The Forerunner to a Further Answer, Part
The FORERUNNER to a further Anſwer (if need be) to two Books lately publiſhed againſt Tho. Grantham of Norwich: Wherein the Spirit and Temper of the Calviniſts is diſcovered; particularly Mr. Calvin, Mr. Finch, and his little Praecurſor.
To which is prefixed, The ſolid Teſtimony of Mr. George Wither againſt Calviniſm, the worſt of Doctrines.
By THO. GRANTHAM, Preacher of glad Tidings to all Men in the City of Norwich.
MR. George Wither, a Man of great Judgment in many things, and a faithful Monitor of the Engliſh Nation for many Years; did, in the Year 1666, publiſh his Parallellogrammaton; wherein he does much perſwade to Repentance and Brotherly-Love. And obſerving ſome great Impediments to both, in p. 61, &c. he conſiders the Doctrine of the Calviniſts, in denying univerſal Redemption, to be a very great Obſtruction thereunto. And thus he declares himſelf.
I will be bold to aver—that the brotherly Love and true Repentance, whereto I would perſwade, will never be effectually attain'd unto by them, which knowingly, premeditately, and wilfully perſevere in denying the univerſal Redemption of Mankind by Jeſus Chriſt; ſeeing thereon depends God's moſt glorious Attribute; and in regard it is that for which we are much more obliged to him than all the reſt of his Creatures, he cannot but be highly diſpleaſed with all thoſe who confine the extent of that Mercy. I know many in theſe Times (ſome of them in other reſpects very good and learned Men) who think univerſal Redemption to be a New Doctrine, terming it Arminianiſm and Popery: but it is neither new, nor repugnant (as is pretended) to the Orthodox Doctrine of Election and Reprobation, and the free Grace of God; nor aſcribes ought more to Nature by the Conſequences thereof, than tends to our juſtifying of God, and to our ſelf-condemnation, if that which he hath given us be not husbanded according as he hath and doth enable. The holy Scriptures evidence it to all who rightly underſtand them.
So far is it from being a Novelty, (as ignorant Hearers are made to believe) that it was received and profeſſed for a neceſſary Truth by the Churches of God in all Ages ſince Chriſt's Birth, and contradicted by very few in the firſt Times of Chriſtianity: Yea, it was believed many hundreds of Years before Arminius was born, or Popery had any being in the World; and will be profeſſed, when the Oppoſers and Traducers of that Verity ſhall be quite rooted out of the Evangelical Kingdom—It is the well-counterfeiting of Truth and Holineſs which muſt compleat the Deſigns of Antichriſt; and there is not any one ſingle Hereſy or Wickedneſs, which doth ſo ſecretly, and ſo miſchievouſly ſupplant Chriſt; it undermines the Foundation of that Structure which open Blaſphemies above-ground cannot endanger, and hath already ſprung a Mine to the dividing of Lutherans and Calviniſts, that they will hardly be reconciled until all Controverſies are at an end.
Let us therefore conſider well what depends upon it; how much it concerns the Glory of God; how much he is diſhonoured by a contrary Belief, and how much it detracts from our own Privileges and Conſolations. God's Mercy is above all his Works. It is the Crown and Dignity of the King of Kings, and the higheſt of all Treaſons to clip it.
A profeſſed denial of the univerſality of humane Redemption, ſeems to me a curſed Counter-Callol, made and ſung by Devils, in oppoſition to that bleſſed Nativity-Song which was ſung by Angels at the birth of Chriſt, Glory to God on High, on Earth Peace, and good Will to Men. For how was God likely to be glorified, Peace to be upon Earth, and good Will to Men, manifeſted by the Incarnation of his Son, if Man's Redemption had not been Univerſal? But ſo narrowed, that it extended to a very few, and thoſe few alſo left without aſſurance they were of that ſmall number, whatſoever they ſhould endeavour, if there ſhould be an Exception from the Act of Grace, as many fancy?
