whereof take these few John 1.13 Which were born not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God John 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 15. For the natural men perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him Neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned But the spiritual man discerneth all things but is discerned of none 1 Cor. 15.22 For as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive and verse 45 46 47 48 49. As it is written the first man was made a living soul but the second Adam was made a quickening spirit Hewbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural and then that which iâ— spiritual The first man is of the â—â—rth earthy the second mâ—n is the Lord from heaven as is the earthy such are they that are earthy and as is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly and as we have born the image of the earthly so must we bear the image of the heavenly c. More particularly we answer That this one by whom sin entred into the world is not meant our first parent Adam but our own earthy or natural man which is called Adam and Edom from the earth of his foundation For the apostle shews that Adam our progenitor was not the original or first sinner 1 Timothy 2.14 For Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression according then to your Doctrine the apostle should have said By one Woman sin entred into the world But you hear before how Solomon Eccles 7.29 and the Lord himself Hos 14 1. scribe our fall to our selves This is yet clearer out of the 14. verse here where the apostle speaks of some who sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression but makes mention of none that sinned in him where he had fair occasion to speak of it yea if he had been of your belief he had committed a grievous neglect totally to omit it in silence Secondly here by the world into which sin entered we must understand the world of fallen and corrupt men as our Saviour doth Joâ—n 3.16 17. and John 15.17 18. and not all mankinde as you do c. Thirdly by death is not meant the bodily death which doth not presently ensue upon our fall no more then it did upon our first parents but a death unto righteousness or the life of innocencie with the contrary body of sin and so obnoxiousness to eternal death is hear meant Fourthly these words and death passed upon all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are thus to be rendered in as much or so far forth as all have sinned and as Moses in the 14. verse is not he that was the Lawgiver but the work of the Law drawing us to God so neither is this man the litterall Adam For Paul here saith That death reigned from Adam to Moses which must be understood necessarily thus from the fall of our natural Adam till the work of the Law came For otherwise the extent of the reign of sin should reach from the first man to the last and not to Moses onely Which thing the 13. ver holdeth out more plainly that he meant by Mose the Law For it is there said That until the Law sin was in the world which must be conceived that until the work of the law sin is in the world that is likewise in the faln corrupted men undiscovered which is plain from the latter part of the 13 verse where it is said sin is not reputed nor regarded as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and so Coverdel translates it and not imputed when there is no Law for that is false that sin was not imputed when there was no Law extant for it was imputed to Cain Gen. 4. and he was punished So to the old world and they punished Gen. 6 so to Babels builders and they punished Gen. 11.7.8 so it was imputed to Sodom and Gomorrab and they punished Gen. 19. when there was none of Moses law extant but it is a very truth that sin is not reputed not regarded when there is no work of the Law discovering sin unto the man so St. Paul saith of himself Rom. 7.9 that he was alive without the Law and verse v. he saith he had not known lust but by the Law and Rom. 3.20 it is said that by the Law cometh the knowledge of sin Thus you see how death raigned from Adam to Moses yet not from the first individual Adam to Moses the Law-giver but in the 2. part of the 14 ver it is not affirmed that any sinned in the first individual Adam for he saith Some finned not after the similitude of Adams transgression over whom notwithstanding death reigned Now that expression hinteth these two things First Some sinned like Adam not in Adam others sinned not after the similitude of his transgression but some other way as after Esau's transgression Hebr. 18.16 17. or the like according to that Eccles 7.29 Surely if the Apostle had beleeved any such thing as the raigning of death over all men by the first mans sin he would not have omitted that and onely mentioned from Adam to Moses for all may perceive his main designe is from verse 12. to the 15. to set forth the inlet and extent of deaths reigning over sinners therefore he would have used the fullest and plainest expression serving to that purpose but the 19. verse is more plain against universal corruption by the first mans disobedience for there the Apostle useth the word many and saith by one mans disobediene many not all were made sinners Therefore all fell not in the first individual Adam If any yet reply That many in that place is tant ' amount and equivalent to the word all We Answer That then by the same reason the word many in the latter part of the verse must have the same latitude allowed for the Apostle setteth down a full comparison of equals in that verse here the verse must be thus interpreted That as by one mans disobedience all were made sinners so by one mans obedience all are made righteous If any yet reply and say By one mans obedience all that repent and beleeve are made righteous then by the same inter retation By ones mans disobedience all are made sinners that imitate him and sin like him after the similitude of Adam 's transgressions Thus all men may see there is nothing gained by interpreting the word many by a Synecdoche for all are made sinners by one mans disobedience for the latter part of the verse must have the word many so explained which to affirm namely that all are righteous by Christ by an absolute and uniuersal Justification is accounted as detestable an Heresy as it hath been hitherto to deny that
bow us we are incorrigible and deplorate Isa 1.5 6. Isa 9.13 yea and are sure to perish in the end Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth hss neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Other means are named and commended unto us in the word which shall work upon some when the word will not As the good conversation of the wife towards an unbelieving husband or disobedient to the word 1 Pet. 3.1 2. But Gods most usual and powerful way of converting sinners is by his spirit and severe chastisements those especially upon mens consciences which we elsewhere call the work of the Law though ofttimes wrought without the written Law or Word of which the Psalmist speaks Psal 94 13. A fourth mistake of yours there is That you say all men are by nature in the state of sin and death For we have already proved that to be false And doth not the Apostle say Rom. 2.27 That if the uncircumcision which is by nature fulfil the Law taking it for granted that some may do so he shall judge thee who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the Law True it is that the word nature is not always taken in one notion by the Apostle himself but as by nature here he understands a state of men without the written word so by nature Ephes 2.3 where he saith that we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others he intends either corrupt nature or a reality of the thing as Gal. 4.8 you did service to them which by nature are no Gods that is not really such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A fifth errour of yours in that Section is that you say God in this his effectual calling of men determines the will to that which is good wherein as we said before he should overthrow that course and order which himself hath set up making us free Agents and leaving our wills free and interminate Yet we grant that the Lord bowes and inclines the wils of men from evil to good by illumination in the understanding and working upon the judgement as we said before but he laies no violent hands upon the will immediately Finally you have other mistakes in the first Section also as when you say that God in his effectual calling of men takes away the stony heart and gives them an heart of flesh for that is not wholly done in our first conversion but in process of time by our cleansing from sin and