Author will bethinke himself and take heede how he censureth Abraham for giving credence to a lye in this but he runnes on more like a blind man then like one who as Salomon saith hath his eyes in his head Yet am not I of Piscators minde in that like enough Abraham was apt to thinke so but I see no cause to say that Abraham was bound to beleeve that which Piscator saith he was The fourth Section SEe then if this be not a Labyrinth of prodigious Divinitie which turneth obedience into punishment For if the Synod speake true and that Christ be not dead for those that beleeve not in him how can they deserve to be punished for not having bâ—leeved that which is false And they that have obeyed his commandement in beleeving of his death how should they suffer the punishment due unto disobedients and incredulous which is to beleeve lying In a word to deny the vniversalitie of the merit of Christs death is outragiously to dishonour God as though the Author of truth commanded all men to beleeve a falshood And the better to discerne the ficklenesse of this Spirit that did praeside at the two Synods it is to be noted how that as on the one side this doctrine doth forbid to beleeve that which the Scriptâ— affirme as most true and in most expresse termes So on the other side it commaunds every one to beleeve that he is elected unto life although he be a reprobate in effect And that he cannot loose his faith being once had for any sinne whatsoever he doth committ which the Scriptures deny as a thing most false in the like termes If then that this doctrine which denyeth that Christ dyed for all bereaveth the afflicted of all consolation the other point which denyeth that a man may fall away from grace faith doth cleane overthrow the ministry of preaching which consisteth in exhortations by promises and threatnings which can no longer be meanes of doing any good worke which is only by the immediate operation of the holy Ghost as it hath bene abovesayde So neyther is there to be found in all the scripture any one promise of such a perseveraÌ„ce in faith as the Synod intimates seing that all exhortations wherof the Scriptures are full doe directly oppugne the pretended promise They admonish the faithfull that they take heede they doe not fall of hardning their hearts of receaving the grace of God in vayne from falling from their stedfastnes c. And yet the imaginary promise of the Synod doth declare that they cannot fall they cannot harden their hearts that they cannot have receaved the grace in vayne and that they cannot fall from their stedfastnes By which means the admonitions which denounce the danger and begett feare doe overthrowe the promise which saith there is no feare of danger nor cause of feaâ—e If it be not that the Synod would make us to believe that the faithfull who feare danger that can no more happen then that God should lie are more foolish then certeyne melancholy persons who feare that the havens will fall which notwithstanding shall one day passe away We reade of one that while he slept loosing his eye-sight after he awaked out of sleepe and had layne long on bed wondering that he saw no light imagined that the reason thereof was because the windowes were shutt and therupon cryed out to open the windowe In like sort this Author cryeth out of the Labyrinth of prodigious Divinitie when it is nothing but his prodigious ignorance that makes our doctrine seeme prodigious divinitie unto him It is untrue that we turne obedience into punishment but he feignes the object of obedience and obtrudes it upon others before he doth sufficiently understand it himselfe being disirous that others should be like himselfe in believing they knowe not what As in believing that Christ dyed for them we willingly confesse that Christ dyed not to procure faith and regeneration for them that never believe in him that never are regenerated I doubt not but this Author believeth this as well as wee we farther believe that Christ dyed to procure the grace of faith and regeneration for some namely for Gods elect I doubt whether this Author who vaunts so much of Christs dying for all according to his faith doth believe so much and herin I am confirmed in that the Remonstrants spare not to professe that Christ merited not faith and regeneration for any Exam. Censurae pag. 59. Yet as touching Christs dying for all men so farre as to procure pardon of sinne and salvation for them absolutely I knowe no Arminian that affirmes that on the otherside we willingly confesse that Christ dyed for all and every one so farre as to procure them both remission of sinne and salvation in case they believe In all which wee doe not maynteyne that any man is bound to believe that which is false much lesse that they deserve to be punished for not believing that which is false I dare admitt Impudency it selfe to be Iudge between us in this who of us doe attribute more to the vertue of Christs death as allso which of us doth more believe that Christ dyed for us let their owne conscience be Iudge nowe the state of the difference betweene us is cleered For as touching the benefites of remission of sinnes and salvation in the extension therof unto all and every one conditionally we are aequall But as touching the benefites of grace and regeneration that we allso attribute to Christs death as the meritorious cause therof to all that enioy those benefites wheras the Remonstrants have openly professed to the world that Christ hath merited faith and regeneration for none How then doe we at all deny the universalitie of Christs merit when on the one side we extend it as farre as they on the other side much farther then they and who deserves to be censured as outragiously dishonouring God let the world judge upon indifferent hearing of both parts It is a false suggestion that we charge God the Author of truth to commande a falshood not only for as much as we esteeme that there is no small difference betweene believing in Christ which we acknowledge to be commanded and believing that Christ dyed for us which we finde no where commanded but allso upon supposition that we are commanded to believe that Christ dyed for all and every one yet herin should we not be commanded to believe a falshood for as much as in a good sense and which alone is tolerable we believe that Christ dyed for all and every one as much as the whole nation of Arminians doe and in another sense believing that Christ dyed for us we goe farre beyond them in extending the merit and vertue of Christs death and passion Therfore it is most untrue which this Author doth reiterate charging us to deny that which the Scriptures affirme in expresse termes but in as much as neyther doe the scriptures
