for them then the Lord stayed him and stopt his passage by bringing in the sea to drowne him and his host Exod. 14. as hee did with Saul when he would have taken away Davids life the Lord set downe how farre hee should proceed to chase him from place to place but not to death By all which it appeares that wee make not God to bee an idle looker on which suffers every creature to doe what they will But when God gives men over to bee blinded and hardned by Sathan and suffers wicked men for a time to worke mischiefe yet sets bounds and limitts to their rage and fury and in the end wonderfully rescues his servants from trouble This surely is not to doe nothing Fifthly a reducing of the ends to the rule of justice The bringing of some good out of evill for though Sathan and wicked men propose their ends the wicked that hee may serve his pleasures the Devill that hee may destroy yet such is the goodnesse of God Bâ—â—um est mala esse vel â—ieri alioquâ—â— sumâ—â—è bonus non permitteâ—et ca ficri Loâ— hard lib. 1. distinct 46. that hee will never suffer evill to be done if it were not to bring good out of it It is good that evils be or bee done otherwise the most good God would not suffer them to bee done and such is the wisdome of God that out of worst things he can chose the best ends as for example Iosephs brethen sold him for envy but God sent him to prouide for his old father and his brethren to preserve their lives Gen. 45.5 So in the death of Christ Sathan and the Iewes intended onely his death but God turned it to the salvation of all that beleeve As poyson is in it selfe evill but the skilfull Physician by tempering it cures the sicke and workes good out of it So doth God with sinne Shimei by cursing would shew his hatred of David but God would make knowne the patience of David which was good Now these workes as they proceed from the next cause man and the Devth be evill they be evill trees which cannot bring forth good fruits But as they proceed from the supreme cause and as hee brings good out of them they are good God and Satan will both have Ierusalem destroyed But Sathan that hee might bee avenged on them God that hee might punish their rebellion Christ is delivered to death the Iewes they doe it onely in malice But God hath another end the redemption and salvation of man and therefore in Act. 4.28 Pilate and the Iewes Gentiles gathered together to doe whatsoever thy hand and Councell had determined S. Enchirid ad Laurent ca. 101. Augustine shewes how God man may will the same thing and God in willing it doth well and yet man sinnes in willing it The father of an ungratious child is sicke Vt citius perveniat ad haereditaâ—em paâ—ris Vuâ—t Deus jâ—â—sâ—e fil uâ— iâ— pie God will have him to die â—n his just judgement the sonne That hee may sooner come to his fathers inheritance God wills it justly the sonne wickedly Albeit God doe order Res mala non habet â—aulan essi cientem sed desi ie 〈◊〉 De 〈◊〉 taâ—e Dei Lib 12. cap 7. determinate and governe sinnes that be done yet is he not properly the efficient cause of sinne It was a good saying of Augustine An evill thing hath no a cause efficient but defficient as the corruption of iudgement and the perversnesse of will and further I say that though the Papist accuseth us for making God the author of sin yet I will change my religion if I will not shew to any Romanist that will challenge me that wee of this Church teach no otherwise than the Papists themselues have written not onely out of Occam Durand and Bannes but principally out of Thomas Aquinas and Bellarmine himselfe In Râ—m 9. Dea â—ass gratiae lib. 2. Cap. 13. By a figure hee commands it and incites men unto it as a Huntsman sets the dog upon the Hare by letting goe the slip That God doth not onely permit the wicked to doe evill nor onely forsake the godly that the wicked may doe what they will against them But he oversees their wills he rules their wills he governs their wills nay he bowes and bends them by working invisibly in them and not only inclines the will to one evill rather than to another by permitting them to bee carried into one sinne and not into another but also positively hee bends them by inclining them to one evill and turning them from another occasionally and morally as hee speakes out of Thomas Aquinas Let them looke well into these speeches and they shall finde that wee say no more than they and if they would expound ours as candidly as their owne there would bee small or no difference Briefly then we say first in generall That God is not the author of sinne but the devill and mans corrupt will and the contrary we defie as blasphemy Secondly in particular wee beleeve that God wills nothing which is formerly sinne but hee fulfills his good wills by our evill wills as P. Lombard as hee wills that which is good Lib 1. Distinct 48. but hates it rather whence it followes that hee inspires it into no man nor creates any corruption in our wills which was not there before but forbids it absolutely within us by the light of his spirit as Rom. 2.15 without by the commandement Thou shalt heare a word behinde thee saying this is the way turne not out of it Isay 39.21 c. The first entrance of sinne into the world and the continuance of it in the world was the voluntary action of mans will God infusing no evill into him for God is not the cause why man is worse but that which God doth about and concerning sinne is contained in three actions First as the universall cause of all things hee sustaines mankinde and upholds his being yea the being motion of all his actions good and bad So that no man could either move to any action or have being himselfe if God sustained him not as Act. 17.28 whence it followes that the very positive act which the schoolemen call the subject of sinne and the materiall part of sin whereto sinne cleaveth is of God in the same sort that all other actions of the creature are this proposition doth Zanchius well illustrate A man rides upon a lame horse in this action are two things Motion and Halting the motion is of man man makes him move but his halting is of himselfe so in sinne the action or motion is of God but the deformity of man himselfe Secondly he withholds his grace as Iohn 12.39 Therefore they could not beleeve because Isay saith he hath blinded c. as being bound to no man but leaves the wicked to themselves whereupon it followes that their hearts grow hard and they cannot chose
changeth not his counsell 4. I adde they whom hee loved in Christ for whatsoever good the Lord promiseth as wee receive it it is per propter Christum through and for Christ He hath predestinated us to be adopted through Iesus Christ Ephes 1.5 yea no man is predestinate but for this purpose that hee may be a member of Christ for he predestinated us to be adopted through Christ into himselfe viz. into Christ 5. That they should bee justified and glorified So Paul Rom. 8.30 Whom hee predestinated them he will call whom he called them hee will justifie whom he justifieth them hee will glorisie 6. That he passed by others So Malac. 1.2 I loved Iacob and hated Esau Lastly to manifest his glorie in mercie and justice that hee might declare the riches of his glorie upon the vessells of mercie Rom. 9.23 But of this definition thus made and proved may arise these comfortable observations 1. Observ 1 God predestinated us because hee looked favourable on us in Iesus Christ both to holinesse and happinesse So the Scripture everie where attributes all the good that we have from God to bee through Christ Hee hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ Ephes 1.2 Hee hath chosen us in Christ Ephes 1.4 Hee hath predestinate us to bee adopted through Christ Ephes 1.5 Hee accepted us in his beloved viz. in Christ Vers 6. He redeemed us by the bloud of his sonne Christ Vers 7. Hee hath gathered together reconciled all things both in heaven in earth by one that is Christ ver 10. And therfore when we beg any thing of God we are taught to beg it in the name of Christ So Christ himselfe Iohn 14.13 Whatsoever yee aske the Father in my name that will I doe for you that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne So Ioh. 16.23 Whatsoever yee aske the Father in my name hee will give it you Whence we learne to disclaime our worthinesse and our owne workes from being meritorious causes of Gods blessings Excellently Moses Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you because yee were moe in number for yee were the fewest of all people but because he loved you O then let us feed Christ if we cannot in himselfe Vse yet in his members and cloath him though not in himselfe yet in his servants let us entertaine and lodge Christ in our hearts and soules that procures thus many blessings of his Father for us our free election our powerfull calling our free justification and assurance of glorie wee have by him Let us say with Paul 2 Thess 2.16 17. The same Iesus Christ our Lord and our God which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation must also comfort and stablish our hearts c. 2. Observ 2 In that he predestinated us that we should be holy Note That whom God hath praedestinated to the end which is glorie them also he predestinated to use the meanes which is holinesse See Eph. 1.4 Hee hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and as the Apostle speakes of spirituall creation that we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes that we should walke in them Ephes 2.10 So of election and We are redeemed to be a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 3.7 8. I adde no more but that of Peter 1 Pet. 1.2 Wee are elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father to sanctification of the Spirit and to obedience Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Whence they are most justly to bee blamed who make predestination a libertie to their sinfull lives and use sinfully to reason after this manner If I bee predestinate unto glorie then I shall bee sure of it howsoever I live for Gods decrees bee immutable If I bee in Gods decree and purpose a reprobate then if I should strive never so much I shall be no better I cannot alter it Contra Colsum lib. 2. Vide P. Martyr Com. lec p. 447. like those in Origen Whereas thou shouldest rather reason thus If I belong to Gods election then shall I use the meanes to come unto glorie I will therefore use all holy and godly courses that I may get my election sure and sealed as Peter wils us a Pet. 1.10 when Paul had that promise I haue given unto thee the life of all that saile with thee Acts 27.24 Yet except they use the meanes to come to land the helpe of their ship if they shall now leape into the water they cannot be saved vers 31. So when Iacob feared his brother Esau and yet had that assurance from God that hee should prevaile with men Genes 32.28 Yet see how carefull he is of all meanes to pacifie him he will doe it with gifts Munera crede mihi placant hominesque Deosque and sends one drove before another Genes 33. And so I come from the definition to the order observed in it God hee conceives all things at once with one act of his understanding 2. Of the order of predestination to which all things both past and to come are present and as hee conceived so hee decreed all things at once but the reasonable creature being finite conceives one thing after another Therefore for our understandings wee may distinguish the counsell of God concerning man into two acts or two degrees 1. The purpose of God in himselfe in which he determines what hee will doe and the end of all his doings and that is to create all things specially man for his owne glorie as Isa 43.7 partly by shewing mercie on some and partly by shewing of his justice upon others 2. Is another purpose whereby hee decrees the execution of the former and laves downe meanes to accomplish the end thereof which two acts of the counsell of God are not to be severed nor yet confounded but distinctly considered with some difference for in the first God decrees some men to honour by shewing mercie and some to dishonour by shewing his justice upon them and this man more than that out of his will and pleasure and that is the onely cause that we can give even his will In the second are set downe the causes of the execution of the former decree and these are knowen and manifest for no man though left out of clection is condemned but for sinne no man though elected is yet saved but by the merits of Christ But I passe over this and come to the parts of predestination which are two The parts of Gods predestination are two 3. The parts of predestination The first the decree of election The second the decree of reprobation A diftinction plaine out of Rom. 9. and may be thus confirmed of some it is faid The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 And of others Christ shall say in judgement Depart from mee yee wicked I know you not Matth.
