d from f Gro- 
 Bel. ac ^]yg^ ^ conceivd to be fo far from wanting 
 an Apology, that it vjoud have been a Fault to 
 have refused it, 
 
 I'hough to the Proofs here alledgedy might 
 have been added many more^ yet he having re^ 
 ferrd to fuch of the Fathers chiefly, as were of 
 the firfi four Centuries, it was thought fit to 
 keep within the fame Bounds, as in a Matter 
 mofl certain , abundantly fufficient. On the 
 ether hand, it may appear to feme, that more 
 Pains is beftowd in this Reply to him, than 
 he defervd ; that fome of it, at leaft, might 
 have been fpared. As to which, to ufe the 
 *Mr, Wall Words of the Author bef ore-mention d, * " 7i 
 4lnf,B0^. <c a frivolous andfoolijh Queftton or ObjeBion, 
 ** ^tis almofl impofftble to give any Anfwer 
 ** that will not feem frivolous to thofe that 
 *' conpder not the Occafion of it : On this Ac- 
 " count Irenseus, and many of the Fathers 
 " fi^ff^^ in our Judgment • So any Book 
 *^ written now in Anfwer to the Reafoniugs of 
 *' the Quakers, &c. Tet it mi^ht be expeBed 
 that a Perfon, though now a Quaker, who haa 
 tjad a Univerfity Education^ who has receivd 
 
 Holy 
 
The Preface. vii 
 
 Holy Orders, and * for many Tears been em-* * Formerly 
 ployd in the Paftoral Care (not to mention ^«^M ^f 
 his being afterward a Noted Preacher among ^^' 
 the Baptifts) who is fuppos^d to be acquainted Worce- 
 with the Fathers, with our own learned Di- ftcrikirt- 
 vines, and, in a word, with that goodly Shew 
 of Authors, that appear in the Front of his 
 Book, Jhoud he, at leaft, thought worthy to be 
 refund. 
 
REPL 
 
 T O -*«4»*1^ 
 
 R. CLARIDGE's 
 
 Melius Inquirendum. 
 
 E here pafs by an Epiftle to the 
 
 Lnparttal Readers by G. Vf/hite- 
 
 heady the Author s Prtmoni-' 
 
 tion to the Reader , and the 
 
 Contents^ (or rather the Titles 
 
 of the SeEiionSy) of which we 
 may hereafter take more Notice as Occafion 
 offers. Thefe all ferve to raife our Expedar- 
 tions of the Performance very high ; as alfo 
 what we are next prefented with, 'viz,. a T^- 
 l^le of Authors pretended to be quoted by him. 
 Such an Appearance of great Names raifed a 
 Curiofity to examine what Ufe he could make 
 of feveral : Among thefe. Homer has a Place, 
 Page 215. where all the Occafion he has for 
 this Poet, is this: Having ihewn his Diflike 
 
 B at 
 
 ^>^ 
 
AReftyto R. Clarldge'5 
 
 at Mr. Cock/on s ufmg the word Croaking, he 
 adds, He feems to have been converfing with 
 thofe i?npu}'e Creatures that breed ajtd dv^dl in 
 
 the Mirei Frogs, I mean Or whether he 
 
 hath been lately reading HomerV Batrachomy- 
 omachia, Battle between Frogs and Mice. Ha- 
 ving only made this mention of Homer, he 
 places him in this Table of quoted Authors. 
 In .the fame Page Ariflophanes is referr'd to : 
 He fays, be finds in that Book a Defcription 
 of one, vjhich looks like an exaSl Draught of 
 \ The Re. £. c. f on which Account, tranfcribing three 
 E Colk-* Lines, this he thought Reafon fufficient to en- 
 f&n. ' ^^'^ Ariflopbanes\ Name in the fame Cata- 
 logue. Dcmojlhencs is another (to inftance in 
 no more) we find there : All he has of this 
 Author is the bare Name, and that too taken 
 from Busbcfs Grammar, which he had cited 
 about a Particle of Speech. But for thefe 
 * PrvtoH. things he alledges a Reafon. * / have 
 to the not ciied thcfj Authors (fays he) for Oftenta- 
 Read. tion of Reading^-^but to jhew,tbat, as our DoC'- 
 trim's are confirmed by the Holy Scriptures, fo 
 they hnve alfo the concurrent 'Tejlimony of very 
 Anuent Chriflian Writers, viz. Homer, Arifto- 
 pha''ie^\ Dtmofihenes. One wou'd be apt to 
 conclude- from hence, that he took the fame 
 Courie in making this Table, that ismention'd 
 j Prcf. to by .Cervmtes ; | who being in a great Per- 
 D«n plexity how to fet a Catalogue of Authors in 
 
 Qujx. j|^^ Front o^ his Book, was thus advifed by 
 his Friend. " Thou nced'il: do nothing elfe- 
 ^* but feck out a Book that quotes 'email from 
 <' the Letter A to Z, and fet that very fame 
 '' Alphabet to rhine own Book ; for tho' the 
 " liti-le NecelTity thou had: to ufe their AfTif- 
 *' tancc in thy VVork, will prefently convift 
 
 " thee 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 
 
 " thee of Falfhood, it makes no Matter ; and 
 
 *' perhaps there may not be a few fo fimple, 
 
 " as to believe thou haft helped th3? (elf with 
 
 " all their Authorities 
 
 Reply to SE Cr. h 
 
 AFter all this Preparation, he begins about 
 a Difpute between Mr. B. L. V icai^ of 
 Banbury, and R. V. a Quaker. In \^'hich how 
 effedually Mr. L. expofed not only R. V. hut 
 all the Party, is feen in his * three * ^./^^ ^r ©^^|, 
 Treatifes. The Quaker however rifm rehuked. Siud^ 
 continued refra(flory and abulive, kerifm a ConfUcatiori 
 and ftill wrote on. Upon this of Henfy, Schjfm, sl^f^ 
 
 Mr. Cockfon, Redor oiJVeflcot^Bar^ ^-r^Jr^^' ^'j Vl' 
 Y , ^ •' r 1 Pl^'» DtMing of ihe 
 
 ton, took up the Controveriy ; and G^uiikers, Sec. 
 made his Charge good againft the 
 Qtiakersy in a fmall Book, entitled PJgid Qua- . jy^^^^ 
 ktYs cruel Perfeciitors ; as he had done before kers p^ai^ 
 in two I larger, which they never fo much as gree tracd 
 pretended to refute. But this little Pam- S-'c T^ce 
 phlet (for a Reafon obferved hy the Author) ^«^«^'''»» 
 Claridge takes upon him to anfwer. " He po- ^-fil'^^^^, 
 " litickly, fays Mr. Cockfon *, fixes on my ♦ ' Pref^ to 
 " third and laft Book, as much more eafy to ^akerifm 
 " be encountered with than the former ; and dijftcled. 
 " this his fallacious Performance he calls Me- 
 " lius Inquirendum ; which is now cry'd up 
 " by his Party ^ — " as a Book altogether un*- 
 " anfwerable ". As for the f lame and pitiful f Prem. ii 
 Pretences he himfelf makes, they defeive no ^^* ^*^^^* 
 Regard. The fame may be faid of the 3, 4, 
 and 5 Pages ot this Sedion. 
 
 B 2 Refy 
 
A jR^/k /o R. Claridge'i 
 
 Reflj to S IE. CI. II. 
 
 MR. Cockfon is here accufed of Believing 
 above and againfl Reafon ; Whereup- 
 on, with great Pains, Claridge labours to 
 prove, that Men cannot believe againft Rea- 
 fon : When all that Mr. C— w had faid in the 
 Matter is this ; (addrefling himfelf to R. V.) 
 " Since you will have us believe above and 
 " againft our Reafons, that thofe Books truly 
 *' own you for their Author, I will hencefor- 
 " ward treat you as fuch. 
 
 As if there were no Difference between ano- 
 ther's willing a, Man to believe, a thing, and 
 his profefling to believe it himfelf; or be- 
 tween believing another to be fuch, and treat" 
 ing him as fuch. And upon this Account a- 
 lone, he thus exclaims, and infults Mr. C--» 
 O flrange Credulity ! IVho in hts right Senfe^ 
 woud talk at this Rate ? And how can he 
 expeEl that he Jhould be believed by others^ that 
 
 is fo eafy of Belief himfelf /* See what 
 
 a Faith E. C. is made up of I And what a 
 flrange Guide the poor People have to go before 
 them ! a Man that can believe even above and 
 againft his Reafon^ p. 7. 
 
 Reply to SECT. III. 
 
 HEre again, Clar. formally fets himfelf to 
 prove what every one knows, and ac- 
 knowledges. He produces feveral Pieces of 
 Chillingworth, to ftew, tliat the Scriptures are 
 
 the 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 5 
 
 the Rule of our Faith and AEiions, p. lo. And 
 p. 1 6, tho' fpeaking of another Matter, he 
 hedges in two more Quotations to the fame 
 purpofe. P. 14 and 15, are fiUM up with 
 Paflages out of Archbifhop T'dlotfon^ and fe- 
 veral others, by which we are given to under- 
 ftand, that our Church afferts the Dodrine of 
 the Trinity to be a Myftery, and fuch as can- 
 not be explain d or conceived by any Man : 
 And having left this Point for a while, he re- 
 turns to it, and repeats the fame thing over 
 again, with the Addition of four more Quota- 
 tions, befides one he had ufed before ; which 
 ferves to furnifh/>. 21, 22, 23. As to vindi- 
 cating his Friends, who have fo of- 
 ten not only denied, but * blafphe- ^ ]Se$lLt\tW:SirUus 
 med the rrj..>^, (which was his '/^f^^; ^Z::!. 
 chief, or rather only Concern) to ^akerifm difiBid. p. 
 make fhort of the Matter, he utter- ai, &c. some fewtf 
 ly difavows it : The Serif ture-Tri- ^*' ^ter, tuMy htrm 
 nitywe o-wn, and alway did ever rid Biafp^,mes^ ^c, 
 r '' n 7 A J dtlivvr d to the Mem. 
 
 fime weivere a People, p.p. And hersrfhthHeufeui^^i 
 p. 1 3 . The Holy Three none of our 
 Friends deny, hut own as difiinSi as the Scrip- 
 ture doth dtfiingui(h it. 
 
 The only Particular, wherein he pretends 
 to differ from us, in the Article of the Trinity , 
 is the Word Perfon; a Tei'm ufed and received 
 by the beft Writers in the early Times of 
 Chrifiianityy aad ever fmce ; but not allowed 
 by him, for thefe two Reafons : 
 
 Firfly — Becaufe we find it not fo ufed in 
 the Scriptures, p. 16. Yet he ufes the Word 
 Trinity; nor only fo, but calls it Scripture- 
 Trinity ; whereas this Word is no where in 
 Scripture, as the Word Perfon is, Hel^, i, 3. 
 
 83 For 
 
^ A Rep'y to R- Claridge*5 
 
 ^^ , For thus 'Tnt^jii is explained by the Greek 
 91 ^^^T/r Fathers * (who fliou'd underftand their own 
 ch. T«75^ Language) by the beft Interpreters and Com- 
 
 iipQOT.'iry. . mentators. 
 
 fis eft Subftantia cum Proprletatibps quIbqfdaiT), hop pftPerfona, 
 Sec. Cyrillus in Expof. Orthod. Fidei, p. 427. Kctn W^ leTwoTjflct. viy^iV 
 'T'?7<!'.aVa< f*' 77i'« ^^lAOf mAHf, HTtrffcV'-TTw, &c. Quantum ad Pro* 
 pri tares, five Hypoftafcs, fi cui hoc Verbum magU arridct, five 
 PciTonas (nequc cairn deyocabuUsiixabimur,quandiu Syllabi ad 
 e andcm SentenziumfcT tnt.)Gregor. Nauan. Orat. 39. Vide etiam 
 O.ar. 21. in Laud. Athan. />, 395. TW 'TTngvLoiv TXcocm'^x wif 
 '$/) cttiAcovKkv, 8cc. Hypoftafim Perfonam defignare, &c. Theodo- 
 ret. Dial. 1. T. iv. p. 6. Hypojiajts ufed to fignifie the Divine Per* 
 fins, in the Books Mtnbuted to St. J^ionyfius the Jreopagite^ C. 17. 
 Cceleft. Hier. C. i. de Divin. Nominib. St. Bafil. Ep. 43. a4 
 Greg. Nyi: Chryfod. Thcodor. Thcopb. & alii, hie Hypoftafim 
 lumunr pro Fcifona Parris, &c. Cornel, a l^apide. Nomen 'T-wd- 
 cn^i'5 dcnotar Pcribuarn atquc in hac (ignificatione Ortho- 
 dox! Patrcs H>'ponaiim ufurpant. Marloratus. Communi ufu 
 Conciliorum & Pr^rrum Hypoftafis pro Perfona accipitur; &qui- 
 ^em valdeprcprie. Rikra in loc. Nomen 'TTcgrtT^w^ hoc loco 
 jdem viderur vakre, quod apud Juftinum, & Patres Concilii 
 Flprcntini 'TTO^'^^/, & apud Latinos Perfonam, ut Filius dica- 
 tuf Charafler Perfonoe Patris, &c. JuJitntMn. in loc. Per hoc 
 aufem quod dicirur Figura Subftantiae, notatur tarn Di(}in£^io 
 Psrfonarum, quam Idcntitas fubflantiqsj contra Sabcllium, ^ 
 Marccl'um & Phorinum, qui non ponunt alium Patrem a Filio 
 in PciTona. Cardinal, in loc. Graeci utunrur Nomine Subftantiae 
 indifFerenrer pro Eifentia 6l Perfona. Diohyjlus Carthuf. Ita fere 
 Ersfmus. Apud Hejychiufn *T'^';^<n< Vcrfons. Feriom C<*pellus. Ira 
 Tirinus. Ca^jet/tnus in Commentand. Leontius de Se£Hs, p. 385. 
 Suieeri Thef. Ecckf. Pcrfqija limbic. & ^thiop. Verf. Bihl. Poljf, 
 $ktt. Vcrf Btza\ &c. 
 
 His otFier Reafon for not appyoving of th^ 
 J'Vord Perfon in expreffing thi' DoBriue of the 
 Trinity f is becaufe all Men have not given the 
 fame Defaition of it : According to which, 
 we are not tp allow of any Words which have 
 been varioufly Interpreted, or difFprently De- 
 fi'Sd : This Objedion majkes hot only againft 
 
 Perfons 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 7 
 
 Perfons in the Trinity, but the Godhead it 
 
 felf, which has had diverfe Explanations no 
 
 \q^s than the other. But even the Quotations 
 
 he appeals to, are apparently againtt him, and 
 
 reprehend his Cavilling about a Word. For 
 
 thus St. Auftin in the Places by him cited. 
 
 " We * may be allowed to fay three Perfons, * l y.de 
 
 *' through Neceflity of Speech and Difputa- Trin.l. 4. 
 
 " tion ; for f Man's Language lies un- fi,. 5. 
 
 " der great Difficulties, p. 17 ". And fays 
 Calvin (in the Paflage that he quotes) " I 
 " * am not of fuch precife Aufterity, as that ♦ Inftic. 
 " I can find in my Heart to contend about L.i.C. 13. 
 " bare Words, p. 1 8 ". And Both elfewhere 
 exprefly declare for this Word. Says the For- 
 mer, j- " They are called three Per- 
 ^' fans more properly than three ^ Commodliis Ji- 
 <c o //2 >» A j^L T ^^ * cuntur crcs Pcrfonsc, 
 
 <^ Subflances : Knd the Latter ^ &c. S.Aug, dc Trin: 
 ** The Word T7ro5a<r/?,— in my Judg- l. y, q j, 
 
 " ment, fignifies Perfon ; and ^Nomcn'T'S'o^.^re'? 
 
 " in this Senfe the Orthodox Fathers (meojudicio)denotac 
 " ufe it Pcrfonam, 5cc. Calf. 
 
 Upon the whole, Mr. C—ns Requeft to the 
 Quaker, is very pertinent and proper; which is. 
 Since he will not allow the Word Perfon, that 
 he woudfurnijh us with a better Word of his 
 own. For fmce we cannot exprefs our felves 
 diftindly concerning the 'Trinity without fome 
 precife "Term, thofe who are contentious about 
 fuch a IVord, ought to fubftitute another 
 which they approve of, in its Room : But \{] 
 in truth, they rejed not only the Word, but 
 the Thing underftood by it, uiz.-. the Perfo- 
 nality or diflinB Effence of Father, Son, and 
 Holy Spirit, (v/hich it is certain they do) then 
 every one will readily fubfcribe to Mr. C— w, 
 in affirming, that "the Quakers own no more 
 
 B 4 than 
 
S. A Reply, &:c. 
 
 *^than the verieft Ariauy SociniaHy or any 
 ** worfe Heretick. 
 
 a 
 
 Repfy to SECT. IV. 
 
 ^Mitting feveral Charges againft particu- 
 lar Qtiakersy to which he anfwers with 
 flat Denials, or infipid Evafions, we come to 
 one more general that concerns 'em all- 
 
 The Qiiakerx Books abound with fuch fla- 
 grant BlafphemieSj that happy 'twere for them, 
 if long fince they had been publickly burnt, 
 and the Mention of 'em for ever filenc'd ! To 
 get clear of this Infamy, he is forc'd, as upon 
 
 * See his n^oft Qccafions, to deny the Fad * ; and with 
 
 Mock De- {^fange Confidence, fays T'hey are wholly clear 
 
 here 028 ^f *'^^^ odious Charge, p. 28. Nor only fo, he 
 
 ahut the pretends they can rather recharge fome of 
 
 Holy Scrip- otir frinctpal Writers "with Blafphemies aljo. 
 
 tures and 'j^o this Purpofe he colleds feveral Paffages 
 
 cl iT^e ' ^^^^ ^^ Learned Divines, who have written of 
 
 fUd'ed by ^^^ Divinity of Chrifl, the Trinity , and the 
 
 W'-. C. in like deep and difficult Subjeds) which by vul- 
 
 ^uakerifm gar and ignorant Minds, upon his fuggefting 
 
 Diffecf. 'gni to be Blafphemies, might be thought fo \ ; 
 
 +*M ri /// ^^ which to thofe who judge by the Sound of 
 
 ftatjces »f Words, without confidering their Senfe, might 
 
 thisNa- feemharfh or unwarrantable * By the Sight 
 
 ture, p.8o, of ooe of thefe, his Difingenuity will plainly 
 
 * See Rep. "? j ' n- -x. 'j 
 
 /• a krief ■*- "^^^ affirm it cou d not enter mt^ any 
 
 viero of o^es Thoughts but his, that the pious, Jearn'd, 
 
 fome, &c. and accurate Bifhop Pearfon fhou'd be liable 
 
 toward to 3 Charge of Blafphemy; or that thefe Words 
 
 tke End. ^ou'd be produced as an Inftance of it, v/z.. 
 
 « It 
 
ObjeStions againfi, &c. 9 
 
 '' It * hath been the conftant Lan- ' Gatholici pofue- 
 .. guageof the CA..^ That God r^^Kfc^ 
 *' died for us. But whether Clandge . fto^dici pofle, tam 
 i^ here to be accufed of Ignorance t> dc Deo, quam de ho- 
 or fomewhat worfe, is left for others mine — -de homine 
 to determine. ffw dici ca qua 
 
 funt Divinae Nature, 
 & dcDeopofTunt dici ea quE funt humanae Naturae. Th.Aqu. 
 Par. 3. Qu. 1 6. Art. 4. 
 
 t Modcfte & circumfpefte de tantis Viris pronunciandum 
 eft, nc forte ( quod plerifque accidie) damnent qu« non inccl- 
 ligwnc ^int. 
 
 Reply to SECT. V. 
 
 ObjeSions againfi the two Sacraments 
 anjmr'd. 
 
 IN this Sedion he undertakes to (hew. That 
 the Quakers do not profanely contemn the 
 two Sacraments : The contrary Mr. £.* among *Sfir. •f 
 others, had proved from their Scurrilous Wri- ^' ^'*- 
 tings againfty and their acknowledged Difufe 
 cf both thoje Ordinances. The former Part of 
 which double Proof, viz.. their fcurrilous In- 
 veEiivesy being the weightieft, and that which 
 preft 'em the clofeft, he, like his Friend R. V. 
 took the luifefi courfe to take little, or no Notice 
 of tt : In which, however, as his Fidelity is 
 wanting, fo his IVifdom foon fails him again, 
 when he fimply concludes, that becaufe he took 
 the wifefl Courfe, he is not to be blamedy p. 3 1 . 
 The other Argument, taken from their con" 
 tinued Difufe of Vw, he fays, proves not their 
 prophane Contempt of Vw, becaufe certain reli- 
 gious Rites and Cuftoms being now difufed 
 1 and 
 
20 ObjeHions agiinfi 
 
 and omitted, cannot therefor^ be faid to be 
 contemn*d. Among others of this Kind, he 
 inllances in Womens ojficiating in the Churchy 
 the Ufe of Love-Feajisy Community of Govdsy 
 the Holy-Kifs ; and quotes Bifhop Stilling'^ 
 • Ireni*,' jieet fj faying, " We fee thefe are laid afide — - 
 «am. And again , " None, fays he, look upon 
 " themfelves as bound to obferve them 
 ** now. — In which the Bijhop takes no No- 
 tice of the Quakersy as not worthy his Re- 
 gard ; and Claridge does well to follow his 
 Example. If he can crowd in Quotations, 
 he feems not very foUjcitous whether they 
 make for, or againft him ; as ftill appears by 
 what follows : He goes on in the Bijbofs 
 Words ; " Tho' when it may ferve for their 
 *' Purpofe, Men will make AfoftolicalVxzdiicQ 
 *' to found a Divine Right, yet when they are 
 *^ gone off from the Matter in Hand, they 
 <' change their Opinion with the Matter, and 
 " can then think themfelves free, as to the 
 *^ Obfervation of Things by themfelves ac- 
 ** knowledged to be AfoftoUcal. What can 
 be more expvtfly urged againfl himfelf and 
 
 * j4s in thtir tx- ^^* ^^^^ ^ ^^^ ^" ^^ * "^^^ ^*'^' 
 /w^oJ Tbou W vial Matters ufed by, nay in Things 
 
 Thee , Brother mi even \ forbidden by the Apoftksy 
 
 Sifter, &c. pretend Appftolical Pradice ; and 
 
 t mmenfitaking in ^t the fame Time, think themfelves 
 
 that are by themfelves acknow- 
 ledged to have been pradifed by the Apo- 
 illes, and are indeed Go/sexprefslnftitutions, 
 as the Sacraments of Baptifmy and the Lor£s 
 Supper. 
 
 In his confufed Manner he now goes back 
 from Apoflolical Praftice to ye'wiji) Rites, 
 
 p. 32. 
 
the two Sacraments^ anfwerc/. 1 1 
 
 /». 32. as if the Omiflion of thefe was of more 
 Confideration than of the former. He is 
 confident that what * J. Hales fays of Cere- * Golden 
 mony and Sacrifice^ thefarne may be faid of the RtmMm, 
 two Sacraments, viz. That they neither are 
 now, nor were when firfl ufe4, efleemed neceffary^ 
 j&c. What can be done with this Man that 
 delivers the moft irrational Abfurdities with 
 fuch an Air of Authority, and palms upon 
 jthe World palpable F^lfhoods for certain 
 Truths ? 
 
 It feems Bifhop ^ewel fays, 'the Grace of 
 God u not confind altogether to any Sacraments ; 
 which is produced to prove the Sacraments^ 
 antiquated, ufelefs Ordinances ; q. e. d. Again, 
 'The Water of Eaptifm, fays Jewel, doth not 
 ckanfe the Soul; as every Child may learn 
 from the Catechifm, that there are two Parts 
 in a Sacrament, of which Water in Baptifm, 
 is only the outward vijjble Sign or Form ; 
 from which he wou'd conclude Bqfttfm tp be 
 of no Ufe. 
 
 As he thus perverts the Senfe and the De- 
 fign of his quoted Authors, in the fame Man- 
 ner he abufes the Scriptures. St. Paul * ha- ^*'* ^' 
 ving declared what fmifter Ends they had in jj' ^^' 
 View, who were for keeping up Circumcijion 
 ftill in Force, fays. That under the Gofpel, 
 JSleither Circu7ncifion avails any thing, nor 
 Uncircumcifion. Does it therefore follow, that 
 Baptifm is annull'd ? So it is (fays he) in the 
 Qafe of Baftifm, p. 34. that is, becaufe Circum" 
 cifion was removed for Baftifm to come in it? 
 ftead, therefore Circumcijion by being removed, 
 takes away Baftifm. How little the other 
 Texts he produces , make for him, will ap- 
 pear fo eyiderit, that it may fuffice to refer 
 
It ObjeSiions againji^ &c. 
 
 * I Cor. to 'em * He tells us of feven Arguments a- 
 
 i-'7' gzmOc Baptifm in another Book of his, viz,. 
 
 ' J ^** ^' Lux Evangelica atteflata : But the Subftancc 
 
 Tit. 3.y. o^ em, fuch as they are, we have in this; 
 
 for Inftance, at leaft Rvq of em are included 
 
 in thefe Words of the foregoing Page ; IVater^ 
 
 Bapifm was but preparatory to Chrifi, and 
 
 was a "type of his Baptifm with the Spirit, 
 
 His next Attempt is againft the Lord^s 
 Supper I which he proves to be nothing but an 
 ancient Jewijh Ceremony^ by this Argument, 
 becaufe tis fometimes caWd the Pafsover. And 
 1 1 Cor. does not St. Paul call f Chrifi our Pafsover f 
 S'T' What will he infer from hence? To fuch a 
 
 Shift is he driven, as to draw a'Conclufion 
 from a meer Metaphorical Word. Here, ra- 
 ther than fail of Quotations, he quotes him- 
 felf, and fills up almoft two Pages (35, 3 e^.) 
 * Lux Ev. from his other Book *" : ( In that likewife he 
 was forced ftill to borrow of himfelf, and 
 patches it up with Self-quotations :) Which 
 deferve no otber Reply, but that as before,we 
 ^ I Cor. mark the Places of Scripture, * which he 
 1' ?• wrefts to invalidate this facr^d Ordinance, en- 
 
 16 18^9 pi''^'^ '^^ Scripture. Having met with ExpreflS- 
 30! * ' ons of feme of the Fathers that refer to Job, 6. 
 ( where our Saruiour fays, lam the Bread ofLife^ 
 v,^S.MyFleJh ts Meatindeedy v. 5 <),&€ ) Such 
 as Believing on him^is Eattng the living Br e ad '^ 
 
 txpUitid ^^^^ hence perfuade us, that the Fathers are 
 this Chap. ^^ ^is Side ; with what Truth and Sincerity, 
 of Faith (hall be fully fhewn. We are again directed 
 9nly in ^q hjs jr^^ Evangelica, for feven Arguments 
 ^^'*'^* more againft the Lord's Supper : This and Bap" 
 tifm being equally obnoxious^ there happen 
 
 to 
 
ObjeStions againfi the Crofs^ &c. 1 3 
 
 to be juft as many Objections againft one as 
 the other ; which Objedions are alfo equally- 
 weighty and fignificant; but the Reader need 
 not be at the Trouble of looking after 'em, 
 for what Force and Strength they have, we 
 meet with here. He afferts with his ufual Af. 
 furance. That the Lord*s Suffer hath no Pre- 
 ceft enjoining the Continuance ofity as a /land'* 
 ing Ordinance in the Churchy p. 3 8. And yet 
 in the next Page he cites a Precept enjoining 
 its Continuance, viz,. 'This do in Remembrance 
 of me; with this Comment of Cahin upon it^ 
 I he Suffer is a Memorial inflituted to helf our 
 Infirmity *. But the falfe Interpretation he *Coent 
 puts upon this, is too abfurd to be anfwer'd, eft ^j'm^ 
 
 ©r even repeated. f^'"" f»^ 
 
 ^ levandsB 
 
 noftrse infirmitati inftitutum, r» i Or. ii, 24. 
 
 Reflj to SECT. VI. 
 
 ObjeBions againfi the Crofs in Baptifm, 
 and Sprinkling of Infants, anfwerd. 
 
 AS to the ffrinkling of Infants, fays he, 
 •what a Buflle is made about it, and 
 what a Strefs is laid ufon it by the Clergy fo 
 caird .<* p. 41 . How was it poflible they fhou'd 
 make a Stir about it, if it had not been firft 
 made by Anabaftifis, Quakers, ^c. ? Nor 
 cou'd they have ever laid a Strefs ufon keep- 
 ing tty if thefe had not laid a Strefs ufon ta- 
 king it away. But are they either to fit flill, 
 and tamely fuifer the facred Rites of the 
 Church to be trampled upon and vilify *d ; or 
 
 if 
 
i4 OhjeBions againjl the Crofs 
 
 if they beftir themfelves in their Defence, to 
 be exclaim'd againft for making a Buftle i Tet, 
 it feems, neither Chrijly nor his Afoftks gave 
 any Precep about Sprinkling, nor is there any 
 Example in the holy Scriptures, 6cc. ik And 
 by what Scripture will he prove, that for Gir- 
 cumftahces of Adion, or every' indifferent U- 
 fage in Matters of Religion, we muft have a 
 Warrant from Scripture ? How many Things 
 are his SeBy and all that ever urged this fence- 
 lefs Cavil, fond and tenacious of, in their 
 new-fangled Schemes of Worfhip, for which 
 they have neither Precept nor Example m 
 God's Word, or rather, which are contrary 
 to both ? Is it not fufEcient in Things indif- 
 ferent, fuch as are not impofed as in them- 
 felves abfolutely neceffary to be belie v'd or 
 pradifed, that they are authorized by the 
 Commands of lawful Power, by Antiquity, 
 and Reafon the next beft Rule to Scripture ? 
 But this thread-bare Objedion is fcarce wor- 
 thy to be taken Notice of, having been fo of- 
 
 * Ste San- ^g^, and fo fully * exploded. 
 
 derfon s 
 
 Pref. to Serm. Self. XX, XXI. Set. 4. ad CUr. Hooker'j EccUf. 
 
 P9I. B. 2, 3, s.§ 6, 7, 8,9. jih. c/Lond. Cafes Ch. 2. Stilling. cfSef, 
 
 Psrt III. Sect. 26, 27. 
 
 He fays, the Crofi in Baptifm is confejfed by 
 Bifiop Taylor to be a Ceremony infiitutcd of 
 Men ; And yet the Compilers of the Canons call 
 it a lawful Ceremony — p. 42. Ddes he imagine 
 they fhou'd have call'd it unlawful > What 
 can that fame And yet fignifie ? He avers 
 moreover. That nothing can fpeak more fully 
 for it than the Co?nmon-Prayer-Book it felf It 
 feems with him 'tis a Crime, that the Common- 
 Pray er-^Book it felf fhou'd fpeak in Behalf of 
 
 v/hat 
 
in Baptifm/Ltid Sfrinkling^anfrpe/d. 1 5 
 
 what is Part of it felf : And becaufe 'tis there 
 faid, " We fign him with the Sign of the Cro/}, 
 " in Token that, &c. This giveth ity fays he, 
 the very Fornty according to their Church's De- 
 finition^ of * one of their Sacraments. | ^^^ ^t\W. of Sep, 
 For here is the outward and vifible Part 3. 5*^?. 29, jo^ 
 Sign^ viz. the Crofs ; and the fuppo- 31- ^^r. 0/ Ltn, C», 
 fed inward and fpiritual Grace, viz. ^^- ^• 
 Confeffon of the Faith of Chrifi, Scc. Yet he 
 allows us to own, it is not ordain d by Chrifi 
 himfelf p. 42. which is another (and that the 
 chief) Part of the Definition. But then (ha- 
 ving nothing elfe to fay ) he demands why we 
 ufe it ^ p. 43 . And repeating thefe Words out 
 of the Common-Prayer-Book, " Nothing is 
 " ordain d to be read, but the pure Word of 
 " Gody or that v/hich is agreeable to the fame ^ 
 without proving, or offering to prove, that it 
 it h not agreeable to the Word of Gody that 
 the Church fhou'd appoint this one, or any 
 other Ceremony, he thus exclaims, Judgey 
 Readery whether this is not a ContradiBion to 
 themfelvesy a manifefl Profanation of Water- 
 Baptifm. ib. 
 
 He finds Fault with Bifhop Wren for ma- 
 king Enquiry, whether the Clergy of his Dio- 
 cefe obferv'd the Orders of the Church in this, 
 as well as in other Things : But agrees with 
 Cartwrigfjt m fpeaking contemptibly of it, 
 p. 44. He then tells us of a Pajfage he has 
 read concerning Biflop Andrews, who difputing 
 with Cardinal Peronne, faid. Men ought not 
 to a(id to God's Wordy lefl they lofe their Part 
 in the Book of Life. Yhe Politick Cardinal 
 asksy Why then do you retain the Crofs in Bap^ 
 tifm ? Where-ever the Politicks lie in this, 
 where is the Confequencc, that becaufe Men 
 
 7nujt 
 
1 6 ObjeStions againft 
 
 mufl not add to Go£s Word ( as the Quakers 
 
 do, who pretend to be infpir'd, and that what 
 
 they fay is the Word of God) therefore 
 
 they mufl not entertain an human Inftitution, 
 
 confider'd as fuch ? And the Politick Claridge 
 
 t Ste the Diftrence asks. Why we may not ufe f all Po- 
 
 ef tht Popip) Do^rine pifi Ceremonies as well as this ? Then 
 
 fromoursy as to Cere- after a tedious fulfome Detail of 
 
 mnies. StUl of Stp. fuch Ceremoies ( in which he might 
 
 fart. 3. 5.^. 28. j^^^g fpar'd'^his Pains ; for having 
 
 been converfant with Papifis, no one quefti- 
 
 ons his Knowledge in thefe Matters) he asks 
 
 the fame idle Queftion again, /». 45. But his 
 
 Abfurdities in this Point have already had 
 
 too long an Anfwer. 
 
 Reply to SECT. VII. 
 Objeliiom againfi Baptifm anfaer'd. 
 
 TH E Title here is Water-Baptifm further 
 examined, ^c. but the SeBion is little 
 more than a dry Repetition, and much in the 
 fame Words of what has been already fpoken 
 to. He tells us again. That Baptifm has had 
 its final Period 06 well as Circumcifion, p. 48. 
 That Peter s commanding fome to be baptiT^d^ 
 does no more infery that all others ought to be 
 foy than his compelling the Gentiles to be cir^ 
 cumcifed-^ 'The Argument is as conclufive for 
 the one od for the other. This and more he 
 confidently fays, as before, without giving 
 himfelfthe Trouble to prove it. Mr. C — sha- 
 ving afferted the fame Thing in different 
 ExprefiTions, viz^ " That this Herefie of taking 
 
 away 
 
Baptifm, its Effe^s, &c. 17 
 
 *^^ away Baptif?n was not broached in the A- 
 *' poflles Days; there v/as not any that for- 
 " h^dM^ater-Baptifm, not onQ Quaker- Baftifi 
 *' then known "; Claridge^zccoxdiu^ to his Z.o- 
 ^/c^, calls this three negative Conclupons ; and 
 as fuch, runs an impertinent Defcant upon 
 each. But left we fhould fufped he had ne- 
 ver feen or heard of Zo^/£,(;, he produces z La- 
 tin Scrap, fignifying that in every ^Sy/Zf^^V/T^- one 
 of the Propofitions muft be general ; From 
 which he infers, that Precepts upon particular 
 Occajions to fome particular Perfons do not oblige 
 us now, p. 4p. From which he may as well 
 infer, that we have nothing at all to do with 
 the Precepts of the Gofpel, which for the great- 
 eft Part were given upon particular Occajions 
 to fome particular Perfons, Setting afide his 
 Repetitions, and taking things notorioufly falfe 
 for granted, as that Chnfl commanded not IVa- 
 ter-Baptifiny we come to fomewhat that v/ill 
 furprize the Reader ; he endeavours to make 
 it appear, that the twelve Apoftles, the 70 
 DifcipleSy with many others in our Saviours 
 Time, wqhq z\\ Quaker-Baptifis, P-5Q- 
 
 ■ ■ Ha Nuga Seiia ducent 
 in Mala ■ ■ 1 
 
 Of the NeceJJitj/ofB^ptKtn, itsEfeSs, &c. 
 
