shew mercy Rom. 11.30 Hereupon we conclude that faith and regeneration are gifts of grace which God bestowes absolutely according to the mere pleasure of his owne will regenerating whom he will and denying the grace of regeneration to whom he will Now then who are they on whom God should bestow faith and regeneration but his Elect and accordingly the Apostle calleth it the faith of Gods elect Tit. 1.1 and Act. 13.48 The Evangelist cleerely telleth us that as many believed as were ordeyned to aeternall life and Rom. 8.29 Whom God foreknewe them he predestinated to be made confoâ—mable to the image of his Sonne and whom he predestinated them he called and whom he called he justifyed and whom he justified he glorified And accordingly baptisme as it is a sâ—ale and assurance of performing this promise of justification and salvation unto them that believe so it is a seale and assurance of the promise of circumcising the heart and regeneration only to Gods elect Yet I confesse that according to the booke of Common prayer in use with the Church of England we professe of every Childe as he comes to be baptized and when he is baptized that he is regenerate and grafted into the body of Christs regeneration whereupon Mr. Monâ—acute sometimes tooke advantage to justifie his opinion touching falling away from grace as the Docteine of the Church of England but he was answered by D. Carleton then Bishop of Chichester that there is a regeneration so called Sacramento tenus and which Austin as he shewed distinguished from true regeneration And for ought we know to the contrary every one that comes to be baptized by a minister may be an elect of God and therefore we have no reason to conceave them to be reprobates And I would gladly knowe what this our adversary conceaves of every one that is brought unto him to be baptized will he conceave them in the judgement of charity to be elect or no Or doth he beleeve them in judgement of faith to be elect In my judgement his opinion hereabout is no more then this that God hath ordeyned that in case they beleeve they shal be justified and saved and accordingly that in Baptisme assurance hereof is sealed unto them and no more Now that God hath so ordeyned we beleeve as well as they and that baptisme is a seale of the righteousnesse of faith and of salvation by faith But if he thinkes the covenant of grace comprehends no more then this herein alone we differ from him and are ready to mainteyne that all who are under the covenant of grace are such as over whom sinne shall not have the dominion Rom. 6.14 and that the Lord vouchsafeth to become their Lord and their God to sanctifie them and to circumcise their hearts to love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soule as he seeth their wayes so to heale them to subdue their iniquities to give giftes even to the rebellious that he may dwell among them to powre cleane water upon them that they may be cleane and from all their filthinesse to clense them A new heart also to give unto them a new spirit to putt within them and to take away the stony heart out of their body and give them an heart of flesh And to putt his owne Spirit within them and cause them to walk in his statutes and to keepe his judgements and doe them And as in the Prophet Ieremiah the Lord professeth This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes sayth the Lord I will putt my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shal be my people And Ier. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way that they may feare me for ever for the wealth of them of their children after them And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will never turne away from them to doe them good but I will putt my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me And Ezech. 16.60 Neverthelesse I will remember my covenant made with thee in the dayes of thy youth and I will confirme unto thee an everlasting covenant 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalt receave thy sisters both thy Elder and thy yonger and I will give them unto thee for daughters but not by thy covenant And 20.37 I will cause you to passe under the rod bring you into the bond of the covenant And 37.23 Neyther shal they be polluted any more with their idols nor with their abominations nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned I will clense them so shall they be my people and I will be their God 24. And David my servant shal be King over them they shall have one sheapheard they shall also walke in my judgements and observe my statutes doe them So that regeneration sanctification faith repentance holinesse obedience these be the works which God promiseth to worke in them and that by vertue of the covenant of grace he hath made with them The Eucharist we confesse is likewise given to all who for their profanesse impuritie or conâ—umacy are not excommunicated and that with assurance that Christ dyed for all those that doe receave it worthily not otherwise but as many as receave it unworthily doe receave it to their owne condemnation And doe the Arminians themselves administer it with assurance of the favour of God towards them any otherwise then in case they are found worthy pertakers As for Christs dying for mankind I have already shewed at large how this Author treates of it hand over head carying it in the cloudes of generalitie Now it is a rule of schooles that in genere latent multae equivocationes Therefore for the cleering of the truth in this particular I have distinguished the benefits which Christ procured for us some of them as remission of sinnes and salvation are conferred onely conditionally to witt upon condition of faith And herein we extend the vertue of Christs death as fart as they to witt in conditionall manner for we willingly professe that if all and every one should believe all and every one should be saved by Christ On the other side no Arminian will say that any man of ripe yeares shall be saved by Christ if he never beleeve in Christ. But other benefites there are which God bestowes upon man for Christs sake as we say to witt faith regeneration repentance Now these are conferred not conditionally for if they were then should grace be given according to mens workes which is manifest Pelagianisme Therefore these must be conferred absolutely not on all for then all should believe and be saved but on some and who can they be but Gods Elect Now as for the Remonstrants
