of his will but according to a lawe which is this whosoever believeth not shall be damned And albeit God made that lawe according to the mere pleasure of his will yet no wise man will say that God denyes glory and inflicts damnation on men according to the mere pleasure of his will the case being cleere that God denyes the one and inflâ—cts the other merely for their sinnes who are thus dealt withall And indeede albeit men are founde aequall in their moralitie when God denyes the grace of faith and repentance unto some which he bestowes on others yet when he comes to deny glory and inflict damnation on men dealing otherwise with others he doth not finde all to be aequall but some he findes to have ended their dayes in the state of faith and true repentance others to have finished their dayes in sinn in infidelitie or impaenitencye And accordingly we distinguishe betweene absolute election unto salvation election unto salvation absolute absolute reprobation unto damnation and reprobation unto damnation absolute we grant absolute election unto salvation and absolute reprobation unto damnation but we deny eyther election to be unto salvation absolute or reprobation unto damnation absolute Yet there is a considerable difference betweene these for as much as finall infidelitie and impenitency are the meritorious causes of damnation but faith repentance and good workes are but the disposing causes of salvation Yet like as God inflicts not damnation but by way of punishment so he doth not bestowe salvation on any of ripe yeares but by way of reward Yet here allso is a difference for damnation is inflicted by way of punishment for the evill workes sake which are committed but salvation is not conferred by way of reward for the good workes sake which are performed but merely for Christs sake All this this Author as I sayde doth very judiciously confounde for the advantage of his cause taking no notice at all of these distinctions whether wittingly dissembling them or ignorantly not discerning them albeit the genuine condition of our Tenet rightly understood doth clearly bespeake them So that if he woulde fairely sett hâ—mselfe to the impugning of our Tenet as touching the absolutenes of Gods decree he should leave the consideration of election and reprobation as touching those things willed by them which we call salvation and damnation insist upon the consideration of election and reprobation as touching those other things willed therby which we call the giving of faith and repentance unto some and the denyall of faith and repentance unto others wherin we willingly professe that God caryeth himselfe absolutely throughout not only decreeing thâ—se according to the mere pleasure of his will without all consideration of ought in man but giving them allso unto some and denying them unto others according to the mere pleasure of his will without the consideration of ought in man Now in this point this Author is content to be silent for he findes no such harshnes imputable unto us in this Tenet of ours Neyther indeede can he stande to maynteyne his owne Tenet without plunging himselfe into manifest Pelagianisme For if God doth not give faith repentance unto men according to the mere pleasure of his will but upon consideration of somewhat founde in man then grace shall be given according unto workes which was condemned in the Synod of Palestine above 1200. yeares agoe all along impugned by the orthodoxe in opposition to the Pelagians and Semipelagians But I am willing to proceede further with this Author and to proove that God shoulde not be unjust though he inflict torment upon a creature though never so innocent For consider shall it not be lawfull with God to doe what he will with his creature Hath not man power to doe what he will with the workmanship of his owne handes And shall this power be denyed unto God How did he afflict his most holy and innocent Sonne only to make his soule an offering for the sins of others And what power hath God given us over inferior creatures that are not capable of sinne are capable of payne enough through diseases and through our imployment of them to doe us their faithfull services we put them to death after such a manner as wherby they may proove beneficiall unto us eyther for food or physicke neyther doe we offende God in this though some kindes of death proove more paynfull unto them yet so long as hereby they proove more usefull unto us we doe not transgresse And now adayes all sides confesse that it is in the power of God to annihilate the holiest Angell in heaven and that in the execution herof he shoulde execute no other then a lawfull power And who had not rather be content to suffer a continuall payne so it be tolerable then to dye much more then to have both body soule turned into nothing When the old world was drowned how many thousands of infants perished in that deluge choaked in the waters which were guiltie of no other sinne then what they sinned in our common Father Adam So in the destruction of Sodom and Gommorrha by fire how many Infants were burnt to ashes some in their mothers wombe some hanging on their mothers breasts when the earth opened and swallowed up the congregation of Dathan and Abâ—ram their litle ones were swallowed up together with their rebellious parents and shall we say that God was unjust in the execution of these and such like judgments Yet Medina professeth that God as Lord of life and death hath power to inflict any payne on any creature be he never so innocent and this he delivers ex concordi omnium Theologorum Sententia And indeed no reason can define those boundes limits of payne and sorrowe eyther as touching intension or duration within which in the execution of payne God must consist beyond which he cannot proceede incolumi justitia And will thâ—s Author deny that by the sinne of one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne hath spread it selfe over all even over those that did not sinne after the similitude of Adams transgression that is over Infants Is this the fruite of God his making us after his owne image that herupon we shoulde circumscribe and lâ—mit the execution of his power over us in comparison with others and that only by rules devised by fleshe and blood And if he doth execute no other then a lawfull power can he be justly censured of crueltie But seing he ordeynes no man to damnation but for sinne and that to the manifestation of his justice which is his glory is he lesse good or wise or just in this The scripture playnely teacheth us that God made all thinges for himselfe even the wicked against the day of evill and shall we suspende our judgements as touching our adherence unto this divine and sacred truth untill such time as we have made triall how this doctrine will relish with infidells What
