speak in the 9. 10. and 11. chapters Lastly we shall God willing make it appear in sundry particulars that these Adversaries by wresting of some things and omitting of others pervert the Apostles words to a strange sense how soever they think to get advantage by striking others first with that imputation And first though they account it plain and without difficulty that the Apostles meaning v. 5 6 is that not all the Israelits not all the children of Abrahams flesh specially not such as boasted of the observation of the Law were therefore in the state of salvation or should be saved yet in truth he plainly means another thing namely that all Israel all that were the seed of Abraham and children of the flesh were not that Israel that seed those children to whom the promise was made that is were not they touching whom God by his promise declared his purpose of election mentioned v. 11. For though all are saved that receiv the promise by faith and none by the works of the Law yet the Apostle in this place neither speaks a word of salvation as the effect of the promise but of election as the cause therof nor yet of mens receiving the promise by faith but of Gods making it according to election that so the purpose of God and promise manifesting it might stand according to election v. 11 that the word of God might take effect v. 6. even the word of promise At this time will I come c. v. 9 they are then called children of the promise not because they received but because the promise Sara shall haue a Son c. was made unto them according to the election of grace and stableness of Gods purpose v. 8. 9. 11 which promise also they did in time receiv by faith according to the election of that remnant from the rest the promise following the purpose of election and faith and salvation by it following the purpose and promise Though Israel that is all which were of Israel obtained not that which he seeketh for yet the election hath obtained it even the remnant of Israel to whom Gods promise is according to the election of grace in regard of which remnant according to election the word of God is effectuall and the promise fulfilled touching the yonger son of Rebeca of whose two sonns it was said before they were born or had done either good or evill the elder shall serv the yonger And as they truely affirm that neither birth nor works did prefer with God so I demand here what those works were by which Esau sought for justification The Scriptures expresly term him a prophane person that is a despiser of goodnes yea of his very birth-right which was a speciall legall priviledg How then sought he to be preferred with God and justified for birth or works Or how doth this example of Esau fit their imagined plain exposition specially to proue that the children of Abrahams flesh were not in the salvation who so much boasted of being Moses disciples in the observation of the Law when as the Law of Moses was not yet given nor the Law-giver born Their words following that God purposeth to prefer those that seek it by his free election through faith in Christ are true in themselvs but not in their sense Their meaning is that God purposed to saue them effectually that should beleev in Christ Iesus whereupon should be meant in this place onely such a purpose of God as was no more towards Iakob then towards Esau for God by their doctrine purposed to chuse Esau if he beleeved and not Iakob but upon his beleeving first But the Apostle speaks more then evidently of such a purpose of God as was towards Iakob particularly and alone excluding Esau. Besides the standing of this purpose and election are here noted as two distinct things of which election is the former and that according to which this purpose of God stands whereas they make them one and the same accounting election nothing but the purpose of bestowing salvation upon them that beleev Thirdly the Apostle cannot mean such a purpose and election as presupposeth faith in Christ which they would haue seeing he expresly affirms it to haue been when the children had done neither good nor evill Is to beleev in Christ to puâ— on the wedding garment by faith and obedience to submit to the righteousnesse of God which they will haue the condition upon vvhich election depends and the quality for which God elects the persons in whom he finds it are these to doe no good with with these men and is the doing of the contrary to doe no evill Lastly he saith not that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of vvorks but of faith as they say but not of vvorks but of him that calleth that is as followeth that vvill haue mercy on whom he vvill haue mercy By which it is plain that Paul doth not in this chapter as chap. 3. and 4 and Gal. 4 oppose works and faith but vvorks and Gods calling He should haue said for their purpose that the purpose of God stands not of works but of faith or of him that beleeveth and not as hee doth for the purpose of the Holy Ghost of him that calleth Shewing thereby his meaning to be in this whole discourse that the obtaining of righteousnesse or standing of Gods purpose in its actuall effect depends upon God alone according to three degrees here expressed first his gracious purpose of election in himselfe towards some secondly his free promise manifesting his purpose thirdly his effectuall calling in which his vvord of promise hath effect and his purpose stands firm and undisappointed notwithstanding the unbeleif of the body of Abrahams seed Their making Iakob and Esau types as they doe is like the rest or worse The Scriptures are not to be drawn from their natural simple sense without apparant warrant It is