did actually harden or had a will to harden any but such as had formerly rebelled against the fight abused his patience and despised his gracious dispensations * Rom. 1. 22 26 Because when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God c. for this cause God gave them up Rom. 1. 21. with 26. Psal 81. 11 12. But my people would not hear my voyce and Israel would See also Luke 7. 30. Acts 13. 26 40 41 45 46. Hebr. 2. 3. not obey me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts We find that the Lord though he had fore-told what would be the issue of Moses Ministry to him is not said to have hardned Pharaoh till he had multiplied his Rebellions and dallied with five plagues The last whereof when Moses undertakes the removal of it he gives him a fair warning of his danger Exod. 8. 29. I will intreat the Lord but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more And because he neglected to quit himself of the danger upon this hot Alarme therefore with the sixth plague this judgment came upon him also 't is said the Lord then hardned the heart of Pharaoh Exod. 9. 12. and ver 14. with the judgment following the Lord threatens I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart Therefore do not resemble God to a mad or â—nwise Potter that layes out his cost and skill in making up a Vessel for no other purpose but only to make ostentation of his power will and liberty to break it Perhaps the Apostle by that comparison takes upon him to demonstrate not what God will do but what he can for he saith What if God willing to shew his wrath c Besides God is compared to the Potter and men to the Mass or Lump of Clay but what men are they that are entred into this comparison not innocent men or men made guilty by imputation only as your Doctriâ—e supposes them but men corrupt through their own vâ—luntary pollutions as such This is evident from the Apostles Discourse in the three first Chapters of that Epistle He declares then that out of this Mass or Lump it is lawful for God according to his own Beneplaciture to select some unto life namely those who would believe in Christ upon his being tendred to them * Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Chap. 11. 20. See also John 3. ult and to harden the rest and reserve them to wrath that is to say those who would augment the number and mount the heap of their other sins by the addition of a wilful unbelief This to my sense is most clearly that liberty * 1 Cor. 1. 21. which the Apostle asserts and vindicates to Almighty God in that present juncture and current of his Providence over Jewes and Gentiles though the Jewes cryed it down with utter detestation as a violation * Rom. 11. 1. of those signal promises which he had anciently made unto their Nation For your other Allegation Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own It can conclude nothing but that God may distribute equal portions of reward to those whose labours in his Vineyard have been unequal for when he that hath done most receives the utmost they did contract for why should he repine at the Lords bounty which is no injury to him though a benefit to others But what is all this to the vindication of Gods justice when he invites men to a new Covenant wherein he promiseth to proceed with them upon a gentler account and tyes them to new conditions and yet denies abilities sufficient to perform those conditions though he binds them to that performance under the commination and peril of a soarer penalty And I ask't you further in what sense this Covenant with Mankind could be properly called a Covenant of Grace which demand and I conceive it a material one you were pleased to take no notice of in your last Reply Diotrephes You must know Sir that your natural Reason without a supernatural illumination is no competent Judge of the sense of holy Scripture which contains the mind of God yet I shall not now reply to your interpretations but address my self to give you satisfaction to your lâ—st demand which is in what sense the Covenant which God hath sealed to us in the blood of Christ is styled a Covenant of Grace To this end you must understand that there are a certain number of persons predestinated unto life and glory and these are called the Elect These Elect God Almighty before the foundation of the World was laid according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret The Declaration of the Congregational Churches at the Savoy Chap. 3. n. 5 6 7. counsel and good pleasure of his will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory out of his meer free grace and love without any foresight of faith or good works or perseverance in either of them or any other thing in the Creature as conditions or causes moving