over all which is manifest in his language commanding of them but the peculiarity of his love is not to be judged by the extent of his authority but by the application or making good of his mercy which work or privilege is but to some and is solely his work as we shall afterwards shew you Fourthly though faith be required in the declaration and is the way to enjoy the manifestation yet a want in faith doth not nor cannot make any alteration in the foundation which is clear from these Scriptures 2 Tim. 2.13 applied to v. 19 2 Sam. 23.2 3 4. Minde well now it is clear that the foundation is Gods unchangeable love and grace which if it were to all upon the condition of faith giving a propriety in the foundation then any want in faith would work some alteration which is contrary to the forementioned Scriptures Fifthly in the fear of the Lord consider this Scripture John 17.4 where CHRIST says to the Father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Now if CHRIST was ordained or appointed of the Father to satisfie for the sins of all and to purchase life and salvation for all then he hath finished it and they must be saved or else CHRIST doth not speak truth which were sad to aver but you see and must know all are not nor shall not be saved therefore it was not given him by the Father to do Now if any shall say that CHRIST hath finished the work of eternal life for any who will believe in him I answer the work cannot be finished if it depend upon any thing else and especially upon that which is so mutable as creatures minds whether to receive or not to receive as you affirm therefore without controversie CHRIST speaking truth the work is fully finished as the pardon of sin purchase of salvation and eternal life by him faith doth not make up the work but it is a fruit that floweth from it which is the next thing we shall enter upon and so I shall say no more to this fourth thing to wit That the great design of God in Christ was to satisfie for all sin and purchase salvation and eternal life for the elect and none but them The sixth thing is that faith which is required of all them that enjoy him is not a Cause but an Effect of the forementioned Privilege that is to say It is not the cause but an effect of election and that I shall punctually prove three ways 1. From Scripture 2. From the nature of causes 3. From the nature of the thing First from the Scripture see Acts 13.38 When the Gentiles heard they were glad and glorified the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Which clearly shews that Ordination is before faith and this order and form CHRIST declares when he saith to his Disciples John 15.16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you They had chosen CHRIST that is to say loved him and by faith embraced him but his intent is they were first chosen by him and that is the cause the Apostle saith 1 John 4. We love him because he loved us first And for your further satisfaction minde these Scriptures Rom. 8.30 chap. 9.11 2 Tim. 1.9 Ezek. 16.6 Hosea 14.8 Secondly consider the order of Causes and you will finde that Henry Hagar who is a man I very much honour out of whose Book I see you have drawn your Absurdities if you do there but see how he decyphers Causes you will there finde that he makes no distinction of essential meritorious instrumental and final Causes but jumbles up all together without distinction Dear Friend it is not a form of words that will make things orderly in Gods sight unless there be divine wisdom to rectifie the judgment making man to deny his own natural wit when he goes about to decypher or discover Gods great design in CHRIST Again if you will say though he sets down successive causes yet he doth not set down the cause of Election in any of these seven causes he mentions neither can he unless he can discover a cause of him that is the Cause of Causes For my part I am of his judgment in these Particulars c. 1. That Gods love was the cause of his sending of his Son to die for sinners 2. That Christ's dying and rising is the cause of the Gospel being preached 3. The Gospel being preached is the cause of mens believing 4. That mens believing is the cause of justification but then it is justification in conscience and not justification before God in Christ which is the fountain and this in conscience is but the stream 5. That our knowing our selves justified by faith through the bloud of Christ is the cause of our love to Christ 6. That our love to Christ is the cause of our obedience to Christ But then the seventh cause which is That our obeying Christ is the cause of his giving us everlasting life that I deny And if you view these Scriptures he brings to prove it is will not make it good Mark 16.16 Revel 22.14 Heb. 6.9 He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved and blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gate into the City and Christ being made perfect through suffering he became the Author of everlasting salvation unto all them that obey him these Scriptures are truth and declare that they that obey Christ shall have eternal life but they nor no other Scripture declare anything contrary to this position that obedience is the way to life but not the cause of life if yea look upon causes either essential or meritorious but if you look upon it instrumental that is to say as the meanes or way to such an end then it is true and so is faith and so is prayer according to these Scriptures Philip. 