and ordination of God Lib. 1. cap. 3. And S. Ambrose Of the calling of the Gentiles frames the argument of the place quire otherwise that Christs meaning in that Parable was to shew onely that men converted at the end of their dayes shall be by Gods mercie partakers of glorie and happinesse as well as others And so I come to the second part of predestination Of reprobation and the causes of it which makes the greater doubt whether reprobation have any other impulsive cause or reason besides the pleasure and will of God that is whether their fore-seene infidelitie and impenitencie in sinne did move God to reprobate any This latter that it was for sinne was anciently maintained by the Pelagians as may appeare by S. Augustines disputations against them in latter times by Stapleton Antidot in Epist ad Rom. onely of purpose to contradict Calvin his reasons be 1. Because the Apostle calls reprobation the hatred of God citing that of Malachy chap. 1. vers 3. I have hated Esau Now God hates nothing in man but sinne therefore God must needs fore-see that Esau would sinne and therefore hated him 2. From the Apostles words whom he will he hardeneth God hardeneth none but such as have an ill will already for which hee hardeneth them 3. From those words He suffered with much patience the vessels of wrath Rom. 9. vers 22. 4. Vpon those words God being willing to shew his anger now God shewes his anger against nothing but sinne and therefore did fore-see sinne which moved him to anger 5. The Apostle makes the cause why God did cast off the Iewes to bee partly their pride and vaine boasting of the Law Rom. 9.31 Israel which followed the Law of righteousnesse could not attaine to the Law of righteousnesse partly their incredulitie through unbeleefe they are cast off Rom. 11.20 and these doe shew that the sins of everie reprobate are to God a cause lawfully moving him why he doth absolutely reprobate him On the contrarie Calvin in that excellent book of predestination confuting Pighius cites that of the hating of Esau to prove that it was not for sin 2. That in Rom. 9. He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth therefore his will is the onely cause of mercie and induration 3. The potter makes one vessell to honour another to dishonour onely because hee will much more God 4. That which is common to all both elect and reprobate cannot be the cause of reprobation now sinne was fore-seene not onely in the reprobate but in the elect also For by nature wee were all the children of wrath as well as others Ephes 2.3 5. Christ attributes the cause of illumination in some to Gods good pleasure of Excaecation in others to his good pleasure Some heare and have wisdome revealed unto them that they may bee saved some heare not but wisdome is hid from them I thanke thee O Father Lord c. and it is so because thy good pleasure was such Matth. 11.25 26. Thus you see what is said on both sides heare now for resolution what is to be established for conclusion Stapleton makes a two-fold reprobation Antid pag. 567. the one comparative the other absolute The comparative whereby one man and not another and this man rather than that being in the same masse and condition is ordained to punishment and the cause of this hee makes the sole will of God without any respect at all unto sinne Quaest ad Simplicianum lib. 1. quaest 2. So Augustine hath fully resolved the question The other absolute whereby God ordained this or that man to destruction and the cause of this is their foreseene sinne But this cannot be true for God did fore see sinne in the elect as well as in others and yet did not reprobate them and therefore sinne could not be the cause of absolute reprobation any more than of the comparative Bellarmine writing of grace and free-will Lib. 2. cap. 16. comes neerer than Stapleton and resolves it thus that in reprobation there is a double act the one negative whereby God did decree not to have mercie on some whereof saith he there is no cause in man but it is only of the will of God The other act is positive whereby hee decreed to damne those upon whom hee decreed not to shew mercie and the cause of this hee makes the fore-sight of mans sinne But I thinke that Paraeus upon Rom. 9. hath gone as neere to the truth as any other whom I am content to follow till I see a sounder than he 1. We are to hold The causes of reprobation spoken of in the Scriptures two wayes that the Scriptures speak of the judgements of God and of the causes of damnation and reprobation two wayes 1. According to that absolute power which God hath over man and all creatures and then ascribes the cause of all to his good will pleasure So in Isa 45.7 I am he that for me the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill c. So Ephes 1.11 He worketh all things according to the counsell of his will 2. According to that ordinate right that is the rule of distributive justice revealed in the Law and in the Gospell to which Law God doth as it were submit himselfe and according to that which is there revealed he would have us to thinke of his judgements and so the cause is to be referred partly to Gods will partly to mans sin As Levit. 18.5 Ye shall keepe my statutes which if a man doe he shall live in them And Ezech. 18.4 The soule that sinneth shall die They which commit such things are worthy of death Rom. 1.31 And 2 Thess 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And out of this ground arise the conclusions thus 1. If wee speake of Gods absolute justice and right the cause of both election and reprobation is the sole will of God So Rom. 9.11 Ere ever the children were borne and before they had done either good or evill that the purpose might remaine c. And vers 15. I will shew mercie on whom I will and have compassion on whom I will And vers 21. Hath not the potter power of the clay And Matth. 11.26 Even so O Father because thy good pleasure was such Neither can any reason oppose this for if the Pope should carrie many thousands to hell with him no man might say so much as what doest thou Gratian. distinct cap. 40. and shall any dare to question with God in the same 2. According to his ordinate right the Apostle speakes of it Rom. 9.22 What if God would to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction where there is the cause of election the good will and the cause of reprobation his will according to the rule of justice revealed
in the word Where I finde that nothing deserves anger but sinne and God by damning such doth both prove himselfe to bee a just Iudge and takes away all cause of complaint from damned reprobates who run upon their owne damnation by their owne sinnes and so acquit God of it But to make the Doctrine plaine give me leave to premise three propositions and I will set downe my judgement in foure conclusions 1. A two-fold reprobation There is a two-fold reprobation eternall viz. Gods counsell eternall to reprobate those whom hee doth actually reprobate in time Of this speakes Paul Rom. 9.22 Vessels prepared to destruction And Iude vers 4. Temporall viz. the manifestation of his eternall counsell in reprobating those in time whom he decreed to reprobate from eternitie Of this God speakes 1 Sam. 15.23 2. Reprobation hath two acts the one negative will not shew mercie The other affirmative will condemne Two acts of reprobation The one called the decree of not shewing mercie the other the decree of punishing each of them hath two degrees The negative hath first the negation of the meanes or of grace Secondly the negation of the end and glorie The affirmative hath 1. a just hardening 2. An appointing to the punishment The 3. premise is this Reprobates may be considered either simply in themselves or comparatively with the elect whence come three questions 1. Why did God reprobate any at all indefinitely 2. Why this or that man definitely 3. Why this man rather than that Esau rather than Iacob comparatively These things being thus premised I come to the conclusions 1. Reprobation whether considered definitely or indefinitely conteining both the decree and execution is not to be called meerely absolute in respect of impulsive and finall causes but is grounded partly in Gods will partly in mans sinne a proposition partly proved already and these that follow will confirme it the more The 2. therefore is this The impulsive cause why God did reprobate some and not all according to both the negative and affirmative act was not the fore-seene sinne of any but the will of God for first God did fore-see sinne not onely in some but in all If therefore it had beene for sinne hee would have reprobated all as well as any one Secondly the potter makes not all to bee vessels of dishonour because he will So God Rom. 9.21 Thirdly why God did reprobate indefinitely some definitely these by the negative act from grace the cause was his meere will why from glorie partly his good will partly the sinne of the wicked For the first see Esau reprobated from grace by no desert but of Gods meere will Rom. 4.11 God cals to grace whom he will gives the meanes of salvation the Word and Sacraments to whom he will and calls not others because hee will not Paul did not preach in Bithynia why Because the Spirit suffered them not Acts 16.7 To you it is given to others it is not given to know the secrets of the Kingdome Matth. 13.11 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and revealed them to babes because it pleased thee Matt. 11.25 The cause why hee reprobates indefinitely some definitely these from glorie is especially the sinne of the wicked and I take it to bee sound for this reason God did eternally decree to reprobate men from glorie for that for which hee doth indeed reprobate them in time but God reprobates from glorie that is debarres from it for sinne and impietie for for this cause commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Ephes 5.6 therefore for sinne hee did decree not to give it The cause of the affirmative act of reprobation to the punishment of induration is Gods will whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 to the punishment of damnation for sinne for the soule that sinneth shall die Ezech. 18. Fourthly why God did these more than others this man more than that both by the negative and affirmative act there is no cause in men but onely the will and pleasure of God because he would so Why he freeth this man rather than that let him that can search it out so great is the depth of Gods judgements but let him take heed of a downe-fall Epist 105. ad Sixtum Cur illum potius quà m illum liberet scrutetur qui potest judiciorum Dei tam magnum profundum ver untamen caveat praecipitium saith Augustine And De bone perseverant cap. 11. Cur his potiùs quà m illis detur misericodia quis cognovit sensum Domini i. Why mercie is given rather to these than to those who knew the minde of the Lord saith the same Augustine So Ambrose De voeat Gent. lib. 2. Cur illorum misertus non sit horum sit misertus nulla comprehendit ratio i. No reason doth comprehend why he should not have mercie on those and should have mercie on these Latet discretionis ratio ipsa discretio non latet i. The reason of this separation lieth hid the separation it selfe lieth not hid And so I come to that which in the last place I proposed omitting the many by-doubts touching free-will and universall grace to wit the effects and fruits of predestination 1. Christ himselfe Of he effects and fruits of predestination 1. Christ who was predestinate to be the Mediatour and Saviour of all the elect as in 1 Pet. 1.20 he was ordained before time but in the last times declared for your sakes when God did purpose to save some then did hee purpose to send his Sonne as Ioh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Whence followes this conclusion Doct. That there is no meanes to glorie but by Christ Wherefore he calls himselfe the way Ioh. 14.6 What way wilt thou goe Qua vis ire ego via quò vis ire ego veritas ubi vu permanere ego vita August 10 bune locum I am the way whither wilt thou goe I am the truth where wilt thou abide I am the life A man caunot come to God by repentance but by Christ for no man commeth to the Father but by me Ioh. 14.6 a man cannot come for a blessing but by him Ioh. 14.13 The Father gives nothing but by him Ioh. 16.23 O then let everie soule that lookes for glorie embrace Christ as Zacheus did Luc. 19.6 He came downe hastily and received him joyfully let him take that babe in his armes with old Simeon and say Lord now let thy servant depart in peace c. Luk. 2.28 29. Let him fall downe and worship him and with the wise men of the East offer unto him gold Aurum sidei thies devotionis aromatapretatis mentes bumiles probos mores animos digues Deo Tom. 10. pag. 622. incense and myrrhe The gold of faith the frankincense of devotion the myrrhe of godlinesse humble mindes good manners soules worthy of God saith Augustine Let us embrace Christ
