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
according to the Scriptures that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 That he would have all Men to be saved and come to the Knowledg of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.4 That the Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 And that by the Improvement of this their Talent they may make themselves fit to enter into their Master's Joy 't is evident I say that such Doctrines as these do noways tend to God's Dishonour nor are they iniurious to the true Interest of Religion nor do they any ways endanger the Good of Souls Nor can any thing be more certain than this that these and none but these Doctrines can yield true Comfort to them that on the account of Sin are in Disconsolation because they everywhere and always declare it to be the Will of God that if the Wicked will turn away from hsi Wickedness that he hath committed and do that which is lawful and right he shall save his Soul alive all his Transgressions tha he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his Righteousness that he hath done he shall live Ezek. 18.21 to 28. Were the Reprobatarian Doctrine true then all that profess it are bound to live up to those Payticulars that are naturally consequent thereupon and then it must sollow of course that if all the Actions of Men are fore-determined by God's Decree and Sin be necessitated in some as well as Vertue is in others that then Wickedness ought not to be look'd upon as more criminal in a Reprobate than Thirst or Hunger for what is unavoidable may be a Man's Infelicity in some Cases but not his Sin for can it be a Crime in any one to do that which it is the Will of God he shall do If God have decreed from Eternity that some Men shall sin unavoidably that so his Design of reprobating them may not prove uneffectual then those that act evil things are not to be charged with Disobedience because they act some say as God designs they should act and by consequence according to these Notions they are intirely obedient to the Will of their Maker Wherefore those that pretend to believe these Doctrines ought not to blame and censure and punish them for Wickedness but say rather that since God has decreed from Eternity whatsoever shall come to pass in time that these cannot avoid so doing and therefore 't is the Duty of all to rest satisfied under the unavoidable Execution of the Divine Decrees of God Now thus to do would be for Men to live up to the Tenure of those Reprobatarian Doctrines of eternal Predestination which they profess to believe but yet we don't see this done which shews that these Dictates of the Spirit of Error are over-powered by those natural Notions of Truth implanted in the Minds of the Predestinarians Experience shews that they all daily cry out against the Wickedness of Mankind as a thing unsufferable among humane Beings and they do all that lies in their Power to bring those to Punishment who do such things as are destructive to the general or common Good of Men which sufficiently demonstrates that the Predestinarian Faith which they outwardly profess is undoubtedly contrary to that Divine Law which God by Nature has written in the Heart of Man and for this reason these Men by their Actions do plainly confute the Faith which they profess for by this they declare unto the World that they do not believe that Men are wicked by necessity from God for then 't would be inhumane to punish them but this no Man believes for they as well as we are verily perswaded that the Punishment of the Wicked is just and necessary that so by their Example others may be deterred from committing the like Crimes which shews that all Men do naturally believe that Sin may be avoided and if Sin which is the Cause of Damnation may be avoided then Damnation which is only the Effect of Sin may be avoided too which proves that the Predestinarian Notion of Reprobation is contrary to the natural as well as to the revealed Law of God and for that reason ought to be rejected by all Man especially by them whose Business it is to perswade all Men to be reconciled unto God which they can never do unless htey declare that 't is possible for all to repent Of ELECTION The Predestinarians tell us that God by an eternal Decree hath elected or chosen to make some particular Persons happy in a Life eternal and that none shall be saved but those whom he has thus predestinated unto Glory in which Predestination they say no respect was had to any Act of Obedience to be perform'd on Man's Part for according to these Men Obedience is only the fruit of their Election or what necessarily does follow thereupon and not the Means which makes Men fit for Election or Choice of God But this is an Error because contrary to plain Scripture or the revealed Law of our Maker For God has therein fully assured us that our being in favour with him depends upon our doing well see Gen. 4.7 that is to say upon our well using those Talents he has entrusted us with or upon our doing those things that his Word and Law have commanded and therefore it is that we are bid to work out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling for 't is God that worketh in us to will and to do Phil. 2.12 The meaning is that God has made us capable of doing his Will in order to make us fit Objects for his Love and Favour and that therefore we ought to work according as he has enabled us that by so doing we may make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 which will not be unless our own diligent Endeavours do concur with the Assistance of God and therefore it is that Men are exhorted not to receive the Grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 'T is plain that God is no Respecter of Persons but that in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him Acts 10.35 And accordingly a good and vertuous Life is every where made the necessary Condition of Salvation Obey my Voice saith God and then I will be your God and ye shall be my People Jer. 7.23 If thou wilt enter into Life saith Christ keep the Commandments Mat. 19.17 For as the Psalmist has declared He that is God hath set apart the Man that is godly for himself Psal 4.3 In which Words a plain Reason is given why God makes one Man happy and not another 't is the Man that is godly that he sets apart for this Purpose Hence Christ is said to be the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 'T is only by Obedience that we obtain an Interest in the saving Redemption of Christ and accordingly his Gospel does declare
