to be justified by workes For where workes such as are within a mans power are wanting integrity is wanting and where integrity is wanting faith is dead verse 17 26. Unprofitable Gal. 5.6 And not to be distinguished from that of the Devil Jam. 2.19 And seeing then that all such workes which are within mens power to performe are required of them to their Salvation It must needs be granted when the Apostle saith That it is not of workes that his meaning therin is none other then that it is not of workes of perfection according to the law of our creation which are impossible for any man to performe so as to be justified thereby Gal. 2.16 And that the difference betwixt Workes and Grace or the Law and the Gospel standeth only in this viz. That the first requireth unto life that which is impossible unto men in their fallen estate the later no more then what is possible unto them therein and so consequently that life and Salvation which could not be obtained by any through the covenant of workes may be obtained by all through the covenant of Grace which will more evidently appear if it be considered First That the only and speciall reason why the first Covenant was repealed and the second vouchsafed is declared to be this viz. That the first could not give life unto men that is to say in their fallen estate for in the estate of innocency it must needs be acknowledged it could If there had been a Law that could have given life saith the text Gal. 3.21 verily righteousnesse had been by the Law but in regard it could not therefore as the words of the Apostle in Hebr. 8.6 7. doe plainly intimate the Lord found fault therewith abolished it and gave unto men a more excellent Covenant instead thereof that is to say a covenant wherby salvation might be obtained by them in their fallen estate for seeing that the goodnesse of God and his desire of mens Salvation was such as caused him to abolish the first Covenant because it could not give life unto them no reasonable man can conceive that his said goodnesse and love towards them would suffer him to give unto them a second Covenant as faulty and unable to give life unto them as that abolished and if not Then forasmuch as by the later workes are required to be performed by men to their Salvation as well as by the former the excellency of the later above the former must needs be acknowledged to consist only in this viz. That the workes required thereby and the conditions upon which life is promised therin are performable by men in their fallen estate whereas those required thereunto by the other were not In which respect it is that in the 6 verse the Apostle declareth that the later is established upon better promises then the former Secondly That those that endeavoured to reduce men from the Doctrine of the Gospel to the observation of the Law are by the Apostles Acts 15.10 charged with tempting God by putting a yoak upon the necks of the Disciples which they were not able to bear And to the Galathians which were perverted by those false teachers Paul in Gal. 3.1 3. thus writeth O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth Are ye so foolish that having begun in the Spirit are ye made perfect by the Law which plainly argueth that the Doctrine of the Gospel which they preached was no such yoak because that then they themselves in preaching the Gospel turning men from Moses to Christ should have bin liable to the same reproof which they laid upon others And as foolish should the Galathians have been in hearkening to them preaching the Gospel as they were in hearkening to the false Apostles preaching the Law For of two yoaks alike intollerable wisdome directeth a man to choose the one as soon as the other and not to prefer the one before the other and therefore unlesse that we will suppose the Apostles to be guilty of tempting God in the same nature wherein they accuse and censure others and thereby to make themselves inexcusable both before God and men Rom. 2.1 we must needs conclude that the yoak or precepts of the Gospel which they endeavoured to impose upon men were not intollerable or grievous 1 John 5.3 Like unto those of the Law but easie and light Mat. 11.30 and so consequently that righteousnesse life and salvation impossible by the former is possible and may be attained by the later 3. That Paul in the 2 Cor. 3.7 9. speaking of the Law calleth it the Ministration of death and of condemnation And contrariwise speaking of the Gospel or New Testament he calleth it the ministration of righteousnesse and in verse the 6 saith That the first killeth but the later giveth life Now forasmuch as the Law in it's own nature is neither the ministration of death nor condemnation being holy just and good promising life and would assuredly bring us to the possession thereof could we but observe what it requireth or attain unto that originall innocency and purity in which we were created therefore it is so called only in respect that in the necessary consequence therof by reason of our inability to fulfill the same it becommeth such unto us And therefore if that the conditions of the new Covenant were no more performable then those of the Law the Gospel could not be called the ministration of righteousnesse and life any more then the Law because it is the savour of death unto death unto all those that disobey it as well as the Law John 3.19 Hebr. 10.28 29. and conferreth neither righteousnes nor life unto any that observe it not any more then the Law therefore whereas it is called the ministration of righteousnesse and life in opposition to the Law it must needs be understood