perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World both Original and Actual They having before asserted the Doctrine of God's Eternal Election of some this Article may fairly be interpreted that Christ is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World of the Elect or of all the Elect in all Ages and of all Nations throughout the whole World and for them only and their words being well considered will constrain such an Interpretation To be sure they did not hold that all Mankind should be saved and therefore saying that Christ is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World they cannot be understood to mean any more than this that there is no other name under Heaven by which Men can be saved but the name of Jesus Christ there is not Salvation in any other It is he alone that is a Perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for Sin so that whoever are saved in any Age or Place throughout the whole World are saved by him only 2. The first Articles of the Church of England being not so explicit and plain about Predestination and Arminianism being broached there was a meeting at Lambeth-house on the 20th Day of November 1595. now almost an hundred Years since There was John Archbishop of Canterbury Richard Bishop of London Richard Elect Bishop of Bangor Dr. Tindal Dean of Ely Dr. Whitaker Professor of Divinity in Cambridge and sundry other Reverend and Learned Divines there present with the concurrent Approbation of of the Right Reverend and Learned Prelate Matthew Archbishop of York for the determining certain Arminian Points of Controversie they composed agreed upon and published these Nine Assertions following 1. Deus ab aeterno praedestinavit quosdam ad vitam quosdam reprobavit ad mortem 1. God from Eternity hath predestinated certain Men to Life he hath reprobated some unto Death 2. Causa movens aut efficiens Praedestinationis ad vitam non est praevisio fidei aut bonorum operum aut ullius rei quae insit in personis praedestinatis sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei 2. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto Life is not the foresight of Faith or of good Works or of any thing that is in the persons predestinated but only the good Will and Pleasure of God 3. Praedestinatorum praefinitus certus est numerus qui nec augeri nec minui possit 3. There is a predetermined and certain number of the predestinated which can neither be augmented nor diminished 4. Qui non sunt praedestinati ad salutem necessario propter peccata sua damnabuntur 4. Those that are not predestinated to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their Sins 5. Vera viva ac justificans fides Spiritus Dei justificantis non extinguitur non excidit non evanescet in electis aut finaliter aut totaliter 5. A true living and justifying Faith is not extinguished it fails not it vanisheth not away in the Elect either finally or totally 6. Homo vere fidelis id est fide justificante praeditus certus est plerophoria fidei de remissione peccatorum suorum salute sempiterna sua per Christum 6. A true believer that is such a one as is endued with a justifying Faith is certain with the full assurance of Faith of the pardon of his Sins and of his Everlasting Salvation by Christ I suppose they did not mean that a true Believer may not have doubts and fears whether he be in Christ or no but that he may have a full assurance of his Justification without such extraordinary Revelation as the Papists speak of This Article is directed especially against the Papists whose Doctrine is that no Believer can attain a full assurance of his Salvation in this Life except he have an extraordinary Revelation from God 7. Gratia Salutaris non tribuitur non communicatur non conceditur universis hominibus qua Servari possint si velint 7 Saving Grace is not given is not communicated is not granted to all Men by which they may be saved if they will 8. Nemo potest venire ad Christum nisi datum ei fuerit nisi pater eum traxerit Et omnes homines non trahuntur a Patre ut veniant ad filium 8. No Man can come unto Christ unless it shall be given unto him and unless the Father shall draw him and all Men are not drawn of the Father that they may come unto the Son 9. Non est positum in arbitrio aut potestate unius cujusque hominis servari 9. It is not in the Will and Power of every one to be saved 3. I come to the Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Archbishops Bishops and the rest of the Clergy of Ireland in the Convocation holden at Dublin 16.5 Article 11. God from all Eternity did by his unchangeable Counsel ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass yet so as no Violence is offered to the Wills of the Reasonable Creatures and neither the Liberty nor the Contingency of second causes is taken away but rather Established Article 12. By the same Eternal Counsel God hath predestinated some unto life and reprobated some unto Death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither be encreased nor diminished Article 13. Predestination