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need of temporal Penalties to enforce it,nor was attended by Fines and Imprifonments, Arguments entirely foreign to the fpiritual Genius of that Ecclefiaftical Government and Difcipline, which was embrac'd by the pureft Ages, and maintain'd by none now in a greater Degree than by the Church of Scotland.

An impartial Enquiry into our Confeffion, may have the fame good Effects with Regard to the more refined and abftracted Controverfies of Religion. It is known to all who have any Acquaintance with Divinity, with what undue Heat and Jncharitableness the Difputes betwixt the Calvinists and Arminians have been managed, and what odious Reprefentations have been given of the Opinions of different Parties: The Church of Scotland, which hath everzealously efpoufed the Doctrines of the great Calvin, or rather of the infpired Apoftle Paul, hath on that Account received her large Share of ill Ufage; and the harfheft. Notions have been given of all hofe who came under the common Denomination of Calvinifts, and that not only by paffionate little Writers, but by Men of distinguished Reputation, and acknowledged Temper and Abilities.

It is ufual enough, because of our Doctrines concerning Faith, Juftification and Grace, to exclaim againft us as Perfons who wea ken the Authority of the Divine Law, and deny the Neceffity of good Works; who encourage our Members to a lazy Recumbency upon the Righteoufnefs of another, and tempt them to the Neglect of Holinefs in their own Life, that our Principles are fo many Pillows for flothful Souls to reft upon, and Opiats to lull them afleep in Sin and Security: And thus we are expofed as an hateful and abominable Sect, that have little Regard to Morality and Holinefs.

Now, would fuch have Recourfe to our Confeffion, they'd foon be convinced how great an Injury is done to us, fince, tho we own it as our Glory, that we entertain exalted Thoughts of the Grace of the Gofpel, and abhor every Notion that encroaches upon its Sovereignty or leffens its Freedom; that we maintain Juftification by Faith and not by Works, and would not willingly rob God of any Part of the Glory and Honour of our Salvation, by afcribing a Share of it to our felves, and attributing to our unwor thy Performances what is wholly owing to the Obedience and Satisfaction of our Saviour: Yet no Church, in more exprefs Terms affirms the perpetual Obligation of the Moral Law which is no way diffolved by the Gospel, the abfolute Neceflity of Holiness in order to Salvation, the Vanity of that Faith which is not accompany'd with all the other Graces of the Chriftian Life, and with good Works, which are its genuine Fruits and Evidences when true and lively; or is more fenfible of the fatal Miftake of fuch who fancy that Chriftian Liberty gives the leaft Encouragement to the Indulgence of any Luft. All which is evident from the whole Strain of our Confeffion.

It will appear as hard and unjuft Treatment, when we are charged with reprefenting the bleffed God as a fevere and cruel Being, the Object only of Fears and Terrors, because of the Do

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arine we maintain concerning Reprobation; or as a defpotick and arbitrary Monarch, that is not governed by the Measures of Wif dom and Goodness, but punishes Sin, whereof we make himfelf the Author, becaufe of our Opinions about the Abfolutenefs of his Decrees, the Freedom of his electing Love, and the Sovereignty of his Grace and Providence: Since, how little foever they may approve of our Sentiments in thefe Matters, they will perceive, that, in as plain and pofitive Terms, we own the infinite Purity of the Divine Nature, and the Juftice of his Procedure; remove as far from him the fmalleft Poffibility of Evil, and attribute the Origin of Sin wholly to the Creature; and endeavour to give as lovely and amiable Notions of the Father of Mercies, and to celebrate with as loud and fervent Praifes his unbounded Compaffions, and incomprehenfible Goodness and Patience, as our Adverfaries themfelves do.

We know it may be alledged, That how pofitively foever we disclaim all thefe monftrous Errors, yet they are the neceffary Confequences of the other Doctrines which we avowedly protefs; fo that were the one certain, the other would naturally be eftabli fhed: But were it true that fuch Blafphemies could be inferred from our Doctrine of abfolute Decrees, or any other of the Opinions of Calvin, yet it would be contrary to the plaineft Rules of Juftice and Charity, to afcribe thofe abfurd and impious Notions unto us; fince we in the loudeft Manner difavow them, and profefs that we are not able to difcern that our Doctrines have the fmalleft Tendency towards thofe unworthy Thoughts of the infinitely Holy and Merciful God, which we abhor and deteft as much as they themfelves can do, but believe all our Principles confiftent with thefe amiable Excellencies of the Divine Nature.

