humane capacity as de ordine modo praedestination is in mente divina concordia gratiae liberi arbitrii cum praedestinatione But these Papers I hope shall make it manifest first that I leave things unsearchable unsearchd and stand with the Apostle in the selfe same place that he did admiring and adoring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11. 33. I say in the selfesame place or the like not to cloak iniquity or absurdity imputed to the divine Majesty by O the depth c. Secondly that I search not at all into any thing by meere naturall light and humane reason which to do in these things were a presumption deserving precipitation but by the light of divine revelation in Gods holy word and therefore I have set for my title Appello Evangelium which is the opening of Gods Counsell so far as he is pleased to communicate to us And thirdly this I doe not onely by appealing to those Texts that directly and immediately speak of our Predestination and Election which may seeme hard and obscure but also to the openest and commonest places that are fundamentall principles of Christianity and the grounds of Catechisme which ordinary capacities and not great wits alone are able to understand and by which the fewer and harder Texts are to be enlightned and interpreted and not contrarily Irenaeus hath a right saying Multa male interpretari coguntur Lib. 5. qui Unum recte intelligere non volunt which hath hapned to many in our Age. That unum which they will not rightly understand is promissum Evangelicum universale in Christo redemptore vniversali which our Church professeth in her Articles and in her Catechisme which unum is the ground of all the Conclusions here maintained So that my studies have not been about some curious and superfluous questions separable from the body of Divinity and which might well have been spared but about the most essentiall parts and articles of that body and of their mutuall coherence and connexion the industrious search and examination whereof is so necessary and worthy a thing as I can hardly hold him worthy the name of a Divine that hath not laboured therein And as to my Opinions which unexamined may be presumed to be nothing else but either ancient or late condemn'd Heresies which imputation or very supposition no good man ought to beare with silence these leaves do undertake to shew that the apprehensions expressed in them are none of those old condemned Heresies nor of those late rejected Heterodoxes but the very Doctrine of the ancient Fathers of the Church builded upon the sense and letter of the holy Scriptures and consonant to the publike establish'd Doctrine of the Church of England contained in the bookes of Articles Common Prayer and Homilies which if I shall make good by cleare and undeniable evidence then I hope my good friends will hold me excused and cleared of any such crime as Heresie or semi-heresie or novelty and will take me for a true and sound member of the Church of England both in Doctrine and in Discipline from both which I feare there hath been made by many in this Church too great a defection and departure since the dayes of King Edw. the 6. when they were first established and since the primitive years of the happy reigne of Queen Elizabeth wherein they were ratifyed and strengthened with a second and oft-renewed judgement But the examination and tryall of all this I commit and submit to my ingenuous and loving friends and them and their studies to the goodnesse and grace of God our Father CHAP. I. The first Opinion THe first Opinion concerning the order of Divine Predestination and having these defenders Beza Piscator Whitaker Perkins and other holy and learned men is this 1. That God from all eternity decreed to create a certain number of Men. 2. That of this number he Predestinated some to everlasting life and other some he Reprobated to eternall death 3. That in this act he respected nothing more than his own dominion and the pleasure of his own will 4. That to bring men to these ends he decreed to permit Sin to enter in upon all men that the Reprobate might be condemned for sinne and that he decreed to send his Sonne to recover out of sin his Elect fallen together with the Reprobate This Opinion is rejected by many protestant Divines as by the reverend Divines of our Church that were at the Synod at Dort by Peter Moulin by Robert Bishop of Salisbury and others It is detested by the Papists and Lutherans it was it tha◠Arminius and his followers chiefly opposed in the low Countries It is charg'd To make God the Author of Sin To Reprobate men before they were evill To Elect men not in Christ who is sent after this Opinion to recover out of sinne those that were elected before they were considered as sinners This is that irrespective decree which Mr. Mountague disliketh because in it there is no respect had to any thing fore-known not so much as the fall of man much lesse Christ or Faith giving to God no fore-knowledge or no use of it at all in this act of his which the Scripture calls predestination Yet this Opinion doth well admonish us to remember the Dominion and Soveraigne power and will of God which must be seen and acknowledged in his predestinating of men according to that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 21. Hath not the Potter power over the clay and vers 15. Hee hath mercy on whom he will which we will be mindfull of in the fifth Opinion Under this Opinion are to be placed the nine Assertions concluded at Lambeth Nov. 20. 