according to which he himselfe works in loue or hatred not of that according to which he commands and appoints men to worke These men in truth confound all things setting mans will where Gods should stand God saith on whom I will they say on him that himselfe wils or seeketh as he ought c. The same Idol of mans wil they advance set up v. 16 where in stead of Gods shewing mercy they put mans beleeving mercy The Lord by willing and running v. 16 excludes whatsoever is of or in man and either within or without him and draws all to himselfe alone In the stead of God shewing mercy they put themselvs and their free will receiving mercy by God offered as the proper cause of difference between man and man The 17 vers For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh c they handle very sleightly saying something such as it is about Gods hardening Pharoahs heart but not medling at all with the place according to the coherence which it hath with the words going before unto which yet the Holy Ghost strongly tyeth them in saying For the Scripture saith c. And herein they are in truth wise in their generation These words must needs answer to the latter part of the objection of unrighteousnesse with God in hating that is as they interpret it in rejecting such as seek righteousnesse by the works of the Law as did the fleshly Israelits But wherein I wonder did Pharaoh so How sought he justification by the works of the Law Who so professedly despised the God therof saying Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce Did they see that this example of Pharaoh and their exposition of the place could not stand together and therfore chose to cut off the coherence so firmly tying the words together rather then to let fall their preconceived erroneous exposition Whatsoever they intend herein we know it is brought for an example of Gods absolute but righteous power of hardening rather then another whom he will and not whom he finds most deserving it for whom finds he not too much deserving it if he would deal in like manner with all as it is said whom that is which rather then other he will he hardneth v. 18. And let it be diligently minded that the Apostle here opposeth Gods shewing mercy to some and his hardening of others and not his shewing mercy to some and his condemning of others The adversaries by Gods shewing mercy would haue us understand his saving of such as beleev and repent And then on the contrary by Gods hardening should onely be meant his not shewing mercy to but punishing condemning such as doe not beleev nor repent But we know that the not hearing God voyce not beleeving and repenting follow upon hardnesse of heart Wherupon the Lord promiseth that in the day of his mercy and pittie he will take from his people their stony and hard hearts And so touching Pharaoh the Scriptures expresly shew that his hardnesse of heart was the cause of his unbeliefe and disobedience Whereupon I conclude evidently that the Apostle here speaks not of such a mercy onely as follows faith as the Adversaries would haue him but as goes before it also as he speaks of such a hardening as goâ—s before unbelief Note we here also that the Apostle in this place propounds Gods will as the cause of his dealing diversly with divers persons and not of his saving such as are to be saved after a divers manner from that which some namely the carnall Israelites imagined ADVERSARIES NOW to return to them They lay down a question thus What is the meaning of the hardening of Pharaoh And in their answer wholly passe by God as no doer in the businesse They make Pharaoh a doer in hardening his own heart which is true and Satan a doer in hardening Pharaohs heart and this is true also but God no doer but a sufferer only in giving him up that is as else where they expound it in leaving him to himselfe and to Satan to be hardened DEFENCE BVT first the Text imports a further thing in God whom it brings in thus speaking For this same purpose haue I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared through all the earth Is Gods raysing up which is his hardening v. 8 nothing but his letting a man lie still and fall down lower then he was before Besides the end which was the glory of Gods power and name shews God to be a worker Every end must haue an efficient or working cause The glory of God was not the end of Satans work nor of Pharaohs work and therefore of Gods work in it Thirdly God hardened Pharaohs heart by sending Moses and Aaron unto him as by an occasion though not a cause as the Law is the occasion of sin and the Gospell the occasion of strife and variance Fourthly God deprived Pharaoh of the use of common sense and reason otherwise it could not haue been that after so many experiments by him taken of Gods powerfull hand against him and for the Israelits he should so furiously as he did haue followed them into the middest of the Sea Lastly besides and aboue all these God in whose hands the hearts of Kings are as the rivers of waters to turn them whether he will hardened Pharaohs heart by ordering his pride cruelty and contempt of God to this effect of obstinacy appearing in his most desperate course without which powerfull and unerring hand of God all the former notwithstanding it might haue come to passe that Pharaohs heart might haue been softned by the miracles and means used and so Gods word which before had foretold his hardening might not haue taken effect which is contrary to the truth and drift of the Apostle in this place God therefore was not onely a sufferer but a doer in the hardening of Pharaoh ADVERSARIES THeir next question is How consider you these words Who hath resisted his will v. 19. Vnto which they frame this untoward Answer viz. that those Iews seeking salvation by those works of the Law did not resist Gods will and so gaue him no cause to complain DEFENCE NOthing lesse as we haue shewed and shall further manifest by and by from the Apostles answer v. 20. The meaning is plain The words v. 19 Thou wilt then say unto me why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will are an objection against that which immediately went before whom he will he hardeneth Now against this it may colourably bee objected that if God hardens whom he will hee hath then no reason to complain of mens being hardened in disobedience for Who can resist his will if he will harden them A piece of an eie is sufficient to see the plainnesse of this exposition and coherence Their discourse then following that God would saue all and haue all repent amend and beleev
