Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A29419
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A Brief and plain discourse upon the decrees of God wherein Mr. Grantham's query is considered and answered with some short reflections upon a few expressions in his book &c.
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1692
(1692)
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Wing B4530; ESTC R35786
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10,137
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16
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A BRIEF and PLAIN DISCOURSE UPON THE Decrees of God WHEREIN Mr. Grantham's Query IS Considered and Answered WITH Some short Reflections upon a few Expressions in his Book c. Job 6.25 How forcible are right words But what doth your arguing reprove Zeph. 2.1 2. Gather your selves together c. Before the Decree Bring forth c. Decretum Dei est Definitiva ejus Sententia de Rebus Omnibus per Omnipotentiam Secundum Consilium suum efficiendi Ames Medulla Theol. LONDON Printed by T. S. for Edw. Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market Place 1692. AN ANSWER TO Mr. Grantham's Question Which he was pleased to propound to all Rigid Calvinists as he calls them viz. Quest Whether our Gracious God did from all Eternity freely and unchangeably Decree that Mr. Toathby and Mr. Willet should come to the City of Norwich and slander me and others by such horrid Lies and Forgeries Mr. Grantham I was much concerned when I saw your Book in which you propound a Question to all the Rigid Calvinists as you are pleased to call us in Norwich and elsewhere and being much troubled at it thought it my duty to make some answer to it as I am able through the help and assistance of Gods Grace and accordingly have so done in this Paper I do much wonder that such a wise man as you pretend to be should propound such a question as this is in which you speak slightly of God and his Decrees Had you that sence and reverence of God and of the greatness of his Majesty and Soveraignty who may do what he will with us his Creatures I say had you this upon your Heart which I fear you have not you would not Quarrel with God and speak so slightly of his Decrees as you do The Lord humble you and give you repentance for it and also Wisdom to do so no more There are three things that I would offer to consideration about the Decrees of God Viz. 1. What the Decree of God is which you speak so slightly of 2. What are the Properties of Gods Decrees And 3. Speak something of the Execution of it For the first What are the Decrees of God Answ 1. The Word Decree is a Speech that is taken from the affairs of men but especially of such men as are in Authority in their determinations of Causes between such as are at variance whose Sentence accordingly is called a Decree 2. For God to Decree is Eternally to purpose fore-ordain determine and appoint what things shall be and come to pass c. Now the manner of Gods decreeing all things Is according to the Counsel of his own Will And being according to his Will it is most freely and according to his Counsel therefore most Wisely So that God has Freely and Wifely decreed all things that come to pass and let us but think of this that what God doth he doth well and wisely after the Counsel of his own Will as the Apostle speak Eph. 1.11 12. then we shall be silent and not quarrel so with God about his decreeing all things before time that come to pass in time as we are apt to do and let us well remember this Wherefore God hath Decreed all things that come to pass viz. for his own Praise and Glory as appears Psal 33.11 12. Rom. 9.22 23. and Eph. 1.4 and 11. c. 3. So then the Decrees of God are defined to be the Wise Free and Holy Acts of the Counsel of Gods Will who worketh all things after the Counsel of his Holy Will which is the Rule of Perfection Eph. 1.11 Rom. 11.33 whereby for his own Glory God hath unchangeably determined whatsoever comes to pass especially concerning his reasonable Creatures viz. Angels and Men Mr. Leigh in his Body of Divinity says That the Decree of God is that whereby the Lord according to the Counsel of his own Will hath determined with himself what he will do command forbid permit or hinder together with the Circumstances of the same Act. 2.23 and 4.28 Luk. 22.22 It is says he an Eternal determining of all things which have been or shall be So as himself saw fittest to have them for Good Reasons best known to himself tho not to us Therefore let us not Quarrel with God about his doings and determining all things c. Seeing he doth all he doth most wisely and for good reasons known to himself Let us be silent seeing his ways are in the Deep and beyond our shallow Capacity and