undertaking and Gods acceptance and whether men know and believe it or not yea while they are enemies and declared that men might know and so will act and enjoy and so demonstrates men by nature dead enemies and wanting both knowledge of and will to any spiritual good before the other to be after done and where begun yet not compleated fully till the visible return of Jesus Christ in glorie 2. Cor. 5.14 15 19 21. 1 Pet. 2.24 and 3.18 Col. 1.20 21. and 1. John 3.1 2. which things having largely discoursed into Treatises now publick I forbear here onely I mention this to shew that the right understanding and belief of Jesus Christ the free gift of God and his death for all men and that while enemies and his ascending to receive and send forth spirit in the Gospel to make the same known that men might discern believe will and doth wholly oppose and deny any knowledge of or free will in any man by nature to that which is truly and spiritually good And such conceits of free will proceed from want of the right knowledge and belief of the death of Christ for all men And so I shall here onely enlarge in the other three things following 1. What will or free will in man is 2. What divers considerations of men yet natural the Scripture affordeth 3. When men are other and more than natural and what difference then 1. The will of man or mans will is one of the faculties of the soul of a man The soul as I conceive may be comprehended in these three heads viz. 1. The understanding or minde of a man by which he knoweth discerneth and judgeth of things good or bad true or false real or imaginarie and so inventeth or inferreth all which may be called Reason 2. The will of a man that is his bent and inclination leading to elect and chuse or to reject and refuse with purpose and resolution approving or condemning according to the judgement of the minde concerning things good or bad 3. The affections of love joy desire c. Which in a right tempered soul follow the verdict of the understanding and so the choise or rejection of the will But if the appetite and sensual part get victory over the affections and so lead the will the soul is in a distemper and it is a troublesome evil like that Prov. 30.22 23. So that without these three there is not as I conceive a whole soul the will being as I conceive the middle part to be governed by the understanding and to govern the affections that all may agree in one now the freedom of the will is that liberty and freeness it hath in it self above any discoveries objects and proffers to incline to or from to chuse or reject according to what the understanding discerneth good or bad without any force or violence to constrain it one way or other without any necessitating enforcement or band withholding but onely as that seen in the object and approved or disaproved by the judgement doth move and so far is the will free ended and so the heart and minde make free and willing and such a free ready unconstrained will or willingness is free will indeed and so far the will is free in it self and so accounted in Scripture-language also Exod 25.2 and 35.5 21 22.29 2 Cor. 8.3 12. Yet here is to be noted that discovery of objects giving forth of commands and directions layeth no constraint or hindereth but that the will of it self inclining is still free and so accounted in the Scripture Lev 1.3 and 19.5 and 22.19 26. Nor doth want of power to do or avoid and so accomplish according to the purpose inclination and choice of the will hinder the freedom of the will But that the will may be free and freely willing when yet there is not power to do or attain that which is willed Matth. 26.41 Ioh. 21.18 Rom. 7.18 So that freedom of will is one thing and power of doing another and so let us hold close to our business in minding what is free will and in what sense the will is said to be free whether in things that are lawfull or unlawfull good or bad that we mistake not freedom here for liberty or Authority given of God for he gives none to evil nor for power of acting which is another thing But for that freedom from constraint or necessity In which the will as it is a will doth or may incline and chuse or reject more need not be said of the will what it is 2. But now it is meet to ponder and rightly to conceive of man according to the divers and manifold considerations given us of him by the Scripture of which I shall point out five considerations of man as yet a natural man and they are these 1. As God made him in his creation of him when he made all men in one publick man whom also he made male and female and called their names Adam 2. As man by eating the forbidden fruit in sinning made himself 3. As man through the propitiation made by Jesus Christ the second publick man hath his natural life a time preserved and mercies extended 4. As by the virtue of the death sacrifice and mediation of Jesus Christ man hath some light understanding and disposition given unto him by Jesus Christ 5. As Jesus Christ doth by his Spirit with some supernatural light and motion at some seasons visit a man and touch his heart striving with him and in all these considerations we have several things to acknowledge about the will of man and the freedom of it 1. In the first consideration we finde God made man upright even in his soul according to his own Image in righteousness and