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holy Scripture teacheth us: This is the strong Rock and Foundation of the Christian Religion. This doctrine advances and sets forth the true Glory of Christ, and beats down the Vainglory of Man. And this whoever denies it, is not to be accounted a Christian man.] Therefore what a late Writer would intimate, That the Remonstrant Party is supposed to be the Greatest part of the Church of England, and a Semi-Pelagianism 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 Subscribe, and signify their Confent to Articles and Homilies, as Sound and Wholfome Doctrine; which they Believe in their heart to be False and Rotten.

Yet am I fenfible, That some things which I here plead for, against the common Enemies, offensive to our Church, will also grind upon other persons within it; whose Learning and Worth in themselves, as well as their Station and the Dignity of their Places, I can

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not but Honour. And this Signification of my Diffent from them is so far from gratifying any humour of Contradiction in me ; that I find it really pain and grief tome. But where we fee fo Darkly, and Know but in Part; Mistakes are no more than what may be expectedon either side. And whether they on the contrary part, or I be in the right, all Readers will take their Liberty to Judge, as shall appear best to themfelves. However I Believe; and therefore have I Spoken, the very Sense of my Soul: and not Hastily, 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 Said on both parts. And now I see my Obligation, in so good a Cause, 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 Pfalmist, 71. Pfal. 15,16. My mouth shall shew forth thy Righteousness, and thy Salvation all the day: For I know not the numbers thereof. I will

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

I must confefs, That when first I fet 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 afsserted and advanc'd the Faith, which then I was for Running down; And that not only as empty of Truth, but full of Absurdity. And thơ I saw Scriptures, and Articles, and Homilies, all ftanding in my way: Yet being newly come from the Fountain of Learning, and observing which way the Stream ran there; and under what extreme Odium was every thing that heard Calvinistical, (Thơ never so much the express Doctrine of the Church of England;) And knowing what great Names I had then, to Credit and Strengthen my Cause; and proud also of fome Arguments, berewith I thought myself able to Defend it: Thus I drove on for a while. in my new Province: Till it pleas'd the gracious God, (who knew what need Fhad

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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 1 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 Discipline, did I learn of my Heavenly Teacher, the Doctrine of Faith; which ever since I have made Conscience to maintain with all my strength. And as I dare not, (upon any Temptation what foever,) offer to Oppose it myself: So it touches me in the most Sensible 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

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it claw Fallen man, with a good Opinion of himself; To make him believe, either that he needs no Conversion; 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 some things Controverted, may differ:) Yet must I needs declare my very great Wonder, That any man in the World, who has ever known the Grace of God in truth, should not be filled with the highest Admiration of that Grace; and instead of offering to Dissemble and Cloud it, should not rather be most Free and Forward to AScribe all to it; and see how Little or indeed Nothing it is, that a man Contributes to Turn the Scale, and make himself to Differ. When as the Gracious God looks upon us in our Blood, to bid us Live: Yea Quickens us, even when Dead in Trespasses and Sins. And till he came with an Over-ruling Impetus