a Convocatio of a Synod at last it began in 1618 to be held at Dort Where did meet Divines not only within the Dominions of Holland and the Seven Provinces but also out of England and from most if not all other Reformed Churches T is true the French did not send in any solemn deputation for they dared not do it without leave of that Popish Court and they chose rather not to ask than to do it and be denyed however the sense of that Church was by the French Churches gathered in those Provinces and then by Peter Du-Moulin in his Letters and Book of Anatomy of Arminianism sufficiently made known to that Synod and afterwards a French (a) Held at Aleâ—zon Octob. 6. 1620. National Synod approved of and inserted amongst their one resolutions the Acts of the Synod of Dort where the Arminian Errors were unanimously condemned This the Arminians from the beginning thought would be the conclusion of such a Solemn Assembly wherefore like Popes Papists and Hereticks they were afraid to have things discussed in a free Council where the word of God is the only Rule and therefore they used their utmost endeavours to stop it as long as they could As to Arminius his Opinions they are part from Pelagius and part from Papists Against the first God raised Austin who by force of Scripture did beat the Heretick in all his Errors yet after his Death (a) Faustus and Cassianus those of his Sectators that remained thinking it not fit for them to own things to the height as Pelagius had done abated something of it and made alterations and got the name of Semipelagians whom also Austin and his Followers did write against with the same success he before had obtained against their Founder In the Eighth Century Semipelagians caused a great deal of trouble as we see in the Cause of Gottescalk whereof Worthy and Famous Primate Vsher hath given so true and so good an account About the Year 1590 Molina a Jesuit renewed the old Errors but was opposed at Rome by Alvarez a Dominican Fryar who followed the Principles of Thomas Aquinas hence to this very day continues the dispute about these matters between Jesuits and Dominicans Lessius another Jesuit at Lovain in the Spanish Netherlands became a Second to Molina and under the favour of the Neighbourhood those Errors passed into Holland where Arminius entertained them Let those who have a mind to a fuller account of Pelagius his Errors read what (a) Joh. Ger. hardi Vossii Hist Pelag. one hath written upon that Subject for I mention it only by the by and as it leads me to the Arminians who here durst not appear during King James's Life but in his Sons Reign under Archbishop Laud's Favour and Protection in they came with a full Sail and then indeed but not before begins our Arminian Church but with this difference from those in Holland that they incline more to Socinianism and ours more to Popery hence it is that at last some of them as Barret Montague c. turned Papists Now 't is true and to be observed how concerning the controverted points we hold the same as did the ancient Fathers who did write against Pelagius and Arminians assert some of the same things if not all which Pelagius did so that 't is the same Cause and as by the grace of God we shall see anon Pelagians did cast on their Adversaries the same aspersions as Arminians do upon us But first we must set down what are their Opinions contained in several Articles which they themselves at the Hague-Conference and at the Synod of Dort reduced to five the Chief though there be more Here I will in substance set them down but to help the Reader I must first write the Orthodox Doctrine in opposition to every Article of theirs as an Antidote and Preservative against the Poyson Afterwards I shall endeavour out of Scripture to prove it and so confute their Notions and this as shortly as I can and as far as I am able accommodating things with the capacity of the unlearned Reader which being done then by the grace of God I shall go on and as far as God will be pleased to enable me enlarge somewhat in the School way upon every point First Orthedox I. We say that from all Eternity God hath by his unchangeable Decree and Purpose predestinated unto life not all Men nor any undetermined but a certain select number of particular Men commonly called the Elect which number can neither be encreased nor diminished Others he hath passed by and predestinated to eternal Death They say Arminian I. there is no absolute or unrevocable but only a conditional and mutable Decree of Predestination both to Life and Death and that not of any particular persons but indefinitely of all Believers and Unbelievers and that the number of the Elect and Reprobate is not so certain but that it may be either increased or lessened We say that the only moving and esficient cause of Predestination or Election unto Life Orth. II. is the meer good Pleasure Love Free-grace and Mercy of God not the foresight of faith perseverance good works good will or any other quality whatsoever in the persons elected And that though sin be the only cause of Damnation yet the sole and primary cause of non-Election or Reprobation or why God doth not Elect those that Perish is the meer Free-will and Pleasure of God not the foresight of any actual sin unbelief or final impenitency in the person rejected They say Arm. II. the foreknowledge of Faith Perseverance Good-works and the right use of Grace received are the pre-required Conditions and the efficient causes of Election unto Life not God's free-grace and mercy only without respect to these as to a cause and that the original and moving cause of reprobation that is of the Decree not of its Execution is only the foresight of sin unbelief or final impenitency in the persons rejected not the meer free-will and pleasure of God We say that the Elect do always obey Orth. III. when the time appointed for their Conversion is come neither do or can they finally or totally resist the inward powerful and effectual call or working of God's spirit in their Hearts in the very act of their Conversion neither is it in their own power to Convert or not Convert themselves at that very time when they are converted They say it is in the will and power of men Arm. III. either finally or totally to resist the inward call the effectual working of God's Spirit in their Hearts in the very act of Conversion so that they may at that very instant and all times else either withstand or embrace their Conversion as they please We say that true justifing saving faith Orth. IV. is proper and peculiar to the Elect alone who after they are once truly regenerated and by faith ingrafted in Christ do always and constantly
can know it to be so then they must be sure of their faith that is have a certitude of it In the case of the two blind men (d) Matth. 9.28 our Saviour asked them believe ye that I am able to do this they said unto him yea Lord. When believers are seriously asked whether they have faith They may well and do confess it in conscience to the Lord himself which must arise out of a certitude of it Then (e) 1 Cor. 2.11.12 the spirit a man which is in him knoweth the things of a man and in the next verse he addeth we have received the spirit of which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God And we can distinctly perceive the proper acts of faith as when one out of a sincere and pious affection findeth himself ready to deny the world and himself to serve and obey God according to his holy will To the question how can a man know when he is elected And how see he hath Faith I say Election is evidenced by effectual calling by Faith and Repentance so is Faith by the fruits and effects thereof as are good works as certainly-as one may conclude where a fire is there is heat and when the Sun shineth it is day-light Thus the cause is proved by the effect and the effect by the cause Where is motion either natural or spiritual we may confidently assirm there is life accordingly Thus we need not to go up to Heaven to dive into the secret Council of God nor to turn the leaves of the Book of Life to see whether our names be written in it but to search into our own souls and examine our own Thoughts Affections and Actings if there be holiness love and other fruits of the spirit Now they object that this certitude must be expressed or implyed in the word and thence drawen by a consequence but we say it doth not arise out of the letter of the word but out of the inward testimony of our understanding being enlightened by the holy Ghost which beareth witness to our spirit that we are the Children of God and consequently that we have true faith This is not written in the Book of Scripture but in the Book of our Heart with the very finger of the Holy Ghost hence it is that we do not believe we do believe but we feel and perceive it as we do not believe we think of God when we do 't but we know and feel it in our minds One thing here I must take notice of upon the matter in relation to that Exhertation of St. Paul to the Corinthians to examine themselves that it is a great deal of pity that many I dare say good people do not set themselves upon that tryal but do either wholly or in part neglect it but if they be of God's Elect at one time or other they must come to 't the sooner the better and the more often to known what progress they made in faith what degrees of strength it hath gotten and for neglecting this so necessary a duty they thereby deprive themselves of much comfort which would accrue to them To make an end of this matter I shall add that this certitude is very much improved when we can clearly make out we have an interest in Christ and are Christ's For saith the Apostle (a) 1 Cor. 3.22 Ye are Christ's and Christ is God's To know whether we be Christ's we have a certain rule to know it by that is if the spirit of Christ be in us (b) Rom. 8.9 For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his How then to know whether the spirit be in us St. Paul giveth a rule by (c) Gal. 5.22 23. the fruits of the spirit as love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith c. Now we are come to a great question why of so many that hear the word of God there are so few that believe What may be the cause of it at the same word and under the same Ministery so different and contrary effect is produced some like Wax at the fire are softned and melted when others at the same time like Clay and Dirt are hardened whilst some believe others continue in unbelief and harden themselves some are the better others the worse for it Like (d) Joh. 13.27 Judas into whom the Devil entred after our Saviour had given him the sop The word is a wholesome Physick to some and as deadly poyson to others the Lord Jesus is a (e) 1 Cor. 23. 2 Pet. 2 8. stumbling-block and a rock of offence and foolishmess to some and the (f) 1 Cor. 2.6 7. wisdom of God in a mystery to others so that this word and they that preach it are unto some those that are saved (g) 2 Cor. 2.15.16 a Savour of life unto life and to others to them that perish a Savour of death unto death All this is truth Scripture teaches and Experience confirms how all that hear the word of God do no believe for all men have not Faith 2 Thess 3.2 Now we are to inquire into the reasons of it First 'T is not for any Dignity Merit Natural Capacity or any other quality in the hearer seeing the (h) 1 Cor. 2.14 natural man such we are all by nature receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them Which the same Apostle doth confirm in another place (a) Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Neither is it for any depth of knowledge learning eloquence or other abilities in the Minister who preacheth the word (b) 1 Cor 3.6 Paul may plant Apollos may water but neither of them can give the increase (c) 2 Cor. 2. 2 Cor. 4.7 Who is sufficient for these things For saith he in another place this treasure we have in earthen vessels that the excellency be of God and not of us The most fervent and excellent Servants of God commonly complain of the hardness and impenitency of their hearers and let Isaiah speak for all (d) Isai 53.1 16. Who hath believed our report And our Blessed Saviour should if any have had cause to expect a good success of his outward teaching yet how often doth he complain of the hardness stubbornness impenitency and unbelief of his hearers How few of the great multitudes he taught were converted to him So that we must not seek in the dispensers of the word for the cause why some believe and others do not The cause why all do not believe is not as the Adversaries would have it because they do not all they can and do not make use of all the power remaining in them out of their natural corruption that they do not go to Church do not hear nor read
