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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	faith_n	impute_v	righteousness_n	2,775	5	8.3326	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75582	The just mans defence, or, The royal conquest being the declaration of the judgement of James Arminius, Doctor of Divinity in the University of Leyden, concerning the principall points of religion, before the States of Holland and VVestfriezland / translated for the vindication of truth, by Tobias Conyers, sometimes of Peter-house in Cambridge.; Declaratio sententiae de predestinatione. English	Arminius, Jacobus, 1560-1609.; Conyers, Tobias, 1628-1687.	1657 (1657)	Wing A3700A; ESTC R208013	52,267	187

follow if such Explications as these were once permitted in the Church of God It admits of no excuse that the Son of God should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither is it proper to say that the Essence of God is common to the three persons when it 's said to be communicated one from another From what I say it 's openly manifest how much we can tolerate in him whom we suspect not of Heresie and on the contrary how greedily we snatch up any thing to burden him whom we have in suspition the first is conspicuous for the later this example is the least Concerning man's justification before God I am not conscious to my self of teaching or thinking any thing which is not the unanimous sense of the reform'd and Protestant Churches and at very good accord with their judgements herein Some controversie of this nature indeed there was afoot betwixt Piscator the Nassovian Professor of Divinity and the French Churches stated thus Whether the obedience and righteousness of Christ imputed to Believers and in which they are righteous before God were only the passive obedience of Christ according to the judgement of Piscator or both active and passive which in his whole life he yeelded to the Law of God and that holiness wherein hee was conceived as the Gallick Churches believed For my part I never durst sink into this question or assume the examination thereof being satisfied the Professors of the same Religion may dissent from one another herein salving the unity of Faith and Christian Peace the Adversaries one to another seeming to be of the same minde in mutual toleration and brotherly forbearance although in our Countrey some be of another judgement A Question is mov'd from the words of the Apostle Rom. 4. Faith was accounted for righteousnesse whether it be understood properly so that faith as an act done according to the Evangelical Precept be imputed before God to or for righteousness and that by grace in as much as it is not the righteousness of the Law or whether it be to be understood figuratively and improperly that the righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith be imputed to us for righteousness or thus whether Righteousness into or for which faith is imputed bee the instrumental work thereof as some assert I have followed the first opinion in the Theses of Justification disputed under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me Non praecisè not rigidly yet simpli itèr plainly as elsewhere in a certain Epistle For this I am judged unsound in the doctrine of mans Justification but this wil be more clearly manifest in a mutual conference in its due season For the present briefly thus I believe the justification of sinners by the sole obedience of Christ and that his Righteousness is the onely meritorious cause for which the condonation of sin is granted to believers and reputed as just as if they had fulfilled the Law perfectly but inasmuch as God imputes this Righteousness of Christ to believers only I judg in this sense it may be well and properly said that faith is imputed for Righteousness by grace to him that believeth God having set forth his Son Tribunal Gratiae a Mercy-seat or propitiation by faith in his blood But however my judgement is the same with Calvins whom none of us reprehends as unsold in this point and am ready to subscribe to what he layes down in the third booke of his Institutions concerning it And these are the chief Articles most noble and potent States at the command of these Sessions I judged necessary to declare my sense of I have made some annotations upon the Confession of the Belgick Churches and Heydelberge Catechism but of these a debate will be most seasonable in our Synod which with your consent and evocation we hope for by the first opportunity only give me leave to add a word or two concerning a certaine Claufe under which the Noble and Potent States Generall consented to a Nationall Synod in this Province which was this that in it the Confession and Catechism of the Belgick Churches should be subjected to Examination This hath displeased many who judged it not onely unnecessary but very unmeet to be done and who should procure this from the Lords the States Generall but a person of quality and my selfe But neither of these upon any ground for the later we were so far from being the authors of it that eleven or twelve years ago at the great importunity of the Churches for a Nationall Synod the States of South-Holland and Westfriesland could not judg it otherwise requisite to yeeld thereunto by their decree