CHAP. XLIV. They choose such persons to dispute with against whom they have some notable advantage
CHAP. XLIV. They choose such persons to dispute with against whom they have some notable advantage.
D etect. 35. One of their Practical Deceits consisteth in the choosing of such persons to dispute with, against whom they find that they have some notable advantage.
1. Commonly they deal with women and ignorant people in secret, who they know are not able to gainsay their falsest, silliest reasonings.
2. If they deal with a Minister, it is usually with one that hath some at least of these disadvantages. 1. Either with some young or weak unstudied man, that is not verst in their way of Controversy. 2. Or one that is not of so voluble and plausible a tongue as others. For they know how much the tonguing and toning of the matter doth take with the common people. 3. Or with one that hath a discontented people, that bear him some ill will, and are ready to hearken to any one that contradicteth him. 4. Or else with one that hath fixed upon some unwarrantable notions, and is like to deal with them upon terms that will not hold. And if they see one hole in a man's way of arguing's, they will turn all the brunt of the Contention upon that, as if the discovery of his peculiar Error or weakness were the Confutation of his
Cause. And none give them greater advantage here, then those that run into some contrary extreme. They think to be Orthodox by going as far from Popery as the furthest; About many notions in the matter of Justification,
Certainty of Salvation, the nature of Faith, the use of Works, &c. they will be sure to go with the furthest. And a Jesuit will desire no better sport, then to have the baiting of one that holds any such opinion, as he knows himself easily able to disgrace. One unsound Opinion or Argument is a great disadvantage to the most learned Disputant. Most of all the insulting's and success of the Papists, is from some such unsound passages that they pick up from some Writers of our own (as I said before.) And they set all those together, and tell the world that This is the Protestant Religion. Just as if I should give the Description of a Nobleman from all the blemishes that ever
I saw in any Nobleman. As if I have seen one crook-backed, another blind, another lame, another dumb, another deaf, another a whoremonger, another a drunkard, &c. I should say, that A Nobleman is a whoremonger, and drunkard, &c. that hath neither eyes, nor ears, nor limbs to bear him, &c. So deal they by Protestants; And what a Character could we give of Papists on these terms?
But I would entreat all the Ministers of Christ to take heed of giving them any such advantage. By over-doing, and running too far into contrary extremes, you will sooner advantage them, and give them the day, then the weakest Disputants that stand on safer grounds. Inconsiderate heat, and self-conceitedness, and making a faction of Religion, is it that carrieth many into extremes: when Judgment, and Charity, and Experience, are all for Moderation, and standing on safe ground. A Davenant, a Lud. Crocius, a Cameron, a Dallaeus, &c. will more successfully confute an Arminian, then a Maccovius, a—so it is here. The world sees in the Answer of Knot, what
an advantage Chillingworth had by his Principles; when the Jesuit having little but the reproachful slander of a Socinian name and cause to answer with, hath lost the day, and shown the world how little can be said for Popery.