Certaine letters of Henry Jeanes minister of Gods word at Chedzoy and Dr. Jeremy Taylor concerning a passage of his, in his further explication of originall sin.

Dr Taylor.

In the next place you charge me this with blasphemy: if I had said or meant what you pretended, you had reason; but then I pray consider how your charge will returne real∣ly upon your selfe; for if it be blasphemy to affirme God to be the Author of sinne, that what I derived from Adam is no sinne; for that Adam's sinne should descend upon me, I demand who was the Author of that? If you please you may take time to consider it; but in the interim if you be pleased to reade a little discourse of mine; cal∣led Deus justificatus, you shall find my question not to be answered by you; if you have any regard to the authority or to the reason of Mr Calvin, Dr Twisse, and some other of the Bigots of your party.

Jeanes.

1. Here you tempt me to a digression; and you may with as good reason call upon me to answer all the reproaches that Bellarmine in this particular, throw∣eth upon the Protestant Churches, and some of the most eminent members thereof, as propound this question unto me.

2. However yet I briefly answer to it, that Adam was the author of the de∣scent of his sinne upon me, not God; for to be the Author of sinne is to be a defi∣cient, culpable cause thereof; and it is impossible that God should be defective in a culpable manner; and that our doctrine of originall finne maketh him to be such, you may boldly affirme, but can never prove.

3. Bishop Davenant in the doctrine of originall sinne is one of our party; and he speaks that which will abundantly satisfy your demands, in his animadversions upon Hord pag. 323.224. It was not (sayes he) God's absolute decree of Prete∣rition, but Adam's voluntary act of rebellion, which brought sinne, and the guilt of sinne upon himselfe, and all his posterity, God having justly decreed that Adam's chil∣dren should participate with him in his state of righteousnesse, did as justly decree that they should also participate in the state of sinne.

If this Author deny the propagation of sinne from Adam, he must acknowledge him∣selfe a Pelagian, &c. His whole discourse concerning originall sinne and the propa∣gating thereof unto all mankind is erroneous, in that he falsely presumeth, that the di∣vine decree must needs be effective or causative of all the events decreed; whereas if the events be actions sinfull, God's decrees are permissive, and ordinative, not decrees of causing, much, esse necessitating such evill actions, as bath been often told him.

4. I have seene your little discourse called Deus justificatus; and must say of it as Florus did of the Ligurians: lib. 2 cap. 3. Major aliquanto labor erat invenire quam vincere; The Rhetorick of it is so rank, as that it will be a very hard matter to find out the Logick and reason that is in it.

If you please to put your arguments into forme, you then may command me to consider them; but otherwise, I shall be very loath to adventure upon any thing of yours; for I find by this present debate about two or three lines, that I shall not without great difficulty search out what is your meaning.

5. I wonder why you say, that by this discourse I shall find your question not to be answered by me; why (pray Sr) could I answer it before you propounded it? but your meaning is, I suppose, that I shall find, that your question cannot be answr'd by me: but the event will try that.

6. That which you meane in Mr Calvin, and Dr Twisse, are I thinke those places which you quote, pag. 32: of that your discourse; and then unto the place in Calvin you have an answer in Dr Twisse (vind: gra: lib. 2. dig: 2. cap. 3. pag. 42.) where he cleares it from the crimination of Bellarmine: And then for the place in Dr Twisse you may gather an answer from that he saith unto Mr Hord, (pag. 149.150.) who makes the like objections against him from another place.

7. You are the unmeetest man in the world to upbraid me with the Bigots of my party; for the rigid Zelots of your party, in your doctrine of originall sin, are such whom you may be ashamed to name. Indeed in this point there are ve∣ry few of your party, save the Pelagians of old, and now the worthy Divines of the Racovian denne, and their followers; unto whom the best and the most learned of Protestants will hardly vouchsafe the name of Christians. The Arch-Bishop of Armagh termed them, in a sermon of his (that I heard) a company of baptized Turkes; and indeed Turkes, and Infidels can hardly be greater enemies unto the divine person, and nature of Christ, unto his offices, and unto his great and glorious worke of redemption, and satisfaction, than these wretched mis∣creants are.