upon themselves This is to reflect upon the Presbyterians who he had said before are punished by their own Pens I pray God that you as well as others may not be punished for your Pen for your Writings Lord enter not into Judgment with any of us but pardon us for Christ's sake And as to those words you quote God shall shoot at them suddenly shall they be wounded How do you apply these words to the Presbyterians against whom you write They hope to be pardoned and saved by the Free Grace of God in Christ God might shoot at them and you with an Arrow Let us have a care of being proud Pharisees And truly you seem to shoot your Arrow against the Sovereignty of the God of Heaven have a care it doth not fall upon your own Head You do as it were arraign God at your Bar about his Lordship over the Creature and he must do so and so or else he is not Just Repent and turn to God lest he arraign you at his Bar-Tremble at this word at this Scripture you have set down And for making mens Tongues fall upon themselves let us all fear and tremble Those upon whom God is pleased to bestow such Grace as that they say from their Hearts that they do not stand upon terms with God but acknowledge God might have had no thoughts of Eternal Love to them but might have decreed to leave them to their sins and to glorifie his Justice upon them for ever and that if it had not been for special discriminating Grace they had never come to Christ tho' they had those common helps that others think are sufficient I say these are not so like to have their Tongues fall upon themselves another day as those that say That notwithstanding any thing that God freely decreed as to their particular persons and notwithstanding any thing Christ did for them in Redemption or the Holy Ghost in working upon their Hearts they might have been damned but their own Will had the Casting-Voice and was so towardly that they shall be saved When those that God on his part did every way as much as for them do perish in Hell for ever CHAP. II. A Vindication of Dr. Collings from the Errour that this Author charges upon him THE Author of this Dialogue visiting these Parts first wrote a Contentious Letter to Mr. B. K. Then next he falls upon that Learned and Pious Divine Dr. Collings who is now at rest with the Lord. Tho' the Dr. was dead yet this Author must print what had passed about this Controversie And tho' the Ignorant and Erroneous may think he hath done great matters against the Dr. yet he hath done nothing at all Yea this Author gives up the Cause to the Dr. in his second Letter in these words Page 7. You cannot fairly collect from my Paper that God can be resisted in the thing wherein he will act Omnipotently for then he should cease to be God Now this is the very thing that the Dr. maintained in his Book and in his Answer to this Author's Letter So that this Author's Tongue hath fallen upon himself Psalm 115.3 Our God is in the Heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased Isa 46.10 My Counsel shall stand and I will do all my Pleasure When any say that God acts Omnipotently in this or that which he purposes in himself to do I suppose none have such gross conceptions of God as to think that God is hardly put to it to effect any thing that he pleases to do When we read of God's Right-hand and the exceeding greatness of his Power in some Acts of God 't is only to shew the greatness of those Works above some other Works of God but not at all to shew that God is hardly put to it to do those Works It is as easie for God who is Omnipotent to do the greatest Work that he pleases to do as to do the least Works he pleases to do He doth all things that he pleases to do with the greatest facility He made the World with the word of his Power He upholds it as long as he pleases with the word of his Power He converts Souls by the word of his Power He raises the dead by the word of his Power His willing in this sense is his effecting what he Wills He doth whatsoever he pleases to do as easily and more easily than we can speak a word But still I fear this Author doth not understand what he saith and what others say in this matter for if he had he would have done with this Contention For he adds Doth God never act Seriously when he doth not act Omnipotently I answer As for such a phrase as God acting Seriously I do not love to use it It seems to me that tho' we use such an expression as to Men yet I think it is below the Divine Majesty and the Dr. using that word in his Book you catch at it and it is all the advantage you have against him What Man upon Earth not infallibly inspired but may sometimes use a word that may not be so proper but for that which the Dr. intended in that expression in his Book and explained in his Letter it will stand against you and all the World That is Whatsoever the great and glorious God hath purposed and intended he will do shall certainly be effected by his glorious Power That which this Author does not understand which would set his Judgment right in this Controversie is this There are Laws Precepts and Commands of God whereby he shews what is our duty to do This we may call the Will of God in respect of Precepts and