A second vindication of The reasonableness of Christianity, &c, by the author of The reasonableness of Christinaity, &c.

PREFACE TO THE READER.

IT hath pleased Mr. Edwards, in Answer to the Reasonableness of Christianity, &c. and its Vin∣dication, to turn one of the most weighty and important Points that can come into Question (Even no less than the very Fundamentals of the Christian Religion) into a meer Quarrel against the Author; as every one, with Mr. Bold, may ob∣serve. In my Reply to him, I have

endeavour'd, as much as his Obje∣ctions would allow me, to bring him to the Subject matter of my Book, and the merits of the Cause; Though his peculiar way of wri∣ting Controversie has made it ne∣cessary for me in following him step by step, to wipe off the Dirt he has thrown on me, and clear my self from those Falshoods he has filled his Book with. This I could not but do, in dealing with such an Antagonist; that by the Vntruths I have proved upon him, the Rea∣der may judge of those other Alle∣gations of his, whereof the Proof lying on his side, the bare Denial is enough on mine, and indeed, are wholly nothing to the Truth or Fals∣hood of what is contain'd in my Rea∣sonableness of Christianity, &c. To which I shall desire the Reader to add this further Consideration

from his way of Writing, not a∣gainst my Book, but against me for writing it, That if he had had a Real concern for Truth and Re∣ligion in this Dispute, he would have treated it after another man∣ner; And we should have had from him more Argument, Reasoning and Clearness, and less Boasting, Declamation and Railing. It has been unavoidable for me to take no∣tice of a great deal of this sort of Stuff, in answering a Writer who has very little else to say in the Con∣troversie, and places his strength in things besides, the Question: But yet I have been so careful to take all Occasions to e••••lain the Doctrine of my Book, that I hope the Reader will not think his Pains wholly lost labour in perusing this Reply, where∣in he will find some further, and I hope satisfying, Account concer∣ning

the Writings of the New Te∣stament, and the Christian Religion contained in it.

Mr. Edward's ill Language, which I thought personally to me (though I knew not how I had Provoked a Man whom I had never had to do with) I am now satisfied by his Rude and Scurrilous treating of Mr. Bold, is his Way and Strength in Management of Contro∣versie; And therefore requires a little more Consideration in this Di∣sputant than otherwise it would de∣serve. Mr. Bold, with the Calm∣ness of a Christian, the Gravity of a Divine, the Clearness of a Man of Parts, and the Civility of a well bred Man, made some Anim∣adversions on his Socinianism Un∣mask'd; Which with a Sermon Preach'd on the same Subject with my Reasonableness of Christianity,

he Published: And how he has been used by Mr. Edwards, let the World judge.

I was extreamly surprized with Mr. Bold's Book, at a time when there was so great an Outcry against mine on all hands. But it seems he is a Man that does not take up things upon Hearsay; nor is afraid to own Truth, whatever Clamor or Calumny it may lie under. Mr. Ed∣wards confidently tells the World, that Mr. Bold has been drawn in to espouse this Cause, upon base and mean Considerations. Whose Picture of the two, such a Description is most likely to give us, I shall leave to the Reader to judge, from what he will find in their Writings on this Subject. For as to the Persons themselves, I am equally a Stran∣ger to them both: I know not the Face of either of them: And having

hitherto never had any Communica∣tion with Mr. Bold, I shall begin with him, as I did with Mr. Ed∣wards in Print; and here publickly return him this following Acknow∣ledgment for what he has Printed in this Controversie.

To Mr. Bold.

SIR,

THough I do not think I ought to return Thanks to any one for being of my Opi∣nion, any more than to fall out with him for differing from me; Yet I cannot but own to all the World the Esteem that I think is due to you, for that Proof you have given of a Mind and Temper becoming a true Minister of the Gospel, in appearing as you

have done, in the Defence of a point, a great point of Christia∣nity, which it is evident you could have no other temptation to de∣declare for, but the love of Truth. It has fared with you herein no better than with me. For Mr. Ed∣wards, not being able to Answer your Arguments, has found out already that you are a Mercenary, defending a Cause against your Perswasion for hire; and that you are sailing to Racovia by a side Wind: Such Inconsistencies can one (whose Business it is to Rail for a Cause he cannot defend) put together to make a noise with: And he tells you plainly what you must expect, if you write any more on this Argument, viz. to be pronounced a downright Apo∣state and Renegado.