unto Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly Decreed in his Secret Counsel to deliver from Curse and Condemnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Article 14. The cause moving God to Predestinate unto Life is not the foreseeing of Faith or Perseverance or of good works or of any thing which is in the person Predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself For all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory and his glory being to appear both in the works of his mercy and of his justice It seemed good to his Heavenly Wisdom to choose out a certain number towards whom he would extend his undeserved Mercy leaving the rest to be spectacles of his Justice Article 15. such as are predestinated unto Life be called according to Gods purpose his Spirit working in due Season and through Grace they obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk Religiously in good Works and at length by Gods Mercy they attain to everlasting felicity but such as are not predestinated to Salvation shall finally be condemned for their Sins Article 25. 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
effectually for all those for whom he dyed that he will certainly and infallibly bring them to Grace and Glory have no cause to be ashamed of their Doctrine Those that maintain that no man can come to Christ except the Father draw him and that with such a drawing as that they shall freely and yet most certainly and infallibly come to Christ and be eternally saved have truth on their side And all the Sophistry Cavils and Evasions of Arminians are as nothing to overthrow this Doctrine Whosoever shall observe the Book that I answer will find that this Author doth scarce attempt to argue and prove any thing except it be in a very few places but only raises outcries against others Therefore what I have written is only occasioned by this Author to clear up these points rather than to answer any Arguments he hath produced for his opinions but that little Argument he hath used I have taken into consideration If any Reader thinks that I have now and then used too much sharpness against this Author he may be pleased to take notice that those that know me can testifie that I have a greater Latitude as to any rigid judging of men as to their Eternal Estates because they hold many erroneous opinions than some others have Those that are truly built upon Christ upon his Merits and Righteousness as their Foundation though they may in their Superstructure have much Hay and Stubble yet God will graciously pardon them in Christ But when this Author tramples not only upon the Assembly of Divines but upon Calvin Zuinglius Beza and many other Divines of the Reformed Churches and extolls Michael Servetus one of the greatest Blasphemers of the Sacred Trinity that ever was in the World It may be some Readers will think I have not been sharp enough against such a confident Boysterous person There is printed with this Authours a Book of Mr. Haggars I never heard of the person or of his Book before though it seems it hath been printed five times It may be it hath been answered or none have thought it worth the answering The Book is almost nothing but Errours and Mistakes I do not remember that ever I read a Book more confused or where the Author sheweth himself more ignorant of the true meaning of the Scriptures he makes use of except it were in some Books of the Quakers The Apostle Paul saith Ephes 1.3 4 5. 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 was laid The Apostle there sheweth 1. That there are Spiritual Blessings bestowed upon some These Spiritual Blessings are effectual Calling Justification Adoption Perseverance in Grace and the Heavenly inheritance 2. He shews that all these Spiritual Blessings are conferred upon us through the Lord Jesus Christ the Mediator as the Meritorious cause God purposed to do all for the Heirs of Salvation in and through him 3. He shews the Eternal Designation of the persons that shall in due time partake of these Spiritual Blessings he saith they were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World 4. He shews that they were not chosen upon any foresight of their Holiness by improving those common helps they had equal with others but that God chose them that they might be Holy that is he would in due time give them Faith and Holiness And this is yet more evident from v. 5. having predestinated that is fore-ordained us to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his Will So that it is most manifest that those whom God chose he chose them so as that he would himself make them holy and that the moving cause was not any worthiness or towardliness in them which God foresaw But the Apostle saith it was the good pleasure of Gods will his especial undeserved free Love and good will to their persons that was the moving cause of their Election Now let the Reader observe what this Author saith to this Scripture Though God calleth men elect from the Foundation of the World yet they are not elect until the very day of