The Blind Guide, Chapter 4 · Letter 2
SIR,
Unde…ſtanding of your purpoſe to returne an anſwer to Maſter John Goodwins booke,Maſter Calamy his Vindication. and finding that therein I am brought upon the ſtage as one that, in a Sermon preached Jan. 12.1644. ſhould ſay ſomething to countenance that heterodox opinion of his, That a naturall man hath power to believe and repent. I thought it my duty, ſo far at leaſt to vindicate my ſelfe and my Miniſtry, as to intreate you to inſert in your Anſwer thus much as from me, by way of reply.
1. That I do and alwaies did abhorre that proud, Pelagian, and Arminian Tenent. And that 1. becauſe it ſeemes to me, as it is defended by him in his booke, to ſet up free will, (which by the fall of Adam is no longer liberum but ſervum arbitrium) in the place of free grace. And to make free will to put the difference betweene the Elect and the Reprobate, and not free grace, which is coutrary to Rom. 9.11, 18. Eph. 1.5, 11. 1 Tit. 1.9.
2. Becauſe it makes a man able by nature to do ſomething that will poſitively and infallibly diſpoſe and prepare him to converſion, which is contrary to Rom. 11.35. John 15.5. John 6.44. And contrary to right reaſon alſo, as*N…lil ſe diſponit ad gradum altiorem quam habet natura. Atqui gra…ia regenerans excedit totam naturem, quicquid igitur eſt à viribus naturae id inferioris eſt ordinis & improportionatum ad gratiam. Poteſt quidem homo minus peccando, mi…us indiſpoſitus reddi ad recipiendam gratiam, quam alius ſed nihil tamen facere poteſt, per quod ad gratiam diſponatur. Voſſi hiſtoria Pelagiana. lib. 4. part. 1. & pag. 420. pag. 419. Diſpoſitio ad gratiam eſt pars converfionis noſtr…: Converſio autem eſt opus Divinwn, Pſal. 85.5. Lam. 5.21. Voſſius excellently ſheweth.
3. Becauſe his opinion, as he defends it, ſeems to me wholly to take away the neceſſity of preventing grace, and to make the grace of converſion to be ſubſequent onelyonly to mans naturall endeavours, or at leaſt but concomitant. Which is contrary to Iſa. 65.5. Rom. 9.16.
4. Becauſe the Scripture ſets out the foreign and inability of anaturall man to beleeve, and repent in ſuch full and expreſſe termes, as that (as I conceive) it is impoſſible to be my opinion without wreſting the Scriptures. Witneſſe Gen. 6.5. Gen 8.21. Jer. 17.9. Eccl. 36.26. Mat. 7.18. John 5.25. Rom 8.7. Rom. 5.6, 10. 1 Cor. 2.14. 2 Cor. 3.5. Epheſ. 2.1, 2, 3, Col. 2.13. John 3.6. and divers others of the like nature. The Scripture doth not onelyonly ſay, That a man by nature is in the darke, (as Maſter G. erroneouſly affirmes) but that he is darkneſſe, Eph. 5.8. not onelyonly that he wants light, but that he wants eyes alſo, Deut. 29.4. Not onelyonly that he is de ad in ſinnes, in regard of the guilt of ſinne, (as Maſter G. ſaith) but alſo in regard of all ſpirituall ability to raiſe himſelfe, as appeareth by the next argument.
5. Becauſe converſion in Scripture is not onelyonly ſaid to be a giving of light to one that hath eyes before (is Maſter G. ſaith) but a giving of ſight alſo, Iſa. 42.7. Lu. 4.18. It is not onelyonly a giving an immediate actuall or preſent capacity (as Mr. G. minceth it contrary to Scripture) but it is a ſutting within us a principle of ſpirituall life. It is not onelyonly a raiſ…ng us up from the guilt of ſinne, but it is a beſtowing upon us a new heart, and a new Spirit, it is a ſpirituall reſurrection and regeneration, 1 Pet. 1.23. Ja. 1.1…. John 3.3. Ezek. 36.26. And therefore as a naturall man cannot contribute any thing to his naturall being, no more can he contribute any thing properly to his ſupernaturall being.