 BAptifm is in Scripture * placed among the Hcb. ^.|r. 
 Principles and Fundamentals of Chnftia- 
 nity, next after Repentance aind Faith : As it 
 confifts of two Parts, zn Outward Vijible Sign, 
 and an Inward Spiritual Grace ; the former 
 (from which it receives it's Name, and with- 
 out which nothing can be call'd Baptifm^oihQv- 
 W'lk than by a Figure) is Wafiingy Dipping 
 
 G in^ 
 
i8 Of the Necefit^ of 
 
 iriy or Sprinkling with Water, in the Name of 
 the F^^r/;£r, Son, ^nd Holy Ghofi. Whence it is 
 Eph.5.2^. ftyled the Wajhmg of Water by the Word. 
 Tir. 3. 5. 77,^ Laver of Regeneration. 'The putting away 
 I Pec. 3. of the Filth of the Flejh. Which plainly denote 
 this to be the Inftrument or Means God is 
 pleafed to ufe in purifying us from the Defile- 
 ments ^f Sin ; 'tis exprelly faid, that Chrift 
 fmnifes and • cleanfes tha Church with the 
 /^/^z;/j/>/^ 0/ i^^if^r ; By this alfo we are diftin- 
 guiih'd and feparated from the Societies of Un- 
 t Aa.2.4 believers, and are joined to the Faithful f; We 
 *Ro.6. 3, foirnally feal our Covenant with Chrifi* ; are 
 t f Cor. vifihly admitted into his Church f, and to all 
 12, 13. it's Rights and Privileges. By the Grace of 
 *r Baptijm we are inwardly united to Chrift our 
 
 X ^cl'^^' Head*; and receive Remiilion of Sinsfj as 
 .g ' ' purged frdm their Stain and Guilt; weare al- 
 *Tir. 3.5'. lb regenerated hereby*; and by this we are 
 f/^. Mar. even faid to be faved j. 
 16^ 16. ^g ^.j^jj ihews the NecefTlty of Baptifm, the 
 
 ^ j^ * ^* fame may be further evinced from many indif- 
 putable Proofs in Scripture. Not to infift up- 
 on our Saviou/s Saying to St P^^^r, He that 
 *Jo- 13- hen been once zvafied hai no Need again *; By 
 +T d "^^^^^^ ^^ ^^ fuppofed t to intimate the Necef- 
 Bapf ^ ^^^y ^^ every one's being once bapttz^ed ; He 
 declared to Nii;odnnHs, that except a Man be 
 
 born oj Water he cannot enter into the 
 
 ~^M ^ 8 Kingdor.i of God \ . His D/fcip lei he comman- 
 ar. 2 . j^^ j.^ baptiz-e ail Nations*; and we find 'em 
 upon all Occafions executing this Commiflion : 
 Thus to the jfeivs who weredefirousto know 
 •what they Jhould do that they might be faved, 
 St. Peter anfwers, Repent, and be baptiz.ed eve- 
 ry one of you hi the Name ofj&fus Chrift, fir 
 *A£l.a.38. //;^ Re?mjfwn ofSms*;[o when the Samari-- 
 
 tanes 
 
Baptifm, its EffeSIs^ &c. ip 
 
 tanes believed Philip f reaching the things con-' 
 cerning the Kingdom ofGod^ and the Name of 
 yefus Chrifly they were bapttz,ed both Men and 
 JVomen * • and having received the Eunuch' % * 8. i2» 
 Confeffion of his Faith mChrifly they went both 
 into the Water ^ and he baptiz,ed him f. In a t 38. 
 word, all that were converted, and received 
 into Chri/Fs Churchy were, as the neceffary 
 Means of their Admiflion into it, immediately 
 baptized * ; fo far were the Apoftles from con- ♦ Aft. 9. 
 fidering Baptifm only as a carnal Rite, or low 18. 16.15, 
 Elementy above which a higher Difpenfation 33- '8. 8. 
 of the Spirit was to raife them: When thei/o- ^ ^^^' '* 
 ly Ghofl had defcended upon Cornelius and his 
 Friends, and they had been thus baptized with 
 the Spirity St. Peter afterward baptiz^ed 'em with 
 Water ; Can any Man (fays he) forbid Watery 
 that thefe Jhould not^be baptiz^ed, which have 
 received the Holy Ghoft oi well as we ? ^ It is j^ A£l. ro. 
 therefore proper and eflential to Chriftiamtyy 4^47>45« 
 and different from that of any other Difpenfa- 
 tion: It is exprefly faidof thofe who had been 
 baptized by St. John the Baptifi, that when 
 St. Paul explained to them the Difference be- 
 tween the Baptifm oiChriJi and that of St. Johny 
 that they were all baptized in the Name of the * /^Q. 19. 
 Lordjefm*. 2, 3,4, J, 
 
 To produce all that the Fathers have faid 
 concerning the Necelllty, the Virtue, and Ef- 
 ficacy of the Sacrament of Baptifmy is as un- 
 neceffary as it wou'd be vain to pretend to 
 it: What may be fufficicnt to fatisfie any 
 one (hall ferve. 
 
 * Hermas (who wrote his Book before 'UbiHo- 
 St. John wrote his Gofpel) fays, « When a- "'^ ?"^' 
 <« ny one receives the Seal, he is deliver d from sigjHun,^ 
 
 Iiber«tur, &c. Her. Vt^p.t. 3. Smil.^, C. 16* 
 
 C 2 '' Reath, 
 
20 
 
 Of the I^ece[fity of 
 
 " Deaths and ailign'd to Life;" Now that Seal, 
 " fays he, is IVater, into which Men go down 
 " obnoxious to Death, but afcend out of it, 
 " alTign'd to Life.. 
 
 ] Juftin Martyr, fpeaking of the folemn 
 Rite of initiating Coiiverts in Chriffs Churcfj 
 by. Baptijm, fays, " We bring 'em to fome 
 '' Place, where there \s fVater, and they are 
 
 viilg.^.ad'' regenerated-^ — for they are wafied with 
 
 AiKouia. 
 
 Pium, p. 
 
 "* Corpora 
 enirn nol- 
 tra per 
 L 
 
 &c.Juft. 
 M.Apo.i. 
 
 " Water in the Name of God the . Father y 
 " and of our Saviour^ and of the Holy Spirit: 
 For Chrtfl fays, unlefs You be horn ofWater,Szc. 
 * Ireiiam fays, '^ Our Bodies have ac- 
 '^ quir'd that Union which makes them in- 
 vacrum a corruptible, by Watery but our Souls by the 
 eO Sec. ir. Spirit ; therefore they are both neceliary, 
 L.3.C.J9. " fince both avail to the Life oi God. 
 
 'Tertullian in his f Book of Bap- 
 tifm defends the Neceility and Ef- 
 ficacy of it ; he fays, * " There is 
 "no Doubt to be made, but that 
 " at prefent, Baptifm is neceflary 
 ^^ to Salvation ; that, tho' formerly 
 " a Man might be faved only by 
 " Faith in one God^ yet now we 
 " muft believe in [fejm Chrifi, and 
 " that it was neceffary this Faith 
 " .fliould befealed by Baptifm; that 
 " Chrifi had made a Law for it, and 
 " prefcribed the Manner, faying. Go 
 '•'> teach all Mation^y baptiz^ingthem, 
 " &:c. . t And that this Sentence of 
 " the Gofpel, If a Man be ndt born 
 
 t It begins, Blefjed 
 Sacratnent of Water, 
 dec. Le Prieur has 
 this Noteupo7t the Word 
 Water ; Toufee a Word 
 hateful to our Hereticks 
 in a inoji amient Wri- 
 ter ; from th'en'ce jou 
 rpill infer the Neajftty 
 *j Water in Baptifm, 
 
 * Fueric falus re- 
 tro ptr Fidein nu- 
 dam, anre &c. Tert. 
 de Bitpt. Pars z.^u. 2. 
 
 t Pfsefcribitur xie- 
 mini line Baprifmo 
 competcre falurem, 
 ex ilia maximc pro- 
 nuntiarione Domini, 
 
 qui air, Nifi riatu^-Scc/ Vide </« R(^«r Carjiis, C.48. 
 
 Vide eriam de Coron.-Mil. Ut a Baptifmacc ingrtdia*, Aquam 
 «ditufi,6oc. Tert. Paris Edit. p. 102. 
 
 again 
 
* Ad Regnum Dei 
 nifi baprizatus, ^c. 
 L 3 . Tepm. ad ^irin. 
 C.2S p.iyi.perRigalt. 
 
 Ab omni foece 
 
 Baptifniy its EffeSls, &c. 21 
 
 «: again of Water y and the Holy Ghoft, he cannot 
 " enter into the Kingdom of Heaven-, does in- 
 " vincibly eftablifh the NecefTity of Baptifm. 
 
 * St. Cyprian fays, " If any one 
 " be not baptized and regenerate, he 
 " cannot enter into the Kingdom of 
 *' God "; which he enforces from 
 Scripture. He aiErms, that " By 
 " the Sanftifying Laver of Salvation, ^ontagionis Anri- 
 " we are purged from all the Dregs 
 *' of Original Contagion. In ano- 
 ther Place, that " by the Regene- 
 " ration of Baptifm, we become the 
 
 " Sons of God and are endu'd 
 
 " with his Holy Spirit ". And elfe- 
 where he extols the Grace of God 
 that is conferred by Baptifm; and 
 fhews how much he himfelf was 
 changed and transform'd by it ; cal- 
 ling it f" The Death of Sins, and the 
 *' Life of Virtues. 
 
 t St. Pacianus in his Treatife of Baptifm, t Lavacro 
 
 fhews alfo the NecefTity and Efteds of it. peccata 
 
 purgan- 
 
 tur Ubi perBaptlfmi Sacramentum ad Signum Domini 
 
 convenimus, Diabolo • . renunciamuJ, &c. S. Paciart. Strm, 
 
 ^d Fidel, de Bapt. propefn. 
 
 quae, Lavacri Vitalis 
 Sanftificatione pur- 
 gamur. DeDifdpL & 
 Hah. Virg. in princ. 
 Per regenerationem 
 Bapcifmi filios Dri 
 faftos ; — per Bap. 
 tifma Spirirus Sanc- 
 tus accipitur, &c. Ep. 
 
 63. t Mortem 
 
 Criminum , Vitam 
 Virtutum,&c. Ep. j. 
 Vide£/>. 23. 70. 76. 
 & deBap.ChriJii. 
 
 * Bcn^ 
 Baptifma ; 
 
 St. Optatus, in his fifth Book of 
 the Schifm of the Donatifls, approves 
 of the * Commendations which Par- 
 menianus (againfl whom he wrote) 
 has given the Sacrament of Baptifm, 
 by faying that it is " The Life of 
 " Virtue, the Death of Crimes, the 
 ** immortal Birth, the Means of obtaining the 
 *' Kingdom of Heaven, the Port of Innocence, 
 *^ and the Shipwreck of Sins. 
 
 laudaili 
 Quis e- 
 
 nimfidelium nefciac 
 Baptifma Virtutum 
 effe Vitam, &c. Oa- 
 tatus., p. H4, Parit Ed. 
 Vide ^ 83. 
 
2 2 Of the l^ecejfity of 
 
 St. Cyril of JeYufalems 1 8 Catechetical Dif- 
 courfes were written to ground the Catechu-- 
 mens well in Religion, and difpofe 'em to re- 
 ceive Baptjffn with Purity, as he himfelf tefti- 
 fies in his Praliminary Dijcotirfe : In his third 
 concerning the Necellity of Baptifm, he ^x- 
 *'Av<lyi^ prefly affirms, * " You cannot be perfeft, un- 
 ctu^o-nea^v u lefs bg fanftified by the Water and the 
 
 ffz TsAf^r.- 6////? • If any one receive not Baptjjmy tho 
 6))!'c/y, &c. " his Converfation be never fo well ordered, 
 p. i6. Ed. 'f he fhall not enter into the Kingdom of Hea- 
 farts. u ^gj^ T\\is Difcourfe (fays he) is bold, but 
 " it is not mine, but ^efm Chrift'sy who has 
 " pronounced this Sentence, when he faid, 
 *' Except a Man be horn again of Water ^ &(:. 
 He proves this Truth by the Example of Cor- 
 nelim ; then he fhews the NeceiFity of Baptifm 
 by Watevy and declares that f " None 
 ip^i(lj.^>AC'Arh « but Martyrs only, can enjoy the 
 «\ ^v^ ^Klai y/ovo, Kingdom of Heaven without be- 
 yia.i%ci>i', ib. p. icf. *^ ing haptiz. d. ( Tis remarkable 
 that in the Creed which St. Cyril u- 
 * Carech.iSp 220. fe^^ -^ after the Rejurreciion of the 
 Flejho there is added Baptifm.) Befide thefe 
 he wrote fiv-e others, call d Myftagogick Lecr 
 tures, for the Inftruclion of thpfe that are 
 newly haptiz^'d; the firft and fecond of whichj. 
 fhew the Obligations and Effeds of this Sacra- 
 ment ; He fays ^* It conveys to usRemiffion of 
 *^ Sins, and the Gift of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 ] St. Ba/iPs thirteenth Homily is; 
 
 t M)/«< Kf vofxi('i' ^n Exhortation to the Catechumens^ 
 
 nr, 73 RaV iJjAct a.U' j^ot to defer being baptizJd: Among 
 
 &c. Catech.Mift. 2. Other things, he fays, « Tis dange- 
 
 p. 233. ■ ** rous to delay, becaufe without 
 
 K •' Baptifm^ we can have no Part in 
 
 3 ^^^^ 
 
Eaptifmy its EffeSis, dec. 2 3 
 
 *^ the Kingdom of Heaven, nor can we be 
 " delivered from the Tyranny of 
 " the Devil.—' Baptifm, fays he, is aJth tS Kvtti a* 
 « the Sign by which 2iChrMan is ^«^^'. ^>-», *'"*♦»'' 
 " known, it changes a Man intire- ^^^rj^'^^lf^^^sTc! 
 " ly ; there is nothing but the s. Baf. Exhort' ad 
 '^ Love of Licentioufnefs that can Bapt. p. ^lo, Varif, 
 " diffwade Men from receiving it : '^^(i' m TropU."^? cT/* 
 * He extols the admirable Privile- :^y^j(^,&c.p.4u 
 2es of Baptifm ; and, at the latter ;^,^:^«^,, ^^V^^r 
 End, f reprefents in a lively manner p./c&f<f, &c. ib. 
 theRemorfe which they fliall have * BAV77^iua a/;;^^/*- 
 at the Day of Judgment, who fhall ^''(^'^ avV^^^&c ib. 
 feethemfelves condemn d for Want J^^^^Z^.^s""' 
 of it. 
 
 St. Gregory Nax.ian7^en in his 3 9th and 40th 
 Difcourfes treats of Baptifm: In the former 
 he fpeaks f of the wonderful EfFefts o( Bap- tin fine. 
 tifrriy which had the Virtue of purifying us : 
 In the latter he again obferves the 
 Excellence of it : He fays, " It con- A/t7»' :^ » x/Step^c 
 fifts of two Things, the Water ^nd ^^t^Jb^lQ- ^ ^v£^ 
 the Spirit; that the^^A^^ the ^5^/ p^;,^"^'^"^' 
 Body with Water y reprefents the 
 Operation of the Spirit in purifying the 
 Soul. "* My Brethren, fays he, ^ s«j/7w^J<a^- iv 
 " being buried by Baptifm, with Ytx^ Sid tS Bct-sr. 
 '' JefMS Chrift, let us rife with him, ^yVj^?©-, &c. ibid. 
 " let us defcend with him into the P' '^^' 
 ^^ Waters^ that we may afcend with him into 
 Heaven. He proves * afterwards,that we ought ♦ p^ ^ - 
 not to delay the receiving of Baptifm. 
 
 St. Gregory Nyffen fays of Baptifm, \ That 
 '^ there are three Things in this Sacrament, ^ Q^^^^ch. 
 " which conduct us to immortal Life, Prayer, Orat. C. 
 ^^ ^IVaur and Faith ; thatwithout Baptifm no 36. (^ 
 
 C 4 Maif 
 
a 4 Of the Necefjity 
 
 " Man can be uoajh'd from his Sins. 
 
 B:tVr75-^ Tiivvv In another Place, " That Baptifm 
 
 Tc^V d^MLfji^ov yjdtcp- a ^^^^^^ ^^ fj-^m quf Guilt, and 
 
 Shrim p. 8o"o.Vor, " ^^ th^ , S^."^^ ^^ /^.^e^.r../o^: 
 P^„>. Upon thole Words of our Saviour, 
 
 Except a Man he horn of Water, 
 "Bdv jbiii V4 ;)!?o£9h, cScc. " Why, fays he, is not the 
 (pjj^y, Ig vcHciO- Jf ^ « spirit alone fufficient for Bap-- 
 .^rU^lQ-, acc. lb. ^-j-^ ? ^^ ^j^j^j^ j^g ^gpj.^^^ « j^an 
 
 ^' ' " is a Being compounded of two 
 
 '■ Vide or/i/. in m, " ^^^^^s, and therefore proper and 
 
 eiui differunt Baptif " correfpondent Cures are apply'd 
 
 w«w, Vol. I. p. 9 5 6, "to each ; to that which is vifible, 
 
 ?S^' " viz,, the Body, Water which is 
 
 " perceived by the Senfes^ and to his Soul 
 
 " which is invifible, the Spirit which can t 
 
 " be feen. 
 
 Debemus—Gratiam St. Amhrofe fays, ^' We ought 
 
 BaptifmatisornniFe. u ^^ h^aen om Bap tifm, we 
 
 &c. s-^«.^r. 5. J. 4i: <^"S^t t« t)e dipt m the fame 
 
 de Gratia Bapt. Vide " Water with C^r//?, that we may 
 
 Serm. lo. —nudi in " become fuch as Chrijt; — ^but 
 
 fcculo, &c. " for this 'tis not neceffary w^e lliou d 
 
 " go to the Eaft, to the River o£ Judaa; 
 
 ^' for wherefoever Cbrift is, there is a River 
 
 " Jordan; that which confecrated thofe 
 
 " Streams, fandifies all othe;-. He fpeaks of 
 
 it as a received Opinion , That 
 
 * Credit Cateclui- «a * Catechumen though he be- 
 
 menus^fednifibap. cc i^^ves in the Crofs oiChrift , 
 
 tizatus fuerit— re- ., ^ t r l i_ / ^ • »j • i\^^ 
 
 niimonem non po- yet unlefs he be haptiT. d m the 
 
 teft accipere, &c. De " Name of the Father, Sic. cannot 
 
 its qui Myji. imtiant. " receive Remiflion of Sins ; when 
 
 ^•^; ... , he had fhewn before that + Wa- 
 
 T Legilri quod tres 
 
 teftes in Baptifmate unum fint , Aqua, Sanguis & Spit*, ib. Vide 
 
 C. 3. Serm. i^. Oe Jejuniis, Et in i Ad Cor, C. 6. p. ^44. ParH' 
 
 Tstti, 3. 1586, 
 
Baptifm, its EffeRs^ &c. 25 
 
 cer is an Effential and Neceflary Part of 
 Baftifm. 
 
 St. Chryfoflom fays. That ** the ^^av fMiet'm, kSLv 
 « Baptifm oiJefusCImfJ not only 'fpV©- » 77?, &c, Kc«. 
 « wafies the Soul from all manner :;'?fZ»1?l' T"' 
 « of Sin, but alio landihes it ; 6:&h/. Eton.Ed.Ta 
 " wherefore it is called the Laver 6. p. 854. 
 *' of RegeneratioHy becaufe it renew- 
 " eth the Soul thro' Grace. And becaufe the 
 Clinicks ( z. e. fuch as receive Baptifm at the 
 Point of Death ) have not Time to prepare 
 themfelves, he doubts of their Salvation. In 
 another Place, he fays, " * Our Or^ -^ ^. <^^, ^^ 
 \\ cumctfton, to- Mrit, the Grace of g,^^^,^^ ^ ^ B^^V- 
 " Baptifmy brings innumerable Be- /u'.<el0-A^,7<^>«s/<,&c. %% 
 " nefits, and fills us with the Holy '^'^ t^' rgi-s^r Ac^. 
 " 6^m>" And elfewhere fpeaking ("' P- 3^8. Tom. i. 
 of thofe for whom we have Rea- 
 fon to grieve ; f '' Bewail, fays he, t '^^^cw^dv tIc aV- 
 " Infidels, bewail thofe who difter ^«^', ^Kcw<r.v rl^i^v 
 « nothing from Infidels, thofe who ^^1)1' t^^'*.' l"'^ 
 " are departed without Eaptijm, ^^^ ^^^j^, ȣ-^5. j^ 
 '^ without the Mark of Chriflians- fine Aoy, y. To. 4. 
 ^^ Thefe are truly worthy to be la- Vi^l^ *£'< '^ "^KS^ 
 " mented, thefe deferve your Tears; ^'''^'^' ^^^- ^'y- ^' 
 " they are without the Palace, together with 
 ** thofe that are aflign'd for Punilhment, &c. 
 " Verily, I fay to you. Except a Man be born 
 " of Water, and the Spirit, he fhall not enter 
 *-^ into the Kingdom of Heaven. 
 * He gives a Reafon why in con- * '^v ^4 Bet^v<r' 
 krnm the GracQ of Baptifm, Wa- ^'^, ^'r'^^'^, ^^ 
 ter is made Ufe of. l/ one Place ^^^^^rt: 
 he thus exprelles himfelff; "In ro ;^ M^t9. 'Ow/?>. 
 "what Anguifh of Mind, am I, 'sr/S.p. J13. To. 2. 
 " think yoU; when I hear of any .t "/< <^^i'^^f f^-- 
 
 VCOfjUjLt oraP, OCC, Et^ 
 7w^ ne95|, ^ Attct, Acy, A, To. 4. p. 61$. 
 
 one 
 
t6 
 
 x€. Ek to xJI I'yrtv. 
 p. 6yd. To. a. ibi 
 vide plura. 
 
 Of the Necejjity.^c. 
 
 " one that is dead that was not 
 
 " baptTLd, confidering , &c. In 
 
 another *, " If fudden Death feize 
 
 " us ( which God forbid ) before 
 
 " we are baftiz.edy tho' we have a 
 
 " thoufand good Qualities, there is 
 
 " nothing to be expeded, iXc. 
 
 St. Jerom propofes to fhew the great Ef- 
 
 fi-cacy and Grace of the fanflified Water of 
 
 Baptifm • he proves the NecelTity of it, from 
 
 feveral Paflages in Scripture; and 
 
 concludes , . That * " the Time 
 
 * Quanram vim 
 habcat Baptifma, & 
 Aqua in Chrifto fan- 
 ftiiicata Gratiam,d'f. 
 Dies me deficier, (i 
 cun£la qux ad Po- 
 tentiam Baptifmi pertinent, de Scripturis,d^f. S. Hier. Ep. 82. ad 
 Ocean, Paris 1706. 
 
 " wou'd fail him, if he fhould urge 
 " from thence every Thing that re- 
 " lates to the Power of Baptifm. 
 
 t Ex Adamo ju- 
 ftam fortem Damna- 
 tionis inveniunc, ni- 
 fi, &c, S. ^ug. Ep. 
 157. — NulJus om- 
 nino Natorum, an- 
 tequam per Baptif. 
 
 St. Aufiin fays. That f "all the 
 " Sons of Adam are born in Sin, 
 " and periih eternally, if they are 
 " not fandified by Baftifm. He 
 wrote feven Books of Baptifm, in 
 which he handles feveral Queftions 
 mumhberetur, non concerning the Neceffity, Validity, 
 tenetur obnoxius , ^^ o S 1 ^. "^ n r 
 
 Efrea, and other Circumitances of 
 
 it : He fays. That * " the Sacra- 
 " ment of Baptifm^ and the Con- 
 '^ verfionof the Heart, are two dif- 
 " feient Things ; That the Salva- 
 " tion of Man is efFeded by both ; 
 " but when one ofeni is wilfully neg- 
 " leded, it involves a Man in Guilt: 
 Nor can the Heart by any Means be faid 
 
 " to be converted to Gody when his Sacra-- 
 
 ^ ment is thus contemn'd. 
 
 In 
 
 ibid 
 
 * Aliud elT: Sa- 
 cramentum BaptiC- 
 mi, aliud Converfio- 
 nem, &c. L. 4. de 
 Bapt. in fin. Vide 
 TraEi. 15, & Zo. t'H 
 Joan, in fin. De Ani- 
 wA.L. 3. C. 13. 
 a 
 
Of Bapi:^ng Infants. 27 
 
 T'heodoret tells us, t That ''Bap- t 'Am' ^ ? ^g. 
 « tifm came in the Place of the ^?;«^'»;?'^''',&g H*- 
 ^^ Jewijh Wajhings', that it was not a^^'Bapt-* ^' 
 « eftablifh'd for the Remiffion of 
 ^< Sins paft only, but alfo to give us Hope 
 " of the good Things promifed -, by making 
 f^ us Partakers of the Death and Relurrection 
 « of "^efus Chnjh and of the Gift of the Sfi- 
 " rity and by rendring us the Children of 
 " God. 
 
 Gennadius, in his Book of the Doclrines of 
 the Churchy fays, * " That no UnbaftizJ'd *Baptiza. 
 " Perfon can be faved, except in the Cafe of tis tan- 
 '' Martyrdom. t"?^ /f« 
 
 tis credimus. Nullum Otcchumenum, quamvis in bonis ope- 
 ribus defunftum, vicani secernam habere, &c. De Ecckfinft. 
 Dogm. C, 7<}.. 
 
 In the Book of Ecclejiaftical Hierarchy^ at- 
 tributed to Dionyjtus the Areopagite, it is faid. 
 That t " our Bodies being ivaterd in Bap- . ^ .> 
 « tifm, it is believed that our Sins alfo are y^avr^i ^ 
 <* ivajifd away ; and that this properly figni- ^ i» x^yjci 
 «* fies the putting off the Filth of our vicious '^ohtitia.^ 
 ^' Converfation. c^Vc^^Sctf-. 
 
 De Ecclef. Hicr. C. 2. p. Ho. fs^yis 161 5. 
 
 0/ Baptizing Infants. 
 
 INfants born oiChriftian Parents are by the 
 Churchy and have been in all Ages of 
 Qhrifiianityy thought capable of receiving 
 
 Baptifm ; 
 
II, li. 
 t I Cor. 
 
 lO. 2. 
 
 28 Of Baptizing It^ants. 
 
 Eaptifm ; and this not only from the Exam- 
 Col, a. pjg q£ Circumcijton, * in the Room of which 
 Eaptifm fucceeded ; and of the Infantrrljyaelitesy 
 who f W'jre baptized in the Cloudy and in the 
 t Which is re^re. ^^^ * as well as thofc of riper 
 fented m a Type »fthe Years; but for other weighty Rea- 
 Chrijlian Buftifm by fons. For to whom the * Thing 
 Origen, Cyprian, fignified belongs, the Sign it feif 
 Greg Nyflen Am- ^^^ ^j^^ ^^ j^^. ^^^ ^^^ ^,^-i^ 
 
 xS^r^i^^ ''' ^r.;. of the Faithful have an Intereft 
 
 * A£fc. I9.47- " 17- ^" ^^^ Blood and Holy Spirit of 
 
 Chriftj is not to be denied : The 
 
 t Eph. 5 . Apoftle fays, f That Chrift loved the Churchy 
 
 2y> ^^' and gave himfelf for ity fanctifying and clean" 
 
 fing it with the tVaJhing of IVater hy the Word, 
 
 If Infants therefore are Part of that Church 
 
 for which Chrifl gave himfelf, they afo muft 
 
 be ivajh'd in the Laver of Water by the Word, 
 
 And certainly if they are incorporated into 
 
 the Myftical Body of Chrifi, they are to be 
 
 diftinguifh'd by the Token of this Communion^ 
 
 from thofe who are not of this Body. 
 
 The Apoflles were commanded to baptiz.-e 
 all Nations, and doubtlefs the Children there- 
 in, fince no particular Exception is made. 
 When Lydia via6 baptized and her Houjholdy 
 the Keeper of the Prifon and all his, when 
 St. Paul baptizd the Houjhold of StephanaSy 
 muft we fuppofe there was never a Child in 
 tb3fe Families ? It is faid that 
 * iCor.7.14. m>ich * the Children of a believing Parent 
 
 h^n'stlni\^'''n' ""^^ ^'^-^' ^'■^"' whence we muft 
 rZ', PauLm/^T. ^^f^^' that either they were adually 
 refer d to their being within the Covenant of Chrifl, or, at 
 baptizd. leaft, that they had f a Title to enter 
 
 t As under the Old Law, Deut.ap. 10, 11,12. 
 
 into 
 
Of Baptising Infants. 2^ 
 
 into it: Now.it has been fhew'd before, that 
 Baptjfm is the Means of our Admiilion into 
 this Covenant', and that in the Judgment of 
 the Fathers, grounded upon our Saviours 
 Words, it is even neceffary to Salvation. For 
 which Reafons it is not thought fit to deny 
 Children fo great a Blelllng ^ at leaft to put 
 their Salvation to a Hazard that may be a- 
 voided ; efpecially when the fame Fathers evi- 
 dently fhew Pado-Baptifm to have been the 
 anpient Ufage of the Church, and reprefent 
 it as highly requifite and expedient. 
 
 The Apoftolical Conftituuons or- ♦ Bt'T^n^iTi -j t- 
 dain, * That " Infants ihould be a<^' ^tj -m N{mia, L. 
 baptized. ^-C- '5. in fine. 
 
 In the Book of Anfwers to the Quefiions 
 of the. Orthodoxy commonly afcribed to Ju-* 
 ftin Martyr, we are told. That 
 " t Baptiz.ed Infants will be made f Aut? ^IrV »/</*/«- 
 « Partakers of the Bleffings granted ^'^- ^' I'^'^'lf'' 
 « by^.;...>; and the Unbapt^z.^d ^7;! R^fp. gueft 
 " not; and that they became wor- p. 414. 
 " thy of the Benefits of Baftifin, 
 " by the Faith of thofe who bring 'em 
 " to.it. 
 
 ^ ^ Qyjir Saviour c^m^ to hvQ2\\, ♦ Qmnes venic 
 " fays Irenani, all who are km a- Chriftus, per femec- 
 " gain by him to God, Infants, and iplum falvare ; om- 
 " Children, and Boys^ and young "«— qui per eum 
 « Men, and Old. f By beine bora ^/"^fcuntur,- In- 
 n , -6 ^ r fantes, &c. L. ir 
 
 again, mult be meant Baftij?n. q ' 
 
 t Wall of Infant. Baptifin, IttrQcl. § 6. Parti, p. 18, 19,20. 
 Part II. p. 3(^4, 365. 
 
 7'emdli an zWows *- Infant Bap" * Cunftatio Bap- 
 tifm to be the general Pradice of tifmi utilior eft, &c. 
 his Time, but thinks the deferring ^'''' ^' ^''^'- 
 
go Of Baptizing Infants. 
 
 of it is more convenient. Upon 
 
 * Du Pin EceUjl- which the Learn d Du Pin * ob- 
 tfjl. Hifi. Vol i.p. 80. ferves. That this is an Error par- 
 ticular to him alone ; and we jhall 
 
 not (Tays he ) find any of the Ancients /peak- 
 ing after the fame Manner. 
 
 Origen f makes Pado-baftifm to 
 
 t Pro hoc, &c. be a Tradition from the Apoftles ; 
 
 Hm. in Ro. 6. L. j. « YhQ Church receiv d it as deli- 
 
 p. 353. ^'^ fj«'fr; " ver'd from the Apoftlesy viz. to 
 
 Parts 1604. Quia ... ., .^ .■'^rr' j 
 
 per Baptifmi Sacra- " give Bapttfm to Infants; and 
 
 mentum Nativitatis fays, that * " becaufe the Sucra-- 
 
 fordes deponuntur , « 7^^?^^ of Bapttfm wajhes away the 
 
 &c Horj,. 14^ ;«Luc. « Stainsofour Birth, therefore Chil^ 
 
 Vide How. 8./»Le- ,, , / ^x- j 
 
 vit. P^rix. ^ 90. Com, ^^'^ ^^^ baptized. 
 in Mat. T9. i.f. 331. Rothem. per. Huet, 
 
 St. Cyprian in a Council of Sixty-fix Bijhops. 
 
 at Carthage^ proposed a Queftion concern- 
 
 t Quantum ad ^"§ ^^^ ^^^/'^^^ of /«/^Wf^: f In 
 
 Caufam Infantium Anfwer to which , they declard, 
 
 pcrtinet, &c. £]>. 59. That " it was neceflary to baptize 
 
 " 'em immediately after their Birth, 
 
 " and that there lay no Obligation upon 
 
 " Chrijlians to tarry till the eighth 
 
 * This Synad -was " ^^Y' 
 held An. Dom. i^-^.or at moji 254. 
 
 t Uo^v '^yvcS<T- ^^' ^thanafius asks f, « How a 
 
 x,H Mpu'srQ- uVyScc, " Man fhall know that he has been 
 
 Quae ft. II. ad An- " at all baptizd and receiv'd the 
 
 ^'°^^- " Holy Ghofty who was an Infant 
 
 " when baptizd? 
 
 Eccl'^L°'^'''"c "'^' * ^^' ^^-^^ ^^'"S ^^"^ ^'''" ^y ^^^ 
 
 P^nV. p;i7^4. S.Gr'g.' ^^^^or Falens on Account of his 
 
 Na». Orar. in Baf. (^^ild, who was fick, and at the 
 
 p. 352. Paris i6}o. Point of Death, he advifed him to 
 
 3 have 
 
Of Baptizing Infants. 3 1 
 
 have it immediately baptir^ed^ as the mofl pro- 
 bable Means of its Recovery. 
 
 Gregory Naz.ian'z.en declares that 
 
 " * Infants are to be haptiz,*d to * ^tWiov r^ <rr/.^ 
 
 " confecrate em to Jefm ChriR ^- ^^^'^ ci^ci^^7u>, 
 
 - from their Infancy : and though .^.?: 'o.^M Vi^J 
 
 " there be no Danger of Death. ;^,^. /. 658. 
 
 Siriciushys^ \ ^^Infims ought to f Infanribus qui 
 
 *' be relieved with all fpeed, left it nccdum loqui, &c. 
 
 " turn to the Perdition of our own ^'"^^'' ^''''^- ^P *• 
 " Soulsjif we deny the /%?£")- of Sal- 
 " vation to any one that ftands in Need. 
 
 St. Amhrofey * " Neither an Old 
 
 " Profelyte, nor an Infant Slave is * N«c Senex Pro- 
 
 " excepted; becaufe as every Age is ^'^^^^^ "'^ H*'?* 
 
 " obnoxious to Sm, lo every Age is fu^ &c. l. u \/r 
 
 " fit for the Sacrament'': And after- ^hr. c.uh. VideC^w. 
 
 ward, on thofe Words of our Sa- '» ^"^- ^- 1- C. i, 
 vioury Except one be born again of Water ; 
 " You fee (fays he) he excepts no Perfon, not 
 " an Infant. 
 
 \ St. Chryfoftom asks a Parent that f Tn'o< lr*K*r 'mi^ 
 
 had lately loft a Childy " Why do Se^^f cy;Tc;5fc.'E/<7.> 
 
 " you grieve for this Babe ^ Why ^e?i'^>•^^^^o^,^i.y. 
 
 « for one that is newly bapti^U ^ '^' P ^34^ To. 4. ' 
 
 St. '[}erom fays, * " Unlefs you i- 
 
 « magine that the Children of CZ/n- ' Nifi forr^ exifti- 
 
 «/....., if they do not receive 5.^ "/.^i.t^i' ^Z^l 
 
 " tij7n,ZYQ only themlelves guilty of ro. i. Bafl. 
 
 « Sin, and that the Guilt is not f Baptifma unum 
 
 *' theirs, who wou'd not bring 'em tcncmus quod, &c. 
 
 '' to Baptifm. And elfewhere ; t We symbd. Explan. fvi 
 
 " acknowledge one Baptifm, which H/Vr./w Pelagii. 7>. 
 
 « we maintain ought to be admini- I'fl Sj.^tf centra 
 
 " Iter d, in the lame words or the Sa- 7^ - i^o 
 *^ crament, to Infants as to others. 
 