him thereunto and all to the praise of his glorious grace And as God hath appointed these Elect unto glory so hath he by the eternal and most free purpose of his will fore-ordained all the means thâ—â— unto wherefore they who are elected being faln in Adam are redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season are justified adopted sanctified and kept by his power through faith unto salvation All these benefits are infallibly and irresistibly conveyed to those Elect by vertue of the said Covenant and upon this account I hope you will allow it to be very fitly intitled a Covenant of Grace Paganus I do readily allow of the title in respect to those Elect you speak of but I pray satisfie me in this particular what interest have the rest of mankind in Christ and this Covenant Do not the benefits you have now mentioned belong to them Diotrephes For your satisfaction you may assure your self it is the Determination and PUBLICK FAITH of the new Congregational Churches in England * Ibid. n. 6. agreed upon and consented to by their Elders and Messengers That not any other are redeemed by Christ or effectually called justified adopted sanctified and saved but these Elect only Paganus I pray to what end did God create the rest and what Acts hath he passed against them and what Providence doth he exercise towards them Diotrephes There is a Text of holy Scripture that saith thus Before the children were born and when they had neither done good nor evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand Rom. 9. 11 1â— 13. not of works but of him that calleth it was said The elder shall serve the younger as it is written I have loved Jacob and have hated Esau Out of which words a Renowned Divine doth conclude That Gods ordaining men unto salvation proceeds meerly according to
the good pleasure of God and not upon consideration either of works or faith And he adds As touching Reprobation that it is no more of evil works than Election is of good works forasmuch as before they were born they were equally uncapable of the one as well as of the other and the doing of evil is expresly excluded as well as the doing of good whence it followeth manifestly that Gods ordaining men unto damnation proceeds as much of the meer pleasure of God and with as little consideration of sin as Gods ordaining men unto salvation proceeds of the meer pleasure of God and without consideration of any righteousness in man Dr. Twiss ubi supra page 38. Paganus To design men to destruction or torments though but temporal without fault for ones meer pleasure is such a severity as we usually brand with the title of Tyranny when we find it in any man though he were the greatest Emperour in the world and truly I dare not entertain such thoughts of God Diotrephes We must distinguish in this Decree the Act of God decreeing and the things decreed by him saith the same great Doctor * Ubi supra pag. 41. The things decreed by Reprobation are 1. The denial of grace by grace I mean faith and repentance whereby that infidelity and hardness of heart which is natural to all is cured 2. The denial of glory together with the inflicting of damnation As touching the first of these look what is the cause of Reprobation as touching the Act of God reprobating that and that alone is the cause of the denial of grace to wit the meer pleasure of God But as touching the denial of glory and inflicting damnation God doth not proceed according to the meer pleasure of his will but according to a Law which is this Whosoever believeth not shall be damned And albeit God made that Law according to the meer pleasure of his will yet no wise man will say that God denies glory and inflicts damnation on men according to the meer pleasure of his will the case being clear that God denies the one and inflicts the other meerly for their sins who are thus dealt withall And to this Doctors opinion agrees not only the Confession of the Congregational Churches but that also of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster who chap. 3. n. 7. do declare concerning the Reprobates whom they style the rest of Mankind That God was pleased according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will whereby he extendeth or with-holdeth mercy as he pleaseth for the glory his Soveraign power over his Creatures to pass by and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice Paganus Truly Sir as far as I am able to understand by the process of your Discourse the whole matter of Reprobation as well touching the things decreed as touching the Act of God decreeing is finally resolved into Gods meer pleasure to shew his Soveraign power for you say he makes a Law to bind men to repent and believe under pain of damnation and this Law he