offered at all in the Gospell men are called upon to believe and promised that upon theire faith they shall obteyne the grace of remission of sinnes salvation and these graces may be sayde to be offâ—red unto all upon condition of faith but faith it selfe in no congruity can be sayde to be offered though by the preaching of the Gospell the Lord workes faith in the hears of whom he will as it is sayde that he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth But as for suasion exhortation unto faith this grace the reprobates in the Church of God are pertakers of as well as Gods elect I come unto the fift and last 5. That they who have once receaved this grace by faith can never fall totally or finally notwithstanding the most enormous sins that they can committ Here are three thinges to be considered first his phrase of a certeyne grace receaved by faith in reference to the premises for he calls it this grace by faith wheras in the premises there is no mention at all of any grace receaved by faith much lesse any such grace particulated but this is their jugling cariage throughout First he spake of Gods producing faith then of Gods giving his grace now he supposeth he hath spoken of a certeyne grace receaved by faith this is their cogging course when no such grace as receaved by faith was at all mentioned before We speake playnly in saying of faith not of a grace I knowe not what receaved by faith that it cannot totally or finally perishe The scripture playnly professeth that it is not possible the elect should be seduced by false Prophets now the practise of false Prophets is to corrupt their faith but it is not possible they should herin prevaile over Gods elect Now by the elect are here to be understood the regenerate elect for before regeneration it is apparent they are as obnoxious to errours of faith and errours of life as any other And the reason why they cannot be thus seduced our Saviours signifies Ioh. 10.29 to be this that they are in the handes of God the Father My Father which gave them me is greater then all now to be given to Christ by God the Father is to be brought unto faith in Christ by God the Father Ioh. 6.37.44 compared with verse 35 and 47. and Ioh. 17.9.20 And none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand So that when we say they cannot fall from grace this is spoken not in respect of any absolute impossibilitie but merely upoÌ„ supposition to witt manutenentiae divinae of Gods upholding of them And accordingly they are sayd to be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1. Pet. 1. Now this impossibilitie of falling away from grace in Scholasticall accoumpt is but an impossibilitie secundum quid like as we say t is impossible that Antichrist should fall or the Iewes be called till the time which God hath appoynted is come for bringing foorthe these great and wonder full workes of his but the contrary is simply possible on eyther part As for the last clause not withstanding the most enormous sinnes which they can committ this is most calumniosly annexed as if we maynteyned that the children of God cannot fall from grace allbeit they should let the reynes loose to their lusts to committ sinne that with greedines wheras to the contrary we teache that God keepeth them from falling away by putting his feare into their hearts according to that Ierm 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall never depart away from me so that the right state of our Tenet is not that God will keepe them from falling away in spight of their praesumptuous courses but that he will keepe them by him through an holy feare which is as much as to say he will holde them fast by him by keeping them from presumtuous courses and accordingly David after he had prayed that God woulde clense him from his secret faults he entreates God that as touching presumptâ—ous sinnes he would keepe him from them that so he might be innocent from the great offense And as this was Davids prayer so answereable hereunto was Pauls faith He will deliver me from every evill worke to witt eyther by obedience or by repentance or els from every prâ—sumptuous course and preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom And accordingly the Saints of God as they are stiled his called ones his sanctifyed ones so likewise are they denominated his reserved ones in the Epistle of Iude For his course is to make them meete pertakers of the inheritance of Saints in light not to save them in spight of their unfitnes for it but to make them first sitt for it by holinesse and then to make them pertakers of it Never any of our divines maynteyned any such presumtion in Gods children as to say with them Deut. 29.19 I shall have peace though I walke according to the stubbornne of mine owne heart thus adding drunkenes unto thrist but rather their faith is like unto that of Pauls formerly mentioned The Lord will deliveâ— me from every evill woorke preserve me to his heavenly kingdome It is true David once committed adultery and that drewe after it a greater sinne a practise to take away Vriah that so he might cover the shame and scandall of the first but we know the first occasion of it was by improvidence hapning to spye Bathsheba from the battellments of his house going to wash her selfe but he never committed the like afterwards And as for these sinnes of his Bertius the chiefest maintainer of the Apostacye of Saints professeth he will not say that David by these sinnes did expell the Spirit of God and that for weightie reasons Peter likewise sinned fowly in the progresse of the temptation denyâ—ng his Master â—hâ—ise and that in a strange manner but if we looke into the origâ—nall of it we shall finde how through improvidence he cast himself into the devills mouth ere he was aware but our Saviour had prayed for him that his faith should not faile and remembring his promise though Peter remembred not as yet the faire warning our Saviour gave him of Satans desire to winowe him as wheate looked back upon him and he went forth and wept bitterly And immediately upon his resurrection word was sent hereof to the Apostles and by name to Peter that he should not thinke the worse of the love of God and of Christ towards him for this Thus He that is borne of God sinneth not to witt the sinn unto death or the sinne of apostacye for his seede remayneth in him neyther can he sinne that sinne because he is borne of God But yet as I said this impossibilitie is not absolute or simply so to be called but only secundum quid and upon supposition to witt of manutenency divine And as for the true state of our Tenets and the truth of our Doctrine I