Doubtleſs if it had been ſo, it would have given occaſion rather of howling than of ſinging, and been rather ſad than glad Tidings, in regard of that great Terror which might have ſeized upon all Mankind, and cauſed an univerſal Lamentation, when they conſidered how many millions of millions were certainly expoſed to everlaſting Damnation; how ſmall a number in poſſibility to be ſaved, and how few of their dearly beloved Parents, Children, and Friends might be of theſe few, for whom Chriſt took upon him humane Nature. O horrible and unparallel'd Blaſphemy! But, bleſſed be God's Name, it is not ſo. When the Children of Iſrael were redeemed out of their Egyptian Bondage, which was a Type of our … verſal Redemption, there was not one Soul, no not a Hoof left behind them; nor was one soul abſolutely excluded from the benefit of Chriſt's Incarnation and Paſſion, but they only who by their own Defaults, and unrepented Sin, ſhould fall away, as they did who periſhed in the Wilderneſs. For God hath many a time, upon ſeveral Occaſions, pa…sed his Word to aſcertain the Univerſality of his Love to Man without perſonal Reſpects, where perſonal Sins without Repentance, have not firſt made the Perſon uncapable. Nay▪ our Incredulity hath put him to his Oath to aſſure every Sinner. And if nevertheleſs we ſtill diſtruſt him, continue in our misbelief of his Word and Oath, and labour to draw others into the ſame Crime; it cannot be an ordinary Puniſhment which God will at laſt inflict for ſo extraordinary and ſo high an Affront; it being a Sin more hainous than Murder, Adultery, and all other meer carnal Sins put together; yea, more hainous than thoſe the Jews committed by their Idolatries, killing the Prophets, and crucifying Chriſt in the Fleſh; for the laſt was but a Sin againſt his Humanity, and their Idolatries but the aſcribing ſome part of that Honour to the Creatures, which was due to God only: Whereas the limiting God's univerſal Grace in Chriſt with the concomitant Doctrines, and the Conſequences thence raiſed, and the imputing to God an eternal Reprobation of the greateſt part of Mankind, before they had done Good or Evil; for thoſe Sins alſo which they blaſphemouſly ſay he neceſſitated them to commit, to ſhew his Juſtice, and manifeſt his hatred to Sin, is a deſpoiling God of his Divine Nature, of his Goodneſs, and an aſcribing unto him that which belongs only to the Devil.
O the Patience of God! what can be ſo abominable? They do not only make Reprobation older than the Father of it the Devil, but make God alſo the Author of his Wickedneſs, in neceſſitating him to be a Devil, and conſequently Author of all the Wickedneſs committed by all the Devils in Hell, and all the wicked Men upon the Earth: which appears to me ſo horrible an Impiety, that I wonder not to ſee the World ſo full of Plagues and Sins, and Sins and Sinners become ſuch Plagues to each other as they are. Nor can I believe there will ever be leſs Plagues, where that Blaſphemy is profeſſed and indulged as Orthodox Doctrine, until it be repented of. Nor ſhall I marvel if my Words be miſunderſtood, and my good Meaning miſinterpreted; if God's Word be ſo miſtaken, and his Love ſo ill-rewarded. I know the bitterneſs and uncharitableneſs of their Spirits, who ſhall be obſtinate in this Judgment, yet am neither afraid nor aſhamed to declare my Conſcience therein; or in whatſoever elſe I think may concern God's Glory, and the Peace of my Country. Thus far Mr. Geo. Wither.
Th… Forerunner to a further Anſwer (if occaſion ſerve) to two Books lately Publiſhed againſt Tho. Grantham of Norwich.
Briefly ſhewing the Spirit and Temper of the Calviniſts, and particularly of Mr. Finch and his Praecurſor, &c.
Wickedneſs proceedeth and cometh forth from the Wicked, as ſaith the Proverb of the Ancients,
1 Sam. 24. 13.
IN Pſal. 94. 20▪ this Queſtion is put, Shall the Throne of Iniquity have The Calviniſts make God to eſtabliſh all the miſchievous Actions of Men and Devils by an unalterable Decree, ſo as that they muſt be done of neceſſity. O horrible!fellowſhip with thee, which frameth Miſchief by a Law? The Senſe of the place is, No ſuch thing can pleaſe God, &c.