These God giveth to man for his good and man turnes them to his owne destruction As for example God proposed the Word to Pharaoh by Aaron miracles by Moses by these his heart should have been softened but by his owne fault it became more hard so were the Iewes at the preaching of Isay And to this purpose saith God in Ierem. 6.21 I will lay stumbling blocks before this people the fathers and the sonnes shall fall upon them the neighbour and the friend shall perish Yet surely though all this be true it is not all the truth for in the storie of Pharaoh I observe three things 1. The preaching of the Word by Aaron 2. The working of miracles by Moses 3. The hid action of God in the heart of Pharaoh And these three God did thus order that Aaron should speake the word Moses should doe miracles but hee would reserve to himselfe the action of induration I will harden the heart of Pharaoh Exod. 4.21 as if he should say I will reserve that to my selfe So that besides the outward objects of the Word and miracles proposed by Moses and Aaron there was an internall action of hardening wrought by God not to goe still about the point the conclusion is God doth blinde harden and give over to a reprobate minde not onely by suffering it not onely by withdrawing his grace and helping hand nor onely by proposing of outward objects against which the wicked may stumble but also by an inward and strange working in the heart of man and all these be acts of Gods just judgement whereby hee punisheth mans sinne So that hardnesse and excaecation in respect of it selfe is sinne In respect of the consequents the cause of sinne and it is in respect of 〈…〉 God workes is difficult from the blame God is free from the guilt he is also free let man looke to both these But the punishment of sinne being an act of his justice hee acknowledgeth and in the punishment note three things 1. The matter wherewith a man is punished 2. The contrarietie betweene the partie and the punishment 3. The order of consequence that where such an offence went before such an evill shall follow to make the offender feele the smart of it In those punishments which be punishments onely and not sinnes God is the Author of all things implyed In those which be sinnes as well as punishments God is onely the Author of the order of consequence and of the contrarietie betweene the punishments and the parties punished as for example Pride is punisht by envie now envie is not of God But there is a contrarietie betweene the soule of a proud man and it which makes it bitter and afflictive and there is an order of consequence that where such a sinne went before there such a punishment should follow This is of God So that God workes in sinne 1. Positively as it is a physicall act 2. Morally as it is a just punishment of sin 3. Permissively as it is a sin not by giving consent to the doing of it but in not hindring it Yet in all this we doe not say that God is the author of sinne Antid in Rom. pag. 715. as Stapleton accuseth Calvin and Becanus p. 6. who saith that the God of the Calvinists is the author of sinne nor as Bellar mine 〈…〉 Beza First that we say God to be truly and properly the cause of those sinnes which men commit De amissione gratiae et statu peccatt Lib. 2. Cap 4. Secondly that we say God truly properly to sinne Thirdly God alone truly to sinne whereas Calvin holds the quite contrary Insâ—â—ut Lib. 1. Cap. 14. Sect. 16. Lab. 2. Cap. 4. Sect. 2. Neminem indurat nisâ—â—eâ—â—ò Epist 106. Non inâ—uâ—dendo malitiam sed â—â—bâ—r â—â—endo gratiam Aug. ad Sixtum Epist 105. But wee say that induration and excaecation bee just judgements of God He hardens none but deservedly saith Augustine and in Calvins judgement there bee these parts to bee considered First the withdrawing of his divine helpe Not by infusing malice but by withdrawing grace The punishment of precedent sinne when God takes away those helps of grace which formerly they had and when man wants this help of his owne accord hee rusheth into sinne Hence Pharaos heart grew hard because God would not give him grace to hearken to his ministers Moses and Aaron And the Gentiles having their cogitations darkened that is God not enlightening them with his grace they gave themselves over unto wantonnesse and to worke all iniquity with greedinesse Eph. 4.18.19 and this denying of grace is no sinne because it doth not conferre grace Secondly the delivering of man into the power of Satan which is Gods just judgement upon man for sinne as 1. King 22.22 when hee bade Satan deceive the false Prophets Thou shalt intice him and prevaile goe forth and doe so and in this no sin for Satan being the executioner of Gods anger and judgements doth so plunge those that are turned over to him into eternall destruction that he punisheth their former sinnes by making them commit greater than they did before thus did God with the wicked people Rom. 1.24 Because they regarded not to know God therefore God gave them over that Sathan might punish them by driving them into greater sinnes than ever they had committed before Thirdly divine permission when God suffers Sathan and wicked men to runne into sinne but without his furtherance as Psal 81.12 My people would not hearken Israel would not obey therefore I gave them over to the hardnesse of their heart let them follow their owne imaginations as he did here with the Iewes so did he with the Gentiles Act. 14.16 The God that made heaven earth in time past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies and in Zach. 8.16 I set all men every one against his brother and yet in this permission God is neither altogether unwilling that it should bee done for it were impossible to bee done if God were wholly against it neither is he simply willing because hee doth both hate sinne and punish it as Psal 5.5 So that if permission be referred to the act of sinne God hates it wills it not but unwilling permits it but if referred to the end not which the agent doth intend but which the divine wisdome deduceth from thence then he permits it willingly Fourthly the determination of sinne when God will not suffer the wicked to goe on in sinne so farre as they desire but sets them bounds that they cannot goe beyond and as hee did with the seas Iob 38.11 Hither shalt thou goe as hee did with Sathan in the tempting of Iob All that hee hath is in thy power but upon himselfe put not forth thy hand Iob 1.12 as hee did with Pharaoh he suffered him to vex and persecute Israell but when Pharaoh would have maliciously brought them backe againe and intended more exquisite cruelty
and perdition he is in danger to slip into everie hole and to fall into everie pit which the enemies of his salvation doe dig for him to be catched in everie trap and snare of tentation that is laid in his way he cannot discerne betweene the faire and sure path of holinesse and righteousnesse and the foule sloughes and deepe ditches of sinfull corruptions till he fall into them he is ready to run into briars bushes and obnoxious to all injuries which the enemies of his salvation shall be pleased to offer unto him They may rob him of all he hath and hee cannot avoyd them they may deceive him with any bait and he cannot discerne them yea they may wound and stab him to the heart and hee cannot defend himselfe from their rage and violence We have an example of this heavie judgement in Pharaoh who being smitten with this spirituall blindnesse thought that hee then did most wisely when like a Bedlam hee went on in that way which exposed him and his people to Gods searefull plagues and at the last brought them to utter destruction So Paul before his conversion had his minde so blinded that when like a mad man he raged against Christ in his members he supposed that herein hee did God good service Acts 26.11 And so bruitishly blinde were the Priests and Pharisies that they thought it was the onely meanes to bring safetie to their people to kill their Saviour Ioh. 11.48 51. which afterwards proved to bee the cause of their destruction and utter desolation Againe Vse 2 wee unto whom God hath given this grace to receive Christ by faith as our Saviour and Redeemer may hence learne to be thankfull unto God for delivering us from this heavie judgement which to this day lieth still heavie upon his ancient people and for the inlightning of our mindes with the saving knowledge of his truth The which our thankfulnesse wee must approve to bee unsained by walking according to this light of knowledge in the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse that wee may glorifie him who hath beene so gracious unto us Finally Vse 3 it should make us pitifull and compassionate towards those that lye under this heavie judgement of spirituall blindnesse and especially the people of the Iewes and to pray earnestly that they may bee enlightned with the saving knowledge of God his Christ and holy Gospell For if their case bee to bee pitied and lamented who through bodily blindnesse run into innumerable mischiefes and fal at last into a deepe gulph without hope of recoverie how much more should we pitie and bewaile their miserable condition who through spirituall blindnesse plunge themselves for the present into farre greater evils and at last fall irrecoverably into the pit of everlasting destruction Neither let their furie and faultinesse in opposing Christ in his truth and members lessen our pitie but rather increase it For what can they doe otherwise so long as they are under this heavie judgement of spirituall blindnesse What can be expected of mad men but the fruits and effects of folly and phrensie Who is angrie with a blinde man because hee goeth out of his way or stumbleth at everie blocke or falleth into everie pit and ditch or is mislead by everie false guide or exposed to the wrongs and outrages of everie malicious enemie Yea who doth not pitie him in all or any of these miseries and laboureth not that hee may either prevent or be delivered out of them And how much more then should wee stand thus affected towards those who lye under the punishments of spirituall phrensie and blindnesse which without all comparison are greater than the other and much more durable and desperate The third judgement or punishment which he prophetically denounceth by way of imprecation against the people of the Iewes The third judgement for rejecting Christ and the Gospell is set downe in these words And bow downe their backes alway Exposition In which consider 1. The judgement it selfe 2. The continuance of it The judgement is expressed like the former in a metaphoricall speech taken from the body where consider 1. the matter and 2. the māner of it The matter is their utter weakning and disabling to all good actions spirituall civill and corporall inward and outward For the Hebrewes seat the chiefe strength of man in his back and loynes which being broken bowed and buckled together he is thereby made utterly unfit for any actions and employment So that the meaning is as if hee had said Disable them wholly unto all holy and Christian duties so as they may have neither power not will to performe any holy service unto God to receive Christ as their Lord or to yeeld unto him obedience as to their Sovereigne let them bow downe under the intolerable burthen of their sinnes especially that of crucifying their Saviour without ease or comfort Deprive