holiness Ecles 7.29 Gen. 1.26 Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 Then was man indeed a living soul and in honour and had his understanding clear to discern the minde of God in what appertained to man and his will free and at liberty in it self though by the command of God bound to the best to chuse one way or other and his affections suitable no sober man that I know denying and so and then man had freedom of will to that which was natural good and to that which was morally good and to that which was spiritually good and all had the same in him as in a Root out of which they were to spring and as in a publick man that stood in their room else they could not have lost it in his fall and loss But for those things that are since mans fall called in Scripture supernatural and spiritual good as the spiritual man the Lord from heaven the quickning spirit life from the dead remission of sins through the bloud of the Son of God enjoying his righteousness union with him and conformity to him in death and resurrection in his holiness priviledges and glory these things were unknown to the first Adam in his Innocency nor could they
and given into he will of man by Jesus Christ in which so much liberty is given into the will of man that according to the declarations and tenders made in things naturally and morally good and the declaration of Gods love to mankinde in his works and in his word the mediums to discover supernatural and spiritual good things when attended to and believed he might incline to and chuse to minde attend to and imbrace such natural and moral good and such outward mediums for spiritual good as are set before him in which is attendance to that better freedom which in such attention should be met with of this and this onely is the question and the affirmative I have testified to in such a sense and so far as is affirmed in the four last mentioned particulars and I suppose fully and clearly proved in the Scriptures fore-cited in the three last of the five considerations of the natural man And yet for more satisfaction I will instance proofs more distinctly 1 Proof The Apostle professeth that the word of faith which he preached and that which the righteousness of faith saith and which Moses spake is the word that is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart and that nightness and being in thee the testimonie of the word it self now this word which they preached was neither Adam nor Adam-like and natural things nor a Law of works but the word made flesh the Lord Jesus Christ and remission of sins and life in him to be received by believing and testified by confession and this word saith he is not so far out of sight and reach but it is very nigh thee in thy heart that thou maiest believe In thy mouth that thou maiest confess as is evident compare Rom. 10.4 10. with Deut. 30.11 15. And upon this ground Moses professeth to have set life before them and exhorts them to chuse life verse 15 19. Surely this testimonie is true in some plain and full sense without wresting dominition or addition and it cannot hold forth less than what is before affirmed in the last four fore-mentioned particulars To take it in such a fantastical sense as if the personal body of Christ were in us and dying rising and ascending in us is contrary to the whole testimonie of Scripture and the foundation of our faith and the drift of the place it self To take Nigh and In for his spiritual in-being in the hearts of believers by his word and Spirit and the riches of the mysterie in forgiveness righteousness c. By and in which manner he is in believers the hope of glorie is against Scripture which makes that peculiar to believers and against the place it self which affirms this nightness not because but that men might believe Yet sure a truth there is in the affirmation and that in a full and plain sense whether 1. We take in for for as it will well bear and signifie and is sometime so used yet then the first word Nigh implies a redemption for man and made known and fit and this implies good will to him and so for him and he so far made capable that he might so attend that he might believe or 2. If we take In for in or within as being added to Nigh it seems to be taken then we must take In for such a being in as may be in an unbeliever that he might believe and that can be no less than by virtue of his propitiation made and mediation continued extending such mercie and light into men as through him they live and move and have understanding above the beasts and so an eye to discern and such motion in their will that upon his tenders of life in the means they might chuse to behold and attend to him in them and then though they have no power to save themselves yet he would save them Isai 45.22 And both these senses are true and answer to the words fully and plainly and less than both these cannot be taken without injurie to the words and he that denieth this preacheth not the Gospel the Apostle preached but runs at an uncertain and this holds forth as much as I have affirmed 2. Proof It is affirmed plainly in the Scripture that Jesus Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 and so that there is a spirit in man c. Prov. 20.27 Job 32.8 and 35.10 11. and that they have eyes and ears that they might see and hear though they refuse in seeing to see