Booke in the first Article which is of Faith well expresseth my mind in these words But whether there be any speciall particular knowledge which man by faith hath certainly of himselfe wherby he may testifie to himself that he is of the predestinates which shall to the end persevere in their Calling we have not spoken ne cannot in Scripture ne Doctors finde that any such faith can be taught or Preached Truth it is that in the Sacraments instituted by Christ we may constantly believe the Works of God in them to our present comfort and application of his grace and favour with assurance also that he will not faile us if we fall not from him wherefore so continuing in the state of Grace with him we may believe undoubtedly to be saved But forasmuch as our own frailty and naughtinesse ought ever to be feared in us it is therefore expedient for us to live in continuall watch and continuall fight with our Enemies and not presume too much of our Perseverance and continuance in the state of Grace which on our behalfe is uncertaine and unstable for although Gods Promises made in Christ be immutable yet hee maketh them not to us but with condition so that his Promise standing we may yet faile of the Promise because we keep not our Promise And therefore if we assuredly reckon upon the state of our felicity as grounded upon Gods Promise and do not therewith remember that no man shall be crowned unlesse he lawfully fight we shall triumph before the victory and so look in vaine for that which is not otherwise promised but under a condition And this every Christian man must assuredly believe So there The same seemes to me to be averred by our 17 Article where the Counsell of God predestinating to life is said to be His Counsell secret to us and in K. Edw. Article it was repeated againe in the last paragraph thus Although the Decrees of Predestination be unknown to us yet we must receive Gods Promises c. which words doe not exclude onely our knowledge or privity to the Counsell and Decrees of God à priori but also à posteriori and not onely before wee be called or by Grace obey the Calling but even after faith and after justification for then there is the chiefe place of the Profit of this secret lest perhaps any such should be lifted up that S. Augustine spake of but if wee may be certaine that wee may have true faith as we may and be certaine that true faith cannot finally be lost as they resolve us that would be counted the sound Divines and we be likewise most certaine that God hath elected them that persevere to the end in a lively faith as the Scriptures clearely resolve us then the Counsell of God as to our selves that once believe is no more secret nor his decree unknowne and by our knowledge thereof we have lost some profit which wee had by the ignorance thereof whereof we have still as much need as ever And King James at Hampton-Court Conference is reported pag. 30. lin 20. to have said by inferring the necessary certainty of standing and persisting in Grace a desperate presumption may be arreared CHAP. XIX Of the last Judgement THe last worke of the Divine Providence executing the decree of his Predestination is the worke of the last and generall Judgement wherein is executed the decrees concerning the Ends of all men for Praedestinatio finium is nothing else but the foreknowledge and approbation o◠decree of the last judgement It being true which the first of the nine Assertions at Lambeth saith Deus ab aeterno quosdam praedestinavit ad vitam quosdam ad mortem reprobavit though it say not in what Order In the last day distributing life and death according as from everlasting he had decreed Now here as elsewhere the Execution of the decree sheweth what the decree it selfe was as the building set up and finished sheweth what was the device and plot of the builder But in the last judgement is shewed the execution and consequution of Ends So that if wee admit as we must do that God propounded an End for himselfe to attain namely the glory of his mercy and bounty in giving some men Eternall life and the glory of his soveraigne power and justice in afflicting on other some Eternall death hee hath the consequution and attainment of this End in the last righteous judgement Againe if wee admit as we must doe that God propounded Ends to men for them either to aspire unto or attaine as Eternall life or to shun with all feare and if not fearing and shunning to fall into as Eternall death these Ends are attained or executed also in the last judgement Moreover if wee admit as wee doe that Eternall life at the last judgement is given as a free and bounteous gift Rom. 6. 23. And yet also as the reward and crown of Righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4. 8. And that Eternall death is then inflicted as the wages and punishment of sinne Rom. 6. 23. and as the demonstration also of Gods soveraigne Power and Dominion yet with justice and equity Rom. 9. 21 22. If these things be most certaine Truths as they are it cannot be conceived by ordinary humane understanding how a decree of these things could be made before the foundation of the World were laid without Gods Prescience as life is a reward and death a punishment seeing no justice can prepare reward or punishment but upon supposall or foreknowledge of good or evill deserts Nor without that Prescience of God which wee call after our manner of understanding simplicis intelligentiae simple and naturall understanding as life Eternall is a gift of his free goodnesse and as death Eternall is a Declaration of his supreme Dominion and Lordship and as in both he doth attain that high End which he seeketh for himself his own glory Let the prudent Reader ponder this a little because it seemes to mee to cleare my maine and prime Proposition That Prescience is necessarily to be put into the definition of Predestination and yet not every Prescience but that which is in the first highest simple naturall understanding of the Almighty as that which is most proper and fit for the Prime Author and supreme Disposer and Ruler of all things whereby a trim composition and comprehension together may be made of those things that most men through contention doe separate nay oppose one to another Prosper shall helpe with an expression of his of the best part of this Notion Epigra 28. Siomnes homines simul consideremus c. If we consider all men together whereof some may be saved in mercy some others damned in truth all the wayes of the Lord that is his Mercy and Truth are distinguish'd by the End But if wee looke onely upon the Saints these wayes of the Lord are not descryed for there Truth is not to be distinguish'd from Mercy nor Mercy from Truth because the
humane capacity as de ordine modo praedestination is in mente divina concordia gratiae liberi arbitrii cum praedestinatione But these Papers I hope shall make it manifest first that I leave things unsearchable unsearchd and stand with the Apostle in the selfe same place that he did admiring and adoring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11. 33. I say in the selfesame place or the like not to cloak iniquity or absurdity imputed to the divine Majesty by O the depth c. Secondly that I search not at all into any thing by meere naturall light and humane reason which to do in these things were a presumption deserving precipitation but by the light of divine revelation in Gods holy word and therefore I have set for my title Appello Evangelium which is the opening of Gods Counsell so far as he is pleased to communicate to us And thirdly this I doe not onely by appealing to those Texts that directly and immediately speak of our Predestination and Election which may seeme hard and obscure but also to the openest and commonest places that are fundamentall principles of Christianity and the grounds of Catechisme which ordinary capacities and not great wits alone are able to understand and by which the fewer and harder Texts are to be enlightned and interpreted and not contrarily Irenaeus hath a right saying Multa male interpretari coguntur Lib. 5. qui Unum recte intelligere non volunt which hath hapned to many in our Age. That unum which they will not rightly understand is promissum Evangelicum universale in Christo redemptore vniversali which our Church professeth in her Articles and in her Catechisme which unum is the ground of all the Conclusions here maintained So that my studies have not been about some curious and superfluous questions separable from the body of Divinity and which might well have been spared but about the most essentiall parts and articles of that body and of their mutuall coherence and connexion the industrious search and examination whereof is so necessary and worthy a thing as I can hardly hold him worthy the name of a Divine that hath not laboured therein And as to my Opinions which unexamined may be presumed to be nothing else but either ancient or late condemn'd Heresies which imputation or very supposition no good man ought to beare with silence these leaves do undertake to shew that the apprehensions expressed in them are none of those old condemned Heresies nor of those late rejected Heterodoxes but the very Doctrine of the ancient Fathers of the Church builded upon the sense and letter of the holy Scriptures and consonant to the publike establish'd Doctrine of the Church of England contained in the bookes of Articles Common Prayer and Homilies which if I shall make good by cleare and undeniable evidence then I hope my good friends will hold me excused and cleared of any such crime as Heresie or semi-heresie or novelty and will take me for a true and sound member of the Church of England both in Doctrine and in Discipline from both which I feare there hath been made by many in this Church too great a defection and departure since the dayes of King Edw. the 6. when they were first established and since the primitive years of the happy reigne of Queen Elizabeth wherein they were ratifyed and strengthened with a second and oft-renewed judgement But the examination and tryall of all this I commit and submit to my ingenuous and loving friends and them and their studies to the goodnesse and grace of God our Father CHAP. I. The first Opinion THe first Opinion concerning the order of Divine Predestination and having these defenders Beza Piscator Whitaker Perkins and other holy and learned men is this 1. That God from all eternity decreed to create a certain number of Men. 2. That of this number he Predestinated some to everlasting life and other some he Reprobated to eternall death 3. That in this act he respected nothing more than his own dominion and the pleasure of his own will 4. That to bring men to these ends he decreed to permit Sin to enter in upon all men that the Reprobate might be condemned for sinne and that he decreed to send his Sonne to recover out of sin his Elect fallen together with the Reprobate This Opinion is rejected by many protestant Divines as by the reverend Divines of our Church that were at the Synod at Dort by Peter Moulin by Robert Bishop of Salisbury and others It is detested by the Papists and Lutherans it was it tha◠Arminius and his followers chiefly opposed in the low Countries It is charg'd To make God the Author of Sin To Reprobate men before they were evill To Elect men not in Christ who is sent after this Opinion to recover out of sinne those that were elected before they were considered as sinners This is that irrespective decree which Mr. Mountague disliketh because in it there is no respect had to any thing fore-known not so much as the fall of man much lesse Christ or Faith giving to God no fore-knowledge or no use of it at all in this act of his which the Scripture calls predestination Yet this Opinion doth well admonish us to remember the Dominion and Soveraigne power and will of God which must be seen and acknowledged in his predestinating of men according to that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 21. Hath not the Potter power over the clay and vers 15. Hee hath mercy on whom he will which we will be mindfull of in the fifth Opinion Under this Opinion are to be placed the nine Assertions concluded at Lambeth Nov. 20. 1595. which have been often required to be put into our Booke of Articles but yet could it never be obtained It is requisite therefore to set them down because they are not vulgarly knowne and to examine them what they meane and see how farre they are Orthodoxall or agreeing to our Articles And for their sakes that understand not the Latine tongue I will render them in English * Consule Articulos Lambethanos ab F. G. Ecclesiae Ministro nuper editos Articles approv'd by the right Reverend Lords John Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Richard Lord Bishop of London and other Divines at Lambeth the 20. of Novemb. in the year 1595. 1. God from Eternity Predestinated some Men to life and some he Reprobated unto Death 2. The Moving or Efficient cause of Predestination to life is not the foresight of Faith or of perseverance or of good workes or of any thing which may be in the persons predestinated but onely the Will of Gods good pleasure 3. Of the predestinate there is a predefined and certaine number which can neither be increased nor diminished 4. They which are not predestinated to salvation shal necessarily be condem'd for their sinnes 5. True lively justifying Faith and the sanctifying Spirit of God is not extinguished doth not fall out doth
