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by himself, might make somewhat for the praise of his person; but for defence of his action, unto them by whom he is thought indiscreet for not conferring privately before he spake, will it serve to answer, that when he spake, he did it considerately? He perceiveth it will not, and therefore addeth reasons, such as they are; as, namely, how he purposed at the first to take another course, and that was this, " publicly to deliver the truth of such doctrine as I had otherwise taught, and at convenient opportunity to confer with me upon such points." Is this the rule of Christ? If thy brother offend openly in his speech, control it first with contrary speech openly, and confer with him afterward upon it, when convenient opportunity serveth? Is there any law of God or man, whereupon to ground such a resolution? any church extant in the world, where teachers are allowed thus to do, or to be done unto? He cannot but see how weak an allegation it is, when he bringeth in his following discourse, first in one matter, and so afterward in another, to approve himself now following it again. For if the purpose of doing of a thing so uncharitable be a fault, the deed is a greater fault; and doth the doing of it twice, make it the third time fit and allowable to be done? The weight of the cause, which is his third defence, relieveth him as little. The weightier it was, the more it required considerate advice and consultation, the more it stood him upon to take good heed, that nothing were rashly done or spoken in it. But he meaneth weighty, in regard of the wonderful danger, except he had presently withstood me without expecting a time of conference. "This cause being of such moment that might prejudice the faith of Christ, encourage the ill-affected to continue still in their damnable ways, and others weak in faith to suffer themselves to be seduced, to the destruction of their souls, he thought it his bounden duty to speak before he talked with me.” A man that should read this, and not know what I had spoken, might imagine that I had at the least denied the Divinity of Christ. But they which were present at my speech, and can testify that nothing passed my lips more than is contained in their writings, whom, for soundness of doctrine, learning, and judgment, Mr. Travers himself doth, I dare say, not only allow, but honour; they which heard, and do know, that the doctrine here signified in so fearful manner, the doctrine that was so dangerous to the faith of Christ, that was so likely to encourage "ill-affected men to continue still in their damnable ways;" that gave so great cause to tremble for fear of the present" destruction of souls," was only this;

"I doubt not but God was merciful to save thousands of our fathers, living heretofore in the popish superstition, inasmuch as they sinned ignorantly;" and this spoken in a sermon, the greatest part whereof was against popery, they will hardly be able to discern how Christianity should herewith be so grievously shaken. 21. Whereby his fourth excuse is also taken from him. For what doth it boot him to say, "The time was short wherein he was to preach after me," when his preaching of this matter perhaps ought, surely might have been either very well omitted, or at least more conveniently for awhile deferred; even by their judgments that cast the most favourable aspect towards these his hasty proceedings. The poison which men had taken at my hands, was not so quick and strong in operation, as in eight days to make them past cure; by eight days' delay, there was no likelihood that the force and power of his speech could die, longer meditation might bring better and stronger proofs to mind than extemporal dexterity could furnish him with. And who doth know whether time, the only mother of sound judgment and discreet dealing, might have given that action of his some better ripeness, which, by so great festination hath, as a thing born out of time, brought small joy unto him that begat it? Doth he think it had not been better, that neither my speech had seemed in his eyes as an arrow sticking in a thigh of flesh; nor his own as a child whereof he must needs be delivered by an hour? His last way of disburdening himself is, by casting his load upon my back, as if I had brought him by former conferences out of hope, that any fruit should ever come of conferring with me. Loath I am to rip up those conferences, whereof he maketh but a slippery and loose relation. In one of them, the question between us was, whether the persuasion of faith concerning remission of sins, eternal life, and whatsoever God doth promise unto man, be as free from doubting, as the persuasion which we have by sense concerning things tasted, felt, and seen? For the negative, I mentioned their example, whose faith in Scripture is most commended, and the experience which all faithful men have continually had of themselves. For proof of the affirmative, which he held, I desiring to have some reason, heard nothing but " all good writers" oftentimes inculcated. At the length, upon request to see some one of them, Peter Martyr's common places were brought, where the leaves were turned down, at a place sounding to this effect," That the gospel doth make Christians more virtuous than moral philosophy doth make heathens" which came not near the question by many miles.

22. In the other conference he questioned about the matter of reprobation, misliking first, that I had termed God a permissive, and no positive cause of the evil which the schoolmen do call malum culpa. Secondly, that to their objection, who say, “ If I be elected, do what I will, I shall be saved :" I had answered, that the will of God in this thing is not absolute, but conditional, to save his elect believing, fearing, and obediently serving him. Thirdly, that to stop the mouths of such as grudge and repine against God for rejecting castaways, I had taught that they are not rejected, no, not in the purpose and counsel of God, without a foreseen worthiness of rejection going, though not in time, yet in order, before. For, if God's electing do in order (as needs it must) presuppose the foresight of their being that are elected, though they be elected before they be; nor only the positive foresight of their being, but also the permissive of their being miserable, because election is through mercy, and mercy doth always presuppose misery: it followeth, that the very chosen of God acknowledge, to the praise of the riches of his exceeding free compassion, that when he in his secret determination set it down, "Those shall live and not die," they lay as ugly spectacles before him, as lepers covered with dung and mire, as ulcers putrefied in their fathers' loins, miserable, worthy to be had in detestation; and shall any forsaken creature be able to say unto God, Thou didst plunge me into the depth, and assign me unto endless torments, only to satisfy thine own will, finding nothing in me for which I could seem in thy sight so well worthy to feel everlasting flames?