say as Paul in Rom. 11.33 Oh! the Depth c. Thus much may suffice for the first thing We shall now come to the second 2. To shew what are the Properties of Gods Decrees and this through Gods help I shall do in these following particulars Pray mind them well First The Decree of God is Compleat i. e. that it doth comprehend the determining of all things from all Eternity that do or shall come to pass which might be evidenced from many Arguments grounded upon the Word of God which we must give Credit to unless we do believe the Scripture only to be the Invention of men and not indeed the Pure and Holy Word of God as in truth it is The Arguments are these viz. I 'le Just name them Arg. 1. Consider it well the smallest and most Casual things Decreed by God As the lighting of a Sparrow upon the Ground and the falling of a Hair from our Heads This I say is not without the fore-appointment of the Wise and Holy God as you may see plainly in the Words of Christ Mat. 10 28 29 30 31. Read and Mind this place well and you 'l find it True The very Drops that fall from Heaven and the Grass that grows upon the Earth is from the Appointment of God from Eternity See and consider well these Scriptures And the Lord give you to understand them aright and all of us which is his gift Prov. 16.32 33. Jer. 14.22 Jonah 1.6 Matt 6.28 29. The Words of Christ c. Arg. 2. Seeing none of these things doth come to pass without the Appointment of God what do you think Mr. Grantham concerning the Angels Don't you believe that some of them fell and the rest stood according as God did ordain and appoint as to be sure they did 1 Tim. 5.21 22. and I suppose you believe it for you in your Book speak of Elect Angels and pray Answer me this Why may not God as well Chuse and Elect some men to Eternal Life and let others alone to go on in sin and perish as to Chufe and Elect some Angels and pass the other by seeing they are all the Workmanship of his hands c. And he may dispose of them and do with them as he pleases Rom. 9.20 21 22 23 24. But Arg. 3. All things concerning men as to their Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Estate are Decreed by God and there is nothing can be found that Gods Decree doth not reach
who they are that God will glorifie his Justice in their Damnation We must call all to come but God may give Pardon Grace and Glory to whom he will Shall not God do what he will with his own Yes surely Are not you rather Rigid Mr. Grantham That tell the People God hath the same Love to all as to some and also that Christ Died for all and every Individual Man and Woman in the World And yet declares that the greatest part of the World tho Christ died for them shall perish Oh! horrible and wicked that you should speak thus of Christ and undervalue his Death and Merits at such a rate Repent of this your wickedness and pray God to forgive you And utterly explode such a base opinion for what comfort can there be in this your General Notion That Christ died for all and yet most of these may perish and be damn'd I say abhor this opinion and pray God to give you a Heart to believe that all that Christ died for in truth Intentionally for to save shall all of them be saved John 6.37 38 39. and 10.16 Secondly You bid us explode and abhor that wretched Article of the Assembly of Divines where they say that God did from all Eternity freely and unchangeably Decree whatsoever comes to pass 1. Were you any thing of a sound man and did understand Gods Word aright you would not object against this Article that is so plainly proved in the Scripture But oh how Ignorant are you or make your self so of Gods holy Word 2. Don't you think If you don 't you may that you are a wretched man for Quarrelling with the Truth Oh! tremble before the Lord for Quarrelling with his pure unerring word and do so no more but submit to the Truth and receive it in the Love of it And maintain Errors no longer The Lord grant you may do so And become a Lover of the Truth in sincerity I shall now conclude all with a short word of caution to the Christian Reader I do heartily in the name of the Lord admonish thee to have a care of Errors and of all those that do hold and maintain them Take the Apostles advice 1 John 1.1 2. Not to believe every Spirit but try every Spirit whether they be of God or no and the way to do this is by the Holy Word of God with Care and Diligence John 5.39 Acts 17.11 1 Thes 5.21 22. and Rev. 2.2 3. Now the good Lord teach you and guide you in the way of Holiness which shall be my Prayer to God for you whilst I Live The Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Words Preached by Thomas Grantham in his Meeting-Place in the City of Norwich and attested by John Pitcher of the said City which are as followeth