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M. JOHN HAMPSON, Aged 53.

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Printed by J. PARAMORE, at the Foundery, Moorfields;
And fold at the New Chapel, City-Road, and by all the
Booksellers in Town and Country.

John Crowther's Book

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THE

Arminian Magazine,

For JANUARY 1783.

The CALVINIST-CABINET UNLOCKED: in an APOLOGY for TILENUS, against a VINDICATION of the Synod of DORT.

IT

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T may conduce to our settlement, to confider how many of the most Learned these last Ages have produced, even when they launched forth on purpose to oppose the Truth, have absolutely yielded up themselves to the empire of it. Arminius undertakes the defence of Beza, but finding it impossible, retreats unto those Opinions which have worn his name ever since. Tilenus, while he fets himself in oppofition to Arminius, is awakened with so clear a light, that he becomes a proselyte. Arminius' Arguments pressed so hard upon Junius, that he thought fit to give ground: and VOL. VI. Pifcator

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Piscator flincht a little more upon the impression made by his adverfaries.

The Absurdities which unavoidably follow from these doctrines, are very reproachful to the Majesty of heaven; they deflower the beauty of his Attributes, evacuate the merits of Chrift's death, frustrate the use of the holy Ordinances, and enervate the power of Godliness. For while they advance his Sovereignty, they impeach his Goodness; while they magnify his Liberty, they obfcure his Wisdom; while they fweeten his Mercy, they imbitter his Justice; while they boast his Grace, they confound his Truth and Sincerity.

This doctrine attributes to God a power, not only above the laws he prescribes, and the promises he makes unto his fervants, but paramount to his own essential Equity. For it faith he hath ordained the greater part of mankind to destruction, merely for his own pleasure. It makes God like. an unwife Potter, who makes vessels on purpose to dash them in pieces. It teacheth, that of men, amongst whom he found no difparity, he hath elected some, and rejected others; and that he introduced a necessity of sinning for the illustration of his glory.

It teacheth, that God fent Christ to reconcile men to himself, whom he loved with an unchangeable love, before he decreed to give Christ for them: that he courts others to be reconciled, whom he hates immutably: that he calls them to repentance, enlightens them, gives them a taste of the heavenly gift, and zeal to do good works; and all this to serve for a golden chariot to conduct them with the more formality to a worse execution: that he binds some men to believe in Christ, for whom he never died: that he invites them to a Covenant of Grace, and ties them to impossible conditions under it, that he may inflict the greater torments upon them; that some men's fins, (of what nature foever,) are privileges of their Adoption, confirmations of their Grace,

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