This said as in the way of Explication we will next see what hath been positively delivered by our first Reformers concerning the fatality or absoluteness of Gods Decrees maintained by Calvin then and his followers since Of which thus Bishop Latimer in his Sermon upon Septuagâ—sâ—mâ— ' Some vain fellows make their reckoning thus What need I to mortifie my body with abstaining from all sin and wickedness I perceive God hath chosen some and some are rejected now if I be in the number of the chosen I cannot be damned but if I be accounted amongst the condeâ—ned number then I cannot be saved For Gods judgements are immutable such foolish and wicked reasons some have which bringeth them either to carnal liberty or to desperation Therefore it is as needful to beware of such reason or Exposition of the Scriptures as it is to beware of the Devil himself To the same purpose in his third Sermon after the Epiphany viz. We read in the Acts of the Apostles that when S. Paul had made a long Sermon at Antioch there believed saith the Evangilist as many as were ordained unto everlasting life With the which saying a great number of people have been offended and have said We perceive that onely those shall come to believe and so to everlasting life which are chosen of God unto it therefore it is no matter whatsoever we do for if we be chosen to everlasting life we shall have it And so they have opened a door unto themselves of all wickedness and carnal liberty against the true meaning of the Scripture For if they must be damned the fault is not in God but in themselves for it is written Deus vâ—lt omnes homines salvos fieire God would have all men should be saved But they themselves procure their own damnation and despise the passion of Christ by their own wicked and inordinate living ' 5. Hooper is bolder yet than he even to the censuring of those who by the fatality of these Decrees make God to be the Author of sin And first he lets us know in general ' That the blinde Southsayers that write of things to come were more to be esteemed of than our curious and high-climing wits for they attribute the cause of ill to the evil Aspect and sinister conjunctions of the Planets ' Which said we shall hear him speaking more particularly to the present point in this manner following viz. ' It is not a Christian mans part to attribute to his own freewil with the Pelagian and extenuate Original sin nor to make God the Author of evil and our damnation nor yet to say God hath written fatal Laws with the Stoicks and in the necessity of Destiny violently pulleth one by the hair into Heaven and thrusteth the other headlong into Hell ' And in another place 'Our Gospellists saâ—th he be better learned than the Holy Ghost for they wickedly attribute the cause of punishment and adversity to Gods Providence which is the cause of no ill as he himself could do no ill and every mischief that is done they say it is Gods will ' And then again ' Howsoever man judgeth of Predestination God is not the cause of sin thou art not the God that willest sin and it is said That thy perdition O Israel is of thy self and thy succour onely of me ' And finally to shut up his discourse hereof with some Application he shall tell us thus ' Being admonished by the Scripture that we must leave sin and do the works commanded of God it will prove but a carnal opinion which we blinde our selves withal of Fatal Destiny and in case there follow not in us knowledge of Christ amendment of life it is not a lively faith that we have but rather a vain knowledge and meer presumption ' 6. Next let us look upon such passages in the writings of those those godly men which teach us to enquire no further after our Election than as it is to be found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Of which Bishop Latimer in the first place thus viz. ' If thou art desirous to know whether thou art chosen to everlasting life thou mayest not begin with God for God is too high thou canst not comprehend him the judgements of God are unknown to man therefore thou must not begin there But begin with Christ and learn to know Christ and wherefore that he came namely That he came to save sinners and made himself a subject of the Law and fulfiller of the same to deliver us from the wrath and danger thereof and therefore was crucified for our sins c. Consider I say Christ and his coming and then begin to try thy self whether thou art in the Book of Life or not If thou findest thy self in Christ then thou art sure of everlasting life If thou be without him then thou art in an evil case for it is written nemo venit ad patrem nisi pâ—r me that is no man cometh to my Father but through me therefore if thou knowest Christ thou mayest know further of thy Election ' And then in another place ' When we are troubled within our selves whether we be elected or no we must ever have this Maxime or principal rule before our eyes namely that God beareth a good will towards us God loveth us God beareth a Fatherly heart towards us But you will say How shall I know that or how shall I believe that We may know Gods good will towards us through Christ for so saith John the Evangelist Filius qui est in sinu patris ipse revelavit that is The Son who is in the bosom of the Father he hath revealed it Therefore we may perceive his good will and love towards us He hath sent the same Son into the world which hath suffered most painful death for us Shall I now think that God hateth me or shall I doubt of his love towards me ' And in another place ' Here you see how you shall avoid the scrupulous and most dangerous question of the Predestination of God for if thou wilt enquire into his Councils and search his Consistory thy wit will deceive thee for thou shalt not be able to search the Council of God But if thou begin with Christ and consider his coming into the world and dost believe that God hath sent him for thy sake to suffer for thee and to deliver thee from sin death the Devil and Hell Then when thou art so armed with the knowledge of Christ then I say this simple question cannot hurt thee for thou art in the Book of Life which is Christ himself For thus it is writ Sice Deus dilexit mundum that God so entirely loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son to the end that all that believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life whereby appeareth most plainly that Christ is the Book of Life and that all that believe in
they ought earnestly and with a fervent devotion and stedfast faith to aske of him which gave the beginning that he would vouchsafe to performe it which thing God will undoubtedly grant according to his promise to such as persevere in calling upon him For he is naturally good and willeth all men to be saved and careth for them and provideth all things by which they may be saved except BY THEIR OWN MALICE they will be evil and so by the righteous judgement of God perish and be lost For truly men be to themselves the AUTHOR OF SIN and DAMNATION God is neither the AUTHOR of SIN nor the CAUSE OF DAMNATION And yet doth he most righteously damne those men that do with vices corrupt their nature which he made good and do abuse the same to evil desires against his most holy will wherefore men be to be warned that they do not impute to God their vice or their damnation but to themselves who by Free-will have abused the grace and benefits of God All men be also to be monished and chiefly Preachers that in this high matter they looking on both sides so attemper and moderate themselves that neither they so preach the Grace of God as to take away thereby Free-will Nor on the other side so extol Free-will that injury be done to the grace of God 3. Such was the judgment of the Bishops and Clergy assembled in Convocation An. 1543. touching the nature of Free-will and the co-operations of it with the grace of God In which I can see nothing not agreeable to the present establisht Doctrine of the Church of England And if it be objected as perhaps it may that this Convocation was held in times of Popery and managed by a Popish Clergy it may be answered that the Bishops and Clergy then assembled were such as had a principal hand in the Reformation and generally subscribed unto the Articles of Religion agreed upon and published in King Edwards time Anno 1552. At which time fifteen of the Bishops which had been present at the Convocation Anno 1543. were not only living but present and consenting to the Articles in King Edwards time that is to say Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury Parfew Bishop of Saint Asaph Buchely Bishop of Bangor Bush Bishop of Bristol Sampson Bishop of Litchfield Butler Bishop of Saint David Goodrich Bishop of Elie Ship Bishop of Hereford Folgate Bishop of Landaff and afterwards Arch-bishop of York King Bishop of Oxon Chambers Bishop of Peterborough Cepon Bishop of Sarum Thiâ—bly then Bishop of Westminster Aldrich then Bishop of Caerlile and Bird Bishop of Chester By which proportion we may conclude that a farre greater number of the Deans and Arch-deacons who have a personal right of voting in all Convocations and coming to the number of eighty and thereabouts must be living and consenting also to the Reformation as being younger men than the Bishops were not to say any thing of the Clerks or Procurates of Cathedral Churches and those of the Diocesan Clergy as being variable and changeable from time to time though possibly a great part of them might be present and consenting also 1552. Nor stood this Book nor the Article of Free-will therein contained upon the order and authority only of this Convocation but had as good countenance and encouragement to walk abroad as could be superadded to it by an Act of Parliament as appears plainly by the Kings Preface to that Book and the Act it self to which for brevity sake I refer the Reader 4. But if it be replyed that there is no relying on the Acts of Parliament which were generally swayed changed and over-ruled by the power and passions of the King and that the Act of Parliament which approved this Book was repealed in the first year of King Edward the sixth as indeed it was we might refer the Reader to a passage in the Kings Epistle before remembred in which the doctrine of Free-will is affirmed to have been purged of all Popish errors concerning which take here the words of the Epistle viz. And forasmuch as the heads and senses of our people have been imbusied and in these days travelled with the understanding of Free-will Justification c. We have by the advice of our Clergy for the purgation of Erroneous Doctrine declared and set forth openly plainly and without ambiguity of speech the meere and certaine truth of them so as we verily trust that to know God and how to live after his pleasure to the attaining of everlasting life in the erd this Book containeth a perfect and sufficient Doctrine grounded and established in holy Scriptures And if it be rejoyned as perhaps it may that King Henry used to shift opinion in matters which concerned Religion according unto interest and reason of State it must be answered that the whole Book and every Tract therein contained was carefully corrected by Arch-bishop Cranmer the most blessed instrument under God of the Reformation before it was committed to the Prolocutor and the rest of the Celrgy For proof whereof I am to put the Reader in minde of a Letter of the said Archbishop relating to the eighth Chapter of this Book in which he signified to an honourable friend of his that he had taken the more paines in it because the Book being to be set forth by his Graces that is to say the Kings censure and judgement he could have nothing in it that Momus himself could reprehend as before was said And this I hope will be sufficient to free this Treatise of Free-will from the crime of Popery 5. But finally if notwithstanding all these Reasons it shall be still pressed by those of the Calvinian party that the Doctrine of Free-will which is there delivered is in all points the same with that which was concluded and agreed on in the Council of Trent as appears Cap. de fructibus justificationis merito bonorum operum Can. 34. and therefore not to be accounted any part of the Protestant Doctrine which was defended and maintained by the Church of England according to the first Rules of her Reformation the answers will be many and every answer not without its weight and moment For first it was not the intent of the first Reformers to depart farther from the Rites and Doctrines of the Church of Rome than that Church had departed from the simplicity both of Doctrine and Ceremonies which had been publickly maintained and used in the Primitive times as appears plainly by the whole course of their proceedings so much commended by King James in the Conference at Hampton Court Secondly this Doctrine must be granted also to be the same with that of the Melancthonian Divines or moderate Lutherans as was confessed by Andreas Vega one of the chief sticklers in the Council of Trent who on the agitating of the Point did confesse ingenuously that there was no difference betwixt the Lutherans and the Church touching that particular And then it must be confessed also
it is the stat and manifest denying both of God the Father and of his Son Christ Jesus neither doth it require any confutation to him that doth but confess that there is a God And as for my self saith he I do not love my life so dearly as I hate this vile saying deadly He gives not long after to the Popish Pelagians the name of a filthy and detestable Sect. p. 5. mustereth up all the errours of Pelagius which had been publickly recanted in the Synode of Palestine and falling upon that which teacheth That the grace of God is given according unto our deserving he declares it to be vile and abominable contrary to the manifest mind and words of the Apostle p. 12. Finally Not to trouble my self with more particulars encountâ—ing with another of the Pelagian Heresies he passionately cries out O blasphemy intollerable O filthy puddle and sink most execrable full of stinking Errours full of damnable presumption like to the pride of Lucifer most abominable p. 15. 3. This is enough to free this man from being either a Papist or Pelagian Heretick as his enemies made him And for the other reproach which they laid upon him of being an Enemy to Gods predestination I conceive it will not be regarded as a matter of moment considering the Disputes between them and the usual acts of the Calvinians to defame their Adversaries We shewed before how Bogerman Paraeus and the rest of the Calvinian Sect reproacht the Remonstrants with Pelagianism in their publick writings though as free from it as themselves We shewed before how Cross in the continuation of his Belgick History imposeth on them for some of their detestable opinions that they made God to be the Author of sin and that he had created the infinitely greatest part of mankind to no other end but to burn them in hell fire for ever which horrid Blasphemies they both abominated and confuted to their best abilities The like unworthy practises were used by Calvin and Beza against Sebastian Castel a man of no less learning but of far more modesty and moderation then either of them whom they never left persecuting and reviling till they had first cast him out of Geneva and afterwards brought him to his grave And this they did unto a man both of parts and piety upon no other pretence or provocation whatever but because he maintained another way of predestination then that which they had taught their followers for Gods Truth and Gospel And therefore it can be no wonder if the new Gospellers in England persued the same courses against all those who opposed their fancies For being governed by this spirit they taxed their opposites sometimes for being Haters of Gods Predestination as before is said though intire Lovers of the same reviled them by the names of Popish Pelagians and Justifiers of themselves imputing to those men the whole mass of Pelagianism who from their very hearts and souls abhor'd all their wicked Opinions and have been many years willing to bestow their lives against all their abominable Errours And sometimes finally they call them Free-will men in contempt and scorn designing by that name not the Papist only but such of their own mothers Children also as taught that Cain was not predestinate to slay his brother and that God hath not predestinate any man to the committing of murder or any such like wicked abominations 4. Which being said and the credit of the man set right we may the better know what we are to trust to in taking up some few following passages upon his Authority Amongst which I shall first begin with that of Knox that great Incendiary of the Nation and Kirk of Scotland who in a book of his published in the end of King Edwards or the beginning of Queen Marie's Raign against an Adversary of Gods Predestination as the Title telleth us First builds the Doctrine of Predestination unto Gods absolute Will without relation to mans sin or our Saviours suffering and then ascribes unto the predeterminate Counsel and Will of God all humane actions whatsoever In Reference to the first he was of their opinion plainly who building upon the example of Esau exclude all that is in man either original sin or actual from the cause of Gods hate which they lay on his own pleasure only which Knox endeavoureth to make good by this following Argument p. 141. That if Esaâ— was hated for his evil deserving then must needs follow that Jacob was loved for his well deserving the Argument following as he saith by the Rule of Contraries What superstructure he hath raised upon this Foundation Assuredly no better nor no worse then this That the wicked are not only left by Gods suffering but compelled to sin by his power P. 317. More copiously but not more plainly in another place fol. 158. where it is affirmed that whatsoever the Ethnicks and Ignorants did attribute unto fortune we Christians do assign to the Providence of God that we should judge nothing of Fortune but that all cometh by the determination of his Counsel and finally that it displeaseth him when we esteem any thing to proceed from any other so that saith he we not only behold and know him to be the principal cause of all things but also the Author appointing all things to the one part or to the other by his Counsel In which last if he make not God the Author of sin as I think he doth we shall very shortly find another that will 5. So able a Leader as John Knox could not want followers of all Nations to attend upon him in the Catalogue or list whereof we must first look upon the Author of a Treatise written in French and published afterwards in English entituled A brief Declaration of the Table of Predestination in which it is affirmed expresly That seeing God who hath appointed the end it is necessary also that he should appoint the causes leading to the same end as if he should have said saith Campneys that as God hath appointed some man to be hanged so he hath appointed him also to steal as a cause leading to the same end to which by God he is appointed The same French English Author lets us know in another place That by vertue of Gods Will all things were made yea even those things which are evil and execrable which execrable saying he endeavoureth to palliate with this distinction That those evil execrable things which are wrought by the vertue of Gods Will are not evil and execrable in that they are wrought by his divine Counsel but for as much as they proceed from the Prince of the air And as for the foundation of Election to eternal life he laies it not on the free Mercy of God in Christ which he affirms to be no other but an inferiour cause thereof but teacheth us to ascend unto an higher cause that is to say to the eternal purpose and predestination of God which
