did beseeche you So the Iewes with their Fathers resisted the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 For as much as the wordes delivered unto theÌ„ which they resisted were sent by the Lord of hosts in his Spirit by the ministery of his prophets Zach. 7.12 accordingly God is sayde to have protested among them by his Spirit by the handes of the prophets but they would not heare Nehem. 9.30 But they doe not resist nor can resist the holy Ghost working immediately and physically upon their wills the act of conversion and physicall or rather hyperphysicall transmutation We willingly confesse that the elect resist neyther tending to their first conversion provided the time be come which God hath appoynted for their conversion till then they resist all exhortations tending thereunto as well as others but as for any divine act for a physicall transmutation of their wills they are not made pertakers thereof till the time of their effectuall calling Yet after their effectuall calling as they doe too often disobey God in his particular exhortations So likewise they have cause sometimes to expostulate with God for hardning their hearts against his feare But in their first conversion he doth not only pierce their eares the word of the minister being able enough for that but he gives them eares to heare so also he gives them eyes to see and as for the opening of the heart that also I take to be all one with giving them an heart Deut. 29.4 Now hereupon this Author tells us we must be driven to confesse that the word preached for the most part is destitute of that operation of the Holy Ghost as it appeares by the misprise that the most part make of it which cannot be when the efficacy of the spirit doth accompany it but this is untrue we are not driven nor neede to be driven hereunto we must willingly acknowledge it rightly understood namely that God â—nto the outward ministery of the word doth not for the â—ost part adde the efficacy of his Spirit to worke men unto faith and repentance as it is most evident by experience and our Saviour in the parable of the sower that went forth to sowe his seede teacheth us as much And the Prophet Esay also when prophecying of the times of the Gospell he beginnes thus Who hath beleeved our report and giving the cause hereof in the next words addeth And to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed But as touching the consequence herhence deduced namely that the whole ministery is but a dance no more cooperating wâ—th mans conversion then the clay which our Saviour applyed to the eyes of the blind did unto his sight or the sole voyce calling upon Lazarus made him to rise out of his grave Here this great master of ceremonies is miserably out in his formalities as well as in his realities It followeth not herehence that the ministery is a dance but a piping rather as our Saviour signifies in the Gospell when he sayth wherunto shall I liken this generation they are like to litle Châ—ldren sitting in the market place and saying we have piped unto you but ye have not danced we have mourned unto you but you have not wept yet piping is a naturall provocation to dance but the exhortation of the word without a more speciall operation of Gods Spirit is no provocat on at all to believe how can it be to naturall man to whom it seemes foolishnes and witt wisdome is naturally more affected by men then honestie For qui velit ingenio cedere rariu erit and the Italians have a proverbe that witt is aequally divided and the instance is given thus Let a proclamation be made that all Taylers appearing in an assembly stand up in this case Taylers will stand up and none but Taylers so of shoemakers so of other â—â—ades But if a proclamation be made that all wise men should stand up every one will be ready enough to stand up men of the meanest trade being apt to conceave that they are likely enough to be as wise as they who are of the best Yet by this Authors leave the ministâ—ry of the word confers more to a mans conversion then the clay did for ought I know to the curing of the blinde mans eyes c. For the word informes what is to be beleeved and likewise what is to be practised though to discerne the wisedom of God in the one and to be in love with the other and to feele the power of God in both requires another operation of the Spirit oâ— God to the inlightning of the minde and renewing of the will He that said nature doth nothing in vaine saâ—de God and nature doe nothing in vayne so that there was litle neede of such a gradation as here is made Nâ—yther is the ministery of the word in vayne though all or the most part are not converted by it For it informes all it takes away excuse from all they cannot say si audivissem credidâ—ssem they know hereby a Prophet hath beene amongst them though they who yeelde obedience to it have no need of any such excuse and for their sakes it is principally intended as appeares both by the revelation made to Paul Act. 18. Feare not and holde not thy peace for no man shall lay holde on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this city And accordingly by the Apostles scope in his ministery For albeit he professeth that he became all things to all men that he might save some 2. Cor. 6. Yet he manifests who those some were whose salvation he sought where he sayth I suffer all things for the elects sake 2. Tim. 2.10 And lastly it is not in vayne towards any for as much as the ministers thereof are the sweete savour of God both in theÌ„ that are saved in them that perish To them that perish a savour of death unto death to them that are saved a savour of life unto life in both a sweete savour unto God in Christ. As for the things which we ascribe onely to the Spirit of God we ascribe them to that Spirit of God onely in the way of a cause physicall we ascribe them to the word also in the way of a cause moâ—all as both informing the understanding concerning them and persuading thereunto But the Spirit of God alone both opens the eyes to discerne them and the heart to embrace them as the things of God And for the cause fore-mentioned to witt because the Spirit of God doth not inlighten to discerne the things of God but as revealed in his word nor to incline to any thing as to the will of God but as proposed in his word therefore is the word called the sword of the Spirit Eph. 6. Thus justly are we said to be begotten by the word renued by the word aedified by the word fed by the word clensed by the word And I finde it very strange that when these men will have all that
