The Preface

The Cause of God and Truth

In Four Parts

With a Vindication of Part IV

From the Cavils, Calumnies and Defamations of Mr. Henry Heywood, &c.

By John Gill, D.D.

London, 1838

It should be known by the reader, that the following work was undertaken and begun about the year 1733 or 1734, at which time Dr. Whitby’s Discourse on the Five Points was reprinting, judged to be a masterpiece on the subject in the English tongue, and accounted an unanswerable one; and it was almost in the mouth of every one, as an objection to the Calvinists.

Why do not ye answer Dr. Whitby? Induced hereby, I determined to give it another reading, and found myself inclined to answer it, and thought this was a very proper and seasonable time to engage in such a work.[1]

This work was published at a time when the nation was greatly alarmed with the growth of Popery, and several learned gentlemen were employed in preaching against some particular points of it; but the author of this work was of opinion, that the increase of Popery was greatly owing to the Pelagianism, Arminianism, and other supposed rational schemes men run into, contrary to divine revelation. This was the sense of our fathers in the last century, and therefore joined these and Popery together in their religious grievances they were desirous of having redressed; and indeed, instead of lopping off the branches of Popery, the axe should be laid to the root of the tree, Arminianism and Pelagianism, the very life and soul of Popery.

This new edition, with some alterations and improvements, is now published by request.

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[1] Extracted from this general preface is the explanation of the four main parts comprising this new edition: (1) A Response to the Arminian’s False Interpretation of Several Texts; (2) An Affirmation of the Doctrines of Grace Set Forth by Several Texts; (3) A Confutation of the Arminian’s Logic in Denouncing the Doctrines of Grace; (4) A Vindication of the Doctrines of Grace on Account of Church History. The explanation for each of these parts is incorporated in the ‘Table of Contents’ for each part.



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