superstructing good life on this is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being carried to perfection and again in yet plainer words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Faith is the beginning and the foundation and that without which nothing shall or will be firmly built still making the Faith or belief of the Articles the foundation in respect of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the excellent Christian life which was by the Apostles and Christ designed to be built on it CHAP. II. The Division of the discourse into four parts What are Fundamental in General § 1. THe notion of the word being now explained that which is yet behinde will be regularly reducible to these four heads First What those things are in General and then in particular to which this notion of Fundamentals belongeth and withall what propriety all and each of these have toward the supporting this superstructure the planting a Church of Christian livers 2dly What are the particular branches of this superstructure 3dly What Doctrines there are infused among Christians which are most apt to obstruct or intercept the superstructing of Christian life where the foundation is laid 4dly What things are necessary to the erecting of this superstructure on this foundation already laid whether in a particular Christian or especially in a Church or society of such § 2. The General way of defining what these fundamentals are must in reason be taken from the practise of the Apostles as the interpreter of God's appointment and judgment in this matter For it being certain that the Apostles which had a commission from Christ to preach and admit disciples over all the world to bring impenitent Jewes and Idolatrous Gentiles to the obedience of Christ were by him also directed in their way counselled in the choice of the fittest means of performing so great a work the argument will be infallibly conclusive on both sides positively and negatively that whatever the Apostles joyntly agreed on at their entrance on their several Provinces to be the subject of their first Sermons in all their travails that was by them and consequently by God himself deemed fundamental in our present sense and whatever was not by them thought thus necessary must not by us be obtruded on or forced into that Catalogue § 3. For the clearing of this it is first evident that there was in the A-Apostles times such a foundation laid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every Church as in that of Corinth 1 Cor. 3.11 styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.20 a good depositum or trust which Timothie had received from the Apostles for the direction of his ministerie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 3. the faith once or at once delivered to the saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 a form or breviate or summarie of wholsome words or sound doctrine which he had heard from S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one faith Eph. 4.5 in proportion to which followeth there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one baptisme wherein there was made profession of that Faith and to which none of years and knowledge was ever admitted who had not been sufficiently instructed by the Catechist in every part of this foundation which to that end the Catechist received from the Bishop with his short exposition of it see S. Ambrose Ep 35. l. 5. and being so instructed made open Confession of it and moreover by vow obliged himself there to superstruct all Christian practise upon it § 4. Secondly that this was approved of by them in common upon consultation and so seemed good to the holy Ghost and to them in order to their end the bringing of Jewes and Gentiles to repentance and accordingly was left behinde them delivered down to the Bishops of all Churches of their plantation not only as a rule of faith but as a symbolum or badge of the Apostles having planted Christianity among them All which is clearly testified by Tertullian Irenaeus and other the first writers See Irenaeus l 1. c. 11. 19. l. 3. c. 4. Tertullian de virgin veland in the beginning de Praescription throughout § 5. Thirdly that all that was necessary in order to that end the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the discipling all nations was comprehended in this form or summary it being certain that what God did not deem necessary was not necessary and that nothing which was so deem'd by God was omitted or left behinde by them whose office and care it was to declare the whole will of God and to lead others as themselves had been led into all necessary truth § 6. Fourthly that what we thus affirm of the necessity of these things to the superstructing of Christian practise must not so be understood that the hearing and believing of each of them be thought absolutely necessary in every single Jew or heathen that he may repent and convert and live a Christian life or without which he cannot but necessary to the discharge of the Apostolical office which was to reap whole fields to bring in whole cities and nations to Christ § 7. They that were to plant a Church were to deal with men of several and distant affections and tempers and interests an heterogeneous body made up of a multitude of various inclinations and of different habits of sin and degrees of radication of those habits and to each of these some proper application was to be made by those that came on Christ's errand to cure their souls as Hippocrates advises his Physitian to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollifying preparations for all turns and to carry them about with him and so a whole Dispensatorie was little enough to meet with and suffice to all their wants or at least some Catholicon of a transcendent virtue proportionable to the obstinacy of any the most desperate maladie But this confusion of diseases and rapsodie of difficulties was not to be supposed in each single sinner and consequently there was not the same necessity of the whole tale of Fundamentals for the converting or reducing of him § 8. There is no doubt but there were reformed Jewes before Christ's time whom the pedagogie and rudiments and imperfect documents of the Law with those influences and assistances of God which were then afforded brought home unto God and among them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifull men which had arrived to the abundance of goodness as they style it And of this kinde were the Esseni who though they be not ordinarily conceived to have been Christians yet are described by Philo under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so very like Christians that there is no reason to doubt but that Christian piety might be infused into some without the explicite knowledge of all and every of those articles which yet in general speaking or as it was to be planted through the