then that in it the Confession of the Belgick Churches should be brought under Examination we not promoting any such thing at that time either by advice or endeavour yet really if we had we had done nothing but our duty and what was agreeable both to Equity and Reason and the necessity of our present Estate First that it might appeare to all the world we bear that honour to the word of God alone as becomes us that it onely is determined to be without nay above all dispute beyond al exception and worthy of all acceptation Secondly these book 's being the writings of men Errour may be contain'd in them whence it behoves us to be inquisitive yet lawfully in a Nationall Synod whether there be any thing that stands need of Correction and emendation in them 1 Whether they have an agreement of parts with the word of i. e. An exact agreement thoroughout God as well according to the words themselves and manner of speaking as the genuine sense thereof 2. Whether or no whatsoever is Comprehended in them be necessary to be believed unto salvation so consequently saving health ascribed to those things to which it is not Competible 3. Whether the Confession doth not containe and comprehend too many things as necessary to be believed unto salvation and that saving health according to that rule be refused to be given up to what it appertaines 4. Whether the words and form's of speaking made use of in them are not of ambiguous acception administring an occasion of contention for Example 14. Art●● Confes you have this passage Nothing is done without Gods ordination if by ordination be meant Gods appointing that something be done the Proposition is false in that it follows that God is the Author of sin but if the import of it be his Ordination to a good end it s rightly understood 5. Whether there may not be found things repugnant one to another Ex. Gr. A person much honoured in the Church writes to Piscator the Nassovian Professor wishes him to adhere to the Heydelberge Catechism in his Doctrine of Justification cites to this purpose three places which he thought at variance with the judgement of Piscator The Professor returns For his part he did stedfastly abide in the sense of the Catechism alledgeth for his proof eleven or twelve places thence Now

but lightly divulged this way would greatly prejudice my innocencie and the Articles be imposed upon me which I there openly professed never issued from me neither did they agree with my judgement neither as far as I could judge with the word of God Things thus passing 'twixt him and me in the presence of two Witnesses I judged it requisite to mention the same in the Convention because of these persons being present who had read the Articles supposing them to be mine as some of them confirmed to mee which accordingly I did The Convention being about to dissolve their acts and proceedings register'd and some of the Members injoined to give an account thereof to the Lords the States General I moved the Brethren they would be pleased to stay a little having something to offer to them which they consenting to I told them the five Articles then in my hands the tenor of which I briefly read to them I had certainly found to be sent abroad into several Provinces as Zealand and the Diocesse of Utrecht by some of this Assembly and read by some Ministers in their publike Meetings and look't upon as comprehending my Judgement I there solemnly with a good conscience in the presence of God and before all that Convention professed that these points of Religion were not mine neither did they contain my judgement and this I repeated over and over again humbly beseeching the brethren they would not so easily credit those flying reports of me neither so lightly entertain that as coming from me dispersed so much to my prejudice To this answer was made by one of the Convention I should do wel to signifie to the brethren what I approved or disliked in those Articles whereby they might come to some knowledge of my judgement which motion was seconded by some one But I returned this Convention was not summoned for any such end that we had sit long enough and that the Lords the States expected an answer And thus we dissolved no man urging it any further or testifying their joynt-consent by any perswasive to the reasonableness of it Nay some there present gave out as I afterward understood that they had it in special command not to enter a debate of any Doctrine which if it had fallen out they would presently have deserted the Convention and therefore the soliciting of me herein was far from being the minde of the whole Assembly This is a true relation Most Noble and Potent States of my brethrens solicitation and my refusall whence in my opinion its clearly manifest if respect be had to their request and the manner of it to my deniall and the ground thereof together with my Presentments herein there was no cause for this my accusation Their request leading to a Declaration of my self in the matters of faith was not in my apprehension grounded upon the least reason having never administred cause to them by teaching that at any time oppugnant to the Word of God the Confession or Catec●isme of the Belgick Churches why they should desire this of me more then any other having often avouched my