mayntâ—ynes any such doctrine it is more then hitheâ—to I have learned or can justifie It is untrue that the word is dangerous by our doctrine but rather that it is dangerous for any man to contemne or despise the goodnes of God therin their condâ—mnation it aggâ—avates only occasionally it is a mans owne coâ—ruption causally that aggravates his damnation when the Lord calls unto them and they will not heaâ—e admonisheth them but they will not hearken It is true that it is not in the power of man to adde unto the word the efficacy of Gods Spirit and it is as true that a carnall man hath no desire that God would adde the efficacy of his Spirit therunto The discipline of Christs Kingdom is as cords and bonds unto them they desire to breake them and to cast off the yoke of obâ—dience unto him And agayne it is as true that no man is damned for not adding the efficacy of Gods Spirit unto his word They are damned for contemning Gods word and not hearkning to his gracious admonitions but they coulde doe no other as this Author intimats but what impotency is this is it any where els then in theiâ— wills which this Author considers not nor distinguisheth betweene impotency naturall and impotency morall were they willing to hearken hereunto but coulde not then indeede their impotency were excusable but they please themselves in their owne and 〈◊〉 in their obstinate courses and if they woulde doe otherwâ—se I make no question but that they shoulde have no more cause to complayne of their impotency to doe that good which they would doe then the servants of God have yea and holy Paul himselfe had How can you believe saith our Saviour here is a certeyne impotency of believing which our Saviour takes notice of but what manner of impotency is it observe by that which followeth who receave honour one of another regard not the honour that comes of God only Therfore you heare not my wordes because ye are not of God Ioh. 8.47 this is as true as the word of the Sonne of God is true allthough this Author setts himselfe to impugne this kinde of doctrine all alonge But withall consider doe they deplore this impotencye doth the consideration herof humble them nay rather they delight in it as the Prophet noteth Ier. 6.10 Their eares are uncircumcised eares they cannot hearken beholde the word of God is as a reproch unto them they have no delight in it The fourth Section THere now remayneth no other instance for our Censurer theÌ„ to exhort this profane fellow to pray unto God that he would be pleased to give him the grace to leave his lewdnes promising that if he pray as he ought to doe that he shall be heard and receave what he demaundeth But herupon this profaner being well instructed in the doctrine of Dort will demaund of him how it is possible to pray as we ought if God give him not the grace before hand and that allso so effectually that it shoulde be impossible for him not to pray therfore seing that he faileth so to doe the Censurer must needes see that God will be no more invoked on by him then he hath given him grace wherby to doe it And that it is no lesse easye to perceave that God sent this Corrector unto him with an intention not to better him by his ministery when he findes more confusion in the doctrine of the speaker then ameÌ„dment in the practise of the hearer to whom he bringeth either the pillow of Epicurus to lull him asleepe in his securitie or else the haltar of despayre wherewith he may hange himselfe as Iudas But above all this profaner will finde yet one more singular benefit to the flattering of his flesh by the answâ—r which the Synodists doe usually make unto those who aske in what case David would have beene had he dyed in his adultery whereunto they say it was impossible for David to have dyed before he had repented bâ—cause that after this he was to begett a Sonne from whom the Messias must descend But hereunto our profaner will reply that the impossibilitie of dying before repentance according to the doctrine of the Synods is founded upon the generall promise made to all the Elect and not on any particular promise made to David touching the Messias whom God had sent into the world by other meanes had he foreseen the impenitency of David as he foresaw his repentance That if the Synod be not deceaved he is sure to dye never without repentance as was David So that following this doctrine the true meanes to avoyde death is to committ and ever to continue in some mortall sinne it being impossible for him to be killed in adultery or perish in any other sin before having first made his recoÌ„ciliation with God who is not angry for ever to speake in the language of the Synod of Dort but onely against the Reprobates See then the invention of immortalitie found out to satisfye the Paracelsians and such like fooles who search for this remedy against death in drugs and naturall causes Our Synods shew the Anâ—idote in a morall cause of so facile and agreable execution to their facile Auditors that the Poets Ambrasia and Medusaes charmes are fabulous unto it Now then our Corrector will eyther desist his enterprise in reforming this mans deboisnes or else forsake his owne principles and correct the doctrine of his Synods Consid. Surely we have small reason to exhort a profane fellow to pray unto God that he would be pleased to give him the grace to leave his lewdnesse so long as we finde him to delight in his profanesse and take pleasure in his unrighteous courses had he a desire to leave it but findes himself unable to cast off this yoake of sinne oâ— to breake the bonds of iniquitie then and in this case it were seasonable to admonish him to cry unto God that he would be pleased in mercy to loose him whom Satan hath bound so many years and that for his Sonnes sake whom he sent into the world to loose the workes of the devill he would be pleased to sett him free and give him the libertie of his children like as the children of Israel cryed unto the Lord by reason of their sore bondage and the Lord heard their crye and considered their sorrowes and came downe to deliver them Neyther are we driven to any such course as this Author feigneth who all along opposeth the secret providence of God in shewing mercy to whom he will hardning whom he will in giving hearts to perceave and eyes to see and ears to heare to whom he will and denying this grace to whom he will I say this he opposeth all along to the very face of it nothing fearing the judgements of God nor his power to harden theÌ„ to make theÌ„ feele that powr which they will not confesse saving that these such like spirituall