he determined only in himself Conform to which we find in the Genevian Bibles this marginal Note amongst many others of like nature viz. As the only Will and purpose of God is the chief cause of Election and Reprobation so his free mercy in Christ is an inferiour cause of salvation c. Rom. 9. 6. In the next place comes out a Pamphlet entituled against a privy Papist the Author whereof takes upon him to prove this point That all evil springeth out of Gods Ordinance or that Gods Predestination was the cause of Adams fall and of all wickedness Now this man goes to work like a Logician and frames his Sylogism in this manner viz. That whatsoever was in Adam was in him by Gods Will and Ordinance But sin was in Adam Ergo. sin was in him by Gods will and ordinance Of which Sylogisme Campneys very well observeth that if the Major of it be understood of Adam after his fall as by the minor it must be then may it be affirmed also of any other that whatsoever execrable wickedness is in him the same is in him by Gods will and ordinance But then because it might be asked that seeing it is the decree ordinance and will of God that man should not sin How they should creep into that secret councell where God ordained decreed and willed the contrary The leader will come in to help his followers in the present plunge for in his trayterous and seditious Libel Against the Regiment of Women which he calls The first blast of the Trumpet he knows not how to shift off the obedience due by Gods word to lawful Queens in their severall Kingdoms but by flying to some speciall Revelation from his secret will not publikely communicated to the sons of men And this he speakes not faintly but with zeale and confidence telling us how assured him that God hath revealed it to some in our age that is to say himselfe and his Disciples in the holy Presbytery that it is more then a Monster in nature that a Woman should Rule and have Empire against man And what could they doe less upon this assurance upon so plaine a Revelation of Gods secret will then take up arms against their Queen depose her from her throne expell her out of her native Kingdom and finally prosecute her to the very death The Ladder which Constantine the great commended to Assesius a Novatian Bishop for his safer climing up to heaven was never more made use of then by Knox and Calvin for mounting them to the sight of Gods secret Councell which St. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or things unspeakble such as are neither possible nor lawfull for a man to utter 7. But of all Knoxe's followers none followed so close upon his heels as Ro. Crowly a fugitive for Religion in Q. Maries daies and the Author of a Booke called a Confutation of 13. Articles c. In which he layes the sin of Adam and consequently all mens sins from that time to this upon the Absolute Decree of Predestination for seeing saith he that Adam was so perfect a creature that there was in him no lust to sin and yet withall so weak of himselfe that he was not able to withstand the assault of the subtile Serpent no remedy the only cause of his fall must needs be the Predestination of God In other places of this book he makes it to be a common saying of the free-will men as in contempt and scorn he calls them that Cain was not predestinate to slay is brother which makes it plaine that he was otherwise perswaded in his own opinion That the most wicked persons that have been whereof God appointed to be even as wicked as they were that if God doe predestinate a man to doe things rashly and without any deliberation he shall not deliberate at all but run headlong upon it be it good or evill That we are compelled by Gods predestination to doe those things for which we are damned And finally finding this Doctrine to be charged with making God more cruell and unmercifull then the greatest Tyrant and pressed therewith by some of the contrary perswasion he returns his answer in this wise If God saith he were an inferiour to any superior power to the which he ought to render an account of his doing or if any of us were not his creatures but of another creation besides his workmanship then might we charge him with Tyranny because he condemneth us and appointed us to be punished for the things we doe by compulsion through the necessity of his Predestination For a Catholicon or generall Antidote to which dangerous Doctrines a new distinction was devised by which in all abominations God was expresly said to be the Author of the fact or deed but not of the crime which subtilty appeareth amongst many others in a brief Treatise of Election and Reprobation published by one Iohn Veron in the English tongue about the beginning of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth Which subtilty Campneys not unfitly calls a marvellous sophistication a strang Paradox and a cautelous Riddle and he seems to have good reason for it For by this Doctrine as he noteth it must follow that God is the Author of the very fact and deed of Adultery Theft Murder c. but not the Author of the sin Sin having as they say no positive entity but being a meer nothing as it were and therefore not to be ascribed to Almighty God And thereupon he doth inferre that when a malefactor is hanged for any of the facts before said he is hanged for nothing because the fact or deed is ascribed to God and the sin only charged on him which sin being nothing in it self it must be nothing that the malefactor is condemned or hanged for 8. By all the Books it doth appear what method of Predestination these new Gospellers drive at how close they followed at the Heels of their master Calvin in case they did not go beyond him Certaine it is that they all speak more plainly then their Master doth as to the makeing of God to be the the Author of sin though none of them speake any things else then what may logically be inferred from his ground and principles And by this book it appeareth also how contrary these Doctrins are to the establisht by the first Reformers in the Church of England how contrary the whole method of Predestination out of which they flow is to that delivered in the Articles the Homilies and the publick Liturgie and witnessed too by so many learned men and godly martyrs Which manifest deviation from the rules of the Church as it gave just offence to all moderate and sober men so amongst others unto Campneys before remembred who could not but express his dislike thereof and for so doing was traduced for a Pelagian and a Papist or a Popish Pelagian For which being charged by way of Letter he was
the far greater number must be damned necessarily and inevitably so that 't is not possible for them to be saved Which doctrine first makes God to be the Author of sin as both Piscator and Macarius and many other Supralapsarians as well as Perkings have positively and expresly affirmed him to be then concludes him for a more unmerciful Tyrant then all that ever had been in the world were they joyned in one A more unmerciful Tyrant then the Roman Emperour who wished that all the people of Rome had but one Neck amongst them that he might cut it off at a blow he being such in voto only God alone in opere VII But this extremity being every day found the more indefensible by how much it had been more narrowly sifted and inquired into the more moderate and sober sort of the Calvinians forsaking the Colours of their first Leaders betook themselves into the Camp of the rigid Lutherans and rather chose to joyn with the Dominican Fryers then to stand any longer to the dictates of their Master Calvin These passing by the name of Sublapsarians have given us such an order of Predestination as must and doth presuppose a Fall and findes all man-kind generally in the Mass of Perdition The substance of whose doctrine both in this and the other Articles were thus drawn up by the Remonstrants in the Conference at the Hague before remembred 1. That God Almighty willing from eternity with himself to make a decree concerning the Election of some certain men but the rejection of others considered man-kinde not only as created but also as faln and corrupted in Adam and Eve our first Parents and thereby the deserving the Curse And that he decreed out of the fall and damnation to deliver and save some certain ones of his Grace to declare his Mercy But to leave others both young and old yea truly even certain Infants of men in Covenant and those Infants baptized and dying in their Infancy by his just Judgment in the Curse to declare his Justice and that without all consideration of Repentance and Faith in the former or of Impenitence or unbelief in the latter For the execution of which decree God useth also such means whereby the Elect are necessarily and unavoidably saved but Reprobates necessarily and unavoidably perish 2. And therefore that Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World died not for all men but for those only who are elected either after the former or this latter manner he being the mean and ordained Mediator to save those only and not a man besides 3. Consequently that the Spirit of God and of Christ doth work in those who are elected that way or this with such a force of Grace that they cannot resist it and so that it cannot be but that they must turn believe and thereupon necessarily be saved But that this irresistible grace and force belongs only to those so elected but not to Reprobates to whom not only the irresistible Grace is denied but also grace necessary and sufficient for Conversion for faith and for salvation is not afforded To which Conversion and Faith indeed they are called invited and freely sollicited outwardly by the revealed Will of God though notwithstanding the inward force necessary to Faith and Conversion is not bestowed on them according to the secret Will of God 4. But that so many as have once obtained a true and justifying Faith by such a kinde of irresistible force can never totally nor finally lose it no not although they fall into the very most enormious sins but are so led and kept by the same irresistible force that 't is not possible for them oâ— they cannot either totally or finally fall and perish VII And thus we have the doctrine of the Sublapsarian Calvinists as it stands gathered out of the Writings of particular men But because particular men may sometimes be mistaken in a publick doctrine and that the Judgment of such men being collected by the hands of their Enemies may be unfaithfully related we will next look on the Conclusions of the Synod of Dort which is to be conceived to have delivered the Genuine sense of all the parties as being a Representative of all the Calvinian Churches of Europe except those of France some few Divines of England being added to them Of the calling and proceedings of this Synod we shall have occasion to speak further in the following Chapter At this time I shall only lay down the Results thereof in the five controverted Points as I finde them abbreviated by Dan. Tilenus according to the Heads before mentioned in summing up the doctrine of the Councel of Trent Art 1. Of Divine Predestination That God by an absolute decree hath Elected to salvation a very smal number of men without any regard to their Faith or obedience whatsoever and secluded from saving Grace all the rest of man-kinde and appointed them by the same decree to eternal damnation without any regard to their Infidelity or Impenitency Art 2. Of the Merit and Effect of Christs Death That Jesus Christ hath not suffered death for any other but for those Elect only having neither had any intent nor commandment of his Father to make satisfaction for the sins of the whole World Art 3. Of Mans Will in the state of Nature That by Adam's Fall his Posterity lost their Free-will being put to an unavoidable necessity to do or not to do whatsoever they do or do not whether it be good or evil being thereunto Predestinated by the eternal and effectual secret decree of God Art Of the manner of Conversion That God to save his Elect from the corrupt Mass doth beget faith in them by a power equal to that whereby he created the World and raised up the dead insomuch that such unto whom he gives that Grace cannot reject it and the rest being Reprobate cannot accept of it Art 5. Of the certainty of Perseverance That such as have once received that Grace by Faith can never fall from it finally or totally notwithstanding the most enormious sins they can commit IX This is the shortest and withall the most favourable Summary which I have hitherto met with of the conclusions of this Synod that which was drawn by the Remonstrants in their Antiâ—â—tam being much more large and comprehending many things by way of Inference which are not positively expressed in the words thereof But against this though far more plausible then the rigorous way of the Supralapsarians it is objected by those of the contrary perswasion 1. That it is repugnant to plain Texts of Scripture as Ezek. 33. 11. Rom. 11. 2. John 3. 16. 2 Tim. â— 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Gen. 4 7. 1 Chron. 28. 9. 2 Chron. 15. â— Secondly That it fighteth with Gods Holiness and makes him the cause of sin in the greatest number of men 1. In regard that only of his own will and pleasure he hath brought men into an estate in
mans disobedience many were made sinners By which words we are taught that as in Adam all men universally sinned so in Adam all men universally received the reward of sin that is to say became moâ—tâ—l and subject unto 〈…〉 themselves nothing 〈…〉 tion both of body and soul c. Had it been any marvel if mankinde had been utterly driven to desperation being thus fallen from life to death from salvation to destruction from Heaven to Hell But behold the great goodness and tender mercy of God in this behalf albeit mans wickedness and sinful behaviour was such that it deserved not in any part to be forgiven yet to the intent he might not be clean destitute of all hope and comfort in time to come he ordained a new Covenant and made a sure promise thereof namely that he would send a Mediator or Messias into the world which should make intercession and put himself as a stay between both parties to pacifie the wrath and indignation conceived against sin and to deliver man out of the miserable curse and cursed misery whereunto he was fallen head-long by disobeying the Will and Commandment of the onely Lord and Maker ' 4. Which ground thus laid we will proceed unto the Doctrine of Predestination according to the sense and meaning of the Church of England which teacheth us according to the general current of the ancient Authors before Augustines time that God from all Eternity intending to demonstrate his power and goodness designed the Creation of the World the making of man after his own image and leaving him so made in a perfect liberty to do or not to do what he was commanded and that fore-knowing from all Eternity the man abusing this liberty would plung himself and his posterity into a gulf of miseries he graciously resolved to provide them such a Saviour who should redeem them from their sins to elect all those to life eternal who laid hold upon him leaving the rest in the same state in which he found them for their incredulity And this I take to be the method of Election unto life Eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord according to the Doctrine of the Church of England For although there be neither prius nor posterius in the will of God who sees all things at once together and willeth at the first sight without more delay yet to apply his acts unto our capacitie as were the acts of God in their right production so were they primitively in his intention But Creation without p 〈…〉 did forego the fall and the disease or death which ensued upon it was of necessity to be before there could be a course taken to prescribe the care and the prescribing of the care must first be finished before it could be offered to particular persons Of which and of the whole Doctrine of Predestination as before declared we cannot have an happier illustration then that of Agilmond and Lamistus in the Longobardiaâ— story of Paul the Deacon In which it is reported That Agilmond the second King of Lombard riding by a fish-pond saw seven young children sprawling in it whom their unnatural mothers as the Author thinketh had thrown into it not long before Amazed whereat he put his hunting spear amongst them and stiâ—â—ed them gently up and down which one of them laying hold on was drawn to land called Lamistus from the word Lama which is the language of that people and signifies a fish-pond Trained up in that Kings Court and finally made his Successor in the Kingdom Granting that Agilmond being forewarned in a vision that he should finde such children sprawling for life in the midst of that pond might thereupon take a resolution within himself to put his hunting â—pear amongst them and the which of them soever should lay hold upon it should be gently drawn out of the water adopted for his son and made heir of his Kingdom no Humane story can afford us the like parallel case to Gods proceeding in the great work of Predestination to Eternal life according to the Doctrine of the ancient Fathers and the Church of Rome as also of the Lutheran Churches and those of the Arminian party in the Belgick Provinces 5. Now that this was the Doctrine also of the Church of England will easily appear upon a due search into the Monuments and Records thereof as they stand backed by those learned religious men who had a principal hand in carrying on the great work of the Reformation Among which those of the Calvinian party would fain hook in Wicklif together with Fryth Barns and Tyndal which can by no means be brought under that account though some of them deserved well of the Churches for the times they lived in They that desire to hook in Wicklif do first confess that he stands accused by those of the Church of Rome for bringing in Fatal Necessity and making God the Author of sin and then conclude that therefore it may be made a probable guess that there was no disagreement between him and Calvin The cause of which Argument stands thus That there being an agreement in these points betwixt Wicklif and Calvin and the Reformers of our Church embracing the Doctrines of Wicklif therefore they must embrace the Doctrines of Calvin also But first it cannot be made good that our Reformers embraced the Doctrines of Wicklif or had any eye upon the man who though he held many points against those of Rom yet had his field more tares then wheat his books more Hetrodoxies then sound Catholick Doctrine And secondly admitting this Argument to be of any force in the present case it will as warrantably serve for all the Sects and Heresies which now swarm amongst us as well as for that of Calvin Wicklif affording them the grounds of their several dotages though possibly they are not so well studied in their own concernments For they who consult the works of Thomas Waldensis or the Historia Wicklifiana writ by Hartsfield will tell us that Wicklif amongst many other errours maintained these that follow 1. That the Sacrament of the Altar is nothing else but a piece of Bread 2. That Priests have no more Authority to minister Sacraments then Lay-men havâ— 3. That all things ought to be common 4. That it is as lawful to Christen a childe in a Tub of water at home or in a Ditch by the way as in a Font-stone in the Churches 5. That it is as lawful at all times to confess unto a Lay-man as to a Priest 6. That it is not necessary or profitable to have any Church or Chappel to pray in or to do any Divine Service in 7. That burying in Church-yards is unprofitable and in vain 8. That Holy Days ordained and instituted by the Church and taking the Lords Day in for one are not to be observâ—d and kept in reverencâ— inasmuch as all days are alike 9. That it is sufficient and enough to believe though a man do no good works at all 10.
