should be meant such as were naturally or corporally dead viz. because such only are to be buried with that kinde of buriall whereof our Saviour had occasion to speak as appears from the former verse Again why by the dead in the beginning of the said passage should be meant those that are spiritually dead and not those that are corporally dead there is this reason every whit as plain as the former viz. because those that are naturally or corporally dead are not capable of burying those that are dead either with one kinde of buriall or other So why the word WATER in the latter of the passages mentioned should in the first place signifie materiall or elementary water in the latter spirituall water or the Holy Ghost reasons are obvious and neere at hand we shall not need to name them But why the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all men in the place of the Apostle under debate being twice used should be conceived so far to vary in their significations as in the former clause to signifie All men without exception in the latter very few men no like reason nor indeed any competent can be given 3. Though All men doth in some places signifie only a greater number §. 21. of Men not All men simply or universally yet it never signifieth a small number of Men either in opposition to or in comparison with a greater least of all with the greatest number that is as they must make it signifie in the Scripture in hand who will have no more signified by it in the latter of the two clauses where it is used then only those who come in time to be actually saved by Christ For these are a very small number few there be saith Christ that finde it speaking of the straite gate which leadeth unto Life in comparison of those upon whom condemnation came by Adam 4. If condemnation should come upon all Men simply by the offence §. 22. of Adam and righteousnesse only upon some Men and these but a few neither comparatively by the obedience and gift of Christ then where sin abounded Grace should not superabound as the Apostle saith it did nay sin should superabound and Grace be confined to a narrow compasse comparatively To say that the superabounding of Grace above sin here spoken of is to be considered in the intensivenesse of it i. e. in its prevalency over sin where it is vouchsafed not in the extensivenesse of it as if it extended to more Persons is thus far acknowledged for a saying of truth Grace doth not extend to more Persons then sin at least not to more Persons of Men because sin extendeth unto all and Grace cannot extend to more then all But if we shall straiten and limit Grace in respect of the extent of it to a small number of Persons as viz. unto those only who are or shall be actually saved the glory of the superabounding of Grace above sin in respect of the Prevalency of it where it is in such a sence given will be fully match'd or rather overcome and swallowed up by the prevailing extensiveness of sin above Grace 5. The Apostle both before and after as viz. Verse 15. and Verse 19. §. 23. computeth the condemned ones of Adam and the justified ones of Christ by one and the same numericall expression He tells us in both places of many dead by Adam and of no fewer then many justified and redeemed by Christ. Now what the Holy Ghost makes equall for Men to dis-equalize especially to such a Proportion or Degree that the one number shall be inconsiderable and as nothing in comparison of the other is to lift up themselves above their line and so take hold of vanity in stead of Truth The Apostles expression Verse 15. is somewhat more emphaticall 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 If it shall be supposed that many more millions of Men are dead through the offence of Adam then are justified or made alive by the Grace of God in Christ Pauls glorying over the Grace of God in Christ as much more abounding to the justification of many must fall to the ground For if by the offence of Adam all became dead and a few only be made alive by the gift of the Grace of God in Christ who will not judge but that the offence of one much more abounded to the death of many then the Grace of GOD to the Justification or Life of many 6. And lastly the Apostle having said Verse 20. That where sinne abounded Grace superabounded he adds Vers 21. that as sinne hath reigned unto Death so did Grace reigne through righteousness unto eternall Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now evident it is from Verse 14. and Verse 12. that sinne reigned over all Men without exception unto Death therefore Grace must have a proportionable reigne unto life i. e. must by a strong and over-ruling hand put all Men into a capacity or estate of life and salvation If so it undeniably followes that Christ Died for all Men without exception of any because otherwise all Men could not be put into an estate of Grace or Salvation by Him Nor was this interpretation counted either hereticall or erroneous by the §. 24. most Orthodox Expositors of old Chrâ—sostome himself commenting upon the place makes the Apostle to speake thus If all Men were punished through the offence or his offence meaning Adams they i. e. these all Men may doubtlesse be justified from hence a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by that over-abundance of grace and righteousnesse as he there speaketh which is given in Christ The former part of his commentary is more full and Pregnant to this purpose but because the transcription would be somewhat long I leave it to be read in the author himself Nor are there wanting amongst our late Reformed Divines sirnamed Orthodox Men of eminent Learning Piety and Worth who subscribe the said Interpretation That our Reparation Restauration saith Mr. Bucer upon the place is made by Christ and that it is more efficacious then the sinne of Adam and that it is of LARGER EXTENT is that which the Apostle argueth in this and the following Section b Reparationem nostri factam per Christum esse Adae noxâ â—ffica cioreÌ„ pa tere latius est id quòd Apostolus hâc sequenti Sectione pertractat Intelligit gratiam Christi bominum generi profuisse amplius quà m nocuerit lapsus Adae Again upon those words Sed non ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thus The Apostle here meaneth that the Grace of Christ did more profit MAN-KINDE then the sinne of Adam damnified it Doubtlesse if all Men without exception were brought into a condition of misery by the sin of Adam and but an handfull only in comparison made happy by the
that we shall also live with Him Knowing that Christ being raised againe from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over Him For in that He died He died unto sin once but in that He liveth He liveth unto God Likewise reckon yee also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin c. The intent of the Apostle in these passages is nothing lesse then to teach or insinuate a non-possibility of their returning or living againe unto sin who at present are dead unto it such a supposall as this is diametrally inconsistent with the emphaticall energy of His exhortation Verse 12. Let not sin therefore reigne in your mortall bodies as likewise with many other pregnant Scriptures which shall be consulted with in due time but to set forth the spirituall condition of the Children of God partly in respect of what it is partly in respect of what it should or ought to be by a metaphor or similitude borrowed from what happened unto Christ corporally or literally after this manner As Christ died once corporally for the abolishing or taking away of the sins of Men but now liveth and acteth for the advancement of the Glory of God and is not obnoxious unto any more dyings in that kinde in like manner they who are his or desire or professe themselves to be His ought to be conformable to Him in these things in a spirituall way as viz. by dying unto sin i. e. by endvouring to destroy and work out all sinfull dispositions from within them and by ceasing from all Sinfull actions and wayes and againe by living unto God i. e. Righteously Holily and so that God may be glorified in the World by the excellency of their conversations and by persevering and continuing in this course of living unto God without relapsing into that death in sin which is opposite hereunto even as Christ liveth unto God so as never to cease thus living unto Him Therefore all that can be inferr'd from this contexture of Scripture is the duty of Perseverance in Faith and Holinesse or necessity of it in respect of the great obligation to it that lieth upon the Saints and that professe interest in Christ and expect Salvation by Him not any absolute not any such necessity of it which is unavoideable or undeclineable by the Saints For to what purpose should they be so solemnly so seriously cautioned against that whereby they were not in any possibility of suffering inconvenience If it were impossible that sin should reigne in their mortall bodies after they were once dead to it needlesse and vaine had that exhortation been Let not sin reigne in your mortall bodies The common maxime among Divines and interpreters of Scriptures is that Similitudes or Metaphors doe not run on all foure meaning that they are not to be extended or applied to the spirituall thing intended to be illustrated by them in all the properties or relations which are found in those things from which they are taken but in respect of that only which suits naturally with the scope of the place where they are used From the consideration of Christs death once suffered by him without being liable to die the second time and so of His living unto God without danger of ever having this life extinguished or taken from Him cannot be proved either that Men who are once dead unto sin can no more live to it or that Men once alive unto God cannot possibly suffer any interruption or losse of this life Because these particulars are not mentioned or insisted upon by the Apostle to prove the absolute but only an Hypotheticall or conditionall necessity of the Saints conforming themselves spiritually unto them or unto Christ Himself in respect of them viz. if they meane to answer the tenor and import of their holy Profession or to obtaine Life and Salvation herein in the end Nor doe these words 1 Joh. 5. 4. For whatsoever is borne of God overcometh §. 53. the World and this is the victory i. e. the means of the victory or that victorious thing that overcometh the World even our Faith imply any absolute necessity that he that is borne of God or that truly believeth viz. at the present and in this respect is victorious over the World must alwayes retaine the strength and vigor of His new Birth or true Faith and so be victorious alwayes and to the end All that can be reasonably and according to the usuall import of such Scripture expressions concluded from this place is 1. That all the true-borne Sons and Daughters of God by means of that Spirit of Faith which works in them in this estate of Regeneration are for the present above the temptations and allurements of the World wherewith others are overcome and hereby remaine in imminent danger of perishing 2. That they are likewise in such a posture or condition by means of their Faith that if they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle Pauls word is quit themselves like Men and act their Faith or with their Faith according to the vertue vigor and usefulnesse of it they may make good the ground or standing which they have gained and maintaine their present victory or conquest over the World unto the end But here is not the least or lightest intimation given but that those who are at present victorious over the World by the aid and working of their Faith may through carelesnesse security and inconsideratenesse suffer the World to recover her former advantage and so far to insinuate with them as to cause them to let fall the Shield of Faith out of their hand before they be aware of it See more to this point Sect. 9. of this Chapter Nor is there any whit more reliefe for the cause now in distresse in that §. 54. other place Ver. 18. of this Chapter We know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth Himself and that wicked one toucheth Him not For that which is here asserted and held forth by the Holy Ghost is only this that the naturall genius or property of a true-borne In Scriptura saepe ea facta vel futura dicuntur quae fieri â—ecâ—t aut debent sive quâ— ut fiant honestas rerum natura postulat vel quibus ut sâ—ant justa gravisque causa datur Cornel. Lap. in Zachar. 13. 12. Child of God as such and whilest such is to refraine from wayes or customary practises of sin and to set a guard as it were of holy and potent considerations and resolutions about his Heart that the Devill may have no entrance or accesse thither by the mediation of any temptation whatsoever Not that such vigilancy and care as this are always perform'd and taken by Him the contrary hereunto is too much experimented but that there is a certaine propensnesse in that Divine nature wherein He partakes by being borne of God that inclines Him hereunto Men are often in Scripture Dialect
the minde of the interpretation held forth then learned Musculus By the World saith he speaking of the Scripture in hand he understands the Universe of Man-kinde so that here his love of the World and his love of Men is the same And elsewhere thus After the same manner it is in this Redemption of Mankinde whereof we speak That Reprobates and desperately wicked Men partake not of it IS NOT THROVGH ANY DEFECT OF THE GRACE OF GOD nor is it meete that for the Sons of Perdition sake it should lose the glory and title of an UNIVERSALL REDEMPTION since IT IS PREPARED or procured FOR ALL and all are called to it a Sic Deus dilexit mundum c. Per munduÌ„ enim intelligit Vniversum genus humanum ut hîc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem sit quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musc Loc. De philanthropiâ Dei Ad eum modum habet Redemptio ista generis humani de quâ loquimur quòd illam homines reprobi ac deplorate impii non accipiant neque defectu fit gratiae Dei neque justum est ut illa propter filios perditionis gloriam ac titulum Vniversalis Redemptionis amittat cuÌ„ sit parata cunctis omnes ad illam vocentur Idem Loc. De Redempt Gen. humani Nor were there Men wanting in the Synod of Dort it self who though Ante-Remonstrants by profession yet frequently by expression did plainely close with that Doctrine which they would be thought to oppose concerning the particular in hand Our English Divines lay down this Thesis GOD out of compassion to Man-kinde being fallen sent His Sonne who gave himself a price of Redemption for the sinnes of the WHOLE WORLD In the explication of this Thesis they say That price which was paid for all and which shall certainly benefit all that believe yet shall not benefit all Men c. And presently after So then Christ died for all Men that all and EVERY ONE by the mediation of Faith may through the vertue of this ransome obtaine remission of sinnes and eternall life b Deus lapsi generis humani miseratus misit filium suum qui seipsum dedit pretium Redemptionis pro peccatiâ— totius Mundi Et posteà Illud precium quod solutum est pro omnibus quod omnibus credentibus certò proficiet ad vitaÌ„ aeternam non proficit tamen omnibus c. Paulò post Sic ergo Christus pro omnibus mortuus est ut omnes singuli mediante fide possint virtute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hujus remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam consequi Syn. Dord Sentent Theol. Mag. Brit. de Artic. 2. Thes 3. Evident it is that these Men by Gods love to the world understand his love of compassion to all Man kinde in as much as nor a part or some but the whole and all particulars of Mankinde were fallen Besides saying that all and every one may through the mediation of Faith obtaine forgivenesse of sinnes and eternall life through the vertue of Christs ransome they cleerly imply that Remission of sinnes and Salvation are purchased by Christ for all and every Man upon the same terms after the same manner and with the same intention on Gods Part in as much as he intends the donation of remission of sinnes unto no Man notwithstanding the vertue of the ransome of Christ but through the mediation of Faith and through this mediation he intends yea and promiseth it unto all Men without exception yea so say our Countrymen that all and every one may through the said mediation obtaine it Nor were these Men altogether without company in that Synod in such expressions Immediately after the Suffrage and Sentence of the Ministers of Geneva upon the second Article I finde one I suppose of those who were sent from Geneva delivering himself thus There is a certaine common love of GOD towards all Men wherewith he loved all Man-kinde being fallen and seriously willeth or desireth the Salvation of all Afterwards speaking of the condemnation of unbelievers Such an event as this saith he is not of it self intended by GOD but accidentally followes through the default of Men. Yet again if this Redemption be not supposed as a common benefit bestowed upon all Men that indifferent and promiscuous preaching of the Gospel which was committed to the Apostles to be performed in all Nations will have no true foundation c Est communis quaedam Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quâ dilexit totuÌ„ genus humanuÌ„ lapsuÌ„ serio omniuÌ„ salutâ—m voluit Et paulò pòst loquens de damnatione increduloruÌ„ Hic auteÌ„ eventus per se non intenditur à Deo sed per accidens hominis culpâ sequitur Et posteà Si haec redemptio tanquaÌ„ commune beneficiuÌ„ omnibus hominibus impensuÌ„ non supponatur indifferens promiscua praedicatio Evangelii Apostolis commissa apud omnes gentes obcunda nulluÌ„ veruÌ„ fundamentum habebit Doubtlesse that which is bestowed upon all Men by God was by him intended for all Men in the purchase or procurement of it and this out of love to all those on whom it is bestowed and for whom it was purchased It were easie to multiply quotations of like import with these from many convened in that Synod who are supposed to have condemned that Doctrine which holds forth Universall Redemption by Christ for an error But the certaine truth is that if this was their intention or attempt the truth was at many turns too hard for them and prevented them and gain'd many a testimony from her Adversaries For the Fathers they who shall please to peruse and ponder the Commentaries §. 26. or Exposition of Austin the chiefe of the Latine Fathers and of Chrysostome the chief of the Greeke upon the place will easily perceive that their sence of the word VVorld was the same with that which hath been avouched Is not Christ life saith the former and yet Christ died but death died in the death of Christ because life being dead flew death the fulnesse of life devoured death death was swallowed up in the Body of Christ a Nonne vita Christus tamen mortuus est Christus sed in morte Christi mors mortua est quia vita mortua occidit mortem plenitudo vitae deglutivit mortem absorpta est mors in Christi corpore In all these Passages evident it is that the Father speakes of that Death which had equally seized upon all Men or whereunto all Men without exception of any where alike obnoxious Therefore affirming this death to be dead by the Death of Christ to be devoured by the fulnesse of Life c. He supposeth it equally dead devoured removed or taken away in respect of all Men. A while after having rehearsed these words For GOD sent not His Sonne to judge the VVorld but that the VVorld should be saved by Him he infers thus Therefore as much as
might otherwise be thus lifted up by him will undoubtedly above the rate of all other things abound to the Shame Judgment Confusion and Condemnation of Men. When Men of rich endowments and worthy abilities of Learning and Knowledg shall give their strength in this kinde to other Studies Contemplations and Enquiries suffering in the mean time the Mindes and Consciences of Men to corrupt putrifie and perish in their sad Pollutions through that Ignorance or which is worse those disloyal and profane Notions and Conceptions of God and of Christ which reign or rather indeed rage in the midst of them without taking any compassion on them by searching out and discovering unto them those most excellent and worthy things of God and Christ the knowledg whereof would be unto them as a Resurrection from Death unto Life they do but write their Names in the dust and buy Vanity with that worthy Price which was put into their hand for a far more honorable Purchase And yet of the two they are sons of the greater folly and prevaricate far more sadly with the dearest and deepest Interest both of themselves and other men who by suffering their Reasons and Judgments to be abused either by sloth and supine oscitancy or else by sinister and carnal respects otherwise for there is a far different consideration of those who miscarry at this point through a meer Nescience or humane infirmity bring forth a strange God and a strange Christ unto the World such as neither the Scriptures noâ— Reason unbewitched know or own and this under the Name of the true God indeed and of the true Christ yea and most importunely and imperiously burthen and charge the Consciences of Men with the dread of Divine Displeasure and the Vengeance of Hell fire if they refuse to fall down and bow the knee of their Judgments before those Images and Representations which they set up as if in all their lineaments and parts they exhibited the true God and the true Christ according to the Truth The Apostle Paul relates a sad story of a great fire of Indignation kindled in the Brest of God and breaking out in a very formidable manner upon the Heathen who as he saith knew God c Rom. 1 21 i. e. had means sufficient to bring them to the knowledg of God d Men under means opportunities of knowledg are sâ—il estimated this justly in their Delinquencies as having Knowledg whether they be actually knowing or no. Compare Mat. 25 44 4â— with Luke 12 47 48 c. and withall professed themselves wise men e Rom. 1 22 Whether by such men he means the Philosophers in particular and learned men amongst them which is the more probable and the more received sence of Interprecers or whether the generality of them as Calvin rather supposeth varyeth not the story in any point of difference much material to my purpose The Misery which these men brought upon themselves through the just Displeasure of God is first in general drawn up by the Apostle in these words that Professing themselves wise they became Fool * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justâ Dei ultione fuerunt infatuati or rather were infatuated or made Fools as Calvin well expoundeth i. e. whilest they assumed unto themselves the honor and repute of much wisdom and understanding God as it were insensibly and by degrees withdrew that lively presence of his Spirit from them by which they had been formerly raised and enlarged as well to conceive and apprehend as to act and do like wise and prudent men but now the wonted presence of this Spirit of God failing them the savor and vigor of their wisdom and understandings proportionably abated and declined as Sampsons strength upon the cutting of his hair sank and fell to the line of the weakness of other men Secondly The Misery which these men drew upon their own head by breaking as they did with God is termed by the Apostle a delivering up or giving over to a reprobate minde f Rom. 1 28 which seems to import somewhat more sad and deeply penal then a simple infatuation or at least the height and consummation hereof A reprobate or injudicious minde implies such a constitution or condition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that soveraign and supreme Faculty in Man his Understanding whose proper office and work it is to order umpire and command in chief all his motions and actions as well internal as outward that light and darkness things comely and things uncomely actionâ— and ways pregnantly comporting with and actions and ways palpably destructive unto the dear Interest of his eternal Peace shall especially upon a practical account be of one and the same consideration to him neither shall he be capable of any difference of impression from things that differ in the highest The delivering up of a man by God to such a Reprobate Minde as this clearly supposeth the frame and constitution of the Minde and Understanding of Man to be naturally Reprobate I mean considered as the sin of Adam hath defaced and distempered it and as it would have been in all men in case the Great Advocate and Mediator of Mankinde had not interposed to procure the gracious conjunction of the illuminating Spirit of God with it yea and as it will be whensoever this Spirit of God shall be so far offended and provoked by a man as wholly to depart and desert it So that this Judiciary Act of God in giving men over to a Reprobate Minde imports nothing but the total withdrawing of all communion and converse by his Spirit with them hereby leaving them in the hand and under the inspection of such a minde or understanding which is naturally properly and entirely their own In which case the minde and understanding of a man suffers after some such manner as a quantity of good wholesom and spiritful wine would do in case it should be bereft of all the subtil and spirituous parts of it by a Chymical Extraction made by fire that which should remain after such a separation would be but as water without strength or taste Now the cause of this fire of displeasure kindled in the Brest of God against the persons mentioned burning so neer to the bottom of Hell as we heard our Apostle recordeth first in these words Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful g Rom. 1. 21 Afterwards in these And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledg h Verse 28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. c. Or as the Original I humbly conceive would rather bear as they did not make tryal i. e. put themselves to it engage their abilities to have God in acknowledgment i. e. so to discover him to the World that he might be acknowledged in his soveraign Greatness and transcendent Excellencies by men From which passages layd together it clearly appears 1. That for men
hereunto is onely the knowledg of himself i. e. of the truth of his Nature Attributes and transcendent excellency of Being This is the Word of Promise which came long since from the mouth of God himself unto the World They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain FOR the Earth shall be FULL OF THE KNOVVLEDG OF THE LORD as the waters cover the Sea c Isai 11. 9 clearly implying that when ignorance and all misperswasions concerning God in the world shall be led captive by the light of the knowledg of the Truth and when there shall be a good understanding begotten between him and his Creature the hearts of men will serve them no longer to rebel against him or to despise his Law So that what is commonly said of Knowledg may truly be said of God non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem he hath no Enemy but onely those who know him not The Devil had no door to open effectual enough by which to give sin an entrance into the World but onely the perverting of the streight thoughts and apprehensions of God which God himself had planted in the Minde and Vnderstanding of his Creature Man The Woman had a right and sound perswasion of the just severity and Truth of God in his threatenings until Satan prevailed with her to change it for a lye d Gen. 3. 4 5 into the spirit of which lye Adam himself also was presently baptized by her confidence under it Neither could the Devil have touch'd either the one or the other of them but by the mediation of some erroneous Notion or other concerning God And as Satan brought sin into the World by the opportunity of a misrepresentation of God unto his Creature so when God shall please to Reform the World and make a perfect ejection of sin out of it he will do it by repairing the breaches which Satan hath made upon the Judgments and Vnderstandings of men with a clear light of the knowledg of himself Well may the Holy Ghost call sin and wickedness in every kinde the works of darkness because they are never practised but by the illegal warrant and blinde direction of some false perswasion or other in the mindes of men Vpon this account also it is that the Apostle interpreteth the building of timber hay and stubble i. e. unsound Doctrines and Opinions upon the true Foundation Jesus Christ to be a corrupting or destroying of the Temple of God e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3. 17 i. e. of his Church and People as he explaineth it For every Error or false apprehension in the things of God and matters of Salvation is not onely of a defiling but of a corrupting nature also and according to the tenor and degree of malignity in it for there is some degree of a spiritual malignity in every Error disposeth the Soul which drinks it in and converseth with it to a spiritual Death being destructive to that communion with God wherein principally the life i. e. the strength peace joy and happiness of the Soul consisteth For God in whatsoever he revealeth or speaketh in his Word of any inconsistency with an Error and Error there is none about spiritual things in opposition whereunto God speaketh not more or less in his Word must needs be as a Barbarian or one that speaketh with an unknown tongue to him whose Minde and Vnderstanding is distemper'd with it When our Saviour told his Disciples in words express and plain enough that the Son of man should be delivered into the hands of men Luk. 9. 44. 18. 34. it is said that they notwithstanding understood not the saying The Reason plainly was because they were erroneously principled about the subject of which Christ spake which was his estate of Humiliation by suffering Death they supposing and taking it for granted that he was to be a great Potentate and Monarch in the World without passing through the valley of an ignominious Death thereunto In like manner when he said to Joseph and the Virgin his Mother Wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business f Luke 2. 49 the Text saith that they understood not the saying that he spake unto them The reason of their non-understanding in this case was because they were under the command of such a supposition which thwarted that principle according to the exigency whereof he so spake They supposed that he was under no engagement in no due capacity at least at those years which at this time he had attained to manage the great affairs of God and his Kingdom in the World whereas his sence was that he was under the one and in the other and spake accordingly unto them So also the Reason why Festus supposed Paul to be besides himself and that much learning had made him mad g Acts 26. 24 implying that he could make neither sap nor sence of what he had said was because the tenor and substance of Pauls Discourse was diametrally opposite to his Principles After the same manner when and whilest a mans Judgment is perverted by any unsound Opinion that hath taken fast hold on it he is uncapable of all that light of Truth which God shineth in the Scriptures in opposition to that Error and must of necessity either relinquish this Opinion or else either deprave and mis-understand the Minde of God in all such passages or else profess dissatisfaction touching the true sence and meaning of them In both cases he suffers a proportionable loss in his communion with God Can two walk together saith the Scripture except they be agreed Civil Communion cannot be maintained or held under a dissent in Principles relating to such Communion at least not in such things unto which such a dissent extendeth or relatâ—th Beasts are uncapable of all friendly converse and intercourse of affairs with men and so men with Beasts The Reason is because neither of them have any Principle symbolical with the other the thoughts of men are not the thoughts of beasts neither are the thoughts or impressions of beasts the thoughts of men And though men being sound in some soveraign Principles of the Gospel and such which are as it were the life-guard of the heart and vital parts of Religion may possibly live in communion with God upon terms consistent with Salvation yet may they very possibly also in case they be intangled with Error otherwise by means hereof suffer loss to a very sad degree in the things of their present peace When the Sun is in the greatest Eclipse that is lightly incident to it there yet shineth so much Light to the World which is sufficient to make it day and whereby to perform ordinary works wont to be done in the day time notwithstanding during such an Eclipse as this the World through want of that fulness of light which that worthy Creature the Sun naturally affordeth suffereth many degrees of the damp and sadness of the night In
production into Being 3. And lastly In respect of their permanency or continuance in and with these Natures and Beings In the first consideration they are absolutely and in every respect determined by God neither themselves nor any other contributing any thing at all towards their Natures or Beings in that sence nor being in any capacity to withstand or make any resistance against that hand of Pleasure and Power which made them so or so and imparted such and such a nature or frame determinately unto them But secondly In respect of their respective actuall productions into Being they are not at least a great part of them are not so determined by God as in the former consideration Men may sow more or less grain or corn in their fields as they please and so likewise herbs in their gardens Yea the ordinary course and assistance of Providence only supposed they have power to multiply individuals in some species of animal creatures and however to restrain such a multiplication Yea doubtless many Persons both of men and women have been propagated and born into the World whose Parents were not determined or necessitated to their generation In the third and last consideration though things cannot at least all things cannot be said to be absolutely positively or irresistibly determined by God as in the first yet doth his will and pleasure for the most part interpose effectually though by the mediation of Causes either naturall or morall or both for a determination in this kinde also The continuance of Herbs Plants and Trees in their vegetative lives or Beings in respect of their species or kindes respectively is determined by God but by the intervention of their severall natures temperatures constitutions or the like So that those Herbs Plants or Trees more generally and in respect of their kindes are longer liv'd whose tempers and complexions are more healthfull and strong and so better provided to resist and defend themselves against such inconveniences which endanger and are destructive unto the lives and beings of such creatures as they The continuance of individuals or particulars in each kinde of these vegetative creatures in their respective Natures or Beings is not so determined by God but that they are obnoxious at least many of them to the hand and will of man who may at pleasure serve himselfe of which and of how many of them he pleaseth being within the reach of his arme and under his power A man may cut down and suffer still to grow which and how many of the Trees growing in his own ground he pleaseth Thus may he do also by the Herbs in his garden There is the same consideration in all respects of sensitive creatures also The lives of many of these are subjected to the wills and pleasures of men Concerning the Naturall Lives and Beings of men in the World neither §. 2. is the continuance of these so absolutely or peremptorily fixed or determined by God but that either themselves or others may either abbreviate and contract them or else enlarge and protract them to a longer period by means proportionable unto either By excess in sinning and so by defect in caution and use of means for their preservation men may draw the evill day of death neerer to them as by righteousness and a prudent circumspection to prevent dangers and things destructive unto life they may put it further from them But thou O God saith David shalt bring them downe into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their days a Psa 55. 23. e. i. the half of those days which according to the course of Nature and Providence and Will of God otherwise they might have done To like purpose Eliphaz in Job speaking of a wicked man who stretcheth out his hand against God and strengtheneth himselfe againct the Almighty i. e. who sinneth at more then an ordinary rate of provocation His branch saith he shall not be green but shall be cut of before his day God shall destroy him as the vine his sowre grape and shall cast him off as the Olive doth his flower b Job 15. 32 33. And againe afterwards Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have troden who were cut down out of time whose foundation was overflown with a flood c Job 22. 15 16 It is probable he here speaks of the old World who because of that redundancy of wickedness which was amongst them were destroyed by a deluge of waters which otherwise they might have escaped according to what our Saviour speaketh to Capernaum concerning Sodom If the mighty workes which have been done in thee had beene done in Sodom it would have remained unto this day d Mat. 11. 23. And whereas God threateneth Ephraim meaning the ten Tribes that within threescore and five years Ephraim should be broken that he be not a People e Isai 7. 8. this judgement according to Musculus his computation was put in execution within twenty years after this Prophecy and that propter enormitatem maliciae as he faith i. e. for the enormous heinousnesse of their wickednesse So then as God hath by no decree determined that men shall be wicked especially not outragiously wicked which we shall further demonstrate afterwards so neither hath he determined that abbreviation of the lives of particular men which their voluntary excesse in wickednesse brings upon them He hath indeed determined indefinitely and in the generall That bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their days but if we speake of any particular persons who being bloody and deceitfull came thereby to an untimely end neither their sin nor their suffering by an untimely end was determined by God Againe That men by a prudentiall and providentiall care in preventing §. 3. dangers sicknesses and such inconveniences which are of a known malignity to the life of man may advance their days to a greater number then under a contrary neglect especially as the neglect for degree might have been they would or could in reason have amounted unto is evident God himselfe informed David That if he stay'd in Keilah till Saul should come thither to demand him which he was now ready to do the Lords of this City would deliver him up unto him a Sam. 23. 12. in which case he had been but a dead man Therefore David by departing from Keilah before Sauls comming downe to demand him added many days unto his life above what their number would have been had he neglected the Divine Oracle and by staying in Keilah fallen into the hand of Saul The men that were with Paul in the ship by hearkning unto his counsell for causing the Mariners to abide in the Ship got enlargement of quarter for their lives which upon their leaving of the ship had certainly been denyed unto them For Paul said unto the Centurion and the Souldiers Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be saved b