renewing in Jesus Christ according to the Covenant Ezek 36.25 26 27. Nor are all converts brought to Jesus Christ at the first as you here dream for the father hath his work of regeneration upon us ere we are brought to know or beleeve on the Son for his worke of spiritual redemption which is the second step or degree of our regeneration as we shew in the sequel of this tractate Yea whosoever resists the father in his work or doth not continue in it he is not brought by the father to the son to be saved by him from sin and Satan John 6.44 Nor is your second Section so sound or Orthodox in all points as we could wish it For you say there but not truly That he who is called of God is altogether passive until quickned and renewed by the holy Ghost For though in the works of illumination correction and reproof he is passive yet afterward in the turning of his will and desires to God and goodness he is active as the Apostle speaks 1 Thes 2.19 For they themselves shew of us what mannor of entrance we bad unto you and how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God So Acts 11.21 And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great many beleeved and turned to the Lord. Wherefore doth the Lord require this motion at our hands so often if we cannot turn after inlightning and convincing grace Ezek. 18 30. Wherefore repent ye and turn ye from all your transgressions and verse 32. Wherefore turn ye and live see Eze. 33.11 Joe 2.12 13 14 c. In your third Section you abate something of your wonted rigour in saying That all other elected persons besides infants who are uncapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth If you grant then that there is an elect people among all nations as John saw an infinite or innumerable company of such standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb cloathed with white rober and palms in their hands Re. 7.9 you have here yeilded that they may be called without the ordinary means of the word and this is no other thing in effect then what ye have here maintained For if the Lord could do this in Elihu Job Rahab the widow of Zarephta and Paul all which were converted without the word what hindereth but that he can do the like all over the world in all ages and generations of mankinde if they obstruct not his working In this Section we pass over that which you spake in the beginning of it concerning elect infants because we know no other sort of infants And that such need no regeneration we have shewed before In your fourth and last Section you have heaped up together many untruths as these by name First That there are some persons that are not elected which being understood of a special and final election is true but being taken of Gods general and conditional election is false as before Secondly You say That such as are not elected and so not saved though they may be called by the ministry of the word yet they receive onely the common operations of the spirit It is most certain that many who are not finally elected and saved besider a true and effectual calling vouchsafed from the father have in some measure received a true faith bringing forth repentance for a time a true love turning them to God and bringing forth a temporary obedience a true hope which brought forth patience yea and some proportion of purifying and sanctfying grace as is evident out of these Scriptures and others 1 Tim. 1.19 and chapt 5.12 and chapt 6.10 Heb. 6.4 5 6. and chapt 10.28 29. 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. Thirdly You say That such never came truly unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved where it is true that such can never be saved from the power of their spiritual enemies who never came to Christ nor Christ to them yet many of them which were never chosen out of the furnace nor in the end partake of eternal life yet were brought for a time both to beleeve in Christ and in some measure to obey him who yet afterward fel from him and lost all that which they had wrought with their future hopes of which number were those apostate Disciples of Christ mentioned John 6.66 with Judas Demas
as we have said before yet we read nowhere of any power proceeding from thence in the mortifying of sin though that his suffering should be both a patern and a motive to follow him in his like death as hath been said Yea the Apostle ascribes weakness and not power to Christ in his death as that whereby he could properly suffer 2 Cor. 13 4. For though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God It was power indeed whereby he was raised up Rom. 1.4 And it is through the same power that those who are dead with him must be raised up again Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection c. So then there is express mention in the word of the vertue or power of his resurrection to be imployed in this work of our regeneration but none of the power or efficacy of his death yea that benefit which we have by the death of Christ followes the work of sanctification in order of nature and doth not go before it as hath been proved sufficiently before Thirdly Whereas you say or imply That the whole dominion of sin is destroyed in those that are in any measure called and sanctified it is a thing rather to be wished if it were the will of God then to be granted for truth for we find the contrary in our own experience while we are babes in Christ yea the Apostle describing the estate of such in his own person because he had been formerly in that â—state complaineth grievously of the remaining and dominion of corruption Rom. 7.23 24. But I see another law in my members rebeiling against the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death indeed if you had said that the former love which the least of Saints had to the body of sin and their willing subjection thereunto is in some measure destroyed you had spoken truly but is not a dominion against their wils a dominion still Yea it is the most grievious tyranny of all other and the hardest to be born So then there is left in all the regenerate a dominion and tyranny of sin till by grace they obtain power and victory against it though this dominion is now invitum imperium and not so dangerous as it was in the time of their voluntary subjection thereunto Fourthly That which you speak in the close of that Section is true or false as men bestir themselves in resisting sin and seeking Gods grace there against or otherwise neglect those duties to wit That the several lusts of this body of sin are more and more weakned and mortified and they more and more quickned and strengthned in all saving graces to the practise of true holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Your second Section presents but one error upon the matter but it is a material one to wit That our sanctification in this life is always imperfect and that there abide some remnants of corruption in every part that hence ariseth a continual and irreconcileable war the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Gal. 5.17 But brethren if our sanctification must not be perfected here when or where must it be made up Is not this life the time of our regeneration Tit. 2.11 12 13. For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and that glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Must some corruption still remain in every part Why so hath God such pleasure in it Shall Christ lose the end of his comming of which the Apostle speaks in the next verse Tit. 2.24 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works See Ephes 5.25 27. of which we spake before And though while the flesh and the spirit continue there remains an irreconcileable â—ar betwixt them must that war last alwayes had not Saint Paul sought a good fight and finished his course 2 Tim. 4.7 Had he not subued his body and brought it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 shall we never attain to be of a taller Stature and growth then those new born babes in the Galatians That you apply their conflicts and weak estate spoken of Gal. 5.17 to all But we must pardon you for in your third Section you seem to contradict all this again saying In which war although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevaile yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ the regenerate part doth overcome and so the Saints grow in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of God but concerning this we must refer you to what we spake before upon Chap. 6. Sect. 6. Surely as God caused his word to be written that we might there through become absolute 2 Tim. 3.14 16 17. And hath given gifts from heaven unto his Apostles Prophets Evangelists and Teachers to bring us unto such a stature of perfection in Christ Ephes 4 10 11 12 13 14. So he praying for the perfecting of the Saints Heb. 13.20 21. 