men for them themselves to do or leave undone who will have by Christ in due season their wils and apprehensions freed as is by Scripture proved in my 6 and 7 Distinctions so that thereby they are inabled spiritually to heare and understand and feare and love and be obedient to the faith How far this tract discovereth what fallacious scholasticall shifts some erroneous Protestants are in many considerable Scripture points inforced to use by reason of their not being guided by the litterall sense of the plaine Texts of Scripture which doe unanimously confirm the common salvation or infranchisement of all men in the inward man in due season and that thereby some of them have and doe confirm that God did by decree by his absolute will and power only reprobate some part of mankinde without any respect by him had to their doing evill merely as Creatures without any cause done or fore-seen to be done on the creatures part Thus they charging God contrary to his own word with palpable tyrannicall partiality and respect of persons or else with some other Protestants that dare not stand to that horrid and hideous affirmation do say that God did not so tyrannically reprobate any man But they thinking to moderate the businesse yet by being deluded also by humane art do as fallaciously maintaine that God fore-knowing all men fallen into Adams sinning did only by preterition passe by some men so as decreedly they should not have any such means used with them whereby they might be inabled in their good use thereof to obtaine eternall life but that some men of Adams posterity must upon necessity eternally perish though it then could not be in their own actuall sinnes yet in those sins which unavoidably as a violent irresistible inundation overwhelmed them originally by another mans offence to which sins they never actually consented and to which transgressions they much lesse personally acted it being committed by Adam before they had a being or before they were born They by that means rendering our good God who is a faithfull Creator unfaithfully forsaking some men of Adams posterity even whilest they were as concerning their own personall consent or act innocent Creatures and also before they were after the fall inabled to depend on him and also before they had actually or personally forsaken him which tenent is proved by Scriptures to be absolutely false in my 16 and 17 Distinctions which preterition by them imagined if you doe but view the intrals of it you shall finde it to bee in effect no other than a disguised or masqued tyrannicall decreed reprobation for as hath been said he that hath power and doth keep from a man his sood of lively-hood may as really kill that man so as if he cut off his head with a sword How far this tract doth detect the error that is in the protestant tenent concerning Christs giving himselfe a ransome for all men by their affirming that Christ doth not effectually ransome any man except that man be eternally saved which fallacy is ripped open to view in my 2 6 and 7 Distinctions wherein is proved that Christ doth effectually ransome all men and save all men from the impossibility to be eternally saved that came over all by Adams fall and estates them by himselfe with a possibility in themselves to be eternally saved How far also though not medling with the impertinent tradition of popery this tract doth shew plainly that the many hereticall errours of the Papists upon which the whole rabble of their false destructive doctrine and fantasticall ceremoniall discipline doth depend was hatched and is nursed by their not making use of the large and true Scripture extent of the common salvation of all men in setting free all men in due season in the inward man minde and will by free grace so that in their well usage of that meanes they might beleeve and might be eternally saved for by the Papists casting away this Scripture-truth confirming the gratious setting free of all mens by the fall diabollically captived wils they do fallaciously affirm that man hath free will by nature or by originall descent from Adams loines which naturall freedome of will by its consenting to good is the disposing cause of our justificarion For as I finde recorded they say that works Congruo are the disposing cause of our justification Andrad in Conc. Trid. Ses 6. which as they say is of mens selves and standeth of the assent of mens wils and reason and this faith say they is Catholike and perfect but yet unformed and as soon as works are thereto joined they call it formed and then say they it is meritorious condigne and justifieth for say they we are justified by faith and charity together as the disposing cause of our justification as a necessary cause to obtaine at Gods hand the grace of justification but rather by charity Conc. Trid. Ses 6. than by faith because say they that charity goeth before our justification as a necessary cause to obtaine at Gods hand the grace of our justification and adoption of his children Thus by the Papists rejecting the Scripture-testimony concerning the setting free all mens wils by free grace by Christ procured in the common salvation as is proved in my 6 and 7 Distinctions they are so wildred an deluded that they doe heretically appropriate the disposing power to act meritoriously well unto mens well acting in the freedome of their natural wils Conc. 