the high way to heresie to be bold in framing typical expositions And with what spirit these men are led this way appears by their expounding the parable Luk. 15 making the Iews the elder brother vvho sought salvation by vvorks and the Gentles the yonger in the offer of the Gospell seeking salvation onely by the free promise of God wheras the plain meaning of Christ is onely to avow his preaching to the Publicans and sinners resorting unto him against the pride and envy of the Pharisies those Publicans and sinners being Iews as well as the other Secondly I demand what it was in which Iakob typed out beleevers seeking righteousnesse by God and in which Esau typed out workers seeking justification by their own works The contrary in Esau is expressed in the Scriptures Lastly seeing it cannot be denyed but that Iakob as a faithfull and godly man was in time actually beloved of God and Esau as godlesse and prophane actually hated it must needs follow that God before the world was
according to which he himselfe works in loue or hatred not of that according to which he commands and appoints men to worke These men in truth confound all things setting mans will where Gods should stand God saith on whom I will they say on him that himselfe wils or seeketh as he ought c. The same Idol of mans wil they advance set up v. 16 where in stead of Gods shewing mercy they put mans beleeving mercy The Lord by willing and running v. 16 excludes whatsoever is of or in man and either within or without him and draws all to himselfe alone In the stead of God shewing mercy they put themselvs and their free will receiving mercy by God offered as the proper cause of difference between man and man The 17 vers For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh c they handle very sleightly saying something such as it is about Gods hardening Pharoahs heart but not medling at all with the place according to the coherence which it hath with the words going before unto which yet the Holy Ghost strongly tyeth them in saying For the Scripture saith c. And herein they are in truth wise in their generation These words must needs answer to the latter part of the objection of unrighteousnesse with God in hating that is as they interpret it in rejecting such as seek righteousnesse by the works of the Law as did the fleshly Israelits But wherein I wonder did Pharaoh so How sought he justification by the works of the Law Who so professedly despised the God therof saying Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce Did they see that this example of Pharaoh and their exposition of the place could not stand together and therfore chose to cut off the coherence so firmly tying the words together rather then to let fall their preconceived erroneous exposition Whatsoever they intend herein we know it is brought for an example of Gods absolute but righteous power of hardening rather then another whom he will and not whom he finds most deserving it for whom finds he not too much deserving it if he would deal in like manner with all as it is said whom that is which rather then other he will he hardneth v. 18. And let it be diligently minded that the Apostle here opposeth Gods shewing mercy to some and his hardening of others and not his shewing mercy to some and his condemning of others The adversaries by Gods shewing mercy would haue us understand his saving of such as beleev and repent And then on the contrary by Gods hardening should onely be meant his not shewing mercy to but punishing condemning such as doe not beleev nor repent But we know that the not hearing God voyce not beleeving and repenting follow upon hardnesse of heart Wherupon the Lord promiseth that in the day of his mercy and pittie he will take from his people their stony and hard hearts And so touching Pharaoh the Scriptures expresly shew that his hardnesse of heart was the cause of his unbeliefe and disobedience Whereupon I conclude evidently that the Apostle here speaks not of such a mercy onely as follows faith as the Adversaries would haue him but as goes before it also as he speaks of such a hardening as goâ—s before unbelief Note we here also that the Apostle in this place propounds Gods will as the cause of his dealing diversly with divers persons and not of his saving such as are to be saved after a divers manner from that which some namely the carnall Israelites imagined ADVERSARIES NOW to return to them They lay down a question thus What is the meaning of the hardening of Pharaoh And in their answer wholly passe by God as no doer in the businesse They make Pharaoh a doer in hardening his own heart which is true and Satan a doer in hardening Pharaohs heart and this is true also but God no doer but a sufferer only in giving him up that is as else where they expound it in leaving him to himselfe and to Satan to be hardened DEFENCE BVT first the Text imports a further thing in God whom it brings in thus speaking For this same purpose haue I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared through all the earth Is Gods raysing up which is his hardening v. 8 nothing but his letting a man lie still and fall down lower then he was before Besides the end which was the glory of Gods power and name shews God to be a worker Every end must haue an efficient or working cause The glory of God was not the end of Satans work nor of Pharaohs work and therefore of Gods work in it Thirdly God hardened Pharaohs heart by sending Moses and Aaron unto him as by an occasion though not a cause as the Law is the occasion of sin and the Gospell the occasion of strife and variance Fourthly God deprived Pharaoh of the use of