readiness to give way if any fruit shal be judged likely to come thereof that this should be inquired into in a Synod either Provincial or National that a further knowledge may be had thereof The manner of their Desire by Deputies did manifestly dislike me being much oppressed with the prejudice of the Synod which is not presumed to solicite any man to a conference by their Deputies without cause given them so to do therefore 't was not safe to admit of any such thing lest by that means I should confess my self guilty of teaching something contrarie to what was right Reasons of my refusal were these First not being under the Synod of South or North-Holland but having other Superiours of my owne to whom I stood bound to give an account of my actions I could not consent to any conference with their Deputies unless with their consent and an express command from them especially it being incumbent not as a private duty upon me the Deputies themselves clearly enough intimating the Conference not to be of a private nature in denying to lay aside the Title of Deputation and proceed in their owne names with me And therefore I had sinned against my Superiors if I had not refused the same I wish their Brethren would remember there was never yet any of our Ministers subjected as a Member to their respective Synod durst at any time enter a conference without the advice of the Magistrate neither ever any particular Magistrate permit the Minister under his Jurisdiction to undertake a conference with the Deputies of the Churches unless they had first consented to it which they would often do by being present themselves by their Deputies Let them onely recollect what was done at Leyden in the cause Nomina Locorum Gouda Horna Medenblicus of Colhasius at Gouda with Hermannus Herberts at Horn in the case of Cornelius Wigyer and Medenblich in the cause of Taco Second Reason disswading me from the conference was the great inequality thereof equality being a necessary qualification in personal debates 1. They came against me with whom all things stood in a private capacity arm'd with publick Authority Now I am not ignorant how greatly they are under-propt who do any thing by vertue of this power 2. They were three in number besides the two deputed from the Synod of North-Holland with them I was alone not onely destitute of help but also of witnesses to whom as they likewise I might safely commit my affairs 3. They were not at Liberty being compelled to hang upon the judgment of their Superiors therefore strictly obliged to contend to the utmost for that opinion in Religion they were of insomuch as 't was not safe for them to admit of my reasons or arguments though never so cogent and insoluble which considered I did not see what fruit or advantage could mutually result from this conference as in equity should and which on my part was likely to do being free in my self and able by bringing my conscience in without the ppejudice of any to the examination to admit of that which my conscience convinced of the Truth should dictate to be right Of how great concernment all these things are your Highness's had known more fully if you had been present by your Deputies in that Preparatory Convention Third Reason Their own relation after the conference to the Synod could not but be divers wayes prejudicial to me whether absent or present if absent it might easily happen either by omission addition or dislocation of words by inconsiderateness in defect of understanding or imbecility in the want of memory or by the prejudice of disaffection a Narrative should be made otherwise then the truth of the thing required If present 't were difficult to escape or correct this inconvenience better credit being likely to be given to their own Deputies then to my self

as to the four heads above-mentioned chiefly urged in this Doctrine not once touched upon by them no Confession of any Reformed church delivering the doctrine of predestination as before propounded by me The Bohemian Confession the confession of the Church of England that of Wittenberge the first Helv●tian confession of the foure Cities Argentorate Constantia Memminga and Lindavia make not the least mention of it The Basilian and that of Saxony do onely point at it in three words The Augustan confession is so darke that it stands in need of annotations to preadmonish us of it as they of Geneva have thought the last Helvetian confession which hath the consent and subscription of the greatest part of all reformed churches doth so speak of it that I would gladly see how it is consistent w th it as before represented though the Sabaudican and that at Geneva have approved it Sixthly Without all strife and 6. Arg. contention this doctrine may be justly cald into question touching its concordancy with the Belgick Confession and Heydelberg Catechism as I shall briefly demonstrate Artic. 14. Confes Belg. you have this passage Man knowingly and willingly subjected himself to The Author proves the disagreement of this doctrine with the Belgick Confession being that of his own County rather then any other sin and by consequence to Death and Malediction whilest he inclined his ear to the words and impostures of the Devil Whence I conclude Man sinned not by any necessity of the preceding Decree of Predestination which is diametrically opposite to the Doctrine thereof Again Artic. 