greatly by them mistaken excepted ADVERSARIES Adams posterity as they came to understanding had a law And again the law is given to a man when he comes to understanding and when his conscience gives him peace by keeping it and war for breaking it and not till then which qualities say they are not in babes for they discern not earthly things and how then should they discern heavenly c. seeing there must be a conscience unto which the Law is given which infants haue not DEFENCE THis errour in the latter part of their speech must the more carefully be observed and cleerly refuted by us because it is laid down as the ground of divers other errours and the same not small as will appear hereafter Neither needs there in truth more nor can there be any thing more cleere against them then that which themselvs bring from Rom. 2 their words are The law is written in the hearts of men in nature who haue a conscience to excuse them if they doe the things of the Law c. This form of speech used by the Apostle of the Law as written in mens hearts is borrowed from Gods writing the Law in tables of stone which had first and by creation been written in mens hearts out of which it was almost quite blotted by sin Now what is it for the Gentiles to haue had the Law written in their hearts in or by nature as the Apostle speaks This must needs be in nature created for in nature as corrupted there is no writing in but blotting out of the Law If by nature created then as infants haue this nature so haue they this naturall manuscript or writing of Gods hand This also the very word nature imports signifying that which is born with a man or with which hee is born comming of a word in Greek that signifies to beget or produce as parents doe children and each living creature its kind And seeing the Apostle here speaks of a Law by which men discern the differences between right and wrong good and evill honest and dishonest in morall and main matters whence and with what hand should all and every man and woman living in the world even there where is no Law otherwise written or preached haue this law and conscience thus written in their breasts saue by the finger of God in creation This knowledg and conscience being the remainders of that image of God in which all men in Adam were made By all which it appears evidently that infants bring into the world with them this law of nature and those foot-steps of Gods image in their reasonable soules who having in them the faculties of understanding and will cannot possible be devoyd of all law for the ordering of the same to whâ—ch â—aw they are necessarily either disposed or indisposâ—d 〈◊〉 it â—â—â—not be that the reasonable faculties of understanding and â—â—ll â—â— any of mankind should be voyd of all vertuous or vitious â—â—sposition and inclination at least to the things of the law of nature that is of God the effects whereof they shâ—w forth actually in their time And this truth themselues elsewhere confirm undenyably though they think it not where they say that Adams posterity originally for of that state they there speak haue weak natures by the which when the commandement comes they cannot obey This originall weakness then is a contrary disposition to the Law of God and to that which they were created else it could not hinder them from obeying God actually afterward at least internally and in their hearts Surely nothing but the Law of sin is contrary to the Law of God warring against it and against the law of the mind agreeing with it as the Apostle speaketh Neither follows it that Infants haue no Law because they haue not peace or warre of conscience in them nor can discern of earthly or heavenly things The shewing the workes of the Law and doing the things contained in the Law and so the having a conscience excusing or accusing for the contrary as the Apostle speaks are not simply requisite for the having of the Law nor for being conformable to it but for the actuall obedience therunto in particular actions Persons are in three respects conformable to the law of God first in habite and so a godly man is a godly man and conformable to Gods law when hee sleepeth secondly in disposition or inclination and so infants considered either in state of creation or regeneration are conformable thereunto thirdly in performance of particular acts of obedience by men of discretion for which the conscience excuseth and accuseth for the contrary As well may these men deny that infants are reasonable creatures as that they are lawlesse They can perform the works of neither but haue the faculties and dispositions of and to both which in time and in their effects they manifest ADVERSARIES IN the next places follows their promised proofs that Christ hath been and still is offered to all that haue sinned and that they haue put him away and that the fault is their own and condemnation from themselvs and Good freed from partiality DEFENCE BElike then if God shew that mercy to one in calling him to his grace in Christ which hee doth not to another it is partiality with them from which to free him they take this pains as if the Lord stood in need of their patronage wheras in truth they but forge lies for God as Iobs friends did and talk deceitfully for him Let us consider of their proofs admitting of such as haue in them either apparant truth or probability and reproving the rest as there is cause And first they erre in saying that the generation of Adam and Eve took notice of Christ as they