judgements are of such a nature that they are least felt where they are most suffered And as he opposeth this so doth he impugne the doctrine of Gods word concerning the impotency that is found in all to beleeve to repent untill God be pleased to cure that infidelitie and impaenitency which by propagation of nature is derived unto us all and made as naturall unto us as flesh and bone As where it is sayd that men cannot beleeve cannot repent they that are in the flesh cannot please God That the naturall man perceaves not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnes unto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned that the affection of the flesh is enmitie against God it is not subject to the Law of God nor can be That we are all naturally dead in sinne and that our raysing therehence is no lesse worke then regeneration or new birth All this he setts himself purposely to oppose and that in a vile manner by base insinuations to undermine this doctrine rather then by any just argument to overthrow it But when we deale about the reformation of such a one we will pray unto God to accept our endeavours and to shew his power in making his word in our mouths powerfull as to the convicting of his sinne so to the humbling of him and bringing him acquainted with the Spirit of bondage to make him feare and that he may be pricked in the heart as the Iewes were when by Peters Sermon the Lord brought their horrible sinne close home unto them in crucifying the Sonne of God If so be he may finde sinn to be as an heavy burthen unto him and cry out unto us to minister a word of comfort unto his weary soule and in this case we will be â—old to apply unto him the comforts of God in Christ because our Saviour calls unto him all such as labour are heavy laden promising that he will ease them Yet if we doe exhort him to pray it followeth not that this exhortation is in vaine no more then exhortation to Infidels is in vaine when we exhort them to faith in Christ. For albeit neyther the one nor the other can be performed without grace Yet upon our exhortation God can worke this grace in him if it please him Many come to Church with a profane heart yet in the hearing of it it pleaseth God to convert some of them and Ekron may be as the Iebusite and God is able to turne Lebanon into Carmel and to make the most wast places finitefull even as the garden of the Lord. And Saul was converted in his heate and furious persecution of the Church of God God can convert not only aversas à vera fide but adversas verae fidei voluntates ex nolentibus volentes facere and that omnipotente facilitate as Austin hath observed It is untrue that grace workes a man to pray in such sort as to make it impossible for him not to pray for that were not to worke him to pray freely Vpon supposition that God by his Spirite doth worke a man to pray it is impossible he shoulde not pray but how contingently and freely So that impossibilitie is not simply an impossibilitie but only secundum quid and joyned with a possibilitie simply so called to the contrary Otherwise it could not be done contingently and freely For to produce a thing contingently is to produce it with a possibility to the contrary and to worke this or that freely is so to worke this or that as joyned with an active power eyther to forbeare and suspend the action or to produce a contrary operation And thus Aquinas most learnedly sheweth how that the efficacious will of God is the cause why both necessary things come to passe necessarily and contingent and free things contingently and freely and accordingly he hath ordeyned different second causes some working necessarily others working contingently freely But this is more it seemes then this Author hath hitherto beene acquainted with And as he hath exercised his Provinciall witt in opposing the doctrine of Gods word in the most untheologicall manner that I thinke was ever knowne to the world so I wish he would keepe his course and shew as little scholasticalitie in refuting Aquinas also in this particular And albeit God gives him not grace to mocke him yet the dutie of prayer doth no lesse oâ—lige man then any other duetie seing God gave this grace to us all in Adam and in Adam we all have sinned and by that sinne our nature is become bankrupt of grace untill God in mercy and for his sons sake be pleased to have compassion upon us to restore it But he is master of his owne times and bestowes this grace on some sooner on others later on some not at all When God sent Ezechiel to his people it seemes by that we read Ezechi 2.3.4.5 he sent him not to better them but that they might not say they had no Prophet among thâ—m and to cuâ— of that excuse yet I hope this Author is not in such a measure obduâ—ate as to say there was any such confusion in Ezechiels doctrine as here he chargeth upon ours which yet is merely according to his owne shapinge and with what felicitie he hath succeeded in this aâ—tâ—fice of his I have endeavaured to make it appeare unto the indifferent and unpartiall Reader We teache that no man can have evidence of his reprobation but by finall impenitency or by committing the sinne against the holy Ghost and in eyther of these cases there is just cause of despayre to Pelagius himselfe how much more to his disciples that oppose the grace of God after the truth therof is in such sort cleered let them looke unto it whether not against the voyce and light of their owne conscience As for securitie can the feare of God open a way therunto or doe we maynteyne any other perseverance in the state of grace then by the feare of God according to that Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall never depart away from me To the question in what state David had bene had he dyed in his adultery he tells us of an answeare which is usually made by the Synodists as he saith namely that it was impossible for David to have dyed before he had repented because that after this he was to begett a sonne from whom the Messias must descend But who these Syndodists be whether of Dort or of Arles he mâ—ntions not much lesse the place where As for the Synod of Arles I never heard of it but by this manuscript In the Acts of the Synod of Dort I have beene something versed but I have not mett with this answer there nor ever heard of it before I read it in this Pamphlet And to my judgement it is imperfect in two particulars neyther of which this Author takes notice of the one is in altering the
the libertie of mans will and not in the appetition of the ende it being naturall to a man to be caryed to the liking of his ende necessarily according to that of Aristotle Qualis quisque est ita finis apparet And doth it become these men to dictate unto us not only a new divinitie but also a new Philosophy at pleasure As for the reason here added fetched from the aeternall and efficatious decree of God this is so farre from confirming their premises as that it utterly overthrowes them and confirmeth ours For we say with Aquinas that the efficacions will of God is the cause why some things come to pasâ—e contingently and freely as well as it is the cause why other things come to passe necessarily Was the burning of the Prophets bones by Iosiah performed any whit lesse freely by him then any other action of his Oâ— the proclamation that Cyrus made for the returne of the Iewes out of the captivitie was not this as freely done by him as ought else Yet both these were praedetermined by God Nay I say more that every thing which cometh to passe in the revolution of times was decreed by God I proove by such an argument for answeare wherunto I chalenge the whole nations both of Arminians and Iesuits It cannot be denyed but God foresawe from every lastinge whatsoever in time should come to passe therfore every thinge was future froâ— everlasting otherwise God could not foresee it as future Now let us soberly inquire how these thinges which we call future came to be future being in their owne nature merely possible and indifferent as well not at all to be future as to be future Of this transmigration of things out of the condition of things merely possible such as they were of themselves into the condition of things future there must needes be some outward cause Now I demand what was the cause of this transmigration And seing nothing without the nature of God could be the cause hereof for this transmigration was from everlasting but nothing without God was everlasting therfore some thing within the nature of God must be founde fitt to be the cause herof And what may that be not the knowledge of God for that rather presupposeth things future and so knowable 〈◊〉 in the kinde of things future then makes them future Therefore it remaines that the meere decree will of God is that which makes them future If to shift off this it be said that the essence of God is the cause hereof I further demaunde whether the essence of God be the cause hereof as working necessarily or as working freely If as working necessarily then the most contingent thinges became future by necessitie of the divine nature and consequently he produceth whatsoever he produceth by necessitie of nature which is Atheisticall Therefore it remaines that the essence of God hath made them future by working freely and consequently the meere will and decree of God is the cause of the futurition of all things And why should we doubt hereof when the most foule sinnes that have beene committed in the World are in scripture phrase professed to have beene predetermined by God himself Vpon supposition of which will and decree divine we confesse it necessary that things determined by him shall come to passe but how not necessarily but either necessarily or contingently and freely to witt necessarie things necessarily contingent things and free things contingently and freely So that contingent things upon supposition of the will divine have a necessitie secundum quid but simply a contingencye and that the same thing may come to passe both necessarily secundum quid and simply in a contingent manner ought to be nothing strange to men of understanding considering that the very foreknowledge of God is sufficient to denominate the most contingent things as comming to passe necessarily secundum quid I come to the consideration of the fourth 4. As touching this Article here objected unto us we have no cause to decline the maintenance thereof but chearfully and resolutely to undergo the defense as of the truth of God clearly sett downe unto us in the word of God The illumination of the minde is compared to Gods causing light to shine out of darkenesse in the creatioÌ„ 1 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of the darknes is he which hath shined in 〈◊〉 heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ And for God to say unto Sion thou art my people is made aequivalent to the planting of the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth Es. 51.16 I have putt my wordes in thy mouth and defended thee in the shadow of my hand that I may plant the Heavens and lay the foundation of the Earth and say unto Sion Thou art my people Ps. 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart saith David and renewe a right spirit within me Yet was David a regenerate childe of God but when he fell into foule sinnes and sought unto God to restore him he acknowledgeth this his spirituall restitution to be a creation giving thereby to understand that the very children of God have savage lusts wild affections in them the curing mastering wherof is no lesse work then was the work of creation or making of the world 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Gal. 6 1â— In Christ Iesus neyther circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Now this new creature is all one with faith working by love Gal. 5.6 For there the Apostle expresseth the comparison antitheticall in this manner In Iesus Christ neither circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith working by love And Eph. 2.10 We are said to be Gods workmanship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created in Iesus Christ marke a new creation unto good workes which he hath ordeyned that we should walke in them God made the world with a word but the new making of man cost our Saviour Christ hot water the very blood of the Sonne of God agonies in the garden agonies upon the Crosse and he must rise out of his grave to worke this The Schoolemen doe acknowledge this namely that grace is wrought in man by way of creation Otherwise how could it be accoumpted supernaturall And as for the power whereby God raiseth the dead It is expressely said Col. 2.12 that faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who raised Christ from the dead whereupon Cornelius de Lapide acknowledgeth that faith is wrought by the same power wherby God raysed Christ from the dead And Eph. 1 19. the Apostle tells us of the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power towards us which beleeve adding that this is according to his mightie power which he wrought in Christ whom he raysed from the dead And therefore most congruously doth the Apostle take into consideration that worke