him are of the same Book and so are chosen to everlasting life for onely those are ordained that believe ' Nor stays that godly Bishop here but proceeds after some intervening passages towards this Conclusion ' Here is now taught you saith he how to try your Election namely in Christ For Christ is the Accompting Book and Register of God and even in the same Book that is Christ are witten all the names of the Elect therefore we cannot finde our Election in our selves neither yet the high Council of God for inscrutabilia suâ—t judicia Altissimi Where then shall I finde my Election in the Compting Book of God which is Christ c. ' Agreeable whereunto we finde Bishop Hooper speaking thus ' The cause of our Election is the mercy of God in Christ howbeit he that will be partaker of this Election must receive the promise in Christ by faith for therefore we be elected because afterwards we are made the members of Christ So we judge of Election by the event or success that hapneth in the life of man those onely to be elected ' that by faith apprehend the mercy promised in Christ To the same purpose also but not so clearly and perspicuously speaks the Book of Homilies where we finde it thus viz. ' That of our selves as in our selves we finde nothing whereby we may be delivered from this miserable captivity in which we were cast through the envy of the Devil by breaking Gods Commandment in our first Parent Adam It is the Lord with whom is plenteous Redemption he is the God which of his own mercy saveth us c. not for our own deserts merits or good deeds c. but of his meer mercy freely and for whose sake truly for Christ Jesus sake the pure and undesiled Lamb of God c. for whose sake God is fully pacified satisfied and set at one with man Such is the Doctrine of the Church in the matter of Predestination unto life according to the judgement of these learned men and godly Martyrs who were of such Authority in the Reformation ' 8. Proceed we next to one of an inferiour Order the testimony of John Bradford Martyr a man in very high esteem with Martin Bucer made one of the Prebends of S. Pauls Church by Bishop Ridley and one who glorified God in the midst of the flames with as great courage as his Patron of whom we finde a Letter extant in the Acts and Monuments directed to his friends N. S. and R. â— being at that time not thorowly instructed in the Doctrine of Gods Election The words of which Letter are as followeth ' I wish to you my good Brethren the same grace of God in Christ which I wish and pray the Father of mercies to give me for his holy names sake amen Your Letter though I have not read my self because I would not alienate my minde from conceived things to write to others yet I have heard the sum of it that it is of Gods Election wherein I will briefly relate to you my faith and how far I think it good and meet for a Christian to wade in I believe That man made after the image of God did fall from that pleased estate to the condemnation of him and all his posterity I believe that Christ for man being then fallen did oppose himself to the judgement of God as a Mediator paying the ransome and price of Redemption for Adam and his whole posterity that refuse it not finally I believe that all that believe I speak of such as be of years of discretion are partakers of Christ and all his merits I believe that faith and belief in Christ is the work and gift of God given to no other then to those which be his children that is to those whom God the Father before the beginning of the world hath Predestinated in Christ unto Eternal life Thus do I wade in Predestination in such sort as God hath patefied and opened it Though to God it be the first yet to us it is the last opened and therefore I begin with Creation from whence I come to Redemption so to Justification so to Election On this sort I am sure that warily and wisely a man may walk it easily by the light of Gods Spirit in and by his Word seeing this faith is not to be given to all men 2 Thess 3. but to such as are born of God Predestinated before the world was made after the purpose and good will of God c. ' Which judgement of this holy man comes up so close to that of the former Martyrs and is so plainly cross to that of the Calvinistical party that Mr. Fox was fain to make soom Scholia's on it to reconcile a gloss like that of Orleance which corrupts the Text and therefore to have no place here however it may be disposed of at another time But besides the Epistle above mentioned there is extant a Discourse of the said godly Martyr entituled The sum of the Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation in which is affirmed That our own wilfulness sin and contemning of Christ are the cause of Reprobation as is confessed by the Author of the Anti-Arminianism p. 103. though afterwards he puts such a gloss upon it as he doth also on the like passages in Bishop Hooper as makes the sin of man to be the cause onely of the execution and not of the decree of Reprobation 9. But it is said That any one that reads the Common-Prayer Book with an unprejudiced minde cannot chuse but observe divers passages that make for a Personal Eternal Election So it is said of late and till of late never so said by any that ever I heard of the whose frame and fabrick of the Publique Liturgie being directly opposite to this new conceit For in the general Confession we beseech the Lord to spare them that confess their faults and restore them that be penitent according to his promises declared unto mankinde in Christ Jesus our Lord In the Te Deum it is said that Christ our Saviour having overcome the sharpness of death did open the Kingdâ—m of heaven to all believers In the Prayer for the first day of Lent That God hateth nothing which he hath made but doth forgive the sins of all them that be penitent In the Prayer at the end of the Commination That God hath compassion of all men that he hateth nothing which he hath made that he would not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from sin and repent In the Absolution before the Communion That God of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them which with hearty repentance and truâ— faith turn unto him Can any one which comes with an unprejudiced minde to the Common-Prayer Book observe any thing that savoureth of a Personal Election in all these passages or can he hope to finde them in any other Look then upon the last Exhortation
Grace of the Holy Ghost to preserve thee in vertue givest thanks for the goodness of God toward thee and all other He that knoweth less than this cannot be saved and he that knoweth no more than this if he follow his knowledge cannot be damned ' 7. But the main Controversie in the point of mans Conversion moves upon this hinge that is to say Whether the influences of Gods Grace be so strong and powerful that withal they are absolutely irresistible so that it is not possible for the will of man not to consent unto the same Calvin first harped upon this string and all his followers since have danced to the tune thereof Illud toties à Chrysostomo repetitum repudiari necesse est Quem trahit volentem trahit quo insinuat Dominum porrecta tantum manu expectare an suo auxilio juvari nobis adlubescat These words saith he so often repeated by Chrysostome viz. That God draws none but such as are willing to go are to be condemned the Father intimating by those words that God expecteth onely with an outstretched and ready arm whether we be willing or not In which though he doth not express clearly the good Fathers meaning yet he plainly doth declare his own insinuating that God draws men forcibly and against their will to his Heavenly Kingdom Gomarus one of later date and a chief stickler in these Controversies comes up more fully to the sense which Calvin drives at For putting the question in this manner An gratia hac datur vi irresistibili id est efficaci operatione DEI ita ut voluntas ejus qui regeneratur facultatem non habeat illi resistendi He answereth presently Credo profiteor ita esse that is to say his question is ' Whether the Grace of God be given in an irresistible manner that is to say with such an efficacious operation that the will of him who is to be regenerated hath not the power to make resistance ' And then the answer follows thus ' I believe and profess it to be so ' More of which kinde might be produced from other Authors but that this serves sufficiently to set forth a Doctrine which is so little countenanced by the burning and most shining lights of the Church of England 8. Beginning first with Bishop Hooper we shall finde it thus ' It is not saith he a Christian mans part to attribute his salvation to his own Freewil with the Pelagian and extenuate Original sin nor to make God the Author of ill and damnation with the Maniche nor yet to say that God hath written Fatal Laws and with necessity of Destiny violently pulleth the one by the hair into heaven and thrusteth the other headlong into hell c. More fully in his glosse on the text of Saint John viz. No man cometh to me except my Father draw him chap. 6. 44. Many saith he understand these words in a wrong sence as if God required no more in a reasonable man than in a dead post and mark not the words which follow Every man that heareth and learneth of my Father commeth unto me c. God draweth with his Word and the holy Ghost but mans duty is to hear and learn that is to say to receive the grace offered consent to the promise and not to impugne the God that calleth ' More fully but to the same purpose also speaks Bishop Latimer ' Gods salvation saith he is sufficient to save all mankinde But we are so wicked of our selves that we refuse the same and we will not take it when 't is offered unto us and therefore he saith pauci vero electi few are chosen that is few have pleasure and delight in it for the most part are weary of it cannot abide it and there are some that hear it but they will abide no danger for it And in few lines after thus Such men are cause of their own damnation for God would have them saved but they refuse it like Judas the traytor whom Christ would have had to be saved but he refused his salvation he refused to follow the Doctrine of his Master Christ ' The like occurs in another place of the same Sermon where we finde ' that seeing the preaching of the Gospel is universal it appeareth that God would have all mankind saved and that the fault is not in him if they be damned For thus it is written Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri God would have all men to be saved but we are so wicked of our selves that we refuse the same and will not take notice of it when 't is offered ' 9. And here for strength and confirmation unto all the rest we are to know that these two godly Martyrs have delivered no other Doctrine than what is positively expressed or may be rationally inferred both from the tenth Article of King Edwards Book and the Book of Homilies And first for the tenth Article of King Edwards Book it is this that followeth viz. Gratia Christi sive Spiritus Sanctus qui per eundem datur cor lapideum aufert dat cor â—arneum Atque licet ex nol â—tibus quae recta sunt volentes faciat ex voleâ—tibus prava nolentes reddat Voluntati tamen nullam violentiam infert nâ—mo hac de causa cum pe caverit ut eam ob causum accusari non meretaur aut damnar That is to say ' The Grace of Christ or the Holy Ghost which is given by him doth take from man the heart of stone and giveth him a heart of flesh And though it rendreth us willing to do those good works which before we were unwilling to do and unwilling to do those evil works which before we did yet is no violence offered by it to the will of man so that no man when he hath sinned can excuse himself as if he had sinned against his will or upon constraint and therefore that he ought not to be accused or condemned upon that account ' The composition of which Article doth most clearly shew that our first Reformers did as little countenance that Doctrine of the Irresistibility of Gods grace in its workings on the will of man which the Calvinians now contend for as they did the Dreams and Dotages of some Zuinglian Gospellers into whose writings if we look we shall easily find that Gods divine Predestination is by them made the cause of sinne by which men are necessitated and compelled to those acts of wickednesse which they so frequently commit By the vertue of Gods will saith one all things are done yea even those things which are evil and execrable By Gods Predestination saâ—th another we are compelled to do those things for which we are damned as will appear more fully in the sixteenth Chapter when the extravagancies of the Predestinaâ—ians come to be considered And it is probable enough that to encounter with these monstrous Paradoxes of the Zuinglian Gospellers this Article was
to the doctrine of the Old and New Testament and had from thence been gathered by the Catholick or Orthodox Fathers and ancient Bishops of the Church To which rule if they held themselvs as they ought to do no countenance could be given to Calvines Doctrines or Fox his judgment in these points maintained by one of the Catholick Fathers and ancient Bishops of the Church but St. Augustine only who though he were a godly man and a learned Prelate yet was he but one Bishop not Bishops in the plural number but one father and not all the fathers and therefore his opinion not to be maintained against all the rest CHAP. XX. Of the great Innovation made by Perkins in the publick Doctrine the stirs arising thence in Cambridge and Mr. Barrets carriage in them 1 OF Mr. Perkins and his Doctrine of Predestination with his recital of the four opinions which were then maintained about the same 2. The sum and substance of his Doctrine according to the Supralapsarian or Supra-creatarian way 3. The several censures past upon it both by Papists and Protestants by none more sharply then by Dr. Rob. Abbots after Bishop of Sarum 4. Of Dr. Baroe the Lady Margarets Professor in the University and his Doctrine touching the divine Decrees upon occasion of Gods denounced Judgement against the Ninivites 5. His constant opposition to the Predestinarians and the great increase of his Adherents 6. The Articles collected out of Barrets Sermon derogatory to the Doctrine and persons of the chief Calvinians 7. Barret convented for the same and the proceedings had against him at his first conventing 8. A form of Recantation delivered to him but not the same which doth occur in the Anti-Arminianism to be found in the Records of the University 9. Several arguments to prove that Barret never published the Recantation imposed upon him 10. The rest of Barrets story related in his own letter to Dr. Goad being then Vice-Chancelour 11. The sentencing of Barret to a Recantation no argument that his Doctrine was repugnant to the Church of England and that the body of the same University differed from the heads in that particular 1. THis great Breach being thus made by Fox in his Acts and Monuments was afterwards open'd wider by William Perkins an eminent Devine of Cambridge of great esteem amongst the Puritans for his zeal and piety but more for his dislike of the Rites and Ceremonies here by Law established of no less fame among those of the Calvinian party both at home and abroad for a Treatise of Predestination published in the year 1592. entituled Armilla Aurea or the Golden Chain containing the order of the causes of salvation and damnation according to Gods word First written by the Author in Latin for the use of Students and in the same year translated into English at his Request by one Robert Hill who afterwards was Dr. of Divinity and Rector of St. Bartholomews Church near the royal Exchange In the preface unto which Discourse the Author telleth us ' that there was at that day four several Opinions of the order of Gods Predestination The first was of the old and new Pelagians who placed the cause of Gods Predestination in man in that they hold that God did ordain men to life or death according as he did foresee that they would by their natural free-will either reject or receive Grace offered The second of them who of some are termed Lutherans which taught that God foreseeing that all mankind being shut under unbelief would therefore reject Grace offered did hereupon purpose to chuse some to salvation of his meer mercy without any respect of their faith or good works and the rest to reject being moved to do this because he did eternally fore-see that they would reject his Grace offered them in the Gospel The third of Semi-palagian Papists which ascribe Gods Predestination partly to mercy and partly to mens foreseen Preparations and meritorious works The fourth of such as teach that the cause of the execution of Gods Predestination is his mercy in Christ in them which are saved and in them which perish the fall and corruption of man yet so as that the Decree and eternal Counsel of God concerning them both hath not any cause besides his Will and pleasure ' In which Preface whither he hath stated the opinions of the parties right may be discerned by that which hath been said in the former Chapters and whither the last of these opinions ascribe so much to Gods Mercy in Christ in them that are saved and to mans natural Corruption in them that perish will best be seen by taking a brief view of the opinion it self The Author taking on him to oppugn the three first as erroneous and only to maintain the last as being a truth which will bear weight in the ballance of the Sanctuary as in his Preface he assures us 2. ' Now in this book Predestination is defined to be the Decree of God by the which he hath ordained all men to a certain and everlasting Estate that is either to salvation or condemnation to his own Glory He tells us secondly that the means for putting this decree in execution were the creation and the fall 3. That mans fall was neither by chance or by Gods not knowing it or by his bare permission or against his Will but rather miraculously not without the Will of God but yet without all approbation of it ' Which passage being somewhat obscure may be explained by another some leaves before In which the Question being asked Whether all things and actions were subject unto Gods Decree He answereth ' Yes surely and therefore the Lord according to his good pleasure hath most certainly decreed every both thing and action whether past present or to come together with their circumstances of place time means and end ' And then the Question being prest to this particular What even the wickedness of the wicked The answer is affirmative ' Yes he hath most justly decreed the wicked works of the wicked For if it had not pleased him they had never been at all And albeit they of their own natures are and remain wicked yet in respect of Gods decree they are to be accounted good ' Which Doctrine though it be no other then that which had before been taught by Beza yet being published more copiously insisted on and put into a more methodical way it became wondrous acceptable amongst those of the Calvinian party both at home and abroad as before was said Insomuch that it was printed several times after the Latin edition with the general approbation of the French and Belgick Churches and no less then 15. times within the space of twenty years in the English tongue At the end of which term in the year 1612. the English book was turned by the Translator into Questions and Answers but without any alteration of the words of the Author as he informs us in the last page