affixt to it by some Romanists and pay this ready obedience to it into the same snare of heresie or Impiety or both § 4. For of this we have too frequent experience how hard it is to dispossesse a Romanist of any doctrine or practise of that present Church for which he hath no grounds either in Antiquity or Scripture or Rational deductions from either but the contrary to all these as long as he hath that one hold or fortresse his perswasion of the Infallibility of that Church which teacheth or prescribeth it And indeed it were as unreasonable for us to accuse or wonder at this constancy in particular superstructed errors be they never so many whilst the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this first great comprehensive falsity is maintained as to disclaim the conclusion when the premises that duly induce it are embraced And then that other errors and guilts of the highest nature neither are nor shall be entertained by those that are thus qualified for them must sure be a felicity to which this doctrine hath no way intitled them and that for which they can have no security for one hour but by renouncing that principle which equally obligeth to the belief of truths and falshoods embracing of commendable and vitious practises worshipping of Christ in Heaven and under the species of bread the son and of the mother of God when they are once received and proposed to them by that Church § 5. But in stead of any fuller view of these I shall mention some few of those which our closer and later experience hath made most familiar to us and given us reason to look on with a quickness of sense and dread but those such as being not entred into the Confessions of any national Church are not properly chargeable either on Papists or Protestants but on particular dogmatizers on both parties From whom the doctrines being infusible into all it will be more necessary to forewarn all of the danger of them § 6. Such is first the perswasion of the Solifidians that all religion consists in believing aright that the being of Orthodox as that is opposed to erroneous opinions is all that is on our part required to render our condition safe and our persons acceptable in the sight of God § 7. This is a perswasion frequently observable in those that are forward to separate from all who differ in matters of Doctrine from them who place sanctity in their opinions as generally hereticks doe and make the dissents of other men the characters of animal carnal Gospellers And the influence of this on the matter in hand the superstructing Christian life upon our Faith is most evident For if we should give that perswasion of theirs the greatest advantage and suppose the doctrines in the belief of which they place so much efficacie to be these very fundamental Doctrines which this Discourse hath defined and specified yet in case the believing of those aright be conceived the one and onely necessary to salvation it is evident that the superstructing of good life the thing to which those doctrines relate and in respect of which they are styled Fundamental is ipso facto become unnecessary § 8. For when it shall be once resolved that Orthodox opinions are able to secure men of God's favour and that being assumed as a principle the search of them being a work of the brain shall generally be discernible as Aristotle observes of the study of the Mathematicks to have nothing repugnant to passions in it and when those articles of belief are conveyed to us with such evidence that we have no temptation to doubt of the truth of them what argument is there remaining to any rational man which can move him so superfluously and unnecessarily to set upon that more laborious and ungrateful task of mortifying lusts of subduing of passions of combating and overcoming the world of offering violence to his importunate vigorous carnal appetites If he that is to be baptized might be admitted to that state of justified Christians and therein to a right of inheriting the kingdome of heaven by a profession of the Articles of his Creed and an undoubted perswasion and belief of the truth of them what an impertinent tyrannie were it to increase his burthen to refuse and delay his admission till he should undertake the whole vow of forsaking the Devil and all his works of keeping God's holy will and commandements and walking in the same all the daies of his life What use even of Prayer of the Sacraments of Charity of Faith it self in any other notion but that wherein he considers it and thinks himself assuredly possessed of it § 9. The issue is clear the Solifidian looks upon his Faith or Articles of his belief as the intire structure not as the Rudiments or Foundation as the utmost accomplishment and end and not only as the first elements of his task and so this Perswasion of his most unhappily but most regularly obstructs and intercepts the building any more upon it which if he conceived himself no farther advanced then the laying a few stones a bare Foundation he would rationally think himself engaged and obliged to prosecute to a farre greater perfection § 10. Hitherto we have considered this perswasion of the Solifidian at the best and fairest advantage and supposed the Opinions on which he so relies to be the true Christian Apostolical and Fundamental Opinions But if we should proceed farther and consider how many other opinions there are abroad in the world which being neither Fundamental nor Apostolical nor arrived so farre as to any fair probability of truth doe yet pretend to be the only sanctified necessary doctrines and such as every man that believes them is a pure Christian professor and whosoever questions or examines the truth of them is to be look'd on as a carnal Gospeller whose