this we deny as utterly untrue albeit that second Article did proceede in the very termes here proposed to witt that Christ dyed not but for a small number of persons allreadie elected unto salvation by the heavenly Father who in his decree did no more consider that death of his Sonne then the faith of the elect And this we proove though this Author keepes his course in prooving nothing but Comaedian like feignes at pleasure both objections and answeres out of his owne brayne and those commonly of an aliene nature nothing to the purpose which yet I will consider with Gods helpe in due place and somewhat els allso but first I will proove this that here I avouche namely that that second Article of the Synod of Dort of Christs dying for a very small number doth nothing at all perjudice that true foundation of consolation appliable to them that believe For how small soever the number be of those for whom Christ dyed according to the doctrine of that Synod yet seing they deny not but maynteyne rather that Christ dyed to satisfie divine justice for all that believe and to procure their reconciliation unto God they make as much of consolation from this grounde and extende it and apply it as liberally and as largely as this Author doth who professeth that it is appliable to all those who acknowledging the infinitenes of the benefite doe therupon embrace the Author of it with a true and lively faith and dares not playnly professe that it is applyable to any other only as it were to confound his Readers attention that which might be expressed in a word Believers he setts downe at large with a periphrase that takes up two or three lines As for reconciliation for all mankinde that is briefely and perspicuously enough sett downe wheron alone he desires to insist but seing how shamefully the issue therof was likely to fall had he rested there as wherby no greater comfort coulde aâ—ise to a Christian then to a Turke no greater comfort to the virgin mother of Christ then to Iudas he addes that this comfort is applyable to none but believers wherby he utterly maâ—â—es his owne market For we willingly confesse that this foundation of consolation or consolation upon this foundation is most liberally applyable to all believers but to none els and himselfe expresseth the one and caryeth himselfe in such sort as if he dared not deny the other namely the sole application of this comfort unto believers So that herby it is as cleere as the Sonne that our doctrine not only affoordes as great abundance of consolation as theirs doth but allso that it affoordes the same consolation to as many as theirs doth namely to all believers But yet I have not done with this passage I must call my Author to an accoumpt for somewhat els of Christs obedience satisfactory I reade in this Author but of his obedience meritorious I reade nothing Likewise of obteyning reconciliation for all mankinde this Author discourseth but of obteyning salvation for all or any he saith nothing Yet we knowe that it pleased the Father that in him that is in his Sonne Christ all fulnes should dwell But let us consider the satisfactory nature 〈◊〉 Christs death here acknowledged I suppose his death satisfied Gods justice by making satisfaction for sinne I say I suppose this for the truth is I am not sure how to understand them in their phrases and termes of Art Now if Christ made satisfaction for all the sinnes of all and every one in such sort that Gods justice is therby satisfied I dâ—maunde how it can stande with Gods justice to exact satisfaction at the handes of so many as de doth for their sinnes and that by aeternall damnation in hell fire For whether Christs death and passion be satisfactory for all sins for all and every one by its owne nature or by the constitution of God or by both I comprehende not with what justice God can put the damned persons to satisfie for their owne sinnes in the flames of hell fire Secondly if Christs obedience be allso of a meritorious nature wherby he hath merited both pardon of sinne and everlasting life if he hath merited this for all and every one whether his obedience be meritorius hereof in its owne nature or by the constitution of God or by both how can it be that any one throughout the world can in justice fayle of obteyning both pardon of sinne everlasting life For shall not God deale with his Sonne Christ according to the exigence of his merits Then as for reconciliation which this Author sayth Christ hath obteyned for all mankind that is I suppose for all and every one here we have a word from him but for the mystery of his meaninge we may be well to seeke In the 2. Cor. 5.19 it is sayde that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their sinnes unto them here reconciliation seemes unto us to be all one with non imputation of sinnes and non imputation of sinnes seems vnto us to be all one with forgivenes of sinnes and so redemtion that we have in Christ through his blood seemes to be all one with forgivenes of sinnes Eph. 1.7 Now if reconciliation be obteyned for all and every one by the death of Christ then likewise forgivenes of sinnes is obteyned for all and every one and seing it cannot be sayde to be obteyned unles it doth exist it followes herence that all and every one throughout the world are reconciled to God in Christ have all their sinnes forgiven them Now in this case how is it possible that any one of them should be damned for their sinnes to witt in case not any of their sinnes be imputed to them To this I guesse this Authors answere is likely to be that the reconciliation obteyned for all mankind is reconciliation potentiall but not actuall Forasmuchas in the words following he sayth of this reconciliation that it is actually appliable to believers he doth not say only to believers for he desires to coÌ„found his reader as much as may be but I guesse he dares not professe the contrary Now against this cariage of his I have double exception First what reason had he not to expresse so much and call this reconciliation obteyned for all mankinde reconciliation potentiall if that were his meaninge but let his distinction somewhat obscurely here intimated fly with one winge especially considering that albeit reconciliation may be so liberally extended as to signifie reconciliation potentiall yet seing naturally it denotes some thing actuall when it is thus expressed simply without addition to limite it it shoulde be thus taken according to that rule of schooles Analogum per se positum stat pro significatione famosiore But I have somewhat to say in excusing him herin to witt sic factitavit Heraâ—â—es Arminius his Master was given to such collusions before him My second exception is that the wordes followinge
