The Lightless Star, Letter
An Answer to Mr. JOHN GOODWINS LETTER, Vainly by him Entituled, Confidence dismounted.
Sir,
WHy you had not my Answer sooner, you may find in my Epistle to the Reader, viz. Because I intended something else besides an Answer to your Letter; which indeed I should not have answered at all, but onelyonly to make good the particulars of my charge, which you challenge me to. I shall therefore touch upon other things, as no better than impertinent, generally, and hasten to that.
First, you find some exception against my reflection upon you in the Title and Epistle of my former Book, that you never saw my face, never heard of my name before; Your meaning, I suppose, is, to render me a son of the Earth, an obscure and worthless man. I confess my self such an one: But what if God will by the foolish and weak things of the World confound the Wise and Mighty? You might have made this construction thence, that I had no animosity against your person upon any private interest, you having never done me harm neither, which you mention as another aggravation; but onelyonly upon the publick interest of Truth and Christianity did I touch upon you.
Secondly, whereas the main of your grief and distaste is, that I have uttered hard sayings against the Truths of God. If they had been Truths which you defended, you had sayd something. That which follows, representing me according to the practice of the Heathen, cloathing the Christians in Wolves, and Bears skins, &c. As likewise your high scorn of my expectation to give any stop to your Gangrene, may pass for a strain of Mr. Iohn Goodwins Rhetorique: But whereas you charge the Truths of God by me maintained, as monstrous Principles, uncouth, hard, and horrid Notions concerning God, this passage I must put amongst your consequentiall Blasphemies.
In the next place you declame against my Book as a dead Drug, lying upon my hands; it is now in the hands of men, let it answer for it self: But whereas you so magnifie your self, as though you was another Luther, a man of such name, weight, and worth, that great preferment is little enough to discourage any to oppose you, you are in a pleasing dream. It is not unlikely but divers hands will be against you; … … what terme? onelyonly as an Ishmael … …nitie. After this you tell me, it … reasonably be thought by any thing in my Book, that I ever looked so much as a line of your Book in the face. I see your mighty reason deludes your self as much in your conjectures, as it strives to do others in your Doctrines. Truly, Sir, I was not so scared with your Medusa's head, but I durst look upon it. And still I must tell you, there are those. Truths maintained in that little Book of mine, which overturn your Babel. In the next place you tell me, that I, or some Factor of mine, purchased the Outcries of two Diurnalists, whereas indeed I neither knew, nor thought of any such thing till I saw it done: but howsoever, it is a thing of common course, and for ought I know without offence, for them to give notice of such Books as are newly printed.
After this you fall into a raving fit of pride and bitterness, where I leave you to come to your self. Then you beseech me by the love I bear, or pretend to bear to the Lord Christ (which, comparing your sweet water with your bitter, I conceive a Pharicall prophanation of the name of Christ) to tell with what goodness of Conscience, &c. I can say that the main Truths of God, concerning his Electing and Redeeming Grace have been highly assaulted by you. For answer, I refer you to my instances of your consequential Blasphemies, at the end of this my Rescript, and so your admonition here subjoyned may pass. After this you run your descants, that I termed you an unhappy man. But, Sir, to let aside your trifling, I therefore call you an unhappy man, because you are a bold instrument to serve Satan against the Truth, and that not onelyonly whiles you live, but in after Ages too, when your bones shall be as rotten in the Grave, as your Errours are now in the World.
Next you tell me what a daring hand you have for the Truth. Happy was you if you sayd true; less unhappy, if the contrary was not true, That your hand is daring against the Truth. For the Title of your Book, Redemption Redeemed, whether right or no, you shall be judged you say by a streighter Rule than my notion: No doubt, and that to your shame.
In the next place, you tell me that I little know what Arminianism indeed meaneth. If I be amongst those that know not the depths of Satan, I am not much the worse; but so much I know of it, as I know that Arminius and Mr. Goodwin are Master and Scholar against the Truth of the Gospel. Then you tax me for dictating rather than arguing. Sir, I was then doing another thing, than taking your book to task; I doubt not but you shall find that in this following discourse I have argued with you.
In the next place you resent it very deeply, that I should pray that the Lord would rebuke you. Our Saviour divers times rebuked his Disciples, and Satan in one of his great Apostles: why we may not pray that in Mr. Goodwin he would rebuke the spirit of Error, I know not: I think we pray it in effect as often as we pray, that His Kingdom may come.
