beleeve Paul had a righteousness of his own Phil. 3.9 thought he was alive Rom. 7.9 him Christ came to call though in his conceited righteousness because he was elected but before he obtained mercy to beleeve he is made sensible both of the dung and unrighteousness of his own righteousness Phil. 3.7 8. and also of his sin Rom. 7.9 The second Reason is taken from the Ends that this Preparatory Work serves unto Reason 2. First To convince of sin The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 For God hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy up n ali Rom. 3.19 Secondly To justifie the Law i. e. the Curse The Law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good Rom. 7.12 the Precept holy the Promise good the Curse just Man must acknowledg himself a lawful captive before God will deliver him Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive be delivered Isai 49.24 Before God will justifie man according to the Promise man must justifie God had he proceeded with him according to the Curse We must condemn our selves before God will pardon us Even in this respect God will make his Law honourable Thirdly To teach the Soul the nothingness of all it is and hath without Jesus Christ You see your calling Brethren c. 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence and that not only after they were called but also in the manner of their calling God calleth them that are not Rom. 4.17 Christ is sent to bind up the broken hearted Isai 61.1 His people know him to be the Lord by the manner of his bringing them out of their graves Vt sentiant suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cal. in Dan. 4.35 37. Nostrum esse nihil alâ—ud est quam subsistere in Deo sumus aliqi id in Dâ—o in nobis auteÌ„ nihil idâ—m ibid. Ezek. 37.13 As God in the Creation brought the creature by his Fiat i.e. Let there be Gen. 1. from its term nothing unto its being So in Vocation by his word Vive I said unto thee Live Ezek. 16.6 He bringeth it from its term of a spiritual nothing unto its spiritual being Which in time past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2.10 1 Cor. 13.2 'T is one of the Attributes of God that those that walk in pride he is able to abase I an 4.37 Job 40.11 14. Fourthly To teach the Soul how to esteem of and magnifie the free mercy of God in Christ Rom. 11.32 For God lath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy up n all See Ez k. 16. ult Isai 30.18 Here God getteth unto himself a Name Rom. 4.17 the Quickner of the dead the Caller of those that are not as if they were the Justifier of the ungodly Hence also the people of God receive their name Isai 62.12 And thou shalt be called Sought out A City not forsaken that they might be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Hosea 2.1 Say to your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah The third Reason is taken from the season of preparatory Work Reason 3. The fittest season to affect the heart with the sensibleness of sin is between the rest of the Soul in sin and the infusion of faith God works upon man not according to his absolute Power but according to the nature of the subject and fitness of the second cause The fittest time to affect the heart of man with fear is whilest he looketh at the danger as in being not when he looketh at the danger as over If Joseph intend to be an object of fear unto his Brethren he acts this part whilest they look at him as a Judg before he revealeth himself to be a Brother The time between the rest of the Soul in sin and the grace of faith is not only the fittest but the only season to affect the Soul with the spirit of bondage The Soul cannot be affected with the spirit of fear whilest it is at ease in sin to be in fear and not to be in fear in the same respect is a contradiction Neither can the spirit of bondage be in a Beleever Ye have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again Rom. 8.15 This fear is the work of the Spirit of God in the working whereof the Spirit doth two things 1. It threatens the Soul with the Curse as justly due to and impending over it in that estate 2. It causeth the Soul to fear this wrath Now the Spirit cannot cause this fear in a Beleever to whom there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 for in so doing he should affirm and cause the Soul to beleeve and to be affected with an untruth which vvere blasphemy to think besides the spirit of servile fear and the spirit of Adoption are opposite either then there is no spirit of bondage or it is betvveen the rest of the Soul in sin and faith in Christ Jesus Obj. Fear of eternal Wrath may be caused by the Spirit in a Beleever Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Ans 'T is a threatening of them in respect of their Way not in respect of their Estate 2. 'T is a filial fear not a servile that the Spirit works hereby The fear of punishment for sin is so a means to awe them from sin as they yet fear sin more then the punishment for sin The last Head of Argument Examples is taken from Experiences of the Saints who being asked will bear witness unto this truth The Parable of the Prodigals return unto his Fathers house Senior filius Typum gerit PharisaeoruÌ„ ScribaruÌ„ quemadmodum junior Types est publicanoruÌ„ peccatorum in genere omnium qui ad Christum consugiunt Aret. in loc is propounded as a pattern of a sinners being brought home unto Christ Jesus In him we may see the conscience of sin Thâ—neâ—ar sea mighty famine in that Land ver 14. The sence of this perishing condition under sin And I perish with hunger ver 17. The experience of his lost estate He fain would have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat And no man gave unto him ver 16. This my Son was lest ver 32. His sight of his need of Christ and seeking after him And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants in my Fathers house have bread enough and to spare I will arise and go to my Father c. ver 17 18. Hereunto may be added many instances recorded in the Scripture Matthew the Publican before he was effectually called was sick of sin as may be well gathered from Mat. 9. ver 9.12 13. Zacheus confesseth his sin Luke 19.8 felt himself lost
things to his glory and honour Mercy runneth down from God and begets peace of Conscience for peace of Conscience is nothing else but a solid taste of Gods mercy and peace of Conscience begets love by which we clasp about God again for love is nothing else but a reverberation or beating back of Gods beam upon himself or a return of duty in the sense of mercy * So in the Angels Song Luke 2.19 Glory peace and good-will All comes from good-wil that 's the first cause as God-glory 's the last end Under the Law the first and the tenth were the Lords the beginning and ending are his so that God is at the beginning and ending and either way is the utmost boundary of the Soul all things are from him and to him Secondly 1. Mercy Let me handle them particularly and apart and first Mercy which is the rise and cause of all the good we have from God The Lord would dispense blessings in such a way as might beat down despair and carnal confidence Man hath need of mercy but deserveth none Despair would keep us from God and carnal confidence robbeth him of his glory therefore as the Lord would not have flesh to glory so neither to be cut off from all hope Mercy salveth both we need not fly the sight of God there is mercy with him why he should be feared Psal 130.7 False worships are supported by terror but God that hath the best title to the heart will gain it by love and offers of mercy And we have no reason to ascribe any thing to our selves since Mercy doth all in the Court of Heaven and not Justice If you reckon upon a debt you are sure to miss 'T is a part of Gods Supremacy that all his blessings should come as a gift that he should act freely and entertain us as a King not as an Host Merit The event sheweth that Ioah should dye according as David had given order to Solomon 1 King 2.5 yet is this order of Davids no cause of that Treason for the commission of which Solomon justly brings down his hoary head to the grave with blood In like manner David had given a command to Solomon concerning the death of Shimei yet Solomon proceeds not to execution until Shimei by a presumptious violation of his confinement whereof Davids command was no cause had given Solomon cause to put him to death according to his appointment 1 King 2.18.40 Lastly God delighteth not in the death of a sinner So he testifieth of himself once and again Propos 5. and to this testimony subscribeth his Name For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth sayth the Lord God Ezek. 18.23.32 yea to put it out of all controversie and to cleer himself fully in the hearts of all Elect and Reprobate both men and Angels he confirmeth this testimony with an Oath and giveth charge that it be made known to the House of Israel Say unto them As I live sayth the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O House of Israel Ezek. 33.11 But it may be sayd The Scripture seemeth to speak otherwise elsewhere I also will laugh at your calamity Pisc obs in Ezek. 18. I will mock when your fear commeth Prov. 1.26 27. Answ Death is considered either as it is the destruction of the creature or as it is the execution of justice God delighteth in it as it is the declaration of justice but not as it is the destruction of the cteature of which more afterwards The sum of the Answer to this Objection is God being an absolute Lord having freely enabled man with power whereby he might have lived for ever and not have Sinned His Decree being only the Antecedent not the cause Man an Antecedent and the cause of Sin Sin the only deserving cause of punishment and lastly God not delighting in the death no not of Sinful man most unjustly and unthankfully do the non-elected complaine of God Because besides that power given them whereby they might have been happy He was not pleased over and above to bestow upon them that absolute-special grace which yet he was pleased to do unto his Elect whence they could not make themselves miserable and whereby he would make them happy The doctrine of the absoluteness Obj. 5. and necessity or infallibility of the Decree takes away the liberty of the second cause For answer to this Objection Ans consider these three particulars 1. Wherein the nature of Liberty doth consist 2. Partic. 1. That the same act in a diverse sence is both Evitable and inevitable 3. That necessity and liberty consi strogether The liberty of the second cause doth not consist in a power of indifferency to act or not to act independent of and not subordinate unto the Decree The second cause however it acts is subordinate to the first cause for notwithstanding the will is a free agent yet it is a second cause therefore must needs be an effect in respect of the first cause and consequently subordinate thereunto The will of man is a free agent but so as it is a second free agent not a first free agent The will is a free principle but yet it is a second not a first principle The will is its own free mover yet not its first mover 'T is true the will is the cause of its own acting yet so as it is also true that it is not the first but the second cause of its acting It is sufficient unto the being of humane liberty In creaturis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spontaneū in solo Creatore est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spontaneū et independens Pareus in Gen. 45.8 that man acts without all constraint deliberately and according to the proper free-motion of his own will So far is the Decree which is an immanent act or the determination of the second cause in its working by the first which is a transient act from being a prejudice unto liberty that the second cause can neither be free nor act freely without both It is truth that the subordinate free-agent the thing being yet to do may either do or not do the same act Albeit which of the two he will freely incline unto is infallibly fore-decreed For example Thomas not yet being come into the house 't is a truth 1. That he may either come or not come into the house which he pleaseth 2. 'T is not a truth That he can both actually come and not into the house 3. T is a truth he will do that of these two freely which God hath decreed absolutely The same action in a divers sence is both evitable Partic. 2. and inevitable Evitable in a divided sence i. e. in respect of mans liberty Inevitable in a compounded sence i. e. in
