The doctrine of absolute reprobation, according to the Westminster Confession of faith, refuted: and the universality of the saving grace of God asserted. By Benjamin Eastburn. ; To which is added, a postscript by another hand, wherein those several texts of Scripture generally perverted, to vindicate the aforesaid doctrine of reprobation, are set in a true light.

THE DOCTRINE OF Absolute REPROBATION REFUTED.

SEEING there is a Sect of Men, which (I charitably hope) for Want of duly reflecting upon, judiciously weighing, and reve|rently considering the injurious Conse|quences and absurd Inferences of the Doctrine of absolute Reprobation, accord|ing to the Westminster Confession of Faith, hath entertained the same for Truth, which implies thus much, viz.

That God by an eternal and immutable Decree, hath predestinated to eternal Damna|tion the far greater Part of Mankind, not considered as made, much less as

fallen, without any Respect had to their Disobedience or Sin, but only for the demonstrating the Glory of his Ju|stice; and for the bringing this about, he hath appointed these miserable Souls necessarily to walk in their wick|ed Ways, that so his Justice may lay hold on them; and that God doth therefore not only suffer them to be liable to this Misery in many Parts of the World, by with-holding from them the, preaching of the Gospel, and Knowledge of Christ, but even in those Places where the Gospel is preached, and Salvation by Christ, is offered; whom, tho' he publickly invite them, yet he justly condemns for Disobedi|ence, albeit he hath with-held from them all Grace, by which they could have laid hold on the Gospel, viz. Because he hath by a secret Will un|known to all Men, ordain'd and de|cr••ed, (without any Respect had to their Disobedience or Sin) that they shall not obey, and that the Offer of the Gospel shall never prove affectual

for their Salvation, but only serve to aggravate and occasion their greater Condemnation.

The which Doctrine, when I had seriously pondered, and in the Fear of the Lord solidly weighed and considered it: understanding it to be received for Truth, and boldly promul|gated by the Preslyterious, in this Pro|vince of Pennsylvania, as also by the Bap|tists in a Catechism printed in Philadel|phia; which briefly comprehends the whole, viz.

That God for a Purpose of his own Glory, hath fore-ordain|ed whatsoever comes to pass;

I found it incumbent open me to reply to it, both as it is inconsistent with the Truth, and derogatory to the Justice and Mercy of God: As also, if any simple Hearts have received Hurt by it, they may be undeceived.

Something of this Kind has indeed of late been pa••singly touched upon, but (in my Opinion) considering the Tendency and Import of that Doctrine, it is there|in too easily passed over; and the Absur|dity and Injuriousness thereof not rendred

obvious enough, or at least not so ••ully ••llustrated as it might be, (and I hope profitably) to its poor deluded Believers. ••t is an amazing Thing to think, how any Men that render to God the Epithets ••f Just, Righteous, Merciful, Gracious, Long-suffering, Loving, Pitiful, Tender and True, could ever conceive an Opi|••ion so blasphemous, so injurious, and ••o opposite to them all; the natural Con|sequences of which are such as these that f••llow, viz.

First, It makes God the Author of Sin, which is of all Things the most disagree|able to his Nature; it being antipathe|•••••••• to his Holiness and Righteousness. And that this is a natural Consequence of ••his Doctrine, is easily proved. For if God (as the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chap. 3. saith) "has ordain'd such as are not elected, for Dishonour and Wrath, to the Praise of his glorious Ju|stice": And again, in the same Chapter,

Nothing future, or what was to come, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as foreseen by God, was the Cause

of God's Decree:

And if it be only of his own Pleasure that he hath so de|creed; and if to the End that his Justice may lay hold on them, he hath decreed long before they were in Being, or in a Capacity to do Good or Evil, that they should walk in those wicked Ways, by which Means they should justly be led to that End: Then, they in committing Sin and Wickedness, are fulfilling and ac|complishing the Will and Decree of God, which then he must be the Author of, seeing it is undeniable, that he is the Au|thor of all his own Decrees.