Acâ— 27. 31. whereas upon their staying in the ship it so came to passe that they came all safe to land c Vâ—s 44. The Lord Christ himselfe by the care and faithfulnefs of Joseph in conveying him being yet an Infant into Egypt according to the charge of the Angel which appeared unto him came to see many more days in the flesh then he was like to have done in case he had bin found in Bethlehem or near to it when Herods bloudy Inquisition came forth against him For this is the reason which the Angell gave unto Joseph why he was injoyned by God to remove the child Jesus into a place of safety Herod saith he will seeke the young child to destroy him which supposeth not only a possibility but a probability at least if not a certainty That if the child had remained in or about Bethlehem Herod both would have found him out and also destroyed him So afterwards we read Luke 4. and elsewhere That Christ by declining the present rage and bloody intentions of the Jewes from time to time drew out the days of his mortall Pilgrimage to that just period and â—our wherein according to his ever-blessed good pleasure he had appointed that happy meeting between his own death and the life and salvation of the World True it is the days of humane subsistence and continuance on Earth are §. 4. in the generall but finite yea and few yet if we speake of particulars they are not properly determinate or set down as so many and no more by any decree of God It is indeed appointed by God unto men once to dye d Heb. 9 27. yea as Job calculateth within a short time Man saith he that is born of a woman is of few days e Iob 14. 1. But I do not find it said of particular persons that it is appointed unto them to dye precisely at such or such a time day or year of their lives or that they shall neither dye sooner nor live longer I deny not but that there are some few examples in Scripture of persons the precise number of whose days seemeth to have been fixed by God His gracious Message to King Hezekiah being now sick unto death was That he would adde unto his days fifteen yeares a King 20. 6. Yet this expression doth not necessarily imply that they should be adequately and precisely so many and no more Nor when Job in passion reasoneth thus with God as our last Translation rendreth his words Seeing his days are determined and the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot passe turne from him that he may rest b Job 14 6 7. c. doth he suppose that the bounds and limits of all mens lives are so rigidly or immoveably pitched by any decree of God that they must of necessity live home to them and cannot possibly live beyond them but only this that if God will at any time interpose by his power to cut off the life of any man he may determine and put a period to it without being resisted or hindred by any According to the exigency of this sence both Tremellius and Beza translate that clause and the number of his moneths are with thee out of the Originall thus Numerus mensium ejus penâ—â— te est i. e. the number of his moneths is in thy power meaning that thou mayst make them fewer or more if and thou pleasest Doubtlesse if either David or Hezekiah had conceived the date and period of their lives to have been irreversibly concluded by any precedaneous decree of God they would not have interceded with that affectionate importunity which is found in their Prayers for a prorogation of them I said saith David O my God take me not away in the midst of my days c Psal 102. 4 And again O spare mee that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more d Psal 39. â— These expressions clearly imply That David apprehended as well a liberty in God as an executive power either presently to take away or else to continue his life and being in the world for a longer time For who will sollicite a man to do that for him which he apprehends him in no capacity or possibility to do or for that which hee conceives him whom he requesteth absolutely engaged and necessitated to do for him whether he requesteth it or no Now such a liberty in God as we speak of and as David supposeth was wholy inconsistent with such a peremptory and irreversible decree concerning the punctuall extent and duration of his life which some imagine So when he fasted and wept for the life of his child being sick he neither supposed God bound by any unchangeable decree either to continue or presently to take away the life of it but at liberty to do either In the Prayer of Hezekiah though there be no expresse Petition found for the enlargement of his life yet there are grounds laid down which are proper to inforce such a Petition upon and by the tender whereof unto God it is evident that he did sollicite for a reprieve which is yet more apparant from that gracious return which God made unto him of this his Prayer by the Prophet Isaiah Go saith God unto him and say unto Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father I have heard thy Prayer and seen thy Tears behold I will adde unto thy days fifteen years e Isai 38. 5. Therefore doubtlesse when Job saith as we heard That the days of man are determined or paecisi i. e. cut short as Junius and Tremellius render it and that God hath appointed his bounds that he cannot passe he doth not speake of any determinate number of days or years set out by any decree of his unto particular Persons for life which by no interveniency of means or occasions on either hand can either be diminished or protracted but of that generall councell purpose or decree of his by which he hath reduced and contracted the mortall Pilgrimage of man on Earth to a very short and inconsiderable space of time Nor doth it follow from any the Premisses but that God doth frequently §. 5. interpose and that after a very speciall and remarkable manner sometimes for the preservation other-while for the abbreviation and cutting off the lives of Particular men When God will undertake and resolvedly engage to stand by the life of man as now and then he doth at least for a time a thousand shall fall at his side and ten thousand at his right hand and the danger not come nigh him i. e. he shall remain as safe and as free from evill as if all danger of evill were far from him He shall not be afraid i. e. such a man needeth not to be afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor for
the destruction that wasteth at non-day a Psa 91. 5 6 7 But dayly experience sheweth That God doth not engage himselfe upon such terms as these for the protection of the lives of all that are godly many of these falling by the hand of death even whilst the lives of thousands and ten thousands round about them are not touched there with Nor have any Persons though never so godly any sufficient ground from the passages mentioned or the like to expect absolutely and with confidence protection of life in the midst of all such dangers which are there specified but only conditionally viz. if God will vouchsafe to undertake for their Preservation and Peace Such Scriptures hold forth the constant power not the uniform Will or Pleasure of God On the other hand when God taketh no pleasure as the Scripture phrase is in the life of a man the little finger of death is enough to crush it my meaning is a very slender and inconsiderable occasion will serve his Providence for the dissolution of it But neither of these dispensations amounts to any demonstration of any such decree in God wherein he hath punctually and indispensably assigned to all Persons whatsoever a set number of years moneths days houres and moments for their allowance of life which neither himselfe nor themselves nor any other creature hath the least liberty or power either to augment or diminish upon any occasion or by any means whatsoever It is indeed commonly reported to be a great Article in the Turkish Creed That the lives of all men at least of all Turkes are so absolutely disposed of in the counsell and decree of God that it is a thing simply impossible for men either by running upon the mouths of Cannons or by casting themselves into the Sea or by rushing naked into the midst of an Host of armed enemies or by adventuring upon any danger upon any death whatsoever to anticipate the date of such a disposall and so on the contrary by any Care Prudence or circumspectnesse whatsoever to prevent the fatality thereof But such Notions and Decrees as these are fitter to make Alcoran Divinity then Christian. I freely acknowledge all the Decrees of God to be absolute and unchangeable upon any occasion or by any means whatsoever and none of them in a true and proper sence conditionall but I am far from making the Decrees of God commensureable with his Prescience or fore-knowledge But of this hereafter In order to a full and thorough explication of the subject last in hand if §. 6. this had been any materiall part of our present designe many Particularities besides those insisted upon should have been added But the consideration of the dependance of the motions and actings of the creature upon God in respect of their determination is more intimous to the heart and spirit of our Grand Intendment then of their simple existences or beings Therefore to passe on to the explication of this we have laid downe for the Argument of his Chapter this conclusion either in words or substance that the motions actions or operations of second Causes though they do as absolutely depend upon the first as their existences or beings as was argued in the former Chapter yet are they not by this dependance at least ordinarily so immediately or precisely determined as their beings Notwithstanding how their beings in respect of their natures their Productions their subsistings or durations in being are determined or not determined by God hath been the inquiry and decision of the preceding part of this Chapter We come now to inquire how how far and after what manner the motions and actions of second Causes are determined or necessitated to be both when and where and what they are by that essentiall dependance which they have upon God All second Causes whatsoever are reducible to one of these three heads §. 7. or kind◠They are either 1. Such which act and move without any knowledge or apprehension at all as being capable of neither either of the end for the obtaining whereof they act or move or of their motions or actings in order to this end Or 2. Such which are capable of some kinde of knowledge or apprehension both of their ends and of their actings and movings towards these ends but very imperfect and weak viz. such which extend not to the reason or relation of these ends nor to any deliberation about them nor yet to the proportion or aptness of those their actings and moveings for the obtaining of their ends Or 3. and lastly they are such which know and apprehend or at least are capable of both not simply of those ends in order whereunto they act and move but of the Nature Reason and further tendency of these ends also as likewise of the proportion of likelihood of their ingagements in any kinde for the obtaining of their ends The first kinde of these causes are called Naturall or meerly naturall the second Animall or spontaneous the third Rationall Voluntary or free-working Of the first sort are 1. all inanimate and life-lesse creatures as Fire Water Ayre Earth Stones Minerals and such like 2. all Creatures which are endued with a Principle of vegetation but not of sence Of the second are all animall or sensitive Creatures not partakers of any Principle or indowment above those of outward sensation and a certaine estimative faculty or phantasie by which they 1. apprehend what is naturally good or evill for them at least in some Particulars and 2. are acted and moved accordingly as either to or from them but without any deliberation or consideration had either about the one or the other Of this kinde are beasts of the Field birds of the Ayre fishes of the Sea and generally whatsoever hath breath and life excepting men These are said to act or move Spontaneously because they act out of some knowledge of their end without any compulsion or necessitation from without Of the third and last sort are only men and Angels whether good or bad in either kinde who are therefore called rationall voluntary or free working causes because they are capable not only of an apprehension or knowledge of such ends for and towards the obtaining of which they act and move but also of the nature quality and import of them and of deliberation likewise or consulation about the means and wayes of their Procurement Now though all these severall causes have such a dependance upon God §. 8. that as hath been said none of them can move into action without a surable concurrence from him yet are not their actions or motions thereby determined ordinarily or necessitated unto or upon them The reason why fire burns or heats and doth not moisten coole or the like is not because God concurreth with it when it acteth for then Ayre or Water should burn and heate likewise with a like concurrence Therefore the particular and determinate actions of the Fire are not caused by
1. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Heb. 7. 26 27 28. with many others of like import Now certaine it is 1. That the excellency and dignity of the Person of Christ was and would have been the same 2. That the Innocency Humility Love Patience Obedience of Christ were and would have been the same also whether he had actually and corporally suffered or no. Therefore whatsoever was Properly Formally or Essentially meritorious in Christ was in him before his sufferings of a naturall death and would have been in him whether he had suffered such a Death or no and consequently the worke of Redemption might have prospered in his hand whether he had thus suffered or not If it be demanded but doth not this Doctrine suppose or make Christ to have died in vaine yea and contradict all those Scriptures which ascribe the Redemption and Salvation of men to his Blood Death Crosse and Suffering I answer neither it is most free from both these erroneous impieties From the former because the death of Christ is soveraignly necessary upon severall other accounts as 1. If he should not have actually yeilded up himself unto death there being found those that would and did attempt it it must needs have been conceived and concluded by men that he was not truly inwardly and really willing and free to have laid down his life for the World and consequently there had been no ground or footing for any man to believe either that he was the Son of God or that he was meritoriously qualified for the Redemption of the World Secondly had he alwayes declined actuall dying under those frequent attempts made by men to take away his life it could not have been known and so not upon any sufficient ground believed that God the Father delivered him up to Death and consequently his Will and good Pleasure concerning the salvation of the World by his Son could not upon any competent terms have been believed Thirdly the Prophecies in the old Testament concerning the actuall sufferings of Christ could not have been fullfilled Fourthly upon the said supposition as viz. That he had an opportunity thorough the bloud thirsty malice of men to lay down his life actually if he should not have done it that great example of his Humility Patience Self-deniall Love of the Brethren even unto bloud c. had been wanting in the Churches Fifthly and lastly upon the supposition mentioned the actuall dying of Christ was altogether necessary in respect of the inward frame and disposition of his Soul which rendred him freely willing to lay down his Life in case it should be required of him at or after such a time as his Father judged it meete to permit the execution Now such a frame and disposition of Heart and Soule as this was as was formerly argued absolutely necessary to be found in Christ to qualifie him for a Redeemer and being found in him it could not possibly but produce his actuall death when men should attempt it and God no wayes interpose to prevent it Thus then you see cleerly how the Doctrine which denieth an absolute necessity of Christs actuall and externall Death in order to the salvation of the World no wayes rendreth or supposeth this death of his to be in vaine Nor doth the Doctrine we now speake of contradict any of those Scriptures which attribute the Redemption and Salvation of the World to his Blood Death Sufferings c. For when we are said to be healed by his stripes 1. Pet. 2. 24. to be justified by his Blood Rom. 5. 9. to have Redemption thorough his Blood Eph. 1. 7. c. It no wayes supposeth or implies that the literall or materiall shedding of his Blood by men was simply and absolutely necessary either to the justification or redemption of men but only that a shedding of it by himself spiritually in that great Act of Resignation of it to be shed by men which passed and was transacted inwardly in his Soule whether it had been externally shed by men or no was simply and absolutely necessary thereunto There is scarce any Phrase or Idiome of speech more frequent in Scripture then to mention and speake of an act simply and indefinitely as performed and done when the doing of it hath been fully resolved concluded or consented unto in the heart and soule whether ever it be actually and externally done or no. Thus Abraham in the same Verse is twice said to have offered up his son Isaac a Heb. 11. 17. only because he was inwardly really and fully willing to have offered him up literally which yet we know he did not So a man is said to forsake all he hath b Luk. 14. 33. when he is inwardly and unfeignedly willing and resolved to forsake all literally and actually when he shall be called to it whether he be ever so called or no. In this Phrase of speech God is said to have given the Land of Canaan unto the Israelites Ios 1. 3. when as he had only purposed or resolved to give it unto them as appears Ver. 6. So to have saved us 2 Tim. 1. 9. only because of his full purpose to save us upon our believing So againe to have rejected Saul from being King 1 Sam. 15. 23. only because he was fully purposed to reject him upon his impenitence in his rebellious course for evident it is that Saul was permitted to injoy his Kingdome a considerable space of time after it was said that God had rejected him from being King In like manner he is said Cap. 13. 13. To have established for so Arias Montanus translates out of the Originall viz. stabilierat and our former English Translators had established the Kingdome of Saul upon Israel for ever only because he was purposed to do it and that conditionally too viz. upon the good behaviour of himself and his Posterity in the Throne It were easie to multiply instances in this kinde even unto wearinesse In like construction of speech Christ may be said to have given his Flesh layd down his Life shed his Blood for the Redemption of the World justification of men c. and consequently the World be said to be redeemed and men justified by his Blood Death Crosse c. onely because he was freely willing unfeignedly ready and prepared to doe all these actually when the Providence of God and the wickednesse of men should afford him an an opportunity to do them Nor can it be said that in such a sence he should ever the lesse have given his Flesh layd down his Life shed his Blood for the salvation of the World then now he hath done in case the Providence of God and wickednesse of men should never have conspired or agreed about the taking away his Life from him It was his Blood as shed by himself not by men it was his Life as laid down by himself not as taken from him by men it was his Flesh as given or offered by himself not as sacrificed by
Wisdome of God to determine §. 14. events before hand without determining meanes or instruments which shall infallibly produce or give being unto them Or doth he determine any thing the effecting whereof he leaveth in the Liberty and Power of men So that they may chuse whether it shall be effected or no I Answer 1. In the generall that God never determineth any thing but what he either provideth meanes himself or else knoweth himself sufficiently provided otherwise to bring to passe viz. according to the tenor manner and form of his Determination But 2. Whatsoever God determineth to do or to be done in case or upon such or such a supposition though his determination it self be absolute and independent upon any condition whatsoever yet the event or the thing determined upon such terms is suspended upon the condition included in the determination As for example it cannot be denied but that God had determined to destroy Niniveh within fourty dayes after warning given hereof Jona 3 4. by the Preaching of Jonah For doubtlesse if he had not purposed or determined the thing he would not have ingaged his Prophet to Preach and assert it in his Name But because the tenor and forme of this his determination was conditionall importing only a purpose in him to inflict the judgement determined in case they humbled not themselves within so many dayes after the denunciation of this judgement as determined by him their humiliation and repentance intervening within the time limited in the determination or Decree the judgement determined was not executed nor did the tenor of the determination import any other then the non-execution of the judgement determined in such a case A like instance we have 1 Sam. 2. 30. Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith I said indeed i. e. I purposed or determined that thy house and the house of thy Father should walke before me viz. in the Office and Dignity of the Priestood for ever But now the Lord saith be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lighty esteemed The purpose or determination of God for vesting the Priest hood for ever i. e. during the use and continuance of it in the World in Elie's house was absolute not alterable or changeable by any intervention one or more of what nature or kinde soever But what then was the tenor or forme of this determination or purpose not categoricall or simply assertive as viz. That the Priest-hood should remaine in this house or family for ever how much soever it should at any time degenerate from it self in sin and wickednesse but Hypotheticall and Provisionall thus the Priest-hood shall remaine for ever in Elie's House provided that this house remaines faithfull and observant of the Law of their God concerning this dignity This purpose or determination of God I call absolute and unchangeable because neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature by any interposition whatsoever could or should have hindered the said duration or continuance of the Priesthood in Elies house in case it had remained faithfull The Scriptures abound with instances of like consideration with these See 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Gal. 5. 21 c. § 15. 3. God may leave the execution or fullfiling of his determinations such as they may be at the free liberty and in the power of men and yet have assurance and certainty enough that they will be executed and fullfilled For being infinite in wisdom and so able to discerne and comprehend the most secret subtile and tickle Proportions and Connexions between causes and effects a Cognitio illa Dci Sapientialis omnino certa est et infallibilis sed non infallibilitate scientiae quae sumitur ab objâ—cta sed ab intellâ—ctu Divino perfâ—ctissime infallibiliter judâ—cante etiam de fallibilibus contingentibus Arrib Op. Conciliat lib. 1 ca. 9. Effectus causa vum creatarum videâ— quâ—dem Deus in ipsiâ— causis multo melius quam nos Aqu. Sum. part 1. Qu. 14. Art 7. Quccunque igitur pissunt per creaturam fieri vel cogitari vel dici etiam quaecunquâ— ipsâ— facâ—râ— poâ—â—st omnia cognoscit Deus etiamst actu non sunt Ibid. Art 9. Divina essentia est ratio cognoscendi intuitive quodcunque intelligibile etiamsi nullum existeret in se Rada Contr. 30. Art 3. such as are altogether undiscernable both unto Men and Angels as between the will of a man attended with such and such Principles and Notions of things in the understanding for her guide in her elections and againe with such and such objects circumstances and occasions about her and between all possible or imaginable elections or actions in such a case God I say thorough the infinitenesse of his wisdome being able to penetrate calculate and compute all and all manner of relations and aspects between all and all manner of causes and effects whatsoever is able infallibly without all possibility of error or mistake to foresee not only all mens actions and wayes what they will be from the beginning of the World to the end thereof being conscious to his own Modell Platforme and intentions for the government of the World but likewise what they would have been had himself been pleased to have carried the government of the World I meane in circumstances and occasions relating to it otherwise He did not only foresee that Saul would come down to Keilah which he did but also that the Lords of Keilah would have delivered David into Sauls hand in case he had stayed there till Sauls comming and demanding of him which yet they did not because they were prevented of the opportunity by Davids departure from them before 1 Sam. 23. 11 12. So that in this sence God may be said to determine what will or shall be done in the World by men not by determining or decreeing to bow or bend their wills by any immediate or physicall influx or acting of his Power upon them much lesse by necessitating or compelling them to their respective elections but by determining or decreeing either to suffer them to remaine so and so affected or inclin'd and under the Power and guidance of such and such Principles which he certainly foreseeth that they will drinke in or else to put new Principles of light into them by the influence whereof he also cleerly foreseeth that the tenor and frame of their wills and affections will freely alter and change and with all to give being to such and such circumstances providences and occasions which have such or such an aspect upon or reference unto them in such or such a Posture Upon these terms the hand and counsell of God might and did absolutely determine the giving up of his Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Crosse and yet not determine either that Herod Pontius Pilate or any
from death which by the Law of God ought to die with many the like which have proved snares of dishonour and of danger unto them otherwise in like manner some men desirous to commend themselves unto God as men zealous for his glory more then others study and invent Notions and Senses of some Scripture expressions to bestow upon him in the name of Prerogatives which they presume are much for his honour and glory in the World which yet upon due consideration are found most unworthy of him and of a broad inconsistency with his glory indeed For what relish or savour of honor or glory unto God can there be in bringing him upon the great Theater of the World speaking thus I will cast out of my favour and devote to everlasting burnings to torments Endlesse Easlesse Intolerable Insupportable thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousands of my most excellent Creatures Men Women and Children though they never offended me otherwise then Children may offend many thousands of yeers before they are born yea though I thus in the secret of my Counsell intend to leave them irrecoverably to the most exquisite torments that can be endured and these to be suffered by them to the dayes of eternity without all possibility of escaping though they shall do the uttermost they are able to please Me and to reconcile themselves unto Me yet will I in words speak to their hearts Proclaime and Professe my Self unto them to be a God mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundant in Goodnesse and Truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne a Exod. 34. 6 7. I will entreate them with bowells and great compassions and Professe my Self aggreived in Soul because of their impenitency I will allure them to Repentance with all my great and Precious Promises of Pardon of sin of life and glory and all the Great things of the World to come yea I will most seriously and solemnly Protest and Sweare unto them by the greatest Oath that is even by my own Life and Being that I desire not their Death b Ezek. 33. 11 Can Men indued with reason and understanding or that know in the least what belongeth to matters of honour and glory resent or savour any thing in such Proceedings as these that is like to make a Prerogative worthy the Name Glory and Super-Transcendent Holinesse and Excellency of God Most certaine it is that there is nothing in God nothing that proceeds from him but what is both Divisim and Conjunctim and that according to the Principles of Reason and that light of understanding which Himself shineth in the hearts and consciences and inward Parts of Men just matter of Praise Honour and Glory unto Him of which more ere long But 2. That Prerogative or Prerogative-Will as some call it which §. 36. God stands upon in the Scriptures and claimes to Himself as a Royalty annexed to the Crown of Heaven and Earth either in the ninth to the Romans or elsewhere in reference to the condemnation and eternall destruction of his Creature standeth not in any Liberty or Power claimed by him to leave what Persons he pleaseth to inevitable ruine only upon consideration of Adams sin much lesse before or without any such consideration but to make the Lawes Terms and Conditions as of life so of death as of Salvation so of Condemnation and these indifferently and equally respecting all Men not such as Men are apt to think meet and fitting for him to doe but what Himself Pleaseth i. e. Such as the Counsell of his own Will adviseth and leadeth Him unto For He is said not to act or Worke all things or any one thing simply according to his own Will but to work all things according to the Counsell of his own Will c Eph. 1. 11. So that in whatsoever God acteth or willeth we are to look not only for Will but Counsell i. e. Wisdom and Tendency unto ends worthy of him and these discernable enough as was lately said by Men to be such if they were diligent and impartiall in the consideration of them As for example the Jewes thought it most equall reasonable and best becomming God that he should constitute and ordain the observation of Moses his Law to be the Law of Justification Life and Salvation unto Men and the neglect or non-observation of this Law to be the Law of condemnation and of death God here interposeth with his Prerogative and declares to them that his Will and Pleasure is otherwise and that he Constitutes and Ordaines Faith in his Son Jesus Christ to be the Law of Justification and Life whether joyned with the observation of Moses Law or without it and on the other hand unbelief to be the Law of condemnation and of death though in conjunction with the strictest observation of Moses Law This Prerogative indeed God Himself pleads and asserts to Himself with a majestique and God-like authority speaking thus to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion an whom I will have compassion a Rom. 9. 15. as if he should say Men shall not prescribe unto Me Lawes or Terms of shewing Mercy I will not be advised or obliged by them whom i. e. what manner of persons or how qualified I shall justifie and save I mean to follow and to keep close to the Counsell of mine own Will in these great and most important affaires which concern the Life and Death the Salvation and Destruction of my Creature The same prerogative The Apostle also vindicateth unto him afterwards in the same Chapter in the similitude of a Potter Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one Vessell unto honour and another unto dishonor b Rom. 9. 21. meaning that God had a like equitable Power or Prerogative over the great masse of Man-kind in Adam to make what Lawes of Life and Death unto them he pleased and to appoint who or what manner of persons should be saved and what manner of persons should be condemned which the Potter hath over the lump of Clay which is before him to make what Vessells he pleaseth for honour and what again he pleaseth for dishonour But of this passage as also of that vers 18. we shall speak more at large towards the close of the Discourse where we intend an intire Explication of the 9th to the Romans from the beginning of vers 6. to the end of the 23. In the mean time let this be taken along by way of caution about what hath been delivered in this Section viz. that though the Jewes thought it most equitable and most beseeming God to justifie Men by the works of the Law rather then by Faith in Jesus Christ which notwithstanding was the Counsell and good pleasure of God about Justification yet this Counsell and good pleasure of God especially being from time to time so signified unto them by