As soon as I saw your Sermon and Animadversions, I wonder'd what Scare-Crow Mr. Edwards would set up, wherewith he might hope to deterr Men of more Caution than Sense from rea∣ding of them: Since Socinianism, from which you were known to be as remote as he, I concluded would not do. The unknown Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity, he might make a So∣cinian, Mahometan, Atheist, or what sort of Raw-head and Bloody-bones he pleased. But I imagined he had had more sence than to venture any such Aspersions on a Man whom, though I have not yet the Happiness personally to know; yet I know hath justly a great and settled Reputation amongst worthy Men: And I thought that that Coat which you

had worn with so much Reputa∣tion, might have preserved you from the bespatterings of Mr. Ed∣ward's Dunghil. But what is to be expected from a Warrier that hath no other Ammunition, and yet ascribes to himself Victory from hence, and with this Artillery imagines he carries all before him? And so Skimmington Rides in Triumph, driving all before him by the Ordures that he be∣stows on those that come in his way. And were not Christianity concerned in the case, a Man could scarce excuse to himself the Ridiculousness of entering into the List with such a Combatant. I do not therefore wonder that this mighty Boaster, having no other way to Answer the Books of his Opponents, but by popular Calumnies, is fain to have re∣course

to his only Refuge, and lay out his natural Talent in Vi∣lifying and Slandering the Au∣thors. But I see, by what you have already writ, how much you are above that; and as you take not up your Opinions from Fashion or Interest, so you quit them not to avoid the malicious Reports of those that do: Out of which number, they can hard∣ly be left, who (unprovoked) mix with the management of their Cause, Injuries and ill Language to those they differ from. This, at least I am sure, Zeal or Love for Truth, can never permit Fals∣hood to be used in the Defence of it.

Your Mind I see prepar'd for Truth, by resignation of it self not to the Traditions of Men, but the Doctrine of the Gospel,

has made you more readily en∣tertain, and more easily enter in∣to the meaning of my Book, than most I have heard speak of it. And since you seem to me to comprehend, what I have laid together, with the same Dis∣position of Mind, and in the same Sence that I received it, from the Holy Scriptures, I shall as a mark of my respect to you, give you a particular Account of the Occasion of it.

The Beginning of the Year in which it was Published, the Con∣troversie that made so much noise and heat amongst some of the Dissenters, coming one Day ac∣cidentally into my Mind, drew me by degrees into a stricter and more through Enquiry into the Question about Justification. The Scripture was direct and plain,

that 'twas Faith that justified, The next Question then, was what Faith that was that justified; What it was which, if a Man believed, it should be imputed to him for Righteousness. To find out this, I thought the right way was to Search the Scriptures; and thereupon betook my self seriously to the Reading of the New Testament, only to that Pur∣pose. What that produced, you and the World have seen.

The first View I had of it seem'd mightily to satisfie my mind, in the Reasonableness and Plainness of this Doctrine; But yet the ge∣neral Silence I had in my little Reading met with, concerning any such thing, awed me with the Apprehension of Singularity; Till going on in the Gospel Hi∣story, the whole tenour of it

made it so clear and visible, that I more wonder'd that every bo∣dy did not see and imbrace it; than that I should assent to what was so plainly laid down, and so frequently inculcated in Holy Writ, though Systems of Divi∣nity said nothing of it. That which added to my Satisfaction, was, that it led me into a Dis∣covery of the marvellous and divine Wisdom of our Saviour's Conduct, in all the Circumstan∣ces of his promulgating this Do∣ctrine; as well as of the necessity that such a Law-giver should be sent from God for the reform∣ing the Morality of the World; Two Points that I must confess, I had not found so fully and advantageously explain'd in the Books of Divinity I had met with, as the History of the Go∣spel

seem'd to me, upon an at∣tentive Perusal, to give Occa∣sion and Matter for. But the Necessity and Wisdom of our Saviour's opening the Doctrine (which he came to publish) as he did in Parables and figura∣tive ways of speaking, carries such a Thread of Evidence through the whole History of the Evangelists, as I think is impossible to be resisted; and makes it a Demonstration, that the Sacred Historians did not write by concert as Advocates, for a bad Cause, or to give Colour and Credit to an Impo∣sture they would Usher into the World; Since they, every one of them, in some place or other, omit some Passages of our Sa∣viour's Life, or Circumstances of his Actions; which shew the Wis∣dom

and Wariness of his Con∣duct; and which even those of the Evangelists, who have re∣corded, do barely and transient∣ly mention, without laying any Stress on them, or making the least remark of what Consequence they are to give us our Saviour's true Character, and to prove the Truth of their History. These are Evidences of Truth and Sincerity, which result alone from the Na∣ture of things, and cannot be pro∣duced by any Art or Contrivance.