the stronger then to any clear and evident Authority which they can pretend to from that Father or any other ancient Writers of unquestioned credit which said I hope it will be granted without much difficulty that such a doctrine of predestination as neither directly nor indirectly makes God to be the Author of sin nor attributes so much to the will of man in depraved nature as to exclude the influences of Gods heavenly Grace is more to be embraced then any other which dasheth against either of the said extremes And that being granted or supposed I shall first lay down the Judgment of the differing parties in the Article of Predestination and the Points depending thereupon and afterwards declare to which of the sayd differing Parties the Doctrine of the Church of England seemeth most inclinable CHAP. II. Of the Debates amongst the Divines in the Councel of Trent touching Predestinations and Original Sin I. The Articles drawn from the Writings of the Zuinglians touching Predestination and Reprobâ—ation II. The Doctrine of Predestination according to the Dominican way III. As also the old Franciscans with Reasons for their own and against the other IV. The Historians Judgment interposed between the Parties V. The middle way of Catarinus to compose the differences VI. The newness of St. Augustines Opinion and the dislike thereof by the most Learned men in the Ages following VII The perplexities amongst the Theologues touching the absoluteness of the Decrees VIII The Judgment of the sayd Divines touching the possibility of falling from Grace IX The Debates about the nature and transmitting of Original Sin X. The Doctrine of the Councel in it I. IN such condition stood Affairs in reference to the doctrines of Predestination Grace Free-will c. at the first sitting down of the Councel of Trent in which those Points became the subject of many sad and serious Debates amongst the Prelates and Divines then and there Assembled which being so necessary to the understanding of the Questions which we have before us I shall not think my time ill spent in laying down the summe and abstract of the same as I find it digested to my hand by Padre Paulo the diligent and laborious Author of the Tridentine Historie only I shall invert his method by giving precedency to the Disputes concerning Predestination before the Debates and Agitations which hapned in canvasing the Articles touching the Freedome of mans Will though those about Free-will do first occur in the course and method of that Councel It being determined by the Councel as that Author hath it to draw some Articles from the Writings of the Protestants concerning the Doctrine of Predestination It appeared that in the Books of Luther in the Augustan Confession and in the Apologies and Colloquies there was nothing found that deserved censure But much they found among the Writings of the Zuinglians out of which they drew these following Articles Viz. 1. For Predestination and Reprobation that man doth nothing but all is in the will of God 2. The Predestinated cannot be condemned nor the Reprobate saved 3. The Elect and Predestinated only are truly justified 4. The Justified are bound by Faith to believe they are in the number of the Predestinated 5. The Justified cannot fall from Grace 6. Those that are called and are not in the number of the Predestinated do never receive Grace 7. The Justified is bound to believe by Faith that he ought to persevere in Justice until the end 8. The Justified is bound to believe for certain that in case he fall from Grace he shall receive it again II. In the examining the first of these Articles the Opinions were divers The most esteemed Divines amongst them thought it to be Catholick the contrary Heretical because the good School Writers S. Thomas Scotus and the rest do so think that is that God before the Creation out of the Mass of man-kind hath elected by his only and meer mercy some for Glory for whom he hath prepared effectually the means to obtain it which is called to predestinate That their number is certain and determined neither can there any be added The others not Predestinated cannot complain for that God hath prepared for them sufficient assistance for this though indeed none but the Elect shall be saved For the most principal reason they alledged that S. Paul to the Romans having made Jacob a pattern of the Predestinated and Esau of the Reprobate he produceth the Decree of God pronounced before they were born not for their Works but for his own good pleasure To this they joyned the example of the same Apostle That as the Potter of the same Lump of Clay maketh one Vessel to honour another to dishonour so God of the same Mass of men chooseth and leaveth whom he listeth for proof whereof S. Paul bringeth the place where God faith to Moses I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy and I will shew pity on whom I will shew pity And the same Apostle concludeth It is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth but of God who sheweth mercy adding after that God sheweth mercy on whom he will and hardneth whom he will They sayd further That for this cause the Councel of the Divine Predestination and Reprobation is called by the same Apostle The height and depth of wisdom unsearchable and incomprehensible They added places of the other Epistles where he sayth We have nothing but what we have received from God that we are not able of our selves so much as to think well and where in giving the cause why some have revolted from the Faith and some stand firm he sayd it was because the Foundation of God standeth sure and hath this seal the Lord knoweth who are his They added divers passages of the Gospel of S. John and infinite Authorities of S. Augustine because the Saint wrote nothing in his old Age but in favour of this Doctrine III. But some others though of less esteem opposed this opinion calling it hard cruel inhumane horrible impious and that it shewed partiality in God if without any motive cause he elected one and rejected another and unjust if he damned men for his own will and not for their faults and had created so great a multitude to condemn it They sayd it destroyed Free-will because the Elect cannot finally do evil nor the Reprobate good that it casteth men into a gulph of desperation doubting that they be Reprobates That it giveth occasion to the wicked of bad thoughts not caring for Pennance but thinking if they be elected they shall not perish if Reprobates it is in vain to do well because it will not help them They confessed that not only works are not the cause of Gods election because that is before them and eternal but that neither Works foreseen can move God to Predestinate who is willing for his infinite mercy that all should be saved to this end prepareth sufficient assistance for all which every man
having Free-will receiveth or refuseth as pleaseth him and God in his eternity foreseeth those who will receive his help and use it to good and those who will refuse and rejecteth these electeth and predestinateth those They added That otherwise there was no cause why God in the Scriptures should complain of sinners nor why he should exhort all to repentance and conversion if they have not sufficient means to get them that the sufficient assistance invented by the others is insufficient because in their opinion it never had nor shall have any effect IV. The first Opinion as it is mystical and hidden keeping the minde humble and relying on God without any confidence in it self knowing the deformity of sin and the excellency of Divine Grace so this second was plausible and popular cherishing humane presumption and making a great shew and it pleased more the preaching Fryers then the understanding Divines And the Council thought it probable as consonant to politick Reason It was maintained by the Bishop of Bitonto and the Bishop of Salpi shewed himself very partial The Defenders of this using humane Reasons prevailed against the others but coming to the testimonies of Scripture they were manifestly overcome V. Calarinus holding the same Opinion to resolve the places of Scripture which troubled them all invented a middle way That God of his goodness had elected some few whom he will save absolutely to whom he hath prepared most potent effectual and infallible means the rest he desireth for his part they should be saved and to that end hath promised sufficient means for all leaving it to their choice to accept them and be saved or refuse them and be damned Amongst these there are some who receive them and are saved though they be not of the number of the Elect of which kinde there are very many Other refusing to co-operate with God who wisheth their salvation are damned The cause why the first are predestinated is only the will of God why the others are saved is the acceptation good use and co-operation with the Divine assistance foreseen by God why the last are reprobated is the foreseeing of their perverse will in refusing or abusing it That S. John S. Paul and all the places of Scripture alledged by the other part where all is given to God and which do shew infallibility are understood only of the first who are particularly priviledged and in other for whom the common way is left the admonitions exhortations and general assistances are verified unto which he that will give ear and follow them is saved he that wil not perisheth by his own fault Of these few who are priviledged above the common condition the number is determinate and certain with God but not of those who are saved by the common way depend on humane liberty but only in regard of the fore-knowledge of the works of every one Catarinus sayd He wondred at the stupidity of those who say the number is certain and determined and yet they add that others may be saved which is as much as to say that the number is certain and yet it may be enlarged and likewise of those who say That the Reprobates have sufficient assistance for salvation though it be necessary for him that is saved to have a greater which is to say a sufficient unsufficient VI. He added that S. Augustines Opinion was not heard of before his time and himself confesseth it cannot be found in the works of any who wrote before him neither did himself alwaies think it true but ascribed the cause of Gods will to merits saying God taketh compassion on and hardneth whom he listeth But that will of God cannot be unjust because it is caused by most secret merits and that there is diversity of sinners some who though they be justified deserve justification But after the heat of Disputation against the Pelagians transported him to think and speak the contrary yet when his opinion was heard all the Catholicks were scandalized as S. Prosper wrote to him and Genadius of Marselles fifty years after in his judgment which he maketh of the famous Writers sayd That it hapned to him according to the words of Solomon That in much speaking one cannot avoid sin and that by his fault exagitated by his Enemies the question was not then risen which might afterwards bring forth heresie whereby the good Father did intimate his fear of that which now appeareth that is that by that opposition some Sect and Division might arise VII The censure of the second Article was divers according to the three related Opinions Catarinus thought the first part true in regard of the efficacy of the Divine Will towards those who were particularly favoured But the second false concerning the sufficiency of Gods Assistance unto all and mans liberty in co-operating Others ascribing the cause of Predestination in all to humane consent condemned the whole Article in both parts But those that adhered unto S. Augustine and the common opinion of the Theologans did distinguish it and sayd it was true in a compound sense but damnable in a divided a subtilty which confounded the minds of the Prelates and his own though he did exemplifie it by saying he that moveth cannot stand still it is true in a compound sense but is understood while he moveth but in a divided sense it is false that is in another time Yet it was not wel understood because applying it to his purpose It cannot be sayd that a man predestinated can be damned in a time when he is not predestinated seeing he is alwaies so and generally the divided sense hath no place where the accident is inseparable from the subject Therfore others thought to declare it better saying that God governeth and moveth every thing according to its proper nature which in contingent things is free such as that the act may consist together with the power to the opposite so that wth the act of predestination the power to reprobation damnation doth stand But this was worse understood then the first VIII The other Articles were censured with admirable concord Concerning the third and sixth they sayd it hath alwaies been an opinion in the Church that many receive divine Grace and keep it for a time who afterwards do lose it and in time are damned Then was alledged the example of Saul Solomon and Judas one of the Twelve a case more evident then all by these words of Christ to the Father I have kept in thy name all that thou hast given me of which not one hath perished but the son of Perdition To these they added Nicholas one of the seven Deacons and others first commended in the Scriptures and then blamed and for a conclusion of all the Fall of Luther Against the sixth they particularly considered that Vocation would become impious derision when those that are called and nothing is wanting on their side are not admitted that the Sacraments would not be effectual for them