Secondly, It is injurious to God, in that it makes him a meer Hypocrite and Dis|sembler, (abfit Blasphemia) when he ut|ters his Mind in so many seeming seri|ous and strong Asseverations, Com|plaints, Commands, and compassionate Compellations; and makes him only to deceive People, and belie himself, when he says,

I have no Pleasure in the Death of

him that dieth. Wherefore turn your selves and live.

As I live, I have no Pleasure in the Death of the wicked; but that the wic|ked turn from his Way and live: Turn ye, turn ye from your evil Ways, for why will ye die?

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye Ends of the Earth.

Behold my Servant; I have given him a Light to the Nations, to be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth.

Hearken unto me, and let your Souls delight in Fatness; hear and your Souls shall live.

The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and let him that is a thirst come; and whosoever will, let him come, and take of the Water of Life freely.

Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the Waters, and he that hath no Money, come; yea come, and buy Wine and Milk, without Money and without Price.

The Son of Man is come to seek out and to save that which is lost.

I am come, that they might have Life abundantly.

Ye will not come to me, that ye might have Life.

He hath laid Help upon one that is mighty, who is able to save to the utmost, all that come to God by him.

Him that cometh unto me, will I in no wise cast out.

In the Lord is Compassion, and with him is plenteous Redemption.

Let the wicked forsake his Way, and the unrighteous his Thoughts; and turn to the Lord, for he is gracious; and to our God, for he will abundant|ly pardon.

He is long suffering; not willing any should perish; but that all should come to Repentance.

Wills that all should be saved, and come to the Knowledge of the Truth.

His tender Mercies are over all his Works.

God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who|soever

believeth in him, may not pe|rish, but have everlasting Life.

For he sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World; but that the World through him might be saved.

He that believeth not, makes God a ••iar, because he believeth not the Testimony God gives of his Son.

In him is Life, and his Life is the Light of Men: And the Light shineth in Darkness, but the Darkness com|prehends it not.

He came a Light into the World, but the World knew him not.

This is the true Light which en|lightens every Man that cometh into the World.

He would have all Men to come to the Knowledge of the Truth, and be saved.

Glory be to God on high, on Earth Peace, and Good Will towards Men,

Glad Tidings of great Joy, which shall be to ALL People.

He shall save his People from their Sins.

To you is born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, the one Mediator between God and Man,

JESUS who gave himself a Ran|som for ALL.

Who died for ALL and by the Grace of God tasted Death for every Man.

God commendeth his Love to us, in that when we were Sinners, Christ di|ed for us.

"Died for the ungodly.

"The Saviour of the World.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thee, as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her Wings, but thou wouldst not.

And the Wisdom of God cries out, How long ye Scorners, will ye de|light in Scorning, and simple ones love Simplicity, and Fools hate Knowledge?

Turn at my Reproof, I will pour out my Spirit upon you, make known my Words to you. Because I call,

and ye refuse; and stretch out my Hands to a rebellious and gainsaying People; and no Man regardeth; but ye set at nought all my Counsel, and will none of my Reproofs; I also will laugh at your Calamity, and mock when your Fear cometh; when your Fear cometh as Desolation, and your Destruction as a Whirlwind, when Distress and Anguish cometh upon you; because ye hated Know|ledge, and did not chuse the Fear of the Lord. For the turning away of the Simple slays him; but whoso heark|neth to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from Fear of Evil.

And a Number more like to these, of solemn Compellations, Complaints, Counsels, Consolations, Compassions, Wishings and Wouldings, Adjurati|ons, Corrections, Condemnation, In|treaties, Threatnings, Perswasions, o|penly poured out to all Men; which yet according to the aforesaid Doctrine (tho' tendred by a true and merciful

God) is only Deceit and Hypocrisy to Millions of miserable Sinners, to whom its never intended, that they ever must be shall come within the Bounds of so much as a Possibility of it; nor have to much as a Liberty allowed them to take or refuse, but be kept down under a cer|tain Necessity of perishing, contracted to them (as is supposed) from one sin|gle Sin of one whom they never chose to be their Proxy or Representative of their Persons to God; so as that they should live or die, as he should stand or fall; from whose Loins is derived ine|vitable Damnation upon all Individuals, that for Want of a sufficient Light and Grace vouchsafed them to lead out of it, to escape it, the most must necessarily, unavoidably, unalterably (as by God's particular private Decree, without Refe|rence to their final Rejection of God first) Sin from the Womb to the Tomb; that they may, by filling up their Mea|sure, become Vessels of Wrath sit so Destruction; and upon Account of the personal Decree still concerning them

not so much as possibly escape the Con|demnation of Hell.

