two there is no third Then he saith Those that are worldly do continually vex and persecute those that are Spiritual and Heavenly yet they are servants these are free Therefore in reference to their final condition he conferreth an everlasting inheritance upon the sons of the free-woman those of the bondwoman being abdicated forsaken and rejected These things being so learnedly and so plainly disjoyned by the Apostle we ought not to conjoyn or rather to confound them And if any man will by that married wife or by that daughter of the bâ—nd-woman understand the Nation of the Jews neither can he by that means detract from the multitude of the Elect for as he that treads the steps of the faith of Abraham is the son of Abraham and belongeth to the number of the Saints so he that followeth the contumacy and abideth in the unbelief of the Jews is deservedly called a Hagaren and an Ismaelite Here is therefore no place for tergiverlation for he plainly affirmeth that the number of the Citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem is much greater than that of the earthly Jerusalem and this is the reason of that great admiration of the celestial Citizens when they behold their own multitude as you read at large in the Prophesie of Isaiah C. It is so but why is one called barren and forsaken the other the married wife M. First because she is not so fruitful pompous and illustrious in the ceremonies of the Law as the other Secondly because she appeareth little and regardless in the eyes of the world For she boasteth not of good works and merit doth not make ornament magnificence and splendour to be inseperable notes of her purity and Lastly is not celebrated for diversity of Sects and variety of rites and ceremonies Therefore she is termed barren without children solitary little despisable and forsaken of God by them that judge according to the specicious outside of things But on the contrary the other said to have a husband because she surpasseth in the pomp of outward worship for the Prophet hath opposed the married woman to the barren and her that is forsaken and speaks of both of them after the manner of men C. I will not here demand who is the husband of the Church for I know it is Christ the Lord but who besides will they have to be her husband M. The very Synagogue it self boasts of Moses but very falsly as Christ sheweth in the 5. of John saying Had ye believed Moses ye had also believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how will you believe my words Also our Lord saith in the 2. of the Apocalypse that such are not Jews but blasphemers and the Synagogue of Satan Moreover they who ordain and pretend Moses for their Law-giver if they seek salvation by any other Law than that of Christ whether it be of Moses or Mahomet or Pope or any Seperatist whatsoever they may be said to have a master a husband and they that are such are all servants bond-men and as many as are begotten of them that is perverted by them and if they be servants they shall not abide in the house for ever but the son abideth ever But Christ and his Spouse the Heavenly Jerusalem have children and those free from the Law as our Saviour told the Jews If the Son shall make you free then you are free St. Paul also telleth us that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 1 Cor. 3. Therefore these are heirs not by the observation of the Law but only as sons sons of the free-woman which is the Holy Catholick Church not the synagogue of the bond-woman held under fear and servitude For he that is a son doth not imagine that he shall therefore become an heir because he serves the father keeps his commandments but because he is born in true and lawful wedlock or else called into the family by adoption C. These things are so plain that he is wilfully blind that seeth them not But can you produce any testimonies out of the New Testament M. I can Behold St. Paul comparing the calamity brought into the world by the transgression of Adam with the benefit of Christs resurrection that is those which were damned in Adam with those that are justified sanctified and saved in Christ saith thus But not as the offence so is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many Rom. 5. Now the sense of the words is this That the gift of one man Jesus Christ hath abounded to many more than the fall of Adam and the offence by that fall did extend Here you see the Apostle saith in terminis that more are saved by the advantage of Christ than are damned by the sin of Adam C. I do see it and I understand it but how in the same place are those words to be understood For he saith As by the offence of one man judgement came upon all men to condemnation so by the righteousness of one man shall all men be absolved Here he saith all men are damned and yet all men are saved and seems to speak things repugnant For if all be condemned there is a necessity none can be saved and there is a necessity none can be damned if all men be saved M. You have propounded a question somewhat perplexed and knotty but by Gods assistance I shall untie it I know there are some that say all are condemned that is all that are born under original sin are obnoxious to condemnation that all are absolved and set free that is that Christ died for all men and that his death was effectual to expiation of the sins of the whole world if all men had applied unto themselves the benefit of his death by saith but this opinion tottereth in regard that all men are born in original sin yet all men are not justified all men are not saved and by this it would seem that the efficacy of the passion of Christ was not so diffusive as the transgression of Adam was destructive whereas if you consider the words onely the reason should be the same in both You have not forgotten the old Axiomes Paria paribus contrariis omnibus contraria conveniunt But this seems more plain to me to affirm that all which are condemned are condemned for the offence of one man and so also all that are saved have salvation by the benefit of one but it is true that all are condemned that came of the old Adam and all which are born of the second Adam which is Christ are saved but they are few these are many otherwise the righteousness of Christ will be found less than the disobedience of Adam Thus we shall with the Apostle harbour thoughts correspondent to the Office Divine virtue of Christ And whereas
