Believe or no Obey or no Persevere or no and according to his Observation of their Actings so he determines his Will concerning them thus the Perfection both of the Divine Knowledge and Divine Will is with one Breath denied and such Notions are fitter for the doting Anthropomorphites then for well Instructed Divines for Idea Dei non advenit ei aliunde Argument 4. No Temporal Thing can be the Efficient Cause of our Eternal Election which hath its Existency from all Eternity but Faith Obedience c. are Temporal Things as they are wrought in us in their appointed Time Ergo What is this but to prefer Time before Eternity and to set up a Post-destination instead of Praedestination Yea 't is a plain Denying the Eternity of the Decree for if the Volitions of God be placed behind the Created and Temporary Volitions of Man those Volitions of God cannot be Eternal the contrary whereunto was proved before Argument 5. That which is the Fruit and Effect of the Divine Decree cannot be the Efficient Cause thereof * We may not make that an Antecedent to Election which is but the Consequent of it but Faith Perseverance c. be the Fruits and Effects of the Decree Ergo. That the Assumption is true appears from many Scriptures Joh. 6.37 Such as are given to Christ by this Decree do come to Christ and John 10.26 Others that do not believe the Cause is because they are not of his Sheep Acts 13.48 As mary as were ordained unto Life believed We may not according to the Arminian Notion read it As many as believed were ordained unto Life for this would be a plain Hysterologia a setting the Cart before the Horse as if the Means were ordained before the End We are predestinated that we should be Holy not because we are holy Eph. 1.4 we are fore-ordained to walk in good Works not because we do so Eph. 2.10 We are predestinated to be conformed to the Image of Christ not because we are so Rom. 8.29 It is the Election that obtains Faith and not Faith that obtains the Election Rom. 11.7 and in 2 Tim. 1,9 the Apostle excludes all Works both foreseen and existing shewing that God's graclous Purpose is the Original of all And Paul himself was chosen that he might know the Will of God not that he was foreseen to do so Acts 22.14 and he tells the Thessalonians That God had chosen them to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth 2 Thes 2.13 so that we are elected to Faith not for it or from it Paul obtained Mercy to be Faithful 1 Cor. 7.25 not because he was so and Christ chooses us to bring forth Fruit Joh. 15.16 Argument 6. That which sets up an Inferiour Cause before a Superiour ought not to be admitted but the Conditional Decree doth so Ergo. 'T is plain that God is Causa Causarum acknowledgld by Heathens the Cause and the first Cause of all Things and there can be thing no Being but from him as there can be nothing before him Rom. 11.36 Acts 17.28 Rev. 4.11 God is the Chief Efficient Cause and the Illtimate End of all Beings but if any Being have an Antecedency to the Determinations of God's Will this plainly takes away the Dignity of the Supream Cause and makes an Act of Man to be the Superiour Cause of an Act of God yea and of such an Act as is Immanent and Eternal It must needs therefore be a gross Mistake to suppose a Cause of the Will of God either before it besides it or without it and to place a May be as Faith and every Created Being only is Ab Aeterno which becomes a Shall be merely because God hath decreed it to be so before the Decree it-self Faith is a Subalternal Cause of Salvation not a Meritorious Cause as Sin is of Damnation but a dispositive Cause as it makes us meet Partakets of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light but cannot be the Supream Cause of Election Argument 7. That which taketh away the Certainty and Unchangeableness of the Divine Decree ought not to be received but the Conditienal Decree doth so Ergo c. the Assumption is proved if any thing in Man move God to choose Man then the Purpose of God cannot remain firm by him which calleth as in Rom. 9.11 but depends on some contingent Act in Man be it Faith Works or Perseverance and if it depend on our persevering in Faith it cannot be firm as depending on such a Condition which to our last Breath according to the Arminian Doctrine of falling away is uncertain What is this but to make the Divinâ— Decree more changeable than a Decree in Chaâ—cery that is for the Plaintiff to day and againsâ— him to Morrow For the Arminian Hypothesiâ— states the Decree of God after this changeablâ— Dress viz. I will save all if they will obey meâ— but I see they will sin I must permit them buâ— I will condemn them all yet this Decree shall not be peremptory