he wanted And as the Apostle affirms of the Ephesians that they were elect of God in Christ before the foundation of the world in regard of the faith and holines appearing in them so might the Lord well say of this and other his like hypocrites and unsanctified ones that they are not of the number of the elect or chosen in Gods eternall decree so far as their present state manifests Neither is it the meaning of the Lord in those words simply to reprove him for not having on a wedding garment but for coming thither and not having it on Friend how comest thou hither not having on a wedding garment and so to warn others to make sure their election and not to content themselues with the shew of obedience without inward truth And taking the words thus they make for our and against their opinion Or take the words as meant of the actual execution of election and that in the largest sense so as in the same be cōprehended whatsoever God doth in time for the effectual procuring of a mans salvation as of the giving of Christ for him of the Gospell to him and by it faith and holinesse and the spirit of adoption and so glory in the end and we say all this he doth according to his eternall purpose of election effectuall onely in those who are made partakers of the inward calling and wedding garment thereby and not in all that are called outwardly For known unto the Lord are all his workes from the beginning of the world Whatsoever God doth in time that he purposed to do from eternitie as he doth it But take election as these men do in most places and which seems likewise to be their meaning upon best advise for that first work of mercie in God by which he actually and particularly as they speak chuseth persons to salvation they erre with great error in holding that this election is for the qualitie which God findes in persons and upon the condition of faith and repentance going before and that God onely chuseth and electeth where he finds faith and obedience to his son For first the Apostle teacheth Eph. 1. 4. that we are chosen in Christ to wit as the mediator and meanes of communicating all spirituall blessings with us before the foundation of the world was layd that we might be holy and unblameable in loue before him This is meant our adversaries granting it of the decree of election the meaning therefore must needs be that God hath from eternity decreed to elect or chuse us in time actually not because we should or would be holy as these men perversly imagine but that we might be holy As God from eternity purposed to chuse men so hee chuseth them actually in time But he purposed from eternity to chuse men that they might be holy and therfore actually in time chuseth them that they might be holy and unblameable before him and therfore not because they are holy or beleev and obey Gods actuall chusing therfore goes before our actuall faith holinesse repentance and obedience as the cause and follows them not as an effect as they mis-judge The same is confirmed from v. 5 where we are said to be predestinated to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ With which joyne that Rom. 8. 30 Whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified To be elected to wit in decree and to be predestinated in the good part as here are the same in substance onely we are said to be predestinated in respect of the supernaturall ends and means leading therunto unto which God in time bringeth us and to be elect or chosen in respect of others from whom God selecteth us Now if we be predestinated of Christ to the adoption of children then not because we are children or beleev which are the same Ioh. 1. 12. To this purpose it is that the Lord so oft by Moses beats upon this that he chose the Israelits to be his people out of his loue to them and loue and promise to their Fathers excluding all other motiues and placing the cause of his chusing them in himselfe alone and his loue and the stability of his purpose and promise Moses testifyeth that God chose them that they might be a holy and peculiar people unto the Lord But these men will make God begin at the other end and chuse men because they are an holy and peculiar people that is having faith and repentance going before Ioyn we with this that in the Psalm Blessed be the man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts we shal be satisfied with the goodnesse of thy house of thy holy Temple Faith then and holinesse are not the fore found conditions for which God chuseth a man but the actuall conferring and giving of them according to an eternall purpose is the very actuall chusing of him even that by which God severs elects selects and chuseth him out of the masse of the wicked Every mans common sense will teach this All are of themselues and by nature sinners and subject to wrath Now what is it for God actually to chuse some from the rest but to bestow that upon them actually and effectually by which they differ actually from the rest which is faith and repentance God doth not therfore as these adversaries imagine chuse upon condition of faith and repentance going before but doth by the very bestowing of these graces of faith and repentance which others want chuse elect select and sever actually from others the elected from eternity in his decree Lastly by the crosse doctrine of these men we should chuse God before God chuse us for by beleeving and obeying we chuse God to be our God and for this by their crooked rule God after chuseth us to be his people Thus proud flesh will needs be before hand with God But Christ our Lord leads us another way saying You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you to wit first which he speaks not onely of their Apostolicall but of their Christian state also as the words following make it plain that whatsoever ye shall aske of the Father in my Name hee may giue it you Vnto the state of faith and obedience onely doth this promise appertain Their assertion thus disproved wee will come to their proofs which are partly impertinent and partly against themselues The first is The Lord chuseth to himselfe a righteous man The place which is Psal. 4. 3 they note not for what purpose they best know but all may know it is grosly perverted a◠not being meant of Davids election to salvation but to the Kingdom of Israel whose glory that way his adversaries would haue turned unto shame but all in vain v. 3. But consider we this choise in proportion to the other and see what followeth Gods
a necessity which takes away freedom and voluntarinesse from men but then they rather suffer then doe For example the striking or thrusting of a man with such violence as that he is compelled thereby to stagger or fall this necessity of compulsion depriues me of all freedom to this bodily motion so as I stagger or fall unwillingly but this comes from an externall principle or beginning working violently and from without me But this is nothing to that other necessity in regard of God causing and effecting the good in and by the creature according to its kinde and suffering and ordering the evill person and thing according to its kind with which mans freedom may well stand And first whatsoever God doth he doth it both most freely and most necessarily well So the elect Angels doe the will of God most voluntarily and yet most necessarily So did Christ as man the will of his Father so freely as none can doe any thing more and yet as necessarily as it was necessary for God not to sinne On the contrary the devils doe evill both most necessarily being by these mens own grant unchangeably evill and yet most willingly as carryed thereunto withall their power Christ saith it must needs be that offences come and the Apostle that there must be heresies in the Church If then freedom of will can stand with no manner of necessity the authours of these heresies and offences sinne not therin for all sinnes specially of this kinde are voluntary I add in the last place that the better any man or Angell is he doth good the more both necessarily and willingly and the worse any evill both waies Neither will it seem strange unto us that one and the same action comes under so divers considerations as in one regard to be voluntary contingent and casuall and in another necessary if we consider how divers agents concur and meet together in producing it No work of man is so mans alone as that God hath not some hand in it in sustaining and ordering the person and work yea in effecting that which is good in it as all that is which hath in it any created being or order What hinders then but that the same thing may in regard of man as the particular and immediate cause be voluntary and contingent and yet in regard of God the highest and generall cause necessary We daily see the truth of this in proportion amongst men the meeting of Ahab and Eliah was in respect of Ahab casuall but in respect of Eliah of destinate counsell These things thus cleered we will come to the exposition of the words of Ezechiel so oft and vehemently urged by these men and others which are that God takes not pleasure in the death of a sinner but that he turn from his way and liue I answer first that the Lord takes no delight in the death of a sinner that repents and turns from his wicked way but otherwise if the sinner repent not the Lord takes delight in his death not for the misery of the creature but for the glory of his justice shining therin Of such the Lord testifies that he wil laugh at their calamity mock when their fear cometh And considering that the death and destruction of the wicked is Gods own just and holy work for their sins who will deny that God delights in it Secondly for sinne who was ever so wicked as to imagine that God takes pleasure in it It pleaseth him for his holy ends to suffer sin and to order the creature sinning by his own freewill election of evil as hath been formerly proved Thirdly it must be noted that the Prophet speaks there of such sinners onely as to whom the word comes saying Turn yee turn yee from your evill waies for why will yee die ô house of Israel Whence we doe gather evidently these two particulars First that the Prophet doth not here speak of all men universally as they conceiu but onely of the house of Israel or of such as to whom he◠sends his Prophets to call them to repentance secondly that he speaks not of that decree of the Lord willing which is accompanied with the powerfull work of his grace by which hee will giue repentance to wicked men instructed in the truth by his servants but onely of that degree of his will which stands in commanding that which is good and in approving of it if it be performed And so we grant it to be the Lords pleasure