Commands to us what we ought to do But then the Will of God is often taken in another sense for his Eternal Purpose what he will do in us for us and with us and this is always effected in the time appointed by him God's Will in respect of his Precepts or Commands is that none should sin at all but God did not purpose to keep every one from sinning no he did not purpose to keep the Elect from all sin after their Conversion in this life so far as God purposed to restrain sin in any he doth effect it Tho' the Creatures don't do what he commands them to do yet he always doth effect and doth whatsoever he purposes to do in them for them or with them How the Dr. quoting those words Rom. 9.19 For who hath resisted his Will You make those words to be the words of some Caviller and Objector and you say that the Dr. and you have resisted God's Will I answer The Apostle had said in the verse before Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Now let it be so that the whole of the 19th Verse is the Allegation of one that objects against God's giving Grace or denying Grace to particular persons as he pleases Yet observe tho' the Apostle
a thing which he never purposed and intended to be be done yea which he resolved to hinder the doing of therefore it is one thing for God to command us to do a thing and another thing for God to purpose and intend this thing shall certainly be effected Yea take another instance concerning Pharaoh Exod. 4.21 And the Lord said unto Moses When thou goest to return into Egypt see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine Hand but I will harden his Heart that he shall not let the people go God sent a Command to Pharaoh to let the People of Israel go out of his Land Exod. 5.1 but before ever Moses came to Pharaoh with this Message and Command God said to Moses I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not by a mighty hand Exod. 3.19 So here you see that God as Sovereign Lord may give out a Command to shew his Authority over Man and require a thing of Man as his Duty when he doth not intend to enable a Man to do it Yea when God intends to harden a Man's Heart that is intends to leave Man to the Corruption of his own Heart that he shall never do what God commands him If you will not adore the Incomprehensible Majesty and Ways of God but compare him with Man put Laws upon God that he must do as Man is bound to do then I say this borders upon Blasphemy if it be not down-right Blasphemy against the most high God CHAP. III. An Answer to this Author's Letter to Mr. H. wherein this Author pretends to bring several places of Scripture for Vniversal Redemption IT seems Mr. H. sent a Paper of Verses to this Author He answereth these Verses by a Letter and with this very Humble and Civil Direction To the Nameless and Nonsensical Poet indeed I have seen these Verses and truly to speak my Judgment of them tho' this Author calls them Nonsensical yet they were written with great Judgment excepting the Scriptures which this Author quotes which are excellent in themselves however wrested and mistaken by Men I think there is more Truth and good Sense in those Verses than in all this Author's Book 'T is true he that made those Verses did not shew himself to be a good Poet but he shewed himself a knowing Christian and tho' I have known the Person many years yet I could not have expected that he could have framed so many solid Arguments against Universal Redemption and if I had known before hand that he would have written to this Author I would have advised him to have written in Prose and not in Verse Good Poetry is one thing and good Sense is another These Verses were against Universal Redemption This Author in Answer to this Letter brings several Scriptures for Universal Redemption which are now to be explained When the Papists bring for Transubstantiation the words of our Saviour This is my B dy We deny Transubstantiation but we don't deny the words of our Saviour but shew the meaning of the words to be otherwise than they understand them So in dealing with this Author we do not deny the Scripture we hold that Christ dyed for all for every Man for the whole World that is for all the Elect for all Believers of all Nations of all Ranks throughout the whole World and we say no more is intended in any of those Expressions but that this Author and those that are of his Opinion mistake the meaning of the Scriptures Before I come to explain the Scriptures this Author brings for Universal Redemption 1. Let it be considered that the words all every the World and the whole World do not always signify all Adam's Posterity but must be taken in a limited restrained Sense yea sometimes but for a few that there is nothing can be concluded from those Expressions but by considering the Subject matter spoken of and the Circumstances of the places of Scripture where those Expressions are used 1. As for example of the word all it is not always meant of all Adam's Posterity but sometimes of but few Persons Psal 145.14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall whereas Men fall into sin and misery yea the greatest part of mankind into Hell it self and the Lord doth not