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
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
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
the lake of fire and brimstone that is Hell and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever and in that same chap. ver 12. again amongst the Books that were opened a particular mention is made of the Book of Life the opening of which Book is mentioned by a (m) Dan. 7.10 and 12.1 Philip. 4.3 Prophet and by an Apostle speaking of some whose names are written in the Book of Life On the other side we say that as God hath elected some to everlasting Life so others he hath reprobated and appointed to eternal Death The Decree of Predestination is the sentence of both of Pardon and Absolution for some and of Condemnation for others See the proof of this (n) Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known to men endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Such as Esan whom God hated such as Pharaoh (o) Ver. 13 17. whom God raised for this same purpose that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth All the earth is God's and so are all that dwell therein and this calls to my mind a common saying we have my Lord is Lord and Master at home where as he pleases he may order things as they best conduce to his honour and convenience and if we may argue from the less to the greater why should we not say Heaven and Earth are God's why then should not the Lord dispose of all things therein for his Glory as it best seems good unto him Scripture speaks of it as matter of Fact I hope no Man may or will question the matter of Right (p) Jude 4. There are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation c. So that as some are ordained to eternal life others are to condemnation this is a Scripture phrase not of our making We have a third witness for this Truth Christ is a stone (d) 1 Pet. 2.8 a stumbling and a rock of offence to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed As some are vessels of honour appointed to obedience of Faith so others are vessels of dishonour appointed to disobedience and this we do clearly see in the next verse by the opposition he makes between some men and others But ye saith he are a chosen generation Vers 9. a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people The Lord Jesus saith clearly how at the last day there shall be two sorts of men To his sheep at the right hand he will say Matth. 25.33 3â— c. come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Which proveth their Election to Glory from Eternity as blessed of the Father In these words I think I read God's Decree of Election of those blessed ones But Christ will say to those on the left depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Here is a Kingdom prepared for the blessed of the Father from the foundation of the World here is an everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels so that in that very place me may see Christ opening the Books of Election and Reprobation of Salvation and Damnation not only the Names but the Persons of the Elect may be seen on the right-hand as those of the reprobate may be seen on the left This everlasting fire is prepared not only for the Devil and his Angels but also for the Devil and his Children for so our Saviour calleth some Jews (e) John 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning c. he is a lyar and the father of it Thus Elymas the Sorcerer is by St. Paul call'd (f) Acts 13.10 thou child of the devil thou enemy of all righteousness Such was Judas by our Saviour called (g) Joh. 17.12 the son of perdition who as Peter saith (h) Acts 1.25 was gone to his own place If there be as certainly there is a place for the Devils and wicked Men prepared from Eternity there is reason also why from Eternity wicked men should he appointed for that place upon which account as I said before they are vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Now that God is the efficient cause of both Election and Reprobation 't is plain out of what the Apostle saith (i) 1 Thes 5 9. God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Then God doth appoint some Men to Wrath and some to Salvation Thus the Reader may see how strong in that way cometh the stream of Scripture which we do but follow Our Second Article is this The only moving cause of our Election is the meer good pleasure love free-grace and mercy of God This truth we also have many proofs of I (k) Exod. 33.19 will saith God be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy What can Men object against this By the mouth of his Prophet he saith (l) Hos 14.4 I will love them freely We use to say nothing is more free than Love Yet amongst Men some motive or pretence may happen to be assigned but in relation to God's love to the Creature no such thing may be pleaded for even in this world when God prefereth a people or one person before another there is nothing in that subject to move him to it as in the case of the Children of Israel Moses tells them plainly first not for their number (m) Deut. 7.7 8. the Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you and would keep the oath he had sworn unto your fathers Let this stop every Man's mouth God loves because he will love let who can go further and fathom that which is infinite neither were they chosen and loved for their wisdom for (n) Deut. 32.21 they were a nation void of counsel neither was there any understanding in them Nor for their uprightness of heart or for (o) chap. 9.4 5 6. their righteousness for they were a stiff-necked people Neither was it for any power of theirs (p) chap. 8.17 18. to do to say not so much as in thine heart my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth And (q) chap. 4.38 the nations that were driven out before them were greater and mightier than they So none of the things mentioned nor any thing else in them commended them to God We see how careful was that faithful Servant of God to beat them out of the conceit of any merits of their own
