other whereas God conceiues all things at once with one acte of vnderstanding and all things both past and to come are present with him and therefore in his eternall counsell he decrees not one thing after an other but all things at once Neuerthelesse for our vnderstandings sake we may distinguish the counsell of God concerning man into two acts or degrees the first is the purpose of God in him selfe in which he determines what he will doe and the end of all his doings and that is to create all things specially man for his owne glorie partly by shewing on some men his mercie and vpon others his iustice The second is an other purpose whereby he decrees the exequution of the former and laies downe meanes of accomplishing the ende thereof These two acts of the counsell of God are not to be seuered in any wise nor confounded but distinctly considered with some difference For in the first God decrees some men to honour and some to dishonour and this man more then that vpon his will and pleasure and there is no other cause hereof knowne to vs. In the second knowne and manifest causes are set downe of the exequution of the former decree For no man is actually condemned but for their sinnes and no man is actually saued but for the merit of Christ. Furthermore this latter acte of the counsell of God must be conceiued of vs in the second place and not in the first For euermore the first thing to be intended is the ende it selfe and then afterward the subordinate meanes and causes whereby the end is accomplished Againe the second acte of Gods counsell containes two other one which sets downe the preparation of the means whereby Gods Predestination begins to come in exequution and they are two the creation of man righteous after the image of God the voluntarie fall of Adam and withall the shutting vp of all men vnder damnation the other appoints the applying of the seuerall meanes to the persons of men that Gods decree which was set downe before all times may in time be fully accomplished as shall afterward in particular appeare Predestination hath two parts the Decree of Election the Decree of Reprobation or No-election This diuision is plaine by that which hath bene said out of the 9. cap. to the Rom. and it may be further confirmed by other testimonies Of some it is said that the Lord knowes who are his and of some others Christ shall say in the day of iudgement J neuer knew you In the Acts it is said that as many of the Gentiles as were ordâ—ined to life euerlasting beleeued And Iude saith of false prophets that they were ordained to condemnation In handling the decree of Election I will consider three things I. what Election is II. the exequution thereof III. the knowledge of particular Election For the first Gods Election is a decree in which according to the good pleasure of his will he hath certenly chosen some meÌ„ to life eternal in Christ for the praise of the glorie of his grace This is the same which Paul saith to the Ephesians God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Jesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Nowe that we may the better conceiue this doctrine let vs come to a consideration of the seuerall points thereof First of all I say Election is Gods decree For there is nothing in the world that comes to pasâ—e either vniuersally or particularly without the eternall vnchangeable decree of God And therefore whereas men are actually chosen brought to life euerlasting it is because God did purpose with himselfe and decree the same before all worlds Now touching the decree it selfe sixe things are to be obserued The first what was the motiue or impulsiue cause that mooued God to decree the saluation of any maÌ„ Answer The good pleasure of God For Paul saith he will haue mercie on whome he will haue mercie and he hath predestinate vs according to the good pleasure of God As for the opinion of them that say that foreseene faith and good workes are the cause that mooued God to choose men to saluatioÌ„ it is friuolous For faith and good works are the fruits and effects of Gods election Paul saith he hath chosen vs not because he did foresee that we would become holy but that we might be holy And he hath predestinate vs to adoption Which is all one as if he had said he hath predestinate vs to beleeue because adoption comes by beleeuing Now if men are elected that they might beleeue then are they not elected because they would beleeue For it can not be that one thing should be both the cause the effect of another The second point is that Gods ElectioÌ„ is vnchangeable so as they which are indeed chosen to saluation can not perish but shall without faile attaine to life euerlasting Paul takes it for a conclusion that the purpose of God according to Election must remaine firme and sure and againe that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And Samuel saith The strength of Israel will not lie or repent For he is not a man that he should repent Such as Gods nature is such is his will and counsell but his nature is vnchangeable I am Iehovah saith he and I chaunge not therefore his will likewise and his counsells be vnchangeable And therefore whensoeuer the spirit of God shall testifie vnto our spirits that we are iustified in Christ and chosen to saluation it must be a meanes to comfort vs and to stablish our hearts in the loue of God As for the opinion of them that say the Elect may fall from grace and be damned it is full of hellish discomfort and no doubt from the deuill And the reasons commonly alleadged for this purpose are of no moment as may appeare by the skanning of them First they obiect that the Churches of the Ephesians Thessalonians and the dispersed Iewes are all called Elect by the Apostles themselues yet sundrie of them afterward fell away Answ. I. There are two kinds of iudgemeÌ„t to be giuen of men the iudgement of certentie the iudgement of charitie By the first indeed is giuen an infallible determination of any mans Election but it belongs vnto God principally properly to men but in part namely so farforth as God shal reueale the estate of one man vnto an other Now the iudgement of charitie belongs vnto all men by it leauing all secret iudgemeÌ„ts vnto God we are charitably to think that al those that liue in the Church of God professing themselues to be members of Christ are indeede elect to saluation till God make manifest otherwise And on this manner not otherwise do the Apostles cal whole
