A Vindication, Title page – To the reader
A VINDICATION, OR Further confirmation of ſome other Scriptures, produced to prove the Divinity of Jeſus Chriſt, diſtorted and miſerably wreſted and abuſed by Mr. John Knowles:
Together with a probation or demonſtration of the deſtructiveneſs and damnableneſs of the contrary Doctrine maintained by the aforeſaid Mr Knowles.
Alſo, the Doctrine of Chriſts ſatisfaction, and of reconciliation on Gods part to the creature, cleared up from Scripture, which of late hath been much impugned.
And a Diſcourſe concerning the ſpringing and ſpreading of error, and of the means of cure, and of the preſervatives againſt it.
By Samuel Eaton Teacher of the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, commonly ſtiled the Church at Duckenfield.
London, printed for Henry Cripps and Lodowick Lloyd, and are to be ſold at their Shop in Popes. head-Alley, 1651.
To the Reader.
Reader,
I Have in a former Treatiſe Vindicated certain Scriptures, which I produced againſt Mr. Knowles his abſurd and deſtructive opinion againſt the Divinity of Chriſt, from ſuch corrupt gloſſes which he did put upon them, in a Printed paper of his, Intituled, A friendly debate on a weighty ſubject, &c. And in my clearing of Ioh. 8. 58. (which he had extreamly darkned and falſified, by the interpretation which he put upon it) I encountred with the many arguments and abuſive ſenſes of Scripture which he had made uſe of, and in which he had placed the whole ſtrength he had, for the upholding of that his heterodox and dangerous doctrine, which he vented in Cheſter, with too great ſucceſs, to the diſturbing of the faith of many: And whether I have not razed his whole building to the very ground, (which in three poſitions he ſet up & fortified) and whether I have not digged up the very foundation of it, & taken away every ſupporter of it; I leave it to the judicious, unprejudiced, and diſ-ingaged Readers to determine betwixt us.
Truth (after a little time of patient expectance) will prevaile againſt, and triumph over errour, becauſe it hath the God of truth to engage for it, who can ſtrengthen any weak contemptible inſtrument (whom he pleaſeth to imploy) to become mighty in the defence of it.
My hope is, that enough hath already been repreſented to ſatisfie all ingenuous dubious perſons concerning the truth of Chriſts Godhead, and therefore it is not abſolutely needful to undertake the ſetting forth of another Treatiſe: But leſt there ſhould be any occaſion of glorying adminiſtred to him, or others, Becauſe I replyed only to ſome part of his writing or Printed paper, and not to the whole; and leſt he ſhould comfort himſelf with conceits of the unanſwerableneſs of that which is behind of it, and is unreplyed to: and leſt the truth ſhould ſuffer in ſuch Scriptures which remain unexamined by me, by his wreſting of them from their genuine ſenſe, and my not freeing of them from ſuch abuſe; I have undertaken to carry on my reply unto the remainder of his Book, that nothing that is material therein may be objected againſt me, as pretermitted by me.
And becauſe I did well underſtand that ſome would lie at advantages, and would give it out that Mr. Knowles his book was never anſwered; if any part be unanſwered, and would object againſt me, that I was not able to defend all the Scriptures and arguments produced by my ſelf, and impugned by him, but did ſhamefully deſert them, and not reſcue them from the force of his battery which he made againſt them: And becauſe in the vindicating of my arguments, I foreſaw that I ſhould be neceſſitated to diſcuſs and diſcover the weightineſs of the point in controverſie, and that it is not ſo light and trivial as ſome would make it, but that it is of higheſt concernment, and that all oppugners of the Godhead of Chriſt do oppugn mens ſalvation, and that ſuch an opinion that gainſayeth Chriſts Diety, is no leſſe then damnable; therefore I engaged in my former Treatiſe to compleat my reply, and therein to attempt the giving ſatisfaction in that point (which only to mention was greatly offenſive to many precious Chriſtians) viz. that Faith in Chriſt conſidered as a meer creature, and nothing more, is a falſe Faith, and cannot ſave; it therefore now concerned me (in point of Truth) to finiſh the work which I began; if God ſhall be pleaſed to ſhine upon my Endeavors, ſo far as to caſt in any light to dark ſouls thereby, that they may be able (not only to diſcern the falſhood of ſuch a Doctrine, but) to ſee into the horridneſs thereof, I have my reward; however I lie down at Gods foot, waiting upon him, to accompliſh his own glory in what way he pleaſeth, aſſuring my ſelf that his wiſdom and goodneſs is ſuch, that he will both find out time, and means to undeceive poor ſouls that belong to him, and will deliver them out of the ſnare of Satan, who captivates them for a little ſpace (while his pleaſure is) for their humbling; and leaving this work in Gods hand, and thy ſelf alſo,
I remain thine to ſerve thee in the Lord, Sa. Eaton.