The Fanning and Sifting of Samuel Oates, Title page – Dedication
Vindiciae Redemptionis.
IN THE FANNING AND SIFTING OF SAMƲEL OATES His Expoſition upon Mat. 13. 44. WITH A faithfull ſearch after our LORDS meaning in his two Parables of the TREASURE and the PEARL.
Endeavoured in ſeverall Sermons upon Mat. 13. 44, 45.
Where in the former part, UNIVERSALL REDEMPTION is diſcovered to be a particular Errour.
(Something here is inſerted in anſwer to PAULUS TESTARDUS, touching that Tenet.)
And in the later Part, CHRIST the peculiar TREASURE and PEARL of GODS Elect is laid as the ſole Foundation; and the Chriſtians faith and joy in him, and ſelf-deniall for him, is raiſed as a ſweet and ſure ſuperſtructure.
By John Stalham, Paſtour of the Church at Terling in Eſſex.
2 Tim. 2. 10.
foreign.
Fideles verò minimè decet Reproborum in gratiam Eccleſiam turbare.
Teſtard. The. 2 v4.
1 John 4. 1.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the ſpirits whether they are of God, becauſe many falſe prophets are gone out into the world.
London, Printed by A. M. for Chriſtopher Meredith, at the Sign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard, 1647.
TO MY BELOVED BRETHREN AND NEIGHBOVRS in TERLING.
Beloved,
YOu are the people, among whom my lot hath fallen, for theſe fourteen years and upwards; unto whom I came, and with whom I have been, in weakneſſe, and in fear, and in much trembling. Yet in regard of Gods preſence and indulgence of Preaching-liberties (with ſome ſucceſſe) all the Prelates times, and ſince, with his protection in theſe times of warre, I may ſay, The lines are fallen unto me in pleaſant places; yea (in God, the portion of my cup) I have a goodly heritage. And for you, I cannot but remember (to Gods honour) that inviting report which was given of you, that you were a faſting and a praying people; which I found true, among the beſt of you, who gave me a call hither. I doe not forget what example of Non-Conformity to Prelaticall injunctions you held out to me; nor what forbearance you allowed me for a time, in the uſe of the Ceremonies, which *M. T. Weld.my Reverend and godly Predeceſſour had refuſed, and I through inconſiderate timidity and temerity had introduced, till God convinc'd me of my folly. I muſt needs acknowledge with thankfulneſſe to God and you, that ſome competent number of you have fallen in with me in a time of Publique Reformation, to witneſſe againſt Popery, Prelacy, Superſtition, Schiſme, Hereſie, Profaneneſſe and Formality, and have helpt towards their Extirpation according to Covenant.
But in this, I queſtion how the reſt of you are, or will be approved to Christ, and your conſciences: Some, for leading, others, for following and perſiſting in a way of Needleſse ſeparation from me and your Brethren, and that privately, as publikely; and that after you had (upon conferences and debates) granted a true Church here in being, and have ſeen it come forth more viſibly, in the way to further purity; after our renouncing all dependency upon Prelacy, our caſting out of Ceremonies, and Service-book, as a menſtruous cloth, with a Get thee hence; our ſeeking after, with joynt-conſent, all Chriſts own Inſtitutions and our chuſing of his Officers: this is an un-Saint-like ſeparation, not to be juſtified, ſcarce to be parallel'd. Some for running to another Baptiſme, or diſclaiming my Miniſtery, and the above mentioned firſt Call, which other of your Brethren have ſtuck to, avouched and renewed: by theſe, as other evidences (which might be produced, but that I ſpare you) it appears, the more Chriſt hath whiſtled and wooed you in, the more you have fled from the fold; the more I, his poor ſervant have been yours, the leſſe you have been mine, and with a clear conſcience I may write and publiſh it, the more I have endeavoured to love you abundantly, the leſſe I am loved of you.
But that which Chriſt hath moſt againſt You (the ignorant and profane multitude I mean not, but Profeſſours) is, that ſome have taken upon you the office of teaching, and re-baptizing; others, have hearkned after you, and you with them after falſe teachers, who have drawn diſciples after them, not only to another Baptiſme, but to another Goſpel (never fancied, but ever abhorred in this place, ſince I knew it, and before, in my Orthodox Predeceſſours time) which yet is not another; for the Goſpel of Chriſt is but one eternall Truth; but there be ſome that trouble you, and would pervert the Everlaſting Goſpel, by preaching an univerſall (and when all comes to all but temporary) Redemption by the death of Chriſt (as they ſay) for all. He that ſtarted this firſt among you, ſtirred my ſpirit, leaſt this leven ſhould ſpeedily ſpread thorow the whole lump, with all inſtancy and conſtancy, on Lectures and Lords daies, publiquely to witneſſe (in theſe following Sermons) againſt that which was too publiquely and boldly vented, though in a private houſe.