After this you challenge me to shew you, where you at all, much less seriously, despise the peculiar Grace of God, & boldly bid defiance to it. I answer, the whole bent of your discours, is both against it, & against Election the ground of it, & carried on with much defiance; And even here where you would wipe off this spot, you shew what an adversary you are to it, by a famous contradiction. You demonstrate (you say) the peculiarity of it; that is, in your interpretation, the signal excellency & glory of it to consist in this, that it encompasseth the whole world about, and particularly addresseth it self to every creature of Mankind. A worthy demonstration! peculiar, because common; such a thing is light, because it is darkness. Would any man have thought that Mr. Goodwins Logick could not distinguish between particular and peculiar? And that what is common, that is, belonging to all (suppose particularly presented and tendered) should yet be peculiar, that is, belonging onelyonly to some?
I do not much wonder that you have proved all Orthodox Writers of Primitive and Modern times to be with your self Pelagian, forasmuch as you can prove one opposite species to be another, therefore the same because opposite; here is a way of demonstration, which neither Euelide nor Arch…ede ever dreamed of.
Concerning the saving Grace of God, you say that we hold it so decreed to them that shall be saved, that there is an absolute nenecessity duplicate page duplicate page for them to embrace it: You knovv that we maintain the necessity flowing from the Decree of God. In this argument is an hypotheticall necessity. For your own Tenet here it may well be added to your monstrous conclusions. For your challenge of the University, here you lay down my words, where you make much a do about the word it, when I say that you may set it off bravely, what this it should refer to. Briefly, it is an indefinite expression very usuall, as much as if I had sayd, that you might set off the matter bravely. Then you deny that you challenge the University: It is evident hence that you do; because though disjunctively you desire their attestation or contestation, yet so confident are you, that if your doctrin be not (as indeed it is nothing less) the Truth of God, you are an high Blasphemer more than once.
Upon this occasion you inform me of some gracious characters found in Arminius, and hereupon I must crave leave to inform you, that Pelagius was an errant Heretique, though a man so far of name for Piety, that Austin in his first Writings against him, forbore to name him, that he might preserve his honour. By this time you are come to the particulars of my charge, and here you are very willing to tell me that I had not read your book. Truly, Sir, I had been a very adventurous man, if I had proclamed you a nourisher of those evil beasts, and had not taken notice of their dens, that I might point them out when called thereto. Though this I will grant you (how much or little soever I had read) a man need not read one quarter of your Book to make good such a charge. But why did I not with one pointed Argument draw blood of this evill beast? That which then I had to do, was onelyonly to give warning against it, and the book by me published doth afford many Arguments against your Doctrins, though it be no formall answer to your Book.
And whereas here you twit me proverbially in these words, Is it fair for you to say, that you never indeed read all Chrysostoms Works, whereas you never read so much as one line of them? I shall for answer return you a few lines out of Chrysostome, which methinks run very cross to your Doctrin (in your long digression contended for, but all in vain) of the Apostafie of True Beleevers. foreign Chrys. Ser. 3. in 2 Cor. 1. v. 22, 22.foreign. I care not if I English it for the Readers sake. Again by what is past, what is to come is confirmed; for if it be he that establisheth us in Christ (that is, that suffers us not to be moved aside from the Faith in Christ) and he that hath annoynted us, and given the holy Spirit in our hearts, how shall he not give us the things to come? For if he hath given the beginnings, and the foundations, and the root, and the fountain (as the true knowledge of himself, the participation of his Spirit) how shall he not give us the rest? For if those things be given for these, much more he that hath given these will also give those. And if he gave us these things whilst we were yet enemiet, much more will he freely give those things to us being made friends: Wherefore he said not simply the Spirit, but called it the Earnest, that thence thou mightst trust boldly for the whole; for except he would give the whole, he would not have chosen to give the Earnest, and to lose it vainly, and to no end.
In that which next followes, you please your self with vain talk, then you pick a quarrell with me for my Antithesis, when I say Mr. Goodwins boldness will excite modesty, you like it better to oppose impudence to modesty, take what you like; I hoped a soft word might have found pardon.
Hence you pass to the particulars of my Charge, all which I shall give you in a Catalogue by and by, mean time touching upon particulars.