arguments though never so unanswerable are to be resisted as so many temptations and many of these in their own nature over and above this Pharisaical opinion of the sanctitie of them very apt to intermit our watch to slacken our diligence to give a Supersedeas to industrie it would be most evident that the Solifidian's perswasions doe most directly and immediately resist God's principal design in revealing his truths obstruct the superstructure of Christian life on this Foundation § 11. But I shall not inlarge on the mention of these any farther then they are likely to fall under some other head of this insuing discourse Mean while it is worth remembring what Epiphanius observes of the Primitive times that wickedness was the only heresie that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impious and pious living divided the whole Christian world into Erroneous and Orthodox by which we are advertised how farre we are from performing the engagements of our Christianity if we insist so passionately or so intently on the truth of our beliefs as not to proceed to as vigorous a pursuit of
of the Father referring to the several hypostases in the one eternal indivisible divine nature and the eternity of the Sons generation and his coeternity and consubstantiality with the Father when he came down from heaven and was incarnate c. for us men peculiarly not for Angels and for our salvation and lastly the perpetuity of his kingdome added in the close all these are assertions equivalent to those which had been before comprised in the antient more simple uncompounded article but were usefull to be thus enlarged and explicated when the Arians opposed the Apostolick tradition and by corrupting detorted the words of scripture to their sense § 6. This is elswhere more largely shewed in the note on 1 Joh. 5.7 And all that will opportunely here be added is onely this that they which according to the Apostles depositum or doctrine in every Church believed the descent and incarnation of the eternal God on purpose to rescue mankinde from all impurities to reveal the whole divine will for the regulating mens lives to attest it by his death and evidence it by his resurrection c. and at last to come to judge the world according to this determinate rule had all those branches of Christian faith which were required to qualifie mankinde to submit to Christ's reformation And 't is the wilfull opposing these more explicite articles the resisting them when they are competently proposed from the definition of the Church and not the not-believing them thus explicitly when either they are not revealed or not with that conviction against which he cannot blamelesly and without pertinacy of his will hold out that will bring danger of ruine on any § 7. That which is added of the holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son supposing with the Western Church that the Filióque was found in the first copies and acts of that Councel who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets is in like manner an enlargement and explication of the more brief Apostolick form and the substance thereof was comprised formerly in that uncompounded style fitter then for the belief and memory of all but was afterward prudently enlarged for the repelling and preventing the poyson of heretical invaders the Montanists and Macedonians c. § 8. And so likewise that addition of the one Baptisme prefixt to the Remission of sins was on purpose design'd against the Novatians whose pretensions were considered and condemned in the Councel of Nice The practises of the Churches in receiving those that had fallen into gross sins after baptisme had been somewhat different in some parts milder as in the Church of Rome in others more rigid The Church of Rome had given some liberty for the great offenders murtherers adulterers and such as had fallen to Idol-worship in time of persecution viz that after many years penance they might be restored to the Communion and peace of the Church without any new baptisme such as was used in admitting heathens only by imposition of hands or absolution extending the virtue of baptisme formerly received to the washing away of these sins committed after baptism in case of sincere repentance and forsaking of them This the Novatians disliked and thereupon brake off and made a schisme in the Church And the Councel of Nice taking cognizance of the matter judged against Novatus and his followers that there was place for a second repentance and not only for that first before Baptisme as appears by the Canons of that Councel And this was it that was referred to in this more enlarged passage of their Creed and the use of it thought very considerable for the reducing of lapst Christians as the Apostolical article of remission of sins indefinitely had been for the attracting heathens And this and all the former additions being thus setled by the Vniversal Church were and still are in all reason without disputing to be received and embraced by the present Church and every meek member thereof with that Reverence that is due to Apostolick truths that thankfulness which is our meet tribute to those sacred champions for their seasonable and provident propugning of our faith with such timely and necessary application to practise that the holy Ghost speaking to us now under the times of the New Testament by the Governours of the Christian Churches Christ's mediate successors in the Prophetick Pastoral Episcopal office as he had formerly spoken by the Prophets of the Old Testament sent immediately by him may finde a cheerful audience and receive all uniform submission from us § 9. And this is all that is here necessary to be said of this second Creed CHAP. X. Of the Athanasian Creed § 1. OF the Athanasian Creed as it is usually called two things will be briefly considerable 1. The doctrine of it 2. The curses and damnation denounced against those who doe not entirely maintain it without the corruptions and mixtures of the hereticks § 2. The Doctrine is well-nigh all of it the asserting the Vnity of the Divine nature and the Trinity of hypostases whether subsistences as the Greek Church called it or as the Latine personae persons in it and that in opposition to several novel propositions which had by hereticks been introduced in the Church and so as the