Man as such but of Believers and of such intentions as these he never faileth or suffers disappointment But of this we spake liberally in the third Chapter Besides if Christ died sufficiently for all Men either God intended this §. 40. sufficiency of his Death for or unto all Men or not If not then was the glory or sovereigne worth of this death of his besides the intentions of God God did not intend any such compleatnesse of merit or satisfaction in his death as were in it But this I presume tempteth no Mans thoughts or belief If then God did intend the sufficiency of his Death for or unto all Men why may it not be said that he intended his Death it self accordingly and so that Christ died intentionally on Gods Part for all Men The word sufficiently is no terminus diminuens no terme of diminution Therefore the argument followes roundly if God intended the sufficiency of Christs Death for all Men then he intended his Death it self for all Men and consequently Christ Died not sufficiently only but intentionally also for all Men. And so the distinction vanisheth Thirdly how can he who payeth nothing at all for a Man nor intends to §. 41. pay any thing be notwithstanding said to pay that which is sufficient for him Suppose a Man be in debt and in danger of imprisonment for it can a sufficient payment be said to be made for him whether any thing at all be payed for him or in order to the keeping of him from imprisonment or no when nothing at all is paid for a Man that is a great Debtor but that he remaines as much a Debtor and in as great danger as before can that which is sufficient or enough for him or for his discharge be said to be paied for him unlesse haply it be in a sence very delusory and deriding in which sence doubtlesse Christ did not pay any Ransome for any man Suppose a man should pay a great sum of money only for the redeeming of John and Peter being Captives by which money he might if he had pleased have ransomed me also and a thousand more being in the same condition of captivity with them can this man by reason of the payment of such a sum as this upon the terms specified be said to have payd that which is sufficient to Ransome me Or is that sufficient to Ransome me which was only paid for the Ransome of another Fourthly if there were a sufficiency in the Death of Christ for all Men or §. 42. for the Salvation of all Men and God not intend it for all Men but for a few a number inconsiderable only then will the Death of Christ be found rather matter of dishonour or disparagement unto him than of honour Suppose a Man were possest of a very great estate in Gold Silver and other the good things of this life whereby he is able to relieve the necessities of all his Neighbours round about him who are generally poore and that to such an extremity that without relief from him they must inevitably perish in case this Man should resolve to relieve only two or three of these indigent Persons with this his abundance and rather throw the rest of it into the midst of the Sea then minister unto any more of them though they be many thousands and these every whit as necessitous and as well-deserving as the other would not this great estate in such a case and upon such terms as these be a blot rather and reproach then an honour or matter of repute to this Man and declare him to be of a very unnaturall ignoble and inhumane spirit In like manner if God shall have satisfaction merit and attonement before him abundantly sufficient to save the whole World from perishing everlastingly and shall purpose rather to let it be like water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered up then dispose of it towards the Salvation of any more then only a small handfull of Men comparatively leaving innumerable soules to perish irrecoverably and without mercy would not this abundance of merit and satisfaction upon such an account as this be in the eyes of all considering men an obscuring vail over the Mercy Love Goodnesse and Bounty of God and occasion the Creature to judge of him as a God rather envying then desiring the Peace and Welfare of men And if God so deeply abhorred the fact of Onan in spilling the seed upon the ground lest he should give seed unto his deceased Brother that he slew him for it a Gen. 38 9. 10 how dare men present Him so neer unto communion in such a fact as the spilling interverting or non-consigning of the far greater part of the merit of the Death of Christ unto men lest they should be saved would render Him Fifthly if Christ died sufficiently for all men and not intentionally as viz. §. 43. not for Reprobates so called then he died as much for the Devils themselves as He did for far the greatest part of men Because His death in respect of the intrinsecall value and worth of it was sufficient to have redeemed the Devils as well as men Yea if the sufficiency of the Price paid by Christ be a sufficient ground to beare such a saying as this that He died sufficiently for all men He may be said to have died not only for Reprobates as Reprobates and so for Unbelievers as Unbelievers viz. sufficiently but for the Devils also quatenus Devils in as much as there is no defect imaginable in the price we speak of in respect of the absolute and inherent dignity value or worth of it but that all these even under the considerations mentioned might have been redeemed by it as well as the Elect. But that Christ died for Reprobates as Reprobates and for Devils as Devils in one sence or other were never yet I conceive the sayings or thoughts of any Man nor I suppose ever will be certaine I am cannot reasonably be Sixthly and lastly as yet there hath no sufficient ground been shewed §. 4. 4 either from the Scriptures or from Principles of Reason for the distinction under Contest nor I believe ever will be or can be Therefore they who distinguish between Christs dying for al men sufficiently and intentionally opposing the one to the other affirming the former and denying the latter do not only go about to set Lambs together by the eares which will not fight but also speak things most unworthy of God and which render him a far greater deluder or derider of his poore Creature Man then a Benefactor or well-willer to him in all his Declarations and Professions of love unto him in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ to make his attonement and procure Redemption for him Upon consultation had with the Premisses with other considerations haply of like import some of the greatest and most learned opposers of Universall Redemption Piscator and Beza by Name have
Texture of words as this Yea doth not such a carriage of the place cleerly imply that there are or may be some of the Elect themselves who shall not live or be restored from death by Christ and consequently shall not be bound upon any such ingagement to live unto him Doubtlesse if by the word ALL the Apostle had meant ALL the Elect and these only he would not have added that they who live but rather that they or these might live For these words that they who live cleerly import a possibility at least yea a futurity also i. e. That it would so come to passe that some of those ALL for whom Christ died would not live and consequently would be in no capacity of living from themselves to live unto him The uncouthnesse and sencelessnesse of such interpretations as these was somewhat more at large argued in the next preceding Chapter Sect. 12. 13 c. But now let us take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL in the proper and due signification of it viz. for the generality or universality of men the sence will run cleer and have a savoury and sweet relish with it Because we thus judge i. e. upon cleer Grounds and Principles of reason argue and conclude that if one died for All Men then were All Men dead i. e. Obnoxious unto death dead in Law as good as dead otherwise they should not have had any need that another should die for their preservation and that he died for All Men i. e. we further also judge and conclude that he died for All Men with this intent or for this end amongst others that they who live i. e. That whosoever of those for whom he thus died shall be saved by this death of his for them should in consideration of and by way of signall thankfulnesse for such a Salvation not live unto themselves i. e. only or chiefly minde themselves whilest they live in the World in their carnall and Worldly interests but unto him who died for them and rose again i. e. Promote his interest and affaires in the World who so notably ingaged them hereunto by dying for them and by resuming his Life and Being after his Death is become capable of their love and service to him in this kinde In such a carriage of the place as this there is spirit and life evidence of Reason Commodiousnesse of Sence Regularnesse of Construction no forcing or straining of Words or Phrases or the like whereas in any such exposition which contracts the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL Men either to the Elect or to any lesser number of Men then ALL there will be found an universall disturbance in the sentence nothing orderly smooth or clear By the way the Apostle in saying that Christ died for All Men that they §. 6. who live should not live unto themselves c. doth not intend to confine the duty of thankfulnesse for Christs Death only unto the Saints or those that are put into an estate of Salvation by it as if wicked Men and Unbelievers ought him no service at all upon that account but only shewes that Christ expects or lookes for no such deniall of themselves for his sake at the hands of any but of theirs only who come actually to taste and partake of the great benefit and blessing of his death Thus then we see that the word ALL or ALL Men though in some place or places it may yea of necessity must signifie only some men or some parts of all men yet in others and particularly in those two lately insisted upon it must with the like necessity signifie ALL Men without exception 4. And lastly for the word World which was the terme of contention in the former head of Scriptures though I deny not but that in some places it signifies only some part of men in the World and not the intire universality of Men as Luke 2. 1. Acts 19. 27. and frequently elsewhere yet that it any where signifies precisely that part of the World which the Scripture calls the Elect I absolutely deny neither hath it yet been nor I believe ever will be proved and the rather because the Holy Ghost delights still as some instances have been given a Cap. 5. Sect. 10. and more might be added without number to expresse that part or party of men in the World which is contrary unto the Saints and which are strangers and enemies unto God by the World This by way of answer to that exception or pretence against the exposition given of the Scriptures alledged viz. that the word World and those generall terms ALL and every Man are sometimes used in a restrained signification Concerning the exposition given of the Scripture last argued were it not §. 7. clear and pregnant enough by the light wherein it hath been presented further countenance might be given unto it by shewing what friends it hath amongst our best and most approved Authors Among the Ancients Chrysostome is generally esteemed and that worthily the best Interpreter of the Scriptures His sence of the place under debate is plainly enough the same with ours For saith he writing upon the place He meaning Christ had not died or would not have died for All had not All died or been dead In which words he cleerly supposeth that Christ died for as many as were dead and consequently for ALL without exception in as much as ALL without exception or difference were dead A little after thus For it argueth an excesse of much love both to die for SO GREAT A WORLD and to die for it being so affected or disposed as it was b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amongst our later Divines Musculus is not the least if not equall to the greatest Yet he also gives the right hand of fellowship to the interpretation given upon the place But Christ saith he died not only for his friends but for his enemies also NOT FOR SOME MEN ONELY BVT FOR ALL without exception This is the unmeasurable or vast extent of the love of God a Christus verò non pro amicis tantum sed inimici◠non pro quibusdam tantùm sed pro omnibus Mortuus est Haec est immensa Divinae dilectionis amplitudo But the cause we plead needs no such Advocates as these being potent enough with its own evidence and equity and therefore we shall retaine no more of them A third Text of Scripture presented upon the same account with the former §. 8. was that he by the Grace of God should taste death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every Man b Heb. 2. 9. This clause importeth that universality of attonement made by the Death of Christ which we maintaine more significantly if more may be and with lesse liablenesse to any evasion or shift then any of the former places ingaged in the warfare To shew that the Lord Christ though cloathed with a body of flesh
wherein he was capable of dying as well as other men yet did not suffer death simply through the malice or power of his enemies but upon an account far superior unto these the Apostle attributes his death to the Grace of God i. e. The love and gracious affections of God not towards some or a few no nor yet towards all men collectively taken or in the lump but towards all men distributively taken i. e. towards every particular and inviduall man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Holy Ghost for every man i. e. to procure eternall Redemption and Salvation for every man without the exclusion of any I cannot apprehend what can reasonably be said to alienate the minde or import of this Scripture from our present cause Evident it is and you shall finde our best interpreters of the place affirming the same that the Apostle in these words that through the Grace of God he might taste death c. assignes a Reason or two rather of what he had said a little before concerning the Incarnation and Humiliation of Jesus Christ whom he had in the former Chapter asserted to be the Son of God to prevent or heal any scandall or offence that either had already or might afterwards arise in the minds of these Hebrewes through the unlikelyhood strangenesse ot incrediblenesse of such a thing It is a saying among Philosophers and all men have experience in part of truth in it that a knowledge of the Reasons or Causes of things causeth admiration and so all troublesomenesse of thoughts about them to cease So then the Apostles drift and intent in the words mentioned being to satisfie the Hebrewes concerning such a strange wonderfull and unheard of a thing as 1. That the Son of God should be made Man and 2. That being made Man he should suffer death it is no wayes credible but that he should 1. Assigne such a cause as would carry the greatest weight of satisfaction in it and 2. expresse himself in such Perspicuity and Plainnesse of words that they might not lightly mistake his meaning lest if by occasion of his words they should first apprehend the Reason or Cause assign'd by him to be more weighty or considerable then he intended it and afterwards should come to understand that it was far lighter and lesse considerable their scandall and offence in stead of being healed or prevented would be more strengthened and increased as usually it comes to passe in such cases Now evident it is 1. That the Apostles words in this place that he through the Grace of God should taste death for every Man in the plainest the most obvious and direct sence and signification of them hold forth the Doctrine which we maintaine for Truth here being no restraint at all nor the least whispering of any limitation to be put upon that terme of universality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Man and 2. As evident it is that the Death of Christ for all Men without the exception of any which is the Doctrine we assert and the Grace of God so intending it amount to a far more weighty consideration and satisfaction touching those great dispensations spoken of the Incarnation and Humiliation of the Son of God then his dying only for a few or for a select number of men and the Grace of God commensureable hereunto Therefore there is not the least question to be made but that the large and not the limited sence was the Apostles sence in the words now under debate And when the Holy Ghost expresseth himself as we have heard that he through the Grace of God should taste death FOR EVERY MAN for any man to come and interpret thus for every Man i. e. for some men or for a few Men which if not for forme yet for matter and substance must be their interpretation who oppose the exposition given is not to interpret but to correct and to exercise a magisteriall authority over the Scriptures Nor had Pareus himself the heart to decline the interpretation asserted §. 9. though he seemes somewhat desirous by some expressions to hide this his ingenuity from his fellowes to avoide their offence Whereas saith he the Apostle saith for every Man it respects the amplification or extent of the Death of Christ HE DIED NOT FOR SOME FAVV the efficacy or vertue of it appertaines unto ALL. Therefore there is life prepared or made ready in the Death of Christ for ALL afflicted consciences a Quod dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad fructum mortis Christi amplificandum pertinet Non pro paucis aliquibus mortuns est sed ad omnes efficacia ejus pertinet Omnibus igitur afflictis conscientiis in morte Christi vita parata est c. c. The truth is that there can be no solid ground of Peace or Comfort to any afflicted conscience whatsoever without the supposall of Christs Death for every Man without exception as hath been argued in part Sect. 38. of the former Chapter and might be further evicted above all contradiction Amongst the Orthodox Fathers Chrysostome who as we heard avouched the exposition given of the former Scripture stands by his own judgement and mine in his explication of this That he through the Grace of God should taste Death for every man not only saith he for the faithfull or those that believe but for ALL THE WORLD He indeed died for ALL Men. For what if all Men doe not believe yet He hath done His part b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fully performed that which was proper for Him to do The Scripture next advancing in the forementioned troope was Who will §. 10. have ALL MEN to be saved speaking of God and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth b 1 Tim. 2. 4. Whereunto for conformity in import we shall joyn the last there specified which is this The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some Men count slacknesse but is long suffering to us-ward NOT WILLING THAT ANY should perish but that ALL should come to Repentance c 2 Pet. 3. 9. Concerning the former of these places we cleerly evinced in the first Section of this Chapter from the unquestionable tenor and carriage of the whole Context that by ALL Men cannot possibly be understood either some of all sorts of Men or Jewes and Gentiles or all the Elect or the like but of necessity All of All sorts of Men simply and universally without the exemption of any whether Jewes or Gentiles Any other interpretation or sence of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Men but this renders the Apostle palpably impertinent and weake that I say not ridiculous in his arguing in this place This I plainly demonstrate in the said Section I now add that if it may be said that God will have All Me◠to be saved because he will have some of All sorts of Men to be saved it may more properly and truly be said of him that he
duty to do is as properly his Will as that whereby he willeth or decreeth things to be done My Will or desire that my Child should obey me or that he should prosper in the World is as properly my Will as that whereby I Will or purpose to shew the respects of a Father unto him in providing for him being as proper naturall and direct an act of that Principle or Faculty of willing within me whereby I Will the latter as that act it self of this Faculty wherein I will the latter is For the Principle or Faculty within me of willing how numerous or different soever the acts of willing which I exert by vertue of this faculty may be is but one and the same And this faculty being naturall there can be no such difference between the acts proceeding from it which should make some to be more proper and others lesse though some may be better and others worse But this difference can have no place in the acts of the Will of God Therefore if the precept or preceptive Will of God be not properly his Will neither can any other Will of his or any other act of his Will be properly such If so then that Will of God or act of Will in God whereby he Willeth or injoyneth Faith and Repentance and consequently Salvation unto All men is as properly his Will as that whereby he willeth the Salvation of any Man Therefore if there be any secret or unrevealed Will in God whereby he willeth the destruction of any man at the same time when he willeth the Salvation of All men be it with what kinde of Will soever these two wills must needs enter-feere and contradict the one the other Nor will that distinction of the late mentioned Author salve a consistency between them wherein he distinguisheth between the Decree of God and the thing Decreed by him affirming that the thing which God Decreeth may be repugnant to or inconsistent with the thing which he commandeth though the Decree it self cannot be repugnant to the Command a Râ—m a Deo decretam cum re a Deo mandata pugnare posse dicimus decretum vero Dei cum mandato pugnare posse non dicimus Twissus ubi supra The vanity of this distinction cleerly appeareth upon this common ground viz. that Acts are differenced and distinguished by their Objects Therefore if the Object of Gods decreeing Will or the thing Decreed by him be contrary to the thing preceptively willed or commanded by him unpossible it is but that the two acts of his Will by the one of which he is supposed to will the one and by the other the other should digladiate and one fight against the other Therefore certainly there is no such paire or combination of wills in God as the distinction of voluntas signi and beneplaciti as applied in the question in hand doth suppose It is unpossible that I should inwardly and seriously will or desire the Death of my child and yet at the same time seriously also will and injoyn the Physician to doe his best to recover him Again if God injoyn Faith and Repentance unto All men with a declaration §. 15. that he injoyneth them in order to their Salvation or with a promise that upon their obedience to this injunction of His they shall be actually saved then can he not at the same time will with a secret will the condemnation of any But most evident it is that unto whomsoever he injoyneth Faith or Repentance he injoyneth them in order to their Salvation and with promise of actuall Salvation upon their obedience to this injunction Mar. 16. 16. Acts 3. 19. Joh. 20. 31. c. Therefore unpossible it is that he should secretly intend will or purpose the destruction of any to whom he injoyns Faith and Repentance The consequence in this argument is so rich in evidence that it needs no Proof If a Prince should inwardly and resolvedly determine to put such or such a Malefactor to death and yet by Proclamation or otherwise promise him his Life or a Pardon upon condition he would reform his course would this be a strain of Divine Perfection or like unto one of the Wayes of God There is a sence I confesse wherein the distinction now in consideration §. 16. may be admitted If by the signified or revealed Will of God be meant nothing else but such Declarations or Manifestations made by God which when made by men are signes of a Will Purpose or Desire in them suitable to their respective tenors and imports which is cleerly their sence of this member of the distinction who were the first coyners of it I mean the Schoolemen b Aqu. Sum. Part. 1. Qu. 19 Art 12. in Cor. there is no inconvenience in granting a revealed will in God distinguished from or opposed unto a will of good Pleasure or of Purpose in him This sence makes no opposition of Wills in God nor yet between things willed or purposed by him but only sheweth or supposeth that the will and good Pleasure in God extendeth not to the actuall Procurement of obedience from men unto all those Lawes or Commands which he judgeth meet to impose upon them or which is the same that God hath not positively decreed that all Men shall or shall be necessitated by him to live in subjection to all those Lawes which he hath appointed unto them This sence is orthodox and unblameable but holds no intelligence with that opinion which supposeth one will in God according unto which he willeth all Men to be saved and another according unto which he willeth the far greatest part of men to be damned and both antecedent For otherwise two such wills as these are fairely and cleerly enough consistent in him God according to the distinction of the Will of God into Antecedent and Consâ—quent first set on foot by some of the Fathers Chrysostome and Damascen by name and since made use of by the Schoolemen may with the former be said to will the Salvation of all Men and yet with the latter be said also in a sence to will the condemnation of far the greatest part of them His Antecedent Will the distinction being admitted as it ought to be having so cleer a foundation in Scripture respecteth men simply as men his Consequent Will relateth to them as considerable under the two opposite qualifications or immediate capacity of life and death or of Salvation and Condemnation the one of these being Faith persevered in unto Death the other finall impenitency or unbelief According to the former of these wills God is said to will the Salvation of all Men partly because he vouchsafeth a sufficiency of means unto all Men whereby to be saved partly also because he hath passed no Decree against any man which either formally or consequentially or in any consideration whatsoever excludeth any man personally considered from Salvation before he voluntarily excludeth himself by such sinfull miscarriages
Grace of Christ the Grace of Christ cannot be said to have profited Man-kinde more then the sin of Adam damnified it Yet again upon Verse 16 For whereas the World was lost or undone by the one sinne of Adam the Grace of Christ did not only abolish this sinne and that death which it brought upon the World but likewise tooke away an infinite number of other sinnes which we the rest of Men added to that first sinne * Cum enim ex uno Adae peccato orbis perditus sit gratia Christi non hoc soluÌ„ peccatum mortem quaÌ„ intulit abolevit sed simul infinita illa sustulit peccata quae reliqui homines primo illi peccato adjecimus The commensurablenesse of the Grace of Christ with the sin of Adam in respect of the number of Persons gratified by the one and damnified by the other cannot lightly be asserted in terms more significant Nor do the words following import any thing contrary hereunto wherein the Author addeth that the said Grace of Christ bringeth all that are of Christ into a full or Plenary justification For by a full or Plenary justification it is evident that he meanes an actuall justification yea as he explaines himself a little after that justification which shall be awarded unto the Saints at the great day of the Resurrection to the obtaining of which it is acknowledged that Men must receive a new being from Christ by Faith In what sence Christ abolished the inque plenam justificationem quotquot ex Christo sunt adduxit sin of Adam together with that Death which it brought into the World and so in what sence he is said to have brought Righteousnesse Justification and Salvation unto all Men remaines to be unfolded in due Place Upon the 17 Verse the aforesaid Author yet more cleerly attests the substance of our Interpretation where he gives an account how the Grace of Christ mâ—y be said to be of larger extent then the sin of Adam notwithstanding it be true that this grace took away nothing but what in a sence was the fruit and effect of his sin If we consider saith he that every particular Man by his transgressions increaseth the misery of Man-kinde and that whosoever sinneth doth no lesse hurt his Posterity then Adam did all Men it is a plaine case that the Grace of Christ hath removed more evils from Men then the sinne of Adam brought upon them For though there be no sinne committed in all the World which hath not its originall from that first sinne of Adam yet all particular Men who sinne as they sinne voluntarily and freely so do they make an addition of their own proper guilt and misery ALL WHICH EVILLS since the alone BENEFIT OF CHRIST HATH TAKEN AVVAY it must needs be that it hath taken away the sinnes of many and not of one only Manifest therefore it is that more evills have been removed by Christ then were brought in by Adam a Verum si consideramus singulos mortalium suis quoque transgressionibus maluÌ„ generis humaÌ„i auxisse non minùs quicunque peccant suis posteris nocere atque nocuit omnibus Adam in aperto est gratiam Christi plura depulisse ab hominibus mala quam Adâ— noxa intulerit Nam licet nihil in orbe peccatuÌ„ sit quod ex illo primo Adae lapsu non trahat originem tamen singuli qui peccant ut suâ quoque lâ—berâ voluntate peccant ita suum quoque adjiciunt reatum suam adferunt perniciem Quae omnia mala cum beneficium Christi solum sustulit certe jam multorum peccata sustulit non unius Adae Manifestum est igitur plura per Christum mala submota esse quà m Adam obtulerat And yet more plainely and expresly to the Point in hand if more may be upon Verse 18. The sence whereof he gives thus As by the fall of one sinne prevailed over all so as to make all liable unto condemnation so likewise the righteousnesse of one so far tooke place on the behalf of all Men that all Mâ—n may obtaine the justification of life thereby b Infert hic Apostolus repetit summat quae tribus praemissis collationibus disseruit haec scilicet Sicut ex unius lapsu peccatum in omnes invaluit ut reddiderit omnes condemnationi obnoxios sic etiam unius justiciam in omnes homines obtinuisse ut just ficatio vitae omnibus contingat By this time I suppose Bucer hath said enough both to assert the Interpretation of the Scripture in hand that hath been given as also the universality of Redemption by Christ The said Scripture calls for the sence and exposition asserted with such a §. 25. loud and distinct voyce that Gualter also another Divine of the same rank and quality with the former could not but hearken to it As by the offence of one saith he compleating the Apostles sentence and rendring his sence therein condemnation was propagated unto all Men So also by the righteousnesse of one Justification of life was propagated or imparted unto ALL MEN. Againe thus As by the offence of one Adam the judgement or guilt came upon all Men to condemnation so also by the righteousnesse of one Jesus Christ the Gift or Benefit of God abounded unto ALL MEN to Justification of life a Itaque quâ—madmodum per unius offensam in omnes homines pro pagataest coÌ„demnatio sic etiam per unius justiciam in omnes homines propagata est Justificatio vitae Sicuti per unius Adami offensam judicium sive reatus venit in omnes homines ad condemnationem sic etiam per unius Jesus Christi justiciam donum sive beneficium Dei redundavit in omnes homines ad justificationem vitae Any Man that shall reade with a single eye what Calvin himself hath written upon the said Contexture of Scriptures cannot judge him an adversary to the Premised Exposition Paul saith he upon Verse 15. simply teacheth that the amplitude or compasse of the Grace purchased by Christ is greater then of the condemnation contracted by the first Man b Sed simpliciter majorem gratiae per Christum acquisitae amplitudinem esse docet quà m contractae per primum hominem damnationis Not long after The sum of all comes to this that Christ overcomes Adam the righteousness of Christ vanquisheth Adams sinne Adams malediction or curse is overwhelmed with Christs Grace the Death which proceeded from Adam is swallowed up by that Life which comes from Christ c Huc autem summa tendit quia Christus Adamum superat Hujus peccatum illius vincit justicia hujus maledictio illius obruitur gratiâ ab hoc mors profectâ— illius vitâ absorbetur Doubtlesse if the curse brought upon Men by Adam prevailes and remaines still untaken off upon far the greatest part of Men it is not over-whelmed with the Grace of Christ nor is the
Death which proceeded from him swallowed up by the Life of Christ if still it reignes and magnifies it selfe over and against far greater numbers of Men then the Life it self of Christ preserves or delivers from it Upon Verse 18. he Presenteth his thoughts in these words He Paul makes Grace COMMON UNTO ALL MEN because it is exposed unto or laid within the reach of All Men not because it is in the reality of it extended unto all Men i. e. not because it is accepted or received by all Men as the words following plainely shew For saith he though CHRIST SVFFERED FOR THE SINNES OF THE WHOLE WORLD and through the Goodnesse or Bounty of GOD be offered unto all Men yet all Men doe not take or lay hold on Him d Communem omnium gratiam facit quia omnibus exposita est non quod ad omnes extendatur reipsa Nam etsi passus est Christus pro peccatis totius mundi atque omnibus indifferenter Dei benignitate offertur non tamen omnes apprehendunt So that if Calvin would but quit himself like a Man and stand his own ground he would Remonstrate as stoutly as Corvine or Arminius himselfe CHAP. VII The third sort or consort of Scriptures mentioned Cap. 5. Sect. 5. as clearely asserting the Doctrine hitherto Maintained Argued and Managed to the same Point WE shall not need I conceive to insist upon a Particular examination §. 1. of these Scriptures one by one the Method observed by us in handling the two former Partees because they are more apparantly uniform and consenting in their respective importances then they In which respect a cleer and thorough Discussion of any one of them or a diligent Poyseing of the common tendency and import of them all will be sufficient to evince their respective compliances with the cause in hand The Prospect of these Texts is this And him that commeth unto me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. HE that believeth in me shall never thirst Verse 35. HE that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved Mar. 16. 16. that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish c. Joh. 3. 16. that through his Name WHOSOEVER believeth in him shall receive remission of sinnes Acts 10 43. Even the righteousnesse of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ UNTO ALL and UPON ALL who believe for ALL have sinned c. Rom. 3. 22 23. to omit very many others of like tenor and import In all these Scriptures with their fellowes evident it is that Salvation is §. 2. held forth and Promised by God unto all without exception that shall believe yea that it is Offered and Promised unto all Men upon the condition of believing whether they believe or no. So that upon such Declarations of the gracious and good Pleasure of God towards the universality of Men as these the Ministers of the Gospell or any other Men may with truth and ought of duty upon occasion say to every Particular Soul of Man under Heaven If thou believest thou shall be saved even as Paul saith that he preached Christ admonishing EVERY MAN and teaching EVERY MAN in all wisdome that he might present EVERY MAN perfect in Christ Jesus a Colos 1. 28. Yea this Apostle speaking of God Himself saith that he admonisheth all Men every where to repent b Acts 17. 30. Now if the Gospell or God in the Gospell offereth Salvation unto all Men without exception and insureth it accordingly upon their believing certainly he hath it to bestow upon them in case they doe See more of this Cap. 8. Sect. 31. believe otherwise he should offer or Promise that unto them which he hath not for them nor is able to confer upon them though they should believe If he hath Salvation for them or to bestow upon them upon their believing he must have it in Christ because he hath no other treasury or store-house of Salvation but only Christ Neither is there Salvation in any other c. Acts 4. 12. If God hath Salvation in Christ for all Men Christ must needs have Bought and Purchased it for them with his Blood in as much as there is no Salvation no not in Christ Himself without or otherwise then by Remission of sins nor any Remission of sinnes in or by Him without shedding of blood Therefore all those Scriptures wherein God Promiseth and ascertaineth Salvation unto all Men without exception upon their believing are Pregnant with this truth that Christ layd down his Life for the Salvation of all and every Man If it be here replied and said but though God in the Gospell offers Salvation §. 3. unto all Men and Promiseth Salvation unto all Men upon condition of their believing respectively yet knowing certainly before hand that none will believe but only such and such by Name as viz. those for whom there is Salvation Purchased by Christ he may upon a sufficient ground and with security enough Promise Salvation unto all men upon condition they will believe I answer Though God by meanes of the certainty of such his knowledge may without danger of failing in Point of Promise-keeping or of being taken at his word to his dishonour Promise Salvation unto all Men without exception upon the terms specified though it should be supposed that Christ hath not Purchased Salvation for all Men yet upon such a supposition as this he cannot either with honour otherwise or with truth make any such Offer or Promise Not with honour because for a Man that is generally and certainly known to be worth but only one thousand Pounds in estate to offer or Promise an hundered thousand Pounds to any Man that shall be willing to serve him or to doe such or such a courtesie for him though he knew certainly that no Man would accept his offer in either of these kinds yet would such an Offer or Promise be matter of disparagement to him in the sight of wise and understanding Men yea render them little other then ridiculous In like manner it being supposed by our Antagonists in the cause now under Plea that God hath declared it unto all the World in his Gospell that Christ hath died but for a few Men in comparison and consequently that himself hath Salvation only for a few in case he should Promise Salvation unto all Men without exception upon what account service or condition soever must needs turne to dishonour in the highest unto him and represent him unto his Creature extremely unlike to himselfe Suppose the Devill had certainly known as very possibly he might that the Lord Christ would not have fallen down and worshipped him upon any terms or conditions whatsoever would this have excused him from vanity in Promising him all the Kingdomes of the World upon such a condition when as all the world knew that not one of these Kingdomes were at his disposall Again 2. neither can God nor any Minister of the Gospell say with