I will send Christ to redeem all to save all again if they will believe buâ— I see they will not I will decree to save sucâ— as I see will believe and persevere in Believing Thus never any changeable Picture made sucâ— changeable Representations as this Conditionaâ— Decree doth of this Unchangeable Decree oâ— God This hath been proved before by many Irrefragable Arguments in Chap. 4. Argument 8. That which maketh us to choose God before God chooses us ought not to be received but this Conditional Decree upon Faith foreseen doth so Ergo c. The Assumption is plain according to the Arminian Doctrine for if God do not choose us before he foresee Faith in us in that Grace of Faith we make our Choice of God in Christ and cleave to him Yea they say further we must be foreseen not only to believe but also to persevere in believing that is not only to chuse God for our God but also to continue in that Choice to the last Moment before we can be fit Objects of God's Choice or Election Then must it necessarily follow that we choose God before he chooses us and we love him before he loves us contrary to these Scriptures John 15.16 1 John 4.19 Argument 9. That which taketh away the Mysteriousness of the Divine Decree ought to be â—ejected but this Doctrine of Faith foreseen doth â—o Ergo. It is dangerous Presumption for Men to â—ake upon them quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Unwashed Hands to unriddle the Arcana Imperij or Deep Mysteries of God with their Carnal Reason where the great Apostle stands at the Gaze cryâ—ng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh! â—he Depth How Unsearchable and Who knowâ—th the Mind of the Lord When Paul objects â—s there Unrighteousness in God Rom. 9. 14. â—ad he been of the Arminian Perswasion he would have answered Those are Elected that â—re
to Worms succeeds the Work of Creation But this special Decree of Predestination is not Extensive as the General is to all Individuals but is discriminating and particular as before and yet tho' it be not extended Ad singula generum yet is it Ad genera singulorum Though the Exception lay not in the Gospel which is to be preached to every Creature but in the Decree yet is the Decree an Extensive Thing as it extends it self 1. To all Ranks First To all Sorts and Ranks of Men to Princes and Peasants to High and Low to Rich and Poor to Bond and Free It extends it self to Kings 1 Tim. 2.4 for among them God hath his chosen Vessels his Davids and his Solomons Though the Scripture say Not many Noble and Mighty yet doth it not say not any for God hath had some great Ones to own his Ways in all Ages It extends it self to Servants also Tit. 2.9,11 for God bestows his Love on those in Rags as well as on those in Robes and the Poor do receive the Gospel Mat. 11.5 God is no Respecter of Persons 2. To all Sexes Secondly To all or both Sexes is the Decree extended to Male and to Female God hath his Elect Ladies 2 John 1. and both Male and Female are one in Jesus Christ Gal. 3.28 Electing Love hath appeared to both Sexes in the Old Testament and in the New 3. To all Ages Thirdly To all Ages To Young and to Old to Children and to those of Riper Years Yea to very Infants that lay in the Womb of the Eternal Decree before ever they come out of their Mother's Womb Jeremy was sanctified and ordained before he came from the Womb Jerem. 1.5 and John Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost even from the Womb Luke 1.15 and 't is probable David did believe that his Child belonged to the Election of Grace and that its Soul was bound up in the Bundle of Life when he comforted himself with this I must go to it but he cannot come to me 2 Sam. 12.23 David's going to the Grave to it could yield him very little Comfort 4. To all Nations Fourthly To all Nations It is not immured in any one Nation but is extended to Jew and Gentile to Barbarian and Scythian Col. 3.11 some of every Nation under Heaven Acts 2.5 This Predestinating Love effectually calls its Sons out of all Quarters Isa 43.4,5,6 and threw down the Partition Wall betwixt Jew and Gentile saying I have other Sheep that I must gather John 10.16 Yea and while this Wall stood this predestinating Love brought over it sundry Proselites to the Church as Jethro who was the first Proselite that was added to the Church in the Wilderness as it became a Church and many others 5. To all Generations Fifthly To all Generations doth it extend it self Predestinating Love is like a River that runs under Ground and breaks out in certain Places above the Earth So fresh Veins of Election breaketh forth sometimes in One Generation and sometimes in another It is not bound up as to Time neither