1.19 1. Peter 1.5 Phil. 2.10 Heb. 12.14 Now when I tell you I do approve of these six causes successively before mentioned it is also with this restriction to put a diference between causes for the first cause which is Gods love that is the efficient cause 2. cause which is Christs death is the meritorious cause the 3 4 5 6. causes he spoke of are the instrumental causes and if you speak of these things in themselves and as they are to us then they are causes but if you speak of them all as they relate to God who is the Cause of Causes then they are but effects CHRIST'S death is but the effect of Gods love the preaching of the Gospel is but an effect of Gods love faith in him is but his gift and our love to him and obedience do all flow from him as the Fountain according to these Scriptures Gal. 5.22 Ephes 6.23 Heb. 12.2 James 1.17 18. they cannot in that sense be called causes but fruits Further consider what that Friend
you know that every effect is caused by a cause suitable to it self and every thing is producible in its proper element if so then a state of nature cannot produce a work that is spiritual 3. It is called a rising or quickning from the dead Ephes 2.1 5. Colos 3.1 Can the dead raise it self or can that which is dead quicken it self without a power beyond it self 4. It is to deny a mans self Matth. 16.24 Mank 8.34 Self cannot deny it self in no consideration but it must be by a power above and beyond it 5. It is a killing or mortifying Rom. 8.13 Col. 3.5 Now the power killing or mortifying 〈◊〉 above the thing killed or mortified Fourthly consider what man is before this work is wrought 1. He is not onely in sin but dead in sin Ephes 2.1 5. 2. He is without God without grace and without hope Ephes 2.12 3. They are in blindness Isai 29.18 chap. 35.5 chap. 42.7 And till this supernatural light by God be set up in the soul he cannot see nor know the things of God in a spiritual and saving sense 4. He is in a state of enmity and is an enemy to God and to the Gospel light and life Rom. 8.7 Col. 1.21 Rom. 5.10 5. They are children of wrath Ephes 2.3 Now summ up all together 1. That state which is a state of death 2. A state of being without God and grace 3. Of so much blindness 4. A state of enmity to God and to the light and life of the Gospel 5. A state wherein men are children of wrath I say consider this and minde what the work of Faith or the new Birth is lay both together and you will be forced to say that the highest improvement of nature while men are in nature is not capable of nor able to perform it I shall say no more to this fourth Particular which is for the making good of the seventh Position to wit that Faith that is produced in obedience to Truth by the discoveries of the Gospel of CHRIST is that which nature in the highest improvements before conversion is not capable of performing I would come to the next thing but there is one or two Objections by the way which I judg some may make against what I havâ— spoke as to the insufficiency of creatures to such work and therefore in way of Query for your satisfaction that nothing may be left undone to the utmost of my power to satisfie and inform your judgment which in tenderness of love I desire to do I shall mention them and give you my Answer to them Query 1. This that you have spoke or declared seems to unpower the creature solely as if it had no power before the new birth which seems very contrary to Scripture which speaks of the creatures improving their Talent Answer As to any Gospel work or works relating to God in CHRIST that every creature is uncapable of and averse to nay an enemy to it before this appearing of God in the work of grace and yet this doth not at all deny but there is a power in the creature to do much more than at the present I can see the most natural men do therefore I beseech you that I may not destroy oâ—e Truth by maintaining another Consider what the Lord hath shewed me in the searching of the Scripture I shall lay down briefly in these Particulars 1. That every man naturally hath a Talent which he is bound by the Law of God to improve 2. That this Talent or Power in the highest improvement is but to answer the moral Law or so much of it as nature is capable of retaining 3. That they who do thus improve it do very much come up to the answering of the righteousness of the Law as Paul did before conversion Phil. 3.5 6. 4. When creatures do thus improve their Talent in the answer of the moral Law or so much as their nature is capable of Though there is an enmity between that in a Scripture sense and the righteousness of CHRIST yet CHRIST seems to have some kinde of love to that improvement and therefore you may see in Mark 10.21 when the young man came to him though he was unacquainted with saving grace yet in his improvements had very much answered the Law and therefore the Text saith CHRIST looked upon him and loved him so that such improvements of nature in answer to a Law is more pleasing to CHRIST than the embezling a mans Talent polluting of nature in the neglect of improvement 5. Consider If there be such a Power and such an improvement and so much owned certainly it is good for men to be exact in it And it is very much my judgment that God approves of and meets men there if so I think we are to wait upon God there And yet this will not prove that men have power by improvement of nature to work up their hearts in a Gospel sense for the entertaining of CHRIST though this improvement be a way to wait upon God in for even Gospel Ordinances or outward means of Grace is commonly that which God is met in and God meets souls there but yet that doth not prove that the Ordinances have power in themselves to bring up to grace nay if men so rest on them or look upon power in them not looking up to God above them then they are so far from coming to God that they and their performance is condemned and loathed by God according to these Scriptures Isai 1.11 12 13. 