Nullus fuit ita insanae mentis qui diceret merita esse causam divinae praedestinationis ex parte actus praedestinantis Sed hoc sub questionâ— verâ—itur vtrum ex parte effectus prâ—destinatio habeat aliquam causam And whereas the distinction of voluntas absoluta conditionâ—lis is interpreted by Vossius as all one with voluntus antecedens consequens both Vossius himselfe interpreteth voluntas conditionalis as making the cause thereof to be only quoad res volitas For he defiâ—es a conditionall will in this manner Aâ—iqua vult cum condâ—tione que idâ—irâ—â— in effectum non prodeunt nisi conditione impleta Quâ—modo â—â—nes â—omâ—nes salvari vult sed per propter Christum fide approhensum And doctor Iackson in his last booke of providence acknowledgeth that the distinction of voluntas antecedens consequens is to be understood quoad res volitas Now the consequent will is such a will as derives the cause therof from man But this sayth he is to be understood as touching the things willed which we willingly grant and accordingly acknowledge that some things willed by God have the cause of their being from mâ—n As namely faith we â—ay is the dâ—sposing cause of salvation finall infidelitie or impaenitency are the meritorious causes of damnation Yet some thing there is willed by God which hath no cause from man but 〈◊〉 the cause therof is from the mere pleasure of God and that is the giving or denying of grace according to that of the Apostle He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 As for the decree of God considered as touching the act of God willinge that it can have no cause from man I proove both as touching the decree of salvation and touching the decree of damnation And I willingly challenge all the nation of Arminians to answere it And the argument is this If faith be the cause why God ordeynes a man to salvation then eyther by 〈◊〉 necessitie of nature it is the cause herof or by the mere constitution of God Not by necessitie of nature as appeares manifestly and I have founde by experience that Arminians themselves have confessed as much therfor if any way it be admitted to be the cause herof this must be only by the constitution of God Now marke the absurditie herof for herence it followeth that God did constitute that is ordeyne that upon the foresight of faith he woulde ordeyne men unto salvation where the very aeternall act of Gods ordination is made the object of Gods ordinaâ—ion a thing utterly impossible and every man knowes that the objects of Gods ordination are thinges temporall only and by no meanes things aeternall In like sort if sinne be the cause why God ordeynes men unto damnation then eyther by necessitie of nature or by divine constitution not by necessitie of nature for surely God is not necessitated to damne any man for sinne If therfore by constitution divine marke the absurditie unavoydably following hereupon namely that God did ordeyn that upon the foresight of 〈◊〉 he would ordeyne men unto condemnation where agayne Gods aeternall ordination is made the object of his ordination Yet doe not I affirme that in any moment of nature doth the decree of salvation goe before the consideration of mens faith and obedience or the decree of damnation before the consideration of finall incredulitie or iâ—poenitencie For as much as the decrees of giving faith and crowning it with salvation and in like sort the decrees of permitting finall incredulitie and impenitency I make to be not subordinate one to another buâ— simultanâ—ous and coordinate one with another I proceede to the second 2. The holy scripture in designing unto us those for whome Christ dyed useth different formes Matth. 20 28. it is sayde that the sonne of man came not to be served but to serve and give his life a ransome for many and 26 28. This is my blood in the New Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes This is a very indefinite notion yet nothing so prone to signifie a comprehension of all as an opposition to such an universality But in other places these Many are defined and therewith all the benefite of Christs death confined to some as namely the people of Christ Mat. 1.21 to the Church Act. 20.28 Ephes. 5.25 Christs sheepe Ioh. 10.15 the Children of 〈◊〉 Ioh. 11.51 Christs freindes Ioh. 15.8 to Israel Act. 13.23 to the body of Christ Ephes. 5.23 And accordingly our Saviour prayed for those onely that his Father had given him Ioh. 17.9 and for those whom hereafter he should give unto him v. 20. and that with exclusion from the world v. 9. and for their sakes he sanctified himself v. 19. which in like manner is to be understood with exclusion of the world Now by sanctifying himselfe is understood the offering up of himselfe upon the Crosse by the unanimous consent of all the Fathers whom Maâ—â—oâ—ate had read as himselfe professeth in his Commentaries on that passage in Iohn Yet we are willing to take notice of those places also which extend the benefite of Christs death unto all as Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one the fault came upon all unto condemnation so by the justifying of one the benefite abounded toward all men to justification of life But for the clearing of this observe but the limitation going immediately before v. 17. If by the offense of one death reigned through one Much more shall they who receave the abundante of grace of the gift of righteousnesse reigne in life through one Iesus Christ. It is further said that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.19 That he is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1.29 That he gave his life for the life of the world Ioh. 6.51 That he is the Saviour of the world Ioh 4.42 and 1. Ioh. 4.14 Yet this admits a faire exposition without all contradiction to the former limitation namely of men in the world which being an indefinite terme is to be expounded by other places where it is defined who they are as Ioh. 13.1 He loved his owne that were in the world to the end he loved them Now who are Christs owne but those of whom he speaketh Ioh. 17.9 For they are thine 10.11 and all mine are thine and thine are mine and thou art glorifyed in them Now these are proposed with an exclusion of the world in that very 9. verse I pray for them I pray not for the VVorld for they are thine It is further said that Christ is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world which may fairely admitt this construction for the sinnes of men dispersed throughout all the world which is most true of Gods Elect like as Ioh. 11.50 They are called the Children of God which