took notice of their sin seeing the notice of sin specially of that which is more grosse is naturall and the effect of the law of nature written in all mens hearts whereas the notice of Christ is by supernaturall revelation The like vain presumption and apparant falsifying is in the words following that all the sonns of Noah could doe no lesse but take knowledg of Christ to convey it by tradition to all their generations If it be meant that indeed they did so How many 1000 thousands are there at this day which never so much as heard of Christ at least as God and man and Redeemer of mankind by his death For this their presumption of the ages before Christs coming in the flesh they bring not any shew of reason or testimony divine or human Onely they alledg the sacrifices of the Gentiles which say they they either had from their ancestors in their generations or as being moved by a troubled conscience which must be quieted by sacrifice And these sacrifices they tell us were remembrances of Christ and kinds of acknowledgings of him though in the end they account them no better then remembrances of a false Christ in stead of him As their opinion
at all to shew to whom the Law was given or not but onely that the Christian Church at Rome specially many of them being Iewes as appears chap. 16 to which he wrote was not ignorant of the Law whether generall or particular to which he had reference in that place To Deut. 11. 2 besides things answered by Mr. Ainsworth I adde that Moses there excludes not onely infants but many grown men as appears v. 3. 4. The other two places Matth. 13. 9 and 1 Cor. 10. 15 exclude too many mens of years also considering how few haue ears to hear or understanding to judg aright of spirituall things For the third head and that all sinned in Adam it is so plain from Rom. 5 as they haue nothing at all to answer though they object the place onely they bring certain other Scriptures in such a manner as if they would disproue one Scripture by another And indeed what exposition can be given or evasion found considering the expressenes of the words As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne so death passed upon all men for that or as the originall hath it in whom all men haue sinned So v. 19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners c. If they say as some doe that all are made sinners by imitation onely they are clearly confuted first by daily experience in which it is plain that children comming to some discerning will lie filch and revenge themselvs though they never heard lie told c. It is alas too evident that they bring this corruption into the world with them Secondly by the Apostles words v. 19 For as by ones mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous If wee bee made unrighteous onely by imitation of Adams sin and not by his performing it as our root naturally then we are made righteous onely by imitation of Christs righteousnesse and not by his performing righteousnesse and fulfilling the Law for us as our spirituall root in which wee are grafted by faith Lastly these Adversaries grant that by Adams sin all his posterity haue weak natures by which when the commandement comes they cannot obey and liue but sin and so die Rom. 8. 3. Can they which are accustomed to doe evill doe well Or will these men never leav their godlesse custom of corrupting the words of the text for advantaging of an evill cause For flesh which the Text hath they put nature wheras it is without all question that by flesh the Apostle there understands properly sin and sinfull flesh as he expresly calleth it and as is plain in the whole context v. 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7 c. In all which hee opposeth the flesh to the spirit and the sinfull life of the one to the righteous life of the other And I would know of these deep Divines what but sin could possibly make Adams posterity unable to keep the Law This flesh or nature as they will haue it must be contrary to this good and holy Law and resist it And is not that properly sinfull and unholy which resists and is contrary to that which is good and holy Lastly this enemy to the Law of God in a man must be in his soule And what else can it be then a disposition in the understanding to ignorance and errour touching God and heavenly things and an inclination in the will and affections to evill Which is as properly sinne as their acts and effects are properly sinfull Infants therefore bring sin properly into the world with them Two things they here object First that Christ often accounts children innocents as Math. 18. 3. 4 19. 14. I answer first not as they mean that is such as haue in them nothing vertuous or vitious good or evill but as being humble and without pride and such as unto whom the Kingdom of God and his blessing did appertain Secondly He speaks not of all children but of those of and in the Church Their second objection is that our soules being the subjects of sin are created of God imediately But to this objection they that referrs the soules originall imediately to Gods supernaturall and indeed miraculous work do giue divers answers which these Adversaries should haue refuted Amongst others Mr. Ainsworths answer is worthy the consideration But let us consider their proofs for the soules immediate creation The first is Act. 17. 26 Of one bloud God made all mankind c. But this place makes rather against them seeing the body alone makes not mankind but the soule with it by which specially the man is The next place is Heb. 12. 