16. speaking of the Eternal Election of God God shewed himself mercifull by saving and freeing them from damnation whom in his everlasting and unchangeable counsel for his gracious goodnesse without any respect of works he chose in his Son Christ Iesus our Lord and also just in relinquishing others in that their fall and perdition whereinto they had precipitated themselves How these words are consistent with the forementioned Doctrine I plainly see not In the Heydelberg Catechism Quest 20. Salvation is not given to all those by Christ who perished in Adam but to them onely who are ingrafted into him by faith and embrace his benefits Whence I conclude God to have fore-appointed none absolutely to Salvation but those beheld in his Decree as believers which is in open defiance with the first and third head of this Predestination So Quest 54. See pag. 26. I believe the Son of God out of all Mankinde doth from the beginning unto the end of the World gather a chosen company consenting in the true faith unto Eternal life Where Election to life and consent in Faith are mutually placed together and the latter not subordinate to the former which according to the nature of this Doctrine ought necessarily to have been and the words run thus The Son of God calls and gathers by his spirit and word a company chosen unto life everlasting that they might believe and agree in the faith Things being thus there is no cause why the maintainers and promoters of this Doctrine ought with that violence contend to obtrude the same on their Complices or the Church of Christ or take it in such ill part when any thing is taught either in Church or University not consenting or at variance therewith Seventhly This Doctrine 7. Arg. fights against the very Nature of God especially with those Attributes of his Divine Being by which he worketh and manageth all things viz. With his Wisdom Justice and Goodness It opposeth his Wisdom three waies 1. In that it asserteth God to decree something for that end which neither is good nor can be made so such is Gods creation of some persons to eternal Perdition to the praise of his Justice 2. In that it averreth God by this Predestination to have proposed to himself the demonstration of the praise of his Mercy and Justice which he could no way do but by an act contrary to both such is that decree whereby he determined that man should sin and become miserable 3. It changetk and invert's the order method of the twofold Wisdom of God manifest in Scripture in that it asserts God absolutely to have fore-appointed the salvation of men by the Mercy and Wisdom comprehended in the Doctrine of the Cross of Christ without foreseeing 't was impossible that man and that through his own default should be saved by Wisdom perfected in the Lavv and infused into him by Creation vvhen the Scripture avers the contrary 1 Cor. 12. 1. It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save those that believe i. e. By the Word of the Cross after that in the Wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God 2 It wars against the Justice of God which represents him not only as a Lover of Righteousness and hater of sin but as having a perpetual and unshaken will of giving every one his right Against the first of these in that it makes God precisely to will the salvation of singular men and decree the same without any intuition or respect to righteousnesse or obedience and become a lover of those men more then his own Justice Against the later in that it stateth Gods vvillingness to entail misery upon the creature which is onely the punishment of sin not beholding it as peccant and so a culpable subject of Wrath and Punishment and so is made to impose upon the creature both that which belongs not unto it likewise that which is in conjuction with its greatest evil which is abhorrent from his Justice According therefore to this Doctrine God first detracts from himself that which is his right and attributes to the creature that which appertains not unto it to the making of it miserable 3. It is in open defiance with the goodnesse of God which is an affection in him of communicating good according to that fitnesse and congruity judged and permitted by his Justice But in this Doctrine of Predestination God is set forth unto us induced of his own accord without any external Motive to will and ordain the greatest evil to the Creature and that by an eternal preordination preceding any determination in him of indowing it with the least good this Doctrine being a declaration of Gods will to damn which that he might execute he purposed also to create now Creation is the first egresse of Divine goodnesse How discrepant are these things from that bounty of God whereby he doth good not only to the undeserving but also evil and guilty persons and which we are commanded to imitate in our heavenly Father Eightly It oppugneth the nature 8. Arg. of man consider'd in his being created after the Image of God in knowledge and righteousnesse in freedom of will with aptitude and affection to the enjoyment of Eternal life These three things may be concluded of him out of of that short sentence Do this and live in the day thou doest Rom. 10.