is preached in the word in the issue left to the free will of man to beleeve or no to repent or no to obey or no and yet notwithstanding give out that the word it is which converts them brings them to faith repentance and obedience and yet cavill at our ascribing those effects to the word of God in one kinde of operation which yet we ascribe solely and immediately to Gods spirit in another kind of operation â—specially considering that it is Gods word not their word and sent by God in his Spirit by the ministery of the Prophets and not sent by them in their Spirits and it is the meanes whereby Gods Spirit workes as before I have shewed and not a meanes appoynted by them whereby their Spirit worketh But it is nothing strange that they who oppose Gods grace should in the end fayle even of common sense The Synod sayth this Auâ—hor leaveth it no other function then to serve as an object and to represent it When Bellarmine sayth that Suadens agit per modum proponentis objectum He delivereth this as a dictate of common sense knowne by the very light of nature I say a litle more that he who persuades ought his office is to repâ—esent that whâ—reunto he persuades in the most alluring manner â—o draw the partie whom he persuades to like it and to labour for it Farther I say we doe ascribe to the word as much as they doe or can doe in truth In pretence I deny not but they may deale wâ—th it as they deale with Gods grace makâ—ng shew as if â—hey ascribed thereunto their faith their repentance When indeed they impute it to their owne free wills not fearing to mocke God if he would be mocked And as the Iewes sometimes crowned Christ with thornes so do these crowne the grace of God with scornes But the true difference betweene us is not in ascribing or denying ought to Gods word but in that we ascribe that to the Spirit of God which they ascribe to the freedome of their wills I say the difference between us is whether it be not so indeede as here I professe and am ready to make good But wheras he saith we make the word of God only to represent that without which the holy Spirit hath allready wrought within as well in the will as in the undeâ—standing without any cooperation of the word this passage is eyther falsely copyed or falsely translated out of the French For the first without comes out of his place the sense it beares being afterwards represented at full in these wordes without any cooperation of the word and besides it marres altogether the sense of the wordes following therfore I leave it quite out and reade the passage thus to represent that which the holy Spirit hath allready wrought within as well in the will as in the understanding without the cooperation of the word Now here is a prety mystery woorth the opening For he imputes unto us as if we should say that the word persuades and exhorts to that which the Spirit hath allready wrought both in the will and in the understanding Now I desire to knowe what that is which the Spirit hath allready wrought and when it was wrought according to our opinion as he saith for I willingly professe it is a mysteâ—y unto me namely that we should maynteyne that God sends his ministers unto us to persuade us to that which God hath wrought in us and that perhaps long before we heard the word And I willingly confesse in this case we might well seeme to make the ministery of Gods word to be very unprofitable and vayne Now as I sayd so I say still this is very mysterious unto me But I must fishe it out as well as I can by Interrogation And what is it trowe we that this Author meanes by this Is it the worke of regeneration consisting in the renovation of all the rationall faculties of man both the understanding and the will Vndoubtedly this is his meaning though the Auâ—hor caryeth himselfe obscurely without particulating what he meaneth and wherin it consists Then agayne when was this wrought If before we are pertakers of the word preached as he playnly signifiâ—th is it not cleare that it must be before we come to the use of reason being as we are brought up in the Church of God and accordingly made pertakers of Gods word as soone as we come to the use of reason And what time of infancy is more likely to be conceaved as most congruous herunto than the time of our admittance unto the Sacrament of Baptisme I am out of doubt that this is his meaninge wherby it appeares that these Arminians are of a contrary opinion utterly denying that the grace of regeneration is conferd in Baptisme Yet master Hooker hath maynteyned that the grace of regeneration is conferd in Baptisme against master Cartwright and one I knewe in my time a favourer of his that maynteynd in the divinitie schooles that Baptisme is necessary unto salvation And nowadayes our Arminians are eager in the mayntenance therof which our Arminians beyond the Seas as it seemes doe utterly deny yet they hugge one another in the armes of love in opposing oâ—hers But to make short let our Englishe Armâ—nians looke how they answeare this For my part I maynteyne no such opinion and albeit master Montacute would put such an opinion upon our Church out of the booke of common prayer where it is sayde Now this childe is regenerate though the same Author professeth that all that we reade in the homilies is not to be receaved as the doctrine of the Church of England Yet Bishop Carleton hath answeared master Montacute upon the same point and hath shewed out of Austin that it is one thinge to be truly regenerate and another thing to regenerate Sacramento tenus I willingly confesse that the Sacrament of Baptisme is the seale of the righteousnes of faith unto us Christians as Circumcision was unto the Iewes Rom. 4. which is as much as to say that it assures us of the remissioÌ„ of our sinnes as many as believe and that as a Sacrament in generall is defined in the smaller catechisme of our Church to be an outward and a visible signe of an inward and invisible grace And so I conceave baptisme to be and that not of justification only unto them that believe but of the grace of regeneration allso but how not at that instant collatae but suo tempore conferendae To witt when God shall effectually call a man and it is very strange unto me that regeneration shoulde goe before vocation And therfore we are free from maynteyning any such unprofitablenes and vaynes of the ministery of the word as to persuade us to that which God hath wrought in us allready yea long before both in our understandings in our wills as here it is charged upoÌ„ us but causelesly for ought I knowe And if the Synod of Dort or Arlâ—s