one hayre of his head he might well prescribe the time and houre of his conversion But seeing it is Gods worke alone to circumcise our heartes Deut. 30.6 to take away the stony heart and give us an heart of flesh and put his owne spirit within us Ezech. 36 27. to quicken us when we are dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 2.15 Surely it belongs to God alone to prescribe the time and houre when a man shall be converted And accordingly our Saviour gives us to understand that some are called at the first houre of the day some at the third some not untill the last And the Apostle exhorts Timothy in effect by his meeke cariage to wayte when God will give them repentance that are without that so they may acknowledge his truth and come out of the snare of the devill by whom they are led captive to doe his will 2. Tim. 2. last And albeit men are living as beasts why should they be thought to have any more power to rayse themselves or quicken themselves unto life spirituall then a dead man hath to quicken himself to life naturall Now that men are dead in sinne the scripture teacheth evidently and that the worke of conversion is called regeneration but the Scriptures are a strange Language to these Arminians They are diserti lingua sua And they discourse amongst Christians as if they should discourse among Cannibals Yet there is a difference betweene him that is dead naturally and him that is dead spiritually For he that is dead naturally can performe no naturall action at all but he that is dead only spiritually is able enough to perform any action naturall And some naturall actions are required without which a man cannot be converted As for Example it is requisite a man should be acquainted with Gods word which alone is the ordinary means whereby the Spirit workes in mans conversion Now it is in the power of man to heare the word And albeit he cannot hearken unto it in a gracious manner pleasing unto God yet shall not that hinder the efficacy of Gods word if God be pleased to shew mercy on him No though he comes to the hearing of it with a wicked minde As they that came to take Christ Iohn 7. yet when they heard him were taken by him and returned without him saying Never man spake as this man speaketh So is it in the power of a man to reade the word Now suppose he exercise this power and that with a minde averse from it yet may this word proove a word of power to the changing of his heart As Vergetius tooke Melanthons writings to reade with a purpose to confute them yet in the reading himself was confuted by them and this was a meanes of hâ—s conversion from Popery to the Protestant confession This Author discourseth in such sort as if the power of God to quicken a man though 4 dayes dead and stinking in the grave as Lazarus were taken up in his mouth in scorne For such is the manner and strengâ—h of his discourse in the most hungry fashion that ever I thinke proceeded from a reasonable man Our Saviour hath given us to understand that some are not called till the last houre we have an example of it in the thiefe upon the crosse If God hath not giveÌ„ him as yet the grace to cry Abba Father that Spirit of adoption requiring a spirit of bondage to precede it Rom. 8.15 Yet this houre and that by our admoniâ—ion and conviction of his sinnes God may humble him and make him feare and thereby prepare him to the Spirit of adoption For his word is as a fire as an hammat that breaketh the bones the Infidell findes this by good experience when hearing one prophecy he is rebuked of all judged of all the thoughts of his heart are made manifest and he falls downe on his face and confesseth thaâ— God is in his ministers of a truth 1. Cor. 14.24 The Iewes did finde this power of the word when hearing Peter discoursing how God made him both Lord and Christ whom they had crucified they were pricked in their hearts and sayd Men and Bretheren what shall we doe Act. 2. When in the course of his histrionicall fictions he feignes his Factor not daring to endeavour to doe well He supposeth and insinuateth that he would endeavour it but dares not for his hatred to the Arminian doctrine which is nothing answerable to our doctrine who deny that there is any such will in a carnall man We say the maine reformation of man consists in the change of the will from evill to good we know that God accepteth the will for the deede And the Saints of God commend themselves in this manner unto God We that desire to feare thy name Nehem. 1. And the desire of our hearts is towards thy name Esa. 26. And we desire to live honestly Heb. 13. And Austin mainteynes as I remember that the Saints of God no otherwise fullfill the Law of God then desiderio conatu And albeit this Author at pleasure feigneth his prolocutor to embrace our Tenets yet if he be but a carnall Christian he cannot embrace them or any doctrine of faith Fide vera infusa but onely fide acquisita Yet againe it is in the power of any man not onely to desire and endeavour to doe well but also to doe indeed quoad exteriorem vitae emendationem All the morall vertues as they were found in Heathen men so are they atteynable by a naturall man For even Heathens were famous and renowned some of them not onely for their good rules but for their vertuous practise of moralitie which yet nothing hindered Austin from passing his censure upon their best actions professing them to be no better then splendida peccata and for a rule of direction to judge aright herein he tells us non officijs sed finibus discernendas esse virtutes And therefore there is no cause of so superficiary a conceyte forged in this Authors braines as if endeavours to such moralitie should any way obscure the prerogative of Gods grace as only effectuall to the working of that which is pleasing in the sight of God Such moralitie shall nothing at all commend the will for any goodnesse in the sight of God any more thâ—n Socrates or Plato or Aristides their moralitie did though their damnation shal be farre lesse then the damnation of such who among the Heathens have bene given to a debaucht life and conversation Good motions undoubtedly God can rayse by his Spirit in the heart of the most wicked in the Church of God but like as the devills suggestions are not our fault if we resist them so such good motions of God doe nothing commend us in the sight of God if we doe not give way unto them but rather one day rise up in judgment against us to our greater and more inexcusable condemnation But that a carnall man is here brought-in conceyted
as touching S. Pauls testimony here alleaged concerning the profitablenesse of Scripture Doctrine which is the more considerable I confesse because this whole treatise is like an Henne with one chicke having not any one quotation out of holy scripture besides that he takes no such course as this divine doth from the profitablenesse of a doctrine to conclude it to be the doctrine of holy scripture but rather supposing a doctrine to be a doctrine of holy scripture concludes theâ—hence that it is proffitable for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse Hovv can it be othervvise as touching the doctrine here impugned but that if it be the doctrine of holy scripture instruction therein must be instruction in righteousnesse and shall be a just reproofe to them that refuse to receave instruction as in the vvhole Counsell of God so in this particular among the rest and lastly serve for the correction of theÌ„ that do not live ansvverably unto their profession as in other things so in reference unto this as namely wheÌ„ professing of God worketh in us the will and the deede of every good worke and that not according to the good pleasure of man but according to his owne good pleasure they are not so carefull hereupon as they should be to worke out their salvation with feare and trembling in conformitie to the holy Apostles exhortation Phil. 2.12.13 worke out your salvation with feare and trembling For God it is that worketh in you both the will and the deede even of his good pleasure Thus I have considered the rule of Triall I come to the consideration of the doctrine to be tryed whether it be in a right manner proposed The second Section THe principall points doctrines of which Synods are conteyned in these 5. Articles 1. That God by an absolute decree hath elected and chosen to life a very small number of persons without the least regard either of their faith and obedience and excluded the rest of mankind from all saving grace destined by the same decree unto aeternall damnation without the consideration of their incredulitie or impaenitencie 2. That Iesus Christ dyed for no other then the elect only not having the least intention of his owne or commandement of his Father to make a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world 3. That by the sinne of Adam his whole posterity hath lost their free will being subject by an inevitable necessitie to do or leave undone that which every man acteth or omitteth being good or evill being thereunto predestinated by the aeternall and efficacious decree of God 4. That God to draw his elect out of that produceth a faith in them by a power aequall to that whereby he created the world and raysed up the dead so that they to whom he giveth grace are not able to reject it and that the reprobates cannot obtaine it although it be offered unto them in the preaching of the Gospell 5. That they who have once receaved this grace by faith can never fall totally or finally notwithstanding the most enormous sinns they can committ 2. That this is the doctrine of the Synods they who have beene and still are persecuted for refâ—sing to subscribe have so plainly and sufficiently demonstrated by their publique writings that none of their persecutors durst hitherto undertake to â—â—fute or answer them yea and who are allwayes ready before impartiall judges to make it good that the Articles above mentioned