intelligent I am not ignorant that some of the Graecians have derived the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to terrifie or make afraid because strength armed with malice is a terrible thing But as concerning their power their opinion who derive the word from the Hebrew liketh me best for there are many Greek words deduced from the Hebrew tongue The Hebrews term both Gods and Devils Schadaim and the more ancient Graecians leaving out the first consonant of the word and reading without prickt-vowels made it Daim then Daimones for both the Graecians and the Latines of elder times pronounced their dipthongues with distinct vowels and not confusedly as we use to do now this word signifieth strength fortitude and power And albeit Schadaim be one of the names of our omnipotent God yet as Elohim the proper appellation of the mighty Lord is communicated to great Princes and Potentates so the word Schadaim is promiscuously attributed to Spirits good and bad for although there be but one omnipotent Lord God yet Paul calleth the Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the worldly Princes M. You have discoursed Caelius very learnedly of the appellation of the word neither will I labour to urge any thing in contradiction of it for it strongly argueth their power in that they are of a sensible and an indefatigable nature besides the use and experience of infinite business and occurrences must needs instruct them with an unspeakable knowledge for Antiquitie and length of dayes joined with observation must needs bring forth incredible effects but as there are two sorts of wisdom one Heavenly and Holy another that descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual Devilish James the 3. so likewise there are two sorts of power For as the last is not properly fortitude but boldness not power but impotence and violence so that is not strictly and truly to be termed wisdom but malice that is a crafty and deceitful subtilety to work mischief for as upon an approch of danger if the mind be egged on by its own concupiscence and irregular desires and not by consideration of the publick good this attempt is rather a vitious audacity than a warrantable valour so knowledge without charity and prudence without Justice is malice and subdolous fraudulencie as Plato saith not wisdom Therefore when the all powerful wisdom of God doth frustrate and evacuate the wiles of Satan t is an improprietie to say that the wisdom of God hath overcome the wisdom of the Devil but rather that his malice is subdued by wisdom Also when we speak of the power of the Enemy we should say that audacitie is quelled by valour sury is vanquished by fortitude and rashness disappointed by counsel C. Nothing can be more truly spoken M. Having therefore spoken of the power and wisdom of our omnipotent God how shall we speak of the goodness mercy and clemency of our most indulgent and long suffering Father So incomprehensible iâ— his mercy that like an exuberant river nay a boundles Ocean it diffuseth it self and refresheth all the corners of the earth Here I am struck dumb and astonished at the wonderful plenty of considerations that roul and flow in upon me search the Scriptures and we find him not so wealthy in any thing as in mercy he chiefly delights himself in the publication the iteration the exaltation of his mercy he discloseth himself expresseth himself manifesteth himself and communicateth himself in mercy David saith Psalm 33. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord and in another place the Lord is endued with plentiful mercy and under the shadow of his wings all people have safety If I reckon up the testimonies of the Apostles and Evangelists I find not a word in them but magnifieth the mercy of our God Let Paul speak for the rest who himself found so great mercy Ephes 2. And you hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses wherein in time past ye walked according to the courss of this world according to the power of the Prince of the air the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom we also had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus for by grace are ye saved through saith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordaâ—ned that we should walk in them Here we may behold with what magnificence of expression the Apostle doth divulge and depredicate the goodness and mercy of God and how we must disclaime and abandon all our own works and merits by a stedfast adhesion unto and a sure dependance upon the eternal Love of God unto us in Christ Jesus But how is God famous over all the world for his mercy and eminent for the riches of his goodnes in the salvation of a few and the damnation of the rest C. Wonderful things I confess are revealed unto us of the mercy of God in the Holy Scriptures yet some men are not backward to say that his mercy is as conspicuous in the Salvation of one individual Soul as in the preservation of a thousand millions because to that Soul which the infinite mercy of God hath delivered from death eternal there was due an infinite punishment for infinite transgressions M. These are the inventions and vain imaginations of men which are too much accustomed to measure things Divine by the rule of humane judgement Suppose there were in this Citie some man exceeding wealthy and abounding with all kind of outward blessings suppose I say that he should share his munificence to some few nay bestow all his wealth upon them leaving abundance of other Citizens in an abject wanting and contemptible condition would you think this man as truely liberal as if he had made an equal distribution of all his estate among all the Citizens C. By no means but extreamly cruel and a homicide for Seneca said very truely He that seeth a man in miserie is able to succour him and refuseth that man slayeth and murthereth him But to say so of God were horrid impiety because it is Lawfull for him to do what pleaseth him for his will is the perfect reason of his works M. But doe you not remember the old saying that good is of a communicable nature and that the more it is spread and diffused still
