N01201:10
An appeal to the learned. Being a vindication of the right of visible saints…
An appeal to the learned. Being a vindication of the right of visible saints to the Lords Supper, though they be destitute of a saving work of God's spirit on their hearts: against the exceptions of Mr. Increase Mather. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton. ; [Two lines from Daniel]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1709
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
It is no offence to me that Mr. M. has undertaken to answer me; if he could have proved my Assertion to be a mistake, it would have been a kindness to me. I heartily desire to be led into the knowledge of the Truth; and would be as forward as any to bear a testimony against that doctrine, could I be convinced of any error in it. But I hope his insufficiency to accomplish his design, will prove an advantage to the cause of God, and be a means further to Establish such as were wavering: his Arguments though propounded in a plausible manner, and set off with fair glosses, are too weak to bear a touch, and will appear upon Examination to have in them more of Ornament than of Evidence.
Mr. Mather all along intermingles Passionate Lamentations with his Arguments; if his Arguments had been stronger, they would have been a Vindication of those complaints; and he had done his business effectually, if there had been more reason and less affection in his Book. Those Lamentations serve to swell the Book, and make it more in bulk, but not in weight.
It is my endeavour to keep my heart as far from prejudice and bias as I can, that I may be prepared to give entertainment to the Truth: which is indeed worthy of entertainment, however our interests be crossed thereby, we are ⟨image ?⟩directed to buy the Truth though sometimes it costs us dear. On the one hand, I consider that it would be a doleful thing to Propagate an Error, and lay a Foundation of the Corruption of the Land; to spread and diffuse Poison that may have a malignant influence from Generation to Generation, it were better to make Retractation upon Retractation, than to be obstinate in such a way. On the other hand, I consider that it is a Service to God and his People, to clear up a Truth that has not been received, whereby a door is opened for the revival of Religion, and light held forth to deliver the People of God from such mistakes, as are a means to turn many away from fearing the Lord, and it would be very blame-worthy to suffer my self to be baffled, with trivial Arguments, great Words & angry Faces; it will quit cost to suffer reproach in the cause of God. I shall not trouble my self to answer reflections or to retort them, but to apply my self to remove such things as are offered to darken the Truth, accounting that the Vindication of the Truth is a Vindication of my self.