1595. which have been often required to be put into our Booke of Articles but yet could it never be obtained It is requisite therefore to set them down because they are not vulgarly knowne and to examine them what they meane and see how farre they are Orthodoxall or agreeing to our Articles And for their sakes that understand not the Latine tongue I will render them in English * Consule Articulos Lambethanos ab F. G. Ecclesiae Ministro nuper editos Articles approv'd by the right Reverend Lords John Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Richard Lord Bishop of London and other Divines at Lambeth the 20. of Novemb. in the year 1595. 1. God from Eternity Predestinated some Men to life and some he Reprobated unto Death 2. The Moving or Efficient cause of Predestination to life is not the foresight of Faith or of perseverance or of good workes or of any thing which may be in the persons predestinated but onely the Will of Gods good pleasure 3. Of the predestinate there is a predefined and certaine number which can neither be increased nor diminished 4. They which are not predestinated to salvation shal necessarily be condem'd for their sinnes 5. True lively justifying Faith and the sanctifying Spirit of God is not extinguished doth not fall out doth
to worke by the Gospell upon a sinner convict humbled and prepared by the Law And looke what proportion of power the Spirit had in the Law upon an unregenerate Man to humble him the same hath it in the Gospell upon the humbled to worke in him Hope him Hoping to winne to Wish and Pray to him Praying Wishing Willing to give Repentance unto him Repenting to instill Faith and so to justifie him being justifyed by Faith again by the Law and the Gospell together to mortifie corruptions to quicken in him a new life and to strengthen him to new obedience Now thinke not that the Spirit is present in the preaching of the Law to an unregenerate Man to give him strength to new obedience because it is present to convince and condemne his wickednesse or because it is so present to a justifyed Man to give him strength to new obedience Thinke not that the Spirit is present in the preaching of the Gospell to a Man yet not penitent nor believing to worke in him Peace Joy Love because it is present to worke these in the Believer Degrees here are not given per saltum The sum is The Spirit of God is annexed to his Word for such gifts and operations as to which the hearer is a fit disposed subject There is an order in the Divine working wherein there are things antecedent preparatives to things subsequent which antecedents if they found no place and were not admitted the subsequent are suspended Hence is there so frequent and just separations of the Spirit from the Word by the great Pastor of Soules who walketh in the midst of the Churches and scarcheth the hearts and reynes Hear what saith our Homily of declining from God When God withdrawes from us his Word the right Doctrine of Christ his gracious assistance and aide which is ever joyned to his Word and leaveth us to our own wit our own will and strength hee declareth then that he beginneth to forsake us And againe hear The words of the holy Scripture bee called words of eternall life for they be Gods Instrument ordained for the same purpose they have power to convert through Gods Promise and they be effectuall through Gods assistance So our Church in the first exhortation to the reading of the Scriptures and the first Booke of Homilies Thus much for Declaration of this point For Confirmation of it I allege all the Elogia of the Word of God as Psal 19. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soule c. Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God is quick and powerfull c. Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them by this Truth Thy word is truth Joh. 20. 21. When Christ ordained his Apostles hee breathed on them and said Receive the holy Ghost to testifie that the power of the holy Ghost should goe with them Hence is the Gospell call'd the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. and the Ministers of the new Testament Ministers of the Spirit not of the Letter vers 6. because the Gospell dat quod jubet whereas the law jubet sed non juvat but without the Spirit the Word of the Gospell it selfe is but a dead letter whence it is said Joh. 1. 