Scripture in matter of Predestination speaks only of men we shall consider it only as men are the object thereof but before I must shew what a Decree is because it entereth within our definition now God's Decrees are the eternal and unchangeable counsels and resolutions he hath taken from all Eternity about what he purposed to do in time according to the first rule we have laid down These Decrees are called God's essential works ad intra inward according to our capacity and manner of conceiving which himself in his word is pleased to condescend to We then call them Decrees after the manner of Men for Decrees and Resolutions of Men are works or acts really distinct from Man from his Understanding and his Will By this way we do conceive God's Decrees or rather God Decreeing though properly they may not be called his Works for every act so properly called is an effect really distinct from the Agent But in God 't is not so or else his supream Simplicity would come to nothing when 't is said of God are known all his works that knowledge is nothing else but his Decree of doing all things to be done in time Of ELECTION PRedestination hath two parts Election and Reprobation the word is not restrained only to Election as Papists and some others would have it It is in vain amongst Hebrews or Greeks to search the Original of the word which is Latin The ancient Latin Authors used the word destinare to destinate or appoint for Pains as well as Rewards so did the ancient Doctors of the Church as (a) Enchirid. cap. 100. de Civit. Dei lib. 12. cap. 24. Austin (b) Ad. capital Gallor Prosper (c) Lib. 1. ad Monim Fulgentius Now the Election we here speak of is not to an Office in which (d) 1 Sam. 10 24. Saul and David were chosen Kings over Israel So Matthias (e) Acts 1.24 26. was by lot chosen one of the twelve But 't is Election to Eternal Life and Salvation Now Election is a Predestination of some Men to Eternal Life to be obtained by Faith in Christ only out of God's pleasure in them to declare his Divine Mercy Every part of which definition we by the grace of God shall speak of This point most of any is to be taken notice of because it is the ground of our Hope Faith Holiness in a word of the whole mystery of our Salvation which doth wholly run and depend upon the decree of our Election therefore to darken it the Devil hath stired up so many instruments to oppose it In Scripture among many Texts we have one specially lays open the whole matter before us which here I quote to be read with great application (a) Ephes 1.3 4 5 6 7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood c. The eternity of God's decree of Election is here asserted he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World this Election is affirmed to be the cause of all spiritual blessings which God hath blessed us with some of those blessings are named as Holiness Blamelessness and Adoption Now Faith Repentance Charity and such graces are parts of Holiness and the fruits of the Spirit Holiness is posteriour to our Election All those blessings are in and by Jesus Christ Out of this Text it also appeareth that the good pleasure of God is the only impulsive or moving cause if we may use such a word which is improper here to Elect us nothing from without all from within according to the good pleasure of his will Hence between Papists Arminians and Us for I must say in matters of grace they both joyn against us ariseth the question What it is that moved God to appoint some Men to Eternal Life We say nothing but God's good will and pleasure moved him to it Amongst several reasons we have to prove it I will only bring two of the chief The first because Scripture assigneth no other cause but that as the only and when the word is silent we ought not to speak The whole 9th Chapter to the Romans is a sentence of condemnation against the Adversaries there St. Paul saith of Election (†) Rom. 9.16 15. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Which is but a conclusion out of what God said to Moses in the foregoing verse verse 18. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion whence he thus concludes so then it is not of him c. 't is only of free grace Why three verses after the Apostle gives the reason He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth This is very plain if any one is willing to dispute God's right herein let him do 't but he shall find God is a strong party (a) 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us before the world began Here the Decree of Election is made the cause of calling and other graces we receive in time The other reason is because in those that were elected was nothing at all that could move him to love them (b) Ephes 2.1 We were men dead in trespasses and sins unfit for any good thing and guilty of eternal death They say God hath chosen some because from Eternity he foresaw they would believe in Christ and continue in the Faith to which some add the foresight of some good works with Faith but against this I say God could foresee in sinful Man no spiritual good but what out of his mercy he was to give him this none but Pelagians can deny consequently God could not foresee Faith or Good Works as a motive to his Decree God elected us to be holy and without blame before him That is to the end we should be and not because we were such Holiness is an effect and not a cause of Election Faith also is an effect of Election as clearly expressed in Scripture (c) Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed If so then Faith is not the cause that moved God to elect us we were elected to believe not because we believed before for then we had chosen Christ and not he us contrary to what he positively saith
Election and Reprobation now in question against Pelagians and Semipelagians or Arminians The first objection is as if God was unjust in his absolute Decree of Predestination The question is set down verse the 14. in these words What shall we say then is there unrighteousness with God The answer is in the same verse God forbid (a) Rom. 9.14 The ground of the question is in verses 11.12 13. Wherein by the examples of Jacob and Esau is demonstrated that there was nothing in the subject elected or reprobated to move God to chuse or reject but the only cause is the purpose of God according to election not of works but of him that calleth The circumstance of the persons doth afford us these Considerations First no difference could be pretended from nature they were Brothers by the same Father and Mother nay born at the same time for they were Twains so that on that account no priviledge or advantage to plead for Secondly Not any thing of works or of Faith for before the Children were born neither having done any good or any evil it was said the Elder shall serve the younger Mark that if there had been any natural priviledge it had been on Esau's side who was the Elder yet the Elder was to serve the Younger for God loved Jacob and hated Esau of which no other cause assigned but the will and purpose of God What saith carnal reason to make so great a difference where is such an equality to love and to hate those which had not deserved it cannot be without some injustice yet ye see the Apostle saith no such thing God forbid for the Lord is just in all his ways and the reason of this by the Apostle given in the following verse is this the will of God I will have mercy one whom I will have mercy Out of this we say the purpose of God according to Election is here understood of God's eternal Predestination which Election is ascribed only to God who calleth all works excluded because there were none nor could be none the persons not yet being born 'T is an idle distinction to say not for works present but for works to come since if it had been necessary the Apostle might have made the distinction but he absolutely say not of works After Semipelagians Arminians saith not of works but of Faith As St. Austin answereth against works so he doth against Faith being the cause why God loved Jacob It can be no better done then in his words (a) August de dotâ— je severaâ—ntiae cap. 7. Did the Apostle say not of works but of him that believeth even this also did the Apostle take from men that he might give all to God saying but of him that calleth not with every call but by such a call whereby we are made to believe We now come to the second objection Verse 19. (a) Rom. 919 Thou wilt say then unto me why doth he yet find fault For who hath resisted his will As if he had said if I be reprobated I cannot help it 't is not my fault if I be damned I cannot resist his will neither my self nor (b) Job 10.7 none can deliver me out of his hands To know the occasion of this second Objection we must go back to the 15 verse and so down to the 19th St. Paul not being content to say God forbid there should be any unrighteousness in God giveth a reason out of God's own mouth for he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Rom. 9.15 16. c. and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion Which makes the Apostle draw this Consequence So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy To this purpose he brings out of Scripture an argument concerning Pharaoh Verse 17 For this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth The History of Pharaoh is well known The Apostle here makes use of that example to shew how God raiseth up some to be subservient to his ends and this particularly to shew on him the glory of his power to be manifested either in this world or in that which is to come or in both Hence he draweth this Conclusion Verse 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth Which giveth occasion to the question why doth he find fault Which puts the Apostle upon a high strain as mightily concerned for the Right and Honour of God which this Objection seems to strick at Wherefore to stop the mouth of such he saith Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hath thou made me thus Shall Man expostulate with God The Creature with his Maker as if he were accountable Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour Hereat let every mouth be stopped the Plea is the soveraign and absolute power of God over the Creature The Clay is the Potters and what hath any one to do to question what he doth with it Let me answer such wretches in the words of the Prophet (a) Isai 45.9 Wo unto him that striveth with his maker let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou or thy work he hath no hands As amongst Men question a lawful Princes Right is Treason so to question God's Right is no less than Blasphemy In Scripture when God is willing to demonstrate his Absolute Power he makes use of the comparison of the Potter and the Clay Thus Jeremiah is sent to the Potters House (b) Jerem. 18.2 3 4 6. O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter saith the Lord behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are you in mine hand O house of Israel The same comparison is used in another place by the Prophet Isaiah (c) Isa 29.16 Shall the work say of him that made it he made me not or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it he had no understanding God cannot endure to have his Soveraign Right and Power called in Question and good reason too (d) Matth. 20 2â— Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own No say some besides his good will and pleasure he must give the reason why he reprobates some and not others Why he elected Peter and reprobated Judas Why he loved Jacob and hated Esau To say it is according to his Will and Pleasure that doth not satisfie us what reason can we have above the Will of God which is the rule of all Equity Reason and Wisdom Herein we are not to presume beyond what is written For
the ordinary means by him appointed These Instruments which God maketh use of are either good or bad ordinary or extraordinary Good Instruments he maketh use of when by the means of good and pious Ministers he calleth Men to Salvation when he ruleth People by good Kings and preserveth Believers by good Angels God also maketh use of bad Instruments First to punish the wicked when by the means of the Devil or wicked Men he destroyeth Tyrants Witches c Secondly He chastises his Children when he sometimes delivereth them into the hands of Cruel Tyrants to the end that being thus afflicted they may know their sins repent and draw near to God Thirdly To try the Faith and Patience of his Children thus he makes Job's Patience known all the world over he made use of the Devil and of the Chaldeans and Sabeans And although those evil Instruments which God maketh useth of do sin yet God doth nothing amiss he doth not infuse any malice into them but maketh a good use of that which in them is inherent to execute his just Judgments In the same work saith Austin God is just and Man guilty because in the same thing they have done they had different ends The ordinary Instruments which God maketh use of are Second Causes appointed to produce certain ends thus the Sun is the usual means whereby God doth give light to the World heat and warm the Earth for to that same end it is appointed and always made use of the word of God is the usual means to convert Men to God The extraordinary means are those which are not appointed always or for the most part to cause such effects but according to God's Will they variously produce sometimes one thing sometimes another thus God to kill a Man doth sometimes make use of a Thunder-bolt another of the fall of a House of a Wild Beast of Highway-men Hence one may see there are an ordinary and an extraordinary Providence The first is when he observeth the order he at first settled in Nature namely that certain Causes acting according to the perpetual Law of Nature shall produce some effects which hold a proportion with the strength of the Cause Hence are the several seasons of the year succeeding one to another rising and setting of the Planets motion of the Stars and the generation and corruption of worldly things The extraordinary is when God without or besides the way and order settled in Nature above the strength of Second Causes doth through his Omnipotency provide for things Hence are Miracles which are Works of Divine Almightiness exceeding the power of Second Causes Hence it is that those Second Causes sometimes employed by God in working Miracles in relation to the miraculous effects are signs and Evidences rather than Causes When God hath a work to do and hath a mind to make use of Instruments he doth fit them for his purpose (a) 2 Chron. 