their state of all strength and pull out of their hands all civill government which they have abused to Gods dishonour to the opposing of Christ in his Kingdome and to the dammage and hurt of all his subjects and members overthrow their whole policie and Common-wealth subdue them as vassals and slaves to all their enemies and make them wholly desolate The which heavie judgements we see accordingly inflicted upon that Nation For their Kingdome was quite overthrowen by Titus Vespasian their politicke Lawes and government taken away their cities and townes sacked and fired their people for the most part slaughtered and the remainder sold for slaves and scattered among all Nations under whose servitude they remaine in great scorne and reproach even unto this day And thus also we see their backes broken in respect of spirituall strength For no Nation under Heaven is more desperately wicked and averse to all goodnesse none so maliciously opposite to Christ and his kingdome whom they delight to disgrace with reproaches and blasphemies none more given up to a reprobate minde to couetousnesse sordide basenesse injustice and all manner of deceit A people separated from all nations that they may bee the scorne of of all And this is the matter of the judgement The manner or qualitie of it is implyed by that phrase of bowing or making crooked For as those whose backes are broken and bowed doe bend their faces downeward towards the earth and are not able without great difficultie to lift them up towards heaven So this nation being broken with Gods heavie judgements weakened in all their strength spirituall and civill had this heavie punishment added to all the rest that hereby like bruit beasts their faces were bowed towards the earth ascribing all their calamities to worldly accidents and inferiour causes and never looking up unto God as the chiefe Author of them that they might humble themselves under his mighty hād see acknowledge their sins which were the causes of these heavie judgements and turning unto God by unfained repentance might obtaine the pardon of
saying THe second argument to prove that all the Iewes are not rejected Exposition is taken from Gods fore-knowledge and seemes to be thus framed God hath not cast away his people which he knew before but some Iewes are such people as God knew before therefore some Iewes are not cast off The termes are most of them easie for God hath not cast away his they are called his whom he from eternitie did purpose to save For rejection it is either temporarie or eternall he doth cast off his for a time and seemes to hide his face and loving countenance from them I will goe away untill they seeke mee Hos 5. But eternally he casts off none but such as were of old ordained to condemnation for this fore-knowledge some say was of them whom he fore-knew to bee apt to receive faith but this was the errour of the Greekes attributing too much unto mans free will and was much opposed by Augustine For it is thus said Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord set his love upon you not because you were many but because he loved you freely That is without any cause in you Oecumenius understands it comparatively hee fore-knew them before the Gentiles that is to bee called before the Gentiles But as Beza well observes here is no mention of calling but of eternall predestination Some take it thus which he knew that is enlarged and endowed with excellent benefits and privileges But this is sufficiently controlled by Tolet Annet 1. and hath indeed no warrant in the Text. This fore-knowledge of God saith Paraeus in Scripture is taken foure wayes First most largely for his generall knowledge whereby he knoweth things to come and not to come all things that are done in heaven and in earth of this spake Peter unto Christ in Ioh. 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things and this knowledge is only of the understanding and speculative this is not the cause of any thing nor is to be called his predestination because hee knowes many things to be done which are not done by his counsell and will Aquin. Sum. 1. quaest 14 â—rt 8. as Aquinas Secondly it is used for the foreknowledge of those things which he decreeth to be both of good which he purposeth to doe and of evill which hee purposeth to permit This practicke knowledge is not without counsell and is the infallible cause of all things that are and is that providence whereby the world is governed called the determinate counsell and fore-knowledge of God Acts 2.23 And yet this differs from election The difference between fore-knowledge and election as the whole from a part for election is but one part of predestination and providence and in this sense the reprobates are fore-knowen viz. preordained to punishment for their sinnes Thirdly strictly for the election and predestination of the Saints unto grace and glorie and so Augustine expounds this place whom he knew viz. whom he did predestinate So to fore-know is to approve as by this hee knowes not the wicked Matth. 7.23 Fourthly for the proegumenicall cause of election the free favour and mercie of God we are elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father unto sanctification through obedience and sprinkling of bloud where there is both the principal cause of predestinatioÌ„ God the father Secondly one end of it sanctification as well as glorie Thirdly outward or procatarcticall cause the suffering and bloud of Christ Fourthly the inward cause his fore knowledge that is his meere love unto us for from eternitie hee beheld us in Christ and in him loved us for he hath chosen us in him Ephes 1.4 Of predestination and what it is Before I come to gather the scope and drift of Paul give me leave to instruct you in that great point of predestination and therein I will make choyce of these principall heads 1. What it is 2. The order of it 3. The parts 4. The causes of predestination 5. The effects I begin with the first Bellarmine saith Degratia lib. Arbit lib. 2. cap. 9. that it is a certaine providence of God whereby certaine men out of the masse of perdition are mercifully chosen Ex massa perditionis misericorditèr electi and so are by meanes infallible directed to eternall life But this definition doth extend predestination onely to the elect which is both of the elect and reprobate and therefore unsound Secondly he makes predestination and providence all one which in themselves are different for 1. Providence reacheth to all creatures but predestination doth not so 2. Providence directs all things to naturall ends saith P. Martyr but predestination leads to those things that exceed nature as to bee adopted to bee sonnes of God to bee regenerate to bee seasoned with grace Lombard Distinct lib. 1. Dist 40. to come not onely to the hope but also to the fruition of glorie It is preparing of grace in this life and of glorie in the life to come True but this containes not all Est praeparatio gratia est praeparatio donorum Dei quibus certo liberantur qui liberantur coeteri in massa perd tionis relinquuntur De praedest Saâ—ct cap. 12. Augustine thus desines it It is the preparation of grace and of the gifts of God whereby they are certainly freed that are freed the rest are left in the masse of destruction But I will give out of all both ancient and moderne a more complete definition thus It is a most wise part of that most wise purpose of God whereby hee decreed before all eternitie some should be called to the adoption of sonnes should be justified by faith and in the end glorified others should be passed by that both by mercie on the one and justice on the other his glorie might be manifested Everie clause whereof I will demonstrate out of Scripture The 1. The proposed Genus a thing common to election and reprobation Paul Ephes 1.5 He hath predestinate us to bee adopted through Iesus Christ unto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will And Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God might remaine according to election And this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purpose and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good pleasure I take to bee all one 2. I call this purpose most wise for God doth nothing rashly or unadvisedly nothing that can bee corrected amended or repented of 3. Hee constantly decrees it that it is immutable So Paul 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth sure I am God and change not Mal. 3.6 And the gifts of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 My counsell shall stand Isai 46.10 And though God say Ierem. 18.8 that hee will repent that is to bee meant not of predestination or of the will of good pleasure but of the signe that is of those punishments which hee threatned by the Prophets Nam qui mutat opera consilium non mutat Ang. Confess lib. 1. cap. 4. Though God changeth his works yet
7.23 In the former viz. election note 1. what it is 2. Of election and first what it is the execution 3. the knowledge of particular election 1. Election is defined thus It is a decree in which God according to the good pleasure of his will hath certainly chosen some men to life for the glorie of his grace as Ephes 1.4 5. in this one I note these points 1. The impulsive cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good pleasure of his will hee will have mercie on whom hee will have mercie Rom. 9.18 2. If his decree then it is immutable he is not as man that he should repont 1 Sam. 15.29 3. There is an actuall election made in time I have chosen you out of the world Ioh. 15.19 4. The end his glorie for of the execution and the knowledge of particular election I will speake hereaster I come to speake a word of the other part of predestination viz. Reprobation which is A decree whereby God out of his pleasure purposed to refuse some men by meanâ—s of Adams fall and their owne corruption for manifeslation of his justice In this note only the matter or object of this decree viz. The rejection of some men in respect of mercie or the manifestation of justice upon some which howsoever men call it crueltie yet the Word tels it us Iude 4. They were of old ordained to this condemnation And Rom. 9.22 God makes vessels of wrath for destruction But this is a Doctrine that seemes to be hard and cruell for first men say it must needs bee crueltie to create a great part of the world to damne them in hell But they should know that by this decree God doth not create any to damne them but to the manifestation of his glorie in their due and deserved damnation for their sinne which is but justice and not crueltie 2. They say that by this God should hate his owne creature and that before it is whereto first I answer That God did not actually hate but purposed to hate justly and deservedly and if hee did I may say with Paul Rom. 9.20 O man what art thou that disputest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou in de mee thus Num. negandum quoâ— as crtum qâ—â—a intenni 〈◊〉 sotest â—â—d 〈◊〉 Aug. De buno persever lib. 2. cap. 14. And with Augustine May wee deay that which is plaine and evident because that which is hidden and secret cannot bee found out It is plaine out of Scripture that so it is and therefore it must needs bee sinne to object against it But that which makes the principal question is that which in the fourth placed proposed and which now I come unto to wir The causes of predestination Of the causes of election and because the parts of predestination are two I will take them severally and first begin with election Howsoever Gods will be the reason whereinto all causes must be resolved and end in that yet some imes there may bee given a reason of Gods will yet that reason must not be called an efficient cause of Gods will The reason why God placed Adam in Paradise was that hee might dresse it and keepe it the reason why God drove not the Canaanite out of the land was because the wickednesse of the Amorites was not yet full Gen. 15.16 The reason why God brought Israel thorow the desart rather than per compendia by more compendious and neerer wayes was that they might not easily bee met by their enemies Yet