prevent these things The meaning is only that those that are upheld and kept out of Sin and Misery here or Hell hereafter he it is that upholds them but this all that the Lord upholds are indeed but a small number in comparison of those that God doth not uphold The Jews said to John chap. 3.26 He to whom thou barest witness behold the same Baptizeth and all Men come to him when it was so few that came to Christ so that John saith vers 32. that no Man comparatively received his Testimony 2. For that Expression every Man it is often to be taken in a limited restrained Sense Luk. 16.16 The Law and the Prophets were until John since that time the Kingdom of God is preached and every Man presseth into it It was only some of all sorts and very few in comparison of those that were then living in the World 1 Cor. 12.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal when indeed the manifestation of the Spirit there spoken of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit are given to few very few but the meaning is only that to every one of those to whom this Manifestation of the Spirit is given it is that they may profit others with it Again 1 Cor. 4.5 the Apostle speaking of the Day of Judgment saith That then shall every Man have praise of God which is meant only of every true Believer for the greatest part of Adam's Posterity shall not then have praise of God but have the Sentence of Eternal Damnation pass against them 3. As for the word World and whole world these Expressions are sometimes taken too in a limited restrained Sense John 12.19 The Pharisees therefore said amongst themselves Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing Behold the World is gone after him whereas it was but few very few of Men then living in the World that went after Christ and owned him in any Sense it was only of a few in that little Country of Judea that were there spoken of Luk. 2.1 And it came to pass in those Days that there went out a Decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should be taxed it was but all the Jews as some Expositors think however it was but all that were subject to the Romans which were far from being all Mankind then living in the World I might give many more Instances that the word all and every Man the World and all the World are taken in a limited and restrained Sense sometimes and that nothing can be collected rightly from such Expressions but as the Matter treated of and the Circumstances of the place shall require 2. I would
these Authors as to throw down the whole Arminian Doctrine and in the most plain and popular way that I could to set forth the Truth of God to the Capacity of ordinary Christians The Lord add his Blessing and give us Vnderstanding in all things Norwich Jun. 11. 1691. M. F. THE CONTENTS Chap. I. AN Examination of Mr. Grantham's Title Page Chap. II. A Vindication of Dr. Collinges Chap. III. That Christ did not die for all Adam's Posterity Chap. IV. Ten Arguments to prove that all that Christ died for shall be saved Chap. V. Of Election and Reprobation Chap. VI. Of God's Eternal Decrees what shall come to pass in time Chap. VII Of the Father's drawing the Elect to Christ Chap. VIII Of the Saints Perseverance in Grace Chap. IX An Answer to Mr. Grantham's Queries CHAP. I. Examination of the Author's Title Page THE Person with whom I have now to do calls his Book A Dialogue between the Baptist and the Presbyterian and stileth himself Messenger of the Baptized Churches in Lincolnshire It is fit to enquire a little into these two Titles he giveth himself He stileth himself the Baptist Indeed we read Mat. 3.1 2 3. In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying Repens ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight So we read of John the Baptist that was prophesied of by Esaias who is already come but I find no Prophecy of any Thomas the Baptist that was to be sent of God John is called the Baptist because he Baptized Christ himself and because he was sent in an extraordinary way to Baptize the people of the Jews I think it is too high a Title for any man now living in the World to call himself the Baptist 2. This Author stiles himself Messenger of the Baptized Churches in Lincolnshire I suppose that all the Churches and Congregations in Lincolnshire of all perswasions do think that the Members of their Churches are Baptized tho' not in this Author's way and is he the Messenger of them all But take it for the Churches of his own Perswasion Let us enquire how he is their Messenger We read of Messengers of the Churches 2 Cor. 8.23.24 Whether any do enquire of Titus he is my partner and fellow-helper or our Brethren be enquired of they are the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ Wherefore shew ye to them and before the Churches the proof of your Love and of our boasting on your behalf As for the Messengers of the Churches here spoken of as such they were only chosen by some Churches to travel up and down to other Churches for a short space to get Contribution and Relief for other Churches that were in great want by being spoiled of their Goods by Persecutors or by some other means brought to some great