17. That the Law was given by Moses but wee had no hearts to receive it The Gospell Grace and Truth was not only given but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But why should I multiply places The learned Divines in suffrâ—gio Collegiali de 20. Articulo Thesi 5a. doe allege some of these and other more places to prove aliquam mensuram gratiae ordinarie in Ministerio Evangelii administrari quae sufficiat ad convincendos omnes impoenitentes incredulos contemptus vel saltem neglectus ob non impletam conditionem though by their favour the places prove a great deale more than Eam mensuram gratiae supernaturalis administrari quae sufficiat ad convincendos c. namely quae sufficiat ad convertendos The sentence of Prosper which they alleage speakes more home Non omnes vocari ad gratiam quibus omnibus Evangelium praedicatur non rectè dicitur etiamsi sint qui Evangelio non obedâ—ant But that Calling is the same to them that obey not as to them that obey I shall urge onely these two places more Mat. 22. 14. Many are called but few chosen Here Many are distributed into two sorts some that are called and not chosen some that are called and also chosen for these few chosen are a part of the many called so that the whole many are put under one and the same Calling which Calling is not by the outward Word alone for from that Calling arise none chosen therefore the Calling was by the Word and Spirit common to both and the few chosen excelled not in Calling but in some thing else viz. in obeying the Calling to come when others refused or in comming worthily in a wedding garment according to the Parable Mat. 12. 41. The Men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgement with this Generation and shall condemne it c. If Jonas preached to the Ninevites without the Spirit how did they repent If Jesus Preached without the same Spirit how is he greater than Jonas nay how is hee equall in the power of Preaching If they that disobey be not equally called with them that obey how can these rise up in judgement against them when their answer is ready wee had not the same Calling with you ours differed toto genere you were partakers of an Heavenly calling wee but of an Earthly you were called by the Voyce of God speaking to your hearts we but by the bare voyce of Men speaking to the eare If God had moved and excited us as much as hee did you wee would have done as well as you For vocatio refertur ad auxilium Dei interius moventis excitantis mentem ad deserendum peccatum Thomas 12 ae 113. 1. ad 3m. The example of the Jewes at this day confirmeth this for they are said to be yet uncalled not because they live without the sound of the Gospell as the Indians have done for they may heare our Sermons and reade our Scriptures living in Rome Italy and Spaine but because the veile is not taken from their hearts because the Spirit of illumination and softning is as yet withheld from them which is granted gratiously to us Gentiles To conclude That Distinction of Calling propounded in the beginning of this Chapter into Outward Inward Effectuall Ineffectual seemeth to be vaine 1. Because it giveth unworthily the name of Calling to the bare outward Preaching of the Word which may bee a Commanding but not a Calling a Commanding as of the Law not a Calling as of the Gospell for God may still require to be obeyed in whatsoever new thing hee shall command because it is our duty naturall whether wee be now able to doe it or no being wee were able But seeing the word of the new Covenant comes to call Men to Repentance and
the lowest and first gifts of the Spirit what bee the highest and the last words of sense as Tasting Hearing Seeing are not used in the Scriptures to expresse a little superficiall conceit of things Spirituall quasi primoribus labris gustasse but rather the full clear certaine deepe apprehension of them See Job 34. 3. Psal 34. 9. Joh. 6. 40. Joh. 8. 56. 47. Et alibi passim From hence it is that the renewing of these men againe by Repentance is so hard or impossible that fell from so great an height whereas to be renewed after lesser faults is ordinary How will these Divines of the Schoole satisfie weake ones and our common Christians of the Country in whom they shall not finde so much as these things which they call initialls how will they perswade them that they are in the state of Regeneration and have that justifying Faith whereof they say Believers may be assured or will they exclude them out of the rank of Believers 3. I oppose S. Augustines judgement in this which must not bee refused by any replyer De corrept grat cap. 8. Mirandum est quidem multumque mirandum c. It is to be wondered at and very marvelous that God should not give Perseverance to some of his Children whom hee hath Regenerated in Christ and to whom hee hath given Faith Hope and Love when as he forgives so great wickednesse to other strange Children and makes them his Sonnes by conferring his Grace upon them c. The thing that S. Augustine admireth is Cur illos Deus c. why God should not then snatch