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
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
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
totally forsaking them The Second Induration or hardning the first is a final denial of Grace necessary to obtain eternal life thus God is said to forsake wicked Men when he leaves them in unbelief and denyeth them Faith in Christ which no reprobate hath Hardning is a higher degree of punishment 't is an effect of God's anger when he doth not take away the hardness and malice which is in a Man's heart but by a just judgment it becomes a punishment for former sins and by outward means is so aggravated that though God addeth no new degree of hardness it suffereth it to spring out of the root of former evils thus we often read in Exodus (c) Exod. 4.21 and chap. 7 3 13. c. God hardned Pharaoh's heart and the (d) Chap. 14.17 Egyptians but this hardning doth not indifferently befall every reprobate only some notorious sinners whence it is a particular judgment of God which is not executed with a bare Permission and Direction with relation to every reprobate but with acting something within and without the wicked whereby their malice and hardness is increased we have several reasons to prove it First Hardning is a Judiciary act of God and an effect of his Anger Now a Judge doth punish not only with permitting and directing but also with actually inflicting a Pain by himself or by another When God hardneth he doth something as it appeareth by the usual phrase of Scripture which expresseth the judgment of an Angry God with words signifying an action now he who only permitteth doth not act but leaves others to act and to call this a direction to the end is not to the purpose the direction is not the hardning but a consequence of it Furthermore if hardning properly so called was a bare permission it would not be a special judgment of God as it is against notorious sinners because no sin is committed by any sinner whatsoever but by God's permission Moreover if God was said to harden Men because he permitteth them to be hardned in the same manner he might be said to Kill Steal commit Adultery c. because he permitteth all these sins which is most false Therefore God's hardning a Man's heart is not a bare permission but an action as it appeareth in the case of Pharaoh for if God had hardned only permissively there had been no need of so often repeating by Moses the command of letting the people go no need of so many Miracles wrought nor of so many Plagues inflicted upon Egypt whereby the Tyrant was more and more hardned and more cruel Which is the effect of those judgments of God upon some to whom they are an occasion of growing worse and worse Thus when (a) Rev. 16.9 21. men were scorched with great heat and when great hail out of heaven fell upon them they repented not to give God glory but blasphemed the name of God which may be they would not have done had it not been for the smart of the Plague the feeling of God's heavy hand makes wicked Men fly out break into a rage and grow mad as we read of Julian the Apostate who in the Fight where he dyed being wounded with an Arrow took in his hand some of the Blood that came out of the Wound and threw it up whilst he pronounced these blasphemous words against our Saviour Galilean thou hast overcome me Thus God by himself or instruments works such things as make notorious sinners much worse and more desperate This Doctrine (a) Lib. 5. contra Julian cap. 3. de grat lib. â—rbit cap. 20.21 Austin taught out of Scripture and by other strong reasons proveth how God doth blind the minds and hardneth the hearts not with patience and bare permission but with power and action Amongst other things in several places he saith to this purpose how by a just and secret judgment of God the wills of wicked Men are moved to commit those things which in relation to Men have the nature of sin This I bring to shew that as our Adversaries would have it 't is no new Doctrine of our own but that some Eminent Doctors of the primitive Church have found it in Scripture as well as we But the better to understand this we must know how God hardneth Satan hardneth and reprobates harden themselves God as a Judge Satan as an Executioner and the wicked harden themselves as guilty Men. First God hardneth not by infusing any malice or hardness but first leaving them in their hardness not softning them withdrawing and denying them his Grace Secondly Working something both within and without wicked Men by means whereof out of their natural corruption they take an occasion of hardning themselves more and more such are