then of the great seeing that you my Pastor and Comforter will not that the promises of salvation in Christ are made vniversally vnto all and that those places of Scripture which seeme generall according to your opinion are to be restreyned onely to the vniversalitie of the elect And that in all the rest of Holy Scripture there is no more speciall promise nor mention made of my self in particular who also besides the Holy Scripture have no testimony whether of Angell or Prophet to assure me thereof When our Saviour sayd unto his Apostles One of you shall betray me Although this concerned but one of them yet were they all exceedingly troubled therewith So then were there but a small number of Reprobates for whom as you sayd Christ dyed not yet should I have just reason to feare or thinke that I were one of them but much rather seeing their number is so great Consid. Now we are to proceed to tâ—e third Act of this Authors Comedy and the severall scenes thereof We have considered how well he had playde the part of an Infidell refusing to be converted by us as also of a bad living Christian refusing to be reformed at our hands Now we are to consider how well he performs the part of an afflicted Christian refusing all consolation that we can minister unto him I finde he hath a good witt and Proteus like can transforme himself into the likenesse of any condition and can act more parts then many In this last personation of his he is well neere as large as in both the former which whether it proceedes from greater confidence of his cause in this particular than in the former and that makes his witt to exuberate the more or that he meetes with more difficulties in this passage then in the former and therfore is put to the more paynes in Mastering them I knowe not He feignes us in his introduction unto this perhaps able to acquitt our selves farre better in undergoing the office of a comforter but the fictions of poeticall and comicall witts are nothing to be regarded as of any force to discover unto us their true meaninge As for us we neyther take upon us to convert or reforme or comfort any but only to minister a word of comfort to a weary soule a word of terrour to humble a debaucht Christian and a word of conversion unto an Infidell we leave it unto God and pray unto him by the powerfull operation of his Spirit to strike the stroke in any mans conversion reformation consolation Neyther is our doctrine of predestination and reprobation that word which we minister eyther for the conversion of the one or for the reformation of the other or for the consolation of the third but the terrors of the lawe we make use of for mans humiliation therby to praepare him for the grace of the Gospell and being humbled the gracious promises of the Gospell we make use of to rayse him by bringing him to faith in Christ then we instruct him in the dueties of Christianitie exhorting him to walke answerably to his profession and if he fayle herof we sett the wrath of God before him and shewe him how it had bene better for him he had never knowne the way of righteousnes then after he have knowne it to depart from the holy commandement given unto him Or if in the course of Christianitie he walkes uncomfortably according as we shall finde the cause of his disconsolate condition we will endeavour to fitt our consolations thereunto If affliction be the cause we will represent unto him how that this is the common condition of Christians and that through manifold temtations we must enter into the Kingdom of God that God sheweth hereby that he receaves us for his owne Children and not as bastards If conscience of sinne and of walking litle answearable to our profession we will represent unto him how that if we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord that griefe for this doth argue a desire of the contrary and that God accepteth the will for the deede and hath promised that if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just he will forgive them If weakenes of faith be the cause of disquietnes without any farther cause we will represent unto him how Gods gracious course is not to breake the bruised reede nor to quenche the smoaking flaxe and stirre him up to pray unto God to encrease his faith or to helpe his unbeliefe That this disquietnes doth manifestly argue a desire to believe and God hath promised to fulfill the desire of them that feare him If he hath atteyned to faith and holines we can assure him of his election by our doctrine which the Arminians doctrine cannot If he hath neyther yet there is no cause of desperation forasmuchas his condition is no worse then Saulâ— was before his callinge yen and the holyest servant of God God calls some at the first houre of the day some not till the last Nothing but finall impenitencie or the sinne against the holy Ghost is an assurance of reprobation But let us proceede along with this Authors discourse to examine it as we goe This Author hath but one ground of consolation I have