Theſe and divers other reaſons have induced me alwaies ſince I knew what belonged to Divinity, to deteſt and abhorre this his unſound and unjuſtifiable opinion.
There is a ſecond thing that I would have you likewiſe to put into your Anſwer.
Secondly, That I am much wronged and abuſed in what Maſter G. relates concerning the Sermon I preached Jan. 12.1644. The truth is, looking over my notes, I finde that I made two Sermons upon the Doctrine mentioned in the Booke. In which I laid downe this poſition quite contrary to his aſſertion, That man by nature is dead in ſin and treſpaſſes, unable to do any thing that is ſpiritually good, as he ought to do. That man by nature is unable to believe and repent, and is like the cold earth, able of it ſelfe to bring forth briers and thornes, but not able to do any thing pleaſing to God, in order to eternall life, unleſſe he be enabled by the ſeed of grace ſorcen in his heart by Gods holy Spirit. Indeed I added,
That a man unconverted, remaining unconverted, might do that that was right in the ſight of the Lord, he might do bonum though not benè. And by the helpe of the Holy Ghoſt in the common worke of it, he might do many things in order to ſalvation. And that the reaſon why he is damned, is not for want of power, but for not improving the power he hath; not for cannot, but will not.
But then I ſubjoyned two other poſitions.
1. That no unconverted man did ever improve the power that God hath given him, but doth give advantage to God to damne him for voluntary refuſing to do what he hath power to do.
2. That though an unconverted man did improve his naturall abilities to the utmoſt of his power, yet notwithſtanding God was not bound by any promiſe to beſtow the grace of converſion upon him. This I proved by five arguments too long here to repeat.
And thus I have given you a ſhort account of what concerns me in his Booke. I have but a word more to ſay; and that is to a paſſage in the 131 page, in which he ſaith, He will not ſo far abuſe me, as to call me either learned or pious. For my part, I thanke God I am not ſolicitous what he or his Pulpit-Incendiary ſay of me. I have learned of my great Maſter to requite good for evill, and to heape coales of fire upon their heads, which I deſire may be in remedium, not in ruinam. The great God guide us all into the wayes of peace, truth and holineſſe. So prayeth
Your loving Brother in the worke of the Mineſtry. EDM. CALAMY.
What a vaſt Ocean of ſcorns, jeers, vilifyings, childiſh ventoſities, and prophane puffs of wit do I ſayle through, before I can eſpy the leaſt point or ſpot of land, any thing wherein he ſo much as pretends to theologicall argumentation? ſollid matter lodgeth in his great booke of words, as a childe of two dayes old in the great bed of Ware. Going over many pages fill'd with nothing but with ſcum and ſcurrility, he vents, among hundreds of other ſuch unſavoury paſſages, this gentle expreſſion:
Sect. 90.Yo. Eld. p. 85. Sect 90. Confident I am, that there foreign was a g…neration of Chriſtians (ſcarce of men) ſo bloody in aſſerting their opinions, &c. as the greateſt part of the London Subſcripturients.
I marvaile not at your confidence, Solomon tels me who it is that rageth and is conf…dent, Prov. 14.16.
Fo… the bloody aſſerting, &c. never were the veines of any writings ſo fill'd with the blood which you ſpeake of, as thoſe of this laſt and worſt of your pamphlets; certainly when you wrote it, you were under a quatidian fury, or ſick of the miſerere mei; the Reader beholds you vomiting your excrements of ſcurrility and wrath in every page; what is there that you mention through your booke (if you would have it help you) but either you feigne it your friend, or elſe you frowne upon it, that it may not dare to be your enemy, the Scriptures, the Fathers, your mother Tongue, your oppoſites, againſt their bent and mindes, are threatned unleſſe they ſtoop to your ſence and ſervice; Scriptures muſt ſpeake for you againſt themſelves, and Ʋrijab-like muſt carry letters for their owne deſtruction; Bucer, Ball, the Father, under the paine of ſelf-contradiction, and of being accounted naked and unſtable, muſt turn Pelagians.Yo. Eld. p. 5. p. 76, 79.