Vide Epist ad Ctesiphontem advers Pelagium Item Dialog adv pelag librum primum Hiero Epist To. 2. as the wind is unto a vessel under sail and ready upon the motion of the stream to lanch forth as light is to an open eye yet in the dark The Necessity of the concurrence of the first cause with the second in the operations thereof appears thus All creatures depend upon God in respect of their Being Conservation and Operation For in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17.28 We have our being there is our dependance in respect of our Creation we live there is our dependance in respect of our Conservation we move there is our dependance in respect of our Operation Creatures depend no less upon God in respect of operations then in respect of their beings because the operations of things in both instants viz. both of being and of operation are equally beings of participation 2. From the perfection of the first Cause such is the nature of the first Cause being God and the nature of the second cause being a creature as that thence necessarily followeth the amplitude of Perfection in the first Cause and a universal and subordinate dependance in the second cause in respect of its efficiency In this regard Plato called the second causes the instruments of the first Cause which though in some respect it holdeth not Rhetorf Ex. 3. c. 2. de effi grat because instruments properly so called have no proper efficiency yet so far it is a truth as that every creature universally dependeth more upon God then any creature upon its fellow-creature 3. It implyeth a contradiction Omnia pendent a Deo essentialiter immediatè intrinsicè absolutè aeque ac aequalitèr that the creature should be able to act without dependancy upon the Creator 1. Because the agent being a creature is depending therefore its power to act is depending the power of acting holds proportion with the agent 2. Because the action proceeding from this agent is a being by participation it is impossible for the creature to have other then a depending being 4. As the conserving influence of God is unto the conservation of the creature so is the assisting influence of God unto the operation of the creature If God doth but meerly cease his conserving influence the creature ceaseth to be if God ceaseth his assisting influence the creature ceaseth to act The insensible cessation of the influence of the first Cause without any further violence or hurt done puts a period to the being or stoppeth the operation of the second cause respectively In the Concurse of the first Cause Of the manner of the concurrence of the first Cause with the second 1. Foregoing the influence or concurence thereof 1. Foregoeth the operation of the second cause in order though it be together with it in time The concurring influence of the Creator is the action of the first Cause the operation of the creature following thereupon is the action of the second cause and an effect of that concurring influence Now such an operation of the second cause must needs follow the concurrence of the first because of the order of Causes the first is before the second Of the dignity of the first Cause the first is more worthy then the second Of the dependance of the second cause the second cause depends on the first Of the essential subordination of the second Cause that which is essentially i. e. by absolute necessity of Nature subordained is consequent to that whereto it is subordained And lastly it is manifest in the operation of the creature as an effect thereof the concurring influence of the Creator is the first Cause the effect is after the cause 2. 2. Co-working It is by way of Co-operation or co-working with the second cause in this co-operation Concurse as was now intimated is the action of the first Cause the operation is the action of the second cause from both conjoyned proceedeth the effect Though the effect wrought by means of the operation of the second cause and the operation by means whereof the effect is wrought are both the effects of the first Cause yet in the producing of such effects as are wrought by means of the creature as the second cause cannot produce such an effect without the first Cause so the first Cause will not produce such effects-without the second cause the conjunction of the operation of the first Cause with the second in bringing forth such effects is the co-operation here spoken of In this Co-operation of the first Cause with the second necessary it is that the co-operation of the second cause with the first which necessarily followeth thereupon is absolutely subordinate not co-ordinate with the first Cause A co-ordinate Cause worketh of it self not depending upon its co-working cause or causes A subordinate cause is that which dependeth upon its superior Cause in respect of its working as the Officer upon the Magistrate An absolute subordinate Cause is that which dependeth absolutely upon its superior Cause in respect of its working so all second causes depend upon the first Cause The concurrence of the first Cause with the second 3. Immediate is immediate both in respect of the immediation of its virtue and the immediation of his presence When we say the first Cause concurreth immediately with the second the meaning is that in the co-operation thereof it so works with and upon the second cause as it intimately reacheth it and so as nothing is interposed as it is with two things that touch one another between which there is nothing Immediateness of presence is when things so act one upon another as that the beings or substances of the things are present with one another and touch one the other So fire burning the stubble doth immediately touch it not only with the immediation of its virtue but also with the immediation of its present substance Immediateness of virtue is when notwithstanding the things that act one upon another touch not one another in respect of their beings yet the virtue of the one reacheth and as it were toucheth the other otherwise there could be no working of one thing upon another all acting being by contact i. e. mutual touching either really and virtually or virtually though not really So the fire that warmeth though it reacheth not him that sitteth by it with its substance for then it would burn him Deus agit indistanter Deus corporeus non est sed incorporeus Et ubique diffusus omnia penetrans ad omnē effectum non mod immediatione virtutis sed immediati ne suppositi pertingens Twi Cr. 3. l. 2. yet it reacheth him with its virtue otherwise it could not warm him Now though it be many times a truth concerning the working of second causes one upon another that they work immediately in respect of their virtue but not in respect of the presence of their
beings themselves as appeared but now from the instance of fire and may further be seen in the example of the Sun which whilest experience witnesseth to warm and heat us upon Earth with the presence of its virtue yet Sense and Reason shews to be far absent in respect of its body being in the Heavens Yet such is the nature of the first Cause as that wheresoever it worketh it worketh immediately both with the immediation of his virtue without which there could be no effect and with the immediation of his presence because he is in every place Although the first Cause worketh immediately in respect of the immediation of its being and virtue yet in respect of those things which it acts by means of second causes whether by the mediation of the beings themselves Ames Med. lib. 1. cap. 9. or of their virtues into which things the second agents do send their influence by virtue of their proper forms I say in respect of such things it worketh mediately whence the first Cause is said to be a mediate cause in respect of the order of the second causes Vna estactio I ei creaturae respectu operis sed non respectu modi agendi 4. Determining For though as the beings so the operations of the second causes are from the first Cause efficiently yet they are from their next causes formally God causeth the burning of the fire yet we do not say God burneth but the fire burneth God worketh repentance in the Soul yet it is not a truth to say God repenteth but man repenteth God is the next efficient Cause but not the next formal Cause 4. The first Cause so concurreth as it determineth the second cause in its operation This is readily granted in natural agents in free-rational agents it is proved thus If the futurition of the operation of the second cause is determined by the Decree of God then the operation it self is determined by the Efficiency of God 1. Because the Efficiency is adequate to the Decree 2. Because there can be but one absolute Determiner 3. If the operation of the second cause were not absolutely determined by the Decree God might suffer disappointment in respect of the Decree Either the Will is determined by God in its operation or else it would follow either that there were not an essential subordination of the second cause unto the first that is of man to God which were repugnant to the nature of the second cause it being imperfect and dependent or that the first Cause were subordinate to the second which were repugnant to the nature of the first Cause being perfect and universal If as often as the Will doth not will it therefore doth not will because God hath not determined that it should will then as often as it willeth any thing it therefore willeth because God hath determined that it should will But as often as the Will doth not will it therefore doth not will because God hath not determined that it should will Therefore the Minor appeareth in two particulars 1. As often as the Will doth not will God hath not determined it to will 2. The Non-determination or Suspension of the Determination of God is the Antecedanious Cause in respect of God this cause cannot be positive A positive cause cannot be terminated in a Non-ens such as mans Non-volition i. e. Not-willing is it must therefore be suspensive The meer Suspension or withholding of the Influence of God without any positive action sufficeth to the annihilation of the creature that is Twiss lib. 2. crim 3. therefore the Suspension of the Determination of God sufficeth to the preventing of that operation of the creature which yet is not Obj. 1. If All-efficiency be from the first cause Against the All-Efficiency of God then the second cause hath no efficiency it doth nothing neither good nor evil man neither sinneth nor obeyeth no difference between good and evil the high way to confusion Thus the Libertines Ans Causes are either co-ordinate namely such as in respect of their Efficiency depend not upon their co-working cause or subordinate namely such as in respect of their efficiency depend upon their co-working cause In co-ordinate causes the Argument holds but second causes in respect of the first being subordinate and therefore as in their being so also in their working depending upon the first cause the Argument is of no force To deny the Efficiency of the second cause Tho. Part. 1. q. 105. art 5. Calvin contra libert c. 13 14 15 16 Suarez Metaph Tem. 1. disp 17. S. 1. is to deny that which experience proclaimeth namely That the Sun shineth or the fire burneth The denyal of the proper and formal efficiency or working of the second cause is repugnant to the whole Order of Nature Things that have not life it depriveth of their first qualities which are nothing else but active principles as power to heat in the fire power to cool in the water It disinables us from collecting effects from second causes or second causes from effects because it denyeth all such causes and effects It makes void all those dispositions in several creatures that tend to action Vain is the disposition in fire to ascend or in the earth to descend if there be no motion of ascent nor descent by them It takes away all perfection from those creatures as also from all other which consists in action Lastly If action be only the first cause in the presence of such a creature and not by the second cause we can no better conclude that the fire is hot from its burning nor that the water is cold from its coolness then we can conclude that the fire is cold or that the water is hot from such operations of heat and cold The reason is the first cause can as well make hot in the presence of water or make cold in the presence of fire as the contrary It takes away all difference between things that have life and things that have no life that which takes away action takes away life Take away action from the second cause and you take away the vegetative soul and its operations from living creatures You take away the sensitive soul and its operations from the sensitive creature The reasonable soul and its operations from the reasonable creature There is no difference to be found between reasonable creatures and sensible creatures between reasonable sensible and those creatures which are vegetative only having life Between reasonable sensible and vegetative and those that are lifeless in respect of their formal and most noble difference which is a principle of action with the operations thereupon ensuing There remains indeed a difference between them in respect of their outward shape but not in regard of the respect fore-mentioned It takes away the distinction between good and evil actions for that which denyeth actions simply denyeth all kind of actions whether good or evil therefore man in all