Now of all Miſchief, Sin is the worſt, and indeed the Cauſe of all the reſt. It muſt therefore be exceeding Evil, for any to make the Holy God the Ordainer and Commander of all the Sins of Angels and Men, and that freely, without any Provocation, and infallibly and unchangeably alſo, that they muſt even ſo come to paſs as he hath (not only) foreſeen them, but ordained and commanded them. This is the Doctrine which I chiefly oppoſed in my Dialogue. And though I have made this very manifeſtly appear to be the Doctrine of the principal Men of the Presbyterian and Calviniſtical Perſwaſion, yet I will here add one Paſſage more out of Mr. Calvin, Inſt. L. 3. c. 24. Sect. 6. where he boldly tells us, That God doth none otherwiſe foreſee the things that ſhall come to paſs, than becauſe he hath ordained they ſhall ſo come to paſs. It is vain to move Controverſy about Foreknowledge, where it is certain rather by Ordinance and Commandment. So then, let the Action be never ſo wicked, he makes it infallibly neceſſary, by virtue of God's Ordinance and Commandment. Than which I do aver▪ nothing can be ſpoken more diſhonourable to God, nor more miſchievous to Men. Yea, Zanchius is as bold as Calvin, for he ſaith, Damus Reprobos neceſſitate p…candi, eoque & pereundi, ex hac Dei ordinatione conſtringi, atque ita conſtringi ut nequeant non peccare atque periere: That is, We grant that Reprobates are held ſo faſt under God's Almighty Decree, that they cannot but ſin and periſh. Theſe I call the worſt Doctrines in the World.
And finding this worſt of Doctrines to have much prevailed in the City of Norwich, I have endeavoured to make the Citizens ſenſible of the danger of it, both by Preaching and Writing. For which Work and Labour of Love (and to their Souls eſpecially who are moſt deceived by it) I have been ill requited by many Slanders and Reproaches; and particularly by a very fooliſh Pamphlet, as a Forerunner to that Book of Mr. Finch, which he calls, An Anſwer to my Dialogue, [which ſcurrilous Pamphlet was publiſhed with his Privity and Allowance, as I ſuppoſe] in both which, one great Deſign is, to diſgrace my Perſon by unſeemly Epithets, and very falſe Stories; and particularly for that which I writ againſt Calvin for his Rage and Cruelty, in procuring one Michael Servetus to be burnt to death at Geneva, Anno 1553. Concerning which the Pamphleteer calls Calvin, a renowned Man a Star of the first Magnitude; and Servetus, an infamous Wretch; and my ſelf, a paultry groveling Fellow. And Mr. Finch calls me, a boiſterous quarrelſom Man, one that hath the Spirit of Slumber, as a check and puniſhment to defame ſuch a Man as Calvin; and to extol Servetus, an Antitrinitarian; and ſays, I have loſt all Credit and Eſteem with all wiſe and knowing Chriſtians. But yet I hope all wiſe and knowing Chriſtians will hear me ſpeak for what is Truth, and ſo for my ſelf alſo before they condemn me. And,
1. Wherein do I defame Calvin? That he did certainly procure the death of Servetus, a very learned Man, and of that exact Life, that nothing is objected againſt him, though I doubt he did err in ſome things; I ſa…at Calvin did procure his Death▪ is p… he ſaith, I freely confeſs the Accuſer came out from me, I hope at the leaſt he ſhall be put to death *Libenter fateor (inquit Calvinus de ſe) ac prae me fero prodiſſe accuſatorē, ſpero capitale ſaltem feret judicium. Calv. Ep. ad Farret.. I have not then defamed Calvin, unleſs Mr. Finch and his little Lawyer can juſtify that cruel Action; as indeed they ſeem willing ſo to do, by approving Dr. Owen his Sentence, who tells us, as Mr. Finch quotes him, p. 115. That Servetus is the only Perſon in the World that he ever heard of, that ever died upon the account of Religion, in reference to whom the Zeal of them that put him to death may be acquitted. And thus Mr. Finch, Dr. Owen, &c. have bathed their Hands in the Blood of poor Michael Servetus. Behold, and wonder! and wonder the more, becauſe neither of them ever ſaw the Book which Servetus died for, but take their Grounds from the Pens of his Murderers, who would not ſpeak the beſt of him you may be ſure. But,