had purposed in himselfe whereby he makes a distinction betweene the creature and the Creatour Men when they purpose the doing of any thing borrowe reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselues from the thinges to be done because mans bare will is no sufficient cause to vvarrant the doing of this or that in this or that manner vnlesse there be iust reason But Gods will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousnesse and a thing is good so farre forth as Gods wills it Therefore there is no cause why he should goe forth of himselfe for externall inducements and reasons of his eternall counsell his very will in himselfe is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees And hereupon Paul saith that Gods purpose was in himselfe to shew that there is no dependance of his will vpon the creature and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees hee had no reference or respectiue consideration of the qualities and workes of men Thirdly by this doctrine there is fastned vpon God want of wisedome who is wisedome it selfe and that is very absurd A simple man that hath in him but a sparke of the wisedome of God first of all intendes with himselfe the ende and euent of the busines to be done and then afterward the meanes whereby the ende is accomplished but in this platforme God is brought in in the first place to foresee and consider with himselfe the meanes which tende to the ende namely the faith and vnbeliefe of men and then afterwarde to determine with himselfe what shall be the ende and finall condition of euery man either in life or death as if a man should purpose with himselfe to builde an house without any consideration of the ende why and afterwarde conceiue with himselfe the particular vses to which hee will applie it Fourthly hence it followeth that faith shall not onely be an instrument but also an efficient cause in the acte of iustification of a sinner before God For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused but foreseene faith is an impulsiue cause whereby God was mooued to choose some men to saluation as it is said and therefore it is not onely an instrument to apprehende Christs righteousnes but also a cause or meanes to mooue God to iustifie a sinner because iustification proceedes of Election which comes of foreseene faith which is erronious by the doctrine of all Churches vnlesse they be Popish Fifthly this doctrine takes it for graunted that all both young and old euen infants that die in there infancie haue knowledge of the Gospell because both faith and vnbeliefe in Christ presuppose knowledge of our saluation by him considering that neither ordinarily nor extraordinarily men beleeue or contemne the thing vnknowne But howe false this is euen common experience doth shewe Lastly this platforme quite ouerthrowes it selfe For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam are effectually both redeemed and called the difference betweene man and man stands not in beleeuing or not beleeuing for all beleeue but in this properly that some are confirmed in faith some are not Now when all without exception are indewed with grace sufficient saluation I demaund why some men are confirmed in grace and others not confirmed as also of Angels some were confirmed and stande and some not confirmed fell No other reason can be rendered but the will of God And to this must all come striue as long as they will that of men beeing in one and the same estate some are saued some iustly forsaken because God would Againe as the foreseeing of faith doth presuppose Gods giuing of faith vnlesse men will say it is naturall so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone doth presuppose the giuing of faith to some men alone But why doth not God conferre the grace of constant faith to all because he will not so then those men whose faith was foreseene are saued not because their faith was foreseene but because God would The third faulte is that they ascribe vnto God a conditionall Purpose or counsell whereby hee decrees that all men shall be saued so be it they will beleeue For it is euery way as much against common sense as if it had beene said that God decreed nothing at all concerning man A conditionall sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally and therefore vncertenly and when we speake of God to determine vncertenly is as much as if he had determined nothing at all specially when the thing determined is in the power of mans will and in respect of God the decree may come to passe or not come to passe Men if they might alwaies haue their choise desire to determine of all their affaires simplie without cōdition and when they doe otherwise it is either because they knowe not the euent of things or because things to be done are not in their power No reason therefore that we should burden God with that whereof we would disburden our selues Againe the Maiestie of God is disgraced in this