up in them all this Comfort is lost in the contrary Doctrine CHAP. IV. Of the Second Property of the Divine Decree it is Unchangeable THE Second Property of the Divine Decree is it is Unchangeable Hence 't is compared to a Mountain of Brats Zech. 6.1 and 't is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Immutability of his Counsel Heb. 6.17 This is made Evident by sundry Reasons As Reason 1. The Divine Decree hath an Unchangeable Fountain to wit the Unchangeableness of God Job 23.13 He is in one mind and who can turn him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehi beachad Et ipse in uno He desires and he doth it there is no Created Being can interpose 'twixt the Desire and the Doing to hinder their Meeting together Numb 23.19 God is not a Man that he should lye or the Son of Man that he should repent Mal. 3.6 I am God I change not Jam. 1.17 No shadow of changing in him The Counsel of the Lord shall stand and the Thought of his Heart to a Thousand Generations Psal 33.11 Many Devices are in the Hearts of Men but the Counsel of the Lord shall stand Prov. 19.21 Man is a poor changeable Creature and changes his Mind oftner than his Garment both from the Darkness of his Understanding and Perversness of his Will he sees something that he saw not before but there is no such Imperfection in God All things are maked before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissected or with their Faces upward Heb. 4.13 He knows quasi uno intuitu all his Works their Natures and Circumstances as perfectly in the Beginning of the World as he will do at the End of it and he abides still in one Mind when his Dispensations are changed for he decreed the Change of them from all Eternity Reason 2. It stands upon an Unchangeable Foundation to wit that Rock of Ages Jesus Christ the same Yesterday to Day and for Ever Heb. 13.8 As the first Adam was the Foundation stone in the Decree of Creation so the Second Adam was the Foundation stone in the Decree of Election God hath blessed us in him Eph. 1.3 and we shall be blessed he hath chosen us in him v. 4. pardon'd us in him v. 7. feal'd us in him v. 13. built us in up him Col. 2.7 and compleated us in him v. 10. according to his Purpose and Grace which was given us IN Christ Jesus before the World began 2 Tim. 1.9 All those Acts of Grace are said to be In Christ and Christ himself was under Divine Ordination 1 Pet. 1.20 and is called the Elect Stone 1 Pet. 2.4 Christ is the first Person Elected Isa 42.1 Mat. 12.18 Behold my Servant whom I have chosen as Adam was the first Person created Christ was chosen as the Head and we as his Members therefore are we said to be given to Christ John 17.2 Now so long as this Foundation standeth sure so long doth the Superstructure remain unchangeable the Temple stood firmly upon those Two Pillars Jachin and Boaz i. e. Stability and Strength so the Decree of Election standeth sure upon Christ the Foundation and none can pluck an Elect Soul from off this Foundation None can pluck any of His out of his Hands John 10.28 Christ will lose none that are given to him John 6.39 Reason 3. 'T is Unchangeable because it is a Decree written in Heaven and so above the Reach of either Angry Men or Enraged Devils to cancel God knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 the Assembly of the First-born written in Heaven Heb. 12.23 Thence is it called the Lamb's Book of Life which contains a Catalogue of the Elect determined by the Unalterable Counsel of God which Number hath a fulfilling Time Rev. 6.11 and can neither be increased nor diminished This is to be rejoiced in above Dominion over Devils Luke 10.20 which if our Names may be written in Heaven to Day and blotted out to Morrow would be no such Ground of Joy If the Decrees of the Medes and Persians which were but Writings on Earth were unalterable Dan. 6.8 how much more the Decrees of the great God written in Heaven must be Unchangeable Must Pilate say Quod scripsi scripsi that is my Writing shall not be altered and shall not God say so much more I know saith Solomon that what God doth it shall be for ever Eccles 3.14 Nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it his Counsel shall stand Prov. 19.21 and the Sun may sooner be stop'd in his Course than God hindered of his Work or in his Will Nature Angels Devils Men may all be resisted and so miss of their Design not so God for who hath resisted his Will All those Chariots of Humane Occurrences and Dispensations come forth from between those Mountains of Brass the Unalterable Decrees of God Zech. 6.1 And should it be granted that one Soul may be blotted out of this Book of Life this Writing in Heaven then is it possible that all may be so and by consequence it may be supposed that that Book may become Empty and Useless as waste Paper and that Christ may be an Head without a Body Reason 4. 'T is Unchangeable for the Decree concerning the End includes the Means to that End and binds them all together with an Irrefragable Chain which can never be broken Rom. 8.30 Therefore the Purpose of God concerning Election must stand Rom. 9.11 God doth not decree the End without the Means nor the Means without the End but both together As a Purpose for Building includes the Hewing of Stone and Squaring of Timber and all other Materials for Building-work And as a Decree for War implies Arms Horses Ammunition and all Warlike Provisions So here all that are Elected to Salvation are Elected to Sanctification too God ordains to the Means as well as to the End Aâ—ts 13.48 As many as were ordained unto Life believed God hath before ordained that we should walk in Good Works Eph. 2.10 We are Elected unto Obedience through the Sanctification of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.2,4 and unto Faith Tit. 1.1 and God hath appointed Theological Vertue to be the Way to Glory 2 Pet. 1.3 therefore God hath promised to sanctifie whom he hath purposed to save We teach with Augustine that Election is Preaeparatio et Gratiaeet Gloriae 't is an Ordaining to Grace as well as to Glory and if Grace and Glory meet not both together aut vinceretur aut falleretur Deus either God must be conquered or deceived In Predestination therefore the Means of Salvation are no less absolutely decreed then Salvation it self We may not conceive that God's Decree runs after this Form I will predestinate Peter to Salvation if it should happen so that he doth believe and persevere But rather thus I do predestinate Peter to Salvation which that he may infallibly obtain I will give him both Faith and Perseverance otherwise God's Decree would not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the