2 Cor. 13.9 1 Pet. 5.10 did pray for things feasible and attainable nor can the prayer of Christ for the same thing be irritous Joh. 17.23 I in them and they in me that they may be made perfect in one CHAP. XIV Of saving Faith THE Grace of Faith whereby the Elect are inabled to believe to the saving of their souls a Heb 10.30 is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts b 2 Cor 4.13 Ephes 17.18 19. Ephes 2.8 and is ordinarily wrought by the Ministry of the word c Rom 10.14.17 by which also and the administration of the Sacraments and prayer it is increased and strengthened d 1 Pet 2.2 Act 20.32 Rom 4.11 Luk. 17.5 Ro 1.16 17. II. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the word for the authority of God himself speaking therein e Joh. 4.42 1 Thes 2.13 1 Joh 5.20 Act. 24.14 and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth yeilding obedience to the commands f Rom 16.26 trembling at the threatenings g Isa 66.2 and imbracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come h Heb. 11.13 1 Tim 4.8 but the principal acts of saving Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for justification sanctification and eternal life by vertue of the Covenant of grace i Joh 1.12 Act 16.33 Gal 2.29 Act 15.11 III. This faith is different in degrees weak or strong k Heb 5 13.14 Rom 4.15 20. Matth 6.30 Matth 8.10 may be often and many
cogit triplices ad praelia sectas Hásque omnes temerat caede livore dolis Effugient pauci Lotus ut de triplice sectâ Uvas qui Sodomae non comedêre suae E Babylone fugam propera properante ruinâ Ne te corripiant dira flagella Dei. Mitte fidem citus hanc nobis tot monstra creantem Quot nescit monstri Nilus ipse ferax Ad pulsus cytharae vestrae saltabimus omnes An fidibus vestris admodulanda fides Sis Gomarhaee puer pueris coeleste paratur Regnum stultescas si sapuisse velis Cum Christo moriare prius vivatur ut illi Quà m nos de Christo tale quid edoceas Scire tuum nihil est vetitae nocet arboris esus Obsequium ad vitam jam patefecit iter Vera fides coelis ignem deducit Amoris Igneus hic currus tollit ad astra virum Quicquid lex mandat quicquid sacra foedera spondent Et Legem Vates unus adimplet Amor. Arbor quid vitalis Amor. Paradisus Amores Fons Edenis Amor. Vita perennis Amor. Quid Deus ipsus Amor fine Marte cupidinis expers Cui Veneres virtus fas pietásque faces THE Lamentation over the Synod of DORT OR The verses of an out-landish but a learned and peaceable man since deceased unto and upon that Synod sitting in the fatal yeer presently after the great blazing Star that messenger of Gods wrath and the foreteller of the worlds ensuing calamities appeared Anno Dom. 1618. now turned into English WHen in the Netherlands the learned crew Of James Arminius first 'gan to brew Or broach their sober Tenets to the Dutch Prejudice-drunk uncapable of such The Gomarist the fatal Comets brother A Synod called at Dort which was no mother And being set upon the judgement throne Convents th' Arminians yet leave out one But Dordrect might have learnt of Amsterdame No man that lives well for his faith to blame Yet in that Synod rests a knot untide Who shall Umpire be 'twixt side and side Sayest thou the Scripture That each side doth wrest They make their own sence not the Text the Test A rule is one thing in a lightful place A Judge another in a doubtful case Shal then the Church be judge which of the twain The Roman Synagogue or Lutheran Neither say you the former are my foes The later with Arminius doth close Will yee the Dominick shall moderate No they in some thing suit the knaves I hate Then chuse the Anabaptists at a pinch No I fear drowning if they me should drench Wilt thou be judge thy self That likes me well What foe judge foe So heaven may yield to hell Then let Arminius have leave to cite The Gomarists and boldly them indite If Gomarists shall any Vorsty yield Let that learned combatant be barr'd the field And let new Spanish inquisitions With interrogatories vex those sons Be sure with heresie thy charge be strong With schisme them burden be it right or wrong Damn them to hell as reprobates alive The Authors of their damning Art deprive What shall for truth for falshood pass decree The Law is in thine hand be bold and free Thine Articles of faith bring into light Though they be errors darker then the night Awake the civil sword the soldier call To helpe the cause of Christ material Now Gomarist doth all this seem accurst Why didst thou then this way pursue at first Cymerian darkness droppeth from thy quil The ship of truth doth touch the Armenian hil Who to these haltings twain shall be umpire Unless some new Elias bring down fire Dost thou reply that prophets now are gone Then in the list of prophets thou art none Prophesie faith and knowledge cease But when When peece-works have an end with perfect men A prophet wants not honor save at home I le prophecy of some but be no Mome One by Loves spiri't doth evangelize Of love and peace against wickedness and vice Another in his eight books doth impart Th' Heavenly treasures hidden in mans heart A third to Ninivitish penitence Like a new Jonas doth us all incense A Belgick prophetess I here could spring Sions laments who dolefully doth sing Pretor's Elias and Schnaubar Divine Europes post writer make up a new trine What need I pantel Trapim Faire recite Or Behman who did like a prophet write Arnd and thy lesser prophets I forget Oh what a harvest here of prophets met Was not the Comet late a prophet true Of errors schismes and wars which all must rue Armin's when he had write Elias found With him the fire of love which to the ground Consumes the altar with the sacrifice Oh that thou Gomarist mighst find the prize Who had he lived would an Elisha prove But death untimely did the man remove When he that did these Articles discry Of the disease articular doth ly What faith is this which soyles the Deity With little-less then tacit blasphemy Decrees Laconick which were writ in blood Saturne his sons devouring far from good Yet far more cruel things to God the Fount And Ocean of goodness thou dost count Who mak'st him damne from all eternity Most men then guiltless with unmov'd decree Which Soveraign justice to him such ascribes As him from favor frees not though from bribes Whilst men of equal merits it will have Some to destroy at pleasure some to save Which to the herds of Epicure sets ope a gate By Stoical necessity and fate If all things hurryed be by fatal stream Drink Dutch man cover of no vertue dream Which for the fathers fault condemn's the seed This God abjures and this his lawes forbid Go burn thy guiltless infants Gomarist That thou with th' name of justice may'st be blest Which the most simple Deity doth fill Here with a double but contrary will Who by his secret will would few men save By his revealed none would damned have Doth not this faith make him an hypocrite And worse then Satan see the foul despight For by the Laws of contraries the Devil Hath a will secret good but th' open evil Which of Divine Elections makes no choice Though one a calling is from sin and vice Another crowneth after tryal late A third from ages all conditionate Which saith that Esau yet unborn was hated Ere he or good or ill had perpetrated But why should God himself so oft perplex Creating things so hated self to vex God of two seeds did to Rebecca say The younger people shall the elder sway It is the house of Edom desperate Whom Malachy doth shew this God to hate Which general for sorts Christs ransome makes But individuals must claim no stakes Is not Christs Godhead then a boundless spirit Infinite in mercy as well as merit Which makes God now create all men impure Can he produce uncleanness most past cure Which maketh God use force and violence When his converting work he doth commence Hence slothful souls till they drop into hel Expect a time when God