several thoughts and affections not evil in themselves as may be outward lust and desire of Honour Riches c. which the corrupt mind is easily and blindly inticed by and lead unto such are also several Calamities Precepts Accusations Threatnings Prohibitions Thirdly With delivering up to Satan and to ones corrupt affection Fourthly Inclining evil affections to some certain Objects as a punishment for some times one sin is the punishment of another The Devil having God's leave hardneth with inticing men to all sorts of evils blinding Reason disturbing the Fancy striking Fear giving vain hopes and suggesting evil Thoughts when Men are either awake or a sleep Wicked men do harden themselves with giving up themselves to their own lusts rejecting the dictates of Right reason despising commands threatnings c. Hence it appeareth how the acts of the Devil and of Reprobates side concurring to harden are evil for the most part but on God's part all are good of themselves therefore God can by no means be made the Author of sin though he hardneth not only with permitting but also in acting There is no certainty of Reprobation whilst Man is alive except in case of the sin against the Holy Ghost which is never forgiven and so committed by none but Reprobates all other sins are pardonable which are common to Elect specially to those not yet regenerated and to Reprobates therefore by them we ought not and cannot ground any judgment The sin against the Holy Ghost doth not befall every Reprobate but only some as induration properly so called and although the number of Reprobates be much greater than that of the Elect yet no Man but he who is guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost hath just cause to despair and of that too one is not rashly to judge but hereafter we shall have occasion to enlarge upon this Before I make an end with this point as much conducing to our purpose and to shew that what we hold in this matter is the doctrine of St. Paul I must shew how two Objections of our Adversaries against it were set down and answered by the Apostle They are contained in the 9th Chapter to the Romans wherein are decided these matters of
all this they make two Objections first 't is against the Justice of God to reprobate Men who have done no evil though Scripture saith clearly it is so to father injustice upon God is certainly a great impity God is most just in every thing he doth though we cannot fathom into the particular causes yet his justice is a general one the consideration whereof ought to stop the mouth of every Creature What shall we say to the case of the Flood which was a great judgment whereby the whole World eight persons excepted perished in the Waters 'T is true the wickedness of Men was raised to an utmost degree but withall it must be owned that there were many Infants new born Babes yea several quick in the Womb who had committed no actual sins yet were involved in that general destruction Death saith Rom. 5.14 Paul reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression Adam's sin was an actual sin eating the fruit of the Forbiden-tree it could not be Original for he was created in Innocency but seeing (a) Chap. 6.23 death is the wages of sin and that those Infants who had committed no actual sin dyed in the Flood we must find another sin not after the similitude of Adam's transgression and that is Original-sin Now I say that as Original-sin was a just cause of the natural Death of those Babes so the same sin when it pleases God to leave them in it is a just cause of Eternal Death in those whom he punisheth with it for Eternal Death as well as Natural is the wages of Original as of Actual-sin And though sin be not the cause to move to pass sentence upon any yet that sentence is passed upon none but what are sinners Hence I conclude that as God was just in inflicting by the Flood Natural Death upon those Children that were unborn or newly born before they had done any evil so this holds for Election as for Reprobation in relation to Faith as to Unbelief according to that famous place of Romans about Jacob and Esau It is to be observed how St. Peter calls (b) Pet. 2.5 the world of the ungodly that world which the Flood drowned without any exception at all of Infants or others What hath been said of the Flood may be spoken to the same purpose of that terrible judgment upon Sodom and Gomorah and the Cities about them where no doubt were also Infants new born Babes and some quick in the Womb which as (c) Jud. 7. St. Jude saith suffered the vengeance of eternal fire and are set forth for an example Yet in all those things no exception against God's justice for he is most just in all his ways For if we must believe David the Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Psal 15.17 What shall we say as to the case of Achan his sin was personal he alone had committed it yet that same sin his Sons and Daughters nay the very Beasts as his Oxen Asses Sheep as well as he were by God's immediate command stonned to death and burned with fire Though in the eyes of Men they seemed innocent yet were guilty in the Lords eyes Josh 7.24 25. So in the particular case I before quoted of the Man that was blind from his birth our Saviour saith that neither the Man had sinned nor his Parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him This was a