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Those so Generally Believed and applauded DOCTRINES,
Of One God, Subsisting in Three Distinct and Separate Persons,
The Impossibility of God's pardoning Sinners, without a Plenary Satisfaction,
The Justification of impure Persons, by an imputative Righteousness, Refuted.
From Authority of Scripture Testimonies, and Right Reason.
A Builder on that Foundation which cannot be moved.
1 Cor. viii. 6.
But to us there is but One GOD the Father, of whom are all Things,Micah vii. 18.
Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth Iniquity? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in Mercy,Exod. xxiii. 7.
For I will not Justifie the Wicked,
To the Unprejudiced READER.
It was the Fault of some in Ancient Times, that they made void God's Law by Men's Traditions; and certainly I may now assume the same Complaint; for whilst I take a Serious Prospect of the Spiritual Nature, and Tendency of the Second Covenant, which God Almighty, in the Fulness of Time, by his Prophets, Prophesied to make and perfect; and also the Accomplishment thereof by JESUS CHRIST, and what was brought to pass amongst the Primitive Believers; methinks I do not only see an utter Abolishment of Ceremonial Worships, but the inscribing that Spiritual Law on the Heart, and Infusion of Holy Fear to the Inward Parts, whereby each Person became capacitated to know so much of God, as suited with his present State, from an infallible Demonstration in himself, and not on the slender Grounds of Men's Lo-here Interpretations, or Lo-there; for the Kingdom of God is within, where himself must be the Teacher of His People: But on the other Hand, when from the Noise of every Party's Pretensions to, and Contentions for their own Way, as most infallible, I am induced to an impartial Examination of them: Alas! How have all adulterated from the Purity both of Scripture Record, and Primitive Example? Receiving for Unquestionable Doctrines, the Fallible Apprehensions, and uncertain Determinations of such Councils, whose Faction, Prejudice, and Cruelty Soon parallel'd the foregoing Heathnish Persecutions; and yet that the Results of Persons so incompetently qualified, should at this Day in their Authority remain unquestioned by the Nations, is Matter both of Astonishment and Pity; but an implicit Faith has ever been the Consequence of Ignorance, Idleness and Fear, being strong Impediments to a Judicious Enquiry, how far profest and imposed Opinions have their Consistency with Reason, and the True Religion. But that which most of all deserves a Lamentation, is, that Protestants, whose better Arguments have confuted the Plea of such as made Tradition, and Men's Prescriptions unquestionable in Circumstantials, should themselves, by Print and Practice, so openly declare and contend for its Authority in Essentials; as must be obvious to any that observe their Zealous Anathema's against whomsoever refuse a Compliance with them in Doctrines, manifestly Bottom'd upon Men's nice Inventions.