makes for his meer pleasure you affirm also that he decrees to deny sufficient and necessary grace to enable men to repent and believe and this of his meer pleasure too and from hence it doth undeniably follow that he doth ordain sin and the introduction of it as the means of damnation and that of his meer pleasure too Diotrephes That he who intends an end doth also intend the means the very light of nature suggesteth unto us saith Dr. Twiss * Ibid. pag. 73. but I confess there is a little difference amongst Divines in this Article Piscator * In Axiom de praedest c. cap. 5. saith roundly Reprobi prius ad poenam destinati sunt tanquam ad sinem deinde etiam ad peccaâ—a tanquam ad media that is the Reprobates are first destinated unto punishment as the end afterwards to sin as the means But Dr. Twiss saith We know God hath given us means of grace as for means of damnation we know none Sins can neither be called mans means nor Gods means saith he not mans means Ibid. pag. 56. or intended * Though he does not intend this directly yet indirectly and interpretatively he may and so a man is said to love death Prov. 8. 36. ch 15 32. Vid Thom. 12â— q. 79. a. 2. ad 2m Ibid. pag. 73. by him as Means forasmuch as the intention of Means ariseth from the intention of the End but no man or devil intends to bring upon himself damnation as the end whereunto he intends to sin Not Gods means forasmuch as means are intended but by him who is the Author of them which God saith he cannot be This acute Doctor therefore doth determine the Point thus The end that God aims at is his own glory for he made all things for himself And if he means to manifest his glory on any in the way of vindicative justice it stands him upon both to create them and permit them to sin and finally to persevere therein and to damn them for their sins Here saith he we have the end and the means intended by God Paganus Gods end you see is the Glory of his vindictive justice His means is to create man to permit him to sin and persevere in it c. I pray Sir let me understand what you mean by Gods Permissive Decree I should think it doth not import an absolute decree in the Will of God concerning the thing permitted but only a Negative Act whereby God is understood neither to will the being of that thing nor to nill it * Non deo vâ—lente vel nolent sed non vâ—lente â—iunâ— mala Magister 1. D. 46. F. And consonantly when God decrees to permit sin he decrees not to hinder it but to leave it in mans power that sin may come to pass or not come to pass whether it doth eventually come to passe or not Diotrephes You take the word permission in a sense too restrictive and limited For Man being created after Gods image in a state of integrâ—ty endued with free-wil and a sufficient ability to abstain from sin If God had permitted sin in that sense only that you speak of for all such a Decree it was possible * Implicat contradictionem ut aliquis effectus sequeretur infallibiliter ex causa defectibili impedibili per concursum aliarum causarum hoc est ex antecedâ—nte quae aliter atque aliter potest se habere Alvar. de Auxil cap. 7. Ames ubi infra for Man not to have sinned and then God had lost his end the Manifestation of his Vindicative Justice It stands neither with the wisdom nor the power of God to make Decrees whose success is doubtful and event uncertain * Deus enim successiva decreta incerti eventus condere non potest quia ut potentissimus est
save us in a way of justice mingled with mercy and therefore he hath chosen * Eph. 1. 4. us in Christ now * 2 Cor. 5. 17. he that is in Christ is a new Creaâ—ure Securus It seems then that the exâ—cution of the Decree is not exactly conformable to the Decree it self but contains something else besides it and then how is that true of the Apostle * Rom. 9. 11. That the purpâ—se of God according to the Election doth stand not of works but of him that calleth I am afraid you have gotten a tang of the Remonstrants Doctrine by your expressions * Vt enim Electio ad gloriam absoluta in Christo facta dicatur quatenus Christus Deus est unios cum Patre Spiritu Sancto absurdum est quiaâ—â—sic Electio etiam in Spiritâ— S. quatenâ—s unus cum Patre Filio Deâ—s est facta fuerit quod contra Scripturae stylum est For can any man be in Christ but a believer I am sure none but a bâ—lievâ—r can be a new Creature in affirming therefore crudely as you do that God hath chosen us in Christ and adding upon it that He that is in Christ is a new Creature you do plainly imply that the object of Gods Election are the faithful and sancâ—ified which the Synod at Dort will tell you is a pernicious Erroâ—r The Bishop of Winchester delivering his judgment about the second Lambeth Article as it was amended by the Bishops