c. the wonders in the works and word of God Jer. 5.21 as is before shewn and this is as much as I have affirmed 3. Proof The Lord calleth upon men to look to him to hear his voice to understand to turn at his reproof to repent to believe to chuse life c. Isai 42.1 and 45.22 Prov. 8.4 7. and 1.23 Acts 2.38 and 16.31 Deut. 30.15 19. If any say that such exhortations imply not power in the exhorted to turn c. I answer I say not that it doth but implies power and will in the exhorter he being the Lord and a capacity given by him to the exhorted to hear and see and understand and so to attend and incline which if they do according to what they may by his gift he will add more and save as his word assures a wicked servant he is that saith the Lord gathers where he hath not sown c. If any say they say not God doth so for he gave them power in Adam which they have lost and he may justly require that of them he once gave them power for I answer he gave power to Adam to as much as the Law of ten words requires and that power he lost and this Law serves to discover sin and sentence to death which use was not for Adam in his innocency and I hope such as know the Gospel know that Christ will judge according to it himself having been judged for us according to the Law but the power to acknowledge sin repent and believe in Christ and so chuse life that way was not in Adam in his innocencie and so not lost by him and so as the first power men never had in themselves though in Adam so this they never had in him and if God graciously give not forth some power in which men might look to and receive his power he should require of men absolute impossibilities and then his yoke were not easie but in Gospel declarations he gives that by which men might hear the end of his declaring calling being that men might repent and be saved John 5.24 and 34. which will evidence as much as I have affirmed 4. Proof God every way by his word cleares himself from being the cause of mens destructions either in his will or pleasure taking in their death Ezek. 33.11 or tempting them to evil Jam. 1.12 or in want of any means used for their good that may stand with his wisdom and holiness and
A TREATISE Shewing the Liberty and Bondage of the Will of Man Or A TREATISE Shewing the Bondage of the Will of Man by nature and the Liberty thereof by Grace Dum Spiro Spero LONDON Printed by W. B. for Anthony Nicholson in Cambridge Anno Domini 1652. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER BEloved Christian my desire is that none of us that profess our selves Christians and in that respect brethren may be found walking in that evil way mentioned Psal 50.19 20. much more that we use not the same as our weapons to maintain our opinions and to beat down what we fancie to be errour for its an evil and dangerous way and Truth needs no such weapons for its defence nor to confute errour and sure this can be no other than evil speaking and false to give out of any that understand and believe Jesus Christ by the grace of God to have tasted death for every man and to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole World and the enlightner of every man that comes into the World That they therefore exalt the nature of man fallen and would that man by nature hath freedom of will to that is Spiritual good Surely this report hath risen in the first raisers of it from ignorance of the very voyce of that Doctrine of grace and from conceits of foolishness in the Testimony of Jesus in the plain sayings thereof and malice against such as believe to stick close to the same and will not be waved by Philosophy and vain deceit to prefer mens garnishings before the plain Text Hence such envy and strife and charges of holding such goodness in nature fallen But whence such wisdom comes and what accompanies it see in James 3.14 15 16. And it is to be feared there is some secret magnifying of willing and running where they are in this rash censure of some to assert them where they are not and so a putting them out of place or else an overcontempt in denying their use where they ought to be for surely the attainment of remission of sins justification righteousness and eternal life It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 For chusing willing yea and running too to attain satisfaction to fleshly and sinfull lusts I believe we all think this in the nature of man as fallen full enough and the end wofull also But to will and run to attain the knowledge of God and peace and righteousness and life with him surely such a thing as this springs not from fallen nature onely but hath some light or knowledge of truth to occasion it though happily abused or imprisoned by some advancing their own wisdom with it Joh. 1.4 5 9 10 11. Rom. 1.18 19 20 21. Yet such a willing and running may be found in natural men and how highly esteemed soever by them yet not aproved of God Luke 16.15 as to say when mens willing and running is to establish a righteousness of their own by the works of the Law to get the righteousness of God Rom. 9.31 32. 