in this respect That righteousnesse life and Salvation impossible by the Law may be obtained by it 4. The same Apostle likewise discoursing of the two Covenants in the ninth and tenth chapters of the Romans and having in the 32 verse of the 9. chapter after a large discourse concerning the same concluded righteousnesse not to be attainable by the Law in the 8 verse of the 10. chapter he declareth That the righteousnesse that is by the Gospel is nigh unto us even in our mouthes and in our hearts then which nothing can be more near unto us And in Deut. 30.11 12 13 14. whereunto he hath allusion to prevent all objections concerning this thing Moses thus speaketh The commandment that I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it farre off It is not in Heaven that thou shouldst say who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldst say who shall goe over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and doe
receive the Holy Ghost Acts 2.38 Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed Acts 19.2 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephes 1.12 13. For ye are all the Sonnes of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Galat. 3.26 And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Galat. 4.6 By the first of these wherein the Spirit by doctrine with signes and wonders for the confirmation thereof Heb. 2.3 4. Speaketh to the eares and eyes of men graciously and lovingly striving thereby to convert them from their evill wayes Gen. 6.3 beseeching them by all the mercies of God to present themselves living sacrifices unto him holy and acceptable which is their reasonable service Rom. 12.1 hee enforceth none in any such sort but that possibly they may resist and rebell against him therein according as the Israelites are often charged Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and eares saith Steven speaking unto them ye doe alwaies resist the holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe yee Acts 7.51 They rebelled against and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Esay 63.10 Yea so far may the wickednesse of men heerin be extended as not only wilfully and stubbornly to resist and oppose but most maliciously to blaspheme him and to attribute his very doctrines and wonders to Beelzebub the prince of Devils Matth. 12 24-27 John 8.48 Nor yet in the second place are any of those who are actually possessed with the holy Ghost necessitated thereby to the obedience thereof as is manifestly implyed first in those many exhortations contained in the Scriptures To walke in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 Not quench the Spirit 2 Thes 5.19 Nor grieve the holy Spirit whereby ye are seal'd to the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 But secondly more especially in those Scriptures wherein it is clearly supposed by the Apostles of Jesus Christ taken for granted that those persons who have been made pertakers of the Holy Ghost may fall away from the obedience of it Hebr. 6.4 doe despite unto it heb 1.29 and so defile their bodies the temples of it as to bring the sorest destruction condemnation upon themselves by reason thereof Know ye not saith the apostle that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy 1 Cor. 3.16 17. compare here with Heb. 10.29 And this more evidently may serve to demonstrate that the Spirit in the Ministery thereof doth not enforce regeneration and purity in any for if that it should enforce purity in the uncleane much more should it preserve purity in those that are clean and become temples thereunto And therefore when it is said That the Cretians were renewed by the holy Ghost it must be understood that they were renewed thereby no otherwise than through their diligent hearkning unto receiving the blessed doctrine thereof revealed unto them by the Apostles preaching From whence it is that the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle the second chap. verse 22. writing unto Believers thus expresseth himself Having purified your own souls in obeying of the truth through the Spirit Plainly intimating that no man is renewed by the Spirit any otherwise than through their applying themselves unto the doctrine and instruction thereof The other Text is 2 Tim. 1.9 the words whereof are these Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his own purpose and grace that was given us in Christ before the world Which will not prove that God doth necessitate the faith and salvation of any man seeing that that the grace that was given to the persons heer spoken of before the world by which they were called and saved in verse the 10. is declared to be none other than the grace that was manifested by Christ at his appearing so also in Titus 1.1 2 8. and therefore by the latter we are to measure the former by the grace manifested judge determine what that grace was that was given them before the world Now the grace of God towards man-kinde manifested by Christ at his appearance is by Paul in Titus 2.11 12. before cited thus discribed The grace of God saith he that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts c. to looke for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ which generall description in other Scriptures is unfoulded into these particulars viz. That God so loved the world that he sent his Son to be a Saviour thereof Joh. 3.16 17. And on purpose by his death to destroy death Heb. 2.14 and therely deliver man from the curse of the Law consisting therein Gal. 3.13 of which all men stood guilty Rom. 3.23 And by his resurrection to bring life immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 And in that estate to prepare mansions of glory and happinesse to be possessed of all those that repent believe c. That is to say That love God for his grace and mercie manifested towards them 1 John 4.19 Which consisteth in keeping his commandments 1 John 5.3 Or in loving of Jesus Christ being revealed unto them and keeping his precepts John 15.10 And that thus repenting believing c. men are required with confidence to hope and with patience to waite for the promised Salvation 1 Iohn 3.19 20 21. 