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Lines In Praise Of Free Will

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Rippon, Apr 14, 2006.

  1. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    This is from the Select Works of William Gadsby . He was certainly against FW . He penned the lines because he was convinced that they contained " the very spirit of Arminianism . " The poem is 5 pages long . I will just give some samples.

    Calvin! a name my soul abhors ;
    I hate him and his partial cause .
    Predestination , God's decree ,
    Salvation fix'd eternally ,
    All settled by a mighty plan ,
    Without consulting noble man !
    I'll stand against it while I can ;
    Nor will I yield to Paul or Luke ,
    Peter , nor Jude , nor Roby's book .
    I'll turn the Bible upside down ,
    Nor shall its author wear the crown ;
    It shall be God and Co. at least ;
    My mind is fully fix'd on this ,
    Nor can God take it much amiss .

    Sure , none so bright and wise as we ,
    Can e'er submit to God's decree ;
    I'd spurn a God quite from my view ,
    Nor think it wrong to hate him too ,
    Who did not give all men a chance
    Of having an immortal glance
    Of that majestic , blissful shore ,
    And reign therein for evermore .
    Election true ! awful to tell !
    I'd rather dwell with fiends in hell ,
    Than with a partial God like this ,
    In what he calls immortal bliss .
    To bend to sovereign Deity
    Would be no real bliss to me .
    To own God has a sovereign right
    To banish sinners from his sight
    And plunge them in the burning lake ,
    Would make a sovereign creature quake .


    But sovereign , settled , fix'd decrees ,
    Unchangeable realities ,
    Some of old Adam's fallen race ,
    Chosen as objects of God's grace ,
    Their bliss , their glory made secure ,
    In spite of sin or Satan's power .
    While all the rest , as good as they ,
    Are left to perish from the way ;
    While I have power , or tongue , or pen ,
    I'll preach , and write , and write again ;
    From pulpit , and from press declare ,
    A partial God I'll not revere .
    There's something galling , I admit ,
    In what is called holy writ ;
    John , Luke , and Paul , and Peter too ,
    With more of this electing crew ;
    The Nazarene himself , I fear ,
    If studied close , will prove severe .
    Distracting thought ! what must I do ?
    This mighty host I must break through ,
    And that by brave sophistry too ,
    Or else my cause will come to naught ,
    And I appear not worth a thought .

    [ April 14, 2006, 05:07 AM: Message edited by: Rippon ]
     
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