Divine Justice only III. Marinarus sayd That as it is foolish to say no humane Action is in our power so it is no less absurd to say that every one is every one finding by Experience that he hath not his Affections in his power that this is the sense of the Schools which say that we are not free in the first motions which freedom because the Saints have it is certain that some freedom is in them which is not in us Catarinus according to his opinion sayd That without Gods special assistance a man cannot do a moral good sayd there was no liberty in this and therefore that the Fourth Article was not so easily to be condemned Vega after he had spoken with such Ambiguity that he understood not himself concluded that between the Divines and the Protestants there was no difference in Opinion For they concluding now that there is liberty in Philosophical Justice and not in Supernatural in External works of the Law not in external and spiritual that is to say precisely with the Church that one cannot do spiritual works belonging to Religion without the assistance of God And though he sayd all endeavour was to be used for composition yet he was not gratefully heard it seeming in some sort a prejudice that any of the Differences might be reconciled and they were wont to say that this is a point of the Colloquies a word abhorred as if by that the Laity had usurped the Authority which is proper to Councels IV. A great Disputation arose upon them Whether it be in mans power to believe or not to believe The Franciscans following Sotus did deny it saying That as Knowledge doth necessarily follow Demonstrations so Faith doth arise necessarily from perswasions and that it is in the understanding which is a natural Agent and is naturally moved by the Object They alledged Experience that no man can believe what he will but what seemeth true adding that no man would feel any displeasure if he could believe he had it not The Dominicans sayd that nothing is more in the power of the Will then to believe and by the determination and resolution of the Will only one may believe the number of the Stars is even Upon the Third Article Whether Free-will be lost by sin very many Authoritys of S. Augustine being alledged which expresly say it Soto did invent because he knew no other means to avoid them that true Liberty is equivocal for either it is derived from the Noun Libertas Freedom or from the Verb Liberare to set Free that in the first sense it is opposed to necessity in the second to servitude and that when S. Augustine sayd That Free-will was lost he would infer nothing else but that it is made slave to Sin and Satan This difference could not be understood because a servant is not free for that he cannot do his own Will but is compelled to follow his Masters and by this opinion Luther could not be blamed for entituling a Book of SERVILWIL many thought the Fourth Article absurd saying That Liberty is understood to be a power to both the contraries therefore that it could not be sayd to be a Liberty to Evil if it were not also to Good But they were made to acknowledge their Error when they were told that the Saints and blessed Angels in Heaven are free to do good and therefore that â— was no inconvenience that some should be free only to do Evil. V. In the examining the fifth and sixth Articles of the consent which Free-will giveth to Divine Inspiration or preventing Grace the Franciscans and Dominicans were of divers Opinions The Franciscans contended that the Will being able to prepare it self hath Liberty much more to accept or refuse the divine Prevention when God giveth assistance before it useth the strength of Nature The Dominicans denied that the Works preceding the Vocation are truly preparatory and ever gave the first place to God Notwithstanding there was a contention between the Dominicans themselves For Soto defended that although a man cannot obtain Grace without the special preventing assistance of God yet the Will may ever some way resist and refuse it and when it doth receive it it is because it giveth assent and doth will so and if our assent were not required there would be no cause why all should not be converted For according to the Apocalyps God standeth always at the Gate and knocketh and it is a Saying of the Fathers now made common That God giveth Grace to every one that will have it and the Scripture doth alwaies require this consent in us and to say otherwise were to take away the Liberty of the Will and to say that God useth violence VI. Fryer Aloisius Catanca sayd to the contrary That God worketh two sorts of preventing Grace in the Minde according to the Doctrine of S. Thomas the one sufficient the other effectual To the first the Will may consent or resist but not to the second because it implyeth contradiction to say that Efficacy can be resisted for proof he alledged places of S. John and very clear Expositions of S. Augustine He answereth that it ariseth hence that all are not converted because all are not effectually prevented That the fear of overthrowing Free-will is removed by S. Thomas the things are violently moved by a contrary Cause but never by their own and God being the cause of the Will to say it is moved by God is to say it is moved by it self And he condemned yea mocked the Lutherans manner of speech that the Will followeth as a dead and unreasonable Creature for being reasonable by Nature moved by its own Cause which is God it is moved as reasonable and followeth a reasonable And likewise that God consenteth though men will not and spurn at him For it is a contradiction that the Effect should spurn against the Cause That it may happen that God may effectually convert one that before hath spurned before sufficient Prevention but afterwards cannot because a gentleness in the Will moved must needs follow the Efficacy of the Divine Motion VII Soto sayd That every Divine Inspiration was onely sufficient and that that whereunto Free-will hath assented obtaineth efficiency by that consent without which it is uneffectual not by the defect of it self but of the man The Opinion he defended very fearfully because it was opposed that the distinction of the Reprobate from the Elect would proceed from man contrary to the perpetual Catholick sense that the Vessels of Mercy are distinguished by Grace from the Vessels of Wrath. That Gods Election would be for Works foreseen and not for his good Pleasure That the Doctrine of the Fathers in the Affrican and French Councels against the Pelagians hath published that God maketh them to will which is to say that he maketh them consent therefore giving consent to us it ought to be attributed to the Divine Power or else he that is saved would be no more obliged
That no Humane Laws or Constitutions do oblige a Christian 11. And finally That God never gave grace nor knowledge to a great person or rich man and that they in no wise fâ—llow the same What Anabaptists Brownists Ranters Quakers may not as well pretend that our first Reformers were of their Religion as the Calvinists can if Wicklifs Doctrine be the rule of our Reformation Which because possibly it may obtain the less belief if they were found only in the works of Harpsfield and Waldensis before remembred the Reader may look for them in the catalogue of those Mala Dogmâ—ta complained of by the Prolocutor in the Convocation An. 1536. to have been publikely preached printed and professed by some of Wicklifs Followers for which consult the Church History lib. 4. fol. 208. and there he shall be sure to finde them 6. It is alledged in the next place that the Calvinistical Doctrines in these points may be found in the writings of John Frith William Tyndall and Dr. Barns collected into one volume and printed by Jâ—ha Day 1563. of which the first suffered death for his conscience An. 1533. the second An. 1536. and the third An. 1540. called therefore by Mr. Fox in a Preface of his before the Book the Ring-leaders of the Church of England And thereupon it is inferred that the Calvinian Doctrine of Predestination must be the same with that which was embraced and countenanced by the first Reformers But first admitting that they speak as much in Honour of Calvins Doctrine as can be possibly desired yet being of different judgements in the points disputed and not so Orthodox in all others as might make them any way considerable in the Reformation it is not to be thought that either their writings or opinions should be looked on by us for our direction in this case Barns was directly a Dominican in point of Doctrine Frith soared so high upon the wing and quite out-flew the mark that Tyndal thought it not unfit to call him down and lure him back unto his pearch and as for Tyndal he declares himself with such care and caution excepting one of his flyings out against Freewil that nothing to their purpose can be gathered from him Secondly I do not look on Mr. Fox as a competent Judge in matters which concern the Church of England the Articles of whose Confession he refused to subscribe he being thereunto required by Archbishop Paâ—ker and therefore Tyndal Frith and Barns not to be hearkned to the more for his commendation Thirdly if the testimony of Frith and Tyndall be of any force for defence of the Calvinists the Anti-Sabbatarians may more justly make use of it in defence of themselves against the new Sabbath speculations of Dr. Bond and his adherents embraced more passionately of late then any Article of Religion here by Law established Of which the first declares the Lords day to be no other than an Ecclesiastical Institution or Church Ordinance the last that it is still changeable from one day to another if the Church so please For which consult the Hist of Sab. l. 2. c. 8. Let Frith and Tyndal be admitted as sufficient witnesses when they speak against the new Sabbath Doctrines or not admitted when they speak in behalf of Calvins and then I am sure his followers will lose more on the one side thâ—n they gained on the other and will prove one of the crossest bargains to them which they ever made And then it is in the fourth place to be observed that the greatest treasury of learning which those and the Famerlines could boast of was lockt up in the Cloisters of the Begging Friers of which the Franciscans were accounted the most nimble Disputants the Dominicans the most diligent and painful Preachers the Augustinians for the most part siding with the one and the Carmilites or White Friers joyning with the other so that admitting Frith and Tindal to maintain the same Doctrine in these points which afterwards was held forth by Calvin yet possibly they maintained them not as any points of Protestant Doctrine in opposition to the errours of the Church of Rome which had not then declared it self on either side but as the received opinions of the Dominican Friers in opposition to the Franciscans The Doctrine of which Dominican Friers by reason of their diligent preaching had met with more plausible entertainment not onely amongst the inferiour sort of people but also amongst many others of parts and learning 7. And as for Barns the far most learned of the three he had been once Prior of the Augustinian Friers in Cambridge whose Doctrines he had sucked in at his first coming thither and therefore might retain them to the very last without relation to the Zuinglian or Calvinian Tenents or any differences then on foot between the Protestant Doctors and the Church of Rome Besides being of the same Order which Luther had quitted the might the more willingly encline to Luthers first opinion touching servitude of the will mans inability in cooperating with the grace of God and being forcibly drawn in his own conversion velut inanimatum quiddam like a stock or stone in which he was tenaciously followed by the rigid Lutherans though he had afterwards changed his judgement touching that particular So that beholding Dr. Barns either as one that followed Luther in his first opinions or travelled the Dominican way in the present points as an Augustinian it is no marvel if we finde somewhat in his writings agreeable to the palate of the Calvinists and rigid Lutherans From whence it is that laying down the Doctrine of Predestination he discourseth thus viz. ' But yet sayest thou that he giveth to the one mercy and the other none I answer what is that to thee is not his mercy his own is it not lawful for him to give it to whom he will is thine eye evil because his is good take that which is thine and go thy way for if he will shew his wrath and make his power known over the vessels of wrath ordained to damnation and to declare the riches of his glory unto the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared and elected unto glory what hast thou therewith to do But here will subtil blindeness say God saw before that Jacob should do good and therefore did he chuse him he saw also that Esau should do evil therefore did he condemn him Alas for blindness what will you judge of that which God foresaw how know we that God saw that and if he saw it how know we that it was the cause of Jacobs Election These children being unborn they had done neitheir good nor bad and yet one of them is chosen and the other is refused S. Paul knoweth no other cause but the will of God and will you needs discuss another He saith not I will have mercy on him that I see shall do good but I will shew mercy to whom I will He saith not I will
have compassion on him that shall deserve it de congruo but Of him of whom I will have compassion ' Now as he followeth the Dominicans or rigid Lutherans in laying down the grounds and method of Predestination so he draws more to them also and the Zuinglians also touching Gods workings on the will then possibly may be capable of a good construction ' God saith he of his Infinite power letteth nothing to be exempted from him but all things to be subject unto his action and nothing can be done by them but by his principal motion So that he worketh in all manner of things that be either good or bad not changing their nature but onely moving them to work after their natures So that good worketh good and evil worketh evil and God useth them both as instruments and yet doth he nothing evil but evil is done alone through the will of man God working by him but not evil as by an instrument ' Which last Position notwithstanding all the subtilty in the close thereof how far it is from making God to be the Author of sin I leave to be determined by men of more Scholastical and Metaphysical heads then my simplicity can pretend to 8. For Tyndal next though I shall not derogate in any thing from his great pains in translating the Bible nor from the glory of his suffering in defence of those truths for which he dyed yet there were so many Heterodoxes in the most of his writings as render them no fit rule for a Reformat on no more then those of Wicklif before remembred the number and particulars whereof I had rather the Reader should look for in the Acts and Monuments where they are mustered up together about the latter end of the Reign of King Henry the eighth then expect them here That which occureth in him touching Predestinat on is no more then this 1. ' Grace saith he is properly Gods favour benevolence or kinde minde which of his own self without our deservings he reacheth to us whereby he was moved and inclined to give Christ unto us with all other gifts of Grace ' Which having told us in his Preface to St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans he telleth us not long after that in the 9 10 11. Chapters of the Epistle the Apostle teacheth us of Gods Predestination ' From whence it springeth altogether whether we shall believe or not believe be loosed from sin or not be loosed By which Predestination our Justifying and Salvation are clear taken out of our hands and put into the hands of God onely which thing is most necessary of all for we are so weak and so uncertain that if it stood in us there would of truth no man be saved the Devil no doubt would deceive him but now God is sure of his Predestination neither can any man withstand or let him else why do we hope and sigh against sin ' Discoursing in another place of the act the will hath on the understanding he telleth us ' that the will of man followeth the wit that as the wit erreth so doth the will and as the wit is in captivity so is the will neither is it possible that the will should be free when the wit is in bondage c. as I erre in my wit so I erre in my will when I judge that to be evil which is good then indeed do I hate that which is good and then when I perceive that which is good to be evil then indeed do I love the evil ' Finally in the heats of his Disputation with Sir Thomas Moor who had affirmed That men were to endeavour themselves and captivate their understandings if they would believe He first crys out ' How Beetle-blinde is fleshly reason and then subjoyns that the will hath no operation at all in the working of faith in my soul no more then the childe hath in begetting of his father for saith Paul it is the gift of God and not of us my wit must conclude good or bad yet my will can leave or take my wit must shew me a true or an apparent cause why yet my will have any working at all ' 9. I had almost forgot John Frith and if I had it had been no great loss to our rigid Calvinists who not content to guide themselves in these disputes by Gods will revealed have too audaciously pried into the Ark of Gods Secret Counsels of which spirit I conceive this Frith to be not that I finde him such in any of his writings extant with the other two but that he is affirmed for such in a letter of Tyndalls directed to him under the borrowed name of Jacob For in the collection of his pieces neither the Index nor the Margent direct us unto any thing which concerns this Argument though to the writings of the others they give a clearer sense howsoever made then in favour of the Calvinian party then the books themselves or possibly was ever meant by the men that made them * Now Tyndals Letter is as followeth Dearly beloved Jacob my hearts desire in our Saviours Jesus is That you arm your self with patience and be bold sober wise and circumspect and that you keep you a low by the ground avoiding high questions that pass the common capacity but expound the Law truly and open the Rule of Moses to condemn all flâ—sh and prove all men sinners and all deeds under the Law before mercy hath taken away the condemnation thereof to be sin and damnable And then as a faithful Minister sâ—t abroach the mercy of our Lord Jesus and let the wounded consciences drink of the water of life And then shalt your preaching be with power not as the Doctrine of Hypocrites and the Spirit of God shall work with you and all consciences shall bear record unto you and feel that it is so And all doctrine that casteth a mist on these two to shadow and hide them I mean the Law of God and mercy of Christ that resist you with all your power Of him it is or of such high Climers as he was who we finde Tyn-speaking in another place ' But here saith he we must set a mark upon those unquiet busie and high-climing wits how far they shall go which first of all bring hither their high reasons and pregnant wits and begin first from on high to search the bottomless secrets of Gods Predestination whether they be predestinated or no These must needs either cast themselves headlong down into desperation or else commit themselves to free chance careless But follow thou the order of this Epistle and nuzzel thy self with Christ and learn to understand the Law and the Gospel means and the office of both that thou mayest in the one know thy self and how thou hast of thy self no strength but to sin and in the other the grace of Christ and then see thou fight against sin and the flesh as the seven first Chapters teach