lately had to deale with another of his Spirit that makes three grounds of consolation to witt the universalitie of Gods love the universalitie of Christs death the universalitie of the covenant of grace By which it is manifest that he makes a Christian capable of no better consolation then a Turke or Saracen is capable an elect then a reprobate And if in all three he thrives no better in his course of consolation what shall we thinke of this Authors successe in the worke of consolation who insists but upon one of those three Yet I commend him for being sensible of the unseasonablenes of his consolation had he rested as the other doth only in this that Christ having by his death and passion satisfied the justice of his Father he obteyned reconciliation for all mankind But this Author caryeth not himselfe so covertly but addes that this reconciliation is appliable to all those who acknowledging the infinitenes of the benefite doe therupon embrace the Author of it with a true and lively faith wherby it is manifest that in this Authors judgment consolation arising from the death and passion of Christ is appliable to none and consequently none are capable of it but such as believe in Christ which he calls the embracing of the Author of the benefite with a true lively faith Now we willingly confesse that we cannot finde any other foundation wherby to consolate and assure any afflicted soule against the terrors of Gods justice the condemnation of the lawe and accusation of his owne conscience But wheras he saith that the afflicted can never make this true foundation of Gods word agree with the second article of the Synod of Dort which he calleth false foundations but prooves it not
thinkes good I will not spare to examine how judiciously he caryeth himselfe in elevating this feigned suggestion of ours Suppose we shoulde say that whosoever believes Christ dyed for him I am ready to make it good in spight of this Authors course taking upon him to represent the absurditie therof which imputation I nothing doubt shall light in full weight and measure upon his owne head to the discovery of his shamefull ignorance which he is well content to cherishe for the advantage of his cause by the confusion of thinges that differ He saith that herin we shall shewe our selves eyther as praevaricators of our owne side and overthrowers of the doctrine of the Synods or else that we are deprived of common sense all which is but the froth of his owne ignorance as I hope to make it appeare to all indifferent and unpartiall judges First he saâ—th that if we give the selfe same consolation to all that are sicke to all that are afflicted yea even to those who for their greater offenses are ledde to execution and if that this consolation be founded on the truth doth it not then followe that Christ dyed for all and every one I willingly professe I am not a litle recreated with confidence of our cause when I doe observe the desperate condition of the adversary cause that takes delight in so vile props as this Authors discourse and magnifie them as unanswerable and call in others to take notice of them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they were some notable atchievemens who seeth not that nowe we are upon the office of ministring consolation to an afflicted soule Now is this the condition of all and every one Alas how fewe are they that mourne in comparison to the Ioviall Neds of the world How few are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse in comparison to them that are full But suppose it were delivered of all namely that if they beleeve in Christ certainly Christ dyed for them Dare any Arminian deny this doe they holde it lesse sure that Christ dyed for them that beleeve in him then that he dyed for all Even for Turkes and Saracens for Tartars Canniballs not one of them excepted Lastly what doth it advantage their cause that Christ dyed for all and every one Surely this nothing at all advantageth them but the confused and indistinct consideration of the true meaning hereof that is it which bringeth water to their mill and that alone To dye for us is to dye for our benefite Now we love to speake plainly and distinctly and accordingly doe distinguish of those benefits which Christ hath procured for us Now some of these are such as God useth to conferre upon men of ripe yeares not absolutely but conditionally And these are the remission of sinnes the salvation of soules we say therefore that Christ merited for us the pardon of sinne salvation of soule to be conferred upon us onely conditionally to witt provided that we doe beleeve in him and thus we may well say that he dyed for all every one that is he dyed to procure pardon of sinne and salvation of soule for every one in case every one should beleeve in him which in effect is as much as to say that he dyed in this sense for none but such as sometimes or other are found to beleeve in him Yet whether we beleeve or no Gods word doth assure us that he dyed to procure remission of sinne salvation of soule to all that doe or shall beleeve in him Now besides these benefites there are other benefits which Christ hath procured for us merited for us these are faith repeÌ„tance which are not conferred by God upon man conditionally to witt upon the performance of some coÌ„dition by man for if it were so then these graces should be conferred according to meÌ„s works which is clearly undenyable stark Pelagianism And these we say Christ hath merited for us even to be absolutely bestowed upon us Now will Arminians assure any man who yet believes not that Christ hath merited for him not only pardon of sinne and salvation in case he believe but allso the very grace of faith and regeneration I trowe not one of our Englishe Arminians will undertake