Thomas Lamb’s (died c. 1672 or 1686) First Words to the Reader in a Treatise of Particular Predestination

For as much as the glory of God ought to bee most deare in our eyes, which wee ought to seeke, and preferre more than our lives; I could not with good conscience and reason, but publish these few lines following, (especially being earnestly desired by some of my deare friends,) and the reasons are, first, because the truth of the Gospel, which holds forth Christs giving himself a ransome for all men, 1 Tim. 2. 6. A propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world, 1 John 2. 2. and that he tasted death for every man Heb. 2. 9. (which is such a glorious truth, as without which first the Gospel of Gods free grace cannot be preached to all men, secondly neither can wicked men nor unbelievers be required to believe; and thirdly neither can the not believing in Christ be concluded to be a sinne,) all which being professed by the people of God (who desire in all sincerity to walke in all the wayes of God, and to bee led wholy by the rule of his word, whatever the hazard be thereby) they are thereby scandalized to hold free-will, and to denie particular election of persons, and persons hereby kept from the truth: to the end therefore that these stumbling blockes might be taken out of the way: these following lines doe manifestly declare Christs dying for all, and particular Election to stand together, which therefore can be no let to hinder people from the wayes of God, nor yet from discerning this particular truth of Christs dying for all, the excellency whereof none can prize, but those that know it; the which excellency if others could know, I am confident they would not bee such enemies to their owne soules as to slight it.

From Thomas Lamb’s initial words “To the Impartial Reader,” in A Treatise of Particular Predestination (London, 1642), i–ii. [No Pagination; Pages Numbered Manually from the Beginning]

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