 St. An- 
 
32 Of Baptizing Infants. 
 
 ^ . St. Auftin, who wrote in the ^th 
 
 NonmemiRi me Cenmry, declares * "He never met 
 
 aliud audivifle a ,, . / ^, ./j. ^, , 
 
 Chriftianis non With any any?/^r., Churchman ox 
 
 folum, &c. ^^ Pfcr/»f. " Schifjnarkky who denyed that /«- 
 
 Wfr<>. & Bapt. Infant. ^^ /^wfj- are bapti^Sd for the Pardon 
 
 z.^3- C.5. C(^/. 724. « Qf 5jj^ j^^jcjj jgCg j^ad j^g heard 
 
 "' ^" ''•'^ * of any who denyed that they were 
 
 to be bapttTjd at all. And Pelagius a- 
 
 gainft whom he wrote , had faid , that 
 
 " t He never heard no not even a- 
 
 t Nunquam fe vel " ny impious Hsrettck who wou*d 
 
 impiumaliqucmHae- c< f^y fuch a thing : for who is there 
 
 <j ^afr r.*.^^^ n 1 i« lenorant ot that which is m the 
 
 S. Aug. contra VeUz. .. r^ c \ /, 1 r r 
 
 & Cxlefi. de Peccat. Cjolpel, as (1 need not lay to at- 
 
 Orig.L.2. C. 18. " firm this, but) in any heedle& 
 
 *^ Way, to fay fuch a Thing, or e- 
 
 *' ven to have fuch a Thought > Who can be 
 
 " fo' impious, as to hinder Infants from being 
 
 " haptiz^^dy and born again in Chrtfly and to 
 
 * Wall 0/ " make 'em mifs of the Kingdom of Heaven"? 
 
 infantBap' And * One is very confident that there is no 
 
 tifm. Part paffage in any Author from that Time to the 
 
 Pa«i^*p ^^^^ ^^ Chrifi 1150, that fpeaks againft it ; 
 
 I $6, Sec. at leaft for the following doo Years. 
 
 The laft cited Father fays, t**Men 
 
 ♦ Perfcrutari ho- « ^re wont to ask. What good the 
 
 TT ;°l^ a'^ Av " Sacrament o(Chrtft's Bapttfm does 
 
 t. 3. Col 695. 7>«i. I. to /^//i«fj / As to which It IS 
 
 ** pioufly and truly belie v'd,that the 
 
 " Faith of thofe by whom the Child is ofter'd to be 
 
 Ejus cnim Sa era- " confecrated,pToRts the Child.*' That 
 
 mcnro folvitur, &c. " the Pnnifhment of Original Sin is 
 
 Oportcr Infans bap. « taken away in Infancy by thisaJ^- 
 
 tizcrur ne &c. De <c,,.^^,^ that the /«/k«f muft 
 
 14. Col. 647. To. J. "^^ baptit^d other Wile It Will 
 
 Vid. c. 23. cci. 654. " prove a Prejudice to his Soul, that 
 
Of Baptising Infantsi 3^ 
 
 « it was join'd to finful Flefti. If Si quis in hac re 
 
 « anyone (fays he) asks for d.vine X^Tl^'bI^. 
 
 " Authority in this Matter, tho that j„£„g^ 
 
 ** which the Univerfal Church doeis 
 
 " and alway did retain, is moft rightly be- 
 
 " liev'd to be of Apoftolicdl Tradition, yet 
 
 " what Baptifm avails in Infants^ we may 
 
 " truly infer from Clrcumcijiony Scc. 
 
 He fays, t " God fupplies in them tlnlnfantibusqui 
 
 " the Faith which they want not bapcizaa rtioriuntur, 
 
 "wilfully, but by Reafon of their ♦A' ' i- 
 
 i-r 1 A All * L Cum ahi pro 11$ 
 
 « tender Age: And that "^ when rcrpondcnt,valet,&c. 
 
 " others anfwer for em, it fuffices tb. 
 
 " to their Confecratioriy becaufethey 
 
 " cannot anfwer themfelves " . In f another t £/>. gg^ 
 
 Place he copioufly refutes what Pelagius and ^^. H;7*r. 
 
 Coelefiius had aUerted, 'viz.. That an Infant J^'^^ , ^^' 
 
 dying ttnbaptizd, cou'd not defervedly pQ- Iff Ep 2S 
 
 rifll.. 0d S. Hierl 
 
 Col. 107. 
 7». 2. Ep. 57. Ad Dardan Col. 277, 278. £^. 88, 89. C»/. 399. 
 E^. 157. Sfrwz. 10. de Verb. Af. To, 10. Col. 296. S^rw. 14. Co/. 318. 
 Lth. I. C. 6. co%fra Julian. L. 3. C. 3. L. 5. C. 8. L. 6. C. 3, j, 
 6, 7. L. I.' de Peccat. Merit. C. 15, 19, 23, 25, 26, 33. L. y paf^ 
 ftm. Lib. 2. contra duasEpiJi. Pelag. C. 6. L.}. C 10. Tra^. 80. j'a 
 Josn.infine. L. t. ad Bonifac C. 22. L.2. C.6. L. 4. C. 4. £,. 1. 
 </e Animii ^ ejtif Orig. C, 9. I.. 3. C. 13. iff N«/^ L. i. C. 20. 
 L. 2. C 18. Au5isr. Hjpogn. L.6. C. 6, 7. 
 
 S. Ifidore fays, that * " The Bap-- * On np J'l^ rU 
 
 " tifm of Infants doth not only ^^eA^*'^*^'^'A^iy., 
 
 '' ivafi them from their natural fj'y.^/^^;,/''^ g/^' 
 
 " Pollution,, caufed by the Sin of Vide ""^ 
 
 " Adam but it a!fo confers ~^ 
 
 " Graces; it not only oblicerates the 
 
 " Sin of thofe that receive it, but alfo makes 
 
 " 'em God's Adopted Children. 
 
 & Then- 
 
34 ^/ Sprinkling in Baptifm. 
 
 t Ow ytp I'heodoret [peaking o( B apt ifmy -f "It is not 
 
 rt/'"/ ^^" '' ^"^y ^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^° ^"'^ off Sins paft, — for 
 tTb^Si^^ " ^^' ^^> w^y (^^ys he) fhou'd we bapti'z.e ChiU 
 «xa,&c. 5. " ^rf//, who have no Sin ? meaning adual 
 
 Theod.Har. Sin. 
 
 ^lideBa' ^^^ Author of Ecclefiaftical Hteranhy af- 
 
 l ji ^i^^ ^wxQs US, That * "in £aptiz.ing Infants^ we 
 
 ^ujiJb.i'&^' " ^o no more than what we have received by 
 
 ■jw-m^^.A " ancient Tradition ; that as Children from a 
 
 cwji'ivcti,^ « good Education become religious and devout 
 
 &c.^ sTA^j/ a jvien, the C7;^rc/; has thought fit to l;apttz.e 
 
 ,^ ThT^ ^"^5 committmg em to the Initruaion of 
 
 TzwTA (p«t- " fome baptiz'd Perfon, who ought to take 
 
 uii; Sec. « Care of em, as their Father in Chrifi, for 
 
 Cap. ulc. <c whofe Salvation he muft anfwer to him ,• 
 
 i\W* " ^^^^ therefore it is demanded of this Perfon, 
 
 " If he renounces^ ^c. By which Ad he binds 
 
 ^^ himfelf to teach this Infant, when he comes 
 
 '' to the Ufe of Reafon, to renounce thofe 
 
 ^* things, which he has promised to renounce 
 
 " in his Name. 
 
 Of Sprinkling in Baptifm. 
 
 * S C br Q^P^iMing or Pouring Wuter on the Head of 
 Kp. ^6. ^ the Baptiz'd Perfon, is of great * Anti- 
 Walafr. quity in the Church, tho* Dipping or Plunging 
 straho dt into it was more common in the Primitive 
 Reh. Eccl ^ ines ; and there appear to be Inflances of 
 ' IMBI^^^^M even in Scripture, as well as of Im^ 
 t Aft. a.^^^^^ We find that f feveral thoufands were 
 ^'- baptized in one Day in the City Jerufalem ; 
 
 * 16,11:, many alfo in private Houfes * , where they 
 I Ma ' ^^^'<^ ^^^ go '^'^^^ t^^ Water as four Saviour 
 ic. Aft '^^^ ^"'^ others. To which Rite alfo the Bap- 
 
Of Spinklivg in Baptifm. 35 
 
 tifm m the Cloud and in the Seuy .of which 
 St. Paul fpeaks, agrees.* So does the Word 
 * Sprinklingy mention d in the Epiflle to the * P^pt/^k- 
 Hebrewsy with Reference to thQ Blood ofChrifi <7B,Heb.9. 
 purging us from our Sins. Befides, it is ob- ^^' 
 ferv'd that the Word to Baptiz>ey is apply*d in 
 Scripture not only to Dipping, but 
 alfo to the f Affujton of Water, or tLu. 11.38. Mar. 
 any ordinary /^^to^; and that ^/J/'- 7.4.Heb.9. lo.Dan. 
 r ' r \c' c r»j * if 4. 33. Levit. 14. i<5. 
 
 tijm It felf IS often exprelsd * by ^ *Eph. 5.26 Tir. 
 Words which fignifie Wafhing in the 3.5. Heb. 10.22. 
 common and general Senfe. 'Tis cer- 
 tain that in the more early Times of Chriflia- 
 nity, when Adult Perfons were frequently bap- 
 tiTjdy Sprinkling was often ufed, as in the 
 Cafe ofClinich; the Weaknefs of whofe Con- 
 dition, wou*d not fuffer 'em to come to the 
 piiblick Baptifteryy nor to be jmmers'd in Wciter\ 
 and therefore Afperfion was judg'd more pro- 
 per. As Chriftianity fpread, and the Baptifin 
 of Infants was more common, the Cuftom of 
 Sprinkling generally prevail'd, chiefly in the 
 colder Climates where Immerfion wou'd en-< 
 danger their Life ; and even in refped of 0- 
 thers, it became an ordinary Pradice. An an- 
 cient Author (by fome thought to be St. Auftin) 
 mentions it as theufual Manner o£ Baptiz^ing; 
 " * Thofe who were baptized (fays he^ after * Pofi- 
 " the Profeffion of their Faith, were either Confcflio- 
 " Dipt lUy or Sprinkled \snth miter". As the ^^^\ ^^' 
 Baptifmso^ Adults are now very rare, the ^^^^^l^i 
 Church for the moft Part ufes Sprinkling ; well intingi- 
 knowing that She wants not fufficient Autho- tur, Gen^ 
 rity for this her Pradice ; and that othetwife, »^^- ^' 
 the Fondnefs for an indifferent Ceremony, ^''^'^"i'^' 
 wou'd not juftifie the Cruelty of endangering * '^* 
 the Life or the Health of Infants. 
 
 D 2 Of 
 
3^ Of the Sign of the 
 
 Of the Sign of the Crofs m Baptifm. 
 
 THE Sign of the Crofs in Baftfm (as is 
 faid in the f Canons) was retain'd in 
 the Primitive Churchy as well by the Greeks as 
 Latins, with one Confent and great Applaufe. 
 At which Time if any had let themfelves a- 
 gainft it, they wou'd certainly have been cen- 
 fur'd as Enemies of the Name of the Cro/x, and 
 confequently o(Chrift's Merits, the Sign where- 
 of they cou'd no better endure. It is there 
 further declar'd, that thi^ Sign is no Part of 
 the Subftance of Baptifm, but that the Perfon 
 is fully baptized and received into Chrift's 
 Church before the Sign of the Crofs is ufed, 
 and not by any Virtue afcribed to it. And for 
 Prevention of all Mifconftruftion, in the Ufe 
 of it, there is alway exprefs'd the End to which 
 it ferves • namely, for a Sign of Remembrance 
 to put us in Mind of our Duty ; to keep us 
 from the Shame of Sin, and from the Fear of 
 Shame for the Crofs of Chrif?, by calling to 
 Mind our Vows at Baptifm ; for a Memorial 
 of which, our Forehead (the Seat of Shame, 
 and of vifible Courage) was mark'd with the 
 Crofs. For thefe Refpefts, and alfo for the 
 very Remembrance of the Crofs, out of Re- 
 gard to our bleffedZor/s Sufferings, the Church 
 {\)\\ retains the Sign of it in Baptijjn-, account- 
 ing it a prof table Ceremony and an honourable 
 Badge, and following herein the Primitive A- 
 pofiolical Churches, and the Judgment of the 
 Fathers. 
 
 Tertullian among other Ciifio?ns and TItz- 
 
 ditions 
 
Crofs in 'Baplifm. 
 
 37 
 
 * Quacunque nos 
 Convcrfario exercct, 
 Frontem Crucis,&c, 
 De Corm. Mil. f. IC2. 
 
 ditions he there mentions, fays, 
 " * We often Jign our felfs with the 
 *^ Sign of the Crofs. If you demand 
 " a Law for thefe Pradices taken 
 " from Scripture, we do not find 
 " one ', but Tl-adition has eftabliih'd 
 " *em, Cuflom has authorized 'em, and Faith 
 " has made 'em to be obferv'd. And in ano- 
 ther Place, f " The Body is ftgnd that the ]j „"ur 
 " Soul may be guarded. u?An?ma 
 
 muniatur. De Refur. Cam. p. 330. 
 
 * " Let the Forehead, fays St. Cyprian, be *Munia- 
 " arm'd, that the Sign of the Lord may be ^^^^'J^^^* 
 
 ^^P^ ^^^^' nom Dei 
 
 incolume fervetur. S. Cyp. adThiharit. Ep. 56. p. 90. Vide ad D§' 
 metr, p. 203. de Unitat. Ecclef. p. 185. de Lapjis. p. 169. 
 
 LaSiantiusy f *^ Chrifl being fa- 
 *' crific'd brings Salvation to all that 
 *' have infcrihed on their Forehead 
 " the *%« of his Blood, to wit, of 
 *' the Crofs on which he fhed his 
 '' Blood. 
 
 St. Cyril of yerufalem recommends 
 to the Faithful the * '^ Signing them- 
 *' felves with the Sign of the Crofs on 
 " the Forehead, Sec. He calls this 
 ^' ^/^K the Terrour of Devils, and 
 " the Mark of the Faithful. 
 
 St. Bajil fays that f " Thofe who 
 *' believe in the Name of Chrift, 
 " are /ignd with the Figure of the 
 '' Crofs. 
 
 t Chrifttts immo- 
 hms faluti eft omni- 
 bus qui fignum, &c. 
 La^. L.^.C.26.infi»e. 
 &C 27. de vera Sm- 
 pient. 
 
 Yi ff(p^.yU, Sec. 2i'- 
 
 ^tify.omVf Sec. C*. 
 tech. 13. p. 138. 
 
 f T^ TuT6) ^rwpS, 
 
 7K\J ili To'^OvOfJictyScC. 
 
 de Sp. Sane}, c. 27. 
 P-35»- 
 
 D 5 
 
 PrU' 
 
38 Of the Sign of the^ ^5cc. 
 
 prudent ius alfo mentions it, 
 
 * Viz.. * Hujus adoratis Altarihmy & Cruce Fronti 
 Chrifti, Jnfcriptay cecinere ltul?a. 
 
 ni^ Whofe Altars when ador'd, and with his 
 
 '^' Crofs 
 
 The Forehead Jtgndi the Trumpets found. — 
 
 Severm Endelechim in the End of his Pafto- 
 ral Poem extols the Efficacy of the Sign of the 
 Crofs. < 
 
 ^iUclp% j St. Chryfojlom makes it the Glory of Chri- 
 
 *^ '^''^" fliansy that we all carry in our Foreheads the 
 
 &c.EpU. Crofs of Chrtfl. 
 
 ¥iicL ui "iTct^u. §9. p. 729. Tom, I. 
 
 And Paulinus^ an Ancient Chrifiian Poety 
 fpeaks of it. 
 
 * De Vita * Signavitque Cruets SanHam Munimine 
 Martini Frontem. 
 
 Epifc, 
 
 inPrinc. ' M^/i^V with the O'o/i^'s G ward, his Re- 
 
 vVend Broiii. 
 And afterward, 
 
 At que Crucem Fromi auxiliiim proCaffide 
 fonens. ibid. 
 
 The Crofs his Forehead for an Helmet armU 
 
 t Crucis Slgno in St. Atiflin fpeaking to one to be 
 Fronte, he deCatec. hapti'z.'d^ fays f You are to h&ftgnd 
 \l n T^' T ''"' " with the Sign of the Crofs, as all 
 
 20. p. 1604. To. 10. i> J -^ ' 
 
 De TetMpore Sinn. Chriftians are. 
 
 J 3 1. P- 888. eed. Tm. de Verb. Jpfji. Ser. 8. p. 28^. To. etd. 
 
 I In 
 
Obje^ions againfi the^ &c. jp 
 
 In the Ecckfiaftical Hierarchy^ we 
 find 'twas the Cuftomtomake * the * 'o H ni xfiVew* 
 Sign of the Crofs three Times upon =^*t« QqiP^^yheuTOf 
 the l^aptiz,'d Perfon. «;r«pJtfVJ^©-,&c c.a. 
 
 p. 78. sftervard is 
 txplaitid what it fgntfies. *H ^zw^aj'tii OpeS>^yh% &C. C J. 
 p. 128. 
 
 fig?/y ^^ S E C T. VIIL 
 
 Obje3io9ts againji the Sacrament of the 
 . Lord's Supper^ afffiverd. 
 
 HE is pleas'd to allow the Lord^s Supper 
 may be called the Lord's Supper, p. 52. 
 and gives Reafons for it- and that the Bread 
 and Wine he partook of with his Difciples was 
 outward, that is to fay, real Bread and Wine : 
 But then, becaufe there are certain Figurative 
 Exprellions of Eating and Drinking in Scrip- 
 ture, which by a Metaphor fignitie Chrijfs 
 Kingdom, his DoBrine, and Faith in him; 
 therefore, he fays, this is that Supper, which 
 in an efpecial manner, is the Lord's Supper, p. 
 5 3 . This is indeed an efpecial Way of argu- 
 ing, and peculiar to him; That that which 
 is no Supper at all, but a mere Metaphorical 
 Defcription of quite another Matter, (hou'd be 
 in an efpecial Manner the Lord's Supper; while 
 his true and real Supper fhou'd be only fuffer'd 
 to have the Name of one, and that for fome 
 certain Reafons. 
 
 What follows is a Quotation of what he had 
 quoted before (p. 3 6.) of what before he had 
 faid himfeif. Has he fo much Senfe as to fuf- 
 
 D 4 pea 
 
40 ObjeSlions againft the 
 
 ped his Stuff, and to apprehend that the on- 
 ly Way to make it taken Notice of, is to place 
 it often in View ? or fp little as to imagine it 
 cannot be repeated too often? 
 
 What we chiefly ground the Nece:1ity and 
 Obligation of receiving this Sacrament upon, 
 and the Force of which it moft concern'd him 
 to evade, are thofe Words of our Saviour ^ 
 ^his do in Remembrance of me : The Meaning 
 of which, obvious to the meaneft Capacity, 
 is, that what our Saviour then did, this he 
 wou'd have done as a Means to bring him to 
 our Remembrance. But what unnatural and 
 untoward Turns, by the Help of a Grammar 
 and Lexicon, does he give it ? Firfl, becaufe 
 'fhis doy Sic. may be tranflated Te do thisy i.e. 
 becaufe it may be rendered fenfelefs (as any 
 thing elfe may) therefore he wou'd have it 
 fo : For what can be more abfurd than to ima- 
 gine, that our Saviour, even when eating and 
 drinking with his Difciples, fhou'd fay to 'em 
 Te do thisy i.e. Ye eat and drink in Remem- 
 brance of me : As if they wanted fomething to 
 put 'em in Mind of him when he was bodily 
 prefent with 'em \ or that Bread, or any thing 
 elfe cou'd do it more than his Perfonal Appea- 
 rance. Since then thus to mifconftrue Part of 
 the Words will not ferve his Purpofe, the reft 
 muft be perverted. With great Endeavour he 
 labours to prove that to Remember fometime§ 
 fjgnifies to 'take Notice -.^ Becaufe I fuppofe one 
 may often remember a thing, and not take a-^ 
 ny Noticey or fo much as think of it: Now 
 fmce to Remember may fignifie to take Notice, 
 therefore Remembrance muft lignifie Notices-ta- 
 king ; accordingly it will be, Te do this unto 
 Tij Notice-taking. But why docs he prefer 
 
 this 
 
Sacrament of the Lord^s^ &c. 41 
 
 this harfh crude Expreilion tp-the common na- 
 tural Tranflation? Let himfpeak for himfelf; 
 'They dtdit in Remembrance of Chrifi — as the 
 
 Words fignifie , Which implies Te do this 
 
 unto my Notice-taking. For fo the Word Re- 
 member fometimes Jignifies^ p. 54. that is^, They 
 ^/W?7 in Remembrance of Cnrift, as the Words 
 here figniiie, which implies they did not do it 
 in Remembrance of Chrift, but unto his Ta- 
 king Notice of them, for fo the Word Remem- 
 ber in other Places fometimes fignifies. But if 
 none of this will do (and what Pity it is 1) 
 and the Words muft be This do in Remem- 
 brance of fne, yet he allows 'em to have only 
 a Relation to Chrifi' s Spiritual Supper^ p. 55, 
 viz.. to no Supper at all, but to the believing 
 in, and meditating upon him. Accordingly 
 when our Saviour faid to his Difciples, Thic 
 do in Remembrance of me^ his Meaning was, 
 Don't do this in Remembrance of me, but 
 fomewhat elfe, viz.. think of me, meditate 
 upon me, /". e. Remember me in Re7nembrance 
 of me. 
 
 But if after ally ClzndgQ s AdverfarieSyth^it 
 is, all true Chrifiians, will have a real Supper 
 to be here defign'd; to be even with 'em, he 
 will have the Words This do, die. to be no 
 
 more than a temporary Precept for that pre- 
 
 fent Occajion immediately referring to that 
 
 very Time: As if our Saviour, fitting at Sup- 
 per with his Difciplesy fhou'd bid 'em do fome- 
 what in Refnembrance of him for that prefent 
 Occafron, and whereby they might call him 
 to Mind immediately, while he was talking 
 with 'em • but not in the leaft intending they 
 ftiou'd do it after he was departed from 'em, 
 
 as 
 
42 Of the Lor d^s Supper, its 
 
 as Hot having fo much Occafion to bring him 
 to Remembrance when he was out of Sight. 
 
 This wicked Stuff has he now publifh'd in 
 two feveral Books, and this he calls premijtng 
 by way of Explanation. What follows, p. $6y 
 5*7. is an idle Boyifti Prevarication, whereby 
 he endeavours to get off from a Query pro- 
 posed by Mr. C^-n ; which however he declared 
 he wou*d m no wife evade, and promised twice 
 to give a plain and direEl Anfwer to ity 
 J). 52, 55. 
 
 Of the Lord's Supper 3 i^V Nature, Ef- 
 fefts. The obligation of receiving it 5 
 the Frequency ^/communicating in the 
 Primitive Times 3 &c. 
 
 T 
 
 ^His Holy Sacrament inftituted by our 
 Bleffed Lord in that laft Supper before 
 *Luk.2i. hisPaffion, is the Means whereby he *wou'd 
 '9* have us keep in frefh and conftant Remem- 
 
 hrancey the greateft BlefUngs that are or can 
 be conferr'd on Mankind *, viz,, that by the 
 giving up his Body, and Jhedding his Blood, 
 we have the free Pardon of all our Sins, Re- 
 demption from Death and the Power of Satan, 
 and a Way open'd to Life and Immortality. 
 The Memory of which Mercy is renewed as 
 often as this Supper is celebrated^ when we 
 receive the facred Symbols of his Body and 
 Blood from his Minifters, as from the Hands 
 of Chrifl himfelf^ when we feem to hear him 
 I Mat.a5. faying, f Take, Eat, this is my Body; and in 
 3 5. a manner view Him in the midft of his Paf- 
 
 fion. 
 
nature^ £ft£is^ &c. 43^ 
 
 fion, wounded to Death for our fake. Nor is 
 this a bare Reprefentation only, but what is 
 thus exhibited to the Sight, is invifibly ejec- 
 ted in the Heart. We inwardly and fpiritual- 
 ly eat the Flejh of Chvift and drtnk his Bloody 
 when we outwardly receive their proper Em- 
 blems, Bread and W^ne : As thefe not only 
 ftrengthen and refrefli our Body, but alfo pre- 
 ferve it's Life ; fo the Body and Blood of Chriji 
 not only * recreate and confirm the Soul, but * Jo.ef.jj. 
 f nourifh it to Life Eternal. By this Spirit u- f^^27,so, 
 al Me^t we do not therefore underftand fome ji,*54)'57t 
 Imaginary Food, but our very Lord-^ KmBodyy 5^- 
 which was deJiver'd for iis ; which yet is re- 
 ceived not corporally, but fpiritually through 
 Faith. And as Faith while we continue in this 
 Life is ftill capable of Encreafe and Addition, 
 it is by this means gradually advanced, the 
 true Believer being more and more ftrengthen'd 
 and confirmed, and going on to Perfedion 
 through the cooiftant Participation of the Lord's 
 Supper. At the fame Time, he complies with the 
 * Inftitution and Commands of his Saviout ^ ♦ j Cdr. 
 t keeps up a vifible Memorial of his precious 11.24,25. 
 Death ^ and before the C/?/^rc]6, takes a folemn ^ ^^' 
 Teft of his being a * Member of that Body, * j q^^^ 
 and his being f united to Chrifl the Head of jo. ly.j' 
 it. By the Ufe alfo of this Sacrament, a moft 1 16. 
 ardent Love is kindled in us toward God^tid 
 toward our Neighbour ; with a joyful Mind 
 we give Thanks for our Redemption, and that 
 of all Mankind ; and by thus applying the Bo" 
 dy oi Chrifl to our felves, we ihew it was not 
 only given for Men in general, but particu- 
 larly for us ; the Bleffed Ef&ds of which> we * comparg. 
 even then ] partake of and enjoy. Lu 22.19. 
 
 vithiCor. 
 
 That '"• '"• 
 
44 
 
 Of the LoYcTs Supper, its 
 
 That this is the leaf!: we ought to conceive 
 of this Sacred Ordinance^ we may conclude 
 from thofe high Eulogiums^ and great Vir- 
 tues attributed to it, by the learned Writers of 
 the firft and pureft Times of Chriflianity. 
 
 St. Ignatius calls it the * " Me- 
 " dicine of Immortality, the Anti- 
 " dote againft Death, and that which 
 " makes us live in Jefus Cbrifl for 
 " ever. 
 
 St. Irenaus fays, that f " As the 
 " Eucharifl confifts of two Things, 
 " an Earthly and an Heavenly ; fo 
 " our Bodies partaking of it, are no 
 " longer corruptible , having the 
 " Hope of a Refurredion to Eter- 
 " nity, &c. And * that when the 
 " Bread and IVine receive the Word 
 ^^ of God, it becomes the Eucharifl 
 " of the Body and Blood of Chrifl. 
 And again, *^ He took Bread and 
 " gave Thanks, faying, 'this is my 
 " Body) and in like Manner the 
 — and thus taught the new Oblation 
 " of the New Teflament ; which the Church 
 " receiving from the Apoflles, every where in 
 " the Univerfal World, offers to God. 
 
 *Ou ^^ J< KOiPhp J'^P^ ^^^^r calls * the Bread 
 and Wine in the Eucharifl,the " Body 
 '' and Blood of Chrifl ; whichj, he 
 fays, t " ^s not lawful for any one 
 " to partake of, but thofe who have 
 " been haptiz^^d, 
 
 Clemens of Alexandria fays, * 
 " That the Bread and IVinc ofFer'd 
 " by Melchifedeck, was a Type of 
 " xhQHoly Sacrament : And in ano- 
 ther 
 
 * "Evct etfTcl' XA<U!'- 
 
 BetvctoidLfy &c. Ep. ad 
 Eph. prope fin. 
 
 K\\rt', &c. Iren. adv. 
 H^rr. L.4.C.34.Vidc 
 ih. flurtt. 
 
 LTj.C. 4. 
 
 t Panem^ accepit, 
 & gratias egit,dicens, 
 &c. 1.4. c. 3«. 
 
 Cup 
 
 ^rf,&c. Apt. 2. ^.98. 
 
 p. 97, 98. Vide in 
 Tryphone^p. 259, 2^0, 
 295, 297. ^ 
 
 * *0 T QlVOVy }C} ^ 
 
 Sec. Cltm. Strom L. 4. 
 p. 5^9. 
 
Nature^ Effe£is^ &c. 45 
 
 ther Place, * " That thofe who ^'^v^ei^a.— ^iot 
 
 " with Faith receive the Euchanft, j;^7,7'^c pw^?' 
 
 " are fandified both in Body and l'^^c a d tc?*'^* 
 
 " SouJ. ' • • ^- ^ • 
 
 Tenullian fays, that f " "^^^ ^ ^^^° Corpore S: 
 
 " Flelh is fed with the ^o^;' and Sanguine Chriftivef- 
 
 " Blood of Clmfty that the Soul may ^X,J^^* ^'''' ^' 
 " be rr>ade to thrive from God. 
 
 * St. Cyprian defcribes the Eucba- * Quando in Call- 
 rift as a Commemorative Sacrifice, by c^ Vino Aqua mifcc- 
 which we are myflically united to ^"^* Chrifto^Popuhis 
 />, n A J 1 1- • adunatur, &c. £<>.6t. 
 Chrift. And by him we are m- ^^^^^ 
 
 formed, that in the third Council of 
 Carthage, held in the Year 253, znEpiftlewas 
 fent CO Cornelius in the Name of dd Bijhop^y 
 in which they declared, | " That as they un- f'^Quos 
 " flood that the Church was going to be per- excicamus 
 " fecuted ; they judg d it expedient to ftreng- -rPforcc- 
 '« then the Chr^ftiansy and to animate 'em to gu"nis & 
 " the Combat, by giving em the Body and Corporis 
 " Blood of Chrifi j which wou'd infpire 'em Chrifti, 
 " with Vigour to fuffer Martyrdom couragi- &c.f>.54. 
 " oufly. 
 
 In an excellent Treatife of the Lord^ Suf- 
 fer, afcrib'd to St. Cyprian, it's Nature and ad- 
 mirable Fruits are Ihewn • the Obligations of 
 receiving, together with the necelTary Quali- 
 fications in Order to it. 
 
 * St. Athanafius, fpeaking after ♦ 'E>c'//r^ or (C>- 
 the Manner of thofe Times, calls the >iTa/ r6^ a^iov cSixa, 
 Confecrated Elements the Body and &<=. Di^. & inter^. 
 Blood of Chrifl. {frf ^JT^- ^« 77. 
 
 C^ r^^ r 1 ' 1-1 Vide. ^POI. 
 
 bt. Uptatus ipeaks m very high 
 Terms of this Sacrament-, as that f —AltariaDei— 
 " Hereby we receive the Pledge of in quibus Vora Po- 
 
 « eternal Salvation : the Shield of puJi, & Membra 
 
 Chfifti pofcata funr. 
 -; — Unde a multis Pignus falutis stcrnae, &c. Quid eft AJtare, 
 nifi ^cdcs Corpopis & Sanguinis Chrifti ? L. ^. p 93, 94. 
 
 Faith, 
 
t M/lfagog. I. p. 
 229, &4. p. 237. 
 
 6cc. Cateeh. Myjiag./^. 
 p. 237. 
 
 4tf Of the Lorcfs Supper^ its 
 
 " Faith, and the Hope of a Refurredion. 
 " What is the Altar (fays he) but the Seat of 
 « the Body and Blood o^ Chrifir'' ? He ob- 
 ferves many Ceremonies at the Celebration of 
 * p. 95. it : as, That it was upon an * Altar of Wood, 
 cover'd with a Linnen Cloth for the greater Re- 
 fped ; that they then ufed Chalices of Gold 
 and Silvery and had feveral Ornaments. 
 
 St. Cyril of Jerufalem alfo calls 
 " t the Bread and Wine the Body 
 *' and jB/oai of Chrijl; and fays, 
 " Under the New Law, the hea- 
 " venly Bread and the Cup of Sal- 
 '^ vation fandifie the Body and Soul. 
 The 5th of his My fiagogical LeBures 
 is alfo concerning the Celebration of the Eu- 
 charift i which he defcribes at large, for the 
 moft Part refembling the Manner ufed in our 
 Church. 
 
 St.jB^//provesfrom Scripture, that 
 " * The Communion of the Body 
 " and Blood of Chrifl is neceffary 
 toward the attaining eternal Life: 
 And in another Place, f ^ews with 
 what Preparation of Mind , we 
 ought to receive it. 
 
 St. Gregory Na'z.ianz.en bids us 
 " * eat the Body^ and drink the 
 " Blood of Chrifly if we defire to 
 " live. 
 
 St. Gregory Nyjfen fays, that f " as 
 " the Soul is united to God by Bap" 
 *' ttfm and by Faith, lb the Body 
 " is united to God by the Eucha- 
 '' rift \ that the Body of Chrift en- 
 
 * In Moral, Reg 1 1 
 C. I. &Jequ. 
 
 t Reg. Brev Inier- 
 
 rog, 172. 
 
 Orat 42. in Pafcha^ 
 p. 6^0. 
 
 VAK'jCovt., &c. Ca. 
 tech. Orst C. ^j, in 
 ^rinc.&infine. 
 
 *" tring into us, 
 " mortality. 
 
 makes us Partakers of Im-. 
 
 St, 
 
47 
 
 * Eachariftia eft 
 Medicina Spiritalis 
 
 Uature, EfeSls, &c. 
 
 St. Ambrofey that * *' The Eucha- 
 
 " r/T^is a Spiritual Medicine — the .. • n. n 
 ^c XM • f r T» 1 .• A Memona eft Re- 
 
 '' Memorial of our Redemption: As aemprionis noftr^, 
 " we were lav d by the Death of Scc. In i £/>. ad Cor, 
 " our Lord, being mindful of this, C. ii. Tow. 3. Vide 
 « by Eating and Drinking,we figni- ^^ "^ g'w W# »»///tfw* 
 " fie his Body and jB/ooi, which were ^' ^' ^• 
 
 *^ ofter'd for us. The New Teftamenty fays 
 
 he, " was ratified with 5/00 J; in Refemblance 
 " of which, we partake of the MyfltcalCupo£ 
 " Bloody for the Prefervation of our Body and 
 " Soul. And in another Place a- 
 mong his Works, f " This Sacrifice 
 ** is a Reprefentation of the Body 
 " and Blood of om Lord; He that 
 " eateth of this Bread, fhall receive 
 " Remiilion of his Sins, and fhall 
 
 " not dye eternally." And we 
 
 find * that this Holy Father him- 
 felf celebrated the Eucharifi eve- 
 ry Day. 
 
 S. Chryfofiom does not fpeak oftner, 
 nor in higher Terms, of any My fiery, 
 than of this Sacrament. \ " His-Bo- 
 ^^ dy is ofFer'd to us, not that we 
 " fhou'd only touch it, but eat 
 " thereof and be fatisfied. Let us 
 " therefore, fays he, every one of 
 " us approach it with great Faith 
 " lieve that that very Supper is now folem- 
 *' niz'd, in which C/?r/^ himfelf was prefent; 
 " for there is no Difference betwixt that and 
 " this. — "Imagine that 'tis not the Hand of the 
 *^Prieft, but of any? himfelf which 
 " is reach'd out to you. — * To the 
 " Jews God exhibited Yearly Com- 
 *' memorations of his BlelTings on 
 
 t Haec Oblatio — 
 eft Figura Corp. & 
 Sang. Dom. noft. — 
 Qui manducaverit 
 hoc Corpus, fiet ei 
 Rcmiflio, &c. Dt 
 Sucram, L. 4. C. $. 
 To. 4. 
 
 * £/). 33. ad Sortr. 
 Mured. & Prtcat i^ad 
 Mijf, p. 660, To. 5. 
 
 S, Chry, 'E/< tb vj^ct 
 MstrO. O^. V. p. 312. 
 To.i. 
 
 Be. 
 
 vnfJ^etf Sec. ibid. 
 
