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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96265	A discovery, and confutation of the opinions, and practises of some false brethren, betwixt Bridge, and Lincolne: shewing how they agree in their opinions, with Pelagians; Papists; Arminians; in their practises, with Anabaptists. Wherein univerall redemption is confuted; and Gods absolute decree confirmed. / By John Wetherall, minister of Spridlington, near Lincolne. March 22. 1651. Imprimatur. John Downame.	Wetherall, John, minister of Spridlington.	1652 (1652)	Wing W1523; Thomason E661_1; ESTC R206761	53,660	88

their Friends being infected no they conclude it contrary to all reason that any good or evill can bee prevented seeing every thing is pre-ordayned of God But wee Christians are taught better things that we should not so foolishly examine the secret Counsells of God as to make them altogether agreeable to our blockish Reason I might enlarge my selfe on this Subject I want not matter to stop the widest mouth among my neighbors but I will draw towards a Conclusion Reader I pray thee seriously consider if both the Supra-lapsarian and the Sub-lapsarian may not meete and sweetly set forth the Mercy and Justice of God the Supra-lapsarians say that in the first Act of Reprobation God doth all for himself only in the second that is Damnation he does all for sin in this last the Supra-lapsarian and the Sub-lapsarian say that God doth the second for Sin I see not why he may not say hee doth the first for Himselfe and so be in that a Supra-lapsarian but foreseene Faith and Works in the first Act of God clashes ex Diametro against the Word of God I know in God there is no first or last prius or posterius but yet for our better understanding wee may conceive the Decrees of Election and Preterition in order of priority antecedent to the permission of sin and therefore much more to the prevision I conceive the Question is not whether God foresaw what Good and Bad would doe who dares doubt of that but whether the Different Actions of Men foreseen caused the Different Decrees of their Election and Preterition indeed it is impossible but that God should see all things at once therefore he could not Predestinate or Reprobate without prevision and permission of sin but even Originall sin alone though foreseene could not bee Cause why Peter was Predestinated and Judas not seeing it was foreseen in both and made both ex aequo Reprobabiles therefore it was Gods will that made a difference and not any Originall sin God determined to permit the Apostasie of Men and Angels to damne some of Men all the Apostate Angells yet God might have Elected Cain or Judas unto Glory without injustice and passed by Peter God forbid we should say the Divine Will was determined and could not doe otherwise yet Cain Judas and Peter were equally guilty of Originall sin Wee grant not that by this absolute Reprobation God Decreeth that Men not Predestinated should unavoydably sinne that so they may certainly be damned but we grant that God foreknoweth persons not elected will voluntarily commit those sinnes for which hee intends to damne them but Negative Reprobation neither procureth nor supposeth any sinne as damnation doth The Decrees of excluding men out of Heaven and tormenting them in Hell are different I say then that even Judas notwithstanding his Reprobation might have been saved had hee not continued voluntarily impenitent if any say he could not yea but I say he would not there was by Gods Act of Reprobation no necessity of coaction imposed on his will And now if any object that the salvation of all were more for Gods glory To this I answer God is not to learne of us what makes most for his Glory hee could have upheld the Angels Adam saved all and every particular but he did not he doth not therefore this absolute Decree to bring but some to salvation and permit others infallibly to fall doth make most for his glory Indeed Alphonsus K. of Castile sayd God might have made his Works and done many things much better then he did but it was Blasphemy take you heed Mr. T. I must not omit how that the 39. Articles agreed upon by the whole Clergie of England anno 1562. for establishing of Consent touching true Religion are flat opposite to these Opinions of our Universalists they are against the 10. Article which sayth That man since the fall of Adam hath no Free Will or Power to doe any thing pleasant and acceptable unto God they are against the 11. Article which saith Justification is not for any of our own works or deservings they are against the 12. Article which sayth Good works are onely fruits of Faith and follow after Justification and by Consequence Election they are against the 17. Article which calls Predestination to life the everlasting Purpose of God wherely before the Foundations of the World were layd he hath constantly Decreed by his Counsell secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom hee hath chosen in Christ out of mankinde and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation as vessels made to honour c. So then the Foundation of Predestination to life is the purpose of God and his Counsell not foreseene Faith whereby hee hath constantly Decreed Predestination is immutable to deliver from Curse those only whom he had chosen in Christ hee had no purpose to save all and they are called Vessels made to honour