An Antidote against some principal errors of the predestinarians a work designed for the information of the common people.

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 ma∣nifest the Glory of his Justice in punishing some, as well as his Goodness in making others hap∣py: 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 im∣pious Opinion.

First, 'Tis 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 tor∣ment 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.

'Tis 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, Intercessi∣ons, 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 eve∣ry Man, Heb. 2.9. And that as by the Offence of one, Judgment came upon all Men to Condem∣nation; 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 'tis evident, that no particular Man's Damnation is unavoida∣bly decreed by Go: If Men die the Death eter∣nal, 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 gi∣ven 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 undenia∣ble Testimonies.

For eternal Punishments are only denounc'd against Men in Case of Wickedness. God's De∣crees 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 Ʋnrighteous∣ness, 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 com∣mit, they make themselves Reprobates; 'tis be∣cause

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 'tis 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.

'Tis also an Error, because 'tis 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 una∣voidably 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 on∣ly is the Justice of God glorious, when he pu∣nishes 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 Go∣spel tells us, that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in Christ's Name to all Na∣tions, Luke 24.47. And that God does com∣mand 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 de∣creed 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 design∣ed 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 Com∣mand 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 afflict∣ed 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 Noti∣ons 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 them∣selves 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 'tis evident beyond Contra∣diction, that the opposite Doctrine does much more advance God's Honour, because it teaches that 'tis possible for all Men to repent and become good Men: and herein, saith Christ, is my Fa∣ther 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.

'Tis plain to every common Man's Understand∣ing, that those Doctrines which teach according to the Scriptures, that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Repen∣tance, 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: 'tis 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 Discon∣solation, because they everywhere and always de∣clare it to be the Will of God, that if the Wic∣ked 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 Trans∣gressions tha he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him, in his Righte∣ousness 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 thereup∣on; 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 Wicked∣ness ought not to be look'd upon as more crimi∣nal 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 Eter∣nity 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 No∣tions, 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 Eter∣nity whatsoever shall come to pass in time, that these cannot avoid so doing; and therefore 'tis the Duty of all to rest satisfied under the una∣voidable Execution of the Divine Decrees of God. Now thus to do would be for Men to live up to the Tenure of those Reprobatarian Do∣ctrines of eternal Predestination which they pro∣fess 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 Predesti∣narians. 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 undoub∣tedly 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 'twould be inhumane to pu∣nish them: but this no Man believes, for they as well as we are verily perswaded that the Punish∣ment 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 Dam∣nation, 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 rea∣son 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 'tis possible for all to repent.