Antidote Against Error Concerning Justification, Title page – Dedication
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST ERROUR, Concerning JUSTIFICATION. OR, The True Notion of JUSTIFICATION, and of JUSTIFYING FAITH, CLEARED By the light of Scripture, and solid Reason, from several Mistakes of the words: which Misapprehensions prove the seeds of Dangerous Errours.
By the late Reverend and Learned Divine, THOMAS GATAKER of Pious Memory. In a Discourse on Rom. 3. 28. too precious to be buried in Obscurity.
To which is added, The Way of Truth and Peace: OR, A Reconciliation of the holy Apostles, S. PAVL and S. JAMES, CONCERNING
Justification
By Faith without works, Rom. 3. 28.
By Works, and not by Faith only, Jam. 2. 21, 24.
By Charles Gataker, Rector of Hoggeston in the County of Bucks.
LONDON: Printed by J. C. for Henry Brome, at the Gun neer the west-end of S. Pauls. 1670.
Imprimatur.
Dec. 6. 1669. Rob. Grove, R. P. Dno Episc. Lond. à Sacris Domest.
To the Right Honourable, CHARLES Earl of Carnarvon, Lord Dormer, Viscount Ascot, Baron of Wing, and Master of his Majesties Hawks.
My Lord,
THe whole Designe of this Dedication, as to the Ground and End of it, is so clearly transparent to those who know, how Gods Providence hath set me, a weak Labourer in the Lords Vineyard, to work under the shadow of your Lordships protection, that it is a superfluous waste of words and time, to defend the presumption of this Address, which, without mine Apologie, may be reasonably taken for a just expression of my duty. It were moreover an unpardonable trespass against your Lordships quick Apprehension, whose vigorous spirit is active and piercing in the observing of Occurrents, if I should make a tedious Harangue, to discover mine intentions in thus testifying the sense I have, both of the common benefit, which I enjoy together with other sons of the Prophets, who dwell in safety under the sheltring and refreshing shade of your Lordships Patronage, and also of those peculiar obligations laid upon me by your Lordships singular favour, the repetition whereof in particular were impertinent, but my publick acknowledgement in general is as decent, as my private remembrance of them is perpetually and indispensably requisite. I have onelyonly a minde to wish, that the product of my own Soyl, which I pay as tribute unto your Lordship, were as agreeable for the workmanship to the divine matter which I handle, as the discourse it self is proper, and (as I humbly conceive) suitable to your Lordships pious inclination. For I cannot with silence pass by, what I have seen with huge satisfaction; that as your Lordship hath had a share in Timothy's happiness, in knowing the holy Scriptures from a childe, 2 Tim. 3. 15.which are able to make Thee wise unto salvation: so It hath grown in knowledge, by the advantage of Gods special endowment, a capacious and tenacious Memory. It is also a blessed and pleasing Rarity, that in an Age of men sadly degenerate into Atheism, who endeavour to forget that they are Gods off-spring, and would fain be taken for the Mushrooms of Chance, and are not onelyonly sunk below Beasts in enormous sensuality, but also fallen beyond the apostasie of the Devils in absurd Incredulity, with a perverse ingratitude denying the Lord that bought them, and with a sottish insolencie denying the God that made them; your Lordship in the midst of this corrupt and crooked generation hath continued stedfast and unmoveable in the belief and profession of the general Principles of Religion, upon which as a sure Basis all Justice and Civility are founded, and particularly of the Doctrine declared and established by the Church of England, with an equal aversion from Atheistical profaneness, and from new-fangled pretensions to Religion.
Some have observed of us Islanders, that we are very apt to vary our Fashions, and have ascribed our Inconstancie to the changeable temper of our Air, and the unstable complexion of our Climate. I wish our Country-men were not as vainly, and that more dangerously fickle in altering the Opinions of their Religion, as they are mutable in the habit and mode of their Apparel. I am sure the fault of this flitting and shifting humour is not chargeable upon the Stars, Skie, Air, or other Elements, which are all the innocent creatures of a good God, and uneffective upon the wills of men. But the shame and misery will light heavie at last upon these unballasted mindes, unstable souls, unwary followers of cunning seducers, or itching affecters of novelty, who delight to wander, but forsake their own mercy, while they trust in lying vanities. To prevent the going astray, or being misled from the way of Truth, and peace of conscience which depends thereon, in one main point of Christian Religion, I have published a Piece of my Father of pious memory; which tho imperfect, because a mortal disease cut off the thred of his meditation first, and shortly after of his life, drawn forth to fourscore years within a few weeks; yet is (as I suppose) a very useful Foundation, on which any Christian exercised in the study of Scripture, may build the same superstructure, which the Author would have raised, if God had granted him a little longer use of light.
To this I have subjoyned a short Discourse of mine own composure, tending to the explication of S. Paul and S. James their doctrine concerning Justification, for the removal of a stone of offence, the seeming contrariety between the blessed Apostles, which some weak Christians have stumbled at, and some scoffing enemies of Christianity have taken up, to cast at the head, and wound (if it were possible) the credit of the Gospel. And I hope that the precious Relick premised will adde weight and value to mine Offering, which I tender in all humility first as a Peace-offering to the Church of God; and I present it to your Lordship as a cluster of that Vineyard, whereof I am an unworthy Dresser: devoutly praying that your Lordships benign influence on the Lords inheritance may be recompensed from on high, with the plentiful distillation of all blessings upon your Lordship, and your Lordships whole Family most worthy of Honour; to which I am resolved, as well as engaged, to remain in all faithful observance,
My Lord, Your Honours most devout Orator, and most humble Servant, CHARLES GATAKER.