common sense and reason otherwise it could not haue been that after so many experiments by him taken of Gods powerfull hand against him and for the Israelits he should so furiously as he did haue followed them into the middest of the Sea Lastly besides and aboue all these God in whose hands the hearts of Kings are as the rivers of waters to turn them whether he will hardened Pharaohs heart by ordering his pride cruelty and contempt of God to this effect of obstinacy appearing in his most desperate course without which powerfull and unerring hand of God all the former notwithstanding it might haue come to passe that Pharaohs heart might haue been softned by the miracles and means used and so Gods word which before had foretold his hardening might not haue taken effect which is contrary to the truth and drift of the Apostle in this place God therefore was not onely a sufferer but a doer in the hardening of Pharaoh ADVERSARIES THeir next question is How consider you these words Who hath resisted his will v. 19. Vnto which they frame this untoward Answer viz. that those Iews seeking salvation by those works of the Law did not resist Gods will and so gaue him no cause to complain DEFENCE NOthing lesse as we haue shewed and shall further manifest by and by from the Apostles answer v. 20. The meaning is plain The words v. 19 Thou wilt then say unto me why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will are an objection against that which immediately went before whom he will he hardeneth Now against this it may colourably bee objected that if God hardens whom he will hee hath then no reason to complain of mens being hardened in disobedience for Who can resist his will if he will harden them A piece of an eie is sufficient to see the plainnesse of this exposition and coherence Their discourse then following that God would saue all and haue all repent amend and beleev
he wanted And as the Apostle affirms of the Ephesians that they were elect of God in Christ before the foundation of the world in regard of the faith and holines appearing in them so might the Lord well say of this and other his like hypocrites and unsanctified ones that they are not of the number of the elect or chosen in Gods eternall decree so far as their present state manifests Neither is it the meaning of the Lord in those words simply to reprove him for not having on a wedding garment but for coming thither and not having it on Friend how comest thou hither not having on a wedding garment and so to warn others to make sure their election and not to content themselues with the shew of obedience without inward truth And taking the words thus they make for our and against their opinion Or take the words as meant of the actual execution of election and that in the largest sense so as in the same be cōprehended whatsoever God doth in time for the effectual procuring of a mans salvation as of the giving of Christ for him of the Gospell to him and by it faith and holinesse and the spirit of adoption and so glory in the end and we say all this he doth according to his eternall purpose of election effectuall onely in those who are made partakers of the inward calling and wedding garment thereby and not in all that are called outwardly For known unto the Lord are all his workes from the beginning of the world Whatsoever God doth in time that he purposed to do from eternitie as he doth it But take election as these men do in most places and which seems likewise to be their meaning upon best advise for that first work of mercie in God by which he actually and particularly as they speak chuseth persons to salvation they erre with great error in holding that this election is for the qualitie which God findes in persons and upon the condition of faith and repentance going before and that God onely chuseth and electeth where he finds faith and obedience to his son For first the Apostle teacheth Eph. 1. 4. that we are chosen in Christ to wit as the mediator and meanes of communicating all spirituall blessings with us before the foundation of the world was layd that we might be holy and unblameable in loue before him This is meant our adversaries granting it of the decree of election the meaning therefore must needs be that God hath from eternity decreed to elect or chuse us in time actually not because we should or would be holy as these men perversly imagine but that we might be holy As God from eternity purposed to chuse men so hee chuseth them actually in time But he purposed from eternity to chuse men that they might be holy and therfore actually in time chuseth them that they might be holy and unblameable before him and therfore not because they are holy or beleev and obey Gods actuall chusing therfore goes before our actuall faith holinesse repentance and obedience as the cause and follows them not as an effect as they mis-judge The same is confirmed from v. 5 where we are said to be predestinated to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ With which joyne that Rom. 8. 30 Whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified To be elected to wit in decree and to be predestinated in the good part as here are the same in substance onely we are said to be predestinated in respect of the supernaturall ends and means leading therunto unto which God in time bringeth us and to be elect or chosen in respect of others from whom God selecteth us Now if we be predestinated of Christ to the adoption of children then not because we are children or beleev which are the same Ioh. 1. 