How much I was pleased with the growing Discovery, every Day, whilst I was employed in this search, I need not say. The won∣derful Harmony, that the farther I went, disclosed it self, tending to the same Points, in all the parts of the sacred History of the Gospel, was of no small Weight with me

and another Person, who every Day, from the beginning to the end of my search, saw the Progress of it, and knew at my first setting out, that I was ignorant whither it would lead me; and therefore, every Day, asked me what more the Scripture had taught me. So far was I from the thoughts of So∣cinianism, or an Intention to write for that or any other Party, or to publish any thing at all. But when I had gone through the whole, and saw what a plain, simple, reasona∣ble thing Christianity was, suited to all Conditions and Capacities; and in the Morality of it now, with divine Authority, established into a legible Law, so far surpassing all that Philosophy and humane Reason had attain'd to, or could possibly make effectual to all de∣grees of Mankind; I was flatter'd

to think it might be of some use in the World; especially to those who thought either that there was no need of Revelation at all, or that the Revelation of our Saviour required the Belief of such Articles for Salvation, which the settled Notions and their way of reason∣ing in some, and want of Under∣standing in others, made impossi∣ble to them. Upon these two Topicks the Objections seemed to turn, which were with most As∣surance, made by Deists against Christianity; But against Christia∣nity misunderstood. It seem'd to me, that there needed no more to shew them the Weakness of their Exceptions, but to lay plainly be∣fore them the Doctrine of our Sa∣viour and his Apostles, as deliver∣ed in the Scriptures, and not as taught by the several Sects of Chri∣stians.

This tempted me to pub∣lish it, not thinking it deserved an Opposition from any Minister of the Gospel; and least of all, from any one in the Communion of the Church of England. But so it is, that Mr. Edwards's Zeal for he knows not what (for he does not yet know his own Creed, nor what is required to make him a Christian) could not brook so plain, simple, and intelligible a Religion: But yet not knowing what to say against it, and the Evidence it has from the Word of God, he thought fit to let the Book alone, and fall upon the Author. What great Matter he has done in it I need not tell you, who have seen and shew'd the Weakness of his Wranglings. You have here, Sir, the true History of the Birth of my Reasonableness of Christianity, as

delivered in the Scriptures, and my Design in publishing it, &c. What it contains, and how much it tends to Peace and Union a∣mongst Christians, if they would receive Christianity as it is, you have discovered. I am,

SIR,

Your most humble Servant A. B.

My Readers will pardon me that in my Preface to them I make this particular Address to Mr. Bold. He hath thought it worth his while to defend my Book. How well he has done it, I am too much a Party to say: I think it so sufficient to Mr. Edwards, that I needed not have troubled my self any further about him on the account of any Ar∣gument that remains in his Book to be Answer'd. But a great part of the

World judging of Contests about Truth, as they do of popular Elections, that the Side carries it where the greatest Noise is; 'twas necessary they should be undeceived, and be let see, that some∣times such Writers may be let alone, not because they cannot, but because they deserve not to be answer'd.

This farther I ought to Acknow∣ledge to Mr. Bold, and own to the World, that he hath entered into the true sence of my Treatise, and his Notions do so perfectly agree with mine, that I shall not be afraid by Thoughts and Expressions very like his in this my Second Vindication, to give Mr. Edwards (who is ex∣ceedingly quick-sighted and positive in such Matters) a handle, to tell the World, that either I borrowed this my Vindication from Mr. Bold, or writ his Animadversions for him. The former of these I shall count no discredit, if Mr. Edwards think fit

to charge me with it: And the latter Mr. Bold's Character, is Answer enough to. Though the Impartial Rea∣der, I doubt not, will find that the same Vniform Truth consider'd by us, sug∣gested the same Thoughts to us both, without any other Communication.

There is another Author, who in a Civiller Stile hath made it necessary for me to Vindicate my Book from a Reflection or two of his, wherein he seems to come short of that Candor he Professes. All that I shall say on this Occasion here is, that it is a wonder to me, that having published what I thought the Scripture told me was the Faith that made a Christian, and desired that if I was mistaken, any one that thought so, would have the goodness to inform me better; so many with their Tongues, and some in Print, should intemperately find fault with a poor Man out of his Way, who desires to be set right;

and no one who blames his Faith, as coming short, will tell him what that Faith is which is required to make him a Christian. But, I hope, that amongst so many Censurers, I shall at last find one, who knowing himself to be a Christian upon other Grounds than I am, will have so much Christian Charity as to shem me what more is absolutely necessary to be believed by me, and every Man, to make him a Christian.