20.6 For in his hand there is such a power and might so that none or nothing is able to withstand him Because (b) Prov. 21.30 there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. In point of these acts of God's Providence let it be farther observed how though God hath appointed certain Causes to produce some effects yet as he is not tyed to them so he is sometimes and often seen to work such events as do not answer those Second Causes One would think that swiftness in running of a Race should carry the Victory that the strongest should in a Battle have the better and that the Wisest should heap up Riches yet these Successes are by Solomon ascribed to God's Providence more than to such Second Causes for he saith (c) Eccles 9.11 the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill Now we are come to the most controverted part of God's Providence namely Permission which is a governing whereby God doth not restrain or bring off Devils and wicked men so prone and inclined to sin but withdrawing or denying his Grace suffereth them to fall into sin yet so that he turneth their bad and violent inclinations to the execution of his just Judgments and directeth to very good ends their wicked Designs and Purposes In the permission of sin God is not an idle Spectator but a mighty just and wise Judge God's method herein is this First To men dead in trespasses and sins he denyeth and withdraweth the effectual helps of his Grace without which they cannot but sin Secondly Very often he keeps not form sinning Devils and Men of their nature and out of custom so prone to sin when he could do 't but suffereth them to fall into 't Thirdly That sin conceived in their mind he so restraineth and ruleth that he suffers it not to break out upon every Object but he inclineth and directeth it to such Objects or Men whom he is willing to Punish Chastise or Try. Fourthly He directeth to a good end those designs which they intend for evil ends as for instance if a Traveller on his way be killed by a Highway-man God is said to have permitted the Murther First Because he hath withdrawn and denyed him his effectual Grace without which he infallibly was to commit a Murther Secondly Because he hath not kept from Murther the mind of that Highway-man by nature and custom inclined to it when he could easily have done it but hath suffered him to commit it Thirdly because he so inclined and ruled the Highway-man's violence and design of committing a Murther that he neither would or could indifferently kill any Man but this Man rather than another hence by a just Judgment which for the most part Men know not the cause of he hath exposed to the Highway-man's fury this Traveller rather than another Fourthly Because that which by the Highway-man was committed for a bad end as may be to get money to bestow upon his own lust God directed it for a good end as may be the Robber's punishment or of him that was killed or to hinder him from executing some evil design he was going upon or some other end unknown to us In the Sins of Men about which Divine Permission is exercised four things are to be observed First The act it self as 't is a natural act physically taken Secondly The vice inherent to the fact or the morality of it Thirdly The directing of the bad Instrument and evil Act to a certain Object Fourthly The end of this direction is that God executeth his just Judgments by the sins of Men. The first third and fourth of these are of God and he is the Author of them for every act as such is good the motion of the hand stirring of the body are good the direction of the feet is good and the execution of God's judgments is very good But the second wherein properly sin
the word as often as they ought that the spirit of God is ever ready to give faith to all that do these things which is most false for though we own men are in the wrong to neglect those Christian duties yet though they would perform all that and more it would not do for God giveth faith to none but to those whom from eternity he decreed to give it to How could God have decreed by the word to give faith unto every man when as experience sheweth and we already have proved it he doth not afford every man that outward call We own that usually God doth not give men come to years faith without hearing or reading of the word but Scripture and experience do teach God doth not give it to every one that heareth and readeth it so that 't is false to say the neglect of the word is the only cause why God gives not every one faith for several do read hear meditate preach and write Commentaries upon the Word who yet never have true faith Yet we own how God blesseth the Ministery of some more than of others Now to come to the true cause of it 't is because God hath decreed to give it only to the Elect for faith is an effect of our Election (a) Acts. 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed as I quoted before and our Saviour saith all that the father giveth me hath elected in me shall come unto me and none else (b) Joh. 6.37.44 for no man can come to me except the father draweth him The good pleasure of God is the cause of the decree and of Faith too wherefore 't is called the gift of God nothing more free than what is given Our Saviour saith plainly to his Disciples (c) Eph. 2. â— It is given unto you to know the misteries of the kingdom of heaven to them it is not given Grace puts a difference between them After his resurrection our (d) Matth. 13.11 Saviour opened the understanding of his disciples that they might understand the Scripture without which they could not do it as afterwards was (e) Luke 24.45 opened the heart of Lydia and this made her attend unto the things which were spoken of by Paul So that to believe or not to believe (f) Acts 16.14 is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy (g) Rom. 9.16 God prepareth the heart of the humble saith David without it nothing can be done 't is his work First In relation to those that believe for our Saviour saith (h) Matth. 11.25.26 I thank thee O father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hath revealed them unto babes If in this God had been accepter of persons or had been moved by any qualification in the persons he would have done the contrary of what he acted he would have revealed it to the Wise and Prudent and hid them from Babes This to a carnal reason seemeth strange yet 't is true and in the next verse our Blessed Saviour assigneth God's will as the only cause and ought to be sufficient for any one Even so father for so it seemeth good in thy sight They who are become the Sons of God and believe on his name (a) Joh. 13. are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Here our Coversion and Regeneration are attributed to the will of God exclusively to the will of the flesh or of man Now God doth act on both parts not only he maketh those believe who do but also others cannot believe because (b) Joh. 12.39.40 he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them In consequence of this they are delivered up to Satan who acts his part upon them in the way exressed by St. Paul (c) 2 Cor. 4.3 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them whieh believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine upon them Of these speaketh the Prophet (d) Isai 43.8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes and the deaf that have ears they shall continue blind and deaf no Faith for these On the contrary side (e) Isai 32.3 The eyes of them that see shall not be dim and the ears of them that hear shall harken these shall have Faith After this we adore the actings of God and with St. Paul cry out (f) Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out Now as begetting of Faith in us is an effect of God's Election and of his good-pleasure so is the increase and improvement of it for the more it feeds upon Christ the stronger and the more lively it groweth There are degrees of Faith so that though all Believers have the same Faith as to the substance and to the parts yet there is a great difference as to the degrees upon which account we are said (g) 2 Pet. 3.18 Ephes 4.15 to grow in faith or grace There is weak Faith and strong Faith yet both true that Man's Faith who said to our Saviour If thou (h) Mark 9.22.23 canst do any thing have compassion on us was a weak and languishing Faith and seemed to doubt whether Christ could cure his Child after Christ had said to him Mark 9 22.23 If thou canst believe all things are possible to the believer as if he had said to him I can do it but canst thou believe whereupon the Man prayed for supply and strength of Faith Lord I believe but help thou mine unbelief he was much weaker in Faith then he who said Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Luke 5.12 And then the Centurion of whom our Saviour (a) Matth. 8.10 saith I have not found so great a faith no not in Israel and that of the Woman of (b) Matth. 15.26.27 Canaan who for all the repulses which our Saviour did outwardly give her even comparing her to a Dog yet she would not give over till our Saviour had said to her (a) Matth. 8.10 O woman great is thy faith and cured her Daughter so of the woman who had the Issue of Blood for 12 years If I may but touch his cloths (c) Mark 5.28 I shall be whole all effects and signs of a great Faith the increase whereof we ought ever to pray for thereby in time of tryal to be able to resist the temptation Now as Christ is the true and only object of our Faith so 't is a hindrance to 't when we
and love of God whereby he chose us for his before he made the world after that he granted us to be called by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ when the spirit of the Lord is poured into us by whose guidance and governance we be led to settle our trust in God ... From the same spirit also cometh our sanctification the love of God and our Neighbour justice and uprightness of life finally whatsoever is in us or may be done of us honest pure true and good that altogether springeth out of this most pleasant Rock from this most plentiful fountain the goodness love choice and unchangeable purpose of God he is the cause the rest are the fruits and effects .... It is meant thereby that faith or rather trust alone doth lay hand upon understand and perceive our righteous making to be given us of God freely That is to say by no desert of our own but by the free grace of the Almighty Father .... For not by the worthiness of our deservings were we either heretofore chosen or long ago saved but by the only mercy of God and pure grace of Christ our Lord whereby we were in him made to do these good works that God hath appointed for us to walk in ... And fol. 68. Immortality and blessed life God hath provided for his chosen before the foundation of the world was laid To what hath been said out of fol. 7 8 12. I shall add few words more The image of God in man by original sin and evil custom was so obscured that man himself could not sufficiently understand the difference between good and bad between just and unjust c. And from these and other actions of Christ two benefits do accrue unto us one that whatsoever he did he did it all for our profit so that they are as much ours if so be we cleave fast to them with a firm and lively faith as if we our selves had done them .... Out of all this I made it appear Arminian Tenets to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Church and upon occasion I shall be ready to make enlargements not only out of all the same Springs and Authentick Records but out of others too which now for brevities sake I do not mention tho' they be considerable however before I make an end of this point I must not omit taking notice of the Catechism of Predestination or some certain Questions and Answers about that matter in opposition to Arminianism and as a preservative against it when here it began to appear in the Year 1607 they were Licensed by Authority and Printed by Robert Barker which then were bound up and sold with the Bibles I shall take notice only of three or four things in it The answer to the question What is the reason why men do so much vary in matters of religion Is this Because they only believe the Gospel and Doctrine of Christ which are ordained unto eternal life And to the next question Are not all ordained to eternal life The Answer is Some are vessels of wrath ordained unto destruction as others are vessels of mercy prepared to glory And to the question How standeth it with God's justice that some are appointed to damnation The Answer is Very well because all men have in themselves sin which deserveth no less and therefore the mercy of God is wonderful in that he vouchsafed to save some of that sinful race and to bring them to the knowledge of the truth And to the following question If God's ordinance and determination must of necessity take effect then what need any man to care For he that liveth well must needs be damned if he be thereunto ordained And he that liveth ill must needs be saved if he be thereunto appointed The answer is this Not so for it is not possible that either the Elect should always be without care to do well or that the