are to be found in the writings of their chiefest Doctors even in the selfe same termes nay farre more scandalous Consid. When the Apostle sayth that Election is not of works and prooveth it by this that before Esau and Iacob were borne c. it was said of them the elder shall serve the younger Let every sober Reader judge whether it be not more agreeable to the Apostle to professe that election proceedes rather without any regard had to mans faith and obedience then with any respect thereunto as also whether by the same reason which the Apostle useth it be not apparent that as election is not of good workes so likewise reprobation is not of evill workes Yet that God did decree to damne no man but for sinne is the unanimous confession of all our divines Neyther is there any of them that I know who denyes that God did ordaine to bestow salvation on none of ripe yeares but by way of reward of their obedience And accordingly Tilenus himself when he was on our side took exception against Arminius his stating the decree of predestination and reprobation according to our opinion to proceede citra omnem considerationem resipiscentiae fidei in illis aut impenitentiae infidelitatis in hisce For marke I pray how he excepts against it At postrema haec particula perperam praeter menternostram hvic senteÌ„tiae adjicitur And he gives his reason on both parts on the part of reprobation thus Quandoquidem quoscunque damnat Deus non aliam ob causam quam propter impaenitentiam infidelitateÌ„ atquâ— adeopropter peccatum damnat ac proinde neque damnare decrevit sene hujus rei intuitu On the part of election thus Sicuti neminem in tempore servâ—â— nisi resipiscentem credentem which yet is untrue unlesse understood onely of men of ripe yeares Ita nemineÌ„ ab aeterno servarâ— decrevit nisi resipiscentem credentem In like sort Piscator denyes not but that there is such a will of God revealed in the Gospell as namely to save such as persevere in faith damne them that persevere in infidelitie and impenitency only he denyes this to be the whole will of God revealed in the Gospell as touching the salvation of some and damnation of others And accordingly in the conference at the Haghe when the first Article of the Remonstrants came to be discussed which was Deum ab aeterno decrevisse fideles perseverantes salvâ—s facere Their adversaries denyed not this nay they professed that no Christian denyes this Praefat. ad Synod Dordrac fol. 10. p. 1. And therfore they urged them to declare whether this Article of theirs contained the whole decree of predestination which when they affirmed herein their adversaries thought good to oppose them and to encounter with them upon that point But let us distinguish that which such as this Author is affect to confound The absolutenesse of Gods decree may be considered two wayes either on the part of the act it self of Gods decree or on the part of the the things decreed According to this distinction Aquinas professeth that no cause can be assigned of the will of God quoad actuÌ„ volentis but there may be assigned a cause thereof quoad res volitas His words are these Dictum est supra quod non est assignare causam divinae voluntatis ex parte actus volendi sed potest assignari ratio ex parte volitorum And applying this doctrine to predestâ—nation in speciall addeth saying
Nullus fuit ita insanae mentis qui diceret merita esse causam divinae praedestinationis ex parte actus praedestinantis Sed hoc sub questionâ— verâ—itur vtrum ex parte effectus prâ—destinatio habeat aliquam causam And whereas the distinction of voluntas absoluta conditionâ—lis is interpreted by Vossius as all one with voluntus antecedens consequens both Vossius himselfe interpreteth voluntas conditionalis as making the cause thereof to be only quoad res volitas For he defiâ—es a conditionall will in this manner Aâ—iqua vult cum condâ—tione que idâ—irâ—â— in effectum non prodeunt nisi conditione impleta Quâ—modo â—â—nes â—omâ—nes salvari vult sed per propter Christum fide approhensum And doctor Iackson in his last booke of providence acknowledgeth that the distinction of voluntas antecedens consequens is to be understood quoad res volitas Now the consequent will is such a will as derives the cause therof from man But this sayth he is to be understood as touching the things willed which we willingly grant and accordingly acknowledge that some things willed by God have the cause of their being from mâ—n As namely faith we â—ay is the dâ—sposing cause of salvation finall infidelitie or impaenitency are the meritorious causes of damnation Yet some thing there is willed by God which hath no cause from man but 〈◊〉 the cause therof is from the mere pleasure of God and that is the giving or denying of grace according to that of the Apostle He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 As for the decree of God considered as touching the act of God willinge that it can have no cause from man I proove both as touching the decree of salvation and touching the decree of damnation And I willingly challenge all the nation of Arminians to answere it And the argument is this If faith be the cause why God ordeynes a man to salvation then eyther by 〈◊〉 necessitie of nature it is the cause herof or by the mere constitution of God Not by necessitie of nature as appeares manifestly and I have founde by experience that Arminians themselves have confessed as much therfor if any way it be admitted to be the cause herof this must be only by the constitution of God Now marke the absurditie herof for herence it followeth that God did constitute that is ordeyne that upon the foresight of faith he woulde ordeyne men unto salvation where the very aeternall act of Gods ordination is made the object of Gods ordinaâ—ion a thing utterly impossible and every man knowes that the objects of Gods ordination are thinges temporall only and by no meanes things aeternall In like sort if sinne be the cause why God ordeynes men unto damnation then eyther by necessitie of nature or by divine constitution not by necessitie of nature for surely God is not necessitated to damne any man for sinne If therfore by constitution divine marke the absurditie unavoydably following hereupon namely that God did ordeyn that upon the foresight of 〈◊〉 he would ordeyne men unto condemnation where agayne Gods aeternall ordination is made the object of his ordination Yet doe not I affirme that in any moment of nature doth the decree of salvation goe before the consideration of mens faith and obedience or the decree of damnation before the consideration of finall incredulitie or iâ—poenitencie For as much as the decrees of giving faith and crowning it with salvation and in like sort the decrees of permitting finall incredulitie and impenitency I make to be not subordinate one to another buâ— simultanâ—ous and coordinate one with another I proceede to the second 2. The holy scripture in designing unto us those for whome Christ dyed useth different formes Matth. 20 28. it is sayde that the sonne of man came not to be served but to serve and give his life a ransome for many and 26 28. This is my blood in the New Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes This is a very indefinite notion yet nothing so prone to signifie a comprehension of all as an opposition to such an universality But in other places these Many are defined and therewith all the benefite of Christs death confined to some as namely the people of Christ Mat. 1.21 to the Church Act. 20.28 Ephes. 5.25 Christs sheepe Ioh. 10.15 the Children of 〈◊〉 Ioh. 11.51 Christs freindes Ioh. 15.8 to Israel Act. 13.23 to the body of Christ Ephes. 5.23 And accordingly our Saviour prayed for those onely that his Father had given him Ioh. 17.9 and for those whom hereafter he should give unto him v. 20. and that with exclusion from the world v. 9. and for their sakes he sanctified himself v. 19. which in like manner is to be understood with exclusion of the world Now by sanctifying himselfe is understood the offering up of himselfe upon the Crosse by the unanimous consent of all the Fathers whom Maâ—â—oâ—ate had read as himselfe professeth in his Commentaries on that passage in Iohn Yet we are willing to take notice of those places also which extend the benefite of Christs death unto all as Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one the fault came upon all unto condemnation so by the justifying of one the benefite abounded toward all men to justification of life But for the clearing of this observe but the limitation going immediately before v. 17. If by the offense of one death reigned through one Much more shall they who receave the abundante of grace of the gift of righteousnesse reigne in life through one Iesus Christ. It is further said that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.19 That he is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1.29 That he gave his life for the life of the world Ioh. 6.51 That he is the Saviour of the world Ioh 4.42 and 1. Ioh. 4.14 Yet this admits a faire exposition without all contradiction to the former limitation namely of men in the world which being an indefinite terme is to be expounded by other places where it is defined who they are as Ioh. 13.1 He loved his owne that were in the world to the end he loved them Now who are Christs owne but those of whom he speaketh Ioh. 17.9 For they are thine 10.11 and all mine are thine and thine are mine and thou art glorifyed in them Now these are proposed with an exclusion of the world in that very 9. verse I pray for them I pray not for the VVorld for they are thine It is further said that Christ is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world which may fairely admitt this construction for the sinnes of men dispersed throughout all the world which is most true of Gods Elect like as Ioh. 11.50 They are called the Children of God which