actually appliable doe not sufficiently insinuate any such distinction as of reconciliation potentiall reconciliation actuall it raâ—heâ— implyes a distinction of the appliable nature therof to wiâ—â— as eyther potentiaâ—lâ— or actually appliable And indeede this 〈◊〉 the genius of the former distinction For a thing is not applyable that doth not allready exist actually as a plaster or a medicine must first have existence actuall before it can be applyed And consequently all every one throughout the world must be actually reconciled unto God by Christ before this their reconciliation can be applyed unto them As indeede it may be sayde to be applyed unto us when God doth reveale it unto us by his Spirit working in us the faith therof Oâ—e thing more I muâ—â— dispatche before I pâ—sse from this division and that as touching the cleering of our doctrine in the â—oint of Christ his dyinge for all for as much as in my judgment nothing but confusion of thinges that differ doth advantage the Arminian cause and hinders the light of Gods truth from breaking forth to the cleere conviction both of of what is truth and what is errour But first let me touch by the way one argument for the mayntenance of our doctrine in the generall It is apparant Ioh. 17. that Christ professeth he prayed not for all but only for those whom God had given him v. 9. or shoulde herafter believe that is be given unto him v. 20. And it is as cleere that like as for them alone he prayed so for them alone he sanctified himselfe vers 19. Now what is it to sanctifie himselfe but to offer up himselfe upon the crosse by the unanimous consent of all the Fathers whom Maldoâ—ate had read as himselfe professeth on that place of Iohn Now for the cleering of the truth of this when we say Christ dyed for us the meaning is that Christ dyed for our benefite Now these benefites which Christ procured unto us by his death it may be they are of different conditions wherof some are ordeyned to be conferred only conditionally and some absolutely And therfore it is fit we should consider them apart As for example it is without question I suppose that Christ dyed to procure pardon of sinne and salvation of soule but howâ— absolutely whether men believe or no Nothing lesse but only conditionally to witt that for Christs sake their sinnes shall be pardoned and their soules saved provided they doe believe in him Now I willingly confesse that Christ dyed for all in respect of procuring these benefits to witt conditionally upon the condition of their faith in such sort that if all and every one should believe in Christ all and every one should obteyne the pardon of their sinnes and salvation of their soules for Christs sake And I praesume that no Arminian on the other side will affirme that Christ in such sort dyed for all and every one that all and every one should have their sinnes pardoned and their soules saved for Christs sake whether they believe or no. What cause then is there of any difference between us on this point thus explicated Yet herby it is manifest that the benefite of remission of sinnes and salvation of soules for Christs sake shall in the end redound to none but such as believe as this Author seemes to acknowledge But come we to faith it selfe and regeneration are these benefits redounding unto us by the merits of Christ yea or no If they be as our Englishe Arminians seeme hitherunto to acknowledge then I demaund whether by vertue of Christs merits they redounde unto us absolutely or conditionally If only conditionally let them tells us upon what condition it is that God bestowes faith and regeneration upon us for Christs sake and let them try whether they can avoyde manifest Pelagianisme in saving that grace is conferd according unto mens workes If absolutely then eyther upon all and every one or upon some only If upon all and every one it followeth that all and every one shall have faith and regeneration bestowed upon them for Christs sake and consequently all shall be saved if upon some only who can they be but Gods elect But if observing these precipices they desire to decline them and therfore deny that faith and regeneration is any of those benefits which Christ hath merited for man let the indifferent consider who they be that streiten the extension of Christs merits most we or the Arminians For when the question is for whom he merited pardon of sinne and salvation of soule therin we all agree as before hath bene shewed none of us extending the merits of Christ farther then other none of us streitning them more then other But when the question is whether Christ merited faith and regeneration for us we readily maynteyne that even these allso Christ merited for his Elect but Arminians spare not to professe that these benefits Christ merited for none at all And indeede so we finde it expressely in their Apologie or Examen Censurae pag. 59. For when such an objection was made unto them Si hoc tantum meritus est Christus tum Christus nobis non est meritus fidem nec regenerationem marke their answere Sane ita est Nihil ineptius nihil vanius est quà m hoc Christi merito tribuere Si enim Christus nobis meritus dicatur fidem regenerationem tum fides conditio esse non poterat quam peccatoribus Deus sub comminatione mortis aeterna exigeret imo tum Pater ex vi meriti istius obligatus fuisse dicatur necesse est ad conferendum nobis fidem Now I come to followe this Author in his owne way His objection is this How shall I truly knowe will the patient then say that I am rather of the small number then of the great seing that you my Pastour and comforter will not that the promisses of salvation in Christ are made universally unto all and that those places of Scripture which seeme generall according to your opinion are to be restrayned only to the universalitie of the elect I answere thou shalt truly knowe it by thy acknowledging the infinitenes of the benefite wrought by Christ and embracing the Author of it by a true and lively faith For this Author who promts thee thus to object doth as good as professe that no comfort from Christs death and passion is applyable unto thee but in case thou embracest Christ with a true and a lively faith Secondly though thou doest believe in Christ this Author cannot assure thee that thou art rather of the small number which are Gods elect then of the great which are reprobates I say he cannot assure thee herof by his doctrine albeit thou shouldest adhere unto it but we can assure thee as much by ours in case thou embracest it and there is reason thou shouldsten brace it it is so agreeable to the word of God Act. 13.48 As many believed as were ordeyned to aeternall