then onely must a reason of his will be given when he himselfe hath given it in his Word Of the finall causes of election For the finall causes of predestination they are plainly set downe by Paul especially citing that of Pharaoh Rom. 9.17 For this same cause have I stirred thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be glorified thorowout all the earth or for this verie cause have I appointed thee as it is Exod. 9.16 And of the elect hee saith it was that God might shew the riches of his glorie upon the vessells of mercie Rom. 9.23 and as there is a finall so there may be a materiall cause Men who are predestinated and the benefits which God bestowes on the elect vocation justification sanctification glorie But the question is touching the cause impulsive whether it were his meere will or his fore-seene faith and workes That faith and workes be Of the impulsive cause of election was the Tenent of the old Pelagians renewed in latter times by some counterfeit Lutherans at the first maintaining faith simply to be the cause of election yet afterward onely the instrumentall and not the meritorious cause of election See the Rhemists In Annotat. in Rom. 9. Observe then 1. what wee hold 2. our arguments 3. the opposition of the adversarie In the decree of election there is a double act The first concernes the end The second the means I ground this proposition upon Rom. 9.11 That the purpose according to election might remaine where I see first in Gods decree an election before the purpose of damning or saving And Rom. 8.29 30. Those whom hee foreknew he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne and whom hee predestinated them c. where there is a manifest difference betweene the decree viz. predestination and the execution of his decree which consists in these three 1. Vocation 2. Iustification 3. Glorification The first act I call a part of Gods divine purpose whereby hee bringeth some men into love and favour passing by the rest and makes them vessels of honour and these are the acts of the sole will of God without all respect to either good or evill in the creature Neither doth God wrong any though he chuse not all because hee is tied to none as a man having no childe of his owne and seeing a multitude of beggers adopteth one of them and leaveth out the rest though hee shew mercie on him whom hee adopts yet doth no wrong to the rest so is it with God The second act is a purpose of saving or conferring glorie and this hath no other impulsive cause than the former viz. the good pleasure of God as Ephes 1.5 Hee hath predestinare us to bee adopted through Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will where note that this purpose of saving is with regard to Christ the Mediator who was first ordained to be a Mediator between God and man as 1 Pet. 1.20 Hee was ordained before the foundation of the world Secondly promised by the mouth of the Prophets as Isa 9.6 Thirdly revealed Fourthly applyed when Christ is given unto us of God the Father by the right use of the Word and Sacraments and received of us by true faith the last is the accomplishment of the application which is glorie when God shall bee all in all by Christ
grace Chrysost ibid. whom God foresaw would beleeve and the Pelagians of grace that is they who have chosen grace both of them ascribing too much to mans will The meaning is that this remnant is reserued according to the election of grace not whereby men chose grace but whereby God of his meere grace hath chosen men saith Iunius Iun. in Rom. 11. and there is in them an Hebraisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the election of grace for according to free election saith Beza and Aquinas Beza Aquin. In them I note 1. The foundation and ground of salvation and that is Gods election 2. The impulsive cause of Gods election grace not in us but in God as Pareus and Soto Pareus Soto In the handling whereof and here note 1. what it is Election is that part of Gods eternall predestination Election described whereby hee decreed before all eternity that they whom he loved in Christ should be called to the adoption of sonnes iustified by faith should doe good workes bee glorified and made conformable to the image of his Son which conformity is begun when we are justified increased daily by good workes finished in eternall glory and all this that God may shew upon them the riches of his mercy that it is of those whom hee loved in Christ it is manifest for whatsoever good we have of God it is by and through Christ 2. That they should be called So the Apostle hee hath chosen us to be adopted through Iesus Christ unto himselfe Epes 1.5 3. That they should bee justified See Rom. 8.30 whom hee called them he justified 4. To be glorified Ibid. 5. That they may bee conformable to the image of his Sonne See Paul 8.29 Out of all these arise three conclusions 1. God did elect and chose because hee looked mercifully vpon vs in Christ 2. Whomsoever hee did chose unto glory he did predestinate to be holy Homines non producit Deus ad gloriam per scelera flagitiae Peter Martyr God brings not men to glory by villanies and wickednesse saith Martyr as aboue 3. All our hope of glory depends meerely vpon our election in Christ that we are or shall be called and iustified and in the end glorified Rom. 8.29 30. This election is the first and most ancient charter that Gods children can shew for their right to their Fathers inheritance for though by vocation we be manifested to be the sonnes of God by iustification ingrafted in Iesus Christ and made partaker of all that is his and by glorification we be entred into our Fathers inheritance yet is our election the foundation of all these as 2. Tim. 2.19 Our hope that we are of his Church for onely the elect are the Church and the univocall members of Christ the head though it bee denied by Bellarmine in opposition to Wickliffe Hus and Calvin Bellarm. de Eccles mil tant lib. 3. cap. 7. Our hope that our calling is true and effectuall for they only are effectually called who are eternally elected as may appeare in the golden chaine whom hee did predestinate them hee called Rom. 8.30 Our hope that we shall never be cast off that we are preserved by Christ and shall bee raised up at the last day Iohn 6.39 That we are kept by the power of God the father through faith unto salvation prepared but showed in the last times 1. Pet. 1.5 If all depend on this let us learne whether wee belong unto it or no that we may know whether we shall ever bee glorified or no. There is no way to know it but by the fruits as 2. Pet. 1.10 The fruits are many I will note for your comfort some 1. good workes 2. a conscionable care of the meanes of salvation 3. The spirit of prayer 4. Abalienation from the world 5. Hungring and thirsting after righteousnes 6. Conflict betweene the flesh spirit 7. New obedience 8. Love to Gods ministers 9. A longing for the fulnesse and complement of Christs comming as above and so I come to the impulsive cause of election Grace Amongst men they are said to have grace Cui favet populus Who have the good will and love of the people And so with God they are said to have grace who have found grace with God But here is a manifest difference men favour none but in whom they finde something whereby they may bee allured to love them but God loved not because he saw vs to be lovely for hee loved us first and by loving us gave us that which pleaseth him So that the name of grace in Scripture is used two wayes 1. For the free love and favour of God wherewith hee imbraceth the elect Ephes 1.6 We are predestinate to the praise of the glory of his grace 2. Grace signifies the gifts freely bestowed upon us by God as Rom. 11.29 The gifts that is the graces of God are without repentance as Aquinas hath well distinguisht Quaest 110. Artic. 1. By understanding of which distinction it will appeare with what difference the Protestant and the Papist agree in this tenent that man is justified by grace as the same schooleman 2a 2ae quaest 113. Artic. 2. But the Papist by grace understands the gifts of grace conferred upon them that bee justified as the infused habit of faith good workes c. We by grace in the act of justification understand not the workes of grace which by our faults and sinnes bee made imperfect and not able to satisfie Gods justice but the good will the love which God shewes unto us out of his meere mercie Lib. 2. distinct 26. Peter Lombard hath distinguisht grace into working and co-working and fathers it upon S. Augustine Degratin lib. Arbit Cap. 7. But these bee the same grace distinguisht onely in the effects for grace doth first cure the will and so it is working 2. It caused the will being cured to doe rightly and so it is co-working In the first mans will concurs with grace passively and grace only workes but in the other when mans will is regenerate it concurres both actively and passively and so grace and mans will be co-operant I will not trouble you with those distinctions into prevenient and subsequent which are but one and by the same grace hee prevents us that wee may will hee followes us by making us to doe he prevents us by moving us to good workes hee followes us by giving perseverance nor with that of grace into grace freely given and making acceptable Grace freely given is whereby one man workes with another to salvation and is called grace freely given because it is granted to man above the facultie of nature Grace making acceptable by which man is joyned to God as Th. Aquinas Th. Aquin. quaest 12. Art 1. That which is here meant by grace is his free mercie and love from whence the point is That which moveth God to
gratian dicuntur vosa non meritorum sed misericardiae Lib. 5. de natura gratia cap 1. They are freed by grace and are called not vessels of merits but of mercie Vnto these I adde a fourth reason if you read the ninth to the Romans where the Apostle sifts and searches out the impulsive cause of predestination hee brings all to one of these foure heads 1. To the purpose or good pleasure of God that the purpose might remaine vers 11. 2. To the will of God Hee hath mercie on whom hee will and whom hee will hee hardeneth vers 18. 3. To his power Hath not the potter power c. vers 21. 4. To his mercie It is not in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie vers 16. But wheresoever he doth mention election he never makes mention of workes unlesse to exclude them as P. Martyr speakes as here he doth if of grace then not of workes Lastly if workes be the causes of election then in necessitie they are of justification also for that rule in Logicke is constant Whatsoever is the cause of the cause Quicq id est causa causae est causae causati is the cause of the thing caused But good workes are not the causes of justification for first that which justifies is that which can answer the extremitie of Gods justice But mans obedience cannot doe it being onely a begun conformitie as Chemnitius speakes Exam. Trident. Concil Sess 6. To them that will doe good evill is present Secondly if justified by workes then all boasting is not excluded but all boasting is excluded For wee are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3.24 So that that which justifies a man is the satisfaction and obedience the justice of Christ our Mediator proposed in the Word apprehended by faith and by God imputed to all that beleeve So that we dare stand before God if that Christ stand betweene God and our sinnes that is our buckler wherewith we are protected from judgement by which we are emboldened to goe and appeare at the Tribunall of God and are there pronounced just So that though in respect of Christ it be satisfaction merit and righteousnesse yet in respect of us it is grace and mercie I could muster great Iuries of Scriptures and ancient Fathers to passe verdict on our side but I need not onely remember what Possidonius reports of Ambrose a Etsi non sic vixt ut pudeat inter vos vivere tomen non tâ—neo mors sed quia Don inum habeo bonum In vita August cap. 27. Though I have not so lived that I may be ashamed to live amongst you b Pateor non sum dignus ego nec propriu