A39697:20
Vindiciæ legis & fœderis
Vindiciæ legis & fœderis: or, A reply to Mr. Philip Cary's Solemn call Wherein he pretends to answer all the arguments of Mr. Allen, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Sydenham, Mr. Sedgwick, Mr. Roberts, and Dr. Burthogge, for the right of believers infants to baptism, by proving the law at Sinai, and the covenant of circumcision with Abraham, were the very same with Adam's covenant of works, and that because the gospel-covenant is absolute. By John Flavel minister of the gospel in Dartmouth
London: printed for M. Wolton, 1690
Preface: A Friendly Preface to the Author of the SOLEMN CALL, and the more discreet and charitab…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
not like Fools, by giving him our Sword, and destroying one another by Schisms in our own bowels.
But alas! alas! no sooner is the rod off our backs, and a respite from sufferings given us; but we are presently sounding an alarm to the Battle again, and to my sorrow my self unavoidably engaged therein.
But alas! alas! no sooner is the rod off our backs, and a respit from sufferings given us; but we are presently sounding an allarm to the Battle again, and to my sorrow my self unavoidably engaged therein.
Friends, I have a witness in many of your bosoms, how peacefully and respectfully I have always carried it towards you; even to such a degree, as began to bring me under the suspicion of some of your party, that I was inclining to their Opinion, though I did not openly profess it. But the true reasons of my moderation in this point were, (1) That I ever did, and still do look upon many of you as Christians, sound in the other great Doctrines of the Gospel. (2) That there are difficulties in this Controversy which may puzzle the minds of well-meaning Christians. (3) I highly valued the peace of the Church, and durst do nothing that tended to keep open the breaches upon a Controversy of this nature; ⟨image 8⟩you being for purity in Doctrine and Worship in most other controverted points, as well as we. (4) I observed how rare a thing it is for engaged parties to give ground. Qui velit ingenio cedar, rarus erit. (5) My head, heart, and hands have been filled with better employments, from which I am extremely loth to be diverted. If Bellarmine turned with loathing from School-divinity, because it wanted the sweet juice of Piety; much more may I turn from such perverse disputes as these: Sure I may find as fair expositions of Scripture, and as accurate, and legitimate distinctions among the School-men; as in Mr. Tombs his Examen and Apology; or (which for the most part is but a transcript of both) in Mr. Cary's Solemn Call. But I see I must not be my own chooser, I cannot now be both silent and innocent; for in this Solemn