the libertie of mans will and not in the appetition of the ende it being naturall to a man to be caryed to the liking of his ende necessarily according to that of Aristotle Qualis quisque est ita finis apparet And doth it become these men to dictate unto us not only a new divinitie but also a new Philosophy at pleasure As for the reason here added fetched from the aeternall and efficatious decree of God this is so farre from confirming their premises as that it utterly overthrowes them and confirmeth ours For we say with Aquinas that the efficacions will of God is the cause why some things come to pasâ—e contingently and freely as well as it is the cause why other things come to passe necessarily Was the burning of the Prophets bones by Iosiah performed any whit lesse freely by him then any other action of his Oâ— the proclamation that Cyrus made for the returne of the Iewes out of the captivitie was not this as freely done by him as ought else Yet both these were praedetermined by God Nay I say more that every thing which cometh to passe in the revolution of times was decreed by God I proove by such an argument for answeare wherunto I chalenge the whole nations both of Arminians and Iesuits It cannot be denyed but God foresawe from every lastinge whatsoever in time should come to passe therfore every thinge was future froâ— everlasting otherwise God could not foresee it as future Now let us soberly inquire how these thinges which we call future came to be future being in their owne nature merely possible and indifferent as well not at all to be future as to be future Of this transmigration of things out of the condition of things merely possible such as they were of themselves into the condition of things future there must needes be some outward cause Now I demand what was the cause of this transmigration And seing nothing without the nature of God could be the cause hereof for this transmigration was from everlasting but nothing without God was everlasting therfore some thing within the nature of God must be founde fitt to be the cause herof And what may that be not the knowledge of God for that rather presupposeth things future and so knowable 〈◊〉 in the kinde of things future then makes them future Therefore it remaines that the meere decree will of God is that which makes them future If to shift off this it be said that the essence of God is the cause hereof I further demaunde whether the essence of God be the cause hereof as working necessarily or as working freely If as working necessarily then the most contingent thinges became future by necessitie of the divine nature and consequently he produceth whatsoever he produceth by necessitie of nature which is Atheisticall Therefore it remaines that the essence of God hath made them future by working freely and consequently the meere will and decree of God is the cause of the futurition of all things And why should we doubt hereof when the most foule sinnes that have beene committed in the World are in scripture phrase professed to have beene predetermined by God himself Vpon supposition of which will and decree divine we confesse it necessary that things determined by him shall come to passe but how not necessarily but either necessarily or contingently and freely to witt necessarie things necessarily contingent things and free things contingently and freely So that contingent things upon supposition of the will divine have a necessitie secundum quid but simply a contingencye and that the same thing may come to passe both necessarily secundum quid and simply in a contingent manner ought to be nothing strange to men of understanding considering that the very foreknowledge of God is sufficient to denominate the most contingent things as comming to passe necessarily secundum quid I come to the consideration of the fourth 4. As touching this Article here objected unto us we have no cause to decline the maintenance thereof but chearfully and resolutely to undergo the defense as of the truth of God clearly sett downe unto us in the word of God The illumination of the minde is compared to Gods causing light to shine out of darkenesse in the creatioÌ„ 1 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of the darknes is he which hath shined in 〈◊〉 heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ And for God to say unto Sion thou art my people is made aequivalent to the planting of the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth Es. 51.16 I have putt my wordes in thy mouth and defended thee in the shadow of my hand that I may plant the Heavens and lay the foundation of the Earth and say unto Sion Thou art my people Ps. 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart saith David and renewe a right spirit within me Yet was David a regenerate childe of God but when he fell into foule sinnes and sought unto God to restore him he acknowledgeth this his spirituall restitution to be a creation giving thereby to understand that the very children of God have savage lusts wild affections in them the curing mastering wherof is no lesse work then was the work of creation or making of the world 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Gal. 6 1â— In Christ Iesus neyther circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature Now this new creature is all one with faith working by love Gal. 5.6 For there the Apostle expresseth the comparison antitheticall in this manner In Iesus Christ neither circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith working by love And Eph. 2.10 We are said to be Gods workmanship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created in Iesus Christ marke a new creation unto good workes which he hath ordeyned that we should walke in them God made the world with a word but the new making of man cost our Saviour Christ hot water the very blood of the Sonne of God agonies in the garden agonies upon the Crosse and he must rise out of his grave to worke this The Schoolemen doe acknowledge this namely that grace is wrought in man by way of creation Otherwise how could it be accoumpted supernaturall And as for the power whereby God raiseth the dead It is expressely said Col. 2.12 that faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who raised Christ from the dead whereupon Cornelius de Lapide acknowledgeth that faith is wrought by the same power wherby God raysed Christ from the dead And Eph. 1 19. the Apostle tells us of the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power towards us which beleeve adding that this is according to his mightie power which he wrought in Christ whom he raysed from the dead And therefore most congruously doth the Apostle take into consideration that worke