Gospel viz. How many a time and oft have I assayed to gather thy children together and to joyn them to my self none otherwise then the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings that they may not miscarry But thy stubborness hath gone beyond my goodness and as though thou hadst even vow'd and devoted thy self to utter ruine so dost thou refuse all things whereby thou mighâ—est be recovered and made whole And finally as to the possibility of falling from the faith of Christ he thus declares himself in the Exposition of our Saviours Parable touching the sower and the seed viz. There is another sort of men which greedily hear the word of the Gospel and set it deep enough in their mind and keep it long but their minds being entangled and choaked with troublesome cares of this world and especially of riches as it were with certain thick thorns they cannot freely follow that he â—â—veth because they will not suffer these thornes which cleave together and be entangled one with another among themselves to be cut away the fruit of the seed which is sowen doth utterly perish Which being so either we must conclude the doctrine of this Church in the Book of Articles to be the same with that which is contained in the Paraphrases of this learned man or else condemn the godly Bishops of this Church and the religious Princes above mentioned of a great imprudence in recommending them to the diligent and careful reading both of â—â—iest and People HISTORIA QVINQV ARTICVLARIS OR A DECLARATION Of the Judgement of the WESTERN CHVRCHES And more particularly of the CHURCH of ENGLAND In the five Controverted Points Reproached in these last Times by the name of Arminianisme PART III. CONTAINING The first Breakin gs out of the Predestinarians in the Church of England and the Pursuance of those Quarrels from the Reign of King EDWARD the sixth to the death of King JAMES By P. HEYLIN D. D. LONDON Printed for T. Johnson at the sign of the Key in Pauls Church-yard 1660. PART III. CHAP. XVI Of the first Breakin gs out of the Predestinarians and their Proceedings in the same 1. THE Predestinarians called at first by the name of Gospellers 2. Campneys a professed enemy to the Predestinarians but neither Papist nor Pelagtan 3. The common practises of the Calvinists to defame their Adversaries the name of Free will men to whom given why 4. The Doctrine of John Knox. in restraining all mens actions either good or evil to the determinate Will and Counsel of God 5. The like affirmed by the Author of the Table of Predestination in whom and the Genevian Notes we find Christ to be excluded from being the foundation of mans Election and made to be an inferiour cause of salvation only 6. God made to be the Author of sin by the Author of a Pamphlet entituled against a Privy Papist and his secret Counsels called in for the proof thereof both by him and Knox with the mischiefs which ensued upon it 7. The Doctrine of Robert Crowly imputing all mens sins to Predestination his silly defences for the same made good by a distinction of John Verons and the weakness of that distinction shewed by Campneys 8. The Errours of the former Authors opposed by Campneys his book in answer to those Errours together with his Orthodoxie in the point of universal Redemption and what he builds upon the same 9. His solid Arguments against the imputing of all actions either good or evil to Predestination justified by a saying of Prosper of Aquitaine 10. The virulent prosecutions of Veron and Crowly according to the Genius of the sect of Calvin THus we have seen the Doctrine of the Church of England in the five â—nntroverted points according to the Principles perswasions of the first Reformers And to say truth it was but time that they should come to some conlusion in the points disputed there being some men who in the beginning of the Reign of King Edward the sixth busily stickled in the maintenance of Calvins Doctrines And thinking themselves to be more Evangelical then the rest of their brethren they either took unto themselves or had given by others the name of Gospellers Of this they were informed by the reverent Prelate and right godly Martyr Bishop Hooper in the Preface to his Exposition of the ten Commandments Our Gospellors saith he be better learned then the holy Ghost for they wickedly attribute the cause of Punishments and Adversity to Gods Providence which is the cause of no ill as he himself can do no ill and over every mischief that is done they say it is Gods Will. In which we have the men and their Doctrine how the name of Gospellers and the reason why that name was ascribed unto them It is observed by the judicious Author of the Book called Europae Speculum that Calvin was the first of these latter times who searcht into the Counsels the eternal Counsels of Almighty God And as it seems he found there some other Gospel then that which had been written by the four Evangelists from whence his followers in these Doctrines had the name of Gospellers for by that name I find them frequently called by Campneys also in an Epistolary Discourse where he clears himself from the crimes of Popery and Pelagianism which some of these new Gospellers had charged upon him which had I found in none but him it might have been ascribed to heat or passion in the agitation of these quarrels but finding it given to them also by Bishod Hooper a temperate and modest man I must needs look upon it as the name of the Sect by which they were distinguished from other men 2. And now I am fallen upon this Campneys it will not be unnecessary to say something of him in regard of the great part he is to act on the stage of this business Protestant he was of the first edition cordially affected to the Doctrine of the Church of England in the present points but of a sharp and eager spirit And being not well weaned from some points of Popery in the first dawning of the day of our Reformation he gave occasion unto some of those whom he had exasperated to inform against him that they prosecuted the complaint so far that he was forced to bear a faggot at St. Pauls Cross as the custome was in all such cases Miles Coverdale then or not long after Bishop of Exon preaching a Sermon at the same But whatsoever he was then in other Doctrinals he hath sufficiently purged himself from the crimes of Popery and Pelagianism wherewith he had been charged by those of the adverse party For whereas one William Samuel had either preached or written in Queen Maries time That a man might deserve God c. Campneys beholds it for a doctrine so blasphemous and abominable that neither Papists nor Pelagians nor any other Heretick old or new hath ever written or maintained a more filthy and execrable saying For
from thence to the See of Chichester from thence translated unto Norwitch and finally to the Archiepiscopal See of York For the Text or subject of his Sermon he made choice of those words in the Prophet Ezekiel viz. As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of the wicked chap. 33. v. 11. In his discourse upon which text he first dischargeth God from laying any necessity of sinning on the sons of men and then delighting in their punishment because they have sinned he thus breaks out against the absolute decree of reprobation which by that time had been made a part of the Zuinglian Gospel and generally spread abroad both from Presse and Pulpit ' There is a conceit in the world saith he speaks little better of our gracious God then this and that is that God should design many thousands of souls to hell before they were not in eye to their faults but to his own absolute will and power and to get him glory in their damnation This opinion is grown high and monstrous and like a Goliah and men do shake and tremble at it yet never a man reacheth to Davids sting to cast it down In the name of the Lord of Hosts we will encounter it for it hath reviled not the Host of the living God but the Lord of Hosts ' First that it is directly in opposition to this Text of holy Scripture and so turnes the truth of God into a lye For whereas God in this Text doth lay and sweare that he doth not delight in the death of man this opinion saith that not one or two but millions of men should frie in Hell and that he made them for no other purpose then to be the children of death and hell and that for no other cause but his meer pleasures sake and so say that God doth not onely say but will sweat to a lye For the oath should have runne thus as I live saith the Lord I do delight in the death of man ' Secondly it doth not by consequence but directly make God the Authour of sin For if God without eye to sin did designe men to hell then did he say and set down that he should sinne for without sinne he cannot come to hell And indeed doth not this opinion say that the Almighty God in the eye of his Councel did not only see but say that Adam should fall and so order and decree and set down his fall that it was no more possible for him not to fall then it was possible for him not to eat And of that when God doth order set down and decree I trust he is the Author unless they will say that when the Right honourable Lord Keeper doth say in open Court we order he means not to be the Author of that his Order ' Which said he tells us Thirdly that it takes away from Adam in his state of innocency all freedom of Will and Liberty not to sin For had he had freedom to have altered Gods designment Adams liberty had been above the designment of God And here I remember a little witty solution is made that is if we respect Adams Will he had power to sin but if God Decrees he could not sin This is a silly solution And indeed it is as much as if you should take a sound strong man that hath power to walk and to lye still and bind him hand and foot as they do in Bedlam and lay him down and then bid him rise up and walk or else you will stir him up with a whip and he tell you that there be chains upon him so that he is not able to stir and you tell him again that that is no excuse for if he look upon his health his strength his legs he hath power to walk or to stand still but if upon his Chains indeed in that respect he is not able to walk I trust he that should whip that man for not walking were well worthy to be whipt himself Fourthly As God do abhor a heart and a heart and his soul detesteth also a double minded man so himself cannot have a mind and a mind a face like Janus to look two wayes Yet this opinion maketh in God two Wills the one flat opposite to the other An Hidden Will by which he appointed and willed that Adam should sin and an open Will by which he forbad him to sin His open Will said to Adam in Paradise Adam thou shall not eat of the Tree of good and evil His Hidden Will said Thou shalt eat nay now I my self cannot keep thee from eating for my Decree from Eternity is passed Thou shalt eat that thou may drown all thy posterity into sin and that I may drench them as I have designed in the bottomless pit of Hell Fifthly Amongst all the Abominations of Queen Jezâ—bel that was the greatest 1 King 21. when as hunting after the life of innocent Naboth she set him up amongst the Princes of the Land that so he might have the greater fall God planted man in Paradise as in a pleasant Vineyard and mounted him to the world as on a stage and honoured him with all the Soveraignty over all the Creatures he put all things in subjection under his feet so that he could not pass a decree from all Eternity against him to throw him down head-long into hell for God is not a Jezabel Tollere in altum to lift up a man ut lapsu graviore ruat that he may make the greater noise with his fall ' 6. But he goes on ' and having illustrated this cruel Mockery by some further instances he telleth us that the Poet had a device of their old Saturn that he eat up his Children assoone as they were born for fear least some of them should dispossess him of Heaven Pharoah King of Egypt had almost the same plea for he made away all the young Hebrew Males least they should multiply too fast Herod for fear out Saviour Christ should supplant him in his Kingdom caused all the young Children to be slain those had all some colour for their barbarous cruelty But if any of those had made a Law designing young Children to torments before they had been born and for no other cause and purpose but his own absolute will the heavens in course would have called for revenge It is the Law of Nations that no man innocent shall be condemned of reason not to hate where we are not hurt of nature to like and love her own brood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the holy Ghost we are Gods Kindred he cannot hate us when we are innocent when we are nothing when we are not Now touching Gods Glory which is to us all as dear as our life this opinion hath told us a very inglorious and shamefull â—â—le for it saith the Almighty God would have many soulâ— go to â—ell and that they may come tâ—iâ—â—eâ— they must sin that so â—e may have â—ust
the wise c. Mat. 11. why to the unwise the simple abjects and out-casts of the world of whom speaketh Saint Paul 1 Cor. 1 You see your calling my brethren why not many of you c. Why to the sinners and not to the just why the beggars by the high-wayes were called and the bidden guests excluded We can ascribe no other cause but to Gods purpose and Election and say with Christ our Saviour quia Pater sic complacitum est ante te ye Father for that it seemed good in thy sight Luk. 10. And so it is for justification likewise if the question be asked why the Publican was justified and not the Pharisee Luk. 18. Why Mary the sinner and not Simon the inviter Luke 11. Why Harlots and Publicans go before the Scribes and Pharisees in the Kingdome Mat. 21. why the sonne of the Free-woman was received and the bond-womans Son being his elder rejected Gen. 21. why Israel which so long sought for righteousnesse found it not and the Gentiles which sought it not found it Rom. 9. We have no other cause hereof to render but to say with Saint Paul because they sought for it by works of the Law and not by faith which faith as it cometh not by mans will as the Papists falsely pretendeth but onely by the election and free gift of God so it is onely the immediate cause whereto the promise of our salvation is annexed according as we read And therefore of faith is the inheritance given as after grace that the promise might stand sure to every side Rom. 4. and in the same Chapter Faith believing in him that justifieth the wicked is imputed to righteousnesse And this concerning the causes of our salvation you you see how faith in Christ immediately and without condition doth justifie us being solicited with Gods mercy and election that wheresoever election goeth before faith in Christ must needs follow after And again whosoever believeth in Christ Jesus through the vocation of God he must needs be partaker of Gods election whereupon resulteth the third note or consideration which is to consider whither a man in this life may be certaine of his election To answer to which question this first is to be understood that although our election and vocation simply indeed be known to God onely in himselfe a priore yet notwithstanding it may be known to every particular faithful man a Posteriore that is by means which means is faith in Christ Jesus crucified For as much as by faith in Christ a man is justified and thereby made the childe of salvation reason must needs lead the same to be then the childe of election chosen of God to everlasting life For how can a man be saved but by consequence it followeth that he must also be elected And therefore of election it is truly said de electione judicandum est a posteriore that is to say we must judge of election by that which cometh after that is by our faith and belief in Christ which faith although in time it followeth after election yet this the proper immediate cause assigned by the Scripture which not onely justifieth us but also certifieth us of this election of God whereunto likewise well agreeth this present Letter of Mr. Bradford wherein he saith Election albeit in God it be the first yet to us it is the last opened And therefore beginning first saith he with Creation I come from thence to Redemption and justification by faith so to election not that faith is the cause efficient of election being rather the effect thereof but is to us the cause certificatory or the cause of our certification whereby we are brought to the feeling and knowledge of our election in Christ For albeit the election first be certain in the knowledge of God yet in our knowledge faith only that we have in Christ is the thing that giveth to us our certificate and comfort of this election Wherefore whosoever desireth to be assured that he is one of the Elect number of God let him not climbe up to heaven to know but let him descend into himself and there search his faith in Christ the Son of God which if he find in him not feigned by the working of Gods Spirit accordingly thereupon let him stay and so wrap himself wholly both body and foul under Gods general promise and cumber his head with no further speculations knowing this that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish John 3. shall not be confounded Rom. 9. shall not see death John 8. shall not enter into judgement John 5. shall have everlasting life John 3. 7. shall be saved Mat. 28. Acts 16. shall have remission of all his sins Act. 10. shall be justified Rom. 3. Cal. 2. shall have floods flowing out of him of the water of life Joh. 7. shall never die John 11. shall be raised at the last day John 6. shall finde rest in his soul and be refreshed Mat. 11 c. 4. Such is the judgement and opinion of our Martyrologist in the great point of Predestination unto life the residue thereof touching justification being here purposely cut off with an c. as nothing pertinent to the businesse which we have in hand But between the Comment and the Text there is a great deal of difference the Comment laying the foundation of Election on the Will of God according to the Zuinglian or Calvinian way but the Text laying it wholly upon faith in Christ whom God the Father hath Predestinate in Christ unto eternal life according to the doctrine of the Church of England The Text first presupposeth an estate of sin and misery into which man was fallen a ransom paid by Christ for man and his whole Posterity a freedome left in man thus ransomed either to take or finally to refuse the benefit of so great mercy and then fixing or appropriating the benefit of so great a mercy as Christ and all his merits do amount to upon such only as believe But the Comment takes no notice of the fall of man grounding both Reprobation and Election on Gods â—bsolute pleasure without relation to mans sin or our Saviours sufferings or any acceptation or refusal of his mercies in them As great a difference there is between the Authour of the Comment and Bishop Hooper as between the Comment and the Text Bishop Hooper telling us cap. 10. num 2. that Saul was no more excluded from the promise of Christ then David Esau then Jacob Judas then Peter c. if they had not excluded themselves quite contrary to that of our present Authour who having asked the question why Jacob was chosen and not Esau why David accepted and Saul refused c. makes answer that it cannot otherwise be answered then that so was the good Will of God 5. And this being said I would faine know upon what authority the Authour hath placed Nachor amongst the reprobates in the same Ranck with Esau Pharaoh and Saul all
