Sect. 9. Compliance with Papists. The Diatribists inconstancy.
[ 1] [ 1] HIS 10th §. being an introduction to his survey of my six reasons for the taking Will-worship Col: 2. in a good credita∣ble sense, begins with a general, but that posing, confounding note, that taking the word in a good sense, the Doctor complies too much with the Papists (most of them taking it in an ill) who use to take off the force of the Protestants objection from this place against their Will-worship, by answering, that it is taken here in a good sense, for voluntary religion or worship] To which I confesse my self unable to give any answer, as not guessing wherein the ob∣jection lies, whether in my complying, or not complying with the Papists.
[ 2] The words expressely tell me, that taking it in a good sense I comply with the Papists, and yet there are other words as expresse∣ly pronouncing, that most of the Papists take it in an ill sense: The only expedient to me imaginable to reconcile these contradictionsPage 126 (which yet I have no pretence of imputing to the Printer, or to any but the Author) is this, that though most of the Papists take it in an ill sense yet some though smaller number of them take it in a good, and so defend their many traditions of worship (as he calls them) and answer the Protestants objections (the Dia∣tribists and his partners) from that text, Col: 2. and then that I differ from those Protestants, and comply with those Papists.
[ 3] And if this be the meaning, then as 1. I can truly say, that I borrowed not this interpretation of that word or text from any Popish writer, but from the weighing the text it self, and the cha∣racters I found in it (the same that Hugo Grotius hath discerned also, as was said) and accordingly set those down for the reasons of my interpretation; so if I shall truly be found to have com∣plied with any Papist herein, yet 1. I shall never startle at the in∣terpretation, upon that account, many Papists having given the true senses of many places of Scripture; and 2. I shall with much more justice be able to retort this argument on the Diatribist if I may believe himself, the sense which he hath given, viz: the ill sense, being owned by most of the Papists, as he here himself confesses. And then sure he that is acknowledged to comply with most of the Papists, and not he which is but accused to comply with some few of them, must needs be most guilty of that crime, whatsoever 'tis fancied to be, which consists in such compli∣ance.
[ 4] Nay 'tis not long since he affirmed of my interpretation of this verse, that he believes it is singular without any precedent, either*ancient or modern, Protestant or Papist, and then I have little rea∣son to believe his bare general suggestion against his own belief, that the Doctor herein complies with the Papists, especially when out of Chamier, he here addes that that learned and acute man, Panstrat: l. 3. c. 6. §. 5. professes he never saw the good sense in any interpreter of the place.
[ 5] So then this general note is not likely to tend much to our prejudice, I proceed then to his more particular answer to my reasons.