before the Law nor under the Law nor after the Law but in every Generation God hath his Church Visible on the Earth and the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it As God is no Respecter of Persons so nor of Places Nations nor of Generations but hath his Hidden Ones to the Worlds End Consectaries 1. If predestinating Love extend it self to all Degrees then they which are poor of Wealth may be Rich of Faith and a Master's Servant may be the Lord's Freeman 2. If to both Sexes then the Weaker Vessel may be a chosen Vessel and may be in Christ before the Stronger Vessel as Priscilla was 3. If to all Ages then Believing Parents may have Faith for their dying Children they may belong to the Election of Grace and may be bound up in the Swadling Bands of the Covenant of Grace so they are not as without Hope for them 4. If to all Nations then the Ends of the Earth may look towards Christ the Serpent lift up on the Pole of the Gospel and be saved Isa 45.22 5. If to all Generations then predestinating Love is an Inexhaustible Fountain crying always Is there yet any of the House of Mankind that I may shew the Kindness of God unto 2 Sam. 9.3 as David's Love did CHAP. IX In which are contained Arguments against the Conditional Decree Objection First THE First Objection against this Doctrine of the Divine Decree is That it is a Conditional One upon the Foresight of Faith Works Perseverance c. Answ To this I answer that the Divine Decree of Predestination cannot be Conditional upon a Foresight of Faith c. for these following Reasons Argum. 1. That which the Scripture faith is the Cause and Ground of our Election that and that only must be the Cause and Ground thereof but the Scripture propounds the Good Pleasure of God as the only Cause and Ground of our Election not any Fore-sight of Faith c. therefore c. that the Scripture doth so appears in Eph. 1.5,9,11 Mat. 11.26 Rom. 9.11,15 11.5 't is an Election of Grace Exod. 33.16,17 2 Tim. 1.9 all those Places quoted do shew us that this Divine Decree floweth only from the Absolute Will and good Pleasure of God Argument 2. That which makes Election an Action of Debt ought not to be received but this Doctrine of the Conditional Decree doth so Ergo c. the Proposition is proved thus an Action of Grace and an Action of Debt are contradictory Terms if Election be an Act of Grace as those Scriptures forecited evidence and as the whole Work of Man's Salvation a capite ad calcem hath been prov'd to be wholly and solely from Free-grace Chap. 6. Argum. 2. then 't is abominable and to be rejected to make it an Act of Debt The Assumption is prov'd thus If the Decree be Conditional upon Foreseen Faith and Perseverance then is it an Act of Debt and not of Grace an Act of Justice and not of Mercy Ex debito et necessitate non ex Dei bsneplacito a Decree of giving Glory to Believers persevering as their Reward must be nothing else but Remunerative Justice Argument 3. That which makes God go out of himself in his Immanent and Eternal Actings ought not to be received but the Doctrine of the Conditional Decree doth so Ergo the Assumption is proved For it makes God look upon this or that in the Creature upon which the Will of God is determined this makes Man to be Author of his own Salvation and not God and to assign a Cause of God's Will extra Deum is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but blasphemously ungods the great God and makes as it were a Mortal Man of an Immortal God For this Doctrine of the Conditional Decree sets God upon his Watch-Tower of Fore-knowledge to espy what Men will do whether they will
foreseen to believe and persevere This answer would not have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or â—ard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 Neither would it carry in it the least Shew of Unrighteâ—usness but Paul was a Fool and these Men are wiser than the Holy Ghost that tells us our â—lection procedeth from the Will of the Elector 〈◊〉 from any thing in the Elected the Soveâ—eign Will of God is the Supream Rule of all â—ighteousness He will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Had foreseen Faith and Perseverance been the Antecedaneous Causes and Conditions of Election â—here had been no Mystery in it Argument 10. That Election which is shaâ—owed out to us in God's Love to Jacob both â—erson and Nation is the Election according â—o Truth but that Election was not upon foreâ—een Faith or Works Ergo. 1. Jacob the Person Rom. 9.12,13 was under Electing Love all foresight of Faith and Works being excluded to love Jacob is to will unto him the greatest Good even Eternal Salvation and all things that do accompany it this