If you will have it ſo, it muſt be ſence for the garment to be clothed with the man, and it muſt be as proper to ſay, exchange this thing into another, as to ſay exchange it for another thing. Who ever will lift up a pen againſt you, muſt expect no other guerden, but to have your pen caſed in his heart, and to lye bleeding at the feet of your writings; the pulling downe of Sion Coll…dge ſhall be voted the taking away of the pillar of all impiety and oppoſition to the truth; all the workes that ever ſtood it out againſt you muſt be demoliſht and diſmantled: Your next wrath is expected againſt thoſe daring (and yet more knowing than daring) men, who have priz… your works that now lye upon the hands of your late bookſellers widow, but for waſt paper; which by the way I note as a juſt retribution of providence, that thoſe writings which value the Scriptures below the Word of God, ſhould themſelves be valued below the word of man.
You recite an argument which you brought in Sion Coll. viſited, Sect. 91. p. 85.to prove that naturall men have eyes to ſee ſpirituall things. Naturall men (ſay you) have eyes to ſee becauſe it is not needleſſe for Satan to blinde them.
I deny'd your conſequence, and gave you the ground of that my denyall, viz. becauſe the Scripture ſaith, 1 Cor. 2.14. The naturall man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God.
After your ſcoffs (which I anſwer with neglect) you returne thus?
1. You ſay, That by foreign the naturall man is not meant the man that is ſimply naturall or unregenerate, but ſuch a kinde of men wh…m the Apoſtle cals carnall, babes in Chriſt, meaning weake Chriſtians. Confidently concluding from my producing of this Scripture for this purpoſe, I underſtand little of it.
Anſw. I had rather ſuſpect any interpretation of Scripture, when you ſay 'tis true and ſound, than when you ſay 'tis falſe and miſunderſtood.
You have the ſtreame of godly and learned Interpreters againſt you. Piſcator takes this naturall man for a man that Nihil eximium in ſe habet prater animam rationalem, qui non eſt regenitus; a man that hath nothing excellent but a rationall ſoule, and is not borne agains, Anſ. ſaith, this naturall man is one Qui animalium more verſatur, qui put at nihil eſſe p…ſt mortem, one that lives like a brute creature, and thinks there's nothing more after death to be expected. Ambroſe thus: Animalis homo p…coribus ſimilis, &c. Ambr. in Lee. Senſum in terram deprimit, idea que non …ſſequitur niſi quae v…let, … put…t aliquid poſſe fieri quam quomodo …, ideo quicquaid aliter audit quam norit, ſt…ltum juditar. Theophilact. foreign Oecumen foreign.This naturall man like the beaſts, keeps downe his ſence to the earth, and therefore he only reacheth what be ſees, nor thinketh he that any thing can be, but as he beares; therefore whatever he heares to be otherwiſe, he judgeth it fooliſh. Theophilact ſaith, This naturall man is one that is given altogether to naturall reaſonings thinking not that he wants ſ…our from alove.
Oecumenius thus: The naturall man is one that lives after the fleſh, and hath not his underſtanding enlightned by the Spirit.
Theadoret thus: Qui Contentus propriis Cogitationibus, ſpiritus doctrinam non admi…tit, One that is pleaſed with his owne cogitations and gives no admittance to the Doctrine of the Spirit.Calv. in Loc. Homi…em onimalem vecat queml. bet hominem ſolis naturae facult tibus praelitum in puris natural…tus relictum. Ter ſpiritu…lem intelli…iur is eujus m…ns illuminatione ſpiri…us Dei regitur.
Calvin ſaith, By the Naturall man is meant a man endowed onelyonly with the faculties of nature, and by the ſpirituall, a man whoſe minde is governed by the illumination of the Sprit.