kind of decree God for his part would haue all men to be saued why then are they not men will not keepe the condition and beleeue This is flat to hang Gods will vpon mans will to make euery man an Emperour and God his vnderling and to chaunge the order of nature by subordinating Gods will which is the first cause to the will of man which is the second cause whereas by the very lawe of nature the first cause should order and dispose the second cause But for the iustifying of a conditionall decree it is alleadged that there is no eternall and hidden decree of God beside the Gospell which is Gods predestination reuealed Answ. It is an vntruth There be two wills in God one whereby hee determineth what he will doe vnto vs or in vs the other whereby he determineth what we shall doe to him Now Predestination is the first wherupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessings of God whereby they are deliuered which are deliuered and the Gospell is the second Againe Predestination determines who they are and how many which are to be saued and hereupon Christ saith I know whome J haue chosen but the Gospell rather determines what kinde of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saued Lastly Predestination in Gods decree it selfe and the Gospell is an outward meanes of the exequution of it and therefore though the Gospell be propounded with a condition yet the decree of God it selfe may be simple and absolute The fourth defect is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace appertaining to all and euery man which may be fitly tearmed the Schole of vniuersal Atheisme For it pulls downe the pale of the Church and laies it wast as euery common fielde it breedes a carelessenes in the vse of the meanes of grace the word sacraments when as men shall be perswaded that grace shall be offered to
to eternall saluation and againe foreseeing who would not beleeue but contemne grace offered did thereupon also decree to reiect them to eternall damnation This platforme howsoeuer it may seeme plausible to reason yet indeed it is nothing els but a Deuise of mans braine as will appeare by sundrie defects and errours that be in it For first whereas it is auouched that Adams fall came by the bare presciēce of God without any decree or will of his it is a flat vntruth The putting of Christ to death was as great a sinne as the fall of Adam nay in some respects greater Now that came to passe not onely by the foreknowledge of God but also by his determinate counsell And therefore as the Church of Ierusalem saith Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues togither to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done so may we say that Adam in his fall did nothing but that which the hand of God and his counsell had determined before to be done And considering the will of God extends it selfe to the least things that are euen to sparrows whereof none doe light vpon the ground without our heauenly father how can a man in reason imagine that the fall of one of the most principall creatures that are shall fall out altogether without the will and decree of God And there can be nothing more absurd then to seuer the foreknowledge of God from his counsell or decree For by this meanes things shall come to passe God nilling or not knowing or not regarding them Now if any thing come to passe God nilling it then that is done which God would not haue done and to say so is to bereaue him of his omnipotencie And if we shall say that things fall out God not knowing of them we make him to be imprudent and denie his omniscience lastly if we shall say that a thing is done God not regarding it we bring in an idole of our owne braines and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures But it is obiected to the contrarie that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam then he was the author of sinne which once to say is blasphemie Answear The argument followes not There be three actions in the will of God one whereby he doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it and of all such things God himselfe is the author The second is wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing and all thinges thus nilled can not possibly come to passe or haue the least beeing in nature There is also a third action which comes as a meane betweene the two former which is remissely or in part both to nill and will a thing whereby though God approoue not euill as it is euill and therfore doth it not yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others or the beeing of it because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of euill it is good that there should be euill And on this maner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man though he decreed the fall yet shall he be free from the blame thereof which lies wholly vpon the doer these two caueats alwaies remembred first that God by his will did not constraine or force the will of Adam to sinne or infuse into it any corruption and that therefore he sinned willingly and freely only by the necessitie of immutabilitie not by the necessitie of coaction secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthie end which was to lay downe a way tending to the manifestation both of his iustice and mercie Againe it is alleadged that if God willed Adams fall then his will is flat contrarie to it selfe because he wills that which he had by expresse commaundement forbidden Answer In deede if God should both wil and forbid one and the same thing in one and the same respect there should be a contradiction in Gods will but that God doth not He forbad Adams fall as it was a sinne for so in euery commaundement sinne as