holy Scripture teacheth us: This is the ftrong Rock and Foundation of the Christian Religion. This doctrine advances and fets forth the true Glory of Chrift, and beats down the Vainglory of Man. And this whoever denies it, is not to be accounted a Chriftian man.] Therefore what a late Writer would intimate, That the Remonftrant Party is fuppofed to be the Greatest part of the Church of England, and a Semi-Pelagianifm now the common Mode: I will suppose to be a great Slander: Because I cannot think the main Body of our Clergy to be guilty of fuch Prevarication and mere Sham; To Subfcribe, and fignify their Confent to Articles and Homilies, as Sound and Wholfome Doctrine; which they Believe in their heart to be Falfe and Rotten.

Tet am I fenfible, That fome things which I here plead for, against the common Enemies, offenfive to our Church, will also grind upon other perfons within it; whofe Learning and Worth in themselves, as well as their Station and the Dignity of their Places, I can

not

not but Honour. And this Signification of my Diffent from them, is fo far from gratifying any humour of Contradiction in me; that I find it really pain and grief to me. But where we fee fo Darkİy, and Know but in Part; Miftakes are no more than what may be expected on either fide. And whether they on the contrary part, or I be in the right, all Readers will take their Liberty to Judge, as fhall appear beft to themfelves. However I Believe; and therefore have I Spoken, the very Senfe of my Soul: and not Haftily, upon first Thinking of the matter: But as the Refult of long Search, and deep Confideration, and much Trouble and Diligence, to Compare and Weigh what's Jaid on both parts. And now I fee my Obligation, in fo good a Caufe, wherein I have had fo Near and great a Concern, To testify the Gospel of the Grace of God. As the Apostle Speaks, Acts 20. 24. and to break Silence with the Pfalmift, 71. Pfal. 15, 16. My mouth fhall fhew forth thy Righteousness, and thy Salvation all the day: For I know not the numbers thereof. I will

go

go in the Strength of the Lord God, I will make mention of thy Righteoufnefs, even of thine only.

I must confefs, That when first I set out for a Preacher, I did appear, (after the then Mode of a prevailing Party,) a Stickler for Pelagius: And what I wanted in Skill, I made up in bitter Zeal, against all that afferted and advanc'd the Faith, which then I was for Running down; And that not only as empty of Truth, but full of Abfurdity. And tho' I faw Scriptures, and Articles, and Homilies, all ftanding in my way: Tet being newly come from the Fountain of Learning, and obferving which way the Stream ran there; and under what extreme Odium was every thing that heard Calviniftical, (Tho' never fo much the exprefs Doctrine of the Church of England;) And knowing what great Names I had then, to Credit and Strengthen my Caufe; and proud alfo of fome Arguments, &herewith I thought myself able to Defend it: Thus I drove on for a while. in my new Province: Till it pleas'd the gra cious God, (who knew what need I had

to

to be Humbled.) in the midst of perfect Health, and all the Favour of men, and Profperity of the World, to throw me down under great and fore Troubles of mind, and Doubtings of my State, and Dread of his Wrath: Where for a long while I lay, refusing to be Comforted: Yet all that time, not intermitting the Work of my Place: But was rather more Concern'd and Sedulous in it: and (I thought,) more affifted and fitted for it, than ever before. And in that School of Sharp Difcipline, did I learn of my Heavenly Teacher, the Doctrine of Faith which ever fince I have made Confcience to maintain with all my ftrength. And as I dare not, (upon any Temptation what foever,) offer to Oppofe it myself: So it touches me in the most Senfible part, to hear any Contempt fignified. against it by others. For there I take the Old Man to be up, Se Defendendo: And I cannot but look upon the Pelagian Sentiment, (in the point I oppofe,) as the very Dictate of corrupt Nature; and every Unconverted man, more or lefs, to be Leavened with it. So does

;

it claw Fallen man, with a good Opinion of himself; To make him believe, either that he needs no Converfion; Or that he is man Sufficient, to do all belonging to it, at his own Pleasure. And tho' I dare not affirm every Arminian to be Unconverted; (No, I am willing to hope better of many: yea and where 1 fee Fruits of Holiness in any, I will conclude, That there's the Root of the matter; However his Opinion and mine, in fome things Controverted, may differ:) Tet muft I needs declare my very great Wonder, That any man in the World, who has ever known the Grace of God in truth, Jhould not be filled with the highest Admiration of that Grace; and instead of offering to Diffemble and Cloud it, fhould not rather be moft Free and Forward to Afcribe all to it; and fee how Little or indeed Nothing it is, that a man Contributes to Turn the Scale, and make himfelf to Differ. When as the Gracious God looks upon us in our Blood, to bid us Live: Tea Quickens us, even when Dead in Trefpaffes and Sins. And till he came with an Over-ruling Impetus