away those his children which have lived faithfully and godlily out of the danger of this present life lest their evill inclinations should worke a change in their mindes And hee refers this to the inscrutable judgements of God most wisely and holily But his Opinion is that if these men had dyed in that time when they lived justly and piously they had beene saved therefore their faith was more than begun they were more than seeming Christians they were truly justifyed and sanctifyed and then fit for the Kingdom of Heaven 4. Lastly I maintaine and prescribe this to be the publike Doctrine of the Church of England by Law established and first Heare King Henries Protestations in the Booke before praised In the Article of Justification If after our Baptisme it chance us by our Spirituall enemies to be overthrown and cast into mortall sinne then is there no remedy but for the recovery of our former estate of justification which wee have lost to arise by Penance wherein proceeding in sorrow and much lamentation for our sinnes c. we must have a sure trust and confidence in the Mercy of God that for his Son our Saviour Christs sake he will yet forgive us our sinnes and receive us into his favour againe and so being thus restored to our Justification we must goe forward in our battaile aforesaid Againe a little after And it is no doubt but although we be once justifyed yet we may fall therefrom by our own Freewill and consenting to sinne and following the desires thereof For albeit the house of our conscience be once made cleane and the foule spirit be expelled from us in Baptisme or Penance yet if wee wax Idle and take not heed hee will returne with seven worse spirits and possesse us againe This I allege not for it selfe but for the affinity our 16. Article made in Edw. 6. hath unto it as a Child of the same Fathers Article 16. Of Sinne after Baptisme Not every deadly Sinne willingly committed after Baptisme is Sinne against the Holy Ghost and unpardonable wherefore The place for penitents Artic. Edw. 6. The grant of repentance Artic. Eliz. Is not to be denyed to such as fall into Sinne after Baptisme After wee have received the holy Ghost we may depart from Grace given and fall into sinne and by the Grace of God we may rise againe and amend our lives And therefore they are to bee condemned which say They can no more Sinne as long as they live here or deny to such as truly repent Place of forgivenesse Eliz. The place for Penitents Edw. 6. This Article my Opponents would bee well contented it had nought against them though it were not for them But I hope to evince it to be so far against them that while it standeth they must needs be Heterodox in the Church of England that preach or publish that Opinion which is now so prevalent every where This I shall doe by three wayes 1 By the Concession and Confession of their own friends that have complained of this Article 2. By Analysing the Propositions and scanning the Literall and Grammaticall sense to which wee are bound to keepe us both by the Law of learning and by the Declaration of K. Charles prefixed to our Articles 3. By Paralleling our 16th with the 12th Article of the Augustane Confession from whence it was taken and with other Doctrine of our Church in the Booke of Homilies 1. For the first The Authors of the second admonition to the Parliament pag. 43. lin 30. doe accuse some Bishops then as suspected of the Heresie of Pelagius and for Freewill not onely they are suspected say they but others also Then they adde And indeed the Booke of Articles of Christian Religion speaketh very dangerously of falling from Grace which is to be reformed because it too much inclineth to their Error So they There were then some Bishops that held this Error of falling from Grace as it was counted by these Authors who count also the Article too much inclining to their error But a wiser learneder man than they in the Conference at Hampton Court 1. Jacobi made it his first motion pag. 24. That the Articles of Religion concluded 1562. might be explaned in some obscure places and enlarged where some things were defective for example whereas Article 16. the words are these After wee have received the Holy Ghost we may depart from Grace Notwithstanding the meaning be sound saith hee yet he desired that because they may seeme to be contrary to the Doctrine of Gods Predestination and Election in the 17th Article both those words might be explained with this or the like addition yet neither totally nor finally So thâ—n if this Article did not speake dangerously of the falling from Grace and seeme to contradict the 17th Article this motion was needlesse And in truth so it was and so judged for nothing was done to the explaining or enlarging of the Article neither is there any contradiction betwixt the 16th and 17th Articles and the addition of finally totally would have quite subverted not have explained the sense and scope of the whole as I will demonstrate in the two places 2. For the second way by Analysing the Propositions c. thus I proceede The Title is of Sin after Baptisme Cleerly it is not the scope of any part of this Article as some would