viz. Imprimis That every Man fell in Adam this is true and Christ died to Redeem every individual Man and Woman in the World and if not so we were lest in a worse condition than tho Devil and if all have not benefit by his Death then they whom he died not for have as little reason to thanks God as the Beast has the Grazier that seeds him up to the Slaughter c. Reader THese few Lines were thought fit by some Persons of Note to be published which accordingly are and I do heartily wish that Mr. Grantham would learn more Wisdom for time come and not speak so wickedly I can call it no other as he hath done for he speaks quite contrary to the currant of the Holy Scriptures be they compared one with another which indeed is the way to understand them c. I am also credibly told that you called the. Doctrine of Election and Reprobation in your Pulpit damnable Doctrine c. and one that heard you came to your house to tell you of it being troubled about it and you denied it which he then made manifest to your Face and then you said these words viz. between You and I I do say it is Damnable Doctrine c. Oh horrible that ever you should speak such a word as this is the Lord help you now to amend and all of us what we have done amiss in any kind and to do better for time to come My Prayer shall be to God for you to give you true wisdom in the Mysteries of his Will contained in his Holy Word Vale. Testes Mich. Hosbun John Fenn Miles Matthews A Catalogue of Books Printed for and are to be Sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-Place SEveral Discourses concerning Actual Providence A word in Season Defensive Armour against four of Satans most fiery Darts Sermons upon the whole first and second Chapter of Canticles Thirteen Sermons upon several useful Subjects All published by John Collins D. D. of Norwich The way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ set forth with the necessity of Faith in several Sermons Both by Mr. Thomas Allen late Pastor of a Church at Norwich Enoch's Walk with God and Christ a Christians Gain by Mr Timothy Armitage late Minister at Norwich A Discourse of the preciousness of Christ and of the preciousness of Faith Precious Promises the Portion of Overcomers Sermons on the five several useful Subjects all by Mr. John Lougher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer by Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saints speaking being a Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcomb of Deadham in Essex The English Presbyterian The Miracles of Christ The ordinary matter of Prayer drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises the first of Rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all Cases and Conditions The second of a Christians Hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ both by Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended in a Sermon preached September the 9th 1683. being the thanksgiving Day for his Majesties Deliverance By Jonathan Clapham Rector of â—ramplingham in Norfolk Infant Baptism of Chist's Appointment By Mr. Samuel Peito Minister of the Gospel in Sudbury in Suffolk Of the Conversion of Sinners to God in Christ the necessity nature means and signs of it with a concluding Speech to the Unconverted An Answer to Mr. Thomas Grantham's Book called a Dialogue between the Baptist and Presbyterian Both by Martin Finch Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Sincerity or the Upright Man's Walk to Heaven Delivered in several Sermons in the Parish-Church of St. Michael in Long-stratten in Norfolk By James Oldfield late Minister there Alexipharmacon Spirituale Being a Defensative against the Poison and Sting of Death Or The Great Expedient how to make the Bed of the Grave so easie that we may lie down in Peace and take our Rest By Samuel Snowden Minister of the Gospel at Newton in Norfolk Christ set forth In several Sermons upon the 17th Chapter to the Hebrews By Mr. Robert Ottee late Pastor to a Congregation Beckles in Suffolk Sacramental Discourses on several select Subjects To which is added A Discourse of the Life of Faith By Christopher Amarett Minister of the Gospel in Norfolk A Discovery of Audacious Insolence against the Doctrine of the Church of England vented in a malicious Pamphlet published against the Presbyterians by Thomas Grantham Together with a Poem thereon And a Postscript wherein some of the Citizens of Norwich are more particularly concerned and cautioned A Practical Discourse upon the 8th of the Romans 37. verse Wherein it is shewn and proved that true Believers in Christ are more than Conquerors in their sufferings and afflictions here And it shall appear that they are such indeed at the appearing of Christ the Captain of their Salvation FINIS