all Believers to bee so furnish'd with Gods Grace that they are able to persevere if they will be as carefull as they should be that the same men also may possibly fall away from Faith and Grace through negligence and security The Second denyes Believers to be able so to fall away from Faith and Gods Grace as to become in the state of damnation or perish but such as shall once truely believe shall alwayes so persevere in Faith and Grace that at length they may all attaine salvation The Third with St. Augustine makes Believers through the infirmities of the flesh and temptations to be able to depart from Faith and Grace or likewise to fall away but it addes those Believers who are call'd according to purpose and who are firmly rooted in a lively Faith cannot either totally or finally fall away or perish but by speciall and effectuall grace so to persevere in a true and lively Faith that at length they may bee brought to eternall life By this we may understand what Doctor Overalds minde was in the Conference at Hampton Court p. 41. 42. Richard Thompson hath the like cap. 4. De intercisione Justitiae For after hee had spoken of Christ given to redeeme and reconcile all unto God and of aides and meanes given whereby men may be actually reconciled hee addes page 17. Sed miserum genus humanum si vel sic à Deo relictum fuisset c. But miserable had been Mankinde if even so they had been left of God for great is the wickednesse of Man and every imagination of his heart is evil continually Therefore it must needs come to passe that either all of themselves should despise those riches of Gods goodnesse or if any should make use of them yet a while after they would loath them againe except the superabundant mercy of God had separated some to himselfe to whom hee had decreed from all eternity to afford an effectuall calling and finall perseverance in Grace taken according to his purpose others being passed by and left to the counsels of common providence whom in the end he would condemn for their impenitence and unbeliefe You know now this Opinion and the Author is to be commended for his integrity in opening the state of these questions and for comming on thus far neerer to the Truth than the former did in acknowledging 1. That Christ dyed for the sinnes of the whole World 2. That the promise of the Gospell is Universall 3. That a Grace sufficient is given common to all that hear the Gospell to believe and obey it 4. That Gods foreknowledge is extended not onely to the fall of the first man but the infirmity of all men in particular Whereupon for some men there was prepared by God a more superabundant and effectuall grace than for others 5. In that it endeavoreth to accord the first part of our 17 Article concerning an absolute Predestination with the latter part concerning the Universall promises The like good desire appeares in the Divines that were at Dort in their joynt Suffrage de Articulo 20 Thes 3. 4 5. But how congruous and happy this conjunction can be of two extremes into a third or how possible it is to accord those two parts of the Article without some other supposition than hath yet beene mentioned here I cannot hope ever to see it demonstrated Nay I am perswaded that these manifest Truths sounding in every part of the new Testament That Christ is given a Redeemer Universall That the Promises of the Gospell are generall That the Spirit of Truth and Power goes with them in the Preaching of them are able being rightly weighed utterly to overthrow all manner of frames whatsoever may be imagined of the order of the Divine Predestination which shall exclude the Divine Prescience proper prime and Universall such as the fifth Opinion will discover for since the Gospell presupposeth and acknowledgeth the fall of mankinde and all to be sinners and taketh its occasion therefrom since it calleth all men to reconciliation with God commands Repentance and Faith to all promiseth forgivenesse and life to all that believe in the Redeemer threatneth wrath and death to abide upon all that beleeve not Marc. 15. 15 16. and declareth that God will judge the World by Jesus Christ and by the Word of the Gospell Acts 17. 31. Joh. 12. 48. And since God will judge in righteousnesse man as a reasonable Creature of a Freewill The Gospel I say cannot admit a decree of predestination to life or death that shall be made upon contemplation of the fall and sinne of man antecedent to the Gospell or before contemplation of the 〈◊〉 or issues of the Gospell preached to the World which contemplation can be had before all time by no other power but the Divine foreknowledge CHAP. IV. The fourth Opinion THe Fourth Opinion is of Melanchton Hemingius and the Lutherans that follow the Augustan Confession and formulam concordiae The Remonstrants or Arminians and many Papists c. 1. That God decreed to create Man to permit him to fall and to send Christ to redeeme the World c. as in the third Opinion was said 2. That hee made a generall conditionall decree of Predestination under the condition of Faith and Perseverance And a speciall absolute decree of electing those to life whom he foreknew would believe and persevere under the meanes and aides of Grace Faith and Perseverance and a speciall absolute decree of condemning them whom he foresaw to abide impenitent in their sins This Opinion was condemned in the late Synod at Dort I mislike it for these reasons 1. Because a generall conditionall Predestination is none at all 2. Because the decree of speciall Election of such as believe no better declared than thus seemeth to make men choose God first rather than God to choose men 3. Because it maketh the decrees of justification and condemnation to bee the same with the decree of Election and Reprobation which must be distinguished as they are Rom. 8. 29. 4. Because it presenteth no more Grace given by God to the Elect than to the reprobate neither greater cause of thankfulnesse Yet this Opinion doth well to enlarge the objects of Gods foreknowledge and to extend it not onely to the fall of the first man but even to Christ to be manifested in the flesh and believed on in the World yea even to the last end of all men persevering either in Faith or Unbeliefe Agreeing with the Scriptures that buildeth Election upon foreknowledge at large simply and properly taken Rom. 8. 29. 11. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 1 2. and promiseth salvation to the believer but persevering to the end Thus have wee seene foure Opinions The Transition to the fifth Seeing then none of these foure give full satisfaction though some pieces of Truth be found in every one of them yet joyned with some inconvenience It were a work worth the labour to gather that truth out of them all that
So these two Opinions offend much against Gods Goodnesse and Truth yet this second well acknowledgeth that God decreed something upon his foreknowledge what man would doe being permitted That this foreknowledge is so certain that upon it God builded his greatest Counsels of the mystery of the Gospell as upon the foreknowledge of Adams fall the decree to send Christ Secondly It provideth well for the justice of God on Infants dying who have no other desert of death but Originall sin from which as to the paine of eternall death Gods mercy delivereth whom hee pleaseth by Baptisme or the vow thereof in the holy Church Parvulorū autem causam ad exemplum Majorum non patiuntur afferri sayes Hilary of the Massilienses in which they were right for the Election or Reprobation which is of Infants that live not to years of discretion is no necessary pattern for the Election or Reprobation of them that live into a further Age. The Defenders of this Opinion claime our 17. Article as for them and surely better may they doe it than they of the former for those words To deliver from curse and damnation those whom hee hath chosen import a curse and damnation fallen into by those who are delivered But how those words chosen in Christ and the godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ and those words Wee must receive Gods Promises in such wise as they be generally set forth unto us in holy Scriptures How these will stand with a decree of Election made before Christ be thought on otherwise than as the Meanes to bring the Elect to salvation for the Article makes these two things To choose some in Christ out of mankinde and to bring them by Christ unto everlasting salvation or how a generall promise will stand with a particular purpose meaning or intending the promise but to some few let them consider how they can make it good by their Doctrine and I will consider how I can make it good which the Article saith by the Doctrine of the fifth Opinion As to the appeale to Bucer and P Martyr for the sense of our Articles used by Doctor Whitakers in his time and of late by the Bishop of Chichester Carleton the answer is full 1. That Bucer is not of the same Opinion with Martyr nor Carleton with Whitakers in the apprehension of the order of Predestination 2. That it is not true that the Disciples of P. Martyr and Bucer composed our Articles for these Articles on which there is now question were the same under King Edward the 6. and Queene Elizabeth but the Bishops and Divines under King Edw. 6. had composed the Articles and Liturgy before P. Martyr and Martin Bucer came hither as doth appeare in Mr. Fox his story To Bellarmine objecting that England had Bucer and Martyr Seminatores fidei the renowned Doctor Andrews answereth p. 31. Non tamen Si verum volumus seminarunt duo illi viri fidem in Anglia c. Neverthelesse if we will speake truth those two men did not plant the reformed faith in England but sought to weede out some Tares of superstition long since oversow'd by you Papists Although even those Tares themselves before their comming hither were for the most part condemnd and rooted out But these men entred upon others labours and bestow'd their paines also here that they might be helpfull to them in Vniversity matters 3. Whosoever were the chiefe Composers of our Articles of whom it is certain Archbishop Cranmer was one they had more respect to the Augustan Confession than to any other as appeares by the very Identity of many of the Articles and more familiarity with Melanchton and Erasmus than any other Divines singularly approving their Expositions of the sacred Scriptures and of the principall Articles of the Christian Faith insomuch that they caused to be translated into English Erasmus paraphrase on the Gospels and injoyn'd them to be studyed by Priests and to lye ready in Churches for all men to reade and as it were to drinke in the Doctrine of Scriptures according to Erasmus his interpretation whose writings which way they goe in those controversies all men well know that have read them CHAP. 3. The Third Opinion THe third Opinion seemes to be defended by the reverend and learned late Bishop of Norwich Doctor Overald and Richard Thompson his diligent Audiditor and familiar as may be gathered out of the Bishops judgement de quinque Articulis in Belgia controversis and out of the Conference at Hampton Court and out of Thompsons Diatribe de intercisione justitiae c. 4. And it is 1. That God decreed to create mankinde good c. as the second Opinion said 2. That he foresaw the fall of man c. as in the same second Opinion was said 3. That he decreed to send his Sonne to dye for the World and his Word to call and to offer