I ſhall make bold to inſtruct my inſtructor out of Iſidorus Peluſiota, Ep. l. 5. Ep. 128. foreign &c. The Scripture diſtinguiſheth (as he ſhews) between the foreign, the foreign. The Carnall, the naturall, and the ſpirituall. The Carnall that fall, by reaſon of their weakneſſe, into many wayes that are fleſhly. Naturall, that follow the reaſoning of the naturall minde and underſtanding. The ſpirituall that are adorned with the gift of the holy Ghoſt, and are illuminated above nature, as (he divinely expreſſe…h it) foreign, having gotten above naturall reaſonings.
I ſtay in Arminius, Diſp. 11. Theſ. 8.who ſaith, Mens hominis (non renati) in iſto ſtain Caeca eſt, ſalutari Dei, ejuſ que voluntatis cognitione deſtituta, non capax illorum, quae ſunt ſpiritus Dei, juxta Apoſlolum, Animalis homo, &c. The minde of an unregenerate man (ſaith he) is blinde and deſtitute of the ſaving knowledge of God and of his will, not able to receive the things of the Spirit of God, according to the Apoſtle, The naturall man, &c. I add, the ſame kind of men are ſpoken of by Iude,
The Apoſile, verſ. 19. he joyning foreign, & foreign, Seperatiſts ſenſuall or naturall, not having the Spirit, together. So James joynes naturall and devilliſh together, the 3. cap. 15. ver. The wiſdome that is not from above is ſenſitall or naturall foreign, and devilliſh, ſo that the naturall man, 1 Cor. 2.14. is unregenerate.
2. You ſay, That by naturall man, is meant a weake beleever, becauſe by naturall here, and carnall cap. 3.1.3. are meant the ſame men. Now by carnall there is meant the weak beleever.
Anſw. Its evident that the carnall man ſpoken of, cap. 3.1. and the naturall man ſpoken of in cap. 2.14. are not the ſame. That carnall man was a babe in Chriſt, and therefore he was ſuch an one as had the Spirit of Chriſt dwelling in him, Rom, 8.9. This naturall man was ſuch an one as bad not received the Spirit, ver. 12.14.
3. You endeavour to prove that by carnall man, cap. 3.1. and by naturall man, c. 2.15. are meant the ſame,
Becauſe the ſame kinde of perſons whom he cals ſpirituall is oppuſed both the naturall man, c. 2.15. and to the carnall, c. 3.1.
Anſw. Away with this trifling; a man may be oppoſed to a beaſt and a childe, therefore a beaſt and a childe are the ſame; dicite Jo. Paean, cop 2.15. the ſpirituall and naturall man differ ſtatu, as a man that hath the ſpirit from him that hath it not; but c. 3.1. the ſpirituall man and the carnall differ onelyonly gradu, in degree and meaſure of participation of the ſame ſpirit, as you your ſelf aſſert.
4. You ſay, That the Apoſtle doth not ſpeake ſimply or in generall of the things of God, nor particularly of things ſimply neceſſary to be beleeved to ſalvation, but onelyonly of the deep things of God, which things, v. 6. he had called wiſdome.
Anſw. The contrary is evident by the context that the Apoſtle ſpeakes generally of the things of the Goſpell, Chriſt crucified, c. 1.24. made to us of God, wiſdome, &c. c. 1.30, &c. of the wiſdome of God, c. 2.7. as oppoſed to the wiſdome of this world, v. 6. the manifold wiſdome of God made known by the Church, Ep. 3.10. All the Goſpell is a great myſtery, 1 Tim. 3.16. A myſtery kept ſecret. Rom. 16.25. Into which the Angels deſire to looke, 1 P. 1.12. Though in this myſtery there be greater and leſſer deeps, yet all are deeps, ſo deep as that none of the princes of this world did know them, by the ſpirit we coming to know the things that are given us by God. Chryſoſt. 1 Cor. 2.8. Chryſ. in Loc. foreign. Perfectos voc…t non qui aſiquuti ſunt plenam ſapi…ntra…, ſed qui ſano ſunt & in corrupto jud cio Caiv. in Loc.by the wiſdome you ſpeake of, which the Apoſtle preacht to thoſe that were perfect, underſtands it of the preaching of life and ſalvation by the death of Chriſt, and by the perfect ones beleevers, &c. And Calvin upon the place ſaith, That by perfect ones the Apoſtle underſtands not thoſe that had atteyned to high degree of knowledge, but thoſe that were of a ſound judgement.