and will that all repent to whom the Word is preached It is true which they add that Adam and others sinned against the will of God but not that any ever sinned against the secret will of God as they affirm The will of God is no law to man till it be revealed and where there is no law there is no transgression It is also truely sayd that the Iewes unwillingnesse to be gathered to Christ was against Gods and Christs will that is his commanding will for he would that is commanded and they would not but disobeyed but that it was against that decree of Gods willing which sets his almightie power awor◠that I deny For God could if thus he would haue giuen them repentance and drawn them to his son Whatsoever he thus wills he can do That which they add as an eye-salue to cure our blindnes namely that we haue nothing to do with Gods secret wil not revealed in his word is true in regard of our obedience to God expectation from him but not absolutely as they conceiue The particular events of things in the world though not so much as insinuated in the scriptures concern us when they come to passe so as we may and ought to say it was the will of God they should so be either his will to work them if good or to suffer and order them and their doers if evill ADVERSARIES NExt comes into consideration a speciall distinction of ours which is that God is the author of the action or fact but not of the sin of the fact or crime Over which they insult and in it over all learned men though they mention Calvin onely with high contempt and great triumph before the victory calling it a merely fabulous ridle and marvellous sophistication telling us that a spade is a spade c. but in truth shewing themselues sitter to medle with a spade and a mattock then with those high mysteries Let us see their reasons In the first whereof they make us say that God is the author of the very fact and deed of Adams sin yea of adultery theft murder c. DEFENCE WE deny their charge and answer by distinction that Adams taking and eating the forbidden fruit Davids adultery Ioahs murther and the like are to be considered two waies First naturally and as they are motions in nature performed by mans natural created faculties and powers of soul and body secondly morally as
greatly by them mistaken excepted ADVERSARIES Adams posterity as they came to understanding had a law And again the law is given to a man when he comes to understanding and when his conscience gives him peace by keeping it and war for breaking it and not till then which qualities say they are not in babes for they discern not earthly things and how then should they discern heavenly c. seeing there must be a conscience unto which the Law is given which infants haue not DEFENCE THis errour in the latter part of their speech must the more carefully be observed and cleerly refuted by us because it is laid down as the ground of divers other errours and the same not small as will appear hereafter Neither needs there in truth more nor can there be any thing more cleere against them then that which themselvs bring from Rom. 2 their words are The law is written in the hearts of men in nature who haue a conscience to excuse them if they doe the things of the Law c. This form of speech used by the Apostle of the Law as written in mens hearts is borrowed from Gods writing the Law in tables of stone which had first and by creation been written in mens hearts out of which it was almost quite blotted by sin Now what is it for the Gentiles to haue had the Law written in their hearts in or by nature as the Apostle speaks This must needs be in nature created for in nature as corrupted there is no writing in but blotting out of the Law If by nature created then as infants haue this nature so haue they this naturall manuscript or writing of Gods hand This also the very word nature imports signifying that which is born with a man or with which hee is born comming of a word in Greek that signifies to beget or produce as parents doe children and each living creature its kind And seeing the Apostle here speaks of a Law by which men discern the differences between right and wrong good and evill honest and dishonest in morall and main matters whence and with what hand should all and every man and woman living in the world even there where is no Law otherwise written or preached haue this law and conscience thus written in their breasts saue by the finger of God in creation This knowledg and conscience being the remainders of that image of God in which all men in Adam were made By all which it appears evidently that infants bring into the world with them this law of nature and those foot-steps of Gods image in their reasonable soules who having in them the faculties of understanding and will cannot possible be devoyd of all law for the ordering of the same to whâ—ch â—aw they are necessarily either disposed or indisposâ—d 〈◊〉 it â—â—â—not be that the reasonable faculties of understanding and â—â—ll â—â— any of mankind should be voyd of all vertuous or vitious â—â—sposition and inclination at least to the things of the law of nature that is of God the effects whereof they shâ—w forth actually in their time And this truth themselues elsewhere confirm undenyably though they think it not where they say that Adams posterity originally for of that state they there speak haue weak natures by the which when the commandement comes they cannot obey This originall weakness then is a contrary disposition to the Law of God and to that which they were created else it could not hinder them from obeying God actually afterward at least internally and in their hearts Surely nothing but the Law of sin is contrary to the Law of God warring against it and against the law of