which implies other Vessels made to dishonour If Mr. T. be a Minister then hee might remember that hee once consented to the truth of these Articles Indeed Arminius in his Declaration to the States of Holland and West-Frisland endeavoureth to prove by 20. Arg. That God hath not Decreed absolutely to save certaine particulars And Bertius his Scholar saith This absolute Decree openeth a gate on this side to a dissolute life on that side to desperation They say further That the Opinion of precise Election without respect of foreseene Faith in the Elect overthroneth all Religion But Reader thou mayst remember that these two are much like those Artists that found out the Trade they professed they are not the Children of our Mother both Arminians and our Universalists make a desperate use of this Doctrine but the Doctrine it self is no desperate Doctrine or Doctrine of desperation but of Heavenly consolation as wee read in our 17. Article the words are these The godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feele in themselves the working of the spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their mindes to high and heavenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirme the Faith of eternall Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God c. They that draw desperate Conclusions because of Gods Decree are condemned in that Article and I am sure our Doctrine of Predestination is a savour of life unto life if it prove a savour of death unto death it is onely to such as pervert the Doctrine of Holy Scriptures to their owne destruction 2. Pet. 3. 16. But the Doctrine of the Arminians and our Vniversalists which makes Gods Election depend upon the Will of man which may totally and finally fall from Grace is a most desperate Doctrine and deprives a Christian of all comfort both in life and

wee are Predestinated according to the Good Pleasure of his Will Eph. 1. 5. But the Condition in their Predestination is fore-seen Faith and Works Tenendum ex Scripturis veram Conversionem praestationemque bonorum operum esse conditiones praerequisitas ante Justificationem That is we hold true Conversion and Good Works to be Conditions required before Justification so saith Arminius in that Epistle before his Discourse on Rom. 7. And Nic. Grevincho is of the same minde he seekes to prove it out of the words of S. Paul I have fought a good fight c. But if Good works be Conditions required before Justification then it follows they are required before Election there is one and the same Cause of both Thus they even out God Almighty from having any hand in his own Decree and put all into the power of foreseen Faith and Workes whereas the Scriptures say that we are not Predestinated for Faith but to Faith and Good Workes as I shall prove afterward The fifth thing in this Decree of theirs is the Foundation that they say is Christ and so do we but in this we differ they call Christ the externall Cause moving God to make this Decree of Election whereas we say the Will of God onely was the Cause why Christ became our Mediator and Redeemer the Mediation or Redemption of Christ was not the Cause of the Will of God Thus the Controtroversie betwixt the Remonstrants or Universallists and the Reformed Protestant Churches about Election was stated at the Synod of Dort The second Thesis of the Remonstrants or such as hold Universall Redemption at the same time which they would have defended against the Reformed was this Proinde Jesus Christus pro omnibus singulis mort●us est atque id ita quidem ut omnibus per mortem crucis reconciliationem peccatorum remissionem impetravit ea tamen conditione ut nemo illa peccatorum remissione fruatur praeter hominem fidelem Ames de Redemp pag. 116. That is the Remonstrants or Universalists furthermore affirme that Jesus Christ died for all and every one and that so as he obtayned Reconciliation and Remission of Sins for all but on this Condition that none obtain this Remission or Reconciliation but the Faithfull I might open this Thesis of Redemption as I did that other of Election but it is so plaine I need not the Sum of the Controversie betwixt the Protestant Churches and Remonstrants or as wee call them Universalists came to this or to these three Heads 1. whether by the Death of Christ there was an Impetration which had no Application 2. whether this Impetration did equally belong to All 3. that none had this Impetration of Christ certainly applied or to be applied to them in the Eternall Counsell of God but God had Destinated his Son to death before hee had Destinated any to be saved by his Death and this Grace of Christs Redemption was as it were spread abroad in the ayre indetermined to any every man might catch it that could by Faith These men seem to feign to themselves a Grace as it were some garment hanging in the ayre which every man may put on that will but these be the devices of mans wisedome the holy Scriptures speake otherwise Pet. Mart. part 3. pag. 51. as translated by Ant. Marten These things the Remonstrants or Universalists affirmed and all these the Reformed Protestant party denied Now from these Opinions that Predestination was not the Decree of God to Elect some and passe by others that God had certainly Elected none but upon Condition That Christ died for all and every one c. I say from these Absurdities it followes Absurd 1. First that God would have All men that is every particular man to be saved contrary to the Scriptures for if God will have all to be saved wherefore are they not saved Will God have all to be saved and can he not have his Will This Opinion is against the Omnipotency of God by it Gods absolute Will the Will of his good Pleasure may be defeated and not accomplished which is a desperate shift contrary to the truth flat opposite to the word of God which saith our God hath done whatsoever pleased him in Heaven and Earth Psal 135. 