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either in God's actions, or in his will, whether secret or revealed, as some vainly imagine,) cannot be inconsistent with, 1. God's prohibitions: "Eat not of the tree of knowledge." 2. His conditional promises: "If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted?" If you seek the Lord, he will be found of you.". Whosoever believeth shall not perish ;""shall not abide in darkness." 3. His conditional threats, "If thy heart turn away thou shalt perish. If ye forsake him he will forsake you." 4. His sending his Son into the world, "not to condemn the world." He should have added, 5. Christ's" dying for all men," "tasting death for every man ;" his giving his spirit to instruct them; his setting life and death before them, in the promises and in the threats, or giving men up to their lusts for sin. This cannot be inconsistent with God's election or choice of obedient, and true believers, nor with bis rejecting the rebellious unto reprobation, for they evince the truth thereof. But the Presbyters' partial doctrine of election and reprobation of particular persons, and a certain definite number of men and angels, and their most grossly asserting, that " God from all eternity did freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass," is inconsistent with those and such his prohibitions, conditional promises, and threats; his sending his Son "not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved;" his dying for all men; his giving his good spirit to the disobedient to instruct them; his setting life and death before them, to choose life, or perish. Deut. xxx. 15, to the end.

But, alas! if from eternity God had reprobated them, or absolutely ordained and designed their damnation and curse, how should they choose life or blessing? Or, if particularly and unchangeably ordained to life and salvation from all eternity, could there be any such danger of their perishing, or that they should thus need to be threatened with cursing and perishing, if their heart turned away from the Lord? For had they been unchangeably designed of God for the one end, (whether life or death,) were it not very inconsistent to propose both conditionally to them, as namely, to exhort them to choose life; or if they refused, to threaten them with perishing, &c. Do not you partial-minded Presbyters and Calvinists by such kind of preaching, and propositions so contrary to your partial principle, most grossly dissemble with people, and mock them contrary to your own belief? Whereas Moses, the prophets, and apostles, in such like conditional promises and threats, believed what they spoke; they believed and therefore spoke from the spirit of God, which cannot lie nor dissemble. If you say,

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God hath decreed the salvation of particular persons by such warnings, you thereby tell us that he hath decreed it by threatening them with damnation, and so you affix your nonsense and incongruous doctrine upon God, rather than you will confess your own nonsensical contradiction therein, which runs thus: "God hath from all eternity unchangeably designed some persons' eternal salvation, and yet that he warns and threatens the same persons with eternal damnation or perdition, if they refuse life, or to hearken to him and obey him; or if their hearts turn away from him." Which is as inconsistent and contradictory, as to say, it is unchangeably designed of God that you must live for ever; yet take heed that you do not die eternally.

And to S. S.'s adding, "All these are subservient to the sovereign design of God's decrees; the magnifying his mercy and grace in the salvation of all the elect; his justice or wrath in the reprobates," &c. p. 115.

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Answer. If by the words "all these," as we may take him, he intends, according to the Assembly's Confession, "That God from all eternity did most freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;" then it may be understood, that all these things, those conditions or states, both good and bad, which he mentions before, are subservient to the sovereign design of God's decrees-as he words it. But if by all these" he intends all these conditional promises and threats are so subservient, as I think he doth, then God's decrees of men's salvation or damnation, are also conditional. "If you seek the Lord, he will be found of you ;" and as all are called to seek the Lord, he hath also given liberty and a capacity to all to seek him, that they may find him. This I grant to be according to his good will, and subservient to his decree, as his sending his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. For he verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world." 1 Pet. i. 20, 21. But then, I deny that God hath either decreed or ordained that men's hearts should turn away from him, or that they shall forsake him, or love darkness rather than the true light, (which is come into the world,) whereby many cause their own condemnation. How dare any say or think, that all these are subservient to the sovereign design of God's decrees, as they must who say, that he has unchangeably decreed whatsoever comes to pass?" This renders him to be the author of those and such sins and abuses against himself and his love, and that in order to serve his own decree; which is very blasphemous against God, who hath testified otherwise: "Thy destruction is of thyself. but in me is thine help." Hosea xiii. 9. And "why will ye die, O house of Israel," &c. God is not the author of

sin, nor willing that any should perish therein. He actually damns none but the finally impenitent, as is plainly confessed. And thus his decree justly stands against the finally impenitent; therefore do not continue in your impenitency, that you may not incur final damnation.

"God is neither partial nor cruel, in decreeing to deny saving grace to some, whilst he decrees to give it to others." p. 115. Sect. 12.

Answer. That God doth so decree is but petitio principii, and sufficiently confuted in the whole tenor of this discourse. And let the ingenuous reader judge, whether this doth not render him both partial and cruel, to conclude, he hath unalterably decreed to damn some, and to deny them saving grace; but decreed to give it to others, who were by nature children of wrath as well as the rest, and yet all God's creatures and workmanship, as man and woman, both the saved and the damned, are all inevitably brought into the world. This partial doctrine of God's eternally decreeing to save some and to damn the rest, who by nature are all alike, is enough to make many despair, and curse God that ever they had a being, and to✶ destroy themselves, as many have done upon this principle, as by satan's seconding it by persuading them, that God hath decreed to deny them saving grace, on purpose to damn them forever. Which is no small reflection upon God and the glory of his sovereignty and grace, and tends more than a little to eclipse the glory of his divine justice, to render it so vindictive and cruel, as not in the first place to regard his own workmanship in general, to wit, mankind, but to decree eternal vengeance for the greatest part thereof, without affording them the least degree of saving grace, to help them out of the fallen state. Oh, what a cruel, dark spirit is that, in electioners, that thus reflects upon a most gracious and merciful God, who delighteth in mercy and not in destruction! Neither is his divine justice so inconsistent with himself and his gracious divine nature, as not to respect poor lost man and woman in general, or as not to allow grace and light sufficient for the help and salvation of mankind in general, seeing that his being a Saviour is not inconsistent with his divine justice; for he said, "I am a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides me." Isa. xlv. 21, 22. Divine justice cannot be so partially cruel to the creature, as either to make void divine goodness, or withhold it from mankind.