6.9 And because the Scripture doth maintain so strongly that no mere man hath freedome of his will by nature and that as in the tract is proved that no mere man whatsoever no not Adam if he had stood in his estate of innocency much lesse any beleever who are all as concerning themselves defective cannot nor could not have the least footstep at any time in any one thing to challenge the least reward as due of debt to them from their Creators hand otherwise than he by whom they are what they are and from whom they have received whatsoever good they have is pleased according to his Covenant made by his owne free grace to account them worthy and that though all beleevers are not in themselves in this life righteous yet by Christ to impute righteousnesse unto them that doe beleeve in him that justifieth the ungodly But this Scripture-truth is so mortally destructive to their fancied meritorious life with God that rather then they will lay down their bosome-imbraced delusions and humane traditions they will venture at one stroke desperately to hazard to deface the Holy writ it selfe and as I find recorded that some of their deceived Grandees have thrust into the world this blasphemous conceit that the written Gospell is but as a nose of was Vita Pont. which may be set or turned divers waies as it best pleaseth the humours of men that steer the course for their doctrine and discipline or as some of them have said the written Gospell
terrible second death and from hence appears clearly that some men that are really ransomed as is before said yet are not eternally saved Yet though our Saviour Christs offices of Ransomer or Redeemer by a price paid doe but deliver all men from the impossibility to be eternally saved which came over all men by Adams fall yet the Scripture further affirmeth that to those men that by and in that freedome and ability procured by that ransome or price paid that do turne them at his reproofe he will then abundantly poure out his spirit unto them and make known his words unto them Prov. 1.23 yet those and such additionall high favours are not part of the barely Ransomed Condition though that made way for it but is only Gods performing of the grace freely given by a promise to such by vertue of the second Covenant even to all such men as doe walk before him thankfully and obediently by the ability by grace given them in their ransomed Condition or their Redemption by a price paid from the first Covenant or Morall Law God having had experience of their beleeving in the freedome by the ransome procured And now beloved because this cause is very weighty be pleased with patience to take yet further notice how gratiously God doth discover to us the extent of the common salvation and of the strength of ransome and redemption by a price paid by his coupling the offices of Christ as Saviour of all men or ransome of all in one Text together where it is said I exhort therefore that first of all prayers and intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men note this for all men For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth For there is but one Mediatour between God and man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himselfe a ransome for all to be a testimony or to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2.1 3 4 5 6. Thus you see that God in expresse positive words will have no fewer than all men saved he will have it so But here the question may be how far will God have no fewer than all men to be saved This question is answered by God himselfe in that very Text first that as all men are utterly disabled by Adams fall to know the truth so God absolutely will by Christ the Ransomer have all men saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth which is to know God for God is truth Tit. 1.2 And no man can be brought to the knowledge of the truth but he must also be inabled to beleeve that the truth presented to him is the truth Thus removing the impossibility that came in by Adams fall Secondly the common salvation of all men without accepting any one man mentioned in 1. Tim. 2.4 is so farre there limited in its kinde that it shall be of no larger extent for the benefit of all men in generall then Christs office of a Ransomer will afford or maintaine Thus we finde here that all men in the generality are only so farre really saved in the common salvation according to the 4 verse as his office of a Ransomer by a price paid will extend according to verse 6. that is by his owne performances to recover to all men the knowledge of the truth as is manifest by comparing verse 4 and verse 6 together which ability to know God and the truth of Gods grace and goodnesse all men lost by Adams fall which without Christs assistance would have procured the eternall destruction of all Which truth so to all men made known being by any man thankfully and obediently accepted and faithfully and abidingly confided in will give those men possession of entrance into eternall life here in this life and in the life to come fulnesse of injoyment thereof with all the blessed eternall priviledges and blessings thereto belonging which were all lost for all men by Adams fall Thus by these Texts compated Christ is declared to be for all men a saving Ransomer or a ransoming Saviour by a price paid to take away the impossibility and to bring all men to the knowledge of the truth which is the utmost which those texts maintain to belong to a Ransomer by a price paid But beloved take notice that I doe not insist herein upon any other redemptions which God exerciseth by a strong hand without a consideration given or price paid for so he brought forth or redeemed Israel out of Egypt with a strong hand and so he establisheth confiding beleevers out of the common salvation wherein men may make shipwrack of faith and a good co science 1 Tim. 1. 