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A36515
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A friendly debate between Satan and Sherlock containing a discovery of the unsoundness of Mr. William Sherlocks principles in a late book entituled A discourse concerning the knowledge of Jesus Christ &c., by this only medium, that they afford the Devil the same grounds for his hope of salvation that they do mankind, and so subvert the Gospel and transform Christianity into Mahumetanism / by an hearty enemy of Mahumetanism.
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Danson, Thomas, d. 1694.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing D213; ESTC R24867
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29,839
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72
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A Friendly-Debate Between SATAN and SHERLOCK Containing A Discovery of the unsoundness of Mr. William Sherlocks Principles In a late Book Entituled A Discourse concerning the Knowledg of Jesus Christ c. By this only Medium That they afford the Devil the same grounds for his hope of Salvation that they do Mankind and so subvert the Gospel and transform Christianity into Mahumetanism By an hearty Enemy of Mahumetanism In Socinismo qui subtilior Mahumetismus non immerito vocatur pandit os suum ipsa vorago ipsum Barathrum irreligionis Arrowsmith Tact. Sacr. l. 2. c. 1. Sect. 14. Eos sc Socinianes non modo Christianorum sed nec haereticorum nomine dignor Christianitatem nomine retinent re destruunt Itaque hos a Mahumetistis nos longe separo qui â—e ipsi quidam Jesu maledicunt Grotius in Epist ad Wallaeum Wall opera in fol. p. 399. Printed in the Year 1676. TO THE READER A Sufficient though a short account of the design of these Sheets hath been already given in the Title Page yet the Author conceives himself obliged to make an Apology for three things which he presumes an intelligent Reader may fault in them 1. That they come out so late when many Persons of ability have foiled the Adversary and when he hath mollified the harshness of many expressions here repeated in a second Discourse To the former he answers That none hath dealt with Mr. Sherlock upon the medium here suggested and that the World had had these Sheets sooner if this medium they contain had come sooner in his thoughts To the latter that he finds not in Mr. Sherlocks second Discourse any retractation of his unscund Tenets though he seems upon second thoughts not so well pleased with his own Phraseology as giving cause to every Man whose addition is Christian to suspect that under a pretence of rectifying mistakes he designed to expose all Religion which not without cause he intimated his fear of Pref. p. 3. of his first Discourse 2. It may be blamed that Mr Sherlocks Principles are represented under this form of a Dialogue and with so odious a choice of a Dialogist For the form it self the Author might suppose the examples which some of Mr Sh 's persuasion have set him a sufficient justification Mr Hoard in a book Entituled Gods Love to Mankind hath framed a Conference between Tempted and Minister to shew how uncapable the Tempted are of true comfort or Ministers to give it upon the Church of England's Principles in the Quinquarticular Controversie And this perhaps occasioned a most learned Father of the Church of England's accurate Discourse against the whole Book And since an Anonimous Author published in Latin a Dialogue called Fur praedestinatus Elect Thief between a Calvinist Minister and a Thief condemned to be hanged with a design to expose the Doctrine of the Protestant Churches in the Five Points which gave an Alarm to a learned Son of the Church of England and made him take Arms in its defence and vindication And since them one bearing the name of the Irish-Saint hath published Two parts of a Friendly-Debate And since him to trouble the Reader with no more Examples another hath Printed A Discourse between Two intimate Friends Both which last drive on the same design with the two first but more covertly upon pretence of lashing the Non-Conformists only whom yet the Church of England hath more than once acknowledged for Conformists in Doctrine The Author of this Dialogue will not deny what he supposes any intelligent Reader may except against the use of them that Dialogues give an advantage to their Compiler to put what words he pleases into his Adversaries mouth to the prejudice of his own Cause And whether the Compilers of the Dialogues above-mentioned have not therefore made choice of this rather than another form of Discourse And whether they have not sufficiently improved it to that end he had rather others than himself should say As for himself he can alledg that the medium he hath pitcht upon hath almost necessitated him to appear in this Garb And whether he hath made a virtue or a vice of necessity he is very well contented the Reader should be judg as indeed he will be be the Author pleased or displeased And that he may judg aright he is desired to observe that what is Printed in a different Character with the number of a Page is Mr. Sherlocks own words The rest except now and then a little merriment or chiding contains Consequences and Explications of his Principles so easie and uninforced in the Authors own judgment that he does hereby boldly offer himself to be tried by his Countrey If fair words would win belief he might borrow Mr. Sherlocks which are fresh in memory I have represented his Opinions in his own words and am not conscious to my self that I have put any other sense upon his words than he intended and I cannot see what reason any Man hath to take it ill that I repeat that which he himself thought fit to publish Pref. p. 3. But so many have said of him Quid verba audiam cum facta videam What do you tell me of words when I see contrary deeds That the Author is afraid lest his own sincerity should be suspected eo nomine because he affects to profess it in Mr. Sherlocks words However he hath run the venture for once being assured that the words are innocent enough how guilty soever of abusing them Mr Sherlock may have been The only thing that the Author of this Dialogue conceives a less observant Reader may have just cause to dislike is that Mr. Sh. is brought in as ex professo designing to give the Devil hopes of Salvation which yet he no where does throughout his whole Biok But for that the Author is willing to be quit or cast as Mr. Sherlocks own Practice and Apology for it shall give their verdict His Practice is this That he brings in the Learned men against whom he Writes as renouncing Christ's mediation and trusting to the goodness of his Nature as setting up a new Religion which hath no Covenant and no Promise p. 23. and as quitting Christs Promise and his Covenant to rely and rowl upon his Person p. 24. The Apology is this This is so very absurd at first sight that I know no Man will own in it so many words nor do I charge any Man with it but I say this is the natural Interpretation of trusting in the Person of Christ in his Blood and Merits and All-sufficiency and of relying and rowling the Soul on Christ for Salvation and the like Phrases of a late date in which some men place the whole Mystery of the Gospel p. 24. mutatis mutandis the Author accepts it for his Apology that to give the Devil as fair hopes of Salvation as Mankind is so very absurd that he knows Mr. Sherlock will not own it in so many words nor does the Author charge
