The Infants Advocate Against the Cruel Doctrine of the Presbyterians, Part 5 – Conclusion
Diviſion 5. Of Free-Will.
Concerning Free-Will, Mr. F. calls it our Diana, and an Imperial Majeſty, repreſenting us to deny God to be moſt Bleſſed, becauſe if his Will be reſiſted, he failing of his End, is to want a degree of Bleſſedneſs, &c. I Anſwer:
1. Then it ſeems, according to Mr. F. all that God wills to be ſaved, muſt, and therefore ſhall be Saved; and the reſt he wills to be Damned, and they ſhall therefore be Damned. But how he can reconcile his Doctrines to theſe Scriptures, I cannot tell, which ſaith, I live, I Will not the death of the Wicked. And that this is good in the ſight of God, &c. who will have all Men to be Saved.
2. Was it God's Will, that when he brought Iſrael out of Egypt, that their Carcaſes ſhould fall in the Wilderneſs? If it were not, then he wanted a degree of Bleſſedneſs. Was it God's Will that Adam ſhould fall, and bring himſelf and his Poſterity into ſo many Miſeries? If not, God was not moſt Bleſſed, becauſe he failed of his End. If you ſay, it was God's Will that Adam ſhould fall, and that Iſrael muſt fall in the Wilderneſs, you had as good tell us, that God has Decreed all the evil Actions that Men do, and that they muſt do them, elſe God cannot be moſt Bleſſed, becauſe he ſhould fail of his End, if theſe evil Actions were not done. This is his Logick, let him look to it. But,
3. What I conceive to be Truth concerning Free-Will, I will give you a ſhort account from what I have formerly publiſhed in a little Catechiſm, where in Page 21. I put theſe Queſtions and Anſwers following.—What mean you by the third part of Repentance? Anſw. I mean, firſt, a boly loathing of Sin, becauſe it is of the Devil, 1 John 3. 8. and becauſe God hates it. And becauſe Chriſt died becauſe of it. 2. To abſtain from the act of Sin, in Deſire, Word, and Deed, as much as poſſible. God ſaw their Works, that they turned from their Evil Ways. Break off thy Sins by Righteouſneſs: Repent ye therefore and be Converted. This is to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance.
Queſt. Hath Man any liberty of Will, and any meaſure of Power thus to hate and forſake Sin? Anſw. 1. By the Bounty of God, Man hath ſome liberty and power this way. He is not chained to his Sins of Neceſſity. Chuſe you this day whom you will ſerve. To day if ye will hear his Voice, harden not your Hearts. Mary hath choſen the good part. 2. Man's infirmity in the exerciſe of this Liberty and Power is ſo great, that he is not to depend upon this Liberty and Power, but upon the Strength of God in the uſe of them, Hoſ. 14. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 5.
Now let any Sober Chriſtian tell me, how it is poſſible to make the Will of Man an Imperial Majeſty out of my Words, that is, a Majeſty that hath no Peer; for no leſs than ſuch a Slander would ſerve Mr. Firmin to fix upon us, eſpecially upon my ſelf▪ For what cauſe he is ſo inveterate, I know not.
But come, Mr. Firmin, will the Doctrine of a chief Man of your own pleaſe you? if ſo, you and I may agree in his Sentence. Thus he ſpeaks; Auſtin as well as Pelagius▪ Calvin as well as the Arminians; the Dominicans as well as the Jeſuits, all generally maintain that Man hath Free-will. Origen is condemned by Epiphanius, for ſaying that Man had loſt the Image of God▪—This Image is two-fold, 1. Natural, i. e. Reaſon and Free Will. 2. Qualitative, or Ethical, i. e. Our Holineſs, and this is loſt, and by Grace reſtored. No Man of Brains can deny, that Man hath a Will naturally free; it is free from Violence.—It's a ſelf-determining Principle, but is not freed from evil Diſpoſitions▪ Mr. Baxter's Preface to his Call to the Ʋnconverted. I think I need ſay no more to a Wiſe Man: And I am ſure, this is as much as any Wiſe Man among us will ſay in this Matter.
CONCLƲSION.
Mr. Firmin ſeems diſpleaſed at the multitude which will be Saved; if my Opinion be true, that all Dying Infants ſhall be Saved: I will give you his own words.
I pray (ſaith he) whoſe Opinion are you of, Huberus? the promiſcuous Salvation of all. Or are you of Caelius Secundus Curio's Opinion, That the number of the Elect and Saved is much greater than the number of the Reprobate and Damned? Whether you, or theſe, or Chriſt, be trueſt, (Mat. 7. 14. few find it) the Day of Judgment will determine.
Here, Sir, you ſhew your Spirit. But for anſwer: Although I know that God is not willing that any ſhould Periſh, but that all ſhould come to Repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 4. yet I ſee too much cauſe to fear, that but very few of the many, to whom God is ſo long ſuffering to lead them to Repentance, will conſider his Goodneſs therein: And that the far greater part will deſpiſe the Riches of God's Goodneſs, and treaſure up unto themſelves Wrath againſt the Day of Wrath, and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God. And in this very reſpect, I fear, ſome old Profeſſors, ſuch eſpecially as have been Teachers of others, and yet have not learned either Civility, or Honeſty, in treating thoſe who differ from them in Opinion.
As to the Text, Mat. 7. 14. bleſſed be God, Infants are in no danger by it, they may all be Saved, and ſo the number of the Saved be much the greater by them; for ſeeing they none of them are walking in the Broad-way which leads to Deſtruction; they muſt needs go the Way which leads to Life, Tho as it is a ſtrait way of Faith and Obedience, and many Croſſes for Chriſt's ſake, they can neither ſeek nor find it; yet their Redeemer hath found it for them, and has declared their Right to Heaven, and will therefore in his own Time and Way, bring them to the Enjoyment of that Kingdom which he hath prepared for them, as well as others. But here alſo we ſee, you are unkind to many Dying Infants, whilſt you are ſending them to Hell with thoſe who walk in the Broad-way.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Grantham, The Infants Advocate Against the Cruel Doctrine of the Presbyterians (1688)