Prayer can be no means to procure it it 's onely the Worship and service of God for out of his positive decree of Predestination he hath appointed the salvation of such individual men 5. It takes away that wholsome fear and trembling in which we are commanded to work out our Ph. l. 2. 12. salvation in that it positively affirms That the elect and believing person cannot sin with that full bent of will as the wicked do neither totally or finally fall away from faith or grace received 6. It begets in men a despair of doing that which their duty required obtaining that whereunto their desires were carried out when they are taught that the grace of God which is necessary to the production of every good act out of the absolute and precise Decree of God is denied to the major part of men and that in pursuance of a preceding Decree equally peremptory with the later wherein he determined not to confer eternal life but everlasting death upon them it cannot but easily hence arise that whoever is not perswaded of his being elected should judge himself of the number of Reprobates whence must needs spring up in him a fearful desparation of doing righteousness and gaining eternal life Seventeenthly This Doctrine 17. Arg. inverts the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ In the Gospel God requires of men faith and repentance promising to converts and believers life everlasting but by this Decree of Predestination God is set forth as precisely willing to give salvation to some singular men together with faith and repentance by an absolute and irresistible power because 't was his will and pleasure to save them In the gospel God denounceth eternal death to Impenitents and Unbelievers that deterring them by his threats from their infidelity he might save them but in this Decree of Predestination God is represented unwilling to give unto some men that grace necessary to Faith and Conversion because he had peremptorily decreed to condemn them The gospel saith God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son 3 Joh. 16. that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life but this Doctrine saith God so loved those he absolutely elected to eternal life that he hath given his Son for them alone and works them up to faith by force irresistible In a word the gospel saith Perform the Command and thou shalt obtain the Promise believe and thou shalt live but this Doctrine saith Because it is my will and pleasure to bestow life upon thee therefore will I give faith unto thee likewise which is the very inversion of the gospel and a turning it upside down Eighteenthly This Predestination 18. Arg. is in open hostility with the Ministry of the gospel 1. For no man can be a Minlster and fellow-labourer with God neither the Word preached by him an instrument of grace and the spirit if the Lord quicken him who is dead in sin by an irresistible power no more then the creature could be an instrument of * Instrument of Grace i. e. of love in the Creation of the world grace in the first Creation or Contributory to its resuscitation from the dead 2. By this Doctrine the dispensation of the Gospel is made the savor of death unto death to the greater part of Auditors and an instrument of condemnation out of the primary purpose and absolute intent of God without the least intuition of their preceding Rebellion 3. By this Predestination baptism to reprobate Infants the children of federal and believing Parents is a meer blank and seals nothing and so altogether unprofitable and that out of the precise Intention of God without any default of the Infants to whom according to divine Command this Ordinance is administred 4. This obstructs faith and confidence in publique prayers and supplications to God for the benefit of all those that hear the word when according to this doctrine there are many amongst them whom God is not onely not willing to save but in his absolute eternall immutable will preceding all things and causes would condemne notwithstanding the Apostle injoining Prayers and supplications to be made for all men adds this reason for this is good and acceptable before 1 Tim. 2. 1 4. God our Saviour who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledg of the truth 5. The composure of this Doctrine easily renders Pastors and Teachers sloathfull and negligent in their function as if their diligence were onely advantagious to those whom God would precisely save being in no possibility of perishing and their negligence only Prejudiciall to those whom God would have miscarry and are necessarily to be undone for ever without any possibility of salvation 19. This Doctrine tends to Religions 19 Arg. overthrow in Generall and the christian in speciall Religion considered in generall is founded upon a twofold love of God without which it neither hath nor ever will have any being in the world the first is that Love of righteousnesse which gives being to the hatred of sin the second is the love of the rationall creature the love extended to man as in the businesse in agitation according to that of the Apostle He that cometh unto Heb. ii 6. God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him his love of righteousnesse is demonstrated in this that he will not give eternall life to any but those that seek him his love of men that he will bestow blessednesse upon them if they inquire after him The mutuall relation betwixt them is this There can be no place for the fefluxes of love to the creature but as the love of righteousnesse permits it The * The love of Righteousness more noble then the love of the creature former is far more excellent then the la●er there is alwayes a way open for the emanations of love to the Creature where the