actuall chusing of David to the Kingdom of Israel was that by which he had first actuall right to that Kingdom to which he had right before onely in Gods decree and of which afterwards he had possession So Gods actuall chusing of a man to the Kingdom of heaven is that by which he hath first actuall right to that Kingdom to which he had no right before saue in Gods decree Gods chusing a man therfore actually as they speak to the Kingdom of heaven is the very giving of him faith and holinesse for by these he hath this actuall right to eternall life and glory If therfore Gods chusing men actually opposed to his chusing them in decree be his giving them actuall faith and repentance then their faith and repentance goes not before Gods choise but on the contrary his chusing before their beleeving The giving of the grace by God must needs goe before the having of it by men With like successe they quote Rom. 9. 25 and â— Pet. 2. 10 c. which haue no shew of ground whereon to build their assertion that God chuseth men actually and particularly because they beleev and repent but most firm foundation for the contrary truth Men become Gods people and beloved actually by actuall faith and repentance which before were his and beloved onely in the purpose of his will according to election Rom. 9. 11. 13 and elect according to Gods foreknowledge 1 Pet. 1. 2 God therefore actually chusing men and making them his people and beloved which are all one by giving them to beleev and repent their beleeving and repenting cannot goe before his chusing them but the contrary The giving of the gift is in nature before the having and using of it by him to whom it is given and therefore â—ods chusing them which is his giving them faith and repentance is before their beleeving and repenting The next place being Rom. 11. 5. 7 they set down craftily thus v. 5 If they seek righteousnesse by faith and these are thâ— the elect according to the election of grace The words of the Apostle are So then at this time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace and v. 7 the election hath obtained it and the rest were hardened The thing obtained was the righteousnesse of God and of faith the wedding garment the righteousnesse which Israel obtained not because they went about to stablish their own righteousnesse but the election obtained it by beleeving even that remnant wherof Paul was one according to the election of grace What can be more plain against these men Or how can any more directly crosse the Apostle then they doe The Apostle saith we obtain the righteousnesse of faith which is the wedding garment according to the election of grace They say we obtain the election of grace according to the wedding garment and righteousnesse of faith and obedience The Apostle saith the election obtains the righteousnesse of Christ by faith they say the righteousnes of Christ by faith obtains the election turning Gods work upside down that they may establish their own Besides this proud exaltation and Babylonish building of mens works against Gods grace for if it be of obedience as they say then of works to wit the works of obedience the Apostle v. 6 clean overturns saying If by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise works is no more works In alledging from 2 Pet. 1. 10 that this election must be made sure they as before craftily conceal part of the Apostles words which being laid down as the Text hath them overthrow plainly their errour The words are Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure He joyns calling and election together they leav calling out And herein I commend them as the master did the unrighteous steward for doing wisely though not honestly For who knows not that Gods calling us goes before our answering him by faith and obedience as the cause therof God cals and also elects men to faith and obedience and not for them The Apostles meaning is that the faithfull should use all godly care for the establishing and confirming of themselvs in the grace of God to which they were formerly called and chosen The like prophane boldnesse they use towards 1 Thess. 1. 4 where for the Apostles text Knowing beloved your election of God or Knowing beloved of God your election they put their own glosse The houshold of faith the Church of God are the elect of God The Apostle v. 4 mentions his knowledg of their election and v. 5. 6 the ground of that his knowledg and perswasion which was their faith and obedience by receiving the Word by him preached They were not therefore made elect of God by faith and obedience but therby known for such by men Col. 3. 12 makes against them also where their election is mentioned as a reason to moue them to put on bowels of mercy and all goodnes As indeed the gracious purpose of Gods election with his effectuall calling followeth and manifestâ—th is the onely Evangelicall motiue to all earnest study of obedience Their assertion following that Election is not of particular persons but of qualities is monstrous and most crosse to the Scriptures which never mention election of qualities but alwaies of persons Is the meaning of Christ Math. 22. Many are called but few chosen that many qualities are called and few chosen What quality but of sin and misery sees the Lord in them whom he calleth Or how can qualities be either called or chosen to grace or glory Christ tels his Disciples that he had chosen them out of the world If they were chosen out of the world which lyeth in wickednesse and hates the good for what good qualities trow we were they chosen If they were chosen out of the world and so were of the world before they were chosen out of it how had they faith and obedience for which these men wil appoint God to chuse them or else not That we are Gods generation viz. by creation is true but impertinent Of â—ods working good qualities in men by his word and spirit and of their resisting or not resisting we haue spoken and shall speak else where Rom. 8 29 makes for them as the former places shewing plainly â— that our predestination or election goes before our calling our calling before our justification our justification before our glorification The note in the English Testament upon Ephes. 