was before there was any difference between him and Esau for they were both alike in the Womb ut suprà conceived in sin had it been upon a foresight of their Works that they had God's Electing Love and Rejecting Hatred then were they themselves Carvers out of their own Eternal Conditions which depended on their Willing and Running and by this Hypothesis not upon the primitive Good Pleasure of God upon which our willing running and obtaining hangs as the Apostle asserteth 2. Jacob the Nation Our Election is Typifyed by Gods Election of Israel which plainly appears to be no Election upon foresight of any worthiness in Israel but all such being excluded the Reason is rendred I loved thee because I loved thee which is not the Reason of a weak Woman but of a strong God Deut. 7.7,8 Not for thy Righteousness Deut. 9.5 Argument 11. That which sets up the rotten Dagon of Man's Free-will before or above the Ark of God's special predestinating Grace ought to be rejected but this Conditional Decree doth so Ergo. That it does so appears inasmuch as their Doctrine of the Conditional Decree is grounded upon a Fore-sight of our Wills receiving or rejecting of Grace proposed and so Man's Will is made the Primum Mobile and advanced above God's Will and the Act of Predestination is put in Potestâ—… Predestinati not Predestinantis Hereby â—he power of Ordering Man's Salvation is as â—t were wrested out of God's Hands and put into the Hands of our Free-will then Salvation is the Work of the Saved not of the Saver and to will and to do is not of God's good Pleasure Phil. 2.13 Thus Men wickedly think that God is such a One as themselves Psal 50.21 floating and fluctuating in his Counsels and hanging in pendulous Suspences yea taking up pro re natâ new Consultations as depending on the Will of Men and the Contingent Acts flowing from thence Argument 12. That which inferreth a Succession of Acts in God may not be admitted but Election upon Foresight doth so Ergo. This is apparent in the Proposition for God is one Act and in him there can be no Succession for then he would not be I am Deus est Naturâ simplex nihil omnino admistionis aut Successionis habens sed ex omni parte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen The Assumption is plain for a Foresight of Faith doth necessarily presuppose a foregoing Decree concerning the Being of that Faith foreseen For 1. God must decree Faith to be 2. He foresees that Faith 3. Then decrees to save upon that Fore-sight So that this Foresight comes necessarily betwixt two decrees the First before it and the Second after it Argument 13. That Doctrine of Election which stateth God as a Potter framing his Clay according to his meer pleasure ought to be admitted and the contrary to it rejected but the Conditional Decree doth not so sed e contrà Ergo. The Potter doth set apart several Lumps of Clay for several Uses out of his mere Will he doth not say if all his Clay-lumps be fit to receive Noble Forms he will fashion them accordingly and if not he will turn them otherwise for then the difference would proceed from the Quality of the Clay not from the Will of the Potter Argument 14. I might add many more as Foreseen Faith can have no place in dying Infants yet of such is the Kingdom of God and the Names of some are writ in the Book of Life Rev. 20.12 and if glorified they muâ—… be predestinated for Rom. 8.30 is reciprocaâ—… and of Equal Extent Believers cannot be the Object of Election for there be many Believers that are not elected as those with Faith temporary and many elected that are not Believers as Infants Argument 15. Christ foresaw the Men of Tyre and Sidon would have repented c. Mat. 11. 21. yet no decree depended on it Argument 16. A Conditional Decree makes a Conditional God seeing the Decree is God himself decreeing Argument 17. Then Salvation of any is uncertain for a Conditional Proposition affirms not any thing certainly CHAP. X. Objections against the Absolute Decree THE Objections which the Arminians raise against this Doctrine follow to be answered They deal with this Doctrine as the Heathen Emperors did with the Primitive Christians in the Ten first Persecutions who wrapp'd them up in the Skins of Beasts and then expos'd them to be torn in pieces by their fierce Band-Dogs So do the Arminians with this great Truth first dress it up in an ugly Shape with their own false Glosses upon it and then le ts fly at it one Cynical Sarcasm after another saying This is to accuse God not only of Injustice but also of Cruelty and of Dissembling Hypocrisie Objection 1. Of Injustice in giving to Equal Persons Vnequal Thing and if so there is Respect of Persons with God Answer 1. This is