you would prove Election to be the cause of Faith unto all which I shall speak joyntly and make the shame of them appear to all men that read them And herein I must be diametrially opposed against you because you bring in such a Hysteron Proteron the Cart before the Horse that I must of necessity invert your order or rather disorder And therefore I do affirm that Election is not the cause of faith and good works but faith and good works the cause of our Election or Gods chusing of us 1. I prove it by Scripture 2. I prove it from the nature of causes 3. From the Nature of Election 1. From Scripture I will onely refer you to consult these places hereafter named Act. 13.48 Joh. 1.12 Psa. 4.3 Joh. 16.27 Rev. 3.10 2. From the Nature of causes I will observe this rule if Election on should be a cause of faith and such a cause as cannot be resisted as you hold then Reprobation must be a cause of sin and damnation and so God blessed for ever will be made not onely a tempter to but a cause yea the cause of all sin and wickedness in the world But let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God as our Modern Ranters are wont to do for every man when he is tempted is drawn away of his own lusts and inticed I dare not say as one did that had been a great sinner Quid si haec quispiam voluit Deus What if some God hath so decreed it For St. James makes me believe that sin is both ingendered and conceived within me when my lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and if my lust be the mother of it sure the father is my own will It was Davids saying of wicked Israel That they provoked God to anger not with his will but with their own inventions There are contrivers of mischief Psal. 58.2 Devisers of lyes Eccles. 7.13 which cannot be imputed unto any absolute decree in God O how many Volumes have been written concerning irrespective decrees in the Latin tongue which might even blush to be named in English and shall we yet in these daies of light ascribe sin and wickedness to God as your opinion doth I am in such disorder and discomposedness of spirit while I only but name these bold expressions that were it not for a good purpose as I conjecture and intend I durst not venture to repeat them O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face for thou hast made man upright but we have found out many inventions Eccless 7.29 Next I will come to Reason by which I hope to make it appear that the Almighty is so far from being accessary to sin and does so many things to hinder it that he doth not so much as permit it but in a equitable sence and amongst many Reasons that may be given I will content my self with this one which seems to me the best That which assigns to every thing the kinde that which moderates the power and appoints the form and measure of working that we properly call a Law Hence the being of God is a kinde of Law to his working because that perfection which God is giveth perfection to that he doth So that he being nothing but what is good he can work nothing that is otherwise It is therefore an errour saith judicious Mr. Hooker to think that there is no reason for the works of God besides his absolute will though no reason is known to us for the Apostle tells he worketh all things not simply and meerly according to his will but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to the counsel of his will And because he doth voluntarily set himself a Law whereby to work it followes that that Law is no abatement to his freedome if therefore he be pleased to set himself a Law or Rule not to reprobate any but upon pre-science or fore-knowledge of sin because that is most conformable to the nature of his goodness can this be any prejudice to the perfection of his being is his nature the less absolute because it pleases him that his will be conditional in some things as it is absolute in others does he lose any prerogative by being unable to be the Author of sin We are Gods creatures but sin is ours God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good We see the things that are made by the fiat of our will and behold they are very evil This creative power of ours we justly reckon as the sequel of humane weakness and shall we heedlesly affirme it to be a jewel in the glorious diadem of Gods Almightiness Let this be seriously considered Thirdly I shall prove it from the Nature of the thing that Election is not the cause of faith and good works c. but contrary faith and good works of Election This shall be proved and illustrated by these five considerations First of all I consider that there is no salvation but onely to such as are found to be in Christ Jesus in the day of death and of Judgement which no man living can be unless he be qualified with such conditions as without which it is impossible to be so found such as are faith repentance obedience and perseverance in well doing unto the end that God will save none but such is all mens confession and that he saves none but such as he decrees to save is as plain therefore none but such are the objects of such decrees For if he decreed to save any without respect to their being such he might actually save them without regard to their being such Because whatsoever is justly decreed may be justly executed as 't is decreed But 't is granted by all good men on all sides that God will save none but such as are found to be in Christ with the aforesaid qualifications and therefore it should be granted on all sides also that he decreed to save none but such persons as they And what is that but a respective conditional decree made in intuition of our being in Christ and so qualified c. Secondly I consider that the decree of the Father to send his Son to be a second Adam was in respect and regard to the back-sliding of the first Adam and the decree of God to save the first Adam was in respect to the merits of the second Adam for God chuseth never a child so as to give him eternal life unless it be for the sake of his onely begotten Son 1. God pitied a woful world 2. He loved what he pitied 3. He gave his own Son to save what he loved and upon the condition of believing in his Son he gave them a promise of eternal life For so believing is interposed betwixt love and life in Joh. 3.16 Thirdly I consider There must be a difference before there can be an Election LOVE indeed is an act of favour but ELECTION