sufficient answer to the disciples they put no more questions about it But Arminians will impeach God's justice for denying sight to one who had not actually sinned Do not they do so in calling the equity of God's Decrees touching Men into question Can any thing in Scripture be plainer than this (a) Rom. 9.18 22 23. Ephes 1.11 that God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth that he hath appointed some to be vessels of mercy to the praise of the glory of his grace and some to be vessels of wrath to make his power to be known and that he maketh all things after the counsel of his own willâ— Yet what more usual than to dispute how this can agree with justice And with what reason God may punish that sin which by vertue of a Decree is unavoidable 'T is strange yet too true how peremptory sawcy and blasphemous speeches some in their Cups and others sometimes upon other occasions break into upon this subject and would reduce God to such terms of reason as they fancied to themselves After such declarations about these things which God hath given in his word were it not better to give him Glory and with David say O Lord thou art just when thou speakest and pure when thou judgest And if they cannot conceive how this should stand with equity rather than to call to question God's justice were it not better to own their weakness And with David say this is my infirmity For wo unto him that striveth with his Maker according to Solomon (b) Eccles 8.4 't is prudence not to controll an earthly King's actions who may say unto him what dost thou And O man who art thou that repliest against God and if in reference to Politicks of Government and Mysteries of State the same (c) Prov. 25.2 Solomon saith the heart of a King is unsearchable there is some secret reasons which many cannot dive into In God's matters as his Decrees and wise dispensation of his Providence much more we must think it to be so for in the same Chapter the wise Man saith it is the glory of God to conceal a thing The second Objection they make and which we already have given a hint to is this if I be reprobate and 't is God's pleasure I should go to Hell it is not in my power to help it so their Damnation they father upon God's pleasure This is too much like our first Parents to lay the fault upon others to excuse themselves Gen. 3.12.13 The woman whom thou givest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eat He throws it on the Woman and she upon the Serpent the serpent begiuiled me If God had not given him the Woman then he would not have sinned nor the Woman if God had not created a Serpent so if God had not reprobated us say some we had not been damned But this is no more able to excuse them then the fig-leaves were to cover their nakedness though never so cunningly sewed together The Apostle lays open the case how God directeth and turneth all for his glory even the worst of things For our unrighteousness doth commend the righteousness of God and thorough our lie the truth of God hath more abounded unto his glory Rom. 3.5 6 7. Yet for all this though these evil things are turned to the greatest good that is the glory of God we are nevertheless
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
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
words how by some men God doth execute judgment upon others Thus also a Prophet said to Amaziah when he refused to hear and repulsed him I know that God hath determined to destroy thee Neither would he hear what Joash sent to him For it came of God who would as I quoted before deliver him into the hands of his enemies Furthermore Shishak (a) 2 Chron. 12.2 3 4. King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the Lord. Then the Lord brought him up to punish them and took their fenced cities in execution of Gods Judgments and again the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the King of Assyria Chap. 33.11 which took Manassch amongst the thorns and bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon Why should we any longer insist upon a thing so clear by God's Order and appointment (b) 1 Kings 15.29 Baasha destroyed Jeroboam's Family And (c) Chap. 16.12 Zimri that of Baasha And (d) 2 Kings 10.17 Jehu that of Ahab And all along in the Old Testament God takes upon him self to be the Author of all punishments inflicted upon his people by cruel Princes and upon all other Nations Assyrians Syrians Chaldeans Moab Ammon Egypt Tyre Sidon Philistines c. in so many Chapters of the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah Not only whole Nations but also individual though publick persons were made sensible of God's working in and against them as in the Case of Saul (e) 1 Sam. 16.14 The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord trouble him The most excellent and glorious work that ever was managed by the worst men in the world namely the death of our Blessed Saviour yet Judas Herod Pilate and the Jews and Gentiles concurred in 't did nothing but what the Hand and the Counsel of God had determined before to be done and fullfilled all that was written of him So that we see this truth contained in the †Acts 4.27.28 and chap. 13.27 29. New Testament as in the Old God gave some to (f) Rom. 1.24 26 28. vile affections and to a reprobate mind and to uncleanness and to Idolatry (g) Acts 7.42 So as to worship the