Thirdly, This makes God a most un|just and merciless Tyrant, like to, or worse than Pharaoh himself, whom he plagued for the self-same Cruelty and Tyranny; even a rigorous Requirer of Men, with many and sore Stripes, yea, on pain of his eternal Wrath and Ven+geance, to make Bricks without any Allowance at all of Straw, fit for such a purpose; an austere Man, a hard Ma|ster, a tyrannical ••ack-Master, (as the ••ille unprofitable Servant falsly repre|sented him) that expects to reap where he never sowed, and to gather where he hath not strawed; that calls on Pe|••••l of for ever perishing, for a Crop of good Works, from those in whose ••••••••••ts he never sowed the good Send o•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Word; Fruits of the Spirit, from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Souls into whom he never sent his Spirit; from whence only they can 〈◊〉〈◊〉 up; and commandeth all Men e••ery where to repeat; and yet he

knows, without him and his Grace, they can do nothing; all their Suffi|ciency to will and to do, must come from him; This is utterly contrary to the Wisdom of God in Scripture, which justifies him still, as accepting every Man according to what he hath, or hath had; not expecting (much less with Rigour exacting) of any Man ac|cording to what from him he neither hath, nor ever had; as requiring from Men no otherwise than according to what is committed to them, and re|quires no more of any Man than Im|provement of his own Money he com|mits to him to trade with; which Mo|ney, if every one put into the Bank, that the Lord at his coming may receive but his own with the Use thereof, and In|crease in the same Kind of Grace that he freely gives, he will never enter into Judgment with them to Condemnation.

Fourthly, It renders the Coming, Death and Suffering of Christ ineffec|tual▪ For if the far greater Part of

Mankind be by an irrevocable Decree preordinated to eternal Damnation, without any Respect had to any fore|seen Sin to be committed in Time by them how can the Death and Suffering of Christ be to them beneficial, seeing they are not thereby put into a Capa|city of Salvation▪ Little Reason then had the Angel to sing (Gloria in excelsis) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to God on high, on the Earth Peace, and good Will to Men, or to say, I bring you good Tydings of great Joy, which shal•• be to all People, if so great a Num|ber were excluded from any Share or Interest therein; this would make the Message of God by the Angel to all People to be a salacious Lie; seeing he neither intended ALL nor half of them to be in the least Measure benefitted by it; but rather to leave them in the more fore Condemnation. For, tho' he by his Son call and invite ALL, yet ALL can't come, nay not one, except God who calls give them his special, saving and electing Grace; and most, accord|ing to this Doctrine can never come, be|cause

God never did 〈…〉〈…〉 to vouchsafe it to the 〈…〉〈…〉 hath a Reserve in hi•• Min••, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••••tain secret Will within himself, not known to Man which runs otherwise 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his revealed Will in the Holy Scripture does; even a secret Purpose (which yet, as se|cret as it is, it seems the Propogators of this Doctrine, as if they had been upon the secret Council of the Almighty, pretend to know it, and must be babling about it, to the shaming and contradic|ting themselves in the other) to give this Salvation but to a certain small Number, in Comparison of the rest, whom from Eternity he hath reprobated, and purposed personally upon Adam's Score shall go without it; which Sin of that single Person shall so remain on the Score with him for ever, that upon the Account thereof the greatest Part of Mankind, his Posterity, tho' yet he would (in Words) shew himself more rich in Mercy to them all, than severe, to take Advantage against any, so as