it is not of workes so neyther is it of faith seing before they were borne they were aequally as uncapable of faith as of workes and consequently that Gods ordeyning men unto salvation proceedes merely according to the good pleasure of God and not upon consideration eyther of workes or faith 2. As touching reprobation that it is no more of evill workes then election is of good workes for as much as before they were borne they were aequally uncapable of the one as well as of the other and the doing of evill is expressely excluded as well as the doing of good whence it followeth manifestly that Gods ordeyning men unto damnation proceedes as much of the mere pleasure of God and with as litle consideration of sinne as Gods ordeyning men unto salvation proceedes of the mere pleasure of God without consideration of any righteousnes in man though fleshe and blood be farre more apt to tumultuate and make insurrection against this doctrine of reprobation then against the proportionable doctrine of election Thirdly consider the vanitie of his amplifications in two particulars First in that he aggravates the matter by the circumstance of the greatest part of mankind wheras it is manifest by reason that if it be just with God to deale thus with the least part of mankinde yea with any one it is as just with God to deale in like manner with the greatest part of mankinde yea with all and every one Secondly he aggravates it by the circumstance of the least consideration of sinne which we are sayde to deny to have place in reprobation wheras divine consideration hath no degrees at all wherby it may be capable of greater or lesse sin indeede hath degrees in man but divine consideration hath no degrees at all Fourthly to come nearer to the point and to discover their jugling in stating our Tenet most calumniously Consider I pray doe any of our divines meynteyne that God did ordeyne to damne any man but for sinne It is apparent they doe not all acknowledging that like as God doth damne no man but for sinne so doth he ordeyne to damme no man but for sinne For doe they not all professe that the ende intended by God in the reprobation of certein men is the manifestation of Gods justice which if God doth intende how can it be otherwise but that whom he ordeynes to the suffering of everlasting torments those he ordeynes to the suffering of everlastâ—ng torments for their sinne and for nothing els And to adde one thing more not for their sinne which they sinned in Adam only for thus I had rather expresse my selfe according to scripture phrase then as this obscure Author doth in calling it only Adams sinne but for those very actuall sinnes and transgressions which they are guilty of Now this Author caryeth the maâ—ter so as if our doctrine were that God ordeynes men to be tormented not for sinne but merely for his owne pleasure And to this purpose he caryeth himselfe very judiciously for the advantage of his owne cause in confounding the cause of the decree with the cause of the execution therof Confounding the most receaved distinction of the Schooles concerning the will of God as considerable eyther quoad actum volentis as touching the act of God willing or quoad res voliâ—as as touching the thinges willed by God The act of God willing can have no cause sayth Aquinas neyther doe I finde any crossing of this amongst Schoole divines untill the Iesuites arose And the same Aquinas applying the same distinction to praedestination which is the very will of God in a certeyne kinde spares not to professe that Never any man was so madde as to affirme that merits are the cause of predestination quoad actum praedestinantis as touching the act of God predestinating It seemes he knewe of none so madde as to affirme this but since his dayes there hath risen up a sect of Iesuites a sect of Arminians more then enough that are so madde and yet cary this madde doctrine of theirs in such a confidentiary streyne as if they were the only sober men of the world Then agayne the thinges willed by God in predestination are of different condition and that so different that looke what alone is the cause of Gods decree that and that alone is the cause of the execution looke what alone is the cause of the decree quoad actum decernentis that and that alone is the cause of the decree quoad rem volitam or decretam but not so of the other as for example the things willed by God in predestination are grace and glory by grace I understand the grace of faith and repentance Now like as the act of Gods decree is of the mere pleasure of God no temporall thing being fitt to be the cause of the aeternall decree of God in like sort the giving of faith and repentance proceedes merely of the good pleasure of God according to that God hath mercy on whom he will Rom. 9.18 and to obteyne mercy at the handes of God is to obteyne faith Rom. 11.30 But as for glory and salvation we doe not say that God in conferring it proceedes according to the mere pleasure of his will but according to a lawe which is this whosoever believeth shall be saved which lawe we willingly professe he made according to the mere pleasure of his will but having made such a lawe he proceedes according to it No such lawe hath he made according wherunto to proceede in the dispensation of grace of faith of repentance And in like sort though God findes men aequall when he bestowes grace on some and not others yet he findes them not aequall when he comes to bestowe salvation on some and not on others The like distinction is coÌ„siderable on the part of reprobation which allso is the will of God in a certeyne kinde I say we must distinguâ—she in this decree the act of God decreeing and the thinges decreed by hâ—m And these thinges are of a different nature and so dâ—fferent that looke what alone is the cause of the act that alone is the cause of one thing decreed by it but not so of the other As for example the things decreed by reprobation are 1. The denyall of grace by grace I meane faith and repentance wherby that infidelitie hardnes of heart which is naturall to all is cured 2. The denyall of glory together with the inflicting of damnation As touching the first of these looke what is the cause of reprobation as touching the act of God reprobating that and that alone is the cause of the denyall of Grace to witt the mere pleasure of God For the Apostle playnly teacheâ—h us that as God hath mercy on whom he will to witt in giving faith and repentance so he hardneth whom he will by refusing to give them faith and repentance But as touching the denyall of glory and inflicting damnation God doth not proceede according to the mere pleasure
glory in the way of justice vindicative Much lesse is the sinne of man Gods ende that by certeyne meanes he should leade them herunto which meanes this Author disembles throughout contentinge himselfe as I suppose with his owne ignorance herin or which is worse dissembling what he meanes herby by the generalitie and indefinitenes of the terme giving way to the affections of his propitious readers to shape them and specifie them as they please and so it be with a congruous accommodation to their owne Tenet it shall be accepted with him though their conceytes proove never so contrariant one to another The cause of sinne I know none but the will of the creature occasions herof are many all which as Arminius confesseth are brought to passe and administred by Gods providence and these God makes the matter of exercising the vertue of his children ordinarily strengthening them against the temtations of Satan who laboureth to corrupt their soules by such occasions with others he deales not in like manner but leaves them unto themselves eyther according to the mere pleasure of his will who is not bound to give strength to any whereby he shall resist temptation Or as in some cases most deservedly namely when out of the pride of their hearts they thinke themselves able enough both to resist occasions unto sinne and to keep themselvs undefiled by them and also the temptations of Satan And it is just with God to deale in like manner with his owne Children when they growe wanton and the feare of God is not so quicke in them as it should be to wayte upon God and committ themselves and their wayes to Gods good providence to be protected and ordered by him What Homer sayd in the person of Achilles speaking to Vlysses as concerning Agamemnon we are reasonably well acquainted with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But wherein can we be justly taxed for imputing any such hypocrisie to God By his cōmandement he signifies what is our duetie to doe but by his purpose he decrees what shall be done or not done God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his Sonne Isaak and therby made it his duetie to offer Isaak but withall he determined that Isaak shoulde not be sacrificed but when Abraham came to the point to sacrifice him to hold his hande doe we reade that Abraham complayned of any hypocrisie in God herupon or of his double dealinge herin Nothing but grosse ignorance hindreth our adversaries in not discerninge so playne a difference and that most just without any colour of doublenes or hypocrisie or nothing but grosse dissimulation is performed by them in not taking notice of it The second Section NOw if this new Evangelist doe tell him that the passages of Scripture which say that God would have all men to be saved ought to be understood of some of every nation and condition the Infidell will reply that then the Scripture ought with much more reason to say that God would have all men to be damned because that in every nation there are farr more of these then of them and how that in all reason the denomination should be taken from the greatest number But then the Catechist perchance may say that God indeed willeth the conversion of all men yet onely so as he approoveth of those things in themselves and not that he gives all men the meanes necessary to obteyne them whereupon our Catechumenist will be the more astonied and demaund how it is possible that God by any absolute and irrevocable decree should have ordeyned that those things which he naturally detesteth and hateth should come to passe and yet that those things which he loves and likes should not And if it were possible his Catechist would make him turn Manichee and thinke that this evill God or evill beginning that is the Author of all evill hath continuall warr with that good God which loveth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse And that an honest man should have just reason to be angry with him that did interpret his words in that manner that this Catechist interpreteth those of holy Scripture whereby it followeth that God is the Author of all the wickednesse that hath beene is or shall be in the world But then againe the other will reply that he confoundeth the sinne with the act and that God causeth the second but not the first Whereas the other perceaving the mystery will againe tell him that the greatest Doctors of both the Synods have written that God hath praedestinated men as well to the meanes as unto the end and that the act is not the cause of damnation as it is the act but as it is the sinne and that those miserable men that are under the decree of reprobation are no more able to absteyne from sinne then shun their damnation Consid. I have read that some in Scotland about the beginning of Reformation hearing speach of the New Testament suspected it to have beene Erasmus making and rejecting it called for the old but this Author who termes us new Evangelists caryeth himself so as if he cared not much either for new or old His writing throughout savoureth so litle of the word of God Yet here he mentioneth passages of scripture at large and all that he imputeth hereunto is to say that God would have all men to be saved He alleageth or quoteth none neyther doe I know any passage of Scripture that affirmeth this That God will have all to be saved S. Paul sayth 1. Tim. 2. but no where that I know doth it say that God would have all men to be saved And as for that passage 1. Tim. 2. S. Austin 1200 yeares agoe interpreted it of genera singulorum and prooved it to be according to the analogy of scripture phrase and disproved the sense which this Author embraceth as overthrowing the first article of our Creed as touching Gods omnipotencye So then S. Austin by this Authors Criticisme is the new Evangelist and this Author is the old Evangelist if any Evangelist at all And what sober Christian would not affect to be accoumpted a new Evangelist with Austin if to concurre with him be to be a new Evangelist then to be an old Evangelist or none at all such as this Author Nay Gerardus Vossius who is conceaved to have laboured most in communicating unto us the new Doctrine of Antiquitie on these points interprets this will of God touching the salvation of all of voluntas conditionata thus God will have all to be saved to witt in case they beleeve Which voluntas conditionata in this sense neyther Austin did nor doe we deny Though we thinke it nothing agreeable to this place of Paul who attributes unto this will of God not onely the saving of all but their comming also to the knowledge of his truth The condition whereof Vossius for ought I remember doth not explicate But the same Vossius confesseth that the Apostle in that place in saying I will