pessum meritis reguum abtinere culorum caeterum duplicâ— jure illud bâ—inens Dominuâ— hae reditate patris merito pessionu attero pse contentus alterâ—â—â— ihi dorat exenjus doâ—o jure illud vendans non cons nâ—or cap 12. yet I feare not to die not because I have lived well but because I have a good Lord. And I finde in the life of Bernard that seeming to be before Gods Tribunall and Satan opposing him and when Satan had done the good man seemed thus to reply I confesse I am not worthy neither can I by mine owne deserts obtaine the kingdome of Heaven but my Lord obtaining it by a do able right by his Fathers inheritance and the merit of his passion being content with one himselfe giveth mee the other of whose gift challenging it by right I am not confounded And therefore Bellarmine out of Bernard Because of the uncertaintie of our righteousnesse and the danger of vaine glorie Propter incertitudinem propriae jâ—â—tiae pericâ—lum in â—â—is glâ—ria tutissius â—â— est fidâ—i am totam insole Dei misericordia benâ—gnitate reponere De justif lib. 5. Cap 4. lib. 5. cap 7. propos 3. it is safest to put our whole trust in the sole mercie and goodnesse of God The Vse is to teach us first that we must not set up an Idoll in our owne hearts and thanke our selves Secondly an infinite comfort that our happinesse depends not upon our selves for then we should even be driven to despaire in regard of many sinnes and waverings which would breed not onely doubt but certaintie that wee should never be saved but seeing it depends upon God who is unchangeable Vse upon God whose promises are Yea and Amen upon God who is the same for ever wee may be sure that wee shall not misse of glorie which he hath laid up and prepared for all that love him And so I descend from the consolation of the rejected Iewes which was the first to the confirmation of their rejection which is the second maine point in the whole Chapter VERS 7. Vers 7 What then Israel hath not obtained that hee sought but the election hath obtained and the rest have been hardened IN the confirmation I note 1. The proposition to be confirmed 2. The testimonies and witnesses confirming it The proposition is aggregate and hath three branches 1. Israel hath not obtained what he sought 2. The elect have obtained what they sought for there is a taking of the abstract for the concrete 3. All the reprobates in Israel are given over to hardnesse of heart The witnesses to confirme all these are David and Isay that by the mouth of two or three witnesses everie word may be confirmed The testimony of David is in Psal 69.22 Let their table bee made a snare and a net and a stumbling blocke let their eyes be darkened that they see not which seemes to bee spoken by way of imprecation but is to be understood by way of prophecie The testimony of Isay is in Isa 6.9 God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare till this day I begin with the first branch viz. Israel hath not obtained Where note 1. Who is meant by Israel not the whole number of the twelve Tribes for then had Paul beene one of them for he was of the seed of Abraham of the Tribe of Benjamine nor must wee understand by Israel those that be called Israel Rom. 9.6 viz. the elect for then the second part of the proposition were false viz. the elect have obtained But by Israel we must understand the out-casts of Israel 2. Note what this Israel sought it appeares Rom. 10.3 They being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God went about to establish their owne righteousnesse and then the meaning is that they sought life by their owne righteousnesse and therefore obtained not what they sought but for the elect who sought life by faith in Iesus Christ they found life where I would have you first note in generall the division of Israel into two parts Some elect some not some hardened some not some obtaine salvation and some doe not Doct.
yet say I not by God onely for there be three efficient causes of mans induration Man the Devill and God 1. The first cause of hardnesse of heart The wicked hardens of his owne heart so did Pharaoh Exod. 7.13 Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let Israel goe And Exod. 8.32 Pharaoh hardened his heart at that time also Therefore saith Moses to Israel Harden your necks no more Deut. 10.16 And 2 King 17.14 The Lord bade them turne from their evill wayes but they would not obey but hardened their hearts and necks like to the necks of their fathers that did not beleeve in the Lord their God And Ierem. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed consumed them but they have refused to receive correction and have made their faces harder than a stone which phrase is frequent in the Prophet Ieremie as in Ier. 7.26 They hardened their necks and did worse than their fathers And Ierem. 17.23 They made their necks stiffe and would not heare by which it appeares that ungodly and wicked men are a cause of their owne hardening when they either oppose the truth acknowledged or persevere in sinne against their conscience as may bee seene in Cain Pharaoh Iudas and the Iewes A second cause is the Devill The second cause of hardnesse of heart helping forward the wicked and sinfull purposes of man plunging him everie day further than other into finne and easting thicke and foggie mists over his eyes as 2 Cor. 4.4 If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that the light of the Gospell might not shine unto them which God of this world is not the true everliving God as Chrysostome Augustine and Ambrose expounded it when they dealt with the Manichees and Arrians but the same which is called the Prince that ruleth in the aire the Prince of darknesse viz. the Devill and these two efficients of induration doe both sinne most grievously man by his owne will Satan by instigation mans corruption is as the coale that sendeth forth sparkes the Devill blowes the coales and kindles the fire The third cause is God for first The third cause of hardnese of heart mans heart sends forth fire Satan blowes it and then God strikes on the anvill and frames and disposeth everie thing to his owne will The first and neerest cause is mans corruption the Instigator and Tempter Satan and God as a just Iudge I will harden Pharaohs heart saith God Exod. 4.21 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh Exod. 9.12 And the Prophet Isay 63.17 questions thus with God O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare So God is said to give men over to a reprobate sense and reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 To blinde Isay 6.10 To deceive Ezek. 14.9 If that Prophet be deceived then I the Lord have deceived him to put a lying spirit in the mouth of his Prophet 1 King 22.23 Behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these Prophets Now how God doth harden and blinde is not agreed Some say that all those Scriptures Hee hardened Pharaohs heart and hee gave them over to a reprobate minde c. are to be expounded by the word of permitting that God did suffer them to be done and not without shew of Scripture Psal 81.12 They would not hearken therefore I gave them up to the hardnesse of their heart and let them walke in their owne counsells And also from the speech of Barnabas and Paul Acts 14.15 16. when the people of Lystra would have sacrificed unto them Why doe you these things we be men as you are who preach unto you the living God who made all things and in times past suffered the Gentiles to walke in their owne lusts and when it is said that God gave them over to doe such things as are not meet they understand it that God suffered them to doe such things as were not convenient and that God hath no more to doe in hardening mans heart than a man that stands upon the shore and sees a ship to bee drowned when hee might have holpen it which was the interpretation of Iulian the Pelagian August contra luâ—â—anum Pelag. lib. 5. cap. 3. as Augustine sheweth But Augustine shewes there that God doth it not by patience alone but by his patience which implyes an action for if he would not for no reason would hee have permitted it So that he doth not onely suffer it but will it for Gods permission is voluntarie and he suffereth willing not unwilling See Calvin Inst lib. 1. cap. 18. seâ—â— 2. God permits nothing against his will so that when God suffers sin to be done hee also wils it to be done Some say that they must be expounded by the word of substracting That God is no otherwise said to harden or blinde but by with-drawing his grace which they that are blinded and hardened are unworthy of As the ship-man withdrawing his helpe le ts the ship be drowned or a man that takes away the pillar that sustained the house then the house fals of it selfe and there bee two causes why God useth to withdraw his grace and spirit sometimes to punish the unthankfull that abuse his grace sometimes that they might better acknowledge the necessitie of grace that without it wee can doe nothing that is good that wee may bee more enflamed with a desire of it and embrace it joyfully when wee feele it and for these causes God sometimes denies his servants the powerfull working of his Spirit and suffers them to fall into foule sins and that not onely in justice to punish former ingratitude but also in mercie and for their good both in the sight of our owne weaknesse and in seeing the necessitie of Gods grace and in making us more carefull not to abuse grace when we have it So that God doth blinde when he takes away his light for take away light darknesse followes take away grace hardnesse followes and therefore Peter Martyr sayes That God is such a cause of sinne as is called in Philosophie the removing prohibiting cause that takes away the helpe by which they should bee kept from induration and though this bee somewhat yet it is not all for surely these sayings God did harden give over to a reprobate minde lead into temptation and encline the hearts of men doe signifie some action of God in man Some come a little neerer and say that God doth blinde and harden not by his owne but by an outward act indirectly that is by proposing to the eyes and eares such objects whereby they should be softned and enlightned and reclaimed from sinne but yet it comes to passe by their owne faults that they are thereby blinded and hardened and plunged further into sinne These objects are the preaching of the Word Sacracraments miracles mercies judgements