Reprobate should have any will thereunto for to have either good will or good work is a testimony of the spirit of God which is given to the Elect only whereby faith is so wrought in them that being grafted in Christ they grow in holiness to that glory whereunto they are appointed c. And as to another question Cannot such perish as at some time or other feel these spiritual motions within themselves 'T is answered It is not possible that they should for as Gods purpose is not changeable so he repenteth not of the gifts and graces of his adoption neither doth he cast off those whom he hath once received If we had had the penning of these words we could not have set them down otherwise than they are Hence appeareth the sweet and perfect harmony between these publick Records of the Faith and Religion of the Church of England let those that have a mind to look farther there into among the 39 Articles to peruse the 9th about Original Sin the 11th of the Justification of Man and the 18th of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the name of Christ With Mr. Roger's Exposition upon every one of them specially the 17th about Predestination I hope we hitherto have out of Publick and Authentick Records sufficiently demonstrated Arminianism to be contray to the Doctrine of the Church We ought to take notice how these 39 Articles Common-Prayer-Book c. were compiled before Arminius and his errors were heard of here for I make no doubt but if they had been spread before we should have had other things more directly and positive against them for certainly the spirit of the first Reformers was altogether for free-grace against free-will wherefore to prosecute my Argument I now must shew how strongly and generally Arminianism was opposed here when it first appeared Which can more and more confirm it to be against the Doctrine of the Church But this affordeth matter enough for another Chapter CHAP. XVI How Arminianism did meet with a strong and general opposition here when it began to appear HEre the sparkles of that unhappy Fire did at first except once which I shall have occasion to mention break out in Cambridge where one Doctor Baroe a Divinity Professor and one Barret in a Sermon of his having published some Arminian Tenets a speedy course was taken to suppress it for the Vice-Chancellor and Heads of the University-Colleges met together and declared those opinions to be Innovations and contrary to the Doctrine of the Church professed in that University Whereupon they sent up Doctor Whitaker and Tindal two Members of their own to Archbishop Whitgift who forthwith called to him several learned and worthy Divines amongst whom were the then Bishop of London the Elect Bishop of Bangor and others in and about the City and upon due Examination and Debate upon the matter on the 20th of November 1595 drew up unanimously the 9 Articles called the Lambeth Articles wherein they also had the concurrence of the Archbishop of York and of several Divines of that
in a little corner of Germany and upon occasion only of Indulgences at first how suddenly upon new inquiries and new discoveries notwithstanding the rage and craftiness of those that held it in unrighteousness did it spread abroad almost all Europe over So that the Lilly though amongst Thorns by the dew from Heaven the heat of the Sun of righteousness and the fatness of the Soil watered with the Blood of so many thousands of Martys became extraordinary fruitful Germany Bohemia Hungary Sweden Denmark Poland England Scotland Ireland the Low Countries France Swisserland generally and for the most part and some Persons in Italy received it But since whilest the Protestant Reformed Churches though in some of their Members lying under Persecution from Worldly Powers were undisturbed amongst themselves and agreed upon these Points the Enemy again sowed Tares which out of Flanders spread into Holland whence not just presently but soon after that Poyson crept over hither where it was opposed and condemned as contrary to the professed Doctrine of the Church as by the Grace of God I shall clearly make it appear Though upon these Matters several Books have been written in Defence of Truth yet 't is long since so that many of them are almost out of Print and those that remain do not fall into every one's hands wherefore it will not be amiss sometimes and upon occasion for some to publish their thoughts to assert and vindicate Matters of God's Grace and Providence in opposition to what Adversaries do write or say against it in their Discourses and in the Pulpits and upon that same account I now do bring in my Evidence That which chiefly engages me upon this present Design is to hear upon all occasions these unsound Doctrines ring out of the Pulpits which for the most part they have been in possession of for several years they having taken effectual care to keep those that are for the Truth from going up to such publick Places so that they would create a belief in People that what they teach is the Doctrine of the Gospel received by the Church and by those means infuse into common capacities those evil Principles which do puff up Men with the Opinion of their Natural Strength which must needs produce dangerous practises We teach how God from Eternity hath freely Decreed our Salvation in the fulness of time Christ purchas'd it and in time 't is promised and offered us in the Word and thereby we are called to come in to Christ upon his own terms Sacraments do seal it the Holy Ghost applieth it Faith receives it and Holiness with other good Works do bear Witness to it In few Words out of the whole corrupt lump of Mankind God hath freely chosen some to be Objects of his Mercy and hath elected them to eternal life through Faith in Christ our Lord which Faith and other necessary means to come to Glory in execution of his Decree he doth in time give us till at last through these means of Grace we are brought into eternal life and all this meerly out of his Mercy and only through his free Grace the rest of Mankind he leaves in their Natural corruption at last to have his Justice executed upon them We attribute our whole Salvation to God's free Grace and they to Natural Strength and Free-will which is clearly made out But a further reason to engage me upon this Design is the great affinity between Socinians and Arminians for in some things they border so near one upon the other and in others are so united that specially they agreeing with Papists in most of those Points wherein they differ from us I am afraid of the production of some new Monstrous Opinion now when Socinians increase come fast upon us and even in Print without any check grow bolder every day God knows what the effect of such an Vnion may prove and how pernicious to the Souls of many as some of them formerly turned Papists so now others may happen to become rank Socinians Once Arminianism had very near brought in Popery and now 't is a-pace ushering in Socinianism these are great Judgments though most Men seem not to be sensible thereat which at last may happen to deprive us of the light of the Gospel all this danger and evil if it doth befal us we do and shall owe to Arminianism Here we have a large Field to bring in the Evidence and Authority of several of the Ancient Fathers of the Church engaged in the Defence of the same Cause with us which have spoken clearly fully and to the purpose but because the Rule I mean the Word of God is so clear I think it were needless to borrow the Authority of Man which we may believe no farther than it agrees with Scripture after God hath declared his Holy Will and Mind neither are there such difficulties as do need the interpretation of most or many Ancient Doctors Besides it would be tedious for common capacities which I desire to make these Matters intelligible to as mach as I can and the subject will admit to run over several passages of the Fathers for 't is not material chiefly for a kind of Readers to know what Austin Hilary Prosper Fulgentius Hierom and so many others with Bertram Bernard c. have written upon the matter as what the Word of God saith about it wherefore for Proofs we shall stick chiefly to the Law and to the Testimony The Church like the Ship in the (a) Marth 8.24 25 26. Gospel is tossed up and down with Winds and Waves exposed to Rocks Sands and many other Dangers in such a case what 's to be done In Storm time like the Disciples we must go to the Lord Jesus with Cries and Prayers awake him and say Lord save us we perish for our Comfort we must not go far he is in the Ship and though he be asleep and to make us call the louder seems to be so for (b) Psal 121.4 he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep yet in good time he will awake arise and rebuke the Winds and the Sea and there shall be a great Calm may the Lord do so in his due time Yet sometime some Jonah who is the cause of the Tempest must be cast over-board some are by Christ (c) Rev. 3.16 spued out of his Mouth and (d) 1 Tim. 1.2 delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme This is the end of many a disturber of the Peace of the Church which we are sure cannot miscarry but shall at last come to a good Harbor for though sometimes the Body be under Water as long as its Head is above it there is no danger of being drowned TO THE READER THE following Sheets I once intended to Dedicate to my Lord Carteret thereby to shew my singular esteem for his Piety Virtue and Merits But God By a late untimely Death and much to be lamented having taken him to
to his disciples (d) John 15.16 chap. 13 1â— Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and I know whom I have chosen Now though Election be the cause of Faith it doth not follow by the rule of relatives which are said to be the cause of one another that Faith should be the cause of Election that maxim is to be understood of the natural respect and relation of the Subjects not of the Subjects themselves of relations else it would a so follow That because the Creator is the cause of the Creature the Creature ought also to be the cause of the Creator which is Blasphemy It is the part of a wise Agent when he doth appoint to the end also to appoint to and provide the means So the only wise God having predestinated us to the end eternal life hath also predestinated us to the means namely Faith For saith the Apostle (a) 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth here are the decree election chosen the efficient cause God the Object you the end to salvation with the means sanctification of the spirit and belief of the Truth or Faith Farther I say if prevision of Faith had been the cause of our Election it would also be the cause of our Vocation in time which is contrary to the word (b) 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath called us with his holy calling not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace I bring one Argument more which is this if Faith and Holiness fore-seen had been the cause of our Election it would follow that the object of Election had been Man already restored through Grace and justified which is false Take notice that there are not two Decrees one to Grace the other to glory as they say Scripture maketh no mention of a double Election by one and the same Decree we are elected to Glory through Grace as the means and way for the first in Intention is last in Execution We are saved by Faith yet not elected by Faith the reason of both being different Election is an eternal act of God inward and immediately proceeding from God but Salvation is a temporal act of God outward and mediate which is perfected thorough many other means and second causes if the causes of Election and Salvation be the same then the Law of God the Gospel Sacraments and Ministers are the causes of our Election for God makes use of all these means to bring us to eternal life We are elected in Christ not for Christ God was never moved by the merit of Christ to Elect us but he decreed to save us in Christ who is not the cause of the Decree but a medium or means appointed in the Election to execute it We must have a care not to confound between the cause and sign of things which do very much differ thus the Rainbow is not the cause why the world shall no more be drowned with a general Flood 't is only the sign of it the cause is God's Will and Promise thus Sacraments are signs not causes of the things they represent Circumcision was the sign of God's Covenant with Abraham but not the cause which was God's Free-grace and Mercy to him the Lords Supper is the sign of Christ's Passion but not the cause which is God's Free-grace and Mercy to mankind When our blessed Saviour saith (a) Matth. 