their Conversion and turning from Sin to God for God calleth things that are not as if they were From whence it is evident they were not elected though so called page 2. What a strange passage is this As much as to say though the Scripture saith it was so yet it was not so well but saith this Author it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.17 As it is written I have made thee a Father of many Nations before him whom he believed even God who quickens the dead and calleth things that are not as if they were Now saith this Author Abraham was not yet a Father of many Nations but it was so before God who calleth things that are not as if they were For the understanding of this Scripture 1. Observe that though it was but at that time spoken of and declared to Abraham Gen. 17.4 5. that he should be a Father of many Nations yet God hath made and appointed him so to be from Eternity Tho' Gods Decrees and Intentions what he will do are manifested to men in time yet they are all from Eternity 2. Observe that when God did declare to Abraham his Eternal Counsel that he should be a Father of many Nations Abrahams Body was dead as to Masculine Vigour But the Apostle shews that nothing can hinder Gods Purposes and Decrees for God quickneth the Dead dead Souls and dead Bodies when he pleases and calleth things that are not as if they were that is calleth for what he pleaseth and it is done As in the Creation God did but say Let there be Light and there was Light The Apostle is shewing Gods Omnipotency That God having appointed Abraham to be a Father of many Nations nothing can hinder his eternal purpose for saith the Apostle he quickens the dead and calleth things that are not as if they were Ut majorem ejus rei facilitatem in deo declaret to shew the great facility of this Work to God to whom it is as easy to make any thing to be as it is for us to call for a thing and easier too as one Expositor notes well upon the place So that this Author quite mistakes the meaning of the place for God did not tell Abraham that he was a Father of many Nations when he was not But God told him that he had made him that is appointed him so to be which should be performed in the appointed Time and Season by his Omnipotency against all natural impossibilities because he is the Almighty God that quickneth the dead and calleth things that are not as if they were When he calleth for any thing to be done to be effected according to his purpose it exists the same moment The Context in Rom. 4. with other
everlasting life And to exhort them to pray to God to give them true Faith and Repentance to shew them that they have not a good thought or desire but what God works in them that it is not enough for Conversion to have Commands Promises and Threatnings set before them tho' God makes use of these but to tell them as our Saviour did that none can come to Christ but those whom the Father draws None but those to whom it is given of the Father and that Sighs and good Moods and Resolutions in their own Strength are far short of true Conversion and that they pray and wait in the use of God's Ordinances that the Lord of the exceeding riches of his Grace would give them a new Heart and Spirit that they may find that God hath put his fear in their Hearts that thro' his Grace they may find not only some sudden flashes and sudden resolutions to turn to God but a penitent frame of Heart for sin a prizing of Christ adoring of God's free Grace in him and desire and endeavour to walk with God But to entertain people with Discourses of By-opinions and Controversies and to talk of Universal Redemption is but to do people hurt instead of good yea upon preaching of Universal Redemption Experience hath shewn that people generally are more Carnal and Prophane in their lives Now to explain Ezekiel 18.32 I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth and Ezekiel 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O House of Israel 1. This is spoken to the House of Israel not of all mankind They were the Children of Abraham his Friend they were under the external Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace what is this to all mankind The Gentiles they were aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no Hope and without God in the World Eph. 2.12 2. God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked as it is the pain and misery of the Creature so God hath no pleasure in the torments of the Devils and damned in Hell yet it is his holy pleasure to punish them there to Eternity for the glorifying of his Justice And when God Commands the people of Israel saying Turn ye turn ye why will you dye he shews them that Obedience is acceptable to him but not that ever he purposed and intended to give all their Hearts a saving turn which he could have done if it had pleased him 3. Compare Scripture with Scripture God saith Ezekiel 5.11 Neither shall mine Eye spare neither will I have any pity v. 13. Thus shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted Minuit vindicta dolorem Isai 1.24 Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies in the Hebrew it is I will comfort my self in shewing my Wrath and Justice upon them Proverbs 1.25.26 but ye have set at nought all my Counsels and would have none of my Reproofs I also will laugh at your Calamity and mock when you Fear cometh All these texts of Scripture those in Ezekiel 18.32.33.11 and those in Isaiah 1.24 Ezekiel 5.11 13. Proverbs 1.25 26. must be understood with great Caution and Sobriety God doth often speak after the manner of men to our shallow Capacities but we must understand all Scripture so as to know that there are no Passions in God's immutable Essence nor any change in his Purposes for ever So much in answer to this Author's Letter to Doctor Collings But he is up with the Doctor again Pag. 17. concerning Voluntas signi and Voluntas beneplaciti but surely he doth not rightly english voluntas beneplaciti or else his Printer hath not done right for he calls it his acceptable Will That which Divines mean by voluntas beneplaciti is what God himself hath decreed shall infallibly come to pass But as this Author speaks this distinction of Divines would be no distinction at all for to be sure what God commands is acceptable to him but the meaning of Divines by voluntas beneplaciti is not what is acceptable to God from Man as his duty but what God himself pleases to do or suffers to be done for his Glory This distinction of Divines being well understood is a great help to the understanding of many places of Scripture God gives out Precepts and Commands to men for several wise and holy Ends. 1. To shew his Lordship and Authority that he hath an absolute dominion over them to command what he pleases 2. To shew what is good and acceptable to him to shew what is their Duty 3. To shew them their inability weakness and insufficiency that man may see what cause he hath to be humbled and lye low before God for man of himself can do nothing of what God commandeth from a right Principle and to a right End but what God pleases to work in us and do for us that is another thing indeed as to his Elect what he commands them as their Duty he purposes and promiseth to do for them of his meer Grace and good pleasure Tho' man by his fall hath lost his power to obey yet surely God hath not lost his power to command God gives some Grace to obey to others he doth not give Grace Who shall dispose of his Grace but himself Further to illustrate this distinction of Divines concerning God's Will of Precept what he commands men to do and his Will of Purpose what he will certainly and infallibly do himself Let it be observed that God's Will as to some Precepts and Commands to men do vary and alter as it pleaseth him As for example several ritual Commands about the Worship of God which he required in his Worship under the Old Testament are altered under the New Testament But take God's Will for his Purposes and Intentions what he will do and he is of one mind unchangeable from Eternity to Eternity Yea to make this Distinction far more evident God doth sometimes give out a Command to Man to do a thing and yet may absolutely purpose and intend to hinder a Man from doing of it as in the case of God's Command to Abraham to offer his Son Isaac Gen. 22.2 And he said take now thy Son thine only Son Isaac and get thee to the Land of Moriah and offer him there upon one of the Mountains that I will tell thee of Abraham prepared all things to obey this Command of God and v. 10 11 12. and after he had bound his Son stretched out his Hand and took the Knife to slay his Son the Lord called unto him and said Lay not thy Hand upon thy Son neither do thou any thing unto him Here we see that God gave out a Command to do
the Elect notwithstanding they are not justified till the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ to them I answer that when the Assembly of Divines say that God did from all Eternity Decree to justifie the Elect yet they are not justified till the Holy Spirit doth actually apply Christ You seem to have quite forgotten what you were treating of and so instead of casting a slur upon the Assembly of Divines you cast a great slur upon your self as if you did not at all understand what you write of for observe you are writing of Election and you bring a passage of the Assembly about Justification you would prove if you could that none are actually Elected until they believe and say that the Assembly are forced to allow that none are actually justified till they do believe Surely that grave Assembly of Divines was never so abused as by you they knew well enough what they said I would you had the thousandth part of the Knowledge they had The Assembly say well that God decreed to justifie the Elect from Eternity and so he decreed to Sanctifie them from Eternity but they are neither actually Justified nor Sanctified until the Holy Spirit do call them Election is one thing Justification is another Election is an Immanent Act of God and from Eternity Justification is a transient Act of God towards the Elect in time Ay but this