 Feafl 
 
48 Of the Lord's Supper^ 
 
 " Feaft Days, but to you by thefe Myfieries 
 ^' he exhibits 'em in a manner every Day. 
 *'ol^7^cvK>.^- And elfewhere, * '^ Is not the 
 (XiVf ^yi yj}r.'a)vic/. ^ " Bread which we break the Coin- 
 ctlucLia, &c. *E/f r <c jfj^y^jQfi of the Body of Chrift ? 
 "^'1 ^'"f\ ^^'^' " Why did not the Apofilei^y, the 
 Vide El; to /'' Nici 6. Fartictfatton 5 IJecaule he meant 
 '<V^ -wifi- p S09. &c. " to fignifie fomething more. — For 
 Tom. 2. tU TO xj^ « as the Body of C/jr//? is united 
 hoctv. i-y. /v^r. p.74<5- « to himfelf, fo we by this Bread 
 
 Koeff. E^/r. I. A^. ^'^^ conjomd to him. What 
 
 ;t^. p. 420. Tom, 3. " cioes the Bread lignifie? E- 
 Ei; tLo. rsr^i^ *E5c,. « ven the Body of C/;r///. And 
 E-zsr. Ao>. 7'. p. 778, « ^hat do thofe become who re- 
 779. Ei^ 7[a. uo, « ^eive It? The Body o^ Chnfl ; 
 p. 523. Sec To. 4. not many, but one Body; for as 
 & pafiim alibi. " the Bread is made up of many 
 
 " Grains, fo we are joyn'd to- 
 
 '^ gether with Chrjji. 
 
 Gaudentius fhews how the Pafsover of the 
 
 Jews was a T)'/^^ of, and is in all its Circun:v- 
 
 ftances fulfiU'd in the Lord's Supper : The 
 
 Bread and Myi/ze he ca:Is the Body 
 
 t Hojreditarium and Blood of Chrift. He fays, j " It 
 
 Munus Tef>am<;nti cc jg ^^ Hereditary Legacy of the 
 
 li"n/^''c' "' ^^^^^ '7l^./^.^«^ which Chrift^ 
 
 '^ bequeathed as the Pledge of his 
 
 " Frefence. This is that Viaticum of our Jour- 
 
 "^- ney, by which in this Stage of Life we are 
 
 " nourilh'd and fupported, till we go to him. 
 
 - Poftquam Typi- ^t. Jerom fays , * " That the 
 
 cum P^fcha fuerat " Lord having celebrated the Old 
 
 implecurr— ad ve- " Pafso'ver, which was TiFigure of 
 
 rum Pafchce rranf- cc ^j^^ ^V^^, pafs'd to the true Sa- 
 
 !1 „,«, r.« cramentoithcFasover: That as 
 
 menrum. o* torn 1,^ 1 , .r 1 1 re- 
 
 in 26. Mat " formerly Mehhijedeck ofrenng 
 
 " Bread and Winey drew out the 
 
 2 " Figure 
 
feature, EffeHs, &c. 
 
 A9 
 
 *' Figure of this Myftery, fo Chrifl to fulfil the 
 
 " famejwas to reprefent the Truth of his Body 
 
 *' and Blood. Again, f " He left u? f Benedicens ulti- 
 
 **^ this laft Commemoration', As w^am nobis Comme- 
 
 " when one is going a far Journey, '"^Y^^^q "^n^ajj^^'" 
 
 "he leaves behind him fomePledge "^^ ^^ qu^'pSel 
 
 " of his Love, <7c. io our Saviour grejdr-f. in i. ad Cor. 
 
 *' delivered to us this Sacrament •, C. i r. 
 
 **^ that by this we might alway call 
 
 " to mind that he died for us. 
 
 St. Atiftin thus fpeaks of it ; 
 " * The Church does not ceafe to 
 ^' offer the Sacrifice of Bread and 
 " Wine , throughout the whole 
 " World- in which there is zCom- 
 *' memoration of the Body of C/r/?/? 
 " which he offered, and f ^/;^ Blood 
 " u7j/c/7 ?/;^ /^w^ God jhed for us. 
 In another Place, * " The Sacra- 
 *' w^/2t was therefore given, that 
 '^ the Body on Earth might be join'd 
 " to the Head. Again, f The Sa- 
 " craments of the L^-u; were Pro- 
 " mifes of Things to be fulfilFd, 
 " but ours 1 okens of Things that 
 
 are 
 
 fulfiird. 
 
 TraSf. 26. in Jo C«l. 229. De Teir.porg, Sirm. 252. Cfl/, 
 alibi fajjim. 
 
 * Sacrificium Pa- 
 nis & Vini fan^la 
 Ecclefia CathoJica 
 per univerfum Or- 
 bem Terrarum of. 
 fcrrc non cefTaC, &c. 
 
 t Sanguinis quem 
 pro nobis idem effit- 
 dit Deus. De Fide ad 
 Pet. Diaeenum. C. 19. 
 Tom. 3. 
 
 * Sacramentum il- 
 lud ideo hominibus 
 datur, &c. Serm. 18. 
 ad Fratres in Eremt 
 de Cand Domini. 
 
 flllae fueruntPfO- 
 mifliones, &c. Con- 
 tra Fauft. Manic. L. 19. 
 C. 14. Vidc£i>. 118. 
 11)5. d* 
 
 St. Ifidore fays, That * the com- 
 mon Bread in the myftical T'ahle 
 becomes the Body o^ Chrifl : And 
 that t the Flejh of the Lamb eaten 
 by the Jews, was a Type of the 
 Lamb of God) and of his Flejh 
 €aten by us, which brings Re- 
 miffion gf Sins. 
 
 E 
 
 KClVOVf .&C. L. I. Ep. 
 109. 
 
 £p. 219. 
 
 St. Nilus 
 
50 Of the LcrJ^s Suppir^ the 
 
 tuua <!« €?€»> &c. Ep. 
 144. L. 2. ^ 
 
 f T^I' i«priJl' a/TTCi 
 
 in Ep. I ad Cor. C. 
 
 10. V. 16. 
 
 TO TEA©- i?7{5^/.S &C. 
 
 in Ep. I. ad Cor. C. 
 
 11. V. 23. vide ibi 
 fulius. 
 
 St Nilus fays, That .\Chrifiians 
 '* are nourilh'd with the Body and 
 " Blood of C/nvy?. 
 
 " Do I we not, fays St. 'Theodo- 
 " nt, partake of the Lord himfelfj 
 " by receiving the holy MyfterieSi 
 " which we call his Body and Blood ? 
 And again; ^^' " Our Lord put art 
 " End to the 7)'pical Pafsover, and 
 '* fhew'd its true Archetype — im- 
 " parting to his Afofths his prC- 
 ** tious Body and Blood. 
 
 THUS we fee how thefe great Writers 
 let forth the faered and awful Na- 
 ture , or even Divine Excellence of this 
 Myjlery ; that they make this Sacrament to be 
 the Source of our Spiritual Life, Encreafe> 
 Strength, and Perfev5lion; the Expiation, Sup- 
 port and Prefervation of the Soul : In a Word, 
 as powerful in its Operations, as if all the 
 Benefits and Advantages of Chriftianity were 
 compriz'd in thefe Sacred Elements: And that 
 the great Sucrament of the JewSy the Phfs- 
 over, was its Typ^ ^"^ i^s Sbadoiv. They do 
 alfo more exprefly declare the continual Need 
 we have of it, and the indifpenfible Obliga- 
 tion we are under to receive it : But as this is 
 jnanifeftly apparent from what has been fhewn, 
 it may fuffice to produce two or three Inllan- 
 ces. 
 
 (Tiv a Uu.^^i, Sec. in 
 Tryph. p. ado. vide 
 29<^, 297. 
 
 Juf^in Martyr fays, ^* *' Our 
 '' Saviour commanded us to ceie- 
 '^ brate the Eucbari^l in Remem- 
 " brance of his PafTion. 
 
 St. Cyprian 
 
Obligation of Receiving it^ &cd § i 
 
 St. Cyprian, That f ''when Chrift i- Quando Chrl- 
 
 '^ tells us, If any one eats of his ^"^ dicit in icter- 
 
 *' Bread, he Jhall live for ever; "J«^. v'iyere, fi quis 
 
 .. ^1-- • V . c t r 1 1 tderit de ejus Pane^ 
 
 " as this IS certain of thole who do ^^ j^^ q^^^ j^^^. 
 
 " receive the Eucharifi, it is to he p. i^^. 
 " feared, that any one being lepa- 
 " rated from it, is far from Salvation ; Chrift . 
 '* himfelf thus threatning, Except ye eat the 
 " Fkjh of the Son of Man, and drink his Bloody 
 " ye Jhall have no Life in your A- 
 gain , * " Chrift commanded this * Hoc fieri in fui 
 " Sacrifice to be made in Remem- Commemorarionem 
 " brance of himfelf ^p^^L^? ''• 
 
 St. Bafil lays, That f" after we f xp^;* ^ ho^vd^ 
 *' are baptized, we have need to i^ir^i^i iifyJ.^ t^:zIjj 
 '' be nourifh'd with the Food of ("^^^ cutovU, &c. De 
 " eternal Life ; that is to fay, with ^'P' \- '' ^•5- P- 
 '' th^ Eucharift. ^^^' ^^^' 
 
 St. Chryfoftom affirms , That 
 " * as a carelefs Approach to the „ ''-'^P >f^> ''' 'fi 
 Myftual Table is dangerous, fo ^..^^ n;^^^ ^^ ,^,. 
 not at all to communicate is fa- ^^^j.^,/, Sec. 'E/t t^ 
 " tal and deftru6tive. For that 'Tfioi Kotv. *ii^r. i; 
 " very TlzA/e is the Strength of our ^<^>* ^'^^ P- 4^'* 
 " Soul, the Sinews of the Mind, ^'''^' 5- 
 " the Foundation of our Confidence , our 
 
 *' Hope, Salvation, Light, Life, and why 
 
 " do I refer to a Time to come ? For, at pre- 
 " fent,this Myftery makes Earth become Hea- 
 >j ven to you. 
 
 Gaudentius thus inftrufts the new 
 Converts ; — "The f Lord hath faid, — f DIcebat ideni 
 "Except ye eat my Flejh, ^c. He Dominus, Nifi man. 
 wou d have his Benefits continue q^,,^^^^ ^,. Voluic 
 ^f' with US; he wou d have our Souls ^nim Bencficia, &c. 
 '^'^ ahvay fandified with his precious Serm.2. adNeophyt, 
 ^^ Blood; — therefore he commanded 
 
 E 2 his^ 
 
52 Of the Lord's Supper, &c. 
 
 " his Difciples to be incelTantly employ'd 
 
 " in thofe Myfleries of Eternal Life ; which 'tis 
 
 " neceffary ihou'd be adminifter'd by all Priefts, 
 
 " throughout every Church in the whole 
 
 " World, till C/?r/y?'sfecond Coming from Hea- 
 
 *' ven. 
 
 * Unde nifi ex ^^Y^ ^^- -^^/^w, * " from an Anci- 
 
 antiqua ( ut exifti- " ent, and, as I think, Afoftolical 
 
 mo ) & Apoftolica " TradittoHy the Churches of Chrift 
 
 defil^'^'ift^^l-T " ^^^^ ^^^ certain, that otherwife 
 
 Ve 'peccat. \lr.L. i.' " ^^^^ ^Y -Sa/^i^^/w and the P^ma- 
 
 c. 24. " fation of the Z.or/y T^We-, no 
 
 " Man fhall attain, not only to the 
 
 Kingdom of God^ but to Salvation, and Life 
 
 Eternal. 
 
 St. Cyril of Alexandria expounds 
 
 t Cm. in Joan. thokWords o( o\xr Sa'viour,\Verilyy 
 
 ^ ^ i^ 16* ^^' '^* ^J^^y untoyouy Except ye eattheFleJh 
 
 Vide L 3. c!37.'& of the Son of Many Scc. of the Sacra- 
 
 L. 10. C. 13. ment of his Body and Blood; and 
 
 fhews how neceffary 'tis we Ihou'd 
 
 receive it, that we may obtain Eternal Life. 
 
 ne 
 
The Frequency of Communica- 53 
 ting in the Primitive Times. 
 
 As Chriftians lie under thefe Engagements 
 to receive this Sacrament, and reap Cuch 
 Bleilings from it, they have always, as true 
 Religion and Piety encreas'd or abated^ ex- 
 preiVd more or lefs Zeal and AfFedion toward 
 it. Accordingly we find, that 
 * in the A^ojiles Days It was cele- 
 brated by 'em every Day {AEl. 2.) 
 Which Praftice was kept up for fe- 
 veral Ages in the Primitive Church. 
 
 * Walafrid. Strah, 
 de Eccief. Reb. C. XX. 
 in fine. 
 
 " t We daily, fays St. Cyfriariy 
 " receive the Eucharift, for the 
 " Food of our Salvation." And a- 
 gain, * " The Soldiers of Chrift e- 
 ^' very Day drink of the Cup of his 
 " Bloody that they themfelves may 
 " be able to fpill their Blood for 
 « Chrtft. 
 
 t Euchariftiam 
 quotidie ad cibum 
 lalutis accipimus. De 
 Orat. Dtm p. f 92. 
 
 * Mihtcs Chri- 
 fti— iccirco fe quo* 
 tidie Caliccm San- 
 guinis bibere, Ef.'i6. 
 ad thibMrit. p. 87. 
 
 ec/.Vi &c. Ad Coefar. 
 
 And St. Bafily t " It is good and 
 ^^ profitable certainly, evejy Day 
 " to communicate^ and partake of ^'^^ ^' ^^ 
 « the facred Body and Blood of ^^"- ^^' *'^- 
 " Chriflr And in his Time they 
 aftually * received this Sacrament 
 four Times a Week. 
 
 ibid. 
 
 In Efiphanius\ Days it was cele-' 
 hated on Wednefdays, Fridays and 
 Sundays ; ] " which Pradice,he fays, 
 ** was appointed by the Apoflks. 
 Y^t the Cuftom of communicating 
 every Day^ was in fome Places con- 
 
 E3 
 
 Vide Eufeh, De^ 
 mwfir, Evsng. L. i. 
 C. lo. p. 57. Pttrit. 
 
 &c. Brev. Expof. Fi- 
 dci.C. 22. 
 
 tinued 
 
54 Of the Lotdh Supper, &c. 
 
 nueif y^y 
 
 E?^. To. ^. Aoy, t^. 
 p. 523. 
 
 t Ep. 28 e^ 50. 
 
 * Ep. 118. W 3^/f. 
 »«/»r. Vide flff 5er. 
 bow. /» A^o?/f^ L. 2. 
 OZ/. 147. 7fl. 4. Ep. 
 i^. »d Eonif. Col. 93 . 
 To 2. Tra5f. 26. tn 
 ^oan. Col. 230. To. 9. 
 t Quotidie Eu- 
 chariftiae Communi- 
 bnem percipere, ^c. 
 Gen ad. de Eccl. Dogm. 
 b.53. 
 
 * W id. Ijidor. Eifpal.de 
 
 Offic, Ecchf. L.i.C.iB. 
 
 t I cov zav7ctX^ ^^ 
 
 Socrates L. 5. C. 22. 
 p. 286. /'^m. £f N/- 
 Mphrut L. 12. C. 34. 
 
 * EuchariflijE Sa- 
 cramcntum — etiam 
 antelucanis CGctibus. 
 Ue Cor. Mil. p.' \ 01'. 
 
 t £/». 97. L. 10. 
 t In matutinis Sa- 
 crificiis— Cum ad 
 ccraandunj vcnimus, 
 mixtum Calicem of- 
 ferimus. 5. C^^r. £/>. 
 ^3 P- i^4' 
 
 tinued down to St. Chrxfoftom : 
 " "^ What, fays he, do we not offer 
 " every Day > We do offer, making 
 " Remembrance of the Death of 
 " Chrifi. 
 
 This Ukewife was the Cuftom at 
 Rame, in | St. Jerorns Time. 
 
 St. Auftin alfo fays, * " The ^^- 
 " crament of the Body and Blood oi 
 " Chvift is adminiftred in fome Pla- 
 " ces every Day. 
 
 f Gennadius neither commends 
 nor blames the Pradice of thof^ 
 who receive it every Day ; but he 
 ej^horts and requires 'em to commu- 
 nicate every Sunday^ provided they 
 are not link'd to any Sin "*. 
 
 We are informed, that \ all Chtir- 
 €h's throughout the whole World, 
 one or two except^^, receiv'd the 
 facred Myfleries on the Sabbathr 
 Day, conftantly every Week, 
 p. 25)5. To. a. ^«r. 
 
 In Tim^s of Perfecutipn they laid 
 hold of any Seafon or Opportunity 
 for enjoying th\sT>\v\ri& Ordinance -^ 
 whence Termllian * fpeaks of their 
 celebrating it in their AfTemblies 
 before Day. The fame is mention'd 
 in that remarkable f EpiiUe of Pli- 
 m to Trajan. And St. Cyprian * fhews, 
 t^iat in his Days they ^dminifter'cl 
 this Sacrament both Morning and 
 lEvening: Which Practice probably 
 "iyas begun upon the fame Occafion. 
 
 Refly 
 
A Reply to R. Claridgc's^^f. 55 
 
 Reply to SECT. IX. 
 
 IN this and Seci. 3 1 , he entertains his Reader 
 with a Collation of Scraps, and broken 
 
 Sentences of * Mr. C ns and 
 
 Mr. L!s I Books ; wherein they affert t ^^i^^i QuaJicrs 
 the Quakers to be Blafphem.rs ; that '''*'i^f.^^^^'''\^ 
 their DoBrtnes are a ferfeB Com" ^,^-^^ ^^^'J^J^ ^«*- 
 plication of ail the Herefins in the 
 Jeveral Centuries of Chriftianity ', 
 that the Jefuits are fuppos'd to ba~v£ h^ai.cjid 
 \m \ that tlyey are the worft SubjeUs in the 
 Worlds bemg bound by their 'very Principles to 
 be bad SubjeBs • that it may be fatal to give 
 \m too much Liberty to propagate their Kindy 
 &c. This and much more of the fame Nature, 
 he had no more Wit than to collect and re- 
 publifli ; vainly hoping that thele Expreffions 
 would be look'd upon as rude, and unwor- 
 thy, forfooth , of his honourable Fraternity : 
 Whereas every one that knows any Thing of 
 Quakerifm, muft needs acknowledge the Juft- 
 nefs of the Defcription, and efteem it but as 
 the Reprefentation of his own Thoughts, 
 Yet even fuppofmg this cou'd be efteem'd op- 
 probrious Language, what blind Perverfenefs 
 was it for him to objed Severity to others, 
 who, t like the reft of his Sed, abounds with 
 fo much Rancour himfelf To give fome In- \^»*^ein 
 ftances out of many. ^^^ ^^^^' 
 
 * £. C. hath Confidence enotigh, p. p8. E. * ^^ ^^. 
 CV. Ignorance as well as Inconfftency with verend 
 himfelf p. 132. a Cujhion to loll on in the Pul- ^>-Cock* 
 pit, p., 133. Children of the Father of Lies ; ^°"' 
 
 E 4 ^^4pO' 
 
A Reply to R. Claridge^ 
 
 ^—Apojlates, Szc. p. 135. meaning the Reve- 
 rend Mr. C n and others of the Churcl^ of 
 
 England, 'they are the Lies or Forgeries, — 
 and Ahufes of Men abandon d to a Spirit of 
 Blindnefsy p. 152. Shame jhall cover this no- 
 torious Calumniator, ib. viz. the Reverend 
 Mr. C — n. His licking up other Mens Vomits-, 
 and then difgorging 'em, — as it is a Sign of a 
 foul Stomach, fo it Jhews inhat Diet is mofl 
 grateful to it, p. 168. / viill not fay E. C. is 
 Non-compos Mentis^, but I fear he is enclining 
 to a Diftemper which feiz.es the Brain, dec. 
 p. 175. Rude, Proud, Unbridled, and Imper- 
 tinent. Sec. p. 215. apply'd to the Reverend 
 Mr. C — n. If perhaps he ( viz. Mr. C — n) hath 
 not arrivd to that Degree of Obduration, that 
 his Heart is pafl Feeling, and his Confcience 
 feard as with an hot Iron p. 221. Priefls and 0- 
 thers of the fame cruel and vindiBive Spirit, p. 
 228. So fierce was the Rage of fome fudges, Bi- 
 Jhops — and J ay lor s, that there Jeem'd to be 
 
 a Coiifederacy- — feemd to have abandon d 
 
 even Humanity it felf. Such was their implaca- 
 ble Enmity againft the Truth — p. 231. Revenge- 
 ful Priefls, p. 245. T'hefe Priefls are cruel Per- 
 fecutorsy ib- Imposed upon by the Artifices of 
 E. C. or any other mercenary Treacher, who flat- 
 ter for By-Ends, while they befpatter Tjuth, 
 p. 255. Multitudes of Priefls in a dark un- 
 believing State, p. 254. T'he Craft or Blindnefs 
 of their pretended Spiritual Guides ; in Dan- 
 ger of perijhing — by thofe caWd Ghoflly Fathers, 
 to whofe ConduEi they are enflavd, ib. The 
 Loofe and Hypocritical Profeffors of this 
 Age, p. 257AC. What makes thefe the more, 
 remarkable, is a formal Declaration in his Pre- 
 ' ' ' - ■ face. 
 
Melius Inquirendum, 57 
 
 face^ viz. j / haie diligently avoided the giving t Premon. 
 of Scurrilous and Opprobrious Terms. 'f theRea^ 
 
 Reply to SECT. X. 
 
 THERE are few fo ignorant as not* to 
 know, that whatever any one peti- 
 tions for, he is fuppos'd to be not inPoffefTion 
 of, the Ad of Prayer implying Want of the 
 Thing prayd for: Thus when our Church 
 direfts its Members to pray to be guided and 
 direEled in all Things, it is a plain Intimation 
 that in all Things they want the Divine Gui- 
 dance and Direction, that in all Things they 
 are fubjed: to Error. Now wou'd any one but 
 he, argue from this very Inflance, that we 
 pretend to Infallibility, p. 64. It is certain 
 (fays he) their Churches Liturgy fpeaks very 
 full to the Point of Infallibility, p. 63.* His 
 Proofs are thefe ExprelTions in fe- 
 veral of its ColleEis^--^ That all * mfe Injiances .p. 
 who — may be led into the IVay of pear to have hem tsken 
 Truth, Sec. O Lord, fend thy Holy f^om Snake in the 
 Ghoft, dec. Grant— that by thy Holy G'"^^, Seft. 22. whtch. 
 Infpnattonwe may thrnkthofe Things ]^::!:[:/^';fX^ 
 
 that be good. Sec. Grant tons that our Religion does 
 
 the Spirit to think fuch Things as be not covfifi, as theQvL^- 
 rightful. Sec. Grant that thy Holy ^"^"^^ ^^j^^> ^» ^ ^^^d 
 
 Spirit may in all Things direB and ''"'"'^.'^ ^^T' T^'""' 
 T TT s. u jj rr*; ''"/ invard Life and 
 
 rule our Hearts, Sec. He adds,^ The spirit : in the cLsook 
 
 /^r^ InfalHbiHty is not exprefsd in fee their pretence toln- 
 
 thefe ColleBs, p.54. I know not how i^\y-^h\\\ty fully proved^ 
 
 it fliou'd be : But now he faid our ^^^- ^•' ^°- ^'''' ^^''« 
 
 we are told, that they 
 plead for no more Infallibility than we do ; that they dcfire to 
 jidvance no higher, nor ever did, p. 6^. 
 
 Church's 
 
58 A Reply to R. Claridge's 
 
 Church's Liturgy fpoke very full to the Point 
 of Infallihility^yQt the tVord ^ifallihiltty is not 
 fo much as once mention'd ; which is a very 
 extraordinary Way of fpeaking very full. 
 But the 'Things intended by it are plainly men- 
 tion dy ibid. The Things intended by Infal- 
 Itbility ! So that according to his Way of 
 Argument and Expreffion, this fame Word fig- 
 nihes feveral Things, of which Fallibility 
 proves to be one. 
 
 But fo little Reafon have we to pretend to 
 Sit the Wcaknefs cf ^^fMbility, that there are fome 
 this ohjeciion exfos'd Perfons, it feems, in our Church, 
 in Remarks w Free- who have wrote fome Things, 
 thinking^ p. jy, 5<J, which fome Others have not ap- 
 ^^' ^ prov'd of, but even opposM^ and 
 
 fome of their Names may be found, p. 66y 
 6j. Nay, he tells us of certain Clergymen, 
 who have even contradiBed themfelves ; of 
 which he himfelf is a living Inflance ; who 
 has publifh'd feveral Books containing a free 
 and full ContradiSiion of all that he had pro- 
 fefs'd, fubfcrib'd, fwore to, and preach'd ma- 
 ny Years ; and who only wants Ingenuity e- 
 nough to be fufpeded, that he wrote with 
 Defign to make Way for another Book by con- 
 trad'iEling again thefe ContradiBions ; fuch 
 naked Falfhoods every where affront the Rea- 
 der's Underftanding ; as what follows. IVe 
 have no Juch Thing as a Party or FaBion in 
 Religion ajnong us, p. 67. When, to fet afide 
 their many oppofite Opinions, their Religion 
 it felf is no other than a mere FaElion. I 
 
 declare that we are an Orthodox People 
 
 rt5 to every Article of the Chrifiian Faith, ib. 
 When they have been proved again and a- 
 
 gairi 
 
Melius Inquirendum, 5^ 
 
 gala to be * Heretical as to every Ar-^See^^a* 
 tide. ^r^/Tf-''' 
 
 ft&ed, Sec. 
 By Mr. Cockfon. 'Stme few of the Quakers ntanjf horrid Blafphe- 
 wies, Sec. 
 
 Mr. C — n charges two of his Party with 
 Kepugnancy in their Books, inibmuch that 
 one cannot own the other without giving the 
 direci Lye to hhnfelf. In their Defence he 
 alledges firft, That this is a great Miftuke -^ 
 for (if you'll believe him) he finds no Cou'^ 
 tradition, p. 68. But to put it beyond all 
 Doubt, he produces fome few Particulars in 
 which they have not difagreed, to demon- 
 ftrate that in others they do agree, p. 69. Anc} 
 to fbew that Penn in one of his Books is not 
 guilty of Blafphemy concerning the ^Trinitji 
 the Divinity of Chrijiy ^c. he colleds certain 
 PafTages out of another, /. 68, 70. 
 
 We are told, th^t this is the i;w/^^r Doclrine 
 pf the SatisfaElion of Chnji, viz. 7%at it was 
 impoifihle for God to remit Sin without a pie-' 
 •(lary SatisfaBiony p. 71. and that Chri/i did 
 fujfer the Penalty of Infinite Wrath , p. 72. I 
 prefiime, were he to prove this to be the vulr 
 gar DoBrine-, he WQu'd, according to Cuftora| 
 produce fome few Paflages out of his vulgar 
 P^eading: But that he fhpu'd fay, Neither of 
 thefe is true^ proceeds not from his Knowledge 
 of the Matter, but, which alway ftrves him 
 inftead, his Confidence. 
 
 Reply 
 
^o [ObjeSHons againftthe 
 
 Reply to SECT. XL 
 
 OhjeBions againfi the Lawfulnefs of 
 War, anfiperd. 
 
 H 
 
 ERE he makes a great Shew of Scrip- 
 ture-Proofs ; of which by giving the true 
 and genuine Explanation, it will appear how 
 much they have been wrefted and mifapply'd, 
 that they might ferve his Purpofe. 
 
 He fays, Chrifi hath commanded m to love 
 our Enemies, Sec. (Mat. 5. 44, 45.) p. 74. 
 In anfwer to this, which one wou d think fhou'd 
 no more have been urg'd, it has been obferv'd. 
 That " the yews being commanded to love their 
 " Neighbours; i.e. a Jew, one of their oivn 
 " Nation, in Oppofition to a Hebrew or Stran- 
 " gery whom they were to hate, and look 
 * Sit Lev. <^ upon as an Enemy * ; Our Saviour y who 
 ip. V. 17. a defign'd to break down this JVall of Parti- 
 
 'withviZ " ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ enjoins 'em to 
 " love their Enemies, i. e. all Mankind, Hea^ 
 *^ thens as well as Jews : That allowing all 
 " Men, even Enemies, are npw to be look'd 
 " upon as our Neighbours, whom we are 
 " bound to love equally as the Jews were 
 " thbfe of their own Nation ; notwithfland- 
 *' ing, were not the Jewifi Magiftrates com- 
 " nianded to inflid Capital Punid^ments 
 *' upon Homicides, and other heinous and 
 " obftinate Malefactors of their own Nation ? 
 " Notwithftanding thh Precept of Loving 
 " their Neighbours, did not the eleven Tribes 
 *5 make juft War againft the Tribe of Benja- 
 
 ' ^?nin 
 
Lawfulnefs of War^ anfmr^d. 6i 
 
 *^ min for their barbarous Inhumanity ? Judg. 
 *' 2 1 . Did not Davidy who is faid to fight 
 
 the Lord^s Battles, by Force of Arms reco- 
 *' ver the Kingdom, being promised him, from 
 *' IJhhojheth ? But we ought not, we cannot 
 *^ bear equal Degrees of Love to all. * '"Tis * Adv. 
 " true, fays St. Hierom, I am commanded to pf j^' 
 
 *^ lo*ve mine Enemies, but yet is it juft that . 
 
 '* I Jhoud love \m equally oi I do my Netgh- 
 " botirs and my Kinjmen ? Is it equal that I 
 '^ Jhoud make no Dijference betvjeen my Friends 
 ^' and mine Adverfaries ? Out of the very 
 " Love we bear to the Righteous, do we put 
 " the Wicked to Death ; and out of our Care 
 " to the publick Peace, do we make War 
 " uponthofe that difturb it. — We are com- 
 ^' manded to love our Enemies, by the Exam- 
 " pie of God himfelf, who \ caufeth the Sun x j^j^^ 
 *^ to Jhine, and the Rain to fall as well on the ^j, 
 " Evil 06 on the Good ; yet doth he himfelf 
 " put a manifeft Difference between 'em, vi- 
 *^ fiting the Sins of fuch as are incorrigible, 
 " with heavy Judgments in this Life, and yet 
 ^ referving much heavier for 'em in that to 
 " come. And Chrifl the moft abfolute Pat- 
 " tern of Meeknefs and Patience, being pro- 
 ^' vok'd by the Obftinacy of the Je-xs, is faid 
 " by a Parable, to fend out his Armies to 
 ^' burn up their City, and to deflroy her 
 " Citizens, Matth. 22. 7, 21, 44. Luke ip. 
 12,14,27. 
 
 He next produces that of the Apoftle, * Tie' * 2 Cor, 
 we walk in the Flefi, we do not war after the 10. 3> 4. 
 Flejh ; for the Weapons of our Warfare are not 
 Carnal, &c. /. e. (St. VatU fpeaking of himfelf) 
 ** tiTho' I am ag infirm Perfon, obnoxious to | chryfo. 
 
 Jltvt^Calvin, CrttiM, Hammind, 3co. 
 " many 
 
6i OhjeHions againft the 
 
 " many Aiflidions and Diftreffes for which 
 " you are apt to defpifQ me, yet I do not 
 " exercile my Apoftlejbip in a weak Manner ; 
 " for the Inftruments ( or the Power ) of our 
 " ApofllejJiipj are not weak and contemptible, 
 " butjC^Tt." What is this to Bearing Arms ^ Or 
 * Eph. 5. this which follows, 'utz,. '^ Put on the ixhole 
 i>, 12- Armour of God, that ye may he able to ft and 
 againft the Wiles of the Denjtl ; for ive ivreflle 
 not agatnft Flejh and Bloody but agai}ifl Prin- 
 dpaliiieSy againjl Poivers, againji the Rulers 
 of the Darknefs of this World, die. *• Since (fays 
 Apoftle) " the Combat for which we are to be 
 ^' fortified, is not againft any ordinary human 
 " Enemies, but againft the feveral Ranks of 
 '^ D evils y iht Chiiftans and Gods of this pre- 
 " fent Idolatrous Heathen World, &c. we have 
 " need to make ufe of all the Inftruments of 
 " Defence , all the Force and Strength that 
 " Chnfl has furnifh'd us with againft their Tem- 
 '* ptations and Stratagems." From which Clar. 
 wou'd have us conclude, that no other Fight- 
 ing is laiiful : Then he enumerates the feve- 
 ral Parts of the Spiritual Panoply mention'd 
 by the Apoftle, viz. T^be Breafi-plate of Righ- 
 teoufnefs, the Shield of Faith, &c. Beholdy 
 fays he, the Armour of the Chrijltan Soldier ! 
 p. 75. Yes, the Apoftle fays, this is otir Av" 
 mouY when we wreftle not againft Plejh and 
 Bloody but againft evil Spirits : From whence 
 you infer. That 'tis to be our only Armour, 
 when uv wreftle not againft evil Spirits, Lut 
 againft Flejh and Blood. 
 
 From the New T'eftament he proceeds back- 
 ward to nhe Old T'hey jhall beat their 
 
 Swords into Plough-ffmres, and their Spsars in- 
 t If». x.4f,n Pnining>-h$Qks. Nation ftjall not lift up 
 
 Sword 
 
Lavpfulnefs of War ^ anfmrd. 6^ 
 
 Sword againjl Nation^ Sec. If we interpret 
 this of a perpetual Peace under the Gojfel- 
 Difpenfatjon, we muft with him, fubjed the 
 Prophet to Delufion ; nothing being more 
 certain, than that in every Century of Chri- 
 flianity to this Day, the contrary Words ^of 
 another Prophet have been rather fulfill'd: | Beat f Joel %. 
 ymr Plough-fiares into Swords, and your Pru- lo. 
 ning-hooki into Spears. That Place therefore, 
 and * others of the fame Import, are either * Mich, 
 to be expounded of that general Peace that 4 3> 4- 
 was (as Hiftory informs us) throughout the pp •*^* 
 World at the Time of Chrifi's Coming into jfa j/. r 
 it : Or of an End put to the mutual Difcord 6,7,8,9.* 
 and Enmity between Jews and Gentiles i to 
 which thofe ExprelTions feem to allude, f "^he f Ifa. u. 
 Wolf Jh all dwell with the Lamhy ^c. and to 6, 7, Sec. 
 which the Apoftle refers, * He is our Peace "Ep^-^* 
 who hath made both one, dcc. Or to be un- '"^^ '^* 
 derllood under fome Condition, as that fuch 
 wou'd be the State of Affairs, in cafe all Na- 
 tions fhou'd fubmit to the Yoke of Chrifly 
 and live according to his Laws : For mofl: 
 certain it is, if all were true Chriftians, or 
 that call themfelves fo, wou'd live after the 
 Rules of Chrifi, there wou'd be no Occafion 
 for the Ufe of the Sword : Or, if thefe Pro^ 
 phecies have ftill a farther Signification, then 
 it is apparent they are not yet accomplifh'd, 
 but the fulfilling of 'em is ftiU to be hoped 
 for. 
 
 But we are commanded to love our Rue" 
 mii^s he fays,/?. 77. and fays it often; whereas 
 there is not Room in this Difpute for it to be 
 once mention'd. We are hereby indeed en- 
 join d not to take into our own Hands the 
 Revenging of our perfonal Wrongs ^ ^ Love * ^"^- ^• 
 
 your *7i^8,35). 
 
^4 ObjeSlions againji the 
 
 your Enemies -, do good to them which hate you; 
 dec. to him that j?nitetb thje on the one Cheek, 
 offer alfo the other ; and him that taketh away 
 thy Cloak, forbid not to take thy Coat alfo : All 
 which moft evidently refpedts private In/u'ries, 
 tHam- and thefe only of a lower Degree, f Nuchas 
 IpZ^fca ^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ Cheek, or the Lof -of a Coat ; 
 tech ' ' whereas to preferve any one Limb from immi- 
 nent Danger, Self-defence is not only permit- 
 * ThisMe- i^gj ^Q every Man, but requir'd by the Law of 
 re"ndum '" ^^^«^^- ^^^ much rather then, ihall all the 
 of Cla- Members of a State or Nation, ftand up in 
 ridgcV their mutual Defence, when their Rehgion, 
 vas pub' Laws, Liberties, Lives, all that is near and 
 lifh d, and ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ threatned with Violation and 
 ^finted to' ^^ter Ruin? Shou'd any one, '^ at fuch a Time, 
 the hjteen, interpofe with a mifapply'd Leffon of Love 
 Tphen Jbe your Enemies, wou'd it not be juftly thought 
 was^ en- |-|^at the Enemies of his Country were no Ene- 
 ^1^ / ^" ^^^^■'' ^^ ^^''''^' ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ himfelf rather was an 
 l^ar. Enemy to his Country ? 
 