commandement precedes the doing of that which is commanded but Gods approbation followeth the doing of it But this Author takes voluntas approbans in a different sense presupposing it to precede the doing of a thinge as if it were all one with that will which the Schoolemen call voluntas beneplaciti which is nothing so for that voluntas beneplaciti is all one with voluntas propositi or voluntas decernens the will of Gods decree denoting that which God thinkes good shall come to passe whether it be good or evill good by his effection evill by his permission For even the Iewes and Gentiles Herod and Pilate when they were gathered together against the holy Sonne of God did but that which Gods hande and Gods counsayle had foredetermined to be done So that taking Gods will of approbation as this Author takes it to witt preceding the thing done it is all one with Gods decree and therfore cannot make a member distinct from it Vndoubtedly the sacrificing of Isaake had bene accepted with God and Abrahams obedience therin had not God restrayned Abraham from execution of that which God commanded him albeit by Gods restraint it appeares that God had determined that when it came to the issue he shoulde not sacrifice him which will of God was voluntas beneplaciti as Schoolemen call it In like sort had Pharaoh let Israel goe in obedience to Gods commande God had approved it albeit it appeares by the revelatioÌ„ made to Moses that God hardened Pharaohs heart that he should not let Israel goe this with us is as true as the oracles of God whatsoever this Author conceytes newe Euangelist like out of the oracles and dictates of his owne brayne In like sort that God ordeyneth that many thinges which he naturally detesteth and hateth shall nevertheles come to passe is no newe Gospell of ours but the very doctrine of the newe testament For the ignominious usages of the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world wrought by Herod and Pontius Pilate together with the Gentiles and people of Israel were as naturally detested hated by God as ever any courses were from the beginning of the world unto this day yet the holy Apostles with one consent professe that both Herod PoÌ„tius Pilate together with the Gentiles people of Israel were gathered together against the holy Sonne of God to doe that which Gods hande Gods counsayle had not only determined but predetermined to be don What courses are more naturally detested hated by God then for Kings to use their power to the supporting of Antichrist O what bloody courses were these take but a scantling of them by the martyrdomes of Gods Saincts in the dayes of Queen Mary when this land was made another Aceldama a field of blood Yet hath the holy Ghost testified that God it was who put into the hearts of those Kings to fulfill his will not his will of commandement but only his decree to doe with one consent for to give their professe that Non aliquid sit nisi omnipotens fieri velit he doth not say nisi quod omnipotens fieri praecipit and because amongst such things as come to passe some are evill some are good and in this saying of his he comprehendes them all therfore he addes by way of explication vel sinendo ut fiat vel ipse faciendo Therfore even evill thinges God will have come to passe in Austins judgment But how Only by suffering them and good things by effecting them So that this doctrine of ours is as old as the doctrine of Austin yea as the doctrine of the holy Ghost And let this Author looke unto it how he will cleare himselfe from coyning a newe Gospell and that neyther out of the new Testament nor out of the old nor out of any tolerable monument of Antiquitie so much as pretended by him but merely out of the invention of his owne brayne Yet we want not cleere demonstration of the truth of this manifestly provinge that eyther they must deny Gods fore-knowledge of evill or be driven to acknowledge that God decrees it shall come to passe by his permission For it cannot be foreknowne by God as future and that from everlasting vâ—les it were future that from everlasting as all confesse Now let us soberly inquire how the crucifying of the Sonne of God became future and that from everlasting Not of its owne nature for if so then shoulde all things even the most contingent things become future by necessitie of nature But if of their owne nature they were thinges merely possible their transmigration out of the condition of things merely possible into the coÌ„dition of things future coulde not be wrought without a cause And what coulde be the cause herof Not any thing without God for as much as this transmigration was made from everlastinge for from everlasting they were foreknowne by God as future therfore from everlasting they were future But without God nothing was from everlastinge and consequently coulde not be the cause of that which was from everlastinge Therfore the cause of this transmigration must be found within the nature of God or no where Inquire we therfore what that is within the nature of God that may be a fitt cause here of Now the knowledge of God alone cannot be the cause herof as which rather supposeth things future then makes them so It remaynes then that the decree of God and that alone is the cause of this transmigration If to avoyde this they fly to the essence of God as the cause herof I farther urge that if the essence of God be the cause herof then eyther as working necessarily or as working freely Not as workinge necessarily for then all things shall proceede froÌ„ God working by necessitie of nature which is Atheisticall utterly overthrowing all divine providence if as working freely this is as much as to confesse that Gods free will is the cause herof which indeede is most true But this Author like his fellowes is very cautious for he doth not deny that God hath ordeyned that those thinges shall come to passe which he naturally detesteth and hateth but only seemes to deny that God hath ordeyned it by an absolute and irrevocable decree So that he seemes willing to confesse that what evill soever was or is or shall be found in the world comes to passe by Gods decree only he denyes that this decree wherby he decreed the crucifying of Christ and such like abominable courses was an absolute and irrevocable decree So that the question betweene us according to this Authors judicious stating of it is not whether evill thinges are decreed by God or no but rather supposing on both sides that they are decreed by God the question betweene us is only about the manner of this decree or about the nature of it as whether it be absolute or conditionall for what other member they devise in this case contradistinct to decree absolute I
this present be the time why should he deferre the hearing of Gods word wherby alone is our calling wrought though every one that heares it is not effectually called unto faith and repentance And a man may heare it with a purpose to oppose it eyther in generall or in some particular truth thereof Yet this humour of opposition cannot hinder Gods word and the operation of his Spirit where he will in spight of their coÌ„ceytes who thought the Apostles were filled with newe wine when three thousand were converted that day and Austin acknowledgeth that God converteth not only aversas à vera fide but adversas verae fidei voluntates We reade in the 7. of Iohn that some who were sent to take Christ were taken by him And Father Latimer observing that some came to Church only to take a nap yet saith he let them come for it may be they may be taken napping If it be impossible for man to disobey it is as impossible for man in like manner not to be industrious when God will have him to be industrious Yet I know no industry of man required to his effectuall vocation but the hearing of Gods word neyther is the execution of Gods goodnes towards him hastned by his hearkning to Gods word For though men doe heare it dayly yet are they not foorth with brought to faith As for effectuall vocation we take it to be all one with regeneration in effect and this Author will have God so to worke herein as to leave it to man whether he will be regenerated or no this is their sobrietie Austin I am sure professeth saying Deus omnipotente facilitate convertiâ— ex nolentibus volentes facit This Author seemes by his discoursing here of prayers eyther to be poorely exercised in Antiquitie or richly exercised in the contemning of it For he would have men to be effectually called by vertue of their prayers The Apostle saith how can they call upon him in whom they have not believed but this Author is able by his prayers to obteyne faith nay he makes shewe as if he could obteyne faith allso before his callinge and feares not to maynteyne that grace is obteynable by mens workes yet the contrary was condemned in the Synod of Palestine and Pelagius himselfe driven to subscribe unto it We nothing regard the qualitie of the person who speakes therby to condemne his doctrine but we judge of his doctrine and therby of the qualitie of his person Here he hath runne himselfe out of breathe as touching the first part of his performance We come unto the second The SECOND PART The first Section LEt us now see whether the practise of this doctrine hath more power over a debauched Christian to bring him to repentance and amendment of life To him then he will shew the filthines of his sinne the scandall to his neighbour the ingratitude to his Creator and redeemer the menaces of the law and the vengeance of God prepared for all impenitents c. Whereupon this man having more knowledge of our Doctrine of the Synods then of a good conscience will send his Censurer to the Maximes and Principles thereof and will much muse how the other should be ignorant that every thing which is done by men on Earth be it good or evill commeth not to passe but by the most efficacious decree and ordinance of God which doth all in all That the first cause doth in such manner moove and direct the second among which is the will of man that they cannot otherwise stirre then they are stirred That he is very sure that he is given to such a vice but his comfort is that God would have it so by his secret will that God hath predestinated him thereunto having as much willed and procured the treason of Iudas as the conversion of Paul That he hath no power to reteyne grace when he that gave it will take it away That the Spirit bloweth where it listeth inspireth whom it will withdraweth when it pleaseth when it pleaseth returns again And if it be with an intention for his amendment it shall be as impossible for him to withstand or else delay it as it is now to worke or hasten it Consid. We have considered how well this Author haâ—h instructed an infidell to play his part in opposing the doctrin of the Synod of Dort and Arles Now we are to consider how a debaucht Christian is fashioned by him to play his part in the same humour of opposition To such a one it is fitt we should apply the hammâ—r of the law which hath power to breake the bones we will labour to bring him thereby to the knowledge of sinne not onely of the nature of it but of the power of it Even of the power of that sinne which as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.8 takes occasion by the law to worke in man all manner of concupiscence and withall we will endeavour to bring him acquainted with the wrath of God and how in the course therof a fire