12. To this purpose it is that the Lord so oft by Moses beats upon this that he chose the Israelits to be his people out of his loue to them and loue and promise to their Fathers excluding all other motiues and placing the cause of his chusing them in himselfe alone and his loue and the stability of his purpose and promise Moses testifyeth that God chose them that they might be a holy and peculiar people unto the Lord But these men will make God begin at the other end and chuse men because they are an holy and peculiar people that is having faith and repentance going before Ioyn we with this that in the Psalm Blessed be the man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts we shal be satisfied with the goodnesse of thy house of thy holy Temple Faith then and holinesse are not the fore found conditions for which God chuseth a man but the actuall conferring and giving of them according to an eternall purpose is the very actuall chusing of him even that by which God severs elects selects and chuseth him out of the masse of the wicked Every mans common sense will teach this All are of themselues and by nature sinners and subject to wrath Now what is it for God actually to chuse some from the rest but to bestow that upon them actually and effectually by which they differ actually from the rest which is faith and repentance God doth not therfore as these adversaries imagine chuse upon condition of faith and repentance going before but doth by the very bestowing of these graces of faith and repentance which others want chuse elect select and sever actually from others the elected from eternity in his decree Lastly by the crosse doctrine of these men we should chuse God before God chuse us for by beleeving and obeying we chuse God to be our God and for this by their crooked rule God after chuseth us to be his people Thus proud flesh will needs be before hand with God But Christ our Lord leads us another way saying You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you to wit first which he speaks not onely of their Apostolicall but of their Christian state also as the words following make it plain that whatsoever ye shall aske of the Father in my Name hee may giue it you Vnto the state of faith and obedience onely doth this promise appertain Their assertion thus disproved wee will come to their proofs which are partly impertinent and partly against themselues The first is The Lord chuseth to himselfe a righteous man The place which is Psal. 4. 3 they note not for what purpose they best know but all may know it is grosly perverted a◠not being meant of Davids election to salvation but to the Kingdom of Israel whose glory that way his adversaries would haue turned unto shame but all in vain v. 3. But consider we this choise in proportion to the other and see what followeth Gods
actuall chusing of David to the Kingdom of Israel was that by which he had first actuall right to that Kingdom to which he had right before onely in Gods decree and of which afterwards he had possession So Gods actuall chusing of a man to the Kingdom of heaven is that by which he hath first actuall right to that Kingdom to which he had no right before saue in Gods decree Gods chusing a man therfore actually as they speak to the Kingdom of heaven is the very giving of him faith and holinesse for by these he hath this actuall right to eternall life and glory If therfore Gods chusing men actually opposed to his chusing them in decree be his giving them actuall faith and repentance then their faith and repentance goes not before Gods choise but on the contrary his chusing before their beleeving The giving of the grace by God must needs goe before the having of it by men With like successe they quote Rom. 9. 25 and â— Pet. 2. 10 c. which haue no shew of ground whereon to build their assertion that God chuseth men actually and particularly because they beleev and repent but most firm foundation for the contrary truth Men become Gods people and beloved actually by actuall faith and repentance which before were his and beloved onely in the purpose of his will according to election Rom. 9. 11. 13 and elect according to Gods foreknowledge 1 Pet. 1. 2 God therefore actually chusing men and making them his people and beloved which are all one by giving them to beleev and repent their beleeving and repenting cannot goe before his chusing them but the contrary The giving of the gift is in nature before the having and using of it by him to whom it is given and therefore â—ods chusing them which is his giving them faith and repentance is before their beleeving and repenting The next place being Rom. 11. 5. 7 they set down craftily thus v. 5 If they seek righteousnesse by faith and these are thâ— the elect according to the election of grace The words of the Apostle are So then at this time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace and v. 7 the election hath obtained it and the rest were hardened The thing obtained was the righteousnesse of God and of faith the wedding garment the righteousnesse which Israel obtained not because they went about to stablish their own righteousnesse but the election obtained it by beleeving even that remnant wherof Paul was one according to the election of grace What can be more plain against these men Or how can any more directly crosse the Apostle then they doe The Apostle saith we obtain the righteousnesse of faith which is the wedding garment according to the election of grace They say we obtain the election of grace according to the wedding garment and righteousnesse of faith and obedience The Apostle saith the election obtains the righteousnesse of Christ by faith they say the righteousnes of Christ by faith obtains the election turning Gods work upside down that they may establish their own Besides this proud exaltation and Babylonish building of mens works against Gods grace for if it be of obedience as they say then of works to wit the works of obedience the Apostle v. 6 clean overturns saying If by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise works is no more works In alledging from 2 Pet. 1. 