this but rather acknowledge that it cannot appeare who they are for whom Christ hath merited faith and regeneration untill they doe believe untill they are regenerate As for outlandishe Arminians they utterly deny that Christ merited faith regeneration for any Now wherin are wee found eyther pâ—evaricators of our owne cause or overthrowers of the doctrine of the Synods or voyde of coÌ„mon sense in all or any particular of this Nay doth not this Author betray miserable nakednes throughout emboldned made confident by his â—ich ignorance wherin he cherisheth himselfe and steepes sweetely as upon his Arminian pillowe by miserable confusion of the meaning of this phrase Christ dyed for us taking it hand over head and in the generall without any due consideration of the particular benefites signified herby which Christ is sayde to procure for us But let us proceede wiâ—h him who proceedeth â—hus But if he so understandeth it that this becommeth true by the faith which the patient addeth to the dâ—scours of the Minister he hath lost his sense in affirming that the object of faith or thing proposed to be believed receaveth its truth and dependeth of the consent and beliefe of man who by his approbation and faith hath no more power to make that true which is false in it selfe then to make that false by his incredulitie which in it selfe is true The incredulitie of man may deprive him of the benefite of his death yet can it not make that Christ suffered not this death to testifie his love to all mankind universally even as all are bound to believe in him and yet no man bound to believe that which is false Thus he doth expatiate in a large fielde nothing at all to the purpose This argument is Bellarmines argument long agoe but against what surely against the doctrine of our Protestant Churches concerning the object of faith speciall which we maynteyn to be the remission of our sins Yet absurd enough on Bellarmines part though very plausible I confesse upon a superficiary consideration of thinges For he supposeth that God doth first pardon sinne and afterwards we believe that God hath pardoned them But can Bellarmine tell what it is for God to pardon sinne or where it is that thus he pardons them Sure I am the nominalls are very much to seeke about the formalitie of pardoning of sinne And I verily believe Bellarmine did nothing trouble his braynes about eyther of them if he had and well considered that justification in scripture phrase especially where S. Paul disputes of it is a judiciary act and all one with absolution or pronouncing sentence for a man And that the pronouncing of this sentence is not in heaven though his love
Lord and I have good cause to take comfort in this But it is untâ—ue that God hath as much willed the treason of Iudas as the conversion of Paul though Bellarmine hath so calumnated us longe agoe For albeit the treason of Iudas in betraying his mayster is one of the thinges meant by the Apostle which Iewes and Gentiles did against the holy Sonne of God and which they say were foredetermined by the hand and counsell of God And Austin is bolde to professe that Iudaâ— electus est ad prodendum sanguinem Dominisui notwithstanding which as another Father speaketh etiam Iudas potuisset consequi remedium si non festinasset ad laqueum yet there is a vast difference betweene Gods willing Iudas his treason and Pauls conversion For as for Iudas his treason his will was that should come to passe onely by Gods permission And Arminius is bold to profes that Voluit Deus Achabum mâ—nsuram scelerum implere but as for Pauls conversion that was not only willed by God but wrought by God and that in an extraordinary manner appearing unto him in the way and striking him downe with a light from heaven so with a strong hand taking him off from his persecuting courses when Ferox scelerum quia primò provenerat and flesht in the blood of Steven Iehu like he maâ—ched fuâ—iously against the Church of God As for no power in man to retain grace when God will take it away First where man is found willing to reteyne grace I know no just cause to complaine of the want of power for this And where there is no will to reteyne it I see no likelyhood that any man should complaine of want of power to reteyne it Yet like as man is not Lord of his owne Spirit nor able to reteyne it so I wonder it should seeme strange that men should have no power to reteyne the Spirit of God in case God should withdraw it from them And as for grace of sanctification which God should take away from man we know none as who mainteyn that God will deliver his children from every evill work and preserve them unto his heavenly Kingdom and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation That the Spirit bloweth where it listeth is the doctrine of our Saviour to Nicodemus Ioh. 3. That God inspireth whom he will with the Spirit of faith repentance we take to be all one with that Rom. 9.18 He hath mercy on whom he will And accordingly he denyes this inspiration to whom he will as much as to say He hardeneth whom he will But as for any actuall withdrawing of the Spirit of sanctification we acknowledge not It is true even his owne Servants he hardneth sometimes against his feare as the Scripture speaketh Esa. 63.17 Whereupon their peace of conscience is disturbed and they have cause to pray unto God to restore them to the joye of his salvation Psal. 51. as David there did But David did not pray that God would restore him to his Spirit but rather that he would not take it from him And Bertius professeth that he will not say that David by those foule sinnes of his was wholy bereaved of Gods Spirit and that propter graves causas As for Gods permission of men to sinne for their amendment Arminius himself acknowledgeth in