is kindled that burneth to the bottom of hell Against this how he strengtheneth his Disciple from our doctrine we are to consider in the next place Now here first he supposeth his Factor to have more knowledge of the doctrine of the Synods then of a good conscience So that all debaucht Christians throughout the world he packs them together and makes them very judiciously to be of our side This is to hold up the enterlude of his owne making He is no Darby-shire man belike for their tales commonly ende with woodcocke on the one side as well as with woodcocke on the other side And we willingly confesse that our doctrine teacheth men not to trust to their selves for the doing of ought that is good but merely to the grace of God to give it the glory of working us to every thing that is pleasing in the sight of our heavenly Father Now this our adversary conceaves is it which makes us dissolute because we have learnt of S. Paul that God is he who makes us perfect to every good work workes in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ. As for these olde Evangelists they have a better opinion of their sufficiency then so and Aristotle hath taught them another lesson and it stands them upon to maynteyne their credite and reputation in this point by the exercise of their moralitie in a very accurate manner least otherwise they shoulde seeme to vaunt much in wordes but to preforme litle or nothing when they come to deedes Therfore they provide accordingly to holde up the credite of their Tenets and very artificially and histrionically they turne over all the debaucht Christians in the world on our side we must father them or at least our parishe must keepe them and that for good reason because they can no where be maynteyned so conveniently as by our trenchers For we must not be ignorant that every thing which is done
the act another speciall as touching the manner of performing it Lastly as touching the manner how all things shall come to passe by vertue of Gods decree this Author lurkes purposely under a miserable confusion which we cleere thus All things come to passe we say by Gods decree whether they are such things as come to passe necessarily by second causes working necessarily Or such as come to passe contingently by second causes working contingently and freely And accordingly upon supposition of Gods decree we say it is necessary that such things as God hath decreed shall com to passe but how Not necessarily allwayes but eyther necessarily or contingently and freely according to the condition of second causes some of them onely working necessarily but others working contingently freely All this this Author most judiciously confoundes as whose ende is to serve his owne turne and the advantage of his owne cause but not the cause of God in the sincere and faithfull investigation of his truth As in the very next sentence he manifesteth himself deep in this confusion as when he saith That the first cause doth in such manner moove and direct the second among which is the will of man that they cannot otherwise stirre then they are stirred For here he confoundes the different manner of Gods mooving and directing second causes as if there were no difference herin wheras indeede there is a very vast difference For wheras of second causes some worke necessarily some contingently God mooves them all not after one manner but differently that is agreably to their different conditions Second causes working necessarily he mooves and directs to worke necessarily in such sort as they cannot otherwise stirre then they are stirred but as for second causes working contingently and freely he mooves and directs them to worke accordingly that is contingently and freely to witt so as they have power eyther to suspende their operation which is their libertie quoad exercitium or to produce another operation which is their libertie quoad specificationem Thus he mooved Cyrus to builde his cittie and lett goe his captives as he had foretolde long before thus he mooved Iosiah to burne the prophets bones upon the altar which was foretold in the dayes of Ieroboam many hundred yeares before and no sober man makes doubt but that these workes of theirs though predetermined by God yet were performed as freely by them as any other workes of theirs In like manner he mooved the souldiers to absteyne from breaking of Christs bones prophecyed of about a thousand yeares before and the bordering nations to forbeare to invade the land of Israel when all the males came up thrise in the yeare before the Lord in Ierusalem according to the promise made unto them Exod. 34.24 I will cast out the nations before thee enlarge thy coasts so that no man shall desire thy land when thou shalt come up to appeare before the Lord thy God thrisâ— in the yeare Yet who doubts but they did as freely forbeare this as ought els and that the souldiours as freely absteyned from breaking Christs bones as they did freely breake the bones of them who were crucified with him But these Lucifugae delight in confusion like owles that are in love with darkenes that is their best time for prey In that which followes I confesse he deales clearly saying that though a man be given to sinne yet in case he knowes God would have it so by his secret will and that God hath predestinated him therunto this is a comfort unto him and truly I doe not envy him such a comfort and I see no reason but in the midst of the torments of hell it shoulde be likewise a comfort unto him that God did predestinate him therunto by his secret will Only he is pleased to speake in his owne phrase when he talkes of predestinating unto sinne Of predestinating unto damnation the Ancients spake acknowledging such a predestination But they acknowledged no predestinating unto sinne for as much as they tooke predestination to be only of those things which were wrought by God not of sinnes which are only permitted by God Yet these even as foule sinnes as were committed Herod and Pilate together with the Gentiles and people of Israel when they were gathered together against the holy Sonne of God are in the mouthes of the Apostles confessed to have bene foredetermined by the hand and counsel of God which wee understand thus God did fore-determine they should come to passe by his permission as touching the sinfulnes of them Now as for the Spirit of this Author how well it suiteth with the Spirit of Gods Saints we may easily judge by the word of God For when they doe expostulate with God in this manner Lord why hast thou caused us to erre from thy ways and hardned our hearts against thy feare it seemes apparantly that they tooke no comfort at all in this that God hardned their hearts against his feare and caused them to erre from his wayes And when the Lord revealed unto Moses that he would harden Pharaohs heart wherupon he should not let Israel goe for a long time I never perceaved that herby any comfortable condition was denoted that shoulde be unto Pharao in case he had known so much It seemes allso S. Paul tooke no notice of any such comfortable condition when having taught that God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth he bringâ—s in one herupon expostulating thus why then doth he yet complayne For who hath resisted his will Neyther doth the Apostle take any such course to pacifie him as by representing any coÌ„fortable condition redounding unto him hereby namely in as much as God it is who hath hardned him unto disobedience But the course he takes to stop his mouth is of another nature thus O man who art thou that disputest with God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one a vessell unto honour and another unto dishonour And whatsoever a debaucht Christian may be feigned to conceave for mine owne part and so I thinke I may be bold to say of every one of our profession whose hearts God hath seasoned with his feare I may be bolde to professe a truth that albeit I take notice of Gods hand sometimes hardening me against his feare yet God knowes I take no comfort in it but rather in this that God knowes how to worke it for my good according to that of Austin Audeo dicere vtile est superbis in aliquod apertum manisestumque cadere peccatuÌ„ c. when I find that my sinnes doe not make a finall or a totall separation betweene my soule God this may well tende to the corrobaration of my faith and persuade my soule that nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Iesus our
Lord and I have good cause to take comfort in this But it is untâ—ue that God hath as much willed the treason of Iudas as the conversion of Paul though Bellarmine hath so calumnated us longe agoe For albeit the treason of Iudas in betraying his mayster is one of the thinges meant by the Apostle which Iewes and Gentiles did against the holy Sonne of God and which they say were foredetermined by the hand and counsell of God And Austin is bolde to professe that Iudaâ— electus est ad prodendum sanguinem Dominisui notwithstanding which as another Father speaketh etiam Iudas potuisset consequi remedium si non festinasset ad laqueum yet there is a vast difference betweene Gods willing Iudas his treason and Pauls conversion For as for Iudas his treason his will was that should come to passe onely by Gods permission And Arminius is bold to profes that Voluit Deus Achabum mâ—nsuram scelerum implere but as for Pauls conversion that was not only willed by God but wrought by God and that in an extraordinary manner appearing unto him in the way and striking him downe with a light from heaven so with a strong hand taking him off from his persecuting courses when Ferox scelerum quia primò provenerat and flesht in the blood of Steven Iehu like he maâ—ched fuâ—iously against the Church of God As for no power in man to retain grace when God will take it away First where man is found willing to reteyne grace I know no just cause to complaine of the want of power for this And where there is no will to reteyne it I see no likelyhood that any man should complaine of want of power to reteyne it Yet like as man is not Lord of his owne Spirit nor able to reteyne it so I wonder it should seeme strange that men should have no power to reteyne the Spirit of God in case God should withdraw it from them And as for grace of sanctification which God should take away from man we know none as who mainteyn that God will deliver his children from every evill work and preserve them unto his heavenly Kingdom and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation That the Spirit bloweth where it listeth is the doctrine of our Saviour to Nicodemus Ioh. 3. That God inspireth whom he will with the Spirit of faith repentance we take to be all one with that Rom. 9.18 He hath mercy on whom he will And accordingly he denyes this inspiration to whom he will as much as to say He hardeneth whom he will But as for any actuall withdrawing of the Spirit of sanctification we acknowledge not It is true even his owne Servants he hardneth sometimes against his feare as the Scripture speaketh Esa. 63.17 Whereupon their peace of conscience is disturbed and they have cause to pray unto God to restore them to the joye of his salvation Psal. 51. as David there did But David did not pray that God would restore him to his Spirit but rather that he would not take it from him And Bertius professeth that he will not say that David by those foule sinnes of his was wholy bereaved of Gods Spirit and that propter graves causas As for Gods permission of men to sinne for their amendment Arminius himself acknowledgeth in effect in