example God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac therfore it is Gods will to binde him to the doing hereof and to make it his duetie to doe it But it appeares by the sequel that it was Gods purpose that Isaac should not be sacrificed In like sort he commanded Pharaoh to let Israel goe this then was Pharaohs duety it was Gods will to oblige him hereunto and to make it his duety to let Israell goe but withall he revealed to Moses that he would harden Pharaohs heart the consequent whereof was this that he should not let Israel goe for a long time Now let every sober man judge whether there be any double dealing in this or if it be double dealing whether the Scripture it self doe not attribute it unto God and whether they may not as well charge the scriptures for attributing double dealing unto God as they doe charge us with the like As for desires and velleities we acknowledge no such imperfections in God being such as are incompatible with his omnipotency As for Gods invitation of a sinner unto grace we know not what he meanes by grace unlesse it be faith and repentance and by grace heretofore he meant nothing lesse for ought I could perceave but the more aequivocall a terme is the fitter it is for their turne that desire to play fast and loose Now Gods invitation hereunto is no other theÌ„ by professing that by faith and repentance they shall be saved without faith and repentance they shall be damned And hereupon by his ministers he commands them entreats them beseecheth them that they will beleeve and repent that they may be reconciled unto God and saved But what is the ministers ayme in this Surely though they become all things to all men yet their scope is only to save some by all meanes even by entreating obtâ—sting beseeching And who are these some None but the elect 2. Tim. 2 10. I suffer all things for the elects sake And this he learnt of the Lord Iesus when he came to Corinth for there the Lord spake unto him in a vision by night saying Feare not but speake and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee for I have much people in this ciâ—te And indeed therfore Christ dyed not for the Iewes only but that he should gather together into one the children of God which were scattered all the world over According to that profession of his formerly made Other sheepe have I which are not of this folde them also must I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shal be one sheepefolde and one sheepheard And indeed how could it be otherwise then that Gods ministers should cary themselves indifferently towards all inviting all entreating all beseeching all For can they dâ—stinguish betweene elect and reprobate 〈◊〉 was God bound to reveale unto them who were elect and who were not Then againe we know full well that man is of a presumptuous nature presuming of the power and liberty of their wills Dicere solet humana superbia Sifecissem fecissem accordingly they are as apt to say Si audivissem Evangelium c didissem Evangelio The Arminians are acquainâ—ed with this full well What then can they expect more at the hands of God then to cause his Gospell to be preached unto them But if withall God revealeth unto us the naturall impotency that is in man contracted unto him by the sinne of Adam to the end he might beate out such presumptuous thoughts out of the hearts of man that so as many as to whom he is pleased to affoord the grace of faith and repentance might give him the glory of it Shall proud maÌ„ take advaÌ„tage of the ministry of the word as Proceeding indifferently towards all that heare it therby to outface the prerogative of Gods grace only effectuall to the working in us both faith and repentance and to nourishe the presumption of their owne workes concerning the power and libertie of their owne wills to that which is good wheras those revelations of our naturall impotency should rather humble us and move us to waite upon God for the curing of it not by heating only but by the sweete irradiation and inspiration of his holy Spirit But let Arminians continue to abhorre this doctrine we by Gods grace shall continue to abhorre the contrary and why should their abhorring of ouâ—s be any better argument on their side then our abhorring of theirs is an argument on our side yet our cause God be thanked is not so desperate as that we shoulde be provoked to make use of so base argumentations much lesse of running unto Infidells to begge their approbation though commonly on the contrary we are charged to have too great correspondency herin with the Stoickes of ancient times and with the Turkes in these dayes And indeede I reade in Busbequins that when the Turkes heaâ—d him discourse of Gods loving Iacob and hating Esau they herupon conceaved a good opinion of him as likely to embrace their opinion and indeede we are nothing ashamed to embrace the doctrine of S. Paul in that not for the Turkes sake but for the word of Gods sake we discourse with the Apostle of leading men unto repentance but where doe any of our divines discourse of leading men unto damnation As for meanes of damnation we knowe none we knowe God hath given us meanes of grace Meanes of damnation on mans part can be none but sinnes yet these cannot be called his meanes or intended by him as meanes for as much as the intention of meanes ariseth from the intention of the ende but no man or divell intends to bring upon himselfe damnation as the ende wherunto he intends to sinne Agayne the sinne of man cannot be any meanes intended by God For as much as meanes are intended but by him who is the Author of them but God neyther is nor can be the Author of any sinne for sinne as Austin long agoe professed of Malum hath not causam efficientem but only deficientem and the cause of sinne deficient is deficient culpabiliter which is not incident unto God He coulde I confesse keepe any creature from sinne if it pleased him but if he will not and doth not herin he committs not any culpable defect for he is not bounde to preserve any man from sinne The permission of sinne I willingly confesse is Gods worke and this he may and doth intende and that as a meanes to his owne glorious endes which is the manifestation eyther of his mercy or his justice and not the damnation of any For the damnation of the creature neyther is nor can be Gods ende but his owne glory and accordingly Solomon tells us God made all things for himselfe even the wicked against the day of evill So he hath created some both Angells and men permitted them to sinne and will damne them for their sinne to the declaration of his