a Doctrine proper to give Men Peace and Comfort in a Course of Wickedness and for that Reason ought to be rejected by all good Men. In the first place then the Scripture plainly forewarns good Men of the Danger which shews that 't is possible for good Men to fall from a State of saving Grace Beware saith the Scripture lest ye also being led away with the Error of the Wicked fall from your own Stedfastness 2 Pet. 3.17 Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due time we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 And you that were alienated and Enemies in your Minds by wicked Works yet now hath he reconciled to present you blameless if ye continue in the Faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel Col. 1.21 22 23. If a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch and is withered Joh. 15.6 Now the Just shall live by Faith but if any Man draw back my Soul shall have no Pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 Let him therefore that thinks he standeth so fast as that no Sin shall move him take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Ye did run well saith St. Paul to the Galatians who did hinder you that ye should not obey the Truth Gal. 5.7 Secondly the Scripture expresly declares that righteous Men may become wicked and die in their Sins for 't is said thus that when the Righteous turneth away from his Righteousness and committeth Iniquity shall he live all the Righteousness he hath done shall not be mentioned in his Trespass that he hath trespassed and in his Sin that he hath sinned in them he shall die Ezek. 18.24 When a righteous Man turneth away from his Righteousness and committeth Iniquity and dieth in them for his Iniquity that he hath done he shall die Ezek. 18.26 And agreeable hereunto are the Words of David to his Son Solomon And thou Solomon my Son saith he know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect Heart and with a willing Mind if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever 1 Chron. 28.9 It is impossible saith the Author to the Hebrews for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the holy Ghost and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance Heb. 6.4 5 6. Hence 't is said of the younger Widows that were wanton that they have Damnation because they have cast off their first Faith 1 Tim. 5.12 Now these and such-like Scripture-Evidences are a plain and undeniable Proof that righteous Men may fall from a State of Salvation and die in their Sins and therefore the Doctrine which asserts the contrary is certainly an Error Yea 't is a foul Error because it gives Encouragement to Sin and Wickedness since it asserts that no Sin can provoke God to withdraw his saving Grace from them that are once Saints but such Presumption has doubtless ruined more Souls than deep Despair for how are bad Men as there are many of this Perswasion as well as of others hereby encouraged to do ill things when they shall be perswaded that no Sin can deprive them of God's Favour who are once inroll'd in the Book of Life And 't is evident that the Generality of both Good and Bad who believe this Doctrine are so foolish as to think that they are all certainly of this Number meerly because they profess themselves Predestinarians and therefore they comfort up themselves with this Consideration that tho they are guilty of some gross Sins yet their Salvation is still safe because their Names are written as they think in the Book of Life than which no Doctrine in the World can be more proper to encourage Wickedness nor can any thing be more contrary to Scripture which expresly affirms thus Whosoever sinneth against me him will I blot out of my Book Exod. 32.33 Which shews that a Man may be in God's Book and yet he may afterwards commit such Sins as shall blot him out of it 'T is not to be supposed that Men will much boggle at any Matter of worldly Advantage when they are really perswaded that good Works are not concern'd in Justification for they think that Justification is only the Fruit of Election and not the Fruit of Obedience to God's Law and that being elected they are by Consequence justified before they are sanctified or in a State of Grace before they are converted unto God none being converted they say but those who are before in God's Love by virtue of his Decree of eternal Election and that after Conversion which does only manifest their being elected if they do happen to sin and fall very foully as David did yet God still loves them as much under this their Relapse as he did before their first Conversion and tho such Sins may bring upon them temporal Miseries yet they shall never deprive them of eternal Glory for they shall not die till by an unresistible Power God has raised them up again by Repentance They confess they may fall for a time but their Fall shall not be final nor end in Death eternal Men I say that believe all this and believe withal that they themselves are of the Number of these elected Ones as great Numbers do who have no other ground for their so doing but Self-confidence and an erroneous Perswasion that so it is these I say have a great deal of Encouragement not to boggle at such Opportunities and Actions as others who really believe the contrary dare not either take or do for fear lest God should cut them off in their Sins and damn their Souls 't is plain that such have not those Advantages of doing ill afforded them from their Faith as the others have because they dare not do an ill thing lest they should lose the Favour of God they may sin by surprise but they dare not sin presumptuously But the other believes that there 's no eternal Danger in it because those whom God once loves he loves to the end and he will not so see Sin in his Elect as to damn them for it and this they call a Doctrine full of Comfort and Consolation and indeed it does in this respect equal that of the Papist for as a Papist's Sins do not much terrify him because he believes the Priest can forgive him upon Confession so neither can the other's because he believes God will not take away his Life till he has brought him to Repentance That there are wicked Men among those who believe contrary to these Predestinarian Doctrines I readily grant but they have no Encouragement to be wicked from any natural Consequences that may be drawn from the Doctrines they believe they are plainly self-condemned by their own Principles in all the Evils which they do allow themselves in Some