 Jo. 18.36. He tells us, Chriftfaid If ?ny Kingdom 
 
 were of this World, then would my Servants 
 fight that Ifl^oud not he deliver d to the Jews; 
 
 kit now is my Kingdoin not from hence ; 
 
 And therefore, adds he, this Conclufion follows 
 from the Premifes, My Servant sjhoud not fight, 
 -^ //ic P- 77- leaving out main Part of the Conclufion, 
 
 viz.. that I jhoudnot be deliver d to the yews. 
 So that a tacit Intention of our S.'iviours up- 
 on a particular Occafion pro hie & nunc, vt%^. 
 That his Servants fhou'd not then fight to ref- 
 *C9vfonnnt cue him from the Jews * ; he by Virtue of his 
 u this in particular Logick, draws out into an exprefs 
 
 upon St. PeterV dramng his Sword, our Saviour faid, Put up thy 
 fword info the Sheath ; the Cup wnich my Father hath given 
 mcy (hall I not drink it ? 
 
 ^ Com- 
 
Larpfulnefs ofWar^ anfwer^d. ^5 
 
 Command of Umverfal Extent pro omni tem^ 
 pore & loco, viz. That none of his Servants 
 fhou'd ever afterwards fgbt upon any Occafion 
 whatever. The Reafon our Saviour gwts why 
 his Servants fhou'd not fight is, becaufe his 
 Kingdom was not of this World ; does it from 
 hence follow that the Servants of a Chriflian 
 Prince ought not to fight, whofe Kingdom is 
 of this World; and not the contrary rather, 
 when our Saviour fays himfelf, If my King" 
 dom were ofthislVorld, then woud my Servants 
 fight ^ 
 
 Among other Arguments, Mr. C-^n alledges 
 the Examples of good Men in Scripture : To 
 this he replies. Fighting was lawful under the 
 Old Covenant Difpenfation, hut under the New 
 the Cafe is otherwife, p. 77. As for proving 
 this, he thinks 'tis enough to afErm it ; or if 
 that does not fuffice, to affirm it over and 
 over again : It was lawful under the Old 
 Covenant Difpenfation, under the New the Cafe 
 is alter d, p. 7p. But the Cafe is otherwife 
 mwy p. 85. So that the Cafe is plain. Indeed 
 he Ihews us where Bifhop 'Taylor faith, 'the 
 AEiions of good Men in Scripture, are not a 
 competent Warrant for our Imitation, See. But> 
 it feems, neither his, nor the Authority of all 
 the Clergy fince the Reformation deferve any 
 Regard ; which he wifely confidering, never 
 produces 'em to prove the Truth of any thing; 
 as he took Care to inform his Reader once 
 for all. I Thofe Writers of the Church of Eng- | pyiffjon. 
 land herein quoted, are not brought to prove the to theRtM- 
 Truth of our DoBrine, or to Jhew their Ortho- der. 
 doxy, ^c. Having now, as he thinks, much 
 the Advantage over his Adverfary in this Dif- 
 pute, he finds himfelf at Leifure- to trifle vfith. 
 
 F a 
 
66 ObjeSlions againft the 
 
 a few Digreffions : In which Deviations, leaft o- 
 thersihou'd likewife happen to be loft andtir'd, 
 it may not be amifs to fet a Mark upon each. 
 
 A Digreffion concerning the Obligatory Force 
 
 of Example. 
 . 'That all Scripture Examples do not bind 
 m to follovj \m, he fagely acquaints us at 
 large in the Words of Bifhop Stillingfleet ^ 
 p. 78. (who being a Writer of the Church of 
 England, he is not brought to prove orfiew the 
 Truth of it ; but, fuppofe, to help make up the 
 Book.) This it feem'd fit to mark for a Di- 
 greflion, left the unwary Reader might think 
 the Matter in Debate, was not whether Exam^ 
 pies of good Men "warrant oxjuflifie going to War, 
 but whether they force and oblige us to it j not 
 whether we lau)fully majy but necejfarily mufi. 
 
 A Digreflion concerning Prafciencey Etsrnal 
 
 Decrees, &c. 
 ^ Mr. C—'-n having urg*d this of the 
 Pfalmifty Blejfed be the Lord ivho teacheth 
 my Hands to War, and my Fingers to Fight, 
 and fubjoin'd. Doth God teach Men to fin? 
 From hence a Tranfition is made to the ab- 
 ftrufe Points of God\ Decrees, his Co-operative 
 Power or Concomitant Willy the Nature of Evil 
 Metaphyflcally confiderM; and this in the Mid-, 
 die of a S'^tiion about War and Fighting. 
 Some I^aflages he had met with in fomeof our 
 Divines on thofe Subjeds, and cou'd not for- 
 bear to let us know as much ; and the great 
 Delight he finds To agreeable to his Nature, 
 in flandering thofe Authors, and perverting 
 their Meaning to the greateft Abufe, produced 
 this ingenuous Refledion upon *em; According 
 ta th^ DoBrim ofthefe Men, Sin ( I tremble to 
 V men* 
 
Latpfnlnefs of War^ anftper^c/. 6 J 
 
 mention it) is good, and God is the Author of 
 Sins; And how E. C— n to/// be able to acquit\m 
 ofmoft horrid hlafyhemyy * <Scc. p. 8i. *SeeRep ta 
 
 Seif. iv. 
 
 Another, of the Antiquity of Chrifiianity: 
 
 Mr. C— « had thus argued, 0/ Abraham ^ti's 
 clear^ that he both fought himfelf and alfo made 
 his Servants Soldiers; 0/ David alfo that he 
 was Or Man of War. -^ — Now Mr. Penn ^c- 
 counts boththefeto he Chrijiians; fo that if War 
 was lawful unto them, theny &c. Inftead of 
 fpeaking to the Point, he moft copioufly and 
 elaborately proves that Abraham and David 
 
 were Chi'iftians. Tea, that Abel, Enoch, 
 
 Noahj^c. wereChrifiianSy p. 82. And having 
 thus got hold of fomewhat he liked and cotid 
 talk of, he fpins it out the Length of three 
 Pages ; when at laft comes the Anfwer to Mr. 
 C—ns Argument ; viz,. 'The Cafe is otherwife. 
 nowy p. 85. So that) fays he> E. C— n^^r|«- 
 ment is eafily anfwer d, ibid. So it feems. 
 
 Of the Feaft of Tabernacles^ the Bells of th^ 
 HorfeSy the PotSy &c. 
 
 Mr, Ct^n proceeds; Of GofpelTimes^tis faidy 
 that ]udzh Jhall fight ^f Jerufalem, &c. In an-^ 
 fwer to which Clar. I query whether he doth be^ 
 lieve that the Feaft of Tabernacle Sy the Bellsy 
 Sec. are to be underflood according to the Letter 
 only ? p. 85. he then gives us the particular 
 Interpretation of the Feaft — the Bells — the 
 Pots. — Now from the near Affinity that there; 
 is between thefe, and Judah's Fighting with 
 Jerufalem, he concludes that this mufl not he 
 F a «x- 
 
6 8 ^ ObjeSlions againft the 
 
 ♦ of Finking in a expounded * literally no more than 
 literal and fro^erSenfe, thoie ; "fhere is 05 much Re af on for 
 
 pu!e Tkm!Zt.Je. therefore the Feaft CigmBQs the 
 
 rom, Munfter, -Lu- Bells, die So Judzh Jignifies Con- 
 
 ther, Pet. a Figuero, fefpOYh and Jerufalem the Vtfion of 
 
 Mariana Menochius, p p 35 ^^ Judah'^ F/^^^z>? — 
 
 Remig. 6c Lyran. we may iumcientjy admire thisDifco- 
 
 very, we'll view it with the Con- 
 
 Zech. 14. text. — In that Day a great Tumult — ^fljall 
 
 '3; H- he among them, and they Jh all lay hold every one 
 
 on the Hand of his Neighbour, and his Hand 
 
 jhall rife up againfl the Hand of his Neighbour, 
 
 and Judah alfo Jhall fight at Jerufalem, i. e. 
 
 according to him, Confeffton Jhall fight at the 
 
 Vtfion of 'Peace, with Spiritual Weapons. 
 
 Mr. C—n urges farther, -— St. John chargd 
 not the Soldiers to forfake their Calling , 8lc. 
 Our Saviour commended the Centurion for his 
 Faithy and reprovd him not for his Employ^ 
 ment. Cornelius*^ being a Soldier hinder d him 
 not from being a ChriJUan, ^g. As to which 
 he has Recourfe to his former threadbare An- 
 fwer, vix,. We ar^ to love our En^mi^^^p. 87. 
 and Fighting is inconfiftent with the Gofpel, p. 
 88. Which as threadbare as 'tis, and as ufelefs 
 as it has been fhewn to be, he repeats again ^» 
 and again; which with him al way. does the' 
 Bufmefs. effeduaily. But he tells us that St. 
 John bidding the Soldiers (among other ^ 
 things) be content with their iVages, is fo z«- 
 corfifient zvith War — that it was tantamount 
 to an, Injunction of laying down their military 
 Weapons, p. 87. This is indeed extraordinary; 
 one wou'd have thought the dired contrary; 
 as St. Aujlin ihewi from thefe very Words, 
 
 that 
 
Larpfulnefs of War, anfwer^cf. 6^ 
 
 that War^ is not prohibited to Chriftians • 
 * 'Thofe (fays he) whom he enjoyrid to be content * Quibus 
 vjith their tVages, he did not forbid to go to War proprium 
 7'bofe Words , contimues Mr. Cockfon , ^'f^^. 
 James 4. i. (From whence come Wars and ^^^^ j^* 
 Fightings among you ?) were written to all the here prae> 
 differs' d Tribes^ who were at Wars 'very often cepit, Mf- 
 one againft another. But as for the Chriftians^ lit^it uci- 
 they did not then engage among Vw, and kill one ^\-^^ 
 another 05 the other did. Upon this he thus £^, j. ^^* 
 exults ; He has holpen us to a DiftinShony MarceUin. 
 which though untrue in it felfy yet -— makes Co/. 24. 
 flrongly againft him. i . 'T/j untrue in it felfy '^'"" ^' 
 Scc. p. po. And after — -5b he has undefignedly 
 furntjUd us with an Argument againft Wars 
 and Fight ingsy Sec. p. pi. However Mr. C— w 
 may here hzvcfurmfid him and his Brethren 
 with an Argumenty certainly it wou*d have 
 ferv*d no one elfe for fuch ; I cannot but a- 
 gree with him, that he did it undefignedly ^ for 
 he cou'd never dream> that any one wou'dtake 
 this for an Argument, viz,. Becaufe Chriftians 
 did not then, when the Apoftle wrote his JB- 
 piftky engage in Civil Broilsy and fuch Ani- 
 mofities as proceeded from Men*s Luftsy there- 
 fore Wars are lawful at no Timey and upon no 
 Account whatever. By this he has declar'd 
 when he thinks him^QUfurni/Ijdwith an Argu- 
 menty and fuch an one as makes ftrongly againft , 
 his Adverfary; namely, when he has one, which 
 is, I. Untrue in it felf; and 2. which admit-* 
 ting it to be true, ismanifeftly abfurd, and no- 
 thing to the Purpofe. Becaufe St. James re- 
 prehended fome for their inteftine Difcords 
 proceeding from their Luftsy therefore, he con- 
 cludes, the Apoftle is wholly againft Wars and 
 Fightings ; for the Root and Fountain of \m 
 F 5 ^^^, 
 
70 Obje^ions againft the 
 
 are M'^ris Lujls that War in their Membenf^ 
 ]p.9i. So that Religion, Laws, Liberties, &c. 
 which are, and often have been the Ground 
 and Occafion of Wars^ are with him, mere 
 Lufts that War in Mens Members. 
 
 With much ado, he has cojlefted 5 or 5 
 Paffages of a few Fathers, whom he introdu- 
 ces as fupporting his Caufe. The firft is Athe- 
 nagorud ; who fpeaking of revenging private 
 Injuries ; fays, We have learnt to ihofe that 
 finite us on one Cheeky to turn the ether. AncJ 
 what is this to the Purpofe ? 
 
 The nejct Jtifiin Martyr; fVey ftys hCywho 
 formerly (lew one another^ do not noiv ivage Wax 
 \mth our Enemies. To reconcile the Chriftian 
 Religion to the Emperor, and the Senate and 
 People o( Rome to whom he writes, he dif- 
 plays both it's Truth and Excellence ; and 
 particularly lets 'em underfland that they might 
 f Apol. 2. difcover | that the peaceable Difpofition fore- 
 p. 78. told of the Chrijiians by th^ Prophets, was 
 now fulfiird. Is this to declare t)iat Chrijiians 
 Qught not to ufe the S'^orcl at the Command 
 of the Magiftrate, for Defence of their Coun- 
 try ? Wou d this have recommended Chriftia- 
 nity to the Romans, and not rather incens'd 
 'em againft a Doftrine which made Subjeds 
 not only ufelefs, but even dangerous to the State? 
 Next is the Teftinnony pf a Heathen Em- 
 peror (M. Antoninus) not the moft proper 
 ^ Judge certainly of the Principles oi'Chriftia- 
 
 ^ffi' M' y^j^y * Hq acquaints the Smate, that at thp 
 j^poL 2. Approach of the Enemy, th^ Chrijiians in hii 
 i)uft. Mar, Army apply'd themfelves not to th^ir Military 
 Weapons, but their Prayers. Which is no 
 rpore than what he then did himfelf ; for ber 
 ing informed of the vaft Mujtif ud^ of t{ie En^- 
 
Latpfulnefs ofWar^ anfwerd, 71 
 
 my, as in Perplexity and Amaze, he ftraitway 
 haften d to Pray to his Gods. But had he and 
 the reft engaged, it is not to be fuppofed that 
 the Chriftians wou'd have ftood ynadive and 
 idle ', which under Pretence of Confcienccy 
 wou*d have been to- have t\jrn d Tray tors to 
 their Country, and of Fear of killing an Ene-* 
 myy to be theOccafion of the Slaughter of their 
 own Companions and Countrymen ; for they 
 made a great Part of the Army. But their 
 Praying muft be own'd (if this whole Ac- 
 count be true, or rather, if this Epiftle be 
 genuine*) to be very extraordinary, and * mt aU 
 by divine Inftind; that G^oi might more con- ^ovedfota 
 fpicuoufly manifeft his Power, and fhew par- ^ ^^ ^^*" 
 ticular Favour to his true Worfhippers. At '^ ^' 
 that Time they iabour'd under a great Drought, 
 having wanted Water five Days j the Chrtfti- 
 ans in the Face of the Army threw themfelves 
 upon the Ground, and implor'd the Divine 
 AlSftance in Behalf of themfelves and the reft,- 
 immediately Water defcended from Heaven a- 
 mong em, but upon their Enemies a Storm of 
 fiery Hail. 
 
 As to what is (aid by the Emf. that Arms 
 and Warlike Inflruments are odious and hate- 
 ful to Vw, becaufe they carry God in their Con-* 
 fctences ; they are not only fo to Chriftians^ 
 but to Confcientious Men of all Religions, and 
 never to be ufed but upon Neceflity. But 
 how cou'd it be his Opinion that they wou'd 
 not y%/7^ if there had been Occafion? to what 
 Purpofe then did they come into the Field ? 
 Yet allowing this, of how much Weight is a 
 Heathens Opinion as to thq Dodrine of the 
 Gofpel > 
 
 P 4 Clemens 
 
72 QbjeBions againft the^ dec. 
 
 Clemens Alexand. {-ay^ythey ufe neither Sviord 
 nor Bow who follow Peace; but in Cafe they 
 fhou'd be oblig'd to follow IVar^ it wou'd be 
 a Crime not to ufe em, 
 
 St. Cyprian elegantly fets out the Publick 
 Nufances of Thieves and Pyrates ; he is alfo 
 offended with the Mifchiefs occafion d by PFars : 
 TheEffedsof what is juft or neceflary may be 
 yet difpleafing. This does not in the leaft Ihew 
 it was his Opinion that /^^r upon any Accomjt 
 whatever, is abfolutely, and in it felf unlawful. 
 What he produces o( Hierom are only Com- 
 iments on one or two Places of Scripture ; in 
 which he fhews it is not for any private Man, 
 imoved with Anger or Revenge-to take the 
 Sword: But Neither does he himfelf, being a 
 private Man, offer to take the Sword out of 
 the Magiftrate's Hands ; or from any by him 
 commiffion*d to execute Juflice with it ; being, 
 tRom.13. jj^ a Manner, f delivered to him, by God him- 
 ^''^' felf. 
 
 LaBantim is inveighing againft the inhu- 
 man Barbarity of the Gladiators fhews , in 
 which Men butcher'd one another for publick 
 Sport : On fuch a Subjed it was natural for 
 the Father^ warm with Zeal, to let fall fome- 
 thing that might feem to forbid all Fighting: 
 He is not treating of Wars ; nor is there any 
 thing in the whole Chapter, except this half 
 Period, that has fuch a View. Let the Rea- 
 der take it with what follows, and judge if 'tis 
 to be underftood in an unlimited or a rcftrai- 
 * Ncjquc nedSenfe. * "Neither will it be lawful for a 
 jUllo Hcc *' I^^ghteous Man to go to IVuYy whofe War- 
 hit^ cujus Militia eft ipfa Juftlda ; tiequc vero accufare qocn- 
 tjua'm Cfimine capitali ; quia nihil diflar, utrumne fcrro, an ver- 
 bo potius occidas, L. 6. C, ao. 
 
 ''fare 
 
The Latpfulnefs of War. 73 
 
 ** fare is in Righteoufnefs it felf ; neither to 
 " accufe any one of a Capital Crime; for it 
 " matters not whether you take away another $ 
 " Life with a Word, or with a Weapon. In 
 the fame indefinite Manner he fpeaks of both; 
 if therefore he difallows all Warfare, he for- 
 bids alfo the impleading or condemning any 
 Criminal ; which inftead of promoting Piety, 
 would be to open a Door to all Iniquity. We 
 muft therefore either interpret his Words as 
 prohibiting only the Killing an Enemy or Male- 
 faftor to gratiiie private Malice and Revenge, 
 or we muft fuppofe LaBantius to have fallen 
 into an Error. 
 
 'tertullian indeed is exprefs to the Point in 
 Hand ; whom therefore he brings into the Lifts 
 with a Retinue of Commentators : But how 
 little Reafon there is to have any Regard to his 
 Authority in this Cafe, will presently be 
 feen. 
 
 The Lawfulnefs oj War. 
 
 TH E Making War is not any way repug- 
 nant to thofirft Principles o^ Nature ; imce 
 nothing can be more agreeable theretb than 
 the Prefervation of Life and its Neceflaries, 
 and the Ufe of forcible Methods to this End, 
 if it become needful. Accordingly all Crea- 
 tures are by Nature furnifh^d with Means to 
 this Purpofe, OfFenCve or Defenfive. Men 
 have alfo Hands fitted for the Ufe of Weaponry 
 as well as Power to invent, and Will to em- 
 ploy em. 
 
 Nei- 
 
74 T^he Lawfulnefs of War. 
 
 Neither does Civil Society forbid, but rather 
 require it; its firft and chief Intention being 
 by mutual Confent and joint AfTiftance, to fe- 
 cure to each Member his own, and to oppofe 
 by Force that Force that fhou'd invade it. 
 And this has been a Fundamental Principle in 
 every Conftitution of what Denomination fo- 
 ever ; as might be abundantly fhewn from Hi- 
 fl:ory, and the Laws and Cuftoms of every Peo- 
 ple. WaY is therefore allowable by th^ Law 
 oi Nature and of Nations -y fo is it by the D/- 
 njine Law. 
 
 When Abram return d from his Vidory o- 
 
 t Gen. 14. ver the four Kings, j God^ by his Prieft Mel^ 
 
 ***• chifedecky commended what he had done; yet 
 
 he had taken Arms without Go£s exprefs 
 
 Appointment, following the Didate of Rea- 
 
 fon. But a fpecial Command was given the 
 
 Ifraelites to deftroy the feven Nations. Jofhua 
 
 at the Diredion of Mofes overthrew the Ama-- 
 
 * Ex. 17. lekites ; this was afterward * by God approv'd 
 
 ^^%''^°' ^^' ^^ + prefcrib'd to his People the Manner 
 
 ^®' ^' of their Making Wax in general; of which as 
 
 the juft Grounds are not there fpecified, we 
 
 are to conclude that thefe may be fufEciently 
 
 known by the Light of Nature. Such was the 
 
 *Judg.ii. Occafion * of Jeptha's War with the Ammo- 
 
 nitesy when they threatned to poffefs them- 
 
 t iSam. felvesof the Ifraelites Land ; and | ofDa'vid's 
 
 with the fame People, when he reveng*d the 
 
 bafe Treatment of his Meffengers. To this 
 
 may be added what is faid in the 1 1 th to the 
 
 Heb. that Gideon^ Baraky Samffouy Sic thro* 
 
 Faith fubdued KingdomSy wax'd valiant in 
 
 Fighty turn d to Flight the Armies of the Aliens ; 
 
 where, in the Signification of the Word Faithy 
 
 is included a Perfuafion that what they did was 
 
 JO 
 
The Latpfulnefs of War. 75 
 
 God's Will : And this not without 
 great Reafon, feeing he has * en- *Jof. i. j. j. ij, 
 couragd his People in their fVars ; *'*• ^^^- *^- 7> B, 
 and t help'd em and fought for 'em : ' ^jX.l"',^ {\^/\ 
 InConfidence of which they * pray'd j^. ,o. 2 Siim.23.1tl 
 to hitn for Succefs^ and f prais'd ia.2Chr.ao.22,27,29. 
 him for granting it. And as if fome * *Chr. ao. 4. &c. 
 peculiar Honour had accrued to tjudg.j. Pf.J44.i. 
 his Name from his thiis f goin^ forth with 1 108. 11. 
 their Armies ^ He is in an eminent Manner ^^*2' 
 flyVd the * Lord ofHofts, and the j Lord High- ^\^''"' 
 ty tn Battle. It is not to be fuppos*dthat the j- pf.24.8. 
 Making War for jufl Caufes, was allowed on- 
 ly to the Ifraelitesy but unlawful to other Na^ 
 tions ; when thefe were never reprov'd on that 
 Account by the Prof bets fent from Gody who 
 yet often freely tax'd 'em with their Crimes : 
 On the contrary^as tht Judiciary Lav^s ofAfo- 
 fes were the exprefs Copy of the divine Will, 
 they muft be thought to have aded rightly in 
 thofe things, wherein they refembled it. 
 
 Nor has thie Gofpel made IVary allowed to 
 all Nations before, become now unlawful to 
 any. For what by Nature^ and the Confent 
 p{,well order d Governrnents was approved, it is 
 fo far from abolifhing, as to recommend under 
 the general Precepts of * whatever is Honefl ♦phii.4 g. 
 and Virtuous. Such are the Punifhment of iCor. u. 
 Crimes, and the Arms by which Wrongs are i3> '%• 
 vindicated or reprefs'd. Were the Liberty of 
 thefe wholly taken away, what cou'd we ex- 
 pect to fucceed, but Licentioufnefs of all Evils, 
 Oppreffions, Violence, and a Deluge of thof^ 
 Mifchiefs, v/hich even now by thefe Means 
 are hardly reftrain'd ? .Had our Saviour inten- 
 ded to remove the Support and Security of all 
 poveinments, does not the Nature of the thing 
 
 / ■ % 
 
7 6 The Latpfulnefs of War. 
 
 Inquire he fliou*d exprefly and particularly 
 have declared himfelf herein ? which we do 
 not find he has any where done, what is com- 
 monly alledg*d being very dubious and ob- 
 fcure, or very weak and little to theFurpofe. 
 He took away only that Part of the Mofaick 
 Inftitutiony which was, as it were, a Wall of 
 Partition between the Jews and Gentiles ; 
 for the reft, he fays himfelf, he came not to 
 Matj.iy. deftroy tU Law but to fulfil it : Some things 
 indeed had been before conniv'd at, which he 
 wou'd not tolerate his Difciples in, as for a 
 Man to put away his Wife for every Cauje,Scc. 
 Mat. 19. but thefe were * bare Sufferances, and our 
 3' * •• Saviour in putting an End to 'em, did not 
 'amt6\ the Law but fulfil it ; for he who re-* 
 taind his Wife^ did but what it required: But 
 Ca'pital Punifhments being a fundamental Part 
 of the Lawy not permittedy but commanded^ as 
 abfolutely neceffary, our Saviour in forbidding 
 *em, muft have deftrofd the Law. And if it 
 be granted that thefe are ftill to be ufed, it fol- 
 Jows that War is both lawful and requifite, 
 fuppofe againft a Multitude of Criminals in 
 Arms, who that they may be punifhed muft be 
 firft fubdued. It is faid the Mtnifter of Gody 
 is for your Good ; but if you do Evil be afraid, 
 for he beareth not the Sword in vain ; for he is 
 Rom. 13. ^^p Minifter of Gody a Revenger to execute 
 ^^ Wrath upon him that doth Evil. In the Pow- 
 
 er of the Sword all Coercion is included • but 
 certainly it's chief Defign, and true and pro- 
 per Ufe is not to be excepted. With this, 
 the then Roman Magiftrates were vefted, who 
 yet th.Q Apofikyin this Place, fays,xu^/^ ordain d 
 Ver. I . of God. Wou'd Chriftianity have made *em lefs 
 fo ? Wou'd it have taken away their Divine 
 
 Ap^ 
 
The Lavpfulnefs of War. 'jf 
 
 Appointment or their Supreme Power, which 
 without the Ufe of Arms^ wou'd have been 
 no longer Supreme, nor even any Power ? 
 As fays one, on another Occafion, * " Can *i»f DukeV 
 " any one think, that when St. Paul with Serm. p/ 
 " great Addrefs and good Manners •— apply'd Chrifs 
 « himfelf to the moft Noble Fefim and King ^''^i^<^, 
 ^^ Agriffay and wifh'd that they v^ere altoge- ^^^^^ 
 " ther like himfelf, excepting thofe Bonds ^ ^^ 2,5. — 2*9^ 
 
 *^ meant that the one would lay down his 
 
 " Government, and the other abdicate his 
 " Kingdom"? By thefame*-^/?oy?/^wearebid fRom.13. 
 to fay Tribute ; for this alfo we have our Sa^ ^' 7- 
 viours t Example; the proper End and De- ^?^^'7* 
 fign of which, is to enable the Prince to pro- ,-' ^u 
 ted his Subjeds ; which cannot be done but 
 by the Soldiery ; and which was the Means 
 at that Time ufed. 
 
 Several Occafions the Apofiles had to con- 
 demn a Military Employment as unlawful, had 
 it been fo ; but this they were fo far from, 
 that on the contrary, they feem to have ap 
 proved of it. When St. Paul underftood that 
 the Jews lay in wait for his Life, he immedi- Aft. ij. 
 ately acquainted the Roman Tribune with it ; 
 and when this Officer ailigned him a Guards he 
 neither refufed itj nor did he tell him, or the 
 Soldiers, that it was contrary to God's Will 
 that Force fhou'd be repell'd with Force : Y^t 
 St. Paul was one that wou'd not any Opportu- 
 nity of informing Men in their Duty ftou'd be 
 omtitted by himfelf, or * by another. 3X101.4.1^ 
 
 When John the Baptifl was ask'd of the 
 Soldiers what they fhou'd do to efcape the 
 Wrath of God ^ he did not command 'em to 
 quk their Profeffion, which he ought to have 
 
 done. 
 
78 The latpfulnefs of Wat. 
 
 Lu 3. '4- done, if fuch had been the Will of God, but 
 rather taught *em how to behave themfelves 
 in it. 
 A£k. 10. Cornelius the Centurion was baptized by 
 47» 4^- Peter, and reeeivd the Holy Ghojly an un- 
 doubted Sign of his being juftified ; yet 'tis no 
 where faid he renounced his Calling, or was 
 admonifh'd by Peter fo to do : and fince there 
 is no exprefs Prohibition of Warfare in any 
 other Part of Scripture, this Place chiefly re- 
 quired that fomething fhould be faid concern- 
 ing it, that Pofterity might not be ignorant in 
 fo important a Point of their Religion. Nor 
 A£l. 1 3.7, in the Converfion of Sergini PaulpUy do we 
 &c. find any thing to this Purpofe. Now no Men- 
 
 tion being made of a thing when 'tis highly 
 requiCte it fhou'd be, it follows there was na 
 fuch thing. 
 
 In the Primitive Times, when Chriflians 
 
 difapprov'd of, or avoided the JVarsy it was' 
 
 not as being in themfelves unlawful, but in re- 
 
 fped of fomeCircumftances incident to thof^ 
 
 Times ^ as the Making J^ragainft their Fel- 
 
 \o'^-Chriftiansy when perfecuted for their Re^ 
 
 ligion ; Swearing' by the Gods of the Gentiles ; 
 
 Worfbipping the Emperour's Image, &c. 
 
 In the Apoftolical Canons it is decreed that 
 
 ♦*Ewxo- cc * ]^Q BiOiop, Prieft or Deacon Ihou'd ad- 
 
 <?©- >t cc (Jict himfelf to /^^/r. From which we may 
 
 ^^ &c' conclude that to other Chriftians it was not 
 
 Can.^^.S2. -^ unlawful. 
 
 And in the Conjiitmionsy where it is fet 
 
 down who were to be admitted to 
 
 ♦ 'Z.Tfij.'Dcom 'ues-^ Baftifm, and who not, it is faid ] "Let 
 
 L. s^c. 3».* * be inftru<fted to abftain from do-^. 
 
 ing 
 
The Lawfulnefs of War. y^ 
 
 " ing Wrong, &c. If he be willing to obey, 
 " Jet him be admitted. 
 
 Tertul/ian fpeaking in the Name 
 of Chriftians, fays, * " SVe fill all your * Veftra omnia im- 
 " Places, your Cities, Iflands, Ca- plevimus, Urbes ^ 
 « ftles,— yea and your very Camps : ^'^" ^P^'' *c- ^M 
 And again, f '' We both Sail, and '^ Navigamus & 
 " Fight together with you " . In nos vobifcum & mi- 
 the * fame Book he mentions the litamus. c. 41. 
 Letter of the Emperor M. Aurelius ; * ^- 5- ^ ^'^- <<* 
 in which he declares that the Pray- ^^''^ ' ^' 
 ersofhis Chrifiian Soldiers had procured Rain 
 from God in the Time of Drought. By this 
 it fhou'd appear that Tertullian did not efteem 
 Warfare in a Chriftian altogethei:. unlawful. 
 But it happened, in his Time, that a Chriftian 
 Soldier refufed to wear a Laiarel-Wreath y 
 given him> according to Cuftom, as a Mark of 
 Honour; of which the reft made no Scruple; 
 and blamed him that for making Confcience 
 offuch a Trifle, hewou'd endanger the Peace 
 of the Churchy by rendring their Religion o- 
 dious. But the Thing pleased Tertullian ; he 
 therefore ftrenuoufly affertslhisCaufe; violent- 
 ly inveighs againft the contrary Opinion; and 
 falling off from the Church, became a Follow- 
 er of Montanus ; then refolving to oppofe the 
 Orthodox in every thing, among other grofs 
 Errors, he held that a Chrifiian cou'd not be- 
 come a Soldier without hazarding his Faith. 
 
 Conftantine had a great Number o£Chrifiians 
 in his Army ; but what is very extraordinary, 
 and much to the prefent Purpofe, in an Expe- 
 dition againft Mayientius, there appeared in 
 the clear Sky, in Sight of all his Army, a Fi- 
 gure of the .Crofs, with this Infcription upon 
 
 it. 
 
 Baroniw. 
 
8o The Lavpfulnefs of War. 
 
 it, T«T6) NiV, In this Conquer. Being doubtful 
 what this fhou'd mean, it was explain'd to 
 him that Night in a Vifion, with a Command 
 to have his chief Enjtgn made in the Faftiion 
 of what he had feen. In Confidence of which, 
 under great Difadvantages, and againft the 
 Advice of all his Officers^ he engaged the 
 Enemy, and overcame 'em. This is confirmed 
 by almoft all Writers of thofe Times ; parti- 
 
 • De Vita cularly by * Eufebius, who fays Conftantine 
 Conft. L. himfelf affur'd him with an Oath the Truth 
 I.e. 28, of it; and was fo firmly believ'd, that long 
 ^^* after his Son Conftanttm plac'd all his Hopes 
 
 of Vidory in the fame Device ; it was even 
 made Ufe of by his Enemy Magnentimy and 
 others. 
 
 * Theodorit. L. 3. c. The * Emperor Conflans wou'd 
 y in fine. not fufFer one to be in his Army, 
 
 ^Theod. L.4. C. i. ^j^q j^^^j ^^^ ^^^^^ baptiz'd : And 
 
 ITZTslXc.2^}' t 7^0;.-.;., upon his coming to the 
 hmpire, declar d, ± hat as he was 
 a Chriftiariy he wou'd not command an Ar- 
 my of Heathens; upon which the Soldiers 
 cry*d out, That they alfo were Chrifiians ; for, 
 it feems, they had all along kept the Faith, 
 though conceal'd from the former Emperor 
 Juliany its fworn Enemy. Nor did any Bi- 
 ihop ever reprove the Emperors or their Sol-- 
 ■ diers for going to War; though they wou'd 
 fpare neither Prince nor People when they faw 
 'em negligent in their Duty ; on the con- 
 trary in this they rather countenanced em : 
 
 • The*d. * Eufebius himfelf , upon Occafion, wore a 
 t.4.C.i3. Military Veft. And St. Bafil fays of the Pri-' 
 
 t Tw< ^ Uoxi c ^^^^^^ Chriftians , That " f *hey 
 ^0 r. , &c. Bafil.'^ad " never accounted that Execution 
 Amphil. Ep. Can. i. p. 26. Tom. 3. 
 
 thit 
 
The Larpfulnefs of War. 
 
 " that was done in JVar^ as Murther, but 
 " alway held them excufed, that fought for 
 " the Defence of Chaftity and Piety. 
 
 Gregory Na7^ian'z,.en , that according to So- 
 lomon ( EcckJ. 38.) * " PFaris fometinies 
 « juftiiiable. 
 
 A*<, Greg. Naz. Orac. 
 
 81 
 
 f noA€- 
 
 TTCT? Kef.' 
 
 4 P 223. 
 
 St. Ambrofe ; f" Simply to go to 
 " PVar is no Sin, but to fight for 
 " Spoil and Plunder. Again,-* That 
 ** Force whereby our Countrey is 
 " defended from our Enemies in 
 " TVar — is perfed Juftice. 
 
 St. Chryfofiom fays, That t " War- 
 " fare is no Excufe for a Chriftian 
 " not to do what he ought • for 
 " Cornelius was a Centurion^ and 
 " that Military Office did not pre- 
 " judice the regular Condud of his 
 « Life. 
 
 St. Auftiuy That \ " War is made, 
 " in order to acquire Peace." In 
 another Place * he encourages Bo- 
 niface to take up Arms^ " becaufe 
 " in an Engagement God looks 
 " down from Heaven, and gives 
 " Vidory to that Party which he 
 " fees has Juftice on its Side. 
 
 C 4. Contra Faufl. L, aa. C. 74. 8cc. De 
 Ef. 50. §iS. 
 
 t Non mllitare De- 
 liftum eft, fed, &e, 
 Serm. 7. in Prmc. 
 