which is of God Phil. 3.9 Because God is the Author of it it is opposite to our righteousness namely that whereof we are the workers or the subjects Phil. 3.9 and to the righteousness of the Law Rom. 10.5 namely that which is prescribed in the Law and according unto which the Law justifieth 'T is God onely that was the Inventor of this Robe and Garment of Justification The meritorious cause is the whole legal obedience of Christ consisting of his habitual conformity The meritorious cause together with his active and passive obedience from the instant of his Incarnation unto his passion inclusively performed by him as God-man our Mediator and Surety in way of Covenant The application of Redemption whereof Justification is a part is due unto the Elect for Christs sake according to order of Justice by vertue of the promise made unto Christ Isa 53.10 Four things are to be attended in the meritorious cause First The Person Secondly The Office Thirdly The Service Fourthly The Merit whereupon debt ariseth according to order of Justice The obedience of Christ was meritorious not from the dignity of the Person onely as such but from the constitution of God who by his free promise made himself a Debtor of the application of salvation unto them for whom Christ satisfied Hereof see Chap. 10. Though the word Merit be not in the Scripture yet the sense of it is frequent Act. 20.28 which he hath purchased with his own blood which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession Eph. 1.14 For God hath not appointed us unto wrath Ad sensum meriti accedit vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Par. in Ro. 5. but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thess 5.9 i.e. Vnto the salvation purchased by our Lord Jesus Christ The word translated Purchased in the two former places is used in the third and is in effect with the Merit To this purpose the death of Christ is called a Ransome Matth. 20.28 Marc. 10.45 a Counterprice turned a Ransome 1 Tim. 2.6 A Redemption that is a restoring of a Captive by way of buying his freedom at a full price Luke 1.68 2.38 Heb. 9.12 Gal. 1.14 Heb 9.15 1 Cor. 1.30 A propitiation for sin or expiation for sin Rom. 3.25 Heb. 9.5 1 Joh. 2.2 Christs obedience merited Justification much more than Adams disobedience demerited condemnation Rom. 5.18 Had Adam stood he had merited life for himselfe much more Christ by vertue of the Promise whereby God hath freely indebted himselfe to give life according to the order of Justice Mediatorly satisfaction unto the Law for the Elect whereunto he was no debtor must be acknowledged to have merited Christ hath procured a right of remission of sins Christus nactus est jus remittendorum peccatorum sed non ojusmodi jus quo possint remitti sed quo remitti debent omnia illis pro quibus per mortem ejus satisfactum est alioquin injustus esset Deus qui non ageret cum Christo filio suo secundum exigentiam meritorum ejus Twiss de permiss l. 2. cr pag. 79. Vide etiam p. 84. 85. yea such a right whereby they not only may be remitted but whereby they ought to be remitted unto all those for whom he satisfied by his death otherwise God should be unjust who should not doe with his Son Christ according to the exigence of his Merits Christs merit is absolute in respect of its efficacy though the obedience could not have merited absolutely i. e. of it selfe without Gods acceptation The Material cause of our Justification The Material cause is the whole course of the active and passive obedience of Christ together with his habitual conformity unto the Law The righteousnesse of Christ is either essential Willet on Rom. 5. cont 25. wherewith he is righteous as he is God this is increated or Personal wherewith he is righteous as man though he had never been Mediator Willet Synops cent 4. err 57. for Christ being both God and Man must needs be a righteous Man this though created abideth with him and is not imputed unto any Or fide-jussory that is Mediatorly namely the righteousnesse of him as a Surety Et ejus obedientia nobis in justitiam imputatur Calv. 1 Cor. 1.30 Perk. on Gal. 2. v. 16 17. This is that which was in and performed by Christ as Mediator for the Elect and so remaines in him as its formal subject that it s made the Beleevers by imputation as really as if it had been wrought and performed by them Not the passive obedience of Christ alone but both the active and passive obedience of Christ is the Matter of our Justification The passive obedience of Christ were not obedience if it were not in some kinde active his Soul set it self an offering for sin Isa 53.10 He layed down his life according to the commandement received from his Father Joh. 10.18 He gave himselfe Tit. 2.14 Christ in suffering obeyed and in obeying suffered there cannot otherwise any sufficient reason be given of so long viz. for the space of neer thirty four years and so much active obedience it must be yeelded either to have been for himself or for us not for himself there was no use of it If for us what better reason can be given than this the active obedience after his suffering is of use for the demonstration and application of the good of Redemption and therein of Justification Rom. 5.25 if holinesse was requisite in Christ before his suffering that he might purchase our redemption Heb. 7.26 1 Pet. 19. and the actions of Christ after his suffering were of use for the application of Redemption Rom. 8.34 Heb. 7.25 1 Cor. 15.14 and therein of Justification in particular Rom. 5.25 How wel doth it agree that his active obedience both before and in his suffering should be looked at as done in obedience to the Law in our stead and consequently as matter of our Justification This two-fold righteousnesse answereth to our two-fold misery viz. of the guilt of sinue and the defect of righteousnesse Rom. 3.22 23. If the Justification of a sinner consisteth not only in the non-imputation of sinne but also in the imputation of righteousnesse then not only the passive but also the active obedience of Christ is required to our justification But the Justification of a sinner consisteth not only in the not-imputation of sinne but also in the imputation of righteousnesse it is not enough for us not to be unjust but we must also be just therefore not only the passive but the active obedience of Christ is requisite to our Justification That obedience which the Law requireth unto life Christ fully performed but the Law required active obedience unto life Levit. 18.5 Gal. 3.10 which if a man doe he shal live in them and in case of sinne hath required passive obedience for
God by one eternal-free-constant act What the Decree is absolutely determining the Futurition i. e. the infallible future being of whatsoever is besides himself unto the praise of his own Glory the cause and disposer of all things the Antecedent and disposer of all events It is God decreeing because whatsoever is in God is God Ratio actus pueri licèt per negationē a nobis explicitur formaliter consistit in positiva perfectione includente omnē perfectionē formaliter et eminenter quā sequitur talis negatio Smising tract 1. dis 2. n 32. Deus omnia simul et semel comprehendit ab illo aternitatis NVNC ex quo fuit Deus Less de perfect ◠4. c. 1. It is God Decreeing by one Act whatsoever God willeth he willeth by one single act hence God calleth himself I Am Exod. 3.14 to shew that he is without begining without end and without succession In him there is nothing past nothing to come but all is present Whatsoever he thinks he always hath thought and always doth and will think Whatsoever he willeth he always hath Willed and always doth and will Will. There can be no more a new thought a new intent or a new purpose in God then there can be a new God This is further evidenced from the Simplicity of God which is God considered as one meer and perfect Act without all composition Whence he might either not have been or may not be Of him it never could or can be said that any thing was to be in him which is not or cannot be that is A pure Act includes all perfection and removeth all imperfection It is an Eternal Act without beginning without end without all alteration or succession God comprehendeth all things and all events together and at once in the moment of Eternity Eternity is an everlasting NOW without beginning without end without succession all at once always It is a free act proceeding from God not as the Son from the Father nor as the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son by a necessity of nature but so as there is no necessary connexion between his absolut being and the being of the things that are Decreed God hath no need of the things decreed he might have been without them he had been blessed for ever though they had never been It is a constant act What God willeth he willeth always a meer and a pure act without any interruption or shadow of change By it God determineth absolutely because his Decree is the first and and universal cause it is one Act certain and independent all things and all events depending thereupon By it He determineth infallibly God being immutable infinitly wise and able to see all his will fulfilled By it He so fore-disposeth of all as serveth to the manifestation of his all-glorious perfections He made all things for himself Even the Wicked for the day of Evil Prov. 16.4 He is both Alpha and Omega the First and the Last Rev. 1.17 It is the cause and disposer of all things being the first and universal cause before all second causes which are the effects of it It is the Antecedent and disposer of all events consequently of sin The Decree is the antecedent not the cause of sin sin is the consequent not the effect of the Decree As the Decree is the antecedent so it is also the disposer of sin God is the Orderer of sin Acts 4.28 the disorder of the second cause falleth under the order of the first but he neither is nor can be the Author of sin Iam. 1.13 A Consequent Non paucos dissolvitnodos distinctio illa necessaria inter effectū et consequens Prideaux lect 1. de Absol decreto is an event infallibly following something foregoing not as an effect followeth its cause but rather as the night followeth the day of which the day foregoing is no cause according to order of divine institution Death is the Antecedent of the Resurrection but not the cause The Resurrection is the consequent but not the effect of Death The fall of the Jews was the Antecedent not the cause of the calling of the Gentiles The removing of the Romane Empire from the West was an Antecedent not a cause of the Revelation of Antichrist The calling of the Gentiles the Revelation of Antichrist were consequents not