Objected against Paul's Doctrine Rom. 9.14 and seeing the Apostle brings it in as the Cavil of Carnal Reason against God's Decree in that we have sufficient Ground to reject it God must not lose the Honour of his Righteousness because the Reason of it appears not to our shallow Understandings We may not reprehend what we cannot comprehend his Justice must not be measur'd by the Standard of our Reason what is this but a speaking wickedly for God Job 13.7 and a plain robbing him of all Righteousness that is not Consonant to our Model We must not devise a Righteousness for God that is the Work of his own Will which is never sever'd from his Wisdom much less draw it down to the Determinations of God's greatest Enemy to wit Carnal Reason 2. God is Righteousness it self and Darkness may sooner come from the Sun which is the Fountain of Light then any Unrighteous Aâ—… from God who is the Abstract of Righteousness as he is the Summum Bonum so he is
Foundation would not stand sure 2 Tim. 2.19 yea and God's Gifts would not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Repentance Rom. 18.29 and Men would not be beloved according to the Election v. 28. if God did not absolutely purpose to give those Means that are conditional in the Execution of the Decree to wit Faith and Perseverance to his Elected Ones and if he should not bestow on them a Power and a Will to perform those Conditions hereupon the Covenant of Grace runs in this Tenure I will be a God to you and ye shall be a People unto me that is I will make you so Consectaries 1. A Name writ in Heaven where no Thief no Rust no Moth comes to destroy it is better than to be enrolled in Metropolitan Corporations or at Princely Courts 't is a Name better than of Sons and Daughters a free Denizon of Heaven 2. Though we be changeable Creatures yet unchangeable Love is towards us that keeps faster hold of us than we of it 3. 'T is Infinite Condescension that the Great God should hold a poor Lump of Clay so fast in his Hands John 10.28,29 as to secure our Interest to all Eternity 1 Pet. 1.4,5 CHAP. V. Of the Third Property of the Decree to wit It is Absolute THE Third Property of the Divine Decree is It is Absolute in respect of the Efficient Impulsive Cause which cannot be any Thing Extra Deum these Reasons evince Reason 1. If the Divine Decree be Eternal it must be Absolute for nothing can be assigned before Eternal to go before it as the Efficient Cause of it There can be no Cause of Predestination assigned Quoad actum praedestinantis for there cannot be a Cause of the Will of God Quoad actum volentis because it is actus prime primus it is an Immanent Act of the Divine Will and so not only the Cause but also the first Cause of all Created Beings and therefore cannot in any good Sense be said to depend upon fore-seen Transient Acts in the Creature so by Consequence must be an Absolute Act unless we will make Volitiones Dei c. the Volitions of God to come behind the Created and Temporary Volitions of Man which is grosly absurd And if those Contingent Acts of the Creatures believing and persevering have a Futurition before God's Decree it does not only deny God to be the first Cause of all Things but it also quite disanuls the Eternity of God's Decree which was proved to be Eternal in Chap. the 3 d. Reason 2. If God be God if he be an Alnighty All-wise All-free and an All-disposing God then his Decree of Election must be Absolute for a conditional Decree makes a conditional God and plainly ungods him y ascribing such Imperfections to him as are unworthy of his Majesty and below his Divine Being As It opposes 1 st his Omnipotency First It opposes his Omnipotency If some Conditions be Antecedaneous to the Will of God then the same are Antecedent also to the Power of God This must be true for his Power as determined by his Will is the Cause of all things then it was not in God's Power to save more than are to be saved or to damn sewer than are to be damned if the Decree of God be praedetermined by contingent Acts in Men. If the Actings of Divine Omnipotency depend upon the contingent Actings in the Creature then God must say I will elect all if they will believe then must God think they can believe without him and so he is not Omnipotent Is it not safer to say that God will give us this Faith that brings us from the Conditional to the Absolute Decree Besides the former Hypothesis puts a Lye upon Christ who was Truth it self both in saying that he could of very Stones raise up Children unto Abraham and that he could send for Legions of Angels to deliver him from his Enemies 2 dly It opposes his Wisdom Secondly It takes away the Glory of Divine Wisdom in ordering all