vices of men suggest lawes occasioned such explications and enlargements And of these again much more then of the Nicene superadditions it may be reasonably affirmed that being the explications of a Father of the Church and not of a whole Vniversal Councel or of the Church representative they were neither necessary to be explicitly acknowledged before they were convincingly revealed nor simply and absolutely imposeable on any particular man any farther then he was a member of some Church which had actually received Athanasius's explication as it is apparent the Western Churches did or then it appeared concordant with the more authentick Vniversal Confessions as every doctrinal proposition of it will be found to doe § 3. As for the Censures annext 1. in the beginning that except a man keep the Catholick faith of which this is set down not as the entire form but an explication or interpretation of some parts of it whole and undefiled he shall doubtless perish everlastingly 2dly in the middle he that will be saved must thus think and it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly in the incarnation c. and 3dly in the end this is the Catholick Faith which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved I suppose they must be interpreted by their opposition to those heresies that had invaded the Church which were acts of carnality in them that broached and maintained them against the Apostolick Doctrine and contradictory to that foundation which had been resolved on as necessary to bring the world to the obedience of Christ and were therefore to be anathematized after
all that shall deprive themselves of that honourable remedy to invite the rashest or the worst of men into that state of continual temptations which hath caused the shipwrack of so many § 15. Fiftly Contentedness is most eminently one of these specialties and that both as it is opposed to ambition covetousness injustice uncontentedness each of which is a most unchristian sin and also as it is the maintaining and establishing of Propriety in the world which though it be not of any huge importance in respect of any considerable advantages that wealth and honour can help a Christian to who is or ought to be raised by Christ to a contempt and superiority over such mean empty acquisitions as these yet as the disturbances which questions of right never fail to bring along with them are very unhappy and innumerable and endless so the inestimable benefit of peace and quiet and vacation for piety and the instrumentalness of riches to works of charity even above that more perfect way of absolute despising of wealth which by giving all at once disables for many thousand future charities have rendred it very politick and necessary in every Christian Common-wealth by Laws to settle and secure Propriety which he that hath learnt with S. Paul to be content in whatsoever estate will never attempt to invade or violate § 16. Many other branches of this superstructure there are which it cannot be necessary to mention here but above all the taking up of the Cross and following Christ with it on our shoulders And the vigorous indevour to cast it off from our own shoulders to fasten it on other mens and to shake the foundations of Government in order to any such attempt is most diametrally contrary to the true Christian temper an enmitie to the cross of Christ CHAP. XII Of the Doctrines that hinder the superstructing of good life on the Christian belief first among the Romanists a Catalogue of them especially that of the Infallibility of the Church 2. Among others 1. that of the Solifidian § 1. I Come now to consider what Doctrines there are infused discernibly among Christians which are most apt to frustrate the forementioned method to obstruct or intercept the cordial superstructing of Christian life or Renovation where the Foundation is duly laid For supposing the Articles of our Christian Faith to be completely taught and undoubtedly believed and so the foundation to be purely laid according to the Apostles platform And supposing farther that the several forementioned branches of the superstructure be so farre taught and believed also as that they are not doubted to be the virtues prescribed and preached to men by Christ It is yet possible that after all this some other Doctrines may inconveniently interpose and intercept the uses and aimes to which God hath designed the Faith and at once obstruct the superstructing of all Christian life upon it § 2. Of this sort the Catalogue is or soon may be farre larger then will be fitly inserted in this place For upon this occasion we might be engaged to enter on the examinati of the Romish doctrines 1. of Penances 2. of Indulgences 3. of the Treasury of the Church made up beside the blood of Christ of the supererogating merits of some and applied to the benefit and pardon of others 4. of the Improvableness of Attrition into Contrition by the Priests ayde without the sinners change of life 5. of Purgatory 6. of Dispensableness of Oathes 7. of Arts of Equivocation 8. of Cessation of Allegiance in subjects to an heretical Prince and some others the like but especially of the Infallibility and inerrableness which is assumed and inclosed by the Romish Church without any inerrable ground to build it on and being taken for an unquestinable Principle is by the security it brings along with it apt to betray men to the foulest whether sins or errors whensoever this pretended Infallible guide shall propose them And seeing it is just with God to permit those which thinke they stand so surely to fall most dangerously and because what some witty and subtile men of this and former ages have been experimented to fall into may in the future possibly become the Romanists case and because the Assuming of Infallibility is by way of interpretation the presuming and affirming every thing to be infallibly true and good which they shall ever believe or teach de fide or pronounce to be duty and there is nothing so false or sacrilegious but it is possible they may thus teach or pronounce of it for these reasons I say it will be impossible to free this Doctrine of theirs which hath so vast and comprehensive an influence on the opinions and actions of all who have espoused it from the guilt of which now we speak that of hindring the superstructing