10.1 2 3. Or to get Christ and Faith in him that they may believe He died for them and is theirs and they his and shall have eternal life by him if their willing and running for this be either in and by the Traditions and Doctrines of men Matt. 15.8 9. Or by their own wisdom and strength from a self-principle to avoid the second death and get eternal life 1 Sam. 2.9 Ezek. 4.6 7. Joh. 1.13 All Devotions Conversions Reformations and Attainments got in and by such willing and running is but fleshly and unprofitable Joh. 3.6 and such in their hopes prove either Ismalites the seed of the bond-woman or Edomites that as profane Esau that preferred a mess of pottage before his birthright or as those boasters Pro. 30. and wandring Stars and Clouds without water Jude And howsoever in words they may ascribe this their willing and running to the grace of God to call it the effect of his Almighty power yet will not God justifie them in it nor can they obtain the Righteousness of God by it or yet are they any better than natural men what ever they profess Luke 18.9 14. 2 Cor. 10.12 18. But I suppose this is not the willing and running that is meant in the strife but there is a willing and running that is good and approved Commanded Isai 1.19 and required in all that render service to God Exod 35.5 21. 1 Chron. 29.5 Professed of the Saints 1 Cor. 9.24 26. which is wrought in the belief of the Gospel Rom. 1.16 Ps 11.3 in which every good endeavour is accepted 2 Cor. 8.12 and without which none come to the use of understanding do obtain the Kingdom Matth. 11.12 Now this willing and running as appears in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is such as first is produced by the rich and free mercie of God held forth in the death of Jesus Christ Rom. 5.8 10. Tit. 3.4 5. And secondly is carried on in dependance on God for his performance of the good he hath promised Gal. 5.5 And thirdly seasoned with submission and patience to wait on God for his performing of his promises Heb. 10.35 36. And fourthly exercised in such ways and means as God himself hath appointed and approved Isai 64.5 1 Cor. 2.9 Yet the obtaining is not of him that thus willeth and runneth nor is it in the power or for the desert of such willing and running but of God his free gift who freely first prevented by shewing mercy and so effected the will and in the series of his goodness both drew and answered And if willing and running were understood and put in their right place it would abate the strife but I fear that Satan hath a more mischievous design in raising the contention and casting that foul Aspersion on believers For he knoweth how deeply he hath overthrown us And how far we fell in our first Father and how by reason thereof we are as we come forth from him blinde deaf dead in respect of Spiritual life and favour and Communion with God so as we can neither help our selves out of our misery nor take hold of help though wrought for us and tendered to us by another And he knoweth that the Son of God hath taken the nature of Mankinde was in that nature made under the Law for them and so died the death and wrought Redemption for them that whoever believe in him might not perish but have everlasting life And he knoweth that God hath immeasurably filled Jesus Christ with spirit in the nature of Man even for the rebellious and that in certain mediums he thereby gives forth some Testimonies of his goodness and in the Gospel a full Declaration that men might believe and so turn in to him And he knoweth that God through Christ and for his sake hath given to men an understanding above the beasts of the earth and some light
in some seasons liberty and opportunity for more and let those born of God be considered as distinct and those reprobated as excluded the better part And then I am perswaded all that are not prejudicated through envie and malice will confess that the heartie believing that Jesus Christ by the grace of God did dye and give himself a ransom for all men and that God so accepted this death of his for all that he hath exalted him and made him Lord and Judge of all and filled him with all fulness of grace and truth to bestow and that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that those that live should not live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world the propitiation for the sins of the whole world that he is so displaied and set forth in the Gospel that all men might believe and that such as do indeed believe on him shall not perish but have everlasting life this being the foundation of repentance and faith the door to come in to the knowledge of God and Christ the ground of the faith and certaintie of the resurrection of the dead and of the equitie and certaintie of Christ his judging all men and the ground and motive of true love to God and men that this doctrine and the belief and preaching of it will lead no man to magnifie the nature off man as from Adam or to think that any man hath by nature free-will to moral or spiritual good yea or that any man that is but natural hath any freedom of will to spiritual good things much less power to attain and do and we that believe thus protest against it But this we believe as we are led to in the belief of this doctrine namely That as Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that the world might be saved 1 Tim 1.15 John 3.17 And useth means and sends his Word to that end that men might seek him repent and believe and so be saved Acts. 17.27 Rom. 2.4 John 1.7 and 5.24 34. Psal 78.5 6 7 8. So he hath done that for men and by virtue thereof doth that unto men by which in his operations they