and other Divines there whereas the Article saith Causa moveâ—s aut efficiens praedestinationis ad vitam non est praevisio fidei aâ—t persevâ—rantiae aut bonorum operum aut alîus reâ— quae insit perâ—onis â—â—tic Lamb. p. 13. praedestinatis sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto life is not the fore-sight of faith or perseverance or good works or any other thing which is in the persons predestâ—nated but the sole will of Gods good pleasure Bishop Andrews makes a Quaere concerning that Particle Sâ—â—a Voluntas benepâ—â—citi the sole will of Gods 〈◊〉 pag. 23 24. good pleasure whether it doth include Christ or seâ—luâ—e him that is whether the Act of predestination be aâ—solute or relative For my part saith he I think it is relative neither do I think there is any good-will of God towards men that is a will whereby he is well-pleased towards men but in his Son in whom he is well-pleased nor that any one is predestinated either befoâ—e or without reâ—â—ect to or intuition of Christ But as the sacred Scriptures have it Christ is â—ore-known in the first place 1 P. t. 1. 20. then we in him Rom. 8. 29. Christ predestinated Rom. 1. 4. then we by him Eph. 1. 5. And not we in the first place as some think He in the last and for us for we cannot be predestinated unto the Adoption of sons but in the natural son nor can we be predestinated that we should be conformable to the image of the Son unlesâ— the Son be first appointed to whose image we should be made conformable hereupon that Bishop would have it added to that Articleâ— the good pleasure of Gâ—d in Christ And though in King Edward's Articles of 〈◊〉 Articulo cuperem addi Beneplacitum Dei in Christo ibid. 1553. the 17th Article runs thus Constantèr decrevit eos quos elegit ex hominum genere * Which words are mistaken by Mr. Beâ—â—anus à malâ—dicto exitio liberare Yet in those of Queen Elizabeths and King Jame's 1616. we finde this addition In Christo quos in Christo elegit And consonantly hereunto those Articles of King Charls of blessed Memory whereunto He prefixed His Declaration 1631. do run thus He hath constantly decreed to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind But this you see overthrows absolute election to avoid which the Synod though it saith elegit in Christo hath establish't the good pleasure of God towards sinners on this side or before Christs Mediatorship and Reconciliation * Act. Sys 〈◊〉 cap. 1. de prâ—d Art 7. 9. Christum pro iâ—â— quos Deus summè dilexit ad vitam aeternam elegit Mortuum esse dicunâ— Cap. 2. Reject 7. Christus est causa meritoria salutis sed non causa electionis Causa quaerenda est 〈◊〉 Dei beneplacito amore gratuito qui ordine antecedit intercessionem filii P. Molin Consess inter Act. Syn. Dord par 1. p. 290. for Election is resolved by them to be the first benefit and the fountain of all the rest upon which depends the designation of the Mediatour himself Diotrephes Sir I am perfectly of the Synods judgment in this point however you mistake me I do not say Christ is the cause or foundation of the Decree but of the things decreed not of Election as to be established but as to be executed not of election to be decreed through him but of salvation to be obtain'd by him he comes under the Decree not antecedently but consequently not as the cause of that love wherewith God hath embrac'd us unto salvation but as a means underlayed to that love and therefore Christ was not given to men that they might be elected by him but then when they were elected he was given ut siâ—e justitiae suae dispendio nos ad gloriam adduceret as Sphanhemius * Disput Inaâ—gur Thes 5. hath it That God might bring us unto glory without any detriment unto his justice Securus You do acknowledge then that God hath elected us unto glory without any regard to faith or any good work whatsoever in us and that upon the intervention of Christ he may bring us into the possession of that glory without any detriment or impeachment of his justice therefore as I said from the beginning of our Discourse there is no need at all of our endeavours after good works or after a course of holiness and righteousness Diotrephes Sir you must not mistake us here though God do not choose us for this antecedent reason because we were hely yet he chose us to this consâ—quent end that we should be holy so the Synod have determined in these words This said Election was made not upon fore-sight of faith and the obedience of faith holiness or of any other good quality or disposition as a cause Cap. 1. Art 9 or condition before required in man to be chosen but unto faith and the obedience of faith holiness c. And therefore Election is the fountain of all saving good from whence faith holiness and the residue of saving gifts lastly everlasting life it self do flow as the fruits and effects thereof according to thaâ— of the Apostle Ephes 1. 4. He hath chosen us not bâ—bâ—cause we were but that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Securus Sir I hope you understand that