as the Synod would have it hath written their names in the booke of life from all aeternitie without having more regard unto their prayers then unto their faith and that it is impossible for them to be razed out and as for these they are no more able to gett themselves registred therein by their prayers theÌ„ to undo that inevitable unchangable decree of God So that by this triall of the practise each one may see what esteeme we ought to have of that religion which resisteth the conversion of Infidells the amendment of the scandalous and consolation of the afflicted which makes the preaching of the word to be of none effect and quite overthroweth the use of the Sacraments and exercise of prayers and in a word which overturneth the foundation of the ministry which consisteth in sound doctrine good discipline Consid. If the preaching of the word by the doctrine of these Synods be but thus made of none effect that is but by so hungry and comicall a discourse as this we shall have very small or rather no cause at all to think the worse of the doctrine of these Synods and we are confident that the use and profitt of the Sacraments will but in the like shallow and superficiary manner be enervated And how the ministers in their administration of the Sacraments doe destroy the same doctrine so unhappy as he conceavs it for no doctrine is so happy with them as that which maintaynes grace to be conferred according unto workes or that looke what we call grace as faith and repentance is neither merited by Christ nor indeed any gift of God otherwise then by giving them power to beleeve if they will repent if they will and persuading them thereunto by the ministry of his word for I have good reason to suspect that the Author of this discourse is a mere Anabaptist we are now to consider in the last place Now for proofe hereof he sayth that to every person whom we baptize we doe apply the promises of the covenant of grace which he saith is cleane contrary to our owne doctrine which saith that they nothing belong to the reprobates of the world I would he had particulated these promises of the covenant of grace For with the practise of their Churches in the office of baptizing I am not acquainted but onely with our own The promises assured by baptism according to the rule of Gods word I finde to be of two sorts some are of benefits procured unto us by Christ which are to be conferred conditionally others are of benefits which are to be bestowed upon us absolutely They of the first sort are justification and salvation For Abraham receaved circumcision as a seale of the righteousnes of faith Circumcision therfore was an assurance of justification to be had by faith If such were circumcision unto the Iewes we have good reason to conceave that such is baptisme unto us Christians For as that was unto them so this is the Sacrament of regeneration unto us And good reason the Sacraments which are seales of the covenant should assure that unto us which the word of the covenant doth make promise of Now the word of the covenant of grace doth promise unto us both remission of sinne and salvation upon faith in Christ. This by our doctrine we promise unto all and assure unto all as well as they doe by theirs If all and every one should beleeve we nothing doubt but they should be justified and saved On the other side if not one of ripe yeares should beleeve I presume our adversaries will confesse that not one of them should be saved But there are other benefites both promised in the covenant of grace and consequently assured by the Sacraments which are commonly called the seales of the covenant wherof there is or may be a question whether they are conferred on man by God absolutely or no but onely conditionally and the right solution thereof I willingly confesse is most momentous for the deciding of all those controversies and setting an happy end unto them But that question is wholy declined by this Author and generally by the Arminian partie For such a light and evidence of faith breakes forth herein that they are not able to abide it Those benefites are regeneration which in holy scripture is called the circumcision of the heart in reference to the Sacrament that sealed it and in the New Testament it is called the washing and clensing or sanctifying of our soules in reference to our Sacrament of regeneration which is called Baptisme under regeneration we comprehend the illumination of the mind and renovation of the affectâ—ons and these operations we commonly designe by faith and repentance Now let it be enquired whether regeneration and faith commonly supposed amongst us to be the gifts of God are bestowed upon men conditionally or absolutely If conditionally then like as the word of the covenant promiseth these gifts upon a condition to be performed by man so also shall the Sacrament of Baptisme seale it and assure us that upon the performance of that condition we shall obteyne at the hands of God faith and regeneration Like as justification salvation is promised in the word and assured in the Sacraments upon performance of a condition on mans part Now the condition of justification and salvation we all acknowledge to be faith but what should be the condition upon performance whereof we should obteyne it we are much to seeke neither doe the Arminians willingly come to the defining of it this Author utterly declines the question though most proper and criticall by the Orthodox resolution thereof to sett a blessed end to all the controversies wherwith the peace of Gods church hath been of late yeares so much disturbed Now whatsoever be devised to be the condition it must be in generall some worke of man and consequently it must be acknowledged that grace is given to wit the grace of faith according to mens works which is plain Pelagianisme So for regeneration it being acknowledged to be a gift of Gods grace if so be God bestowes it conditionally they must tell us what that condition is upon the performance whereof God is pleased to regenerate us but I never yet mett with any that undertooke to notifie unto us what that condition is certeynly it must be not onely a worke of man but a worke of nature seeing it precedes regeneration and consequently the grace of regeneration shal be conferred according unto workes of nature and this also is Pelagianisme and that in a degree beyond the former and withall directly contradictious to the word of God where it is sayd that God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace 2 Tim. 1.9 and where the Apostle saith that God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.16 and to bestow faith upon a man is clearly to