might repent and believe and so be eternally saved and if they be not it is not through meer impotencie and necessitie but their willfullness so far that their destruction is of themselves not in or by the weakness or want of any thing done by Christ but by their own willing disobedience refusal and evil choise Prov. 1.24 29 30. and 9.12 Isa 5.2 6. Jer. 6.16 19. Hos 13.9 2 Thes 2.10 11. And so from the same doctrine and these instructions of it we believe as is said 1. That the natural life of man is by Christ preserved for a time that he might repent 2. That by Christ some means are used and some light vouchsafed to men for the same end tending toward Salvation 3. That some light disposition or spirit is extended and given into men by which they are indued with some discerning that may be called an eye to see an ear to hear that so in seeing and hearing they might understand what is naturally and what morally good and what of God is declared to them in his works and word about his eternal being and God-head his wisdom power justice truth and his love and kindness to man-ward and what he hath done for them and how he looks and calls for their return to him and what in mercie he stands readie to confer upon them in their return according to his discoverie they may see and with this discerning such a suitable libertie or freedom in their will is also given them by Christ that they might chuse and see in seeing and so to view and incline and chuse to seek and yield to that which is naturally and morally good and to attend that word and those means in which spiritual good things are declared and tendered to them and in which attention to them they should meet with that which would inlighen their mindes and give so much freedom to their wills as that they might chuse that which is spiritually good which yet is wanting to them 4. That Jesus Christ by his Gospel where it comes and by his Spirit therein at some seasons doth even lay meat before them and so far take off the yoke of thraldom that by his operations in such seasons they might chuse life and then is this freedom also given them which because they accept it not so use it not in that season to chuse life as they might it abides not in them and so they cannot be said to have it but as coming in that season and passing because it was not laid hold on in that season and well used And all this being the free gift of God by virtue of the death of Christ to unworthy men and a fruit of his love and kindness to man-ward it magnifies not at all mans nature as in and from Adam nor affordeth any praise to man but sets forth still the glory of the rich grace and bounty of God to unworthy man and how they are still more obliged to God for this helpfulness afforded and to Christ the spiritual man by virtue of whose death and sacrifice this also is extended being a fruit thereof and it serves much more to abase corrupt and fallen man and to aggravate his sin and folly that being in miserie and life tendered him by a Redeemer and such help given him that he might incline to hear and attend to the means he useth who would save him eternally and yet men willingly to close or refuse to use the eye he hath given them and to chuse to follow lying vanities and so forsake their own mercies rejecting the Lord of life Oh great ingratitude and inexcusable follie As for the freedom of will in unfeigned believers though it be but in part yet confessed by us all that believe in Christ I will here say no more to that and for them that for willing resisting the Spirit till they be given up of God and reprobated that they are hardened and totally destitute of any freedom of will or possibilitie thereto in things truly and spiritually good I suppose there is in this no difference among us that believe in Christ But about natural men not yet born from above nor wholly overcome by Satan and so given up and reprobated by God but yet in their natural estate of these is the question and concerning these the question is not of free-will to God by nature or as we come of Adam for that is denied by us all that believe in Christ nor is the question of free-will in man to things supernaturally and spiritually good for that is denied to be in or have any abiding in natural men while they remain onely natural but the question is of a freedom procured
expresseth his heart for their coversion and appealeth to their conscience what could have been done more that he hath not done Isai 5.2 6. which had been easily answered if he had not done as much for and in them as I have affirmed 5. Proof God that is mercifull wise and holy will not look for that in his creatures for which he never gave them any power or fitness or means by which it might be brought about he would not look down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if they did understand c. If he had done nothing for them by which they might understand c. Psal 4.2 3. nor would he look for fruits if he had not done that by which fruits might have been brought forth Isai 5.3 4. which could be no less than I have affirmed 6. Proof God in convincing reproving and condemning men as sinners in this respect chargeth them neither with Adams fall nor weakness and inability in that sense but with willfulness and gross neglect or rejecting his word Prov. 1.24 29 30. Ezek. 24.13 And saith not they were