salvation of soules What is Pauls hope or joy or crowne of rejoycing are not you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming Yes c. 1 Thess 2.19 20. This was the reason why Paul became all things to all men that he might save some 1 Cor. 9.22 I sâ—eke not yours but you The reason First because the Ministers must aime at that most whereby God is glorified most and that 's the salvation of soules he is glorified in the wickeds destruction but he glorieth more in the salvation of one that beleeves and repents than in the condemnation of a thousand that die impenitent Secondly because the Minister must answer for his peoples soules as the Apostle speakes Heb. 13.17 They watch for your soules as they that must give account unto God He iâ—â—o to watch Vtetiamsi sanctè vrvat perdite viventes arguere erubâ—scat aut â—ctuat cum o unibus qui ertacentâ— periere perit Prosp Aquitan Devita â—ontemplat cap. 20. That although he live holily and blusheth or is afraid to reprove corrupt livers he perisheth with all those that perish he being silent saith Prosper Aquitanicus Thus God speaketh unto the Prophet Ezek. 33.7 8. Sonne of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel and the word shalt thou require at my mouth When I say to the wicked O wicked man thou shâ—lt die the death if thou doe not speake c. Hence ariseth to a Minister a great care he must care for soules and great danger he is in danger of damnation if he lose one of his peoples soules and therefore I thinke that Chrysostome might well use that speech of his Non arbit or inter Sacerdotes maltos essi qui salvi siunt sed multo plures qui per. unt Clnys in Act. Asost Homil 3. Apud Stobaeum cap. 49. I doe not thinke that among the Priests many are saved but many more that perish If one of us have ten thousand soules to feed it is many thousand times more easie for you to goe to Heaven than for one of us which if we considered we would say as Antigonus If thou didst know with how many evils this Diadem is attended thou wouldst not take it up lying on a dunghill First then dangerous is the case of those Vse 1 who preach onely to please whose learning consists in the withdrawing of their matter and setting their words in knots and borders placing them cheeker-wise to delight the care onely who come alwayes from Placentia never were at Verona to use the words of Lavâ—ter on Esther These men wrong themselves for they bring other mens bloud upon their heads as Ezek. 33. They wrong their hearers for they see them like to perish and Felpe them not they see them posting forward in the broad path of iniquitie and reclaime them not they see them in the fire and they helpe them not It was the saying of Sigismund the Emperour 〈…〉 um oâ—â—ulâ— qui â—aunico 〈◊〉 in Carâ—â— â—in nâ— 5. 〈…〉 Mared 〈◊〉 54. 〈…〉 us urury 〈…〉 seâ—atur â—â—â—ust Serm 15 in Matth. Saevitin va nus ut 〈…〉 nam si 〈…〉 â—crd ur He slâ—yes his enemie that spares him and these Ministers doe kill you for want of speaking That which Ausken saith of God God sometimes by sparing rigeth is most true of the Minister hee kils you by forbearing to let you bloud and to launce your sores He that is to be burned bewaileth and yet is burned hee that is to bee cut bewaileth and yet is cut saith Augustine The sicke weepes yet the Surgeon cuts him hee laments and yet the Surgeon seares him whether is this crueltie or pitie Hee rageth against the wound that man may bee cured for if the wound be handled gently man is destroyed Secondly Vse 2 dangerous is the case of these who study nothing but honour and wealth who bestow most of their studies how they may rise higher than their brethren to get honour to themselves not to honour God who open both their mouthes and purses to wooe and solicite their rich promotions but can have no leasure to open their mouthes to preach that a man may say as Seneca in another case Small cures speake Cuâ—aeles â—â—loquunlto ngentes slupent great ones are dumbe When with Demoslhenes in Gedius this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bull in the tongue then they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pati suffer a kinde of squman cie they cannot speake Thirdly dangerous is the case of those Vse 3 who be dumbe dogs that cannot barke who take upon them this holy calling and yet can preach no more than Harpoerates the Aegyptian who was alwayes painted with his singer in his mouth as Erasinus notes who are like to those Idols Psal 115. That have mouthes but speake not Ante Vacunales stant que sedent que fucos Oâ— dâ—â— astâ—b 6. They are Vacuna's Priests and shee sittest Mistresse to bestow a liverie upon such Drones They are such to whom God will say Why stand yee idle the whole day Fourthly dangerous is the case of those Vse 4 who in stead of saving destroy the soules of their people sometimes sowing hereticall and wicked doctrine sometimes by a wicked and sinfull life To whom God may say as Psal 50.16 17. Ionoui mâ—â—i to jua otiosa â—anus Lucida lectiveita tenebr â—sa viâ—a monsir esi res est A tongue that speakes great things and an idle hand A â—lâ—ere doctrine and â—darke life is a monstrous thing Loquere ut vide im Speake as I may see you was the Philosophers rule which is the sault of too many of my brethren who doe more hurt in the weeke day by yoking themselves with a packe of good fellowes than they doe good on the Sabbath by many of their leane and soule-starving Sermons I come to a second note from hence The Minister of the Gospell is the instrument which God useth to save the soules of his people And therefore although God be the Author and efficient cause of salvation yet the Minister is said to save because hee is a co-worker So the Apostle 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed to thy selfe and to doctrine continue therein for in so doing thou shalt save both thy selfe and those that heare thee In Iam. 5.20 This know that hee which converteth a sinner shall save a soule from death In Mat. 18.15 If hee heare thou hast gained or won thy brother The Minister is the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2.16 He is a fisher of men Matth. 4.19 to call them from the world to be of the number of Gods Saints So that a good Minister of the Gospell is said to save men either by working in them faith as Rom. 10.17 Faith is by hearing or by laying downe the danger that comes by sinne as Moses did to Israel Deut. 30.18 I protest you shall surely perish or by preaching that word which if a man
preferment of the Iew is none at all Quisque nascitur ex Adamo nascitur dimnatus de damnato Augan Psa 131. Whosoever is borne of Adam is borne condemned of him that is condemned saith Augustine Let the Iew say hee hath Abraham to his father yet if hee bee not borne of God that he is descended from the Patriarkes yet if hee bee not within the Covenant of grace and mercie not borne of water and the Holy Ghost hee is no better than the Gentile that knowes not God My conclusion is that of the Apostle Rom. 3.9 Is the Iew more excellent than the Gentile no in no wise For all both Iewes and Gentiles are by nature servants of sinne First learne Vse 1 that it is no privilege to be a Iew and have Abraham to his father to bee beautified with outward privileges if a man have not the faith of Abraham and bee marked and sealed for a childe of God To say Wee have Abraham to our father Vend care praerogativam religiosi nominis superare Gothes Vandales haerericâ pravitate Salvian de provident lib. 7. Ioh. 8. to crie the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord Ierem. 7.4 To challenge the prerogative of a religious name to goe beyond the the Goths and Vandalls in hereticall naughtinesse To use the words of Salvianus are but perizomata fig-leaves not able to cover our nakednesse Secondly they both alike stand in need of Christ Vse 2 Both be ransomed by that Lambe which they have slaine both washt with that bloud which they spilled both made alive by that Iesus whom they have killed I come to the second which is their future condition They also may obtaine mercie And first from the verie appellation and name of mercie they may finde mercie to come out of their former blindnesse I note That all the hope of any unconverted man to come from under the tyrannie of sinne Doct. depends upon the the mercie of God in Christ Iesus Who shall deliver me from this body of sinne I thanke God through Iesus Christ Rom. 7.25 as vers 26. To proceed Some have disputed of the time when this mercie shall be revealed unto this people All that I dare say of that is but probabilitie and may bee comprized in those conclusions of which I have before spoken vers 26. Some have disputed of the number whether all of this Nation which shall remaine alive at that time when the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall finde mercie shall embrace Christ and be turned unto God Pererius to prove it produceth Chrysostome on vers 12. of this Chapter and vers 26. I come to the point viz. Doct. There be many in the state of sinne and infidelitie Sunt filu Des qui nondum sunt nobis sunt nobis qui non sunt Deo Aug. de correpi grat cap. 9. who shall in the end finde mercie with the Lord and be saved It is Augustines conclusion There are sonnes of God who are not yet so to us and there are some so to us who are not to God Of the one is mention 1 Ioh. 2.19 They went ou◠from us because they were not of us Of the other in Ioh. 11.52 It was the prophecie of Caiaphas It is expedient that Iesus should die not for the Nation onely but for the children that were scattered What would a man have thought of the Prodigall of Paul of Manasses of Peter of the Gentiles Many are asleepe in sinne that shall bee awakened many in a slumber that shall bee rowzed many dead in sinne that shall be started by the voyce of God in the Gospell Verily verily I say unto you the houre commeth and now is that the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God Ioh. 5.25 Many sheepe doe now run astray who shall bee brought to the sheepe-fold and returne to the Shepherd and Bishop of their soules as the Apostle speakes 1 Pet. 2.25 To this purpose saith God to Israel Though a man have oppressed by violence lift up his eyes to Idols given to usurie yet if that man turne from his wickednesse hee shall save his soule alive Ezek. 18.27 The reason of all is taken from the infinite dimension of Gods mercie De natura Deorum lib. 1. whereof I may say as Simonides in Tully as before vers 23. So I come to the occasion The mercie shewed unto you By the mercie shewed to the Gentile God will provoke the Iew to seeke mercie and they that seeke it shall finde it The Conclusions are 1. God would have us men to bee at an holy emulation and strife which of us should be greatest in his favor and deerest in his sight 2. The good that we see in others and the mercies shewed unto others should bee strong provocations for us to follow them as vers 11. So I come to an inference that the Apostle makes upon this VERS 32. Vers 32 God hath shut up all in unbeleefe that he might have mercie upon all IN the former verse hee did equall the Iewes and the Gentiles in miserie in this verse hee doth equall them in mercie In which words note First a judgement upon man unbeleefe Secondly the generalitie and extent of it all men Thirdly the end and event of it contrarie to that which Satan intends that he might shew mercie Lastly the Author God These are the parts But I must invert them and take them as they stand And first of the Author God Blindnesse and infidelitie is most justly brought upon man by God yet say I not by God onely for there bee three efficient causes of mans induration and infidelitie Man the Devill God First the wicked brings hardnesse and infidelitie upon himselfe so did Pharaoh Exod. 7.13 as vers 8. But of this I have spoken before vers 8. And therfore I come to the generalitie all Hoc est incredulos esse ex Lege arguit demonstravit Chrysost Non injiciendo iis incedulitatem Origen Non vi sed rationc Hier. He hath shut up all c. viz. Hee hath convinced all by his Law and Word That is hee hath proved and shewed them to be unbeleevers out of the Law so Chrysostome Not by casting into them unbeleefe as Origen Not by force but by reason saith Hierome God shuts men up in unbeleefe as in a prison punishing them as a just Iudge with the gyves and fetters of their owne infidelitie Doct. Here note a difference between civill and spirituall imprisonment Civill imprisonment is for sinne but not sinne But spirituall imprisonment in blindnesse is both for sinne and is sinne The Conclusion is this God punisheth one sinne with another as above hath beene shewed and therefore he hath declared them to bee captivated and enclosed in the prison of their sinnes that so it might appeare to all men that the pardon of their sinnes and the salvation of their soules proceeds onely from Gods mercie From whence wee may learne Doct. That