Rom. 6. 14. the Spirit which is given them at their new birth abides with them for ever * John 14. 16 and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 178 Diotrephes He that hath not more hatred than love to any sin and that had not rather be rid of it even in the use Mr. Baxter of Gods means then keep it in regard of the habituated state of his will is under the dominion of sin and in a state of damnation Account of persever ubi supra Praesumptuosus 1. Is this consistent with such a man as David his having two contrary ultimate ends 2. There is a combate betwixt the inward and the outward the spiritual and the carnal the new and the old man which they only do understand who feel it in themselves Et vim peccati etiam sanctissimas actiones aliquo modo polluentis vitae suae telam totam longè latè que pervadentis experiuntur and have experience of the power of sin polluting in some measure their most holy actions and spreading over the whole course of their lives saith Mr. D. Dicson * Ad Rom. 7. 22 23. 3. But such as are under such conflicts you say will use Gods means c. What are Gods means Are they not his holy Ordinances He that doth diligently frequent thâ—se that hears the Word and delights in Religious Conferences and is constant at his Devotions and Prayers doth use Gods means and thus did David saith Mr. Baxter * Pref. to the Grot. Relig. sect 19. I verily think that after his sin David went on in his ordinary course of Religion and Obedience in all things else abating in the degrees and blessed be God so do I and this is evidence sufficient of the habituated state of the will 4. If a man cannot get rid of his sins upon this account at least he may comfort himself as to the event that God sends them for fatherly chastisements as Mr. Perkins speaketh and raise his soul up with this meditation Lapsu non tolli fidem gratiam sed illustrarâ— sin serves rather to furbush our faith and the divine grace in us than to expell it To this purpose Dr. Twiss saith That all things work together for the good of them that love God is as true as the Apostle Pauls Epistle to the Vbi supra pag. 103 104. Romans is the Word of God And Bishop Cooper a Scottish Bishop saith he applies this to mens sins amongst other things shewing how they also do work for a mans good And in another place speaking of himself the Dr. hath these words I take notice of Gods hand sometimes hardning me against Pag. 95. his fear yet God knows I take no comfort in it but rather in this that God knowes how to work it for my good according to that of Austin Audeo dicere utile est superbis in aliquod apertum â—anif stumque cadere peccatum c. And when I find that my sins do not make a final or a total separation between my soul and God this may well tend to the Corroboration of my faith and perswade my soul that nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and I have good cause to take comfort in this saith that learned Dr. 5. But suppose a man should feel some pleasure in the act of sin as to the flesh and outward man yet he hath no need to fear the dominion of sin or state of damnation * Mr. Baxter saith that David chose flesh-pleasing for it self as his ultimate end Of saving faith ubi supra if he carries a hatred towards it in his spirit and inward man for this is exactly the case of the regenerate if you will allow with our Divines that the Apostle speaketh for â—hâ—ir comfort no otherwise then as he found by experience in his own person Rom. 7. 14 c. I am carnal saith he sold under sin for that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I no but what I hate that do I which he would not have done had he not found some pleasure in it If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would I do not but the eâ—il which I would not that I do Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me From which Discourse of the Apostle Mr. D. Dicson * Ad locum draws several Arguments of Consolation From the 16. verse he saith the Apostle comsorts himself and other combatants with these Arguments 1. Ego ipse Apostâ—lus c. I my self an Apostle am in the number of thâ—se who bewail the Lactaâ—ius brings in a person thus excusing himself Lib. 4. Cap. 24. Volo equidem non peccare sed vincorâ— indutus sum enim carne fragili imbecilla haec est quae concupiscit quae irascitur quae dolet quae mori timet Itaque ducor invitus pecco non quia volo sed quia cogor imperfection of their holiness and feel in my self the same combate and trouble with thâ—m from the imperfection of my obedience therefore such as bâ—wail the imperfection of their holiness have consolation seeing they suffâ—r nothing but what other Saints yea and the Apostles themselves are subject unto A second Argument of Consolation is this That out of this conflict there ariseth a sign of Sanctification begun in such a Combatant and a consent to the Law of God that it is good and holy For if I do what I would not then I consent to the Law of God that it is good And all that bewail the imperfection of their obedience have the same sign of their Sanctification A third Argument of Consolation to all such Christian Combatants he draws from ver 17. 