9 whence they gather that Adam is the Father of our bodies and God the Father of our Spirits But first the Text neither mentions Adam nor can agree to him in the state of creation seeing in that estate there was no use of correction Secondly it saith not the fathers of our bodies but of our flesh nor the father of our Spirits but of Spirits And the meaning seems unto me with due respect had to other mens different judgment onely to be this that if we giue honour to men our carnall or fleshly fathers chastening us as they think good how much more owe honour to our spirituall father chastening us for our eternall good And surely God in his kinde is the father of the whole man not of the soule onely So is man in his kinde the father of the whole man and not of the body onely Lastly seeing the drift of the place is to shew that God as a father chasteneth his sons which he loveth and on the contrary that they that are not chastened are not sons and so haue not God for their Father I see not how the Apostle can speak of the creation of soules seeing in that respect wicked and godly children and bastards haue God alike their father The Preacher ch 12. 7 speaks of the manner of the creation of the first man Adam onely but no more proues that our soules or spirits are created by God imediately then that our bodies are made of dust immediately That ch 8. 8 hath no colour of proof in it Against our fourth and last assertion that all by Adams sin are guilty of death Rom. 5. 12 they cavill that we were not in Adam to bring any soule to hell for the breach of that commandemant Thou shalt not eat Where first to passe by their incongruity of speech they free Adam himselfe from the guilt of condemnation of which our question is as well as his posterity by that his sin seeing it brought not him himself to hell But secondly for the thing it selfe They grant acording to the Scriptures that death as a part of the curse came over all Adams posterity for his sin And will they then deny that eternall death was also due by the same law of justice Is
me to defend which considers man as fallen in Gods account as the object of the Predestination in question But I will not use all my lawfull liberty but as he that will overtake and hold a malefactour must follow him not onely in the high and beaten way whilst he keeps it but in all the out-leaps also and turnings which he makes So God assisting me purpose I though it be troublesome to follow and prosecute these Adversaries in this and other their particular straglings if any way pertinent to the generall controversie I affirm then that Gods decree and ordination about Adams fall was such as that the same could not but follow therupon not as an effect upon a cause working it God forbid but as a consequent upon an antecedent or as an event necessarily following upon a most holy wise and powerfull providence so ordering and disposing that the same should so come to passe infallibly though performed by Adams free and freely working will If any demand how this can be that God who forbiddeth and hateth sinne yet should so order persons and things by his providence and so from eternity purpose to order them as that the same cannot but be I answer by free acknowledgment that the manner of Gods working herein is to me and to all men unconceiueable and withall avouch that he who will not confesse that God can and could in Adams sin by his infinite wisedom and power most effectually and infallibly in regard of such event order and dispose of things without violation to his holinesse or violence to the creatures will as no mortall man is able to conceiue the manner therof is himselfe in a high degree guilty of that pride which was Adamsâ—uine â—uine by which he desired to be as God in knowledge Who is able to understand the manner of Gods working in giving the Holy Ghost to men and in directing the tongues and pens of the Prophets infallibly and so as they could not erre Much lesse discernable is Gods manner of working in and about the creatures sinfull actions And because many take great offence at this doctrine of truth and work of God I will the Lord assisting me plainly and briefly as I can proue that all events even those most sinfull in regard of the creatures work in and of them come to passe necessarily after a sort in respect of Gods providence as being a hand steady and which swarveth not in ordering the creature in and unto the same My first proofe is from Act. 2. 22. 23 ch 4. 27. 28. Him to wit Christ being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God ye haue taken and by wicked hands haue crucified and slain And again Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together to doe whatsoever thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done What words could the Holy Ghost make choise of more liuelily to expresse Gods effectuall work according to his eternall purpose Here is expresly mentioned not onely his foreknowledge upon which the event necessarily followeth except God goe by guesse onely but his determinate counsel yea his hand as the effectuall instrument of working as if the Holy Ghost should haue said That which the heart of God unchangeably purposed sâ—ould be done touching the killing of hâ—s Son by wicked men that his hand powerfully ordered to be done accordingly ADVERSARIES THeir evasions else-where are that God decreed to suffer them to doe that which they did but decreed