salvation unto all men with a common and sufficient grace in the meanes to worke faith in Men if they bee not wanting to themselves 4. That out of Gods fore knowledge of mans infirmity and that none would believe by this common grace he decreed to adde a speciall grace more effectuall and abundant to whomsoever he pleased chosen according to his own Purpose and Grace by which they shall not onely bee able to believe but also actually believe This Opinion if I understand it aright I have not found expresly or strictly examined by any Divine Doctor Abbot in his animadversion upon Thompsons Diatribe suspecteth * c. 4. Insuavis quidam gravis halitus Arminiani dogmatis Arminianisme in it and rejected it But Doctor Overald doth clearely sever it from the Remonstrants Tenet as you shall see by and by I object it thus 1. That common Grace by which no man is sav'd which is inferiour to the infirmity of man is not the Grace of the Gospell nay deserves not the name of Grace which never brought forth the effect Salvation 2. That superabundant speciall effectuall Grace seemes not to be the Grace of the Gospell being rejected of none to whom it is offered for the Grace of the Gospell is such as is receiv'd by some and the selfe same rejected by other some to some 't is in vaine to others not in vaine 3. This Opinion with the two former seemes to bring in a certaine desperation into the mindes of men as was of old objected to St. Augustine seeing none can be saved but by that speciall and abundant Grace which is given but to a few out of the secret purpose of God which whether God doth intend to give or no the generall promises in the Gospell do not assure seeing they sound no more than a common grace which is ineffectuall by this Opinion But before I censure it farther bee it presented unto you in the words of one of the most illuminate Doctors of our Age. There were five Articles controverted in Holland 1. Of Gods Predestination 2. Of
Christs Consule Articulos Lambethanos boc Anno 1651 Editos Death 3. Of Freewill and Grace 4. Of the manner of working of Gods Grace 5. Of the Perseverance of Believers Touching which the Remonstrants or Arminians and the Contra-remonstrants or Puritans doe maintaine contrary Opinions the middle way between which our Church as I conceive doth much more rightly hold Article 1. of Gods Predestination First the Remonstrants make the generall and conditionall Decree of Predestination to be upon condition of believing according to the generall Gospell-promise of saving all men through Christ dying for them if with a lively and persevering faith they shall believe in him by the Word and holy Ghost assisting it Secondly the speciall and absolute Decree to be out of the foreknowledge of Faith touching the saving all such particular men whom God foresaw would believe through grace and on the other side condemning of those whom hee foresaw would continue impenitent in sinne and unbelievers And this is the Opinion of the antient Fathers before S. Augustine and of many after him and of many Papists Lutherans and many others Secondly The Contra-Remonstrants excluding the generall and conditionall Decree make one onely particular and absolute Decree touching the saving and enduing with Faith and preseverance some certaine particular men chosen out of mankinde through Christ dying for them alone by the effectuall or irresistible grace of the Holy Ghost peculiar onely to them All others by an absolute Decree being rejected and condemn'd And this is the Opinion of Zuinglius Calvin and the Puritans but is rejected by all Papists Lutherans and many others Thirdly our Church taking the middle way joynes the particular absolute Decree not out of foreknowledge of mans Faith or Free-wil but out of the purpose of Gods Will and Grace touching the freeing and saving those whom God hath elected in Christ with the generall and conditionall Will or the generall promise of the Gospell Teaching Gods Promises are so to be embraced as they are proposed to us in the holy Scriptures and that Will of God is to be followed of us which wee have expresly revealed in his Word as namely that God gave his Sonne for the World or for all mankinde That Christ offered himselfe a Sacrifice for all the sinnes of the whole World That Christ redeemed all mankinde That Christ commanded the Gospell to be preached unto all that God Wils and Commands all men to heare Christ and to believe in him and in him to offer grace and salvation unto all men That this is the infallible truth in which there can be no falshood otherwise the Apostles and other Ministers of the Gospell preaching the same should bee false witnesses of God and should make him a Lyar And this Opinion agrees with the judgement of St. Augustine as he is expounded by Prosper and Fulgentius It is the more common Doctrine of the Church after St. Augustine And these two things do well stand together God in the first place to offer salvation to all if they will believe and common grace and sufficient in the means ordain'd by God if men will not be wanting to the Word of God and his holy Spirit And then in the second place God that he might be helpfull to humane frailty and mans salvation might bee more certaine would adde his speciall more effectuall and abundant grace to be communicated to whom hee please by which not onely they are able to beleeve or obey if they please but also actually do will believe obey and persevere according to the sentence of St. Augustine Sic Deus ordinavit omnium Angeloru hominumque vitam c. So God ordain'd the life of all Angells and Men that therein hee might first manifest how farre Freewill could goe and then what the benefit of his grace and the judgement of righteousnes could doe De correp grat cap. 10. Article 2. Of Christs Death In like manner of the Death of Christ for all there are three Opinions The first that Christ dyed for all men and by his Death did redeeme all mankind in Gods generall and conditionall purpose of giving salvation for Christs sake that dyed to all upon condition of Faith depending on the free cooperation of men under Grace The Second contrary to the first that Christ did not dye for all c. nor did redeeme all mankinde c. nor that God by any manner of meanes or upon any condition did will or intend to give salvation or Grace for Christs sake to any other save only the Elect c. The Third supposing Christs Death for all men and Gods purpose conditioned with the generall grace of the Gospell-promises addes the speciall intention of Faith touching the applying the benefit of Christs death by grace more abounding and effectuall absolutely certainly and infallibly onely to the Elect without any prejudice or any diminution of the Will and Grace common and sufficient Article 3. Of Freewill and Grace All agree that Freewill is not able to do any thing that is good without Grace preventing present and subsequent so as it holds the beginning middle and end in conversion and Faith and every good worke yet they dissent in this that the first Opinion makes exciting Grace so to bee joyn'd with the word heard and understood and meditated upon that in some degree it is common to all who are willing to obey it The Second strives to make grace proper and peculiar only to the Elect and will not confesse it to bee in any manner of way common to all The Third conjoynes both sides acknowledging Grace so to bee common and sufficient being joyned with the word as withall to professe 't is speciall and effectuall to produce certainly salvation being propâ—r to those whom God out of his good pleasure hath gratiously elected in Christ Article 4. Of the manner of working of Gods Grace The first Opinion makes Grace so to worke in man that it takes not away the liberty of his Will but preserves it so that a man may by Grace so beleeve and obey as that hee may also by his Freewill resist Grace The second makes the workes of Grace to be irresistible so as wherever it comes it doth immutably incline and draw the minde to assent and obey The third Opinion teacheth men may be so stirr'd up and mov'd by Grace that they may both obey that Grace calling and moving if they attend thereto and also may through their Freewils resist Gods Call and Motion but it addes further that God when hee will and to whom hee will doth give Grace so abundant or powerfull or congruent or some other way effectuall so that although the Will in respect of its liberty may resist yet it doth not resist but certainly and infallibly obey and thus God to deale with those whom hee hath elected in Christ so far forth as is necessary to their salvation Article 5. Of the Perseverance of Believers The first Opinion makes
might avoyd all inconveniences the thing which I desire to doe by the light of Gods Holy Spirit and Word 1. So conceiving the order of Divine Predestination as that wee set not forth onely some one or two of the Divine attributes and properties but preserve and present them all His Dominion and Power as the first Opinion would His Mercy and Justice as the second Opinion would His Truth and speciall Grace as the third Opinion would His Wisdome and foreknowledge as the fourth Opinion would And yet to acknowledge his judgements unsearchable c. as the Apostle would Rom. 11. 33. 2. So conceiving it as may agree with the holy Scripture expounded literally without Tropes in the greatest Propriety and by the light of the most the plainest the most fundamentall places and principles therein 3. So conceiving it as that the order in Grace doth not subvert the order in nature but that wee confesse the Wisedome of God so to worke his Will as yet hee preserveth the nature freedome and properties of the Creature in which hee worketh 4. Lastly conceiving it so as that God may both save the World in mercy and judge the World in righteousnesse CHAP. V. The fifth Opinion THe Fifth Opinion may be lesse acceptable to some for the Teachers and the defenders sake but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accepts no persons These are Arminius himself if he be interpreted according to his owne principles in his Theses de naturâ Dei and Vorstius in his Tractate De Deo and the Jesuits Molina Vasquez Zuarez Becanus and others Besides that this is the Opinion of the Fathers Greeke and Latine before St. Augustine if their Doctrine concerning Prescience be rightly examined and declared namely 1. That God by his infinite understanding from all Eternity knew all things possible to bee seeing them in his owne Omnipotency 2. That among other infinite things possible in his understanding he conceived all this one frame of the World that now is and in it all the Race of Mankinde from the first man to the last every one in his severall order government and event only as possible to be if he will say the Word Wherein hee understood there might be things necessary things contingent some things causes some effects some as ends some as meanes to ends some Acts of God some acts of a free Creature some good some evill some things as rewards some as punishments 3. That hee knowes how to vary or alter the ordering either of all or of any part or person in the race of men so as other effects and other ends than those that now are might be brought forth if hee would otherwise order them 4. But considering this frame of the world and order of mankinde as now it is but then onely as possible that he judged it was exceeding good for the manifestation of the glory of his Wisdome Power Goodnesse Mercy Justice Dominion and Lordship if hee should will or decree to put it into execution and into being 5. That God infallibly foreknew that if hee should decree to put it into execution that then these and these particular persons would certainly by this order of meanes and government be transmitted and brought to eternall life and that those other particular persons under their order of meanes and government through their owne fault would goe into perdition if Justice should bee done them 6. That though hee knew what these would be yet hee determined and decreed out of his owne absolute Will and pleasure to say Fiat Be it so and to put into execution and into being all this which he had in his understanding and in so doing hee predestinated all men either to life or death Eternall For he predestinated to life those particular men to whom out of his owne good pleasure he decreed to give those happy meanes wherby hee foreknew they would be Vessells fit for honour being given unto them Hee rejected those letting them to perish to whom he decreed to give no other meanes than such under which hee foreknew that through their owne ingratitude they would be fit for wrath if no other were given them and out of his owne just Will when as hee could have ordered them otherwise to the producing of another event he would not doe it but make them vessells of his wrath With reference to this order the Elect are stiled by St. Luke Acts 13. 48. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Such as were ordained to eternall life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the reprobate by St. Jude vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Such as were before of old ordained to this condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for Providence in generall see Acts 17. 27. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 determining the foreappointed times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for Predestination in speciall see Rom. 8. 28. And Ephes 1. 11. There is †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the setting and placing of things by the counsell of his owne will in that order of Causes and of meanes which he infallibly understands will bring forth such ends and such effects if he please to doe his part as is laid out by himselfe in this order and please to permit the creature to doe its part as is observed in the same Order By this Order meanes government benefits aides c. I understand the creation of man righteous the permission of his fall the corrections of his sinne the meanes of his restauration by the Sonne of God made man the calling the converting of a Sinner his faith repentance perseverance his blessings chastisements tryalls and whatsoever else is now found in the order of any mans salvation or in the aberrations from that order whereby men come to destruction And to this agrees the antient definition of Predestination that it is Praeparatio beneficiorum Dei quibus liberantur quicunque liberantur * The preparation of Gods benefits whereby all are delivered that are set free And Fulgentius his definition lib. 2. ad Monimum Praedestinatio Dei nihil est aliud quam praeparatio operum ejus quae in aeterna sua dispositione aut misericorditer se facturum praescivit aut juste that is Divine Predestination is nothing else but the preparation of Gods workes Which in his eternall providence he foreknew he would doe either mercifully Vid. infra 3. part cap. 20. or justly CHAP. 6. An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the fifth Opinion THis Opinion in the decree of Predestination observeth 1. An Act of Gods understanding and an Act of his will 2. The Act of his Understanding is his knowledge in respect of things not yet in being call'd foreknowledg which foreknowledge is put by this Opinion before the act of Predestinating according to the Scriptures Rom. 8. 28. 1 Pet. 1. 1. 2. Whom he foreknew he Predestinated 3. It taketh knowledge here properly and without any trope for that within Schooles
all and over all the whole the parts universa singula genus species individua demum ipsa individuorum ortus progressus successiones facta dicta cogitata sua aliena even to the last ends and events of things which will be manifested at the last judgement This they meane that would have Christ and Faith in him foreknowne by this science of simple Understanding before the Act of God Electing or Predestinating not staying at the foreknowledge of the fall not that they would make the Faith of the believers or Christ himselfe the causes of Gods Predestination but the Objects in Gods Knowledge when hee Predestinated both Christ and us 1 Pet. 1. 20. Eph. 1. 4 5. out of no cause but the good pleasure of his owne Will Now after the view of the whole World God finding this frame both possible to his Power and Good in his Wisdome to declare thereby his Justice and Mercy and all other his excellent attributes of perfection decreed to put it into being and into execution which was the first act of his practicall Knowledge calling up his Will to allow and approve and decree this goodly and glorious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mirror of his eternall Arist lib. de Mundo Power and Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this order of all things specially of humane kinde that great Masse out of which his Mercy and Justice and soveraigne Power draws forth vessells to honour and vessels to dishonor CHAP. II. Of the Will of God and the distinctions thereof IT is the proper worke of the Will to Predestinate or to Decree what of those infinite things which the understanding presented shall bee and come into light for unlesse the Will of God with his Power come to them their being knowne makes them not to be Praedestinatio est propositum propositum est actus practicus ultimus voluntatis ergo Praedestinatio magis importat voluntatē quà m scientiam P Ferrius p. 232. He saith Vltimus because there is an act of the Will even in knowing Primò enim volumus aliquid scire quam sciamus vel intelligamus deinde intelligimus tunc quod intelleximus voluntate probamus as it is a little above in the same Author Here then is the first Act of Gods Will chusing and refusing chusing these things that now are to bee refusing all the rest which he knew notitiâ simplicis intelligentiae of infinite variety but hee cast them into perpetuall darknesse and silence so according to the Psal 115. 3. Quaecunque voluit fecit The Will of God being in it selfe one and simple may be considered with diversity onely as conversant about things that are diverse his Will allowing them to bee diverse 1. There be some things therefore which God willeth as to bee done by himselfe by his owne Power as the World to bee created of nothing his Sonne to be sent into the World made of a Woman and such like This first Will of God never faileth because hee workes it himselfe alone by his Almighty power 2. There be some things which God willeth as to bee done by the Creature either as a naturall Agent as flowers to be drawne out of the Earth by the Sunne in the Spring or as by a voluntary Agent as righteous and good workes to be done by man yet God himselfe concurring and coworking with the Creature a naturall and voluntary Agent according to its kinde This second will oftentimes fayleth by the Creatures failing by whom God would have the worke wrought God permitting and not hindering the faile as he could 3. Some things God willeth and doth himselfe or with others as leading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 antecedent out of himselfe his own goodnesse and mercy as all the good wee have in Nature or in Grace our Creation our Calling our glory God beginning following perfecting all our good out of his abundant and never-failing bounty Some things hee willeth and doth as following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 led or urged thereunto upon occasion of some evill of the Creature as to forsake to punish or to destroy it and this is the Will of his Justice the maker of all the evill of paine which wee suffer This Distinction Damascen tooke out of Chrysostome on the first to the Ephesians and Anselme calls it voluntatem Misericordiae voluntatem Justitiae wherewith why some Divines should finde such fault I know not nor why it should not bee call'd the primary and chiefe Will of God and not a Velleity or a simple complacentia and the second a secondary and lesse desirable for these two may well stand and remaine together as in a tempest the will of the Merchant to save his goods abideth in him as his chiefe desire though now as the case stands hee by another will casts them into the Sea neither are they contrary one to the other seeing they have two objects diversly qualifyed a man as hee is Gods Creature and as hee is an impenitent Sinner him God would have sav'd and yet this God wills to perish There be many other distinctions of the Will of God which doe not availe to the opening of the Doctrine of Predestination and some of them availe not to the clearing of any Doctrine but rather to the obscuring of truth which we will omit I will shut up this head with this sentence There is nothing in the World that did not passe under the censure of the Will of God of some sort or kinde or other before it was as it passed under the view of his knowledge Voluntas Dei est prima summa causa c. The Will of God is the prime and highest cause of all spirituall and corporall motions for there is nothing visibly or sensibly which is not from the invisible and intelligible Court of the King of Kings either commanded or permitted according to the ineffable justice of Rewards and Punishments of thankes and retributions in that most ample and immense Republike of the whole Creation Prosper Epigram 58. Aug. de Trin. l. 3. c. 4. CHAP. III. Of Providence and Predestination THe Decree of the Will of God determining all other things besides those about man is called by the generall name of Providence The Decree of God whereby he determined concerning Man as a speciall and principall part of his Providence is called by a peculiar name Predestination Predestination is an Act of Gods Will from all eternity decreeing the Ends of all Men the meanes which he foreknows will bring them to those ends The ends be Life or Death eternall the meanes be the government of every particular Man in this life under more or lesse of the goodnesse or of the severity of God The Predestinating to some Men those meanes which God doth foreknow will bring them unto life is the Electing of them to life Deus praedestinatos non aliâ ratione in vitam aeternam elegit quam complacendo sibi in mediis
was made we are in God through the knowledge which is had of us and the love which is borne towards us from everlasting But in God we are actually no longer than onely from the time of our naturall adoption into the body of his true Church into the fellowship of his children For his Church he knoweth and loveth so that they which are in the Church are thereby knowne to be in him our being in Christ by eternall foreknowledge saveth us not without our actuall and reall adoption into the fellowship of his Saints in this present world for in him we actually are by our actuall incorporation into that society which hath him for their head c. By the change of the letter are marked out the things which I would wish the Reader to marke with his attentive mind THE THIRD PART CHAP. I. Of the Creation THe Creation of the World was the first act of Gods Power beginning to execute in time his Counsell and Decree which was from everlasting The World is that whole frame of Gods building set up perfected and furnished according to the plot or modell in the minde and purpose of God who hath built all things Heb. 3. 4. In it God made manifest the invisible things of his Wisdome and Goodnesse to his own glory Rom. 1. 