19. into the speciall salvation keeping them by his power that they shall never perish 1 Pet. 1.5 So he may be said to redeem any man without any price paid from manifold dangers these redemptions or ransomings which God doth without giving or receiving a consideration or price paid are innumerable and though the price of of the pretious blood of Christ hath first made way for all these that they may be in due season afforded to men yet are they not in their single branches acted by God according to mens necessities by a price paid the refore I pray you to observe that I herein doe insist only upon the extent of deliverance of all mankind for whom Christs pretious blood-shed was made the consideration laid down in full pay in hand to take away the impossibility to be eternally saved which unavoidably came over all Adams posterity by his fall that so all men might be made capable subjects to receive at Gods gratious hand all other redemptions ransomings or deliverances without any price paid as God in his heavenly wisdome will communicate Thus beloved we find that although the common salvation perfected by Christ alone for all men barely considered in it selfe doth but remove the impossibility which came upon all men by Adams fall to be eternally saved and doth but estate all men at one time or other in due season in a reall possibility or restored ability in themselves in the inward man to obtaine eternall life yet that it is a reall salvation of it selfe intended on Gods part therein and thereby to inable all men so as in their well usage of that ability they might attaine to enjoy eternall salvation and all the eternall blessed priviledges thereto belonging which ability conferred on all men in the common salvation being by any man beleeved and chearfully and obediently made use of it it doth not only open the door into but also puts such beleeving men into the speciall salvation wherein in due season in their patient and faithfull striving indeavours to keep close in their dependance in God alone they come to be established rooted and built up in him Rom. 1.11 Col. 2.7 with such inlarged knowledge and experience of God and his goodnesse as is
personall injuries that Esaus posterity in that long time had despitefully acted against the off-spring of Iacob as amongst other things appeareth in Num. 20.17 Obad. 1. and 21. and other places Then and not while then God after his so long experience of Esau and his posterities actuall and personall evill behaviour both against himselfe and his people he putteth the question to Malachi saying was not Esau Jacobs brother yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and laid his mountaines and his heritage waste Mal. 1.2 3. but why so was it because God by preterition had left him first without any hope of saving means or had as these people conceive reprobated him before he was born or before he had done good or evill no such matter but saith God because of his hatred and shedding the blood of the children of Israel Eze. 35.5 Hereby signifying to the Jewes that as Esaus wickednesse could not escape punishment by his being brother to Iacob who was so wel beloved so their wickednesse could not be sheltred from punishment by their glorying we have Abraham to our Father so at least resting in the Covenant of works as the Apostle instanceth in that same Rom. 9.7 8 11. hereby you may see how far distant God was off to hat Esau as eternally destructive before he was born or had done good or evill Againe the Scripture fully confuteth that aforesaid tenent for whereas you take Gods being said to hate Esau to be no lesse then eternall reprobation or preterition the Scripture divers times renders hatred to be but a lesser degree of love as amongst other places plainly appears by comparing Ge. 29.30 with the next verse following and by comparing Luke 14.26 with Mat. 10.37 And to apply this to Esaus condition you may see that notwithstanding that his inveterate eternally destructive hatred to Esau which you without any grounds imagine yet out of his tender care to Esau and his posterity even after they had personally rebelled yet he gave speciall charge to Moses in his march towards Canaan that they should not wrong no not so much as any wayes provoke the children of Esau in their possessions Deut. 2.4 8. The refore that false surmise that God did everlastingly distructively hate Esau before he was born so that thereby he could not actually or personally doe any good doth prove utterly fallacious for you cannot prove that God actually forsaketh any one man first before they actually forsake him for the Scripture frequently maintaineth the contrary as is by Scripture fully proved in my last and 16 Distinctions Then thereto considering that the Text Rom. 9.11 12. doth in no sort expresse any everlasting hatred but only an earthly temporall servitude which is all