the particular case of David His words are these Permisit Deus ut ille in negligentiam istud incideret peccatum istud illa occasione perpetraret quò diligentiùs seipsum observaret peccatum suum exemplo aliorum deflerâ—â— egregium humilitatis resipiscentiaeque specimen Exemplar praestaret gloriosiùs ex peccato resurgeret As for the impossibilitie to withstand Gods operation the Scripture doth expressely justifie Eze. 20.32.33.37 Neyther shall that be done which commeth into your minde For ye say we will be as the Heathen as the families of the countries and serve wood and stone As I live sayth the Lord God I will surely rule you with a mightie hand a stretched our arme c. And the issue followeth which is this I will cause you to passe under the rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant Yet what is the issue of this impossibilitie Is it only in respect of the thing which God will bring to passe as these Arminians most superficially conceave and not as well in respect of the manner how it shall come to passe Nothing lesse but as God will have it come to passe and come to passe contingently and voluntarily and freely So it is impossible upon this supposition but that it shall come to passe but how not necessarily but contingently voluntarily and freely And as it thus comes to passe and no otherwise when the time which God hath appointed is come So before that time it shall not come to passe but how contingently also and voluntarilly and freely and impossible it is that it should be otherwise The second Section THat it is not for him to prescribe the time and houre of his conversion wherein a living man doth no more then a dead man in his resurrection That God is able to quicken him endue him with his Spirit though he were allready dead 4 dayes as stinking in the grave as Lazarus yea and that perhaps it shall not be untill the last houre of the day That as yet God giveth him not the grace to cry Abba Father That he so abhorreth the doctrine of those that are stiled Arminians that he dares not use the least endeavour to doe well for feare of obscuring that grace which worketh irresisâ—ibly and attributing of any thing â—o the will of man Yet he remembreth that he had sometimes good motions proceeding doubtlesse from the spirit of God which hath given him the true faith which can never faile and that for the present he is like the Trees in Winter which seem dead though they are alive That being of the number of the Elect as every one is bound to beleeve by the two Synods if he will not be declared perjured by that at Arles his sinne it self how enormous soever worketh together to his salvation yea and that he hath allready obteyned pardon for it That his Censurer cannot deny it seeing that he instructeth him unto repentance which is nothing worth without faith no more then faith it self if it beleeve not the remission of all sinns both done and to be done And though he were of the number of the Reprobates a thing which he will not affirme for â—â—are of being so held indeed by the Synod yet notwithstanding his Censurer would gayne nothing by it who by his exhortings and threatnings could not any way alter the decree of Heaven but onely molest him with the torments of Hell and stirre up a wâ—rme in his conscience to gnawe him to no purpose Consid. Were it in the power of man to change his owne heart who is not able to change
there immediate where the meanes are used We reade of Ionathan that he put off the robe that was upon him and gave it David and his garments even to his sword and to his bowe and to his girdle And the reason was because he loved him as his owne soule In like sort this bad living Christian whom here this Author represents to play a part for him is such a one as with whom he is in love for somewhat though not for his faâ—th For I see he is willing to aray him with his owne sufficiency and to bestowe his owne armour upon him the best armour of his witt even to his sword and to his bowe and to his girdle and the truth is he playes his part for him though the scene requires that another should make shewe to personate him and so the Arminian takes upon him the shape and vizard of a debaucht Christian on our side Now I willingly professe he makes the most of his wares in the utterance of them that words can and delivers himselfe with very great confidence which though it be no to pick place yet usually it is his best strength And I have heard of a French Gentleman who in the troubles of France when it behooved every man to stand upon his guard having unadvisedly lett into his house certeyn freebooters perceaving his error too late sett himselfe to seeke to help it with his witt caryed himself with such freenes and confidence in the enterteyning of them that therby he overcame them and they parted without doing him any wrong and at parting bid him thanke his confidence that he escaped so well And truly coulde the matter beare it we might suffer him to enâ—oy the benefite and comfort of his confidence But we are upon the point of investigation of divine truth and to spare him herin were to undoe him and others with him More profitable it is for him by much to be beaten quite out of his fools paradise then to suffer him to enioy his errours and so lace himselfe with them and to corrupt others allso Now as for explication of what was delivered as he requires we see no neede therof at all the playne truth therof is so visible that he who will not shutt his eyes against it cannot but take notice of it this is to requite confidence with confidence for is it not fitt to pay him in his owne coyne And consider I pray let exhortation be made unto repentance let this exhortation be backt with the most forcible motives therunto drawne from promises divine of no lesse reward then aeternall life from menaces divine to the impenitent and that of the wrath of God and that of such a condition as wherin a fire is kindled which burneth unto the bottome of hell Yet is it not in the power of man to assent to this exhortation or dissent from it And in case he doe assent after a while as he shall thinke good and take time to deliberate shall not he be accoumpted and his will the sole cause yea and immediate also in producing this operation I say the sole cause in reference to the exhortation premised which still leaves a man indifferent whether he will yeelde thereunto or no I should thinke the exhortation hinders not the will of man at all from being the sole yea and immediate cause of willinge which if it cannot be denyed as I should thinke it cannot if withall the Spirit of God doth worke the will sooner or later to yeilde unto it why should not that be accoumpted the sole cause therof yea and immediate allso though that terme was not specified in the premises And as for the clearing of the contradiction the shew whereof is brought in afterwards by foysting in the terme immediate into the place of the word sole I answere that man being a rationall agent and working upon deliberation the judgement must first be informed before he can worke deliberately Now the immediate work of exhortation tendes no farther then to the information of the judgement And as reasons are given on the one side out of Gods word to urge the necessitie of repentance so reasons are given on the other sid partly by flesh and blood partly by the suggestions of Satan to represent the needelesse condition thereof eyther alltogether or at least for the present And the will freely makes choyse to follow the one or the other sometimes giving way to exhortations divine sometimes to contrariant suggestions carnall or diabolicall And if God be pleased to rebuke Satan and to dashe out of countenance the motions of the flesh and make the will to yeelde to the ministers exhortations unto repentance what shall hinder him from being the sole and immediate cause hereof Againe this Author considers not or wilfully dissembles that exhortations are onely a cause morall but Gods working immediately upoÌ„ the will after that the judgment is wrought uppon by exhortations instructions for Austin comprehends these under one saying that if there be any difference between docere suadere or exhortari yet eveÌ„ this doctrinae generalitate coÌ„prehenditur this he workes as a cause physicall therfore albeit ther be a presupposall of a cause preceding working morally yet the Spirit of God in striking the stroake is the sole and immediate cause working physicallie Lastly he that persuadeth say the Bellarmine and light of nature justifies it worketh only per modum proponentis objectum only he setts it foorth in the most alluring manner that he can Now the object proposed is well knowne to work only in genere causae finalis the motion wherof is commonly called motus metaphoricus or metaphoricè so called But Gods operation immediate in working upon the will is in genere causae efficientis so that albeit a cause working in genere causae finalis be presupposed yet still it is cleere that the Spirit of God works immediatly upon the will in converting it in genere causae efficientis Now the ignorance herof is it that makes this Author so bold and confident in talking of manifest contradiction and who so bold as blinde bayard but I woulde the scales might at lenght fall from their eyes that they might see upon what rotten grounds they proceede in impugning the precious truth of God we willingly grant that information of the understanding is necessarily required both to faith and to repentance otherwise they were not acts rationall but that this information shoulde be made by the minister that is I confesse ordinarily required by the vertue of Gods ordinance but not necessarily which whether this Author takes notice of or no I knowe not I finde him litle sâ—nsible of any such distinction And we willingly confesse that as often as men are found to resist these exhortatâ—ons divine though delivered by Gods minister they may justly be sayde to resist God working morally and besâ—eching them as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 5.20 as though God through us