not that they should so doe and that God might haue appointed some to sacrifice his sonne Christ as he did Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac And againe that although God determined certainly that his sonne should be slain yet he might haue been slain without sin DEFENCE THat God suffered and so decreed to suffer the wicked to kill his sonne is plaine If he had not decreed to suffer them he had not suffered them if he had not suffered them they could not haue done it but that he onely suffered them is against the expresse words and meaning of the text which sayth the wicked took him being delivered by Gods determinato counsell Is to deliver by determinate counsell to suffer onely So where it is sayd that Gods hand determined that which was done it shewes that God was a doer in the businesse and not a sufferer onely If God onely suffered them that is hindred them not he had no hand in it at all but with-held his hand from medling in it How then could his hand and counseli determine before whatsoever was done Besides if God onely suffered the death of his sonne all the worth of our redemption by his death vanisheth away seeing that which God suffers onely is onely evill and not good Also by this perverse exposition neither the Father gaue his sonne nor the sonne himselfe for us to the death which the Scriptures every where affirme Lastly hee that considers the end of the Churches prayer Act. 4. will plainly see how they meant therein to ascribe unto God more then the sole suffering of those things The end was to comfort themselues and other Gods servants against the threatnings and rage of the wicked in all their persecutions But what comfort I marvail can the servants of God draw from this consideration that God suffers the wicked in rage to persecute them and hinders them not This were indeed rather matter of discouragement and dispaire then of comfort unto them But herein stands their comfort firme that God by the hand of his providence orders all these things according to the fore-determination of the counsel of his will Neither wil their vain imagination helpe them that Christ might haue been slain and become our sacrifice yet without sinne For howsoeevr it bee not for them nor me to determine what was possible to Gods absolute power yet we know considering the declaration thereof both by the Scriptures and event that in regard of Gods decree it was necessarie that Christ should dye as he did by the conspiracie and rage of wicked men as both the expresse words and plain drift of the places proue Lastly it is an erroneous presumption that God might haue appointed some to haue sacrificed his sonne Christ as he did Abraham to sacrifice his sonne Isaac to wit in obedience to Gods commandement considering how expresly the Scriptures did even before his death teach the contrary and that the sonne of man must suffer many things and be killed by the Elders and chiefe Priest Also that Christ ought to suffer to wit what he had suffered by the Priests and Rulers which had delivered him to bee condemned to death and had crucified him which manner of death by being hanged upon the tree so becoming a curse for us that he might free us from the curse of the Law was as well foretold by the scriptures as his death it selfe If that cannot but be which the Scriptures fore-tell
he suffered them to enter into them Math. 8. 31. 32 Mat. 5. 12. 13 Luk. 8. 32. DEFENCE BVT first I would know how they can proue that though in one place where no punishment is directly intended suffering and sending be all one therfore they are all one in all other places where the Lord properly and professedly intends a punishment Secondly I deny that sending and suffering are here all one but as we find in many other places so in this that which one Evangelist relates though truely yet not so fully that another sets down more throughly with all the parts Luke saith He suffered them and this is true Matthew saith He sent them and this is the same which Luke saith and more namely together with the suffering of them the directing and determining also of their malice this way for the Lords most holy though unknown ends And if the Lord in this case onely suffered them and let them alone then it should follow that the creature doth some actions wherin he is wholly left to himselfe without Gods medling with him or ruling of him But to come neerer the matter I would know of these men when two Evangelists or Prophets set down the same thing in divers words the one in more sparing and strait and the other in more large termes whether we be not to expound the strayter by the larger and not the larger by the strayter except there be some apparant restraint The Evangelist Matthew relating the miracle done by Christ upon Peters mother saith He touched her hand and the fever left her Marke saith He took her by the hand and the fever left her Should we now say that to take her by the hand and lift her up were nothing but to touch her hand Or say we not truely that Mark said the same thing which Mathew doth and more also so is it in Christs suffering and sending the divels More plainly yet We reade how upon the death of Absolom Ahimaz the Priest being very desirous to be the messenger therof to David importunes Ioab greatly to let him run and again to let him run Ioab at the last condiscends and saith to him run and so v. 29 Ahimaz expresly affirmes that Ioab sent him to David He therfore both suffered him to goe and sent