A-BOD Stated and Vindicated Wherein fome Of DeCrifp's Opinions Are CONSIDERED; AND THE OPPOSITE TRUTHS ARE Plainly Stated and Confirmed. BY DANIEL WILLIAMS. The Second Edition. 70 LONDON: Printed for John Dunton, at the 130. g. 69. E Whole Names are fubfcribed, do judge that WE our Reverend Brother hath, in all that is material, fully and rightly flated the Truths and ErYours mentioned as fuch in the following Treatife: And do account he hath in this Work done conderable Service to the Church of CHRIST: Adding our Prayers, that thefe Labours of his, may, as we hope they will, by the Bleffing of God upon them, be a Means for the Reclaiming of those that have been misled into fuch dangerous Opinions; and for the Eftablishing those that waver in any of thefe TRUTHS: William Bates, Vincent Alfop, Edward Lawrence, Richard Mayo, Richard Stretton, Nicholas Blakey, John Reynolds, Thefe are added fince the firft Edition, George Hammond, John Starkey, William Wickins, Henry Godman, Nathaniel Oldfield, Thomas Reignolds, Timorby Rogers, Richard Bures, Thomas Miles, Daniel Alexander, Lewis Calandrin, Befides a great Number of Country-Ministers ready to Subfcribe this Teftimony, there be several N. C. Divines in and about this City, that forbear it only from Prudential Confiderations. TO THE Ꭱ Ꭼ Ꭺ Ꭰ Ꭼ Ꭱ. A Diflike of Contention bath long reftrained my Engaging in this Work, tho' oft follicited thereto by feveral Worthy Minifters: Peace is the Bleffing which I chearfully purfue; and is, with the Truth, what I propofe in this very Endeavour. I am convinced, after frequent Prayers, and serious Thoughts, That the Revival of thefe ErYours must not only exclude that Miniftry as Legal, which is most apt in its Nature, and by Christ's Ordination, to Convert Souls, and fecure the Practical Power of Religion but also renders Unity among Chri Crit thing impoffible. Every Sermon Widatter of Debate, and mutual CenJures of the feverest kind, are unand aple while one fide justly preß the Terms of the Gospel, under its Promifes and Threats, for which they are accused as Enemies to Christ and Grace; and the other fide ignorantly fet up the Name of Christ, and Free Grace, against the Government of Christ, and the A 2 Rule Rule of Judgment. I believe, many Abettors of thefe Miftakes, are boneftly zealous for the Honour of Free Grace, but have not Light fufficient to fee how God bath provided for this, in his Rectoral Diftribution of Benefits by a Gopel-Rule. By this Pretence, Antinomianifm fo corrupted Germany; it bid fair to overthrow Church and State in New-England; and by its Stroke at the Vitals of Religion, it allarm'd most of the Pulpits in England. Many of our ablest Pens were engaged against thefe Errors; as Mr. Gataker, Mr. Rutherford, Anthony Burgefs,the Provincial Synod at London, with very many others, whofe Labours God was pleafed to bles to the ftopping of the At tempts of Dr. Crifp, (by Name oppofed by the aforefaid Divines) Saltmarsh, Denne, Eaton, Hobfon, &c. To the grief of fuck as perceive the Tendency of thefe Principles, we are engaged in a new Oppofition, or must betray the Truth as it is in Jefus.moove 悬 many Abettors of thefe Notions, Saun to.. kete their Minds and Practices from the Hugence: But they ought to confider that the generality of Mankind have no fuch Antidote; and themselves need not fortifie their own Temptations, nor lofe the Defence which the Wisdom of God hath provided against Remifneß in Duty, and finful Backflidings. Who can wonder at the Security Kentish of of Sinners, the mistaking the Motion of ferfible Paffions for Converfion, and the general abatement of exact and humble walking,when fo many affirm, Sins are not to be feared, as doing any burt, even when the most flagitions are committed? Graces and Holineß cannot do us the least good; God hath no more to lay to the Charge of the wickedest Man, if be be elected,then be bath to lay to the Charge of a Saint in Glory. The Elect are not go verned by Fear or Hope; for the Laws of Christ have no Promifes nor Threats to rule them by; nor are they under the Impreffions of Rewards or Punishments, as Motives to Duty, or Prefervatives against Sin, &c. In this prefent Teftimony to the Truth of the Gospel, I have ftudied Plainneß; and to that end oft repeated the fame things in my Conceffions, to prevent the Mistakes of the lef Intelligent, tho I could not think it fit to infist a new upon all. To the best of my knowledge, I have in nothing Mif-represented Dr.Crifp's Opinions, nor mistaken his Sence: for most of them be oft ftudiously pleadeth: Of each I could multiply Proofs, and all of them be necellary from his Scheme, though not confiftent with all his other Occafional Expreffions. His Scheme is this: That by God's meer Electing Decree, all Saving Blef fings are by Divine Obligation made ours, and nothing more is needful to our Title to thefe 4 3 Blef |