Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n
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A75470
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An Antidote against some principal errors of the predestinarians a work designed for the information of the common people.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing A3494A; ESTC R42462
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23,735
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50
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AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST Some Principal Errors OF THE Predestinarians A Work designed for the Information of the Common People Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 Joh. 4.1 LONDON Printed for Richard Cumberland at the Angel in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1696. An ANTIDOTE against some Principal Errors c. TO convince those of their Mistake who err in Matters of Religion is an Act of the greatest Kindness and Friendship that one Man can do unto another being therefore fully satisfied in my self that some of the Predestinarian Principles are contrary to Truth I thought it my Duty to endeavour all that in me lies to convince them thereof who so believe by shewing that they do not srightly understand the true Intent and Meaning of the Word of God or that they err not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22.29 that is to say not knowing them rightly for they rely only upon here and there a Place that seems to make for them and in the mean time overlook a far greater Number of Scriptures that very plainly and clearly do testify against them Now 't is evident that where one Part of Scripture seems to declare one thing and another part seems to declare quite the contrary 't is evident I say that there the true sense of one Part is not that which the literal Import of the Words does express for 't is certain that two Senses which do oppose each other cannot both be true in such Cases then it must be that the literal Sense of one part is the true Sense and then the literal Sense of the other part must be mystical figurative or allusive or such as does seem to speak one thing but does really mean and intend another Now 't is not possible for any Opinion to be true that is built on the literal Sense of such Scriptures as these whose right meaning is not that which the Words do at first sight seem to express Wherefore before we presume to make any Text the Foundation of our Faith we must be sure that the Sense which we take that Text of Scripture in is its true and right Sense And the way to know this is to consider first whether it be agreeable to that Sense which is found to be the Common Drift and Scope of the Bible for we must not understand any one Scripture in such a Sense as is contrary to a far greater Number of Places The general Sense of the Scriptures is rather to be relied on than a particular Sense of only three or four Places Again we must consider whether the Sense a Scripture is taken in be agreeable to Reason for no Sense of Scripture can be true that is contrary to the common and natural Notions of our Minds for the Law of Nature is as much from God as the Laws of Revelation are and 't is absurd to think that one part of God's Law can contradict another Again no Sense of Scripture can be the true Sense if it any ways naturally tend to take Men off from the Care of holy Living by nourishing in them foolish Presumption or else driving of them into miserable and deep Despair Now if these few Particulars be well considered they cannot but direct us to the Knowledg of the true and right Sense of the Scripture for if any Sense be the true Sense it must be that which is agreeable to the greatest Number Seripture-Testimonies which we have no reason to disbelieve and which has no Tendency in it to favour Wickedness but is every way proper to urge and press Mankind to a Life of Piety and Vertue Now 't is evident that the Predestinarians do build many of their Notions on Scriptures taken in that Sense which is opposite to the Sense of a far greater Number of Testimonies which declare the contrary and they are also taken in such a Sense as is contrary to all other Evidences of Truth deducible from humane Understanding and which makes many Men falsely conceit themselves to be the Beloved of God and his Elect even in the midst of their Wickedness and that has driven others into Despair upon a Supposition that they are of that Number whom God as they think has eternally reprobated All which clearly prove that the Sense they take these Scriptures in is a Sense that is not the right and true Sense and therefore that Faith is an erroneous Faith which they do build upon it And this by the Divine Assistance I will make evident in several Particulars And first Of REPROBATION The true Substance of the Calvinist Notion concerning Reprobation is that God has decreed from Eternity to reprobate or torment some Men in Hell for ever that thereby he may make manifest the Glory of his Justice in punishing some as well as his Goodness in making others happy and they say that the Number of those who are thus fore-ordained to everlasting death is so certain and their Fate is so unchangeable upon the Account of this his unalterable Decree that they can neither be increased nor diminished But this Notion is contrary both to Scripture and Reason and is therefore both a false and an impious Opinion First 'T is contrary to Scripture I mean such Scriptures as are much more numerous and more plain and easy to be understood than those are upon which this fictionary Faith is founded God is Love 1 Joh. 4.8 And in this was his Love manifested in that he sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him ver 9. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his Way and live turn ye turn ye for why will ye die O House of Israel Ezek. 33.11 Have I any Pleasure at all that the Wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that he should turn from his Ways and live Ezek. 18.23 I have no Pleasure in the Death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye Ezek. 18.32 Now what can be more absurd and contrary to Scripture than to assert that he who takes no Pleasure in the Death of Sinners should for his own meer Will and Pleasure only to shew his Power decree to torment and damn the greatest part of Mankind If he swears that he delights not in their Death we may depend upon his Word notwithstanding all the Arguments which the Predestinarians can urge to the contrary 'T is likewise recorded for a Truth that the Lord is good to all and that his tender Mercies are over all his Works Psal 145.9 That he is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 That his Will is that Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all Men for this is good and acceptable in the Sight of
