Gentiles called 2. That even yet hee should withhold from many Nations the very word and outward calling as the new-discover'd Indians doe shew being found as farre from the knowledge of Christ as ever the Heathen were before the Apostles preached to them But wee being under this grace of Gods Calling it behoveth us to looke that it be not in vaine unto us CHAP. VII Of the Concurrence of the Word and Spirit in Calling SOme great Divines do distinguish Calling into two kindes one outward of the Word onely another inward of the Spirit joyn'd with the Word That they say is Ineffectuall This Effectuall That common to the Reprobate This speciall and peculiar to the Elect That never obeyed with truth of heart This never disobeyed This Doctrine is to bee examined I distinguish not two Callings but compound one Calling of the Word and Spirit as it were of a Body and a Soule supposing it to have in it selfe power to bring forth Effect in all that are under it and if it doe not so the cause not to arise from the Calling but from the Called that obey not 1. For declaration of this Point it must not be thought that the Spirit goeth with the Word to make the hearer performe that which he can doe by naturall strength for the Spirit is given to helpe where nature faileth as to keepe waking and to be attentive for that which Men can bring of their owne strength God expecteth to finde and to meete One case then where to many the Spirit is not present to the Word is when they are not present to the very Word through their sottish carelesnesse 2. Againe it must not be thought that the concurrence of the Word and Spirit is as it were naturall necessary and inseparable but voluntary and arbitrary in the Will and good Pleasure of God and as grace is annexed to the Sacraments so is it to the Word onely by Divine Institution and Ordination Hence the Church prayeth before Sermons for the illumination and power of the Spirit to come with the Word God expecting to have this asked of him by them that can pray both for themselves and others Another case then where the Spirit is not co-working with the word many times is when it was not duly and diligently asked 3. There are men that are past grace to whom the Spirit is not present with the Word such as for their former neglect and contempt of the time of their visitation when God did call them are now given up to blindnesse and hardnesse and have the light of the Spirit and the dew of grace held back from that Word which is Preached in their hearing by accident not for their sakes though we know them not in particular and so admit all 4. It must not bee thought that the Spirit goes with the Word to worke any grace in any person whatsoever but according to the order of Divine Providence which dispenseth his grace wisely which is thus to be declar'd Wee are to distinguish the Word that calleth the Persons that are called and operations of the Spirit by the Word in those persons The Word is either the Law or the Gospell 1. The Law hath two parts as the Preacher of the Covenant of Grace useth the Law 1 The Precepts 2. The Curse to the transgressors of the Precepts So the Law hath a double use to accuse and convince with the Precepts to wound and to kill with the Curse and to these the Law is effectuall and of force after the fall of Man 2. The Persons called by the Minister of God using the Law are all naturall unregenerate sinfull men or the regenerate relapsed and fallen into grievous Sinne who are of two sorts either ignorant of their evill Estate to whom the Precepts of the Law are to be Preach'd to bring them to the knowledge of Sinne. Rom. 3. 20. Or they are such as know sin buâ— are sâ—cure benummed senselesse of theâ—â— miserable estate to these the Curse is to be denounced untill they begin to feare to be cast down and perplexed Act. 24. 25. 3. The Operations of the spirit upon these Men by the Ministry of the Law are two First to open their eyes to see their sinnes Second to prick their hearts with feare of the Curse Acts 2. 37. Rom. 8. 15. For these effects ordinarily the Spirit goeth with the Word of the Law calling Men out of the pit of sinne and they are more easily admitted and wrought into the heart upon those remaines of light in the minde discerning good and evill and of Conscience accusing it selfe consenting to the Law Rom. 2. 15. But that these workes of the Spirit by the Law are wrought in many Reprobates our adversaries deny not that grant some initiall parts of grace to be begotten even in castawayes The Ministry of John Baptist figured this of which S. Ambrose in 1. Lucae Hoc mysterium in hac vita nostra hodieque celebratur praecurrit enim animae nostrae quaedam virtus Johannis cum credere paramur in Christum ut paret ad fidem animae nostrae vias Thus much of the word of the Law with its persons and operations 1. The Gospell hath two parts A Commandement A Promise The Commandement To repent of Sin shewed by the Lawes Precepts To beleeve in Christ to give life to him whom the curse of the Law hath killed The Promise is of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting to him that repenteth believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ Act. 2. 38 39. 