love of righteousnesse hath not stop't it The first is evident in Gods condemning man for sin which he loves as his Creature which he would not do if man were more dear to him then his own justice or his eternal ruin more abhorrent then his disobedience The second is clear in that he condemnes none but for sin and saves those that are turnd from it which would not be done by him unlesse he yeelded his love to the Creature so far as justice regulated by judgment permitted it This Doctrine of predestination inverts and changeth this order and mutuall respect First by asserting God precisely to will the salvation of some men without having in his purpose an eye to their obedience whereby his love of men is preferd to his love of righteousnesse and that as men they are more respected by him then his own justice and their misery more abhorrent unto him then their sin and disobedience The second by averring the contrary that God absolutely will 's the

is imprisoned because he differs from Zeno. O miserable times the doctrine of the Gospell obscured with strange and forraign disputes The dissent of the Danish Churches in general is evident from the writings of Nicholas Hemminge in his Treatife of Universal grace where he thus states the Controversie with his Adversaries Whether the Elect believe or Believers are elected Those who assert the first he judges them to agree with the doctrine of the Manichees and Stoicks those of the later perswasion with Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles Further Many in our owne Countrey do so ill resent this doctrine as they have openly profess'd they neither can nor will have communion with our Church Some that have joyned themselves yet with this protestation that they could not close with this opinion and not a few upon the score of Predestination onely have fallen away from our Churches who have been of the same minde with us others threatning to leave us unless they were satisfied the Church was not of this judgement Certainly there is no doctrinal point the Papists Anabaptists and Lutherans do more sharply oppose and by whose means procure greater envy to our Church casting an Odium upon all the Doctrines thereof as if there were no blasphemy against God so dreadful either utterable or imaginable which according to this opinion of our Teachers might not upon good consequence bee deduced from this Predestination Lastly There was rarely ever any difficulty or controversie in these our Churches all along since the times of Reformation which hath not had its rise from this Doctrine or been in some conjunction with it For the truth of this wee may recollect the contests at Leyden in the matter of Coolhasius those at Gouda in the business of Herman Herberts those at Horn about Cornelius Wigyer and Medenblick in the cause of Taco Sibrand And this was not the least motive inducing me to a diligent animadvertency of this point endeavouring that no damage accrue thereby unto our Churches the Papacy hence geting ground whose ruin as of the Kingdome of Antichrist all pious Teachers ought to wish studiously seek and as much as in them lies pursue And this in brief is that I have meditated upon this Doctrine of Predestination as it hath in all faithfulness been propounded by mee from the Authours thereof not affixing the least syllable to them which I cannot clearly prove from their own writings Others of our Teachers do hold forth the Doctrine of Predestination with some diffrence from the former and that two several wayes which I will briefly run through The Judgement of some of them is this First That God hath purposed in himself by an Eternal and Immutable Decree out of the lump of mankinde to make the lesser part for his good pleasure partakers of grace and glory to the praise of his renowned Mercy but by his preterition to leave the greater part in the state of Nature impotent to supernatural things and not communicate to them that saving and spiritual grace by which their nature yet whole and integrate might be establish'd or corrupted and depraved restored to the demonstration of his Liberty but afterward being made peccant and culpable to punish them with eternal death for the illustration of his Justice Secondly Predestination which word with these men is taken in the strict sense for Election and opposed to Reprobation is considerable in respect of the end and the means leading thereunto In respect of the end which is salvation and a manifesto of his glorious grace Man 's consider'd absolutely and indifferently in his own nature in reference to the means he is looked upon as of himself and in himself perishing and as guilty in Adam Thirdly In the Decree touching the end these gradations are observable Gods prescience by which he foreknew the predestinate then his prefinition by which he preordain'd the salvation of those whom he foreknew First By electing them from eternity then by preparing grace for them in this life and glory in the life to come Fourthly Means appertaining to the execution of this Predestination are to be Christ himself then efficacious calling to faith in him whence ariseth Justification and then the gift of perseverance to the end Fifthly Reprobation as we are capable of understanding it consists of two acts Preterition and Predamnation the first antecedaneous to all things causes which are either in them or exist by them i. e. beholding man absolutely and indifferently under no consideration of sin Sixthly To execute this act of Preterition two means to be fore-appointed Dereliction in the state of Nature uncapable of supernatural performances and Non-communication of grace whereby their nature uncorrupted might be confirm'd or depraved might be restored Seventhly