it is sinne is condemned and punished and yet because it was in a new respect a meanes of manifesting his glorie who is able to bring light out of darknes therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it Incest as it is a sinne it is condemned in the seuenth commandement and punished with death yet as incest was a punishment of Dauids adulterie God is said to take his wiues and to giue them to his sonne Absolom Some againe as it appeares by their writings feare to ascribe vnto God so much as a permission of Adams fall but no doubt they are deceiued For if these rules be true that God is omnipotent that he works all things that are by the counsell of his will and gouernes them that he hath care and regard ouer man that nothing is hid from him that he is vnchangeable there must needs be permission of will If the deuill could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christs permission shall we thinke that he could compasse the fall and ouerthrow of man without a permission Indeed to permit is not to hinder euill when one may and with men this is a fault but not with God because he is not bound to hinder the euill which he permits The second fault is that they make the Prescience of mans faith vnbeliefe to be the impulsiue causes of Gods decree For they say that God eternally decrees to saue or refuse men because he did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue But indeed it is a manifest vntruth Among the causes of al things that are there is an order set down by God himselfe in which order some causes are highest some lowest some in the middest Now the highest cause of all is that which ouerrules all and is ouerruled of none and that is Gods will beyond which there can be no higher cause for God is placed aboue all and subiect to none And this very will of his is the cause of all things that haue beeing for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth and then afterward is willed of God but first of all God wills a thing and then afterward it comes to haue beeing Nowe to say that foreseene faith or vnbeliefe are the moouing causes whereby God was induced to ordaine men either to saluation or to iust damnation is to vndoe this diuine order of causes and to displace the linkes in that Gods will is made a secondarie or middle cause subordinate to others causes placed aboue it and this is to make the will of God to depend vpon the qualitie and condition of the creature whereas all things depend vpon it Againe Paul saith that God hath opened the mysterie of his will according to his good pleasure which he
first parentes euen in the testimonie of their owne consciences as Salomon saieth This haue I found that God made man righteous but they haue found many inventions But it may be obiected that if Adam were created good he could not be the cause of his owne fall because a good tree can not bring forth euill fruite Answer Freedome of will is foure fold 1. freedome to euill alone this is onely in wicked men and angels and is indeed a bondage the seconde is freedome to good alone and that is in God and the good angels the third is freedome to good in part ioyned with some want of libertie by reason of sinne and this is in the regenerate in this life the fourth is freedome either to good or to euill indifferently And this vvas in Adam before his fall vvho though he had no inclination to sinne but onely to that vvhich was acceptable to God yet was hee not bound by any necessitie but had his libertie freely to chuse or refuse either good or euill And this is euident by the verie fourme of Gods commaundement in which hee forbids Adam to eate the forbidden fruite and thereby shewes that he being created righteous and not prone to sinne had power to keep or not to keep the commandement though since the fall both hee and vvee after him can not but sinne Wherefore Adam being allured by Satan of his owne free accord changed himselfe and fell from God Now then as the good tree changed from good to euill brings foorth euill fruite so Adam by his owne inward and free motion changing from good to evill brings forth euill As for God hee is not to be reputed as an authour or cause any way of this sinne For hee created Adam and Eue righteous indewed them vvith righteous vvilles and hee tolde them vvhat hee woulde exact at their handes and vvhat they coulde perfourme yea hee added threatnings that with the feare of daunger hee might terrifie them from sinne Some may say vvhereas God foresavv that Adam woulde abuse the libertie of his vvill vvhy vvoulde hee not preuent it Ansvvere There is a double grace the one to be able to vvill and do that which is good the other to be able to persevere in vvvilling and doing the same Now God gaue the first to Adam and not the second And he is not to be blamed of vs though hee confirmed him not with new grace for he is debter to no man to giue him so much as the least grace whereas he had alreadie giuen a plentifull measure thereof to him And God did hold backe to conferre any further grace vpon iust cause I. It was his pleasure that this fact should be an occasion or way to exercise his mercie in the sauing of the elect and his iustice in the deserued condemnation of impenitent sinners And vnlesse Adam had fallen for himselfe others there should haue bin found no miserie in men on whome God might take pitie in his sonne nor wickednes which he might condemne and therefore neither manifestation of iustice nor mercie II. Againe it was the will of God in part to forsake Adam to make manifest the weaknesse of the most excellent creatures without the speciall and continuall assistance of God III. There is a double libertie of will one is to will good or