by the interposition of some obstacle that hinders Gods influence of love from comming into the Soule But 't is manifest every mortall finne that is contrary to Gods Commandements is such an obstacle of hindring the foresaid influence because by that very act man chuseth sinne and prefers it before Gods love c. Whereby it followes that presently by one Act of mortall sinne the habit of love is lost 3. My third way to come to the true meaning of our Article was to parallel it with the twelfth of the Augustane Confession c. Art 12. Augustanae Confess Art 16. Anglicanae Confess De poenitentia docent quod lapsis post Baptismum contingere possit remissio peccatorū quocunque tempore cum convertuntur Et quod Ecclesia talibus redeuntibus ad poenitentiam absolutionem impertiri debeat Not every deadly Sin c. is unpardonable wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denyed to such as fall into Sin after Baptisme Damnant Anabaptistas qui negant semel jnstificatos posse amittere Spiritum Sanctum Item qui contendunt quibusdā tantam perfectionem in hac vita contingere ut peccare non possint Damnantur Novatiani qui nolebant absolvere lapsos post Baptismum redeuntes ad poenitentiam After we have received the holy Ghost we may depart from Grace and fall into sinne c. Therefore they are to be condemned which say they can no more sin as long as they live here or deny place of forgivenesse to such as truly repent What need many words there is nothing more cleare than that this is the Doctrine not onely of the Church of Rome from which our first Reformers desired not to depart but where it had departed from Scripture and Antiquity But also of the Churches of upper Germany and of Denmark with which ours kept most conformity So that the Calvinists are singular and alone in their Opinion Other doctrine of our Church of like nature to this is found in the booke of Homilies especially in that which is intituled Of declining from God in the Table and of Falling from God in the booke Out of the first part whereof I transcribe but this sentence pag. 54. For whereas God hath shewed to all men that truly beleeve his Gospell his face of Mercy in Jesus Christ which doth so lighten their hearts that they if they behold it as they ought to doe bee transformed to his Image be made partakers of the heavenly light and of his holy Spirit and be fashioned to him in all goodnesse requisite to the children of God So if they after doe neglect the same if they be unthankfull unto him if they order not their lives according to his doctrine and example c. He will take away from them his Kingdome his holy word whereby he should riegne in them Out of the second part thereof I transcribe this sentence pag. 57. God will take from them the teaching of his holy word so that they shall be no longer of his Kingdome they shall be no longer governed by his holy Spirit they shall be put from the grace and benefits that they had and ever might have enjoyed through Christ they shall be deprived of the heavenly light and life which they had in Christ whilst they abode in him c. In the second tome in the Homily of Repentance the first part pag. 261 262. there is a full paraphrase upon the 16. Article according to the two parts I made of it too much to write out admitting that we may chance after we be once come to God and be grafted into his Son Jesus Christ to fall into some horrible Sinne and yet be received againe into favour defining that the Sin against the holy Ghost is a finall faling away from Christ that the promises of mercy to them that turne to God Jer. 4. Isay 55. Osee 6. ought to be understood of them that were with the Lord before and by their sinnes and wickednesse were gone away from him that David and Peter were justified yet fell horribly but by repentance were forgiven Lastly the prayers of the Church have ever beene a place from which Arguments have beene drawne thus Against them that say the Regenerate may be perfect without sinne Why then doth our Lord teach them to pray Forgive us our trespasses against them that say they cannot be tempted to evill to be overcome why doth he teach us to say Leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill So Jerome 2. lib. Contra Iovinianum In like manner I argue if a Beleever cannot finally fall from God why doth our Church pray in the Liturgie at the buriall of the dead O God most mighty suffer us not at our last howre for any paines of death to fall from thee CHAP. XVII Of the Persevering Faith of the Elect. THe second question stated was of the Perseverance of the Elect whether it be without interruption in a perpetuall constancy or happy if it be finall that is what the state of a regenerate man is suppose him one of the Elect though knowne so to God onely under some