2. Wherein do I extol Servetus? I ſaid he was a Learned and worthy Man, and pious, tho miſtaken in ſome things perhaps. And do I not call him Pious in conjunction with Calvin? Now I conceive that in Charity, I may hope many were pious Men, who did not rightly underſtand the Myſtery of the Trinity. Yea, I have the charity to think, that Calvin was a pious Man, and yet I believe and know that he was very Erroneous in many things, and that he was acted by Cain's Spirit, when he procured the Death of Servetus, who could not deny either the Father, Son, nor Holy Spirit, becauſe he held true Baptiſm in the Name of all the Three; though I fear his Sentiments were not ſo clear as they ought to have been concerning the Unity of theſe Three. And who can ſay that he ſo fully knows this great and glorious Myſtery as he ought to do? I am far from juſtifying Servetus in his Error, yet I think they ought to have ſpared his Life, though they had laid ſome Reſtraint upon him.
3. Let us hear what Learned Proteſtants have ſaid before me, in the Caſe of Servetus.
1. Grotius, a Man that had but few Equals for Wiſdom and Moderation, tells us; Servetus Libri non Genevae tantum, ſed in aliis Locis, per Calvini diligentiam exuſti ſunt; fateor tamen unum me exemplum vidiſſe Libri Servetiani, in quo certe ea non reperi quae ei objicit Calvinus, Vot. pro p…ce, p. 16. That is, By the Diligence of Calvin, all the Books of Servetus were not only burnt at Geneva, but in other Places. Yet I have ſeen one Copy of Servetus's Books, in which truly I do not find the Things which Calvin does object againſt him.
And ſaith Dr. Pierce, (a Learned and Able Miniſter of the Church of England) Servetus was burnt at Geneva for leſs than being a Socinian, and who was not ſo bad as Mr. B. (a Presbyterian) hath laboured to fancy me.
And he tells us alſo, That Oecolampadius (a Learned Proteſtant) was offended at the barbarity of the Sentence. Nor find I any thing (ſaith he) pretended againſt Servetus, which was ſo highly blaſphemous, as to make God the Author or Cauſe of Sin. And how well Calvin could tell his own Tale, and how diligent he was in being the firſt Informer of his Affairs, we may gueſs by his Epiſtles, 164, 165, which he writ to the Four Helvetian Cities for gaining Authority to his new Device—for, let them ſay what they pleaſe to leſſen the Guilt of that Cruelty, yet they are Parties, and muſt not ſo eaſily be heeded as other Men who are none. If Servetus his Books were ſo blaſphemous, why was Calvin ſo diligent in burning up the Impreſſion which he ſhould rather have preſerved, that Poſterity might ſee ſome competent Cauſe for ſuch a terrible Execution? Yet, by the Providence of God, one or two of the Copies eſcap'd the Flames; and we are aſſured, by peerleſs Grotius, that in the Copy which he ſaw, he could not find thoſe things which were objected by Mr. Calvin; what Melancton wrote, it was meerly on ſuppoſition that Calvin's Narrative was true. Thus far the Learned Pierce, in diſlike Calvin's Cruelty againſt Servetus.
And by this we may perceive, how little Credit there is to be given to Dr. Owen and Mr. Finch, or his Little Praecurſor, not one of them having ſeen the Book which they condemn, but receive their Information from them that were his Murderers.