4.17 Titus 2.11 12 13. 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Heb. 10.36 This then being the substance of the grace of God manifested by Christ at his appearing the grace that was given to men before the world is to be understood as followeth viz. That God forth of his rich grace pity and compassion considering all mankinde fallen from their first estate and become guilty of everlasting death resolved to send his Son into the World to redeem them from thence to restore them again to immortality to prepare for them therein a heavenly Kingdome to open unto them a way thereinto to invite them to walke therein and walking therein in the end to give them the possession thereof According to which grace Paul and Timothy were called and saved and not according to their workes of righteousnesse by the Law which is all that can rationally be inferred from this Scripture And this is further confirmed by that which followeth in the 13. verse where Paul exhorteth Timothy To hold fast the forme of sound words which he had heard of him in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus which exhortation seemeth to be grounded upon the turning away from the truth of many in Asia mentioned verse 15. the which would be altogether inpertinent as also that caution which he giveth him 1 Tim. 1.19 To hold faith and a good conscience whereof some had made shipwrack If that
that are saved but of those also who through contempt of his goodnesse dye in their sins and perish as we may reade in Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live Turne ye turne ye from your evill wayes for why will ye dye O House of Israel And herewithall accordeth the testimonies of his servants in the 2 Tim. 2.3 4. This is saith Paul good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour to wit That we should pray for all men vers 1 2. because he would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth And Peter in his Second Epistle the 3. chap. 9. to the same effect saith The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long suffering to us wards not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and consequently to Salvation as the end thereof Now as there is nothing more opposite than yea and nay which as the Apostle informeth us in the 2 Cor. 1.19 20. Is not in Jesus Christ or in the promises of God made in under the New Covenant so can there be nothing more repugnant to the Doctrine of Gods Love to mankinde expressed in sending his Son into the Word that the world through him might be saved and in his oath whereby he professeth that he would not have any thereof to perish c. Then this Doctrine which saith That God doth necessarily enforce some men to believe to the end they may bee saved and denieth sufficient meanes unto others to enable them to believe to the end they may be damned The First saith That he loveth and desireth the Salvation of all alike and would have none to perish The latter saith That he desireth but the Salvation of a few in speciall and willeth the damnation of many The first saith That through the mercy of God vouchsafed in Jesus Christ every man may possibly be saved The later saith That no man can possibly obtaine Salvation thereby without a speciall assistance vouchsafed unto him to enable him to believe c. and so deny Jesus Christ to be the Doore and way to eternall life and concludeth man-kinde whom he came into the world to save as incapable of obtaining the end of his comming as if he had not at all come into the world to be their Saviour And so in a word maketh the Death of Jesus Christ in relation to the Salvation of man-kinde of none effect And the solemne Oath of Almighty God as touching his desire of the Salvation of all and the death of none with reverence be it spoken worse then jesuiticall delusion and equivocation which alone may serve as a sufficient evidence against this Opinion CHAP. III. How the Doctrine of Gods enforcing men to believe leadeth the Reprobates to Blasphemy against God and maketh them excusable in their condemnation IF God should necessitate the Salvation of some men and not others it would fill the Reprobates with Blasphemy against him by reason of their condemnation contrary to the Scriptures From this consideration That in the point of Salvation he doth that for others which he refused to doe for them and yet professeth that he hath done as much for them in that behalfe as he could That God professeth that he hath done as much for the Reprobates to make them fruitfull to Salvation as he could The words of the Prophet Isay in his 5. chap. doe plainly declare I will sing to my wel-beloved saith he a Song of my beloved touching his Vineyard My wel-beloved hath a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof and planted it with the choisest Vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a Wine-presse therein and he looked that it should bring forth Grapes and it brought forth wilde Grapes And now O Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah judge I pray you betwixt