of Christian life and the several branches thereof on the Foundation § 3. And if as the Jesuites define this Infallibility of the Church be supposed to be seated in the persons or chair or succession of Popes 't is presently obvious and clear that as Almain and Ocham have not thought it irreverent to averre that any such person is deviabilis haereticabilis Apostatabilis damnabilis liable to errour heresie Apostasie damnation it self So they that believe him an infallible guide must in consequence to their opinion if they pursue it follow him to all these dangers And when Pope Steven hath been by S. Cyprian accused of heresie Pope Liberius by S. Athanasius Pope Honorius by all Christians when the chairs of those Bishops which have not secured their persons from notorious impiety of liliving that fouler guilt then heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a species of Atheisme as Nilus truly saith on this occasion can with no more pretence or colour of proof secure them from defining of errors or tolerating of sins and when the writers of their lives Onufrius and Platina who have told us how much more then possible the former is relating the incests witchcrafts cruelties of Alexander the sixt the Idolatrous sacrifices of Marcellinus Coelestins applications to the devil in pursuit of the Papacy and his disclaiming his part in heaven so he might obtain that earthy dignity have given us reason to foresee the possibility also and all the ill consequences and aboads of the latter It cannot be temerarious or unreasonable to affirm that what hath been may be and in like manner that the doctrines of any antient heretick may in some new shape be imbibed by a Cardinal and being so may not forsake him when he is made Pope but beget a desire very consequent to his belief an appetite of propagating his perswasions and so that Practises may be allowed and Articles taught by the Pope most contrary to the design of this foundation and the Church that hath imposed on her sons the belief of her Infallibility draw all that understand it in this sense for I see another is now
Father so the Our in the second Article is set to denote all and every one of us every man in the world without any exception to be redeemed by God the Son § 5. And accordingly the Catechisme of the Church of England established by Law and preserved in our Liturgie as a special part of it expounds the Creed in this sense I believe in God the Father which made me and all the world 2. In God the Son who redeemed me and all mankinde 3. In God the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God Where as Creation is common to more creatures then redemption and redemption then sanctification so Mankinde to which Redemption belongs as it is farre narrower then the world or the works of God's creation so is it farre wider then the catalogue of all the Elect people of God to whom sanctification belongs § 6. So in other parts of our Liturgie in Consecrating the Eucharist we have this form of prayer Almighty God which didst give thine only son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption and made there by his one oblation of himself once offered a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world And accordingly in the administration of that Sacrament the elements are delivered to every communicant in this form The body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee and The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee preserve thy body and soul into everlasting life Which supposeth it the doctrine of our Church avowed and professed that Christ's death was not only sufficient for all if God would have so intended and designed it but that he was actually designed and given for all not only as many as come to that Sacrament which yet is wider then the Elect but us men or mankinde in general whose salvation was sought by God by this means § 7. So in our Articles also Christ suffered for us that he might be a sacrifice not only for Original sin but also for all the actual sins of men Art 2. And by Christ who is the only mediator of God and men eternal life is proposed to mankinde Art 7. And Christ came as a Lamb that by the offering of himself once made he might take away the sins of the world Art 15. And The oblation of Christ once made is a perfect redemption propitiation satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world Ar 31 All which I have thus largely set down to shew the perfect consonancie of our persecuted Church to the doctrine of Scripture and Antiquity in this point wheron so much depends for the stating determining other differences which have also a special influence on practise § 8. As for the ill consequences toward the obstructing of good life which are considerable to attend this one doctrine of Christ's dying for none but the Elect they will be most discernible by attempting the Reformation change of any vicious Christian that believes that doctrine or the comfort of any disconsolate despairing Christian that hath gotten into this hold and remains fortified in the belief of it § 9. For the former 't is evident and that which he is supposed to believe if he believe the Foundation as I presume him now to doe when I set the case of a vitious Christian that there is no salvation to be had for any sinner but only by the sufferings of Christ and that redemption by him wrought for such If therefore a vitious liver believing that Christ dyed for none but the Elect shall have any attempt made on him to reform and amend his life 't is certain that one medium to induce him to it must be a tender of mercy from Christ of present pardon and future blisse upon his Reformation But if he be able to reply that that mercy belongs only to the Elect and he is none of them it necessarily follows that he that would reduce this stray sheep must either prove convincingly to him that he is one of the Elect or else hath no farther to proceed in this attempt § 10. And if he thus attempt to perswade the vitious Christian that he is one of the Elect then 1. the very attempt confesses to him that a vitious person remaining such may be in the number of the Elect and from thence he will presently be able to inferre that then he needs not reformation of life to constitute him such and if so then reformation of life is