host of heaven And God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye Thus we see how God as a just Judge doth inflict not only bodily but also spiritual punishments upon men (h) 2 Thes 2.11 And if all these places were heaped one upon another and many others we could bring do not fully and clearly express the effectual concourse of God in and upon Men then all actings of God mentioned in Scripture must be explained of a bare permission and I dare say that those who amidst so great a light will not see must be in that darkness which comprehendeth not the light and there is cause to suspect (f) Psal 81.12 God hath given them up to their own hearts lust and to walk in their own counsels And sometimes God (g) Deut. 28.23 smiteth with madness blindness and astonishment of heart St. Paul speaks to the purpose of this universal and special actual Providence of God when he saith (h) Rom. 4 3◠For of him and through him and to him are all things none excepted good and evil not evil of sin which God abhorreth and 't is Blasphemy to say it but evil of punishment upon the wicked and of chastisements and afflictions to try the Faith and Patience of his Elect God threatneth to punish them that deny it (i) Zeph. 1.12 And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with Candles and punish the men that are set on their Lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Though they speak it not with their Mouth but say it only in their Heart and he will so strictly search into it that they shall be found out These Effects and Workings of Providence come from him and do serve his Ends (k) Job 37.13 For saith Job He causeth it to come whether for correction or for his land or for mercy And in another place he saith (l) Chap. 5.6 Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground That signal Plague of Egypt that is the Lice came out of the Dust which became Lice Yet the wicked Magicians of (m) Exod. 8.17 18. Pharaoh perceived God in it for they said This is the finger of God And the holy Man Job though the Sabeans or Arabs and Chaldeans had plundered and robbed him of his Oxen and Camels and killed his Servants yet he said (n) Job 1.21 22. The Lord gave and the Lord not the Sabeans or Chaldeans hath taken away Here some will be apt to say Why doth he attribute unto God those Actings of Men Job is to blame for fathering upon God the Actings of wicked Men. But as the Spirit of God knew there would be those so pragmatical as to cavil thereat so in the following Verse he doth clear him from such Imputations when it is said in all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly in saying that God had taken away So God speaking of himself in relation to his dealings with Men declareth how because of the Sins of Israel he had given them Laws as a Punishment So he saith (o) Zech. 20.24 25. Wherefore I gave them also Statutes that were not good and Judgments whereby they should not live We know all God's Laws are good but the meaning is they shall do them no good nor be profitable to them Thus the best things can do no good without God's special Blessing nor the evil harm with-it his sanctifying grace makes a difference yet both (p) Job 2.10 good and evil we receive at his hand This Doctrine as we see is strongly grounded upon the Word of God yet by some it is aspersed with the abominable slander that it makes God the Author of sin which we call Blasphemy and in our Minds and Hearts we abhor detest and pronounce a Curse against and appeal to the Judge of the World to vindicate our Innocency against so notorious false and impudent Aspersions They make God the Author of Sin who call Sin a positive Being as doth one of their great Men Dr. Pierce in several places For God is the maker of every positive Being but sin is a negative Being which God never was the Author of In the New Testament the name of Sin is with an Alpha privative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is a non-conformity to God's Law Wherefore he that calleth Sin a positive Being makes God the Author of it We sufficiently declared how tho' God doth concurr with the natural and Physical part of the Act he hath nothing to do as Author of the Moral or of the Deviation no more than the Sun when it
grat cap. 6. Anselm in Rom. 8. Bradward causa dei lib. 1. cap. 40. Margin Now we must come to the third thing The perseverance of Saints and certainty of Salvation wherein we do agree with the Doctors of the Primitive Church That (e) Trenae lib. 5. cap. 9. 10. 11. the Temple of God which is inhabited by the Spirit of the Father and that the members of Christ should not be partakers of Salvation how is it not a most great blasphemy c. (a) Cyprian de mâ—râ— lit de â—rat domin nam 6. It is written saith Cyprian the just shall live by faith if thou art just and livest by faith if thou truly believest in God why since thou art to live with Christ and art sure of the Lords promise Doest thou not rejoice that thou art called by death unto Christ And elsewhere He that hath believed in his name and is made the Son of God from that time must begin both to give thanks and to profess himself the Son of God Another saith He (b) Clemenâ— Alex. paedag lib. 1. cap. 6. that believeth in the Son hath eternal life if then we who have believed have eternal life what remaineth beyond the possession of life eternal