for whom Christ Died or no and consequently the Apostle may upon a good account admonish them to take heed of destroying such I Answer it can at no hand be supposed that the Persons here admonished should be ignorant whether the Men about whose destruction they are so deeply cautioned by the Apostle be of the number of those for whom Christ Died because the Apostle himself so plainely and positively asserteth it for whom saith he Christ Died. Besides the maine strength and stresse of the argument or motive by which he inforceth the dehortation standeth in this that those Persons whosoever they be whose Salvation they shall endanger by eating things sacrificed to Idolls are of those for whom Christ Died. Now to presse an exhortation or dehortation upon the consciences of Men by such a motive wherein these Men shall be supposed ignorant whether there be any Truth or no is to fight with a wooden Sword especially when it shall be yet further supposed that such Men are under an absolute incapacity of ever knowing whether there be any Truth or no in this motive which must needs be the case here if we shall suppose there be any number of Men for whom Christ Died not For unpossible it is and so generally confest to be for one man certainly to know the Truth of Grace or Faith in another and much more to know the certainty of his Preseverance unto the end and consequently according to the Principles of Anti-universalisme for any Man to know whether Christ Died for any Man in Particular and by Name but Himself Therefore most certaine it is that there is a possibility for those to perish and be destroyed for whom Christ Died or notwithstanding Christs Dying for them And if so then Christs dying for Men doth not suppose a necessity of their Salvation and if so then Christ Died as well for those who may not be saved and shall not be saved as for those who may and shall and consequently for all Men for they who may and shall be saved and they who may not neither shall be saved together comprehend all Men whatsoever The Exposition of the Scripture in hand as importing the Death of Christ §. 5. for those who yet may be destroyed and perish is so pregnant with evidence and truth that it hath subdued the judgements of all Expositors I meet with unto it And Christ verily saith Chrysostome upon the place refused not neither to be made a servant nor to die for him and wilt not thou so much as neglect thy belly to save him For although Christ was not like to win or gain all Men yet did He die for all Men so fulfilling that which appertained to Him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in order to the procuring of their Salvation Our late Protestant Expositors follow in the same path Another consideration saith Calvin wherein the offence of the Brethren renders the use of things in themselves good vicious or faulty is that in wounding a weake conscience the price of the Blood of Christ is dissipated or dissolved for even the most contemptible Brother or member of a Christian society is Redeemed by the Blood of Christ therefore a very unworthy thing it is that he should be destroyed for the satisfaction of any Mans belly b Altera ratio est quòd dum vulneratur infirma conscientia dissipatur pretium sanguinis Christi nam contemptissimus frater Christi sanguine est Redemptus indignum est ergo ut perdatur quo ventri satisfiat I trust that from henceforth no Man that shall reade these passages from his Pen will say but that Calvin cleerly held a possibility of the destruction of such Men for whom Christ Died and consequently that Christ Died for more then shall be saved and if so for all as we formerly argued He saith Peter Martyr meaning Christ hath REDEEMED Him wilt §. 6. thou DESTROY him speaking of the Apostles weake Brother He hath shed his Life Soule and Blood for thy Brother canst not thou for his sake abstaine from a poore peece of Meat Therefore the clear sence of this Orthodox man is that the Redeemed of Christ may perish and be destroyed If the Salvation of our Brethren saith M. Bucer on the place be to be procured by us by the laying down of our lifes and nothing be to be respected in comparison thereof how impious and accursed a thing is it that any Man should destroy a Brother for Meate He had said immediately before If we follow Christ He for the rescuing or saving our Brethren suffered Death therefore we also ought to lay down our lives for the Salvation of the Brethren and to abhor the destroying of a Brother more then Death a Jam si salus fratrum etiam nobis morte nostrâ paranda est nec quicquam illi non post habendum quà m impium execrandum sit si quis perdat fratrem cibo c. Si Christum sequimur ille pro adserendis fratribus nostris oppetiit mortem nobis igitur pro salute fratrum ponenda anima est morteque magis aversandum fratrem perdere Therefore he also plainly supposeth that even such a Brother may be destroyed and that for meate for whom Christ Died. Musculus speakes by the same spirit with the former To this grieving of the Brethren the Apostle aptly subjoynes the destruction of those who are offended at the unadvised liberty of those that are strong For the minde being thus grieved as being weak easily falls to this point viz. to begin by little and little being shaken through a sinister suspicion to fall away from Christianity and FROM TRVE FAITH b Commodè subiicit huic contristationi perditionem eorum qui temerariâ fortium libertate offenduntur Animus enim ad hunc modum contristatus tanquam infirmus facile eò labitur ut incipiat sensim per sinistram suspicionem labe factatus deficere a Christianismo à vera fide In which words the Author cleerly avoucheth the opinion of those not only who hold that those may be destroyed for whom Christ Died but theirs also whose judgement stands for a possibility of falling away and that to destruction from true Faith But as to the former point he speaks more significantly a little after the former words It is all one as if the Apostle should say Christ would have him saved and sought it by his Death but thou doest not only despise thy Brother but opposest Christ also and makes void or of none effect through thy rashness and that for the sake of Meate that DEATH of His which He under went FOR HIS SAKE and by which thou thy self also art saved c Idem est hoc ac si dicat Christus voluit hunc salvum idque suâ morte quaesivit tu verò non solum fratrem contemnis sed Christo repugnas mortem ipsius quam illius gratiâ subijt quâ
tu servatus es tuâ temeritate iâ—que cibi gratiâ inanem reddis Nor doth B. Aretius break ranke but marcheth in close order with his fellowes The Apostles argument saith he is from the effects Thou destroyest him with the use of things indifferent whom Christ redeemed by His Death What madnesse is that And soone after Meate haply preserves thy life but Christ died for him whom thou slayest not by dying but by living what cruelty is this d Ab effectis argumentum est usum rerum mediarum perdis quem Christus redemit suâ morte quae illa est insania Cibus tibi vitam conservat fortè sed Christus pro illo mortuus est quem tu occîdis non moriendo sed vivendo magna est illa crudelitas Let R. Gualter bring up the reere for saying the Apostle in this teacheth §. 8. that Christ Himselfe is sinned against yea and that the Merit of His Death is overthrown when we destroy Him whom He by His Death and Blood hath vindicated or restored unto life e Ita verò in ipsum Christum peccari docet adeoque meritum mortis ejus everti quando eum nos perdimus quem ille per mortem sanguinem suum in vitam asseruit Here are many witnesses though many more might readily be summoned in with the same evidence and those of the first-borne qualification for Authority and credit in such cases I meane men orthodox and sound in the judgement of those who assume the same honour unto themselves and who are the high opposers of the Doctrine under Protection in the present discourse speaking the same things plainly expressly and without Parable with the Assertors of this Doctrine Neither indeed could they or any other Man having such Scriptures before them as that last insisted upon with the former to order their judgements and thoughts conceive or speak otherwise with any tolerable ingenuity or without some such winking with the eyes which is unworthy men pretending friendship to the Truth But let us hear what the Spirit of God saith further in the Point The next Scripture lately directed unto was 1 Cor. 8. 11. And through thy §. 9. knowledge or through thy Meate as Chrysostome reads the place shall the weake Brother perish for whom Christ Died. Some copies read the words with an interrogation and thus either our English Translators or Printers or both deliver them unto us others assertively This difference in the pointing makes none in the matter or substance of the Doctrine contained in the words Only the interrogative is more piercing and provoking to the consideration of the Truth imported The tenor of the place is the same in effect with that last opened and cleerly supposeth upon the account given in the traverse of that Scripture that such a Person may miscarry in the great businesse of Salvation notwithstanding Christs laying down His Life for him The Reader is desired to revise our debate upon the former Place for His satisfaction herein unlesse haply the consent of the best Interpreters in that behalf will balance that accommodation Thy Lord and Master saith Chrysostome on the place refused not to die for him but thou makest no reckoning of him no not so much as to abstraine from a polluted table for his sake but sufferest him to PERISH AFTER SALVATION PROCVRED FOR HIM upon such terms And soon after So that here are foure accusations or matters of charge and these exceeding high 1. That He is a Brother 2. That He is weake 3. That He is one WHOM CHRIST SO HIGHLY PRIZED AS EVEN TO DIE FOR HIM 4. That after all this HE PERISHETH for Meate a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The expressnesse of the words over-ruled even Calvins Pen also to an Assertion §. 10. of the same Truth He is indeed weake whom thou despisest but yet a Brother for God hath adopted him Therefore cruell art thou who hast no care of thy Brother But that which followes is yet more pressing viz. that even those that are rude or weake are redeemed by the Blood of Christ For there is nothing of greater unworthinesse then that Christ should not scruple to die that the weak might not perish and we in the meane time lightly esteeme the Salvation of those who have been Redeemed at so great a price A memorable saying whereby we are taught how highly we ought to value the Salvation of our Brethren and of these not only as considered in the lump or in the generall but of every one of them in particular in as much as CHRISTS BLOOD WAS SHED FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM b Est quidem infirmus queÌ„ tu contâ—mnis sed tamen frater nam cum adoptavit Deus Crudelis eâ— igitur qui fratris curaÌ„ non habes Sed vehementius etiaÌ„ num quod sequitur rudes quoque aut infirmos Christi sanguine redemptos esse Nihil enim indignius quà m ChristuÌ„ non dubitâsse mori ne infirmi perirent nos floccipendere eoruÌ„ salutem qui tanto pretio redempti sunt DictuÌ„ memorabile qâ—o doceneur quanti nobis esse debeat fratruÌ„ salus nec omniuÌ„ modo sed singuloruÌ„ quando pro unoquoque est â—usus Christi sanguis Nor can it reasonably be pretended that by the Brethren for every of which he saith the Blood of Christ was shed he meanes only the Elect. For evident it is that he speaks of the generality of Professors who were joyned in externall communion with the Churches of Christ many of whom he could not but know were not Elect at least in the sence of such pretenders Aretius worketh the place thus Here is another fruit or effect of that licentious liberty greater then the former For the former only was that by means of such an example Men were strengthened in an evill error but here he sheweth that he that is weak is even destroyed And presently after In conclusion this practise mightily differs from the example of Christ for He died for the weak sinner c a Alter fructus est licentiae illius superiori aliquantò gravior Nam prior fructus saltem erat quòd in malo errore confirmarentur hujus exemplo Hic autem quod etiam perdatur indicat nec simpliciter sed qui infirmus est Denique factum hoc vehementer discrepat ab exâ—mplo Christi is mortuus est pro peccatore infirmo So that this Expositor also clearly supposeth that men may destroy him for whom Christ Died. Nor doth learned Musculus vary an haires bredth from the import of these things upon the place demanding thus How I pray can he be excused who for meats sake destroyeth him whom Christ redeemed with his Blood And not long after what greater sin can be committed against Christ then to slay or destroy Him for whom He Himself Died b Quomodo quaeso excusari potest qui cibi gratiâ eum perdit quem Christus
I meane with the Blood of Christ nor that this their tasting of the Word of Life was the formall or precise consideration under which Christ bought them though the Particle as frequently imports this consideration As well the one as the other of these sences are the abhorrings of common sence it selfe and besides they are at enmity with the Principles of the Author relating to the businesse in hand Nor am I conscious of any thing at all intended in the Clause unlesse haply this may be it viz. that in as much as they tasted of the Word of Life it is an argument that they were bought with Christs Blood i. e. that they were Partakers in the Fruit and Benefit of Christs Death or that the intentions of God in the Death of Christ extended thus far or in this consideration unto them But can it enter into any reasonable Mans thoughts to imagine that if this had been all which the Holy Ghost intended to say viz. That God intended by the vertue or meanes of Christs Death to cause these Men to taste of the Word of Life especially with exclusion of all intentions in Him to save them that He would have expressed it by saying that Christ bought them Suppose a Man should buy or procure such a quantity of Meat and Drink for a poor captive as were sufficient to nourish him well and with good satisfaction two or three dayes but should intend no such thing as to purchase his Liberty or Redemption from captivity will any Man call this a buying or Redeeming of the Person of this Man It is a very strange thing to observe with what importune bold and broad fac'd absurdities error sometimes though in company and conjunction with modesty and sobernesse of judgement will attempt an escape out of an exigency or straite But further to the Point in hand evident it is as hath been already observed that the Apostle in these words who bought them intends an emphaticall aggravation of the sin of such Teachers who should deny their Lord. Now if there were nothing more intended in the said words but only this that their Lord procured this for them that they should taste of the Word of Life but intended nothing further or better then this to them this would be so far from aggravating the sin mentioned that it would rather ease and qualifie it For if there was nothing purchased for them by the Lord Christ but only this tasting of the Word of Life unpossible it was for them to have obtained any thing more weake and sinfull Man being in no capacity of obtaining more good in any kinde then what a way hath been opened for him in and by the Death of Christ to compasse Now for a Man to taste only of the Word of Life and to be in no capacity of making any further progresse in the way of Salvation nay to be in no capacity of doing that by which he might be actually saved no whit bettereth or sweeteneth any Mans condition but makes it much worse and much more grievous then otherwise it would have been Better it had been saith our Apostle afterwards in the same Chapter for them not to have known the way of righteousnesse i. e. to taste of the Word of Life then after they have known it to turne from the holy Commandement delivered unto them which yet they must of necessity doe if they were in no capacity under no possibility of going forward or of being saved Now for a servant to deny or disclaime his Lord in case he never intended to make his condition any whit better but in many respects worse is a far lesser and lighter sin if any at all then it would be to deny Him upon a supposition that he had never done any thing at all in relation to Him neither good nor bad Therefore this Author is inextricably intangled with his exposition of the place in hand and makes no earnings of it at all He gives no tolerable account how those Teachers who brought swift destruction upon themselves should be bought by Christ inchoately only and in a sort and not simply and absolutely after the same manner and upon the same termes that all other Men yea the Elect themselves are bought by Him Our English Annotators taking no notice of the former Exposition of the §. 33. place as being it seemes to them inconsiderable give us in stead thereof our choyce of two others but both of them calculated likewise to serve the turne not the truth The Lord that bought them i. e. say they that gave a price sufficient for them Or by whom they professed that they were Redeemed and therefore they should not have denied Him But for the former we have once again razed to the ground the polluted Sanctuary of that Distinction which asserteth Christs Dying sufficiently for Men and yet denieth His Dying intentionally for them a Cap 5. Sect. 39 40. c. Again Cap. 7. Sect. 5. Besides here to interpret that Christ Died sufficiently for the persons spoken of without supposing that He died intentionally also for them is cleerly to overthrow the Apostles intention in the words and to turne his aggravation of the sin he speaks of rather into an extenuation then otherwise For he that shall pay that for the ease and benefit only of another which was sufficient to have pleasured and eased me also as well as him and yet shall neglect me in such a payment and leave me in misery when as he might without the least trouble or charge to himself above what he underwent upon another account have relieved me hath no cause to expect service or thanks from me for such a payment but I am the more excuseable if I neglect him or refuse to own him as a friend because he neglected me in my greatest extremity and that when he had such a faire opportunity of a miserable to have made me an happy Man and might have done it without the least inconvenience to himself more then what he voluntarily put himself upon for the sake of others to whom he was no whit more beholding or ingaged then unto me It is a palpably-importune and sencelesse conceit to think that men are engaged in any bands of thankfulnesse or service unto Christ for dying sufficiently for them unlesse He died intentionally also The latter Exposition of the last named Author◠〈◊〉 that the Lord Chris◠§. 34. is said to have bought these false Teachers beca 〈…〉 they professed themselves to have been bought by him But 1. why doe they â—ot put such a glosse as this upon other places where there is every whit as much reason to do it as here As when Paul saith For God hath not appointed us unto wrath but to obtaine Salvation a 1 Thess 5 9 c. why do they not interpret here For God hath not appointed us c. i. e. WE PROFESSE that God hath not appointed us c. So when the
Proves an Hypocrite is not any deficiency in the Blood there Presented unto Him by way of antidote and for his cleansing but his own negligence and unfaithfulnesse to his own Soule yet the Sanctification spoken of in the Scripture in Hand is not attributed to the Loosenesse or Hollow-heartednesse of the Person in whom it was found but to the Blood of the Covenant it selfe Now that which is the Proper and genuine effect of this blood cannot be any Hypocriticall or meere outside thing And however were this Sanctification an Hypocriticall or meere-outside thing and so an occasionall effect only of the blood of the Covenant yet would the consideration hereof be no just or fitting matter whereby to aggravate the sin of him that should despise this Blood Though I may be guilty and an offender in an high degree to remaine an Hypocrite or a false-hearted Man under meanes so efficacious and Proper to make me sound and upright Hearted as the Gospell and the Blood of the Covenant held forth therein are yet the consideration of my remaining an Hypocrite in this case is no ground why I should be judged either by my self or others the greater sinner for despising these meanes It is rather an extenuation as hath been said of my sin in this kinde then otherwise to consider that though this Blood of the Covenant be a very Efficacious and Proper meanes to make me sound-Hearted and sincere yet it is not so Efficacious and Powerfull in this kinde as actually to subdue and overcome the Hypocrisie and Wickednesse of my Soule without mine own endevours in concurrence with it Therefore certainly the Apostle would never instance in a counterfeit unsound or imperfect Sanctification wrought or occasioned by the blood of the Covenant to aggravate the sin of such a Person who should despise it by Apostatizing from the Profession of it But 4. And lastly suppose the Scripture in Hand should be conceived to speak of an outward formall Sanctification which consists in a civill or morall Reformation of the outer Man which yet the scope of the Place will at no hand as hath been argued admit yet it sufficiently reacheth in Point of Proof that which is intended from it viz. that Christ Died for those that Perish For this Sanctification of what kinde soever it be be it shadow or be it substance is ascribed to the Blood of the Covenant i. e. the Blood of Christ wherein God covenanteth Life and Salvation unto the World upon their believing as the efficient cause or means of it Therefore this Blood howsoever was shed for those that may and do Perish If it be said it 's true it was shed for such Men with such an intent on §. 52. Gods Part as this that they should be externally cleansed by it and outwardly sanctified but not that they should be really and internally Sanctified or in fine saved by it I answer 1. That the strength of this Objection hath been already troden down in this Chapter a Sect. 29 30 c. 2. I here add that if God intended an externall Sanctification only by the Death of Christ for the Persons mentioned in the Objection then were His intentions in Christs Death in reference to these Men rather grievous then gracious bent upon the aggravation and increase of their condemnation not upon the advance of their Salvation and Christ Himself should come unto them not that they might have life more abundantly but that they might have Hell and Death more abundantly whereas most certaine it is that God sent not His Sonne into the World to condemne the World much lesse to increase the condemnation of the World but that the World that is as we formerly made good the interpretation b Cap. 5. Sect. 10. 15 c. the generality of Men might be saved 3. and lastly If Christ Died for these Men to invest them with an externall Sanctification to make them outwardly holy I would know whether together with this outward Sanctification He did intend to Procure for them by His Death an inward Principle answerable to it out of which it should flow If so if He did intend to Procure by His Death an inward suitable Principle for these Men out of which that outward Sanctification should flow then certainly He did intend to Procure them a true and reall Sanctification For what can we imagine a true and reall Sanctification should be more then a righteous blamelesse innocent and Christian Conversation issuing from an inward Principle suitable to it If it be said no Christ did not intend by His Death to Procure for these Men any such inward Principle as you speake of but only that outward conformity to the Wayes and Lawes of Christian Religion then it will follow that Christ Died with an intention to make Men Hypocrites or to Procure Hypocrisie for Men. Because a faire shew in outward Practises and Religious deportments without an inward Principle and frame of Heart answerable to them and which ariseth out of an hollow and unsanctified Heatt is Hypocrisie and that in the Plainest and most obvious signification of the Word Therefore certainly Christ did not shed His Blood to Purchase any such Sanctification for Men which some conceive to be meant in the Scripture in hand Christ in Dying for Men intended nothing for Men but that which is true reall and saving in the Nature and Proper tendency of it Intentions of making Men hypocrites or Christians by halves in one kinde or other are more fitting for Satan then for Christ How little danger there is or rather what Precious advantage there is for the comfort Peace and Edification of true Christian Soules in that Interpretation of this Place which by Sanctification understands a true and reall Sanctification above any thing that is in the contrary we shall God willing demonstrate in the next Chapter In the meane time I desire the Reader will please to understand this that §. 53. the interpretation asserted and which understands the Scripture in hand of a true and reall Sanctification is no slip of Remonstrantisme but attested by very Orthodox Men as the word now ruleth Calvin himselfe writeth nothing upon the Place but of good accord with it By a comparison of the benefits saith he speaking of what Men received by Moses under the Law and what Christians now under the Gospell receive by Christ he aggravates the ingratitude of Men. It is a very unworthy thing to profane the Blood of Christ which is the matter he meanes the Principall or most materiall cause of OVR SANCTIFICATION Yet this they doe who apostatize from Faith A little after But he the Apostle takes notice of the manner how the Covenant is confirmed unto us when he saith we are sanctified because the Blood shed would profit us nothing unlesse we were watered or sprinkled therewith by the Holy Ghost From hence commeth Expiation and Holinesse a Comparatione beneficiorum ingratitudinem auget
and all other reasonings and demands of like import with them I Answer 1. To be in danger of falling away and to be under a Possibility of falling away are two very different things at least if we take the word danger in the common which yet is the Proper Notion and signification of it viz. as it imports a Probability or likelyhood of evill to befall those that are said to be in danger A man that is in danger Properly so called of suffering evill if the evill be great cannot well injoy himself with much Comfort or Peace whilest the danger continues But he that is only in a possibility of suffering evill especially being sufficiently Provided of meanes whereby to prevent the comming of the evill upon him if he please is fully capable of injoying himself upon the richest and best terms of security that are competiable to a Creature Nor are men wont to be troubled with the lightest grudgings of feare in respect of such an evill though very grievous in the Kinde and Nature of it which may very possibly befall them in case they may with ordinary care keep themselves from it Men may very possibly fall into the fire and be burnt into the water and be drowned from the tops of Houses or Steeples and be dash'd in peeces yet no man lives ever a whit the more uncomfortably or under any kinde of feare because they live under a Possibility of suffering these great evills The reason of their security in this kinde is because they know that God hath given them reason and understanding sufficient to preserve themselves from them In like manner God having vouchsafed unto the Saints meanes abundantly sufficient to preserve themselves from Apostasie and consequently from Perishing so that they need not either Apostatize or Perish except themselves please there is no occasion at all much lesse any necessity why they should live any whit the more uncomfortably or abate so much as the least haire of their Head in confidence of being saved only because they are under a Possibility of Declining and so of Perishing The Apostle Paul acknowledgeth himself to have been under a Possibility of being made a Reprobate or cast-away lest saith he having Preached unto others I my self should prove or become a cast-away a 1 Cor. 9. 27 yet at what an excellent rate and height of comfort yea of joy unspeakeable and glorious did he live I am perswaded saith he that neither Death nor Life nor Angells nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shalâ— be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord b Rom. 8. 38 39. That which ministred unto him the ground-worke of this most raised and blessed confidence notwithstanding the Possibility he was under of being made a cast-away was partly that cleare and certaine knowledge which he had of the unchangeable Purpose of God to give Salvation unto all those who should Persevere in Faith and Holinesse unto the end parâ—ly also the like knowledge of the bounty of God towards all His Saints in vouchsafing unto them so rich and full a Proportion of meanes as he doth whereby to Persevere accordingly Thus then we see that the Doctrine of falling away teaching only a Possibility hereof and so of Perishing is no Doctrine of uncomfortableness nor necessarily occasioneth the least fear in men of falling away or of Perishing 2. Suppose for Argument sake the Doctrine of Perseverance should §. 22. be subscribed unto and that absolute assurance of Salvation granted unto Believers which this Doctrine pretends to give unto them yet will not that conditionall assurance which the other Dostrine affords unto them fall much short of it yea in most respects some whereof have been already touched it will be found in order to their Comfort and Peace greater then it Put case I were a man who very much desired to live long in the World and God should please to grant me a Lease or Assurance of my life for a thousand years only upon condition that I should not willfully destroy myself as either by thrusting a Sword through my own bowels or by casting my self headlong from some high Tower or by taking Poyson known to me for such before hand with the like would I not upon the matter be as well satisfied with such a conditionall Lease or Grant as this as with one that should be absolute and wherein my life should be assured unto me against all possible attempts to be made by my self to destroy it Doubtless if it were simply long life which I desired the former grant would be as satisfactory unto me as the latter Indeed if besides the security of my life and of the continuance of it for such a terme I should wantonly or vaine gloriously desire to shew desperate tricks without fear or danger as to take Lyons by the beards or Beares by the pawes to treade upon Cockatrices to wash in cauldrons of boyling Lead or the like then the latter grant would accommodate me better then the former In like manner if it be simply and singly the Salvation of my soule which I desire and the certainty or assurance hereof such a conditionall Promise made unto me by God as this that saved I shall certainly be if I will but quit my self like a Man abstaine from foolish lusts and not with the Dog returne againe to my vomit or with the Swine that hath been washed to my wallowing in the mire such a Promise I say as this is security in abundance unto me in that behalf But if my desire be over and above the saving of my soule to live loosely and prophanly to disport my self in all manner of sin and wickedness to affront the Heavens and bid defiance to the Almighty and laugh Jesus Christ and His Gospell in the face to scorne or the like without running the hazard of losing my soule then I confesse only such a Grant or Promise of Salvation from God as the Doctrine of absolute Perseverance demands would satisfie and content me and furnish me with that assurance which I desire So that the most express and evident truth is that there is nothing more in that assurance of Salvation which the Doctrine of absolute Perseverance pretends unto then in that which the Doctrine of falling away or of conditionall Perseverance indulgeth unto the Saints but only a liberty or fearlesseness of sinning And whether men may not be of a free ingenuous and Son-like spirit without a liberty or boldness of sinning yea whether such a liberty as this will consist with that spirit I freely refer to the Determination of any man who hath been never so little baptised into the spirit whereby the Saints cry Abba Father 3. That Doctrine which is efficacious and proper to cut off and prevent §. 23. all those occasions and miscarriages from which troubles of Conscience doubtings
deliberate or elective Act of the will of man cannot be said to be positively peremptorily or absolutely Decreed by God nor is it any other in the Nature and Condition of it then what may very possibly not be Now certaine it is that the use of means to prevent seduction in the Elect is such an Act or series of Actions which depends upon the deliberate Act of their will at least so far that it can never take place or be without a deliberate concurrency hereof If it be yet further said Though the use of means to prevent seduction in §. 17. the Elect depends upon the deliberate motions and actings of their wills thus far that it cannot take place or be performed without them yet may it have such a relation unto or dependance upon the absolute will or decree of God which shall give certainty and infallibility of being unto it notwithstanding For God is able so to interpose by His excellency of Power in all the deliberations of Men as to carry and fix the issues and determinations of them which way and upon what He pleaseth To this I answer that the Question is not what God is able by the excellency of His Power to doe in this kinde but what He is pleased to doe or what He hath decreed to doe out of the Counsell and Liberty of His Will And that which we affirme and plead in the cause depending is not that God is not able to determine the wills of the Elect to the use of means proper and sufficient to prevent their being deceived but that He hath no where declared Himself willing oâ— resolved to doe it and consequently that it is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a conceit above what is written to think that He doth it Therefore untill it be proved either from the Scriptures or by the light of some solid demonstration otherwise that God hath absolutely Decreed the non-seduction of the Elect we still speak of a seduction to destruction or which is the same upon our Adversaries Grant and Plea lately mentioned the determination of their wills to the use of means necessary to secure them against seduction we judge our selves free in Conscience to deny the pretended impossibility of the Saints deception or seduction Another Scripture much discoursed in the behalf of the common Doctrine §. 18. of Perseverance is 1 Pet. 1. 5. who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation From hence it is frequently concluded that they who once truly believe and are regenerate Verse 3. are kept by the ingagement of the Mighty Power of God from falling away to destruction I Answer 1. That it is not here said that regenerate Men are kept simply and absolutely by the Power of God unto Salvation but that they are kept by the Power of God THROVGH FAITH unto Salvation Which plainly implieth that the Power of God here spoken of ingageth for no Mans preservation or safeguarding unto Salvation but by the mediation of Faith or any whit longer then their Faith shall continue Now here being nothing said or implied touching the certainty of the continuance of the Faith of the Saints unto the end nor concerning any ingagement of the Power of God for the Perpetuation thereof evident it is that nothing can be concluded from hence for the establishment of the said Doctrine of Perseverance But 2. For the cleer sence and importance of the place it is this that Men once begotten by God to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Have or may Have the greatest security which the infinite Power of God can afford that persevering in that Faith from whence this hope issueth unto the end they shall be saved The place according to this interpretation runs parallel in sence and import with these and their fellowes But he that shall endure to the end shall be saved a Mat. 24. 13 viz. against all opposition nnd contradiction of impediments whatsoever Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life b Revel 2. 10 So with that lately opened upon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it c Mat. 16. 18 to which you may add Joh. 10. 18 19. Eph. 1. 19. with many others This exposition perfectly accords with Bullingers Commentary upon the place In the meane time saith He let this suffice us that eternall happinesse is in safety for us or to us which no either Man or Devill can intercept or deprive us of unlesse Faith failes us wherewith neglecting the things which mortall Men so much seek after let us wholly depend upon Heaven d Nobis interim sit satis quôd aeterna faeâ—icitas nobis est in tuto quam nullus hominum aut daemonum possit intercipere modò ne eos nos deficiat fides quâ neglectis rebus mortalium totipendeamus à coelo In the clause modo ne nos deficiat fides so that Faith faile â—â— not He clearly supposeth 1. A possibility that our present Faith may faile us 2. That in case it shall faile us we may perish notwithstanding any thing here delivered by the Apostle concerning our being kept by the Power of God unto Salvation If against this Interpretation it shall be objected that it greatly depresseth §. 19. and in a manner quencheth the spirit of the consolation clearly intended by the Holy Ghost to be administred unto the Saints in the words and that it makes very little for their comfort to hear of their being kept unto Salvation by God or by His Power in case this keeping depends upon their continuance in Faith especially if this also be uncertain and depending upon themselves their diligence and care to procure it I answer 1. That the Heart of this Objection was broken in the former Chapter a Sect. 21. 22. where we shewed that in matters of greatest consequence and most desireable in things appertaining to this life yea as to life it self the most timorous and cautious Men neither wish nor desire any greater security then to have what they desire assured unto them upon their own willingnesse and care either for the procurement or the continued injoyment of it The most impotent lover of life under Heaven and He that lives in the greatest bondage in the World through feare of Death would both of them be highly satisfied if God would but vouchsafe such a promise as this unto them that so long as they should desire the continuance of their lives and take heed of destroying them themselves by unnaturall or desperate courses as by casting themselves into the Fire into the Water down from high Towers c. He would secure them against all other interveniences or means of dissolution whatsoever In like manner it is and ought to be so esteemed by the Saints a consolation rich and glorious that God hath undertaken and ingaged Himself by the