effect in the particular case of David His words are these Permisit Deus ut ille in negligentiam istud incideret peccatum istud illa occasione perpetraret quò diligentiùs seipsum observaret peccatum suum exemplo aliorum deflerâ—â— egregium humilitatis resipiscentiaeque specimen Exemplar praestaret gloriosiùs ex peccato resurgeret As for the impossibilitie to withstand Gods operation the Scripture doth expressely justifie Eze. 20.32.33.37 Neyther shall that be done which commeth into your minde For ye say we will be as the Heathen as the families of the countries and serve wood and stone As I live sayth the Lord God I will surely rule you with a mightie hand a stretched our arme c. And the issue followeth which is this I will cause you to passe under the rod and bring you into the bond of the covenant Yet what is the issue of this impossibilitie Is it only in respect of the thing which God will bring to passe as these Arminians most superficially conceave and not as well in respect of the manner how it shall come to passe Nothing lesse but as God will have it come to passe and come to passe contingently and voluntarily and freely So it is impossible upon this supposition but that it shall come to passe but how not necessarily but contingently voluntarily and freely And as it thus comes to passe and no otherwise when the time which God hath appointed is come So before that time it shall not come to passe but how contingently also and voluntarilly and freely and impossible it is that it should be otherwise The second Section THat it is not for him to prescribe the time and houre of his conversion wherein a living man doth no more then a dead man in his resurrection That God is able to quicken him endue him with his Spirit though he were allready dead 4 dayes as stinking in the grave as Lazarus yea and that perhaps it shall not be untill the last houre of the day That as yet God giveth him not the grace to cry Abba Father That he so abhorreth the doctrine of those that are stiled Arminians that he dares not use the least endeavour to doe well for feare of obscuring that grace which worketh irresisâ—ibly and attributing of any thing â—o the will of man Yet he remembreth that he had sometimes good motions proceeding doubtlesse from the spirit of God which hath given him the true faith which can never faile and that for the present he is like the Trees in Winter which seem dead though they are alive That being of the number of the Elect as every one is bound to beleeve by the two Synods if he will not be declared perjured by that at Arles his sinne it self how enormous soever worketh together to his salvation yea and that he hath allready obteyned pardon for it That his Censurer cannot deny it seeing that he instructeth him unto repentance which is nothing worth without faith no more then faith it self if it beleeve not the remission of all sinns both done and to be done And though he were of the number of the Reprobates a thing which he will not affirme for â—â—are of being so held indeed by the Synod yet notwithstanding his Censurer would gayne nothing by it who by his exhortings and threatnings could not any way alter the decree of Heaven but onely molest him with the torments of Hell and stirre up a wâ—rme in his conscience to gnawe him to no purpose Consid. Were it in the power of man to change his owne heart who is not able to change
actually appliable doe not sufficiently insinuate any such distinction as of reconciliation potentiall reconciliation actuall it raâ—heâ— implyes a distinction of the appliable nature therof to wiâ—â— as eyther potentiaâ—lâ— or actually appliable And indeede this 〈◊〉 the genius of the former distinction For a thing is not applyable that doth not allready exist actually as a plaster or a medicine must first have existence actuall before it can be applyed And consequently all every one throughout the world must be actually reconciled unto God by Christ before this their reconciliation can be applyed unto them As indeede it may be sayde to be applyed unto us when God doth reveale it unto us by his Spirit working in us the faith therof Oâ—e thing more I muâ—â— dispatche before I pâ—sse from this division and that as touching the cleering of our doctrine in the â—oint of Christ his dyinge for all for as much as in my judgment nothing but confusion of thinges that differ doth advantage the Arminian cause and hinders the light of Gods truth from breaking forth to the cleere conviction both of of what is truth and what is errour But first let me touch by the way one argument for the mayntenance of our doctrine in the generall It is apparant Ioh. 17. that Christ professeth he prayed not for all but only for those whom God had given him v. 9. or shoulde herafter believe that is be given unto him v. 20. And it is as cleere that like as for them alone he prayed so for them alone he sanctified himselfe vers 19. Now what is it to sanctifie himselfe but to offer up himselfe upon the crosse by the unanimous consent of all the Fathers whom Maldoâ—ate had read as himselfe professeth on that place of Iohn Now for the cleering of the truth of this when we say Christ dyed for us the meaning is that Christ dyed for our benefite Now these benefites which Christ procured unto us by his death it may be they are of different conditions wherof some are ordeyned to be conferred only conditionally and some absolutely And therfore it is fit we should consider them apart As for example it is without question I suppose that Christ dyed to procure pardon of sinne and salvation of soule but howâ— absolutely whether men believe or no Nothing lesse but only conditionally to witt that for Christs sake their sinnes shall be pardoned and their soules saved provided they doe believe in