glory in the way of justice vindicative Much lesse is the sinne of man Gods ende that by certeyne meanes he should leade them herunto which meanes this Author disembles throughout contentinge himselfe as I suppose with his owne ignorance herin or which is worse dissembling what he meanes herby by the generalitie and indefinitenes of the terme giving way to the affections of his propitious readers to shape them and specifie them as they please and so it be with a congruous accommodation to their owne Tenet it shall be accepted with him though their conceytes proove never so contrariant one to another The cause of sinne I know none but the will of the creature occasions herof are many all which as Arminius confesseth are brought to passe and administred by Gods providence and these God makes the matter of exercising the vertue of his children ordinarily strengthening them against the temtations of Satan who laboureth to corrupt their soules by such occasions with others he deales not in like manner but leaves them unto themselves eyther according to the mere pleasure of his will who is not bound to give strength to any whereby he shall resist temptation Or as in some cases most deservedly namely when out of the pride of their hearts they thinke themselves able enough both to resist occasions unto sinne and to keep themselvs undefiled by them and also the temptations of Satan And it is just with God to deale in like manner with his owne Children when they growe wanton and the feare of God is not so quicke in them as it should be to wayte upon God and committ themselves and their wayes to Gods good providence to be protected and ordered by him What Homer sayd in the person of Achilles speaking to Vlysses as concerning Agamemnon we are reasonably well acquainted with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But wherein can we be justly taxed for imputing any such hypocrisie to God By his cōmandement he signifies what is our duetie to doe but by his purpose he decrees what shall be done or not done God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his Sonne Isaak and therby made it his duetie to offer Isaak but withall he determined that Isaak shoulde not be sacrificed but when Abraham came to the point to sacrifice him to hold his hande doe we reade that Abraham complayned of any hypocrisie in God herupon or of his double dealinge herin Nothing but grosse ignorance hindreth our adversaries in not discerninge so playne a difference and that most just without any colour of doublenes or hypocrisie or nothing but grosse dissimulation is performed by them in not taking notice of it The second Section NOw if this new Evangelist doe tell him that the passages of Scripture which say that God would have all men to be saved ought to be understood of some of every nation and condition the Infidell will reply that then the Scripture ought with much more reason to say that God would have all men to be damned because that in every nation there are farr more of these then of them and how that in all reason the denomination should be taken from the greatest number But then the Catechist perchance may say that God indeed willeth the conversion of all men yet onely so as he approoveth of those things in themselves and not that he gives all men the meanes necessary to obteyne them whereupon our Catechumenist will be the more astonied and demaund how it is possible that God by any absolute and irrevocable decree should have ordeyned that those things which he naturally detesteth and hateth should come to passe and yet that those things which he loves and likes should not And if it were possible his Catechist would make him turn Manichee and thinke that this evill God or evill beginning that is the Author of all evill hath continuall warr with that good God which loveth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse And that an honest man should have just reason to be angry with him that did interpret his words in that manner that this Catechist interpreteth those of holy Scripture whereby it followeth that God is the Author of all the wickednesse that hath beene is or shall be in the world But then againe the other will reply that he confoundeth the sinne with the act and that God causeth the second but not the first Whereas the other perceaving the mystery will againe tell him that the greatest Doctors of both the Synods have written that God hath praedestinated men as well to the meanes as unto the end and that the act is not the cause of damnation as it is the act but as it is the sinne and that those miserable men that are under the decree of reprobation are no more able to absteyne from sinne then shun their damnation Consid. I have read that some in Scotland about the beginning of Reformation hearing speach of the New Testament suspected it to have beene Erasmus making and rejecting it called for the old but this Author who termes us new Evangelists caryeth himself so as if he cared not much either for new or old His writing throughout savoureth so litle of the word of God Yet here he mentioneth passages of scripture at large and all that he imputeth hereunto is to say that God would have all men to be saved He alleageth or quoteth none neyther doe I know any passage of Scripture that affirmeth this That God will have all to be saved S. Paul sayth 1. Tim. 2. but no where that I know doth it say that God would have all men to be saved And as for that passage 1. Tim. 2. S. Austin 1200 yeares agoe interpreted it of genera singulorum and prooved it to be according to the analogy of scripture phrase and disproved the sense which this Author embraceth as overthrowing the first article of our Creed as touching Gods omnipotencye So then S. Austin by this Authors Criticisme is the new Evangelist and this Author is the old Evangelist if any Evangelist at all And what sober Christian would not affect to be accoumpted a new Evangelist with Austin if to concurre with him be to be a new Evangelist then to be an old Evangelist or none at all such as this Author Nay Gerardus Vossius who is conceaved to have laboured most in communicating unto us the new Doctrine of Antiquitie on these points interprets this will of God touching the salvation of all of voluntas conditionata thus God will have all to be saved to witt in case they beleeve Which voluntas conditionata in this sense neyther Austin did nor doe we deny Though we thinke it nothing agreeable to this place of Paul who attributes unto this will of God not onely the saving of all but their comming also to the knowledge of his truth The condition whereof Vossius for ought I remember doth not explicate But the same Vossius confesseth that the Apostle in that place in saying I will