First, Imperiall dictates, the sum of what you say here is, 1. That you abound with Arguments no less than Newcastle with Coles: Well, sometimes good Homer may be taken napping. 2. You fly upon the Assembly of Divines, as if the Confession of Faith by them set forth was not proved. Sir, by Scripture it is proved, but whether all those Scriptures you will allow, or not, I cannot tell; this I know, they are many of them above, many of them cross to your reason, and therefore it is not according to your rule to allow them.
Secondly, monstrous Conclusions, these you tell me are the genuine issue of mine own Principles, you shall see the contrary presently. Then you give me as my Prophets, and Founders of my Faith, in Election, &c. Calvin, Musculus, Bullinger, Martyr, &c. And this, &c. takes in Beza, Luther, Piscat…r, Pareus, Zanchy, Perkins, Twisse, A…es, Rivet, and whom not of savoury name and eminent service in the Church of God, since her coming out of mysticall Babylon? These not Founders of Faith, but blessed Instructers in the Faith, and Defenders of it; the Synod of Dort, the only Synod of eminency since the Protestant name, you grant me a little after. Who now are the men of your Faith? What obscure names compared with these? Armi…ius that bold corrupter of the Truth, Bertius the Apostate, Tilenus his brother in Apostacy, Corvinus Squire of the body to Arminius, with such like.
Thirdly, your wrested Quotations; if I should instance in the Scriptures wrested by you, together with Authors, I must instance your whole Book—Tolli tota theatra jube,—I shall therefore in this place give you a taste of Quotations out of Authors onelyonly. The speciall reason of your quoting Authors, you say is to shew, that your Doctrine wants not an arm of flesh to stand by it; that is, that it hath been held by Orthodox and pious men; but the defence of the truth by Orthodox and pious men, according to the Word of God, is the arm of the Spirit rather than an arm of Flesh: indeed it hath been onelyonly an arm of Flesh that hath stood by your Doctrines.
2. That the greatest opposers of your Doctrine were inconsistent with themselves; in this endeavour you shew not them inconsistent, but your self a Jugler.
Fourthly, uncouth Philosophy. This by and by with the rest of his fellowes.
Fifthly, Consequential blasphemies, here you want my Heifer to plow with, to sinde out the riddle; and then you sweat and trifle, and seem to be wandring in a filthy dream, your expressions are so immodest and unchast. I will tell you my riddle briefly. I suppose you rather blinded with error than sinning of malice against the truth, and therefore your blasphemy not intentionall: but upon supposition that they are the truths of God which you oppose, (as indeed they are his main Gospell Truths) your revilings are so high against them, as they amount to no less than high blasphemy, such as Paul was guilty of, when yet he sinn'd of ignorance and unbelief; which I was willing to allay with the term consequentiall; but forasmuch as you are at such a loss about that term, I am content you substitute, blasphemy express. Neither doe I pass that your Critick Learning will here finde fault with my Antithesis again.
Here you take occasion to tell me of a Triumphant Argument of yours against Eternall Reprobation, that it contains this blasphemy in it, That God should reprobate himself. Hem I here is a Gorgon indeed! Sir, we shall see the vanity and ridiculous foppery of this Argument when we come to examine it in your Book; in the mean time let me put one question to you that teach that God created all things at once, and that from eternity, did he create himself.
In the next place you modestly and humbly (as you say) intreat me to shew you one instance of any of these, yet your humble modesty subjoyns that I may take ten Universities to my assistance; I shall Sir give instance of every one of them, and borrow no help in a case so obvious and gross of any one University. But then you require an impossibility, that I would shew you one spot of your darkness, but that I would not shew you darkness. Sir, whilst I shew you those things, I have nothing but darkness to shew you: Indeed here ten Universities cannot assist me to satisfie your contradiction. Then you would know why I call your Doctrine Arminianism, and being one that loves to hear your self talk, you run an idle wordy descant hereupon. I have shewed you in the following discourse, wherein your Doctrine is not Arminianism onelyonly, but Jesuitism, Pelagianism, and Socinianism, as I had occasion from your Preface, and I hope to shew you more of the same kinde hereafter from your Book. As for my Sermons you have promised to destroy them by the fall of the Synod of Dort upon them, crushing them into Atomes no doubt. Sir, when this great wrack comes, I shall believe the Astrologers of our times, that the last Ecclipse of the Sun portended some notable thing. In the mean time I thank you that you have given me the Synod of Dort, now for a recompence take you the Council of Trent.