me and my Vineyard what could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done to it Wherefore when I looked that it should have brought forth Grapes it brought forth wilde Grapes And now go to I will tell you what I will doe to my Vineyard c. Under which similitude the Prophet declareth unto the Inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem whose destruction for their unfruitfulnesse disobedience towards God he denounceth in the following part of the chapter from the 8. v. c. That God to make them fruitfull unto all good workes to prevent their destruction and to bring them to eternall life had vouchsafed and granted unto them all convenient and necessary means conducing to those ends Insomuch that when hee appealeth unto them for judgement therein before he proceedeth to pronounce his definitive sentence against them they are left altogether speechlesse not having any thing to reply unto God in their owne behalfe whereas if their understandings had been informed that any necessary meanes had been wanting unto them without which they could not possibly render unto God that which he requireth of them or that he had not vouchsafed unto them as effectuall meanes as he did unto others in the like case their answer might have been ready in words to this effect Lord we are poore helplesse Creatures who alone by reason of thy decree in reference to Adams transgression which we could no wayes possibly prevent are made altogether uncapable by any such meanes as thou affordest unto us to doe any thing pleasing or acceptable in thy sight no not so much as to thinke one good thought and this Lord thou knowest and from the consideration thereof thou givest unto such and such men and women thy good Spirit whereby they are enabled to the doing of those things that thou requirest of us without which Spirit our inflicted condemnation is altogether unavoydable And therefore if that we must perish it 's only for thy wills sake and neither for omitting or misdoing any thing that we were able rightly to doe Whereas therefore the Scriptures informeth us that when the greatest enemies of Almighty God shal take into their most strict and severest examination all his sayings and proceedings against them that forth of their owne mouthes like unto those wicked Husband-men in the Gospel Matth. 21.40 41. they shall fully acquit and justifie him in them all Rom. 3.4 And that we are thereby also plainely informed That if our consciences doe not accuse and condemne us we have peace with God 1 Iohn 3.21 And so consequently that then he will not condemne us we are hereby necessarily led to this conclusion That Salvation is not confered upon men through necessity nor that it is any otherwise to be obteined than through mens improvement of the meanes granted unto them for that purpose Object Gods not doing so much for the Reprobates as he doth for
capable of working righteousnesse thereby under the promises of Adoption of reward of good workes and of raigning together with God and Christ for ever and ever It doth not therefore follow That because men obtain Justification and Adoption through Faith and are rewarded for their good workes that therefore all these things are not obtained through Grace seeing that it is from the unspeakable Grace of God that we who were dead doe live that we enjoy such precious promises and upon such gracious termes whereby we are or may be made partakers of them And yet although that Justification and Salvation are thus founded upon the Grace of God yet hath every man through the performance of those things whereunto the same is promised as just a right and claime thereunto as our first Father Adam could have had unto life by obedience to the Law as the words of the Apostle in Hebr. 6.10 doe plainly witnesse God is not unfaithfull saith he to forget your worke and labour of love the righteousnesse of God is engaged to performe whatsoever forth of his goodnesse he hath promised And as for the pretence of some gathered from these and such like Scriptures 1 John 5.10 11. Luke 27. That Salvation is freely bestowed upon men without any thing required on their part thereunto their mistake therein is clearly discovered from these grounds 1. That the Apostles of Jesus Christ who handled not the Word of God deceitfully but commended themselves to every mans conscience as in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 doe every where in Answer to the Question What men should doe to be saved Declare That men must repent and believe Acts 2.37 38. Acts 16.30 31. 2. From the practice of the Apostles themselves who being fully instructed in the knowledge of the Grace of God Acts 20.27 yet strove to obtain the Crown of eternall life And not un-necessarily as men beating the Aire 1 Cor. 9.25 26 27. with 2 Tim. 2.5.12 3. From the tenure of the promises which all runne conditionally I will give to him that is a thirst of the water of life freely Rom. 20.6 Be thou Faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge will give me at that day and not to me only but unto all those that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.6 7. Rev. 3.11 Rev. 3.24 4. And lastly from hence that Salvation it self is intituled The inheritance of reward Col. 3.24 Forasmuch as reward doth alwaies presuppose something either done or to be done in recompence whereof the same is given Moses chose to suffer with the people of God because he had respect to the recompence of reward Hebr. 11.25 26. 