I I 4. The L I EE of the Lt B. I. be credible at all, &c.) But the Evidence of Truth hach forced me from all other ways, and fuffered me to reif no where but here. That Profeffion thould be made neceffary without any refight at all to Credibility, and confequently to the verity of the Faith profefd, is incredible, and a Contradietion, and the very word Frfe/ion fignifieth more. And I wasforced to obferve, that thofe that in Charity would belive another Profeffwn to be the title to Church -Communion, do greatly crofs their own defign of Charity : And whilethey wouldnot be bound to believe men to be what they profit?, for fear of excluding many whom they cannot believe, they do leave them1 Ives and allothers as not obliged to love any Church-Member as fuch, with the love which is due to a True Chriftian , but only with filch a Love as they owe to the Members ofthe Devil ; and fo deny them the Kernel of Charity, by giving the Shell to a few more than elf they would do. Whereas upon my deepeft fearch, I am fatisfied that a Credibk Profeffon of true Chrißianity, is it that denominateth ( the Adult ) vifeble Chriflians : And that this mutt con- tain Affent and Content, even all that is in the Baptifmal Covenant, and no more ; and thereforeBaptifn is called our Chriftning : But withal, that the Indepen- dants bring in Tyranny and Conflation, whi1R theywill take no Profeffna as Cre- dible , which bath not more to make it credible than God and Charity require : And that indeed every man's word is to be taken as the Credible Profeffion of his own mind, unlefs he forfeit the Credit ofhis word, by groß ignorance of the Matter profeffd, or by a Contrary Profeffton, or by an inconfjlent Life : And therefore a Pro- fellìon iscredible as Inch, of it felf, till he that queltioneth it doth difprove it. Elfe the Rules of Humane Converfe will be overthrown : for who knoweth the Heart of another fo well as he himfelf : And God who willfave or damn men, not for other mens Actions but theirown, will have mens own cboofng or refuting to be their inlet or exclaims, both as to Saving Mercy, and to a Church Rate: And if they beHypocrites in a falle Profelfion, the fin and lofs willbe their own. But I conftfs mens Credibility herein hash very various degrees: But though myfearsare never fo great, that a man diffembleth and is not fincere, yet if I be not able to bring in that Evidence to invalidate his Profefúon, which in foro Emit- f:æ (hall prove it to be incredible, I ought to receive him as a credible Profeffor, thoughbut by a Humane, and perhaps molt debile Belief. § 17a. r7. After that I publithed four Difputations of jufification, clearing up further thofe Points inwhich tome Reverend Brethren blamed my judgment ; and anfwering Reverend Mr. Bulgy/ (who would needs write fomewhat againft me in his Treadle of Imputed Rigbteoufneß) ; and allo anfwering a Treatife of Mr. 'Warner's of the Office and Objelt of f ußifying Faith : The Fallacies that abufe ma- ny about thofe Points are there hilly opened. If the Reader would have the Sum of my Judgment about Juftification, in brief, he may find it very plainly in a Sermon on that Subjeet, among the Morning Exercifes at St. Gilds in the Fields, preached by my worthy Friend Mr. Gibbons. of Black-F,yars, (in wholeChurch I ended my Publick Miniltry ); a Learned judicious Man, now with God. And it is as fully opened in a Latin Difputationof Monfieur le Blanc's of Sedan; and Platoons in Thef. Salmi.. Vol.1. de fufif. bath much to thefame purpofe. § r73. 78. Near the fame time I publithed a Treatife of Converfion, being tome plain Sermons on that SubjesB, which Mr. Baldwin (an honelt young Mifii- ter that had lived in my Houfe, and learnt myproper.Charaéters, or Short-hand, in which I wrote my Sermon Notes) had tranfcribed out of my Notes. And though I had no leifure , for this or other Writings,to take much care of the fille, nor to add anyOrnaments, or Citationsof Authors, I thought it might bet- ter pats as it was, than not at all; and that if the Author milt of the Applaufe of the Learned, yet the Book might be profitable to the Ignorant, as it proved through the great Mercyof God.. § r74. 19. Allo I publilhed a lhorter Treadle on the fame Subje&, entituled, A Call to the Unconverted, &c. The Occafionof this was my Converfe with Bi- Ihop raiser whileI was at London, who muchappoving my Method or Direflions for Peace. of Confcience, was importunate with me to write Direflions faked to the vari- ous States of Cbri/lians, and alto againR particular Sins : I reverenced the Man, but difregardedElide Perfuaftons, fuppofingI could do nothing but what is done as well or better already : But whenhe was dead his Words went deeper to my Mind, and I purpofed co obey his Counfel ; yet fo as that to the ftrJi fort of Men (che Ungodly) I thought vehement Perlùafions meeter than Direétions only : And fe for fu h I publifhedthis little Book ; which God bath bleffed with unexpeltedSuc- cef
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