the more good it is C. I have often heard it and alwayes took it for a rag of Philosophy M. Oh brother Caelius it is Divine for good and true are convertible terms and of whomsoever predicated whether of Moses or Cicero Paul or Plato yet they flow from God whose nature and essence is good and true and because as you said whatsoever he willeth is good and just and that it pleaseth him to be called rich in mercy certainly this must appear in the glorious salvation of many men otherwise why doth David sing out the earth is full of the mercies of God and why is he called the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation O the blind envy of some men that would abridge contract and engross this goodness to some few peâ—sons O the ingratitude of others that indeavour to traduce and calumniate the benignity of God as if he were some Tyrant or merciless destroyer Some perhaps are still diffident and require an indubitable sign that may remove and banish all hesitation behold the greatest pledge the firmest security even Christ Jesus the son of God upon whose coming God set sorth a Declaration of his Love for him hath he sent into the world and upon him hath he cast the burthen of all our iniquities Isaiah the 53. and again behold the Lord shall give you a sign a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and his name shall be called Emanuel This is that sign which we read of in the 12. of Matthew An evil and an adulterous gâ—neration seeketh a sign but no sign shall be given them save onely that of the Prophet Jonas to wit the death of Christ and his rising again the third day What greater significancy of love could the Lord exhibit to miserable mankind than to send his Son his onely Son to be the reconciliation for our transgressions or who now can scruple the amplitude the immensity of this goodness this Love this mercy how shall we be able with the Saints to know and comprehend the height the depth the length the breadth of this mercy it is necessarie that the Love of Christ be the greatest of all other not onely in respect of the magnitude but also the multitude of sinners otherwise we should disrobe and denudate it of its proper dimensions and who now will be so rashly bold to say that the benefit of so much love and so great goodness should be confined to a paucity of men for my part I think no man can harbour such a thought without a guilt of sacriledge what did he not deliver the greater part of the world from their wickednesses when he prayed unto his Father upon the Cross to forgive those Jews and Aliens which were the complotters and contrivers of his death Father saith he forgive them for they know not what they do and he said rightly they know not what they doe for had they known saith Paul they had never crucified the Lord of life 1. Cor. 2. Now if Princes Magistrates and many others as Peter witnesseth in the 3. of the Acts killed him through imprudence what shall we think of all the world beside of them that had and have at this day just causes of invincible ignorance Shall we exclude all these from the kingdom of God We cannot certainly if we diligently contemplate the nature and goodness of God if we think upon the clemency of our Lord Christ and what he required of us for he prayeth for all them that sinned through imprudence and infirmity Neither did he pray in vain Paul who at first was a persecutour and a contumelious sinner saith Notwithstanding that he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief And then he addeth This is a faithfull saying and worthie of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of which I am Chief Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that to me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting And did not God demonstrate this before to Jonas Who was grieved that he would spare Niniveh and destroy his Gourd that did shed him from the violence of the heat therefore God saith unto him And hast thou pitty on the Gourd for which thou hast not laboured neither madest it grow which sprang up in one night and perished in one night and should not I spare Nineveh that great City wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons thaâ— cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand and also much cattel Here we plainly see the most benign and merciful God doth spare a multitude and avert the present punishment of his severity because of their ignorance And shall we imagine that he who remitteth a temporal judgement because of unadvised actions and involuntary sins will inflict an eternal mulct or that he judgeth the death of the body to be greater than the destruction of the soul Ignorance doubtless hath some excuse especially if it be not tainted with fraud or malice C. This indeed is not denied yet they say that Christ died indeed for all meritoriously but for a few onely effectually because few onely do expect that advantage and benefit of Salvation by his death and very few are found worthy of that incomparable treasure of his satisfaction Therefore he is not blame-worthy who offered himself liberally for all men but they are to be condemned who refused this propitiation M. Oh how many errours are contained in those few words for as Epâ—curus that he might not offend the Athenians outwardly acknowledged a God but in judgement denied him so these men in words confess the death of Christ but deny the power of it For when the Epicureans durst not deny the Gods yet they denied a Providence which is inseparably conjoyned to the nature of God and so by consequence they denied God but more modestly and covertly and are not these men guilty of the same prevarication They teach that Christ died for all men and affirm at the same time that the benefit of his death doth concern very few men What is this but to deny the virtue of his passion the glory of his obedience to say that men can abolish the energy force and effect of his divine love St. Paul saith far otherwise when with so much gravity and mellifluous plenty he doth aver that no force is able to separate us from the love of God which he hath manifested unto us in Christ Jesus Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shalâ— then separate us from the love in Christ Rom. 8. Me thinks they that are so peremptory in the defence of that Opinion that Christs bloud was sprinkled only upon