God who will have all Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledg of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.1 4. And that the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all Men Tit. 2.11 That Christ is a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World 1 Joh. 2.2 That he gave himself a Ranson for all 1 Tim. 2.6 That he tasted Death for every Man Heb. 2.9 And that as by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all Men to Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 Now from thes plain Scriptures 't is evident that no particular Man's Damnation is unavoidably decreed by Go If Men die the Death eternal their Destruction is from themselves and not from him When he made the Generations of Men to dwell upon the Face of the Earth he made them free Agents that is to say he gave them a Power either to do or not to do what he did intend to command them but withal he let them know that if they did disobey they should be punished for their so doing and that if they did obey they should for ever be blessed It was not his purpose therefore to damn any Man absolutely but conditionally in case he should so far abuse the Powers he had given him as wilfully to commit Sin when he might as well have forborn it Now the Truth of this is evident from many plain and undeniable Testimonies For eternal Punishments are only denounc'd against Men in Case of Wickedness God's Decrees are that the Soul that sins shall die Ezek. 18.4 And that all should be damned who believe not the Truth but had Pleasure in Vnrighteousness 2 Thess 2.12 And that if Men live after the Flesh they shall die but if on the contrary they through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body they shall live Rom. 8.13 And therefore he faith Whosoever sinneth against me him will I blot out of my Book Exod. 32.33 By the Sins and Wickednesses then which Men commit they make themselves Reprobates 't is because of these things says S. Paul that the Wrath of God cometh upon the Children of Disobedience Eph. 5.3 6. God hathsworn that some shall notenter into his Rest But to whom swear he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believe not Heb. 3.18 All which shews that God reprobates none but suh as by Sin are the Authors of their own Damnation and therefore 't is said of the wicked Jews O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Hos 13.9 To say therefore that God is the chief and principal or main Cause of Man's eternal Destruction is a Notion you see which is contrary to Scripture and is therefore an Error 'T is also an Error because 't is built upon such a Sense of Scripture as we have all the reason in the World to disbelieve for that can never be the true Sense of God's Word which naturally tends to debase the Glory of the Justice and Righteousness of God but this those Notions do which these Men do build on these mistaken Senses of Scripture for they tell us that as God has decreed the End of those whom he has resolv'd to reprobate so he has also decreed the Means which shall bring them to that End that is to say he has decreed that they shall unavoidably be Sinners that so he may manifest the Rigour of his Justice in punishing them for being wicked But were this true it would be so far from exalting that it would plainly debase the Glory of the Justice of God among Men for according to all the Notions which we have of Justice nothing can be more unjust and cruel than first to lay an unavoidable Necessity upon a Man to do ill that so with a seeming Justice he may be tormented for being wicked Should one Man do so to another we should count him unjust in the highest and shall Man be more just than God Job 4.17 Then and then only is the Justice of God glorious when he punishes Men for wilfully refusing to do that which he has made them sufficiently able by one means or other to perform This Reprobating Notion of theirs does make the Gospel a meer piece of Nonsense for the Gospel tells us that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in Christ's Name to all Nations Luke 24.47 And that God does command all Men every where to repent Acts 17.30 But all this the Predestinarian Doctrine opposes as an impossible Thing a useless Precept for it declares that none of them whom God has decreed to reprobate can repent and become good Men for he has decreed they say that those Men shall be Sinners that so he may bring on them in a way of Justice that eternal Death to which he has foreappointed and designed them all which say they no Endeavours sof theirs can prevent for the most profound Repentance which they can perform will never reverse what God has thus doom'd them to by an eternal and irreversible Decree Which Doctrines are a plain Contradiction to that express Command of God that all should repent They have been also the dreadful Occasion of all that Horror and Despair which has been found in a great Number of men who have been afflicted with doubting and troubled Minds and has occasioned others to entertain in themselves very hard Thoughts of God for such Notions as these do make God seem worse to some Men than the Devil for the Devil they know can force no Man to sin he can only tempt and endeavour to perswade but God according to these Notions of the Predestinarians does force and compel Men to sin by an absolute Decree that so the Damnation he has design'd them to may appear more Just All which are the occasion of very hard and evil Thoughts concerning God in those who under Despair are apt to think themselves of the Number of those whom he thus has reprobated which evil and wicked Surmises concerning God had for ever been prevented had not these Doctrines been taught in the World On the contrary 't is evident beyond Contradiction that the opposite Doctrine does much more advance God's Honour because it teaches that 't is possible for all Men to repent and become good Men and herein saith Christ is my Father glorified that ye bear much Fruit John 15.8 It likewise tends more to advance the Interest of Religion which consists in every Man 's being perswaded to live a sober righteous and godly Life and it is also a Doctrine which is every way more truly conducive to the good of Souls because it declares that all Men may be happy if they will but diligently improve that Talent of Grace that God has given them in order to the working out of their own Salvation and the making their own Calling and Election sure 'T is plain to every common Man's Understanding that those Doctrines which teach