Sound Doctrine OR The Doctrine of the GOSPEL about the extent of the Death Of CHRIST Being A REPLY To Mr. Paul Hobson's pretended Answer to the Author's Fourteen Queries and ten Absurdities With A brief and Methodical COMPENDIUM of the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures clearing up the riches of Gods love to all mankinde and his desires to save them that yet wilfully perish Also Of ELECTION and REPROBATION whereon they do depend and how the Objections against the Truth hereof may be Answered Whereunto is added The fourteen Queries and ten Absurdities pretended to be Answered by Mr. Paul Hobson but are wholly omitted in his Book LONDON Printed for Richard Moon at the seven Stars in Paul's Church-yard 1657. To the Church of Christ at NEWCASTLE in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ THe grace of our Lord be multiplied upon you all and strengthen you in every good word and work You may remember that one Mr. Paul Hobson who professeth and preaches up that faith which teaches a man to doubt whether Christ died for him or no did write a little book by way of Answer to the fourteen Queries and ten Absurdities which I presented unto him Which book I thought I was bound to answer for the sake of truth because he doth labour by so many subtilties to overthrow the very foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ And indeed had there not been an urgent necessity compelling me thereto I should not have undertaken such a task being I confess very unable to manage so great a work in such a publick manner which I have done though according to truth and my best endeavours yet not without some fears lest my weakness should disadvantage the righteous and undoubted cause I have in hand I had also another discouragement upon my spirit when I considered how many most excellent works are now in Print already about this subject so far transcending what I could say Notwithstanding I was perswaded to adventure upon this consideration That if I should have buried all in silence many of the Lords people might have stumbled and fallen from the truth of the Gospel and the adversaries thereof would have triumphed and so have hardned their necks more and more against the light of the glory of God shining forth to all the world in the face of Jesus Christ I desire you dear Brethren to accept this my small and first work of this nature in right good part and seriously peruse it over with an attentive eye I have endeavoured as much brevity as would stand with plainness If any thing at first reading seem-strange to you read it over again I have not willingly erred in any thing in this work that I know of I desire you to shroud this little Tract under your protection for it is not like to be the safer for being innocent I mean i' th' world it was not the modesty of Susanna that was able to secure her from the inditement of the Elders and 't was the innocency of Joseph that made his Mistriss pronounce him guilty But ye unto whom God hath given a spirit of discerning between truth and errour I trust will defend this little book because it labours to deffend the truth I pray God of heaven to encrease in you all vertuous and sound Principles that from thence may spring and also encrease a holy and Godly conversation more and more until we come to be perfect before our God in Sion This is the earnest request of Yours in the Lord Jesus W.P. To the Reader Courteous READER DAyly experience makes me sensible that the Devil never wanted cunning inventions to court men to the imbracing of false Doctrine and most commonly such false Doctrine whose natural tendency is to carry on the great design of Satan in the world to wit ungodliness and unholiness of life and conversation For he always labours to counter-plot the Alnighty in all his designs We may observe throughout the whole stream of Gods word Gods great design is to destroy the works of the devil that is sin and to make men holy to the end that he might make them happy Now Satan that arch-enemy of mankind be seeketh above all things to hinder this work for by hindring righteousness he knows he shall hinder the happiness of Gods creatures and because he well perceives that Gods design is to promote the work of righteousness in all people that so he might make all happy Satan there projecteth alwayes to counter-plot God labouring to promote sin in all that so he might promote the misery of all men So large as Gods love extendeth in endeavouring to save even so far also doth the envy of the Devil extend in his endeavors to damne And for as much as God hath tied himself that he will not work Physically upon man nor irresistibly but by gentle perswasions upon hopes of glory and feares of punishment and the devil hath not power to work otherwise then by alurements and promises and threatnings which he is not able to perform I say because God will not and the devil cannot work upon man otherwise then by perswasions therefore it comes to passe that all men are neither saved nor damned but onely those saved that are willing to let the Lord work on them and also are willing to work with him in purifying and cleansing themselves from sin and onely those damned that refusing Gods work do yield themselves to the working and works of Satan Now these things though they are most plain truth and do sure right well with good reason justice and equity yet they are much opposed by too many in our dayes whose â—eal is too great for their knowledge I desire thee most Kinde Reader to read this little Book seriously and weigh it 〈…〉 the balance of Truth and sound Reason and see wheâ—◠〈◊〉 I have not spoken to thy reason and search those Scripâ—â—â—â—â— which I have quoted if they be not to the purpose in 〈◊〉 and whether my design be not to magnifie the amplitude of Gods grace to sinners by which they are undoubtedly excited to amendment of life upon a sure and certain hope of glory and not upon any uncertain sound of the Gospel As they do that limit the general promises of the Gospel unto a few onely and without condition making an unknown and secret decree of Election to be the ground of their faith and so 't is no marvel if their faith be unstedfast and full of fears and doubts when the foundation of it is no better But I will detain thee no longer from the book itself lest I should make my Porch too big for the Cottage to which it leadeth But I commit thee to the guidance of God in the reading hereof that thou mayst not onely be brought to the acknowledging of those truths herein contained but also and chiefly that thou mayest in the power and and strength thereof live according to that grace of God which bringeth his