without ground in your opinion And your reason against it confirms me more in my suspicion that you do but verba dare deceive when you say The Vnion of the Divine and Humane Nature in Christ did excellently qualifie him for the office of a Mediator p. 205 206. For if Christ as a Mediator be not the fountain of Grace secundum naturam divinam i. e. as God he may pass from a Mediator though he were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer man then he might perswade men to be gracious by powerful motives though he could not bestow grace upon them which is all you intend by Christs being a minister of Grace The Fanaticks indeed silly souls as they are think that Christs Obedience was the meritorious cause of Grace and his Spirit the efficient or fountain of it but you instruct them better that Christ by his blood purchased only a Covenant of Salvation to them that have grace come by it as they can But pray Sir what Vnion do you allow of any or none Sherlock The Union between Christ and the Christian Church is but a Political Union that is such an Union as is between a King and his Subjects p. 156. Satan Then am I united already which is more than ever I knew before for Christ is Head of Principalities and Powers and they are his subjects de jure I am sure Sherlock Hold there our union to Christ consists in our belief of his Revelations Ib. Satan Then still my claim is good for I believe all his Revelations and were I sure none but friends were within hearing I would say that 's more than you do Sherlock You are a jeering Companion and a little too hasty our union to Christ consists also in our obedience to his Laws and subjection to his Authority p. 156. Satan Now I am half gone But yet I live in hopes that the powerful motives you have talked so much of may be powerful enough to move me to that obedience and subjection I owe to Christs Laws and Authority seeing I already believe all his Revelations I will not give you much longer trouble I have but one scruple more I perceive by your last discourse That God requir'd not such a sacrifice as the death of Christ for the expiation of our sins because he could not do otherwise p. 46. This I would have made plain For it sticks much with me that I am a debtor to Divine Justice and therefore I do not understand how God can be good to me till that debt be paid and Justice satisfied For if he should it seems to me that God should raise one of his Attributes upon the ruin of another and so do himself a prejudice to do me a kindness Your charity I believe is such that you wish me well as you do all mankind Answer but this one Objection and I am satisfied Sherlock That God is so just and righteous that he cannot pardon sin without satisfaction to his justice is indeed such a notion of justice as is perfectly new which neither Scripture nor nature acquaints us with for all mankind have accounted it an act of goodness without the least suspition of injustice in it to remit injuries and offences without exacting any punishment and that he is so far from being just that he is cruel and savage who will remit no offence till he hath satisfied his revenge That part of justice which consists in punishing of offenders was always looked on as an iustrument of Government and therefore the exacting or remitting punishment was referred to the wisdom of Governours who might spare or punish as they saw reason for it without being unjust in either p. 45 46. And this is so rational that thou canst not but subscribe to the judgment of all mankind And but that I think you propose this scruple only to try what answer I can make I should wonder one of so pregnant wit should talk so like a fool Satan I doubt Sir you have not consulted all mankind I have heard other doctrine constantly taught in the Assemblies of Christians who sure are part of mankind where I have been a constant and attentive hearer and I cannot but believe and tremble Sherlock I doubt Sir Satan your ears have not been matches It may be you have heard such doctrine in Conventicles There is one John Owen that hath given us a faste of the gift he exercises in such Assembles in a late Book Entituled Communion with God the Father c. that tells us what ever discoveries were made of the patience and lenity of God to us yet if it were not withal revealed that the other Properties of God as his Justice and Revenge for Sin had their actings assigned them to the full there could be little consolation gathered from the former p. 95. But what say I to this That is J. O. would not believe God himself though he should make never so many promises of being good and gracious to sinners unless he were sure that he had first satisfied his reveng The sume of which is That God is all love and patience when he has taken his fill of revenge as others use to say That the Devil is good when he is pleased p. 47. Excuse me that I make use of your name Satan I willingly excuse your making use of my name for seeing I have failed in my ambition of being like God I am well enough content you should make God like me Sherlock Elsewhere the same J.O. says That in Christ the very nature of God is discovered to be love and kindness But I think I pay him off Hearken and you shall have my Comment with his Text to a tittle An happy change this from all Justice to all Love but how comes this to pass why the account of that is very plain because the Justice of God hath glutted it self with revenge on sin in the death of Christ and so henceforward we may be sure he will be very kind as a revengeful man is when his passion is over p. 46. Satan But what 's the matter then that sinners which I know by woful experience my self are haunted with continual fears of Gods Justice Those fears seem to be the effects of the natural notions of God's Justice which we carry about with us Sherlock The workings of the Law the amazing terrors of Gods wrath the raging despair of damned spirits are the working of an heated fancy and Religious distraction p. 95. These must needs be the effect of ignorance not of an acquaintance with Christ which suggests so many encouraging-considerations to return to God as to a merciful and compassionate Father and not to tremble at his presence as a severe and inexorable Judg. Ib. Satan O bene factum O well done my white Boy O Lepidum caput now your work is done you have obliged me for ever For now I undeastand that my fears are but melancholy and hypochondraical such as timerous persons are subject