him He suffered him as having a desire of himselfe and sent him also as his messenger to the King So Christ both suffered the devils as desiring to possesse the swine rather then to be cast into the deep and also sent them as ordering their malice to that object and none other for the tryall of the Gergesenes In the next place followeth to be considered of the sending of Ioseph into Aegypt touching which let these two things onely be added to the things spoken for the opening of the former instances First that Ioseph expresly saith not onely that God sent him into Aegipt but that he sent him thither to preserue life which was Gods end and not his brethrens and therfore depends upon Gods work not upon theirs but withall that it was not they that sent him thither but God Ioseph here makes God in a respect a greater doer then his brethren these men shut God quite out and makes him onely a sufferer or one that left others alone and meddles not with them His brethren sold him but God sent him that is used their envious injury to his own gracious work both towards him and them and much other people whom by his meanes he kept aliue Secondly and for conclusion let this be observed that Ioseph speaks of Gods sending him to comfort his brethren in their sorrow and fear for the evill they had done to him But I would know what comfort it could be to their perplexed hearts to think that God suffered them to doe wickedly that is hindred them not Can any man having grace yea common sense take comfort in this that God leavs him to himselfe to doe wickedly and hinders him not A miserable comforter would this miserable exposition haue made Ioseph to haue been Whereas by the other and true sense though their sin were nothing the lesse yet Gods providence appeares the greater and more gracious in ordering their envy and malice to such an event as it had whence no small comfort did accrew unto them Of the death of Christ and Gods work in giving him thereunto even to the cursed death of the crosse by the hands of the wicked I haue formerly spoken at large and will not repeat the same things Onely I cannot but tax their allegation of Vrsinus as most vain who in the place notâ—d by them opposeth Gods permission to his willing and working of sinne as sinne and so God indeed onely permits and neither wils nor works sin as sin Otherwise all that haue but once lookt â—nto Vrsinus know how vehemently he impugneth that imagination of bare permission avowing the effectuall work of Gods providence in and about sin as both working the actions themselues which he cals the materials of sin and withdrawing his grace and withall destinating directing and bringing to their ends the same actions That of Amos 3. 6 is misapplyed if by any alledged and so easily answered The last place which they take upon them to answer is Ioh. 12 39. 40 Therfore they to wit the Iewes before whom Christ had done so many miracles could not beleev because that Esaias had said He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see c. ADVERSARIES THeir answer after divers incongruous forms of speech and some truths among is that this and the like places affirm that they winked with their eyes lest they should see for which cause God gaue them up to this reprobate sense DEFENCE THat is they being interpreters for winking with their eyes lest they should see God gaue them up to wink with their eyes lest they should see Thus by this untoward construction the same thing is the cause and effect of it selfe their winking with their eyes of their winking with their eyes It is certain that this reprobate minde in wilfull ignorance and obduration was their proper sin and as certain that it was Gods just judgement upon their former sins by his ordering therunto their corruption and therfore Christ spake to them in parables which were dark without exposition and expounded them when he was alone to them which were about him rendring thereof this reason because it was given to them namely to his Disciples to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God but unto them that were without all things were done in parables that seeing they might see and not perceiv c. and so Mathew saith this was given to the one and not given to the other wherof also elsewhere he rendreth the highest reason because so it seemeth good in Gods sight who hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom he will hee
according to which he himselfe works in loue or hatred not of that according to which he commands and appoints men to worke These men in truth confound all things setting mans will where Gods should stand God saith on whom I will they say on him that himselfe wils or seeketh as he ought c. The same Idol of mans wil they advance set up v. 16 where in stead of Gods shewing mercy they put mans beleeving mercy The Lord by willing and running v. 16 excludes whatsoever is of or in man and either within or without him and draws all to himselfe alone In the stead of God shewing mercy they put themselvs and their free will receiving mercy by God offered as the proper cause of difference between man and man The 17 vers For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh c they handle very sleightly saying something such as it is about Gods hardening Pharoahs heart but not medling at all with the place according to the coherence which it hath with the words going before unto which yet the Holy Ghost strongly tyeth them in saying For the Scripture saith c. And