They may according to their own Way of thinking accufe us of Weaknefs and Ignorance, and fancy that our Eyes are dim and fhort-fighted, when we can difcern none of thofe abfurd Confequences which appear fo clearly to them; but as long as we remain in this Condition, deny the fuppofed Confequences, and give no Reafon to fufpect the Sincerity of our Profeffions, it is evidently injurious ftill to load us with them as if they were our real Sentiments; which is indeed to charge upon People not what they truly think and perceive, but what we fancy they should fee and judge concerning the Nature and Confequences of their Faith.

We know it is too common for Writers on every Side to blacken their Adverfaries; and after they have painted, in the uglieft and moft hateful Form, all the Blafphemies and Abfurdities, which they fancy to be the neceffary Confequences of their Opinions, to charge the whole upon fuch as differ from them, though as zealous as themfelves against thofe falfe and impious Doctrines: Nor fhall we deny but there are Authors of every Side who make a Merit of their Art and Dexterity in this Way of writing; feem to think every Spot wherewith they befpatter their Adverfaries, an Ornament and Beauty of their Performance, and that the blacker

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they make him, they promote more effectually the Interests of their own Party: But a prevailing Custom does not render Injuftice and ill Nature lefs culpable, nor does their Rarity tarnish the Lovelinefs of Moderation and Charity, or excufe a Neglect of them by an Author.

The treating of an Adverfary with Fiercenefs, Anger or Difdain, the reprefenting his Opinions in the worst Light, and efpe cially the inveighing against the Blafphemies or Abfurdities which we think flow from his Schemes, as if they were really a Part of them and adopted by him, with all the other angry Arts of Con troverfie of this Kind, inftead of doing any good, tend equally to the Difgrace of the Writer, and the Difadvantage of his Caufe; they argue a proud and imperious Spirit that is impatient of Contradiction, and expects an abfolute Submiffion from the rest of the World to its Notions and Dictates; they flow generally from Narrownefs and Contraction of Thought, that can allow no virtuous Quality, nor make any favourable Conceffion to an Adverfary and they almost allways fhow that the Writer is of a fimall Extent of Learning and Reading, and hath confined his Enquiries to the Authors of his own Side; and bounded his Understanding by their Party-Limits, or darkned it by their Errors and Prejudi ces, and fo is incapable of great and noble Advances in Knowledge.

Such Difputers demonftrate that the prevailing Paffions in their Breafts are Wrath and Hatred and Vanity, which have extinguithed Charity and Juftice and Humility; and which always make the Performance of no Effect with an Adverfary, and can never reclaim him from an Error; because they imbitter his Spirit and awaken his Refentment, make him confider the Author as his violent Enemy, and enervate the Force even of good Reafonings, by perfwading him that they are as infignificant, as he knows the hideous Reprefentations given of his own Principles and Party, by the fame Writer, are falfe and calumnious: And tho' they may inflame the Zeal of those who are blindly devoted to them, and prepoffefs'd by the fame Prejudices; yet if ever fuch become bet ter acquainted with thofe that differ from them, they'll be apter to defert altogether their former Party, and fancy the whole of their Doctrines as ill founded, as they fee the Afperfions groundlet's which were thrown upon Adverfaries by their own angry Guides.

Were the Devil a Writer of Controverfies, fuch would be his Methods; Satyr would undoubtedly be his chief Talent, and uncharitable Heats, and calumnious Reprefentations, and heavy Charges upon the contrary Side, would be Engines fuitable enough to his hellish Temper and Defigns: But it is a ftrange Inconfiftency in one that pretends to argue in Defence of any Part of Chriftia, i 1, fo mild and gentle and charitable an Inftitution, a Religion, the diftinguishing Beauties whereof are Love and Benevolence and Forbearance, to do it by Artifices which owe their Being to Impatience, Anger, Pride and Wrath, as it thefe could ever be ufeful to any

Thing which belongs to the meek and lowly JESUS. Modefty, Candor and Charity are the chief Qualities of any Writer, but they feem to be effential to a Chriftian one.

Some may poffibly think that fuch a fair and impartial Enquiry into our real Principles will be too laborious, and they may entertain fo contemptible Thoughts of us and them, as to imagine a perfecter Knowledge not worth their neceflary Expence of Thought and Time, however fmall that be: But we hope we may be allowed to beg this Favour of fuch, that if they fo far defpife us, they would forbear to calumniate us; and till they can give themfelves the Leifure to know what we are, that they'd employ their Tongues and Pens as well as Thoughts upon another Subject, left they be numbred amongst thofe fpoken of, 2 Pet. 2. 12. Who as natural brute Beafts, made to be taken and destroyed, Speak evil of the Things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own Carruption.