other ways and means likely to endear my self unto them and to assure them and their affections unto my self for ever I will really and effectually essay and try to doe it An aire of this Interpretation of the place breaths in the Annotations of our English Divines themselves upon it who Paraphrase it thus I will betroth thee I will re-establish my Covenant of Grace with thee not only to observe that Faith which is required in all Covenants but also to forgive thee thy sins and not to take notice of thy unworthinesse But according to the Sence and Exposition of the place given which cannot reasonably be gainesaid the Promise therein is not absolute as to the effect of such a desponsation of this People which should stand for ever but only as to the means yet these very efficacious and proper to be used by God for the producing such an effect And thus Tarnovius a late and learned Expositor of the Reformed Religion understands it I will betroth thee unto me whom saith he thou formerly despised'st and shamefully forsookest and AS MVCH AS IN ME LIETH whose gifts are without Repentance Rom. 11. 29. this betrothing shall stand firme for ever nor shall this spiritual conjunction between us ever be dissolved as formerly i Desponsabo te mihi quem antea spretum turpiter dereliquisti Et quod ad me cujus dona sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11. 29 desponsatio illa durabit in seculum ut nunquam desinat haec spiritualis conjunctio quemadmodum antâ—a conferre Ezek. 16. 8 c. c. Those words quod ad me i. e. as far as in me lieth or as far as concerneth me plainly shew that this Author looked upon the Promise of Betrothing especially as to the perpetuity of it but as conditional and such which through the unfaithfulness unworthiness of the party to be Betrothed might possibly never bring forth such a betrothment We have once and again if not a third time also given notice formerly that the using of means endevors or attempts to bring things to passe are very commonly in Scripture expressed by the effects themselves k Cap 10. sect 20 55 c. So that all things considered it is a little strange to me that learned and sober Men should ever be tempted to build the Doctrine of Perseverance as they forme and teach it upon such Scriptures as this and those lately opened But besides places of this imprese and those dismissed in the former §. 9. Chapter they insist upon others to prove that God hath made an absolute promise of finall perseverance unto all true Believers Let us then briefly try the spirit of these for if we can sinde so much as any one promise from God of such an import in all the Scriptures all opposition must keep silence for ever Some suppose they descry such a promise as we speak of in that of David They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever a Psal 125. 1. I answer here is no promise that they that trust in the Lord shall abide trusting in the Lord for ever or that they shall not be removed from this trusting in Him for ever but only that trusting in Him and abiding so trusting they shall never be removed viz. from an estate or condition of peace and happinesse into an estate of trouble or misery For it is a stability of happinesse or safety not of Faith that is here promised unto those that trust in the Lord. If it be objected that even a stability in happinesse supposeth or includeth a stability in Faith in as much as no Man can make shipwrack of his Faith but his happinesse is wracked by it I answer that the meaning of the promise in hand is not that they who at present trust in the Lord let them at any time herafter trust or distrust Him shall yet be unremoveably happy nor to imply that they who once or at any time trust in the Lord shall be necessitated by him to trust in Him for ever but only to shew that those that â—â—st in the Lord are as such and whilest such of that kinde of persons for wâ—â—se preservation and safety from evill the mighty Power of God Himself staâ—deth ingaged and whom He will protect from evill As when the Apostle said to the Corinthians that they were in his Heart to die and live together with them b 2 Cor. 7. 3. His meaning was nor that they were so in his Heart to die c. that what manner of persons soever they should prove afterwards though they should apostatize to Idolatry Blasphemy Heathenisme or the like He could notwithstanding be well content to live and die with them but thus they were in His heart c. i. e. they were for the present such persons whom he singularly affected and with whom he could be well content to hold Communion both in death and life We have given notice formerly more then once c Cap. 10. Sect. 43. and Sect 51. Sect. 54 Sect. 1. of this Chapter that the Promises of God made unto Men with respect to such and such speciall qualifications are to be understood with such an Explication or Caution wherewith His threatnings against such and such particular sins are to be interpreted As for example when God threatneth that unrighteous persons shall not inherit the Kingdome of God d 1 Cor 6. 9. and John Baptist that he that believeth not the Son shall not see life e Joh. 3. 36. c. the meaning is not that they that are now unrighteous or unbelieving though they should repent and believe hereafter should yet be excluded from the Kingdome of God but that unlesse they shall repent of their sins they should for them be excluded In like manner when God Promiseth stability of condition safety salvation or the like unto those that believe and trust in Him He intends no obligation hereby to these persons otherwise then upon their abiding such in those qualifications as of Faith and trusting in Him in regard whereof the said Promises were made to them God Himself leadeth us as it were by the hand to such an interpretation as this as well of His Promises as of His Threatnings Such I meane of both kinds as those specified At what instant saith He I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whâ—m I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent me of the evill that I thought to doe unto them And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to build and to plant it i. e. shall promise to build or to plant either the one or the other if it doe evill in my sight that it obey not my voyce then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit
assumption whereof we shall give notice presently Yet 2. We answer that the conclusion it self That all true Believers shall never miscarry or fall away rightly understood opposeth not our sence in the present controversie We firmly hold and believe that no true Believer shall fall away from the grace of God or miscarry in point of Salvation and that all who either doe thus fall away or miscarry are no true Believers but wicked Apostates at the time of their falling away or miscarrying But this we presume satisfies not the Argumentators Therefore 3. If these words shall certainly and faithfully be preserved and kept by Christ unto the end import no other preservation or keeping by him but what is meant in and can be proved from the Texts specified for proof of the Minor proposition the Major is denied They who are preserved and kept by Christ in such a sence as the Scriptures affirme Men to be preserved and kept by Him may possibly miscarry or fall away both totally and finally from their Faith viz. in case themselves shall not comport with Christ in His act of preserving or keeping them with their diligence and care to preserve themselves Nor doe any of the Scriptures cited prove the contrary no nor yet that those that are preserved by Christ must by any compulsory or necessitating power joyn with him their care and diligence in preserving themselves Let us take a brief survey of such of the particulars which have not been taken off already from the ingagement The first place Ioh. 6. 37. affirmeth that Christ will in no wise cast out §. 37. him that commeth unto him or that is comming unto Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this proveth not but that he that is on his way towards Christ may go back before he comes fully to Him nor that he that is fully come to Him is under no possibility of departing from him It only proveth that there is not the least disposition or inclination in Christ to discourage any Man whatsoever from coming to him nor to deny entertainment or acceptance to whosoever shall come to him and whilest he shall be willing to stay or abide with Him And elsewhere he perswades and exhorts those that are come to Him to abide in him or with him as Ioh. 15. 4. and threatens those who shall not abide with him Ioh. 15. 4. 6. Heb. 10. 38. both which evidently suppose a possibility of their departure from Him who at present are with him Whereas Ver. 39. he expresseth himself thus And this is the Fathers will that hath sent Me that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day it is evident that He speaketh not of losing Believers by defection from Faith but by Death And to assure all Believers of this He declares that it is His Fathers Will and Pleasure that He should raise them all up all that should die Believers unto a blessed estate and condition of life at the last Day Besides if the place should be meant of losing by defection from Faith the losing of such who should be lost this way could not be imputed to Christ who fulfils His Fathers Will and Pleasure to the uttermost for their preservation but to themselves who withdraw themselves from His custody Concerning the third place Ioh. 10. 27. 28. we spake largely in the next preceding Chapter Sect. 37. c. where we shewed in what sence Christ speaking of His Sheep saith that no Man should pluck them out of His Hand The next place Ioh. 17. 12. presenteth us with these words from Christ in His Prayer to the Father Those that thou gavest Me I have kept and none of them is lost But neither can it be inferred from hence either that Christ so keepeth all true Believers that none of them at any time perisheth or is lost much lesse that He so keepeth them that there is no possibility that any of them should ever be lost no nor yet that He had kept His Apostles themselves of whom it is a plaine case that He speaks particularly in the place so or upon any such terms of keeping that there was no possibility that any of them should be lost or perish but only that He had so kept them that none of them was lost excepting only the Son of perdition as it immediatly follows who was not lost neither for lack of good and sufficient keeping wherein doubtlesse He did partake with his fellowes but through the great malignity or wretchednesse of his own will his good keeping notwithstanding So that neither can hence any thing be gathered to prove any such preservation of the Saints by Christ but that they may neverthelesse decline both totally and finally The two next places viz. Ioh. 13. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 8. upon former examinations §. 38. have been found strangers to that cause which they are here brought to plead The former cap. 10. Sect. 38. The latter in the same Chap. Sect. 20. Sect. 16. of this present Chapter The Scripture next to these is Eph. 5. 23. where Christ according to the more generall sence of Interpreters for some understand it not of Christ but of the Husband is termed the Saviour of His Body But neither doth this expression import any such preservation of the body or Church of Christ by Him which supposeth an impossibility of the defection of any one member from it For to follow the ducture of the Parable or Similitude here used by the Apostle the Husband is the conservator or keeper of his wife yet notwithstanding the wife may possibly miscarry and break the Marriage Covenant yea though the Husband acts his part upon the best and most commendable terms for the preserving of her from that folly that may be The reason is because the wife being a reasonable Creature is to be dealt with in order to her preservation or keeping in that kinde accordingly as viz. by rationall arguments or motives only as by an exemplary loving and prudent carriage in the Husband towards her by Seasonable instructions gentle admonitions upon occasion c. not by keeping her under Lock and Key as in a Prison where no Man may come neer her nor by any compulsory or violent means in one kinde or other All such wayes of securing her from solly as these would ill become the Husband and be very unacceptable to the Wife whether vertuously or viciously disposed In like manner Christ is the Saviour of His Spouse the Church and not only of the Church in generall but of every member thereof but He executes and performes the interest or office of a Saviour by wayes and means meet to be exercised towards and about such a Body and such Members for their preservation if we speak of their preservation from sin as viz. by inward motions and excitements of His Spirit unto well doing and to a continuance therein by vouchsafing the Ministry
they keepe possession of what they have at present unto the end Some learned and grave Authors by the first Resurrection in this passage understand not a spirituall or metaphoricall but a literall and proper Resurrection which shall take place and be effected by God in the beginning and as it were in the morning of the great day of Judgement as they conceive another far greater then it to follow after it in the close or evening of this day b Mede Comment Apocalyp p. 277. This interpretation of the first Resurrection is marvellously probable from the Context it self For Iohn having Ver. 4. described the happy condition of those who had borne the heat and burthen of the day of Anti-Christ without fainting in this that they sate upon thornes and had judgement i. e. power of judging the World given unto them and that they reigned with Christ a thousand years He adds Ver. 5. This is the first Resurrection where likewise He saith that the rest of the dead lived not againe untill the thousand years were finished Much more might be argued for this Exposition but our present engagement craveth it not 2. Nor doth the sence contended for of the Resurrection any wayes opitulate the cause in distresse For in case it should be said that the second death shall have no Power on those that are Regenerate it must according to the constant Rule formerly delivered c Sect. 9. Sect. 44. of this Chap. Cap. 10. Sect. 43 for the interpretation of such like passages be understood with this Proviso or Explication viz. if they continue Regenerate or be found in the estate of Regeneration at their death Which condition is expressed and insisted upon in severall places and particularly Rev. 2. 11. where ou◠Saviour Himself in His Epistle to the Church of Revel 2. 11. Smyrna promiseth exemption from harme by the second death only upon condition of victory i. e. of such a victory which imports a standing fast and faithfull unto Christ in the Profession of the Gospell against all temptations allurements persecutions and whatsoever should attempt their loyalty and faithfulnesse in this kinde unto the end He that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second Death The sence now given of these words is fully confirmed by those in the Verse immediately preceding be thou faithfull UNTO DEATH and I will give thee a Crown of life as also by other passages from the same blessed Hand to other Churches And He that overcometh saith He to the Church of Thyatira and keepeth my words UNTO THE END to Him will I give power over the Nations a Revel 2. 26. So to the Church of Sardis Behold I come quickly HOLD that FAST which thou hast that no Man take thy Crown b Revel 3. 11. To which many others of like character might be added from other places but this hath been done already in part and remaines to be done more fully in place more convenient In the meane time we cleerly see that however the received Doctrine of Perseverance saith unto the Scriptures Scriptures Scriptures yet these make no other answer but Depart from us we know you not you are a Doctrine that gather not with us but scatter what we gather CHAP. XII The former Digression yet further prosecuted and a Possibility of Defection in the Saints or true Believers and this unto Death Cleerly Demonstrated from the Scriptures IT is the saying as I remember of Quintilian Many men might have §. 1. Multi ad Sapientiam pervenire potuissent nisi se jam pervenisse putassent been wise had they not prevented themselves with an Opinion of being wise before they came to it Nor is there much Question to be made but that many have miscarried and doe miscarry daily in the great and important affaire of their everlasting Peace out of a presumption or conceit that they are under no danger in no Possibility of any such miscarrying whose most deplorable and irremediable diaster and losse in this kinde might otherwise have been prevented and their Persons Crowned with eternall glory which now are like to suffer the vengeance of eternall Fire Of so dismall a consequence it is to misunderstand pervert or wrest the Scriptures especially in order to the gratifying of the flesh or to the occasioning or incouragement of Men to turne the Grace of God in the Gospell into wantonnesse The truth is that the Scriptures seeme in many Points and matters of question to speak very doubtfully and to deliver such things in severall places and sometimes in the same which Men of contrary judgements may very plausibly interpret into a compliance with them in their respective Opinions though the unquestionable truth be that even in such cases as these they love the one Opinion and hate the other It is no part of our present ingagement to prescribe any perfect or compleat method or rule how to discover which way the Heart of the Scripture leaneth when the Tongue or Mouth of it seems to be cloven or divided between two inconsistent Opinions I shall only by the way make my Reader so far of my counsell in the businesse as to give him to know that when the letter of the Scripture hath for a time left me in a great straite and exigency of thoughts between contrary Opinions a condition that hath more then once befallen me that brief Periphrasis or Description of the Gospell which the Apostle delivers calling it the Truth which is according unto godlinesse a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 1. 1. hath upon serious consideration oft delivered me yea and brought me to such a cleer understanding of the letter it self wherein before I was intangled that I evidently and with the greatest satisfaction I could desire discerned the minde of God therein and that with full consonancy to the ordinary Phrase and Manner of speaking in the Scripture upon a like occasion For having this touchstone by an unerring hand given unto me that the Gospell is a Truth according unto Godlinesse i. e. a Systeme or Body of Truth calculated and framed by God in all the veyns and parts of it for the exaltation of godlinesse in the World I was directed hereby in the case of Doctrines and Opinions incompatible between themselvs to own and cleave unto that as the truth and comporting with the Gospell the face whereof was in the clearest and directest manner set for the Promotion and Advancement of Godliness amongst Men and to refuse that which stood in opposition hereunto Nor did I finde it any matter of much difficulty or doubtfulnesse of dispute within my self especially in such cases and between such Opinions wherein I most desired satisfaction to decide and determine which of the two Opinions competitors for my consent was the greater friend unto Godlinesse That competent knowledge which God had given me of the generall course of the Scriptures together with the experimentall knowledge I had of mine
4. they shall commit iniquity c. all the righteousnesse that they have done formerly shall not be mentioned i. e. as Calvin Himself interprets shall not come into any account as to matter of reward a Cum autem satis liqueat non venire justiciam ejus qui defecit in rationem ut quicquam mercedis sperare debeat c. Calv. in Ezek. 18. 24 evident it is that if it shall not come into any account at all as for example to obtaine from God so much as the reward of a temporall deliverance much lesse shall it turne to any such account as to be rewarded with that great recompence of reward Salvation Againe that Death which God here threateneth against that double or two fold iniquity of backsliding is opposed to that life which is promised to Repentance and Perseverance in well doing But this life is confessed by all to be eternall life therefore the death opposite to it must needs be eternall or the second death When the Apostle saith the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus our Lord b Rom. 6. 23. is it not evident from the antithesis or opposition in the sentence between the death and life mentioned in it that by that death which He affirmes to be the wages of sin is meant eternall death How else will the opposition stand Yet againe when God in the Scriptures threatens impenitent Persons with Death for their sins doubtlesse He intends and means eternall Death or that Death which is the wages of sin Otherwise we have no sufficient ground to believe or think that Men dying in their sins without Repentance shall suffer the vengeance of eternall fire but only a temporall or naturall Death which the righteous and truly penitent themselves suffer as well as they Therefore to say that God threatens impenitent Apostates in the place in hand with a temporall Death only when as elsewhere He threatens impenitency under the lightest guilt of all with eternall Death is in effect to represent him as vehement and sore in his disswasives from ordinary and lesser sins but indifferent and remisse in disswading from sins of the greatest Provocation Once more if it be only a temporall Death which God here threatneth against the Sons of Apostasie dying under the guilt of their Apostasie and of all the sins they have committed therein without Repentance then may Men under the guilt of the greatest and foulest abominations remaine in the greatest love and favour of God as just and righteous Men yea and without Repentance not only escape damnation but also inherit eternall life And where then is the God of judgement c Mal. 2 17. Or what will become of that great voyce of the Scriptures which every where calleth Men to Repentance for the forgivenesse of sins That comparative allusion of the Leper under the Law wherewith the §. 5. Synod of Dort it seemes much pleased themselves and others also since of the same judgement with them reacheth not the case nor administers any relief at all to their cause against the Scripture in hand The Leper say they among the Jews was enforced for a time meaning whilest his leprosie was upon Him to want His House but yet He did not in this time lose the right of Title which He had to this House because upon His healing or cleansing He might againe possesse it a Leprosus siquidem apud Judaeos cogebatur pro tempore domo caâ—ere non tamen jus ad domum amisit quia sanatus potuit illam rursus possidere Dr. Prid. Lect. 6. De Persever Sanct. p. 202. This comparison I say squares not with the businesse in hand For 1. The reason why the Person leprously affected did not lose the right He had to His House before He was leprous by His becomming a Leper was because there was no Law by which any Mans right or title to His House was disabled or made voyd by Leprosie whereas in the case of Apostasie there is a plaine Law or rather many Lawes established and declared by the great Law-giver of Heaven by which backsliders from wayes of righteousnesse into wayes of sin and abomination are without Repentance cut off from all right of title or claime to the inheritance of Heaven For this yee know saith the Apostle as we heard lately that no Whore-monger or uncleane Person nor covetous Man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance i. e. any right of inheritance or to inherit for otherwise no righteous Person yet living in the flesh hath any actuall inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God b Eph. 5. 5. To object that this Law or Decree of Heaven holds good against such sinners in every kinde Whoremongers covetous c. who never were righteous not against such who have been righteous though now lapsed into these wayes of abomination is not only to declare a Law without the sence or authority of the Law-maker but against that Declaration which he hath made of it who still declareth those the worst and greatest of sinners who with the lapsed Angells which we call Devils revolt from his service and wayes to walke in wayes that are an abomination to Him Be astonished O yee Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be yee very desolate saith the Lord. Why what is it that causeth the Glorious God to appeare in such an extasie of Passion For my People saith He have committed two evills they have forsaken Me the Fountaine of living Waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water c Jer. 2. 12 13. The Scripture is full of such Declarations from God as this against Apostates So that the Dort comparison palpably faulters in that circumstance which should have rendered it apposite to their Purpose 2. The leprous Person they speak of was cureable before his Death and §. 6. so as they say being healed might re-enter and possesse His House againe But the Revolter from Righteousnesse of whom Ezekiel speaks is supposed as we heard before to die under the guilt of his revolt without healing and consequently to be without all Possibility of cure being dead Therefore as the Leprous Person they speak of though whilest he lived had a right to His House no Law as was said depriving Him of this yet during His leprosie upon Him He had no right to enter take Possession or dwell in His House the Law disabling him hereunto in respect of his leprosie and in case he had been leprous untill his Death he should have had no more Power or Right to Possesse His House then if his title to it had been wholly lost in like manner should it be granted or supposed that the spirituall Leper of whom Ezekiel speaks had a right to the Kingdome of Heaven during his Leprosie yet supposing the cleaving of this Leprosie to him untill death which is the Prophets supposition he could never
there are who being loth to see the cause of their long-magnified §. 10. Doctrine of Perseverance dying by the Hand of the Scripture yet before us and despairing of help for it by any or by all the fore-mentioned applications have thought it not amiss in a case of such imminent and extream danger to try conclusions by administring this Antidote unto it When God threatens say they the righteous man apostatizing that for the iniquity which He committeth He shall dye He speaks neither of the first Death properly so called nor yet of the second Death but of Afflictions Judgments and Calamities oft signified in Scripture by the word Death as Prosperity is by the word Life which God often brings upon truly good and righteouâ— men when they greatly provoke Him by their sins To this I answer 1. That this mist hath been already scattered and dispel'd by the strength of that light which shineth in Sect. 3. of this Chapter by which it clearly appeareth that by the Death threatened by God against a righteous man backsliding and persevering in His backslidings unto death which we there shew to be the case put by God in the Scripture in hand is meant Eternal Death Therefore not any temporal Judgments or Afflictions at least noâ— onely or principally these Yet here we add 2. That it ill becomâ— an Interpreter of Scripture to recede from the plain proper and best known signification of words save onely when necessitated by the exigency either of the Context and scope of the Place in hand or else of the nature and condition of the matter as viz. when the sence which the common signification of the word raiseth and exhibiteth is inconsistent either with the course of the Scriptures or with Principles of Reason Neither of which can be reasonably pretended in this Place 3. The express Tenor of the Context it self riseth up like an armed man against this Interpretation For the execution or infliction of that Death which is here threatened against the righteous man that shall apostatize is not threatened but upon his dying under His Apostacy in which case there is no opportunity for God to inflict any temporal Judgments upon men When a righteous man turneth away from His Righteousness and committeth iniquity and DYETH IN THEM for His iniquity that He hath done shall He dye a Ezek 18 26 4. When God threateneth at any time such and such sins or such and such sinners in one kinde or other with Death it is of very dangerous consequence and tending to allay and break the energy and Power and consequently to hinder the operation of such Threatenings upon the Consciences of men for any Man to put a qualified or mitigating sence upon the word death especially not being authorized by God Himself so to do 5. And lastly the Authors themselves of this Interpretation seeme to be half heartlesse and hopelesse of doing any great matters for their cause by it and in their Explication of themselves about it they distinguish themselves quite besides that which should relieve them The word Death they say in the Prophet doth not IN THE FIRST SENCE of it signifie eternall Death as neither doth the word life in the opposite part of the sentence signifie eternall life But what though the word Death doth not in the controverted Passage signifie eternall Death in the first sence or signification of it yet if it signifieth it in the second third or fourth sence or if it signifieth it at all it is of one and the same consideration for the eviction of what is claimed by us from the place which is that a Man truly righteous may so degenerate and Apostatize that God will inflict eternall Death upon Him I omit to demand of these Interpreters by what Authority or Confidence of genius they undertake thus particularly to range and marshall the severall sences which they say God intended in such and such words giving the Preheminence to such or such a sence and saying to another stand back or come behinde If we had meere ignorance or nescience of the Truth to encounter or satisfie §. 11. though in conjunction with the greatest parts of judgement and understanding on the one hand and with the greatest warinesse and scrupulousnesse of circumspection on the other hand the traversing of the Scripture already insisted upon were sufficient I conceive without any further labour of arguing to gaine credit and fullnesse of consent to that Truth which is now upon the advance But Prejudice and Paâ—tiality are hydropicall and hardly satisfiable and these are our chiefe adversaries in the businesse in hand Therefore to reconcile if Possible the diaffections of these with the truth we shall shew them more visions from Heaven of the same light and truth with the former And first upon this account we shall remember them of a Passage formerly argued and gather up at present onely so much of the substance of the Discussion and that with what brevity may be as we judge serviceable for our present Purpose referring the Reader to a review if he please of the largeâ— examination The tenor of the place is this Then His Lord after He had called Him said unto Him O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all the debt because thou desiredst Me shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant even as I had pity on thee And his Lord was wroth and delivered Him to the Tormentors till He should pay all that was due to Him So likewise shall My Heavenly Father doe also unto you if yee from your Hearts forgive not every one his Brother their Trespasses a Mat. 18. 32 33 c. Evident it is from our Saviours reddition or application of the Parable So likewise shall my Heavenly Father doe also unto you if c. speaking unto His Disciples Ver. 1. and to Peter more particularly Ver. 21. that Persons truly regenerate and justified before God for such were they to whom in speciall manner he addresseth the Parable and the application of it and indeed the whole carriage of the Parable sheweth that it was calculated and formed onely for such may through high misdemeanors in Sinning as for example by unmercifulnesse cruelty oppression c. turne themselves out of the justifying grace and favour of God quench the spirit of Regeneration and come to have their portions with Hypocrites and Unbelievers If Men will make any thing at all of the Parable in a clear and direct way without troubling or obscuring without wresting or straining the carriage scope and pregnant tendency of it such an inference cannot be avoided Further satisfaction herein may be had for the Price only of so much Paines as the Perusall of the 54. and 59. Sections of the 8. Chapter of this Discourse will require Nor doth the reversall of such acts of grace in God as we speak of argue §. 12. the least mutability or shadow of change in Him either in
goodnesse i. e. of the great beneficialnesse of the Word of God or the Gospell unto them as being able to build them up and to give them an inheritance amongst those that are sanctified a Acts 20. 32 Goodnesse seemes to be interpreted by the Holy Ghost Himself by bountifulnesse or beneficialnesse For sâ—arcely for a righteous Man will one die yet peradventure for a GOOD Man some would even dare to die b Rom. 5. 8. For a good Man i. e. for a liberall or bountifull Man and who is a benefactor unto many So againe Is thine eye evill because I am good c Mat. 20. 15. i. e. because I am bountifull or beneficent unto Men Upon this account doubtlesse it is that the Law of God is termed good d Rom. 7. 12. viz. because as David saith in keeping it and the Precepts of it there is great reward e Psal 19. 11. the Law of God is a great benefactresse to those that observe it Now then this tasting the goodnesse of the Word of God the Scripture cleerly appropriateth unto the Saints Are not My Words GOOD or doe not My Words good as our last translation readeth unto him that walketh uprightly f Mic. 2. 7. implying that they are not so to wicked Men. The Law of thy Mouth saith David in his holy applications unto God is better unto me then thousands of Gold and Silver g Psal 119. 72 unto me tacitly implying that other Men of a different spirit from Him doe not Taste any such sweetnesse or goodnesse in them And the Apostle Paul puts the Point in question out of question in that decision of His To the one meaning to unbelieving and wicked Men we are the savour of death unto death and to the other i. e. to those that truly believe the savour of life unto life h 2 Cor. 2 16 So that Hypocrites and Unbelievers are uncapable whilest such of Tasting the good Word of God i. e. the Word of God in the goodnesse sweetnesse bountifulnesse of it the taste which they have of it is in the terror and severity of it against wicked Men. And whereas Tasting is not without touching nor touching without application of the Object it appeares that those who Taste the good Word of GOD must needs make application of the goodnesse of it unto themselves and their own Soules which our Adversaries frequently make a distinguishing character between Hypocrites and true Believers 7. And lastly the Persons we speak of are yet further said to have §. 26. Tasted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the powers of the World to come i. e. not the powers of Miracles as Pareus interprets there is a manifest incongruity in such an Interpretation which we leave to the Reader to conceive but either the joyes of Heaven as our English Annotators or the might and glorious things of immortality which is the more generall Interpretation or rather as Cameron expoundeth the Incarnation Humiliation Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascention c. of the Son of God i Cameron Myroth p. 320. which may therefore be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the powers of the World to come either because they are in respect of their full notification unto Men appropriate to the times of the Gospell wherein the great change and new state of spirituall affaires in comparison of what they were under the Law may well be termed the World to come as Pareus and other understand the expression both here and elsewhere in the same Epistle and w 〈…〉 ll are exceeding full of efficacy and power to ravish the Hearts of Men into the Heavens or else because the glorious estate of life and immortality in the World to come as it is attainable and enjoyable by Men depends upon them as a meanes full of efficacy and power to bring them hereunto But whatsoever in particular be meant by these powers of the World to come incontrovertible it is that in the generall somewhat transcendently excellent and glorious was intended by the Apostle to be signified by them So that for any person to be admitted to the taste of them i. e. to a reall and inward feeling of their vertue influence and vigor upon his Heart and Soul fully evinceth him to be a member of the Congregation of the first borne to have spirituall Communion by Faith with Jesus Christ The Premisses relating to the two Passages yet under debate considered §. 27. I am so far from questioning whether the Apostle speakes of true and sound Believers in them that I verily judge that He purposely sought out severall of the most emphaticall and signall characters of Believers yea such which are hardly or rather not at all to be found in the ordinary sort of true Believers but only in those that are most eminent amongst them that so he might give them to understand and consider that not true Believers only and such who though sound yet were weake in the Faith might fall away and perish but that even such also who were lifted up neerer unto Heaven then their fellowes might through carelesnesse and carnall security dash themselves in pieces against the same stone and make shipwrack of their Souls as well as they Yea I conceive yet further that that impossibility of being renewed againe by Repentance upon or after a falling away which he asserts in the former Passage of the two was not asserted by him with an eye to the state or condition of ordinary believers in case of their falling away as if he intended to conclude them under the heavy doome of such an impossibility but with an eye only to the most deplorable condition of such who having been Sons of the Morning and shined with more lustre and brightnesse then other Stars in the firmament of Christian Profession should notwithstanding afterwards fall with Satan like lightening from Heaven a Luke 10. 18. My meaning is not to imply that true Believers if but of a mean statute and growth in the Faith are in no danger of finall obduration or under no great difficulty of recovering their former standing in case they shall fall away but onely to observe that that most serious and severe admonition administred by the Apostle in the Passages in hand by way of Antidote against the great evill of Apostasie was in a more speciall manner calculated for the estates and conditions of grand Believers But that it was no part of his intent in the said passages to caution Hypocrites §. 28. or outside Professors against falling away but true Believers onely besides the characters already observed and examined upon the Point there are these reasons Pregnant of Proof 1. There is no Clause Phrase or Word in either of the places any ways characteristicall or Descriptive of Hypocrisie or Hypocrites there are none of those colours to be seene which are wont to be used in drawing or limming the Portraitures or shapes of these Beasts as distinguished from