6. who hath resisted his Will Rom. 9. 19. God is in one minde who can turn him and what his soule desireth that he doth Job 23. 13. Indeed the Declarative or Revealed Will of God is not alwaies fulfilled but his Absolute Will and Good Pleasure is alwaies fullfilled a Christian Catechised in the Principles of Religion cannot make the Impotency of mans will to prevaile against the Omnipotency of God or conceive his purpose may be disappointed or his Absolute Will frustrated by any thing in us Absurd 2. Secondly it follows from these Opinions that there is an Universall Election of all and every man a witlesse conceit for if all men Universally be appointed to Grace then there is no Election or Choosing of some he cannot be said to Elect that Chooseth all and if onely some bee appointed to Grace as it must needs be in Election then is not Grace Universall it is flat against the word of God for Christ avoucheth plainly that fewer are chosen then called Mat. 22. 14. He saith moreover that all which are given him shall be one with him and have life everlasting John 17. 2. 11. But all men shall not be one with him and have life everlasting therefore all are not given to Christ of God the Father all mens names are not written in the Booke of life Apoc. 20. 15. the Kingdome of Heaven is not prepared for all Mat. 25. 35. Christ never knew some Mat. 7. 23. And whereas they build Universall Election upon the largenesse of the Promise if they believe upon the like ground they may as well make an Universall Decree of Reprobation whereby God Decrees all men to bee damned indefinitely if they doe not believe Absurd 3. Thirdly it followes that there is an Universall Vocation for Universall Grace hath these three parts Universall Election Universall Redemption and Universall Vocation which is quite opposite to the word of God for from the Creation till Christ one part of the world was a People and received into the Covenant the other and that the greatest part of the world was no People and out of the Covenant The Church at first was shut up in the Families of the Patriarchs and in the Family of Abraham it was entailde on Isaac the world afterward was divided into the Jew a Church and the Gentile no Church till the comming of Christ therefore it is that the Prophet Isaiah called the Gentiles Prisoners Isa 49. 9. Hosea calls the Gentiles a People that had obtained no mercy at all Hos 2. 23. Peter saith that in times past the Gentiles were not esteemed a People 1 Pet. 2. 10. Christ denied the woman of Canaan the Request for her Daughter upon this distinction

himselfe hath fore-appoynted 6. God ordereth all these sinnes to his owne Glory and the good of his Elect. For the most sinfull Actions of man tend to the manifestation of Gods Glory either as Acts of mercy to the godly in whom sinne produceth punishment punishment Repentance Repentance Faith Faith the Favour of God and the Favour of God Life and Salvation or as Acts of Justice to the Wicked in whom sinne produceth punishment punishment hardnesse of heart hardnesse of heart incredulity incredulity hatred of God and hatred of God death and destruction All which is manifest in the different effects which sinne produced in godly David and in ungodly Pharoah as for example Davids Murther and Adultery occasioned Reproofes and Corrections from God 2. Sam. 12. Psal 6. Psal 22. These corrections and punishments wrought sorrow and Repentance in Davids heart Psal 5. that Repentance Faith and trust in God Psal 30. Psal 31. Psal 52. Psal 23. That Faith and Trust obtained Love and Favour from God Psal 27. and that Love and Favour an assured hope of Life and Salvation Psal 12. But Pharaohs oppressions provoaked God to send his judgements and plagues upon him these plagues they hardned Pharoahs heart that hardnesse of heart caused incredulity that incredulity the hatred of God and that hatred occasioned Pharaohs ruine and destruction in the red Sea as it is Exod. 14. Yea the goodnesse of God made the very drunkenesse and incest of Lot the incest of Judah the malice of the Jewes the treason of Judas and the injustice of Pilate Meanes of mans salvation yea even Adams Fall the fountaine of sinne and misery in man was by the wisdome of God made a meanes of greater happinesse to the Godly then his perseverance and continuance in Innocency could have been For if life had been given as a reward of our just Workes so the wittiest of the Schoolemen Scotus then our Worke being finite could not have merited an infinite reward the enjoyment whereof but one minute had passed our merit whereas life eternall being now conferred upon the faithfull not by way of Debt but by the Free Grace and Mercy of God this infinite Gift is proportioned not according to the meane merits of the Receiver but according to the goodnesse of God the Giver So that even Sinne it selfe on this manner that I have shewed may be said to be of God Let a man spur forward a