the mind agreeing with it as the Apostle speaketh Neither follows it that Infants haue no Law because they haue not peace or warre of conscience in them nor can discern of earthly or heavenly things The shewing the workes of the Law and doing the things contained in the Law and so the having a conscience excusing or accusing for the contrary as the Apostle speaks are not simply requisite for the having of the Law nor for being conformable to it but for the actuall obedience therunto in particular actions Persons are in three respects conformable to the law of God first in habite and so a godly man is a godly man and conformable to Gods law when hee sleepeth secondly in disposition or inclination and so infants considered either in state of creation or regeneration are conformable thereunto thirdly in performance of particular acts of obedience by men of discretion for which the conscience excuseth and accuseth for the contrary As well may these men deny that infants are reasonable creatures as that they are lawlesse They can perform the works of neither but haue the faculties and dispositions of and to both which in time and in their effects they manifest ADVERSARIES IN the next places follows their promised proofs that Christ hath been and still is offered to all that haue sinned and that they haue put him away and that the fault is their own and condemnation from themselvs and Good freed from partiality DEFENCE BElike then if God shew that mercy to one in calling him to his grace in Christ which hee doth not to another it is partiality with them from which to free him they take this pains as if the Lord stood in need of their patronage wheras in truth they but forge lies for God as Iobs friends did and talk deceitfully for him Let us consider of their proofs admitting of such as haue in them either apparant truth or probability and reproving the rest as there is cause And first they erre in saying that the generation of Adam and Eve took notice of Christ as they took notice of their sin seeing the notice of sin specially of that which is more grosse is naturall and the effect of the law of nature written in all mens hearts whereas the notice of Christ is by supernaturall revelation The like vain presumption and apparant falsifying is in the words following that all the sonns of Noah could doe no lesse but take knowledg of Christ to convey it by tradition to all their generations If it be meant that indeed they did so How many 1000 thousands are there at this day which never so much as heard of Christ at least as God and man and Redeemer of mankind by his death For this their presumption of the ages before Christs coming in the flesh they bring not any shew of reason or testimony divine or human Onely they alledg the sacrifices of the Gentiles which say they they either had from their ancestors in their generations or as being moved by a troubled conscience which must be quieted by sacrifice And these sacrifices they tell us were remembrances of Christ and kinds of acknowledgings of him though in the end they account them no better then remembrances of a false Christ in stead of him As their opinion
speak in the 9. 10. and 11. chapters Lastly we shall God willing make it appear in sundry particulars that these Adversaries by wresting of some things and omitting of others pervert the Apostles words to a strange sense how soever they think to get advantage by striking others first with that imputation And first though they account it plain and without difficulty that the Apostles meaning v. 5 6 is that not all the Israelits not all the children of Abrahams flesh specially not such as boasted of the observation of the Law were therefore in the state of salvation or should be saved yet in truth he plainly means another thing namely that all Israel all that were the seed of Abraham and children of the flesh were not that Israel that seed those children to whom the promise was made that is were not they touching whom God by his promise declared his purpose of election mentioned v. 11. For though all are saved that receiv the promise by faith and none by the works of the Law yet the Apostle in this place neither speaks a word of salvation as the effect of the promise but of election as the cause therof nor yet of mens receiving the promise by faith but of Gods making it according to election that so the purpose of God and promise manifesting it might stand according to election v. 11 that the word of God might take effect v. 6. even the word of promise At this time will I come c. v. 9 they are then called children of the promise not because they received but because the promise Sara shall haue a Son c. was made unto them according to the election of grace and stableness of Gods purpose v. 8. 9. 11 which promise also they did in time receiv by faith according to the election of that remnant from the rest the promise following the purpose of election and faith and salvation by it following the purpose and promise Though Israel that is all which were of Israel obtained not that which he seeketh for yet the election hath obtained it even the remnant of Israel to whom Gods promise is according to the election of grace in regard of which remnant according to election the word of God is effectuall and the promise fulfilled touching the yonger son of Rebeca of whose two sonns it was said before they were born or had done either good or evill the elder shall serv the yonger And as they truely affirm that neither birth nor works did prefer with God so I demand here what those works were by which Esau sought for justification The Scriptures expresly term him a prophane person that is a despiser of goodnes yea of his very birth-right which was a speciall legall