Occurrences of things for if Peter must be willing to believe before God's Decree concerning Peter then Divine Wisdom doth not at all determine about the Order of things but Order is absque primo ordinante and that which happens to Day might have happened Yesterday And the Master of the Asse might not have sent his Asse to Christ upon that same Day when that Prophecy of Christ's riding on an Asse to Jerusalem Zech. 9.9 was to be fulfilled Yea and Man might have fall'n before the Angels and many such Occurrences might have happen'd otherwise in the World whatever the Wisdom of God hath determin'd to the contrary 3 dly It opposes his Freedom Thirdly It takes away the Glory of God's Absolute Liberty of his Arbitariness and Independency For if Peter's Believing and Judas's not Believing must be antecedent to the Decree of God concerning them then God hath not an Absolute Dominion over his own Creatures but Peter and Judas make themselves the formal Object of Election and Non-Election and the Rotter hath not an Arbitrary Freedom to make this Lump of Clay a Vessel of Honour and that a Vessel of Dishonour according to his Pleasure but this Difference arises more from the Quality of the Clay then from the Will of the Potter and God's Will herein must have Dependency on the Will of Man for its Determinations which plainly overthrows the Independency of God 4 ly It opposes his Providence Fourthly It takes away the Glory of his All-disposing Providence If his Decree be not Absolute how can God otherwise be said wholly to dispose of Lots Prov. 16.38 that are cast into the Lap Shall we say that the Lot of the Apostleship fell to Matthias by chance and that it was not absolutely ordained and ordered by the Lord Acts 1.26 to whom the Apostles prayed v. 24. and not to Dame Fortune Thus the Lord found out Acban to be Israel's Curse and Saul to be Israel's King by his whole Disposing of Lots in the Lap Thus God is said to deliver the Man into the Hands of the Hewer of Wood to be slain by the Head flying from the Helve upon his Head Deut. 19.5 with Exod. 21.13 Homo proponit Deus disponit Man purposeth but God disposeth because God by an Absolute Decree hath fore-ordained all things that do come to pass They do not fall out casually and beyond God's Intention thus it is said It behooved Christ to suffer Luke 24.44,46 and to those things we are appointed 1 Thes 3.3 and Goddess Fortune cannot make void the Counsel of God Isa 14.27 46.10,11 Reason 3. If the Will of the Potter be an Absolute Will over his Pots then much more is the Will of God an Absolute Will over Mankind It is God's own Comparison Rom. 9.20 God doth not compare himself in his Divine Decree to a Goldsmith For 1. A Goldsmith hath costly Materials such as Silver and Gold which lays some
Working this is the fourth Gradation then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies such strength as is in the Arms of Valiant Men that can do great Exploits is the fifth Lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Power that can do all things his Power an Omnipotent Power and surely had there been an Internum Principium in us towards this great Work or any Free-will to Good Paul would not have used all those Gradations nor such a lofty Emphatical Heap of most Divine and Significant Expressions This Work of Regeneration would not then have required the effectual forcible Power of the Valiant Arm of God even such a Power as raised up Christ from the dead whereby he was declared to be the Son of God Acts 2.24 Rom. 1.4 Cadaver fricatione nudâ seipsum nòn resuscitat I need say nothing of the raising up of Ezekiel's dry Bones wherein the Spirit was the Favonian Wind that wholly and solely caused new Life in them Nor of the raising of Lazarus out of the Grave which cost Christ a Prayer above all his other Miracles working and Lazarus contributed no thing to the Work Argument 7. If Moral Perswasion be altogether insufficient of it self to recover Man from his fallen Estate then fallen Man hath no Free-will to good but the Antecedent is true Ergo The Consequent This appears because then God would be only a Moral Cause of Man's Conversion but Man needs more from God and God therein is more to Man therefore c. Then Faith would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Easie Work and not require such Mighty Power as Eph. 1.19 c. Causes are of three Sorts 1. A Moral Cause which is Improperly and Metaphorically only a Cause because it produceth not properly an Effect only it proposeth Arguments to induce and perswade 2. A Physical Cause which really and truly produceth and Effect this the Schools call an effectual-Effectual-Cause 3. A Miraculous Cause is that which