16.2 3. When it is evening ye say it will be fair weather for the Sky is red c. that colour of the Sky is not the cause but the sign of fair or foul weather Thus to make an Application to our Subject I say we must take heed not to make Faith the cause of our Election when it is the sign and effect of it so much posteriour to it for Election is from eternity when Faith is given but in time and yet serveth to prove Election for wheresoever true saving Faith is there is an infallible sign but no cause of Election which far from being caused by any grace is the sole and only ground of all and every grace we receive Faith it self the chief Gospel grace is an effect of it as it appears out of many places of Scripture which I already quoted so out of (b) Acts 18.27 Acts where 't is said Apollos helped them much which had believed through grace And those men who will not believe this will have much cause to fear they are of the same sort of those whom our Saviour speak of when he saith (c) John 9.39 For judgment I am come into this world that they which see not may see and that they which see might be made blind There is mercy for the first and judgment for the last for certainly Christ came into the world both for mercy and for judgment to make some unexcusable (d) John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin It was said of Christ almost after his very Birth That (a) Luk. 2.34 he was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against And as the Prophet says (b) Isa 3.14 a stone of stumbling a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin and for a snare to Jerusalem And Men are too apt to fansie things to be the cause of God's actings which are not thus the Disciples themselves thought because a Man was born blind the Man's sins or his Parents must be the cause of it but our Saviour tells them they were in an error for (c) Joh. 9.3 neither hath the man sinned nor his parents but he was born blind that the works of God should be made manifest in him This place sheweth clearly how God in whatsoever he doth in upon or for Men he minds chiefly his own Glory and followeth his own will and pleasure Thus (d) Chap. 11.4 Lazarus's Sickness and Death was for the glory of God and of Christ God denyed the Man his sight from his Birth here are his Will his Power and Justice over his Creature the Lord Jesus gives him his sight there is mercy thus the works of God are made manifest in this Man and why not so too in others in relation to eternity as well as to time This Man was naturally blind but God is pleased to give him his sight as he might without any wrong have left him in his blindness if it had been his pleasure So if God be pleased to leave some Men naturally dead in that condition and quicken others that were in the same state what hath wretched Man to do to cavil against or find fault with it Or presumptuously not to be satisfied with this cause the meer will and pleasure of God but must prye into his Secrets and forge other Motives instead
God doth intervene without which no Man should be reprobate for sin for notwithstanding sin God without doing his justice wrong could have decreed Salvation to all for by means of his Son he could fully have satisfied his justice This as to the first question The second is why God hath decreed for sin to damn these or such and such Men rather than others no other cause can be assigned but the good-will and pleasure of God Sin cannot be the cause for all Men considered in themselves are all equally sinners the following example will illustrate the thing Let there be many guilty Men convicted of Rebellion the Prince commands some to suffer and others he gives a pardon to if the question be put why out of many only some are punished The reason is good because they are Rebels for the Prince being just he puts none to Death without a just cause but if again the question be put why out of many these rather than those do suffer Rebellion cannot be said to be the cause for they all are equally guilty Some Schoolemen in matters of Reprobation do distinguish between the negative act called Preterition or passing by or the will not to give eternal life and the positive or affirmative or the will of damning The first say they is Absolute The second not so but Relative to sin as a necessary antecedent But every act may in a different respect be called Absolute and not Absolute if the question be made Absolute or Comparative The Matter or Object of Reprobation are they whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb Rev. 13.8 c. they be the greatest part of sinful Men in the sight of God considered as fallen and corrupted with sin wherefore they are called (a) Rom. 9.22 Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Now God is angry against none but sinners and appointed to destruction none but the guilty Out of Scripture 't is clear that the greatest part of Men are Reprobate for (b) Matth. 20.16 few are chosen which doth exclude the rest therefore Reprobates are more in number and greater is the number of those that are damned than of those that be saved (c) Matth. 7.13 14. Some say against this a just Judge doth Decree equal things for those that are equal wherefore since God is a just Judge having elected some sinners he hath not reprobated others which are not worse but this rule is meant only of a Judge who by Law is bound equally to distribute rewards and pains but if there be no such obligation without acting contrary to justice he is free to make an unequal distribution to those that are equal Now God is not bound by any Law and hath a most just cause of his Decrees and (d) Matth. 20.15 with his own may do what he pleases Secondly It is argued if the number of Reprobates be greater than of the Elect then the justice of God will be greater than his mercy which seemeth to be contrary to that place of Scripture (e) Psal 145.9 His mercies are over all his works The answer is the Mercy and Justice of God are considered either in themselves and as they are in God or in relation to their Effects and Objects upon the first account they are equal upon the last it may be said that the universal Mercy of God upon all men is greater than his Justice but in relation to his special Mercy about Salvation 't is lesser or of a less extent than his Justice The end of Reprobation is that the Justice of God may be made known in the punishment of sin according to Scripture God said to Pharaoh (a) Rom. â— 17 Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth Ver. 22 And in a verse lower God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction God doth not appoint or destinate them to sin for he found them in it but to the pains of sin 'T is a slander in our Adversaries to say we attribute to God a decree of Reprobation without any relation at all to sin As we said of the Decree of Election that Eternity and Unchangableness are inseparably joyned to it the same we must say of Reprobation there is the same reason for the Eternity of Reprobation as for that of Election for if God from Eternity elected some he also from Eternity hath passed by others for there can be no Election without Reprobation Besides what I said before more than once nothing is done in Time but what from Eternity hath been decreed to be done Hence God is said to act (b) Rom. 9 1â— according to his purpose as may be seen in several places of Scripture As to the Immutability of Reprobation 't is proved out of God's Unchangeableness for as he is Unchangeable so are all his Decrees (c) Isai 46.10 My counsel shall stand and I will do all pleasure If it be thus will some say then 't is in vain for Reprobates to repent for they cannot change their doom yet Scripture promiseth forgiveness of sins to penitent sinners I answer in reprobates there is no such thing as true Repentance as we see in the case of Judas who repented not (d) 2 Cor. 7.9 10. of that repentance to salvation not to be repented of as St. Peter's was but of Repentance to Death for he went and out of despair hanged himself he saw his crime which appeared horrid to his mind but no change in the heart Yet if reprobates could truly and sincerely repent they would not be damned hereupon our Adversaries lay at a catch and will say then the Decree of Reprobation is changeable and can be reversed but not so because reprobates neither do nor can truly repent but saith one they are commanded to repent 't is true but this Precept shews their duty what they ought not what they can do Frecepts and Threatnings do sometimes make reprobates to abstain from some certain sins and though they cannot avoid eternal death yet they have this advantage that their condition (a) Matth. 11.24 shall be more tolerable than of those that give themselves to all manner of wickedness for as there are degrees of guilt so there will be of pains besides that this abstaining from some certain sins or having an outward shew of repentance of them puts off for a time those judgments which they are afraid of as befell wicked Ahab who sold himself to work wickedness for that heavy judgment which the Prophet Elijah by God's special command threatned him with and his house upon his outward shew of repentance (b) Kings 21. from 17. to 29. was put off till his Sons days Of Reprobation there are two Effects and Consequences First A desertion or God's
it self which he acknowledgeth and in it admireth the ordering of Providence for he saith to them (a) Gen. 50.20 As for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is at this day to save much people alive For thus they were preserved from being destroyed by Famine and this in order for above 400 years after to bring them out of Egypt with so many wonders and to lead them into the possession of the promised Land But before I leave this point some thing more I must offer to the consideration of serious and thinking men Certainly the several degrees of God's Providence in Joseph's case are to be admired First his dreams then his declaring of them which raised the hatred and envy of his brethren against him his Fathers sending him to them in the field whereupon they took counsel to kill him Reuben's preventing their design and advising to cast him into a Pit God at that very time bringing by a company of Ishmalites and Juda's council of selling him to them their bringing him into Egypt and selling him unto Potipher a great Man with Pharaoh his Wifes unchast designs upon him her manner of vengeance seeing her self denyed And here indeed appears a dark effect of a wise Providence that so good an act of his should be followed with his being cast into Prison but 't was in order to bring him nearer to Pharaoh for 't is observed how the Lord was with him giving him favour in the sight of the keeper of the Prison as before he had fonnd grace in the sight of Potipher whilst he was in Prison God's Providence brought into the same place the Butler and the Baker of the King of Egypt then followed their several dreams with their interpretation by Joseph whose desire the chief Butler minded not but forgat him But two years after Pharaoh dreamed and none of the Magicians could interpret upon this occasion the Butler remembered him so he was sent for by the King and after the interpretation he was raised to be next under Pharaoh the greatest Man in the Kingdom Then God called for a Famine upon the Land but as David observeth Psal 105. he had sent a Man before them to preserve life to Jacobs Family as Joseph said to his brethren it was not you that sent me hither but God Gen. 45. In Egypt they multip ied exceedingly though under Oppression and Bondage till the time of their deliverance as promised to Abraham was come and the iniquity of the Amorite was full How much is herein to be admired God's wise and adorable Providence Thus for a second instance the combination of (b) Acts 4.27.28 Herod Pilate the Gentiles and people of Israel against our Saviour to shed innocent blood was by God's Providence directed to do whatsoever the hand and counsel of God determined before to be done We must think the like of every other effect of Providence though we cannot tell the reasons of it I declare in the whole dispensation in time of our Salvation nothing moves me more than the consideration of God's ordering things for the good of his people and I therein admire and adore his Infinite Mercy Wisdom and Power And thus God over-rules the evil designs of wicked men and of devils too for although their being evil be contrary to God's will which is good it doth not hinder but that they do fall under his Providence for as a stubborn Horse is by the Rider governed and directed to a certain end and place and as a Magistrate doth rule and compel to duty Seditious and Rebellious Subjects Thus with the Curb of his Providence God doth over-rule the stubbornness of the wills of Devils and Wicked Men reduceth them to order and directeth them to his end We see in the case of Job how Satan can do nothing against him without God's special leave neither can he go a jot beyond what he is allowed Against this truth this objection is made God is the Author of things done by his Providence but God is not the Author of Evil and Sin therefore Evil and Sin are not done by his Providence I Answer God is the Author of things efficiently that is the true and proper effect of a Cause done by his Providence but sin and evil are not efficiently done but permissively or by permission as hereafter it shall be explained Evils of sin are said to be done by Providence because God ruleth things done by evil and wicked Men yet is free from the evil and sinfulness thereof Thus a Rider ruleth and maketh a lame Horse to go yet is not the cause of the lameness a Man writeth a good hand yet writting with a bad Pen what he writes is not well written 't is not the fault of the Hand but of the Pen the lameness lies in the Horse and the vitiosity of fault in the Instrument Now Providence is a Divine and perpetual act whereby all and every thing is preserved ruled and directed to its own and proper end There are three degrees of Providence as Preservation Governing and Ordering of all things out of every one of these degrees do appear the Wisdom Freedom Power and Goodness of God Hence he is said to administer every thing Wisely because (a) Hob. 4.13 every thing lies open before his eyes all being well disposed towards good and certain ends Causes do accordingly produce their effects God herein acteth freely for nothing compelleth him to this Government of the World neither doth he without himself act any thing out of a natural necessity but out of his own free-will then powerfully because out of his own Will and Pleasure he doth what he pleaseth without any trouble or disturbance so that nothing can hinder him Lastly he administereth well because he never fails in any thing he doth out of any mistake or error in the understanding or a deviation in his Will from that which is Right Good and True And though I am to speak chiefly of God's special Providence yet before I enter upon the matter it will be necessary for the better understanding of it for me to go up higher and say some things in general of the acting principle in God which is threefold Directing Commanding and Executing the principle directing the Action is the understanding which in God is the same with his Divine Knowledge and Wisdom This is a property of God whereby he knoweth himself in himself and every thing without himself not only of things that are whether they be necessary contingent passed or future whether thought spoken or done whether good or evil but even those which are not to be and all that most truly and infallibly This understanding is the principle directing the Action for no intelligent Agent willeth and executeth any thing but what the Intellect hath some fore-knowledge of and proposed it to the Will In Men are the Intellect a faculty of the Soul Science an