1 is the same which the Synode at Dort and all Evangelical Churches professe Onely these mens errour is in their not putting a difference between Gods decree to saue and his actual saving of them that beleev whether by justifying or glorifying them Gods chusing a man whether in decree from eternity or by actuall and effectuall calling and calling of him out of the state of
speak in the 9. 10. and 11. chapters Lastly we shall God willing make it appear in sundry particulars that these Adversaries by wresting of some things and omitting of others pervert the Apostles words to a strange sense how soever they think to get advantage by striking others first with that imputation And first though they account it plain and without difficulty that the Apostles meaning v. 5 6 is that not all the Israelits not all the children of Abrahams flesh specially not such as boasted of the observation of the Law were therefore in the state of salvation or should be saved yet in truth he plainly means another thing namely that all Israel all that were the seed of Abraham and children of the flesh were not that Israel that seed those children to whom the promise was made that is were not they touching whom God by his promise declared his purpose of election mentioned v. 11. For though all are saved that receiv the promise by faith and none by the works of the Law yet the Apostle in this place neither speaks a word of salvation as the effect of the promise but of election as the cause therof nor yet of mens receiving the promise by faith but of Gods making it according to election that so the purpose of God and promise manifesting it might stand according to election v. 11 that the word of God might take effect v. 6. even the word of promise At this time will I come c. v. 9 they are then called children of the promise not because they received but because the promise Sara shall haue a Son c. was made unto them according to the election of grace and stableness of Gods purpose v. 8. 9. 11 which promise also they did in time receiv by faith according to the election of that remnant from the rest the promise following the purpose of election and faith and salvation by it following the purpose and promise Though Israel that is all which were of Israel obtained not that which he seeketh for yet the election hath obtained it even the remnant of Israel to whom Gods promise is according to the election of grace in regard of which remnant according to election the word of God is effectuall and the promise fulfilled touching the yonger son of Rebeca of whose two sonns it was said before they were born or had done either good or evill the elder shall serv the yonger And as they truely affirm that neither birth nor works did prefer with God so I demand here what those works were by which Esau sought for justification The Scriptures expresly term him a prophane person that is a despiser of goodnes yea of his very birth-right which was a speciall legall priviledg How then sought he to be preferred with God and justified for birth or works Or how doth this example of Esau fit their imagined plain exposition specially to proue that the children of Abrahams flesh were not in the salvation who so much boasted of being Moses disciples in the observation of the Law when as the Law of Moses was not yet given nor the Law-giver born Their words following that God purposeth to prefer those that seek it by his free election through faith in Christ are true in themselvs but not in their sense Their meaning is that God purposed to saue them effectually that should beleev in Christ Iesus whereupon should be meant in this place onely such a purpose of God as was no more towards Iakob then towards Esau for God by their doctrine purposed to chuse Esau if he beleeved and not Iakob but upon his beleeving first But the Apostle speaks more then evidently of such a purpose of God as was towards Iakob particularly and alone excluding Esau. Besides the standing of this purpose and election are here noted as two distinct things of which election is the former and that according to which this purpose of God stands whereas they make them one and the same accounting election nothing but the purpose of bestowing salvation upon them that beleev Thirdly the Apostle cannot mean such a purpose and election as presupposeth faith in Christ which they would haue seeing he expresly affirms it to haue been when the children had done neither good nor evill Is to beleev in Christ to puâ— on the wedding garment by faith and obedience to submit to the righteousnesse of God which they will haue the condition upon vvhich election depends and the quality for which God elects the persons in whom he finds it are these to doe no good with with these men and is the doing of the contrary to doe no evill Lastly he saith not