effects of these there Antecedents As the Sun had it the faculty of seeing could the whole Globe be presented at the same time halfe whereof only in regard of its figure is now in sight of it at once would with one look behold it all so God by one act comprehends all things and all events always The Decree is that everlasting womb wherein is conceived whatsoever hath been is or shall be Time and Eviternity that is the duration of the Creature upon Earth and in Heaven or Hell do but bring forth what is therein conceived according as it is conceived The Decree is all things in Gods purpose Creation and Providence are but the execution of the Decree the Decree containeth all things eminently The Decree is that one from which is all If the Prophet contemplating the Comprehensiveness of Gods Providence concerning the Waters and Heaven the dust of the Earth the Mountains and the Hills all which is but a little part of the execution of his Decree breaketh out thus Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted the Heaven with a span comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the Mountains in Scales and the Hills in a Ballance Isai 40.12 how much more cause have we to be wrapped up with holy admiration in contemplating the Decree it self which eminently containeth all and say who is this that doth not only measure the waters mete out the Heavens comprehend the dust weigh the mountains and hills but doth also exactly and infallibly comprehend and dispose of all things all events which have been are or shall be in this world or in the world to come yea and in Hell it self in one eternal act Whatsoever can be conceived besides God himself What the object of the Decree is falleth under one of these our conditions viz. of 1. Impossibility 2. Possibility 3. Futurition i. e. the infallible after-being of things 4. Existence Impossibility is when the nature of things is such as their very being implyeth a contradiction as for a thing to be and not to be at the same time of these as was said before it is more conveniently said that they cannot be then that God cannot do them Possibility is that condition of things wherein as their is no repugnancy in the nature of such things but that they may be so neither is their any determination by God that they shall be this is founded in the sufficiency of God as for the like things to be done in Tyre and Sidon that were done unto Corazin and Bethsaida was possible but not decreed Futurition
an efficient Cause now God is the cause of all Efficiency the evil cleaving to the action is a defect therefore hath no efficient Kâ—ck Log. lib. 1. sect 1. cap. 15. but a deficient Cause Now God cannot be a deficient Cause because he is the first and absolutely perfect Cause therefore cannot be the cause of a non-ens i. e. a nullity or or that which is defective To say God is the cause of sin is to deny God to be the first and absolutely perfect Cause The Rider that causeth the Horse to go is the cause of his going but not of his halting The ready Scribe that writes upon bad paper is the cause of the letter but not of the blot The Musician that playeth upon an Instrument out of tune is the cause of the sound but not of the untuneableness The heat of the Sun that attracts the secret virtues of the Earth is not the cause of the stink of the dunghil His similibus dictu bo minum Satanae mala opera adse â—ibuistur Deo non absâ—lute sed secundum quid in juantum per eadem occulta sua judicia perfecit Parcus in Apocal. cap. 17. The upper wheel of a Clock going well and turning about the lower wheel out of kilter is the cause of its going but not of its going amiss The child illegitimately begotten is the good creature of God its illegitimation is of its parents Notwithstanding God is no way the Author of the evil of the action yet God ascribeth unto himself the doing of these actions that are sinful 1. Because he is the Author of the act wholly 2. Because he is the fore-determiner Orderer and Governor of the sinfulness of the action to his own glorious and blessed End The action is ascribed to him absolutely the sin cleaving to the action not absolutely but only in such sort and respects That Proposition of Aquinas viz. that the act of sin is of God Twisse Cr. 3. l. 2. is by some conjectured probably to have been the occasion why the unlearned Libertines not distinguishing between the act and the defect did infer that God was the Author of sin Arg. 3. Shimei's cursing of David was a sin Exod. 22.28 God bade Shimei curse David 2 Sam. 16.10 therefore God is the Author of sin Answ The bidding in the text is not a bidding properly i. e. a moral Command obliging Shimei thereunto for God had expresly forbidden the thing that he did and the contrary thereunto was his duty but it is a bidding improperly i. e. a natural Command a part of the Decree a Command as some call it of Providence and intends no more then that God by denying the assistance of his grace and leaving Shimei to his own heart and temptations whereupon sin infallibly and inexcuseably followed did so order the cursing of Shimei as that he used his tongue as scourge to chasten David justly in the self-same action wherein he himself abused his tongue to revile David sinfully These Sophisms thus removed it may be also useful upon this occasion to confirm our hearts with some Arguments in the contrary truth namely that God is not the Author of sin From Scripture God makes a Law against the commission of sin Gen. 2.17 smiteth with a curse for sin in all Gen. 3.17 condemned sin in the flesh of his Son Rom. 8.3 gave Christ for the destroying of sin in all his Rom. 6.6 1 John 3.8 therefore God is not the Author of sin Lo this only have I found that God hath made man upright Eccles 7.29 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes â—â—us nemineÌ„ teniat tentatione ad peccatuÌ„ formaliter Twisse Cr. 3. and the pride of life is not of the Father 1 John 2.16 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man scil by inticing and moving him unto sin James 1.13 love God The children of God would be troubled if grace should fail though their priviledges should not be cut off you are sure of both For as grace is sure so are also the priviledges of grace This was figured under the Law an Israelite could never wholly alienate his inheritance and title to the Land Levit. 25.23 His title to the Land shall not be cut off nor sold for ever This was a type of our spiritual inheritance in Christ which cannot be alienated from us he might for a while pass it away but it was to return again so those that are made coheirs with Christ are never dis-inherited 'T is true we forfeit it by the merit of our actions but God doth not take the advantage of every offence 'T is true we lose the evidences that are in our keeping peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost but the estate it self is undefeasible and cannot be made away from us Sometimes we are under a kind of sequestration and there is a suspension of comfort and grace as the Israelite might make away his inheritance for a time but we shall recover possession again though not by our selves yet by our Goel our kinsman or him that is next of blood As under the Law if a person were not able to redeem the inheritance the kinsman was to redeem it so Jesus Christ our kinsman after the flesh he is our Goel he interposeth by his merit and reconcileth us to God Well then You see grace is kept and the priviledges of grace are kept in Christ But now because comforts are never prized but in their season and men that have not been exercised in spiritual conflicts nauseate these sweet truths they know not what it is to be left to uncertainty when troubles come like waves one in the neck of another therefore let us see when this truth will be most sweet and seasonable 1. In great troubles when God seemeth to hide his face Oh how sweet is it to hear him say I will not forsake thee till I have perform d all that I promised thee Gen. 28.15 all this shall better thy heart and hasten thy glory In times of distress we are apt to think that God hath cast us off and will never look after us more though formerly we have had real experiences of his grace What a foolish creature is man to weaken his assurance when he should come to use it to unravel all his hope and experiences in times of trouble which is the only season to make use of them 2. In the hour of temptation and hard conflicts with doubts and corruptions when we are sensible of the power of sin and how difficult it is to remove it out of the heart we are apt to say as David after all his experiences I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 and many times out of distrust give over the combate Oh then remember now you are preserved in Christ and
of the Proposition is good but both the antecedent and consequent of the Proposition being taken asunder are false sc either that Beleevers could live finally after the flesh or that Beleevers shall dye eternally The Decree being God himself decreeing Of the usefulness of the Doctrine of the Decree and the Cause of all things as it helps our understanding concerning God himself so is it exceeding useful for our better and fuller understanding of the creature and the whole mystery of Godliness As the knowledg of the Cause conduceth to the better knowing of the Effects Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas Other Consectaries for many might be drawn omitted Hence we learn 1. What is the first and universal Cause of all things 2. That the Will of God is one 3. The Absoluteness of the first Cause 4. That no effect nor event falleth out besides the intent and deliberate constant purpose of the first Cause 5. That God knoweth all things and seeth all things always 6. The Soveraignty of God i. e. That God's Will is the first Rule of all things 7. The perfect wise Administration of all things and all events 8. The nothingness of the creature 9. The Dependance of the creature upon the Will of God and especially in matters of grace 10. The Sanctifying of God in all our changes by the due acknowledgement of and quiet subjection to the all-decreeing and all-disposing Will of God 11. Matter of high thankfulness unto the Elect. 1. The Will of God is the Cause of all causes Consect 1. second causes are the effects of the first cause The will of man is an instrument disposed and determined unto its action according to the Decree of God The rod is not more subordinate unto the hand of the Smiter nor the staff to the hand of the Mover nor the Axe to the hand of the Hewer nor the Saw to him that shaketh it Isai 10.5.15 nor any other passive instrument to the hand of a free Agent then the will of man is unto the Decree of God It necessarily following from the perfection of the first cause That no creature can be so subordinate unto its fellow-creature as every creature is unto God As in the Genealogies of men descending from God there is no step in ascending from Son to Father until we come unto God the first and Universal Father in respect of whom all other fathers are sons So in the order of the creature descended also from the same God there is no stay unto the understanding in ascending from effect to cause until we are come unto God the first and universal Cause in respect of whom all other causes are effects 2. The Will of God is one and the same not divers Consect 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et ipse in uno He is in one mind Job 23.13 There can be but one will in God because there is but one God willing what is willed and that with one Act. This is further confirmed from the Simplicity of God the contrary would argue imperfection and change in God The Will of God in the Decree and the Will of God in the Command are the same not two divers or contrary Wills distinguished only as the Will of God in general whether secret or revealed and the Revelation of some part of that Will The Decree determineth what shall be done the Command sheweth not what shall be done but what is the duty of man to do or leave undone The Command of Judas to believe sheweth that it is the Will of God to make it Judas his duty to believe but not that it is the Will of God that he shall