66.3 The same we are to consider in this and much more for I see clearly by Scripture there are more promises fixt to Gospel Ordinances than are to the improvements of natural abilities though both are good yet neither is able to bring up to Christ but in the highest abilities of either we are to consider the work of Grace or new Birth to be produced by the working of Gods mighty power above and beyond both and that appears clearly if you consider these Particulars 1. The case of the young man in the Gospel he had the highest improvements of nature of any I reade of but when CHRIST brings his improvements to the Touch stone of Gospel Principles he in his improvements left Christ Matth. 19.20 Mark 10.20 Luke 18.21 2. Consider that the work of Grace in a Gospel sense is of a nature far above and beyond the righteousness of the Law and that you will see in these Scriptures Rom. 9.31 32. Gal. 3.10 11 12. Phil. 3.8 9. Tit. 3.5 6 7. 3. When any soul that ever improved nature as Paul Phil. 3.5 6. or any other when once they are come to be brought home to Christ these moral improvements are so far from closing with this new work that it is soly to be laid aside and denied Phil. 3.8 9. Gal. 3. I mean in relation to a conjunction with CHRIST as having any ability or power performing the new Birth which is soly done of
light which day is a coming and will not tarry And even Sion it self cannot be a shelter to cover Hypocrites but in the day of the Lord their fear will be fearfull Isai 33.14 A virgins state with light in our Lamps without oyle in our vessels will not make way for entainment in that day Mat. 25.11 12. neither will preaching nor prophesying Mat. 7.22 23. neither will our being calld by the name of Israel nor passing through the waters of Judah nor swearing by the name of the Lord nor calling our selves of the holy City Isai 48.1 2. do it without a real oneness with Christ which is alwayes accompaned with soundness of principle and suitableness in practice not in bare words and formes but in power and life in each performance that it may be thus with you and me it is and shall be the earnest prayer of him that is Courteous Reader one that desires to appear before men as to approve himself to the Lord and be found saithfull at his coming P.H. To all that love the Lord in sincerity and are called according to his purpose BEloved it is wonderfull to consider how far Antichrist hath darkned the Glorious and pure truthes of Jesus Christ with his vails vizards and covers so that it is hard to find out their face or form as also to restore any one truth to its primitive institution and being though God is pleased many times by an eminent hand to bring truth to light notwithstanding these false covers which do yet lye upon it as to many though much discovered by others yet when I consider where the cause of all this is not in the truth it self but in mens blindness and darkness in their understanding of it and which is yet worse it being like so to remain till the glorious Gospel of Christ shall take hold of them therefore the consideration of this should stay our spirits when we see such contendings oppositions and carnal reasonings against the clear and pure truth of God in the Scriptures and now seeing our dear Brother the Author of this Treatise hath endeavoured to bring forth his Talent in the behalf of truth in answer to those Queries wherein I judg that God hath in a good measure inabled him to give a clear answer to the satisfiing and confirming of them who are or have been apt to scruple or stagger at the truth which is here affirmed by him and owned by the Saints I judg that this light of of his should not be put under a Bushell but he brought forth to publick view so that if there be in it that which may give satisfaction to one it may be usefull the rather when I consider what necessity there is of it in other places where the words of such kinde of persons are like the words of Hymeneus and Philetus which will eat as doth a Cancer this is the ground of his so appearing in a publick way yet what room and entertainment it may have or meet withall among the sons of men I know not because we know that wisdome is onely justified of her children if it be so among wisdomes children it doth accomplish wisdoms end and therein we have ours Possibly it may meet with reproches and scorns either in respect of its dress and habit it appears in which was minded to the Author but could not well be avoyded it being the onely suitable way to him to make out his mind in namely Syllogisms and the rather because Haggers book which he answers runs in the same strain or in relation to the Author against whom some may be ready to cavil and so slight and undervalue the truth possibly conceiving him to have been formerly dead if not twice dead as to such appearances yet not pluckt up by the roots I know it may seem strange to many that he should now appeare in