2. The Persons called by God in the word of the Gospell are all manner of sinners but convict terrifyed wounded full of compunction and selfe-condemning wrought in them by the Spirit in the preaching of the Law Mat. 11. 28. 3. The Operations of the Spirit upon these Men by the Ministry of the Gospell are 1. To open their eyes to see the marvelous light of Gods Mercy to Sinners of the infinite love of Christ in dying for sinners and the inestimable Merits of his Death of the powerfull graces gifts and aides of the holy Ghost to helpe and relieve the impotency and misery of sinners to the end that by this light this Opinion may be begotten in them that it is possible for them to be recovered 2. To poure into their hearts hope or to stay them from desperate sinning or sorrowing 3. To inspire the grace of Prayer at least to wish or desire Oh that they might be so happy as to escape the wrath to come and recover the favour and love of God! 4. To give them repentance that is to sorrow for sin past with a godly sorrow and to purpose to break off sin to cease from any further offending God or endangering the Soule 5. To worke in them Faith that is To run to Christ and to cast themselves into the Armes of his goodnesse and power to be saved by him These Graces in this Order the holy Ghost is present and ready
not vanish in the Elect either finally or totally 6. A man truly believing that is endued with justifying Faith is certaine by or with full perswasion of Faith of the forgivenesse of his sins and of his everlasting salvation by Christ 7. Saving Grace is not given is not communicated is not granted to all men whereby they may be saved if they will 8. No man can come to Christ unlesse it be given unto him and unlesse the Father draw him and all men are not drawne of the Father that they come unto the Son 9. It is not put in the free choice and power of every man to be saved These be the nine Assertions concluded at Lambeth at the instance of Doctor Whitakers against three Propositions delivered at Cambridge by Peter Baro the Frenchman Professor of Divinity in the Chaire erected by the Lady Margaret 1. De Praedestinatione Reprobatione 2. De Amissione Gratiae 3. De certitudine securitate salutis Whit. cont ult p. 4. Foure of these nine which concerne the Doctrine of Predestination are here onely considered the other five we shall speake of in their proper place in the third part of this book For the words of these foure they are so composed as they comprehend most certaine Truths but appliable aswell to the fifth Opinion to be propounded yet as to any other But because all men will fetch the interpretation of them from Doctor Whitakers the chiefe composer his understanding of them must be taken for their meaning And how hee understood the Doctrine of Predestination doth appeare in his last Conc. ad clerum Octob. 9. before this 20. of November wherein hee argueth against St. Austine That originall sinne was not the cause of Reprobation seeing it is remitted to many Reprobates according to St. Augustines Doctrine pag. 7. He expoundeth Rom. 9. 21. de massa incorrupta pag. 8. and nameth Bucer as concurring with him pag. 8. and iterum pag. 15. He appealeth to our Confession in the 17. Article which he is perswaded delivers the same doctrine that hee did not onely because those Articles were composed by the Disciples of Martyr and Bucer as hee saith but by the words themselves How other Bishops and Professors since have understood that Article and what hand Martyr and Bucer had in our Articles shall be seen in the next Opinion For these nine Assertions wee know Doctor Whitakers dying at his return from his journey were not received with such accord but that two the following Professors dissented from them and when the life of Doctor Whitakers was written by a learned friend of his who would have inserted these nine Assertions they were by authority suppressed a signe that though much were imputed and yeelded to the excellent judgement of Doctor Whitakers of worthy memory yet all in authority then were not of his minde in this matter whom yet they would not offend or lose as the times then were Neither in the first of King James in the Conference at Hampton Court when these nine Assertions orthodoxall as Doctor Reynolds termed them were sued for to be inserted into the Booke of Articles was this request obtained but that motion quenched by the speeches first of the Bishop of London who had beene at the concluding of those Assertions at Lambeth and secondly of the Deane of Pauls Doctor Overald who had beene a party in these controversies page 29. and page 41. And for the Orthodoxie of these Assertions in Doctor Whitakers sense Doctor Barlow the Relater of this Conference puts it upon Doctor Reynolds terming them so not upon his owne or his Masters Opinion he having beene well acquainted with the â—â—riage of that businesse at Lambeth as then Chaplaine to the Archbishop in his house and his Relation tels us The nine Assertions were sent to the University for the appeasing of those quarrells that were risen in Cambridge about certaine points of Divinity If for the appeasing of quarrels it was wisdome so to pen them as they might satisfie and unite all sides with common and generall truth As the first Assertion doth saying 1. That God hath predestinated c. which is most