2.4o TO THE POOR IN SPIRIT. some master-points of this system of mistakes, which ár4 so ne- cessarily concatenated to the rest, that they may easily see, if they haveone, theymust have all, unless they hold contradictions. As to instance in the doctrine of justification before faith, or the dissolving ofthe obligation to punishment, which is nothing but the remission of sin before faith. So that nothing remains since Christ's death (as some) or since God's decree (as others) but only to have your pardon manifested, or to be-justified in conscience, or (ás some phrase it) to have that justification which is terminated in conscience. There is a very judiciousman, Mr. Benjamin Wood- bridge, of Newbury, hath written so excellent well against this error, and in so small room, being but one sermon, that I would advise all private Christians to get one of them, and peruse it, as one of the best, easiest, cheapest preservatives against the conta- gion of this part of Antinemianism. I had not troubled the reader with this apology, had I thought so well of this writing, as to be sufficient apology for itself; or had I not taken it for a heinous cril(Ie to speak idly in print. For the doctrine here contained, it is of a middle strain, between (I think) the extremes of some others. I have labored so to build up peace as not thereby to fortify presumption.. And perhaps in some pointsyou may see my meaning more plainly, which; through the obscurity of former writings, I was. misunderstood in. As for the manner of this writing, I must desire them that expect learning or exactness, to turn away their oyes, and know, that, I wrote it not for slick as they, I use not to speak any thing but plain English to that sex, or to that use and end, for which I wrote these lines. I wrote to the utmostverge of my paper, before I thought to make it public, and so had no room for marginal quotations, (nor time to transcribe that copy, that I might have room,) nor indeed much mind of them, if I had both room and time. As, in all the removes of my life, I have been still led to that place or state which was farthest from my own thoughts, and never 'designed or contrived bymyself ; so all the writings that yet I have published are such as have been, 'by some sudden, unexpected occasion, extorted from me, while those that I most affected have been stifled in the conception; and those I have most labored in roust lie buried in the dust, that L may know it is God that is the disposer of all. Experience persuadeth me to think, that God, who bath compelled me hitherto, intended' to make this hasty writing a,means for the calming of some troubled souls; which if be do, I have my end. If I can do nothing to the church's public peace, either through my own unskillfulness and unworthiness, or through the prevalency of the malady ; yet will it be my comfort, to further the peace of the poorest Christian. (Though to the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=