5. And although in 1 John 5.10 11. It is said that God hath given us eternall life yet in vers the 12. it is also said That this life is in his Son and that he that hath it must have the Son And the same Apostle in his 2 Epist v. 9 plainly declareth That whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath neither the Father nor the Son He is the author of Salvation to those that obey him Hebr. 5.9 And as for Luke 1.77 where it is prophesied That John the Baptist should give knowledge of Salvation to the Jewes by the remission of sinnes The meaning thereof is best interpreted by the tenour of his own preaching unto them whereby they are taught not to expect either remission of sins or Salvation otherwise then through repentance and amendment of life Luk. 3.3 Mat. 3.8 9 10. Luke 3.8 according to that in Acts 3.19 Object Faith being the gift of God Eph. 2.8 Salvation in reference whereunto it is given is the gift of God also Answ First It is not clear in this Text that the Apostle doth intend Faith to be the gift of God but rather that salvation is the gift of God and in what nature Salation is given by him hath been shewed before 2. But admit that Faith is the gift of God it doth not therefore follow that Faith whereunto Salvation is promised is the gift of God for Faith in the Scriptures is diversly taken As first it is taken for the Doctrine of Faith in which respect they that have preached the same are said to preach the Faith Galat. 1.23 and those to whom it was preached are said to hear the Faith Gal. 3.5 and those that received and subjected themselves thereunto are said to be obedient to the Faith Acts 6.7 Secondly it is taken for the bare credence and belief of the Doctrine of Christ in which respect The Rulers that loved the praise of men more than the praise of God are said to believe in Christ John 12.42 43. And thus the Devils are also said to believe and tremble James 2.19 Thirdly It is taken for the knowledge love and obedience of the Doctrine of Christ In which respect those that have departed from the love and obedience thereof are said to make Shipwrack of Faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 And lastly it is taken for an assured hope and expectation of eternall life begotten in men through a conscientious privity of the truth of their repentance sincerity of their obedience and the gracious promises of God made thereunto according as the words of the Apostle in 2 Tim. 4.7 8. before rehearsed do declare Now although that Faith in the first and second acceptation whereunto the Apostle in these words viz. It is the gift of God may have respect be acknowledged the gift of God and be after a sort necessarily imposed upon men especially when as the Doctrine of Christ is clearly and evidently demonstrated unto them by the miraculous power of God as it was by the Ministery of the Apostles Yet in the third acceptation by which alone men are intituled to Salvation it cannot from hence be concluded to be the gift of God it being begotten in men only through a due and serious consideration of the truth certainty worth and excellency of the Doctrine therof discovered unto them For like as a soft answer turneth away wrath and a soft tongue breaketh the bone according to Prov. 15.1 and 25.15 Even so the unspeakable love and goodnesse of God appearing unto men received into and laid up in their hearts as it is required in Deut. 6.6 11 18. Prov. 4.4 begetteth in them a love towards God obedience to his Word crucifieth them to the world casteth downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Eph. 6.16 17. From whence it is that those persons who have had the mercy and goodnesse of God demonstrated unto them in a more abundant measure than others and have not thereby
according to the prince of the power of the air c. fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath It s conceived that a man deprived of his natural life is not more incapable of performing the actions of living men then a man in his natural condition is of performing any thing required of him to his Salvation Which will appear very incredible if that we doe but consider that the Scriptures doe evidently declare that God requireth not of any men but according to the talents delivered unto them he requireth not five where he giveth but two nor two where he giveth but one nor yet one where he hath not vouchsafed any If ye were blinde saith Christ ye had not sin Iohn 9.41 2. Therefore secondly I answer That although that this text doth declare that the Ephesians were dead in trespasses and sins yet it doth not argue that they were necessarily dead therein or that they might not have avoided the same for mens being bad is no good ground to prove that they could not be good If that they were necessarily such it must be either by reason that they were such by birth or else through want of instruction but that they were such by birth cannot be gathered from this text 1. Because that those sins and trespasses wherein they are said to be dead are declared to be such as relate to their conversation and time of ripe age they walked according to the course of this world the prince that ruleth in the air fulfilled the desires of the minde c. which is not incident to the estate of infancy 2. It was observed before That all sins have their original in the wils of men and then forasmuch as children cannot distinguish betwixt good and evil Deut. 1.39 they cannot possibly choose the thing that is evil and therefore cannot be guilty thereof much lesse dead therein If it be objected That they are said to be the children of wrath by nature It s answered That by nature in this place probably may be understood that fleshly sensuall or devilish