the house of God the strangeness of which hath been beheld as much by me as by any and wee have been ready to wonder at the admirable rich grace patience and long-suffering of God towards him who formerly walked in notions and pretences of spirituality though in wantonness against Christ Were it not that the Lord is mercifull because he delighteth to be mercifull we had not known how or where to have centered our judgments and understandings concerning him in that condition yet knowing there is no difference where God makes none I cannot but be satisfied the rather I being an eye witness of the Authors great alteration and change not onely in reference to a gratious frame of heart and a close walking with God daily but also in respect of those his many principles as to notions which were imbraced by him and I fear too much by many now to the turning of their minds aside from the simplicity of the Gospel and the truth as it is in Iesus if the truth here affirmed shall take place in any hearts to the securing of their judgments and keeping their consciences free from error and pollution we wish the Lord may have the praise and we shall have cause therein to reioyce Friends I judg that now things will no longer go upon trust as formerly the truthes of God have too much gone upon the leggs of humane testimony now therefore it is our desire it may go upon tryal Gold loseth nothing by its tryal but its nature is discovered more excellent to the Law and to the testimony there must be a day of fining and trying Gold must appear to be Gold and Dross to be Dross it will no longer pass for current with god though it doth with men therefore it behoveth all the people of God to have their loynes girt about with truth this is all at present I shall say either in behalf of the Author or matter or persons to whom it is to be tendered and so shall desire daily to pray for your furtherance in the Gospel labouring while I am in this tabernacle on this side glory to approve my self in the sight of God Your unworthy yet faithfull Companion through grace in Gospel-service Tho Gower DEar Friend I received fourteen Queries from you destring my judgment about the Death of CHRIST the ability of the Creature and the Justice of God relating to the Condemnation of the Creature c. and with them ten Absurdities which you are pleased to annex to the Queries but as for the Absurdities I shall leave them till seasonably I may answer them and come to shew you the fallacy of them onely one or two things first as to them minde First to draw Absurdities from the cross Answer of your Queries before your Queries are answered is but a fallacy Secondly the drawing Absurdities from the Answer of your Queries or what you judg will be the Answer doth shew that you do not propound Queries to be informed because you conclude your Answer before you propound them or elseyour Absurdities be but the fruit of fancy the truth of which will
are his Now having discovered what troubles me and what makes me so unwilling to mention these truths but with discovering also wherein men do abuse them I shall now say no more but come to the proof of this seventh Particular and for the proof of that minde these Particulars 1. The whole Testimony of Scripture 2. The nature of the Work 3. The Titles that are given by God and Christ to the Work 4. The nature of every Creature before this is wrought Which four things will sufficiently prove that this work of faith is not gained by improving nature before conversion or a work before conversion that nature is capable of but is singly the work of God not in a general sense as a works ate but in a peculiar and a Gospel sense First the Testimony of Scripture to make good this truth is very full and clear see 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned Which fully declares that the receiving or entertaining through faith the truths of the Spirit of God is a work which nature or natural men before conversion are not capable of it nor able to perform it but it is a special work of the Spirit of God John 3.3 5. Verily except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God And in v. 5. he saith Except a man be born of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Where you see the 2. special employments of faith to wit 1. The seeing or viewing the glory of Gods Kingdom 2. The entering of the Kingdom Both which are to be done through faith CHRIST doth here affirm it is a work impossible for a natural man to do or any thing in nature to perform before conversion or the new birth which appears in Paul Phil. 3.6 which work is singularly Gods by his Spirit according to his own good will and pleasure which CHRIST affirms in vers 8. of the said Chapter Jer. 31.18 19. Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh and I was ashamed Ephraim's experience doth testifie this that repentance smiting and being ashamed followeth turning and that turning and instructing in this Gospel sense in the act of conversion is Gods singular work Jer. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil The comparison declares that it is impossible for unconverted man that lives in sin to do good as good that is to say to do any Gospel work Besides these testimonies which are sufficient I desire you further to minde these Scriptures Phil. 2.13 For it is God that works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure So it is singular Gods work produced by his good pleasure Suitable to that is Prov. 16. 