priviledg How then sought he to be preferred with God and justified for birth or works Or how doth this example of Esau fit their imagined plain exposition specially to proue that the children of Abrahams flesh were not in the salvation who so much boasted of being Moses disciples in the observation of the Law when as the Law of Moses was not yet given nor the Law-giver born Their words following that God purposeth to prefer those that seek it by his free election through faith in Christ are true in themselvs but not in their sense Their meaning is that God purposed to saue them effectually that should beleev in Christ Iesus whereupon should be meant in this place onely such a purpose of God as was no more towards Iakob then towards Esau for God by their doctrine purposed to chuse Esau if he beleeved and not Iakob but upon his beleeving first But the Apostle speaks more then evidently of such a purpose of God as was towards Iakob particularly and alone excluding Esau. Besides the standing of this purpose and election are here noted as two distinct things of which election is the former and that according to which this purpose of God stands whereas they make them one and the same accounting election nothing but the purpose of bestowing salvation upon them that beleev Thirdly the Apostle cannot mean such a purpose and election as presupposeth faith in Christ which they would haue seeing he expresly affirms it to haue been when the children had done neither good nor evill Is to beleev in Christ to puâ— on the wedding garment by faith and obedience to submit to the righteousnesse of God which they will haue the condition upon vvhich election depends and the quality for which God elects the persons in whom he finds it are these to doe no good with with these men and is the doing of the contrary to doe no evill Lastly he saith not that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of vvorks but of faith as they say but not of vvorks but of him that calleth that is as followeth that vvill haue mercy on whom he vvill haue mercy By which it is plain that Paul doth not in this chapter as chap. 3. and 4 and Gal. 4 oppose works and faith but vvorks and Gods calling He should haue said for their purpose that the purpose of God stands not of works but of faith or of him that beleeveth and not as hee doth for the purpose of the Holy Ghost of him that calleth Shewing thereby his meaning to be in this whole discourse that the obtaining of righteousnesse or standing of Gods purpose in its actuall effect depends upon God alone according to three degrees here expressed first his gracious purpose of election in himselfe towards some secondly his free promise manifesting his purpose thirdly his effectuall calling in which his vvord of promise hath effect and his purpose stands firm and undisappointed notwithstanding the unbeleif of the body of Abrahams seed Their making Iakob and Esau types as they doe is like the rest or worse The Scriptures are not to be drawn from their natural simple sense without apparant warrant It is the high way to heresie to be bold in framing typical expositions And with what spirit these men are led this way appears by their expounding the parable Luk. 15 making the Iews the elder brother vvho sought salvation by vvorks and the Gentles the yonger in the offer of the Gospell seeking salvation onely by the free promise of God wheras the plain meaning of Christ is onely to avow his preaching to the Publicans and sinners resorting unto him against the pride and envy of the Pharisies those Publicans and sinners being Iews as well as the other Secondly I demand what it was in which Iakob typed out beleevers seeking righteousnesse by God and in which Esau typed out workers seeking justification by their own works The contrary in Esau is expressed in the Scriptures Lastly seeing it cannot be denyed but that Iakob as a faithfull and godly man was in time actually beloved of God and Esau as godlesse and prophane actually hated it must needs follow that God before the world was
into question 2. He justifies the Lords doing by his absolute power over the creature as the potter hath power over his clay And by this answer of the Apostle it appeares how these men mistake his meaning in the question His answer is not at all of this or that manner of saving men as they imagine and maintain but of the saving of this person rather then that they being both alike in themselves and as the clay of the same lump If Pauls answer should be shaped according to their misformed question then the meaning must be that the potter might chuse which way he would make a vessell of honor whether by the workes of the Law or by faith and obedience to the Gospell and so not of the same lump but of two contrary lumps the one beleeving and obeying the other not turning from hiâ— wicked way and yet seeking salvation by his workeâ— The Apostle here plainly pleads the Lords power over the creature to make him a vessell of honor or dishonor they plead the Lords power over the means onely by which he will do this He the Lords power over the clay of the same lump but they over clay of clean contrary qualities Besides if Paul meant here to bring in the Iewes defending themselves that God had no cause to complain that they stuck to the Law that is looked to be justified by it seeing Gods will was that men should obey his Lawes and so live in them what needed he to haue sought so farre for an answer as the absolute power of God seeing he had an answer at hand which might have stopped all mouthes and which he ever presseth when question is of justification by the works of the Law which is that they could not fulfill the Law and therefore could not possibly be justified by it Lastly