A Display of Arminianism, Dedication 2 – Errata 2
To the Chriſtian Reader.
READER,
THou canſt not be ſuch a ſtranger in our Izrael, as that it ſhould be neceſſary for me, to acquaint thee, with the firſt ſowing and ſpreading of theſe Tares in the Field of the Church, much leſſe to declare, what diviſions and thoughts of heart, what open bitter contentions, to the loſſe of Eccleſiaſticall peace, have beene ſtirred up amongſt us about them: onelyonly ſome few things relating to this my particular endeavour, I would willingly premoniſh thee of.
Firſt, Never were ſo many prodigious errours introduced into a Church, with ſo high a hand, and ſo little oppoſition, as theſe into ours, ſince the nation of Chriſtians was known in the world, the chiefe cauſe I take to be, that which Aeneas Sylvius gave, why more maintained the Pope to be above the Councel, then the Councel above the Pope, becauſe Popes gave Archbiſhopricks, Biſhopricks, &c. but the Councels ſued in forma pauperis, and therefore could ſcarſe get an Advocate to plead their cauſe: the fates of our Church having of late devolved the government thereof into the hands of men tainted with this poyſon, Arminianiſme became backed, with the powerfull Arguments, of praiſe and preferment, and quickly prevailed, to beat poore naked truth into a corner: It is high time then for all the lovers of the old way, to oppoſe this innovation, prevailing by ſuch unworthy means, before our breach grow great like the Sea, and there be none to heale it.
My intention in this weake indeavour, (which is but the undigeſted iſſue of a few broken houres, too many cauſes in theſe furious malignant dayes, continually interrupting the courſe of my ſtudies) is but to ſtirre up ſuch, who having more leaſure, and greater abilities, will not as yet move a finger, to help vindicate oppreſſed Truth.
In the meane time I hope this diſcovery may not be unuſefull, eſpecially to ſuch who wanting either, will or abilities, to peruſe larger diſcourſes, may yet be allured by their words which are ſmoother then oyle, to taſt the poyſon of Aſpes that is under their lips: Satan hath foreign, depths where to hide, and methods how to broach his lies: and never did any of his Emiſſaries employ his received talents with more skill and diligence, then our Arminians: labouring earneſtly in the firſt place to in ſtill ſome errors that are moſt plauſible, intending chiefly an introduction of them that are more palpable, knowing that if thoſe be for a time ſuppreſſed, untill theſe be well digeſted, they will follow of their owne accord: wherefore I have endeavoured, to lay open to the view of all, ſome of their foundation errors, not uſually diſcuſſed, on which the whole inconſiſtent ſuperſtructure is erected, whereby it will appeare, how under a moſt …ine pretence of furthering Piety, they have prevaricated againſt the very grounds of Chriſtianitie: wherein
Firſt, I have not obſerved the ſame method in handling each particular Controverſie, but followed ſuch ſeverall waies as ſeemed moſt convenient to cleere the truth and diſcover their hereſies:
Secondly ſome of their errors I have not touched at all, as thoſe concerning univerſall grace, juſtification, the finall Apoſtacy of true beleevers: becauſe they came not within the compaſſe of my propoſed method, as you may ſee Chap. 1. where you have the ſumme of the whole diſcourſe.
Thirdly, I have given ſome inſtances, of their oppoſing the received Doctrine of the Church of England, contained in divers of the 39. Articles: which would it did not yeeld us iuſt cauſe of further complaint, againſt the iniquitie of thoſe times whereinto we were lately fallen: Had a poor Puritan offended againſt halfe ſo many Canons, as they oppoſed Articles, he had forfeited his livelihood, if not endangered his life: I would I could heare any other probable reaſon, why divers Prelates were ſo zealous for the diſcipline, and ſo negligent of the Doctrine of the Church: but becauſe the one was reformed by the word of God: the other remaining as we found it in the times of Popery.
Fourthly, I have not purpoſely undertaken to anſwer any of their Arguments, referring that labour to a further deſigne: even a clearing of our Doctrine of reprobation, and of the adminiſtration of Gods providence, towards the Reprobates and over all their actions, from thoſe calumnious aſperſions they caſt upon it, but concerning this, I feare the diſcouragements of theſe wofull dayes, will leave me nothing but a deſire: that ſo neceſſary a worke, may finde a more able Pen:
IOHN OVVEN.
Arma:
Vt omnis controverſia dirimatur per verbum Dei, conſilium hoc ſuſpectum videre debet & non uno nomine pernitioſum eſt: Remon: vindic. ad Videl. p. 30.