believe The Command that Pharaoh should let the people of Israel go sheweth that God hath willed it to be Pharaoh's duty to let the people of Israel go but not that God hath willed that Pharaoh should let the people of Israel go The Command that Abraham should offer Isaac sheweth That it was God's will to try Abraham concerning the offering of Isaac and that it was Abrahams duty to apply himself to offer Isaac but not that it was Gods will that Abraham should offer Isaac Gods Will is always fulfilled Aug. de praedest Sanct. l. 1. c. 16. he cannot fall short thereof The Jews in crucifying Christ brake the Command Acts 2.23 Him ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain yet fulfilled the Decree For of a truth against the Holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together Vnum fuit idem de eadem re Decritum voluntasque Dei aterna sed duabus constat partibus Zanch. de Natura Dei l. 3. c. 4. q. 10. for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done Acts 4.27 28. Shimei in doing what God had forbidden in the Command Exod. 22.28 doth what God had bidden in the Decree 2 Sam. 16.10 Those ten horns in giving their power to the Beast brake the word of the Command yet fulfilled the Decree Revel 17. It is from the same Will of God that Christ should be crucified by the Jews that it shall be the duty of the Jews not to crucifie Christ and by a Command to impose this duty on the Jews of not crucifying Christ The infallible ordering of the Being of sin for a better end and the forbidding of sin are not at all inconsisting one with the other but fall under the compass of the same one Volition of God 3. The Will of God is absolute Consect 3. Either the Will of God is absolute or conditioned not conditioned Thence it would follow That he were not the first and universal Cause nor immutable nor certain of future events and that all things did not depend upon him Though the application of the thing willed be conditioned yet the willing together with the execution of the application thereof is absolute Faith is the condition of salvation Whosoever believeth shall be saved Deus non potest excidere fine Rhetorf de gratia yet both faith and salvation by faith are willed absolutely The Will of God is irresistable There is no hindering of the execution thereof But he is in one mind and who can turn him what his soul desireth even that he doeth Job 23.13 But our God is in the Heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased Psal 115.3 The Lord of Hoasts hath sworn saying Surely as I have thought so shall it come to pass and as I have purp sed so shall it stand Isai 14.24 And he doth according to his will in the Army of Heaven Voluntas Dei neque potest mutari neque impediri Zanch. d◠Natura Dei l. 3. c. 4. q. 9. and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand Dan. 4.35 For who hath resisted his will Rom. 9.19 I know that thou canst do every thing
and that no thought of thine can be hindered So some read that Job 42.2 As God is free to will what he pleaseth and immutable without any change of his Will so he is Omnipotent to effect what he hath willed 4. No effect nor event falleth out besides the intent Consect 4. and deliberate constant purpose of the first Cause Obj. Time and Chance happeneth to them all Ans The Hebrew word translated Chance doth not signifie chance in that sence wherein we ordinarily take it viz. For an event that falleth out besides the intent of the first cause but an evil occurrent Like as the same word is used 2 King 5.4 and in that place so translated So that the meaning is I returned c. but time and evil occurrents that is disappointment in respect of their expectation and order of the second causes happeneth unto all As for the word Fortune in the sence of the Gentiles it is a Blasphemy which the Devil hath spit upon Divine Providence whence it repented Agustine that he had so often used that word 5. Consect 5. From the Doctrine of the Decree it clearly followeth not to mention here how the like truth shineth forth also in other Attributes of God that God knoweth all things and seeth all things always He knoweth all things because he knoweth his own Will in which are all things eminently We know things Analytically by ascending from the effect to the cause but God knoweth things Genetically and in their cause The increated Idea of things is God himself representing the Being thereof in his own mind Hence God seeth things in his own Will before he seeth them in themselves He hath the Idea of things in himself and receiveth it not from the things themselves With us the creature is the Sampler and our knowledge of it is the image thereof But in God the Divine Knowledge is the Sampler and the creature is the image thereof As God knoweth all things so he both seeth and mindeth all things always because he always actually knoweth his own mind being a perfect and constant Act. All things are always present with him as fresh in his mind throughout their whole duration whether of time or Eternity as in the first or any other instant of their Being What Peter speaks of day and a thousand years in inference unto God One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 may be also said of a moment and the whole duration either of time or of the Eviternity of the creature One moment with the Lord is as all duration of time and all duration as one moment 6. Consect 6. It is God's Prerogative to dispose of all things as he will God is that only absolute Potter having power to dispose of one vessel unto wrath and of another unto mercy to make vessels of honour and dishonour Rom. 9.21 22 23. He giveth Kingdoms to whomsoever he will Dan. 2.21 and 4.17 He divideth gifts to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 He hath mercy on whom he will Rom. 9.19 All is his and it is lawful for him to do with his own what he pleaseth Mat. 20.15 Gods pleasure is the supreme and satisfactory Reason of his Administrations Gods Will is mans Rule but Gods Rule is his own Will We have a Lord and are under Rule theresore owe an account Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship God is an absolute Lord having no Rule but his own Will therefore giveth not account of any of his matters Job 33.13 This Truth containing in it no less then the knowledg of God and of our selves evidently leading us to the acknowledgment of Gods allness and mans nothingness is often inculcated in the Scripture Know the Lord Jer. 31.34 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 God may do what he will why He is the Lord. Thou shalt do this thou shalt not do that as in the Decalogue why I am the Lord thy God I have legislative Power Exod. 20.2 This Attribute of his Lordship in which a great part of his Name consists God will have known in respect of spiritual things Exod. 33.19 Rom. 9.15 16 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth In respect of temporal things Job though he knew this truth in an high degree and sanctified God accordingly Job 1.21 22. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord yet God takes much pains to teach him and he suffered much pain to learn it better and which is much to be observed God taketh not his hand off from him until he had profited accordingly and confessed his folly in complaining of Gods dealing with him and desiring to dispute with God as unsatisfied concerning his proceedings with him against whom he was moved without a cause Compare Job 2.3 and 13.2 and 40.3 4 5. and 42.1 6. God abased Nebnchadnezzar that child of pride by teaching him this lesson though with seven years sharp discipline And they shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with b asts of the field they shall make thee to eat grass as Oxen and seven times shall pass over thee until thou know that the most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will Dan. 4.32 17 25 35. We do not know our selves till we acknowledg Gods absolute Right over us nor do we acknowledg the glory of Grace till we see his Will as the first Cause thereof nor do we acknowledg the glory of his Will until we acknowledg and acquiesce in his Will as the Rule of Righteousness the first supreme and satisfactory Reason of all things and all events Christ rests here Even so Father for so it seemeth good in thy sight Mat. 11.26 The Saints rest here For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11.36 7. Consect 7. The administration of all things and all events is ordered in perfect Wisdom Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own Will Ephes 1.11 Counsel is attributed unto God to shew that whatsoever he doth is done in perfect Judgment All even the least of the motions of the creature are ordered not by a counsel of men or a counsel of Angels but by the Counsel of God The rings of the wheels which signifie the changes of this life though they were high and dreadful yet were full of eyes Ezek. 1.18 The Counsel of God runneth throughout his Providence The Counsel of God is to be seen in the folly of man The disorder of the second Causes falleth under the order of the first The Decree disposeth both of the Means and the End the Execution thereof consisting in Creation and Providence is the only and best way to the best End It is an Attribute of the first Being
his ways dothneither good nor evil He doth no good therefore there is no Heaven because of a double incapacity First In respect of Nature he that neither understandeth willeth remembreth or is affected all those are action is uncapable of blessedness blessedness consisting in the vision and fruition of the chief good Secondly In respect of the way to Heaven namely obedience which man not being a subject of action is uncapable of without action there cannot be obedience and as he doth no good so neither doth he any evil therefore sinneth not therefore there ought to be no conscience of sin nor punishment for sin The Sum is from hence it followeth That man may do what he lists he neither sinneth nor obeyeth There is neither Heaven nor Hell without the actions of man there could be no obedience of man if there could not be the obedience of man there could not be the obedience of Christ who is God-man if there could be no obedience of Christ Christ could be no Saviour nay if there were no actions of man the very reasonable soul by just consequence supposing action it would infer that there were no man and consequently no Christ Christ being both God and man See then and be astonished at that heap of transgression and confusion in this opinion that denyeth the Efficiency of the second cause It is against all experience against the whole order of the creature it takes away the vegetative sensible and rational souls with all other operations it takes away all difference between creatures in those respects it alloweth man and devils to do what they will it denyeth that there is either obedience or sin Heaven or hell Sic itaque administrat omni â— quae creavit ut etiam ipsa proprios exercere agere actus sinat Aug. de Civit. Dei cap. 30. Vna est actio Dei creaturaerespeclu operis non aâ—tem modi agendi Alsted Tom. 3. Metaph Pars 1. cap. 16. or that Christ is a Saviour yea upon point it denyeth that there is either man or Angel yea or Christ himself Confusion be upon that Tenet that brings all unto such confusion What more frequent in the Scripture then to ascribe Efficiency unto second causes For we are Labourers together with God 1 Cor. 3.9 So doth God administer all things which he hath created as that he also suffers them to exercise and act their proper Motions Obj. 2. Some operations of the second cause cannot be ascribed unto God as faith repentance we neither do nor may say God believeth or repenteth but man belieheth man repenteth Therefore God doth not work all things Ans Actions are done either efficiently or formally The Work of repentance is wrought by God efficiently 2 Tim. 2.25 by man formally 'T is God that worketh repentance not man 't is man that repents not God the very formal efficiency of the second cause in man is the effect of the first cause The formal efficiency of the second cause being the effect of and in all respects essentially depending upon the first cause is so far