20. Therein he hath made Creatures of sundry Natures Motions and Perfections to sundry ends Above others he created Man in more excellent perfections to a more excellent end For hee created Man an Image of God as farre as was meete for a Creature to partake of the Divine Nature that was to be Good but Mutable This Image or likenesse to God was to be seen in three things the first and second as Mans perfections the third as his End 1. In Vnderstanding and Will 2. In Holinesse and Righteousnesse 3. In Immortality Blessednesse These three were subalternate one to the other Understanding and Will to Righteousnesse Righteousnesse to Blessednesse Blessednesse to bee the reward of Righteousnesse and Righteousnesse to bee the worke of Willingnesse for vertue is not necessitatis sed voluntatis CPAP. II. Of Gods Government of Man under the Covenant of Works THe second Act of Execution in time of Gods eternall Counsell was the Government of Man created so as hee might use his perfections and attain his end In this government God as the supreme Lord was to command and Man as his Creature and Vassall was to obey yet God being a free and gracious Lord and Man not a brute but a reasonable and free servant it pleased his Lord to descend and come into a Covenant with him as is used betweene party and party The sum of this Covenant was Doe this and thou shalt live called therefore the Covenant of Workes The Law Naturall or Morall written in the heart of Man comprehended all Works to be done by him The Law positive namely that one of abstaining from the fruit of the Tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden was a tryall and experiment of his Obedience and the exercise of the duties of the Law Morall in a particular To Man appertained the observing of these Lawes To God appertained the performance of the Promise of life to Man observing them as being faithfull in the Covenant CHAP. III. Of the fall of Man ADam Dei manu nec non deliciis Paradisi legislatione prima factus est dignus sed ne quid blasphemum contra primaevum proferam parentem reverentiâ dictum sit Mandatum non servavit quoth Nazianz orat 8. Adam being tempted by Satan did transgresse that one easy Commandment and so became guilty of all and losing his righteousnesse hee forefeited his happinesse by Sin the breach of Gods Commandement and Covenant This Sinne of Man was voluntary not necessary though he sinned being tempted by another for hee had strength enough given him of God and more was ready to have been supplyed unto him if he had craved it wherby he might have vanquished the Tempter and have stood firme in his obedience but hee willingly consented and yeelded to the deceiver Neither was this fall caused by God though foreknowne but onely permitted when God if hee would could have hindred it And God permitted it 1. Because hee would not impeach the freedome of will that hee had given unto Man Continuit in ipso praescientiam praepotentiam suam per quas intercessisse potuisset quo minus homo malè libertate sua frui aggressus in periculum laberetur si enim intercâ—ssisset rescidisset arbitrii libertatem quam ratione bonitate permiserat Tert. in Marcian 2. where note that is call'd libertas Arbitrii which is ad malum and was in Adam before he sinned 2. Because hee saw it would offer him a faire occasion to manifest his Wisdome and Goodnesse yet more graciously than hee had done in the Creation which hee had forethought on and foreknew how to restore man fallen before hee decreed to permit the fall namely by the most admirable and glorious workes of the Incarnation Sufferings Resurrection and Assension of the Sonne of God intending by the obedience of one Man to make many righteous as by the disobedience of one many were made sinners 3. Because God knew it would offâ—r unto man a just occasion if he were dealt withall againe in the second Covenant both to be more thankfull and more wary and carefull and so many more possible to be saved by a second Covenant made with man fallen then would have beene by the first if Adam had stood and the Covenant of workes had beene held on with all his posterity for naturall perfections easily beget Pride and Confidence in our selves which is the first degree of aversion from God and the beginning of ruine but wants and weaknesses do humble us and make us fly to God and cleave more close unto him That the fall of man was known before the Decree of Creation the Creation it selfe doth shew where there are infinite things prepared for mans use onely as fallen as all medicinall Herbs prepared for Physick Physick presumeth sicknesse and sicknesse presumeth sin CHAP. IV. Of the Effects of the Fall THe Effects of the Fall of Man are twofold Within him Without him Within him that which is call'd originall Sinne comprehending both the losse of his originall righteousnesse and of his supernaturall perfections and also the decay of his very naturall faculties whence floweth a continuall lusting after that which is evill and a repugnance to that which is good A mans heart being a roote and a fountain of bitter water and sower fruit which before was right sweet and good The effects of the fall without man are comprized under the curse of the ground the subject of mans labour comprehending all the miseries of this life and under the sentence of death comprehending both deaths Temporall Eternall and all the miseries of both The Effects of the fall of Adam tooke place not onely
in himselfe but in all his posterity because God held him not as one person but as the whole nature of mankinde untill such time as he was come into that state in which God thought it best to governe the race of mankinde to the end of the World whereto hee foreknew that he would soone come namely the state of sinne and misery needing grace and mercy No doubt God in justice might have here rejected and condemned for ever not onely the greater part but the whole of mankinde for this Apostacy from him as hee did the Angells that fell But the Scripture testifieth greater grace Rom. 5. 12. 16. deinceps Jeremy 3. 1. Tu autem fornicata es cum amatoribus multis tamen revertere ad me dicit Dominus ego suscipiaÌ„te verba Domini sunt Non est fas suspendere fidem saith Bern. 84. in Cantic applying that to every sinfull soule which Jeremy applies to Israel and I may well to all mankinde in Adam after whom God call'd Adam ubi es And to the same purpose heare what the confession of the Church of England saith in the tenth Article The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that hee cannot turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good worth to Faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to doe good workes pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ preventing us that he may have a good will and working with us when wee have that good will CHAP. V. Of Gods Government of Man under the Covenant of Grace THe third act of Execution of Gods Eternall Counsell was the Restauration of man fallen For the most Wise and Mighty God having created the World for Man and Man for happinesse in the fruition of himselfe would not suffer either the whole destruction of his Creature or the frustrating of his end though he pleased to permit the depraving of his Creature and to forsake one ill succeeding way to take a better for the attainment of this end Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 33. Omnis dispositio salutis quae circa hominem fuit c. The whole ordering of Salvation touching Man was wrought according to the good Pleasure of the Father so as God should not bee overcome nor his skill impair'd for if that man who was made of God to live here losing life being wounded by the Serpent which had deprav'd him should not againe returne to life but be wholly swallow'd up of death God had beene overcome and the Serpents craft had conquer'd the Will of God Hence God that foreknew before all time the fall of Man hee Dâ—creed in mercy to spare and preserve some degrees of his Imâ—ge in Man and so did and to suspend the Exâ—cution of some effects of his fall else hee had dyed presently or lived a mad or brutish creature that hee might be a subject possible to be repayred and capable of healing God in wisdome and goodnesse chose rather so to doe than to destroy him and wholly make him anew Moreover out of the same Wisdome and Goodnesse hee had Decreed to supply another way that which was lost and so bring Man back from the gates of Hell and to set him in a new and faire way to Heaven This his thought magnum cogitatum Patris as Tertul calls it from everlasting was now in due time the time of Mans misery revealed namely soone after the fall For this Gospell in effect was preached unto him That God would send his owne Sonne made of a woman that should dissolve the workes of the Devill and by See the Homily of the Nativity death overcoming him that had the power of death should deliver man from bondage and restore unto him righteousnesse and life Gen. 3. 15. Gal. 3. 16. Heb. 2. 14. Now what by the remaines of Gods Image left in man what by the supply that God would make by his gracious help miserable man fallen was reputed by God a fit person once againe to be a party in a Covenant A Covenant of new Conditions suiting to the state of a sinner but tending to the same Ends righteousnesse and life This new Covenant is called the Covenant of Grace 1. because it was freely made with man a sinner utterly unworthy to have any more communion with God Secondly Because in it the righteousnesse and salvation of man is wrought in him rather by God than by himselfe being more in receiving than in giving in beleeing than in doing Yet hath it the nature of a true Covenant both parties having something for either to performe God to send his Sonne and his spirit to releeve the miseries and wants of man and to forgive sinnes to impute righteousnesse and to give life to such as obey his Sonne and his Spirit This part of God in the Covenant the Prophet Jeremiah speaketh of cap. 31. ver 33. and 't is repeated Heb. 8. 8. Man to humble himselfe for his sins to God his Creator to beleeve in Christ his Redeemer and to yeeld himselfe to be led by the holy spirit his Sanctifyer This part of Man in the Covenant the whole Gospell speaketh of requiring Repentance and faith and new obedience Act. 20. 21. Here are 2. things affirmed which may seeme to require proofe 1. That the Covenant of grace was made with all mankind 2. That God supplyeth by his spirit whatsoever is needfull to the keeping of this Covenant on the behalfe of Man who is confessed impotent in himselfe through his former fall These 2. shall by Gods assistance be sufficiently proved hereafter under the heads of Calling Commission Grace Free-will Now let these suffice as prescriptions for the Truth 1. That we find here in the day of the first publishing of the Covenant all mankind in Adam and Eve receiving the promise of the Gospel at the same time that they received their penances which we see to be universall to all their Seed it is therefore probable that promises should be taken as universall since the wise doe say Ampliandi favores 2. That we find left after the fall Remaines of some part of the Image of God as life understanding of good and evill liberty of Will in naturall and civill things conscience accusing or excusing c. which though they were given at first by Creation and so belong to nature yet the staying of them to remaine in man after his fall was of Grace both to make him capabâ—e to contract and covenant withall and also to be some beginnings and principles in order to his Restauration but since these alone are not sufficient to make him able to rise againe or to recover righteousnesse or keep the new Covenant of the Gospel of himselfe and these remaines it is decent to think of God who doth nothing imperfectly and who in Covenanting is no hard Master That he would supply by his spirit whatsoever was needfull more to the keeping of that new
power in this working out their own Salvation he doth Comfort and encourage them that they shall not work alone a stronger than they shall joyne with them God who it is that ever worketh in them both to will and to doe Where we have full proofe for the power and presence of the helpfull grace of God but for Gratia discriminatrix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The weaknesse of many in temptations and persecutions that sheweth it selfe testifieth that they who in those are more than Conquerors over Satan the flesh and the world are defended and fought for by the mighty power of God when they cry unto him So prayeth the Church on the fifth Sunday after Epiphany Lord we beseech thee to keepe thy Church and houshold continually in the true religion that they which doe leane onely upon hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power through Jesus Christ our Lord. Against whom then do these accusations lye To say that the Will of man resists the power of God as if it were stronger than it That man doth more to the work of his Faith than the Grace of God That God doth no more in us for good than Satan doth for evill incline perswade sollicite c. I am no way guilty of these crimes If Gods power be resisted or frustrated it yeeldeth not out of weaknesse but out of will God not pleasing to put forth his power where he feeles himselfe resisted or neglected The best that we doe in the bringing forth of any good is To yeild and to permit God to work upon us to follow him leading or drawing of us to accept of that he giveth us to fence that which he soweth or planteth in us not to marre that which he maketh not to harden the heart when his voice is to be heard In summe to be passively obedient more than actively For this is that onely which the Power of Grace will not extend it selfe unto To necessitate and to hold us up to an undeclinable obedience The reason is because that power of God which buildeth up supernaturall things doth not destroy naturall but the possiblity in the Will to decline to evill and the liberty to disobey is not evill but naturall being found in Adam before his fall and as it was not impeached then by the supernaturall grace which Adam had no more is it now in us by the grace of God that worketh in us To this agrees the learned Doctor Ward in his Clerum on Phil. 2. 