1. Lib. Arbitrium.
2. Contingentia.
3. Indifferentia ad foreign velle & nolle
4. Supremum actus ſui dominium.
5. Ens foreign independens in agendo
divinam
1. Voluntatem mutabilem,
2 Scientiam fallibilem, conjecturalem,
3. Providentiam otioſam,
Conſtituentia
foreign Specimen:
Primus Copiarum impetus, in Campo qui de nomine alterius ducis, Lib. Arbit. dicitur ſeu humanarum actionum ditio
Vtrinque autem á voluntate humana remota & confoſſa jacent,
1. Coactio
2. Neceſſitas abſoluta interna
3. Mera ſeu ſolitaria ſpontaneitas
Arma: Ad Legem ad Prophetas Scrutamini Scripturas: Iohan. 5. 39.
1. Decretum abſolutum immutabile,
2. Praeſcientia infallibilis,
3. Providentia, per
1. Suſtentationem,
2. Determinationem,
3. Gubernationem,
4. Directionem, ſumme effica….
quibus omnem creaturam,
1. Eſſentiam.
2. Subſiſtentiam,
3. Motionem,
4. Determinationem ad actum,
5. Efficientiam in agendo realem, debere neceſſe eſt.
1. Lib. Arbit.
2. Integritas naturae
3. Lumen naturale
4. Actus elicitus,
5. Faciens quod in ſe eſt
6. Faedus novum univerſale.
7. Vires credendi per lapſum non amiſſae.
8. Potentia active obedientialis ad bonum morale
9. Suaſio moralis
Lingua noſtra praevaleamus, labia noſtra penes nos ſunt, quis eſſet nobis Dominus: Pſal. 12.
His tu gradibus Romule Arpin: aſcendiſti in coelum.
Dei munus eſt quod vivimus, noſtrum vero, quod bene ſancteque vivimus,
—fortunam a Deo petendam, à ſeipſo ſumendam eſſe ſapientiam
Quia ſibi quiſque virtutem a…quirit nemo de ſapientibus de ea gratias Deo egit
Impetus copiarum ſecundus, circa gratiam & naturam, ubi adverſis frontibus & cominus pugnatur
Campus autem hic ſtatus naturae poſt lapſum vocetur, cujus loca praecipua quae in mappa—foreign delineantur, ſunt.
1. Reatus primi peccati,
2. Corruptio naturae,
3. Mors ſpiritualis, ubi multa mortuorum ſepulchra, e quibus reſurgente Chriſto, exierunt pauci.
4. Impotentia credendi: 5. Caecitas intellectus: 6. Pravitas voluntatis:
7. Obduratio cordis: 8. Averſio à bono incommutabili: 9. Propenſio ad bonum commutabile.
1. Praedeſtinatio gratuita
2. Meritum Chriſti
3. Operatio Spiritus
4. Gratia efficax:
5. Infuſio habituum
6. Vocatio ſecundum immutabile dei propoſitū
7. Evangelium Ieſu Chriſti
8. Liber vitae
Non nobis Domine non nobis, ſed nomini tuo da honorem: Pſal. 114.
Nam quos praeſcivit etiam praedeſtinavit conformandos imagini filii ſui ut is ſit primogenitus inter multos fratres, quos vero praedeſtinavit eos etiam vocavit & quos vocavit eos etiam iuſtificavit, & quos juſtificavit eos etiam glorificavit: Rom. 8.
Cui ſoli ſapienti gloria ſit per Ieſum Chriſtum in ſecula.
Reader,
SOme ſheets of this Treatiſe being printed after the firſt draught of the Authour, and a great part of it in his abſence, makes it require thy courteſie favourably to correct any miſprinting or greater overſight that may prejudice the ſenſe thereof: to take notice alſo of theſe follow Errata, but account them as not committed, becauſe corrected.
PAg. 17. l 9. read, mutability. p. 25. l. 5 dele, and: p. 29. l. 23. r. cap. p. 34. l. 17. for eſſence, r. eſteeme: p. 36. l 21, 22. r. his law, cannot poſſibly aime at nothing: p. 37. l. 20. d. it: p. 40. l. 5. r. tolerable, l 6. r. them: p. 42. l. 1. r. and yet it is not: l. 2. d▪ yet l. 8. d neither, l. 22. r. that we: p. 44. l 18. or no. in, p. 45. l. 24. r. not unneceſ. … corrupted: p. 53. l. 15. r. can be deriv: p. 56. l. 25. r. as equall an aſ: p. 59. l. 3 … r. laid downe: p. 62. l. 25. us: firſt, p. 63. l. 2. for events, r deſerts: p. 68. l. 27. of God. in, p. 78. l 36. r. ſinners deſerve, p. 116. l. 12. r. for granted, p. 119. l. 12. by thoſe, p. 120. l. 25. r. his will and heavenly inſtructions, p. 128. l. 1. Agent. p. 130. l. 21. r. nor any thing.
In the Margin.
Pag. 7. h omiſſ grat: p. 15. c datrib. lib. 3: p. 24 c dele Ariſtot: p 46. f vellet, p. 47. m deſiderio, p. 65. m de bono perſeve: p. 75. k dimanet 3 p. 117. c Feſt, Hom. & Peltium. p. 134. f praecipienti, p. 135. 1. Cor. ad Molin.