their exposition of these words Why hast thou made me thus that is that I cannot obtain salvation by the workes of the Law directly crosseth the Apostle who grants that God made men as is there objected and justifies him in so making or framing them both in his decree and work of holy providence by the power which he hath over men as the potter over his clay Hath not the potter power over the clay c. Besides men make themselves uncapable of salvation by the Law in that they keep it not But the Apostle here speaks of Gods making men vessels unto dishonor and not of mens making themselves and of the potter making the vessell and not of the vessels making it self thus or thus It is plain Paul grants the objection that no man can resist Gods will and yet justifies his complaining considering his power over his creature to decree and so to bring unto most contrary estates by just and convenient meanes persons in themselves alike and as the clay of one lump v. 21. 22. 23. ADVERSARIES IN the opening of these verses they follow their usuall but ill custome of carrying the Reader away to other places and things and enter upon a tedious discourse upon Ier. 18. from whence they affirme the Apostle hath these words and so speaks of the same making of a vessell of dishonor with the prophet in that place DEFENCE I Deny their peremptory assertion and require their proof If they say the same words are there first that is not simply true for part of them onely are there to be found and so are they in other places by name Esay 45. 9. where it is evident the Prophet speaks of another matter It is too weak a collection that because the like phrase or form of speech in part is to be found in two places that therefore the one is taken out of the other and that to the same purpose And to put the matter out of doubt it is evident that the Prophet and Apostle speak of clean divers things the Prophet speaks of marring the vessell and making it again that is of destroying persons or peoples if they repent not or doing good to them which repent The Apostle of making the vessell out of the masse or lump honourable or dishonourable The Prophet speaks of the making or marring of one and the same vessell the Apostle of divers vessels and the making of one to honour and another to dishonour Lastly the Apostle here speaks of the Lords purpose and work without respect to good or evill done by the persons and considering them as clay of the same lump the Prophets of Gods dealing with persons according to the good or evill which hee finds in them and so being divers yea clean contrary lumps And where they insinuate that we hold the making of the clay to be in creation which they affirm to be in vocation they speak untruely in both No man ever held that God in or by creation made any vessell to dishonour neither can they ascribe this as they doe to vocation Gods calling men is not to dishonour but to honour onely It is the divell and his instruments and not God who call men to dishonour which these men also proue against themselvs at large in the two pages following and therin pull down with the one hand what they haue built with the other as children use to doe with their cob-castles That which followeth v. 24. 25 c. is not to the thing in hand The disputation about election ends v. 23 and that of vocation followeth which latter is an effect of the former declaring indeed the persons but not confounding the things And thus if these men may be their own Iudges and may haue the praise which their own mouth giues them they haue very sufficiently explaned the ninth chapter to the Romans and to full satisfaction of him that doubts resolving him in every difficult place therof as they blow the trumpet or rather the bladder of their own praise But if the Scriptures in their true sense and scope may be judge and giue sentence they will be found neither to know them nor the power of God over his creature Which power yet v. 22 is declared not to be tyrannicall but most just never punishing but after the induring of the vessels of wrath having sinned as is his mercy also richly glorious in the salvation of the vessels of mercy v. 23. ADVERSARIES THE last place which they take upon them to answer is Act. 13 So many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved that is say they So many as beleev and obey the truth are ordained to eternall life DEFENCE A Strange perverting of the Scriptures setting the head in the feets place and the feet in the heads For although the thing which they affirm be in it selfe true yet is it not the Evangelists meaning Luke descends from the cause to the effect they crosly ascend from the effect to the cause The Evangelists meaning is that Pauls preaching in Antioch had a divers event with divers of whom so many as were pre-appointed or ordained
haue not known them The Heathens therfore if we will giue credit to the word of God had not the knowledg of Gods word so not of the Gospel which is most hidden as being of supernatural revelation onely Of the same Gentiles the Apostle testifieth that God in times past suffered them all to walk in their own wayes that is did not manifest Christ unto them for faith in his bloud and repentance through him but onely his power and God-head giving them rain from heaven and other bodily blessings to witnesse the same With this accords that elswhere The times of this ignorance which had been amongst the Gentiles before Christ God regarded not or winked at but now commandeth all men every where as well Gentiles as Iewes to repent The Apostle opposeth the time now in which he preached to the former times and shews that God now and not in times past called all to repentance by the preaching of the word To conclude the same