Christ as on a rocke and our Saviour hath tolde us that the gates of Hell shall not prevayle against them that are built thereon and no meâ—veyle for they are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation And consequently whosoever is assured that he once had Faith may be as well assured that he hath it still Peter sinned fowly in denying his Master yet Christ had prayed for him that his faith should not fayle Anâ— not for Peter onely did our Saviour pray but for all those whom his Father had given hâ—m and that in this forme Father keepe them in thy name Ioh. 17. Nor for those onely whom his Father had at that time given him but for those also who hereafter should beleeve through their word Ioh. 17. And we know full well what smal fruit Peters faith brought forth at thâ—t time when he denyed his Master and in David also when he sinned in the matter of Vriah yet would not Bertius professe that David by those sinnes of his had deprived himself of the Spirit of God and that propter graves causas Neither doth it follow that because true faith bringeth forth small fruit at sometimes as in the houre of temtation and when a man sinkes under it therefore it brings forth small fruit simply as this Author caryeth the matter It is untrue that Calvin doth troâ—ble or obscure this doctâ—ine of Certitude and that the Patient will say so is but this Authors fictâ—on if he should say so we will be as ready to disproove it The words of Calvin are these Tot vanitatis recessus habet tot mendacii latebris scatet cor humanum tam fraudulenta hypocrisi obâ—ectum est ut seipsum saepe fallat He might as well have said that the H. Ghost troubles obscures this doctrine of Certitude by saying That the heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can know it But the Apostle makes this use of it 2. Cor. 12.5 Examine your selves whether you are in the faith proove your selves know ye not your selves that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates There is indeede a secret hypocrisie unknowne to a mans owne heart as when he presumes that all thinges goe well betweene him and God when indeede it is not so their rightousnes such as it is is not simulata conterfeyted by them but they deceave themselves as well as others and from such a state a man may fall as Austin acknowledgeth who nevertheles cleerly professeth his minde that no man falls away from the state of spirituall and wholsome repentance that being such a condition as wherunto God never brings any one whome he hath not predestinate Istorum that is non praedestinatorum neminem adducit ad spiritualem salubreÌ„ paenitentiam qua homo reconciliatur Deo in Christo five illis ampliorem patientiam five non imparem praebeat Contr. 〈◊〉 Pelag. lib. 5. cap. 4. This is not the case of an afflicted soule the hypocrite is secure and without suspicion of the integritie of his condition in the state of grace but the afflicted soule is too suspicious of himself conceaving his faith at the best to be but counterfeyte this is his sorrow this is the cause of the disquietnesse of his minde and whereof we may take good advantage for his consolation both in respect that he judgeth and condemneth himself And in this case the word of God assures us we shall not be judged of the Lord as also that hereby is clearly manifested a desire to be free from hypocrisie to be in a confortable condition by a true and sincere faith in Christ Now these are manifest evidences of the life of grace Not to speake of generall grounds of consolation such as these Blessed are they that mourne they shall be comforted Blessed are they that hunger thirst after righteousnesse they shall be filled It is true that all are not called at the same houre and seeing affliction especially when it is of a spiâ—ituall nature is the ordinary introduction into the state of grace in the course of Gods providence like as the valley of Achor was a doore of hope unto the Children of Israell and our Saviour in going to Ierusalem the vision of peace did commonly take Bâ—thany the house of mourning in his way we have cause to conceave good hope that thâ—se pangs may be as the pangs of childbirth unto an afflicted soul. But yet we will not satisfy our selves with our Patients saying that he never felt the testimony of adoption in his heart as therupon to conclude that as yet he is but in the state of nature and not washed from his filthines we will take notice of all circumstances of his cariage in this condition and of such observations as we have made of them in the course of their conversation for the time past and not suffer a melancholy passion to obscure the mercy of God towards them we will be very loath to be streitned in our proceedings in the course of our consolation by a Comaedians witt that coms to discourse of such tender pointes as if he came to make a play or to act a part upon the stage to make his Arminian hearers sport In the next place he puts a most absurd demaund in the mouth of his Patient requiring forsooth some assurance that he shal be thus efficaciously called before his death A demaund I am verily persuaded never brought to light but by Arminian invention Can any Arminian assure their Patients of any such condition We willingly professe we can assure none therof but where we find men afflicted in soule through conscience of sinne and a fearfull apprehension of Gods wrath this Spirit of bondage makes us to conceave hope that a child is now come unto his birth and that there shall not want strength in good time to bring him forth We are not likely to tell him that Christ surely dyed for him if so be he believes in him this is a Gossips bowle of this Authors making to carouse an health to his companions But by the way it appeares that howsoever this Comedian did at the first entrance hereupon professe that consolation in Christs death was not actually applyable to any but such as beleeve in Christ and consequently that a man can have no confort in Christ untill he beleeve in him by a true and lively faith yet he carryeth the matter so as if this were comfort enough to a man to believe that Christ dyed for him albeit as yet he hath obteyned no true faith in Christ wheras it is apparant that no more consolation can arise is this case to a Christian then to a Turke to a childe of God then to a childe of the divil to an elect then to a reprobate For their doctrine is that Christ dyed indifferently for all Yet albeit this practise of his is base enough at pleasure to putt upon us what cause of consolation he