lame Horse in that he moveth forward the Rider is Cause but that he halteth he himselfe is the cause When we see the Sun Beames shining through a Glasse the Light is from the Sun the Colour not from the Sun but from the Glasse For talis Actio cum tali defectu is not of God as sinfull Actions have in them formalem rationem peccati and are opposite to the Rule of Gods Law so God neither is nor can be the Causer of them yet is he the Cause of that inward or outward naturall Action wherein this defect of mans Will is found Entitas pravae actionis cadit in Voluntatem Divinam yet man hath not onely potentiam in se liberam but liberum usum potentiae not onely free power but also free use of his power as it appeares in Thieves Adulterers and the like who when there is danger doe not yet after do commit such sins God is no Enforcer in sinfull Actions yet may he be a Decreer or Permitter suffering persōs not elected to fall volūtarily into sins to continue volūtarily in thē to their lives end for thē to undergo endless misery in another life God decreed the permission disposing of sin which he fore-saw upon his permission would be but he did not decree the effecting or Existence of it that it should be it more appertained to Gods Omnipotent Goodnesse to draw good out of evill then not to suffer evill to be And as in bad so also in good Actions God not onely fore-sees that a man will use his Free-Will well but wils and preordaines that he shall use it well It is true that men justified by Gods Predestination by their endeavour and deliberation may be said to determine themselves to good Workes I say after Justification but it is God that moves and makes them thus to determine themselves and doe all these things with a Free Will This is a sure Rule a man doth not that good thing which by Grace he is able to doe unlesse God make him to doe it as he hath made him able to do it if he will Ad perseverantiam in Fide Gratia non opus est nova speciali Gratia sufficit ad hoc vel quod Naturà habemus vel quod semel per Spiritum adepti sumus to perseverance in Faith and Grace there needes no speciall Grace Nature or Grace once received is sufficient for this None have beene so bold to say thus but the old Pelagians and later Semi-Pelagians It is true that Christ saith of sinfull Jerusalem How often would I have gathered thy Children together as an Hen gathereth her Chickens and yee would not Mat. 23. 37. But he willed togather them not Voluntate beneplaciti which cannot be resisted but by his revealed Will using the meanes which might had man not falne have beene effectuall that impotency in our Wills comes not from the Creator but from man that fell from his Creator and the Will is now starke dead as to good Actions untill it be enlivened by God This damnable Doctrine that all men were redeemed by Christ but not made free because God distributeth his gifts according to the carelesnesse of such as came to receive them was an old rotten Heresie buried many hundred yeares since and raised up againe by the Devill to disturbe the peace of the Church in our dayes To drive this nayle any further were needlesse had I Men to deal with but my Adversaries many of them are such Beasts as fought with Paul at Ephesus therefore yet once over againe all this I have sayd shall bee poved both by evident Reasons and out of the Word of God For 1. I say God foresees all Contingent Effects to come in his own determination of the Causes thereof and therefore seeing the Contingent Operation of our Will hee determines it to the Effect 2. Els there should bee two severall beginnings of one and the same Effect in as much as Mans Will should begin to work as soon as God and concur to the Effect willed as principally as God 3. The Will of Man is but Gods Instrument the Hatchet the Hammer whereby God hewes out his own worke but every one that useth any Instrument moves applies and determines it to his own will 4. The Will of Man is but a secondary subordinate Cause under the first Cause which is God and exceeds not the measure of second Causes but if it were not determined by the first Cause it should be all one with the first Cause it selfe Second Causes are alwaies

his life time ignorant of Christ Ad salutis donum omnes homines Universaliter vocari sive per Naturalem sive per Legem scriptam sive per Evangelicam praedicationem All men Universally are called to salvation either by Nature by the Law written or by the preaching of the Gospel so Pelagius Prospers Epist to August Com. 7. And August contra Julian Pelag. lib. 3. Cap. 3. saith thus Deus totumne mundum Redemit Ecce videmus homines in peccatis suis vivere quomodo putabimus Redemptos quos permanere videmus Captivos redimuntur sed non liberantur haec sunt Sententiarum portenta vestrarum haec inopinata mysteria dogmatum novorum haec Paradoxa Pelagianorum Haereticorum That is hath God Redeemed the whole world Behold we see men live still in their sinnes how can we think them to be Redeemed that continue still Captive they are Redeemed out of Prison and yet they are in Prison these are your monstrous imaginations these are your idle mysterious conceits these are the Paradoxes of Pelagian Hereticks If any man list to see these Opinions proved Pelagianisme let him read Perkins Tom. 1. against Universall Grace and his whole Tractate of Gods Free Grace and Mans Free Will Doctor Davenant his whole Book set out after the Councell