CONTINUED:

OR,

THE SECOND PART

OF

THE FIFTH CHECK

ΤΟ

ANTINOMIANISM :

CONTAINING

66

66

THAT

▲ DEFENCE OF "JACK O'LANTERN," AND "THE PAPER-KITE,"
IS, SINCERE OBEDIENCE; OF THE COBWEB," THAT IS, THE
EVANGELICAL LAW OF LIBERTY-AND OF THE VALIANT SER-
JEANT IF," THAT IS, THE CONDITIONALITY OF PERSEVERANCE,
ATTACKED BY THE REV. MR. BERRIDGE, M.A., VICAR OF EVERTON,
AND LATE FELLOW OF CLARE-HALL, CAMBRidge, IN HIS BOOF
CALLED "THE CHRISTIAN WORLD UNMASKED."

Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus.-HOR.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION.

Mr. Berridge's uncommon piety and zeal give an un-
common sanction to his dangerous, though well-
meant, mistakes.

SECTION I.

Mr. Berridge advances the capital error of the anti-

nomians, when he says, that faith must utterly

exclude all justification by works, and when he

represents the passport of obedience as a

kite "

paper

II.

A view of the doctrine of the solifidians with respect to
the gospel law, or the law of liberty, which Mr.
Berridge indirectly calls a "cobweb;" and with
respect to sincere obedience, which he directly calls a
"jack o'lantern." With two notes, showing that Mr.
Berridge holds the doctrine of merit of congruity as
much as Thomas Aquinas, and that Bellarmine held
absolute reprobation as much as Mr. Toplady.

III.

An answer to the dangerous arguments of Mr. Berridge

against sincere obedience, in which it is proved, that

Christ is not "at the head of the antinomian preach-

ers" for making our duty feasible as redeemed sinners;

and that Mr. Berridge's rash pleas against obedience,

as the condition of eternal salvation, totally subvert

faith itself, which he calls "the total term of all

salvation."

IV.

When Mr. Berridge grants, that "our damnation is
wholly from ourselves,” he grants that our salvation

is suspended upon some term, which, through grace, we

have power to fulfil; and in this case, unconditional

reprobation, absolute election, and finished salvation,

are false doctrines; and Calvin's whole system stands

upon a sandy foundation with a note upon a pamphlet

called "A Check upon Checks.”

:

SECTION V.

Mr. Berridge candidly grants the conditionality of
perseverance, and consequently of election, by showing
much respect to "serjeant If," who "guards the
camp of Jesus." But soon picking a quarrel with
the valiant serjeant, oddly discharges him as a Jew,
opens the camp to the antinomians by opposing to them
only a sham sentinel, and shows the foundation of
Calvinism in a most striking light.

CONCLUSION.

In which the author expresses again his brotherly love
for Mr. Berridge, makes an apology for the mistakes
of his pious antagonist, and accounts for the oddity
of his own style in answering him.

A DEFENCE,

&c.

INTRODUCTION.

HAVING animadverted upon Mr. Hill's "finishing stroke," I proceed to ward off the first blow which the Rev. Mr. Berridge has given to practical religion. But, before I mention his mistakes, I must do justice to his person. It is by no means my design to represent him as a divine who either leads a loose life, or intends to hurt the Redeemer's interest. His conduct, as a Christian, is exemplary; his labours as a minister are great; and I am persuaded that the wrong touches which he gives to the ark of godliness, are not only undesigned, but intended to do God

service.

There are so many things commendable in the pious vicar of Everton, and so much truth in his "Christian World unmasked," that I find it an hardship to expose the unguarded parts of that performance: but the cause of this hardship is the ground of my apology. Mr. Berridge is a good, an excellent man; therefore the antinomian errors which go abroad into the world with his letters of recommendation, speak in his evangelical strain, and are armed with the poignancy of his wit, cannot be too soon pointed out, and too carefully guarded against. I flatter myself that this consideration will procure me his pardon, for taking the liberty of dispatching his "valiant serjeant," with some doses of rational and scriptural antidote for those who have drunk into the pleasing mistakes of his book, and want his piety to hinder them from carrying speculative into practical antinomianism.