the hatred concerning Esau that ever God spake of at any time to any person as before Jacob and Esau were born and that the Scripture useth the word hate or hatred when meaning a lesser degree of love only as is herein proved And that God never mentioned any sort of hatred towards Esau by the name of hatred no not so much as in temporall effects untill God spake of it to Malachi Mal. 1. after he had many hundred years of experience of Esaus personall and actuall malice and prophanenesse and of his posterities actuall tyrannicall dealings with Jacobs posterity as also in Obad. And considering that accordingly the election reserved for Jacob in that very Text mentioned extends no further in the utmost effects but to an earthly temporall superiority over Esau or his posterity and also that the surmised reprobation wrested from Rom. 9.11 12. is in that very text declared by the Holy Ghost to be in the utmost effects but an earthly and so a temporall servitude of Esau to Jacob and also considering that God predestinates or rejecteth men according to his fore-knowledge of mens qualifications arising from their well or evill personall actings in the ability by grace given them in the common salvation as is proved he doth in my 17 and 18 Distinctions it doth manifestly appear that God in your sence hateth no one man nor forsaketh any one man untill a just cause be first given wilfully persistingly actually and personally by that man but for the further discoverie of the fallacies which men have put upon Rom. 9. I pray you to peruse my 14 15 16 17 18. short distinctions so much the rather because God on the contrary doth affirme that he is not only good but good to all and that not only his mercies but also his tender mercies are over not only some but over all his works and that he is not willing that any should perish 2 Pet. 3.9 The fourteenth Distinction wherein some mens misconstructions are discovered concerning that Text where it is said So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 FRom this Text some men have conceived that God by an Almighty power by his shewing mercy over-powreth some men meerly looking upon them as Creatures only so that those persons neither shall nor can avoid it but they shall eternally be saved whereas the Text sheweth that it is not in any mans naturall running or willing but only in Gods mercy who in mercy by Christ to satisfie justice hath provided a way whereby he may shew mercy to mankinde and by him then doth in mercy by an Almighty power in a common salvation compell all to receive ability in themselves by infranchisement of their will that thereby in their well usage of that ability so by Gods mercy freely given them they may obtain eternall life as is proved in my 6 and 7 Distinctions Hereto in the first place we are to take notice that no one meer man can will or runne acceptable in Gods accompt any wise rending to eternall salvation as he is naturally descended from polluted Adams loines for on the contrary in him the will and affections being ruled by the naturall sathanically deluded judgement doth follow the wisedome of the world which is so farre from Gods imputation of righteousnesse thereto that the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God 1. Cor. 3.19 and enmity with God James 4.4 in this sense it is impossible that imputation of righteousnesse should be setled upon him that so willeth or runneth how industrious soever he be for he is yet in the snare of the Devill and is taken captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 therefore in this condition it is no way of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but in God only that sheweth mercy who in mercy so loved the world that he gave his only begotten sonne unto the world Iohn 3.16 who inlightneth not only some men but every man so that through him all men might beleeve Iohn 1.7 9. So by free mercy investing all men with an ability or possibility in themselves to be eternally saved which possibility Adam lost for all see Distinct 6 and 7. Thus Christ was not
sent to condemne the world but in Gods mercy that the world through him by their well usage of that ability might will and run acceptably and might be saved compare John 1.7 9. with John 3.17 Thus it is only of God that sheweth and dispenseth this his mercy in freely giving ability to all men by Christ and from this large distribution of ability their owne acting therein is expected and called for for from this ground God commandeth no fewer than all men every w here to repent Acts 17.30 and to purge themselves to put off the old man and to put on the new man to work out their own salvation Phil. 2.12 and many such like commands are given unto all men And the incouragement is therewith given saying for it is God that worketh in your the ability both to will and to doe even to all men as it is proved in my 6 and 7 Distinctions and that of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 or by his freely shewing mercy according to this Text. Secondly we are herewith to take speciall notice that even the wils and affections of those men which by their well acting in that ability or infranchisement so by mercy given them doe abide in beleeving that in those very beleevers also their affections faith and works are all imperfect so that it is not any of their willings or runnings neither