1. Jer. 10.23 Lam. 5.21 Now as for the second which is what the nature of the work is before I speak of the nature of faith give me leave to speak a word or two of the new birth or conversion which of necessity must be wrought before any work or employment of faith can appear and the truth is my dear Friend if we cannot witness the new birth we are not in a capacity to inform one another of the things of God for till then we are but natural and not fit for such an employment 1 Cor. 2.14 Now this work of conversion and new birth I shall present it to you thus it is by the glorious and powerfull appearance or discovery of the glory of God in CHRIST which doth so seize upon the soul and convincingly conquers the soul that the soul in the discoveries of that light is so killed and made silent and confounded in the sense of his own unsuitableness to God and undonness without CHRIST that the heart is presently made to loath and abominate it self and whatsoever was wrought or done before CHRIST came and is so restlesly carried out for CHRIST that the soul cannot rest till it doth enjoy him that is till he can see a propriety in him or enjoy him as his own which is alone done through believing Now faith is a supernatural light and life set up in the soul by Gods causing the creature to assent to and close with the authority of Gods truth and tenders â—n CHRIST upon which direct act reflection followeth which is the applying of CHRIST as his own from the truth of Gods tender which is from his peculiar love which love the heart is made sensible of in that appearance Now dear Friend do but consider this small description of the work of conversion and faith and see if any thing in nature before the new birth is wrought is capable of or able to perform such a work do but pick out some Particulars of it as 1. This appearance of God doth and will kill make silent and confound or conquer whatsoever is in the soul before Christ comes Jer. 31.18 19. Rom. 7.9 Zach. 2.13 Acts 2.37 2. The creature is so overcome with a sight of this light that he can no longer love but loath himself Job 50.3 4 5. chap. 42.5 6. Isai 5.6 Phil. 3.8 3. It is made able to go out of it self and give way for and assent to the authority and truth of Gods tenders John 3.33 chap. â—2 38 Rom. 4.18 19 20.2 Thess 1.10 4. It can finde no rest in its self nor whatsoever self did before or can do but soly waits upon and attends the authority of this discovery Acts 2.37 ch 16.30 Cant. 5.6 8. Psalm 63.1 Matth. 11.12 5. It 's made able to apply that is to say to own a propriety and to bring home that to its self as its own which is as high as Heaven and far above what nature can either reach or attain unto according to these Scriptures Heb. 11. 1 8 10 13. John 8.56 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Now I beseech you consider what hath been said and you will see that the nature of this truth as we faid before is too high for any improvement of nature to attain to before the new birth Thirdly consider the Titles that are given by God and CHRIST to the work I mean to the work of Regeneration in which faith is comprehended or included it is called a new birth John 3.3 5. Except a man be born again he cannot see or he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Now dear Friend consider what it is to be born and minde that a spiritual birth transcends a natural if you can truly witness this you will see and must acknowledg this truth 1. That it is impossible by any improvement of Nature to be performed before the work of grace is wrought 2. It is called spiritual 1 Cor. 2.14 Now
as in Heb. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace Now your mistake is in the taking one person for another for the Apostle doth not intend in the word he by which he was sanctified the party that treads the bloud of CHRIST under feet for it is not he that is sanctified but it is CHRIST that is sanctified now sanctification is to be set apart and it is CHRIST alone that was set apart through the bloud of the covenant through that God sanctified him through that he sanctified himself according to John 17. For CHRIST was capable of no other sanctification and if any man with an ingenious heart will but reade that Verse as it is in the Translation though there is much more to be considered otherwise they cannot conclude but the party there sanctified is properly intended CHRIST and not he that treads unless they will overthrow the intent of this Scripture and make Scripture to be of private interpretation which is not to be done 2 Peter 1.20 I might mention many other places of Scripture as to the mistakes of persons taking all for some and one for another I onely mention these two or three for the rest Fifthly as those former mistakes doth arise from your mistakes of the Letter of the Scripture as it is said in Matth. 