to have it told thus in universal Terms, THAT HIS SON DIED FOR THEM ALL, for EVERY Man, the WHOLE World, &c.) should be left without any Interest or Share in it, or any Potential Title thereunto. And howbeit he will have them all called to come, and lay hold on it, and Promises of Life made to them on Condition they come, and believe in his Son, and his Love to them in him; yet, he so hates them (perso|nally) before ever born, or doing Good, or Evil, that they shall never from him be sufficiently impowered to come, or believe; nor by him be put into any Capacity to chuse the Life, tho' set before them, as well as the Death; with a CHUSE LIFE THAT YE MAY LIVE; but be left, for Want of a Will set at Liberty, under a Neces|sity of having the Evil, but cannot chuse the Good; and must therefore either chuse the Evil, or none: And yet if they do not chuse the Good too, that Ad|vantage shall be taken the more against

them, to double Vengeance on their Heads, for that helpless, unavoidable Fault of refusing the Good; and a Quar|rel pick'd against them (upon the Ac|count of the old intended Praeterition) and so double Execution be done upon them, now, as rebellious against the Gospel of God's Grace; whereby he would (in Words, alias seemingly, tho' secretly he never would, nor intended it) have saved them: And for not believing in his Son as theirs, when yet he left them locked up (when he call'd to them to believe,) so fast, that he knew they could not answer, and would not so much as unloose them neither, to see if they would accept his Love, believe, repent, and make Use of the Remedy, Yea or Nay; in whom also, if they had all believed, most of them had (as the Case stood) been deceived, and belie|ved but a Lie; a Matter that was no such Matter, viz. That Christ died for every Individual of them, if they would believe it; and so his Wrath shall abide on them the more heavily for ever; even

because they believed not the Testimo|ny God gave by his Ministers, openly of his Son, that he died for them; whom yet he died not for, but only for a few Elect ones, according to this Doctrine; and so, whereas God says, He that believeth not the Testimony that God gives of his Son, (viz. that he gives eternal Life by him to every Man that believeth in him) makes God a Liar, if every Man should believe in him, (as they are all bid) and take the Testi|mony of the Life by him to themselves to be true: Either some must believe a Lie. (since he died not for every Man, but for some only, as they say) else their Testimony is a Lie, and they ALL lie, (which is indeed the Truth) who testify that God gave his Son intentionally but for a few, when God's own Testimony of him, is, That he gave him a Ransom for ALL.

Fifthly, It is injurious to Christ, in that it renders his Mediation ineffectual, and his Intercession vain: For, if by an

eternal and immutable Decree a certain Number be p••••de ••••••ated to eternal Dam+nation, what can the Mediation and Intercession of Christ avast them, seeing the Decree is unalterable, and that they must necessarily Sin, and therefore pe|rish? How consistent this is with the Testimony of the Apostle 〈◊〉〈◊〉, let the Reader judge, viz. If my Man, ••i•• we have an A••••v••••••te with the Father; Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the Pr••pi|tiation for our Sons, and not for ours on|ly, but also for the Sins of the whole World.

Sixthly, It renders the Preaching of the Gospel a meer Mock and Illusion: For if many of these to whom it is preached be by an irrevocable Decree excluded from being at all priviledged by it, it wholly makes useless the Preaching of Faith and Repentance; and the whole Tenor of the Gospel-Pro|mises and Threatnings, Wrestlings a|gainst Sin and Corruption, Fasting, Pray|er and Humiliation, and all other pious

and religious Exercises whatsoever. For they that are under the Decree of Electi|on, can never miss of Salvation; let their Omissions o•• Commissions be what they will; All Works to them are use|less; they need do nothing but wait for that irresistable Juncture which will come, tho' at the last Moment of their Lives: But if they are under the Decree of Reprobation, let their Labours be what they will, they must inevitably undergo eternal Damnation.

Seventhly, It is injurious to Mankind. For it puts them in a worse Condition than the Devils in Hell. For these were sometimes in a Capacity to have stood; and do only suffer for their own Guilt. But according to this damning and dam|nable Doctrine, Millions of Men suffer and are for ever tormented for Adam's Sin, which they were never accessary to, nor in a Capacity to prevent, nor ever knew of. This puts them into the Condition of a Man fa••t chain'd, and setter'd in a Dungeon; to whom when

he is almost starved, one comes near to him with a Dish of Meat in his Left Hand, and a Club in his Right Hand; and standing aloof off from him, says,