by keeping under his Body c. He should prevent His being a cast-away and remaine for ever in the love and favour of God upon the account of which assureance notwithstanding his feare he rejoyced that joy unspeakable and glorious who shall separate us from the love of Christ For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord e Rom. 8. 35. 38 39. So that that feare and trembling with and out of which the Children of God not onely lawfully may but of duty ought to worke out their own Salvation f Phil. 2. 13 or which is the same deliverance from condemnation are not of those kinds of feare and trembling which have torment or expectation of evill or doubtfulnesse of safety and well doing attending them but of those which are quickning and provoking to the use of means for safety upon an apprehension of danger coming upon the negligent and sloathfull and accompanied with a peaceable and blessed confidence of obtaining safety thereby So that we may safely conclude that the threatnings of eternall death in the Scriptures which are bent against the faces of Apostates and Backsliders are a means graciously vouchsafed by God for the preserving of His Saints from Apostasie and this by raising a feare of Hell within them in case they shall neglect His Counsell for their Perseverance and consequently that all such threatnings are turned into stubble and rotten wood in the Dialect of the Almighty Job 41. 27. I meane are made powerlesse and uselesse by the Principles of that Doctrine which teacheth any absolutenesse of Promise made unto the Saints for their finall Perseverance Thirdly and lastly as this Doctrine evacuateth all the Exhortations §. 17. and Comminations which the Scripture holdeth forth as means to preserve the Saints in Faith and Holinesse unto the end so doth it all the Promises also which are here given in order to the procurement of the same end the Vertue Efficacy and Power whereof are meerly nullified by such a supposition as this that Believers stand bound to believe an absolute impossibility of their finall declining or falling away to Perdition For when Men are secured and this by the infallible security of Faith that the good things promised are already theirs by the right and title of Faith and that they shall certainely Persevere in Faith unto the end what need or occasion is See more of this Sect. 33. of this Chap. there to perswade or move these Men to doe that which becomes them in order to their Perseverance by any argument drawn from the Promise of such things A promise made to a Man of having or keeping that which is His own already and which he certainely knowes shall not cannot be taken away from Him can have no manner of influence upon Him by way of excitement or inducement to labour for the obtaining of it or to doe the things by which it is to be obtained For as the Apostle reasons in somewhat the like case hope that is not seen is not hope i. e. that which sometimes was the object of Hope when it comes to be seen or injoyed is no longer the object of Hope for what a Man seeth why or how doth he yet hope for g Rom. 8. 24. So may we argue in the case in hand a Promise of what is already injoyed and possest is no Promise hath not the nature property or operation of a Promise in it especially not of a Promise ingaging unto action in order to the obtaining of the good promised A promise of this import I meane that is any wayes likely to ingage unto action must be of some good thing so conditioned in relation to Him to whom the promise is made that he hath no ground to expect the injoyment of it but upon condition of the performance of such or such an action one or more For if such actions and wayes which are proper and requisite for the obtaining of the good promised be otherwise and in themselves desirable and would howsoever be chosen by him to whom the promise is made evident it is that the promise we speak of doth not in this case work at all upon Him or raise such an election in Him Againe if those actions and wayes which are proper and necessary for the obtaining of the good promised be in themselves unpleasant and distastfull unto the Person we speake of to whom the Promise is supposed to be made it is a clear case that he will not lift up his Heart or Hand unto them but onely for the obtaining of such a good and desireable thing which he hath reason to judge will never be obtained by Him but only by the performance of such things For who will trouble Himself to run for that which He knowes He may and shall obtaine by sitting still Thus then it every way appeares that the common Doctrine of absolute and certaine Perseverance makes nothing but winde and vanity of all those most serious and weighty Exhortations Threatnings and Promises in the Scriptures which concerne the Perseverance of the Saints and are directed by God unto them for this end and purpose that by them they may be inabled i. e. made willing watchfull and carefull to Persevere and consequently the very face and spirit of the said Doctrine is directly set and bent against that high concernment of the Saints I meane their Perseverance For whatsoever nullifieth the means is clearly destructive unto the end And thus we have done with our second Argument for the confirmation of that Doctrine which teacheth a possibility of the Saints defection and this unto Death A third Argument is this That Doctrine which representeth God as §. 18. Argum. 3. weake incongruous and incoherent with Himself in His applications unto Men is not from God and consequently that which contradicteth it must needs be the Truth But the Doctrine of Perseverance opposed by us putteth this great dishonor upon God representeth Him weake incongruous c. Ergo. The Major Proposition in this Argument is too great in evidence of Truth to be questioned The Minor is made good by this consideration viz. that the said Doctrine bringeth God upon the great Theater of the Scriptures speaking thus or to this effect in the audience of Heaven and Earth unto His Saints You that truly believe in my Son Jesus Christ and have been once made partakers of my Holy Spirit and therefore are fully perswaded and assured according to my Will and Command given unto you in that behalfe yea according to that ensealing of truth within you which you have from me that you cannot possibly no not by all the most horrid sins and abominable practises that you shall or can commit fall away either totally or finally from your
Faith that in the midst of your foulest actions and courses there remaines a seed of Grace or Faith within you which is sufficient to make you true Believers and to Preserve you from falling away finally that it is unpossible you should die in your sins you that know and are assured that I will by an irresistible Hand Worke Perseverance in you and consequently that you are out of all danger of condemnation and that Heaven and Salvation belong unto you and are as good as yours already so that nothing but giving of thanks appertaines unto you which also you know that I will doe you what you will in the meane time necessitate you unto you I say that are fully and thoroughly perswaded and possest with the Truth of all these things I earnestly charge admonish exhort and beseech that you take heede to your selves that yee continue in the Faith that there be not at any time an evill Heart of unbeliefe in you to depart from the Living God that you fall not from your own stedfastnesse Yea I declare and professe unto you that if you shall draw back my Soule shall have no pleasure in you that if you shall deny Me I will deny you that if you be againe overcome of the lusts of the World and be intangled herewith that your latter end shall be worse then your beginning that if you shall turne away all your former Righteousnesse shall not be remembred but you shall die in your sins and suffer the vengeance of eternall Fire On the other hand if you shall continue unto the end my Promise is that you shall be saved Therefore strive to enter in at the strait Gate quit your selves like Men labour for the Meate that indureth unto everlasting life and be not sloathfull but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises He that shall duly weigh and consider what a sencelesse and indeed ridiculous incongruity there is between these Exhortations Adjurations Threatnings and latter Promises and those Declarations Applications and former Promises doubtlesse will confesse that either the one or the other of them are not from God or according to the Minde of God For how preposterous a thing is it to threaten a Man with suffering the vengeance of Hell Fire in case he shall not Persevere whom we have charged before confidently to believe that God will irresistibly cause him to Persevere and eternally save him But the Exhortations Threatnings and latter Promises are expresly from God as our Adversaries themselves will not deny therefore the former Applications and Promises are the meere Notions and Conceits of Men and have no Foundation in the Word of God and consequently the Doctrine of Absolute Perseverance is to be rejected as a Doctrine rendering the onely-wise God strangely irrational and inconsistent with Himself §. 19. Argum. 4. 4. If there be no possibility of the Saints falling away finally then is their persevering unto the end uncapable of reward from God But their final Perseverance is not uncapable of reward from God Ergo. The Minor Proposition I presume contains nothing but what is the sence of those who deny the Conclusion or however it contains nothing but what is the express sence of the Lord Christ where He saith But He that endureth to the end the same shall be saved a Matt. 24. 13. Therefore we shall I suppose be excused from further proof of this without any prejudice to the cause in hand The consequence in the Major Proposition stands firm upon this Foundation No act of the Creature whereunto it is necessitated or which it cannot See more of this Sect. 39 40. of this Chapter possibly decline or but do is by any Law of God or Rule of Justice rewardable Therefore if the Saints be necessitated by God to persevere finally so that He leaves unto them no possibility of declining finally their final Perseverance is not according to any Law of God or man nor indeed according to any Principle of sound Reason or Equity capable of reward no whit more then actions meerly natural are Nay of the two there seems to be more Reason why acts meerly natural as for example eating drinking breaâ—hing sleeping c. should be rewarded in as much as these flow though in a way of necessity yet from an inward Principle and connatural to the Agent then such actions whereunto the Agent is constrained necessitated or determined by a Principle of Power from without and which is not intrinsecal to it It is true a Prince or great man may if He please bestow gifts of what value He pleaseth upon those who live breathe eat c. but He cannot be said to reward them for living breathing eating c. because a Reward in the proper signification of the word imports a relation to such actions or services one or more which were in the Power of Him to have omitted or refrained who performed them In like manner God if He judged it meet may or might confer life and Salvation upon those who shall persevere unto the end though it should be supposed that they were necessitated by Him thus to persevere but upon such a supposition as this He could not be said to reward them with Life or Salvation for or in respect of such their Perseverance for the Reason specified If we speak of Rewards promised in order to the moving or inclining of the wills of men towards such or such actions or ways of which kinde also the Rewards mentioned in the Scriptures as yet remaining to be conferred by God upon men are the case is yet more clear viz. that they are appropriate unto such actions and ways unto the election and choyce whereof men are not necessitated in one kinde or other especially not by any physical or forreign Power For to what purpose should a Reward be promised unto me to perswade or make me willing to engage in such or such a course or to perform such or such a service in case I be necessitated unto the same engagement or performance other-ways Or what place is there left for a Moral Inducement where a Physical Necessity hath done the execution Or if the Moral Inducement hath done the execution and sufficiently raised and engaged the Will to the action with what congruity of Reason yea or common sence can a Physical Necessity be super-induced Now that all the Rewards which God in the Scriptures promiseth unto Perseverance or unto those who shall persevere are promised upon this account viz. to work upon the wills of men to make them willing and careful to persevere is a thing so rich in evidence that it needs no proof When Christ saith to the Church of Smyrna Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life a Rev. 2. 10. can any man reasonably imagine but that the crown of life is promised by way of motive or encouragement to make them faithful unto death In
postulanti ut gratissimè illi possit inservire in eo spiritu quem accepit in nullo vincatur à malitiâ aut fallatur per ignorantiam temeritateÌ„ ac ignaviam aversa peragens omnia praeter decorum divinae voluntatis Talem enim animam manet supplicium mors luctus quod Divinus etiam Apostolus dixit ne cum aliis praedicaverim ipse reprobus efficiar Vides cum Dei Apostolus esset quo pacto timebat Ejus enim est homo naturae ut etiamsi in profundum vitiorum lapsus sit ac peccato deserviat ad id quod bonum est converti possit Et contrà Spiritui Sancto devinctus rerum coelestium ebrietate correptus ad id quod malum est converti potest Ibid. No man considering these things can lightly imagine but that this devout and learned Father who carrieth Blessedness in his name held dogmatically and upon mature consultation had with the best of His understanding in the Mystery of Christ a Possibility that even the best and highest-raised Saints may through sloth and negligence lose this standing fall away and perish Basil sirnamed the Great who lived much about the same time with the last-mentioned §. 13. Author assigning the differences between the condition of the Saints in this present world and that which is to come asserteth this for one That in this life the danger of falling is great upon which account Paul said Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall but there meaning in the future estate of glory their steps are firm or fixed life is unchangeable there is no more danger of being carried away unto sin For neither is here any rebellion or insurrection of the flesh c. Not long after Therefore we men dye often before the body cometh by death to be unyoked or loosed from the Soul So that the life of men is made or naturally apt to be accomplished or fulfilled not only with a change in respect of one age succeeding another but with falls or ruines of their Souls through sin a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil in Psal 114. non longè à fine Paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same Father in another place speaks yet more plainly to the business in hand Many saith he who had gathered much together from their youth when they come to the middle of their years Temptations from evil spirits rising up against them and assaulting them have not been able to bear the stress or burthen of the Winter for want of a good Pilot-ship and so HAVE LOST ALL. And hence it cometh to pass that SOME HAVE MADE SHIPVVRACK OF FAITH others by means of a violent tempest as it were of pleasure rushing upon them have utterly lost that Chastity which they had preserved together from their youth A most sad spectacle for a man after fasting after austereness of living after much praying after much weeping after a continent life it may be for twenty or thirty years together through negligence and carelessness of Soul to be found naked or destitute of all and that such a person who hath greatly prâ—spered and thriven by the trade or work of the Commandments of God should become like unto a Merchant of a great Estate who whilest His ship sailed on Her course with a fair and prosperous wind judged Himself a brave man for the abundance of Goods in Her but having passed through Tempestuous Seas His Vessel comes to be wracked in the very Haven and He pointed at or shewed by men as one that on the sudden and at once hath lost all that abundance which He lately had b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IdeÌ„ HoÌ„ 12. in Princip Proverb propè sineÌ„ The same Father in another of His Sermons expresseth His sence in the matter yet before us in words of this import But Sin is the Destroyer of that Grace which is given us by the Laver of Regeneration And soon after allegorizing our Saviours Parabolical History of the man who going from Jerusalem towards Jericho fell among Theeves thus But now stripes go before stripping or taking off his rayment that thou mayst learn and know that Sin goeth before the laying aside or loss of that Grace or gracious benefit which is given unto thee by that Love or kindness which the Lord beareth unto men c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et paulò post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem Hom. 21. circa finem Once more in another Homily this Great Doctor of the Christian Church in his days owneth the Doctrine we now contend for in words to this purpose Thou seest them speaking of the Galatians having the Spirit thou hast also heard Ye are abolished from Christ and again Ye are fallen from Grace What doth He subjoyn after all this making room or granting place for their renewing My little children of whom I travel in birth again He had once begotten them before but He that had once begotten them refuseth not to beget them the second time unto Salvation d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem Hom. 28. De Poenitentia propè finem All the Authors hitherto consulted about the sence of Antiquity and of §. 14. the Primitive Christians concerning the possibility or non-possibility of the Saints relapsing unto death had served their generations respectively and were gone off the Stage of Mortality before Pelagius was entered to act His part hereon or at least had not much to do with Him We now come to enquire what their judgment and sence in the same Points were who either synchroniz'd with Pelagius and skirmished Him or else took their turns of Mortality after Him Concerning the former of these that Star of the first magnitude in the Christian Firmament Augustin I mean is I suppose in every mans estimate instar omnium a man that will perform the service alone as sufficiently as if He had twenty more with Him to assist Him Questionless no man was better versed in the affairs of Christianity or that better understood what Doctrines or Opinions ruled in the Christian World or that dissented less from the common and generally-received Tenets of he Church then He. Now to how great a degree He abounded in that Faith which beleeveth a Possibility of the Saints declining and that unto death cannot lightly be unknown to those that are though but competently acquainted with His Writings I shall present the Reader with a first-fruits onely and leave the Harvest for his own gathering It is saith He much to be admired and admired again that God to some of His Children whom He hath regenerated in Christ and to whom He hath given Faith Hope and Love should NOT GIVE PERSEVERANCE when as He forgives such great sins unto strange children and by imparting His Grace unto them makes them children of His own a MiranduÌ„ est quidem multuÌ„que miranduÌ„ quòd Filiis suis deus quibusdaÌ„ quos regeneravit in Christâ— quibus
Fidem spem dilectioneÌ„ dâ—dit non dat PerseverantiaÌ„ cum Filiis alienis scelera tanta dimittat atque impertitâ gratiâ suâ faciat Filios suos Aâ—g de Corrept Grat. cap. 8. A little after For of such we dispute who want Perseverance in goodness and go out of the world by death with the GOODNESS OF THEIR WILLS FALLEN FROM GOOD TO EVIL Let thâ—se men answer if they can why God did not take away such men from the dangers of life whilest they yet LIVED FAITHFVLLY AND RELIGIOVSLY that so Sin and WICKEDNES might not have CHANGED THEIR MINDS or understandings b Paulò post De his enim disserimus qui Perseveâ—antiaÌ„ bonitatis non habent sed ex boâ—â—iâ— mâ—luÌ„ deficâ—â—te bonâ voluntate mortuntur RespoÌ„deant si possuÌ„t cur illos Deus cum fideliter pie viverent non tunc de vitae hujus periculâ— rapuit ne malitia mutaret intellectuÌ„ illoruÌ„ c. That God doth not give Perseverance in such a sence as this Father meaneth viz. actual Perseverance and such which is accompanyed with Salvation unto some His Children whom He hath regenerated in Christ c. I readily and fully consent but that He doth not give Perseverance unto some as much as He giveth unto any others of them whose deportment is but the same I cannot beleeve without beleeving Him to be a respecter or accepter of Persons which I must at no hand beleeve Therefore to me it is no more scarce so much a wonder why God should give Perseverance unto some of his children and not unto others then it is why He should save those that beleeve and not others However from both the Testimonies cited it is as evident as words could well make it that the Authors sence was that truly regenerate men and Beleevers may very possibly fall away both totally and finally Elsewhere He expresseth the same sence thus But if He that is now REGENERATE and JVSTIFIED voluntarily relapseth into an evil course of life surely He cannot say I have not received it because He hath now LOST THE GRACE OF GOD RECEIVED in or by His Will being free unto evil c Si auteÌ„ jam regeneratus justificatus in malaÌ„ vitaÌ„ suâ voluÌ„tate relabitur certè iste noÌ„ potest dicere non accepi quia acceptaÌ„ gratiaÌ„ Dei suo in maluÌ„ libero amisit arbitrio Aug. de Corr. Grat. c. 6. A little after Nor let it trouble us THAT GOD DOTH NOT GIVE THIS PERSEVERANCE UNTO SOME OF HIS CHILDREN For these whilest they live religiously are called the sons of God but in as much as they will live wickedly afterward and dye in this wickedness the Foreknowledg of God calleth them not the sons of God d Nec nos moveat quòd Filiis suis quibusdaÌ„ Deus noÌ„ dat istaÌ„ perseveraÌ„tiaÌ„ Nam isti cuÌ„ piè vivunt dicuntur Filij Dei sed quoniaÌ„ victuri sunt impié in eâdem impâ—etate morituri non eos dicit Filios Dei praescientia Dei So again speaking of those who as John saith went out from them but were not of them They were in a good way but because they continued not herein i. e. persevered not unto the end they were not saith John of us when they were with us that is they were not in the number of Children whilest THEY WERE IN THE FAITH OF CHILDREN because they who are truly and indeed Children are Foreknown and Predestinated e Erant itaque in bono sed quia in eo non permaÌ„â—erunt i. e. non usque in fineÌ„ perseveraruÌ„t non erant inquit ex nobis quaÌ„do erant nobiscuÌ„ hoc est non erant ex numero FilioruÌ„ quaÌ„do erant in Fide FilioruÌ„ quoniaÌ„ qui verè Filij sunt praesciti praedestinati sunt c. c. From this Passage it is evident that however Augustin might seem to hold a Personal Election of some somewhat after the same manner wherein it is commonly held and taught amongst us at this day though elsewhere He seems as much to contradict it as we shall God willing shew in due time yet He did not judg Faith to be a fruit of such Election nor Elect and true Beleevers to be voces convertibiles but that there were many such Beleevers who did not appertain to the number of such Elect ones and consequently who might and should fall away finally Again not long after For this cause the Apostle when He had said We know that all things work together for good to those that love God knowing that some LOVE GOD WHO DO NOT PERSEVERE in this good presently adds To those who are called according to His Purpose a Propter hoc Apostolus cuÌ„â—xisset Scimus quoniaÌ„ diligeÌ„tibus DeuÌ„ omnia cooperaÌ„tur in bonum sciens noÌ„nulloâ— diligere Dâ—uÌ„ in eo bono usque in finem noÌ„ permanere mâ—x addidit His qui secunduÌ„ propâ—siâ—uÌ„ vocati sunt From these three last Passages compared together it clearly appears in what sence such other Passages in this Author wherein He asserts the certain Perseverance of the Saints or Children of God which Mr Prynn b Perpetuity of a regenerate mans estate p. 243 244. with others cite from him to perswade men that he was of their Judgment in the Point of Perseverance are to be understood viz. as importing not the Perseverance much less the certainty of the Perseverance of all that are true Saints or true Beleevers such a sence as this would make him the greatest Self contradictionist in the world but onely of all those whom in the said Passages now cited he calls verè filii Sons indeed or truly Sons and so truly Saints i. e. by his own Interpretation such as are elected or predestinated by God to be conformable to the image of His Son And besides that by that Perseverance whereunto this Author entitles even such Elect Children as these he doth not mean any such continuance of the Grace or Faith once or at any time received by them which admitteth not of a total in erruption or intercision by the way but onely a residence or presence hereof in them at the time of their death might be abundantly proved from several Explications which He makes of his minde in this behalf c Horum ElectoruÌ„ fides qua per dilectioneÌ„ operatur profectò aut omninò non deficit aut si qui sunt quorum deficit reparatur antequaÌ„ ista vita finiatur et deletâ quae intercurrerat iniquitate usque in finem Perseverantia deputatur Aug. de Cor. Grat. c. 7. vid de Bono Persev c. 13 noÌ„ longè ab initio if I judged it either of any great concernment to the cause or satisfaction unto the Reader So that his Judgment clearly was that even those who he supposed could not fall away finally might yet fall away totally But concerning his Judgment touching such an
damned a Mark 16. 15 16. That believing which our Saviour here requires and unto which he promiseth Salvation is doubtless no other Faith or believing but a true and unfeigned belief of that Gospel of his which his Apostles in the words immediately preceding were injoyned to preach unto the world And if it shall be said That men might or may believe and that truly and unfeignedly all that the Apostles preach to them and yet perish that vast and signal difference which our Savior here makes between Believing and not believing vanisheth into nothing is made none at all See further upon the same account Joh. 8. 24. 11. 27. Acts 8. 37 with 38. Rom. 4. 3. 10. 9. with very many other Texts of like pregnant and unquestionable import From all which it fully appeareth that a true and unfeigned admission or Reception of the Gospel as it cometh from God and is declared by him in the Writings of the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles into the heart and Soul of a man which is done by a true and unfeigned belief of or consent unto it translates him from death to life makes him a Child of Light a Son of God an Heir of Salvation c. And what Faith or Belief can it reasonably be imagined should have this mighty and blessed influence upon the creature Man to turn him from darkness unto light from death unto life from Satan unto God but only the true and unfeigned Belief of those glorious Mysteries which were brought out of the Brest and Bosom of God by his Son Jesus Christ at his coming into the World That a true cordial unfeigned Belief of the Gospel and things of God is §. 27. true justifying Faith hath been the Sence and Doctrine of the best and most judicious Authors as well ancient as modern I could instance and prove at large if it were not somewhat too eccentrical to the business in hand It is saith Calvin the Righteousness i. e. the Justification of Faith if we believe that Christ dyed and was raised up again from the dead b Fidei Justicia est si credamus ChristuÌ„ esse mortuuÌ„ atque à mortuis excitatum Calvin in Gal. 3. 1â— Elsewhere he saith that the Apostle Paul defines those to be faithful or true Beleevers who have the KNOVVLEDG of sound Doctrine c Posteriori membro definit quos vocet Fideles nempe qui notitiam habent sana Doctrinae Idem in 1 ad Tim. 4. 3. and pronounceth the Faith of Sarah whom he calls the Mother of all Beleevers to consist in this That she judged God faithful or true and that in his Promises d Hanc enim fuisse Sarae fidem praedicat quòd veraceÌ„ judicavit Deum idque in suis promissionibus Ibid. in Heb. 11. 11. Luther speaking of Abraham saith That He was justified only upon this that he gave credence to the Word of God interpreting that of Moses Gen. 15. 6. Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness as if he had said Abraham believed God to be true in his Words and Promises and was therefore counted a worthy and righteous man by God e Abrahami exempluÌ„ adducit quippe quod ille ex hoc tantaÌ„ justificatus fuerit quòd verbo Dei FideÌ„ habuerit quemadmoduÌ„ Scriptura inquit Credidit AbrahaÌ„ Deo imputatuÌ„ est ei ad justiciam Gen. 15. Ac si diceret AbrahaÌ„ Deum in suâ— verbis promissionibus veraceÌ„ credidit idcirco à Deo pro spectato et justo viro habitns fuerit Luth. Poâ—hil p. 782. And learned Chamier defines Abrahams Faith whereby he was justified Ingentem confidentiam super promissione divinâ quam ille credidit omnino implendam f Chamier Tom. 3. p. 428. i. e. a mighty confidence of the Promise of God which he believed would absolutely be fulfilled Peter Martyr most frequently and I think I might say constantly in his Writings placeth justifying Faith in a firm Belief or assent unto the Gospel or Word of God Our Faith saith he is nothing else but AN ASSENT OR FIRM PERSVVASION OF THE WORDS OF GOD. From whence it appears that our Faith proceeds from the Faith or faithfulness of God For when our experience teacheth us that He is faithful we readily believe him and that belief which we give to his words is presently attended with Hope g Nostra Fide non aliud est quaÌ„ asseâ—suâ— persuasio firma de verbis Dei Vnde liquet Fidem nostram ex Dei Fide nasci Quia cum illum Fidelem esse experiamur facile credimus Fidem quam verbis ejus adhibemus illicò spes consequitur P. Mart. in 1 Cor. 1. 9. By which last words it is evident that he speaks of true justifying Faith in the former Again Faith may be defined to be a firm and constant assent of the mind to the Words of God inspired by the Holy Ghost for the Salvation of those that believe In this Definition there is none of the four Causes wanting The Word of God is the matter or material Cause THE ACT OF CONSENTING THE FORMAL the Holy Ghost the Efficient our Salvation the Final h Fides definiri potest quod sit firmus ac constaâ—s animi assensus virbâ— Dei Spiritu Sancto affâ—atus ad salutem credentium Nullum causarum genus in hac finitione desideratur Materia est verbum Dei Forma consentiendi actio Efficiens Spiritus Dei quo suademur Finis est nostra salus Ibid. in vers 31. In which words it is observable that he expresly makes the formal Cause of Justifying Faith to consist in the act of assenting or consenting to the Word of God Yet again To believe as to our purpose is by means of the inspiration of the Holy Ghost to exhibit or give A FIRM ASSENT unto the Word of God and this for the Authority of God Himself And not long after Let us now infer that Faith is a gift or faculty inspired into us by the Spirit of God whereby we yield A FIRM AND SETLED ASSENT unto the Word of the Lord by means of his Authority i Quamobrem credere prout ad rem nostram facit est afflatu Spiritus Sancti verbo divino assensum firmum praebere idque ipsius Dei Authoritate Idem in 1 â—or 13. 2. Paulo post Jam colligamus Fidem esse donum sive facultatem nobis divino Spiritu afflatam quâ verbum Domini ejus Authoritate firmuÌ„ constantemque praebemus assensum Once more In this Dispute of justifying Faith by Faith we understand that FIRM ASSENT which is of so great strength and efficacy that it dâ—â—weth along with it the effect of Affiance Hope and Charity together with all good works as the infirmity of this present life will bear k Omnibus igitur significationibus his abjectis in hac disceptatione FideÌ„ intelligimus firmum illum assensum qui