Predamnation likewise to precede all things yet not without the prescience of the causes of damnation God in his foreknowledge beholding man as an offender and guilty of death in Adam therefore liable to perish out of the necessity imposed upon him by Divine Justice Eighthly The means ordained to put into execution this Predamnation 1. Just desertion and that 's either of Exploration wherein God conferres not his grace or of Punishment when God deprives man of all his salutiferous gifts and delivers him up into the power of Satan 2. Means hardening and those things that accompany it to the real damnation of the Reprobate Others declare their Opinion thus The second Opinion concerning Predestination First That God willing to decree from eternity the Election of particular persons Reprobation of others looked upon mankind not onely as made but as fallen and corrupted and therefore guilty of Malediction from which he determined freely by his grace to save some for a declarative of his Mercy and leave others under the curse in just Judgement for a manifesto of his Justice and this without any consideration had of Repentance and Faith in the one or Infidelity and Impenitence in the other Secondly The special means See the stating of the first opinion particularly belonging to the execution of this Decree of Election and Reprobation are to be the same with those laid down in the stating of the first Opinion excepting those in common appertaining jointly to both for the judgement of these men we now represent makes not the fall of man as a means preordain'd to the accomplishment of the preceding Decree of Predestination but onely as a proaeresis or an occasion administred for the framing hereof Both of these Opinions according Arminius examines these Opinions to their outward shape do in this only differ from the first that they neither place Creation nor the fall as a middle cause fore-appointed of God to execute this preceding Decree of Predestination though the two later themselves agree not concerning the Fall The first of them propounds Election in respect of the end and preterition the first part of Reprobation as preceding the fall the second as both of them

been brought to the test by them neither those who follow the Augustine Confession had judged it reasonable to subject it to a new Examination and change it in some places thereof We cannot but approve this deed and judge Luther not to have done well being admonished by Philip Melancthon in the close of his life as it 's testified in writing by our Countrey-men to reduce the Eucharistical Controversie of the Lords Supper to some better agreement in refusing so to do upon this ground retorted upon Philip as 't is reported of him That by this means the whole Doctrine should be called into question for if reasons of this nature had been admitted then the endeavors of the Church of Rome had been lawful in hindring the controverting and questioning by any new scrutiny the Doctrine receiv'd in the Church for so many hundred yeers To this it 's opposed If the doctrine of the Churches should be subjected to a new Examination at the Celebration of every National Synod they would never have any thing on which they might rest and firmly lean and that it might be truly said of these Churches That they had fidem anniversariam an anual faith and were carried about hither and thither with every winde of Doctrine To which I answer First The Church have Moses and the Prophets the Evangelists and Apostles i. e. the whole Scripture of the Old New Testament wherein the necessaries to salvation are fully and clearly comprehended Vpon this the Church shall build its faith and stay thereon as upon an immovable foundation into which notwithstanding our Confessions Catechisms every determination in all causes of Faith and Religion ought to be resolv'd 2. There are some points in the Confession so certain and indubious that they will never be question'd by any but * Ex. Gr. Whether Christ be the Son of God Whether the soul be immortal Hereticks other branches are of that nature that 't were very advantagious as oft as may be to have them debated amongst learned and God-fearing men that they may be ranked as neer as possibly they can with points of greater certainty 3. It would be endeavoured that the Confession be made up of as few heads as may be and those briefly framed in Scripture-terms omitting all larger Explications Proofs Digressions heapings together of words and sentences Amplifications Exclamations and onely delivering in it the necessaries to salvation The brevity will render it less obnoxious to Errors Obloquy and Examination taking for our example the practise of the primitive Church which gave a draught of the Articles judged necessary to be believed in very few words Some there are that make a distinction betwixt the Confession and Catechism as to a review and judge the former because proper to the Belgick Churches and not so much made use of by others may with less difficulty fall under a Synodical review and examination but the Catechism not being peculiar to us but chiefly appertaining to the Palatinate Churches and of general use and concernment cannot without great detriment be brought to the test To which I answer If the Catechisme of Heydelberg must needs be the form of concord amongst the Teachers of the Churches and to which every of them is bound to subscribe its necessary to subject the same to Examination for there are no Churches ought to be in that place unto us that we should so admit of any writing composed by them as not to preserve our Liberty of examining the same And this I look upon as the principal cause why the Churches of several Provinces agreeing in the Fundamentals