20. in that the sin which they commit who do thus bewail their imperfection and disallow of it and condemn it shall not be imputed unto them but to the corruption of their nature and to that habitual sin that dwells in them c. Thus Mr. Dicson Thus it was in the Falls of David and Peter that David hated sin habitually and so many other sinners do as well as he for all his Aâ—ulâ—ery and Murder we may conclude from his indignation against the Oppressour expressed at the hearing of Nathan's Parable * 2 Sam. 21. 5. Hâ—reupon you know how favourably some of our Godly Reforming Divines have declared their Judgement It is not imaginable saith one * Mr. Baxter in his Pref to the Gâ—oâ— Relig. sect 19. of them
given him Jam. 1. 4. If you that are evâ—l can give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask iâ— Luke 11. 13. Suppose your life were in the hands of your own husband or your childrens life in your hands would it not exceedingly comfort you or them to consider whose hands they are in though yet you had no further assurance how you should be used God is a Father even to the wicked and to convince men of his fatherly mercy to them he often so stileth himself He saith by Moses Deut. 32. 6. to a wicked Generation whose spot was not the spot of his Children Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that bought thee Hath he not made thee and establish't thee And the Prodigal could call him Faâ—her for his encouragement before he returned to him Luk. 15. 16 17 18. For my own part I must needs profess that my soul hath more frequent support from the consideration of Gods gracious and merciful nature than from the promise it self To this he returns a ready Answer That God is the Father of the rain Job 38. 28. and of all Creatures as he is their Maker Ephes 3. 14 15. But if we speak with reference to salvation Dr. Twiss * Vbi sâ—pra p. 53 saiâ—h The dealing of God is with his Children he means the Elect only Father-like not with others 3. I have signified to him That this disquietness in him doth manifesâ—ly arguâ— a desire to believe as Dr. Twiss * Ibid. p. 138. observes and God hath promised to fulfill the desire of them that fear him Ibid. p. 158. And seeâ—ng aâ—â—iction especially when it is of a spiritual nature is the ordinary introduction into the state of grace in the coarse of Gods Pâ—ovidence like as the Valley of Acâ—or was a door of hope uâ— to the Children of Israel and our Saviour in going to Jerusalem the vision of peace did continually take Bethany the house of mourning in his way we have cause to conceive good hope that these pangs may be as the pangs of Child-birth unto an afflicted soul To this he replies That common grace will carry a man so far as to be abased in the feeling of his sin and misery and to be humbled by attrition as the â—Papâ—sts call it and to cry Mr. Baxter of saving saith p. 43 44. out of their sin and folly and day and night to beg for grace and mercy He may like the Word and wayes of God and think Gods servants the best and happiest men and have many a wish that he were such himself he may avoid gross and wilful sinning and continue in hearing reading the Word enquiring consideration he may have a desire after Christ and holiness and heaven he may have love to God and the Redeemer and the Saints and withall he may have either a knowledge that he is yet short of true Christianity or at least be much afraid of it and therefore be under a prudent impatiency till saving grace comes in and the Spirit hath sealed him up to the day of Redemptiâ—n and he cry out What shall I do to be saved This a man may be brought unto by common grace which hath no promise of saving grace made to it nor any necessary connexion with it and consequently saith he these pangs may be but the beginning of greater sorrows 4. I have assured him that if he doth believe in Christ a Fountain of Consolation is then opened to him * Dr. Twiss p. 148. In this case we can assure him not only of the favour of God for the present but also of final perseverance therein and of