that hear them not plainly revile Christ, may smell them out; and thus the divided and subdivided streams do all fall together into the gulph of infidelity, and there they are one in the depth of sin and misery that would not be one with the church of Christ, in faith, sanctity, and everlasting felicity; though, I confess, some few I have known that have come to infidelity by a shorter way.

Having the unhappy opportunity, many years ago, of discoursing with some of these, and perceiving them to increase, I preached the sermons on Gal. iii., which are here first printed.. Long after this, having again and again too frequent occasion to confer with some of them, the nearness and hideousness of this deplorable evil did very much force my thoughts that way, especially when I found that I fell into whole companies of them, besetting me at once, and with great scorn and cunning subtlety endeavoured to bring my special friends to a contempt of the Scripture and the life to come; and also when I considered how many of them were once my intimate friends, whom I cannot yet choose but love with compassion, when I remember our former converse and familiarity: and some of them were ancient professors, who have done and suffered much in a better cause; and whose uprightness we were all as confident of as most men's living on earth. All this did make the case more grievous to me; yet I must needs say that the most that I have known to fall thus far were such as were formerly so proud, or sensual, or giddy professors, that they seemed then but to stay for a shaking temptation to lay them in the dirt; and those of better qualifications, of whose sincerity we were so confident, were very few. It yet troubled me more that those of them, whose welfare I most heartily desired, would never be drawn to open their minds to me, so that I was out of all capacity of doing them any good, though sometime to others they would speak more freely. And when I have stirred sometime further abroad, I have perceived that some persons of considerable quality and learning, having much conversed with men of that way, and read such books as 'Hobbs' Leviathan,' have been sadly infected with this mortal pestilence: and the horrid language that some of them utter cannot but grieve any one that heareth of it, who hath the least sense of God's honour, or the worth of souls. Sometimes they make a jest at Christ; sometimes at Scripture; sometimes at the soul of man; sometimes at spirits; challenging the devil to come and appear to them, and professing

how far they would travel to see him, as not believing that indeed he is; sometimes scorning at the talk of hell, and presuming to seduce poor, carnal people that are too ready to believe such things, telling them that it were injustice in God to punish a short sin with an everlasting punishment; and that God is good, and therefore there cannot be any devils or hell, because evil cannot come from good: sometimes they say that it is not they, but sin that dwelleth in them; and therefore sin shall be damned and not they: and most of them give up themselves to sensuality, which is no wonder; for he that thinks there is no greater happiness hereafter to be expected, is like enough to take his fill of sensual pleasure while he may have it; and, as I have said once before, he that thinks he shall die like a dog, is like enough to live like a dog.

Being awakened by these sad experiences and considerations to a deeper compassion of these miserable men, but especially to a deeper sense of the danger of weak unsettled professors, whom they labour to seduce, another providence also instigating thereto, I put those sermons on Gal. iii. to the press; and remembering that the end of a larger discourse on 1 John v. 10-12, was somewhat to the same purpose, I added it thereto; and next added the two following discourses, which were not preached, as supposing them conducible to the same end: and though I am truly sensible that it is so hasty, superficial, and imperfect a work, as is very disagreeable to the greatness of the matter; yet, 1. Because of the aforesaid irritations; 2. And because that in so sad a combustion, every one should cast in the water that he hath next at hand to quench the flames; 3. And because I saw many others so backward to it, not only withdrawing their help, but some of them opposing all such endeavours; 4. And because I had begun on the same subject before, in the second part of the 'Saint's Rest,' and intend this but for a supplement to that, I thought it therefore my duty to do this little, rather than nothing.

Having given this account of my endeavours, I shall add a few words to the persons, for whose sake I publish this discourse: and that is principally to the raw, unsettled Christians that are tempted by Satan or his instruments to infidelity; and also, to those apostates that are not unrecoverable, and have not sinned unto death, for of the other I have no hope. To these, my request is, that they would impartially read and consider what I have here said, and that in the reading they would so far abate