fore part of the verse but the sense would then be this nonsence If any man hear and believe not I judge him not for I cause not to judge believers but to save believers I trow this reason may satisfie a man of reason And whereas you say that the word World is sometimes taken for the believers that 's most untrue it being never taken for the better part though many times for the worse or greater parts Your three proofes for it are so weak that I think you might as fairly and to as much purpose have cited Matth. 1. to 17. the former of your three being grounded upon nothing but the malitious and lying opinion of the Pharisees what if the Pharisees did say thinking a few too many to follow Christ That the world was gone after him was it therefore true that they were a world or might properly be called the world see your self now in this glass Your second place Rom. 11.12 doth prove no more to a man that hath any brains but that the Gentiles are there called the World not the Elect onely among the Gentiles but the Nations of Gentiles who usually were called the World in opposition to that one Nation of the Jews Your third place Joh. 17.21 23. is meant of the world not of believers our Saviour being there praying for his own disciples that they might be so united to the Father and made one with him that they might the better be enabled in their great work of preaching the Gospel to all the world that the world might thereby be convinced to know that thou hast sent me and I sent them for he saith vers. 18. As thou hast sent me into the world so have I sent them into the world that is into believers quoth Mr. Hobson Also he prayeth that they may be kept from the evil of the world vers. 15. is that from the evil of believers Truely I have wondred that your understanding should be so infatuated as to summon Scriptures together so unduly but I remember 't is said The Lord catches the wise in their own craft God is just therein I pray God you seriously lay it to heart for what cause the Lord hath thus blinded or suffered your minde to be blinded so as you are not able to discern a Truth from an Errour nay to love Errour rather then Truth and would bring Scriptures to prove it too and for want of them you bring them that rather disprove it Next your come you say to your affirmation viz. that Christ died for all but not all alike pag. 6. First you prove that he died for all out of Tim. 4.10 Heb. 2.9 who denies it you might have as well proved it from those forementioned places which you excepted against the word every man Heb. 2.9 being taken as diversly as the word World but that you thought you would have some new-sangled way forsooth by your self to prove it for I think truely we may give you the honour or rather dishonour of inventing it never any before having so much boldness or so little wit as to maintain Christs dying for all from those places and not from the other or that held he died for all but not all alike In the next place you bestir you most monstrously and lay about you to prove that which scarce any will deny sâ—il that Christ by his death hath taken off the curse due to Adam from all men and freed all men from the killing power of that state And not contented with your Scripture-proofs you still huddle in more then a good many of a kinde of Scholastical Arguments to back that which will easily be granted but this peradventure was to shew your Scholarship and it may be your manliness how couragiously you can fight when none opposeth you But what of this what if Christ did do all this for all men doth that prove he did no more for them if not you have laboured in vain But it may be that shall be proved in the second part of your affirmation therefore I hasten to it i.e. that Christ died not for all alike And this you say you will prove in eight particulars some of which are so notoriously untrue and others so impertinently alleged that they are scarce worthy of an answer Yet lest you should triumph and crie Vicimus I shall give a brief reply to each of them in their order First That there is a people which God hath chosen and Elected in his Son mark that before the world was Who denies it and yet what a quoil the man makes to prove it do I deny Election or chusing out of the world no I believe it That God chuseth as the Prophet very fitly saith the godly man to himself Psa. 4.3 and also that before the world was he determined so to do and that is as much of Election as can be proved in Scripture that God doth use And whereas you say That Faith was an effect of ordination and you bring Act. 13.48 to prove it I say as 't is most untrue and against the current of Scripture and Reason so particularly that of Act. 13.48 is directly and plainly against you and I shall retort it unavoidably upon you The Evangelist Luke there being about to let Theophilus know who or what persons were ordained to life he doth most plainly say they were believers yea he restrains it from any others but believers in saying As many as were ordained to eternal life believed not a man more was ordained but such as believed Let any man now ask his Reason which of these is first Ordination or Believing and certainly Reason will tell him that Believing must be first especially if he consult with Joh. 1.12 Even to so many as believed on his name to them he gave power to become the Sons of God But perhaps you may fancie that Ordination must there be first because the order of the words is first If you should be so senceless then consider would it not be a ridiculous conceit to think that a Bullock hath horns before he hath hoofs because 't is said Psal. 69.31 This shall please thee better then a Bullock which hath horns and hoofs and would it not be as ridiculous to think that men are saved before called because 't is said 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us If yet ye should be so dull as not to understand that Luke here intends Believing was before Ordination because he names Ordination first I shall give you a Similitude Suppose the King of a Nation having many Captives at his will and mercy do make Proclamation unto them all that whoever humble himself shall be ordained to life they that refuse shall be pursued with fire and sword unto death now suppose that I being in that country see divers of them humbling themselves and so finde acceptance with the King and are ordained to life and I come over to you and tell you the story I say thus