that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of vvorks but of faith as they say but not of vvorks but of him that calleth that is as followeth that vvill haue mercy on whom he vvill haue mercy By which it is plain that Paul doth not in this chapter as chap. 3. and 4 and Gal. 4 oppose works and faith but vvorks and Gods calling He should haue said for their purpose that the purpose of God stands not of works but of faith or of him that beleeveth and not as hee doth for the purpose of the Holy Ghost of him that calleth Shewing thereby his meaning to be in this whole discourse that the obtaining of righteousnesse or standing of Gods purpose in its actuall effect depends upon God alone according to three degrees here expressed first his gracious purpose of election in himselfe towards some secondly his free promise manifesting his purpose thirdly his effectuall calling in which his vvord of promise hath effect and his purpose stands firm and undisappointed notwithstanding the unbeleif of the body of Abrahams seed Their making Iakob and Esau types as they doe is like the rest or worse The Scriptures are not to be drawn from their natural simple sense without apparant warrant It is the high way to heresie to be bold in framing typical expositions And with what spirit these men are led this way appears by their expounding the parable Luk. 15 making the Iews the elder brother vvho sought salvation by vvorks and the Gentles the yonger in the offer of the Gospell seeking salvation onely by the free promise of God wheras the plain meaning of Christ is onely to avow his preaching to the Publicans and sinners resorting unto him against the pride and envy of the Pharisies those Publicans and sinners being Iews as well as the other Secondly I demand what it was in which Iakob typed out beleevers seeking righteousnesse by God and in which Esau typed out workers seeking justification by their own works The contrary in Esau is expressed in the Scriptures Lastly seeing it cannot be denyed but that Iakob as a faithfull and godly man was in time actually beloved of God and Esau as godlesse and prophane actually hated it must needs follow that God before the world was
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
A DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINE PROPOVNDED BY THE SYNODE AT DORT AGAINST IOHN MVRTON AND HIS ASSOCIATES IN A Treatise intuled A Description what God c. WITH THE REFVTATION OF their Answer to a Writing touching BAPTISM By IOHN ROBINSON Printed in the year 1624. THE PREFACE THE record which the Apostle bare the Iews in his time such as either reade these mens writings or know their persons may bear them which is that they haue a zeal of God but not according to knowledg I add touching them nor in modesty neither Which if it held any place in their hearts as were meet would moderate and restrain both their causlesse presumption in themselvs and gracelesse licentiousnesse which they fear not to use both towards God and other men They would seem very zealous for the Scriptures purity and perfection vvarning all to take heed they presume not aboue what is written nor to add to or diminish from the perfect law of the Lord contained therin And yet they themselvs presume so frequently and notoriously in this their book to corrupt the very words of the Texts which they cite by adding to and taking away and altering for their advantage as I suppose the like hath not been seen before in any of any sect whatsoever and as if in truth they meant not to use a gift to interpret the holy Scriptures but a priviledg to correct them A taste of this they giue us in their very Epistle where answering an objection taken from the learning of the Synode at Dort by Es. 29. 14 Math. 11. 25. 26 they instead of wise and prudent which are Christs words put learned and that in small letters as part of the Text both wronging therin that lawfull and helpfull learning in others which themselvs want and corrupting the Lords words which they ought religiously to keep and obtruding another meaning then ever came into his mind which they doe usually in this Treatise by neglecting the main scope of the place cited and catching at a word or phrase in it which is the highest way that can be to all heresie And for men how uncharitable are they towards them in their persons judging them as perishing without remedie if they receiv not their new Gospell of Anabatistry and Free-will How injurious in relating their own mis-formed collections for their opinions And lastly how contemptuous of their gifts and graces how eminent soever As if the word of God came out from them or to them alone It is true we ought not to pin our faith on the sleevs of any nor to call any Master as Christ speaks and means but him alone and no lesse true that Christ hath given gifts to some men for the edifying of others and that we ought not to look on our things alone as if we alone had knowledg and conscience and zeal and soules to saue but every man also of the things of others though in some things differing from them as having these things as well as we and therwith considering that many eies see more then one and that specially having as so many spectacles the advantages of knowledge of Tongues and Arts with daily travail in the Scripture which in us are wanting And thus serving God in all modesty of minde and being sincere in the truth in loue we shall be much sitter both to help others and to be helped by them in the things agreeable thereunto A DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINE PROPOVNDED BY THE SYNODE AT DORT CHAP. I. Of Predestination ADVERSARIES WEE hold that before the foundation of the world the most holy God predestinated to make the world and man c. DEFENCE NEither the Scriptures so speak neither is it sensibly said that God predestinated to make the world and man c. To predestinate is to predetermine or to destinate or ordain before hand a person or thing to its end God indeed purposed from eternity to make the world and man but destinated it and him considered as to be made to their ends Christ as God was preordained or predestinated before the foundation of the world and manifested in the last times for our redemption yet is he not of the number of persons or things made or created Again the glory of the grace of God shineing in mans salvation is a created thing and yet not predestinated of God nor preordained to any end being it selfe the utmost end of all things We see then something predestinated and yet not made and something again made and â—ot predestinated With like incongruity they adde that God predestinated to make man a reasonable soule to giue him a righteous Law and lastly to send his sonne to purchase the very wicked c. which last words haue neither truth in them in their meaning nor sense as they lay them down Secondly the Synode at Dort against which these Adversaries deal and all others speaking distinctly of things apply the decree of predestination to reasonable creatures and that Synode specially to men and the same considered as faln its Adam and thereby made guilty of eternall death referring the decree of creation and permission of the fall to a more general work of divine providence Their description of the elect and reprobate may be admitmitted in a good sense namely that the receiving of grace by some argues Gods eternall election of them as the effect doth the cause The not receiving of this grace by others to whom it is offered his eternall reprobation that is his not-electing but refusing or passing by of others as the consequent the antecedent Of which more hereafter In setting down the difference between them and us they insinuate as if we made God the Authour yea the principall Authour of all the evill of sin in the world But as the Synode disclaims that prophane errour so doth it justly complain of this ungodly slander which in these men ariseth from their want of skill to put difference between Gods working of the sinne as authour therof and his appointing and ordering both of sin and sinner to his own holy ends ADVERSARIES THe first particular against which they deal is our affirmation that God decreed the sinne of Adam and that of necessity to come to passe and consequently all other sinnes in their time taking upon them with all to manifest that herein wee not onely contradict the truth but our own affirmation elsewhere quoting for example Theses Genevenses pag. 26 where it is affirmed that Adam in innocency had free-will or power from the creation of God not to haue sinned which matter they also prosecute in many words with great disorder making the head of their discourse Predestination and the body sin DEFENCE AS the contradiction is not in our Assertions but in their misunderstanding So might I by good right forbeare to meddle about Adams sin in the case of predestination considering the determination of the Synode at Dort hereabout which I take upon
purposed in himself accordingly to loue the one and hate the other seeing whatsoever God in time doth by way of emanation or application to and upon the creature that he purposed to do as he doth it from eternity If the Apostle v. 13 Iakob haue I loved and Esau haue I hated confirm his former doctrine as they say then he confirms the doctrine of Gods eternall and stedfast election from eternity And their boldnesse is excessiue in calling them perverters of the words of Paul which will haue this to be before Iakob and Esau were born seeing the Apostle adds this Scripture out of Malachy to shew the reason of that contained in the former which both Moses and Paul with him expresly affirm to haue been before the children were born namely that the highest cause of the elder to wit Esau his serving the yonger to wit Iakob was Gods loue to Iakob and hatred of Esau. That following is partly true namely that v. 12. 13 is not shewed for what cause God loved Iakob and hated Esau for that is shewed so far as God would haue us see v. 15. 18. But fals where they say that they shew not when this was For this loue and hatred was and before when God said The elder shall serv the yonger and this he said when the children were not yet born the effect of which was that the purpose of God according to election might stand in after time and that both in respect of the two persons themselvs and of the bodies of the Nations to come of them though not of every particular And so indeed they are to be considered both as instances in their persons and heads of their Nations the Scriptures accordingly every where testifying that God loved and chose from the rest the Israelits in their fathers Abraham Isaak and Iakob according to the tenour of his gracious promise and covenant of being their God and the God of their Seed expressing his eternall and most stedfast purpose of will That which they adde in the last place of Gods not hating to wit actually and destroying without desert is most true But when we speak of Gods loving or hating any before the world we mean onely of his decree