August 23, 2007

Edward Polhill (1622–1694) and Lazarus Seaman (c.1607–d.1675) Connection

I found this comment in Meet The Puritans:
Lazarus Seaman, who claimed to have known [Edward] Polhill from his childhood, testified to Polhill's intense, Puritan-minded piety.
Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson, Meet the Puritans (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2006), 482.

I find this interesting because both men (Polhill and Seaman) advocated a form of universal redemption. Seaman was one of the moderate men at the Westminster Assembly, along with Calamy, Vines, and Marshall. For a brief account of the debate at the Assembly from the perspective of a high Calvinist, see B. B. Warfield's The Westminster Assembly and Its Work (Still Waters Revival Books, 1991), 138–147. I posted this section of Warfield's book on the Calvin and Calvinism list back in October 2, 2006. As one investigates Polhill's work The Divine Will Considered in Its Eternal Decrees (Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1998), from pages 113–211, one finds that he is familiar with the writings of the Saumur school of thought, as is Stephen Charnock (particularly in volumes 3 and 4 of Charnock's Works).

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