course of life wherein they had their conversation for so the word naturall in the 3. Chapter of Iames the 15. verse compared with the margent appeareth to be rendered in reference unto which they may here be said to be children of wrath But if that thereby we must understand their estate by birth then in that respect are they to be esteemed none otherwise the children of wrath then as they were subject to the wrath or curse of mortality inherent to their natures by their descent from Adam * By wrath in this place cannot possibly be understood the condemnation of hell because that punishment relates to the resurrection which could not have been had not Christ died and rose again and therefore the curse of the fall of which only we are chargeable by nature must of necessity end in the grave and the being of fallen Adam there ceasing no punishment beyond the same can be inflicted And therefore the wrath or condemnation of hell must of necessity be proper to the being that is to come and the reward of disobedience in the second Adam and not of our fall in the first Adam From whence being ransomed by the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ the more to endear them unto him for his goodnesse towards them therein the Apostle in this place may put them in minde thereof And as they were not dead in trespasses and sins by birth So neither were they dead therein through want of divine illumination or demonstration though that neither the Mosaical Law Doctrine of the Prophets or of Christ were delivered unto them as appeareth by Act. 14.17 where we reade that Paul and Barnabas having before reproved the men of Lystra for walking after strange gods and sacrificing unto them to convince them and discover to us that it was not through want of divine evidence that they so walked They declare that God did not leave himself without witnesse that he only ought to have been worshipped by them in that he did them good and gave them rain from heaven filling their hearts with food and gladnesse and the same Apostle further declareth in Rom. 1.19 That that which may be known of God was manifest unto them to wit the Gentiles for God shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him saith he from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead And yet the more fully to evidence this truth in vers 21 it 's plainly declared that by the aforesaid means they did attain to the knowledge of God and of that worship that he required of them when they knew God saith the text they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull c. But knowing the judgement of God that they which did commit such things were worthy of death did not only doe the same but took pleasure in those that did them vers 32. And thereupon in Chap. 2.1 3. are declared to be without excuse both in their disobedience and condemnation 2. This is yet more clearly demonstrated by the words of the Apostle in Chap. 2.14 15. When the Gentiles saith he which have not the Law doe by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which sheweth the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witnesse and their thoughts in the mean while accusing and excusing one another in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ In which words these two things are plainly declared First That whatsoever was necessarily required of them to their salvation was fully known unto them Secondly That the things so known by them was within their power to perform and practise That their duty was fully knowne unto them he demonstrateth from these two grounds 1. That some of them did performe the same which according as he argueth they could not have done had they been ignorant thereof when the Gentiles saith he doe by nature the things contained in the Law they shew thereby that they have the worke of the written in their hearts 2. From hence viz. that those of them which did not performe the things required of them to their Salvation had therein consciences accusing them at present and should accuse them by reason thereof in the day when God shal judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ the which should be impossible were not the same things known and understood by them as we may perceive by a very plain instance in Gen. 20. where we read That Abimelech having taken unto him Abrahams Wife upon his denying her to be his Wife and of Gods threatning him with death in case that he did not restore her again unto him he not being privy to himself of any evil committed therein
friend to the world he must be an enemy unto God James 4.4 Joshua having put it to the Israelites choice whether they would serve the Lord or the gods that their Fathers had worshipped Chap. 24.15 And they having in answer thereunto declared That they would serve the Lord only vers 18. He replieth unto them vers 10. in these words Ye cannot serve the Lord wherein his meaning is not that it was impossible for them to serve the Lord for then he would not have put it to their choice whether they would serve him or not but his meaning is that they could not serve him acceptably unlesse they did wholly cleave unto him and reject Idols vers 14.19 So likewise in this place when the Apostle saith That this natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God that is to say approve and subject himself to the wisdome and instruction of God contained in the doctrine of the Gospel we may not suppose that thereby he concludeth it absolutely impossible for them so to do but impossible only so long as they retain and nourish in themselves the vicious wisdome of the