which he hath marked out to reprobation the Scripture laying no such censure on Nachor or his Posterity as the Authour doth Or else the Authour must know more of the estate of Nachor then Abraham his brother did who certainly would never have chosen a wife for his sonne Isaac out of Nachors line if he had looked upon them as reprobated and accursed of God I observe Secondly that plainly God is made an accepter of persons by the Authours doctrine For first he telleth us that the elder son had a better will to tarry by his father and so did indeed but the fatted Calf was given to the younger son that ran away and thereupon he doth infer that the matter goeth not by the will of man but by the Will of God as it pleaseth him to accept I observe Thirdly that Vocation â—â—â— the Authours judgement standeth upon Gods Election as the work thereof whereas Vocation is more general and is extended unto those also whom they call the Reprobate and therefore standeth not on Election as the Authour hath it For many 〈◊〉 called though out of those many which are called but a few are chosen Fourthly I observe that notwithstanding the Authour builds the doctrine of Electionâ—â—â— â—â—â— Gods absolute will and pleasure yet he is faine to have recourse to some certaine condition telling us that though the mercy of God his Grace Election Vocation and other preâ—â—â—ent Causes do justifie us yet this is upon condition of believing in Christ And finally it is to be observed also that after all his paines taken in defending such a personal and eternal Election as the Calvinians now contend for he adviseth us to wrap up our selves wholly both body and soul under Gods general promise and not to cumber our heads with any further speculations knowing that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish c. 6. And so I take my leave of our Martyrologist the publishing of whose discourse I look on as the first great battery which was made on the Bulwarks of this Church in point of Doctrine by any member of her own after the setling of the Articles by the Queens Authority Anno 1562. the brables raised by Crowley in his Book against Campneys though it came out after the said Articles were confirmed and published being but as haile-shot in comparison of this great piece of Ordnance Not that the Arguments were so strong as to make any great breach in the publick Doctrine had it been published in a time-lesse capable of innovations or rather if the great esteeme which any had of that man and the universal reception which his Book found with all sorts of people had not gained more authority unto his discourse then the merit or solidnesse of it could deserve The inconveniences whereof as also the many marginal Notes and other passages visibly tending to faction and sedition in most parts of that Book were either not observed at first or winked at in regard of the great animosities which were ingendred by it in all sorts of people as well against the persons of the Papist as against the doctrine Insomuch that in the Convocation of the year 1571. there passed some Canons requiring that not onely the Deanes of all Cathedrals should take a special care that the said Book should be so conveniently placed in their several Churches that people of all conditions might resort unto it but also that all and every Arch-Bishop Bishops Deans Residentiaries and Arch-Deacons should choose the same to be â—laced in some convenient publick room of their several houses not only for the entertainment and instruction of their menial servants but of such strangers also as occasionally repaired unto them 7. If it be her eupon inferred that Fox his doctrine was approved by that Convocation and therefore that it is agreeable to the true intent and meaning of the Articles of the Church of England besides what hath been said already by Anticipation it may as logically be inferred that the Convocation approved all his Marginal Notes all the factious and seditious passages and more particularly the scorn which he puts upon the Episcopal habit and other Ceremonies of the Church Touching which last for the other are too many to be here recited let us behold how he describes the difference which hapned between Hooper Bishop of Glocester on the one side Cranmer and Ridley on the other about the ordinary habit and attire then used by the Bishops of this Church we shall finde it thus viz. ' For notwithstanding the godly reformation of Religion that was begun in the Church of England besides other ceremonies that were more ambitious then profitable or tended to edification they used to wear such garments and apparel as the Romish Bishops were wont to do First a Chimere and under that a white Rocket then a Mathematical cap with four Angles dividing the whole world into four parts These trifles being more for superstition then otherwise as he could never abide so in no wise could he be perswaded to weare them But in conclusion this Theological contestation came to this end that the Bishops having the upper hand Mr. Hooper was faine to agree to this condition that sometimes he should in his Sermon shew himself apparalled as the Bishops were Wherefore appointed to preach before the the King as a new player in a strange apparel he cometh forth on the stage His upper garment was a long skarlet Chimere down to the foot and under that a white linnen Rocket that covered all his shoulders upon his head he had a Geometrical that is a square cap albeit that his head was round What case of shame the strangenesse hereof was that day to the good preacher every man may easily judge But this private contumely and reproach in respect of the publick profit of the Church which he onely sought he bare and suffered patiently ' 8. Here have we the Episcopal habit affirmed to be a contumelie and reproach to that godly man slighted contemptuously by the name of trifles and condemned in the Marginal Note for a Popish attire the other ceremonies of the Church being censured as more ambitious then profitable and tending more to superstition then to edification which as no man of sense or reason can believe to be approved and allowed of by that Convocation so neither is it to be believed that they allowed of his opinion in the present point For a counterballance whereunto there was another Canon passed in this Convocation by which all preachers were enjoyned to take special care ne quid unquam doceant pro concione quod a populo religiose teneri credi velint nisi quod consent aneum sit doctrinae veteris aut novi testamenti quodque ex illa ipsa doctrina Catholici Patres veteres Episcopi Collegeriâ—t that is to say that they should maintain no other doctrine in their publick Sermons to be believed of the people but that which was agreeable
to Baroe betwixt whom and Dr. Whitacres there had been some clashings touching Predestination and Reprobation the certainty of salvation and the possibility of falling from the grace received And the heats grew so high at last that the Calvinians thought it necessary in point of prudence to effect that by power and favour which they were not able to obtaine by force of argument To which end they first addressed themselves to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh then being there Chancellor acquainting him by Dr. Some then Deputy Vice-Chancellor with the disturbances made by Barret thereby preparing him to hearken to such further motions as should be made unto him in pursuit of that quarrel Bat finding little comfort there they resolved to steere their course by another compass And having prepossest the most Reverend Arch-bishop Whitgift with the turbulent carriage of those men the affronts given to Dr. Whitacres whom for his learned and laborious Writings against Cardinal Bellarmine he most highly favoured and the great inconveniences like to grow by that publick discord they gave themselves good hopes of composing those differences not by the way of an accomodation but an absolute conquest and to this end they dispatcht to him certain of their number in the name of the rest such as were interessed in the quarrel Dr. Whitacres himself for one and therefore like to stickle hard for the obtaining their ends the Articles to which they had reduced the whole state of the business being brought to them ready drawn and nothing wanting to them but the face of Authority wherewith as with Medusa's head to confound their enemies and turne their adversaries into stones And that they might be sent back with the face of authority the most Reverend Arch-bishop Whitgift calling unto him Dr. Flecher Bishop of Bristol then newly elected unto London and Dr. Richard Vauhan Lord Elect of Bangor together with Dr. Tyndal Deane of Elie Dr. Whitacres and the rest of the Divines which came from Cambridge proposed the said Articles to their consideration at his house in Lambeth on the tenth of Novemb. An. 1595. by whom these Articles were agreed on in these following words 1. Deus ab eterno praedestinavit quosdam ad vitam quosdam reprobavit ad mortem 1. God from eternity hath predestinate certaine men unto life certaine men he hath reprobate 2. Causa movens aut efficiens predestinationâ—s ad vitam non est praevisio fidei aut perseverantiae aut bonorum operum aut ullius rei qui insit in personis Praedestinatis sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei 2. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of any thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God 3. Praedestinatorum praefinitus certus est numerus qui nec angeri nec minui potest 3. There is predetermined a certaine number of the Predestinate which can neither be augmented or diminished 4. Qui non sunt Praedestinati adsalutem necessario propter peccata sua damnabuntur 4. Those who are not predestinated to salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins 5. Vera viva justificans fides piritus Dei justificantis non extinguitur non excidit non evanescit in Electis aut finaliter aut totaliter 5. A true living and justifying faith and the Spirit of God justifying is not extinguished falleth not away it vanisheth not away in the Elect either totally or finally 6. Homo vere fidelis id est fide justificante praeditus certus est pleriphoria Fides de Remissione peccatorum suoâ—um salute sempiterna sua per Christum 6. A man truly faithful that is such an one who is endued with a justifying faith is certaine with the full assurance of faith of the remission of his sinnes and of his everlasting salvation by Christ 7. Gratia salutaris non tribuitur non incommunicatur non conceditur universis hominibus qua servari possint si velint 7. Saving grace is not given is not granted is not communicated to all men by which they may be saved if they will 8. Nemo potest venire ad Christum nisi datum ei fuâ—rit nisi pater eum tâ—axerit omnes homines non trahuntur a patre ut veniant ad filium 8. No man can come unto Christ unlesse it be given unto him and unlesse the father shal draw him and all men are not drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son 9. Non est positum in arbitrio aut potestate uniuscujusque hominis servari 9. It is not in the will or power of every one to be saved 3. Now in these Articles there are these two things to be considered first the Authority by which they were made and secondly the effect produced by them in order to the end proposed And first as touching the authority by which they were made it was so far from being legal and sufficient that it was plainly none at all For what authority could there be in so thin a meeting consisting only of the Arch-bishop himself two other Bishops of which but one had actually received consecration one Deane and half a dozen Doctors and other Ministers neither impowred to any such thing by the rest of the Clergy nor authorized to it by the Queen And therefore their determinations of no more Authority as to binding of the Church or prescribing to the judgement of particular persons then as if one Earl the eldest son of two or three others meeting with half a dozen Gentlemen in Westminster Hall can be affirmed to be in a capacity of making orders which must be looked on by the Subject as Acts of Parliament A Declaration they might make of their own opinions or of that which they they thought fittest to be holden in the present case but neither Articles nor Canons to direct the Church for being but opinions still and the opinions of private and particular persons they were not to be looked upon as publick Doctrines And so much was confessed by the Arch-Bishop himself when he was called in question for it before the Queen who being made acquainted with all that passed by the Lord Treasurer Burleigh who neither liked the Tenents nor the manner of proceeding in them was most passionately offended that any such Innovation should be made in the publick Doctrine of this Church and once resolved to have them all attainted of a Premunire But afterwards upon the interposition of some friends and the reverend esteem she had of the excellent Prelate the Lord Arch-Bishop whom she commonly called her Black Husband she was willing to admit him to his defence and he accordingly declared in all humble manner that he his associates had not made any Articles Canons or decrees with an intent that they should serve hereafter for a standing Rule to direct the Church but only had resolved