Son redeemed all and the Father elected but few is to give greater Honour to the Second Person than to the first and to make an Inequality in their Operations the Second Scripture is John 17.9,10 All thine are mine and all mine are thine c. They were the Father 's by Election before they be the Son 's by Redemption Thine they were and thou gavest them me v. 6 8. Christ redeems only those whom God gave him to redeem Hence God's Book of Life wherein the Number of the Elect is recorded is call'd also the Lamb's Book of Life to intimate that the Number of those Elected by the Father is commensurate with those redeemed by the Son And that Christ redeems no more but whom the Spirit sanctifies appears likewise from 1 John 5.6,7 there must be Water to sanctifie where there is Blood to redeem Christ's Oblation is not of a larger Extent than the Spirit 's Operation Thus it is made apparent that all the Three Persons in the Trinity have all one Object and Design of Love the Son's design for Redemption hath not a greater Latitude then the Father 's for Election and the Spirit 's for Sanctification all equal in Essence Honour and Operation Argument 2. The Benefits of Christ's Death and Resurrection are of equal Extent in their Objects but the Benefit of Christ's Resurrection is not extended to all Ergo Nor the Benefit of his Death The Assumption to wit that the Benefit of Christ's Resurrection is not extended to all and every one alike but is peculiar to Believers is acknowledg'd by the Arminians The Proposition therefore is only to be proved That the Benefits of both the Death and Resurrection of Christ are of equal Extent in their Objects is evident from Rom. 8.34 if we partake of Christ's Death we must of his Resurrection too Rom. 6 5. they are both put together and a rather added to the latter Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect for whom Christ died Who can condemn those for whom Christ was rais'd There is an equal Extent both of the one and of the other Those whom Christ died and rose again for cannot be condemned but this cannot be said of all for the Wrath of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abides on many John 3 last and from Rom. 4. last He dyed for our sins and was raised again for our justification They are both so joyn'd together that they cannot be severed either in Act Object or Effecr for no Man is made Partaker of the Death of Christ but by his Resurrection 2 Cor. 5.14 1 Cor. 15.17 Those that have the Fruit of the Battel in this have the fruit of the Victory too which cannot be all for the Wrath of God abides on some which the Death of Christ never took away from them Christ did not dye for some Men for whom he did not overcome Death Argument 3. The Benefits of Christ's Death and Intercession are of equal Extent in their Objects but the Benefit of Christ's Intercession is not to all Ergo. The Assumption is express Scripture John 17.9 his Intercession is only for those that the Father hath given him not for the World and Reason confirms it for if Christ interceded for Judas Pilate c. then had he a Repulse and was not always heard of the Father contrary to John 11.42 The Proposition is true for Christ is an High Priest and the two parts of his Sacerdotal Office to wit Oblation and Presentation cannot be separated one from another and they have a part in the Latter that have a part in the Former for Presentation doth necessarily imply the Oblation and gives a perpetual Force and Vigor to it in the sight of God Heb. 9.12 It is not enough to prepare the Price of Redemption but it must be presented also to the Father Heb. 9.24 Yea * Disput Publ. 14. Thes 14. Arminius himself grants that Presentation is a part of the Oblation Christ must be an Intercessor for those to whom he is a Reconciler and his Intercession in Heaven is not a Vocal Praying but a personal Presenting of himself and his five Wounds to the Father in the behalf of those whom he personated on the Cross as the High Priest of Israel in slaying the Sacrifice put not the Sins of the Gentiles upon the Head of the Beast but the Sins of Israel only and in his going into the Sanctum Sanctorum he did not represent the Gentiles to God but the Twelve Tribes of Israel written upon his Breast-plate Thus Christ is only a Priest to satisfie both in his Oblation and Presentation for 〈◊〉 only to whom he is a Prophet to teach and a King to rule otherwise we shall make an Inequality in his Offices as well as in the Persons of the Trinity We cannot say there be some Men for whom Christ offered himself upon Earth but doth not offer himself for them in Heaven this is to make Christ but an half Priest to some and so is not a faithful High-Priest contrary to sundry Scriptures Isa 53. 11,12 1 John 2.1,2 Heb. 9.11,12 10.19,20,21 Argument 4. Those for whom Christ dyed have Christ for their Surety but all have not Christ for a Surety Ergo. He dyed not for all The Proposition is evident for every Sinner must dye for eating forbidden fruit either in himself or in his Sponsor and Surety the Wages of Sin is Death Herein consists the Suretiship of Christ that he dyeth for us 2 Sam. 18.33 Rom. 5.7 9.3 the very Phrase of dying for one demonstrates it The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thacath vice loco in the place and stead So the Septuagint Syriack Version and Chaldee Paraphrase reads David's Desire I would I had dyed in thy stead and thou remain'd alive otherwise Christ's Death had not been a counter Ransom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 1◠45. Mat. 20.28 which the Syriack reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vice multorium Thus Christ is made a Curse for us i. e. in our stead The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Testament are frequently used in this Sense Thus Judah was Surety for Benjamin's Sasety Gen. 44.32 and Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surety of the New Covenant Heb. 7.22 taking upon him our Sins in his Death Isa 53.5,6,7 1 Pet. 2.24 and was made Sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 which intimates a Commutation of Persons the one being accepted in the room of another The Assumption is as plain for were he a Surety for all then had he satisfied for all in becoming Sin and bearing the Curse and Wrath of God in their stead This is not done for all For 1. God will require of some the utmost Farthing Mat. 5.26 unless his Satisfaction was rejected as insufficient 2. Many were in Hell at that time when Christ dyed actually tormented 3. Christ knows not Workers of Iniquity Mat. 7.23 so as he knows his Sheep to