Election and of Salvation as Dr. Twiss * Ib. p. 150. affirmeth To this he replies in the words of the same Dr. * Ibid. pag. 47 48. That a man may believe by an acquired faith * How can such a Faith cloathed with all moral vertues be distinguish't from an infused Faith and perform the acts of all moral vertues and have an exteriour conformity to the means of grace and so proficere ad exteriorem vitae emendationem and yet not be acceptable to God for all this Nothing but a Divine Faiâ—h will save us 5. I have told him Albeit he hath not this Faith to day notwithstanding he may have it in good time * Dr. Twiss ib. 150 and that there is no cause of desperation or to conceive himself to be a Reprobate Ib. 138. forasmuch as his condition is no worse than Sauls was before his calling yea and the holiest servant Mr. Baxteâ—'s Directions for peaee of Conscience pag. 463. of God Therefore said I what if you have no grace Do you not hear God daily offering you Christ and grace Doth he not entreat and beseech you to be reconciled unto him 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. And would he not compell you to come in Matâ—h 22. Do you not feel some unquietness in your sinful condition and some motions and strivings at your heart to get out of it Certainly though you should be one that hath yet no grace to salvation yet these continued offers of grace and strivâ—ngs of the Spirit of Christ with your heart doth shew that God hath not quite forsaken you and that your day of grace and visitation is not past To this he finds an answer to and tells me the question is whether there be any such day of visitation alotted for him or no. He is sure those sâ—rivings betwixt the flesh and natural conscience portend no such forasmuch as there may be such a conflict in the very Reprobate He wonders I should say that God doth bâ—seech him to be reconciled and would compell him to come in for his Conversion must be if ever it be at all of Gods irresistible working and saving grace of his immediate infusing and he being omnipotent if he were pleased to have it so it must needs be accomplâ—sh't in him presently 6. I have intreated him after this manner When the Divel clamours in your ears Christ and Salvation is none of thâ—ne let that voyce of God be in your memory O take Christ Mr. Baxter â—bi supra pag. 37. and life in him that thoâ— mâ—â—st be saved When you would fain have Christ and life and you are afraid that God will not give them to you remember then that God stands by beseeching you to accept the same thing which you are beseeching to give God is the first Suitour and Sollicitour God prayes you to take Chrâ—â— and you pray him to give you Christ what have you now to do but to take him And here understand that this taking is no impossible business it is no more but your hearty câ—â—seâ—ting And pag. 56. when God in the Gospel bids you take Jesus Christ and beseecheth you to be reconciled Ibid. pag. 56. to him if your
is the first cause of it and consequently whatsoever we do we do necessarily in respect of Him This is one of the Arguments which proveth more than our Adversaries would have them and by these Rules have I formerly Answ in the second Argument proved that they make God the Author of sin for if causa causae be causa causati as doubtless it is while they make God the cause of all those actions which either are sins or the causes of sins questionless they make God according to their own Argumentation the cause of sins But they have a limitation for this Rule and say that it holdeth in causis essentialiter subordinatis as they say that God is the cause of all those things which are essentially and districtly done by our wills but sins proceeding from the depravation of our wills are effects of a cause not directly subordinate to God The limitation is sound but not applicable to their instance ye◠the limitation it self quite spoileth them For 1. While Adam's will was yet sound they teach that God decreed that Adam should eat the forbidden fruit now at that time they cannot say but that Adam was a cause essentially subordinate to God 2. They teach that God is a cause not onely of our actions but also of our volitions as I may say then these being the causes of our sins are directly subordinate to him 3. Let us consider not onely the subordination between God and our wills but also between our actions and their moralities and we shall perceive that according to the abuse of these Rules they make God the cause of our sins For that Rule Causa causae est causa causati is infallibly true expounded thus The cause of any effect is the cause of all such events as necessarily follow that effect Now then if as they say God be a necessary cause of all our particular actions