did beseeche you So the Iewes with their Fathers resisted the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 For as much as the wordes delivered unto theÌ„ which they resisted were sent by the Lord of hosts in his Spirit by the ministery of his prophets Zach. 7.12 accordingly God is sayde to have protested among them by his Spirit by the handes of the prophets but they would not heare Nehem. 9.30 But they doe not resist nor can resist the holy Ghost working immediately and physically upon their wills the act of conversion and physicall or rather hyperphysicall transmutation We willingly confesse that the elect resist neyther tending to their first conversion provided the time be come which God hath appoynted for their conversion till then they resist all exhortations tending thereunto as well as others but as for any divine act for a physicall transmutation of their wills they are not made pertakers thereof till the time of their effectuall calling Yet after their effectuall calling as they doe too often disobey God in his particular exhortations So likewise they have cause sometimes to expostulate with God for hardning their hearts against his feare But in their first conversion he doth not only pierce their eares the word of the minister being able enough for that but he gives them eares to heare so also he gives them eyes to see and as for the opening of the heart that also I take to be all one with giving them an heart Deut. 29.4 Now hereupon this Author tells us we must be driven to confesse that the word preached for the most part is destitute of that operation of the Holy Ghost as it appeares by the misprise that the most part make of it which cannot be when the efficacy of the spirit doth accompany it but this is untrue we are not driven nor neede to be driven hereunto we must willingly acknowledge it rightly understood namely that God â—nto the outward ministery of the word doth not for the â—ost part adde the efficacy of his Spirit to worke men unto faith and repentance as it is most evident by experience and our Saviour in the parable of the sower that went forth to sowe his seede teacheth us as much And the Prophet Esay also when prophecying of the times of the Gospell he beginnes thus Who hath beleeved our report and giving the cause hereof in the next words addeth And to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed But as touching the consequence herhence deduced namely that the whole ministery is but a dance no more cooperating wâ—th mans conversion then the clay which our Saviour applyed to the eyes of the blind did unto his sight or the sole voyce calling upon Lazarus made him to rise out of his grave Here this great master of ceremonies is miserably out in his formalities as well as in his realities It followeth not herehence that the ministery is a dance but a piping rather as our Saviour signifies in the Gospell when he sayth wherunto shall I liken this generation they are like to litle Châ—ldren sitting in the market place and saying we have piped unto you but ye have not danced we have mourned unto you but you have not wept yet piping is a naturall provocation to dance but the exhortation of the word without a more speciall operation of Gods Spirit is no provocat on at all to believe how can it be to naturall man to whom it seemes foolishnes and witt wisdome is naturally more affected by men then honestie For qui velit ingenio cedere rariu erit and the Italians have a proverbe that witt is aequally divided and the instance is given thus Let a proclamation be made that all Taylers appearing in an assembly stand up in this case Taylers will stand up and none but Taylers so of shoemakers so of other â—â—ades But if a proclamation be made that all wise men should stand up every one will be ready enough to stand up men of the meanest trade being apt to conceave that they are likely enough to be as wise as they who are of the best Yet by this Authors leave the ministâ—ry of the word confers more to a mans conversion then the clay did for ought I know to the curing of the blinde mans eyes c. For the word informes what is to be beleeved and likewise what is to be practised though to discerne the wisedom of God in the one and to be in love with the other and to feele the power of God in both requires another operation of the Spirit oâ— God to the inlightning of the minde and renewing of the will He that said nature doth nothing in vaine saâ—de God and nature doe nothing in vayne so that there was litle neede of such a gradation as here is made Nâ—yther is the ministery of the word in vayne though all or the most part are not converted by it For it informes all it takes away excuse from all they cannot say si audivissem credidâ—ssem they know hereby a Prophet hath beene amongst them though they who yeelde obedience to it have no need of any such excuse and for their sakes it is principally intended as appeares both by the revelation made to Paul Act. 18. Feare not and holde not thy peace for no man shall lay holde on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this city And accordingly by the Apostles scope in his ministery For albeit he professeth that he became all things to all men that he might save some 2. Cor. 6. Yet he manifests who those some were whose salvation he sought where he sayth I suffer all things for the elects sake 2. Tim. 2.10 And lastly it is not in vayne towards any for as much as the ministers thereof are the sweete savour of God both in theÌ„ that are saved in them that perish To them that perish a savour of death unto death to them that are saved a savour of life unto life in both a sweete savour unto God in Christ. As for the things which we ascribe onely to the Spirit of God we ascribe them to that Spirit of God onely in the way of a cause physicall we ascribe them to the word also in the way of a cause moâ—all as both informing the understanding concerning them and persuading thereunto But the Spirit of God alone both opens the eyes to discerne them and the heart to embrace them as the things of God And for the cause fore-mentioned to witt because the Spirit of God doth not inlighten to discerne the things of God but as revealed in his word nor to incline to any thing as to the will of God but as proposed in his word therefore is the word called the sword of the Spirit Eph. 6. Thus justly are we said to be begotten by the word renued by the word aedified by the word fed by the word clensed by the word And I finde it very strange that when these men will have all that
that worketh in us every thing that is pleasing in his sight doth the Physician sett the mans leggs whom he hath cured I thinke he hath enough to doe to sett his owne legges members going according to their severall motions was holy Paul nourished in his sloath who both professeth that he laboured more abundantly then they all yet in the same breath acknowledgeth that nevertheles it cannot he but rather the grace of God in him Nay how is it possible that God should bring a man to a sermon while he lyes lazy in his bed How is it possible he should continue that excesse which brought him to his sicknes when God workes in him that which is pleasing in his sight and fullfills the good pleasure of his goodnes towards him and the worke of faith in power But we may easily proceave the Spirit of his Author he would not be a child still he would goe on highe alone and not have any neede of the leading of his heavenly Father his owne Spirit serves his turne to performe any holy duetie any gracious worke And as Plato discerned the pride of Antisthenes through his patcht coate so may we thorough these wilde expressions as if God did mans worke for him while he lay in sleepe we may easily perceave the pride of his heart requiring no more succour from God to the performance of to velle agere of that which is good then Pelagius of olde did Yet the Lord by his prophet playnely professeth of himselfe that he causeth us to walke in his statutes and judgments and to doe them and the Apostle as playnely teacheth us that God workes in us both the will and the deede according to his good pleasure yea that he workes in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ. The meaning whereâ—â— Pelagius his opinion was only this that suadet omne quod bonum est and in all liklihood no other is the meaning of the Apostle in the opinion of this Author though he comes not so farre as to the discussing therof and to treate of Gods concourse For which kinde of exercise this comicall witt of his is nothing accommodated and like enough this discourse of his is plausible to none but such comicall witts as himselfe is of and no merveyle if it be magnified of them For Lactucas similes labra simillima habent like lettice like lips Yet he doth us wrong in saying we are not content that God should furnish us with necessary and sufficient grace to preserve and keepe us from sinne For albeit we doe require that God should immediately and irresistibly worke all our good workes in us yet surely we acknowledge this to be necessary unto every good act and no grace without this sufficient ad velle agere though there may be without this a grace sufficient ad posse and the word of God it selfe we acknowledge to be sufficient in its kinde to witt in the way of instruction but the ministery therof we willingly professe goes no farther then Pauls planting and Apollos wateringe over and above all which unles God be pleased to give the encrease we shall continue unfruitfull still only there is a sect that have a better opinion of their activitie unto that which is good then so Sure I am the Apostle tells us that God doth fulfill the good pleasure of his goodnes in us and the worke of faith with power and if he fulfill the worke of faith with power doth he not fulfill the worke of love of repentance of obedience of all holy conversation and godlines that with power Molira will have Gods concourse to be simultaneous with the will not antecedaneous in nature to the wills operation least otherwise God should not be the immediate cause of the act of the maintenance wherof he was zelous and it seemes Arminiâ—â—s tooke his conceyte from him of making God in the same manner an immediate cause of every act But Suares his fellowe Iesuite doth not approove of that Molinaes conceyte and is of opinion that albeit God doth worke the will to her operation yet this nothing hinders the immediate condition of Gods causalitie So that all of them stande for the maintenance of Gods immediate causalitie which this Author very judiciously and profoundely out of the depth of his scholasticalitie rejects and after his manner takes it in scorne that God shoulde be required to performe an immediate operation in producing any good worke he would have that left to the will of man not that he desires to have wherof to boast for he will be ready in great plerophory of wordes to professe that he gives God the glory of all but how Forsooth of working him so to that which is good as to leave it to his will at the pleasure therof to be the immediate operator in all Otherwise he should worke irresistibly which is a phrase of an ill accent in their eares and stickes as a burre in their throate it will not downe with them for they are verily persuaded it would breede no good blood in them not for feare least herby they should ascribe too much to God and too litle to themselves farre be that from the Spirit of their humilitie but they would have the Allmightie cary himselfe decently in dealing with them and sith he hath indued them with free will not to damnifie the free course therof which were to disanull his owne workmanship For as yet they are not arrived to any such faith as to believe that it is in the power of the Almightye to make them to worke this or that freely But let me have leave to spurre this Author one quaestion Cannot he endure that God should so powerfully worke them unto that which is good that the world should have no abilitie to resist him nor the divill and his Angells of darkenes We knowe the course and fashions of the one and the practises and suggestions of the other are prest and forward enough to hinder us in the good wayes of the Lord as much as ever the Angell of God was to hinder Balaam in his wicked courses Now why should you be so zealous of maynteyning the power eyther of the world or the divill to corrupt your soule and overthrowe your faith were it not rather cheifly to be desired that God should so worke us by his holy Spirit unto every thing that is pleasing in his sight that it shoulde not be in the power of the very gates of hell to prevayle against us that is I trowe to worke us unto that which is good irresistibly that is so that the world nor the divill should not be able to resist Gods operation though they much desire it I shoulde thinke it is not the genius of this Author to oppose irresistible operation divine in this sense though it may be he was never cast upon this distinction untill now In respect of whom then would he have this