chained in or necessitated to but chose their own ways Isai 66.3 And are in this foolish having eyes and see not Jer. 5.21 which argues as much as I have affirmed 7. Proof The convinced that are convinced by the holy Ghost shall experiment and acknowledge as much when they shall see it their sin that they have not believed in Christ which could not be if there were nothing in Christ for them to believe in him for nor that done by Christ to them by which they might have believed John 16.8 9. which proves as much as I have affirmed 8. Proof The complaint or reproof of or lamentation for the fool Prov. 17.16 wherefore is there a price put in the hand of a fool seeing he hath no heart There is a price and the price is put in his hand and he values and loves it not and herein he is a fool not that he hath no eyes or ears or hand and so cannot see or hear or receive but that he having these neglects to use them when so good occasion is given not that there is no price for him or that it is far out of his reach but the price is put in his hand and he wants wisdom or a heart to set such price on it as to part with his lust c. For it is this is folly Jer. 5.21 Hos 11.3 4 7. And this also carries forth as much as I have affirmed 9. Proof And to come to right reason subdued to and ordered by the word of God this affirmed tends more to the glory of God and the abasement and good of men than that opinion that denieth this let them be weighed together That all the preservation of mans life is by virtue of the death of Christ and that God hath provided life for them in Christ and that he useth means to bring them to the knowledge of it and that he gives them an understanding that they might discern his goodness in those means and that he gives so much freedom to them that they might incline to attend those means and so look to him and turn at his reproof and that in so looking and turning he will give them supernatural and spiritual light and save them that they for all this not minding his goodness nor turning to him he should not onely forbear tumbling them down into destruction but also strive with more means and more force of spirit so stretching forth his hand as to remove the yoke from their jaws setting their will in some seasons at such liberty that they might chuse life and he in such seasons also laying meat before them and calling them what saith all this to us doth it not say that God is infinit in love wisdom and mercy to give such a Saviour by whom such mercie is procured that his love and bounty to mankinde yea his patience forbearance and long suffering is very great the revelation of his minde that all might be saved very true and doth it not say likwise that God is just and righteous and his ways equal in condemning such for and to whom he hath done so much and they so willingly rebell against him refuse such salvation doth it not also speak forth the truth of Gods words that he wills not the death of the wicked that dyeth but rather that he turn and live and that those that perish do forsake their own mercies loose their own souls and in their calamity eat the fruit of their own ways and for such as believe they may herein see all the mercies they have from first to last the free gift of God by Christ and doth not this say likewise that men were wholly lost corrupt and dead that by Christ a restoration is wrought and mercy extended that they are beholding to him and his bloud and spirit for all the good motions that come to them that he having so freely dyed for them and now doing so much to them it is their own fault and a foul and inexcusable fault that they remain impenitent unbelieving and disobedient yea and speaketh not this also for the good of man of believers to preach the Gospel and therein to use reproofs and exhortations seeing that they may speak to men in their own language in a tongue that God giveth men to understand and it speaks good for others to encourage men to hearken to the word of God and attend to his Ordinances and yield up to his teachings and motions according to the light and strength vouchsafed and to watch to all opportunities and lay hold on the seasons of Gods visitations seeing he is nigh to them therein and much blessing to be met within them and great danger in neglecting them yea yet again this truth about so much grace extended by God to men would if believed free men from those evil thoughts of God as that his will is the prime cause of most mens destruction that he sends Gospel and useth means and proclaims love to men and calls them to repent but neither intends good to them nor gives them any power or freedom by which they might come to repentance yea it would free them from those vain excusings of themselves when they neglect to hear the Word to attend the Ordinances of God to shew mercy to men or to forbear such evil courses as they run into by pleading we have no power of our selves and God hath given us none and were it his will we should do these things and repent c. He would not onely use outward means and put in a motion but overcome us with an almighty and unresistable power and till he so do we had as good sit still as strive to no purpose we are blinde and deaf and dead and nothing it is God that doth all therefore the blame is not ours from all which unsavorie stuff this truth believed would free yea