by his prayer to God Gen. 17 20 21. that he carried the type of those who should not be heirs of life Gal. 4.22 c. and peradventure the like may be said of the person of Esau who at the meeting of his brother Jacob was turned into another man Gen. 23.4 and did ever after sweetly accord with him although Hebr. 12.16 he carries the type of a spiritual fornicator and profane person that sels his eternal birthright for a morsel of meat here in this world and of him that losing his first grace or blessing obtaines not a second But here we would not be misunderstood for though we brought Isaac as an instance of a typical or representative seed which he was in opposition to Ishmael Rom. 9.6 7. yet we do not deny but that he was one really elected out of Gods special foreknowledge nor do we doubt but Ishmael might be so likewise howsoever he was generally and conditionally elected as was also Cain Gen. 4.6 7. where the Lord saith unto him Why art thou wroth And why is thy countenance fallen If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted c. Eighthly Betwixt these that are unchangeably designed to life or death out of foreseen faith or unbelief perseverance or Apostacy and those that are absolutely and peremptorily without any condition or respect to standing or falling rising again through grace or lieing still retaining or losing grace received For after this last manner none are irrevocably designed either to life or death from all eternity among Angels or men Ninthly Betwixt a soveraign power invested in a most wise just gratious loving and merciful Prince which may be used to his greater glory and the same placed in a rigourous and cruel Tyrant which last to affix upon God is no small degree of blasphemy Tenthly Betwixt an absolute preterition of some from eternity before they have done or thought good or evil yea had any being which is not found in God towards any of his future rational creatures and a passing over of some in time for their personal ingratitude and contumacy against him as the fallen Angels are declined after their fall and some men after grace often refused and others after grace abused are lest to walk in their own wayes Eleventhly Betwixt the not extending of grace at all after a needless and wilful Apostacy as the Lord dealt with the proud and presumptuous Angels which fell and the withholding of mercy from some persons which were not so strongly and well situated in grace and which fell through the temptation of others and thus God withholds not his first grace which iâ— also a sufficient grace from any of the sons of men though they are fallen in Adam Twelfthly Betwixt the withholding the first or converting grace from fallen men which is not kept back for any till they resist it and the withdrawing of his second or subsequent grace from such as have wilfully cast off the first in the just requiring of it and so do despite of the Spirit of Grace These few necessary distinctions being first premised we proceed Now for your errors and mistakes in your several Sections First we say that your assertion in the second Section is very false and erroneous where you say That Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions yet hath he not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future or as that which should come to pass upon such conditions For did not the Lord foresee that if he created the Angels free Agents some would fall and others stand still in their integrity That if he created our first parents with liberty of will that they would fall That if he offered fallen men his grace to help them up again some would embrace it and some refuse it That his offered grace being conditional some which received it would persevere and fulfil those conditions and some would fail in the performance after they had begun well That Judas being returned to his former covetousness would betray his Master for gain That the Jews out of obstinacy and envy would condemn and deliver Christ to the Gentiles That Pilate out of favour to men would yeeld him up to be scourged and crucified All which and a thousand things more the Lord foresaw would conditionally or supposedly come to pass and did thereupon decree or determine that they should so do because he could turn them to his glory yet do we not say that the Lord was necessitated so to do alwayes but when he foresaw that the effects and productions arising out of such supposed conditions were not conducible to his wise and holy ends he both could and in time did put a stop thereunto at his pleasure Thus he foresaw that the men of Keilah out of their wicked and ingrateful disposition being left to themselves would deliver and betray David into the hands of Saul and therefore he did both decree not to permit it and did actually hinder it by advertifing David of it that he might timely escape In your third Section there is truth and error to be found accordingly as your words are taken for you speak generally and ambiguously saying By God's Decree for the manifestation of his glory some men and Angels are predestinated unto eternal life and others fore-ordained to everlasting death To which we answer thus First That men and Angels are not in all things and every way disposed of alike in God's eternal Decree For though no fallen Angels are ordained to life yet by your own confession many fallen men are appointed to salvation in Jesus Christ Secondly We say that all both men and Angels are first predestinated to eternal life in case they should continue in their first created estate by answerable obedience The truth whereof appears sufficiently in the confirmation and blessing of those holy Angels which persisted in their allegiance who are therefore called the Elect Angels Thirdly We affirm that all men though fallen are appointed to restauration and life by grace conditionally that they beleeve on that grace and obey its requiring Ezek. 18.23 have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord and that not he should return and live Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them as I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of the wicked 1 Tim. 2.3 4. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth Whereunto add that of Tit. 2.11 12. which holds forth both the universality of grace it self and its condition For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world But lastly we grant notwithstanding that some both Angels and men were appointed for destruction yet conditionally through their own default and disobedience as
Seventhly If it were for sins what sins did better deserve such a preterition then mens own personal and actual sins yea then their contempt and contumacy against grace offered Eighthly If this preterition was for the praise of God's glorious justice must not his justice first be apparent and conspicuous in this his passing by them But he accounts it neither honorable for him that the Son should die for the sin of the Father Ezek. 10.1 2 3 20. nor yet just for he hath forbidden the self same thing in the Law Deut. 24.16 Lastly Is there no difference betwixt a vessel of dishonor and a vessel of wrath Many vessels are made by the Potter for dishonorable uses yet none of set purpose for destruction Finally Your Caution in the last Section is very good where you say that The Doctrine of the high mystery of Predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care that men attending the will of God revealed in his word and yeelding obedience thereunto may from the certainty of their effectual vocation be assured of their eternal election Where you should have added and from their perseverance in that obedience till the death of sin be assured of their spiritual final and everlasting election there being a twofold election from eternity as hath been said But this caution of yours you your selves have not very well observed and kept And whereas you add in conclusion So shall this Doctrine afford matter of praise reverence and admiration of God and of humility diligence and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel We report our selves to your own consciences and to all men whether your Doctrine or ours here set forth is likely to produce the good effects here by you remembred But now we come in the third and last place to answer such objections as seem to lie as so many rocks of offence in your and other mens wayes Object It is written of Hophni and Phineas the sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2.25 That they hearkened not unto their father because God would destroy them Answ It is true God now had a purpose so to do for their abominable wickedness which they had committed but it doth not follow that the Lord had so decreed from eternity unless it was out of prevision of their lewdness and in order thereunto Object 2. It is written Prov. 16.4 That the Lord made all things for himself even the wicked for the day of â—â—il Answ The first part of the text speaks of God's ends the latter part of the event as it is now fallen out through their own default as Hosea speaks in a like expression Chap 9.13 Ephraim as I saw Tyrus is planteâ— in a pleasant place But Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer that is eventually not industriously and so are the wicked created for the day of evil Object 3. It is said of Rehoboam 2 Chron. 