1I do not delight to take exception at words, when one may guess at your meaning, though it be contrary to your words. But because you would pick an argument, from a true doctrine of God, to gather an evil consequence, that so God should be an Author to make a man believe, that which he himself knoweth and revealeth the contrary: I conceive it to tend to the glory of God to observe, that your self in laying down this Argument do express your self contrary to that which you know to be your meaning: and do affirm God to know that, which you know ⟨p. 179⟩is contrary to his knowledge. For you expressly make it an untruth and contrary to what God himself knoweth and revealeth to believe the salvation (I do not say of Ismael and Esau, for it is an untruth indeed to believe their salvation) but to believe the salvation of a remnant among the Jews, nay of none at all, but such as do believe. Truly if God had not blinded you for offering to argue God to be an Author of an untruth, upon the supposition of the Baptism of infants (which is an holy truth of God) you would never have delivered so palpable an untruth contrary to your own knowledge, as to say, this is an untruth contrary to what God himself knoweth and reveals, to believe the salvation of a remnant among the Jews, nay of none at all but such as believe. But to leave your inconsiderate boldness in arguing God of an untruth, which falleth upon your self; to your Argument I answer (as before) by denying your proposition. This I deny, that the Covenant of Grace is absolute and saving unto all once within the same: you heap up many Scriptures to prove it, but none of them without violence will be wrested to bear witness to it; your first Scripture in Jer. 32.40. Do you think it speaketh of all the people, whom God brought out of Babel into Jerusalem again? or of the Elect only? If of all the people, (as v. 38. might seem to imply) surely the Covenant of Grace was not absolute and saving to them all. There was among them Shemajah, and Noadiah false Prophets which sought to discourage the hands of Nehemiah in his work, Nehem▪ 6.10. to 14. And there were also Nobles of Judah, that kept intelligence with Tobiah, and were sworn to him, v. 17, 18, 19. and can you think that the Covenant of Grace was absolute and stable unto such as these?
1I doe not delight to take exception at words, when one may guesse at your meaning, though it bee contrary to your words. But because you would pick an argument, from a true doctrine of God, to gather an evill consequence, that so God should bee an Author to make a man beleeve, that which he himself knoweth and revealeth the contrary: I conceive it to tend to the glory of God to observe, that your self in laying downe this Argument doe expresse your selfe contrary to that which you know to bee your meaning: and doe affirme God to know that, which you know ⟨p. 179⟩is contrary to his knowledge. For you expresly make it an untruth and contrary to what God himselfe knoweth and revealeth to beleeve the salvation (I doe not say of Ismael and Esau, for it is an untruth indeed to beleeve their salvation) but to beleeve the salvation of a remnant among the Jews, nay of none at all, but such as doe beleeve. Truely if God had not blinded you for offering to argue God to be an Author of an untruth, upon the supposition of the Baptisme of infants (which is an holy truth of God) you would never have delivered so palpable an untruth contrary to your owne knowledge, as to say, this is an untruth contrary to what God himself knoweth and reveales, to beleeve the salvation of a remnant among the Jews, nay of none at all but such as beleeve. But to leave your inconsiderate boldnesse in arguing God of an untruth, which falleth upon your selfe; to your Argument I answer (as before) by denying your proposition. This I deny, that the Covenant of Grace is absolute and saving unto all once within the same: you heape up many Scriptures to prove it, but none of them without violence will bee wrested to beare witnesse to it; your first Scripture in Ier. 32.40. Doe you thinke it speaketh of all the people, whom God brought out of Babel into Hierusalem againe? or of the Elect onely? If of all the people, (as v. 38. might seeme to imply) surely the Covenant of Grace was not absolute and saving to them all. There was among them Shemajah, and Noadiah false Prophets which sought to discourage the hands of Nehemiah in his work, N•hem▪ 6.10. to 14. And there were also Nobles of Iudah, that kept intelligence with Tobiah, and were sworne to him, v. 17, 18, 19. and can you thinke that the Covenant of Grace was absolute and stable unto such as these?
- 1Silvanus.