5. You ſay, That man meerly naturall may be uncapable of theſe, and yet be apprehenſive of ſuch of the things of God, the knowledge whereof is of abſolute neceſſity to ſalvation, as Generally of the duties commanded in the Morall Law, of the eternall power and Godhead manifeſted in the creation, &c.
Anſw. The things of the Law, or of the eternall power and Godhead, are not the things of which the Apoſtle is ſpeaking, or which you and I are diſputing of. The things we are now ſpeaking of, are the things freely given us to our glory; for thoſe other, which you ſay naturall men are apprehenſive of, duties of the Morall Law which are abſolutely neceſſary to ſalvation, &c. if you ſay they are abſolutely neceſſary to ſalvation, I yeeld it, as ſine quibus non eſt ſalu…, but not as Cum quibus eſt ſalus; by the way, let the Reader but conſider this arch-argumentator, who from this his expoſition, That weak Chriſtians are not capable of the deep things of God, undertakes to prove that the naturall man may underſtand thoſe things which are neceſſary to ſalvation.
In your 94.Pag. 88. Se. 94. Section you ſay, That power which the Apoſtle here denyes to his naturall man, of knowing the things of God, may well may of neceſſity muſt be underſtood onelyonly of an immediate, actuall, or preſent capacity of power, ſo that his meaning may be carely this: The naturall man, while he continues meerly ſuch, hath no principle or power actually and de praeſenti to know ſavingly the things of the Spirit of God; but this proveth not but that a naturall man may have ſuch principles, even for the preſent, which by a regular improvement, and ſuch, whereof by the never denyed aſſiſtance of Grd at firſt, he is very capable, may advance and riſe through the ordinary bleſſing of God in ſuch caſes, into ſuch a capacity or power as is contended for; a youth of twelve yeares of age cannot conſtrue a Chapter in the Hebrew Bible, he hath no immediate actuall power, yet ſuch a power he hath, by the improvement whereof he will according to the ordinary courſe of Gods providence be able to do it, &c.
Anſw. Why do you ſo flagg and faulter in giving us the meaning of the Apoſtles ſaying, This power may well be underſtood, &c. the meaning may onelyonly be this, &c. Did your heart miſgive you? take heed; uncertainty, I feare, is your puniſhment, though you pretend confidence.
2. That the naturall man hath no power to know ſavingly the things of the Spirit of God, I acknowledge for an undeniable truth.
3. When you ſay, Nevertheleſſe this proveth not but ſuch a man may have ſuch principles by a regular improvement, &c. I told you before of your foggy conceptus; you might have ſpoken your ſelf a Pelagian, as plainly as now you do, with half theſe words.
1. Theſe principles you ſpeake of, by the improvement whereof he may riſe to the power contended for, I ſuppoſe are thoſe which you mention Divine Auth. pag. 200. reaſon, judgement, underſtanding. memory, &c. if you meane not theſe let me heare.
2. By the never denyed affiſtance of God, whereby a man is capable of improvement &c. at firſt. If you meane not a generall concourſe of God, afforded and given to every man as a man, and as created of God, according to that paſſage, Yo. Eld. p. 11. Where you told us, becauſe nature is not given away from God, whatever is aſcribed unto nature, is no derogating from the grace of God, cleare your ſelfe.
3. By advancing into ſuch a power as is contended for, you muſt underſtand a power of knowing ſavingly, and beleeving the things of the Spirit of God. The ſumme of all which is thus much: A naturall man, by the ordinary aſſiſtance and bleſſing of God, afforded to every one, may ſo improve his naturall Principles of Reaſon, Judgement, Memory, &c. as ſavingly to know and believe the things of God.