;Why wilt thou starve, thou self-mur|dering Man? come to me, and here is Meat for thee; I am freely willing thou shouldst have it, and not perish, (never coming near to loose him all this while, nor bringing the Meat within his Reach) but if thou wilt not come, I will b••••t out thy Brains;

and so be|cause he comes not, when yet he knows he cannot, he runs on him pretending to do just Vengeance on him, for his wil|ful refusing his own Help, when he might (alias never might) have had it; and like a mocking merciless Tyrant, beats out his Brains indeed: which is just the Measure God metes to Men, according to this blasphemous Doctrine. For he that on Pain of Puni••hment, Death and Condemnation if the Terms be not per|formed, tenders Life and Salvation, on Terms and Conditions utterly impossible to be, or ever to have been performed,

by the Person to whom the Tender is, unless a Grace be given him, which ne|ver shall be, is an arrant Hypocrite, and a merciless Tyrant. And such an one this Doctrine makes God; who yet is no such, (but that it belies him) but just, righteous, merciful, gracious, com|passionate, long-suffering, pitiful, tender and true; and no Mocker of poor Man|kind, but truly means and intends as he says, and doth not unjustly and unmer|cifully tyrannize over them.

Eighthly, It makes the Publishers of the Gospel to be meet mock Ministers, not worthy of hearing, (seeing they cannot profit the Hearers) much less of feeding, and so richly rewarding; yea, such as thereby make themselves the most hateful Extortioners; and might be ashamed to force Maintenance from Men, for running on such a sleeveless Errand as this is to all Men; for if this Doctrine be true, the Elect shall be sa|ved without either their Preaching, or any Endeavours of their own▪ But the

Reprobated shall never be benefited by either, and the Ministry is then fruit less; and the Priests Trade utterly vain: But yet, such is the Force and Strength of Truth, that it compelleth them, to call ALL to come to Christ for Salvation; and to believe it every Man for himself, that Christ died for him, is tendred truly and sincerely from God to him: And in particular, each is to believe him as his Lord and Saviour, or perish: And that he is now freely profered, and as truly and unfeignedly offered from God to him, as he did once offer himself to God for him, as his Ransom as well as for any: And that there is this good Ground for each particular Man to be|lieve it for himself, because without Ex|ception of any Sinner in the World, that does not exclude himself, by his not coming, are freely without Respect of Persons invited to come, and this Ground also, that as he is truly without Mockage, held out to ALL, and all bid to come, so God is willing they should come, and have the Salvation; and to

that End hath sent his Son not to con|demn, but to save them; and his Son, his Ministers to entreat them to be wil|ling as he is, and reconciled to him, as he is to them; and they declare for him according to God's Words in the Scrip|ture, that he died for all and every Man; is a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World; and died for the ungodly, and came to save them, and heal the Sick, and seek the Lost, and such like; and therefore every Man may conclude it's for him as well as any other, that can say he is a Man lost, sick, sinful, un|godly, and of the World; and that God hath also wrought in them, of his own good Pleasure to will, and to do; and therefore now they must up and be do|ing; and work out their own Salvati|on, which if it be not wrought out, God hath done his Part; and the Fault is only in their own particular Persons; and God is no hard Master, but hath given to every one, one Talent at least, which if he hides, he will be cast into utter Darkness, and weep and gnash his

Teeth at the Remembrance of it, that once he might have been happy, had he not been wanting to himself, and been an unprofitable Servant with what he had; and had not (in his own Per|son) still put the Salvation from him; and hated the Light and Instruction; And that God requires of Men but the Improvement of his own, and much more to this Purpose; which is all sound, true, plain, wholesome, saving Doctrine: And then to the ridiculizing, confounding and contradicting them|selves, belying the holy Scriptures, and blaspheming God, they come round a|gain with a new Tale, whereby all the good Grounds, before laid for every Man that is called thereto, to come and believe upon, are utterly razed and re|moved; and to tell them, tho' they are ALL called, and invited outwardly, yet the greatest Part, a Hundred to one, are by a Decree in God's secret Council, so secluded by Adam's Sin, that they can|not come, nor have any Right to Christ; he did not so much as die for them, but