S. S. Who can prove that converting, confirming grace, is a debt due to every fallen man and woman, who hath first given to him." Sect. 13. p. 115.

*Note the consequences of the Predestinarian opinion against universal

grace.

Answer. What an impertinent question is this? Who of us ever asserted grace to be a debt to any man? Grace being so contrary to debt in the very nature of it. Rom. iv. 4, and xi. 6. God loved us first. His grace or favour, in the first place, is free to all men, without exception or respect of persons. And this condemns the cruelty and partiality, which the particular electioners, or the Predestinarian opinion, would lay upon God, to limit and tie up his grace in such narrowness as it doth. "Why doth be yet find fault" (Rom. ix.) may be justly objected against that erroneous doctrine,That God hath unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass." For why should he find fault, either with his own works, or with the effect of his own design or decree? But he doth not find fault, either with his own works of creation, as made by him, nor yet with any vessel, as made, renewed, or cleansed by him; but as polluted or corrupted with sin. And so with man, not as his Maker is the potter or framer, but as the devil is the potter, having framed him in his own nature and image of sin and unrighteousness: and so," Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker, Isa. xlv. 9, to which that of Rom. ix. 20, relates. And likewise, "Who be resisted his will, or the might of his power?" is a question of some, supposing that God absolutely wills and effects whatsoever comes to pass from an unchangeable purpose or design, both as to the particular states and ends of persons. But herein many partial minds and narrow spirits, are greatly mistaken. For though the will of God, and the might of his power, both in creating man, and in many times convicting, judging and condemning the wicked and rebellious for sin, be absolute and irresistible; yet his will, as manifest in the tenders of good, in counsel and persuasion to man, in the strivings of his spirit with the wicked, all which have a tendeney to draw men out of sin and evil, and to induce them to righteousness: his will, thus considered, many do resist, in rejecting his counsel, rebelling against his commands, quenching his spirit, resisting the Holy Ghost, despising his law, casting it behind their backs, striving against their Maker, in the time of his patience and long suffering towards them, till for their rebellion he bring his severity and heavy hand upon them. For if men did not resist the holy Spirit, it should not need to strive with them. God wills not that any should perish, but that all men should come to repentance. 2 Pet. iii. 9. "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 2 Tim. ii. 3, 4. And yet all are not saved; all do not know the truth; and what hinders them? Not any decree of God; but their resisting his good will, counsel, and motions of his spirit. "O man! hy destruction is of thyself; but thy help is of me, saith the Lord."

9. S. "All fallen men and women are not reprobated. This is some comfort, and it importunately urgeth all, in compassion to their own souls, to turn from sin, to God in Christ, and to seek after good scripture-evidence of their election." p. 116. Sect. 14.

Answer. The matter would have been more congruous thus: Because no fallen men nor women are reprobated for everlasting destruction, until they have first slighted the kindness of God, abused his grace, rebelled against his blessed light, rejected his knowledge, as not liking to retain him in their knowledge. This importunately urgeth all in compassion to their own souls, to turn from sin, to God in Christ, while his grace and good-will extend to them, and a time of love is afforded them; while "he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Mat. v. 45. Now this is matter of comfort, that God shows love and kindness towards all; and that he universally extends light, and offers salvation by his Son, who indeed is his shining sun, to the ends of the earth; and that he willeth not, (or desireth not,) the death of any in their sins, but rather their return and repentance, that they may live.

But, alas! what a manifest contradiction is it for the man one while to conclude, that God hath from all eternity" reprobated the greatest part or number of fallen men and women, or "unchangeably designed" their eternal damnation, (poor encouragement,) another while, to tell of importunately urging all in compassion to their own immortal souls, to turn from sin to God in Christ?" How should they have compassion to their immortal souls, if God hath no compassion nor love towards them? Or how should reprobates turn from sin, if eternally reprobated? This were but putting them upon an impossibility, and so a flattering and mocking them with a pretended kindness, never intended for them, as the opinion which I oppose, vainly supposes.

By such specious pretences, Presbyterian priests, &c. have flattered many out of their money; which is as if a priest in his. preaching to a people, should bid them all have compassion upon their immortal souls, and turn from sin; and then tell them it is impossible they should ever turn from sin, or be saved, God having unalterably designed the destruction and damnation of the greatest part of them. What comfort would this contradiction and cruel partiality administer to them, I pray you? It would be but cold comfort to tell a great congregation, that God had fore-designed them all, except two or three of them, to be damned eternally. This is not the word of faith, nor any preaching in the faith. This is not yea and amen, but a saying and unsaying; a pretending to comfort and encourage

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