Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #5: The Arminian Anatomized Part 1 by William Huntington ©2007

HUNTINGTON, WILLIAM. The Skeleton; or, the Arminian Anatomized; and the Loss and Restoration of the Image of God in Man. In Two Parts. Part I. – The Arminian on the doctrine of Universal Charity, pursued, taken, examined, tried, condemned, executed and anatomized. Part II. – The loss and restoration of the image of God in man. By William Huntington, Minister of the Gospel in St. Margaret’s Chapel. Utica: Printed for the Publisher, by Geo: Camp, NO. 40, Genesee-Street. 1816.

William Huntington (1745-1813) coal heaver & preacher, changed his name to Huntington to avoid detection after he seduced a young girl and then abandoned her and his child upon the child’s birth, he then formed a connection with Mary Short, with whom he had 13 children; he was later converted, joined the Calvinistic Methodists for a time, began preaching on his own, built himself at chapel in London which burned to the ground '"Huntington, however, easily raised £10,000, with which he built a larger chapel... taking care to have the freehold vested in himself... For the rest of his life Huntington derived a handsome income from his pew-rents and publications, had a villa at Cricklewood, and kept a carriage. ...Mary Short died in Huntington's lifetime. Her death was hastened by gin and chagrin induced by a scandalous intimacy which Huntington formed about 1803 with an evangelical lady, Elizabeth, relict of Sir James Sanderson, bart... Huntington married this lady on 15 Aug. 1808. " – Dictionary of National Biography. Huntington has variously been called a bigamist, self-appointed voice of God, con-artist, etc.

Having sat awhile to have my head stuffed with these things -- (only my head I say, for it went no deeper) the second entertainment was to be performed by Universal Charity. As soon as she came forth, I expected something new and strange, as she is very pregnant with her witty inventions. Here I was told that this Millenium was to restore all things, brutes, fishes, creeping things, and insects; all were to appear as when created and he had some hope of their salvation too, and devils themselves not excluded. And the text of scripture he brought to prop up his fancy is: "And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever."

I sat and argued with him till 1 o'clock in the morning, but to no purpose; he was too firmly established, to be moved with such weak arguments as mine; I therefore left him in his principles, and since that time I took care never to hear any more of them.

They talk wonderfully about faith, but finding them deny the doctrine of election, and fighting against it; we readily conclude theirs is not the faith of God's elect; and as their faith is allowed to fail, we know it is not the faith Christ prayed for; because some honestly affirm that their faith makes them children of God to-day, but they may be children of the Devil to-morrow. We know this is not that faith which leads from death to life, because such believers are never to come into condemnation; they have everlasting life. -- The faith of God's elect fights against, and overcomes the world; but Arminian faith fights for the world, and tries to overcome the righteous.

If they talk of repentance, they are sure to set the cart before the horse; repentance, such as it is, comes first, and faith creeps along afterwards, to help this poor lame dog over the stile; and when this faith has done its office, no righteousness is imputed to it, or to the possessor of it. God has promissed an everlasting righteousness to faith, and faith is the hand to put that robe on – "it is unto all, and upon all that believe;" but Arminian's faith is not a hand but a covering: so man’s fancy stands as a rival to the spotless obedience of Christ, which alone makes righteous.