10 that this election must be made sure they as before craftily conceal part of the Apostles words which being laid down as the Text hath them overthrow plainly their errour The words are Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure He joyns calling and election together they leav calling out And herein I commend them as the master did the unrighteous steward for doing wisely though not honestly For who knows not that Gods calling us goes before our answering him by faith and obedience as the cause therof God cals and also elects men to faith and obedience and not for them The Apostles meaning is that the faithfull should use all godly care for the establishing and confirming of themselvs in the grace of God to which they were formerly called and chosen The like prophane boldnesse they use towards 1 Thess. 1. 4 where for the Apostles text Knowing beloved your election of God or Knowing beloved of God your election they put their own glosse The houshold of faith the Church of God are the elect of God The Apostle v. 4 mentions his knowledg of their election and v. 5. 6 the ground of that his knowledg and perswasion which was their faith and obedience by receiving the Word by him preached They were not therefore made elect of God by faith and obedience but therby known for such by men Col. 3. 12 makes against them also where their election is mentioned as a reason to moue them to put on bowels of mercy and all goodnes As indeed the gracious purpose of Gods election with his effectuall calling followeth and manifestâ—th is the onely Evangelicall motiue to all earnest study of obedience Their assertion following that Election is not of particular persons but of qualities is monstrous and most crosse to the Scriptures which never mention election of qualities but alwaies of persons Is the meaning of Christ Math. 22. Many are called but few chosen that many qualities are called and few chosen What quality but of sin and misery sees the Lord in them whom he calleth Or how can qualities be either called or chosen to grace or glory Christ tels his Disciples that he had chosen them out of the world If they were chosen out of the world which lyeth in wickednesse and hates the good for what good qualities trow we were they chosen If they were chosen out of the world and so were of the world before they were chosen out of it how had they faith and obedience for which these men wil appoint God to chuse them or else not That we are Gods generation viz. by creation is true but impertinent Of â—ods working good qualities in men by his word and spirit and of their resisting or not resisting we haue spoken and shall speak else where Rom. 8 29 makes for them as the former places shewing plainly â— that our predestination or election goes before our calling our calling before our justification our justification before our glorification The note in the English Testament upon Ephes. 1 is the same which the Synode at Dort and all Evangelical Churches professe Onely these mens errour is in their not putting a difference between Gods decree to saue and his actual saving of them that beleev whether by justifying or glorifying them Gods chusing a man whether in decree from eternity or by actuall and effectuall calling and calling of him out of the state of
haue not known them The Heathens therfore if we will giue credit to the word of God had not the knowledg of Gods word so not of the Gospel which is most hidden as being of supernatural revelation onely Of the same Gentiles the Apostle testifieth that God in times past suffered them all to walk in their own wayes that is did not manifest Christ unto them for faith in his bloud and repentance through him but onely his power and God-head giving them rain from heaven and other bodily blessings to witnesse the same With this accords that elswhere The times of this ignorance which had been amongst the Gentiles before Christ God regarded not or winked at but now commandeth all men every where as well Gentiles as Iewes to repent The Apostle opposeth the time now in which he preached to the former times and shews that God now and not in times past called all to repentance by the preaching of the word To conclude the same Apostle expresly teacheth that there is no salvation but by beleeving in the name of the Lord Iesus by the preaching of the word and Gospell by preachers sent of God for that end But now for any to say that every particular person in the world hath had or hath the word of the Gospell preached unto him by a preacher sent of God for that purpose were an assertion of him whose impudencie better deserved a club then any grounds that possibly he could lay a refutation considering both the infallible experience of all ages and testimony of scripture to the contrary and that there were places even in the latter end of the last Apostles time where Christ had not been named nor spoken of Next follows to be examined their exposition upon Rom. 9 in the introduction whereunto they mingle truth with errour They deal craftily in bearing the Reader in hand that the disputation of Paul herein is hard and the matter darkly handled that so they may turn the thoughts of the Reader from it or at least dim them with prejudice against that plain and evident truth of Gods free election and reprobation joyned therewith Both which things he sets down most clearly though the reason of the Lords different dealing towards them that are in themselves alike he makes unsearchable and determines in the free purpose of his will if men did not trouble the pure and cleare water of Gods sanctuary with the foul feet of their corrupt glosse They also erre in makeing this one of the places in Pauls Epistles of which the Apostle Peter speaketh 2. Pet. 3. 