euill this belongs to the creature in this world and therefore Adam receiued it The other is to will good alone This he wanted because it is reserued to the life to come And though hee knewe no cause of this dealing of God yet is it one steppe to the feare of God for vs to hold that good and righteous which hee appointeth or willeth and not to square the workes and iudgements of God by our crooked reason And yet to come to reason it selfe Who can here complaine of God Can the deuill but God did not cause him to tempt or deceiue our first parents Can Adam and Eue but they fell freely without any motion or instigation from God and their owne consciences accused them for it Can the posteritie of Adam but the elect receiue more in Christ then they lost in Adam and the reprobate ouerwhelmed with the burden of their owne sinnes and thereupon receiuing nothing but due and deserued damnation can not finde fault But some may further reply and say he that foreseeth an euill and doth not preuent it is a cause of it but God did foresee the fall of man and did not preuent it Answer The rule is generally true in man that the foreseer of an euill not preuenting it is in some sort a doer of it for it is the sentence of the law of God to which man was bound from the first creation But God is aboue all his lawes and not bound to them he is an absolute lord and law-giuer and therefore his actions are not within the compasse of lawes as mens are Whereupon it follows that though he did foresee mans defection yet is hee free from all blame in not preuenting of it For with him there be good causes of permitting euill And though God be no cause of mans fall yet must wee not imagine that it came to passe by chance or fortune whereas the least things that are come to passe with Gods prouidence neither was it by any bare permission without his decree and will for that is to make an idle prouidence neither did it happen against the will of God he vtterly nilling it for then it could not haue bin vnlesse we denie God to be omnipotent It remaines therefore that this fall did so proceede of the voluntarie creation of Adam as that God did in part ordaine and will it not as it was a sinne against his commandement but as it was further in the counsell of God a way to exequute his iustice and mercie Against this which I say diuers things are obiected First that if Adam did that which God in any respect willed then he did not sinne at all Answ. He that willeth and doth that which God willeth for all that sinnes vnlesse he will it in the same manner with God and for the same end Nowe in the permitting of this fact God intended the manifesting of his glorie but our first parents intending no such thing sought not only to be like but also to be equal with god Secōdly it is alledged that Adam could not but fall necessarily if God did decree it Answ. Adams fall that came not to passe without Gods decree and therefore in that respect was necessarie was neuerthelesse in respect of Adams freewil contingent and not necessarie Gods decree not taking away the will but onely ordering it Lastly it is alledged that Gods will is the cause of Adams will and Adams will the cause of his fall and that therefore Gods will shall be the cause of the fall Answer It must be graunted that Gods will is a moouing cause of the wills of euill men yet marke how not as
and therefore proportionally Esau was debased to the condition of a seruant in respect of his younger brother not so much in respect of his outward estate and condition as in regard of the couenant made with his auncetours from which he was barred And though it be graunted that by Iacob and Esau two nations and not two persons are to be vnderstood yet all comes to one head for the receiâ—ing of the nation of the Israelites into the couenant and the excluding of the nation of the Edomites both descending of Iacob and â—sau serue as well to prooue Gods eternall election and reprobation as the receiuing and reiecting of one man Others say that these words I haâ—e hated Esau are thus to be vnderstood I haue lesse loued Esau then Iacob But how then shall we say that Paul hath fitly alleadged this text to prooue the reiection of the Iewe from the fauour of God and the Couenant of grace considering that of men whereof one is loued more of God the other lesse both may still remaine in the Couenant Lastly it is alleadged that the former exposition makes Ismael and Esau damned persons Answer Wee must leaue vnto God all secret iudgement of particular persons and yet neuerthelesse Paul doeth very fitly in there two persons both descending of Abraham and both circumcised set foorth examples of such as for all their outwarde prerogatiues are indeede barred from the couenant of life euerlasting before God And againe the opposition made by Paul requires that the contrarie to that which is spoken of Isaac and Iacob should be saide of Ismael and Esau. And there is nothing spoken of either of them in the Scriptures which argues the disposition of men ordained to eternall life Ismael is noted with the brande of a mocker and Esau of a prophane man To proceede in the text because the doctrine of Paul deliuered in the former verses might seeme straunge vnto the Romanes therefore in the 14. verse hee laies downe an obiection and answeares the same The obiection is this If God put distinction betweene man and man without respect had to their persons vpon his owne will and pleasure then hee is vniust but hee is not vniust therefore hee makes no such distinction The answeare is God forbid Whereby he denies the consequence of the proposition on this manner Though God should elect some to saluation and reiect some others and that