of true faith in him that shall never faile is that part which this Comedian hath put in his Actors mouth to play For it is fitt his care shoulde be according to his Art populo ut placerent quas fecisset fabulas Yet I nothing doubt but a carnall Christian may be orthodoxe throughout and persuade himselfe of a true faith But if his life be not answerable we will be bolde to tell him that his faith is vayne For true faith worketh by love Gal. 5. and faith working by love is as much as a newe creature Gal. 6. and whosoever is in Christ is a newe creature 2. Cor. 5. and they that are Christs have crucified the fleshe with the affections and lusts therfore where such a newe creature is wanting where the fleshe is not crucified with the affections and lusts they are not Christs nor in Christ nor have any faith working by love Nay we know not how soone if such an houre of â—entation shall once come such a one will turne Turke or Atheist For whosoever heareth Christs wordes doth them not our Saviour likeneth him to a foolish man which hath builded his house upon the sand and the rayn felt and the floods came and â—he winde blewe beate upon that house and it fell and the fall therof was great Matth. 7. 26 27. The Corinthians were renowned professors yet S. Paul calls upon them to prove themselves whether they were in the faith to examine theÌ„selves saying know ye not your selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates There is a secret hypocrisie wherby a man may deceave himselfe as indeede the heart of man is a deceiâ—full thing all may seeme fayre no reygning sinne appearing wherby the conversation is defiled and yet good cause for men to put themselves to the triall of their faith It is true the children of God may sometimes be overtaken with some foule sinne as David was and they may continue in it too longe without bringing forth so cleere and full evidence of repentance and satisfaction to the Church of God as the condition of their sinne requires and in this case they may be for a time as trees in the winter but to apply this to every carnall Christian that lives in sinne and goes on in a debaucht course of lâ—fe and conversation may be very suitable to the scope of such a Comedian as we have to deale with who is merely Scenicall throughout but it is intolerable in a sober divine whose ayme shoulde be to dispute truth and not to enterteyne his Readers or hearers with Enterludes of his owne making and poeticall fiction That every one is bound to believe that he is elect I no where finde in the Synod of Dort and this Author loves to discourse at large as if he had nothing to doe but to tell a tale as for the Synod of Arles I am utterly unacquainted with the Acts therof But I have reade such a doctrine related out of Zâ—nchy and Bucer and I conceave the meaning to be this that every one in the Church of God is bounde to believe that God hath elected him to obteyne salvation in case he believe And indeede as God hath ordeyned none of ripe yeares to obteyne salvation unles he believe so on the other side God hath ordeyned that every one who believeth shall obteyne salvation But as God hath not ordeyned to bestow faith on every one eyther absolutely or conditionally so did I never reade it layde to the charge of any one of our divines that he should maynteyne that every one is bounde to believe that God hath elected him to the obteyning of faith eyther absolutely or conditionally But such like confusion of things that differ is very agreable I confesse with the learning and judgment of this Author who seemes much better fitted to make a play then to handle a controversie in divinitie That all thinges work together for the good of them that love God is as true as the Apostle Pauls epistle to the Romans is the word of God And Bishop Cooper a Scottish Bishop applyes this to mens sinnes amongst other thinges shewing how they allso doe worke for a mans good But that the sinnes of a carnall man a debaucht Christian workes for his good a Poet may faigne such a conceyte I deny not pinne it upon the confession of whom he will for Pictoribus atque Poetis quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas and by the illusions of Satan it is possible like enough that a carnall person may be so farre transported but if this Author thinke good to justifie any such persuasion he may take his course surely we and our doctrine doe not No more then his persuasion of obteyning the pardon of his sinne while yet he liveth in sinne And indeede so it is he takes upon him to justifie these persuasions and that with a face of confidence saying that his censurer cannot deny it what doe I heare cannot we denye but that he who lives in sinne and goes on in fulfilling the lusts of the fleshe cannot but be persuaded or may nevertheles be justly persuaded that his sinnes how enormous soever worke together to his salvation and that he hath allready obteyned pardon for them I had thought impudency it selfe could not have bene so brazen faceâ— as to impute this unto us But it may be he hath some trickes of witt and feates of activitie that way to discharge upon us though contrary to his owne conscience And what are they surely therfore his Censurer cannot deny but that the sinnes of a debaucht Christian how enormous soever worke together to his salvation and that he hath obteyned already pardon for them because forsooth he exhorteth him unto repentance which is nothing worth without faith no more then faith if it believe not the remission of all sinnes both done to be don Here we have an hobgoblin discourse yet it is well we meete with some shewe of argumentation to cope withall I doubt this Author is yet to learne what it is to obteyne pardon of sinne we exhort such men unto repentance that they may obteyne remission of their sinnes we doe not suppose such wicked persons to have allready obteyned the pardon of their sinnes It is true repentance determines not upon obteyning the pardon of our sinnes but the sense of that love of God in giving his Sonne to dye for our sinnes and for his sake pardoning them unto us of his free grace renewes our repentance like as David never repented more fervently then after Nathan had sayde unto him from the Lord the Lord hath put away thy sinne witnesse the Psal. 51. Therfore we utterly deny this consequence we exhort a wicked wretch to repentance therfore we acknowledge him to have obteyned the pardon of his sinnes But he insinuates a proofe of this after this manner Whom we exhort unto repentance him we suppose to have faith allready wherby
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
