Autokatakrisis, or, Self-condemnation,: exemplified in Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Barlee, and Mr. Hickman. With occasional reflexions on Mr Calvin, Mr Beza, Mr Zuinglius, Mr Piscator, Mr Rivet, and Mr Rollock: but more especially on Doctor Twisse, and Master Hobbs; against whom, God's purity and his præscience ... with the sincere intention and the general extent of the death of Christ, are finally cleared and made good; and the adversaries absurdities ... are proved against them undeniably, out of their own hand-writings. With an additional advertisement of Mr Baxter's late book entituled The Groatian religion discovered, &c. By Thomas Pierce rector of Brington in Northampon-shire.

Sect. 25.

Having made this way for his own unhappi∣nesse,* 1.1 by that variety of attempts to which Mr. Hick. (it seems) betray'd him; he acts the well-natur'd man, and even blesseth the Author of his unhappinesse.

He de∣clares that Mr. Hick. is his cordial friend, who wrote well to him, told him learnedly and wittily, that Mr. T. P. is the first who gave sin this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an extraordinary invention, p. 114.

] Here is his tragical Exit for many rea∣sons. 1. Mr. Hick.'s saying that my invention is extraor∣dinary, is no proof that Arminius doth say the contrary, or that Mr. Hick. did write well, or that his saying was both learned and witty. Each of these I deny, and have sufficiently disproved in my eighteenth Section. 2. He knowes that I had never mentioned any such Heathenish expression, as sins 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; nor was it ever to be found in any Author but Mr. Hick. And he knowes that it was clearly his own invention; either arising from his opinion that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pono, and signified the posicive entity of sin, (which though a sad miscarriage of the Scholar, is yet the very best that his friends can make of it) or from his sadder apprehension that sin must needs have a Godhead, if it is none of God's creatures, and yet a positive thing. To believe the former were a huge act of charity; but there is no place for it with Mr. Hick. who hath forced me to the severity of belie∣ving the later. 3. All Mr. Hick. hath displayed is his being overflown with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which (could its

banks have contained it, would not thus have gushed over on no occasion, when 'tis plain that the effect could be no∣thing else but to drown his credit with a yellow, as well as his cause with a blacker Jaundise. But evenit malo male, and* 1.2 Erynnis (as they say) still p••oves a virgin: for poor Perillus is the first who is likely to be tortured with his invention; and believe me, the brazen Bull was a lesser miserie, then to be found in the im••iety of making the foulest actions to be the Rivulets issuing out by a necessity from God the Source. What Spirit but an unclean one, can be the cause of uacleannesse▪ that is, of sin? Who are they whom I have proved to have printed in plain terms, that God is the cause of that uncleannesse? When the Pha∣risees heretofore, who were the Jewish Puritans, or Pre∣ci••ans, and rec••oned themselves the godly party of the land, had slandered our Saviour with having an unclean Spirit, (who, although he was God, did appear to them as he was man too) our Saviour told them (on that occa••••on) the danger of blaspheming against the holy Ghost. Let them who love the Lord Jesus in s••ncerity, and tender the safety of their own as well as of other mens soules, not onely read, but consider, and then apply what is spo∣ken, Mar. 3.28, 29, 30.

I now dismisse the signal Paragraph which Mr. Hick. suggested to Mr. Barlee, and Mr. Barlee hath vented to all the People; which yet I should not have dismissed so soon, but that my Reader may be referred to several Se∣ctions for an enlargement, as ch. 1. sect. 2. from p. 7. to p. 13. ch. 2. sect. 5. p. 69, 70. sect. 10. p. 79, 80, 81. sect. 14. p. 88, 90. All which being considered, Mr. B. doth fitly dislike the stile of Unfortunate Writer, for if it ever belonged to any, it doth to him and Mr. Hick.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mr. Hick's heathenish ex∣pression of sins, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, commended by Mr. B. for 1. learned, 2. witty, and 3. well writ∣ten.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.