defectuous to represent what I mean what would one say of such a Prince And what can we say to those who would father such inconsiderable and nonsensical decrees upon the only wise God Which of these two is more consisting with the Word and Wisdom of God To say I elect such a one to Salvation if he repent and believe or I elect him to Salvation through Faith and Repentance which I will give him taking these means for condition they enter into the decree thus when God decreed to save Noah and his Family it was by the means of the Ark As I said before 't is the part of a wise man when he appointeth to the end to appoint also to the means these means enter into God's decree for by them as away he will bring men to his end now these conditions do not hinder the decree from being absolute that is it doth not depeâ—d upon a condition for God hath absolutely decreed to save a Man by Faith Of the same stamp is their other distinction of God's will into antecedent and consequent which they explain thus God hath decreed indifferently to save all and every individual Man upon condition if they believe in Christ and this by an antecedent will again he hath decreed to save only some because he hath foreseen only some few would believe and this is done by a consequent will The first is contrary to the wisdom of God The second also argueth God of Imprudence and with Pelagius supposeth faith in Christ to depend upon the will of Men contrary to what Scripture affirmeth positively (a) Ephs 2.8 Faith is the gift of God and why to make two decrees of one when one can and doth serve That Truth which out of Scriptures we do assert doth stand altogether and all in good order when the erroneous opinions of our adversaries are in confusion and by pieces and do not well agree together To answer their Objections we are to know that to every decree belongs it's sign which is conditional the decree not so as any ways to depend upon the condition and though the will of the sign be conditional and that of the decree absolute Yet the agreement between the decree and the word doth remain for according to the rule of Civilians and Logicians every proposition whereunto is annexed an unpossible condition to which answereth one which for certain can never be performed is equivalent to an absolute or Catagorical Negative this agreeth with an absolute negative decree not depending upon the condition Thus the promise of Salvation to one who by reason of his final impenitency is to be damned under condition of Repentance and faith in Christ is equivalent to a Catagorical Negative of Salvation for that Man by reason of his final Impenitency To this answereth the negative decree with relation to Impenitency and Unbelief as cause of future Damnation for all this God doth not mock those whom he promiseth Salvation unto under condition though he hath not absolutely decreed to save them for by this conditional promise God shews them the means of Salvation and the just causes of Damnation namely the neglect of those means which go before Salvation and he sheweth it to the end they be unexcuseable and make them sensible how justly they are damned But say the adversaries they cannot apply those means true but this excuseth them not for 't is thorough their fault they cannot Some put a question whether there be any Cause to the Will of God not as to the Object of the Will without himself relatively to the Creature t is generally granted he hath but the question is about the will wherewith God willeth Divines answer no Cause per se of it self properly called can be given of the Will of God either instrumental impulsive or final because God is so Cause-active that he cannot be Caused or Passive his Will is Independent and there is nothing greater nor before the Will of God in whom is not a Will of the end and another of the means for as with one single act he knoweth the cause and the effects so with one single act he willeth the end and the means They who attribute moving and impulsive causes to the Will of God do it to condescend to Man's capacity for men cannot represent to themselves the greatness and Majesty of God but in low and humane conceptions Now we should come to the executing principle or the third part of the principle of acting in God and this is his Power but because it leadeth us to Providence which is our present Matter and chief Subject we omit speaking to that as not conducing to our present purpose and reassume our Discourse about Providence where we left it There are three parts or degrees of God's Providence First Preservation Second Governing Third Ordering As to the first God's preserving Providence is extended over all his Works 't is a continued Creation whereby he preserves all his Creatures some as to their Species others as to their Individuums Under the first Branch come all things Mortal and Incorruptible Under the second those that are Incorruptible but this I omit insisting upon to come to that which is to my purpose namely that special Providence of God in the preservation of his Elect in this world from those great and imminent dangers that are brought upon them whereof Scripture affordeth several instances as of (a) Gen. 7.7 Noah and his Family from the Flood by the means of the Ark (b) Gen. 19.15 16. of Lot from the destruction of Sodom of (c) Exod. 2.3 4 5 6 7 8. Moses from being drowned when exposed upon the River Nilus of (d) 1 Kings 17.4 10 13. Dan. 3.24 Chap. 6.22 Elijah for God commanded the Ravens to feed him and at Zarephath also provided for him of Shedrach Meshack and Abednego the three young Men that were delivered from the burning fiery Furnace and Daniel from the mouth of the Lyons But because there is no dispute about this part of God's Providence I come to the next which is the governing part The Government of the World is an act whereby God by his Supream Authority Power and Wisdom ruleth all things and disposeth thereof according to his Will and this is done either actively or permissively By the first God doth act every good thing either immediately or mediately 't is in the first manner when God makes use of no Instrument or Second Causes to shew he is not tyed to them thus he immediately created the world without any Instrument When God worketh with Second Causes and Instruments he is said to act mediately and by means and this not out of any necessity for he can do all he pleaseth without them but 't is only out of his Free-will and Pleasure not for want of Power but out of a fullness of his goodness to communicate to the Creatures a power of acting and also to teach us how to make use of
will of God obligeth Man to believe such things as God in his secret will never intended to accomplish So Abraham was bound to believe as also he believed it that God surely intended the Sacrificing of his Son because he commanded him to do it Yet God intended to try his Faith The Ninevites were bound to believe and so they did the Prediction of Jonah (a) Joh. 3.4 Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed yet God intended their repentance not their ruine It is a mistake to think that every one whom Christ is preached unto is bound to believe that he died for him which not being he is bound to believe a lye which to understand the better one must know the several degrees of Faith in this case Upon hearing the Gospel preached there is a general Faith required namely that the Lord Jesus came into the world to save sinners the next thing for a Man to believe is that if I repent and believe Christ came into the world to save me so this is but conditional and many a wicked Man can believe thus far but the third and last degree is proper only to the Elect and 't is this when upon self examination and inquiry a Man finds that he repents as thus formerly I delighted in sin now I hate it heretofore I did eagerly run after the occasions now I avoid them and also doth find and feel that he believeth thus I know and am sensible of the desperate condition I am in by nature and see there is but one way to come out of it namely through the Lord Jesus for there is no Salvation in any other wherefore I hope and trust for mercy in him I lay hold upon and believe in him and do feel within me a comfort and inward assurance in the holy Ghost whereby I am sealed and which is the earnest of the Inheritance and assures me that I am the child of God Now a Man in such a condition is bound to believe that Christ died for him and believes it and so believes the truth according to this method St. Paul makes this declaration (a) Tim. 1.15 16. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief how be it for this cause I obtained mercy Ye see he hath the general notion wherefore Christ came into the world then he proceeds to apply it unto himself Lastly he is sure and believeth he obtained mercy This is the case of every Elect and Believer for there is for all but one way to Salvation Some go another way to work and say all are bound to believe Christ dyed not effectually but sufficiently for all if thereby be meant that the death of Christ as to the value and Merit be sufficient to save all we agree to it for if there had been ten thousand worlds Christ's death had been a sufficient value and price to save all but that distinction of effectually for the Elect and sufficiently for Reprobates doth not well become the dignity and merits of Christ's death wherein the design and wisdom of God and Christ are concerned to dye for one is properly so to die on his behalf as that he thereby may be delivered from death and this as our Saviour saith (b) Joh. 15.13 Implyeth the greatest love that can be Now to say that Christ dyed sufficiently not effectually is as good as to say Christ out of his infinite love for Reprobates dyed in their stead that they should be sufficiently delivered from death but noteffectually that is that they should never be actually delivered To say that Christ dyed for Reprobates not to the end they should actually be delivered but only put in a possibility of being so 't is in a manner to imply or else what they say is to no purpose that it lays in their power to receive Christ by Faith seeing without it they cannot be saved which all comes to this that God decreed from Eternity to save all and every Man upon condition they shall believe which smells of Pelagianism and Semipelagianism These are a new late sort of Arminians who would have minced and mitigated things but did not God from Eternity foresee many would not believe and decreed not to give them Faith which except he doth they can never have Why then should God have made a decree upon a condition which he knew shall never be performed having decreed never to grant the means to do it when a wise Man will not become guilty of so much imprudence But let this be enough upon the matter which in our hands is swelled beyond what we at first intended but 't is so copious that 't is almost unavoidable and yet how many things more might have been said Now we will proceed to something else CHAP. XIII That the Doctrines we hold concerning these Points are the same as Austin and other Orthodox Doctors maintained against Pelagians and Semipelagians WE have been at the Spring of all Truth and out of it I hope clearly and sufficiently proved all the Doctrines in question Now by the grace of God only to satisfie some we will come to something of humane Authority which indeed after God hath in his word passed a sentence is not necessary nor much material However 〈◊〉 shew we are not singular and that those high truths are not our particular opinion we shall make it appear how many hundred years ago some Hereticks having published their corrupt phancies against these truths God raised those who powerfully and successfully stood up in defence thereof Our Adversaries like prostitute Women which in a scolding fit hasten to call Whore first are gone about falsely to asperse us with innovation giving the points controverted between us the name of Calviaian Doctrines as good and as fit for them to call a Calvinist Austin who lived much above a thousand years before Calvin which in effect is to overturn the world and make last first and first last Hence it is that in a fit of rage some of them brake loose upon that worthy Servant of God who hath been an Eminent instrument in his hand to beat down the strength of that Roman Anti-christ to which so many pious and learned Men have given their Evidence Yet no Papist though never so violent spoke against him more unbecomingly and with greater fury than some Arminians have but we must not wonder at it the Cause he fought against is common to Papists with them and so they look on him as their Common Enemy However amongst Enemies if there be any sence of Christianity and Humanity there should be something more of Moderation and Generosity if they were capable of it Cannot we dispute about the things we differ in and let persons alone Forbear making reflections upon the Dead who in their Generation were better Men than we are in ours we should mind the merit of the Cause and not pick an unjust quarrel against the person And here before I
