therefore infallible assertions of Sacred Truth. What slender distinctions are invented and what texts of Scripture wrested, to elude some of them, I shall take my opportunity to represent, when you will vouchsafe to give me a friendly meeting, to debate these and other emergent doubts touching these great points of controversy. In the mean time, I could wish you would not exclude, from the exercise of their ministry, men legally ordained thereunto, if they be otherwise well-qualified, though they differ somewhat from you in these matters. But I am single, and must submit my vote to the suffrages of my brethren.

CHAIRMAN.-Brother Doctor, we may think upon your advice and doubts hereafter; but, for the present, we must agree as one man to carry on the great work of Reformation [which] we have in hand; and therefore, gentlemen, what say you to Mr. Tilenus ? Do you approve of him as a man well-gifted and fitly-qualified for the Ministry?

FATALITY.

PRETERITION.

INDEFECTIBLE.

and the rest.

No! By no means! We do not like
his principles.

CALL HIM IN.

CHAIRMAN.-Sir, The Commissioners are not satisfied in your Certificate. You may be a godly man,- —we do not deny; but we have not such assurance of it as we can build upon; and, therefore, we cannot approve of you for the Ministry. And, that you may be at no more expence of purse or time in your attendance, we wish you to return home, and think upon some other employment.

TILENUS. Sir, I could wish I might be acquainted with the reason of this my reprobation, unless the Decree that governs your votes, or proceeds from them, be irrespective. I think I am not so ill-beloved amongst the most learned of the Godly Clergy, (though differing a little in judgment from me,) but I can procure a full Certificate from the chiefest and most moderate of them.

CHAIRMAN. That is not all the matter we have against you. What have we to do with moderate men? We see your temper and want of modesty in that expression, and therefore you may be gone.

G

TILENUS. Then, gentlemen, I shall take my leave, and commend you to more sober counsels and resolutions.

END OF THE EXAMINATION OF TILENUS.

The leaders of this people [Heb. they that call them BLESSED] cause them to err. (Isa. ix, 16.)

Therefore behold, I am against the Prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my word every one from his neighbour. (JER. xxiii, 30.)

Ye take away the key of knowledge. (Luke i, 52.)

Behold I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and their lightness. (Jer. xxiii, 32.)

Thus have ye made the word of God of none effect by your tradition. (Mat. xv, 6. & Mark vii, 13.)

The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost, but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd. (Ezek. xxxiv, 4, 5.)

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, -from such withdraw thyself: For if the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch. But they shall proceed no further; for their folly shall be manifest unto all men. (1 Tim. vi, 3-5. Matt. xv, 14. 2 Tim. iii, 9.)

THE

FIVE ARTICLES

CONTROVERTED BETWIXT

THE

REMONSTRANTS AND CONTRA-REMONSTRANTS,

COMMONLY CALLED

ARMINIANS AND CALVINISTS.

TO THE READER.

WHEN those points of doctrine maintained by Melancthon and other moderate Lutherans, came to be managed by the acute wit, solid judgment and great learning of JAMES HERMINE, Public Reader in the University of Leyden, they appeared to the unprejudiced examiners so much more consonant as well to the Sacred Scriptures and right reason as to primitive Antiquity, and so much more agreeable to the MERCY, JUSTICE and WISDOM of ALMIGHTY GOD, and so much more CONDUCING UNTO PIETY, than the tenets of the rigid Calvinists, that they quickly found a cheerful reception and great multitudes of followers in the Belgic Churches. Hereupon their adversaries, (having so passionately espoused the contrary opinions, and being so vehemently carried on with a prejudice against these,) that they might the more effectually decry and the suppress propugnators of them, caused some of their confidants to represent

them and their doctrine under such odious characters as were indeed proper to their own opinions. It was given out that, among their heresies, they held: First, "that God was the author of sin," and Secondly, "that He created the far greatest part of mankind, only of purpose to glorify himself in their damnation,"-with several others of like nature; which indeed are not only the consequence and results of Calvin's doctrine, but positively maintained and propagated by some of his followers.

That thy credulity, good Reader, may not be abused and betrayed by such practices, the following papers are hereunto annexed, to give thee, in a short view, a true account of the difference that is betwixt the disagreeing parties, with the grounds thereof.

FAREWELL!

THE FIRST ARTICLE

TOUCHING

PREDESTINATION.

WHAT THE REMONSTRANTS HOLD.

That God to the glory and praise of his abundant goodness, having decreed to make man after his own image, and to give him an easy and most equal law, and add thereunto a threatening of death to the transgressors thereof, and foreseeing that Adam would wilfully transgress the same, and thereby make himself and his posterity liable to condemnation; though God was, notwithstanding, mercifully affected towards man, yet, out of respect to his justice and truth, [he] would not give way to his mercy to save man, till his justice should be satisfied, and his serious hatred of sin and love of righteousness [should] be made known.*

PROOFS OUT OF SCRIPTURE.

"God decreed to make man after his own Image." So God created man after his own image. Gen. i, 26, 27. See Col. iii, 10; Eph. iv, 24.

* These Articles are not exactly the same as those which were exhibited by the Remonstrants at the Synod of Dort, and which are found in the Synodical Acts: But whatever may be their formal difference, in substance they are not dissimilar. In transposing some of them, and in separating the affirmative from the negative propositions, Bishop Womack appears to have intended the introduction of a more logical method, or a more perspicuous arrangement, than is to be seen in the original Articles. Indeed, the Remonstrants had particular reasons for intermingling their own sentimen s with those of their adversaries: They wished to present the tenets of each system in close contrast, being confident, that, when viewed thus in oppos tion, the common sense of mankind would soon decide to which code of doctrines the preference must be given. They accordingly prepared the r First Article in such a form, as to make one half of its Ten Tenets to cons st