herein they are in truth wise in their generation These words must needs answer to the latter part of the objection of unrighteousnesse with God in hating that is as they interpret it in rejecting such as seek righteousnesse by the works of the Law as did the fleshly Israelits But wherein I wonder did Pharaoh so How sought he justification by the works of the Law Who so professedly despised the God therof saying Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce Did they see that this example of Pharaoh and their exposition of the place could not stand together and therfore chose to cut off the coherence so firmly tying the words together rather then to let fall their preconceived erroneous exposition Whatsoever they intend herein we know it is brought for an example of Gods absolute but righteous power of hardening rather then another whom he will and not whom he finds most deserving it for whom finds he not too much deserving it if he would deal in like manner with all as it is said whom that is which rather then other he will he hardneth v. 18. And let it be diligently minded that the Apostle here opposeth Gods shewing mercy to some and his hardening of others and not his shewing mercy to some and his condemning of others The adversaries by Gods shewing mercy would haue us understand his saving of such as beleev and repent And then on the contrary by Gods hardening should onely be meant his not shewing mercy to but punishing condemning such as doe not beleev nor repent But we know that the not hearing God voyce not beleeving and repenting follow upon hardnesse of heart Wherupon the Lord promiseth that in the day of his mercy and pittie he will take from his people their stony and hard hearts And so touching Pharaoh the Scriptures expresly shew that his hardnesse of heart was the cause of his unbeliefe and disobedience Whereupon I conclude evidently that the Apostle here speaks not of such a mercy onely as follows faith as the Adversaries would haue him but as goes before it also as he speaks of such a hardening as goâ—s before unbelief Note we here also that the Apostle in this place propounds Gods will as the cause of his dealing diversly with divers persons and not of his saving such as are to be saved after a divers manner from that which some namely the carnall Israelites imagined ADVERSARIES NOW to return to them They lay down a question thus What is the meaning of the hardening of Pharaoh And in their answer wholly passe by God as no doer in the businesse They make Pharaoh a doer in hardening his own heart which is true and Satan a doer in hardening Pharaohs heart and this is true also but God no doer but a sufferer only in giving him up that is as else where they expound it in leaving him to himselfe and to Satan to be hardened DEFENCE BVT first the Text imports a further thing in God whom it brings in thus speaking For this same purpose haue I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared through all the earth Is Gods raysing up which is his hardening v. 8 nothing but his letting a man lie still and fall down lower then he was before Besides the end which was the glory of Gods power and name shews God to be a worker Every end must haue an efficient or working cause The glory of God was not the end of Satans work nor of Pharaohs work and therefore of Gods work in it Thirdly God hardened Pharaohs heart by sending Moses and Aaron unto him as by an occasion though not a cause as the Law is the occasion of sin and the Gospell the occasion of strife and variance Fourthly God deprived Pharaoh of the use of common sense and reason otherwise it could not haue been that after so many experiments by him taken of Gods powerfull hand against him and for the Israelits he should so furiously as he did haue followed them into the middest of the Sea Lastly besides and aboue all these God in whose hands the hearts of Kings are as the rivers of waters to turn them whether he will hardened Pharaohs heart by ordering his pride cruelty and contempt of God to this effect of obstinacy appearing in his most desperate course without which powerfull and unerring hand of God all the former notwithstanding it might haue come to passe that Pharaohs heart might haue been softned by the miracles and means used and so Gods word which before had foretold his hardening might not haue taken effect which is contrary to the truth and drift of the Apostle in this place God therefore was not onely a sufferer but a doer in the hardening of Pharaoh ADVERSARIES THeir next question is How consider you these words Who hath resisted his will v. 19. Vnto which they frame this untoward Answer viz. that those Iews seeking salvation by those works of the Law did not resist Gods will and so gaue him no cause to complain DEFENCE NOthing lesse as we haue shewed and shall further manifest by and by from the Apostles answer v. 20. The meaning is plain The words v. 19 Thou wilt then say unto me why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will are an objection against that which immediately went before whom he will he hardeneth Now against this it may colourably bee objected that if God hardens whom he will hee hath then no reason to complain of mens being hardened in disobedience for Who can resist his will if he will harden them A piece of an eie is sufficient to see the plainnesse of this exposition and coherence Their discourse then following that God would saue all and haue all repent amend and beleev