 * Fortitude, quae 
 vel in Bello, ^c. Of- 
 fie, L. I. C. 27. 
 
 t Awd xj ^T^cf.' 
 7eia.u ju£i <s;fyCa,hhyi 
 TTKrTWf, 6fC. *Eii li^ 
 <sr^'( Kof. '£i3-;r. i. 
 Ao-)/. e. p. 273. Tom, 
 3. Vid. 'E/? T^' <CTC9< 
 T///. E-zsr. r. Acy.^. 
 p. 272. Tom. 4. 
 
 t Bellum geri. 
 tur, uc Pax acquiia- 
 tur, Ep. 205.C0/.838. 
 * Quia quando pug- 
 natur, Deus apertis 
 Ccelis profpeftar,GJf. 
 Ep. 194. Vid. §lueft. 
 10. [up. Jof. L.6 Col. 
 288 , 289. De Civ. 
 Dei.L. I.e. 21. L.I 5. 
 f^<fr^. Z?ow». Ssrm. 19. 
 
 T'heodoret fays, f " There are fe- * ^o^xe? ;^ J]*/«c(^- 
 
 « veral Callines fit for the Exer- ^:' '"I ^'J^C'^f .*'' 
 
 « T r T^- ^ y' 1-11 )S*°'» «c. Theod. in 
 
 « cife of Piety (among which he pf.o^. p. ^pg. To.i. 
 
 " reckons the Military) and that tutet. 
 
 " in each of 'em we may pleafe God. 
 
 G Theo" 
 
8a The Lawfulnefs of War. 
 
 , t 'E>tgiV<yp2£yTMefcc T'heofhylacl tells us, f "' WC' 
 
 Theoph. in i Tnn. ^"^Y "^zard themlelves in ^^r, 
 
 ^' *• P- 7J5> 75<^, " ^^^^ we may live fecure. 
 
 l-ow^. Manes indeed, a moft flagitious Heretick,* 
 
 and his Followers the Manichaans ( whom in 
 
 moft Things our Quakers imitate) among 
 
 5. Aug. other wild Tenets, * maintain'd that Wary 
 
 emt. faufl. undertaken even upon a juft Caufe, was im- 
 
 *" ^^* pious. But, if nothing elfe cou'd be alledg'd 
 
 in its Defence, fliall the Profeflion of Arms be 
 
 condemn'd as Unchriftiany when God has fo 
 
 often made it a Means of glorifying himfelf, 
 
 and ennobling the C/;r//?//j;2 Faith ? V/henthis 
 
 has received the Addition of fo much Strength 
 
 and Honour from the Sufferings of Soldiers 
 
 Annd ^"^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ iiooo were by 
 1^.VQl^. ^^ Emperor Trajan fingled out from his Ar- 
 my, and banifh'd into Armenia, that this 
 might compel 'em to renounce their Religion. 
 * Eufib. Lidnius * commanded that all the Chrtjiian 
 KiftEcclef. Sjldiers in his Army fhou'd be cafhier'd, un- 
 1q5 * ^^^^ they wou'd facrifice to his Gods ; upon 
 Paris. ' which many gave up their CommifTions. Up* 
 on the fame Account Jovianus, Valentianusy 
 and Valensy afterward Emperors, laid down 
 Secrates their Pofts under Julian ; who at that Time 
 L.3.C.13. disbanded the Pratorian Guards, becaufethey 
 refus'd to worfiiip his Gods. 
 
 Many alfo endur'd Torments even to Death, 
 ^ „ for their Relieion ; amone whom mention is 
 
 Annal o rn'-i^e of three ot ranis Companions: '^ Ma- 
 \6q^.VoI a . ny of the Lifs-Guatfd were put to Death by 
 the Command of F/. Clandius. f ^5? and after- 
 t^i^^P"^?^" wards 50 Soldiers under Aureliun. ^ PrO" 
 Ln Q \^e ^^P^^^ highly extoU'd for his Bravery, en- 
 dur'd all Manner of Tarmeats for the Chri- 
 
 Jiian 
 
The Lawfulnefs of War. 83 
 
 flian Faith. Not to infill: on the 
 t Story of the T'hehaan Legion , t ^^^ ^^ory related 
 which with Mauritius the tribune, '/ . ^''^' ^« ^^^'^'^ 
 ( confifting of 6666 ) fuftering Mar- ^-;«-^^^-/^''«^0, P- 
 tyrdom for their Religion*, are '*' By order cfUi^xl^ 
 reprefented as a moil lignal and mian. 
 fingular Pattern of Chriflian Pati- , , . 
 
 ence and Conlkncy. Many f others ^ "^ ^'f ''" ^''' '^ 
 there were, to whom their Mili- 
 tary Employment gave an Occalion of fhew- 
 ing the fame Zeal for their Religion, and of 
 fealing it with their Blood : For Inflance, 
 * Three hundred and eighteen, with their * Baron. 
 Captain Gereon ; Viclor with Three hundred P- ^^4- 
 and thirty under his Command in France ; 
 Three hundred and fifty more in the fame 
 Country : About that Time Florianus alfo 
 with. Forty of his Companions underwent 
 cruel Torments, and at lafl: Martyrdom for i^^ p. ^8 j'.- 
 the ProfefTion of their Faith, in Germany. 
 Marcellm the Centurion having bravely con- 
 fefs'd the Name of Chrifl, was martyr'd with i>, ^88, 
 his Twelve Sons, under the Emperor Diode- &g. 
 fian, Maximian condemin'd the Chriftian Sol-- 
 diers to ifinifh the Baths at Rome and Car-- 
 thage I a Seven-years Labour; and even while 
 they were at Work, took all Occaiions to de- 
 ftroy *em with Fire and Sword -, the Baths 
 being perfeded, thofe that remaind, under 
 Pretence that they might confpire againft the 
 Government, becaufe they were a great 
 Number, viz.. Ten thoufand two hundred and 
 three, were all put to Death with Zeno the 
 'tribune. Under Diodefian likewife Eleven Vol. j. p. 
 hundred and four were deftroy'd at once, be- 6o. 
 fide many others at that Tinie of great Note, 
 in Armenia. Andraa^ a Tribune^ with the 
 C i Chri'. 
 
84 ObjeSlions againft 
 
 Chriftians under his Command, freely offering 
 themfelves to Death for Chrifiianitys fake, 
 were all (lain by the reft of the Army in the 
 Straits of Mount T^aurni, by Order of the 
 General Maximinian. 
 ^ In the Reign of Liciniti6, * Forty 
 
 Bajtl orat tn ^^^^^^^^ j^ Armenia, much cele- 
 
 Horn. 20. p. 456. f^ol. brated, after other ievere Pams and 
 1. Greg. Nyf.orat. 2. Indignities, were in the Night ex- 
 in 40 Martyr, p. 943. pos'd Naked to the freezing Air, in 
 •^''^- ^- which they perifh'd with extreme 
 
 Cold. 
 t Vide Thefe f with a Multitude befides, of whom 
 
 Metaphra. ^^^ ^-^^ ivoud fail m to tell, the Church 
 tyrol^Zl thought fit to lift in the Number of her Con- 
 „^i feflors, moft renown'd for their Faith and 
 
 Heroick Piety: And of whom we may fay with 
 
 St. Cypriam concerning Laurentinm and Igna- 
 
 * In Caftris ipfi ^^^ African Soldiers, that * " they 
 
 quondam faeculari- " were once Soldiers fighting under 
 
 bus militantes, &c. a Secular Princes, but they were 
 
 Ep. 34. p. 48- ic aifo true Soldiers of God, when 
 
 " by the Confeflion of their Faith in Chrift, 
 . *' they vanquifh'd the Devil, and by their 
 
 " illuftrious Sufferings were ennobled with the 
 
 " Crown of Marty-rdom. 
 
 Replji to SE CT. XII. 
 
 ObjeSiofts againft Taking an Oath, 
 anjiverd. 
 
 TH A T all Swearing, fays Mr. C n is 
 finful, we deny for thefe Reafons ; i . Be- 
 catffe God himfelf, wh$ cannot fin, often fwear- 
 
 eth 
 
Taking an Oathy anfvperd. 85 
 
 eth to m^Scc. To this Clar. bids us take Hierom*x 
 
 Anfwer^ viz. All T'hings are not fit for m 
 
 who are Servants^ that are agreeable to the 
 Majler, dcc. Which was a very proper Re- 
 ply to one who prefumptuoufly faid, he 
 ought of right to fwear, becaufe the Lordfome- 
 times fwore ; but was never defign'd for one 
 who fhou' J fay, * All Swearing is not finful^ * Vide 
 becaufe God who cannot fin-, often fweareth : ^' ^ * 
 Nor is any Doubt to be made, but what 
 St. Hierom fays there, is to be underftood 
 only of fwearing ordinarily, and in common 
 Converfation. But f fome one has put it in- iEftius. 
 to his Head, that God is faid to Swear not pro- 
 perly, but by a Figure , as he is faid to be 
 Angry, to Repent, Scc. p. i oo. The Reafon 
 why God cannot properly be faid to be Angry 
 or Repent, is becaufe thefe, being the EfFeds 
 of Paflion and Infirmity, are inconfiflent with 
 his Nature which is Perfection : But this can- 
 not be faid of an Oath, being only a Form of 
 Words utter'd to a certain End and Purpofe ; 
 and He made Ufe of the proper Words and' 
 Form of an Oath, when Hefware by Himfelf, 
 becaufe he cou'd fwear by no * Greater. * Heb. 6. 
 Which he did likewife to the End and Intent '3* 
 of all Oaths, namely f to confirm what He t s.Ambr. 
 faid; for God willing more abundantly to JJjew '^f^- 
 to the Heirs of Promife the Immutability of his ^ _ • ' j^^ 
 Counfe If confirmed it by an Oath * For any 5. 
 one to fay He made Ufe of no proper Oath, * 17- 
 but only a Figure or Met aphor, wh^t is this but 
 to make the Ap. deceive, if not to put into the 
 Mouth of Truth it felf, an Equivocation worfe f Invcni- 
 than Jefuitical > ] He confirmed it hy an Oath mus ju-» 
 (fays the Apoftle ) that by two immutable raflfe— «• 
 G 3 T'hingf 
 
B6 
 
 primitus ipfum Do- 
 minum, in quo pon 
 eft omnind pecca- 
 turn. — Quomodo 
 homo per Degm, Cic 
 Deus per feipfum. 
 S. y^ug. Ser. 28. de 
 Verb, jpoji. Vide Ter- 
 tuU. adv M'ircion. L 2. 
 prope fin. Cyril Mex. 
 in Gen. L. 3. To. i. 
 p. 72,75, 7^- Lutet. 
 Even in the P^ffage of 
 St. Hierom that he 
 himflf quotes in the 
 foregqing Page , th^t 
 Father fays exprefly^ 
 Juravit fcio faepe 
 Domirius. S. Chryf in 
 his Exprf cfthe Pi ace ^ 
 diP'Tigutjhes God'sOath 
 font his bare Speech ^ 
 and wakes "em to be 
 two dif^'erent ihings , 
 conformable to the A- 
 pojile, A '"' </b'<> ■Tffr.cry- 
 yuciirj.}v^ Sec. *rbT$ ^- 
 mxcji §^uHv — 59 ¥^ 
 
 So Itkewife does Thco- 
 doref, A Jo 'TTfiyy- 
 fJUL]tj 7^-; [\'ny)V )i) 7^ 
 *'0^yy* 3cc. p. 4ja. 
 To. 3 Lutet. Theo- 
 phvia^ ufes St. Chry- 
 i'odoms Words, Com. 
 in Loc. Jo which all 
 Commentators agree j 
 nor can the Words of 
 the JpoftUy J\jo 'Tz-fe/.y- 
 fjuil:/., ha*ve any other 
 Meaning. 
 
 ObjeBions againji 
 
 T'hiyigSy in vihich it is imfoffible Jqy 
 God to lye-i we might have a firong 
 Confolation. How cou'd any Thing 
 of this be f^id, if there was really 
 no Oath in the Cafe ? Bat it feems> 
 in C/i^r'sDidionaryGo/i Oath,Mercy 
 and Covenant have but one and 
 the fame Signification : Which Con- 
 fufion of Words and Things he con- 
 ceives to be warranted from thi$ 
 of Zacharins ; To perform th^ Mer- 
 cy from/fed to our Father Sy and to 
 refhemher jo^ holy Covenant ; the 
 Oath which he /ware to our Father 
 Abraha^y Lu. I .72,73. Where Oath^ 
 Mercy^ and Covenant^ fays he, are 
 indifferently taken for one another. 
 So taken certainly by none > but 
 himfelf ; who thereby makes a great 
 Elegancy become a flat Repetition 
 like his own : Had they been the 
 fame, the Mention of any one had 
 been fufiicient ; the other two 
 wouM be mere Tautology : The 
 Subjed-Mattev of 'em indeed is the 
 f^me, vi7i>, God's Promife to Abra- 
 ham ; but the Things themfelve$ 
 v/idely differ ; in as much as He 
 might have fliew'd the fame Mercy to 
 him without making it a Covenant; 
 or made that Covenant without; 
 confirming it with an Oath ; Buj 
 in the Order of thefe Words we 
 may obferve a gradual Rife from 
 one to another ; being what they call 
 Auxefis ; as who fhou'd lay— The Promife God made 
 
 to 
 
Taking an Oath^ anfr^erJ %j 
 
 to our Father AhrahaJHy being an KOi of 
 
 Mercy, which he vouchfafed to eftablifh into 
 
 a Covenant, which Covenant he was pleas'd 
 
 to ratiiie with an Oath. But if God's Oath is 
 
 the fame with his Mercy, ^what becomes of 
 
 * Swearing in his Wrath ? Are his Mercy and * PC. pj. 
 
 Wrath the fame? Or will you make his Oath i'- 
 
 in one Place the fame with his Mercy and ^^^' 3- 
 
 Covenant, in another the fame with Anger, ^ * 
 
 and fo any Thing or Nothing, as fuits bed 
 
 with your Convenience ? 
 
 To feveral Arguments offered by Mr. C — ;? 
 for the Lawfulnefs of Oaths, he replies, — to 
 fwear — is forbidden us, p. loi. And to give 
 this its full Force, and work it up to Demon- 
 ftration, he repeats it again and again, only for 
 Elegancy's fake, fometimes varying the Phrafe, 
 p. loi, I02, 103. 
 
 We are told, there is no need of Swearing 
 to confirm the Truth, — becaufe Truth is TiUthy 
 p. 102. a notable Difcoveryl — and Strife may 
 be pit an End to without Swearing, ib. The 
 Afoflle appears to be of another Mind ; j For f Heb, 6, 
 Men 'verily fwear by the Greater ; and an Oath i^- 
 for Confirmation , is to them an End of all 
 Strife. Ay, to Men, 'tis true ; but, fay you, 
 this Jhews m't what the Chriftians PraEiice wody 
 ib. becaufe, it feems, Chriftians are not Men : 
 The Apoftle fays Men, in general ; as he had 
 Reafon, being the Cuftom of all Mankind, 
 Jews and Heathens, as well as Believers ; and 
 therefore, he cou'd not call 'erri Saints or Be- 
 lieuers, as you, and only you, think he fhou'd 
 have done, if it was the Chriftians Pradice ,* 
 which had it not been, was it utterly forbid- 
 den under the Gofpel, it had not became him 
 to fpeak fo indefinitely ; thereby giving Oc- 
 G 4 caCon 
 
88 ObjeSiions againft 
 
 cafion for Pofterity to think that it was not on- 
 ly Cuilomary for the Chriftians of his Time, 
 * j^s all but * Lawful for themfelves alfo to make ufe 
 Commejtta. of an Oathy to put an End to aU Strife. Be- 
 upcH ^fht't fi<^ss, were Oaths abfolutely unlawful, how 
 very Text, undecent might it be thought, for the Apoflle 
 when fpeaking of fo facred a Matter as God's 
 Promife and Covenant, to allude to a fin- 
 ful Cufiom ufed among Infidels , that he 
 might thence, fay you, excite Chriflians to 
 Truft and Confidence in God, for the perfor- 
 ming of his Promife, p. 102. That Chriflians 
 who believe in ChriR^ have witnefs^d Delive- 
 ranee fro m Strife, and therefore have no Oc- 
 caiion for Oaths, ibid, is not more abfurd than 
 falfe : On the contrary, fince the Nature of 
 Things in this World, and the Infirmity of hu- 
 man Nature is fuch, that Debates and Con- 
 tentions will needs arife, and that the firft and 
 beft of Chriflians., the Apoflle s themfelves, 
 cou'd not be wholly free from em, an Oath 
 ought to be held in the higheft Efteem and 
 Veneration, as a facred Ordinance defign'd 
 to put an End to all Controverfy. 
 * P. J 04, * Five Pages and more, are wafted about 
 &c. the Greek Particle pm, to prove that the Apoflle 
 
 does not ufe an Oath, where he fays, \ IPro- 
 t Cor < ^^fl ^y y^^^ Rejoycing : Which elaborate Criti- 
 5,, * ' cifms vye pafs over, not only as frivolous and 
 Sciat e- impertinent, but becaufe even allowing that 
 tiam ju- to be no Oath, nothing is more evident than 
 r^fie Apo- ^j^^^ j^g ^^^g feveral in other Places, vtx.. Rom, 
 cenrein. '^9' ^^^' I. 20. 2 Cor. i. 23. 2 Cor. 11. 31. 
 qaoridie 'There cannot certainly be more expyefs Forms of 
 morior 
 
 per vcftram Gloriam : Quod ne quis cxiftimet — Grxca Excm- 
 plaria dijudicant, in quibus fcripriim eft in iIjjj i^uni^cft Ka.J~ 
 VCTf* quod non ni/i a jurantc dicitur. S. jiug. in Mat. 5. 34, &c. 
 
 Swearing 
 
Taking an Oathy anfvperd. 8^ 
 
 Swearing than thefe are * ^ fays one, / Non po/Tunc (a- 
 for whom he feems to have a par- J^ ^^t exprcffiores 
 ticular Efteem, having allotted him, ^rt^,:iiZ'" tl 
 four t Pages together in this rare chriji. inft. l, 7. c. 
 Treatife. But now to prove at 28. 5^«5. 32. p. 545. 
 once that thefe are no Oathsy I'hey Non pocuir jurare 
 are no Oaths, fays he, /or jf they ^J/^^'^'* Grotiusin 
 were Oaths, how coud St. Paul fay, Vvjz p.249^C^f. 
 Be ye followers of me, even 05 I alfo 
 am ofChrifi, feeing C hnfi f aid fwear not at all? 
 How coud he propound himfelf as an Exam-^ 
 pie to others in following of Ch^ifl, tf he often 
 ufed that which Chrifi expre/ly for- 
 bad ? * p. 104. This Argument, * This begging the 
 from a certain Difpofition in it, like fi^'Pi'^^ immediately 
 himfelf, to turn to any Party proves ^'^;^!i:i^^ 
 jult as much, if not more for the ^uejiion, taking that 
 dired contrary : When our Saviour for granted vhich yet 
 hidi fwear not at all, he couMmean i^ewains to be proved, 
 only in common Converfation, but P* ^°^' 
 did not utterly forbid the Ufe of all Oaths ; 
 for then how coud the Apoftle propound himfelf 
 as an Example to others in following of Chrifi, 
 if he often ufed that which Chrifi ex prejfyfor'^ 
 bad? 
 
 Well, but // the Apoftle fwore, 05 E. C-n 
 fays he did, how will he acquit him of Guilt in 
 fo doing, if he did it frequently in his Epiftlesy 
 thofe common or ordinary Communications with 
 
 the Saints fi^i^g that to fwear in our 
 
 ordinary Communications is finfuU p. I op. I 
 ever thought St. Pauls Epiftles to f JuravitPauIus non 
 have been very f uncommon and in re fui, non in re 
 extraordinary, as being didated by modica alterius, fed 
 the Spirit of God, and defignd to in N.goths maximi 
 • /I ^o X* 1 ♦ I • 1 A r> Momcnti, ad Dcum 
 
 inltrudMankmd in the grand Con- ^ Salutem aliorum 
 
 percinentibus, Grot, in Mat. 5- 34. 
 
 cern 
 
$o Objedions againjl 
 
 cern of their Salvation : In Claridge\ Account, 
 they are but mere Common Talk ; that is the 
 Meaning of Ordinary Communications : But 
 no wonder that thofe who maintain their own 
 common and ordinary Difcourfes to be the Word 
 o^Godi fhou'd efteem the IVord of God but as 
 common and ordinary Difcourfe. 
 
 But laftly , Supfofing the Apoflle often 
 
 * For this f^ore ^ * " His Example were not enough 
 
 he cites " — ■ no more than his Jhaving of his Head at 
 Tteattfe of « Cenchrea, or his Purifying himfelf in the 
 OathSf p. <c q^^jfiplg — can warrant us to the olfervation 
 ii 04- « of thofe Legal Rites and Ceremonies — thofe 
 ^^ that woud therefore. Sec. p. no. How juft 
 this Inference is, will appear from the follow- 
 ing Comparifon. i. An Oath is a fubflantial 
 Ad: of Religion, and of real Efficacy ; Shavings 
 Purifying, See. were fuperficial Rites, empty 
 Shadows. 2. The Neceflity of the Times re- 
 quir'd St. Paufs Complyance with thefe Cere- 
 monies of the Mofaick Law : His Swearing not 
 alike neceffary, being a voluntary Ad. ^. Oaths 
 are ftill of as much Service and Tendency, and 
 there is as much Occafion for 'em now as ©- 
 ver: Not fo JewiJJj Rites, which are of no lon- 
 ger Ufe, nor of any Significancy. 4, There is 
 no exprefs Command of Chrift\ againft Shav^ 
 ing the Head, Szc. Purification, Sec. as they 
 pretend there is againft Oaths ; but if fo, cer- 
 tainly St. Paul had never ufed any : For thefe 
 Reafons, his Example of Purifying, Sec. never 
 drew any to imitate him therein, tho' they 
 feem to be indifferent Things, and not prohi- 
 bited ; whereas that of Swearing has authori- 
 zed to us the Ufe of Oaf'hs, tho' it may feem 
 to fome to be no indifferent thing, but prohi- 
 bited. 
 
 J The 
 
' Taking anOathy anftPerd. pi 
 
 The Texts ofScripture on which Anabaftifts 
 and Quakers ground their Scruples againft 
 Swearingy are fo well known, that once to 
 have mention'd 'em, had been more than fuf^ 
 ficient : But he feems perfuaded that they were 
 not only unknown, but can fcarce ever be 
 throughly Ifearnt; {o does he teaze his Readers 
 v/ith vexatious Repetition. IVhat we hold Or 
 bout Oaths — is a "truth built tipon the Tefii^ 
 monies of Chris} and the Apofile James, p. ^8. 
 for hidden m hy Chrifi^ Mat. 5-34:. and by the 
 Apoflle James, Chap. 5 . 1 2. p. i o i . ChriFi faid 
 Swear not at alU Mat. 5. 34. p. 104. ChrifFs 
 pldinand exprefs Prohibition^ Mat. 5. 34-p. ipy. 
 all Manner of Swearing being forbidden l^y 
 Chrifiy p. I op. Saith ChnBy fwear not at all^ 
 Sec. Mat. 5. 34. Saith Jzm^Sy fwear noty ^c^ 
 James 5. 12. p. iji, the exfrefs Prohibition of 
 Chrifl and the Apofile James, p. 114. OurOb^ 
 jeBions from Mat. 5. and James 5. ibid. 7*he 
 Words of Chrifr and ]2imQS prohibit, p. 1 15. / 
 fay unto you fwear not at all. See. agreeable ta 
 which DoBrine ofChrtR the Apofile ]?imQ$ fay s^ 
 Swear not. Sic. James 5, 12, p. xii5. Swear 
 not at ally faith Chrif}; above all things, fwear 
 noty faith James, ibid, in direB ContradiBion 
 to ChrifJ and the Apofile ](Lmcs. Qhrisi faysy 
 Swear not at ally and ]imQsfays,frivear not, ib. 
 PFhat lefs doesE, C. make of Mat. 5.34. and 
 James 5. 12. p. 11 j. bejtdes the prohibition, 
 fwear not at all. Mat. 5. 34. ibid, are e^preflyfor^ 
 bidden it by Chrifl, p. 115?. Chrifl faysy fwear 
 not at all, Mzt. 5. 34. ib. ChriR having expref- 
 ly forbidden it y p.123. Nor does this ruffice,un-* 
 lefs he lets us know that this is Scripture ; and 
 Scripture we have again and again in the Com- 
 pafs of half a Page, p. n i , in vAich he feems 
 
 in- 
 
p2 Objections againft 
 
 inftead of Arguing to fall to Railing. T'hey 
 are plain and exprefs Scripture, and if that is 
 not fignificant and to the Purpofe ivhat is ^ Had 
 
 E. Q—n.but one plain and exprefs Scripture 
 
 But fuch is the Perverfenefs of font e Mens Spi- 
 rits, that when the Scripture is e^prefly 
 
 rather than * they willfet themfehes againfl 
 
 Scripture, And that which lays open 
 
 both their Enmity and Hypocrify, is, they 
 
 obftinately oppofe Scripture • then they cry 
 
 out we miftake the Scripture For our Parts 
 
 we believe the Holy Scriptures. And this 
 Courfe he holds on for two or three Pages. 
 Has then Mr. C—n no Regard to Scripture ? 
 Does he contemn it, or fet himfelf in Oppofi- 
 tion to it, as he is here charg d ? No, not in 
 the leaft. C/^r. himfelf fays, he comes to ex- 
 pound the iVords of Chrifl and the Apoftle 
 James, p. 1 14. Farther, he gives us Mr. C-ns 
 jExpofition at large ; nor only fo, but draws 
 up the Sum of what he fays thus ; " The 
 « Words of Chrifl and the Apoftle James do 
 *' contain a Prohibition of all l/ain Swearing 
 " in our ordinary Communications, and of 
 *' Swearing by the Creature, which muft not 
 *' be, but by the Creator O/2/y; i.e. Men may 
 " fwear by the Creator, except in their ordi- 
 " nary Communications, notwithftanding this 
 " Prohibition, p-ii^. How does he now 
 maintain his Texts, or evacuate this Expofi- 
 tion? Still he has Recourfe to his beft Talents 
 that ferve on all Occafions, viz,. The Strength 
 of Exclaiming, and the Art of Trifling : The 
 former is here wholly employed on Mr. C—n. 
 
 When we quote plain Scriptu) e in the 0- 
 
 pinion of E.C-^n we are reckon d-, p. 11?. Plain 
 'Text was. good Proof then, hut riow'tis rejeBed 
 
 by 
 
Taking an Oath, anfwerJ. 93 
 
 l>yE. C— n, ib. Plain Serif ture Proof is 
 
 with him no Proof at all^ p. 114. his mtftaken 
 and wretched Interpretationy ib. his Miftake or 
 Peruerfan of their Words, ih. Horvhold E.C-n 
 is with fo plain a Prohibition, exfoundingit in 
 direB ContradiBion, p. 116. But E.C-ns Dif- 
 courfe fpeaks in Oppofition to \m both, ib. Made 
 in a greap Meafure void by E. C-ns Mi/tnter- 
 pretation, p. iij. Snppofe he Jhoud make as 
 
 bold with ' and expound them after the 
 
 fame loofe Rate, what fad JVork woud he make 
 of it ? ib. What lefs does E. C-n make of —by 
 his miftaken and prefumptuous Expofition, ib. 
 
 E. C-ns reBriBing of the Prohibition is 
 
 contrary to — p. 1 18. did not diRinguijh and ex- 
 pound it as E. C-n doth, p. 123. Who that was 
 to judge from this, but wou'd imagine that the 
 Expofition above given of Mr. C-n, was not 
 only a wretched Perverfion, Szc. of Scripture, 
 but that he was the iirft and the only one, 
 that dar'd fo wretchedly to pervert it ? Such an 
 one wou'd be furpriz'd to find that this very 
 fame is the found and fober Senfe of the moft 
 learn d and celebrated Writers of the Reform'd 
 Church *; that this Expofition is no other than 
 that of Luther, Zuinglius, Bez,a, Melanc^ * yidc 
 then, Calvin, Marloratus, Grotim, Sec. Pet. Marm 
 
 tyr. Loc. 
 dm. Chf.i.C.6. p 167. Exercitat. Dan. Heinjti, in Loc. CurcelUi 
 Chrifi.Rel. Infi. L.f. C. 28. p. 546, Eji'tum^ in Mat. 5. 34. Ham^ 
 mondinLoc. Sanderfon de Jnram. Pral. ult. p. 210. Burnet. Jtrt. 39. 
 p. 395. Ed. 2. Tilhtfon Serm. in Htb. 6. 16. 
 
 In anfwer to Mr. C-n he fays, and largely 
 
 infifts upon it, that the Words of Chrifl and 
 
 James prohibit not only all Vain Swearing, but 
 
 alfo allferiom Swearing in ordinary Co?nmunica-' 
 
 • tion, p. 115. As if taking God\ Name in vain 
 
 ia 
 
54 ObjeSlions againfi 
 
 in common Converfation, how firiou/ly Toevef^ 
 was not Vain Swearing. T'his, fays he, / 
 thought necejfary to obfernje. Art not thou thy 
 , felf ferioufly vain, and vainly ferious ? The 
 next remarkable Trifles that occur, are a Rule 
 of Lead ^ and a Nofe of Wax ^ which he fays, 
 Mr. C-n makes of Mat. 5. 34. and James 5.12. 
 p. 117. Thefe pretty Inventions he thought Jit 
 to borrow of two Romijh Authors, quoting 
 withal Chap, and Book; and upon this and 
 no other Account, he pofts up their Names 
 in his Table of quoted Authors. 
 
 But 3diy, for we are already part: ifl and 
 2dly. We are forbidden^ he fays, not only to 
 
 fwear by the Creature but alf& to fwear by 
 
 the Creator ; For beftdes what has been 
 
 repeated twenty or thirty Times, Our blefjed 
 Saviour jhevjs that fwearing by the Creature^ is 
 /wearing by God himfelf p. 117. Cou'd ht 
 have maintain'd alfo, that fwearing by God 
 himfelf, is fwearing by the Creature, he had 
 gain'd his Point. For 'tis the Creature that 
 we are forbidden to [wear by, Mat. 5. and 
 fwearing by the Creator only, Mr. C-n affirms 
 to be in fome Cafes lawful : Now becaufe he 
 who [wears by the Creature, ultimately and 
 in Efled fwears by God, Clar. wou'd con- 
 clude that when we are forbidden to fwear 
 by the Creature, we are forbidden to fwear 
 by the Creator Only. Our Saviour reprehends 
 the Folly and Blindnefs of fuch, as faid Who^ 
 Mar. 13. foever pail fwear by the "Temple^ it is nothing i 
 16,18, 20, dyi^ whofoever fbaU -fwear by the Altar, it is no-^ 
 *'• thing. Whofo, fays he, fh all fwear by the Al- 
 
 tar., fiveareth by it., and by all things thereon ; 
 and whofo ihaH fwear by the T'emfle, fweareth 
 bj it, and by him that dweHeth therein. Clar: 
 
 SIS 
 
Taking an Oathy anfwerd. pg 
 
 as if guilty of the fame Folly and Blindnefs ixx 
 thinking that the Temple is nothing, the Altar 
 nothing, wou'd perfuade us, that this is to 
 fiuear by God himfelf, and him alone j di- 
 redly contrary to our Saviour, who fays, that 
 he who /wears by the Altar, fwearcthby it, and 
 hy the things thereon-, and that he who /wears 
 by the Temfle, /weareth hy it, though confe- 
 quentially by h?m al/o that dwelleth therein. 
 But fo far is this Place from proving what he 
 wou'd, viz.. Swearing by the Creator to be 
 forbidden , that it difcovers what he wou'd 
 not, viz.. the Reafon why our Saviour * for- ♦ j^^j^ - 
 bids /wearing hy the Creature ; namely, be- 
 caufe they were wont to account fuch /wear- 
 ing as nothing,* therefore he charg'd *em not 
 to /wear f at all by Heaven, nor by the Earth, j. q^^^^ 
 nor by Jeru/alem, nor by the Head : For they una cum 
 being accuftom'd to make light of fuch Oaths, rixandi 
 what more effectual Way cou'd our Saviour Libidine, 
 take> than to fhew particularly, thzt/wearing iJ^f^f.^^ 
 by the Creature was as binding, and in effed Anabap- 
 the izmQ, 2LS /wearing by the Creator j and to tiftae pro- 
 forbid in general, any /uch /wearing at all : ^unr,duni 
 Is this fimply and abfolutely to forbid /wear- ^^^em 
 7'»^by the Creator alfo, when both Places have ^.^^^ ^^' 
 apparently quite another Tendency and Defign? gendo,to- 
 The few Paffages of the Fathers which turn Ser- 
 
 he cites, fhew it was their Opinion we n^onisTe- 
 
 norcin 
 claufis oculis prjetereunt. Calvin in Harm. Evang. Com. 
 
 Mri o/uo'jcu oKfii' Verba non refte diftin£ia, aut fatis intellefta. 
 — Veto, inquit, ne quocunque modo fic juretis j utconjunft^ 
 legatur "E^./y q .Aj-qw Vfxh ^;) u^offM oAa< ^.jTi iv 'Ttel i^^vc^, y.hiiy 
 &c. Heinjii Exertitat. Sac. 
 
 Ne jurare omnino ; fcil. nifi Caufa fuffiqiens fubfit. Sic eti'am 
 dicimr in DecaJogo, Non occidts j & taiiien Hcec pubJic« Po- 
 teftati occidcre Latroncs. Memchius e Soc. Jef, 
 
 ought 
 
^6 ObjeSlions againfi 
 
 ought not to f wear in common Converfation 
 
 by any Oath ; In this Senje they underftood our 
 
 Saviour s Prohibition of /wearing : If any took 
 
 it Jimply and plainly, as ahfolutely forbidding 
 
 all manner of fwearing, they were fmgular 
 
 ♦ Huetius ^^^^^^y * ^^^ contrary to the confirmed Belief 
 
 whisOri- and Pradice of the Church. But there is a par- 
 
 geniana, ticular Rcafon why fome of the antienter Fa-- 
 
 ghferves, fjj^ys Were zg^'mi}: /wearing ; becaufe the Oaths 
 
 ^^"^ o* ^^^^ adminifter'd in Courts, were by the 
 
 gen fome Heathen Gods, or the Genii of the Empe- 
 
 0th€rs,and rours. 
 
 a great 
 
 Part of the Modern Heterodox, wholly for hid Swearing ; when, on the 
 
 contrary, the Cat holick Church determine an Oath, fo it h piou^y, pru- 
 
 derttly, and in Cafe of Necejpty adminifier d, to be both f acred and #*- 
 
 tedient. Origcniana, L. 2. C. 2. in fine. 
 
 Says Mr. C-n, Tour dif allowing ail War, and 
 all Swearing, favours more of Policy than of 
 Piety. Upon which Clar. thus critically 
 remarks. He Jhoud have added fome explana- 
 tory 'terms after all War and all Swearing ; for 
 there u a War of a Spiritual Nature againfi 
 
 Sin and Satan It is not all War — — 
 
 that we difallow, but War with Carnal Wea- 
 pons ' Neither do we condemn Swearing 
 
 under the Old T'efiament-Difpenfation, but all 
 Swearing under the New. With more of the 
 fame Kind, p.iij, 124. 
 
 — 7e BoUane, Sec. 
 
 Th 
 
The Latpfulnefs of, dec. ^7 
 
 The Lavpfnlmfs of Taking an Oath. 
 