of loving which he actually exerciseth in time for Christs righteousnesse by faith applyed upon the so loved and so of his decree of hating which hatred he comes not to exercise actually but for sin deserving it God from eternity purposed in time to glorifie his justice in the deserved destruction of Esau and not of Iakob Of this different decree of God touching Esau and not Iakob and his leaving him in and to his own corruption and hardning him in the same rather then Iakob our reason is the will of God but of Gods actuall hating and destroying of him rather then the other the Scriptures shew sufficient reason to wit his obstinacy in sin the onely cause of his destruction Vers. 14 upon the premises that God of two alike in themselvs and without respect of good or evill in the one or other had loved the one and hated the other an objection is framed that by this injustice might seem to be with God which the Apostle denyes with God forbid This objection our Adversaries understand to be upon Gods rejecting the fleshly Israelites for contemning their salvation offered them by faith in Christ as Esau was rejected for contemning his birth-right But herein as children skip where they cannot reade they leav out the principall part of the objection which is not onely moved upon Gods rejecting some but withall upon his receiving of others The Apostle in the words before going which occasion the objection mentions not onely Esau the elder hated and serving but also Iakob the yonger loved and served so in answering the same objection he speaks first and most of Gods shewing mercy and compassion and last and least of his hardning any Now whether they have omitted this part of the objection in cunning or inconsideratenesse themselves best know This is certain that the adjoyning it qutie overturns their exposition For comparing together two such persons as whereof the one glories in his own righteousnesse as perfectly answering to the holinesse and righteousnesse of the Law justifying himselfe when the Law condemnes him despising the grace and mercy of God in Christ offered and making him a lyar in not receiving the testimony which he gives of his Son and joyning with these blasphemy and persecution and all injurious dealing against them that doe receive this grace of Christ all which those proud justiciaries and carnall Israelits did and the other as honoring Gods justice and holinesse in the sense and confession of sin and misery due therefore flying to the mercie of God in Christ and by receiving the testimony of his Sonn setting to his seal that God is true and therewith repenting with all his heart which every true beleever doth that God now should shew mercie upon the latter of these and not upon the former cannot minister to any man indued with common sense occasion of objecting injustice to God seeing the light of nature teacheth every naturall man the reason of a difference And if any should be so senselesse as to object injustice to God in such a case as they conceive the objecter to be yet was not the Apostle so witlesse as to fly for answer to the absolute will of God and to plead that God will doe so because he will or pleaseth to doe it as v. 15. 18. I will haue mercie on whom I will have mercie c. Which answer of the Apostle also ministers matter of further and more difficult objection as appeares v. 19. 20. Whereas if the objection had been cast in their mould a child could have answered it and sayd that it had been a most just and equall thing for God to have received and loved the one rather then the other considering how the one honored the holynesse justice truth and mercy of God which the other dishonored and despised They erre therefore in applying to this purpose Rom. 2. 4. 5. Neither doth the Apostle there speak of a mercy and bounty to be shewed to them that beleeve and repent as they conceive but of that which goes before repentance as a means to lead unto it But here he speaks of a higher work of Gods shewing mercy namely the purpose of his will according to election to glory and the means thereunto And truely these mens boldnesse is too great in putting for God hath mercy on whom he wil have mercy God hath mercie on them that seek him by the means that he himselfe appoynts For though it be most true that God hath mercie on such yet the Apostle here speaks no more of Gods appoynting or commanding will for his shewing of mercy then of his appoynting or commanding vvill for his hardening v 18 whom he will he hardens He speaks of that will
in Adam haue sinned and by sin lost the Image of God in which they were made so as the Law is impossible unto them by reason of the flesh and so cannot possibly but sin by reason of the same flesh raigning in the unregenerate and dwelling in all which these light persons expresly confesse in the sequel of this book and that this so comes to passe by Gods holy decree and work of providence answerable not forceing evill upon any but ordering all persons in all actions as the supreme Governour of all and that the wicked being left of God some destitute of the outward means the Gospell all of them of the effectuall work of the Spirit from that weak flesh and naturall corruption daily increased in them sin both necessarily as unable to keep the Law and willingly as having in themselvs the beginning and cause thereof the blindnesse of their own minds and perversenesse of their will and affections and so are inexcuseable in Gods sight Here with the lowd boasts of their large and undenyable