23. When I saw that Mr. Travers carped at these things, only because they lay not open, I promised at some convenient time to make them clear as light, both to him and all others. - Which, if they that reprove me will not grant me leave to do, they must think that they are for some cause or other more desirous to have me reputed an unsound man, than willing that my sincere meaning should appear and be approved. When I was farther asked what my grounds were ? I answered, that St. Paul's words concerning this cause were my grounds. His next demand, what author I did follow in expounding St. Paul, and gathering the doctrine out of his words, against the judgment (he saith)" of all churches and all good writers?" I was well assured, that to control this overreaching speech, the sentences which I might have cited out of church-confessions, together with the best learned monuments of former times, and not the meanest of our own were

more in number than perhaps he would willingly have heard of: but what had this booted me? For although he himself in generality do much use those formal speeches," all churches, and all good writers," yet as he holdeth it, in pulpit, lawful to say in general, the painims think this, or the heathens that, but utterly unlawful to cite any sentence of theirs that say it; so he gave me at that time great cause to think, that my particular alleging of other men's words, to shew their agreement with mine, would as much have displeased his mind, as the thing itself for which it had been alleged; for he knoweth how often he hath in public place bitten me for this, although I did never in any sermon use many of the sentences of other writers, and do make most without any; having always thought it meetest, neither to affect nor contemn the use of them.

24. He is not ignorant, that in the very entrance to the talk which we had privately at that time, to prove it unlawful altogether in preaching, either for confirmation, declaration, or otherwise, to cite any thing but mere canonical Scripture, he brought in, "The Scripture is given by inspiration, and is profitable to teach, improve," &c. urging much the vigour of these two clauses, "the man of God," and "every good work." If therefore the work were good which he required at my hands, if privately to shew why I thought the doctrine I had delivered to be according to St. Paul's meaning, were a good work, can they which take the place before alleged for a law condemning every man of God, who in doing the work of preaching any other way useth human authority, like it in me, if in the work of strengthening that which I had preached, I should bring forth the testimonies and the sayings of mortal men? 1 alleged therefore that which might under no pretence in the world be disallowed, namely, reasons; not meaning thereby mine own reason as now it is reported, but true, sound, Divine reason; reason whereby those conclusions might be out of St. Paul demonstrated, and not probably discoursed of only; reason, proper to that science whereby the things of God are known; theological reason, without principles in Scripture that are plain, soundly deduceth more doubtful inferences, in such sort that being heard they cannot be denied, nor any thing repugnant unto them received, but whatsoever was before otherwise by miscollecting gathered out of dark places, is thereby forced to yield itself, and the true consonant meaning of sentences not understood is brought to light. This is the reason which I intended. If it were possible for me to escape the ferula in any thing I do or speak, I had undoubted

ly escaped in this. In this I did that which by some is enjoined as the only allowable, but granted by all as the most sure and safe way, whereby to resolve things doubted of in matters appertaining to faith and Christian religion. So that Mr. Travers had here small cause given him to be weary of conferring, unless it was in other respects, than that poor one which is here pretended, that is to say, the little hope he had of doing me any good by confer

ence.

25. Yet behold his first reason of not complaining to the highcommission is, "That sith I offended only through an over-charitable inclination, he conceived good hope, when I should see the truth cleared, and some scruples which were in my mind removed by his diligence, I would yield." But what experience soever he had of former conferences, how small soever his hope was that fruit would come of it, if he should have conferred, will any man judge this a cause sufficient, why to open his mouth in public, without any word privately spoken? He might have considered that men do sometimes reap, where they sow but with small hope; he might have considered, that although unto me (whereof he was not certain neither), but if to me his labour should be as water spilt or poured into a torn dish, yet to him it could not be fruitless to do that which order in Christian churches, that which charity amongst Christian men, that which at many men's hands, even common humanity itself, at his, many other things besides did require. What fruit could there come of his open contradicting in so great haste, with so small advice, but such as must needs be unpleasant, and mingled with much acerbity? Surely, he which will take upon him to defend, that in this there was no oversight, must beware, lest by such defences he leave an opinion dwelling in the minds of men, that he is more stiff to maintain what he hath done, than careful to do nothing but that which may justly be maintained.

26. Thus have I, as near as I could, seriously answered things of weight: with smaller I have dealt as I thought their quality did require. I take no joy in striving, I have not been nuzzled or trained up in it. I would to Christ they which have at this present enforced me hereunto, had so ruled their hands in any reasonable time, that I might never have been constrained to strike so much as in mine own defence. Wherefore, to prosecute this long and tedious contention no farther, I shall wish that your Grace, and their Honours (unto whose intelligence the dutiful regard which I have of their judgments maketh me desirous, that as accusations

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