vpon his will yet were there no iniustice with God The reason of this answeare followes in the 18. vers God hath absolute povver of will whereby without beeing bound to any creature he may and can first of all haue mercie on whome he will and secondly harden whome he wil. For the proofe of the first that God hath mercie on whome he will he laies downe the testimonie of Moses vers 15. I will haue mercie on him on whome J will shew mercie and I will haue compassion on him on whome I will haue compassion And in vers 16. makes his collection thence that it namly the purpose of God according to election v. 11. is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that shevveth mercie Whereby hee teacheth that the free election of God in order goes before all things that may in time befall man and that therefore neither the intentions and indeauours of the minde nor the workes of our life which are the effects of election can be the impulsive causes to mooue God to choose vs to saluation The second that God hardens whome he will is confirmed and made plaine by the testimonie of Scripture concerning Pharao vers 17. In the 19. vers there followes an other obiection arising out of the answeare to the former on this manner If God will haue some to be hardened and reiected and his will can not be resisted then with no iustice can he punish them that are necessarily subiect to his decree but God will haue some to be hardened and reiected and his will can not be resisted therefore saith the aduersarie with no iustice can he punish man that is necessarily subiect to his decree Here marke that if there had beene an vniuersall election of all men and if men had beene elected or reiected according as God did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue the occasion of this obiection had beene cut off But let vs come to Pauls answeare In the 20. verse he takes the assumption for graunted that some are reiected because God will and that the will that is the decree of God can not be resisted and onely denies the coherence of the preposition checking the malipert pride of the aduersarie and shewing that the making of this wicked and blasphemous collection against the will of God is as if a man should sue God at the lawe and bring him as it were to the barre and pleade against him as his equall whereas indeede the creature is nothing to the creator and is absolutely to submit it selfe to his will in all things In vers 21. he proceeds to a second answeare shewing that Gods will is not to be blamed because by his absolute soueraignitie and the right of creation he hath power to chose men or to reiect and harden them And where there is right and power to doe a thing the wil of the doer is not to be blamed Now that God hath this right and power ouer his creature it is prooued by a comparison from the lesse to the greater on this manner The potter hath power ouer the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and an other to dishonour therefore may God much more make some vessells of mercie and some vessells of wrath prepared to destruction The first part of the comparison is vers 21. the second part vers 22 23. And least any man should thinke that God makes vessells of honour and dishonour without sufficient and iust cause in himselfe as the potter may doe therfore he sets downe ends of the will of God he makes vessels of dishonour to shew his wrath and to make manifest his power and againe he condemnes no man till he haue suffered him with long patience And he makes vessels of honour that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon them Hence it is manifest first that the ende of predestination is the glorie of God which is to be made manifest partly in his iustice and partly in his mercie secondly that men are not elected or refused of God for their foreseene corruptions or vertues for then Paul would not haue said that God made vessells of dishonour but that beeing so alreadie he left them in their dishonour Thus from the 6. verse of this chapter to the 24. Paul hath described vnto vs the doctrine of Gods eternall predestination and that by the iudgement of Diuines in all ages The order of Gods predestination is this It is the propertie of the reasonable creature to conceiue one thing after an
which can appertaine to none but to the elect Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke hee that beleeveth in me as saieth the scripture out of his bellie shall flow rivers of water of life Rev. 21.6 I will give unto him which is a thirst of the vvell of the water of life freely Now if hee that thirsteth drinke of these waters marke what followeth Ioh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be more a thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life The second is a straunge affection wrought in the heart by the spirit of God whereby a man doth so esteeme value and as it were set so high a price on Christ his righteousnesse that hee accounts euen the most pretious things that are to be but as dung in regard thereof This affection was in Paul and it is expressed in the parable in which after a man hath found a treasure he first hides it and the selles all hee hath and makes a purchase of the fielde where it is Now euery man will say of himselfe that he is thus affected to Christ and that hee more highly esteemes the least drop of his blood then all things in the world beside wheras indeed most men are of Esaus minde rather desiring the red broth then Isaaks blessing and of the same affection with the Israelites which liked better the onyons and flesh pots of Egypt then the blessings of God in the land of promise Therefore that no man may deceiue him selfe this affection may