A vindication of some passages in a discourse concerning communion with God from the…

In his next attempt he had been singular, and had spoken something which had looked like an Answer to an Argument, had he well laid the Foundation of his procedure. For, that Position which he designeth the Confutation of, is thus laid down by him as mine, There can be no reason assigned of Christ's Obedience unto the Law, but only this, that he did it in our stead; whereas my words are, That the end of the Active Obedience of Christ cannot be assigned to be that he might be fit for his Death and Oblation. And hereon what is afterwards said against this particular End, he interprets as spoken against all other Ends whatever, instancing in such as are every way consistent with the Imputation of his Obedience unto us, which could not be, had the only End of it been for himself to fit him for his Death and Oblation. And this wilful mistake is sufficient to give occasion to combat his own. Imaginations for two or three pages together. pag. 314. He pretends unto the recital of an Argument of mine ⟨p. 225⟩for the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ with the like pretence of attempting an answer unto it. But his design is not to manage any controversy with me, or against me, but as he phraseth it, to expose my mistakes. I cannot therefore justly expect from him so much as common Honesty will require, in case the real handling of a Controversy in Religion had been intended. But his way of procedure so far as I know and understand may be best suited unto his design. In this place he doth neither fairly nor truly report my words, nor take the least notice of the Confirmation of my Argument, by the removal of Objections whereunto it seemed liable, nor of the Reasons and Testimonies whereby it is farther proved; but taking out of my Discourse what expressions he pleaseth, putting them together with the same Rule, he thinks he hath sufficiently exposed my mistakes, the thing he aimed at. I have no more concernment in this matter, but to refer both him and the Reader to the places in my Discourse reflected on; Him truly to report and ⟨p. 226⟩Answer my Arguments if he be able, and the Reader to judge as he pleaseth between us. And I would for this once desire of him, that if he indeed be concerned in these things, he would peruse my Discourse here raved at, and determine in his own Mind, whether I confidently affirm what is in Dispute (that is, what I had then in Dispute;