outward necessities And if this Author be a Messenger of Churches in that way he hath undertaken a good work and I hope that those he is so violent against will be as Charitable to relieve the necessities of other Christians though not of their Perswasion as he can expect But when he calleth himself Messenger of the Baptized Churches in Lincolnshire he hath another meaning We read of the Angels of the seven Churches Rev. 1.20 Now by the Angels of those Churches is meant Messengers of the Lord to those Churches The Lord's Messengers to declare his Mind and Will to them Here were several Angels and Messengers of the Seven Churches but one Man was not the Angel or Messenger of several Churches The Angel of the Church of Ephesus was not the Angel of the Church of Pergamos and of the rest of the Seven Churches So that it is likely that this Author counteth himself to have Jurisdiction and Authority over many Churches And truly if he be the Baptist a Title given only to John hitherto and be Messenger at the same time of several Churches we know not how many and have Spiritual Power over them he is an extraordinary person and 't is no wonder that he deals with so many persons and things Yet truly I should think if he were more than an ordinary Presbyter he should visit with more Mildness and Moderation There is another thing in the Title Page that is very bold and daring to the most high God He represents the Presbyterians as holding Cruel and Soul-devouring Doctrines making God the ordainer of all the Sins of Men and Devils and reprobating the greatest part of mankind without any help of Salvation 1. Concerning God's ordaining of all the sins of Men and Devils I shall speak God willing in answer to your Book and shew in what Sense God ordained and decreed to leave Angels and Men to themselves and so to sin 2 As to Reprobating the greatest part of mankind without any help of Salvation this you call A Cruel and Soul-devouring Doctrine I answer 1. That I suppose your self hold that the greatest part of mankind do in the end perish eternally I am sure our Saviour declared that few there be that find the strait gate and narrow way to Heaven That 't is but a little Flock to whom God gives the Kingdom of Heaven That tho' many are called yet few are chosen Not but those that are saved are a Multitude which no Man can number Rev. 7.9 yet comparatively they are few they are few in comparison of those that perish 2. Whether they that perish were ordained of old from Eternity to Condemnation for their sins or reprobated in time as you hold Truly this little alters the case As for the greatest part of mankind reprobated they are and cast into Hell at last without any help or hope of Salvation and if this be cruel Doctrine have a care that you don't contend and strive with the holy Sovereignty and Justice of God and when you argue with men about these things have a care you don't quarrel with God himself Do you think that those that do not adore the incomprehensible Greatness and Holiness of God can ever be satisfied that God punishes mens temporary sinning with Eternal Punishment 'T is not talking of a common love of God to mankind and talking of Universal Redemption when in the Conclusion God takes Vengeance for ever upon so many of mankind for their Sin and Folly That will really take off men from quarrelling with God But the humble acknowledgment of his absolute Lordship over the Works of his Hands and that he is infinitely Just and Righteous in all that he doth tho' we poor Dust and Ashes cannot comprehend it This must silence Man This Author sets down a Scripture in the Title Page Psalm 64.7 8 9. But God shall shoot at them with an Arrow suddenly shall they be wounded so they shall make their own Tongue to fall
and spiritual judge which Doctrine gives grounds of most Encouragement Support and Comfort if the Lord please to set it home by his Spirit CHAP. VI. Of God's Eternal Decrees what should come to pass in Time and of his governing and disposing of things in the World for his own Glory THis Author in his Epistle to his Book falls upon the Assembly of Divines concerning God's Decrees and according to the manner of the Man leaves out that which should clear their Sense and Meaning that so he might expose them The Words in the Assembly's Confession are these God from all Eternity did by the most wise and holy Counsel of his own Will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass yet so as thereby neither is God the Author of Sin nor is Violence offered to the Will of the Creatures nor is the Liberty or Contingency of Second Causes taken away but rather established This Article is almost word for word the same with the Eleventh Article of the Episcopal Divines in Ireland 1615. long before the Assembly at Westminster so that one would think it was taken thence God from all Eternity did by his Vnchangeable Counsel ordain whatsoever in Time should come to pass yet so as thereby no Violence is offered to the Wills of the Reasonable Creatures neither the Liberty nor the Contingency of the Second Causes taken away The Reader may see what a Harmony there is about God's Decrees between the old Episcopal