You tell me the nineth to the Romans is a wrong field wherein to dig for absolute Reprobation; but your word is no whit currant with me. You add, that I my self making my Elect ones liable to be seduced by a spirit of Error, doe little less than shake the foundation of absolute Reprobation. Here first prophanely you call them mine elect, then you argue to this purpose, this liableness to seduction is such, as indangereth the salvation of the seduced, or not. If not, 1. Care against it is in vain, because thus, Men whether Elect, or not Elect, will be liable thus far at least to be seduced, though all errors in the world were supprest. For answer; 1. Men not elect shall certainly deceive themselves, and be seduced by Satan to the loss of salvation. Your limitation (thus far at least) in reference to such, is very Atheological, nor will your Parenthesis concerning my notion salve your error here. 2. Granting what you say for the elect, yet there is a latitude in this liableness, and spirits of error are instruments fitted to seduce further, than otherwise they were likely to be; and therefore care is to be had against them, because their salvation as the end enjoyns the care of all means tending to that end, and against all things that tend to cross that end; though it be familiar to you in spight of all Logick to argue from the end to the exclusion of the means, whereas the end infers them; again, because the more they are seduced, the more they dishonor God. 2. Care against it is for their hurt, say you; to this end you add that according to my principles, all the sins of the Elect shall work for good to them, and not only be forgiven them immediately upon the Commission. But, 1. Where do I say they shall be forgiven them immediately upon the Commission? 2. Suppose the sins of the Elect in the conclusion turn to their good, even their sins not excluded that comprehensive promise, All things shall work together for good to them that love God; What then? Then you say a care of preventing their seduction would be a care to keep them from a certain benefit. For answer, let me tell you out of what School you had this Argument, truly out of the same with that prophane Caviller, Rom. 3. 5. & 7. who argues thus; but our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, therefore is God unrighteous if he take vengeance? and if the truth of God hath abounded through my lie to his glory, therefore should I do ill to forbear lying. 2. Your… Sop…istry is gross and sordid, things in themselves evill, though accidentally of good issue are to be avoyded, and what puny Sophister knows not this? Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest it not? And now having thus far wandred in the first member of your distinction, you come to the second, that if this liableness to seduction may end in the destruction of the Elect, then Election staggers, and if so, then Reprobation too: I answer, no such liableness do I understand, as that any one of the Elect ever did or ever shall perish. Then you tell me, but that you are unworthy to teach me, I might have learned from the 359. and 360. pages of your book, how impertinently I cited these words of the Apostle, the foundation of God stands sure, there will be time and place I doubt not, to shew the falshood of your interpretation there, in the mean time you are unfit indeed to teach me or any man els, because you are such a stranger to the Truth, but ere long you hope to vindicate the nineth to the Romans from the monstrous and horrid Doctrine of absolute Reprobation. Once again, the Lord rebuke thee thou devouring tongue: In the close, you profess your hopes, that I will be more tender of your name and reputation; the Lord make me tender of his Truth, and in tenderness thereof a poor instrument in his hand to blast your errors, whereupon if your name be built, it must take part with them. Now Sir, I have only a basket of your rotten figs and wilde grapes to present you with, accordding to the particulars of my charge.
A tast of M. Goodwins lovely Doctrines and Discourse in some few Instances gathered here and there (for the most part in his own words, alwaies in his own sense, where for brevity sake the words are altered) where we have,
1. His Imperiall Dictates.
1. DOubtless many persons both of men and women have been propagated and born into the world, whose parents were not determined to their generation. pag. 7.
2. He (that is, God) hath indeed determined indefinitely, and in the generall, that bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out half their days, but if we speak of any particular persons, who being bloody and deceitfull came thereby to an untimely end, neither their sin, or their suffering by an un imely end, was determined by God. p. 9.
3. The actions and motions of naturall causes are not ordinarily by the concurrence of God determined. p. 12. The like for the motion of brute Creatures (p. 13) in these words; Nor are the motions or actings of the second kinde of causes mentioned, as of birds, beasts, &c. any whit more determined than of the former by the presence of God with them in their actions, the concurrence of God with the Lamb when it runs to the dam, and when it flies from the wolf, is doubtless one and the same. Ibid.