true but it saith nothing de ordine modo c. which is now the question and was then 2. The second speakes true of the moving and efficient cause both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but de causa non est quaestio sed de objecto whether it be Homo or homo peccator or homo peccator paenitens aut contumax Nothing in man is the cause of his Election 3. The third of the number is very true but founded on the Infalibility of Godâ— foreknowledge as on the Immutability of his will 4. The fourth is the most ambiguouâ— assertion for if it suppose Non-predestination to be the Cause of the Necessity of Condemnation for Sinne it putteth noâ— causam pro causa but if it suppose Non predestination as a meere negative of sucâ— an Act of God and suppose sinne committed and not repented of there is causâ— enough for the Justice of God to condemâ— him that hath sinned and used no remedy CHAP. II. The second Opinion THe second Opinion of the Order oâ— Predestination having these Defeâ—ders The Synod at Dort P. Mouliâ— Doctor Abbot B. of Sarisbury Doctoâ— Carleton B. of Chichester many Papists 〈◊〉 Bellarmine Cajetan and the Dominicanâ— and of which many doe say that Saint Aâ—â—â—stine was the first Author is this 1. That God from all Eternity decreed to create mankind holy and good 2. That he foresaw man being tempted by Satan would fall into sin if God did not hinder it he decreed not to hinder 3. That out of Mankinde seen fallen into sinne and misery he chose a certaine number to raise to righteousnesse and to eternall life and rejected the rest leaving them in their sinnes 4. That for these his chosen hee decreed to send his Son to redeeme them and HIS SPIRIT TO CALL THEM and sanctifie them the rest he decreed to forsake leaving them to Satan and themselves and to punish them for their sins This Opinion is misliked by the defenders of the former and of the following Opinions also 1. Because to defend the justice of God it supposeth mankinde corrupted before any Election or Reprobation was made which seemeth needlesse because there be Elect and Reprobate Angels without or before any corruption or fall Cacodaemones non fuere in Massâ tamen Reprobati Christus non fuit in Massâ and tamen ut homo Eligitur Prideaux 1. Lectione 2. Because it supposeth Originall sinne the cause of Reprobation which sinne yet is remitted in Baptisme to many Reprobates Whitaker Cygnea Cant. p. 7. 3. Because with the former Opinion it teacheth Christ to be sent onely to the Elect and the Word and Spirit onely to call them whereby the Reprobate is but more oppressed being call'd to embrace salvation offered which they cannot doe and yet for refusall thereof they are more deeply condemned
Faith for their recovery after notice taken of their impotency to rise again of themselves it seems an insulting mock and not a Call to say to sinners Turne repent believe and live unlesse there be some grace prepared for them whereby they may be able to repent and believe 2. Because it attributeth the Effect of obeying the Calling to the kinde of Calling it selfe and onely to one cause the operation of the Spirit as if many causes did not concur to produce an Effect and if any one faile the Effect faileth As if obedience to the Calling of God were not an Act of the will of Man under the ayde of the Spirit of God as if the ayde of the Spirit were never refused nor the Grace of God never received in vaine For though God be almighty and able to draw all second Causes unto his part and side yet he doth not use to disturbe or crosse the Nature of Causes nor the order of things which himselfe hath established 3. Because it maketh Gods Covenant to differ from all Covenants in humane affaires even in that which is essentiall to a Covenant yet this terme and title is borrowed from men the better to conceive of the Grace of God the duty of man In our Covenants each party hath something to performe and no one party doth all in a Covenant but by this distinction God is supposed both to provide infallibly to have the conditions fulfilled and also to fulfill his owne promises whereas all that he undertaketh for us is to make the conditions possible and not to be wanting in his helpe so far as is needfull for us Esay 59. ult And check me not that I am afraid to give too much to God lest I check you againe that you looke to be so much favoured as to be tyed to nothing Truth flattereth neither God nor Man Non est bonae solidae fidei c. T is not the part of a good and sound faith so to referre all things to Gods will and so to flatter every one by saying Nothing can come to passe without Gods permission that so we may imagine our selves are to doe nothing Tert. de Exhort Castitatis not far from the beginning CHAP. VIII Of Conversion THe Conversion of a sinner is the End which God seeketh in sending his Word and in Calling men Act. 3. 26. The Effect of Calling when it speedeth It may shortly be defined The Obedience of him that is called for it his part Vocantem audire obedire In Conversion there be two Termes A quo Ad quem From the power of Satan unto God Act. 26. 18. It is in all parts of Man In his Vnderstanding he is turned from darknesse to light In his Will from Idols of all sorts to serve the living God 1 Thes 1. 