their confidence of their opposite conceits, and so far suspect their own understandings, that the truth may not come to them upon too much disadvantage, nor find the door to be shut against it by pride and prejudice, but at least may have equal dealing at their hands. When men, that have no great reason to be self-confident, by any excellency of learning and height of understanding more than others, will still suspect the matter, rather than their own capacity, whenever they find not that clearness or convincing evidence which they expect, what likelihood is there that these men should receive information ? Alas! it is but few of the multitudes of Christians that have a clear knowledge of the true grounds of the christian belief. And then, when they hear the contradiction of seducers and are put to give a reason of their hopes, they are presently at a loss; and when they find themselves nonplussed, they have not the reason or humility to lay the blame on themselves, where it is due, and to lament their own negligence and unprofitableness, that by so much means have attained to no better understanding; but they presently suspect the truth of God, as if it were not possible that there should be light and they not see it; or as if there could be no answer given to the cavils of the adversary, because they themselves are unable to answer them; and as if others could not untie the difficulties, or reconcile the seeming contradictions of the word, because they cannot do it. And when once these men are possessed with a suspicion of the Scriptures, almost every leaf will seem to them to afford some matter to increase their suspicions, and every difficulty will seem an untruth; and a thousand passages will be such difficulties to them, which are plain to men who are exercised in the word. What student is there in law, or physic, or any science, that is not stalled with multitudes of difficulties at the beginning, which seem to him, in that his ignorance, to be his author's self-contradiction, when competent study doth show him that it was his own mistake. There is more necessary in the hearer to the receiving of truth, than in the speaker to the delivering of it: as Phocion saith, Η Δικαία πειθὼ εἰ τῆς τὸ λέγοντός έσι δυνάμεως, μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς τὸ ἀκεδονία διαθέσεως. Just persuasion proceedeth not so much from the power of the speaker, as from the disposition of the hearer.' (Epistle 198, p. 295.) Many old professors among us, are so much wanting in all that knowledge of the Scripture language and phrase and Jewish customs, and many other things that are necessary to the full understanding of Scripture, that it cannot be expected

that they should so far be acquainted with the the meaning of every passage as to be able to confute the cavils of the adversaries. Yea, teachers themselves are imperfect herein, and that after all their care and study. What a weakness is it, then, for men that are utterly ignorant of the sacred languages and most other pre-requisite helps, to think themselves capable of a full understanding of every difficulty in the word of God, merely because they have been long professors, and have often heard and read it.

But perhaps they will object: If we are so unable to understand them, why then do you propound your reasons to us to be understood?' I answer: "We must distinguish between the understanding of the plain, fundamental truths, and the understanding of all the difficulties; and between a natural and moral disability to understand; and between the nearest power and a remote. And so, 1. Those may be able to understand the substance of Chistianity and the reasons for its verity, that be not yet able to understand every difficult passage in the word, nor to reconcile all the pretended contradictions. 2. If you cannot understand this substance and truth of christian religion, it is not through a mere physical but a moral disability, which much consisteth in the viciousness of your will. If you have proud, self-conceited, malicious, passionate, impatient hearts that will not set the understanding a-work in a diligent, impartial consideration of the truth; what wonder, if you do not know it. 3. You are in a remote capacity to come to the knowledge of all those difficulties that now so puzzle you, though you are not in the nearest capacity. As a scholar that is but reading English is capable of understanding Greek and Hebrew, when he hath used sufficient means and waited therein a sufficient time, but he is not capable of understanding them at present; so you are capable of fuller satisfaction in Scripture difficulties, if you would have waited on God in the state of willing, humble, and diligent learners, and stayed the time. But if you will needs be persuaded that you are capable of understanding all the first day, while your understandings are unfurnished with those preparatory truths, that must necessarily dispose you to the reception of the rest, what wonder if you perish in your pride and folly! How should you come to the top of the stairs or ladder but by the lower steps.

Object. Sure, you distrust your reasons, which makes you discourage us from trying them and judging of them.

Answ. 1. Not at all: I only distrust the present capacity of your raw, unfurnished, or unsanctified understanding. Receive my reasons as they are, and I doubt not of their success. 2. Nor do I at all discourage you from the exactest trial, only I would have you try according to your own capacity. Let the thoroughly learned, well-studied, sanctified man both thoroughly try and freely judge; but surely the ignorant should try as men that know their ignorance; and the unlearned and unstudied should search as learners. There is a great deal of difference between searching as a learner, and disputing as a caviller, or boldly determining as a competent judge.

Object. We were your disciples long enough, and yet are unable to see any sound reason for your belief.

Answ. It is not being at school, but diligent learning that bringeth knowledge. If you have been never so long professors and hearers, and were negligent and unprofitable, doth it follow that all is false that you have not learned, or do not understand? To the shame of your own faces may you speak it, if you have been so long professors, and never learned the true grounds and reasons of your profession, nor so much of the truth of christian religion, as might have kept you from apostasy. You will one day find that this was along of yourselves.

Object. Do not you almost all confess yourselves that there is no proof or sound reason can be given for the christian religion and the truth of Scriptures? The papists say (as Knot against Chillingworth) that it cannot be proved, unless it be first granted, that there is an infallible living judge, whose infallibility may be proved before and without Scripture. The protestants prove that there is no such judge, and they say, that popery tendeth to infidelity; nay, do not your own divines expressly say, that it is not to be proved that Scripture is God's word, but to be believed; and that it is Socinianism, or smells of it, to go about by reason to prove it; that it is principium indemonstrabile, Paræus in Rom. Proleg. c. 2. p. 27.; and that it is preposterous and impious to ask, whence know you Scripture to be God's word; and a question not to be heard but exploded. Have you not been publicly told yourself, that it is the primo creditum, to be believed, and not to be known; and that it is a principle not to be proved by any dispute, nor to be questioned, and that there is no disputing with him that denieth it. So that you confess yourselves unable to dispute with us or to prove it.

Answ. Though I am sorry that any have been occasions of har