c. So that in this respect there is much more reason why in the place in question he should speak unto them or consider them as Beleevers with Himself then as Elect with Himself in such a notion of Election wherein Elect are distinguished from Beleevers as was lately declared But now to make the Apostle to say that God is patient towards us BELEEVERS not willing that any of us who BELEEVE should perish but that all WE should come to Repentance is to make him speak beneath the line of common sence For 1. the Patience of God towards Beleevers who are in a present capacity of Salvation and according to the Principles of our Adversaries out of all Possibility of perishing is no means of their non-perishing neither need He be patient towards them in reference to any such end 2. Neither have these need to come to Repentance in order to their non-perishing unless we shall suppose them in a Possibility of a total loss of that Faith that is in them yea and that they will defacto totally lose it 2. That the Apostle doth not in the place in hand speak of the Christians to whom He writes as they were Elect in the common sence of the word appears from hence viz. because in case there were any Elect in this sence the Patience of God towards them would be no argument or sign of His non-willing their perishing or of His willing that they should come to Repentance because He shews the same or greater Patience towards such Persons who are not Elect in that sence and who never come to Beleeve or Repent 3. The Lord is not here said to be not willing that any of the Elect should perish or but that all these should come to Repentance but simply and indefinitely that any should perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and universally but that all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should come to Repentance Now these indefinite Particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as likewise these universals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do frequently in Scripture we shall not need to cite places being so numerous and obvious signifie men simply and absolutely considered the former partitively distributively and sometimes interrogatively the latter universally but no instance I presume can be found where either the one or the other signifie men in any special capacity or under any particular consideration unless haply it be where such capacity or consideration is either in the same period or else in the same contexture of speech and neer at hand particularly mentioned and expressed Now concerning the place in debate certain it is that the capacity or consideration of Election is not onely not at all mentioned or specified in the same period nor yet in the same Passage or Contexture of Scripture or any where neer at hand but not so much as in all the Epistle from first to last Therefore doubtless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all do not here signifie any of the Elect and all the Elect but any men and all men 4. Neither can God in any tolerable construction or propriety of speech or sence be said to be patient or long-suffering towards those whom He loves with the greatest love that is and this unchangeable for such is the love of Election supposed by those against whom we argue to be especially if it be supposed withall which these men suppose likewise that though they be wicked yet they cannot Repent cannot cease to be wicked until God comes with a strong and irresistible Hand to cause them to Repent For when we ardently and affectionately love a Person one or more we cannot reasonably be said to be patient towards them though we do not punish them for such miscarriages or actions wherein they are prejudicial unto us in case we know it to have been impossible for them to forbear such actions unless we our selves had effectually restrained them from them It would not argue any patience in a Parent towards His young Infant which He tenderly loves to forbear correcting it in case it should let fall and break a Venice glass or some like brittle commodity which were put into the hand of it Patience we know is a Grace or Vertue whereby a man is enabled and disposed to moderate the Natural Passion of Anger and to prevent the exorbitant and undue motions of it So that Patience hath no place or opportunity to express it self but onely in such cases wherein this Passion is apt to be stir'd and provoked Now the Passion we speak of Anger is not apt to be raised or provoked but onely by such actions wherein or whereby we apprehend either our selves or some neerly relating to us to be neglected or despised according to the Philosophers discourse and description of it wherein He mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the neglect or contempt of a Person or of some related to Him as always the cause of it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. 2. cap. 2. which description if need were we might shew to be very agreeable to what the Scriptures themselves deliver concerning the same Passion So then in case there be no ground or reason upon which God can judg himself or any of his neglected or despised by the impenitency of his Elect in their sinful ways whilest they continue in them He cannot be said to be patient or long-suffering towards them though he forbears to punish them with death for it Now when that onely is done by a man which he is either in one kinde or other necessitated to do and cannot possibly refrain the doing it no Person whatsoever what damage soever he may receive by what is done upon such terms hath any sufficient ground to judg himself or any of his neglected or despised in such an action nor consequently to be provoked unto anger by it 5. Neither can the Elect in such a sence as many call Elect truly or reasonably account the long-suffering of the Lord Salvation unto them which yet the Persons here spoken of and to are in the sequel of this Chapter injoyned to do And account that the long-suffering of the Lord is Salvation Vers 15. For they that have Salvation infallibly and infrustrably against and above Death Life Angels Principalities Powers things present things to come height depth every creature whatsoever ascertained assigned or designed by the irrevocable Decree of God unto them stand in no need of any respite or reprievement from death through the long-sufferance of God in order to the obtainment of Salvation Because in case they should dye either the first moment that they are born into the world or after never so much sin committed yet the Decree of God concerning their Salvation being peremptory absolute and irresistible must needs take place and produce their Salvation against all obstructions and impediments whatsoever Therefore as a man hath no reason to set any such high prize upon a Receipt prescribed unto him
him partly from the Promises made unto all Men who shall beleeve on him partly also from the encouragements which are administred by God unto all Men to beleeve in him First it is evident that God commands all Men without exception to beleeve on Christ And the times of this ignorance saith Paul preaching to the Idolatrous Gentiles at Athens God winked at but now He commandeth ALL MEN EVERY WHERE to Repent a Acts 17. 30. if to repent then certainly to beleeve in Christ without which there is no true Repentance The Reader for his further satisfaction in this Point if he be in any degree yet unsatisfied may at leasure peruse and ponder the Scriptures noted in the Margent b 1 John 3. 23. Mat. 16. 5. Rom. 10. 16. 3. Luke 14. 23. Secondly As God commandeth all Men to beleeve on Christ which is indeed sufficient to prove that they are bound to beleeve on Him so doth He severely threaten all those that shall not beleeve on Him But He that beleeveth not shall be damned c Mark 16. 16 The Scriptures likewise abound with Passages of this import a first-fruits whereof are presented in the Margent d John 8. 24 3. 36 Acts 3. 23 Thirdly As God commandeth all Men to beleeve on Christ and threateneth all with Death which shall not beleeve so He promiseth Life and Salvation unto all without exception who shall beleeve on Him This assertion I conceive is no mans question the Scriptures being so particular and express in the frequent delivery of it e John 3. 16 11. 25 26 1 Pet. 2 6 Fourthly and lastly As God commandeth all Men to beleeve on Christ threateneth all with Death who shall not beleeve promiseth Life and Salvation unto all who shall beleeve so doth He encourage all to beleeve on Him my meaning is He tendereth and suggesteth Reasons and Motives of an encouraging and sweetly-perswading nature and import unto men to beleeve For otherwise the Commands and Promises of God made unto those who shall beleeve are grand encouragements in a large acception of the word unto Men to beleeve and his Threatenings are more engaging to the servile tempers and dispositions of Men to beleeve then any encouragements whatsoever But my meaning in the Particular in hand is this that besides Commands and Promises God lays before the Hearts of Men such Considerations which are apt and proper in a sweet and encouraging way to induce Men to beleeve on Christ or on Himself through Christ for Salvation As for example Sometime He presents them with his great Love to them as Joh. 3. 16. Tit. 3. 4 c. sometimes with his Mercy and his Compassions the greatness and tenderness of these as Exod. 34. 6. Luk. 1. 72 c. sometimes with his delight or pleasure-taking in shewing Mercy as Mica 7. 18. Ezek. 33. 11 c. sometimes with his Faithfulness as Hebr. 10. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 13 c. sometimes with his Oath for their greater security in his Promises as Heb. 6. 17 18. Luk. 1. 72 73. otherwhile with his desire of their Salvation as 1 Tim. 2. 4. Ezek. 33. 11. otherwhile again with the grief and trouble of his Soul at their stubborn courses and that because they are and will be destructive unto them as Ezek. 18. 31. Jerem. 44. 4. Sometimes with the abundant provision He hath made for their Salvation and Peace as Mat. 22. 4. Heb. 9. 14. Sometimes likewise to omit many other Particulars in this kinde with the consideration of that special glory which will accrue unto himself and to his Grace by their beleeving and Salvation thereupon Ephes 1. 6 12. and elsewhere Now to think or say that under all these Commands Threatenings Promises and all this great variety of encouragements directed unto all Men to beleeve yet all Men are not bound to beleeve is to me the thought and saying onely of such a man who is resolved to stand by his own thoughts and sayings against any light or evidence of Truth whatsoever A fourth Argument evincing the Death of Christ for all Men is this §. 10. Argum. 4. If God really and unfeignedly intends or desires the Salvation of those who perish then He really intended the Death of Christ for all Men. This Proposition we shall not need to prove but onely by this brief account All Men without exception are either such who are saved or such who perish and that God really intended the Death of Christ for those that are saved is no mans doubt or contest Therefore if He really intended the Salvation of those also who perish in or by the Death of Christ He intended this Death of Christ for all This Proposition then being undenyable I proceed and assume thus But God really unfeignedly intends or desires the salvation of those who perish Therefore he intended the Death of Christ for all Men. This latter Proposition That God really and unfeignedly desires the Salvation of those that perish is clearly proved by this consideration viz. that God so frequently so fervently and pathetically in the Scriptures professeth his desires of the Peace and Salvation of such men yea and an holy regret of Soul in Himself when they will stubbornly run courses destructive to their Salvation contrary to his desires and endevors with them in this kinde Let us give instance in some Passages of such an import as we speak of O that there were such an Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always that it might be well with them and with their children for ever a Deut. 5. 29 saith the Lord himself concerning the great body of the children of Israel whose carcasses soon after fell in the wilderness through unbelief as the Apostle speaketh So again by David Psal 81. O that my people had harkened unto me and Israel had walked in my ways I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries b Psa 81. 13 14 c. Thus the Lord speaks concerning those whom as he had immediately before said He had given up to their own hearts lusts and who walked in their own counsels That expression also of the Lord in Isaiah is of the same character Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go O that thou hadst harkened unto my Commandments then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea c Isai 48. 17 Whereunto this also in the same Prophet may be joyned I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that is not good after their own thoughts a people that provoketh me to anger to my face that sacrificeth in gardens d Isai 65. 2 c. By spreading forth the hands saith Calvin Englished upon the place he
lives of the generality or far greatest part of them rather represent him to their mindes as a man of rigor and extremity against those that provoke him Much more should these men and all others have just ground to judg this Prince to be a Person of an hard spirit addicted unto cruelties and blood in case they should know especially from himself and by his own profession that long before any of the said Persons were touched with the least guilt yea or thought of Treason he was peremptorily resolved to have the blood and lives of them all one or two onely excepted And as for his granting Pardon unto this one or two there being no ground in Reason or Equity why he should respect these more then the other may it not seem rather the working of a meer humor or a conceited and groundless action then any fruit of an habitual goodness or clemency of disposition or of any mature or considerate deliberation And doth not the Doctrine which we condemn for that capital crime of denying that Christ dyed for all Men draw the portraicture of God resembling in all the lineaments of his face the hard favor'dness of such a Prince First It represents him as engaged and this against all possibility of relenting yea and this to the days of Eternity in Counsels and Purposes of Blood yea of the Blood of the precious Souls of Men. Secondly It presenteth him as thus engaged against millions of millions of these Souls yea against the whole mass or element of Mankinde a small remnant comparatively onely excepted and these for a long time if not during the whole term of their Mortality undiscernable from the rest within the compass of which term notwithstanding they must be prevailed with to love God or else they are lost for Eternity Thirdly The said Doctrine portraitureth him engaged as aforesaid before and without any consideration or respect had to any the future sins impenitency unbelief or any other of those against whom it supposeth him so implacably and unmercifully engaged Fourthly and lastly It holdeth Him forth unto the World as purposing and intending without any reasonable or equitable cause onely upon his peremptory and meer Will to make that vast difference between that small remnant of men mentioned and the numberless multitudes of them besides which consists in the unmeasurable blessedness of the former and the unconceivable misery and torment of the latter Now whether this be to form the most Blessed God in the Mindes Judgments Souls and Consciences of Men as amiable and lovely as attractive of their hearts and affections as worthy to be delighted in to be depended on by all Persons of Mankinde without exception of any for all and all manner of good temporal spiritual eternal I am not much afraid to make it the arbitrement of those that dare so much as pretend to ingenuity fairness and freedom of spirit amongst our Adversaries themselves If it be here replyed and said that our Doctrine also representeth God as §. 14. Object 1. irreversibly engaged and this from Eternity upon the same destruction or punishment and this of the same numbers of men with the other in as much as it granteth or supposeth that God from Eternity unchangeably purposed the eternal Destruction of all those without exception that shall remain finally impenitent and unbeleeving which are the same men both for numbers and personality which the other Doctrine so much opposed by us presenteth as the Objects of those unalterable reprobating Purposes or Intendments of His from Eternity and consequently that the one Doctrine representeth God as little lovely or desirable unto his Creature as the other To this I answer 1. Though the Doctrine asserted by us supposeth such a Decree in God Answ from Eternity whereby all Persons that should remain finally impenitent and unbeleeving are decreed or adjudged unto the vengeance of eternal fire yet doth it not adjudg to this account any such who either through defect of years as Children dying Infants or defectiveness in discretion otherwise are not capable of Faith or Repentance of which we have already in part given an account a Cap. 6. Sect. 18 19 c. and shall God willing account more fully in the latter part of this Discourse Whereas the Doctrine impugned by us includeth as well Infants of days as Defectives of years especially the former in that Decree of Reprobation which it notioneth in God So that this Doctrine doth at no hand engage God so deep in the Blood of Mankinde as the other and consequently in this respect rendereth Him unto His Creature far more gracious lovely and desirable then the other 2. The Doctrine we plead though it sets the face of Gods Reprobating Decree against all finally impenitent and unbeleeving and so materially and in a consequential way against the same Persons capable of impenitency which the other Doctrine subjecteth unto it Yet 1. It subjecteth no Person of Mankinde as such or by Name unto it but supposeth all Men as Men in a capacity and under a fair possibility of being Elected this Decree of Reprobation notwithstanding though it concludeth from many Prophetical Scriptures otherwise that a very great number of Men will in time be Reprobated for their Wickedness and Unbelief whereas the Doctrine opposed bends this Decree against the Persons of Men personally considered and so leaveth such and such Men from first to last irrecoverably doomed to destruction 2. The Doctrine asserted by us presenteth God in His Decree of Reprobation as truly and really intending the Salvation of Men as in His Decree of Election it self Yea and questioneth not but that His Decree of Reprobation according to His gracious Purpose and Intendment therein hath occasioned and doth occasion dayly the Salvation of many The principal Intent of the Law threatening such and such Malefactors as Traytors Murtherers c. with Death is not to take away the lives of such Persons who shall commit these foul crimes and misdemeanors by Death this is but the subordinate intention or end of it but to prevent the perpetration of these crimes in all that live under this Law and consequently their suffering of Death for them Much less is it any part of the Intent of such a Law to make any Person or Persons by Name Traytors Murtherers or the like that so they may be cut off by Death In like manner we judg and teach that the soveraign and primary Intent of this Decree of God He i. e. whosoever beleeveth not shall be damned b Mark 16. 16 besides which in respect of the substance and import of it which may be expressed in other terms we finde no Decree of Reprobation in God mentioned no nor yet so much as intimated in the Scriptures is not to bring Damnation upon those who shall not beleeve much less to expose any man or numbers of men to an unavoydable necessity of a non-beleeving that so they may be damned
of many offences unto Justification so above measure gracious that though a man sinneth oft yea and this very grievously yet he is not hereby cut off from an Hope of re-enjoying the Love of God nay by the express Tenor of this Covenant he hath assurance from God that upon his Repentance his Sins how many soever of what nature soever shall be forgiven him yea and this sealed unto him by Baptism according to that of the Evangelists John preached the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of sins a Mark 1. 4 Luke 3. 3 i. e. preached this Doctrine that by that Baptism which he was commanded to administer God did confirm or seal unto Men the Remission of their sins upon their Repentance in such a sence and manner as Abraham is said to have received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the Righteousness of his Faith b Rom. 4. 11 c. i. e. of that Justification or Forgiveness of Sins which God upon and by means of His Beleeving had conferred upon Him This by the way At what door of evasion an escape can be made from the hand of this Argument §. 25. I cannot readily imagine If the Cause we oppose be any ways defensible against it it is by some such Plea as this The World or Mankinde may be said to be put into a better condition by Christ or by the Covenant of Grace then it was by Adam and by the Covenant of Works in as much as a considerable part hereof is by Christ put into such a capacity of Salvation which shall certainly be actuated and so a great number of men certainly saved whereas in Adam though all Men were in a capacity or under a possibility of Salvation yet this capacity was so narrow weak or remote that there was little Hope or probability that any man would be saved by the means or advantage thereof which accordingly as we know came to pass Now is it not better for a Family or other Community of men to have good assurance that some of their members shall have great matters of Honor and Estate bestowed upon them though all the rest were made uncapable of such Priviledges then to be at an uncertainty whether any one of them shall be preferred in this kinde or no To this I answer 1. It is at no hand to be granted that the whole species or generality of Mankind were in Adam invested only with a narrow faint remote capacity of Salvation or of Happiness For 1. They were created in an actual possession of happiness and with the light of Gods countenance shining brightly upon them They were all made upright or righteous c Eccles 7. 29 and in the Image of God d Gen. 1. 27 and so could not be miserable and consequently in no danger or likelihood of becoming miserable for such a condition as this had it self been Misery As for the possibility of becoming miserable with and under which they were created it imported neither danger nor likelyhood of their becoming miserable being nothing else but an essential distinguishing badg of their Creature ship without which they could no more be made then water without moysture or the Earth without a shadow projectible from it 2. Concerning the matter of event nothing can be inferred from hence touching any slipperiness of the place or ground on which they stood in Adam The greatest unlikelyhoods sometimes take place when probabilities vanish and turn to nothing as in the fulfilling of that pair of Predictions by our Saviour Many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first e Matt. 19. 30 The Kings of the Earth saith Jeremy in his Lamentations and all the inhabitants of the world would not have beleeved that the adversary and the enemy should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem f Lam. 4 12 and yet we know they did enter Who would have said that David a man attested by God Himself for a man after His own Heart and one that would fulfil all His Pleasure a man taught by God from his youth g Psal 71. 17 to whom the Statutes and Judgments of God were sweeter â—hen the Hony and the Hony comb h Psal 19. 10 more to be desired then gold then much fine gold i Ibid. a man that had as great delight in the way of Gods Testimonies as in all manner of riches k Psal 119. 14 who was afflicted and ready to dye from his youth up l Psal 88. 15 i. e. sorely deeply and constantly exercised with afflictions from first to last Who I say would have said that such a man as this would together with Adultery have committed Murther and this upon the vilest and most execrable terms that such a sin I suppose was ever known to be committed by any man And yet we know that such a thing was done even by this man So again who would have said but onely He to whom the Darkness and the Light are both alike m Psal 139 12 that Peter a Disciple so zealously devoted unto his Lord and Master whose Heart a little before was set to stand by Him though all mâ—n besides should forsake Him yea rather to dye with Him then deny Him n Mat. 26. 35 should all this notwithstanding soon after noâ— onely deny Him and that upon no great account of danger but forswear Him also once and again and this with a curse o Mat. 26 70 72 74 By these and many like experiments that might be added it sufficiently I presume appears that the miscarrying of all Men in Adam is no sufficient Argument of any deficiency in the foundation of their standing and remaining happy in Him Yea 3. and lastly for this They stood upon as good terms in Adam for the continuance of that Happiness in the fruition whereof they were created and consequently for escaping Death and Misery as men ordinarily wish or desire for the security of their lives their estates and what otherwise is dear unto them For who desireth any better terms of assurance for his life or estate then to be able to defend and make good the one and the other against all assailants that can possibly invade or endanger them and withall to be in a sufficient capacity of knowing or discovering when any attempt or assault shal be made upon them Such a Security as this had all Mankinde in Adam for the perpetuation of that good and happy condition which was their Portion from the gracious and bountiful Hand of their Creator in the day wherein He created them They were endued with strength every ways sufficient to withstand all Tempters and Temptations unto Sin yea and were in a regular capacity to have discovered the approach of any temptation and of whatsoever might endanger them and so to have preserved the unspontâ—dness of their native integrity and consequently to have maintained themselves in an uninterrupted Possession of that rich and
amply his goodness and infinite clemency among Men he hath not contented himself to instruct them all by such documents as we have exprest but hath specially given to understand his voyce to a certain People c. To this so large and lightsom an acknowledgment of sufficient means vouchsafed by God unto the Heathen whereby to come to the Knowledg of Him of His Goodness Power c. and consequently to Repent and beleeve in Him I shall not need to subjoyn such sayings as these That the Knowledg of God is naturally imbred or implanted in the mindes of Men c Dei noticiam hominuÌ„ meÌ„tibus naturaliter esse inditam Calvin Instit l. 1. c. 3. in titulo That this Knowledg is stifled or corrupted partly by their foolishness partly by their malice d Eandem noticiam partim inscitiâ partim malitiâ vel suffo cari vel corrumpi Idem Instit l. 1. c. 4. in titulo with other passages of like import extant without number in this Author Eightly and lastly If wicked men and such who perish in their sins §. 35. through Impenitency and Unbelief have not a sufficient Power and Means to Repent and Beleeve then when God most graciously most affectionately most earnestly invites them to Repent and to Beleeve and this in order to their Peace and Salvation He rather insults over them in their extremity of weakness and misery then really intends any thing gracious or of a saving import to them But to conceive thus of God is most unworthy of Him and dishonorable to Him and not far from Blasphemy Ergo. The Reason of the Connexion in the Major Proposition is because to profess love to a man that is in imminent danger of his life and upon this account to perswade press and be earnest with him to do that for the safety of his life which the Perswader in this case absolutely knoweth to be unpossible for the perswaded to do as suppose it were to make him wings and fly in the ayr beyond the Seas or to turn himself into a fish and live in the Seas or the like such an addressment as this to such a poor wretch would be basely illusory and insulting nor could it admit of any better interpretation In like manner if God knowing that a natural and ungodly man is in the utmost danger of perishing for ever and withall that he hath no power to repent or beleeve shall yet vehemently and affectionately urge press and perswade such a man to Repent and Beleeve that he may not perish can such an application as this bear any other construction then as derisory and proceeding from one who doth not simply delight in the death of a Sinner but to make the death of such a miserable Creature as full of gall and bitterness and misery as He well knows how to do Therefore certainly when God stretcheth out his hand all the day long to wicked men when he saith turn ye turn ye from your evil ways why will ye dye c. when He saith Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine and again turn at my reproof with the like He knoweth that what He thus earnestly and affectionately requireth of them and presseth them unto they have power to perform otherwise in such expressions as these He should be like unto a Judg or King that having sentenced a lame man to death for Treason or some other crime should promise him his life in case he would run twenty miles within an hours space and accordingly press him with much seriousness unto it I have met with nothing to my best remembrance from the Pen of any Defender of the contrary Faith to obstruct or check this Argument in the course of it nor am I able to imagine what can with any face of Reason or of Truth contest with it To say that when God with the greatest earnestness of expression calls upon wicked men to Repent He onely signifies unto them what would prevent their destruction were it found in them but supposeth not any Principle or power in them to exhibit or perform it such an allegation I say as this hath neither salt nor savor in it For to what account can it be brought that God should inform wicked men how or which way they may escape destruction if it be supposed withall that they are in no capacity no not so much as under a possibility of receiving any benefit by such an information Besides God cannot truly and cordially profess that He desireth not the death of a sinner or of him that dyeth upon the account onely of an information directed to such a man concerning the way or means of his escape unless it be supposed withall that he is made capable by Him of benefit by such an information and in a condition to make use of it in order to an escape And to conclude meer informations are not wont to be given in exhortatory or preceptive language as turn ye turn ye c. nor in such pathetique strains as Why will ye dye O house of Israel nor with such Promises annexed as so shal not iniquity be your ruine nor lastly where they are of no use neither to those to whom they are given nor to Him that giveth them nor to any others which upon consideration of particulars would plainly appear to be the case before us To say that in such affectionate Exhortations and Expressions as those §. 36. under present consideration God onely expresseth His Will of Approbation signifying that Righteousness and Repentance after sin and so the Peace and Salvation of His Creature upon and by means of these are things simply agreeable to His Nature Minde and Goodness but â—oth not intend to signifie any Will or Purpose in Himself to work Repentance in the persons to whom He thus speaketh nor yet that they have power to repent without Him is an allegation as inconsiderable and inconsistent with Reason as the former For 1. If Righteousness and Repentance after sin and the Salvation of the Creature hereupon be simply agreeable to His Nature Minde and Goodness then why should not the Repentance and upon this the Salvation of those persons to whom He particularly addresseth Himself in those gracious and earnest Compellations and Exhortations of which we now speak be every whit as agreeable to His Nature Minde and Goodness as the Repentance or Salvation of any other persons in their case He no where signifieth any difference in this kinde Or if the Repentance and Salvation of some Sinners be agreeable to His Nature Minde and Goodness and not of others it is a plain case that the Repentance and Salvation of the Creature simply considered are not the things that are so agreeable to Him but the Repentance and Salvation of such and such particular subjects For Repentance and Salvation are the same things and of the same Nature in what persons or subjects soever no
own hands if so then the perfect workmanship of his own hands must be the object of his Reprobation and consequently that which is good For God saw every thing that He had made and behold it was very good g Gen. 1. 31 But unpossible it is that that which is good especially very good should be the object of Gods Reprobation Again if that sinfulness wherein it is pretended that God looked upon men when He Reprobated them was any ground or cause of such his Reprobation then was it a ground or cause morally moving him hereunto for other influence or efficiency upon him it could have none If so then 1. The Will of God may have a Cause superior to it and productive of it which is generally taken for an impossibility 2. If the sinfulness of men foreseen moved God morally to conceive or make a Decree of Reprobation against them then was this Decree made by him in a way of Justice and Equity yea upon such terms that had He not made or passed such a Decree upon the grounds and reasons that were before him He had been unjust If so there being the same Reason why He should pass a like Decree against those men also who are now called his Elect in as much as a like sinfulness in them was foreseen likewise by him from Eternity He must be unjust because He hath not passed a like Decree against these The truth is that such a Decree of Reprobation as men commonly notion in God involves so many inextricable difficulties palpable absurdities that I say not intolerable Blasphemies also that my hope is it will shortly mole mali sui ruere fall and sink with the insupportable weight of its own evil in the mindes and judgments of men As for those places of Scripture with the Arguments commonly drawn from them which are counted the Pillars of such a Reprobation we shall in due time the inflexible hand of Death or some other grand diversion not preventing us by the gracious assistance of the Spirit of Truth clearly answer and disengage from that service In the mean time we shall further countenaâ—ce the Doctrine in hand with this Demonstration If Christ dyed not for all Men without exception then is the Sin of Adam §. 39. Argum. 12. more extensive or extensive unto more in a way of Condemnation and Death then the Death of Christ and the Grace given by Him unto the World is in a way of Justification and of Life The Reason of this Consequence is apparant viz. because the Sin of Adam extended unto all Men without exception in a way of Condemnation Therefore I assume But the Sin of Adam is not extensive unto more in a way of Condemnation then the Grace given by Christ is in a way of Justification Ergo. This latter Proposition is clearly enough asserted by the Apostle and this over and over But not as the offence so also is the free gift i. e. the free gift of Grace by Christ unto the World meaning that the offence or sin of Adam did not operate so forcibly or with so high an hand towards or to the Condemnation of Men as the Grace given by Christ operateth towards or to the Justification or Salvation of Men. For thus he explains himself in the words following For if through the offence of one many be dead i. e. obnoxious or liable unto death much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many h Rom. 5. 15 As if he should have said there is great Reason to conceive and judg that the grace of God and the gift of Jesus Christ thereby should be much more effectual to procure the Justification and Salvation of many then the offence of one the Condemnation of many partly because the offence of one wrought onely in its own strength and native tendency in bringing Condemnation and Death upon many having onely the permissive Will of God not his operative or designing Will for or towards the Production of such an effect whereas the operative and projecting or designing Will of God interposed went along with yea and magnified it self in the gracious gift by Jesus Christ in order to the bringing of the Justification of Life upon or unto many partly also because Jesus Christ being the eternal Son of God consecrated and given by the Father for this end and purpose viz. to bring the Justification of Life unto or upon many i. e. to put many into such an estate of Justification wherein continuing they should live or be saved was a far more likely Person to carry on and make good his engagement for the Justification of many then Adam being a weak Creature and of an earthy frame was to bring the Condemnation of Death upon many Now to say that by the offence of one a far greater number of men incomparably more are made dead brought into an estate of Condemnation and Death then by the Grace of God and by the gift of Jesus Christ through this Grace are brought into an estate of Justification is quite to alter the Property of the Apostles arguing in this place and to invert the express tendency of it For whereas his intent clearly is to assert a far more emphatical likelyhood or rationality that the Grace of God in the gift of Jesus Christ should operate and prevail to the Justification of many and that accordingly it doth thus operate and prevail then the Sin of Adam to the Condemnation of many such an assertion as that mentioned makes him to say or at least it self saith that whether there be more likelyhood or rationality or no that the Grace of God by Christ should justifie many then that the Sin of Adam should condemn many yet for matter of fact it is otherwise and that the grace of God by Christ justifies a few onely in comparison whereas the sin of Adam condemns all without exception To affirm for the strengthening of the Faith of Beleevers upon which account questionless the Apostle here speaketh it that there is a far greater probability that many should be justified by Christ then that many should be condemned by Adam and yet to affirm withall that this probability notwithstanding many yea all without exception are condemned by Adam and but a very few comparatively justified by Christ is to blow hot and cold with the same breath and to pull down with the one hand what a man builds up with the other The commensurableness or coextensiveness of the Grace of God in Christ in order to the Justification of Men with the Sin of Adam in respect of the Condemnation of Men is very pregnantly avouched the second and third time also by the same Apostle in these subsequent Passages of the same contexture Therefore as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