door to all such prophane and wicked licentiousness and security as the hearts of men can admit Farthermore this makes all men equal puts them in the same condition whether Elect or Reprobate Heathen or Christians Godly or Ungodly since all of them may be saved or damned if they will for thereby their Salvation is laid in their hand Now what can be more derogatory to God's special grace and love more uncomfortable to all good Christians more acceptable to all licentious persons more advantageous to Satan and pernicious to mankind than to remove the bounds of God's all limiting and immutable decrees and throw down the walls hedges and partitions he hath made himself of his special love and to lay them common unto all without distinction and as much as in them lays to ruin the order which God hath settled and thereby bring in a general confusion Again this takes away repentance and salvation it self also the hopes and possibility of repentance for if our conversion grace and Salvation depend upon our unsettled corrupt wills who can be saved If Adam in a state of Innocency could not preserve himself from falling when he had power not to sin how can we who since his fall lay under a necessity of sinning even in a regenerate state by any sufficient universal grace or any power of our own raise convert or save our selves St. Paul in whom the grace of God did abound thought he could not do 't (a) Rom. 7.14 15 17 c. 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 evil which I would not that I do If our Salvation was in our own hands it should soon be lost and forfeited but thanks be to God 't is in sure hands (b) John 10.28 29. My sheep shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Our saving graces cannot be lost for they are (c) Acts 13.34 the sure mercies of David This also doth exclude Infants from Salvation for they want knowledge to discern and will for to desire it because they know not what it meaneth Moreover this revives the old Pelagian Error that a man may live and keep himself without sin for if men have such an ability of will of universal grace to convert themselves when they are in the state of nature much more shall they in the state of grace when they enjoy the help of God's spirit keep themselves free from sin if once through their strength men have mastered sin much more may they totally suppress it being wounded but Scripture teacheth there is no perfection to be attained to in this life no perfect man in the world (d) Jam. 3.2 chap. 2.10 for in many things we offend all and though we should offend only in one he who offendeth in one is guilty of all The beloved disciple of Christ and in whom his grace aboundeth saith (e) 1 John 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Their opinions do cross one another for to put in man's will to keep himself from sin if he willeth doth not agree with their doctrine against perseverance for 't is to be supposed no man is willingly damned the desire of well being is in the Creature and to be against perseverance doth continually bring a servile fear upon men and always keeps them under uncertainty as to their future state contrary to that of St. Paul (f) Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear Now saith another Apostle (g) 1 John 4.18 Fear hath torment he that feareth is not made perfect in love for perfect love casteth out fear This also maketh grace of a larger extent than the decree of God's Election and the inward or outward means of grace That is the effect is more general than its cause which is a very great absurdity God hath not actually decreed to save nor by a call to offer soul-saving means of grace to all men for if it were so as they would have it I see no reason but that all men should be converted and saved because God's decrees and his words are always true and never fall to ground for want of execution but Scripture and Experience teach the contrary Wherefore either we must admit an universal Election of all men to life which necessarily implyeth an universal Salvation of all Men or else we must disclaim a Chimaera of universal grace which may well be called a Monster in Divinity Another ill consequence of this universal grace is that it makes this pretended grace which is not sufficient to Salvation seeing it doth not produce it Mother to true saving grace which is of a quite different nature but such is the cause such the effect (a) Matth. 7.16 Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles Either this universal grace is saving grace which cannot be for all men would be saved by it or else it cannot be the Mother or Author of true saving grace which so far differeth from it in kind or nature We own there are God's common temporal favours whereof Reprobates are made partakers because living in the visible Society of the Elect they thereby receive some outward benefits which in that respect may be called universal graces but the question is about effectual and saving grace such as inward calling Conversion Justification Sanctification Faith Repentance c. which are peculiar to God's Elect and not extended to Heathen and other Infidels who are no part nor members of the visible Church much less of the universal Church which promises and saving graces do only belong to so that without the Pales of it no true saving grace to be had to the end that universal grace be sufficient it must contain other particular graces as Faith if it be Faith it ceases to be universal for it doth not belong to all or else what our Saviour saith (b) Luke 18.8 when the Son of Man cometh shall he find faith in the Earth Were but a tale if it be not faith it signifieth nothing and will do no good 't is not sufficient for (c) Heb. 11.6 without faith it is unpossible to please God If this be a true universal grace it must be a grace for every thing or else 't is not universal it must unfold to us all the mysteries of God's proceeding's specially those which relate to Salvation as for us who do not believe it when we inquire into things the last reason that can be given us is the will of God no higher can be assigned therewith we are satisfied and do acquiesce we go no further for thereby a stop is put to all our queries But for them that universal grace giveth an apparent cause even in men themselves besides the absolute disposing will of God namely the prevision of their
The Doctrines contained in every Article he reduces under several Heads and Propositions which he proves out of Scripture and these Propositions he in his Epistle Dedicatory affirmeth to be maintained by the Church of England which if it had not been true he would not have had the Face to have said so in Print to the Primate of the whole Kingdom To add a greater weight to what he writes I must warn the Reader he was no Puritan nor Friend to them as it appeareth out of his Book and so no Calvinist to make use of their Words He out of this 17th Article draweth ten Propositions the 1st That there is a Predestination of Men unto everlasting Life 2. Predestination hath been from everlasting Here is the eternity 3. They which are predestinated unto Salvation cannot perish This is Perseverance and against the Apostacy of Saints 4. Not all Men but certain are predestinated to be saved Here is a certain number of Chosen and Elect 5. In Christ Jesus of the meer Will and purpose of God some are elected and not others unto Salvation Here are Election and Rebrobation and no outward Motive in God but his meer Will and Purpose In the 6th and 7th Propositions he makes the outward Calling by the Word and inward by the Holy Ghost the Justification by Faith of those that are predestinate their Sanctification by the Holy Ghost and Glorification in the Life to come to be infallible Effects of free Election Take notice also how in his Proofs of the first Proposition he makes use of the Examples of Abel and Cain Isaac and Ishmael Jacob and Esau as Examples of Election and Reprobation And amongst those whom he condemns as Adversaries to this Truth for of the Truth he asserts in every Proposition he names those that are against it he expresses those that say how some are appointed to be saved but none to be damned And upon the 4th Proposition he condemneth those who say no certain Company be fore-destined unto eternal Condemnation Upon his 5th Proposition he condemneth of Impiety that 's his Word those who say that Man maketh himself eligible for the Kingdom of Heaven those who say that God beheld in every Man whether he would use his Grace well and believe the Gospel or no and as he saw a Man affected so he did predestinate choose or refuse him And those that say that besides God's Will there was in him some other Cause why he chose one and cast off another O Arminians here by a true Son of the Church according to the Doctrine of the Church you are charged with Impiety for your Opinions More of this is to be seen in the Book which for Brevities sake I omit One Evidence more of a true Son of the Church I shall make use of upon this point which also proves our 13th Chapter in the very Words (a) Reply to Fisher p. 275. Although our Tenet concerning predestination be no other than St. Austin and his Scholars maintained against the Pelagians saith Dr. Francis White Dean of Carlisle As to Mr. Rogers's Book something else I shall add how therein in matter of Predestination he saith as do all the Churches Militant and Reformed with a sweet consent testifie and acknowledge Then all such Churches agree against Arminians in these points For free-Will we must read the 10th Article The Condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural Strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasing and acceptable unto God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will This is plain enough as observed by Rogers how Man cannot do any good Work before he be regenerated and converted And he declares Adversaries to this Truth all such as hold that naturally there is free-will in us and that Man hath free-will to perform spiritual and heavenly things Again that Men believe not but of their own free-Will That it is in a Man's free-Will to believe or not to believe to obey or disobey the Gospel of Truth preached This is the Doctrine we assert in as plain and proper Words as can be expressed And on his 3d. Proposition upon the same Article he brings in the very same Texts we make use of for that purpose As (b) Acts 15. â— God purifieth man's heart (c) Phil. 2.13 works in us both the will and the deed (d) Rom. 8 2â— the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought (e) 1 Cor. 6.7 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God c. All this against free-Will and for God's free effectual Grace As to the certainty of Salvation and for Perseverance 't is contained in the already-quoted 17th Article where 't is said God hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to bring those he hath chosen in Christ and by Christ to everlasting Salvotion Whence it doth follow that certainly and infallibly such shall be brought to Salvation or else God could not execute that which he hath decreed to do which is Blasphemy Now the Adversaries are for Mutability and in constancy of Salvation which certainly this Article doth cross for it induceth a certain and constant Salvation and a constant Decree of Election constantly bringing to Salvation which must be by way of Perseverance in the State of Grace But they by inducing this Apostacy and that Men though elected may have leave to fall from Salvation if they will make an Election which followeth a Man upon condition of his fore-seen Perseverance a strange Election that waits upon Man to see whether he will give to himself a final Perseverance by his own free-Will an Election by which no Man is actually elected until he be no more that is after his death In this Article the Church hath another way to teach the certainty of Salvation which is to go upon the same Grounds St. Paul doth when he saith by Particulars to make the General sure (f) Rom. 8.29.3 Whom he did fore-know them he also did predestinate to be made like to the Image of his Son Whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified According to this Foundation in the said Article are these Words Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling They be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like unto the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by God's