22.29 You err not knowing the Scripture that is comprehended in what we have already said but see what followeth You err not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God that is to say the power and authority of Scripture which all are ignorant of till the truth of God in Scripture is made good in them so that a fifth cause of your mistakes which I much fear is your unacquaintedness with the power of God in Scripture that is the Scriptures being made good in you as to the work of conversion or the new birth for dear Friend though I am unwilling to speak any thing that hath the face of censuring yet I cannot but judg that if ever the power and authority of God had passed upon you in the great work of conversion there would need no further Argument but present experience to convince such a soul that power to stand up before the Lord and to entertain the tenders of CHRIST is soly and alone the work of God not upon a common or a general account but in a special and peculiar sense And so much of this fifth Particular A sixth mistake is your confining your judgment of the essentiality of God the unchangeableness of his essential will to the visibility of God in his outward Word and actions as they are in our view and though those things do declare the outward actions of God as they relate to our actings towards him yet they are not given to us to judg of and measure the unchangeable love of God in himself to us by I mean that good will and love that is in himself and hath no dependance upon any thing out of himself for God is said to repent Gen. 6.6 He is said to forsake Jer. 23.33 39.2 Chr. 2.15 He is said to be grieved Gen. 6.6 He is said to go down and see if things were so according to the cry of the sins of Sodom Gen. 18.20 21. as if he had not known before the same is in Gen. 11.15 Now these expressions doth declare the outward acts of God as they relate to our acting towards him or the manifesting the visibility of God as it is in our view and not to measure the essentiality of God and the unchangeableness of his love and good will by for if you do you will both wrong God deceive your own soul And so much of this sixth mistake There are many more causes of your stumbling I onely thought good to give you these which at present I remember desiring the Lord by them to manifest the rest and to clear up truth in your soul that you may no longer stumble but through the manifestation of Gods grace you may be made able to understand truth as itis in Jesus Now before I come to shew you the sad Absurdities that must of necessity follow your opinion and how injurious you are by that unto the glory of Gods grace to Christ and to your own soul I shall from what hath been said already give you a brief Answer to your Queries and Absurdities which briefly take thus Query 1. If Christ died not for all What ground hath any man to believe he died for him Answ I have discovered the fallacy of that Query by shewing ye that the efficient cause of our believing in Christ is more supernatural heavenly and spiritual than such low exercise of a common Reason as to conclude CHRIST died for us because he died for all The work of Faith I have shewed ye to be of nother nature Query 2. How can God be said to to be just to condemn those persons for whom Christ never died Answer How can God be just to condemn them for whom CHRIST died I mean in your sense but I have answered this Query fully in shewing you that CHRIST tasted death for every man 2. I shewed you that it was just with God to condemn all and it is onely singular mercy that he saved any 3. I have sufficiently declared from Scripture that the meritorious cause of condemnation is not for the creatures not exercising of a power of Faith in receiving CHRIST but for exercising darkness in rejecting CHRIST and though creatures want the first yet they are possest of the last Query 3. How can remission of sins be preached to these for whom Christ never died I have andswered that by shewing it is the great design of God to have CHRIST presented to all that from amongst all his own through his mercy might be called to believe 2. I have shewed to you that there is no exclusion as to the tenders of the Gospel for distinctions in that case are no where but in Ordination and Application and I have clearly proved to you that one depends upon the prerogative of his will and the other is produced by the singularity of his love and grace which in justice he might have with-held from all but for the advancement of his glory and grace he is pleased to bestow on some Query 4. I have fully answered in my Answer to the second Query about clearing up of Gods justice and in shewing you what is the meritorious cause of mans damnation Now as I have fully shewed you concerning faith first consider it in the real exercise then it is an instrumental cause of mans salvation Joh. 3.16 Again consider a mans state in the want of faith the want of faith is a declarative cause manifesting that a man so wanting Faith is
of your second Absurdity answers this and the truth is the reading of either is sufficient to make a gracious heart to blush it being a language the Scripture doth not own Absurdity 4. If there were some men for whom Christ died â—â—t such men should be exempted or freed from the condemnation of unbelief or treading under feet the bloud of the Covenant by which they were sanctified Answer Though I have answered this fully yet minde that the outward tenders of CHRIST as we have proved excludes none that by it the chosen of God may be called out of the world through grace to believe and should the tenders make an exemption of some from believing it were a contradiction in the tender which is to all excluding none And further consider that infidelity is the declarative cause of mans damnation but I have fully proved that the meritorious cause of condemnation it self is the exercising of darkness in rejecting CHRIST As for that expression in your Absurdity about mens being sanctified by the