Writings which pass under the Name of Augustins Works at this day but may upon a pretence every whit as plausible be traduced as illegicimate Before I pass from this Testimony I desire the Reader to take knowledg that the worthy Author thereof towards the beginning of the said Tract and a few lines before the recited Testimony professeth that what he should deliver therein was his sence and Judgment in the respective Articles in opposition to the Pelagians and their Doctrine e Propositis ergo From whence it manifestly appeareth that in Augustins days it was no Orthodox Doctrine but a Pelagian Error to hold that Christ dyed not for all Men in as much as the Father complaineth as we heard before that he was falsly charged by some abettors of the Pelagian Faction that he held that Christ the Lord suffered not for the Redemption of all Men. Therefore they who traduce the Doctrine maintained in this Discourse under the odious Name of Pelagianism either declare themselves notably ignorant of what Pelagianism meaneth or else asperse that Father who questionless knew better then all his fellows what belonged to Pelagianism with the blot of this ignorance By his Vote and Verdict the Doctrine which contradicteth that asserted by us is Pelagianism Another Testimony from the same Father upon the same account may be that formerly cited Having rehearsed these words For God sent not His Son to judg the World but that the World by Him should be saved He infers thus Therefore as much as lieth in the Physician He came to heal the sick That man slayeth himself who will not observe the precepts of the Physician He came a Saviour unto the World Why is He called the Saviour of the World but THAT HE SHOVLD SAVE THE WORLD f Ergo quantum in Medico est sanare venit aegrotum Ipse se interimit qui praecepta Medici observare non vult Venit Salvator ad Mundum Quare Salvator dictus est Mundi nisi ut salvet Mundum Aug. in Joh. Tract 12. Elsewhere addressing himself in his private Devotions unto the Lord Christ He speaketh to Him thus I know thee to be true God and our Lord Iesus Christ the onely begotten Son of God the Creator Saviour and Redeemer of me and OF WHOLE MANKINDE g Cognovi te veruÌ„ Deum Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium Dei unigenitum Creatorem Salvatorem Redemptorem meum totius humani generis c. Augustin Soliloqu c. 32. Again O thou unclean World He cometh that should redeem thee and thou art troubled and Him thou wilt destroy when He was MINDED TO DELIVER THEE h O Munde immunde venit qui te redimat turbaris hunc tu vis perdere quando ille te disposuit liberare Aug. de Symb. l. 2. Concerning Iudas He demandeth What did the Sin of Judas who sold Him by whom HE SHOVLD HAVE BEEN or was to have been REDEEMED i Quid egit iniquitas Judae qui eum vendidit à quo redimi debuit Ibid. Afterwards He presenteth Christ after His Resurrection speaking to the unbeleeving Iews who had crucified Him thus Behold the Man whom ye have crucified behold that God and Man in whom you refuse to beleeve You see the wounds which you have inflicted the side which ye have pierced because by you AND FOR YOV it hath been opened and yet you will not enter k Ecce hominem quem crucifixistis ecce Deum hominem in quem credere noluistis Videtis vulnera quae infixistis agnoscitis latus quod pupugistis quoniam per vos propter vos apertum est nec tamen intrare voluistis Ibid. In another place thus Mankinde falleth sick not of bodily diseases but of sins This Great Patient or sick man lieth all along the World from the East unto the West FOR THE HEALING OF THIS GREAT SICK MAN THE OMNIPOTENT PHYSICIAN COMES DOVVN l Aegrotat humanum genus non morbis corporis sed peccatis Jacet toto orbe terrarum ab Oriente usque ad Occidentem grandis aegrotus Ad sanandum grandem aegrotum descendit Omnipotens Medicus c. Aug. De verbis Domini Serm. 59. The same Father in another part of his Works comparing the first and the second Adam together discourseth to this effect What therefore was justly due from Adam Christ unjustly by suffering Death payd He stretched forth His Hand to the sweetness of the Apple Christ to the bitterness of the Cross He shewed the Tree of Death Christ the Tree of Life He lift up Himself against God and fell Christ HVMELED HIMSELF THAT HE MIGHT LIFT UP ALL. Adam brought Death upon all Men universally and Christ hath repaired or restord Life unto all Men. Every one therefore looked towards the brazen Serpent and was healed of the wounds received from the poysonous Serpents The brazen Serpent set upon a wooden pole overcame all the venom of the living Serpents and Christ being hung upon the Cross and dying quenched the old poysons or venoms of the Devil and DELIVERED or freed ALL THAT WERE STRVCK or stung BY HIM m Ille arborem necis icte salutis ostendit ille se contrà Deum erexit cecidit Christus se humiliavit ut omnes erigeret Adam Mortem universis intulit Christus vitam omnibus reparavit Respiciebat ergo unusquisque ad Serpentem aeneum à venenatis Serpentibus sanabatur Serpens aeneus in ligno positus veâ—ena vâ—vorum Serpentum superavit Christus in cruce suspensus mortuus antiqua Diaboli venena restinxit omnes qui ab eo percussi fluerant liberavit August De Temp. Serm. 101. This Father in his dialect and manner of expression could not more significantly declare for General Redemption then He hath done in the now-recited Testimonies And the truth is that Passages and sayings of like import are very familiar and frequent in his Writings In one place He saith that Judas cast away the price of silver for which He sold the Lord and acknowledged not the price WITH WHICH HIMSELF WAS REDEEMED BY THE LORD n Judas projecit PreciuÌ„ argenti quo ab illo Dominus venditus erat nec agnovit pretiuÌ„ quo ipse a Domino redemptus erat Aug. in Enar. Psal 68. In another Unless He Christ had been crucified the WORLD had not been REDEEMED o Nisi enim crucifigeretur illâ— mundus non redimeretur Aug. De Symbâ—l 3. c. 4. In a third For the Blood of Christ is so or upon such terms shed for Remission of ALL SINS or for Remission of the Sins of all Men that it is able to blot out that very sin by which it was shed p Christi enim sanguis sic in remissionem peccatoâ—uÌ„ omnium fâ—sus est ut ipsum etiam peccatum posset delere quo fusus est Aug. Tract 92. in Johan In a fourth We read in the Scriptures that the
Theodoret Leo Fulgentius Primasius Gregorius Beda Theophylact Anselm Oecumenius Bernard Let us briefly hear what is resolved by these respectively upon the Question concerning the Intentions of God about the extent of Christs Death Prosper well known for a through Disciple of Augustin and who served his generation not long after him declareth his sence in the business in hand plainly enough in words to this effect All Men â—re truly said to be Redeemed yet all Men are not gotten out of captivity For that cup of immortality which is tempered or compounded of the infirmity of Men and power of God hath in it wherewith to profit all Men but it helpeth not unless it be taken or drank And the Lord Jesus expresly saith that His Flesh is Bread from Heaven or an heavenly Bread which giveth Life unto the World But except it be eaten it giveth no life as in the Parable in the Gospel the Marriage Feast was prepared for all that were called but they only enjoyed it who came with a wedding garment unto it a Rectè omnes dicuÌ„tur Redempti tamen noâ— omnes à captivitate eruti Poculum quippe immortalitatis quod confectuÌ„ est ex infirmitate nostrâ virtute divinâ habet quidem in se ut omnibus profit sed si non bibitur non medetur Et ipse Dominus Jesus diserté dicit carnem suam esse panem coelestem qui vitam dat Mundo At si non comeditur non vivificat Sicut in Parabolâ Evangelicâ Nuptiae omnibus vocatis paratae sunt si ij soli iis fruuntur qui ad eas veniunt cum veste nuptiali Prosp ad Capp Vincent c. 1. Elswhere he saith Our Saviour is most truly said to have been crucified for the Redemption of the whole World both in respect of the Humane Nature truly assumed by Him as also because of the common destruction of Men in the first man And yet in a sence He may also be said to have been crucified only for those who receive benefit by His Death i. e. that His Crucifying was in the Consequent Intentions of God intended onely for such For the Evangelist saith that Jesus was to dye for that Nation and not for that Nation onely but that He might gather the sons of God dispersed into one c. He gave His Blood for the World and the World would not be redeemed because the Darkness received not the Light b Cum rectissimè dicatur Salvator pro totius Mundi redemptione crucifixus propter verum humanae Naturae susceptionem propter coÌ„munem in primo homine perditionem potest tamen dici pro his tantum crucifixus quibus Mors ipsius proficit Dicit enim Evangelista quia Jesus moriturus erat pro gente nec tantum pro gente sed etiam ut filios Dei dispersos congregaret in unum c. Dedit pro Mundo sanguinem suum â— Mundus redimi noluit quia lucem tenebrae non receperunt Idem ad Object Vincâ—nt cap. 10. These last words plainly interpret his meaning in those wherein he had said that Christ may be said to have been crucified for those onely who reap benefit by His Death and imply that His meaning herein was onely this that God by His Consequent Will or Intention intended the Death of Christ or the benefit of His Death onely for such who come in time to partake hereof viz. by beleeving Concerning the Antecedent and Consequent Will or Intentions of God see before Cap. 17. Sect. 9. He that yet questions the Judgment of this Author in the Point may please to peruse the brief Sentence which He gives upon the nineth Chapter or Head Capp Gallorum and especially those two Books De Vocatione Gentium which though some ascribe unto Ambrose yet are they discernable enough by some characters to be the Writings of Prosper and are cited under his name by the Synod of Dort In these He shall finde General Redemption by Christ asserted ten times over the main scope of these Books being to prove that there is no person of Mankinde simply excluded from participating in the saving Grace of Redemption purchased by Christ. Cyril of Alexandria about the same time with Prosper filleth his Writings §. 10. with the same Truth They saith He speaking of the Jews unjustly desire His Death wickedly lie in wait for Him unmercifully slay Him thrust Him out of their Land and City who is the Life the Light the Salvation OF ALL MEN c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril Alexandr lib. 2. in Ioh. cap. 5. Elsewhere Since it became Him to suffer that Corruption Sin and Death which was brought in to the World being by this means to be turned back or destroyed He gave Himself a Counter-ransom for the Life OF ALL MEN d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem in Ioh. l. 5. c. 3. Once more It is without controversie that the WHOLE WORLD is saved Emanuel having dyed for it e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem See more in this Author upon the same account De Rectâ Fide ad Reginas c. c. 22. circa initium In Joh. lib. 2. c. 1. in 3. cap. Joh. vers 17. c. Theodoret somewhat before the two last-named Authors conceived that He found the Universality of Redemption by Christ in the Scriptures For commenting the fifth Chapter to the Romans He maketh the words of the Apostle equipollent to these The Munificence of Grace over cometh the Decree of Justice For when man sinned the whole kinde or race is punished But now when ALL MEN behave themselves impiously and unjustly He doth not inflict punishment upon them but granteth life f Superat inquit Gratiâ—e Munificentia Justiciae DecretuÌ„ Tunc enim cùm Homo peccâsset totum genus â—oenus luit Nunc autem cum omnes homines se impiè iniquè gerant non supplicium irrogavit sed vitam donavit Theodoret. ad Rom. 5. Et posteà Ne dubitate inquit quae à me dicuntur ad Adam respicientes Si enim illa vera sunt vt sunt cum ille transgressus esset universum genus Mortis Decretum suscepit clarum est quòd Servatoris Justicia vitam omnibus hominibus procurat unto them Afterwards in the progress of His Exposition upon the same Chapter He presents the Apostle speaking thus to His Romans Doubt not of the things I speak with relation unto Adam For if these things he true as they are and that when He sinned His whole race received a Decree or Sentence of Death evident it is that the Righteousness of our Saviour procureth LIFE FOR ALL MEN. Leo commonly stiled the Great very frequently bewrayeth His Judgment to stand to the same Point Comparing the Death of the Lord Christ with the deaths of other holy men He saith that there were but single or particular deaths in every of these respectively nor did any of these persons discharge the
observation ever and anon finde them borrowing this Principle of their Adversaries that Christ dyed for all Men to support and strengthen their buildings being indeed a Principle so necessary that in many cases men can make no tolerable work without it I may I suppose without prejudice or loss in the least to the cause we have undertaken supersede the multiplication of Instances from other Authors of the same perswasion and repute with those last named whereby it would appear as clear as the light at Noon-day that there are few of them if any but that now and then do Homage with their Pen to that Great and Soveraign Truth of Universal Attonement by Christ I shall therefore conclude with some single Testimonies from several men leaving the Reader to pursue his satisfaction concerning the rest by his own reading Pareus writing upon that of the Apostle That He through the Grace of God should taste of Death for every man saith that whereas He saith for every Man it respecteth the amplification or extent of the Death of Christ HE DYED NOT FOR SOME FEVV THE EFFICACY or vertue OF IT APPERTAINS UNTO ALL. Therefore there is Life prepared in the Death of Christ for ALL afflicted Consciences r Quod dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad frucâ—um Mortis Christi amplificandum pertinet Non pro paucis aliquibus mortuus est sed ad omnes efficacia ejus pertinet Omnibus igitur afflictis conscientiis in Morte Christi Vita parata est c. Pareus ad Heb. 2. 9. Gualter preaching upon Joh. 3. 16. and speaking of Christ saith that He being to name those whom God so loved doth not mention Abraham Isaac or Jacob Moses David the Prophets the Virgin Mary the Apostles or Holy Martyrs but THE WORLD WHICH our Evangelist affirmeth to LIE WHOLLY IN WICKEDNESS and OF WHICH Christ Himself more then once affirmeth the DEVIL TO BE PRINCE s Et hoc quidem clariùs exprimit quando eos nominaturus quos ita dilexerit Deus non Abrahami aut Isaaci aut Jacobi Mosis Davidis Prophetarum Mariae Virginis Apostolorum denique Sanctorum Martyrum meminit sed Mundi quem totum in Malo jacere Evangelista noster testatur cujus Principem esse Diabolum ipse Christus non uno loco affirmat Gualter Hom. 20. in Johan Hemmingius in his Book of Christian Institution hath this saying amongst many others of like import There is no reason why any man should think that the Son of God was sent into the World that He might or should REDEEM SOME CERTAIN SELECT PERSONS out of Mankinde but rather that He should take away THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD t Neque est quod quisquaÌ„ existimet missum esse Filium in Mundum vt quosdaÌ„ selectos tantuÌ„ de genere humano redimeret sed potius vt totius Mundi peccata tolleret Hemming De Institut Christianâ Ursine in his Catechetical Explications discourseth thus As then Christ §. 24. dyed for all Men in respect of the sufficiency of His Ransom in respect of the efficiency of it onely for those that beleeve so also He was willing to dye for ALL MEN IN COMMON as to the sufficiency of His Merit that is HIS WILL WAS TO MERIT by His Death and this most sufficiently i. e. abundantly GRACE RIGHTEOUSNESS LIFE FOR ALL MEN because He would have nothing wanting in Him or in His Merit that should render wicked men who perish inexcusable u Vt igitur est mortuus pro omnibus sufficientia sui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro solis credentibus efficaciâ ejusdem sic etiam voluit mori pro omnibus communiter quoad sufficientiam sui Meriti hoc est voluit Morte suâ mereri Gratiaem Justiciam VitaÌ„ sufficientissime pro omnibus quia nihil voluit in se suo Merito desiderari vt omnes impii pereuntes essent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ursin Catech. Part. 2. quest 11. We formerly proved that if Christ dyed sufficiently for all Men that He dyed intentionally also for all x Cap. 5. Sect. 39 40 c. upon which account amongst all our Opposers we found onely Piscator and Beza true to their Principles who as well deny that Christ dyed sufficiently as efficaciously or intentionally for all Men y Cap. 5. Sect. 44. But if Christ merited i. e. purchased or procured by His Death Grace Righteousness Life most sufficiently for all Men and this so or with such an intent that nothing might be wanting in His Merit to make those that perish inexcusable doubtless He merited as much for those who perish as for those that are saved and consequently dyed as efficaciously for the one as for the other For what did he or could he merit more for those who come to be saved then Grace Righteousness Life and this most sufficiently Nor could He merit less for those who perish to make them inexcusable then such a sufficiency of Grace by the co-operation and assistance whereof they might have beleeved as was sufficiently proved in the next preceding Chapter Aretius upon Vers 15. of the second Chapter to the Hebrews willeth us to observe to whom the fruit or benefit of the Death of Christ belongeth and in what the Deliverance which the Apostle speaks of consists This Deliverance saith he appertains unto all that were subject unto bondage in this life Now we were all thus subject therefore THE DELIVERANCE APPERTAINS UNTO ALL. The Deliverance is said to be general or appertaining unto all Men because IT APPERTAINS UNTO ALL or whole MANKINDE although all do not acknowledg the benefit nor receive it with a thankful minde Thus it comes to pass that the said Deliverance comes to be eventually efficacious in Beleevers onely z Observa hîc primum ad quos spectet Mortis Christi fructus deinde in quibus consistat liberatio illa Spectat ad omnes illa liberatio quicunque erant obnoxij servituti iâ— hâc vitâ Eramus autem omnes igitur ad omnes spectabat haec liberatio Generalis auteÌ„ dicitur liberatio vel ad omnes pertinens quia ad totuÌ„ genus humanuÌ„ pertinebat quaÌ„vis non omnes illud beneficiuÌ„ agnoscant nec grato animo accipiant Ita fit vt tantuÌ„ in fidelibus sit efficax illa liberatio Aretius ad Heb. 2. J. Fox our Countryman in his Meditations upon the Apocalyps hath this Passage amongst many others of a concurrent sence and notion The Lord Christ then came into the World being sent by His Father And wherefore was He senâ— That He might repair the losses which NATURE he means the Nature of Man had sustained For the Lord seeing the miserable and lost condition of our infirmity so prone unto evil by an innate frailty so loved THE WORLD that of His own accord He bestowed His onely begotten Son upon it who might relieve the frailty thereof change or turn Death into Salvation pacifie the
of particular Redemption is countenanced with this Argument Unto all those for whom God spared not but delivered up his own Son for them he will freely give all things But there are many thousands in the World unto whom God will not give all things Ergo for none of these did God deliver up his Son As to these Arguments and Deductions pretending legitimacy of descent §. 3. from the recited Scriptures respectively we shall clearly demonstrate the nullity of such their claim and prove that they have neither footing nor foundation in any the Premisses But Secondly Besides the recited Pleas against the Doctrine of General Redemption claiming such an immediate interest as hath been represented in the Scriptures there are many others seemingly confederate with some unquestionable Principles and Grounds both of Reason and Religion and bearing themselves upon the Scriptures also though in somewhat a more remote way The most considerable and those insisted upon with greatest importunity by the Adversaries of the said Doctrine are these following Such of them as I finde in the Writings of men of Worth and Name I shall set down with their respective Authors or Abettors noted in the Margent If Christ by his Death merited for us i. e. for those for whom He dyed 1 Reason against Gen Redemption the Reconciliation it self of our persons with God and that Grace should actually and really be communicated unto us which if he should not have done he should not have benefited those that are his to such a degree as Adam damnified those Acta Synodi Dordrect part 2. p. 82 that are his then did he not dye for all men without exception But the Antecedent is true therefore the Consequent also The Reason of the Consequence in the Proposition is because certain it is both from the Scriptures and by experience that the persons of all Men are not truly reconciled with God nor is Grace actually communicated unto them The Minor presumeth of it self If Salvation being the thing promised in the New Covenant be not promised 2 Reason but onely upon condition of beleeving and all men do not will not beleeve then Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 82 certain it is that Christ by his Death obtained not Salvation for all men but for Beleevers onely But the former of these is true therefore the latter also The Consequence in the Proposition is presumed to be undenyable If the Death of Christ procured Restitution unto Life for all Men then 3 Reason were all Men restored hereunto either when Christ from Eternity was destinated unto Death which must needs be false because then no man should be born a child of wrath nor should original sin hurt any man in as much as this according to such an opinion should have been pardoned from Eternity nor should Infants or others stand in need of the Laver of Regeneration which is contrary to the assertion of Christ Joh. 3. 5. Or else they were restored in the Person of their first Parent Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 82 83 when the Promise concerning the seed of the woman was promised which also is false because our first Parents themselves were not restored to an estate of Grace but by Faith in Christ therefore neither their posterity and so not All whether Beleevers or Unbeleevers Or else they were restored when Christ Himself suffered Death upon the Cross but this also is false For so none should have been restored before this moment of time which no man hâ—ldeth nor are all Men restored since this time for without all doubt the Wrath of God burned at the same instant of time and afterwards against some of the Accusers Condemners Crucifiers and Mockers of Christ If the Impetration and Application of the Benefits of Christ be never separated §. 4. 4 Reason or dis-joyned in their subjects then did He not impetrate these Benefits for All Men and consequently not dye for all Men because certain it is that Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 87. vid. p. 94 97 113 c. there is not an Application of them made unto all Men. But the Impetration and Application of these Benefits are never separated the one from the other in their subjects Ergo. They for whom Christ by His Death actually procured and obtained Reconciliation 5 Reason with God Forgiveness of sins Righteousness and Eternal Life are made Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 89 113 c. real Partakers of these Benefits The Reason is because nothing can be said to be procured and obtained by Christ for any man which at one time or other he doth not partake and enjoy But Unbeleevers who perish eternally never come to be Partakers of these Benefits Reconciliation with God Forgiveness of sins c. Ergo. They who by the Death of Christ are reconciled unto God are saved by His 6 Reason Life This Proposition beareth it self upon the Authority of Rom. 5. 10. But Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 89 90 not All Men but onely the Elect and Beleevers are saved by the Life of Christ Ergo. They unto whom Christ was not ordained or given for a Mediator He 7 Reason did not reconcile unto His Father by His Death nor purchase Remission of Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 90 sins or Eternal Life for them But Christ was not ordained or given for a Mediator unto Reprobates persevering in Unbelief c. Ergo. The Assumption presumeth to lean on the brest of Rom. 8. 32. a place already specified upon a like account If Reconciliation with God Remission of Sins and Eternal Life be 8 Reason obtained for all Men without exception by the Suffeâ—ings and Death of Christ then it will follow that all those who have not by actual Incredulity Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 90 rejected the Merits of Christ remain truly reconciled unto God have their sins remitted and shall be eternally saved But this Consequent is absurd Therefore the Antecedent also If Christ by His Death made Satisfaction for all Men then might all 9 Reason Men upon the performance of the Condition of the New Covenant be saved and again upon an universal non-performance of this Condition all Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 9â— ex pâ—â—te Men might be damned But as well the one as the other of these are and were impossible Ergo. The Reason of the Consequence as to the first branch of it is because satisfaction being made for any mans sins there remains nothing further necessary to his actual discharge or Salvation but onely the performance of the Condition upon which the application of the said Satisfaction is suspended The Reason of the latter branch of the Consequence is because if Satisfaction was made by Christ upon none other terms for some then it was for all it clearly follows that in case there be a possibility of a non-application of
He Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 120 doth not withall give them Faith in His Son But certain it is 1. That all Men come not to be saved and 2. That the great Love of God in the gift of his Son doth not vanish in unprofitableness Ergo. A like Argument is fram'd upon the account of the great Love of the Son Himself towards those for whom He dyed Christ saith the Argument so loved us that whilest we were Enemies He dyed for us Is it now credible that He should not apply a benefit merited or procured with so much sweat and with such precious Blood unto those for whom He merited it These Arguments with some Texts of Scripture not here mentioned cited to prove some of the Particulars together with some few Sayings from the Fathers both which we intend to take and give knowledg of upon occasion were in a manner the whole strength wherein the Synod of Dort so much magnified themselves against their Adversaries the Remonstrants in the traverse of the second Head of Matters Controversal between them which concerned the Intentions of God in and about the Death of Christ as far as I am able to observe from the Records of this Synod Concerning which Arguments I shall say no more at present but onely these two things 1. That though they be somewhat numerous yet there is none of them but lieth very opportune and fair for Answer and 2. That some of them if not the greater part stand bent against such an Opinion which I beleeve their Antagonists did not hold certain I am they do not oppugn that Doctrine of Redemption which is maintained in this Book Nevertheless because they may possibly be conceived by some less considerate to rise up with much strength against it we shall take them into consideration respectively in their places I will not say that there have been sufficient grounds layd yea and sufficiently proved in the Premisses of our present Discourse whereon to frame satisfactory Answers even to those that are counted Pillars amongst them but shall leave the consideration hereof to the intelligent and unpartial Reader and to the Disquisitions about them intended in the second Part of this Work I do not meet with any thing of moment in any other Author to infringe §. 7. the credit of the Doctrine of General Redemption which doth not make one spirit with one or other of the Arguments levyed as we have heard by the said Synod This which I shall presently recite from the Collocutors of the Contra-Remonstrancy at the Conference at the Hague Ann. 1613. is but the same in effect with the first and fifth of those used by the Synod For whom soever Christ dyed and obtained Remission of sins and Reconciliation with God for these also He obtained by his Death Deliverance from the bondage of sin and the spirit of Regeneration for Newness of life But Christ did not obtain Deliverance from the bondage of sin or the spirit of Regeneration for all Men. Ergo. If any man conceives there is somewhat more in this Argument of the said Collocutors which I shall next transcribe then in any of the former I am content that it shall stand as additional unto them I finde it in this form All they for whom Christ dyed can freely say Who is he that condemneth 20 Reason It is Christ that dyed for us Rom. 8. 34. But they are onely Beleevers and the Elect that can speak thus Vers 33. not Unbeleevers Mark 16. 16. Ergo. The Minor is further strengthened by this consideration The Consolation raised from the consideration of the Death of Christ which the Apostle here Rom. 8. 32 33 c. administreth unto the Saints or Beleevers would have little solidity or worth in it in case Reprobates and Unbeleevers could as truly say that Christ dyed for them also This Argument likewise from the same Authors is vertually contained in that already mentioned in the fifteenth place Yet let it have the Honor of an Argument by it self If Reconciliation with God and Remission of sins be obtained for all and 21 Reason every man none excepted then should or ought the Word of this Reconciliation i. e. the Gospel be preached or declared and this continually to all and every man But the Word of Reconciliation is not thus preached to all and every man Ergo. The Reason of the Consequence is because they for whom Reconciliation is obtained not being capable of enjoying it but by Faith and Faith not being to be obtained but by hearing the Word of this their Reconciliation it seems contrary to all Reason that they should be deprived of the means of beleeving The learned Chamier advanceth this Argument against us the strength 22 Reason Chamier Panstrat â—om 3. lib. 9. c. 13. Sect. 19 whereof the observant Reader will finde lodged in the nineteenth Reason already propounded To all those for whom Christ truly dyed the Death of Christ is profitable But this Death of his is not profitable unto all Men. Ergo. The Major he proves 1. From the proper import of the Particle for which saith he always notes some benefit accruing to him for whom any thing is said to be done 2. From the state of the Controversie 3. And lastly From the Scriptures as where it is said He gave himself for us that he might redeem us c. Tit. 2. So again from Matt. 26. 28. Rom. 5. 8 9. The Minor he proveth 1. From the Concession or his Adversaries themselves the Papists concerning Infants who dye unbaptized all which they exclude from Salvation and consequently from all benefit by the Death of Christ. 2. From the Concession almost of all concerning persons of years of Matury viz. that very many of these perish everlastingly and so never come to receive any benefit by the Death of Christ. In the same place the same Author subjoyneth this Argument the same in 23 Reason substance with the former If Christ dyed for all Men then all Men are saved or shall be saved But this is not so Ergo. The Minor which needs no proof he proves from Joh. 3. 36. Rom. 2. 8. For the Consequence in the Major Proposition he cites the Apostles Discourse Rom. 5. 8 9 10. under the Notion of an express Probation of it But God commendeth his love towards us c. The Scriptures and Arguments now propounded are the effect and substance §. 8. of all that I can readily finde or call to minde pleaded and argued against the Doctrine of General Redemption as it hath been stated and asserted in our present Discourse excepting onely some quotations from the Fathers If any thing of moment upon the same account shall further occur or be offered unto me either before or under my examination of these I shall not conceal it but shall as in the presence of God and without the least touch or tincture of prejudice or partiality acknowledg strength in any thing
yet moved with fear prepared an ark by which he condemned the world c. 314 315 c. 11. 17. By Faith Abraham offered up Isaac c. 19 451 452 12. 2. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faiâ—â— 254 255 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit 463 1. 5. Who by the power of God are kept through Faith unto Salvation 185 186 c. 1. 23. Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible 199 200 2. 4. elect and precious 244 3. 21. The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us 354 4. 19. as unto a faithful Creator 70 71 236 2 Pet. 1. 4. partakers of the divine nature 199 200 2. 1. even denying the Lora that bought them 129 130 c. 2. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledg of the Lord 144 145 c. 3. 9. not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 104 417 418 1 Joh. 2. 2. And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world Pag. 91 92 c. 188 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no dobt have continued with us 189 190 c. 261 2. 24. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall abide in you ye also shall continue in the Son c. 261 3. 7. Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous Cap. 9. § 11. p. 265 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sin c. 192 193 c. 3. 10. whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God 402 4. 4. because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world 325 4. 18. perfect love casteth out fear 314 because fear hath torment 3 16 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us 476 5. 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his CoÌ„mandments and c. 337 5. 4. For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world and c. 263 337 5. 5. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that beleeveth that Jesus is the Son of God 398 5. 10. He that beleeeveth not God hath made him a lyar c. 497 504 5. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us 250 5. 18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not 263 264 2 Joh. vers 8. Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward 258 Jude ver 1. and preserved in Jesus Christ 253 3. that ye should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints 243 Apocal. 2. 11. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death 267 268 3. 5. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life 332 333 14. 4. these were redeemed from among men c. 143 20. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection c. 267 A Table of the particular Heads of Matter in the preceding Discourse A ABraham in what sence commanded to offer up Isaac Pag. 451 452 453 Acts actings of God why expressed by Verbs of the Preterperfect-tense 63 Actions if men with their consequences ascribed to God emphatically and why 23 of Causes meerly natural why not always uniform p. 24. Actings and motions of created Principles seldom suspended by the first Cause and why p. 6. Such as proceed from the wills of men frequently in Scriputre attributed to them in terms of a passive signification p. 15. How said to be determined 23 Actions and Operations in these sublâ—nary parts not so attributed to God but that they have their second Causes 7 Actuality of God 7 Adam all men righteous in him 512 513 had not justifying Faith 504 505 c. All men in what sence they have right to the Promises p. 451. have sufficient means to beleeve pag. 499 500. All all men what signifie in Scripture 108 109 Ambrose for Vniversal Redemption 528 for falling away 325 327 Angels whether changeable in their Wills after Election 485. not out of a possibility of falling according to Calvin 441 receive benefit by Christ 440. need an Head as well as men 438. understand not bytheir meer essence p. 43. whether and how reconcilable 441 Anselm for Vniversal Redemption 543 Antecedent and Consequent Intentions in God 448 106 107 Aretius for falling away 392. for Vniversal Redemption 407 Arnobius for Vniversal Redemption 533 Arriba resolves the certainty of the foreknowledg of God into the perfection of his Wisdom 22 Assurance of Salvaiton whether men live holily or no not meet for God to give or men to enjoy 282 Athanasius for Vniversal Redemption 530 531 Attonement universal no new Religion 73 taught by express Scripture the contrary onely by consequence 73 Augustin for Falling away 378 379 c. how to be understood when he seems to speak otherwise Ibid. for General Redemption 525 526 c. against them that deny the co-operation of the first cause with the second 7 The Authors Intent in citing Authors 524 561 B BAptism All Children baptized judged by Musculus in favor with God 331 A weighty consideration for Infant-Baptism 537 Basil for a possibility of total falling away 377 for Vniversal Redemption 534 Bede for general Redemption 542 Simple Beings and existences of things how determined by God p. 7. what manner of Being men had from Eternity 45 46 Bernard for general Redemption 543 Beza defines justifying Faith by assent 400 Denyeth that Christ dyed sufficiently for all men except in a barbarous sence 97 Book of Life blotting out Names no blemish to it 332 Bottomless pit what it signifieth 435 Bucer defines Justifying Faith by assent 400 For Vniversal Redemption 556 Bullinger for Falling away 392. For Vniversal Redemption 560 C CAlvin sometimes for Falling away 387 416. Defineth Justifying Faith by assent to the Word of God 398. For General Redemption 406 552 553 c. For Desires in God to save the World 470 His Discourse for universal Grace 508 509 Can and cannot diversly taken in Scripture 194 Causes natural how sometimes suspend their proper actions 7 Ceremonies why termed the rudiments of the World 522 523 Chamier defines Justifying Faith by assent 398 399 Character of Regeneration 326 327 Chemnitius for Falling away 385 386. Defines Justifying Faith by assent 400 Children in favor with God 330 Christ a sufficient Redeemer without being crucified p. 15. How necessitated to well doing 341. How always heard in his Prayers 245. How the foundation of