not the condition on which only bliss is to be expected and without which it is not to be had it being supposed and acknowledged by both parties that all the Elect shall have it and so the medium which was thought necessary to perswade his reformation the tender of mercy from Christ upon reformation is already vanished and consequently 't is to no purpose to perswade him that he is one of the Elect which was useful onely for the inforcing this medium And so the very making this attempt is destructive to the only end of it § 11. But if this were not the result of this attempt yet 2dly 't is in the progresse agreed to be necessary that he perswade this person that he is one of the elect And what possible medium can he use to prove that to a vitious person A priori from any secret decree of God's 't is certain he cannot demonstrate it for he hath never entred into God's secrets and 't is sure the Scripture hath revealed nothing of it Whatsoever it saith of the Book of life never affirming that particular man's name is written there And then the one possible way of attempting it is à posteriori from the fruits of election and those are not supposeable in him who is supposed a vitious liver who lives in that estate and is by him acknowledged to doe so for otherwise why should he think it necessary to reduce him wherein he that lives shall not inherit the kingdome of God For his proof whatever it is will easily be retorted and the contrary proved by interrogating Shall the adulterer the drunkard the vicious Christian inherit the kingdome of God If he shall what need I that am now exhorted to reform my life reform it If he shall not then certainly I that am such am none of the Elect for all that are elect shall certainly inherit the kingdome of God § 12. The onely reserve imaginable is that this vitious Christian be perswaded to believe in Christ and if he doe so he shall by that know that he is one of the Elect and so that his sins shall be pardoned c. But if this be the method made use of then 1. this is not the attempting to reform to work repentance which was the thing proposed in this first case but to work faith in him and with men of those opinions these are two distinct things
faith repentance and the former must be before the other and is resolved to doe the whole business without the other and consequently this is not the way to bring the sinner to repentance but rather to assure him that he hath no need of it his businesse may be done without it § 13. 2dly This very attempt of perswading him to believe in Christ as that signifies the full perswasion that the promises of Christ belong to him is supposing that Christ died for none but the Elect as desperate an attempt as the former For why should he believe Christ died for him who died only for the Elect when he hath no means to perswade him that he is one of the Elect but great and strong presumptions to the contrary For to believe that Christ died for him for whom he died not is to believe a down-right falsitie and such is the believing Christ died for him who both believes that he died only for the Elect and that he himself is none of that number § 14. And in like manner the former inconvenience returns again for if the vitious Christian be advised to believe that Christ died for him remaining such and that must be the case if this faith must precede repentance it is by that advise presupposed and granted to him that Christ which died only for the Elect who shall certainly inherit the kingdome of God died for this vitious person of whom the Scripture saith that he shall not inherit the kingdome And again if he may believe what he is advised to believe that Christ died for him as now he is an unreformed Christian then what needs he reformation to make him capable of the benefits of his death And so still it is impossible where this opinion is imbibed and unremoved to found any convincing argument to reform a vitious Christian § 15. But this hath no such appearance of difficulty to him that hath received the doctrine of Vniversal but conditional redemption of Christ dying for all that shall perform the condition required by him and to which his grace is ready to enable him For then how great soever the sins of any unreformed person are 't is evident that Christ died for him because he died for all that he died for those sins of his because he died for all sins Only he must reform and forsake his sins or else he shall never receive benefit of his death And then though there be that pleasure in sin which the habitual sinner cannot be perswaded to part with unlesse he must unlesse he discern the danger of retaining and the advantage of parting with it yet when he hath such arguments as these proposed to him eternal blisse in exchange for short temporary pleasures assurance of this upon reformation and an impossibility and absolute desperation without it the vitious Christian if he have advanced no farther then so and if his habit of sin have not corrupted his principles may think it reasonable to reform and amend upon such terms as these the Preacher may hope to superstruct good life upon such a Foundation § 16. And the like inconveniences are found to be consequent to this opinion of Christ's dying for none but the Elect whensoever any comfort is offered to a disconsolate despairing Christian For it is not possible to give him any comfort but by fetching it from Christ And that he shall receive no benefit from Christ is the affirmation whereon all his despair is founded and the one way of removing this dismall apprehension is to convince him that Christ's death and the benefits thereof either doe or if he perform the condition required of him shall certainly belong to him § 17. This upon the belief of universal Redemption is presently so farre done that if he set industriously and sincerely to perform the commands of Christ he can have no ground or pretense of doubting but it shall prove successful to him and so all that he hath to doe is to indevour by prayer and use of the means and by good hope of which he hath such clear grounds to qualifie himself for this blessed condition and in the mean time hath no excuse to continue in this melancholy mournful posture who hath so cheerful a prospect before him § 18. But to him that believes Christ died for none but the Elect