10.15 So the King hearkened not unto the people for the cause was of God that the Lord might perform his word which hâ— spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat Answ This Text speaks not of Gods eternal Decree but of his wise and just providence leaving a man sufficiently wicked before to follow his own counsels for a temporal punishment of his own and his Fathers sins Object 4. Jeremiah saith Chap 52.3 For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem till he had cast them out from his presence that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon Answ This Scripture imports no more but that wicked Zedekiah for a just punishment of his own and Judah's rebellion against the Lord wat left at length in the hand of his own Counsels to rebel against his Lord and King upon Earth who was able to punish him and did it accordingly Object 5. Mat. 11.25 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Answ This is to be understood of the second grace withholden from those who refused the former and did shut their eies against the first light and so is that place also Deut. 29.4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and cies to see and eares to hear unto this day For God reveales his secrets to wit his further counsels to them that fear him Psal 25.14 see Matth. 13.12 13 14 15 c. For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath but useth not as wee see in him that hid his talent Mat. 25. â—â— 19. Object 6. Acts 13.48 It is said that when the Gentiles heard that they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Whence it seems to be clear that some persons are not so ordained Answ The original Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wrested and forced in the translation For it signifies not ordained but prepared or disposed and such onely are they who are good willing to leave their sins and to follow after righteousness according to the requiring of the Gospel Titus 2.11 12. for to such the Angels wish peace and happiness as knowing them onely capable of it Luke 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory be to God on high and in the earth peace to men or in men of good will For so did St. Jerome St. Augustine and many of the Ancients read that Text in their daies and so it is yet found in the best Greek copies Yet we could give another answer if the Text before alledged were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is fore-ordained to wit that so many as then and there were out of Gods special fore-knowledge predestinated to life did at that time beleeve which notwithstanding hinders not but that many more yea all there present were appointed to life conditionally as is there partly testified of the unbeleeving Jewes by the Apostle vers 46. Object 7. Rom. 9.6 It is said That they are not all Israel which are of Israel It seems then that all are not elected Answ The Apostle intimates that the carnal Israel or all that are come of Jacob surnamed Israel are not the Israel to whom the promises of salvation are absolutely and finally made Though in the general the conditional promises belong to all Israel as the Apostle shews vers 4. and to the Gentiles also vers 24 25. That we may not be misunderstood know that there are among others seven promises made to the overcomers Revel 2 and 3. Chap. and such as persevere in the Christian race unto the end of it or to the death and burial of sin Now these and the like promises belong unto the Elect that are chosen out of the furnace of affliction
monitions commandements and requirings you seem to lay some default upon God himself saying That he withholdeth that grace from them whereby their hearts that is their wils and affections might have been wrought upon which both derogates from Gods mercy and is inconsistent which innumerable Scriptures testifying the contrary as Esai 5.4 What could I have done more for my vineyard that I have not done Mat. 23.37 How often would I have gathered thy children as a ben gathereth her chickens under her wings but see would not Acts 7.51 Ye stifnecked and uncircumcised in heart and eares ye do alwayes resist the holy Ghost as did your Fathers so do yee CHAP. VI. Of the fall of man of Sin and of the punishment thereof OVR First Parents being seduced by the subtilty and temptation of Satan sinned in eating the forbidden fruit a Gen 3.13 2 Cor 11.3 this their sin God was pleased according to his wise and holy counsel to permit having purposed to order it to his own glory b Ro 11.32 II. By this sin they fell from their original righteousnesse and communion with God c Gen 3.6 7 8. Eccl 7.29 Ro 3.23 and so became dead in sin d Gen 2.17 Eph 2.1 and wholy defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body e Tit 1.15 Gen 6.5 Jer 17.9 Ro 3.10 to 19. III. They being the root of all mankinde the guilt of sin was imputed f Ge 1.27 28. and Gen. 2.16 17. and Act 17.13 with Ro 5.12 15 16 17 18 19. and 1 Cor 15.21 22 25. and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation g Psa 51.5 Gen 5.3 Job 14.4 Job 15.14 IV. From this original corruption whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all good h Ro 5.6 Rom 8.7 Rom 7.18 Col 1.21 and wholly inclined to all evil i Gen 6.5 Gen 8.21 Rom 3.10 11 12 do proceed all actual transgressions k Jam 1.12 15. Eph 2.2 3. Mat 15.19 V. This corruption of nature during this life doth remain in those that are regenerated l 1 Joh 1.8 to Rom v. 14.17 18 23. Jam 3.2 Pro 20.9 Eccl 7.20 and althoug it be through Christ pardoned and mortified yet both it self and all the motions thereof are truely and properly sin m Ro 7.5 7 8 25. Gal 5.17 VI. Every sin both original and actual being a transgression of the righteous Law of God and contrary thereunto n Joh 3.4 doth in its own nature bring guilt upon the sinner o Rom 3.9 19. whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God p Eph 2.3 and curse of the Law q Gal. 3.10 and so made subject to death r Ro. 6.23 with all miseries spiritual Å¿ Eph. 4.18 temporal t Rom. 8.20 Jam. 3 39. and eternal u Matth. 25.41 2 Thess 1.9 CHAP. VI. Of the fall of man of Sin and of the Punishment thereof examined IN this Chapter of mans fall you have given sufficient evidence of it for except the first and last Sections all parts of it are a resemblance of the depraved man you spake of sufficiently corrupted In the second Section these are your words By this sin they that is our first parents fell from their original righteousness and communion with God and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the faculties of soul and body In which words we finde the fruits of the forbidden tree evil as well as good error as well as truth That they fell from their former communion with God from some degree of original righteousness and that they became dead that is liable to eternal death we grant you but that they fell wholly from original righteousness at the first Act of their Apostacy or that they presently became so wholly defiled as you speak are great mistakes As to the first of these did not the Image of God in which they were created consist in holiness and righteousness Now you know habits are not lost by one act or two Again the thing that God threatned was a gradual punishment as well as a certain In dying ye shall die Furthermore those that fall away from inchoated grace and that renued Image of God which is not at first so strong and vigorous as Gods similitude was in the first man though they die and being in a great decree of languishing are said to be dead yet they die but gradually after great debilities and decay may be kept alive and recovered Rev. 3.1 2. I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before me Now as for the second that they became wholly defiled in all parts and faculties no Scripture speaks it nor could it be till the whole Image of God was extinguished by contrary corruptions True it is that if the Lord had wholly left them to themselves as he did the rebellious and backsliding Angels it would have fared no better with them in the end then you speak of but the father of mercies was pleased to appear unto them in the cool and declination of the day before it was dark night with them and by his covenant of grace to help them up again In the third Section you say They being the root of all mankinde the guilt of the sin was imputed and the same death in sin and corrupted nature corveyed to all posterity descending from them by ordinary generation where that they were the root of all mankinde is undoubtedly true but all the rest of that Section may be justly questioned And first that passage where you tacitely exempt Christ from the imputation of this sin made unto him for doubtless that with all other sins of ours were laid upon him But secondly it may be upon good ground hoped that it neither was nor shall be imputed to any of their posterity who are not the imitators of the same in actual rebellion for that just Lord doth not onely forbid the punishing of the children for the iniquity of their parents even with temporal death Deut 24.18 but he swears also by his own life that he will not do that thing Ezek 18.1 20. Then what you there affirm in the second place is more improbable then the other to wit That the same death in sin and corrupt nature is conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation is yet more improbable For first that some men are sanctified from the womb as Jeremiah and John the Baptist were and the Virgin Mary might possibly be none will deny And secondly that all others are still created innocent in some measure of Gods image there are not a few Scriptures which seem to testifie it of which Genesis the 9.6 is one where the