And grant that Servetus did err in that great Myſtery of the Trinity, yet muſt he for this be burnt to death? Why then, Dr. Owen, Mr. Finch, and his Little Lawyer, would make bloody Work, even in England, where there are too many who are as erroneous concerning that glorious Myſtery, as Servetus was, (the more is the pity); for ſeeing they juſtify Calvin in that bloody Act, how can they refuſe doing the like, were it in their Power, unleſs they will come ſhort of that Zeal which they commend in Mr. Calvin? By this print of the Foot, we may know the ſtature of that Monſter of Perſecution, which did not the Law reſtrain, would appear in too many Profeſſors at this Day. I ſpeak what I know by the Uſage I have met with in this City, both from Profeſſors and Prophane.
4. Now let us hear how famous Mr. Calvin was in the Judgment of ſome Learned and Sober Proteſtants.
(1.) He is thought to err in the Myſtery of the Trinity as well as Servetus, though perhaps not ſo much. Theſe are his words, (ſpeaking of the Three Perſons, &c.) If the Names have not without cauſe been invented, we ought to take heed, that in rejecting them, we be not juſtly blamed of proud Preſumptuouſneſs. I would to God (ſays he) they were buried indeed, ſo that this Faith were agreed of all Men, that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are one God; and yet the Father is not the Son, nor the Holy Ghoſt the Son, but diſtinct by certain Properties. Inſtitut. L. 1. c. 13. Sect. 3. And this his Tres Proprietates, is objected againſt him by ſome of the Learned Proteſtants. And I am of Opinion, ſhould I write of the Bleſſed Trinity as Mr. Calvin has done, Mr. Finch and his Forerunner would cry out Blaſphemy.
(2.) He condemns the Ancient Fathers, becauſe they were not of his Mind in the Caſe of Irreſpective Reprobation, but hold, That there was Salvation for all Men through God's Mercy in the Gift of his Son. He brands them (ſaith a Learned Proteſtant) as Pelagianiſing in their Opinions.
But (3.) his rudeneſs of Speech was intolerable: He called great and good Men by Titles unſeemly; as Serpent, Peſt, Loſſel, Fool, Knave, Devil, filthy Dog, impudent Hangman, &c. And Bucer (a Learned Proteſtant) calls him, Fratricide, a Murderer of his Brethren. And Grotius ſays, He grew worſe and worſe; and that Calvin's Diſciples are ſuch themſelves in Diſpoſition, as they make God to be in their Imaginations towards the greater part of Mankind.
And truly this is too apparent in two of his Followers, I mean, the Little Praecurſor and Mr. Finch, whoſe ſtudy has been to render me very odious, though I am ſure they know no Evil by me, more (no nor ſo much) as they know by themſelves. And yet thus I am repreſented by them, viz. audacious, impudent, turbulent, impetuous, impertinent, ſcurrilous, prejudic'd Mechanick; a Fool, deſpicable, wiſe Mr. Grantham, a deſpiſed Man, Coxcomb, addleBrain, dull Kitching-pate, Clown, Blunderbuſs, diſſembling Prater, Brawler, bellowing, hideous, bleat, thick-skull Momus, one decreed to ſteal, wrangling Fellow, Dolt, poor Fop, ſoft-pated Clod, Caviller, Brazen-…orehead, inconſiderate Fellow, gagling Gooſe, a quarrelſome boiſterous Man, one that has loſt all Credit and Eſteem with all wiſe and knowing Chriſtians that worſhip the Holy Trinity; one, like a Woman ſcolding and quarrelling in the Streets, one like an impertinent Woman, &c. So that I think theſe two Calviniſts have come near the pitch of their Maſter. And ſuch as will not ſpare Mens Reputation, are not to be truſted with their Lives, any more than Mr. Calvin.
5. There is one thing which runs through Mr. F's Epiſtle and Book, and that is a talk of ſpecial diſcriminating Grace. As if God's Grace, which he gives to moſt Men, were of little uſe for them that have it; yea, of no uſe at all, in reſpect of Eternal Life. All that Mr. F. allows that Grace to effect for them in the other World, is only to make their Puniſhment leſs in Hell, as you may ſee in p. 15. of his Anſwer; which is a piece of as woful Divinity as ever was heard ſurely.