was aeternall and his purpose aeternall as an action immanent within him for to whom should God pronounce it there should he tell the Angells of it and when I pray might that be at the first conversion of every one this were a very pretie fiction and fitt for such a Commaedian as this Author But if God pronounceth it no where but in the conscience of man where he hath erected his tribunal seate and that by the testimony of his Spirit which can be no other then to make the Spirit of man apprehende it by faith I say if Bellarmine had seriously considered this cecidissetÌ„ omnes de crinibus hydrae he woulde not have bene so forward to betray his shame by an argument plausible only through ignorance in not understanding what that is wherof he discourseth So much for Bellarmine whose argument this is which here is used by this Author but nothing at all to his present purpose we say not here that any thing becommeth true by the faith of him that believes it but only this that the benefite which is procured for all and every one upon a condition becomes his and peculiarly his alone who performeth the condition Christ dyed to procure pardon of sinne and salvation to be obteyned by faith so that if all and every one should believe all and every one should be saved which in effect is to say that Christ dyed in this respect only for believers and by the faith of man the benefite of Christs death is appropâ—iated unto him but till he believes it is not knowne eyther to himselfe or any other man that he shall have any benefite by the death of Christ Only God knowes from everlasting who shall have benefite by the death of Christ and who not for as much as he hath determined to give faith in Christ to some and not to others and accordingly hath sent Christ into the world for their sakes not only to merit pardon of sinne and salvation in case they believe but to merit faith and regeneration allso for them So that the love of God and of Christ to all goes no farther then this that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3. but Gods speciall love to his elect is to send Christ into the world to merit not that only for them which is to be conferd upon the condition of faith but to merit faith allso for them which is conferd upon them absolutely and upon no condition we doe not say that any man is bound to believe that which is false but as for believing in Christ wherunto all are bound that are called by the Gospell that is no such believing the object wherof is capable of truth or falshood as this Author according to his superficiary course is still in confounding thinges that differ The Apostle saith so indeede and of Gods judgments in this kinde we have plentifull experience at this day how God striketh such persons with the Spirit of giddines making them to erre in their counsayles and discourses as a drunken man erreth in his vomite yet they thinke themselves the only sober men of the world and glory in their illusions which are most pleasing unto them like unto the dreame of an hungry man who eateth and drinketh and maketh merry as he thinketh but when he awaketh his soule is emtye Surely the doctrine of Dort teacheth not that God would have a man first believe that which is false when he commandeth every one to believe that Christ dyed for him like enough it is false in the judgment of the Synod that Christ dyed for every one but where doe they say or acknowledge that God commandeth every one to believe that Christ dyed for him Can he shewe this if he can why doth he not but he came only upon the Stage to play some gamboles which done his discourse is at an ende They maynteyne like enough that not all and every one but all and every one that heares the Gospell is bounde to believe in Christ but it is incredible unto me that they should professe that every one is bound to believe that Christ dyed for him But it is nothing strange for this Author to confounde these as if there were no difference betweene believing in Christ and believing that Christ dyed for us And Arminians I willingly confesse doe usually confounde these The truth is we deny that Christ dyed for all in as much as he dyed not to procure the grace of faith and regeneration for all but only for Gods elect and consequently neyther shall any but Gods elect have any such interest in Christs death as to obteyne therby pardon of sinne and salvation for Arminians themselves confesse that this is the portion only of believers But seing pardon of sinne and salvation are benefits merited by Christ not to be conferd absolutely but conditionally to witt upon condition of faith we may be bold to say that Christ in some sense dyed for all and every one that is he dyed to procure remission of sinnes and salvation unto all and every one in case they believe and as this is true so way we well say and the Councell of Dort might well say that every one who heares the Gospell is bound to believe that Christ dyed for him in this sense namely to obtayne salvation for him in case he believe But what thinke Arminians are we bound to believe that Christ dyed for us in such a sense as to purchase faith and regeneration for us Surely not one of them will affirme this because they doe not beleeve this no not one of them that I know that Christ by his death merited faith and regeneration for all and every one Nay the Remonstrants professe that he merited faith and regeneration for none Exam. Cenâ—ura p 59. We acknowledge that Christ merited this for Gods elect and accordingly they are bound as soon as they doe beleeve and are regenerated to give God the glory of it as the bestower of these graces upon them for Christs sake For it is he who makes us perfect to every good worke working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ Hebr. 13.21 But before God hath bestowed faith and regeneration upon them it is utterly uncertaine by ordinary meanes both whether God hath determined to bestow any such grace upon them and whether Christ dyed for the procuring of any such benefite unto them As for the phrase this author useth of beleeving falshood There is a great difference betweene the beleeving of somewhat which is false and the believing of falshood When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac Piscator conceaving that Abraham was bound to beleeve that it was Gods good pleasure that Isaac should be sacrificed which yet notwithstanding was false as appeared by the event and yet I hope Abraham needed not feare any such punishment for beleeving this as to be given over to the Spirit of errour And I hope this