place in which the Lord speakes of a child shortly to be born unto the Prophet and to be called Immanuel as some most learned expositors affirm Isa 7.14 15 16. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a signe Behold a Virgin or a young woman for the word signifies both shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel Butter and hony shall he eate that he may know to refuse the evil and chuse the good for before the child shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings Here you may please to observe these things with us First That though this place be commonly understood of our Saviour yet it is a great mistake for his proper name was Jesus and not Immanuel Secondly This child was to be born shortly after this prophecy and is given to the Jewes as a sign and token of a sudden deliverance from Rezin and Remaliah before the child should be of age and knowledge to refuse the evil and chuse the good And thirdly The prophet in the next Chap. triumphing against the enemies of the Church alludes to this very name as if the child were then in being Isa 8.10 saying Take counsel together and it shall come to nough speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us Where it is in the original Immanuel The second thing to be observed is that this child even from iâ—s insancy according to the common state of mankind should have the knowledge and ability to refuse the evil and chuse the good a faculty spoken of in two verses together as before But to come to your third Section where our main contest begins Besides a mistake in the very first entrance Man that is fallen into sin being by you taken for all mankinde no smal mistake as we have proved before You are first defective in that you distinguish not of the different states of sin And secondly to maintain that which is true in it self viz. that the faln man cannot without preventing grace by his own strength convert himself or haply prepare himself thereunto you lay such grounds as are either false or at leastwise improper of which anon But first you speak of a state of sin into which man is faln as though there were but one such whereas there is a manifold state in sin one against God the Father another against the Son and a third against the holy Ghost Mat. 12.32 There is a state of sin before regeneration and another under grace Rom. 7.9 14. there is a state of sin before mans first conversion and another after their final falling away 2 Pet. 2.21 22. as there is a threefold degree of righteousness and grace wherein some are Babes some youngmen and some old men so there is a threefold state or age in sin So the Lord saith to Abraham Gen. 15.16 That the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full and complaines Jer. 9.3 That the sinners proceeded from evil to worse finally there is a sin unto death and a sin which is not unto death 1 John 5.16 Now the false grounds aforesaid which you lay for the establishing of a truth are these That the faln man hath lost all ability of wil to any spiritual good accompanying salvation That a natural man is altogether averse from from any such good The ground that you here improperly apply is That the man is dead in sin For the first of these t is a rash and ungrounded asseveration for you will not deny That to become a Christian to have our wicked thoughts forgiven us to hear the word preached to eat and drink at Christs table to keep the commandements of the second Table as they are commonly called and finally to dye the death of the righteous are all of them spiritual good things and such as accompany salvation But we finde all these things wished for and desired by those which you count unregerate for King Agrippa hearing Saint Pauls defence had more then a velleity some good measure of inclination to become a Christian Act. 26.28 Simon Meâ—us entreated the Apostles to pray for him that his wicked thoughts might be pardoned and that none of the evils they had spoken of might happen unto him to hinder his salvation Act. 8.24 Our Saviour tels us Luk. 13.26 That many will plead before him at the latter day that they had heard him teaching in their streets and had eaten and drunke at his table The young man who enquired of our Saviour what good thing he should do to inherit eternal life had from his youth kept the precepts of the second table aforesaid Mat. 19.20 Yea our Saviour looked upon him and loved him on that behalf Mar. 10.21 Finaily Balaam desired to dye the death of the righteous and that his latter end might be like his Num. 23.10 For the second ground that the natural man is altogether averse from any thing that is good it is alike erroneous with the former whether we take a natural man for the earthly man as he is still created of God in innocency or for the faln man in his unregenerate estate as you mean For in the first notion the natural man can both will and act according to his first integrity till he disables and corrupts himself by falling as Esau or Edom a type of this man did seek to please and observe his father And you may remember that the Apostle would have us in malice and naughtiness to be like children 1 Cor. 14.20 But many natural men taken in your own sense are not utterly averse from all good things even Herod himself heard John the Baptist gladly and not only willed but did many things according to his Doctrine and precepts Mark 6.20 And Moses having set before all Israel life and blessing with death and cursing Deut 30.19 he there expresly commands them to chuse life That both they and their seed might liâ—â— Isa chap. 1.19 20 elicites and excites this freewilling faculty saying If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land but if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be devonred by the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Yea the very name of freewill offerings so oft mentioned in the Scriptures argues some competent remainder of that faculty unless ye would subjectum tollere but consider we pray you these two things which we have partly touched before First That all faln men are not alike extensively corrupted that is they are not all alike enclined to all fins but some to voluptuousness and prodigality more then to covetousness or the like And though David a King prayeth thus against covetousness Encline my heart to thy Testimo nies and not to covetousness Psal 119.36 Yet Luther saith That he was never tempted to that sin Whence it will necessarily follow that such a man is not equally averse to all good but to