him Now I willingly confesse that Christ dyed for all in respect of procuring these benefits to witt conditionally upon the condition of their faith in such sort that if all and every one should believe in Christ all and every one should obteyne the pardon of their sinnes and salvation of their soules for Christs sake And I praesume that no Arminian on the other side will affirme that Christ in such sort dyed for all and every one that all and every one should have their sinnes pardoned and their soules saved for Christs sake whether they believe or no. What cause then is there of any difference between us on this point thus explicated Yet herby it is manifest that the benefite of remission of sinnes and salvation of soules for Christs sake shall in the end redound to none but such as believe as this Author seemes to acknowledge But come we to faith it selfe and regeneration are these benefits redounding unto us by the merits of Christ yea or no If they be as our Englishe Arminians seeme hitherunto to acknowledge then I demaund whether by vertue of Christs merits they redounde unto us absolutely or conditionally If only conditionally let them tells us upon what condition it is that God bestowes faith and regeneration upon us for Christs sake and let them try whether they can avoyde manifest Pelagianisme in saving that grace is conferd according unto mens workes If absolutely then eyther upon all and every one or upon some only If upon all and every one it followeth that all and every one shall have faith and regeneration bestowed upon them for Christs sake and consequently all shall be saved if upon some only who can they be but Gods elect But if observing these precipices they desire to decline them and therfore deny that faith and regeneration is any of those benefits which Christ hath merited for man let the indifferent consider who they be that streiten the extension of Christs merits most we or the Arminians For when the question is for whom he merited pardon of sinne and salvation of soule therin we all agree as before hath bene shewed none of us extending the merits of Christ farther then other none of us streitning them more then other But when the question is whether Christ merited faith and regeneration for us we readily maynteyne that even these allso Christ merited for his Elect but Arminians spare not to professe that these benefits Christ merited for none at all And indeede so we finde it expressely in their Apologie or Examen Censurae pag. 59. For when such an objection was made unto them Si hoc tantum meritus est Christus tum Christus nobis non est meritus fidem nec regenerationem marke their answere Sane ita est Nihil ineptius nihil vanius est quà m hoc Christi merito tribuere Si enim Christus nobis meritus dicatur fidem regenerationem tum fides conditio esse non poterat quam peccatoribus Deus sub comminatione mortis aeterna exigeret imo tum Pater ex vi meriti istius obligatus fuisse dicatur necesse est ad conferendum nobis fidem Now I come to followe this Author in his owne way His objection is this How shall I truly knowe will the patient then say that I am rather of the small number then of the great seing that you my Pastour and comforter will not that the promisses of salvation in Christ are made universally unto all and that those places of Scripture which seeme generall according to your opinion are to be restrayned only to the universalitie of the elect I answere thou shalt truly knowe it by thy acknowledging the infinitenes of the benefite wrought by Christ and embracing the Author of it by a true and lively faith For this Author who promts thee thus to object doth as good as professe that no comfort from Christs death and passion is applyable unto thee but in case thou embracest Christ with a true and a lively faith Secondly though thou doest believe in Christ this Author cannot assure thee that thou art rather of the small number which are Gods elect then of the great which are reprobates I say he cannot assure thee herof by his doctrine albeit thou shouldest adhere unto it but we can assure thee as much by ours in case thou embracest it and there is reason thou shouldsten brace it it is so agreeable to the word of God Act. 13.48 As many believed as were ordeyned to aeternall
Christ as on a rocke and our Saviour hath tolde us that the gates of Hell shall not prevayle against them that are built thereon and no meâ—veyle for they are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation And consequently whosoever is assured that he once had Faith may be as well assured that he hath it still Peter sinned fowly in denying his Master yet Christ had prayed for him that his faith should not fayle Anâ— not for Peter onely did our Saviour pray but for all those whom his Father had given hâ—m and that in this forme Father keepe them in thy name Ioh. 17. Nor for those onely whom his Father had at that time given him but for those also who hereafter should beleeve through their word Ioh. 17. And we know full well what smal fruit Peters faith brought forth at thâ—t time when he denyed his Master and in David also when he sinned in the matter of Vriah yet would not Bertius professe that David by those sinnes of his had deprived himself of the Spirit of God and that propter graves causas Neither doth it follow that because true faith bringeth forth small fruit at sometimes as in the houre of temtation and when a man sinkes under it therefore it brings forth small fruit simply as this Author caryeth the matter It is untrue that Calvin doth troâ—ble or obscure this doctâ—ine of Certitude and that the Patient will say so is but this Authors fictâ—on if he should say so we will be as ready to disproove it The words of Calvin are these Tot vanitatis recessus