13. page 6. and 7. of the last Edition Of the Amplitude or Vniversality of Grace From this Title there are to be excluded three things as Heterodoxa and three other things to be referred to it as Orthodoxa 1. Exclude from hence the opinion of Origen and of those that Saint Aug. calls Misericordes that thought all men and Angels at the last should be received to Mercy against whom Saint Aug. disputes 21. lib. de Civitate cap. 17. deinceps 2. Exclude from hence the opinion of Samuel Huber against whom Hunnius and other Lutherans dispute who taught an Universal Election c. and that all men by the death of Christ were brought into the state of Grace and salvation which proposition is worthily rejected by our Divines at Dort in their Suffrage de 2 Articulo Thesi ult Heterodoxa 3. Exclude from hence the opinion of Andradius and other Papists and whosoever else that hold the Gentiles and Heathens without the Church to have sufficient grace to Salvation by the light of Nature or to have that whereupon well used the Grace of the Gospell shall be reveiled unto them With these I will have no fellowship But under the Vniversality of Grace I comprehend but these three things 1. That as Christ our Lord took the nature of Mankinde and not the Nature of Angels So by his death he paid the price of Redemption for the Sinnes of the whole world this agrees with the third Thesis suffragii de art secundo and with our Catechisme I believe in God the Father who hath made me and all the world and in God the Sonne who hath redeemed me and all Mankinde and in God the holy Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the Elect people of God Where note the order and degrees 2. That the promise of the Gospel is Vniversal to all that are within the hearing of it and that it might be truly and seriously proffered to any man alive whatsoever This agrees with the latter part of our seventeenth Article That we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth unto us in the holy Scripture 3. That with the promise and word of the Gospel there goeth ordinarily such Grace of the holy Spirit as is sufficient to all under the Gospel to worke in them to believe and to obey the Gospell and that all doe not obey proceedeth not from the want of Grace on Gods part but from mens being wanting to the Grace of God to whom it is in vaine as is evident by 2 Cor. 6. 1. 2. Heb. 4. 1. 2. 12. 15. Now whereas it is as clearly said in the Holy Scripture that Christ laid downe his life for his Sheepe John 10. 15. for the Children of God John 11. 52. and that he loved his Church and gave himselfe for it Ephes 5. 25. as it is said He dyed for all men These two must be so construed that they may both stand together Thus that out of Gods goodnesse mercy and love to mankinde hee sent his Sonne to die for all men as willing by his primary and antecedent will the salvation of all men But because Omniscience is in God as one of his Divine perfections hee could not bee ignorant or incertaine what would be the fruit and successe of the Death of his Son that such would not receive him that others such and such would thankefully embrace him if hee were sent unto them out of this foreknowledge his especiall love accepting even these though few in number in comparison did send his Sonne with intention to save though it were but these in whom hee would glorifie his bounty that for their sakes hee would have his Sonne to give his life though hee should gaine no more than them who had they beene much fewer or none at all surely the wise God either would not have sent his Sonne to die in vaine or he would have mended the measure and course of his graces and government by which more might have come into the Kingdome of Heaven Chrysostome in illud Pauli ad Gal. 2. Dilexit me dedit semetipsum pro me Declarat hoc quoque par esse c. He declares this also to be meet that every one of us no lesse give thanks than if hee had come into the World onely for his sake for neither would Christ have refused even for one so great a dispensation hee doth so mightily love every particular Man with the
is not made void But this new sin which hath made them Filios mortis and guilty of the whole law Jam. 2. 10. needeth a new absolution that is a new justification from the condemnation that this sinne deserveth for to me Remission of sinnes is justification by Saint Paul Rom. 4. 7. and opposite to condemnation Rom. 8. 33 34. What universall justification else is I know not unlesse it be the forgivenesse of all Sinnes past present and to come which I trow your wisdome will not admit you say truly and soundly Non prius quam per exitatam fidem poenitentiam veniam impetraverit actu absolutus Fifthly Their state of Adoption remaineth immoveable Ans In the purpose of God not in Act. Sixthly There remaine Seedes by which life may spring againe Ans I grant that far sooner than in an habituated wicked man but that alters not the state of a sinner who is guilty of death No more than the crime of a Noble mans Sonne who hath friends in Court more speedily to beg his life This agreeth well with the fifth assertion of the ninth at Lambeth that saith Vera fides c. non extinguitur c. in electis aut finaliter aut totaliter in electis My one Argument out of the Scripture that the Regenerate fallen into a mortall sinne is not then Filius Dei is taken out of Saint John 1 Ep. 3. 9. He that is borne of God doth not commit Sinne for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God I shall here doe two things at once overthrow the strongest Arguments of my Opponents for the perseverance of the Elect without intermission for say they if the seed of God remaine in him and he cannot sinne namely deadly what intercision or intermission can there be of his Justification and I shall retort the Text unavoidably upon themselves How may this be by the true sense of that place The scope of Saint John is not to prove that they that are borne of God cannot depart or change from righteousnesse to sinne or that there cannot be a succession of these two that where righteousnesse was sinne could make no Entrance and righteousnesse depart contra for this in the Apostles time was out of Question whence the admonitions that they who had begun in the Spirit should not end in the Flesh But his scope was to prove that these two cannot consist or stand together which the will of the flesh would faine have to be borne of God and to commit deadly sinne they admitted it for true that he that had been the member of an harlot might by repentance become the member of Christ and that the member of Christ might become the member of an harlot by falling into Adultery but that a man might be at once together a member of an harlot and a member of Christ that they utterly deny these expelling one the other For this heare Saint Jerome lib. 2. against Jovinian who abused this Text for the like purpose that many doe now adays Propterea inquit scribo vobis filioli mei c. Therefore he saith little children I write unto you whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne that ye may not sin and may know that so long as ye shall not commit sinne ye remaine the children of God yea and those that persevere the children of God cannot sin for there is first a departure from Grace before we fall into sinne according to our Article What communion is there between light and darknesse Christ and Belial In like manner as Day and Night cannot mingle so neither can Righteousnesse and Iniquity Sinne and good Works Christ and Antichrist If we have entertained Christ in the Inne of our hearts we put the Devill to flight presently If we sinne and by the gate of sin give entrance to the Devill forthwith Christ departs Let them consider this who defend David to be still borne of God when he stood guilty of Adultery and Murther and let them beware they be not made to heare that which Tertullian hath de poenitentia Sed aiunt quidam c. But some men say they have God sure enough if they receive him in heart and minde though there be no signe thereof in their Actions And thus they commit sinne thinking their Feare and Faith safe which is as much as if they committed Adultery and yet thought their Chastity never the worse or poyson'd their parents out of an Opinion they did God good service And thus whilfl they commit Sin notwithstanding their Feare they themselves shall be thrown into Hell notwithstanding their Pardon Let them consider this that say Peter salve amore salvo fide to have denyed and forsworne his Master But they count it a ridiculous thing to say we be so often born of God as we repent of sin It is more lamentable to fall oft into such sins than ridiculous to be often renewed by Repentance Stick not to the letter of an allegory too long because in our naturall birth we are born but once therefore in our spirituall we are borne but once there is no necessity in this consequence S. Paul was not aware of this absurdity when he said Gal. 4. 19. My little children of whom I travel in birth againe untill Christ be formed in you As for the Unity of Baptisme the Sacrament of our new birth that hath another Reason whereof I need not now speak especially seeing the prudent Divines in their preface to the fifth Article de perseverantia doe bar us from an Argument taken from the justification that is conferred in Baptisme knowing well the Doctrine of our Church concerning the efficacy of Baptisme But to returne to the interpretation of the Text in Saint John Bishop Ridley one of our blessed Martyrs and a chiefe guide in the reformation of our Church in King Edwards time in a treatise of his published by Master Fox in his Acts and monuments pag. 1672. mentioning this speech of Saint John saith in a parenthesis he meaneth so long as that seed doth abide in him he cannot sin In the Homily of Faith the second and third parts there is at large this proved that faith without good works is dead and often use of the sentences of S. John in his Epistles the sum wherof is interpreted to be that Faith Hope and Charity cannot stand with evill living and againe cannot consist or stand without good and godly workes pag. 26. Consist and stand imply a being and a presence sometimes of Faith Hope and Charity but a flying away and an avoyding the place assoone as an evill grosse worke comes in as well as that evill workes standing and abiding Faith Hope and Charity will not cannot endure to stand and abide with them And lest wee should thinke that S. John labours onely to convince them that made a bare profession of Faith and of knowing God and yet were not changed in their lives