Author will bethinke himself and take heede how he censureth Abraham for giving credence to a lye in this but he runnes on more like a blind man then like one who as Salomon saith hath his eyes in his head Yet am not I of Piscators minde in that like enough Abraham was apt to thinke so but I see no cause to say that Abraham was bound to beleeve that which Piscator saith he was The fourth Section SEe then if this be not a Labyrinth of prodigious Divinitie which turneth obedience into punishment For if the Synod speake true and that Christ be not dead for those that beleeve not in him how can they deserve to be punished for not having bâ—leeved that which is false And they that have obeyed his commandement in beleeving of his death how should they suffer the punishment due unto disobedients and incredulous which is to beleeve lying In a word to deny the vniversalitie of the merit of Christs death is outragiously to dishonour God as though the Author of truth commanded all men to beleeve a falshood And the better to discerne the ficklenesse of this Spirit that did praeside at the two Synods it is to be noted how that as on the one side this doctrine doth forbid to beleeve that which the Scriptâ— affirme as most true and in most expresse termes So on the other side it commaunds every one to beleeve that he is elected unto life although he be a reprobate in effect And that he cannot loose his faith being once had for any sinne whatsoever he doth committ which the Scriptures deny as a thing most false in the like termes If then that this doctrine which denyeth that Christ dyed for all bereaveth the afflicted of all consolation the other point which denyeth that a man may fall away from grace faith doth cleane overthrow the ministry of preaching which consisteth in exhortations by promises and threatnings which can no longer be meanes of doing any good worke which is only by the immediate operation of the holy Ghost as it hath bene abovesayde So neyther is there to be found in all the scripture any one promise of such a perseveraÌ„ce in faith as the Synod intimates seing that all exhortations wherof the Scriptures are full doe directly oppugne the pretended promise They admonish the faithfull that they take heede they doe not fall of hardning their hearts of receaving the grace of God in vayne from falling from their stedfastnes c. And yet the imaginary promise of the Synod doth declare that they cannot fall they cannot harden their hearts that they cannot have receaved the grace in vayne and that they cannot fall from their stedfastnes By which means the admonitions which denounce the danger and begett feare doe overthrowe the promise which saith there is no feare of danger nor cause of feaâ—e If it be not that the Synod would make us to believe that the faithfull who feare danger that can no more happen then that God should lie are more foolish then certeyne melancholy persons who feare that the havens will fall which notwithstanding shall one day passe away We reade of one that while he slept loosing his eye-sight after he awaked out of sleepe and had layne long on bed wondering that he saw no light imagined that the reason thereof was because the windowes were shutt and therupon cryed out to open the windowe In like sort this Author cryeth out of the Labyrinth of prodigious Divinitie when it is nothing but his prodigious ignorance that makes our doctrine seeme prodigious divinitie unto him It is untrue that we turne obedience into punishment but he feignes the object of obedience and obtrudes it upon others before he doth sufficiently understand it himselfe being disirous that others should be like himselfe in believing they knowe not what As in believing that Christ dyed for them we willingly confesse that Christ dyed not to procure faith and regeneration for them that never believe in him that never are regenerated I doubt not but this Author believeth this as well as wee we farther believe that Christ dyed to procure the grace of faith and regeneration for some namely for Gods elect I doubt whether this Author who vaunts so much of Christs dying for all according to his faith doth believe so much and herin I am confirmed in that the Remonstrants spare not to professe that Christ merited not faith and regeneration for any Exam. Censurae pag. 59. Yet as touching Christs dying for all men so farre as to procure pardon of sinne and salvation for them absolutely I knowe no Arminian that affirmes that on the otherside we willingly confesse that Christ dyed for all and every one so farre as to procure them both remission of sinne and salvation in case they believe In all which wee doe not maynteyne that any man is bound to believe that which is false much lesse that they deserve to be punished for not believing that which is false I dare admitt Impudency it selfe to be Iudge between us in this who of us doe attribute more to the vertue of Christs death as allso which of us doth more believe that Christ dyed for us let their owne conscience be Iudge nowe the state of the difference betweene us is cleered For as touching the benefites of remission of sinnes and salvation in the extension therof unto all and every one conditionally we are aequall But as touching the benefites of grace and regeneration that we allso attribute to Christs death as the meritorious cause therof to all that enioy those benefites wheras the Remonstrants have openly professed to the world that Christ hath merited faith and regeneration for none How then doe we at all deny the universalitie of Christs merit when on the one side we extend it as farre as they on the other side much farther then they and who deserves to be censured as outragiously dishonouring God let the world judge upon indifferent hearing of both parts It is a false suggestion that we charge God the Author of truth to commande a falshood not only for as much as we esteeme that there is no small difference betweene believing in Christ which we acknowledge to be commanded and believing that Christ dyed for us which we finde no where commanded but allso upon supposition that we are commanded to believe that Christ dyed for all and every one yet herin should we not be commanded to believe a falshood for as much as in a good sense and which alone is tolerable we believe that Christ dyed for all and every one as much as the whole nation of Arminians doe and in another sense believing that Christ dyed for us we goe farre beyond them in extending the merit and vertue of Christs death and passion Therfore it is most untrue which this Author doth reiterate charging us to deny that which the Scriptures affirme in expresse termes but in as much as neyther doe the scriptures