and whose comforter is of that opinion also there is no possible replie to his objections or satisfaction to his sad abodings For that no mercy doth or can belong to him he is resolved upon this ground because Christ died not for him and the doctrine that Christ died for the Elect yeilds him no relief because he is verily perswaded that he is none of the Elect and when the number of the Elect is defined to be so small and disproportionable to the number of the reprobate and so there is really all odds against him that he is not of the number of the few when his fears shall help to increase that odds and make him lesse capable of believing what is so much lesse probable when his present despairs being so contrary to that faith assurance of his salvation which alone can justifie in his opinion or bear witness to his Election shall by necessary consequence bear witness against him and when the scripture that should and in this case alone can interpose for his relief doth certainly affirm nothing of his particular Election and lastly when what it saith of Christ's dying for all is by him misunderstood to belong but to a few 't is not imaginable what can be said to this man to perswade him that his progresse is not rational that he doth not well to despair who hath so slight grounds to build any hope and so much weightier to comply with and assist his fears in overwhelming him § 20. And then as necessary as hope is to labour encouragement to quickning of action so necessary is the belief of Vniversal Redemption to the superstructing Christian life where the foundation of Christian belief is already laid CHAP. XV. Of the irrespective decrees of Election and Reprobation § 1. THE same is discernible also and need not more largely be declared in that doctrine of God's decrees of salvation and damnation which hath been taken up by some both of the Romish and Reformed Churches affixing them to mens particular entities absolutely considered without any respect to all qualifications and demeanours Which whatsoever else be believed of God or Christ is as farre as it is laid to heart and permitted to have influence on carnal men's practise a most visible hindrance to the building of good life upon it § 2. The Church of England having not so much as named but purposely avoided the mention of any Decree of Reprobation and for Election or Predestination to life having set it down in an admirable temper in order to gratifying all and not provoking any of the several perswasions Art 7. as might more largely
be made to appear if it were here seasonable hath yet providently foreseen the dangerous downfall that from this her doctrine the affirming no more nor no more particularly then she doth is to be expected to curious as well as carnal men i. e. to those that enter into farther speculations herein which is the itch of curiosity and content not themselves with the simplicity of that doctrine within which this Church hath contained her self And to prevent particularly all advantage that might be taken from hence to the Doctrine of the irrespective decrees to which is inseparably joyned the confining all the Promises to the Elect The Article concludes with an earnest expression of care and warning to the contrary that we must receive God's promises in such wise as they are generally set forth to us in the holy scripture as in our doing we are to follow that will of God which we have expresly declared to us in the word of God which one passage excludes and barres out that whole doctrine § 3. As for the particularity of the dangers and hindrances of good life that are directly consequent to this doctrine they are presently discerned For if that salvation which Christ came to purchase for a few and in like manner that dereliction or reprobation that irreversibly involves the farre greater multitude be not distributed according to the qualifications or performances of men whether works or love or hope or repentance or the want of any or all of these but only by the absolute irrespective will of God what rational argument can be produced in any time of temptation to any sin which is the special season for such arguments to be offered to any which may be of force to perswade a reasonable man or Christian professor to renounce that present pleasure that comes in competition with duty § 4. Either the promises of Christ or the terrors of the Lord or the authority of the commander must be the Topick whence that argument is drawn and all force of any of these is utterly taken off by this doctrine § 5. Promises can be of no force unlesse they be believed to be conditional promises and unlesse that duty which is proposed to be inforced by those promises be acknowledged to be part of that condition upon performance of which those promises do and upon neglect of which those promises shall not belong to any And the promises being but a transscript of the will and decree of God a revelation made by Christ of that mysterie or secret wrapt up before in God's eternal Counsels concerning us such as the decrees are supposed such must the promises be concluded to be If the decrees be believed to be absolute the promises must be absolute too and consequently not conditional which was the one qualification necessarily required to render them of any force to work on any to restrain or invite any that were drawn or sollicited another way § 6. For why should a man perform an ungrateful duty undertake a difficulty hazard a danger or diminution deny himself any pleasurable enjoyment upon a bare intuition of promises which by being such are represented with some disadvantage lie under a considerable prejudice and are acknowledged and experimented to be of lesse energie or force to allure or perswade then present possessions when he is all the while convinced that all the promises that he can possibly have any part in belong to him absolutely and irrespectively and shall no more be secured to him upon the performance then upon the neglect and omission of that duty § 7. In like manner the Terrors menaces of scripture are of as little force For if they fall upon mens persons and not upon their sins omissions or commissions if they are but the recitations and descriptions of God's decreed wrath and those decrees and that wrath have no respect to the actual sins of men