grievous Sin into which he is fallen untill he repent Here I will first argue ex concessis and then rest in one argument out of the Scripture Our Judicious Divines that were at Dort apprehending well the danger of their Tenent that maintaine the Regenerate sinning to be still actually in the state of Salvation say very much of the evill plight of a regenerate man lapsed so much as I require no more That he is not actually reconciled untill he repent but verily in state of damnation and unapt for to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Yet some things they hold fast that they may not forsake their party altogether That which I object is that the things which they deny cannot stand together with the things they grant 1. They say first Though the Regenerate so sinning be guilty yet they are in the purpose of God to be absolved Ans So they were before they were regenerated or repented or beleeved at all Secondly That they are not dealt withall by God in rigor Ans No more are many reprobates fallen from Faith whom yet God would bring to Repentance by his long-suffering Thirdly That they have not lost jus ad Regnum but usum Juris as a leprous man hath not lost the right of his house but the Vse Ans I understand you well by a similitude but I care not for an Argument out of that place Then belike an Elect person guilty of Murther hath jus ad regnum O Sancte Paule thou speakest too loosely 1 Cor. 6. 9. Gal. 5. 21. Be not deceived I tell you that they which doe such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Shall they not inherit that have jus ad regnum that have right to a Kingdome Fourthly They say That their Vniversall Justification is not made void Ans Truly their former absolution from former sins
Appello Evangelium FOR THE TRUE DOCTRINE OF THE Divine Predestination Concorded with the Orthodox Doctrine of Gods Free-Grace AND Mans Free-Will By John Plaifere B. D. Sometime Fellow of Sidney-Sussex Col. in Cambridge and late Rector of Debden in Suffolk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Amicum Amice Evangelium appellasti Ad EvangeliuÌ„ ibis Bern. in Cant. Ser. 65. Responsio Nullus reprehensor formidandus est amatori Veritatis Aug. de Trin. in Prooem Hereunto is added Dr. Chr. Potter his owne Vindication in a Letter to Mr. V. touching the same Points LONDON Printed by I. G. for John Clark and are to be sold at his shop under S. Peters Church in Cornhill 1651. The Severall Heads handled in this Treatise CHAP. The First Part. Page  THe Introduction or Preface p. 1 1. The first opinion of M. Perkns c. p. 9 2. The 2d opinioÌ„ of the Synod of Dort c. p. 16 3. The third Opinien of Dr. Overald c. p. 22 4. The fourth opinion of Hemingius c. p. 34 5. The fifth opinion of the Fathers c. p. 38 6. An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the fifth opinion p. 42  The Transition to the Second Part p. 52 CHAP. The Second Part.  1. Of Gods Knowledge p. 54 2. Of Gods Will p. 67 3. Of Providence and Predestination p. 71 4. Of Election and Reprobation p. 73 5. The Transition to the Third Part p. 76 CHAP. The Third Part.  1. Of the Creation p. 79 2. Of the Covenant of works p. 80 3. Of the Fall of Man p. 81 4. Of the effects of the Fall p. 84 5. Of the Covenant of Grace p. 86 6. Of Calling the Dspensation of the Covenant of Grace p. 91 7. Of the concurrence of the Word and Spirit in Calling p. 97 8. Of Conversion p. 110 9. Of Grace 113  The Distinctions p. 115  The Necessity p. 117  The Power p. 119  The Amplitude p. 122 10. Of Freewill to Good Evill p. 128 11. Of Grace and Freewill conjunctim p. 235 12. Of two equally called p. 251 13. Of Conversion under the termes of Regeneration a new Creation c. p. 273 14. The Article of Freewill as taught in a book published 35. Hen. 8. p. 278. 15. Of Perseverance p. 287 16. Of the Faith of such as persevere not together with an Exposition of the 16 Article of our Confession p. 291 17. Of the persevering faith of the Elect p. 230 18. Of the Certainty of Perserverance Election Salvation p. 318 19. Of the last Judgement p. 325 20. An Abridgement of the whole Book p. 334 21. An Analysis to the 17 Article Confessionis Anglicanae p. 350 Courteous Reader these bookes following are Printed for John Clark and are to be sold at his shop under S. Peters Church in Cornhill THe Stewards last accompt in five Sermons by Master Robert Bagnall Evangelicall Spices or the Incense of the Gospell in a Sermon by Doctor Wall Search the Scriptures or an enquiry after Verity by Master George Langford Manasses miraculous Metamorphosis in a Sermon at Saint Maries in Cambridge by Master George Langford Gods Smiting to amendment or revengement in a Sermon by Master Hanniball Gamon A Plea for Peace in a Sermon by Master Henry Vertue Evodius and Syntiche in a Sermon by Mr. John Elborow The Sharpnesse of the Sword or Abners Plea for accomolation in a Sermon by Master Iohn Pigot The Descent of Authority or the Magistrats Patent from Heaven by