16. Peter doth not say neither wil the Greek text beare it that there are things hard in Pauls Epistles but that in those matters in his Epistles to wit about the day of the Lords comming and the dissolution of the heavens and elements and the new heavens and new earth promised were things hard to understand c. Their perverting of the Scriptures which they lay to the charge of others both in the Epistles of Peter and Paul and every where else wee haue formerly disclosed Neither do we affirm as they here charge us that God reprobates either the greatest number or any as they understand and elsewhere expound themselves that is predestinates them to condemnation without any condition Hee predestinates none to condemnation or which is all one purpose to condemne none but for sin freely by them to be practised as the fore-going condâ—tion and onely deserving cause of condemnation Neither say we as they slander us that God denieth means of salvation to men because he would haue them perish but as the Apostle reacheth that he hardens by that and other his holy dispensations whom he will that he might shew his wrath and make his power known upon the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction ADVERSARIES LEt us now come to their exposition The scope say thâ—y as of the whole Epistle so of this chapter is that not the Law but the Gospell is the power of God to salvation and that we are not justified by the workes of the Law but by faith even that faith which Abraham had DEFENCE AS the proper and particular scope of divers parts of this Epistle is divers so do they misse of the drift of this particular chapter which is not as they conceive to prove justification not to be by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Christ in the Gospell But to shew that the first and highest cause why of all mankinde faln in Adam one is cleared and another not is onely the good pleasure and free wil of God and not mans deservings and yet that God in so choosing or electing one before another doth nothing unjustly as shall appeare in the particulars hereafter to bee explained and may in the mean while be gathered by these three generall reasons First for the Apostle when of purpose he handles the matter of justification by faith chap. 3. 4. doth so oft and againe iterate and inculcate the terms of Faith and Iustification almost in every verse whereas here he never so much as once mentions either of them in the disputation it selfe which is to the end of vers 24. where he descends from the matter of election to the calling of the elected both of Iewes and Gentiles Secondly it is unreasonable to conceive that the Apostle having in the third and fourth chapter so fully handled and so expresly concluded that matter of Iustification by faith and not by works and chap. 7. the effect and end thereof Peace with God and perseverance to salvation and chap. 6. the matter of sanctification and chap. 7. the imperfection of that sanctification in this life and chap. 8. the afflictions of the faithfull and their perseverance notwithstanding to the death should now again without any occasion and against all order return to the same matter of justification so fully handled and ended before This might wel agree with these mens wandrings in this their treatise but agrees not with the wisdom either divine or humane wherewith the Apostle was furnished Much more absurd is it to imagine that having formerly handled that subject matter of justification so plainly as he hath done chap. 3 and 4. he should returne to handle the same matter so darkly and obscurely as all the adversaries to the truth and fautors of this conceit are compelled to confesse he hath done in this place Thirdly if this were the Apostles proper drift what needed he to have made such deep protestation of his hearty sorrow for the Iewes as he did more in this place then in the former where he handled that matter more clearly then here It was in truth no other thing that moved the man of God to these sad and sorrowfull protestations then to remov the offence which might be taken at the Iews rejection and calling of the Gentiles in their stead of which and the highest cause thereof hee was now to
as in a generall root was so conceived and brought forth by his mother in sin Secondly it is one thing to be conceived and born in sin another thing to be made of sin The former David affirms of himself the latter they vainly impute to us and refute in us with many words That Infants are under condemnation that is naturally guilty thereof hath been formerly proved that actuall faith in Christ is required for their reconciliation to God doth not follow hereupon Actuall I say for the seed of faith they haue and of all graces for but by Gods holy Spirit in them which carries all graces with it they cannot be holy and so not bee glorified if they be not holy first but that hereupon they need actuall faith is their saying without proof Actuall sins indeed require actuall faith but for sin in disposit on called originall why may not faith in disposition suffice through the mercy of God for the applying of it About the Infants of Sodom and Gomorrah they