from denying of or detracting from the All-efficiency of the first cause as that it much commends and sets it forth The reason why works wrought by God efficiently are yet ascribed unto man are first because man God not for want of power but out of abundance of goodness being so far pleased to make use of him co-worketh with God therein Secondly Because man is the next formal efficient cause viz. in respect of the order of the ascent and descent of the causes Thirdly Because many operations of the second cause note imperfection as faith repentance c. Obj. 3. If the second cause be determined unto its operations by the concurse of the first cause then the second cause is not free Ans 1. The Will cannot be compelled to say That which is done willingly is done constrainedly is to affirm a contradiction namely that which is willing is unwilling God can determine the Will Sic itaque administrat omnia quae creavit ut etiam ipsa proprios exercere agere Motus sinat quamvis enim nihil esse possit sine ipso non tamen sunt ulla quod ipse Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 7. cap. 30. Pertingit autem a fine uno ad alterum fortitèr disponit omnia utilitèr vel suavitèr Sap. 8.1 and not prejudice the Nature of the Will because he is an infinite Cause God determineth the Will sutably and agreeably to its own Nature i. e. freely He so determineth the Will as the Will determineth it self God so determineth the Will as a first free Agent as that the Will determineth it self as a second free Agent The Efficiency of God offereth no violence nor changeth the nature of things but governeth them according to their own natures it reacheth from one end to another mightily and sweetly ordereth all things The external transient efficacious Motion of God upon the Will determineth the will with a real determination the Will so moved moveth it self with a real and formal determination The Will in the sence of Composition that is Voluntas codem instanti quo agit habuit potentiaÌ„ actum suum suspendendi in sensu diviso Twiss de permiss lib. 2. crim 3. considered as subordinate to the Decree and Efficiency of God cannot but act in the instant of the determining Motion The Will considered in the sence of division that is as in it self without its subordination to the Decree and Efficiency of God may act or not act in the instant of the determining Motion The Will placed under this determining Motion of God inclineth it self freely to the Act and to that only whereunto it would have inclined it self if upon a supposition of impossibility there were no Decree nor physical or hyperphysical Determination thereof by God Deus ita utitur voluntate ut ipsa voluntas sese electivè vitalitèr expractico rationis judicio agat Rhetorf de gratia excercit 3. cap. 3. Against the All-governing Providence of God If the Decree of God hindered not the liberty of the second cause as we saw before then the Efficiency of God hindereth not the Liberty of the second cause Gods Efficiency being nothing else but the Execution of the Decree If the Decree of God be so far from being a hinderance unto liberty as that liberty cannot be without it nay is the effect thereof as its first cause then the Efficiency of God being but the Execution of the Decree will also be found to be so far from being a prejudice unto liberty as that liberty cannot be without it nay is the effect thereof as its next cause Obj. The Disorder of the second cause is often such as seemeth not to consist with the All-governing Providence of God Divine Government would not order things so disorderly Ans Order is two-fold either the Order of the Decree or the Order of the Command the whole
it doth not determine but is determined by the second cause thus Bellarmine So as not fore-going only accompanying of the second cause thus Vasquez So as it co-operates with the second cause not after the manner of a principle but after the manner of an action thus Suarez It determineth the second cause say they negatively Hurtado Phys disp 10. Sect. 4. N. 53. not by way of influence which mystical sence of the Jesusuits Hurtado himself also a Jesuite opens by a familiar comparison thus As saith he in case you can write with two pens and I holding one of them hinder you writing with it permitting you to write with the other this permission compelleth not you to write you are free to both but if you write it must be with that pen which I leave not with that which I hold in my hand 7. The Doctrine of the Arminians Profunda subtilitas Twiss de praed digr 10. Sect. 6. who with the Jesuites yeild a concurrence of the Spirit to be necessary unto each act of obedience yet so as they make it subsequent not antecedent following not fore-going lackquying not leading of the operations of the Will Whence according to them the beginning of every good work or act of new-obedience is from the creature As this Doctrine ministreth an Antidote against many pernicious errours so is it also a principle whence we may deduce many precious truths Amongst many take these God's Decree is the Rule of his Efficiency Who worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own will Ephes 2.11 God's Efficiency is answerable unto his Decree The universal Efficiency of the first cause and the subordinate Efficiency of the second cause consist together Workout your own salvation with fear and trembling For it is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Philip. 2.12 13. The second cause acts and doth its actions as properly really and formally as if upon a supposition which yet is impossible there were no first cause The first cause acts and doth all things as properly and really as if there were no second cause Notwithstanding the creature in regard of its formal free-efficiency is somewhat distinguished from a meer instrument yet even those effects wherein God useth the second cause as a subordinate free-agent depend upon and are determined by the first cause as much as where the second cause is a meer passive instrument because the free-efficiency of the second cause is the effect of the first cause And as much as those effects for the producing of which a man makes use of a meer instrument depend upon and are determined by the man who used that instrument Because an instrument being a creature cannot depend upon its fellow-creature so much as every creature depends upon its Creatour And hence it is that second free-agents are sometimes compared unto meer instruments Notwithstanding sin is wholly of man and subordinate efficiency in sinful actions belongs formally unto the second cause yet the infallible futurition and execution of all effects the infallible futurition and ordering the execution of all events is as fully ascribed unto God as if man had no hand therein So then it was not you that sent me hither but God Gen. 45.8 As it is a truth that God is not the Authour of any evil so it is a truth that God is the Authour of all good God is the Eternal and only Independent the creature is a time-dependent He is the only all we are of our selves nothing The second cause is in respect of its being Nam si tu lumen facici averteris a me Mox abeo in nihilum qui nihil antefui Non secus ac vultu substracto aufertur imago In speculo corpus cum later umbra perit and continuance in its being so also in respect of its operation essentially dependeth upon the first cause This is true in spiritual actions John 15.5 For without me you can do nothing In all actions both Natural Civil Moral and Holy For in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17.28 All disorder in the second cause falleth under the order of the first cause yea the most ungoverned actions of the reasonable creature are governed by the Creatour and that not only according to his Decree but also according to his Law prescribed to them where the Gospel hath not been heard According to both Law and Gospel where the Gospel hath been promulgated It is the duty of man to sanctifie God by acknowledging of and acquiescing in his Decree and his All-glorious essicient execution thereof By Creation and Providence applying our selves to the care of our duty and leaving unto him the care of the event to be effected according to the All-predetermining Counsel of God This is the substance of Hesters answer to Mordecai Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me and neither eat nor drink three days night nor day I also and my Maydens will fast likewise and so will I go in unto the King which is not according unto the Law and if I perish I perish Hest 4.15 16. See Gen. 43 14. 2 Sam. 10.12 Acts 21.14 Prov. 29.26 There is grace enough in the Promise In hac fiducia recumbere unicum est reelè agendì compendium Calv. Epist ante Pralect in Daniel to enable believers to run the race of Providence Let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Authour and Finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 There is also comfort enough in the Promise to support believers so running concerning all events of Providence And we know that all things work together for good unto them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 So much hath God revealed as that he who believeth and walketh according to the rule needs not be afraid of his secret Will Both the Decree and the Execution thereof though yet unknown as touching infinite particulars are for them not against them Unmortified discontent at the Providence of God is an Argument of an ungodly man the character and disposition of a sinner Eccles 2.26 Contentment therewith is the special gift of God unto his Saints The character and life of the life of a godly man As concerning all the infallible changes that pass upon us in their appointed time according to Gods Eternal Decree I know there is no good in them but for a man to rejoyce and do good in his life and also that every one should eat and drink and enjoy the good of his labour this is the gift of God Eccles 3.11 12. To speak properly no man is content with his estate but a godly man no godly man but is content with his estate CHAP. VI. There are certain Preparatory works coming between the carnal rest of the soul in the state of sin and effectual vocation Or Christ in
and a conditional Promise in particulur If you beleeve you shall be saved Mark 16.16 3. God doth seriously invite beseech and charge them all to beleeve 4. Their beleeving is a high honour pleasure and service done unto Christ above all the dishonour and grief that their unbelief and sin hath been or can be unto him 'T is a greater honour unto them hereby to crown him with his Crown of Glory then to be crowned by him with the Crown of tender Mercy 5. That if they do beleeve in him they shall be saved 6. Notwithstanding the wholesom use even in this place of the Doctrine of the Decree in general yet as they cannot make application of it in particular for them so neither ought they to make application of it in particular against them but to look unto their duty which is to beleeve 7. 'T is a sin for any to beleeve they are not elected and therefore they shall not beleeve 8. As such who live under the Gospel have a ministerial hope Jer. 2.25 Ephes 2.12 Heb. 3.7 Isai 56.3 the Gentiles were far off the Jews were nigh so such to whom God doth not only offer Salvation in the Ministry but moveth upon their hearts by his Spirit they have a preparatory hope Isai 55.6 Psal 27.8 32.6 95.7 8. Acts 2.38 39. 