only for a few Elect ones; nor offer him|self a Ransom for the most, but a s••w, Tho' God indeed says, ALL, EVERY Man, Sinners, ungodly, the Lost, the whole World, &c. yet, by ALL, and such universal Terms, we must under|stand God and Christ meaning another Matter, far otherwise than they say. — O H••sphemous and damnable Doctrine! any Hand almost trembles to write it. Is not this Doctrine of Devils? And was the Devil himself to turn Preacher, could he ever publish any Doctrine, which if Men practised according to, would more surely secure them to his Kingdom; for if Men receive for Truth the aforesaid Doctrine, viz. That God hath so un|alterably decreed a certain small Num|ber for Election, and all the rest for Reprobation, without any Respect had to Good or Evil, to be by them com|mitted, in vain is all their working, waiting, striving, and Diligence: For, if they be elected, they cannot escape Damnation. Under which Delusion, all Men esteeming at vain and fruitless,

might (in the Day of their Visitation) neglect to work out their own Salvati|on, till the Night overtake them, and they be indeed reprobated, and eternally excluded from any Part or Portion in the Kingdom of God.

Many are the Absurdities and Confu|sions that are concatenated to this dark, and Grace-darkning Doctrine: Which, what an incredible Kind of Creed; what a braky Mess of Belief, what a Laby|rinth of Lightness and Nonsense, what a Wilderness of wondrous Wisdom; what a blasphemous Heap of Confusion, these already adduced do render it, is evi|dent to every one, whose Eyes the God of this World hath not blinded, and who are not of the Mind of the unpro|fitable Servant; but that God is, in Deed and in Truth, just and merciful, and that he truly says, He wills not the Death of him that dies; but that his Destruction is of himself; and that he hath put all Mankind into a Capa|city of Salvation; and hath pre-ordain|ed none to Damnation; which is in|deed

the Truth: And what I will abun|dantly prove by the following Argu|ments.

ARGUMENT I.

Those to whom God calleth to come to him, and be saved, he hath not pre-ordained to Damnation, but hath made Salvation possible to them. But,

He calls all, (even all the Ends of the Earth) to come to him and be sa|ved. Therefore,

He hath not pre-ordained any to Damnation, bat hath made Salvation possible to ALL. Again,

ARGUMENT II.

Those for whom Christ died and of|fered himself a Propitiatory Sacri|fice, are not pre-ordained to Dam|nation, but to them Salvation is possible. But,

Christ tasted Death for every Man; is in Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World. Therefore,

None are pre-ordained to Damnation, but Salvation is possible to every Man. Again,

ARGUMENT III.

Those wham Christ doth savingly en|lighten, to them Salvation is pos|sible, &c.

But Christ doth savingly enlighten every Man that cometh into the World. Therefore,

Saving Grace is not with-held from any; but Salvation is made possible, and offered to all. Again,

ARGUMENT IV.

Those to whom the saving Grace of God appeareth. Salvation is pos|sible, (seeing it is for that very Purpose that it appeareth to them.) But,

The saving Grace of God, or the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation, appeareth to all, and every of Men. Therefore,

Salvation is possible to all Men; and none are by a Predestination to Damna|tion under an Impossibility thereof. Again,

ARGUMENT V.

If the Commandments of God be not grievous, not impossible to be o|bey'd, God requires not that of Man, which he never will impower him to do, nor what is by him altogether impossible to be done. But,

God commands every Man, every where, to repent and believe in his Son, to the End that he may be saved. Therefore,

He hath not for Adam's Sin prede|stinated any to Damnation, but is wil|ling to save, and offers Salvation to ALL. Again,

ARGUMENT VI.

For whomsoever it is lawful to pray, to them Salvation is possible. But,

It is ••awful to pray for every indivi|dual Man in the whole World. There|fore.

Salvation is possible to every Man. Again,

ARGUMENT VII.

That which every Man is bound to believe, is true. But,

Every Man is bound to believe that God is merciful to him, (seeing his tender Mercies are over all his Works.) Therefore,

He cannot (if he be merciful and just to every Man, which is true for ever) have pre-ordained any Man to Damnation, for not doing of that which he never was, nor will be, capacitated by him to do. Again,

ARGUMENT VIII.