This your ſimilitude of a youth that may be paines acquire skill in the tongues further declareth to be your meaning, by which wretched opinion you hold out, That there's nothing in grace above nature, which nature may not reach unto; or rather, That grace it ſelfe is nothing but poliſht nature. But how ſtands this with the words of the Apoſtle, who ſaith, That the naturall man cannot know the things of God, becauſe they are ſpirituaily diſcerned, and elſewhere, That the carnall minde cannot be ſubject to the Law of God, as being enmity againſt God. Can all the paines, improvement, polliſhing, make nature any other than nature, and make a naturall man to underſtand or believe any thing but after a naturall manner? can it give ability to know ſpiritually? can all the care, and coſt, and dreſſing, make a bad tree to be of a good kinde, and while bad, to bring forth good fruit?
I adde in explication of this of the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 1.14. and for your information; that excellent paſſage of learned Muſculus upon the place, Confert, utrin que tam hominem, &c.Muſc. in Loc. Confert. utrin que tum hominem animalem tum ſpiritum dei, & doces ita eſſe comparatum hominem animalem, ut quae ſpiritus Dei ſunt nequeat cognoſcere, quemadmodum ſi dicas beſtiam cognoſcere non poſſe quae bominum ſunt plus intereſt inter animolem hominem, & ſpiritum Dei, deinde & inter intellectam hominis, & ea quae ſunt Dei, qu…m inter hominem & beſtiam.
The Apoſtle compareth the naturall man (ſaith he) and the Spirit of God, and he teacheth, That the naturall man cannot know the things of the Spirit, any more than a beaſt the things of a man, &c.
In your 95.Yo. Eld. p. …9. Sect. 95. Section you produce a double conſtruction of the Apoſtles words, 1 Cor. 2.14. The naturall man cannot know the things of the Spirit, &c. This unabtlity (you ſay) may either be underſtand of the great…d d…ffi…ultie that lyes in the way of ſuch men; to attame the knowledge of theſe things, or elſe of their preſent, actuall ind…ſp … to …nder them capable of ſuch knowledge.
Anſw. I meet in theſe …ections with a ſea of words, and a … of matter, you multiply expreſſions to no purpoſe.
1. If you ſay. The naturall man is unable in the former ſence, becauſe of the … that lyeth in his way, &c. you are a …, and that by your owne cleare confeſſion; which is in theſe very words: The … Auſtin and Pelagius, was, … ſimply and abſolutely neceſſary, for the … to do that which is good, &c. which was Auſtius opinion; or, Whether it was neceſſary … by way of acconm…dation and facilitation for ſuch a perfromance; which was the ſence of ….Yo. Eld. p. 51. 52. Quicurq. … vit ideo … gra…am …, ut, quod face…, jabemur rer lihernm … faci…ius peſſimus … per gratram, ta quam & … vina ma data, Anathema ſit De … ſine me difficalius poteſtis facere, ſed art ſine … facere. Conc. Afr. Can. Cap. 5. And if this be your opinion with Pelagius. why bring you the Fathers particularly Auſtin, as joyning with you in the point of the … of grace, in Sion Coll. viſited? when as, by your owne …, An…in was againſt you and your …. I ſhall adde you were condemned for holding this opinion long before you were borne.