of Religion have framed their Confessions peculiar to every of them Let it be granted that the Heydelberg Catechism is no such form and liberty conceded in its Explication as is fitting and 't wil not be necessary either to review or examine the same the burden only of subscription thereunto removed and moderate liberty yeelded in the unfolding thereof CONCLUSION AND this is that most Noble Potent Wise and prudent Lords I have to propose to your Highnesses together with a returne of thanks to this Noble and Potent Assembly to which next after God himselfe I acknowaedg my selfe bound to give an account of all my actions that of your Clemency you have vouchsafed to heare me patiently with my solemne protestations that I am ready to entertaine a fraternal and amicable conference with my fellow brethren concerning these things or any other about which at any time any controversie may arise at what time or place or upon what occasion soever it shall be judged requisite by these Sessions And I further engage in every debate to yeeld my self moderate and flexible not less prompt to learn then teach And in as much as in every thing to be conferr'd of amongst us there are two things attendable First whether that in debate be true and then whether it be necessary to be believed unto salvation the Scriptures being the ground of our inquiry in both I do Sacredly affirm and solemnly oblige my selfe not to obtrude any point to be believed my brethren dissenting from me therein though proved by solid arguments to consent with the Scriptures unlesse I have clearly Evinced it from the Divine word it selfe and as dilucidly true so also necessary to be believed by every Christian to salvation which if my brethren will be prepared to do my opinion is there will scarce any debate or Schisme be amongst us And further I adde that I may take away all feare and jealousy that on my part may hang upon this Noble Assembly now charged and burden'd with weighty affaires upon which the peace and prosperity of our Nation and the reform'd Churches depend there will certainly be very many things and those of a high nature which I shall beare with in my fellow brethren not being Lord of another mans faith but a Minister in this to those that believe that in them may grow the Knowledg truth piety peace and joy in Christ Jesus our Lord. But if my fellow-brethren see not how they can attolerate me and grant me a place amongst them yet notwithstanding for that which concern's my self I hope no rent or division will ensue which God avert there are Schisms enough already in the Christian world its incumbent rather upon every one to diminish and abolish them In this case I 'le possess my soule in patience and my place though I shall indeavour to live so long as God shall prorogue my life for the common good of Christianity I will lay downe mindfull of that Sat Ecclesiae Sat Patriae datum FINIS These books following are to be sold by Henry Eversden at the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard AN Exposition with Practical Observations on the Nine first Chapters of the Proverbs by Francis Taylor Minister of Canterbury in quarto An Exposition with Practicall Observations on the whole Book of Canticles in quarto by John Robotham Minister of the Gospel An Idea or body of Church-discipline in the Theorick and Practick by Mr. Rogers in quarto Imputatio Fidei Or a Treatise of Justification wherein the imputation of Faith for Righteousness mentioned in Romans 4. 5. 6th is explained by Mr. John Goodwin Minister of the Gospel in quarto The Right of Dominions or the Prerogative of Kings proved from Scripture by Dr. Welden Lucas Redivivus or the Gospel-Physitian prescribing by way of meditation divine Physick to prevent diseases not yet entred upon the soul by John Anthony Doctor in Physick in quarto Mercy in her Exaltation a Sermon preached at the Funerall of Mr. Thomas Taylor by Mr. John Goodwin in quarto Anabaptists Meribah or Waters of strife being an answer to Mr Tho. Lamb Merchant by Mr. Price one of Mr. John Goodwins Congregation The natural mans case stated or an exact map of the little world man in seventeen Sermons by Mr. Christopher Love to which is added a Sermon preached at his Funeral by Mr. Thomas Manton of Newington in 80. Gods glory in mans happiness or the freeness of Gods grace electing us by Francis Taylor of Canterbury in 80. The Lords Prayer unclasped being a vindication of it against all schismaticks and Hereticks called Enthusiasts and Fratracilli by James Harwood B. D. Hippolitus Translated out of Seneca by Edm. Prestwich Gospel publick worship or the Translation Metaphrase Analysis and Exposition of Romans 12. from vers 1 to 8th describing and prescribing the compleat pattern of Gospel worship Also an Exposition of the 18th Chapter of Matthew to which is added a discovery of Adams three-fold estate in Paradise viz. Moral Legal and Evangelical by Thomas Brewer in 80. A Comment on Ruth together with two Sermons one teaching how to live wel the other minding how to dye wel by Thomas Fuller Author of the Holy State Pearls of Eloquence or the school of Complements wherein Ladies and Gentlewomen may accomodate their Courtly practise by Will. Elder Gent. in 12. The doctrine of laying on of hands vindicated and asserted being an Answer to Lieut. Col. Paul Hobson in quarto The Male of the Flock a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor out of the 4th of Malachy by Mr. Aggas Minister of Chynis These Books are now in the Press and ready to Publish Riverus Vniversall body of Physick in English folio The seventh day Sabbath sought out and Celebrated by The. Tillam in 8● Mr. John Goodwin in answer to Mr. Kendall and Mr. Resbury and Mr. Pauson