of Dort Doctor White his Way and Defence of the Way Doctor Twisse Doctor Wille● Calvin Beza Pet. Martyr and all the Divines of the Reformed Churches that writ of this Subject If any object this and that particular man among the Protestants were of a contrary Opinion I answer so they might and yet I may plead the Protestant Churches from this generall Rule there may be two or three Exceptions or William Lilly is out and so is the whole Word And that these Opinions are plain Papistry see Perkins Tom. 1. pa. 98. he reckons up sixteene Errors of the Papists about Predestination and they and our Universalists agree in almost all of them In Doctor Whites Way and Defence the maine Controversies betwixt him and the Jesuits are concerning Universall Redemption whether God will have all men to be saved falling away from Grace certainty of Grace and salvation foreseene Faith and Works Free-will whether God have determined all men good and evill to certaine Ends and the Jesuites Arminians and our Universalists agree in all these Opinions Sure none is so ignorant but if he know any thing he knows Universall Redemption was the very top of the Arminian Tenets at the Councell of Dort it is an Article of the Arminians Faith the cooperation of Mans Free will with Grace in the first Conversion and the power it hath to hinder and frustrate the worke of Regenerating Grace totall and finall falling away from the Grace of Justification these and the like were the Doctrines of Pelagians and Arminians and they are the subject of every Sermon among our Universalists all the Churches of Lower Germany made a complaint to King James against the Armimans and yet such Offenders finde a Sanctuary among our Universalists Therefore I conclude thus If Universall Redemption was the old Heresie of the Pelagians if it be reckoned up among the grossest Opinions of the Papists and agrees in all things with the Arminians then it ought not to be defended or Preached by us Protestants but Universall Redemption was the old Heresie of the P●lagians is reputed among the gressest Opinions of the Papists and agrees in all things with Arminians therefore it ought not to bee defended or Preached by us Protestants The like Argument I may use against all those that defend Universall Election Universall Vocation Foreseene Faith and Works falling away from Grace Free Will c. All these are mong the grossest Opinions of Pelagians Papists Arminians Ergo If these Opinions were truth then no marvell if men run so fast as we see they doe run for what a brave thing is it that God will have all men to bee saved in their sense what a comfortable Doctrine that Grace shall be offered to every one effectually whether he be of the Church or not at one time or other wheresoever or howsoever he live Christ died for all and there will be an offerture of peace on Gods part which is in mans power to accept when he pleases No wonder if men live as they list and doe as wee see they doe this doore being opened to all impieties for yet there is a time say they when Grace shall bee offered effectually to All. Let mee urge a few Arguments in forme not so much against my Adversaries that can say nothing but because I know there are in other Places that are able to say something And first against Universall Redemption I reason thus Arg. 1. To whom Christ was a Redeemer for them he was an Intercessor these two Offices of Christ ought not to be disjoined but Christ was not an Intercessor for all and every one I pray for them I pray not for the World John 17. 9. therefore it followes hee Redeemed not all and every one they cannot bring one place of Scripture to prove he prayed for all and yet to pray for all was far short of powring forth his Bloud Arg. 2 If Christ died for all and every one then hee rose againe ascended and sitteth at his Fathers right hand for all and every one but sure they are afraid to say the last therefore they may be ashamed to say the first disjoyne these Offices in Christ his Death Resurrection Ascension sitting at the right hand of God and they make Christ but halfe a Saviour conjoyne them and by their Opinion it is impossible but all men must be saved if Christ as he died so he rose againe ascended and sitteth at his Fathers right hand for all Arg. 3. Christ was a Lambe slaine from the begining of the world from thence I reason thus if Christ died for all and every one then he died for Caine Esau Pharaoh wicked Jeroboam Antiochus Epiphanes then rayling Rabshakey had his part in Christ Julian the Apostata and also Judas and all that were damned yea and Divells in Hell many thousand yeares before hee suffered death but sure Christians cannot say this I wonder therfore any Christian can say that did hee actually shed his bloud in the last Age of the World for them that were damned in Hell in the first Age of the World Whether is this more ridiculous or impious Arg. 4. If Christ died obteyned Remission of sinnes and Reconciliation with God for all then none are borne the sonnes of wrath by nature or are obnoxious to death and condemnation for Originall sinne all are borne in the state of Grace but the Scripture saith we are by nature the sonnes of wrath and they dare not say that we are borne in the state of Grace then how can they say that Christ obtained Remission of sins and Reconciliation with God for all Arg. 5. If Christ redeemed all and every particular man then God wills