bloud of Christ and yet treads under feet the bloud of CHRIST your misapprehending that Scripture have fully answered in one of your mistakes which is the cause of your stumbling Absurdity 5. If Christ died not for all Satan in perswading people Christ died not for them doth no evil Your Absurdity is very sad and you cannot have the least face to retort that upon us unless you can prove that infidelity in it self is no sin And secondly that the Devil knows exactly who it is that God designs for Heaven which secret God retains to himself and is revealable to none but them to whom CHRIST reveals it besides it is impossible for any footing to be for that Absurdity because CHRIST in some sense hath tasted death for every man Absurdity 6. If Christ died not for all men then it were not Heresie to teach some men to deny that Christ bought them contrary to that Scripture in 2 Pet. 2.1 I have proved from that Scripture that CHRIST tasted death for every man and to deny it is Heresie but if you mean dying for every man alike that Scripture doth not prove it yet for any man to make a particular application to this or that man saying CHRIST died not for him in particular that way is unwarrantable and contrary to truth for in the tender there is no exclusion and for Ordination and Application they are secrets belonging unto God made known to us as he seems good Absurdity 7. If there be some that Christ died not for it is an error for them to believe he died for them I have answered this Absurdity in the answering the former four it being one and the same onely you love to make repetition of one and the same thing Absurdity 8. If Christ died not for all men then some for whom Christ died not do believe a truth in believing Christ died not for them which say you is Blasphemy to affirm Answer There is no ground for such an Absurdity unless you can prove these three things 1. That we hold that Christ died in no sense for some which we deny 2. That men may know Reprobation or Election exactly before it is discovered 3. That men may truly believe and yet be damned Absurdity 9. If Christ died not for all men then some should be damned in Hell for not believing that which is not truth Absurdity 10. If Christ died not for all men their damnation is not to be attributed to their not believing but to Christs not dying I have answered these two Absurdities so fully that it will be but a vain repetition to say any more for I have clearly shewed what is the meritorious cause of Damnation and how just God is in doing of it not condemning the creature for his neglect in the exercising that power which he hath not but the exercising of a power of darkness which he hath which if you reade over you will see these two Absurdities with the rest not onely to be without foundation but will produce sad reflections upon your own spirit if you look upon them through the Rule of Truth and do not suffer God and his actions to be brought under the dispute and control of your low Reason So having spoke briefly to your Queries and Absurdities from what in general I did before declare I shall now draw up a few Absurdities which of necessity must flow from your opinion and so commit you to God The Absurdities are 1. You deny the Prerogative of Gods will as if he had not power to do with his own as seems good to him crossing these Scriptures Matth. 20.15 Rom. 9.18 21 22 23. Isai 45.9 43.13 2. You do as much as give Christ the Lie where he saith The work is finished that the Father gave him to do John 17.4 Where you say CHRIST died to purchase Salvation for all and yet you say All are not saved 3. You do exceedingly undervalue God and the â—â—ches of his grace and love whose love is the efficient cause of all grace in us when you affirm There is no privilege considered in his love for you till you do believe And withall you do affirm that Faith is produced by the improvement of mens abilities which all enjoy from God before conversion 4. You lay injustice upon God when as you say CHRIST died to satisfie fully for all the sin of all men And yet you say All men shall not be saved And whereas you in your second Query say How can God be just to condemn them for whom Christ died not It may with more ground be questioned how it is just to condemn them for whom CHRIST died I mean died in that sense you speak of 5. You change the nature of causes and set the effect before the cause when you say Faith is the cause of Election and consequently the cause of Gods special or singular lovâ— â—â—â—en his love is in himself nay the Apostle saith in 1 John 4.8 that is himself therefore you may as well say Faith is the cause of God The Lord make your soul sensible of the sadness of this opinion 6. You do by your opinion what in you lieth to strike down the great Ordinance or design of God in it I mean in that great distinction that God made between the Seed of the Woman and the Serpent and his Seed Gen. 3.15 That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head and the Serpent and his Seed should bruise their heel Now that by the Seed of the Woman is meant CHRIST and all the elect in him is not to be denied and by the Serpent and his Seed is meant the Devil and the Reprobates is as clear which division or distinction God made at the beginning as his great design or grand way to bring about his glory that is to say the glory of 〈◊〉 grace in vessels of mercy and the glory of his power and justice in vessels of wrath