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Before we leave this Argument, as a Proof how eafily Men may miftake the Principles of their Adverfaries, in abftrufe metaphyfical Speculations, we fhall crave Leave to mention a very palpable Mifreprefentation of Scotch Affairs in fo plain a Matter of Fact, that an Error about it is furprizing, efpecially when committed by an Author fam'd for his Moderation and Ingenuity, namely, Sir Richard Steil, who in his Dedication to the Pope of An Account of the State of the Romish Religion published by him, hath thefe Words, "In Scotland let a Man depart an Inch from the Confeffion of Faith, and Rule of Worship established by the Affembly there; and he will quickly find that, as cold a Country as it is, it will be too "hot for him to live in. One would be apt to conclude from thefe Words, that we were animated by the perfecuting Spirit of Popery, and purfued the fame Methods of convincing Hereticks; and that People were frequently punished in Scotland upon Account of Nonconformity, or a Difference in Opinion from the eftablished Church: Whereas it is a Truth as clear as the Sun, that there is no fuch Thing as Perfecution in our Church, that Perfons enjoy as undifturbed a Freedom of Thought in our Country as any where elfe; and upon a Change of their Sentiments, never feel fuch an Alteration in the Climate, as fhould force them to live elfewhere: Nor can one Inftance be given when ever any Man was fined, imprifoned, or expofed to any Hardship, becaufe of his departing from cur Confeflion.

And it will afterwards appear that what the fame Author adds, that with us, "Infants are baptized not only into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, but into the pure Doctrine profeffed and fet led by the Church of Scotland; "" argues an equal Unacquaintednefs with our Conftitution, and an eafy Credulity in entertaining fuch Notions.

Thus we have in fome Meature illuftrated the firft Purpofe for which the Churches composed and published their Confeflions of Faith,

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THE SECOND END they propofed by their Confeflions, was that by publishing fo folemn and authentick Declarations of their Faith to the whole World, it might appear with what Cheerfulness and Zeal they owned thofe Doctrines, that a Religion hated and contemned by the greateft Part of Mankind, was the Object of their higheft Efteem and Veneration; and that they were fo far from being afhamed of the Gospel of Christ, that they gloried in it as their deareft Privilege and moft valuable Poffeffion. By fuch a publick Profeffion alfo of these heavenly Truths, they intended folemnly to declare their Gratitude and Thankfulness to Almighty God, who had brought them to the Knowledge thereof: Agreeably hereto, the Bohemians and the Duke of Wirtemburgh, exprefs themselves in the Prefaces to the Confeffions of their Churches.

When God crowns a People with diftinguishing Bleffings, and manifefts the Greatnefs of his Excellencies in their Behalf, they thould not conceal them from the World, or bury them in a difregardful Silence; but take all Opportunities of fpreading abroad the Fame of his mighty Acts, and declaring their Gratitude unto him: To this the Pfalmift perfwades the opprefled who should be delivered by God, Pfal. 9. 11. Sing Praifes to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: Declare among the People his Doings. Pfal. 96. 3. Declare his Glory among the Heathen, his Wonders among all People. And fuch it is foretold will be the grateful Temper of Ifrael, when God fhall convert him to the Truth. Isa. 12. 4. And in that Day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his Name, declare his Doings among the People, make mention that his Name is exalted. Nor is there a lefs Obligation upon a publick Society, than on a private Perfon, to imitate the Pfalmift's Example: Pfal. 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul. Now in no Inftance does the Father of Mercies manifeft himself to a People under that Character in a more illuftrious Manner, than when he difcovers to them the Truths of Religion pure and uncorrupted, and caufes the Light of the Gofpel in all its Glory to fhine in upon them; this is the nobleft Privilege and moft valuable Gift of Providence, which fhould therefore be acknowledged with the loudeft Songs of Praife, and that Church must be in the highest Degree unworthy of the Divine Favours, and ungrateful to the Author of them, that is afhamed to own the Goodness of God, or that neglects any Opportunity of declaring to all about them, the incomparable Value they have for thefe Statutes and Teftimonies which he hath revealed to them.

Our Church therefore, upon all Occafions gloried in the Do&rines contained in her Confeffions, and cheerfully fell in with this End which moved the Churches to compofe and publifh fuch Systems of Doctrine: Every Time her Confeffions are published, the proclaims her Adherence to the Divine Truths contained in them; the boafts of them as her greateft Honour, and acknowledges her Obligations to the infinite Goodness of our merciful God, who did not leave us groning under the Tranny of Antichrift, and wandring amidft the thick Clouds of Error and Superftition, which had en

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