2 Cor. 6.2 Ephes 2.17 9. According as the Preparatory Work doth kindly proceed it admitting degrees so their preparatory hope if you please by that name to let it be distinguished from the ministerial hope before mentioned is encreased Zech. 9.11 12. Mark 12.34 10. The Soul measurably prepared looking unto and thirsting after Christ Jesus as propounded in the Gospel in the diligent use of means is in respect of preparatory work nextly disposed and immediately called to beleeve 11. There can be no Example found in the whole Scripture that ever God forsook such a Soul which did not first forsake him Self-encouragements from qualifications are Legal and therefore please us best Encouragements according to truth are Evangelical and therefore will help us best Error in it self tends not to our furtherance nor Truth to our hinderance Truth is a far better encouragement then Error That there is before faith hope in the use of means and ordinarily not otherwise encourageth unto diligence and deters from negligence That before faith there is not certainty leaveth place for legal humiliation and the spirit of bondage and bloweth upon the glory of all flesh without Christ Hereby the Soul however qualified justifieth God if he sheweth no mercy Mar. 16.16 John 3.16 Revel 3.20 2 Tim. 2.25 Aug. l. 5. de Pers cap. 16. Cavendū est igitur vè dū timeamus vè tepescat hortatio extinguatur oratio accendatur elatio waiteth under the If you beleeve of the Gospel for mercy magnifieth God for free and undeserved mercy being made partaker thereof It is not an inconsiderable part of this Cause that was acted by Augustine one thousand two hundred years since though more tacitly and in its principles where he used that approved speech of his We must take heed lest whilest we fear our Exhortation being cooled Prayer be damped and Pride inflamed That the Soul in measure prepared called immediately to beleeve wait in the use of means with preparatory hope under the If you beleeve of the Gospel for Christ as acting by his special grace to ingenerate faith whereby the Soul passively receives him and whence through assisting grace it may by the act thereof come unto him is the method of the Gospel ought to be the direction of the Ministry and course of the Soul being Christs own way and therefore the most hopeful and most speedy way for the attaining of faith and salvation thereby CHAP. IX Of the first Object of Saving Faith IN the Discussing and clearing of this truth concerning the Object of Faith Consider 1. What an Object in general is 2. The Distribution of the Object of Faith 3. What the special and primary Object of Saving Faith is 4. The Order of Faith 5. That it is the duty of all to believe 6. The Difficulty of believing 7. The Means and Manner whereby Faith is wrought 8. Some principa Motives to believe An Object properly so called An Object in general What Objectum est circa quod res vel rei operatio versatur The Distinction of the Object of Faith is that about which the operation of a thing is primarily excercised and unto which it is of it self naturally ordered and directed So Truth is the Object of the understanding Good is the Object of the Will The Object of Faith is either universal scil the whole revealed Will of God Acts 24.14 Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Or special scil the Gospel or revealed saving Will of God and this is either Primary viz. God himself Father Son and Holy Ghist and Jesus Christ God-man propounded with a Command to believe 1 John 3.23 And a Promise of Salvation to them that do belieeve Mark 16.16 Or Secondary namely The good obtained by believing which because it is contained in the promises therefore the promises are called the Secondary Object of Faith As a Spouse is first married to the person i. e. her Husband before she enjoyeth any conjugal communion with him so we first by faith receive the Person of Christ before we are made partakers of the benefits of Christ bestowed upon believers Union precedes communion God and Christ are the Object of our Faith the Benefits following upon Christ received are the effect and end of our faith The Special Primary What the Special and Primary Object of Saving Faith is and next Object of saving Faith may briefly be conceived under this Proposition viz. Jesus Christ a Saviour to all believers and consequently unto me believing The Special and Primary Objects of saving Faith more largely considered is that gracious Truth and Testimony of God concerning Christ whereby he is tendered as a free and sufficient Saviour to every one that heareth and receiveth it with a Command to believe and a Promise That whosoever believeth shall be saved This Proposition concerning the Object of Faith containeth in it these particulars 1. That the Merit of Christ is all sufficient i. e. of sufficent virtue to have saved all men 2. That God doth seriously tender Jesus Christ as a sufficient Saviour to all unto whom the sound of the Gospel cometh 3. That every one that heareth the tender of the Gospel is bound to believe 4. That all that hear the Gospel are Ministerially equally capable of believing 5. That whosoever believeth shall be saved This Truth concerning Christ about which saving Faith is firstly and immediately exercised is by judicious Divines properly called the Object of Faith the Gospel Mark 16.15 16. Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved The Testimony 1 John 5.11
unto God for salvation by Jesus Christ which glorifying of God in way of thankfulness is a more effectual Motive unto obedience vvith a believer notvvithstanding the remainders of sin then the obtaining of life and that according to order of justice was unto Adam though vvithout sin as appears by the Apostacy of the one and perseverance of the other through Grace The means whereby faith is wrought are twofold External Of the means of faith or Internal External scil the Word by divine Institution the Instrument of Conversion hence called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 Which moveth by propounding Arguments and by perswading 2 Cor. 5.11 By Woing John 3.29 By Commanding 1 John 3.23 it is by Divines commonly called a Moral Suasion or Moral Cause acting only by way of propounding the Object no cause properly but improperly and Metaphorically it produceth not the effect without the concurrence of the Spirit vvhich is the Efficient Cause The internal means is the supernatural saving and effectual Motion of the Spirit concurring vvith the Word of Faith or which is all one with the Word of Grace and in an accepted time vvorking in the soul that faith which the Word calleth for Hence called the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 Whence the Moral Suasion of the Word becometh effectual by the real persvvasion of the Spirit The Word calleth upon us to believe the Spirit causeth us to believe The Word calls upon us to will and to do the Spirit of Christ worketh in us to will and to do the Word commands us to be according to our duty the Spirit vvorketh in us to be according to the Word God in the Creation spake the Word that such a creature should be and therewithal sent forth a power causing that creature to be according to his Word So whilest the Angel reveals unto Mary the Conception of Christ the Power of the Highest overshadowed her Whence it vvas with her according to his Word Luke 1.35 38. So also whilest Jesus cried vvith a loud voice Lazarus come forth there proceeded from him a Power whereby Lazaras doth come forth John 11.43 44. The Ministery of the Word whether Law or Gospel is but a dead letter and profiteth nothing without the Spirit 1 Cor. 3.7 Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase After all instructions Timothy must vvait if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 2 Tim. 2.25 No Oratory how excellent soever can prevail with the blind to see with the deaf to hear or with the dead to live God is not only an Orator Deus Autor non tantum Orator gratiae Twiss de Elect. l. 1. p. 2. dig 6. Sect. 16. but a Creator of grace Which notwithstanding yet are we vvith diligence to attend upon God in the use of means for though the means cannot work vvithout the Spirit the Spirit ordinarily will not work upon subjects of discretion without the means Man is a reasonable creature therefore God proceedeth with him by vvay of Arguments but because man is a dead creature therefore he must work in him that which he persvvades thereunto The Proposition of the Word of Faith is the External Ames Coron de Convert 4 cap. 1. the Operation of the Spirit of Faith is the Internal Call that as was said before is a moral Suasion this is a real Perswasion that a moral Cause this a physical Cause that commands us who are unwilling to be willing Interna gratiae Efficatia quae praedestinationis decretum exsequitur sine dicenda sit actio physica ut loquuntur Dominica vel potius divina supernaturalis vel occulta cui fortasse aptius nomen non occurrit sicut cautiùs in Augustino nostri fere statuunt uon multum interest Prideaux this through its powerful Efficacy by a real and as it were a physical change of the Will of unwilling makes us willing By the first God stands at the door and knocks Revel 3.20 By the second he opens the door i. e. the hearts of his Elect Luke 24.45.16.14 As the Word is called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 And the Spirit the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 So the conjunction of both is called the Door of Faith Acts 14.27 The Manner of the working of faith is irresistable The Manner of working of Faith Non alium enim irresistibilitateÌ„ propugnant nostri quam realem efficacem donationem cujus vi effectum certò vel infallibilitur Existit Coron art 4. cap. 3. that is it is such Whence notwithstanding the resistance made by corrupt nature yet at last prevaileth over all opposition whatsoever and causeth the effect certainly and infallibly to follow Jer. 24.7 I will give them an heart to know me and they shall be my people And Chap. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shall be turned ver 33. I will write my Law in their hearts and they shall be my people Ezek. 36.27 28. I will put my Spirit within you Concursus volunâ—atis cum gratia in opere conversiones non est co-ordinatus sed subordinatus Prideaux Motives to believe and cause you to walk in my Statutes c. And ye shall be my people John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me The Concurrence of the Will with Grace in the Work of Conversion is subordinate not co-ordinate the drawing of the soul is efficacious but not violent God by an Omnipotent Facility on his part and after an experimental impossibility in some measure at least on our part doth not force us unwillingly but of unwilling makes us willing Amongst many other precious means for both the obtaining and confirming of faith Consider 1. The Love of God to man though a sinner Tit. 3.4 'T is not our sin which fell out after the beginning of time that can alter the affection of God which was before time Those of whom the Apostle saith ver 3. That they were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another When such though not as such God loved God hateth sin loveth not any as sinners but loveth his Elect though sinners Rom. 5.8 2. What Christ hath done for sinners He hath obeyed the Law and suffered the punishment Rom. 5.8 And actually procured the application of grace and reconciliation Col. 2.15 Rom. 5.10 Though there be many strengthless Representatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei Christi eâ—â—icacissimum medium ad ingenerandaÌ„ fidem Spanh ex de grat resp ad Erot. 14. ungodly sinners enemies whom neither God loveth nor Christ died for yet all whom God hath set his heart upon or that Christ died for either are or have been such If thou neither wert nor art nor becomest such Christ never died for thee 1 Tim. 1.15 The high account which that great Preacher of Free-grace and Doctor of the Gentiles had