Again He saith thou art no more a Servant but a Son if a Son then also an Heir thorough God what then wanteth to a Son when he is an Heir This certainty of Salvation worketh an assurance and comfort which makes one say (c) Hilar. de trin lib. 1. The soul knowing her own safety resteth in quietness rejoycing in her hopes so much not fearing death that she accounts it as the way to eternal life Let us hear what saith another upon the matter (d) Ambr. in 2 Cor. 1. Serm. 15. He hath sealed us by giving his spirit to us for an earnest that we may not doubt of his promises for if when we were in the state of death he gave us his spirit it is not to be doubted but that to us being made immortal he will add glory And in another place He saith well I am confident for confidence is the strength of our hope and an authority of hoping Therefore hope still and no man can make thee ashamed of thy expectation Our expectation is life eternal As for Austin he hath written at large upon this Subject in his Book De Perseverantiâ Sanctorum De Correptione Gratia But here we shall only quote few words (e) August in Psal 122. 123. For we are saved by hope but because our hope is certain it is so spoken of us as if it were already done Hereunto we do joyn what another saith (f) Bernard Epist. 107. O man thou hast the justifying spirit for a teacher of this secret and in the same witnessing to thy spirit that thou also art the Son of God Take notice of the counsel of God in thy justification for the present justification of thee is both a revelation of God's counsel and a certain preparation unto future glory The Doctor called profound having argued and proved perseverance to be a free gift of God concludes thus For these and the like motives it seems more probable to me and more to agree with reason and Catholick Doctrines that perseverance is not given to merits but is freely given of God according to his free grace free-predestination and free-purpose as the first working grace that justifieth a sinner Lastly to make an end of this one having spoken of the Elect and Believer saith (a) Ferus in 1. Joan. 5. Satan cannot touch him He may indeed dare to tempt the godly so likewise he durst to tempt Christ Yea sometimes he drives just men unto a fall as we see in David and Peter But finally as in Christ he could have nothing so neither can he prevail over the Saints for none can take Christ's sheep out of his hands wherefore going to his passion he recommended all that believed in him unto his Father The words of others I omit to quote only their (b) Basilus de Spiritu Sancto cap. 15. Prosper in Psal 114. Cyrill Alex. Comment in Isa lib. 3. in Joan. lib. 9. cap. 44. Gregor in Job lib. 11. cap. 20. lib. 16. cap. 2. Aâ—selm in Rom. 8. Names and places I set down in the Margin I think I have done enough in this kind to prove that in the matters of grace we have the Doctors of the Primitive Church with us and others in some of the late Ages and consequently Calvin is not the Author of such Doctrines and that we brought no Innovation into the Church which aspersion we may justly retort upon our Adversaries And to shew the more that conformity we have with the antient Catholick Church I must say in short how the very same aspersions by Arminians cast upon us were by Pelagius and his followers laid to the charge of St. Austin and they are these First That they take away free-will and bring in a Stoical fatality Secondly That the make God the author of sin Thirdly They open a gap to despair and slothfulness Fourthly They take away all use of Precepts Promises Threatnings yea and Prayer it self Fifthly That they make God an Impostor seeing he commands men to repent and believe yet doth not seriously will their repentance and faith nor their Salvation unto which only faith and repentance can entitle them Sixthly That their whole opinions are against the stream of Antiquity These were falsely fathered upon the Doctrine of Austin and other Orthodox Doctors of the Church as easily I now can and upon occasion shall ever be ready to prove out of their own writtings but this I now omit not to fill up so much Paper with Quotations neither thinking it so material to know what those Father 's believed as what the word of God which we have not been wanting to make use of doth declare upon the matter Nay to go up higher I have shewed how it was against St. Paul's Doctrine objected Rom. 9. and the Objections by him answered of making God unjust and men excusable out of the necessity of God's Decree and as these were falsly fathered upon St. Paul's afterwards on Austin's Doctrine So with the very same the truths we teach are aspersed by our Adversaries who are men of the same Principles as the others were Indeed 't is very sad that whilst a considerable Body of Papists followers of Jansenius Bishop of Ypres joyned with us in defence of those matters of grace a Party of our own should make a desertion and joyn with Papists against us And some of them with as much gall in the Heart and bitterness against us in Tongues and Pens as if we were the greatest Unbelievers and Miscreants in the World and all this for no other cause than our asserting of the truths plainly and fully contained in God's Word CHAP. XIV Of the absurd and dangerous consequences necessarily
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