 THat the ferious and folemn taking an 
 Oath in Matters of Moment is Lawfuly 
 appears firft, in its being agreeable to the Law 
 of Nature ; for we find it to have been the 
 common Pradice of all Nations ; in which, 
 though they invoked them who were no Godi, 
 this is no Objedion to the Thing it felf, any- 
 more than their paying Adoration to falfe Dei- 
 ties is any Diminution to the Worfhip of the 
 true , but rather ftrongly enforces it. And 
 Swearing is in Scripture made a Part of Divine 
 Worfhip ; T'hou jhak fear the Lord thy Gody D^ut. lo.. 
 Him Jhalt thou fervey andfwear by his Name : 20, 21. 
 Who in forbidding his Name to he taken in 
 'vainy allows it to be thus invok'd with Reve^ 
 rence and Godly Fear; which alfo he has more 
 exprefly Commanded, (hewing the 
 ObligationofanO/?^/?*; Prefcribing ♦Lev ^ 1 <. 19. 
 the Manner t , alfo Enjoining and 12. Num. 30. 2 Jof. 
 Recomm.ending the Ufe of it * Ac- 9. 19. Pf.15.4. 2Sam. 
 cordingly we fee that upon extraor- *'• 7- Zac. 5.4. S. 
 dinary Occafions, Oaths havepafs'd '7-^ "^^^^^^ '^;J^^; 
 indifcriminately between Men of all Jj j, ,*j. Deut. tf' 
 Conditions; as between ^^^r/^^^??;: 13. Pf. 63.11. ir.4y. 
 and his old Servant £/;Vz.^rt; Ifaac 23. t Gen. 24. * 26. 
 and Abimelech*; Laban and Ja- J 31- *47. tjof.9- 
 coh t , Jacob and Jofefh * ; the Gi^ . \ \Z, ;:, K^^.t^ 
 beonites and the Princes of JJraeli; a.Kn. Ezra lo.Neh. 
 between David and Jonathan* ; i3,8fc. tGen.2 2.i(S. 
 Uavid and Saul]; ^nd many o- Ex. 17. i^. Dcur.31. 
 thers*. We have alfo for this the ^^^^'^Sam /g! 
 frequent Example of God himfelf f. pf go. 3.* no. 4. Ifl 
 14.24, 54. 9. 6a. 8. let, 44.26. 49, J3. Amos 4. 2. 8.7. 
 
 H Nor 
 
^8 The Lanfulnefs of 
 
 Nor in the Nc^w Teflamem do we want Iri- 
 ftances of this kind. The Writer to the He- 
 bre'xJJSy Ihews that the Priefthood of Chrtfl was 
 of far greater Perfedion than the Levi t kali 
 becaufe our Saviour was made Priefl of the 
 New Teftament, not without an Oath from 
 Heb.7.21. God', 'The Lord fw are and will not repent, <!kc. 
 And St. Paul proves that wefiall all ft and be- 
 fore the judgment-feat of Chrift, becaufe it is 
 Rom. 14. ''written. As I live-, faith the Lord, &c. Which 
 10, II. Words though taken out of the Old Teftament, 
 yet their whole Force and Etfed belong to the 
 New, as the Oaths themfelves are thither trani^ 
 ferr'd : Nor is it to be imagin d that if the ta- 
 king an Oath had under the Gofpel, been al- 
 together finful and profane, th^ Apo files woud 
 * Aft. 1. here and * elfewhere, for the greater Confir- 
 30. Heb. mation of the Truth, introduce Go^ fofolemn- 
 4. 3.6.I3. \y fwearing, which might encourage others to 
 follow fuch an Example. Our Saviour alfo, 
 who is by fome thought to forbid, plainly 
 gives Countenance to it. For, (not to infift on 
 t Vid. s ^^^^ folemn AJfeveration o^ his, •\ Ameyi, Amen^ 
 hhryfiji, which Can amount to little lefs,) he did not re- 
 Eif T -^^j fufe to anfwer upon Oath, when * the High 
 'ECf. Et. Priefl faid unto him, I adjure thee by the Li- 
 ^'y- ^ '*• ving God, &c. (" Which among the j^^m was 
 Tom^l " ^^^ Form of giving an Oath\', viz,, not the 
 *Mat.a5. " tendring it formally to the Perfon, as the 
 ^3. " Guliom is with us, but Adjuring, i.e. Re- 
 
 t Lev. 5, 1. " quiring him to Anfwer upon Oath'\) It is 
 obiervable that our Saviour before continued 
 filent, faying nothing to what was urged a- 
 g?.inft him ; upon which the High-Prieft, as it 
 were to extort an Anfwer, demanded it thus 
 upon Oath ; which had it been unlawful, He 
 wou'd not by replying have approved the Ufe 
 a of 
 
Talking an Oath. ^^ 
 
 of it, but rather taken this Opportunity to 
 Ihew his Diflike at leaft, if not to condemn it. 
 Other- Inftances in the New Ttftament flill 
 confirm the Laufulaefs of S'^eanng. 
 Thus in the * Revelationsy the Au- * 'o- S 6. 
 gel fwears hy him that liveth forever 
 and ever. St. Paul ufes often the ^ ^- ^-^- ^^ ^'^^' 
 full Form of an Oath] -, as God is ^''"' ^'^ '''^• 
 my Witnefs'^'y ^c. I call God for a ♦ ^om o d 
 Record 74pton my Soul j, &c. 7'he God ^, 1/ f 2 Cor. r. 23, 
 and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrijly * 1 1. 3 j. f Gal. i. 
 which is hleffed for evermore y knoW" ^°- * Phil. i. 8. 
 eththat I lye not*; Behold, before 1',^^'^''- ^l" 
 Gody Ilye not \ ; God is my Record^y col. 388. Ttm. 10. 
 (kc. I protejl by your Rejoicing], ^c. 
 Which Pradice of the Apofth, and all Chri- 
 flians herein, juftly anfwers to thofe feverai 
 Predictions of the Prophets, which foretel that 
 under the Gofpel, the People converted to 
 Chrifi fhouM * fwear by the only true God ^ ^^^ . 
 and this reprefented as a Blefling : Shall not . j'^; Lt 
 that therefore be held lawful and expedient, i6jer. 4. 
 which God himfeif promifes as a fmgular Be- 2 n. 16' 
 nefit to the Faithful? When efpecially in its 
 Nature and Ufe, it Co manifeftly advances his 
 Glory and their Good; inafmuch as by thus 
 devoutly invoking the Divine Name, we ac- 
 knowledge him to be the Searcher of Hearts, 
 and AfTertor of Truth, a Revenger of Wrongs, - 
 and Patron of Juftice ; and as an Oath for 
 Confirmation, is to Men an End of all Strife : 
 Accordingly it is faid to be a Religious Ad:, 
 by which we call God to witnefs what we de- 
 clare or promife, to aflure others of its Truth 
 or Certainty, when his Glory, the Good of 
 the Church, the Welfare of the State, or Love 
 of our Neighbour requires it : And being fuch, 
 H 2 it 
 
loo The Lawfulnefs of 
 
 it is to be efteem'd no tranfitory (uperflubus 
 Rite or Ceremony, but i fubftantial and du- 
 rable Part of the Moral Lawy by all confefs'd 
 to be of full Force ; which Laiv in this par- 
 * ticular, oux^Saviour being about to retrieve 
 from the Corruptions of the Pharifeesy de^ 
 Mat.<ri7, clar'd became not to deflroy but fulfil', that 
 '^» *^* one jot or tittle fhou'd in no wife fafs from it; 
 and 'whofoe'ver Jhoud break one of the leaft of 
 its Precepts, and teach Men fo, fioud be leafi 
 in the Kingdom of Heaven, 
 
 The taking an Oath was by the Primitive 
 
 Chriftians accounted both juftifiable and ne- 
 
 ceffary. We learn from Plinyy that when they 
 
 met to perform their other Ads of ReligioUy 
 
 they were wont to bind themfehes 
 
 " Sc Sacramento ^ith an * Oath to abftain from fuch 
 
 obft.ingere nefurra, Crimes, as by Reafon of their Se- 
 
 Scc. L. lo. £/). 97. 'J > n. L -J J 
 
 t Scd 5c juramus, ^recy, cou d lealt be provided a- 
 (icut non per Genios gainft by Laws. That they ufed to 
 Caefarum , ita per fwear by the Safety of the f Cafars 
 Saluccm eorum, Sec. ^^g are told by Tertullian -, (who 
 ^''*'D/t^t'c'i^. alfo himfelf upon Occafion, makes 
 i yege'ttut, L l.de "^^ of an Oathy * faying, God is my 
 Ke Milit. Witnefs) and the Form taken by the 
 
 ChriftianSoldiers under 'em isextant.f 
 When any Perfon was accufed of a Crime, and 
 cou'd neither be fully convifted, nor clearly 
 abfolv'd, it was the Cuflom both for Plaintiff 
 and Defendant to be fent to the Sepul- 
 chre of the Martyrs, and there be folemnly 
 put to their Oath, for the Difcovery of the 
 " s. Jttg. Truth * . 
 
 fld Hipponenf€s. Csl. ^57. Greg, Mag, Horn. 32. *« EvMttg, Mat. C. 16. 
 fol. J 3 5. Jntvnrp. 
 
 I St. 
 
Taking an Oatk 
 
 cc 
 
 St. Athanaftm being falfely accufed, clears 
 himfelf to the Emperor Conftance in 
 this Manner j * As I have learnt 
 " from the Apoftle, I call God for 
 *^ a Record upon my Soul; And a- 
 gain, " Let God be my Witnefs, &c, 
 which Oath he feveral Times re- 
 peats : And f " I wifh, fays he, this 
 *' Man, whoever he be, were here, 
 *' that tendring an Oath^ I might 
 *' demand of him the Truth ; for 
 thofe things which we wou*d have 
 fpoke as if God were prefent, 
 we Ghriftians are wont to exprefs 
 ? under this Form of an Oath^ Sec, 
 St. Gregory Nyjfen defines an Oath 
 to be * " A Speech of it felf con- 
 ^^ firming the Truth;" and fays, "it 
 f* has a double Efficacy, either affuring p- 
 " thers of the Certainty of what we fay, 
 *' or laying a Neceflity on them, that they 
 ^' fhall not deceive us. 
 
 St. Auftin declares, | " There is 
 *f no other way to convince Men 
 *' of the Truth of that which is 
 " known only to God, but by cal- 
 ^^ ling God as a Witnefs to it. In 
 another Place he affirms exprefly, 
 *f * that it is no Sin to fwear to the 
 ^ Truth : And again, | " If you are 
 *' not to fweavy then neither are 
 " you to compel another to Jwear; 
 " but he did not remember to have 
 *f read any where in Scripture, that 
 Sf w^ are not tp tender an Oath to 
 
 H J any 
 
 lot 
 
 j^poi ad Co*iJlan, 
 
 p. 525. tx Offic.CotUm 
 
 mel. 
 
 70V -7- £t Jtf e ^i ©i» 
 
 ihTTvo^yjov 'i^fjLoi'.Bc^. 
 ibid,^. 528. 
 
 5/©" '27lV7KCtV®-, ^C. 
 
 Greg. Ityff. in Cant. 
 Cantic. HQm. 4. p. 
 533. 
 
 fResDcotantum- 
 modo noca eft; Quid 
 ergo reftat nifiDeum 
 teftari, cui nota eft ? 
 Ep. 22 J. Co/. 87 J. 
 Tom. 2. 
 
 * Non peccatum 
 eft verum jurare. £/>. 
 89. in fine. O' Serm.iS . 
 Col 387,350. Tem.io. 
 
 t Sicut non juras, 
 ita^ ncc alium, Sec, 
 E^. 154. Col. 793» 
 
102 
 
 * Nia NecefTitatc, 
 cutn videt pigros cf- 
 fe "— Tu autem non 
 malum facis, qui be- 
 nh uteris Juratione. 
 De Sirm. Dom. in Mon- 
 fe. L. I. Cfl/. 1124. 
 Turn. 4.. 
 
 t ITc noveritls ve- 
 rum jura re non efTe 
 Pdccatum, Sec. Ser. 
 28. Col. 386. &c. 
 J»m 10. 
 
 * Noli dicere non 
 juro, fi forte exigi- 
 tur, &c. ih. Col. 391. 
 yide etiam Expof. 
 £p. ad Gal. Ol 1 2 1 5 . 
 
 iEf. 22^ 
 
 «<» &c. de Moral, in 
 Spir. ^ Ver. L. 6. 
 p. 212. 
 
 t 't/ ^i ccrt.uu^oi- 
 
 ^ 70 K, 5fC. /^/</. 
 
 * KttJ' « '^'oflo ct- 
 veLyK\)j Sec. Ot ihd 
 
 7i6e Lawfulnefs of 
 
 " any one. Hefays,"*No one fliou*d 
 ^' fwear but upon NecefTity, when 
 " Men are unwilling to believe 
 " what is expedient for 'em to be- 
 " lieve, unlefs they be convinced 
 " by an Oath ; this is the Tenden- 
 " cy of what our Saviour fays. Let 
 " your Speech be Tea Tea, and 
 " Nay Nay, for whatfoever is more than this 
 ^' comet h of E'vil; i.e. If you are compeird 
 " to fivear it is owing to their Infirmity, who 
 " make it neceffary ; you incur no Crime 
 in duly making Ufe of an Oath. 
 * t Tbat you may know that to 
 " fwear the Truth is no Sin, we 
 " find the Apoftle [wears, 2 Cor. i. 
 "23. Gal. I. 20, &c. which he 
 proves to be formal Oaths. * " Do 
 *' not, fays he, refufe to f-wear if 
 
 " it be requir'd of you « ' for 
 
 " you have no other way to clear 
 " your felf ; you can find no Means 
 " to fatisfie the Bufinefs that urges 
 " it. He himfelf f ufes the Form 
 of an Oath, and juflifies it from the Apoftle*s 
 
 Example. 
 
 St. Cyril of Alexandria, tells us 
 " *TheTenour of our Life ought 
 " to be fuch as to make fwearing 
 " needlefs; but if there fhou'd be 
 *' occafion for an Oath, we ought to 
 " call God alone to witnefs". Again, 
 '^ t When a bare Negation or Affir- 
 " mation will not fuffice, then let 
 " the Ufe of znOath, Sic, Inawo- 
 ther Place, * '*If there fliall be any 
 
 dmrnn:, in Ifa. L. 5. p.9©o. Tm. 6, 
 
 Ne- 
 
Taking an Oath. 103 
 
 « Neceflity for the Confirmation of an Oathy 
 
 " we fix>ear by the true God ^ And " the 
 
 *' Faithful /lu^^r only by the God of the Uni- 
 " verfe. 
 
 Re^ly toSE C T. XIII. 
 
 AS loe are not a People, ivhofe Principle is 
 to make Laws without the Leave of our 
 Super tour Sy fo it never was nor is our PraBicey 
 p. 1 28. Does it follow, becaufeit is not your 
 Principky 'tis not therefore your 
 PraElice ? But as the one is * a fla- * see Bugg's PiJ- 
 grant FaIfhood,/a is the other. In- P"'^'/ Prognfs from 
 A..Aj^, Quakers only Pnncitk and ^f^l^j^^,^'^^,}- 
 Pratttce in Religion leems to be Part6. Sc£t. 3S. 
 their Making and Obferving divers 
 Anomalous Formal Laws, in Contradiftindiion 
 or Oppofition to thofe of all other People : 
 Thefe lAt.Lock calls theL^w of Fafiion; and 
 fays f there are fome who govern themfelves t Hum. 
 
 chiefly, if not folely by this Law ; and fo ^"^f^f- B. 
 
 they do that which keeps \m in Reputation with \ fj ' 
 their Society, little regard the Laws of God or 
 the Magifirate. 
 
 E. C — -n proceeds to fe curing our 
 
 Doors * in plain Defiance of But this is * Rttro* 
 
 a great Miftake ; for the AB of Parliament fpe^GUfs, 
 doth not forbid m to fecure our Doors, but to P^'^' ^• 
 Lock, Bar, or Bolt \m, p. 1 2p. To Lock, Bar, ^ ^® '' 
 or Bolt a Door then, is not to fecure it ? Or 
 did the Parliament make this Ad only out of 
 z certain Diflike they had to Locking and Bar^ 
 ringy not with any Defign to prevent fepara- 
 
 H 4 ting 
 
I04 A Refly to R. Claridge's 
 
 ting Male-content Meeters fecuring their 
 Doors? 
 
 Were it not for the low Capacities of fome, 
 efpecially thofe of his own Tribe, it might 
 fuffice barely to repeat many Paflages, which 
 wou*d be effedually to expofe 'em -, but what 
 follows in this SeB. is fuch idle Stuff, as will 
 not bear even this. 
 
 Replj tt> SECT. XIY. 
 
 TH E Title is, I'he Tyrannical Reign and 
 Perfecutions <:hargd upon the Quakers in 
 Penfylvania, a meer FiSiion, &c. From which 
 the Reader might fofjibly exfeH a true and 
 exaEi Hiftoryy fully manifeftingj that 'things 
 were not tranfaBed in that remote Part of the 
 World 06 they are confidently related. But in- 
 ftead of that he is prefented with a Repetition 
 of the Title it felf, while in other Words he 
 only peremptorily afferts, that 'tis a mere Fi- 
 Bion ; and to take off our Thoughts from 
 what we might exped, he makes an Harangue 
 about Perfecution in general. As for any 
 Matter of Proof here, the utmoft he pretends 
 to is, that 'tis probable E. C. colleBed his 
 Accounts from printed Relations that were 
 falfey p. 1 3 7. that is, fuppoling he now fpeaks 
 his Mind ( as is not ufual ) his Opinion is, that 
 'tis probable I and 'tis another's that it is very 
 improbable ; for had Mr. C — n colleBed his 
 Accounts from fuch falfe Relations in Print, 
 how eafily might he by producing 'em and 
 comparing 'em together, have made it evi- 
 dent to a Demonftration, that the one 'were 
 • ' falfei 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 105 
 
 falfe^ and the other tranfcribed from 'em ? 
 Which fmce he has not attempted, but con- 
 tents himfelf with vainly fuggefting, that 'tis 
 only frohabky Sec. we are to look upon 
 Mr. C — ns Account as true, and thefe and 
 the like falfe Suggeftions as in the Number 
 of thofe Notorious Untruths that are Jirji de- 
 'vifed by the Father of LieSy and fine e differs' d 
 by his Children^ to defame innocent Peofky and 
 the 'Truth by them profefs'd and defended againfl 
 Apoftates and other Adverfaries, p. 135. 
 
 Reply to SECT. XV, XVI,XVIIj, 
 XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI. 
 
 O feveral Matters of Fad related by 
 
 Mr. C~K he replies, Whether- 1 have 
 
 great Reafon to quejlion, p. 139. and do rather 
 thinky Sic. p. 140. that 'Tis very likely. Sec. 
 p. 143. and it may well be doubted, p. 148. Is 
 this to argue, or todifprove? Of what Weight 
 is his Doubting or Thinkingy whofe very Affir- 
 mation is enough to bring any Thing into 
 Queftion ? But if any Regard were to be had 
 to his Opiniony he himfelf tells us, that None 
 but Fools will take up with fuch Proof ; O- 
 pinion was never yet taken by wife Men for 
 Proof ; and all Conclufions drawn from thencey 
 axe as eafily rejeEled 06 they are offer dy p. 4. 
 And does he fo foon forget what he pro- 
 mifed p. 137 ? Since E.G. hath pick' d up Sto- 
 ries againft our Friends in Penfylvania — - / 
 Jhall attend him in his feveral Movements^ 
 and to each of\m that fe em to be of any Mo- 
 menti return a full and fatisfaBory Anfwer : 
 
 ■ When 
 
to6 A Reply to R. Claridgcs 
 
 When he has not attended him half Way, but 
 of fourteen Pa^es has return d Anfwer only to 
 four ; To thefe indeed in {o fatisfaBory a man- 
 ner, that every unprejudiced Perfon muft needs 
 be convinc'd of their Truth : Nor can \i be 
 faid the reft are not of any Moment^ when fe- 
 veral of 'em are more Material and Remark- 
 able than the former ; being Notorious In- 
 ftances of their Pride, Cruelty, Arbitrary and 
 Tyrannical Proceedings in their Courts of Ju- 
 dicature, Lewdnefs, Bloodthirftinefs, and Blaf- 
 phemy. When any Power is in their Hands, 
 fo foon and fully do they difcover what Man^ 
 Tier of Spirit they are of 
 
 From a wicked Saying of one of his Friends 
 about being juflifiedy dcQ. he takes Occafion to 
 inform us what he knows about Juflification 
 * P- M3> in general *, &c. This, being a Mixture of 
 ^^' his own crude Conceptions with fundry Quo-! 
 
 tations, we let pafs as a harmlefs and infigni-« 
 ficant Differtation. His Sham-Declaration , 
 p. 152. of the Quakers fincere Belief in Chrift 
 t?7*^' J4^^ i^ throughly confuted byMr.fC — n. In 
 6278^ this and the following SeElion ( viz.. xviii, xix. ) 
 ' * Mr. Keith is forc'd againft his Knowledge and 
 Confent, to fpeak in Behalf of the Quakers 
 and their Dodrine. How difingenuous and 
 abfurd is this ? Is not that which a Man has 
 voluntarily and fully retraced ever look'd up- 
 on as a meer Nullity ? As altogether void as a 
 fuperfeded Will, or repealed Statute ? A-nd 
 ^ what wou'd he be juftly thought, who fhou'd 
 knowingly endeavour to put either into Force? 
 What lefs cou'd be expeded than that 
 Mr. Keith fliou*d write favourably of the 
 Quaker Sy while he was himfelf of that SeEl ? 
 What more eafily accounted for, than that 
 
 while 
 
Melius Inquirendum.' 107 
 
 while deluded through the Prejudice of Edu- 
 cation, and their feeming Sanctity, he ihou'd 
 entertain a good Opinion of them and their 
 Way of Worfhip ? Was this all that while to 
 betray his Jiidgmenty and ahufe his Confcience ? 
 p-157. Or does it make him guilty of the 
 greateft Hypocrifie, as he here fuggefts? 
 What an unparallePd Hyfocritey fays he, doth 
 E. C. make of him, who coud for fo many 
 Tears — knowingly cover Blaffhemers and Here^ 
 ticks y dec. ibid. Mr.C — ;2's Words are. He coud 
 not eafily believe there were any of *em fuch 
 Blaffhemers y till his own Ears had convinced 
 him of his too charitable Mi flake of 'em. Not 
 Believing, and being in a Miftake is, in his 
 Language, Knoiving and Abujlng his Confci^ 
 ence. The greateft Contradjdion and Abfur- 
 dities will he incur, rather than not wreak 
 his Spite and ill Nature. Speaking of Mr. Keithy 
 in the Margin he has thefe Words, — his La-- 
 mentable Apofiacy from the T^ruth^ which he 
 once Profefs dy Preach'd, Diffuted and Writ 
 foYy p. 157. Which coming from one who 
 himfelf, after having been many Years in Ho- 
 ly Orders, Apoftatiz'd from the Churchy firft 
 to the Baptiflsy then to Quakerifm, is very 
 remarkable : But fo great is his Malice, that 
 it carries him from all other Thoughts, even 
 of himfelf and his own Pradices. This In- 
 jurious and Bafe Treatment of Mr. Keithy 
 
 will make what Mr. C n relates, more 
 
 eafily find Belief, viz.. "That in Penfylvania 
 the Quakers with the uttermofl: Rage and Ma^ 
 lice perfecuted him. As to which, while Clar. 
 fatlsfies himfelf with meer Denial, without 
 any Difproof, he does but confirm it the 
 more. 
 
|68 A Reply to R. Claridge's 
 
 Reply to S "EC J. XXIL 
 
 IN this we are infuJtingly told. That Qua- 
 kerifm in Penfylvania, and the two Jerfies, 
 frofpers, and daily gets Ground^ p. 171. If it 
 oe fo, as, from what wie find here, there is too 
 imuch Reafon to believe, 'tis to be hoped the 
 Government will at length think of fome 
 Means of Putting a Stop to this Growing E- 
 vil, fo Oppofite and Dapgerpus to its Peace 
 and Welfare. 
 
 Reply to SECT. XXIII. 
 
 YOUR Party^ fays Mr.C- — n, have exceed- 
 ed all Mankind in the Extenjtons of their 
 Perfecutions ; For to Perfecute — any for Preach- 
 ing the Perfecutors own DoEirines^ is a Perfe- 
 cution beyond all Example, Now as if he had 
 faid neither more nor lefs, but abfolutely, 
 that they exceeded all Mankind in their Perfe- 
 cutionsy Clar. thus exclaims ; How can the 
 Honefl Reader chufe but ft and amazed at this 
 Prodigy of Men ! What ? Have they exceeded 
 the Jews — ' ? Have thy exceeded the Heathens,^ 
 and the Church o/Rome in their Perfecutions f 
 Blujhy and be ajhamd E. C. of this thy Noto- 
 rious Calumny, p. 174. Whether the Reader 
 fiands amaz,*d at his Miftaking Words fo plain, 
 or his Perverting their Meaning, and Counter- 
 feiting this Fit of Extaiie, is not fo eafie to 
 judgei fince ia their Turns he gives equal In- 
 
 ftances 
 
Melius Inquirendum; 105^ 
 
 fiances of each. 'Tis certain he has here ex- 
 ceeded himfelf, in which he has exceeded all 
 Mankind. But if we fhou'd allow that he has 
 neither ignorantly miftook Mr. C — n\ Words, 
 nor defignedly altered their Senfe, then ac- 
 cording to his own he affirms, That the Jevis 
 and Heathens in extending their Perfecutions 
 >o the Chriftiansy perfecuted fome for Preach- 
 ing their own Doftrines ; which is an Inftance 
 of Abfurdity beyond all Example; as in af* 
 ferting our Church ha^ perfecuted any upon 
 the Account of Preaching her own DoEirineSy 
 is of Falfity. But ftill more of the fame Kind : 
 The Tenour of Mr. C — ns Words is this — 
 Tour Partyy /. e. the Quakers^ have exceeded 
 all — For to perfecute — any for Preaching the 
 Perfecutors own DoSirines, is beyond all £x- 
 ample. No other People but the Quakers were 
 ever known to be fo mad. Sec. that is, as plain 
 as Words can fpeak, There's no Example of 
 any other People but the Quakers, who ever 
 perfecuted any for, &c. Upon this Clar. Be- 
 fore he fays. To Perfecute — is beyond all Ex^ 
 ample. And yet here he gives an Example in 
 the Quakers. So that according to him, the 
 Quakers are an Example of the Quakers, and 
 are fome other People befide themfelves. Whe- 
 ther or no the reft are obnoxious to Mr. C — n% 
 Chargeof being Tc* w^i, dec. as for him, as he 
 has been fufpeded to be fomewhat elfe bc" 
 fides a Quaker, fo here he has given Reafon 
 enough to think he is befide himfelf ,* for he 
 is not content thus to mifconftrue and abufe 
 common Speech and Senfe, but thus Triumphs 
 and Infults upon this very Occaiion; I will 
 not fay E. C. is Non-compos Mentis, but I fear 
 he is inclining to aDifiemper whith feix^es the 
 Brain, p. 175, Reply 
 
no ARepIjto R. CkridgeV 
 
 Kepl^ to SECT. XXIV. &c. 
 
 MR. C-n fays, that in Perlfylvania Mr. Keith 
 printed Jen Principles as the firm Belief 
 of him and his Party. Which being lo many ge- 
 neral Heads of Divinity, gave Clar. a well- 
 come Opportunity, under Pretence of Cow- 
 Jidering 'em, of emptying his Common-Place, 
 and Ihewing us what he cou'd borrow from 
 fuch as had treated of thofe Subjeds, toge- 
 ther with his own jejune Conceptions. Hence 
 we find his Confederations to be an indigefted 
 Congeries of needlefs, fruitlefs Difputes, and 
 Nothings to the Purpofe ; of wide Ramblings, 
 long Quotations, tirefome Tautologies, Ab- 
 furdities, Self-Contradidions and Fallities. In 
 a word, he raifes a Smoke, and cafls a Mift 
 before the Reader's Eyes, under Colour of 
 clearing up of what was plain enough till cloud- 
 ed by him ; and perverts Mr. Keith's true 
 Meaning, by giving out more or lefs than his 
 Words contain, for the meer fake of faying 
 fomewhat, and Contradiction. There are fe- 
 veral Reafons for not inferting here a particu- 
 lar Difquifition of this adventitious Farrago ; 
 as, I. Becaufe it is no other than fuch- being 
 an Exuberant Conflux of Matter foreign to 
 the Purpofe of the Book -, which is ' a pre- 
 tended Anfwer to Mr. C—ns ; whereas thcfe 
 Principles are not of his framing, but he pub- 
 lifhes em as Mr. Keith's, nor with Defign to 
 maintain 'em, but to let us underfland that 
 they were deny'd by the Qtiakers in Penfylva- 
 niuy and re;e(Sed by em in London ^ which is 
 
 the 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 1 1 1 
 
 the only Thing he was to reply to ; efpecially 
 fince that was not the ^firft Time of their be- 
 ing in Print, but were publifh'd long before. 
 1. Becaufe he has not confuted the Principles, 
 but fome acknowledges, to others gives a falfe 
 Conftrudion, only for a Colour of fetting 
 'em right. 3. Becaufe Mr.K. did not deliver 
 em as the {landing declared Doftrine of our 
 Churchy but as his own Perfuafion, and that 
 before he was adually entered into our Com- 
 munion. 4. If thefe Remarks were fuch as 
 deferv'd an Anfwer, Mr. K. whofe peculiar 
 Concern it is, as he is fufficiently able, wou*d 
 have return'd one. But without any further 
 Apologies, their Abfence, it may well be pre- 
 fum'd, will be eafily excus'd. So leaving thefe 
 Confiderations, as he calls 'em, contain'd in 
 Se(ft. xxiv, XXV, xxvi, xxvii, xxviii, xxix, we 
 proceed to ' 
 
 Reply to SECT. XXX. 
 
 IT has been obferv'd, that the main Allega- 
 tion about Mr. Ks Principles, is. That 
 they were denyd by the Quakers in Penfylva- 
 nia ; to which he anfwers nothing diredly, 
 but refers us to his own Confiderations of the 
 Principles themfelves, p. 214. which cannot 
 but throughly convince us, that they 'were not 
 ^.^/^y ^ iw Penfylvania : Nay, he even juflifies 
 one of his Brethren, in faying that they relijh 
 too much of Carnality-, p. 216. We have no- 
 thing here remarkable, but three Lines from 
 Arijiophanesy apply'd to Mr, C — n, and the 
 
 Grecian 
 
1 1 2 A P^epfy to R. Ciaridge's 
 
 Grecian Ore melted into this bright fmooth 
 Couplet. 
 
 Rude, Proudy Unbridled and Impertinenty 
 
 Due Bounds tranfgrejjtngy and good Govern- 
 
 (menty p. 2 1 5 . 
 
 N' 
 
 Replj to SECT. XXXI. 
 
 OT content withMr.C— k's declaring that 
 the Quakers Writings run counter to their 
 Meaning, he makes him fay more ; carefully 
 colleding parallel Expreflions of his, from 
 other Places. In Anfwer to all which, he re- 
 plies, He hath grievoufly defarndusy p. 219. 
 But let him not vainly hope by barely affirm- 
 ing that they frofefs the Truthy ib. to evacu- 
 ate fo many evident Proofs of their Errors, 
 Herefies and Blafphemies, as have been pro- 
 duc'd againft 'em: Which Affirmation ferves 
 but to add a frelh Falfhood to the Black Lift, 
 as oft as 'tis repeated. As to charging back 
 this Accufation upon Mr. C — «, viz. 'That his 
 Writings run counter to his Meaning, becaufe 
 he pretends to be tender of the Quakers Repu- 
 tations in and about Banbury, and yet tells 
 ^em, that a Quaker, 05 fuch, is neither true 
 Proteftanty Scc. p. 221. The firft Part of this 
 Sluaktrs is mifreprefented ; and yet fuppofing it true. 
 
 Pedigree the reft anfwers for all : Mr. C ns Words 
 
 trsca,p.^. are, he was more tender of the Quakers Repu-- 
 tations than one, who, it feems, was not ten- 
 der of *em at all : But yet he might be as ten* 
 der as puffible, of the Reputation of particu- 
 lar 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 113 
 
 lar Quakers in and about Banbury, and at 
 the fame Time treat with the utmolt Severity 
 the Quakers in general, confider'd a6 fuch : 
 And Clar. in repeating his Treatment of 'em, 
 reiterates the Folly which has been already ex- 
 pos'd in Rep. to SeB. IX. 
 
 keply to S ECr. XXXII. 
 
 MR. C n acquaints us, that the Yore- 
 faid Articles ijere jent from Penfylva- 
 nia to the Quakers yearly Meeting in London, 
 1594. 05 Mr. Keith'.f Accufation-j upon which 
 he was thrown out of their Unity, and Excom- 
 municated by \m. For this we are refer'd to 
 Ellwood's farther Difcovery, p. 84. It feems 
 this is a Miftake for Ellwood's T'ruth dcfendedy 
 p. 84>85. What a Pudder and Stir does he 
 make with this little Circumllance ? As to the 
 Fad he only fays, Mr. K, wa6 not Excommu-- 
 nicated by the Quakers in 1694, but the next 
 Year ; and for this he produces * Ellwood ; * Further 
 from whom we are told. That for Matter of Difcovery^ 
 DoBrine they did not blame Mr.'^. in 1694. ^*^'* 
 p. 224. And yet the fame Ellwood in ano- 
 ther Book t fays they did condemn his Do- f Vuth 
 drine, and him for Preaching it. defndtd. 
 
 And now having in his vain Imagination 
 foifd his Adverfary, with great Elation of 
 Mind, and wonderful Satisfadion, he pro- 
 claims his own Vidory, being himfelf both 
 Herald and Hero. T'huSy fays he, have I ex- 
 amind E. CV Efiftle, Defended our Do^ 
 Brine, Refuted his Arguments, ConviBed him 
 of Falfboodi and Qkard our Friends — p. 225^ 
 I Reply 
 
114 ^ ^^h *o ^ Claridgc's 
 
 Reply to APPENDIX. 
 I. Concerning Perfecntion 
 
 H! 
 
 ERE, with great Pains, he fhews his 
 .Nature, of all Things, does not quahfie him 
 for a Martyr : He cannot bear the Sufferings 
 of thofe of his SeEl, is it poiTible he (hou'd 
 his own ? Had any of thefe Diftreffes been 
 brought upon him, how wou'd he have rav'd, 
 when he is fo enflam'd and enraged in the 
 mere Relation of thofe of others, known to 
 him only by Relation ? But who can pity the 
 Sufferers, when their Advocate, one of their 
 own Fadion, and in ail Appearance like them- 
 felves, difcovers in fuch a narrow Compafs, fo 
 many Inftances of a vile Difpofition ? As, i . a 
 Querulous and Turbulent Spirit, in Eixlaim- 
 ing thus ruefully at a former forgotten Perfe- 
 cution, when he and his Fraternity live at 
 Eafe, indulging their Appetites, difturb'd with 
 nothing, but their own troublefome unhappy 
 Thoughts. 2. A malicious and wicked De^ 
 fign, by ripping up Fads long fince paft, to 
 faften an Odium on thofe who were never 
 concerned in em, and even thofe who were 
 not then born. 3. A Difloyal, Bafe Temper, 
 when enjoying the Indulgence of the moft 
 Gracious and Eafie Government, he rails with 
 —t nee minus ipfum bitter | Invedives againft t/7^ ^i- 
 In CMrolum diaringit minjiratioH of the Q-^its * Royal 
 
 ^'"''ui^M«/:'i'"" ^'''^'' ^- ^i^^ng^""^^y and Falf- 
 
 * K ^C^i. ^ ^^°^ ^" making the BijhopSy Prieftsy 
 
 t P. 230, as I. ^^^ the People \ the Authors of the 
 
 Quakers Punlfhments, when they 
 
 wefe 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 1 1 5 
 
 were altogether contriv'd Jby the Pafifls 
 about the D. of r — -, whom yet they ought 
 to forgive, becaufe, itfeems, to them princi- 
 pally they ov/e their Toleration: ^* The very 
 *' fame Party that advisM this Toleration, 
 " were they that had pufh'd on all the Se- 
 ** verities againft the Diffenters in the former 
 " Reign {viz.. of K. C. 2. ) withDefign to wi- 
 " den the Breach between them and the , - 
 " Church of England * But the Sufrerings of ^,00^./ 
 the Quakers in K. Charles the Second's Time, Memoirs^ 
 may juftly be efteem'd a deferv'd Punifliment p. 168. 
 for their f Traiterous and Rebelli- 
 ous Principles and Practices againft t5«« Fox*s and Bur. 
 
 him and K. Charles the Firft, in J,"»g^'^ ^''l;\l' ^' 
 ^1 T- r 1 T> 1 11- J TT Cromwell, K. Lrom- 
 
 the Time of the Rebelhon and U- ^,^jj ^^ Howgill's 
 
 furpation. Laftly, See his Abfurdi- j^dvice to the Armj^ 
 ty,and Self-contradi6:ion ; for while Committee of Safety, 
 he fays. When the Quakers were ^c. Penningtoa /» 
 'fPrfnd or lanijVd fh.y v^ere tXX>lZ7l 
 Meek aa Sheep; and when they were p , ^^ ^jf^ke m 
 fpoiTd of their Goods ^ they took it the Grafs ^ Scft, 18, 
 joyfully^ p. 232. he at the fame Time 
 refers us to Books they publifii'd with thefe Ti- 
 tles, viz.. T'he Cry of the Innocent for Jufiice^ (Sec 
 7^he Second Part of the Cry, dec. ihe Conttinued. 
 Cry, dec. p. 229. What kind o( Sheep zrc thefe, 
 that make fuch repeated Out-Cry s when they 
 are hurt? And what ftrange "Joy it is, that ex- 
 preffes it felf in fuch Lamentable Complaints ! 
 It appears plainly they were, and are ftill, 
 galfd and fir'd with the Thoughts of the Pe- 
 nalties inflided, they fhev/ their Refentment 
 as high as pofTible in Words, and wou'd in 
 Adions, we may juftly prefume, had they the 
 Power. 
 