blessednesse of the Saints is both from the Reward of Grace and Retribution of Justice This sentence cleareth the most doubtfull part for that eternal death is de retributione justitiae is a truth so cleare and not possible to be decreed from before time without foreknowledge of sinne as my Opposites therefore love not to argue about Reprobation or if they doe they fly to the Dominion and Liberty of God as a Lord absolute and unaccountable to exclude Prescience even here if it were possible But for Predestination to eternall life because it is the gift of God they are confident it may be decreed without Prescience what man will doe which they well might seeme to have some colour for if the blessednesse of the Saints were onely de munere Gratiae and not also de retributione Justitiae But why strive they to separate and dis-joyne those things which God hath joyned together he having made the blessednesse of the Saints to be the retribution of Justice out of his Prescience of their labouring to attaine their end life and to be also the gift of his Grace out of his owne understanding what will bring them to happinesse if he grant them these benefits whereby he shall also attain his end the glory of his free love in giving eternall life to whom hee will both these being understood and knowne before the very existence of men or any act of his be allowed to be by any decree of the will of God that is onely upon condition or supposition if hee please to will the Creation Calling Governing of the Saints in such sort as he foreknowes will bring forth life unto them and this be a way of Glory to himselfe In summe this judgement being ex praeteritis the predestination of it cannot but be ex praevisis The Judge whom God hath ordained for that day is Christ the Lord. God and man not the Father himselfe immediatly the reason is Joh. 5. 22 23. that all might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father and the reason of that is because as the Father hath Created so the Sonne hath Redeemed mankinde And this shall be the great crime upon which the World shall be judged Joh. 3. 19. That light is come into the World and men loved darknesse more than light and Christs Word shall judge him in the last day whosoever hath rejected Christ Joh. 12. 48. as after the Gospell is preached any where the rule of judgement is Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved hee that believeth not shall be damned But S. Paul more fully 2 Thess 1. 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven to recompence rest to them that have beene troubled for his Truth and in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ The severity of the last judgement in flaming fire rendring vengeance The particularity of the Persons wee must all appeare before the judgement Seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 10. The specialty of causes which God shall judge the very secrets of men by Jesus Christ Rom. 2. 16. When as many as have sinn'd without Law shall also perish without Law vers 12. having had a Law written in their hearts which is as much as that vengeance shall be rendred to them that know not God as Tertullian saith Illius etiam est ignorantes Deum plectere quem non liceat ignorare when those that have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law and they that have not obeyed the Gospell shall be judged by the Gospell by the like proportion This specialty of causes argueth I say to mee that Originall sinne which is one just cause of death shall justly be alleged against them that have had no other cause of condemnation in them but this as against all Infants that have dyed and have not this sinne purg'd by the lavacre of Regeneration either in act or vow of the Church but to allege it against them that have lived to yeares capable to know God and to obey the Gospell and perhaps have by Baptisme that sinnes forgivenesse sealed unto them as it seemed strange to Doctor Whitakers that any man should be Reprobated for that sinne which is forgiven him so it seemeth strange to mee that those sinnes should be alleged against a man for which hee is condemned and yet for which he was not Reprobated since the sentence of Reprobation is the heaviest and most wofull sentence that can be as that which drawes after it the sentence of Condemnation as the fourth Assertion at Lambeth saith I conceive the same sins for which the wicked are condemned at the last were the sinnes for which they were written Reprobates before all dayes Jude vers 4. altogether first and last great and small but especially their finall impenitency and obstinacy in sinne else what needed this exactnesse of differencing the specialties of causes Or how doth it more burden the guilty to heare of their several crimes when they all were rejected in the common case of mankinde fallen and from thenceforth unable to arise and amend having neither Saviour to die for them nor Spirit to call them nor helpe to heale them all which Reprobation hath excluded and debarred them from or these from them God will overcome in judgement but not by pleading his prerogative or his Soveraigne power or by putting men to silence with his greatnesse else Abraham was too bold to expostulate with God shall not the Judge of the whole earth doe right but by Justice and equity else hee would not offer himselfe to be tryed Isay 5. 3. Iudge I pray you betwixt mee and my Vineyard what could I have done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it God will convince the ungodly and put them to silence and shame by their unthankfulnesse and stubbornnesse against his abundant goodnesse patience and long-suffering shewed unto them Let mee take my leave of the ingenous Reader by leaving with him my doubt and my resolution thereof expressed in the words of the grave Cardinall Sadolet no carnall man nor enemy to Truth as his times had light In his Commentaries upon the Epistle to the Romans pag. 1178. hee brings in this Objection At enim ex contaminatio genere oriundi c. But even wee being borne of a corrupted originall are now by nature it selfe made to destruction that those whom God passeth by and doth not call unto himselfe might have no just cause of complaint To this hee answereth thus At ego video c. But I conceive in the judgement of the World to come Christ Jesus will not so passe the sentence who shall then sit in judgement for his Father upon them whom he hath condemn'd as thus to pronounce Seeing you proceeded out of the corrupted loines of Adam and have contracted the fault and guilt of your Parents for this cause doe I sentence you to eternall torments
he would make him a reasonable Creature and so a free Creature not free to be under no superiour or to be absolute and sufficient in himselfe to himselfe and independent on any other for this belongs onely to God himselfe but in such things as he should will or nill the Nature of his will to be free and at liberty to choose or refuse this or that to be the Master and owner of his owne Acts to be thereby capable of righteousnesse or of Sinne of doing good or evill of obedience or disobedience and thence a Subject of praise or punishment of bounty or of Justice which no Creature could properly be that is not free in Will and loose and at liberty from all kinde of Necessity This perhaps may be said to be true of the first man Adam in his Creation but since his fall that freedome of man is to all kind of things decayed and to things Spirituall utterly lost which being granted yet this is to be added That God who knew and permitted this fall and losse knew also how to provide and to prepare graces of his powerfull Spirit to restore and supply that which was lost and how to give a new Commandement or make a new Covenant with man fallen fit and proportionable to the impotent will of Man and to those graces of his Spirit which he would be ever ready to supply either preventing man or working in him or assisting helping protecting preserving him as need shall require So that this Noble creature still might hold and keepe the place and ranke of a free Creature For we may not think that the wisdome of God made such an one to shew him to the Angels and to the world and ever after to have banished him out of the world or to have admitted so notorious a defect in this Universe that there should not be found in it the noblest Nature of things here below above a day or two in the very infancy of the world and ever after men should all either be necessarily evil or necessarily good after the Maniches heresie seeing God created man to be the Subject of his righteous Judgement The old saying therefore must be remembred If there be not the Grace of God how shall God save the world If there be not Freewill in Man how shall God judge the world Grace is to be defended so as we doe not subvert the freedome of mans Will and the Freewill of man is to be defended so that we doe not evacuate the Grace of God To conclude with uniting the consideration of these two Natures together of God and man in our conceiving the Order and manner of the divine Predestination Seeing the Nature of a free creature is the Subject and the roote of most contingency in the world and the Natural knowledge of God or his simple Understanding is the infallible foreknower of all future contingents even conditionall if God please to create such a free Creature it followeth from hence that a just Decree before all time what shall become of every free Creature in the end of time cannot possibly be conceived by us to have beene made but as proceeding from that infallible foreknowledge which is in God of every mans workes since he will render to every man according to his workes And againe because the same Decree doth proceede from a Soveraigne Lord whose Will is absolute who will be debtor to none but will have all debtors to him it followeth againe that the foreknowlege out of which the Decree proceedeth can be no other after our manner of Understanding than that of Gods Naturall simple understanding of things when they were but as possible before any Decree was made that they should be created or come into being To which knowledge when the omnipotent will of God adjoyned it selfe an infallible an unchangable Decree was made that things should be such as they are now Necessary or Contingent Meanes or Ends Causes or Effects such as foreknowledge had apprehended them and understood them so that the Salvation of every man who is saved is from God and the Perdition of every man that perisheth is from himselfe To God onely wise the Gracious and Righteous Lord be all Honour Glory and Dominion for ever Amen Irenaeus lib. 2. cap. 34. Sufficiant quae dictasunt Nec enim oportet quod dici solet universum ebibere mare eum qui velit discere quoniam aquâ— ejus salsa est CHAP. XXI An Analysis to the 17th Article Confessionis Anglicanae TO make manifest how perfect a consent the fifth Opinion hath with the Confession of the Church of England in the 17 Article which is of Predestinated and Election and to shew who are worthy to be accounted Heterodox from the Church I most humbly crave leave to Analyse and explicate the said Article In doing whereof I desire the judicious Reader to consider with mee three things 1. The Scope and Intent of the Article 2. The Parts and Paragraphs with their Connnexion 3. The lowest and particular termes in every part and that in their literall and Grammaticall sense as wee are commanded by His Majesties Declaration and according to those places of Scripture from whence the termes are taken so religiously as nothing could be better 1. The Scope of the Article is 1. To establish an Unity of Doctrine in the high point of Predestination and Election among the members of this Church 2. To direct them to the right use of this Doctrine and to prevent abuses 2. The Parts and Paragraphs distinguished to the Eye in most Editions are two The first from the beginning to these words They attaine to everlasting felicity This hath respect chiefly to the First end the establishing of the sound Doctrine of Predestination The second beginneth at these words As the Godly consideration c. and reacheth to the End This hath respect chiefly to the Second To direct the Church in the direct use of this Doctrine and to avert abuses and scandals 3. The lowest and particular termes will come to be considered in their own places as they lye in every Paragraph The first Paragraph that concerneth Doctrine hath two Branches The first the Definition of Predestination The second the Description of the Execution and Manifestation thereof The first branch the Definition is set downe in these termes Predestination to Life is the Everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundation of the World was layd he hath constantly decreed by his Counsell secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankinde and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honor. Here be two things to be considered The thing defined The Definition The thing defined is Predestination to life which very terme admits another Predestination which is to death though the Article say nothing expresly of it or of Reprobation Not as if God decreed nothing what to doe with wicked men or