bee discerned by two signes The first is to loue and like a christian man because hee is a Christian. For hee that doth aright esteeme of Christ doth in like manner esteeme of the members of Christ. And of this very thing our Sauiour Christ saith He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets revvarde and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive the revvarde of a righteous man And Saint Iohn saieth Hereby vvee knovve that vvee are translated from death to life because vvee love the breethren that is such as are members because they are so The second signe of this affection is a loue and desire to the comming of Christ whether it be by death unto any man particularly or by the last iudgement universally and that for this ende that there may be a full participation of fellowship with Christ. And that this verie loue is a note of adoption it appeares by that which S. Paul saieth that the crowne of righteousnes is laid vp for all them that love the appearing of Christ. The outwarde token of adoption is New-obedience whereby a man endeauours to obey Gods cōmandements in his life and conuersation as S. Iohn saith Hereby wee are sure that we know him if wee keepe his commandements Now this obedience must not be iudged by the rigour of the morall lavv for then it should be no token of grace but rather a meanes of damnation but it must be esteemed and considered as it is in the acceptation of God who spares them that feare him as a father spares an obedient sonne esteeming things done not by the effect and absolute doing of them but by the affection of the doer And yet least any man should heare be deceiued wee must knowe that the obedience which is an infallible marke of the child of god must be thus qualified First of all it must not be done unto some fewe of Gods commaundements but unto them all without exception Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly did many things and Iudas had excellent things in him as appeares by this that he was content to leaue all and to followe Christ and hee preached the Gospell of the kingdome in Iurie as well as the rest yet alas all this was nothing for the one could not abide to become obedient to the 7. commandement in leauing his brother Philips wife and the other would not leaue his couetousnes to die for it Vpright sincere obedience doth inlarge it selfe to all the commandements as Dauid saith I shall not be confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements And S. Iames saith hee which faileth in one law is guiltie of all that is the obedience to many commandements is indeed before god no obedience but a flat sinne if a man wittingly and willingly faile in any one thing He that repents of one sinne truly doth repent of all he that liues but in one known sinne without repentāce though he pretend neuer so much reformation of life indeed repents of no sinne Secōdly this obedience must extend it selfe to the whole course of a mans life after his conversion and repentance We must not iudge of a man by an action or two but by the tenour of his life Such as the course of a mans life is such is the man though he through the corruption of his nature faile in this or that particular action yet doth it not preiudice his estate before God so be it he renew his repentance for his seuerall slippes and falles not lying in any sinne and withall from yere to yere walke unblameable before God men S. Paul saith The foundation of God remaineth sure the Lorde knowes who are his Now some might hereupon say it is true indeed god knowes who are his but how may I be assured in my selfe that I am his to this demaund as I take it Paul answers in the next words Let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity that is let men invocate the name of God praying seriously for things whereof they stand in need withall giuing thanks departing frō all their former sinnes and this shall be unto them an infallible token that they are in the election of God Thirdly in outward obedience it is required that it proceede from the whole man as regeneration which is the cause of it is thorough the whole man in bodie soule and spirit Againe obedience is the fruite of loue and loue is from the pure heart the good conscience and faith unfained Thus we haue heard the testimonies and tokens wherby a man may be certified in his conscience that be was chosen to saluation before all worldes If any desire further resolution in this point let them meditate upon the 15. Psal. and the first Epistle of Saint Iohn being parcels of scripture penned by the holy ghost for this ende Here some will demaund how a man may be assured of his adoption if he want the testimony of the spirit to certifie him thereof Ansvvere Fire is knowen to be no painted but a true fire by two notes by heate and by the flame now if the case fall out that the fire want a flame it is still knowen to be fire by the heate In