mayntâ—ynes any such doctrine it is more then hitheâ—to I have learned or can justifie It is untrue that the word is dangerous by our doctrine but rather that it is dangerous for any man to contemne or despise the goodnes of God therin their condâ—mnation it aggâ—avates only occasionally it is a mans owne coâ—ruption causally that aggravates his damnation when the Lord calls unto them and they will not heaâ—e admonisheth them but they will not hearken It is true that it is not in the power of man to adde unto the word the efficacy of Gods Spirit and it is as true that a carnall man hath no desire that God would adde the efficacy of his Spirit therunto The discipline of Christs Kingdom is as cords and bonds unto them they desire to breake them and to cast off the yoke of obâ—dience unto him And agayne it is as true that no man is damned for not adding the efficacy of Gods Spirit unto his word They are damned for contemning Gods word and not hearkning to his gracious admonitions but they coulde doe no other as this Author intimats but what impotency is this is it any where els then in theiâ— wills which this Author considers not nor distinguisheth betweene impotency naturall and impotency morall were they willing to hearken hereunto but coulde not then indeede their impotency were excusable but they please themselves in their owne and 〈◊〉 in their obstinate courses and if they woulde doe otherwâ—se I make no question but that they shoulde have no more cause to complayne of their impotency to doe that good which they would doe then the servants of God have yea and holy Paul himselfe had How can you believe saith our Saviour here is a certeyne impotency of believing which our Saviour takes notice of but what manner of impotency is it observe by that which followeth who receave honour one of another regard not the honour that comes of God only Therfore you heare not my wordes because ye are not of God Ioh. 8.47 this is as true as the word of the Sonne of God is true allthough this Author setts himselfe to impugne this kinde of doctrine all alonge But withall consider doe they deplore this impotencye doth the consideration herof humble them nay rather they delight in it as the Prophet noteth Ier. 6.10 Their eares are uncircumcised eares they cannot hearken beholde the word of God is as a reproch unto them they have no delight in it The fourth Section THere now remayneth no other instance for our Censurer theÌ„ to exhort this profane fellow to pray unto God that he would be pleased to give him the grace to leave his lewdnes promising that if he pray as he ought to doe that he shall be heard and receave what he demaundeth But herupon this profaner being well instructed in the doctrine of Dort will demaund of him how it is possible to pray as we ought if God give him not the grace before hand and that allso so effectually that it shoulde be impossible for him not to pray therfore seing that he faileth so to doe the Censurer must needes see that God will be no more invoked on by him then he hath given him grace wherby to doe it And that it is no lesse easye to perceave that God sent this Corrector unto him with an intention not to better him by his ministery when he findes more confusion in the doctrine of the speaker then ameÌ„dment in the practise of the hearer to whom he bringeth either the pillow of Epicurus to lull him asleepe in his securitie or else the haltar of despayre wherewith he may hange himselfe as Iudas But above all this profaner will finde yet one more singular benefit to the flattering of his flesh by the answâ—r which the Synodists doe usually make unto those who aske in what case David would have beene had he dyed in his adultery whereunto they say it was impossible for David to have dyed before he had repented bâ—cause that after this he was to begett a Sonne from whom the Messias must descend But hereunto our profaner will reply that the impossibilitie of dying before repentance according to the doctrine of the Synods is founded upon the generall promise made to all the Elect and not on any particular promise made to David touching the Messias whom God had sent into the world by other meanes had he foreseen the impenitency of David as he foresaw his repentance That if the Synod be not deceaved he is sure to dye never without repentance as was David So that following this doctrine the true meanes to avoyde death is to committ and ever to continue in some mortall sinne it being impossible for him to be killed in adultery or perish in any other sin before having first made his recoÌ„ciliation with God who is not angry for ever to speake in the language of the Synod of Dort but onely against the Reprobates See then the invention of immortalitie found out to satisfye the Paracelsians and such like fooles who search for this remedy against death in drugs and naturall causes Our Synods shew the Anâ—idote in a morall cause of so facile and agreable execution to their facile Auditors that the Poets Ambrasia and Medusaes charmes are fabulous unto it Now then our Corrector will eyther desist his enterprise in reforming this mans deboisnes or else forsake his owne principles and correct the doctrine of his Synods Consid. Surely we have small reason to exhort a profane fellow to pray unto God that he would be pleased to give him the grace to leave his lewdnesse so long as we finde him to delight in his profanesse and take pleasure in his unrighteous courses had he a desire to leave it but findes himself unable to cast off this yoake of sinne oâ— to breake the bonds of iniquitie then and in this case it were seasonable to admonish him to cry unto God that he would be pleased in mercy to loose him whom Satan hath bound so many years and that for his Sonnes sake whom he sent into the world to loose the workes of the devill he would be pleased to sett him free and give him the libertie of his children like as the children of Israel cryed unto the Lord by reason of their sore bondage and the Lord heard their crye and considered their sorrowes and came downe to deliver them Neyther are we driven to any such course as this Author feigneth who all along opposeth the secret providence of God in shewing mercy to whom he will hardning whom he will in giving hearts to perceave and eyes to see and ears to heare to whom he will and denying this grace to whom he will I say this he opposeth all along to the very face of it nothing fearing the judgements of God nor his power to harden theÌ„ to make theÌ„ feele that powr which they will not confesse saving that these such like spirituall