 1,2 Reply 
 
ii6 A Reply to R. Claridge^s 
 
 Replj to an Abftraft of the Quakers 5*;//- 
 firingsfor Confcience-fake. 
 
 .^ 
 
 S the Religion of the Quakers is found- 
 ed altogether on a Scheme of Worldly 
 and Illegal Pohticks, they lay Claim to, and 
 enjoy feveral Privileges allowed to no SeEl be- 
 fides; as Exemption from ferving in the Wars; 
 ' from taking any Oaths ; from leveral Offices 
 of Trouble and Charge, relating to the Pub- 
 lick, or their refpedive Parifhes; from pay- 
 ing Homage and Refped to their Superiours, 
 how greatly foever dignify'd with Honour or 
 Authority ; as alfo Sufferance to 
 * Retrofpelf. GUJf. affemble a Kind of * Mock-Par" 
 Part 6. p. 5o7» 5^^- liament^ to make Laws, (7c, and 
 thefe afted the State : But that 
 by which they have brought moft Detriment 
 to our Churchy and greateft Advantage to 
 their Herefie, is an Unanimous Confent, and 
 + ^'- '''iij Ei^ablifh'd Refojve f to cheat the Clergy of 
 xxTi'*'^^"' ^^^^^ Dues ; by which Means they are forc'd 
 xxviii. ib. upon this difficult Choice; either to be know- 
 ingly trick'd out of their juft Rights, by a 
 Set of People who continually Defame and 
 Revile em in Print ; or to have Recourfe to 
 thofe Troublefome and Ungrateful Meafures, 
 that are provided by the Laws for the Reco- 
 very of their own. If they bear with the 
 former, as their Enemies encreafe upon 'era, 
 they fhall be more and more defrauded of 
 their Subfiftence and opprefs'd, while they be- 
 come the Subjed of their private Mockery 
 and Ridicule for their Eafinefs and good Na- 
 ture : 
 
Melius Inquirendum- 1 1 7 
 
 ture : If they take the latter Courfe, befide 
 the Trouble and Irkromnefs of it, they give 
 Oceafion of being f publickly Traduc'd and It if prth- 
 Ex'claim'd againft for Revengeful and Cruel ^^^^ ^-^ - 
 Perfecutorsy as we here find, p. 245. thcir^stL 
 
 ^utes 9r Cnnms, that the Quakers fhtuld CoOe^ and Record their Suf- 
 ferings for Nonpayment of Tyrhes ; rhat whenever it is for their Ad- 
 'Vantage, they might make an Odious Refrefentation of Urn to the Puh- 
 lickjwith -what j^ggravatiens they pleafe ; of which this Abftraft « a 
 Specimen. 
 
 As to this particular Account, luppofing it 
 to have been at firft faithfully related by thofe 
 v7ho make no Scruple of faying any Thing 
 that may flander the Clergy, or credit their 
 Caufe; or truly tranfcrib'd by him, who to 
 thefe Purpofes, has hitherto appeared to be 
 their Secretary of Falfhood and Forgery (and 
 great Reafon there is to fuppofe this ,• for *tis 
 loaded with all the invidious Circumftances 
 that might render it odious on one fide, while 
 thofe are wholly left out on the other, that 
 fhou'd fet it in a fair Light) yet mUch may be 
 faid to juftifie thefe Proceedings. 
 
 The Government has taken Care for the 
 Maintenance of the Clergy, who are the Sup- 
 port of Religion, by which it is its felf upheld. 
 To this End the "Tenth of fuch Produd is ap- 
 propriated to 'em; ^tis their Portion. If we 
 wou'd know at whofe Coft chiefly they en- * Kh^^t^y 
 joy it, we mufl: look many Ages back, * into * ^Tutk 
 
 Payment of Church- Dues. X. Ethelbert made a Law tofeeure Res Ec- 
 clcfiae, given to the Church a Rege, Baronibus, & Populo. Several 
 tther Saxon Ki*fgt made Laws to the fame Purfoje. Bonifaccj Bijhof 
 vfNlcntZyfent a Letter to Cuthbcrt jirchbijhop o/Canterbary, where. 
 in he mentions Tythcs, as ufuaBy paid in his Time : Jnd in jirc'h. 
 hip}opEghetz's Canons, coUeSfed by him in T%o. it appears the Prie^s 
 were commanded to teach the People to pay Tythes. K. Echelwolf 
 I 3 its 
 
1 1 8 A Reply to R. Claridge^ 
 
 made a free Donation of its firft Eftablifliment in this Nati- 
 Tyth.s /(» ^e paid on : for ever fince an Allowance has 
 
 throH<rhout the lOnt. ■, , i • /-> r j 
 
 dom^nh the ConfL ^een made upon this Confideration: 
 
 9f the spiritual and The Tenant, properly lpeaking,does 
 
 Temporal Lords, &c. not pay it j nor does the Landlord ; 
 
 'which was confirm' dhy for" in Purchafuig fuch an Eftate, 
 
 many ofhisSucceprs ^^ ^-j ^^^ . ^^^ rf^^^j^ ^^^^ 
 
 t^ento theTimfiofhi- i r i t n j 
 
 ward theConfe(ror;rt>ho was before by Law allotted to ano- 
 made a Lav that the ther ; fuch Part of It, is feparated 
 Tenth of aH Corn Jhoud from both their Accounts; 'tis af- 
 hpaid to God; and fj^^'d to the Prieft; the Land, or 
 '^:'JrJ:%1^l wha^ver aire ftands charg'd with 
 Tythes ought to be ^^ • The Occupier is to look upon 
 paid Nelfon's Rights it as diflind from his own, as what 
 of the Clergy. See he can lay no Claim to, as dedica- 
 p. 5H»5i5, 51^- ted to GocTs Service, not by him, 
 but by Ancient Laws of the Realm ; as what 
 he cannot v/ith-hold without a Kind of Felo- 
 * Mai. 3. 8. ny, and being guilty of Sacrilege * Or fup- 
 pofe the leaft, that it is in the Nature of a 
 Tax ; has not the Government, if it thinks fit. 
 Power to impofe this as wel as any other? 
 And are not all equally obliged to fubmit to 
 fiKh a Decree ? But here comes a Self-deny- 
 ing Confcientious Brother , who makes this 
 Crin^ of Difobediencey Robbery^ and Sacrilege y 
 a Fart of his Religion. Ke cannot but own 
 that tythes are Originally of Di- 
 * Gen. 14. io, aS. vine Appointment *j That as our 
 11. Ley. 27. 30, 31. Saviour came not to deftroy the Law, 
 mm 18. 21, 24. j^^ j^^^ ^j^jg Inflitution as he found 
 
 4Clir.';i.4, Nch.io. It t; That though he and his A- 
 
 37. 12.44. Mal.3. 16. fofiles, being vefted with no Tenv* 
 
 Hcb. 7. c. poral Jurifdidion, had neither Oc- 
 
 t M«. 23.a3.tu. cafiop nor Opportunity to re^fta- 
 
Melius Inquirendum. i r^ 
 
 bliHi it, yet in | general they made t Mat. 22 21. Ren» 
 Way for the fame Provifion : He ''f ^' ^"^ ^^' ^^^"^^ 
 knows alfo that That Power which X^;^^,^!^ 
 iecures to him his own, has de- Tyrhts, Firft-Fruits, 
 creed * the Tjthe to the Minifter; &c. Mat. 23. 2^. the 
 That Immemorial Cuftom and Pre- ^^ferPartofthererfi. 
 fcription has re-enforc'd the Right ' ^"I^- ? J'^^' *3, 
 of It; That he entring on fuch . ^^ ,^^^ »^.^ ^ 
 Lands, &c. pays no more than the peculiar Eftate wfled 
 former Pofleffors, who paid the lefs nt them (vi%.tke cUr^ 
 upon this very Account: But, Good iy)and dipna fr^mthe 
 Man, he cannot find in his Heart, ^-k^^i^^r,cei>f the other 
 to own any fuch Dues ; his Conjct- have as good, ij mt a 
 ence bids him detain *em for his own bttter Right tc ;>, than 
 Ufe. The Incumbent thinks it his ^^y tay-man hath t9 
 Duty not to fuffer the Rights of the ^'' ^fi"^'* Ndfon. 
 Churchy and his particular Benefice to be im- 
 paired by fuch perverfe Hypocriiie ,• the Va- 
 lue of which, at full, is perhaps a bare Sub- 
 fiftence; and what is thus with-held from him 
 by the Quakers, amounts to a conliderable 
 Sumf. He ufes, at firft, the moft f Their pretended 
 
 gentle Means of Perfuafion ; he flill Mortification and Self-* 
 waits, in Hopes of prevailing with ^^^^^^ ^^ ^ong fince 
 > ^1 LL 1-U ^ proved a Farce : Thtv 
 
 em, though thereby he runs many ^^^^ ^^^ ^ ^ 
 
 Hazards of loling his Demands, Itill Gardens, Sec. 
 encreafing ; ( wnich is the Cafe be- 
 fore US; feveral of thefe being of 7, ii, and 
 20 Years {landing) At length, their Obftina- 
 cy, the Greatnefs of the Sum, his Exigency, 
 his Duty, &c. force him' to the laft Kefort. 
 For by appealing to a Seflion of Juftices, he 
 can recover but what has been kept back the 
 two laft Years, and ( the more is the Pity ) 
 lieither is .this alway to be obtain d. He muft 
 have Recourfe therefore to the Exchequer. 
 If riow they are further Profecuted, Impri- 
 I 4 (on d. 
 
I ao A Reply to R. Claridge^s 
 
 fondy or the like, 'tis owing altogether to 
 their own Obftinacy, in not Conr\plying with 
 the Orders iffqed thence, and for Reilfting 
 Lawful Authority: Though this is here re- 
 prefented as Cruel Perfecutton, and the Caufe 
 of it laid wholly on the Clergy. Yet were 
 it fo, what little Pretence have they to com- 
 plain, who oblige 'em to- thefe Meafures? 
 Who by their Scurrilous Revilings, have de- 
 ferv'd no better Treatment from 'em ; who 
 notwithflanding have met with the greateft 
 Indulgence, few having taken thefe Courfes, 
 in Comparifon with the greater Number 
 that have fufFer'd themfelves to be defraud- 
 ed. 
 
 Reply to Appendix II, 
 Concerniffg the Word Sacrament 
 
 H 
 
 •A V I N G done with Mr. C — -ns Book, 
 to which his is a pretended Anfwer, 
 he is difpofed to talk about fome other Mat- 
 ters, and to fpend one Seven Pages upon the 
 Word \_Sacramem.'] It feems he does not like 
 "^Frejuent. ^j^j^ [^me Appellation, ^asapply'dto Baptifm 
 led ty^ ^^^ ^^^ Lord's Supper, becaufe it h^s ferv*d 
 Te culli- t^ expref? feveral Things befides; and be- 
 an, 5 .Cy- caufe ^ One fays it has been the Occafion of 
 prian, St, Debates. So we muft throw away mpft of 
 Aaib(oic, p^^ jSfames of Things, becaqfe. they have 
 Oin &c. ^^^" ^f^^ ^^ ^ large Senfe, or been made 
 * cureeU Matter of Difpute. But what he calls att 
 t P 3?^ Excellent f Pajjage of Curcellseus, f.i^^. is 
 
 ^.^, .'*; altogether founded on a Miflake : for 'tis not 
 Amjichd. & . r . > • .. ^^^ 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 121 
 
 the bare IVord^ but the feveral Subjects on 
 which thofe Controverfies have been rals'd ; 
 which wou'd have been the fame if the M^urd 
 it felf had never been inown, or any other 
 fubflituted in its Place. 
 
 RefleSions on his Poftfcript, 
 
 HEre, after a faint, languid, counterfeit 
 Addrefs to Mr. C— «'s Parifhioners, flir- 
 ring up his Choler, he by degrees rifes into a 
 great Chafe, enraged againit thofe of the 
 Church of England^ as Loofe and Hypocritical 
 Profijfors ; then falls upon the Cler- 
 gy, * and their Prayers, Preaching, * This anfioers su 
 Sacraments, Kubricks, Canons, Cere- '«^^j''«^ Defcrtption of 
 monies, Tythes, Surplices, fc p. ^../^^^"'.^ Kc^ 
 257. Tis no new or firange thing the fame manner. In. 
 to us, he fays, who are called Qua- tcrea Roftrum, &c. 
 
 kers, to be hardly dealt with, for Muf.AnglMoli.i^. 88. 
 
 fo was Chrift, P- 255. a pret- 
 ty Comparifon between themfelves and our 
 Bleffed Saviour / 'The Afoflle Paul was tra-» 
 ducd — ib. The Primitive Chrijlians were 
 branded — p. 25^. On each of thefe he runs 
 an impertinent Defcantin the Particulars; to 
 what Purpofe all this? The only Likenefs they 
 can pretend to, is that of having been def- 
 pis*d ; but if this be a Title to Merit, the moft 
 profligate Wretches may lay claim to it, as 
 well as they, and on that Account equal them- 
 felves to the Afoftles, ^c. To make Oilen- 
 3 tation 
 
122 A Reply to R. Claridgc s 
 
 tation of his Reading, be tranfcribes fromM- 
 nutim Fali%y &. the fcandalous Fables that 
 were invented of the firft Chriftians How do 
 thefe concern th^ Quakers !^ But where hefur- 
 iiifh'd himfelf with thofe Paffages foreign to 
 the Purpofe, he may find fomewhat a profos 
 enough. For what Octwuius there falfeKr^ ur- 
 ges againft the Chriflians, feems to be fo'true 
 and exad a Defcription of fome falfely fo cal- 
 led, that it will be eafily feen whom it fuits. 
 Quid hominesy deplorata^ mlicitay & deffera- 
 ta FaBioniSy grajjari in Deos, non ingemif" 
 cendum efi; qui de ultima fssce colleBis im- 
 feritiorihm & mulierihm credulity Jexm fui 
 facilitate labentihusy flebem prof ana conjura- 
 tionis tnjhituunt ; qua non Sacro quodamy Jed 
 Piaculo foederantur ; latebrofa CT lucifugax 
 Natioy in publico muta, in angulis garrula : 
 lemplay ut Bu/ia, defpiciunt ; Deos defpuunt; 
 rident facra ; miferentury miferi, fi fas efty Sa^ 
 
 cerdotum Honores; Ac jam ut foecundius 
 
 nequiora proveniunty ferpentibus indies perditis 
 moribusy per univerfum Orbem facraria ifla 
 teterrima impia Coitionis adolefcunt • eruenda 
 prorfus hac, & execranda Confenfio. — — Se no- 
 tis & infignibus nofcunt, & amant mutuo pe-^ 
 ne antequam noverinty — acfe promifcue ap* 
 pellant Fratres & Sorores. " What, muft I 
 *' not fhew my Refentment againft a lamen- 
 ** table abandon d Fadion prohibited by Law ? 
 " a Multitude of profane Confederates, drawn 
 f ^' from the Dregs of the Populace, and made 
 " up of Dolts and credulous Women, eafie 
 *' to be led aftray, through the Weaknefs of 
 " their Sex. 'Tis not Religion, but Guilt 
 " that combines 'em ^ a fculking, fearful Crew, 
 
 " de- 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 123 
 
 *' delighting in Darknefs and Secrefy, filent 
 '^ in publick, in private Meetings full of their 
 ^' Prate. Churches they efteem no better than 
 *' Charnel-Houfes ; they make a Mock of fa- 
 " cred Things, and pretend to pity the Ho- 
 " nours of the Clergy; alafs, themfelves to be 
 
 " pity'd ! And as the vileft Things in- 
 
 ** creafe the fafteft, and Wickednefs every Day 
 " gathers Strength, this impious, abominable 
 " Seii, is fpreading over all the World ; an 
 *' execrable Confpiracy, and to be quite root- 
 " ed out of the Earth ! They know their 
 " Gang by Marks and Badges of Diftindion ; 
 " mutually love before they are acquainted 
 *' one with another, and promifcuoufly go all 
 " by the Names of Brother and Sifter. Min, 
 ^^ Fal. in Octavio. 
 
 In the Remainder of this Pofifcript,hQ jufti- 
 fies (m his Way) himfelf and his Brethren ; 
 he invefts 'em -(according to his Power) with 
 the fole Property of the true Faith ; he talks 
 (as well as he is able) of fome Points of Re- 
 ligion ; and (according to Cuftom) fills up 
 two or three Pages with Quotations nothing 
 to the Purpofe. 
 
 Refly 
 
1*4 ^ ^^Ph ^^ R- Claridge^ 
 
 Reply to the Judgment of divers Perfons 
 concerning the Quakers, &c. 
 
 WE have here fuch Inflances of Impof- 
 ture, as might be fufficient to blaft the 
 Credit of every thing he advances, and have 
 faved the Trouble of fuch a particular Exami- 
 nation, were the Defign to confute the Man 
 only, and not the Caufe. Pretending to pro- 
 duce fome Authors, as writing in Behalf of 
 the Qjiakersy he begins with the Judgment 
 of Judge Hale : Take away fome Singularities, 
 the Men are as other Men ; fome indeed very 
 foLevy honefl, pift, and plain-hearted Men, and 
 found in ?nofiy if not all the important DoBrines 
 and Praciues of Chriftianity. Thefe are the 
 Words, neither more nor lefs, which he quotes, 
 p. 266. Whereas the Paffage in the Place quo- 
 ted is this; " Among all the different Perfua- 
 '• fions among us, there are none that give a 
 *' Man more ample Evidence of Miftakes of 
 *-' this Nature, than thofe call'd Quakers -, 
 " who place a great Part of their Religion 
 *' inJceepingon their Hats, in ufing the Words 
 *^ Thee and Thou, in ftiling the Months and 
 *' Days of the Week, not according to the 
 *^ ufual Appellation, but the Firfly or Second 
 *' Month or Day, in certain Habits and Pof- 
 " tures unlike other Men, in filent Devotions 
 " at their publick Meetings, in reviling and 
 " crying down the eftablifh'd Miniftry, Chur- 
 
 « ches 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 125 
 
 ches. Sacraments, Lords-Day, and all Man- 
 ner of Forms, whether commanded or ufed 
 by others^ in refufing to take an Oath 
 when lawfully call'd thereto, and fome fuch 
 other Singularities. Take away butthefe and 
 the like affe^ied Superaddrtions, the Men 
 are as other Men ; fome indeed very Sober, 
 &c. others (as it happens in all Profel^ 
 fions)Subtle,Covetous,Uncharitable,Tumul- 
 tuous. Ignorant, Proud Defpifers of others. 
 Slanderers^ and yet as long as they conform 
 to their S.^Si in thefe impertinent and un- 
 warrantable Singularities, they pleafe them- 
 felves with the Style of the People of God. 
 
 ' Of the Nature of true Religion^ &c. p. 1 5* 
 
 Nothing is more evident, than that he here 
 expofes both their Folly and Hypocrify ^ while 
 Clar. by a fhamelefs Forgery, leaving out that 
 which fhou'd give us his true Meaning, cul- 
 ling what only ferves to impofe upon us, and 
 adulterating even that, reprefents him as a 
 Favourer of the Qtiakers ; when in this Place, 
 in another of the fame Book, and elfewhere, 
 as ihall be fhewn, the Judge condemns both 
 the Men and their Principles. 
 
 Dr. Edwards is alfo produced as declaring in 
 Commendation of the Quakers. Dr. John Ed- 
 wards's T'eflimony, fays he, concerning the Qua- 
 kers, &c. The Qtiakers are njery jirtEi and fre-* 
 cife in their Looks, Garb, Speei:hesy Behaviour, 
 above other Perfon^, and make great Shew of 
 Sobriety — - with more, entirely in their 
 Fraife, p. 267, 268. But the Place in the 
 Drs Bookrunsthus. "Amojig our felves, there 
 " are many Men of unfound Principles, and 
 " great Advancers of Error and Herefy, and 
 
%26 ARepfyto R-Claridgc'^ 
 
 " yet they are very precife and mortified as to 
 
 " outward Appearance To inftance in 
 
 " thole deluded Souls call'd Quakers. — ■ 
 
 All this is fraudulently omitted ; then indeed 
 comes that which he has cited, viz.. T'hey are 
 very flrict and precife in, their Looks, dec. But 
 
 afterward fays the Dr. — '■ "Yet notwith- 
 
 ^ Handing this, what Unchriftian Principles, 
 " What horrid Falftioods are maintained by 
 " thefe Men? viz.. the Quakers. He then 
 proceeds to particularize thofe thi'ir Unchrif- 
 ttan Principles and Horrid Fuljhoods ; and a- 
 mong others, *' They laugh, lays he, at the 
 " meritorious Righteoufneis of Chrifl ; they 
 " deny his Divinity, they utterly difown his 
 " Satisfa(^ion ' ' ■ they think and fpeak 
 " contemptibly of the Holy Scriptures > 
 '* they vilifie the Bible, as much as fome of 
 " the Church of Rome do ; yea, they make 
 <^ their own Writings equal with the Holy 
 " Scripture. Thefe are the capital Errors they 
 " fofter and maintain ; beiide many other 
 " wicked and impious Tenents, upheld by 
 ** them, whereby they feem to expunge them- 
 " felves out of the Number of Chrtftians. Now 
 <* who ^tQS not that their feeming Strid^nefs, 
 ' " their external Shew of Mortihcation and 
 " Sobriety are a Mask for thefe Errors and 
 " Falftioods? <iXc. Free Difcourfe concerning 
 Truth and Error Sy die. p. 128, 125?, 130, 
 
 All this alfo is by him deceitfully fup- 
 prefs'd. But certainly none but fuch a bold 
 Falfifyer, wou'd oflFer thus to abufe the World, 
 and dare to refer us to the very Book and 
 r^age- 
 
 4. ' He 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 
 
 He again appeals to the Judgment of Judge 
 Hale concerning the Efifcopal Clergy; Mz-ho (if 
 we believe him) thus pronounces of 'em. If 
 they fee a Man otherwife of Orthodox Princi" 
 
 pies — ■' Yet iffcrupling fome Points ofEc" 
 
 clefiaftkal Government they ix:ill efieem 
 
 him little better than a Heathen or a Puhlicariy 
 ^c. On the other fide, if they fee a Man of 
 gmat Fervour in afferting the Ecckfiaftical Go" 
 
 vernment though otherwife of a loofe 
 
 Life, they will be ready to applaud him • 
 p. 26p. But does he affirm this of the Clergy 
 in general ? Or does he at all mention *em > 
 nothing kis: His Words are, " There are 
 
 " fome rafh People that if they fee a 
 
 " Man, &c. Nat. of true Rely p. 1 1 . Neither 
 did he think or fpeak fo flightly o( Ecclefiafti^ 
 col Government, as we are here made to ima-» 
 gine; for in the very Page before^ he fays, 
 " That Ecclefiaftical Government is necefla- 
 " ry for the Prefervation of Religion, is evi- 
 " dent to any reafonable and conuderate Man ; 
 *' and that the Epifcopal Government con- 
 '' ftituted in England, is a moft exxelicnt 
 " Form of Ecclefiaftical Government , and 
 *^ exceeds all other Forms, may be eafily e- 
 " vmc'd. 
 
 But in this Place cited by Claridge, there is 
 a JCharader fo exad and remarkable, that the' 
 he might think fit to overlook it, it may not 
 be amiis to fet it in view. The fame Author 
 fpeaks of fome, who " If they fee a Man 
 " conformable to the eftablifh'd Government 
 ■' though he be pious, (bber, and truly reli^ 
 " gious, yet they delpife and negled him, 
 * ;cenfure him as a Formalift, and without the 
 
 " Pow- 
 
128 A Reply to R.Ciaridge*s 
 
 " iPower of Godlinefs : But if a Man will but 
 *' revile the eftablifti'd Government, and be 
 " hid againft it, cry it down, and cry up the 
 " New Inftitution, into which they are lift- 
 " ed, though the Man be Covetous, Uncha- 
 ** ritable. Hard-hearted, Proud, Impetuous, 
 " and poflibly otherwife Loofe m his Conver- 
 " fation, yet fuch a Man fhall be cherifti'd, 
 " applauded, and cry'd up for a Saint, a Pre- 
 * ^ cious Man, and Zealous for the Truth, ibid. 
 
 " p. II, 12. 
 
 Again, he affirms it to be the Judgment of 
 Judge Hale concerning the Epifcopal Clergy, 
 that the main Motives that induce 'em to 
 maintain the Inftitutions of the Church and 
 Forms of Worfhip, were Inter eft and Profit y 
 p. 269. and yet in the Place refer'd to, the 
 Author fays not a Word of the Clergy ; but 
 fpeaking of the Cdufes of Mens Mifapprehen- 
 fions touching Religion^ fays, fome oppofe Ce- 
 remonies through Sufpicion, Prejudice of Edu- 
 cation, Simplicity, &c. " Others exercife a 
 
 " marvellous Fervour for 'em to be ta- 
 
 " ken Notice of, and employed as ufeful Af- 
 " fertors » ■ Many Times Gain and Profit 
 "is the End — -. as is before obferv'd in 
 " the Romijh Churchy tb. p. 15?, 20. In which 
 'tis confpicuous that he had a View princi- 
 pally to Popery, and never once mentions 
 thofe Perfons, on whom Clar. affixes it. And 
 now, as a finiihing Stroke to all thefe grofs 
 FaHhoods and Impoftu res, he has the Forehead 
 to declare thus; 'the precited PaJfageS' 
 
 I have faithfully tranfcrtbed for the 
 
 common Good of all thofe ^ who lye under the 
 
 Burden 
 
Melius Inquirendum^ §%$ 
 
 Burden of Efifcopal Inno'vations and Impo(i^ 
 tions. Richard Claridge,/?. 270. 
 
 Indeed we have befide thefe, the Confejjtan 
 of a namelefs Author touching the Quakers^ 
 declaring that they are not guilty of thofe Er- 
 rors they are chargd with, and that thofe which 
 are fuppos^d to he Errors in them, are glorioas 
 Gofpel'Truths.''—' 'That they not only out- 
 firip us in real Piety and Virtue, but in Faith 
 and Principle too, p. 26 j. For which we are 
 direded to a Letter from a Clergyman in the 
 Country, to a Clergyman in the City, dec. print. 
 1 70 1. This obfcure Bufinefs of a Letter, be- 
 ing neither known, nor likely to be difco- 
 ver'd, might as well have faid any thing elfe 
 with Impunity, and without Fear of Contra- 
 didion ; and yet whether it were wrote by a 
 Clergyman, or that Clar. has not perverted his 
 Words or Meaning, remains a Queflion. But 
 comparing the Date of it, with the Time 
 when he himfelf went over to the Qttakers, 
 and publifli'd fome crude indigefted Matter in 
 their Behalf, nothing feems more probable, 
 than that he himfelf was the Author of it ; 
 and to give it the better Glofs, pretended it 
 to be penn'd by a Clergy-Man in the Country ; 
 refuming the Title which he once had, before 
 his double Defertion. So that all the Tefti- 
 monies he was able to pick up, in De- 
 fence of the Quakers, are reduced to one, 
 and that fufpeded, and moft likely to be his 
 own. 
 
 To do Juflice to Judge Hale, whom he 
 
 has mifreprefented to be a great Patron of the 
 
 Quakers, while he feems to lay fuch a Strefs 
 
 K upon 
 
130 A Repfy to R. Clariclge^5 
 
 upon his Authority, his real Judgment of 'eni 
 cannot well be omitted. 
 
 In that fame Book, he makes 'em to be no 
 other than a Party fprung up in the Time of 
 the Rebellion, out of. Aff-eBatioriy and a cev" 
 tain Itch of Pride. " There is, fays he, in 
 " moft Men a certain Itch of Pride^ which 
 " makej 'em afect a Difcrimination from o- 
 '^ thers ,- ^ I remember in the Beginning 
 
 " of our late Troubles, the only Party that 
 " vifibly appeared, were fome that defir'd 
 " fome Reformation in Church Matters ; and 
 
 " when that Party had obtain d in a 
 
 '* very little while there arofe a more fublime 
 ^'^ Party, call'd the Independent , which much 
 
 " defpis'd the fofmer ; =- fhortly after 
 
 •^ there arofe a kind of Lay-Party, which as 
 " much undervalued the Independent . 
 " Afcer that there arofe a Party, difcriminating 
 " it felf from all the former, viz,. 
 * mt. of true Rei. « the Quakers *. And in another 
 P- ^^> -'• Book, " Have as little Converfa- 
 
 " tion as polTible with obltinate He- 
 ^ccmr^pht P.rr ^^ reticks. or Perfonsobflinately per- 
 il J. p 5^2 " verted in Matters of Religion, as 
 '' Quakers, Pafiflu t ^c. 
 
 Replf 
 
Melius Inquirendum^ 131 
 
 J^eply t(y a Brief View of fome Unfcriptu- 
 ral Opinions, &c. 
 
 THE Reader is to be congratulated at his 
 Arrival here, as the lall Stage of his 
 long Fatigue, We were indeed promised a 
 * Condujton ^6 Pages off; but lince that have * p j, ^ 
 been tir*d with Appendix after Appendix^ and 
 Poftfcript upon Poflfcript. Upon which Ac- 
 count, if for no other, it may be requifite to 
 take the fhorteft Courfe here, and return only 
 a general Anfwer. Dr. Edwards's Preacher 
 has, it feems, furnifh'd him with Matter e- 
 nough to fill up no lefs than 25 Pages of this 
 his Treatife againft Chriflianity ; for fuch it 
 plainly appears to be. The Dr. for Reafons 
 and upon Motives beft known to himfelf, with 
 great Pains has endeavoured to charge feveral 
 Noted Clergy-Men with broaching unfcriptural 
 Opinions j picking up and down their Works, 
 whatever mx^t Jound harfh, or feem obnoxi- 
 ous to Cenfure ; and as if they were not in 
 themfelves fo, by ftudied Criticifms and Expla- 
 nations, labours to make 'em appear liable to Ex- 
 ception, to the great Reproach of thofe Authors, 
 and Difhonour of the Church, Clar. as an eager 
 Amanuenjis of Scandal, with much Comfort 
 'and Complacence, tranfcribes the worft Paffa- 
 ges of the Dr, as the Dr. had what he thought 
 fuch in them. We need not hereinfift on the 
 |njuftice and Unreafonablenefs of thus treat- 
 K 2 ing 
 
7', 72. 
 
 132 'A Reply to R. Claridge'i 
 
 ing celebrated Authors, worthy of all Efteem ; 
 
 t Free which is lately well expos'd by one, ] who 
 
 thinking compares the Reading of Books only for the 
 
 "fiaNd ^^^^ ^^ '^"^' °^ ^"^^^^ DQ^ign to find fome- 
 ft 7 2 *^^^"S ^^T^i^s, or which may be perverted to a 
 badSenfe, to the Hotentots getting into all the 
 Ships which arrive at the Cape af Good Ho fey 
 to fetch 6*^0^ and Greafey as the only things 
 they are fond of, but offenfive to the reft of 
 Mankind. But whatever is to be faid of the 
 Drs Condud herein, his fervile Scribe feems 
 to have popied him to little Purpofe: For fup- 
 pofmg thefe to be even fuch, as the Dr. would 
 reprefent 'em, unwary Expreflions, or Slips of 
 great Men, Opere in longo, how does this in 
 the leaft countenance, or extenuate the bold 
 Impieties and (hocking Blafphemies, abound- 
 ing in the Quakers paltry Books, and forry 
 Pamphlets ? Do they hereby lofe any thing 
 of their Deformity, and appear lefs vile and 
 abominable ? Let any one that is inclined fo 
 to think, compare even all that Edtvards and 
 Claridge together, have been able to glean as 
 Errors of eminent Divines, with the detefted 
 and execrable Affertions, that have been fo 
 often exprobated to the Qitakers^ and expo- 
 fed to the World, out of their moft Noted 
 Wfiters. 
 
 Having thus gone through this Mdius In- 
 quirendumy a Work of fo much Time and 
 Pains, (to what End and Purpofe employed, 
 let the Reader now judge) that R. Claridge 
 may not complain of InjulHce done him in o- 
 mitting any thing confid^rable, I fhall, as a 
 Clofe to all, add the Recommendations of (x. 
 Whitehead (a Writer of great Note among 
 
 the 
 
Melius Inquirendum. 133 
 
 the Quakers) in Praife of the Author, and of 
 the Author himfelf, in Behalf of himfelf and 
 his Performance. (Thefe ftand, by way of In- 
 trodudion, at the Entrance of his Book, but 
 placed here, will, I conceive, make a Figure 
 much more fuitable to its Charader.) 
 
 Says the Former, * "the foUoiuing Treatife is * A Brief 
 recommended to your Serious and Deliberate Pe- Epiftleto, 
 rufal and Conjideration. Seeing fome Adverfa- h?^!'^ ^* 
 Ties ^ the Author hereof has taken the u^J^^'^ 
 
 more T'ime and Pains at his leifure Hours, to 
 Search and Examine Authorities ; •- — ^ If our 
 Oppofer ' the more it will turn to his 
 
 Shame, when he Jh all fee Reafon, Scripture, and . 
 fome of the mofi approvd Ancient Authors againfi 
 him, and for us ; Our Beloved Friend Rich. 
 Claridge having condefcended to beftowfo much 
 worthy Induftry in the Scrutiny and Recitation 
 of efieeind Authentick Authors in our jufl De- 
 fence. 
 
 Says the Latter, | 1 fhaU not here prepoffefs . 7* ^ 
 the Reader with much of my Performance — / Jj^^,^ p^^ 
 defire him to read it through without Prejudice monition^ 
 or Partiality to either Side, and then give Judg- &c. ^ 
 ment according to the true Merits of the Caufe. 
 " • I had not Ingaged ■ ' but that I 
 
 faw "Truth confidently Qppofed, ' My De- 
 
 Jign .to make it more Serviceable than to 
 
 be only a Reply to For it may ferve for 
 
 a General Anfwer both to him and other Ad- 
 verfaries ■ Tho I have cited feveral 
 
 Antient Greek and Latin Authors ; — — / 
 have not cited thofe Authors for Oflentation 
 — — but to Jhew that oi our DoBrines are Con- 
 firmed by the Holy Scriptures, fo they have al" 
 fo the Concurrent Tefiimony of very Antient 
 
 Chriftian 
 
134 ^ ^^Ph ^0 R. Claridge'5, ^c. 
 
 Chriftian Writers. An Evidence beyond Con- 
 tradictiony that our Doctrines are clear of that 
 NoVelty, Singularity, Herefy and Blafphemy, 
 which fome have untruly affix' d to em. T'hofe 
 Writers of the Church of England herein quo- 
 ted ' Shew that we have the very Confef- 
 
 fion of fome of thofe Men, ■ / have 
 
 diligently avoided Scurrtlom and Opprobrious 
 
 'Termsy . ■ a good Caufe ftands in no need 
 
 of an Ignoble and Unworthy Method to fup- 
 fort it. * 
 
 This, according to the Temper a Man is in, 
 may ferve to excite either his Mirth or his In*- 
 dignation : 
 
 * Atqut it A mentitur^ fic Veris Falfa remifcet. 
 Prima ne Meditim, Medio ne difcrepet Imum* 
 
 FINIS. 
 
4 
 

i 
 
■ •■•-T^- 
 
• '*v 
 
 / 
 
I.-