The Lightless Star, Title page – To the reader
THE Lightless-Starre: OR, Mr. IOHN GOODWIN discovered a Pelagio-Socinian: And this by the Examination of his Preface to his Book entituled Redemption Redeemed. Together with An Answer to his Letter entituled Confidence Dismounted. By RICHARD RESBURY, Minister of the Gospel at Oundle in Northampton-shire. Hereunto is annexed a Thesis of that Reverend, Pious, and Judicious Divine, Doctor Preston, sometimes of Immanuel College in Cambridge, concerning the Irresistibility of Converting Grace.
Now as Jannes, and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the Truth; Men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the Faith.
But they shall proceed no further; for their folly shall be made manifest unto all, as theirs also was.
2 Tim. 3. 8. 9.
London, Printed for Iohn Wright at the Kings-Head in the Old-Bayly. 1652.
The Epistle to the Reader.
Reader,
I Shall not long detain thee in the p…rch; only give we leave in a few words to acquaint thee with the Occasion and scope of this following discourse.
For the Occasion, Mr. Goodwin having taken upon him to be a Champion in the Tents of most Anti-evangelieall, and often-routed Errors, and in a pompous Treatise, by him published, having thrown much defiance in the face of Truth and her Assertors: many of them triumphing in glory after their Warfare, others still in Conflict here below. Upon perusall of this peece of his, I found it a meer white… sepulchre, specious in the style and pretense of holiness, but made up for the substance, of roiten Errors, by broken Arguments, and perverted Scriptures seemingly supported. Whereupon I thought it very seasonable, having by me a little Manuscript comprising certain main Truths opposite to his Errors, to send it abroad, if through the blessing of God it might help to establish some, and prevent those snares of death which he had spread. And I hope the Lord hath blest it unto divers. The Title of that small piece and the Epistle reflecting upon Mr. Goodwin and his Book, he found himself very angry, and in great Indignation prints an invective Letter, pen'd by him sitting in the scorners chair, sends it to me, requiring satisfaction for a charge of some particulars in mine Epistle against him. The particulars charged upon him were; sometimes Imperiall dictates, instead of Arguments; sometimes monstrous Conclusions; sometimes wrested Quotations; sometimes uncoth Philosophy; sometimes consequential Blasphemy: to these I may now adde, frequently, packing Sophistry. And he will needs perswade himself that his book is so clear of these crimes, as that I had not lookt into it when I put in this charge against it Now though I had no thoughts of writing any thing against his Book, partly conscious of mine own weakness, partly he having provoked so many of the ablest of men, the University of Cambridge, the Assembly of Divines, and indeed the whole Orthodox name; yet he pressing upon Me in his Letter after much scorn, and high contempt, to give instances of my charge against him, I thought my self in equity obliged so to do, for their satisfaction especially who have not read his Book; for as for such as shall read it, they, if judicious, and impartiall, will easily observe the particulars over and over. Hence Iovercame my self, otherwise unwilling to think of such an answer to his Letter, as wherein I might give him the instances he required; but weighing withall how useless it would be to the publique, onelyonly to answer a taunting Letter, and produce those particulars, I thought it expedient to adde something further that might be of reall usefulness to Christianity, and thereupon resolved the Examination of his Preface, which abounding with two pernicious Errors, Socinianism and Pelagianism, was most necessary to be called to Account; as likewise the examination of the four first Chapters of his Book, wherein is the Foundation of his Building, but a miserable sandy one. The former through the good hand of God upon me, I have dispatched, and here present it to thee; the latter, I hope, though in the midst of many employments and encumbrances by degrees to perform too, if not happily prevented by some better furnished for the Work. Thus for the Occasion; now for the Scope: It is partly to discover those dangerous Errors all along carryed on in his Preface against the Grace of God; and the authoritie of Scripture, against both which Mr. Goodvvin hath enormously ex alted the Reason and Will of man: partly to lay before thee, and clear up the main Doctrins of Gospel-Truth against those his Errors. And forasmuch as the Doctrins of the Grace of God were with much strength, clearness, and evidence of the Spirit maintained by those famous Lights of the Church who lived in the time of Pelagius, and the times immediately succeeding, especially Augustine and Prosper, and the Fathers assembled in the Milevitane Councill, where Augustine was present, and in the second Arausican Councill, I have therefore distinctly layd downe the severall states of the Pelagian Heresie, and the refutation thereof out of the forenamed Champions for the Truth of Christ, not for their Authority, but for their strength, clearness, elegancy, and excellency of Spirit, debasing Man, exalting God, and assigning their peculiar Privileges to the Elect of God. In perusall whereof thou wilt find Mr. Goodwin a son of Error, a disciple of Pelagius, and easily find a wide difference between the spirit of his Pen, and that of these renowned Antients, the Assertors of the Churches Faith. Reader, I hope thou wilt think it worth thy labour, when thou hast made tryall, to take a view of the main Doctrines of Grace, as by such excellent hands layd out, against such dangerous and destructive Errors, so many Ages since. As for my charge against Mr. Goodwin, thou shalt find it made good in the particulars in my Answer to his Letter, wherein thou wilt find him guilty of absurdities enough, and yet the particulars there produced are but some gleanings for Instanc…s. I have only One thing more to advertise thee of. It is very likely Mr. Goodwin will make what hast he can to reply upon this my Essay against him. My intention is (the Lord assisting) and as I may gain fr… many employments, and distractions, leisure for the same, to go through his four first Chapters, before I will take any notice of what he shall reply; thou shalt find him in this discovery that I have made, a Star without Light, in that which I hope to make, a Builder without a Foundation. For where as in those Chapters should be the Foundation of his after-discourse, what a miserable One he hath there layd, I hope God will in time discover: and indeed I cannot still but expect, that my further endeavours will be prevented by some more strenuous Undertaker, raised up by the Lord in zeal to his Truth, however, till such a blessing shall appear, I shall be moving, though very slowly, onwards. Now the Lord command his blessing upon thy spirit in the perusall hereof, sanctifying thee by his Truth.
Reader, I am Thy servant for the Truth of the Gospel, RICHARD RESBURY.