discourse marvellously as first in ranking them in their deaths with unreasonable creatures in theirs secondly in making them not onely innocent but godly also The Scriptures teach that besides the temporary death those Cities suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Let them proue children not to haue been of those Cities If God exempted them or any of them from that vengeance it was not for any condition cōmon to them with bruit beasts as they insinuate but with respect to Christ besides whom the Scriptures acknowledg no other Saviour nor no other salvation but by him ADVERSARIES TO a question moved by themselves What need Infants haue of Christ if they be not under condemnation they answer that through his redemption they liue and moue and haue their being and injoy all other earthly blessings with resurrection from the dead and glorification 1 Cor. 15. 12. DEFENCE THus they make Christ and Infants amends But how proue they that by Christs redemption they liue moue c The Scripture Act. 17 to which they haue reference is meant of the naturall life of all by Gods work of creation and providence which is nothing but continuation of creation and nothing at all to Christ as Redeemer The redemption for which Christ came is from sin and so from the curse due for sin as the Scriptures every where testifie The first Adam was made a living soule the last Adam a quickning spirit We haue therfore our naturall life motion and being common to Heathens with Christians by the first Adam our spirituall and glorious life by the second Lastly the Apostle saying 1 Cor. 15. 22 In Christ shall all be made aliue speaks onely of all beleevers as is evident v. 14. 17. 18. 19 who haue Christ for the first fruits and are Christs v. 20. 23. Are any Christs but Christians Is not the lump and the first fruits one Men should haue risen again though Christ had never come or been promised but to condemnation Our resurrection onely in regard of the glory of it is from Christs glorious resurrection And if Infants haue glorification from Christ then they haue the pardon of sinne from Christ also 1 Cor. 15. 17. 23 and therewith his Spirit dwelling in them for sanctifying and quickning them Rom. 8. 9. 10. 11. These men divide Chrst making him a King to some for glorification to whom hee is not a Priest for redemption by his bloud Next to a question by themselvs moved How wee must haue the Son they answer by keeping his commandements forgetting faith by which alone we receiv Christ from which followeth loue purity of heart and obedience Which faith hath more properly the consideration of a condition as a hand to receiv a promise then of an act of obedience to a commandment It is true being rightly understood which they add that repentance is of all sin to wit particularly of all sins known and generally of sins unknown For Who can understand his errours Cleanse thou me from secret faults said he that observed and knew his wayes better then either these men or I. Doe they think nothing amisse slips from them in thought word or deed or ever hath done whereof they doe not or haue not repented particularly Is their knowledge so perfect as they need not pray for further enlightning as Eph. 1. 17. 18 Are they certain they are ignorant of and erre in nothing in the Scriptures written for their bearning This their book sufficiently reproues their Pharisaicall dream of perfection Where speaking of Idolatry they affirm that God cannot bee worshipped after a false manner they expresly contradict the Scripture saying The people did sacrifice still in the high places yet unto the Lord their God onely Here was worshipping the true God and him onely and yet after a false manner in a respect The same the Apostle teacheth the Athenians The God whom you ignorantly worship declare I unto you When Papists direct their prayers to God the maker of the world and father of Iesus Christ hoping the rather to be heard by means of the Virgin Maries intercession who doubts but they worship the true God but in a false manner Neither doth Deut. 18. 20 proue the sin one of speaking in the name of a false God and speaking falsehood in the name of a true God but divers though both deserving death Next they in their wilde order come to treat of Faith where they affirm that no man can haue faith to justification before he haue repented If they had sayd that no man hath the grace or habit of faith before the grace of repentance it had been true God by the spirit of regeneration infusing the habits of all graces at once But that the act and exercise of faith in beleeving is before our repenting appears both by Scripture and common sense We liue the life of Christ wherof our repenting is a part by the faith of the Sonne of God God purifieth the heart by faith and justifies the ungodly by his faith In all which it is plain that faith hath the preheminence and first work So 2 Cor. 7. 10 Godly sorrow workes repentance Repentance then presupposeth godly sorrow Godly sorrow or whatsoever is truely godly must needs please God which without faith no man can doe but even every thing is sin Faith working that which worketh repentance must goe before it Secondly godly sorrow is not onely for the fear of punishment for so the devils are sorrie but for the offence of God specially Now none can be sorrie for his offending God except he loue God nor loue him except he know first that he bee loved of him in Christ in which faith consisteth We beleev therefore before we repent in the truth of the thing and order of causes though we can hardly discern this order in our own sense CHAP. VI. Of Baptisme IN the next place they come to