habet tot mendacii latebris scatet cor humanum tam fraudulenta hypocrisi obâ—ectum est ut seipsum saepe fallat He might as well have said that the H. Ghost troubles obscures this doctrine of Certitude by saying That the heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can know it But the Apostle makes this use of it 2. Cor. 12.5 Examine your selves whether you are in the faith proove your selves know ye not your selves that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates There is indeede a secret hypocrisie unknowne to a mans owne heart as when he presumes that all thinges goe well betweene him and God when indeede it is not so their rightousnes such as it is is not simulata conterfeyted by them but they deceave themselves as well as others and from such a state a man may fall as Austin acknowledgeth who nevertheles cleerly professeth his minde that no man falls away from the state of spirituall and wholsome repentance that being such a condition as wherunto God never brings any one whome he hath not predestinate Istorum that is non praedestinatorum neminem adducit ad spiritualem salubreÌ„ paenitentiam qua homo reconciliatur Deo in Christo five illis ampliorem patientiam five non imparem praebeat Contr. 〈◊〉 Pelag. lib. 5. cap. 4. This is not the case of an afflicted soule the hypocrite is secure and without suspicion of the integritie of his condition in the state of grace but the afflicted soule is too suspicious of himself conceaving his faith at the best to be but counterfeyte this is his sorrow this is the cause of the disquietnesse of his minde and whereof we may take good advantage for his consolation both in respect that he judgeth and condemneth himself And in this case the word of God assures us we shall not be judged of the Lord as also that hereby is clearly manifested a desire to be free from hypocrisie to be in a confortable condition by a true and sincere faith in Christ Now these are manifest evidences of the life of grace Not to speake of generall grounds of consolation such as these Blessed are they that mourne they shall be comforted Blessed are they that hunger thirst after righteousnesse they shall be filled It is true that all are not called at the same houre and seeing affliction especially when it is of a spiâ—ituall nature is the ordinary introduction into the state of grace in the course of Gods providence like as the valley of Achor was a doore of hope unto the Children of Israell and our Saviour in going to Ierusalem the vision of peace did commonly take Bâ—thany the house of mourning in his way we have cause to conceave good hope that thâ—se pangs may be as the pangs of childbirth unto an afflicted soul. But yet we will not satisfy our selves with our Patients saying that he never felt the testimony of adoption in his heart as therupon to conclude that as yet he is but in the state of nature and not washed from his filthines we will take notice of all circumstances of his cariage in this condition and of such observations as we have made of them in the course of their conversation for the time past and not suffer a melancholy passion to obscure the mercy of God towards them we will be very loath to be streitned in our proceedings in the course of our consolation by a Comaedians witt that coms to discourse of such tender pointes as if he came to make a play or to act a part upon the stage to make his Arminian hearers sport In the next place he puts a most absurd demaund in the mouth of his Patient requiring forsooth some assurance that he shal be thus efficaciously called before his death A demaund I am verily persuaded never brought to light but by Arminian invention Can any Arminian assure their Patients of any such condition We willingly professe we can assure none therof but where we find men afflicted in soule through conscience of sinne and a fearfull apprehension of Gods wrath this Spirit of bondage makes us to conceave hope that a child is now come unto his birth and that there shall not want strength in good time to bring him forth We are not likely to tell him that Christ surely dyed for him if so be he believes in him this is a Gossips bowle of this Authors making to carouse an health to his companions But by the way it appeares that howsoever this Comedian did at the first entrance hereupon professe that consolation in Christs death was not actually applyable to any but such as beleeve in Christ and consequently that a man can have no confort in Christ untill he beleeve in him by a true and lively faith yet he carryeth the matter so as if this were comfort enough to a man to believe that Christ dyed for him albeit as yet he hath obteyned no true faith in Christ wheras it is apparant that no more consolation can arise is this case to a Christian then to a Turke to a childe of God then to a childe of the divil to an elect then to a reprobate For their doctrine is that Christ dyed indifferently for all Yet albeit this practise of his is base enough at pleasure to putt upon us what cause of consolation he
