Howbeit this opinion seems not to be yours only, but common to you with many, to wit, the late School-Divines, especially those, who have a greater veneration for the authority of the Pope, than the Writings of the Apostles, who being all infected 1with the same contagion of error, do boldly profess the same, that you affirm. But yet all of them do not proceed in the same manner and method. Those do so frame their notions, that all men may understand, they are the professed Enemies of Divine Grace, and our Free Justification in Christ, which they hiss out of the Schools, and openly anathematize. Your arguings are somewhat different, though you have undertaken, obstinately to maintain the same thing, that they do, but you hide the same venom with a more subtle artifice, so that it insinuates more easily, and lies less open to rebuke. For I see you 2write Books concerning Righteousness, and those not a few, nor unpolished. When I look on the argument, I see it is honourable and plausible. When I look into your manner of Speech, your painted eloquence, and laudatory amplifications, wherewith you adorn the Glory, Loveliness and Beauty of Righteousness with a Tragedian-like sublimity of style, I confess this is not unworthy of praise; For who should not deservedly praise him, whom he sees so inflamed with the praises of Righteousness? But if any man look more inwardly, and consider ⟨p. 4⟩with himself according to right reason, with what mind, for what end, for what pretence, and with what arguments you maintain those parts of righteousness so much praised, and compare them with the Gospel of Christ, he will be forced to acknowledge that you are defective in many things. If you will permit me briefly to give my opinion of the whole frame of this work, (though you have little regard to what my censure is) yet if you will allow me to speak freely to you as becomes me, I will do it according to my duty, and I will so do it, that you your self may perceive that there was nothing less in my design in writing to you, than a perverse inclination to find fault with other mens writings. And thus I judge, you have so handled this subject matter, that you appear to be a Philosopher Platonic enough, and no bad Ciceronian Orator, but not a very Evangelical Divine, I can assure you nor skilful enough to plead the cause of Christian Righteousness.
Howbeit this opinion seems not to be yours only, but common to you with many, to wit, the late School-Divines, especially those, who have a greater veneration for the authority of the Pope, than the Writings of the Apostles, who being all infected 1with the same contagion of error, do boldly profess the same, that you affirm. But yet all of them do not proceed in the same manner and method. Those do so frame their notions, that all men may understand, they are the professed Enemies of Divine Grace, and our Free Iustification in Christ, which they hiss out of the Schools, and openly anathamatize. Your arguings are somewhat different, though you have undertaken, obstinately to maintain the same thing, that they do, but you hide the same venom with a more subtile artifice, so that it insinuates more easily, and lies less open to rebuke. For I see you 2write Books concerning Righteousness, and those not a few, nor unpolished. When I look on the argument, I see it is honourable and plausible. When I look into your manner of Speech, your painted eloquence, and laudatory amplifications, wherewith you adorn the Glory, Loveliness and Beauty of Righteousness with a Tragedian-like sublimity of style, I confess this is not unworthy of praise; For who should not deservedly praise him, whom he sees so inflamed with the praises of Righteousness? But if any man look more inwardly, and consider ⟨p. 4⟩with himself according to right reason, with what mind, for what end, for what pretence, and with what arguments you maintain those parts of righteousness so much praised, and compare them with the Gospel of Christ, he will be forced to acknowledge that you are defective in many things. If you will permit me briefly to give my opinion of the whole frame of this work, (though you have little regard to what my censure is) yet if you will allow me to speak freely to you as becomes me, I will do it according to my duty, and I will so do it, that you your self may perceive that there was nothing less in my design in writing to you, than a perverse inclination to find fault with other mens writings. And thus I judge, you have so handled this subject matter, that you appear to be a Philosopher Platonick enough, and no bad Ciceronian Orator, but not a very Evangelical Divine, I can assure you nor skilful enough to plead the cause of Christian Righteousness.
- 1The Enemies of the Grace of God under the Title of righteousness.
- 2The Books of Osorius concerning righteousness.
