Arbitrü. And because his friend perceived he was greedily desirous to see the book, he sent him one of them containing the four first books of twelve which he intended then to publish. "When I had read," (says Dr. Sanderson, in the following words, of the same letter) "his epistle dedicatory to the pope (Greg. 15,) he spake so highly of his own invention, that I then began rather to suspect him for a mountebank, than to hope I should find satisfaction from his performances. I found much confidence, and great pomp of words, but little matter as to the main knot of the business, other than had been said an hundred times before, to wit, of the co-existence of all things past, present, and future in mente divina realiter ab æterno, which is the subject of his whole third book; only he interpreteth the word realiter so, as to import not only præsentialitatem objectivam (as others held before him) but propriam & actualem existentiam. Yet confesseth it is hard to make this intelligible. In his fourth book he endeavours to declare a two-fold manner of God's working ad extra; the one sub ordine Prædestinationis, of which eternity is the proper measure; the other sub ordine Gratia, whereof time is the measure. And that God worketh fortiter in the one (though not irresistibiliter) as well as suaviter in the other, wherein the free-will hath his proper working also. From the result of his whole performance I was confirmed in this opinion, that we must acknowledge the work of both (grace and freewill) in the conversion of a sinner. And so likewise in all other events, the consistency of the infallibility of God's fore-knowledge at least (though not with any absolute, but conditional predestination) with the liberty of man's will, and the contingency of inferior causes and effects. These, I say, we must acknowledge for the ori: but for the rò was, I thought it bootless for me to think of comprehending it. And VOL. V.. N N so came the two Acta Synodalia Dordrectana to stand in my study, only to fill up a room to this day. And yet see the restless curiosity of man. Not many years after, to wit, A. D. 1632, out cometh Dr. Twiss his Vindicia Gratiæ, a large colume purposely writ against Arminius. And then notwithstanding my former resolution, I must needs be meddling again. The respect I bore to his person and great learning, and the long acquaintance I had had with him in Oxford, drew me to the reading of that whole book. But from the reading of it (for I read it through to a syllable) I went away with many and great dissatisfactions. Sundry things in that book I took notice of, which brought me into a greater dislike of his opinion than I had before. But especially these three: First, that he bottometh very much of his discourse upon a very erroneous principle, which yet he seemeth to be so deeply in love with, that he hath repeated it (I verily believe) some hundreds of times in that work: to wit this, that whatsoever is first in the intention, is last in execution, and è converso. Which is an error of that magnitude, that I cannot but wonder, how a person of such acuteness and subtilty of wit could possibly be deceived with it. All logicians know, there is no such universal maxim as he buildeth upon. The true maxim is but this, Finis qui primus est in intentione, est ultimus in executione. In the order of final causes, and the means used for that end, the rule holdeth perpetually: but in other things, it holdeth not at all, or but by chance; or not as a rule, and necessarily. Secondly, that, foreseeing such consequences would naturally and necessarily follow from his opinion, as would offend the car of a sober christian at the very first sound, he would yet rather choose not only to admit the said harsh consequences, but professedly endeavour also to maintain them, and 2 plead plead hard for them in large digressions, than to recede in the least from that opinion which he had undertaken to defend. Thirdly, that seeing (out of the sharpness of his wit) a necessity of forsaking the ordinary Sublapsarian way, and the Supralapsarian too, as it had diversly been declared by all that had gone before him (for the shunning of those rocks, which either of those ways must unavoidably cast him upon) he was forced to seek out an untrodden path, and to frame out of his own brain a new way (like a spider's web wrought out of her own bowels) hoping by that device to salve all absurdities could be objected; to wit, by making the glory of God (as it is indeed the chiefest,) so the only end of all other his decrees, and then making all those other decrees to be but one entire co-ordinate medium conducing to that one end, and so the whole subordinate to it, but not any one part thereof subordinate to any other of the same. Dr. Twiss should have done well to have been more sparing in imputing the studium Partium to others, wherewith his own eyes (though of eminent perspicacity) were so strangely blindfolded, that he could not discern, how this his new device, and his old dearly beloved principle (like the Cadmean Sparti) do mutually destroy the one the other. "This relation of my passed thoughts having spun out to a far greater length than I intended, I shall give a shorter account of what they now are concerning these points. "For which account I refer you to the following parts of Dr. Hammond's book aforesaid, where you may find them already printed. And for another account at large of bishop Sanderson's last judgment concerning God's concurrence or non-concurrence with the actions of men, and the positive entity of sins of commission, I refer you to his letters already printed by his consent, in my large appendix to my NN 2 Impartial Impartial inquiry into the nature of sin. Sect. 68. p. 193, as far as p. 200. 66 Sir, I have rather made it my choice to transcribe all above out of the letters of Dr. Sanderson which lie before me, than venture the loss of my originals by post or carrier, which, though not often, yet sometimes fail. Make use of as much, or as little as you please, of what I send you from himself (because from his own letters to me) in the penning of his life, as your own prudence shall direct you; using my name for your warranty in the account given of him, as much or as little as you please too. You have a performance of my promise, and an obedience to your desires from Your affectionate North-Tidworth, THO. PIERCE." THE BISHOP OF LINCOLN'S LETTER. My worthy friend Mr. Walton. I AM heartily glad, that you have undertaken to write the life of that excellent person, and (both for learning and piety) eminent prelate, Dr. Sanderson, late Bishop of Lincoln; because I know your ability to know, and integrity to write truth: and sure I am that the life and actions of that pious and learned prelate will afford you matter enough for his commendation, and the imitation of posterity. In order to the carrying on your intended good work, you desire my assistance, that I would communicate to you such particular passages of his life, as were certainly known to me. I confess confess I had the happiness to be particularly known to him for about the space of twenty years, and (in Oxon) to enjoy his conversation, and his learned and pious instructions while he was regius professor of divinity there. Afterwards, when (in the time of our late unhappy confusions) he left Oxon, and was retired into the country, I had the benefit of his letters; wherein (with great candour and kindness) he answered those doubts I proposed, and gave me that satisfaction, which I neither had, nor expected from some others of greater confidence, but less judgment and bumility. Having in a letter named two or three books writ (ex professo) against the being of any original sin ; and that Adam (by his fall) transmitted some calamity only, but no crime to his posterity; the good old man was exceedingly troubled, and bewailed the misery of those licentious times, and seemed to wonder (save that the times were such) that any should write, or be permitted to publish any error so contradictory to truth, and the doctrine of the church of England, established (as he truly said) by clear evidence of scripture, and the just and supreme power of this nation, both sacred and civil. I name not the books, nor their authors, which 3 I name not.] It is probable that part, at least, of the writings here referred to, are certain chapters of Jeremy Taylor's Doctrine and practice of repentance, and his Deus Justificatus, a vindication of the glory of the divine attributes in the question of original sin. "Dr. White Kennet, bishop of Peterborough, had in his possession the copies of two letters transcribed from the originals that were in the hands of Bishop Barlow. 1. Superscribed for Mr. Thomas Barlow, at the Library in Oxon,' and subscribed your very loving friend and servant, Robert Sanderson,' dated Botheby Pagnell, Sept. 28, 1656,' importuning Dr. Barlow, to undertake the managing that dispute in the question |