notwithstanding all exhortations backt with promises and threatnings the will for all this is left at liberty to obey or disobey but God by his Spirit doth immediately worke the will to obey the ministery of the word He is brayne sicke with errour that seeth not how the preaching of the word nothing hinders the immediate operation of the Spirit of God in working the will to assent and yeelde obedience thereunto He saith there is not to be found in all the Scripture any one promise of such a perseverance in faith as the Synod intimates yet is it possible that he should be so ignorant as not to knowe that many passages of holy Scripture are alleaged to confirme this and that in the very Acts of that Synod but this Author being of a comicall witt doth not finde himselfe so fitt as to enter upon a serious encounter And insteede of debâ—litating any one passage of scripture usually alleaged by our divines for the confirmation of this their Tenet this judicious Author outfaceth them all blindfold saying that all exhortations wherof the scriptures are full doe directly oppugne the pretended promise But we utterly deny this nay nothing but shamefull inconsideâ—atenes makes this Author so bolde as by such base pretences which were exploded in the dayes of Austin by himselfe and others in their disputes against the Pelagians to cry downe the truth of God For he considers not that as God workes men to perseverance so it is fitt he should worke them hereunto in such manner as is agreeable to their natures Now this is by admonition and exhortation God promised Paul that he would give him freely all that sailed with him Act. 27.24 Yet this hindred not Pauls exhortation to the Centurion to stay the marriners in the shippe saying except these abide in the ship ye cannot be safe v. 31. And what an absurd thing is it to conceave that by begetting feare through admonitions we overthrow the promise when the promise it selfe is not accomplished but by this feare as Ier. 31 40. I will putt my feare in their hearts that they shall never depart away from me For God that he may beate presumption out of us and teach us to depend on him that so we may give him alone the glory of our preservation will have us sensible of our owne weaknesse and feare thereupon and therefore exhorts us expressely to worke out our salvation with feare and trembling Philipp 2.13 That so all our confidence may be in God and none in our selves and thus he leades us along in all the Holy wayes thereof unto salvation to witt with confidence in him but with no confidence in our selves but rather with feare and trembling in respect of our selves The promise saith not there is no cause of feare in respect of our selves but rather overcomes those feares by calling us to lift up our eyes towards our maker that so we may be a people saved by the Lord he being the shield of our streÌ„gth a sword of our glory we feare unto the Lord Hos. 3. last that is come flying with feare and trembling unto him and Hos. 11.10 They shall walke after the Lord he shall roare like a Lyon When he shall roare then the Children of the West shall feare trepidabunt that is festinabunt trepide ad dominum Be it that the danger cannot happen by vertue of Gods ordinance yet if God hath ordeyned that it shall not happen by meanes of our fearing it out of the sense of our owne impotency to guard our selves from it thereupon are stirred up to make the Lord our strength whose grace we know is sufficient for us are we foolish in fearing it when our feare makes us fly and cleave to God who alone can and hereupon will preserve us from it Nothing is to be done by us to keepe the Heavens from falling but something is to be done by us to keep us from falling that something in part is to feare least we fall The heavens shall one day passe away and Gods covenant with day and night shal be at an end but Gods covenant for the perseverance of his Saints shall never be at an end onely a time shall come when perfect love shall supply the place of feare in our fruition of God which shall be everlasting The fift Section FOr summe of all it will come unto that passe to believe it were better to addresse our admonitions unto God for him to finish his worke in men to convert correct and comfort them by his omnipotency which no person is able to resist and that it is his fault that so many persons continue faithlesse profane and desperate because it is he that refuseth to give or taketh away the grace necessary as well to their conversion as to their repentance and perseverance in the faith If any of these Synodâ—sts were sicke of the palsie and praesented themselves to some Physician who by the meanes of an excellent potion promiseth him to make him leave his bed ere long goe whither he pleaseth the other having recovered his health and the use of his arme and legge would he further binde his physician to cary him upon his shoulder from place to place for the sparing of his legges and nourishing of his sloth while he in the meane time lyes lazy in his bed and continueth the excesse which brought him unto his sicknes and yet not withstanding these men are not contented that God should furnish them with necessary and sufficient grace to preserve and keepe them from all temtaâ—ion from the divill the world and the flesh and to continue in that faith and therby to conserve this grace in watching fasting and praying they will allso have God immediately and irresistibly to produce all thâ—se thinges in them What remayneth then but to say that God himselfe doth beleeve repent and persevere in well doing even as Servetus said that the Fire doth not burne the Sunne doth not shine that bread nourisheth not but onely that God doth all these things immediately in his creatures not having given them their properties Consid. In the like manner some there were who opposed the grace of God 1200 yeares agoe in the dayes of Austin and thereupon he wrote his booke de Correptione gratia Rursus saith he ad eosdem scripsi alterum librum quem de correptione gratia praenotavi cum mihi nuntiatum esset dixisse ibi quendam neminem corripiendum si Dei praecepta non facit sed pro illo ut faciat tantummodò or andum And in the booke it selfe and 4. chapter he represents their discourse more at large in this manner Praecipe mihi quid faciam si fecero age pro me gratias Deo qui mihi ut facerem dedit Si autem non fecero non ego corripiendus sum sed ille orandus est ut det quod non dedit id est ipsam qua praecepta ejus fiant fidelem Dei