Reader, I humbly adviſe thee to take heed how thou receiveſt theſe Dictates, and eſteem all (even the leaſt Meaſure of Grace from God) to be a ſpecial favour, and ſuch as in its Nature and Effect (if it be all that …e deſign'd for thee, be it never ſo little) will certainly lead thee to Heaven, thou being a faithful improver of it, ſincerely, though under many Infirmities; and this through his own Goodneſs, in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord, who gave himſelf a Ranſom for all to be teſtified in due time, 1 Tim. 2. 6.
(2.) Again obſerve, that theſe terms, diſcriminating Grace, &c. are not found in the Scripture; nor wiſely made uſe of to render ſome of God's Grace not to be diſcriminating, (as they pleaſe to phraſe it). We know God gives more Talents to ſome than he does to others, yet Grace is the ſame in Nature and Efficacy, if improved, and to leave the Receiver under unpardonable Guilt if not improved, Mat. 25. and we ſhall only be accountable for what God gives to each one, and for no more; nor will he deal in ſeverity, but where his Grace hath been contemned.
(3.) Conſider that very many of thoſe who moſt talk of diſcriminating Grace, are greatly deſtitute of that tender Love which Paul had for them that rejected Chriſt, Rom. 9. 1, 2, 3. & 10. 1, 2, 3. but are filled with hatred againſt all that oppoſe their Conceit of irreſpective Reprobation; being indeed fierce and of a cruel Diſpoſition, full of Paſſion, quickly angry, &c. Theſe things I have found to be true (God knows it) among ſuch as pretend very high to diſcriminating Grace more than amongſt others: but I fear it will prove but a ſpecial diſcriminating Conceit in the end to very many of them.
6. There is a great talk alſo, both in his Epiſtle and Book, about God's abſolute Soveraignty. As if becauſe he is ſo, he might make Angels and Men on purpoſe to damn them to Everlaſting Fire, without giving them (at any time) any Means ſufficient to prevent their Deſtruction. To avoid this Rock upon which they often ſplit themſelves, let us conſider, That though God's Soveraignty is incomprehenſible, yet it is every way better both in its Mercy and Juſtice, and in the exerciſe of both, than any Soveraignty that Men do receive or exerciſe under him. Now we know, that what Prince ſoever exerts his Soveraign Power, to impoſe abſolute Impoſſibilities upon his Subjects, and Death for non-performance, is a very cruel and unrighteous Prince in the exerciſe of that Soveraignty. Such was Pharaoh, Exod. 5. condemned by God and Man.
O how ill would it become a Prince to cut off the Feet of many of his Subjects, and then Gibbet them alive, becauſe they do not run as well as thoſe whoſe Feet he ſpared? And yet even thus do theſe Calviniſts repreſent the moſt merciful Soveraign that ever was: For they hold and teach, that God did freely and unchangeably decree, preciſely ſuch a number of Angels and Men, Women and Infants, to be damned, and that unſpeakable Time, before there was either Angel or Man created; and this, not becauſe God foreſaw they would ſin, and deſpiſe the Riches of his Goodneſs; but he alſo ordained them that they ſhould commit ſo many Sins, yea, all the Sins that they ever ſhall or can commit, that ſo he might glorify the Soveraignty of his Juſtice (as they ſpeak) in ſuch a voluntary and diſmal deſtruction of his Creatures.