hearing and learning of the Father John 6.45 The Life act of faith is the souls immediate comming unto Christ upon its being drawn taught of God and having heard and learned of the Father By the infusion of the habit the immediate and irresistable work of the Spirit of grace God converteth the soul By the Life-act the soule being converted converteth it self unto God By the insusion of the habit God maketh us his people Hos 2.23 1 Pet. 2.10 By the Life-act we avouch him to bee our God we say it in truth and lye not we unsay it not again By the habit we are made good trees by the life-act we bring forth good fruit The habit or first act doth not alwayes infer the second it may be without the second but the second alayes supposeth the first Two contrary habits may be together in the same subject as grace and originall concupiscence in the soul heat and cold in the same water but there cannot be two second acts proceeding from those contrary habits at the same time The habit is a principle inhering in the wil as its subject and denominating it willing after the nature of a quality the life-act floweth efficiently from this principle and is accountable to us as a good act unto which God in his mercy hath appointed a reward The habit unto the act Suarez Meraph Tom. post disp 44. Sect. 8. is as the faculty of sight to actuall seeing or vision Aristotle compareth the habit to a man sleeping the act to a man waking The habit of faith which also holds in any other grace precedes the second act or exercise thereof The habit of faith precedes the second act or exercise of faith The habit of faith which also holds in respect of any other grace goeth before the second act commonly called the act or Life-operation or exercise of faith appeareth thus from the order of the first and second act The habit is the first act the Life-operation is the second act First as before Second The nature of the thing teacheth the being of grace which is life it self to be before the vital operation of that grace the grace of faith is the being of faith it self called the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 The vitall operation of faith expressed by the acts of coming to Christ Joh. 5.4 6.44 45. Eating of his flesh vers 54. Drinking of his blood ibid. answering the call of God must needs follow the being of faith we cannot act before we are we cannot act acts of life such as coming eating drinking answering are before we are alive the cause precedeth the effect the grace of faith is an efficient cause the Life-operation is the effect All creature-effects i.e. all such effects as proceed from the creature according to the order of second causes whether acts or habits for acquired habits follow acts presuppose a principle virtually or formally containing such effects But supernatural life-operations are creature-effects whose principle is the same with an habit as hath been cleared in the explication of an habit therefore supernatural life-operations presuppose a principle foregoing such acts That supernatural life-operations are creature-effects is manifest grace the new-creature whether considered in part or whole is a creature That creature-effects presuppose a principle in the subject formally or virtually containing such effects appeareth by this induction All creature-effects or actions are either supernaturall proceeding from a supernatural principle infused or inspired or moral whose principle is the Law written in the heart Rom. 2.14 hence are actions of external conformity to the Law or artificial whose principle is right reason or natural which flow from inclination or instinct Obj. 1. Acquired habits as Arts and Sciences ex gr the knowledge of a Physician the faculty of a Scrivener the skill of a Tradesman c. are gotten and caused by multiplied acts therefore all creature-effects do not presuppose principles in the subject formally or virtually containing such acts Resp 1. Albeit acquired habits were such creature-effects as did not presuppose their principle as before in the subject it weakned onely the argument not the cause which proceeds onely concerning such natural creature-effects as acquired habits are not but the argument ex abundanti proving all creature-effects and consequently acquired habits to presuppose some principle of them in the subject concludes the question much more evidently in respect of supernatural creature-effects 2 Notwithstanding there be many artificial acts that may be done without a habit acquired as he may scrible that hath not the faculty of writing well yet even those acts according to the ordinary course of second causes be not done without some inherent principle they may be done without a habit i.e. Such a principle that so affects the subject as to enable it to act promptly easily and with delight but they cannot be done without a principle simply to enable the subject to act Obj. 2. The act of Prophesying was not by way of habit therefore there were not principles thereof in the subject Answ The gift of Prophesie was miraculous therefore falleth not under the compasse of creature-effects proceeding according to the order of second causes 2 Principles are either transient or inherent the act of Prophesie flowed from the transient and passing inspiration of the Spirit whence they prophesied when they were inspired though not from an inherent principle therefore could not prophesie when they pleased We may distinguish between the matter of Prophesie and the act of publishing that matter of Prophesie the matter of Prophesie was miraculously inspired therefore without the limits of the question as before the publication of that matter was a creature-effect proceeding from principles natural rational and spiritual Obj. 3 The act i.e. the Life-act of faith by which the soule commeth to Christ is given in the work of Vocation without any foregoing habit Ans 1 This as it is barely affirmed without any reason given may untill then be sufficiently answered with a denial 2 We must distinguish between Vocation wherein is infused into the soul a power to come to Christ and the terme of Vocation wherein is contained our actuall coming to Christ If the act of faith be given in Vocation without any habit in order of Nature foregoing it then it will follow Either that the soul is not passive in Vocation or Conversion a pure Arminian affection justly opposed and abhorred by the joynt vote of orthodox Divines Or that Vocation precedes believing that is one may be a Member of the Catholick Church and consequently be a Member of Christ in order of Nature at least before he is a belecver which none will affirme Or that Vocation followeth the act of faith whereby the Soule cometh unto Christ which were to affirme Vocation to follow our union active receiving of Christ and Justification an assertion in no meane degree repugnant both unto Divinity and Reason That they i.e. the Arminians suppose the act
it selfe Oneness is an affection immediatly flowing from the meer being of a thing whereby it is individed in it selfe and divided from all other beings or things Union is the conjunction of two ones or more into a third being for example sake Ens unum unio take a man consisting of Body and Soul the Soul first hath a being then this singular being and not another then it is united unto the body in a third being namely the person of a man the like is true of the body In Vocation we receive our being in Union is the manner of our being In Vocation we are made Beleevers in Union is considered the order between Christ and Beleevers In Vocation is the foundation of our union in Union is the relation built upon that foundation Inter illa quae convertuntur secundum essendi consequentiam illud est prius quod habet rationem subjecti Alsted Metaph. par 1. cap. 25. In Vocation is the spirit of grace infused in Union this infused spirit is made an in-dwelling spirit Without Union there can be no Communion This necessarily pre-supposeth that things cannot act one upon another that doe not reach one the other they cannot give and take one from another that doe not some way meet together yet here we must know that the contact or mutual touch of things is not alwayes Local when their substances or Bodies doe immediatly touch one another but often-times vertual only when notwithstanding they doe not immediately touch one the other yet they reach one the other in their efficacy Instances whereof we have many in Natural causes as the Loadstone and Iron separated in place yet act one upon another that by attracting this by following In Political matters persons though distant in place one from another yet exercise civil communion in the affairs of this life In Spiritual things as namely in the Sacrament the Body and Blood of Christ is united to the Elements vertually that is by vertue of Divine institution and promise not Locally to deny that were to deny the Sacrament to be a Sacrament to say the last were to affirm Ubiquity whether Transubstantiation with the Papists or Consubstantiation with the Lutherans So here the Person of Christ who in respect of his Body is in Heaven and the persons of his Militant members who in respect both of Souls and Bodies are upon the earth are united to and doe Spiritually touch one another I am the Vine yee are the Branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me yee can doe nothing Joh. 15.5 For the better discerning the order of the dependence of Communion upon Union The order of the dependence of Communion upon Union from whence it floweth we may consider in Union as is also to be done in other relations these foure particulars First The subject of the Relation the person of Christ and the person of the Beleever Secondly The foundation of it on Christs part the Divine institution absolutely considered on our part faith considered only as an infused saving quality in the Soul Thirdly A mutual reference on Christs part superadding a respect to Divine institution whereby according to the appointment of God he looks at the Beleever as his Member superadding also on the Beleevers part a respect unto faith whereby faith which in it selfe is but a quality hath now adhering to it an order to its object whence it looks at Christ as its head In relatis spectanda Subjectum Fundamentum Mutuus ordo Efficacia This mutual order between Christ and the Beleever is the relation it selfe Fourthly The efficacie of the relation The efficacie of a Relation springeth from its foundation the foundation then of this being firstly the absolute grace of God in election and thence flowing downe in the Promise according to the merit of Christ by the effectual operation of the Spirit Needs must the River of life be full ever-flowing Tametsi relatis est ens debilis entitatis tamen est magnae efficaciae and quickning that ariseth from and is mantained by such fountains the influence of the Occan into water-springs of the Sun and Heaven into inferior bodies is not to be compared thereunto Next to the increated Communion of the Trinity in the Divine Essence and the communicated influence from the Divine nature to the Man-hood is the influence of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the members of his mystical body And thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountain of Life In thy light we shall see light Psal 36.8 9. As the union between Christ and the soul The excellency of this communion flowing from union so the communion flowing from this union is mystical a glimpse of whose excellency as it readily shineth forth in this place in respect of the subject object and nature thereof so cannot but be of precious and vigorous use to the serious and spiritual Reader as he passeth along The subject thereof is the Catholick Church or body of Christ The Mystical body of Christ is a spiritual Totum The my stical body of Christ what or Whole consisting of the Person of Christ and all the persons of the Elect effectually called both Angels and Men orderly united by the Spirit unto Christ as their Head and in him one unto another after the manner of the body of a man So as from him is supplied grace suitable to their seveveral relations therein for the effectual and perfect communion both of all the members with the Head and of themselves one with another unto the increasing it self with the increase of God The Militant part of the Mystical body of Christ consisting both of Jews and Gentiles make one new man Eph. 2.15 The Mystical body Triumphant is compared to one perfect man Eph. 4.13 Christus omnia ejus membra constituunt unam personam my sticam Tho. quaest disp de gr ch art 7. ad 11. Davenan Coloss 1.24 Christ and all his members are one Mystical Person This innumerable number as they are but one mystical body so they all have but one soul viz. The Spirit of Christ whence they are united in this life sincerely in the life to come perfectly In point of judgement Eph. 4.13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God c. In point of affection 1 Cor. 12.12 Of perfect communion Joh. 17.22 23. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Stay yet a little and look upon this spiritual and glorious body walk about Christ mystical go round about him tell the Members mark ye well the