A Pacific Discourse of Gods Grace, Title page – Preface
foreign, OR A Pacifick Diſcourſe of Gods GRACE and DECREES: In a Letter, of full Accordance written to the Reverend, and moſt learned, Dr. Robert Sanderſon.
By Henry Hammond. D. D.
To which are annexed the Extracts of three Letters concerning Gods Preſcience reconciled with Liberty and Contingency.
Together with two Sermons preached before theſe evil times, the one to the Clergy, the other to the Citizens of London.
LONDON.
Printed for R. Royſton, at the Angel in IƲy-lane, 1660.
TO All our BRETHREN Of the Church of ENGLAND.
§. 1. IN relation to the Controverſies concerning Gods Grace and Decrees, nothing was ever Superior, in my thoughts, to the feare that the great Intereſts of Religion, Chriſtian practiſe, and particularly that of Charity, might be obſtructed by them.
§. 2. It hath long been the Complaint of pious and learned men, (of the juſtice whereof, if formerly we had, we cannot now reaſonably retain any doubt,) that the crude and unwary treating of theſe, and (from thence derived,) an haſty premature perſwaſion of their being in Chriſt, (aſsiſted by a beliefe of irreſpective Decrees, and Grace irreſiſtible, and no poſſibility of interrupting their juſtified eſtate,) was apt to contribute to the preſumtions, and ſecurities, and finall impenitences of ſome men, who having moſt loudly renounced the power, chooſe yet not to quit the forme of Godlineſs.
§. 3. And for the heares, and uncharitable diſtempers, which the managing of theſe controverſies particularly have been guilty of, we need not look abroad among the Dominicans and Jeſuites, Janſeniſts and Moliniſts, for proofes. Our own Region hath not of a long time failed of evidences. The old weapon of foreign, crying down for carnall men and herericks, Pelagians and Semipelagians, Papiſts, Socinians, and what not? (even rifling the Poets Hell to fetch out Titles for their adverſaryes,) hath never been more nimbly taken up, and vigorouſly handled, then in theſe dayes.
§. 4. And as if fewell to diſſentions were ſtill wanting, it hath been the endeavour of ſome to ſuggeſt this jealouſy, and clancularly to infuſe it into the minds of men, that they which oppoſe unconditionate Decrees, &c. (and pretend to think they effectually ſerve the ends of Chriſtianity thereby,) have entertained ſuch vehement diſlikes, and averſations to all that Scheme of doctrines, that they retain no charity to the maintainers of them, though they be in other things as conſtant, obedient ſonns of the Church of England, as any; and when opportunity ſhall aſsiſt their deſigne, will take care rigorouſly to fence their communion from them, and whatever the accord be in other doctrines, (wherein our Church is eminently concerned againſt the common Adverſaries,) will proceed finally to exterminate and exclude them.
§. 5. The Conſequences of this perſwaſion, once imbibed, be it never ſo cauſeleſſe and unprovoked, how noxious and inauſpicious they may prove to all that are on either ſide concerned in them, what leven of bitter zele and animoſityes it may cauſe to ferment in the minds of ſome, what blaſts and improſperityes it may bring on the endeavours of others; and, betwixt both, what detriment to the true and ſolid ends, whether of Religion, or Reformation, (the ſquaring of our lives according to that other, more ſublime, patterne in the mount, Mat. v. the inhaunſed, tranſcendent, indiſpenſable Lawes of Purity and Peaceableneſs,) I ſhall not here need to ſet forth, every man's ſagacity ſerving him competently to make this diſcovery.
§. 6. Yet was it not a rationall hope, that the bare diſclaiming and renouncing ſo great a guilt, would be admitted to the purgation of thoſe, againſt whom it had been ſuggeſted and believed. It therefore ſeemed to me more ſeaſonable to tender an ocular demonſtration of the contrary, by bringing my Lamb, or Turtle, (my offering to the Temple of Peace,) and really exemplifying the charity and accordance, that may readily be attained between diſſenters, when minds prepared with meekneſs, and love of the Truth, whereſoever they meet with it, can take courage to deny themſelves, and ſo to depoſit prejudices, and inſtead of names and ſhadowes, to give themſelves up to the entire guidance of that light which ſhines in Scripture.
§. 7. In order to this end, it ſeemed not improper, to offer at this time to publick view the preſent Sentiments of the Judicious Dr. Sanderſon, the Regius Profeſſor of the Univerſity of Oxford, (and the rather, becauſe ſome manuſcript Tables of his former thoughts, and ſome paſſages from his Sermons, long ſince preached, and now republiſhed, have been made uſe of, to gain authority to thoſe Doctrines which he is now far from owning,) and briefely and perſpicuouſly to annex unto, and compare with them, thoſe Amicable and Pacifick Reflexions, which may hope to gain the unanimous conſent of all true Sons of our Venerable Mother, the Church of England, whoſe chiefe aime it hath alwayes been to diſcountenance diviſions and fractions, and occaſions and fomenters of thoſe, especially ſingular Doctrines and Novell Articles of Faith, and in a Catholick harmonious charity, to plant Primitive belief, and zele of good workes, and ſo inſtead of the empty Forme, the full power of Godlineſſe.
§. 8. What is ſo largely added on that one head of Preſcience, had ſome appearance of neceſſity, to repell a ſhaft borrowed of late from the Socinian's quiver, who having reſolved it impoſſible for God himſelf to for eſee future Contingents, have given diſputers their choice, whether they like beſt, bluntly to deny God's Preſcience, and ſo, at his coſt, maintain their own Liberty, or more piouſly to maintain Preſcience, and then give it the ſame force of evacuating all Liberty and Contingency, which Predetermination of all events was juſtly accuſed to draw after it; The miſtake very dangerous on either ſide, and the temtation equally fitted for both, if it were not timely obviated.
§. 9. That theſe enſuing Diſcourſes may be effectually ſucceſsfull to the deſigned end, of advancing the threefold intereſt of Truth, and Peace, and Uniforme Chriſtian obedience, that it may ſupplant the Vineger by the Oyle, the Nitre by the Balſome, and procure, by conſent of Litigants, a ſolemne Superſedeas, if not Concluſion to debates, (an averſion to theſe heathen Agones, which afford nothing, but to the combatant blowes, and leaves to the conquerour,) above all, that it may provide us, by this truce, a greater vacancy for the continued exerciſes of reall Piety, and engage us to make diligent uſe of it, (to adde, as to our Faith vertue, (or courage,) ſo to our Godlineſſe brotherly-kindneſſe, and to foreign, 2. Pet. 1. 5.that the yet higher aſcent and accompliſhment of charity,) that it may compact us all into that union that moſt ſuccesfully contributes to our growth, and ſo poſſeſs us of that qualification, to which immarceſſible joyes are awarded by our Righteous Judge, ſhall be continually the prayer, as in the following ſheetes it hath been the ſincere ſingle endeavour, of
Feſto Omnium Sanctorum. Your-fellow Labourer H. HAMMOND.