2. If the latter be your opinion, viz. That naturall men are … their preſent and actuall indiſpoſedneſſe and …, &c. Beſides that I ſave confuted it before; it is eviden…ly coutrary to thoſe Texes of Scripture imp…dently and impert…nently cited by your ſelf for your ſelf. as Matt. 12.24 Hew … being evill ſpeak good things, Joh. 5.44. How can yee beleeve, &c. Job 6.44. No man can come to me, unleſſe the Father …, &c. Jo. 12.39. Therefore they could not believe, &c. Joh. 15. Without we can d… nothing, and Joh. 14.17. The Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive, &c. Rom. 8.8. They that are in the fleſh cannot pltaſe God, (to which you might as well have added, had it not oppos'd you a little too palpably) Rom. 8.7. The carnall minde is enmity againſt God, for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. Theſe Scriptures clearely teaching that though man have a ſoul paſſively capeable of ſaving grace, faith, knowledge, repentance, &c. and his want of them be indeed accompanied with preſent hatred and contempt of them, yet that he is alſo abſolutely unable to attaine them, and that it is poſſible onelyonly to God to worke them in him; nor do you in alledging theſe Scriptures, for me an argument out of them, to prove that this want of power is onelyonly in regard of actuall indi poſedneſſe. Sure I a…, you might have rais'd ſeverall arguments againſt that your curſed and rotten expoſition; as, That its an impotency conſiſting in the want of a ſpirituall principle and faculty ſuitable to the duties and performances which men are ſaid to be unable to do, with ut me ye can do nothing,Joh. 15.5.1 Cor. 2 14 The naturall man cannot know the things of God, for they are ſpiritually diſcerned, Mat. 7.18. a co…rupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, Mat. 12.34. how can ye being …bill ſpeake good things, Rom. 8.8. They that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God; and as the naturall mans impotency proceeds from the defect of a ſpirituall principle, ſo for the removall of that impotency, God beſtoweth a new principle of ſpirituall life, (which were needleſſe if mans impotency proceeded onelyonly from actuall indiſpoſedneſſe) Ezek. 36.26. A new heart will I give you and a new ſpirit will I put into you, and I will give you a heart of fleſh. And that its not an impotency that proceeds onelyonly from actuall indiſpoſedneſſe or unwillingneſſe, is cleare in that a naturall man cannot but be indiſpoſed,Joh. 6.44. and unwilling to every ſpi…tuall act; to believe and repent, &c. No man can come to me except the Father draw him; Joh. 14.17.No man can be willing or conſent, unleſſe the Father make him ſo; the world cannot receive the ſpirit. The like alſo is evident from, Rom. 8.7. The carnall minde is enmity againſt God, and cannot be ſubject to the Law of God, &c.
Theſe are the principall paſſages which I finde in his Booke, wherein he pretends either to Scripture or Argument; for indeed the buſineſſe of argumentation, is but the by-worke of this his big work.) The bulk of his booke, being a heap of defamations and ſcurrilities, fitter for a ſinke than a ſtudy, concerning which, I ſay, 'twere eaſie to returne him reviling for revileng; but this were to lay aſide the Miniſter, the Chriſtian, nay the man; and as ridiculous as for a man whom an aſſe hath kickt,Yo. Eld. p. 1. to kick the aſſe again. I ſhal couclude mine (mutatis mutandis) as M. Goodwin began his: Though more truly. For a great part of Mr. Goodwin his pamphlet, the conſtitution and complexion of it, eaſeth me of the labour of making any anſwer or reply unto it; for conſiſting of ſuch reproaches, vilifications. and diſparagements (the madneſſe whereof is ſufficiently knowne unto and cryed out againſt by all men) I ſhould but actum agere, and do that which is abundantly done already to my bond, if I ſhould go about to poſſeſſe men of ſobriety and judgement, with the unſavourineſſe thereof.
FINIS.
ERRATA.
PAg. 5. Marg. read Ac. 1. 25. p. 2. l. ult, for ſtreames read ſteames; p. 13. l. 35. r. pore, than himſelf, p 14. l. 25. inſtead of for, r. only …o amaze. p 17 l. 2. r. their, l. 3 r. not. p. 26. l. 25. r. neaver, p. 31. m. r. Cc. de Scar. d 36. m. l. 15. r divinarum, p. 37 l. 15. r. wa… p. 40 l. penult, r place, what follower, p. 41. l. 32 r. ſumimus, p. 43. m r. ſcript. p. 47. l 3…. r. tradita, p. 58. l. r. revealed, p. 77. m. r. hominis, p. 77. m. r. efficaciffir… p. 80. m r. concupiſcentem, p. 81. l. 11. r. illum, p. 85. m. r. qua ſemper mala, ib. l. arb… um, p. 86. l. 25. l. ſcriptures, p. 87. l. 14. r. makes p. 88. l. 25. r. undervalewing, ib. in m. …. ut. p. 89. m. l. perpetrando. p. 94. l. 34. r. and. l. penult, del you, p. 95. l. 9. r. cauſality, p. 93. l. 5. dele of, p. 117. l. 30. r. foreign.
End of the text · William Jenkyn, The Blind Guide (1648)