seeing our actions in reference to such and such objects must needs be sinful it is manifest what followeth For example Though to take money in general be no sin yet to take this or that money being none of our own is a sin Now then if God be a cause of this action in reference to this object as he is if he be the cause of this particular action it is impossible their Doctrine should excuse God from sin Eating in reference to the forbidden fruit was a sin but according to them God was a principal cause of eating the forbidden fruit Ergo. Minor prob They say he was the necessitating cause of this particular action Eating was a natural action the individuation of this eating by an unlawful object was a moral obliquity But God was the cause of this individual Ergo. The like may be said of all our sinful actions When I have drunk sufficiently both for the necessity and comfort of nature to drink a cup more is sin But our Opposites teach that I cannot take up this superfluous cup without Gods speciall determination Ergo. This Doctrine is enough to make ones hair stand an end making God whatsoever they say the cause not onely of our actions but also of our obliquities for what are the obliquities of our actions but the placing of them upon wrong objects If therefore they make God the principal cause of all our particular actions most of which are particularized by bad objects what do these men make of God But Recrimination is no answer Hitherto I have shewed though perhaps without method yet I hope not without profit how our Opposites are wounded with their own weapons Now I will take their weapons out of their hands and teach them the right use of them shewing how God is the cause of all things onely not the cause of sin a cause of all good things yet so as that many good things are contingent also We have shewed in the third Argument how God hath ordained that all sorts of Inferior or second causes should work according to their proper kinds that voluntary Agents should work voluntarily c. God then is the first cause that all things do work and that they do work in certain kinds If so then God is the cause that many things are done contingently one of the chiefest sorts of second causes by this appointment working voluntarily and therefore contingently which connexion we have formerly justified This being well understood will instruct us not onely that it may be so but also that it must be so That God being the necessary cause of all good things yet all such things are not necessary effects of Him For example It is impossible that man should do any thing without God therefore God is a cause necessary to the being of all things effected by him yet because many things done by the free choice of man might as well have been omitted God no ways constraining him to them these are not necessary effects of God The Reason of this is because God hath decreed that man should work voluntarily having liberty to do as well one thing as another yet so that God giveth him the strength to do whatsoever he chooseth to do and ability to choose what he will without limitation of his choice for this were else ☜ to take it away and to make man an involuntary Agent For example God hath given thee strength of body he hath given thee also ability to choose in what exercise thou wilt employ it thou choosest to Ring or Dance God then the Author of thy strength is the chief cause of these exercises yet so as they are contingent in respect of Him because thou mightest have omitted them hadst thou pleased By this we may plainly see how God is the principal cause of all things of which he is capable to be a cause and yet many things are contingent in respect of him This being cleared we may with more facility conceive how and in what sense God is the cause of all we do and yet we onely the cause of sin God sustains us when we are about our sins even then in Him we live and move and have our being as well as when we are better busied God giveth that strength by which we commit any sin yet because he doth not necessitate or incline unto it but we of our selves abuse it to wickedness God hath still the part of a Creator we onely are sinful An example will make this clear Suppose a King delivereth to his Subject Men Weapons Mony and Warlike provision that he may fight for his Honor against his enemies his Subject proves a Traitor and useth all his Soveraigns strength against himself His Soveraign here is a cause that he hath the command and doth the Office of a Captain but he is no cause of his Treachery the offence is onely the Captains and the wrong is onely the Soveraigns This is just the case between God and us God hath given us many excellent faculties both of body and soul which he intended we should