And as at that time I acquainted you with ſome reaſons or cauſes, why I conceived God ſent in that ſubtle ſeducer, ſo now I will re-minde you of them. 1. For your countenancing the way of Anabaptiſme, and compliance with what they (who run that courſe) ſay and doe; as if all they ſaid were Goſpel, and all they did were godlineſse. 2. For your want of love to the truth, and of this truth, That Chriſt died but for ſome, which is a truth, or Chriſt died in vain for the moſt of men, for what ſhall it profit if any of Chriſts purchaſed ones ſhould win the world, and not win Chriſt, but loſe their ſouls? and all grant, moſt men will loſe their ſouls, and, that it is a blaſphemy to ſay, Chriſt died in vain. 3. For your Triall, Deut. 13. 2, 3. whether you doe ſoundly love God, and ſincerely profeſſe Christ crucified. There muſt be ſuch hereſies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifeſt, 1 Cor. 11. 19.in their ſolidity of judgement, ſincerity of heart, and ſtedfaſtneſſe of converſation, among you. 4. For your caution, leſt contending for circumſtances, above the ſubſtance, you loſe the ſubſtance, while you catch at the ſhadow. For Satan (by Gods permiſſion) hath ſet Pioneers, while you are ſeeking to ſet up the Roof, on work to undermine and raſe the Foundation. 5. To quicken up your diligence in the ſearch of the Scriptures. And laſtly, To make you more carefull in holding faſt of all Goſpel-truth, leſt you be plundered of it.
Now, if any of you have been plundered, tis poſſible Brethren to recover this (with other truths) out of the hands of ſpoilers. Beſtir you therefore, and quit your ſelves as living ſtones of the ſpirituall Temple, of the living God, the Pillar and ground of truth. Doe not only regain, hold faſt, but as you hold out any colours of a viſible Church, hold forth the truths that appertain to the Head of the Church, viſibly, gloriouſly.
And I do now more ſolemnly call you out to witnes with me againſt this Errour of Vniverſall Redemption (let it be qualified how it will) it hath an ill ſavour and report. I wiſh you were all of you, as I hope moſt (for the preſent I know not any one who joyns in viſible, publique Communion, but are) free of this leven. Some in the Town are yet nibling at the bait, which the Fiſher brought, near a twelve-monethmonth ſince; whom I lookt upon, as one of our common vagrants, who ſcattereth vermine upon the bench or place, where he neſtleth for an hour or two; and ſtill I doe look upon this and other errours (with every Sermon that broacheth them) as very like to the river Nilus, which after the over-flow leaveth a world of mud behinde, that breeds nothing but venemous creatures. Such muddy mindes had many after M. Oates his Sermon (as it was imagined of free grace) which have engendred to ſtrange conceits of their Redeemer, free-will, falling away, &c. which makes me think, ſome are very neer to falling indeed, from that they have imagined to be in them, and from the true doctrin of free-grace, which we are ſure is yet retained in this, of many other publike Congregations.
My counſell and requeſt further is, that you do not only witneſſe againſt errours and hereſies, but love the truth. Beware of ſubtle ſpirituall pride; keep cloſe to fellowſhip; help to reduce ſeduced ones; follow peace with holines. Beware of ſcattering opinions, ungrounded jealouſies; make no needleſſe, and ſo, ſinfull ſeparations; Come in to your Brethren, you that are wilfully or weakly at a diſtance; you that do not hear us, read us, and recover your hearing; you that hear, redeem ſometime for reading theſe poor Labours, which I preſent to you. Read, and pray, read and meditate. You have here not only the ſubſtance, but words, for the moſt part, as I preached them; a few enlargements, which I then pen'd not down, are wanting; you have in recompence thereof ſome enlargement added to our Anſwer of the Queſtion, about Chriſts purchaſe of common benefits for wicked men: And all that which is inſerted againſt Teſtardus his tenet, of Chriſts dying for all, to procure a preſent freedom from periſhing, for want of a ſatisfaction to juſtice, which he ſhores up by his aſſertions, of a generall intention, Covenant, Calling and Grace. Which diſcourſe I have made the more familiar for your Countrey-underſtandings, and did inſert it here, the rather, becauſe ſince Oates his Sermon, much noiſe there hath been in Town and Countrey, of a Call that all men have by the creatures, and that Nature is Grace, &c.
Minde I beſeech you what is practicall, as what is controverſall; and if you that have been miſled and blinded by others, and of your ſelves have cooled and decaied, recover any heat with light; or if you that have been ſtedfaſt, preſerve what you have, Let God have the glory, let me have your prayers; and I ſhall rejoyce that I have not run in vain. Only ſhew the power of all, in the purity and beauty of a Goſpel-becomming converſation, and I am, for Jeſus ſake, my Pearl and Treaſure,
Yours to love and ſerve you in the Goſpel, John Stalham.