2. His monstrous Conclusions.
1. It is a thing as unquestionable as that the Sun is up at noon day, that reason and understanding in men are competent to judge of the things of God, of all of them that are contained in the Scripture, according to the degree of their manifestation there. Praf. pag. 10.
2. Men that act according to the true principles of that reason which God hath planted in them, cannot but beleeve and be partakers in the precious Faith of the Gospel. pag. 11.
3. The Scripture knows not the Word naturall, in any sense wherby it distinguisheth the unregenerate state of man from the regenerate. pag. 12.
4. By the Natural man, 1 Cor. 2. 14, is understood the weak Christian: by the Spirituall man, the grown Christian: by the Things of God, onelyonly deep Mysteries. pag. 13.
5 God doth require of me no more belief in the Mystery of the Trinity, Incarnation of Christ, and such like, than my reason is able to apprehend. pag. 17.
6. The dayes of mans continuance on earth are not determined as so many and no more by any decree of God. Book pag. 9. Such Decrees are fitter to make an Alcoran divinity than Christian. pag. 11.
7. The Apostle Paul acquits himself and all others of all such irregular acts whereunto they are necessitated, though by an inward principle. pag. 13.
8. God might, and did absolutely determine the giving up of Christ to suffer death upon the cross, and yet not determine either that Herod or Pontius Pilate, or any other persons by name, should have acted this his determination. pag. 23.
9. When a mans person, house, or goods are consumed by fire, there is no competent ground to think that these were determined by God. pag. 25.
10. As hands, eyes, ears, grief, repentance, &c. are attributed unto God, which according to their proper signification agree not to him: so Praescience or Fore-knowledge, Election and Reprobation. pag. 29.
11. Intentions, Purposes, and Decrees, as well as Knowledge, or Fore-knowledge, are onelyonly Anthropo-pathetically ascribed unto God. pag. 32.
12. God doth not alwaies decree what he purposeth, and intendeth to effect, because he judgeth it meet to act only to a certain degree of efficiency, fo… the effecting and obtaining of some things, by which if hee cannot effect or obtain them, hee judgeth it not meet to act any further. pag. 36.
13. God never starveth his ends for want of means, and yet the things themselves are many times not obtained. Ibidem.
14. The object of Gods Fore-knowledge is far larger than the object of his intentions, or decrees: the object of his decrees, only such things which he purposeth to effect without any exception: the object of his intentions or purposes, such things onelyonly which he desireth and intendeth to give being unto, but with condition and limitation. pag. 39.
15. Love, and Hatred, Mercy, and Justice, in God towards his Creature, do not argue any different affection in him, but onelyonly a different dispensation, so that we may truly affirm that he both truly hates and loves at once, one and the same person. pag. 44.
16. If God reprobated any from Eternity, It must be himself. pag. 45.
17. When God prevailes by his Word and Spirit with men in time to believe, and during this their believing continues the same means towards their further establishment, he is sayd to have elected them. Again, when God upon mens neglect, refusall, or abuse of the means of Grace, shall withdraw these means to such a degree that they fall to open prophaness, &c. he is now said to have reprobated them. pag. 62.
18. The love of God in Election is primarily and directly pitcht upon a certain species of men, and not upon the persons of men, save by accident and indirectly only, & in a Consequential way; so that it argues no change in God, though one while he love, and another while hates the same person, because no person is the object of his Elective love, but onelyonly as righteous, nor any person the object of his reprobating hatred, but only as wicked. pag. 64.
19. The Apostles meaning in this Antithesis, not of Works, but of him that Calleth, is plainly this, not of Works, but of Faith. pag. 463
20. Elect through sanctification of the Spirit &c. this implies, that such a state and condition as this, is that very state wherein what persons should at any time be found, God in his eternall Counsels judgeth it meet to confer the honourable title of Elect upon them. Ibidem.
21. To chuse us in Christ signifies to intend purpose or decree to chuse us, as being, or when we should be in Christ by beleeving. Ibidem.
22. Though sober men will not, yet God may intend, and will, that which he knows shall never come to pass. pag. 424.
23. When God foresaw that the good gifts which he bestows upon some men would be abused by them, yet his love in giving is no whit less, because it is not in his power to have done more to the preventing of such abuse than he hath done. pag. 426.