If God did not give to ALL Men, at one Time or other, such Grace, Liberty, Light and Power, as is sufficient to bring them to Life, if they will chuse the Life, and well improve the Light and Pow|er, to the working one their own Salvation, when he bids them, by it; Then God could not to ALL Men tender Life by his Ministers; nor say, Work out your own Salva|tion; Chuse Life that ye may live; else ye shall perish; My Soul shall chuse your Destruction, &c. without mocking Men in their Misery, be|fore that Time, wherein he says, He will only, and may justly mock at their Calamity; (which is only when they have filled up their Measure of Scorning at him, set at nought all his Counsel, and utterly rejected his Reproof, Prov.

1.) nay, nor yet without horrible Cruelty, Absurdity, and Nonsense, say, Behold I have set Life and Death before you; chuse which of these two you will; and yet leave them under a Necessity of taking the worst, and put them into no Possibility of taking the other, but rather lay it utterly out of their Reach, so that they must either have the worst, or none such Choice, (as the Proverb is) is no other than Hebson's Choice, which is, Chuse whether thou wilt, Have this, or none. But,

It is certain, God speaks after no such horribly cruel, absurd, nonsensical Manner, but truly and sincerely means as he says. Therefore,

God hath undoubtedly vouchsafed a measure of his saving Grace and Power to every Man, sufficient to lead him to Life, if he will use, improve, fol|low and obey it. Again,

ARGUMENT IX.

If Christ the Saviour, and Salvation of God it self be a common Salva|tion given in common to all and every Man without Exception, so that all who will, may have it; Then that sufficient saving Light that lea••s to it and the Gift of that Grace of God, that puts them in|to a••l ••••er and ••ossibility to work it out, to themselves, brings it to them; and being not neglected, but improved, brings them to it, is given also in common to all, and e••ery Man, else it cannot be said properly, that they are in posse to it; or so much as that they may have it. But,

The Sa••vation of God is given in common to ALL, and every Man: so that all were will, may have it. There|fore.

None are excluded from the Offer of Life and Sa••••ation; but ALL may lay hold of the Means that God freely

and sincerely renders to them; and there|by (if the Fault be not their own) obtain Salvation.

ARGUMENT X.

If God had predestinated a certain Number to eternal Damnation; and to the End that his Justice may lay hold on them, appointed them necessarily to walk in their wicked Ways; Then he could not truly and honestly say, without a Lie, (which Blasphemy, far be it from us to believe) that his Ways are equal, and that he had rather the Wicked turn from his Wicked|ness, and live; than die in it and for it. But,

God's Ways are equal; and he had rather the Wicked return from his Wick|edness and live, than die in it, and for it. Therefore,

He hath not (to the End that Justice may lay hold on them) fore-ordained any necessarily to walk in their wicked

Ways, but wills (and to that End has impower'd) ALL to return therefrom, that they may obtain Salvation. Again,

ARGUMENT XI.

If the Son shall not bear the Father's Iniquity; then the Son's Offspring of Adam are not predestinated to eternal Misery for Adam's Trans|gression. But,

The Son shall not beat the Father's Iniquity; but the Soul (only) that sin|neth shall die.

Thus Reader, thou seed this horrid, blasphemous Doctrine, according to the Pr••sbyterian and Westminster Confession of ••aith, and the Baptists Catechism solidly refu••ed by Scripture-Testimony, and the Universality of the saving Grace of God substantially and plentifully pro|ved, by the reverenced Authority of sacred Writ; which were this Doctrine of the Presbyterians and particular Bap|tists true, would be rendred but a meer Complex of Lies; and God be made

the Author of all the Devil's Works; and Mankind be put into an inexpressi|bly worse Condition than the Beasts of the Field, which, far be it from us to believe; but that God is holy, just merciful and righteous, &c. and that the holy Scriptures contain no such Deceit or Hypocrisies, but precious and unfeigned Truths; and that Men have truly and sincerely Life and Death set before them, and that if they perish, their Destruction is of themselves. God hath done his Part, and their Blood is upon their own Heads; and that God is clear thereof, and just for ever; to whom with the Son and holy Spirit, be all Glory for ever. Amen.