Divines and the Assembly of Divines at Westminster There have been two sorts of Atheists in the World the first sort of Atheists denied the Existence and Being of God the second sort of Atheists denied God's governing the World the Lord keep this Age from being Atheists either of these ways If the Evills of Afflictions that befall us came merely by Second Causes and Instruments and were not determined and decreed by God how should we sanctifie God's Name and humble our selves under the mighty Hand of God As Job did when he said The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. This Men drive at in this Atheistical Age to throw down the Soveraignty Independency and Immutability of God to make him change in his Purposes and Intentions as Men do and to make Contingencies to God as there is to Man It is come to this daring Boldness that Men have asserted in Print that God hath not determined the Period of Men's Lives nor other things of that nature But who I pray shall order what shall come to pass but that blessed God who hath made à ll things for himself for his own Glory for the Glory of his Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy And who is fit to govern the World but he that made it Ay but the great Objection that blinds the Ignorant is That if God have from Eternity decreed all things that come to pass then he hath decreed that Men shall fall into those Sins that they do fall into Answer And what then Do not we say that yet God is not the Author or Approver of Sin neither is there any Violence offered to the Will of the Creatures Men sin as freely as if there were no Decree of God to leave them to commit those Sins We say that God's Decrees are not the Cause of Sin neither is God the Author of Sin Nihil isto contradicentius aut impossibilius nempe Deum esse Authorem peccati Nothing is more contradictory or impossible than this Proposition that God is the Author of Sin saith Dr. Twisse Yet he is one that this Author puts in his Black Bill Well but this Author scrapes together several Passages quoted by Mr. Pierce and other Writers out of Calvin Luther Zuinglius Beza and others which are very strange concerning God's determining Men's Sins What do you say to these Expressions I answer 1. That Mr. Pierce and this Author might have spent their Time better than to quarrel with Calvin Luther and those eminent Instruments in the Reformation This is very pleasing to the Papists and those that are Popishly affected for they hate the Names of Calvin Luther Zuinglius and those Divines that God made use of to communicate so much Light to the World And if this Author knows it not I will now tell him that Bellarmine long since in his Writings doth inveigh against them upon this very Account concerning God's Decrees and Over-ruling Hand about the Sins of Men. 2. I say I shall not meddle with any of his Quotations One may cut out Snips out of Authors whereby the true Sense and Meaning of the Authors may be quite altered 3. I say I shall not take upon me to justifie all the Phrases and Expressions of Learned and Godly Men They may sometimes in haste express themselves not so prudently and warily in such a tremendous Mystery as this is The truth is God's mysterious Administration concerning Sin in ordering and over-ruling it to his own Glory is past our finding out 'T is best to say O the Depth And that to be sure though we cannot comprehend it he is righteous in all his Ways and holy in all his Works I would have all Persons very cautious about this Point both of the one side and the other and keep close to Scripture-Expressions which I shall now set before this Author and those of his Way and do fear that till they learn more Sobriety Awe and Reverence of God they would openly quarrel against the Scripture it self in this Matter if they durst Let us then hear what the Scripture saith in this Matter When Joseph's Brethren did wickedly and unnaturally sell him into Egypt Gen. 45.5 saith Joseph God sent me before you to preserve Life And Ver. 7. God sent me before you to preserve you a Posterity in the Earth And Gen. 50.20 But as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it for good 1 King 22.19 20 21 22 23. And he said Hear thou therefore the Word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting on his Throne and all the Host of Heaven by him on his Right Hand and on the Left And the Lord said Who shall persuade Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead And one said on this manner and another said on that manner And there came forth a Spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will persuade him And the Lord said Wherewith And he said I will go forth and be a Lying Spirit in the Mouth of all his Prophets And he said Thou shalt persuade him and prevail also Go forth and do so Now therefore the Lord hath put a Lying Spirit in the Mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lord hath spoken Evil concerning thee Exod. 4.21 And the Lord said unto Moses When thou goest to return into Egypt see that thou do all these Wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine Hand but I will harden his Heart that he shall not let the People