execration Mara-natha that is pronounced accursed to euerlasting destruction Whence it appeares that the Church hath power to pronounce men reiected to euerlasting damnation upon some special occasions though I dare not say ordinarily and usually The primitiue Church with one consent praied against Iulian the Apostata the praiers made were not in vaine as appeared by his fearefull end As for priuate and ordinary men for the tempering and rectifying of their iudgements in this case they must follow two rules The one is that euerie member of the Church is bound to beleeue his owne election It is the commandement of God binding the very conscience that we should beleeue in Christ Now to beleeue in Christ is not onely to put our affiance in him and to be resolued that we are iustified and sanctified and shalbe glorified by him but also that we were elect to saluatioa in him before the beginning of the world which is the foundation of the rest Againe if of things that haue necessarie dependance one upon another we are to beleeue the one then we are to beleeue the other Now electiō adoptiō are things conioyned the one necessarily dependes upon the other For all the elect as Paul saith are predestinate to adoption wee are to beleeue our owne adoption therefore also our election The second rule is that concerning the persons of those that be of the Church wee must put in practise the iudgement of charitie that is to esteeme of them as of the elect of God till God make manifest otherwise By vertue of this rule the ministers of Gods word are to publish and preach the Gospell to all without exceptiō It is true indeed there is both wheat darnell in Gods field chaffe corne in Gods barne fish drosse in Gods net sheep goates in Christs fold but secret iudgements belong unto God and the rule of loue which is to thinke and wish the best of others is to be followed of us that professe faith working by loue It may be demanded what we are to iudge of them that as yet are enemies of Christ. Ans. Our duty is to suspēd our iudgements concerning their finall estate for we know not whether God will call them or no and therefore we must rather pray for their conversion then for their confusion Againe it may be demanded what is to be thought of all our ancetours forefathers that liued died in the times whē Popery took place Ans. We may well hope the best thinke that they were saued for though the Papacie be not the Church of God and though the doctrine of popery race the foundation yet neuerthelesse in the very midst of the Romane papacie God hath alwaies had a remnant which haue in some measure truly serued him In the olde Testament when open idolatrie took place in all Israel God saith to Eliah I have reserved 7. thousand to my self that never bowed knee to Baal the like is hath bin in the generall apostasie under Antichrist S. Iohn saith that when the woman fled into the vvildernes for a time euen then there was a remnant of her seed which kept the cōmandements of God have testimony of Iesus Christ. And againe when ordinary meanes of saluation faile then God can doth make a supply by means extraordinary therfore there is no cause why we should say that they were condemned Thirdly it may be demāded whether the cōmō iudgemēt giuen of F. Spira that hee is a reprobate be good or no Ans. we may with better warrāt say no then any mā say yea For what gifts of discerning had they which came to visit him in his extremitie what reasons induced them to giue this peremptorie iudgement He said himselfe that he was a reprobate that is nothing a sick mans iudgement of himselfe is not to be regarded Yea but he despaired a senslesse reasō for so doth many a man yeere by yeere that very often as deeply as euer Spira did yet by the good help of the ministery of the worde both are may be recouered And they which wil auouch Spira to be a reprobate must go further prooue 2. things that he despaired both wholly and finally which if they can not proue we for our parts must suspende our iudgementes and they were much to blame that first published the booke Lastly it may be demādend what is to be thought of thē that make very fearful ends in rauing blaspheming Ans. Such strāge behauiours are oftētimes the fruites of violent diseases which torment the body bereaue the minde of sense reason therfore if the persons liued wel we must thinke the best for we are not by outward things to iudge of the estate of any man Salomon saith that all things come alike to all the same condition to the iust to the wicked Thus much of the parts of predestination Now followes the use thereof it concernes partly our iudgemēts partly our affectiōs partly our liues The uses which concerne iudgement are 3. And first by the doctrine of predestinatiō we learne that there cā not be any iustification of a sinner before God by his workes For Gods election is the cause of iustification because whome God electeth to saluation after this life them he electeth to be iustified in this life Now election it selfe is of grace and of grace alone as Paul saieth Election is by grace and if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no grace therefore iustification is of grace and of grace alone And I reason thus The cause of a cause is the cause of all things caused but grace alone is the cause of predestination which is the cause of our vocation iustification sanctification c. Grace therefore is also the alone cause of all these Therefore the scriptures ascribe not onely the beginning but also the continuāce accomplishment of all our happinesse to grace For first as election so vocation is of grace Paul saieth God hath called vs not according to our vvorkes but according to his purpose and grace Againe faith in Christ is of grace So it is saide To you it is given to beleeve in Christ. Also the iustification of a sinner is of grace So Paul saieth plainely to the Romanes you are iustified freely by his grace Againe sanctification and the doing of good workes is of grace So it is saide Wee are his vvorkemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good vvorkes vvhich God hath ordained that vvee shoulde vvalke in them Also perseverance in good workes and godlinesse is of grace So the Lorde saieth I vvill make an everlasting covenant vvith them that I will neuer turne avvay from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their heartes that they shall not depart from mee Lastly life euerlasting is of grace So Paul saieth Life everlasting