state of the supposition without shewing cause why the supposition is unlawfull yet such an answer was made by King Iames to D. Overall his interposition in the Conference of Hamton Court as I receaved from the mouth of one that was an Agent in that Conference the other is in feigning that David must begett a sone after his repentance from whom the Messias should descend for which fiction I know no ground But as for this Authors exception that is very vaine and frivolous for certeynly they that make this answer meant not to accommodate it to any other then to the particular of David on whose part there might be a particular reason of his repentance besides the generall ground which is common unto all As for the argument it self I finde it in Arminius in the Theses he wrote ad Hippolytum de collibus And I know how our English Arminians doe glory in it but I answer that the supposition is most unjust dividing two decrees of God which he hath conjoyned in which case no merveyl if absurdities follow upon such wild suppositions more then enough For in case God hath ordeyned both that no sinn shall cast a regenerate person out of the state of grace and neverthelesse that no sinn shall be pardoned without repentance in this case that a man may be saved he must not only continue in the state of grace but repent also so that upon this feigned supposition it followes not that David dying in the sinnne of adultery unrepented shall dye out of the state of grace onely it followeth that notwithstanding his dying in the state of grace he shall be damned to witt by our wilde suppositon this would follow not by any ordinance or constitution of God Yet how can he dye in impenitency that hath the Spirit of repentance in him though upon the fiction here represented repentance actuall is not exercised The case is all one of any sinne upon this supposition vules they will deny every sinne to be mortall And to compare this argument of theirs with an argumeÌ„t of ours to the contrary what a worthy act was that of Abrahams in sacrificing his sonne of the Martyrs in sacrificing theÌ„selves Nay put all the heroically vertuous and religious acts together that have bene at any time performed by the Saincts of God and suppose them to have bene performed by one child of God yet coulde not this roote out the fleshe that is the part unregenerate How improbable is it then that one act to witt of adultery is able to roote out in the childe of God the Spirit that is the part regenerate But against this doctrine that a regenerate person shall not dye in any sinne unrepented of this Author brings an argument wherin he glorieth not a litle but one of the wildest that I thinke was eveâ— knowne to the world To my thinking such a wild goose disputeâ— deserves to be sett in the Stocks in the Parvis that yong sophisters might gaze upon hâ—m as smaller birdes doe at the broad faced foule in the day time There was a time when witâ—s did flourishe in Rome and as some prooved excellente and were delivered of materiall expressions to the admiration of their hearers so others affecting applause and streyning to surmount the expectation of their Auditors sometimes dâ—scovered most absurd conceytes such Seneca censures in his declamations for corrupta and corruptissima And sometimes baâ—e floorishes were applaudâ—d by the people which Porcius Laâ—â—o observing when he came to declayme gave himselfe purposely to imitate those absurdities and once concluding an absurde gradation like unto some mountabanke orators that had bene in the place before him with this Inter sepulchra monumenta sunt and the people breakinge foorth into â—cclamation or clapping of handes therupon he leaves the prosecution of his oration and falles upon the people discovering the absurditie of that his floorishe and reproching them as Audithors of no judgment but applauding such passages as were nothing woorth but most insipidly delivered without art or witt or judgment Now let us see what good mettall there is to be found in this argumentation and whether it be not of as base an alloy as ever dropped from the mouth of a sober man And first if this were a course to prolonge a mans life what neede he affect to sinne when the corruption of his nature caryeth him to sinne in such sort more or lesse that he is driven to professe with Paul what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I and agayne I finde that when I would doe good I am thus yoked that evill is present with me For I delight in the lawe of God concerning the inner man But I see another law in my members rebelling against the lawe of my minde leading me captive to the law of sinne Have we not dayly cause to pray unto God to pardon our sinnes both morning and eveninge yea and every houre yea and as soon as we have done our prayers to pray unto him to pardon the sinnes of weakenes that have had their course in our very prayers Abraham when he was sacrificing unto God was put to drive away the foules that fell upon his sacrifice This Gregory interprets of evill motions that have their course in us even while we are at our prayers And in Zach. 3.1 we reade how while Iehoshuah was standing before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right-hand to resist him Certeynly if the Lord should be extreame to marke what is done amisse even in our best performances we should not be able to abide it Therfore to helpe this flawe in this argument the Author makes it proceede not of sinne in generall but of mortall sinne which if it be delivered only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amplificandi causa accoumpting all sinne mortall my solution stands still in full force but if it be delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distinguendi causa as if in his opinion all sinne were not mortall doth it become him to take that for granted which we generally impugne as an untruth in disputing against Papists Secondly will he impute unto us by way of exprobration our doctrine concerning Gods decreâ—ing all thinges and will he not suffer us to make use of it or doth he not or will he not perceave that upon this supposition his argument is of no force nay if we doe but acknowledge that God hath power to hinder any sinne it is of no force For God can hinder them from accomplishing any such vile thought that this Author very fruitfull of wild inventions feigneth and imputeth to a regenerate person Like as Ezech. 20.32 the Lord professeth that that shall not be done which came into their mindes For they sayde we will be as the heathen serve wood a stone but the Lord professeth he would rule them with a mightie hande and the issue v. 37. is this I will make you passe under the rod and bring
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
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