some vertues more then to others The Pharisees though inclined to pride and covetousness were not so propense to sensuality and uncleaness as some of the Publicans were Luke 18.11 12. and consequently they did not so much abhor sobriety temperance and chastity as the others did nor did the other so much aversate sincerity liberality and humility as the Pharisees did Secondly You may take notice that all faln men are not alike intensively depraved sinners do gradually sinks into sin by custome and continuance therein so the Lord saith Ezek. 16.46 47. That Jerusalem had more deeply corrupted her self then her elder sister Samaria or her younger sister Sodom and by consequence she was more averse to good then either of them both And our Saviour affirms that Corazin and Bethsadia were more averse from repentance and amendment then Tyre and Sidon Luk. 10.13 And though it fares thus with the divel and his Angels yea and with all those men who through pride malice and desperation are incorporated into him yet we hope that the case or state for the present is not so evil or desperate with any other as you here would make it with lapsed men For to be utterly averse from all good is a most forlorn and deplorable condition and their very incorrigible state of whom the Lord complaines Jer. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopaâ—d his spots then may ye also do good who are accustomed to do evil Now for your ground improperly and impertinently applyed That because man since his fall is dead in trespass and sins Eph. 2.2 5. he cannot therefore by his own strength convert himself or at all prepare himself thereunto To this we say It is neither a lively nor a forcible kind of arguing for it must be considered to what kind of life men by their fall become dead not to their natural life surely for the Apostle speaking of her that liveth in pleasures saith that she is dead whilst she liveth 1 Tim. 5.6 Here then as he chargeth her with a spiritual death so he grants her a natural life still remaining It is then to the former light of Christ or life of righteousness that we are dead by our fall as it is written Act. 8.33 That the life of Christ is taken from the earth and Isa 58.8 That he was cut off from the land of the living Agreeably hereunto the Apostle tels the Ephesians that in their unbelief they were at thee time without Christ Eph 2.12 and consequently without power to do good till we receive that again by grace But what is that to the willing and nilling faculty which is a natural and essentiall property to the soul Must that be dead in the man also and he become a meer passive block or a dead trunk as you would have him we have proved before that even the faln man can both will and act some kinds of righteousness at leastwise towards man witness that young man in the Gospel before spoken of But here to disintangle you and others we will first breifly â—istinguish concerning the use and exercise of that faculty and then secondly shew some causes why men do not ordinarily choose the good and nil the evil even then when it is in their power so to do For the first of these we must distinguish between freedome of will and coaction the latter of which may befal man but not the will of man Secondly betwixt a will that willeth or nilleth with full consent and a mixt will wherein the one party is predominant Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait between two desiring to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all Thirdly Betwixt an indifferency of will or aequilibriuâ— to good or bad and a will enclined more to that which is good then to the evil This we take to have been the state of will in or first parents if not of all men yet before they fall Fourthly Betwixt a will more enclined to the evil then to the good and a will inflexible The former of these may be found after our fall gradually in men according to their inchoated or more perfect habits in evil The latter of these is found in no man till he be wholly incorporated in the pride and malice or desperation of the divel That the will of man after the fall is not wholly inflexible till such a diabolical incorporation we prove by these few instances instead of many First Pharoah that proud and obstinate Tyrant although at the first he was most averse to obey Gods voice and let Israel go yet he was brought to it by degrees untill he fully consented by Gods Judgements upon him and his people together with their perswasions Secondly Those six hundred thousand Israelites brought out of Egypt who harkening to their unbelieving spies or searchers of the good land refused to go up fight against their enemies afterwards being made sensible of Gods displeasure against them did of their own accord go up and fight against the Amalekites in the mountain even then when Moses forbad them and threatned them with capital danger Numb 14. A most evident example of the vertibility of mans will Judas himself though he would not be warned by our Saviours discovery of his treason aforehand nor by his threatning of the ensuing danger Mar. 14.18 19 20 21. Yet afterwards his will turned and he brought the money again which had corrupted him truely confessing his great wickedness Wisdome it self or Christs declareth Prov. 1.20 30. though many will not turn to him at his calling or reproof yet when it is too late the door of mercy being shut against them in the time of their great calamity this will turn to him and seek him early that is diligently So that mans will is never finally obstinate till it be wholly indevilled But from these last instances we should be warned to seek the Lord while he will be found Isa 55.6 Where the Psalmist concluds thus Psal 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in the time when thou maist be found Surely in the great waterfloods of Gods destroying calamities they that is the wicked shall not come nigh him But to go on in our distinctions we must in the fifth place distinguish betwixt freewill and power voluntatem arbitrium for the one may be had where the other is wanting Rom. 7.18 Lastly Between a free will or agency and some strong inclination of nature to this or that object both which may stand together As first in God who is strongly inclined to the good and Sathan who propends wholly to the evil yet doth act freely without compulsion though not without some necessity or strong influence of nature Now in the second place the causes why the faln man doth not will the good which he might are these among others The first is the ignorance of that good ignoti nulla cupido Thus the ignorance of things promised hinders
the seeking of them Rom. 10.14 15 c. A second let is a depraved judgement Act. 26.9 for I verily thought with my self thâ—t I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus A third impediment is the want of due remembrance and serious consideration of what we know in generall Lam. 1.9 He filthiness is in her skirts she remembred not her latter end A fourth bar is the power of Temptation of which the Apostle complaines 2 Cor. 12.7.8 A filth and a powerful obstacle is habit and custome in sin of which that is verified Qui non est hoâ—iè erà s minùs aptus erat Lastly Gods final desertion one of the heavyest of Judgements is an unremovable obstacle to the willing of good because seconded with Satans power Hence we may take a view how far the faln man can will good convert himself or prepare himself thereunto namely so far forth as men have some light of nature left or new illumination and convincing grace the which of all other is most necessary for the work of a true conversion Jer. 23.24 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Secondly This may be done with the more facility so far as they are chastned by the hand of the Lord and make a good use of it which made the Prophet Jeremy to pray as he doth Jer. 10.24 Correct me O Lord yet in judgement and not in thine angor lest thou bring me to nothing Howbeit in all this the Lord seems to lay no violent hand upon the will but works upon it by understanding judgement and reason with the use of sense and because he is the Author of the new understanding and judgement which leads and drawes the will he is said to work the will also Phil. 2.13 for Causae causae est etiam causa causaei But the main way whereby the man after illuminating or preventing grace can prepare himself to turn his heart or will is by frequent meditation and deep consideration of what he knows by grace or nature In your two last Sections First according to an ordinary distribution you distinguish the condition of converted sinners into a State of Grace and a State of glory but albeit there be different degrees in their new Metamorphosis or change yet their least estate in regeneration is a State of Glory as on the contrary the highest degree of that change and exaltation is a state of Grace For the proof of the first of these consider what the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are transformed into the same Image from Glory to Glory as by the spirit of the Lord. 2 Pet. 1.3 Through the knowledge of him who hath called us unto Glory and Vertue And for the evidencing of the latter weigh well what Saint Peter writeth 1 Pet. 1.14 wherefore gird up the loins of your minde be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ See also 1 Pet. 3.7 as heirs together of the Grace of life But more particulary for your fourth Section As in the beginning of it you attribute too much to the first work or degree of our regeneration so you detract too much from the last and highest period of the same in the end of that Section For first you say but not truely That when God converts a sinner and translates him into the State of Grace he presently freeth him from his natural bondage under sin and by his grace alone enables him to will and to do that which is