9. In his whole life from unrighteousnesse to Holinesse Rom 6. The Conversion of a sinner is also to be considered as Prima or Posterior The first is when a man of a naturall man is made a regenerate man and a member of Gods Church as the Gentiles called by the Apostles Act. 15. 3. Such were we all that are converted unto God having been first averted foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts Tit. 3. 3. The latter Conversion is when a regenerate man having committed iniquity and fallen into sin returneth unto God by repentance of that sinne Thus Peter that was foretold of denying Christ and that yet his faith should not finally faile was willed that he being converted should strengthen his Brethren Luk. 22. 32. See Bilson of supremacy pag. 278. 279. in 4. Next the Causes of our Conversion are to be considered without question Gods holy spirit working upon the heart of a sinner is the prime principall efficient powerfull Cause of his Conversion Turne us and we shall be turned Lam. 5. 21. in the beginning in the middle and in the end of it The word preached is the ordinary Instrumentall Cause Psal 19. 7. Adjuvant Causes are the Crosse that chastneth Jer. 31. 18. Blessings that draw and allure the prayers of others the holy example of others already converted c. But it is in question what part the Sinner himselfe who is the subject to be converted beareth in his owne Conversion being a living and reasonable Subject Whether he be active or passive in it when and how far whether he can further it or hinder it or whether it be possible for two supposed equally called one to be converted and not the other If so then whence this difference shall arise whether from God or from Man The determination of these questions cannot be cleare nor the manner of our conversion opened untill we have declared what is to be holden according to the Scriptures touching Gods free Grace and Mans freewill which we will indeavour to bring into more manifest light after so vehement Conflicts of the learned in all Ages which have raised clouds of obscurity to the losse of Truth amongst the strivers for it CHAP. IX Of Grace OF Grace and Freewill I will speak by Gods grace first severally then joyntly that so we may returne to the point of our Conversion to behold what be the parts of God therein and what of Man Of Grace I shall endeavour to declare the Thing the Distinctions the Necessity the Amplitude the Power and force thereof By Grace may be understood all that proceedeth from God out of free favour to an unworthy sinner tending to his Salvation yet here by Grace I will not understand the remaines of Nature as some light of Reason some sense of Conscience and the like though it was of Grace that these were spared and left to remaine in Man fallen Neither will I by Grace understand the Law describing the righteousnesse of works though the preacher of Grace doth use the Law to shew a sinner his Estate and to prepare him to Christ Nor will I understand the bare outward word of the Gospel though it be called Verbum gratiae Act. 20. 32. if not rather it be so called because the internall Grace of God goeth with it But by Grace I understand the internall Illuminations Teachings Motions Tractions Inspirations Operations Gifts of the holy Ghost merited by Christ to be given to the sinfull Sons of Adam in their fit time and order to the end to raise them fallen and to save them lost whence I shall call it with Saint August Gratiam Christi There is in man no merit of Grace for then grace were no grace there is only an occasion namely the wofull misery of Man which yet was in Gods pleasure to take as an occasion or to refuse it Even the good use of former Graces is no merit or cause of the giving of following Graces but the second are as freely given as the first for Gods good pleasure alone is the Author and Cause of that order and succession that is in graces in which he hath appointed to doe one thing in
blessednesse of the Saints is both from the Reward of Grace and Retribution of Justice This sentence cleareth the most doubtfull part for that eternal death is de retributione justitiae is a truth so cleare and not possible to be decreed from before time without foreknowledge of sinne as my Opposites therefore love not to argue about Reprobation or if they doe they fly to the Dominion and Liberty of God as a Lord absolute and unaccountable to exclude Prescience even here if it were possible But for Predestination to eternall life because it is the gift of God they are confident it may be decreed without Prescience what man will doe which they well might seeme to have some colour for if the blessednesse of the Saints were onely de munere Gratiae and not also de retributione Justitiae But why strive they to separate and dis-joyne those things which God hath joyned together he having made the blessednesse of the Saints to be the retribution of Justice out of his Prescience of their labouring to attaine their end life and to be also the gift of his Grace out of his owne understanding what will bring them to happinesse if he grant them these benefits whereby he shall also attain his end the glory of his free love in giving eternall life to whom hee will both these being understood and knowne before the very existence of men or any act of his be allowed to be by any decree of the will of God that is onely upon condition or supposition if hee please to will the Creation Calling Governing of the Saints in such sort as he foreknowes will bring forth life unto them and this be a way of Glory to himselfe In summe this judgement being ex praeteritis the predestination of it cannot but be ex praevisis The Judge whom God hath ordained for that day is Christ the Lord. God and man not the Father himselfe immediatly the reason is Joh. 5. 