worketh above the Course of Nature in producing Effects God in Man's Conversion cannot be only a Moral Cause for these Reasons Reason 1. Then the Working of Faith in us needs not the putting forth of any such Energetical Power as was in raising of Christ from the dead God did more to Christ than Morally perswade him to come out of the Grave and Christ did more to the raising of Lazarus Besides as such like Swasions are alone Ineffectual so dead Carcasses are incapable of them alone in Christ's saying Lazarus come forth there was a mighty Power went along with the Command Dixit sactum est God doth not Verba dare sed rem Reason 2. Moral Perswasions cannot be sufficient to bring sorth super-natural Effects Qualis causa tale causatum as when a Child hath an Apple held out by its Father to come to him the Child is only allured but not enabl'd thereby to come 't is not enough to perswade a Prisoner to come forth but his Chains must be struck off and the Prison Doors must be opened Acts 12.6,7,10 so must have a Physical Cause also Phil. 2.13 Reason 3. Yet Man is more than a Prisoner and stands therefore in need of a better Plaister for his Sore than a Moral Swasion which is not so much as a Removens prohibens which is only a Causa sine quâ non and so no proper Cause at all for he is dead in sin so must not have only Gratiam excitantem et moraliter suadentem but also Gratiam sanantem et vivificantem an healing and quickening Grace which this can never do Nemo fortunoe suae faber est nifi subordinate Reason 4. Then God hath no greater Influence in converting Man than Satan hath in perverting him to his Destruction he hath a perswading Slight but no Enforcing Might he may sollicit but he cannot compel Infirmus hostis est qui non potest vincere nifi volentem saith Hierom hence we are bid to resist him with peremptory Negatives and then he cannot touch us tactu qualitativo with his deadly touches Now to ascribe no more Power to the Creator than to his Creature Satan is to narrow it below Divine Majesty and to derogate exceedingly from Omnipotency Argument 8. The Eighth Argument further illustrates this Truth that more than a Moral Swasion is necessary to recover fallen Man if Christ be All in All in Matters of Salvation to us then Man is nothing in himself as to that Work and hath not a Free-will to Good so must stand in need of more than moral Swasions but the Antecedent is true Col. 3.11 Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ergo the Consequent This is manifest for these Reasons following Reason 1. Christ's first Work in order to Salvation is to bore the Ear which is stopped like the Adders to the Charms of the Charmer Psal 58.4,5 Christ gives the Understanding Ear Deut. 29.4 Psalm 40.6 Job 36.10 Isâ—… 50.4 This moral Perswasion cannot alone remove we naturally reject the Counsel of God Luke 7.30 Reason 2. Christ opens not only the Ear but also the Heart Acts 16.14 The Lord open'd the Heart of Lydia not she her own Heart which she might have done if she had a Free-will to Good the Key of the Heart as doth the Keys of the Heavens of Hell and of the Womb hangs at Christ's Girdle He soutteth and no Man can open no not our selves our own Hearts Much less will moral Swasion be effectual Reason 3. Besides Christ there is no Saviour but this Hypothesis makes Man a Co-Saviour with Christ as if there were an halfing of it 'twixt the Grace of Christ and the Will of Man and the latter dividing the Spoil with the former yea deserving the greater share for if Christ be only a Monitor and perswade to Good then Man 's own Will is the principal Author of its own Goodness and he makes himself to differ from others hath something that he receiv'd not at Conversion 1 Cor. 4.7 and whereof to boast of before God Rom. 11.18 Swasion leaves the admonish'd Will to its own Indifferency not changing it at all so Man becomes his own Saviour not Christ or however not Christ only how then is Christ All in All Then Christ is not our Creditor but we are Debtors to Free-will Argument 9. The Ninth Argument still adding more Lustre and Light to the former is If fallen Man must be drawn to Goodness then hath he no Free-will to Good and moral Swasion cannot be sufficient alone but the former is true John 6.44 12.32 Cant. 1.3 Ergo the latter The Antecedent is prov'd Drawing is a Bringing of any thing out of its proper Course and Channel by a Violent and Over-pouring Influence from without and not from an Innate Power or Principle from within Jet draws Straw the Load-stone Iron and the North-pole the Sea-man's Compass so the Sun the Heliotrope It is not said Lead but Draw in Drawing there is less Will and more Violence than in Leading and though