that deserveth mercy no no For if God should take notice of the imperfections that are in their strongest faith and most exact obedience to marke the iniquity of theirs that is therein who shall stand Psal 130.3 And this was spoken by a beleever to beleevers saying if we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 Therefore even in the very beleevers salvation also is not of him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God only that sheweth mercy as before First in providing a way in mercy by Christ to doe so by his pacifying the Fathers justice Secondly as before by giving ability to all men Thirdly by passing by the imperfections even of abiding beleevers by free mercy Fourthly by his free mercy manifested by his giving of his Sonne to and for mankinde not only in all these and the like but also therefrom establishing abiding beleevers in the speciall salvation in due season though they doe not merit it but as is by mercy granted for Christs sake Yet further observe that considering that it is Gods act in them to inable all men by setting all mens wils free both to will and to do of his good pleasure or of his free mercy as is proved he doth in my 6 and 7 Distinctions that those men that do humbly act with God in that ability by mercy given them strivingly indeavouring thereby by faith to be obedient to God retaining alwaies the sence of their unworthinesse and unprofitablenesse These men though they be in themselves ungodly yet God is pleased according to the second Covenant by his free mercy established to impute righteousnesse to these men that doe beleeve in him that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 And so herein is not the least tincture of any cause why any such by imputation accepted beleever should boast or glory before God otherwise than in the living use of his abundant mercy Because those beleevers cannot but know and also faithfully confesse to the glory of Gods mercy that they have done do nor can do any thing savingly acceptable to God by any ability whatsoever but what they have in mercy received from God and are notwithstanding so far from performing their obliged duty as that they are therein unprofitable servants according to our Saviours direction Luke 17.10 although God in mercy is pleased by Christ to account them worthy as in Luke 21.36 Acts 5.41 Thus you see that in the very condition of abiding beleevers that it is not of him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Therefore impossible to men that remaine in unbeleefe to besaved by their willing and running how earnest soever considering that they also are by Gods will inabled by beleeving to will and run acceptably but they persistingly will not See my 6 and 7 Distinctions The fifteenth Distinction wherein the mistake is discovered which some men have fastned on that Text where it is said Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth Rom. 9.18 and also sheweth that there is but one will in God HErein to avoid misconceptions we are to know that whereas it is said or supposed spoken who hath resisted his will ver 19. that there is one will in God no distinction of wils in God as some men have imagined that is his secret will and his revealed will his absolute will and his conditionall will for God worketh all things according to his owne will Eph. 1.11 not according to his wils but his will the act of Creation and all the glorious various dispensations of his providence proceedeth from the counsell of that his one will it is his owne one and absolute will that some of his works shall be secret and that some of them shall be revealed some absolute some conditionall and though some men are said to be resisters Acts 7.51 Yet it is not so much as the least turning aside of the effects and dispensations of the counsell of that one will of God for as all men are by the counsell of that one will of God by grace enabled to know the truth and accept of grace as is proved they are all in my 6 and 7 Distinctions So the effects proceeding from that one will of God doth uncontrolably proceed directly on in its fixed course and deales with every man as he finds him persisting in obedience or disobedience to the Gospell-condition and that his one will doth dispose of every man accordingly Therefore we are in this cause now in hand seriously to consider of the two maine dispensations proceeding from that his one will concerning mans salvation for the counsell of his one will was at the Creation to propound to man his inabled Creature a Covenant of works and if he failed in performance of that condition then to apply a propitiation before provided to satisfie his justice for that offence or transgression against the first Testament Heb. 9.15 Rom. 5.20 for all men as is many waies proved in this tract And also in pursuance to perform the further effects proceeding from that his one will he then also determined that upon his acceptation on of that satisfaction made by Christ by that unsported Lamb prepared before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1.19 20. and by him accounted of as if slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.9 to propound a new conditionall Covenant to all men which is that he that beleeveth shall be saved and that he that beleeveth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 Now beloved we are in rightly