sake so that a true believer may be certain by the assurance of Faith of the forgiveness of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ XXXVIII A true lively justifying Faith and the sanctifying spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanisheth away in the regenerate either totally or finally The members that composed the Convocation which passed these Articles were for the most part English Divines of great learning who had made their studies in our Universities true members of the Church so that 't is the same as if they had been agreed here and the Lambeth Articles were inserted withall we look upon the Church of England and Ireland to be but one and the same The famous and for Piety and Learning eminent James Vsher afterwards Primate of that Kingdom was present at the Convocation and had a hand in penning the Articles which were approved of by King James Licensed and published here by Authority Our 39 Articles agreed upon in the Reign of Edward the VI. by the Convocation in 1552 several years before Arminianism was broached and appeared abroad could not be so plain and so full against it as are those of Lambeth and of Dublin For then the evil being broken out a fit and proper remedy was applyed against it Hence it is that in both we see those Errors so clearly and fully condemned that if we had been the Pen-men thereof we could not have drawn them otherwise than they are I must now return to my more ancient proofs but not generally publick as this last the first that broke the Ice as far as I have read upon these matters was one Samuel Harsnet who upon the 27th of October 1584 having at Paul's Cross preached a Sermon concerning those points his Sermon was censured and condemned and he at last declared his sorrow for it The ground of the complaint was that he had preached contrary to Truth and to the Doctrine of the Church About this time something having appeared abroad to favour those Errors amongst others one Veron did well handle the points in a Book called A Fruitful Treatise of Predestination with the Apology for the same against those who appeared in Cambridge and he Dedicated it to the Queen and it was received with approbation and applause But why should I stand upon naming of persons Seeing all our first Reformers sufficiently expressed their judgment in the 39 Articles the Common-Prayer-Book and Homilies which they compiled So we must name Bishop Cranmer Latimer Hooper Jewel Ridley Grindal and Martyr Bucer who though Foreigners were Divinity Professors one at Oxford the other at Cambridge and were made use of in the work of Reformation Tyndal Friths Barnes c. and since that time Edwin Archbishop of York the Bishop of Chichester in 1576 John Bridges Bishop of Oxford Babington Bishop of Worcester the fore-named Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury and Hutton of York The Bishops of London of Bangor Dr. Will. Whitaker and since that time Perkins not excepting Mr. Hooker and who not Which it were too long to number we can bring a List of 300 English Scotch or Irish yet most English or thereabouts with whom in the controverted points agreed all the Considerable and Eminent Instruments of Reformation as others beyond the Seas Zuinglius Luther Calvin Beza Bullinger Zanchius Piscator Chamierus Paraeus Vrsinus Junius Molinaeus Rivetus Gomarus Scultetus Macovius c. But we must not go abroad we have enough at home to carry on the argument which I shall reduce within the time of King James's Reign and maybe go little after Every one may know he was a learned Prince and a true England Church-man during his life the Arminian Sect durst not appear here at least publickly For a Sermon in the year 1616 having been preached at Royston before the King concerning points of Arminianism a recantation was imposed upon Mr. Sympson who had preached it and he recanted and about six years after at Oxford one Mr. Gabriel Bridges having in the University Church preached a Sermon against the absolute Decree of Predestination he was accused for preaching contrary to Truth and to the Articles of Religion established in the Kingdom and was ordered to maintain in the Schools the contrary of what he had preached in the Pulpit which he did Now we will come to a Royal Evidence and that is King James in his own writings at the conference at Hampton-Court about predestination he delared against the Arminian opinion and was approved and applauded by all present He said how Predestination and Election depend not upon any qualities actions or works of Man which are mutable but upon God's Eternal and Immutable Decree and Purpose And before we leave off we shall by the grace of God shew his judgment about Arminius and his Errors First he calls Arminius a seditious and Heretical Preacher an Enemy of God the first in our age that infected Leyden with Heresie a man whom all the Reformed Churches of Germany had with open mouth complained of Anâ—n we shall see what he saith of his Followers But let us see something of what he writes against his and their opinions As to Predestination he expresseth thus much (a) Meditation the Lord's Prayer God hath two wills a revealed will towards us and that will is here understood he hath also a secret will in his eternal Counsel whereby all things are governed and in the end made over to turn to his glory oftentimes drawing good effects out of bad causes and light out of darkness to the fullfilling either of his mercy or his justice c. The first Article of the Apostles Creed teacheth us that God is Almighty however Vorstius and the Arminians think to rob him of his eternal Decree and secret Will making things to be done in this world whether he will or not And in his Declaration against Worstius he saith (b) Protestatio Antivorstiana We do not doubt but that their Ambassadors of Holland which were with us about two years since did inform them of a fore-warning that we wished the said Ambassadors to make unto them in our name to beware in time of Seditious and Heretical Preachers and not to suffer any such to creep into their State Our principal meaning was of Arminius who though himself were lately dead yet had he left too many of his disciples behind him which he mentioneth in what he addeth We had well hoped that the corrup seed which that Enemy of God Arminius did sow amongst you some few years since whose disciples and followers are yet too bold and frequent within your Dominions had given you a sufficient warning afterwards to take heed of such infected persons seeing your own Countrymen already divided into factions upon this occasion a matter so opposite to unity which is indeed the only prop and safety of your State next under God as of necessity it must by little and little bring you to utter ruin if wisely you do not provide
against in and that in time As to the point of free will and effectual grace he expresseth his mind thus The only way for enabling us for to do it Meditation on the Lord's Prayer namely the will of God is by our earnest prayer to God that he will enable us to do it according to that of St. Austin da domine quod jubes jube quod vis And upon the petition against temptation and lead us not into temptation the Arminians cannot but mistake the frame of this petition for I am sure they wou'd have it and suffer us not to be led into temptation c. St. Austin is the best decider of this question to whom I refer my self And indeed he quoteth in the Margin of his Books de Praedesi inatione Sanctorum and de Dono Perseverantiae contra Pelagianos passimalibi this is a proof of what I asserted in another Chapter how our doctrine about these points is the same with that Doctors of the Church In the same Book of his Meditation on the Lord's Prayer that King says It is enough for us to know that Adam by his fall lost his free-will both to himself and all his posterity so as the best of us all hath not one good thought in him except it come from God who draws by his effectual grace out of that tainted and corrupt lump whom he pleaseth for the work of his mercy And elsewhere he declareth thus (a) Protest Antivorst The nature of man through the transgression of our first parents hath lost free-will and retaineth not now any shadow thereof saving an inclination to evil those only excepted whom God of his meer grace hath sanctified and purged from this original leprosie For certainty of salvation and perseverance against the Apostasy and falling away of true Believers his mind he declareth thus (b) Protest Antivorst About the same time one Bertius a Scholar of the late Arminius who was the first in our age that infected Leyden with Heresie was so impudent as to send a letter unto the Archbishop of Canterbury with a Book intituled de Apostasia Sanctorum And not thinking it enough to own the sending of such a Book the Tittle whereof only were enough to make it worthy to be burnt he was moreover so shameless as to maintain in his Letter to the Archbishop that his Doctrine contained in his Book (c) Our Arminians are this man's Disciples agreed with the Doctrine of the Church of England Let the Church of Christ then judge whether it was not high time for us to be stir our selves when as this gangren had not only taken hold amongst our near neighbours so as non solum paries proximus jam ardebat not only the next house was on fire but it also did begin to creep into the bowels of our own Kingdom O the care care of a Prince Nursing-father to the Church never enough to be commended would to God the like was now taken to oppose Socinianism as was then to prevent the coming in of Arminianism But that Prince goes on thus It is true that it was our unhappiness not to hear of this Arminius before he was dead and that all the reformed Churches of Germany See how all Protestant Churches opposed Arminianism had with open mouth complained of him but as soon as we heard of that distraction in your State which after his death he left behind him we did not fail taking the opportunity when your last Extraordinaray Ambassadors were here with us to use some such speeches unto them concerning this matter as we thought fittest for the good of your state and which we doubt not but they have faithfully reported unto you for what need we make any question of the arrogancy of these Hereticks or rather Atheistical Sectaries amongst you when one of them at this present remaining in your Town of Leyden hath not only presumed to publish of late a blasphemous book of the Apostasie of Saints but hath besides been so impudent as to send the other day a Copy thereof as a godly present to our Archbishop of Canterbury together with a Letter wherein he is not ashamed as also in his Book to lye so grosly as to avow that his heresies contained in the same Book do agree with the Religion and Profession of the Church of England For these reasons therefore have we cause enough very heartily to request you to root out with speed those Heresies and Schisms which are beginning to bud forth amongst you which if you suffer to go on any longer you cannot expect any other issue thereof than the curse of God infamy throughout all Reformed Churches a perpetual rent and distraction in the whole Body of your State And all this was his Majesties special order backed with the earnest and frequent sollicitations of his Ambassador in Holland where they have been since so sensible of the spirit of that Party that though they have given them an indulgence yet are not admitted to have a hand in the Government Hence it clearly appeareth how earnest that Prince was to have Arminianism suppressed and what opinion that wise and learned King who had studied the points had of their Errors which he calleth Heresies and Schisms and them Hereticks and Atheistical Sectaries specially upon the occasion of Bertius his Book the title whereof he saith makes it deserves to be burnt he calls it a blasphemous book and by his Ambassador saith to the States not to suffer the followers of Arminius to make their actions an example for them to proclaim to the world that wicked doctrine of the Apostasie of Saints And as herein we see that King's opinion about Arminian Tenets so by him we are informed how false it is to say that they agree with the Doctrine of the Church of England which after him we may speak to the Arminians that to say Arminian Heresies agree with the Doctrine of our Church is a gross and impudent lye and that King knew very well what is the Doctrine of the Church of England and a third thing we learn hence is the dangers that arise from this kind of Doctrine in three particulars First The Curse of God Secondly Infamy throughout all Reformed Churches Thirdly A perpetual rent and distraction in the whole body of the State where it is tolerated for Arminius left behind him a great distraction in the state out of which considerations we see that King took a good resolution when he saith it was high time to bestir our selves when as this Gangrene had not only taken hold on our nearest neighbours but did also begin to creep into the Bowels of our own Kingdom Arminian Opinions he compareth to a Gangrene but he is not satisfied to take good Counsel himself but he also gives it to the Hollanders therefore for these respects saith he we have cause enough very heartily to request you to root out with speed these Heresies and Schisms