24. The utmost extent of the power of God is to proceed no further in vouchsafing Grace or the means of Grace, than to leave men a power of rejecting the Grace offered, and so of ruining themselves. pag. 427.
25. It may be as truly and properly sayd of God, when he vouchsafeth the least sufficiency of means unto some men, as when he affordeth the greatest unto others, that he doth what he is able to do, as well for the one as the other. pag. 430.
26. When we teach that Christ died for all men, we mean that he wholly dissolved and took off from all men the guilt and condemnation that was brought upon all men by Adams transgression, so that now no man shall be condemned but for such sins onelyonly which shall be actually committed by him, o… for such omissions which was in his power to have prevented. pag. 433.
27. In this sense we desire to be understood when we affirm that God intends the salvation of all men without exception by the death of Christ, that upon this account he vouchsafeth sufficiency of means unto all men (considered as men, and before their wilfull sinning that most hainous and unpardonable sin) whereby to be saved. pag. 448.
28. All the acts and actings of God in one kind or other are joyntly and severally one and the same thing with his Nature, Essence, and Being pag. 447.
29. The doctrin of Universall Redemption, reserves Infants, and such as are defective in discretion, from the vengeance of eternal fire. pag. 478.
30. This Doctrin presents God in his decree of Reprobation, as truly and really intending the salvation of men, as in his decree of Election. pag. 479.
31. Regeneration (which the Scripture appropriates only to years of discretion) relates not to the naturall generation as such, but to the spirituall state of men, who being degenerated from the innocency of their childhood (wherein they are, if not simply, and absolutely, yet comparatively innocent, harmless, free from pride, malice, &c.) have need to be re-instated thereinto. pag. 330.
32. For the dismembring of the body of Christ, for the enterchange of members betwixt Christ and Satan, for the frequent repetition of Regeneration, there is no inconvenience, nothing unworthy of God, or of Christ in these things. pag 327, 328, 329.
33. To refrain sining customarily, & against Conscience, which kind of sin only excludes from the kingdom of God is no great matter of difficulty to the Saints. pag. 337.
3. His wrested Quotations.
1. Against the transient Actions of God in time, this following Quotation out of Peter Martyr: God moves the heart of man at a certain time, whereas he moved them not before, which notwithstanding we question not, but he doth without any change of himself. pag. 48.
2. Against the infallibility of effects by Free-working causes, this following Quotation of Austin: God so governeth all things which he hath created, that he suffereth them to excercise and act their own proper motions. pag. 53.
3. Against the determination of the Will by any act of God, this following Quotation out of Gaudentine: Doubtless it is no less than high Sacrilege so much as once to think, that God, who is not only good and just, but Goodnes and Justice it self, should either command, or constrain that to be done which himself condemneth. pag. 54.
4. Out of Peter Martyr to the same purpose: God indeed draws all things, but yet he yeelds after such a manner that he troubles duplicate page duplicate page or disturbs nothing: so things, though in respect of their natures they encline indifferently unto either side, yet are they by God bowed more unto one. Ibid.
5. To the same purpose out of Polanus. God so worketh by the means of Nature, that he worketh nothing contrary to their nature, and therefore the Providence of God constraineth not the will of the creature. pag. 55. I forbear more to that purpose in the following pages.
6. For Universall Redemption, out of Austin. Against the wound of Originall sin, wherewith in Adam the nature of all men was corrupted, and become dead, &c. the death of the Son of God is a true, potent, and singular remedy; who being not lyable to the debt of death, and the onelyonly person without sin, dyed for those that were sinners and debters; therefore as to the greatness and potency of the price, and as far as concerns one (and the same) cause of Mankind, the blood of Christ is the Redemption of the vvhole World, but they who pass through this world without the faith of Christ, and the Sacrament of Regeneration, are strangers to this Redemption: therefore whereas by reason of one nature of all men, and one cause of all men truly undertaken by our Lord, all men may truly be said to be redeemed; yet all men are not brought (or rescued rather) out of Captivity, the propriety of Redemption is doubtless vvith them, out of whom the Prince of the world is cast forth, and who are not more vessells of the Devill, but members of Christ, whose death is not so bestowed upon mankinde, that they who never come to be regenerate should belong to the redemption thereof; but so, that what by one only example is done for all, might be celebrated in particular persons by a particular Sacrament, for that cup of immortality which was tempered and made of our infirmity, and the divine power, hath in it wherewith to profit all men, (or has indeed in it self, that it may profit all men) but if it be not drunk it profits not. p. 524.