Author will make this matter evident to every considerate Reader viz. that none are actually Elected until they be Converted Saith he All that are actually elected have an Inheritance in the Kingdom of God and none can lay any thing to their charge 1 Pet. 1.2 3 4. Rom. 8.33 But no unbelieving Drunkard Whoremonger hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Eph. 5.5 And these Impieties may be laid to their charge therefore no unbelieving Drunkard Whoremonger or Idolater is actually Elected 1. To explain this 1. There is an Eternal Predestinating some Persons to the Heavenly Inheritance by the meer good pleasure of God's Will Ephes 1.11 In whom also we have obtained an Inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will Here the Apostle shews that whether they be Jews who first trusted in Christ or Gentiles who were brought to trust in Christ after the Jews v. 12 13. yet whatsoever they are Jews or Gentiles that truly trust in Christ they have obtained a right to the Heavenly Inheritance Then he shews how they come to be partakers of this Grace to have Christ given for them and given to them and this he shews in these words Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will He would have them know that all that God doth for them in time is because he had predestinated them and chosen them from Eternity to Grace and Glory So let that be well observed that all that God hath predestinated to Life have the Heavenly Inheritance allotted and appointed to them it is theirs by Predestination by Election 2. There is a Title to the Heavenly Inheritance by the purchase of Christ the Mediator 3. There is an actual right to the Heavenly Inheritance by Regeneration and Adoption These three things considered the Answer to this Author is That all that are saved had a Title to the Heavenly Inheritance from Eternity by Election by the Gracious Decree of God the Kingdom of God was prepared for them to Eternity Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World As if our Saviour had said You that are saved look to the first cause of it you were Blessed of my Father he elected you from Eternity he gave me to die for you he called you in due season and made you a peculiar People zealous of good Works and thus you come to inherit the Kingdom Again The Elect before Conversion have Right in Christ their Head to the heavenly Inheritance before they be called because Christ hath purchased it for them Yea Eternal Life was promised to Christ for them as their Head in the Covenant of Redemption before the World began Tit. 1.12 But when the Apostle saith that no wicked Man hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of God Ephes 5.5 the meaning is only that though God may have purposed in his Eternal Counsel to give the Heavenly Inheritance to a Man that for the present is ungodly and Christ the Mediator may have purchased the Heavenly Inheritance yet this is a secret thing known only to God himself But for what appears yet to the unregenerate Man himself or to others he hath no Part nor Lot in that Heavenly Inheritance As for those Words Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect The Apostle had said Ver. 30. Whom he predestinated them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified The Apostle seems in this place to answer to two Objections that some might make 1. That it is long before some that are predestinated are called and if they be not called they cannot be justified and so if they should die before they are called What will become of them The Apostle shews that though God hath not yet called them he will call them and though there might be a Charge of innumerable Sins against an elect Person before he be converted yet Who shall lay them to the Charge of God's Elect to damn them in Hell They are Elect and God's Election stops any Arrest of an Elect Person so as that he cannot be thrown into Hell The Elect have a Reprieve in order to their Pardon in God's Time 2. It might be objected That whereas the Apostle had said Ver. 30. Whom he hath called them he also justified Have not the Elect after they are called if they live any long time after their Conversion committed many Sins that might be laid to their Charge They did not sin only before they were called but sin much after they are called How then are they justified The Apostle answers Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect with effect so as to bring them to Damnation in Hell Though every Sin they commit doth deserve Eternal Damnation yet 't is God with whom they have to do and seeing he will not take Vengeance but glorifie his Free Grace in Christ to them who hath to do with it God that may do it he justifies them Yea the Apostle goes on and shews v. 34. that the Elect are secured from Eternal Damnation in Hell not only by Election but by Redemption That though they have deserved it as well as others yet saith the Apostle who shall condemn that is the Elect eventually and eternally Indeed they are condemned by the Law till they be in Christ But who shall condemn them