The Fanning and Sifting of Samuel Oates, To the reader
To the Christian Reader.
Chriſtian and Beloved Reader,
VNderUnder the favourable allowance of the Authour of theſe enſuing labours (my very loving Friend, and vigilant Paſtour) I am crept into thy view: not arrogating ſo much repute, as to encline thee to a more venerable eſteem of any thing in them, becauſe atteſted in an Epiſtle of mine. For I am not of Claſſick authority to do any competent ſervice of that kinde. My ſcope rather is, to witnes to what I have heard, and received from the undoubted word of truth, made known to me by the ſpirit of truth, which hath wrought effectually (as in other means, ſo) by the Miniſtery of this Authour, to confirm and eſtabliſh me in truth received before my acquaintance with him, and to deliver me out of the ſnare of ſome errours, in which I began to be entangled about that very time, in which I began to know him. And though I know him too well, to go about to winde into his better eſteem, by painting and tickling encomions (who lives upon a purer, and more heavenly air then the vapour of mans breath, exhaled by a corrupt fancy, from a muddy heart) yet I deem it ſome encouragement to him that is ſet over me in the Lord (to watch for my ſoul) to be acknowledged in his work and ſucceſſe: and in ſo doing, I do only diſcharge a debt. Some of the ſtrong ſupporters of the rotten fabrick of Arminius, thou maiſt ſee him batter and raſe in this Diſcourſe: into which (ſince I was a waifaring man to heaven) I never turned in, to lodge for a night, finding it inconſiſtent with that foundation againſt which the gates of hell ſhall never prevail: Eſpecially that of Saints apoſtacy.And for Paulus Teſtardus (his friend and neighbour) I cannot but iſſue my thoughts, that he is here ſo fully enervated, and enfeebled, that when I read that paſſage in the book which concerned him, if I had been a woman, and in Elizabeths condition, when Mary came from the hill countrey to ſalnte her, the babe would have leapt within me for joy. Another errour occaſionally touched upon, I muſt crave thy patience to ſpeak a little to, and that is the opinion of Anti-poedobaptiſme, in the lime-twigs whereof I my ſelf was once taken, and held, till by the Lords bleſſing upon the judicious, meek, and divine reaſonings of this Authour, I was enabled to diſcern, the Arminian reſults that naturally, and therefore neceſſarily ariſe from Anti-poedobaptisticall grounds, while they both make the Covenant of grace dependent upon ſome ſpirituall qualification in the creature. And this I bluſh not to publiſh to the world, hoping that it may be for thy benefit. I am not ignorant that there are irreconcilable contradictions between the opinions of him, who is both Anti-pedobaptiſt and Arminian, a taſte whereof thou ſhalt meet with, in the cloſe of the Authours Epiſtle to the Reader: and no wonder, for errour is often ſo divided and engaged in battels and feuds, that thou maiſt meet with one corrupt opinion triumphing upon the neck of another, like Tamerlane upon Bajazet: unity and conſent being the honourable titles, and inſeparable attendants of nothing but truth. Nor yet doe I inſert this, as if I would inſinuate that every Antipoedobaptist, is an actuall Arminian, it being quite againſt my principles to repreſent any man in a worſe ſhape, then his own digeſted opinions put him into. And indeed, I have ſo charitable aſſurance of ſome of their ſincerities in ſaving truths, as if their eyes were clear enough to diſcern the fine-ſpun threds, by which thoſe opinions are ſown together, I beleeve they would reject them both, for their contiguity ſake. Much leſſe doe I by any, or all of this invite a ſecular arm with it's iron mace, to cruſh and ſubdue the one or the other. For my part I ſhall call for neither Hammer, Sword, nor Fire againſt them, but the ſacred Scripture, which is compared to all theſe: Let him cry Murther, Jer. 23. 29. Apoc. 2. 1…. Epheſ. 6. 17.and call for a Conſtable to keep the peace at a diſpute, who is impatient of contradiction, and accounts his own principles ruined, by another mans diſſenting from him. Meek and innocent truth, ſufficiently contenteth him in whom it dwels, though it meets with oppoſition from him that knows it not. And I would expect to ſee his fleſh come, like the fleſh of a young childe, that is once baptized in the Jordan thereof, when he that is ſeven times dipt in the Pharpar of corporall puniſhment, ſhall goe away in his errour, a leper as white as ſnow. And much more ſhould I rejoyce, to reſcue one poor ſoul (in gentleneſſe and love) out of the priſon of a corrupt opinion, then keep all the hereticks under heaven, in the ward where Pharaohs priſoners are bound, till their feet are hurt in the ſtocks, and the iron enter into their ſoul. I have but a little to adde concerning him *M. Oates.whoſe Sermon at Terling occaſioned this confutation, and I have done. The ſmall acquaintance I have of him, enables me to deſcribe him under this character. He is a man of many lovely and deſirable parts, naturally fitted to do much good, but thorow dangerous miſapprehenſions of the ſatisfaction, which Chriſt hath made to his Father on the behalf of ſinners, ſo deſperately corrupted, and (in a way as ſmooth as butter and oil) able to convey the ſame to others, as he is thereby apt to deceive and delude all the ſilly ſouls he meets with, and with ſuch (together with thoſe that are unſtable) our County, and (I fear) the Kingdom abounds, as the naturall effect of the brooding, and warmth of the feathers of implicite faith, and blinde obedience, ſcarce yet out of faſhion, though much pluckt off by the hand of light and truth, eminently encouraged, by our proſperous and pious Parliament. If my love to, and pity of wandering ſouls, did not exact from me theſe expreſſions (ſo contrary doe I finde them to the conſtitution of my minde, as) I ſhould be aſhamed to ſee them under my Name. The Apology that I make for my ſelf in this caſe, is, That he that would avoid ſharp rebuke, muſt learn to be ſound in the faith. I hope I have wrote out of the eye of envy and diſdain, unleſſe ſome Phariſee ſhould take offence, for whom I take no care, becauſe every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted, ſhall be rooted up. I would not willingly tread upon one good flower, but I care not how many briers and thorns I walk over, ſo as my feet be but well ſhod, with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit ſaith to the Churches: And that God would give us underſtanding in all things, is the prayer of
Thy Brother and Companion in tribulation, and in the patience and Kingdome of Jeſus Chriſt, John Maidstone.