Doctor Hurst The Souldiers Triumph and the preachers Glory in a Sermon by Master Milward A thanksgiving Sermon by Master John Squire A Visitation Sermon by Doctor Read Ten Sermons upon severall Sundayes and Saints dayes â—y Master Peter Hawsteed A divine prospective representing the Just mans Peacefull end in a funerall Sermon by Master Nathaniel Hardy Christs Love and affection towards Jerusalem delivered in sundry Sermons by Master Richard Maden A discourse of the Sabbath and the Lords day by Doctor Dow. Innovations unjustly charged upon the present Church and State by Doctor Dow. Antidotum Lincolniense or an answer to a booke entituled The Holy Table Name and Thing c. by Doctor Heylin The Equall wayes of God tending to the rectifying the unequall wayes of man by Master Thomas Haines The Weapon-salves maladie translated out of Senartuâ— his works A ready way to remember the Scriptures or a Table of the Old and New Testament by Master Ezekiell Culverwell Want of Charity justly charged on all such Romanists a dare without truth or modesty affirme that Protestancie de destroyeth Salvation by Doctor Potter A Sermon preached at Ely-House in Holborne by Doctor Potter A Commentary of the whole book of Ecclesiastes by Doctor Jeremin The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation by Master William Chillingworth The Soules misery and recovery or the grievings of the Spirit by Master Samuel Hoard The Churches Authority asserted in a Visitation Sermor preached at Chelms ford by Master Samuel Hoard Gods love to mankind manifested by disproving his absolute decree for their damnation The new Art of Lying covered by Jesuites under thâ— veile of Equivocation discovered and disproved by Master Henry Mason Christian Humiliation or the Christians Fast by Masteâ— Henry Mason The Epicures Fast by Mr. Henry Mason The Tribunall of the Conscience or a Treatise of Examination shewing why and how a Christian should examine his Conscience and take an account of his life by Mr. Henry Mason The Cure of Cares or a short discourse declaring the condition of worldly Cares with some remedies appropriated unto them by Mr. Henry Mason Hearing and Doing the ready way to blessednesse with an appendix containing Rules of right hearing Gods Word by Mr. Henry Mason Contentment in Gods Gifts or some Sermon Notes leading to equanimity and contentation by Mr. Henry Mason Justifying Faith or the Faith by which the Just doe live by Dr. Jackson A Treatise containing the originall of Unbeliefe Misbeliefe or Misperswasions concerning the Verity Unity and Attributes of the Deity with directions for rectifying our beliefe or knowledge in the forementioned Points by Doctor Jackson A Treatise of the Divine Essence and Attributes First Part by Dr. Jackson A Treatise of the Divine Essence and Attributes the Second Part containing the Attributes of Omnipotency of Creation and Providence c. by Dr. Jackson The knowledge of Christ Jesus containing the first and generall Principles of Christian Theology with the more immediate Principles concerning the true knowledge of Christ by Dr. Jackson The Humiliation of the Sonne of God by his becomming the Sonne of man by taking the forme of a servant and by his Sufferings under Pontius Pilate c. by Doctor Jackson A Treatise of the Consecration of the Sonne of God to his everlasting Priesthood and the accomplishment of his glorious Resurrection and Ascension by Dr. Jackson Christs Answer to Johns question or an Introduction to the knowledge of Christ and him Crucified
order after another and not one thing for the sake of another If any thing be named Grace and tend not to mans recovery and Salvation or be not in some degree fit sufficient potent and available to further this work it is not to be esteemed worthy of the Noble and blessed name Grace The Distinctions of Grace The same Grace and power of Gods Spirit which in essence is no way diverse yet hath diverse denominations according to the diversities of relations and effects as the same Sunne first warmeth the Earth and then makes it fruitfull and beautifies it with flowers Quae enim in verbo pro ejus singulari divinae naturae simplicitate unum sunt unuÌ„ tamen effectuÌ„ in animâ non habent sed ad ejus varias diversas necessitates veluti diversa sese participanda accommodant Bern. in Cant. Ser. 85. The most antient and usefull distinction of Grace is that which we have in the tenth Article of our Church and in divers Collects of the booke of Common-prayer Into preventing following working coworking exciting helping Againe Grace is in Scripture set forth as standing without calling knocking Prov. 1. 20. Rev. 3. 20. Entred in inhabiting as in a Temple house 1 Cor. 3. 