favour that opinion as also touching the number of Gods elect CHAP. X. The Doctrine of the Church concerning Reprobation and Universal Redemption 1. THE absolute Decree of Reprobation not to be found in the Articles of this Church but against it in some passages of the publick Liturgy 2. The cause of Reprobation to be found in a mans self and not in Gods Decrees according to the judgement of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooker 3. The Absolute Decree of Election and Reprobation how contrary to the last Clause in the 17. Article 4. The inconsistency of the absolute Decree of Reprobation with the Doctrine of Universal Redemption by the death of Christ 5. The Universal Redemption of mankinde by the death of Christ delivered in many places of the publick Liturgy and affirmed also in one of the Homilies and the Book of Articles 6. A further proof of it from the mission of the Apostles and the prayer used in the Ordination of Priests 7. The same confirmed by the writings of Archbishop Cranmer and the two other Bishops before remembred 8. A generality of the Promises and an universality of Vocation maintained by the said two godly Bishops 9. The Reasons why this benefit is not made effectual unto all sorts of men to be found in themselves CHAP. XI Of the Heavenly influences of Gods Grace in the conversion of a sinner and Man's cooperation with those Heavenly influences 1. THE Doctrin of Deserving Grace ex congruo maintained in the Roman Schools before the Councel of Trent rejected by our antient Martyrs and the book of Articles 2. The judgement of Dr. Barnes and Mr. Tyndall touching the necessary workings of Gods Grace on the Will of man not different from the Church of England 3. Universal Grace maintained by Bishop Hooper and proved by some passages in the Liturgy and book of Homilies 4. The offer of Universall Grace made ineffectual to some for want of Faith and to others for want of Repentance according to the judgement of Bishop Hooper 5. The necessity of Grace preventing and the free cooperation of mans will being so prevented maintained in the Articles in the Homilies and the publick Liturgy 6. The necessity of this Cooperation on the part of man defended and applyed to the exercise of a godly life by Bishop Hooper 7. The Doctrin of Irresistability first broached by Calvin and pertinaciously maintained by most of his Followers and by Gomarus amongst others 8. Gainsaid by Bishop Hooper and Bishop Latimer 9. And their gainsaying justified by the truth Article of King Edwards book and 10. the book of Homilies CHAP. XII The Doctrin of Free-will agreed upon by the Clergie in their Convocation Anno 1543. 1. OF the Convocation in the year 1543. in order to the Reformation of Religion in points of Doctrin 2. The Article of Free-will in all the powers and workings of it agreed on by the Prelates and Clergy of the Convocation agreable to the present Doctrine of the Church of England 3. An answer to the first objection concerning the Popishnesse of the Bishops and Clergy in that Convocation 4. The Article of Free-will approved by King Henry the 8. and Archbishop Cranmer 5. An answer to the last objection concerning the Conformity of that Article to the present established Doctrine in the Church of Rome CHAP. XIII The Doctrin of the Church of England concerning the certainty or uncertainty of Perseverance 1. THe certainty of Grace debated in the Councel of Trent and maintained in the affirmative by the Dominicans and some others 2. The contrary affirmed by Catarinus and his adherents 3. The doubtful Resolution of the Councell in it 4. The Calvinists not content with certainty of Grace quoad statum praesentem presume upon it also quoad statum futurum 5. The bounds and limits wherewith the Judgment in this point ought rationally to be circumscribed 6. The Doctrin of the Church of England in the present Article 7. Justified by the testimony of Bishop Latimer Bishop Hooper and Mr. Tyndall 8. And proved by several Arguments from the publick Liturgy 9. The Homily commends a probable stedfast hope but 10. allowes no certainty of Grace and Perseverance in any ordinary way to the sons of men CHAP. XIV The Plain Song of the second Homily touching the falling from God and the Descants made upon it 1. MOre from some other Homilies touching the possibility of falling from the Grace received 2. The second Homily or Sermon touching Falling from God laid down Verbatim 3. The sorry shifts of Mr. Yates to illude the true meaning of that Homily plainly discovered and confuted 4. An answer to his objection touching the passages cited from the former Homily in Mr. Mountague's Appeal 5. The judgement of Mr. L. Ridley Archdeacon of Canterbury in the points of Election and Redemption 6. As also touching the Reasons why the Word was not preached unto the Gentiles till the coming of Christ the influences of Grace the Co-working of man and the possibility of Falling from the faith of Christ CHAP. XV. Of the Author and Authority of K. Edwards Catechism As also of the judgement of Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr in the Points disputed 1. THe Catechism published by the Authority of K. Edward 6 1553. affirmed to have been writ by Bishop Poynet and countenanced by the rest of the Bishops and Clergy 2. Several passages collected out of that Catechism to prove that the Calvinian Doctrins were the true genuine and ancient Doctrins of the Church of England 3. With a discovery of the weakness and impertinency of the Allegation 4. What may most probably be conceived to have been the judgement of Bishop Poynet in most of the Controverted points 5. An answer to another objection derived from M. Bucer and P. Martyr and the influence which their Auditors and Disciples are supposed to have had in the Reformation 6. That Bucer was a man of moderate Counsels approving the first Liturgie of K. Edward 6. assenting to the Papists at the Dyet of Ratisbone in the possibility of Falling from Grace and that probably P. Martyr had not so far espoused the Calvinian quarrels when he lived in Oxon as after his return to Zurick and Calvins neighbourhood 7. The judgement of Erasmus according as it is delivered in his Paraphrases on the Four Evangelists proposed first in the generall view 8. And after more particularly in every one of the poynts disputed CHAP. XVI Of the first breakin gs out of the Predestinarians and their Proceedings in the same 1. THe Predestinarians at the first called by the name of Gospellers 2. Campneys a professed enemy to the Predestinarians but neither Papist nor Pelagian 3. The common practises of the Calvinists to defame their Adversaries the name of Free-will-men to whom given and why 4. The Doctrine of John Knox in restraining all mens actions whether good or evill to the determinate will and Councell of God 5. The like affirmed by the Author of the Table of
Predestination in which and the Genevian Notes we finde Christ excluded from being the foundation of mans Election and made to be an inferiour cause of salvation only 6. God made to be the Author of sin by the Author of a Pamphlet entituled Against a Privy Papist and his secret Councells called in for the proof thereof both by him and Knox with the mischiefs which ensued upon it 7. The Doctrine of Robert Crawley imputing all mens sins to Predestination his silly defences for the same made good by a distinction of John Verons and the weaknesse of that Distinction shewed by Campneys 8. The Errors of the former Authors opposed by Campneys his book in Answer to those Errors together with his Orthodoxie in the point of Vniversall Redemption and what he builds upon the same 9. His solid Arguments against the imputing of all actions either good or evill to Predestination justified by a saying of Prosper of Aquitain 10. The virulent prosecutions of Veron and Crowley according to the Genius of the Sect of Calvin CHAP. XVII Of the Disputes amongst the Confessors in Prison in Queen Maries dayes and the resetling of the Church on her former Principles under Queen Eliz. 1. THe Doctrine of Predestination disputed amongst the Confessors in Prison in Queen Maries dayes 2. The Examination of John Carelesse before Dr. Martin 3. Considerations on some passages in the said Conference 4. A review made of the publick Liturgy by the command of Queen Eliz. and the Paraphrases of Erasmus commended to the reading both of Priests and People 5. The second Book of Homilies how provided for and of the liberty taken by the Gospellers and Zuinglian Sectaries before the reviving and confirming of the Book of Articles by the Queens Authority 6. Of the reviving and authority of the Book of Articles An. 1562. and what may be thence inferred 7. An Answer to the Argument drawn from omitting the ninth Article of King Edwards Book the necessity of giving some content to the Zuinglian Gospellers and the difficulties wherewith they were induced to subscribe the Book at the first passing of the same 8. The Argument taken from some passages in the English Catechisme set forth by Mr. Alexander Nowell and the strength thereof 9. Considerations made on the said Catechisme and the rest of that Authors making and what his being Prolocutor in the Convocation might adde to any of them in point of Orthodoxy 10. Nothing to be collected out of the first passage in Mr. Nowels Catechisme in favour of the Calvinian Doctrine of Predestination and the points depending thereupon and less then nothing in the second if it be understood according to the Authors meaning and the determination of the Church CHAP. XVIII A Declaration of the Doctrine in the Points disputed under the new Establishment made by Queen Eliz. 1. THe Doctrine of the second Book of Homilies concerning the wilfull Fall of Adam the miserable estate of man the restitution of lost man in Jesus Christ and the universall Redemption of all Mankinde by his Death and Passion 2. The Doctrin of the said second Book concerning Universal Grace the possibility of a totall and finall Falling and the cooperation of mans will with the grace of God 3. The judgment of Reverend Bishop Jewell touching the universal Redemption of Mankinde by the Death of Christ Predestination grounded upon faith in Christ and reached out unto all them that believe in him by Mr. Alexander Nowell 4. Dr. Harsnet in his Sermon at Pauls Crosse 1584. sheweth that the absolute decree of Reprobation tâ—rneth the truth of God into a lye and makes him to be the Author of sin 5. That it deprives man of the naturall freedome of his will makes God himself to be double-minded to have two contrary wills and to delight in mocking his poor creature Man 6. And finally that it makes God more cruel and unmercifull then the greatest Tyrant contrary to the truth of Scripture and the constant Doctrin of the Fathers 7. The rest of the said Sermon reduced unto certain Heads directly contrary to the Calvinian Doctrines in the points disputed 8. Certain considerations on the Sermon aforesaid with reference to the subject of it as also to the time place and person in and before which it was first preached 9. An answer to some Objections concerning a pretended Recantation affirmed to have been made by the said Mr. Harsnet 10. That in the judgment of the right learned Dr. King after Bishop of Reading the alteration of Gods denounced Judgements in some certain cases infers no alteration in his Councels the difference between the changing of the will and to will a change 11. That there is something in Gods decrees revealed to us something concealed to himself the difference between the inferiour and superiour causes and of the conditionality of Gods Threats and Promises 12. The accommodating of the former part of this discourse to the case of the Ninivite 13. And not the case of the Ninivites to the case disputed CHAP. XIX Of the first great breach which was made in the Doctrine of the Church by whom made and what was done toward the making of it up again 1. GReat Alteration made in the face of the Church from the return of such Divines as had withdrawn themselves beyond Sea in the time of Queen Mary with the necessity of imploying them in the publick service if otherwise of known zeal a gainst the Papists 2. Severall examples of that kinde in the places of greatest Power and Trust in the Church of England particularly of Mr. Fox the Martyrologist and the occasion which he took of publishing his opinion in the point of Predestination 3. His Notes on one of the Letters of Mr. John Bradford martyr touching the matters of Election therein contained and his perverting of the Text on which he writeth 4. The difference between the Comment and the Text and between the Author of the Comment and Bishop Hooper 5. Exceptions against some passages and observations upon others in the said Notes of Mr. Fox 6. The great breach made hereby in the Churches Doctrin made greater by the countenance which was given to the Acts and Monuments by the Convocation 1571. 7. No argument to be drawn from hence touching the approbation of his Doctrine by the Convocation no more then for the approbation of his Marginal Notes and some particular passages in it disgracefull to the Rites of the Church Attire of the Bishops 8. A Counter-ballance made in that Convocation against Fox his Doctrines and all other Novelismes of that kinde CHAP. XX. Of the great Innovation made by Perkins in the Publick Doctrine the stirs arising thence in Cambridge and Mr. Barrets carriage in them 1. OF Mr. Perkins and his Doctrine of Predestination with his recitall of the 4 Opinions which were then maintained about the same 2. The sum and substance of his Doctrin according to the Supralapsarian oâ— Supracreatarian way 3. The severall
which they cannot avoid sin that is to say by imputing to them the transgression of their Father Adam And 2. In that he leaves them irrecoverably plunged and involved in it without affording them power or ability to rise again to newness of life In which case that of Tertullian seems to have been fitly alledged Viz. In cujus manu est ne quid fiat eideputatur cum jam sit That is to say In whose power it is that a thing be not done to him it is imputed when it is done as a Pilot may be sayd to be the cause of the loss of that Ship when it is broken by a violent Tempest to the saving whereof he would not lend a helping hand when he might have done it They Object thirdly That this doctrine is inconsistent with the mercy of God so highly signified in the Scriptures in making him to take such a small and speedy occasion to punish the greater part of men forever and for one sin once committed to shut them up under an invincible necessity of sin and damnation For proof whereof they alledge this Saying out of Prosper Viz. Qui dicit quod non omnes homines velit Deus salvos fieri sed certum numerum praedestinatorum durius loquitur quam loquutum est de altitudine inscrutabilis gratiae Dei That is to sayâ— He which sayth that God would not have all men to be saved but a certain set number of predestinate persons only he speaketh more harshly then he should of the light of Gods unsearchable Grace 4. It is affirmed to be incompatible with the Justice of God who is sayd in Scripture to be Righteous in all his waies according unto weight and measure that the far greatest part of man-kinde should be left remedilesly in a state of damnation for the sin of their first Father only that under pain of damnation he should require faith in Christ of those to whom he hath precisely in his absolute purpose denied both a power to believe and a Christ to believe in or that he should punish men for the omission of an Act which is made impossible for them by his own decree by which he purposed that they should partake with Adam in his sin and be stript of all the supernatural power which they had in him before he fell And fifthly It is sayd to be destructive of Gods sincerity in calling them to repentance and to the knowledge of the faith in Jesus Christ that they may be saved to whom he doth not really intend the salvation offered whereby they are conceived to make God so to deal with men as if a Creditor should resolve upon no terms to forgive his Debtor the very least part of his debt and yet make him offers to remit the whole upon some conditions and binde the same with many solemn Oaths in a publick Auditory The like to be affirmed also in reference to Gods passionate wishes that those men might repent which repent not as also to those terrible threatnings which he thundreth against all those that convert not to him all which together with the whole course of the Ministry are by this doctrine made to be but so many Acts of deep Hypocrisie in Almighty God though none of the Maintainers of it have the ingenuity to confess the same but Piscator only in his Necesse est ut sanctam aliquam si mutationem statuamus in Deo which is plain and home X. And finally it is alledged that this doctrine of the Sublapsarians is contrary to the ends by God proposed in the Word and Sacraments to many of Gods excellent Gifts to the Sons of men to all endeavours unto holiness and godly living which is sayd to be much hindered by it and tend to those grounds of comfort by which a Conscience in distress should be relieved And thereupon it is concluded that if it be a doctrine which discourageth Piety if it maketh Ministers by its natural importment to be negligent in their Preaching Praying and other Services which are ordained of God for the eternal good of their people if it maketh the people careless in hearing reading praying instructing their Families examining their Consciences fasting and mourning for their sins and all other godly Exercises as they say it doth it cannot be a true and a wholsome doctrine as they say 't is not This they illustrate by a passage in Suetonius relating to Tyberius Caesar of whom the Historian gives this note Circa Deos Religiones negligentior erat quippe addictus mathematicae persuasionisque plenus omnia fato agi That is to say That he was the more negligent in matters of Religion and about the Gods because he was so much addicted to Astrologers fully perswaded in his own minde that all things were governed by the Destinies And they evince by the miseserable example of the Landgrave of Turinng of whom it is reported by Heistibachius that being by his Friends admonished of his vitious Conversation and dangerous condition he made them this Answer Viz. Si praedestinatus sum nulla peccata poterint mihi regnum coelorum auferre si praescitus nulla opera mihi illud valebunt conferre That is to say If I be elected no sins can possibly bereave me of the Kingdom of Heaven if reprobated no good Deeds can advance me to it An Objection not more old then common but such I must confess to which I never found a satisfactory Answer from the Pen of Supralapsarian or Sublapsarian within the small compass of my reading CHAP. V. The Doctrine of the Remonstrants and the Story of them untill their finall Condemnation in the Synod of Dort I. The Doctrine of the Remonstrants ancienter then Calvinism in the Belgick Churches and who they were that stood up for it before Arminius II. The first undertakings of Arminins his preferment to the Divinity Chair at Leiden his Commendations and Death III. The occasion of the Name Remonstrants and Contra Remonstrants the Controversie reduced to Five Points and those disputed at the Hague in a publick Conference IV. The sayd five Points according to their severall Heads first tendred at the Hague and after at the Synod at Dort V. The Remonstrants persecuted by their Opposites put themselves under the protection of Barnevelt and by his means obtained a collection of their Doctrine Barnevelt seised and put to death by the Prince of Orange VI. The Calling of the Synod of Dort the parallel betwixt it and the Councel at Trent both in the conduct of the business against their Adversaries and the differences amongst themselves VII The breaking out of the differences in the Synod in open Quarrels between Martinius one of the Divines of Breeme and some of the Divines of Holland and on what occasions VIII A Copy of the Letter from Dr. Belconyvel to S. Dudly Carlaton his Majesties Resident at the Hague working the violent prosecutions of those Quarrels by