but are terminated either in the innocent creature or the childe of lapsed Adam i. e. either respect not sin at all or else none but Original sin which is no part of the present deliberation whether it shall be committed and I guilty of it or no then why should terrors restrain me from any sin when there is any tender of present advantage to invite me to it § 8. All my fear and trembling will regularly be terminated in the decree on which all my miserie depends and not in the sinne which means me no ill and consequently the aversion and dislike will naturally be fastned on that severe law that hath bound me in fatal chains of darkness before ever I saw light and if it proceed any farther may be likely to ascend blasphemously unto and against that Judge that hath taken pleasure to enact that law and so that doctrine may very probably take off from our love of God but 't is not imaginable which way this should produce in me any aversion or hatred against sin which by this doctrine is cleared from being my enemy from involving me into any mischief designing the least treachery against me § 9. And lastly for the authority of God's Commands which forbid sin and command obedience it can be no greater with any man toward the undertaking of good life then that man believes the weight to be which God layes on the performance of them And if God heed that no more then they that espouse the doctrine of irrespective decrees must consequently be supposed to believe him to doe if in his decreeing his eternal rewards of blisse or woe he respect not our obedience or disobedience but distribute both by a rule quite distant from that which is founded in his commands or revealed will it will never be thought any neer concernment or interest of ours to regulate our actions according to those commands which have certainly much of strictnesse in them much of contrariety to flesh and blood but nothing of influence either on our weal or woe as long as this doctrine is deemed to have any truth in it § 10. And so still the virtue and force of every of these three which are the common standing inducements and engagements to obedience is shrewdly allayed if not wholly lost by this means § 11. And 't is not the motive of gratitude which is said to be the only score on which the Elect perform their obedience that can make any considerable difference in this matter that can be sufficient to perswade him to abstain from any tempting sin whom neither promises nor terrors nor precepts had been able to work upon § 12. 1. Because Gratitude being but a return of love in him that hath a quick sense of God's loving him first cannot have any propriety to the producing of that effect in any till he hath arrived to that sense nor can it continue to doe it when that sense is lost And consequently a great number of the supposed elect shall be uncapable of it both they which
Doctrines among the Romanists The doctrine of Infallibility †Subditos illi Papae simpliciter obligari ad credendum adeò irrationabile blasphemiae plenum est ut etiam quacunque haeresi pestilentius inveniatur that subjects should be absolutely and simply bound to believe the Pope is so irrational and full of blasphemy that it is found more pestilent then any heresie whatsoever Wesselus Groningens de dignit potest Eccl c. 1. written about 200 years since Valdè periclitaretur vita justi si penderet ex vitâ Papae Wesselus Groningens de dignit potest Eccl c. 1. the life of a just man would be in very great hazard if it depended on the life of the Pope Summorum Pontificum plerique pestilenter erraverunt c. Most of the Popes have erred pestilently Wesselus Groningens de dign potest Eccl c. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What amulet hath the Pope to preserve him from denying God in his words who so oft doth it in works Nilus de prim p. 57. Of the Pope †de Primatu p. 57. The ill effects of it The perswasion of the Solifidian The Doctrine of Faith being a full perswasion Ostructive to good life The pretended use of good life to the justifying of our Faith vain in four respects The First The second The third The fourth The Jew's premature perswasion of his good estate The Christians The Fiduciarie's ground Christ's dying for none but the Elect. Two farther obstructions to good life Of Faiths being defined by Reliance The Error of it The danger of obstructing good life Universal Redemption the doctrine of Scripture Of the Creeds The Nicene The Apostolick Of the Church of England in the Catechism In the Cōmunion services In the Articles The ill consequences of the denying it In the reducing a vitious Christian In comforting a disconsolate Christian The Article of our Church The doctrine of irrespective decrees Takes off the force 1. of Promises 2. of Terrors 3. of Commands Of Gratitude The doctrine of God's predetermining all events Of preordering Of God's predetermining his own will Of Gods Prescience The doctrine of Predetermination noxious to Practise Revealed and secret will Sin is not nothing The distinction betwixt the act and the obliquitie †Noct Att l. 6. c. 2. li. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †de Fato l. 6. c. 2. Concerning the descent of the Spirit Gods method in his Church Teachers and learners All that comes out of the heart is not from God Jam. 5.15.17 Mat. 15.18 19. The belief of it a very noxious error Worse then the fallacie of the heathen Oracles Or idolatrous Mysteries Of Repentance Dangerousness of mistakes in it Misunderstanding Rom. 7. †Annot in Rom 7. Dangers of it Wishes of repentance Sorrow that they doe not wish Deferring Repentance to Death-bed †Of Death-bed Repentance Mistake of Sorrow for Repentance Three kindes of necessaries Morally necessary to this end What the Universal Church of Christ hath thought thus Necessary 1. Baptisme Of Infants Benefits of that The first The second The third The fourth Catechizing Confirmation The first part thereof The second The Lord's Supper In five considerations The first The second The third The fourth The fift The frequency of Receiving it The use of Liturgie The use of Liturgie Of Preaching Visitation of the Sick Spiritual Conference The power of the Keyes * Stobaeus ser 41. p. 268. †li. de Republ This the last Ecclesiastical means The necessity of Governors in the Church The Conclusion A Prayer