world whereby they are instructed to gain-say resist and oppose all godlinesse vertue and honesty The third Text is Ioh. 6.44 The words whereof are these No man can come unto me except the Father that sent me draw him From whence it is ordinarily supposed That no man can believe in Jesus Christ except that he be necessarily enforced thereunto by an immediate exercise or operation of the power of God upon his soul For answer whereunto I desire that it may be observed that this word draw whereupon the whole weight of this Objection standeth is diversly understood in the Scriptures and is not alwaies taken for a necessary compultion as it is here supposed but ordinarily for an argumentative perswasion only as appeareth by Act. 5.37 Where speaking concerning one Judas a seducer of the people it is said That he drew away much people after him As also by the words of the Apostle in Act. 20.30 where he declareth to the Church That from amongst themselves men should arise speaking perverse things and should draw away Disciples after them And that God only draweth men to the love of himself the Faith and Obedience of Christ by the discovery of his goodnesse towards them and of the danger of their ingratitude towards him doth evidently appear by these following Scriptures Hosea 11.3 4. where concerning backsliding Israel whose goodnes like the morning dew passed away the Lord thus speaketh I taught Ephraim also to goe taking them by their arms but they know that I healed them I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love and I was to them as one that taketh of the yoke on the jaws and I laid meat unto them And in Heb. 10.38 39. The just shall live by faith but if any man draw back saith the Lord my soul shall have no pleasure in him But we are not of those saith the Apostle that draw back to perdition but of those that believe to the saving of their soul In which Scriptures are discovered besides the means whereby God draweth men these two things 1. That God draweth all men the backsliding and those that draw back to perdition as well as those that believe to the saving of their souls And 2. That he so draweth none but that possibly they may draw back to perdition as Ephraim and those others supposed in the later Text it being otherwise to no purpose to present men with the danger of drawing back nor would it be any matter of commendations either in the Apostle or that number wherewith he joyneth himself that they did not draw back as well as others For what praise is it not to draw back when as it is impossible so to do Secondly The words of the Text compared with the former and following verses doe clearly import That the drawing of the Father whereof Christ speaketh consisteth only in external means and doctrinal instruction delivered unto men by his preaching In vers 41. Christ declaring himself to be the living bread or bread of life come down from heaven which giveth life unto the world and that by eating thereof a man should live for ever of which he had spoken before vers 33.35 And the Jews carnally weighing his words therein and not considering that he spake not unto them concerning material bread wherewith their natural lives should be sustained In vers 41 42. Murmur against him saying Is not this Iesus the son of Ioseph whose father and mother vve know How then saith he I came down from heaven Whereupon in vers 43 44 45. Christ that he might remove from before them the occasion of their stumbling at him by reason of his parentage and instruct them by vvhat means they should attain to the Belief and Obedience of his Doctrine answereth them to this effect Although that my father and mother be known unto you yet notwithstanding murmur not against me because I said I am the bread which came down from heaven to give life unto the vvorld For it is not my bodies descending from heaven but the promised Grace of God touching your Redemption Resurrection and eternal Salvation thorow my Death and Obedience to my doctrine which I intend vvhen I so spake unto you the vvhich you cannot receive except my Father vvhich sent me draw you according as it is vvritten in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God Every man therefore which hath heard and learned of the Father viz. received his instruction and submitted themselves thereunto cometh unto me And then in vers 46. least that he should be mistaken in vvhat he had here said concerning the Fathers drawing and teaching and be thought thereby to affirm That none could believe him to be the bread of life Saviour of the vvorld except that the Father immediately in his own person or by his spirit should instruct them therein enforce them thereunto He subjoyneth these vvords Not that any man hath seen the Father at any time save he that is of God he hath seen the Father intimating thereby That although that the Father teacheth men yet he teacheth them not personally or immediately but mediately by the Ministery of his Sonne vvho is God vvith us Mat. 1.23 and sent into the vvorld to the end that we may be taught of God by him according to these plain Scriptures Ioh. 1.18 Heb. 1.2 Ioh. 7.16 Ioh. 12.49 50. So that when it is said That none can come unto Christ except that he be drawn thereunto by the teaching of the Father The meaning thereof is only this That no man can receive Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the vvorld and become obedient unto him except that he hear and learn be drawn and perswaded thereto by the instruction of the Father in the Ministery of his Son The fourth Text alleadged to prove men incapable of improving the