7. Theſe things I made evident from the Learned Calviniſts own Pens, as alledged againſt them by their fellow Proteſtants; and Mr. Finch is ſo far from anſwering them, that he plainly tells you, he will not meddle with any of my Quotations, and yet he calls his Book an Anſwer to mine. He ſays alſo, he will not juſtify all the Phraſes of Learned and Godly Men; and thus he will hold to their Opinion, but not to their Phraſes. Hence he likes not Dr. Collings's uſing the Phraſe, as if God did not ſeriouſly act, &c. when indeed he makes the Caſe far worſe: for tho Peter told the Jews, God ſent Chriſt to them to bleſs them, in turning every one of them from their Iniquities, Mr. F. tells you, it was far from Peter's meaning, p. 21. And when our Saviour bewails Iſrael, for not knowing the things that belonged to their Peace; Mr. F. tells us, Chriſt did not weep for their Spiritual Peace, but to prevent their Ruin by the Romans; as if Chriſt did more tender their Bodies than their Souls: It ſeems he had ordained the Devil ſhould lead them to Hell, but for this Chriſt would not weep as a Mediator, but he wept as Man only for that they ſhould be deſtroyed by the Romans; and yet, if you ſound him to the bottom, it was infallibly and unchangeably decreed by Chriſt as God, that they ſhould be deſtroyed by the Romans, for he holds that God did unchangeably decree whatſoever comes to pass. O unwiſe Expoſitor! and thus does he abuſe moſt of the Texts which he meddles with, which ſpeak of God's Love to Mankind univerſally, as every careful Reader may perceive: And very unworthily declares, That God hath many holy Ends in affording the preaching of the Word to many, upon whom he never purpoſed nor intended to beſtow ſpecial and ſaving Grace, p. 15. And what is this, but to tell the World, that God meerly mocks the greateſt part of Men to whom the Goſpel is preached? for whatever he ſpeaks by the Goſpel to them, he never intended them any Salvation by it. And thus Mr. Finch, and all ſuch Preachers as he is, are meer Hypocrites, for they cannot intend any Salvation to all they preach unto, but only to a very few▪ and they know not ſo much as one of them.
Nay, ſo greedily does he fancy that God will abſolutely damn the greateſt part of Mankind; that he will not ſpare the poor dying Infants, but caſt them into Hell alſo; and his Reaſon is, That as Men do kill the young Cubs of Foxes and Wolves, though they never yet did any Miſchief, ſo God may, if he pleaſe, glorify his Juſtice upon Infants, though they die in their Infancy▪ p. 88, 89. And thus our gracious God is made more cruel to his Off-ſpring, (for ſuch is all Mankind, Acts 17. 28.) than the very Wolves and Foxes are to their young Ones. An… what is now become of that gracious Speech of Almighty God, Pſal. 145. His tender Mercies are over all his Works? Sure, damned Infants have no ſhare at all in his Mercy, no not ſo much as a Toad by a thoaſand degrees. O ye Fools, when will ye be wiſe? Pſal. 94. 8.
Mr. Finch quarrels with the Title of my Book, and ſays, We read of John the Baptiſt, not of Thomas the Baptiſt. But this only ſhews his weakneſs; I ſpeak not of Thomas the Baptiſt. I intend by the Baptiſt, all that own the Doctrine and Baptiſm of Repentance for remiſſion of Sins, including John the Baptiſt as the firſt Teacher of that Baptiſm, for the manifeſtation of Chriſt to Iſrael, and that all Men through him might believe, John 1. 7, 31. This Doctrine Mr. Finch and the Presbyterians do oppoſe, both in the extent of this bleſſed Object of Faith for all Men, by narrowing it up to they know not who, and therefore preach they know not what. And alſo by Sprinkling poor Infants (many times faſt aſleep) in oppoſition to John the Baptiſt, who baptized Repentant Believers in the River, or where there was much Water, Mark 1. 17. John 3. 23. Mr. Finch alſo quarrels my Office as a Meſſenger of the Baptized Churches, &c. But of this I have given an account, in my Book intituled, Chriſtianiſmus Primitivus, to which I refer the inquiſitive Reader, and remain,
Norwich, Aug. 14. 1691. A Friend and Servant to all Men, for Jeſus's ſake, THO. GRANTHAM.
End of the text · Thomas Grantham, The Forerunner to a Further Answer (1691)