spiritually good Here brethren you go too far for the Apostle in the behalf of the young Babes or converts complains thus Rom. 7.8 9. For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good Lâ—nde not for the good that I would I do not and the evil that I would not that do I. How then are they freed when the Apostle saith ver 23 He findes another Law in his members not only warring against the Law of his minde but bringing him captiue to the Law of sin in his members whereupon he cryes out verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of deaâ—h Is a bondage then against your wils no captivity yea it is the most grievous bondage of all others in our sense and feeling though not so perilous to the soul as a willing subjection unto sin Indeed it is true of the young in Christ which the Apostle writs to them of that age 1 John 2.14 I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome the wicked one But the Babe in Christ cannot attain thereunto while he is a chide Now in the close of that Section you flag and fall as much too short saying That this convert at his highest pitch for so you mean by reason of his remaining corruption doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good but willeth that which is evil also The which though it be true of the Infants aforesaid and perhaps may sometimes be verified of the middle ort yet it is not true of the old or aged men in Christ such as the Apostles themselves were as we have proved before In your last Section you do as you are wont wholly transferring the state of Glory in which the will of man is made immutably good out of this world but herein you are some what mistaken if we may give credit to these Scriptures Rev. 3.12 21. C. 1.2.3 4 5 6. CHAP. X. Of effectuall calling ALL those whom God hath predestinated unto life and those onely he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time effectually to call a Rom 8.30 Rom 11.7 Eph 1.10 11. by his Word and Spirit b 2 Thes 2.13 14. 2 Cor 3.6 out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ c Rom. 8.2 Eph 2.1 2 3 4. 2 Tim. 1.9 10. inlightning their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God d Act 16.18 1 Cor 2.10 12. Eph 1.17 18. taking away their heart of stone and giving unto them an heart of flesh e Ezek 36.26 Eze 11.19 Phil 2.13 Deut. 36.6 Ezek 36.27 renewing their wils and by his Almighty power determing them to that which is good f and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ g Eph 1.19 John 6.44 45. yet so as that they come most freely being made willing by his grace h Cant. 1.4 Psal 110.3 John 6.37 Rom. â— 16 17 18. II. This effectual call is of Gods free and special grace alone not from any thing at all foreseen in man i 1 Tim 1.9 Tit. 3.4 5. Eph 2.4 5 8 9. Rom â— 11. who is
them onely that are justified in facto vel potius perfecto Thirdly whereas you grant That persons justified may by their sins fall under Gods fatherly displeasure and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves confess their sins beg pardon and renew their faith and repentance This is true yet not of those perfect or consummate ones who fall not so either into sin or Gods displeasure but of the younger sort onely in the time of their progress and growing up who may not only so faile and suffer as you have affirmed but possibly may through a wilful revolt both fall away totally and remain under indignation finally As to your sixth and last Section because we have described the way and means of justification more groundedly then ye have done we can truely speak it in your words but not in your sense That the justification of beleevers in the Old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the justification of beleevers under the New Testament But before we leave this subject give us leave to inform you of two things The first is That the means of our justification or spiritual redemption in Christ Jesus is principally his blood the blood of the everlasting Covenant his promised spirit Romans 3.24 25. Ephesians 1.7 Colossians 1.14 Hebrews 9.14 15. 22. compared with Jeremy 31.32 33 Ezekiel 36.25 26 c. Hebrews 10.29 chap. 13.20.21 Rev. 7.14 1 Joh. 1.7 9. The second is that remission of sins wherein you place justification for the main is to be had after sin is put away by sanctification and amendment and not before as you fondly dream both here and elsewhere For which purpose take these ensuing Scriptures Proverbs 28.13 He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Jeremy 33.8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me Mark 1.4 John preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins Luke 24.47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all Nations Acts 5.32 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins Acts 26.17 18. Vnto whom I now send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption Hebrews 10.14 For by one offering hath he perfected for ever those which are sanctified To all which we could adde that the blessedness which David speakes of Psal 32.2 lies first in the putting away of sins by sanctification as the last words there import and the rest will bear it and then in having them or the guilt of them pardoned in Jesus Christ which words may be thus rendered O the blessedness of the man whose transgression is taken away and whose sins are covered or buryed with the like death of Christ O the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity by letting him dye in his sins as one filthy and unpurged and in whose spirit there is no guile CHAP. XII Of Adoption ALL those that are Justified God vouchsafeth in and for his only Son Jesus Christ to make partakers of the grace of Adoption a Eph. 1.5 Gal 4.4 5 Ro 8.17 by which they are taken into the number and enjoy the liberties and priviledges of the children of God b Joh 1.12 have his name put upon them c Jer. 14.9 2 Cor 6.18 Rev. 3 12. receive the spirit of Adoption d Ro. 8.15 have access to the Throne of Grace with boldness e Eph. 3.12 Rom. 5.2 are inabled to cry Abba Father f Gal. 4.6 are pitied g Psal 103.13 protected h Prov. 14.16 provided for i Mat 6.30.32 1 Pet. 5.7 and chastened by him as a Father k Heb 12.6 yet never cast off l Lam 3.31 but sealed to the day of redemption m Eph 4 20. and inherit the promises n Heb 6.12 as heirs of everlasting salvation o 1 Pet 1.3 4. Heb 1 14. CHAP. XII Of Adoption examined ERROR and misconceptions in you here as elsewhere Hydra like multiplies heads needlessly for this argument of Adoption is the same with effectual calling in some measure and the self-same with that election of God which is in time of which we spake before And as that is twofold the first conditional the second final and absolute so is this and though all the children of God are capable of these your priviledges or most of them in time if they continue in their filial faith and obedience yet are not they so at the first yea some have by their faithful walking proceeded so far by Gods grace that they have left some of the lesser and foregoing prerogatives behind them Therefore you have first committed great disorder and confusion in attributing all these alike unto all not shewing which priviledges belong to all Saints and which but to some who may absolutely expect all or most of them and who may expect the same conditionally onely Secondly You take the high way here as you have done elsewhere to fill many who are not yet past danger with security and presumption For the first of these There are three degrees of Gods name Image or like being The first Which is the fathers name is written upon those that beleeve on him love and obey him The second Which is Christs powerful and saving name becomes written upon such as are brought to know him to trust in his saving office and to seek his help against their enemies and who persist so seeking The third Which is the name of the holy Ghost and the new Jerusalem with the new name of Christ is engraven onely upon those that have overcome all their enemies through the power of Christ Revel 3.12 These last are they that are never cast off and who inherit the promises as heirs of salvation But the other two If they abide not in the Father and in Christ after they know him may fall short of the promises and be rejected Those of the third form are past Gods fatherly chastisements because they now sin not 1 John 3. but the other two are not so As for the other You tell us that all which are adopted to be the children of God are sealed to the day of redemption but none are so sealed finally and absolutely save the third sort of whom we spake before the rest are but sealed conditionally yet left in good hope Yea all those priviledges which you