Apostle expresly teacheth that there is no salvation but by beleeving in the name of the Lord Iesus by the preaching of the word and Gospell by preachers sent of God for that end But now for any to say that every particular person in the world hath had or hath the word of the Gospell preached unto him by a preacher sent of God for that purpose were an assertion of him whose impudencie better deserved a club then any grounds that possibly he could lay a refutation considering both the infallible experience of all ages and testimony of scripture to the contrary and that there were places even in the latter end of the last Apostles time where Christ had not been named nor spoken of Next follows to be examined their exposition upon Rom. 9 in the introduction whereunto they mingle truth with errour They deal craftily in bearing the Reader in hand that the disputation of Paul herein is hard and the matter darkly handled that so they may turn the thoughts of the Reader from it or at least dim them with prejudice against that plain and evident truth of Gods free election and reprobation joyned therewith Both which things he sets down most clearly though the reason of the Lords different dealing towards them that are in themselves alike he makes unsearchable and determines in the free purpose of his will if men did not trouble the pure and cleare water of Gods sanctuary with the foul feet of their corrupt glosse They also erre in makeing this one of the places in Pauls Epistles of which the Apostle Peter speaketh 2. Pet. 3. 16. Peter doth not say neither wil the Greek text beare it that there are things hard in Pauls Epistles but that in those matters in his Epistles to wit about the day of the Lords comming and the dissolution of the heavens and elements and the new heavens and new earth promised were things hard to understand c. Their perverting of the Scriptures which they lay to the charge of others both in the Epistles of Peter and Paul and every where else wee haue formerly disclosed Neither do we affirm as they here charge us that God reprobates either the greatest number or any as they understand and elsewhere expound themselves that is predestinates them to condemnation without any condition Hee predestinates none to condemnation or which is all one purpose to condemne none but for sin freely by them to be practised as the fore-going condâ—tion and onely deserving cause of condemnation Neither say we as they slander us that God denieth means of salvation to men because he would haue them perish but as the Apostle reacheth that he hardens by that and other his holy dispensations whom he will that he might shew his wrath and make his power known upon the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction ADVERSARIES LEt us now come to their exposition The scope say thâ—y as of the whole Epistle so of this chapter is that not the Law but the Gospell is the power of God to salvation and that we are not justified by the workes of the Law but by faith even that faith which Abraham had DEFENCE AS the proper and particular scope of divers parts of this Epistle is divers so do they misse of the drift of this particular chapter which is not as they conceive to prove justification not to be by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Christ in the Gospell But to shew that the first and highest cause why of all mankinde faln in Adam one is cleared and another not is onely the good pleasure and free wil of God and not mans deservings and yet that God in so choosing or electing one before another doth nothing unjustly as shall appeare in the particulars hereafter to bee explained and may in the mean while be gathered by these three generall reasons First for the Apostle when of purpose he handles the matter of justification by faith chap. 3. 4. doth so oft and againe iterate and inculcate the terms of Faith and Iustification almost in every verse whereas here he never so much as once mentions either of them in the disputation it selfe which is to the end of vers 24. where he descends from the matter of election to the calling of the elected both of Iewes and Gentiles Secondly it is unreasonable to conceive that the Apostle having in the third and fourth chapter so fully handled and so expresly concluded that matter of Iustification by faith and not by works and chap. 7. the effect and end thereof Peace with God and perseverance to salvation and chap. 6. the matter of sanctification and chap. 7. the imperfection of that sanctification in this life and chap. 8. the afflictions of the faithfull and their perseverance notwithstanding to the death should now again without any occasion and against all order return to the same matter of justification so fully handled and ended before This might wel agree with these mens wandrings in this their treatise but agrees not with the wisdom either divine or humane wherewith the Apostle was furnished Much more absurd is it to imagine that having formerly handled that subject matter of justification so plainly as he hath done chap. 3 and 4. he should returne to handle the same matter so darkly and obscurely as all the adversaries to the truth and fautors of this conceit are compelled to confesse he hath done in this place Thirdly if this were the Apostles proper drift what needed he to have made such deep protestation of his hearty sorrow for the Iewes as he did more in this place then in the former where he handled that matter more clearly then here It was in truth no other thing that moved the man of God to these sad and sorrowfull protestations then to remov the offence which might be taken at the Iews rejection and calling of the Gentiles in their stead of which and the highest cause thereof hee was now to