had not a purpose to glorifie his Justice in them or were not certaine in his knowledge who and which they would be nor as if the Church shund to touch upon that string as harsh and unpleasant The Doctrine of Reprobation being as profitable to drive men from the wayes of wickednesse that lead to perdition as the Doctrine of Predestination is profitable to draw men into the wayes of righteousnesse being rightly understood But the reason why the Article sayes nothing directly of Predestination to death or of Reprobation is because it is easily understood by the contrary whereof the Article saith so much for if Predestination to Life be the purpose of God to deliver from curse then Predestination to Death must be the purpose of God not to deliver from curse and damnation those whom hee hath not found in Christ 2 Cor. 13. 5. but to cast them into everlasting fire as Vessells to dishonour The Definition followeth That Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of of God c. Here I crave leave for cleare understanding to sever and put asunder the essentiall parts of the Definition from the Adjuncts and ornaments that are annexed to every severall essentiall part to make every part more compleat perfect and comely The substance of the Definition is this Predestination to life is the purpose of God to bring to salvation those whom hee hath chosen Here are three things 1. An inward Act his Purpose 2. An outward Act or End purposed To bring to salvation 3. The subject upon which the purpose settles the outward Act or End Those whom he hath chosen To every one of these there are severall Adjuncts making them more full as to the Purpose of God is adjoyned 1. That it is an Everlasting purpose before the foundation c. 2. That it is a Purpose whereby hee hath decreed So it is a Decree aswell as a Purpose 3. That what was decreed was constantly decreed 4. That it was decreed suo consilio by his own Counsell so a wise decree made by Counsell a free decree made by his owne Counsell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. That this Counsell is secret to us So it is a hidden purpose nobis quidem occulto saith the Latine Article all these informe us concerning the nature of the inward Act. The outward Act or End purposed To bring to Salvation hath these adjections or amplifications 1. The state and Terminus à quo from whence these are brought from curse and damnation To deliver from curse 2. The meanes by whom they shall both be delivered from curse and brought to Salvation that is by Christ 3. This is illustrated by a similitude out of S. Paul Rom. 9. 21. as vessels made to honour To the Subject upon whom the purpose setleth the outward Act or End The Chosen these things are added 1. That they were chosen in Christ 2. That they were chosen out of Mankinde Thus you have the essentiall parts of the Definition and the Adjuncts to every part which I separate not as if the Adjuncts might be spared in the Definition but onely for the clearer contemplation of them being severed and singled one from another Now if I take these againe into consideration I must joyne to every of the three principals his accessories also as I have layd them out And here some man would thinke I were bound to begin with the first thing named in the Definition The everlasting purpose of God but I can give him a reason why I must doe otherwise for in the Logicall and Grammaticall construction of the Article there is here expressed one higher prior eternall Act of God viz. to have chosen some out of Mankinde in Christ before the other act of his Purpose or decree to deliver from curse and to bring to Salvation those whom hee hath chosen for though in truth both these be coeternall yet in order of nature after our manner of understanding and by the words of our Article one is before the other choosing in Christ before purpose to bring to Salvation for the purpose is to bring to Salvation those whom hee hath chosen saith our Article which is agreeable to the words of S. Paul that purpose is according to Election Rom. 9. 11. but that which is according to another is after that according to which it is framed so if wee shall place things according to due order and of order is our principall iniquiry Predestination to Life may be thus defined Gods choosing of some in Christ out of Mankinde before the Foundations of the World were laid and his everlasting purpose to deliver them from curse and to bring them to everlasting Salvation by the same Christ in whom they were chosen And I appeale to any reasonable man whether this change doe offer any violence or wrong to the words of the Article Now in good time commeth this terme chosen in Christ first to be examined as that wherein lyeth the issue of this Controversie Whether Christ was considered in the very act of choosing his Elect and full well did the Article keepe the words of the Apostle that whosoever hath the Apostle if that were not enough hee may bee sure hee hath the Article also for him Let us try out therefore the meaning of the words of the Apostle Eph. 1 3 4. 1. To take from Arminius the envy of his Interpretation hear what S. Chrysostome long agoe wrote upon this place Quod dicit perinde est ac sic dicat per quem nos benedixit per eundem elegit And a little after Quid est in ipso elegit per eam quae in ipso habenda esset fidem hoc praestitit priusquam ipsi essemus magis autem priusquam mundi hujus jacerentur fundamenta The Commentary ascribed to S. Ambrose thus writeth upon the Epistle to the Ephesians Sicut elegit nos in ipso praescius Deus omnium scit qui credituri essent in Christum sicut dicit ad Rom Quos praescivit vocavit non solum ex Iudaeis sed etiam ex Gentibus So by these as purpose is according to Election so Election is according to foreknowledge 1 Pet. 1. 2. and foreknowledge of what of Christ and faith in him And this was the common Opinion of the Fathers before S. Augustine although they were not ignorant of the grace of God nor of the superiority of it and power of it over all the infirmitie and indignity of man But to let passe authorities consider wee secondly the very Text God hath blessed us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all Spirituall blessings by Christ but that it is a spirituall blessing not onely our Article confesseth when it saith wherefore they that are endued with so excellent a benefit of God c. but also the Apostle who maketh it the prime the patterne and the leading blessing by saying Hee hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that this is the chiefe and
and practice but of curious and carnall men and such as lack the Spirit of Christ to whom also these evills doe betide of despaire and security and therefore this would be shunn'd and avoyded as he that loves his safety would shun to walk upon or gaze from some high and deep downfall One point in this comparison needeth some more full Explication for it may be questioned whether the Article meanes that these different Effects of comfort or downfall doe proceed onely from the difference of the persons that doe consider being either pious or curious carnall or spirituall having the Spirit of Christ or lacking the Spirit of Christ or doe flow also from the difference of the things considered viz. either of Predestination or Election in Christ or the sentence of Gods Predestination There are that make no difference betweene these two and so to them the difference that the Article moteth must arise onely from the difference of the persons considering one and the same Doctrine of Predestination But I may bee bold to put a difference betweene the things considered aswell as betweene the persons considering because the Article doth so so for curious and carnall persons c. The Article doth not say it is a dangerous downefall namely the consideration of Predestination and Election in Christ as keeping the same subject whereof hee had spoken before as comfortable but it substituteth another subject to have continually before their Eyes the Doctrine of Gods Predestination that is a dangerous downefall and not the other And to mee it should seeme incredible that either the Article should say or that Doctor Bancroft should say That the sound full and whole Doctrine of Predestination and our Election in Christ such as is here delivered in the former paragraph should be a dangerous downfall even to carnall men and even them that lack the Spirit of Christ For although it be true that the fruit and comfort of this and many other Divine truths bee reaped onely by godly persons when they are come to have the Spirit of Christ c. And it be true also that our curiosity and carnall affections bee great impediments to the right conceiving and judging of Divine truths yet it is as true that every necessary Doctrine is in sacred Scripture so fully perfectly and coherently delivered and ought to be therefore fitly deduced by the Church that of it selfe it have no aptnesse to become a praecipitium even to carnall men and such as have not the Spirit of Christ since the Scripture was not written to be reade onely of them that doe already in humility beleeve it and are filled with the Spirit of Christ but even by naturall men having onely ordinary humane judgements and to taste of the things of God What then is it that the Article saith hath so much as a likelyhood of a downfall to the curious and carnall To have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Predestination what is this Sentence The bare and naked Sentence that very decree it selfe in generality That God hath Predestinated some men to life and hath reprobated some to death such is the first of the 9. Assertions at Lambeth without any mention or consideration of Christ of faith of Gods Prescience or any other of his Attributes This naked Sentence without any thing of the order or manner how this decree is concluded or come unto is that praecipitium that exceeding height from whence the Devill doth or may thrust men curious carnall into despaire or security laying all their religion upon Predestination If I shall be sav'd I shall be sav'd This is that which Bancroft calleth a desperate Doctrine pag. 29. of the Conference The selfe-same for substance methinks I find expressed by Hemingius in his Syntagm loco de praedest whom I beseech you heare with a little patience 1. De aeternâ praedestinatione rectè erudir◠ecclesiam summoperè necessarium est nam ut nulla doctrina uberiorem consolationem piis conscientiis afferre solet quam doctrina praedestinationis rectè explicita ita nihil periculosius est quam rectâ praedestinationis ratione aberrare 2. Nam qui à verâ deflectit in praecipitium fertur unde se recipere non potest 3. Sunt quidam qui cum audiunt nostram salutem in Dei electione proposito sitam esse modum verum haud observant somnia Stoica fabulas Parcarum fingunt quibus seipsos miserè implicant alios perniciosè seducunt vide Thes 4 5 6 7. 4. Modus autem praedestinationis verissimus est quem Paulus nobis commonstrat cum ad Ephes scribit Elegit nos in Christo 1. 9 10 11. in hoc modo conditio fidei includitur Nam cum fide inserimur Christo ejus membra efficimur ideo electi quia Christi membra sumus The Sentence therefore of Predestination without the Modus is Praecipitium but the Modus in Christo is the fountain of all comfort and hope and godliness which maketh this matter of so much worth to contend for The true Modus Praedestinationis divinae Now I come to the period of the second Paragraph and the whole Article Furthermore we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth unto us in holy Scripture and in our doings that Will of God is to be followed which we have expresly declared unto us in the word of God This part of the Article Bishop Bancroft shewed King James at Hampton Court pag. 29. line 19 20. as the Doctrine of the Church of England touching Predestination and it was there very well approved Moreover the Kings most excellent Majesty that now is in his Declaration commanding that all farther curious search be layd aside willeth that these disputes be shut up in Gods promises as they be generally set forth unto us in the holy Scripture as if the generall promises of God were the surest principles to determine all these doubts and differences by and they rest safely that rest in them The Authority of this Article together with other like passages in our Catechisme and Homilies constrained our divines that were at Dort to deliver in secundo Articulo these Theses for the third and fourth 3. Deus lapsi generis humani miseratus misit filium qui seipsum dedit precium redemptionis pro peccatis totius mundi 4. And for the fourth Thesis In hoc merito mortis Christi fundatur universale promissum Evangelicum juxta quod omnes in Christo credentes remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam reipsâ consequantur which they confirme by Mark 16. 15. so that this part of the Article though it be the last yet it is not the last in worth and use For whereas it saith Furthermore we must receive c. It intendeth to give farther remedy against the harme which may be taken by curious and carnall persons from the Sentence of Predestination had continually before their Eyes Which