7. Out of the Synod of Dort. God commiserating mankind being fallen, sent his Son, who gave himself a price of redemption for the sins of the whole world,—and a little after, Since that price which was paid for all men, and which will certainly benefit all that believe unto eternall life, yet doth not profit all men, &c. And again, So then Christ died for all men, that all and every man might by the mediation of Faith through the vertue of this ransom obtain forgiveness of sins, and eternall life. p. 546.
I shall trouble neither you nor the Reader with any more of your wrested Quotations, this last gives light to discover how far you are from integrity in your Quotations; for you know abundantly the Synod of Dort understood these generall expressions not universally, but indefinitely, as did other Authors the like expressions; we might add the same wresting of Quotations out of Calvin and others, for falling away from the state of grace, but he that shall instance all that you wrest, shall leave little behind.
4. His uncouth Philosophy.
1. That's but a pretty strain of Physicks, p. 1. Trees that are throughly and deeply rooted in the earth, will grow and flourish though the dew or rain from heaven should seldom or never fall upon them.
2. For future Contingents at the same time when God knoweth that they will come to pass, he knoweth also that there is no necessity that they should come to pass, that they may well be prevented, in which respect in case they should not come to pass, the knowlege of God should suffer no defeiture, p. 27.
3. Purposes and intentions in their propriety, as in men, ever suppose that the things purposed and intended shall be effected, no man ever intending that which he certainly knowes before-hand never will be effected; but it doth not follow from hence, that purposes attributed unto God must be attended with expectance that the thing said to be purposed by him shal come to pass; to reason thus, God intended not the salvation of all men, because he certainly knows that all men wil not be saved, is to reason weakly. p. 33.
4. God doth not will the conversion of Peter before he is converted, nor the glorification of Peter before he be glorified, though he willed or rather willeth both the one or the other from eternity. p. 51.
5. God wrought as much towards the making of Peter a believer before he did believe, as he did when he was actually brought to believe. ibid.
6. It is impossible that God should act any thing in time other than what he acted from eternity. p. 59.
7 Though the earth and heavens receive their beings in two severall dayes, yet that which God did towards their productions was done by him at once; and though no plant of the field was actually produced before it was in the earth, yet in respect of what God contributed towards their actuall production they were produced before. p. 49.
8. That which depends upon any deliberate or elective act of the will of man, cannot be said to be positively, peremptorily, or absolutely declared by God. p. 185.
5. His Consequentiall Blasphemies.
1. In case any such assurance of the unchangeableness of Gods love were to be found in, or could be regularly deduced from the Scriptures, it were a just ground to any intelligent man to question their authority, and whether they were from God or no. p. 335.
2. That Doctrine which denies that Christ died for all men without exception, directly tends to divide between the Creature and his Creator, and to raise jealousies and hard thoughts in the former against the latter. p. 475.
3. The same Doctrine represents God as ingaged to the days of eternity in counsells and purposes of blood, yea of the blood of the precious souls of men, and this without any consideration or respect had to any the future sins of those against whom it supposeth him so implacably and unmercifully engaged, p. 478.
4. The Doctrine of Perseverance hath been found a meer Impostor, an appearance of Satan in the likeness of an Angell of light.
I tell the Reader, that to these I may add your packing Sophistry, which is so frequently found throughout your Book, as cannot but be obvious to every intelligent Reader, I shall therefore point at some certain heads rather than trouble my self to single out instances: Sometimes you transform your Adversaries Doctrines; sometimes you confound the immanent and transient actions of God together; sometimes again you confound absolute and conditional necessity, the determination of the wil of man by God with coaction; these things and the like are nothing rare in your discourse. And now Sir, after all this unpleasing, but necessary conflicting, I humbly beseech the Father of Mercies to pardon unto me whatsoever it is, wherein I may have swerved from the rule of Righteousness, as likewise to vouchsafe both to you and me such further light and assistance of his Spirit, as that we agreeing together in the truth and purity of the Gospel, I may chearfully and with much rejoycing, subcribe my self,
Your affectionate friend and brother in Christ, Rich. Resbury. From my Study, April 17. 1652.