16. Againe God doth work in us these three things after these manners Bonum Cogitare sine nobis Velle nobiscum Perficere per nos Bern. de gratia libero Arbitrio Cornelius Muss 4. Ciner The Distinction of Grace into Sufficient and Effectuall is a frivolous distinction one member having too little the other too much to be found in rerum natura for how can that be a Grace or sufficient that never as such produceth any Effect but must have something more put to it in the entity of Grace to bring forth an Effect and then it loseth the name of Sufficient and winneth the title of Effectuall 2. What effect flowes except it be in miracles from one sole cause which is certaine and infallible and despising all other causes claimes to it selfe the title of Effectuall All Grace is in it selfe sufficient and efficient no lesse no more See Paulum Bennium de efficaci Dei auxilio purposely written to explode this distinction If there be a defect in the Effect it proceedeth from a defect in some other cause or the Subject or some other thing than from the defect of Grace Yet I will not stick to acknowledge Grace Effectuall to be well so called from the Event and as proceeding from Gods speciall mercy guided by his foreknowledge if that will satisfie their desires which affect this distinction Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continuall help that in all our workes begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtaine everlasting life c. Almighty God we humbly beseech thee that as by thy speciall grace preventing us thou dost put in our mindes good desires so by thy continuall helpe we may bring the same to good effect through Jesus Christ our Lord. Collect on Easter day The Necessity of Grace In the defence hereof Saint August deserveth highly of the Church of God against Pelagius who denyed the Necessity of Grace For Pelagius denying Originall Sinne and not acknowledging any losse to Adams posterity by Adams transgression but holding mankinde to be now as sound as the Creator made it he must needes by consequence hold Grace to be superfluous which the Church held was prepared to supply that losse and hath its whole occasion out of the Fall He then that confesseth the effects of Adams sinne as fully as any man cannot be counted of Kindred to Pelagius in sleighting the necessity of Grace I subscribe to S. Augustine pressing home that Text Joh. 15. 5. Without me you can doe nothing Lib. 2. cont duas Epistolas Pelagii c. 8. alibi Autor operis imperfecti in Matth. c. 7. Hom. 18. in illud Petite dabitur vobis c. Because the Commandements were greater than to be fulfill'd by mans strength he directs us to God to whose grace nothing is impossible and that rightly because 't is exceeding just the Creature should stand in neede of its Creators help Se Saint Augustine de Genesi ad literam lib. 8. cap. 12. Mâ—â—i autem adhaerere Deo bonum est c. It is good for me to stick close to God for neither is the Creature any such thing as that without his Maker he should be able of himselfe to doe any good thing But his chiefe good worke is to be converted to his Maker and by him continually to be made Just Godly Wise and Blessed c. As the Ayre light being present is not made a lucid Body like the Sun which gives light but onely becomes light because if it were made such it could not possibly be but that even in the absence of light it should continue lucid Even so man God being present with him is illightned but being absent is immediatly darkned from whom we depart not so much in distance of place as in forsaking him wilfully This is even like Gods owne a glorious power such as wrought in Christ when God raised him from the dead Eph. 1. 19 20. and 3. 20. Whence our Conversion is called a new birth a new creation the first Resurrection 1. For first the power to will that which is good is created in us againe as it was at the first 2. When this power is as it were in actu primo by that gift or Creation it is not brought forth in actum secundum by our selves alone using that power but by the helping and co-operating of the divine power here again as Bernard saith Conatus nostri nulli sunt nisi excitentur cassi sunt nisi adjuventur 3. Bee we never so willing The habits of faith or love are no more in our power than it is in the power of a blind man to give himselfe sight though he be most willing to see and say Lord that I may receive my sight or no more than it is in him that hath present within himself to will but to doe that which the law commandeth he findeth not Rom. 7. 18. except the Spirit help him Rom. 8. 3. So that after we are willing and ready to receive the mighty power of God worketh and giveth that which we desire For our prayers implythree things First That we want something and feele our want Second That we cannot help our selves to supply our want but therefore goe to another Third That he alone to whom we goe as supplyants we confesse to be able and ready to help us and therefore we goe to him This is that which Saint Paul teacheth Phil. 2. 13. exhorting them that received and obeyed the Gospel to worke out their Salvation having received the power to worke yet because they might feare their owne weaknesse and infirmity even in using the