N00442:29
Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which…
Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which are most exposed unto assaults, from the modern teachers of the misled Quakers. : In a letter, which impartially discovers the manifold heresies and blasphemies, and the strong delusions of even the most refined Quakerism; and thereupon demonstrates the truth of those principles and assertions, which are most opposite thereunto. : With just reflections upon the extreme ignorance and wickedness, of George Keith, who is the seducer that now most ravines upon the churches in this wilderness. / Written by Cotton Mather. ; A character of the ring-leaders among the Quakers. ; [Four lines from Timothy]Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which are most exposed unto assaults, from the modern teachers of the misled Quakers. : In a letter, which impartially discovers the manifold haeresies and blasphemies, and the strong delusions of even the most refined Quakerism; and thereupon demonstrates the truth of those principles and assertions, which are most opposite thereunto. : With just reflections upon the extream ignorance and wickedness, of George Keith, who is the seducer that now most ravines upon the churches in this wilderness. / Written by Cotton Mather. ; A character of the ring-leaders among the Quakers. ; [Four lines from Timothy]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1691
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
albeit we also say, That all mankind are Salvable. So then the Quaker holds, that the Indians and Negroes, and the Pagans beyond China, have Sufficiency of Grace and means of Salvation. He therefore holds according to what Keith adds upon it, That the Light that is in every man, is sufficient to enable him to do any work acceptable to God. He must hold that there is not in the darkest corner of the Indies, a man that is Unto •very Good work reprobate. He tells us we hold False-Doctrine, when we say, That Christ hath not Dyed for all men; although we therein speak only concerning The Secret purpose of God and Christ; and we grant, That the satisfaction of our Lord is both sufficient for all men, and offered to all men; and that a day of patience for all men is thereby procured. So then the Quaker holds, That, Christ has Dyed for all men; And that the virtue and success of our Lords Death depends wholly upon something to be done by men themselves, which God is not the doer of: That the Death of Christ never bought that Grace and Faith and Repentance for us by which the Elect are qualified to enjoy the virtue and success of it; and that Peter was no more beholden to the Merit of the Lord Jesus for his Salvation, than Judas was for his. He tells us, we hold False-Doctrine when we say That Justification is only by Christs Righteousness without us, imputed unto us, and Received by Faith alone, and not by any Righteousness ⟨p. 20⟩of God or Christ infused into us, […] wrought in us. Albeit, he cannot be ignorant, that we think Justification is always attended with Evangelical Obedience. Hence then the Quaker holds, that Justification and Sanctification are the same thing [which is rank Pop••y; and the Keith charges us with Antichristianism, for holding of the contrary: so by the way, I see Keith is one of those who look not for Antichristianism in Popery;] and that (as Keiths own words are,) The Graces of Sanctification are the Instruments of obtaining Justification from Christ; and so that men exercise all those Graces, before they can be Justified; and (as Keith also elsewhere expresses it) He who is imperfectly Sanctified, cannot, while such, be perfectly Justified; and so it seems there is not one Justified man alive in the world. He tells us we hold False-doctrine, when we say, That beginnings of true Sanctification cannot be totally fallen from;
albeit we also say, That all mankind are Salvable. So then the Quaker holds, that the Indians and Negroes, and the Pagans beyond China, have Sufficiency of Grace and means of Salvation. He therefore holds according to what Keith adds upon it, That the Light that is in every man, is sufficient to enable him to do any work acceptable to God. He must hold that there is not in the darkest corner of the Indies, a man that is Vnto very Good work reprobate. He tells us we hold False-Doctrine, when we say, That Christ hath not Dyed for all men; although we therein speak only concerning The Secret purpose of God and Christ; and we grant, That the satisfaction of our Lord is both sufficient for all men, and offered to all men; and that a day of patience for all men is thereby procured. So then the Quaker holds, That, Christ has Dyed for all men; And that the vertue and success of our Lords Death depends wholly upon something to be done by men themselves, which God is not the doer of: That the Death of Christ never bought that Grace and Faith and Repentance for us by which the Elect are qualified to enjoy the vertue and success of it; and that Peter was no more beholden to the Merit of the Lord Jesus for his Salvation, than Judas was for his. He tells us, we hold False-Doctrine when we say That Justification is only by Christs Righteousness without us, imputed unto us, and Received by Faith alone, and not by any Righteousness