22 23. that all might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father and the reason of that is because as the Father hath Created so the Sonne hath Redeemed mankinde And this shall be the great crime upon which the World shall be judged Joh. 3. 19. That light is come into the World and men loved darknesse more than light and Christs Word shall judge him in the last day whosoever hath rejected Christ Joh. 12. 48. as after the Gospell is preached any where the rule of judgement is Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved hee that believeth not shall be damned But S. Paul more fully 2 Thess 1. 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven to recompence rest to them that have beene troubled for his Truth and in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ The severity of the last judgement in flaming fire rendring vengeance The particularity of the Persons wee must all appeare before the judgement Seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 10. The specialty of causes which God shall judge the very secrets of men by Jesus Christ Rom. 2. 16. When as many as have sinn'd without Law shall also perish without Law vers 12. having had a Law written in their hearts which is as much as that vengeance shall be rendred to them that know not God as Tertullian saith Illius etiam est ignorantes Deum plectere quem non liceat ignorare when those that have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law and they that have not obeyed the Gospell shall be judged by the Gospell by the like proportion This specialty of causes argueth I say to mee that Originall sinne which is one just cause of death shall justly be alleged against them that have had no other cause of condemnation in them but this as against all Infants that have dyed and have not this sinne purg'd by the lavacre of Regeneration either in act or vow of the Church but to allege it against them that have lived to yeares capable to know God and to obey the Gospell and perhaps have by Baptisme that sinnes forgivenesse sealed unto them as it seemed strange to Doctor Whitakers that any man should be Reprobated for that sinne which is forgiven him so it seemeth strange to mee that those sinnes should be alleged against a man for which hee is condemned and yet for which he was not Reprobated since the sentence of Reprobation is the heaviest and most wofull sentence that can be as that which drawes after it the sentence of Condemnation as the fourth Assertion at Lambeth saith I conceive the same sins for which the wicked are condemned at the last were the sinnes for which they were written Reprobates before all dayes Jude vers 4. altogether first and last great and small but especially their finall impenitency and obstinacy in sinne else what needed this exactnesse of differencing the specialties of causes Or how doth it more burden the guilty to heare of their several crimes when they all were rejected in the common case of mankinde fallen and from thenceforth unable to arise and amend having neither Saviour to die for them nor Spirit to call them nor helpe to heale them all which Reprobation hath excluded and debarred them from or these from them God will overcome in judgement but not by pleading his prerogative or his Soveraigne power or by putting men to silence with his greatnesse else Abraham was too bold to expostulate with God shall not the Judge of the whole earth doe right but by Justice and equity else hee would not offer himselfe to be tryed Isay 5. 3. Iudge I pray you betwixt mee and my Vineyard what could I have done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it God will convince the ungodly and put them to silence and shame by their unthankfulnesse and stubbornnesse against his abundant goodnesse patience and long-suffering shewed unto them Let mee take my leave of the ingenous Reader by leaving with him my doubt and my resolution thereof expressed in the words of the grave Cardinall Sadolet no carnall man nor enemy to Truth as his times had light In his Commentaries upon the Epistle to the Romans pag. 1178. hee brings in this Objection At enim ex contaminatio genere oriundi c. But even wee being borne of a corrupted originall are now by nature it selfe made to destruction that those whom God passeth by and doth not call unto himselfe might have no just cause of complaint To this hee answereth thus At ego video c. But I conceive in the judgement of the World to come Christ Jesus will not so passe the sentence who shall then sit in judgement for his Father upon them whom he hath condemn'd as thus to pronounce Seeing you proceeded out of the corrupted loines of Adam and have contracted the fault and guilt of your Parents for this cause doe I sentence you to eternall torments