proofs they joyn sundry errours As first in making the good things of creation to come from Gods grace viz. for salvation of which our question is The good things of creation the Scriptures account our own and of our selvs ever opposing them to the good things of grace to salvation Secondly they err egregiously in saying that what Adam had in creation and lost by transgression for himself and his posterity that is restored through Christ to wit to all for so the question is By this all should be restored actually into Gods favour haue his image repaired in them and be wholly free from that weak flesh making the Law impossible unto them With like perversnesse doe they misapply to all Adams posterity without difference that which the Apostle speaks of himselfe and other godly Ministers and Christians onely Rom. 8. 3. 4 2 Cor. 3. 5 Phil. 4 13 as any that pleaseth to peruse the places may see Lastly they most absurdly affirm that the flesh through Christ is able to fulfill the Law wheras we fulfill the Law no further then as we kill crucifie and destroy the flesh and lusts thereof by the Spirit ADVERSARIES TO the question Whether a man can doe any thing in the work of his regeneration they answer after much froath of words that faith and repentance is regeneration and that it is most plain as what is not to their peircing eye that even in the work of regeneration man may submit to it or hinder it DEFENCE AN ignorant assertion shewing the ground of their errour in not putting difference between Gods work and mans They may as rightly say that the life and motion of the childe is its begetting To regenerate is nothing else but to beget anew Doth the child beget it selfe Or doth not the parent onely beget it So God begets by the Ministery of the Word and man is begotten by him according to that of the Apostle Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him So Iam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth By these mens doctrine we should beget our selvs of our own will Begetting in creatures is both in nature and time before the being of the begotten Men then before they be must beget themselvs by their saying And as God regenerates and not man so doth man being regenerated beleev and obey and not God Wheras if faith and obedience be regeneration then God beleevs and repents seeing God regenerates Besides as the outward means of regeneration may be and are by too many hindred from working and made unprofitable So where God pleaseth to add to the outward means and motives of the Gospell the inward work of the Spirit of which Spirit we are born or begot anew of the Spirit I say though by the Word by the same Spirit which he puts within them he takes away first what might hinder thier regeneration even their stony heart and giving them a heart of flesh a heart to know God and putting his fear in their hearts and by putting his Spirit in them causing them to walk in his statutes he thereby regenerates them or giues them faith and repentance which they must haue before they can beleev or repent as the childe must haue life before it can liue or doe acts of life and must be generated or begotten before it haue life or being Regeneration therefore goes before faith and repentance This Head they shut with answering three Scriptures The first Math. 22 but mistaken for Luk. 14. 23 which as it is frivolously objected if by any so is it easily answered The second is Ioh. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father draw him This is not meant say they of violent compulsion True nor yet onely as they would haue it of outward teaching by heavenly doctrine For thus the Father drew many that came not to Christ whereas hee speaks here of such a drawing as is peculiar to them that come to him who shall never hunger v. 35 and whom he will in no wise cast out v. 37. He speaks not therefore of the outward teaching onely but withall and principally of the inward teaching of the spirit as Esa. 54. 13 Ier. 31. 33. 34 1 Ioh. 2. 27. The most of them whom the Father drew by heavenly doctrine that is to whom Christ preached murmured at him v. 41 this hee reproues vers 43 vers 44 takes away the offence which might arise at the consideration of the small effect which his words had with many considering what he testified of himselfe v. 39. 40 shewing that such was mans perversenesse in spirituall things as that except God to the outward word adjoyned the inward work of the Spirit thereby drawing him his obstinacy could not nor would not be tamed nor he turned to God Lastly to Phil. 2. 13. It is God that works in you both the will and deed after much impertinent discourse and many errours mingled among they answer that God doth this in men by reasons and perswasions that they would chuse life and avoyd death And first they conclude without and against reason that if the regenerate haue power to resist they haue power not to resist which is as if a man should say if a fool can doe foolishly then he can doe wisely or the like Secondly it is a slander upon the Calvinists that they are divided in this point or that any of them affirms that the elect though unregenerate cannot resist good Whilst they are unregenerate they can doe nothing else but resist in spirituall things But God in time as he hath decreed by the spirit of regeneration overcomes their corruption and works in them not to resist but willingly to follow him that calleth them Thirdly I would know what they mean by these phrases of Gods sending his word and spirit to