ordinarie way which men take cannot bring them on to God therefore Paul presses egerly Phil. 3. David runs swiftly Gloria habitat in rupibus Strom. lib. 4. Psal 119.32 It was the speech of Clemens Alexandrinus Glory dwelleth in the rocks Secondly Vse 2 take paines to learne perfectly the way unto God Bee like Alexander in Plutarch with his Homers Iliads Lib. 6. cap. 2. like Origen in Eusebius who in his young yeeres devoted himselfe wholly to Gods service Thirdly cast off that luggage whereby men are so much letted and hindred in the way Fourthly Vse 4 if thou bee once set forward in an holy profession Bee constant in it unto the end Observe these and thou shalt surely finde mercie at the last Secondly Of universall grace here I have fit occasion to dispute a little about universall grace I finde concerning this point foure severall opinions Some have thought Gods saving grace to bee so generall that it reacht unto all both men and Devils which errour is ascribed unto Origen and is confuted at large by S. Augustine De Civit. Dei 10.21 cap. 17. ad 24. Some have holden that God ordained grace and mercie for all and was not in any sense the cause of mans reprobation this was the old heresie of the Pelagians and is not without her well-willers at this day The third is of the Papists who deny not that reprobation doth proceed in some sense from the decree and will of God But that it is Gods act so formally and so properly as election is The fourth only is according to godlinesse That predestination is both of the elect to salvation all reprobates to damnation I will not waken the first which is the dead error of Origen I will deale only with the Papist and the Pelagian who are Iebusites yet alive in the Canaan of the Church The Rhemists position on Rom. 9. Annot. 5. on vers 17. is this God intends no mans damnation directly and absolutely but in respect of their demerits and it is their marginall note upon vers 22. That God is not the cause of any mans damnation or reprobation otherwise than for the punishment of his sinnes of the same opinion is Bellarmine who maketh God the Author of reprobation farre otherwise than of election and excludes it out of the definition of predestination De grat lib. arbit lib. 2. c. 9. Their arguments are taken from 1 Tim. 2.4 God would have all men to bee saved and come to the knowledge of the truth The 2 Pet. 3.9 God would have no man to perish but would have all come to repentance The 18. Ezek. 23. God will not the death of a sinner Therefore the death and condemnation of man stands not properly with the will of God To which it may briefly be answered thus First God is said not to will the death of a sinner not because in his secret will he hath not decreed it but because God in mans condemnation hath respect to his owne glorie that is it which principally hee wills both in his election and reprobation that which God chiefly and principally wils is his glory and this glory is gotten by electing of some out of the masse of corruption and leaving of others Secondly God will have all saved that is de generibus fingulorum all kindes of people Euchir cap. 103. it is Augustines exposition Thirdly Gods will is that all the elect shall be saved as we say all goe in at the doore of the house not because all men goe into that house but because all that goe into the house goe that way Fourthly All in regard of sufficiencie not in respect of efficiencie in regard of the worthinesse of the price not in regard of the propertie of redemption God wils with the will of his signe not of his decree that is of his commandement not of his good pleasure Fifthly in regard of his revealed will who offereth unto all the outward means of salvation not with the will of his good pleasure and decree The Conclusions in briefe are these 1. God as hee hath made all men so hee hath freely disposed of their end according to the counsell of his owne will ordaining some to be vessels of honour some vessels of wrath And this is most just to save some and reject others whereas he might condemne all Nemo injustitia Deum arguat si uni indebitum donaverit gratiam alteri debitam reddiderit poenam A. g. de praedest Sanct. lib. 1. cap 4. Let no man accuse God of injustice if hee shall give to one undeserved grace shall render to another deserved punishment saith Augustine 2. Nothing must make us thinke that God condemnes any without their owne fault hee ordaines none to condemnation which they have not justly deserved by their sin and that God only hath decreed and willed their punishment but not the sinne that brings them to it If now you demand whether this reprobation depend only upon Gods absolute will or there were in it a respect view of mans sin I have discussed this before when I handled the second verse of this Chapter And so I come from the Papist to his brother the Pelagian and others begotten of them both It was the tenent of Pelagius That the grace of God was not only in respect of the outward meanes generally offered to all but in Gods eternall decree and purpose ordained for all if they would receive it and Th. Aquinas and Bellarmine seeme to confute the opinion yet in other words they affirme as much If the bloud of Christ were to be given to all for whom it was shed then it were to be given to all men to the Turkes Sisanguis Christi omnibus danduus effct pro quibus susus est cum dandus esset omnibus omninò hominibus etiam Turcis Iudaeis Ethuicis sauguis etenim ille pro omnibus siâ—â—us est De Eucharist lib 4. cap. 25. Iewes Heathens for that bloud was shed for all in his answer to the argument of Luther I have observed three severall opinions The first that Christ without difference died for the sinnes of all men without any respect of faith or infidelitie yet all are not saved because some despise this grace offered and so are deprived of the reconciliation purchased by Christ The second that all are saved by grace and have faith in Christ The third that it is the purpose of God to save all but the condition being kept if they beleeve The first applying Christs death to all as well beleevers as unbeleevers impugnes that Scripture God so loved the world c. Ioh. 3.16 The second making faith a naturall gift is contrarie to the word for that which is naturall is common to all But all men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 The third ascribing power to mans will to receive and apprehend grace when it is offered gaine sayes that Scripture which saith Without me yee can doe nothing
weepe for sinne and turne to be saved as Ezech. 36.26 I will take away your stony heart and give you an heart of flesh but it is principally meant of a contracted kinde of hardnesse when men hearing the word whereby they should bee conuerted and judgements whereat the heart should melt as did the heart of Iosiah 2 King 22.19 yet notwithstanding make their faces impudent and their hearts hard and resolve to march on in their sinfull wayes this hardnesse is the verie harbinger of death and the fore-runner of everlasting destruction Which makes mine heart to tremble Application and my bowels to yearne and my soule to mourne in secret for many of our people whose hearts be like to anvils the more they are beaten the harder they grow who have both seene and heard the judgements of God and tasted the sweet mercies of God yet have neither beene affrighted from sinne by judgement nor allured to holinesse by mercie surely all the signes and symptomes of destruction are upon them when man breakes the Sabbath heares the promises Isa 58.14 and Isa 56.5 and casts it behinde his backe the threats and punishments as the man stoned Numb 15. that he will kindle a fire in their gates that shall never be quenched Ierem. 17.27 and makes his face hard against them and goes on still in his wickednesse must needs be in the state of reprobation and hath all the marks and tokens of a castaway upon him The contemner of the word that heares the gracious promises Prov. 3.2 Luk. 11.28 〈…〉 are they c. Iosh 1.8 The judgement against them that refuse to heare Prov. 1.24 Because I 〈◊〉 called and you refused c. Zach. 7.12 13. The 〈◊〉 made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the Law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the Prophets therefore came great wrath from the Lord of hosts Therefore it is come to passe that as hee cried and they would not heare so they cried and I would not heare saith the Lord of hosts He that heares this and yet hardens his heart against it and will neither mend for mercie nor judgement is in the estate of damnation and hath all the signes and symptomes of a reprobate upon him and therefore let us labour for soft and tender hearts that if God threaten may melt and tremble if hee promise mercie may rejoyce and be glad if hee doe us good let us take the cup of salvation Psal 116.13 Let us pray God that we may weepe because wee have not wept mourne because wee have not mourned that our hearts may not bee in the hand of the Devill like hard clay but in the hand of God like wax And so I come from the proposition to the confirmation vers 8. VERS 8. According as it is written God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and cares that they should not heare unto this day HEre is the confirmation of the rejection of the Iewes proved by two testimonies wherein I note first the Oracles whither he resorts for determination of this point In these words as it is written from whence the conclusion is Doct. That the written Word ought to bee the Iudge of all controversies and doubts It is able to make us wise unto salvation through the faith that is in Iesus Christ and is profitable for doctrine reproofe correction and instruction as above on these words What saith the Scripture And so I come to the confirmation if I may first cleere a doubt Origen saith There is no place of Scripture where it can bee found in the written Word which is as much as to say that Paul lied indeed it is not to the Word but to the sense and meaning both in Isa 29.10 The Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and shut up your eyes your Prophets and your chiefe Seers hath he covered and their visions are as a booke that is sealed Buxtorfius and Arias Montanus translate the Hebrew word thus the spirit of slumber And it is againe in Isa 6.9 Make their eares heavie The Apostle addes of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto this day that they might not thinke that this prediction was already finisht but that the judgement was upon them till this day I will not insist upon the difference betweene the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee hath made them drunke So they use the word in Isa 19.14 and the originall which signifies he hath covered them Nor is it materiall that the Septuagint expresse it by the active referring it to the people that they have shut their eyes and so Luke cites it Acts 28.27 they have winked with their eyes that they should not see and S. Paul referres it unto God God hath given them c. For it is a good observation of Peter Martyr That is said to be done of God Id dicitur fieri à Deo quod sit Dei imperio which is done by Gods command Nor will I insist upon the signification of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated slumber or compunction which some take from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to move or drive and interpret it the spirit of perplexitie or maligne spirit as Anselme Some call it the spirit of envie whereby they were offended at the calling of the Gentiles but this is but conjecturall yet appeares no reason why the Hebrew word Tardemah should bee rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying pricking and compunction of heart Therefore Beza and Tolet are of opinion that it signifies slumber or sleepe rather than compunction yet seeing that Chrysostome Origen and Theophylact who best knew the signification of the word and the Scriptures also used the word in this sense Acts 2.27 They were pricked in their hearts I thinke it had not beene amisse if it had beene rendred the spirit of compunction And yet I hold the sense and meaning to bee all one and Osiander gives a reason because they are pricked and stirred when they are called to the Gospel but as men asleepe are loth to awake my judgement is that this spirit of slumber or compunction is the same which Paul in 1 Tim. 4.2 cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a conscience burned with an hot iron and that is all one with the spirit of giddinesse and answers fitly to that in the seventh verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall more fully expound the words when I come to them in particular In the first proofe I note 1. The judgement 2. The Author 3. The continuance The judgement the spirit of slumber 1. Generall 2. In two particulars the excaecation of the eyes the other the obturation and stopping of the eares The author he God hath given c. The continuance to this day of these in order and first of the author he he hath given Hardnesse of heart is brought upon man by God